House of India — Restaurant in Franklin

The following is a detailed review of my first (and certainly not last) visit to House Of India: Upon entering the restaurant I was politely greeted and seated promptly. I noticed the restaurant was very clean, orderly and the table dress upscale. The music was fitting for the setting and being played at a very comfortable and low level; it was just loud enough to provide the proper ambience. The waiter was very attentive, friendly and polite while taking my order. The table flatbread was promptly brought to the table along with a selection of chutneys. Both the flatbread and chutneys were delectable. As I enjoyed the flatbread and chutneys, I observed a secondary waiter who made sure my water glass was never less than half full. I eat alone more often than not, and am quite observant to my surroundings. I noticed this secondary waiter keeping his eye on all patrons glasses. If he noticed my dwindling glass mid-drink, he waited to approach to refill the glass until just after I set it down. He never crowded the table or stood waiting for the glass, but arrived at just the right time every time without fail. This was quite the professional touch. I ordered vegetable samosa for an appetizer. The samosas were the biggest I've ever received at any restaurant, and were absolutely phenomenal. The order contains two very large samosas of which I could have made a meal out of on their own. As delicious as they were, I refrained from indulging in the second samosa in order to save room for my vindaloo. My primary waiter- who was equally as attentive as the aforementioned waiter tending to my water- noticed I was saving room for my main course and politely offered to take my remaining samosa and prepare it to-go for later along with a fresh cup of my desired chutney. I cannot overstate how polite and well-balanced the timing of the waiters were: at no point did either of them disturb my meal or "over visit" so to say, yet somehow they always arrived at just the right time with proper and polite offerings. These are waiters who clearly take pride in their job, and I very much appreciate someone who takes pride in their job. The vindaloo arrived in perfect time and at perfect temperature. The presentation was impressive consisting of large portions and proper Indian-aesthetic bowls. I ordered my vindaloo "as spicy as they could make it" and they did not disappoint. However, if this is not your preference I have no doubt that you would receive the exact level of spice you request. The vindaloo was very flavorful and the consistency perfect. The rice was properly cooked to perfection. The garlic chili naan was served equally as perfect, and served with plenty of pieces. The garlic chili naan paired with the green mint chutney was a masterpiece of flavor. Upon completing my meal, there was still much of the portions left over. My waiter again offered to prepare these items to-go, which I find to be a professional and upscale courtesy. When the check came, I was astonished at how little I was paying for such incredible service, flavor and portions. Given the service, flavor and portions I expected to pay twice as much and wouldn't have minded to do so. I've been to restaurants that cost three times as much and received one-half the portions along with one-third the service. The check was promptly collected and change promptly delivered. Again, I consider this a professional touch as we have all found ourselves at one point or another in a restaurant waiting too long for the staff to either bring the check, collect the check or return the change. During my meal there were numerous people coming in to pick up to-go orders. More often than not the staff would greet them by name. It is quite obvious this staff values their relationship with their customers. I spoke with the owner regarding the service I received. He was very polite and humbly thankful to receive the feedback. You can tell this man takes great pride in his restaurant. I will certainly become a...

We’re obsessed! My wife and I decided to eat here after she read a list of romantic restaurants in Franklin. We had never really given Indian food a shot... basically because it was easier to choose another cuisine and not take a risk. We both felt adventurous, so we jumped in and we are sooooooo glad we did. The staff were incredibly kind and attentive, and helped us navigate the menu in a way that made us confident and comfortable about our choices. The food was incredible! We kept looking at each other as we tried a bite of something new with big eyes as if to say, “What party going on in my mouth right now!? This is so delicious!” So, we’re Indian cuisine newbies, and we are both bummed that it took us so long to fall in love with this food that has been around for so long. If you’re a newbie too and want a quick primer here are a few tips... Curries aren’t always spicy dishes that are filled with unfamiliar flavors. The dishes that we had tasted like delicious home-cooking casseroles that we grew up familiar with at church potlucks in the South. The bread (Naan) was so warm and fluffy that our eyes almost rolled to the back of our head every time we took a bite. It’s ok, and even encouraged, to eat with your hands. The chutneys, that they place in the middle of the table at the beginning, are to be used kind of like ketchup or hot sauce more than they are to be used as salsa. Use them to enhance or spice up the flavor of your food or breads that you eat. Also, don’t dip into them like a community bowl of salsa...use the little spoons and put a bit on your small, pre-entree plate. Another pleasant surprise was the amount of vegetarian options on the menu. If you eat Vegetarian/Vegan/Plant-Based (like my wife), you’re all too familiar with the feeling of going out to eat at a restaurant and having to settle on the one or two options that they offer for your palette (and 90% of the time the only option is just a salad). House of India had an entire page dedicated to vegetarian choices. They even had appetizers and desserts that fit the bill as well. There was also a place on the menu that stated if you are Vegan or Gluten-free to let them know and they can help you find items that could be customized...

My wife and I took our 5 kids (ages 4-15) here last night for dinner and it was a wonderful experience! I cannot recommended House of India enough... You have to eat here if you haven't yet.

When we arrived, the restaurant ambience was welcoming and pleasant, and the staff are all very friendly and attentive.

We were seated at a large corner booth that had plenty of room for everyone in my family to sit comfortably.

We ordered Chicken Pakora for the 4 and 7 year old when we put in our drink order, and those were delivered to the table a few minutes after all the drinks were delivered. (If you have young children, you know why.) 😉

My 11 year old ordered the Chicken Curry with mild spiciness and my 13 year old ordered the Lamb Curry with medium spiciness. My 15 year old ordered the Chicken Mango Curry with mild spiciness, which the 7 year old tried some of and announced she was ordering the next time we come here because it was so delicious. All of the kids were thrilled with their food choices and thought the flavors were incredible.

I ordered the Lamb Karahi with their House Special Biryani on the side, both with medium spiciness, and my wife ordered the Vegetable Korma with mild spiciness.

We also got 2 orders of garlic naan for the table.

To say that everything was delicious would be an understatement! All of the food was incredibly fresh and fragrant, and was delivered to the table promptly. All the warm dishes were placed on top of warmers that have tea light candles in them to keep the food from cooling too quickly.

Once we finished eating, the gentleman that had been taking care of us all evening took our food away and packaged it up for us in to-go containers, labeling them for identification later.

The leftovers heat easily and have an excellent flavor and consistency (we know this because we've eaten here before), so we are thrilled to have that food option for lunch today.

If you haven't eaten here yet, you are missing out on a fantastic dining experience. You should make plans to swing by this...