Pretty less than average Indian Food. Not everything on the menu is always available. Choice of beverage is limited. The biriyani is quite bad. Lamb and chicken preparations tasted stale and probably been heated up too many times. Disappointing evening dinner.
(1)
Vishal B.
We were one of two tables on this particular night. The dining room could use a remodel, not that its disheveled or dirty, but could use a fresh designer's touch. we ordered a chili paneer which came out on one of those sizzling hot plates. That item was actually quite good! the paneer and veggies were seasoned well and not too oily. The paneer makhani on the other hand was meh... if i feel that i can make it better at home then why go out to eat? The tandoor is the highlight, if you come here to eat, order off the tandoor menu and you'll be good! I also think take out would be a smart idea.
(2)
Katie M.
A great place for their lunch buffet! I stopped in Sunday afternoon and it was very quiet. It was my boyfriend and I and only a few other patrons, mostly sitting by themselves with Bollywood music videos playing on a tv. The selection was pretty great, and pretty tasty. They also bring out a basket full of naan and a sizzling plate of chicken. A great deal!
(4)
Barbra F.
This place was really empty on a Tuesday at lunch time. They do have a buffet which makes my heart happy. I love to be able to try a little of this and a little of that. The food was good. The staff was pleasant. The price was good. I read some reviews saying the lunch buffet was under $8. Nope, it is $9.35 or something like that. Still a good deal.
(3)
Phil P.
I am usually fairly easy to please. Just deliver what I order, do it in a respectable time, make sure the portions are fair, and DON'T DECEIVE ME! I ordered take out from here recently, as I have many times in the past. I will say their tandoori chicken is pretty good, as is their chicken biryani. So, I called in my order for pick up and was told it would be ready in twenty minutes. I showed up a half hour later and was told, "it's almost ready." No worries, I'm patient. My food comes out in a brown paper bag, I pay, and head home, famished and awaiting the moment I can get at it. I get home, open the bag, and see that they gave me only 5 pieces of tandoori chicken as a full-order, when it should have been 8. I called them back, and the "manager" apologized and asked me to come back with the order, which wasn't going to happen. If you order takeout, I would suggest checking the order before you leave.
(3)
Sarah S.
All you can eat Indian buffet for $7.95 for lunch! Their lunch buffet is from 11am-3pm Monday through Friday and 12-3pm on the weekends. The buffet has a good array of options with and without meat plus some dessert options. I know they had Chicken Tikka Masala and Butter Chicken, both of which were very tasty. A special touch at Clay Oven is they bring out the Tandoori Chicken to your table sizzling and fresh to you. We all Ooohed and Aaahed and dug right in. Delicious chicken. They had a couple of desserts including Gulab Jamun which was enjoyable. I'm not an Indian food aficionado by any stretch of the imagination however I found all the food to be very tasty (as did my coworkers) and the price is right. It wasn't overly busy for a weekday afternoon but had a good showing of people.
(4)
Roxy S.
Our first experience here was beyond exceptional. We were the first to arrive at noon, so the buffet was hot and fresh. The wait staff were very friendly and attentive. The owner was present and also made an effort to come around and ask us how our food tasted. The environment was clean and brightly lit, and very child-friendly. The food was delicious and had just the right amount of heat to it. The price for the lunch buffet was extremely reasonable and we plan on taking family and friends here in the future! So glad this (re)opened! Hope it stays!
(5)
Sagar K.
Decent food. Nothing too great about the quality of chicken/lamb curry I had there. Although the tandoori was good, the rest of the item were only okay.
(3)
Michael M.
OMG! Excellent food and excellent "movie star" service. Food was delicious ! I highly recommend this place. I took away a star because the bathroom was unkept and dirty. Clean bathroom is key!
(4)
Satyam C.
Bland. Went in for dinner on Sunday night and we were the only ones there. Started with chicken pakora mad they tasted expired. The batter was lacking any flavor and tasted like saw dust. We went with the non vegetarian platter. I drool for good tandoori chicken. No flavor and was dry and rubbery. The kabob was actually over flavored with salt. The chicken tikka was also dry. The only saving grace was the butter chicken. That's why it was 2 stars instead of 1. It wasn't great but it was edible. The worst part was that the servers didn't even know the menu. Overall, everything tasted like it was pulled off the afternoon buffet line and served for dinner. Not sure if they have a buffet on Sunday's even. Hmmmmmm.
(2)
Orzo R.
Never use Clay Oven for catering. He came 3 hours late and ruined our party. Guests were hungry and some people left without eating. Horrible!
(1)
Sujay V.
I was in a pinch. Had a function at work and told people I'd bring samosas. But this far from Devon and tons of mixed reviews...I figured I'd give this place a shot being a stone's throw away from me. Answering what was probably their first phone call of the morning, whoever answered sounded nervous at first, but then yelled to some other employees in the background that I needed 40 samosas by 1 that afternoon. By the time I went to pick them up, they were still hot, he threw in some papad as a bonus, and had everything tightly wrapped so nothing would spill. They were pretty good too, but excellent service. Will be back to dine in some time!
(4)
Mel M.
I rate this a 3.5. Only because this is the second Indian restaurant I've been to. Ordered about two entrees and some extra naan. Came out to be $30. Just make sure to review your receipt before you pay. There was a $1 discrepancy but it was fixed. (I know small but still) Walking in there's a line of seats for waiting area, kind of slow on a Sunday night. Nobody at tables but it's probably more of a take out place unless you come for the lunch buffet special. Dinner tables and booths set nice. There's a bar. What I ordered: Chicken biryani: a little kick to it. Pieces of chicken with rice and peas. Flavor was good. Garlic naan: loved it just enough garlic. Samosas veggie: wasn't too excited about these. Maybe I'll try the beef ones next time. A little too spicy for me. Filled with potato and peas. Chicken sheekh kebab: this was alright wasn't as good compared to Shan foods on Sheridan in Chicago. Looked a little plain to sight but taste was ok. FYI Also came with complimentary basmati white rice. Came with yogurt sauce, a sweet red one and a green sauce which tasted like cilantro and some other herbs. Don't know the names. I Guess I would come here again if I can't find another restaurant around the Des plaines/Schaumburg area.
(3)
Rishi G.
Best lunch buffet in schaumburg area under 10 dollar and it's family own business they all so nice with service also
(5)
Filip N.
Amazing food and people welcoming you. If you wondered how great food should taste, look no further. I come here every week and every time is better than the last. Great vegetarian and vegan choices. Every thing that comes out of the kitchen is made fresh.
(5)
HK A.
Good fast service, and good fresh food. All nice people. I've been coming here for a very long time and all I can say is this is the best choice of a restaurant to eat at if ur feeling like having a quick bite to eat. Friendly atmosphere and very welcoming
(5)
Dorothy P.
I have a secret (or not so secret) obsession with Indian food, spicy Indian food to be more specific. Clay Oven over delivers on both fronts. My coworkers and I had a simultaneous hankering for some serious Indian eats, so I let Yelp do the talking (of course) and found that Clay Oven was pretty close to our office. Their $7.95 lunch buffet offers a nice variety of dishes that are a little more spicy than many other buffets that I've tried (and I count this as a good thing). I didn't realize that my dining companions were spice averse, but they agreed that Clay Oven walks that fine line between spicy and "oh my gosh, the insides of my mouth are melting." I say that there's enough spice in their dishes to warm my belly and put a smile on my face, but I'm pretty sure my stomach came with a fireproof lining (so don't take my word for it). Also worth noting, one of my coworkers is vegetarian, and she still felt like she was going to have a food baby because their offerings include quite a few veg friendly dishes. My two favorite dishes were the saag and the goat curry (with naan; I chose not to fill up my stomach with rice). The samosas were pretty delicious too, as was their green mystery sauce (I'm not sure what it was, but it was sort of spicy & herby...and I put it on their potatoes as well as on the salad). I'd say skip on the overly cheesy gulab jamin, however. I will definitely be getting my next Indian food fix from Clay Oven!
(4)
Nicole P.
WORST restaurant experience of my life! The dish I ordered was made completely different from the place I normally order from. Thought I would try something a little closer. Bad idea! I placed my pick up order and told the man over the phone that I was unable to pull up the menu, I asked if they had the dish I wanted and they did. So I ordered it and went to pick it up. When I ordered I asked if I could get jasmine rice as well. I went to get my food. The man was not friendly at all but I didn't think much of it. Just took my food and went back to work to eat it. I opened the food and poured it on the rice. I took one bite and realized that it was practically ALL onion. I HATE onions!!!!! The dish at other Indian restaurants did not have a TON of onions. I could not eat it. So I called and told him I do not like it because there were way too many onions. He was rude but eventually said they would remake it. This is where the fun begins!!!! So I take my food (now in one container because I poured it on the rice) back to the restaurant. I walk in and he immediately starts being rude. He laughs at me and tells me this is my fault because I didn't say no onions, and I should have seen it on the menu. I explained I couldn't pull up the menu, he then got 2 inches from my face and started yelling at me so hard he was spitting on my face! He told me I ate the food because it was only in one container and where was the other container huh! He went to the back yelling and screaming. Came back with the dish and practically threw it at me. I said I needed rice and he once again got in my face and screamed at me. Then proceeded to go to the kitchen and come back with a Dixie cup of rice! I put my food down and said this is a joke! And went to walk out. A customer looked at me and asked me what was going on. I explained to him what happened. I went to leave and the manager chased me out of the restaurant yelling and screaming. WOW! all because I asked for no onions!!! I cannot even believe this happened to me! Worst customer service EVER!! I would not recommend this place to my worst enemy!
(1)
A W M.
Had dinner. Tried it in spite of some reviews on Yelp. They start by Papadum and sauce; great flavor. Ordered Butter Chicken, Karahi Chicken, rice (have to order rice separately - not included with the dishes) and Naan. Loved all of it. Excellent flavor and good quantities. Have tried Butter chicken at many restaurants; this was one of the very best. Have heard they have good Chicken Tikka masala - will try it next time. Decor is good; not a hole in the wall. The waiter was the owner. Very courteous. Overall very good experience. 4 stars for the service and decor; 5 stars for the food.
(5)
Allison K.
We walked into the Clay Oven & the place was completely empty at 11:15am. But I saw the buffets were just being brought out! The food was streaming out of the kitchen, fresh & hot & I was inebriated with the delicious smells of lentils & curries & tandoori! I filled my plate to the brim and ran to sit at my table and chow. Just as I was eating Saag and curry with lentils, the owner brought steamy samosas and buttered Naan. I felt totally engrossed in this mixture of flavors that I traveled far away from wherever I was just before. I found myself in food Nirvana. Seriously, I'm going back on another day, really early, when the place is empty and at least an hour free.
(5)
Chris Z.
5 stars for fair priced lunch buffet. On a Monday? Are you kidding me? Chili chicken Butter chicken Chicken curry Lamb curry I'm just glad the owner isn't a Pakistani. Pakistani people have ruined Indian food. Indian food service is not a convenience store. It is a privilege. If you want poop Indian food, go to the paki run Indian restaurants on devon. Except viceroy and Abu ruchi
(5)
Talha F.
Things I found questionable: 1) Appearance of restaurant made us uncomfortable, the place seemed dingy, outdated and seats and tables were in poor condition. 2) Food tasted stale, was presented poorly, and lacked the flavor that you'd expect from indian food. (I'm an indian, so I eat this cuisine often) 3). Our waiter was the owner, who didn't know if they used zabiha meat, made poor recommendations and took significant time in checking on us, bringing the food, taking our check, etc (the place had 2 other customers) We went here based on the reviews but were most disappointed as this was one of the poorest experiences we've ever had.
(1)
Phil S.
At first I was: Yay! Cheap lunch buffet! Then I was: Well, you get what you pay for. The butter chicken is extra dry because they use yesterday's tandoori chicken. The chicken was a bright red under the yellow sauce. The lamb was all gristle. The paneer was scarce. All in all, exactly what you'd expect from a $7.95 lunch buffet. On the plus side, unfluffy and grainy naan as well as a sizzling platter of tandoori is included with the meal so basically you get almost everything you would at a more expensive place such as India House but at an expected lower quality for almost half the price. If you're on a budget and you're craving some Indian then this is the place to gorge but just like an OCB, don't expect too much. It's great for what it is.
(3)
Ayaz S.
The food was excellent, the chicken makhni is the best I had ever and the service was a 5 star,
(5)
sanjeev N.
I'm surprised about so many positive reviews. May be it's just the day I went it was below average or this is the standard is a question I have. After reading raving reviews about this place for a much cheaper price for buffet, wife and I wanted to check this place out. Went on a Saturday for weekend buffet. All the dishes were below average. Tandoori chicken was like fried chicken with so much oil on it and salt. Fail. Butter chicken and chicken curry had chicken with some chemical smell, I won't even take a chance. You get what you pay for is what I thought when getting out of the place. I ain't going back.
(1)
Rohan V.
Awesome food. Ask for Dal makhani dhaba style. You will love it. Best food in Schaumburg area. And the staff is super friendly.
(5)
Avinash K.
Went for lunch buffet. Food was really ordinary - except for decent tandoori chicken and half decent butter chicken. Options are limited and bread to order - service was so-so. The only reason I gave one extra star to make it three because their Gulab Jamun was sweet and soft. It was perfect. Other than that - not much to say. I really really cannot see how this place has got good reviews. It is not authentic Indian food FYI. It was a disappointment.
(3)
Conor G.
Decent selection and reasonably good quality on most of the items. They also had what I consider to be the essential desserts, kheer and gulab jamun. Points off for not having basmati rice, just plain steamed white rice, and no biryani. Still looks the same as it did when Indian Garden was in this space, but it's seen better days.
(3)
Kimsy S.
What better way to celebrate the end of a fabulous half-day of work than to treat myself to an Indian buffet for lunch? My go-to for Indian buffet is India House, which is great, but I wanted to try something different (and more affordable). So after searching and reading the reviews on Yelp, I made my way to Clay Oven. I felt welcome from the moment I stepped inside. The servers were friendly and helpful. The decor is lovely without being over the top. Lots of delicious food: butter chicken, vegetable curries, spring rolls, rice pudding, dough balls, all of it was lovely. And a deal at $8 (not including drink, taxes, and tip, of course, but still---much healthier and cheaper than McDonald's)! I know where I'm going when I'm craving all-you-can-eat curry! :-)
(4)
Nelson M.
Restaurant Review Low cost Indian buffet! 1+ star for the low cost of 7.95 for lunch without drinks. The food was about 3 star. After Himalaya closed down, we have been looking for another option for Indian lunch buffet. After reading the last review by Fred, I was looking forward to giving it a try. We showed up at 1230 and there was only a few tables seated. This just meant more food for us. The server/manager was nice and brought a pitcher of water. There was a veggie samosa and veggie pakora which was unfortunately cool. There was a big tray of tandori chicken. Two types of chicken with one being the "butter chicken" which is shreds of chicken resembling chicken tikki masala. The veggie options were okay, some had chick peas. No paneer though. Plenty of seating and the dessert was the brown sugar dough ball and rice pudding which were made well. The food itself was not too spicy and the naan was top notch! Always fresh and plentiful. Pro- Low cost, quick food. Con- cool to the touch veggie pakora, no paneer spinach items Hidden deals- none
(4)
Daniel B.
I will not suggest anyone to go to this restaurant. 3 things that happened for me today when i went for lunch buffet 1) They served egg biryani, i found an egg shell in that 2) Mutter Paneer- Gone bad, it was literally smelling. I don't know how they didn't notice it. 3) Gulab Jamun- some ingredient in Gulab Jamun went bad and it tasted really bad. Don't ask me about the smell. On top of all that when i complained about this to the guy who was managing, he didn't even care. And they charged me $10 for this worst lunch. I am never going there again.
(1)
Matt M.
I was very impressed with this place. I was really in the mood for Indian food and popped in for the lunch buffet and was really glad I did. The dishes were fresh, hot, and delicious. The service was impeccable. The facility clean and inviting. They bring you naan after you sit down and are getting your plate. They have a lot of really good/classic options. I can only fault them for the their lack of meat dishes. They had only one chicken dish. I understand its a cost effectiveness, but I'm sure many people would be willing and able to shell out a couple more bucks for a couple more meat lovers indian options during their buffet. But again, it was very good.
(4)
Elana K.
