Cafe India
19817 44th Ave W, Lynnwood, WA, 98036
Cafe India Menu
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Address :
19817 44th Ave W
Lynnwood, WA, 98036 - Phone (425) 744-0799
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Opening Hours
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Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : No
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : No
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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Ashlee O.
I placed a to-go order of the Aloo Tiki, Garlic Naan, and the Chili Chicken Karahi. The aroma in the car had me drooling before I even put the key in the ignition, and it wasn't misleading. Every dish was great! Honestly, I ordered the Aloo Tiki because it sounded like easy finger food for my toddler, but I took one bite and thought, "If this is any indication, this place is going to be a new favorite." I was being bold, ordering the Chili Chicken Karahi, as I've never had this Indian dish before. It took all my will power to not spoon the entire carton onto my plate! Forget the chutneys, I sopped up the juice from the chicken with the naan. The building is unassuming on the outside and they didn't go all out on the decor. It's simple, not overbearing or gaudy. It also looked very clean and well kept. I'd happily go back for a sit-down dinner sometime, and based on my first experience, I'd highly recommend this place to anyone. They also advertise a killer lunch buffet...so there's that. :)
(5)Rebecca B.
Great authentic Indian food. I've only been for dinner so can only vouch for such but it has been excellent every time and I've gone back many times. It is cheaper than your typical Indian place. The place could use some updated décor but that is ok since the food is good. They have different items too on menu than I've ever seen at other places. The portions are good so good value for your money. Only complaint is that they wait staff is VERY SLOW and food can take a long time to get to you but I think that is because they are actually making it for you ;) I think it might be family owned so the staff has no real experience with waiting tables. But I wouldn't go if you are in a rush it usually take as a few hours start to finish.
(4)Keola S.
I can't believe this place doesn't have a higher rating! I've been here for the lunch buffet, and also for dinner. The buffet was pretty good, and a great value... about 8 or 9 dollars. The dinner blew me away. My mom and I got the non-vegetarian dinner special for two. It was an awesome variety of dishes that included: Chai Tea, Naan, soup, an appetizer, a meat platter, rice, 2 side dishes and 2 desserts... all for about $30. There was SO much food, we left stuffed and still took home 3 takeout boxes. You really can't beat it. I've enjoyed everything I've tried here. I wonder if previous reviewers are misinterpreting the staff's quiet demeanor for rudeness? I've always found the staff to be attentive and helpful. This is my new favorite Indian restaurant.
(5)David B.
Date of service: Nov 22, 2014 Meal: Lunch Buffet, Dine in All Ratings out of 10: Quality of food: 7 Food to Spend Value: 8 Quality of Service: 6 Overall Rating: 7 Indian food is one of my favorite cuisines, and when I can find it I absolutely love a good Indian buffet. Like anything else, Indian buffets are very hit or miss. Reading through other reviews it sounds like Café India isn't always consistent, but whenever I have been it has always been spot on and is pretty much the only Indian buffet I will frequent on the north side of Seattle. The buffet is a pretty decent size, with pakoras and samosas (both veggie), naan, generally 8 - 10 veggie items, and 2 - 4 meat items. The pakoras have always been hot and crispy and fresh. I always love the saag paneer, and really any of the veggie items I have tried have been good. The butter chicken is always delicious, as is the Tandoori chicken, and they generally have a meat curry of some sort that is also tasty. One thing to note is that the sauces here are not too runny / watery, which is something I see frequently at lower quality Indian buffets. For dessert they usually have both rice pudding and mango custard, and an Indian meal for me is never complete without a mango lassi (which is not included with the buffet) that they also make quite well! The building and décor is a bit dated, but the place still has a reasonable ambience, and it is fairly spacious. The buffet is less than $10 per person, which is extremely reasonable. The food is quite tasty and is always hot and fresh for a buffet. I tend to judge an Indian restaurant based on whether there are Indians actually eating there, and I consistently see Indians eating here. It isn't the best buffet in the Puget Sound area (Spice Route or Kastoori Grill probably get that distinction), but for the northern end this is probably as good as it gets. Perhaps one day I will even make it here for dinner, as I hear it is quite good. If I do I will write an update.
(4)Vedanta B.
Do not care for it much, went for a lunch buffet, the place is run down, and not very clean. The food is not very good either, and the chicken tasted over cooked, boiled and stale, will avoid it.
(1)Alexandra D.
Food is average. The staff is rude! They always act like they are better than you. I haven't been back in forever because of the service.
(2)Beudreaux D.
I have been grazing the lunch buffet for at least a couple of decades now. I am not sure I ever ate dinner here. They always have a decent variety and the selections are well made. Too bad the lamb curry got too expensive to include, but there is usually some curry dish to choose. Also like the Biryani most buffets do not have. The price has always been a great value for the food considering you can eat as much as you can handle. If you get a hankering for an Indian food fix around lunch time, you will not be disappointed here.
(4)Denise A.
This was perfection! Yes, I've been to India and yes, I've eaten many home-cooked Indian meals. This was flawless. The service was spot on, attentive but not annoying. She was very well versed in GF, DF so I felt safe eating my meal. My companion had the veg sampler platter and it was aesthetically impressive and delicious. I had the chickpea/potato curry and it was excellent. And to end the meal, the gulab jamun was delicately cooked and syruped. Lynnwood just jumped to the top of my list of must-go-to places because of this one restaurant. I am eager to return!!
