Tabla Indian Restaurant - Charlotte, NC — Restaurant in Charlotte

Okay so I gotta say this! Tabla Indian Restaurant is honestly one of the best spots I’ve eaten at around here.

The food? Straight up authentic. You can taste the effort the chefs put in. Every bite hits from the regular Indian classics to even some of the Indo-Chinese dishes they’ve got on the menu.

It’s not watered down or “Americanized” it’s the real deal.

The vibe of the place is super clean and welcoming. It’s kid-friendly, wheelchair accessible, and just has that no-nonsense setup where you can actually enjoy your food without distractions. And the service? Chill and polite.

You can tell the staff are genuinely trying their best, which matters a lot to me.

But yo, the coolest thing is that right next door they have Sweet Magic, owned by the same folks. That place is basically heaven if you’re into Indian snacks or desserts.

Talk about their chocolate mousse and Oreo mousse? Bro, those are next level. Cute, delicious, and something you can’t just find the same taste anywhere around here.

Now, two things that really stuck with me: The prices they’re super fair. Like you don’t walk out feeling ripped off. It’s affordable enough that honestly anyone could come here without stressing. The washrooms sounds random, but listen… they’re probably the cleanest I’ve seen in a restaurant. Simple, no over-the-top decorations, just clean. And the glowing mirror with the lights built in? Low-key one of my favorite little details!!! . .

!! Important!!

And here’s something real: tipping. If you’re planning to tip (and you should, because the people here truly deserve it), don’t just drop it in the tip box or on the bill.

Chances are it doesn’t always reach the actual servers. If someone takes good care of you, hand them the cash directly. As Americans or ABCDs (American Born Confused Desis) or even for us immigrants trying to build a life here; cards are an everyday thing. Back home, we all know tech can fail anytime, so carrying some change was natural. That little habit actually makes a difference here too.

A couple of dollars in someone’s hand might help them cover gas, grab a meal, or chip away at convenience bills. It’s a small gesture, but it hits different to them honestly.

So yeah, for me Tabla is more than just another restaurant. It’s tasty food, great service, clean vibes, and people who actually deserve the support. I’d recommend it to anyone whether you’re Indian and craving home flavors, or just someone who wants to experience real Indian food without breaking the bank. This spot is a winner...

So normally I like this place. But tonight 12.22.2022 there were two guys working. One had glasses and one didn’t but had gel in his hair. The gel haired guy took our order and he asked us if we wanted spicy or no spicy. I said no spicy and he was like “okay medium” and then I said no spicy and he said “medium”.. and I’m like… okay I guess? And then my friend said mild and the guy was like “mild?” And my friend said yes and then the server said “okay” and then he brought out only mediums and spicy. No milds. Like okay if there is no mild then that’s fine but why would he say okay to when my friend said mild.. because we wanted our food to not be spicy at all and then the food ended up upsetting our stomach afterwards because the spice that we did not want. Then when we went to pay for our food, there was 6 of us, and he said that they’re not allowed to split the check… I think he said he can split it evenly otherwise he can’t separate the checks.. Even though I’m pretty sure they split checks before. So it just threw us off and he didn’t mention the additional gratuity which yes, places do gratuity with tables more than a certain number.. so that was maybe on us that we could’ve asked but the guy didn’t even mention anything about it and so we added 20% more that he didn’t even deserve. At least the guy with the glasses was more attentive and giving us water. But yeah this other guy was not it. So even though we’ve been there many times I’m not sure if they actually don’t have anything mild and if they NEVER split checks… at the end of the day the food here isn’t terrible and the service normally isn’t weird but tonight it was.. so just make sure you double check and don’t have to go through the same confusions we...

Does not really matter a lot when your waiter lies to you on your face ! We recently had a bad experience while visiting Tabla. It all began pretty decently till we were done with the starters, which was pretty decent. The biriyani's we ordered was below average. The main bummer however came when did not receive our check and decided to go over and pay at the desk. Our waiter Ve*(not putting up the name, was in the receipt) billed us up. I asked if the tip was added and he replied with a 'No'. The amount that popped up on the screen looked a bit on the higher side for the 5 dishes we ordered, so I asked him again, 'Are you sure the tip is not already added ?'. He replied firmly with a 'No, it's not'. So, I went ahead and added a decent percent as the Tip as the device prompted and just entered my email I'd for getting a detailed receipt in my inbox. I didn't give too much thought into it until I received my receipt at a later stage in my inbox. I had apparently tipped the waiter twice and ended up paying close to 45 % extra as tips alone ! My problem here is not the % or the amount that I paid for the pretty average service and courtesy, it's the blatant lie by the waiter that is the problem. He lied to my group twice, all for a few bucks. You, sir, lost your restaurant a customer and some Goodwill with that gesture.

Edit (To the Owner's response): Really appreciate the reaction from your side and glad to know that corrective measures were taken from your side to make sure the incident is an one off. As I already mentioned, my primary concern was about the gesture and not the money involved and hence my friends and I are good with your response alone. As for the rating, we will update it based on our...