Living in Schaumburg as I do, I've always felt it a terrible waste that I have never been to any of the many certainly fine Indian restaurants in the area. Though I have eaten Indian food a few times, I myself am basically an Indian food novice and my family has tended to be Indian food phobic, so it has been a hard sell. Based on the favorable reviews here on Yelp, I have especially had my eye on Clay Oven for a while, and today I finally got my sister to stop in here with me! Our outstanding lunch experience began with us trying to get in the front door. Apparently we arrived 20 minutes too early for lunch (lunch buffet begins at 11am on weekdays, but apparently not until 12pm on Saturday and Sunday). Realizing that the restaurant was not yet open we were prepared to go off and kill some time elsewhere, but this wound up being unnecessary as one of the friendly restaurateurs noticed our plight and let us in early. We were promptly seated at our booth with a smile and two glasses of water. After setting the carafe down on the table as well we were furthermore offered buttered or unbuttered naan in addition to tandoori chicken. I wasn't sure how much this extra food would add to the $7.95 per person lunch buffet price, but decided to spring for both the naan and the chicken since this was my sister's first Indian food outing. As it turned out, both were included in the price of lunch! Since we arrived at opening time (or really, before opening time) we were expecting the buffet food to be warm and fresh and we were not disappointed! Everything was ridiculously well-spiced and delicious. If you are afraid of spicy food, proceed with caution, but for us it was perfect. My sister at one point during our meal remarked, "I wish I could go tell my past self that I LOVE INDIAN FOOD!" She also downed most of the basket of naan and raved about the chicken. The mattar paneer was also a standout hit. The only thing that I didn't love was the "cham cham" dessert (much too sweet for me), but otherwise I was very impressed with everything. Now that my sister has also seen the light we are already conspiring to get our parents to go back here with us. If you have any interest at all in Indian food in general or in this restaurant in particular, I would highly recommend the lunch buffet. It is a good opportunity to sample many different things and to just get an overall great meal with friendly service.
(5)
Jay N.
Having a $7.95 lunch buffet on weekends is a pretty good option if you can't get here during the week. Despite a pretty full parking lot based on the other shops in the strip mall, it's definitely worth the trip. Seating is pretty standard with paper table cloth on top of their normal ones. The buffet is pretty big. There is a standard salad and carb options at the beginning. They had white rice, uttapam, and vegetable pulao. I liked that their tikka masala was with paneer. The chana masala was quite tasty. The murgh makhani was definitely distinct from their curry chicken. In addition to these, they serve naan and tandoori chicken at your table based on the number of people. Overall, a place I'd return to for very good value.
(4)
Dan E.
I found this restaurant randomly when I checked out the strip mall they are located in. It looks like all the businesses are Indian and this piqued my curiosity. I called a friend in the area and he met me here. It was lunch time so the buffet was the obvious choice. It was only $7.95 and featured the usual Indian buffet items. The heat level was a little spicier than average but that's fine with me. The clientele at lunch time look like business types from the local area, drawn by a cheap and satisfying buffet. Bottom line: a buffet but it gets four stars because the heat level of the food was perfect for me.
(4)
Hardik S.
There is food, than there is good food and than there is DELICIOUS FOOD! Well Clay Oven has delicious food. The owners of this place go the extra mile to serve you. I personally love there yellow daal and onion kulcha. I have tried other options as well and they are all good too. I would definitely recommend this place. I am adding this place to my weekly outings! Yummy!
(5)
Ben Y.
Sorry, but my experience here was mediocre. Took my family here for the buffet. The food was luke warm, the sternos were not even on. Tandori chicken is no longer served table side, it is already made. Lamb curry was mostly bones. Only redeaming part of the meal was the freshly baked naan served straight from the oven. I'm saddened because this location was always my goto place* for Indian food. (*Past lives were Indian Garden & Raj Palace)
(2)
Prabodh M.
The only good thing about this restaurant is the price. I have been here a couple of times for lunch and had a disastrous experience to say the least! The food was stale and this is unacceptable for me. With plenty other Indian restaurants for option, I would never visit this one for whatever price they offer the lunch buffet!
(2)
Deep S.
I got food from here last week. The owner took care of me and the staff was great. The food is amazing and their prices are good. I called the owner in short notice and he took care of me. If you like great food overall then go to this place
(5)
Katrina M.
Went here for my first time trying Indian food. Food was delicious and the service was lovely! I love the chicken they give at lunch time. Very flavorful and it came to the table on a sizzling hot skillet I would definitely come back again when I'm in the area.
(4)
GoBears j.
Went there two days in a row. Saturday and Sunday. Lunch is fair price, at about $10, but refills on soft drinks are not free. Food is VERY good. But they don't get points for the dinnerware they use. Manager used to run Indian House restaurant 15 years ago, when it was at this same location, so they need more help. I would give them 5 points, but they don't sell liquor since they do not have a liquor license. Me and my wife were the only people there on Saturday night.
(4)
Rakesh K.
Great Place to eat Today I went there with my wife.I had great experience with food and service. The best gulab jamun i have ever had.Please try their dessert and garlic naan.
(3)
Pravar V.
If you are looking for a good north indian food like parantha, malai kofta or paneer, I would recommend you to try this place. The menu is fair priced with variety of things to try. My friends tried non vegetarian food and they loved it as well. Their buffet is cheap but a La carte is something you have to try.
(5)
Jasmine R.
Excellent! Malai kofta and paneer makhni were great! Came for dinner and got the chefs special. They have a vegetarian option and chicken option. I got the vegetarian option that comes with 2 entrees, dessert, naan, Samosa and rice, all for only $15! Service was fast and friendly. Would definitely recommend trying this place out.
(5)
Alyssa M.
We tried Clay Oven for the first time today and the food was delicious and the service was incredible! Our host was so informative and personable. He explained all of the dishes to us and brought us desserts that they had run out of on the buffet. It is high quality, flavorful food and friendly staff that truly excel in customer service. I will definitely be back!
(5)
Manju S.
To start with their lunch buffet is 7.95 so you get what you pay for . We found the non vegetarian dishes to be decent but not extraordinary . The Tandoori is American style which makes it bland for Indian taste. The deserts were not that impressive with over cooked jamoon and mango custard with bad lichi or fruits in it . They don't carry a lot of Non veg dishes but looked like to have veg dishes . You could always drop by for a casual eat out .
(3)
Nisha P.
Food is awesome, service is awesome. Feels really good to be in a place where they respect you as a customer, take good care of you and on top serve you well. Food here is like heaven on hearth. Specially there sweet lassi and bhindi masala with Tandoori roti! The spices used cleared out all my sinuses. Highly recommend this place to anyone. Indian or not.
(5)
Jas S.
Went for lunch buffet on a weekday with friend and had real bad experience. Tandoori chicken is part of buffet but you need to ask for it to be served and it arrives after 20 mins and that too partially cooked. There was only one guy to serve and he was busy on phone all the time, I had to get up three times from chair look for him and request for more naan, water. Food was just ok but service was pathetic. Will not go again.
(1)
Pondo S.
Came for the lunch buffet around 1:00 PM- its a nightmare.. they had no rice, no pakoras, no butter chicken.. I had to wait for them to add rice and waited 10 minutes for the butter chicken which tasted off- I scraped the chicken and noticed it was red- meaning it was old tandoori chicken. The only items they had ready to go were the carrots, potatoes and - Eggs.. Freaking hard bolied eggs in sauce! No kofta to go with it.. it was the worst experience I ever had in a desi place.. stay away.
(1)
M M.
Very friendly service and the food is tasty. I especially love the moong dal. The sweet lassi and mango lassi are both delicious and the garlic naan is awesome. Definitely recommend. They have a great lunch buffet too for a very reasonable price and large variety of options!
(5)
Richard C.
this place offers cheapest indian buffet period, the place is located in stripmall, and rather looks small from outside. but theres plenty of sitting inside. price: i think it was 7.95 + tax + drinks for lunch buffet, cant beat that. food: -curries: honestly, there are not many selection of food, but they were all pretty tasty. -naan: bread was little chewier and denser than ones i am used to but still fresh out of oven good! -tandoori: they give you hot chicken on sizzling plate which is awesome. but i did not like that chicken pieces were undistinguishable (i didnt know if they were dark or white meat until i bit into it and they were all dark meat). and they were really big for a chicken. i suspect they may be turkey.. lol. overall, even though chicken was served hot and sizzling, i did not like them. curries were pretty good, and everything else was okay to good. not the best indian food but if you are low on budget, this might be a decent choice for indian buffet.
(3)
Luci W.
I decided to give this place a try. As I went in, the woman show me where to sit but I wasn't sure who is our waiter or waitress. Somehow another couple arrive after us and they given water first instead of us until the waiter notice us. Ugh. Really! So went to the buffet section. The food was pretty good. I guess this is what you pay for to get this kind of service. The food was spicier and I love it but I ask the waiter if I can have a pitcher of water but the waiter just misunderstood me. Oh well!
(3)
Becky F.
I was very disappointed with my meal at Clay Oven. I talked my daughter and son-in-law into a 45 minute drive from their house to this restaurant, because of all the rave reviews here on yelp. And the price was right. I called ahead and found out that for the Mother's Day brunch, because there would be a bigger selection, that instead of the $7.95 buffet, it would be $9.95. That's fine, that's at least what I pay elsewhere for the every-day buffet. Price wasn't an issue at all. The food itself was very disappointing. Every dish was either way too spicy (and that's saying a lot, because I eat very spicy foods often), or very bland, or in the case of the tandoori chicken, very dry. Even the naan wasn't comparable at all to any other Indian restaurant I've been to. The only things that were any good were the rice (plain and some other kind, not the same as I've ever had elsewhere) and the mango lassi (which was also quite a novelty with my grandkids, because it was a mango lassi fountain). The two stars that I've given it are for it's cleanliness and for the very friendly wait staff (didn't have a lot of contact with them, since it was buffet, but they were very friendly when there was conversation). I sort of jokingly told my daughter that this experience is really proof that "you can't believe everything you read on the internet". I guess in reality, it's to each his own.
(2)
Nila S.
Definitely a place I would recommend to anyone. They have great food. I loves there daal and onion kulcha. They also have amazing mango and pista kulfi. This is my first review on yelp so I m really excited to write it and give credit where credit is due!!! :-)
(5)
Dan C.
I think I have eaten at every Indian restaurant in the Schaumburg area but the Clay Oven tops them all. The tandoori chicken is to die for. Service was friendly and efficient.
(5)
Tiffany H.
Great Indian food, nice decor, and pleasant service. My husband and I came here and we were impressed with the quality of food. The chicken tikka was very good, the naan stuffed with onions and spinach was very tasty. And they were nice enough to make a cauliflower and potato dish for us that was not fried, and tasted excellent. Definitely try this restaurant!
(5)
Samuel H.
This was a fantastic restaurant. The owner was incredibly friendly and helped find us great dishes. The food was excellent and very reasonably priced. A must go! Its a bit hidden in the shopping center but well worth it!
(5)
Yav A.
I was craving Indian food while shopping for groceries and decided to go to Clay Oven. Their buffet was only for $7.95 per person which by the way is kind of unheard of these days. It was filled with a majority of vegetarian items with a couple of meat items such as butter chicken and a Punjabi chicken korma. Also, included in the buffet are naan and tandoori chicken. Soft drinks not included in the buffet price. For the value, it's the best bang for the buck. All of the items in the buffet were tasty.Service was good. I would like to go and order some entrees of the Clay Oven Menu. Glad it's there and will be stopping by more often in the future.
(4)
Kelvin T.
This restaurant is back in the Spring Valley Plaza, at the corner of E Schaumburg Rd and Plum Grove Rd. I only mention this since the restaurant has only been around for a few months and some map services don't pinpoint the location exactly right. The decor is nice, with blue lighting providing a pleasant atmosphere. The restaurant was clean and service was attentive (although it was not busy at the time of the visit). The menu is extensive, with more items listed than are on the online website. The items ordered were a couple selections of bread: garlic naan, and roti; tandoori shrimp; and the vegetarian dinner which consisted of a pakora, 2 vegetarian entrees of your choice, rice, raita, naan, and gulab jamun for dessert. The breads ordered were a very good value, hot, crisp, and delicious. The shrimp were medium sized and tasted wonderful, but I would probably opt for a different menu item in the future that is a better value. The vegetarian dinner was a great value, allowing the selection of any 2 vegetarian entrees (aloo gobhi and vegetable jalfrezi were chosen) and coming with a large variety of dishes. Everything was hot, fresh, and tasted great! I have only visited 2 other Indian restaurants at the time of writing this review, but Clay Oven has come out on the top of my list thus far. I would definitely come back for a future visit when having a craving for Indian cuisine!
(5)
Mable S.
I've been trying all of the Indian restaurants in the Schaumburg area and this has to be my favorite. The service was phenomenal and so was the food. I had vegetarian samosa, saag gosht, kheer, chili chicken, and garlic naan and it was all delicious. The best part, is that many of the surrounding restaurants are a little pricey, this place has great prices. My husband and I ate here for less than $35. This will become one of our regular restaurants.
(5)
M P.
Had dinner here and both service and food were great. We had chicken tikka masala, dal makhani, paneer pakora, and bread - everything was very good.
(4)
Michaelynn R.
We were so happy to find some familiar faces at the Clay Oven. We used to be regulars at the Indian Garden which was located in this same spot. In their hey-day they were the best. Guess what, this new place is as good or better! We were greeted at the door by an old friend from years ago which was the first of many enjoyable experiences. The buffet is wonderful for lunch. Tons of variety with both veggie and meat dishes. The tandori chicken was wonderful, the baingan bartha was very good and not too spicy. My husband tried something new a dish with bitter melon and it was good too, yes, it did live up to it's name, but the bitterness added another layer of depth to the flavor. As we were talking to the staff, I mentioned that my favorite dish was sag paneer and guess what, a small dish was brought out to us. Of course, it was fantastic. I wouldn't expect special things from the kitchen during the lunch buffet, but what a wonderful level of service. I would highly recommend that you give the Clay Oven a try, you'll be glad you did. If you remember how good the old place was back in the day, you'll be so pleased to experience the new.
(5)
r k.
Awesome Awesome food!!!! We were here on vacation from Detroit..and honestly this is as good as it gets. The food is very authentic...and very tasty may I add...the staff amazing! Def. gets a 5 Star Rating from me!!!!
(5)
Scott K.
Gopal is the manager and he took great care of us. Hot, delicious food. Perfectly seasoned. Great service and prices. We'll definitely go back. I highly recommend it. I didn't even know what to order, so I let him choose for me. It was awesome.
(5)
Henry T.
After a long day of doing yard work, my wife and I decided to reward ourselves with Indian food for dinner so I went on yelp to find a reasonable priced with highest ratings in the Schaumburg area and so here we came. When we walked in, the lighting was ambient with the blue lighting and it is a pretty cozy place. I was very satisfied with the food. After waiting for only five minutes, we had our butter chicken and saag paneer and it was cooked just right, not greasy, oily, or fattening. The chicken was cut to the correct small bite size pieces so that you're not just tasting only plain chicken (some other restaurants cut their chicken size way too large) but you're enjoying the overall dish. As a matter of fact, the tomato sauce is tasty and creamy and you don't even taste the tomatoes. This is a good dish if you're eating something else that's really spicy. Also, the naan was perfected because it came out of the "clay oven" piping hot to the point where it burns your fingers if hold it for more than three seconds. It's more soft and chewy on the inside and a bit crispy and slightly charred on the outside. I'd definitely recommend the garlic naan and the onion naan. The other main thing besides food was the service. We had a server who knew how to make you feel comfortable and create a very welcoming atmosphere. It seemed like he actually enjoyed working there. I have been to other Indian restaurants were the server didn't care about the customers and just wanted to get the day over with. He gave us free mango sherbet dessert for giving him good compliments about his service. I'm going to give this restaurant a try when my friends from out of town are visiting here and try out their $7.95 lunch buffet that they have seven days a week, as the server mentioned.
(5)
Jay N.
Having a $7.95 lunch buffet on weekends is a pretty good option if you can't get here during the week. Despite a pretty full parking lot based on the other shops in the strip mall, it's definitely worth the trip. Seating is pretty standard with paper table cloth on top of their normal ones. The buffet is pretty big. There is a standard salad and carb options at the beginning. They had white rice, uttapam, and vegetable pulao. I liked that their tikka masala was with paneer. The chana masala was quite tasty. The murgh makhani was definitely distinct from their curry chicken. In addition to these, they serve naan and tandoori chicken at your table based on the number of people. Overall, a place I'd return to for very good value.