(5)Shane M.
Second time customer. Our first trip we dined in. The food was okay. The service wasn't. There was no wait for a table, which I love... When will I learn? Last week we had takeout. The food was better than I remembered, the few bites I got .... but the takeout portions were probably half of what they were when we ate there. Seriously, an order of palek paneer was maybe half a cup. I was really unhappy. I ended up having to make myself something else for dinner... About a hundred dollars for four grade school aged kids... And they were looking at me asking what else we had to eat. I called and asked if there was a mistake - the lady that took my order and brought it to me said no. So... I. Crossing them off the list, too.
(3)Vijay J.
The aroma and taste of the food, especially the Dal Bukhara transports you to the rural Punjab of probably of decades ago when it was pristine. I don't know how the chef here cooks it, but it is simply delectable! Other dishes are equally tasty. The rotis are so authentic. The place is simply amazing. To summarize it, the food here is something to die for. Fortunately, you can pay to get it. :)
(5)G W.
This place has always been a decent buffet stop for me. However it's been over a year since I've grabbed lunch buffet here (kind of forgot about the place). The food quality and choices were ok as I remembered but the service has definitely took a turn for the worse. After being sat down by the waitress we were pretty much ignored the 40mins we were there. Not a "thank you" or acknowledgment given after paying bill. 3 stars for food and 1 for service. Think next time I will just pass on this place as there are other better options around.
(2)Terradon I.
This place has really good variety. All the classics are available: saag paneer, chicken masala, the mint chutney is amazing! The ambience could use some work but that did not detract from our food coma. Easy off the freeway, not expensive and tasty! All four of us (one is an Indian food snob) agreed: very good!
(4)Jeanette L.
Decided to try here for lunch. As buffets go, I've definitely had better. Choices were limited, the tandoori chicken was burned and distasteful. I may give it another chance for an actual "sit down" meal, given some of the other reviews I've read - but as for the lunch buffet....nope.
(2)Andre B.
This place is wonderful. My wife and I have eaten there several times and we are always satisfied, service is slow but the food makes up for it because it is straight up AUTHENTIC!!!!!! We first visited on thanksgiving before we were married, it was delicious, just be for we left a whole party of Indians showed up and that is how you know you are getting authentic food. I would always recommend this place, and I do.
(5)Everett B.
Awesome butter chicken curry that is very good and friendly service. Currently they also have a $7.99 lunch buffet that seems pretty good.
(5)Lee V.
Great service and great food here. The guy at the register was very nice. We had the butter chicken and it was quite good. I especially loved their rice. It was so good that I could just eat the rice by itself. I'm going back to try the buffet next time. Definitely recommend these guys!
(4)Lilly D.
We have been coming here for the past year and the food is just ridiculously good. We enjoy the lunch buffet but dinner here is hands down the best Indian food I've ever had. The chicken Korma is our favorite with the bread basket. So so good.
(5)Mike D.
Went there for lunch today. They run a decent sized weekend brunch buffet. The food was good, but it seemed that the entrees were very short on lamb/chicken/paneer. Any given ladle ends up with flavorful sauce for your rice, but not much in the way of solids. It guess you get what you pay for. Naan was burned on the bottom. Customer service was good, with plates being cleared regularly and drink glasses kept full. Great spot if you are in the area, but not really worth a special trip. Total bill for two with mango lassis was about $25.
(3)Ahmed E.
Very slow service. Staff doesn't know the menu.. expensive and less than medium quality and taste.. Will not be coming back..
(1)April L.
Tasty
(4)Linda D.
There was a hard working waiter that used to work here. We described him to the lady that always offered to pour water for us when we used to frequent there. He was the young gentleman that wore glasses and kinda was the only waiter there. She said he went to India to marry his bride. He was the best server and was very nice! Every time he would wait on us, which was every time we went there, he gave us superb service! He was an asset to this business! Back then, besides the food, he was the only thing this restaurant got for going for them. This place needs a facelift and I'm scared to go into the bathroom. We have been in after he left a few times but we did not receive good service. A few Sundays ago, I decided to order take out to avoid service. I called in my order and told them I'll be there in 15 mins. I had ordered my usual chicken saag and chicken korma with 2 orders of naan. When I went to pick up my order, I had my son go in and pay and pick up the food. He came back inside the car and was like I don't think this is our food. On the receipt it was something Marsala and naan and it came out only 15 bucks or something and I was like why so cheap?! Usually it's about 30 for what I order. I went back in with the food and exact change she handed my son, told the lady I did not order this and that this food is not mine. She blah blah blah to her uncle and asked me what I had ordered. I told her my order and she blah blah blah to the man who is sitting in the dining area which I believe was the owner. The woman then said I'm sorry but we must have given your order to someone else. And pushed back the bag of food to me. I was confused. Like really?!?! Bitch I didn't ordered this! I pushed the food back and said can I get my money back?!?! Then she blah blah blah to that man and he got up very irritated walking towards the kitchen. She said ok wait 15 minutes. Again.....he we go about the BAD SERVICE here. 1. She shouldn't had assume I was going to eat and buy food that I didn't ordered! 2. She didn't even offer me a refund which she should cause it wasn't my food! I had to ask for my money back. 3. She didn't even offer a discount not that I needed one but to compensate for the confusion on their behalf!!! 4. Bitch was actually tryna con me into buying food that wasn't even mine and I didn't even ordered!!!! I don't like Marsala! I should have just taken my money and dipped but my kids insisted on Indian food. This will be the last time I ever come here! I ordered take out to avoid service but instead it bit me in the ass with even more poor service! Time to venture out and find a new Indian joint to eat out at.
