Raf P.

Started with lamb samosas, which are good minced lamb treats , also tried the naan bread which was fresh n good I was Disappointed after I had ordered lamb briyani and told they were out of lamb, none the less i tried the chicken briyani and it was tasty. Service was slow even though there were only two tables occupied on a Sunday. Food is moderately priced for the area but, great service is pinnacle when eating out it creates a great experience that's is why I'm giving Hema's kitchen 2 stars.

Courtney G.

I love this place. Good service and they serve the more authentic titikk masala...not that chicken in Campbell's tomato sauce looking stuff. Brought a friend here as his entrance into Indian food and he seemed to really enjoy it. Service was great and very attentive. Will definitely come back!

Claire S.

Having been to Hema's on Devon and loved it, I really wanted to like this more convenient location. I went two times, hoping the first was just a fluke. I ordered my standard shahi paneer, which is cheese cubes in a tomato gravy. The sauce was a pukish brown color that had absolutely no tomato flavor (and not much of any other flavor) and had literal pools of oil. After fishing out the paneer, the serving was less than one bowl. Disappointing considering how great the one up north is!

Hrudaya S.

I was not very impressed with this place. Their service was ok. It is the closest place to my house for Indian food, and one night, I was craving it so much, so decided why not give it a try. I felt the dishes were just ok, rice was dry (not complimentary with curries), but their naan was good. I might go back, if I have extreme craving for Indian food again, but otherwise, I would rather just go elsewhere.

Natalia T.

We ordered , and Ms Hema herself came to our table to introduce herself. However for the rest of the evening she was hanging out at the entrance counter with her numerous family - kids and adults chatting, counting money. We made our order, and then, were sitting there for 30 minutes waiting for our tea. I had to ask the waiter three times. I had to finally yell, that it took them half an hour to bring the freaking tea. And there were only about 5-6 other tables occupied. All this time, the honorable Hema was standing at her entry counter chatting with her kids and family with zero attention, like she is some increadibly important persona. When tea arrived, it was only one cup, not two as we ordered. When entrees arrived, I wanted to ask the waiter about which one was which, and could not find one, I stood up and asked the honorable Hema to help me figure it out. Honorable Hema, like a true royal person, considered that beneath her royalty to help me and motioned to a crazy busy waiter working on other table to go help me. All along there was a buss boy pushing a rattling cart along the tables loaded with trays for dirty dishes. Those tall trays are exactly the same shape and size that I use for my cat toilet. He apparently was taught that it was much more efficient and faster to bring that unsightly dirty dish cart to tables where people eat, rattling it with a lot of noise along the isles. Then ONE dish finally came - with no rice, no bread, nothing. 10 minutes later came the rice and other entrees. Veggie entrees were almost the same thing. Masala tea was nothing different from Lipton with milk. Hubby is usually very nice. He said he was not coming back.

Kinnera P.

I had #50, #6 and #74. The Kheema samosa was amazing. They were crisp and fresh. Right amount spice and flavor. The mutton/lamb was perfectly cooked and did not have the weird taste that most other 'American/Indian' food has. This is a real curry! Well... Rice was rice.. I wish they threw in some rice with the curry. That would've added bang to the buck! I heard about Hemas Kitchen through a cabbie and I swear it's the bomb dot com for Indian delivery. I would've posted pictures but I devoured them sooner than I could snap them sorry.

Vivek K.

This area in Lincoln Park is in dire need of a quality, traditional Indian eatery for two reasons- to diversify the dining options and to clear the memory of Hema's from all those unfortunate enough to wander through the doors. As Indian food has a tendency to do, the smells from Hema's waft over the entire block. Drawn by the siren's call, I ordered saag paneer, gosh rogan josh ( lamb curry) and naan. The food was just terrible. The poor spinach stood no chance against the overwhelming vat of oil it was cooked in. To carry the theme, the oil curry, I mean lamb curry, was peculiarly spiced and the lamp pieces were cooked to oblivion. The naan, while heavily buttered, was decent. A hint - when a restaurant uses an absurd amount of oil they are covering subpar ingredients and poor execution. A request to all potential restaurateurs - open an Indian spot near Hema's to exorcise the disservice done to Indian cuisine as a whole!

Dan R.

I visited this place with a friend of mine who lives nearby on a chill Saturday. We went there for lunch. Good Indian food for a reasonable price. Service needs a bit of improvement, but this is the perfect spot for that quick lunch when you are in the "spicy" mood. Recommend!

Kristi L.

I went here with a large group on a Friday night in spring. The restaurant was not super packed. The service was great (up until the distribution of the dishes). Our waters (all 10 of them) remained filled and we were checked on by multiple employees (good teamwork). We did take some time to order and had questions, and the servers responded graciously. The food was good, the garlic naan was bomb and I had the Lamb Korma, which was also nice. The only minor complaint I have is that the dishes were passed out in a very sporadic, awkward way. There was a lot of "auctioning" off of food going on. Not everyone remembered what they had (a lot of items are similar and a bunch ended in gosht), which made it harder to figure out because we no longer had menus on the tables (the types of menus that have numbers for a reason too). Anyway, we're all friends and we weren't pressed for time, so it wasn't that big of a deal, but I'm not sure I would return with a group. Again, really friendly hospitality, though and good indian food!

dhiraj k.

Negative Stars for their service. It has been more than 1.30 hours since i ordered dinner from this place. The person on the phone promised 35-40 mins while ordering. I have called them 5 times and every time he promises that the driver would be here any minute. Finally I told him how bad it is that he's constantly promising something to me when he has no idea. He said he has no control over the driver, and there's nothing he can do about it. Well, apologize for it. And try to make up for it. I don't care which "company" the driver works for, I ordered it from your restaurant so you are responsible. I will not order again. If you order, don't expect the food to come on time. Don't expect to have any intelligent conversation with the person on the phone.

Elizabeth P.

Normally I've been pleased with Hema's. The food is usually quite tasty. However, my most recent experience was rather disappointing: I waited a full hour for a carry-out order, with the staff saying "just five more minutes" at every twenty-minute interval or so, when the restaurant was nearly empty. I will no longer recommend Hema's to friends.

Monica B.

Really good Indian food, affordable prices, good service and it's byob! What more can you ask for?

John M.

Don't be fooled by the seemingly small portions! I saw the tiny silver plate that came my way and thought about ordering two. The chicken korma was a filling dish that could have been a tad better. It is even better if you get it with the garlic naan which fills in the missing pieces. Although the food was great my drink, the mango lassie, was sub par and I would recommend staying away from it. The decor was authentic and made me feel as if I was in India. The service was fine and left me time to talk to my family.

Dan S.

I have tried numerous Indian restaurants in my lifetime and this may be the least impressive. Two orders of buttered naan were burned on bottom with little to no butter on top...they were also cold. Vegetable Pakoras were good while the tandoori chicken and chicken tikka masala were OK. There only two other tables taken, yet I couldn't get water refilled or extra napkins...and then had to call out for my bill after 15 minutes of waiting. This place isn't bad, but I won't be back.

Jon F.

What happened to this place? First of all, we were one of only 3 tables in the entire restaurant on a Saturday night at 7:30pm, which was a bit scary. We order our appetizers and main courses before the other two tables. However both of the other tables get their appetizers and ENTREES before we get our appetizers. They clearly forgot to put in our appetizer order. From the time we ordered, it took 35 minutes for the appetizers to arrive. We got an "I'm sorry" from the server, but that was it. The sag shrimp was good. I would have preferred shrimp that were fully peeled, but I could get beyond that. Overall it was flavorful. However my wife's chicken dish contained almost no chicken. It was almost all sauce. The bottom line is that the service was really shameful. Despite the very few options for Indian food in the Lincoln Park neighborhood, we will not be revisiting Hema's.

Kyle D.

The good: Good prices and cheap, decent portions. Good atmosphere The bad: Long wait for food, very average taste food-wise. I've had much better Indian cuisine in the area. Overall: An average Indian meal. Not good, not bad, just average.

Joslyn B.

They stole money from me. Plain and simple - I ordered takeout, they gave me the total over the phone ($44), and that was the total given when I ran my card. I check my bank account 3 days later and they gave themselves a nice $6 tip - my bank account reflects that they took just over $50. I don't think it's necessary to tip someone who writes down your order and then turns around to grab it from the kitchen and put it in a bag. I don't tip fast food workers; why would I tip the lady who does the same thing at Hema's? I can't believe they had the audacity to give themselves a tip from my card. The food was decent, but I will never ever order from these thieves again.

Katie T.

Whoa. I am sorry to say that our takeout here was just inedible. We love Indian food and were looking for a spot near our new place. We ordered naan, biryani rice, saag aloo, aloo baigan, and vegetable samosa. The veggie samosa was okay. The rest went in the trash, just not good ingredients and loaded with oil. Usually, I would complain to management before writing a review like this but there isn't much to do aside from warn others! They really need to rethink what they are doing here.

Lara T.

Thank you for a wonderful introduction to Indian food. Three words: Samosa, Vindaloo, BYOB. Bring friends and share dishes. p.s. Any Vindaloo is extremely spicy, not for the faint palate.

Thomas N.

This is the second time we visited. This time I came with my daughter. She substituted cheese in tika masala and I had lamb vindaloo which I told the server to make as hot as he wanted. Service was great not pushy yet attentive. Very small space BYOB. Food was good and when I mentioned to Hema's daughter that we cooked Indian food at home she went out of her way to give mr her korma receipt. Now it know why her's is better. We will be back!

Adam A.

Hemas kitchen is my favorite Indian restaurant in the city. The chicken biryani is incredibly flavorful and aromatic. It comes with a yogurt sauce which dampens the spiciness. Who am I kidding, everything here is absolutely wonderful. It's byob and if you try it you will fall madly in love. Viva India!

Aravind G.

The food is good and there are quite a few varieties. On the downside, I feel that some of the side dishes/ Gravy's have the same masala!

Ramiro G.

Although nit as good as the original Hema's on Devon, this place is still far better than most Indian restaurants in Chicago, great for takeout, the seating area is average size for Lincoln Park, would love to see them move into a bigger space.

Courtney C.

I was out exploring the city on Saturday and wasn't in the mood for anything in particular, but I can always go for Indian food. I was in the area for Indian Grill, but they were closed during their break in service. So, I figured I'd try Hema's Kitchen. Whenever I go to an Indian restaurant-I always get the same dish: chana masala and normally a side of bread. This day was no different. I was instantly surprised by the small portion size of my chana masala. I wasn't put off by rice not coming with dishes. The prices reflect that you don't receive rice on the side. I doubt I'll be back because of the small portion sizes. The prices are decent, but I'd much rather pay a little more (I'm talking $2-3) at other restaurants and get the portion size I'm looking for.

June Z.

Very average, if not slightly below average, Indian food. I was recommended the gosht rogan josh, supposedly one of the better lamb curries, by the waiter after I told him I preferred spicy dishes and those made with lamb. It was not spicy at all, and was very mildly flavored, bordering on bland for Indian food. I did not taste any spice complexity at all. The square chunks of lamb were not tough but not tender, and they lacked the characteristic lamb flavor. I was hoping for some bone-in pieces of lamb, but there were none and I suspect it was not a good cut of meat. Overall it reminded me of very toned-down, Westernized curry, lacking in spices, depth, and flavor. The naan was decent, good but not the best I've had. Most Indian places are able to make naan respectably, and Hema's Kitchen does it decently. It was probably the most enjoyable part of my meal. I also got the paratha, which was okay. The food would've been 3 stars since it was very average, but the service was slow to the point that I feel the need to knock off a star. The restaurant was mostly empty (only 3 tables, including me, was occupied) and yet it took about half an hour for my meal to come out. They seem to focus more on take-out customers than dine-in ones, as I saw numerous orders of take-out come out of the kitchen as I was waiting for my food. This is unacceptable as dine-in customers are the ones paying for tip and service. It makes no sense that they'd prioritize take-out before dine-in.

Amy N.

Hema's Kitchen is delicious! Top notch curries, naan, and a chicken biryani that is out of this world. The reason they aren't getting five stars is due to their service. Not always the best or most friendly. But the food is still excellent!

Rhonda G.

Pretty good food, chicken tikka masala was tasty but I asked for spicy and it wasn't very spicy. Maybe they didn't think I could handle it? I can! The staff is a little off-putting, very intrusive and I felt like I couldn't really enjoy my meal under the watchful eye of the staff. I might try the place again but given the other options a bit further north I might be inclined to try other places first.

Elise K.

If you like white people Indian food, then you'll go for Hema's. A building neighbor recommended this place to me, so a blustery evening this winter I checked it out with two of my girlfriends. We ordered family style to share - starting with lamb samosas. We tried to order many dishes, but they didn't have spinach... AKA NOTHING WITH SAAG! We ended up getting Chicken Mahkni, a lentil dish, a paneer dish and a lamb dish. Because rice and nan are sold separately, we ordered those too. The food tasted well enough going down but was just bland. Liked that it is BYOB with a bottle store on the block. Our issues came later that night with 3/3 feeling sick into the next day.

Mimi T.

Food was not good.... Bad service. I got the chicken Vindaloo and it was EXTREMELY spicy( this is coming from someone that loves spicy food and was raised eating it). The chicken masala was better but not tasty. The order does not include rice. We did not get the chips and dip while waiting for food. No one came to refill our waters while we were burning with the spiciest food.

Ankit A.

Pretty authentic tasting Indian food. The phulka was light and nice. The chicken curry I had was flavorful and I loved the different spices. I see myself coming back here for more because it's tough to find Indian food outside home that tastes close to what I'd eat at home. I visited Hema's kitchen again yesterday and I still like this place.

Mike O.

Well the food was fine, just fine. I ordered garlic naan, and got regular naan. Not the worst thing in the world but for indian food lovers it's a blow. Asked for chicken tikka masala spicy (even went so far as to say "real spicy not the weak american spicy") and it came what my non-spicy oriented friends would of at most called mild. Also I ordered 2 meals and got maybe 1/2 a serving of rice which is unfortunate. But the food was edible and warm and delivered pretty quickly. Not a terrible indian choice, you can go better (tandoor) but better is more expensive.

April K.

Not bad but I've had better. It tasted like your standard indian fare. We had a reservation but still felt like we were somehow imposing our large party on them. I asked for another coffee twice and never got one. The dough for the samosas was light and puffy, I prefer a thicker and greasier dough personally. The veggie samosas had good flavor but the keema samosas seemed only half filled. I liked the heat from the lamb vindaloo and appreciated that they didn't think we couldn't handle spice because we were white folks and the flavor of the navratan curry was good but nothing amazing. I don't live nearby so it's unlikely I'll ever be back but even if I did it would still be pretty unlikely.

Wei H.

I only tried one dish here so my review is not necessarily representative of the restaurant's overall quality. But for the one chicken tikka masala I ordered, it was small portion, too dry and not impressive in its flavor. Rice was not complimentary, which was a shocker! The Naan was alright - a little bit too oily and the garlic tasted a little too burnt. I might return to try other dishes (maybe some curry dishes) if I am feeling an uncontrollable immediate craving for Indian food. But I would go a little bit further to Tandoor on Halsted.

Lauren B.

We went here as a pretty big group and overall had a great time. The food was delicious! The chicken tikki Masala had a great mix of spices. We ordered a few appetizers for the group then each got an entree. We had more than enough food. The service was slow and my friends entree was delayed quite a bit. I would've loved a refill on my water but had to ask a few times. BYOB was a nice addition and they don't charge a corkage fee or anything. Overall a great location with great food, the service could be improved.

Kevin N.

Service was extremely slow, waited a long time to take our orders and then we waited a long time for our food. When our food came our rice (which was not complimentary) took an extra 20 minutes to come out! I was almost done with my meal when it finally showed up. Food was average tasting at best - not much flavor, good spice though. Won't be coming here again.

Elizabeth C.

Chicagos best Indian restaurant for sure! The aromas fill the whole corner of Clark and Fullerton- So many spices, seasons and flavors you've got to try it. I always go with the Vegetable Vindaloo with rice and nan bread. It's sooo good!

Jenny A.

Hema's Kitchen is a great Indian food staple in Chicago. Food is good, hardly ever a wait, convenient Lincoln Park location and it's byob! Food is the standard Indian fare and they will customize the spice level for your tastes. I had the Chicken Tikka Marsala with Naan bread, both of which were great. My boyfriend tried the Lamb Vinadoolo and asked for it super spicy, and spicy he got! Overall, we both thought the food was good and will definitely be back.

Sarah Beth B.

The bf and I headed here with another couple the other night, and were seriously underwhelmed. Our server was super awkward, so that got the whole night off on a weird foot. Also, our table was SUPER strange-- a square four top, but they had us seated like it was a rectangle. too weird! Anyway, the food was just... mediocre. It tasted like what I get from the buffet I love, but you know, that's a buffet! I expect a general mushiness. There were like four squares of cheese in my Sag Paneer, and about as much chicken in my boyfriend's tikka masala. We definitely ate a ton, but between the awkward set up, the mediocre food, and having to order rice separately (for real, a huge issue!), we probably won't be back.

Caitlin C.

If I could have just one meal, the lamb curry from Hema's might be it. I moved away from Chicago for two years, and as soon as I came back I went to Hema's and ordered the same thing I always order. This rating is purely about the food. If you're looking for some super-trendy date-night spot, this might not be it. But if you're okay listening to sometimes odd music and byob service, you'll love love love the food. PS, also get vegitable samosas and naan.

Jacob M.

My friends have been telling me that this was Chicago's best Indian restaurant. I finally tried it out. Believe the hype. This place is the real deal. Best saag paneer I've ever had. If you can handle the spicyness, the chicken vindaloo is amazing. Even my wife, who is very picky with Indian food, couldn't stop eating it. (despite the sweat forming on her face) There are definitly other great Indian restaurants in chicago, but none I've had where the food tasted so fresh.

Michaela D.

Delicious BYOB! Nice sized portions - good sized but not oversized. Went with a group of 5 people and we ordered appetizers and 4 entrees and it was the perfect amount. There's always people in there but we've never had trouble getting a table and never have had to wait.

Manas P.

I stopped by for lunch, ordering saag paneer and chicken tikka masala. The saag paneer was a little too salty for my taste, and the chicken tikka masala didn't really have the buttery, creamy goodness that I am used to. Hate to say it, but I was disappointed since I had heard nothing but rave reviews of the original Hema's on Devon. Chances are I will drop by again for dinner to see if the same dishes taste any different (read: better) in order to get a better gauge of the cuisine at Hema's II.

Deirdre L.

I have been a fan of Hema's for years. The last 2 times I went there I was severely disappointed. While the food is still good the service was beyond bad. Our waiter barely spoke English and was hard to understand. I had a glass of iced tea and when I asked for a refill was charged for another glass. He was slow to take our order and never checked to see if we were OK. When we got there we were the only ones in the place. A few minutes later another group came in and left after 15 minutes of no one coming bay to take their order. As much as I like the food I will NEVER return.

Parris M.

I was recommended this restaurant 3 years ago by a friend who had lived in India for several months. She said that since returning to the states Hema's was most like she had remembered of her stay in India. I lived in the neighborhood, and I tried it. I could have Hema's food every meal of the day if I could. It's BYOB so prices are kept lower. The service isn't the greatest, but we all know why you go to Hema's... to pig out on amazing Indian food.

Ramya P.

Good BYOB option! Hema's has been my go-to place for Indian food on a weeknight. The food is great, slightly expensive and the service is friendly. A few of the dishes I've ordered have been misses like the Vegetable Jalfrezi (Its so obvious that they use frozen mixed veggies!) but most of the time I end up licking my finger after savoring spicy curries. My favorite is the Mutter Paneer.

Eliza B.

It's time I write a review of this place. Every few months, I either go in or get take out from here. When I eat in the restaurant itself, the service is terrible. My water glass sits empty, I can't find a waiter for the life of me, and the food takes forever. I've ordered take out a few times, and each time the food takes about twice as long as they say it will. Then I'll get home and discover that things are missing from my order. I could deal with all this if the food was cheaper, but considering that it's not that cheap, and that they charge for RICE (it doesn't automatically come with entrees), it's just totally not worth it.

Abhay S.

Meh. I've experienced better. Granted, it was Friday night, but i thought service was a little on the slow side. When I happen to notice that it's been a while since I ordered the food - it's been too long. The prices are "Lincoln Park-ish", but it is BYOB, so that might appeal to some. Anyway, the restaurant was able to quickly seat us and I didn't have to schlep all the way up to Devon for Indian food. It's been probably a good 5 years since I last visited Hema's and probably another 5 before I come back.

Anya K.

The Bhindi Masala was delicious, but who in their right mind would add mustard seeds as a garnish to zeera (cumin) rice?? There's a waitress asst this restaurant who needs some serious attitude adjustment. I asked to check if they might have something that's not on their menu (yes, that does happen) and received the rudest response possible. Watch out for her!

Chuck K.

Great Indian BYOB place! Had my introduction to Indian food here this week. The atmosphere is very authentic. Staff is very helpful and friendly. There's NO Corkage Fee. These Items were Awesome: Vegetable Samosa Kheema Samosa Aloo Matar Paneer Garlic Nan This item was OK but wouldn't order again: Ghosh Rogan Josh This item was a must have: Chicken Vindaloo Everything was reasonably priced and well worth it. This place was awesome and I strongly recommend you check it out!

Leslie B.

I was in Chicago for the holidays visiting my sister. Couldn't decide between Thai and Indian food. Since I am from Pdx, and there are plen-thai of Thai food, decided to opt for Indian. I heard it was a busy crowded place, but we didn't have a long wait. We started with Tandoori chicken (an appetizer). It had quite a kick to it, but fortunately, the wait staff brought me some yogurt and that calmed the hot taste. We ate family style (sharing dishes) and ordered the dal and tikka masala. Both were very tasty. We also ordered the naan (not the garlic) and all was good But, am being more surprised as places are charging for rice. We topped our dinner with ginger tea. It was an enjoyable meal, and I can see trying some of the other dishes on my next visit to the Windy City.

Raana A.

Seems like the food and service has gone downhill as of late. The mattar paneer was good, pretty standard, but the chicken mahkani (butter chicken) was so lacking in chicken and flavor that we had to send it back. The staff didn't seem to handle the situation particularly well either. For the high prices, I'd expect more in terms of portion and service. I used to be a fan of Hema's when they first opened and they definitely have some regional specialties that are hard to find in other Indian spots, so I hate to say this, but for solid Indian food in the neighborhood, I prefer to head to another place a little further south on Clark where the portions and prices are more reasonable and the food tastes better.

Rachel W.

I have tried a ton of Indian restaurants in Chicago, and this is one of my favorites. I usually order spicy chicken dishes and they are all incredible. For me, the spicier the better, so Chicken Vindaloo is the dish I always get and I am never disappointed! Chicken Jalfrezzie is also very good if you enjoy more vegetables in your meal. The naan is terrific. I have Indian friends who made fun of me for saying this is my favorite restaurant, but really, everything is great!

Chris P.

Best Indian restaurant in Chicago. They will make your dish as spicy as you want and the service has greatly improved. I love spicy food and Hemas makes the spiciest chicken vindaloo in the City. Byob makes it a great date night choice.

Jill M.

I am 26 years old and I have not eaten at an Indian Restaurant before....until tonight. It was my friend's birthday and she's known to take us out to the most exotic of spots, to please her diverse group of friends. I am an extremely picky eater. I was panicking until I browsed their menu online. A lot of the dishes actually sounded pretty good. Come night-time, I stroll in and meet up with the peeps just as they were ordering. I had a general idea of what I wanted from what I saw in the menu earlier, so I ordered 2 veggie samosas, the tikka masala with chicken, and garlic naan. I was pretty easy to please tonight. I'm pretty sure it's not authentic Indian Food, but I will definitely visit a few other restaurants to compare. I like it here a lot and I would definitely come back.

Kyle P.

For what it is. $40 for dinner for two with leftovers and actually much better then the expensive ones. Garlic naan and the wrap thing was great

Laura K.

I'm still an Indian food newby, but I was a big fan of this place. My friend and I went and it was perfect - not expensive, BYOB, and the food was good! I ordered a lamb dish: Kheema Mater and got it medium spicy. It was the perfect amount of kick. My friend ordered a chicken dish spicy and neither of us were able to handle the spice. If you like spice, I would say get medium. Spicy is REALLLLY spicy. I would definitely go again as there were many more things on the menu that I would have liked to try.

Jeff S.

I took a long break from eating Indian food (probably a year) after eating it fairly consistently for a long time. The strong flavors and different tastes always drew me in, and I was thoroughly impressed with most everything that I tried while I temporarily lived in London for about half a year. Although it's fairly obvious that London has better Indian food in general as compared to the midwest, my quest continues for my favorite Indian restaurant within the confines of the city. FOOD: Murg Makhani: The tandoori chicken in this dish was extremely tender and moist. Nothing dried out here, and I enjoyed the flavors of the sauce the most. That's probably because this dish stood out the most in terms of boldness as compared to our other two dishes. Ghosh Rogan Josh: Rogan Josh is probably my favorite preparation of lamb when it comes to Indian dishes, and I was underwhelmed by Hema's version. The lamb was fine and mostly tender (some pieces were overcooked), but there was nothing about the curry that was memorable. It sort of blended into my memory and overall, I was happy with it, but would try other lamb dishes here before ordering the rogan josh again. Sag Paneer: I liked this spinach and cheese dish because it wasn't overly oily like it can be in other places. The flavor of the dish itself was once again mild - I would have liked to see some more taste come in. Vegetable Samosa: Pretty bland. Not very exciting. I'll pass on this and try the kheema samosa next time (they were sold out when we ordered). Shami Khebob: A pretty interesting dish as it wasn't what I was expecting - the lamb meat was minced far more than I expected, and it almost seems like the proportion of ground lentils to lamb was off (as in too much ground lentils). The two sauces were good, although the khebob itself was fairly flavorless. SERVICE: A bit awkward, but we didn't have any issues with length of time to be served. The restaurant was about 1/4 full when we sat down, and probably half full as we were leaving. Water service was quick, and the food came out fast and hot after we ordered. VALUE/OVERALL: Dinner cost the three of us about $21 - that's with 2 appetizers, two orders of normal basmati rice, an order of garlic naan, and 3 entrees. I think that turned out to be a pretty good value. Overall, I enjoyed my meal, but I can't help but feel like the flavors were almost dulled a bit to better suit the typical midwestern palate. I really like my Indian food strong and heavily spiced as I believe it should be. But if you're craving Indian food and want a fairly relaxed meal with friends, you really can't go wrong with Hema's if you're in Lincoln Park. However, I will state that I do prefer Raj Darbar a bit more overall.

Amey K.

Vegetarian food is good too. Food has some character as opposed to just cooking different meats and vegetables in some spicy gravy

Debra M.

Delicious food and it's BYOB. The shrimp vindaloo is my favorite! Love the staff and the prices.

Chelsea C.

Amazing Indian food and reasonably priced. Very accommodating to large groups.

Danielle N.

This place is what is: an inexpensive BYOB restaurant in Lincoln Park. Came here on a Saturday night with a group before seeing a comedy show nearby. We had an 8 PM reservation and got seated right away. The service was good and quick. The food was good but not great. We ordered some naan and a vegetable samosa for the table. I had the Haryali chicken which ended up being chunks of chicken in a green-ish sauce. It came with plenty of rice for the table. I could have used more chicken and less green sauce. With the appetizers for the table, I spent under $20 including tip. Overall, BYOB places always get a few bonus points in my book. I'd go back, but I won't be craving it any time soon.

Kedar D.

I have yet to find the perfect, gourmet, subtle and smart North Indian restaurant I've always been looking for. Indian food in the US tends to be greasy, oily, heavy and full of non-vegan dairy products such as ghee, yogurt, cream and butter. It's aimed at the all-you-can-eat-buffet crowd. All that said, Hema's Kitchen is the first Indian restaurant I've been to which I actually think I'd return to. The food here was light, simple and freshly prepared. The service was friendly. There's no buffet. The decor and ambience are a little bit lacking, but oh well, you can't win them all. We had an aloo palak ($10) and a dal ($10), both of which were vibrant and tasty. They weren't bogged down in oil and the portion size was big enough to get a second meal out of each. I do have a few gripes, though. Hema's doesn't offer brown rice, and they actually have the gall to charge $2.99 for a plate of white rice. White rice is dirt cheap and should be given out for free, as it is at most East Asian restaurants; that rice cost Hema's at most a few pennies, but they have no issues in charging an exponential markup on an inferior product. Second, Hema's is seriously lacking in the bread department. Their naan is not vegan, but they do have vegan-izble phulka ($1.25) and paratha ($2.95). Neither of those two options are particularly great, though the paratha is slightly better than the phulka (but is also more expensive). Hema's, why don't you offer tandoori wholemeal roti? You have a tandoor and could make tandoori roti if you skipped the white flour and went old-school, as is right and proper in the subcontinent. Third, the menu doesn't list what is and isn't vegan. Our waiter at least understood the "non-dairy" concept and it seemed like most of the vegetarian section of the menu could be made vegan, but make sure to ask questions anyway. But it's always nice to have that confirmed with a green "v" and maybe some extra-special tofu or soy-meat options, which are all too rare in Indian restaurants. Also, the restaurant supposedly opens at noon, but when we got there at 12:20, it was still closed. No one came to the door to explain to us what was wrong, but another waiting customer had found out they'd be open at 12:45. Call ahead to confirm they're open, otherwise you might end up waiting like we did. In conclusion, Hema's is good North Indian food, which is a rarity in the US. It has some room to improve, but I'm glad it's around. Hema, why not open a vegetarian restaurant, too?

Amy K.

Just had dinner here Saturday night with my fiance. The food was good, but I was hoping for bigger portion on the Kheema Mater my fiance ordered. He's a bigger guy and it was not enough food for him. I also thought the naan should just come with the dish, but instead we had to order separately. I ordered the Chicken Biryani (basmati rice with chicken). This dish was good and the portion was plenty. Although not the best I've ever tasted. Overall a pretty good byob option if you're in the mood for Indian food.

Christina P.

The food is good, the price is right, the service sucks! I only go because it is a lot closer to me than going all the way to Devon for Indian fare. The BYOB is good too...

Crista L.

It's proven that authentic, delicious, amazing Indian food doesn't exist in Chicago, Hema's Kitchen was recommended to me as being close. I don't care what anyone says, this place sucks. The food was mediocre, generic. I've had better samosas from the frozen foods section of the grocery store. The service was awful. After our server repeatedly forgot food items we ordered, brought the wrong items, then forgot again - she still charged us FULL PRICE for the items she FORGOT to deliver to us. Zero ambiance. Weird place. If I'm going to eat americanized Indian food in Chicago, I'll go to Vermillion or Cumin, both of which offer ambiance and fantastic, eclectic food.

Nick J.

Along the lines of what many others are saying, the food was very good here, but it just wasn't worth having to deal with the poor service from the staff.

Ebs B.

Took the trek to Hema's original kitchen on Devon and yesterday, I decided to make the easy run to Hema's Kitchen II and I'm definitely glad I did! For dinner, the lights are dim and the candles warm the space with their iridescent glow. Lucky for me, I wasn't dressed for the occasion. Instead, after my run, I decided to pop in here for some good Indian food. And, even though I was sweaty and in my running shorts and a sticking-to-me top, the hostess sat my running buddy and I immediately without a second glance. The Choosa Tikka Masala was just as delicious as in the Devon location with just enough spice to warm my mouth without overpowering the dish. The garlic naan and rice (which is more than enough for two people, so order one order of each to share) were steaming hot and flavorful. Guess, I was proved wrong in the fact that I have to find authentic Indian food on Devon; my new stop is in the LP hood...

Faraz S.

My buddy and I ate here on a Sunday afternoon. We were greeted awkwardly and seated. I notice on the floor a dirty spoon which looked like it was there for hours. From then on I knew this was going to be interesting. The set up was nice and pleasant but there was no music so all we heard were people in the kitchen chattering.We ordered Chicken Biryani and it tasted like Chicken Fried Rice and was way tooo spicy to eat. We also ordered Chicken Roll, tasted like dry chicken. I'm sorry Hema, but you need to fix a few things here, maybe you can start with your service.

Thomas K.

Grease galore. Just Average indian food that delivers. If you need a samosa great but not much else. Dont do it if you expect high quality Indian food.

John H.

Great Indian food and very spicy. There is no mild food here no matter what they say. I don't think Hemma, a very nice lady, is doing the cooking , but I remember when she was just starting out on the far north side. The food was hot then. She would come out and talk to customers. I would give this five stars as the food and bread are as good as it gets, but the servers just don't seem to understand English well enough to help with the menu. One has to get what one desires at a restaurant or why go?

Jeremy W.

I'm shocked by the negative reviews. This is my favorite indian food i've ever had. The Chicken Vindaloo and the Chicken Tikka Masala are amazingly flavorful and delicious. I've had lots of Indian and this is top notch!

KuangYou C.

I think their food was better than I expected. I think they all provide curry-like dishes, even the name is not curry. These dishes usually go with rice or bread (u have to order them separately). I think overall it is a good restaurant if u like curry flavor.

Tina M.

The food was good, but the service was appalling. I came with 2 other people on a Thursday night. We were seated right away by an apathetic waitress, who basically just pointed at a table. We followed her finger and sat. We ordered muttar paneer and vegetable vindaloo with rice. 2 of us received our orders after 40 minutes. After another 15 minutes and flagging down 2 servers (one was the owner) the 3rd person received her order. It was clear that they had forgotten about her. We didn't receive any sort of discount and the prices here are high to begin with. The food was pretty good and mildly spiced, for those who don't like spicy. However, I would recommend the Indian Grill down the street which has much better service.

Tera D.

Hema's was solid. I went with a group of 5 and no reservation on a Friday night. They went out of their way to rearrange tables for us to be able to sit down immediately, even with only 2 of our party there at first. We ordered an appetizer, 4 entrees to share, and some naan. The app was two orders of veggie samosa, which were pretty good. Probably not the best ever, but they came with some good sauces. The two favorite entrees were the Chicken Biryani and the Chicken Vindaloo. Biryani was creamy and awesome, and the vindaloo was nice and spicy. The naan was just ok; I would recommend asking for some basmatti rice to go with your entrees, since it didn't seem to come with and was a way better compliment for most of them than the naan was.

Mohit S.

Responsiveness to the phone, accuracy of delivery times, providing paper plates and napkins, overall service, and packaging could be really improved.

Greg O.

I think my expectations were just too high for this place. The food was fine for the most part, but it wasn't any better or worse than most of the other Indian restaurants I've been to. After having to been to so many great restaurants in Chicago, it was sort of a let down. The decor is bland and unmemorable. The service was average. Some of the food was really hot, while other dishes were bland. Overall a very average Indian restaurant.

Anjali D.

I have been there at least 10 times. But I have always tried just two things. Their shami roll and dal dahkni are AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS! I want to try other stuff but whenever I go there, I just cant resist ordering my favorites. I do think the main course is a lil over priced, considering their portion size. Service is a lil slow but I love the food. Its so close to my place...would probably end up going there once or twice every month.

blake d.

I went here for lunch the other day with a friend. It was a weekday and I we were initially the only customers when we entered around 1pm. It was cold outside but perfectly comfortable inside. One star for that. Things fell apart from here. There is no lunch menu, which means that I had to accept that I was going to pay $10 minimum, more like $12 for anything non-vegetarian. We asked if our meals came with rice, which they didn't, so we ordered one rice for another $3 and our waitress tried to tell us it wouldn't be enough rice for us and that we should get nan. Instead, we got none. We thought we had won by avoiding the up-selling only to have our food delivered in tiny lil dishes. The two dishes combined constituted a single dish's-worth of food. The food tasted fine. It wasn't anything to make up for the previous shortcomings, but I ate all of what there was. $12 Lamb Baidan / 6 lamb cubes = not going back even with a gift certificate. OK, upon visiting their website to find the name of the aforementioned dish, I see that their pictures misrepresent the portion size. This was a 2-star review up to this point.

Tosha J.

I love Indian food, so I can say with confidence that this place sucks. I'm still in awe of how this place is in business. The service was horrendous. The server acted like we were doing her a favor. She was too busy playing with her phone to notice we were ready to order, needed more water or the check. The food was nothing to write home about either. Overpriced and lacked flavor. Also, this places charges for rice and naan. Are you kidding me?! Insane. This was my first and last time Hema's. Not about to settle here when there are so many other places that can cook and provide quality service.

Mari B.

The chicken/lamb korma is to die for! This Indian restaurant is a tad more expensive than other comparable Indian restaurants and the service is a bit slow... However, the food is worth it! Go there with this in mind, have some patience, and you will be very pleased with the delectable dishes. Moreover, the pond is just a couple blocks away, making this an extremely lovely place to get takeout from in the summer time for a fantastic date night.

Jocelyn P.

Amazing! Good prices for good food... I've stuck with the vegetarian selections, sharing 2 plates + nan with a dining partner. It fills you up, and exceeds your taste buds' desires. Truly, the reviewer who recommended ignoring the Lincoln Park Dull-Os lame-O review-Os is on target. Let me tell you a story: There we were, my out of town cuisine professional friend and I, walking all about after our day at the zoo. BAM! She says, "do you smell something delicious?" Me, "yeah- indian food?" Then I remembered there was this great restaurant right over there. And then we turned around and crossed the street. YES! Hema's! Seriously, if you dig it- it's here. If you're a lame-o bland-o, you can pass it on by.... No harm done, right? :P Of course, you'll be missing out on what life has to offer. This great food!!! :D

Jamie O.

While I admire any Indian cooking because I consider it one of the hardest cuisines to make, I was not overly impressed with Hema's Kitchen II. None of the dishes were standouts and one was a little disappointing. Aloo Baigan Matar - Had good flavor and the eggplant was cooked well. Sag Paneer - Favorite of the three dishes. I appreciate that the dish did not hold back on the spice level, hot! (well, they probably still kept it medium for the Americans) I love the combo of spinach and paneer cheese, tasty. Chana Marsala - This was the disappointing dish. The flavors were not melded together enough and the chick pea flavor overpowered the dish. The chickpeas needed to be steamed/roasted/pressure cookered...they just didn't take on any flavor.

Rohini P.

Absolutely horrible service. Promised delivery in an hour and did not deliver for an hour and forty-five minutes. Called to complain and was told "not to worry". Food arrived cold and damaged. Was told it was "not our fault" . No apologies or discounts offered. Customers beware of indifferent, bordering on rude, staff, poor treatment and poor quality food.

Jonathan C.

its a pretty decent indian restaurant. Its good for a non Indian food eater. The Vindaloo was weak (I want mine spicy enough to make me sweat)... btw I'm a freak for spicy foods. I asked for it extra spicy and it made me cough once. The Kheema Samosa (lamb samosa) is one of my favorite apps in the indian genre. It was not crispy enough, and not filled with enough filling. The Rhogan Gosh was what my fiancee got and it was pretty good. The Tikka Masala is pretty standard Indian food that is on the sweeter side, so they did that alright. They got most of their stars for the Kheer (a rice pudding dessert) and no corkage fee for a BYOB EDIT - I decided to give them one more star since it really wasn't bad, it just was a little weak on heat for my taste.

Erin S.

This place has really great food! The Lamb Vindaloo is excellent and so the naan bread! The only down fall is the the service could be a little better. The location is convenient and easy to get to. If you are looking for a new place to try give this one a chance. Also the restaurant is BYOB so you can pick out your favorite wine to bring with you to dinner. May I recommend Layer Cake Malbec. Enjoy some great food with friends or with your significant other!

Amelie H.

I've been to Hema's Kitchen II about 20 times this year already. Hence my new review. The food keeps me coming back, but the poor service makes me more reluctant every time. I feel like the service has gotten worse over time, which is unfortunate because the food is so good. It takes 15 minutes to get a glass of water filled and 15 minutes to get the check. They've messed up our orders a couple times and refused to accept it. Which means that I, the customer, was told that I must have ordered incorrectly as the waiter insisted she had not made a mistake. Everything is ordered a la carte. So you've got to order the rice separately from the entree, which is small to begin with. The chicken tikka masala comes with about 8 chunks of chicken - not much. Then the naan is extra too. It's too bad that the service and menu structure leaves much to be desired because the food is really tasty. Head up to the Hema's on Devon for a better experience.

Sasha R.

This was such a disappointment, especially since the Hema's Kitchen on Devon is consistently delicious and pleasant. Reasons why this place sucks: -It is more expensive, which might be expected since many LP businesses think it's okay to hike up the prices, as if we're all too dumb to notice or too rich care. But, it is not okay when the portions are significantly smaller (as in most appetizers @ other restaurants are larger than the entrees here). It's also not okay when the food is not nearly as good. Or when everything is extra.. but apparently to some people 9.99 for four scoops of mediocre food plus another 3 dollars for plain basmati rice is a deal. And I'm assuming it's even more expensive for the meat eaters. -The staff here has no concept of good customer service. Although there were only two other tables taken in the entire restaurant, we were seated in one of the smallest tables near both the door and window, and it was effing freezing. The waitress took forever to come take our order, bring our food, check, see how we were doing, etc. When I asked her about a specific dish, she couldn't tell me anything about it. When a dish we've gotten numerous times at the Hema's on Devon was TOTALLY different here, we mentioned it to the waitress who stared blankly at us. When we asked for a bit more sauce since the dish appeared to have been sitting out all day and was totally dry, she brought us out cold, very sweet, red sauce. The dish we had was mostly curry and potato, the last thing we would have wanted to put on it was what she gave us. -So, basically the food sucks, it's pricey, the waitresses have no clue about how to treat their patrons, and there are so many amazing Indian restaurants in this city that there is no reason I would ever subject myself to going here again. If you're in LP and want Indian, go to Raj Darbar on Halsted near Schubert.

