09/29/09

Slightly below average

by BobSmythe

This is without doubt the best Indian restaurant in Portland, OR. Thus, on a national scale, it is a little below average, say 4/10 or so.

Portland has no Indian community. None, zero, nada. If you are visiting from outside our area, use your powers of observation. How many Indians did you see today?

Think hard.

The food is below average. If you absolutely must have Indian food while you're in Portland, well, this is as good as any.

I have some Tandoori mixed grill leftovers. If you want them, call quick, otherwise Merry, my aussie shepherd, is about to have a feast.

• Pros: Not offensive food; recognizable as Indian cuisine
• Cons: below average as Indian cuisine

06/27/09

Horrible food. Great Location. Someone else please take over

by docakhil

Being from India, and having eaten at ALL the Indian places in Portland my advice is to AVOID all the SWAGATs. If you have to eat at one, try the one in Hillsboro (orenco). The food is uniformly bad, the meats a little stale, and flavor uninspiring.

They may have been the oldest Indian place in Portland but need a change in cooks and management.

Our waiter was drinking whiskey while on the job and was rude.

• Pros: location
• Cons: Terrible food. Unprofessional.

04/17/09

Way disapointed!!!

by ninabuckley

Ok...being a huge Indian food fan...had to try out this spot in NW...so went in for the lunch buffet. Wow, just not good. I found the dining room to have that kind-of dirty filmy feel to it, the food was average at best, the middle aged woman that seated us behaved as if she would rather be ANYWHERE else but there. My friend suggested that we come back for dinner and try again, but truthfully I don't think I could get past the sticky dirty feeling...sorry.

• Pros: I'm still thinking
• Cons: Dirty, unfriendly, average food

02/07/09

good food, decent service

by Monkey2boo

The restaurant was not overly busy and we were seated right away. This is only the second time I've had Indian food but I think I have found a new favorite cuisine. The chicken tikka masala was scrumptous and the lamb curry (red) was great. The restaurant looks really fancy but they were seating people dressed up as well as people in jeans and t-shirts. The service was slow but maybe she had a reason? If so, she didn't say anything. Altogether I think the experience was good and the food great; I'd go again.

• Pros: good food, interesting decor
• Cons: slow service

01/20/09

Best Indian Lunch Buffet in Town

by wiesnerc

Portland has a number of good Indian restaurants but very few good Indian Lunch Buffets. For my money, and from my experience, Swagat is the best. It's only $8.95 for all-you-can-eat and they frequently replenish the day's dishes, so things are always fresh, hot and tasty. They could probably use more staff for the all-important water-glass-filling, but who couldn't these days?

• Pros: Great food! Great Lunch Buffet.
• Cons: Can get a little crowded, seems a little under-staffed

11/29/08

Loved it

by luvinfood35

Awesome buffet! Fairly inexpensive, fresh, hot, and tasty...especially for a buffet. I had low expectations going in, but a friend suggested I go and it was great. There is this creamy curry with pieces of chicken that is the best.

• Pros: hot, fresh, very flavorful
• Cons: service was "ok"

10/23/08

If you love Indian food, do NOT go here!

by Traveler1120

Our first night in Portland so after a long day of travelling we wanted dinner, a shower and sleep. I thought it was neat that Swagat was located in a house but that was the only thing that was okay. My husband is from India so we have been to India and beyond for Indian food so we know what we are talking about. We have never been to a Indian restuarant that had non-Indian servers so we were immediately on alert. When asking for Masala tea, the server did not even know what masala tea was which was a joke. She said you mean Chai tea which actually means "tea tea". How can you work in an Indian Restaurant and not know what Masala tea is!!? The chutneys had been sitting out all day and were awful. We ordered thali meals which included sides, desserts, etc. The egg curry sauce was a mystery sauce to say the least. The Dal was too thick and tasteless and somebody must have put corn starch in the Rasam soup because it had the consistency of gravy. The Mutter Paneer was okay but it is not supposed as spicy as this dish was. The naan was actually okay. (surprise). The server then left us way too long and I had to get up to find her to bring out dessert which was Galub Jamon. It was too dry and just tasted like globs of pound cake. It is supposed to be extra moist with rose water sweetened sauce. What a dissapointment! If you do not know Indian food you may think this place is okay but it truly was a waste of our money. Hopefully we will find the rest of our Portland culinary visits worthwhile.

• Pros: Located in old house, naan
• Cons: Service, Indian dishes

10/09/08

Delicious

by bonocean

Well, I don't know how an American would rate this restaurant, but for Europeans this was the place we were looking for so far in order to eat normal natural food. After being stuffed by giant steaks and XXXL-sized burgers, me and my collegues were happy to walk in this restaurant.

Restaurant is beautiful, athmosfere is authentic, service is nice and Lamb tandoori is just awesome!

• Pros: Food
• Cons: none

07/25/08

Don't go out of your way, Nothing Special - Read the other reviews!

by snickerus

It's interesting that people are rating Swagat highly when their commentary suggests they think the food is mediocre - which it is. I have given the place a fair chance, trust me. We moved to the neighborhood, and, being 4 blocks away really wanted to love the place. It's so convenient so we'll still eat there, but only if i am both having a very bad craving for indian food AND am feeling incredibly lazy - one or the other just isn't enough. now, i am not from india (although as another reviewer pointed out, that doesn't make you an expert anyway, and I also don't have any familial or regional prejudices about the food), but I grew up in NYC and I went out to eat with my family 3x/week from the age of 2 - at least once a week was Indian food. anyway - the food is so salty, I think to make up for the lack of flavor, you end up with major salt bloat, really really uncomfortable, and also - oh yeah - gross! Even the chutneys and the dough for the gulab jamun are too salty, not even sure how they managed that.

Also, during a recent outing to Swagat, we were seated by a window facing the parking lot and had a prime view of two of the busboys doing some kitchen work: dragging a gigantic bucket (bucket!) of something steamy (appeared to be something in a nondescript brown sauce - daal? chicken tikka masala? could really be about half the stuff on the menu) *through the parking lot*. right out the front door over to a side door...if that wasn't bad enough, they seemed to be struggling with it's heft, and so paused for a while (several minutes), stirring the vat once in a while. Outside. In the parking lot. With a bucket of food. Outside. In the parking lot! I know disgusting stuff goes on in all restaurants, and I am realistic about this so we'll still eat here when craving Indian but incredibly lazy, but at least grossness usually goes on inside at other restaurants. If I'm not horribly lazy, I head to India House. A little more expensive, yeah, but good!

• Pros: In my neighborhood (Hahaha). Waitstaff fine.
• Cons: Too salty (get bloated), takeout service slightly incompetent, gross parking lot food

05/25/08

Don't go for the service, go for the FOOD!!!!

by Humakt

As with so many Indian restaurants the service here is mostly terrible. However the food is top notch. Go for the lunch buffet and enjoy some of the best Indian around at a very reasonable price and you don't have to worry about getting served, you do it yourself!

• Pros: Food
• Cons: service