(1)R D.
This is authentic Punjabi food! Went here for dinner with my family who are very fussy about Indian food and were really pleased at how good it was. We are vegetarian and ordered the palak paneer, daal, bhindi and chole with naan bread. Plentiful portions with lots of flavor and very reasonably priced. Friendly staff, simple decor - Highly recommend and we will definitely be back when next in the area.
(5)Amy E.
I went to Cafe India for the lunch buffet this afternoon. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't good, either. The salad was iceberg lettuce. That's it--no tomatoes, no cucumbers, just lettuce. The sauces were runny, the naan was burnt, cold, and hard as a rock. In my spoonful of butter chicken I got exactly one piece of chicken, and the sauce was greasy. The little fried appetizers were cold. I looked at the mango custard, decided it was mango water (very runny--served with a ladle), and didn't try it. The vegetable korma and the saffron rice were good, and I did like that there were oranges at the buffet, so I could have that instead of iceberg lettuce. There was a green mint sauce that was tasty. The service was fine and the staff were friendly. The price was $8.75, which makes it hard to complain about the food. I won't be going back, though. Instead I will frequent Royal India's lunch buffet, where the food is extremely tasty, the naan is fresh, and I actually get chicken in my butter chicken.
(2)Glenn P.
7 days a week lunch buffet! $8.84 (Inc. tax) can't be beat. They have a nice selection of items to choose from. The pakoras were a bit over-done - but the curries were tasty, the palak paneer was very good. They had a couple dessert offerings, Chai is not included (minus one star). Don't let the outside of the building sway your interest - inside is very clean and welcoming.
(4)Chelsea J.
I have been coming to Cafe India every so often for years and have always enjoyed the food. They have a punch card for the lunch buffet where you can get a free lunch after buying 11 lunches. Entrees are better than the lunch buffet in my opinion but the food tastes good and is a good deal for $8 for the lunch buffet. My favorite dishes are the butter chicken and the saag paneer. One downside is that their hours aren't always reliable. Sometimes they are not open at times when they should be / normally are open and this makes planning to come here confusing and inconvenient at times!
(4)Ginny M.
The food was adequate but not very good and definitely inferior in quality to other Indian restaurants in the area. I went to the lunch buffet, and while it advertises 22 dishes on the outside marquis, although I did not count the number of bins I would say that it was not a large selection. That in itself was not the problem, however. It was poor-to-middling quality. The tandoori chicken was extremely dry to the point of being inedible, and the spinach dish (saag paneer) was almost devoid of cheese cubes. I was there at the height of lunch hour so I cannot attribute these problems to having arrived at a time when everything had been heating for too long and/or picked clean. The one positive was the bread - while some may prefer their naan in whole slabs, the quarter cuts worked well for me as a "solo diner" and they managed to keep these warm without drying them out too much. The room has a TV and it wasn't a problem initially in that the volume was turned down, but eventually a customer asked for it to be raised (and the waitperson complied) so if you prefer your dining experience to not be overshadowed by a TV, you might be uncomfortable here. All in all, I would say the meal was not "bad" but I would not go back, given an excellent Indian restaurant catty-corner to this one, as well as many others in the immediate area.
(2)Kristen C.
This place is NOT clean. The dishes, silverware, and cups are all dirty. You can actually FEEL that the plate is not clean. The naan was greasy and flat, and I do not believe there were actually 22 items on the lunch buffet as advertised (more like 12). I give it two stars because the food is average and the lunch buffet price is low. Skip this place go to Clay Pit in Mill Creek.
(2)Aaron H.
I really enjoyed dinner with my wife at Cafe India this evening. I got the Chicken Tika Masala and she had Chicken Khorma. We were both pleased with our selections. My wife liked the Naan with onions and cheese. The rice pudding desert I had was just OK. The waiter and waitress that helped us were very friendly and easy to talk to. The dining area was warm and cozy.
(4)Adrien Etienne S.
Not the best Indian food that I've ever had, but it is delicious and well priced. I thought that the naan and the pakoras were the highlights of our meal. The tikka masala was good too, but I'm fond of it in general. Good chai. Honestly, the reason that this is on my rotation even though Kalia is a bit closer to where I live and a bit better is that Cafe India is very very good and a bit cheaper. Certainly a good place to eat though. I need to actually go there for the buffet one of these days.
(4)Mark W.
The Lamb Boti Khabab Masala is my favorite dish here. Also Chicken Pekoras as an appetizer. First place i tried indian food I still like this place even after trying other places. Its modest looking inside and usually rather quiet, but the staff is always very polite.
(4)Sara H.
This place is nasty the cups and plates were dirty the table cloth was dirty my stomach started to turn after a couple of bites of my lamb Biryani and after one bite of my kuchummber salad I wanted to barf from the rotten egg smell coming from the salad. Do not waste your money and come here sooo nasty.
