Flavor of India — Restaurant in Needles

Stopped there on May 14, 2023. I spotted it on Google Maps and was curious about what Indian food is like in a place as drab and hellish in the summer as Needles is. I was impressed, but only by the food. Service there is fast food-style, in other words, nonexistent. You order your food at the counter and you go back there to pick it up when it's ready. Everything is served on disposable plates, bowls, and cups. You bus your own table when you're finished. I did have to use the restroom and that was okay, not spectacular to be sure in terms of cleanliness but it didn't stink which is, in the end, what you never want to discover when you must use the facilities. But I really should talk about the food which is what it's all about in the end. The food was quite good. I had lamb curry. I've had a lot of Indian food over the years and on three continents and this was quite decent, not quite but close to first rate and was it worth the money I paid for it. I've had better food, and at another nondescript Indian restaurant off I-40, this time in New Mexico, but I've had far, far worse and much...

The chicken curry was good. Very good flavor and hearty portions of chicken. Just look at all that chicken in the photo. It was tender and cooked in the proper way....light pink. Perfection. Thank you. That's why I gave you one extra star not 2 stars.

I ordered chicken Tikka masala and got bell pepper masala apparently instead (I am making a joke, it was chicken masala but had more bell pepper than anything. Good flavor except the bell pepper aftertaste. In the picture, you can see the two portions of bell pepper I picked out. It didn't leave much masala left. There is like a pepper and a half in here....

The rice was edible, but not fully cooked. It was soft and wet, very small. It needed a few more minutes.

The mango lassi is very tart and has rose water flavor, if that's...

the young man taking orders and serving was very nice and had good recommendations. the food was off the hook good-and we got enough for two meals by ordering just 3 dishes and naan. just took a star off for atmosphere as it's on a corner/building in Needles that matches the general feel of the area-if you're into big-city fine dining you might not find it your kinda place. The men's restroom, while fine with hot water and soap, has the old gas station bathroom vibe. Fine with me, but the bougie crowd might find it too working class feeling-we thought it was pretty cool that several truckers came in to get to-go orders while...