SWARAJ INDIA Restaurant (Santa Clara ) — Restaurant in Santa Clara

Upon our arrival at 8:30, we found ourselves waiting for a good 15 minutes to be seated, which we attributed to the restaurant being busy. The staff appeared overwhelmed, rushing around with no clear direction. Finally seated, it took an agonizingly long time for someone to take our order. The staff's hard work was visible, but the owner seemed disinterested in supporting them. Instead, the owner focused solely on manning the cashier and seating customers, even though it exacerbated the already strained service.

By 9:40, we grew concerned and approached the owner for an update on our food. Regrettably, their response was unapologetic and dismissive. They gestured and said, "chill chill everyone will get food in the end." This interaction left a sour taste in our mouths. A simple explanation, even if something went wrong, would have sufficed. Sadly, it seemed that our hunger and frustration were not a priority. It was disheartening to witness other customers who arrived after us receiving their food while we continued to wait.

Finally, at around 10:10 pm (after close to 2 hrs of arrival), our food arrived, but it was a mixed bag. Some items were cold, others lukewarm, and to our absolute dismay, we discovered a strand of hair in one of the dishes. Our waiter, Sandeep, handled the situation gracefully and sincerely apologized. His professionalism was commendable amidst the restaurant's mismanagement.

Reflecting on this experience, I noticed a concerning pattern in the past 1-2 star reviews, which unfortunately holds true for the past 10 months. It is disheartening to see such potential squandered by mismanagement. While the food itself is tasty, the consistently long wait times, the rude and unapologetic behavior of the owner (as witnessed in their "chill chill" remark), and the hygiene issue we encountered with the hair in our food cannot be ignored or excused by vague explanations of an "unexpected" day.

I want to reiterate my appreciation for the hardworking staff, especially Sandeep, who deserves recognition for their professionalism and dedication despite the challenging circumstances. Until there are significant improvements in management, it's difficult for me to recommend this...

After reading so many raving reviews decided to travel an hr to try out this place to celebrate our anniversary. The restaurant has its own parking space and if full, street parking is available.

Given it was a weekend we had a wait time for about 40mins. The waiting area outside the restaurant is nice with good seating arrangements. The guy had got us mixed up with some other family and placed a couple ahead of us. On enquiring he quickly rectified it by giving us a table within 3-4mins. Tip: Keeping checking to ensure you are not missed or jump upon in the queue.

Our server was Hardeep. He was waiting on lot of tables so he seemed to be very busy. Had to remind him for an extra plate, water and also koshimbir. He was courteous enough to quickly inform us on the availability of the items as kitchen was nearing closing.

We ordered kanda bhaji - 5/5 It was awesome prawns koliwada -3/5 It was more like popcorn shrimp than koliwada. saoji chicken - 3/5 Given 4 spice level rating on the menu I was expecting it to be sizzling like true saoji. But not at all. I’ll put it under medium spicy. Had high hopes given its a Maharastrian restaurant. bhakri - 4/5 sol kadhi 3/5 It was little bit more salty to my taste palette. They serve the tempered ones. koshimbir 5/5 It was nice and thick unlike the sloppy running ones you get. Plain rice 5/5 Normal basmati rice. Basundi 5/5 Spouse had it and he liked it.

They were out of Mutton dishes so arrive early if you want to enjoy those.

The prices dont seem to match the online prices(koshimbir and basundi). Did not cross check with the menu when in the restaurant. Realized the mismatch after reaching home.

They do serve alcohol. But I think it was closed today as they did not provide alcohol menu on the table and there was no one at the bar.

All in all a good and decent restaurant and worth...

Update: Mar 8 2024 Went for lunch and enjoyed the wonderful hospitality there with the excellent lunch options. Service was taken care of by Mansi and team.

We ordered the Vadai Pav, Sol Kadhi (Kokum Lassi), Kadak Chai, Tawa Pulav and finished with the Fig Kulfi. I had ordered the sabudana Vada as well. The the crust on the water was very hard for us and hence had to return it. Since there were no other options that we preferred for replacement, the staff took it off our tab so we don't have to pay. The service recovery was very effective. Kudos to them. Special mention for the Sol Kadhi here. Very yummy!!

This is a great place for enjoying excellent Maharashtrian cuisine in a great setting. Service is good and the place is spacious to accommodate larger groups.

They have an amazing range of appetizers and entrees covering both vegetarian and meat options.

Some of the dishes tend to be slightly high on the "Hot 🌶️ Pepper" scale. So exercise caution and discuss with the host or hostess about your preference before ordering.

Today, our group ordered Sabudana vada, Vanguache Bharit (roasted eggplant similar to Bhaingan Bharat), Chapati and Mumbai Tawa Pulav. We started the appetizer (Sabudana Vada) with a cutting chai. The Tawa Pulav was a decent portion and we had leftovers to take home. The eggplant was just enough for the three of us but quite sufficient.

The food was amazing. In spite of the hot pepper scale being high on the eggplant dish, we absolutely enjoyed the food. In case you find the food hot, do ask them for some lime wedges to splash on the food which helps reduce the heat.

Recommend going early or making a reservation as it might get crowded on Fridays and weekends.

Restrooms are plenty and very clean. (Bonus points!). Plenty of parking to accommodate larger crowds.

Highly...