Dana D.

This is the second time I've eaten here. I guess the first time was okay, but this most recent experience was awful. A group of 12 was seated before us (maybe 10 minutes), and although the restaurant was busy, it was by no means crowded. Anyway. I don't feel like typing a long review, because to adequately reflect the amount of time I spent WAITING for my food, I'd have to type a 46 minute long review. Yes, I timed it. We were about 7 minutes away from walking out (which I had never done). And the service really does suck. When we asked about our food, we were offered no condolences, only excuses. The recommendation on Check, Please! is probably the only reason this mediocre restaurant is so busy. LAME, Hema's Kitchen, just lame.

Ria C.

Hema's is ok. I'm only giving it 3 starts because I believe India House offers a far better deal, and not to mention I was extremely uncomfortable after dinner, if you catch my drift... Garlic Naan was very good, we actually got two orders, and the dipping sauces were interesting. One fragrantly spiced and the other sweet. I got the Ghosh Rogan Josh. Tasty and VERY spicy. I would have liked this dish more had the lamb been on the bone and if the name didn't sound like I was eating a person from the Disney Channel. Sag Paneer-Moron chose this dish and it sucked. The curry lacked in flavor and was not as robust as the Ghosh most likely due to it not being simmered in some type of meat. Baila Baila!!! (Learned this term from the Comcast Indian Dance Workout on OnDemand.) I wanted to "dance to the beat of my heart", ("The Guru" ) because the music was quite intriguing. I was turned off, however, because on the way to the bathroom I saw two pairs of boots in the middle of the hall, like someone was snatched-I mean laying right in the MIDDLE of the hall! Having watched Taken, this is totally the type of place where one could be snatched. Most likely will not return.

Sumeet D.

That I like to try restaurants and Hema's kitchen had a few good reviews, was reason enough for me to try this place. The experience though was far from delectable and I would NEVER go there again. My reason is as follows: Biryani and Pilaf are both entrees containing meat/chicken and rice with spices, and though the difference can sometimes be blurred and they may sound similar, they aren't remotely related as far as the taste and the preparation is concerned. Pilaf (with due regard) is much easier to make and lacks the finesse of Biryani. Also making the biryani requires some skill, pilaf on the other hand can be fairly okay at the hands of amateurs. Check Wikipedia if interested for more differences. I am a North Indian. Biryani was brought to India by the Persians and the Persians entered the country through the Northwestern Frontier. Needless to say, North Indians are good at making and hence critiquing Biryani. And in my opinion what was served to us for Shrimp, Chicken and Vegetable Biryani (yes, we ordered all 3) was PILAF and NOT biryani. And that was appalling and infuriating to say the least. Reason enough for me to feel undone. A well made Pilaf could have pacified me, but even that fell short of what a seasoned Indian palate would describe as good taste. I also tried the Lamb Spinach entree (Sag Ghosh) and Shrimp masala which again were disappointing. In short, I am not sure this place will live up to the expectations of those who know what REAL Indian food tastes and feels like.

Leigh An S.

LOVE THIS PLACE! The price is a little on the higher side, but the dishes are all well worth it! The garlic naan isn't the best I've had as the garlic is a in whole pieces. So you go from not having any garlic flavor to a mouthful. Great service here as well.

Tigrib R.

I've eaten here several times and it seems that it gets worse each time I go. The first time I had a great experience. Everything went smooth, and the owner (I assume) even came over and greeted us, and gave me some cooking tips and even sent me home with some spices to start a dish of my own! I was so impressed, flattered, etc. that I was a definite repeat customer and go there every chance I get into the city. Although, the more I went, the more the service declined. And not even the food quality, but the SERVICE..... Our servers didn't seem to know if we were coming or going. We were asked if we wanted to order dessert before we even got our entrees! They took some food back to bag it and never brought it back. They forgot our appetizer completely. We had to flag them down to get refills and to even get the check. And not because they were busy. They were just standing there doing nothing! I've been in the industry for YEARS, so I get it if someone is backed up. I will wait. But when you only have 3 tables, and you can't even check on them or remember what they ordered??? So bad. I MAY give them one more chance just because I love the food, but my last experience there was TERRIBLE. I really hope it gets better. Oh, and can you please put ice in the water???

Eugene E.

This place.... "2" stars is pretty accurate. A la carte is fine - ordered my $10 SMALL plate food + my $3 rice, no issue, plus tax and tip - almost $18 - this place is probably not on my list. I ordered the Aloo Jeera which was extremely dry, diced small potatoes with onions, green peppers that I could not distinguish that actually existed in the dish. The basmati rice, not flavorful, but cooked well. Not much more that I can say about Hema and their food. Service is fine, set your expectations accordingly.

Jason Z.

First of all, the woman who runs it (I think her name is Ruth, not sure) is really nice. Last time I was in she talked with me about the restaurant and how thankful they are for their customers, which is pretty rare in Chicago. I have had a few dishes but by far the best is the Lamb Biryani and the garlic Naan. Go now! It will not disappoint!

Andrew C.

Went to Hema's on a whim and was pleasantly surprised! The food was delicious and not the general "American-ized" Indian food you see at a lot of places. That's about where my happiness ended. The service was slow (two tables that were seated after us received their food way before us) and there were only two of us in my party! Also, not sure about paying 12 dollars for a fairly small dish of food, an additional charge for rice, an additional charge for naan. While tasty, it just didn't really seem to worth the effort.

Carolyn M.

Hema's is awesome- their choosa tikka masala is the best in the city. The naan is perfect, samosas are great. It's BYOB and very affordable. I hadn't been in awhile and after having returned this weekend, I questioned why I don't eat there more often. It's the best Indian food in the city in my opinion.

Kp Y.

Good food. BYOB. Staff is nice and checks how spicy you want it.

Kristen M.

I was really torn between three and four stars for this review. My fiancee and I eat here about once a month - we've have had some really crappy experiences, but some really great experiences as well. The service is iffy, sometimes it can be terrible. I mean, I feel the need to be slightly rude to tell them "hellooo, I've been waiting for twenty minutes, please come acknowledge me and give me a menu", and that's hard for me because I really hate when people are rude to waitstaff. Don't expect them to come by to ask how your food is, or if you need anything. And don't expect them to clear the table when you're finished eating - if you stay for an extra twenty minutes to finish your bottle of wine, your dishes, though empty, will sit on your table the entire time. Also, the restaurant decor is quite dismal, it's really not a very welcoming looking place. But the positive points? The sag paneer is amazing every time we've ordered it. And when you order delivery, the food arrives in good time and is always hot (cold food makes me way grouchy...) - so it keeps my girlfriend and I going back when we have an Indian food craving.

Max P.

I probably should have given them 5 stars based on what my party put them through, but hey everything that happens in Hema's stays in Hema's... We arrived with a party of six, each of us equipped with either a twelve pack or a bottle of wine. Since we were all more or less friends and lovers we decided on a traditional communal feast where everyone orders an entree which is subsequently dipped and licked clean by everyone. I don't remember all of the entrees, but it was your typical Indian feast- Mutter Paneer, Palak Paneer, Butter Chicken, Aloo Gosht, etc... but what I really wanted was a spice to end the night on a sustained, controlled burn. We ordered two entrees worth of their Chicken Vindaloo. Its common practice for Indian servers to question their Caucasian brothers and sisters if they "are sure" they want something that spicy. We obviously weren't fucking around, and requested that they make it as spicy as possible. My nose was running, but I still wanted more. We asked the waitress if she could ask the chef if he had some extreme illegal secret spice, but by that point we had finished all of our many drinks, and were teetering on the side of belligerence. I've been spoiled in my life with some devilishly good Indian food, and Hema's wasn't bad! All in all, it was a 4 star dining experience, but nothing that I hadn't tasted before.

Alissa B.

First off...I looove this place! It is the first Indian place I've ever eaten and I will continue to go back forever! The service can be slow but the nan is totally worth it.

Hillary P.

Delicious Indian food!!! I grew up eating takeout from Gaylords but Hemas is way better. The samosas are perfection! And the naan is delicious. They never disappoint me ever.

Kristin K.

Really good food! Chicken Vindaloo fiery death of spiciness as it should be, and the stews were delicious. Many sauces for the appetizers, and it all smelled absolutely wonderful. I was very picky about where to take my mom and sister for Indian food since they had never had it and I hadn't been yet in Chicago, and I ended up very happy with this place. Strangely - the tables were sort of crowded together and had big numbers on them like a cafeteria, and the hostess gestured to us to sit down from afar like we were on an airplane. Kinda funky. We laughed and received odd staring. That said, the decor was pretty and so was the lighting, so I did like the atmosphere once we were seated. It's BYOB - yay - and the appetizers were tasty. Service was really good too, contrary to what I read elsewhere. They won't take reservations for under 5 people though which was slightly irritating. However on the Wednesday night that we went, we walked right in and sat down. This is a good choice for standard Northern Indian fare. I recommend it as a safe bet!

Rebecca H.

Pretty decent Indian food, our party brought in something to drink at no extra charge, which was really nice. I got one of the paneer dishes which was not spicy at all (my fault, I guess you are supposed to ask for spicy), but it was really tasty anyway. The four of us all wished the dishes came with more spice, and the waitress didn't know what to bring us when we asked for more spices. I like the atmosphere, cozy and dark, and the wait staff was very attentive. Overall, not the best Indian food I've ever had, but I would go back... but not before I try the other Indian food place down the street. :-)

r. m.

As many have stated this is not the epitome of Indian Cuisine but there are a few changes to menu items that have improved my experience. I have gone to Hema's often over the years and would also stress that the Devon location is far superior. The new ingredients added to the mahgulatany soup and samosa give both items an even better taste than they were before. Service is much to be desired and the a la carte menu structure for naan and rice when they are other places that offer either or both with the main dish just doesn't seem practical (hint to Hema's). But this place serves it's purpose, it's Friday night, you and your friends want some food and upscale or fast food is not a consideration then Hema's could be your safe bet...but also consider traveling over to Devon. One

Ngoc T.

Disappointed. Dear Indians: how dare you mess up your food. Came in at 4pm, I know it's not very crowded, but doesn't mean you give me a gigantic plate with a tiny ass serving size. I'm Southeast Asian. I also eat. No, I'm not overweight. Nor am I stingy. But I also need calories, too. No, I'm not poor. So don't stop overcharging me. Really? $7 for some under-spiced, undeveloped flavored curry. Serving size was so small, we had to lick the plate. It was enough curry sauce, don't get me wrong, it was just not enough of the whole dish altogether. Inattentive service. I know it's only 4pm and it's not crowded. However, the more reason as to why you should be attentive. So disappointed. You're on Clark street, you're competing with Molly's cupcakes, a Korean BBQ next door and you charge this much for your tiny portions? With that quality??? I'm never returning there again. Bye.

Cindy K.

If my review were based solely on their garlic naan, it would get 5 stars. I LOVE THE GARLIC NAAN. Notice the all caps? Yes, it's that good. It is the only reason I go there. Sometimes I'll have random garlic naan cravings and until it's satisfied, my mind wanders back to Hema's Kitchen. Never mind that my breath is beastly after dinner. My friends have to deal. The two stars that I knocked off are for the other food. It's standard Indian fare, nothing special. I usually get the chicken vindaloo just so I can have something to dip my naan in. Service is decent, but when I asked them to substitute peas instead of potatoes (blech), the waiter acted like he was doing me a huuuge favor. Listen dude, it's not that hard to throw in some peas, k? Stop being so dramatic. Unless they change their garlic naan recipe, I'll be coming back for more.

Chris S.

I was introduced to Hema's RP location by an India native, long time Chicagoan. He thinks it's some of the best in the city. I agree. Hema rocks my world every time. Forget ambience. Forget service (although it's good!). Come for FOOD! Just stuff your face and you'll be happy.

Anna H.

I went to Hema's Kitchen in Lincoln Park last night. I must have accidentally dusted on my invisible powder before I left home because my small party was completely ignored. We waited 15 minutes to order, and that wasn't until I had to go back to the counter and request that we place our food or drink order. There were several tables around us who were seated after us who had already placed their order. Into the meal, we noticed other tables around us were freely being served refills on water, yet our table continued to be invisible so we asked the busboy to refill our water. The food was decent. I have had better at all other Indian restaurants. I ordered the Chicken Vindaloo, which is suppose to be spicy, but it was too spicy. It seemed as though they compensated the lack of bold flavors with extra peppers. When we were finished with the food, our invisible powder must have worn off because the waitress did not neglect our table to bring the check or take our cash in a prompt manner. The ambiance is good. Cozy, clean and well decorated. The place is BYOB, which is nice. I am not sure if they have a corkage fee since we didn't bring any booze this time around.

Lesley G.

The food here was very good. Everybody's food was good in the group I was with. One word to the wise, the medium is like a lot of places' hot, the mild is like a usual medium...you get it. The three stars is because the service is awful. We waited over an hour for our table because they forgot about our group and then they rushed us once we were seated. They brought the check when we were still eating and then rushed us to pay the bill. Sure it was late, but they could have told us that we couldn't be seated instead of seating us when obviously their wasn't enough time for us to enjoy our meal. With so many good byob and indian places around, I'd go somewhere else next time.

Anne K.

I've cried at Hema's on numerous occasions; not tears of joy, per se, but tears of fire, the kind of tears that are only shed when I eat Indian food that is sufficiently, perfectly spicy. But I don't just come here to cry. I come to laugh, to lounge, to enjoy a BYOB sixpack, and to nosh on dependably flavorful Indian favorites. Hema's is my go-to neighborhood restaurant when I want food that I know I'm going to like. Significant Other and I order something new every time we come here, and we've never been disappointed. Tender, falafel-like spinach pakoras are my favorite appetizer here, but the flaky vegetable filled samosas are worth a try, too. Though there's nothing wrong with the plain naan, I recommend shelling out an extra dollar for garlic naan (stuffed to the brim with garlicy goodness), or onion kulcha (reaaaallly stuffed with onions, green pepper, and carrots). As for the main event, go for vindaloo (chicken, lamb, shrimp, or veggie) if you want the tearful experience I described earlier. A side of yogurt-based raita will help to cool things down. Ghosh Rogan Josh (tender lamb in a flavorful brown gravy) or Sag Panner (chewy white cheese surrounded by spinach) are good choices if super-spicy isn't your cup of tea. But I wouldn't be afraid to experiment here; the food's consistently fresh and the staff always asks how spicy you want your dish to be. Service is efficient (I've never had any of the problems some other Yelpers have described). Water glasses are consistently filled. Prices are reasonable, considering the quality of the food. My eyes are getting a little misty just thinking about it...

Chad D.

I'm not sure why people complained before about service or food, but I found everything to be well above par. I don't know, maybe they worked on their service and such, or maybe a few people had a bad night there. Whatever the case, I felt Hema's did an excellent job at serving us last night. The food was great, and I had no complaints. Three of us ate pretty cheaply as far as Indian restaurants go in the area so I'm pleased.

Gina G.

I like Indian food and had a taste for some saag paneer, so I hopped off the bus today when I saw their sign. What a mistake. There was no hostess or visible help when I walked in, and the place looked dismal, with bad lighting. The tables looked clean and the sitar music was quiet and good, so I sat down. I ordered a masala tea, which I had to order again with my meal just to get it. Masala tea, or house spice tea, is an Indian staple and they often have it brewing in back. This one took a long time and had milk curdling on top when it came - they must have scraped the pot sides. The saag paneer was very salty, so much so that it gave me a headache halfway through and i had to stop eating it - normally I can put away a big serving or two of this stuff. The waitress offered to take it back and remake it, but that never goes well. Very overpriced, had to buy the naan separately - the only saving grace here was a kind waitress, even though English was not her strong suite. Next time I'll take the extra travel time to get to someplace I know does this cuisine right, and for a reasonable price. 15 bucks for tea, salty spinach and bread? I think not.

Stephen R.

Terrible, terrible, terrible. I despise Hema's Kitchen (Lincoln Park) and gave up long ago. It is nothing more than a place for Lincoln Park yuppies to go "Oh! I'm so desi! Naan is a cute word! And it was Indian! 4 Stars!" Hema's sucks. Small portions, rude service, and they charge you for everything under the sun. Extra money for extra naan? Homegirl, please. If I'm not paying extra for breadsticks at some suburban Olive Garden, I'm not going to pay extra for bread (called Naan) because you think I'm a Lincoln Park moron. I'll eat your horrendous Tandoori and sit in your "oh so Desi" atmosphere and be dazzled that white people can be so enlightened to be so close to "real culture." Tip: Get a CTA card. Take Brown Line to Western and Western bus to Devon. OR take Clark bus to Devon and Devon bus to Western. Eat good, realistically priced Desi food where Naan isn't extra money. Buy a good Kajol movie on DVD, puri shells and the necessary ingredients from Patel Bros., and make it a fun night. Hema's is a joke. Overpriced, poorly staffed, and a terrible operation. Indian Grill a block south on Belden is much better in food, portion, atmosphere, and service (even if being more expensive than Devon restaurants). Avoid.

Nikki L.

I went to this restaurant with my boyfriend an another couple. The food was delicious and came in big portions. Most of their options are pretty spicy, but their Masala sauce is great if you want to cool the spice a little bit. I can see where others have complaints about the service. The place is small and was packed the entire time we were there. We were lucky enough to get a table right away but there was what seemed like a decent wait. We love BYOB types of places and will be returning!

Hans B.

This place was my true introduction to Indian food and now I go back all the time! You can't beat large portions of lamb curry and byob. Mix that with a few appetizers, some Zeera rice and you have the perfect meal for two. Let me repeat that Lamb Curry, Zeera rice, some Kheema Samosas and maybe a mango lassi and you are set! Enjoy your meal, it's a no-frills place with pleasant staff that is walking distance to everywhere you want to be in Lincoln Park.

Linda L.

The food was okay, but the service was horrible. There was ONE guy bussing all the tables, the place was packed, and there were four girls that stood around and did nothing. We waited with empty food dishes for 20 minutes before finally walking to the front desk (where four girls were just standing) and asking for our check. Food portions were small, and they charge extra for rice. Not coming back again.

R J.

I lived close to Hema's, so I ate here often, and always really enjoyed my food. Sometimes the service was a bit slow, but, hey, its a BYOB, so just make sure to bring a bottle of wine for your wait.

Lorraine L.

I was staying in Lincoln Park, and I wanted some good grub, so I thought I would check out Hema's II, the yuppie sister of my Devon Street favorite. The food was ok, but there was no wow factor like my experience at their other location. (See, Hema's Kitchen review.) I don't know if it's different chefs or if quality is sacrificed for quantity since it was plenty packed with neighborhood locals, but it's just not as good. Our food was kind of lukewarm by the time we walked the half block to our room and I hate to say this, a little greasy. Not to mention our tab was a little over $30 for two dishes!! Outrageous! It was average Indian fare, something I could get at a "fast-food" place like Naan n' Curry in SF. I would recommend that folks make the trip north to Devon and Oakley for the better experience (i.e. more taste for your buck.)

Tiffany H.

THE BEST GARLIC NAAN EVER! Ok, now that I got that out of the way let's get down and dirty to the dishes. I mainly eat the vegetarian dishes when it comes to Indian food and they definitely know what they're doing. The dishes here aren't too rich where you can't finish you meal because you are too afraid to take a notch off your belt in public. They're just perfect. Nothing too spicy and the curry spices are so savory. I recommend trying the Jalfrezi. For me, if you can do Jalfrezi right, then you're an alright Indian restaurant in my book.

Kathy S.

I would come here if it was closer to me but it's not and it isn't in the "worth going the extra mile to go here" category for me. The food here was delicious and spicy but the service was horrendously slow. The one server went into the back room and we had to wait a significant amount of time for her to come back so we can ask her for the bill. We were even contemplating going in the back to get her...that's how bad it was! Would give it 2 stars but the yummy food is making me hesitate in knocking off a star.

Gabe M.

I just ordered delivery from here, so I can't speak to decor, etc. Overall the food was probably 3 stars. The samosa was good, but too expensive for just 2 of them. That's sort of a theme with this place. You shouldn't have to pay extra for rice, ever, but especially when the entree costs this much. The na'an was pretty lame as well. I'll probably try some other place next time I need to scratch my Indian food jones.

Sneha R.

We saw Hema's kitchen had good reviews and decided to pay a visit to their restaurant on Clark. To begin with, it was a weekday afternoon so the place was empty when we walked in. The service was good, very polite. The food came on time. We ordered for naan, chicken tikka masala and aloo paneer curry. The naan was very good, full of flavor. However, we found that both the entrees had the same curry base. We were especially disappointed with the vegetarian curry. It looked like they had a pot of gravy which they scooped out into a bowl and added boiled vegetables to it. The potato and paneer were tasteless. And the chicken tikka masala, well, it was a regular chicken curry. With the same gravy as the vegetarian dish had. The food was OK at best. Nothing great to talk about. I wouldn't go back, unless i'm desperately craving for Indian food and this is the only Indian restaurant near by.

Jennifer J.

DO NOT GO HERE! WORST SERVICE AND FOOD IN CHICAGO! But, down to details... We sat down at 6:00, watched the table next to us be seated and be served an appetizer and then their meal. Two other tables came, ate and left. It was 7:45 before the waitress came up and told us our food was "coming." Whatever that meant. About ten minutes later they exchanged our plates to make it seem like food would be happening... 20 minutes after this little song and dance we got our food. $30 for two tiny plates. The food was also horrible. Coming from living in the Middle East for over 20 years I know Indian food and this was crap. But just so you don't think I'm an indian food snob my companion thought it was terrible as well and she was born and bred in the U.S.A. It leaves a lot to be desired... Oh and it continues... We informed the manager of the problem ANND ANDDD get this...she went on to tell us she had beeen in business for 17 years blah blah blah. um lady your restaurant is terrible! so you know! apologize to your customer! Oh and she also said that we didn't order an appetizer and people who order appetizers get their food faster. This in laymen's terms means that if you aren't paying us more money you don't get good service...well she was right!

Henri and Nicole D.

Nicole: My husband and I have been going there for years now and the food is consistently great. The only small issue I had with Hema's Kitchen was the service, but in the last year or to year and a half the service improved 100%! Every time we go, we have something different and are always pleased. My favorite is the samosas. Midday and early evening is the best time to go because some nights it can get a bit crowded. This place is perfect for a small group because it is BYOB (everyone can bring their favorite beverages) and the prices are reasonable so you can try a lot of dishes.

Justine U.

The naan was really good, except for the fact that our waiter convinced us that we would need about 4 times more than we really would- one portion, according to him, is not even enough for one person, that each should get two orders. Other than that the service was poor- really slow and clearly by the naan example not very helpful. We noticed when leaving that the soup we ordered was really only 5 dollars, not 10 as we had been charged for. The curry was too salty and the soup over spiced. Definitely not going back there.

Laura G.

My husband and I went on our twice a year date here, and it was not a wasted trip. The food and service were outstanding. The waitresses attentive to our water needs and we rec. additional naan bread and yogurt for free. I had the dahl masala- delicious and spicy though it was "mild." Mild to a mid-westerner is different than mild to an Indian. :) I mean mild cheddar mild, they mean spicy pork rinds "mild." With the extra water and yogurt the meal was perfect. Husband had lamb something or the other- I block out what he is eating when I know it once went: baaaaaaa. For a treat I had the Indian equivalent to gelato--pistachio and scrumpicious. The waitress was genuinely pleased we were so happy with the meal-- a really great spot for Indian food.

S P.

I'm not a fan. There is nothing unique about this Indian restaurant. I got the palak paneer, it was ok but oily.

Richard O.

I thought the food was good. It's well seasoned. Well-done, or adequate, anyway. But the service needs to be greatly improved and it seemed a little over-priced for what it is. If I were hungry and in the area though I'd eat there again, though I'd rather make the short trek to India House on Grand instead.

Benjamin V.

Superb Northern Indian fare. Ambiance is average, the tables are too close together. Sorry to say that the service, while friendly, is below-average for their attentiveness and timing the delivery of the appetizer/entree. Having eaten here 10+ times, I have learned to stagger my ordering of courses so they don't come out all at once. If you get anything, the chicken mulligatawny soup is an absolute must.

Christopher H.

Pretty good! The only qualms I have are the price and I think it's lame that you need to pay for rice separately. That second part is especially bad because their chicken dishes (I've tried 3) sort of scrimp on the meat and so it's mostly sauce. Which makes the rice absolutely essential!

Christine M.

I am by no means an expert on Indian food, in fact, I'm ridiculously far from that and I tend to order the least risky thing on the menu. Usually a combination of tomatoey curry sauce with chicken. Throw in some Naan and my night is set. I've passed by this place a million times and never stopped in. Glad I did though as I felt the food was consistently tasty - both the green and red curry and the Naan was delish. Rice cooked perfectly to order for my taste and service was quite good. The dishes were quite small, but with two dishes plus some rice and Naan you are good to go for dinner. Even had leftovers after that. Only annoyance was the weird radio station, wasn't the normal, calming stuff I'm used to in an Indian restaurant - was this annoying Indian hip hop that was just a float in the sad parade.

Megan W.

I would give Hema's 4 stars for food but their service was so outstanding that they get another. The food was actually really good, I got Matar Mushrooms which was great, Veggie Samosas and , my absolute favorite, Garlic Naan. The food was great. Now heres what made the service outstanding: So as you may know, especially from dabbling in the reviews below, Hema's is always full. Well my cousin and I had originally got a table for two, and by the time our Samosas had come my sister decided to joined us! It was awkward but they quickly offered us a table for four, even though other people were waiting. It was great.

erika g.

I was here about a month ago and I will definitely be back! They did not take reservations, so on a Friday night, the place was packed and we had to wait about 20 minutes for a table for 4. I am not an expert on Indian food, but everything that we had was very good! We had 4 entrees, naan and rice between 4 people and we cleaned our plates. Entrees are smallish, so get a few to share.

Heather K.

Came here with a group for a Friday night dinner, and everyone left the meal feeling full and satisfied. It wasn't anywhere near the best Indian food I've ever had, but there weren't any dishes that I flat-out disliked. We started with samosas, and I definitely preferred the veggie ones to the lamb, which were a bit dry. For entrees, we ordered a bunch of dishes to share - unfortunately most of these were on the mild/salty side as opposed to being spicy, but I think that's just because we didn't choose enough of a variety. Chicken - between the tikka masala and murg makhani, I preferred the latter. It was definitely the most flavorful of any dish we ate. Lamb - I can't remember which specific dish we got, but I think it was chana gosht...the meat was very tender and tasty. Veggie - aloo matar (peas and potatoes - I could eat like a pound of that stuff in one sitting!), and dal daikni. The lentils were almost like a puree, which I wasn't expecting, and it wasn't spicy enough for me. Naan and rice were purchased on the side (1 order of rice for 2 people), and we got kheer (rice pudding) for dessert. It worked out to about $20 per person. Obviously not a substitute for going over to Devon, but I'll definitely go back and just order some spicier dishes. Sometimes convenience wins over quality, especially when it's 20 degrees below zero at 8:30 PM and you haven't eaten dinner yet, and you live right down the street.

Vik P.

Service was very slow!!

Sam V.

The 1 star is for the shami rolls (appetizer), which I definitely like. Other than that, this place has some of the worst Indian food I have had. The vegetarian dishes are all essentially the same, i.e. frozen mixed vegetables in some variant of an overly oily sauce. The breads are similarly greasy. The chicken and lamb dishes are skimpy on the meat, and they make up the volume with (surprise) oily sauce. If you need validation, I've even seen Hema getting takeout at nearby restaurants. I grew up in India, and lived in Chicago for several years. Hema's Kitchen is a disgrace to both.

alison h.

I was not impressed - in fact, I threw away my entree after two bites. I'm a big fan of India House - but they weren't open for delivery yet, so I decided to give Hema's Kitchen a try. The Chicken Tikka Massala was made with all dark meat and was swimming in oi/grease. Won't be trying this place again any time soon...

J N.

Love Hemas Kitchen! The chai is fantastic. Service is a bit spotty but the food makes up for it ten times over. The Kofta (vegetarian dumpling things in a rich gravy sauce) is my favorite dish. I also love the spinach paneer.

Alex B.

I'm a believer! I like Hema's vegetarian food, and unlike many other reviewers I haven't had any bad experiences with the service. It's solidly above-average. Yes, I've had better Indian food, and there have been one or two times when I ordered something that was a little bland. But generally I've been very pleased with the quality and spicing of the food (but order it "hot" if you like heat! "Medium" just doesn't get there). The atmosphere is uncomplicated--they've made some effort with the decor but it's pretty no-frills. I agree with other reviewers that it's strange that rice doesn't come with your order. One entree and rice and samosas is generally enough for me to share with a friend, so it still works out to be pretty cheap. I've also ordered take-out and made my own rice at home, which ends up being extra-cheap. I'm sure I'll go back.

Janine B.

I've always done carry out and it is delicious. Little on the pricy side, but it's a family business and is worth a few extra bucks. The staff is so friendly, and the food tastes so fresh.

Brad W.

Under the advice of a good freind, I tried Hema's. He was right! This place is excellent. Vindaloo was wonderful. Service is prompt and fast. Among my favorite Indian restuarants in the city.

Jonathan F.

Every so often, when the winds carry the scent of curry and jasmine, and the moon sits just so, I hear these two little words, at first whispered, then sung sweetly in my ear: Indian food, Indian food, Indian food. When I get the call there's really nothing for it. I have to stop what I'm doing (fortunately it's usually nothing too important) and head on down to Hema's to get myself a belly full of yum-yum, Indian-style! Everything on the menu is rather savory, and so I usually end up ordering too much. Little beads of sweat gather on the brow of the nervous server trying to find space for my third plate of spinach pakoras on a table top cluttered with empty beer bottles (it's BYOB!), little ramekens of floral condiments, half-eaten samosas, lamb skewers, fluffy mounds of naan...It's like that mosaic puzzle that came on the first Apple computers a hundred years ago where you had to shift the colored tiles around and in the end you had, hey!, a picture of a parrot...But they aways manage it, and I always manage a "thank you", mumbled through a mouthful of basmati rice and chicken vindaloo. A few things you should know: As I mentioned, it's BYOB, so go ahead, don't be shy, heft over that 30 rack of Coors light that's been sitting in the fridge in your garage and get comfortable. They'll even offer you a nice wine glass to pour it in so's you don't feel like a rube. You might want to BYO water as well, cause while the portions are generous, the bus boys are not. After downing some soul-scorching curry, you'll find yourself staring at the back of the bus boy's neck with a special kind of hate while he politely ignores your empty glass. This, alas, is why you did not get that fifth star, Hema's. The price is right, the food is good, and if you get a window-facing seat, you might be lucky enough to catch some improv street theater on Clark. I recommend pretty much everything, but the chicken vindaloo is particularly choice, as well as the vegetable biryani and the...the...oh hell with this, I'm going there now.

rebecca g.

I wish I had heeded the mediocre reviews and not Hema's long-lost great reputation. Having been to the location on Devon years ago, which was about half the price of this one, I really expected more. My friend and I had decent entrees (Lamb Vindaloo & Chicken with Chickpeas), but at $13 each--not including rice or naan? Ridiculous. I was even more disappointed that, given their overly high prices, the portions were small and we finished everything--whereas i ALWAYS have leftovers at other Indian restaurants. So, $45 for a mediocre Indian dinner and we were still HUNGRY when we left. I won't be back. If you want truly authentic and affordable Indian food, go to Devon. Or if you want gourmet Indian at Hema's prices, go to Raj Darbar--they do it much better, with more style, atmosphere, and much better service.

I am by no means an expert on Indian food, in fact, I'm ridiculously far from that and I tend to order the least risky thing on the menu. Usually a combination of tomatoey curry sauce with chicken. Throw in some Naan and my night is set. I've passed by this place a million times and never stopped in. Glad I did though as I felt the food was consistently tasty - both the green and red curry and the Naan was delish. Rice cooked perfectly to order for my taste and service was quite good. The dishes were quite small, but with two dishes plus some rice and Naan you are good to go for dinner. Even had leftovers after that. Only annoyance was the weird radio station, wasn't the normal, calming stuff I'm used to in an Indian restaurant - was this annoying Indian hip hop that was just a float in the sad parade.

jon s.

I've been here three times now. The food is decent enough, and they seem to understand that not all white people are afraid of spices, so when you ask them to make it spicy they deliver. This is a good thing and has been consistent on all of my visits. They are only getting three stars this review because, despite the food being good, the service was abysmal. Mind you, the last two times it wasn't stellar, but at least decent enough for me to not have it stick in my mind long term that it was bad enough to avoid. My latest trip was last weekend* and I'm not sure I'm heading back anytime soon except for perhaps carry out. The time before this was at least five or six months ago, so maybe things have slipped badly in that department or I just didn't care as much last time. *Alcohol was involved with the meal, although it was only beer. Take this into consideration. I'm not a mean drunk, but maybe I was a bit too critical at the time.

Matt W.

Service was abominable. There was maybe one other group in the place during lunch hours on a Saturday and so there was no excuse. The food was OK at best. I would rather get mediocre service and good food from the Indian Garden than get horrible service and mediocre food from here. Also, I usually double up on the rice and don't get charged from some other places but this place does not even include it with the meal. The worst part was seeing the wait staff talk and do nothing while I was trying to give them the eyeball or the low-key wave to get their attention. Maybe they had no peripheral vision. If that is the case someone let me know and I change this to a 2 star review... maybe.

Jenna P.

I order delivery from here all the time, and the food is amazing, incredible, and thoroughly enjoyable. I love the chicken tikka masala, the chicken biryani, and the sag gosht. It's a bit expensive, but I truly believe cannot find a more delicious meal in the city of Chicago. I've never had a problem with the delivery - my order has always been correct and they've arrived in a reasonable amount of time. I've only eaten in the restaurant a few times, but I personally have never had problems with the service. Maybe that's because I tend to enjoy long, leisurely meals at restaurants (especially when the food is this good!). Plus, I love the fact that it's BYOB with no corkage fee! Love it!

oh l.

Really, they should receive no stars, but because there was ONE nice waiter, I will give him the star. First of all, we checked online and made sure what time they were open until... 11:30 on the weekends... saturday night... around 9:45pm we arrive, just a group of 4. As soon as someone greeted us... the first thing they told us was that the kitchen was closing soon and that we could stay if we ordered right away... so, we get our menus and the waitress (probably the rudest service from any waitress we've ever received anywhere) stands over us and literally waited for us to give her our order. We didn't even get a minute to look it over. We brought our own wine and beer... and when we asked for wine glasses... mine was smudged with lip smears all over the rim of the glass... she saw it and didn't even bother to offer me a new glass. she was just too busy trying to get out of there on time... The food - not at all what chicken tikka masala tastes like. That is probably the most standard of all indian food dishes and it wasn't spicy... it was salty. that's the only flavor i tasted. salt. the naan was hard, just after a few minutes of sitting out... like stale hard... the samosas were nothing special. all in all... not at all worth going to. Mid meal, we were given our tab and asked to pay because they were shutting down their credit card machine as well. we were well out of there by 10:45 and technically, they were supposed to be open for another 45 minutes... but the whole time we were rushed out of there. Never again. If you're going to close up your restaurant at 10:30 pm, then change your menus and the front of your restaurant and every where else your hours are listed. Or just explain that on that particular night there was something going on and put a sign on the door saying you're closing early... Basically the worst service for even worse food. I am never going back. You're probably better off going somewhere else.

Luke S.

I can't believe the bad reviews. My only complaint was that the food took forever to be prepared. I went here with my dad and we asked the waitress what she recommended. I still have no idea what we got other than a chicken dish and a lamb dish along with garlic naan. The food was EXCELLENT. The sauces were cooked to perfection and the meat was tender and flavorful. The portions were a bit small for the money, but they were much more filling than they looked! If I wasn't so impatient for the food I probably would have give it five stars.

Nathan K.

They delivered the worst indian food I've ever put in my mouth. This was a messed up experience. It gets 2 stars because we actually ate here a few weeks ago in person prior to getting delivery and the food was above average and we promised we'd eat from here again. So we got delivery, and this food must have been delivered by some place masquerading as Hema's. Unfortunately I don't think that was the case. Both dishes were just bowls of oil. Seriously. And it had all separated out of both of the sauces. It was just a thick layer of oil on top. I tried to mix it and just try and taste it, but it was also just so salty. And the naan had to have been made the day before at the earliest, because this stuff was just like thin rock like material. I hope for their case that this was just the result of a chef quitting that night and exacting revenge on this place by sabotaging every meal, because this stuff was putrid. And even though we had a positive first experience, this was so bad, there is no friggin way I could return. Since this could have been an off night, you might throw the dice, but you swim at your own risk.

Bob J.

I had a good experience when I went here. I don't know about all of the rest of you people. The food we had was very good, and the portions were not small. But yes...the pricing. I feel that everything just costs a little too much, and with all the extras you might take for granted at another place, you might find yourself spending more than you would expect at a Indian restaurant. But...I feel the food was good enough to warrant a return visit. And yes, despite the price.

Crystal M.

DO NOT go to Hema's kitchen!! If it wasn't for the mandatory star, I wouldn't give one star!!! Service was horrible AND we found a 12 in piece of HAIR in our chicken vandooli!!! On top of that, the waitress offered us another entree!!!! Are you kidding me?! Another entree that most likely will have another hair??!! No, thank you!! Then, the waitress gave us a 10% discount!!! $4 !! Ridiculous!! FYI according to the waitress the hair incident, "sometimes happens" I don't know what kind of place this is, but DEFINITELY NOT GOING back!!

Jaime W.

The last time I went there, 2/4 of us ordered the same thing. Unfortunately, they only brought one. Fortunately, there was still plenty of food. BYOB is awesome and the place is always packed. Everything I've had here is delicious. Highly recommended.

Jessica S.

Hema's Kitchen is one of the absolute best Indian food restaurants I've ever been to. Hema makes the Indian cheese from scratch! I used to live near Hema's and would see the employees, I think mostly family, set the table after closing and gather around to eat. The food must be great if night after night the family eats it, too. They've got great customer service as well. It's probably not a jeans and t-shirt kinda place, but not uncomfortably fancy, either.

Chris W.

Very simple review. Excellent, excellent food - except for the samosas we had, which were doughy and thick, pretty bad. The entrees were really good - like homemade Indian food I have eaten in India. Service - atrocious. We were not served food or drinks for 45-hour, and they didnt care. Other people arriving after us were served before us. I am willing to wait a bit longer for fresh, good food - but this was much worse. It was crowded though. Its a trade off. Go on a day that is not crowded, and you will get some of the best Indian food in the city. Go on a day that is crowded, and you will get some of the best Indian food in the city - but you might get fed faster if you flew directly to India to get it. I would give this 2 and a half stars if that was an option. Namaste!

Maura D.

This place is excellent. It is by no means four-star dining but it is cheap, delicious, filling food. The lamb vindaloo is one of my favorites, but buyer beware, its a super spicy dish. This is a great low key byob spot for a great night out. Take out is a great option too- throw an order of lamb briyani in your order and have it for lunch for the next two days. The service here is not great but they get you what you need fairly quickly.

Courto G.

Food - five stars. Service - two stars at best. Value - zero stars. Chicken vindaloo is excellent. Potato/onion naan is delicious. Rice is seasoned perfectly. Service is horrible. They make you feel like you are inconveniencing them if you ask a waiter so that you can place your order. Value is nonexistent. $7 for rice? This is free in most cities. I will keep going back for the food. But not without my BYOB liquor to make the experience go down easier.

Philip D.

What a disappointment. We ordered two appetizers which were fine and two entrees which were really a disappointment. One was Chicken Biryani which had three small slivers of chicken which was covered by rice. The other was a shrimp dish which had a few tiny pieces of seafood covered by spinach. We should have sent both back but we made the mistake of eating the rice and spinach with the assumption that the chicken and shrimp were on the bottom. It was laughable how meager when we saw the few pieces at the bottom of each dish. There are three other Indian restaurants in the area and any of them would be a better choice

Katie O.

I have been searching for a decent mater paneer for ages and finally found it at Hema's! Best. Day. Ever.

Erica T.

My husband was feeling adventurous and wanted to get Indian food (This almost never happens so I took full advantage of this opportunity) . We came here to Hema's per a friend's suggestion. We ordered a crapload of food - samosas, plain naan AND garlic naan, tandoori chicken, chicken tikka masala, AND lamb curry, and I think we ate most of it because there really wasn't anything to bring home. Yes, the food was great, and yes, we are total fat kids. We didn't realize that it was BYOB until it was too late...note to self for next time!

Em D.

Chicago can be a sad and lonely place in the winter time, especially if you are single, shy, cold and hungry. Fortunately I am neither of those. I have a gentleman friend for romance, solid insulation and functional radiators for heating and I have Hema's kitchen in close proximity for ingestion of quality food. I very much enjoy Hema's for dining purposes. First, my credentials as an expert in Indian food. I am not from India, not Indian, nor have I ever visited India. However, I am actually from London in the UK, where I have consumed more curries that you could shake a stick at, which makes me a connoisseur in Indian cuisine. I have frequented Hema's many times, primarily because their curries are consistently satisfactory. I have tried a few things on the menu and these days I usually end up ordering a Sag Paneer, a Lamb Rogan Josh, with Pilaf rice and one naan (around $30 before tip). This meal is more than enough for me and my gentleman friend, bearing in mind that I once came 2nd place in a buffet-eating contest, and that my gentleman friend once consumed 3/4 of a blackforest cake in less than 10 mins (for pleasure, not for competition). Word of warning though. Once I ordered the Chicken Vindaloo, arrogantly thinking that I was a spice master, and that no Vindaloo got not sh#t on me. How I learned my lesson. My mouth (and later the other end of my digestive system) were on fire all night, tears were streaming down my face as I screamed for mercy. The problem was that although it felt like shoveling hot coal into your mouth, the taste of the Vindaloo curry was still very satisfying. I think you can ask the Vindaloo to be cooked with less hot peppers so please and do so unless you really are a spice master. The service is very attentive. Waiters very nice. Although they had good reason to, I did not feel judged by the waiters the fateful day I ordered the Vindaloo. They only take reservations for parties 5 and above. The restaurant is BYOB and once I went there on a double date, or a triple date if you count the 6-pack of frosty bad boys and the bottle of Cab Sauv. It was a Friday night, very busy, very nice atmosphere and everyone looked like they were having a nice time. I would definitely recommend Hema's on Clark for Indian food in the central-Chicago area.

