This place puts it down! Highlights - Hot buttery naan - Three kinds of rice - Lots of flavor - 4 - 5 Delicious creations to spoon over rice. I've been around a few Indian buffets, some with great reviews that are well known. This placed edged them all out. Rice was better, butter chicken was better, and the tandoori chicken, yum! Standard buffet to serve yourself, plates are cleared promptly, and water stocked while away. Only thing missing was the syrup balls that I've come to love, at least that's what I call them. Can't think of much else to say. New to Indian? Buffet is the best, and under $10 is the way to try food. Indian vet? Eat here.
(4)
Ronda N.
MAIC is Southeast Michigan's reigning champ of Indian cuisine. The food is simply delicious. Kudos!!! My favorites are the Lamb Hyderabadi, Chicken Tandoori, Butter Chicken, Dosa and Naan. I mostly do pick up order. The food is spectacular, but the establishment is in desparate need of a refurbishment. I have dined here for 4+years and this place has never updated anything or even given it a fresh coat of paint. As a long term customer, I will not continue dining at a restaurant that is declining, run-down and neglected. It makes me think about the sanitation and hygiene of their kitchen. I do not like when businesses shun reinvesting back into their business. If MAIC reinvested into its business, it would show that they not only care about their customers and profits but also about its continued growth and success. My rating went from 5 to 3 stars due to the restaurant appearing on its last legs.
(3)
Derek F.
Love me some Indian food. Megha's is the real deal. It starts with the smell if it doesn't have that curry house smell go some where else,, Megha's may not be the fanciest and looks a little grimy but they are putting out some good Indian food, the apps were hot and tasty, the breads we're hot and fresh, the mains were right on good flavor and good serving size, the prices we're also good 2 bucks less than most other places, why not. The menu needed a little more but had some favorites. So make the trip we will be back thumbs up.
(4)
Bridgette Z.
First time trying an Indian buffet and i was skeptical walking in. I've had Indian food before and enjoyed it very much but not too many different dishes. I stuck to what i knew in the past. This place doesn't look like much when you walk in but the food makes up for it!! As soon as we were seated, a young man brought us silverware and 2 glasses of water, no ice or straws but I figured no big deal, they seem busy. Went right up to the buffet and was immediately overwhelmed and excited. There were about 4 different breads to choose from, many vegetarian dishes, 2 kinds of rice (plain basmati and lemon rice), 3 chicken dishes, a lamb dish, and 2 kinds of desserts (mango mousse which tasted like orange sherbet to me and some kind of liquidy creamy concoction that didn't look appetizing but tasted so great!). I tried a little bit of everything and it was all wonderful. The best part is that it was only $7.99!! I felt like i owed them more money when we were paying LOL we had so much food. Only $8.99 on weekends. Try everything! It was all great.
(5)
Meg K.
A. Indian food is not my favorite, but I do enjoy having it, occasionally. B. Of the Indian restaurants I've been to in the Detroit area, I like their food best. Good flavor development, ingredients taste fresh. Best samosas I've ever had. C. We've dined here three times. I like restaurants with a little grit, especially if it's part of the character of having an authentic experience. However, the uncleanliness in their dining room is outside of my comfort zone; I don't think I can get passed it and go back again.
(3)
Belle L.
Excellent value for $$. Weekday lunch buffet is $8, weekend is $9. Wait line can get crazy. You come here for authentic dishes. Funny dish on menu -- chicken noodles -- noodles with ketchup and ketchup on side. Plenty of effort for good service. Thoughtful and honest staff. Thank you! Avoid table seating by kitchen doors. Smelly. Push carts need to be cleaned as well. NOTE: Most of the dishes has chili/spicy taste. Occasionally, you would run out of bowls, plates. Wait, they will show up eventually.
(4)
Christina S.
You can't beat the price for the buffet they offer! Good variety, very flavorful! Dishes could be a little more spicy, but good for everyone's palate. Butter chicken was the best out of everything we tried. They even filled it up with more chicken after I mentioned only the sauce was left. The chicken biryani... also very tasty! Good service too.
(5)
Rina B.
Finally, an Indian restaurant that also offers specialities from the southern part of India. They have dosas, people. If you haven't try it yet, give it a go. A dosas is a crepe like and usually comes either stuffed or with a side you can dip it in. I love the variety of dishes from this place. And unlike some Indian restaurants in the area, there isn't a ridiculous wait for your food.
(4)
Jeff H.
Ask me if I want to go to Megha's and my answer will be YES PLEASE. So far I've only been twice, lunch buffet each time. Once with a group of fellow Yelpers (first time for all of us) and another time to reinforce it was as good as I thought it was, prior to reviewing. Not only was my second visit as good as my first, the buffet contained probably 60%-70% NEW dishes from what it had the previous visit, and the new options were EVEN TASTIER than what had been there before! Megha's Athidi is not my first Indian buffet by any stretch, but I believe it is now my favorite. What really sets them apart is not the size of the buffet (it is modest) or the decor/service (both of which are honestly a bit underwhelming). What sets them apart happens to be all that really matters in my mind... the quality of the food. Every dish I tried was flavored to perfection and stood up to my favorite versions tried. They also put a fair amount of spice/heat in almost everything, which I happen to LOVE, and is rare in a buffet setting. For $7.99 ($8.99 weekends) you really can't beat it. I will absolutely be back. First visit Highlights: * Chana Masala - exceptional * Veggie Pakora - great for dipping * Tandoori Chicken - it was MOIST which is desirable but not always achieved Second visit Highlights: * Chile Chicken - one of the most delicious things I have eaten in recent memory, I could eat a whole platter and ask for more * Dal Makhani - my "go-to" Indian dish, what i use to benchmark a new restaurant... very good here, did not disappoint * Butter Chicken - this was one of the only few items that was on the buffet each of my visits and it was great each time... perhaps even better the 2nd time.
(4)
Claire V.
My absolute favorite indian restaurant in metro Detroit. I am a regular here. Anything in the tikka masala sauce is delicious. Highly suggest the hyderabadi dosa if you like spicy. Comes with different chutneys. Order Paneer tikka masala, chicken tikka masala, maghali chicken or malai kofta you can't go wrong!!!
(5)
Shaheda K.
Finally got to try this place out. Was excited as soon as I entered because it was owned by actual Indians, so you knew to expect authentic Indian food. It was pretty busy (went on a Sunday around 6-8), and the food was great BUT the service was a little slow. However I didn't mind and understood because I genuinely believed they tried their best to be courteous, and it could've just been a big crowd that slowed them down. I ordered a vegetable Korma. For appetizers, I ordered something called chili bajji, (something I never tried) and I was not too fond of it. It was pretty hot! I also ordered veg samosas which was alright but there was a black seed cooked in that kind of took over the whole taste, and I didn't like it much. On to my entree order, I have to absolutely stress out how delighted I was to even find Vegetable korma on the menu. It is rarely found in Indian restaurants, so I deeply appreciated this! It was great but also had that overpowering seed which I could taste, so my only advice would be to ask your server to omit it, so that it doesn't take away from this amazing dish!
(4)
Kris A.
Beware: Food poisoning. Try this place at your own risk. I thought food at this place was okay, then I got food poisoning. Doctor told that it happened because of eating meat that was past the expiry date. I don't cook non veg at home. The only meat I ate at that time was at this place. This wasn't the first time, one of my friends told me that he got hives all over his body due to food poisoning. He thought it was allergy but later when it got worse he had to go to the urgent care and they confirmed that it was food poisoning. Their chutneys are always cold. They probably make it in large quantity and serve the same "old" chutneys for months. This is very scary. I know lots of South Indian restaurants in India have these kind of practices but there were no regulations to monitor such practices in India. But I'm surprised to see places like this get away with these kind of practices here in USA. I have seen places like this India and how they "clean" plates and silverware. Who knows these guys are probably doing the same kind of cleaning practices. Now I am very scared to try another Indian restaurant. Go to this place if you have a very very strong metabolism, immunity power, willingness to eat from plates that were not washed properly and use silverware that touched 100s of gross lips and not cleaned properly, and have super powers( like flash or superman) to get healed from food that is expired a while ago or stored old food from refrigerator, if you can not afford a healthy alternative and have weird cravings to eat unhealthy, spoilt, old, junk, cheap, frozen, indian food. "Or" Just go somewhere else and save yourself some medical expenses and peace of mind. Good luck.
(1)
Dustin T.
The chicken tikka masala was fantastic. There's not much ambience, but the food is why you go, and the price is great for the quality you get.
(4)
Bhushan B.
I like this place . Specially mango moose. Also decent place for south indian food go for buffet
(4)
Srihari G.
Not for a quick bite. Plan for a leisure dinner and spend lot of time staring at your companion as you wait for the food. Don't order more than 2 items because you will get served one item at a time spaced evenly 20 minutes apart.
My first experience at an Indian Cuisine Restaurant. My mouth is still on fire!!! But, the food was very very tasty and spicy! Was invited here because one of my Ph.D. students finished her dissertation and received a position as an Assistant Professor at a university in Oklahoma. Of course she was born and raised from that part of the country, so her taste buds are use to all the spices. Mine are not, so this was extremely new to me. Let me begin with where it is at. Extremely easy to find, right at the NE corner of Dequindre and 15 Mile Roads in Sterling Heights. On the NW corner there is the Polish Cultural Center - so you can either go Indian or Polish at this corner!!! Nice combination. Parking was very convenient, especially since it was threatening rain outside. Went inside and there were my friends. We did the buffet because that way we could get a combination of different types of food of Indian Cuisine. When I got back to the table there was glasses of water for all us. Boy, did I need that! Phew. My friend explained all of the Indian delicacies and I chose a nice variety of food. Sat down and started to chow! Take a small bite and drink a lot of water, that was my role while eating! I didn't finish my plate, but whatever meat I took I did consume. I am a firm believer of if an animal dies and you purchase or take then you should respect that animal and not waste it. All in all I definitely would go back. The place was clean and there were quite a few people there from India. When I see that I think it is a great place.
(4)
Dan O.
It's time for the monthly UYE with the Lunch Guys! Stopped at Megha's Athidi Indian Cuisine. Definitely jumping into the deep end of the pool, as this is the first time I'm trying Indian cuisine. No menus as I guess 97% percent of people avail themselves to the lunch buffet. 3 different types of bread including naan (flat bread), several rice dishes with vegetables and/or meat, a couple of vegetable dishes, 4 protein dishes mostly chicken, and several sauces (including chutneys). Wow! Most every bite was a new experience! A couple of them had some heat to them on the back end, not burn your tongue hot. Use the breads to wrap the bites or dunk with sauce, very tasty! I think my favorite was the tandori chicken in naan, with some yogurt rice, nom nom! Cost of the lunch buffet, less than $10. As always the company of other Yelpers elevated the meal. Great value, good taste, someplace to put on my repeat menu! Can't wait to try someplace else next month!
(4)
Sumit C.
We came from Toronto and stopped at this one for dinner. It closes at 10:30 pm and we reached around 10:20. Still waiters were very friendly to invite us in. Food is really awesome specially butter chicken - ask for spicy one and garlic nans. My kids also loved the food. Overall very good food and excellent staff.
(5)
Deepak V.
I have been an extremely loyal customer for well over two years and have referred many of my friends to eat here . My family had come from out of town to eat here, and we were running a little bit late due to family obligations and called the restaurant to verify what time we could arrive and still get served. I was told 1015 pm was the last sitting and if we arrive by then we would be served and that was supposed to be the plan. I arrived at 9:56 PM and was told that the kitchen was closed. This was in spite of signs on the front door clearly saying that the restaurant was open until 1030, and a full dining room with some customers who had yet to order. We had a large party and would have been just bringing business to the restaurant. So when I approached the so called on duty "manager" who acknowledged he spoke with me on the phone and I was told that they "just decided to close the restaurants kitchen" And the reason being that the kitchen was too busy and "cannot handle" it. I am a very understanding individual, heck I'm a doctor I get it, but that is just unacceptable and extremely poor customer service , especially after admitting to the sudden reversal. I don't expect anything it's just saddening since I've been a loyal customer for over 2 years and referred countless friends to the restaurant.
(1)
Sharaf A.
Good food. Loved the veggi kurma and Mango Moose. Limited choices but for $8, it's a good lunch.
(4)
Jessica T.
I'm an Indian food fanatic! This place had the best palak paneer I've EVER had! Perfection.
(5)
Casey K.
I'm not familiar with indian food, but as far as I can tell from this restaurant it's delicious! Everything was so flavorful and the service was very friendly. The butter naan was hot and fresh. We got samosas by recommendation of our waiter and they were phenomenal. Everything tasted like a little indian lady was back there cooking all day. Highly recommend!!
(5)
Chandra T.
The food in athidi is good .. The lunch buffet is best for that price . They offer different menu for special days . I like the biryani here . Chicken tikka masala is good . Dosa and chutneys are good .. Staff is ok.. Tiffins are good !!
(4)
Jason B.
Best lamb in town! This Indian place is the bet I've been too since I was in New York. The lamb and chicken dishes are just down right home cooking style, which I love. When ordering you can tell them how spicy you want it, which is good cause I can't handle spicy food so well. But for those who do love spicy food, it's a must have. If I could give this place more stars I would.
(5)
Kimmie Ann C.
I can only speak of the lunch buffet and it was tasty. I have now been to 3 other Indian Restaurants in the Troy and Royal Oak area. Hands down this is my favorite! I was lucky enough to go to lunch there with some friends who told me what everything was. A whole ton of wonderful flavor and a little bit of spice. I was very surprised how fresh the food tasted from the buffet. This is a small restaurant and nothing fancy about it. Inside the restaurant, it is typical diner seats. The buffet is only around $8.00's. The staff is not the most chatty groups of folks, but they get the job done. They clear your plates, extra napkins and always fill your water. What more could a person ask for. :) I will definitely go back!
(4)
Kyle Martin D.
I have two big rules in life: a) Never look the clerk in the face when you rent a pornographic video from a video store and b) never eat at a buffet. Well. I broke rule b) three times in the past six months, and you know what, I don't feel guilty about it -- especially since the experience was so pleasurable thanks to the fine folks at Athidhi's Indian Cuisine. Not only was there a vast selection at their buffet to satisfy a picky eater such as myself, it also was surprisingly clean -- not at all like the disgusting mess I automatically associate with buffets. My only complaint was today's topic of conversation between my friends and I, which centered around the best ways to kill yourself. I don't like to be introspective and contemplate my own mortality while stuffing my face with heaping helpings of Tandoori chicken.
(3)
Chris M.
I can only speak to the lunch buffet, which I feel is substantially better than any of the Indian restaurants in the Troy, Royal Oak, Rochester, and surrounding areas. I eat here way too much when I'm home and each time I leave fatigued from eating too much, but the food is that good. Really nice variety usually 2 or 3 rices, 2 chicken dishes, goat dish and fish dish sharing the table with 5 or 6 vegetarian dishes and soup/salad station. The cost is around $8.00 and the staff are incredibly fast and helpful. I don't think I've had food that has clearly been sitting for long periods of time. I like to come early because it does get busy fast
(4)
Tony P.
