Aab India Restaurant
1470 Grandview Ave, Columbus, OH, 43212
Aab India Restaurant Menu
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Visit below restaurant in Columbus for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Columbus for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Columbus for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
1470 Grandview Ave
Columbus, OH, 43212 - Phone (614) 486-2800
- Website https://www.aabindiarestaurants.com
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:30 am - 2:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch, Dinner
Parking : Street, Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes
Categories
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.
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Kathryn W.
Ummmm, what just happened and how have I never been told about this place!!! Its great! We visited in a Friday around 7:30 and it wasn't too busy so we got to sit outside; which it was a gorgeous evening. They have tons if seating, with a very friendly clean atmosphere. We were immediately greeted and seated. Once seated we decided to try some of the appetizers, which we pretty good. Our waitress recommended the vegetable pakoras which were good. If you are new to Indian food, they are a good starter. Everything we ordered as far as our main courses were so so good!! Yes, we all tried each other's because at that point we knew we were coming back for sure! Our waitress and everyone there was very friendly and helpful. It was a great experience and I DEFINITELY recommend going here. I cant wait until I have the opportunity to try to buffet everyone on Yelp is talking about!
(5)Kaitlyn C.
Two words: Chicken Curry. Everything about this restaurant is fantastic. It's a little tight seating-wise, but the food and atmosphere make up for that.
(5)Julane C.
Great food, great price.
(5)Douglas G.
Aab is easily one of my top five favorite restaurants in Columbus and possibly number one. I dont have much experience with indian food but this place does it right if you ask me. I am a big fan of the garlic naan and the top two dishes i usually get are the chicken saag and lamb vindaloo. Cant really go wrong with anything on the menu though. You can pick spice levels 1-6 and i usually go with a 5... Spicy but not un-enjoyable. GO TO AAB!!
(5)Jessica D.
No matter what my mood is, i will always suggest aab for lunch or dinner. Their food has the soup nazi effect on me. I keep telling myself "Jessica, one bite at a time," because I know that once that last bite has been taken, I'll undergo another bout of Aab withdrawal. The withdrawal symptoms are not pretty. So of course the chicken tikka masala is a profound staple. The spice level is honest, the creamy sauce oh so decadent. But why stop there? Why not gallivant in the "special" chicken tikka masala with peppers? And let's not forgot the "saag" (spinach cream sauce) specialities: Saab paneer (with soft delicate cheese cubes) or choley (with chickpeas and tomatoes) or chicken or mushrooms?? That happens to be my favorite, with a dip of garlic naan to complete the meal. Yum. I haven't had a bad experience yet. Solid service, reasonable prices. The menu overwhelms me a bit but there are worse problems to have. Any non-staple suggestions for this menu are encouraged!!
(5)Tiffany W.
I really like this Indian restaurant in Columbus. The service is friendly, but can sometimes be a bit slow if you are going with a large group of people which is understandable. The food (at least for dinners) comes in big portions, so sometimes I end up splitting a dish with a friend and still end up being very full afterwards. Their biryani dishes (chicken, lamb) are excellent and so delicious. They ask you for your spice rating -- I don't usually tolerate much spicy food, so I usually stick with a 3 and it works perfectly for me. I also usually get at least some naan as a side; their garlic naan is very delicious although you don't don't get as many pieces as if you order the regular naan, even though pricing is similar. Mango lassis at Aab India are also fantastic, smooth, rich, flavorful, although expensive ($3-4).
(4)Suzanne P.
I've been here more times than I can count for dinner, the lunch buffet and even for restaurant week. I craved it so badly once, I even ventured there alone and I don't live in Grandview. It is, by far, my favorite Indian restaurant in Columbus. The buffet is very reasonably priced and has a vast selection of FRESH choices, not last night's crusty leftovers. If you're looking for spice though, you'll want to order off the main menu where you can customize just how hot you want your food. The staff is always friendly and I have never had an empty glass of water on a visit. If you're new to Indian cuisine, do yourself a favor and drop the $11 to go taste everything on the buffet. There's no way you'll walk out of there without a favorite dish!
(5)Leeot M.
Best indian food in town. Always go with the chicken curry and the aloo gobi vegetable dish. Amazing flavor and always comes out hot
(5)D J.
When the Indian food craving hits me in Columbus I get Aab-bound. Not a huge fan of their appetizers but the main courses are pretty damn good - if you watch that spice quotient. I've been surprised by the non-mild dal makhani, the gut- burning vindaloo and the feisty vegetable jalfraize. I typically use the lassis as my crutch to get through that spice journey and typically come out feeling like I never want to see Indian food again -- and then go back for more! Good quality although I wish the dishes weren't that heavy, generous portions that make for delicious left overs. Service could use a upgrade. But overall - Aab is on my dining list for Columbus.
(3)Morgan M.
The food was five star, the service was 2 star, I give that a overall three. The restaurant was very pretty, nice set up, very light. Since the menu said they specialized in tandoori, I got the tandoori shrimp and garlic nan, while my husband got the lamb curry and aloo bhatura (fried bread). We also split an appetizer sampler, which was the weakest part of the meal. I think I would just get more types of bread over appetizers next time (and we will go back!). My tandoori was AMAZING and I would eat it everyday wrapped in nan. On the flip side, I felt like the wine/beer list was crap and I was not super thrilled with the service. The restaurant was half full but the diners were seated in close groups, which I suppose is easier on the servers but I find it annoying to be in a half-empty restaurant and listening in on three conversations. The food came out one piece at a time and the waiter admitted to completely forgetting one item, which he ended up boxing for us to take home. Aab came highly recommended and the food definitely delivered. If the service is better next time, I will edit my review!
(3)Karla H.
Amazing food and an even more amazing staff! I've always feared Indian food because I'd heard it was spicy. We went there as a birthday dinner for the bf and because of the waiter and his patience I'm in love with this place and Indian food!
(5)Haley H.
My first Indian food experience and I'm hooked. I had the chicken tikka masala at a 4 spice level - definitely could have gone higher. Went on a Saturday evening and service was quick and friendly!
(5)Moses S.
ok, food was 4/5 stars, but the service was pretty bad. FOOD: great curries and nan. note: i got a 6/6 on the heat level and on my scale, it was only a 6/7 out of 10 scale. so if you like heat, don't shy away from their 6 (which is their top level). The service was just atrocious. We had a reservation, which they misplaced for the following day, so they scrambled to get us a table, but because we had 13, we were sat at an 'L' shaped table, which was just awkward. But i suppose that's better than waiting an additional 20 minutes, right? Next, we had 2 servers, but they seemed really new or uneducated about the food. Who describes samosas as a potato pastry?! it's a deep fried perogie or dumpling. on top of that, it took us a good 45 minutes to an hour (no joke, we timed it) to get everyone's check. on top of that, they essentially asked us again what we all had and who had what beer, etc about 30 mins into the wait. Apparently they didn't take good notes. Just a bad ending to a great meal.
(2)Jessica C.
Favorite Indian in Columbus! The lunch buffet is fantastic with a wide variety of options. The portions are a nice normal size and the rice isn't too buttery. Great flavor and levels of heat but watch out for the higher numbers. Service is usually above par, especially the water waiter! We when are feeling Indian this is the only spot we think of, (Except maybe the other location on Sawmill which is closer to home) it's just perfect! Not too expensive and it always comes out the same. We usually ordered the saag, which I like best without meat and my husband gets the vindaloo, I think with lamb! Garlic naan is a must and those fried veggie potato balls appetizer, can't think of their name! Must go if you haven't!
(5)Narendra M.
Aab has been my favorite Indian restaurant for almost 3 years since I moved here to Columbus. I've been here probably around 30+ times. The place is great to meet friends, have dinner, the food is tasty, and the service is excellent. Until last month, I ordered a takeout buffet from Aab, then found a glass shard inside my mouth while I was in the middle of enjoying it at home. The size of the shard was slightly bigger than a grain of rice. I called the restaurant twice to speak with manager. But the staff said he was not in the restaurant at that moment, and would like to give a call back, he also apologized for what it caused. Until now, I have not gotten any call back from the manager. Even though I didn't digest the shard and I'm okay until this moment - I kinda disappointed with the way they treat food safety casually. The shard was from buffet foods, who knows that I've eaten tiny bit of other shards that I might not recognized? Who knows others might have eaten without them realized it? They could earn 5 stars from me, but lost it from what I disappointed.
(2)Ben R.
One of my favorite Indian restaurants in Columbus. Great service, great food, good portions and a nice, yet casual atmosphere. Lamb Saag is my go-to dish, but I haven't had anything bad on the menu in the 4 years I've been eating here. Some people dig the lunch buffet, but I still prefer the menu. Spice level can vary with each visit. If you love spicy Indian, don't shy from the "6"
(4)Hanna N.
Food is delicious! I love the buffet items and menu items! Servers are very knowledgable about the menu. You can pick the spiciness of your food as well which is great. Don't get level 5 the first time...I made that mistake and wow... Anyway, I wish they had gluten-free bread like other Indian restaurants I've been to, but I still love it there! I go like every weekend now!
(4)Mer F.
The lunch buffet makes my world. My team has decided to take a post-sales goal buffet trip each month, and it usually ends up being Aab. The buffet is so amazing- we always leave aching with our poor decision to stuff ourselves silly. The tastes are spot on, the service is fast and friendly, and I'm kind of drooling just thinking about it while writing this review.
(5)Holly C.
My favorite Indian place in Columbus! I really love the curries and chicken tikka masala here. The butter chicken is not bad as well. You'll definitely have leftovers because the portions are very generous, I never finish my food. Order some naan and you'll definitely have more than enough for 2-3 meals for one person. Service is sometimes kind of slow but not terrible. If you're not sure what to try, there's a great buffet for $10 on the weekends! PS They also participate in restaurant week!
(4)Aya R.
Lamb saag, veg samosas, naan, and that wonderful mint chutney!!! Been here about 5 times now, and the flavors were extremely consistent. I hate going to a good restaurant, ordering my "go to" and its "too salty" or "too spicy" or "too watery". NOPE! Aab is great every time. Lunch buffet was good, and would visit again. Dinner time is ALWAYS so busy regardless or time or day. Its a good thing because I love seeing businesses thrive, but makes their servers pressured. Waiters rushing around left and right... The seating is also kind of interesting. Weirdly spread out. I feel like the weird table by the corner wall thing sticks out and makes me feel extremely awkward... Its not that big of a deal, but kind of weird. I like the way they employ their bussers to seat guests. Makes me feel like they treat all of their employees with the same level of expectation and respect. Has become our go to for us if we want Indian! :)
(4)Jonathan M.
One of my favorite indian places around. Staff is very nice, wait time is fine, atmosphere is nice. But the food is amazing!
(5)Mark H.
Amazing spot in Grandview for Indian food. By far my favorite for Columbus. The part I don't like about here is that I am so hung up on their Chicken Tikka Masala that I seldom order anything else!!! Pair that with the garlic nan and this place truly is to die for.
(5)Douglas W.
Very good lunch buffet. Could have a better selection of freshly prepared vegetables. It looked like a bunch of frozen food. Peas, carrots (cut like in the package), spinach, inexpensive potatoes. They're skimping at $12. The chicken dishes were very good. I liked a the spice level. Service is good , friendly. It's a nice place. I've had much better and based on the flavors and execution, I think they could do better.
(3)Amruta D.
Man they can't ever get my order right or maybe they just don't cook it right but a traditional vegetable jalfrezi does NOT have broccoli in it, I don't know what terrible curry they made for me, I obviously ordered a vegetable jalfrezi and it was in some super red curry paste, my friend got chicken tikka masala, which was alright but they don't make real Indian food or at least some of the curries are not accurately cooked, the carrots in the curry were very stale and it had a weird odor. I think personally they're over priced for the quality of food make and it's not traditional there are a few other places in Columbus that actually make better food and are cheaper.!
(1)Rosita C.
I eat spicy I mean very spicy and hot but the highest here #6 was too hot for me so I was impressed. Had lamb vindaloo and was excellent (very American) with no fatty meat and very little oil and butter so if you want ultra traditional thats fatty you wont like this. Service was great even for getting there at closing time. Relatively clean but could have been cleaner especially by the restroom walkways. The vindaloo was a bit more tangy than usual though and that is why I gave them 4 start.
(4)Meredith K.
Hands down, the best Indian food I have ever had, the chicken curry is out of this world. I regularly order takeout and my order is always ready within 20 minutes. The service at the restaurant is also great. They are really friendly and give great recommendations and suggestions on things to try.
(5)Jessica H.
LOVE Aab, three take out experiences, one happy hour and one prix fixe dinner during restaurant week. Nice staff, great veg and non-veg options on the buffet. Naan is delish. Buffet has excellent selection. Paneer and Raiti are homemade - yes, they actually make the cheese and the yogurt here. They also make their own mint, tamarind and onion chutney. Great samosas! Very good happy hour offerings.
(5)A L.
Service is nonexistent, but the food is so good it's worth the frustration in getting a refill. Absolutely delicious.
(4)Kimberly L.
Wow-this is now my favorite Indian restaurant. Pankaj was so friendly that his smile lit up the room. I was with a friend and the quality of both of our meals was astonishing. I highly recommend the lamb rogan josh.
(5)Joan G.
I've been eating Indian food with my family my whole life so I'd like to think I've established a taste for a good dish. I always rank them based on how they prepare my favorite--Malai Kofta. Let me just say that it was fantastic! The flavors were great and blended well. The perfect combination of sweet, spicy, and nutty flavor. I also ordered two vegetable samosas which were absolutely fresh and delicious. I ordered takeout but the atmosphere is superb for a relaxing night out. Very spacious with nice, calm lighting. I would definitely return again and again!
(5)Cristin S.
Aab India is consistently good! Their buffet is not huge, BUT the food in it is a higher quality then other Indian buffets. Because they do not have a ton of stuff it is always being replaced and not just sitting under the heat lamps. I believe they strive for quality rather than quantity when it comes to the dishes they put on the buffet! My favorites were the chicken tiki Marsala and goat curry! Yum! Even though it is a bit of a drive we will be back!
(4)Lily S.
Soooo good. I tend to get their saag paneer, & I am not even a vegetarian! Everything fresh & made to order, including their chutneys.
(5)LA F.
We used to live in the neighborhood and eat there three to four times a month. But they were incredibly rude about refusing to put mint chutney in with our carry-out order. I asked that they make sure mint chutney was in the bag with our entrees and samosa, as it hadn't been included with our two previous orders. The woman on the phone was rude then hung up on me. My husband called to speak to management who explained that their new policy is for the customer to request chutney when they get there rather than including chutney when the order is placed. The situation was so silly and the rudeness turned me off from Aab. We have found several other restaurants to regularly support and in doing so I think our tastes have changed. I now think, in comparison, that Aab uses too much cream or butter. Put your leftovers in the fridge; if they chill to a solid mass, then there is probably a lot more fat and calories than needed for a delicious curry. Overall, tasty but not worth dealing with rudeness.
(3)Amanda M.
I have never really been into Indian food, but weirdly enough after I went to IRELAND I became obsessed with curry. When I got back from my trip I knew I had to start checking out more Indian restaurants. Now, I am addicted to Aab. I have had the Chicken Tikka Marsala, Lamb Curry, Lamb Korma, and Sang Paneer, and Dal Makhani. All have been delicious but the Chicken Tikka Marsala and Sang Paneer are my favorites. Be careful with the spice levels though! I have ordered the medium and it is wayyyy too spicy. The mild still has a strong kick! The only reason I am not giving them 5 stars is because of the customer service. I always order this as pick-up and the people at the bar who check me out are always so rude. They also gave us the wrong order one time which was a huge bummer when we got home and realized we didn't have our food!
(4)Edwardo S.
Best indian food in columbus. If you love sagg paneer your in luck. I don't know what they do that red chicken either but it is awesome.
(5)Samantha A.
I've tried this place twice now, and will certainly not be back. The first time we ordered takeout because they were an option on our Prestige Card and we felt like Indian food. When I picked up the order, they explained they would not be accepting my prestige card for a takeout order. (Which it stated nowhere as an exclusion and I even mentioned over the phone when I placed my order.) Disappointing. But we decided to give them the benefit of the doubt, and come back to dine in and use the card. We went back a few weeks later and once we were seated, sat for a minimum of 20 minutes before being acknowledged by anyone. Not even water. No one glanced at us. There must have been a mixup as far as whose section we were in. Finally stopped someone who was rushing by, who was annoyed and did not apologize before hurriedly taking our order. Food was mediocre, service was the worst. Definitely will not be giving them another shot with all the other amazing Indian places in town. Go instead to Amul India, Banana Leaf, or Tandoori Grill.
(1)Dana W.
Worst service in Columbus. Food is good, but will only do carry out if we ever eat there again.
(1)Claire R.
Earlier this summer my boyfriend and I ate here and as he was eating his shrimp masala, he spat out a 3 inch piece of metal can shaving. He cut his cheek open and immediately contacted Aab to find out what they could do for him. Their response was shocking, he was told by a manager that they would compensation a few orders and when we went to collect, we were informed that the best they could do was to compensate one entree. After an hour of tense conversation with the owner, we finally got her to agree to compensate an entree, a $3 dessert (which was disgusting) and a piece of Naan ONLY after I agreed to pay for two of the items we had ordered thinking we had a few orders compensated as the manager had told him before. It was like pulling teeth, the injury this could have caused him was worth much more compensation and a much more apologetic attitude from the owner, she was very nasty and argumentative. We left with the food and went home and ate. A few days later we were finishing off the food and I took a bite of chicken curry only to chomp down on what appeared to be a piece of plastic straw - inside the order that they compensated!!! At this point, I am beyond disgusted with this establishment, the fact that they would compensate so little and then turn around and within that next order have a piece of plastic in the food is filthy. I immediately called Aab and spoke with an employee and explained the situation. I was told it was very peculiar that this only had happened to me and my boyfriend, infuriating to be consuming their dirty, contaminated food and then be basically accused of making things up! I assured the woman that I still had the piece of plastic and I'd be happy to show the evidence to a more informed party and she immediately promised she'd give my name and number to a manager and I would be contacted later that day. I went online to do a little research about this establishment and to try and contact a health inspector and found out this restaurant has an absolutely repugnant background of cleanliness and food safety. I will never eat their food again after reading this information. Some winners include, "Ready-to-eat food was not protected from cross-contamination by separation from raw animal food." "The operator is using a poisonous or toxic substance that is not approved for use in a food facility and/ or the substance is not being used according to law, conditions of licensing or to the manufacturer's directions." "Food-contact surfaces were dirty." "Unsafe food was not discarded or properly reconditioned" "The person in charge was unable to demonstrate the necessary food safety knowledge." "Food employee was touching ready-to-eat food with bare hands." Link to this page are below and while you're at it, notice that regardless of all these violations, Aab India has not been inspected since September 10th 2012. DISGUSTING. More infuriating, the average diner would never know as they've managed to get their health inspection rating up to a 94. I'm sorry, with a history like this and the experience I've had with foreign objects, this establishment needs to be shut down for good. Read more: city-data.com/franklin-c…
(1)Ashley H.
Aab is the best Indian in Columbus. Hands down! Great atmosphere too. Service is fast and staff is friendly. Lamb curry + garlic nan = perfection. It gets super busy on weekends, and sometimes my water doesn't get refilled for a while, but that's my only complaint.
(5)Emma L.
I visited for the first time Saturday evening for dinner with a fellow Indian food newbie (bf) and a friend who grew up eating the cuisine and counts it among her favorites. She was in from out of town and I had heard Aab was the best in Columbus, so in we ventured. It was about 8:30 and it appeared we had just missed the rush. We were seated immediately in a back room that had 4 tables. I was kind of bummed to be tucked away back there, apart from the main dining room. But again, sat immediately so I can't complain. It took our server awhile to acknowledge us, which made us uneasy with that "do they know we're back here?" vibe. Once he arrived he was friendly enough and gave us a menu recommendation when we couldn't decide. We started with a couple of Indian beers, served in 22 oz. bottles for $7. They were good, just tasted like beer to me. Bf & I got the beef samosas to start, our friend got the veggie version. I really enjoyed the flavor of the beef but they were sooooo greasy. I absolutely LOVED the trio of sauces that were brought to the table. Maybe these are standard with Indian cuisine but the sweet, savory and spicy combination was delightful. Bf & I split the Lamb Curry and the Special Chicken Tikka Masala (like the regular version with onions and green peppers added). Both were $13 I think. We ordered some onion naan ($3.50) for sauce-soaking, too. I thought the Chicken Tikka Masala was faaar too buttery, and my Indian food loving friend agreed. It still had good flavor, just heavy on the butter. The spice level was good -- I think I ordered a 3 out of fear. Could have probably bumped that up to a 4 (they go to 6, I think). The Lamb Curry was my favorite of the two. It had a great flavor without being too rich. I was disappointed to find so many fatty pieces of meat, but I just picked around them. The naan was good and the curry sauce was fantastic so I was happy. I definitely want to visit again and try some other things on the menu. The buffet would be ideal for a novice like me, but I can't ever make it in during lunch. Overall I thought it was a tasty meal -- some things I loved and some things could have had some improvement. We'll be back, Aab!
(3)Eric J.
Most Indian dishes are executed pretty well here, and the lunch buffet is a very good deal. Chicken tikki masala, naan, saag paneer, and the tandoori chicken are just a few of the offerings they have for the buffet. Your basic Indian dishes, but they do it very well. That being said, the service here is fairly bad. It usually takes us awhile to get water to our table and always takes our waiter/waitress at least 15 minutes just to get our check processed. Not sure if this is a symptom of being understaffed, or just the waitstaff being very slow, but regardless, it can be irritating when you are in a hurry. Or even when you're not. Overall, the food is delicious and very reasonably priced, but you should probably stick to the lunch buffet or takeout, so as to avoid the need for the waitstaff as much as possible.
(3)Samantha B.
Mmmmmmmmmm...... Aab......... *cue Homer's Simpson's throaty groan* Aab is delicious. I live a skip, hop and a jump away from the Grandview location so, naturally, I get take out at least one night a week. Basmati rice is cooked to perfection. I only get the vegetarian fare - Aloo Choley is my go to (Chick peas and potatoes prepared North Indian style ), and do NOT miss out on the naan, samosas, and Aloo Tikki. My excuse is that indulging in all of the above is carbo-loading. Mmmmmmmmmm.... Aab.......
(5)John S.
There is a reason why this restaurant received 'Best In Columbus' since they opened their doors. They offer a large menu and authentic Indian food. The Staff is well-informed and during our first visit we even got to meet the owner. He was extremely appreciative for our patronage and even asked for pointers as to how they could improve. *A humble restaurant owner was a refreshing change :) Top-Notch service, a well-stocked bar and a great atmosphere. What more could you want? **My only request would be that they offer free wifi (to their customers only). Perhaps require a password that only your servers can provide :)
(5)Glené M.
I haven't been to Aab in a while, because unfortunately I moved out of state. But, I think of Aab at least once a week. It was my go-to Indian restaurant in Columbus, and the best place to go with girlfriends for an affordable and delectable dinner. While I have had less-than-great service here, the food always trumps that. One thing I always had was good water service...I never ran out of water, even up until the minute I was ready to head out the door. Now for the food. I cannot find a korma that beats Aab's. I'm not sure what it is about their food, but it's like crack. You can't get enough and you can't help but go there time and time again and order the same thing. They make it pretty fast, which makes me think that the meat has probably been stewing all day and they just add it to already-made sauce. Who knows. It's still freakin' amazing. I use lamb korma as my baseline, and compare every Indian restaurant's korma to Aab's. I've not yet found one that beats it. Two of my other favorites is the Tikka Masala and the Chicken Makhani, the latter of which tastes almost identical to the sauce of the korma. If you love a creamy sauce, you'll love any of these selections. I also love the Malai Kofta, which has a similar sauce. The rice is always plentiful and seasoned well. Get Naan. It's worth it just so you can sweep up your extra sauce with it. In terms of spice level, it's never predictable nor consistent. I've gone a few times and had to order a level 6, but the food still tasted mild. At other times I got a 4/6 and was overwhelmed with spice...not sure why this differs so much from time to time, but this never really bothered me. They can bring out a small bowl of chili powder/chili spice for you if it's not spicy enough. If the food is too spicy, do yourself a favor and get some mango lassi. I could drink it by the gallon. I would give Aab a 5/5, but there is one dish I just cannot love. As someone who grew up in South Africa, where Indian food was common and authentic, I really did not enjoy the one time I tried the biryani at Aab. It had no flavor, the meat wasn't cooked the right way - this really was not a biryani. Once you have it the "right" way, you cannot be satisfied with something that claims to be one. If you've never had the real thing, you might not have a problem with it. I miss you, Aab. But upon my travels to Columbus, I'll be back.
(4)Luana H.
I love this place! Everything I tasted was delicious. I went and had their lunch buffet, it was a little more than I expected ($10) per person, but that's fine. I would definitely come back and recommend this place, but I live too far away to come by as much as I would like to.
(4)Helen S.
I love Indian food but at most restaurants, the buffet is often not up to par with the regular menu. Aab is an exception, because the buffet is quality. A large group of us dined here for the lunch buffet and it was so tasty. My faves were the saag paneer, chicken makhani, and the rice pudding yumm (don't leave without trying this!). If you're careful not to go too over the top to the point that you loathe yourself, then it's $10 well spent for a delicious meal that will keep you full for the rest of the day.
(4)Laura C.
I hate buffets. Why would I want a lot of low quality, luke warm food? Aab however is the exception. Their lunch buffet is perfect if your not well versed in Indian (like myself) and want to be adventurous. Loved everything I tried (tried about half the options). Even my coworker who has gluten and dairy intolerances had no problem finding something filling to eat that she enjoyed. Service was great - very knowledgeable of menu and their food, continuous clearing of plates (yeah you're gonna visit the buffet more than once!) and filling of water. Everything is seasoned so well. No complaints here.
(5)Julie B.
Best Indian restaurant in the Columbus area by far! I've tried several others hoping to find some other diamonds in the rough but Aab takes the cake! The server Mona is a sweetheart. She is very helpful especially if you're new to Indian cuisine like I once was. And I've noticed she always remembers you which is welcoming. The mint chutney is the best I've ever had. I could eat it with just rice every day. Yes, they have a lunch buffet but like most buffets they generalize their food to meet everyone's tastes. By this I mean, if you like spicy, you'll be better off ordering off the actual menu and picking your spice preference 1-6.
(5)Goose R.
Maybe too soon to give it a 5 star but on out first visit we really liked this place
(5)Jeremy S.
Indian cuisine is probably one of my favorites and Aab definitely doesn't disappoint. I've been here many times and the food has always been excellent. I have a few complaints but they are pretty minor. The service has been a little slow at times and not always very thorough and I feel you should get more naan but my biggest complaint would be the spice level. They offer levels of 1-6 rather than a mild, medium, or hot. This would make me think that 1 is practically no heat and 6 would be extreme heat. However I've hardly ever been satisfied with the heat level of a 6. I do love hot food but a 6 should be just below that point where its too much but I'd consider it a medium. The other problem with the spices is inconsistency. I always get a 6 (I've sometimes asked for an 8 and a 10 and that did the trick!) and my fiancee usually gets a 3 or 4. But there's times when her food is spicier than mine. I'd figure it has to do something with the dishes we are ordering but we've eaten here too many times and I've tried nearly every chicken dish on the menu and the spice inconsistency is very consistent.
(3)Jason B.
I'm certainly a fan of Aab. It has many options, and every choice I have made has been very tasty. The service is great, the only draw back is that it is bit more pricey than other Indian options in town. I would recommend Aab to anyone in the area looking for good Indian food.
(4)willma g.
The customer service at both Aab's in Grandview and Dublin is terrible. I keep going back because of the food but whether I carryout or dine in, the service is suspect. You would think with the number of indian restaurants in town and it being competitive, the service would be better.
(2)Heather N.
I have not been known to be the most adventurist eater, and the idea of eating at an Indian Restaurant made me nervous. I didn't even know if I liked curry, and I am a wimp when it comes to spicy food. Aab India is a great pace for India food newbies. Food can be ordered on a heat level to meet the needs or in my case lack of spice. If you have questions, just ask. The Waitstaff will happily answer any questions you may have. I would recommend the Chicken Tikka Saag, Chicken in a spinach, tomato and cream sauce. Great over white rice, served with all entrees or with Naan. I always have enough for Lunch the next day. I would also recommend eating on the Patio. The first time I ate at this establishment, the indoor dining seemed stuffy and had an overwhelming curry smell, to be expected in an Indian restaurant.
(4)Nathan K.
In heaven! The buffet isn't my favorite, but the food on the menu is incredibly delicious!
(4)Chelsea J.
love this place. i had rice and lamb and they were both fantastic... especially the rice. service was excellent. please go here.
(5)Kasiah E.
The food is delicious. The lunch buffet is awesome. The food and service is on point every time we go. We love it.
(5)Chris B.
I love the Chicken Curry at Aab India. It tastes great. Little more pricey than other places but is well made and never had a problem. Service is great they are very prompt with times when picking up for carry out. I like the convenience that is right around the corner from where I live. The staff is always friendly too. Try the Buffet it is first rate.
(5)Jimmy W.
Maybe the best Indian in Columbus. Always a treat. Get the Saag Paneer! Actually, get anything. I'm sure it'll be great. The fried veggie appetizer (whose name escapes me) is amazing. They always have Stone IPA on tap, too!
(5)Tiffany G.
We had the buffet and it was delish. This is my favorite place in the city to get my Indian fix!
(4)Tash L.
This is a great Indian restaurant. My favorites here are the chicken makhani (butter chicken), naan (original and garlic), daal "soup" (try it with rice, that's how I grew up eating it - yum!), and raita. The mango lassi is good too!
(4)Angie K.
I got the vegatables with tomato based sauce with rice and naan. Cant go wrong. My friend got the curry lamb and I wanted to drink it. If you are a meat eater get the curry lamb. It will make you happy. It looked like a super cute date place. I'll be back.
(4)Cranky C.
Today, my server, Pankaj, lied to my face about the dish that was served. I ordered chicken makhani and received chicken tikka masala, with cashews and raisins splattered on the top. I've had both these dishes at Aab before, so I can differentiate the flavors of the curry. What astounds me most is not the laziness of the staff (using the buffet tikka masala instead of preparing the dish I ordered) but the audacity of the server who made the assumption that I wouldn't notice the difference. When I discussed the issue, I was lied to and told that I was mistaken. It's akin to ordering a hamburger and getting a veggie burger and then having the staff insist that you're deranged and eating legit beef. I can tell the difference!
(1)Catherine J.
I don't always want Indian food, but when I do, I head for Aab. I've been here once for dinner and several times for the lunch buffet. I think I like the buffet best, the prices are more than reasonable, and the dining experience is quick but still elegant. I like that I can zoom in for a workday lunch and still eat on white table linens with cloth napkins. The meat is always tender-- not rubbery and over-warmed. The vegetables remain tender but fresh tasting despite the buffet format. My biggest gripe with Indian food is the similar consistency throughout a dish, so the buffet solution is perfect for me. I can try lots of dishes (some spicy, some not) without having to commit to a giant pile of one thing. It's not that I don't like spicy food, but I prefer to have a small amount of really spicy flavor than an entire load. Love the rice here, too. I've never had a problem finding a meter right out front on weekday lunchtimes. In the evening, parking can be a little bit of a challenge, but you can always enjoy walking around Grandview on either side of your meal.
(4)Mike S.
Let me preface this review by saying vehemently that the food is sensational. It's unquestionably the best Indian food in Columbus. That said, they have some of the worst service I've ever received. Some of the lower points: -utterly unable to get the bartender's attention while waiting for a table (55 minutes) -once we were seated, we waited 10 minutes for a server to come over before I approached the hostess about it. -finally a server came who wasn't actually our server. He took our orders and complained about how busy they were. When the food came, he brought just the family style entrees. No plates. I asked for plates, and then he was gone for 10 minutes. Finally he came back with the rest of the food, but without plates. Instead of waiting for him again, I grabbed some plates myself off of the buffet. The server also made some kinda racist comments about Indian people and continually complained about stuff. The food was incredible, but it was an overall extremely frustrating experience. I will go back, but ONLY for takeout.
(2)Jo T.
I love aab and the food, but this is the worst service ever. Been here 25 mins before they took our order. Then three tables after us got their food before us. 45 mins in still waiting for our food. Wish we could switch waiters. Disappointed.
(1)Tiffany C.
Since I moved to Columbus, a number of people have raved about really awesome Indian food here, specifically at Aab. My Indian roommate and I decided to go check it out since we had received a coupon in the mail (turns out though the Valpak coupon was only for Sun-Thurs, not Fridays :( ). We decided to go with the standards to share - regular naan, garlic naan, chicken tikka masala, and saag paneer - with the plan to be more adventurous at another visit if we liked the food. Given my slight intolerance to spicy, we went with heat level of 3, which was definitely tolerable. The regular naan wasn't anything to sing about; it wasn't very soft and flavorful. But the rest of the food was quite tasty! Even my Indian friend thought it was pretty good. When the dishes were first brought to our table, we both thought the portions seemed small, but we did end up having a few leftovers to bring back. If I could, I would give an extra half star for the attentiveness to filling my water glass. I don't like being thirsty! Alas though, I should have remembered that Indian food never fares well with me. Soon after we left, my body quickly expelled all the food that I had consumed (TMI?). The next time I feel masochistic, I may venture back to Aab to try some of their other dishes...but that may be awhile.
(3)Tory R.
So my favorite Indian buffet is closed down right now due to a fire/vandalism (my luck of course). So to get my "fix" after church yesterday morning, I yelped this place. I must say, the location on the map was a bit off.....by like 3/4 of a mile. But eventually, I found it. The restaraunt was nicely decorated inside with a full bar area. I sat at a 2-top table. Not sure if It was just me.....but my table cloth was extremely long...and everytime I slid out of the booth to get out, I got my leg tangled on the table cloth and thought I was gonna pull it completely off the table. How embarassing that would be! hehe! Anyway, the buffet it self was pretty good. It was a bit small with not a HUGE selection too choose from, but what it did have was amazing. And I know you shouldn't judge a restaraunt by it's naan, but the naan was freakin' amazing!! It was warm and doughy!! I had a bit more than what I should've, but it was really really good! The buffet was like $10 on the dot. No complaints....besides the freaky long table cloth (hehe!)....but perhaps it was just my table. Will definately be back!
(4)C Z.
Their lunch buffet is delicious! I loved that there was so many different choices offered on the buffet. ...and the mango lassi was WONDERFUL (i'm getting hungry just thinking about this place).
(4)Sarah F.
I've only been to Aab once, but it made a wonderful impression and I'm going back soon! I don't eat meat and I've always heard that indian food has plenty of options to satisfy us non-meat eaters. I'm sure you'll all try the naan, but check out the other apps as well! We had some kind of fried veggie nugget that was amazing! I also tried one of their martinis from the bar and loved my lemon drop! I would bring an appetite, there was plenty to eat and the rice kept coming! My dish was chickpeas and potatoes (#1 on the menu) and it had the perfect amount of flavor. I think I went for a spice level of 3? You can pick how spicy you want it too!
(4)Megan P.
Best Indian Food I've ever had. And the staff is always nice and helpful! The Lamb Korma is AMAZING! So is any of the nan.
(5)Lenny C.
While visiting Columbus for business I paid a visit to Aab Indian restaurant on Saturday evening. At 6:30 place was packed and there was no hostess in sight. I end up having dinner by the bar. Yet to see anyone working in this place to squeeze a smile. Place is loudb with phone ringing non stop. Waiters are running like headless chickens but service practically non existent. Food is acceptable but coming from NYC I have rather high standards and don't see anything special about this restaurant. Will avoid this place at least during weekends.
(2)S K.
Lamb saag and malai kofta with garlic naan and basmati rice were outstanding! Serving size is good as u had left overs to take home back to cleveland! A must try for all! Service was good and staff very friendly. Nice atmosphere; was packed even on a weekday
(5)Joyce K.
Really good, been a few times for their lunch buffet, always really crowded! It's right in downtown Grandview so you can find parking in a nearby lot or on the street. Really good Indian food! Always get my fill of spinach curry, chicken tika masala, naan bread and mango lassi!
(4)Robert H.
We went to Aab last week to partake in the restaurant week menu. $15 and awesome. It was 95 degrees but we sat outside. I tried one of their signature cocktails, but it wasn't my cup of tea, er gin. We started with the vegetable pakora. Puffy fried tastiness. The chutneys had some great flavors. With the excellent garlic naan, we shared the chicken tiki masala and the lamb curry. Both were finger-licking good. The super-cheery waitress asked for our spice level 1 to 6, saying most people go for 2. We ordered a 3 and a 4. Neither dish was spicy. Next time we would do 5. Wusses. We had a great experience at Aab and will be back.
(4)Kaz D.
Aab has food that will please all. Bold spicy flavors together make a wonderful but some what addictive feeling when eating. I strongly recommend the Chicken Tikka Masala
(5)kc b.
The $10 lunch buffet is such a deal! you won't regret coming and indulging in the variety of northern Indian dishes. Their naan is always fresh and delicious! My friends and I always go for lunch and I've never ordered off the menu. Although when you first arrive, the staff doesn't always help with seating you but once you get your table, they will be attentive to remove your plates and refill your beverage.
(4)Porter R.
Girlfriend and I ordered two things without knowing what they were, and were pleasantly surprised by both. Larger portions , but well worth the money. Looking forward to going back soon.
(5)PinkJmmmm M.
Food is good. But i was disappointed about the service. We were there for lunch buffet and we got there around 1PM. There server kept telling us the buffet will be over by 2PM. Only couple of times of doing that is fine, but they came at least more than four times. Thant was very annoying because it made us feel being pushy. Anyway, i still think overall it's not a bad choice for some good indian food.
(3)Kevin S.
Food is good. Service has gone downhill dramatically. I recently left without eating after no one came to our table for the better part of ten minutes.
(2)Sanjay A.
As a kid of Indian origin growing up in America, I found that I had to answer questions about Indian food, which in the 1990s, were normally complete ignorant comments that usually somehow connected to the character of Apu Nahasapeemapetilon on "The Simpsons." Luckily, times have changed, and the world now seems to crave Indian food, which I'm sure will soon change just as quickly as the world's craving of Ricky Martin did from 1999-2000. As I grew up on my Mom's Indian food, the notion of helping make any suggestion for Indian restaurants for my friends wasn't really even possible. Few existed in the 1990s, and hey, I ate my Mom's home-cooked food every day, so what was the point in going out to eat at one of the Indian restaurants available? Now that I no longer live with my Mom, I do cook her recipes on occasion, but I love to go out to eat. And, when it comes to Indian food in Columbus, as of the writing of this post, Aab India is the best place to go to. Its location is excellent. Right on Grandview Avenue, you can make a night of it by heading down the street to any of the bars in the area after your dinner or to Jeni's for an ice cream if the weather's nice. As an Indian person, I also feel I should tell you the cheapest approach to parking as well. While Aab does have a lot, it may be full, and as such, you may get thrown off into thinking you need to park at one of the metered street spots. Don't do it! Just park across the street at the Giant Eagle lot. I've never been towed, and if I were, I would just claim that I parked in the most far away spot possible to shop at Giant Eagle that day (I like the challenge of walking in parking lots! I like walking! I'm Indian!) If you're going to Aab for the first time, the lunch buffet is likely the best approach. You'll get the opportunity to try out a variety of the more classic Indian menu items, which are all made very well. In my mind, an Indian restaurant is only as good as its chicken tikka masala. Aab's is fantastic. As are the other menu items I've tried there, which include lamb curry, shrimp vindaloo, paneer makhani, and palak paneer. All have been delicious, and as a result, I feel I can say with confidence that you should be safe and satisfied by picking any of their menu items. Their cocktail menu is pretty good as well. There's a drink composed only of Absolut vodka, sprite, and mango juice. I soon became the life of the party (for my table and my credit card statement) downing these with ease. They are delicious, though at $7, perhaps a little pricy given you could get more of an alcohol variety with some of the other cocktails priced at $7.50. Nevertheless, this was delicious. However, what goes best with Indian food is beer, and their selection in that realm is also good. While some reviewers on Yelp have complained about the service, I've still found it better than many Indian restaurants. Many times, at Indian restaurants, service is mediocre at best. It is usually done by the people who own the restaurant or other random Indian people they've hired that don't know what they're doing (Indian people being cheap again--hey, I can say it! I'm Indian!).Your server may barely know English or simply doesn't have a value for American manners because he/she either doesn't care or isn't aware of them. Not the case entirely at Aab. The service staff appears to be a diverse group of individuals from a variety of cultures. Remember that NBC Saturday morning show, "One World," where a couple adopted a bunch of children from many different ethnicities? No? Well, Google it and then realize that I'm comparing those kids to the Aab India staff (one of the actors from that show may very well be a server at Aab now, too). Regardless, service has always been pretty good to me there. There was one time it took forever to get my bill, and another time where the bartender seemed a little confused that we wanted to have a drink while waiting for a table. But, otherwise, when seated, it's been an acceptable serving experience. Then again, maybe they're treating me better because I'm Indian and super judgmental of my homeland's cuisine. Anyway, I think I've made my point. If you're looking to try Indian food for the first time, go to Aab India. If you're looking for a nice night out, go to Aab India. If you're looking to gorge yourself at a good buffet, go to Aab India. Stop wondering about Indian food. Stop worrying about things being too spicy. Stop being silly. Go to Aab India. Also, if you're wondering why I didn't give the restaurant 5 stars, only my mother's Indian food gets 5 stars. Nothing is as good as a home-cooked Indian mother meal. So, if you pass on Aab India, find an Indian friend soon so you can mooch off his/her Mom's leftovers or make a visit to Mom's house for dinner.
(4)Stephanie B.
I just moved to this area and was craving Indian food so I decided to give this place a try after seeing the awesome reviews about it. I'm so glad I did! I got the garlic naan and the aloo paratha and both were so good. The breads are reasonably priced and they give you a lot. They were fresh and you could just taste the quality ingredients they used to make it. I've eaten at a lot of Indian places and I don't think their breads can really compare to Aab's. As my main meal, I got the chicken makhami which was just as amazing. The chicken was tender and moist and the sauce that went with it was perfect. I was also shocked at how much rice they give you as well. It was great because I had tons of leftovers. I definitely feel as though their portions can be eaten by two people as there was plenty of it. Overall, Aab will definitely be a guilty pleasure of mine as it is quality Indian food. I have nothing negative to say about the place!
(5)Adrienne C.
Their $10 lunch buffet is ridiculous. If you've never really tried indian food before and you want to do a taste test of the popular items (chicken makhani, tandoori chicken, palak paneer, dal, etc) definitely utilize the Aab lunch buffet. I'm actually not sure why anyone would come here for dinner - not a good value at all compared to lunch. warning: prepare for serious food coma
(4)Lisa S.
This place is awesome! I've been here well over 10 times and I never once left disappointed. I usually go for the chicken dhal, and for appetizer the vegetarian sample plate. It's so great especially with the assortment of sauces! I will forever rave about this place. I've been to other Indian restaurants in columbus and this place by far surpasses the others!
(5)Stacie D.
The food I have tried tastes good, I love to order the Chicken Tiki Masala and garlic nan :TO GO". It is ready in 15 minutes and tastes delicious. I can't emphasize "TO GO" enough because the service is terrible. I actually have had to walk out because once we were seated NO ONE came to serve us. Good food but crappy service. I do not know if I will give my money to this establishment again. When we walked out no one said anything to us. I told a passing server we had been sitting there for a while and didn't get served. She didn't apologize. I am now looking to expand my cultural palette of Indian food in a different establishment.
(2)Cher W.
Had a great first experience here! Buffet was good with all dishes marked. There were a couple tho that could have listed what it was but I tried a little of most everything! I will come back!
(4)Susan A.
