Tandoori Flame Brampton — Restaurant in Brampton

Went to lunch with friends after they suggested this place. There is a location in Heartland but we visited the Brampton location. From the outside you're not really sure what to expect then you step inside and wow...just wow.

We were greeted right away by the host. The decorations in the front foyer were beautiful and very much in tune with the season of Christmas. This impressed me a lot as many establishments shy away from crossing cultures in their decor.

Ot was also a great spot to take photos of the oversized tree and snow man etc.

We were seated right away and as you walk into the restaurant you are greeted by more amazing decor. Everything was just lush and beautiful. The buffet was laid out very beautifully as well.

We were seated and given a little bit of info by our waitress who explained the process. She also showed us both drink menus, one alcoholic and the other non-alcoholic. She even made suggestions on what to try and she knocked it out of the park with my drink. It was one of the most delicious drinks I've ever had.

The buffet was full of variety. So many dishes to choose from. Some, easily recognizable ie: spring rolls, pizza, French fries etc. And many not so much.

All the dishes were accompanied by a name card which helps but also hinders when you are not familiar with the food/culture. It helps hugely to have someone with you who can explain each dish and some of the ingredients.

Many are self explanatory ie: chicken Tikka, butter chicken etc. But a few required a certain method of assembly that gives you the proper way in which that dish should be enjoyed. Without a guide to show you, you will be lost 😅

All of which brings me to the food. The dishes I did try were very very delicious 😋 everything was well seasoned and the temperature was good. Beautiful and delicious. The chicken Tikka was amazing. The butter chicken melted in my mouth. The Naan was soft and chewy. The paneer, goat curry, chicken curry, biryani(sp) everything was absolutely delicious 😋

The dessert selection was my least favourite part. Lots of flavours of ice cream to choose from however they were all soft and melting. They did not look appealing to eat. It was a busy lunch hour so a lot of the fruits were picked over but there was enough if you want some.

I enjoyed the savoury part of lunch better than the desserts.

The ambiance of the restaurant was great. It's very comfy and cozy. The type of place you could have a date, work luncheon, girls/boys dinner out, family gathering. It's a one size fits all for any type of gathering.

This place boasts an impressive 20+ private dining rooms. I had the opportunity to walk around a bit and it's truly massive. There is also a full bar and take out section in the front.

A gentleman I assume is the front of house manager was very friendly and accommodating when I asked to look around.

Definitely happy I came and a revist goes without saying. Being spoiled by this location I don't know if I want to visit Heartland...lol But, I will give it a chance as well if I don't feel like driving...

I visited this restaurant with my friend for the buffet. We started with snacks and then moved on to the main course. While serving myself Kadhai Paneer, I noticed a piece of paneer that looked odd—almost like a non-vegetarian item. Concerned, I called the server and showed it to her. She agreed that it looked unusual and mentioned that sometimes soybean accidentally slips into paneer. She assured me that she would take it to the kitchen to show someone for confirmation.

A while later, the server returned and said it was just paneer, but they had already thrown it away. This raised a major concern for me. If they truly intended to verify it, why would they discard it before I could confirm it myself? I wanted to ensure I was eating at a place that was safe for vegetarians. The server seemed unsure, so I asked to speak to the manager.

The manager was at the reception, not attending anyone, yet he did not approach us until I waved him over. His behavior seemed like he was deliberately avoiding the situation rather than addressing it. When he finally came over, he simply said, “Trust me.”

I explained that their immediate disposal of the food made me doubt their explanation. Instead of providing a clear response, he kept repeating the same question: “Why don’t you trust me?”

I found this unprofessional and frustrating. Why would I blindly trust someone, especially when they work for the same restaurant?

Then things got even worse—he brought two bowls, one with chicken and one with paneer, to our table and asked us to cut them open to compare. This was completely insensitive and inappropriate, considering we had already told him we are strict vegetarians.

At that point, I questioned whether the piece I found in Kadhai Paneer could have been goat or another type of meat. The restaurant serves various non-vegetarian dishes, so my concern was valid.

Later, he brought two pieces of paneer to show the difference, but none of this would have been necessary if they hadn’t immediately thrown away the original piece. Eventually, I dropped the discussion just to avoid further frustration.

To add to the unpleasant experience, while we were still sitting there, the server randomly reminded us that we would be charged if we opened a bottle of water. This had already been communicated earlier, so bringing it up at that moment felt like adding insult to injury.

In the end, we paid $80 for two buffets. Our intention was never to avoid paying, but the way our concerns were dismissed left us feeling frustrated, uncomfortable, and unable to enjoy our meal. Even as we were leaving, the manager again asked why we didn’t trust him—as if he hadn’t already made the situation worse.

This was one of the worst dining experiences I’ve had. Many vegetarians visit this restaurant, and given how this situation was handled, I don’t believe it’s a safe place to trust for vegetarian food. We wasted time, money, and our appetite on an experience that should have been enjoyable but ended up being incredibly...

Extremely Disappointed – Never Going Back Again I do not like leaving bad reviews, but this experience at Tandoori Flame was so disappointing that I feel compelled to share it—especially since I gave them a second chance after a bad visit a few years ago. Sadly, nothing has improved. In fact, it might have gotten worse.

We visited to celebrate my mom's birthday, hoping for a nice family lunch. Instead, we left completely dissatisfied—and I ended up with a stomach ache shortly after the meal. That should say it all.

Food Quality: 1/5 The food was cold, stale, and barely edible in many cases. The chaat section had runny, unappetizing chole curry and stale jeera aloo that actually smelled off. Naan and other snack items were cold and dry. When we raised this issue, the server explained that the kids' section is "supposed to be cold"—a baffling excuse for poor quality control.

The only somewhat warm items were from the vegetable and dal section. Everything else seemed like it had been sitting out for far too long. Honestly, for a buffet of this size and reputation, serving cold and stale food is just unacceptable.

Service: 3.5/5 This is the one area where I’ll give some credit. The servers were polite and attentive. One even offered to bring hot items to our table, which we appreciated. However, you can’t expect customers to request every single dish to be reheated—it defeats the purpose of a buffet altogether.

Cleanliness & Ambience: 3/5 Tables were cleaned promptly and the staff was making an effort to maintain order, but it couldn't make up for the sub-par food experience. The atmosphere felt rushed and chaotic rather than celebratory.

Overall Experience: 1/5 We came here to enjoy a special occasion with family, but instead left frustrated, hungry, and feeling unwell. To top it off, the embarrassment of choosing this place for a celebration is something I won’t forget soon.

Final Thoughts: Tandoori Flame seriously needs to address its food quality and freshness. It's unacceptable for a buffet of this size and pricing to serve such below substandard food. I really hope the owner and management take this feedback seriously—because right now, it feels like quantity is being prioritized over quality.

Unfortunately, I won’t be returning, and I cannot recommend this place to anyone looking for a decent Indian buffet experience.If there was an option for a refund, I would have definitely wanted my money back for eating poor quality:cold food and getting upset stomach...