TriState Indian Cuisine — Restaurant in Herndon

We went today for dinner and BOY OH BOY!

I think my Fiance and I were laughing a lot becuase the whole experience was so goofy. The waitress was super sweet but you can tell that the entire staff is new to the restauraunt/food service industry. Which I don't mind. The growing pains of a business will be there. Here's what was quite silly.

The Bartender didn't know how to make a Shirly Temple and gave one to me with club soda or some kind of seltzer water. I definitely could tell that it tasted off. I asked our waitress what it was made out of, and that it did not taste right. She went over to the bartender and got me a new one. The second one finally tasted closer to a shirly temple.

The food was fine. I would like to think that the food is made fresh and they marinate it in house. I was not sure what fishy taste that previous customers tasted, but please do keep the food quality at 100% and to not give old chicken if you're going to be charging $20 for a bowl of curry. The prices of everything is definitely on the higher end, keep the quality of the food that way.

We got the wrong check. I am not even sure how, but we got another tables check and almost paid $20 more than what we had ordered. Thank goodness my fiance had checked the recipt.

There needs to be some hussle. When we asked for some boxes and the check, im not sure if they had asked one of the other food runners to get the boxes but BOTH waiter and waitress that were on the staff today were standing around. Either way, what should have been a 2-3 minute task (getting the check and box) took around 5-7 minute wait.

The take out boxes. Now. Im sure that cost is a big factor of running a business. But if you're running an indian restauruant, I expected plastic deli containers. Its easier for customers to reheat food at home, and even reusing the containers too. The metal cheap, thin take out containers is not, in my opinion, the right choice in terms of taking food out. I know this may sound nitpicking, but as a customer, the 'at home take out' experience should be just as convenient. And it's more environmentaly friendly if people reuse the containers.

THE QR MENU. It is a pet peeve that there's a QR menu instead of the physical menu. Especially with all of the descriptions. The site itself was a little janky to run through. If you open a tab, and then try to open another tab, it goes all the way to the bottom of the website, and then you have to scroll all the way to the top.

Don't get me wrong. We will be back. I want this place to suceed. I have grown to love indian food. I had usually gone to Jaipur all the way the in fairfax for indian food. So it's nice that a closer place had opened up. The staff definitely needs...

I’m not sure how this place has so many five-star ratings—feels like they must’ve created multiple accounts or asked family and friends to boost themselves. This is not a fine dining experience as they claim to be. I visited on my birthday with a group, and the experience was terrible. The methi malai chicken was very good. The pepper chicken lacked salt but was decent, and the biryani was no different from plain rice, with only 3-4 small, dry pieces that had no flavor. This is such a poor experience considering the options nearby.

We waited an hour and a half for our biryanis, and when we asked about the delay, the waiter brushed us off with, “Don’t ruin your Friday night; you can chitchat instead.” Even if it was meant as a joke, it’s not something you say to hungry customers just wanting a good meal. The staff clearly had communication issues as well. To make up for it, they gave me a complimentary double ka meetha, but it was dry and flavorless—just sugar. Do yourself a favor and skip this place. —————————————————————————— EDIT —————————————————————————— I initially posted the above review about my poor experience at this restaurant. A few days later, the owner personally reached out by taking my phone number from yelp with a sincere apology and an explanation of what went wrong. I believed his intentions were genuine, and without being asked, I decided to delete my review out of consideration for the fact that this is a new business.

However, the following day, he called again, this time asking why my friends hadn’t removed their reviews. This made me uncomfortable and triggered a sense of disappointment. A genuine apology should be about acknowledging the issue and improving—not pressuring customers to take down their feedback, which is unprofessional.

Adding to this, he accused my brother of banging a bottle on the table during our visit, which never happened. When I requested footage to support his claim, he later called back to admit it was a misunderstanding on his part and apologized once more. During this call, he also offered to refund my money as compensation for the inconvenience—something I never requested and left to his discretion. However, no refund was ever issued, which felt like yet another hollow promise.

To the owner: I urge you to focus on genuinely improving your service rather than contacting customers to ask for reviews to be taken down. Constructive criticism can help your business grow, but attempting to silence feedback is not the...

A Disappointing Culinary Adventure: Not Worth the Price

Tldr: Look for another restaurant without a second thought

New place that successfully presents newer levels of disappointment.

I recently dined at TriState, and unfortunately, my experience was far from the delightful Indian culinary journey I had hoped for. Priced at $100 for two—covering just two appetizers, two entrees, and two pieces of bread—this establishment presents itself as a fine dining option, but it falls woefully short in quality and atmosphere.

Upon arrival, the ambience struck me as unprofessional. The waitstaff were dressed in casual home clothes rather than uniforms, which instantly gave off a disorganized vibe. Adding to the chaos, the owner’s toddlers were freely roaming around the restaurant, creating an environment that felt more like a family gathering than a dining experience.

Now, let’s talk about the food. I had high hopes for a flavorful feast, but what arrived was a plateful of disappointment. The dishes were overly oily and lacked the rich, authentic flavors that Indian cuisine is known for. It felt as though quality ingredients were sacrificed for quantity, resulting in below-average meals that certainly didn’t justify the hefty price tag.

To make matters worse, I couldn't shake the feeling that many of the positive reviews I had read beforehand were fabricated. It’s disheartening to see an establishment misrepresent itself, especially when the reality of the dining experience is so starkly different.

In conclusion, TriState is not the fine dining experience it claims to be, Infact it is far away from even being a good restaurant. With disappointing food quality, an unprofessional atmosphere, and a price point that simply does not match the experience, I cannot recommend this restaurant. Save your money and seek out a place where the culinary experience truly reflects the...