Saaz — Restaurant in Town of Southampton

I've always enjoyed Indian food, so when Saaz opened in Southampton I was beyond thrilled. The buffet there is just about the greatest thing on earth, and when I go during those hours I prefer to seat myself as close to the food bar as possible for easy access. Each food container is kept hot, and they all have covers which keep the more gross patrons from coughing on the food.

There's always a satisfying selection of foods during the buffet hours. I'm not sure of the proper food names since I tend to make my selections based on color, but the lamb cubes and the cheesy tofu-like chunks are my favorites. They have a couple of soup selections as well, which are useful for washing down the heavier meats. There's usually a sweet, orange-colored dessert as well, which tastes like a high quality version of those orange gel candies that everyone's grandmother loves.

The staff there is always very friendly and welcoming. They even kept the buffet open a little bit later one day when I got there late with two of my cousins. With eagerness and heartfelt thanks, we cleared out the remaining buffet items. The waiters are always on top of the water refills too, which is much appreciated when the soup bowls run dry.

I went there for dinner once, and while the food was much more expensive during that time, it was certainly still worth going. I've never been disappointed with the quality of the food. The atmosphere is quiet and aesthetically pleasing, and they keep the Naan coming for as long as you're willing to pay for it. Oddly enough, I've never been in the bathrooms there, but I imagine they are clean and well-stocked.

Each time I eat there, the food makes me want to pass out right at the table. To me, that's a sure sign that the meal totally hit the spot. The weariness might make for a hazardous drive home, but it's always worth the risk. They have a useful supply of toothpicks by the exit as well, so you can further distract yourself with basic dentistry practices during your drive. In all, Saaz is a terrific restaurant with great food and an amazing staff. It instantly became my go-to spot on the east end, and I always look forward to my next visit. I recommend this place to everybody I know who...

The experience shared revolves around an online order. To begin, buying food for three in South Hampton proved difficult tonight. With a party that has food allergies, finding the right restaurant is always a task. Two prospective restaurant picks failed as both were closed despite their online hours stating that they would be open. Saaz was seemingly the best choice since they had food options suitable for our party member with allergies. After spending nearly a hundred dollars for the food- I was shocked with a couple of details. For one, as anyone familiar with Indian cuisine, Curries are served with either rice or Naan bread. After all, curry can be spicy and difficult for the stomach to digest. Thus, the need for a starch to soak the heat. While ordering online, there was an option for rice or bread. However, once I received the food- I saw that neither were in the bag. I asked a worker- who seemed to be a supervisor- if they provided Naan with their curry dishes. He said no and I remarked about the discrepancy with the online ordering. Regardless, once we all found a place to eat, we found another major point of concern. The chicken was NOT cooked thoroughly. I was disappointed that the dish wasn't cooked properly for my friend. Especially, if my own goat curry was well executed- I didn't even find any bones. Regarding the chicken curry, my friend found a piece of plastic. Such would seem minimal if it wasn't for the undercooked chicken. Ultimately, there were 2 of 3 great dishes. Yet, one cannot overlook a case of undercooked meat when detailing an experience. With high prices, I expect high attention to detail. I'm certain that it would be easier to relay to a wait staff if one was dining in. However, while ordering online, there shouldn't be a gamble that one's meal experience would turn south. Overall, I hope that others have better luck with their meal experience and that Saaz maintains that their online ordering is accurate to their level of...

We requested some customized dishes to be made for my vegetarian parents due to dietary restrictions (no onions, garlic). The manager and waiter checked with the chef who gave us a few options. Service was snail paced and lacking. No one checked on us or updated us on the food. At least 5 tables were sat, served and left while we wait. I inquired about our food status at least twice and then I had to get up to speak to the manager and he was overall quite dimissive, and in fact implied that the blame was on us for ordering food with dietary restrictions and reluctantly gave me a forced apology. At the end he even said in the future they wouldn’t even offer us these dietary customizations because its too difficult on their kitchen.

We asked for two simple things- whether food customizations were possible, to which they said yes. And for updates on food when it is taking very long to come out of the kitchen. We would have even appreciated if they told us that it was just not possible to make our requests, then we would have left and dined elsewhere.

The waiter seemed to be trying and was attentive when we could get his attention otherwise he tried to avoid us because he couldnt explain the long wait time for our food.

Otherwise, my advice to this facility is to just be up front with your customer if you cannot provide the request, rather than the half hearted and forced apology that the manager attempted to give on paper. If you said, this is beyond the capabilities of our kitchen, we would have happily dined elsewhere.

The food when delivered was subpar to one entree being at best average. The bhel puri was slightly stale. The paneer makhani which we ordered as ‘regular’ (no customizations) was made with tofu and not paneer. They claimed it was paneer… we had another paneer dish that we compared it too and it was obvious.

Hopefully this post helps vegetarians, and those that want to request customizations...