Top 15 Indian Restaurants in Indianapolis – Hip & Trendy
So, why this list….
Let me begin by saying that, I love food. Being that I am from Asia and being particularly honest with my audience, I am originally from middle East. Given the fact that my parents are originally from Pakistan, I have always been looking for Great Indian and OR Pakistani food. To me it didn’t matter which restaurant it is, as long as the food is great, I would go to that particular restaurant over and over again.
Another interesting thing is that you won’t find too many places around Indianapolis and as you move to suburbs like Fishers, Indiana, Carmel and so on that would offer Zabiha offerings.
So criteria, I am going to use here won’t be focusing so much on Zabiha, but that would definitely be a plus. I have been living in the Indy metro area for approximately 15 years now and I have tried just about every restaurant in town and I still continue to do so.
I am building my top 10 list in the hopes that it would help others. I noticed that our directories in Yelp and Yellow Pages were highly targeted with paid ads, so depending on the amount of money you spend you may see some restaurants up a the top.
I must also say that Yelp results are not always wrong either. Quite a few of the restaurants provided on the list are very good, but then you do run into problem of not having a comprehensive list as you are bound by a particular area and then you can only see the GREAT restaurants.
Cleanliness — A+
Service — A+
Ambiance — A+
Food Quality — A+
You might be wondering why did they get this rating.
Well, one reason, they are the top fishers Indiana Indian restaurant in my opinion.
Well, the guy has been in business for years and years. He is pretty much the only name in Fishers, Indiana. On top of it, by building a new Indian restaurant after having catering business for so long says something about the confidence and food quality he has. After all, you are dealing with the business of inches and there is no better person to compete.
We have seen some nearby businesses not getting as much traffic as soon as he entered the market, overall I would give him five stars as he is the total package.
Here is one Yelp consumer said about this restaurant….
Here is what a consumer said, “The food was not only excellent but also different from the options available at most Indian restaurants in the area. I think that probably owes to the fact that this place seems more Pakistani than Indian.”
So, go ahead and check it out….
Here is the contact and hours information on Yelp.…
What can be improved?
As they improve, I would hope they would focus a little bit more on customer service, but when you are hungry, this is the last thing on your mind…. 🙂
#2. Amber Indian Restaurant — Carmel, Indiana
Cleanliness — A+
Service — A+
Ambiance — A+
Food Quality — A
Here comes another great place that you would absolutely love. When it comes to their food, they do an excellent job of providing all the dishes you can ever ask for. If you have any doubts, try one of their weekday buffets where you can taste a lot of things. I have been to this place like a million times.
Amber restaurant does an excellent combination of Indian and Pakistani twist.
Here is what someone stated on Yelp:
We had a very good Indian meal at Amber Indian. Lamb Saag was exceptional. No music in this place so you can hear everyone’s conversation or crying children. The space is well decorated and there were many families dining for dinner at the time we visited. The service was attentive and the meals were hot and fresh.
What can be improved?
I just wish they would serve more Zabiha halal offerings, so people from Pakistan can come in numbers – otherwise, excellent job!
Cleanliness — A+
Service — B
Ambiance — A+
Food Quality — A
Suhel is another veteran in the area. He has has been running various restaurants as long as I can remember. Fantastic chef and and very mindful of the need of his customers. I have personally met him on several occasions and he takes the time to prepare food in a manner that is tasty and enjoyable.
He has two different offerings, I think from the restaurant perspective he is still growing. He has made a lot of changes lately and I can only think those were all positive changes, but still some level of maturity is needed from operations to food quality. To me, he is Excellent at doing catering and you cannot find a better catering service in town.
Here is one consumer posted on Yelp!
Excellent! I love Indian food and this has to be some of the best I have had! Very large variety to choose from. Some of my favorites include the pakora, butter chicken, and tandoori chicken. The buffet is nice because it allows you to try many things!
What can be improved?
Food is excellent when prepared by Suhel, you can tell the difference when someone else might have intervened. I still love this place and would recommend to anyone, but consistency seems to be an issue. I hope this issue can be fixed.
#4. India Palace Restaurant — Indianapolis, Indiana
Cleanliness — A+
Service — C
Ambiance — A+
Food Quality — A
Great food quality as a matter of fact you can call it heavenly food. I see a lot of people come to this place, but if you are looking for overall fun place with some good Indian food, this is the place to be. The place does offer alcohol something that I am not interested in, so perhaps, I am slightly biased, but no doubt, you would like this place.
Go ahead and give it a try, their kheer specially is something you will really love in my opinion.
Here is what one Yelp user stated:
They have remolded this restaurant and it’s amazingly gorgeous. Makes you feel like a celebrity when you walk in. The food was great and amazing customer service. I went here for a birthday lunch with coworkers and we had an amazing time. I will definitely come again.
What can be improved?
Make no mistake, I love this place, but sometime I feel like this place service is only catered to people that are willing to spend more – don’t get me wrong, but even if they have the slightest inclination you won’t be spending a lot, you might as well go because you won’t be getting the type of service you will be expecting.
I hope you can improve this sir!
#5. Chapati Restaurant — Indianapolis, Indiana
Cleanliness — A+
Service — B+
Ambiance — A+
Food Quality — B+
What a great place to be, if you have time, you must check out this place. I love their crafty looking restaurant with casual atmosphere. They have certainly put in a lot of time and effort into making this place a success.
For me, I love the Zabiha halal options and I love most of their dishes. You are going to really love this place if you have some time. Better yet, take your friends with you and have your game face on as you get an opportunity to play few casual Pakistani board games.
I fell in love with garlic naan. We ordered the mix and match combo for the opportunity to sample more dishes. The portion sizes were pretty big I had enough for a later meal.
What can be improved?
It is such a nice place, but I have to be mindful of the price. I wish their prices were more comparable to other restaurants in town. In addition, food can be on the rich side, but overall good place to try….
#6. Shalimar Indian Restaurant — Indianapolis, Indiana
Cleanliness — B+
Service — B+
Ambiance — A+
Food Quality — B+
This family ran business is amazing. Very nice and very friendly people with excellent food choices. I have been to this place too many times to remember, but I always love their quality of food and customer service alike.
Once again, limited Zahiha Halal options and hence, not too many comments as choices are limited.
Here is what Elijah said on Yelp:
The space is small inside but is never crowded. The servers are very attentive and helpful. The buffet provides meat and vegetarian options. The god is always fresh on the buffet line. Highly suggest of you lokong for an Indian food option.
What can be improved?
Good place to eat and definitely worth it, but I wish cleanliness would improve a bit…