Great for connoisseurs and Indian food virgins alike. The lunch buffet is a great introduction to the cuisine without breaking the bank. If you are there for dinner and craving the variety of a buffet, then try the vegetarian thal (it's sort of like an Indian sampler with three small entrees, naan, and dessert - all on a silver platter!). If you find yourself in Cincinnati, their restaurant in Clifton is great as well!
(5)Ben H.
Effing delicious. I'm definitely in a food coma as I type this, but it was totally worth it. Chicken Dal was fantastic--however, I overestimated my spice tolerance and was a little ambitious with a level 4 of 6 for hotness. My dining partner ordered the matar paneer, which was cheeselicious and a spice level 3, probably where my taste buds should hang out at. The rice was fresh, the naan was a little too crispy but overall a pretty great meal. We were seated in the party room in the back because it was a full house. It was kind of hectic in there as we were leaving, but the service was good for how busy it was.
(4)Anthony A.
Best Indian Food in Columbus.
(5)Anna S.
I'm Indian-American, so as a result, Indian restaurants rarely measure up to my rather unrealistic and unreasonable expectations. However, I love me a good Indian buffet, especially on days where I have absolutely no desire to dedicate the rest of my afternoon to work. Aab's carb-laden and delicious buffet is sure to leave you in a food coma after your meal! There's plenty of options that are continually refilled, including some sort of fried veggie pakora (fritter), palak paneer (homemade cottage cheese with spinach), a chicken makhni/tikka masala, and usually gulab jamuns (fried cottage cheese balls in syrup). So if you've been hesitant to try their regular menu, do try out the buffet!
(3)Nicholas T.
AAB virgin until today. Buffet was not overwhelming with decent lunch selections. We had great welcome at the door and the staff refilling our waters were on it, but our waitress NEVER returned after she took our order. We had to go to the bar to pay our bill.....I LOATHE having to beg to pay for my meal. I'd rather pay at a counter walking in than sit being ignored. Might be worth another try. I'm in no hurry.
(3)Katie A.
So good!!! I've been here for lunch and dinner. Lunch buffet is good (and crowded-a good sign!) but I would recommend dinner. The samosas are Amazing and the sauces that come with it are so good!!!! The Tika Masala is my favorite. So rich and filling and one of the best things I've ever eaten!
(4)Leigh Ann E.
Yeah, all around gorgeous food. Love that there's a spice spectrum! The staff was wonderful. Can't wait to return!
(4)Liz G.
Admittedly, Aab India is only one of two Indian restaurants I have been to in Columbus (the other being in North Market), but it is my favorite of all the Indian restaurants I have been to, which were mostly on the East Coast. I usually get take-out, but I have eaten there at popular dinner hours quite a few times. During my last visit, we had an excellent server for our party of 6. My only service complaint is that our order usually isn't ready on time for pick-up when making a take-out order. I've never had to wait longer than 6 minutes past estimate, though. When they first opened, their bar was a little sparse and the service lacked panache. However, these days, I can't complain about either. A major strength of Aab is their 1-6 Spice-o-Meter (okay, probably shouldn't refer to it as that when you order) and their chefs' tendency to actually stick to the spice-level you requested. My standard is a 4, and my significant other goes for a 5. Once, he asked for an "extra hot 6", and he was sweating out of places that shouldn't sweat. He liked it. Guys are weird. Anyway, here are what I consider Aab's standouts: -chicken tikka masala: the standard for the unadventurous is well worth having here -chicken makhani: very similar to tikka masala but with nuts and raisins. savory, salty, sweet. -chicken tandoori: despite its lack of being swamped in sauce, it is flavored well. If you are watching fat/calories, this is a great option that won't make you feel deprived. -roti and nan are both excellent accompaniments to your meal here. If you eat-in and order nan for an appetizer, it comes with 3 great dipping sauces. I can't attest to all the desserts, but I've had the kheer and gajar halwa and loved both. Want something more "American" for dessert? Head about a 5-minute walk away to Jeni's and grab some lime cardamom frozen yogurt. Overall, Aab is a great Indian restaurant that covers all the standard dishes you'd expect. Their quality is high enough that it's a good place to venture out and try something you haven't had before. I've had almost everything on the chicken menu (maybe it's time to attempt a new animal), and I have yet to be disappointed.
(5)David W.
My firest Indian experience and, well, wow...! I got the Chicken Tikka Masala - recommended by the hostess as the 'must get' dish. I got the level 5 spice (second highest), and I had no regret. You have to get the garlic naan bread. Also check out the non-alcoholic drinks, I highly recommend the sweet lassi.
(5)Pat P.
Having just moved to the area, I was worried about being able to find a good Indian restaurant. Lucky for me, I found Aab just a few minutes away! The food was great. I had lamb curry with aloo paratha, and both were delicious. Great sauce, and the lamb was cooked well (and well trimmed) The heat was perfect with their choices of spicyness. The bread was flaky and the filling wasn't overpowering. Evern their rice was better than most places, with a good flavor that wasn't intense. (and some peas scattered in!) They do have a lunch buffet, which I'mm have to try to get the quick and dirty taste of more of their dishes. I put this into my regular visit category for sure!
(4)Brian F.
The good: we went here for restaurant last week, and the food was delicious. I got the chicken tikka masala (spice level 5), and it was worth every penny. It was a little spicy, but truly not that bad. I will likely opt for the 6 next time. The naan was excellent as well. So, if you're just talking food, this is a five star place, IMO. The awful: the service was just atrocious, and it was like a comedy of errors. We did have a large group, and it was restaurant week, so we expected some delays, but nothing this bad. Our first course came out missing one person's food. Not a big deal, right? Well, we didn't see our server for 10 minutes, so it was kind of a big deal. There was no way to notify him. So, that person just had to sit and wait. Eventually, he came back after everyone was finished with course #1. Then, course #3 came out. What happened to course # 2, you might ask? Exactly! It would have been nice to have that naan. When it did come out, we were two short this time. :( It only took 7 minutes to track down our server this time. Lastly, our server explained that we couldn't all do separate checks (even though we'd been told it was fine earlier), and we should just all hand over our cards and he'd set up an equal pay. I still don't truly understand what an equal pay is. Not everyone owed the same, so it made no sense. And I refused to pay with a card and gave cash. To underscore the problem with this idea, someone in our group was charged over $200, when their bill should have been about $20. That is truly awful and inexcusable! A couple of words of advice. Don't go on restaurant week, don't go in a large group, and pay in cash. It is too bad, because, as I said before, the food was really remarkably good!
(2)Karen P.
I'm the odd ball, but this place was only ok for me. I went on a Sunday with my family and it was so tight standing in line for the buffet which was very small in comparison to some other restaurants. Food was good, but again, I like variety which was lacking here. The restaurant itself really turned me off as the placement of the buffet is horrible and it's just chaos. I hope when this place is up and running off Sawmlll, that location will provide a larger buffet and more room to manuever as a whole. I'm excited for that spot and keep an open mind. If it lives up to my expectations (which arent' overly high anyway), I'll definitely update my rating. If not and is on par with the grandview location or worse, it could go down.
(3)arend s.
Been to this place a few times and it's still awful. The service takes longer than it should, the food is sub par, there was rice and other trash that hasn't been cleaned up on the floor (which we had to step over a pile of on the way out), they even turned the lights off minutes after they closed - for lunch - while there were still guests finishing their meals. 5 minutes before the buffet closed, the staff - in aprons - lined up to get lunch. The only good thing is the location. Check out Amul India on Sawmill instead for a better all around experience.
(1)Keith J.
I haven't been to all of the Indian restaurants in Columbus but I have been to many of them and this is the best. I enjoy everything here. Never once been disappointed. The only problem I have is I can't stop eating. My favorite vegetarian dish is Paneer Makhani. Highly recommended.
(5)Nicole W.
I don't always crave Indian food, but when I do, I crave Aab. Seriously, the question is to eat the food or bathe myself in it because it smells so good. Just thinking about it has me ravenous and I just had lunch. if you are new, I really recommend the daily lunch buffet which has lots of entree and side options as well as a tiny salad bar and desserts (skip the salad/desserts, when you come here you want to be so full you aren't sure if you will fit in your car). Our favorites seem to echo the crowd: tikka masala, vindaloo, paneer, and samosas. My husband got the Aab platter the first time we went and it was really fun to try such a variety at dinner time. They are also really helpful in finding the correct spice for your liking. The more we go, the more spice we can take! And lets be real, more spice = more cajones! Speaking of rolling in Indian food, I will take my hot stone massage with hot naan, because that smell is so good you just want to drape yourself in it. I believe it has special meditation power. Like I said, when I go its so good - I save it to be special. You'll have to go at the same time as me to see if I'm really rolling in the food.
(4)Brian R.
I have heard some great things about this place and was salivating over the thought of finally getting to try it. My wife does not like Indian food so one night when she was out of town, I thought I may grab some takeout. After carefully going over the menu, I ordered a chef specialty meal that looked to be amazing. I was told it would be an hour which I thought was a bit excessive but whatever. I just chalked it up to them being busy because they are so awesome. I arrived an hour later to a packed house. I told the hostess I had a takeout order and she told me I had to talk to the bartender. It took the bartender 15 minutes get to me, which made my blood start to simmer. After I told her my name, she said "The chef says he does not make this menu item to go." I said, "Okay. So why was I not told this on the phone and why did someone not call me after the chef told you that. I gave you my number." She rudely says, "I don't know what to tell you. You can order something else if you want. It will be about 45 minutes." Obviously, I gave her a snort of derision and left. Very disappointed. I had high hopes.
(1)Nathan O.
Indian food owns my soul.. When I least expect it, the craving comes. When that crave happens within 20 miles of Columbus, I go to Aab. The buffet is wonderful and great, as there are some major perks to trying a bit of everything and then going back for more once you found your taste for the day; but I suggest going after your favorite dish and waiting the extra few minutes to get it exactly how you like it. I prefer my Chicken Tikka Massala extra spicy (Indian Hot) with plenty of naan on the side. The buffet doesn't quite meet this standard. As for the bar- the TV's were sporting Jerry Springer and some silly commercial channel. I wouldn't go here to watch anything; just eat! Green chutney is a must-try.
(4)Aireal M.
It's really tasty food. Lamb and beef curry and samosas are our go to. They give you a lot if food too. Buffet never looks appetizing so we have never tried it.
(4)George Y.
I must say Aab has some tasty grub. I've heard good and bad reviews from others, and both the good and the bad were confirmed. The good is the taste. I ordered lamb curry, garlic naan and aloo paratha. All was absolutely wonderful together. The garlic naan could have used more garlic, but it was still light and fluffy and went perfect with my lamb curry. I never understood why curry is served in the small oval shaped dishes. I could easily go thru a double portion with a stack of garlic naan. Anyways, back to the food. The aloo paratha was a new item for me. I LOVED IT. It was like naan filled with a potato paste. Like naan, it's taste was magnified when smothered in curry. I would order that again, and again, and again. The bad (which really isn't a "bad"), the spice level. I've had insanely spicy Indian, so I kept to a mid level request. Their spice levels go 1 to 6, 6 being the spiciest. I went with 3 for my lamb curry, thinking it would still have some considerable heat. None. I was a little taken aback, but it didn't take away from the overall wonderfulness of the meal in it's entirety. Some friends said that Aab serves a more "Americanized" Indian fare. I can see that, but I think a combination of excellent food and low spice level will appeal to many different diners.
(4)Asa C.
I've had the opportunity to eat here a few times, however i started this review on a visit to Columbus about a year ago and i can't remember exactly what i ordered. However, whatever it was it left me with the desire to return! I do remember that the salsas were good, and the vegetarian samosas were delightful. They have a buffet sometimes, but i've only ever eaten off the menu. I had slow service one time, but the food more than made up for it. I wish I could be more detailed in my review, but i promise if you are looking for India and near the Grandview area this is worth giving a chance.
(4)Reana K.
Saturday night and Aab was anything but bustling, but I couldn't tell you why because the food was stellar. We had a variety of vegetarian dishes and everyone walked away pleased. The naan was fluffy and buttery and I especially appreciated that they ask you up front what your preferred spice level was (I'm not a spice wuss and I thought the "medium" was perfect for me, a little kick but not unbearable). The service was polite and attentive throughout. My only mild complaint is one I have of a lot of Indian restaurants- why so forced formal? The white table clothes and stuffy outfits for the waiters just don't make sense for me. I wish more Indian restaurants would go a little younger, looser, I think a better ambiance would really help attract a lot more attention. Okay maybe I do have one more minor complaint, it was REALLY cold the entire time we were in there. Food and service trumps all, so five stars, but could you turn up the heat a bit? If half your customers are still wearing their jackets, its probably too cold.
(5)Trish M.
I think the food here is SO good! I've heard that cbus doesn't have the best showcase of Indian food. I'm not sure if that's true, but I only fell in like with Indian food until my experience at Aab which transformed that like into a deep love. I always seem to crave it for dinner, but I imagine that the lunch buffet is an amazing deal if you like stuffing your face in the middle of the day. I've also had pleasant experiences with the service staff who provided thoughtful meal recommendations.
(5)Evalyn C.
I've eaten at Aab India a half dozen times over the last few months and, for my money, it's one of the best Indian restaurant experiences I've had each and every time I go. The staff is friendly and efficient. My water glass is never empty, my food comes quickly, I never have to wait on a seat. When I've been for lunch buffet, the food is the same tasty fresh stuff they serve at dinner. That's a big plus for me because so many places don't do that. I would usually list off several of the dishes I've tried, with a brief description, and tell you what I like the best about them, but I've tried so many of their menu items, I think I could write a book with that information. I will say this however, whether you want something meaty or vegetarian friendly, it's all good. I have yet to have something I didn't like, even dishes I have disliked at other restaurants are done better at Aab (I'm talking to you creamy spinach!). Don't be scared away by the scary stories of Indian food I'm sure you've heard, Aab is fantastic!
(5)Kathryn S.
I don't claim to be an expert on Indian food, but Aab is absolutely delicious. The chicken tikki masala is probably the best Indian dish I've ever eaten. The servers are fairly patient, even with people who aren't familiar with their menu or Indian food generally. Also, they let you specify how spicy you like your food, on a scale of 1 to 6, so there's no need to worry about ordering anything too spicy. The lunch buffet, at $10, is a great value and it's a good way to try a variety of dishes if you're new to Indian cuisine. They also have a happy hour, with half-priced appetizers, but none of the appetizers really blew me away.
(5)Jeff G.
Ridiculously good Indian food, best in Columbus. The best part? They don't assume that I don't mean what I say when I order my food to be very spicey just because I am an American...that is so annoying, yet so common at Indian restaurants in the U.S. Aab is excellent and I cannot recommend it any higher...I might have to get some tonight after work...love this place. My favorites: Chicken Makhami or Chicken Tikka Marsala, vegetable samosas with the brown (cinnamon?) chutne sauce, and an order of naan. It's excellent...no seriously, you must try it...you're still reading this? Get to Aab now!!!
(5)Anand M.
Lunch buffet is just okay. Some of the items like Chicken tandoori is too bland in taste.If you want spicy Indain food don't go for the buffet. Food ordered from the menu is far better. Ambiance - Good Location - Good Conclusion - Go for the dinner not the lunch buffet. Good for people who don't want their food to be very spicy.
(3)Mischa B.
This is my go to Indian spot in town. I have dined in and taken out, always fresh and delicious. Best naan, ever. Only complaint is that the spice levels are a bit inconsistent at times.
(4)Bryant M.
If you're somebody who typically says, "I hate Indian food," but your guy/gal/friends constantly crave it and try to drag you with them, then go to Aab. But if you're super adventurous with your Indian food and want to feel like you're down a dimly-lit side road in Mumbai eating from a street vendor, then you're going to feel like a wimp at Aab. Every time I've been to Aab, I've been with guys who typically hate Indian food, and they both enjoyed their meals. I would even go so far as saying that one guy LOVED Aab. Here's the low-down: Aab is bright, open, clean, and rather spacious. The servers are some of the best in town, and the food is always spot-on. In a nutshell, this Indian food is easy. This is no adventure. And sometimes, that's exactly what you need. At lunch, they have a delicious buffet, and I love almost every single item on it. Oh, and unlimited nan. Yeah, it's that good. And at dinner, they have a massive menu that is sure to please anybody - even the guy who "hates Indian food". The last time I went for dinner, I had one of their dinner specialties - the Aab India Special. It was a huge sampler plate of Aloe tikki and pakora, chicken tandoori, lamb curry, dal, mater paneer, nan, rice, and gulab jamon for dessert - all served on a silver platter! It was definitely a feast for a king, but it was only $15! So, if you're in the market for some easy-to-please Indian food, I would definitely recommend Aab!
(4)John F.
Went here in Saturday about 730 pm for the wrap up of restaurant week. Took about 20 minutes to be seated which is expected for a Saturday evening, and with restaurant week. We enjoyed some drinks at the bar until we were seated. Upon being seated about ten minutes go by and someone came to fill our water glasses. Still had not seen a server. About another 10 minutes go by before we finally get a server (I was actually getting out of my chair to grab someone when she came over) We were ready to place our order at that point because we had been there for 40+ minutes. I order off of the restaurant week menu. Appetizer, bread, dinner, and drink. My girlfriend orders off of the regular menu. Then the server says (do you want something other than water? In which I replied (my order comes with a cocktail...) in which she replies "No, it no longer comes with a drink" I order a beer and the night goes on. My girlfriend gets her salad about 20 minutes later (which was pretty sad looking) she ate two bites and that was enough. About 840 our meals (and cold appetizer) come out. The food was excellent! Probably the best Indian in columbus. We finished about 9 and were ready to leave ... 915 rolls around and still no waitress. While my eyes are searching the whole restaurant for her, a manager apparently sees me and comes over and asks if everything is ok? We replied that we had been waiting a LONG time for our server all night and just want our bill so we can leave. About five minutes later the waitress comes back with out check and says "is everything satisfactory? My manager said you were upset and had been waiting awhile" Both of us being astonished that she had the nerve to not apologize and put us on the spot we both said "it's fine, here's our money" Leaving about 9:40 we were both pretty taken back over a 2+ hour dinner and lousy service. The atmosphere and food were nothing short of excellent... (Except the salad) But sadly we probably will not be back. At least not to dine in.
(3)Michelle K.
I've been to Aab several time in the past few months and I've never had a bad experience. The service has always been prompt and the food absolutely delicious. The first few times I tried the dinner special, it was fantastic. It starts with two appetizers and poppadoms, be careful with the sauces, the onion chutney is killer. Then they serve you, on a silver platter, three entree selections, a bed of rice, two fresh pieces of naan, and dessert. It was way too much for one to enjoy, but I was happy to take leftovers for the next day. On my most recent trip, I chose to be less of a glutton and only order one dish. The Mater Paneer is amazing, I was sad when I had to share with my friend. He enjoyed the Lamb Korma, which was great as well. And then we shared a plate of rice and an order of garlic naan. Way too much food for two people, again I had leftovers for lunch. Something I learned, Indian food is spicier the next day. It may be the perfect heat today, but just wait until you try it tomorrow. Without a doubt I'll be returning to Aab. The restaurant has a beautiful interior and a small but quaint patio. The servers are happy to answer any (foolish) question you may have about the menu. And the food is stellar. Definitely check it out, maybe even try something new.
(4)Mike D.
I have been on an Indian food tear. I have been to many Indian restaurants in Columbus. I have been searching. While I don't claim that I will never go anywhere else. I'd say my searching is over. After a couple dinners, Aab rested comfortably in 4 star territory with their delicious samosas, chicken tikka masala, garlic naan, lamb biryanni and other favorite dishes. I like Cumin's paneer better, but that's about the only fault I can find. Then I finally went to their buffet on Saturday for lunch. It's really tough to get a 5 star buffet..I mean, you're already trying to appeal to the masses here...the spices are probably a little blander...you're mass producing, ya know. I'd give the lunch buffet itself 5 stars based on my experiences. EVERYTHING was good. EVERYTHING. Food was diligently replenished so it seemed like the whole spread was kept really fresh. That's a key to the buffet concept. The service was excellent. They have always been friendly and attentive in my experiences. This is a must-go if you're looking for Indian food in the Columbus area.
(5)Lisa S.
I go to Aab for the food, hands down, which is fine for me. I've never had bad entrees and always leave with plenty in a take home box, which I like. Their happy hour deal is great, and since their appetizers are cheap to begin with, I can order 3-4 appetizers and still have a bill under $10. The reason I give Aab only 3 stars overall is because of the service and waitstaff. It is routinely subpar, and one time downright atrocious. Most of the time the servers act like they want to be anywhere but there (which I can understand, but seriously, put on a happy face and even if I know you're acting, I'll give you a 20% tip) and are sometimes plain inattentive and absent. I've come to expect nothing better, but like I said, I'm hooked on the food and that's it. If you can tolerate below average customer service, the food more than makes up for it.
(3)Luke T.
I start out nearly every review update by saying "I try really hard not to do review updates". This review is no different (see previous sentence). But sometimes a new experience warrants one. I recently had one such experience at Aab. It was such an ordeal, I don't even know how well I can recount it without getting upset. But here goes. So basically, I had an appointment to make at 8 o'clock. I got there shortly after 7 and took a seat. Just as the waiter shows up, I get a phone call. I know it is my date, so I answer. I explain to the waiter that there is a slight hurry (I don't mention a time, there is some flexibility in my appt). He takes her order while I receive it from her on the phone. We get off the phone. He asks when he should put it in. I say she's probably about 5 to 10 minutes away so wait a few minutes. He took her order, and an order of samosas. He asked what I wanted. I said I wasn't sure yet, could I please have a minute. Sure thing, off he goes. It's 7:07. My date arrives and is seated by 7:12. The waiter has not returned. We start to talk about this and sometime probably close to 7:20, she finally stops him and asks him to come take my order. I order. He says "oh, wow, this is going to come a bit later than hers." I'm fine with that. He brings the glass of wine I ordered. Now here's where it starts to get really bad. We wait. And wait. And wait. Finally, just before 8 o'clock, yes 8 fucking o'clock, her food comes. Oh, mind you, that every time he came with food for our table, he tried to serve it to the table next to us. Like ours, that table had a white dude and a south Asian chick sitting at it. So you can understand the confusion (sarcasm). We ask about my food. He says he can get that out in six minutes. I say that's fine. Now, they have been pretty freaking busy this whole time, so I was pretty understanding up til this next point. My date and I are talking about the ordeal this whole time, mind you. What could possibly be going on, etc. I notice our waiter talking to a boss-looking lady at the bar. Eventually she comes over and asks what's going on. We explain the situation. She says that normally they can get a dish out in six minutes, but tonight there is just no way that's going to happen. I ask what she means, and it's at this point that I start to get a better idea of what's going on. She starts to tell us ticket times. My order went in at 8 o'clock. The order that I put in at roughly 7:20. Even my date's order, which she was lucky to get at 8, didn't get put in until 7:28. I'll remind you that we ordered it at 7:07 with a note to wait a few minutes before putting it in. So while the manager sort of tried to blame this on how busy they were, and on the kitchen running behind that night, it was obvious this server had forgotten to put our orders in on two occasions. When he mentioned that it would be out in six minutes, he was just quoting their average order-to-plate time. I told the manager that I'd worked restaurants, and I wasn't upset until this point because if my order didn't go in until 8, that means he just outright forgot. I told her I had an appointment I was now going to miss, and that I wasn't sure I wanted to eat at this point. She said she didn't want me to go hungry and offered to bring us out some more samosas. I said fine. Then she asked if she could get me anything else, another drink, maybe? I guess I should've asked, but given the context, I was pretty fucking certain she meant for this to be on the house. Yet it was on my bill. They did comp me my entree though. Which I guess is enough since it only took an hour to get it, right? (more sarcasm). The saving grace is that the food is fucking delicious. So I imagine I will return, although I think it will be a while. New India (or Banana Leaf, when the girl is feeling okay with meat-free), here I come!!!
(2)Meghann T.
Clean, no weird smell, friendly service and the kitchen gets your orders out promptly. My friend and I picked the vegetable Samosa for our appetizer, as well as Nan, a traditional Indian bread. The dipping sauces for the Samosa were very spicy, but still very good. Our bread was served hot and was very soft. For my entree, I chose to have the chicken Jalfrezi, which was served with white rice. I am not big on a lot of heat when it comes to spices, but this was prepared perfectly. The onions and grilled peppers were delicious and so fresh. There was so much food leftover, we had no choice but to take it home! (There are starving people in Africa, remember?) For dessert, my friend had the lassi and I had a mango milkshake. So yummy! I had never tried Indian food before, but I will definitely be back!
(4)Brent H.
After being to Aab around 7-8 times, I decided to finally write a review on it. Like most vegetarians, I am all about flavorful food that is reasonably affordable. If you are like me and want your food spicy, I suggest ordering off the menu versus the buffet. During the buffet hours, the place gets pretty busy with a lot of businesspeople coming in and out. This can be a plus because the cooks are constantly bringing out new trays of the dishes including naan (Indian bread) that is hot and fresh. If you are relatively unfamiliar with Indian cuisine or bringing in family members from out of town that are only used to Bob Evans or Cracker Barrel, go for the buffet. It may be a bit bland if you are a spicy aficionado, but you'll make your group happier and know what to order on the menu next time. The biggest critique from my Indian friends about Aab is that their buffet is a bit bland. At the same time, this is a reality at ethnic food establishments so they don't scare all the white customers away. A big suggestion I have is to try and go towards the middle of the buffet time slot. A friend and I went towards the tail end of the buffet hour, and they were quick to take our plates away & give us the check before we were done eating. The food was still decent, yet I could tell by the taste that it had been under the heat lamps for longer than I desired. For those that choose to order on the menu, the staff is very helpful at describing the menu and making suggestions as well including what beverages match up (esp. Indian beer). When you order food, they ask you how spicy you want it on a 1-6 scale. I'm a veteran when it comes to spice level and settle with a 5 because I want to have taste buds remaining after my meal (usually a 3 is a happy medium). Portion sizes here are decent to the point where my hungry friend and I split the vegetarian combo tray, ordered some extra garlic naan, & both felt full (yet not stuffed). If you order a dish that's around $15-18, chances are you will probably need a box to take it home (and that's okay because Indian food retains its flavor quite well). My favorite dishes are the chana masala, saag paneer, deep fried samosas & mint chutney. For those that do consume meat, the chicken tandoori and lamb curry have received favorable reviews as well. All in all, I would recommend Aab to anyone that wants good food at a decent price. Whether you're taking a date out or just grabbing dinner before hitting up Grandview bars down the street, Aab has a nice atmosphere with great service that lets you enjoy your meal without interruption. For anyone that decides to go, I hope you enjoy your experience and that it similarly reflects this review. Cheers!
(4)Patrick M.
...so there's an episode of Cheers where mailman Cliff Claven delivers mail to eight apartment doors on the same floor. The minute he walks out of the hallway, all eight residents emerge from their doors to exchange mail since Cliff -- being Cliff -- had managed to get the deliveries wrong for all eight of them. And the matter-of-fact way the apartment residents handled the exchange of mail suggested that it happened every day. After a very good meal at Aab, this Clavenesque experience was ours as it came time to pay the bills. Some had extra items on their bills; others didn't have items they'd ordered included. Credit cards got shuffled so that one person was paying another person's bill. Another bill got completely lost. And one diner in our party had to insist that a poorly mixed cocktail she hadn't drunk be removed from her bill while the waitress told her she didn't have authority from her manager to remove the item, even if it wasn't fit for consumption. It is rare that the billing process upstage the eating portion of a meal. But when the billing process takes 40 minutes, that nearly happened for us at Aab. Fortunately the food was good enough and we weren't in a hurry so we just rolled with it and could laugh about it. I had the jalfrezi, a vegetable mix in a tomato base that was probably the best jalfrezi I've ever had. It was an excellent choice for a vegan. (The waitress was quite helpful in identifying the vegan options.) None of the dryness that has characterized jalfrezi at other Indian spots, and just the right amount of spice. The veggie samosa was also done well, made almost perfect with the tamarind sauce. Even the okra entree was flavorful and not cooked to mush the way it is at so many places. Among our party of nine, not one person was the least bit dissatisfied with the food. Aab would merit at least four stars and perhaps four and a half had it not been for the billing debacle. We found it hard to blame our waitress. She was clearly trying. The fault seems to lie with the restaurant operation itself. How is it possible to not have a proper way to account for who orders what? And does the management really not give a waitress the authority to not charge for undrinkable cocktails? Aab should rethink the way they keep track of charges. If they do that, they might have a really outstanding dining establishment. And they won't drive their wait staff to the point of absolute frustration.
(3)James S.
Solid Indian restaurant in my opinion. I actually haven't had the buffet yet which seems to be a big draw. I had the chicken curry which was good. The servings were a little on the small side, but I'm a bigger guy. Service was nice and efficient. Will be back.
(4)Brigid N.
Best Indian in Columbus! I've tried them all but Aab is consistently amazing. Although I mostly go for dinner, I tried the lunch buffet and that was awesome as well. Not a bad price, either.
(5)Kate N.
I really loved this place until today. I was a regular customer who would brag about the restaurant to anyone. I recently had take out and experienced FOOD POISONING. I experienced all types of symptoms that I will spare you. When I called to report my experience I was told I needed a doctor's note to make any claim which was followed by (and I quote!) "MY JOB IS TO DEFEND THE RESTAURANT FIRST." This was said by a MANAGER. There was no compassion or acknowledgement of my experience. The manager was defensive and (I love this part) said my food was "prepared earlier" so it couldn't have been what got me ill. So I took that to mean my food had been sitting around. I got the chicken tikka marsala which is my usual fav. If the manager had not been incredibly rude, defensive and showed compassion I would not be writing this. I didn't want money or a gift card. I thought I was doing the right thing by letting them know so they could look into it. Instead i got defensive, blaming remarks and I don't want to return to a restaurant that DEFENDS THE RESTAURANT FIRST. What happened to customer service?!?
(1)Aditi B.
I am from India and can absolutely vouch for this place. The food is as good as it gets. I love the Chicken Saag and the Chicken Biryani.
(5)SE W.
We sat there unacknowledged for 15 minutes while countless employees walked by. No one ever came to our table. The place wasn't even busy. We ended up walking out and went to New India, where we were greeted immediately.
(1)Matt R.
Ughhhh... but in SUCH a good way - ya know the I'm-eating-the-incredible-leftovers-and-even-then-ÂI-ate-too-much kind of way. I went to Aab at the beginning of this week and got the chicken vindaloo and my friend got the chicken tikka masala. I'm just finishing my leftover naan and vindaloo as I type this and I think I over ate... for the 2nd time on the same food. Yup, you get a great bang for your buck. And the food. Ohhhhh the food. And the service. Ohhhhh the service. Both excellent! Don't know if we were special, but we asked for extra rice since we were running low and we weren't charged for it. Right on! Sometimes you don't know what to expect with Indian restaurants... One small criticism, though, was that there weren't many potatoes and a little lacking on the chicken. I was expecting a bit more, but what was there was great. Most important to me, though, is that you can get spicy food EXTRA spicy. You can choose from a scale 1-6, 6 being the hottest. Pretty sure they won't even have to ask next time - 6 it is. And yes, it is tear-jerkingly hot, lip terminatingly risque, eyebrow scorchingly scrumdiddliumpcious. What? Well, it's just the way Indian food should be. Thanks to Yelp I have never had bad Indian food and Aab is right up there with any other Indian restaurant I've been to on the West Coast, East Coast, the Midwest, or Texas (its own country really).
(5)Sam M.
I have been to this restaurant like five times. The food is amazing. However, the last time I went there, the price was so high. I didn't know why they changed the price and added some extra charge to the bill. I asked them and they said that this is a new system of bills.
(2)Jackie C.
Great go to place for a first time Indian food experience. I am pretty dull and cannot take anything too spicy so I stick to the chicken biryani or the sag paneer, both of which are very good. The service has always been excellent, if anything they can be a bit of overkill with the water refills. My very large complaint is that their prices online do not match what they charge you when go inside. If you raise your prices and can update your menu, than you should do the same to your website. Both dishes that we ordered for carry out price had gone up two dollars each. Which may not sound like much, but when you plan on paying in cash then it can be very inconvenient. Would be 4 stars if not for the incorrect prices.
(2)Jen M.
The short version: Stick with the lunch buffet and takeout, which are a great value. Avoid the dinner service. The longer version: I had some phenomenal takeout food from Aab at a friend's house last spring. It was truly some of the best Indian food I'd ever had, so my husband and I decided to try Aab for dinner last Friday night. The restaurant was full, but there was no wait time for a table. The table was covered in crumbs, but the waitress simply asked us to lean back while she put a piece of white paper over it--which meant the paper had little lumps and dips wherever there was a crumb under it. The appetizer course showed up in 10 minutes and the veggie samosas were outstanding, as were the chutneys that were served with it. After that, we waited 35 minutes (so a total of 45 minutes from the time we ordered) for our dinner of chicken tikka masala, lamb curry, and saag paneer. All three dishes were VERY bland despite having been ordered at a medium spice level. We're talking "bland as hospital cafeteria food" bland, not just "my interpretation of medium and your interpretation of medium must be different" bland. After a 45-minute wait, I was in no mood to send it back, so I mixed the onion chutney into the tikka masala to elevate the spice level, and that tasted okay. Also, the chicken tikka masala was made up of itty bitty bits of chicken. While I always appreciate getting lots of sauce with a curry or masala dish, there was so little meat that I felt cheated out of my money. If I go back to Aab, it will be for the lunch buffet, where I won't have to deal with the wait times, the quality will (I hope) be better than what I got last night, and the price tag will be commensurate with the quality.
(2)Doug O.
I'm neither knowledgeable nor enthusiastic when it comes to Indian food, but I had a very nice meal here. I was with a large group and was able to try a number of people's meals, and I honestly enjoyed all of them, even though I'm honestly not sure what I was eating most of the time. I'd go back.
(4)Elise B.
Delicious! I've been here a couple times for the lunch buffet and another time for dinner, and have been consistently happy with the food. Once the buffet was crazy crowded but I couldn't mind too much because the wait was worth it. Great naan, mango lassi, tikka masala (my favorite!), palak paneer, various veggie dishes, and dessert (rice, mango, carrot puddings). Every time we go for the buffet everyone just ends up stuffing themselves.
(5)Clint E.
I ordered Chicken Tikka Masala and a garlic naan. This is the best Indian place I've ever been to in terms of quality. Service was FAST, and everything was priced affordable. Tomato Onion salad was average but that's nitpicking. This is the place to go for Indian Cuisine in this city.
(5)Jack S.
A well known spot in Columbus that most love. It lived up to the billing for my first visit. Food was good, liked the lunch buffet and waiter was quick with the drinks.
(4)Erin F.
Aab is hands down the best Indian food in Ohio, if not the Midwest!!! I started by ordering takeout, and only ever getting the chicken curry, which is amazing. But then I was told they had a buffet lunch mon-fri. Now that is what I attend, because I love to try all of their dishes. I have yet to find one I don't like! The staff is always friendly and helpful, and they keep the water filled for those of us who like our meals a little spicier;-)
(5)Angie P.
I went to Aab tonight for my birthday dinner and really enjoyed it. The boyfriend and I split a large Kingfisher beer and an appetizer of vegetable samosa. The samosas were really large and I loved the chutney sauce. I love chutney from pretty much everywhere but this one was really good. For my entree I went with the Chicken Saag and it was super good. There was tons of spinach in it and in my opinion, the more spinach the better. All in all, it was very tasty and the check was a good price. I'm sure I'll be back at some point when the craving for Indian food returns.
(4)S L.
Nice atmosphere and good service. I ordered the Chicken Tikka (Tandoori Chicken) and while it was good, it didn't really taste like chicken from a tandoor oven. It was a little bit too wet...if that makes any sense. Other dishes I tried were decent.
(3)Cecelia T.
Inconsistent on spice level but best Indian around
(4)Foodie C.
The good The best Indian restaurant in Columbus so far. Curries are rich, creamy, fresh and extremely delicious. Usually with the buffets the overall satisfaction with the meal ends up getting diluted as you will be trying so many things, many being subpar. But here, everything was awesome. They don't charge full price for lunch buffet for a 7 yr old child. The bad The service isn't all that great. Takes them a while to seat them. But hey! overall I'm here for the food. I have always left with a positive experience. This has been the most favored restaurant amongst all of the Indians in my social circle in the Columbus.
(5)niki q.
So its embarrassing and I don't know how it happened, but my husband and I had never been to an Indian resteraunt before tonight! We chose Aab on the reccomendation of several people, and we could not have been more pleased with the experience. Our waiter (whose name, I think, is Slavisha) was incredible. He patiently walked us through the menu and made helpful suggestions. We ended up getting the appetizer sampler, chicken shahi korma, lamb curry and garlic naan. My husband was grinning from ear to ear the whole time we ate because everything was so riciulously good! I cannot believe that we have both been missing this our whole lives! We will be back soon. And frequently.
(5)Justine L.
Come here for lunch buffet for $10 and you won't regret it! It is just simply wonderful! What can I say--sometimes you need to add a little spice in your life! All the curries are tasty! It is sooo busy here so come when it opens! I eat all the curries with nan (Indian bread) and put chutney all over everything! If only my bf loves Indian cuisine more, I would come here everyday!!
(5)Matt S.
My favorite place for carry-out Indian in Columbus. I recommend the Malai Kafta for vegetarians. However, DO NOT attempt a sit-down meal. I usually end-up walking out after being ignored by the wait-staff for 10 minutes.
(3)Nate H.
Not bad for a lunch buffet. It has clearly been one of the cleanest Asian Restaurants I have been to yet. (Note: I don't eat at high-class Asian places). There was a full service bar (Jack, Makers, Jameson, beer, etc.) The buffet had a ok-to-decent selection of items. Not bad for a $10 lunch buffet.
(3)Sandy W.
I finally made time to check out Aab's lunch buffet, and the food selection did not disappoint. On the savory side included fried pakora, saag paneer, chicken tikka masala, and chicken tandoori. Other items include (and I've forgotten the names so forgive me for the crude descriptions) a fried thing with a mashed potato filling, diced turnips with a yellowish spice (perhaps curry) and cilantro, chickpeas in a tomato-based sauce, chicken/pork meatballs in a tomato-based sauce, and chicken in a tomato-based sauce. Of course, there's all the rice and naan you could want! They offer the usual chutneys (plum, mint, onion), a cooling yogurt sauce, and pickled vegetables. For dessert, they had a banana flavored custard (it was more like soup than custard) with chunks of banana and pineapple and kheer pudding (also a bit on the watery side). They also offered wheat pudding for the first time, or so the waitress informed me. It was also kind of soupy, but it was fairly creamy and had a nice hint of cardamom. It was probably my favorite of the desserts. Oh, and there were a few salad items, but why in the world would you devote valuable stomach space to iceberg lettuce? Overall, a pretty good selection for around $10. The downside is that I got there when it was really busy, and the service was kind of a mess. There were only two waiters as far as I could tell, and it took a while to get in a drink order. All of the other staff members just served water and cleared tables. Oh, and food coma is a real danger, so beware!
(4)Cheryl H.
Aab is soooooo good. I've been here a few times now, enjoying both their lunch buffet and dinner. I'm not ballsy enough to eat anything above a "2" on the 1-6 spicy scale, but my 1 and 2 dishes are still packed with flavor. Chicken Saag is my favorite and it's just.... omg I'm, hungry thinking about it. Aab, anyone? Get there before 7 and enjoy half-off appetizers! And don't forget to order some delicious nan (garlic is bomb)
(4)Ivory H.
I love the 10 dollar lunch buffet. It's perfect if you've never been to this place before or don't know much about Indian food.
(4)Ha H.
Mediocre.
(2)Brad S.
The lunch buffet was great. Quick, and a good price. The food was a nice mixture of spicy dishes and mild curries. (although a lot of the dishes seemed to be based on the same red curry sauce - this could just be my ignorance of indian cuisine though.). The meat tasted like good quality, and the buffet had a lot of different dishes with different textures, which I liked. I would have preferred some more fresh vegetables, but overall it was a good lunch experience.
(4)Katie F.
Bottom line: good value, great food, satisfactory service. Went for the buffet with my husband on his lunch break; I was excited while my hubby, who shies away from spice, was a bit hesitant. Aab won us both over with their hearty curries that were full of flavor and a nice balance of heat, an endless supply of naan, and a nice array of condiments to customize your meal. We arrived rather late, the buffet closes at 2:30 and we came in at 1:45, but the buffet was still hot and fresh. We walked away full and pleased, the only negative I have is that even though the small dining room wasn't crowded I still had to get up and find someone to refill my waterglass after waiting for a significant period of time without anything to drink. Other than that little hiccup though, a great experience.
(4)Virginia W.
When we arrived, they had seated us tucked off to the left as you come in. So our waitress didn't see us right away. This was the longest wait, while we were here. After that, our drinks and dinner were prompt. The food was great and plenty of it, I love having spice levels! The prices are decent for a nice evening dinner. If it's your first time or seventh time eating Indian food, you'll need to go here. Also a friend of mine who I meet almost every week for lunch, usually arrives before me. He is always dressed for working a skill labor job. He doesn't look like he came from an office job. But every time he orders drinks (such as tea) he has to ask three and four times and they seem forgetful about what he ordered, before he can get his beverage. When I arrive before my friend, I'm dressed for the office. My requested drinks (tea) are prompt and courteous. I don't appreciate poor customer service, if you're not dressed in a certain way, the prompt and courteous service shouldn't change.
(4)Meghan R.
This is my favorite Indian restaurant in Columbus, period. They serve delicious Northern Indian cuisine, and they do it extremely well. Their lunch buffet is amazing, and the rest of their menu is tasty as well. I suggest the vegetable pakora, the nan, chicken makni, tiki masala, and the lamb curry. They are all amazing. I don't think I've ever had a meal here that I didn't love. The cost is a little higher than the ideal, so I don't eat there as much as I would like, but it is well worth the money when I have it to spend.
(5)Brian K.
Good food but service is hit or miss. Full restaurant on Sunday with only two servers...definitely understaffed.
(3)Judy C.
Aab's lunch buffet is bomb and at ~$10 a person, it's robbery! You get all the awesome food you can order at dinner at a much lower price. With buffets, I usually expect lukewarm and repeatedly reheated mediocre food. Aab's offerings are fresh (i.e. don't look like they've been sitting there for 5 hours), plentiful, replenished frequently, and most importantly - delicious. They have your usual favorites: chicken tikka masala, chicken makhani, paneer, chicken tandoori, naan, rice and more. Also offered are salads and dessert. The chicken makhani is always my favorite - spicy, flavorful, and creamy. The chicken tandoori comes in huge portions and is very tender. Aab's naan is the absolute best! It's big, light, fluffy, and buttery. Unlimited naan is enough of a reason to tempt me to the buffet. Ordering off the menu is good too but can be expensive. I always end up spending around $30 since I go a little crazy ordering mango lassis, appetizers, naan, entrees, and desserts but that's just me!
(5)Elenore S.
LOVE THIS PLACE. It really is the best Indian I have had in Columbus. Originally from the South Bay area of Southern California, I grew up with British parents who loved curry and have been eating Indian food since I was young. When I came here, I was hoping to find somewhere to be on par with my favorite Indian place back home. Here it is! Aab is great. Their naan (I get the garlic) is fantastic, and their Chicken curry is phenomenal. My boyfriend always gets the tikka masala, and he loves it. I order mine lower on the heat scale because I am a huge wimp when it comes to spicy, but it doesn't take away from the flavor of it. Even their rice is cooked to perfection. The only complaint I have about it is their lunch buffet- you can't take home your leftovers. This is seriously disappointing because you pay a decent amount for it (somewhere around $13 bucks) and you won't finish all of it because it is such a heavy kind of food. I understand some people take their box and fill it up again at the buffet, but the one time I asked about it, I really did just want to take home the rest of my plate. But I get why they don't allow it. If you have never had Indian food or have been scared to try it, GO HERE. You won't regret it.
(5)Bee S.