(1)Melissa D.
This is a great place. My family has been dining here for years. We love their lunch buffet. Their butter chicken is fabulous! We also occasionally order from their dinner menu. The Chicken Malabar is one of the best curries I've had.
(5)Yummy P.
My fiance' and I have dined here twice specifically for their lunch buffet. On both occasions it was extremely quiet and empty it made me a little skeptical. On our first visit, we tried a little bit of everything but we were not impressed. We visited a second time in case we may have dined on a bad day but again, not impressed. The food is not awful, we've just had better. If we didn't have "Mayuri" to compare it to, my review may have been a little different. It was a little awkward being one of two people in the restaurant and having the television on mute. It was a little too quite for a casual restaurant and having no customers in such a large space made it a little uncomfortable. Overall, the service is friendly and the food is "ok". We'd go back only to satisfy our Indian cravings on a low budget ($8.00 per person).
(3)Christina S.
My friend swears by this place so I finally checked it out! We went for their lunch buffet which is $7.99 and has about 10 different food items (the sign says 22 so I'm assuming they count the chutney lol). The butter chicken was my fav! The service is great! Definitely a place I'll check out again.
(4)Courtney C.
In Lynnwood for a few nights, and was staying about a block away. Got the non veg dinner for two; the price was reasonable, the quantity was exceptional! My husband and I had plenty of left overs. The variety of food was good too- I particularly liked the chicken korma and the kheer. Take out was fast, which I always appreciate.
(4)Joel H.
Great Indian food. My wife and I love the Vegetarian Dinner for Two. Friendly wait staff.
(4)Tori M.
I really like this one alot. The food is dependable and the price is right. I've been here for the buffet several times and I love it when they run out of Naan on the line so they bring it around fresh to your table! Nice. I've also been here for dinner and the service is fast and pleasant. Palak Paneer is my favorite and I can always count on it being consistent here. It is not smokey flavored and the texture is very smoothe. And the dinner menu, although higher than lunch, still seems like a very good value for the increased sizes of servings.
(4)D.J. Y.
Pretty darn good for East Indian food outside the hub in the U-district of Seattle. They offer a really nice size lunch buffet but I find dinner to be better. Plenty of space if you have larger parties. Clean, affordable(at lunch) and tasty! Service is solid, my water could have used some more ice cubes after the 3rd refill but heck the bus-boy/gentleman was quick and cleared our plates fast and kept the water coming. For the novice, East Indian cooking uses different kinds of Curry, PLEASE DO NOT let this scare you. My wife luvs Indian food but usually can't handle the higher Scoville units, she just enjoys the curry's rich flavor. The last time we visited my wife and my Dad both thought things were a bit warmer than usual, we asked for mild, I noticed a possible new owner/manager in the kitchen that could mean the difference in heat index. Start with the Kuchucumber Salad or the Mulligatawny Soup. Naan is acceptable, Palak paneer and Chicken vindaloo were rich and creamy. Samosas and Pakoras were very good, and freshly fried in clean oil. Rice is an outstanding blend of cinnamon, star anise, and orange zest, nothing over powering just a nice accompaniment. Check out their website the have a coupon for Monday and Tuesday nights. But the cheaper offering is the lunch buffet. Dinner time you are served in small-ish metal containers, this might upset a few after seeing the price range.
(4)Alison H.
Small buffet but good food and inexpensive
(4)Jessica F.
This place is amazing! best food ever for only 8 bucks buffet style. They have a small family owned feel, which I love. My boyfriend and I go here about once a month. Everything is good. Can't pin point anything. The T.v. issue... It's a small family owned business. I don't feel like it's a big deal. It's never too loud or anything. They can be a bit slow in refilling our water, but the food is amazing. Mango pudding (or whatever its called) is always a great way to end every meal.
(5)Kathryn E.
I really like this place. Great selection, friendly staff, good prices. I come here at least once a month. You should try it too!
(4)Ed A.
My wife and I have been going here since it opened a number of years ago. This culminated our search for Indian food as good as we were accustomed to in the Bay Area. We've been all over South Snohomish County, and have also gone to several restaurants in Redmond, Kirkland, Bellevue, Greenwood, and Renton, without finding what we wanted. We did not enjoy Kalia (across the corner), but when Cafe India opened, we found our home at last! Our typical purchase is the non-Vegetarian Dinner for two. However, we also love the Vegetarian Dinner for two. At various times, we have enjoyed the Biriyanis. But the Veg or non-Veg dinner allows us to have more dishes at once. Both dinners come with choice between excellent Tomato-Basil or Mulligatawny soups, and a choice of appetizers (we generally get the Vegetable Pakora). We generally upgrade the rice to Kashmiri Pilav, and the Naan to Peshawari Naan. My wife generally gets the Mango Ice Cream, when it is fresh. I nearly always get the Kheer. We both love the chai, though occasionally I have really stuffed myself with a Mango Lassi. When we bring visiting friends/children/grandchildren here, sometimes one of them will discover the Sweet Lassi or Mango Lassi, and be glad they did. The waitstaff has changed over the years, but has always been helpful, informative, and attentive to us. The owner ("Sam") and the chef ("Mr. Singh") have always taken good care of us. We do NOT have any relationship with this restaurant except that of a very happy frequently repeating guest! We rarely go to the buffet, primarily because we're generally somewhere else around lunch time. It does suffer by comparison with the dinner service, as the food is, of course, sitting in the heating trays. Also, its spice level is dropped to the safe 0-star level for the American audience. However, you can get a side container of hot sauce that you can mix into whatever you load on your plate.
