Cosmos Indian Store & Cafe — Restaurant in Lawrence

The food they serve is overpriced boxed and canned food that they sell in the grocery store, which they clearly microwave and sell as “fresh” and “handmade”. There is nothing fresh or quality about the food they serve. I spent $80 on what was supposed to be a special dinner for my partner and I for food that wasn’t even edible. It was worse than school cafeteria food - the 5 star reviews are fake friends. Learn from my mistake and take your business elsewhere. The bindi was a disgusting glob of mushy, brown, clearly frozen and microwaved okra that was totally flavorless except a strange sour taste. It tasted and looked weeks old and bad. My partner said his chicken dish tasted like those cheap cans of stew from the $1 store. The naan was clearly reheated from the frozen bags they sell, and were served hard, cold and plain (despite ordering the butter and garlic). The samosas were soggy and the filling seems to have been scooped up from some old dish they needed to throw out. I have never asked to return food, but this was so over the top, obviously bad food that I called and asked if I could return for a refund. The owner argued with me, implying I was lying and saying “it can’t all be bad” (it was) and refused to give a refund or do anything to make it right. I was a fan of this place for the grocery store, before, and never left without spending less than $50. After this experience I will never go back, and warn others not to be duped into spending your hard earned money on the boxed food they sell and then reheat in their restaurant and pass off as “fresh”. This is the worst food I’ve ever been served at a restaurant (and I’m including fast food). Go to one of the Indian places downtown. The prices are the same, and they aren’t selling reheated food from cans and boxes. The owner had an opportunity to keep a loyal costumer by allowing us to return our uneaten food for a refund or credit. But the food is in the trash where it belongs. With such deceptive and unethical business practices, they should be shut down

(Their comment that they “can’t find my order” is another indication of their flat out lies. Funny - they could find it when I talked to them on the phone that night and had just spent $80...

We have been ordering from Cosmos 2-3 times a week for Iftar during Ramadan. We order from Cosmos because the food taste very much home cooked. The sauces are very deep with flavor because of the savory bouquet of spices. I prefer Cosmos over Indian Palace because the customer service is much better and mostly because the food is just top notch! It's cheaper, the minimum delivery amount is only $10.00 (as opposed to $20 for the competitor). The food is slow cooked- this you can tell. The meats are tender and succulent.. there is no other word to describe it! We get the Chicken Tikka alot (Its really Chicken Tikka Masala) but instead of "Americanizing" it with tons of heavy cream, it is in a very slightly creamy tomato sauce with tastes of ginger, coriander, cumin.. its magnificent! I could go on and on about the wonderful quality of this food! It's what you would call a "mom and pop" restaurant of Indian cuisine. Because of this; ingredients are fresh and dishes are slow cooked I presume from morning until serving time. No stale bread, no reheated sauces... I'd try the entire menu if I weren't so in love with the Chicken Tikka and Lamb Korma. The Naan is magnificent too, and some special favorites are the Samosas (either lamb or veggie - both amazing) as well as the chocolate samosa (reminds me of home) - my mom would make Chocolate Samboosa when I was a child (Basically the same thing, you could call a samboosa the arabic equivalent of a samosa). In summary - Worth a visit, worth ten! This place is fantastic and the family could not be any nicer! The owner once delivered the food to our address herself JUST to say hello!! She is a lovely woman if you get the chance to meet her! Switch it up next time you want Indian food and go for Cosmos - I promise...

My wife and I are in love with trying Indian food everywhere we can and we travel quite a bit. We just recently moved to Lawrence and last night we discovered literally the best Indian restaurant we have ever encountered. My wife called to order the samosas and chicken korma. The woman that helped us was friendly and knowledgeable and was happy to offer suggestions. She suggested the Northern chicken korma. All I can say is WOW!! The food came steaming and hot. The fragrant smell of this delicious food filled our kitchen immediately. The chicken korma sauce was rich, complex, and provided layer upon layer of exotic pleasing flavors. The bread was fresh and warm and it absorbed the sauce that we didn't dare waste!! The samosas were crispy and rich and coupled perfectly with the chutneys they provided. We spent the entire meal just saying... Whoa, wow, oh man... It was exceptional!! The only thing as wonderful as this food was the friendly and welcoming staff. I felt like I was eating food prepared in a home of a beloved relative and it was definitely comforting. Not only will we be back time and time again but I look forward to trying everything cosmos Cafe has to offer. After this review I do believe I'll be making another order shortly this afternoon!!! Love it! So do yourself a favor and check this local jewel of a restaurant out! You won't be...