Clay Oven Indian Restaurant — Restaurant in Town of Clay

We tried Clay Oven yesterday and I would say that it was good, not great. The good - really beautiful and impressive space, good service, easy to park close by. Also, the complimentary pappadam and chutney appetizer for the table was very good - think chips and dip, Indian style. Pappadam was freshly fried and the chutneys were very flavorful. My husband got the samosa appetizer which was tasty and the Goat Saagwala which was the best dish of the night. The goat was very tender and the spinach sauce was flavorful. We also ordered plain naan and it was very good.

The not so good - lentil soup was not really as advertised. It was extremely thin and quite obviously a small amount of the yellow daal blended with water or possibly veg stock. Not very flavorful and not worth it. Also, the Green Vegetable Diwani Handi was very underwhelming. It is advertised as various vegetables prepared with onion, tomato, spinach and ginger. The “various vegetables” are the frozen mixed vegetables you get at the grocery store (peas, crinkle cut carrot coins, corn, cut green beans). The sauce is more akin to a bland saag (spinach sauce). They may be blended in but you cannot taste the tomato, onion or ginger. Skip this dish and any listed with “various vegetables” unless you really like the frozen mix. Finally, we ordered the dumplings for my 5 yo because we expected them to be the frozen grocery store kind and they were. Good for her, but they are basic frozen steamed dumplings so don’t order and expect them to be Indian fusion.

In general I think this is probably one of the better Indian restaurants in the area. We will go back because we actually enjoyed our time here and it’s convenient for us. The atmosphere and service are both great and I would like to try their tandoori specials as well as...

Good Indian restaurant with lunch buffet. Ambience is very nice and would rate a 4 to 5 out of 5. Food was better than average for the area, but falls short of the best. Butter chicken was very good, but missed not having more curry dishes, particularly with meat. Dishes on average were seasoned well. Tandoori chicken legs could have had a bit more flavor and spent a bit more time in the tandoor oven, but they were somewhat on the larger side and may have caused the difference in taste compared to the the smaller pieces, which seemed better. Naan was relatively good, but miss restaurants bringing out fresh vs making them in large batches and left out, but understand the convenience for restaurants to do so. Food could have been replaced a bit quicker and more frequently but could have been just the day. One thing that I think could improve is creating a different way of placing food during the buffet. Main dishes are in large covered metal pots, which look awesome and very decorative, but a pain to use, particularly for older or younger customers. Also not the best for infection control as you everyone has to touch the large round handles to remove the lid and I could tell they were already getting a bit covered with stuff from all the handling. Looks wonderful but not very practical. So in summary, great to to another Indian restaurant in the area, descent food, better than several local places, but will most likely stay closer to home as there are better options in my opinion. To be fair, I would consider this place to be my go to Indian restaurant if I lived...

Clay Oven is absolutely tantalizing for your taste buds. First visit here and the food was amazing. Every bite was delicious and everything was flavorful and cooked to perfection. From the poppers and dipping sauces to our appetizers of vegetable spring rolls and the dry chicken, to the garlic naan and main dishes of Lamb Bhuna and the Green vegetable diwan. It has immediately risen to the top of favorite Indian food I've ever had. If you like Indian food, get here now! If you don't like it, let them make you a believer!!

Loved the energy and Atmosphere, it feels brand new, well spaced and even with a fuller house it never felt loud, while the music fills the space with a fun energy.

Now into the interesting problem. The pace of play at arrival, after we first sat and when we were waiting for boxes and then waiting for the check was terribly long. Actually writing this review while in the restaurant, still waiting for my check...hmm. The staff is super nice and was phenomenal and quick after ordering and during our meal. So not sure what the disconnect was here, but hopefully that gets figured out.

I hope your experience has all the wonders along with a consistent pace so you can, as always...Enjoy!!

Update, went to the lunch buffet. 13 dollars a person and so easily worth it. Go eat here, it...