Love the Hyderbadi Biriyani and Chicken 65!!
(5)
Greg Y.
I came here a few months ago for lunch buffet and I thought it was pretty good but nothing extraordinary, so recently I went back for a dinner date. Wow it was delicious! The dining room was pretty slow when we arrived. The gent waiting on us was very good. Asked us what heat level we wanted and I said at least medium we like spicy food and it turned out perfect, not crazy thai restaurant spicy but still able to work up a mild sweat and keep you reaching for your water glass hot. We basically followed other yelpers suggestions and ordered samosas, masala dosa, kothu paratha and kozhi varutha chicken. It was all fantastic but we think we either ordered the Kothu Paratha wrong or he misunderstood or something because it turned out like a vegetarian curry saucy dish and that wasn't what I was expecting, but it was all delicious, it was affordable and we had lots of left overs. This is now my favorite Indian restaurant. We will be back soon.
(5)
Maria M.
Stopped in recently after a year or so away to give this place another try. Just as disappointing as I remember. I ordered samosas and butter chicken. The samosas were awful. The outer shell was nearly impenetrable and had been either cooked in oil that wasn't hot enough or the samosas had been re-heated too many times. Sauce for the butter chicken was delicious, but the chicken itself was rubbery and full of bones and gristle. What really bothered me, though, was the awful service. Not prompt, not friendly, never came to check if everything was okay (it wasn't), often out of water. Just unwelcoming. If you haven't been in awhile, they've lowered their prices.
(2)
Flannary S.
Megha's Athidhi is by far my favorite Indian restaurant in the area. This is one of those restaurants that I don't even care if they don't serve alcohol, or that their hours are sometimes inconvenient, or that they don't have the most fancy atmosphere. The food holds is own, and is what keeps me coming back, often. I have tried a variety of their items at a variety of heat levels, and have never been let down. Everything is flavorful and the portions are plentiful, usually I have enough left over for another meal. The service is excellent. Everyone who works there has always been incredibly kind, polite and welcoming. My favorite entree is the Kozhi Varutha Curry, medium. It is a chicken dish, I have not seen it on the menu of another Indian restaurant around here, and I absolutely love it, I could eat it multiple times a week. The garlic naan will linger on your breath until tomorrow, but the texture and flavor make it worth the stench. I have had the Chicken Tikka Masala at mild, medium, and hot, and all three offer different delicious flavors. Honestly, I have been impressed with every meal I have had there. I definitely recommend Megha's Athidhi to anyone who wants delicious Indian food.
Megha's is one of our "standby" Indian restaurants. My wife and I can always expect good service and very flavorful/rich food (no skimping here on seasoning). The restaurant's decor is nothing to speak of (could use a good updating/make over); you won't be impressing anybody you bring here with the ambiance. But it more than makes up for this in quality of food. It's also a good sign that the place seems to always be packed with folks of Indian descent.
(4)
Liz W.
I was really devious. Truly not a nice wife at all. You see my husband was under the impression he hated Indian cuisine. I would have left it at that except for the fact he never even bothered to try it. Maybe before he met me he did once but I know for a fact in the last ten years he has not sampled any. This is a hindrance to me and my new-ish explorations into Indian fare so I am forced to ditch my husband and dine with numerous other people from time to time in order to sample this fare. We got a set of freebie passes to see a movie he actually was wanting to see. The passes required us to go to Sterling Heights, really not in our neck of the woods. I immediately went on Yelp to see restaurants in the area and voila I saw this. I wanted to try it, I mean really. There was nothing else on the list that jumped out at me like this. I knew James would be my dining partner, I knew he would be less than thrilled but dammit I wanted to go here. I read off a long list of area restaurant options to him, so many his head nearly imploded. I went into great detail, far too much info for the man to absorb. I then asked the magic question. "What do you think baby?". The response was as predicted, "Whatever you want Liz, I don't care." I was evil enough to take it as an endorsement. We arrived here and the response was about what you would think. I deserved the hassle. I felt a bit of guilt. I still made him go in and eat. Looking at the menu he was totally lost, we kind of sat there while he read it over and over again. Finally he told me to order whatever I wanted and so I did. I did try to make it things I thought he would like, truly I did. I went shrimp heavy in his honor. Chilli prawns, shrimp biryani and chicken noodles. I really liked all three. The chilli prawns were much better than I expected. I am sure I am no expert but I found them really nice to my palette. James seemed ok with it too. He was not admitting anything but he was eating it and it seemed to be his favorite dish of the three. He also seemed to like the chicken noodles from the Indo Chinese section of the menu. No commenting on them though, just eating. I thought they had really nice flavor. The biryani was not his thing. Just too much for him I guess. I however was a huge fan of it and ate quite happily. The meal went fine. A bit tense but fine. We walked out to the car afterwards and he said to me "It's not my thing baby but it's not too bad, you should take your mom". I was extremely relieved. I think with my mom it would have been a five star experience. It is a four for me merely because I spent the whole experience trying to make him happy about it so I could not concentrate on my own food or enjoy my experience, my stomach was really in knots. I need to go back and do a proper review.
(4)
Chet L.
Great service, delicious food and nice presentation. Get there early to beat the rush! Try the paneer and butter chicken - and don't be afraid to ask the staff which dishes are spicy.
(5)
Truemornings N.
This was my first time trying Indian food. I had the garlic naan bread along with chai tea and paneer tikka masala. The food was amazing! I'll definitely be back soon.
(4)
N P.
This was a borderline 3-4 star review for me and on a repeat visit it may change. I had to give it a 4 star rating because I just loved the flavor of the food. I really think the spice mix and spice level of the entrees we had was outstanding and blend of flavoring very creative on the part of the chef. The dal fry was delicious with a delicious garlicky flavor. The navratran korma was similar to that at other restaurants but that is a good thing. It was sweet, flavorful and filling. My friend enjoyed his non veg item and said he loved how the dish was seasoned as well. I was a little disappointed in the mixed pakora appetizer. Obviously there will be some oil but it was a little too oily for my tastes. Luckily the chutney's were favorful and a nice contrast to the harshness of the pakora flavor. I was also disappointed that portion sizes were smaller than some of my other favorite Indian places in the area. Portions were not too small but I would expect a little more for the cost (you can check out other Yelper's pictures and judge for yourself). The other major disappointment was how slow initial service was. The place was not busy at all on a Friday night (there were probably 6 or 7 other customers) and it took a few minutes to get water, a few more minutes to get an extra set of silverware, and probably about 15-20 minutes to get our order taken. Being a first visit that was fine but there was also a bit of a wait in getting our food. We were there for about an hour and a half with a big portion of that due to the wait. It was good company so no big deal in the long run. I do have a little trouble categorizing this restaurant as well. It didn't feel formal enough where I'd take a date (there are other restaurants both Indian and non Indian in the area that would be better) but it would be a nice place (probably) to bring a group of friends as long as service gets a bit faster. The food is outstanding and that is why people should really check this place out. I know that they have had a lot of creative restaurant ventures at this location and I have really enjoyed most of them. I hope Megha's makes it work and sticks around longer than some of the others!
(4)
Ajaz L.
Great place. Glad they serve both North and South India dishes. Service is quick, compare to other restaurants. Love their Chicken 65, Dosa, Naan. We take our Indian, American, Pakistani friends there, and they always come out liking food. Bathrooms need a little more cleaning, and a more powerful exhaust to clean the Masala filled crap smell.
(5)
Evan M.
Amazing, I've eaten a lot of Indian cuisine in my time and this place is top notch. They have quite an array of both southern and northern style dishes, all are consistently great and not too salty or oily. Went there once in 2008 and had an excellent experience, picked back up around '12 and have been hollering hard since. I believe their roots are in the south as are mine so I kick things off with sambar/rasam iddly/dosa which to be honest is my favorite part, and a serious centerpiece. I'm talking about the buffet by the way. They are also killing the rice dishes and curries too. Butter chicken and lamb chetanad for days,. And all the day-to-day and one-off concoctions they produce are tremendously flame as well. Please try the desserts because they have mango mousse and varying puddings/goulab Jamoons that will compliment your chai tea to the t. Chutneys...house made coconut is all I gotta say. One more thing to take note of is Its all for a very reasonable 8 bones. Good looking out athidhi.
(5)
Seoung L.
*** reviewing as lunch buffet only. Use to come here a lot when it was Chattinad. I have been here quite a bit in the last few months as Athidhi and I liked the Chattinad but I LOVE Athidhi! Their buffet is awesome. I love the Butter Chicken which is the staple food. They change other items daily but about 3 or 4 dishes are there everyday. One day Athidhi had Paneer Tikka Masala which was great! Naan was very good and biryani dishes were tasty as well. I usually like whatever they have on the buffet menu. Only $7.99 for buffet?! that's a great price! I like Athidhi way better then Priya's buffet. I will try their dinner (non-buffet) dish one day but for me this place is one of my favorite place for great lunch!
(5)
Bill B.
Let me preface this review by stating my personal experience and biases. I've eaten at Indian restaurants in the Detroit area and across the country for over 25 years. When I was younger, I did like it hot. Now, however, I seek out dishes where the flavors reveal themselves unencumbered by excessive spice. That said, Megha's Athidi does not do much for me. I have gone there four times (inspired by the raves that precede me here) and ordered a variety of dishes from the Northern and Southern sides of the menu. After all that, I can eat only the sambar, navrattan korma (OK with the dried fruit but not great) and breads. Everything else is far too hot for me, even after plaintive pleas for spicing as mild as possible. This is particularly disappointing for old favorites like palak paneer (spinach and cheese). This restaurant likes to use lots of raw onions in many of the dishes. Even the raitha, a yogurt-based sauce, usually a balm and a contrast to spicier flavors, is packed with them. What doesn't have raw onions is just plain over-spiced. I had to struggle to eat the vegetable biryani. Please bear in mind that this review is a product of my preferences. It pains me to dislike a restaurant that puts the care and effort into its cuisine that this one does. If you like your Indian food to be spicier than I do, you may love Megha's Athidi as much as other reviewers here and I urge you to try it. If your tastes mirror mine, however, you may want to consider other local options.
(2)
Denise K.
We were pleasantly surprised by this restaurant. Cute inside, with a decent sized buffet. Went on New Year's Day, empty when walked in, but within moments the place was full of families. The paneer dish was our favorite. No Tandori chicken, but some good goat. I would skip the desserts though...but thats just me. I like mango ice cream, but not many other Indian desserts. We hope to get back sometime and order off the menu.
(4)
Abhi K.
I at here for the lunch buffet. I liked the food a lot and the price is not that bad for a buffet. The food is very flavorful (not bland or too spicy) and atmosphere is casual. The service is also great. Try their chill chicken or their yogurt rice. Try it out!
(4)
Kate H.
Absolutely my current fave for Indian fare. The food is so amazing that I'm going to choose to ignore the fact that on both occasions that I've ventured there, the waiter (same guy each time) discussed all the food at the table with my husband, without even glancing at me, in spite of the fact that something clearly must have been mine and I wasn't just there to watch him eat. I ever so gently "ahem"ed him and said "uh... that's mine" and it seemed to remedy what I can only guess was a cultural weirdness that I just wasn't being very accepting of. I'd say it was an honest mistake, but it happened on both occasions that I've been. Weirdness aside, the dosa I had was outstanding and the kothu paratha is one of the best things I've ever put in my little piggy mouth. It's like the best stuffing you've ever had, with Indian flavors. Incredible. Also, they don't shy away from the spice. When I told them I liked things spicy, they kicked the heat up plenty high. Two major selling points: 1) The only people I've ever seen eating there have been Indian, if that tells you anything. 2) Their prices are a bit more reasonable than some of the other Indian restaurants in that area. This place is still quite a hike for me, but it's worth the trip, since there isn't anything remotely acceptable any closer to me. Trust me on this one.
(5)
Richard F.
We visited here today for the lunch buffet. There were three non-Indians in the place and that was us. So I was hopeful. But when I saw and sampled the buffet items, I was disappointed. The food was varied and there were lots of choices and options at the steam table. The meat portions were large, well stocked they looked good. But the three of us compared notes after lunch and we came up with the same conclusions. That is the dishes seemed to lack that extra something that makes you really enjoy a great Indian buffet. And while we were disappointed, there were a lot of choices. But we did not find the selection very inventive and broad enough in scope. For example, there was no Palak (sag) Paneer. In fact there were no dishes with Paneer at all such as Aloo Paneer or Mattar Paneer. And while some local buffets, including competitive ones nearby, offer Indian desserts such as Ras Malai or Galab Jamun, Athidhi only had same Mango Mouse and some cut up melon. The Nan was cold and uninspiring too. And while the three default chicken dishes were good, they just were not all that inspiring. They offered the ubiquitous Tandoori Chicken, the equally always present Butter Chicken and Chicken Biryani. In addition to these standards, they also had a nice Goat Curry. That was one of the better items on the menu. The vegetable dishes lacked pop and all the rest seemed to be a meaningless blur. The lunch buffet was a little bit cheaper than say Mayur. It cost just $ 7.99 at Athidhi and it is a more costly $ 8.99 at Mayur. But given the choice next time, I would select Mayur. Athidhi just wasn't the tip top place I was hoping it would be.
(2)
Dan D.
Gotta start with the decor here as it is the first thing I notice in a restaurant. It kinda looks like the cooks also maintain the building. Someone probably needs to spend a little money and fix a couple things, but overall nice. I love the fact there is a yelp sticker on door of this place. Down to the food. The Good: The Naan and Roti were very good and on the positive side, the Samosas were the best I've ever had. The Bad: I was not impressed by the main dishes. I ordered Butter Chicken and Aloo Gobi, and both of them were alright, but I've had much better. The Ugly: The rice tasted like and had the consistency of instant rice and I was not impressed. Sure, the appetizers and bread were good, but if your main dishes aren't all that great, I think something is wrong. The thought "I've had better" kept swirling around in my mind. Would I return? Probably but right now I'm more interested in trying alternatives though, and I don't think Megha's is on it's way to becoming a go-to place for me.
(3)
Liz R.
I'm a huge fan of Indian food, and of many indian restaurants I've experienced in SE Michigan, this one ranks pretty well, especially considering the quality of the food delivered, the authenticity, and the taste. The atmosphere is pleasant; not overly fancy nor overly run-down. There were a few scattered tables full of Indian families/friends at about 9pm. The service is a bit slow for dinner, the waitstaff are very relaxed. The dishes are really inexpensive for what they are. I got a coke; there weren't apparently any refills; I didn't ask and it wasn't offered. I got the deep-fried battered eggs, which were originally served with an overly-mild beige peanut chutney. I requested the tomato sauce as shown in the picture put up here by another reviewer and it was much tastier, I thought. $4 for 4 eggs seemed like a good deal-they were great. I got the butter chicken medium-hot, and they got it just right, not blazingly hot nor mild. It was very savory. It wasn't the best I've ever had (I prefer Priya's in Farmington Hills). My friend got the special chicken biryani and said it was not the best he'd ever had, but it was decent. My naan was fresh and buttered; the cucumber sauce was excellent. I was very full and had a happy spicy feeling in my mouth after the meal. I will definitely be going back. Good atmosphere, great prices. I hope to come back soon to try the buffet.
