Spice & Saga — Restaurant in Amarillo

The food was very, very good, but the dining experience was bizarre. After we came in and sat down, & before the server / owner asked us what we wanted to drink, the owner felt the need to question me (I don't know why he picked me out) as to what I was there for. I told him I was there for food. Turns out that was the wrong answer, but his English wasn't quite good enough for me to be sure what the right answer was, but I think he said he served love and respect, something like that. Once he got me corrected on that, he then asked me if I knew that I was wearing rudraksha beads (I was wearing them underneath my shirt, but I guess they were visible somewhat). Turns out I did know I was wearing them. Next question from him was why was I wearing them? I gave an answer, but it turns out I was wrong about that, too, so he had to correct me on that. He's one of those people that speak in a soft voice so you have to lean in sometimes to hear him, and again, with his accent, I'm not exactly sure what it was I was doing wrong, but he made it clear my reason for wearing them was incorrect. Mind you, we had now been there for probably 5 minutes and he hadn't asked us what we wanted to drink. It was 2:00 pm and I had not eaten anything all day. I finally said, look, I just want to get something to eat, so he turned his attention away from me & spoke to the woman in our party (of 3). He didn't have menus (no explanation), so we didn't know what to order, and since my friend paid for the meal, I have absolutely no idea what any of it cost. So he questions her if she knows what pork chops are? She thought she did, but apparently she was wrong, too, because the pork chops he served did not conform to her conception of what pork chops are. Notice that I'm probably in my 200th word of this review and we still haven't been able to get a glass of water yet (or a lassi or chai). Finally he decides we can now order beverages, so he brings us water with no ice. So my friends say they would like a lassi. He says "mango lassi?" and they say, no, sweet lassi. Well that was the wrong answer, so he convinces them they want a mango lassi. I don't want a mango lassi, I want a sweet lassi. He asks what appetizers we want, so we order Gobi manchurian and the pork chops. The pork chops are the best my friends have ever had (I'm vegetarian, so I couldn't tell you), but the Gobi Manchurian is very good. The lady orders chicken tikka masala, her husband orders salmon tikka masala, and I order vegetarian butter masala. She says the chicken was good but both he & she say the salmon tikka madala was the best they've ever had. So we're more than halfway through the meal, and another server comes by, and I order 3 cups of chai. Turns out that was wrong: the owner swings by 5-7 minutes later and says chai is supposed to be drank after the meal, not during the meal, and in any event, not drank at the same time as you drink a lassi. So he canceled our order of chai. Frankly, it was cold in there and we wanted the chai to warm up some. But we were wrong about that, too: the owner said he sleeps in a room that is 54 degrees, and it was, in fact, therefore NOT cold in there, even though it was December 21st, and it did feel cold. What do we know? By the time we finished the entre, none of us dared order dessert, so I have no idea what they have for dessert or how good it might be. By the way, the chai was nothing special. Tasted like what you'd get if you bought chai tea bags at the grocery store. The vegetarian butter masala was very good. My friends thought the pork chops & salmon was the best they've ever had. Everything I had was very good, except the chai, lassi, rice & naan were just ok. The food tasted and seemed like it was very fresh and homemade. I hope this restaurant stays in business forever. I hope you eat there: the food is very good. But I'll never eat there again unless I'm in a bad mood and I need to find out from the owner what else I'm...

My aunt and I went to Spice & Saga yesterday afternoon. We were immediately greeted and seated by a gentleman, who then brought us glasses of water and the menu link.

As it is a new business, the physical menus weren't available. The owner said they had come in with typos so he sent them back. We ordered from the link. Which is menu items, be sure to ask details about what you want to order as they are super eager to assist.

We ordered the mixed Naan and samosas for an appetizer. I ordered a mango laasi to tame the spice of the food. The mixed Naan is a mix of the ingredients of all the different Naan, packed into one. It was quite delicious and something I'd never experienced before. The samosas were absolute heaven, especially paired with their tamarind sauce.

Our entrees were chicken biryani and Gobi Manchurian. Chicken Biryani is the Indian version of chicken fried rice but 100 times better. Mine came with aromatic herbs and spices mixed in the rice and the absolutely breathtaking chicken on the bottom. Best Biryani that I've had to date. The Gobi Manchurian is a slightly spicy vegan potato dish served with rice. Also was quite wonderful. We ordered the basket of Naan and some raiti (which was also perfection) to complement the entrees. The owner bid us to try his schezwin sauce, and I'll tell you it did not disappoint. I recommend ordering it with your meal. It's a spicy but sweet condiment that will go swimming with almost anything you order.

The service was that of an expensive restaurant, although the prices were readonable. The dining area was adorned that way as well. I went to wash my hands and the bathroom was clean and extremely hospitable (yes I know it's a bathroom).

The manager came to check on us frequently. He explained that some menu items are not available due to the port strike. He imports his spices from his country where they are dried in the sun and hand ground to preserve the flavor and oils in them.

I'll have to say, this will be my go to restaurant for Indian food. The only thing that disappointed me was the fact that they didn't have customers when we went at 4 pm. All those people are missing out on excellent cuisine. I do hope that people support this restaurant so we can continue to enjoy this...

When I recently heard of another new Indian restaurant opening in Amarillo, I had to pinch myself. In less than a year we have gone from two to now four, which can only mean that Indian cuisine is becoming a thing out here on the High Plains. Hallelujah, because it is one of my favorite cuisines. I should have been born in Asia.

Spice and Saga sits on Buchanan Street in the downtown district, walking distance from Hodgetown for baseball, as well as the night scene on Polk and nearby hotels. The name alone is perfect, since 75% of the world’s spice production comes from India, hence their intensely flavorful foodways. The saga begins when your plated entrees arrive.

Youngest Daughter and I recently visited on a Saturday evening. For our app, we chose the Veg Pakora, which was breaded and fried cauliflower, served with a zesty dipping sauce. It was perfect starter, and helped fill the time while our entrees were being masterfully created. Just as we were finishing those, her Chicken Schezwan Noodles arrived. Our host advised that this was a hot dish, but Youngest Daughter was up for the challenge.

A few minutes later, my Veg Punjab Curry (cauliflower, carrots, potatoes, and carrots) and Basmati rice arrived, as well as her Garlic Naan and my Tandoori Roti, perfect starch supplements for our meals.

Our host was right. That noodle dish was hot, and Youngest Daughter was soon perspiring. But it was a slow burn, kind of like Amarillo in the summer—a cool morning start, followed by a blazing hot afternoon.

My curry was delightful, it too crafted with spices that slowly raise to the occasion. I ordered Medium spice intensity, which was just enough to keep me happy. Next time I will go up a notch higher if only to get the full experience.

Which alludes to our conclusion: We will be back. We are so happy to have another fine Indian restaurant in Amarillo. It is worth the drive...