Dear Delhi Restaurant, Bar & Lounge — Restaurant in South Brunswick

I recently visited Dear Delhi for dinner with two friends, marking my fifth visit to this establishment. I noticed some positive changes in the restaurant's appearance since my last visit, with new tables, improved lighting, and updated TV screens that enhance the overall ambiance.

Upon arrival, we were informed that we couldn't take a table at the bar due to a planned party. We settled for a table in the main hall instead. To start our meal, we ordered Egg Vepudu, Chilli Paneer, and Okra Fries, all of which were exceptionally tasty. We paired our appetizers with a couple of Jack and Coke cocktails, which complemented the flavors well.

For the main course, we opted for Malai Kofta, Lacha Paratta, and Veg Biryani. The food was incredibly flavorful, and the parattas were especially outstanding. It's evident that Dear Delhi specializes in Punjabi cuisine and has perfected the art of preparing Punjabi dishes.

In terms of the food alone, Dear Delhi deserves a solid five-star rating. However, I'm giving it four stars due to a few shortcomings in this particular visit. What was clearly lacking was the warmth and hospitality that I had experienced on previous occasions. Typically, the waiters and bartenders were friendly and eager to serve, ensuring that they met your preferences. However, this time, there was noticeable tension among the waitstaff. When I requested a diet coke, the immediate response was, "we don't have diet coke." Thankfully, another gentleman quickly offered to check for a 2-liter bottle and managed to find one. While they were still attentive to our requests, the absence of a friendly demeanor and smiles was surprising. Personally, I value the warmth of hospitality and find it to greatly enhance the dining experience.

On a positive note, I must mention an exceptional old waitress who came to serve water and take the plates from our table. She was very friendly, with a warm smile and greeted us with a sincere "How are you?" Her presence added a delightful touch to the evening, reminding us of the outstanding service we had previously experienced at Dear Delhi.

Additionally, I found the placement of the TV to be odd. It was positioned right behind a table where six people were seated. Whenever we glanced at the TV, the guests at that table gave us disapproving looks, making us feel uncomfortable. As a result, we refrained from watching the TV even during moments of silence.

The total bill for our meal came to a little over $50 each, which I found slightly pricey. However, considering the exceptional quality of the food, it was understandable. Perhaps this price point reflects the current norm given the prevailing inflation, especially for restaurants that offer excellent cuisine.

Despite the shortcomings mentioned, I would still be inclined to revisit Dear Delhi or opt for take-out when I'm limited in my choices for warm and hospitable establishments. The outstanding food and the presence of the friendly old waitress make it worth...

RESPONSE TO THE OWNER: (PLEASE SEE THE SCREENSHOTS): I know some restaurants will think that once a customer buys something, they will not throw it away and must eat it after all there money is involved hence there is no question of refund, and even if I call and complain there is no way , you can refund. I have google score of more than 500+ points because I am a local reviewer. this is my right as a consumer to provide reviews .your food is not that great and I am sure you know that .Whts even surprising for me is your employees are also not loyal to you or you dont know how to look for an order in record, I will give you all the details. I am not going to carry the reciept just for 60$ but just for every ones satisafaction including yours , see my bank transaction, go ahead refund me if it was just a one time thing and your food was not always like that. most likely you wont refund .lol go ahead prove me wrong. Next time I eat at your restaurant , will write new review. Please see the screen shot,enough to prove your charges: Original review : WORST INDIAN FOOD EVER TASTED,never going there again , not even on gun point. 0 point on food, we ordered a to go from this restaurant and trust me when I say this. I have never had such pathetic food. to give an example the chicken starter we order had raw chicken dipped in raw spices, raw cauliflower was just coated with sugar and spice, (that was gobhi manchurian and chicken manchurian,) biryani(we ordered )was like khichdi so sticky and messy. I am not some one who like to throw food, but after trying few pieces , My guests and us came to the descision to throw the entire food to garbage. Because there was no Question of eating , even our Dog will not eat it. Everything was trashed right then and we...

After reading all the reviews, wondering if they are paid reviews or genuine. My visit to the restaurant along with my wife was a total mess. We ordered a chaat and roti/naan along with a curry. The chaat was decent but the roti/naans and rice were served straight out the refrigerator being so cold. Upon asking the waiter, he just took it inside and got back within exactly 2 mins after reheating them in the microwave oven. They both tasted real bad. Upon complaining, the owner noticed something wrong with the breads being so mushy and wiped it off of the bill by billing only the chat and curry. We weren’t happy about that as well because we went to the restaurant with full hunger and the incident was such a spoiler, we didn’t eat anything later. The owner should have at least cancelled our bill to make us happy as our night was totally spoiled. We come to the restaurant to eat something freshly made. If we wanted frozen food, we could have purchased ourselves from the store and had at home. This happened on Sunday (10/1/2023) at 9 PM. Update: The picture shows only one piece left because the remaining pieces were already trashed on the served plate along with the curry which the waiter took it off the table before you walked in. I wanted good food to be served and didn’t expect free meal. Hence, we left the cold rice as well on the table. Being fair is justified by serving good food and not by striking the breads off the bill or giving false replies. If you think the breads were good and we had the remaining pieces, you shouldn’t have striked it off the bill. Accept the fault and move on rather than fighting back on my genuine review. Pls go back, check your cctv footage and then hit back with your best defense if you want to do it...