(4)
Jonny P.
It just didn't come across like I thought it would. Went for the Sunday Lunch Buffet and the place was packed. Overall it was bland, the mango custard was a definite highlight. Willing to try it again but just feel that I am yet to find 'knock your socks off' Indian in MI.
(2)
Joe T.
This is not your white boy's favorite Indian restaurant. Walk into here and you will see 90% or more of the clientele are Indian, and of them the majority being South Indian. Yep, we know Indian food best. They are so authentic that they do not use much A/C in the summer, and they serve water without ice. Eating spicy food, with lukewarm water, in a hot environment. An entirely authentic middle-class Indian dining experience - until I took my shirt off that is. The curries here are not your cookie cutter, mainstream North Indian dishes. If you are looking for dishes that come a dime a dozen like Butter Chicken and Palak Paneer only, then look elsewhere. The 2 times I went to Sunday lunch buffet, I saw that they keep some variety by rotating a few dishes and keeping the staples. They avoid using mainstream dishes, and serve spicy dishes in authentic South Indian style. I am Malayalee (Kerali), and to this day I have not seen my people frequent an Indian restaurant until coming here. Used to hearing the incessant chatter of Gujuratis and Hindi speakers - it was nice to hear some of my brethren talking (but more so gnawing and chewing) in this humble abode. My review is for the lunch buffet. There is usually a spicy fried fish (e.g. catfish, tilapia, etc.). There are a couple other chicken dishes (e.g. chicken with bone in and gravy, boneless pepper chicken, chili chicken, etc.), and the mutton biriyani is tasty and loaded with plenty of tender chunks of mutton, I sucked the marrow out of a bone so hard it shot to the back of my throat. Sounds gay, tasted great. For vegetarians, there are offbeat and tasty dishes like manchurian vegetables, mushroom 65, daal, masala dosa, sambar, rasam, and pongal (a Tamil favorite, etc.) I was pleasantly impressed that they serve up a delectable mango mousse (instead of just regular gulab jamun like most Desi eateries). Touchings on the side, like achaar pickle, chutneys, raita (spiced yogurt), etc. were all available. Overall at $8-$9/pp for lunch buffet, you can't beat this place in most of metro Detroit. I have heard of a couple good spots on the West side and in Hamtramck, but North and East of Detroit, this is your go-to Indian restaurant for spicy, flavorful Andrha/Kerala/Tamil style cuisine. Dinner prices are very reasonable too. There is no bar, but that is OK - food is the focus here. This place blows most North Indian restaurants in the area out of the water (including one I won't mention by name near Wattles & Rochester). I highly reccomend this place for the adventurous Indian cuisine aficionado who wants to eat like they are in South India. You can eat with your hands and no one would look twice here. You can find curries with nice Andhra style spice rubs and flavor that pops without overuse of oil and ghee. In my opinion, the only item missing from lunch buffet was samosas, but I understand they are expensive and would hike the cost/pp up. This is where the Malabar and Chettinad flavors reign, and their inferior North Indian Koorma counterparts are frowned upon.
(5)
Arati K.
Their food is truly authentic Indian with the right blend of spices. The buffet has a great variety and they change it frequently. We visit here frequently and our experience is always great! My favorites are the kneema puff, chettinad chicken, chole bhatura, malai kofta and all the dosas.
(5)
Krupa U.
We ordered food from them for my engagement ceremony for 250 guests. First of all, the food was not set up on time, people were lining up at the buffet line, and they were not prepared, they didn't bring enough serving spoons for all the dishes... None of the food tasted or even looked like what my parents had originally tried at the restaurant. The eggplant curry was all runny gravy, hardly any whole eggplant pieces, the chicken curry was watery and had small dice size pieces...almost looked like paneer, the tilapia curry was mostly gravy too and definitely not fresh fish, they seemed like frozen fillets that you buy in bulk because the fish didn't flake apart and the texture made it seem older. on top of it all, they didn't bring enough rice and naan for the number of guests... so we ran out!! One can imagine how embarrassing that was for us!! They ran out to get more but by the time they came back most of our guests had started leaving! None of the food was spicy or nearly as flavorful as they make it at the restaurant on a smaller scale. This entire experience is a One star review... but because their Andhra style cuisine at the restaurant is pretty good and their lunch buffet is inexpensive, i'm awarding them an extra star. I recommend them for normal restaurant visits, but they definitely lack catering skills and quality.
(2)
Mike L.
I know nothing about Indian food but I like this place. Chicken Tikka was great, tender chicken, served on a sizzling platter ala fajitas. Naan was outstanding. Had a few apps that were good. Everything seems fresh and high quality. Not much atmosphere, but the dinner seemed great to us!
(4)
Mac F.
Want to feel like you're in India without leaving Detroit? Come here to eat, and you'll find yourself totally surrounded by tons of Indians (always a good sign with ethnic cuisines). I was there for a leisurely lunch with a friend for the lunch buffet, and it was packed. The setup of the buffet, however, was a bit backwards, as they had the sauces before any of the foods, though as I'm not that familiar with Indian food, perhaps that intentional? Not sure, but I'd like to go back for dinner at some point.
(4)
TJ W.
If you're looking for the best Indian cuisine in the Murder Mitten, up until a couple weeks ago, the clear winner was Namaste Flavours in Farmington. But there's a new kid on the block, and surprisingly enough, it offers some stiff competition to the Hyderabadi Parkway staple. As a frequent lurker at miindia.com , I stay on top of the comings and goings of Detroit-area Indian restaurants, and when I heard that the owners were saying goodbye to Goodbye Junk Food and returning to South Indian fare, my feelings were mixed. Yes, it's always good to have more South Indian options close by, but The Chettinad wasn't exactly the shiniest tawa on the stove. Still, I fully intended to give them a shot the day they opened. Our first experience with Athidi was their buffet. $5.99 per person for their first weekend of business was too cheap for us to pass up, and it appeared that everyone in the Detroit Desi community felt the same way. We waited for 45 minutes before finally getting a table, and were seated just a few minutes before the restaurant closed. Yet, despite the ridiculous number of people in the restaurant, the buffet line moved smoothly, they still had all but one of the dishes that they had been serving that day, and they stocked the buffet with fresh food even after the restaurant had closed for the day, to make sure that everyone was fed. The downside was that it was merely above-average for a weekend Indian buffet. Bonus points for having dosas, but the chilli chicken was not the Keralan style you find at Namaste, the biryani was a little overpowering, and the rest of the non-veg dishes seemed uninspiring. Since you can't get an accurate gauge of the restaurant the first couple days it's open for business, we decided to give them another try later in the week, this time sampling the dinner menu. We decided to throw budget to the wind and ordered a Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani, Varutha Kozhi curry, Chilli Chicken, a masala dosa, and when I saw the kotthu paratha, I just HAD to give it a shot. The chilli chicken wasn't good. It was different than the buffet version, but it lacked flavor. The dosa was very good, but the masala lacked flavor. Then I put fork to the biryani. Oh my word...fluffy, moist and tangy like what you find at New Kaveri Dosa Corner in Mississauga, with that same complex and robust flavor. The Kotthu Paratha was just as good as the Sri Lankan version you find in the GTA, which made me very happy. Now I don't have to wait until a Toronto trip or mess around making parathas or rotis to get my kotthu fix. The varutha kozhi is a very rare (in the US) Tamil Nadu delicacy, and it's now my favorite dish. Not my favorite at Athidi, Not my favorite Indian dish. My favorite dish, period. Death row, last meal, I'm having Athidi prepare me a vat of varutha kozhi and I'm going to spare myself the chair by eating kozhi until my sides split open and curry plops out on the floor. I'd describe the flavor, but even after finding a recipe for it, I just can't put it into words. You just have to try it. To call it a chicken curry would be like saying that Barack Obama hasn't quite lived up to the hype - an understatement of colossal proportions. I went back later that week to have the buffet, and it's just not the same. It's like every Indian buffet in Detroit gears their menu to the khakis-and-polo-shirt asshole co-workers that Desis take to lunch. When you've got a menu with such an incredible variety of succulent South Indian dishes, why do you put white-people slop like butter chicken and palak paneer out there? It's disappointing and insulting. Indian restaurants, Joe Dipshit has no idea what he's eating. If you put chicken chettinad or kadai chicken out there, he's going to love it. Hell, put that out there and label it butter chicken. They'll never know the difference and they'll actually prefer the flavor. Desis are notoriously harsh on Indian restaurants, yet they give Athidi high marks. It's understandable given the food, but I think the decor, the plates and the silverware are the tipping point for them. Personally, I consider that to be useless fluff (I prefer styrofoam and plastic forks), but it's a big deal to them. If that's your thing, then it will give Athidi a fine-dining feel. Athidi gets huge bonus points for bringing me green chillis upon request and not trying to stick me with the watered-down white people versions of their food. Explain to them that you can take the spice and they'll give you some. Not to say that their food is spicy - you'll need the extra green chillis. But that they bring them out to you is a huge mark in their favor. For the Troy-area people who are eating the inedible, buttery slop that Ashoka shovels on to plates, or a tray of two-week-old microwaved vomit at Royal Indian, you no longer have an excuse for eating crappy Indian food. Get over to Athidi and try Indian food the way it's supposed to taste. Just don't go for the buffet.
(5)
Meredith E.
I've asked myself 'why havent I ever been here?'.. well, the problem is, this place is surrounded by many AMAZING restaurants. However, once I got in and saw they had MANGO MOUSSE on their lunch buffet... well, I've been back several times. Everytime I eat lunch, I'm the only white girl in the place. It is filled with Indians and their coworkers. Megha's has a descent size buffet with not as many vegetarian dishes that other area Indian buffets have. Not a problem because the food is sooo good! The price is also fair ($8.99 for lunch I believe) . I'll be back next week.
(4)
Maria B.
Went here for a friend's b'day lunch get together, and the food was awesome! It's hard to find really good Indian food, but Athidhi hits the mark!!! Growing up, i had been exposed to fantastic Indian food through a good friend of mine. Her Dad would cook up really awesome SouthAsian dishes, so my expectations from an Indian restaurant has always measured up to that. Athidhi reminded me of my friend's Dad's cooking, which to me means excellence!!! I'm not a buffet fan, but what's great about Athidhi is their $7.99 lunch buffet, b/c you're able to try a wide variety of various Indian foods. I don't remember the names of all the dishes (i took a small sample of about 80% of the foods they had), but they have dosas, dishes made with lamb, chicken, veggies, rice, appetizer dishes, and even a delicious mango sorbet-like dessert. The flavors, aroma, and satisfying meal will definitely have me coming back to Athidhi!!! : )
(5)
Monica E.
Best Indian food in town. I dine here a couple of times a month. The food is delicious, ambience is nice, and the staff are very friendly. Can't go wrong with the tikka masala or butter chicken. The vegetarian dishes and appetizers are also excellent!
(5)
Sarah C.
A group of colleagues and I went to Athidhi for lunch. We all walked away pretty pleased - which isn't hard to do since their lunch service is buffet-only and you can try a pretty good spread. Everything we tried was fresh and tasty. Spice level was manageable for those who prefer things less so, and still potent enough for those that like it a little hot. My favorite for the day was the Butter Chicken and Lamb something... both were om nom nom nom worthy. And the naan was delicous, as was the dosa. Was not a fan of the strange, sweet ball like things that reminded me of play dough, but everyone else thought they were super. So, must just be me. My only complaint is that the food needed to be hotter temperature wise. Definitely going back for dinner some time to try the menu.
(4)
Sonia Y.
Very good authentic dishes. We ordered the paneer tikka masala, vegetable biryani and chicken curry for take out and it was all so delicious! I would definitely recommend this place to anyone who loves or wants to try Indian food. They have a variety of dishes for all taste.
(5)
Raj M.
The food here is very delicious. The only problem is the uncourteous behavior of the waiters. Neither do they smile nor behave pleasant which makes you feel very unwelcomed .
(3)
G A.
The restaurant is not clean. There's food remnants between the table sheets and cover glass. We got sick. Food taste OK n nothing special.
(2)
Alyssa K.
I ate here, and when I went home to poop, I could have shat through a screen. The food was delicious, by the way.
(3)
John A.
This is the best Indian food I've ever tasted. My wife and I stuff ourselves to the brim when we eat here... It's just so legit. Lots of Indian people are always there eating so you know it's good.
(5)
Neel A.
I believe I've been to this restaurant more often than any other Indian restaurants around me. The food tastes good, the quantity is neither less nor more. I would say the cost, quantity and variety are well balanced. Their biryani taste pretty good and smells awesome. I must have tried the entire menu and I have a few favorites such as chicken biryani, chicken chettinad, egg puff, Medhu Vada, Dosa. Lunch Buffets are good. I would say the price is pretty reasonable or rather lesser than the competition. I would surely recommend and will be visiting on Thursday for my biryani night take away.
(4)
Alyssa R.
What an odd experience... I went in the middle of the Polar Vortex this past winter with a friend. We ordered spicy chicken Kadai and Aloo Gobi (a potato/ cauliflower curry). The food must have been fine, but non memorable- and the heat level in the curry was definitely NOT enough to make up for the fact that they had absolutely NO HEAT on a freezing winter day. Here's the thing: You can't be open for customers when their toes could possibly get frost-bite just sitting there. Since I couldn't remember the food due to the negative experience of being there, I'll stick with my other Indian restaurants who are delicious and temperature controlled.
(3)
Mathi S.
Best Indian place near Troy area! Buffet is great.. If u are going for ala carte u have to try the briyani,it simply is awesome! My personal favorites are goat briyani and chilli idly. Not too spicy and great taste for the palate to enjoy! Staff are considerate and ambience is good ,if it is not too crowded
(5)
Nino C.
Mango Mouse is so good!! And their tanduri chicken is defintely something I want to get again Mango Mouse is so good!! And their tanduri chicken is defintely something I want to get again
(4)
Nish S.
I stayed in MI for 3 yrs and explored indian joints. I was born and raised in western And southern india, so got a flavor of authentic north and south indian food. Athidhi has probably one of the BEST lunch BUFFET. Food is delicious for most part. Strengths - south indian food... V authentic. Weakness- most of the north indian preparations are south indianized. V reasonable. If you stop by, dont miss their Mango Mousse-- amazing!! TIP- Have Mango mousse!!! Delish!!
(4)
Naveen Nishanth N.
The taste and quality of food was good. Probably 2.5 to 3 stars. But the restaurant was not clean at all. Some plates that were just brought in from wash were also dirty. I may not go again to this place. Butter chicken and mutton was good among the worse.