E C.

I tried Hema's tonight for the first time as take out. The service was friendly and the order was ready promptly. I ordered the Ghosht Rogan Josh and Chana Masala with an order of Naan, a side of rice, and a sweet lassi. Unfortunately, the food was fairly mediocre. Both entrees were very oily and the flavor was unremarkable. It was fresh, but the lamb was a little tougher than I'm used to in this sort of dish, and the chana masala was a bit bland. The naan was dense. The sweet lassi was pretty good. Hema's is one of two Indian places within a short walk from my home. The other one had better food the two times I ate there, so I probably won't be back to Hema's.

Aleks M.

I'm not a huge fan of Indian food but Hama's is definately good. I liked their garlic naan. I ordered some cheese dish in a tomato sauce which was very good. The place looks clean and has good service. I would recommend trying it.

Nicole M.

Hema's is hands down my favorite Indian in Chicago. I started out going to the Devon location (which I prefer), but if I'm meeting friends, they always go to this location because it's closer to most of them. So we went last night. And let's just say I'm glad we'd all been there before. The experience was...interesting. When I arrived, I was instantly greeted and offered my choice of two tables. I chose the table in the better location, but it was dirty. The woman who greeted me told me that I was welcome to sit immediately, but since the table was gross (there had clearly been a small child there before), I told her I would wait until the bus boy (who was already working) had at least cleared off the paper. Once he cleared the table, I sat down to wait. Please be clear---I was only sitting on a chair at the table. Moments later, a server came up to me and told me I wasn't allowed to sit there and to get up. He actually told me to get up! Genuinely confused, I explained that the hostess told me I could sit down. He responded that the table had not yet been set up and that I wasn't allowed to be there. Uhhhhhh... It got to the point that the neighboring table intervened in the conversation to stand up for me and said that the hostess told me I was welcome to sit down. I was mortified. By this point the bus boy had actually set up the table, so I just stayed. I guess I'm glad I didn't sit down immediately! We ordered apps--vegetable and kheema samosas--excellent. We ordered entrees--shahi paneer, saag paneer, chicken tikka masala, and aloo gosht with rice, naan, etc. The entrees came out hot and they smelled amazing, but we waited a solid five minutes for the rice. Guys. It's Indian food. We need rice. Don't torture us with the food if we don't have rice to put it on. Anyway, here was the other interesting part... When the food came, I took one look at the chicken tikka masala (mine) and knew instantly that they hadn't brought the right dish. I have ordered chicken tikka masala every.single.time. I have ever eaten at Hema's. So maybe a dozen times? I've eaten it countless other places too. On sight, this was NOT chicken tikka masala. I tasted it. Definitely NOT chicken tikka masala. Once I was finally able to flag down our actual server (someone else brought the rice), I asked him what my dish was. He recited every dish at the table ("This is the shahi paneer, this is the saag paneer, this is the aloo gosht...") and came to mine last saying "so this is the chicken tikka". Uh, no. Process of elimination is not how this works. I tried to insist and said something to the effect of, "I'm sorry, I've never had chicken tikka that looks or tastes like this before. I believe you may have brought out the wrong dish" The server's response, "Perhaps you are having an off day." Perhaps I am having an off day?? Seriously? This is the sound of my jaw hitting the table. I'm not one of those obnoxious people who thinks the customer is always right, even when they're not, but HUMOR ME HERE. I would have been *less* offended if he had picked up a spoon, dipped it in, and taken a bite. I actually would have preferred that. Because at least then he would have had to admit that it wasn't chicken tikka masala that he brought out to me. So basically I just ate my chicken whatever dish. It wasn't that good. It wasn't what I ordered, but honestly, what choice did I have? I felt like between getting yelled at over sitting at a table (Remember? The one I was told to sit at??) and this that I had caused enough disruptions for one night. Final count: food was good (if you got what you ordered), but the service...well, yikes. I'm super disappointed and frankly sort of appalled. I'll think twice before the next time I give my usual glowing reco of Hema's. The way I was treated by two different servers was absolutely unacceptable.

C C.

This Lincoln Park outpost of Hema's on Devan was wonderful. We called ahead for our large party, and when we got there our table was ready. The service was a tad bit slow, but the food was fabulous so it was worth the wait. Actually once our order was in the food came rather quickly, it was just getting the order taken that was the issue. So I say if you're there, flag down your nearest waiter and tell him that you are ready to order! The portions were a good size, and the taste was divine. It's BYOB which is always nice as well. My verdict? If you can go to the original it might be worth it, but if you are in the Lincoln Park area and craving Indian you can't go wrong at Hema's on Clark.

Emily S.

I cannot say enough good about Hema's. The food is amazing and the people who work there are unbelievably nice. I had a great experience there. I highly recommend the vegetarian mulligatahny soup and the chicken tikka masala. I love having this place within a 10 minute walk of my place. This will be my neighborhood indian spot.

P P.

Great food, cute spot but horrible service. YOu see the servants towards the back of the place entertaining themselves with small chats while customers are looking around either to place their order or pay to leave. Poor customer service is a no, no in my book. The food on the other hand is authentic, tastes really good and if you want really spicy, you get really spicy. Just be prepared to leave the place smelling like the food.

Apara W.

Good food, excellent service. Definitely recommend. Would visit again. Very personable experience. Expensive, worth it!

Rebeca G.

I enjoyed not only the food but the setting of the restaurant as well, I would eat there again and recommend it to anyone looking to eat some good Indian food :)

David E.

I had really disliked this place the first time I went a couple of years ago. The food was pretty good but the service was "indifferent." I figured I'd give it another try--and now it's over forever. Unlike my first visit, the place was pretty empty.Maybe other people are catching on. Despite this, I had to catch the eye of the waitperson who was busy sitting in the back chatting with another waitress and comparing iPhone messages. After placing our orders, we waited...and waited...and waited. After about 40 minutes, withh some difficulty, I signalled our waitperson and asked where our food was. "Did you order the...?" she asked, checking her pad. Then she realized she had not placed the order with the kitchen and hurriedly ran off. Another forty minutes later, our food was brought. The staff seemed to disappear and when I realized there was no silverware, I just got some myself. If you like Hema's food, just order it for pick-up. Don't bother with the restaurant as they don't care much about you

Sunny S.

I think the "Best Indian Food In Chicago" sign outside is from their Devon location because this isn't even in the top quartile in my mind. While it's perfectly acceptable and has a couple of very good dishes (chicken tikka masala particularly) I've never been very impressed in the few times I've been. I'm a big indian food junkie but quickly decided that the Indian Grill down the street was much better and I haven't been back since. If you're in the area and in need of a indian food fix I reccomend trying Indian Grill instead (about 1/2 block away on Clark).

Nicole C.

I've only eaten vegetarian selections here and have found them all tasty, with a complex mixture of spices, and not overly laden with oils. They do cauliflower well, if you're a fan. Portion sizes are not that large, so (especially if you are doing vegetarian) I suggest 3 dishes between 2 people, along with an order of rice. (Personally I think they should include rice or nan with the entrees.) The lentil soup is excellent. Service is ok. The price, too high (otherwise I'd give them 4 stars.)

Wahid A.

two words, two syllables: dog shit. The service was nice, but this was quickly negated by the waitress' overwhelming stank. And this is in no way meant to be racist, especially considering that I myself am Indian. Her stench was so overwhelming that even after she left, it found a way to linger around the table and taunt me. Eventually it made its way into my chicken tikka masala. This is literally how the food tasted. Like it was infused with stank. It was incredibly bland and small portioned. On top of all this it was overpriced. They should definitely take down all those "Zagat" ratings from their window, as those accolades clearly are for their Devon branch.

Gregory L.

5 stars for the food, but 1 star for the service. I called in for delivery to Hema's Kitchen, eager and excited to try the popular Chicken Haryali, and whatever else they had to offer. They answered the phone, I told them I was interested in delivery. They took my address and phone number down, and said they would call back to see if they could deliver it to me. I living at max 5 blocks away, I knew it wouldn't be a problem. So I waited, and waited... waited a half hour goes by, and I call again. Same process, this time I waited on hold for another five minutes. They were very rude on the phone, and didn't try to praise any of their dished to me at all. The delivery comes about 2 hours later, luckily it was all still hot. This was the first sign which told me that it was worth the wait. Now I'm not usually a big fan of indian food, but I can tell if something is good or not. The Haryali Chicken was succulent. Cooked perfectly with the ginger, coconut, yogurt and cilantro, and served on a warm bed of hot steamy rice. Knowing how the service is, I will come to accept it from now on. It makes up for it at the end of a good comforting satisfied night.

Zack C.

Hema's is a solid Indian restaurant. The lamb dishes are scrumptious. The waitstaff is pleasant.

Kalyan M.

Worst possible indian food available in chicago.

Jessica C.

I've been on a recent run with Indian food. For some reason, I just realized Hema's was just 1 block from my apartment. Nonetheless, I stopped in here one evening after work. My boyfriend and I got seated right by the window - perfect for watching suckers trying to parallel park. I ordered Nan and the Lamb Vindalo with a side of rice. The lamb was super spicy! So spicy I started having to wipe the sweat from my forehead. I also downed about 4 glasses of water during my meal, but it was OH SO WONDERFUL!. That's the way Indian food should be. The service was OK. Since I come from a big Indian family, I'm used to the demeanor. Yeah, it's like they're not paying attention to you... but get over it. Our bill was close to $31ish.. Not too bad.

R T.

Had dinner there with a big group; just because, not a special occasion. They were terrific in accommodating us. Server was so patient with our indecision (several newcomers to Indian food) and distraction with ordering because of chattiness. And she was very good a recommending dishes. Love that it's BYOB. We did a lot of swapping of our entrees (I had kofta lajawab) and everything was delicious.

Carol M.

Garlic Naan good to go! lamb biryani ok not the best i have tasted. service acceotable. not alot to say about it other than horrible for parking...i'd go again if in the area but not the best indian i have had. this place had been recommend as one of the best...i have had better

Jerry M.

I love the food here! But why 3 stars instead of 5? The service sucks - the waiters are rude, and they seem a bit socially awkward. And the food portions are WAY too small for the price. It's BYOB, so you're not paying for the alcohol, but the final check always seems to be higher than the places I do go to that serve liquor. (My average check is usually over $20 and I usually don't spend more than $10-$15 bucks at a place for dinner and a glass of wine/beer). But it's super yummy- I don't think I've ever not liked anything on the menu and it's BYOB (but according to my comment in the previous paragraph, it doesn't really seem to be that good of a deal).

mildred v.

big money buys you tiny dishes! in the middle of our meal we had to order another (mini) entree because there wasn't going to be enough food. i left still hungry. as far as food quality? i don't remember (meaning must have not been that great). :( sorry hema's.

Law S.

Great food, and awesome crispy naan. I love this place!

Tim M.

This past Friday, I had the WORST Indian food dining experience of my life. It was Friday, and it was busy, so slower-than-usual service could be excused. But it took over 90 MINUTES to get our food; and we had ordered appetizers! In fact, a friend who joined us about an hour into our meal got her food first! And whenever we asked one of the multiple servers/busboys about our order, they simply listened and never came back with any sort of update or apology. DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME EATING HERE. Instead walk a few blocks south to the Indian Grill or to Raj Darbar on Halsted.

Greg G.

Consistently the most flavorful and delicious Indian food in the city. Try the vindaloo, haryali chicken or green curry fish:). Spicy...

Juliet L.

Okay the food is pretty damn good, BUT not as good as the Devon location. And the service is horribly awful. I mean truly awful. One time I dined in and we were the only table in the restaurant, and they FORGOT about us. I thought I would forgive this mishap. But then I ordered carry out from this location, and they forgot our order! I was really in the mood for Indian so we waited for them to make it, especially since we had already paid. And after this they kept giving us unrealistic ETAs one after another. Really unprofessional. Service here really sucks, go elsewhere.

Philippe F.

I try my hardest everytime I take a seat at table 7, to order something different. I usually do in other restaurants, but when i'm limited to 2 dishes one for me and my S.O., one of them always has to be the CTM. Just thinking about it gets me wet in my panties. The Vindaloo is really tasty, but also makes for an interesting next morning kaka. The waitress recommended the yogurt to go along with the VIN, and it did help with the spiciness. I love lamb, so anything lamb here is amazing. (Minus the minced lamb with peas. That one came out a little light on the lamb) Garlic naan is good. In order to make it great, they need to add more minced garlic and olive oil. But that's just my opinion. BYOB and you'll be a happy camper, just like the rest of us. Tulleeho!

Kimothee Z.

The food was good, the service was fine, the setting was lovely. It was nice to have BYOB, and yet, something was missing. The price was higher than some of the other places I have been to, but the portions were less generous, and everything is extra, even the naan. I don't mind spending a big chunk of change on a good evening out, but I don't know that this was worth it. I would like to go there again for lunch to give them another shot. One more warning, the food is SPICY, and I have eaten a fair share of Indian food, love hot things, and this was a bit of the far end of my spice spectrum.

Heidi S.

I finally found my Indian place in Chicago. I've only ordered delivery, but they are fast and the food is still super warm. Large portions- I've always made two meals out of whatever I order. The samosas are excellent. I will definitely be back. It is pretty expensive, but considering I make it into two meals and I got delivery, it's worth it. Also, it's pretty competitive with other Indian restaurants in the area.

Rebekka T.

I've only been once, but it's unlikely that i'll go back. Basically the food was bland and spicy at the same time. Seriously, the food had no flavor, it was just hot. Weird.

Tiffany K.

Food was delicious, but expensive. I didn't get a whole lot of food, and for $12, I expect a lot! And the naan isn't free?? seriously?? 2 stars, only because the food tasted great. The service was also kind of terrible.

Billy B.

I got no beef with this place. The "medium" was a little spicier than the title leads one to believe but I like it like that. Decent price, decent food, atmosphere is a little lacking.

Javier B.

I am really surprised about all of these 1 and 2 star reviews for Hema's on Lincoln, but then again given the type of clientele that lives in the area, perhaps I should not be that surprised. I have been to the Devon location and the Lincoln location many times and they are both excellent. To say that the Devon location is better because they charge extra for the naan is absurd. As far as I can tell, both locations have the same menu, prices and they both charge you for the naan and the rice. BTW, every Indian restaurant in Chicago charges you separately for both of those items as far as I can tell. I actually like the food at the Lincoln location better than at Devon. It is probably a complete coincidence, but for some reason my experiences thare have been better. Small portions?? Again, must be the Lincoln Park crowd that has no concept of Indian food. The dishes here are the same size as in any other Indian restaurant and they are not small at all. Perhaps these LP braniacs simply get confused because things aren't served in a gigantic platter with tortilla chips or a side of blue cheese. If you like Indian food, Hema's is one of the best in Chicago. Their dishes are all very well prepared and incredibly flavourful. They will also make things really spicy if you ask for it. I have taken many visitors to this place and have yet to get any complaints or ever have a bad meal here. Their sag paneer is incredible. The best I've had in Chicago. Give this place a shot and ignore all these idiotic reviews from people that have no idea what Indian food is all about.

Isa B.

Comparing it to my favorite Indian restaurant which is in Palmaire, Florida, this place is mediocre. The Naan was too thick, the samosas not crunchy enough, the mild lentil soup was too spicy hot, and I can't eat spicy right now. The service was nice but a little lacking -we had to call them 3 times to our table because they never approached us. I will probably skip it next time I want Indian food.

WorkHard F.

Can you say skimpy portions? 17 dollar shrimp dish had 7 small shrimp. 12 chicken disk had 5 bite sized pieces. Pay extra for rice? I don't think so. Positives: They do try to make good tasting food, and each dish does have a distinctive taste. There service is getting better, and I love the BYOB policy with liquor stores very close by. The owners are friendly and are able to strike up a welcoming conversation. Negatives: This place is OK if you have a 105 lb Lincoln Park Trixie to feed, but for all normal individuals this is place is way to expensive for the quantity of food. Note to the owners: I would be happy to come spend $50 - $60 6 times a year with my family if you increased the quantity you served. Currently we come in once a year and spend about $75 and are not FULL !

kathryn T.

I have been going to Hema's Kitchen for the past 6 years and not once have I ever been disappointed! I always start out with the Vegetable Samosa's and I'm convinced their Chicken Vindaloo is the best out there. Chicken Vindaloo is a spicy dish already but if you can handle it get it extra spicy! I usually order Raita (yogurt dish) to pour on top of my vindaloo and it helps keep the spiciness under control. Sometimes you have to wait awhile for your food but it is well worth the wait!

Kevin J.

For my money, Hema's Kitchen is the best place to get Indian food in Chicago with perhaps the only competitors being some places over on Devon. I've taken friends and family here and recommend it to any one who's looking for good Indian food in Chicago. The food is both delicious and reasonably priced, especially for the generous portions you receive. I always have leftovers for dinner the next day.

v m.

over priced. poor customer service - maybe because i've been to the original in devon which has horrible customer service... there's another place a block south of this (india grill) that has a little better priced stuff... food's ok. the vindaloo is ridiculously spicy (and i grew up eating spicy thai/indian cuisine in thailand/india)

Robyn M.

Hema's kitchen is dead to me! Their website says that they are open every day of the week. We went on a Wednesday night - they were closed. We tried to go for lunch yesterday (Monday) and eventhough their hours say they open at noon - a 12:15p arrival found them closed. The server was waiting outside the door because the owners/cook hadn't arrived yet to even let him in. We came back at 12:30p and he said that the cook still hadn't arrived yet but was due in 10 minutes. Ya, I believe that. I just think it's a poor way to run a business if you only open when you feel like it and leave your customers (that actually want to frequent your business) high and dry. I won't ever attempt to go to Hema's again. Fool me once, shame on you but fool me twice, shame on me. Boo Hema's!

Jessica M.

Eat #37. Lentils. They changed the way I think about Indian food. I. and I ate here for lunch. We ate saag paneer, which was surprisingly spicy, and #37. Smoky, salty, fabulous. Naan bread was a bit thick, I'll probably order roti next time.

Kristina K.

So, my friend Kelly has really been wanting to go to the one on Devon, and my boyfriend said we'd wait until we could go together. But we didn't--sort of. He and I went to the Hema's on Clark, because I've been on this hardcore Indian kick lately. And it was damn good. But it made us long for the days when we lived in Springfield and could eat at Gateway to India. You know how the saying goes: You don't know what you've got til it's gone. Well, GtI is still there, but we aren't. While, the food was delicious, it wasn't spicy enough. Maybe if i woud've said I wanted it spicy it would've been, but I forgot. And they were out of Garlic Naan. Travesty!

Erin S.

This was my first experience eating Indian - we are trying to eat new cuisine. I thought this place was pretty good! We had the vegetable samosas and then I had the chicken biryani and my boyfriend had the lamb vindaloo and we enjoyed our food, although it was pretty spicy (which we liked!) We were seated quickly and the service was good, we even have enough leftovers for 2 days!

Gregory L.

Perhaps the best Indian restaurant in Chicago. First, they pay attention to atmosphere, so the decor make you feel happy to be there. Then the service is always good, and Hema's daughter will come out and talk to you. Finally, the food is awesome. I tend to go for the butter chicken and beggin bart, but everything I steal off my friend's plates are also good. I'm talking about both the Hema's on Clark and the one off of Devon just south of Western. Parking can be a challenge, but worth it.

Susan L.

Tasty food. Overpriced. Poor service. Great location.

Jeremy T.

EXTREMELY attentive service and very tastey food. I highly recommend this place.

Kimberly C.

A small, neighborhood-y place, nothing too fancy or notably special, but I had a very good meal. Although I paid a little too much--- not enough to break the bank, but enough to raise a suspicious eyebrow. I would have liked something to nibble on while waiting for the meal, but that's not really in keeping with the "authentic" atmosphere, I guess. I'm happy to say that there was no dumbing-down of the spices, as it was a concern when we arrived, but the vindaloo proved otherwise. Overall, I would classify it as casual. If you are looking for ambiance and a service experience, probably not a great choice. If you want a good meal and don't want to pay cab fare to get there, stop in.

Yoyita F.

I must admit, I wasn't exactly looking forward to trying Indian food but to my surprise it was great... or at least Hema's is. There are many dishes to chose from and the staff is very friendly. I went with 8 people total and we all shared our plates. There wasn't anything that I tried that tasted ackward... everything was real good. If you enjoy very spicy food like I do than you must try their Lamb Tikka appetizer. Watch out! Its HOT but oh so tasty! I will definitely make another trip to Hema's!

Nichole S.

I have never been to the original Hemas but I ve never needed to I love this place they don't tone down the spice for the lame white people of lincoln park. Yes its pricey but what isn't in this neighborhood if you go with two and get an app entree bread and rice its like 30 bucks however never order the chicken tandoori its always dry too bad but ill still go to this place once a month.

Aimee W.

Best Indian food between downtown and Devon.

Dee W.

It wants to be like Devon...I do like how it is BYOB since I brought a nice bottle of Santa Margharita's Pinot Grigio with me tonight. The appetizers were decent - we got the vegetarian samosas and something else- it was a lot of vegetables fried served with dipping sauces (think of Indian tempura). The entrees - I got the lamb curry with okra. It was decent - definately small portioned for the $12 that I paid for it and it didn't come with any side dishes - so I had to order the rice and flatbread separately. My friend got their chicken curry which was pretty yummy but it was saltier than usual so the waitor ended up bringing us a side of yogurt to soften her taste buds (which was another extra charge). We also ordered this chicken dish that had bay leaves and was marked as spicy. Things run very spicy here - I can barely hold down their medium so for me, I definately recommend the mild. Service was very attentive, the tables seemed small for all the plates that they kept on bringing out. For the portions and lack of side dishes, it did seem a bit pricey for Indian food. (Psst - the other location on Devon charges less for the same food) Next time, I'll stick to Devon but it is a good spot in East Lakeview if you're craving Indian food.

Michelle H.

I am revising my 10/06 review of Hema's on Clark. And I'm upping the star count to 4. They have recently revised the menu (though pricer) and it keeps getting better. We shared 3 dishes and loved them all. Food seems fresher, a little spicier and is very enjoyable. The staff is also improving. I do think this is my absolute fav Indian in Chicago as it makes me CRAVE it. 10/06 Review For you Hema's food fans - take note! New staff**** and they actually serve and care for you! Seriously. The change is significant and important as the frustration level goes way, way down (we used to have a joke between friend that compared times for even getting the menus in hand). The food was spicier than it every has been and very tasty. Three stars is for the lack of atmosphere and the BYOB.

Ang R.

Okay, I officially don't understand what is good about Hema's Kitchen. The prices were a tad high, but beyond that, the food wasn't that good. The samosas were nothing like the great ones we get at the Star of India, and the green sauce (spicy. Cilantro chutney?) served with them was poor as well. The saag paneer was flat out gross, though I enjoyed the cauliflower dish we ordered (not sure which one it was). The chicken tikka masala was passable, but not as rich as some of the other masala sauces I've had, and the chicken was sort of dodgy. Predictably, the naan wasn't even very good. Very disappointing, in fact, and even doughy and uncooked-tasting in the thicker parts. In fact, the whole experience was pretty disappointing, because I've come to trust the Check, Please people, and this just doesn't live up to the hype. It's really too bad. (On the plus side, we didn't have to wait. Then again, we did show up at 5:30. When we left, it was starting to get insane.) I don't think it's likely I'll go back, not when the Star of India is still around.

ben w.

I really do like to eat out, I appreciate great food and great service, and unfortunately for me and my friends this place had neither. Everyone we encountered working here had zero professionalism, no one seemed like they had ever even worked in a restaurant before. Everyone had a clueless pause when you asked them anything. We watched the table next to us leave after 20 minutes with no drinks or food. We asked three people for some drinks and it took ten minutes, and the place was only half full. The food was just bad, I love Indian food, especially Chicken Korma. When I didn't see it on the menu I asked if they had it and was assured they did. What I got was Tiki Masala, which is a distinctly different color and taste. When I mentioned what I had was wrong the server went back to the kitchen, then returned to tell me the chef put almonds in mine, so it's Korma. What a joke. I am writing this review tonight so if I die of food poisoning this review gets wrote.

Steven S.

I had the distinct displeasure of eating at the aptly named Hema's Kitchen last night. Aptly named because apparently they intend to keep the food in the kitchen rather than actually serve it. Upon arrival, we ordered a hot tea, which never made it to the table. After waiting 45 minutes for our food, we speculated that someone needed to go to Hema's in West Rogers Park to pick up our food. After further waiting another half hour, we then speculated our food needed to be picked up from Mumbai. In all that time, the servers never brought more water or asked if we needed anything, but rather stared at us from behind the counter. When the food finally did arrive, the portions were pitifully small, overpriced and tasted mediocre compared to other Indian restaurants in West Rogers Park. Don't bother wasting your time at this location!! If you want a great selection of Indian food, head to Devon Av in West Rogers Park.

George D.

This place is brutal. When I ate there, there was practically no one in the place--I think there may have been one other table of two--and the service was piss poor. Two people stood talking to each other and looked irritated that they had to stop to come to our table, which they only did when we stared at them or waved. The food was also terrible. Pretty much the only edible thing that I don't like is cilantro, but it seems as if Hema might have stock in a cilantro producer. Everything brought to our table was cooked in, stewed with, layered on, sprinkled with or otherwise full of cilantro. The two dishes we had were literally green. Even the naan was covered in it. Gah! I'm getting grossed out just thinking of it. You'd have to drug me like BA Baracus on an airplane to get me back in that place.

Misty H.

Service = great. Food = awesome. Prices = reasonable. Atmosphere = enchanting. Music = beautiful. The Lamb Vindaloo is my favorite and my recommendation. I grew up eating tons of authentic Indian food with Indian families both in America and India so I am pretty picky. For a restaurant, the food here is pretty good.

Jaime M.

YUM! YUM! YUM! Perfect food every time, perfect naan, perfect mango lassi. Wonderful staff, quick service, great value, yummy leftovers.

Jim S.

I came to this place on the recommendation of my apartment broker. She did one of those "OMG you GOTTA try this place in fact you should take this apartment which is out of your price range around the corner so that you can be near it!" Anyhow, i was really underwhelmed with the food and the service here. My brother and I shared the vegetarian samosas appetizers, which were delicious. However, when it came to ordering the main course, the selections for chicken dishes were rather paltry; NO chicken curry...i tried to ask them to make it since lamb curry was available, but they said they do not do substitutions. So I got the chicken vindaloo which was aromatic however FIRE ASS SPICY yeah, they had to refill my water about 20 times. Everything is a la carte here; even the RICE! I have never heard of this at an Indian restaurant. Our waiter seemed completely incompetent; he kept trying to take my order when i while i was waiting for my brother to arrive. They didn't give him a menu until I asked for one, which was kinda rediculous. The portions are OK but not as generous as Raj Darbar on Halsted, which I would recommend over this place.

Reid C.

Decent if not gourmet. $20 (which includes the tip) a person does the trick. Lamp? tender. Chicken? tender. Garlic Naan? Decent, could use more garlic.

Ali D.

Three of us went for dinner late on a Friday night - it was packed! We had never been here before, or to the Devon location, but I had heard good things about the one on Devon so we figured this would be good too. Honestly, our food was OK, not the best but not the worst, but the service was horribly slow!! We were seated fairly quickly, maybe a 10 minute wait, the dining room is quite small so we weren't surprised we had a wait even for a late dinner... another two couples came in after us. Both of them were given menus and had their orders taken before we even were given menus to look at. Also, we ordered drinks and it took FOREVER to come out. I don't think the one of us that ordered a lassi got it until midway through the meal, despite asking about it a few times and being told it was on its way... why did it need to take so long for a lassi??? One of our entrees was a lentil one and it was probably subpar, then we had a veggie dish, with potatoes and eggplant which was fine, some naan which was fine and i think it was a chicken masala that was so spicy!! And the spice didn't add anything to the dish, it just seemed hot for the sake of being hot. While the food was OK, we probably will not return because the service was just so slow. OH and it is impossible to find parking around the area!!!

Jessica W.

It's not Devon, but for our 'hood this is really wonderful Indian. I adore spicy food, and Hema's comes from the 'so hot it'll make you high' school of cooking. And the chicken vindaloo? Poultry crack. The only bummer here is lack o' Naan--there are thin cracker deals, but that's no substitute for pillowy garlicy goodness. So yeah, Devon might offer some better bets, but when it hits 10 below and you're not up to the trip, Hema's II is a pretty sweet way to warm yourself from the inside out.

Kara M.

I've only been here once and the food was just okay. I had the chicken biryani and tikka masala but the taste was just off for me. If you're in the area and looking for great Indian food I saw make the walk to Raj Darbar, but if you just want some decent food then staying here is fine.

Colin L.

Such a cute place to BYOB! Gets very busy so be careful what time you go. Food can be SPICY so watch out unless you can take it.

Craig H.

I had a horrible experience with Hema's Kitchen. I placed a delivery order at 6:30 and it did not arrive until 9:00. I called three times and their response was that "it will be there in a few minutes." They actually called me about an hour after I ordered to take my order again. On top of that the food was horrible. I moved here from Philadelphia and had some amazing Indian food there, and elsewhere. For one, the food was cold. I ordered Chicken Tikka Masala, and it was extremely oily. A half inch layer of oil sat on top of the sauce. The Samosas were cold and overcooked. Apparently rice isn't included with the entree, which they neglected to tell me. On top of all this, it was expensive, nearly $24 for one person. I would not recommend this restaurant at all.

Anonymous P.

If you crave spicy food, go to Hema's. The waiter warned me about the vindaloo dish but I told him to bring it on. I was scared at first because I thought it wouldn't be edible at all. Turns out it wasn't that bad but it was still freakin' spicy. DAMN! I do find this place pricier than other places though. By the way, It isn't standard for entrees to come with rice.

Jade T.

I can't say much about this place. I went here for lunch because Indian Grill down the road was closed. I had the Mutter Paneer and Curtis had the Aloo Muttar with an order of naan. Hema's didn't have lunch specials like Indian Grill, so the dishes were about $10 each. I wouldn't mind that so much if the food wasn't just average. They did get medium hot spiciness perfect in both of our dishes and service was adequate, so props to them. However, I wouldn't bother coming out your way to Hema's. If you're in the neighborhood, it's an okay choice. Just don't expect much.

jenny t.

the food was great. dal makhani, chana sag, butter chicken were all solid dishes, but the h-something chicken rocked. spicy and coconut-y goodness. and the service was much improved from the last time i was here (when it first opened, it took 30 minutes from order to table). food arrived promptly this time (less than 10 min for the samosas and tandoori chicken appetizers) and it was tasty stuff. just as tasty as i remembered from the original hole in the wall hema's of old. unfortunately, it's not nearly as cheap as it used to be. and i think i would've rather driven the extra few miles to devon to get just as tasty and $5-7 cheaper per person. but the h-something chicken whose name i'm too lazy to look up was probably worth the $12. byob is nice.

Mike H.

I ate at this place on SATURDAY. The restaurant was totally dead (we're talking zero tables at 5:30 at night) , and the waitress tried to guilt trip us into sitting at the front most table next to the cold window. When I asked to move she started sighing large sighs and rolling her eyes and then burst out, 'Just sit wherever you want! You don't need MY permission to do anything!" Whatever. The food was okay, but for real--no more bitches.

shaina v.

There are sooo many amazing Indian restaurants in chicago, and this wasn't one of them. I think the naan came from the supermarket in a bag. Lame. The portions were way too small for the price. There was also more people working there than dining there and the service was still a little slow. If you find yourself outside of here with a taste for Indian food, get on the Clark bus and head to Devon. Seriously.

Cy C.

The flavor of the food was the highlight of Hema's Kitchen in Lincoln Park. Let me rephrase that: The flavor of some of the food was the highlight of Hema's Kitchen in Lincoln Park. It's a weird thing - you find 2 sister restaurants...same concept different locations (i.e. Hai Yen in Lincoln Park and Argyle). In this case (as with Hai Yen), the restaurant found in Lincoln Park is sub-par. Is the food dumbed down? Is it "americanized"? Anyway, Hema's Kitchen in L.P. I really think the food is overpriced for the amount you get. Also, you have to buy the naan which comes out relatively cold and slightly hardened like it's been sitting out for awhile. As I mentioned above, the flavors of some of the food (kofta, shrimp biryani, lamb and eggplant) were spot on. And, in some way, partially compensated for the mediocre service and appetizers. We were the only table in the restaurant for lunch and our server wasn't very attentive. The samosas were decent, but you can find better on devon. The tandoori chicken appetizer was the worst part of the meal - dry and not very flavorful. I recommend going to devon to eat indian food. But, if you're needing a fix and don't have the time to travel, Hema's L.P. is okay but I'd make the time to get to devon.

Marissa M.

I've always loved the food but the service can be kind of sketchy. I love the Murg Makhani and veggie Samosas. Wish Hema's was cheaper.

PJ K.

This is the other and lesser location of Hema's Kitchen. (The location at Devon and Oakley is a bit cheaper and, in my experience, heavier on the spice.) Hema's Kitchen, like Elvis Presley, Derek Jeter, Shakespeare and the Beatles, is living proof that you can be both very good and wildly overrated. When the initial media blitz hit, Hema's was a small quirky place serving some out-of-the-ordinary and tasty Indian dishes, and it still is. But "Check Please" and the rest of the media horde hit and all of a sudden, Hema's Kitchen became the acme of Indian dining in Chicago, which it isn't. To be fair, if you're in Lincoln Park for some other reason and you're craving Indian food and you don't mind spending $15 a head for the privilege, you'll come away quite happy. (I'm critical here, but it's important to note that I've never actually had a bad meal at Hema's.) But if your focus for the evening is to eat Indian food in all its glory, you'll be better served by heading up to Devon for food that is better or cheaper or both.

Jacki C.

The service was horrible. The wait staff basically looked at me like I didn't belong there and should go elsewhere. What a way to greet your customers. The food we received was nothing like it was described as. The food tasted old/stale. There are way better Indian Restaurants. Outdated decor. overpriced

Andrea R.

I've passed by this restaurant numerous times over the past year and finally tried it with a friend a few weeks ago. I'm a big fan of Indian food, but never quite know what to order at Indian restaurants. We asked the waitress for suggestions and she was very helpful. Everything was very tasty, but a little spicy for me! I'll definitely be going back to Hema's kitchen, but next time I'll be asking for some less spicy suggestions.

Ori B.

Very solid Indian without having to trek up to Devon. I'm a regular. And BYOB is always a plus!

Josh M.

Best Indian food in the neighborhood. BYOB.....

Molle M.

The food was good. I don't frequent Indian restaurants, but after eating at Hema's I would like to try more often. The chicken vandaloo was very spicy. Make sure to order the rice plate to help tone down the heat. We had a three course meal and enjoyed every course. The service was good. My only complaint was we never got a refill on our iced teas. They are good about water refills.

NeeraJamie K.

The naan did not taste like it was real-probably frozen. It's a good thing we ordered that because none of the dishes we got came with anything to dip with. It was just disappointing.

Anthony S.

Not very good. The samosas and the iconic "water with no ice" were the only authentic tasting things there. The naan tasted nothing like naan but more like over-cooked pizza dough. The butter chicken was horrid, tasted nothing like butter chicken, but more like chicken salad dowsed in a red curry sauce. The lamb curry was okay, but really nothing to write home about. Extremely disappointed, won't be going back here. So shocked by how many curry places in the city have not measured up to the suburban places.

Eitan S.

$10 for a dish, portion size isnt huge. it feels like a fast-food indian food place, spices are mixed together without a delicate hand, but for the price, its a good value.

Paul C.

If you're looking for great BYOB Indian and don't want to trek up north to Devon, Hema's is the place. The food has just the right amount of spice--which is to say, it's damn hot. I love just about everything I've had there, although I don't recommend going there if you're going to go out afterwards, as eating Hema's induces great drowsiness. Like all Indian joints, the food tends to be overpriced, but the tastiness makes it worthwhile. The service ranges from competent to deplorable and is my only problem with the place as a whole.

Jennifer B.

My husband is from England and absolutely loves Indian food, we have never been a place he didn't lick both his plate and my plate clean until we went to Hema's. The spices were just not clicking for me. Plus, I asked for mine mild and it came hotter than my husband's. The service wasn't all that great and the prices were steeper than other Indian places I've been to. Not worth the hype.

Leang E.

I wish we knew that the place was BYOB. We didn't realize until someone else came in, so we just got to lazy to run out to the liquor store nearby. I think the decor is a little more updated than the pictures, or else I blanked out from hunger and didn't remember. We were disappointed not to see a buffet option, but then we thought it would prevent us from overeating and we could take food home. We had the Kheema Samosa, and it was pretty good. It comes with 2 and they have aren't small, but the portions of our entrees were. We had the Lamb with Baigan and Curry Leaves, and I had the Chicken Vindaloo. I really liked the lamb dish, but the Chicken Vindaloo was SO spicy. This will burn. We made quite a few jokes about this. The worst thing was fearing that I'd choke on the spiciness because I was laughing so hard. It was one of the most funniest meals I've ever had. They have a few naan choices and we got the one with onions and green peppers and it was pretty yummy. The rice was proportional to the size of the entrees, so we ate everything and didn't have anything to take home. The price was average, but not a good value when you look at the portions. The staff was friendly, and it was like we were in our own little world for a bit.

Arjun C.

I think people talked up the Devon place because they want to be able to meet Hema and try and become friends with her, so that when people ask them about Hema's Kitchen, they can say "oh yeah, me and the Hem, we're pretty tight." Now let's run a little experiment, now send the food to Lincoln Park, and hold the Hema. Now the food doesn't taste quite as good, does it? I usually come here because if one lives somewhere between downtown and Devon, this is really the only "safe" option for Indian food. That said, everytime I have gone into this place with a craving for Indian food, I walk away feeling just barely satisfied. The naan is decent but not uniformly fat. and garlicy. Unless you get the lamb version (which many don't like), the biriyani really lacks a great deal of flavor. Chana masala (chick peas) are all chana and no masala, which is just bad. The lamb vindaloo and rogan josh are probably the best things on the menu and other than the chana, the veggie gobi (cauliflower) and the okra are pretty good. Verdict: if you crave Indian food that's a quick jaunt from your LP home, this place is a good choice. If you really want good Indian, this place won't get the job done.

Robin W.

Love it! I really like spicy food, and Hema's does not skimp on the spice. Everything that I've had here has been delicious. The appetizers (pakoras, samosas, etc) are great! I have had a lot of Indian food, and this place tops my list. I spent a month in India and say it is comparable to my favorite places in India. Also it's BYOB which always make the food taste better. The service could be better though; I have had to wait and drag down the staff a few times, but it's worth it!

Kev N.

This is a nice, unpretentious BYOB Indian restaurant with excellent gravy dishes and great nan.

Denise L.

I love spicy food so this is right up my alley. The prices however aren't. I got a carryout order of chicken vindaloo. The cashier asked me if I wanted rice and I said yes. Big mistake. My bill was nearly twenty dollars just for the chicken vindaloo and rice. The chicken vindaloo was delicious though. The next time I went back I told her "no rice" and she kind of glanced at me funny. Sorry, I dont want to pay an arm and a leg for plain white rice I could make at home.

D F.

I am very confused about the various ratings for this place. Here was my experience: My fiancee and I stumbled on this place after finding out the wait at Toro was more than an hour. Usually we yelp a place before we try it, but this place was *packed* and it had a ton of citysearch accolades in the window (I know, I know), so we decided to give it a shot. Once we sat down I pulled out my blackberry and yelped it (I'm relative new to Yelp, so I am not sure that "yelping" is commonly used as a verb, but that's how I'm using it). Anyway, I got really scared because I was reading these atrocious reviews. I kept double and triple checking that I was looking up the right place, because some of the reviews mentioned it being empty, and here it was on a Wednesday night packed. Also, a ton of reviews mention terrible service, but for us the service was at least average. Anyway, long story short, we found the service to be fine, and the food to be well above average (not that we're Indian food experts). So our experience was perfectly fine and we would return.

D J.

When I crave comfort food, aka hot, spicy Indian fare, and sheer indolence keeps my kitchen from producing what I hanker for, I turn to another - Hema's! With the best biryani outside of London and an appetizer selection that is superb, this is inarguably one of my favorite take-out spots in the city. You do have to wait a bit, and you do have to pay extra for delivery, but gorging down scrumptious food in the comfort of home, without the associated effort - priceless! It is also refreshing that their fare retains the authenticity of Indian spices and flavors and does not seem like a product of a quick flip from a can to a microwave

Jisha A.

I don't know if we caught them at a bad night but whatever the choosa tikka masala (chicken) that we ordered for takeout was more like ordering a gallon of oil. Two of us fell sick after this dinner, I don't know if it was that overdose of oil or what it was in that chicken - I have n't heard of other cases, so I really can't stamp it down to food poisoning from Hema's - but that was the only thing in common we had for dinner. We're not eating here ever again. I do believe there are better places on Devon - the drive is well worth it, for a better meal. Also, I do think the food's too overpriced, never could understand the hype about this place.