Aab is delicious. I love Aab. Even once you walk in you can smell saffron and spice and it just makes my mouth water. I first found out about Aab on Yelp. The reviews were good and I was trying to find a place to take my parents and my boyfriend out to eat. I was kind of nervous because I wasn't sure what kind of atmosphere it would be, what the seating would be like, parking, etc. But we gambled and won. It is right in grandview across from the caribou coffee strip mall. We parked in the bank parking lot (the designated parking once the bank closes), which is really nice since Aab obviously needs the extra spaces. As soon as we walked in, I was at ease. It is nice inside for dinner, with mature decor, a full bar to the left, and plenty of tables with white tablecloths :) Dinner and service were outstanding. I was so pleased with the whole experience that my boyfriend and I have been back multiple times for dinner since taking my parents that first time. I've been alternating between the chicken dal and chicken vindaloo. I can't bring myself to stray from those, but I don't doubt the rest of the menu is just as good. You can also choose your "spicy" level, and I usually stay in the middle of the pack (2-3), with a mild hot level. My boyfriend likes his spicy and gets 4-5's. He has fallen in love with the dinner specialty with shrimp and lamb. It's a ton of food but he always finishes it!! And it comes with naan. I am a huge fan of the naan here. It's fluffy, warm, and perfect. It's a good thing they only give you one large piece, otherwise I would keep those things coming until I went into a bread coma.
(5)Howie O.
I went to Aab today and had the buffet. The food tasted good, there is a pretty good variety, it is a good value at $10 and I left stuffed. The only issue that I had was that I sat too close to the buffet line and had to watch people serve themselves. Please don't use your hands to serve yourself.... It's disgusting!!! Next time I think I will order off of the menu.
(3)Dawn L.
This is only the 2nd Indian restaurant that I have been to and it is definitely my favorite! They have a great happy hour from 5 - 7 PM with 1/2 off appetizers and $1.00 off all beers, $3.00 well drinks. Best of all they have a gluten free beer! The food is fantastic, I especially love the saag mushroom! I think I might be a wuss when it comes to Indian spices because I can't handle even one star! I always ask for no stars when I order and they look at me funny, but anything one star or higher gives me crazy hiccups! My husband on the other hand always gets his food with 5 stars and even then it's not spicy enough for him so he has to ask for extra spice. For an appetizer we usually get the assorted vegetable platter and everything on it is so delicious! Since going gluten free I've had to give up nan, but when I did eat it we would always go for the garlic nan, it's fantastic! As for drinks, I LOVE mango so I always get the mango splash. I'm sure the desserts are great too, but we're always so full that we can't even think of dessert.
(5)Trish Y.
Great service. The food tasted good...but my boyfriend and I was sick after we ate there for several hours. We are unsure if we are not used to eating cury or if it was unclean.
(3)Ryan S.
Aab definitely does not compare to the Columbus institution that is Indian Oven. I was very excited to try Aab based on all the glowing reviews but our experience didn't live up to the expectations. We ordered pretty much the same thing as we do from Indian Oven for as close of a comparison as possible. Vegatable Samosa - Not as flavorful or as flaky but wasn't terrible. Papadom - Besides not being as tasty and light, only 2 were included with an order. Green chutney - Not even close. Smaller portion as well. Special Chicken Tikka Masala - The initial impression of the flavor was positive but soon became way too heavy. The sauce was too creamy for me and actually reminded me of a nacho cheese dish at a mexican restaurant. NAV Rattan Korma - Flavor too close to the Tikka Masala with the same shortcomings. This was the only time we've thrown the leftovers away instead of taking them for lunch the next day. And just to be clear, Indian Oven isn't our only experience with Indian fare, various places in the 'bus as well as London, Vienna, Paris, Dehli, Mumbai, Istanbul more... Not horrible but not recommended.
(2)Big Baby Jesus C.
Well, I have been looking for a good Northern Indian restaurant since moving up here. This place had high marks, and isn't too far from a friend's house, so it was only a matter of time before we got together. Hmmm good or bad first, guess we'll talk about the good. They have the best vindaloo in the city so far. It was really good, 4.5/5. The saag was also good, but think they over did it a bit with the ghee and/or cream, 4/5. Thumbs up for figuring out how to make spinach fattening though ;) The restaurant looks nice, and the beer prices were reasonable, and the entrees themselves were very affordable at ~$11. They also didn't give me the "white man" spice scale, my spicy vindaloo actually was. OK, the appetizers were overpriced. ~$6 for 3.5 very tiny pieces of chicken pakora? The bread was almost $3 a piece, and it was the worst naan and bhatura I have ever had. I am fine sticking with the basmati, but I have a friend who usually eats his whole meal with naan instead of rice. He'd be 10 different shades of pissed about the naan here. So, in summary, get some beer and an entree, but skip bread and appetizers.
(4)David C.
Yes please. The street food appetizer (the name escapes me) is by far the best opening to a meal at an Indian restaurant I've ever had. If you get the saag, you will have your mind blown. The rich, deep tones of their spinach dishes leave me desperately cutting myself off from eating the whole serving dish. My wife loved the Lamb Saag (with mushrooms added), and as leftovers, it was equally incredible. You can, if you stop before emptying the plate, get two meals out of one visit here. The service is terrific, and their beer selection makes most people I've known happy.
(5)Matthew B.
How is that Indian food buffets are always SO. MUCH. better than any other type of buffet? Is it just that Indian food is that good? "Wanna go to a buffet?" "Okaaaaay." "Wanna go to an INDIAN buffet?" "Fuck YES I do, get out of my way, I need to run there NOOOOOOOOW." Aab's buffet did not even pretend to disappoint. This review really only needs one fact: all you can eat naan. All. You. Can. Eat. Naan. Let that sink in. That makes EVERYTHING on the buffet that much better, because you can eat it with naan. Pick it up, soak it up, swirl it around, pop it in your mouth. This is great food, well presented, at a great value. I got my $9 worth and more. The selection isn't as diverse as, say, Hometown Buffet, and that's a compliment. When I went there were maybe six or eight dishes to combine; not so much choice that you fear for how they could possibly make so many things fresh, but enough choice to warrant a second (or third or fourth) trip to the food line. I dream of Aab to this day, and I've only been once! I was very impressed. There are other good things to say, too, like that it had a classy-looking bar and was an all-around cute little restaurant, but, really, why are you still reading this? You should be on your way right now, or, if it is not business hours, you should be sleeping to pass the time until you get to Aab. (And if you could sneak me out a handful of that great naan, I'd be surely in your debt!)
(4)Lisa S.
AAB! Say it with me now! AAAAAAAB! Relax your jaw muscle, let it drop, open up from the back of your throat and just go AAAAAAAB! I don't know if that's how you actually pronounce AAB Indian Restaurant, but that's how I do it! AAB crept up on me as my favorite Indian restaurant in Columbus. I didn't mean for this to happen. Suddenly I just found myself returning here again and again. AAB also marks the first Indian restaurant that has actually opened up my eyes to understanding Indian dishes. Before, I knew that I liked anything with orange sauce. But I wasn't sure what made something a Vindaloo or something else a Paneer. Between the easy to understand menu and the helpful staff, I'm enjoying Indian food in a whole new light. I love pretty much everything I've eaten here. And between dinners and lunch buffets, I've had a chance to sample a lot. Let me recommend, always start with some appetizers. I dig the Samosas, the Veggie Pakora, the Paneer Pakora - actually just save yourself some time and order a sampler (or two). The lunch buffet is a great deal, $8.45 for all you can eat. And it has return factor, the buffet items seem to change around day-by-day. AAB is always serving a few veggie items as well as meat items. All you can eat nan during the buffet! During dinner, nan is ordered separately. Don't be tempted by different flavored nan, regular old nan is the best. Main dishes will be introduced with a starting spice level - for instance, Vindaloo starts at a 4 out of 8. Even though it's a spicy dish, spice wimps can still enjoy it. OH! And do NOT miss out on the chutney! This is a must add to every dish, I was a chutney simpleton before AAB. About my only complaint actually stems from the service. During dinner, the charm is on and the entire wait staff is a joy. Lunch is more laissez-faire and attitudes appear cool and aloof. AAB is AABsolutely my favorite Indian restaurant in Columbus.
(4)Jane S.
Really yummy Chicken Tikki Masala. Naan is very good, too. Prices reasonable for quality and amount. They use a number system when asking your spice preference... great idea! Mine was a 2 and perfect for me. Atmosphere not all that great. Basically one large room with a bar. It was crowded at dinner time and very loud.
(4)Jennifer P.
Being from the Bay Area in California, I know my Indian food like the back of my hand. As much as I'd love to give Aab Indian five stars, it just doesn't quite make it up to my high standards. The first time at Aab, I ordered the chicken tikka masala with a spicy level of medium. It was good, but it was clearly missing a certain flavor I was more accustomed to. I thought the masala sauce was too tomato-y and bland. I was there again last night and ordered the same dish. This time however, I spiced it up a notch by going with the hot! This made the dish only a tad hotter but really brought out the much missed Indian flavors that I love! Mmm, basmati rice! I like that it has orange tips and peas mixed in. I ended up boxing the remaining tikka and I was surprised that they brought out an extra dish of rice for me to take home at no extra charge. I did notice that the second batch of rice was incredibly too salty though. I have yet to try their kheer! But I did grab a spoonful of seeds on my way out! This reminds me of the Indian restaurants I'd go to as a kid and always took extra helpings of the seeds :) Their menu prices are slightly high for what you get, but rice comes with some, if not all of the main entrees. I was a little disappointed that a small side of raita was close to $3, as it's one of my favorite things to put over chicken tikka masala. Oh! Anddd Aab has en excellent Happy Hour! $3 strong vodka soda, yes please!
(4)Kirsten H.
I was originally writing about Aab as "excellent food, but a little pricey." I have since visited multiple times and now feel that the food is so good that it's worth paying full price. That said, get a coupon if you can, they often have them in ThisWeek papers or on the restaurant's website. Be aware that if you map to the restaurant using Yelp, it takes you to the wrong part of Grandview Ave. Aab India is near Grandview and Ida, which is almost as far north as 5th Ave. This may be why every time I try to check in to Aab India I get a message that I'm too far away. But back to the food...the spiciness options are on a 6-point scale. Unless you're a full-blooded Norwegian, you should be fine at a "3" or above. Note that I am a half-blooded Norwegian and I can handle the 5/6. I generally like to get the Palak Paneer at 4/6 and my boyfriend gets the Chicken Vindaloo at a 5/6. Of course, we usually share. We like to pair it with the "Chef's special Naan" which is stuffed with onion, garlic, potatoes and chicken. By the way, lunch portions are available and reasonably sized, and one dinner portion is plenty for two people, especially if you share an order of bread and an appetizer. M-F 5-7 is the happy hour, which offers half-priced appetizers and drink deals. Note that they close between lunch and dinner to recover from the lunch buffet. We have heard that the lunch buffet is legendary and I hope to check it out soon! In parting, I would also to recommend sitting outside on the patio if the weather is cooperating, it's quite nice and the service tends to be excellent whether you dine indoors or out.
(5)Robin L.
I would rate this Indian food restaurant average at best. We went there on Valentines day after a movie. It was 9:30 and the restaurant closes at 10. There were at least 5 other couples in the restaurant but the staff was already breaking down and eating out front. We were sat at a table that wasn't completely set and, waited for 5 minutes for the waitress to come over and then told we needed to hurry. I had one drink and was not offered a refill. The food was okay but slightly burnt like it had been sitting there a while. My advice to this restaurant is if you do not want to have quality service and food until 10pm change your closing time to 9pm and save patrons the lackluster experience of average food and below average service.
(2)Kate H.
Best Indian in town. Service is pleasant, but can be slow.
(4)Stephen B.
Best Indian restaurant in Columbus, great food, attentive service. The Buffett is very popular get there early on Friday lunch times
(5)L B.
Not sure how this place has such a good name for itself. The service is less than impressive, and so is the food. Only good thing I can say is that their appetizers are pretty good. The saag paneer is reminiscent of thick creamed spinach and the other dishes I've had were pretty unflavorful. There are so many better options for Indian food in Columbus.
(2)Kyle J.
Returned this past weekend for the lunch buffet with the Mom. The buffet was massive and had a lot of variety. Not very spicy but then again I'm a sucker for spice. For 9 bucks you can feast like a king. I was displeased by our lack of service during this past visit. We were shown to a table, given water. Then nothing. No server returned to take a drink order. No bill was ever brought to our table while other tables had servers dishing out drink refills and checking up on them. Other tables would get their bill halfway through their first plate and we got nothing. We ended up having to go up front to ask to pay for our meals. What up with that?
(4)Brent T.
Possibly the best Indian restaurant I've been to. Most notable is their Tandoori Chicken. It is always moist and flavorful, never dried out (a common vice of other restaurants' Tandoor offerings). The Chicken Tikka Masala is also to die for - super rich and flavorful. Love their Palek Paneer, also. Their Veggie pakoras are light and crispy. The lunch buffet ($10) offered every day is a great way to sample a wide range of their fare. For ordering off the menu, check the local coupon mailers, as they always have Aab coupons. While this is Northern Indian fare, they do have a nice selection of vegetarian dishes.
(5)renee b.
This is truly the best Indian food I have had in the US. So creamy and tasteful, I can't get enough!
(5)Gwen D.
Aab. Oh, Aab. I've been avoiding writing a review because I cannot find the words to adequately express my love for this place. Everything I've tried has been delicious. Lunch buffet? EVERYTHING is good. EVERYTHING. Order off the menu? Hard to go wrong with any choice. Servers? Friendly and very helpful. (Sometimes a bit slow to get you the check for the buffet, but I'll let it slide because that means I could just go up to the buffet again and get more food.) Yes, the Chicken Tikka Masala is amazing, as many people have mentioned. (Mmmm...) But here are some of my other personal favs: The Saag Mushroom (spinach and mushroom) is OUTSTANDING. Creamy and spicy, a little bit smoky, and perfect for eating with your naan and your fingers and getting all messy. The Navratan Korma (veggie korma) makes me feel like I would never need to eat meat ever again because I love it so. Spicy and creamy, nutty and rich. The Tandoori chicken is the best I've had at any Indian restaurant in any city, ever. It is SO moist and tender that I can't believe it. I like to have any excuse to eat the Raita (heavenly yoghurt cucumber sauce). Seriously, I probably could just drink it and be happy, but it pairs excellently with the Biryani dishes and I sneak it onto my Tandoori chicken at lunch. The veggie Pakoras are fluffy and a great excuse to eat mint chutney. I could keep going on and on, but I'm making myself hungry again. Luckily there are leftovers in the fridge. A final note - they spice everything 1-6, with 1 being mild and 6 probably making you sweat and cry for mercy. I went with a 3 tonight, which was spicy, and others with me said a 2 was making them sweat. So, know what you're getting yourself into.
(5)Joe V.
First time trying Indian food. Food was very good for Indian cuisine. Most entrees you can rate spiciness from 1 to 6. Garlic naan is good- pita like bread. Large portions and they give you a big serving of rice for the entrees. Customer service was ok (messed up our reservations). Dining is pretty casual. Fun place to sit and drink Taj Mahal beers.
(3)Susan H.
Met a friend/business associate here for lunch and a meeting and had the buffet. $8 for all you can eat Indian food. Nice vegetarian selection. The food was a touch on the mild side. It was good but not amazing. Certainly worth the price but very standard solid Indian food. Maybe the meat dishes are more memorable. The other problem I have at buffets is that I always eat too much, way too much. Will I be back? Sure. I think that Banana Leaf is better but maybe I just like southern Indian better.
(4)Nicholas J.
My favorite restaurant in the Grandview area with terrific Indian food that can be as spicy or as mild as you like. Friendly wait staff and great naan. My favorite is the lamb curry. I hear they have a good lunch buffet, but I have yet to try it.
(5)Ted K.
Lunch buffet is excellent. Good amount of heat. Nice and clean. Good casual atmosphere. Highly recommend.
(5)Troy S.
I have visited this place a few times for a great Indian dinner, but today was the first time I chose this place for lunch. I have been disappointed with most Indian buffets because the food quality drops a lot along with any sense of spice in the food. Indian food is all about a certain amount of spice that lingers on your palette. I decided that I should give this lunch buffet a go and I was pleasantly surprised. The price was about average at almost $10 a person. The food choice was 6-8 entrees along with naan, pakora, and rice. The Chicken Tikka Masala and Paneer Saag were my favorites on the buffet. I had some good naan and some too thin and burnt Naan. But the Naan was all that you can eat so if one was a little too crispy then the next one seemed to be perfect. I think it was only one batch that came out a little too overdone and thin. Spice- I was able to still taste some Indian spice in the food, but it still was toned down a bit. The Aloo Chole did have a nice spice to it. I think they probably used 1 & 2 for most of their spice amount. I would live them to add a spicy Vindaloo to help keep us spicy lovers happy. This was easily the best Indian buffet that I have had in Columbus. The food was cooked well and the buffet was well stocked with fresh servings. I will goo back for the buffet as well as for dinner. I usually get my spice level at 5 or Indian Spicy. I lived on the Indian Subcontinent and prefer my food spicy where your nose runs, but the spice takes awhile to heat up. You usually don't realize how spicy it is until after 5-8 bites and it starts heating up from there. Now I plan to see how well their Happy Hour is one of these days and I will have a well rounded view of Aab India which is my favorite Columbus Indian restaurant to date. I still want to try Cumin but I have tried most of the ones in Dublin, Campus Area, & Hilliard. Choose Aab if your debating.
(5)Amanda B.
This place was a whole lot of "okay" for me. The food was okay. The staff was okay. Drinks were okay. Prices were okay. Nothing really bowled me over though. I'd go again if a friend wanted to but I wouldn't put it at "zomg best food ever!" status. One thing I will say is that the pick-your-spiciness-level thing is an awesome idea. That said, I'm wondering if my tastebuds are broken or something because I ordered a dish that was supposed to be fairly spicy (level 4 or 5 I believe) and it wasn't really fire-breathing level like everyone seems to be describing. Maybe I got a rouge dish, as I went just after they opened up. Overall analysis: it's worth a shot if you want some relatively authentic Indian food. But it wasn't something to write home about for me.
(3)Bossy G.
The Prawn tandoori was simply awesome. Our server was wonderful. Friends who ordered the lamb curry and the chicken masala were disappointed that there were few vegetables. Still, all were happy with the quality of the food. I was visiting from Oregon and this was the best Indian food I have had in years.
(5)Julie P.
Wow! An Indian place that goes beyond the typical menu items! Kudos for lots of creative vegetarian dishes. Double Kudos for homemade, fresh chutneys served on the table. Triple Kudos for nice outdoor patio seating. Infinity Kudos for a fresh mango juice Aab-tini. nom nom nom...
(4)Marcia E.
Had my first dinner at Aab tonight. Went with a bunch of people and we ordered enough food to share and sample that everyone went home with a little white take home box. The food was across the board well prepared and tasty. Our waiter explained that the dishes can be spiced to your request with 1 being mild and 6 being incendiary! He also cautioned us to order 1 level lower that what we thought we could stand. He was right! I am not spicy food tolerant, and I ordered spicy level 2. It was just hot enough for me, I would not have wanted it any hotter. The menu is really packed with lots of selection and each dish has an explanation that describes just what you are going to get. Portions are generous and really tasty. I did find that the Naan was rather too tender. I like mine with a chewier texture and a little more body. Staff was friendly and helpful. Lunch buffet every day can't be beat! Lots of delicious selection and excellent food.
(4)Christin D.
The Holy Grail of indian food for me comes from Ambar in Cincinnati. My quest for something similar in Columbus was disappointing until last night. As it is owned by the same family, Aab's menu is exactly the same. How did i miss that when I read their website? Anyway, I could not be happier that they've made their way up i-71, into my loving arms. The Nav Ratan Korma is exactly what I wanted, totally decadent, spicy, and worth every calorie. The service is great, the atmosphere is really classy, and anyone willing to try something new will have a ton of choices. So, so SO glad I found this.
(5)Christina C.
Queue 1970s Life cereal commercial: "He likes it! Hey Mikey!" Indian food virgin and skeptic here (I've seen way too many movies that involve smelly, spicy Indian food). Because of this reason I've waited all these years to take the plunge. Joke's on me! There was no reason to be scared or intimidated! Especially at Aab. Food: Delicious! Even the leftovers the day after. My lady diners and I shared wine, apps, naan and entrees and were still left with tons of food for lunch the next day. I can't compare it to any other Indian food I've eaten because, well, I have nothing to compare it to. BUT I can assure you it was tasty. Restaurant: Wasn't expecting white tablecloths, but there they were. The inside is wide open and it was easy to overhear your neighbors conversation - that was kind of a bummer. The bathroom decor was pretty darn cool too! (As a lady, the bathroom thing is crucial to a good experience.) It wasn't over the top by any means, but something to look at if you get my drift. Service: Incredibly helpful! - although you could tell our server was trying pretty hard. Just ask for assistance in understanding the menu and your wish is granted. Made a world of difference to this girl who couldn't even properly pronounce saag or shahi korma. (Both wonderful, though.) Affordability: Totally reasonable. Two bottles of wine, two appetizers, four entrees and four orders of naan came to a little over a Benji! The real question is: Would I go back anytime soon? Glad you asked. I've already made a date to go back next week! I can already see myself becoming Columbus' new Indian food minx!
(4)Kimberly R.
Absolutely delicious, and great service too!
(5)Rachel D.
I cannot get enough of this place!! The food here is simply amazing, and can be customized to suit your desired level of spiciness. Everything I've tried has been simply perfect!! I think I'm addicted. The staff at the entrance is usually pretty short on conversation and warmth, but I'm not really there for companionship, so I look past it. The restaurant, itself, is fairly small and can get pretty crowded on a busy Friday or Saturday evening, so don't expect an intimate date setting when you go there. The wait staff is usually very helpful, and you're guaranteed to never run low on drink, as they're constantly refilling. The food comes out fairly quickly, and is ALWAYS fresh and hot. You are almost guaranteed to make a mess, as you share rice and chutney from the center of your table, but that's okay, this place isn't at all uptight or scornful of the more exuberant eaters like my friend's son...certainly not me... I can't wait for my next meal at Aab!
(5)Daniel S.
Their rice is awesome. We are vegetarians so please do not assume any meat dishes from this review. We get take out from them every other month. Great flavors. Great selection of dishes and sides. Some heavy unwarranted use of onion lately takes 1/2 star. I tell many to go and almost all love it.
(4)Shawn L.
Great food and decent prices. Haven't ever been for th lunch buffet but I hear its good also. The only drawback is the services. There are 1 or 2 decent servers and the rest are slow and incompetent.
(4)Christiana C.
This is what I want out of my Indian food experience. *Good service *Good food *Tons of food at a good price *To not feel like I am in a cave From Aab, I got all of the above. Talk about not being a cave! This is a classy place! There's white tablecloths and stuff (maybe I have been romantically poor for too long that I was so blown away by this)! I thought I was ready for how good it would be, considering my friends have raved about it. But I was still surprised because it was even better (sometimes my friends exaggerate). If I was up for eating Indian every day, it would happen here. Get some potato naan. I don't know why it tasted so good to me (the secret ingredient is crack?), but I kept sneaking pieces from my dining partner.
(4)Anisa G.
Good food. That says it all. I've been to Aab just once, but I liked the food so much, cant wait to go back. People who commented on the good service, ambience etc are dead on, but at the end of the day, it comes down to the food and I've gotta say, out of all the newer Indian places in town, this one's a favorite. The gravy/sauce dishes had flavor that was not numbed away to moderate taste for an inexperienced clientele; and yet, it wasn't overwhelmingly spicy. Tea was good and so was the mango lassi. I tried the vindaloo, probably not a good one for first-time Indian food samplers, but it was nice. I'd liek to see them experiment with their menu...different indian cuisines perhaps.
(4)Diana U.
Love this place. Ample street parking, good location, great service, fair prices, and delicious food. This is a great place to go with a couple of people. It's not very fun just having one dish, much more interesting having a couple of dishes to try family-style. I've always gone to this place for dinner, but know that I NEED to visit for their lunch buffet sometime in the future ($9.37+ tax). Like Khanh L. says in her review, be careful with the spiciness scale if you are sensitive to spiciness (can get pretty heated). I really like the chicken tikka masala and garlic naan. If you have no idea what to get, ask your waiter - they are extremely nice and knowledgable and can find a dish you will truly enjoy.
(4)Joe B.
Hands down, the best Indian food in Columbus. Delicious food that's great for takeout but an excellent atmosphere if you choose to eat there. I've probably ate there well over a dozen times since it's opened and I'm sure to back a dozen more.
(5)Bryant C.
Fantastic! I went to Aab a couple days ago with my good friends, and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. I've been looking for ethnic restaurants in Columbus, and I have to say, this is now my place for "Indian!" We ordered the following: - Lamb Saag - Chicken Curry - Eggplant & Onion If you order a 4 on their scale of 1 to 6, it's just spicy enough, but not too much that it would make you regret it later on... My favorite dish was, surprizingly, the eggplant and onion medley. It came out sweet and spicy, and had the most variety of flavors. I typically order saag to test out new restaurants (it is my staple Indian dish), and that too was great. The chicken curry was on par, but nothing to cheer about. I will likely be back sooner than later. More to write, come my next visit...
(4)Benjamin P.
I'm an Indian food novice, so the idea of a lunch buffet was really exciting. Although the few times I've been there things were not labeled very well, or at all for that matter, so I had trouble pinpointing what I was actually eating - considering my partner was also clueless. However, everything we tried was delicious - especially the green chutney at the cold-end of the buffet. Hyperbole or not- I could put that stuff on everything.
(4)Jodi S.
This is one of my favorite restaurants in Columbus. It is friendly to vegans and carnivores alike. The lunch buffet changes daily and encourages one to try various items on the menu. Even better is that you can get the buffet to-go. Spend $10 and they give you a big to-go box and a little cup with a lid. You can fill it up enough to give you 2 meals. I get it and graze all day at work. De-licous!
(5)Liz M.
This would have been a 5 star review had I eaten in and experienced their service, but since I got carry out, I'm giving Aab as good as it can get. I have been wanting Indian food for over a month now since I had had some at a party catered by Bay Leaf. Aab is the closest and only Indian place near my workplace in Grandview so, through Yelp and proximity I went for it. I called at 5:15 and they said it'd be 15 minutes, but when I got there in 10 and I was graciously greeted at the door, they had it ready and waiting. Love that! I was very happy with my food from Aab. The prices were on par with other Indian restaurants. Definitely not cheap, but deserving of the price due to the cost of ingredients in Indian cuisine and the good sized portions. I ordered the special tikka chicken masala, the chicken vindaloo, and the mateer paneer, along with nan. They provided me with more than enough rice, which is something I was worried about. I think the nan was a little pricey for what you get, but I find it a necessary evil when eating Indian. The chicken masal was my favorite, it has just the right mount of spice (ordered medium spicy), the delectable creaminess, the vegetables were not overly cooked down, which is great, and the chicken was tender and flavorful on it's own (a feat by itself). The mateer paneer was excellent too (ordered a level 2 spicy, which was perfect for the mild dish. It had the same masala sauce as the chicken, but it was sweeter with the peas and and paneer. Their paneer was excellent (good size and texture). The chicken vindaloo was a little oily (maybe it should be?), but it was tasty, tender breast meat chicken and real (not canned) potatoes (not overcooked) the sauce was flavorful and the most spicy of the bunch, but also the most complicated of flavors with tomato being the base and other spices working through. Everything went perfect with the rice, that was moist and had peas and something yellow in it, overall well seasoned and cooked right. I do however, prefer Bay Leaf's rice. But, really, who cares too much about the rice? Everything was so flavorful! Everything was so YUM! Of course, I ate too much and I sitting here writing this full of Aab, I can't wait to eat leftovers tomorrow!
(4)Robert C.
This place is passable. I could certainly believe that it's the best Indian food in Columbus, but it's really nothing that special. I went with the vegetarian thal ($14.99). The Aab India Special ($15.99) is the non-veg option, with the raita replaced by a (small) piece of tandoori chicken. Frankly, most of it was a bit average. Of course, I can't complain about the pakora or the aloo tikki; almost everything is delicious in fried form. But the mutter paneer was made of the large, likely pre-packaged, overly hard, and funky-tasting chunks of paneer. The dal, the naan, the gulab jamun ... they were all pretty average. Overall, my plate wasn't anything spectacularly delicious. I should note, however, that I enjoyed, in particular, the onion in the chole. It added a certain flourish that I found quite delicious. At $14.99, it's a little pricey, but at least the portions are huge. So ask for a to-go box and scrape the leftovers off of your silver platter before you leave. Note that there's a coupon available on their website.
(3)J Bradford L.
MMMMmmm. Been to Aab a couple of times now and it is delicious. I can't say I have a lot of Indian Food experience to compare it with, but this isn't my first Indian rodeo either. The lamb curry is outstanding and I don't see much of a need to order anything else. I like spices and got the "level 5" which was just enough spice to get the sinuses going. The sauce is creamy, full of flavor and compliments the large chunks of lamb perfectly. I have also had the chicken curry and the chicken tikka and both were outstanding as well. If the naan isn't any good, then the restaurant is sketchy and you have nothing to worry about here. The breads are all made to order so they come out fresh and hot. This time, we tried the Paneer Bhatura which was a fried bread with feta-like cheese and spices in the middle. WOW, it was good and didn't last 10 minutes on our table! I have to say that I have had mixed levels of service here, but the food has not disappointed. Definitely worth a visit and I try to get something new each time I go.
(4)Megan B.
Holy deliciousness. I loved this place for many reasons. The top reason was definitely the food. I am a huge veggie korma girl and Aab did not disappoint. Paired with some fresh garlic naan I was happily stuffed. The food came out quickly, but not so quickly that I was suspicious of why the food was there so quickly. You know what I mean? The service was wonderful. They were very attentive but not in your face. It has a great atmosphere inside. For the price of the food, the indoor decor is actually nicer than I expected. They have a long bar with flat screen tvs. I believe I even saw a more private room you could reserve. I will definitely be going back for more!
(5)Katye M.
I went to Aab India restaurant for restaurant week. We sat at the bar since the restaurant was packed, but the full menu was served at the bar, which was wonderful and perfect. We each ordered different options from the set restaurant week menu (note: the "set menu" was only for restaurant week and the do have a full menu to choose from). The food was wonderful (I love Indian food) and perfectly spiced. This is one of my favorite Indian restaurants in Columbus and would definitely go back in a heart beat.
(5)jon s.
Food was decent, not phenomenal. I felt it was priced fairly decently. Service was good - not sure what other recent complaints on here were referring to. Perhaps they came on off nights? We were in and out in an hour tops. Mind you there were only two of us, so maybe that played into how the evening went. Long story short, I'd come back. I like Cumin up on Polaris and Gemini much better, but for close-to-home Indian this wasn't bad by any means.
(3)Paul F.
Hey, it looks like I'm the hundredth person to write a review for Aab. I was there today for lunch and it was pretty good. I got all the food I could hold and the tariff was a miserly $10.00. I had tandoori chicken, chicken vindallo, and sang paneer and a whole lot of other tasty items. And I'm still feeling it. I just skipped dinner. LOL
(4)Megan M.
This place is the best Indian food in town, hands-down. Sometimes I'm a little shy about Indian food. I prefer a buffet, because I'm just not sure what Indian food names mean. Choley, mater, saag, kofta: I just don't know what is going to come out of the kitchen until I see it in person. But I needn't have worried here, because the server was quite helpful. She explained every dish I had questions about, and did a great job. The food was so good. So good, like, you want to take a bath in it and eat it all day. Ok, that sounds kind of gross. But you know what I mean. You order your spice level on a scale of one to six. The funny thing is, my date ordered a five, and I ordered a three. My food was spicier than his, but not more spice than I could handle (I like a little spice, but I don't want food to be painful). I took some food home and it was even better the next day. How does that happen? It's like it keeps cooking in the fridge all night, geting better and better. This is a bit more expensive than an average Indian restaurant, but the food and atmosphere are way above average. It's worth it. I clicked on a photo below, but you just can't judge Indian food by a photo. I don't know if it's bad to say this, but much of it resembles baby food. It doesn't taste like baby food, though. I pity the baby who can eat level five spice!
(5)Melanie B.
Three and a half stars, Aab. Great experience, solid food. Didn't make me wiggle in my seat, but I'll definitely go back - and also because I just saw that they have a late night menu and the bar looked adorable. Went here with the laaadies, and had quite a lovely time. We split some apps: the keema samosa was fantastic, and the veggie sampler platter was good, too. I ordered the paneer makhanni, which is a sort of sweet, with nuts and raisins, creamy sauced paneer dish. It was quite good, but I've definitely had better. I'd say it was just above the level of New India but not as good as Tadka or Udipi. I also tried bites of the rogan josh, chicken saag, and chicken shahi korma. I was a little surprised that the rogan josh wasn't more... gravy-like, but everything was still good. The garlic naan, however, was slightly cracker-like once it got cold. I prefer the chewy, thick naan at Udipi. I did, however, redeem the naan but dumping my paneer makhanni leftovers on top of it and taking it home that way - it was much better a little moistened (eww eww can't believe I just said that word!) the next day. The service was excellent - five stars. I love Indian food, so it seemed like overkill to me - the excessive explaining of the words and dishes - but, since one of my ladyfriends was not familiar with Indian food, it was very helpful to her, and this made me calm my lil self down a bit in that regard. Our server was incredibly genuine and friendly and very timely. I like that he told us how long it would be til our dishes came out - and then it was exactly that long (fifteen minutes... meanwhile, we were enjoying our apps, drinking wine, and generally having a nice time). The affect here is very nice and modern and open. I think this would be a good place for a group of people or for family (one day I will convince my Mainer parents to stop being scared of Indian food!). I can see my department having a dinner here... I don't so much see it as a date night place, though. Hmm. But if I lived in or near Grandview, I could see me coming here often...
(3)Kylie F.
Oddly enough I've never given "Indian" food it's fair shot. Maybe it's due to once trying after a hangover, and getting sick then blaming on the choice of food. That isn't the case with AAB this food was magical, made my mouth feel a way I honestly don't think it's ever felt. I went with some friends who raved how delicious it was but I can't lie I was still skeptic I thought maybe my pallet just didn't enjoy Indian food. We started off with a veggie platter appetizer, I'm not sure exactly was on it but it all was deep fried to perfection. Then guided by my lovely company they pointed to tikka masala, and of course garlic naan. It was out of bounce, so delicious. And it was a taste that I will continue to say, almost like a punch in the throat. Magic. The price wasn't bad for the amount of food, and I had leftovers which promoted me to right a review. After two days in the fridge the leftovers, are still delicious maybe even better bc the spice level is pumped up a bit. I will be back, I'm truly a fan of this food.
(5)Paulie A.
Amazing naan. Very tasty curry. The sauces are rich but very flavorful. The pricing is very good. You can choose your level of heat for each dish from 1 to 6. I tried a level 5 and it was spicy but not overwhelming. Smelly bathroom though.
(4)Joshua S.
This is a great Indian restaurant. I've not had anything bad from here. The Vegetable Samosas are awesome, and so are the sauces that are served alongside. The staff has always been friendly and the service quick. As another reviewer mentioned, they do have a lunch buffet, but I haven't tried it. It's on my list of to-dos.
(4)Chelsea B.
From the reviews here and what I'd heard from friends, I went to this place expecting to blown away-- and from that perspective, I was somewhat disappointed. The food was decent, the service decent, the decor decent, the prices decent... decent all around, but not something I'd go out of my way to try again. I had the vindaloo, and although I thought the spice was well-done in terms of both heat and flavor, I thought the sauce lacked in strength of flavor. My friend ordered the baingan bharta, which was quite good; the flavor and consistency were both really nice. Our server was attentive but not overly solicitous, which for me is the gold standard since I generally like being left alone at restaurants. (Er...) 3 stars seems about perfect; A-OK, not much to complain about, but no reason to really recommend it either. I might try going again for the buffet to see if I just got a particularly uninspiring selection for some reason.
(3)Khanh L.
This place is amazing! The host and waiters are kind and they're pretty attentive. I usually only go for dinner and they have a pretty great variety of food. I really enjoy the chicken tikka masal - best I've had in Columbus. The lamb vindaloo and chicken curry are also amazing here! The only thing you need to be careful with is the scale of spiciness. Definitely ask if something tends to be spicy at baseline. I usually go for a 4 or 5, so be careful. They do have a tray of spices if you want to add more to your food. Also, try the lassi - great drink, especially the mango! Overall, I really enjoy this place!
(5)Emily C.
I've been wanting to try Aab for awhile now. My pharmacist friend works right across the street at Walgreen's, so I saw it awhile ago and it's been on my mind ever since. Today was THE day. Aab has a great feel. Nice and clean, too. My friend and I went for the lunch buffet and they had quite a nice spread for somewhere right around $8. Great deal. I could have eaten the curried vegetables alone and been perfectly full and content. The only negative that I can really think of is that the food was not at all hot. In fact, it was barely warm. The flavor and presentation were great, but I want my hot food HOT. This barely even registered as warm. I also think in the entire time we were there (which was close to an hour) I saw a tray being replenished once. And that was the naan. Makes you wonder how long the dishes with meat were sitting there in their lukewarm state before being replaced... So, Aab, I'll definitely try you again, but PLEASE make it hot, hot, hot next time! :)
(3)Jason G.
Aab is a sprawling testament to Indian cuisine's foothold in America. If you've never eaten Indian food, then Aab is among the best first impressions you can get. This review isn't so much a slight on my other staple restaurant, New India; but more a simple declaration that Aab is everything an ethnic restaurant should be, from top to bottom. You'll find all of your favorites on the menu, in addition to some dishes you won't find at other Indian establishments in the city. The prices are very reasonable, and the portions are more than satisfying. My only caution is: Aab is as authentic as you can get (in the US, anyhow). When the menu indicates "spicy," you need to check your pride at the door and remember that Easterners invented fire-breathing. Ask for milder spices, if you're unsure of your tolerance. Aab's staff is friendly and very attentive. Don't pass this gem up, if and when you find yourself in the heart of Grandview.
(5)Craig L.
For those who have been so lucky, you know that Ambar Indian in Cincinnati is some of the best Indian food around. Some Columbusites would even go so far as to travel the 1 hour and 45 minutes just to eat at the exceptional spot. No more, the family who owned the spot has recently opened a location in our fair city! AAB India in Grandview is everything you want in an Indian restaurant: Moderatly priced, amazing food, unlimited saffron rice, and enough curry to make your room smell like an Indian market for weeks! I ANOINT YOU, AAB India, THE BEST INDIAN RESTAURANT IN COLUMBUS! No where in the city can match your combination of price and exceptional flavors. Try the Special Chicken Tikka Masala, try the Chicken Tikka Saag, try the flavored naans, no matter what you try you will go away happy. I love Indian food, and I think I just found my new goto place!
(5)Alexa A.
One of my favorite restaurants in Columbus. Go there for the lunch buffet, and go hungry. It's a real experience! Be careful, the food is rich, I think they probably use a lot more butter than is traditional for Indian, but it's delicious and satisfying.
(5)Larry M.
Went here for Dinner on a Friday night. Fantastic Indian food. The chicken tikka masala was excellent, and the naan was exceptional as well. The service was average, but nothing to complain about. I'd put this on par with Taj Mahal up near OSU, though Aab gets points for having a better parking situation and a nicer atmosphere.
(4)Kelsey M.
We have never been a huge fans of indian food, but when a friend wanted to go in for lunch we agreed, and thank goodness we did! Immediately fell in love with their naan and the chicken tikka masala and chicken mushroom. In fact, we keep trying to order something new but we love them so much we've been sticking with it. Our friend doesn't eat dairy and they are able to accommodate that which is great. Because we like our fave dishes so much, the buffet isn't for us. We always ask for a lunch portion though and it's plenty of food at a lower price. The dinner portions are generous. Check for coupons online before going in, they are out there! Take-out is pretty fast (15 minutes) and the food is always hot. Service can be a bit slow at times, but it has never deterred us from going in. We recommend asking your server what the chef is like that day...sometimes the spice levels can vary a lot. This would be the perfect place to try indian food if you're not sure you like it...it changed our minds.
(5)Wayne E.
Update 1/30/11: They now have a lunch buffet, and it is fantastic. I got to try more of their dishes that I would never have ordered otherwise, and they were all wonderful. The Chicken Jalfrezi is still my favorite, but the Chicken Mater, Chicken Saag, and the Vegetable Jalfrezi were particularly tasty. Again, highly recommended.
(5)Jeff P.
I came here for the lunch buffet and left satisfied. I haven't had much Indian food in Columbus, but relatively speaking this joint was pretty good. I have definitely had better and more variety for lunch buffet, but on the other hand, it's really hard to have a bad Indian buffet. The price is nice, $10/person. So, although it's average for Indian spots, I would definitely come back.
(3)J M.
Called to make a reservation for four. I was told that they will make reservations only for parties of six or more!! Won't be going back.
(1)Amy B.
I ordered shrimp curry - pretty standard, but it was good. Ordered samosas, those were good too. My drink was mango-flavored...came at a fairly hefty price but was also very strong. Like another reviewer before me said, I have trouble giving this place five stars because it just doesn't live up to all the Indian food I ate when I lived in the Bay Area. Also, I think my waiter was new. He stared at me like an alien when I asked for shrimp curry, and I actually had to show him where it was on the menu before he understood what I was asking for.
(3)Will R.
AAB India Restaurant is a new restaurant in Grandview Heights, run by the owners of the extremely well-received Ambar India Restaurant in Cincinnati. Objectively, AAB has many of the ingredients for success: it has the pedigree; it has a great location in downtown Grandview (tho far enough away from Jeni's to justify some ice cream after a short walk); and most importantly, yuppie Grandview (and Columbus in general) is in dire need of a good Indian restaurant. The results do not disappoint: AAB India Restaurant is the best non-veg Indian restaurant in the Columbus area. The food appears fresh (no pools of oil like other places) and is full of flavour. I went with a group of friends and we all universally agreed that the food was top-notch. I got the Chicken Tikka Saag, which was more cheesy than I expected but still tasty. The quality of the food is all the more surprising because of the length of the menu: the number items on it is more than that of any other Indian restaurant in the Columbus area. Something of note: unlike many Indian restaurants, AAB serves dishes containing beef--keema samosas and keema naan, for example--which may offend the purist and the religious, but as a consumer I really can't complain. The trouble with AAB is not back of house, but the front of house. The service, as one of my dining companions warned me, was reputed to be terrible. And so it was; the whole experience was akin to an episode of Kitchen Nightmares: slow service, mis-taken orders, mis-served orders. The appetizers came out relatively quickly but the vegetable and keema samosas were mixed. The entrées easily took another 25-30 minutes to arrive, and when they did, they were again mixed up. When getting our checques, it took our server three attempts of asking us to state our orders before she got them down, and getting the checques took another 20 minutes. To her credit, she was a good sport; she didn't lose her temper, and she wrote off two mango lassi orders. Prices are the norm for an Indian restaurant, tho perhaps on the high side: vegetarian entrées are $11, meat entrées are $12-13. One thing that is surprising is the cost of the naan: for $3, one only gets one piece, and I believe two is the norm. In addition, seating appears to be maxed out at eight. We had seven in our group, but our table was designed for six. It may be a good idea to call ahead of time to make reservations if one has a medium-sized group. AAB is an Indian restaurant whose food offers tremendous promise, but has large service issues to work out. To be fair, it had only opened this past weekend, so it is probably just going through some teething problems. Given its service issues, I think it may be wise for it to open for weekday lunch and weekend brunch buffets to ease up on its front of house issues. One of my friends has vowed not to come back to AAB due to its service issues, but I'm willing to give AAB another try in another month or so.
(4)Nick G.
This place beats most Indian restaurants for lunch even by NYC standards!
(5)Carl S.