(2)
Megan C.
Fairly average experience for dinner - figure this place does the bulk of their business with the lunch buffet crowd, so tableside service is not their forte. Interior was a little on the shabby side - and not shabby chic. Tables and chairs were somewhat worn down, and service seemed tired and lackadaisical, but was prompt and efficient. Typical mainstream (nothing wrong with that when it comes to Indian comfort food) entrees well-executed and at a great price. I do wish that the dinner entrees included complimentary naan or roti bread, since I'd be willing to bet the lunch buffet provides the bread at no additional charge. I ordered the chicken tikka masala (surprise) and asked for it HOT - as in my typical request - "not white girl hot, but Indian bad-ass hot" - I am still waiting for a restaurant to surprise my taste buds with truly bombastic spice. Nevertheless, flavor was rich and savory, nothing was greasy or oily. My friend ordered a vegetarian medley with samosa, daal, rice, etc. , and the portion size was large enough for her to have leftovers. Can't complain at all at the total bill - only $22 pre-gratuity for a filling and homey Indian meal.
(3)
Shelly M.
I do love this place, but I have to downgrade based on the lack of cleanliness. I'm wondering if they could pass a health inspection. It is so disappointing that a place with such great food cannot stay in business because they can't get one the ten people they have working to clean, or just hire someone to clean it properly. I love the food here, but I can tell if they don't do something soon, they will fall away like so many before them.
(2)
Ferris B.
Great Indian food! I have tried my fair share of Indian food, yet haven't ventured too North in areas like Troy. Went here for dinner, great food! Definitely the best in the area coming from Royal Oak. I ordered the buttered chicken...lovely! My friend ordered the Tandoori chicken...not a big fan. Definitely coming back for the lunch buffet some day...cant wait!!
(4)
Alvin T.
We're here for a short family visit; we live in NYC, where the quality and variety of Indian foods can be VERY high (the range is from mediocre to authentic and excellent). We were looking forward to something acceptable, since the choices seemed somewhat limited. We looked at YELP comments and decided this was worth trying for dinner. WHAT A SURPRISE The place was not at all crowded at what in NYC would be peak hours. The selection was impressive, the server staff was knowledgeable and helpful. I like really spicy food, wife prefers mild. I like meat and chicken, wife is happier with vegetarian. We ordered lamb hyderabad, chana masala, vegetable biriani. As our kids say, OMG! Exquisitely spiced, intense flavour. Large portions (we took much home). This place is as good as any Indian food I've had in NYC (possibly two comparable "high end" places that were considerably more expensive) Megha's is a treasure!
(5)
Eve B.
Ok, so i finally got to try this place out the other night as i had been bitching about wanting good indian food for like the past month! i'm gonna be real honest here....i wasn't exactly creaming my pants over this place. We ordered a LOT of food.....started with teh samosas which i thought were very good, not too oily and greasy.....then split the Hyderbadi Dosa, vegetable biryani and per my fellow yelpers recommendations, the kozhi varutha curry. The Dosa was good, SUPER spicy though....it wasn't anything to write home about, but i did like the yummy curry potatoey filling. Now on to the main dish....although the Kozhi Varutha curry did have a very unique flavor....the chicken was SUPER dry....almost inedible. I was super bummed because in my heart i wanted to LOVE this dish. I agree with others that the biryani was on point and may have single handedly saved the meal. One other thing that kindof chapped my ass was the service....it was soooo slowwwww....we basically had to stalk down the server and hold him hostage to bring our check and a carry out box at teh end of the meal. All in all, was this good indian food? yes. Will i go back for seconds? maybe. but i still prefer my beloved chicken hyberdadi dish served from Ann Arbor's Shalimar much more.
(4)
Tony S.
I'm an Indian food noob. I've probably eaten less than ten times in my life at an Indian restaurant. My little brother on the other hand was stranded in India for a month with stories of wading by a river where dead people float by. If I don't give enough credit to this place it's probably only because of my ignorant palate. I loved the lamb vindaloo, it had nice rich savory flavor. It was the highlight of the dinner. The special chicken biryani was not very special tasting though. The chicken was little pebble sized dry red things. The flavor of the rice/noodles had a spicy/soapy cilantro like taste. I love spice, just not too much of the cilantro like spice. The garlic naan was fine, who doesn't like fresh made bread? I didn't expect the cilantro that they put in it though. I do like cilantro but my western palate does not like it on bread I guess. There were some sauces like a yogurt sauce that enhanced the vindaloo that was great. I'll have to try other menu items or come during a buffet, that sounds like the best value. Comments: The service (I had carryout) was quiet, stoic and cordial. 3.5 Stars
(3)
Poorna R.
This place is the bomb! No, seriously. Let me preface this by saying that I'm Indian. I've been having issues finding decent Indian places that are relatively near me in this area. My friend took me to Athidhi, and I was so impressed by the food, I am definitely going back. I'm South Indian, so I was thrilled they had idli sambar and pakoras...and let's not forget the MOST important...masala dosa i.e savory crepes stuffed with spicy potatoes that you can dip in sambar and chutney. Also amazing, the Chicken Tikka...they serve it up hot in the pan with white onions..O-M-G. Give me more of that please! And for dessert...they have this mango ice cream/sorbet thing that is apparently elusive and not on their menu....ask for it! It's delicious.
(5)
Lorna D.
After chomping at the bit to try this place after reading so many stellar reviews, I was a bit surprised to find it to be just okay. The menu is certainly varied and impressive, though they were out of two items we tried to order. The space is large, the staff friendly. I couldn't figure out if they were short-staffed or the pace is just very laid back, but we sat for long stretches without getting menus, our order being taken, getting checked on, and getting boxes and our bill. At a booth near the vacuum cleaner, we chatted and enjoyed the evening, anticipating the vittles to come. The pakoras were plentiful, though I prefer more spice and wished for assorted dipping sauces. The one I was given was kind of bitter and mustardy, though it had a nice kick. My man's egg puffs and koorma were okay but not remarkable, as was my malai kofta. The actual kofta balls were delicious, though tiny and few...literally three in my main dish-it was mostly gravy. A grayish color, this sauce had quite a strong (and strange to my palate for this dish) anise taste and was otherwise very bland. The same gravy was in the koorma. The gulab jamun were small as well, and there were just hints of rosewater and cardamom in the syrup when I was hoping for much more flavor here. Lots of small children emoting and running around which was ok, though if you're looking for a quiet date spot this might be an issue. Maybe I'd try it again if I found myself in the area, but I'm not inclined to again make the half-hour trek.
(3)
Tony B.
Great food. Wanted to check out some of the S. Indian fair per Janelle W.'s recommendation, but we wanted to try some of the standard Indian staples to compare. We tried the Tikka Massala, Vindaloo and a Pesarratu-massala dosa. All was perfect. :0)
(4)
Kayla K.
Came here for dinner on Valentine's Day. The experience was everything I could have asked for. The food was great and the atmosphere was like hanging out in a large living room at an Indian family reunion. Right now I am in the middle of enjoying my leftovers...Yum!
(5)
Katie C.
Great restaurant I have to admit. I have always been a little intimated to walk into an Indian restaurant, because I know nothing about their food. But by the positives reviews and a little push by Janelle, I made a couple of people go with me! Needless to say we had a great food. I wish I could name half of the things I ate, I liked the Paneer marsala, the nann, and that raiki(sp?) that was delicious cucumber sauce. Since I can't talk in to much detail about the food I will let you know the restaurant was nice and clean and the busser picked up our plates very fast after we were finished. The reason I didn't give 5 stars was because of the initial service. No one greeted us, told us where to sit, or approached our table after we sat down. So we just all got up and started eating off the buffet. I felt kind of weird at first not knowing if this was the custom of this buffet. We eventually all got over it started chowing down. We weren't even asked if we wanted a drink besides water. After we warmed up to the buffet the food out did the initial service problem. Definitely will go back here again! Oh and the lamb thingy was really good too!
(4)
Brian A.
I feel like I've provided a valuable diplomatic service to the world, and if I die tomorrow, I can be content knowing that I've introduced someone unfamiliar with it to delicious South Indian cuisine. This location has been many things. The first time I came here, almost 10 years ago, it was an Indian restaurant--I don't even remember the name. After that another short-lived buffet place opened up and it closed within months. It was vacant for a while and then it became a health food store. More recently, it was known as The Chettinad and it was merely mediocre. I went once and never came back because there were places I enjoyed more. So imagine my surprise when I discovered that it was _yet another new place_ in the same building. I discovered it right here on Yelp and added it to my "to try" list. Thanks to TJ and Janelle's reviews, I was drooling by the time I clicked the magic button to add it. What an auspicious day that was. I went in with my friend who was visiting from Norway (the aforementioned never-had-South-Indian guy) and my girlfriend. We were the first customers of the evening shift and were treated like VIPs from the moment we stepped in. The waiter was extremely friendly, but there was a bit of a communication gap--not because of any accents, but because of his incredibly low volume speaking voice. He was almost whispering, and we all had to struggle to hear him. He did ask us how hot we preferred our dishes, and as a service, brought out a complimentary appetizer of two deep fried chilies for us to try. My friend stressed that he preferred very mild, I stressed like I prefer very hot, and he seemed to understand our preferences. I ordered the Chili Chicken dry appetizer which was decent (it was too hot for my Viking friend). It's not the most flavorful I've had, but it was tasty. My friend ordered a corn soup which he absolutely loved. He claimed it was the best chicken soup he's ever had. The waiter must have picked up on our desire to try it, because before we knew it, he had brought out smaller complimentary bowls for my girlfriend and I so we could taste it too. How awesome! So, fifteen minutes in, we already had three free appetizers. Now that's customer service! Based on TJ's glowing recommendation, I tried the Kozhi Varutha and was stunned at the complex and delicate blending of flavors and textures in this amazingly artistic dish. There are precious few moments in one's life when you discover a new taste that has never been in your mouth before--it's almost like what I imagine seeing a new color would be like--and when the opportunity arises, it is to be grasped and savored. That was the experience I had with Kozhi Varutha in my mouth. I wanted to swim in a kiddie pool filled with the stuff, except that would be scratchy and painful. The butter naan was spectacularly prepared, and was the perfect accompaniment to the rich and exotic flavor of the curry. My girlfriend got Tikka Masala which was appropriately sweet, creamy, and spicy. Our Norse friend got a chicken kebab and was slightly disappointed in it--mostly because they interpreted his stress on "mild" to mean "absolutely no seasoning whatsoever." Literally, there was no seasoning on his chunks of chicken. It was simply chicken on a grill. He also found one chunk that was slightly undercooked and it made him a bit queasy and put him off his meal. They did bring out a complimentary dish of mint chutney for him to try, and he did enjoy that. He also got the butter naan and really liked it. He said it reminded him of Lefse (a bread from his homeland). I am terribly excited to go back and explore more of the South Indian and Tamil menu of Athidi. It's a cuisine I'm not super familiar with, and I feel like I'm beginning a brand new culinary adventure that has now been enabled by this spectacular restaurant.
(5)
Jen M.
I had a Sunday craving for Indian after watching the Food Network all morning yet didn't feel like going through the hassle of getting presentable enough to be in public so.... Yelp directed to me to this little gem for a carry out. I called at 2:55 not realizing they close between 3 and 5 but the owner was very accomodating and took the order anyways. The paneer tikka masala was the best I've had in Michigan, was very creamy and had FANTASTIC mouth feel. Plus there were filets of tomato mixed in which I haven't seen before. The shrimp curry was just ok. The shrimp were TINY and the sauce was a bit salty and tasted unfinished for some reason. I had originally ordered tandoori shrimp which I'm sure would have been MUCH better but they had begun shutting down the kitchen already. Ordered lamb vindaloo for the bf but they had made chicken vindaloo when I got there. No big deal they gave me the meal for free. It was too hot for him but I though the sauce was deliciously fiery. Garlic naan did not disappoint and was fluffier than most. I am not a fan of the stretched too thin paste like texture of some restaurants (Rangoli) I didn't feel like branching out into the south indian fare as I've never had it before but the 3 dishes above, which are staples by which I measure any indian place, met and/or exceeded expectations. Plus the service is outstandingly accomodating which makes me want to go back in and of itself. I can't wait to go back for the buffet and try some of the other dishes mentioned in these reviews!
(4)
J. M.
We went here for the Indian buffet..good food for a good price. I liked being able to try a wide variety of dishes. I am sure we will be back:)
(4)
Jami S.
This was my 2nd time eating Indian food, and the first time in about 15-20 years. This was also my first trip to this restaurant (my husband's second visit). It was very good. I had the Chicken Tandoori. It was so delicious. We went on a Saturday night around 6 and there was hardly anyone in there. From what I understand, they do a lot of carryout business. I cannot wait to go back. My husband got the Lamb Hyberabadi which he loved. I don't know he got earlier this week, but he loved it so much he had to go back within a few days and bring me this time! We both want to try their lunch buffet.
(4)
Jackie D.
The food here is really delicious. I've loved every dish I've had so far, and I would definitely go back for it. The only reason I'm giving this review 3 stars is because the service is HORRIBLE. I've been there a number of times, and every time the waiters have been extremely slow, don't come around enough, and we had to wait ages for our bills to come. It was extremely frustrating.
(3)
Zardozia Y.
I went to this place tonight for dinner after reading the reviews. It was really terrific! Probably the best I've had in the immediate local area. I had this wonderful soup, some kind of corn chicken soup..just what I was looking for. I also tried the samosa, and the chili chicken. All was delicious, and priced a bit lower than I'd expect. Atmosphere is about average, and service was pretty good, bathroom very clean too.
(5)
Molly M.
This was wonderful and perfectly spicy if you want spice. If you read the reviews on Yelp that are under four stars, you will notice that most of them are written by caucasian people who admit to not liking spicy food. I have had some great food in the Detroit area, but I had given up on the idea of getting any real spice. However, Dan demanded spicy food last Sunday before the Junior Brown show at Callahans. Since I do not eat Mexican food east of the Rockies -- I am from California, and I am not amused by Tex Mex, chili on an enchilada, no -- that left Indian or Thai, and I was encouraged by the fact that I had actually seen Indian people around town. Indeed, we were the only people there who were not Indian. We ordered our food spicy, and it came out just short of being too spicy for our palates, which was exactly where we wanted it. The service was also excellent, and the place was scrupulously clean.
(5)
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Address :2079 15 Mile Rd
Sterling Heights, MI, 48310
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch, Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : No Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : No Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : No 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.
Matthew P.
This place puts it down! Highlights - Hot buttery naan - Three kinds of rice - Lots of flavor - 4 - 5 Delicious creations to spoon over rice. I've been around a few Indian buffets, some with great reviews that are well known. This placed edged them all out. Rice was better, butter chicken was better, and the tandoori chicken, yum! Standard buffet to serve yourself, plates are cleared promptly, and water stocked while away. Only thing missing was the syrup balls that I've come to love, at least that's what I call them. Can't think of much else to say. New to Indian? Buffet is the best, and under $10 is the way to try food. Indian vet? Eat here.
