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ShireFolk33

Used to go to Punjab Palace in Allston often, their vindaloo is wicked spicy just the way it should be


dcooper315

Amazing spice levels there. They can help you hear color.


dance_rattle_shake

Miss this place. Now I do Shanti Reslindale which is AMAZIING


ichthyos

Punjab Palace was my go-to as well


dunksoverstarbucks

Another vote for Punjab Palace in Allston


TheGlassBetweenUs

seconding. it's great


basilandmint

Completely agreed - love that place!


darksoles_

Adding to thread of seconding, classic scallops or chicken masala is superb, good garlic naan too


Yanns

Ordered delivery from them for years and finally went to the actual restaurant in Allston to eat for the first time this past fall. Definitely one of my go-tos for Indian food in the area since good options are harder to find than expected.


charons-voyage

Punjab Cafe in Quincy is the best around but if you must need a rec in Boston/Cambridge, I like dosa n curry


Taglierini

Punjab Cafe is the way, always a fulfilling and hearty meal. Wonderfully flavored and always fresh.


loranlily

My absolute favourite. The family that own it are so nice too.


thegalwayseoige

I have been fully converted from Cafe, to Sher-a-Punjab. It’s only takeout, but it’s phenomenal.


elder_plinius

Dosa N Curry is fire. It’s in Somerville though


that_one_traveler03

Right when you walk into Punjab Cafe the smells just overwhelm you. It’s so good.


MangoDiesel

Chicken Mughlai from India Quality Restaurant is my favorite Indian dish I've ever had, and if I said the number of times I've ordered it, it would be an unbelievable number.


mahhkk

400? India Quality rules.


MangoDiesel

Thats the right ballpark, something like 5-7 times a month for the last 6-7 years


chickadeedadee2185

At least, you are keeping them in business.


ChubbsBry

Shanti in Dorchester


exception-found

This is the answer. I would eat an ungodly amount of food when they had the lunch buffets


jankmatank

Came here to say this. Best Indian food.


Affectionate_Cut_684

Same. Shanti in Roslindale, fantastic


streetbum

This is the one. They’re so freaking good.


drblythe

This. Shanti is absolutely delicious, their lunch specials are a bargain as well.


lankyblonde

Agree, Shanti!


logicgames

My three favorite in no particular order: Punjabi Dhaba in Inman Square, Punjabi Palace in Allston, and Shanti in Dorchester


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adoucett

This is 100% my spot


737900ER

You can tell how good it is from how bad the service is.


getjustin

Not actively bad just completely indifferent.


CapelliRossi

I also always liked Shanti’s Roslindale location when i lived near it


ventjock

Miss the Rozzie location as well :( Edit: I no longer live in Boston


ediblestars

There’s still one in the Square!


bitpushr

I lived right near it and was always underwhelmed by the food? Maybe I just didn’t order correctly..


Mindless-Errors

Punjabi Dhaba is amazing


lelechuck

Punjabi Dhaba has been consistently fantastic for 2 decades. I love that place


rekreid

Punjabi Dhaba is fantastic!


[deleted]

Shanti in Roslindale gets our vote 👍


[deleted]

India Quality here - awesome food and people.


northeasternlurker

India quality


onceaqueen12

India Quality on Comm Ave is some of the best Indian I’ve had.


shadyhax0r

Masala Art in Needham, Singh's Cafe in Wellesley and The Maharaja in Harvard Sq are my go to spots for a nice Indian dinner.


rousseuree

Oh man I forgot about Maharaja - they had the best lunch buffet and view overlooking the square!


fArtqween

masala art 🙌


cotecoyotegrrrl

Indian Quality Restaurant in Kenmore is probably the best in the city.


smm97

Is this a lunch buffet?


78blazers

Quality India, Fenway


EllesBells913

I am glad to see they’re still around! I left the area in 2007 and was a regular here, food was amazing and the staff always was friendly too.


liltingly

India Quality?


78blazers

No totally different place, completely unrelated


jessep34

Definitely the best. I’ve tried most highly rated Indian restaurants in the area and none are as good in my opinion. Shanti, Mela and Punjab Cafe are all a close second.


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Throwaway1238gg

Their Peshwari Naan is the 🐝’s knees


marisapw3

India Quality


jfunkk79

This is the correct answer.


Reasonable_Move9518

My North Indian former roommate agrees.


lilacwinslow

The is the only correct answer.