(4)
Daniel B.
I will not suggest anyone to go to this restaurant. 3 things that happened for me today when i went for lunch buffet 1) They served egg biryani, i found an egg shell in that 2) Mutter Paneer- Gone bad, it was literally smelling. I don't know how they didn't notice it. 3) Gulab Jamun- some ingredient in Gulab Jamun went bad and it tasted really bad. Don't ask me about the smell. On top of all that when i complained about this to the guy who was managing, he didn't even care. And they charged me $10 for this worst lunch. I am never going there again.
(1)
Matt M.
I was very impressed with this place. I was really in the mood for Indian food and popped in for the lunch buffet and was really glad I did. The dishes were fresh, hot, and delicious. The service was impeccable. The facility clean and inviting. They bring you naan after you sit down and are getting your plate. They have a lot of really good/classic options. I can only fault them for the their lack of meat dishes. They had only one chicken dish. I understand its a cost effectiveness, but I'm sure many people would be willing and able to shell out a couple more bucks for a couple more meat lovers indian options during their buffet. But again, it was very good.
(4)
Dan E.
I found this restaurant randomly when I checked out the strip mall they are located in. It looks like all the businesses are Indian and this piqued my curiosity. I called a friend in the area and he met me here. It was lunch time so the buffet was the obvious choice. It was only $7.95 and featured the usual Indian buffet items. The heat level was a little spicier than average but that's fine with me. The clientele at lunch time look like business types from the local area, drawn by a cheap and satisfying buffet. Bottom line: a buffet but it gets four stars because the heat level of the food was perfect for me.
(4)
Hardik S.
There is food, than there is good food and than there is DELICIOUS FOOD! Well Clay Oven has delicious food. The owners of this place go the extra mile to serve you. I personally love there yellow daal and onion kulcha. I have tried other options as well and they are all good too. I would definitely recommend this place. I am adding this place to my weekly outings! Yummy!
(5)
Deep S.
I got food from here last week. The owner took care of me and the staff was great. The food is amazing and their prices are good. I called the owner in short notice and he took care of me. If you like great food overall then go to this place
(5)
Katrina M.
Went here for my first time trying Indian food. Food was delicious and the service was lovely! I love the chicken they give at lunch time. Very flavorful and it came to the table on a sizzling hot skillet I would definitely come back again when I'm in the area.
(4)
Mable S.
I've been trying all of the Indian restaurants in the Schaumburg area and this has to be my favorite. The service was phenomenal and so was the food. I had vegetarian samosa, saag gosht, kheer, chili chicken, and garlic naan and it was all delicious. The best part, is that many of the surrounding restaurants are a little pricey, this place has great prices. My husband and I ate here for less than $35. This will become one of our regular restaurants.
(5)
M P.
Had dinner here and both service and food were great. We had chicken tikka masala, dal makhani, paneer pakora, and bread - everything was very good.
(4)
Kimsy S.
What better way to celebrate the end of a fabulous half-day of work than to treat myself to an Indian buffet for lunch? My go-to for Indian buffet is India House, which is great, but I wanted to try something different (and more affordable). So after searching and reading the reviews on Yelp, I made my way to Clay Oven. I felt welcome from the moment I stepped inside. The servers were friendly and helpful. The decor is lovely without being over the top. Lots of delicious food: butter chicken, vegetable curries, spring rolls, rice pudding, dough balls, all of it was lovely. And a deal at $8 (not including drink, taxes, and tip, of course, but still---much healthier and cheaper than McDonald's)! I know where I'm going when I'm craving all-you-can-eat curry! :-)
(4)
Nelson M.
Restaurant Review Low cost Indian buffet! 1+ star for the low cost of 7.95 for lunch without drinks. The food was about 3 star. After Himalaya closed down, we have been looking for another option for Indian lunch buffet. After reading the last review by Fred, I was looking forward to giving it a try. We showed up at 1230 and there was only a few tables seated. This just meant more food for us. The server/manager was nice and brought a pitcher of water. There was a veggie samosa and veggie pakora which was unfortunately cool. There was a big tray of tandori chicken. Two types of chicken with one being the "butter chicken" which is shreds of chicken resembling chicken tikki masala. The veggie options were okay, some had chick peas. No paneer though. Plenty of seating and the dessert was the brown sugar dough ball and rice pudding which were made well. The food itself was not too spicy and the naan was top notch! Always fresh and plentiful. Pro- Low cost, quick food. Con- cool to the touch veggie pakora, no paneer spinach items Hidden deals- none
(4)
Katie M.
A great place for their lunch buffet! I stopped in Sunday afternoon and it was very quiet. It was my boyfriend and I and only a few other patrons, mostly sitting by themselves with Bollywood music videos playing on a tv. The selection was pretty great, and pretty tasty. They also bring out a basket full of naan and a sizzling plate of chicken. A great deal!
(4)
Barbra F.
This place was really empty on a Tuesday at lunch time. They do have a buffet which makes my heart happy. I love to be able to try a little of this and a little of that. The food was good. The staff was pleasant. The price was good. I read some reviews saying the lunch buffet was under $8. Nope, it is $9.35 or something like that. Still a good deal.
(3)
Filip N.
Amazing food and people welcoming you. If you wondered how great food should taste, look no further. I come here every week and every time is better than the last. Great vegetarian and vegan choices. Every thing that comes out of the kitchen is made fresh.
(5)
Phil P.
I am usually fairly easy to please. Just deliver what I order, do it in a respectable time, make sure the portions are fair, and DON'T DECEIVE ME! I ordered take out from here recently, as I have many times in the past. I will say their tandoori chicken is pretty good, as is their chicken biryani. So, I called in my order for pick up and was told it would be ready in twenty minutes. I showed up a half hour later and was told, "it's almost ready." No worries, I'm patient. My food comes out in a brown paper bag, I pay, and head home, famished and awaiting the moment I can get at it. I get home, open the bag, and see that they gave me only 5 pieces of tandoori chicken as a full-order, when it should have been 8. I called them back, and the "manager" apologized and asked me to come back with the order, which wasn't going to happen. If you order takeout, I would suggest checking the order before you leave.
(3)
Vishal B.
We were one of two tables on this particular night. The dining room could use a remodel, not that its disheveled or dirty, but could use a fresh designer's touch. we ordered a chili paneer which came out on one of those sizzling hot plates. That item was actually quite good! the paneer and veggies were seasoned well and not too oily. The paneer makhani on the other hand was meh... if i feel that i can make it better at home then why go out to eat? The tandoor is the highlight, if you come here to eat, order off the tandoor menu and you'll be good! I also think take out would be a smart idea.
(2)
Sarah S.
All you can eat Indian buffet for $7.95 for lunch! Their lunch buffet is from 11am-3pm Monday through Friday and 12-3pm on the weekends. The buffet has a good array of options with and without meat plus some dessert options. I know they had Chicken Tikka Masala and Butter Chicken, both of which were very tasty. A special touch at Clay Oven is they bring out the Tandoori Chicken to your table sizzling and fresh to you. We all Ooohed and Aaahed and dug right in. Delicious chicken. They had a couple of desserts including Gulab Jamun which was enjoyable. I'm not an Indian food aficionado by any stretch of the imagination however I found all the food to be very tasty (as did my coworkers) and the price is right. It wasn't overly busy for a weekday afternoon but had a good showing of people.
(4)
Roxy S.
Our first experience here was beyond exceptional. We were the first to arrive at noon, so the buffet was hot and fresh. The wait staff were very friendly and attentive. The owner was present and also made an effort to come around and ask us how our food tasted. The environment was clean and brightly lit, and very child-friendly. The food was delicious and had just the right amount of heat to it. The price for the lunch buffet was extremely reasonable and we plan on taking family and friends here in the future! So glad this (re)opened! Hope it stays!
(5)
Sagar K.
Decent food. Nothing too great about the quality of chicken/lamb curry I had there. Although the tandoori was good, the rest of the item were only okay.
(3)
Michael M.
OMG! Excellent food and excellent "movie star" service. Food was delicious ! I highly recommend this place. I took away a star because the bathroom was unkept and dirty. Clean bathroom is key!
(4)
Satyam C.
Bland. Went in for dinner on Sunday night and we were the only ones there. Started with chicken pakora mad they tasted expired. The batter was lacking any flavor and tasted like saw dust. We went with the non vegetarian platter. I drool for good tandoori chicken. No flavor and was dry and rubbery. The kabob was actually over flavored with salt. The chicken tikka was also dry. The only saving grace was the butter chicken. That's why it was 2 stars instead of 1. It wasn't great but it was edible. The worst part was that the servers didn't even know the menu. Overall, everything tasted like it was pulled off the afternoon buffet line and served for dinner. Not sure if they have a buffet on Sunday's even. Hmmmmmm.
(2)
Orzo R.
Never use Clay Oven for catering. He came 3 hours late and ruined our party. Guests were hungry and some people left without eating. Horrible!
(1)
Sujay V.
I was in a pinch. Had a function at work and told people I'd bring samosas. But this far from Devon and tons of mixed reviews...I figured I'd give this place a shot being a stone's throw away from me. Answering what was probably their first phone call of the morning, whoever answered sounded nervous at first, but then yelled to some other employees in the background that I needed 40 samosas by 1 that afternoon. By the time I went to pick them up, they were still hot, he threw in some papad as a bonus, and had everything tightly wrapped so nothing would spill. They were pretty good too, but excellent service. Will be back to dine in some time!
(4)
Dave C.
Pretty less than average Indian Food. Not everything on the menu is always available. Choice of beverage is limited. The biriyani is quite bad. Lamb and chicken preparations tasted stale and probably been heated up too many times. Disappointing evening dinner.
(1)
Mel M.
I rate this a 3.5. Only because this is the second Indian restaurant I've been to. Ordered about two entrees and some extra naan. Came out to be $30. Just make sure to review your receipt before you pay. There was a $1 discrepancy but it was fixed. (I know small but still) Walking in there's a line of seats for waiting area, kind of slow on a Sunday night. Nobody at tables but it's probably more of a take out place unless you come for the lunch buffet special. Dinner tables and booths set nice. There's a bar. What I ordered: Chicken biryani: a little kick to it. Pieces of chicken with rice and peas. Flavor was good. Garlic naan: loved it just enough garlic. Samosas veggie: wasn't too excited about these. Maybe I'll try the beef ones next time. A little too spicy for me. Filled with potato and peas. Chicken sheekh kebab: this was alright wasn't as good compared to Shan foods on Sheridan in Chicago. Looked a little plain to sight but taste was ok. FYI Also came with complimentary basmati white rice. Came with yogurt sauce, a sweet red one and a green sauce which tasted like cilantro and some other herbs. Don't know the names. I Guess I would come here again if I can't find another restaurant around the Des plaines/Schaumburg area.
(3)
Rishi G.
Best lunch buffet in schaumburg area under 10 dollar and it's family own business they all so nice with service also
(5)
Nicole P.
WORST restaurant experience of my life! The dish I ordered was made completely different from the place I normally order from. Thought I would try something a little closer. Bad idea! I placed my pick up order and told the man over the phone that I was unable to pull up the menu, I asked if they had the dish I wanted and they did. So I ordered it and went to pick it up. When I ordered I asked if I could get jasmine rice as well. I went to get my food. The man was not friendly at all but I didn't think much of it. Just took my food and went back to work to eat it. I opened the food and poured it on the rice. I took one bite and realized that it was practically ALL onion. I HATE onions!!!!! The dish at other Indian restaurants did not have a TON of onions. I could not eat it. So I called and told him I do not like it because there were way too many onions. He was rude but eventually said they would remake it. This is where the fun begins!!!! So I take my food (now in one container because I poured it on the rice) back to the restaurant. I walk in and he immediately starts being rude. He laughs at me and tells me this is my fault because I didn't say no onions, and I should have seen it on the menu. I explained I couldn't pull up the menu, he then got 2 inches from my face and started yelling at me so hard he was spitting on my face! He told me I ate the food because it was only in one container and where was the other container huh! He went to the back yelling and screaming. Came back with the dish and practically threw it at me. I said I needed rice and he once again got in my face and screamed at me. Then proceeded to go to the kitchen and come back with a Dixie cup of rice! I put my food down and said this is a joke! And went to walk out. A customer looked at me and asked me what was going on. I explained to him what happened. I went to leave and the manager chased me out of the restaurant yelling and screaming. WOW! all because I asked for no onions!!! I cannot even believe this happened to me! Worst customer service EVER!! I would not recommend this place to my worst enemy!
(1)
A W M.
Had dinner. Tried it in spite of some reviews on Yelp. They start by Papadum and sauce; great flavor. Ordered Butter Chicken, Karahi Chicken, rice (have to order rice separately - not included with the dishes) and Naan. Loved all of it. Excellent flavor and good quantities. Have tried Butter chicken at many restaurants; this was one of the very best. Have heard they have good Chicken Tikka masala - will try it next time. Decor is good; not a hole in the wall. The waiter was the owner. Very courteous. Overall very good experience. 4 stars for the service and decor; 5 stars for the food.
(5)
Allison K.
We walked into the Clay Oven & the place was completely empty at 11:15am. But I saw the buffets were just being brought out! The food was streaming out of the kitchen, fresh & hot & I was inebriated with the delicious smells of lentils & curries & tandoori! I filled my plate to the brim and ran to sit at my table and chow. Just as I was eating Saag and curry with lentils, the owner brought steamy samosas and buttered Naan. I felt totally engrossed in this mixture of flavors that I traveled far away from wherever I was just before. I found myself in food Nirvana. Seriously, I'm going back on another day, really early, when the place is empty and at least an hour free.
(5)
HK A.
Good fast service, and good fresh food. All nice people. I've been coming here for a very long time and all I can say is this is the best choice of a restaurant to eat at if ur feeling like having a quick bite to eat. Friendly atmosphere and very welcoming
(5)
Dorothy P.
I have a secret (or not so secret) obsession with Indian food, spicy Indian food to be more specific. Clay Oven over delivers on both fronts. My coworkers and I had a simultaneous hankering for some serious Indian eats, so I let Yelp do the talking (of course) and found that Clay Oven was pretty close to our office. Their $7.95 lunch buffet offers a nice variety of dishes that are a little more spicy than many other buffets that I've tried (and I count this as a good thing). I didn't realize that my dining companions were spice averse, but they agreed that Clay Oven walks that fine line between spicy and "oh my gosh, the insides of my mouth are melting." I say that there's enough spice in their dishes to warm my belly and put a smile on my face, but I'm pretty sure my stomach came with a fireproof lining (so don't take my word for it). Also worth noting, one of my coworkers is vegetarian, and she still felt like she was going to have a food baby because their offerings include quite a few veg friendly dishes. My two favorite dishes were the saag and the goat curry (with naan; I chose not to fill up my stomach with rice). The samosas were pretty delicious too, as was their green mystery sauce (I'm not sure what it was, but it was sort of spicy & herby...and I put it on their potatoes as well as on the salad). I'd say skip on the overly cheesy gulab jamin, however. I will definitely be getting my next Indian food fix from Clay Oven!
(4)
Chris Z.
5 stars for fair priced lunch buffet. On a Monday? Are you kidding me? Chili chicken Butter chicken Chicken curry Lamb curry I'm just glad the owner isn't a Pakistani. Pakistani people have ruined Indian food. Indian food service is not a convenience store. It is a privilege. If you want poop Indian food, go to the paki run Indian restaurants on devon. Except viceroy and Abu ruchi
(5)
Talha F.
Things I found questionable: 1) Appearance of restaurant made us uncomfortable, the place seemed dingy, outdated and seats and tables were in poor condition. 2) Food tasted stale, was presented poorly, and lacked the flavor that you'd expect from indian food. (I'm an indian, so I eat this cuisine often) 3). Our waiter was the owner, who didn't know if they used zabiha meat, made poor recommendations and took significant time in checking on us, bringing the food, taking our check, etc (the place had 2 other customers) We went here based on the reviews but were most disappointed as this was one of the poorest experiences we've ever had.
(1)
Phil S.