(4)Ronda N.
MAIC is Southeast Michigan's reigning champ of Indian cuisine. The food is simply delicious. Kudos!!! My favorites are the Lamb Hyderabadi, Chicken Tandoori, Butter Chicken, Dosa and Naan. I mostly do pick up order. The food is spectacular, but the establishment is in desparate need of a refurbishment. I have dined here for 4+years and this place has never updated anything or even given it a fresh coat of paint. As a long term customer, I will not continue dining at a restaurant that is declining, run-down and neglected. It makes me think about the sanitation and hygiene of their kitchen. I do not like when businesses shun reinvesting back into their business. If MAIC reinvested into its business, it would show that they not only care about their customers and profits but also about its continued growth and success. My rating went from 5 to 3 stars due to the restaurant appearing on its last legs.
(3)Derek F.
Love me some Indian food. Megha's is the real deal. It starts with the smell if it doesn't have that curry house smell go some where else,, Megha's may not be the fanciest and looks a little grimy but they are putting out some good Indian food, the apps were hot and tasty, the breads we're hot and fresh, the mains were right on good flavor and good serving size, the prices we're also good 2 bucks less than most other places, why not. The menu needed a little more but had some favorites. So make the trip we will be back thumbs up.
(4)Bridgette Z.
First time trying an Indian buffet and i was skeptical walking in. I've had Indian food before and enjoyed it very much but not too many different dishes. I stuck to what i knew in the past. This place doesn't look like much when you walk in but the food makes up for it!! As soon as we were seated, a young man brought us silverware and 2 glasses of water, no ice or straws but I figured no big deal, they seem busy. Went right up to the buffet and was immediately overwhelmed and excited. There were about 4 different breads to choose from, many vegetarian dishes, 2 kinds of rice (plain basmati and lemon rice), 3 chicken dishes, a lamb dish, and 2 kinds of desserts (mango mousse which tasted like orange sherbet to me and some kind of liquidy creamy concoction that didn't look appetizing but tasted so great!). I tried a little bit of everything and it was all wonderful. The best part is that it was only $7.99!! I felt like i owed them more money when we were paying LOL we had so much food. Only $8.99 on weekends. Try everything! It was all great.
(5)Meg K.
A. Indian food is not my favorite, but I do enjoy having it, occasionally. B. Of the Indian restaurants I've been to in the Detroit area, I like their food best. Good flavor development, ingredients taste fresh. Best samosas I've ever had. C. We've dined here three times. I like restaurants with a little grit, especially if it's part of the character of having an authentic experience. However, the uncleanliness in their dining room is outside of my comfort zone; I don't think I can get passed it and go back again.
(3)Belle L.
Excellent value for $$. Weekday lunch buffet is $8, weekend is $9. Wait line can get crazy. You come here for authentic dishes. Funny dish on menu -- chicken noodles -- noodles with ketchup and ketchup on side. Plenty of effort for good service. Thoughtful and honest staff. Thank you! Avoid table seating by kitchen doors. Smelly. Push carts need to be cleaned as well. NOTE: Most of the dishes has chili/spicy taste. Occasionally, you would run out of bowls, plates. Wait, they will show up eventually.
(4)Christina S.
You can't beat the price for the buffet they offer! Good variety, very flavorful! Dishes could be a little more spicy, but good for everyone's palate. Butter chicken was the best out of everything we tried. They even filled it up with more chicken after I mentioned only the sauce was left. The chicken biryani... also very tasty! Good service too.
(5)Rina B.
Finally, an Indian restaurant that also offers specialities from the southern part of India. They have dosas, people. If you haven't try it yet, give it a go. A dosas is a crepe like and usually comes either stuffed or with a side you can dip it in. I love the variety of dishes from this place. And unlike some Indian restaurants in the area, there isn't a ridiculous wait for your food.
(4)Jeff H.
Ask me if I want to go to Megha's and my answer will be YES PLEASE. So far I've only been twice, lunch buffet each time. Once with a group of fellow Yelpers (first time for all of us) and another time to reinforce it was as good as I thought it was, prior to reviewing. Not only was my second visit as good as my first, the buffet contained probably 60%-70% NEW dishes from what it had the previous visit, and the new options were EVEN TASTIER than what had been there before! Megha's Athidi is not my first Indian buffet by any stretch, but I believe it is now my favorite. What really sets them apart is not the size of the buffet (it is modest) or the decor/service (both of which are honestly a bit underwhelming). What sets them apart happens to be all that really matters in my mind... the quality of the food. Every dish I tried was flavored to perfection and stood up to my favorite versions tried. They also put a fair amount of spice/heat in almost everything, which I happen to LOVE, and is rare in a buffet setting. For $7.99 ($8.99 weekends) you really can't beat it. I will absolutely be back. First visit Highlights: * Chana Masala - exceptional * Veggie Pakora - great for dipping * Tandoori Chicken - it was MOIST which is desirable but not always achieved Second visit Highlights: * Chile Chicken - one of the most delicious things I have eaten in recent memory, I could eat a whole platter and ask for more * Dal Makhani - my "go-to" Indian dish, what i use to benchmark a new restaurant... very good here, did not disappoint * Butter Chicken - this was one of the only few items that was on the buffet each of my visits and it was great each time... perhaps even better the 2nd time.
(4)Claire V.
My absolute favorite indian restaurant in metro Detroit. I am a regular here. Anything in the tikka masala sauce is delicious. Highly suggest the hyderabadi dosa if you like spicy. Comes with different chutneys. Order Paneer tikka masala, chicken tikka masala, maghali chicken or malai kofta you can't go wrong!!!
(5)Shaheda K.
Finally got to try this place out. Was excited as soon as I entered because it was owned by actual Indians, so you knew to expect authentic Indian food. It was pretty busy (went on a Sunday around 6-8), and the food was great BUT the service was a little slow. However I didn't mind and understood because I genuinely believed they tried their best to be courteous, and it could've just been a big crowd that slowed them down. I ordered a vegetable Korma. For appetizers, I ordered something called chili bajji, (something I never tried) and I was not too fond of it. It was pretty hot! I also ordered veg samosas which was alright but there was a black seed cooked in that kind of took over the whole taste, and I didn't like it much. On to my entree order, I have to absolutely stress out how delighted I was to even find Vegetable korma on the menu. It is rarely found in Indian restaurants, so I deeply appreciated this! It was great but also had that overpowering seed which I could taste, so my only advice would be to ask your server to omit it, so that it doesn't take away from this amazing dish!
(4)Kris A.
Beware: Food poisoning. Try this place at your own risk. I thought food at this place was okay, then I got food poisoning. Doctor told that it happened because of eating meat that was past the expiry date. I don't cook non veg at home. The only meat I ate at that time was at this place. This wasn't the first time, one of my friends told me that he got hives all over his body due to food poisoning. He thought it was allergy but later when it got worse he had to go to the urgent care and they confirmed that it was food poisoning. Their chutneys are always cold. They probably make it in large quantity and serve the same "old" chutneys for months. This is very scary. I know lots of South Indian restaurants in India have these kind of practices but there were no regulations to monitor such practices in India. But I'm surprised to see places like this get away with these kind of practices here in USA. I have seen places like this India and how they "clean" plates and silverware. Who knows these guys are probably doing the same kind of cleaning practices. Now I am very scared to try another Indian restaurant. Go to this place if you have a very very strong metabolism, immunity power, willingness to eat from plates that were not washed properly and use silverware that touched 100s of gross lips and not cleaned properly, and have super powers( like flash or superman) to get healed from food that is expired a while ago or stored old food from refrigerator, if you can not afford a healthy alternative and have weird cravings to eat unhealthy, spoilt, old, junk, cheap, frozen, indian food. "Or" Just go somewhere else and save yourself some medical expenses and peace of mind. Good luck.
(1)Dustin T.
The chicken tikka masala was fantastic. There's not much ambience, but the food is why you go, and the price is great for the quality you get.
(4)Bhushan B.
I like this place . Specially mango moose. Also decent place for south indian food go for buffet
(4)Srihari G.
Not for a quick bite. Plan for a leisure dinner and spend lot of time staring at your companion as you wait for the food. Don't order more than 2 items because you will get served one item at a time spaced evenly 20 minutes apart.
(4)Kelsey G.
I'd like to be able to review the food but we were never even helped. My fiancé convinced me to try indian food for the first time and after reading reviews we settled on coming here. We were seated with barely a hello and then brought water and menus. 15-20 minutes later and no one has come to talk to us, a server helped the table behind us but never came to speak to us. We decided to leave, because I refuse to make a restaurant want to serve me. We will be going elsewhere from now on. I'm glad we did considering while sitting there waiting to be served I came across the reviews that stated they had food poisoning.
(1)Debbie Z.
My first experience at an Indian Cuisine Restaurant. My mouth is still on fire!!! But, the food was very very tasty and spicy! Was invited here because one of my Ph.D. students finished her dissertation and received a position as an Assistant Professor at a university in Oklahoma. Of course she was born and raised from that part of the country, so her taste buds are use to all the spices. Mine are not, so this was extremely new to me. Let me begin with where it is at. Extremely easy to find, right at the NE corner of Dequindre and 15 Mile Roads in Sterling Heights. On the NW corner there is the Polish Cultural Center - so you can either go Indian or Polish at this corner!!! Nice combination. Parking was very convenient, especially since it was threatening rain outside. Went inside and there were my friends. We did the buffet because that way we could get a combination of different types of food of Indian Cuisine. When I got back to the table there was glasses of water for all us. Boy, did I need that! Phew. My friend explained all of the Indian delicacies and I chose a nice variety of food. Sat down and started to chow! Take a small bite and drink a lot of water, that was my role while eating! I didn't finish my plate, but whatever meat I took I did consume. I am a firm believer of if an animal dies and you purchase or take then you should respect that animal and not waste it. All in all I definitely would go back. The place was clean and there were quite a few people there from India. When I see that I think it is a great place.
(4)Dan O.
It's time for the monthly UYE with the Lunch Guys! Stopped at Megha's Athidi Indian Cuisine. Definitely jumping into the deep end of the pool, as this is the first time I'm trying Indian cuisine. No menus as I guess 97% percent of people avail themselves to the lunch buffet. 3 different types of bread including naan (flat bread), several rice dishes with vegetables and/or meat, a couple of vegetable dishes, 4 protein dishes mostly chicken, and several sauces (including chutneys). Wow! Most every bite was a new experience! A couple of them had some heat to them on the back end, not burn your tongue hot. Use the breads to wrap the bites or dunk with sauce, very tasty! I think my favorite was the tandori chicken in naan, with some yogurt rice, nom nom! Cost of the lunch buffet, less than $10. As always the company of other Yelpers elevated the meal. Great value, good taste, someplace to put on my repeat menu! Can't wait to try someplace else next month!
(4)Sumit C.
We came from Toronto and stopped at this one for dinner. It closes at 10:30 pm and we reached around 10:20. Still waiters were very friendly to invite us in. Food is really awesome specially butter chicken - ask for spicy one and garlic nans. My kids also loved the food. Overall very good food and excellent staff.
(5)Deepak V.
I have been an extremely loyal customer for well over two years and have referred many of my friends to eat here . My family had come from out of town to eat here, and we were running a little bit late due to family obligations and called the restaurant to verify what time we could arrive and still get served. I was told 1015 pm was the last sitting and if we arrive by then we would be served and that was supposed to be the plan. I arrived at 9:56 PM and was told that the kitchen was closed. This was in spite of signs on the front door clearly saying that the restaurant was open until 1030, and a full dining room with some customers who had yet to order. We had a large party and would have been just bringing business to the restaurant. So when I approached the so called on duty "manager" who acknowledged he spoke with me on the phone and I was told that they "just decided to close the restaurants kitchen" And the reason being that the kitchen was too busy and "cannot handle" it. I am a very understanding individual, heck I'm a doctor I get it, but that is just unacceptable and extremely poor customer service , especially after admitting to the sudden reversal. I don't expect anything it's just saddening since I've been a loyal customer for over 2 years and referred countless friends to the restaurant.
(1)Sharaf A.
Good food. Loved the veggi kurma and Mango Moose. Limited choices but for $8, it's a good lunch.
(4)Jessica T.
I'm an Indian food fanatic! This place had the best palak paneer I've EVER had! Perfection.
(5)Casey K.
I'm not familiar with indian food, but as far as I can tell from this restaurant it's delicious! Everything was so flavorful and the service was very friendly. The butter naan was hot and fresh. We got samosas by recommendation of our waiter and they were phenomenal. Everything tasted like a little indian lady was back there cooking all day. Highly recommend!!
(5)Chandra T.
The food in athidi is good .. The lunch buffet is best for that price . They offer different menu for special days . I like the biryani here . Chicken tikka masala is good . Dosa and chutneys are good .. Staff is ok.. Tiffins are good !!
(4)Jason B.
Best lamb in town! This Indian place is the bet I've been too since I was in New York. The lamb and chicken dishes are just down right home cooking style, which I love. When ordering you can tell them how spicy you want it, which is good cause I can't handle spicy food so well. But for those who do love spicy food, it's a must have. If I could give this place more stars I would.
(5)Kimmie Ann C.
I can only speak of the lunch buffet and it was tasty. I have now been to 3 other Indian Restaurants in the Troy and Royal Oak area. Hands down this is my favorite! I was lucky enough to go to lunch there with some friends who told me what everything was. A whole ton of wonderful flavor and a little bit of spice. I was very surprised how fresh the food tasted from the buffet. This is a small restaurant and nothing fancy about it. Inside the restaurant, it is typical diner seats. The buffet is only around $8.00's. The staff is not the most chatty groups of folks, but they get the job done. They clear your plates, extra napkins and always fill your water. What more could a person ask for. :) I will definitely go back!
(4)Kyle Martin D.
I have two big rules in life: a) Never look the clerk in the face when you rent a pornographic video from a video store and b) never eat at a buffet. Well. I broke rule b) three times in the past six months, and you know what, I don't feel guilty about it -- especially since the experience was so pleasurable thanks to the fine folks at Athidhi's Indian Cuisine. Not only was there a vast selection at their buffet to satisfy a picky eater such as myself, it also was surprisingly clean -- not at all like the disgusting mess I automatically associate with buffets. My only complaint was today's topic of conversation between my friends and I, which centered around the best ways to kill yourself. I don't like to be introspective and contemplate my own mortality while stuffing my face with heaping helpings of Tandoori chicken.
(3)Chris M.
I can only speak to the lunch buffet, which I feel is substantially better than any of the Indian restaurants in the Troy, Royal Oak, Rochester, and surrounding areas. I eat here way too much when I'm home and each time I leave fatigued from eating too much, but the food is that good. Really nice variety usually 2 or 3 rices, 2 chicken dishes, goat dish and fish dish sharing the table with 5 or 6 vegetarian dishes and soup/salad station. The cost is around $8.00 and the staff are incredibly fast and helpful. I don't think I've had food that has clearly been sitting for long periods of time. I like to come early because it does get busy fast
(4)Tony P.
