Royal India Palace — Restaurant in Waynesboro

January 22, 2025 - There’s a new “ top notch” Indian restaurant in Waynesboro . . . Royal India Palace ! 😃👍🏼

We called friends, and made a 6 pm reservation. A good crowd, there were a few open tables. The decor hasn’t changed too much from the old Heritage restaurant several months ago . Our server, Jotyi, was very nice and took our drink orders.

No rush at all. As a matter of fact, the pace was a bit slow. Glad we ordered a basket of assorted Naan bread , as we talked & sipped our wine. 🍷 I ordered the Tandoori Mixed platter with Lamb seek kebab, chicken Tikki , and Tandoori shrimp 🍤 My wife ordered the Basa fish pieces w/Indian spices roasted in Tandoor. Our friends ordered Butter Chicken cook d w/ light cream & tomato sauce. Also ordered Bhindi Masala, fresh cut okra sautéed w/onions , tomatoes, and spices. I timed the entrees arrival at 1 hour.

We weren’t in a hurry, but we heard the delay attributed to the kitchen down 1 Chef. Oh well, relax , sip wine, and “ catch up “ with friends😃👍🏼. WOW, the food was delivered hot and delicious! Well worth the wait!

A wonderful meal ! And we’ll return again hopefully to meet both Chefs! 😃🙏🏻

Here’s a few Indian Culinary terms:

Adarek: Ginger spice

Aloo: Potatoes

Bagha: Adding herbs & spices one at time

Biryani: Large dish of rice, w/ mixed meats and vegetables

Bhaji: Pan fried vegetables in hot oil

Bhuna: Usually stir fry with curry sauce

Bhurji: Dry scrambled stir fry dishes w/spices

Chapati/Chapathi: unleavened bread made of whole grain flour, cut into discs

Chana: Chickpeas, meat free dishes

Chicken Tikka Masala: Chunks of chicken in yogurt sauce, tomatoes, spices

Chutney: Chopped fruit or veggies cooked in vinegar, sugar, and spices added to dishes

Dal Makhani: Lentils, veggies, mixed in gentle sauce like a stew

Dhansak: Sweet & sour sauce w/ pineapple

Dum: To steam cooking process

Ghee: Clarified butter

Gosht: Persian for goat or lamb

Garam Masala: Indian spice mix/cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, cumin, coriander, pepper, etc.

Hariyali: Greenery, veggies in a dish

Haldi: Northern India name for Turmeric

Jaiphal: Nutmeg

Jalfrezi: Spicy hot meats and peppers, cumin, ginger, and coriander

Javitri: Mace spice

Jira: Cumin

Karahi/Kadhai: Prepared meat in curry sauce

Kasmir/Kashmir: Border region food with curry sauce , often sweet w/fresh cream, spices, and fruit

Korma: Yogurt based curry sauce with cumin, garlic, coriander, ginger, chili powder, turmeric, to braise meats & veggies

Kulfi: Indian dessert, frozen milk & cream, denser than ice cream

Lal Mirch: Indian Red Chili

Lamb Vindaloo: Lamb prepared with hot acidic sauce , loads of spices & heat

Lavang: Cloves

Kadhipatta: Curry leaves

Manjal: Southern India term for Turmeric

Masala: Mix of dry spices or paste, garlic, ginger, cardamom, coriander, and onions

Methi: Curry flavored with fenugreek ( clover like herb)

Naan: Baked bread w/ spices

Naga: One of Asia’s hottest peppers

Pappadum: Thin crispy wafer, w/ chickpea

Paratha: Indian flatbreads

Raita: Yogurt condiment to cool pallet

Rogan: Cooked in oil, curry lamb or meats, with paprika, in tomato based sauce

Sherbat: Persian word, fruit flavored syrup with ice and water

Tandoor: Clay oven used at high temperature to cook food & breads

Tandoori: Cooking process with marinades that turn foods orange color at high temps in Tandoor clay oven

Tikka: Chunks of meats marinated in spices, cooked in...

I had the pleasure of dining at Royal India Palace, and I must say, it was an absolutely delightful experience. This restaurant, though newly opened, has already set a high standard in both food quality and service.

To start, the food was phenomenal. I tried the pakora, chicken wings, and chicken lababdar, and each dish was bursting with flavor. The pakora was perfectly crispy, with a light batter that didn’t overpower the spices. The chicken wings were cooked to perfection, tender on the inside with a flavorful marinade that made every bite memorable. The chicken lababdar was the star of the evening—rich, creamy, and spiced just right. It’s clear that a lot of care and expertise went into preparing each dish.

What truly stood out, though, was the service. The staff were incredibly friendly and attentive, ensuring that we felt welcome and well taken care of throughout the evening. The owner and chef personally came by to ask for feedback, which shows how much they care about delivering a great dining experience and continuously improving. This personal touch made the visit even more special.

Despite being in their soft opening phase, Royal India Palace exceeded all expectations. The food was fresh and delicious, the service was outstanding, and the ambiance was warm and inviting. It’s rare to see a restaurant hit all the right notes so early on, but they’ve done it.

I can confidently say that this is going to become one of my go-to places for Indian cuisine. If they’re delivering this level of quality now, I can only imagine how amazing they’ll be once they’re fully established. I highly recommend Royal India Palace to anyone looking for authentic Indian food served with genuine...

The short: Really good food, really slow service, average pricing, nice wait staff

We went on a Saturday night around 5:30. Although there was a small wait, there were multiple tables open, which was my first indicator that they may have been limited by their lack of staff. After being seated, it took a decent amount of time for the waitress to get our orders. After our orders were in, the wait for our food took an abnormally long time, with one of the orders not making it to the kitchen and then quickly made thereafter (not a big deal).

The food itself was very solid. Great flavors, cooked nicely. I think the portions were consistent with the cost, with an average of about $13/plate for chicken dishes and more for lamb. The naan basked seemed a bit high at about $12 but there were several flavors included. We didn’t order drinks, but wine was about $8/glass with cocktails between $12-$14/drink.

Our server was nice, but I think the language barrier caused the mixup with the delayed plate. Super nice folks and a manager who checks on you at the end of the meal.

The dining experience felt like “fine Indian” and not a hole in the wall feel by any means, which I tend to prefer when eating cultural food.

Overall, I think it was really good food and the service will probably match once they find their rhythm. I would go back if I was really craving Indian, but I don’t think it will be one of our go-to’s at this point for...