Elizabeth K.

Right off the bat I will say that I have been to both Hema's locations on several occasions and will continue to eat there as often as possible. (I do live quite far away, but the food is so good I don't mind the trek.) We were just there Saturday, and after being seated right away were promptly ignored for about fifteen minutes even though there were only about four other tables. One waitress sat down and started texting. Another waiter went to and from the table right next to ours several times and it's as if we were invisible. The only reason we got service when we did is because the host saw me make a gesture of frustration, at which time I saw him speak to the texting waitress, who nevertheless shrugged our table onto the waiter. He came over with his paid and said, "Are you ready?" No, "Hello, how are you?" or "Sorry about the wait." Once we got our food everyone started asking us if everything was okay, including Text Girl. There's just so much wrong with this entire episode, but I've devoted enough space to it. No one is intentionally rude or nasty, it's just awkward. The staff act as if they have never held a job before. Any job. Scrubbing toilets, secretarial work, lion taming, politics. They mutter, and they seem reluctant to approach, as if we're potentially dangerous. It's almost as if they came straight from a monastery. That aggravation aside, the rest of the meal went smoothly, and once again, the food will keep me coming back. I like to try different things every time I go to a place but at Hema's I always get the samosas (both lamb and vegetable are out of this world), paratha, and Sag Paneer. The lamb curry is also to die for. My guy is a very picky, very shall-we-say conventional eater (he considers pears rather exotic). He's gotten something different every time because he can never remember what he's had before, but he loves it every time, and so do I. If you're an absolute stickler for service, then this is not the place for you. But if you can look past the eccentricity, then the food is definately worth it.

Jessica L.

My favourite Indian restaurant. The food is very fresh. The service very poor but I put up with it for the food. I usually order the veggie samosas, pakoras, a mango lassi, sag paneer, navratna curry, rice, and poori.

Gwen D.

One of my favorite BYO's in the city. Tonight (easter) I ate here, and it was, as usual, great! my husband and I always order too much. We had the samosas, something fried with spinach, I had a chicken dish, he had lamb. It's just simple and relaxing, and we shared our bottle of cheap red wine and laughed the entire night. We also have tons of leftovers for tomorrow too. I really want to check out the one on Devon.

Alex J.

The food is great but they use far too much oil, which is Hema's style. The reason the service is terrible--I'm not making excuses, just giving explanations--is because Hema doesn't let her workers keep tips. Keep that in mind next time you're paying your bill.

Little T.

Samosa, samosa, samosa! Hema's was my first experience with Indian food and I'm so glad I discovered it. Actually, friends discovered it, and I fell in love with the rich flavors. I love their samosas, the chana masala is very well seasoned (and hot means really hot). And, since we're now eating Indian food almost once a week, it's fun to have a few places to turn.

Kiks A.

Went to Hema's kitchen last nite. The service was good - the waitress was attentive and accommodating even when it was full. The food was a bit disappointing though - the pieces of meat in the curry were a tad small and the actual curry was greasier and saltier than other places I've eaten. Shame too, because the rice was better than most places -- too bad the curry that went with it wasn't so hot.

steve h.

for a good hema's experience: order their tasty samosas (hence the 1 star). make sure its 'to go'. for a lousy hema's experience: sit down, order overpriced skimpy portions of food. eat 10 dollar rice. munch on crunchy brittle naan. scrounge around a 12 dollar chicken dish for 4 or 5 bite sized pieces of chicken masked among 6 or 7 bite sizes pieces of potato. (that better have been some KOBE chicken!) wait extra long for your bill and make desperate grabbing lunges at the waitstaff to get your water refilled. do not enjoy, do not repeat, do not pass go.

David M.

Went here for lunch and Hema's kitchen blew me away. It was a cold winter day and was kind of slow at the restaurant but the food/ service was surprisingly good. I normally don't go out for indian food but I know when good indian food is in fact good indian food... so I definitely reccomend Hema's Kitchen. I didn't get too crazy, tried some lamb and chicken dishes and was very impressed by how flavorful the food turned out. Hema's has gotten some great reviews in the past, which is why we went here in the first place and I think the restaurant lives up to the reviews.

Justin R.

Quite possibly the best Indian food in Chicago. They have another location on Devon at Oakley I think it is. That location is a bit cheaper but the food is just as good.

Ashley S.

very tasty! i went on a friday night and it was packed but we only waited about ten minutes for our table. and my group of four ordered a large spread of both vegetarian and meat-y dishes and shared them all. we were all very pleased with everything! timely and friendly enough service. gets three stars instead of four because of the price point. you can get cheaper better food on devon, but it's more convenient for me to go to this location. and the flavor was not as good as on devon either, but it's a lot better than some other indian places i've gone.

A.S. V.

Devon street is still the place to go for Indian. You'd think Hema's would do a good job in bringing some Devon down to their second location on Clark. The food is great, and Its BYOB, but it's so dang expensive! A friend said they give huge portions when he orders carryout, but when I ate in, I left hungry. Bad move Hema's.

Jonathan K.

have had several suggestions to check out this place, and the hype was real. the atmosphere is not my taste, as its so quiet in there, but the food was goooood. lamb vindaloo, this dish is spicy even for a korean. we koreans love spicy, and this dish makes u sweat! ate it as a recommendation from the server. the dishes looked to be around the $12-15 range, a little more than I'd like to pay but it doesn't hold me back from coming back for more. Also had the gulab jamun dessert, kind of like a heavy, wet donut hole. It was a very unique and tasteful little dessert. I can confidently say too expensive for this one. $4 for 2 special donut holes, but I'm glad I tried it.

Kristen D.

Great Indian food. This place is BYOB (and there's a small convience store with an okay selection of beer and wine just north a couple doors). Do NOT expect to get timely service at this place. They are incredibly slow (everything has to go through hema...) and you'll have a hard time even waving them down. It makes for a potentially frustrating experience, so I would recommend going when you're not in any sort of time crunch. This is the best indian food I've had, but we don't go that often because it's not fast...they will also penny and dime you, which I just don't understand!!

Didier T.

First of all, expect a leisurely [READ: SLOW] meal at Hema's. Service is lacking, although the staff seems nice enough. They just forget why they're there and often need direction from impatient customers. The starter dishes/appetizers score higher than the entrees. The rolls are great [chicken, lamb, shami], and order the vegetable samosas instead of the lamb [kheema] ones. The food is authentic, and you can tell by the nice balance of flavors. Worthy of a four-star rating, but the service knocks it down a notch. Cozy interior, but could use more lighting -- on a gloomy day, it can feel like you're eating with the family prior to opening. Will definitely swing by whenever I'm in the neighborhood and not in a rush.

Patrick F.

I have very little experience with Indian food. In fact, it'd probably been years since I'd had any. I thought Hema's was super good. I was surprised to see so many negative reviews on Yelp upon my return home. I'll go back!

Natalie B.

Samosas were tasty, but I was a little disappointed with the entrees. They were good, just not great. I did like that it was BYOB when I went though!

Miss O.

i came to this location because i didn't have a chance to make it up to the devon one - which i haven't tried either. i did like this place. we ordered the lamb biryani (sp?), chicken tikki marsala, and the lamb dish with spinach - i forgot what it was called. i really liked the chicken tikki marsala. i think i liked it because the sauce was really lighter - lighter than i'm used to but the flavor was there and the chicken was so tender - it was great. the lamb biryani was okay - i miss naan n' curry's. it lacked that super flavor they have. it was still good - just not great. i would go here again to get a quick indian fix if i couldn't make it up to devon.

Nazia H.

Boo! This location blows. I went here last night for dinner and wish I would have ventured up north to Devon. First, in a tiny tiny room why do we have FOUR waitpersons waiting on our table of two? Next, how in the world as an INDIAN restaurant do you run out of naan? Yes, truly bizarre. When we were ordering, the waitress told us that they had no naan left, which is nuts. But she assured us that they had many other items including kulcha, which is another type of bread. She comes back after we placed our order and says "oh, wait, don't kill me, we don't have kulcha." Fine, we'll take parathas, a chicken dish, and veggie samosas. A few seconds later, a different waiter returns and says they are out of samosas. Are you f-ing kidding me? I was ready to say, screw it, we'll eat elsewhere. My bf then started speaking in Hindi/Urdu to ask how they were out of flour and how they are out of staples of Indian dining. The rudeass waiter started arguing with him about the lateness of our arrival and how the restaurant closes at 10. (We were there at 920p.) Ehh. We changed the order again to just rice (more filling than paratha) and the chicken dish nix the parathas. Of course when the food comes out, they bring the parathas. We said that we canceled the paratha order and the third waiter took them back. While we are eating, the water gets low and no one refills and my smarta$$ bf asked if they ran out of water too. This experience was atrocious. I will not go back here. Especially as the owner was sitting right behind the front counter and said and did nothing to apologize or make the diners feel welcome. Boo!

Alan M.

I went with a group that shared several dishes. The food was consistently good. The portions were modest but sufficient.

Ben E.

Hema's Kitchen II is mediocre at best. I'll fully admit I haven't eaten at the original location, but nonetheless...if you're in this area just head a few blocks south on Clark to Indian Grill for a much, much better meal. I barely remember what I ate, but I do recall that the Channa Masala was watery, poorly spiced, and completely forgettable. The "Check, Please!" hype is completely undeserved. It depresses me that in a city as diverse as Chicago it's basically impossible to get decent Indian food in almost any part of the city at all, but given that several Indian restaurants exist around this area, make sure to go to one that's actually good.

kiki h.

This is a pretty good indian restuarant if you don't want to go all the way to devon street. I find the food to be pretty authentic and everything I've tried here has been great (although it is very spicy!).

Simon J.

If you read nothing else, read this: GET YOUR FOOD TO GO. This is truly the worst service I have ever experienced at a restaurant. The funny thing is that the waitresses wander around giving the impression that they are serving people while intentionally not making eye contact with anyone. Also, what the hell is with not including rice in the entrees? If I am to be charged between $10 and $14 for a small portion I should absolutely get some damn rice with my food. Just because there are six grains of spice in my basmati rice doesn't mean it should cost $3 extra. The only reason this place got more than one star is because I was starving and I love Indian food and the food wasn't terrible. If I didn't have such good company I think my evening might have been ruined by the terrible service here. Seriously folks, I am generally very forgiving and don't mind a lapse in service so long as the wait staff is agreeable, but this was UNACCEPTABLE. I feel bad even saying this stuff because it's so hard to find good Indian food in this area. Maybe that's another reason they kept that second star, but if any decent Indian place opens up within a mile of Hema's Kitchen, they can say goodbye to all their customers.

M. C.

I'd seen Hema's Kitchen on "Check, Please!" a long time ago, and so I decided to order delivery. Big mistake. First off, my delivery guy (who spoke very broken English) tried to keep the receipt with my phone number on it so that he could "give me a call tomorrow." Um...no thanks. Secondly, the food was terrible. For example, my Choosa Tikka Masala was basically hunks of chicken sitting in a pool of red grease. Gross. Thirdly (and this is a biggie), the restaurant seems to have a major hygiene issue. The Chicken Biryani, for example, had tons of black and gray hairs in it. That's just disgusting. Note to Hema: Invest in some hairnets for your cooks. All in all, it was a really bad experience. I was excited to try Hema's, and it ended up being incredibly disappointing. For Indian food in this neighborhood, I'm sticking with Raj Darbar on Halsted.

Chad C.

This is a great Indian place. Not the best in the world, but it gets the job done. And honestly, as good or better than any of the places I've tried up on Devon. So although I love Indian food, and think it's pretty much one of the best foods out there, I don't really make an effort to go up to Devon any more. I've got everything I need right here. They've got all the staples of Indian food, and everything is delicious. Especially the samosas, you've got to have those. Definitely get the vegetable ones though. I love meat as much as anyone, but for some reason the vegetable ones are like 3 times better than the meat samosas. I generally get the saag paneer, chicken tikka masala, and lamb biriyani. All great choices, and I try to through in something new every now and then. Definitely best to go with a group of people and split everything. Oh and the naan is pretty decent here too, you should try the garlic naan for a little extra kick.

Sam P.

I guess this seems to be a common theme with them. THE SERVICE ABSOLUTELY SUCKS. I am Indian and have been eating Indian my whole life -both at home and out. That being said, the food was not that great, the portions were small and way overpriced for what you get. Better yet, my girlfriend has never eaten Indian before and ordered a dish with "mild" spice. Long story short, she wasn't able to even have two bites because it was too spicy. I apologized to them saying that this was her first time eating indian and asked if they could recommend something a little milder. They said "if she isn't able to eat that she isn't able to eat anything" and walked away. Being caught off guard by this, I ended up asking if they could take it off the bill since she didn't even eat it. They told me that it is computerized, and that it was specially made for her, and they don't care how other restaurants work, that's how they work, etc. etc. She then walked away with the bill like she was going to do something about it...and then came back from behind me and dropped it in front of me again and walked away. Nothing changed on it. I found it pretty insulting. I hardly ever complain when I eat out, but the few times I have, I was treated great. Summary: I will never go back there due to overpriced food, small portions and the worst service I have ever had in Chicago.

Randy R.

I've been to Hema's on Devon and it was wonderful. This location is far from that. The service was awful. They only came to our table when we would stop someone walking by. The food was mediocre at best. Hema's has lost sight of what made her the talk of the town in the first place. If I was you, I would keep walking down Clark to Belden and eat at Indian Grill.

Sara S.

Indian food is like opera, It either feeds your soul or repells you. And this place has it exactly right. There are few other restaurants that serve food that I physically cannot stop eating. The lamb vindaloo is spicy goodness and the raita cuts the heat just enough to make it tolerable. Experiment with dishes but never go without that vindaloo, it would be a sin. We've found that a good pinot noir goes perfect with the food, anything heavier and you won't be able to move from the table. (it's byo, fyi) oh, and be sure you don't have a lot planned the morning after...

Ingrid G.

Please read: If you happen to go here and want rice, you have to order it separately, it does not come with the entrees. OK, now the review: Quite possibly the worst--no the worst dining experience I have had in the past couple of years. We had a party of 5 and arrived at around 7:30 on a Sunday night. We ordered, and were served nothing, not even drinks, not even the Cokes we'd ordered, for over an hour. If we weren't super super tired and ravenously hungry we would have left, but we had a couple of vegetarians in our group and were worried about finding better options since Emilo's was packed. At one point I waved someone over and asked for anything to eat, since we were so so hungry. What made it worse is that we actually saw other parties who'd gotten there after us getting served. The food, once it got there, was admittedly good quality. But definitely not worth it if you are the slightest bit hungry because you might be waiting for a looooong time. It reminded me of being in India, because when we complained the waiter had this, "well, what do you expect me to do, that's just life" kind of expression. Now, I'd been to this location of Hema's once before with a couple of guys from India, and we didn't have this service problem at all. Which makes me wonder.

Maureen M.

The food here is to die for, the place is clean if lacks slightly in ambiance, but the people are incredibly gracious. We had a large party last weekend (I usually go with just one person), and it was crowded and we hadn't made reservations. They went out of their way to accommodate us and made us feel very welcome. We are always completely delighted by the nan bread, lamb curries, sag paneer-- everything. Delicious!

Amanda Z.

i was SO looking forward to going to Hema's, i told everyone i know that i was eating there friday night...only to be disappointed. :( this was probably the least good (i won't say bad cuz it was still good) indian food i have ever had. i was expecting to be blown away, but India House on Erie and Grand is 10xs better than this place. we didn't have to wait at all, got a table right away and showed up around 8pm Friday night, so that was a plus. ordered the vegetable samosas - good but i've def had bigger and better. i ordered the chicken tikka masala and specifically asked for it to be extra spicy, like as spicy as possible. my bf ordered the haryali chicken and wanted it to be not spicy. both dishes were NOT spicy at all and the chicken wasn't even good quality white meat. it tasted a little rubbery and the portions were SOOO small, especially for the price! the basmati rice was fine (hard to mess up), but the garlic naan tasted more like pizza crust it was so thick and doughy (not cooked all the way) and not very garlicy at all. def the worst naan i have ever had, and i am a bread lover. i will not go back to Hema's again...India House is a little pricier, but so much nicer and better, I'd pay 3xs as much!

Oscar the Death Cat B.

I've been to both Hema's I (up by Devon Av) and II (on Clark), the food at II is quite good but the dining experience is more fun & authentic up at I by Devon. Also, I think the prices are much higher at the Clark St. location.

Nandini H.

i've previously been to hema's kitchen on devon and thoroughly enjoyed my entire experience. when i realized she had a second location right here in lincoln park, i went in for a meal, even though i wasn't hungry. in contrast to most of the bright indian restaurants with dated decor on devon, hema's on clark is cozy and intimate but not over the top like some of the other neighborhood restaurants. on my first visit i went for shrimp biryani and funny enough on the second visit to hema's i ordered the fish vindaloo which was perfectly spiced and included so much flavor. the chicken nulaghatani soup which goes great with their garlic naan (some of the best naan i've had in chicago). on my most recent dinner here, i sat closet to the entrance door and it was chilly so if you go in the winter, ask for a seat away from the door. the sweet motherly owner is extra courteous, but sometimes the staff and service is slow.

Sydney K.

Hema's II has fantastic Indian food, but the service is slow. I'm sure that adds to the fact that it can get very crowded on the weekends. My recommendation is to get carryout so you don't have to deal with the frustration with the slow moving waitstaff. It's BYOB so you can save money on the liquor.

Daria Z.

This was my first introduction to Indian food and I was very pleased with this restaurant. There were a wide variety of dishes that seemed to me were cooked to perfection. The majority of the staff was informative and helpful save for one girl - so make sure you wave someone down that looks like they know a thing or two about the menu. The samosas were great and the lamb was cooked to tender perfection. The prices were moderate - the portions weren't very large but the food was filling. The mango desert was delicious.

catharine s.

veggie samosa was wonderful because it wasn't greasy or fried tasting. the dishes are touch and go. usually one of the three or four dishes is not great, and the others are decent/ your normal good indian curry. watch out though because the food is spicy! and i love spicy dishes. so if you ask for spicy, it will definitely be spicy. also, the portions are average. probably the way they should be but since most restaurant portions are triple the size, these seem small. it's byob which is nice. the service is ok- basically they bring your food, not too much else. price- we paid $45 for three people (samosa, three veggie dishes, three breads of sorts, and tip) i'd go back, but i'm still searching for something great!

Alex X.

I haven't gone to any other Indian restaurant in Chicago since I first got here - great food! The food (especially the naan) is the only thing keeping me from giving it three stars. Since I first started eating here, service has steadily declined. So much so that the past two times, we had to remind the waitress two or three times before receiving our extra order of rice or naan. Get your act together!

Mark P.

Wasn't all too impressed with the food. Service was poor. Perhaps the Devon location is better.

danny p.

i'm confused. are others not seeing what's wrong with this place? i've been here twice. the first time...i couldn't believe that they charged their customers for RICE. i've never seen this before and probably never will again. this was last february. i was tempted to stop in again on friday....bad idea. it took about 10 minutes just to order and when the food came....there was no rice. my friends and i waited 10-15 minutes for rice while our food was getting cold which is unacceptable and there was no apology. once the meal was finished we waited for 10-15 minutes until someone offered to box our food. again...we waited another 10 minutes until someone came to give us the bill. while all of this was happening we watched the same thing happening to everyone at the tables around us. the service is horrible and if you're really in the mood for some indian cuisine, curry leaves is two doors down.

Ben H.

Hemma's Kitchen is a bit on the higher side of Indian food in terms of price but the dishes I ordered, Lamb Masla, Chicken Green curry, and the indian style herb rice was delicious. Their Naan, is not impressive compared to other places so I was a bit disappointed by that. I believe this is one of the places that make particular dishes well and others "so-so". Depending on what you order, it may have an impact. I love spiciness, so if you like it too, I would recommend

Chris C.

Decided to give this place another try after a long boycott and after going there I will be extending my boycott because the service at this place is absolutely pathetic. We got to the restaurant and were able to get a seat without any wait. However, the restaurant was packed a mere 10 minutes later. After we were seated it took about 20 minutes to get our glasses filled and to get menus. Then it took another half hour to get our starters and appetizers and even longer to get our entrees. Then during our entire meal we could not get a refill on our water. Maybe BYOB should extend to water at this place. This would have been fine and all considering how busy they were but what makes me upset was the fact that an Indian couple came in and was seated next to us and they got their water, appetizers, entree, and check before we even got our appetizers. They also always had a full glass of water. Which made me think that I was being treated differently because I wasn't Indian. The food was alright this time around but not good enough to substantiate that wait. By the time dinner was over we were there about two hours, and at the time there were people with reservations who were waiting at least 30 minutes for their table. Bottom line, this place is clueless when it comes to service. Although the food is good, the service is so bad I'd take my money and go to another Indian place in the neighborhood in a heartbeat.

Craig R.

Went here recently with my wife and our young niece. The staff was very nice and attentive. The food was delightful. The garlic naan is wonderful. The chicken briyani was yummy and the chicken tikka masala was scrumptious. We gorged ourselves and loved every moment of it. We went late afternoon on a Saturday and had the place to ourselves. I will definitely return when I am in the area again!

Susan F.

Pleasantly surprised with this one. Another place that I tried this weekend that only gets 3 outta 5 stars, but I, once again did not let that phase me. This place was packed on Friday at 9pm. BYO Indian can either be good or bad. This was good. I am by NO means and Indian cuisine conossieur, BUT, I do enjoy it. The boo and I ordered the classic chicken tikka misala, lamb vindaloo, naan, and rice. Pretty standard and great options. Glad he let me pick :) The bread and rice are individually purchased, no big woop. One order of naan and rice will suit you perfectly for a date--FYI. The food came out at the perfect time, not too soon, not too long (said goldie locks) The lamb vindaloo was spicy and yummy and the chicken tikka was also what you'd expect. Everything was great about the food. BUT, the one thing we did notice is that the servers looked bored to death. I mean completely miserable. They were not mean at all, but just didn't seem to give two shoots. Other than that, I wouldn't mind coming here again.

John G.

Only had it delivered once but Hema's completely filled my expectations. The when I ordered my dish (Chicken Vindaloo), the guy on the phone warned me that it was going to be spicy. And it was just the right amount of heat ... they didn't spare anything. Will definitely order from this place again. Loved it!

Becca S.

God I want to love ALL Indian food, but sadly I can't handle much spice so what I order is limited. Still, everything I got at Hema's was spectacular! And I really wanted to try every flavor of naan they had, but I was just with one other person and there are like 8 so that didn't happen. It's super tiny and they pack the tables in so on a Friday night like when I went, you'll probably have to wait a while for a table, and for your food. I thought it was worth it though. It's a cool ambiance and the portions are perfect, you're not served a gigantic portion so everyone can order their own entree and get exactly what they want! One tip though, rice does not come with entrees. I have never heard of that before so we didn't order rice then sat there like idiots for 5 minutes after our food arrived waiting for it.

Brian H.

Waited over an hour after order to have the waiter ask if we had placed one, even though we were the only table at that time. We stopped counting after the 4th table arriving after us had been served. All told 70 minutes before appetizers. Well at least the water was refilled quickly. The 10% discount for the wait....well that says we think highly of our customers.

Ryan C.

Hmmm, Hema's has some of the best Tikka Masala around. I've never eaten in, but the place is quaint and comfortable. They do deliver, but I typically order ahead of time and pick up myself. Make sure to order garlic naan with your dinner. However, I do get slightly irked that you have to order rice separately for an extra couple of dollars. The order of Tikka Masala is already a few extra dollars more and add the rice charge on top of...you'll spend about $5 more than you would elsewhere. In a way, I guess it's worth it.

Marisa S.

Let me start by saying if I had just never eaten at the physical restaurant and ordered take out every time I would have given this place a better rating. I have a serious love for Indian food and thought that it was great to find several Indian restaurants around the place I live. I had ordered Hema's for take out several times and the food was always pretty good. Unfortunately, they don't have my favorite dish but that's okay, their menu has a pretty wide variety. BUT (and this is a big but) eating AT the physical restaurant was a serious mistake. Not only was service slow, but they weren't friendly nor attentive in any way. It took a long time to get the attention of any of the servers to just fill glasses of water at our table. Our server was basically no where to be found for more than half of the time we were eating and overall, I just didn't feel very welcome in the establishment. My recommendation, just order take-out or delivery every time and you'll enjoy Hema's.

Todger ..

I like the Devon location. The service at the Lincoln Park was really slow and just barely competent. Sorry but the food at the Lincoln Park location was pretty lifeless too. I have had some great experiences on Devon - but the LP place was just like drab Indian buffet food. Certainly not worth the price or the wait just for the neighborhood.

Alysha P.

I came here recently for another girls bday dinner with the same group of Indiaphile gf's that I dined with at Cumin a few weeks back.....we got a few of the exact same dishes that we ordered there for comparison and some others.....here's the break-down: Veg Samosas: Pretty standard samosa.....good flavors on the filling.....but was pretty small this time around...I split one with a friend and I got max 2 bites out of it Lamb Curry: Really liked this dish.....not a ton of lamb though.....nice curry without being overpowering. Chana Gosht: I think I only tried a little of this (I'm not a chickpea lover).....again good....but could have left it. Aloo Palak: Tis was pretty yum-riffic......spinach and potatoes who knew? Navratan Curry: I really wanted a straight up vegetable dish and have ordered this before so knew what I was getting into (see my previous review) Dal Dahkni: Loved this....great flavor..... Chicken Tikka Masala: Didn't get to try this time around.....my gf wanted it all to herself.....and I can't blame her....it's one of my favorites here! Garlic Butter Nan: Garlicky and buttery.....what more could you want? The service was also even better than the last time I was here.....yay for that! Overall.....still going with 3 stars.....food is good....just not great.....a little oily and my left-overs didn't do nice things to my tum the next day.......but the price, the fact that it's byob and close to home keeps me coming back. FYI: The unanimous decision at the table was that Cumin is better....way way better.

Mary W.

Man, I love this place! The food is always excellent, service is friendly and I can always find parking. I've now taken all of my Indian food-loving friends here and they, too, fell in love. My favorite is the chicken vindaloo. If you like it super-spicy, like I do, order it "madras hot". They will ask you if you're sure you want it that way. I am sure. I love it. It's such a different kind of spicy. When I get it I always smile after the first bite and utter my favorite Lisa Simpson line, "I can see through time." It's amazing, and there's always so much of everything I have leftovers to take home. The garlic naan is a great way to mop up extra vindaloo sauce. Sheesh, YUM. I'm gonna go get some right now.

Kairo C.

If this place continues to survive this wretched economy, I take full credit. Because I eat here about 50 times a week. I am sure I single-handedly make their fiscal year profitable. It is conveniently close to my work and play... oh too convenient at times... oh dangerously close and the best Indian in the neighborhood so it's an addicting visit. In fact I am surprised they haven't left me a pamphlet "when eating Indian isn't fun anymore" in place of the take out menu they staple to my to-go bag. I became enticed when I saw Hema's on Check Please. I trust Check Please. And they were true to their reviews! Hmm... so much I've tried but so much I haven't tried.... Sag Paneer, Lamb Vindaloo, Choosa Tikka Masala, Hariyali Chicken, Shahi Paneer... among a few... The classics and some house specialties... All great... And their garlic naan and paratha ON POINT. I've come here, en solo, en duo, en group of maybe 10 people. Everyone is always a happy camper. With BYOB, this place is unbeatable within the neighborhood. Eager to explore the rest of their menu...

Bridget K.

I have a pretty high standard for Indian food. Hema's was decent and not too far of a walk from my brothers apartment in Lincoln Park. I felt like I was stepping into Mumbai with the music and some decorations. I wanted to start Bollywood dancing like from Slumdog Millionaire. The service was good. We were seated pretty fast and got to choose between two tables to sit at since the restaurant was somewhat empty (they seem to do a good amount of take-out business). We sat down and took a look at the menu. I chose Saag Paneer which happens to be my usual Indian dish. It was a little spicy to my liking especially considering the fact that Saag Paneer usually is not spicy. It was mediocre compared to other Indian I have had. The food was reasonable price but seriously we had to order rice...which was surprising. After trying Hema's Kitchen I'm still searching for the perfect Indian restaurant in Chicago.

Jennifer W.

Hema's Kitchen was not good. Curry was flavorless, which is a difficult thing to accomplish, and they used frozen mixed veggies. I have made better curry for myself and I am a terrible cook. The service made me a little uncomfortable, too - the guy who waited on me wanted to know how old I was, what I was reading, where I lived, and asked me not to tip because he was looking out for my money. I felt obliged to be sweet because he could spit in my food or whatnot, but I really was a captive conversationalist. Indian food is sort of expensive anyway, so I wasn't surprised at the $14 tab for one curry. Naw, I won't be back. There's way too much good stuff in the city competing with Hema's. However, if you want a little ego boost, go in there with a book and this smiling waiter will tell you you look ten years younger than you are. And you don't have to tip, cause, well, he's looking out for your dough.

Joanna F.

Maybe it's because I'm from out of town and in Boston we don't have many BYOB places. Maybe it's because the first time I remember really enjoying Indian food it was here. Maybe it's because due to the BYOB policy, I've been pretty drunk every time I've walked out of here. This place indeed did make me see how delicious Indian food can be. It helps that I went with a friend that had just returned from India and knew exactly what to order. The two times we've come, we've brought a bottle of wine and had a great time. The pakora that we sampled were DELICIOUS. My boyfriend got some kind of spicy lamb in a tomato based sauce which was awesome, and my friend and I split some lentil concoction (I'm not huge on lentil plates, but it was still tasty). Good food, good atmosphere. And BYOB definitely helps.

angie s.

RUDE! I called for delivery five minutes after the 12.00p, the time Hema's opens for business. The man on the other line seemed annoyed, and without so much as a "hello," quickly told me to call in ten minutes and hung up on me. I called ten minutes later, and then 15, and finally 20 minutes later to no answer. The worst part is that my coworkers and I were all planning to eat this food for lunch, so we spent our staff meeting trying to find a place to deliver us lunch. They would've received great business from us, but alas... they clearly do not care about delivering food, nor great customer service for that matter.

Darren S.

I just don't get it. I understand how taste is subjective. I just don't get the raves about this place. I have tried both Hema's Kitchen(the one up near Devon and the one in Lincoln Park). I ordered several items both times...and both have been "meh". The food is surprisingly flavorless for Indian food. I LOVE Indian food and travel to a lot of places in the city and even out of the city. This is probably one of my least favorite Indian restaurants. Maybe because there is not that intensity of flavor (not heat...FLAVOR!), most beginners enjoy Hema's. Or for people brought up with Indian food, they are used to the blandness that is customary to the way their particular family made food. Then everything is "a la carte". I ordered Chicken Tikka Masala this last time just so I could compare it to other places. meh. Then, I had to order rice separately, naan (bread) separately. Along with Samosas the bill came to $23 for lunch for myself. Meh lunch food for $27 (with tip)?!?! Never again. Now I did have a bit left over, but not a lot. Certainly not enough for a meal. Anyway, try it if you wish. I went there originally because of all the hoopla on Yelp then I even went back because I wanted to be fair.... but I guess I just don't see it.

johnny b.

Meh emergency only go to cumin in bucktown instead

Jeremy P.

When I used to live in Chi-town, I heard Hema's name whispered with the same dulcet tones one might use for Zeus, Athena, or Elijah at Passover Seder. Her spot up in Devon was supposedly the Indian culinary version of breast-feeding: go to Hema and she will personally nurture you with her cuisine. Tonight, I believe that I was served some sour milk at Hema's Kitchen II in Lincoln Park. I was ravenously hungry when I arrived and would have probably eaten a buttered 2x4 if it had arrived on a plate. Instead, I had to endure the insult added to injury of bad service and lackluster food. After we ordered our meal, the server informed us that none of the dishes come with rice. STRIKE 1. WTF? A la carte basmati?! GTFO! Indian food is in my top five, and I have never encountered such a ridiculous notion. The Spinach Pakora we ordered for our appetizers were good. Base hit (a double at best). The chickpea batter was spicy and fried well and the spinach/onion/pepper filling was flavorful. This was the only culinary saving grace of the meal. My entree arrived around 40 minutes after we ordered (hint, hint) and it was the color of cat puke. Although it was supposedly a highly recommended chicken dish (I have intentionally forgotten the name), it was unappetizing enough that I asked for a different dish after one bite. The cubed chicken was tough, flavorless, and the accompanying sauce was a highly exotic wallpaper paste. Rachel's Channa Masala, usually a simple crowd pleaser, was way too acidic and lacked any finesse. Aren't these flavors supposed to be developing in some overnight Indian love cauldron? This dish was pure meh. The dish that I ended up with was Murg Saag (chicken with spinach). It was salty enough to pucker the loosest of orifices and had an unpleasant sour aftertaste. I was so hungry at that point that I ate most of it anyway. I am sure that I will be dehydrated soon and will have nightmares about a lazy Indian chef abusing beautiful garlic bulbs and ginger roots. Why did I not give it one star? Because I'm a nice guy and you have to save that kind of rating for Craplebees. But I strongly advise anyone in Chicago to venture further north to the land of Devon when one craves the curry. You'll save money, receive better service, and you probably won't have to send your food back.

Kelli B.

I'm going to go right along with this three star review. We wanted to go to Indian Grill for an early dinner yesterday, but because they're closed between 3 - 5pm we walked down to Hema's Kitchen. Everything is priced separately, so your rice and bread is separate from your main dish. I thought this was a little strange seeing as the main dishes were about $15 a piece. It is BYOB with no corkage so that's a plus. There were a lot of employees standing around but the service was lackluster. The waiter brought out our main dishes first and then we had to wait for our rice and bread. Seeing as we were starving and that the main dishes were useless without the rice and bread, I was kind of put off by this. I had the Haryali Chicken (Chicken cooked in a ground cliantro, green pepper, yogurt,ginger, garlic, curry leaves and coconut) and it was okay. I was expecting it to me a little more flavorful than it was, especially with those ingredients. Tim had the Sag Gosht (Seasoned lamb cooked with spinach and spices) and he said the lamb was a little tough. We also ordered the Pulka (Hand rolled homemade wheat bread grilled without butter) and that was good. We opted for that because it sounded healthier than Naan, as much as I love that stuff. Quick tip: If you eat here in the late afternoon, don't sit facing West. The sun beating in is very annoying. Tim had his sun glasses on and then was literally standing up to get the sun out of his face. They really need to install a shade or something. I wouldn't absolutely avoid Hema's Kitchen, but I wouldn't go out of my way to go back.

Jackie J.

Food was GREAT, service was AWFUL. We had about 9 different servers, who were all rude. Forget asking questions - I asked "what are the different sauces?" Their reply? "this is the red sauce, this is the green sauce." Gee thanks, guy! It is good for a laugh, it is BYO, food is good.

Gfiddy F.

This is the single worst restaurant I have ever been to. Several tables sat uncleaned for over an hour. That made the food seem gross, along with the inexplicable long wait and similarly inexplicable inattendant service. I'm sure the food was actually somewhat OK but it was such a total breakdown in food service that it just seemed disgusting.

Deepika T.

My first suggestion when my non-Indian friends ask me where to get the best sampling of Indian food. Hemas Kitchen rocks. They really cater their spice levels to your taste, which is a major plus. I'd suggest the Spinach/Veg Pakoras and the Veg Cutlets for appetizers. Among the curries, their Bhindi Masala and Shahi Paneer always hit the spot. If you cannot handle extreme spice, steer clear of the Vindaloo. They also serve really warm and fluffy breads - Garlic Naans, Stuffed Kulchas, yummm. The owner (Hema) is very sweet and stops by whenever she is in the restaurant to enquire if the food is good, etc. The place is BYOB, so pick a beer or a sweet white to counter the spice. And please try and take the CTA or a cab, finding a spot to park in the neighborhood is a nightmare!

Eric W.

Hema's Kitchen... Solid Indian BYO. Not Cheap, Not Expensive. Good, not great food. It was packed at 9pm on a friday night, but Hema's cranked out our food pretty quickly. The lady and I shared some naan and two dishes with some rice. Both tasted how they should and were spicy enough. This place is pretty average, but don't let that dissuade you from going here. I don't really know enough about Indian food to know if its awesome or not. I ate well, was pleased and content, but not blown away.

Shelly S.

I went here for a special dinner night with a group and wasn't that impressed. The servers were friendly, but the food was fairly average. It's definitely not the worst Indian food I've had. If I was in the neighborhood and in the mood for Indian I would perhaps venture back in, but I doubt I will ever go out of my way to go to this restaurant again. I guess it is just better to stick to the Indian restaurants on Devon. Their naan just didn't have the fluffy delicious flavor I've come to expect. Having been to many Indian restaurants and eaten a lot of Indian meals over the course of my life, I can safely say that it needed more sugar (surprisingly one of the critical ingredients in good naan along with egg and good quality flour). The samosas were probably my favorite part of the meal, while the gulab jamun was incredibly disappointing. They used too much "ghee," (Indian butter) and it really made the gulab jamun less sweet and just gave it a strange after taste.

Jennifer K.

I was excited to try this place & had heard it was pretty good. Unfortunately we had to order in & was disappointed that the online menu had no prices & they were unable to fax us a menu. Obviously we couldn't get the pricing to everything over the phone so I felt limited in choosing from the few items we did price. When we finally called in our order, we couldn't get an exact pricing for delivery. We were just given a price range even though we were less than a mile away. They still wanted our credit card info w/o an exact total. We were told that they would call us back with pricing for delivery. It seemed too much of a hassle so we cancelled our order. Perhaps one day I will try Hema's but it will be dine in.

Meredith P.

Before my meal last night I would have given this a 4 maybe a 5, which is why I brought my parents there after a movie at Clark and Diversey. The service was strange. I can't put my finger on it but it was either too rushed or the waiter disappeared for long periods of time. There were 4 of us and we ordered 3 dishes. Lamb Vindaloo, Chicken Briyani and Chicken Tika Masala. We ordered medium on everything but little did we know the Vindaloo only comes in SPICY! We were all sweating after a few bites and definitely needed the beer we brought! I had had the vindaloo here before and it was no where NEAR that spicy. The servings were definitely not enough to split so we had to get a 2nd of two of the dishes. Also, rice isn't included. The Chicken Tika Masala was definitely the best. Overall, not impressed this time around and I will not be making my way back there anytime soon. Raj Darbaar is WAY better for your $$. You get rice with your dish and much bigger portion sizes!

Olivia D.

I love Hema's! It is super close to my house but they also deliver! So if I'm snowed in by a blizzard, let's say, they'll get my order to me! I also love that every time I order the Lamb Vindaloo (which is every time) they always warn me that it's very spicy, and I'm all like "Yes! Good! Awesome!" It's not the best Indian I've ever had but I feel very lucky to have this tasty place so near to me. Dining in is very relaxed and casual of course, but they have a friendly and attentive staff and it feels good to sit and eat there. I almost always take it to go or delivery though. Awesome samosas, not overly greasy, perfect crispiness. Tandoori is good, but definitely not overly seasoned. Vindaloo is superb! Huge selection of Dals, try the Palak! MMMM I think I'm going to order some now!!!

Heather R.

I visited this Indian restaurant once for lunch on a Wednesday when I was introducing my friend to Indian food. She was a bit nervous by all the overstimulating decor---believe me it was super dramatic with an overwhelming amount of bright colors and brass figurines, and we were the only ones in the restaurant. The waitress sat us by the window and allowed us to enjoy the little sun we had that day ,along with our wine (it's BYOB! ) while waiting for our food to arrive. Since I was introducing my friend to Indian food, I did all the ordering. The pakora's were excellent, but could've been a little more spicy. The Tikka Missala was delicious with just the right amount of spice and extra sauce to dip our naan bread. And the Tandoori chicken was the most tender and moist I've ever had. I was very pleased, although, my friend was a little unsure. It was reasonably priced, but never seems busy when I pass by (it's so close to my apartment). I'm not sure of their hours, and for some reason I never remember it's there when I'm in the mood for Indian.

Shalin D.

I've been to Hema's Kitchen multiple times and you have to hand it to them: they produce consistently above-average Indian food. I recommend Hema's for a good, cheap meal. A couple of recommendations: - The paneer here is great. Get either the saag panner or the matar paneer. Both will come with huge chunks of cheese in a well-spiced sauce. - Anything with lamb here is good. Unlike other Indian restaurants in Chicago, the lamb dishes here aren't overcooked. The lamb at Hema's is succulent and tasty and the meat is tender enough to cut into easily. Can't say the same for most restaurants on Devon Street. - Try to avoid the samosa. I know it's a well-known dish that a lot of folks unfamiliar with Indian cooking feel safe ordering but the samosa at Hema's is not as flavorful as other samosas in the city. Also, whatever wrapper they use is too thick. Tastes almost like a British pie crust rather than samosa dough. The best thing about this restaurant? There is never a wait and the service is BYOB. Can't beat that with a stick.

eric f.

YES devon is definitely the place to go for indian cuisine. i love indian food but hate taking two buses in order to eat it, so this place is both convenient and delicious.

Katherine P.

I'm not an Indian food connoisseur, nor have I ever really had Indian food, so when I heard there was a yummy spot right up the street from my boyfriend's place, I jumped on that opportunity! We ordered for take out - it was cold and I didn't feel like trekking through the snow after stuffing my belly. Of course I sent Jason to get the food too. After glancing through the online website, I ordered the Choosa Tikka Masala with rice on the side while Jason dared to try the Chicken Vindaloo. I thought mine was pretty delicious! But Jason's was SUPER spicy (as warned) The sauce in my CTM wasn't too overbearing and wasn't too watery or chunky. Just right. The chicken were tender and cooked well. I also ordered the Mango Lassi and received a delicious, sweet treat! Jason was suffering his way through the Vindaloo - sweat, tears, the whole nine yards. That's what you get for not listening to the warning on the menu that says, "very spicy" All in all, give this place a shot. Pretty solid lunch/dinner spot, not the best (as they have advertised outside), but it gets the job done. I'll probably have cravings for more Choosa Tikka Masala while I'm back home here in Austin.