Love the Hyderbadi Biriyani and Chicken 65!!
(5)Greg Y.
I came here a few months ago for lunch buffet and I thought it was pretty good but nothing extraordinary, so recently I went back for a dinner date. Wow it was delicious! The dining room was pretty slow when we arrived. The gent waiting on us was very good. Asked us what heat level we wanted and I said at least medium we like spicy food and it turned out perfect, not crazy thai restaurant spicy but still able to work up a mild sweat and keep you reaching for your water glass hot. We basically followed other yelpers suggestions and ordered samosas, masala dosa, kothu paratha and kozhi varutha chicken. It was all fantastic but we think we either ordered the Kothu Paratha wrong or he misunderstood or something because it turned out like a vegetarian curry saucy dish and that wasn't what I was expecting, but it was all delicious, it was affordable and we had lots of left overs. This is now my favorite Indian restaurant. We will be back soon.
(5)Maria M.
Stopped in recently after a year or so away to give this place another try. Just as disappointing as I remember. I ordered samosas and butter chicken. The samosas were awful. The outer shell was nearly impenetrable and had been either cooked in oil that wasn't hot enough or the samosas had been re-heated too many times. Sauce for the butter chicken was delicious, but the chicken itself was rubbery and full of bones and gristle. What really bothered me, though, was the awful service. Not prompt, not friendly, never came to check if everything was okay (it wasn't), often out of water. Just unwelcoming. If you haven't been in awhile, they've lowered their prices.
(2)Flannary S.
Megha's Athidhi is by far my favorite Indian restaurant in the area. This is one of those restaurants that I don't even care if they don't serve alcohol, or that their hours are sometimes inconvenient, or that they don't have the most fancy atmosphere. The food holds is own, and is what keeps me coming back, often. I have tried a variety of their items at a variety of heat levels, and have never been let down. Everything is flavorful and the portions are plentiful, usually I have enough left over for another meal. The service is excellent. Everyone who works there has always been incredibly kind, polite and welcoming. My favorite entree is the Kozhi Varutha Curry, medium. It is a chicken dish, I have not seen it on the menu of another Indian restaurant around here, and I absolutely love it, I could eat it multiple times a week. The garlic naan will linger on your breath until tomorrow, but the texture and flavor make it worth the stench. I have had the Chicken Tikka Masala at mild, medium, and hot, and all three offer different delicious flavors. Honestly, I have been impressed with every meal I have had there. I definitely recommend Megha's Athidhi to anyone who wants delicious Indian food.
(5)Anthony B.
First time visit for lunch today, $7.99 for the buffet. It had what I think is a standard Indian buffet selection, nothing huge but enough variety. A few kinds of chicken dishes, vegetables, etc. The food was good, seemed to be the same as Aahar in Farmington Hills. The dining room looked clean, but had a sparse décor, and needed some extensive updating. Our booth had scratched paint on the wall. I would not recommend this place for a date or to impress someone, but if you want some typical Indian buffet food that is not super spicy, this would meet your needs. All the plates I used were clean, that was a good sign.
(4)C M.
Megha's is one of our "standby" Indian restaurants. My wife and I can always expect good service and very flavorful/rich food (no skimping here on seasoning). The restaurant's decor is nothing to speak of (could use a good updating/make over); you won't be impressing anybody you bring here with the ambiance. But it more than makes up for this in quality of food. It's also a good sign that the place seems to always be packed with folks of Indian descent.
(4)Liz W.
I was really devious. Truly not a nice wife at all. You see my husband was under the impression he hated Indian cuisine. I would have left it at that except for the fact he never even bothered to try it. Maybe before he met me he did once but I know for a fact in the last ten years he has not sampled any. This is a hindrance to me and my new-ish explorations into Indian fare so I am forced to ditch my husband and dine with numerous other people from time to time in order to sample this fare. We got a set of freebie passes to see a movie he actually was wanting to see. The passes required us to go to Sterling Heights, really not in our neck of the woods. I immediately went on Yelp to see restaurants in the area and voila I saw this. I wanted to try it, I mean really. There was nothing else on the list that jumped out at me like this. I knew James would be my dining partner, I knew he would be less than thrilled but dammit I wanted to go here. I read off a long list of area restaurant options to him, so many his head nearly imploded. I went into great detail, far too much info for the man to absorb. I then asked the magic question. "What do you think baby?". The response was as predicted, "Whatever you want Liz, I don't care." I was evil enough to take it as an endorsement. We arrived here and the response was about what you would think. I deserved the hassle. I felt a bit of guilt. I still made him go in and eat. Looking at the menu he was totally lost, we kind of sat there while he read it over and over again. Finally he told me to order whatever I wanted and so I did. I did try to make it things I thought he would like, truly I did. I went shrimp heavy in his honor. Chilli prawns, shrimp biryani and chicken noodles. I really liked all three. The chilli prawns were much better than I expected. I am sure I am no expert but I found them really nice to my palette. James seemed ok with it too. He was not admitting anything but he was eating it and it seemed to be his favorite dish of the three. He also seemed to like the chicken noodles from the Indo Chinese section of the menu. No commenting on them though, just eating. I thought they had really nice flavor. The biryani was not his thing. Just too much for him I guess. I however was a huge fan of it and ate quite happily. The meal went fine. A bit tense but fine. We walked out to the car afterwards and he said to me "It's not my thing baby but it's not too bad, you should take your mom". I was extremely relieved. I think with my mom it would have been a five star experience. It is a four for me merely because I spent the whole experience trying to make him happy about it so I could not concentrate on my own food or enjoy my experience, my stomach was really in knots. I need to go back and do a proper review.
(4)Chet L.
Great service, delicious food and nice presentation. Get there early to beat the rush! Try the paneer and butter chicken - and don't be afraid to ask the staff which dishes are spicy.
(5)Truemornings N.
This was my first time trying Indian food. I had the garlic naan bread along with chai tea and paneer tikka masala. The food was amazing! I'll definitely be back soon.
(4)N P.
This was a borderline 3-4 star review for me and on a repeat visit it may change. I had to give it a 4 star rating because I just loved the flavor of the food. I really think the spice mix and spice level of the entrees we had was outstanding and blend of flavoring very creative on the part of the chef. The dal fry was delicious with a delicious garlicky flavor. The navratran korma was similar to that at other restaurants but that is a good thing. It was sweet, flavorful and filling. My friend enjoyed his non veg item and said he loved how the dish was seasoned as well. I was a little disappointed in the mixed pakora appetizer. Obviously there will be some oil but it was a little too oily for my tastes. Luckily the chutney's were favorful and a nice contrast to the harshness of the pakora flavor. I was also disappointed that portion sizes were smaller than some of my other favorite Indian places in the area. Portions were not too small but I would expect a little more for the cost (you can check out other Yelper's pictures and judge for yourself). The other major disappointment was how slow initial service was. The place was not busy at all on a Friday night (there were probably 6 or 7 other customers) and it took a few minutes to get water, a few more minutes to get an extra set of silverware, and probably about 15-20 minutes to get our order taken. Being a first visit that was fine but there was also a bit of a wait in getting our food. We were there for about an hour and a half with a big portion of that due to the wait. It was good company so no big deal in the long run. I do have a little trouble categorizing this restaurant as well. It didn't feel formal enough where I'd take a date (there are other restaurants both Indian and non Indian in the area that would be better) but it would be a nice place (probably) to bring a group of friends as long as service gets a bit faster. The food is outstanding and that is why people should really check this place out. I know that they have had a lot of creative restaurant ventures at this location and I have really enjoyed most of them. I hope Megha's makes it work and sticks around longer than some of the others!
(4)Ajaz L.
Great place. Glad they serve both North and South India dishes. Service is quick, compare to other restaurants. Love their Chicken 65, Dosa, Naan. We take our Indian, American, Pakistani friends there, and they always come out liking food. Bathrooms need a little more cleaning, and a more powerful exhaust to clean the Masala filled crap smell.
(5)Evan M.
Amazing, I've eaten a lot of Indian cuisine in my time and this place is top notch. They have quite an array of both southern and northern style dishes, all are consistently great and not too salty or oily. Went there once in 2008 and had an excellent experience, picked back up around '12 and have been hollering hard since. I believe their roots are in the south as are mine so I kick things off with sambar/rasam iddly/dosa which to be honest is my favorite part, and a serious centerpiece. I'm talking about the buffet by the way. They are also killing the rice dishes and curries too. Butter chicken and lamb chetanad for days,. And all the day-to-day and one-off concoctions they produce are tremendously flame as well. Please try the desserts because they have mango mousse and varying puddings/goulab Jamoons that will compliment your chai tea to the t. Chutneys...house made coconut is all I gotta say. One more thing to take note of is Its all for a very reasonable 8 bones. Good looking out athidhi.
(5)Seoung L.
*** reviewing as lunch buffet only. Use to come here a lot when it was Chattinad. I have been here quite a bit in the last few months as Athidhi and I liked the Chattinad but I LOVE Athidhi! Their buffet is awesome. I love the Butter Chicken which is the staple food. They change other items daily but about 3 or 4 dishes are there everyday. One day Athidhi had Paneer Tikka Masala which was great! Naan was very good and biryani dishes were tasty as well. I usually like whatever they have on the buffet menu. Only $7.99 for buffet?! that's a great price! I like Athidhi way better then Priya's buffet. I will try their dinner (non-buffet) dish one day but for me this place is one of my favorite place for great lunch!
(5)Bill B.
Let me preface this review by stating my personal experience and biases. I've eaten at Indian restaurants in the Detroit area and across the country for over 25 years. When I was younger, I did like it hot. Now, however, I seek out dishes where the flavors reveal themselves unencumbered by excessive spice. That said, Megha's Athidi does not do much for me. I have gone there four times (inspired by the raves that precede me here) and ordered a variety of dishes from the Northern and Southern sides of the menu. After all that, I can eat only the sambar, navrattan korma (OK with the dried fruit but not great) and breads. Everything else is far too hot for me, even after plaintive pleas for spicing as mild as possible. This is particularly disappointing for old favorites like palak paneer (spinach and cheese). This restaurant likes to use lots of raw onions in many of the dishes. Even the raitha, a yogurt-based sauce, usually a balm and a contrast to spicier flavors, is packed with them. What doesn't have raw onions is just plain over-spiced. I had to struggle to eat the vegetable biryani. Please bear in mind that this review is a product of my preferences. It pains me to dislike a restaurant that puts the care and effort into its cuisine that this one does. If you like your Indian food to be spicier than I do, you may love Megha's Athidi as much as other reviewers here and I urge you to try it. If your tastes mirror mine, however, you may want to consider other local options.
(2)Denise K.
We were pleasantly surprised by this restaurant. Cute inside, with a decent sized buffet. Went on New Year's Day, empty when walked in, but within moments the place was full of families. The paneer dish was our favorite. No Tandori chicken, but some good goat. I would skip the desserts though...but thats just me. I like mango ice cream, but not many other Indian desserts. We hope to get back sometime and order off the menu.
(4)Abhi K.
I at here for the lunch buffet. I liked the food a lot and the price is not that bad for a buffet. The food is very flavorful (not bland or too spicy) and atmosphere is casual. The service is also great. Try their chill chicken or their yogurt rice. Try it out!
(4)Kate H.
Absolutely my current fave for Indian fare. The food is so amazing that I'm going to choose to ignore the fact that on both occasions that I've ventured there, the waiter (same guy each time) discussed all the food at the table with my husband, without even glancing at me, in spite of the fact that something clearly must have been mine and I wasn't just there to watch him eat. I ever so gently "ahem"ed him and said "uh... that's mine" and it seemed to remedy what I can only guess was a cultural weirdness that I just wasn't being very accepting of. I'd say it was an honest mistake, but it happened on both occasions that I've been. Weirdness aside, the dosa I had was outstanding and the kothu paratha is one of the best things I've ever put in my little piggy mouth. It's like the best stuffing you've ever had, with Indian flavors. Incredible. Also, they don't shy away from the spice. When I told them I liked things spicy, they kicked the heat up plenty high. Two major selling points: 1) The only people I've ever seen eating there have been Indian, if that tells you anything. 2) Their prices are a bit more reasonable than some of the other Indian restaurants in that area. This place is still quite a hike for me, but it's worth the trip, since there isn't anything remotely acceptable any closer to me. Trust me on this one.
(5)Richard F.
We visited here today for the lunch buffet. There were three non-Indians in the place and that was us. So I was hopeful. But when I saw and sampled the buffet items, I was disappointed. The food was varied and there were lots of choices and options at the steam table. The meat portions were large, well stocked they looked good. But the three of us compared notes after lunch and we came up with the same conclusions. That is the dishes seemed to lack that extra something that makes you really enjoy a great Indian buffet. And while we were disappointed, there were a lot of choices. But we did not find the selection very inventive and broad enough in scope. For example, there was no Palak (sag) Paneer. In fact there were no dishes with Paneer at all such as Aloo Paneer or Mattar Paneer. And while some local buffets, including competitive ones nearby, offer Indian desserts such as Ras Malai or Galab Jamun, Athidhi only had same Mango Mouse and some cut up melon. The Nan was cold and uninspiring too. And while the three default chicken dishes were good, they just were not all that inspiring. They offered the ubiquitous Tandoori Chicken, the equally always present Butter Chicken and Chicken Biryani. In addition to these standards, they also had a nice Goat Curry. That was one of the better items on the menu. The vegetable dishes lacked pop and all the rest seemed to be a meaningless blur. The lunch buffet was a little bit cheaper than say Mayur. It cost just $ 7.99 at Athidhi and it is a more costly $ 8.99 at Mayur. But given the choice next time, I would select Mayur. Athidhi just wasn't the tip top place I was hoping it would be.
(2)Dan D.
Gotta start with the decor here as it is the first thing I notice in a restaurant. It kinda looks like the cooks also maintain the building. Someone probably needs to spend a little money and fix a couple things, but overall nice. I love the fact there is a yelp sticker on door of this place. Down to the food. The Good: The Naan and Roti were very good and on the positive side, the Samosas were the best I've ever had. The Bad: I was not impressed by the main dishes. I ordered Butter Chicken and Aloo Gobi, and both of them were alright, but I've had much better. The Ugly: The rice tasted like and had the consistency of instant rice and I was not impressed. Sure, the appetizers and bread were good, but if your main dishes aren't all that great, I think something is wrong. The thought "I've had better" kept swirling around in my mind. Would I return? Probably but right now I'm more interested in trying alternatives though, and I don't think Megha's is on it's way to becoming a go-to place for me.
(3)Liz R.
