Honest Indian Vegetarian Restaurant — Restaurant in Tampa

Honest, a recently opened vegetarian restaurant in Tampa, has quickly made its mark, and we decided to visit for lunch on a Saturday. Having enjoyed their food from other branches, particularly in Atlanta, we were familiar with their specialties, especially their famous Pav Bhaji. We were eager to see if the Tampa location lived up to the Honest reputation.

Upon entering the restaurant, we were greeted by a vibrant ambiance that instantly gave us the authentic Indian restaurant vibes we were hoping for. The décor and atmosphere set the perfect tone for a traditional Indian meal.

From the counter, we placed our order: Pav Bhaji, Paper Dosa, and Puri Halwa. The ordering process was smooth, but we did have to wait for about 5-10 minutes to be seated as no table was immediately cleaned and available.

The first dish to arrive was the Paper Dosa. It was impressively large, crispy, and served with a trio of delicious chutneys and a bowl of Sambhar. The dosa had just the right texture, and the accompanying sides elevated the dish to a new level of taste. It was a fantastic way to start our lunch.

Next, we were served the much-anticipated Pav Bhaji. True to Honest's reputation, the Bhaji was rich, flavorful, and packed with spices, perfectly complementing the buttery pav.

Finally, we were served the Halwa Poori. The Poori was freshly made, crispy, and paired wonderfully with the sweet Halwa. The combination of the Halwa with Chole added a delightful contrast of flavors. It was a comforting, delicious end to our meal.

Overall, we had an excellent lunch at Honest, and the food definitely lived up to our expectations based on our previous experiences. We're excited to return to try other items on their menu, including their Chaat and Sandwich options. Honest is a welcome addition to Tampa's Indian dining scene, and we'll definitely be...

Absolutely terrible experience at HONEST RESTAURANT in TAMPA. The manager and staff are extremely rude and lack even the basic manners to deal with customers. We arrived at 8:35 PM, well before their posted closing time of 9:00 PM, only to be told that the kitchen is closing in 4 minutes and they are only accepting takeout orders.

When we questioned why guests were being turned away 25 minutes before closing, the staff responded arrogantly with zero courtesy or professionalism. If your restaurant can’t serve dine-in customers until 9 PM, then don’t advertise your closing time as 9 PM. Either update your hours or train your staff to treat people with respect.

Totally disappointed. Won’t be coming back, and wouldn’t recommend this place to anyone who values basic customer service.

(6/23/2025): I don't have to say much about my experience further as Owners have already justified it in the kind of response provided where it very evident that what i had experience is right and how they may treat there customer

Also No family with kid have time to go to the restaurant 5 mins before closing time just to write negative reviews on google.

NOTE: more than 10% of your total review is 1 STAR for your knowledge.

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(6/24/2025): Thank you for letting everyone know that you don’t really bother / care about the customer who gives you negative feedback and you consider them fake (BTW i took your feedback and corrected my spelling...

Very disappointed with the quality of food.

We were so excited that Honest restaurant was open in Tampa. First time we went there, the food was excellent! We all were so happy.

Second time we went there, the food was ok not bad, but the quality did go down from the first time.

Third time, food was terrible. We went there for lunch on Sunday....the restaurant wasn't that busy either. They didn't have pav bhaji...seriously? Honest is know for pav bhaji and they don't have the main item especially on weekend? We ordered manchow soup - it only had noodles, NO vegetables and couldn't taste any ginger or garlic...very blend only chilies since we told them to make it spicy. The sandwich wasn't good either.

One of our friends had ordered biryani and they didn't get it for 45 min....later they just asked for a refund and left. Same thing happened to couple other people that we know.

The management better take care of the food quality otherwise people will stop...