Mirchi Indian Grill — Restaurant in Benicia

This was my first time at this restaurant and I was excited to try the food after reading through the reviews. It appears this restaurant went through a transformation phase over the years with food and service. Now with current stellar reviews. I decided to recap my dinner experience.

Atmosphere: 5/5 When I entered Mirchi, the decor transported me from a strip mall to an elegant authentic Indian dinning experience. The tables were set for dinner with clean white plates, glass, and silverware. The place was clean with a crystal chandelier and Indian decor including elephants paintings and elegant mirrors on the wall.

Service: 3.5/5 I had mixed reviews about the service. Upon my entrance into Mirchi, I was greeted by a young lady with the words, “What”. The greeting was not pleasant and her initial vibe was aggressive and jarring. Although the initial impression on service was not great, I decided to continue for the complete experience. During the service, the young lady named Preeti, became more pleasant. With more training, Preeti (please forgive my spelling) will become an amazing waitress.

Service tips: Have a pleasant greeting, offer assistance with the menu, give the customer time to review the menu, pour the customer water/drink, and bring the check to the table.

Food 5/5: I was the only customer dining-in with other customers taking to go orders. My order consisted of the following:

Appetizer: Samosa Entree: Tofu tikka masala Side: Mirichi Naan Drink: Taj Mahal Lager

The food was delicious with consistency in flavor, color, and complimentary spice level. This was the most traditional Naan I had the pleasure of experiencing. The slight browning and crisp edges of the Naan was evident it was made traditionally with an AMAZING flavor profile. The tofu in the Masala could have been slightly smaller but it was plenty with the spice level coming through without being offensive and taking away from the flavor. Let’s not forget about the Samosas. It was the BEST I ever tasted.

Overall, this was a great dining experience with AMAZING food and service that continues to improve. The price was Affordable for this area - coming from a TEXAN. It would be a Cinderella story if this restaurant was aired on Triple D: Diners, Dives, and Drive-thru. When you’re in the Benicia, CA area, stop and try delicious food at this family...

Service - 5 Stars - While waiting for our takeout order, I sat and talked with the waiter at length. Great guy, fun to talk with and I would have been happy to have him wait our table had we eaten in. He was attentive and genuinely seemed to enjoy interacting with customers.

Food - 4 Stars - Naan? Just order it. Ours was amazing, perfectly cooked and a great naan flavor.

We ordered the Korma and the Tikka Masala, which were both... ok. I cannot say that there was anything wrong with either of them, the chicken was properly cooked and tender and the flavors were good. They just tasted... off. Not in a rotten way or a bad way. Ugh, I’ll stop trying to explain, it is probably a difference of opinion on ingredient and recipe choice.

Their white rice left much to be desired, sadly. After living in Japan for years, I take my steamed rice seriously. Sadly, Mirchi falls into the average American based restaurant pitfall of destroying or improperly cooking white rice. Not a crime, not even abnormal for America. But once you’ve had properly cooked rice, either mush or undercooked rice just doesn’t cut it.

Ambiance - 3 Stars - Not too loud, not too cramped and a decent seating arrangement. We didn’t partake in the dine-in experience, so I can’t comment too closely on this.

Overall, we will be trying this place again, staying our final judgment until then. I’d place them at the number two place to eat Indian in Vallejo, and our fav is all the way on the other side of town. Convenient can trump best, if the gap...

I recently stayed in south Vallejo and got a recommendation to come here for good food. It is located in a strip mall off of Columbus pkwy close to the entrance of 780. They have a very large menu with a lot to choose from. They offer vegetarian to all sort of meats. I decided on just a veggie wrap and Raita (the spicy yogurt). Holy cow, the wrap was as big as my forearm. I ended up eating only half and had the rest the next day for lunch. So money-wise, it was a great deal. I though the spices were great and not too overly done or hot. The bread was very fresh and the perfect thickness. If I were staying longer in the area, I would have returned to try something else. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone who likes Indian, or just likes to try different food other than steak and potatoes. For the Bay area, I thought the prices...