India Mahal

i normally dont go out of my way to write negative reviews, im writing this because i genuinely feel this way, BUT the service was horrible, i kept asking the server/owner i guess what would you reccommend?, he was really not helpful and made us feel like we were bothering him, i LOVE INDIAN food and the culture, but the food wasnt even that good, even if the service was bad and the food was GREAT i might change my mind, i typically dont let scenary sway my opinion but how can you when the service and food sucked, but it looked rough and not kept up, the naan bread was under cooked, and when i nicely showed him it was under cooked, he told me thats how its cooked! LOL not since ive been eating indian food for about 16 years now lol, NEVER HAVE I HAD UNDER COOKED NAAN BREAD, he brought me out another one AND of course that one was under cooked also, so long story short if your looking for a cool new indian restaruant and expecting to have a good time and good food and service, dont go because you will feel ripped off, shold of lefted but my friend insisted we stay lol due to bad weather because if it wasnt for my friend who had NEVER had indian food, who will remember that, i would of left as soon as i saw the waited poors attitude. never will i go back again. improve your restaurant india mahal more

We were the only group for dinner . no one was there for 1 hour while we were there. Chicken was probably 3 days old . Will not go back more

The $8.01 buffet is great. Most Americans are use to Southern Indian food or food that has been Westernized. Northern Indian food is different. The food here is favorfull and people friendly. My partner and I eat here almost every weekend! more

The dark atmoshpere masks the quality ingredients and the authentic Indain cuisine. Pros: Vegetarian Friendly. Delicious! Cons: None. more

me and my family go to india mahal alot we love it also when ever we go we get a smile and a frendly greeting alos i love the food i dont know why the ppl are sayin that it is greasy i think it is the perfect blend the decor it tacky but it can show you alot abbout how india is a butful and great country i would definatly recomend this ti anyone who loves great food and fair prices =D Pros: great food,great staff,good atmosphree Cons: parking but there is a new one on the way. more

I LOVE this place. I found their location in wilmington, then was thrilled to find one in raleigh as well. Their food is amazing. Its the closest the home cooked stuff that my friends temple makes that Ive been able to find. Ive been to a few other places in the RDU area, and although they were much nicer... I didn't enjoy the food half as much.\r The people who work there are about as friendly as you are to them. Ive always had a pleasant experience. In the wilmington location, I always asked them what was good, and got great recommendations.\r I dont see where the ""my glass was empty"" reviews were coming from either- I never had an empty glass.\r \r In any case, I guess it comes down to personal taste- and I cant say enough about the food here.\r \r Pros: great food Cons: small stores more

I've enjoyed Indian food for many years, but never have I had it this sub-standard. I ordered chicken korma, and it was full of the cheapest cuts of chicken, many with bones still in and skin still on. The peas and potatoes in curry were horrid - the curry sauce tasted like bad gravy. The samosas were greasy as well. All in all, I'd recommend that you save your money and try one of the other Indian places in town, or risk choking on a chicken bone. Gross. Pros: Good onion chutney Cons: Bones in chicken dishes, really poor curry sauce more

We eat Indian once or twice every six weeks, and have always enjoyed this place. The service is inconsistent, but I have always enjoyed the food. I have been here with 5 different friends and all have enjoyed it. The portions are reasonable and the rice is included (which apparently is no longer standard at some places.) Pros: prices and quality of food Cons: limited parking, hard to spot, inconsistent service more

I read the reviews on Citysearch and went, for the first time, with a friend for lunch. The lunch buffet is generous, for the price, but the rice was very greasy (as was the Naan). The curries and other dishes on the buffet were tasty and varied, including vegetarian options. Good assortment of condiments as well. The atmosphere is fine - reminds me of some of the Indian restaurants I used to eat at in NYC - small, a bit gaudy, but generally clean and pleasant. Service was very attentive (we never had empty drink glasses).\r \r All in all, good cheap Indian food, but not recommended if you have a stomach that is sensitive to greasier foods! I think I'll leave this one to the younger State crowd. Pros: Tasty dishes, great price Cons: Greasy more

When you are downtown and need a quick meal, call ahead to India Mahal and allow the owner and family to give what you expect - fresh, northern Indian cuisine. If you eat vegetarian, try the mahal kaftas along with garlic naan. If meat, try the chicken saag, always made with fresh spinach and tender chicken. Note that India Mahal is a diamond in the rough for some, but, for me, it is always worth it. Pros: Food, Value Cons: Decor more

We tried out their lunch buffet this weekend. Not bad! It was a little disturbing to see the sign ""Daily Special - Goat Meat (Every day)"", but I guess that comes with the territory. \r \r Their buffet wasn't huge, but it had some good stuff on it, and was clearly marked ""Veg"" on one side and ""Meet"" on the other. Yeah, ""Meet"".\r \r The naan was a little greasier than I would have liked, but still delicious. There were probably 6 or 7 vegetarian options - the usual suspects like Saag Paneer, Curry Vegetables, and that Chickpea/tomato thing. Pros: Fast Cons: Pricey, Average Buffet Indian food more

