Cafe India — Restaurant in Ohio

As someone who has spent a lifetime exploring Indian cuisine across the globe — from the aromatic street stalls of Delhi’s Chandni Chowk to the refined Mughlai kitchens of Lucknow and the coastal spice havens of Kerala — I can say, without hesitation, that Café India in Boardman is a revelation.

This restaurant doesn’t just serve Indian food — it celebrates it.

The first thing that struck me was the clean, minimalistic interior. It’s refreshingly uncluttered, with tastefully curated décor and an inviting layout that allows diners to focus on the food and the company they share it with. Each table includes hand sanitizer, a subtle but thoughtful nod to tradition for those of us who prefer to eat with our hands, as is customary with many Indian dishes.

My server was exceptional — attentive without hovering, precise with timing, and always arriving with a warm smile. Service like this is rare even in fine dining establishments. And while professionalism is expected, a welcoming presence with genuine warmth makes the dining experience all the more enjoyable. (And yes, she was absolutely stunning — but what stood out most was her grace and attentiveness.)

Now, the food. In my travels, I’ve too often been disappointed by street-style classics outside of India. Pakora and samosa are frequently underwhelming — either burnt, greasy, over-spiced, or just lacking flavor. But Café India flips that expectation on its head.

The pakora here was an art form. Delicately crisp on the outside, with an airy, almost soufflé-like interior that was both satisfying and light. The spicing was balanced, never overpowering, allowing the freshness of the ingredients to shine through. It reminded me of the level of refinement I’ve experienced at legendary eateries like Karims in Old Delhi or the farm-to-table fusion spots tucked into the hills of Himachal Pradesh.

The sauces were equally impressive. The mint and tamarind chutneys were clearly made in-house — vibrant, layered, and fresh. And the yogurt sauce? Absolutely divine. Cool, creamy, subtly seasoned, and perfectly paired with the appetizers. It took me right back to dahi preparations I’ve had in Gujarat and Rajasthan — simple, elegant, and deeply satisfying.

Café India isn’t just the best Indian restaurant in Boardman — it’s one of the finest I’ve encountered anywhere outside of India. From New York to London, from Mumbai to Madurai, I’ve eaten wherever Indian food is served and celebrated. Café India belongs in that upper echelon of excellence.

Whether you’re a seasoned lover of Indian cuisine or new to the flavors of the subcontinent, this place is a must. It’s a rare gem that blends authenticity with finesse, and it’s the kind of meal that lingers in your memory long after the last bite.

In short Cafe...

To give a little background, I visited the Indian Café with my girlfriend and her aunt this weekend for a casual little get-together (date). My girlfriend had previously recommended this place to me pretty highly during some of our past phone calls and to be completely honest I was a bit skeptical, as I'm not the biggest fan of Indian food -- purely due to inexperience -- but my experience here certainly changed my mind!

We entered the Café to find a lovely, well put-together establishment that honestly made me feel rather underdressed by comparison. The service was immediate and welcoming and even though there were maybe two or three other tables with people, it almost felt like the server never left our table. We received free refills before we even noticed we finished our initial beverages and the environment felt very friendly for our three-person group.

I ordered the chicken vindaloo (I might be wrong that's just what I remember getting) and it was quite nice! Would certainly recommend! They have a nice set of spice levels that you simply don't get the option of at other similar places and everything comes in separate dishes so you can organize it onto your plate as you so choose. Food came at what I'd regard as a quite nice amount of time for the amount of food we ordered, which was honestly quite a bit between all three of us, especially my girlfriend who was intent of showing me everything she loved when she came. Naan bread was perfect and everything was simply delicious.

If I have one tiny nitpick it'd be that the location of the bathroom was a little confusing, as the separate rooms were behind a curtain without any sort of indication and that the place felt a bit box-y, but it certainly wasn't anything that took away from the experience.

Overall, it supplied a MORE than adequate dining experience and the serving sizes were pretty large too! I'm a little bit chubby personally and can typically eat a somewhat large amount of food but the Indian Café has portion sizes large enough for me and my party to leave full with leftovers for later!

Absolutely best my expectations,...

First time trying this restaurant. I gave them 3 stars because it wasn’t terrible. First take of walking in… it had a nice atmosphere. The place was clean. The employees were kind. I got there just after opening. They hadn’t finished putting the buffet together yet (which was fine). The man asked me if I’d like a drink. I grabbed some appetizers and that mango drink (I forget what it’s called, but I know the drink, lol) and sat down. The mango drink was great! When they were finished putting the buffet together, the man came over to my table and let me know. That was the last I saw of him until I was almost done with my visit. I tried just about everything that they had to offer on the buffet. The food wasn’t terrible, but it also wasn’t what I would expect out of traditional Indian cuisine. I’m not sure if this restaurant felt that they needed to dumb down their menu for the locals or not, but considering it’s Indian food, it lacked in flavor. Definitely lacked in spice. The drumsticks which are traditionally either mild-extremely hot with spice, had absolutely nothing. 99% of everything else I tried had next to nothing for a kick to them too. One of the last things I tried were the veggie noodles. I was very surprised when those noodles had a bit of spice to them when nothing else on the buffet did. The peas in one of the dishes were way too under cooked. I’m not sure how they missed that. But they were still very hard. Just before I was finished, the man came back over and asked me how everything was going. That was well after I had refreshed my own water. When I was done I went up front and waited for him to come up. I figured he was busy in the back. That was until the phone rang and I saw him pop up from a table in the back of the dining area. That was also a bit disappointing as I had been waiting there for a bit. I won’t say that I’ll never eat there again because it wasn’t terrible, but if I had some time to kill the next time I’m in this area like I did today, and there was another option open for Indian food, I’d definitely go try them over...