They say "aab" means "water". This place is great: super food; quiet; excellent and attentive staff; busy, but can always get a seat; reasonable prices; has a buffet. Great place to take clients for lunch or your spouse to dinner! (They would rate 5 stars if only they include more of the sugar-coated colored seeds in their Mukhwas mixture near the door.)
(4)Sarah M.
I can't get enough of Aab, I adore the chicken tikka masala, the chicken used is of great quality. I have had bad experiences with other Indian restaurants and the chicken they use, but I also know what I'm going to get with Aab. I can't wait to go back :)
(4)Jessica P.
Amazing and affordable lunch buffet! I tried everything, it was all so good! The spinach dish was phenomenal! Some of the naan seemed a bit burnt but the next batch was fine. They had no issues with my friends and I sitting and occupying a table for longer than we should have and the staff was very attentive about keeping our drinks full. It was a wonderful experience and I hope to be back soon!
(5)Bill H.
This place has an unusually nice, casual atmosphere with excellent service. I love their lunch buffet. They also have a good bear, wine and mixed drink selection. I really like this place and would recommend it.
(5)MITCH S.
Went for lunch and was blown away by the quality and service. I had the lentil soup, lamb curry and nan..my friend had the chicken curry and tomato soup...great food, and fair prices..I am looking forward to taking my wife back for dinner.
(5)Jess G.
I can't say I'm in love with Aab, but I did actually end up returning here for dinner this past week with a group of friends. We weren't hustled out of our chairs this time, which was a nice change of pace, and the food was good. I was less impressed by the garlic naan than I have been in the past, but my aloo gobi (spice level six) was well-cooked but not doused in sauce, and the rice was steaming hot. I sampled my friend's chicken tikka masala (also a spice level of six, like I ordered last time) and it was considerably hotter, so I'm not sure how the spice levels really work.
(3)Chuck B.
Greatest Indian food in the C-bus! Period. Even my 2 yr. Old eats this stuff up like it's going out of style! Can't wait to try the lunch buffet today! As for the only negative review I have seen on this site...you usually don't get the bet experience 30min. before close at a sit down place that always takes more than 30 min to cook/eat...that means you will still be there long after closing time, how happy would you be if you were your server?
(5)Anuj S.
Went to an Indian restaurant after a long time and I was not disappointed at all. Great place for a party or to go with friends. Lunch buffet is very economical. Go for it.
(4)Dave S.
One of the best Indian/Pakistani style restaurants to grace Columbus. I hope they last a long time. Favorites (that I've tried so far) Chicken Tikka Masala (so what if it's actually a british dish!) Murgh Makhani Lamb Vindaloo Lamb Koorma Saag Aloo Paneer Onion / Garlic Naan One of the interesting things about this place is they start with most of their dishes mildly seasoned, and will increase the heat to-taste. A few of the longer cooking items, like the Vindaloo start off spicier than the others. Last time I went, the waiter even brought out a little cup of the special spice blend the chef uses in most dishes to elevate the heat once the base flavor profile is in place. Tasty tasty blend of spices, that is. Just a pinch will do ya, unless you're crazy like me. Love it.
(5)Claire B.
Yum! Went there for lunch today with a friend whose been craving Indian food and wanting to give this place a try. It was my inspiration for signing up for Yelp actually. I always use the site to see if I'm interested in a place, but never written a review before. This restaurant doesn't look like much at all from the outside, but it's really nice inside and the food was really good. Lunch specials were great. I had naan and saag paneer. And a mago lassi. Delicious. Thought it was only fair to sign right up and give them a thumbs up on here.
(4)McKenzie G.
I frequent here every week. It's awesome. Everything I have gotten from here has been a 10 out of 10. Great service too. :-)
(5)Sha M.
Best Indian food in Columbus (or Dayton or Cincinnati) in my humble opinion. The Baigan Bhartha is phenomenal, as is the aloo gobi. I'm vegetarian so I can't comment on the meat dishes but my friends all have said great things about their dishes. I visit at least 2x per month and oh, by the way, I'm Indian, myself. Good, quick service in general.
(5)Steve W.
Just had a most wonderful meal here. I had lamb curry #3 level hot that was perfect. Best in years if not ever! My wife had the spinach with cheese and she too was very happy. Had Indian beer that was very good as well. We will be back often.
(5)Allison S.
3.5 stars, probably--I've gone back three times, so I must like it a little more than average! I've been to the lunch buffet twice and ordered dinner off the menu once. It was crowded all three times, and the wait staff seem to deal well with crowds. Buffet items quickly replenished, etc. The food is good, very filling, and served in larger portions than average. It's not blow-your-mind good, but it fulfills any Indian food craving without making me go too far from my neighborhood. The samosas are super filling and could be a meal on their own.
(4)Mark J.
I was impressed by this place! Good prices, fast service, excellent help going over options...(ask for Sarah...she rocks!) The lamb dishes are really good and worth stepping out of your comfort zone for. i got mine with level 2 spices and that was plenty (though I'm a wimp). Nice atmosphere, linen, etc. and we ate there on the Thursday and the place didn't get full but got pretty busy...good testimony in itself!
(4)Akyshia P.
I have loved AAB for so long. During the day the staff is great but after 5pm it goes downhill. My girlfriend and I went in one night at 8pm to eat with out family but they were to crowded so we ordered our food to go, 10 dinners in all. Then the cashier tells me I cant use my diners card on dinners to go fine but they had already punched it. So I go in another evening to use my diners card and they say I can't because It is already punched I tell then about the previous event and they say they can't help me.. Are you serious? Then they say I could have used my diners card for a to go order... What come on now which is it. AAB I have decided to venture out and try other Indian restaurants but I am sure you don't care.
(3)Rick W.
best "fine dining" Indian in city
(4)L. M.
There's a long black hair in my food. I ordered carry out two hours ago. We warmed it up and the Lamb Korma is pretty tasty. Problem is, there's a long black hair in it. I called the restaurant and was told I could come back for a replacement, but not a refund. Really? We spent $45 to bring a nice dinner home to enjoy in front of the fire. The restaurant may be near my office, but it is 20 minutes from home. I won't be back
(1)Jeffrey L.
The first time I went here was on a Saturday for lunch a couple months ago and I go back about once every 2 weeks to get my fix of Indian food. Things that I have gotten before: Chicken Tikka, Chicken Rice Biryani, Saag Paneer, Garlic Naan, Chicken Tikka Masala and the Dal. (Meant to get Tikka Masala, but ordered incorrectly by mistake. For your reference, Chicken Tikka is just tandoori cooked chicken without the sauce that you get from Chicken Tikka MASALA. Be sure to make note of that.) Pretty much every time I get anything there, it's just been amazing. I would stuff myself with so much of the paneer and the rice biryani that I couldn't move. Some noted difference that I experienced was that the Rice Biryani had some different things in it like golden raisins and some other things that I did not have when I've had this dish in India. And perhaps I got my hopes up a little too high expecting that they would present this dish in its traditional form of being in a large clay pot cooked with a doughy cap covering the top while the whole dish was steamed inside, but still good nonetheless. Oh man, the Chicken Tikka Masala is absolutely amazing. I am a man of sauces and being able to just mix it with rice and just eat loads of that. And the sauce is creamy, and the perfect blend of spices. I also have a morbid fear of chicken meat for being too dry and usually stay clear of chicken breasts for that reason. Now, if they used chicken breasts, I couldn't have told. It was tender, yet not fatty like from the chicken thighs. And the Saag Paneer and Dal were just amazing. Again, quite a bit of sauce there so you can drizzle it on the rice and just shovel, chew, swallow and repeat. And when Faveroo had the gift certificate specials, you can bet I bought the absolute maximum because I love love love the food. Again, this may not be the best Indian food in the world, but it's damn good for Columbus. Great prices btw.
(5)John D.
Indian restaurants here in central Ohio are plentiful, mostly of good quality thanks to the significant Indian populace in this region. My new, most-favorite is Aab India Restaurant, which occupies the space of the late Thom's in Grandview. Indian cuisine is a favorite, so I generally get to an Indian establishment four or five times a month. In their brief existence, we've been so impressed by all aspects of Aab India Restaurant, that we've been there easily a dozen times. Never had less than a five star meal. Over this time, we've ordered from throughout the extensive menu, and as we regard ourselves as innate skeptics, we've been quite looking forward to experiencing the first "Achilles Heel" poorly conceived dish. Frustratedly, we continue this quest without satisfaction! We regularly return with edgy aspiration, exiting in complete gastronomic bliss. WHEN WILL IT EVER END!???
(5)John P.
I used to live in Chicago off Devon, which is famously known for being India town. Aab is easily top 3 compared to the restaurants there. In addition. I think it's important to make good rice. It's really easy to make, and if you mess that up, how could the other food taste as good. Aab makes rice fit for kings. Flame food.
(5)April W.
I love Indian food. I love curry. Most importantly, I love culture. My high school friend and I both fell in love with Indian food in our early twenties and used to meet once a week at various Indian joints around columbus, and after a few years of letting life get in our way, we finally restarted our Indian cuisine adventures again. This was my suggestion. ..I have not been back since 2008. Still located on the same corner on grandview Avenue across from the side parking lot at Giant Eagle (free parking, conveniently across the street...don't forget to look both ways before crossing! ) We arrived around 7 30pm on a Friday evening, looked busy from the outside as the patio was full but only waited all but one minute upon entrance. Indoor or outdoor seating. The outdoor seating has an overhead covering as well. Dining room is average size. .There are a handful of tables that sit six or more and many two and four tops as well. Elegantly decorated inside with a white and black tone..full stocked bar and friendly smiles upon entering. I ordered a house salad as I recalled from years ago it being super delicious..my memory surprisingly has not faded either! Salad looks super super fresh with large tomato slices, thick slices of white onion, some carrots and cucumber and of course lettuce. The house salad dressing is homemade of lemon and vinegar. It was just awesome. I come to Indian restaurants because I get tired of the American chains that let your bowels know just exactly how processed the food ans ingredients are after. But good Indian cuisine, you can just taste the freshness. When I took my first bite of the salad...The veggies and dressing made me smile. I also ordered a beef appetizer called sambosa. Gently spiced beef covered with a past - like breading. The waiter brought out three different dips. One was green and had a mint taste to it, the other was dark red and had a sweet taste to it, and the third was to add spice and consisted of a red sauce over onions. My preference on the sambosa were the spiced onions and the sweet sauce. My favorite meal at Indian restaurants is mixed vegetables in curry. This allows me to taste the curry, see what types of veggies are used and to also taste the rice. Some Indian restaurants are strictly vegetarian but this joint has it all- beef, chicken, lamb, fish and vegetarian dishes. It will cost between $10-$20 per person depending on what type of main dish you order. We received our appetizer and salad within 5 minutes of ordering and it took a little under 10 minutes to receive the main entrée. Perfect timing. Great taste in my opinion. I am looking forward to a second main entrée in the near future. My taste buds are still salivating! Oh and a nice perk- they have levels of spiciness. I ordered a level 3 for mine..I like spicy. Not too too spicy but enough to give a dish some zest and help my sinuses out during allergy season. Level 3 was perfect. Glad I treated myself on this fine friday. I still can't get over how great my salad was. Perhaps next time I Will order a larger one!
(4)Naiying C.
We had the chicken tikka masala, chicken alfrezi, sag panir and butter chicken. All were delicious, the sag panir stood out to me the most because I've never had something life this before and the flavor and ingredients were just perfect together. The naan and mango lassi are must trys!
(4)Michael U.
How have I missed writing a review for here? I must have chosen to take another trip to the buffet instead. I just went to the new location in Bexley so I was curious what I wrote for Grandview...nothing. So here's a quick review so my bases have been covered. LOVE THIS PLACE. I've heard it's Americanized Indian so maybe that's the kind of Indian I like cause shits delicious. I can honestly not speak to the menu as I've never eaten off it. Why would I? 10 bucks for all I can eat? Done. I normally sit at the bar and have had no problem with attentiveness. Buffet attentiveness. Water, take your plates, ask how it is.
(5)Anna E.
Ordered some takeout and it was delicious! I ordered chicken vindaloo level 5 (1-6) and it was the perfect level of heat. It was a very generous portion with lots of tender, chicken breast and a few potatoes. The sauce was light and tangy. The rice came in one of those small square to go containers and I don't know how they filled it...it was packed full to the very top of the box! I also ordered the house salad, but there was no dressing. It came with 4 huge slices of tomatoes, lettuce, cucumber and tons of red of onion, which was kind of weird. Overall, it was an excellent meal that I would order again!
(4)Carly S.
I was a bit skeptical of finding good Indian food in Columbus, Ohio but this place is AMAZING. The food is delicious and the portions are huge. My favorite is the chicken tikka masala. One order will usually last me 3 meals!
(5)Jackson S.
This is THE best Indian cuisine in Columbus. You can't go wrong with anything on the menu. They have a unique system to delineate spice level from 1 (loads of flavor, light on heat) to 6 (still loads of flavor, HOT). My personal fave is number 3. Try one of their Indian beers or cocktails for the perfect finish to a wonderful meal.
(5)Riten K.
It takes a special kind of talent to mess up even the simplest of Indian dishes and AAB, Grandview possesses that talent in abundance. I have been sorely disappointed every time I have tried anything other than the butter chicken and naan. Tried Baigan bharta today and it was full of large pieces of uncooked onions - don't remember it being so bad..... I am NOT coming back. Zero stars......
(1)Mironda R.
This place was DELISH! From the butter chicken to the chicken tikka to the plain ole rice! That's when you know a place is good. Everything was hot and fresh and soo flavorful. My only gripe is that we ordered level 4 (out of 6 for spice) and there was a clear inconsistency in the heat. Otherwise I'm totally coming back. I also appreciated the white paper table coverings and large tables. You can tell they are used to family style/large groups AND they rotate a ton of people in and out. Why is that important.. when you have team dinners.. and it's late, you want your food to come out right, hot, and as quick as possible. They hit it on all cylinders. I'll be back!
(5)Whitney S.
Aab definitely deserves 5 stars on their food- it never disappoints... Ever. Best Indian food in town, hands down. On the other hand, their service.. Is always always bad. I didn't knock them for it in the review because the food is so great but come on guys you can't have service so bad that everyone I know only gets take out!!
(5)Susan R.
INDIAN BUFFET. That is all. No, seriously--that's all I've had here, so it's all I can really comment on. The food is always fresh and delicious (except the naan--theirs is not on par with other places and it makes me sad), the service is prompt, and I always pig out. Pig. Out. I've always seen pretty standard Indian buffet dishes here; I wouldn't go expecting something mind-blowingly unique. I love that they have both curries and veg pakora out, and other vegetables dishes, so I can get a variety of food. (I mean. Fried vegetables in batter, how can I not eat that?) The only downside is that it's so good that it's really busy usually. But most people seem to mind their manners in line; the only problem is having enough patience to get up to the buffet!
(5)Megan V.
Oh, so good! First time visitor, long time listener (to all the hype about Aab). Upon my first of hopefully many future visits, I was very impressed for a number of reasons. Here are a few: 1) The location on Grandview Ave. is easily accessible and convenient to central Columbus. 2) The atmosphere is superior compared to many Indian restaurants that I have frequented. Nice bar, leather seating, white table cloths, low lighting, etc. 3) The garlic naan is very tasty and warm. You must order it. That is an order. 4) The ability to select your spice level on a scale from 1 "not hot" to 6 "make you sweat hot". I got mine at a 5, which was perfectly spicy without making my makeup run. 5) Each meat or vegetable order comes with a generous portion of rice. You won't be worrying about who gets the final grains. All-in-all, I was entirely pleased with my experience. The night that I visited was very busy. Service was a little slow, but I can't blame them. Clearly, everyone knows where to go for fantastic Indian dining.
(5)Kaoru M.
Aab is my favorite Indian restaurant in Columbus due to several factors: -Convenient location in Grandview. -The restaurant interior is way nicer and comfortable than other Indian restaurants in town. -Their dinner menu has a wide variety, is delicious, and allows you to select how spicy your food is. I'm a fan of their lamb biryani. -The service is decent. -They have a full bar. -We often get coupons for them in the mail. -They're one of the few, if not the only, Indian restaurant in Columbus that offers their lunch buffet on the weekends. (most Indian lunch buffets are weekdays only) With that said, their buffet is definitely their weak point. For one, it's way too busy and the buffet area itself is way too small. The line will oftentimes loop around the buffet and into the entryway to the bathrooms. The selection of food in the buffet is pretty weak too. 2 vegetarian options usually and 4 curries... all chicken. Most other Indian buffets in town (Amul, Tadka, Curry & Grill) have goat or lamb curry available as well. In addition, at $11.95/person, Aab's lunch buffet seems a tad bit pricier than the competition. But then again, just a regular platter of food at Flavors of India downtown will cost $11.95 and you don't even get naan with that... so in the grand scheme of things Aab's buffet is not a bad deal. So I would say that Aab deserves 5 stars for dinner, but only 3 stars for the lunch buffet. Average them out and they get 4 stars.
(4)Lis F.
I meant this review to be for their Sawmill location, but yelp isn't letting me fix that... My husband and I like to try a different Indian buffet every Sunday afternoon. This was our first time at Aab, and I was pleasantly surprised. I felt like the buffet offerings were not necessarily typical. They did have goat curry (one of my favs), chicken mkhani (butter chicken), nan, and byriani. However, there were a few things that were new to me... I can't name them at the moment. It is the first place where I've seen pre-made dosas. That was strange, but I liked them. My husband is from Kerala (south India), and he said he didn't see anything that was distinctly South Indian. He enjoyed the coconut chutney and the sambar. It was a good experience. We will be back.
(4)N H.
Aab is one of my favorite places for Indian food in the Midwest (not counting Ann Arbor, obviously lol). He buffet is a must. Lots of variety! The thali options are good for trying many different types of food. Of course, as with any buffet option, the food isn't as good as when you order it separate ly - then you can get it spicier and it's better tasting. I love visiting here!
(5)Rashmi S.
Delicious Indian food. Never been disappointed by a dish I order, and I try to get something different every time. Even my parents (1st generation immigrants who grew up in India) think the food is amazing, and I trust their judgement when it comes to Indian food. Service is always good and the atmosphere here is a bit nicer than most Indian restaurants.
(5)Rian M.
Great food, terrible service. I think we all agree that Aab has amazing food.....the price is right, the rice, I'm fairly certain, has some sort of magical power and i am always happy....UNLESS I decide to eat in the restaurant. Unfortunately, I have eaten at Aab 4 times and last night will be the last. We arrived at 9pm for a late dinner and we were the only ones in the restaurant! Normally, Aab is packed full of customers and the service is slow which is completely understandable (aka the first two times i went). We were seated immediately and greeted by the server right away (yay!!) ordered drinks and then waited 15 minutes. the staff was enjoying their nightly Aab fix, so whatever. we drank our waters and waited. We immediately ordered our food which came out quick. While drinking my Manhattan (it was okay, nothing great), I noticed something in my drink.....it was a fly. this will be the second time something like this has happened, but the first time the manager comped my drink. We then flagged down a different server after waiting 15 minutes since fly discovery to ask for a manager. we explained every incident we have experienced all 4 times and she simply said- "we are a clean restaurant and I take my staff's side" I picked up the fly and said, "okay but there really is a fly here......so....." she literally rolled her eyes and said she'd give me the drink for free (full drink by the way) to which i replied, "I really am not looking for a free drink, I just want you to know that this has happened twice." the first time this happened? water was brought out and there was a big fat fly in the glass that was so obvious I immediately stopped the server and asked for a new glass of water. the second time i went to Aab, I ordered over the phone, got in early to order a beer and the bottom/side of the beer was covered in mold. I don't know if I'm just the lucky person who consistently has a terrible experience....it is likely that you will love it...in short, check your drinks! THAT BEING SAID- I highly suggest calling in your order and picking it up. if they are busy, they will ignore you for a while when you arrive, but it is completely worth it! I do not suggest just showing up during dinner rush to order your food to-go. its almost not worth the wait. Good luck!
(3)Andy N.
Now this is what I'm talking about! I am in love with Aab! Even in California, it isn't easy to stumble upon a really great Indian restaurant with great naan. Frankly, I've had better experiences while I was over in Japan where we had some great chefs from South Asia making their food. However, Aab here in little Columbus has impressed me by far! The restaurant is very chic and upscale. There's a full bar inside with plenty of dining tables and an excellent atmosphere for dates, meetings etc. Once we were seated, we were greeted by our lovely waitress who was nothing but helpful in helping us decide what to order. I ordered the chicken tikka masala ($13) with a side of garlic naan ($4) with a 4/6 spicy level, which was perfect as it added a quick without completely burning my mouth. The buttery, tomato curry was delicious and there was a generous amount of chicken inside. Mmm... one of the best I've had in the States! The real winner here was the naan, which was VERY reminiscent of what I had and loved in Japan. Large, giant fluffy pieces to eat with the curry... YUM! I usually don't find this kind of naan in LA so I am happy Aab was able to provide that for me. The only real drawback I'd give is the price, which is a bit steep for Indian curry in my opinion. But aside from that, I love this place and am happy that my friend at OSU was able to introduce me to it. Parking is available on the street or in the lot across the way.
(4)Lora M.
This is my favorite Indian restaurant in Columbus. My kids and husband love it too! (I pick this restaurant for Mother's Day every year.) The buffet is a great way to taste the different dishes (like everything I've tried!) but I've also ordered off the menu and absolutely love the chicken curry and saag paneer (spinach and cheese) dish! Samosas are very tasty as well.
(5)Joseph T.
In the heart of Grandview, great value for weekend buffet only $11. 49 Mostly chicken and veggie dishes and today they have a goat curry which was good. Servers always come by and refill water so don't worry about the heat from all these spices. And don't forget to finish your meal with mango ice cream. Thank The Lord, I AM FULL!
(5)Marie H.
Definitely my favorite Indian restaurant in Columbus! I've come here for both dinner and the lunch buffet multiple times and it never disappoints. My favorite dinner entree is of course the chicken tikka masala, which is incredibly flavorful and rich, and you can tailor your spice level on a scale of 1-6. I usually have enough leftovers for 1-2 more meals lol. The lunch buffet is also a steal at $11.49 for unlimited delicious chicken makhani, saag paneer, vegetable pakora, tandoori chicken, rice, nan, and desserts like mango or rice pudding. I can't speak to how authentic the food is but my Indian friends always enjoy coming here as well. Warning: may fall into deep food coma after the lunch buffet :P
(4)Rick R.
Very good buffet. The chicken masala and saag paneer are very good. Let us sit on the patio with our dog which was cool.
(4)Mike M.
When you auto charge me a 15% gratuity for a buffet for five adults and a child without letting me know up front and then make me feel like I've committed a crime for you not informing me, I've got better places to spend my money.
(1)Carolina F.
This is my favorite restaurant in town. The food is always amazing, whether you eat off the menu or from the buffet. The service has always been at least sufficient. Most dishes taste like they have large amounts of heavy cream in them and what's not to love about that?
(5)Christopher W.
The food: great! I appreciate how they let you pick your own spice level. I have had both the lunch buffet and ordered off of the menu and never had a problem with the food. The service: okay. Definitely doesn't go above and beyond and is really only worth a standard tip and nothing extra. They bring you your food and hopefully remember to offer refills on drinks. But, it does have a nice atmosphere inside and looks very classy.
(4)Grant C.
I found this place by looking at a bunch of other Indian Restaurants and in their comments several people said to avoid the others and just go to AAB. I grabbed some takeout for dinner and it was really good. I just got the India General Tso AKA Chicken Tikka Misala. The onion naan (bread) was really good too. For $15 it was two meals so not only did it taste good but there is some value as well. I will be coming here from now on. I also saw that they have a nice lunch buffet, I'll try to check that out sometime soon.
(4)Abby L.
I'll start with this: I've never been a fan of Indian food. That being said, IF I were to be craving Indian food, AAB would be the place to go. They have a lunch buffet that has a wide selection. The naan is fantastic! There's also this spinach with cheese dip (not sure what it's called) but I love that as well! Every time my out of town friends come to town, they want to go here! I'm not an expert on Indian food, but I would say that AAB has food that tastes good and a staff that is extremely friendly!
(4)Sierra F.
Some of the best Indian food I have had! The atmosphere is gorgeous this paired with good company makes for a wonderful experience and the food is delicious! The funny thing is, as good as the food is, it tastes even better the next day! I can't wait to go back to Ohio and have dinner at Aab.
(5)Jay S.
Lunch buffet is on-point. Staff is attentive. Spice levels are a tad weak, so ask for extra hot if you like to sweat. Haven't been disappointed by a meal here yet. Good stuff.
(4)vic r.
Pretty good The chicken saag was awesome, naan was fresh and restocked frequently. Bonus, that they had goat curry today!! Nicely stocked bar with indian and american beers as well. I would go here again.
(4)Sujan M.
People seem to like the toned-down grub here but 'meh' is all it is. I have been here several times for the dinner and the buffet with OK results, but the last few have been about average to sub-par. The last time I went there the food was lousy, the service was very slow, and to make matters worse, I ate some undercooked chicken at the buffet. I went and talked to the staff there and though he shrugged and said 'sorry', no action was taken to remedy the mistake. I was thinking he would remove that chicken tray or go talk to the kitchen staff, but he just went on like nothing happened. Sometime later I called back since I was hurting bad and wanted to speak with the manager and left a message with the staff (not rude at all, I thought). They never bothered to called back. Learned my lesson. Never going back.
(2)Alex H.
Fantastic food!! Recommend the buffet so you can try it all! Service is good, most people get the buffet, so not much is required from the waiters.
(5)Laura G.
We had the buffet. Food was plentiful but not hot. There was a good selection. The chicken was flavorful but the rest was way toned down. Service was adequate. Not bad, just what you would expect.
(3)Danny R.
This is by far the absolute best Indian food I've had in Columbus. Sometimes the service can be slow but the staff is very friendly. The menus is great! We typically call ahead after returning from traveling and order take out. I never really cared for Indian cuisine much at all but lately we have had Indian in London and other places around the country and AAB was better than the other places we visited.
(5)Kyle S.
I want to preface this review by saying up front that the food here is amazing. It's some of the best Indian food I've had outside of a few East Coast locations. If your primary concern is having great food - Aab is a solid choice. However, if you're looking to have a good experience...eh...maybe pass this one up. My wife and I went here for date night on a Saturday and we left in a sour mood that even alcohol couldn't cure. We arrived when the restaurant was full, but there wasn't too much of a wait. Or at least that's what we were told. We were told that it would be 15-20 minutes for a table and it ended up being over an hour. When we finally checked to see what was going on, we found out that they had crossed our name off despite never seating us or calling out our name (we stood within 10 feet of the host stand the entire hour). This actually wasn't surprising considering the fact that the host stand seemed to have no dedicated staff. There was no continuity and the poor hostess who ended up dealing with our issue seemed to have been thrust into a ship that was already sinking. We were finally sat at a table that was originally a four-top that they had split in half. Apparently the server for that section didn't get the memo because he completely ignored us for 10-15 minutes. Finally, another server came over to take our order (we were plenty ready to order by this point). This server was nice, but seemed clearly over-tasked and her section was on the other end of the restaurant. I'm not sure how she ended up waiting our table but...there she was. After we placed our order, we finally received water and drinks. The wait for our appetizers and dinner wasn't too bad considering how busy the restaurant was. Our waitress was as on top of our table as she could be considering the fact her other tables were literally at the other end of the restaurant. We did have a particularly long wait for our bill, and our waitress was completely out of sight at this point for probably 10-15 minutes. All-in-all, the experience had us feeling fairly frustrated and put a pretty significant dent in our date night. The problem at Aab is pretty obvious to anyone who has worked in a restaurant for more than a month. The front end is just plain mismanaged. From the host stand all the way to section management...whoever's running the show has some serious issues with a dinner rush. Bottom-line - hit Aab for lunch or maybe during off hours. The food is great, but tackle the dinner rush at your own risk.
(3)Katie B.
Let's preface this by saying I've spent hundreds... Maybe a thousand dollars here over 3ish years. Aab is the best! I'm shocked with myself that I haven't reviewed it yet (maybe I was trying to keep it a secret). In those years of eating aab I've also been introduced to at least 7-8 other Indian restaurants and while they are good (Indian cuisine is generally wonderful), Aab is better. Go to the buffet to try a bunch of different things. It will always have Chicken Tikka Masala which is a crowd favorite. Don't overlook the tandoori chicken! The tandoori oven makes some of the tenderest, most flavorful chicken ever! Some personal favorites: chicken pakora, garlic naan, samosas, chicken tikka saag, chicken makhani, jalfrezi, sabaz, lamb curry, I could go on. Their mango smoothie and mango ice cream are delicious as is the rice pudding. So yea there's my totally unbiased review. I'm not salivating or anything ;)
(5)William C.
This has cool flat bread. The inside is fancy and a bonus: It is family owned. And here is a menu. Cool flat bread people. This is william's son.
(5)Vel E.
My favorite place for indian food. Absolutely delicious. Rich bold flavors. Their buffet is good. Not as much variety on the proteins though. And i noticed when your order the tikka marsala you get tandoori cooked chicken. But when you get it on the buffet It's just chicken breast cooked in the sauce which is the only thing i can complain about!
(5)Lauren H.
I believe in only leaving good reviews. Negativity is ugly. If I don't like a place, I simply won't go back. I don't need to bash it. With that being said, this was my first experience with Indian food and I am officially hooked! Everything was delicious and our bartender was so helpful. I can't wait to go back and try more!
(5)Matthew E.
Great spicy Indian food!
(5)Mike E.
Indian restaurants are not nearly as easy to come across as Mexican or Italian restaurants, so when you find a good one, you are quick to share it with others and frequent it often. Aab India Restaurant in Grandview has fantastic Indian fare that really excites a spicy food afficianado like myself. Not someone who likes the same old soup/salad/sandwich day in and day out, I am thrilled to find a place that offers something different for my tastebuds. The food here has flavors that you probably rarely - if ever - have tasted: curious curry, chicken jafreezi, and vegetable samosas (deep fried pastries stuffed with spiced potatoes and peas). The food here is such a treat that I always bring out of town guests who don't have access to Indian restaurants in the rural parts of the state. Some of the friends and family I have brought here were a bit skeptical, but in the end thoroughly enjoyed Aab. Some people may not be up for the heat level of some of the spicier dishes. However, the good thing about Aab is that the spice level is something that can be tailored to your own liking, as they ask you how hot you would like your food, on a scale of 1 to 6 (I usually go with 4, which is super spicy...it would be interesting to see just how hot 5 and 6 are)! Aab is also easy on the wallet! You get a great portion of food that will keep you stuffed nearly all day long for under $10 a pop! They also have a lunch buffet from 11:30-2:30 daily, which is a great deal, and a good way to break yourself in if you are unfamiliar with Indian food (you can try a bit of everything)! Other fun things to check out at Aab are the authentic Indian beers at the full bar (they have great mixed drinks as well), the irresistible naan (an Indian bread that melts in your mouth...I can't get enough!), the mago lassi (a mango, rose, and yogurt drink, somewhat like a smoothie), and Gulab Jamun (a fried cheese ball in syrup...sounds crazy but it's crazy good). My only complaint about Aab -- and it's kind of a big one -- is that when I went during the lunch buffet, the service was absolutely terrible. There were 4 people at our table and only one person was interested in doing the buffet. We were seated at a table (regrettably right by the buffet, so there was a constant line of people right by us while we ate) and we were not waited on for a LONG time. We had to ask 4 different servers before we were actually waited on. I think that they assume that everyone is there for the buffet at that time...however, we had never been there before and we had no idea what to do. No one explained the buffet, and no one bothered to ask if we wanted anything off of the menus instead (or even give us menus). They do serve regular meals during the buffet hours, not just the buffet. It was a bit off-putting for people like us who didn't know what was going on. Plus, first timers will always need help translating the menu (there are a lot of strange and new words!). Other than that, I love the food so much I didn't even care all that much about the service. They just need to realize not everyone is there for the buffet or understands what's going on!
(4)L A.
i love this place and specially their chicken tikki maslaa . the service is great. i recommend it for people who are interested in trying new things .
(4)Jurgen J.
Let me just say that they do serve really good indian food, i presume it would be the top 5 in Columbus. But i have to say, it didn't compare that well to other Indian food i've tasted in other cities. I would have certainly gave 4 for the food. But i was really annoyed by how the front desk treated us. We came in Friday night at 7, and we were told it was just gonna be 5-10 minutes wait. Seeing at the crazy line, i asked the server again wether it was really 5-10 minutes and she confirmed her answer before. As you can guess, we waited for over 45 minutes. Every time i asked the server how long is it going to be, the just say 10-15 minutes (raising the bar 5 minutes for every time i asked). I mean i would mind waiting 45 minutes if they tell you at first, i could have walked down the street or something. And 5-10 minutes is really far from 45 minutes. So the next time you decide to come here, MAKE A RESERVATION! The food was great. We started with the Samosa, which is deep fried to near perfection. Inside were ground beef, i would suggest to have a deeper curry taste, but that is just my personal taste. Then for the main course we shared the chicken tikka masala, chicken tandoori and lamb curry. Being first time here, i wanted to try the basics. The chicken tandoori was delicious. It was tender on the inside, well marinated and full or fragrant. The tikka masala was also stellar. The lamb curry was not as good as the other two, but it was still really good. I have a problem with the naans at this place. I would like something more chewy and thick. It dried up too quickly. I would certainly come back here again. Presumably to try more stuff. Just hopefully i would have to wait so long.
(3)Josh Q.
I don't have a lot of experience with Indian food but I love Aab! We went for the first time last week . Our waiter was kind and helped us through the menu as he realized we needed some help. We arrived on a few things, all of which we loved. Given the size of the menu and variety of flavors, many of which I have never tried, I am thrilled to go back soon.
(5)Kels M.
I love Aab. My friends and I come here excessively! Love the lunch buffets, but their dinner plates are fabulous as well if you decide to come here on a night out! Grant it, I love Indian food, but this is the best I've had in Columbus thus far
(5)Molly B.
Had a great experience at Aab this week. My dining companion said, "you can always tell an Indian restaurant by their Chicken Tikka Masala." So, of course, like most other Americans, I ordered the Chicken Tikka Masala. And it was spot. on. The spice levels were accurate and the flavors were bursting. My foodie friend had the Lamb Korma and absolutely loved it as well. I am knocking one star off for slow service. They were really busy, though, so I sorta understand. Being busy as a new restaurant is a good sign. It means the food is good. I will be back here. ...Probably every other day.
(4)Jacob W.
When I lived in Cincinnati there was a place called Ambar Indian and I loved it. This week I was told that the family that owned that restaurant had opened a place in Columbus and I had to go visit Aab is everything I hoped it would be reasonably priced a great atmosphere and the same amazing Indian food I remember having when I lived in Cincinnati. Everything is AMAZING but i recommend the chicken tikka sagg the chicken is chunky and swimming in a generous amount of creamy spinach sauce and all of the dishes come at your desired hotness level I recommend 4 its just right 5 would be too hot and 6 would be OMG my face is on fire. All of the dinners come with Bottomless saffron rice. At 10-13 dollars and considering the portions are so large you would be hard pressed to find a better deal. The Final Verdict: It doesn't really matter what you get to eat you'll be happy with everything and make sure to ask for more rice before You pack up your to go box. You'll be able to eat this meal more than once and it might be better the second time.
(5)Anthony C.
As Indian food goes, this ranks among the best in Columbus. I enjoyed lunch there with 5 good friends, and we found the service friendly, accommodating and prompt. The food was spicy and delicious. Multiple styles of nan with various tasty accompaniments ensure you and your guests waste little time sitting hungry while your main course is prepared. Our main course consisted of 4 or 5 different dishes which we shared communally. Unfortunately, I did not record which dishes we ordered and can't find an online menu, so I will have to update this review once I have a chance to return. Everything was amazing though, so I know my follow-up visit should be soon.
(5)Catie L.
Went in to get a carry out on September 16th. Was craving Indian food. I got the Vegetable Bryani, and Naam. I can say that it was very good and enough for 2 meals. The service was good, friendly and quick. I can say that I would go back again to try something else.
(4)John K.
The chicken Maakhni is the best, creamiest curry I have ever had.
(5)Terri R.
I took my family to Abb last night, on the recommendation of my daughter, even tho it was a farther drive for us than some of the other Indian restaurants. The food was soooo good. I ordered the Chicken Mater (Tender chicken pieces cooked with green peas and spices 12.49 per their menu). You can order it on a heat-scale of 1 to 6 (4 was like jalapeño, she said) so I got a 2. Wish I would have made it a 3, but I'll know next time. We had to order the nan separately, so we ordered 2 which was just right for 4 people. They serve your order with rice. The flavors of my meal were excellent. The atmosphere was warm and casual (loved the warm hues in the decor). Will definitely go again, it's well worth the extra few miles.
(5)Bryan J.
This is my favorite Indian restaurant in Columbus. The key for me is that I'm not into spicy food as much. Aab manages to reduce the spice without reducing the flavor. The naan is excellent. The Chicken Shahi Korma is my favorite dish.
(5)Nate L.
On recommendation of a friend now living in Columbus, I stopped by Aab India for dinner. Being that my town's only Indian restaurant (owned by a Columbus restaurateur, incidentally) closed a little over a year ago, I'm stuck with large drive times for my dining experiences. It's still a sore subject to this day. My favorite Indian dish, and litmus test, is chicken saag with a side of naan. If they can't get that down, then I wouldn't bother with anything else. Since I didn't want to be a fire eater that night, a moderate level of spiciness (3) was desired. If I remember correctly, Aab goes from 1 (not spicy at all) to 5 (extremely spicy). When the food arrived, it was obvious Fortuna spun her wheel upward, as the fresh, earthy scent of spinach met my nose. My saag was delicious, and overall, an acceptable dinner. The chicken was very tender and the spinach accompanied it very well. Also, there was enough sauce left over that I was able to perform my favorite Indian restaurant pastime of sopping up the sauce with my naan. I will say the naan needed it. While moderately moist, the char was noticeable. I've found a few places where the naan isn't charred, and love them for it. We were also offered as much rice as we wanted, which was greatly appreciated. The portions are deceptively large. My waiter seemed eager to please, but maybe not necessarily too experienced in waiting tables. There were a few times where it seemed necessary to repeat oneself, until it finally processed in his head. As of yet, I haven't tried the other Indian restaurants in Columbus but this was a decent start. I would be more than willing to return to sample their level 5 lamb vindaloo, if I feel adventurous.
(4)Nick B.
We went out as a troupe of ten on a Saturday night but with gallery hop, Irish festival, and state fair the place was fairly empty. It took our server 4 tries to remember my wifes drink. Instead of an itemized split check, the server hand wrote what each person owed. I thought it odd that he brought out three sauces early on but nothing to taste them with. Also our server carried two peoples order of naan on the same plate and picked it up with his hand and laid it on the one persons plate! It took about 2.5 hours from fist seating til we cashed out. The food was pretty good. They do their spicy on a 1-6 rating. I got a5 and it wasn't that spicy. They have outside seating and the inside is nice. Dishes were slightly more expensive than new India on bethel. I am sticking with new India when I want Indian. We went to New India on Friday, and I got the same exact bottle of beer and it cost over a dollar more at Aab India.
(2)Rakesh J.
I am an Indian And generally don't go to Indian Restaurants in US, We went there to celebrate mt Dad's 60th B'day. Now lets talk about the Food, we ordered Sheekh Kebab and the ladies ordered samosas, The Kebab's were just too good for the taste, I Would recommend to all the people who like Medium Spices in the Food. The samosas were good too. For the main dish we ordered the panner tikka masala, Navrottam korma and chicken curry. The chicken Curry was asked to be made spicy and it was just how we ate back in India at the Dhabas. The panner was alright But over all i would recommend this Restaurant to everybody who likes Indian food and spicy food in general. The service needs to be imporved a little bit, That is the reason i have given four stars. Otherwise i would have given it a five
(4)Seth D.
I'm so glad that my coupon didn't include the buffet! The food and selection from the menu is waaaaaay better. I took my friend for his first Indian meal, and he loved it too! We got some somosas, a mango lassi, an Indian beer, Kingfisher I think, and the Indian sampler platter with Tandoori chicken. It was more than we could finish, and only $27! Don't bother with the buffet, just order off the menu, and you won't be let down! The service is great, the food is great, and I'm so glad I came back!
(4)Manolo E.
BEWARE BAIT AND SWITCH PRICES!!!!!! The lunch menu online is totally misrepresented on the prices, the staff even hides the fact that they have a lunch menu and will try to push the overpriced buffet on you. Our server even went as far as lying and saying they did NOT have a lunch menu. If what's online is a mistake - just say so!!! If you don't offer something, don't put it on your website, you control that, I don't. The food quality is very poor, the portions are small. Avoid this place, it's dirty, not like it used to be, the owners have gotten too greedy or something. The staff is also very rude and short, they want to make an easy buck and cycle you out. Pity, we need good Indian food in Columbus!
(1)Amity H.
They have a nice buffet but it could have more items on it but their naan is well made.
(3)Pam B.
Great food, but the service tends to be a little weird, therefore the four-star rating instead of five.
(4)Aditya S.
By far the best Indian food I've had in columbus
(5)Emily U.
***MAP FOR AAB ON YELP IS WRONG*** fyi- it's just south of 5th on Grandview. short and sweet: It is all delicious and the service can be so-so. I would suggest that is you have never been there and like leftovers- try the combo plates- get a taste of a range of what they have. Next time I am going for the tandoori chicken since it was so tender! And not dry like every other place we've tried. Also I think we'll go for the lunch buffet sometime to try lots more.
(4)Barb H.
The food was excellent! And the description of how to order the right amount of "heat" you want was accurate. I ordered Chicken Biryani & it was delicious - and there was a lot of it so I see a great lunch in my future. My husband ordered the Aab Platter and almost everything was perfect. The dal was kind of bland but the chicken & peas and the lamb curry & the tandoori chicken were very good. Usually, tandoori chicken is dry but this was nice & moist. I think it's the best Indian food I've had.
(4)Ashley B.
Go for the lunch buffet! It is everyday from 11-2....I think, and is very very reasonable priced. It is amazing! I had never had Indian food before visiting Aab, and it is the perfect way to try a little bit of everything. The service is a little slow, but they are very polite and helpful.
(4)MJ X.
Went there for a saturday buffet. Compared to other Indian restaurants in Columbus, fairly nice setting. Decent tandoori chicken, low selection on veggie dishes and it was greasy and bland. the food did not seem fresh. Unlikely to be back - but unfortunately the picking seem slim in cbus
(1)Lauren A.
This is a new place in Grandview and I recently picked up a take-out order. The restaurant is really nice inside though, and I should have stayed to eat because the food took about 20 minutes longer to come out than they promised. That's the only reason they lose a star however because their saag paneer is wonderfully flavored and delicious. And, I've had a few saag paneers in my day! Their garlic naan is also great. I'll go back for more!
(4)Sam B.
I'm going to give this four stars for now, but it could easily get a five after I go back a second time to confirm. My girlfriend and I were visiting Columbus to decide if we wanted to make the town our new home. We were intending to go to an entirely different restaurant over on high street, but there was a long wait, so we got on yelp and found this gem. We usually go for the spicy stuff, but this time we decided to just get the chicken tikii masala. It was mild but oh-so-savory. We also split the samosa and that was tasty as well. We were seated promptly at 7:30pm on a Saturday night, which was nice. But the restaurant was completely full, so it didn't have that "I wonder why no one is here" vibe.
(4)holly c.
First off - the food is good and the selection is good. I can't imagine that all of these glowing reviews experienced stellar service. I found the staff aloof at best. I found more servers interested in chatting amongst themselves then caring for customers. I was very excited to try this spot but there are plenty of other places I prefer to spend my money.
(1)J W.
After a difficult opening, Aab Indian has become a very competent restaurant. I don't have enough experience to judge the quality of the food as compared to other Indian establishments, but we have been happy with the food we ordered.
(4)adam s.