At first I was: Yay! Cheap lunch buffet! Then I was: Well, you get what you pay for. The butter chicken is extra dry because they use yesterday's tandoori chicken. The chicken was a bright red under the yellow sauce. The lamb was all gristle. The paneer was scarce. All in all, exactly what you'd expect from a $7.95 lunch buffet. On the plus side, unfluffy and grainy naan as well as a sizzling platter of tandoori is included with the meal so basically you get almost everything you would at a more expensive place such as India House but at an expected lower quality for almost half the price. If you're on a budget and you're craving some Indian then this is the place to gorge but just like an OCB, don't expect too much. It's great for what it is.
(3)
Ayaz S.
The food was excellent, the chicken makhni is the best I had ever and the service was a 5 star,
(5)
sanjeev N.
I'm surprised about so many positive reviews. May be it's just the day I went it was below average or this is the standard is a question I have. After reading raving reviews about this place for a much cheaper price for buffet, wife and I wanted to check this place out. Went on a Saturday for weekend buffet. All the dishes were below average. Tandoori chicken was like fried chicken with so much oil on it and salt. Fail. Butter chicken and chicken curry had chicken with some chemical smell, I won't even take a chance. You get what you pay for is what I thought when getting out of the place. I ain't going back.
(1)
Rohan V.
Awesome food. Ask for Dal makhani dhaba style. You will love it. Best food in Schaumburg area. And the staff is super friendly.
(5)
Avinash K.
Went for lunch buffet. Food was really ordinary - except for decent tandoori chicken and half decent butter chicken. Options are limited and bread to order - service was so-so. The only reason I gave one extra star to make it three because their Gulab Jamun was sweet and soft. It was perfect. Other than that - not much to say. I really really cannot see how this place has got good reviews. It is not authentic Indian food FYI. It was a disappointment.
(3)
Conor G.
Decent selection and reasonably good quality on most of the items. They also had what I consider to be the essential desserts, kheer and gulab jamun. Points off for not having basmati rice, just plain steamed white rice, and no biryani. Still looks the same as it did when Indian Garden was in this space, but it's seen better days.
(3)
Ben Y.
Sorry, but my experience here was mediocre. Took my family here for the buffet. The food was luke warm, the sternos were not even on. Tandori chicken is no longer served table side, it is already made. Lamb curry was mostly bones. Only redeaming part of the meal was the freshly baked naan served straight from the oven. I'm saddened because this location was always my goto place* for Indian food. (*Past lives were Indian Garden & Raj Palace)
(2)
Prabodh M.
The only good thing about this restaurant is the price. I have been here a couple of times for lunch and had a disastrous experience to say the least! The food was stale and this is unacceptable for me. With plenty other Indian restaurants for option, I would never visit this one for whatever price they offer the lunch buffet!
(2)
Elana K.
Living in Schaumburg as I do, I've always felt it a terrible waste that I have never been to any of the many certainly fine Indian restaurants in the area. Though I have eaten Indian food a few times, I myself am basically an Indian food novice and my family has tended to be Indian food phobic, so it has been a hard sell. Based on the favorable reviews here on Yelp, I have especially had my eye on Clay Oven for a while, and today I finally got my sister to stop in here with me! Our outstanding lunch experience began with us trying to get in the front door. Apparently we arrived 20 minutes too early for lunch (lunch buffet begins at 11am on weekdays, but apparently not until 12pm on Saturday and Sunday). Realizing that the restaurant was not yet open we were prepared to go off and kill some time elsewhere, but this wound up being unnecessary as one of the friendly restaurateurs noticed our plight and let us in early. We were promptly seated at our booth with a smile and two glasses of water. After setting the carafe down on the table as well we were furthermore offered buttered or unbuttered naan in addition to tandoori chicken. I wasn't sure how much this extra food would add to the $7.95 per person lunch buffet price, but decided to spring for both the naan and the chicken since this was my sister's first Indian food outing. As it turned out, both were included in the price of lunch! Since we arrived at opening time (or really, before opening time) we were expecting the buffet food to be warm and fresh and we were not disappointed! Everything was ridiculously well-spiced and delicious. If you are afraid of spicy food, proceed with caution, but for us it was perfect. My sister at one point during our meal remarked, "I wish I could go tell my past self that I LOVE INDIAN FOOD!" She also downed most of the basket of naan and raved about the chicken. The mattar paneer was also a standout hit. The only thing that I didn't love was the "cham cham" dessert (much too sweet for me), but otherwise I was very impressed with everything. Now that my sister has also seen the light we are already conspiring to get our parents to go back here with us. If you have any interest at all in Indian food in general or in this restaurant in particular, I would highly recommend the lunch buffet. It is a good opportunity to sample many different things and to just get an overall great meal with friendly service.
(5)
GoBears j.
Went there two days in a row. Saturday and Sunday. Lunch is fair price, at about $10, but refills on soft drinks are not free. Food is VERY good. But they don't get points for the dinnerware they use. Manager used to run Indian House restaurant 15 years ago, when it was at this same location, so they need more help. I would give them 5 points, but they don't sell liquor since they do not have a liquor license. Me and my wife were the only people there on Saturday night.
(4)
Rakesh K.
Great Place to eat Today I went there with my wife.I had great experience with food and service. The best gulab jamun i have ever had.Please try their dessert and garlic naan.
(3)
Pravar V.
If you are looking for a good north indian food like parantha, malai kofta or paneer, I would recommend you to try this place. The menu is fair priced with variety of things to try. My friends tried non vegetarian food and they loved it as well. Their buffet is cheap but a La carte is something you have to try.
(5)
Jasmine R.
Excellent! Malai kofta and paneer makhni were great! Came for dinner and got the chefs special. They have a vegetarian option and chicken option. I got the vegetarian option that comes with 2 entrees, dessert, naan, Samosa and rice, all for only $15! Service was fast and friendly. Would definitely recommend trying this place out.
(5)
Alyssa M.
We tried Clay Oven for the first time today and the food was delicious and the service was incredible! Our host was so informative and personable. He explained all of the dishes to us and brought us desserts that they had run out of on the buffet. It is high quality, flavorful food and friendly staff that truly excel in customer service. I will definitely be back!
(5)
Manju S.
To start with their lunch buffet is 7.95 so you get what you pay for . We found the non vegetarian dishes to be decent but not extraordinary . The Tandoori is American style which makes it bland for Indian taste. The deserts were not that impressive with over cooked jamoon and mango custard with bad lichi or fruits in it . They don't carry a lot of Non veg dishes but looked like to have veg dishes . You could always drop by for a casual eat out .
(3)
Nisha P.
Food is awesome, service is awesome. Feels really good to be in a place where they respect you as a customer, take good care of you and on top serve you well. Food here is like heaven on hearth. Specially there sweet lassi and bhindi masala with Tandoori roti! The spices used cleared out all my sinuses. Highly recommend this place to anyone. Indian or not.
(5)
Jas S.
Went for lunch buffet on a weekday with friend and had real bad experience. Tandoori chicken is part of buffet but you need to ask for it to be served and it arrives after 20 mins and that too partially cooked. There was only one guy to serve and he was busy on phone all the time, I had to get up three times from chair look for him and request for more naan, water. Food was just ok but service was pathetic. Will not go again.
(1)
Pondo S.
Came for the lunch buffet around 1:00 PM- its a nightmare.. they had no rice, no pakoras, no butter chicken.. I had to wait for them to add rice and waited 10 minutes for the butter chicken which tasted off- I scraped the chicken and noticed it was red- meaning it was old tandoori chicken. The only items they had ready to go were the carrots, potatoes and - Eggs.. Freaking hard bolied eggs in sauce! No kofta to go with it.. it was the worst experience I ever had in a desi place.. stay away.
(1)
M M.
Very friendly service and the food is tasty. I especially love the moong dal. The sweet lassi and mango lassi are both delicious and the garlic naan is awesome. Definitely recommend. They have a great lunch buffet too for a very reasonable price and large variety of options!
(5)
Richard C.
this place offers cheapest indian buffet period, the place is located in stripmall, and rather looks small from outside. but theres plenty of sitting inside. price: i think it was 7.95 + tax + drinks for lunch buffet, cant beat that. food: -curries: honestly, there are not many selection of food, but they were all pretty tasty. -naan: bread was little chewier and denser than ones i am used to but still fresh out of oven good! -tandoori: they give you hot chicken on sizzling plate which is awesome. but i did not like that chicken pieces were undistinguishable (i didnt know if they were dark or white meat until i bit into it and they were all dark meat). and they were really big for a chicken. i suspect they may be turkey.. lol. overall, even though chicken was served hot and sizzling, i did not like them. curries were pretty good, and everything else was okay to good. not the best indian food but if you are low on budget, this might be a decent choice for indian buffet.
(3)
Luci W.
I decided to give this place a try. As I went in, the woman show me where to sit but I wasn't sure who is our waiter or waitress. Somehow another couple arrive after us and they given water first instead of us until the waiter notice us. Ugh. Really! So went to the buffet section. The food was pretty good. I guess this is what you pay for to get this kind of service. The food was spicier and I love it but I ask the waiter if I can have a pitcher of water but the waiter just misunderstood me. Oh well!
(3)
Becky F.
I was very disappointed with my meal at Clay Oven. I talked my daughter and son-in-law into a 45 minute drive from their house to this restaurant, because of all the rave reviews here on yelp. And the price was right. I called ahead and found out that for the Mother's Day brunch, because there would be a bigger selection, that instead of the $7.95 buffet, it would be $9.95. That's fine, that's at least what I pay elsewhere for the every-day buffet. Price wasn't an issue at all. The food itself was very disappointing. Every dish was either way too spicy (and that's saying a lot, because I eat very spicy foods often), or very bland, or in the case of the tandoori chicken, very dry. Even the naan wasn't comparable at all to any other Indian restaurant I've been to. The only things that were any good were the rice (plain and some other kind, not the same as I've ever had elsewhere) and the mango lassi (which was also quite a novelty with my grandkids, because it was a mango lassi fountain). The two stars that I've given it are for it's cleanliness and for the very friendly wait staff (didn't have a lot of contact with them, since it was buffet, but they were very friendly when there was conversation). I sort of jokingly told my daughter that this experience is really proof that "you can't believe everything you read on the internet". I guess in reality, it's to each his own.
(2)
Nila S.
Definitely a place I would recommend to anyone. They have great food. I loves there daal and onion kulcha. They also have amazing mango and pista kulfi. This is my first review on yelp so I m really excited to write it and give credit where credit is due!!! :-)
(5)
Dan C.
I think I have eaten at every Indian restaurant in the Schaumburg area but the Clay Oven tops them all. The tandoori chicken is to die for. Service was friendly and efficient.
(5)
Tiffany H.
Great Indian food, nice decor, and pleasant service. My husband and I came here and we were impressed with the quality of food. The chicken tikka was very good, the naan stuffed with onions and spinach was very tasty. And they were nice enough to make a cauliflower and potato dish for us that was not fried, and tasted excellent. Definitely try this restaurant!
(5)
Samuel H.
This was a fantastic restaurant. The owner was incredibly friendly and helped find us great dishes. The food was excellent and very reasonably priced. A must go! Its a bit hidden in the shopping center but well worth it!
(5)
Yav A.
I was craving Indian food while shopping for groceries and decided to go to Clay Oven. Their buffet was only for $7.95 per person which by the way is kind of unheard of these days. It was filled with a majority of vegetarian items with a couple of meat items such as butter chicken and a Punjabi chicken korma. Also, included in the buffet are naan and tandoori chicken. Soft drinks not included in the buffet price. For the value, it's the best bang for the buck. All of the items in the buffet were tasty.Service was good. I would like to go and order some entrees of the Clay Oven Menu. Glad it's there and will be stopping by more often in the future.
(4)
Kelvin T.
This restaurant is back in the Spring Valley Plaza, at the corner of E Schaumburg Rd and Plum Grove Rd. I only mention this since the restaurant has only been around for a few months and some map services don't pinpoint the location exactly right. The decor is nice, with blue lighting providing a pleasant atmosphere. The restaurant was clean and service was attentive (although it was not busy at the time of the visit). The menu is extensive, with more items listed than are on the online website. The items ordered were a couple selections of bread: garlic naan, and roti; tandoori shrimp; and the vegetarian dinner which consisted of a pakora, 2 vegetarian entrees of your choice, rice, raita, naan, and gulab jamun for dessert. The breads ordered were a very good value, hot, crisp, and delicious. The shrimp were medium sized and tasted wonderful, but I would probably opt for a different menu item in the future that is a better value. The vegetarian dinner was a great value, allowing the selection of any 2 vegetarian entrees (aloo gobhi and vegetable jalfrezi were chosen) and coming with a large variety of dishes. Everything was hot, fresh, and tasted great! I have only visited 2 other Indian restaurants at the time of writing this review, but Clay Oven has come out on the top of my list thus far. I would definitely come back for a future visit when having a craving for Indian cuisine!
(5)
Henry T.
After a long day of doing yard work, my wife and I decided to reward ourselves with Indian food for dinner so I went on yelp to find a reasonable priced with highest ratings in the Schaumburg area and so here we came. When we walked in, the lighting was ambient with the blue lighting and it is a pretty cozy place. I was very satisfied with the food. After waiting for only five minutes, we had our butter chicken and saag paneer and it was cooked just right, not greasy, oily, or fattening. The chicken was cut to the correct small bite size pieces so that you're not just tasting only plain chicken (some other restaurants cut their chicken size way too large) but you're enjoying the overall dish. As a matter of fact, the tomato sauce is tasty and creamy and you don't even taste the tomatoes. This is a good dish if you're eating something else that's really spicy. Also, the naan was perfected because it came out of the "clay oven" piping hot to the point where it burns your fingers if hold it for more than three seconds. It's more soft and chewy on the inside and a bit crispy and slightly charred on the outside. I'd definitely recommend the garlic naan and the onion naan. The other main thing besides food was the service. We had a server who knew how to make you feel comfortable and create a very welcoming atmosphere. It seemed like he actually enjoyed working there. I have been to other Indian restaurants were the server didn't care about the customers and just wanted to get the day over with. He gave us free mango sherbet dessert for giving him good compliments about his service. I'm going to give this restaurant a try when my friends from out of town are visiting here and try out their $7.95 lunch buffet that they have seven days a week, as the server mentioned.
(5)
Michaelynn R.
We were so happy to find some familiar faces at the Clay Oven. We used to be regulars at the Indian Garden which was located in this same spot. In their hey-day they were the best. Guess what, this new place is as good or better! We were greeted at the door by an old friend from years ago which was the first of many enjoyable experiences. The buffet is wonderful for lunch. Tons of variety with both veggie and meat dishes. The tandori chicken was wonderful, the baingan bartha was very good and not too spicy. My husband tried something new a dish with bitter melon and it was good too, yes, it did live up to it's name, but the bitterness added another layer of depth to the flavor. As we were talking to the staff, I mentioned that my favorite dish was sag paneer and guess what, a small dish was brought out to us. Of course, it was fantastic. I wouldn't expect special things from the kitchen during the lunch buffet, but what a wonderful level of service. I would highly recommend that you give the Clay Oven a try, you'll be glad you did. If you remember how good the old place was back in the day, you'll be so pleased to experience the new.
(5)
r k.
Awesome Awesome food!!!! We were here on vacation from Detroit..and honestly this is as good as it gets. The food is very authentic...and very tasty may I add...the staff amazing! Def. gets a 5 Star Rating from me!!!!
(5)
Scott K.
Gopal is the manager and he took great care of us. Hot, delicious food. Perfectly seasoned. Great service and prices. We'll definitely go back. I highly recommend it. I didn't even know what to order, so I let him choose for me. It was awesome.
(5)
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Address :855-57 E Schaumburg Rd
Schaumburg, IL, 60193
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Quiet Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
India is the birth place of Chicken Tikka Masala and Curries. Indian foods are prepared with a blend of finely mixed spices quite popular across the region. The spices develop the rich taste in Indian food enough to boggle your mind. The ever-increasing fan base of Indian food around the New York city is steadily increasing because of the large number of Indians who traveled to the land of dreams. The Indians also brought their very own vibrant, colorful, and aromatic authentic dishes for the people in the West. While most of the Indian population is Vegetarian, Indian food is great for people who are looking for vegan or vegetarian food option. If you are a Meat lover, don't get disappointed yet. Indian food also boasts of some popular non-vegetarian dishes too. Few examples are the famous Butter Chicken, Mutton Biryani and Tandoori Chicken are enough to satisfy your taste buds.