I'm a huge fan of Indian food, and of many indian restaurants I've experienced in SE Michigan, this one ranks pretty well, especially considering the quality of the food delivered, the authenticity, and the taste. The atmosphere is pleasant; not overly fancy nor overly run-down. There were a few scattered tables full of Indian families/friends at about 9pm. The service is a bit slow for dinner, the waitstaff are very relaxed. The dishes are really inexpensive for what they are. I got a coke; there weren't apparently any refills; I didn't ask and it wasn't offered. I got the deep-fried battered eggs, which were originally served with an overly-mild beige peanut chutney. I requested the tomato sauce as shown in the picture put up here by another reviewer and it was much tastier, I thought. $4 for 4 eggs seemed like a good deal-they were great. I got the butter chicken medium-hot, and they got it just right, not blazingly hot nor mild. It was very savory. It wasn't the best I've ever had (I prefer Priya's in Farmington Hills). My friend got the special chicken biryani and said it was not the best he'd ever had, but it was decent. My naan was fresh and buttered; the cucumber sauce was excellent. I was very full and had a happy spicy feeling in my mouth after the meal. I will definitely be going back. Good atmosphere, great prices. I hope to come back soon to try the buffet.
(4)Jonny P.
It just didn't come across like I thought it would. Went for the Sunday Lunch Buffet and the place was packed. Overall it was bland, the mango custard was a definite highlight. Willing to try it again but just feel that I am yet to find 'knock your socks off' Indian in MI.
(2)Joe T.
This is not your white boy's favorite Indian restaurant. Walk into here and you will see 90% or more of the clientele are Indian, and of them the majority being South Indian. Yep, we know Indian food best. They are so authentic that they do not use much A/C in the summer, and they serve water without ice. Eating spicy food, with lukewarm water, in a hot environment. An entirely authentic middle-class Indian dining experience - until I took my shirt off that is. The curries here are not your cookie cutter, mainstream North Indian dishes. If you are looking for dishes that come a dime a dozen like Butter Chicken and Palak Paneer only, then look elsewhere. The 2 times I went to Sunday lunch buffet, I saw that they keep some variety by rotating a few dishes and keeping the staples. They avoid using mainstream dishes, and serve spicy dishes in authentic South Indian style. I am Malayalee (Kerali), and to this day I have not seen my people frequent an Indian restaurant until coming here. Used to hearing the incessant chatter of Gujuratis and Hindi speakers - it was nice to hear some of my brethren talking (but more so gnawing and chewing) in this humble abode. My review is for the lunch buffet. There is usually a spicy fried fish (e.g. catfish, tilapia, etc.). There are a couple other chicken dishes (e.g. chicken with bone in and gravy, boneless pepper chicken, chili chicken, etc.), and the mutton biriyani is tasty and loaded with plenty of tender chunks of mutton, I sucked the marrow out of a bone so hard it shot to the back of my throat. Sounds gay, tasted great. For vegetarians, there are offbeat and tasty dishes like manchurian vegetables, mushroom 65, daal, masala dosa, sambar, rasam, and pongal (a Tamil favorite, etc.) I was pleasantly impressed that they serve up a delectable mango mousse (instead of just regular gulab jamun like most Desi eateries). Touchings on the side, like achaar pickle, chutneys, raita (spiced yogurt), etc. were all available. Overall at $8-$9/pp for lunch buffet, you can't beat this place in most of metro Detroit. I have heard of a couple good spots on the West side and in Hamtramck, but North and East of Detroit, this is your go-to Indian restaurant for spicy, flavorful Andrha/Kerala/Tamil style cuisine. Dinner prices are very reasonable too. There is no bar, but that is OK - food is the focus here. This place blows most North Indian restaurants in the area out of the water (including one I won't mention by name near Wattles & Rochester). I highly reccomend this place for the adventurous Indian cuisine aficionado who wants to eat like they are in South India. You can eat with your hands and no one would look twice here. You can find curries with nice Andhra style spice rubs and flavor that pops without overuse of oil and ghee. In my opinion, the only item missing from lunch buffet was samosas, but I understand they are expensive and would hike the cost/pp up. This is where the Malabar and Chettinad flavors reign, and their inferior North Indian Koorma counterparts are frowned upon.
(5)Arati K.
Their food is truly authentic Indian with the right blend of spices. The buffet has a great variety and they change it frequently. We visit here frequently and our experience is always great! My favorites are the kneema puff, chettinad chicken, chole bhatura, malai kofta and all the dosas.
(5)Krupa U.
We ordered food from them for my engagement ceremony for 250 guests. First of all, the food was not set up on time, people were lining up at the buffet line, and they were not prepared, they didn't bring enough serving spoons for all the dishes... None of the food tasted or even looked like what my parents had originally tried at the restaurant. The eggplant curry was all runny gravy, hardly any whole eggplant pieces, the chicken curry was watery and had small dice size pieces...almost looked like paneer, the tilapia curry was mostly gravy too and definitely not fresh fish, they seemed like frozen fillets that you buy in bulk because the fish didn't flake apart and the texture made it seem older. on top of it all, they didn't bring enough rice and naan for the number of guests... so we ran out!! One can imagine how embarrassing that was for us!! They ran out to get more but by the time they came back most of our guests had started leaving! None of the food was spicy or nearly as flavorful as they make it at the restaurant on a smaller scale. This entire experience is a One star review... but because their Andhra style cuisine at the restaurant is pretty good and their lunch buffet is inexpensive, i'm awarding them an extra star. I recommend them for normal restaurant visits, but they definitely lack catering skills and quality.
(2)Mike L.
I know nothing about Indian food but I like this place. Chicken Tikka was great, tender chicken, served on a sizzling platter ala fajitas. Naan was outstanding. Had a few apps that were good. Everything seems fresh and high quality. Not much atmosphere, but the dinner seemed great to us!
(4)Mac F.
Want to feel like you're in India without leaving Detroit? Come here to eat, and you'll find yourself totally surrounded by tons of Indians (always a good sign with ethnic cuisines). I was there for a leisurely lunch with a friend for the lunch buffet, and it was packed. The setup of the buffet, however, was a bit backwards, as they had the sauces before any of the foods, though as I'm not that familiar with Indian food, perhaps that intentional? Not sure, but I'd like to go back for dinner at some point.
(4)TJ W.
If you're looking for the best Indian cuisine in the Murder Mitten, up until a couple weeks ago, the clear winner was Namaste Flavours in Farmington. But there's a new kid on the block, and surprisingly enough, it offers some stiff competition to the Hyderabadi Parkway staple. As a frequent lurker at miindia.com , I stay on top of the comings and goings of Detroit-area Indian restaurants, and when I heard that the owners were saying goodbye to Goodbye Junk Food and returning to South Indian fare, my feelings were mixed. Yes, it's always good to have more South Indian options close by, but The Chettinad wasn't exactly the shiniest tawa on the stove. Still, I fully intended to give them a shot the day they opened. Our first experience with Athidi was their buffet. $5.99 per person for their first weekend of business was too cheap for us to pass up, and it appeared that everyone in the Detroit Desi community felt the same way. We waited for 45 minutes before finally getting a table, and were seated just a few minutes before the restaurant closed. Yet, despite the ridiculous number of people in the restaurant, the buffet line moved smoothly, they still had all but one of the dishes that they had been serving that day, and they stocked the buffet with fresh food even after the restaurant had closed for the day, to make sure that everyone was fed. The downside was that it was merely above-average for a weekend Indian buffet. Bonus points for having dosas, but the chilli chicken was not the Keralan style you find at Namaste, the biryani was a little overpowering, and the rest of the non-veg dishes seemed uninspiring. Since you can't get an accurate gauge of the restaurant the first couple days it's open for business, we decided to give them another try later in the week, this time sampling the dinner menu. We decided to throw budget to the wind and ordered a Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani, Varutha Kozhi curry, Chilli Chicken, a masala dosa, and when I saw the kotthu paratha, I just HAD to give it a shot. The chilli chicken wasn't good. It was different than the buffet version, but it lacked flavor. The dosa was very good, but the masala lacked flavor. Then I put fork to the biryani. Oh my word...fluffy, moist and tangy like what you find at New Kaveri Dosa Corner in Mississauga, with that same complex and robust flavor. The Kotthu Paratha was just as good as the Sri Lankan version you find in the GTA, which made me very happy. Now I don't have to wait until a Toronto trip or mess around making parathas or rotis to get my kotthu fix. The varutha kozhi is a very rare (in the US) Tamil Nadu delicacy, and it's now my favorite dish. Not my favorite at Athidi, Not my favorite Indian dish. My favorite dish, period. Death row, last meal, I'm having Athidi prepare me a vat of varutha kozhi and I'm going to spare myself the chair by eating kozhi until my sides split open and curry plops out on the floor. I'd describe the flavor, but even after finding a recipe for it, I just can't put it into words. You just have to try it. To call it a chicken curry would be like saying that Barack Obama hasn't quite lived up to the hype - an understatement of colossal proportions. I went back later that week to have the buffet, and it's just not the same. It's like every Indian buffet in Detroit gears their menu to the khakis-and-polo-shirt asshole co-workers that Desis take to lunch. When you've got a menu with such an incredible variety of succulent South Indian dishes, why do you put white-people slop like butter chicken and palak paneer out there? It's disappointing and insulting. Indian restaurants, Joe Dipshit has no idea what he's eating. If you put chicken chettinad or kadai chicken out there, he's going to love it. Hell, put that out there and label it butter chicken. They'll never know the difference and they'll actually prefer the flavor. Desis are notoriously harsh on Indian restaurants, yet they give Athidi high marks. It's understandable given the food, but I think the decor, the plates and the silverware are the tipping point for them. Personally, I consider that to be useless fluff (I prefer styrofoam and plastic forks), but it's a big deal to them. If that's your thing, then it will give Athidi a fine-dining feel. Athidi gets huge bonus points for bringing me green chillis upon request and not trying to stick me with the watered-down white people versions of their food. Explain to them that you can take the spice and they'll give you some. Not to say that their food is spicy - you'll need the extra green chillis. But that they bring them out to you is a huge mark in their favor. For the Troy-area people who are eating the inedible, buttery slop that Ashoka shovels on to plates, or a tray of two-week-old microwaved vomit at Royal Indian, you no longer have an excuse for eating crappy Indian food. Get over to Athidi and try Indian food the way it's supposed to taste. Just don't go for the buffet.
(5)Meredith E.
I've asked myself 'why havent I ever been here?'.. well, the problem is, this place is surrounded by many AMAZING restaurants. However, once I got in and saw they had MANGO MOUSSE on their lunch buffet... well, I've been back several times. Everytime I eat lunch, I'm the only white girl in the place. It is filled with Indians and their coworkers. Megha's has a descent size buffet with not as many vegetarian dishes that other area Indian buffets have. Not a problem because the food is sooo good! The price is also fair ($8.99 for lunch I believe) . I'll be back next week.
(4)Maria B.
Went here for a friend's b'day lunch get together, and the food was awesome! It's hard to find really good Indian food, but Athidhi hits the mark!!! Growing up, i had been exposed to fantastic Indian food through a good friend of mine. Her Dad would cook up really awesome SouthAsian dishes, so my expectations from an Indian restaurant has always measured up to that. Athidhi reminded me of my friend's Dad's cooking, which to me means excellence!!! I'm not a buffet fan, but what's great about Athidhi is their $7.99 lunch buffet, b/c you're able to try a wide variety of various Indian foods. I don't remember the names of all the dishes (i took a small sample of about 80% of the foods they had), but they have dosas, dishes made with lamb, chicken, veggies, rice, appetizer dishes, and even a delicious mango sorbet-like dessert. The flavors, aroma, and satisfying meal will definitely have me coming back to Athidhi!!! : )
(5)Monica E.
Best Indian food in town. I dine here a couple of times a month. The food is delicious, ambience is nice, and the staff are very friendly. Can't go wrong with the tikka masala or butter chicken. The vegetarian dishes and appetizers are also excellent!
(5)Sarah C.
A group of colleagues and I went to Athidhi for lunch. We all walked away pretty pleased - which isn't hard to do since their lunch service is buffet-only and you can try a pretty good spread. Everything we tried was fresh and tasty. Spice level was manageable for those who prefer things less so, and still potent enough for those that like it a little hot. My favorite for the day was the Butter Chicken and Lamb something... both were om nom nom nom worthy. And the naan was delicous, as was the dosa. Was not a fan of the strange, sweet ball like things that reminded me of play dough, but everyone else thought they were super. So, must just be me. My only complaint is that the food needed to be hotter temperature wise. Definitely going back for dinner some time to try the menu.
(4)Sonia Y.
Very good authentic dishes. We ordered the paneer tikka masala, vegetable biryani and chicken curry for take out and it was all so delicious! I would definitely recommend this place to anyone who loves or wants to try Indian food. They have a variety of dishes for all taste.
(5)Raj M.
The food here is very delicious. The only problem is the uncourteous behavior of the waiters. Neither do they smile nor behave pleasant which makes you feel very unwelcomed .
(3)G A.
The restaurant is not clean. There's food remnants between the table sheets and cover glass. We got sick. Food taste OK n nothing special.
(2)Alyssa K.
I ate here, and when I went home to poop, I could have shat through a screen. The food was delicious, by the way.
(3)John A.
This is the best Indian food I've ever tasted. My wife and I stuff ourselves to the brim when we eat here... It's just so legit. Lots of Indian people are always there eating so you know it's good.
(5)Neel A.
I believe I've been to this restaurant more often than any other Indian restaurants around me. The food tastes good, the quantity is neither less nor more. I would say the cost, quantity and variety are well balanced. Their biryani taste pretty good and smells awesome. I must have tried the entire menu and I have a few favorites such as chicken biryani, chicken chettinad, egg puff, Medhu Vada, Dosa. Lunch Buffets are good. I would say the price is pretty reasonable or rather lesser than the competition. I would surely recommend and will be visiting on Thursday for my biryani night take away.
(4)Alyssa R.
What an odd experience... I went in the middle of the Polar Vortex this past winter with a friend. We ordered spicy chicken Kadai and Aloo Gobi (a potato/ cauliflower curry). The food must have been fine, but non memorable- and the heat level in the curry was definitely NOT enough to make up for the fact that they had absolutely NO HEAT on a freezing winter day. Here's the thing: You can't be open for customers when their toes could possibly get frost-bite just sitting there. Since I couldn't remember the food due to the negative experience of being there, I'll stick with my other Indian restaurants who are delicious and temperature controlled.
(3)Mathi S.
Best Indian place near Troy area! Buffet is great.. If u are going for ala carte u have to try the briyani,it simply is awesome! My personal favorites are goat briyani and chilli idly. Not too spicy and great taste for the palate to enjoy! Staff are considerate and ambience is good ,if it is not too crowded
(5)Nino C.
Mango Mouse is so good!! And their tanduri chicken is defintely something I want to get again Mango Mouse is so good!! And their tanduri chicken is defintely something I want to get again
(4)Nish S.