I went here with my girlfriend last week. We had Paneer Makhani and Paneer Shahi Korma. They were both excellent, as was the service. Our waiter was friendly and helpful, and not too pushy. We will be returning many times! Oh and the mint chutney, tamarind sauce, and onions and chilies that they brought out for the Samosas were the best I've had.
(5)Kimberly L.
Wow-this is now my favorite Indian restaurant. Pankaj was so friendly that his smile lit up the room. I was with a friend and the quality of both of our meals was astonishing. I highly recommend the lamb rogan josh.
(5)Joan G.
I've been eating Indian food with my family my whole life so I'd like to think I've established a taste for a good dish. I always rank them based on how they prepare my favorite--Malai Kofta. Let me just say that it was fantastic! The flavors were great and blended well. The perfect combination of sweet, spicy, and nutty flavor. I also ordered two vegetable samosas which were absolutely fresh and delicious. I ordered takeout but the atmosphere is superb for a relaxing night out. Very spacious with nice, calm lighting. I would definitely return again and again!
(5)Cristin S.
Aab India is consistently good! Their buffet is not huge, BUT the food in it is a higher quality then other Indian buffets. Because they do not have a ton of stuff it is always being replaced and not just sitting under the heat lamps. I believe they strive for quality rather than quantity when it comes to the dishes they put on the buffet! My favorites were the chicken tiki Marsala and goat curry! Yum! Even though it is a bit of a drive we will be back!
(4)Lily S.
Soooo good. I tend to get their saag paneer, & I am not even a vegetarian! Everything fresh & made to order, including their chutneys.
(5)LA F.
We used to live in the neighborhood and eat there three to four times a month. But they were incredibly rude about refusing to put mint chutney in with our carry-out order. I asked that they make sure mint chutney was in the bag with our entrees and samosa, as it hadn't been included with our two previous orders. The woman on the phone was rude then hung up on me. My husband called to speak to management who explained that their new policy is for the customer to request chutney when they get there rather than including chutney when the order is placed. The situation was so silly and the rudeness turned me off from Aab. We have found several other restaurants to regularly support and in doing so I think our tastes have changed. I now think, in comparison, that Aab uses too much cream or butter. Put your leftovers in the fridge; if they chill to a solid mass, then there is probably a lot more fat and calories than needed for a delicious curry. Overall, tasty but not worth dealing with rudeness.
(3)Claire R.
Earlier this summer my boyfriend and I ate here and as he was eating his shrimp masala, he spat out a 3 inch piece of metal can shaving. He cut his cheek open and immediately contacted Aab to find out what they could do for him. Their response was shocking, he was told by a manager that they would compensation a few orders and when we went to collect, we were informed that the best they could do was to compensate one entree. After an hour of tense conversation with the owner, we finally got her to agree to compensate an entree, a $3 dessert (which was disgusting) and a piece of Naan ONLY after I agreed to pay for two of the items we had ordered thinking we had a few orders compensated as the manager had told him before. It was like pulling teeth, the injury this could have caused him was worth much more compensation and a much more apologetic attitude from the owner, she was very nasty and argumentative. We left with the food and went home and ate. A few days later we were finishing off the food and I took a bite of chicken curry only to chomp down on what appeared to be a piece of plastic straw - inside the order that they compensated!!! At this point, I am beyond disgusted with this establishment, the fact that they would compensate so little and then turn around and within that next order have a piece of plastic in the food is filthy. I immediately called Aab and spoke with an employee and explained the situation. I was told it was very peculiar that this only had happened to me and my boyfriend, infuriating to be consuming their dirty, contaminated food and then be basically accused of making things up! I assured the woman that I still had the piece of plastic and I'd be happy to show the evidence to a more informed party and she immediately promised she'd give my name and number to a manager and I would be contacted later that day. I went online to do a little research about this establishment and to try and contact a health inspector and found out this restaurant has an absolutely repugnant background of cleanliness and food safety. I will never eat their food again after reading this information. Some winners include, "Ready-to-eat food was not protected from cross-contamination by separation from raw animal food." "The operator is using a poisonous or toxic substance that is not approved for use in a food facility and/ or the substance is not being used according to law, conditions of licensing or to the manufacturer's directions." "Food-contact surfaces were dirty." "Unsafe food was not discarded or properly reconditioned" "The person in charge was unable to demonstrate the necessary food safety knowledge." "Food employee was touching ready-to-eat food with bare hands." Link to this page are below and while you're at it, notice that regardless of all these violations, Aab India has not been inspected since September 10th 2012. DISGUSTING. More infuriating, the average diner would never know as they've managed to get their health inspection rating up to a 94. I'm sorry, with a history like this and the experience I've had with foreign objects, this establishment needs to be shut down for good. Read more: city-data.com/franklin-c…
(1)Ashley H.
Aab is the best Indian in Columbus. Hands down! Great atmosphere too. Service is fast and staff is friendly. Lamb curry + garlic nan = perfection. It gets super busy on weekends, and sometimes my water doesn't get refilled for a while, but that's my only complaint.
(5)Amanda M.
I have never really been into Indian food, but weirdly enough after I went to IRELAND I became obsessed with curry. When I got back from my trip I knew I had to start checking out more Indian restaurants. Now, I am addicted to Aab. I have had the Chicken Tikka Marsala, Lamb Curry, Lamb Korma, and Sang Paneer, and Dal Makhani. All have been delicious but the Chicken Tikka Marsala and Sang Paneer are my favorites. Be careful with the spice levels though! I have ordered the medium and it is wayyyy too spicy. The mild still has a strong kick! The only reason I am not giving them 5 stars is because of the customer service. I always order this as pick-up and the people at the bar who check me out are always so rude. They also gave us the wrong order one time which was a huge bummer when we got home and realized we didn't have our food!
(4)Edwardo S.
Best indian food in columbus. If you love sagg paneer your in luck. I don't know what they do that red chicken either but it is awesome.
(5)Samantha A.
I've tried this place twice now, and will certainly not be back. The first time we ordered takeout because they were an option on our Prestige Card and we felt like Indian food. When I picked up the order, they explained they would not be accepting my prestige card for a takeout order. (Which it stated nowhere as an exclusion and I even mentioned over the phone when I placed my order.) Disappointing. But we decided to give them the benefit of the doubt, and come back to dine in and use the card. We went back a few weeks later and once we were seated, sat for a minimum of 20 minutes before being acknowledged by anyone. Not even water. No one glanced at us. There must have been a mixup as far as whose section we were in. Finally stopped someone who was rushing by, who was annoyed and did not apologize before hurriedly taking our order. Food was mediocre, service was the worst. Definitely will not be giving them another shot with all the other amazing Indian places in town. Go instead to Amul India, Banana Leaf, or Tandoori Grill.
(1)Dana W.
Worst service in Columbus. Food is good, but will only do carry out if we ever eat there again.
(1)Emma L.
I visited for the first time Saturday evening for dinner with a fellow Indian food newbie (bf) and a friend who grew up eating the cuisine and counts it among her favorites. She was in from out of town and I had heard Aab was the best in Columbus, so in we ventured. It was about 8:30 and it appeared we had just missed the rush. We were seated immediately in a back room that had 4 tables. I was kind of bummed to be tucked away back there, apart from the main dining room. But again, sat immediately so I can't complain. It took our server awhile to acknowledge us, which made us uneasy with that "do they know we're back here?" vibe. Once he arrived he was friendly enough and gave us a menu recommendation when we couldn't decide. We started with a couple of Indian beers, served in 22 oz. bottles for $7. They were good, just tasted like beer to me. Bf & I got the beef samosas to start, our friend got the veggie version. I really enjoyed the flavor of the beef but they were sooooo greasy. I absolutely LOVED the trio of sauces that were brought to the table. Maybe these are standard with Indian cuisine but the sweet, savory and spicy combination was delightful. Bf & I split the Lamb Curry and the Special Chicken Tikka Masala (like the regular version with onions and green peppers added). Both were $13 I think. We ordered some onion naan ($3.50) for sauce-soaking, too. I thought the Chicken Tikka Masala was faaar too buttery, and my Indian food loving friend agreed. It still had good flavor, just heavy on the butter. The spice level was good -- I think I ordered a 3 out of fear. Could have probably bumped that up to a 4 (they go to 6, I think). The Lamb Curry was my favorite of the two. It had a great flavor without being too rich. I was disappointed to find so many fatty pieces of meat, but I just picked around them. The naan was good and the curry sauce was fantastic so I was happy. I definitely want to visit again and try some other things on the menu. The buffet would be ideal for a novice like me, but I can't ever make it in during lunch. Overall I thought it was a tasty meal -- some things I loved and some things could have had some improvement. We'll be back, Aab!
(3)Eric J.
Most Indian dishes are executed pretty well here, and the lunch buffet is a very good deal. Chicken tikki masala, naan, saag paneer, and the tandoori chicken are just a few of the offerings they have for the buffet. Your basic Indian dishes, but they do it very well. That being said, the service here is fairly bad. It usually takes us awhile to get water to our table and always takes our waiter/waitress at least 15 minutes just to get our check processed. Not sure if this is a symptom of being understaffed, or just the waitstaff being very slow, but regardless, it can be irritating when you are in a hurry. Or even when you're not. Overall, the food is delicious and very reasonably priced, but you should probably stick to the lunch buffet or takeout, so as to avoid the need for the waitstaff as much as possible.
(3)Glené M.
I haven't been to Aab in a while, because unfortunately I moved out of state. But, I think of Aab at least once a week. It was my go-to Indian restaurant in Columbus, and the best place to go with girlfriends for an affordable and delectable dinner. While I have had less-than-great service here, the food always trumps that. One thing I always had was good water service...I never ran out of water, even up until the minute I was ready to head out the door. Now for the food. I cannot find a korma that beats Aab's. I'm not sure what it is about their food, but it's like crack. You can't get enough and you can't help but go there time and time again and order the same thing. They make it pretty fast, which makes me think that the meat has probably been stewing all day and they just add it to already-made sauce. Who knows. It's still freakin' amazing. I use lamb korma as my baseline, and compare every Indian restaurant's korma to Aab's. I've not yet found one that beats it. Two of my other favorites is the Tikka Masala and the Chicken Makhani, the latter of which tastes almost identical to the sauce of the korma. If you love a creamy sauce, you'll love any of these selections. I also love the Malai Kofta, which has a similar sauce. The rice is always plentiful and seasoned well. Get Naan. It's worth it just so you can sweep up your extra sauce with it. In terms of spice level, it's never predictable nor consistent. I've gone a few times and had to order a level 6, but the food still tasted mild. At other times I got a 4/6 and was overwhelmed with spice...not sure why this differs so much from time to time, but this never really bothered me. They can bring out a small bowl of chili powder/chili spice for you if it's not spicy enough. If the food is too spicy, do yourself a favor and get some mango lassi. I could drink it by the gallon. I would give Aab a 5/5, but there is one dish I just cannot love. As someone who grew up in South Africa, where Indian food was common and authentic, I really did not enjoy the one time I tried the biryani at Aab. It had no flavor, the meat wasn't cooked the right way - this really was not a biryani. Once you have it the "right" way, you cannot be satisfied with something that claims to be one. If you've never had the real thing, you might not have a problem with it. I miss you, Aab. But upon my travels to Columbus, I'll be back.
(4)Luana H.
I love this place! Everything I tasted was delicious. I went and had their lunch buffet, it was a little more than I expected ($10) per person, but that's fine. I would definitely come back and recommend this place, but I live too far away to come by as much as I would like to.
(4)Helen S.
I love Indian food but at most restaurants, the buffet is often not up to par with the regular menu. Aab is an exception, because the buffet is quality. A large group of us dined here for the lunch buffet and it was so tasty. My faves were the saag paneer, chicken makhani, and the rice pudding yumm (don't leave without trying this!). If you're careful not to go too over the top to the point that you loathe yourself, then it's $10 well spent for a delicious meal that will keep you full for the rest of the day.
(4)Samantha B.
Mmmmmmmmmm...... Aab......... *cue Homer's Simpson's throaty groan* Aab is delicious. I live a skip, hop and a jump away from the Grandview location so, naturally, I get take out at least one night a week. Basmati rice is cooked to perfection. I only get the vegetarian fare - Aloo Choley is my go to (Chick peas and potatoes prepared North Indian style ), and do NOT miss out on the naan, samosas, and Aloo Tikki. My excuse is that indulging in all of the above is carbo-loading. Mmmmmmmmmm.... Aab.......
(5)John S.
There is a reason why this restaurant received 'Best In Columbus' since they opened their doors. They offer a large menu and authentic Indian food. The Staff is well-informed and during our first visit we even got to meet the owner. He was extremely appreciative for our patronage and even asked for pointers as to how they could improve. *A humble restaurant owner was a refreshing change :) Top-Notch service, a well-stocked bar and a great atmosphere. What more could you want? **My only request would be that they offer free wifi (to their customers only). Perhaps require a password that only your servers can provide :)
(5)Laura C.
I hate buffets. Why would I want a lot of low quality, luke warm food? Aab however is the exception. Their lunch buffet is perfect if your not well versed in Indian (like myself) and want to be adventurous. Loved everything I tried (tried about half the options). Even my coworker who has gluten and dairy intolerances had no problem finding something filling to eat that she enjoyed. Service was great - very knowledgeable of menu and their food, continuous clearing of plates (yeah you're gonna visit the buffet more than once!) and filling of water. Everything is seasoned so well. No complaints here.
(5)Julie B.
Best Indian restaurant in the Columbus area by far! I've tried several others hoping to find some other diamonds in the rough but Aab takes the cake! The server Mona is a sweetheart. She is very helpful especially if you're new to Indian cuisine like I once was. And I've noticed she always remembers you which is welcoming. The mint chutney is the best I've ever had. I could eat it with just rice every day. Yes, they have a lunch buffet but like most buffets they generalize their food to meet everyone's tastes. By this I mean, if you like spicy, you'll be better off ordering off the actual menu and picking your spice preference 1-6.
(5)Goose R.
Maybe too soon to give it a 5 star but on out first visit we really liked this place
(5)Jeremy S.
Indian cuisine is probably one of my favorites and Aab definitely doesn't disappoint. I've been here many times and the food has always been excellent. I have a few complaints but they are pretty minor. The service has been a little slow at times and not always very thorough and I feel you should get more naan but my biggest complaint would be the spice level. They offer levels of 1-6 rather than a mild, medium, or hot. This would make me think that 1 is practically no heat and 6 would be extreme heat. However I've hardly ever been satisfied with the heat level of a 6. I do love hot food but a 6 should be just below that point where its too much but I'd consider it a medium. The other problem with the spices is inconsistency. I always get a 6 (I've sometimes asked for an 8 and a 10 and that did the trick!) and my fiancee usually gets a 3 or 4. But there's times when her food is spicier than mine. I'd figure it has to do something with the dishes we are ordering but we've eaten here too many times and I've tried nearly every chicken dish on the menu and the spice inconsistency is very consistent.
(3)Jason B.
I'm certainly a fan of Aab. It has many options, and every choice I have made has been very tasty. The service is great, the only draw back is that it is bit more pricey than other Indian options in town. I would recommend Aab to anyone in the area looking for good Indian food.
(4)willma g.
The customer service at both Aab's in Grandview and Dublin is terrible. I keep going back because of the food but whether I carryout or dine in, the service is suspect. You would think with the number of indian restaurants in town and it being competitive, the service would be better.
(2)Heather N.
I have not been known to be the most adventurist eater, and the idea of eating at an Indian Restaurant made me nervous. I didn't even know if I liked curry, and I am a wimp when it comes to spicy food. Aab India is a great pace for India food newbies. Food can be ordered on a heat level to meet the needs or in my case lack of spice. If you have questions, just ask. The Waitstaff will happily answer any questions you may have. I would recommend the Chicken Tikka Saag, Chicken in a spinach, tomato and cream sauce. Great over white rice, served with all entrees or with Naan. I always have enough for Lunch the next day. I would also recommend eating on the Patio. The first time I ate at this establishment, the indoor dining seemed stuffy and had an overwhelming curry smell, to be expected in an Indian restaurant.
(4)Nathan K.
In heaven! The buffet isn't my favorite, but the food on the menu is incredibly delicious!
(4)Chelsea J.
love this place. i had rice and lamb and they were both fantastic... especially the rice. service was excellent. please go here.
(5)Kasiah E.
The food is delicious. The lunch buffet is awesome. The food and service is on point every time we go. We love it.
(5)Chris B.
I love the Chicken Curry at Aab India. It tastes great. Little more pricey than other places but is well made and never had a problem. Service is great they are very prompt with times when picking up for carry out. I like the convenience that is right around the corner from where I live. The staff is always friendly too. Try the Buffet it is first rate.
(5)Jimmy W.
Maybe the best Indian in Columbus. Always a treat. Get the Saag Paneer! Actually, get anything. I'm sure it'll be great. The fried veggie appetizer (whose name escapes me) is amazing. They always have Stone IPA on tap, too!
(5)Tiffany G.
We had the buffet and it was delish. This is my favorite place in the city to get my Indian fix!
(4)Tash L.
This is a great Indian restaurant. My favorites here are the chicken makhani (butter chicken), naan (original and garlic), daal "soup" (try it with rice, that's how I grew up eating it - yum!), and raita. The mango lassi is good too!
(4)Angie K.
I got the vegatables with tomato based sauce with rice and naan. Cant go wrong. My friend got the curry lamb and I wanted to drink it. If you are a meat eater get the curry lamb. It will make you happy. It looked like a super cute date place. I'll be back.
(4)Cranky C.
Today, my server, Pankaj, lied to my face about the dish that was served. I ordered chicken makhani and received chicken tikka masala, with cashews and raisins splattered on the top. I've had both these dishes at Aab before, so I can differentiate the flavors of the curry. What astounds me most is not the laziness of the staff (using the buffet tikka masala instead of preparing the dish I ordered) but the audacity of the server who made the assumption that I wouldn't notice the difference. When I discussed the issue, I was lied to and told that I was mistaken. It's akin to ordering a hamburger and getting a veggie burger and then having the staff insist that you're deranged and eating legit beef. I can tell the difference!
(1)Catherine J.
I don't always want Indian food, but when I do, I head for Aab. I've been here once for dinner and several times for the lunch buffet. I think I like the buffet best, the prices are more than reasonable, and the dining experience is quick but still elegant. I like that I can zoom in for a workday lunch and still eat on white table linens with cloth napkins. The meat is always tender-- not rubbery and over-warmed. The vegetables remain tender but fresh tasting despite the buffet format. My biggest gripe with Indian food is the similar consistency throughout a dish, so the buffet solution is perfect for me. I can try lots of dishes (some spicy, some not) without having to commit to a giant pile of one thing. It's not that I don't like spicy food, but I prefer to have a small amount of really spicy flavor than an entire load. Love the rice here, too. I've never had a problem finding a meter right out front on weekday lunchtimes. In the evening, parking can be a little bit of a challenge, but you can always enjoy walking around Grandview on either side of your meal.
(4)Mike S.
Let me preface this review by saying vehemently that the food is sensational. It's unquestionably the best Indian food in Columbus. That said, they have some of the worst service I've ever received. Some of the lower points: -utterly unable to get the bartender's attention while waiting for a table (55 minutes) -once we were seated, we waited 10 minutes for a server to come over before I approached the hostess about it. -finally a server came who wasn't actually our server. He took our orders and complained about how busy they were. When the food came, he brought just the family style entrees. No plates. I asked for plates, and then he was gone for 10 minutes. Finally he came back with the rest of the food, but without plates. Instead of waiting for him again, I grabbed some plates myself off of the buffet. The server also made some kinda racist comments about Indian people and continually complained about stuff. The food was incredible, but it was an overall extremely frustrating experience. I will go back, but ONLY for takeout.
(2)Jo T.
I love aab and the food, but this is the worst service ever. Been here 25 mins before they took our order. Then three tables after us got their food before us. 45 mins in still waiting for our food. Wish we could switch waiters. Disappointed.
(1)Tiffany C.
Since I moved to Columbus, a number of people have raved about really awesome Indian food here, specifically at Aab. My Indian roommate and I decided to go check it out since we had received a coupon in the mail (turns out though the Valpak coupon was only for Sun-Thurs, not Fridays :( ). We decided to go with the standards to share - regular naan, garlic naan, chicken tikka masala, and saag paneer - with the plan to be more adventurous at another visit if we liked the food. Given my slight intolerance to spicy, we went with heat level of 3, which was definitely tolerable. The regular naan wasn't anything to sing about; it wasn't very soft and flavorful. But the rest of the food was quite tasty! Even my Indian friend thought it was pretty good. When the dishes were first brought to our table, we both thought the portions seemed small, but we did end up having a few leftovers to bring back. If I could, I would give an extra half star for the attentiveness to filling my water glass. I don't like being thirsty! Alas though, I should have remembered that Indian food never fares well with me. Soon after we left, my body quickly expelled all the food that I had consumed (TMI?). The next time I feel masochistic, I may venture back to Aab to try some of their other dishes...but that may be awhile.
(3)Joyce K.
Really good, been a few times for their lunch buffet, always really crowded! It's right in downtown Grandview so you can find parking in a nearby lot or on the street. Really good Indian food! Always get my fill of spinach curry, chicken tika masala, naan bread and mango lassi!
(4)Tory R.
So my favorite Indian buffet is closed down right now due to a fire/vandalism (my luck of course). So to get my "fix" after church yesterday morning, I yelped this place. I must say, the location on the map was a bit off.....by like 3/4 of a mile. But eventually, I found it. The restaraunt was nicely decorated inside with a full bar area. I sat at a 2-top table. Not sure if It was just me.....but my table cloth was extremely long...and everytime I slid out of the booth to get out, I got my leg tangled on the table cloth and thought I was gonna pull it completely off the table. How embarassing that would be! hehe! Anyway, the buffet it self was pretty good. It was a bit small with not a HUGE selection too choose from, but what it did have was amazing. And I know you shouldn't judge a restaraunt by it's naan, but the naan was freakin' amazing!! It was warm and doughy!! I had a bit more than what I should've, but it was really really good! The buffet was like $10 on the dot. No complaints....besides the freaky long table cloth (hehe!)....but perhaps it was just my table. Will definately be back!
(4)C Z.
Their lunch buffet is delicious! I loved that there was so many different choices offered on the buffet. ...and the mango lassi was WONDERFUL (i'm getting hungry just thinking about this place).
(4)Sarah F.
I've only been to Aab once, but it made a wonderful impression and I'm going back soon! I don't eat meat and I've always heard that indian food has plenty of options to satisfy us non-meat eaters. I'm sure you'll all try the naan, but check out the other apps as well! We had some kind of fried veggie nugget that was amazing! I also tried one of their martinis from the bar and loved my lemon drop! I would bring an appetite, there was plenty to eat and the rice kept coming! My dish was chickpeas and potatoes (#1 on the menu) and it had the perfect amount of flavor. I think I went for a spice level of 3? You can pick how spicy you want it too!
(4)Megan P.
Best Indian Food I've ever had. And the staff is always nice and helpful! The Lamb Korma is AMAZING! So is any of the nan.
(5)Lenny C.
While visiting Columbus for business I paid a visit to Aab Indian restaurant on Saturday evening. At 6:30 place was packed and there was no hostess in sight. I end up having dinner by the bar. Yet to see anyone working in this place to squeeze a smile. Place is loudb with phone ringing non stop. Waiters are running like headless chickens but service practically non existent. Food is acceptable but coming from NYC I have rather high standards and don't see anything special about this restaurant. Will avoid this place at least during weekends.
(2)S K.
Lamb saag and malai kofta with garlic naan and basmati rice were outstanding! Serving size is good as u had left overs to take home back to cleveland! A must try for all! Service was good and staff very friendly. Nice atmosphere; was packed even on a weekday
(5)Robert H.
We went to Aab last week to partake in the restaurant week menu. $15 and awesome. It was 95 degrees but we sat outside. I tried one of their signature cocktails, but it wasn't my cup of tea, er gin. We started with the vegetable pakora. Puffy fried tastiness. The chutneys had some great flavors. With the excellent garlic naan, we shared the chicken tiki masala and the lamb curry. Both were finger-licking good. The super-cheery waitress asked for our spice level 1 to 6, saying most people go for 2. We ordered a 3 and a 4. Neither dish was spicy. Next time we would do 5. Wusses. We had a great experience at Aab and will be back.
(4)Kaz D.
Aab has food that will please all. Bold spicy flavors together make a wonderful but some what addictive feeling when eating. I strongly recommend the Chicken Tikka Masala
(5)kc b.
The $10 lunch buffet is such a deal! you won't regret coming and indulging in the variety of northern Indian dishes. Their naan is always fresh and delicious! My friends and I always go for lunch and I've never ordered off the menu. Although when you first arrive, the staff doesn't always help with seating you but once you get your table, they will be attentive to remove your plates and refill your beverage.
(4)Porter R.
Girlfriend and I ordered two things without knowing what they were, and were pleasantly surprised by both. Larger portions , but well worth the money. Looking forward to going back soon.
(5)PinkJmmmm M.
Food is good. But i was disappointed about the service. We were there for lunch buffet and we got there around 1PM. There server kept telling us the buffet will be over by 2PM. Only couple of times of doing that is fine, but they came at least more than four times. Thant was very annoying because it made us feel being pushy. Anyway, i still think overall it's not a bad choice for some good indian food.
(3)Kevin S.
Food is good. Service has gone downhill dramatically. I recently left without eating after no one came to our table for the better part of ten minutes.
(2)Sanjay A.
As a kid of Indian origin growing up in America, I found that I had to answer questions about Indian food, which in the 1990s, were normally complete ignorant comments that usually somehow connected to the character of Apu Nahasapeemapetilon on "The Simpsons." Luckily, times have changed, and the world now seems to crave Indian food, which I'm sure will soon change just as quickly as the world's craving of Ricky Martin did from 1999-2000. As I grew up on my Mom's Indian food, the notion of helping make any suggestion for Indian restaurants for my friends wasn't really even possible. Few existed in the 1990s, and hey, I ate my Mom's home-cooked food every day, so what was the point in going out to eat at one of the Indian restaurants available? Now that I no longer live with my Mom, I do cook her recipes on occasion, but I love to go out to eat. And, when it comes to Indian food in Columbus, as of the writing of this post, Aab India is the best place to go to. Its location is excellent. Right on Grandview Avenue, you can make a night of it by heading down the street to any of the bars in the area after your dinner or to Jeni's for an ice cream if the weather's nice. As an Indian person, I also feel I should tell you the cheapest approach to parking as well. While Aab does have a lot, it may be full, and as such, you may get thrown off into thinking you need to park at one of the metered street spots. Don't do it! Just park across the street at the Giant Eagle lot. I've never been towed, and if I were, I would just claim that I parked in the most far away spot possible to shop at Giant Eagle that day (I like the challenge of walking in parking lots! I like walking! I'm Indian!) If you're going to Aab for the first time, the lunch buffet is likely the best approach. You'll get the opportunity to try out a variety of the more classic Indian menu items, which are all made very well. In my mind, an Indian restaurant is only as good as its chicken tikka masala. Aab's is fantastic. As are the other menu items I've tried there, which include lamb curry, shrimp vindaloo, paneer makhani, and palak paneer. All have been delicious, and as a result, I feel I can say with confidence that you should be safe and satisfied by picking any of their menu items. Their cocktail menu is pretty good as well. There's a drink composed only of Absolut vodka, sprite, and mango juice. I soon became the life of the party (for my table and my credit card statement) downing these with ease. They are delicious, though at $7, perhaps a little pricy given you could get more of an alcohol variety with some of the other cocktails priced at $7.50. Nevertheless, this was delicious. However, what goes best with Indian food is beer, and their selection in that realm is also good. While some reviewers on Yelp have complained about the service, I've still found it better than many Indian restaurants. Many times, at Indian restaurants, service is mediocre at best. It is usually done by the people who own the restaurant or other random Indian people they've hired that don't know what they're doing (Indian people being cheap again--hey, I can say it! I'm Indian!).Your server may barely know English or simply doesn't have a value for American manners because he/she either doesn't care or isn't aware of them. Not the case entirely at Aab. The service staff appears to be a diverse group of individuals from a variety of cultures. Remember that NBC Saturday morning show, "One World," where a couple adopted a bunch of children from many different ethnicities? No? Well, Google it and then realize that I'm comparing those kids to the Aab India staff (one of the actors from that show may very well be a server at Aab now, too). Regardless, service has always been pretty good to me there. There was one time it took forever to get my bill, and another time where the bartender seemed a little confused that we wanted to have a drink while waiting for a table. But, otherwise, when seated, it's been an acceptable serving experience. Then again, maybe they're treating me better because I'm Indian and super judgmental of my homeland's cuisine. Anyway, I think I've made my point. If you're looking to try Indian food for the first time, go to Aab India. If you're looking for a nice night out, go to Aab India. If you're looking to gorge yourself at a good buffet, go to Aab India. Stop wondering about Indian food. Stop worrying about things being too spicy. Stop being silly. Go to Aab India. Also, if you're wondering why I didn't give the restaurant 5 stars, only my mother's Indian food gets 5 stars. Nothing is as good as a home-cooked Indian mother meal. So, if you pass on Aab India, find an Indian friend soon so you can mooch off his/her Mom's leftovers or make a visit to Mom's house for dinner.
(4)Ben H.
Effing delicious. I'm definitely in a food coma as I type this, but it was totally worth it. Chicken Dal was fantastic--however, I overestimated my spice tolerance and was a little ambitious with a level 4 of 6 for hotness. My dining partner ordered the matar paneer, which was cheeselicious and a spice level 3, probably where my taste buds should hang out at. The rice was fresh, the naan was a little too crispy but overall a pretty great meal. We were seated in the party room in the back because it was a full house. It was kind of hectic in there as we were leaving, but the service was good for how busy it was.
(4)Anthony A.
Best Indian Food in Columbus.
(5)Stephanie B.
I just moved to this area and was craving Indian food so I decided to give this place a try after seeing the awesome reviews about it. I'm so glad I did! I got the garlic naan and the aloo paratha and both were so good. The breads are reasonably priced and they give you a lot. They were fresh and you could just taste the quality ingredients they used to make it. I've eaten at a lot of Indian places and I don't think their breads can really compare to Aab's. As my main meal, I got the chicken makhami which was just as amazing. The chicken was tender and moist and the sauce that went with it was perfect. I was also shocked at how much rice they give you as well. It was great because I had tons of leftovers. I definitely feel as though their portions can be eaten by two people as there was plenty of it. Overall, Aab will definitely be a guilty pleasure of mine as it is quality Indian food. I have nothing negative to say about the place!
(5)Adrienne C.
Their $10 lunch buffet is ridiculous. If you've never really tried indian food before and you want to do a taste test of the popular items (chicken makhani, tandoori chicken, palak paneer, dal, etc) definitely utilize the Aab lunch buffet. I'm actually not sure why anyone would come here for dinner - not a good value at all compared to lunch. warning: prepare for serious food coma
(4)Lisa S.
This place is awesome! I've been here well over 10 times and I never once left disappointed. I usually go for the chicken dhal, and for appetizer the vegetarian sample plate. It's so great especially with the assortment of sauces! I will forever rave about this place. I've been to other Indian restaurants in columbus and this place by far surpasses the others!
(5)Stacie D.
The food I have tried tastes good, I love to order the Chicken Tiki Masala and garlic nan :TO GO". It is ready in 15 minutes and tastes delicious. I can't emphasize "TO GO" enough because the service is terrible. I actually have had to walk out because once we were seated NO ONE came to serve us. Good food but crappy service. I do not know if I will give my money to this establishment again. When we walked out no one said anything to us. I told a passing server we had been sitting there for a while and didn't get served. She didn't apologize. I am now looking to expand my cultural palette of Indian food in a different establishment.
(2)Cher W.
Had a great first experience here! Buffet was good with all dishes marked. There were a couple tho that could have listed what it was but I tried a little of most everything! I will come back!
(4)Susan A.
Great for connoisseurs and Indian food virgins alike. The lunch buffet is a great introduction to the cuisine without breaking the bank. If you are there for dinner and craving the variety of a buffet, then try the vegetarian thal (it's sort of like an Indian sampler with three small entrees, naan, and dessert - all on a silver platter!). If you find yourself in Cincinnati, their restaurant in Clifton is great as well!
(5)Anna S.
I'm Indian-American, so as a result, Indian restaurants rarely measure up to my rather unrealistic and unreasonable expectations. However, I love me a good Indian buffet, especially on days where I have absolutely no desire to dedicate the rest of my afternoon to work. Aab's carb-laden and delicious buffet is sure to leave you in a food coma after your meal! There's plenty of options that are continually refilled, including some sort of fried veggie pakora (fritter), palak paneer (homemade cottage cheese with spinach), a chicken makhni/tikka masala, and usually gulab jamuns (fried cottage cheese balls in syrup). So if you've been hesitant to try their regular menu, do try out the buffet!
(3)Liz G.
Admittedly, Aab India is only one of two Indian restaurants I have been to in Columbus (the other being in North Market), but it is my favorite of all the Indian restaurants I have been to, which were mostly on the East Coast. I usually get take-out, but I have eaten there at popular dinner hours quite a few times. During my last visit, we had an excellent server for our party of 6. My only service complaint is that our order usually isn't ready on time for pick-up when making a take-out order. I've never had to wait longer than 6 minutes past estimate, though. When they first opened, their bar was a little sparse and the service lacked panache. However, these days, I can't complain about either. A major strength of Aab is their 1-6 Spice-o-Meter (okay, probably shouldn't refer to it as that when you order) and their chefs' tendency to actually stick to the spice-level you requested. My standard is a 4, and my significant other goes for a 5. Once, he asked for an "extra hot 6", and he was sweating out of places that shouldn't sweat. He liked it. Guys are weird. Anyway, here are what I consider Aab's standouts: -chicken tikka masala: the standard for the unadventurous is well worth having here -chicken makhani: very similar to tikka masala but with nuts and raisins. savory, salty, sweet. -chicken tandoori: despite its lack of being swamped in sauce, it is flavored well. If you are watching fat/calories, this is a great option that won't make you feel deprived. -roti and nan are both excellent accompaniments to your meal here. If you eat-in and order nan for an appetizer, it comes with 3 great dipping sauces. I can't attest to all the desserts, but I've had the kheer and gajar halwa and loved both. Want something more "American" for dessert? Head about a 5-minute walk away to Jeni's and grab some lime cardamom frozen yogurt. Overall, Aab is a great Indian restaurant that covers all the standard dishes you'd expect. Their quality is high enough that it's a good place to venture out and try something you haven't had before. I've had almost everything on the chicken menu (maybe it's time to attempt a new animal), and I have yet to be disappointed.
(5)Keith J.
I haven't been to all of the Indian restaurants in Columbus but I have been to many of them and this is the best. I enjoy everything here. Never once been disappointed. The only problem I have is I can't stop eating. My favorite vegetarian dish is Paneer Makhani. Highly recommended.
(5)Brian F.
The good: we went here for restaurant last week, and the food was delicious. I got the chicken tikka masala (spice level 5), and it was worth every penny. It was a little spicy, but truly not that bad. I will likely opt for the 6 next time. The naan was excellent as well. So, if you're just talking food, this is a five star place, IMO. The awful: the service was just atrocious, and it was like a comedy of errors. We did have a large group, and it was restaurant week, so we expected some delays, but nothing this bad. Our first course came out missing one person's food. Not a big deal, right? Well, we didn't see our server for 10 minutes, so it was kind of a big deal. There was no way to notify him. So, that person just had to sit and wait. Eventually, he came back after everyone was finished with course #1. Then, course #3 came out. What happened to course # 2, you might ask? Exactly! It would have been nice to have that naan. When it did come out, we were two short this time. :( It only took 7 minutes to track down our server this time. Lastly, our server explained that we couldn't all do separate checks (even though we'd been told it was fine earlier), and we should just all hand over our cards and he'd set up an equal pay. I still don't truly understand what an equal pay is. Not everyone owed the same, so it made no sense. And I refused to pay with a card and gave cash. To underscore the problem with this idea, someone in our group was charged over $200, when their bill should have been about $20. That is truly awful and inexcusable! A couple of words of advice. Don't go on restaurant week, don't go in a large group, and pay in cash. It is too bad, because, as I said before, the food was really remarkably good!
(2)Karen P.
I'm the odd ball, but this place was only ok for me. I went on a Sunday with my family and it was so tight standing in line for the buffet which was very small in comparison to some other restaurants. Food was good, but again, I like variety which was lacking here. The restaurant itself really turned me off as the placement of the buffet is horrible and it's just chaos. I hope when this place is up and running off Sawmlll, that location will provide a larger buffet and more room to manuever as a whole. I'm excited for that spot and keep an open mind. If it lives up to my expectations (which arent' overly high anyway), I'll definitely update my rating. If not and is on par with the grandview location or worse, it could go down.
(3)David W.
My firest Indian experience and, well, wow...! I got the Chicken Tikka Masala - recommended by the hostess as the 'must get' dish. I got the level 5 spice (second highest), and I had no regret. You have to get the garlic naan bread. Also check out the non-alcoholic drinks, I highly recommend the sweet lassi.
(5)Pat P.
Having just moved to the area, I was worried about being able to find a good Indian restaurant. Lucky for me, I found Aab just a few minutes away! The food was great. I had lamb curry with aloo paratha, and both were delicious. Great sauce, and the lamb was cooked well (and well trimmed) The heat was perfect with their choices of spicyness. The bread was flaky and the filling wasn't overpowering. Evern their rice was better than most places, with a good flavor that wasn't intense. (and some peas scattered in!) They do have a lunch buffet, which I'mm have to try to get the quick and dirty taste of more of their dishes. I put this into my regular visit category for sure!
(4)Nicole W.
I don't always crave Indian food, but when I do, I crave Aab. Seriously, the question is to eat the food or bathe myself in it because it smells so good. Just thinking about it has me ravenous and I just had lunch. if you are new, I really recommend the daily lunch buffet which has lots of entree and side options as well as a tiny salad bar and desserts (skip the salad/desserts, when you come here you want to be so full you aren't sure if you will fit in your car). Our favorites seem to echo the crowd: tikka masala, vindaloo, paneer, and samosas. My husband got the Aab platter the first time we went and it was really fun to try such a variety at dinner time. They are also really helpful in finding the correct spice for your liking. The more we go, the more spice we can take! And lets be real, more spice = more cajones! Speaking of rolling in Indian food, I will take my hot stone massage with hot naan, because that smell is so good you just want to drape yourself in it. I believe it has special meditation power. Like I said, when I go its so good - I save it to be special. You'll have to go at the same time as me to see if I'm really rolling in the food.
(4)Brian R.
I have heard some great things about this place and was salivating over the thought of finally getting to try it. My wife does not like Indian food so one night when she was out of town, I thought I may grab some takeout. After carefully going over the menu, I ordered a chef specialty meal that looked to be amazing. I was told it would be an hour which I thought was a bit excessive but whatever. I just chalked it up to them being busy because they are so awesome. I arrived an hour later to a packed house. I told the hostess I had a takeout order and she told me I had to talk to the bartender. It took the bartender 15 minutes get to me, which made my blood start to simmer. After I told her my name, she said "The chef says he does not make this menu item to go." I said, "Okay. So why was I not told this on the phone and why did someone not call me after the chef told you that. I gave you my number." She rudely says, "I don't know what to tell you. You can order something else if you want. It will be about 45 minutes." Obviously, I gave her a snort of derision and left. Very disappointed. I had high hopes.
(1)Nathan O.
Indian food owns my soul.. When I least expect it, the craving comes. When that crave happens within 20 miles of Columbus, I go to Aab. The buffet is wonderful and great, as there are some major perks to trying a bit of everything and then going back for more once you found your taste for the day; but I suggest going after your favorite dish and waiting the extra few minutes to get it exactly how you like it. I prefer my Chicken Tikka Massala extra spicy (Indian Hot) with plenty of naan on the side. The buffet doesn't quite meet this standard. As for the bar- the TV's were sporting Jerry Springer and some silly commercial channel. I wouldn't go here to watch anything; just eat! Green chutney is a must-try.
(4)Aireal M.
It's really tasty food. Lamb and beef curry and samosas are our go to. They give you a lot if food too. Buffet never looks appetizing so we have never tried it.
(4)George Y.
I must say Aab has some tasty grub. I've heard good and bad reviews from others, and both the good and the bad were confirmed. The good is the taste. I ordered lamb curry, garlic naan and aloo paratha. All was absolutely wonderful together. The garlic naan could have used more garlic, but it was still light and fluffy and went perfect with my lamb curry. I never understood why curry is served in the small oval shaped dishes. I could easily go thru a double portion with a stack of garlic naan. Anyways, back to the food. The aloo paratha was a new item for me. I LOVED IT. It was like naan filled with a potato paste. Like naan, it's taste was magnified when smothered in curry. I would order that again, and again, and again. The bad (which really isn't a "bad"), the spice level. I've had insanely spicy Indian, so I kept to a mid level request. Their spice levels go 1 to 6, 6 being the spiciest. I went with 3 for my lamb curry, thinking it would still have some considerable heat. None. I was a little taken aback, but it didn't take away from the overall wonderfulness of the meal in it's entirety. Some friends said that Aab serves a more "Americanized" Indian fare. I can see that, but I think a combination of excellent food and low spice level will appeal to many different diners.
(4)Asa C.
I've had the opportunity to eat here a few times, however i started this review on a visit to Columbus about a year ago and i can't remember exactly what i ordered. However, whatever it was it left me with the desire to return! I do remember that the salsas were good, and the vegetarian samosas were delightful. They have a buffet sometimes, but i've only ever eaten off the menu. I had slow service one time, but the food more than made up for it. I wish I could be more detailed in my review, but i promise if you are looking for India and near the Grandview area this is worth giving a chance.
(4)Reana K.
Saturday night and Aab was anything but bustling, but I couldn't tell you why because the food was stellar. We had a variety of vegetarian dishes and everyone walked away pleased. The naan was fluffy and buttery and I especially appreciated that they ask you up front what your preferred spice level was (I'm not a spice wuss and I thought the "medium" was perfect for me, a little kick but not unbearable). The service was polite and attentive throughout. My only mild complaint is one I have of a lot of Indian restaurants- why so forced formal? The white table clothes and stuffy outfits for the waiters just don't make sense for me. I wish more Indian restaurants would go a little younger, looser, I think a better ambiance would really help attract a lot more attention. Okay maybe I do have one more minor complaint, it was REALLY cold the entire time we were in there. Food and service trumps all, so five stars, but could you turn up the heat a bit? If half your customers are still wearing their jackets, its probably too cold.
(5)Trish M.
I think the food here is SO good! I've heard that cbus doesn't have the best showcase of Indian food. I'm not sure if that's true, but I only fell in like with Indian food until my experience at Aab which transformed that like into a deep love. I always seem to crave it for dinner, but I imagine that the lunch buffet is an amazing deal if you like stuffing your face in the middle of the day. I've also had pleasant experiences with the service staff who provided thoughtful meal recommendations.
(5)Evalyn C.
I've eaten at Aab India a half dozen times over the last few months and, for my money, it's one of the best Indian restaurant experiences I've had each and every time I go. The staff is friendly and efficient. My water glass is never empty, my food comes quickly, I never have to wait on a seat. When I've been for lunch buffet, the food is the same tasty fresh stuff they serve at dinner. That's a big plus for me because so many places don't do that. I would usually list off several of the dishes I've tried, with a brief description, and tell you what I like the best about them, but I've tried so many of their menu items, I think I could write a book with that information. I will say this however, whether you want something meaty or vegetarian friendly, it's all good. I have yet to have something I didn't like, even dishes I have disliked at other restaurants are done better at Aab (I'm talking to you creamy spinach!). Don't be scared away by the scary stories of Indian food I'm sure you've heard, Aab is fantastic!
(5)Kathryn S.
