Himalayan Curry & Kebob — Restaurant in Estes Park

On 2/18/2024 around 1pm, me, my wife and a couple of our friends go this restaurant. Immediately greeted (pleasantly) by the hostess. Little did we know that it was the last pleasant interaction we were going to have with the restaurant staff for rest of our time there.

Our server (Indian/Nepali) introduced herself with an attitude that gives us the impression that she was already judging us and considered us beneath her standards. Like she was the queen and we were her filthy subjects.

We order a couple beers and she made a face when she took the order. Handed it to us with an attitude.

We asked for a minute to go thru the menu before we can order food, the response was a face with "I'm better than you" attitude. At this point we are all questioning ourselves about why she's acting the way she's acting.

She comes back and we ask a simple question "what is the quantity or portion on the appetizer". Her response (again, with an attitude) "I don't care if you share". That is not even what we asked you girl!

She come back with appetizers, we can clearly see that she's not interested in serving us but has to do it anyways.

She then moves on to the next table that had just come in( a family of Caucasians). Boy did I see her face spark up!!! She was smiling, body language completely changed to someone you would refer to as a pleasant/intractable person. At this point we know she's being a prick only to us and other brown people she;s serving.

We had a vacation to enjoy, so we didn't care 2 cents about her and continued with our food. As we're finishing up our main course, we hear her yelling at people in the kitchen (see picture for how close we were to the kitchen). Calling people (her coworkers) names, telling people they are full of the S word. The hostess that helped us out earlier was also struggling to keep this girl calmed down as she realized the customers can hear. The hostess asked her to wrap up her last table and then she was free to go home or wherever she was going.

We asked for ToGo boxes as we were finishing up. No surprise, she delivered them with the same attitude. Picked up the check with the same attitude. All while smiling at the Caucasian family she was serving.

Word of Advise to HER: The day you realize nobody is beneath you, is the day you will grow as a person. If you want to be racist, pick another career where you may not have to interact that way you interact at this restaurant. If you're making money from this job, have the basic decency to respect that job and the people that pay for it.

Word of Advise to Management: Not expecting that you fire her, at least have a solid conversation and see if you can help woman get a...

Bottom Line: I would come back when I’m in town, but not regularly. Great food, great flavor, great service, but very pricey.

Atmosphere: When you walk in, it is very well lit. Moderately spacious, comfortable. They have custom murals on the walls and outdoor seating available.

Food: My brother and I each got a side of Plain Naan($3.95 each). Came out hot and fresh, standard naan.

I got the Lamb Tikka Masala($18.95). The lamb was very juicy and the overall dish was very flavorful. The only complaint that I have is that there was little rice and meat in my dish. I preferred much more of both for the price.

My brother got the Elk Kebob($27.95). For this one, I thought the price was ridiculous, but I have to consider that Elk meat may be harder to come by, making the cost to process and cook much higher. It was kind of difficult for me to taste the difference between the elk and the lamb, but it was also flavorful.

He also got the Nepali Curry with Lamb($17.95). The lamb was just as juicy and flavorful as mine, but they also could have included more rice and meat.

My friend got the Chicken Kebob($16.95). The chicken was juicy and flavorful.

Each dish came with a side of chickpeas and rice pudding which really balanced out the spiciness of the dishes.

Service: We were served by Surendra who was very kind and attentive. The food came out at a reasonable time and very hot and fresh.

Overall: I would recommend this restaurant if you’re in town visiting, but not worth multiple visits on the same trip due to the price. The last time I came to Colorado, I spent much time researching the best restaurants in Denver and thought each experience was an embarrassment. This restaurant is not only great for those others that set a very low standard, but it was just great generally.

Comment: I’m actually not sure how my bill came out to what it did. I picked up the tab for three things: Lamb Tikka Masala($18.95), Chicken Kebob($16.95), and Naan($3.95). I’m not sure what the tax is here but I’m going to highball at 8% tax. That brings my total before tip to $43.04, but my bill came...

Honest review for fellow Muslims & desi food lovers visiting Estes Park:

I’ll start by saying: in a small, touristy town with very little diversity, this spot is a clutch find simply for offering halal options and a taste of something different. That said, if you’re used to eating Indian or Desi food outside of Estes Park, you’ll likely find the flavors underwhelming. It gave “Desi food for white folks” — and if that’s their angle, that’s fine. Just don’t expect bold, authentic spice. The one standout dish was the daal — 10/10, tasted legit. If you’re craving more flavor, definitely go for medium or hot spice levels, because the default is very mild.

Halal info: Only the lamb, elk, and chicken tandoori are halal (according to the menu & staff). There was no clear clarification about cross-contamination or hand-slaughter vs. machine, so if that’s important to you, just keep that in mind. Alcohol is served on-site, with a full bar right at the entrance — another heads-up for those who prefer to avoid that.

Service: Unfortunately, the service left a lot to be desired. We couldn’t help but notice that a group the same size who arrived after us was seated first and warmly welcomed, while we had to remind a different staff member that we were still waiting. I wear hijab, so it was hard not to read into that — but to be fair, it could’ve also been because we had young kids with us. That said, the space is cramped and definitely not the most kid-friendly.

If we had more info ahead of time, we likely would’ve skipped it. But hopefully this helps another Muslim family make an...