Spice Rack — Restaurant in Franklin Township

A Flavorful Journey to India—Right from New Jersey: My Experience at Spice Rack

On a recent work trip to Philadelphia, I found myself yearning for something bold and memorable after a long day of meetings. Having heard plenty about New Jersey’s growing reputation as a hotspot for exceptional Indian cuisine, I decided to make the hour-long drive across state lines with a local friend. Let me say—this spontaneous detour turned out to be one of the best culinary decisions I’ve made in a while.

Tucked away in the heart of New Jersey, Spice Rack offers an experience that goes beyond just food—it’s a sensory immersion. From the moment I stepped through the doors, I was enveloped by the warm, aromatic embrace of freshly ground Indian spices. It felt like a nostalgic leap across continents.

Adding to the charm was a subtle yet meaningful detail: a traditional steel water jug placed on our table—a small touch that evoked memories of dining in Delhi. We were promptly greeted by Pankaj, our server for the evening, whose infectious energy and warm hospitality set the tone for what was to come.

What truly made the evening unforgettable, however, was the seamless blend of tradition and technology. Robots—yes, actual robots—delivered our food with a polite “Namaste,” bridging the gap between ancient culinary heritage and modern-day flair. But rest assured, the human touch wasn’t lost; Pankaj remained attentive and personable throughout our meal.

For appetizers, we started with the crispy lotus, a delicacy that was crisp, well-spiced, and perfectly textured. The main course featured Daal Makhani and Paneer Bhurji, and both dishes transported me straight to the bustling streets of North India. The Daal Makhani, in particular, was a standout—creamy, smoky, and slow-cooked to perfection. I’ve tried versions of this dish in major food cities like Chicago and L.A., but none have come close to the depth of flavor I experienced here.

The restaurant itself is spotless—tables neatly set, and even the restroom was impressively clean. That said, not everything was without hiccups. We did find a strand of hair in our appetizer, which is always unfortunate, but the overall quality of the food led me to extend the benefit of the doubt. Mistakes can happen, and in this case, the kitchen more than redeemed itself with excellence elsewhere.

One curious note—an 18% gratuity was automatically added to our bill, even though we were just a party of two. Not a dealbreaker, but certainly something diners should be aware of.

As we headed out, I looked forward to the traditional Indian mouth freshener, saunf (fennel seeds), only to find a lackluster substitute of sugary crystals. When I inquired about it, the man at the counter—a bearded gentleman with a tired demeanor—responded with indifference and minimal eye contact. It was an underwhelming end to an otherwise vibrant and joyful evening.

Despite this minor lapse in front-of-house service, Spice Rack remains a must-visit for anyone seeking a genuine Indian dining experience with a touch of innovation. The food speaks for itself, and if you’re lucky enough to be served by Pankaj, you’re in for an...

I recently hosted a party at Spice Rack, and unfortunately, my experience was far from satisfactory. The management, particularly the owner Nitin, left much to be desired in terms of professionalism and customer service. In fact, his behavior was so bad, now I regret having the party there.

Just a word of caution – if you book both the halls in Spice Rack, they do not wide open and become one large hall. And that is inconvenient. I realized too late, and we had to work around that.

From the start, the only time Nitin reaches out to me was to ask for payment. There was a lack of clarity regarding the event details and my preferences. Some of the items I was asked, and some were assumed by Spice Rack (even though I mentioned verbally and did not explicitly mention in email). Just give a check list to customer.

Instead of having a single point of contact, I was passed around to staff members – often the manager (Karan), none of whom could make decisions without consulting Nitin. This disorganization was frustrating and unprofessional.

The owner Nitin's behavior was particularly disappointing. He used uncivilized language and was utterly disrespectful (over a discussion night before the party where he was put in speaker phone while talking to his manager Karan, his staff member and I could hear him saying in Hindi – MC, BC, Saale desi kya soch te hain, saalo koun paisa wapas kar de etc). We had to disconnect the call in 30 sec or so after I heard that and left restaurant. As a paying customer who booked two halls for a special occasion, I expected a certain level of service and respect. Instead, I encountered resistance and uncooperative behavior regarding how I wanted to use the halls, where to serve the food, and how to handle decorations. It felt like Nitin had more issues with my choices than any willingness to accommodate them. (after multiple back and forth, and passionate conversations, he did allow us, but why to do the drama and push back, and create uncomfortable situations).

On day of party, I was there 10:45am (for party at 12 noon) for decoration, the tables were not arranged, decoration area was not cleaned. The people from decoration company had to wait to set up until we cleaned up that area. A friend of mine and I helped manager Karan to arranged most of the table and removed the buffet container.

In conclusion, while Spice Rack has the potential to be a great venue, the current management's approach, especially the owner Nitin’s unprofessionalism, significantly undermines the overall experience. I hope they take this feedback seriously and work on improving their customer service and communication. While I will NEVER go back to Spice Rack, I will continue to share my experience with all my friends and acquaintances. @Nitin, these desies have contributed to whatever you are today, they can also...

UPDATE: Here is another shout out to Spice Rack, which continues to be one of my favorite Indian restaurants in the area. Why? Because they get the basics of the restaurant business right - focusing on food flavor and quality, caring for customers and constantly striving to improve the overall experience. Nithin Chanana has brought on board a fabulous new chef Mohan Soni who has already started to upgrade current favorites and serve up new delights. As with Nithin and Usha aunty, you can find chef Soni stepping out of the kitchen and talking to customers to get feedback on how he can make things better. I hear there will be a new expert Indo-Chinese chef joining the SR team too and that's something I look forward to :) A special mention once again to the amazing Usha aunty. On one of our visits a couple months ago, SR had a bad bread day so we didn't quite like the parathas we ordered. Usha aunty brought out her own take home packed dinner of aloo parathas and insisted we have them instead. I find this authenticity and care priceless and wouldn't trade it for a million dollar meal full of fake sophistication at so many other so called fine dining restaurants. Keep it going SR and see you soon again! The NJ-27 corridor in this area is crowded with Indian joints and most of them are mediocre in my view. They all start with a bang but fizzle out, simply unable to maintain the quality of food or service. Our eagerness for Indian food sets the bar so low that even these mediocre joints get by.

Thankfully there are joints such as Spice Rack that truly stand out. Spice Rack has been one of my favorite restaurants for years now. Always my go to place for primarily Indo-Chinese and also North Indian food. Their food is delicious, always well prepared and consistent in flavor. I am somewhat surprised to read reviews of bad or rude service. In the several years I have been frequenting this place I haven't once experienced an unpleasant instance! In fact the reason I decided to write this review is because last night, for the first time there was an error in prepping the food for my order. I asked for regularly spiced fried rice and I got a mildly prepared version instead. I only realized it when I got home but the moment I called and alerted them to what happened, they readily apologized and offered to replace it. In fact the ever pleasant motherly lady at the front desk (I'm sorry I did not ever catch her name), packed in some gulab jamun to make up for the fact that I had to make the long drive back to pick up the right order.

It's how a good food joint handles these types of mishaps is what makes it great. Keep it up SR, you...