Cafe India - Authentic Indian Grill (Indian Food Restaurant, Biryanis, Indian Cuisine, Indian Buffet, Veg & Non Vegetarian) — Restaurant in Memphis

A brand new addition to the Indian food scene in the Memphis area. They are very strategically located, right beside to Balaji, the biggest Indian grocery in town. They inaugurated with a bang, and the place was extremely crowded. I walked in to check my luck and it was too crowded to get a table! I got myself a chicken puff from the counter and an Indian style chocolate pastry. The puff was warm and reminded me of a very typical Indian style chicken patties.

A few weeks later me along with a few friends returned here for dinner. It was weekend and the place was still crowded. We waited for about 20 minutes to get the table. The place was loud and laid back. The service was slow. We started with some chicken lollipop ( Indian style crispy and spicy wings) and goat shukka. ( South Indian style spicy goat meat). Both the appetizers were hot and tasty. Moving on we ordered a bread basket and a bowl of malai kofta. Malai kofta was the best. Soft paneer ( aka Indian style cottage cheese) balls were cooked in a mildly sweet, thick, creamy, and aromatic sauce. The portion size was pretty decent. Ghee roasted dosa was served with a bowl full hearty, warm sambar, and some condiments aka chutneys. The chutneys were thick and great. They have a dedicated section of indo Chinese menu and we tried chicken Szechuan noodles. Pan fried noodles were tossed in spicy sauce and crispy chicken. Goat dum biriyani was a typical Hyderabad style and was pretty decent one. Me being extremely picky on goat quality could not give it a full marks!! To finish the sumptuous spread on a sweet note, we ordered an Indian style tres leches cake slice - where a soft and juicy piece of cake/ pastry was soaked into kesar milk ( saffron infused aromatic malai). Overall, it was a great dinner and quite economic to share the food amongst us.

I still want to go back for the lunch buffet before passing my final judgment.

Update: I ordered a chicken tikka panini sandwich and a chicken tikka pizza - the panini was still okay, however, the pizza was the worst 🙄. The pizza base was hard and it reminded me of Amul pizza once we found in India. It might be fine if you don’t consider it as “pizza”.

Another update: I went back for buffet. They have many items ( veg and non veg). The Mango juice ( not lassi) was diluted pulp 🙄and I expected some Indian deserts. Otherwise if you want to stuff yourself, buffet would be good for you. But if you eat ala carte, you can customise the preparation with the spice level and...

After the pandemic happened, it seemed like all the wonderful Indian buffets we had in Memphis disappeared forever. Even with things back to normal, it seems they all prefer the new status quo of charging outrageous prices for a la carte or to go. And just when I was about to give up on ever having another Indian buffets in this city, Cafe India appears.

For only $18 per adult, you get to try from a pretty generous selection of vegetarian and non-vegetarian entrees, including staples like Paneer Tikka Masala and Butter Chicken. I was able to choose between about 6 veg and 6-7 non-veg plates, plus an assortment of desserts, salad and various other items. Flavors were great, better than your standard buffet quality I would say.

Considering any a la carte item in every single nearby Indian restaurant (or Uber) will set you back $18-$25, the value here is unbeatable.

Service wise, it was good. I came in around 1 pm on a Wednesday and it was packed. After a short wait, I was seated and instructed to go ahead and get my plate. Attention was pretty spot on when I asked for anything.

I did not go to the to go area, but from afar it looked like the had some pretty good looking cakes, dosas and other treats. The location is clean and pretty, with indian figures and quotes lining the walls. Parking is plentiful and the area is...

A Remarkable Turnaround at Cafe India - Authentic Indian Grill

I recently had the opportunity to revisit Cafe India - Authentic Indian Grill, and I must say, my experience this time was a delightful surprise! After expressing my disappointment during my last visit, I was genuinely impressed with how owner Ram took my feedback to heart. He reached out personally and offered to make it right, inviting me back for a complimentary meal.

This week, I decided to take him up on that offer, and I'm so glad I did! The food was nothing short of fantastic. I ordered the paneer bhurji dosa, and it was perfectly spiced and incredibly flavorful. The boneless chicken biryani was a standout as well—each bite was aromatic and bursting with taste. To top it off, the gobi 65 was crispy and delicious, just the right amount of spice.

It's clear that Ram and his team are dedicated to providing a great dining experience, and they truly delivered this time. I appreciate their commitment to customer satisfaction and their willingness to make improvements. I left feeling satisfied and happy, and I look forward to returning to Cafe India for more delicious meals in the future! Highly...