I lived in NYC for five years -- within two blocks of 6th St and all those wonderful Indian places -- and I had just about given up on finding a decent, unpretentious Indian restaurant here in the Twin Cities. Then I came upon The Vegetarian. I can't help but think the reviewers who had such bad experiences simply had bad luck. I have been five times (twice for the lunch buffet and three times for dinner), and every time I take my first bite, I ask myself why on earth I don't go there once a week (the reason is that it's a bit out of the way for me). I try something new every time and my boyfriend and I never order the same thing, so we have sampled much of the restaurant's fare. We've always been happy with our choices. He's not a vegetarian (not even close) and yet every time we've been there, he talks about how great the food was for an hour after we leave. It's true that the place can be quiet and the last couple times we went, it was almost empty (the result of the bad reviews?!), but I don't go for the people watching, I go because A) it's the best Indian food I've had in the Twin Cities and B) the owner is a great host (who pays as much attention to my boyfriend as to me). I suppose some of the entrees are a little more than I'd like to pay, but it's not exorbitant by any stretch (my last entree was $8.50 and my boyfriend and I split a big sampler plate of appetizers for $9 -- very reasonable), and I almost always have some left over to take home with me (in a re-usable 'tupperware' container - no styrofoam or leaky paper boxes). The Vegetarian may not be for the club set or for people who like to impress themselves, but for the rest of us, you couldn't ask for a better place to hang out with friends and eat yummy food at a leisurely pace. I truly hope more people start eating there more regularly, because I would be sorely disappointed to lose my favorite place to eat out.
Pros: Relaxed, friendly atmosphere and a variety of delightful tastes
Cons: All the way up in Columbia Heights, could use a little music
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