I stayed in MI for 3 yrs and explored indian joints. I was born and raised in western And southern india, so got a flavor of authentic north and south indian food. Athidhi has probably one of the BEST lunch BUFFET. Food is delicious for most part. Strengths - south indian food... V authentic. Weakness- most of the north indian preparations are south indianized. V reasonable. If you stop by, dont miss their Mango Mousse-- amazing!! TIP- Have Mango mousse!!! Delish!!
(4)Naveen Nishanth N.
The taste and quality of food was good. Probably 2.5 to 3 stars. But the restaurant was not clean at all. Some plates that were just brought in from wash were also dirty. I may not go again to this place. Butter chicken and mutton was good among the worse.
(2)Megan C.
Fairly average experience for dinner - figure this place does the bulk of their business with the lunch buffet crowd, so tableside service is not their forte. Interior was a little on the shabby side - and not shabby chic. Tables and chairs were somewhat worn down, and service seemed tired and lackadaisical, but was prompt and efficient. Typical mainstream (nothing wrong with that when it comes to Indian comfort food) entrees well-executed and at a great price. I do wish that the dinner entrees included complimentary naan or roti bread, since I'd be willing to bet the lunch buffet provides the bread at no additional charge. I ordered the chicken tikka masala (surprise) and asked for it HOT - as in my typical request - "not white girl hot, but Indian bad-ass hot" - I am still waiting for a restaurant to surprise my taste buds with truly bombastic spice. Nevertheless, flavor was rich and savory, nothing was greasy or oily. My friend ordered a vegetarian medley with samosa, daal, rice, etc. , and the portion size was large enough for her to have leftovers. Can't complain at all at the total bill - only $22 pre-gratuity for a filling and homey Indian meal.
(3)Shelly M.
I do love this place, but I have to downgrade based on the lack of cleanliness. I'm wondering if they could pass a health inspection. It is so disappointing that a place with such great food cannot stay in business because they can't get one the ten people they have working to clean, or just hire someone to clean it properly. I love the food here, but I can tell if they don't do something soon, they will fall away like so many before them.
(2)Ferris B.
Great Indian food! I have tried my fair share of Indian food, yet haven't ventured too North in areas like Troy. Went here for dinner, great food! Definitely the best in the area coming from Royal Oak. I ordered the buttered chicken...lovely! My friend ordered the Tandoori chicken...not a big fan. Definitely coming back for the lunch buffet some day...cant wait!!
(4)Alvin T.
We're here for a short family visit; we live in NYC, where the quality and variety of Indian foods can be VERY high (the range is from mediocre to authentic and excellent). We were looking forward to something acceptable, since the choices seemed somewhat limited. We looked at YELP comments and decided this was worth trying for dinner. WHAT A SURPRISE The place was not at all crowded at what in NYC would be peak hours. The selection was impressive, the server staff was knowledgeable and helpful. I like really spicy food, wife prefers mild. I like meat and chicken, wife is happier with vegetarian. We ordered lamb hyderabad, chana masala, vegetable biriani. As our kids say, OMG! Exquisitely spiced, intense flavour. Large portions (we took much home). This place is as good as any Indian food I've had in NYC (possibly two comparable "high end" places that were considerably more expensive) Megha's is a treasure!
(5)Eve B.
Ok, so i finally got to try this place out the other night as i had been bitching about wanting good indian food for like the past month! i'm gonna be real honest here....i wasn't exactly creaming my pants over this place. We ordered a LOT of food.....started with teh samosas which i thought were very good, not too oily and greasy.....then split the Hyderbadi Dosa, vegetable biryani and per my fellow yelpers recommendations, the kozhi varutha curry. The Dosa was good, SUPER spicy though....it wasn't anything to write home about, but i did like the yummy curry potatoey filling. Now on to the main dish....although the Kozhi Varutha curry did have a very unique flavor....the chicken was SUPER dry....almost inedible. I was super bummed because in my heart i wanted to LOVE this dish. I agree with others that the biryani was on point and may have single handedly saved the meal. One other thing that kindof chapped my ass was the service....it was soooo slowwwww....we basically had to stalk down the server and hold him hostage to bring our check and a carry out box at teh end of the meal. All in all, was this good indian food? yes. Will i go back for seconds? maybe. but i still prefer my beloved chicken hyberdadi dish served from Ann Arbor's Shalimar much more.
(4)Tony S.
I'm an Indian food noob. I've probably eaten less than ten times in my life at an Indian restaurant. My little brother on the other hand was stranded in India for a month with stories of wading by a river where dead people float by. If I don't give enough credit to this place it's probably only because of my ignorant palate. I loved the lamb vindaloo, it had nice rich savory flavor. It was the highlight of the dinner. The special chicken biryani was not very special tasting though. The chicken was little pebble sized dry red things. The flavor of the rice/noodles had a spicy/soapy cilantro like taste. I love spice, just not too much of the cilantro like spice. The garlic naan was fine, who doesn't like fresh made bread? I didn't expect the cilantro that they put in it though. I do like cilantro but my western palate does not like it on bread I guess. There were some sauces like a yogurt sauce that enhanced the vindaloo that was great. I'll have to try other menu items or come during a buffet, that sounds like the best value. Comments: The service (I had carryout) was quiet, stoic and cordial. 3.5 Stars
(3)Poorna R.
This place is the bomb! No, seriously. Let me preface this by saying that I'm Indian. I've been having issues finding decent Indian places that are relatively near me in this area. My friend took me to Athidhi, and I was so impressed by the food, I am definitely going back. I'm South Indian, so I was thrilled they had idli sambar and pakoras...and let's not forget the MOST important...masala dosa i.e savory crepes stuffed with spicy potatoes that you can dip in sambar and chutney. Also amazing, the Chicken Tikka...they serve it up hot in the pan with white onions..O-M-G. Give me more of that please! And for dessert...they have this mango ice cream/sorbet thing that is apparently elusive and not on their menu....ask for it! It's delicious.
(5)Lorna D.
After chomping at the bit to try this place after reading so many stellar reviews, I was a bit surprised to find it to be just okay. The menu is certainly varied and impressive, though they were out of two items we tried to order. The space is large, the staff friendly. I couldn't figure out if they were short-staffed or the pace is just very laid back, but we sat for long stretches without getting menus, our order being taken, getting checked on, and getting boxes and our bill. At a booth near the vacuum cleaner, we chatted and enjoyed the evening, anticipating the vittles to come. The pakoras were plentiful, though I prefer more spice and wished for assorted dipping sauces. The one I was given was kind of bitter and mustardy, though it had a nice kick. My man's egg puffs and koorma were okay but not remarkable, as was my malai kofta. The actual kofta balls were delicious, though tiny and few...literally three in my main dish-it was mostly gravy. A grayish color, this sauce had quite a strong (and strange to my palate for this dish) anise taste and was otherwise very bland. The same gravy was in the koorma. The gulab jamun were small as well, and there were just hints of rosewater and cardamom in the syrup when I was hoping for much more flavor here. Lots of small children emoting and running around which was ok, though if you're looking for a quiet date spot this might be an issue. Maybe I'd try it again if I found myself in the area, but I'm not inclined to again make the half-hour trek.
(3)Tony B.
Great food. Wanted to check out some of the S. Indian fair per Janelle W.'s recommendation, but we wanted to try some of the standard Indian staples to compare. We tried the Tikka Massala, Vindaloo and a Pesarratu-massala dosa. All was perfect. :0)
(4)Kayla K.
Came here for dinner on Valentine's Day. The experience was everything I could have asked for. The food was great and the atmosphere was like hanging out in a large living room at an Indian family reunion. Right now I am in the middle of enjoying my leftovers...Yum!
(5)Katie C.
Great restaurant I have to admit. I have always been a little intimated to walk into an Indian restaurant, because I know nothing about their food. But by the positives reviews and a little push by Janelle, I made a couple of people go with me! Needless to say we had a great food. I wish I could name half of the things I ate, I liked the Paneer marsala, the nann, and that raiki(sp?) that was delicious cucumber sauce. Since I can't talk in to much detail about the food I will let you know the restaurant was nice and clean and the busser picked up our plates very fast after we were finished. The reason I didn't give 5 stars was because of the initial service. No one greeted us, told us where to sit, or approached our table after we sat down. So we just all got up and started eating off the buffet. I felt kind of weird at first not knowing if this was the custom of this buffet. We eventually all got over it started chowing down. We weren't even asked if we wanted a drink besides water. After we warmed up to the buffet the food out did the initial service problem. Definitely will go back here again! Oh and the lamb thingy was really good too!
(4)Brian A.
I feel like I've provided a valuable diplomatic service to the world, and if I die tomorrow, I can be content knowing that I've introduced someone unfamiliar with it to delicious South Indian cuisine. This location has been many things. The first time I came here, almost 10 years ago, it was an Indian restaurant--I don't even remember the name. After that another short-lived buffet place opened up and it closed within months. It was vacant for a while and then it became a health food store. More recently, it was known as The Chettinad and it was merely mediocre. I went once and never came back because there were places I enjoyed more. So imagine my surprise when I discovered that it was _yet another new place_ in the same building. I discovered it right here on Yelp and added it to my "to try" list. Thanks to TJ and Janelle's reviews, I was drooling by the time I clicked the magic button to add it. What an auspicious day that was. I went in with my friend who was visiting from Norway (the aforementioned never-had-South-Indian guy) and my girlfriend. We were the first customers of the evening shift and were treated like VIPs from the moment we stepped in. The waiter was extremely friendly, but there was a bit of a communication gap--not because of any accents, but because of his incredibly low volume speaking voice. He was almost whispering, and we all had to struggle to hear him. He did ask us how hot we preferred our dishes, and as a service, brought out a complimentary appetizer of two deep fried chilies for us to try. My friend stressed that he preferred very mild, I stressed like I prefer very hot, and he seemed to understand our preferences. I ordered the Chili Chicken dry appetizer which was decent (it was too hot for my Viking friend). It's not the most flavorful I've had, but it was tasty. My friend ordered a corn soup which he absolutely loved. He claimed it was the best chicken soup he's ever had. The waiter must have picked up on our desire to try it, because before we knew it, he had brought out smaller complimentary bowls for my girlfriend and I so we could taste it too. How awesome! So, fifteen minutes in, we already had three free appetizers. Now that's customer service! Based on TJ's glowing recommendation, I tried the Kozhi Varutha and was stunned at the complex and delicate blending of flavors and textures in this amazingly artistic dish. There are precious few moments in one's life when you discover a new taste that has never been in your mouth before--it's almost like what I imagine seeing a new color would be like--and when the opportunity arises, it is to be grasped and savored. That was the experience I had with Kozhi Varutha in my mouth. I wanted to swim in a kiddie pool filled with the stuff, except that would be scratchy and painful. The butter naan was spectacularly prepared, and was the perfect accompaniment to the rich and exotic flavor of the curry. My girlfriend got Tikka Masala which was appropriately sweet, creamy, and spicy. Our Norse friend got a chicken kebab and was slightly disappointed in it--mostly because they interpreted his stress on "mild" to mean "absolutely no seasoning whatsoever." Literally, there was no seasoning on his chunks of chicken. It was simply chicken on a grill. He also found one chunk that was slightly undercooked and it made him a bit queasy and put him off his meal. They did bring out a complimentary dish of mint chutney for him to try, and he did enjoy that. He also got the butter naan and really liked it. He said it reminded him of Lefse (a bread from his homeland). I am terribly excited to go back and explore more of the South Indian and Tamil menu of Athidi. It's a cuisine I'm not super familiar with, and I feel like I'm beginning a brand new culinary adventure that has now been enabled by this spectacular restaurant.
(5)Jen M.
I had a Sunday craving for Indian after watching the Food Network all morning yet didn't feel like going through the hassle of getting presentable enough to be in public so.... Yelp directed to me to this little gem for a carry out. I called at 2:55 not realizing they close between 3 and 5 but the owner was very accomodating and took the order anyways. The paneer tikka masala was the best I've had in Michigan, was very creamy and had FANTASTIC mouth feel. Plus there were filets of tomato mixed in which I haven't seen before. The shrimp curry was just ok. The shrimp were TINY and the sauce was a bit salty and tasted unfinished for some reason. I had originally ordered tandoori shrimp which I'm sure would have been MUCH better but they had begun shutting down the kitchen already. Ordered lamb vindaloo for the bf but they had made chicken vindaloo when I got there. No big deal they gave me the meal for free. It was too hot for him but I though the sauce was deliciously fiery. Garlic naan did not disappoint and was fluffier than most. I am not a fan of the stretched too thin paste like texture of some restaurants (Rangoli) I didn't feel like branching out into the south indian fare as I've never had it before but the 3 dishes above, which are staples by which I measure any indian place, met and/or exceeded expectations. Plus the service is outstandingly accomodating which makes me want to go back in and of itself. I can't wait to go back for the buffet and try some of the other dishes mentioned in these reviews!
(4)J. M.
We went here for the Indian buffet..good food for a good price. I liked being able to try a wide variety of dishes. I am sure we will be back:)
(4)Jami S.
This was my 2nd time eating Indian food, and the first time in about 15-20 years. This was also my first trip to this restaurant (my husband's second visit). It was very good. I had the Chicken Tandoori. It was so delicious. We went on a Saturday night around 6 and there was hardly anyone in there. From what I understand, they do a lot of carryout business. I cannot wait to go back. My husband got the Lamb Hyberabadi which he loved. I don't know he got earlier this week, but he loved it so much he had to go back within a few days and bring me this time! We both want to try their lunch buffet.
(4)Jackie D.
The food here is really delicious. I've loved every dish I've had so far, and I would definitely go back for it. The only reason I'm giving this review 3 stars is because the service is HORRIBLE. I've been there a number of times, and every time the waiters have been extremely slow, don't come around enough, and we had to wait ages for our bills to come. It was extremely frustrating.
(3)Zardozia Y.
I went to this place tonight for dinner after reading the reviews. It was really terrific! Probably the best I've had in the immediate local area. I had this wonderful soup, some kind of corn chicken soup..just what I was looking for. I also tried the samosa, and the chili chicken. All was delicious, and priced a bit lower than I'd expect. Atmosphere is about average, and service was pretty good, bathroom very clean too.
(5)Molly M.
This was wonderful and perfectly spicy if you want spice. If you read the reviews on Yelp that are under four stars, you will notice that most of them are written by caucasian people who admit to not liking spicy food. I have had some great food in the Detroit area, but I had given up on the idea of getting any real spice. However, Dan demanded spicy food last Sunday before the Junior Brown show at Callahans. Since I do not eat Mexican food east of the Rockies -- I am from California, and I am not amused by Tex Mex, chili on an enchilada, no -- that left Indian or Thai, and I was encouraged by the fact that I had actually seen Indian people around town. Indeed, we were the only people there who were not Indian. We ordered our food spicy, and it came out just short of being too spicy for our palates, which was exactly where we wanted it. The service was also excellent, and the place was scrupulously clean.
(5)