(5)Van P.
We have been to this place twice and ordered the same 2-person meal each time. We like having a variety of items as we are not regular diners at Indian restaurants. (It comes with several courses which was enough food to feed 4) The first time the meat platter was dry but the second time it was hot and tender. Their special Fried Rice is delicious with bits of fruits and nuts. Service is fairly friendly. Facility is very dated but clean enough. Reminds me of a coffee shop that only locals would go to. Both nights had about 6 customers so it's not crowded. Would probably go back in the future. Yes, there is a big screen TV so just make your husband sit so he is facing the other way.
(3)Ben G.
This place is pretty decent. However, I think they can be a HECK of a lot better... The food-it depends, its pretty consistently good, but the buffet is, surprise, not so good. So, despite the food being pretty good, and the service being pretty good, I think its just a tad overpriced for the quality of the food. A tad, mind you. I suppose I've had more Indian food now, since when I first came here (I've developed more of a "taste" for it, more than in the past...). I'd give the place 4 stars a while back. Now, its more like a 3 star place... I think its also becoming a bit "dated", and yeah, I can see there being more cleanliness issues, etc., with time, and with a lack of attention to details...
(3)Shanti M.
My experience was not as good this time.... The tv was on, and the waiter seemed to be entranced by it. My table was right by the television, so I asked if I could move, as it I could feel him looking through me. A weird feeling. Aside from the service not being as strong as I'd remembered it (different staff), the food didn't seem quite as good. Several of the dishes on the buffet were quite cold! Yechh. And the pakoras had nearly no vegetables in them whatsoever - the most disappointing pakoras remember ever having! Just little shreds of onion and something dark green that was such a tiny sliver, I never did figure out what it was. The best part of my experience this time was a young woman with a long black braid, bringing fresh naan to each table. It became the only thing on my plate that was sufficiently warm. It was clearly her joy to bring it to us, and I appreciated her touch! This was probably my last time to Cafe India.
(3)Nina S.
This was my first time here, the staff were friendly (: The food was decent, but wasn't the best. I loved how they kept refilling my water though, but I didn't like how they kept doing it like every second. I also LOVEED the desert they have here, I ordered a mango ice cream and it was fruity. It had some stuff in the ice cream? But wasn't sure what it was, taste like some kind of nuts? or fruits? I had no idea. But if you guys like fruity ice cream, I recommend it!! (:
(3)Madelyn M.
We keep coming back to this place. Sure it's not a five star place, but the food is consistently good, and the staff there is friendly. I agree with the others that having the TV on is a bit annoying, I don't come to this place to watch TV. That being said, if you can sit away from the TV it's great. We've gone for the lunch buffet multiple times now (we go about once a month), and have also been back for dinner. Each time the food was good. We've both vegetarian so haven't tried the meat dishes, but so far we think this place is a good spot to satisfy our craving for Indian food.
(5)Edna C.
It's alright for a dinner buffet - if you include maybe the condiments makes the buffet more than 22 items. Get take out for dinner.
(3)Vanessa M.
Best Tikka Masala ever.
(5)Cruz O.
Better than Kalia across the street. If I'm in the mood for Indian and I don't feel like trekking to Mill Creek for Clay Pit (a far better Indian food restaurant that only charges an extra dollar for buffet) I come here. It was also my first experience after having moved here from California, so it has that nostalgia factor. But because it's slow, a lot of the items can get old. The pakoras and samosas get cold pretty quick, and the assorted curries and kormas lack spice. But Indian food buffet at 7.99 is better than a lot of the options in that commercial area.
(3)Natalie W.
I ordered a Vegetarian Thali to go after inquiring on the phone about take out... When I inspected my bag on the way home I found the one of the to-go containers had a growing hole in the bottom, and anothers plastic lid had ripped and collapsed in on the dish. Bummer! The Thali was not exactly what the menu I read said it would be- it had a bit of chaan, paneer palak, some lentil dish, raaga, naan, rice, and a spicy orange red rice milk dish with a few raisins floating in it(dessert?). The small portions of chaan, the lentil dish, and paneer palak were hearty and flavored well. The raaga container held a thin yogurt sauce with a few diced pieces of cucumber- I did not want to eat this yogurt soup! The spicy rice milk was void of rice. I did not eat the raaga or spicy rice milk. The naan was basic and some pieces were dried out- as well as the rice. The main dishes had good flavor, but the containers were horrible and the side dishes pointless due to wrong consistencies and lack of ingredients. FYI's~ * Offers a lunch buffet for $7.99 * Offer a frequent user discount for lunch buffet * Thali is a meal broken into a collection of many different small dish items * They gentlemen running the restaurant when I picked up my food were very nice
(2)Larry B.