Indian food has gained reputation all over the world especially in the United States. You can find many places serving the appetizing Indian food across all major cities in the US. India is a diverse country with different food culture originated from different parts of the country. While the Northern region boasts tandoori dishes and korma offering royal taste, the Western Ghats offers sea foods that is made in naturally sweet tender coconut milk. The South Indian food servers a quality of different dishes made from rice accompanied with spicy chutneys, curries and famous sambhar. Also, the Indian sweets are a delight to relish. If you ever want to have a burst of sugar syrup in mouth, don't forget to try few Bengali Sweets. Be it spicy, tangy, or sweet flavor, you can find everything in the Indian cuisine. Be assured that the melody of spices will surely bring delight to you.
Dave C.
Pretty less than average Indian Food. Not everything on the menu is always available. Choice of beverage is limited. The biriyani is quite bad. Lamb and chicken preparations tasted stale and probably been heated up too many times. Disappointing evening dinner.
(1)Vishal B.
We were one of two tables on this particular night. The dining room could use a remodel, not that its disheveled or dirty, but could use a fresh designer's touch. we ordered a chili paneer which came out on one of those sizzling hot plates. That item was actually quite good! the paneer and veggies were seasoned well and not too oily. The paneer makhani on the other hand was meh... if i feel that i can make it better at home then why go out to eat? The tandoor is the highlight, if you come here to eat, order off the tandoor menu and you'll be good! I also think take out would be a smart idea.
(2)Katie M.
A great place for their lunch buffet! I stopped in Sunday afternoon and it was very quiet. It was my boyfriend and I and only a few other patrons, mostly sitting by themselves with Bollywood music videos playing on a tv. The selection was pretty great, and pretty tasty. They also bring out a basket full of naan and a sizzling plate of chicken. A great deal!
(4)Barbra F.
This place was really empty on a Tuesday at lunch time. They do have a buffet which makes my heart happy. I love to be able to try a little of this and a little of that. The food was good. The staff was pleasant. The price was good. I read some reviews saying the lunch buffet was under $8. Nope, it is $9.35 or something like that. Still a good deal.
(3)Phil P.
I am usually fairly easy to please. Just deliver what I order, do it in a respectable time, make sure the portions are fair, and DON'T DECEIVE ME! I ordered take out from here recently, as I have many times in the past. I will say their tandoori chicken is pretty good, as is their chicken biryani. So, I called in my order for pick up and was told it would be ready in twenty minutes. I showed up a half hour later and was told, "it's almost ready." No worries, I'm patient. My food comes out in a brown paper bag, I pay, and head home, famished and awaiting the moment I can get at it. I get home, open the bag, and see that they gave me only 5 pieces of tandoori chicken as a full-order, when it should have been 8. I called them back, and the "manager" apologized and asked me to come back with the order, which wasn't going to happen. If you order takeout, I would suggest checking the order before you leave.
(3)Sarah S.
All you can eat Indian buffet for $7.95 for lunch! Their lunch buffet is from 11am-3pm Monday through Friday and 12-3pm on the weekends. The buffet has a good array of options with and without meat plus some dessert options. I know they had Chicken Tikka Masala and Butter Chicken, both of which were very tasty. A special touch at Clay Oven is they bring out the Tandoori Chicken to your table sizzling and fresh to you. We all Ooohed and Aaahed and dug right in. Delicious chicken. They had a couple of desserts including Gulab Jamun which was enjoyable. I'm not an Indian food aficionado by any stretch of the imagination however I found all the food to be very tasty (as did my coworkers) and the price is right. It wasn't overly busy for a weekday afternoon but had a good showing of people.
(4)Roxy S.
Our first experience here was beyond exceptional. We were the first to arrive at noon, so the buffet was hot and fresh. The wait staff were very friendly and attentive. The owner was present and also made an effort to come around and ask us how our food tasted. The environment was clean and brightly lit, and very child-friendly. The food was delicious and had just the right amount of heat to it. The price for the lunch buffet was extremely reasonable and we plan on taking family and friends here in the future! So glad this (re)opened! Hope it stays!
(5)Sagar K.
Decent food. Nothing too great about the quality of chicken/lamb curry I had there. Although the tandoori was good, the rest of the item were only okay.
(3)Michael M.
OMG! Excellent food and excellent "movie star" service. Food was delicious ! I highly recommend this place. I took away a star because the bathroom was unkept and dirty. Clean bathroom is key!
(4)Satyam C.
Bland. Went in for dinner on Sunday night and we were the only ones there. Started with chicken pakora mad they tasted expired. The batter was lacking any flavor and tasted like saw dust. We went with the non vegetarian platter. I drool for good tandoori chicken. No flavor and was dry and rubbery. The kabob was actually over flavored with salt. The chicken tikka was also dry. The only saving grace was the butter chicken. That's why it was 2 stars instead of 1. It wasn't great but it was edible. The worst part was that the servers didn't even know the menu. Overall, everything tasted like it was pulled off the afternoon buffet line and served for dinner. Not sure if they have a buffet on Sunday's even. Hmmmmmm.
(2)Orzo R.
Never use Clay Oven for catering. He came 3 hours late and ruined our party. Guests were hungry and some people left without eating. Horrible!
(1)Sujay V.
I was in a pinch. Had a function at work and told people I'd bring samosas. But this far from Devon and tons of mixed reviews...I figured I'd give this place a shot being a stone's throw away from me. Answering what was probably their first phone call of the morning, whoever answered sounded nervous at first, but then yelled to some other employees in the background that I needed 40 samosas by 1 that afternoon. By the time I went to pick them up, they were still hot, he threw in some papad as a bonus, and had everything tightly wrapped so nothing would spill. They were pretty good too, but excellent service. Will be back to dine in some time!
(4)Mel M.
I rate this a 3.5. Only because this is the second Indian restaurant I've been to. Ordered about two entrees and some extra naan. Came out to be $30. Just make sure to review your receipt before you pay. There was a $1 discrepancy but it was fixed. (I know small but still) Walking in there's a line of seats for waiting area, kind of slow on a Sunday night. Nobody at tables but it's probably more of a take out place unless you come for the lunch buffet special. Dinner tables and booths set nice. There's a bar. What I ordered: Chicken biryani: a little kick to it. Pieces of chicken with rice and peas. Flavor was good. Garlic naan: loved it just enough garlic. Samosas veggie: wasn't too excited about these. Maybe I'll try the beef ones next time. A little too spicy for me. Filled with potato and peas. Chicken sheekh kebab: this was alright wasn't as good compared to Shan foods on Sheridan in Chicago. Looked a little plain to sight but taste was ok. FYI Also came with complimentary basmati white rice. Came with yogurt sauce, a sweet red one and a green sauce which tasted like cilantro and some other herbs. Don't know the names. I Guess I would come here again if I can't find another restaurant around the Des plaines/Schaumburg area.
(3)Rishi G.
Best lunch buffet in schaumburg area under 10 dollar and it's family own business they all so nice with service also
(5)Filip N.
Amazing food and people welcoming you. If you wondered how great food should taste, look no further. I come here every week and every time is better than the last. Great vegetarian and vegan choices. Every thing that comes out of the kitchen is made fresh.
(5)HK A.
Good fast service, and good fresh food. All nice people. I've been coming here for a very long time and all I can say is this is the best choice of a restaurant to eat at if ur feeling like having a quick bite to eat. Friendly atmosphere and very welcoming
(5)Dorothy P.
I have a secret (or not so secret) obsession with Indian food, spicy Indian food to be more specific. Clay Oven over delivers on both fronts. My coworkers and I had a simultaneous hankering for some serious Indian eats, so I let Yelp do the talking (of course) and found that Clay Oven was pretty close to our office. Their $7.95 lunch buffet offers a nice variety of dishes that are a little more spicy than many other buffets that I've tried (and I count this as a good thing). I didn't realize that my dining companions were spice averse, but they agreed that Clay Oven walks that fine line between spicy and "oh my gosh, the insides of my mouth are melting." I say that there's enough spice in their dishes to warm my belly and put a smile on my face, but I'm pretty sure my stomach came with a fireproof lining (so don't take my word for it). Also worth noting, one of my coworkers is vegetarian, and she still felt like she was going to have a food baby because their offerings include quite a few veg friendly dishes. My two favorite dishes were the saag and the goat curry (with naan; I chose not to fill up my stomach with rice). The samosas were pretty delicious too, as was their green mystery sauce (I'm not sure what it was, but it was sort of spicy & herby...and I put it on their potatoes as well as on the salad). I'd say skip on the overly cheesy gulab jamin, however. I will definitely be getting my next Indian food fix from Clay Oven!
(4)Nicole P.
WORST restaurant experience of my life! The dish I ordered was made completely different from the place I normally order from. Thought I would try something a little closer. Bad idea! I placed my pick up order and told the man over the phone that I was unable to pull up the menu, I asked if they had the dish I wanted and they did. So I ordered it and went to pick it up. When I ordered I asked if I could get jasmine rice as well. I went to get my food. The man was not friendly at all but I didn't think much of it. Just took my food and went back to work to eat it. I opened the food and poured it on the rice. I took one bite and realized that it was practically ALL onion. I HATE onions!!!!! The dish at other Indian restaurants did not have a TON of onions. I could not eat it. So I called and told him I do not like it because there were way too many onions. He was rude but eventually said they would remake it. This is where the fun begins!!!! So I take my food (now in one container because I poured it on the rice) back to the restaurant. I walk in and he immediately starts being rude. He laughs at me and tells me this is my fault because I didn't say no onions, and I should have seen it on the menu. I explained I couldn't pull up the menu, he then got 2 inches from my face and started yelling at me so hard he was spitting on my face! He told me I ate the food because it was only in one container and where was the other container huh! He went to the back yelling and screaming. Came back with the dish and practically threw it at me. I said I needed rice and he once again got in my face and screamed at me. Then proceeded to go to the kitchen and come back with a Dixie cup of rice! I put my food down and said this is a joke! And went to walk out. A customer looked at me and asked me what was going on. I explained to him what happened. I went to leave and the manager chased me out of the restaurant yelling and screaming. WOW! all because I asked for no onions!!! I cannot even believe this happened to me! Worst customer service EVER!! I would not recommend this place to my worst enemy!
(1)A W M.
Had dinner. Tried it in spite of some reviews on Yelp. They start by Papadum and sauce; great flavor. Ordered Butter Chicken, Karahi Chicken, rice (have to order rice separately - not included with the dishes) and Naan. Loved all of it. Excellent flavor and good quantities. Have tried Butter chicken at many restaurants; this was one of the very best. Have heard they have good Chicken Tikka masala - will try it next time. Decor is good; not a hole in the wall. The waiter was the owner. Very courteous. Overall very good experience. 4 stars for the service and decor; 5 stars for the food.
(5)Allison K.
We walked into the Clay Oven & the place was completely empty at 11:15am. But I saw the buffets were just being brought out! The food was streaming out of the kitchen, fresh & hot & I was inebriated with the delicious smells of lentils & curries & tandoori! I filled my plate to the brim and ran to sit at my table and chow. Just as I was eating Saag and curry with lentils, the owner brought steamy samosas and buttered Naan. I felt totally engrossed in this mixture of flavors that I traveled far away from wherever I was just before. I found myself in food Nirvana. Seriously, I'm going back on another day, really early, when the place is empty and at least an hour free.
(5)Chris Z.
5 stars for fair priced lunch buffet. On a Monday? Are you kidding me? Chili chicken Butter chicken Chicken curry Lamb curry I'm just glad the owner isn't a Pakistani. Pakistani people have ruined Indian food. Indian food service is not a convenience store. It is a privilege. If you want poop Indian food, go to the paki run Indian restaurants on devon. Except viceroy and Abu ruchi
(5)Talha F.
Things I found questionable: 1) Appearance of restaurant made us uncomfortable, the place seemed dingy, outdated and seats and tables were in poor condition. 2) Food tasted stale, was presented poorly, and lacked the flavor that you'd expect from indian food. (I'm an indian, so I eat this cuisine often) 3). Our waiter was the owner, who didn't know if they used zabiha meat, made poor recommendations and took significant time in checking on us, bringing the food, taking our check, etc (the place had 2 other customers) We went here based on the reviews but were most disappointed as this was one of the poorest experiences we've ever had.
(1)Phil S.
At first I was: Yay! Cheap lunch buffet! Then I was: Well, you get what you pay for. The butter chicken is extra dry because they use yesterday's tandoori chicken. The chicken was a bright red under the yellow sauce. The lamb was all gristle. The paneer was scarce. All in all, exactly what you'd expect from a $7.95 lunch buffet. On the plus side, unfluffy and grainy naan as well as a sizzling platter of tandoori is included with the meal so basically you get almost everything you would at a more expensive place such as India House but at an expected lower quality for almost half the price. If you're on a budget and you're craving some Indian then this is the place to gorge but just like an OCB, don't expect too much. It's great for what it is.
(3)Ayaz S.
The food was excellent, the chicken makhni is the best I had ever and the service was a 5 star,
(5)sanjeev N.
I'm surprised about so many positive reviews. May be it's just the day I went it was below average or this is the standard is a question I have. After reading raving reviews about this place for a much cheaper price for buffet, wife and I wanted to check this place out. Went on a Saturday for weekend buffet. All the dishes were below average. Tandoori chicken was like fried chicken with so much oil on it and salt. Fail. Butter chicken and chicken curry had chicken with some chemical smell, I won't even take a chance. You get what you pay for is what I thought when getting out of the place. I ain't going back.
(1)Rohan V.
Awesome food. Ask for Dal makhani dhaba style. You will love it. Best food in Schaumburg area. And the staff is super friendly.
(5)Avinash K.
Went for lunch buffet. Food was really ordinary - except for decent tandoori chicken and half decent butter chicken. Options are limited and bread to order - service was so-so. The only reason I gave one extra star to make it three because their Gulab Jamun was sweet and soft. It was perfect. Other than that - not much to say. I really really cannot see how this place has got good reviews. It is not authentic Indian food FYI. It was a disappointment.
(3)Conor G.
Decent selection and reasonably good quality on most of the items. They also had what I consider to be the essential desserts, kheer and gulab jamun. Points off for not having basmati rice, just plain steamed white rice, and no biryani. Still looks the same as it did when Indian Garden was in this space, but it's seen better days.
(3)Kimsy S.
What better way to celebrate the end of a fabulous half-day of work than to treat myself to an Indian buffet for lunch? My go-to for Indian buffet is India House, which is great, but I wanted to try something different (and more affordable). So after searching and reading the reviews on Yelp, I made my way to Clay Oven. I felt welcome from the moment I stepped inside. The servers were friendly and helpful. The decor is lovely without being over the top. Lots of delicious food: butter chicken, vegetable curries, spring rolls, rice pudding, dough balls, all of it was lovely. And a deal at $8 (not including drink, taxes, and tip, of course, but still---much healthier and cheaper than McDonald's)! I know where I'm going when I'm craving all-you-can-eat curry! :-)
(4)Nelson M.
Restaurant Review Low cost Indian buffet! 1+ star for the low cost of 7.95 for lunch without drinks. The food was about 3 star. After Himalaya closed down, we have been looking for another option for Indian lunch buffet. After reading the last review by Fred, I was looking forward to giving it a try. We showed up at 1230 and there was only a few tables seated. This just meant more food for us. The server/manager was nice and brought a pitcher of water. There was a veggie samosa and veggie pakora which was unfortunately cool. There was a big tray of tandori chicken. Two types of chicken with one being the "butter chicken" which is shreds of chicken resembling chicken tikki masala. The veggie options were okay, some had chick peas. No paneer though. Plenty of seating and the dessert was the brown sugar dough ball and rice pudding which were made well. The food itself was not too spicy and the naan was top notch! Always fresh and plentiful. Pro- Low cost, quick food. Con- cool to the touch veggie pakora, no paneer spinach items Hidden deals- none
(4)Daniel B.