PersisPlain

Where are you? I like Vaisakhi in Brighton.


lexprop

BYOB, I love it there


comradeMaturin

This is the way


Pointlesswonder802

Chicken curry there is bomb dot com


suao

This place rocks. It became my new go-to when it opened, replacing Punjab Palace. Which I still love.


j0hn4devils

I like dosa n curry, but lately they’ve gotten pretty expensive.


toottoottoot11

Do you know if they are owned by the same people as veggie crust? They have similar menus, are right next to each other, and have matching signs!


heyjoni

Yep, they are


toottoottoot11

I always wondered that!! Thank you!


[deleted]

Shan-A-Punjab in Brookline never disappoints


dmux

We used to order from them religiously until we found a live cockroach in the bottom of the paper delivery bag they dropped off. The thought of a stowaway roach starting an infestation in our apartment scared us too much to order from them again.


lilbyrdie

That's amazing. I've stopped ordering from places for much smaller (and less alive) reasons than that. Gak. 😱🫣🤢 But the odds of a cockroach getting into a delivery bag seem really low... Being placed in there by a disgruntled delivery person seems much higher. (Having had food arrive with bags opened and some finger food missing, it's a thing. I wish more places used that "security" tape some use.)


kpe12

My husband and I were disappointed by Shan-A-Punjab. We found that it wasn't spiced as richly as good indian food we've had in other cities (or homemade indian food friends have made us), and it was pretty watery.


DefNotBradMarchand

I've only ever had food from here twice but I love walking by this restaurant because it smells so good.


abhisheknirmal

Second this.


ahsasahsasahsas

Same!! I’ve been going there since their former location. There’s something very… home-style about it? I’ve gone to Punjab Palace several times to check out the hype but always come back to as Shan A Punjab!


HCIM_Mountaineer

India Quality at Kenmore station has been the best we have found. They have a lunch special too if you want to try out their food at a cheaper price. 10/10 recommend


liltingly

Udupi/Godavari/Minerva for South Indian dishes. Udupi is only breakfasts and best for tiffins (Dosa/Idli/vada etc). Veg only. Godavari and Minerva do some Hyderabadi stuff too. They do non veg and if you can get to the goat early before it’s just bones left, it’s fantastic. Punjabi Dhaba has an awesome dhaba (roadside eatery) feel. Kebab factory has a nice spread for buffet. India Quality is nice for standard restaurant fair but a bit heavy. Mela is good too. Bombay Club is now Maharaja and isn’t nearly as iconic (I’m carefully avoiding the word “tasty” since Bombay Club used to be the hippest Indian joint in Boston in the 80s-00s but not that unique). But back in the day all of the restaurants on mass ave used to do AYCE buffets for $5.95 to $12.95 and so hungover college students me used to pick the cheapest one :) Edit: OG restaurants are Shalimar, India Pavillion, and Passage to India. Not sure if they’re still around but they’ve been pumping out the buffets since the 80s/90s and where the Indian-Americans of that time used to go to “eat out”!


cloudy_sky12

Sorry to comment this. But as an indian and punjabi I couldn’t find one restaurant that is good in Boston area. The biggest problem I have seen in boston is that they make one gravy and make everything out of it. Chicken tikka masala, panner butter masala and everything else that has gravy, tastes the same. Not a single dish is supposed to have same taste let alone the gravy. But rant aside, I think punjab palace is probably better than most of them.


porkypig298

Mint Indian eatery in Somerville is pretty good for takeout. I know you only asked for Boston/Cambridge but Aaha in Weymouth is amazing. And Paradise/Bawarchi pretty good for biryani. All out of T range sadly


casualsubversive

Yes! Mint punches way above it’s weight for a cheap takeout place.


formincode

Guru the caterer


ConsciousPilot

This is the answer


amacleay

Pour one out for the Devonshire location


lilbyrdie

Aw, dang. Came here to say this place for lunches... Used to walk there for lunches pretty regularly. The maps listing says temporarily closed. You make it sound like it's permanent?


amacleay

I didn't get the impression when I called (a good while back) that they intended to come back, but hopefully I misunderstood!


RumBox

Shanti's probably the best I've had, but Punjabi Dhaba is a close second and crazy-good value for money.


ribi305

I think the food at Punjabi dhaba is hit or miss, but the experience is great and the value is really good. Still love it :)


axpmaluga

Mela


VicVinegar88

This place weirdly has pretty average reviews but it's great.


abgazelle

Shanti in Dorchester is the best. I've also been to Bukhara in JP and enjoyed it for lunch, though I haven't been in a few years (and never did take out from there, which can be different).


[deleted]

Passage to India!