I tried a new place out for lunch this week on each of my 3 days off, and this was the third and by far the lowest on the list. I showed up at 1pm for lunch, was showing a table and told to help myself to the buffet. Buffet? I never bothered to find out but I was led to believe that was my only option. Sceptical, I decided to stick around and try it out. It is the definition of mediocre, the food was on the cool side of luke warm and average. I imagine most of this "authentic" Indian food is made from pastes and pre fab powders. The Naan bread had been sitting in the warmer for too long and was tough. My second time through (hey for $8 bucks I wasn't leaving hungry) there was fresh Na-an bread that was actually quite good, and i found a piece of chicken thigh that was pretty dry but had a good smoke flavor. I will never go back to this place. I would think places like this will be out of business as the Internet reviews push owners away from this lazy mediocrity and forcing them to excel or fail. There are too many other places to eat including an Indian restaurant across the street that will get my business next time. The up side? 2 out of three of the staff were friendly. By the photo below couldn't possibly have been taken at this place, the Na'an bread isn't the same. How about a real photo?
(2)Michelle G.
Lunch buffet. Drive up, tuck in, roll out. Incredibly fattening. Pass GO, do NOT collect lettuce or watermelon. Be serious. The items vary, but the vegetable pakoras and samosas are always hot and tasty. Make sure to take advantage of their sauce station. Tamarind sauce, mint, and raita. The naan is always hot and fluffy and fresh. Saag is green and cheesy and lovely. Butter chicken is creamy and delicious, but my vegetarian friend pigged out on delicious lentil dishes, too. Keep your pants on, if you can, and indulge in free dessert. The rice pudding and mango sauce are equally scrumptious.
(4)Nicola G.
My boyfriend and I are loyal regulars. We LOVE this place. We love this place so much we've traveled way out of our ways to come here. We always start off with a pair of samosas. Cafe India has the best samosa I have ever eaten. It's so flavorful and not the least bit dry. We drink a lot of water and chai tea here. My favorite dish is the chicken dopiaza. It's a really really hot dish but the flavors are melodic and heavenly (once you get past the napalm burn). You'll need lots of water for this dish but don't worry, the staff are very attentive and they don't let your water glass get less than half full. We know, we've tested them. I've been to their buffet a couple of times. As one who isn't a fan of buffet's (the idea of all you can eat--eating til you're stuffed repulses me). The buffet is great and my favorite is their mango pudding. YUMMMM! It sounds silly but I love that they're so generous with the tea and the rice. They give us a little more to take home with our left over curries. Another thing I really like about this place is that they don't merely serve your typical Indian dishes, they have a variety of curries from various parts of India. I'm such a fan of this place. The food is delicious and the staff are great. Oh, and the bathrooms are really clean. A clean bathroom is a good sign of a clean kitchen.
(5)Lily H.
One of our friends listed this restaurant as her go-to Indian restaurant, so it wasn't hard for her to talk my boyfriend and I into going on a rainy Tuesday evening. I counted three other tables in the restaurant plus a slightly larger one, but it took almost an hour to receive our food. I had asked for my Chicken Korma to be a little spicier than mild, but they dumped all the cayenne pepper in my boyfriend's tikka masala (I should have known better than to ever ask for food to be spicy in an Indian restaurant). They did replace the dish for us, and the other items we tried (Chicken Korma, Chicken Tandoori and a variety of naan) were very tasty. Service was grumpy and brusque. Portions were slightly smaller than I would have liked, and the naan tasted a little too yeasty. Bottom line: I won't be driving the 20 minutes out of my way to come here. Roti and Jewel of India are still number one and number two on my list.
(2)NANCY H.
Lunch Buffet: The all you can eat samosas and palak panner are first rate. I could really taste the blend of exotic spices... it really sent tingles down my spine! The service was awesome: glasses always filled, friendly waitstaff...I would just skip the salad though (it looked like it has seen better days). Otherwise it was delightful meal for a muggy day. Good For: lunch buffet, all you can eat naan
(4)Scot K.
I guess I love Indian buffet restaurants. If you don't know much about Indian food and want to venture out of the normal tandoori chicken, buffets are a great place to go. You can take a little taste of everything and if you like it you can get more. The problem with me is that I just keep getting more and more and more! The food is good, but hey its a buffet. The butter chicken was flavorful, but I had to really stir around to find some chicken. The naan was great, but honestly, how can you screw up bread. The samosas were a little greasy. The lentils were good, but could have been a little more flavorful. If it wasn't for the buffet, I wouldn't go. The decor needs to be cleaned and updated. Even though its Lynnwood, they could spruce it up a bit to make it more appealing.
(3)Randall H.
Been here once for dinner and several times for the lunch buffet. It would be difficult to argue with the lunch buffet, for the most part. Well, it would be difficult because it's inanimate and is bound to offer little to no opposition...or would that make it easy to argue? What I meant to imply was that an all-you-can-eat buffet of even average Indian fare would have to be really expensive before you would turn away from it. The food here, even on the buffet, is generally above average. In particular, if you happen to dine here on a day when the older gentleman is working his magic in the kitchen, just loosen your belt a little bit and give in to gluttony. Without fail, when he's in the kitchen, the spices seem both more prominent and yet completely balanced. The palak paneer alone I could eat by the pile, were I not determined to usually sample a bit of everything on offer each time I visit. The service is somewhat minimal here, but I never go to Cafe India for the experience of it. I'm always walking through that door in search of a counter to my state of hunger and excited to sample the wares. It's perfectly fine by me to simply be waved toward the buffet and be served water. It's not that they're unfriendly because they are certainly friendly, but they definitely are a lot more hands-off than a lot of places. All in all, lunch in Lynnwood doesn't offer a better option than this from what I've found. I'll keep looking, but not all that hard.