I will not suggest anyone to go to this restaurant. 3 things that happened for me today when i went for lunch buffet 1) They served egg biryani, i found an egg shell in that 2) Mutter Paneer- Gone bad, it was literally smelling. I don't know how they didn't notice it. 3) Gulab Jamun- some ingredient in Gulab Jamun went bad and it tasted really bad. Don't ask me about the smell. On top of all that when i complained about this to the guy who was managing, he didn't even care. And they charged me $10 for this worst lunch. I am never going there again.
(1)Matt M.
I was very impressed with this place. I was really in the mood for Indian food and popped in for the lunch buffet and was really glad I did. The dishes were fresh, hot, and delicious. The service was impeccable. The facility clean and inviting. They bring you naan after you sit down and are getting your plate. They have a lot of really good/classic options. I can only fault them for the their lack of meat dishes. They had only one chicken dish. I understand its a cost effectiveness, but I'm sure many people would be willing and able to shell out a couple more bucks for a couple more meat lovers indian options during their buffet. But again, it was very good.
(4)Elana K.
Living in Schaumburg as I do, I've always felt it a terrible waste that I have never been to any of the many certainly fine Indian restaurants in the area. Though I have eaten Indian food a few times, I myself am basically an Indian food novice and my family has tended to be Indian food phobic, so it has been a hard sell. Based on the favorable reviews here on Yelp, I have especially had my eye on Clay Oven for a while, and today I finally got my sister to stop in here with me! Our outstanding lunch experience began with us trying to get in the front door. Apparently we arrived 20 minutes too early for lunch (lunch buffet begins at 11am on weekdays, but apparently not until 12pm on Saturday and Sunday). Realizing that the restaurant was not yet open we were prepared to go off and kill some time elsewhere, but this wound up being unnecessary as one of the friendly restaurateurs noticed our plight and let us in early. We were promptly seated at our booth with a smile and two glasses of water. After setting the carafe down on the table as well we were furthermore offered buttered or unbuttered naan in addition to tandoori chicken. I wasn't sure how much this extra food would add to the $7.95 per person lunch buffet price, but decided to spring for both the naan and the chicken since this was my sister's first Indian food outing. As it turned out, both were included in the price of lunch! Since we arrived at opening time (or really, before opening time) we were expecting the buffet food to be warm and fresh and we were not disappointed! Everything was ridiculously well-spiced and delicious. If you are afraid of spicy food, proceed with caution, but for us it was perfect. My sister at one point during our meal remarked, "I wish I could go tell my past self that I LOVE INDIAN FOOD!" She also downed most of the basket of naan and raved about the chicken. The mattar paneer was also a standout hit. The only thing that I didn't love was the "cham cham" dessert (much too sweet for me), but otherwise I was very impressed with everything. Now that my sister has also seen the light we are already conspiring to get our parents to go back here with us. If you have any interest at all in Indian food in general or in this restaurant in particular, I would highly recommend the lunch buffet. It is a good opportunity to sample many different things and to just get an overall great meal with friendly service.
(5)Jay N.
Having a $7.95 lunch buffet on weekends is a pretty good option if you can't get here during the week. Despite a pretty full parking lot based on the other shops in the strip mall, it's definitely worth the trip. Seating is pretty standard with paper table cloth on top of their normal ones. The buffet is pretty big. There is a standard salad and carb options at the beginning. They had white rice, uttapam, and vegetable pulao. I liked that their tikka masala was with paneer. The chana masala was quite tasty. The murgh makhani was definitely distinct from their curry chicken. In addition to these, they serve naan and tandoori chicken at your table based on the number of people. Overall, a place I'd return to for very good value.
(4)Dan E.
I found this restaurant randomly when I checked out the strip mall they are located in. It looks like all the businesses are Indian and this piqued my curiosity. I called a friend in the area and he met me here. It was lunch time so the buffet was the obvious choice. It was only $7.95 and featured the usual Indian buffet items. The heat level was a little spicier than average but that's fine with me. The clientele at lunch time look like business types from the local area, drawn by a cheap and satisfying buffet. Bottom line: a buffet but it gets four stars because the heat level of the food was perfect for me.
(4)Hardik S.
There is food, than there is good food and than there is DELICIOUS FOOD! Well Clay Oven has delicious food. The owners of this place go the extra mile to serve you. I personally love there yellow daal and onion kulcha. I have tried other options as well and they are all good too. I would definitely recommend this place. I am adding this place to my weekly outings! Yummy!
(5)Ben Y.
Sorry, but my experience here was mediocre. Took my family here for the buffet. The food was luke warm, the sternos were not even on. Tandori chicken is no longer served table side, it is already made. Lamb curry was mostly bones. Only redeaming part of the meal was the freshly baked naan served straight from the oven. I'm saddened because this location was always my goto place* for Indian food. (*Past lives were Indian Garden & Raj Palace)
(2)Prabodh M.
The only good thing about this restaurant is the price. I have been here a couple of times for lunch and had a disastrous experience to say the least! The food was stale and this is unacceptable for me. With plenty other Indian restaurants for option, I would never visit this one for whatever price they offer the lunch buffet!
(2)Deep S.
I got food from here last week. The owner took care of me and the staff was great. The food is amazing and their prices are good. I called the owner in short notice and he took care of me. If you like great food overall then go to this place
(5)Katrina M.
Went here for my first time trying Indian food. Food was delicious and the service was lovely! I love the chicken they give at lunch time. Very flavorful and it came to the table on a sizzling hot skillet I would definitely come back again when I'm in the area.
(4)GoBears j.
Went there two days in a row. Saturday and Sunday. Lunch is fair price, at about $10, but refills on soft drinks are not free. Food is VERY good. But they don't get points for the dinnerware they use. Manager used to run Indian House restaurant 15 years ago, when it was at this same location, so they need more help. I would give them 5 points, but they don't sell liquor since they do not have a liquor license. Me and my wife were the only people there on Saturday night.
(4)Rakesh K.
Great Place to eat Today I went there with my wife.I had great experience with food and service. The best gulab jamun i have ever had.Please try their dessert and garlic naan.
(3)Pravar V.
If you are looking for a good north indian food like parantha, malai kofta or paneer, I would recommend you to try this place. The menu is fair priced with variety of things to try. My friends tried non vegetarian food and they loved it as well. Their buffet is cheap but a La carte is something you have to try.
(5)Jasmine R.
Excellent! Malai kofta and paneer makhni were great! Came for dinner and got the chefs special. They have a vegetarian option and chicken option. I got the vegetarian option that comes with 2 entrees, dessert, naan, Samosa and rice, all for only $15! Service was fast and friendly. Would definitely recommend trying this place out.
(5)Alyssa M.
We tried Clay Oven for the first time today and the food was delicious and the service was incredible! Our host was so informative and personable. He explained all of the dishes to us and brought us desserts that they had run out of on the buffet. It is high quality, flavorful food and friendly staff that truly excel in customer service. I will definitely be back!
(5)Manju S.
To start with their lunch buffet is 7.95 so you get what you pay for . We found the non vegetarian dishes to be decent but not extraordinary . The Tandoori is American style which makes it bland for Indian taste. The deserts were not that impressive with over cooked jamoon and mango custard with bad lichi or fruits in it . They don't carry a lot of Non veg dishes but looked like to have veg dishes . You could always drop by for a casual eat out .
(3)Nisha P.
Food is awesome, service is awesome. Feels really good to be in a place where they respect you as a customer, take good care of you and on top serve you well. Food here is like heaven on hearth. Specially there sweet lassi and bhindi masala with Tandoori roti! The spices used cleared out all my sinuses. Highly recommend this place to anyone. Indian or not.
(5)Jas S.
Went for lunch buffet on a weekday with friend and had real bad experience. Tandoori chicken is part of buffet but you need to ask for it to be served and it arrives after 20 mins and that too partially cooked. There was only one guy to serve and he was busy on phone all the time, I had to get up three times from chair look for him and request for more naan, water. Food was just ok but service was pathetic. Will not go again.
(1)Pondo S.
Came for the lunch buffet around 1:00 PM- its a nightmare.. they had no rice, no pakoras, no butter chicken.. I had to wait for them to add rice and waited 10 minutes for the butter chicken which tasted off- I scraped the chicken and noticed it was red- meaning it was old tandoori chicken. The only items they had ready to go were the carrots, potatoes and - Eggs.. Freaking hard bolied eggs in sauce! No kofta to go with it.. it was the worst experience I ever had in a desi place.. stay away.
(1)M M.
Very friendly service and the food is tasty. I especially love the moong dal. The sweet lassi and mango lassi are both delicious and the garlic naan is awesome. Definitely recommend. They have a great lunch buffet too for a very reasonable price and large variety of options!
(5)Richard C.
this place offers cheapest indian buffet period, the place is located in stripmall, and rather looks small from outside. but theres plenty of sitting inside. price: i think it was 7.95 + tax + drinks for lunch buffet, cant beat that. food: -curries: honestly, there are not many selection of food, but they were all pretty tasty. -naan: bread was little chewier and denser than ones i am used to but still fresh out of oven good! -tandoori: they give you hot chicken on sizzling plate which is awesome. but i did not like that chicken pieces were undistinguishable (i didnt know if they were dark or white meat until i bit into it and they were all dark meat). and they were really big for a chicken. i suspect they may be turkey.. lol. overall, even though chicken was served hot and sizzling, i did not like them. curries were pretty good, and everything else was okay to good. not the best indian food but if you are low on budget, this might be a decent choice for indian buffet.
(3)Luci W.
I decided to give this place a try. As I went in, the woman show me where to sit but I wasn't sure who is our waiter or waitress. Somehow another couple arrive after us and they given water first instead of us until the waiter notice us. Ugh. Really! So went to the buffet section. The food was pretty good. I guess this is what you pay for to get this kind of service. The food was spicier and I love it but I ask the waiter if I can have a pitcher of water but the waiter just misunderstood me. Oh well!
(3)Becky F.
I was very disappointed with my meal at Clay Oven. I talked my daughter and son-in-law into a 45 minute drive from their house to this restaurant, because of all the rave reviews here on yelp. And the price was right. I called ahead and found out that for the Mother's Day brunch, because there would be a bigger selection, that instead of the $7.95 buffet, it would be $9.95. That's fine, that's at least what I pay elsewhere for the every-day buffet. Price wasn't an issue at all. The food itself was very disappointing. Every dish was either way too spicy (and that's saying a lot, because I eat very spicy foods often), or very bland, or in the case of the tandoori chicken, very dry. Even the naan wasn't comparable at all to any other Indian restaurant I've been to. The only things that were any good were the rice (plain and some other kind, not the same as I've ever had elsewhere) and the mango lassi (which was also quite a novelty with my grandkids, because it was a mango lassi fountain). The two stars that I've given it are for it's cleanliness and for the very friendly wait staff (didn't have a lot of contact with them, since it was buffet, but they were very friendly when there was conversation). I sort of jokingly told my daughter that this experience is really proof that "you can't believe everything you read on the internet". I guess in reality, it's to each his own.
(2)Nila S.
Definitely a place I would recommend to anyone. They have great food. I loves there daal and onion kulcha. They also have amazing mango and pista kulfi. This is my first review on yelp so I m really excited to write it and give credit where credit is due!!! :-)
(5)Dan C.
I think I have eaten at every Indian restaurant in the Schaumburg area but the Clay Oven tops them all. The tandoori chicken is to die for. Service was friendly and efficient.
(5)Tiffany H.
Great Indian food, nice decor, and pleasant service. My husband and I came here and we were impressed with the quality of food. The chicken tikka was very good, the naan stuffed with onions and spinach was very tasty. And they were nice enough to make a cauliflower and potato dish for us that was not fried, and tasted excellent. Definitely try this restaurant!
(5)Samuel H.
This was a fantastic restaurant. The owner was incredibly friendly and helped find us great dishes. The food was excellent and very reasonably priced. A must go! Its a bit hidden in the shopping center but well worth it!
(5)Yav A.
I was craving Indian food while shopping for groceries and decided to go to Clay Oven. Their buffet was only for $7.95 per person which by the way is kind of unheard of these days. It was filled with a majority of vegetarian items with a couple of meat items such as butter chicken and a Punjabi chicken korma. Also, included in the buffet are naan and tandoori chicken. Soft drinks not included in the buffet price. For the value, it's the best bang for the buck. All of the items in the buffet were tasty.Service was good. I would like to go and order some entrees of the Clay Oven Menu. Glad it's there and will be stopping by more often in the future.
(4)Kelvin T.
This restaurant is back in the Spring Valley Plaza, at the corner of E Schaumburg Rd and Plum Grove Rd. I only mention this since the restaurant has only been around for a few months and some map services don't pinpoint the location exactly right. The decor is nice, with blue lighting providing a pleasant atmosphere. The restaurant was clean and service was attentive (although it was not busy at the time of the visit). The menu is extensive, with more items listed than are on the online website. The items ordered were a couple selections of bread: garlic naan, and roti; tandoori shrimp; and the vegetarian dinner which consisted of a pakora, 2 vegetarian entrees of your choice, rice, raita, naan, and gulab jamun for dessert. The breads ordered were a very good value, hot, crisp, and delicious. The shrimp were medium sized and tasted wonderful, but I would probably opt for a different menu item in the future that is a better value. The vegetarian dinner was a great value, allowing the selection of any 2 vegetarian entrees (aloo gobhi and vegetable jalfrezi were chosen) and coming with a large variety of dishes. Everything was hot, fresh, and tasted great! I have only visited 2 other Indian restaurants at the time of writing this review, but Clay Oven has come out on the top of my list thus far. I would definitely come back for a future visit when having a craving for Indian cuisine!
(5)Mable S.
I've been trying all of the Indian restaurants in the Schaumburg area and this has to be my favorite. The service was phenomenal and so was the food. I had vegetarian samosa, saag gosht, kheer, chili chicken, and garlic naan and it was all delicious. The best part, is that many of the surrounding restaurants are a little pricey, this place has great prices. My husband and I ate here for less than $35. This will become one of our regular restaurants.
(5)M P.
Had dinner here and both service and food were great. We had chicken tikka masala, dal makhani, paneer pakora, and bread - everything was very good.
(4)Michaelynn R.
We were so happy to find some familiar faces at the Clay Oven. We used to be regulars at the Indian Garden which was located in this same spot. In their hey-day they were the best. Guess what, this new place is as good or better! We were greeted at the door by an old friend from years ago which was the first of many enjoyable experiences. The buffet is wonderful for lunch. Tons of variety with both veggie and meat dishes. The tandori chicken was wonderful, the baingan bartha was very good and not too spicy. My husband tried something new a dish with bitter melon and it was good too, yes, it did live up to it's name, but the bitterness added another layer of depth to the flavor. As we were talking to the staff, I mentioned that my favorite dish was sag paneer and guess what, a small dish was brought out to us. Of course, it was fantastic. I wouldn't expect special things from the kitchen during the lunch buffet, but what a wonderful level of service. I would highly recommend that you give the Clay Oven a try, you'll be glad you did. If you remember how good the old place was back in the day, you'll be so pleased to experience the new.
(5)r k.
Awesome Awesome food!!!! We were here on vacation from Detroit..and honestly this is as good as it gets. The food is very authentic...and very tasty may I add...the staff amazing! Def. gets a 5 Star Rating from me!!!!
(5)Scott K.
Gopal is the manager and he took great care of us. Hot, delicious food. Perfectly seasoned. Great service and prices. We'll definitely go back. I highly recommend it. I didn't even know what to order, so I let him choose for me. It was awesome.
(5)Henry T.
After a long day of doing yard work, my wife and I decided to reward ourselves with Indian food for dinner so I went on yelp to find a reasonable priced with highest ratings in the Schaumburg area and so here we came. When we walked in, the lighting was ambient with the blue lighting and it is a pretty cozy place. I was very satisfied with the food. After waiting for only five minutes, we had our butter chicken and saag paneer and it was cooked just right, not greasy, oily, or fattening. The chicken was cut to the correct small bite size pieces so that you're not just tasting only plain chicken (some other restaurants cut their chicken size way too large) but you're enjoying the overall dish. As a matter of fact, the tomato sauce is tasty and creamy and you don't even taste the tomatoes. This is a good dish if you're eating something else that's really spicy. Also, the naan was perfected because it came out of the "clay oven" piping hot to the point where it burns your fingers if hold it for more than three seconds. It's more soft and chewy on the inside and a bit crispy and slightly charred on the outside. I'd definitely recommend the garlic naan and the onion naan. The other main thing besides food was the service. We had a server who knew how to make you feel comfortable and create a very welcoming atmosphere. It seemed like he actually enjoyed working there. I have been to other Indian restaurants were the server didn't care about the customers and just wanted to get the day over with. He gave us free mango sherbet dessert for giving him good compliments about his service. I'm going to give this restaurant a try when my friends from out of town are visiting here and try out their $7.95 lunch buffet that they have seven days a week, as the server mentioned.