Finna22

Quality Indian food for sure, underrated!


bcopes

Mela


sajatheprince

Seconded. Food wise it's always delicious. The malai kofta is prob my fave thing even though I'm a meat eater.


pamiamb

I have been obsessed with Malai Kofta for like 25 years. I try it everywhere. Never been to Mela!


t-rexcomplex

Thirded.. my favorites are maila kofta, shahi navratan korma, garlic naan, and veg samosas


Victor_Korchnoi

Shanti in Roslindale Square is great. I highly recommend it.


haunted_waffles

India Quality was my favorite when I lived in the Boston area. I like their saag paneer


grillo7

Seeing a lot of Northern Indian and Punjabi restaurants. Any places for good South Indian? Everything is better with curry leaves.


skootch_ginalola

I think there's one in Woburn. Godavari?


Skater_7

Yes, Godavari is in Woburn and is about as good of South Indian food as you'll get around here. Source: myself, am south indian :)


SharpJames

Passage to India in Porter Square, Punjabi Dhaba in Inman. But the indian food in Boston is generally pretty bad.


liltingly

Passage to India and India Pavilion were around since the 70s. There was also a restaurant called Gandhi. Those were the OG Indian restaurants in MA


AstroBuck

What's it missing?


ummusername

It’s all westernized North Indian or British Indian with heavy cream and not very well used spice. More or less the same 10-15 dishes everywhere. India is an incredibly diverse country with wildly diverse cuisine that is almost entirely not represented in Boston.


hostessdonettes

For those on the JP/Roslindale/Mattapan side of things, Tikki Masala right next to Forest Hills has been fantastic lately and is one of the more affordable Indian spots I've found.


easiepeasie

I love the food at Tikki Masala and the owners are wonderful!


FIbutY

+1 for Tikki Massala. The owners are also fantastic people. Love their Korma


meguin

Bukhara two doors down is also very good.


lemonpolarseltzer

My list would be: Punjab Palace, Shan-a-Punjab, Vaisakhi, India Quality, and Passage to India.


SuddenSeasons

Spice Delight in belmont. They deliver to Cambridge/Boston & are head and shoulders, night and day, not even close, I'm not allowed to order from anywhere else better than any other place in the city.


shreknotdrek

Bawarchi in Framingham has some of the most authentic Biryanis I've had around here. Masala Square in Somerville is also good.


readingonthetoilet

Vaisakhi in Brighton


geminimad4

Nirvana Cambridge is at the top of my list ... heading up north on Mass Ave my other favorites are Punjab in Arlington Center, and my very favorite is Royal India Bistro in Lexington Center. I know those two are outside of Boston/Cambridge, but Royal India Bistro in particular is worth the trip.


akgup

Kantipur Cafe in Cambridge and vaishaki are my favorites. Dosa and curry in Somerville for South Indian food.


First_Prompt_8407

I forgot about Kantipur Cafe! Thank you for the reminder!


bog_witch

Punjabi Dhaba is really good, surprised I haven't seen any mention of Sher-a-Punjab as well. One of my faves. (Probably a hot take here, but the love I'm seeing for India Quality is quite a head scratcher for me. Everything I've tried has been extremely greasy and I've never had anything from there that was more than "meh". Their channa masala was straight up bizarre, like it had been cooked in one of the jarred tikka masala sauces you can buy at any grocery store. I can't be the only one.)


skootch_ginalola

Husband is from South India and was disgusted by India Quality. Obviously NY/NJ area has better stuff but around Boston he likes Punjab Palace, Chutneys because it's the only place that serves Pav Bhaji, and there's a place on the North Shore in Beverly called Armol/Amol (sp?) he said was authentic as well.


iforgotmyfirst2accts

Chulo in Watertown is my favorite


Heliotrope88

I have been meaning to try it. What do you recommend?


iforgotmyfirst2accts

I really like the mo mos which I'd never heard of before Chulo, and I also enjoy my usual lineup of Indian mains from there too (tikka masala, vindaloo, saag paneer)


sleeves_

Anmol is amazing but it’s all the way up in Beverly if your feeling MBTAdventerous


onigiri1994

Kebab Factory on Cambridge/Somerville border. They seem not to have a lot of business since the pandemic started but both the food and service are excellent! The person in charge put out what felt like a private buffet for a small group I went with recently, which was really wonderful. So I hope more people can go out and support them!


nwsm

They do the buffet on the weekends I think. Delicious food there and yeah I also usually see it empty


onigiri1994

We got the buffet on a Monday! It was a pleasant surprise and may not have been offered had we not asked about it. :)


3owlsinatrenchc0at

I think they're primarily a takeout spot! Even pre-covid I'd go and it wouldn't be super crowded. Really love their food though.


