The Lion Indian Cuisine Lunch & dinner Buffet — Restaurant in San Antonio

This restaurant is great! They have variety of options to choose from, including tandoor, chicken, lamb, seafood, and it’s a delight for vegetarian eaters as there are vast variety of options to choose from! Their naan have variety of types too which is rare to find amongst other Indian restaurant. I’ve tried the plain naan, garlic naan, Kashmiri Naan, cheese naan. They have whole wheat options like paratha, tandoori roti, onion Kulcha, and my favorite is aloo paratha which tastes way too authentic and reminds me of my mom. Not to forget, all their breads come with butter on top, which is good as other places charge extra for the butter (mention no butter if you are a vegan).The staff of very friendly and polite with everyone, they do a great job of looking after every table even when it’s super busy. The chef takes great effort to accommodate all types of eaters including vegan, gluten free, and lactose intolerant entrees. They can substitute fresh cream or milk with coconut milk per request which is very thoughtful and helpful for lactose intolerant people to try regular food with a little twist. Unfortunately milk or cream can’t be substituted in their Naan’s, but the best part is again having whole wheat paratha, tandoori roti, aloo paratha as option which makes the dining experience amazing! Their mango lassi is amazing and so is their raita, as they are made from housemade yogurt. Their iced tea is one of my favorite too depending on my mood, it’s brewed fresh daily. To top the experience, they have a full bar which is amazing in case we need to have a drink before or after meal. My favorite drink is the mango and strawberry margarita. Their bar tenders do magic with drinks. Recently I had the Indian cosmopolitan, it was so good that I can’t even describe it in words! You’ve got to try it. They also have Indian beers such as Taj Mahal and the flying horse. I’ve had the Taj Mahal and I need to try the flying horse some day. I’m addition to this, I’d like to mention some exclusive vegan food entree’s they have: dal soup, tomato coconut soup, tarka dal fry, aloo mattar, aloo Gobi, aloo baingan, mixed vegetables, chana masala, dal makhni, and my favorite BAINGAN BHARTA! They have vegan starters like vegetable samosas, mixed pakoras, and papadum. I’ve covered the vegan breads before so not going to repeat again 😁😋

Moreover, you can customize the spice levels from no spice🥶, mild, medium, spicy, extra spicy, and Indian spicy 🥵 I like that variety of options as some foods are good to eat mild whereas others on an Indian spicy levels.

They have a full size tandoor and all the breads are made with 0 oil, all the tandoori meats are made with 0 oil too.

Their desserts are house made from scratch too! You must try the Khir and Gulab jamun for sure! I’ve never tried their kulfi but it’s made of house made Rabdi which is a rare find in this continent for sure!

Moreover, all their meats are halal certified. Their lamb is premium quality Australian lamb and one of the best I’ve tasted, PERIOD!

My favorites here are: Appetizers: vegetable samosa’s, assorted platter. Breads: aloo paratha, paratha, kheema naan (this is new addition and so amazing) Rice: lamb biryani. Tandoori: lamb tikka kabab, chicken tikka kabab, seekh kabab. Chicken: Butter Chicken, Chicken Korma. Lamb: Rohan Josh, Lamb korma. Seafood: Fish masala and seafood curry. Vegetables: dal makhni, Dal Tarka fry, aloo gobi, paneer butter masala, baingan bharta.

If you like Indian Desi dhaba style food and good music, this place is a must visit and I’m sure you won’t be...

I pride myself on my discerning palate when it comes to Indian cuisine, having savored its flavors across continents. However, my recent foray into The Lion Indian Cuisine left me questioning not only my taste buds but also the reliability of my own eyesight.

Seeking refuge from the lackluster offerings of a nearby theme park, my companions and I ventured to The Lion in search of a culinary escape, only to be met with disappointment at every turn.

Opting for the paneer pakoras to start, I found myself confronted with a dish that was not only insipid but downright pitiful. The lone beacon of hope on our table seemed to be the papad.

My anticipation for the malai kofta, a personal favorite, quickly turned to apprehension as our waiter assured me it would be served in a yellow gravy distinct from the tomato-laden paneer butter masala. However, upon its arrival, any hopes of a flavorful respite were dashed as I found myself staring at a plate drowning in the same sour sauce. I couldn't help but wonder if my own perception was at fault, questioning whether my taste buds had betrayed me or if, perhaps, I had unwittingly fallen victim to a case of color blindness. I'll leave it to you to draw your own conclusions by taking a peek our table.

Adding insult to injury, my unfortunate companion opted for the chicken tikka masala, only to find it ensconced in the very same lackluster gravy. While my seasoned palate soldiered on, Jaime was not so fortunate, succumbing to a bout of nausea that marred the remainder of our evening.

In summation, I urge you to steer clear of The Lion Indian Cuisine, lest you suffer the same disappointment and potential gastric distress that befell us. This establishment is best avoided...

Here’s a little recommendation for everyone: a pretty good Indian restaurant in San Antonio! This place is similar to another Indian restaurant I’ve been to before, offering both à la carte and buffet options, so you can choose what suits you best. 👍🏼

I’ve noticed that Indian restaurants here often have this feature—giving you these two options. However, the buffet is usually more cost-effective. Ordering individual dishes can end up being more expensive than an all-you-can-eat buffet, so we opted for the buffet this time. 👍🏼

The buffet had a great variety, with different curries, various dishes, and even unique desserts. The curries were especially impressive, ranging from creamy to spicy and mild, catering to all preferences. 😮

I particularly loved their butter chicken curry 🍛—the creamy flavor was so rich and satisfying! As for the other curries, I tried a bit of everything I hadn’t had before, and each had its own distinct flavor and was delicious in its own way.

For dessert, I tried something that resembled an Indian-style mango sago. 😅 It was recommended by a friend, and surprisingly, it tasted amazing! It wasn’t a lassi, so it felt quite unique. I can’t recall its name, but if you visit, I highly recommend trying it (it’s the small yogurt-like bowl in the picture).

Another dessert they had was a small pastry, which I personally didn’t enjoy much, so I wouldn’t recommend it. However, if you’re curious, you can still grab a small piece to try. My friend and I shared a tiny piece and found it not to our taste. 😅

For those interested, you can visit the restaurant and dine in. They also offer a pay-by-weight takeout option, which is great for those who’d prefer to enjoy the...