(5)Jeff H.
I have been to Cafe India for the lunch buffet a few times. Their food is always good. I enjoy buffets in general because I can consume a great deal of food. However, given I don't know the names and contents of Indian dishes, this particular buffet is a great way to taste a variety of Indian food and figure out what you like. The price is very reasonable and the ambience inside the restaurant is comforting. The customer service is very friendly and inviting. Oh, and don't forget to have dessert...it's included in the buffet...Mango pudding, and milky rice pudding stuff. I clearly don't know what the milky rice stuff is, but I do know it's yummy.
(4)Todd Ø.
Cafe India serves up some decent cuisine, but nothing to get excited about. I have been here twice while visiting a friend in the area, and while the food seems fresh, it's also kind of bland and unremarkable. Their curry sauces seem to lack that certain vibrancy that I've come to expect from Indian fare, and dishes aren't spiced or hot enough for my taste. On the plus side, the prices are reasonable and the staff is friendly and helpful. There seems to be only two Indian restaurants in Lynnwood, so that probably helps their business.
(3)Georgia B.
Friendly, attentive staff, unique and creamy chicken marsala. I highly recommend the mixed vegetable pakora.
(3)Nina W.
YAY for their lunch buffet!! Delicious samosas! good naan woth really good yogurt sauce. Deliciously spiced mild Butter Chicken. It was definately worth the slim price for a meal that made me feel like the pillsbury dough-boy afterwards. I would come back again!
(3)Jeff P.
Great value lunch buffet! At first glance, it didn't look like much. But 8 or 9 different selections piled high on my plate, 2 plates later, and I was very happy and content and full. $8 for that? Perfect.
(4)Amanda H.
If you head here wanting a beer and you are born in the year 1987 don't expect to be served, 21 or not. The few bites of food I tasted wasn't bad, but wasn't enough to make me stick around. I tried explaining to the servers that yes I am in fact 21 years old, but because the sticker behind the bar told them the correct year was 1986 I was not served my beer. I tried to have 3 different servers do the math, but I had no luck. I left, irritated by the entire ordeal.
(1)John S.
Good Indian food. Way better than Kalia around the corner. The buffet is typical Americanized fare. Order from the menu for the best experience.
(3)Jessica L.
We have eaten there several times with out any issues, however last night we ordered to go we ordered Tandoori mixed grill it states seafood kebabs along with chicken and lamb. I can tell you there was no seafood whatsoever in that dish. I called them to tell them and they told me the cook could remember putting one shirmp in it, I said one shirmp there was not even that and I said the menu says seafood kebabs and that is just miss leading, they said sorry but had no more to say. The Chicken Korma was not very good this time around it use to be really good, I don't know if it is new cooks or owners but this time was bad enough with the response that the will not getting are money again! I do not know if they even know about this thing called yelp but I am going to bring it to there attention and maybe then they will handle issues a little differently in the future.
(1)Marian M.
Oh, Cafe India, I wish I could pack you up and move you to Seattle so I wouldn't have to drive to Lynnwood to experience your perfect samosas, divine palak paneer, and smoky naan. I know that moving isn't cost effective sometimes, and not the most fun for everyone, but if you do, you could stay at my house for a while. For free. Just promise you'll cook me some tikka masala while you're here.
(4)Gabriel P.
The service was great and the food was really good too. The setting was a little older but the food and people made up for it. Had the lamb vindaloo and they weren't kidding when they said it was spicy. It wasnt too much though it was just enough. And they were very attentive to the spice level and they asked a couple times to make sure that I liked it. I will definitely go back and try some more of their dishes. Oh yeah, and the garlic naan is bomb!
(4)Chandler H.
Based off the other two reviews I decided to give this joint a shot. I'm glad I did! I picked up take out on a Saturday night and it was great. We had the chicken vindaloo (spicy!), chicken tikka masala (fantastic!), gobbi aloo (good veggie choice!), tandoori chicken (full of taste!), and two types of naan (just ok). The chicken tikka masal and tandoori chicken stood as perhaps the best I've had. I look forward to trying the 22 item buffet.
(4)Jason C.
The only place I order Indian Food. I have never dined in the restaurant but love to order take out from them. I have been trying to branch out when ordering from their menu but seem to stick to my standards. Tikka Chicken, Tandoori Chicken Tandorri Lamb, Garlic Naan. All very good and well priced. Usually enough food for the next day too. The people are very friendly and always get my order right.
(4)Janice W.
The last time I ate there (tonight) there was a huge LONG black hair in my food. Never again. We usually get take out, not any more. There is no excuse good enough to explain hair in restaurant food. The reason is usually filth.
(1)Mike F.
Excellent all the way around on the lunch buffet! Best Indian in the North End, I make it a point to go there and I live in North Everett. The staff are very friendly and will remember you. If I could live at the Buffet, I would.