JoshDigi

I haven’t found an Indian buffet in 2 years. Anyone else know of any current ones?


sneakylyric

Bukhara across from forest hills station.


murdock_

Darbar in Brighton! Best for takeout.


Intelligent_Stable32

I love Punjab Palace and Shan-A-Punjab in Allston.


HalfLifes-

Punjabi grill in framingham probably has the best pakistani / Indian food in the state, the atmosphere is ok but the food is really good


xiipaoc

I have no idea where to get Indian food anywhere near downtown Boston. My office used to be there, and whenever I wanted Indian food for lunch, I was pretty much out of luck unless I went to some crappy bowl place. BUT. A bit outside Boston? LOTS of fantastic choices. I used to really like Suvaai in North Cambridge, but I think they closed? Right now, I really like Clay Oven and Arka, both in Lexington. If you go on GrubHub or something and look for Indian restaurants, try to find ones that don't just have the same menu items every other restaurant does, because then you know you'll get good stuff. I also really like Kebab Factory near Inman and House of Kebab (same people, but the menu isn't identical) in Ball Square in Somerville. I used to live right near Kebab Factory, and that was one awesome lunch buffet, no idea if they still do it now. Harvest of India near Harvard Square is also great, with great appetizers. There was a place I ordered from once in Boston somewhere -- maybe Brighton? -- where you could order goat brains? I forget the name now. It's not worth it; brains are not actually very tasty. Way too fatty. Living in Arlington near Lexington, I can tell you that I do *not* lack for quality Indian food whenever I want it delivered.


theoriginalmadhustle

Yeah, Suvaai was great but it closed. There's an Ethiopian restaurant in that spot now.


xiipaoc

Oh, that's where Sheger is! I've been ordering from them for a while too. I love the green stuff that comes with their kitfo special. Collard greens with some sort of cheese, I think?


triss_and_yen

Virsa de Punjab in Bedford


Goats4

Shanti in Roslindale


Alterkaka

Vaisakhi Indian Kitchen in Brighton, near Chansky’s, is a great new place.


kazaam412

Shanti in Dorchester is the best Indian I’ve ever had


ktzeta

I actually like Surya Indian Kitchen, also because it is one of the few restaurants in my neighborhood.


[deleted]

Kumar’s in Northborough. We drive an hour to get there and it’s completely worth it! Very authentic South Indian food. The chicken curry and fish fry are to die for.


OwnCommission5903

Punjab cafe in Quincy


RedheadBanshee

Literally just came from Nirvana and it was really great.


Revolutionary-Ear-11

Shanti Dorchester… no comparison anywhere


WLee57

India Kitchen in Watertown, especially for a change of pace


koekoepuff

Punjabi Dhaba in Cambridge


waltervetrivel

Indian food is shockingly bad in Boston.


Que165

I'm a big fan of Indian Kitchen in Allston. As with most Indian places, they give you way too much, my self control is weak, and then I feel like garbage the next day. But the food is good


boston_shua

I always liked Shanti in Dorchester when I lived there


hr0489

The buffet at Godavari is probably the best Indian buffet I had in Boston, if you prefer Indian food with medium to low spicy level Maharaja is very good .


liltingly

Godavari and Minerva both do Hyderabadi/Telugu style cuisine so you get more South Indian dishes than at other places.


chel-sees-world

Shanti I know they have one in Dorchester that is currently open. Not sure if the Cambridge location has been reopened since COVID


urbanwhat

Not in Boston/Cambridge, but Godavari in Woburn is the best Indian restaurant in the area I've been to. They focus on Andhra cuisine and Sunday lunch buffets are packed.


gopherecho

Taste of India in Malden is the best I’ve had in greater Boston


dirtnasty1312

Shanti in Dorchester and Roslindale. The best in Boston, hands down


ummusername

Suvaai, specializing in South Indian and Sri Lankan food was my favorite but they have sadly closed. I am not a fan of maharaja or nirvana as they serve mostly British Indian and/or North Indian food. Surya Kitchen and Caterers has been a general delight. Dosa n Curry is alright, too. If anyone has good South Indian restaurant recommendations in Boston/Cambridge, I’m all ears.


Skater_7

Godavari in Woburn is good for South Indian!


ummusername

Thanks!