I'm a new convert to Indian food and after reading the reviews on this website, I was very skeptical about eating here. We went anyway and found nothing but great food, very affordable prices (dinners run between $7.50 and $10-ish. Even a bottle of wine was only around $14) and pleasant and attentive service. It's clear that this is a family run restaurant and some evenings may be a little busier than others, but the proprietor has been there every time I've been and he has been nothing but friendly and helpful. We also get a lot of take out from them and have been nothing but pleased! The palak paneer, panir tikka masala and the chicken saag are fantastic! \r \r If you don't need a 5 star setting (yes, it used to be a convenience store) try India Majal. Neither you nor your wallet will be disappointed! Pros: Great prices, Yummy Food, Good Take Out Cons: Not for the Applebees (chain) crowd more

Before setting out to India Mahal, ask yourself, ""is it worth it?"" I mean, is it really worth your hard earned cash to waste your time and gas to drive across town to recieve HORRIBLE service, sit in a dingy room, and be served bad Indian food? I've been to a number of Indian restaruants and india mahal falls far below the standards one would expect. Could I at least get a refill of water? Would you like to ask how my food is? Standard waitstaff etiquette is totally lacking. Even ordering out is a bad expierence! I've ordered nan bread and was told the wait was ""10-15 minute"".... when 45 minutes later I am still waiting and its really not very busy, I start to wonder if they are planting the grain to make it for me some time next year. Then when it finially comes out it less than half the size it was the last time you ordered... ummm, that spells quality controll. And last I checked, Indian food was spicey... so could you please include some of that delicious spice when you cook my food??? That would be great, thanks. So what I'm trying to say is that if you enjoy wasting your money on getting frusterated by bad service, long waits, and bad food, then this is the place for you. However, if you are the sort of person who works for your money, maybe popping by a friendly street vendor for a hot dog will get you the kind of service you're looking for. Cons: its pretty much all bad. more

def. a hole in the wall, very very very good food- reasonable price. cheesy decor. the owner works the front and can seem a little intimidating at first but he doesn't mean any harm, I've been going there for years, (wouldn't dream of going anywhere else) he's a very serious person but has always been very kind and will even cracka smile occassionally. lol. the rest of the wait staff is wonderful. Don't show up with a crowd ten minutes before they close unless you want some attitude however. Pros: really good food and fun cheesy decor Cons: dont show up 10 minutes before they close. more

I took my gal cos she likes indian food .. The place is quite shady from outside. It looks crappy and messy on the inside. The server either has a rod up his a-rse or its a cultural thing. But I am an Indian myself, and i doubt its cultural. I felt really bad to put my gal through this and felt at shame to have a pathetic, retarded, nasty, sloppy, rushed-up, aloof, and unpleasant service/environment. Strangely enough, the food was good ... all the dishes. However, we were rushed at the end, as the time was near 1000pm or something. Sad. Never have I seen such an appalling service. It puts to shame and offers a generalization of the indian kind. Even though we read a coupla reviews that said the service was bad and rude, we didn't think it would be this bad ... well .. I had to pay to find out. So hope this review helps .. else you can pay to find out as well. \r Anyways, I will not even go for take out or free food. Even if my gal loves indian .... food ie. Pros: Not worth ur time or money, but food is good Cons: Everything except the food. Pathetic service !!! more

Maybe the service has gotten better? I've had delicious vegan dishes from this restaurant on several occassions. The staff are courteous and very attentive, in that kind of creepy (man hovering near your table) way that seems typical of many of the more authentic Indian restaurants I've been to. Other NC State students may find it convenient to pick up orders (which I've done frequently) since the food is to good to miss on account of past problems with service. Pros: vegan, vegetarian, proximity to NC State Cons: gaudy, small more

My girlfriend and I wanted Indian food for her birthday last week. We hadn't been to India Mahal in a while, although we'd always loved their food, so we decided to meet there. My husband and I always joked in the past, ""India Mahal, where service comes last."" Well I don't know what happened, but I was pleasantly surprised. We were greeted with smiles, our waitress was very cheerful and service was very good. The manager/owner checked with us a couple of times, the food was as good as always, and we had a wonderful evening. The atmosphere is still tacky, but I like it, and you just can't beat the delicious food. Pros: Food, Service more

I like this little place. It's hard to beat for the money. Yes, the atmosphere leaves something to be desired, but the food is good, plentiful, and relatively inexpensive. And I must say I don't find the wait staff rude. They're reserved, and perhaps a bit diffident. But I've made an effort to get to know them over the years, and they always smile and treat me very politely. I guess if you're used to effusive bonhomie on the part of restauranteurs, they could seem stand-offish. But never impolite. And I don't think I've ever waited more that a matter of minutes for my food, either. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure the other reviewers have experiences that back up their reviews. I just wanted to say that, in my experience, these guys run a nice, inexpensive restaurant that consistently turns out good food. YMMV. more

I have occasionallyeaten at India Mahal in raleigh for about 15 years & in Wilmington for about 9 years. Both have very good food. I highly reccomend it. The waitstaff has always had a stick op their collective bum. The service in both locations is the same -- rude & slow. They act like the customer is not good enough for them to spend time explaing the food to. They rerely bring a refill -- important in an indian restaurant. If the food were not so damn good they would have nothing. Pros: food more

This place needs better service. Food was great, but staff was terrible. Otherwise, great food at good prices. more