Rita's Gate Of India — Restaurant in Santa Monica

I recommend reading all the negative reviews here former customers have left about the female owners demeanour before deciding to eat here. I wish I had after my first encounter because I sensed something was off the first time I dined in but the food had been good so I had just decided to order takeout from there on out and now I’m regretting the takeout decision too.

the food last time was delicious but found the female owner to be a tad unpleasant so decided to just order takeout after my first experience dining in because the food was very good. Today I ordered curry and naan takeout for my birthday lunch, once I got home and started eating I discovered that both types of naan I ordered were stale and hard. I called in and let them know that the curries were delicious but the naan seemed stale and was unsure if I had received old naan or if it was over cooked but they were both rock hard and had wanted a refund for the naan. I explained I was a recurring customer and the food had always been very good and had not encountered this issue before from their restaurant . The female owner immediately became very angry and rude and started screaming on the phone for even suggesting that that her naan was stale. She said I was calling her stale because her and the food are one and that they are too busy to have stale food. I find that interesting because one of the things I had noticed when I first moved to the area was how surprisingly dead the restaurant is. I had even gone in the evenings during peak hours and I was the only one there. And I didn’t understand why until now. I see others have mentioned that in their reviews too. It’s sad because the food can be really good I just had an encounter with her on the phone where she was screaming at me when I explained what I experienced with the naan being hard/possibly stale. I made sure to emphasize that the curries were delicious, the food had always been excellent in the past, and it was just the naan that was the issue today.

( It didn’t appear to be overcooked, it was just rock hard like I had received day old naan. This restaurant is quite pricy to wind up with stale food).

I was completely taken back by the restaurant owners demeanour after I explained the problem (I emphasized that the curries were delicious and I had no issues there). Now experiencing being screamed at on the phone I see why the place isn’t that busy. I calmly told this person to please don’t speak to me this way and this is not a way to speak to a customer but she continued to yell down the phone to what had been a recurring customer. I ended up hanging up because she just would not stop and I decided to leave this review because the way this was handled was so incredibly poor. All that was needed was a calm im sorry the naan was hard and here’s a refund. But after that experience of being screamed at down the phone I now have learnt my lesson as to why the place isn’t hopping and won’t be returning. It’s a shame because the food is quite delicious when it’s done right.

I just checked out all the negative reviews to see if anyone experienced the same thing I had and I see that this is a...

One of my worst dinner experiences ever tonight at this place. We were a party of 6. Ordered our food and also pani puri to start with. The table is set up only for 1 person which is fine as we think it will be set up with food. We asked for some napkins when pani puri came. Only 2 were given. Asked the server for a couple more but he didn't pay attention. After a while we could catch the owner's attention and he brought us a few more. We received Naans and Tikka Masala after a while but the table was still not setup. The food was getting cold on the table with nobody paying attention for 10 miniutes. Again had to ask the owner (who was also a server) for some plates which he brought. No silverware though. Asked for that again. He brought 4 spoons and put that at the center of the table. No attempt to set those next to plates like any decent place. The table was still not set up. Getting frustrated we asked for forks and knives because we could see those at other tables. Owner's wife brought those but made a comment that Indians always ask to remove forks and knives so they don't give those to them anymore. Hmmm, now I was getting the hang of the place. Anyway, after a while our rest of the food arrived but there is nobody filling the water glasses - tough to eat Indian food without that. The restaurant is almost empty as it is near closing time so I cannot say that it is all happening due to rush. In fact, the owner was leasurely chatting with another customer for a long time while we were desperate for napkins, plates, silverware, and water. Anyway, we knew our evening was spoiled and just wanted to get the hell out of this place but they would not let us have that. The owner brings the check and bangs it so hard at the table that a knife literally flew and dropped on my lap. Instead of offering an apology, he tells me "when you are here next time, don't yell". I am stunned. This was truly surreal. I am with my wife, 2 kids and 2 guests from outside and this dude humiliates us all to no end. I had to tell him that in my 2 decades in Los Angeles, this was the worst service I had received by a mile. My neighborhood Subway does a better job of customer service and I had no intention of going there again. As about the food, this is the ONLY Indian restaurant in Los Angeles and surrounding areas that serves frozen naan after heating. The red flags were all there - a completely undistinguished decor with bleak furniture and sad lookin servers - and I should have gone to somewhere else. Do yourself a favor and go to many other great places which are close by and stay away from this sorry excuse of...

Rude Indian Restaurant with Unbearable Cultural Lessons. I wish I could give no star to this restaurant. Very very rude and cheapest mentality of the owner and she doesn’t know how to speak to customers. I recently had the displeasure of dining at this so called RITA’s Indian restaurant that not only served subpar food but also had an incredibly rude staff (I guess she is the owner) who seemed to have an inexplicable urge to educate me about cultures in the most condescending manner. It was an experience I wish I could erase from my memory.

Firstly, let's talk about the food. The quality was far from satisfactory. But what truly soured my experience was the behavior of the staff and the owner. The servers were not only impolite but also took it upon themselves to lecture me about various aspects of Indian culture. While I appreciate learning about different cultures, I did not appreciate being publicly embarrassed and patronized in front of other diners. It was as if they were more interested in showcasing their superiority rather than providing a pleasant dining experience. The constant interruptions from the owner during my meal were incredibly irritating. Instead of focusing on their job of serving the customers, the staff seemed more intent on showcasing their knowledge. I came to enjoy a meal, not to receive an impromptu cultural lesson. The audacity and lack of professionalism displayed by the staff were truly disappointing. I was met with defensive and dismissive attitudes. It was evident that customer satisfaction was not a priority for them. In conclusion, I strongly advise against visiting this Indian restaurant. The combination of subpar food, rude staff, and the audacity to lecture customers on cultures in a condescending manner is a recipe for a terrible dining experience. Save yourself the disappointment and explore other options that actually value their customers and serve authentic and...