ANDAZ fine indian dining — Restaurant in Frederick

We waited a long time for this spot to be filled in our cozy little village. There are two other great restaurants on the “square” but there’s always room for more. Yesterday was the soft opening (3/21/2025) and we decided to see what modern Indian cuisine was all about. We opened the door and were greeted by the partners and staff. We were their first customers! After a photo session we had our choice of tables and were ushered to one with a view. We were offered “mocktails” since the liquor license won’t be available until the following week. The blackberry (jamun) mojito and mango mojito were out of this world bursting with flavor! The menu was well organized giving us small and large plate choices. Our server, Malcom, explained the various dishes. We chose Kale Fritters and Jalapeño Samosas to start and for our main course I selected Butter Chicken “spicy” and my wife chose Hyderabad Bagara Baigan (baby eggplant cooked in a smoky, spiced tamarind gravy). The meal wouldn’t be complete without an order of Garlic Naan and Mango Chutney. As we waited for our food more people came in the door. Some were neighborhood walkers satisfying curiosity and the rest were patrons much like us coming in to see what all the fuss was about. Our small plates arrived and we eagerly tasted our selections. The Samosas were delicate and the jalapeño and cheese filling was excellent with just enough heat. The Kale Fritters were amazing! Individual, small leaves were dipped in batter, fried crisp, and lightly dusted with salt. They were accompanied by a sweet and savory sauce and a bowl of spicy crushed nuts. It was the first time I had ever tasted kale prepared that way. We ate it all. Our main courses arrived. Two serving dishes with a separate bowl of the most fragrant rice I’ve ever encountered. Our server told us just ask if we needed more rice. The naan was gorgeous, glistening with butter and garlic. The taste was surprisingly delicate, not overpowering the other flavors in the mains. The Butter Chicken was everything I had heard it should be - tender, melting in my mouth, and the sauce was magnificent with a nice slow burn of spice. My head was sweating a little. One caution, do not try to eat the little peppers on top! I did and it took my breath away, like firecracker explosion in my mouth. I recovered by eating some mango chutney. The baby eggplant was incredible. My wife was impressed with the eggplant preparation and the flavor. Our sauces looked similar on the surface but each was very distinct to taste. We almost finished everything but did bring some home to enjoy later. The finishing touch was a scoop of ice cream to share. Raj, one of the partners told us it was a traditional Indian treat to aid in digestion. I did remember to take some pictures of our food! We highly recommend Andaz and encourage you to add it to your dining rotation. We are very thankful Raj, Sonny, and “the chef” decided to bring this wonderful experience to...

I hate giving out bad reviews but if you read any of my other reviews, I keep them very honest. So apparently this restaurant is new to the Fredrick area. We had made reservations, so getting a table of 4 at 6 was not an issue but this is where it all begins and goes south.

The restaurant is minimally decorated. It has very high ceilings and not all that many tables, it’s an open concept. We went there on a Saturday evening. Every table was full and many of them with crying babies. The restaurant had this one man band plying live American music by the door. It was cute but the problem was between the music, and all the people talking, and the crying babies in the restaurant you couldn’t even hear yourself think. Looking around, I could see that no one was able to have a conversation with the other people at their table either. I finally had to ask the manager to have the man singing to turn his music down. I was trying to give the owner for real customer input but he did not take that and said that he will have music at his restaurant. Even the servers who some had a very heavy Indian accents could not hear us giving them the orders and we acouldn’t hear or understand them either. At least they had turned it down, so it was better.

This is not the restaurant’s fault but Fredrick water tastes like nasty grey water. So even when I asked for bottled water and a can of soda which was all warm, once you poured it into the ice, it made the drink taste terrible. If you ever go there, I strongly recommend to just bring your own cold bottle of water.

The food was alright at best. I got the butter chicken and for the first time ever in my life eating at an Indian restaurant, they had used dark meat. Aside from the dark meat (see picture), the chicken in a butter sauce was somehow dry. My girlfriend got lamb, I love lamb but it was mystery meat. Lamb has a very distinct taste which this one didn’t.

They messed up our dessert orders and didn’t even bring out the right dish. We ordered the churros and after finally getting them, I don’t understand how a fried piece of dough could be so hard. We couldn’t cut it with a fork, we had to ask for a knife and even then it was difficult to cut.

I don’t like writing bad reviews and I could go on and on about this restaurant. I love Indian food, despite having high hopes for this place, I hate to say but it was overall the worse Indian restaurant I’ve ever gone to in my life. It wasn’t terrible but any means but it deserves exactly what I gave them,...

A Spicy Love Affair Between Maharashtra and Punjab

If you’ve ever wondered what would happen if a fiery Maharashtrian and a robust Punjabi decided to get married and open a restaurant, wonder no more. This Indian fusion spot, where Maharashtra meets Punjab in a whirlwind of spices and butter, is proof that opposites do indeed attract—and taste amazing together.

We started with Thecha Paneer Tikka, which felt like a friendly (but slightly aggressive) slap to the taste buds. Thecha, for the uninitiated, is Maharashtra’s way of saying, “Oh, you thought you could handle spice? Cute.” But here, it was masterfully balanced with paneer, resulting in a dish that made me sweat in the best possible way. My sinuses were cleared, my taste buds were dancing, and my love for spice was reaffirmed.

For the main course, my wife and I shared Hyderabadi Bagara Baingan, a rich, nutty, and tangy eggplant dish that made me question every life decision that didn’t involve eating this sooner. If all vegetables tasted like this, I’d have actually listened to my mom as a kid when she said, “Eat your veggies!”

Then came the goat cheese and truffle naan, a bread so fancy it probably has a LinkedIn profile. I took one bite and immediately felt underdressed for the occasion. It was decadent, creamy, and indulgent—if regular naan is the reliable best friend, this naan was the one who vacations in the south of France and casually mentions it in conversation.

Finally, dessert: Paan Masala Ice Cream. One spoonful and I was transported straight back to my childhood in India, minus the aunties asking me why I haven’t eaten more. The nostalgic flavors of betel leaf, fennel, and spices wrapped up the meal perfectly, like a sweet, frozen love letter to my younger self.

Overall, this restaurant pulled off a culinary fusion that felt both bold and comforting—kind of like an Indian grandmother who hugs you but also tells you you’ve gained weight. Spicy, rich, indulgent, and unexpectedly refined, it’s the kind of place I’ll be dreaming about until...