(5)Jay N.
Having a $7.95 lunch buffet on weekends is a pretty good option if you can't get here during the week. Despite a pretty full parking lot based on the other shops in the strip mall, it's definitely worth the trip. Seating is pretty standard with paper table cloth on top of their normal ones. The buffet is pretty big. There is a standard salad and carb options at the beginning. They had white rice, uttapam, and vegetable pulao. I liked that their tikka masala was with paneer. The chana masala was quite tasty. The murgh makhani was definitely distinct from their curry chicken. In addition to these, they serve naan and tandoori chicken at your table based on the number of people. Overall, a place I'd return to for very good value.
(4)Daniel B.
I will not suggest anyone to go to this restaurant. 3 things that happened for me today when i went for lunch buffet 1) They served egg biryani, i found an egg shell in that 2) Mutter Paneer- Gone bad, it was literally smelling. I don't know how they didn't notice it. 3) Gulab Jamun- some ingredient in Gulab Jamun went bad and it tasted really bad. Don't ask me about the smell. On top of all that when i complained about this to the guy who was managing, he didn't even care. And they charged me $10 for this worst lunch. I am never going there again.
(1)Matt M.
I was very impressed with this place. I was really in the mood for Indian food and popped in for the lunch buffet and was really glad I did. The dishes were fresh, hot, and delicious. The service was impeccable. The facility clean and inviting. They bring you naan after you sit down and are getting your plate. They have a lot of really good/classic options. I can only fault them for the their lack of meat dishes. They had only one chicken dish. I understand its a cost effectiveness, but I'm sure many people would be willing and able to shell out a couple more bucks for a couple more meat lovers indian options during their buffet. But again, it was very good.
(4)Dan E.
I found this restaurant randomly when I checked out the strip mall they are located in. It looks like all the businesses are Indian and this piqued my curiosity. I called a friend in the area and he met me here. It was lunch time so the buffet was the obvious choice. It was only $7.95 and featured the usual Indian buffet items. The heat level was a little spicier than average but that's fine with me. The clientele at lunch time look like business types from the local area, drawn by a cheap and satisfying buffet. Bottom line: a buffet but it gets four stars because the heat level of the food was perfect for me.
(4)Hardik S.
There is food, than there is good food and than there is DELICIOUS FOOD! Well Clay Oven has delicious food. The owners of this place go the extra mile to serve you. I personally love there yellow daal and onion kulcha. I have tried other options as well and they are all good too. I would definitely recommend this place. I am adding this place to my weekly outings! Yummy!
(5)Deep S.
I got food from here last week. The owner took care of me and the staff was great. The food is amazing and their prices are good. I called the owner in short notice and he took care of me. If you like great food overall then go to this place
(5)Katrina M.
Went here for my first time trying Indian food. Food was delicious and the service was lovely! I love the chicken they give at lunch time. Very flavorful and it came to the table on a sizzling hot skillet I would definitely come back again when I'm in the area.
(4)Mable S.
I've been trying all of the Indian restaurants in the Schaumburg area and this has to be my favorite. The service was phenomenal and so was the food. I had vegetarian samosa, saag gosht, kheer, chili chicken, and garlic naan and it was all delicious. The best part, is that many of the surrounding restaurants are a little pricey, this place has great prices. My husband and I ate here for less than $35. This will become one of our regular restaurants.
(5)M P.
Had dinner here and both service and food were great. We had chicken tikka masala, dal makhani, paneer pakora, and bread - everything was very good.
(4)Kimsy S.
What better way to celebrate the end of a fabulous half-day of work than to treat myself to an Indian buffet for lunch? My go-to for Indian buffet is India House, which is great, but I wanted to try something different (and more affordable). So after searching and reading the reviews on Yelp, I made my way to Clay Oven. I felt welcome from the moment I stepped inside. The servers were friendly and helpful. The decor is lovely without being over the top. Lots of delicious food: butter chicken, vegetable curries, spring rolls, rice pudding, dough balls, all of it was lovely. And a deal at $8 (not including drink, taxes, and tip, of course, but still---much healthier and cheaper than McDonald's)! I know where I'm going when I'm craving all-you-can-eat curry! :-)
(4)Nelson M.
Restaurant Review Low cost Indian buffet! 1+ star for the low cost of 7.95 for lunch without drinks. The food was about 3 star. After Himalaya closed down, we have been looking for another option for Indian lunch buffet. After reading the last review by Fred, I was looking forward to giving it a try. We showed up at 1230 and there was only a few tables seated. This just meant more food for us. The server/manager was nice and brought a pitcher of water. There was a veggie samosa and veggie pakora which was unfortunately cool. There was a big tray of tandori chicken. Two types of chicken with one being the "butter chicken" which is shreds of chicken resembling chicken tikki masala. The veggie options were okay, some had chick peas. No paneer though. Plenty of seating and the dessert was the brown sugar dough ball and rice pudding which were made well. The food itself was not too spicy and the naan was top notch! Always fresh and plentiful. Pro- Low cost, quick food. Con- cool to the touch veggie pakora, no paneer spinach items Hidden deals- none
(4)Katie M.
A great place for their lunch buffet! I stopped in Sunday afternoon and it was very quiet. It was my boyfriend and I and only a few other patrons, mostly sitting by themselves with Bollywood music videos playing on a tv. The selection was pretty great, and pretty tasty. They also bring out a basket full of naan and a sizzling plate of chicken. A great deal!
(4)Barbra F.
This place was really empty on a Tuesday at lunch time. They do have a buffet which makes my heart happy. I love to be able to try a little of this and a little of that. The food was good. The staff was pleasant. The price was good. I read some reviews saying the lunch buffet was under $8. Nope, it is $9.35 or something like that. Still a good deal.
(3)Filip N.
Amazing food and people welcoming you. If you wondered how great food should taste, look no further. I come here every week and every time is better than the last. Great vegetarian and vegan choices. Every thing that comes out of the kitchen is made fresh.
(5)Phil P.
I am usually fairly easy to please. Just deliver what I order, do it in a respectable time, make sure the portions are fair, and DON'T DECEIVE ME! I ordered take out from here recently, as I have many times in the past. I will say their tandoori chicken is pretty good, as is their chicken biryani. So, I called in my order for pick up and was told it would be ready in twenty minutes. I showed up a half hour later and was told, "it's almost ready." No worries, I'm patient. My food comes out in a brown paper bag, I pay, and head home, famished and awaiting the moment I can get at it. I get home, open the bag, and see that they gave me only 5 pieces of tandoori chicken as a full-order, when it should have been 8. I called them back, and the "manager" apologized and asked me to come back with the order, which wasn't going to happen. If you order takeout, I would suggest checking the order before you leave.
(3)Vishal B.
We were one of two tables on this particular night. The dining room could use a remodel, not that its disheveled or dirty, but could use a fresh designer's touch. we ordered a chili paneer which came out on one of those sizzling hot plates. That item was actually quite good! the paneer and veggies were seasoned well and not too oily. The paneer makhani on the other hand was meh... if i feel that i can make it better at home then why go out to eat? The tandoor is the highlight, if you come here to eat, order off the tandoor menu and you'll be good! I also think take out would be a smart idea.
(2)Sarah S.
All you can eat Indian buffet for $7.95 for lunch! Their lunch buffet is from 11am-3pm Monday through Friday and 12-3pm on the weekends. The buffet has a good array of options with and without meat plus some dessert options. I know they had Chicken Tikka Masala and Butter Chicken, both of which were very tasty. A special touch at Clay Oven is they bring out the Tandoori Chicken to your table sizzling and fresh to you. We all Ooohed and Aaahed and dug right in. Delicious chicken. They had a couple of desserts including Gulab Jamun which was enjoyable. I'm not an Indian food aficionado by any stretch of the imagination however I found all the food to be very tasty (as did my coworkers) and the price is right. It wasn't overly busy for a weekday afternoon but had a good showing of people.
(4)Roxy S.
Our first experience here was beyond exceptional. We were the first to arrive at noon, so the buffet was hot and fresh. The wait staff were very friendly and attentive. The owner was present and also made an effort to come around and ask us how our food tasted. The environment was clean and brightly lit, and very child-friendly. The food was delicious and had just the right amount of heat to it. The price for the lunch buffet was extremely reasonable and we plan on taking family and friends here in the future! So glad this (re)opened! Hope it stays!
(5)Sagar K.
Decent food. Nothing too great about the quality of chicken/lamb curry I had there. Although the tandoori was good, the rest of the item were only okay.
(3)Michael M.
OMG! Excellent food and excellent "movie star" service. Food was delicious ! I highly recommend this place. I took away a star because the bathroom was unkept and dirty. Clean bathroom is key!
(4)Satyam C.
Bland. Went in for dinner on Sunday night and we were the only ones there. Started with chicken pakora mad they tasted expired. The batter was lacking any flavor and tasted like saw dust. We went with the non vegetarian platter. I drool for good tandoori chicken. No flavor and was dry and rubbery. The kabob was actually over flavored with salt. The chicken tikka was also dry. The only saving grace was the butter chicken. That's why it was 2 stars instead of 1. It wasn't great but it was edible. The worst part was that the servers didn't even know the menu. Overall, everything tasted like it was pulled off the afternoon buffet line and served for dinner. Not sure if they have a buffet on Sunday's even. Hmmmmmm.
(2)Orzo R.
Never use Clay Oven for catering. He came 3 hours late and ruined our party. Guests were hungry and some people left without eating. Horrible!
(1)Sujay V.
I was in a pinch. Had a function at work and told people I'd bring samosas. But this far from Devon and tons of mixed reviews...I figured I'd give this place a shot being a stone's throw away from me. Answering what was probably their first phone call of the morning, whoever answered sounded nervous at first, but then yelled to some other employees in the background that I needed 40 samosas by 1 that afternoon. By the time I went to pick them up, they were still hot, he threw in some papad as a bonus, and had everything tightly wrapped so nothing would spill. They were pretty good too, but excellent service. Will be back to dine in some time!
(4)Dave C.
Pretty less than average Indian Food. Not everything on the menu is always available. Choice of beverage is limited. The biriyani is quite bad. Lamb and chicken preparations tasted stale and probably been heated up too many times. Disappointing evening dinner.
(1)Mel M.
I rate this a 3.5. Only because this is the second Indian restaurant I've been to. Ordered about two entrees and some extra naan. Came out to be $30. Just make sure to review your receipt before you pay. There was a $1 discrepancy but it was fixed. (I know small but still) Walking in there's a line of seats for waiting area, kind of slow on a Sunday night. Nobody at tables but it's probably more of a take out place unless you come for the lunch buffet special. Dinner tables and booths set nice. There's a bar. What I ordered: Chicken biryani: a little kick to it. Pieces of chicken with rice and peas. Flavor was good. Garlic naan: loved it just enough garlic. Samosas veggie: wasn't too excited about these. Maybe I'll try the beef ones next time. A little too spicy for me. Filled with potato and peas. Chicken sheekh kebab: this was alright wasn't as good compared to Shan foods on Sheridan in Chicago. Looked a little plain to sight but taste was ok. FYI Also came with complimentary basmati white rice. Came with yogurt sauce, a sweet red one and a green sauce which tasted like cilantro and some other herbs. Don't know the names. I Guess I would come here again if I can't find another restaurant around the Des plaines/Schaumburg area.
(3)Rishi G.
Best lunch buffet in schaumburg area under 10 dollar and it's family own business they all so nice with service also
(5)Nicole P.
WORST restaurant experience of my life! The dish I ordered was made completely different from the place I normally order from. Thought I would try something a little closer. Bad idea! I placed my pick up order and told the man over the phone that I was unable to pull up the menu, I asked if they had the dish I wanted and they did. So I ordered it and went to pick it up. When I ordered I asked if I could get jasmine rice as well. I went to get my food. The man was not friendly at all but I didn't think much of it. Just took my food and went back to work to eat it. I opened the food and poured it on the rice. I took one bite and realized that it was practically ALL onion. I HATE onions!!!!! The dish at other Indian restaurants did not have a TON of onions. I could not eat it. So I called and told him I do not like it because there were way too many onions. He was rude but eventually said they would remake it. This is where the fun begins!!!! So I take my food (now in one container because I poured it on the rice) back to the restaurant. I walk in and he immediately starts being rude. He laughs at me and tells me this is my fault because I didn't say no onions, and I should have seen it on the menu. I explained I couldn't pull up the menu, he then got 2 inches from my face and started yelling at me so hard he was spitting on my face! He told me I ate the food because it was only in one container and where was the other container huh! He went to the back yelling and screaming. Came back with the dish and practically threw it at me. I said I needed rice and he once again got in my face and screamed at me. Then proceeded to go to the kitchen and come back with a Dixie cup of rice! I put my food down and said this is a joke! And went to walk out. A customer looked at me and asked me what was going on. I explained to him what happened. I went to leave and the manager chased me out of the restaurant yelling and screaming. WOW! all because I asked for no onions!!! I cannot even believe this happened to me! Worst customer service EVER!! I would not recommend this place to my worst enemy!
(1)A W M.
Had dinner. Tried it in spite of some reviews on Yelp. They start by Papadum and sauce; great flavor. Ordered Butter Chicken, Karahi Chicken, rice (have to order rice separately - not included with the dishes) and Naan. Loved all of it. Excellent flavor and good quantities. Have tried Butter chicken at many restaurants; this was one of the very best. Have heard they have good Chicken Tikka masala - will try it next time. Decor is good; not a hole in the wall. The waiter was the owner. Very courteous. Overall very good experience. 4 stars for the service and decor; 5 stars for the food.
(5)Allison K.
We walked into the Clay Oven & the place was completely empty at 11:15am. But I saw the buffets were just being brought out! The food was streaming out of the kitchen, fresh & hot & I was inebriated with the delicious smells of lentils & curries & tandoori! I filled my plate to the brim and ran to sit at my table and chow. Just as I was eating Saag and curry with lentils, the owner brought steamy samosas and buttered Naan. I felt totally engrossed in this mixture of flavors that I traveled far away from wherever I was just before. I found myself in food Nirvana. Seriously, I'm going back on another day, really early, when the place is empty and at least an hour free.
(5)HK A.
Good fast service, and good fresh food. All nice people. I've been coming here for a very long time and all I can say is this is the best choice of a restaurant to eat at if ur feeling like having a quick bite to eat. Friendly atmosphere and very welcoming
(5)Dorothy P.
I have a secret (or not so secret) obsession with Indian food, spicy Indian food to be more specific. Clay Oven over delivers on both fronts. My coworkers and I had a simultaneous hankering for some serious Indian eats, so I let Yelp do the talking (of course) and found that Clay Oven was pretty close to our office. Their $7.95 lunch buffet offers a nice variety of dishes that are a little more spicy than many other buffets that I've tried (and I count this as a good thing). I didn't realize that my dining companions were spice averse, but they agreed that Clay Oven walks that fine line between spicy and "oh my gosh, the insides of my mouth are melting." I say that there's enough spice in their dishes to warm my belly and put a smile on my face, but I'm pretty sure my stomach came with a fireproof lining (so don't take my word for it). Also worth noting, one of my coworkers is vegetarian, and she still felt like she was going to have a food baby because their offerings include quite a few veg friendly dishes. My two favorite dishes were the saag and the goat curry (with naan; I chose not to fill up my stomach with rice). The samosas were pretty delicious too, as was their green mystery sauce (I'm not sure what it was, but it was sort of spicy & herby...and I put it on their potatoes as well as on the salad). I'd say skip on the overly cheesy gulab jamin, however. I will definitely be getting my next Indian food fix from Clay Oven!
(4)Chris Z.
5 stars for fair priced lunch buffet. On a Monday? Are you kidding me? Chili chicken Butter chicken Chicken curry Lamb curry I'm just glad the owner isn't a Pakistani. Pakistani people have ruined Indian food. Indian food service is not a convenience store. It is a privilege. If you want poop Indian food, go to the paki run Indian restaurants on devon. Except viceroy and Abu ruchi
(5)Talha F.