I don't claim to be an expert on Indian food, but Aab is absolutely delicious. The chicken tikki masala is probably the best Indian dish I've ever eaten. The servers are fairly patient, even with people who aren't familiar with their menu or Indian food generally. Also, they let you specify how spicy you like your food, on a scale of 1 to 6, so there's no need to worry about ordering anything too spicy. The lunch buffet, at $10, is a great value and it's a good way to try a variety of dishes if you're new to Indian cuisine. They also have a happy hour, with half-priced appetizers, but none of the appetizers really blew me away.
(5)Jeff G.
Ridiculously good Indian food, best in Columbus. The best part? They don't assume that I don't mean what I say when I order my food to be very spicey just because I am an American...that is so annoying, yet so common at Indian restaurants in the U.S. Aab is excellent and I cannot recommend it any higher...I might have to get some tonight after work...love this place. My favorites: Chicken Makhami or Chicken Tikka Marsala, vegetable samosas with the brown (cinnamon?) chutne sauce, and an order of naan. It's excellent...no seriously, you must try it...you're still reading this? Get to Aab now!!!
(5)Anand M.
Lunch buffet is just okay. Some of the items like Chicken tandoori is too bland in taste.If you want spicy Indain food don't go for the buffet. Food ordered from the menu is far better. Ambiance - Good Location - Good Conclusion - Go for the dinner not the lunch buffet. Good for people who don't want their food to be very spicy.
(3)arend s.
Been to this place a few times and it's still awful. The service takes longer than it should, the food is sub par, there was rice and other trash that hasn't been cleaned up on the floor (which we had to step over a pile of on the way out), they even turned the lights off minutes after they closed - for lunch - while there were still guests finishing their meals. 5 minutes before the buffet closed, the staff - in aprons - lined up to get lunch. The only good thing is the location. Check out Amul India on Sawmill instead for a better all around experience.
(1)Bryant M.
If you're somebody who typically says, "I hate Indian food," but your guy/gal/friends constantly crave it and try to drag you with them, then go to Aab. But if you're super adventurous with your Indian food and want to feel like you're down a dimly-lit side road in Mumbai eating from a street vendor, then you're going to feel like a wimp at Aab. Every time I've been to Aab, I've been with guys who typically hate Indian food, and they both enjoyed their meals. I would even go so far as saying that one guy LOVED Aab. Here's the low-down: Aab is bright, open, clean, and rather spacious. The servers are some of the best in town, and the food is always spot-on. In a nutshell, this Indian food is easy. This is no adventure. And sometimes, that's exactly what you need. At lunch, they have a delicious buffet, and I love almost every single item on it. Oh, and unlimited nan. Yeah, it's that good. And at dinner, they have a massive menu that is sure to please anybody - even the guy who "hates Indian food". The last time I went for dinner, I had one of their dinner specialties - the Aab India Special. It was a huge sampler plate of Aloe tikki and pakora, chicken tandoori, lamb curry, dal, mater paneer, nan, rice, and gulab jamon for dessert - all served on a silver platter! It was definitely a feast for a king, but it was only $15! So, if you're in the market for some easy-to-please Indian food, I would definitely recommend Aab!
(4)John F.
Went here in Saturday about 730 pm for the wrap up of restaurant week. Took about 20 minutes to be seated which is expected for a Saturday evening, and with restaurant week. We enjoyed some drinks at the bar until we were seated. Upon being seated about ten minutes go by and someone came to fill our water glasses. Still had not seen a server. About another 10 minutes go by before we finally get a server (I was actually getting out of my chair to grab someone when she came over) We were ready to place our order at that point because we had been there for 40+ minutes. I order off of the restaurant week menu. Appetizer, bread, dinner, and drink. My girlfriend orders off of the regular menu. Then the server says (do you want something other than water? In which I replied (my order comes with a cocktail...) in which she replies "No, it no longer comes with a drink" I order a beer and the night goes on. My girlfriend gets her salad about 20 minutes later (which was pretty sad looking) she ate two bites and that was enough. About 840 our meals (and cold appetizer) come out. The food was excellent! Probably the best Indian in columbus. We finished about 9 and were ready to leave ... 915 rolls around and still no waitress. While my eyes are searching the whole restaurant for her, a manager apparently sees me and comes over and asks if everything is ok? We replied that we had been waiting a LONG time for our server all night and just want our bill so we can leave. About five minutes later the waitress comes back with out check and says "is everything satisfactory? My manager said you were upset and had been waiting awhile" Both of us being astonished that she had the nerve to not apologize and put us on the spot we both said "it's fine, here's our money" Leaving about 9:40 we were both pretty taken back over a 2+ hour dinner and lousy service. The atmosphere and food were nothing short of excellent... (Except the salad) But sadly we probably will not be back. At least not to dine in.
(3)Michelle K.
I've been to Aab several time in the past few months and I've never had a bad experience. The service has always been prompt and the food absolutely delicious. The first few times I tried the dinner special, it was fantastic. It starts with two appetizers and poppadoms, be careful with the sauces, the onion chutney is killer. Then they serve you, on a silver platter, three entree selections, a bed of rice, two fresh pieces of naan, and dessert. It was way too much for one to enjoy, but I was happy to take leftovers for the next day. On my most recent trip, I chose to be less of a glutton and only order one dish. The Mater Paneer is amazing, I was sad when I had to share with my friend. He enjoyed the Lamb Korma, which was great as well. And then we shared a plate of rice and an order of garlic naan. Way too much food for two people, again I had leftovers for lunch. Something I learned, Indian food is spicier the next day. It may be the perfect heat today, but just wait until you try it tomorrow. Without a doubt I'll be returning to Aab. The restaurant has a beautiful interior and a small but quaint patio. The servers are happy to answer any (foolish) question you may have about the menu. And the food is stellar. Definitely check it out, maybe even try something new.
(4)Mike D.
I have been on an Indian food tear. I have been to many Indian restaurants in Columbus. I have been searching. While I don't claim that I will never go anywhere else. I'd say my searching is over. After a couple dinners, Aab rested comfortably in 4 star territory with their delicious samosas, chicken tikka masala, garlic naan, lamb biryanni and other favorite dishes. I like Cumin's paneer better, but that's about the only fault I can find. Then I finally went to their buffet on Saturday for lunch. It's really tough to get a 5 star buffet..I mean, you're already trying to appeal to the masses here...the spices are probably a little blander...you're mass producing, ya know. I'd give the lunch buffet itself 5 stars based on my experiences. EVERYTHING was good. EVERYTHING. Food was diligently replenished so it seemed like the whole spread was kept really fresh. That's a key to the buffet concept. The service was excellent. They have always been friendly and attentive in my experiences. This is a must-go if you're looking for Indian food in the Columbus area.
(5)Lisa S.
I go to Aab for the food, hands down, which is fine for me. I've never had bad entrees and always leave with plenty in a take home box, which I like. Their happy hour deal is great, and since their appetizers are cheap to begin with, I can order 3-4 appetizers and still have a bill under $10. The reason I give Aab only 3 stars overall is because of the service and waitstaff. It is routinely subpar, and one time downright atrocious. Most of the time the servers act like they want to be anywhere but there (which I can understand, but seriously, put on a happy face and even if I know you're acting, I'll give you a 20% tip) and are sometimes plain inattentive and absent. I've come to expect nothing better, but like I said, I'm hooked on the food and that's it. If you can tolerate below average customer service, the food more than makes up for it.
(3)Nicholas T.
AAB virgin until today. Buffet was not overwhelming with decent lunch selections. We had great welcome at the door and the staff refilling our waters were on it, but our waitress NEVER returned after she took our order. We had to go to the bar to pay our bill.....I LOATHE having to beg to pay for my meal. I'd rather pay at a counter walking in than sit being ignored. Might be worth another try. I'm in no hurry.
(3)Katie A.
So good!!! I've been here for lunch and dinner. Lunch buffet is good (and crowded-a good sign!) but I would recommend dinner. The samosas are Amazing and the sauces that come with it are so good!!!! The Tika Masala is my favorite. So rich and filling and one of the best things I've ever eaten!
(4)Leigh Ann E.
Yeah, all around gorgeous food. Love that there's a spice spectrum! The staff was wonderful. Can't wait to return!
(4)Mischa B.
This is my go to Indian spot in town. I have dined in and taken out, always fresh and delicious. Best naan, ever. Only complaint is that the spice levels are a bit inconsistent at times.
(4)Meghann T.
Clean, no weird smell, friendly service and the kitchen gets your orders out promptly. My friend and I picked the vegetable Samosa for our appetizer, as well as Nan, a traditional Indian bread. The dipping sauces for the Samosa were very spicy, but still very good. Our bread was served hot and was very soft. For my entree, I chose to have the chicken Jalfrezi, which was served with white rice. I am not big on a lot of heat when it comes to spices, but this was prepared perfectly. The onions and grilled peppers were delicious and so fresh. There was so much food leftover, we had no choice but to take it home! (There are starving people in Africa, remember?) For dessert, my friend had the lassi and I had a mango milkshake. So yummy! I had never tried Indian food before, but I will definitely be back!
(4)Angie P.
I went to Aab tonight for my birthday dinner and really enjoyed it. The boyfriend and I split a large Kingfisher beer and an appetizer of vegetable samosa. The samosas were really large and I loved the chutney sauce. I love chutney from pretty much everywhere but this one was really good. For my entree I went with the Chicken Saag and it was super good. There was tons of spinach in it and in my opinion, the more spinach the better. All in all, it was very tasty and the check was a good price. I'm sure I'll be back at some point when the craving for Indian food returns.
(4)S L.
Nice atmosphere and good service. I ordered the Chicken Tikka (Tandoori Chicken) and while it was good, it didn't really taste like chicken from a tandoor oven. It was a little bit too wet...if that makes any sense. Other dishes I tried were decent.
(3)Cecelia T.
Inconsistent on spice level but best Indian around
(4)Luke T.
I start out nearly every review update by saying "I try really hard not to do review updates". This review is no different (see previous sentence). But sometimes a new experience warrants one. I recently had one such experience at Aab. It was such an ordeal, I don't even know how well I can recount it without getting upset. But here goes. So basically, I had an appointment to make at 8 o'clock. I got there shortly after 7 and took a seat. Just as the waiter shows up, I get a phone call. I know it is my date, so I answer. I explain to the waiter that there is a slight hurry (I don't mention a time, there is some flexibility in my appt). He takes her order while I receive it from her on the phone. We get off the phone. He asks when he should put it in. I say she's probably about 5 to 10 minutes away so wait a few minutes. He took her order, and an order of samosas. He asked what I wanted. I said I wasn't sure yet, could I please have a minute. Sure thing, off he goes. It's 7:07. My date arrives and is seated by 7:12. The waiter has not returned. We start to talk about this and sometime probably close to 7:20, she finally stops him and asks him to come take my order. I order. He says "oh, wow, this is going to come a bit later than hers." I'm fine with that. He brings the glass of wine I ordered. Now here's where it starts to get really bad. We wait. And wait. And wait. Finally, just before 8 o'clock, yes 8 fucking o'clock, her food comes. Oh, mind you, that every time he came with food for our table, he tried to serve it to the table next to us. Like ours, that table had a white dude and a south Asian chick sitting at it. So you can understand the confusion (sarcasm). We ask about my food. He says he can get that out in six minutes. I say that's fine. Now, they have been pretty freaking busy this whole time, so I was pretty understanding up til this next point. My date and I are talking about the ordeal this whole time, mind you. What could possibly be going on, etc. I notice our waiter talking to a boss-looking lady at the bar. Eventually she comes over and asks what's going on. We explain the situation. She says that normally they can get a dish out in six minutes, but tonight there is just no way that's going to happen. I ask what she means, and it's at this point that I start to get a better idea of what's going on. She starts to tell us ticket times. My order went in at 8 o'clock. The order that I put in at roughly 7:20. Even my date's order, which she was lucky to get at 8, didn't get put in until 7:28. I'll remind you that we ordered it at 7:07 with a note to wait a few minutes before putting it in. So while the manager sort of tried to blame this on how busy they were, and on the kitchen running behind that night, it was obvious this server had forgotten to put our orders in on two occasions. When he mentioned that it would be out in six minutes, he was just quoting their average order-to-plate time. I told the manager that I'd worked restaurants, and I wasn't upset until this point because if my order didn't go in until 8, that means he just outright forgot. I told her I had an appointment I was now going to miss, and that I wasn't sure I wanted to eat at this point. She said she didn't want me to go hungry and offered to bring us out some more samosas. I said fine. Then she asked if she could get me anything else, another drink, maybe? I guess I should've asked, but given the context, I was pretty fucking certain she meant for this to be on the house. Yet it was on my bill. They did comp me my entree though. Which I guess is enough since it only took an hour to get it, right? (more sarcasm). The saving grace is that the food is fucking delicious. So I imagine I will return, although I think it will be a while. New India (or Banana Leaf, when the girl is feeling okay with meat-free), here I come!!!
(2)Brent H.
After being to Aab around 7-8 times, I decided to finally write a review on it. Like most vegetarians, I am all about flavorful food that is reasonably affordable. If you are like me and want your food spicy, I suggest ordering off the menu versus the buffet. During the buffet hours, the place gets pretty busy with a lot of businesspeople coming in and out. This can be a plus because the cooks are constantly bringing out new trays of the dishes including naan (Indian bread) that is hot and fresh. If you are relatively unfamiliar with Indian cuisine or bringing in family members from out of town that are only used to Bob Evans or Cracker Barrel, go for the buffet. It may be a bit bland if you are a spicy aficionado, but you'll make your group happier and know what to order on the menu next time. The biggest critique from my Indian friends about Aab is that their buffet is a bit bland. At the same time, this is a reality at ethnic food establishments so they don't scare all the white customers away. A big suggestion I have is to try and go towards the middle of the buffet time slot. A friend and I went towards the tail end of the buffet hour, and they were quick to take our plates away & give us the check before we were done eating. The food was still decent, yet I could tell by the taste that it had been under the heat lamps for longer than I desired. For those that choose to order on the menu, the staff is very helpful at describing the menu and making suggestions as well including what beverages match up (esp. Indian beer). When you order food, they ask you how spicy you want it on a 1-6 scale. I'm a veteran when it comes to spice level and settle with a 5 because I want to have taste buds remaining after my meal (usually a 3 is a happy medium). Portion sizes here are decent to the point where my hungry friend and I split the vegetarian combo tray, ordered some extra garlic naan, & both felt full (yet not stuffed). If you order a dish that's around $15-18, chances are you will probably need a box to take it home (and that's okay because Indian food retains its flavor quite well). My favorite dishes are the chana masala, saag paneer, deep fried samosas & mint chutney. For those that do consume meat, the chicken tandoori and lamb curry have received favorable reviews as well. All in all, I would recommend Aab to anyone that wants good food at a decent price. Whether you're taking a date out or just grabbing dinner before hitting up Grandview bars down the street, Aab has a nice atmosphere with great service that lets you enjoy your meal without interruption. For anyone that decides to go, I hope you enjoy your experience and that it similarly reflects this review. Cheers!
(4)Brigid N.
Best Indian in Columbus! I've tried them all but Aab is consistently amazing. Although I mostly go for dinner, I tried the lunch buffet and that was awesome as well. Not a bad price, either.
(5)Clint E.
I ordered Chicken Tikka Masala and a garlic naan. This is the best Indian place I've ever been to in terms of quality. Service was FAST, and everything was priced affordable. Tomato Onion salad was average but that's nitpicking. This is the place to go for Indian Cuisine in this city.
(5)Jack S.
A well known spot in Columbus that most love. It lived up to the billing for my first visit. Food was good, liked the lunch buffet and waiter was quick with the drinks.
(4)Patrick M.
...so there's an episode of Cheers where mailman Cliff Claven delivers mail to eight apartment doors on the same floor. The minute he walks out of the hallway, all eight residents emerge from their doors to exchange mail since Cliff -- being Cliff -- had managed to get the deliveries wrong for all eight of them. And the matter-of-fact way the apartment residents handled the exchange of mail suggested that it happened every day. After a very good meal at Aab, this Clavenesque experience was ours as it came time to pay the bills. Some had extra items on their bills; others didn't have items they'd ordered included. Credit cards got shuffled so that one person was paying another person's bill. Another bill got completely lost. And one diner in our party had to insist that a poorly mixed cocktail she hadn't drunk be removed from her bill while the waitress told her she didn't have authority from her manager to remove the item, even if it wasn't fit for consumption. It is rare that the billing process upstage the eating portion of a meal. But when the billing process takes 40 minutes, that nearly happened for us at Aab. Fortunately the food was good enough and we weren't in a hurry so we just rolled with it and could laugh about it. I had the jalfrezi, a vegetable mix in a tomato base that was probably the best jalfrezi I've ever had. It was an excellent choice for a vegan. (The waitress was quite helpful in identifying the vegan options.) None of the dryness that has characterized jalfrezi at other Indian spots, and just the right amount of spice. The veggie samosa was also done well, made almost perfect with the tamarind sauce. Even the okra entree was flavorful and not cooked to mush the way it is at so many places. Among our party of nine, not one person was the least bit dissatisfied with the food. Aab would merit at least four stars and perhaps four and a half had it not been for the billing debacle. We found it hard to blame our waitress. She was clearly trying. The fault seems to lie with the restaurant operation itself. How is it possible to not have a proper way to account for who orders what? And does the management really not give a waitress the authority to not charge for undrinkable cocktails? Aab should rethink the way they keep track of charges. If they do that, they might have a really outstanding dining establishment. And they won't drive their wait staff to the point of absolute frustration.
(3)James S.
Solid Indian restaurant in my opinion. I actually haven't had the buffet yet which seems to be a big draw. I had the chicken curry which was good. The servings were a little on the small side, but I'm a bigger guy. Service was nice and efficient. Will be back.
(4)Erin F.
Aab is hands down the best Indian food in Ohio, if not the Midwest!!! I started by ordering takeout, and only ever getting the chicken curry, which is amazing. But then I was told they had a buffet lunch mon-fri. Now that is what I attend, because I love to try all of their dishes. I have yet to find one I don't like! The staff is always friendly and helpful, and they keep the water filled for those of us who like our meals a little spicier;-)
(5)Kate N.
I really loved this place until today. I was a regular customer who would brag about the restaurant to anyone. I recently had take out and experienced FOOD POISONING. I experienced all types of symptoms that I will spare you. When I called to report my experience I was told I needed a doctor's note to make any claim which was followed by (and I quote!) "MY JOB IS TO DEFEND THE RESTAURANT FIRST." This was said by a MANAGER. There was no compassion or acknowledgement of my experience. The manager was defensive and (I love this part) said my food was "prepared earlier" so it couldn't have been what got me ill. So I took that to mean my food had been sitting around. I got the chicken tikka marsala which is my usual fav. If the manager had not been incredibly rude, defensive and showed compassion I would not be writing this. I didn't want money or a gift card. I thought I was doing the right thing by letting them know so they could look into it. Instead i got defensive, blaming remarks and I don't want to return to a restaurant that DEFENDS THE RESTAURANT FIRST. What happened to customer service?!?
(1)Aditi B.
I am from India and can absolutely vouch for this place. The food is as good as it gets. I love the Chicken Saag and the Chicken Biryani.
(5)SE W.
We sat there unacknowledged for 15 minutes while countless employees walked by. No one ever came to our table. The place wasn't even busy. We ended up walking out and went to New India, where we were greeted immediately.
(1)Matt R.
Ughhhh... but in SUCH a good way - ya know the I'm-eating-the-incredible-leftovers-and-even-then-ÂI-ate-too-much kind of way. I went to Aab at the beginning of this week and got the chicken vindaloo and my friend got the chicken tikka masala. I'm just finishing my leftover naan and vindaloo as I type this and I think I over ate... for the 2nd time on the same food. Yup, you get a great bang for your buck. And the food. Ohhhhh the food. And the service. Ohhhhh the service. Both excellent! Don't know if we were special, but we asked for extra rice since we were running low and we weren't charged for it. Right on! Sometimes you don't know what to expect with Indian restaurants... One small criticism, though, was that there weren't many potatoes and a little lacking on the chicken. I was expecting a bit more, but what was there was great. Most important to me, though, is that you can get spicy food EXTRA spicy. You can choose from a scale 1-6, 6 being the hottest. Pretty sure they won't even have to ask next time - 6 it is. And yes, it is tear-jerkingly hot, lip terminatingly risque, eyebrow scorchingly scrumdiddliumpcious. What? Well, it's just the way Indian food should be. Thanks to Yelp I have never had bad Indian food and Aab is right up there with any other Indian restaurant I've been to on the West Coast, East Coast, the Midwest, or Texas (its own country really).
(5)Sam M.
I have been to this restaurant like five times. The food is amazing. However, the last time I went there, the price was so high. I didn't know why they changed the price and added some extra charge to the bill. I asked them and they said that this is a new system of bills.
(2)Jackie C.
Great go to place for a first time Indian food experience. I am pretty dull and cannot take anything too spicy so I stick to the chicken biryani or the sag paneer, both of which are very good. The service has always been excellent, if anything they can be a bit of overkill with the water refills. My very large complaint is that their prices online do not match what they charge you when go inside. If you raise your prices and can update your menu, than you should do the same to your website. Both dishes that we ordered for carry out price had gone up two dollars each. Which may not sound like much, but when you plan on paying in cash then it can be very inconvenient. Would be 4 stars if not for the incorrect prices.
(2)Jen M.
The short version: Stick with the lunch buffet and takeout, which are a great value. Avoid the dinner service. The longer version: I had some phenomenal takeout food from Aab at a friend's house last spring. It was truly some of the best Indian food I'd ever had, so my husband and I decided to try Aab for dinner last Friday night. The restaurant was full, but there was no wait time for a table. The table was covered in crumbs, but the waitress simply asked us to lean back while she put a piece of white paper over it--which meant the paper had little lumps and dips wherever there was a crumb under it. The appetizer course showed up in 10 minutes and the veggie samosas were outstanding, as were the chutneys that were served with it. After that, we waited 35 minutes (so a total of 45 minutes from the time we ordered) for our dinner of chicken tikka masala, lamb curry, and saag paneer. All three dishes were VERY bland despite having been ordered at a medium spice level. We're talking "bland as hospital cafeteria food" bland, not just "my interpretation of medium and your interpretation of medium must be different" bland. After a 45-minute wait, I was in no mood to send it back, so I mixed the onion chutney into the tikka masala to elevate the spice level, and that tasted okay. Also, the chicken tikka masala was made up of itty bitty bits of chicken. While I always appreciate getting lots of sauce with a curry or masala dish, there was so little meat that I felt cheated out of my money. If I go back to Aab, it will be for the lunch buffet, where I won't have to deal with the wait times, the quality will (I hope) be better than what I got last night, and the price tag will be commensurate with the quality.
(2)Doug O.
I'm neither knowledgeable nor enthusiastic when it comes to Indian food, but I had a very nice meal here. I was with a large group and was able to try a number of people's meals, and I honestly enjoyed all of them, even though I'm honestly not sure what I was eating most of the time. I'd go back.
(4)Elise B.
Delicious! I've been here a couple times for the lunch buffet and another time for dinner, and have been consistently happy with the food. Once the buffet was crazy crowded but I couldn't mind too much because the wait was worth it. Great naan, mango lassi, tikka masala (my favorite!), palak paneer, various veggie dishes, and dessert (rice, mango, carrot puddings). Every time we go for the buffet everyone just ends up stuffing themselves.
(5)Foodie C.
The good The best Indian restaurant in Columbus so far. Curries are rich, creamy, fresh and extremely delicious. Usually with the buffets the overall satisfaction with the meal ends up getting diluted as you will be trying so many things, many being subpar. But here, everything was awesome. They don't charge full price for lunch buffet for a 7 yr old child. The bad The service isn't all that great. Takes them a while to seat them. But hey! overall I'm here for the food. I have always left with a positive experience. This has been the most favored restaurant amongst all of the Indians in my social circle in the Columbus.
(5)niki q.
So its embarrassing and I don't know how it happened, but my husband and I had never been to an Indian resteraunt before tonight! We chose Aab on the reccomendation of several people, and we could not have been more pleased with the experience. Our waiter (whose name, I think, is Slavisha) was incredible. He patiently walked us through the menu and made helpful suggestions. We ended up getting the appetizer sampler, chicken shahi korma, lamb curry and garlic naan. My husband was grinning from ear to ear the whole time we ate because everything was so riciulously good! I cannot believe that we have both been missing this our whole lives! We will be back soon. And frequently.
(5)Justine L.
Come here for lunch buffet for $10 and you won't regret it! It is just simply wonderful! What can I say--sometimes you need to add a little spice in your life! All the curries are tasty! It is sooo busy here so come when it opens! I eat all the curries with nan (Indian bread) and put chutney all over everything! If only my bf loves Indian cuisine more, I would come here everyday!!
(5)Matt S.
My favorite place for carry-out Indian in Columbus. I recommend the Malai Kafta for vegetarians. However, DO NOT attempt a sit-down meal. I usually end-up walking out after being ignored by the wait-staff for 10 minutes.
(3)Nate H.
Not bad for a lunch buffet. It has clearly been one of the cleanest Asian Restaurants I have been to yet. (Note: I don't eat at high-class Asian places). There was a full service bar (Jack, Makers, Jameson, beer, etc.) The buffet had a ok-to-decent selection of items. Not bad for a $10 lunch buffet.
(3)Jane S.
Really yummy Chicken Tikki Masala. Naan is very good, too. Prices reasonable for quality and amount. They use a number system when asking your spice preference... great idea! Mine was a 2 and perfect for me. Atmosphere not all that great. Basically one large room with a bar. It was crowded at dinner time and very loud.
(4)Sandy W.
I finally made time to check out Aab's lunch buffet, and the food selection did not disappoint. On the savory side included fried pakora, saag paneer, chicken tikka masala, and chicken tandoori. Other items include (and I've forgotten the names so forgive me for the crude descriptions) a fried thing with a mashed potato filling, diced turnips with a yellowish spice (perhaps curry) and cilantro, chickpeas in a tomato-based sauce, chicken/pork meatballs in a tomato-based sauce, and chicken in a tomato-based sauce. Of course, there's all the rice and naan you could want! They offer the usual chutneys (plum, mint, onion), a cooling yogurt sauce, and pickled vegetables. For dessert, they had a banana flavored custard (it was more like soup than custard) with chunks of banana and pineapple and kheer pudding (also a bit on the watery side). They also offered wheat pudding for the first time, or so the waitress informed me. It was also kind of soupy, but it was fairly creamy and had a nice hint of cardamom. It was probably my favorite of the desserts. Oh, and there were a few salad items, but why in the world would you devote valuable stomach space to iceberg lettuce? Overall, a pretty good selection for around $10. The downside is that I got there when it was really busy, and the service was kind of a mess. There were only two waiters as far as I could tell, and it took a while to get in a drink order. All of the other staff members just served water and cleared tables. Oh, and food coma is a real danger, so beware!
(4)Cheryl H.
Aab is soooooo good. I've been here a few times now, enjoying both their lunch buffet and dinner. I'm not ballsy enough to eat anything above a "2" on the 1-6 spicy scale, but my 1 and 2 dishes are still packed with flavor. Chicken Saag is my favorite and it's just.... omg I'm, hungry thinking about it. Aab, anyone? Get there before 7 and enjoy half-off appetizers! And don't forget to order some delicious nan (garlic is bomb)
(4)Ivory H.
I love the 10 dollar lunch buffet. It's perfect if you've never been to this place before or don't know much about Indian food.
(4)Ha H.
Mediocre.
(2)Brad S.
The lunch buffet was great. Quick, and a good price. The food was a nice mixture of spicy dishes and mild curries. (although a lot of the dishes seemed to be based on the same red curry sauce - this could just be my ignorance of indian cuisine though.). The meat tasted like good quality, and the buffet had a lot of different dishes with different textures, which I liked. I would have preferred some more fresh vegetables, but overall it was a good lunch experience.
(4)Katie F.
Bottom line: good value, great food, satisfactory service. Went for the buffet with my husband on his lunch break; I was excited while my hubby, who shies away from spice, was a bit hesitant. Aab won us both over with their hearty curries that were full of flavor and a nice balance of heat, an endless supply of naan, and a nice array of condiments to customize your meal. We arrived rather late, the buffet closes at 2:30 and we came in at 1:45, but the buffet was still hot and fresh. We walked away full and pleased, the only negative I have is that even though the small dining room wasn't crowded I still had to get up and find someone to refill my waterglass after waiting for a significant period of time without anything to drink. Other than that little hiccup though, a great experience.
(4)Virginia W.
When we arrived, they had seated us tucked off to the left as you come in. So our waitress didn't see us right away. This was the longest wait, while we were here. After that, our drinks and dinner were prompt. The food was great and plenty of it, I love having spice levels! The prices are decent for a nice evening dinner. If it's your first time or seventh time eating Indian food, you'll need to go here. Also a friend of mine who I meet almost every week for lunch, usually arrives before me. He is always dressed for working a skill labor job. He doesn't look like he came from an office job. But every time he orders drinks (such as tea) he has to ask three and four times and they seem forgetful about what he ordered, before he can get his beverage. When I arrive before my friend, I'm dressed for the office. My requested drinks (tea) are prompt and courteous. I don't appreciate poor customer service, if you're not dressed in a certain way, the prompt and courteous service shouldn't change.
(4)Meghan R.
This is my favorite Indian restaurant in Columbus, period. They serve delicious Northern Indian cuisine, and they do it extremely well. Their lunch buffet is amazing, and the rest of their menu is tasty as well. I suggest the vegetable pakora, the nan, chicken makni, tiki masala, and the lamb curry. They are all amazing. I don't think I've ever had a meal here that I didn't love. The cost is a little higher than the ideal, so I don't eat there as much as I would like, but it is well worth the money when I have it to spend.
(5)Brian K.
Good food but service is hit or miss. Full restaurant on Sunday with only two servers...definitely understaffed.
(3)jon s.
Food was decent, not phenomenal. I felt it was priced fairly decently. Service was good - not sure what other recent complaints on here were referring to. Perhaps they came on off nights? We were in and out in an hour tops. Mind you there were only two of us, so maybe that played into how the evening went. Long story short, I'd come back. I like Cumin up on Polaris and Gemini much better, but for close-to-home Indian this wasn't bad by any means.
(3)Judy C.
Aab's lunch buffet is bomb and at ~$10 a person, it's robbery! You get all the awesome food you can order at dinner at a much lower price. With buffets, I usually expect lukewarm and repeatedly reheated mediocre food. Aab's offerings are fresh (i.e. don't look like they've been sitting there for 5 hours), plentiful, replenished frequently, and most importantly - delicious. They have your usual favorites: chicken tikka masala, chicken makhani, paneer, chicken tandoori, naan, rice and more. Also offered are salads and dessert. The chicken makhani is always my favorite - spicy, flavorful, and creamy. The chicken tandoori comes in huge portions and is very tender. Aab's naan is the absolute best! It's big, light, fluffy, and buttery. Unlimited naan is enough of a reason to tempt me to the buffet. Ordering off the menu is good too but can be expensive. I always end up spending around $30 since I go a little crazy ordering mango lassis, appetizers, naan, entrees, and desserts but that's just me!
(5)Elenore S.
LOVE THIS PLACE. It really is the best Indian I have had in Columbus. Originally from the South Bay area of Southern California, I grew up with British parents who loved curry and have been eating Indian food since I was young. When I came here, I was hoping to find somewhere to be on par with my favorite Indian place back home. Here it is! Aab is great. Their naan (I get the garlic) is fantastic, and their Chicken curry is phenomenal. My boyfriend always gets the tikka masala, and he loves it. I order mine lower on the heat scale because I am a huge wimp when it comes to spicy, but it doesn't take away from the flavor of it. Even their rice is cooked to perfection. The only complaint I have about it is their lunch buffet- you can't take home your leftovers. This is seriously disappointing because you pay a decent amount for it (somewhere around $13 bucks) and you won't finish all of it because it is such a heavy kind of food. I understand some people take their box and fill it up again at the buffet, but the one time I asked about it, I really did just want to take home the rest of my plate. But I get why they don't allow it. If you have never had Indian food or have been scared to try it, GO HERE. You won't regret it.
(5)Molly B.
Had a great experience at Aab this week. My dining companion said, "you can always tell an Indian restaurant by their Chicken Tikka Masala." So, of course, like most other Americans, I ordered the Chicken Tikka Masala. And it was spot. on. The spice levels were accurate and the flavors were bursting. My foodie friend had the Lamb Korma and absolutely loved it as well. I am knocking one star off for slow service. They were really busy, though, so I sorta understand. Being busy as a new restaurant is a good sign. It means the food is good. I will be back here. ...Probably every other day.
(4)Bee S.
Aab is delicious. I love Aab. Even once you walk in you can smell saffron and spice and it just makes my mouth water. I first found out about Aab on Yelp. The reviews were good and I was trying to find a place to take my parents and my boyfriend out to eat. I was kind of nervous because I wasn't sure what kind of atmosphere it would be, what the seating would be like, parking, etc. But we gambled and won. It is right in grandview across from the caribou coffee strip mall. We parked in the bank parking lot (the designated parking once the bank closes), which is really nice since Aab obviously needs the extra spaces. As soon as we walked in, I was at ease. It is nice inside for dinner, with mature decor, a full bar to the left, and plenty of tables with white tablecloths :) Dinner and service were outstanding. I was so pleased with the whole experience that my boyfriend and I have been back multiple times for dinner since taking my parents that first time. I've been alternating between the chicken dal and chicken vindaloo. I can't bring myself to stray from those, but I don't doubt the rest of the menu is just as good. You can also choose your "spicy" level, and I usually stay in the middle of the pack (2-3), with a mild hot level. My boyfriend likes his spicy and gets 4-5's. He has fallen in love with the dinner specialty with shrimp and lamb. It's a ton of food but he always finishes it!! And it comes with naan. I am a huge fan of the naan here. It's fluffy, warm, and perfect. It's a good thing they only give you one large piece, otherwise I would keep those things coming until I went into a bread coma.
(5)Howie O.
I went to Aab today and had the buffet. The food tasted good, there is a pretty good variety, it is a good value at $10 and I left stuffed. The only issue that I had was that I sat too close to the buffet line and had to watch people serve themselves. Please don't use your hands to serve yourself.... It's disgusting!!! Next time I think I will order off of the menu.
(3)Dawn L.
This is only the 2nd Indian restaurant that I have been to and it is definitely my favorite! They have a great happy hour from 5 - 7 PM with 1/2 off appetizers and $1.00 off all beers, $3.00 well drinks. Best of all they have a gluten free beer! The food is fantastic, I especially love the saag mushroom! I think I might be a wuss when it comes to Indian spices because I can't handle even one star! I always ask for no stars when I order and they look at me funny, but anything one star or higher gives me crazy hiccups! My husband on the other hand always gets his food with 5 stars and even then it's not spicy enough for him so he has to ask for extra spice. For an appetizer we usually get the assorted vegetable platter and everything on it is so delicious! Since going gluten free I've had to give up nan, but when I did eat it we would always go for the garlic nan, it's fantastic! As for drinks, I LOVE mango so I always get the mango splash. I'm sure the desserts are great too, but we're always so full that we can't even think of dessert.
(5)Trish Y.
Great service. The food tasted good...but my boyfriend and I was sick after we ate there for several hours. We are unsure if we are not used to eating cury or if it was unclean.
(3)Ryan S.
Aab definitely does not compare to the Columbus institution that is Indian Oven. I was very excited to try Aab based on all the glowing reviews but our experience didn't live up to the expectations. We ordered pretty much the same thing as we do from Indian Oven for as close of a comparison as possible. Vegatable Samosa - Not as flavorful or as flaky but wasn't terrible. Papadom - Besides not being as tasty and light, only 2 were included with an order. Green chutney - Not even close. Smaller portion as well. Special Chicken Tikka Masala - The initial impression of the flavor was positive but soon became way too heavy. The sauce was too creamy for me and actually reminded me of a nacho cheese dish at a mexican restaurant. NAV Rattan Korma - Flavor too close to the Tikka Masala with the same shortcomings. This was the only time we've thrown the leftovers away instead of taking them for lunch the next day. And just to be clear, Indian Oven isn't our only experience with Indian fare, various places in the 'bus as well as London, Vienna, Paris, Dehli, Mumbai, Istanbul more... Not horrible but not recommended.
(2)Big Baby Jesus C.
Well, I have been looking for a good Northern Indian restaurant since moving up here. This place had high marks, and isn't too far from a friend's house, so it was only a matter of time before we got together. Hmmm good or bad first, guess we'll talk about the good. They have the best vindaloo in the city so far. It was really good, 4.5/5. The saag was also good, but think they over did it a bit with the ghee and/or cream, 4/5. Thumbs up for figuring out how to make spinach fattening though ;) The restaurant looks nice, and the beer prices were reasonable, and the entrees themselves were very affordable at ~$11. They also didn't give me the "white man" spice scale, my spicy vindaloo actually was. OK, the appetizers were overpriced. ~$6 for 3.5 very tiny pieces of chicken pakora? The bread was almost $3 a piece, and it was the worst naan and bhatura I have ever had. I am fine sticking with the basmati, but I have a friend who usually eats his whole meal with naan instead of rice. He'd be 10 different shades of pissed about the naan here. So, in summary, get some beer and an entree, but skip bread and appetizers.
(4)David C.
Yes please. The street food appetizer (the name escapes me) is by far the best opening to a meal at an Indian restaurant I've ever had. If you get the saag, you will have your mind blown. The rich, deep tones of their spinach dishes leave me desperately cutting myself off from eating the whole serving dish. My wife loved the Lamb Saag (with mushrooms added), and as leftovers, it was equally incredible. You can, if you stop before emptying the plate, get two meals out of one visit here. The service is terrific, and their beer selection makes most people I've known happy.
(5)Matthew B.
How is that Indian food buffets are always SO. MUCH. better than any other type of buffet? Is it just that Indian food is that good? "Wanna go to a buffet?" "Okaaaaay." "Wanna go to an INDIAN buffet?" "Fuck YES I do, get out of my way, I need to run there NOOOOOOOOW." Aab's buffet did not even pretend to disappoint. This review really only needs one fact: all you can eat naan. All. You. Can. Eat. Naan. Let that sink in. That makes EVERYTHING on the buffet that much better, because you can eat it with naan. Pick it up, soak it up, swirl it around, pop it in your mouth. This is great food, well presented, at a great value. I got my $9 worth and more. The selection isn't as diverse as, say, Hometown Buffet, and that's a compliment. When I went there were maybe six or eight dishes to combine; not so much choice that you fear for how they could possibly make so many things fresh, but enough choice to warrant a second (or third or fourth) trip to the food line. I dream of Aab to this day, and I've only been once! I was very impressed. There are other good things to say, too, like that it had a classy-looking bar and was an all-around cute little restaurant, but, really, why are you still reading this? You should be on your way right now, or, if it is not business hours, you should be sleeping to pass the time until you get to Aab. (And if you could sneak me out a handful of that great naan, I'd be surely in your debt!)
(4)Lisa S.
AAB! Say it with me now! AAAAAAAB! Relax your jaw muscle, let it drop, open up from the back of your throat and just go AAAAAAAB! I don't know if that's how you actually pronounce AAB Indian Restaurant, but that's how I do it! AAB crept up on me as my favorite Indian restaurant in Columbus. I didn't mean for this to happen. Suddenly I just found myself returning here again and again. AAB also marks the first Indian restaurant that has actually opened up my eyes to understanding Indian dishes. Before, I knew that I liked anything with orange sauce. But I wasn't sure what made something a Vindaloo or something else a Paneer. Between the easy to understand menu and the helpful staff, I'm enjoying Indian food in a whole new light. I love pretty much everything I've eaten here. And between dinners and lunch buffets, I've had a chance to sample a lot. Let me recommend, always start with some appetizers. I dig the Samosas, the Veggie Pakora, the Paneer Pakora - actually just save yourself some time and order a sampler (or two). The lunch buffet is a great deal, $8.45 for all you can eat. And it has return factor, the buffet items seem to change around day-by-day. AAB is always serving a few veggie items as well as meat items. All you can eat nan during the buffet! During dinner, nan is ordered separately. Don't be tempted by different flavored nan, regular old nan is the best. Main dishes will be introduced with a starting spice level - for instance, Vindaloo starts at a 4 out of 8. Even though it's a spicy dish, spice wimps can still enjoy it. OH! And do NOT miss out on the chutney! This is a must add to every dish, I was a chutney simpleton before AAB. About my only complaint actually stems from the service. During dinner, the charm is on and the entire wait staff is a joy. Lunch is more laissez-faire and attitudes appear cool and aloof. AAB is AABsolutely my favorite Indian restaurant in Columbus.
(4)Jennifer P.
Being from the Bay Area in California, I know my Indian food like the back of my hand. As much as I'd love to give Aab Indian five stars, it just doesn't quite make it up to my high standards. The first time at Aab, I ordered the chicken tikka masala with a spicy level of medium. It was good, but it was clearly missing a certain flavor I was more accustomed to. I thought the masala sauce was too tomato-y and bland. I was there again last night and ordered the same dish. This time however, I spiced it up a notch by going with the hot! This made the dish only a tad hotter but really brought out the much missed Indian flavors that I love! Mmm, basmati rice! I like that it has orange tips and peas mixed in. I ended up boxing the remaining tikka and I was surprised that they brought out an extra dish of rice for me to take home at no extra charge. I did notice that the second batch of rice was incredibly too salty though. I have yet to try their kheer! But I did grab a spoonful of seeds on my way out! This reminds me of the Indian restaurants I'd go to as a kid and always took extra helpings of the seeds :) Their menu prices are slightly high for what you get, but rice comes with some, if not all of the main entrees. I was a little disappointed that a small side of raita was close to $3, as it's one of my favorite things to put over chicken tikka masala. Oh! Anddd Aab has en excellent Happy Hour! $3 strong vodka soda, yes please!
(4)Kirsten H.
I was originally writing about Aab as "excellent food, but a little pricey." I have since visited multiple times and now feel that the food is so good that it's worth paying full price. That said, get a coupon if you can, they often have them in ThisWeek papers or on the restaurant's website. Be aware that if you map to the restaurant using Yelp, it takes you to the wrong part of Grandview Ave. Aab India is near Grandview and Ida, which is almost as far north as 5th Ave. This may be why every time I try to check in to Aab India I get a message that I'm too far away. But back to the food...the spiciness options are on a 6-point scale. Unless you're a full-blooded Norwegian, you should be fine at a "3" or above. Note that I am a half-blooded Norwegian and I can handle the 5/6. I generally like to get the Palak Paneer at 4/6 and my boyfriend gets the Chicken Vindaloo at a 5/6. Of course, we usually share. We like to pair it with the "Chef's special Naan" which is stuffed with onion, garlic, potatoes and chicken. By the way, lunch portions are available and reasonably sized, and one dinner portion is plenty for two people, especially if you share an order of bread and an appetizer. M-F 5-7 is the happy hour, which offers half-priced appetizers and drink deals. Note that they close between lunch and dinner to recover from the lunch buffet. We have heard that the lunch buffet is legendary and I hope to check it out soon! In parting, I would also to recommend sitting outside on the patio if the weather is cooperating, it's quite nice and the service tends to be excellent whether you dine indoors or out.
(5)Robin L.
I would rate this Indian food restaurant average at best. We went there on Valentines day after a movie. It was 9:30 and the restaurant closes at 10. There were at least 5 other couples in the restaurant but the staff was already breaking down and eating out front. We were sat at a table that wasn't completely set and, waited for 5 minutes for the waitress to come over and then told we needed to hurry. I had one drink and was not offered a refill. The food was okay but slightly burnt like it had been sitting there a while. My advice to this restaurant is if you do not want to have quality service and food until 10pm change your closing time to 9pm and save patrons the lackluster experience of average food and below average service.
(2)Kate H.
Best Indian in town. Service is pleasant, but can be slow.
(4)Stephen B.
Best Indian restaurant in Columbus, great food, attentive service. The Buffett is very popular get there early on Friday lunch times
(5)L B.
