MenuPages

I had never had Indian food before India House and now I am hooked. The Sunday buffet is amazing and I leave fulfilled every time and can't eat for the rest of the day.

agree with the previous reviewer. I've had Indian food in London, indian food in NYC (and i don't mean the horrible curry row), Indian food in Queens (more authentic than manhattan), and Indian food in southeast asia. This place really, really blew me away, and it's in Chicago! I can't even put it into words but every dish tastes of quality cooking, even if you're not an Indian food expert you can JUST TELL this is so much better. the subtle nuances of the quality just come thru with every dish, and the naan! this is how naan should be. Pillowy, crusty, never starchy or doughy, just perfect. The tandoori -exquisite. I am a chowhound, food snob, foodie, and India House is really a true jewel.

Could these naysayers have eaten at the place I know and swear by? My first visit to India House I was impressed. Within a few minutes into the meal, I told myself I would have to bring a chauvinist transplant from India to Minneapolis, it was impossible to find a good Indian restaurant in the US, even in New York. After being escorted around central Indian restaurants by the friends brother, in the food business over there, I was inclined to agree. India House was the first place I’d eaten that challenged my friend’s chavinistic orthodoxy in my mind. I couldn't wait to drag my skeptical friend there, along with his notoriously demanding Italian fiancée. I also invited along a serious Japanese amateur cook. The meal begins. Within ten minutes, my Indian friend proclaimed the food the best Indian he'd had in the US. My Japanese friend proclaimed it better than any Indian food she'd had in Japan (cross-cultural note: even the Americans I know who's sampled both the Japanese and American variations on Indian restaurants agrees that Japanese standards are higher on average). The Italian contingent, ever convinced that Italy has the best of everything, was delighted. The comments were on the order of, "You can actually taste all the ingredients distinctly.... Stuff hasn't been cooked into a bunch of homogeneous mush like so many Indian places over here." Needless to say, it was a pleasure to have not only other Americans, but also persnickety eaters from Europe, South and East Asia who so often condescend to our restaurants silenced by quality cuisine. A culinary victory for not just the USA, but, low and behold, not California or New York, but the capital of the Midwest, no less! Music to the ears of a born and raised midwesterner who spent a good deal of his adult life in California, New York and Japan and anxious to damp down a little bit the cultural condescension with which so many from those places regard the Midwest. That said, India House is not going to be a frequent stop on a budget diner's list of places to eat In Chicago. It ain't cheap. Truth to tell, it’s an extravagance for me. But for me and plenty of others, it's a case of "Costs more and worth it. " Can't wait to come back for my next stay in what's hands down (IMHO), the most livable of America's cultural capitals and sample the offerings of what could well be America's best Indian restaurant.

The people who gave India House bad reviews are nuts or have no idea what good food tastes like. India House is wonderful. Their lunch buffet is torturous. I STUFF myself to the gills everytime - the food is so good and I want 2nds, 3rds & 4ths! (alas, the memory of warm weather makes me stop at 2nds) The price is comparable to the quality of food you receive. The buffet regularly has chicken, shrimp, beef, pork and several vegetarian dishes. Not to mention the FRESH AND FREE tandori chicken that arrive sizzling hot when you are seated. If you are worried about spending $13 for a really good well prepared meal with variety then go to Subway.

If you want really good Indian food and at a decent price, head to the Northside of Chicago and any, and I mean any ot the resteraunts on Devon will beat India House not only on food, but also on service. The staff was poor and the food was so-so at best.

I completely disagree with the last few reviews. We visit this restaurant often and have always found the food to be perfect and the service to be fine, though maybe not extrodinary. I think the atmosphere in the main room is pleasant and somewhat romantic. The food is what continues to bring us back time and again. Compared to other restaurants in the area, I don't find it overly pricey at all. It's a gem.

food was average - even though more elaborate menu's exist elsewhere, it's considered "the best" Indian food in Chicago ... i beg to differ the service was awkward. they were attentive but switched back and forth. ran by, dropped food off, ran off quickly and never asked about refills etc... the price is retarded. can i say that? the atmosphere, while it smelled nice, it was visually unappealing. Tables tight next to other tables in big open spaces. No privacy. No ambiance. Just a room with crap draped in various corners and tables stuffed into it. If it weren't the arm and a leg it costs for food, I think I wouldn't care so much about what the place lacks.