(5)Kati P.
After reading all the glowing reviews, I decided to drive the long distance to Lynnwood from the Eastide and meet my husband to try the lunch buffet. The food was just OK, not one item was exceptional except the rice pudding (big deal). We are very spoiled on the Eastside with a plethora of amazing Indian restaurants, maybe because of Microsoft being so closeby. We will not be going back to Cafe India. The one iceberg lettuce salad was pathetic, and as I said, the curries were just ok. We recommend a trip over here to eat REAL Indian cuisine. Try Mayuri, Taj Palace, Udupi, Kannishka, Haveli, India Gate or Kabob Palace to name a few.
(2)AAA n S.
my favorite India restaurants, food is very fresh, and a lot of choices, staffs is very friendly, dish is very good and a lot of food inside, not just food with expensive fee. i like this place !!!
(4)Bob G.
We came here last Sunday for brunch. We sampled a bit of everything. The naan was already on the buffet table, and was OK. Everything else was wonderful. The Tandoori Chicken had a distinct smoked flavor, which I have not experienced elsewhere. I wanted more, but was stuffed by the time I had sampled a bit of everything. They had Butter Chicken, Lamb Curry, several vegetable curries. Everything was Delish! We thought it was a cut above the Indian restaurants we have tried.
(4)Nicholas B.
VEGETARIAN REVIEW: Come for the lunch buffet, where they always have 20+ vegetarian dishes available. Always fresh, always clean, great service. They let us bring sandwiches for our youngest boys because they can't stand Indian food. I've never ordered any menu items here because the buffet is so good. The malai kofta and saag paneer stand out.
(5)Hannah L.
I love this restaurant!! I used to live in Lynnwood and found this restaurant many years ago and now live in Seattle and still go to Lynnwood just for their lunch buffet. They have the biggest and best buffet in the area and I've tried quite a few since I love Indian food. I am a vegetarian and they have a large vegetarian selection which is different from many Indian buffets which usually only have one or two vegetarian options. I love that they have samosas and pakora on the lunch buffet. I would definitely recommend this restaurant to anyone who likes Indian food. It's reasonably priced for the amount of food available. I always leave wishing that I had worn pants with a larger waist.
(5)erin m.
very solid food. my only concern is the cleanliness factor going on. seemed a bit too dirty for a perfect dining experience.
(4)a r.
In my ongoing quest for ($)(****), I recently tried Cafe India south of 196th on the way to Shoreline in Lynnwood. Turns out the ($) is just for the lunch buffet. We came for dinner on a week night. We had a big appetizer, bread and two entrees, and it was easily ($$). If we had had drinks of any kind or dessert (and they have Khulfi AND gulab Jamun), the tab would have gone from around $20 to near $30 apiece. We had enough left over for a third person, and in fact had a virtual third since the leftovers were consumed immediately upon arrival home. That brings the per-person cost down. Foodwise, this place definitely gets four stars. The service was rather slow, but the place was clean and nicely decorated. Nothing too fashion-forward, but pleasant. The exterior needs some love, particularly the landscaping. I'd encourage you to look beyond the weedy parking lot and go ahead and go inside. We had the place to ourselves, just about. There were lots of people picking up take out food, and eventually a few other diners. I am sure at lunch it is packed. It is a large room. I picked up a takeout menu to tell you exactly what we got. It was all served in cute little copper pots. Didn't look like they held much, but they actually did. We got some pappadums with three sauces after we ordered. It took awhile to get our India appetizer platter, which had a lamb/pea samosa, a potato samosa (I hated to share this. It was handmade and so good). about six vegetable pakoras and quite a few chunks of boneless tandoori chicken and lamb. We also ordered some cheese-stuffed kulcha (naan-like bread) and that was outstanding. Our entrees were Chicken Akbari Kerahi (also available with paneer/cheese made in-house instead) and Lamb Rogan Josh. The chicken was with onion and green pepper in a thick savory gravy. It had a bay leaf in it, and at least one clove. There were many flavors here and I will be back just to have this again, though I might try it with the paneer. Don't get me wrong, the chicken was moist and tender and I 'd get it again, too. My friend AND the friend who ate the leftovers both loved the lamb and would go there again just for that. It had a thick browner sauce with deep flavor. The menu says and onion, garlic and yogurt, though it does not have a creamy look. The rice was a pilaf with peas and some browned rice, so extra care was taken with it, too. Next time I go, it will be to try the lunch buffet and get that ($) meal. But I will be back in the evening to try more of their dinner dishes as well.
(4)sohel k.
Dont eat here if you are an Indian ! Food here is specifically made, keeping whilte folks in mind , You wouldnt find the flavour of indian spices in it ! The service is good but i wouldnt go back to a restaurant where the service is good and the food is not !
(1)Lisa H.
I love-a love this place. Can't get enough and take all my friends there. Tasty buffet and friendly staff.
(5)Beth C.
Cafe India has become my regular stop for indian food. The first couple of times I visited it I thought it was just okay, but the more I go, the more I really like some of the dishes. The selection of Nan is really one of the best things about their dinner menu, and with their lunch buffet there's a nice selection to choose from. My fiance and I usually get an appetizer, entree, and two orders of nan, and have a really nice meal with some leftovers for $20.
(4)