India Garden — Restaurant in Traverse City

A Fantastic Indian Dining Experience in Traverse City! Our group had the pleasure of dining at India Garden this evening, and from start to finish, it was an outstanding experience. When half of our party arrived, the restaurant was bustling with diners, yet we were seated immediately. The warm and inviting atmosphere set the stage for a memorable meal.

Our server, Sunny, was exceptional—attentive without being intrusive, ensuring we never felt rushed while waiting for the rest of our group. When it came time to order, we decided to try a variety of dishes and share among the table. The staff was incredibly knowledgeable, asking a few thoughtful questions before offering spot-on recommendations. Every dish they suggested was a hit.

We explored different spice levels, opting for Mild and Medium. The Mild had a subtle warmth, while the Medium provided just the right amount of heat to awaken the palate without overwhelming it.

One of my personal favorites was the Chicken Shahi Korma, a rich and creamy cashew-based dish that was absolutely divine. The Chicken Tandoori was bursting with flavor, perfectly cooked with just the right balance of smoky and tangy notes. Another standout was the Goat Curry Masala, a dish so tender and flavorful that it quickly became a table favorite.

Of course, no Indian meal is complete without the perfect accompaniments. We indulged in Raita, a selection of Naan (Regular, Garlic, and Cheese), fragrant Biryani, and refreshing Mango Lassis—all of which were thoroughly enjoyed.

A special highlight of the evening was getting to meet the chef and owner, who took the time to personally chat with us. It was clear he is not new to the restaurant business—his expertise shines through in every dish. His passion for bringing authentic Indian flavors to Traverse City was evident, and his excitement about sharing his cuisine with the community made the experience even more special.

Beyond the fantastic food, the prices are incredibly reasonable, making this an easy choice for both casual nights out and special occasions. Before we even left, we were already discussing our next visit to explore more of the menu.

Traverse City is lucky to have such an incredible Indian restaurant, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for authentic, flavorful cuisine with top-notch service. We’ll...

I want to start this review by saying that I really hope that this restaurant succeeds. I love Indian food and have eaten it all over the world and really missed having options close to home. But the food (outside of the delicious naan bread) is sadly just average to really quite terrible…and it’s a pretty small portion for a pretty large price. This review is based on three visits.

The good first: The naan is fluffy and delicious typically (this last trip it was pretty thin and chewy though). The Palak Paneer is pretty tasty with a good texture and spice and plenty of paneer. The Baingan Bhartha is also good, but a bit overpowered by smoke. The Malai Kofta is pretty good but I think the dumplings could be a bit more flavorful.

The bad: The standby CTM should be a slam dunk and it was just utterly bland in both sauce and chicken and completely missed the mark. With that in mind, I tried the Butter Chicken the next time and it was SWEET, not savory. It bore no relation to any butter chicken I’ve ever eaten and was frankly inedible.

The Saag Aloo seems like the Palak above, with some giant chunks of unseasoned, undercooked potatoes. Ditto the Paneer Tikka Masala…just bland. The dishes are plenty spicy at medium but flavor and spice are not the same.

The staff are friendly and my food has always been done quickly and without issue. The to go packaging needs some work as it is almost always leaking and a container top was actually broken this last time, soaking everything in the paper bag. Thank goodness for the plastic bag!

It is my greatest hope that some of the seasoning and recipe issues can be addressed and improved though I’m not sure how I would ever know because I’d be reluctant to order most of the dishes I’ve tried again. My suggestion would be to slim down the menu and remove the more esoteric dishes (how much goat do people in TC really eat??) and focus on making the more common crowd...

So happy to have this option in Traverse City! Only about 10 days after opening so I’m sure some things are still being ironed out.

Started with a hot Chai Latte and a Coke. For dine-in, I would have thought they would have used glasses rather than styrofoam. Water is served with no ice. No refill was offered on the Coke but my water was kept filled. The latte was perfect on a snowy day.

We started with the Garden Mix which was ok but everything had a similar taste. Both of the accompanying dipping sauces were flavorful. However, we will try other options on future visits.

Pacing from the kitchen was a struggle. It was about five minutes between the two entrees coming out. We ordered a side of Garlic Naan. It came with four pieces. It was warm and a nice accompaniment to our meals. I had the Chicken Shahi Korma which was served with basmati rice. Loved how it was served in the silver terrine. I opted for mild but will kick it up to medium next time. Chicken was very very tender. And the Malai Kabob was served on a sizzling platter of peppers and onions with a special garden sauce on the side. It too was very tender. It had a very mild flavor. We thought the menu said it would be served with rice, but it was not.

The service was good. Two people appeared to be working the floor with a third possible manager. I’d say about ten tables were occupied. A steady take out business was happening as well. Servers were very friendly and attentive. I feel a little more could be done with the interior but it didn’t detract from the meal.

We look forward to going back as the menu had so...