Lawrence Y.

First I'd like to say how incredibly excited I was to finally try an Indian place in Chicago. However, I was greatly disappointed, mainly with the service from our server. And I know it was ONLY her. The other servers I saw were cheerful and didn't have this sneering look on their faces the entire time. HMPF. I have to say that I thought some of their menu items were incredibly overpriced for the portions they give. We started off with Veggie Samosas (and they were really good, came out hot and fresh). I really like the sweet tamarind sauce they have, mmmm I love tamarind! I had initially asked if they had chicken tandoori as an entree and she looked at me like I was a fool. She said appetizer only. So I decided to order the chicken vindaloo (and on the menu it says "if you want your dish mild, ask your server beforehand" and so I did. She looked at me as if I told her the world was ending. She said she couldn't do that and it's spicy. She suggested a side of yogurt to ease up on the spice (which I said sure to... knowing it'd probably cost extra for a side of yogurt). Then she said it doesn't come with rice (oh that's $2 bucks more), for a really tiny portion in my opinion. We also got onion naan (and I really liked that), though I've been used to naan as being complimentary. As I mentioned the food portion was tiny for the sticker price. It was REALLY spicy and I bet she told the cooks to spice it up to spite me. The rest of the service was disappointing. She came back for the check when it wasn't ready, came back for the receipts when we didn't even sign for them yet. All in all I was disappointed. I think it would take me a lot of forgiving-and-forgetting to come back.

Ernest W.

The best Indian restaurant in Chicago. 'Nuff said. Vegetarian options abound.

Kathy P.

I thought it was weird that our food was taking so long until I look around and realized that no one had food. Not one table in the packed restaurant. There we all were, united in starvation, sipping our BYOB bevvies, water glasses refilled multiple times, eyes glued on a kitchen door that remained steadfastly closed without explanation. There was no swing or swoosh or burst of wind as servers rushed through the doors with trays aloft. It was like we all arrived to a party only to find that the house was open, but the hosts were not at home. Eventually, the hosts did show up, seemingly stunned by our appearance in their home. When they pulled themselves together, they brought us some decent food, charged us extra for naan and made us realize that perhaps we should reconsider the merits of this relationship. And reconsider we shall.

Huzefa H.

When it comes to Indian food my mother is always best, but this place will hit the spot if your in the right mood. This place is a bit over priced for what seem pretty standard Indian cuisine. The portions are decently sized, and the taste is above other places I've tried. Like I said before overpriced for my standards. The deserts are good though, so if you manage to keep some room try the Gloob Jammun. It will kill you slowly in the best kind of way

Risa P.

I love Indian food. I never get it enough and that needs to be fixed, stat. We went there with some friends and maybe it was just the night but it seemed extra cozy in there and welcoming. We got the samosas, the garlic naan and the veggie vindaloo. The samosas were good, and the order had two pieces, which was a good appetizer. They were a smidge fried for my taste, but that could just be me. They were filled with potatoes and veggies and spices that hit the spot. The naan was good and fresh and the vindaloo--well the vindaloo kicked my butt. I try to say that I love spicy food but let's be honest, I have my limits. The other couple we were with got the same thing and they were happily munching way. I looked over at my fiancee and he was sweating because it was so hot but he loved it. I was trying so hard to eat it since it was so tasty, but let's face it, I can't hang. I tried, I hoped ad i failed. The waitress warned us. Oh well. It was still delicious and had a great amount of flavor. The service was pretty good. And a pet peeve of mine, and this is so just my own thing--the woman's bathroom door gets kind of stuck, so you never know if someone is in there or not. This of course, is so not a big deal but I have a thing about bathrooms. I hate when there is a possibility of someone walking in on you or vice versa. I did not mark down my rating based on this fact, but there may be others out there who have this fear. I would go back. The prices are pretty good. I may try Devon Ave before coming back but it is the best Indian that I have had in my neighborhood (better than both the places on Belmont) It is BYO which is great too.

Chip W.

This is a great BYOB place and the food is very good. I enjoyed the veggie entries and the basic rice and plain naan are nice. Service was okay, but the food and reasonable prices make up for all. Almost like Devon, but without having to make the long trek.

Annemarie B.

Pros: The food was decent. We ordered three vegetarian dishes and two orders of naan and I had plenty leftover for lunch the next day. Cons: The service was slooooow!! Definitely not the place to go if you are looking for a quick meal.

Laura C.

Hema's is one of few Indian restaurants in the Lincoln Park area, so I had to try it out. We had Lamb with Baigan & Curry Leaves and Chana Murg (chicken with chickpeas). To soak up the sauces, we ordered a Poori (deep fried wheat bread) and Pulka (grilled wheat bread). Both were flavorful, but portion size is pretty small. For the price, I was expecting a little more, but I guess I will have to stick with the Indian buffets to get my money's worth. If you're in the area and have a hankering for Indian, give Hema's a shot.

Melissa H.

Delicious! Five Stars! Ok so what this is only the second Indian restaurant I have dined at.......I still want to give it five stars. We started with the Vegetable Pakoros...mmmmmmm! The hubby had Tandoori chicken appetizer. The Kofta Lajawab was fantastic. It was definitely one of my favorite dishes, and was recommended to us by our server. The Vegetable Biryani was also delicious, another favorite of mine. I loved the spicy dishes! And you can get anything spicy! We will most definitely be back! The service was great, the food was fantastic, and the prices are reasonable!

Ermelinda C.

Food was OK., smaller portions than the average Indian restaurant though... Service was slow and neglectful!

Alex R.

I actually prefer this Hema's to the original on Devon (went to the original with a group of 8-10 and had some of the worst service ever (late / disjointed serving of the food and no attention paid to us throughout)). This Hema's, however, has better service, less spice (this can be taken as a good or bad thing depending on your preference, but you can always just ask them to kick it up a notch if necessary) and no wait. So, despite having virtually no ambiance, this is my go-to Indian food spot in Chicago.

Jon P.

We arrived at Hema's relatively late on a weeknight only to find it absolutely packed. Good sign, if not annoying. Considering how small the place was, someone there took my number and said he would call us when a table opened up. So, we left, wandered around Clark for a bit and waited. Eventually we just ended up back in front of the restaurant and waited some more... and more. After at least 30 minutes passed and many people had left, we decided to go back in and were seated immediately. Not sure where that call was... Once seated, we got some samosas and ordered our food. Samosas were good, but while eating them the waiter came back to tell me that they ran out of the dish I wanted. Bummer. I ended up ordering lamb vindaloo instead. I ate all of it when it eventually came, but I was disappointed in the lack of spiciness and the portions seemed smaller than a lot of other Indian restaurants I've been to in the past. The food was alright and in the end the service was pretty good, but there were a few hiccups throughout the night and it seems to get pretty packed around dinner time. I'd go back, but I wouldn't go out of my way to get there.

Amber B.

avoid this place. i just dropped 20 bucks on quite possibly the worst meal ever (this is not an exaggeration) 12 bucks for chicken tikka masala: where's the chicken? 8 tiny morsels of low quality meat floating in a watered down cream sauce. no flavor. no spices. bland beyond belief. garlic naan: what? no really. what? luke warm at best. garlic non-existent. rice plate: really 12 bucks for a few bites of bland chicken and you charge 3 bucks for microwaved rice with a few bits of orange peel. again spices non-existent. place was dead for a good reason (and even with no one there service was slow) only wish i had yelped it prior to ordering. not gonna lie: the thought of dining and ditching crossed my mind several times (sadly i paid and i feel i shall be paying again later...) pretty sure i may need to get my stomach pumped.

Ben K.

Delicious! Four of us went here last night and did Hema's up family style. We got: -Chicken Vindaloo: chicken and potatoes in an absurdly spicy curry sauce. Not in-your-face spicy, but creep up on you with a slow burn spicy. -Chicken Tikka Masala: the highlight dish, tender chicken in a creamy curry sauce that had us all wiping the serving dish clean with our naan -Lamb Curry: relatively boring lamb dish served in a heavy dark curry sauce; was a little too oily for me -Aloo Palak: Dense sauteed spinach with a few potatoes in there tastily rounding out a food group not found elsewhere in our meal The garlic naan and the vegetable samosas were also fantastic. Decor was boring, service was good. With byob, we all got out of there for around $20 and we definitely did not leave anybody hungry. I will certainly be back.

Sarah B.

Eh, not so much. I've experienced both take out and dine in at Hema's and neither time knocked my socks off. The first time was take out with my coworkers. Hema's is down the street and we were all craving Indian food...seriously. Hema's to the rescue. Kinda. They wouldn't answer the phone. We called and called and no answer. We wouldn't be thwarted. One of our gals went down there and waited it out. Bummer for her because she may have missed out on a big sale. The food was okay. The garlic naan had so much garlic, however, that I'm sure our clients were a little turned off for the rest of the day. I'm glad I keep a toothbrush in my bag! My paneer dish was super spicy (I requested it that way) which was good. Overall, so-so. The next time I ate in. This time I ordered my Chicken Tikka Masala spicy but it really wasn't. The chicken was sorta rubbery and a little bit scary. The portion size seemed way smaller than our take out sizes from before. And, paying for rice always chaps me. The worst part was the nonchalant service. It took forever for me to get my card back after submitting it for payment. Sigh.

A D.

Went on a weekday night and we were served right away even if there were only few empty tables. Masala tea was good. We ordered Lamb biryani, spinach paneer. They were delish! BYOB, which is a plus so we don't have to spend too much on wine! 4 stars only because the place needs to be updated a bit. But, will definitely go back.

Caroline A.

I thought Hema's was pretty good for a non Devon Indian restaurant. I've only dined here twice, and had good experiences both times. I don't think any Indian restaurant can go wrong with Nan. I could eat Nan all day, no matter where it's from. Love Hema's because it is BYOB, but I really have no idea what kind of wine to get with Indian food so I went with a sauvignon blanc. The folks who work here are so nice and the service is wonderful. Food was a little late to come out, but was very good. We had several dishes including Tika Masala (sp?), tandoori chicken, samosas and a lamb dish. I can only do Indian food about once a year because the spices are so heavy for me. I'm sure I would dine here again.

Shradha A.

EDITED 9/20: I have to take stars off. I went there last week because it had been a while - and I was shocked! The chana was watered down and the paratha wasn't made of whole wheat!! The wait staff seems to keep getting worse too!! I'm going back to the Devon-one and hoping that hasn't changes so drastically!! Fingers crossed... ORIGINAL REVIEW If you were a fan of the first one, or if you've never been to the first one, this is the place to go for Indian food! People took me to Tiffin on Devon - but their food is too oily! Hema's kitchen II - nice ambience, awesome food! Vegetarian recommendations: Biryani, Chana, Paratha, SAMOSA!

Jenna S.

I hate to echo what all the other Yelpers are saying, but it's true....SERVICE SUCKS. Prices are high! Portions are small! Food...meh....only average. I'd recommend having an Indian buffet at India Grill on the weekends for the same price. You get much higher quality food, more options, and all you can eat--with dessert!

Gisela A.

YUCK!!! DONT EAT HERE !!! Found a LONG HAIR in our food and the waitress did not want to do anything about and made it seem like this type of situation happens normally, never coming here again.

Soumi S.

I have eaten at this Hema's location several times when I lived in Lakeview. I liked chicken rolls the most on their menu, good size portion and very well priced. We have tried different items, but I kept coming back for the chicken rolls and veggie samosas. Now I don't live nearby Hema any more and often miss their awesome chicken rolls. I eat and cook Indian food fairly often, but nothing beats the delicious appetizers and snack fare at Hemas.

Lauren P.

i've done both take out & dine-in here with good results. i'm fairly new to indian food so i almost always get the same thing every time: garlic naan, chicken tikka masala & rice. sometimes a samosa or two. service tends to be on the dull side. let's just say the waitstaff isn't pumped to be there. the food has always been great, portions are large & it's a BYOB. my only beef with hema's is the price. maybe i wrongly equate chinese food to indian food, but $40 for two entrees, rice & naan seems a little steep. especially since there's a $10 all-you-can-eat indian lunch buffet just down the street. just sayin'. you know i'll be back anyway.

Natalie S.

Don't go walking into this place expecting to be treated well. It simply won't happen. Do not walk in here expecting to be out in an hour. They take their time. However, this is possibly the best Indian food I have had here in Chicago... and I eat a lot of Indian food. My personal favorite is the saag murg... they can make it extra spicy which I really appreciate. Their samosas are incredible as well. It's a little pricey but well worth it.

Amy K.

Pretty good for Indian food, variety in flavors & wide range of entrees to select from, became super busy for a wednesday evening. The pista kulfi could have been better but otherwise enjoyed dinner at this Chicago favorite!

Kate P.

I've been here twice in the past year and the food has been splendid. Very flavorful, rich, savory and large portions. The service is just okay but it doesn't bother me because the food is fantastic! The decor is simple and nothing spectacular. Appetizers: -Vegetable Pakoras -- wonderful and crunchy and served with two sauces; one is spicy (green), one is sweeter (red) -Potato Cutlets -- superb Entrees: -Aloo Matar Paneer -- savory rich sauce and cheese with potatoes and peas; delicious! -Chicken Tikka Masala -- perfectly spiced Bread: -Garlic Naan -- a bit bland but we still ate it all!

Pamela B.

Came here with a friend. We ordered Lamp Vindaloo, Chicken Tikka Masala, rice and Naan. There were only 2 tables in the whole restaurant but FOOD TOOK FOREVER! We were wondering what it would be like if the restaurant was full. Service is ridiculous. Never come back.

Shilpi D.

Pros- great food, big portions, huge roti, perfect spices, not expensive Must try- mango Lassi Cons- slow service I'm definitely gonna come back.

Taylor P.

Went here for lunch on a friday. Service is lacking a bit but thats not why you come here. We started with the veggie samosas (2 for $2 amen), then had the pureed lentil soup which is really a winner. We split the butter chicken, naan, and basmati rice. Butter chicken not too spicy and the chicken was shredded to perfection.

John H.

Awful, awful customer service. The service was very slow. The busboy was rude and harassed us repeatedly about where to place our used dishes even though he was never around to pick them up when we needed him to. When we tried to discuss this with him he actually had the nerve to shush us because he didn't want the other customers to hear our conversation. There are hundreds of Indian Restaurants in Chicago and dozens on Devon Ave alone. There is no need to dine at one with such rude and awful service. I would give this restaurant 0 stars if I could.

Kelly S.

WOW - great place for veggie lovers! Their vegetarian selection is really good. I had a chicken dish - name totally escapes me (sorry). It was spicy and warmed me up on a super cold winter day, Hema's is also BYOB so that's pretty AWESOME too!

Strawberry M.

Idk I've had better, and they didn't have p-cola which is an Indian soda .... Service was ok, food coukdve been better thou

M O.

I ended up going back after a few tears because I purchased a groupon. Since the business is still open, I thought it had to have gotten better. I was wrong. We ordered two dishes. They forgot about one. There were two servers for a full restaurant and the owner was just chilling on her phone or talking to her friend. Service was a joke and my husband got food poisoning. We wont ever be back. Stay away from this business.

Anne S.

I am surprised by how negative the reviews are for this place! I thought all of the food we had was tasty, and the service was good. It is a little pricey, and entrees don't come with naan or rice, but this is in Lincoln Park! We stopped here after going to zoo lights last night. We had 9 people, about half of which were vegetarian. Ethnic food was our best option, and Hemas was the best choice within walking distance to the zoo. I'm glad we choose Hemas. The food was good. There was only one other set of diners when we arrived late in the evening, but there was not much going on in the rest of Lincoln Park. (That was so strange to see. Does the whole area just go back to Ohio/Michigan/Indiana for the holidays?) I didn't think this was the best deal or the best Indian food I've ever had, but I was impressed by it given its location. If you are in the area, this is a great choice, but I wouldn't go out of my way to eat here.

Angie K.

I know the world has gone crazy when Hema's averages 3 stars. This is why we can't have nice things. Hema's was my first and is still my fav Indian in the city. Not just because it's BYOB but because it is the ultimate homemade comfort Indian food. I've never had to wait, even with a group of 10 or for primetime weekend dinner. Veggie samosas, garlic naan, saag paneer, tikka masala, the daal, oh hell- just get everything. It's all freaking great. For a quick lunch, group dinner or date night, Hema's will make you happy. While it's not the fanciest or most modern of spaces, it's clean, charming and fills up your belly with warm food. Don't listen to other crazies and do it. Then do it again.

Martin P.

I highly recommend this location for Indian food The chicken biryani is still fantastic so is the Shrimp biryani! I also recommend the Shami Roll and Kheema Samosas had both of these Tuesday and it melted in my mouth! Great customer service as well

Dana M.

This place has some of the best South Indian food I've had outside of South India, no joke. The samosas are delicious and the accompanying tamarind sauce is so flavorful. We also ordered two veggie dishes, naan (it looks plain but is very tasty -- they must let it sit to get some more flavor in it), and some rice, and it was more than enough for two of us. We were sad to have to leave so much good food behind (had to run off to another event and couldn't take the food with us!). It appears that half of their business is to-go, which is probably a wonderful way to do it. Phone in an order for some samosas and dish with rice and you're all set for a nice meal at home. Mmm!

Michelle W.

I'm far from an expert on indian food but I thought hema's was pretty good! We ordered a lot of the classic lamb and chicken based dishes, as well as some samosas and a potato dish. They were all really good and really spicy. Their naan was amazing, especially the garlic one, it went perfectly with their dishes. The samosas were huge and really good, although I guess I'll say that I've never been disappointed by samosas. This place is great for groups, especially being byob with a liquor store right down the block. The service was friendly and fast. If you like very spicy food or have a craving for indian food, this is the place for you!

Lesley S.

Ugh. I feel bad giving poor reviews, but here goes. Indian food is my favorite, and I am on a constant quest for the best. Came here with my fiance on Sunday night for a pre-Oscar's dinner. Got there at 5:30 ish, didn't leave till close to 7:30. When we walked in there were five other tables, all parties of two people with the exception of one. Two of the tables were already eating. So I thought we would be in and out in no time. We sat for 10 minutes with no service, and finally flagged someone down for drinks. Got those about 5 minutes later. Then flagged someone down again to take our order. Our order... Matar Paneer: It was okay. Small portion, cheese was a bit tougher. Chicken Korma: Very little chicken, mostly sauce. Garlic Naan: Plain bread, no garlic... Rice: Can't screw this up. Odd we had to order and pay extra for rice though although I am seeing more and more Indian restaurants do this. Raita: Delicious Two stars for service. I noticed people sitting around and rolling silverware and standing around talking. I've edin restaurants before. When it's busy, get off your butt and help out. I couldn't tell who the waiter was, because a different person came to our table each time. Also, up the portions a bit. Thankfully I had a Groupon so it softened the blow, but still..

Heather W.

Really disappointed :( I order from hemas at least once or twice a month for carryout. I always get the ghosh rogan josh, one of the lamb entrees, and while I expect it to be a little oily, tonight it was inedible. Literally a quarter inch of oil sitting on top. The naan was still good I guess.

Kelsey U.

OBSESSED with this place. Everything I've ever ordered from here I've loved, but I'm the biggest fan of their lamb curry. All of the food is flavorful without being overwhelming. I've tried a lot of Indian restaurants around the city and this is my favorite. You can pick how spicy you want your meal to be which is great because at other places my meals have been so hot I couldn't even eat them.Their meals are rich and the portions are generous. I've never actually eaten here - I always order take-out. The food comes in clean containers and the delivery people are always on time and friendly. When I've picked it up in the restaurant it's always ready and waiting for me. The restaurant itself is a little bit hole-in-the-wall, but it's always busy when I stop in.

Norma S.

Worst Indian food ...with slow service. We waited for over an hour for food. I am not coming back again.

Jess P.

Food is okay but the service is awful. Just sat in the restaurant waiting for someone to take our order for 20 minutes and it wasn't busy. Never again.

Bianca W.

My Husband and I went here yesterday, The place was like a ghost town. No one was in there. Besides that, the places looked really authentic . The food was really good and fresh, Took about ten minutes and well worth it. The waiter helped us ordered and was very nice.

Nicole S.

Absolutely amazing!! I always get the murg makhani.. Which is tandoori chicken in a tomato gravy! The restaurant is cozy with fun lighting fixtures. The staff is always friendly!! Great for lunch or dinner.. Be prepared to leave stuffed.. Might be a good idea to bring your "fat" pants!

Simone B.

Great lamb curry. It's also BYOB. Bring your own Hoppy treats. I ordered the masala tea and it took a really long time. Better call ahead on that one

Yasmin S.

So I purchased a Groupon thinking it was an awesome deal but the food placed on the table was not what I expected. I've been to many great indian restaurants on Devon. I guess the neighborhood makes a difference. The service was also unexceptional. The guy working there seemed like he didn't have a care in the world for the customers. Ambience is nice but the food can be better. I don't recommend eating here.

S D.

The Chicken Biryani was very tasty. 4 stars only because the restaurant can stand to be a bit cleaner. Service was good overall.

Kate P.

I've been here twice in the past year and the food has been splendid. Very flavorful, rich, savory and large portions. The service is just okay but it doesn't bother me because the food is fantastic! The decor is simple and nothing spectacular. Appetizers: -Vegetable Pakoras -- wonderful and crunchy and served with two sauces; one is spicy (green), one is sweeter (red) -Potato Cutlets -- superb Entrees: -Aloo Matar Paneer -- savory rich sauce and cheese with potatoes and peas; delicious! -Chicken Tikka Masala -- perfectly spiced Bread: -Garlic Naan -- a bit bland but we still ate it all!

Pamela B.

Came here with a friend. We ordered Lamp Vindaloo, Chicken Tikka Masala, rice and Naan. There were only 2 tables in the whole restaurant but FOOD TOOK FOREVER! We were wondering what it would be like if the restaurant was full. Service is ridiculous. Never come back.

Shilpi D.

Pros- great food, big portions, huge roti, perfect spices, not expensive Must try- mango Lassi Cons- slow service I'm definitely gonna come back.

Taylor P.

Went here for lunch on a friday. Service is lacking a bit but thats not why you come here. We started with the veggie samosas (2 for $2 amen), then had the pureed lentil soup which is really a winner. We split the butter chicken, naan, and basmati rice. Butter chicken not too spicy and the chicken was shredded to perfection.

John H.

Awful, awful customer service. The service was very slow. The busboy was rude and harassed us repeatedly about where to place our used dishes even though he was never around to pick them up when we needed him to. When we tried to discuss this with him he actually had the nerve to shush us because he didn't want the other customers to hear our conversation. There are hundreds of Indian Restaurants in Chicago and dozens on Devon Ave alone. There is no need to dine at one with such rude and awful service. I would give this restaurant 0 stars if I could.

Kelly S.

WOW - great place for veggie lovers! Their vegetarian selection is really good. I had a chicken dish - name totally escapes me (sorry). It was spicy and warmed me up on a super cold winter day, Hema's is also BYOB so that's pretty AWESOME too!

Strawberry M.

Idk I've had better, and they didn't have p-cola which is an Indian soda .... Service was ok, food coukdve been better thou

Anne S.

I am surprised by how negative the reviews are for this place! I thought all of the food we had was tasty, and the service was good. It is a little pricey, and entrees don't come with naan or rice, but this is in Lincoln Park! We stopped here after going to zoo lights last night. We had 9 people, about half of which were vegetarian. Ethnic food was our best option, and Hemas was the best choice within walking distance to the zoo. I'm glad we choose Hemas. The food was good. There was only one other set of diners when we arrived late in the evening, but there was not much going on in the rest of Lincoln Park. (That was so strange to see. Does the whole area just go back to Ohio/Michigan/Indiana for the holidays?) I didn't think this was the best deal or the best Indian food I've ever had, but I was impressed by it given its location. If you are in the area, this is a great choice, but I wouldn't go out of my way to eat here.

Angie K.

I know the world has gone crazy when Hema's averages 3 stars. This is why we can't have nice things. Hema's was my first and is still my fav Indian in the city. Not just because it's BYOB but because it is the ultimate homemade comfort Indian food. I've never had to wait, even with a group of 10 or for primetime weekend dinner. Veggie samosas, garlic naan, saag paneer, tikka masala, the daal, oh hell- just get everything. It's all freaking great. For a quick lunch, group dinner or date night, Hema's will make you happy. While it's not the fanciest or most modern of spaces, it's clean, charming and fills up your belly with warm food. Don't listen to other crazies and do it. Then do it again.

Martin P.

I highly recommend this location for Indian food The chicken biryani is still fantastic so is the Shrimp biryani! I also recommend the Shami Roll and Kheema Samosas had both of these Tuesday and it melted in my mouth! Great customer service as well

Dana M.

This place has some of the best South Indian food I've had outside of South India, no joke. The samosas are delicious and the accompanying tamarind sauce is so flavorful. We also ordered two veggie dishes, naan (it looks plain but is very tasty -- they must let it sit to get some more flavor in it), and some rice, and it was more than enough for two of us. We were sad to have to leave so much good food behind (had to run off to another event and couldn't take the food with us!). It appears that half of their business is to-go, which is probably a wonderful way to do it. Phone in an order for some samosas and dish with rice and you're all set for a nice meal at home. Mmm!

Michelle W.

I'm far from an expert on indian food but I thought hema's was pretty good! We ordered a lot of the classic lamb and chicken based dishes, as well as some samosas and a potato dish. They were all really good and really spicy. Their naan was amazing, especially the garlic one, it went perfectly with their dishes. The samosas were huge and really good, although I guess I'll say that I've never been disappointed by samosas. This place is great for groups, especially being byob with a liquor store right down the block. The service was friendly and fast. If you like very spicy food or have a craving for indian food, this is the place for you!

M O.

I ended up going back after a few tears because I purchased a groupon. Since the business is still open, I thought it had to have gotten better. I was wrong. We ordered two dishes. They forgot about one. There were two servers for a full restaurant and the owner was just chilling on her phone or talking to her friend. Service was a joke and my husband got food poisoning. We wont ever be back. Stay away from this business.

Lesley S.

Ugh. I feel bad giving poor reviews, but here goes. Indian food is my favorite, and I am on a constant quest for the best. Came here with my fiance on Sunday night for a pre-Oscar's dinner. Got there at 5:30 ish, didn't leave till close to 7:30. When we walked in there were five other tables, all parties of two people with the exception of one. Two of the tables were already eating. So I thought we would be in and out in no time. We sat for 10 minutes with no service, and finally flagged someone down for drinks. Got those about 5 minutes later. Then flagged someone down again to take our order. Our order... Matar Paneer: It was okay. Small portion, cheese was a bit tougher. Chicken Korma: Very little chicken, mostly sauce. Garlic Naan: Plain bread, no garlic... Rice: Can't screw this up. Odd we had to order and pay extra for rice though although I am seeing more and more Indian restaurants do this. Raita: Delicious Two stars for service. I noticed people sitting around and rolling silverware and standing around talking. I've edin restaurants before. When it's busy, get off your butt and help out. I couldn't tell who the waiter was, because a different person came to our table each time. Also, up the portions a bit. Thankfully I had a Groupon so it softened the blow, but still..

Heather W.

Really disappointed :( I order from hemas at least once or twice a month for carryout. I always get the ghosh rogan josh, one of the lamb entrees, and while I expect it to be a little oily, tonight it was inedible. Literally a quarter inch of oil sitting on top. The naan was still good I guess.

Kelsey U.

OBSESSED with this place. Everything I've ever ordered from here I've loved, but I'm the biggest fan of their lamb curry. All of the food is flavorful without being overwhelming. I've tried a lot of Indian restaurants around the city and this is my favorite. You can pick how spicy you want your meal to be which is great because at other places my meals have been so hot I couldn't even eat them.Their meals are rich and the portions are generous. I've never actually eaten here - I always order take-out. The food comes in clean containers and the delivery people are always on time and friendly. When I've picked it up in the restaurant it's always ready and waiting for me. The restaurant itself is a little bit hole-in-the-wall, but it's always busy when I stop in.

Norma S.

Worst Indian food ...with slow service. We waited for over an hour for food. I am not coming back again.

Jess P.

Food is okay but the service is awful. Just sat in the restaurant waiting for someone to take our order for 20 minutes and it wasn't busy. Never again.

Bianca W.

My Husband and I went here yesterday, The place was like a ghost town. No one was in there. Besides that, the places looked really authentic . The food was really good and fresh, Took about ten minutes and well worth it. The waiter helped us ordered and was very nice.

Nicole S.

Absolutely amazing!! I always get the murg makhani.. Which is tandoori chicken in a tomato gravy! The restaurant is cozy with fun lighting fixtures. The staff is always friendly!! Great for lunch or dinner.. Be prepared to leave stuffed.. Might be a good idea to bring your "fat" pants!

Simone B.

Great lamb curry. It's also BYOB. Bring your own Hoppy treats. I ordered the masala tea and it took a really long time. Better call ahead on that one

Yasmin S.

So I purchased a Groupon thinking it was an awesome deal but the food placed on the table was not what I expected. I've been to many great indian restaurants on Devon. I guess the neighborhood makes a difference. The service was also unexceptional. The guy working there seemed like he didn't have a care in the world for the customers. Ambience is nice but the food can be better. I don't recommend eating here.

S D.

The Chicken Biryani was very tasty. 4 stars only because the restaurant can stand to be a bit cleaner. Service was good overall.

Raf P.

Started with lamb samosas, which are good minced lamb treats , also tried the naan bread which was fresh n good I was Disappointed after I had ordered lamb briyani and told they were out of lamb, none the less i tried the chicken briyani and it was tasty. Service was slow even though there were only two tables occupied on a Sunday. Food is moderately priced for the area but, great service is pinnacle when eating out it creates a great experience that's is why I'm giving Hema's kitchen 2 stars.

Courtney G.

I love this place. Good service and they serve the more authentic titikk masala...not that chicken in Campbell's tomato sauce looking stuff. Brought a friend here as his entrance into Indian food and he seemed to really enjoy it. Service was great and very attentive. Will definitely come back!

Claire S.

Having been to Hema's on Devon and loved it, I really wanted to like this more convenient location. I went two times, hoping the first was just a fluke. I ordered my standard shahi paneer, which is cheese cubes in a tomato gravy. The sauce was a pukish brown color that had absolutely no tomato flavor (and not much of any other flavor) and had literal pools of oil. After fishing out the paneer, the serving was less than one bowl. Disappointing considering how great the one up north is!

Lara T.

Thank you for a wonderful introduction to Indian food. Three words: Samosa, Vindaloo, BYOB. Bring friends and share dishes. p.s. Any Vindaloo is extremely spicy, not for the faint palate.

Natalia T.

We ordered , and Ms Hema herself came to our table to introduce herself. However for the rest of the evening she was hanging out at the entrance counter with her numerous family - kids and adults chatting, counting money. We made our order, and then, were sitting there for 30 minutes waiting for our tea. I had to ask the waiter three times. I had to finally yell, that it took them half an hour to bring the freaking tea. And there were only about 5-6 other tables occupied. All this time, the honorable Hema was standing at her entry counter chatting with her kids and family with zero attention, like she is some increadibly important persona. When tea arrived, it was only one cup, not two as we ordered. When entrees arrived, I wanted to ask the waiter about which one was which, and could not find one, I stood up and asked the honorable Hema to help me figure it out. Honorable Hema, like a true royal person, considered that beneath her royalty to help me and motioned to a crazy busy waiter working on other table to go help me. All along there was a buss boy pushing a rattling cart along the tables loaded with trays for dirty dishes. Those tall trays are exactly the same shape and size that I use for my cat toilet. He apparently was taught that it was much more efficient and faster to bring that unsightly dirty dish cart to tables where people eat, rattling it with a lot of noise along the isles. Then ONE dish finally came - with no rice, no bread, nothing. 10 minutes later came the rice and other entrees. Veggie entrees were almost the same thing. Masala tea was nothing different from Lipton with milk. Hubby is usually very nice. He said he was not coming back.

Kinnera P.

I had #50, #6 and #74. The Kheema samosa was amazing. They were crisp and fresh. Right amount spice and flavor. The mutton/lamb was perfectly cooked and did not have the weird taste that most other 'American/Indian' food has. This is a real curry! Well... Rice was rice.. I wish they threw in some rice with the curry. That would've added bang to the buck! I heard about Hemas Kitchen through a cabbie and I swear it's the bomb dot com for Indian delivery. I would've posted pictures but I devoured them sooner than I could snap them sorry.

Vivek K.

This area in Lincoln Park is in dire need of a quality, traditional Indian eatery for two reasons- to diversify the dining options and to clear the memory of Hema's from all those unfortunate enough to wander through the doors. As Indian food has a tendency to do, the smells from Hema's waft over the entire block. Drawn by the siren's call, I ordered saag paneer, gosh rogan josh ( lamb curry) and naan. The food was just terrible. The poor spinach stood no chance against the overwhelming vat of oil it was cooked in. To carry the theme, the oil curry, I mean lamb curry, was peculiarly spiced and the lamp pieces were cooked to oblivion. The naan, while heavily buttered, was decent. A hint - when a restaurant uses an absurd amount of oil they are covering subpar ingredients and poor execution. A request to all potential restaurateurs - open an Indian spot near Hema's to exorcise the disservice done to Indian cuisine as a whole!

Dan R.

I visited this place with a friend of mine who lives nearby on a chill Saturday. We went there for lunch. Good Indian food for a reasonable price. Service needs a bit of improvement, but this is the perfect spot for that quick lunch when you are in the "spicy" mood. Recommend!

Kristi L.

I went here with a large group on a Friday night in spring. The restaurant was not super packed. The service was great (up until the distribution of the dishes). Our waters (all 10 of them) remained filled and we were checked on by multiple employees (good teamwork). We did take some time to order and had questions, and the servers responded graciously. The food was good, the garlic naan was bomb and I had the Lamb Korma, which was also nice. The only minor complaint I have is that the dishes were passed out in a very sporadic, awkward way. There was a lot of "auctioning" off of food going on. Not everyone remembered what they had (a lot of items are similar and a bunch ended in gosht), which made it harder to figure out because we no longer had menus on the tables (the types of menus that have numbers for a reason too). Anyway, we're all friends and we weren't pressed for time, so it wasn't that big of a deal, but I'm not sure I would return with a group. Again, really friendly hospitality, though and good indian food!

dhiraj k.

Negative Stars for their service. It has been more than 1.30 hours since i ordered dinner from this place. The person on the phone promised 35-40 mins while ordering. I have called them 5 times and every time he promises that the driver would be here any minute. Finally I told him how bad it is that he's constantly promising something to me when he has no idea. He said he has no control over the driver, and there's nothing he can do about it. Well, apologize for it. And try to make up for it. I don't care which "company" the driver works for, I ordered it from your restaurant so you are responsible. I will not order again. If you order, don't expect the food to come on time. Don't expect to have any intelligent conversation with the person on the phone.

Elizabeth P.

Normally I've been pleased with Hema's. The food is usually quite tasty. However, my most recent experience was rather disappointing: I waited a full hour for a carry-out order, with the staff saying "just five more minutes" at every twenty-minute interval or so, when the restaurant was nearly empty. I will no longer recommend Hema's to friends.

Monica B.

Really good Indian food, affordable prices, good service and it's byob! What more can you ask for?

John M.

Don't be fooled by the seemingly small portions! I saw the tiny silver plate that came my way and thought about ordering two. The chicken korma was a filling dish that could have been a tad better. It is even better if you get it with the garlic naan which fills in the missing pieces. Although the food was great my drink, the mango lassie, was sub par and I would recommend staying away from it. The decor was authentic and made me feel as if I was in India. The service was fine and left me time to talk to my family.

Dan S.

I have tried numerous Indian restaurants in my lifetime and this may be the least impressive. Two orders of buttered naan were burned on bottom with little to no butter on top...they were also cold. Vegetable Pakoras were good while the tandoori chicken and chicken tikka masala were OK. There only two other tables taken, yet I couldn't get water refilled or extra napkins...and then had to call out for my bill after 15 minutes of waiting. This place isn't bad, but I won't be back.

Thomas N.

This is the second time we visited. This time I came with my daughter. She substituted cheese in tika masala and I had lamb vindaloo which I told the server to make as hot as he wanted. Service was great not pushy yet attentive. Very small space BYOB. Food was good and when I mentioned to Hema's daughter that we cooked Indian food at home she went out of her way to give mr her korma receipt. Now it know why her's is better. We will be back!

Hrudaya S.

I was not very impressed with this place. Their service was ok. It is the closest place to my house for Indian food, and one night, I was craving it so much, so decided why not give it a try. I felt the dishes were just ok, rice was dry (not complimentary with curries), but their naan was good. I might go back, if I have extreme craving for Indian food again, but otherwise, I would rather just go elsewhere.

Adam A.

Hemas kitchen is my favorite Indian restaurant in the city. The chicken biryani is incredibly flavorful and aromatic. It comes with a yogurt sauce which dampens the spiciness. Who am I kidding, everything here is absolutely wonderful. It's byob and if you try it you will fall madly in love. Viva India!

Aravind G.

The food is good and there are quite a few varieties. On the downside, I feel that some of the side dishes/ Gravy's have the same masala!

Ramiro G.

Although nit as good as the original Hema's on Devon, this place is still far better than most Indian restaurants in Chicago, great for takeout, the seating area is average size for Lincoln Park, would love to see them move into a bigger space.

Courtney C.

I was out exploring the city on Saturday and wasn't in the mood for anything in particular, but I can always go for Indian food. I was in the area for Indian Grill, but they were closed during their break in service. So, I figured I'd try Hema's Kitchen. Whenever I go to an Indian restaurant-I always get the same dish: chana masala and normally a side of bread. This day was no different. I was instantly surprised by the small portion size of my chana masala. I wasn't put off by rice not coming with dishes. The prices reflect that you don't receive rice on the side. I doubt I'll be back because of the small portion sizes. The prices are decent, but I'd much rather pay a little more (I'm talking $2-3) at other restaurants and get the portion size I'm looking for.

Ankit A.

Pretty authentic tasting Indian food. The phulka was light and nice. The chicken curry I had was flavorful and I loved the different spices. I see myself coming back here for more because it's tough to find Indian food outside home that tastes close to what I'd eat at home. I visited Hema's kitchen again yesterday and I still like this place.

June Z.

Very average, if not slightly below average, Indian food. I was recommended the gosht rogan josh, supposedly one of the better lamb curries, by the waiter after I told him I preferred spicy dishes and those made with lamb. It was not spicy at all, and was very mildly flavored, bordering on bland for Indian food. I did not taste any spice complexity at all. The square chunks of lamb were not tough but not tender, and they lacked the characteristic lamb flavor. I was hoping for some bone-in pieces of lamb, but there were none and I suspect it was not a good cut of meat. Overall it reminded me of very toned-down, Westernized curry, lacking in spices, depth, and flavor. The naan was decent, good but not the best I've had. Most Indian places are able to make naan respectably, and Hema's Kitchen does it decently. It was probably the most enjoyable part of my meal. I also got the paratha, which was okay. The food would've been 3 stars since it was very average, but the service was slow to the point that I feel the need to knock off a star. The restaurant was mostly empty (only 3 tables, including me, was occupied) and yet it took about half an hour for my meal to come out. They seem to focus more on take-out customers than dine-in ones, as I saw numerous orders of take-out come out of the kitchen as I was waiting for my food. This is unacceptable as dine-in customers are the ones paying for tip and service. It makes no sense that they'd prioritize take-out before dine-in.

Amy N.

Hema's Kitchen is delicious! Top notch curries, naan, and a chicken biryani that is out of this world. The reason they aren't getting five stars is due to their service. Not always the best or most friendly. But the food is still excellent!

Rhonda G.

Pretty good food, chicken tikka masala was tasty but I asked for spicy and it wasn't very spicy. Maybe they didn't think I could handle it? I can! The staff is a little off-putting, very intrusive and I felt like I couldn't really enjoy my meal under the watchful eye of the staff. I might try the place again but given the other options a bit further north I might be inclined to try other places first.

Elise K.

If you like white people Indian food, then you'll go for Hema's. A building neighbor recommended this place to me, so a blustery evening this winter I checked it out with two of my girlfriends. We ordered family style to share - starting with lamb samosas. We tried to order many dishes, but they didn't have spinach... AKA NOTHING WITH SAAG! We ended up getting Chicken Mahkni, a lentil dish, a paneer dish and a lamb dish. Because rice and nan are sold separately, we ordered those too. The food tasted well enough going down but was just bland. Liked that it is BYOB with a bottle store on the block. Our issues came later that night with 3/3 feeling sick into the next day.

Mimi T.

Food was not good.... Bad service. I got the chicken Vindaloo and it was EXTREMELY spicy( this is coming from someone that loves spicy food and was raised eating it). The chicken masala was better but not tasty. The order does not include rice. We did not get the chips and dip while waiting for food. No one came to refill our waters while we were burning with the spiciest food.

Mike O.

Well the food was fine, just fine. I ordered garlic naan, and got regular naan. Not the worst thing in the world but for indian food lovers it's a blow. Asked for chicken tikka masala spicy (even went so far as to say "real spicy not the weak american spicy") and it came what my non-spicy oriented friends would of at most called mild. Also I ordered 2 meals and got maybe 1/2 a serving of rice which is unfortunate. But the food was edible and warm and delivered pretty quickly. Not a terrible indian choice, you can go better (tandoor) but better is more expensive.

