Daawat Indian Cuisine — Restaurant in Columbus

I moved to the area a few months ago and this restaurant has been my go-to spot—I’ve ordered here 5–6 times in the past few months and never had an issue until this week. Unfortunately, the experience we had was so upsetting that I won’t be coming back.

My boyfriend (Hispanic male) went to pick up our order for the first time. He said the worker was rude and even corrected his pronunciation, which I thought was odd because that’s never happened to me, but I brushed it off. When he got home, we realized the order was wrong—we had ordered chicken pakora but were given a chicken curry dish instead. He called to see if we could swap it (the pakora costs less and we weren’t asking for a refund), but the worker was argumentative. When I got on the phone and clarified it was just a miscommunication, the worker said we could exchange it but only if we brought the incorrect dish back, which was fine since it was unopened.

When my boyfriend went inside with the dish, the worker immediately got aggressive and even laughed in his face. I watched from the car and went inside to see what was going on. The worker then threw $6 cash at him (we had paid by card) and accused us of eating the food and trying to return it—which we absolutely had not done, the lid wasn’t even opened. When I pressed him, he denied saying that until I pointed out it was on video, then admitted he only said it “because he’s not a regular customer.” The implication was awful, and it felt racially motivated.

To make matters worse, he told me their system “doesn’t do refunds.” Minutes later the manager came in and processed a refund on the same system with no issue, proving he had just lied. Throughout the entire situation, he repeatedly apologized to me but continued being hostile toward my boyfriend—laughing at him, throwing money, and treating him like he was trying to steal.

I’ve never been treated like this here before, but the way my boyfriend was singled out and disrespected was shocking and unacceptable. We were polite and cooperative the entire time, but the hostility, dishonesty, and discrimination were too much. Sadly, I won’t be returning after this experience.

*This entire interaction was recorded on video, and I am prepared to provide it should the establishment deny...

Went here last night for our date night! We drove quite a distance away because we had never had Indian food and wanted to try. When we got there, there was a sign on the door saying it was takeout only and no dining in which we didn't see listed anywhere online so we were a bit disappointed however we ordered from the front, the employee up front was very helpful and kind. We ordered chicken pakora, chicken biryani, garlic naan, lamb kadai, and chicken makhani. The portions were very large, including the rice which we were very pleasantly surprised about. They wrapped them in plastic wrap to prevent leaks which was awesome. We ate outside in the car but despite our dining fiasco, the food was absolutely phenomenal. The lamb kadai was very spicy but delicious. I felt like I ate so much food and there was just so much left. We were able to eat it for three meals so each entree is easily big ebough for 2-3 people per meal. Pricing was awesome for portion size. I look forward to trying new things on the menu, but wish indoor...

First time ordering from Dawaat Indian Cuisine tonight. I got the Cauliflower Pakora & Goat Makhani Masala and ate them at Donerick's Pub, 2 doors down in the same center. Now, I've been eating Indian food for years, and have always enjoyed it, but I wasn't prepared for this: I was Blown Away! The flavors were bright, powerful, and multi-dimensional. So much so, I found myself moaning happily with each bite. The spice level was prominent but not overpowering, and the portions ensured I had a doggy bag to take home. I can easily say, this is THE BEST Indian food I've ever had. I WILL BE BACK.

Update 03/2024: Ordered from Dawaat Indian Cuisine tonight and ate it at Donericks Pub again. This time it was the Vegetable Pakora and Chicken Tika Masala. Still a VERY enjoyable meal! Once again, The flavors were complex & multi-leveled, and the spice was dead-on. By the end of the meal I was full, I had a good sweat going on, but I wasn't uncomfortable. 😉 STILL the best Indian food...