Bombay Street Food — Restaurant in Washington

Delicious North Indian finger street food, wonderful hidden gem in Columbia Heights! Although the food is more American-fusion, it's flavorful and peppered with authentic spices. I went with my Yelp Elite buddy Skyler and we enjoyed a wonderful feast.

The Vada Pav (5/5) - Veggie sliders with a spicy potato patty sandwiched between fluffy buttery grilled bun that's soft on the outside and crispy on the inside was divine! We were seriously contemplating getting another round. This was my favorite dish on the menu!

Bombay Palak Chaat (4/5) - Crispy spinach with onions and tomatoes topped with raita (yogurt sauce) and a variety of savory and sweet chutney sauces was tasty. Traditionally, the chaat toppings don't sit on a bed of spinach and instead are on top of crunchy crackers "papri chat", or a samosa, or inside crunchy shells "dahi puri" (which is on the luckily on the menu!). Will opt for the Dahi Puri or Bhel Puri next time!

Dinner for 2 Thali (5/5) - Large sample platter with healthy mix of 3 vegetation and 3 meaty curries + tandoori butter chicken was perfect for sharing and the hefty $35 price tag was well worth it! Even comes with fluffy naan, basmati rice, and crunchy pauper. Of the vegetarian dishes, the savory lentil Daal Makni and spinach Saag Paneer with small chunky cottage cheese pieces were flavorful, while the chickpea-based Choola had a nice spicy kick! The indian curries were quite authentic, they weren't oily and I couldn't taste any cream. The little dishes are a generous portion as we delightfully split up the leftovers to take home.

Delicious affordable meal for $25. Looking forward to coming back for some Vada Pav and exploring other items...

I don’t know anything about authentic Indian food but gauging from the staff and clientele, it appeared that this was the real deal. I’ve always heard that Indian food was spicy but never tasted it until this place. I can barely eat the samosa...maybe it was the red wine before that made my palette extra sensitive to their spices. If I were to describe this place in one word, it would be ONSLAUGHT. This place was an onslaught to the senses. Packed to the brim, if that was Bollywood music now I understand why all the crazed wide eyed Chershire cat smiles, interior decor street slick vibes to PC collage blowup wall... thing, and vibrant colors everywhere. It takes a special personal kind of aesthetic vision to concoct what we experienced. It borders between kitschy and chaotic. At one point I felt like Bruce from Bruce Almighty where the music/people get so loud where you can’t hear yourself think. I’ve read SO MUCH that service was great... hm, off night I guess. I felt like we were invisible, at the bar. They poured water into the glasses of people that were before us, for us! It took the mgr 3X to get the bartender to get to us, and when he finally did he moved slower than molasses. It wasn’t until someone else commented on it when I realized that it wasn’t me and that the guy was in a trance. We watched him screw a cap unto a bottle for a full 2 min before he realized it was already closed. He just kept turning and turning the cap, like how this review keeps going and going... all in all, I think we’ll go back and try some other dishes. Why not? We’re gluttons...

We love Bombay Street Food! This is our go-to spot for Indian in DC. We eat in or pick up takeout here about twice a month and have always been really pleased with the food and service. If you’re on the fence and reading this review, I’d highly recommend coming!!

Our favorite dishes include the biryani (veg, chicken, lamb), saag paneer, and kholapuri vegetables. As many reviews have said, the portions are generous, and we find one entree is often enough for two people or we order two entrees and always have leftovers. Entree prices range around $15-$22.

The service is excellent! We tend to come later in the evening, after 8pm, on both weekdays and the weekend, and our food usually arrives within ~10 minutes of ordering. The waiters are always attentive and polite, and the manager is extremely welcoming!

The vibe is comfortable, clean, and charming, with cloth napkins and a bar, appropriate for both a fancier night out or a casual meal. This is one of the places we like to bring guests as well. Can’t say enough good things about Bombay Street Food!

Parking can be a challenge since street parking is limited in Columbia Heights. There’s a paid garage under the mall across the street, and the metro is...