April K.

Not bad but I've had better. It tasted like your standard indian fare. We had a reservation but still felt like we were somehow imposing our large party on them. I asked for another coffee twice and never got one. The dough for the samosas was light and puffy, I prefer a thicker and greasier dough personally. The veggie samosas had good flavor but the keema samosas seemed only half filled. I liked the heat from the lamb vindaloo and appreciated that they didn't think we couldn't handle spice because we were white folks and the flavor of the navratan curry was good but nothing amazing. I don't live nearby so it's unlikely I'll ever be back but even if I did it would still be pretty unlikely.

Wei H.

I only tried one dish here so my review is not necessarily representative of the restaurant's overall quality. But for the one chicken tikka masala I ordered, it was small portion, too dry and not impressive in its flavor. Rice was not complimentary, which was a shocker! The Naan was alright - a little bit too oily and the garlic tasted a little too burnt. I might return to try other dishes (maybe some curry dishes) if I am feeling an uncontrollable immediate craving for Indian food. But I would go a little bit further to Tandoor on Halsted.

Lauren B.

We went here as a pretty big group and overall had a great time. The food was delicious! The chicken tikki Masala had a great mix of spices. We ordered a few appetizers for the group then each got an entree. We had more than enough food. The service was slow and my friends entree was delayed quite a bit. I would've loved a refill on my water but had to ask a few times. BYOB was a nice addition and they don't charge a corkage fee or anything. Overall a great location with great food, the service could be improved.

Kevin N.

Service was extremely slow, waited a long time to take our orders and then we waited a long time for our food. When our food came our rice (which was not complimentary) took an extra 20 minutes to come out! I was almost done with my meal when it finally showed up. Food was average tasting at best - not much flavor, good spice though. Won't be coming here again.

Elizabeth C.

Chicagos best Indian restaurant for sure! The aromas fill the whole corner of Clark and Fullerton- So many spices, seasons and flavors you've got to try it. I always go with the Vegetable Vindaloo with rice and nan bread. It's sooo good!

Jenny A.

Hema's Kitchen is a great Indian food staple in Chicago. Food is good, hardly ever a wait, convenient Lincoln Park location and it's byob! Food is the standard Indian fare and they will customize the spice level for your tastes. I had the Chicken Tikka Marsala with Naan bread, both of which were great. My boyfriend tried the Lamb Vinadoolo and asked for it super spicy, and spicy he got! Overall, we both thought the food was good and will definitely be back.

Sarah Beth B.

The bf and I headed here with another couple the other night, and were seriously underwhelmed. Our server was super awkward, so that got the whole night off on a weird foot. Also, our table was SUPER strange-- a square four top, but they had us seated like it was a rectangle. too weird! Anyway, the food was just... mediocre. It tasted like what I get from the buffet I love, but you know, that's a buffet! I expect a general mushiness. There were like four squares of cheese in my Sag Paneer, and about as much chicken in my boyfriend's tikka masala. We definitely ate a ton, but between the awkward set up, the mediocre food, and having to order rice separately (for real, a huge issue!), we probably won't be back.

Caitlin C.

If I could have just one meal, the lamb curry from Hema's might be it. I moved away from Chicago for two years, and as soon as I came back I went to Hema's and ordered the same thing I always order. This rating is purely about the food. If you're looking for some super-trendy date-night spot, this might not be it. But if you're okay listening to sometimes odd music and byob service, you'll love love love the food. PS, also get vegitable samosas and naan.

Jacob M.

My friends have been telling me that this was Chicago's best Indian restaurant. I finally tried it out. Believe the hype. This place is the real deal. Best saag paneer I've ever had. If you can handle the spicyness, the chicken vindaloo is amazing. Even my wife, who is very picky with Indian food, couldn't stop eating it. (despite the sweat forming on her face) There are definitly other great Indian restaurants in chicago, but none I've had where the food tasted so fresh.

Michaela D.

Delicious BYOB! Nice sized portions - good sized but not oversized. Went with a group of 5 people and we ordered appetizers and 4 entrees and it was the perfect amount. There's always people in there but we've never had trouble getting a table and never have had to wait.

Manas P.

I stopped by for lunch, ordering saag paneer and chicken tikka masala. The saag paneer was a little too salty for my taste, and the chicken tikka masala didn't really have the buttery, creamy goodness that I am used to. Hate to say it, but I was disappointed since I had heard nothing but rave reviews of the original Hema's on Devon. Chances are I will drop by again for dinner to see if the same dishes taste any different (read: better) in order to get a better gauge of the cuisine at Hema's II.

Deirdre L.

I have been a fan of Hema's for years. The last 2 times I went there I was severely disappointed. While the food is still good the service was beyond bad. Our waiter barely spoke English and was hard to understand. I had a glass of iced tea and when I asked for a refill was charged for another glass. He was slow to take our order and never checked to see if we were OK. When we got there we were the only ones in the place. A few minutes later another group came in and left after 15 minutes of no one coming bay to take their order. As much as I like the food I will NEVER return.

Parris M.

I was recommended this restaurant 3 years ago by a friend who had lived in India for several months. She said that since returning to the states Hema's was most like she had remembered of her stay in India. I lived in the neighborhood, and I tried it. I could have Hema's food every meal of the day if I could. It's BYOB so prices are kept lower. The service isn't the greatest, but we all know why you go to Hema's... to pig out on amazing Indian food.

Ramya P.

Good BYOB option! Hema's has been my go-to place for Indian food on a weeknight. The food is great, slightly expensive and the service is friendly. A few of the dishes I've ordered have been misses like the Vegetable Jalfrezi (Its so obvious that they use frozen mixed veggies!) but most of the time I end up licking my finger after savoring spicy curries. My favorite is the Mutter Paneer.

Eliza B.

It's time I write a review of this place. Every few months, I either go in or get take out from here. When I eat in the restaurant itself, the service is terrible. My water glass sits empty, I can't find a waiter for the life of me, and the food takes forever. I've ordered take out a few times, and each time the food takes about twice as long as they say it will. Then I'll get home and discover that things are missing from my order. I could deal with all this if the food was cheaper, but considering that it's not that cheap, and that they charge for RICE (it doesn't automatically come with entrees), it's just totally not worth it.

Abhay S.

Meh. I've experienced better. Granted, it was Friday night, but i thought service was a little on the slow side. When I happen to notice that it's been a while since I ordered the food - it's been too long. The prices are "Lincoln Park-ish", but it is BYOB, so that might appeal to some. Anyway, the restaurant was able to quickly seat us and I didn't have to schlep all the way up to Devon for Indian food. It's been probably a good 5 years since I last visited Hema's and probably another 5 before I come back.

Anya K.

The Bhindi Masala was delicious, but who in their right mind would add mustard seeds as a garnish to zeera (cumin) rice?? There's a waitress asst this restaurant who needs some serious attitude adjustment. I asked to check if they might have something that's not on their menu (yes, that does happen) and received the rudest response possible. Watch out for her!

Chuck K.

Great Indian BYOB place! Had my introduction to Indian food here this week. The atmosphere is very authentic. Staff is very helpful and friendly. There's NO Corkage Fee. These Items were Awesome: Vegetable Samosa Kheema Samosa Aloo Matar Paneer Garlic Nan This item was OK but wouldn't order again: Ghosh Rogan Josh This item was a must have: Chicken Vindaloo Everything was reasonably priced and well worth it. This place was awesome and I strongly recommend you check it out!

Leslie B.

I was in Chicago for the holidays visiting my sister. Couldn't decide between Thai and Indian food. Since I am from Pdx, and there are plen-thai of Thai food, decided to opt for Indian. I heard it was a busy crowded place, but we didn't have a long wait. We started with Tandoori chicken (an appetizer). It had quite a kick to it, but fortunately, the wait staff brought me some yogurt and that calmed the hot taste. We ate family style (sharing dishes) and ordered the dal and tikka masala. Both were very tasty. We also ordered the naan (not the garlic) and all was good But, am being more surprised as places are charging for rice. We topped our dinner with ginger tea. It was an enjoyable meal, and I can see trying some of the other dishes on my next visit to the Windy City.

Raana A.

Seems like the food and service has gone downhill as of late. The mattar paneer was good, pretty standard, but the chicken mahkani (butter chicken) was so lacking in chicken and flavor that we had to send it back. The staff didn't seem to handle the situation particularly well either. For the high prices, I'd expect more in terms of portion and service. I used to be a fan of Hema's when they first opened and they definitely have some regional specialties that are hard to find in other Indian spots, so I hate to say this, but for solid Indian food in the neighborhood, I prefer to head to another place a little further south on Clark where the portions and prices are more reasonable and the food tastes better.

Rachel W.

I have tried a ton of Indian restaurants in Chicago, and this is one of my favorites. I usually order spicy chicken dishes and they are all incredible. For me, the spicier the better, so Chicken Vindaloo is the dish I always get and I am never disappointed! Chicken Jalfrezzie is also very good if you enjoy more vegetables in your meal. The naan is terrific. I have Indian friends who made fun of me for saying this is my favorite restaurant, but really, everything is great!

Chris P.

Best Indian restaurant in Chicago. They will make your dish as spicy as you want and the service has greatly improved. I love spicy food and Hemas makes the spiciest chicken vindaloo in the City. Byob makes it a great date night choice.

Jill M.

I am 26 years old and I have not eaten at an Indian Restaurant before....until tonight. It was my friend's birthday and she's known to take us out to the most exotic of spots, to please her diverse group of friends. I am an extremely picky eater. I was panicking until I browsed their menu online. A lot of the dishes actually sounded pretty good. Come night-time, I stroll in and meet up with the peeps just as they were ordering. I had a general idea of what I wanted from what I saw in the menu earlier, so I ordered 2 veggie samosas, the tikka masala with chicken, and garlic naan. I was pretty easy to please tonight. I'm pretty sure it's not authentic Indian Food, but I will definitely visit a few other restaurants to compare. I like it here a lot and I would definitely come back.

Kyle P.

For what it is. $40 for dinner for two with leftovers and actually much better then the expensive ones. Garlic naan and the wrap thing was great

Laura K.

I'm still an Indian food newby, but I was a big fan of this place. My friend and I went and it was perfect - not expensive, BYOB, and the food was good! I ordered a lamb dish: Kheema Mater and got it medium spicy. It was the perfect amount of kick. My friend ordered a chicken dish spicy and neither of us were able to handle the spice. If you like spice, I would say get medium. Spicy is REALLLLY spicy. I would definitely go again as there were many more things on the menu that I would have liked to try.

Kyle D.

The good: Good prices and cheap, decent portions. Good atmosphere The bad: Long wait for food, very average taste food-wise. I've had much better Indian cuisine in the area. Overall: An average Indian meal. Not good, not bad, just average.

Joslyn B.

They stole money from me. Plain and simple - I ordered takeout, they gave me the total over the phone ($44), and that was the total given when I ran my card. I check my bank account 3 days later and they gave themselves a nice $6 tip - my bank account reflects that they took just over $50. I don't think it's necessary to tip someone who writes down your order and then turns around to grab it from the kitchen and put it in a bag. I don't tip fast food workers; why would I tip the lady who does the same thing at Hema's? I can't believe they had the audacity to give themselves a tip from my card. The food was decent, but I will never ever order from these thieves again.

Katie T.

Whoa. I am sorry to say that our takeout here was just inedible. We love Indian food and were looking for a spot near our new place. We ordered naan, biryani rice, saag aloo, aloo baigan, and vegetable samosa. The veggie samosa was okay. The rest went in the trash, just not good ingredients and loaded with oil. Usually, I would complain to management before writing a review like this but there isn't much to do aside from warn others! They really need to rethink what they are doing here.

Amey K.

Vegetarian food is good too. Food has some character as opposed to just cooking different meats and vegetables in some spicy gravy

Jeff S.

I took a long break from eating Indian food (probably a year) after eating it fairly consistently for a long time. The strong flavors and different tastes always drew me in, and I was thoroughly impressed with most everything that I tried while I temporarily lived in London for about half a year. Although it's fairly obvious that London has better Indian food in general as compared to the midwest, my quest continues for my favorite Indian restaurant within the confines of the city. FOOD: Murg Makhani: The tandoori chicken in this dish was extremely tender and moist. Nothing dried out here, and I enjoyed the flavors of the sauce the most. That's probably because this dish stood out the most in terms of boldness as compared to our other two dishes. Ghosh Rogan Josh: Rogan Josh is probably my favorite preparation of lamb when it comes to Indian dishes, and I was underwhelmed by Hema's version. The lamb was fine and mostly tender (some pieces were overcooked), but there was nothing about the curry that was memorable. It sort of blended into my memory and overall, I was happy with it, but would try other lamb dishes here before ordering the rogan josh again. Sag Paneer: I liked this spinach and cheese dish because it wasn't overly oily like it can be in other places. The flavor of the dish itself was once again mild - I would have liked to see some more taste come in. Vegetable Samosa: Pretty bland. Not very exciting. I'll pass on this and try the kheema samosa next time (they were sold out when we ordered). Shami Khebob: A pretty interesting dish as it wasn't what I was expecting - the lamb meat was minced far more than I expected, and it almost seems like the proportion of ground lentils to lamb was off (as in too much ground lentils). The two sauces were good, although the khebob itself was fairly flavorless. SERVICE: A bit awkward, but we didn't have any issues with length of time to be served. The restaurant was about 1/4 full when we sat down, and probably half full as we were leaving. Water service was quick, and the food came out fast and hot after we ordered. VALUE/OVERALL: Dinner cost the three of us about $21 - that's with 2 appetizers, two orders of normal basmati rice, an order of garlic naan, and 3 entrees. I think that turned out to be a pretty good value. Overall, I enjoyed my meal, but I can't help but feel like the flavors were almost dulled a bit to better suit the typical midwestern palate. I really like my Indian food strong and heavily spiced as I believe it should be. But if you're craving Indian food and want a fairly relaxed meal with friends, you really can't go wrong with Hema's if you're in Lincoln Park. However, I will state that I do prefer Raj Darbar a bit more overall.

Jon F.

What happened to this place? First of all, we were one of only 3 tables in the entire restaurant on a Saturday night at 7:30pm, which was a bit scary. We order our appetizers and main courses before the other two tables. However both of the other tables get their appetizers and ENTREES before we get our appetizers. They clearly forgot to put in our appetizer order. From the time we ordered, it took 35 minutes for the appetizers to arrive. We got an "I'm sorry" from the server, but that was it. The sag shrimp was good. I would have preferred shrimp that were fully peeled, but I could get beyond that. Overall it was flavorful. However my wife's chicken dish contained almost no chicken. It was almost all sauce. The bottom line is that the service was really shameful. Despite the very few options for Indian food in the Lincoln Park neighborhood, we will not be revisiting Hema's.

Debra M.

Delicious food and it's BYOB. The shrimp vindaloo is my favorite! Love the staff and the prices.

Chelsea C.

Amazing Indian food and reasonably priced. Very accommodating to large groups.

Danielle N.

This place is what is: an inexpensive BYOB restaurant in Lincoln Park. Came here on a Saturday night with a group before seeing a comedy show nearby. We had an 8 PM reservation and got seated right away. The service was good and quick. The food was good but not great. We ordered some naan and a vegetable samosa for the table. I had the Haryali chicken which ended up being chunks of chicken in a green-ish sauce. It came with plenty of rice for the table. I could have used more chicken and less green sauce. With the appetizers for the table, I spent under $20 including tip. Overall, BYOB places always get a few bonus points in my book. I'd go back, but I won't be craving it any time soon.

Kedar D.

I have yet to find the perfect, gourmet, subtle and smart North Indian restaurant I've always been looking for. Indian food in the US tends to be greasy, oily, heavy and full of non-vegan dairy products such as ghee, yogurt, cream and butter. It's aimed at the all-you-can-eat-buffet crowd. All that said, Hema's Kitchen is the first Indian restaurant I've been to which I actually think I'd return to. The food here was light, simple and freshly prepared. The service was friendly. There's no buffet. The decor and ambience are a little bit lacking, but oh well, you can't win them all. We had an aloo palak ($10) and a dal ($10), both of which were vibrant and tasty. They weren't bogged down in oil and the portion size was big enough to get a second meal out of each. I do have a few gripes, though. Hema's doesn't offer brown rice, and they actually have the gall to charge $2.99 for a plate of white rice. White rice is dirt cheap and should be given out for free, as it is at most East Asian restaurants; that rice cost Hema's at most a few pennies, but they have no issues in charging an exponential markup on an inferior product. Second, Hema's is seriously lacking in the bread department. Their naan is not vegan, but they do have vegan-izble phulka ($1.25) and paratha ($2.95). Neither of those two options are particularly great, though the paratha is slightly better than the phulka (but is also more expensive). Hema's, why don't you offer tandoori wholemeal roti? You have a tandoor and could make tandoori roti if you skipped the white flour and went old-school, as is right and proper in the subcontinent. Third, the menu doesn't list what is and isn't vegan. Our waiter at least understood the "non-dairy" concept and it seemed like most of the vegetarian section of the menu could be made vegan, but make sure to ask questions anyway. But it's always nice to have that confirmed with a green "v" and maybe some extra-special tofu or soy-meat options, which are all too rare in Indian restaurants. Also, the restaurant supposedly opens at noon, but when we got there at 12:20, it was still closed. No one came to the door to explain to us what was wrong, but another waiting customer had found out they'd be open at 12:45. Call ahead to confirm they're open, otherwise you might end up waiting like we did. In conclusion, Hema's is good North Indian food, which is a rarity in the US. It has some room to improve, but I'm glad it's around. Hema, why not open a vegetarian restaurant, too?

Amy K.

Just had dinner here Saturday night with my fiance. The food was good, but I was hoping for bigger portion on the Kheema Mater my fiance ordered. He's a bigger guy and it was not enough food for him. I also thought the naan should just come with the dish, but instead we had to order separately. I ordered the Chicken Biryani (basmati rice with chicken). This dish was good and the portion was plenty. Although not the best I've ever tasted. Overall a pretty good byob option if you're in the mood for Indian food.

Christina P.

The food is good, the price is right, the service sucks! I only go because it is a lot closer to me than going all the way to Devon for Indian fare. The BYOB is good too...

Crista L.

It's proven that authentic, delicious, amazing Indian food doesn't exist in Chicago, Hema's Kitchen was recommended to me as being close. I don't care what anyone says, this place sucks. The food was mediocre, generic. I've had better samosas from the frozen foods section of the grocery store. The service was awful. After our server repeatedly forgot food items we ordered, brought the wrong items, then forgot again - she still charged us FULL PRICE for the items she FORGOT to deliver to us. Zero ambiance. Weird place. If I'm going to eat americanized Indian food in Chicago, I'll go to Vermillion or Cumin, both of which offer ambiance and fantastic, eclectic food.

Nick J.

Along the lines of what many others are saying, the food was very good here, but it just wasn't worth having to deal with the poor service from the staff.

Ebs B.

Took the trek to Hema's original kitchen on Devon and yesterday, I decided to make the easy run to Hema's Kitchen II and I'm definitely glad I did! For dinner, the lights are dim and the candles warm the space with their iridescent glow. Lucky for me, I wasn't dressed for the occasion. Instead, after my run, I decided to pop in here for some good Indian food. And, even though I was sweaty and in my running shorts and a sticking-to-me top, the hostess sat my running buddy and I immediately without a second glance. The Choosa Tikka Masala was just as delicious as in the Devon location with just enough spice to warm my mouth without overpowering the dish. The garlic naan and rice (which is more than enough for two people, so order one order of each to share) were steaming hot and flavorful. Guess, I was proved wrong in the fact that I have to find authentic Indian food on Devon; my new stop is in the LP hood...

Faraz S.

My buddy and I ate here on a Sunday afternoon. We were greeted awkwardly and seated. I notice on the floor a dirty spoon which looked like it was there for hours. From then on I knew this was going to be interesting. The set up was nice and pleasant but there was no music so all we heard were people in the kitchen chattering.We ordered Chicken Biryani and it tasted like Chicken Fried Rice and was way tooo spicy to eat. We also ordered Chicken Roll, tasted like dry chicken. I'm sorry Hema, but you need to fix a few things here, maybe you can start with your service.

Thomas K.

Grease galore. Just Average indian food that delivers. If you need a samosa great but not much else. Dont do it if you expect high quality Indian food.

John H.

Great Indian food and very spicy. There is no mild food here no matter what they say. I don't think Hemma, a very nice lady, is doing the cooking , but I remember when she was just starting out on the far north side. The food was hot then. She would come out and talk to customers. I would give this five stars as the food and bread are as good as it gets, but the servers just don't seem to understand English well enough to help with the menu. One has to get what one desires at a restaurant or why go?

Jeremy W.

I'm shocked by the negative reviews. This is my favorite indian food i've ever had. The Chicken Vindaloo and the Chicken Tikka Masala are amazingly flavorful and delicious. I've had lots of Indian and this is top notch!

KuangYou C.

I think their food was better than I expected. I think they all provide curry-like dishes, even the name is not curry. These dishes usually go with rice or bread (u have to order them separately). I think overall it is a good restaurant if u like curry flavor.

Tina M.

The food was good, but the service was appalling. I came with 2 other people on a Thursday night. We were seated right away by an apathetic waitress, who basically just pointed at a table. We followed her finger and sat. We ordered muttar paneer and vegetable vindaloo with rice. 2 of us received our orders after 40 minutes. After another 15 minutes and flagging down 2 servers (one was the owner) the 3rd person received her order. It was clear that they had forgotten about her. We didn't receive any sort of discount and the prices here are high to begin with. The food was pretty good and mildly spiced, for those who don't like spicy. However, I would recommend the Indian Grill down the street which has much better service.

Tera D.

Hema's was solid. I went with a group of 5 and no reservation on a Friday night. They went out of their way to rearrange tables for us to be able to sit down immediately, even with only 2 of our party there at first. We ordered an appetizer, 4 entrees to share, and some naan. The app was two orders of veggie samosa, which were pretty good. Probably not the best ever, but they came with some good sauces. The two favorite entrees were the Chicken Biryani and the Chicken Vindaloo. Biryani was creamy and awesome, and the vindaloo was nice and spicy. The naan was just ok; I would recommend asking for some basmatti rice to go with your entrees, since it didn't seem to come with and was a way better compliment for most of them than the naan was.

Mohit S.

Responsiveness to the phone, accuracy of delivery times, providing paper plates and napkins, overall service, and packaging could be really improved.

Greg O.

I think my expectations were just too high for this place. The food was fine for the most part, but it wasn't any better or worse than most of the other Indian restaurants I've been to. After having to been to so many great restaurants in Chicago, it was sort of a let down. The decor is bland and unmemorable. The service was average. Some of the food was really hot, while other dishes were bland. Overall a very average Indian restaurant.

Anjali D.

I have been there at least 10 times. But I have always tried just two things. Their shami roll and dal dahkni are AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS! I want to try other stuff but whenever I go there, I just cant resist ordering my favorites. I do think the main course is a lil over priced, considering their portion size. Service is a lil slow but I love the food. Its so close to my place...would probably end up going there once or twice every month.

blake d.

I went here for lunch the other day with a friend. It was a weekday and I we were initially the only customers when we entered around 1pm. It was cold outside but perfectly comfortable inside. One star for that. Things fell apart from here. There is no lunch menu, which means that I had to accept that I was going to pay $10 minimum, more like $12 for anything non-vegetarian. We asked if our meals came with rice, which they didn't, so we ordered one rice for another $3 and our waitress tried to tell us it wouldn't be enough rice for us and that we should get nan. Instead, we got none. We thought we had won by avoiding the up-selling only to have our food delivered in tiny lil dishes. The two dishes combined constituted a single dish's-worth of food. The food tasted fine. It wasn't anything to make up for the previous shortcomings, but I ate all of what there was. $12 Lamb Baidan / 6 lamb cubes = not going back even with a gift certificate. OK, upon visiting their website to find the name of the aforementioned dish, I see that their pictures misrepresent the portion size. This was a 2-star review up to this point.

Tosha J.

I love Indian food, so I can say with confidence that this place sucks. I'm still in awe of how this place is in business. The service was horrendous. The server acted like we were doing her a favor. She was too busy playing with her phone to notice we were ready to order, needed more water or the check. The food was nothing to write home about either. Overpriced and lacked flavor. Also, this places charges for rice and naan. Are you kidding me?! Insane. This was my first and last time Hema's. Not about to settle here when there are so many other places that can cook and provide quality service.

Mari B.

The chicken/lamb korma is to die for! This Indian restaurant is a tad more expensive than other comparable Indian restaurants and the service is a bit slow... However, the food is worth it! Go there with this in mind, have some patience, and you will be very pleased with the delectable dishes. Moreover, the pond is just a couple blocks away, making this an extremely lovely place to get takeout from in the summer time for a fantastic date night.

Chris C.

Decided to give this place another try after a long boycott and after going there I will be extending my boycott because the service at this place is absolutely pathetic. We got to the restaurant and were able to get a seat without any wait. However, the restaurant was packed a mere 10 minutes later. After we were seated it took about 20 minutes to get our glasses filled and to get menus. Then it took another half hour to get our starters and appetizers and even longer to get our entrees. Then during our entire meal we could not get a refill on our water. Maybe BYOB should extend to water at this place. This would have been fine and all considering how busy they were but what makes me upset was the fact that an Indian couple came in and was seated next to us and they got their water, appetizers, entree, and check before we even got our appetizers. They also always had a full glass of water. Which made me think that I was being treated differently because I wasn't Indian. The food was alright this time around but not good enough to substantiate that wait. By the time dinner was over we were there about two hours, and at the time there were people with reservations who were waiting at least 30 minutes for their table. Bottom line, this place is clueless when it comes to service. Although the food is good, the service is so bad I'd take my money and go to another Indian place in the neighborhood in a heartbeat.

Craig R.

Went here recently with my wife and our young niece. The staff was very nice and attentive. The food was delightful. The garlic naan is wonderful. The chicken briyani was yummy and the chicken tikka masala was scrumptious. We gorged ourselves and loved every moment of it. We went late afternoon on a Saturday and had the place to ourselves. I will definitely return when I am in the area again!

Susan F.

Pleasantly surprised with this one. Another place that I tried this weekend that only gets 3 outta 5 stars, but I, once again did not let that phase me. This place was packed on Friday at 9pm. BYO Indian can either be good or bad. This was good. I am by NO means and Indian cuisine conossieur, BUT, I do enjoy it. The boo and I ordered the classic chicken tikka misala, lamb vindaloo, naan, and rice. Pretty standard and great options. Glad he let me pick :) The bread and rice are individually purchased, no big woop. One order of naan and rice will suit you perfectly for a date--FYI. The food came out at the perfect time, not too soon, not too long (said goldie locks) The lamb vindaloo was spicy and yummy and the chicken tikka was also what you'd expect. Everything was great about the food. BUT, the one thing we did notice is that the servers looked bored to death. I mean completely miserable. They were not mean at all, but just didn't seem to give two shoots. Other than that, I wouldn't mind coming here again.

John G.

Only had it delivered once but Hema's completely filled my expectations. The when I ordered my dish (Chicken Vindaloo), the guy on the phone warned me that it was going to be spicy. And it was just the right amount of heat ... they didn't spare anything. Will definitely order from this place again. Loved it!

Becca S.

God I want to love ALL Indian food, but sadly I can't handle much spice so what I order is limited. Still, everything I got at Hema's was spectacular! And I really wanted to try every flavor of naan they had, but I was just with one other person and there are like 8 so that didn't happen. It's super tiny and they pack the tables in so on a Friday night like when I went, you'll probably have to wait a while for a table, and for your food. I thought it was worth it though. It's a cool ambiance and the portions are perfect, you're not served a gigantic portion so everyone can order their own entree and get exactly what they want! One tip though, rice does not come with entrees. I have never heard of that before so we didn't order rice then sat there like idiots for 5 minutes after our food arrived waiting for it.

Brian H.

Waited over an hour after order to have the waiter ask if we had placed one, even though we were the only table at that time. We stopped counting after the 4th table arriving after us had been served. All told 70 minutes before appetizers. Well at least the water was refilled quickly. The 10% discount for the wait....well that says we think highly of our customers.

Ryan C.

Hmmm, Hema's has some of the best Tikka Masala around. I've never eaten in, but the place is quaint and comfortable. They do deliver, but I typically order ahead of time and pick up myself. Make sure to order garlic naan with your dinner. However, I do get slightly irked that you have to order rice separately for an extra couple of dollars. The order of Tikka Masala is already a few extra dollars more and add the rice charge on top of...you'll spend about $5 more than you would elsewhere. In a way, I guess it's worth it.

Marisa S.

Let me start by saying if I had just never eaten at the physical restaurant and ordered take out every time I would have given this place a better rating. I have a serious love for Indian food and thought that it was great to find several Indian restaurants around the place I live. I had ordered Hema's for take out several times and the food was always pretty good. Unfortunately, they don't have my favorite dish but that's okay, their menu has a pretty wide variety. BUT (and this is a big but) eating AT the physical restaurant was a serious mistake. Not only was service slow, but they weren't friendly nor attentive in any way. It took a long time to get the attention of any of the servers to just fill glasses of water at our table. Our server was basically no where to be found for more than half of the time we were eating and overall, I just didn't feel very welcome in the establishment. My recommendation, just order take-out or delivery every time and you'll enjoy Hema's.

angie s.

RUDE! I called for delivery five minutes after the 12.00p, the time Hema's opens for business. The man on the other line seemed annoyed, and without so much as a "hello," quickly told me to call in ten minutes and hung up on me. I called ten minutes later, and then 15, and finally 20 minutes later to no answer. The worst part is that my coworkers and I were all planning to eat this food for lunch, so we spent our staff meeting trying to find a place to deliver us lunch. They would've received great business from us, but alas... they clearly do not care about delivering food, nor great customer service for that matter.

Alysha P.

I came here recently for another girls bday dinner with the same group of Indiaphile gf's that I dined with at Cumin a few weeks back.....we got a few of the exact same dishes that we ordered there for comparison and some others.....here's the break-down: Veg Samosas: Pretty standard samosa.....good flavors on the filling.....but was pretty small this time around...I split one with a friend and I got max 2 bites out of it Lamb Curry: Really liked this dish.....not a ton of lamb though.....nice curry without being overpowering. Chana Gosht: I think I only tried a little of this (I'm not a chickpea lover).....again good....but could have left it. Aloo Palak: Tis was pretty yum-riffic......spinach and potatoes who knew? Navratan Curry: I really wanted a straight up vegetable dish and have ordered this before so knew what I was getting into (see my previous review) Dal Dahkni: Loved this....great flavor..... Chicken Tikka Masala: Didn't get to try this time around.....my gf wanted it all to herself.....and I can't blame her....it's one of my favorites here! Garlic Butter Nan: Garlicky and buttery.....what more could you want? The service was also even better than the last time I was here.....yay for that! Overall.....still going with 3 stars.....food is good....just not great.....a little oily and my left-overs didn't do nice things to my tum the next day.......but the price, the fact that it's byob and close to home keeps me coming back. FYI: The unanimous decision at the table was that Cumin is better....way way better.

Mary W.

Man, I love this place! The food is always excellent, service is friendly and I can always find parking. I've now taken all of my Indian food-loving friends here and they, too, fell in love. My favorite is the chicken vindaloo. If you like it super-spicy, like I do, order it "madras hot". They will ask you if you're sure you want it that way. I am sure. I love it. It's such a different kind of spicy. When I get it I always smile after the first bite and utter my favorite Lisa Simpson line, "I can see through time." It's amazing, and there's always so much of everything I have leftovers to take home. The garlic naan is a great way to mop up extra vindaloo sauce. Sheesh, YUM. I'm gonna go get some right now.

Kairo C.

If this place continues to survive this wretched economy, I take full credit. Because I eat here about 50 times a week. I am sure I single-handedly make their fiscal year profitable. It is conveniently close to my work and play... oh too convenient at times... oh dangerously close and the best Indian in the neighborhood so it's an addicting visit. In fact I am surprised they haven't left me a pamphlet "when eating Indian isn't fun anymore" in place of the take out menu they staple to my to-go bag. I became enticed when I saw Hema's on Check Please. I trust Check Please. And they were true to their reviews! Hmm... so much I've tried but so much I haven't tried.... Sag Paneer, Lamb Vindaloo, Choosa Tikka Masala, Hariyali Chicken, Shahi Paneer... among a few... The classics and some house specialties... All great... And their garlic naan and paratha ON POINT. I've come here, en solo, en duo, en group of maybe 10 people. Everyone is always a happy camper. With BYOB, this place is unbeatable within the neighborhood. Eager to explore the rest of their menu...

Bridget K.

I have a pretty high standard for Indian food. Hema's was decent and not too far of a walk from my brothers apartment in Lincoln Park. I felt like I was stepping into Mumbai with the music and some decorations. I wanted to start Bollywood dancing like from Slumdog Millionaire. The service was good. We were seated pretty fast and got to choose between two tables to sit at since the restaurant was somewhat empty (they seem to do a good amount of take-out business). We sat down and took a look at the menu. I chose Saag Paneer which happens to be my usual Indian dish. It was a little spicy to my liking especially considering the fact that Saag Paneer usually is not spicy. It was mediocre compared to other Indian I have had. The food was reasonable price but seriously we had to order rice...which was surprising. After trying Hema's Kitchen I'm still searching for the perfect Indian restaurant in Chicago.

Jennifer W.

Hema's Kitchen was not good. Curry was flavorless, which is a difficult thing to accomplish, and they used frozen mixed veggies. I have made better curry for myself and I am a terrible cook. The service made me a little uncomfortable, too - the guy who waited on me wanted to know how old I was, what I was reading, where I lived, and asked me not to tip because he was looking out for my money. I felt obliged to be sweet because he could spit in my food or whatnot, but I really was a captive conversationalist. Indian food is sort of expensive anyway, so I wasn't surprised at the $14 tab for one curry. Naw, I won't be back. There's way too much good stuff in the city competing with Hema's. However, if you want a little ego boost, go in there with a book and this smiling waiter will tell you you look ten years younger than you are. And you don't have to tip, cause, well, he's looking out for your dough.

Joanna F.

Maybe it's because I'm from out of town and in Boston we don't have many BYOB places. Maybe it's because the first time I remember really enjoying Indian food it was here. Maybe it's because due to the BYOB policy, I've been pretty drunk every time I've walked out of here. This place indeed did make me see how delicious Indian food can be. It helps that I went with a friend that had just returned from India and knew exactly what to order. The two times we've come, we've brought a bottle of wine and had a great time. The pakora that we sampled were DELICIOUS. My boyfriend got some kind of spicy lamb in a tomato based sauce which was awesome, and my friend and I split some lentil concoction (I'm not huge on lentil plates, but it was still tasty). Good food, good atmosphere. And BYOB definitely helps.

Ben H.

Hemma's Kitchen is a bit on the higher side of Indian food in terms of price but the dishes I ordered, Lamb Masla, Chicken Green curry, and the indian style herb rice was delicious. Their Naan, is not impressive compared to other places so I was a bit disappointed by that. I believe this is one of the places that make particular dishes well and others "so-so". Depending on what you order, it may have an impact. I love spiciness, so if you like it too, I would recommend

Darren S.

I just don't get it. I understand how taste is subjective. I just don't get the raves about this place. I have tried both Hema's Kitchen(the one up near Devon and the one in Lincoln Park). I ordered several items both times...and both have been "meh". The food is surprisingly flavorless for Indian food. I LOVE Indian food and travel to a lot of places in the city and even out of the city. This is probably one of my least favorite Indian restaurants. Maybe because there is not that intensity of flavor (not heat...FLAVOR!), most beginners enjoy Hema's. Or for people brought up with Indian food, they are used to the blandness that is customary to the way their particular family made food. Then everything is "a la carte". I ordered Chicken Tikka Masala this last time just so I could compare it to other places. meh. Then, I had to order rice separately, naan (bread) separately. Along with Samosas the bill came to $23 for lunch for myself. Meh lunch food for $27 (with tip)?!?! Never again. Now I did have a bit left over, but not a lot. Certainly not enough for a meal. Anyway, try it if you wish. I went there originally because of all the hoopla on Yelp then I even went back because I wanted to be fair.... but I guess I just don't see it.

johnny b.

Meh emergency only go to cumin in bucktown instead

Jeremy P.

When I used to live in Chi-town, I heard Hema's name whispered with the same dulcet tones one might use for Zeus, Athena, or Elijah at Passover Seder. Her spot up in Devon was supposedly the Indian culinary version of breast-feeding: go to Hema and she will personally nurture you with her cuisine. Tonight, I believe that I was served some sour milk at Hema's Kitchen II in Lincoln Park. I was ravenously hungry when I arrived and would have probably eaten a buttered 2x4 if it had arrived on a plate. Instead, I had to endure the insult added to injury of bad service and lackluster food. After we ordered our meal, the server informed us that none of the dishes come with rice. STRIKE 1. WTF? A la carte basmati?! GTFO! Indian food is in my top five, and I have never encountered such a ridiculous notion. The Spinach Pakora we ordered for our appetizers were good. Base hit (a double at best). The chickpea batter was spicy and fried well and the spinach/onion/pepper filling was flavorful. This was the only culinary saving grace of the meal. My entree arrived around 40 minutes after we ordered (hint, hint) and it was the color of cat puke. Although it was supposedly a highly recommended chicken dish (I have intentionally forgotten the name), it was unappetizing enough that I asked for a different dish after one bite. The cubed chicken was tough, flavorless, and the accompanying sauce was a highly exotic wallpaper paste. Rachel's Channa Masala, usually a simple crowd pleaser, was way too acidic and lacked any finesse. Aren't these flavors supposed to be developing in some overnight Indian love cauldron? This dish was pure meh. The dish that I ended up with was Murg Saag (chicken with spinach). It was salty enough to pucker the loosest of orifices and had an unpleasant sour aftertaste. I was so hungry at that point that I ate most of it anyway. I am sure that I will be dehydrated soon and will have nightmares about a lazy Indian chef abusing beautiful garlic bulbs and ginger roots. Why did I not give it one star? Because I'm a nice guy and you have to save that kind of rating for Craplebees. But I strongly advise anyone in Chicago to venture further north to the land of Devon when one craves the curry. You'll save money, receive better service, and you probably won't have to send your food back.

Todger ..

I like the Devon location. The service at the Lincoln Park was really slow and just barely competent. Sorry but the food at the Lincoln Park location was pretty lifeless too. I have had some great experiences on Devon - but the LP place was just like drab Indian buffet food. Certainly not worth the price or the wait just for the neighborhood.

Eric W.

Hema's Kitchen... Solid Indian BYO. Not Cheap, Not Expensive. Good, not great food. It was packed at 9pm on a friday night, but Hema's cranked out our food pretty quickly. The lady and I shared some naan and two dishes with some rice. Both tasted how they should and were spicy enough. This place is pretty average, but don't let that dissuade you from going here. I don't really know enough about Indian food to know if its awesome or not. I ate well, was pleased and content, but not blown away.

Shelly S.

I went here for a special dinner night with a group and wasn't that impressed. The servers were friendly, but the food was fairly average. It's definitely not the worst Indian food I've had. If I was in the neighborhood and in the mood for Indian I would perhaps venture back in, but I doubt I will ever go out of my way to go to this restaurant again. I guess it is just better to stick to the Indian restaurants on Devon. Their naan just didn't have the fluffy delicious flavor I've come to expect. Having been to many Indian restaurants and eaten a lot of Indian meals over the course of my life, I can safely say that it needed more sugar (surprisingly one of the critical ingredients in good naan along with egg and good quality flour). The samosas were probably my favorite part of the meal, while the gulab jamun was incredibly disappointing. They used too much "ghee," (Indian butter) and it really made the gulab jamun less sweet and just gave it a strange after taste.

Jennifer K.

I was excited to try this place & had heard it was pretty good. Unfortunately we had to order in & was disappointed that the online menu had no prices & they were unable to fax us a menu. Obviously we couldn't get the pricing to everything over the phone so I felt limited in choosing from the few items we did price. When we finally called in our order, we couldn't get an exact pricing for delivery. We were just given a price range even though we were less than a mile away. They still wanted our credit card info w/o an exact total. We were told that they would call us back with pricing for delivery. It seemed too much of a hassle so we cancelled our order. Perhaps one day I will try Hema's but it will be dine in.

Gisela A.

YUCK!!! DONT EAT HERE !!! Found a LONG HAIR in our food and the waitress did not want to do anything about and made it seem like this type of situation happens normally, never coming here again.

Soumi S.

I have eaten at this Hema's location several times when I lived in Lakeview. I liked chicken rolls the most on their menu, good size portion and very well priced. We have tried different items, but I kept coming back for the chicken rolls and veggie samosas. Now I don't live nearby Hema any more and often miss their awesome chicken rolls. I eat and cook Indian food fairly often, but nothing beats the delicious appetizers and snack fare at Hemas.

Meredith P.

Before my meal last night I would have given this a 4 maybe a 5, which is why I brought my parents there after a movie at Clark and Diversey. The service was strange. I can't put my finger on it but it was either too rushed or the waiter disappeared for long periods of time. There were 4 of us and we ordered 3 dishes. Lamb Vindaloo, Chicken Briyani and Chicken Tika Masala. We ordered medium on everything but little did we know the Vindaloo only comes in SPICY! We were all sweating after a few bites and definitely needed the beer we brought! I had had the vindaloo here before and it was no where NEAR that spicy. The servings were definitely not enough to split so we had to get a 2nd of two of the dishes. Also, rice isn't included. The Chicken Tika Masala was definitely the best. Overall, not impressed this time around and I will not be making my way back there anytime soon. Raj Darbaar is WAY better for your $$. You get rice with your dish and much bigger portion sizes!