Things I found questionable: 1) Appearance of restaurant made us uncomfortable, the place seemed dingy, outdated and seats and tables were in poor condition. 2) Food tasted stale, was presented poorly, and lacked the flavor that you'd expect from indian food. (I'm an indian, so I eat this cuisine often) 3). Our waiter was the owner, who didn't know if they used zabiha meat, made poor recommendations and took significant time in checking on us, bringing the food, taking our check, etc (the place had 2 other customers) We went here based on the reviews but were most disappointed as this was one of the poorest experiences we've ever had.
(1)Phil S.
At first I was: Yay! Cheap lunch buffet! Then I was: Well, you get what you pay for. The butter chicken is extra dry because they use yesterday's tandoori chicken. The chicken was a bright red under the yellow sauce. The lamb was all gristle. The paneer was scarce. All in all, exactly what you'd expect from a $7.95 lunch buffet. On the plus side, unfluffy and grainy naan as well as a sizzling platter of tandoori is included with the meal so basically you get almost everything you would at a more expensive place such as India House but at an expected lower quality for almost half the price. If you're on a budget and you're craving some Indian then this is the place to gorge but just like an OCB, don't expect too much. It's great for what it is.
(3)Ayaz S.
The food was excellent, the chicken makhni is the best I had ever and the service was a 5 star,
(5)sanjeev N.
I'm surprised about so many positive reviews. May be it's just the day I went it was below average or this is the standard is a question I have. After reading raving reviews about this place for a much cheaper price for buffet, wife and I wanted to check this place out. Went on a Saturday for weekend buffet. All the dishes were below average. Tandoori chicken was like fried chicken with so much oil on it and salt. Fail. Butter chicken and chicken curry had chicken with some chemical smell, I won't even take a chance. You get what you pay for is what I thought when getting out of the place. I ain't going back.
(1)Rohan V.
Awesome food. Ask for Dal makhani dhaba style. You will love it. Best food in Schaumburg area. And the staff is super friendly.
(5)Avinash K.
Went for lunch buffet. Food was really ordinary - except for decent tandoori chicken and half decent butter chicken. Options are limited and bread to order - service was so-so. The only reason I gave one extra star to make it three because their Gulab Jamun was sweet and soft. It was perfect. Other than that - not much to say. I really really cannot see how this place has got good reviews. It is not authentic Indian food FYI. It was a disappointment.
(3)Conor G.
Decent selection and reasonably good quality on most of the items. They also had what I consider to be the essential desserts, kheer and gulab jamun. Points off for not having basmati rice, just plain steamed white rice, and no biryani. Still looks the same as it did when Indian Garden was in this space, but it's seen better days.
(3)Ben Y.
Sorry, but my experience here was mediocre. Took my family here for the buffet. The food was luke warm, the sternos were not even on. Tandori chicken is no longer served table side, it is already made. Lamb curry was mostly bones. Only redeaming part of the meal was the freshly baked naan served straight from the oven. I'm saddened because this location was always my goto place* for Indian food. (*Past lives were Indian Garden & Raj Palace)
(2)Prabodh M.
The only good thing about this restaurant is the price. I have been here a couple of times for lunch and had a disastrous experience to say the least! The food was stale and this is unacceptable for me. With plenty other Indian restaurants for option, I would never visit this one for whatever price they offer the lunch buffet!
(2)Elana K.
Living in Schaumburg as I do, I've always felt it a terrible waste that I have never been to any of the many certainly fine Indian restaurants in the area. Though I have eaten Indian food a few times, I myself am basically an Indian food novice and my family has tended to be Indian food phobic, so it has been a hard sell. Based on the favorable reviews here on Yelp, I have especially had my eye on Clay Oven for a while, and today I finally got my sister to stop in here with me! Our outstanding lunch experience began with us trying to get in the front door. Apparently we arrived 20 minutes too early for lunch (lunch buffet begins at 11am on weekdays, but apparently not until 12pm on Saturday and Sunday). Realizing that the restaurant was not yet open we were prepared to go off and kill some time elsewhere, but this wound up being unnecessary as one of the friendly restaurateurs noticed our plight and let us in early. We were promptly seated at our booth with a smile and two glasses of water. After setting the carafe down on the table as well we were furthermore offered buttered or unbuttered naan in addition to tandoori chicken. I wasn't sure how much this extra food would add to the $7.95 per person lunch buffet price, but decided to spring for both the naan and the chicken since this was my sister's first Indian food outing. As it turned out, both were included in the price of lunch! Since we arrived at opening time (or really, before opening time) we were expecting the buffet food to be warm and fresh and we were not disappointed! Everything was ridiculously well-spiced and delicious. If you are afraid of spicy food, proceed with caution, but for us it was perfect. My sister at one point during our meal remarked, "I wish I could go tell my past self that I LOVE INDIAN FOOD!" She also downed most of the basket of naan and raved about the chicken. The mattar paneer was also a standout hit. The only thing that I didn't love was the "cham cham" dessert (much too sweet for me), but otherwise I was very impressed with everything. Now that my sister has also seen the light we are already conspiring to get our parents to go back here with us. If you have any interest at all in Indian food in general or in this restaurant in particular, I would highly recommend the lunch buffet. It is a good opportunity to sample many different things and to just get an overall great meal with friendly service.
(5)GoBears j.
Went there two days in a row. Saturday and Sunday. Lunch is fair price, at about $10, but refills on soft drinks are not free. Food is VERY good. But they don't get points for the dinnerware they use. Manager used to run Indian House restaurant 15 years ago, when it was at this same location, so they need more help. I would give them 5 points, but they don't sell liquor since they do not have a liquor license. Me and my wife were the only people there on Saturday night.
(4)Rakesh K.
Great Place to eat Today I went there with my wife.I had great experience with food and service. The best gulab jamun i have ever had.Please try their dessert and garlic naan.
(3)Pravar V.
If you are looking for a good north indian food like parantha, malai kofta or paneer, I would recommend you to try this place. The menu is fair priced with variety of things to try. My friends tried non vegetarian food and they loved it as well. Their buffet is cheap but a La carte is something you have to try.
(5)Jasmine R.
Excellent! Malai kofta and paneer makhni were great! Came for dinner and got the chefs special. They have a vegetarian option and chicken option. I got the vegetarian option that comes with 2 entrees, dessert, naan, Samosa and rice, all for only $15! Service was fast and friendly. Would definitely recommend trying this place out.
(5)Alyssa M.
We tried Clay Oven for the first time today and the food was delicious and the service was incredible! Our host was so informative and personable. He explained all of the dishes to us and brought us desserts that they had run out of on the buffet. It is high quality, flavorful food and friendly staff that truly excel in customer service. I will definitely be back!
(5)Manju S.
To start with their lunch buffet is 7.95 so you get what you pay for . We found the non vegetarian dishes to be decent but not extraordinary . The Tandoori is American style which makes it bland for Indian taste. The deserts were not that impressive with over cooked jamoon and mango custard with bad lichi or fruits in it . They don't carry a lot of Non veg dishes but looked like to have veg dishes . You could always drop by for a casual eat out .
(3)Nisha P.
Food is awesome, service is awesome. Feels really good to be in a place where they respect you as a customer, take good care of you and on top serve you well. Food here is like heaven on hearth. Specially there sweet lassi and bhindi masala with Tandoori roti! The spices used cleared out all my sinuses. Highly recommend this place to anyone. Indian or not.
(5)Jas S.
Went for lunch buffet on a weekday with friend and had real bad experience. Tandoori chicken is part of buffet but you need to ask for it to be served and it arrives after 20 mins and that too partially cooked. There was only one guy to serve and he was busy on phone all the time, I had to get up three times from chair look for him and request for more naan, water. Food was just ok but service was pathetic. Will not go again.
(1)Pondo S.
Came for the lunch buffet around 1:00 PM- its a nightmare.. they had no rice, no pakoras, no butter chicken.. I had to wait for them to add rice and waited 10 minutes for the butter chicken which tasted off- I scraped the chicken and noticed it was red- meaning it was old tandoori chicken. The only items they had ready to go were the carrots, potatoes and - Eggs.. Freaking hard bolied eggs in sauce! No kofta to go with it.. it was the worst experience I ever had in a desi place.. stay away.
(1)M M.
Very friendly service and the food is tasty. I especially love the moong dal. The sweet lassi and mango lassi are both delicious and the garlic naan is awesome. Definitely recommend. They have a great lunch buffet too for a very reasonable price and large variety of options!
(5)Richard C.
this place offers cheapest indian buffet period, the place is located in stripmall, and rather looks small from outside. but theres plenty of sitting inside. price: i think it was 7.95 + tax + drinks for lunch buffet, cant beat that. food: -curries: honestly, there are not many selection of food, but they were all pretty tasty. -naan: bread was little chewier and denser than ones i am used to but still fresh out of oven good! -tandoori: they give you hot chicken on sizzling plate which is awesome. but i did not like that chicken pieces were undistinguishable (i didnt know if they were dark or white meat until i bit into it and they were all dark meat). and they were really big for a chicken. i suspect they may be turkey.. lol. overall, even though chicken was served hot and sizzling, i did not like them. curries were pretty good, and everything else was okay to good. not the best indian food but if you are low on budget, this might be a decent choice for indian buffet.
(3)Luci W.
I decided to give this place a try. As I went in, the woman show me where to sit but I wasn't sure who is our waiter or waitress. Somehow another couple arrive after us and they given water first instead of us until the waiter notice us. Ugh. Really! So went to the buffet section. The food was pretty good. I guess this is what you pay for to get this kind of service. The food was spicier and I love it but I ask the waiter if I can have a pitcher of water but the waiter just misunderstood me. Oh well!
(3)Becky F.
I was very disappointed with my meal at Clay Oven. I talked my daughter and son-in-law into a 45 minute drive from their house to this restaurant, because of all the rave reviews here on yelp. And the price was right. I called ahead and found out that for the Mother's Day brunch, because there would be a bigger selection, that instead of the $7.95 buffet, it would be $9.95. That's fine, that's at least what I pay elsewhere for the every-day buffet. Price wasn't an issue at all. The food itself was very disappointing. Every dish was either way too spicy (and that's saying a lot, because I eat very spicy foods often), or very bland, or in the case of the tandoori chicken, very dry. Even the naan wasn't comparable at all to any other Indian restaurant I've been to. The only things that were any good were the rice (plain and some other kind, not the same as I've ever had elsewhere) and the mango lassi (which was also quite a novelty with my grandkids, because it was a mango lassi fountain). The two stars that I've given it are for it's cleanliness and for the very friendly wait staff (didn't have a lot of contact with them, since it was buffet, but they were very friendly when there was conversation). I sort of jokingly told my daughter that this experience is really proof that "you can't believe everything you read on the internet". I guess in reality, it's to each his own.
(2)Nila S.
Definitely a place I would recommend to anyone. They have great food. I loves there daal and onion kulcha. They also have amazing mango and pista kulfi. This is my first review on yelp so I m really excited to write it and give credit where credit is due!!! :-)
(5)Dan C.
I think I have eaten at every Indian restaurant in the Schaumburg area but the Clay Oven tops them all. The tandoori chicken is to die for. Service was friendly and efficient.
(5)Tiffany H.
Great Indian food, nice decor, and pleasant service. My husband and I came here and we were impressed with the quality of food. The chicken tikka was very good, the naan stuffed with onions and spinach was very tasty. And they were nice enough to make a cauliflower and potato dish for us that was not fried, and tasted excellent. Definitely try this restaurant!
(5)Samuel H.
This was a fantastic restaurant. The owner was incredibly friendly and helped find us great dishes. The food was excellent and very reasonably priced. A must go! Its a bit hidden in the shopping center but well worth it!
(5)Yav A.
I was craving Indian food while shopping for groceries and decided to go to Clay Oven. Their buffet was only for $7.95 per person which by the way is kind of unheard of these days. It was filled with a majority of vegetarian items with a couple of meat items such as butter chicken and a Punjabi chicken korma. Also, included in the buffet are naan and tandoori chicken. Soft drinks not included in the buffet price. For the value, it's the best bang for the buck. All of the items in the buffet were tasty.Service was good. I would like to go and order some entrees of the Clay Oven Menu. Glad it's there and will be stopping by more often in the future.
(4)Kelvin T.
This restaurant is back in the Spring Valley Plaza, at the corner of E Schaumburg Rd and Plum Grove Rd. I only mention this since the restaurant has only been around for a few months and some map services don't pinpoint the location exactly right. The decor is nice, with blue lighting providing a pleasant atmosphere. The restaurant was clean and service was attentive (although it was not busy at the time of the visit). The menu is extensive, with more items listed than are on the online website. The items ordered were a couple selections of bread: garlic naan, and roti; tandoori shrimp; and the vegetarian dinner which consisted of a pakora, 2 vegetarian entrees of your choice, rice, raita, naan, and gulab jamun for dessert. The breads ordered were a very good value, hot, crisp, and delicious. The shrimp were medium sized and tasted wonderful, but I would probably opt for a different menu item in the future that is a better value. The vegetarian dinner was a great value, allowing the selection of any 2 vegetarian entrees (aloo gobhi and vegetable jalfrezi were chosen) and coming with a large variety of dishes. Everything was hot, fresh, and tasted great! I have only visited 2 other Indian restaurants at the time of writing this review, but Clay Oven has come out on the top of my list thus far. I would definitely come back for a future visit when having a craving for Indian cuisine!
(5)Henry T.
After a long day of doing yard work, my wife and I decided to reward ourselves with Indian food for dinner so I went on yelp to find a reasonable priced with highest ratings in the Schaumburg area and so here we came. When we walked in, the lighting was ambient with the blue lighting and it is a pretty cozy place. I was very satisfied with the food. After waiting for only five minutes, we had our butter chicken and saag paneer and it was cooked just right, not greasy, oily, or fattening. The chicken was cut to the correct small bite size pieces so that you're not just tasting only plain chicken (some other restaurants cut their chicken size way too large) but you're enjoying the overall dish. As a matter of fact, the tomato sauce is tasty and creamy and you don't even taste the tomatoes. This is a good dish if you're eating something else that's really spicy. Also, the naan was perfected because it came out of the "clay oven" piping hot to the point where it burns your fingers if hold it for more than three seconds. It's more soft and chewy on the inside and a bit crispy and slightly charred on the outside. I'd definitely recommend the garlic naan and the onion naan. The other main thing besides food was the service. We had a server who knew how to make you feel comfortable and create a very welcoming atmosphere. It seemed like he actually enjoyed working there. I have been to other Indian restaurants were the server didn't care about the customers and just wanted to get the day over with. He gave us free mango sherbet dessert for giving him good compliments about his service. I'm going to give this restaurant a try when my friends from out of town are visiting here and try out their $7.95 lunch buffet that they have seven days a week, as the server mentioned.
(5)Michaelynn R.
We were so happy to find some familiar faces at the Clay Oven. We used to be regulars at the Indian Garden which was located in this same spot. In their hey-day they were the best. Guess what, this new place is as good or better! We were greeted at the door by an old friend from years ago which was the first of many enjoyable experiences. The buffet is wonderful for lunch. Tons of variety with both veggie and meat dishes. The tandori chicken was wonderful, the baingan bartha was very good and not too spicy. My husband tried something new a dish with bitter melon and it was good too, yes, it did live up to it's name, but the bitterness added another layer of depth to the flavor. As we were talking to the staff, I mentioned that my favorite dish was sag paneer and guess what, a small dish was brought out to us. Of course, it was fantastic. I wouldn't expect special things from the kitchen during the lunch buffet, but what a wonderful level of service. I would highly recommend that you give the Clay Oven a try, you'll be glad you did. If you remember how good the old place was back in the day, you'll be so pleased to experience the new.
(5)r k.
Awesome Awesome food!!!! We were here on vacation from Detroit..and honestly this is as good as it gets. The food is very authentic...and very tasty may I add...the staff amazing! Def. gets a 5 Star Rating from me!!!!
(5)Scott K.
Gopal is the manager and he took great care of us. Hot, delicious food. Perfectly seasoned. Great service and prices. We'll definitely go back. I highly recommend it. I didn't even know what to order, so I let him choose for me. It was awesome.
(5)