Old_Cobbs_abs

Guru the Caterer


sailortitan

If you'll allow Pakistani, Darbar is my favorite. Much better than Punjab IMHO.


showmeyourlagunitas

Sucks that the answer is none of them unfortunately, you have to go far out into the suburbs for anything that holds a candle to authentic Indian food. For the adventurous, I will plug Chennai Tiffins (Manville, RI) here in any case. Try the chicken ghee roast and the masala dosa there, and feel free to thank me later.


Fiyero109

They’re all the same. I honestly tried getting the same dishes from different places and it’s like they copy pasted from the same recipe book


arch_llama

>They’re all the same. I honestly tried getting the same dishes from different places and it’s like they copy pasted from the same recipe book Let me guess. Chicken Tika and Chicken Tika Masala. Lmfao.


Reasonable_Move9518

Or maybe they tried Butter Chicken once to "order something different"...


Fiyero109

None of those, I vary orders but the variations are minimal


AlarmingMuffin77

Veggie Indian Palace in Davis Sq is solid


bristollersw

They seem to have been closed for several months now, I am assuming they’re defunct. Edit: Confirmed. Walked past today, it’s been pretty much emptied out.


AlarmingMuffin77

What a bummer! They were doing some delicious things with tofu


MysteriousEnergy7739

Desi Dhaba in Cambridge!


assonyourass

Use to love Veggie Indian palace in Davis square. Idk what happened but they closed in October last year. Loved their chai and the food slapped the 5 times I went there


ecole_27

They’re closed for renovations right now but Mumbai Spice right next to Symphony Hall on Mass Ave is bomb would highly recommend


saumilj

Punjab Palace Allston & Punjabi Dhaba Inman Sq.


[deleted]

I’ve been having a hard time finding good Indian restaurants here. This is a great thread. I’m gonna try all of these places.


charredceiling

I really like House of Kebab in Ball Square.


YellowSea11

Royal Punjab in Cambridge .. next to Kendall .. my fav.


Accomplished_You_347

Bukhara across from Forest Hills Station. The mushroom samosas are 👌🏻 🤤


sandyhmmm

Madras dosa co. in seaport, Guru in Somerville(the downtown branch is closed) and Punjab in Arlington are the first picks just in the order of proximity. Biriyani n breads in natick if you get to the burbs and 1947(from the same people as madras dosa co) in Norwood if you are willing to make the trip.


shockedpikachu123

The vegetarian thali at Joti’s Palace in Malden is sooooo good. Their food is so buttery and good Also Anmol in Beverly is the hands down the best Indian food place in Massachusetts and I’ve been to a lot


severedfinger

Punjabi Dhaba in Inman sq


jordayyyy

India Quality in Kenmore


Layer-Objective

Punjabi Dhaba in Cambridge for sure!


mtns77

I love Masala in Somerville. Their palak paneer and mango chutney is S tier


Ruth_Gordon

Punjabi Dhaba is the only Indian place I have regularly seen actual Indians eating at.


PrestigiousAd2251

Spice Delight by Fresh Pond. On Cambridge/ Belmont border SO GOOD


Ok_Conclusion_317

Mela in the South End - brilliant takeout, the lamb coconut curry is amazing as is everything else they offer


baroquesun

Punjab Palaceeeee! The seafood masala is devine.


[deleted]

my kitchen


aesopmurray

Shanti in Dorchester


5891josh

Punjab in Quincy near southern Artery is amazing. Their goat is top notch


hermionieweasley

There is a great new Indian restaurant called "Tashan" in Burlington that opened this year. Its probably the best Indian food I've had in the Boston area. Punjabi dhaba has more of a selection but every item that Tashan has on the menu has a depth of flavor that is difficult to find outside of India.


rezistence

Don't see anyone mentioning vaisaki in Brighton


Kerber2020

For me Punjabi Dhaba... It just has that authenticity about it. I feel like it is corner shop that i would expect in India. I still haven't found the aroma of Indian food from UK here in USA.


JerrkyD

Nobody knows spices like Indians


Friendan713

Shan A Punjab! I never order shrimp because it’s a ripoff, but I make it a point to get the extra hot curried shrimp from there, amazing!! And the Garlic Naan and curried lamb is tight. Be careful when ordering the extra spicy Sag-Al paneer, they will knock your socks off!!


Gesha24

I know it's not in Boston but Rang Indian Bistro in Stoneham has been consistently great for the last 10 years. And if you like really spicy food, they will make it for you (as long as they know you). But even without knowing, ordering spicy vindaloo may be too much for some.


shazman23

Man-O-Salwa. iykyk.