Not sure how this place has such a good name for itself. The service is less than impressive, and so is the food. Only good thing I can say is that their appetizers are pretty good. The saag paneer is reminiscent of thick creamed spinach and the other dishes I've had were pretty unflavorful. There are so many better options for Indian food in Columbus.
(2)Kyle J.
Returned this past weekend for the lunch buffet with the Mom. The buffet was massive and had a lot of variety. Not very spicy but then again I'm a sucker for spice. For 9 bucks you can feast like a king. I was displeased by our lack of service during this past visit. We were shown to a table, given water. Then nothing. No server returned to take a drink order. No bill was ever brought to our table while other tables had servers dishing out drink refills and checking up on them. Other tables would get their bill halfway through their first plate and we got nothing. We ended up having to go up front to ask to pay for our meals. What up with that?
(4)Larry M.
Went here for Dinner on a Friday night. Fantastic Indian food. The chicken tikka masala was excellent, and the naan was exceptional as well. The service was average, but nothing to complain about. I'd put this on par with Taj Mahal up near OSU, though Aab gets points for having a better parking situation and a nicer atmosphere.
(4)Kels M.
I love Aab. My friends and I come here excessively! Love the lunch buffets, but their dinner plates are fabulous as well if you decide to come here on a night out! Grant it, I love Indian food, but this is the best I've had in Columbus thus far
(5)Gwen D.
Aab. Oh, Aab. I've been avoiding writing a review because I cannot find the words to adequately express my love for this place. Everything I've tried has been delicious. Lunch buffet? EVERYTHING is good. EVERYTHING. Order off the menu? Hard to go wrong with any choice. Servers? Friendly and very helpful. (Sometimes a bit slow to get you the check for the buffet, but I'll let it slide because that means I could just go up to the buffet again and get more food.) Yes, the Chicken Tikka Masala is amazing, as many people have mentioned. (Mmmm...) But here are some of my other personal favs: The Saag Mushroom (spinach and mushroom) is OUTSTANDING. Creamy and spicy, a little bit smoky, and perfect for eating with your naan and your fingers and getting all messy. The Navratan Korma (veggie korma) makes me feel like I would never need to eat meat ever again because I love it so. Spicy and creamy, nutty and rich. The Tandoori chicken is the best I've had at any Indian restaurant in any city, ever. It is SO moist and tender that I can't believe it. I like to have any excuse to eat the Raita (heavenly yoghurt cucumber sauce). Seriously, I probably could just drink it and be happy, but it pairs excellently with the Biryani dishes and I sneak it onto my Tandoori chicken at lunch. The veggie Pakoras are fluffy and a great excuse to eat mint chutney. I could keep going on and on, but I'm making myself hungry again. Luckily there are leftovers in the fridge. A final note - they spice everything 1-6, with 1 being mild and 6 probably making you sweat and cry for mercy. I went with a 3 tonight, which was spicy, and others with me said a 2 was making them sweat. So, know what you're getting yourself into.
(5)Joe V.
First time trying Indian food. Food was very good for Indian cuisine. Most entrees you can rate spiciness from 1 to 6. Garlic naan is good- pita like bread. Large portions and they give you a big serving of rice for the entrees. Customer service was ok (messed up our reservations). Dining is pretty casual. Fun place to sit and drink Taj Mahal beers.
(3)Susan H.
Met a friend/business associate here for lunch and a meeting and had the buffet. $8 for all you can eat Indian food. Nice vegetarian selection. The food was a touch on the mild side. It was good but not amazing. Certainly worth the price but very standard solid Indian food. Maybe the meat dishes are more memorable. The other problem I have at buffets is that I always eat too much, way too much. Will I be back? Sure. I think that Banana Leaf is better but maybe I just like southern Indian better.
(4)Paul F.
Hey, it looks like I'm the hundredth person to write a review for Aab. I was there today for lunch and it was pretty good. I got all the food I could hold and the tariff was a miserly $10.00. I had tandoori chicken, chicken vindallo, and sang paneer and a whole lot of other tasty items. And I'm still feeling it. I just skipped dinner. LOL
(4)Troy S.
I have visited this place a few times for a great Indian dinner, but today was the first time I chose this place for lunch. I have been disappointed with most Indian buffets because the food quality drops a lot along with any sense of spice in the food. Indian food is all about a certain amount of spice that lingers on your palette. I decided that I should give this lunch buffet a go and I was pleasantly surprised. The price was about average at almost $10 a person. The food choice was 6-8 entrees along with naan, pakora, and rice. The Chicken Tikka Masala and Paneer Saag were my favorites on the buffet. I had some good naan and some too thin and burnt Naan. But the Naan was all that you can eat so if one was a little too crispy then the next one seemed to be perfect. I think it was only one batch that came out a little too overdone and thin. Spice- I was able to still taste some Indian spice in the food, but it still was toned down a bit. The Aloo Chole did have a nice spice to it. I think they probably used 1 & 2 for most of their spice amount. I would live them to add a spicy Vindaloo to help keep us spicy lovers happy. This was easily the best Indian buffet that I have had in Columbus. The food was cooked well and the buffet was well stocked with fresh servings. I will goo back for the buffet as well as for dinner. I usually get my spice level at 5 or Indian Spicy. I lived on the Indian Subcontinent and prefer my food spicy where your nose runs, but the spice takes awhile to heat up. You usually don't realize how spicy it is until after 5-8 bites and it starts heating up from there. Now I plan to see how well their Happy Hour is one of these days and I will have a well rounded view of Aab India which is my favorite Columbus Indian restaurant to date. I still want to try Cumin but I have tried most of the ones in Dublin, Campus Area, & Hilliard. Choose Aab if your debating.
(5)Amanda B.
This place was a whole lot of "okay" for me. The food was okay. The staff was okay. Drinks were okay. Prices were okay. Nothing really bowled me over though. I'd go again if a friend wanted to but I wouldn't put it at "zomg best food ever!" status. One thing I will say is that the pick-your-spiciness-level thing is an awesome idea. That said, I'm wondering if my tastebuds are broken or something because I ordered a dish that was supposed to be fairly spicy (level 4 or 5 I believe) and it wasn't really fire-breathing level like everyone seems to be describing. Maybe I got a rouge dish, as I went just after they opened up. Overall analysis: it's worth a shot if you want some relatively authentic Indian food. But it wasn't something to write home about for me.
(3)Bossy G.
The Prawn tandoori was simply awesome. Our server was wonderful. Friends who ordered the lamb curry and the chicken masala were disappointed that there were few vegetables. Still, all were happy with the quality of the food. I was visiting from Oregon and this was the best Indian food I have had in years.
(5)Julie P.
Wow! An Indian place that goes beyond the typical menu items! Kudos for lots of creative vegetarian dishes. Double Kudos for homemade, fresh chutneys served on the table. Triple Kudos for nice outdoor patio seating. Infinity Kudos for a fresh mango juice Aab-tini. nom nom nom...
(4)Marcia E.
Had my first dinner at Aab tonight. Went with a bunch of people and we ordered enough food to share and sample that everyone went home with a little white take home box. The food was across the board well prepared and tasty. Our waiter explained that the dishes can be spiced to your request with 1 being mild and 6 being incendiary! He also cautioned us to order 1 level lower that what we thought we could stand. He was right! I am not spicy food tolerant, and I ordered spicy level 2. It was just hot enough for me, I would not have wanted it any hotter. The menu is really packed with lots of selection and each dish has an explanation that describes just what you are going to get. Portions are generous and really tasty. I did find that the Naan was rather too tender. I like mine with a chewier texture and a little more body. Staff was friendly and helpful. Lunch buffet every day can't be beat! Lots of delicious selection and excellent food.
(4)Christin D.
The Holy Grail of indian food for me comes from Ambar in Cincinnati. My quest for something similar in Columbus was disappointing until last night. As it is owned by the same family, Aab's menu is exactly the same. How did i miss that when I read their website? Anyway, I could not be happier that they've made their way up i-71, into my loving arms. The Nav Ratan Korma is exactly what I wanted, totally decadent, spicy, and worth every calorie. The service is great, the atmosphere is really classy, and anyone willing to try something new will have a ton of choices. So, so SO glad I found this.
(5)Christina C.
Queue 1970s Life cereal commercial: "He likes it! Hey Mikey!" Indian food virgin and skeptic here (I've seen way too many movies that involve smelly, spicy Indian food). Because of this reason I've waited all these years to take the plunge. Joke's on me! There was no reason to be scared or intimidated! Especially at Aab. Food: Delicious! Even the leftovers the day after. My lady diners and I shared wine, apps, naan and entrees and were still left with tons of food for lunch the next day. I can't compare it to any other Indian food I've eaten because, well, I have nothing to compare it to. BUT I can assure you it was tasty. Restaurant: Wasn't expecting white tablecloths, but there they were. The inside is wide open and it was easy to overhear your neighbors conversation - that was kind of a bummer. The bathroom decor was pretty darn cool too! (As a lady, the bathroom thing is crucial to a good experience.) It wasn't over the top by any means, but something to look at if you get my drift. Service: Incredibly helpful! - although you could tell our server was trying pretty hard. Just ask for assistance in understanding the menu and your wish is granted. Made a world of difference to this girl who couldn't even properly pronounce saag or shahi korma. (Both wonderful, though.) Affordability: Totally reasonable. Two bottles of wine, two appetizers, four entrees and four orders of naan came to a little over a Benji! The real question is: Would I go back anytime soon? Glad you asked. I've already made a date to go back next week! I can already see myself becoming Columbus' new Indian food minx!
(4)Kimberly R.
Absolutely delicious, and great service too!
(5)Rachel D.
I cannot get enough of this place!! The food here is simply amazing, and can be customized to suit your desired level of spiciness. Everything I've tried has been simply perfect!! I think I'm addicted. The staff at the entrance is usually pretty short on conversation and warmth, but I'm not really there for companionship, so I look past it. The restaurant, itself, is fairly small and can get pretty crowded on a busy Friday or Saturday evening, so don't expect an intimate date setting when you go there. The wait staff is usually very helpful, and you're guaranteed to never run low on drink, as they're constantly refilling. The food comes out fairly quickly, and is ALWAYS fresh and hot. You are almost guaranteed to make a mess, as you share rice and chutney from the center of your table, but that's okay, this place isn't at all uptight or scornful of the more exuberant eaters like my friend's son...certainly not me... I can't wait for my next meal at Aab!
(5)Daniel S.
Their rice is awesome. We are vegetarians so please do not assume any meat dishes from this review. We get take out from them every other month. Great flavors. Great selection of dishes and sides. Some heavy unwarranted use of onion lately takes 1/2 star. I tell many to go and almost all love it.
(4)Shawn L.
Great food and decent prices. Haven't ever been for th lunch buffet but I hear its good also. The only drawback is the services. There are 1 or 2 decent servers and the rest are slow and incompetent.
(4)Christiana C.
This is what I want out of my Indian food experience. *Good service *Good food *Tons of food at a good price *To not feel like I am in a cave From Aab, I got all of the above. Talk about not being a cave! This is a classy place! There's white tablecloths and stuff (maybe I have been romantically poor for too long that I was so blown away by this)! I thought I was ready for how good it would be, considering my friends have raved about it. But I was still surprised because it was even better (sometimes my friends exaggerate). If I was up for eating Indian every day, it would happen here. Get some potato naan. I don't know why it tasted so good to me (the secret ingredient is crack?), but I kept sneaking pieces from my dining partner.
(4)Anisa G.
Good food. That says it all. I've been to Aab just once, but I liked the food so much, cant wait to go back. People who commented on the good service, ambience etc are dead on, but at the end of the day, it comes down to the food and I've gotta say, out of all the newer Indian places in town, this one's a favorite. The gravy/sauce dishes had flavor that was not numbed away to moderate taste for an inexperienced clientele; and yet, it wasn't overwhelmingly spicy. Tea was good and so was the mango lassi. I tried the vindaloo, probably not a good one for first-time Indian food samplers, but it was nice. I'd liek to see them experiment with their menu...different indian cuisines perhaps.
(4)Diana U.
Love this place. Ample street parking, good location, great service, fair prices, and delicious food. This is a great place to go with a couple of people. It's not very fun just having one dish, much more interesting having a couple of dishes to try family-style. I've always gone to this place for dinner, but know that I NEED to visit for their lunch buffet sometime in the future ($9.37+ tax). Like Khanh L. says in her review, be careful with the spiciness scale if you are sensitive to spiciness (can get pretty heated). I really like the chicken tikka masala and garlic naan. If you have no idea what to get, ask your waiter - they are extremely nice and knowledgable and can find a dish you will truly enjoy.
(4)Joe B.
Hands down, the best Indian food in Columbus. Delicious food that's great for takeout but an excellent atmosphere if you choose to eat there. I've probably ate there well over a dozen times since it's opened and I'm sure to back a dozen more.
(5)Bryant C.
Fantastic! I went to Aab a couple days ago with my good friends, and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. I've been looking for ethnic restaurants in Columbus, and I have to say, this is now my place for "Indian!" We ordered the following: - Lamb Saag - Chicken Curry - Eggplant & Onion If you order a 4 on their scale of 1 to 6, it's just spicy enough, but not too much that it would make you regret it later on... My favorite dish was, surprizingly, the eggplant and onion medley. It came out sweet and spicy, and had the most variety of flavors. I typically order saag to test out new restaurants (it is my staple Indian dish), and that too was great. The chicken curry was on par, but nothing to cheer about. I will likely be back sooner than later. More to write, come my next visit...
(4)Benjamin P.
I'm an Indian food novice, so the idea of a lunch buffet was really exciting. Although the few times I've been there things were not labeled very well, or at all for that matter, so I had trouble pinpointing what I was actually eating - considering my partner was also clueless. However, everything we tried was delicious - especially the green chutney at the cold-end of the buffet. Hyperbole or not- I could put that stuff on everything.
(4)Nicholas J.
My favorite restaurant in the Grandview area with terrific Indian food that can be as spicy or as mild as you like. Friendly wait staff and great naan. My favorite is the lamb curry. I hear they have a good lunch buffet, but I have yet to try it.
(5)Ted K.
Lunch buffet is excellent. Good amount of heat. Nice and clean. Good casual atmosphere. Highly recommend.
(5)Jodi S.
This is one of my favorite restaurants in Columbus. It is friendly to vegans and carnivores alike. The lunch buffet changes daily and encourages one to try various items on the menu. Even better is that you can get the buffet to-go. Spend $10 and they give you a big to-go box and a little cup with a lid. You can fill it up enough to give you 2 meals. I get it and graze all day at work. De-licous!
(5)Liz M.
This would have been a 5 star review had I eaten in and experienced their service, but since I got carry out, I'm giving Aab as good as it can get. I have been wanting Indian food for over a month now since I had had some at a party catered by Bay Leaf. Aab is the closest and only Indian place near my workplace in Grandview so, through Yelp and proximity I went for it. I called at 5:15 and they said it'd be 15 minutes, but when I got there in 10 and I was graciously greeted at the door, they had it ready and waiting. Love that! I was very happy with my food from Aab. The prices were on par with other Indian restaurants. Definitely not cheap, but deserving of the price due to the cost of ingredients in Indian cuisine and the good sized portions. I ordered the special tikka chicken masala, the chicken vindaloo, and the mateer paneer, along with nan. They provided me with more than enough rice, which is something I was worried about. I think the nan was a little pricey for what you get, but I find it a necessary evil when eating Indian. The chicken masal was my favorite, it has just the right mount of spice (ordered medium spicy), the delectable creaminess, the vegetables were not overly cooked down, which is great, and the chicken was tender and flavorful on it's own (a feat by itself). The mateer paneer was excellent too (ordered a level 2 spicy, which was perfect for the mild dish. It had the same masala sauce as the chicken, but it was sweeter with the peas and and paneer. Their paneer was excellent (good size and texture). The chicken vindaloo was a little oily (maybe it should be?), but it was tasty, tender breast meat chicken and real (not canned) potatoes (not overcooked) the sauce was flavorful and the most spicy of the bunch, but also the most complicated of flavors with tomato being the base and other spices working through. Everything went perfect with the rice, that was moist and had peas and something yellow in it, overall well seasoned and cooked right. I do however, prefer Bay Leaf's rice. But, really, who cares too much about the rice? Everything was so flavorful! Everything was so YUM! Of course, I ate too much and I sitting here writing this full of Aab, I can't wait to eat leftovers tomorrow!
(4)Robert C.
This place is passable. I could certainly believe that it's the best Indian food in Columbus, but it's really nothing that special. I went with the vegetarian thal ($14.99). The Aab India Special ($15.99) is the non-veg option, with the raita replaced by a (small) piece of tandoori chicken. Frankly, most of it was a bit average. Of course, I can't complain about the pakora or the aloo tikki; almost everything is delicious in fried form. But the mutter paneer was made of the large, likely pre-packaged, overly hard, and funky-tasting chunks of paneer. The dal, the naan, the gulab jamun ... they were all pretty average. Overall, my plate wasn't anything spectacularly delicious. I should note, however, that I enjoyed, in particular, the onion in the chole. It added a certain flourish that I found quite delicious. At $14.99, it's a little pricey, but at least the portions are huge. So ask for a to-go box and scrape the leftovers off of your silver platter before you leave. Note that there's a coupon available on their website.
(3)J Bradford L.
MMMMmmm. Been to Aab a couple of times now and it is delicious. I can't say I have a lot of Indian Food experience to compare it with, but this isn't my first Indian rodeo either. The lamb curry is outstanding and I don't see much of a need to order anything else. I like spices and got the "level 5" which was just enough spice to get the sinuses going. The sauce is creamy, full of flavor and compliments the large chunks of lamb perfectly. I have also had the chicken curry and the chicken tikka and both were outstanding as well. If the naan isn't any good, then the restaurant is sketchy and you have nothing to worry about here. The breads are all made to order so they come out fresh and hot. This time, we tried the Paneer Bhatura which was a fried bread with feta-like cheese and spices in the middle. WOW, it was good and didn't last 10 minutes on our table! I have to say that I have had mixed levels of service here, but the food has not disappointed. Definitely worth a visit and I try to get something new each time I go.
(4)Megan B.
Holy deliciousness. I loved this place for many reasons. The top reason was definitely the food. I am a huge veggie korma girl and Aab did not disappoint. Paired with some fresh garlic naan I was happily stuffed. The food came out quickly, but not so quickly that I was suspicious of why the food was there so quickly. You know what I mean? The service was wonderful. They were very attentive but not in your face. It has a great atmosphere inside. For the price of the food, the indoor decor is actually nicer than I expected. They have a long bar with flat screen tvs. I believe I even saw a more private room you could reserve. I will definitely be going back for more!
(5)Katye M.
I went to Aab India restaurant for restaurant week. We sat at the bar since the restaurant was packed, but the full menu was served at the bar, which was wonderful and perfect. We each ordered different options from the set restaurant week menu (note: the "set menu" was only for restaurant week and the do have a full menu to choose from). The food was wonderful (I love Indian food) and perfectly spiced. This is one of my favorite Indian restaurants in Columbus and would definitely go back in a heart beat.
(5)Brent T.
Possibly the best Indian restaurant I've been to. Most notable is their Tandoori Chicken. It is always moist and flavorful, never dried out (a common vice of other restaurants' Tandoor offerings). The Chicken Tikka Masala is also to die for - super rich and flavorful. Love their Palek Paneer, also. Their Veggie pakoras are light and crispy. The lunch buffet ($10) offered every day is a great way to sample a wide range of their fare. For ordering off the menu, check the local coupon mailers, as they always have Aab coupons. While this is Northern Indian fare, they do have a nice selection of vegetarian dishes.
(5)renee b.
This is truly the best Indian food I have had in the US. So creamy and tasteful, I can't get enough!
(5)Megan M.
This place is the best Indian food in town, hands-down. Sometimes I'm a little shy about Indian food. I prefer a buffet, because I'm just not sure what Indian food names mean. Choley, mater, saag, kofta: I just don't know what is going to come out of the kitchen until I see it in person. But I needn't have worried here, because the server was quite helpful. She explained every dish I had questions about, and did a great job. The food was so good. So good, like, you want to take a bath in it and eat it all day. Ok, that sounds kind of gross. But you know what I mean. You order your spice level on a scale of one to six. The funny thing is, my date ordered a five, and I ordered a three. My food was spicier than his, but not more spice than I could handle (I like a little spice, but I don't want food to be painful). I took some food home and it was even better the next day. How does that happen? It's like it keeps cooking in the fridge all night, geting better and better. This is a bit more expensive than an average Indian restaurant, but the food and atmosphere are way above average. It's worth it. I clicked on a photo below, but you just can't judge Indian food by a photo. I don't know if it's bad to say this, but much of it resembles baby food. It doesn't taste like baby food, though. I pity the baby who can eat level five spice!
(5)Melanie B.
Three and a half stars, Aab. Great experience, solid food. Didn't make me wiggle in my seat, but I'll definitely go back - and also because I just saw that they have a late night menu and the bar looked adorable. Went here with the laaadies, and had quite a lovely time. We split some apps: the keema samosa was fantastic, and the veggie sampler platter was good, too. I ordered the paneer makhanni, which is a sort of sweet, with nuts and raisins, creamy sauced paneer dish. It was quite good, but I've definitely had better. I'd say it was just above the level of New India but not as good as Tadka or Udipi. I also tried bites of the rogan josh, chicken saag, and chicken shahi korma. I was a little surprised that the rogan josh wasn't more... gravy-like, but everything was still good. The garlic naan, however, was slightly cracker-like once it got cold. I prefer the chewy, thick naan at Udipi. I did, however, redeem the naan but dumping my paneer makhanni leftovers on top of it and taking it home that way - it was much better a little moistened (eww eww can't believe I just said that word!) the next day. The service was excellent - five stars. I love Indian food, so it seemed like overkill to me - the excessive explaining of the words and dishes - but, since one of my ladyfriends was not familiar with Indian food, it was very helpful to her, and this made me calm my lil self down a bit in that regard. Our server was incredibly genuine and friendly and very timely. I like that he told us how long it would be til our dishes came out - and then it was exactly that long (fifteen minutes... meanwhile, we were enjoying our apps, drinking wine, and generally having a nice time). The affect here is very nice and modern and open. I think this would be a good place for a group of people or for family (one day I will convince my Mainer parents to stop being scared of Indian food!). I can see my department having a dinner here... I don't so much see it as a date night place, though. Hmm. But if I lived in or near Grandview, I could see me coming here often...
(3)Kylie F.
Oddly enough I've never given "Indian" food it's fair shot. Maybe it's due to once trying after a hangover, and getting sick then blaming on the choice of food. That isn't the case with AAB this food was magical, made my mouth feel a way I honestly don't think it's ever felt. I went with some friends who raved how delicious it was but I can't lie I was still skeptic I thought maybe my pallet just didn't enjoy Indian food. We started off with a veggie platter appetizer, I'm not sure exactly was on it but it all was deep fried to perfection. Then guided by my lovely company they pointed to tikka masala, and of course garlic naan. It was out of bounce, so delicious. And it was a taste that I will continue to say, almost like a punch in the throat. Magic. The price wasn't bad for the amount of food, and I had leftovers which promoted me to right a review. After two days in the fridge the leftovers, are still delicious maybe even better bc the spice level is pumped up a bit. I will be back, I'm truly a fan of this food.
(5)Paulie A.
Amazing naan. Very tasty curry. The sauces are rich but very flavorful. The pricing is very good. You can choose your level of heat for each dish from 1 to 6. I tried a level 5 and it was spicy but not overwhelming. Smelly bathroom though.
(4)Joshua S.
This is a great Indian restaurant. I've not had anything bad from here. The Vegetable Samosas are awesome, and so are the sauces that are served alongside. The staff has always been friendly and the service quick. As another reviewer mentioned, they do have a lunch buffet, but I haven't tried it. It's on my list of to-dos.
(4)Chelsea B.
From the reviews here and what I'd heard from friends, I went to this place expecting to blown away-- and from that perspective, I was somewhat disappointed. The food was decent, the service decent, the decor decent, the prices decent... decent all around, but not something I'd go out of my way to try again. I had the vindaloo, and although I thought the spice was well-done in terms of both heat and flavor, I thought the sauce lacked in strength of flavor. My friend ordered the baingan bharta, which was quite good; the flavor and consistency were both really nice. Our server was attentive but not overly solicitous, which for me is the gold standard since I generally like being left alone at restaurants. (Er...) 3 stars seems about perfect; A-OK, not much to complain about, but no reason to really recommend it either. I might try going again for the buffet to see if I just got a particularly uninspiring selection for some reason.
(3)Khanh L.
This place is amazing! The host and waiters are kind and they're pretty attentive. I usually only go for dinner and they have a pretty great variety of food. I really enjoy the chicken tikka masal - best I've had in Columbus. The lamb vindaloo and chicken curry are also amazing here! The only thing you need to be careful with is the scale of spiciness. Definitely ask if something tends to be spicy at baseline. I usually go for a 4 or 5, so be careful. They do have a tray of spices if you want to add more to your food. Also, try the lassi - great drink, especially the mango! Overall, I really enjoy this place!
(5)Emily C.
I've been wanting to try Aab for awhile now. My pharmacist friend works right across the street at Walgreen's, so I saw it awhile ago and it's been on my mind ever since. Today was THE day. Aab has a great feel. Nice and clean, too. My friend and I went for the lunch buffet and they had quite a nice spread for somewhere right around $8. Great deal. I could have eaten the curried vegetables alone and been perfectly full and content. The only negative that I can really think of is that the food was not at all hot. In fact, it was barely warm. The flavor and presentation were great, but I want my hot food HOT. This barely even registered as warm. I also think in the entire time we were there (which was close to an hour) I saw a tray being replenished once. And that was the naan. Makes you wonder how long the dishes with meat were sitting there in their lukewarm state before being replaced... So, Aab, I'll definitely try you again, but PLEASE make it hot, hot, hot next time! :)
(3)Jason G.
Aab is a sprawling testament to Indian cuisine's foothold in America. If you've never eaten Indian food, then Aab is among the best first impressions you can get. This review isn't so much a slight on my other staple restaurant, New India; but more a simple declaration that Aab is everything an ethnic restaurant should be, from top to bottom. You'll find all of your favorites on the menu, in addition to some dishes you won't find at other Indian establishments in the city. The prices are very reasonable, and the portions are more than satisfying. My only caution is: Aab is as authentic as you can get (in the US, anyhow). When the menu indicates "spicy," you need to check your pride at the door and remember that Easterners invented fire-breathing. Ask for milder spices, if you're unsure of your tolerance. Aab's staff is friendly and very attentive. Don't pass this gem up, if and when you find yourself in the heart of Grandview.
(5)Craig L.
For those who have been so lucky, you know that Ambar Indian in Cincinnati is some of the best Indian food around. Some Columbusites would even go so far as to travel the 1 hour and 45 minutes just to eat at the exceptional spot. No more, the family who owned the spot has recently opened a location in our fair city! AAB India in Grandview is everything you want in an Indian restaurant: Moderatly priced, amazing food, unlimited saffron rice, and enough curry to make your room smell like an Indian market for weeks! I ANOINT YOU, AAB India, THE BEST INDIAN RESTAURANT IN COLUMBUS! No where in the city can match your combination of price and exceptional flavors. Try the Special Chicken Tikka Masala, try the Chicken Tikka Saag, try the flavored naans, no matter what you try you will go away happy. I love Indian food, and I think I just found my new goto place!
(5)Alexa A.
One of my favorite restaurants in Columbus. Go there for the lunch buffet, and go hungry. It's a real experience! Be careful, the food is rich, I think they probably use a lot more butter than is traditional for Indian, but it's delicious and satisfying.
(5)Kelsey M.
We have never been a huge fans of indian food, but when a friend wanted to go in for lunch we agreed, and thank goodness we did! Immediately fell in love with their naan and the chicken tikka masala and chicken mushroom. In fact, we keep trying to order something new but we love them so much we've been sticking with it. Our friend doesn't eat dairy and they are able to accommodate that which is great. Because we like our fave dishes so much, the buffet isn't for us. We always ask for a lunch portion though and it's plenty of food at a lower price. The dinner portions are generous. Check for coupons online before going in, they are out there! Take-out is pretty fast (15 minutes) and the food is always hot. Service can be a bit slow at times, but it has never deterred us from going in. We recommend asking your server what the chef is like that day...sometimes the spice levels can vary a lot. This would be the perfect place to try indian food if you're not sure you like it...it changed our minds.
(5)Wayne E.
Update 1/30/11: They now have a lunch buffet, and it is fantastic. I got to try more of their dishes that I would never have ordered otherwise, and they were all wonderful. The Chicken Jalfrezi is still my favorite, but the Chicken Mater, Chicken Saag, and the Vegetable Jalfrezi were particularly tasty. Again, highly recommended.
(5)Jurgen J.
Let me just say that they do serve really good indian food, i presume it would be the top 5 in Columbus. But i have to say, it didn't compare that well to other Indian food i've tasted in other cities. I would have certainly gave 4 for the food. But i was really annoyed by how the front desk treated us. We came in Friday night at 7, and we were told it was just gonna be 5-10 minutes wait. Seeing at the crazy line, i asked the server again wether it was really 5-10 minutes and she confirmed her answer before. As you can guess, we waited for over 45 minutes. Every time i asked the server how long is it going to be, the just say 10-15 minutes (raising the bar 5 minutes for every time i asked). I mean i would mind waiting 45 minutes if they tell you at first, i could have walked down the street or something. And 5-10 minutes is really far from 45 minutes. So the next time you decide to come here, MAKE A RESERVATION! The food was great. We started with the Samosa, which is deep fried to near perfection. Inside were ground beef, i would suggest to have a deeper curry taste, but that is just my personal taste. Then for the main course we shared the chicken tikka masala, chicken tandoori and lamb curry. Being first time here, i wanted to try the basics. The chicken tandoori was delicious. It was tender on the inside, well marinated and full or fragrant. The tikka masala was also stellar. The lamb curry was not as good as the other two, but it was still really good. I have a problem with the naans at this place. I would like something more chewy and thick. It dried up too quickly. I would certainly come back here again. Presumably to try more stuff. Just hopefully i would have to wait so long.
(3)Josh Q.
I don't have a lot of experience with Indian food but I love Aab! We went for the first time last week . Our waiter was kind and helped us through the menu as he realized we needed some help. We arrived on a few things, all of which we loved. Given the size of the menu and variety of flavors, many of which I have never tried, I am thrilled to go back soon.
(5)Will R.
AAB India Restaurant is a new restaurant in Grandview Heights, run by the owners of the extremely well-received Ambar India Restaurant in Cincinnati. Objectively, AAB has many of the ingredients for success: it has the pedigree; it has a great location in downtown Grandview (tho far enough away from Jeni's to justify some ice cream after a short walk); and most importantly, yuppie Grandview (and Columbus in general) is in dire need of a good Indian restaurant. The results do not disappoint: AAB India Restaurant is the best non-veg Indian restaurant in the Columbus area. The food appears fresh (no pools of oil like other places) and is full of flavour. I went with a group of friends and we all universally agreed that the food was top-notch. I got the Chicken Tikka Saag, which was more cheesy than I expected but still tasty. The quality of the food is all the more surprising because of the length of the menu: the number items on it is more than that of any other Indian restaurant in the Columbus area. Something of note: unlike many Indian restaurants, AAB serves dishes containing beef--keema samosas and keema naan, for example--which may offend the purist and the religious, but as a consumer I really can't complain. The trouble with AAB is not back of house, but the front of house. The service, as one of my dining companions warned me, was reputed to be terrible. And so it was; the whole experience was akin to an episode of Kitchen Nightmares: slow service, mis-taken orders, mis-served orders. The appetizers came out relatively quickly but the vegetable and keema samosas were mixed. The entrées easily took another 25-30 minutes to arrive, and when they did, they were again mixed up. When getting our checques, it took our server three attempts of asking us to state our orders before she got them down, and getting the checques took another 20 minutes. To her credit, she was a good sport; she didn't lose her temper, and she wrote off two mango lassi orders. Prices are the norm for an Indian restaurant, tho perhaps on the high side: vegetarian entrées are $11, meat entrées are $12-13. One thing that is surprising is the cost of the naan: for $3, one only gets one piece, and I believe two is the norm. In addition, seating appears to be maxed out at eight. We had seven in our group, but our table was designed for six. It may be a good idea to call ahead of time to make reservations if one has a medium-sized group. AAB is an Indian restaurant whose food offers tremendous promise, but has large service issues to work out. To be fair, it had only opened this past weekend, so it is probably just going through some teething problems. Given its service issues, I think it may be wise for it to open for weekday lunch and weekend brunch buffets to ease up on its front of house issues. One of my friends has vowed not to come back to AAB due to its service issues, but I'm willing to give AAB another try in another month or so.
(4)Nick G.
This place beats most Indian restaurants for lunch even by NYC standards!
(5)Mike E.
Indian restaurants are not nearly as easy to come across as Mexican or Italian restaurants, so when you find a good one, you are quick to share it with others and frequent it often. Aab India Restaurant in Grandview has fantastic Indian fare that really excites a spicy food afficianado like myself. Not someone who likes the same old soup/salad/sandwich day in and day out, I am thrilled to find a place that offers something different for my tastebuds. The food here has flavors that you probably rarely - if ever - have tasted: curious curry, chicken jafreezi, and vegetable samosas (deep fried pastries stuffed with spiced potatoes and peas). The food here is such a treat that I always bring out of town guests who don't have access to Indian restaurants in the rural parts of the state. Some of the friends and family I have brought here were a bit skeptical, but in the end thoroughly enjoyed Aab. Some people may not be up for the heat level of some of the spicier dishes. However, the good thing about Aab is that the spice level is something that can be tailored to your own liking, as they ask you how hot you would like your food, on a scale of 1 to 6 (I usually go with 4, which is super spicy...it would be interesting to see just how hot 5 and 6 are)! Aab is also easy on the wallet! You get a great portion of food that will keep you stuffed nearly all day long for under $10 a pop! They also have a lunch buffet from 11:30-2:30 daily, which is a great deal, and a good way to break yourself in if you are unfamiliar with Indian food (you can try a bit of everything)! Other fun things to check out at Aab are the authentic Indian beers at the full bar (they have great mixed drinks as well), the irresistible naan (an Indian bread that melts in your mouth...I can't get enough!), the mago lassi (a mango, rose, and yogurt drink, somewhat like a smoothie), and Gulab Jamun (a fried cheese ball in syrup...sounds crazy but it's crazy good). My only complaint about Aab -- and it's kind of a big one -- is that when I went during the lunch buffet, the service was absolutely terrible. There were 4 people at our table and only one person was interested in doing the buffet. We were seated at a table (regrettably right by the buffet, so there was a constant line of people right by us while we ate) and we were not waited on for a LONG time. We had to ask 4 different servers before we were actually waited on. I think that they assume that everyone is there for the buffet at that time...however, we had never been there before and we had no idea what to do. No one explained the buffet, and no one bothered to ask if we wanted anything off of the menus instead (or even give us menus). They do serve regular meals during the buffet hours, not just the buffet. It was a bit off-putting for people like us who didn't know what was going on. Plus, first timers will always need help translating the menu (there are a lot of strange and new words!). Other than that, I love the food so much I didn't even care all that much about the service. They just need to realize not everyone is there for the buffet or understands what's going on!
(4)L A.
i love this place and specially their chicken tikki maslaa . the service is great. i recommend it for people who are interested in trying new things .
(4)Jacob W.
When I lived in Cincinnati there was a place called Ambar Indian and I loved it. This week I was told that the family that owned that restaurant had opened a place in Columbus and I had to go visit Aab is everything I hoped it would be reasonably priced a great atmosphere and the same amazing Indian food I remember having when I lived in Cincinnati. Everything is AMAZING but i recommend the chicken tikka sagg the chicken is chunky and swimming in a generous amount of creamy spinach sauce and all of the dishes come at your desired hotness level I recommend 4 its just right 5 would be too hot and 6 would be OMG my face is on fire. All of the dinners come with Bottomless saffron rice. At 10-13 dollars and considering the portions are so large you would be hard pressed to find a better deal. The Final Verdict: It doesn't really matter what you get to eat you'll be happy with everything and make sure to ask for more rice before You pack up your to go box. You'll be able to eat this meal more than once and it might be better the second time.
(5)Anthony C.
As Indian food goes, this ranks among the best in Columbus. I enjoyed lunch there with 5 good friends, and we found the service friendly, accommodating and prompt. The food was spicy and delicious. Multiple styles of nan with various tasty accompaniments ensure you and your guests waste little time sitting hungry while your main course is prepared. Our main course consisted of 4 or 5 different dishes which we shared communally. Unfortunately, I did not record which dishes we ordered and can't find an online menu, so I will have to update this review once I have a chance to return. Everything was amazing though, so I know my follow-up visit should be soon.
(5)Catie L.
Went in to get a carry out on September 16th. Was craving Indian food. I got the Vegetable Bryani, and Naam. I can say that it was very good and enough for 2 meals. The service was good, friendly and quick. I can say that I would go back again to try something else.
(4)John K.
The chicken Maakhni is the best, creamiest curry I have ever had.
(5)Terri R.
I took my family to Abb last night, on the recommendation of my daughter, even tho it was a farther drive for us than some of the other Indian restaurants. The food was soooo good. I ordered the Chicken Mater (Tender chicken pieces cooked with green peas and spices 12.49 per their menu). You can order it on a heat-scale of 1 to 6 (4 was like jalapeño, she said) so I got a 2. Wish I would have made it a 3, but I'll know next time. We had to order the nan separately, so we ordered 2 which was just right for 4 people. They serve your order with rice. The flavors of my meal were excellent. The atmosphere was warm and casual (loved the warm hues in the decor). Will definitely go again, it's well worth the extra few miles.
(5)Bryan J.
This is my favorite Indian restaurant in Columbus. The key for me is that I'm not into spicy food as much. Aab manages to reduce the spice without reducing the flavor. The naan is excellent. The Chicken Shahi Korma is my favorite dish.
(5)Jeff P.
I came here for the lunch buffet and left satisfied. I haven't had much Indian food in Columbus, but relatively speaking this joint was pretty good. I have definitely had better and more variety for lunch buffet, but on the other hand, it's really hard to have a bad Indian buffet. The price is nice, $10/person. So, although it's average for Indian spots, I would definitely come back.
(3)J M.
Called to make a reservation for four. I was told that they will make reservations only for parties of six or more!! Won't be going back.
(1)Nate L.
On recommendation of a friend now living in Columbus, I stopped by Aab India for dinner. Being that my town's only Indian restaurant (owned by a Columbus restaurateur, incidentally) closed a little over a year ago, I'm stuck with large drive times for my dining experiences. It's still a sore subject to this day. My favorite Indian dish, and litmus test, is chicken saag with a side of naan. If they can't get that down, then I wouldn't bother with anything else. Since I didn't want to be a fire eater that night, a moderate level of spiciness (3) was desired. If I remember correctly, Aab goes from 1 (not spicy at all) to 5 (extremely spicy). When the food arrived, it was obvious Fortuna spun her wheel upward, as the fresh, earthy scent of spinach met my nose. My saag was delicious, and overall, an acceptable dinner. The chicken was very tender and the spinach accompanied it very well. Also, there was enough sauce left over that I was able to perform my favorite Indian restaurant pastime of sopping up the sauce with my naan. I will say the naan needed it. While moderately moist, the char was noticeable. I've found a few places where the naan isn't charred, and love them for it. We were also offered as much rice as we wanted, which was greatly appreciated. The portions are deceptively large. My waiter seemed eager to please, but maybe not necessarily too experienced in waiting tables. There were a few times where it seemed necessary to repeat oneself, until it finally processed in his head. As of yet, I haven't tried the other Indian restaurants in Columbus but this was a decent start. I would be more than willing to return to sample their level 5 lamb vindaloo, if I feel adventurous.
(4)Nick B.
We went out as a troupe of ten on a Saturday night but with gallery hop, Irish festival, and state fair the place was fairly empty. It took our server 4 tries to remember my wifes drink. Instead of an itemized split check, the server hand wrote what each person owed. I thought it odd that he brought out three sauces early on but nothing to taste them with. Also our server carried two peoples order of naan on the same plate and picked it up with his hand and laid it on the one persons plate! It took about 2.5 hours from fist seating til we cashed out. The food was pretty good. They do their spicy on a 1-6 rating. I got a5 and it wasn't that spicy. They have outside seating and the inside is nice. Dishes were slightly more expensive than new India on bethel. I am sticking with new India when I want Indian. We went to New India on Friday, and I got the same exact bottle of beer and it cost over a dollar more at Aab India.
(2)Rakesh J.
I am an Indian And generally don't go to Indian Restaurants in US, We went there to celebrate mt Dad's 60th B'day. Now lets talk about the Food, we ordered Sheekh Kebab and the ladies ordered samosas, The Kebab's were just too good for the taste, I Would recommend to all the people who like Medium Spices in the Food. The samosas were good too. For the main dish we ordered the panner tikka masala, Navrottam korma and chicken curry. The chicken Curry was asked to be made spicy and it was just how we ate back in India at the Dhabas. The panner was alright But over all i would recommend this Restaurant to everybody who likes Indian food and spicy food in general. The service needs to be imporved a little bit, That is the reason i have given four stars. Otherwise i would have given it a five
(4)Amy B.
I ordered shrimp curry - pretty standard, but it was good. Ordered samosas, those were good too. My drink was mango-flavored...came at a fairly hefty price but was also very strong. Like another reviewer before me said, I have trouble giving this place five stars because it just doesn't live up to all the Indian food I ate when I lived in the Bay Area. Also, I think my waiter was new. He stared at me like an alien when I asked for shrimp curry, and I actually had to show him where it was on the menu before he understood what I was asking for.
(3)Seth D.
I'm so glad that my coupon didn't include the buffet! The food and selection from the menu is waaaaaay better. I took my friend for his first Indian meal, and he loved it too! We got some somosas, a mango lassi, an Indian beer, Kingfisher I think, and the Indian sampler platter with Tandoori chicken. It was more than we could finish, and only $27! Don't bother with the buffet, just order off the menu, and you won't be let down! The service is great, the food is great, and I'm so glad I came back!
(4)Manolo E.
BEWARE BAIT AND SWITCH PRICES!!!!!! The lunch menu online is totally misrepresented on the prices, the staff even hides the fact that they have a lunch menu and will try to push the overpriced buffet on you. Our server even went as far as lying and saying they did NOT have a lunch menu. If what's online is a mistake - just say so!!! If you don't offer something, don't put it on your website, you control that, I don't. The food quality is very poor, the portions are small. Avoid this place, it's dirty, not like it used to be, the owners have gotten too greedy or something. The staff is also very rude and short, they want to make an easy buck and cycle you out. Pity, we need good Indian food in Columbus!
(1)Amity H.
They have a nice buffet but it could have more items on it but their naan is well made.
(3)Pam B.
Great food, but the service tends to be a little weird, therefore the four-star rating instead of five.
(4)Aditya S.
By far the best Indian food I've had in columbus
(5)Emily U.
***MAP FOR AAB ON YELP IS WRONG*** fyi- it's just south of 5th on Grandview. short and sweet: It is all delicious and the service can be so-so. I would suggest that is you have never been there and like leftovers- try the combo plates- get a taste of a range of what they have. Next time I am going for the tandoori chicken since it was so tender! And not dry like every other place we've tried. Also I think we'll go for the lunch buffet sometime to try lots more.
(4)Barb H.
The food was excellent! And the description of how to order the right amount of "heat" you want was accurate. I ordered Chicken Biryani & it was delicious - and there was a lot of it so I see a great lunch in my future. My husband ordered the Aab Platter and almost everything was perfect. The dal was kind of bland but the chicken & peas and the lamb curry & the tandoori chicken were very good. Usually, tandoori chicken is dry but this was nice & moist. I think it's the best Indian food I've had.
(4)Ashley B.
Go for the lunch buffet! It is everyday from 11-2....I think, and is very very reasonable priced. It is amazing! I had never had Indian food before visiting Aab, and it is the perfect way to try a little bit of everything. The service is a little slow, but they are very polite and helpful.
