VaibhaV Indian Restaurant & Caterers — Restaurant in Jersey City

Disappointing Experience from Start to Finish – A Complete Letdown

I had high hopes for this restaurant, but unfortunately, it fell short in almost every aspect. From the food to the service, it was a frustrating experience all around.

Appetizers: Our first appetizer was the hara bhara kebab, which took about 20 minutes to arrive. While it was served hot, the green food coloring was so unnatural it was disturbing, and the taste was bland and forgettable. A frozen hara bhara kebab would have been better. This was followed by chicken achari kebab, which arrived after 30 minutes — which I would normally not mind, as kebabs take time to prepare. However, non-kebab appetizers should absolutely have arrived faster, especially on a Monday night when it was a slow evening.

The chicken achari kebab had tender, juicy chicken, but the flavor was lacking. There was no discernible “achari” taste, leaving me to wonder if they even used achar or any similar seasoning. Plus, the raw onions on the hot plate were just for show and added nothing to the dish.

The gobi 65 was another letdown. While the cauliflower was crispy, the sauce they used was a strange mixture — almost like ranch, mayo, and yogurt — with a sickly orange color, resembling cheap honey mustard. Definitely not what you’d expect from a traditional 65 sauce.

Main Course: As for the main course, the veg biryani was absolutely disappointing. It resembled a basic pulao rather than a proper biryani, and I’ve never had a more underwhelming biryani at a South Indian restaurant. The masala dosa was cold, which is just inexcusable for a South Indian restaurant. The chicken chettinad was decent but nothing to rave about — I’d rate it 3.5/5, at best.

Service: But perhaps the worst part of the experience was the service. We ordered drinks from the first waitstaff, but instead of the drinks, we just got tap water, which never arrived. After the first appetizer, we had to repeatedly ask for chutney — something I would expect with kebabs by default — but it came only after a few reminders and after we were almost done with the appetizers. Then, a different server came to ask if we wanted drinks, even though we had already ordered them.

To top it off, one of the waitstaff took my plate while I was still eating and without asking if I was finished. I was mid-bite when my appetizer plate disappeared. When we asked for glasses to go with the jug of water they brought, they apologized — but that didn’t make up for the complete lack of professionalism.

The waitstaff was a group of college kids with no social skills or restaurant experience. They clearly had no idea how to engage with customers, smile, or even properly serve food. It was frustrating to watch as someone who has worked in the restaurant business. The staff was polite enough but seemed totally out of their depth.

Final Thoughts: The interior and the bathrooms were clean, which was about the only redeeming quality of the place. The food runner brought our food with their fingers touching the dishes, which is incredibly unhygienic. And while they gave us free kheer at the end — which we never asked for — it seemed like an afterthought, likely because they knew the service had been so bad but didn’t have the communication skills to address it.

Finally, they automatically added a 20% gratuity to the bill. As someone who worked as a waiter, I understand tipping culture, but after the horrible service, this felt like a slap in the face. The waitstaff, including the tip, simply lacked any sense of dignity or professionalism.

I truly don’t know how this restaurant is still in business. Overall, this experience was far from the quality I expected. Easily the worst dining experience at an Indian restaurant.can’t say I will I will be returning and can’t recommend...

I had a craving for some Indian food and we didn't feel like cooking, so that's when we found Vaibhav on DoorDash. We ordered at 3ish for a delivery window of 5:15-5:30 but it didn't actually come until 6:15, and the food was only lukewarm. Not sure if it was the dasher or the restaurant but judging from some of these reviews, it seems delivery orders in general are late quite often. You're probably better off picking up, if you can.

We ordered a bunch of food (probably too much) so that we could also eat it for lunch the next day - but we ended up having enough for three meals each between two people. Here's what we had:

Samosa - pretty good, but I don't love samosas in general. It's a little too carby for me.

Garlic naan - nothing to write home about. I only wish I had some sauce to dip it in

Chicken Lollipops (8 pcs) - these were the star of the show. Even it being cold, it was still crispy. From the outside, it looks like it could be dry but it's super tender and perfectly cooked. Even reheated as leftovers, it was great.

Chicken tikka noodles - this caught my eye and to be honest, is why I picked Vaibhav. I love chicken tikka and I love noodles, so this seemed like the perfect combo. Seemed is the key word. I thought these were going to be saucy noodles with chicken tikka masala sauce, but it was just curry powder. It tasted more like Singapore noodles. They did give a huge portion of it though, and lots of chicken.

Tandoori Platter - at $20, this was a great deal because there was a massive amount of meat. It comes with chicken tikka, malai tikka, tandoori chicken, sheekh kebab, harayali tikka and tandoori shrimp. I couldn't tell which was the chicken tikka and the tandoori chicken, but one was a bit too salty. I didn't love the malai because of the funky cheese taste. The kebab was my favorite. It's heavy on the spices so if you don't like fennel (?), you won't like this. Harayali (green aromatic sauce) was nice and flavorful (but a bit dry). The shrimp was probably my second fave of the platter. I probably wouldn't get this platter again, and just get the kebab and shrimp. I was a little surprised this didn't come with some rice or naan with the amount of protein there was. Everything is served on a bed of sauteed onions, and a large packet of raw purple onions on the side, so if you're planning on making out with anyone that night, don't.

Overall, it's a pretty solid Indian (with some 'Chinese fusion') spot. I think I'll try the chicken tikka masala, dosa, and/or...

My recent visit to Vaibhav Indian Restaurant for their $16.99 thali left much to be desired. Amidst my exploration of various thali offerings across different establishments, this particular experience stood out as the most disappointing. The hallmark of any thali experience should be its rich tapestry of flavors and textures, yet the offerings at Vaibhav Indian Restaurant fell short in this regard. The food lacked vibrancy and depth, with many dishes tasting notably bland and uninspired. As depicted in the bottom picture, a significant portion of the thali remained untouched—a testament to the underwhelming nature of the fare. However, amidst this sea of mediocrity, there was a lone beacon of culinary delight—the Chinese BHEL. This dish, with its unique fusion of flavors and textures, provided a fleeting moment of respite from an otherwise lackluster dining experience. Regrettably, the disappointment extended beyond the culinary realm. The service was lackadaisical and inattentive, failing to elevate the overall dining experience. Additionally, the ambiance lacked the warmth and charm one would expect from a dining establishment of this caliber. In conclusion, while Vaibhav Indian Restaurant may have attempted to curate a diverse thali menu, the execution fell short of expectations. For a price point of $16.99, patrons rightfully anticipate a memorable and satisfying dining experience, which unfortunately was not delivered. I would recommend a concerted effort to enhance the flavor profiles of the dishes and improve overall service standards to ensure a more enjoyable dining experience for future patrons. Overall, my visit to left much to be desired, and I sincerely hope to see significant improvements...