Olivia D.

I love Hema's! It is super close to my house but they also deliver! So if I'm snowed in by a blizzard, let's say, they'll get my order to me! I also love that every time I order the Lamb Vindaloo (which is every time) they always warn me that it's very spicy, and I'm all like "Yes! Good! Awesome!" It's not the best Indian I've ever had but I feel very lucky to have this tasty place so near to me. Dining in is very relaxed and casual of course, but they have a friendly and attentive staff and it feels good to sit and eat there. I almost always take it to go or delivery though. Awesome samosas, not overly greasy, perfect crispiness. Tandoori is good, but definitely not overly seasoned. Vindaloo is superb! Huge selection of Dals, try the Palak! MMMM I think I'm going to order some now!!!

Heather R.

I visited this Indian restaurant once for lunch on a Wednesday when I was introducing my friend to Indian food. She was a bit nervous by all the overstimulating decor---believe me it was super dramatic with an overwhelming amount of bright colors and brass figurines, and we were the only ones in the restaurant. The waitress sat us by the window and allowed us to enjoy the little sun we had that day ,along with our wine (it's BYOB! ) while waiting for our food to arrive. Since I was introducing my friend to Indian food, I did all the ordering. The pakora's were excellent, but could've been a little more spicy. The Tikka Missala was delicious with just the right amount of spice and extra sauce to dip our naan bread. And the Tandoori chicken was the most tender and moist I've ever had. I was very pleased, although, my friend was a little unsure. It was reasonably priced, but never seems busy when I pass by (it's so close to my apartment). I'm not sure of their hours, and for some reason I never remember it's there when I'm in the mood for Indian.

Shalin D.

I've been to Hema's Kitchen multiple times and you have to hand it to them: they produce consistently above-average Indian food. I recommend Hema's for a good, cheap meal. A couple of recommendations: - The paneer here is great. Get either the saag panner or the matar paneer. Both will come with huge chunks of cheese in a well-spiced sauce. - Anything with lamb here is good. Unlike other Indian restaurants in Chicago, the lamb dishes here aren't overcooked. The lamb at Hema's is succulent and tasty and the meat is tender enough to cut into easily. Can't say the same for most restaurants on Devon Street. - Try to avoid the samosa. I know it's a well-known dish that a lot of folks unfamiliar with Indian cooking feel safe ordering but the samosa at Hema's is not as flavorful as other samosas in the city. Also, whatever wrapper they use is too thick. Tastes almost like a British pie crust rather than samosa dough. The best thing about this restaurant? There is never a wait and the service is BYOB. Can't beat that with a stick.

eric f.

YES devon is definitely the place to go for indian cuisine. i love indian food but hate taking two buses in order to eat it, so this place is both convenient and delicious.

Katherine P.

I'm not an Indian food connoisseur, nor have I ever really had Indian food, so when I heard there was a yummy spot right up the street from my boyfriend's place, I jumped on that opportunity! We ordered for take out - it was cold and I didn't feel like trekking through the snow after stuffing my belly. Of course I sent Jason to get the food too. After glancing through the online website, I ordered the Choosa Tikka Masala with rice on the side while Jason dared to try the Chicken Vindaloo. I thought mine was pretty delicious! But Jason's was SUPER spicy (as warned) The sauce in my CTM wasn't too overbearing and wasn't too watery or chunky. Just right. The chicken were tender and cooked well. I also ordered the Mango Lassi and received a delicious, sweet treat! Jason was suffering his way through the Vindaloo - sweat, tears, the whole nine yards. That's what you get for not listening to the warning on the menu that says, "very spicy" All in all, give this place a shot. Pretty solid lunch/dinner spot, not the best (as they have advertised outside), but it gets the job done. I'll probably have cravings for more Choosa Tikka Masala while I'm back home here in Austin.

Natalie S.

Don't go walking into this place expecting to be treated well. It simply won't happen. Do not walk in here expecting to be out in an hour. They take their time. However, this is possibly the best Indian food I have had here in Chicago... and I eat a lot of Indian food. My personal favorite is the saag murg... they can make it extra spicy which I really appreciate. Their samosas are incredible as well. It's a little pricey but well worth it.

Amy K.

Pretty good for Indian food, variety in flavors & wide range of entrees to select from, became super busy for a wednesday evening. The pista kulfi could have been better but otherwise enjoyed dinner at this Chicago favorite!

Lawrence Y.

First I'd like to say how incredibly excited I was to finally try an Indian place in Chicago. However, I was greatly disappointed, mainly with the service from our server. And I know it was ONLY her. The other servers I saw were cheerful and didn't have this sneering look on their faces the entire time. HMPF. I have to say that I thought some of their menu items were incredibly overpriced for the portions they give. We started off with Veggie Samosas (and they were really good, came out hot and fresh). I really like the sweet tamarind sauce they have, mmmm I love tamarind! I had initially asked if they had chicken tandoori as an entree and she looked at me like I was a fool. She said appetizer only. So I decided to order the chicken vindaloo (and on the menu it says "if you want your dish mild, ask your server beforehand" and so I did. She looked at me as if I told her the world was ending. She said she couldn't do that and it's spicy. She suggested a side of yogurt to ease up on the spice (which I said sure to... knowing it'd probably cost extra for a side of yogurt). Then she said it doesn't come with rice (oh that's $2 bucks more), for a really tiny portion in my opinion. We also got onion naan (and I really liked that), though I've been used to naan as being complimentary. As I mentioned the food portion was tiny for the sticker price. It was REALLY spicy and I bet she told the cooks to spice it up to spite me. The rest of the service was disappointing. She came back for the check when it wasn't ready, came back for the receipts when we didn't even sign for them yet. All in all I was disappointed. I think it would take me a lot of forgiving-and-forgetting to come back.

Ernest W.

The best Indian restaurant in Chicago. 'Nuff said. Vegetarian options abound.

Kathy P.

I thought it was weird that our food was taking so long until I look around and realized that no one had food. Not one table in the packed restaurant. There we all were, united in starvation, sipping our BYOB bevvies, water glasses refilled multiple times, eyes glued on a kitchen door that remained steadfastly closed without explanation. There was no swing or swoosh or burst of wind as servers rushed through the doors with trays aloft. It was like we all arrived to a party only to find that the house was open, but the hosts were not at home. Eventually, the hosts did show up, seemingly stunned by our appearance in their home. When they pulled themselves together, they brought us some decent food, charged us extra for naan and made us realize that perhaps we should reconsider the merits of this relationship. And reconsider we shall.

Huzefa H.

When it comes to Indian food my mother is always best, but this place will hit the spot if your in the right mood. This place is a bit over priced for what seem pretty standard Indian cuisine. The portions are decently sized, and the taste is above other places I've tried. Like I said before overpriced for my standards. The deserts are good though, so if you manage to keep some room try the Gloob Jammun. It will kill you slowly in the best kind of way

Risa P.

I love Indian food. I never get it enough and that needs to be fixed, stat. We went there with some friends and maybe it was just the night but it seemed extra cozy in there and welcoming. We got the samosas, the garlic naan and the veggie vindaloo. The samosas were good, and the order had two pieces, which was a good appetizer. They were a smidge fried for my taste, but that could just be me. They were filled with potatoes and veggies and spices that hit the spot. The naan was good and fresh and the vindaloo--well the vindaloo kicked my butt. I try to say that I love spicy food but let's be honest, I have my limits. The other couple we were with got the same thing and they were happily munching way. I looked over at my fiancee and he was sweating because it was so hot but he loved it. I was trying so hard to eat it since it was so tasty, but let's face it, I can't hang. I tried, I hoped ad i failed. The waitress warned us. Oh well. It was still delicious and had a great amount of flavor. The service was pretty good. And a pet peeve of mine, and this is so just my own thing--the woman's bathroom door gets kind of stuck, so you never know if someone is in there or not. This of course, is so not a big deal but I have a thing about bathrooms. I hate when there is a possibility of someone walking in on you or vice versa. I did not mark down my rating based on this fact, but there may be others out there who have this fear. I would go back. The prices are pretty good. I may try Devon Ave before coming back but it is the best Indian that I have had in my neighborhood (better than both the places on Belmont) It is BYO which is great too.

Chip W.

This is a great BYOB place and the food is very good. I enjoyed the veggie entries and the basic rice and plain naan are nice. Service was okay, but the food and reasonable prices make up for all. Almost like Devon, but without having to make the long trek.

Melissa H.

Delicious! Five Stars! Ok so what this is only the second Indian restaurant I have dined at.......I still want to give it five stars. We started with the Vegetable Pakoros...mmmmmmm! The hubby had Tandoori chicken appetizer. The Kofta Lajawab was fantastic. It was definitely one of my favorite dishes, and was recommended to us by our server. The Vegetable Biryani was also delicious, another favorite of mine. I loved the spicy dishes! And you can get anything spicy! We will most definitely be back! The service was great, the food was fantastic, and the prices are reasonable!

Ermelinda C.

Food was OK., smaller portions than the average Indian restaurant though... Service was slow and neglectful!

Alex R.

I actually prefer this Hema's to the original on Devon (went to the original with a group of 8-10 and had some of the worst service ever (late / disjointed serving of the food and no attention paid to us throughout)). This Hema's, however, has better service, less spice (this can be taken as a good or bad thing depending on your preference, but you can always just ask them to kick it up a notch if necessary) and no wait. So, despite having virtually no ambiance, this is my go-to Indian food spot in Chicago.

Jon P.

We arrived at Hema's relatively late on a weeknight only to find it absolutely packed. Good sign, if not annoying. Considering how small the place was, someone there took my number and said he would call us when a table opened up. So, we left, wandered around Clark for a bit and waited. Eventually we just ended up back in front of the restaurant and waited some more... and more. After at least 30 minutes passed and many people had left, we decided to go back in and were seated immediately. Not sure where that call was... Once seated, we got some samosas and ordered our food. Samosas were good, but while eating them the waiter came back to tell me that they ran out of the dish I wanted. Bummer. I ended up ordering lamb vindaloo instead. I ate all of it when it eventually came, but I was disappointed in the lack of spiciness and the portions seemed smaller than a lot of other Indian restaurants I've been to in the past. The food was alright and in the end the service was pretty good, but there were a few hiccups throughout the night and it seems to get pretty packed around dinner time. I'd go back, but I wouldn't go out of my way to get there.

Amber B.

avoid this place. i just dropped 20 bucks on quite possibly the worst meal ever (this is not an exaggeration) 12 bucks for chicken tikka masala: where's the chicken? 8 tiny morsels of low quality meat floating in a watered down cream sauce. no flavor. no spices. bland beyond belief. garlic naan: what? no really. what? luke warm at best. garlic non-existent. rice plate: really 12 bucks for a few bites of bland chicken and you charge 3 bucks for microwaved rice with a few bits of orange peel. again spices non-existent. place was dead for a good reason (and even with no one there service was slow) only wish i had yelped it prior to ordering. not gonna lie: the thought of dining and ditching crossed my mind several times (sadly i paid and i feel i shall be paying again later...) pretty sure i may need to get my stomach pumped.

Ben K.

Delicious! Four of us went here last night and did Hema's up family style. We got: -Chicken Vindaloo: chicken and potatoes in an absurdly spicy curry sauce. Not in-your-face spicy, but creep up on you with a slow burn spicy. -Chicken Tikka Masala: the highlight dish, tender chicken in a creamy curry sauce that had us all wiping the serving dish clean with our naan -Lamb Curry: relatively boring lamb dish served in a heavy dark curry sauce; was a little too oily for me -Aloo Palak: Dense sauteed spinach with a few potatoes in there tastily rounding out a food group not found elsewhere in our meal The garlic naan and the vegetable samosas were also fantastic. Decor was boring, service was good. With byob, we all got out of there for around $20 and we definitely did not leave anybody hungry. I will certainly be back.

Lauren P.

i've done both take out & dine-in here with good results. i'm fairly new to indian food so i almost always get the same thing every time: garlic naan, chicken tikka masala & rice. sometimes a samosa or two. service tends to be on the dull side. let's just say the waitstaff isn't pumped to be there. the food has always been great, portions are large & it's a BYOB. my only beef with hema's is the price. maybe i wrongly equate chinese food to indian food, but $40 for two entrees, rice & naan seems a little steep. especially since there's a $10 all-you-can-eat indian lunch buffet just down the street. just sayin'. you know i'll be back anyway.

Sarah B.

Eh, not so much. I've experienced both take out and dine in at Hema's and neither time knocked my socks off. The first time was take out with my coworkers. Hema's is down the street and we were all craving Indian food...seriously. Hema's to the rescue. Kinda. They wouldn't answer the phone. We called and called and no answer. We wouldn't be thwarted. One of our gals went down there and waited it out. Bummer for her because she may have missed out on a big sale. The food was okay. The garlic naan had so much garlic, however, that I'm sure our clients were a little turned off for the rest of the day. I'm glad I keep a toothbrush in my bag! My paneer dish was super spicy (I requested it that way) which was good. Overall, so-so. The next time I ate in. This time I ordered my Chicken Tikka Masala spicy but it really wasn't. The chicken was sorta rubbery and a little bit scary. The portion size seemed way smaller than our take out sizes from before. And, paying for rice always chaps me. The worst part was the nonchalant service. It took forever for me to get my card back after submitting it for payment. Sigh.

A D.

Went on a weekday night and we were served right away even if there were only few empty tables. Masala tea was good. We ordered Lamb biryani, spinach paneer. They were delish! BYOB, which is a plus so we don't have to spend too much on wine! 4 stars only because the place needs to be updated a bit. But, will definitely go back.

Caroline A.

I thought Hema's was pretty good for a non Devon Indian restaurant. I've only dined here twice, and had good experiences both times. I don't think any Indian restaurant can go wrong with Nan. I could eat Nan all day, no matter where it's from. Love Hema's because it is BYOB, but I really have no idea what kind of wine to get with Indian food so I went with a sauvignon blanc. The folks who work here are so nice and the service is wonderful. Food was a little late to come out, but was very good. We had several dishes including Tika Masala (sp?), tandoori chicken, samosas and a lamb dish. I can only do Indian food about once a year because the spices are so heavy for me. I'm sure I would dine here again.

Shradha A.

EDITED 9/20: I have to take stars off. I went there last week because it had been a while - and I was shocked! The chana was watered down and the paratha wasn't made of whole wheat!! The wait staff seems to keep getting worse too!! I'm going back to the Devon-one and hoping that hasn't changes so drastically!! Fingers crossed... ORIGINAL REVIEW If you were a fan of the first one, or if you've never been to the first one, this is the place to go for Indian food! People took me to Tiffin on Devon - but their food is too oily! Hema's kitchen II - nice ambience, awesome food! Vegetarian recommendations: Biryani, Chana, Paratha, SAMOSA!

Jenna S.

I hate to echo what all the other Yelpers are saying, but it's true....SERVICE SUCKS. Prices are high! Portions are small! Food...meh....only average. I'd recommend having an Indian buffet at India Grill on the weekends for the same price. You get much higher quality food, more options, and all you can eat--with dessert!

Jocelyn P.

Amazing! Good prices for good food... I've stuck with the vegetarian selections, sharing 2 plates + nan with a dining partner. It fills you up, and exceeds your taste buds' desires. Truly, the reviewer who recommended ignoring the Lincoln Park Dull-Os lame-O review-Os is on target. Let me tell you a story: There we were, my out of town cuisine professional friend and I, walking all about after our day at the zoo. BAM! She says, "do you smell something delicious?" Me, "yeah- indian food?" Then I remembered there was this great restaurant right over there. And then we turned around and crossed the street. YES! Hema's! Seriously, if you dig it- it's here. If you're a lame-o bland-o, you can pass it on by.... No harm done, right? :P Of course, you'll be missing out on what life has to offer. This great food!!! :D

Jamie O.

While I admire any Indian cooking because I consider it one of the hardest cuisines to make, I was not overly impressed with Hema's Kitchen II. None of the dishes were standouts and one was a little disappointing. Aloo Baigan Matar - Had good flavor and the eggplant was cooked well. Sag Paneer - Favorite of the three dishes. I appreciate that the dish did not hold back on the spice level, hot! (well, they probably still kept it medium for the Americans) I love the combo of spinach and paneer cheese, tasty. Chana Marsala - This was the disappointing dish. The flavors were not melded together enough and the chick pea flavor overpowered the dish. The chickpeas needed to be steamed/roasted/pressure cookered...they just didn't take on any flavor.

Rohini P.

Absolutely horrible service. Promised delivery in an hour and did not deliver for an hour and forty-five minutes. Called to complain and was told "not to worry". Food arrived cold and damaged. Was told it was "not our fault" . No apologies or discounts offered. Customers beware of indifferent, bordering on rude, staff, poor treatment and poor quality food.

Jonathan C.

its a pretty decent indian restaurant. Its good for a non Indian food eater. The Vindaloo was weak (I want mine spicy enough to make me sweat)... btw I'm a freak for spicy foods. I asked for it extra spicy and it made me cough once. The Kheema Samosa (lamb samosa) is one of my favorite apps in the indian genre. It was not crispy enough, and not filled with enough filling. The Rhogan Gosh was what my fiancee got and it was pretty good. The Tikka Masala is pretty standard Indian food that is on the sweeter side, so they did that alright. They got most of their stars for the Kheer (a rice pudding dessert) and no corkage fee for a BYOB EDIT - I decided to give them one more star since it really wasn't bad, it just was a little weak on heat for my taste.

Leigh An S.

LOVE THIS PLACE! The price is a little on the higher side, but the dishes are all well worth it! The garlic naan isn't the best I've had as the garlic is a in whole pieces. So you go from not having any garlic flavor to a mouthful. Great service here as well.

Annemarie B.

Pros: The food was decent. We ordered three vegetarian dishes and two orders of naan and I had plenty leftover for lunch the next day. Cons: The service was slooooow!! Definitely not the place to go if you are looking for a quick meal.

Amelie H.

I've been to Hema's Kitchen II about 20 times this year already. Hence my new review. The food keeps me coming back, but the poor service makes me more reluctant every time. I feel like the service has gotten worse over time, which is unfortunate because the food is so good. It takes 15 minutes to get a glass of water filled and 15 minutes to get the check. They've messed up our orders a couple times and refused to accept it. Which means that I, the customer, was told that I must have ordered incorrectly as the waiter insisted she had not made a mistake. Everything is ordered a la carte. So you've got to order the rice separately from the entree, which is small to begin with. The chicken tikka masala comes with about 8 chunks of chicken - not much. Then the naan is extra too. It's too bad that the service and menu structure leaves much to be desired because the food is really tasty. Head up to the Hema's on Devon for a better experience.

Sasha R.

This was such a disappointment, especially since the Hema's Kitchen on Devon is consistently delicious and pleasant. Reasons why this place sucks: -It is more expensive, which might be expected since many LP businesses think it's okay to hike up the prices, as if we're all too dumb to notice or too rich care. But, it is not okay when the portions are significantly smaller (as in most appetizers @ other restaurants are larger than the entrees here). It's also not okay when the food is not nearly as good. Or when everything is extra.. but apparently to some people 9.99 for four scoops of mediocre food plus another 3 dollars for plain basmati rice is a deal. And I'm assuming it's even more expensive for the meat eaters. -The staff here has no concept of good customer service. Although there were only two other tables taken in the entire restaurant, we were seated in one of the smallest tables near both the door and window, and it was effing freezing. The waitress took forever to come take our order, bring our food, check, see how we were doing, etc. When I asked her about a specific dish, she couldn't tell me anything about it. When a dish we've gotten numerous times at the Hema's on Devon was TOTALLY different here, we mentioned it to the waitress who stared blankly at us. When we asked for a bit more sauce since the dish appeared to have been sitting out all day and was totally dry, she brought us out cold, very sweet, red sauce. The dish we had was mostly curry and potato, the last thing we would have wanted to put on it was what she gave us. -So, basically the food sucks, it's pricey, the waitresses have no clue about how to treat their patrons, and there are so many amazing Indian restaurants in this city that there is no reason I would ever subject myself to going here again. If you're in LP and want Indian, go to Raj Darbar on Halsted near Schubert.

Dana D.

This is the second time I've eaten here. I guess the first time was okay, but this most recent experience was awful. A group of 12 was seated before us (maybe 10 minutes), and although the restaurant was busy, it was by no means crowded. Anyway. I don't feel like typing a long review, because to adequately reflect the amount of time I spent WAITING for my food, I'd have to type a 46 minute long review. Yes, I timed it. We were about 7 minutes away from walking out (which I had never done). And the service really does suck. When we asked about our food, we were offered no condolences, only excuses. The recommendation on Check, Please! is probably the only reason this mediocre restaurant is so busy. LAME, Hema's Kitchen, just lame.

Ria C.

Hema's is ok. I'm only giving it 3 starts because I believe India House offers a far better deal, and not to mention I was extremely uncomfortable after dinner, if you catch my drift... Garlic Naan was very good, we actually got two orders, and the dipping sauces were interesting. One fragrantly spiced and the other sweet. I got the Ghosh Rogan Josh. Tasty and VERY spicy. I would have liked this dish more had the lamb been on the bone and if the name didn't sound like I was eating a person from the Disney Channel. Sag Paneer-Moron chose this dish and it sucked. The curry lacked in flavor and was not as robust as the Ghosh most likely due to it not being simmered in some type of meat. Baila Baila!!! (Learned this term from the Comcast Indian Dance Workout on OnDemand.) I wanted to "dance to the beat of my heart", ("The Guru" ) because the music was quite intriguing. I was turned off, however, because on the way to the bathroom I saw two pairs of boots in the middle of the hall, like someone was snatched-I mean laying right in the MIDDLE of the hall! Having watched Taken, this is totally the type of place where one could be snatched. Most likely will not return.

Sumeet D.

That I like to try restaurants and Hema's kitchen had a few good reviews, was reason enough for me to try this place. The experience though was far from delectable and I would NEVER go there again. My reason is as follows: Biryani and Pilaf are both entrees containing meat/chicken and rice with spices, and though the difference can sometimes be blurred and they may sound similar, they aren't remotely related as far as the taste and the preparation is concerned. Pilaf (with due regard) is much easier to make and lacks the finesse of Biryani. Also making the biryani requires some skill, pilaf on the other hand can be fairly okay at the hands of amateurs. Check Wikipedia if interested for more differences. I am a North Indian. Biryani was brought to India by the Persians and the Persians entered the country through the Northwestern Frontier. Needless to say, North Indians are good at making and hence critiquing Biryani. And in my opinion what was served to us for Shrimp, Chicken and Vegetable Biryani (yes, we ordered all 3) was PILAF and NOT biryani. And that was appalling and infuriating to say the least. Reason enough for me to feel undone. A well made Pilaf could have pacified me, but even that fell short of what a seasoned Indian palate would describe as good taste. I also tried the Lamb Spinach entree (Sag Ghosh) and Shrimp masala which again were disappointing. In short, I am not sure this place will live up to the expectations of those who know what REAL Indian food tastes and feels like.

Laura C.

Hema's is one of few Indian restaurants in the Lincoln Park area, so I had to try it out. We had Lamb with Baigan & Curry Leaves and Chana Murg (chicken with chickpeas). To soak up the sauces, we ordered a Poori (deep fried wheat bread) and Pulka (grilled wheat bread). Both were flavorful, but portion size is pretty small. For the price, I was expecting a little more, but I guess I will have to stick with the Indian buffets to get my money's worth. If you're in the area and have a hankering for Indian, give Hema's a shot.

Tigrib R.

I've eaten here several times and it seems that it gets worse each time I go. The first time I had a great experience. Everything went smooth, and the owner (I assume) even came over and greeted us, and gave me some cooking tips and even sent me home with some spices to start a dish of my own! I was so impressed, flattered, etc. that I was a definite repeat customer and go there every chance I get into the city. Although, the more I went, the more the service declined. And not even the food quality, but the SERVICE..... Our servers didn't seem to know if we were coming or going. We were asked if we wanted to order dessert before we even got our entrees! They took some food back to bag it and never brought it back. They forgot our appetizer completely. We had to flag them down to get refills and to even get the check. And not because they were busy. They were just standing there doing nothing! I've been in the industry for YEARS, so I get it if someone is backed up. I will wait. But when you only have 3 tables, and you can't even check on them or remember what they ordered??? So bad. I MAY give them one more chance just because I love the food, but my last experience there was TERRIBLE. I really hope it gets better. Oh, and can you please put ice in the water???

Eugene E.

This place.... "2" stars is pretty accurate. A la carte is fine - ordered my $10 SMALL plate food + my $3 rice, no issue, plus tax and tip - almost $18 - this place is probably not on my list. I ordered the Aloo Jeera which was extremely dry, diced small potatoes with onions, green peppers that I could not distinguish that actually existed in the dish. The basmati rice, not flavorful, but cooked well. Not much more that I can say about Hema and their food. Service is fine, set your expectations accordingly.

Jason Z.

First of all, the woman who runs it (I think her name is Ruth, not sure) is really nice. Last time I was in she talked with me about the restaurant and how thankful they are for their customers, which is pretty rare in Chicago. I have had a few dishes but by far the best is the Lamb Biryani and the garlic Naan. Go now! It will not disappoint!

Andrew C.

Went to Hema's on a whim and was pleasantly surprised! The food was delicious and not the general "American-ized" Indian food you see at a lot of places. That's about where my happiness ended. The service was slow (two tables that were seated after us received their food way before us) and there were only two of us in my party! Also, not sure about paying 12 dollars for a fairly small dish of food, an additional charge for rice, an additional charge for naan. While tasty, it just didn't really seem to worth the effort.

Carolyn M.

Hema's is awesome- their choosa tikka masala is the best in the city. The naan is perfect, samosas are great. It's BYOB and very affordable. I hadn't been in awhile and after having returned this weekend, I questioned why I don't eat there more often. It's the best Indian food in the city in my opinion.

Kp Y.

Good food. BYOB. Staff is nice and checks how spicy you want it.

Kelli B.

I'm going to go right along with this three star review. We wanted to go to Indian Grill for an early dinner yesterday, but because they're closed between 3 - 5pm we walked down to Hema's Kitchen. Everything is priced separately, so your rice and bread is separate from your main dish. I thought this was a little strange seeing as the main dishes were about $15 a piece. It is BYOB with no corkage so that's a plus. There were a lot of employees standing around but the service was lackluster. The waiter brought out our main dishes first and then we had to wait for our rice and bread. Seeing as we were starving and that the main dishes were useless without the rice and bread, I was kind of put off by this. I had the Haryali Chicken (Chicken cooked in a ground cliantro, green pepper, yogurt,ginger, garlic, curry leaves and coconut) and it was okay. I was expecting it to me a little more flavorful than it was, especially with those ingredients. Tim had the Sag Gosht (Seasoned lamb cooked with spinach and spices) and he said the lamb was a little tough. We also ordered the Pulka (Hand rolled homemade wheat bread grilled without butter) and that was good. We opted for that because it sounded healthier than Naan, as much as I love that stuff. Quick tip: If you eat here in the late afternoon, don't sit facing West. The sun beating in is very annoying. Tim had his sun glasses on and then was literally standing up to get the sun out of his face. They really need to install a shade or something. I wouldn't absolutely avoid Hema's Kitchen, but I wouldn't go out of my way to go back.

Jackie J.

Food was GREAT, service was AWFUL. We had about 9 different servers, who were all rude. Forget asking questions - I asked "what are the different sauces?" Their reply? "this is the red sauce, this is the green sauce." Gee thanks, guy! It is good for a laugh, it is BYO, food is good.

Gfiddy F.

This is the single worst restaurant I have ever been to. Several tables sat uncleaned for over an hour. That made the food seem gross, along with the inexplicable long wait and similarly inexplicable inattendant service. I'm sure the food was actually somewhat OK but it was such a total breakdown in food service that it just seemed disgusting.

Deepika T.

My first suggestion when my non-Indian friends ask me where to get the best sampling of Indian food. Hemas Kitchen rocks. They really cater their spice levels to your taste, which is a major plus. I'd suggest the Spinach/Veg Pakoras and the Veg Cutlets for appetizers. Among the curries, their Bhindi Masala and Shahi Paneer always hit the spot. If you cannot handle extreme spice, steer clear of the Vindaloo. They also serve really warm and fluffy breads - Garlic Naans, Stuffed Kulchas, yummm. The owner (Hema) is very sweet and stops by whenever she is in the restaurant to enquire if the food is good, etc. The place is BYOB, so pick a beer or a sweet white to counter the spice. And please try and take the CTA or a cab, finding a spot to park in the neighborhood is a nightmare!

Anna H.

I went to Hema's Kitchen in Lincoln Park last night. I must have accidentally dusted on my invisible powder before I left home because my small party was completely ignored. We waited 15 minutes to order, and that wasn't until I had to go back to the counter and request that we place our food or drink order. There were several tables around us who were seated after us who had already placed their order. Into the meal, we noticed other tables around us were freely being served refills on water, yet our table continued to be invisible so we asked the busboy to refill our water. The food was decent. I have had better at all other Indian restaurants. I ordered the Chicken Vindaloo, which is suppose to be spicy, but it was too spicy. It seemed as though they compensated the lack of bold flavors with extra peppers. When we were finished with the food, our invisible powder must have worn off because the waitress did not neglect our table to bring the check or take our cash in a prompt manner. The ambiance is good. Cozy, clean and well decorated. The place is BYOB, which is nice. I am not sure if they have a corkage fee since we didn't bring any booze this time around.

Lesley G.

The food here was very good. Everybody's food was good in the group I was with. One word to the wise, the medium is like a lot of places' hot, the mild is like a usual medium...you get it. The three stars is because the service is awful. We waited over an hour for our table because they forgot about our group and then they rushed us once we were seated. They brought the check when we were still eating and then rushed us to pay the bill. Sure it was late, but they could have told us that we couldn't be seated instead of seating us when obviously their wasn't enough time for us to enjoy our meal. With so many good byob and indian places around, I'd go somewhere else next time.

Anne K.

I've cried at Hema's on numerous occasions; not tears of joy, per se, but tears of fire, the kind of tears that are only shed when I eat Indian food that is sufficiently, perfectly spicy. But I don't just come here to cry. I come to laugh, to lounge, to enjoy a BYOB sixpack, and to nosh on dependably flavorful Indian favorites. Hema's is my go-to neighborhood restaurant when I want food that I know I'm going to like. Significant Other and I order something new every time we come here, and we've never been disappointed. Tender, falafel-like spinach pakoras are my favorite appetizer here, but the flaky vegetable filled samosas are worth a try, too. Though there's nothing wrong with the plain naan, I recommend shelling out an extra dollar for garlic naan (stuffed to the brim with garlicy goodness), or onion kulcha (reaaaallly stuffed with onions, green pepper, and carrots). As for the main event, go for vindaloo (chicken, lamb, shrimp, or veggie) if you want the tearful experience I described earlier. A side of yogurt-based raita will help to cool things down. Ghosh Rogan Josh (tender lamb in a flavorful brown gravy) or Sag Panner (chewy white cheese surrounded by spinach) are good choices if super-spicy isn't your cup of tea. But I wouldn't be afraid to experiment here; the food's consistently fresh and the staff always asks how spicy you want your dish to be. Service is efficient (I've never had any of the problems some other Yelpers have described). Water glasses are consistently filled. Prices are reasonable, considering the quality of the food. My eyes are getting a little misty just thinking about it...

Chad D.

I'm not sure why people complained before about service or food, but I found everything to be well above par. I don't know, maybe they worked on their service and such, or maybe a few people had a bad night there. Whatever the case, I felt Hema's did an excellent job at serving us last night. The food was great, and I had no complaints. Three of us ate pretty cheaply as far as Indian restaurants go in the area so I'm pleased.

Gina G.

I like Indian food and had a taste for some saag paneer, so I hopped off the bus today when I saw their sign. What a mistake. There was no hostess or visible help when I walked in, and the place looked dismal, with bad lighting. The tables looked clean and the sitar music was quiet and good, so I sat down. I ordered a masala tea, which I had to order again with my meal just to get it. Masala tea, or house spice tea, is an Indian staple and they often have it brewing in back. This one took a long time and had milk curdling on top when it came - they must have scraped the pot sides. The saag paneer was very salty, so much so that it gave me a headache halfway through and i had to stop eating it - normally I can put away a big serving or two of this stuff. The waitress offered to take it back and remake it, but that never goes well. Very overpriced, had to buy the naan separately - the only saving grace here was a kind waitress, even though English was not her strong suite. Next time I'll take the extra travel time to get to someplace I know does this cuisine right, and for a reasonable price. 15 bucks for tea, salty spinach and bread? I think not.

Stephen R.

Terrible, terrible, terrible. I despise Hema's Kitchen (Lincoln Park) and gave up long ago. It is nothing more than a place for Lincoln Park yuppies to go "Oh! I'm so desi! Naan is a cute word! And it was Indian! 4 Stars!" Hema's sucks. Small portions, rude service, and they charge you for everything under the sun. Extra money for extra naan? Homegirl, please. If I'm not paying extra for breadsticks at some suburban Olive Garden, I'm not going to pay extra for bread (called Naan) because you think I'm a Lincoln Park moron. I'll eat your horrendous Tandoori and sit in your "oh so Desi" atmosphere and be dazzled that white people can be so enlightened to be so close to "real culture." Tip: Get a CTA card. Take Brown Line to Western and Western bus to Devon. OR take Clark bus to Devon and Devon bus to Western. Eat good, realistically priced Desi food where Naan isn't extra money. Buy a good Kajol movie on DVD, puri shells and the necessary ingredients from Patel Bros., and make it a fun night. Hema's is a joke. Overpriced, poorly staffed, and a terrible operation. Indian Grill a block south on Belden is much better in food, portion, atmosphere, and service (even if being more expensive than Devon restaurants). Avoid.

Nikki L.

I went to this restaurant with my boyfriend an another couple. The food was delicious and came in big portions. Most of their options are pretty spicy, but their Masala sauce is great if you want to cool the spice a little bit. I can see where others have complaints about the service. The place is small and was packed the entire time we were there. We were lucky enough to get a table right away but there was what seemed like a decent wait. We love BYOB types of places and will be returning!

Hans B.

This place was my true introduction to Indian food and now I go back all the time! You can't beat large portions of lamb curry and byob. Mix that with a few appetizers, some Zeera rice and you have the perfect meal for two. Let me repeat that Lamb Curry, Zeera rice, some Kheema Samosas and maybe a mango lassi and you are set! Enjoy your meal, it's a no-frills place with pleasant staff that is walking distance to everywhere you want to be in Lincoln Park.

Linda L.

The food was okay, but the service was horrible. There was ONE guy bussing all the tables, the place was packed, and there were four girls that stood around and did nothing. We waited with empty food dishes for 20 minutes before finally walking to the front desk (where four girls were just standing) and asking for our check. Food portions were small, and they charge extra for rice. Not coming back again.

R J.

I lived close to Hema's, so I ate here often, and always really enjoyed my food. Sometimes the service was a bit slow, but, hey, its a BYOB, so just make sure to bring a bottle of wine for your wait.

Lorraine L.

I was staying in Lincoln Park, and I wanted some good grub, so I thought I would check out Hema's II, the yuppie sister of my Devon Street favorite. The food was ok, but there was no wow factor like my experience at their other location. (See, Hema's Kitchen review.) I don't know if it's different chefs or if quality is sacrificed for quantity since it was plenty packed with neighborhood locals, but it's just not as good. Our food was kind of lukewarm by the time we walked the half block to our room and I hate to say this, a little greasy. Not to mention our tab was a little over $30 for two dishes!! Outrageous! It was average Indian fare, something I could get at a "fast-food" place like Naan n' Curry in SF. I would recommend that folks make the trip north to Devon and Oakley for the better experience (i.e. more taste for your buck.)

Tiffany H.

THE BEST GARLIC NAAN EVER! Ok, now that I got that out of the way let's get down and dirty to the dishes. I mainly eat the vegetarian dishes when it comes to Indian food and they definitely know what they're doing. The dishes here aren't too rich where you can't finish you meal because you are too afraid to take a notch off your belt in public. They're just perfect. Nothing too spicy and the curry spices are so savory. I recommend trying the Jalfrezi. For me, if you can do Jalfrezi right, then you're an alright Indian restaurant in my book.

Kathy S.

I would come here if it was closer to me but it's not and it isn't in the "worth going the extra mile to go here" category for me. The food here was delicious and spicy but the service was horrendously slow. The one server went into the back room and we had to wait a significant amount of time for her to come back so we can ask her for the bill. We were even contemplating going in the back to get her...that's how bad it was! Would give it 2 stars but the yummy food is making me hesitate in knocking off a star.

Gabe M.

I just ordered delivery from here, so I can't speak to decor, etc. Overall the food was probably 3 stars. The samosa was good, but too expensive for just 2 of them. That's sort of a theme with this place. You shouldn't have to pay extra for rice, ever, but especially when the entree costs this much. The na'an was pretty lame as well. I'll probably try some other place next time I need to scratch my Indian food jones.

Sneha R.

We saw Hema's kitchen had good reviews and decided to pay a visit to their restaurant on Clark. To begin with, it was a weekday afternoon so the place was empty when we walked in. The service was good, very polite. The food came on time. We ordered for naan, chicken tikka masala and aloo paneer curry. The naan was very good, full of flavor. However, we found that both the entrees had the same curry base. We were especially disappointed with the vegetarian curry. It looked like they had a pot of gravy which they scooped out into a bowl and added boiled vegetables to it. The potato and paneer were tasteless. And the chicken tikka masala, well, it was a regular chicken curry. With the same gravy as the vegetarian dish had. The food was OK at best. Nothing great to talk about. I wouldn't go back, unless i'm desperately craving for Indian food and this is the only Indian restaurant near by.

Jennifer J.

DO NOT GO HERE! WORST SERVICE AND FOOD IN CHICAGO! But, down to details... We sat down at 6:00, watched the table next to us be seated and be served an appetizer and then their meal. Two other tables came, ate and left. It was 7:45 before the waitress came up and told us our food was "coming." Whatever that meant. About ten minutes later they exchanged our plates to make it seem like food would be happening... 20 minutes after this little song and dance we got our food. $30 for two tiny plates. The food was also horrible. Coming from living in the Middle East for over 20 years I know Indian food and this was crap. But just so you don't think I'm an indian food snob my companion thought it was terrible as well and she was born and bred in the U.S.A. It leaves a lot to be desired... Oh and it continues... We informed the manager of the problem ANND ANDDD get this...she went on to tell us she had beeen in business for 17 years blah blah blah. um lady your restaurant is terrible! so you know! apologize to your customer! Oh and she also said that we didn't order an appetizer and people who order appetizers get their food faster. This in laymen's terms means that if you aren't paying us more money you don't get good service...well she was right!

Henri and Nicole D.

Nicole: My husband and I have been going there for years now and the food is consistently great. The only small issue I had with Hema's Kitchen was the service, but in the last year or to year and a half the service improved 100%! Every time we go, we have something different and are always pleased. My favorite is the samosas. Midday and early evening is the best time to go because some nights it can get a bit crowded. This place is perfect for a small group because it is BYOB (everyone can bring their favorite beverages) and the prices are reasonable so you can try a lot of dishes.

Justine U.

The naan was really good, except for the fact that our waiter convinced us that we would need about 4 times more than we really would- one portion, according to him, is not even enough for one person, that each should get two orders. Other than that the service was poor- really slow and clearly by the naan example not very helpful. We noticed when leaving that the soup we ordered was really only 5 dollars, not 10 as we had been charged for. The curry was too salty and the soup over spiced. Definitely not going back there.

Laura G.

My husband and I went on our twice a year date here, and it was not a wasted trip. The food and service were outstanding. The waitresses attentive to our water needs and we rec. additional naan bread and yogurt for free. I had the dahl masala- delicious and spicy though it was "mild." Mild to a mid-westerner is different than mild to an Indian. :) I mean mild cheddar mild, they mean spicy pork rinds "mild." With the extra water and yogurt the meal was perfect. Husband had lamb something or the other- I block out what he is eating when I know it once went: baaaaaaa. For a treat I had the Indian equivalent to gelato--pistachio and scrumpicious. The waitress was genuinely pleased we were so happy with the meal-- a really great spot for Indian food.

Erin S.

This place has really great food! The Lamb Vindaloo is excellent and so the naan bread! The only down fall is the the service could be a little better. The location is convenient and easy to get to. If you are looking for a new place to try give this one a chance. Also the restaurant is BYOB so you can pick out your favorite wine to bring with you to dinner. May I recommend Layer Cake Malbec. Enjoy some great food with friends or with your significant other!

S P.

I'm not a fan. There is nothing unique about this Indian restaurant. I got the palak paneer, it was ok but oily.

Richard O.

I thought the food was good. It's well seasoned. Well-done, or adequate, anyway. But the service needs to be greatly improved and it seemed a little over-priced for what it is. If I were hungry and in the area though I'd eat there again, though I'd rather make the short trek to India House on Grand instead.

Benjamin V.

Superb Northern Indian fare. Ambiance is average, the tables are too close together. Sorry to say that the service, while friendly, is below-average for their attentiveness and timing the delivery of the appetizer/entree. Having eaten here 10+ times, I have learned to stagger my ordering of courses so they don't come out all at once. If you get anything, the chicken mulligatawny soup is an absolute must.

Christopher H.

Pretty good! The only qualms I have are the price and I think it's lame that you need to pay for rice separately. That second part is especially bad because their chicken dishes (I've tried 3) sort of scrimp on the meat and so it's mostly sauce. Which makes the rice absolutely essential!

Christine M.