(4)MJ X.
Went there for a saturday buffet. Compared to other Indian restaurants in Columbus, fairly nice setting. Decent tandoori chicken, low selection on veggie dishes and it was greasy and bland. the food did not seem fresh. Unlikely to be back - but unfortunately the picking seem slim in cbus
(1)Lauren A.
This is a new place in Grandview and I recently picked up a take-out order. The restaurant is really nice inside though, and I should have stayed to eat because the food took about 20 minutes longer to come out than they promised. That's the only reason they lose a star however because their saag paneer is wonderfully flavored and delicious. And, I've had a few saag paneers in my day! Their garlic naan is also great. I'll go back for more!
(4)Susan R.
INDIAN BUFFET. That is all. No, seriously--that's all I've had here, so it's all I can really comment on. The food is always fresh and delicious (except the naan--theirs is not on par with other places and it makes me sad), the service is prompt, and I always pig out. Pig. Out. I've always seen pretty standard Indian buffet dishes here; I wouldn't go expecting something mind-blowingly unique. I love that they have both curries and veg pakora out, and other vegetables dishes, so I can get a variety of food. (I mean. Fried vegetables in batter, how can I not eat that?) The only downside is that it's so good that it's really busy usually. But most people seem to mind their manners in line; the only problem is having enough patience to get up to the buffet!
(5)Megan V.
Oh, so good! First time visitor, long time listener (to all the hype about Aab). Upon my first of hopefully many future visits, I was very impressed for a number of reasons. Here are a few: 1) The location on Grandview Ave. is easily accessible and convenient to central Columbus. 2) The atmosphere is superior compared to many Indian restaurants that I have frequented. Nice bar, leather seating, white table cloths, low lighting, etc. 3) The garlic naan is very tasty and warm. You must order it. That is an order. 4) The ability to select your spice level on a scale from 1 "not hot" to 6 "make you sweat hot". I got mine at a 5, which was perfectly spicy without making my makeup run. 5) Each meat or vegetable order comes with a generous portion of rice. You won't be worrying about who gets the final grains. All-in-all, I was entirely pleased with my experience. The night that I visited was very busy. Service was a little slow, but I can't blame them. Clearly, everyone knows where to go for fantastic Indian dining.
(5)Kaoru M.
Aab is my favorite Indian restaurant in Columbus due to several factors: -Convenient location in Grandview. -The restaurant interior is way nicer and comfortable than other Indian restaurants in town. -Their dinner menu has a wide variety, is delicious, and allows you to select how spicy your food is. I'm a fan of their lamb biryani. -The service is decent. -They have a full bar. -We often get coupons for them in the mail. -They're one of the few, if not the only, Indian restaurant in Columbus that offers their lunch buffet on the weekends. (most Indian lunch buffets are weekdays only) With that said, their buffet is definitely their weak point. For one, it's way too busy and the buffet area itself is way too small. The line will oftentimes loop around the buffet and into the entryway to the bathrooms. The selection of food in the buffet is pretty weak too. 2 vegetarian options usually and 4 curries... all chicken. Most other Indian buffets in town (Amul, Tadka, Curry & Grill) have goat or lamb curry available as well. In addition, at $11.95/person, Aab's lunch buffet seems a tad bit pricier than the competition. But then again, just a regular platter of food at Flavors of India downtown will cost $11.95 and you don't even get naan with that... so in the grand scheme of things Aab's buffet is not a bad deal. So I would say that Aab deserves 5 stars for dinner, but only 3 stars for the lunch buffet. Average them out and they get 4 stars.
(4)Lis F.
I meant this review to be for their Sawmill location, but yelp isn't letting me fix that... My husband and I like to try a different Indian buffet every Sunday afternoon. This was our first time at Aab, and I was pleasantly surprised. I felt like the buffet offerings were not necessarily typical. They did have goat curry (one of my favs), chicken mkhani (butter chicken), nan, and byriani. However, there were a few things that were new to me... I can't name them at the moment. It is the first place where I've seen pre-made dosas. That was strange, but I liked them. My husband is from Kerala (south India), and he said he didn't see anything that was distinctly South Indian. He enjoyed the coconut chutney and the sambar. It was a good experience. We will be back.
(4)Rian M.
Great food, terrible service. I think we all agree that Aab has amazing food.....the price is right, the rice, I'm fairly certain, has some sort of magical power and i am always happy....UNLESS I decide to eat in the restaurant. Unfortunately, I have eaten at Aab 4 times and last night will be the last. We arrived at 9pm for a late dinner and we were the only ones in the restaurant! Normally, Aab is packed full of customers and the service is slow which is completely understandable (aka the first two times i went). We were seated immediately and greeted by the server right away (yay!!) ordered drinks and then waited 15 minutes. the staff was enjoying their nightly Aab fix, so whatever. we drank our waters and waited. We immediately ordered our food which came out quick. While drinking my Manhattan (it was okay, nothing great), I noticed something in my drink.....it was a fly. this will be the second time something like this has happened, but the first time the manager comped my drink. We then flagged down a different server after waiting 15 minutes since fly discovery to ask for a manager. we explained every incident we have experienced all 4 times and she simply said- "we are a clean restaurant and I take my staff's side" I picked up the fly and said, "okay but there really is a fly here......so....." she literally rolled her eyes and said she'd give me the drink for free (full drink by the way) to which i replied, "I really am not looking for a free drink, I just want you to know that this has happened twice." the first time this happened? water was brought out and there was a big fat fly in the glass that was so obvious I immediately stopped the server and asked for a new glass of water. the second time i went to Aab, I ordered over the phone, got in early to order a beer and the bottom/side of the beer was covered in mold. I don't know if I'm just the lucky person who consistently has a terrible experience....it is likely that you will love it...in short, check your drinks! THAT BEING SAID- I highly suggest calling in your order and picking it up. if they are busy, they will ignore you for a while when you arrive, but it is completely worth it! I do not suggest just showing up during dinner rush to order your food to-go. its almost not worth the wait. Good luck!
(3)Andy N.
Now this is what I'm talking about! I am in love with Aab! Even in California, it isn't easy to stumble upon a really great Indian restaurant with great naan. Frankly, I've had better experiences while I was over in Japan where we had some great chefs from South Asia making their food. However, Aab here in little Columbus has impressed me by far! The restaurant is very chic and upscale. There's a full bar inside with plenty of dining tables and an excellent atmosphere for dates, meetings etc. Once we were seated, we were greeted by our lovely waitress who was nothing but helpful in helping us decide what to order. I ordered the chicken tikka masala ($13) with a side of garlic naan ($4) with a 4/6 spicy level, which was perfect as it added a quick without completely burning my mouth. The buttery, tomato curry was delicious and there was a generous amount of chicken inside. Mmm... one of the best I've had in the States! The real winner here was the naan, which was VERY reminiscent of what I had and loved in Japan. Large, giant fluffy pieces to eat with the curry... YUM! I usually don't find this kind of naan in LA so I am happy Aab was able to provide that for me. The only real drawback I'd give is the price, which is a bit steep for Indian curry in my opinion. But aside from that, I love this place and am happy that my friend at OSU was able to introduce me to it. Parking is available on the street or in the lot across the way.
(4)N H.
Aab is one of my favorite places for Indian food in the Midwest (not counting Ann Arbor, obviously lol). He buffet is a must. Lots of variety! The thali options are good for trying many different types of food. Of course, as with any buffet option, the food isn't as good as when you order it separate ly - then you can get it spicier and it's better tasting. I love visiting here!
(5)Rashmi S.
Delicious Indian food. Never been disappointed by a dish I order, and I try to get something different every time. Even my parents (1st generation immigrants who grew up in India) think the food is amazing, and I trust their judgement when it comes to Indian food. Service is always good and the atmosphere here is a bit nicer than most Indian restaurants.
(5)Lora M.
This is my favorite Indian restaurant in Columbus. My kids and husband love it too! (I pick this restaurant for Mother's Day every year.) The buffet is a great way to taste the different dishes (like everything I've tried!) but I've also ordered off the menu and absolutely love the chicken curry and saag paneer (spinach and cheese) dish! Samosas are very tasty as well.
(5)Joseph T.
In the heart of Grandview, great value for weekend buffet only $11. 49 Mostly chicken and veggie dishes and today they have a goat curry which was good. Servers always come by and refill water so don't worry about the heat from all these spices. And don't forget to finish your meal with mango ice cream. Thank The Lord, I AM FULL!
(5)Marie H.
Definitely my favorite Indian restaurant in Columbus! I've come here for both dinner and the lunch buffet multiple times and it never disappoints. My favorite dinner entree is of course the chicken tikka masala, which is incredibly flavorful and rich, and you can tailor your spice level on a scale of 1-6. I usually have enough leftovers for 1-2 more meals lol. The lunch buffet is also a steal at $11.49 for unlimited delicious chicken makhani, saag paneer, vegetable pakora, tandoori chicken, rice, nan, and desserts like mango or rice pudding. I can't speak to how authentic the food is but my Indian friends always enjoy coming here as well. Warning: may fall into deep food coma after the lunch buffet :P
(4)Rick R.
Very good buffet. The chicken masala and saag paneer are very good. Let us sit on the patio with our dog which was cool.
(4)Mike M.
When you auto charge me a 15% gratuity for a buffet for five adults and a child without letting me know up front and then make me feel like I've committed a crime for you not informing me, I've got better places to spend my money.
(1)Carolina F.
This is my favorite restaurant in town. The food is always amazing, whether you eat off the menu or from the buffet. The service has always been at least sufficient. Most dishes taste like they have large amounts of heavy cream in them and what's not to love about that?
(5)Christopher W.
The food: great! I appreciate how they let you pick your own spice level. I have had both the lunch buffet and ordered off of the menu and never had a problem with the food. The service: okay. Definitely doesn't go above and beyond and is really only worth a standard tip and nothing extra. They bring you your food and hopefully remember to offer refills on drinks. But, it does have a nice atmosphere inside and looks very classy.
(4)Grant C.
I found this place by looking at a bunch of other Indian Restaurants and in their comments several people said to avoid the others and just go to AAB. I grabbed some takeout for dinner and it was really good. I just got the India General Tso AKA Chicken Tikka Misala. The onion naan (bread) was really good too. For $15 it was two meals so not only did it taste good but there is some value as well. I will be coming here from now on. I also saw that they have a nice lunch buffet, I'll try to check that out sometime soon.
(4)Abby L.
I'll start with this: I've never been a fan of Indian food. That being said, IF I were to be craving Indian food, AAB would be the place to go. They have a lunch buffet that has a wide selection. The naan is fantastic! There's also this spinach with cheese dip (not sure what it's called) but I love that as well! Every time my out of town friends come to town, they want to go here! I'm not an expert on Indian food, but I would say that AAB has food that tastes good and a staff that is extremely friendly!
(4)Sierra F.
Some of the best Indian food I have had! The atmosphere is gorgeous this paired with good company makes for a wonderful experience and the food is delicious! The funny thing is, as good as the food is, it tastes even better the next day! I can't wait to go back to Ohio and have dinner at Aab.
(5)Jay S.
Lunch buffet is on-point. Staff is attentive. Spice levels are a tad weak, so ask for extra hot if you like to sweat. Haven't been disappointed by a meal here yet. Good stuff.
(4)vic r.
Pretty good The chicken saag was awesome, naan was fresh and restocked frequently. Bonus, that they had goat curry today!! Nicely stocked bar with indian and american beers as well. I would go here again.
(4)Sujan M.
People seem to like the toned-down grub here but 'meh' is all it is. I have been here several times for the dinner and the buffet with OK results, but the last few have been about average to sub-par. The last time I went there the food was lousy, the service was very slow, and to make matters worse, I ate some undercooked chicken at the buffet. I went and talked to the staff there and though he shrugged and said 'sorry', no action was taken to remedy the mistake. I was thinking he would remove that chicken tray or go talk to the kitchen staff, but he just went on like nothing happened. Sometime later I called back since I was hurting bad and wanted to speak with the manager and left a message with the staff (not rude at all, I thought). They never bothered to called back. Learned my lesson. Never going back.
(2)Alex H.
Fantastic food!! Recommend the buffet so you can try it all! Service is good, most people get the buffet, so not much is required from the waiters.
(5)Laura G.
We had the buffet. Food was plentiful but not hot. There was a good selection. The chicken was flavorful but the rest was way toned down. Service was adequate. Not bad, just what you would expect.
(3)Danny R.
This is by far the absolute best Indian food I've had in Columbus. Sometimes the service can be slow but the staff is very friendly. The menus is great! We typically call ahead after returning from traveling and order take out. I never really cared for Indian cuisine much at all but lately we have had Indian in London and other places around the country and AAB was better than the other places we visited.
(5)Kyle S.
I want to preface this review by saying up front that the food here is amazing. It's some of the best Indian food I've had outside of a few East Coast locations. If your primary concern is having great food - Aab is a solid choice. However, if you're looking to have a good experience...eh...maybe pass this one up. My wife and I went here for date night on a Saturday and we left in a sour mood that even alcohol couldn't cure. We arrived when the restaurant was full, but there wasn't too much of a wait. Or at least that's what we were told. We were told that it would be 15-20 minutes for a table and it ended up being over an hour. When we finally checked to see what was going on, we found out that they had crossed our name off despite never seating us or calling out our name (we stood within 10 feet of the host stand the entire hour). This actually wasn't surprising considering the fact that the host stand seemed to have no dedicated staff. There was no continuity and the poor hostess who ended up dealing with our issue seemed to have been thrust into a ship that was already sinking. We were finally sat at a table that was originally a four-top that they had split in half. Apparently the server for that section didn't get the memo because he completely ignored us for 10-15 minutes. Finally, another server came over to take our order (we were plenty ready to order by this point). This server was nice, but seemed clearly over-tasked and her section was on the other end of the restaurant. I'm not sure how she ended up waiting our table but...there she was. After we placed our order, we finally received water and drinks. The wait for our appetizers and dinner wasn't too bad considering how busy the restaurant was. Our waitress was as on top of our table as she could be considering the fact her other tables were literally at the other end of the restaurant. We did have a particularly long wait for our bill, and our waitress was completely out of sight at this point for probably 10-15 minutes. All-in-all, the experience had us feeling fairly frustrated and put a pretty significant dent in our date night. The problem at Aab is pretty obvious to anyone who has worked in a restaurant for more than a month. The front end is just plain mismanaged. From the host stand all the way to section management...whoever's running the show has some serious issues with a dinner rush. Bottom-line - hit Aab for lunch or maybe during off hours. The food is great, but tackle the dinner rush at your own risk.
(3)Katie B.
Let's preface this by saying I've spent hundreds... Maybe a thousand dollars here over 3ish years. Aab is the best! I'm shocked with myself that I haven't reviewed it yet (maybe I was trying to keep it a secret). In those years of eating aab I've also been introduced to at least 7-8 other Indian restaurants and while they are good (Indian cuisine is generally wonderful), Aab is better. Go to the buffet to try a bunch of different things. It will always have Chicken Tikka Masala which is a crowd favorite. Don't overlook the tandoori chicken! The tandoori oven makes some of the tenderest, most flavorful chicken ever! Some personal favorites: chicken pakora, garlic naan, samosas, chicken tikka saag, chicken makhani, jalfrezi, sabaz, lamb curry, I could go on. Their mango smoothie and mango ice cream are delicious as is the rice pudding. So yea there's my totally unbiased review. I'm not salivating or anything ;)
(5)William C.
This has cool flat bread. The inside is fancy and a bonus: It is family owned. And here is a menu. Cool flat bread people. This is william's son.
(5)Vel E.
My favorite place for indian food. Absolutely delicious. Rich bold flavors. Their buffet is good. Not as much variety on the proteins though. And i noticed when your order the tikka marsala you get tandoori cooked chicken. But when you get it on the buffet It's just chicken breast cooked in the sauce which is the only thing i can complain about!
(5)Lauren H.
I believe in only leaving good reviews. Negativity is ugly. If I don't like a place, I simply won't go back. I don't need to bash it. With that being said, this was my first experience with Indian food and I am officially hooked! Everything was delicious and our bartender was so helpful. I can't wait to go back and try more!
(5)Jessica P.
Amazing and affordable lunch buffet! I tried everything, it was all so good! The spinach dish was phenomenal! Some of the naan seemed a bit burnt but the next batch was fine. They had no issues with my friends and I sitting and occupying a table for longer than we should have and the staff was very attentive about keeping our drinks full. It was a wonderful experience and I hope to be back soon!
(5)John P.
I used to live in Chicago off Devon, which is famously known for being India town. Aab is easily top 3 compared to the restaurants there. In addition. I think it's important to make good rice. It's really easy to make, and if you mess that up, how could the other food taste as good. Aab makes rice fit for kings. Flame food.
(5)Anna E.
Ordered some takeout and it was delicious! I ordered chicken vindaloo level 5 (1-6) and it was the perfect level of heat. It was a very generous portion with lots of tender, chicken breast and a few potatoes. The sauce was light and tangy. The rice came in one of those small square to go containers and I don't know how they filled it...it was packed full to the very top of the box! I also ordered the house salad, but there was no dressing. It came with 4 huge slices of tomatoes, lettuce, cucumber and tons of red of onion, which was kind of weird. Overall, it was an excellent meal that I would order again!
(4)Sam B.
I'm going to give this four stars for now, but it could easily get a five after I go back a second time to confirm. My girlfriend and I were visiting Columbus to decide if we wanted to make the town our new home. We were intending to go to an entirely different restaurant over on high street, but there was a long wait, so we got on yelp and found this gem. We usually go for the spicy stuff, but this time we decided to just get the chicken tikii masala. It was mild but oh-so-savory. We also split the samosa and that was tasty as well. We were seated promptly at 7:30pm on a Saturday night, which was nice. But the restaurant was completely full, so it didn't have that "I wonder why no one is here" vibe.
(4)holly c.
First off - the food is good and the selection is good. I can't imagine that all of these glowing reviews experienced stellar service. I found the staff aloof at best. I found more servers interested in chatting amongst themselves then caring for customers. I was very excited to try this spot but there are plenty of other places I prefer to spend my money.
(1)J W.
After a difficult opening, Aab Indian has become a very competent restaurant. I don't have enough experience to judge the quality of the food as compared to other Indian establishments, but we have been happy with the food we ordered.
(4)adam s.
I went here with my girlfriend last week. We had Paneer Makhani and Paneer Shahi Korma. They were both excellent, as was the service. Our waiter was friendly and helpful, and not too pushy. We will be returning many times! Oh and the mint chutney, tamarind sauce, and onions and chilies that they brought out for the Samosas were the best I've had.
(5)Jess G.
I can't say I'm in love with Aab, but I did actually end up returning here for dinner this past week with a group of friends. We weren't hustled out of our chairs this time, which was a nice change of pace, and the food was good. I was less impressed by the garlic naan than I have been in the past, but my aloo gobi (spice level six) was well-cooked but not doused in sauce, and the rice was steaming hot. I sampled my friend's chicken tikka masala (also a spice level of six, like I ordered last time) and it was considerably hotter, so I'm not sure how the spice levels really work.
(3)Chuck B.
Greatest Indian food in the C-bus! Period. Even my 2 yr. Old eats this stuff up like it's going out of style! Can't wait to try the lunch buffet today! As for the only negative review I have seen on this site...you usually don't get the bet experience 30min. before close at a sit down place that always takes more than 30 min to cook/eat...that means you will still be there long after closing time, how happy would you be if you were your server?
(5)Anuj S.
Went to an Indian restaurant after a long time and I was not disappointed at all. Great place for a party or to go with friends. Lunch buffet is very economical. Go for it.
(4)Matthew E.
Great spicy Indian food!
(5)Bill H.
This place has an unusually nice, casual atmosphere with excellent service. I love their lunch buffet. They also have a good bear, wine and mixed drink selection. I really like this place and would recommend it.
(5)MITCH S.
Went for lunch and was blown away by the quality and service. I had the lentil soup, lamb curry and nan..my friend had the chicken curry and tomato soup...great food, and fair prices..I am looking forward to taking my wife back for dinner.
(5)Dave S.
One of the best Indian/Pakistani style restaurants to grace Columbus. I hope they last a long time. Favorites (that I've tried so far) Chicken Tikka Masala (so what if it's actually a british dish!) Murgh Makhani Lamb Vindaloo Lamb Koorma Saag Aloo Paneer Onion / Garlic Naan One of the interesting things about this place is they start with most of their dishes mildly seasoned, and will increase the heat to-taste. A few of the longer cooking items, like the Vindaloo start off spicier than the others. Last time I went, the waiter even brought out a little cup of the special spice blend the chef uses in most dishes to elevate the heat once the base flavor profile is in place. Tasty tasty blend of spices, that is. Just a pinch will do ya, unless you're crazy like me. Love it.
(5)Claire B.
Yum! Went there for lunch today with a friend whose been craving Indian food and wanting to give this place a try. It was my inspiration for signing up for Yelp actually. I always use the site to see if I'm interested in a place, but never written a review before. This restaurant doesn't look like much at all from the outside, but it's really nice inside and the food was really good. Lunch specials were great. I had naan and saag paneer. And a mago lassi. Delicious. Thought it was only fair to sign right up and give them a thumbs up on here.
(4)McKenzie G.
I frequent here every week. It's awesome. Everything I have gotten from here has been a 10 out of 10. Great service too. :-)
(5)Sha M.
Best Indian food in Columbus (or Dayton or Cincinnati) in my humble opinion. The Baigan Bhartha is phenomenal, as is the aloo gobi. I'm vegetarian so I can't comment on the meat dishes but my friends all have said great things about their dishes. I visit at least 2x per month and oh, by the way, I'm Indian, myself. Good, quick service in general.
(5)Steve W.
Just had a most wonderful meal here. I had lamb curry #3 level hot that was perfect. Best in years if not ever! My wife had the spinach with cheese and she too was very happy. Had Indian beer that was very good as well. We will be back often.
(5)Allison S.
3.5 stars, probably--I've gone back three times, so I must like it a little more than average! I've been to the lunch buffet twice and ordered dinner off the menu once. It was crowded all three times, and the wait staff seem to deal well with crowds. Buffet items quickly replenished, etc. The food is good, very filling, and served in larger portions than average. It's not blow-your-mind good, but it fulfills any Indian food craving without making me go too far from my neighborhood. The samosas are super filling and could be a meal on their own.
(4)Mark J.
I was impressed by this place! Good prices, fast service, excellent help going over options...(ask for Sarah...she rocks!) The lamb dishes are really good and worth stepping out of your comfort zone for. i got mine with level 2 spices and that was plenty (though I'm a wimp). Nice atmosphere, linen, etc. and we ate there on the Thursday and the place didn't get full but got pretty busy...good testimony in itself!
(4)Akyshia P.
I have loved AAB for so long. During the day the staff is great but after 5pm it goes downhill. My girlfriend and I went in one night at 8pm to eat with out family but they were to crowded so we ordered our food to go, 10 dinners in all. Then the cashier tells me I cant use my diners card on dinners to go fine but they had already punched it. So I go in another evening to use my diners card and they say I can't because It is already punched I tell then about the previous event and they say they can't help me.. Are you serious? Then they say I could have used my diners card for a to go order... What come on now which is it. AAB I have decided to venture out and try other Indian restaurants but I am sure you don't care.
(3)Rick W.
best "fine dining" Indian in city
(4)L. M.
There's a long black hair in my food. I ordered carry out two hours ago. We warmed it up and the Lamb Korma is pretty tasty. Problem is, there's a long black hair in it. I called the restaurant and was told I could come back for a replacement, but not a refund. Really? We spent $45 to bring a nice dinner home to enjoy in front of the fire. The restaurant may be near my office, but it is 20 minutes from home. I won't be back
(1)Jeffrey L.
The first time I went here was on a Saturday for lunch a couple months ago and I go back about once every 2 weeks to get my fix of Indian food. Things that I have gotten before: Chicken Tikka, Chicken Rice Biryani, Saag Paneer, Garlic Naan, Chicken Tikka Masala and the Dal. (Meant to get Tikka Masala, but ordered incorrectly by mistake. For your reference, Chicken Tikka is just tandoori cooked chicken without the sauce that you get from Chicken Tikka MASALA. Be sure to make note of that.) Pretty much every time I get anything there, it's just been amazing. I would stuff myself with so much of the paneer and the rice biryani that I couldn't move. Some noted difference that I experienced was that the Rice Biryani had some different things in it like golden raisins and some other things that I did not have when I've had this dish in India. And perhaps I got my hopes up a little too high expecting that they would present this dish in its traditional form of being in a large clay pot cooked with a doughy cap covering the top while the whole dish was steamed inside, but still good nonetheless. Oh man, the Chicken Tikka Masala is absolutely amazing. I am a man of sauces and being able to just mix it with rice and just eat loads of that. And the sauce is creamy, and the perfect blend of spices. I also have a morbid fear of chicken meat for being too dry and usually stay clear of chicken breasts for that reason. Now, if they used chicken breasts, I couldn't have told. It was tender, yet not fatty like from the chicken thighs. And the Saag Paneer and Dal were just amazing. Again, quite a bit of sauce there so you can drizzle it on the rice and just shovel, chew, swallow and repeat. And when Faveroo had the gift certificate specials, you can bet I bought the absolute maximum because I love love love the food. Again, this may not be the best Indian food in the world, but it's damn good for Columbus. Great prices btw.
(5)Carl S.
They say "aab" means "water". This place is great: super food; quiet; excellent and attentive staff; busy, but can always get a seat; reasonable prices; has a buffet. Great place to take clients for lunch or your spouse to dinner! (They would rate 5 stars if only they include more of the sugar-coated colored seeds in their Mukhwas mixture near the door.)
(4)Sarah M.
I can't get enough of Aab, I adore the chicken tikka masala, the chicken used is of great quality. I have had bad experiences with other Indian restaurants and the chicken they use, but I also know what I'm going to get with Aab. I can't wait to go back :)
(4)John D.
Indian restaurants here in central Ohio are plentiful, mostly of good quality thanks to the significant Indian populace in this region. My new, most-favorite is Aab India Restaurant, which occupies the space of the late Thom's in Grandview. Indian cuisine is a favorite, so I generally get to an Indian establishment four or five times a month. In their brief existence, we've been so impressed by all aspects of Aab India Restaurant, that we've been there easily a dozen times. Never had less than a five star meal. Over this time, we've ordered from throughout the extensive menu, and as we regard ourselves as innate skeptics, we've been quite looking forward to experiencing the first "Achilles Heel" poorly conceived dish. Frustratedly, we continue this quest without satisfaction! We regularly return with edgy aspiration, exiting in complete gastronomic bliss. WHEN WILL IT EVER END!???
(5)Michael U.
How have I missed writing a review for here? I must have chosen to take another trip to the buffet instead. I just went to the new location in Bexley so I was curious what I wrote for Grandview...nothing. So here's a quick review so my bases have been covered. LOVE THIS PLACE. I've heard it's Americanized Indian so maybe that's the kind of Indian I like cause shits delicious. I can honestly not speak to the menu as I've never eaten off it. Why would I? 10 bucks for all I can eat? Done. I normally sit at the bar and have had no problem with attentiveness. Buffet attentiveness. Water, take your plates, ask how it is.
(5)April W.
I love Indian food. I love curry. Most importantly, I love culture. My high school friend and I both fell in love with Indian food in our early twenties and used to meet once a week at various Indian joints around columbus, and after a few years of letting life get in our way, we finally restarted our Indian cuisine adventures again. This was my suggestion. ..I have not been back since 2008. Still located on the same corner on grandview Avenue across from the side parking lot at Giant Eagle (free parking, conveniently across the street...don't forget to look both ways before crossing! ) We arrived around 7 30pm on a Friday evening, looked busy from the outside as the patio was full but only waited all but one minute upon entrance. Indoor or outdoor seating. The outdoor seating has an overhead covering as well. Dining room is average size. .There are a handful of tables that sit six or more and many two and four tops as well. Elegantly decorated inside with a white and black tone..full stocked bar and friendly smiles upon entering. I ordered a house salad as I recalled from years ago it being super delicious..my memory surprisingly has not faded either! Salad looks super super fresh with large tomato slices, thick slices of white onion, some carrots and cucumber and of course lettuce. The house salad dressing is homemade of lemon and vinegar. It was just awesome. I come to Indian restaurants because I get tired of the American chains that let your bowels know just exactly how processed the food ans ingredients are after. But good Indian cuisine, you can just taste the freshness. When I took my first bite of the salad...The veggies and dressing made me smile. I also ordered a beef appetizer called sambosa. Gently spiced beef covered with a past - like breading. The waiter brought out three different dips. One was green and had a mint taste to it, the other was dark red and had a sweet taste to it, and the third was to add spice and consisted of a red sauce over onions. My preference on the sambosa were the spiced onions and the sweet sauce. My favorite meal at Indian restaurants is mixed vegetables in curry. This allows me to taste the curry, see what types of veggies are used and to also taste the rice. Some Indian restaurants are strictly vegetarian but this joint has it all- beef, chicken, lamb, fish and vegetarian dishes. It will cost between $10-$20 per person depending on what type of main dish you order. We received our appetizer and salad within 5 minutes of ordering and it took a little under 10 minutes to receive the main entrée. Perfect timing. Great taste in my opinion. I am looking forward to a second main entrée in the near future. My taste buds are still salivating! Oh and a nice perk- they have levels of spiciness. I ordered a level 3 for mine..I like spicy. Not too too spicy but enough to give a dish some zest and help my sinuses out during allergy season. Level 3 was perfect. Glad I treated myself on this fine friday. I still can't get over how great my salad was. Perhaps next time I Will order a larger one!
(4)Naiying C.
We had the chicken tikka masala, chicken alfrezi, sag panir and butter chicken. All were delicious, the sag panir stood out to me the most because I've never had something life this before and the flavor and ingredients were just perfect together. The naan and mango lassi are must trys!
(4)Carly S.
I was a bit skeptical of finding good Indian food in Columbus, Ohio but this place is AMAZING. The food is delicious and the portions are huge. My favorite is the chicken tikka masala. One order will usually last me 3 meals!
(5)Jackson S.
This is THE best Indian cuisine in Columbus. You can't go wrong with anything on the menu. They have a unique system to delineate spice level from 1 (loads of flavor, light on heat) to 6 (still loads of flavor, HOT). My personal fave is number 3. Try one of their Indian beers or cocktails for the perfect finish to a wonderful meal.
(5)Riten K.
It takes a special kind of talent to mess up even the simplest of Indian dishes and AAB, Grandview possesses that talent in abundance. I have been sorely disappointed every time I have tried anything other than the butter chicken and naan. Tried Baigan bharta today and it was full of large pieces of uncooked onions - don't remember it being so bad..... I am NOT coming back. Zero stars......
(1)Mironda R.
This place was DELISH! From the butter chicken to the chicken tikka to the plain ole rice! That's when you know a place is good. Everything was hot and fresh and soo flavorful. My only gripe is that we ordered level 4 (out of 6 for spice) and there was a clear inconsistency in the heat. Otherwise I'm totally coming back. I also appreciated the white paper table coverings and large tables. You can tell they are used to family style/large groups AND they rotate a ton of people in and out. Why is that important.. when you have team dinners.. and it's late, you want your food to come out right, hot, and as quick as possible. They hit it on all cylinders. I'll be back!
(5)Whitney S.
Aab definitely deserves 5 stars on their food- it never disappoints... Ever. Best Indian food in town, hands down. On the other hand, their service.. Is always always bad. I didn't knock them for it in the review because the food is so great but come on guys you can't have service so bad that everyone I know only gets take out!!
(5)Kathryn W.
Ummmm, what just happened and how have I never been told about this place!!! Its great! We visited in a Friday around 7:30 and it wasn't too busy so we got to sit outside; which it was a gorgeous evening. They have tons if seating, with a very friendly clean atmosphere. We were immediately greeted and seated. Once seated we decided to try some of the appetizers, which we pretty good. Our waitress recommended the vegetable pakoras which were good. If you are new to Indian food, they are a good starter. Everything we ordered as far as our main courses were so so good!! Yes, we all tried each other's because at that point we knew we were coming back for sure! Our waitress and everyone there was very friendly and helpful. It was a great experience and I DEFINITELY recommend going here. I cant wait until I have the opportunity to try to buffet everyone on Yelp is talking about!
(5)Kaitlyn C.
Two words: Chicken Curry. Everything about this restaurant is fantastic. It's a little tight seating-wise, but the food and atmosphere make up for that.
(5)Julane C.
Great food, great price.
(5)Douglas G.
Aab is easily one of my top five favorite restaurants in Columbus and possibly number one. I dont have much experience with indian food but this place does it right if you ask me. I am a big fan of the garlic naan and the top two dishes i usually get are the chicken saag and lamb vindaloo. Cant really go wrong with anything on the menu though. You can pick spice levels 1-6 and i usually go with a 5... Spicy but not un-enjoyable. GO TO AAB!!
(5)Jessica D.
No matter what my mood is, i will always suggest aab for lunch or dinner. Their food has the soup nazi effect on me. I keep telling myself "Jessica, one bite at a time," because I know that once that last bite has been taken, I'll undergo another bout of Aab withdrawal. The withdrawal symptoms are not pretty. So of course the chicken tikka masala is a profound staple. The spice level is honest, the creamy sauce oh so decadent. But why stop there? Why not gallivant in the "special" chicken tikka masala with peppers? And let's not forgot the "saag" (spinach cream sauce) specialities: Saab paneer (with soft delicate cheese cubes) or choley (with chickpeas and tomatoes) or chicken or mushrooms?? That happens to be my favorite, with a dip of garlic naan to complete the meal. Yum. I haven't had a bad experience yet. Solid service, reasonable prices. The menu overwhelms me a bit but there are worse problems to have. Any non-staple suggestions for this menu are encouraged!!
(5)Meredith K.
Hands down, the best Indian food I have ever had, the chicken curry is out of this world. I regularly order takeout and my order is always ready within 20 minutes. The service at the restaurant is also great. They are really friendly and give great recommendations and suggestions on things to try.
(5)Tiffany W.
I really like this Indian restaurant in Columbus. The service is friendly, but can sometimes be a bit slow if you are going with a large group of people which is understandable. The food (at least for dinners) comes in big portions, so sometimes I end up splitting a dish with a friend and still end up being very full afterwards. Their biryani dishes (chicken, lamb) are excellent and so delicious. They ask you for your spice rating -- I don't usually tolerate much spicy food, so I usually stick with a 3 and it works perfectly for me. I also usually get at least some naan as a side; their garlic naan is very delicious although you don't don't get as many pieces as if you order the regular naan, even though pricing is similar. Mango lassis at Aab India are also fantastic, smooth, rich, flavorful, although expensive ($3-4).
(4)Suzanne P.
I've been here more times than I can count for dinner, the lunch buffet and even for restaurant week. I craved it so badly once, I even ventured there alone and I don't live in Grandview. It is, by far, my favorite Indian restaurant in Columbus. The buffet is very reasonably priced and has a vast selection of FRESH choices, not last night's crusty leftovers. If you're looking for spice though, you'll want to order off the main menu where you can customize just how hot you want your food. The staff is always friendly and I have never had an empty glass of water on a visit. If you're new to Indian cuisine, do yourself a favor and drop the $11 to go taste everything on the buffet. There's no way you'll walk out of there without a favorite dish!
(5)Leeot M.
Best indian food in town. Always go with the chicken curry and the aloo gobi vegetable dish. Amazing flavor and always comes out hot
(5)D J.
When the Indian food craving hits me in Columbus I get Aab-bound. Not a huge fan of their appetizers but the main courses are pretty damn good - if you watch that spice quotient. I've been surprised by the non-mild dal makhani, the gut- burning vindaloo and the feisty vegetable jalfraize. I typically use the lassis as my crutch to get through that spice journey and typically come out feeling like I never want to see Indian food again -- and then go back for more! Good quality although I wish the dishes weren't that heavy, generous portions that make for delicious left overs. Service could use a upgrade. But overall - Aab is on my dining list for Columbus.
(3)Jessica H.
LOVE Aab, three take out experiences, one happy hour and one prix fixe dinner during restaurant week. Nice staff, great veg and non-veg options on the buffet. Naan is delish. Buffet has excellent selection. Paneer and Raiti are homemade - yes, they actually make the cheese and the yogurt here. They also make their own mint, tamarind and onion chutney. Great samosas! Very good happy hour offerings.
(5)A L.
Service is nonexistent, but the food is so good it's worth the frustration in getting a refill. Absolutely delicious.
(4)Morgan M.
The food was five star, the service was 2 star, I give that a overall three. The restaurant was very pretty, nice set up, very light. Since the menu said they specialized in tandoori, I got the tandoori shrimp and garlic nan, while my husband got the lamb curry and aloo bhatura (fried bread). We also split an appetizer sampler, which was the weakest part of the meal. I think I would just get more types of bread over appetizers next time (and we will go back!). My tandoori was AMAZING and I would eat it everyday wrapped in nan. On the flip side, I felt like the wine/beer list was crap and I was not super thrilled with the service. The restaurant was half full but the diners were seated in close groups, which I suppose is easier on the servers but I find it annoying to be in a half-empty restaurant and listening in on three conversations. The food came out one piece at a time and the waiter admitted to completely forgetting one item, which he ended up boxing for us to take home. Aab came highly recommended and the food definitely delivered. If the service is better next time, I will edit my review!
(3)Karla H.
Amazing food and an even more amazing staff! I've always feared Indian food because I'd heard it was spicy. We went there as a birthday dinner for the bf and because of the waiter and his patience I'm in love with this place and Indian food!
(5)Haley H.
My first Indian food experience and I'm hooked. I had the chicken tikka masala at a 4 spice level - definitely could have gone higher. Went on a Saturday evening and service was quick and friendly!
(5)Moses S.
ok, food was 4/5 stars, but the service was pretty bad. FOOD: great curries and nan. note: i got a 6/6 on the heat level and on my scale, it was only a 6/7 out of 10 scale. so if you like heat, don't shy away from their 6 (which is their top level). The service was just atrocious. We had a reservation, which they misplaced for the following day, so they scrambled to get us a table, but because we had 13, we were sat at an 'L' shaped table, which was just awkward. But i suppose that's better than waiting an additional 20 minutes, right? Next, we had 2 servers, but they seemed really new or uneducated about the food. Who describes samosas as a potato pastry?! it's a deep fried perogie or dumpling. on top of that, it took us a good 45 minutes to an hour (no joke, we timed it) to get everyone's check. on top of that, they essentially asked us again what we all had and who had what beer, etc about 30 mins into the wait. Apparently they didn't take good notes. Just a bad ending to a great meal.
(2)Jessica C.
Favorite Indian in Columbus! The lunch buffet is fantastic with a wide variety of options. The portions are a nice normal size and the rice isn't too buttery. Great flavor and levels of heat but watch out for the higher numbers. Service is usually above par, especially the water waiter! We when are feeling Indian this is the only spot we think of, (Except maybe the other location on Sawmill which is closer to home) it's just perfect! Not too expensive and it always comes out the same. We usually ordered the saag, which I like best without meat and my husband gets the vindaloo, I think with lamb! Garlic naan is a must and those fried veggie potato balls appetizer, can't think of their name! Must go if you haven't!
(5)Narendra M.
Aab has been my favorite Indian restaurant for almost 3 years since I moved here to Columbus. I've been here probably around 30+ times. The place is great to meet friends, have dinner, the food is tasty, and the service is excellent. Until last month, I ordered a takeout buffet from Aab, then found a glass shard inside my mouth while I was in the middle of enjoying it at home. The size of the shard was slightly bigger than a grain of rice. I called the restaurant twice to speak with manager. But the staff said he was not in the restaurant at that moment, and would like to give a call back, he also apologized for what it caused. Until now, I have not gotten any call back from the manager. Even though I didn't digest the shard and I'm okay until this moment - I kinda disappointed with the way they treat food safety casually. The shard was from buffet foods, who knows that I've eaten tiny bit of other shards that I might not recognized? Who knows others might have eaten without them realized it? They could earn 5 stars from me, but lost it from what I disappointed.
(2)Ben R.
One of my favorite Indian restaurants in Columbus. Great service, great food, good portions and a nice, yet casual atmosphere. Lamb Saag is my go-to dish, but I haven't had anything bad on the menu in the 4 years I've been eating here. Some people dig the lunch buffet, but I still prefer the menu. Spice level can vary with each visit. If you love spicy Indian, don't shy from the "6"
(4)Hanna N.
Food is delicious! I love the buffet items and menu items! Servers are very knowledgable about the menu. You can pick the spiciness of your food as well which is great. Don't get level 5 the first time...I made that mistake and wow... Anyway, I wish they had gluten-free bread like other Indian restaurants I've been to, but I still love it there! I go like every weekend now!
(4)Mer F.
The lunch buffet makes my world. My team has decided to take a post-sales goal buffet trip each month, and it usually ends up being Aab. The buffet is so amazing- we always leave aching with our poor decision to stuff ourselves silly. The tastes are spot on, the service is fast and friendly, and I'm kind of drooling just thinking about it while writing this review.
(5)Holly C.
My favorite Indian place in Columbus! I really love the curries and chicken tikka masala here. The butter chicken is not bad as well. You'll definitely have leftovers because the portions are very generous, I never finish my food. Order some naan and you'll definitely have more than enough for 2-3 meals for one person. Service is sometimes kind of slow but not terrible. If you're not sure what to try, there's a great buffet for $10 on the weekends! PS They also participate in restaurant week!
(4)Aya R.
Lamb saag, veg samosas, naan, and that wonderful mint chutney!!! Been here about 5 times now, and the flavors were extremely consistent. I hate going to a good restaurant, ordering my "go to" and its "too salty" or "too spicy" or "too watery". NOPE! Aab is great every time. Lunch buffet was good, and would visit again. Dinner time is ALWAYS so busy regardless or time or day. Its a good thing because I love seeing businesses thrive, but makes their servers pressured. Waiters rushing around left and right... The seating is also kind of interesting. Weirdly spread out. I feel like the weird table by the corner wall thing sticks out and makes me feel extremely awkward... Its not that big of a deal, but kind of weird. I like the way they employ their bussers to seat guests. Makes me feel like they treat all of their employees with the same level of expectation and respect. Has become our go to for us if we want Indian! :)
(4)Jonathan M.
One of my favorite indian places around. Staff is very nice, wait time is fine, atmosphere is nice. But the food is amazing!
(5)Mark H.
Amazing spot in Grandview for Indian food. By far my favorite for Columbus. The part I don't like about here is that I am so hung up on their Chicken Tikka Masala that I seldom order anything else!!! Pair that with the garlic nan and this place truly is to die for.
(5)Douglas W.
Very good lunch buffet. Could have a better selection of freshly prepared vegetables. It looked like a bunch of frozen food. Peas, carrots (cut like in the package), spinach, inexpensive potatoes. They're skimping at $12. The chicken dishes were very good. I liked a the spice level. Service is good , friendly. It's a nice place. I've had much better and based on the flavors and execution, I think they could do better.
(3)Amruta D.
Man they can't ever get my order right or maybe they just don't cook it right but a traditional vegetable jalfrezi does NOT have broccoli in it, I don't know what terrible curry they made for me, I obviously ordered a vegetable jalfrezi and it was in some super red curry paste, my friend got chicken tikka masala, which was alright but they don't make real Indian food or at least some of the curries are not accurately cooked, the carrots in the curry were very stale and it had a weird odor. I think personally they're over priced for the quality of food make and it's not traditional there are a few other places in Columbus that actually make better food and are cheaper.!
(1)Rosita C.
I eat spicy I mean very spicy and hot but the highest here #6 was too hot for me so I was impressed. Had lamb vindaloo and was excellent (very American) with no fatty meat and very little oil and butter so if you want ultra traditional thats fatty you wont like this. Service was great even for getting there at closing time. Relatively clean but could have been cleaner especially by the restroom walkways. The vindaloo was a bit more tangy than usual though and that is why I gave them 4 start.
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