I am by no means an expert on Indian food, in fact, I'm ridiculously far from that and I tend to order the least risky thing on the menu. Usually a combination of tomatoey curry sauce with chicken. Throw in some Naan and my night is set. I've passed by this place a million times and never stopped in. Glad I did though as I felt the food was consistently tasty - both the green and red curry and the Naan was delish. Rice cooked perfectly to order for my taste and service was quite good. The dishes were quite small, but with two dishes plus some rice and Naan you are good to go for dinner. Even had leftovers after that. Only annoyance was the weird radio station, wasn't the normal, calming stuff I'm used to in an Indian restaurant - was this annoying Indian hip hop that was just a float in the sad parade.

Heather K.

Came here with a group for a Friday night dinner, and everyone left the meal feeling full and satisfied. It wasn't anywhere near the best Indian food I've ever had, but there weren't any dishes that I flat-out disliked. We started with samosas, and I definitely preferred the veggie ones to the lamb, which were a bit dry. For entrees, we ordered a bunch of dishes to share - unfortunately most of these were on the mild/salty side as opposed to being spicy, but I think that's just because we didn't choose enough of a variety. Chicken - between the tikka masala and murg makhani, I preferred the latter. It was definitely the most flavorful of any dish we ate. Lamb - I can't remember which specific dish we got, but I think it was chana gosht...the meat was very tender and tasty. Veggie - aloo matar (peas and potatoes - I could eat like a pound of that stuff in one sitting!), and dal daikni. The lentils were almost like a puree, which I wasn't expecting, and it wasn't spicy enough for me. Naan and rice were purchased on the side (1 order of rice for 2 people), and we got kheer (rice pudding) for dessert. It worked out to about $20 per person. Obviously not a substitute for going over to Devon, but I'll definitely go back and just order some spicier dishes. Sometimes convenience wins over quality, especially when it's 20 degrees below zero at 8:30 PM and you haven't eaten dinner yet, and you live right down the street.

Vik P.

Service was very slow!!

Sam V.

The 1 star is for the shami rolls (appetizer), which I definitely like. Other than that, this place has some of the worst Indian food I have had. The vegetarian dishes are all essentially the same, i.e. frozen mixed vegetables in some variant of an overly oily sauce. The breads are similarly greasy. The chicken and lamb dishes are skimpy on the meat, and they make up the volume with (surprise) oily sauce. If you need validation, I've even seen Hema getting takeout at nearby restaurants. I grew up in India, and lived in Chicago for several years. Hema's Kitchen is a disgrace to both.

alison h.

I was not impressed - in fact, I threw away my entree after two bites. I'm a big fan of India House - but they weren't open for delivery yet, so I decided to give Hema's Kitchen a try. The Chicken Tikka Massala was made with all dark meat and was swimming in oi/grease. Won't be trying this place again any time soon...

J N.

Love Hemas Kitchen! The chai is fantastic. Service is a bit spotty but the food makes up for it ten times over. The Kofta (vegetarian dumpling things in a rich gravy sauce) is my favorite dish. I also love the spinach paneer.

Alex B.

I'm a believer! I like Hema's vegetarian food, and unlike many other reviewers I haven't had any bad experiences with the service. It's solidly above-average. Yes, I've had better Indian food, and there have been one or two times when I ordered something that was a little bland. But generally I've been very pleased with the quality and spicing of the food (but order it "hot" if you like heat! "Medium" just doesn't get there). The atmosphere is uncomplicated--they've made some effort with the decor but it's pretty no-frills. I agree with other reviewers that it's strange that rice doesn't come with your order. One entree and rice and samosas is generally enough for me to share with a friend, so it still works out to be pretty cheap. I've also ordered take-out and made my own rice at home, which ends up being extra-cheap. I'm sure I'll go back.

Janine B.

I've always done carry out and it is delicious. Little on the pricy side, but it's a family business and is worth a few extra bucks. The staff is so friendly, and the food tastes so fresh.

Brad W.

Under the advice of a good freind, I tried Hema's. He was right! This place is excellent. Vindaloo was wonderful. Service is prompt and fast. Among my favorite Indian restuarants in the city.

rebecca g.

I wish I had heeded the mediocre reviews and not Hema's long-lost great reputation. Having been to the location on Devon years ago, which was about half the price of this one, I really expected more. My friend and I had decent entrees (Lamb Vindaloo & Chicken with Chickpeas), but at $13 each--not including rice or naan? Ridiculous. I was even more disappointed that, given their overly high prices, the portions were small and we finished everything--whereas i ALWAYS have leftovers at other Indian restaurants. So, $45 for a mediocre Indian dinner and we were still HUNGRY when we left. I won't be back. If you want truly authentic and affordable Indian food, go to Devon. Or if you want gourmet Indian at Hema's prices, go to Raj Darbar--they do it much better, with more style, atmosphere, and much better service.

I am by no means an expert on Indian food, in fact, I'm ridiculously far from that and I tend to order the least risky thing on the menu. Usually a combination of tomatoey curry sauce with chicken. Throw in some Naan and my night is set. I've passed by this place a million times and never stopped in. Glad I did though as I felt the food was consistently tasty - both the green and red curry and the Naan was delish. Rice cooked perfectly to order for my taste and service was quite good. The dishes were quite small, but with two dishes plus some rice and Naan you are good to go for dinner. Even had leftovers after that. Only annoyance was the weird radio station, wasn't the normal, calming stuff I'm used to in an Indian restaurant - was this annoying Indian hip hop that was just a float in the sad parade.

Jonathan F.

Every so often, when the winds carry the scent of curry and jasmine, and the moon sits just so, I hear these two little words, at first whispered, then sung sweetly in my ear: Indian food, Indian food, Indian food. When I get the call there's really nothing for it. I have to stop what I'm doing (fortunately it's usually nothing too important) and head on down to Hema's to get myself a belly full of yum-yum, Indian-style! Everything on the menu is rather savory, and so I usually end up ordering too much. Little beads of sweat gather on the brow of the nervous server trying to find space for my third plate of spinach pakoras on a table top cluttered with empty beer bottles (it's BYOB!), little ramekens of floral condiments, half-eaten samosas, lamb skewers, fluffy mounds of naan...It's like that mosaic puzzle that came on the first Apple computers a hundred years ago where you had to shift the colored tiles around and in the end you had, hey!, a picture of a parrot...But they aways manage it, and I always manage a "thank you", mumbled through a mouthful of basmati rice and chicken vindaloo. A few things you should know: As I mentioned, it's BYOB, so go ahead, don't be shy, heft over that 30 rack of Coors light that's been sitting in the fridge in your garage and get comfortable. They'll even offer you a nice wine glass to pour it in so's you don't feel like a rube. You might want to BYO water as well, cause while the portions are generous, the bus boys are not. After downing some soul-scorching curry, you'll find yourself staring at the back of the bus boy's neck with a special kind of hate while he politely ignores your empty glass. This, alas, is why you did not get that fifth star, Hema's. The price is right, the food is good, and if you get a window-facing seat, you might be lucky enough to catch some improv street theater on Clark. I recommend pretty much everything, but the chicken vindaloo is particularly choice, as well as the vegetable biryani and the...the...oh hell with this, I'm going there now.

Megan W.

I would give Hema's 4 stars for food but their service was so outstanding that they get another. The food was actually really good, I got Matar Mushrooms which was great, Veggie Samosas and , my absolute favorite, Garlic Naan. The food was great. Now heres what made the service outstanding: So as you may know, especially from dabbling in the reviews below, Hema's is always full. Well my cousin and I had originally got a table for two, and by the time our Samosas had come my sister decided to joined us! It was awkward but they quickly offered us a table for four, even though other people were waiting. It was great.

erika g.

I was here about a month ago and I will definitely be back! They did not take reservations, so on a Friday night, the place was packed and we had to wait about 20 minutes for a table for 4. I am not an expert on Indian food, but everything that we had was very good! We had 4 entrees, naan and rice between 4 people and we cleaned our plates. Entrees are smallish, so get a few to share.

Zack C.

Hema's is a solid Indian restaurant. The lamb dishes are scrumptious. The waitstaff is pleasant.

Kalyan M.

Worst possible indian food available in chicago.

Jessica C.

I've been on a recent run with Indian food. For some reason, I just realized Hema's was just 1 block from my apartment. Nonetheless, I stopped in here one evening after work. My boyfriend and I got seated right by the window - perfect for watching suckers trying to parallel park. I ordered Nan and the Lamb Vindalo with a side of rice. The lamb was super spicy! So spicy I started having to wipe the sweat from my forehead. I also downed about 4 glasses of water during my meal, but it was OH SO WONDERFUL!. That's the way Indian food should be. The service was OK. Since I come from a big Indian family, I'm used to the demeanor. Yeah, it's like they're not paying attention to you... but get over it. Our bill was close to $31ish.. Not too bad.

R T.

Had dinner there with a big group; just because, not a special occasion. They were terrific in accommodating us. Server was so patient with our indecision (several newcomers to Indian food) and distraction with ordering because of chattiness. And she was very good a recommending dishes. Love that it's BYOB. We did a lot of swapping of our entrees (I had kofta lajawab) and everything was delicious.

Carol M.

Garlic Naan good to go! lamb biryani ok not the best i have tasted. service acceotable. not alot to say about it other than horrible for parking...i'd go again if in the area but not the best indian i have had. this place had been recommend as one of the best...i have had better

Jerry M.

I love the food here! But why 3 stars instead of 5? The service sucks - the waiters are rude, and they seem a bit socially awkward. And the food portions are WAY too small for the price. It's BYOB, so you're not paying for the alcohol, but the final check always seems to be higher than the places I do go to that serve liquor. (My average check is usually over $20 and I usually don't spend more than $10-$15 bucks at a place for dinner and a glass of wine/beer). But it's super yummy- I don't think I've ever not liked anything on the menu and it's BYOB (but according to my comment in the previous paragraph, it doesn't really seem to be that good of a deal).

mildred v.

big money buys you tiny dishes! in the middle of our meal we had to order another (mini) entree because there wasn't going to be enough food. i left still hungry. as far as food quality? i don't remember (meaning must have not been that great). :( sorry hema's.

Law S.

Great food, and awesome crispy naan. I love this place!

Tim M.

This past Friday, I had the WORST Indian food dining experience of my life. It was Friday, and it was busy, so slower-than-usual service could be excused. But it took over 90 MINUTES to get our food; and we had ordered appetizers! In fact, a friend who joined us about an hour into our meal got her food first! And whenever we asked one of the multiple servers/busboys about our order, they simply listened and never came back with any sort of update or apology. DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME EATING HERE. Instead walk a few blocks south to the Indian Grill or to Raj Darbar on Halsted.

Greg G.

Consistently the most flavorful and delicious Indian food in the city. Try the vindaloo, haryali chicken or green curry fish:). Spicy...

Juliet L.

Okay the food is pretty damn good, BUT not as good as the Devon location. And the service is horribly awful. I mean truly awful. One time I dined in and we were the only table in the restaurant, and they FORGOT about us. I thought I would forgive this mishap. But then I ordered carry out from this location, and they forgot our order! I was really in the mood for Indian so we waited for them to make it, especially since we had already paid. And after this they kept giving us unrealistic ETAs one after another. Really unprofessional. Service here really sucks, go elsewhere.

Philippe F.

I try my hardest everytime I take a seat at table 7, to order something different. I usually do in other restaurants, but when i'm limited to 2 dishes one for me and my S.O., one of them always has to be the CTM. Just thinking about it gets me wet in my panties. The Vindaloo is really tasty, but also makes for an interesting next morning kaka. The waitress recommended the yogurt to go along with the VIN, and it did help with the spiciness. I love lamb, so anything lamb here is amazing. (Minus the minced lamb with peas. That one came out a little light on the lamb) Garlic naan is good. In order to make it great, they need to add more minced garlic and olive oil. But that's just my opinion. BYOB and you'll be a happy camper, just like the rest of us. Tulleeho!

Kimothee Z.

The food was good, the service was fine, the setting was lovely. It was nice to have BYOB, and yet, something was missing. The price was higher than some of the other places I have been to, but the portions were less generous, and everything is extra, even the naan. I don't mind spending a big chunk of change on a good evening out, but I don't know that this was worth it. I would like to go there again for lunch to give them another shot. One more warning, the food is SPICY, and I have eaten a fair share of Indian food, love hot things, and this was a bit of the far end of my spice spectrum.

Heidi S.

I finally found my Indian place in Chicago. I've only ordered delivery, but they are fast and the food is still super warm. Large portions- I've always made two meals out of whatever I order. The samosas are excellent. I will definitely be back. It is pretty expensive, but considering I make it into two meals and I got delivery, it's worth it. Also, it's pretty competitive with other Indian restaurants in the area.

Rebekka T.

I've only been once, but it's unlikely that i'll go back. Basically the food was bland and spicy at the same time. Seriously, the food had no flavor, it was just hot. Weird.

Tiffany K.

Food was delicious, but expensive. I didn't get a whole lot of food, and for $12, I expect a lot! And the naan isn't free?? seriously?? 2 stars, only because the food tasted great. The service was also kind of terrible.

Billy B.

I got no beef with this place. The "medium" was a little spicier than the title leads one to believe but I like it like that. Decent price, decent food, atmosphere is a little lacking.

Kevin J.

For my money, Hema's Kitchen is the best place to get Indian food in Chicago with perhaps the only competitors being some places over on Devon. I've taken friends and family here and recommend it to any one who's looking for good Indian food in Chicago. The food is both delicious and reasonably priced, especially for the generous portions you receive. I always have leftovers for dinner the next day.

Javier B.

I am really surprised about all of these 1 and 2 star reviews for Hema's on Lincoln, but then again given the type of clientele that lives in the area, perhaps I should not be that surprised. I have been to the Devon location and the Lincoln location many times and they are both excellent. To say that the Devon location is better because they charge extra for the naan is absurd. As far as I can tell, both locations have the same menu, prices and they both charge you for the naan and the rice. BTW, every Indian restaurant in Chicago charges you separately for both of those items as far as I can tell. I actually like the food at the Lincoln location better than at Devon. It is probably a complete coincidence, but for some reason my experiences thare have been better. Small portions?? Again, must be the Lincoln Park crowd that has no concept of Indian food. The dishes here are the same size as in any other Indian restaurant and they are not small at all. Perhaps these LP braniacs simply get confused because things aren't served in a gigantic platter with tortilla chips or a side of blue cheese. If you like Indian food, Hema's is one of the best in Chicago. Their dishes are all very well prepared and incredibly flavourful. They will also make things really spicy if you ask for it. I have taken many visitors to this place and have yet to get any complaints or ever have a bad meal here. Their sag paneer is incredible. The best I've had in Chicago. Give this place a shot and ignore all these idiotic reviews from people that have no idea what Indian food is all about.

Isa B.

Comparing it to my favorite Indian restaurant which is in Palmaire, Florida, this place is mediocre. The Naan was too thick, the samosas not crunchy enough, the mild lentil soup was too spicy hot, and I can't eat spicy right now. The service was nice but a little lacking -we had to call them 3 times to our table because they never approached us. I will probably skip it next time I want Indian food.

WorkHard F.

Can you say skimpy portions? 17 dollar shrimp dish had 7 small shrimp. 12 chicken disk had 5 bite sized pieces. Pay extra for rice? I don't think so. Positives: They do try to make good tasting food, and each dish does have a distinctive taste. There service is getting better, and I love the BYOB policy with liquor stores very close by. The owners are friendly and are able to strike up a welcoming conversation. Negatives: This place is OK if you have a 105 lb Lincoln Park Trixie to feed, but for all normal individuals this is place is way to expensive for the quantity of food. Note to the owners: I would be happy to come spend $50 - $60 6 times a year with my family if you increased the quantity you served. Currently we come in once a year and spend about $75 and are not FULL !

kathryn T.

I have been going to Hema's Kitchen for the past 6 years and not once have I ever been disappointed! I always start out with the Vegetable Samosa's and I'm convinced their Chicken Vindaloo is the best out there. Chicken Vindaloo is a spicy dish already but if you can handle it get it extra spicy! I usually order Raita (yogurt dish) to pour on top of my vindaloo and it helps keep the spiciness under control. Sometimes you have to wait awhile for your food but it is well worth the wait!

v m.

over priced. poor customer service - maybe because i've been to the original in devon which has horrible customer service... there's another place a block south of this (india grill) that has a little better priced stuff... food's ok. the vindaloo is ridiculously spicy (and i grew up eating spicy thai/indian cuisine in thailand/india)

Robyn M.

Hema's kitchen is dead to me! Their website says that they are open every day of the week. We went on a Wednesday night - they were closed. We tried to go for lunch yesterday (Monday) and eventhough their hours say they open at noon - a 12:15p arrival found them closed. The server was waiting outside the door because the owners/cook hadn't arrived yet to even let him in. We came back at 12:30p and he said that the cook still hadn't arrived yet but was due in 10 minutes. Ya, I believe that. I just think it's a poor way to run a business if you only open when you feel like it and leave your customers (that actually want to frequent your business) high and dry. I won't ever attempt to go to Hema's again. Fool me once, shame on you but fool me twice, shame on me. Boo Hema's!

Jessica M.

Eat #37. Lentils. They changed the way I think about Indian food. I. and I ate here for lunch. We ate saag paneer, which was surprisingly spicy, and #37. Smoky, salty, fabulous. Naan bread was a bit thick, I'll probably order roti next time.

Kristina K.

So, my friend Kelly has really been wanting to go to the one on Devon, and my boyfriend said we'd wait until we could go together. But we didn't--sort of. He and I went to the Hema's on Clark, because I've been on this hardcore Indian kick lately. And it was damn good. But it made us long for the days when we lived in Springfield and could eat at Gateway to India. You know how the saying goes: You don't know what you've got til it's gone. Well, GtI is still there, but we aren't. While, the food was delicious, it wasn't spicy enough. Maybe if i woud've said I wanted it spicy it would've been, but I forgot. And they were out of Garlic Naan. Travesty!

Erin S.

This was my first experience eating Indian - we are trying to eat new cuisine. I thought this place was pretty good! We had the vegetable samosas and then I had the chicken biryani and my boyfriend had the lamb vindaloo and we enjoyed our food, although it was pretty spicy (which we liked!) We were seated quickly and the service was good, we even have enough leftovers for 2 days!

Gregory L.

Perhaps the best Indian restaurant in Chicago. First, they pay attention to atmosphere, so the decor make you feel happy to be there. Then the service is always good, and Hema's daughter will come out and talk to you. Finally, the food is awesome. I tend to go for the butter chicken and beggin bart, but everything I steal off my friend's plates are also good. I'm talking about both the Hema's on Clark and the one off of Devon just south of Western. Parking can be a challenge, but worth it.

Susan L.

Tasty food. Overpriced. Poor service. Great location.

Jeremy T.

EXTREMELY attentive service and very tastey food. I highly recommend this place.

Kimberly C.

A small, neighborhood-y place, nothing too fancy or notably special, but I had a very good meal. Although I paid a little too much--- not enough to break the bank, but enough to raise a suspicious eyebrow. I would have liked something to nibble on while waiting for the meal, but that's not really in keeping with the "authentic" atmosphere, I guess. I'm happy to say that there was no dumbing-down of the spices, as it was a concern when we arrived, but the vindaloo proved otherwise. Overall, I would classify it as casual. If you are looking for ambiance and a service experience, probably not a great choice. If you want a good meal and don't want to pay cab fare to get there, stop in.

Yoyita F.

I must admit, I wasn't exactly looking forward to trying Indian food but to my surprise it was great... or at least Hema's is. There are many dishes to chose from and the staff is very friendly. I went with 8 people total and we all shared our plates. There wasn't anything that I tried that tasted ackward... everything was real good. If you enjoy very spicy food like I do than you must try their Lamb Tikka appetizer. Watch out! Its HOT but oh so tasty! I will definitely make another trip to Hema's!

Dee W.

It wants to be like Devon...I do like how it is BYOB since I brought a nice bottle of Santa Margharita's Pinot Grigio with me tonight. The appetizers were decent - we got the vegetarian samosas and something else- it was a lot of vegetables fried served with dipping sauces (think of Indian tempura). The entrees - I got the lamb curry with okra. It was decent - definately small portioned for the $12 that I paid for it and it didn't come with any side dishes - so I had to order the rice and flatbread separately. My friend got their chicken curry which was pretty yummy but it was saltier than usual so the waitor ended up bringing us a side of yogurt to soften her taste buds (which was another extra charge). We also ordered this chicken dish that had bay leaves and was marked as spicy. Things run very spicy here - I can barely hold down their medium so for me, I definately recommend the mild. Service was very attentive, the tables seemed small for all the plates that they kept on bringing out. For the portions and lack of side dishes, it did seem a bit pricey for Indian food. (Psst - the other location on Devon charges less for the same food) Next time, I'll stick to Devon but it is a good spot in East Lakeview if you're craving Indian food.

Michelle H.

I am revising my 10/06 review of Hema's on Clark. And I'm upping the star count to 4. They have recently revised the menu (though pricer) and it keeps getting better. We shared 3 dishes and loved them all. Food seems fresher, a little spicier and is very enjoyable. The staff is also improving. I do think this is my absolute fav Indian in Chicago as it makes me CRAVE it. 10/06 Review For you Hema's food fans - take note! New staff**** and they actually serve and care for you! Seriously. The change is significant and important as the frustration level goes way, way down (we used to have a joke between friend that compared times for even getting the menus in hand). The food was spicier than it every has been and very tasty. Three stars is for the lack of atmosphere and the BYOB.

Courto G.

Food - five stars. Service - two stars at best. Value - zero stars. Chicken vindaloo is excellent. Potato/onion naan is delicious. Rice is seasoned perfectly. Service is horrible. They make you feel like you are inconveniencing them if you ask a waiter so that you can place your order. Value is nonexistent. $7 for rice? This is free in most cities. I will keep going back for the food. But not without my BYOB liquor to make the experience go down easier.

Philip D.

What a disappointment. We ordered two appetizers which were fine and two entrees which were really a disappointment. One was Chicken Biryani which had three small slivers of chicken which was covered by rice. The other was a shrimp dish which had a few tiny pieces of seafood covered by spinach. We should have sent both back but we made the mistake of eating the rice and spinach with the assumption that the chicken and shrimp were on the bottom. It was laughable how meager when we saw the few pieces at the bottom of each dish. There are three other Indian restaurants in the area and any of them would be a better choice

Katie O.

I have been searching for a decent mater paneer for ages and finally found it at Hema's! Best. Day. Ever.

Erica T.

My husband was feeling adventurous and wanted to get Indian food (This almost never happens so I took full advantage of this opportunity) . We came here to Hema's per a friend's suggestion. We ordered a crapload of food - samosas, plain naan AND garlic naan, tandoori chicken, chicken tikka masala, AND lamb curry, and I think we ate most of it because there really wasn't anything to bring home. Yes, the food was great, and yes, we are total fat kids. We didn't realize that it was BYOB until it was too late...note to self for next time!

Nichole S.

I have never been to the original Hemas but I ve never needed to I love this place they don't tone down the spice for the lame white people of lincoln park. Yes its pricey but what isn't in this neighborhood if you go with two and get an app entree bread and rice its like 30 bucks however never order the chicken tandoori its always dry too bad but ill still go to this place once a month.

Aimee W.

Best Indian food between downtown and Devon.

Kara M.

I've only been here once and the food was just okay. I had the chicken biryani and tikka masala but the taste was just off for me. If you're in the area and looking for great Indian food I saw make the walk to Raj Darbar, but if you just want some decent food then staying here is fine.

Colin L.

Such a cute place to BYOB! Gets very busy so be careful what time you go. Food can be SPICY so watch out unless you can take it.

Craig H.

I had a horrible experience with Hema's Kitchen. I placed a delivery order at 6:30 and it did not arrive until 9:00. I called three times and their response was that "it will be there in a few minutes." They actually called me about an hour after I ordered to take my order again. On top of that the food was horrible. I moved here from Philadelphia and had some amazing Indian food there, and elsewhere. For one, the food was cold. I ordered Chicken Tikka Masala, and it was extremely oily. A half inch layer of oil sat on top of the sauce. The Samosas were cold and overcooked. Apparently rice isn't included with the entree, which they neglected to tell me. On top of all this, it was expensive, nearly $24 for one person. I would not recommend this restaurant at all.

Anonymous P.

If you crave spicy food, go to Hema's. The waiter warned me about the vindaloo dish but I told him to bring it on. I was scared at first because I thought it wouldn't be edible at all. Turns out it wasn't that bad but it was still freakin' spicy. DAMN! I do find this place pricier than other places though. By the way, It isn't standard for entrees to come with rice.

Jade T.

I can't say much about this place. I went here for lunch because Indian Grill down the road was closed. I had the Mutter Paneer and Curtis had the Aloo Muttar with an order of naan. Hema's didn't have lunch specials like Indian Grill, so the dishes were about $10 each. I wouldn't mind that so much if the food wasn't just average. They did get medium hot spiciness perfect in both of our dishes and service was adequate, so props to them. However, I wouldn't bother coming out your way to Hema's. If you're in the neighborhood, it's an okay choice. Just don't expect much.

jenny t.

the food was great. dal makhani, chana sag, butter chicken were all solid dishes, but the h-something chicken rocked. spicy and coconut-y goodness. and the service was much improved from the last time i was here (when it first opened, it took 30 minutes from order to table). food arrived promptly this time (less than 10 min for the samosas and tandoori chicken appetizers) and it was tasty stuff. just as tasty as i remembered from the original hole in the wall hema's of old. unfortunately, it's not nearly as cheap as it used to be. and i think i would've rather driven the extra few miles to devon to get just as tasty and $5-7 cheaper per person. but the h-something chicken whose name i'm too lazy to look up was probably worth the $12. byob is nice.

Mike H.

I ate at this place on SATURDAY. The restaurant was totally dead (we're talking zero tables at 5:30 at night) , and the waitress tried to guilt trip us into sitting at the front most table next to the cold window. When I asked to move she started sighing large sighs and rolling her eyes and then burst out, 'Just sit wherever you want! You don't need MY permission to do anything!" Whatever. The food was okay, but for real--no more bitches.

shaina v.

There are sooo many amazing Indian restaurants in chicago, and this wasn't one of them. I think the naan came from the supermarket in a bag. Lame. The portions were way too small for the price. There was also more people working there than dining there and the service was still a little slow. If you find yourself outside of here with a taste for Indian food, get on the Clark bus and head to Devon. Seriously.

Cy C.

The flavor of the food was the highlight of Hema's Kitchen in Lincoln Park. Let me rephrase that: The flavor of some of the food was the highlight of Hema's Kitchen in Lincoln Park. It's a weird thing - you find 2 sister restaurants...same concept different locations (i.e. Hai Yen in Lincoln Park and Argyle). In this case (as with Hai Yen), the restaurant found in Lincoln Park is sub-par. Is the food dumbed down? Is it "americanized"? Anyway, Hema's Kitchen in L.P. I really think the food is overpriced for the amount you get. Also, you have to buy the naan which comes out relatively cold and slightly hardened like it's been sitting out for awhile. As I mentioned above, the flavors of some of the food (kofta, shrimp biryani, lamb and eggplant) were spot on. And, in some way, partially compensated for the mediocre service and appetizers. We were the only table in the restaurant for lunch and our server wasn't very attentive. The samosas were decent, but you can find better on devon. The tandoori chicken appetizer was the worst part of the meal - dry and not very flavorful. I recommend going to devon to eat indian food. But, if you're needing a fix and don't have the time to travel, Hema's L.P. is okay but I'd make the time to get to devon.

Marissa M.

I've always loved the food but the service can be kind of sketchy. I love the Murg Makhani and veggie Samosas. Wish Hema's was cheaper.

PJ K.

This is the other and lesser location of Hema's Kitchen. (The location at Devon and Oakley is a bit cheaper and, in my experience, heavier on the spice.) Hema's Kitchen, like Elvis Presley, Derek Jeter, Shakespeare and the Beatles, is living proof that you can be both very good and wildly overrated. When the initial media blitz hit, Hema's was a small quirky place serving some out-of-the-ordinary and tasty Indian dishes, and it still is. But "Check Please" and the rest of the media horde hit and all of a sudden, Hema's Kitchen became the acme of Indian dining in Chicago, which it isn't. To be fair, if you're in Lincoln Park for some other reason and you're craving Indian food and you don't mind spending $15 a head for the privilege, you'll come away quite happy. (I'm critical here, but it's important to note that I've never actually had a bad meal at Hema's.) But if your focus for the evening is to eat Indian food in all its glory, you'll be better served by heading up to Devon for food that is better or cheaper or both.

jon s.

I've been here three times now. The food is decent enough, and they seem to understand that not all white people are afraid of spices, so when you ask them to make it spicy they deliver. This is a good thing and has been consistent on all of my visits. They are only getting three stars this review because, despite the food being good, the service was abysmal. Mind you, the last two times it wasn't stellar, but at least decent enough for me to not have it stick in my mind long term that it was bad enough to avoid. My latest trip was last weekend* and I'm not sure I'm heading back anytime soon except for perhaps carry out. The time before this was at least five or six months ago, so maybe things have slipped badly in that department or I just didn't care as much last time. *Alcohol was involved with the meal, although it was only beer. Take this into consideration. I'm not a mean drunk, but maybe I was a bit too critical at the time.

Matt W.

Service was abominable. There was maybe one other group in the place during lunch hours on a Saturday and so there was no excuse. The food was OK at best. I would rather get mediocre service and good food from the Indian Garden than get horrible service and mediocre food from here. Also, I usually double up on the rice and don't get charged from some other places but this place does not even include it with the meal. The worst part was seeing the wait staff talk and do nothing while I was trying to give them the eyeball or the low-key wave to get their attention. Maybe they had no peripheral vision. If that is the case someone let me know and I change this to a 2 star review... maybe.

Jenna P.

I order delivery from here all the time, and the food is amazing, incredible, and thoroughly enjoyable. I love the chicken tikka masala, the chicken biryani, and the sag gosht. It's a bit expensive, but I truly believe cannot find a more delicious meal in the city of Chicago. I've never had a problem with the delivery - my order has always been correct and they've arrived in a reasonable amount of time. I've only eaten in the restaurant a few times, but I personally have never had problems with the service. Maybe that's because I tend to enjoy long, leisurely meals at restaurants (especially when the food is this good!). Plus, I love the fact that it's BYOB with no corkage fee! Love it!

Crystal M.

DO NOT go to Hema's kitchen!! If it wasn't for the mandatory star, I wouldn't give one star!!! Service was horrible AND we found a 12 in piece of HAIR in our chicken vandooli!!! On top of that, the waitress offered us another entree!!!! Are you kidding me?! Another entree that most likely will have another hair??!! No, thank you!! Then, the waitress gave us a 10% discount!!! $4 !! Ridiculous!! FYI according to the waitress the hair incident, "sometimes happens" I don't know what kind of place this is, but DEFINITELY NOT GOING back!!

Jaime W.

The last time I went there, 2/4 of us ordered the same thing. Unfortunately, they only brought one. Fortunately, there was still plenty of food. BYOB is awesome and the place is always packed. Everything I've had here is delicious. Highly recommended.

oh l.

Really, they should receive no stars, but because there was ONE nice waiter, I will give him the star. First of all, we checked online and made sure what time they were open until... 11:30 on the weekends... saturday night... around 9:45pm we arrive, just a group of 4. As soon as someone greeted us... the first thing they told us was that the kitchen was closing soon and that we could stay if we ordered right away... so, we get our menus and the waitress (probably the rudest service from any waitress we've ever received anywhere) stands over us and literally waited for us to give her our order. We didn't even get a minute to look it over. We brought our own wine and beer... and when we asked for wine glasses... mine was smudged with lip smears all over the rim of the glass... she saw it and didn't even bother to offer me a new glass. she was just too busy trying to get out of there on time... The food - not at all what chicken tikka masala tastes like. That is probably the most standard of all indian food dishes and it wasn't spicy... it was salty. that's the only flavor i tasted. salt. the naan was hard, just after a few minutes of sitting out... like stale hard... the samosas were nothing special. all in all... not at all worth going to. Mid meal, we were given our tab and asked to pay because they were shutting down their credit card machine as well. we were well out of there by 10:45 and technically, they were supposed to be open for another 45 minutes... but the whole time we were rushed out of there. Never again. If you're going to close up your restaurant at 10:30 pm, then change your menus and the front of your restaurant and every where else your hours are listed. Or just explain that on that particular night there was something going on and put a sign on the door saying you're closing early... Basically the worst service for even worse food. I am never going back. You're probably better off going somewhere else.

Nathan K.

They delivered the worst indian food I've ever put in my mouth. This was a messed up experience. It gets 2 stars because we actually ate here a few weeks ago in person prior to getting delivery and the food was above average and we promised we'd eat from here again. So we got delivery, and this food must have been delivered by some place masquerading as Hema's. Unfortunately I don't think that was the case. Both dishes were just bowls of oil. Seriously. And it had all separated out of both of the sauces. It was just a thick layer of oil on top. I tried to mix it and just try and taste it, but it was also just so salty. And the naan had to have been made the day before at the earliest, because this stuff was just like thin rock like material. I hope for their case that this was just the result of a chef quitting that night and exacting revenge on this place by sabotaging every meal, because this stuff was putrid. And even though we had a positive first experience, this was so bad, there is no friggin way I could return. Since this could have been an off night, you might throw the dice, but you swim at your own risk.

Bob J.

I had a good experience when I went here. I don't know about all of the rest of you people. The food we had was very good, and the portions were not small. But yes...the pricing. I feel that everything just costs a little too much, and with all the extras you might take for granted at another place, you might find yourself spending more than you would expect at a Indian restaurant. But...I feel the food was good enough to warrant a return visit. And yes, despite the price.

Jessica S.

Hema's Kitchen is one of the absolute best Indian food restaurants I've ever been to. Hema makes the Indian cheese from scratch! I used to live near Hema's and would see the employees, I think mostly family, set the table after closing and gather around to eat. The food must be great if night after night the family eats it, too. They've got great customer service as well. It's probably not a jeans and t-shirt kinda place, but not uncomfortably fancy, either.

Luke S.

I can't believe the bad reviews. My only complaint was that the food took forever to be prepared. I went here with my dad and we asked the waitress what she recommended. I still have no idea what we got other than a chicken dish and a lamb dish along with garlic naan. The food was EXCELLENT. The sauces were cooked to perfection and the meat was tender and flavorful. The portions were a bit small for the money, but they were much more filling than they looked! If I wasn't so impatient for the food I probably would have give it five stars.

Chris W.

Very simple review. Excellent, excellent food - except for the samosas we had, which were doughy and thick, pretty bad. The entrees were really good - like homemade Indian food I have eaten in India. Service - atrocious. We were not served food or drinks for 45-hour, and they didnt care. Other people arriving after us were served before us. I am willing to wait a bit longer for fresh, good food - but this was much worse. It was crowded though. Its a trade off. Go on a day that is not crowded, and you will get some of the best Indian food in the city. Go on a day that is crowded, and you will get some of the best Indian food in the city - but you might get fed faster if you flew directly to India to get it. I would give this 2 and a half stars if that was an option. Namaste!

Maura D.

This place is excellent. It is by no means four-star dining but it is cheap, delicious, filling food. The lamb vindaloo is one of my favorites, but buyer beware, its a super spicy dish. This is a great low key byob spot for a great night out. Take out is a great option too- throw an order of lamb briyani in your order and have it for lunch for the next two days. The service here is not great but they get you what you need fairly quickly.

Sunny S.

I think the "Best Indian Food In Chicago" sign outside is from their Devon location because this isn't even in the top quartile in my mind. While it's perfectly acceptable and has a couple of very good dishes (chicken tikka masala particularly) I've never been very impressed in the few times I've been. I'm a big indian food junkie but quickly decided that the Indian Grill down the street was much better and I haven't been back since. If you're in the area and in need of a indian food fix I reccomend trying Indian Grill instead (about 1/2 block away on Clark).

Em D.

Chicago can be a sad and lonely place in the winter time, especially if you are single, shy, cold and hungry. Fortunately I am neither of those. I have a gentleman friend for romance, solid insulation and functional radiators for heating and I have Hema's kitchen in close proximity for ingestion of quality food. I very much enjoy Hema's for dining purposes. First, my credentials as an expert in Indian food. I am not from India, not Indian, nor have I ever visited India. However, I am actually from London in the UK, where I have consumed more curries that you could shake a stick at, which makes me a connoisseur in Indian cuisine. I have frequented Hema's many times, primarily because their curries are consistently satisfactory. I have tried a few things on the menu and these days I usually end up ordering a Sag Paneer, a Lamb Rogan Josh, with Pilaf rice and one naan (around $30 before tip). This meal is more than enough for me and my gentleman friend, bearing in mind that I once came 2nd place in a buffet-eating contest, and that my gentleman friend once consumed 3/4 of a blackforest cake in less than 10 mins (for pleasure, not for competition). Word of warning though. Once I ordered the Chicken Vindaloo, arrogantly thinking that I was a spice master, and that no Vindaloo got not sh#t on me. How I learned my lesson. My mouth (and later the other end of my digestive system) were on fire all night, tears were streaming down my face as I screamed for mercy. The problem was that although it felt like shoveling hot coal into your mouth, the taste of the Vindaloo curry was still very satisfying. I think you can ask the Vindaloo to be cooked with less hot peppers so please and do so unless you really are a spice master. The service is very attentive. Waiters very nice. Although they had good reason to, I did not feel judged by the waiters the fateful day I ordered the Vindaloo. They only take reservations for parties 5 and above. The restaurant is BYOB and once I went there on a double date, or a triple date if you count the 6-pack of frosty bad boys and the bottle of Cab Sauv. It was a Friday night, very busy, very nice atmosphere and everyone looked like they were having a nice time. I would definitely recommend Hema's on Clark for Indian food in the central-Chicago area.

E C.

I tried Hema's tonight for the first time as take out. The service was friendly and the order was ready promptly. I ordered the Ghosht Rogan Josh and Chana Masala with an order of Naan, a side of rice, and a sweet lassi. Unfortunately, the food was fairly mediocre. Both entrees were very oily and the flavor was unremarkable. It was fresh, but the lamb was a little tougher than I'm used to in this sort of dish, and the chana masala was a bit bland. The naan was dense. The sweet lassi was pretty good. Hema's is one of two Indian places within a short walk from my home. The other one had better food the two times I ate there, so I probably won't be back to Hema's.

Aleks M.

I'm not a huge fan of Indian food but Hama's is definately good. I liked their garlic naan. I ordered some cheese dish in a tomato sauce which was very good. The place looks clean and has good service. I would recommend trying it.

Nicole M.

Hema's is hands down my favorite Indian in Chicago. I started out going to the Devon location (which I prefer), but if I'm meeting friends, they always go to this location because it's closer to most of them. So we went last night. And let's just say I'm glad we'd all been there before. The experience was...interesting. When I arrived, I was instantly greeted and offered my choice of two tables. I chose the table in the better location, but it was dirty. The woman who greeted me told me that I was welcome to sit immediately, but since the table was gross (there had clearly been a small child there before), I told her I would wait until the bus boy (who was already working) had at least cleared off the paper. Once he cleared the table, I sat down to wait. Please be clear---I was only sitting on a chair at the table. Moments later, a server came up to me and told me I wasn't allowed to sit there and to get up. He actually told me to get up! Genuinely confused, I explained that the hostess told me I could sit down. He responded that the table had not yet been set up and that I wasn't allowed to be there. Uhhhhhh... It got to the point that the neighboring table intervened in the conversation to stand up for me and said that the hostess told me I was welcome to sit down. I was mortified. By this point the bus boy had actually set up the table, so I just stayed. I guess I'm glad I didn't sit down immediately! We ordered apps--vegetable and kheema samosas--excellent. We ordered entrees--shahi paneer, saag paneer, chicken tikka masala, and aloo gosht with rice, naan, etc. The entrees came out hot and they smelled amazing, but we waited a solid five minutes for the rice. Guys. It's Indian food. We need rice. Don't torture us with the food if we don't have rice to put it on. Anyway, here was the other interesting part... When the food came, I took one look at the chicken tikka masala (mine) and knew instantly that they hadn't brought the right dish. I have ordered chicken tikka masala every.single.time. I have ever eaten at Hema's. So maybe a dozen times? I've eaten it countless other places too. On sight, this was NOT chicken tikka masala. I tasted it. Definitely NOT chicken tikka masala. Once I was finally able to flag down our actual server (someone else brought the rice), I asked him what my dish was. He recited every dish at the table ("This is the shahi paneer, this is the saag paneer, this is the aloo gosht...") and came to mine last saying "so this is the chicken tikka". Uh, no. Process of elimination is not how this works. I tried to insist and said something to the effect of, "I'm sorry, I've never had chicken tikka that looks or tastes like this before. I believe you may have brought out the wrong dish" The server's response, "Perhaps you are having an off day." Perhaps I am having an off day?? Seriously? This is the sound of my jaw hitting the table. I'm not one of those obnoxious people who thinks the customer is always right, even when they're not, but HUMOR ME HERE. I would have been *less* offended if he had picked up a spoon, dipped it in, and taken a bite. I actually would have preferred that. Because at least then he would have had to admit that it wasn't chicken tikka masala that he brought out to me. So basically I just ate my chicken whatever dish. It wasn't that good. It wasn't what I ordered, but honestly, what choice did I have? I felt like between getting yelled at over sitting at a table (Remember? The one I was told to sit at??) and this that I had caused enough disruptions for one night. Final count: food was good (if you got what you ordered), but the service...well, yikes. I'm super disappointed and frankly sort of appalled. I'll think twice before the next time I give my usual glowing reco of Hema's. The way I was treated by two different servers was absolutely unacceptable.