India Grill

01/28/08

Ditto

by Rico15983 at Citysearch

Ditto many of the other reviews.... So-so food and horrible, unfriendly service. You really shouldn't be in a service industry business, ie. a restaurant, if you hate people, or at least give that impression. I can go downtown and get dirty looks for free and keep the $15 that I dropped on a lunch order in my pocket. Just my 2 cents....

09/30/07

Good Food, Terrible Service

by bleumana at Citysearch

I brought a friend with me here for the lunch buffet yesterday on a lot of peoples' recommendations. When we sat down at our table we overheard the wait staff arguing with the table next to us about where they sat. While the customers decided to stop arguing the server continued to be rude and make comments to them (they were two people taking a four top. The resturaunt was not very busy. I understand why the server would prefer them to sit at a two top, but the continued arguing and comments is what got me). After sitting at the table for a good length of time we were finally acknowledged with a "hello" and some water. The server, who looked like he may have been having the worst day of his life (which if this is true I can sympathize a bit,but this seems to be an ongoing thing from what I'm reading), was short and cold with us. He told us he would bring us naan, but we had to ask him again in the middle of our meal for some. We didn't get it until the end of the meal.

The food was good. Not the most spectacular. But good. The service was bad. And I will be looking for a different indian place in Portland.

• Pros: Good choices on lunch buffet.
• Cons: Horrible service.

08/07/07

Bad Service, Mediocre Food, but maybe I'm spoiled

by captainvscrew at Citysearch

My wife and I went to India Grill last night. We ordered the meat appetizer platter, veggie pakoras, Chicken Tikka Masala (I think it was tikka masala), Navrattan Curry (korma), and garlic naan.

I've eaten there many times past, and the food has always been relatively good. The service, however, has always been bad. Last night was the worst. The Navrattan Korma had absolutely no paneer. Which made it a vegetable curry dish, not Navrattan Korma. When I told the waiter, he explained that it was due to the fact that it was the last of that batch, basically saying I had to be satisfied with the dregs, and had no sympathy for the fact that the dish was simply not as described. He offered no reparation for delivering an incomplete dish.

In addition, the chicken tikka sauce was very obviously made with tomato paste, which made it seem pretty cheap compared to the same dish served at other Indian restaurants. And then there was the basmati rice, which arrived more or less in four or five stuck together lumps. And the garlic naan, which dripped with ghee. And the chutney, which tasted like a cross between bad beer and cheap wine. When I told the waiter that the chutney was quite obviously fermenting, he babbled about how that just wasn't true.

The appetizers were fine. The rest of the meal lacked any kind of quality, and was not worth the menu price. If they want to charge half price for dregs, then they ought to advertise that and do so.

We noticed, however, that the two older gents who regularly run the place were nowhere to be found, so I'm hoping the bad experience was due to the place being left to the lackeys last night. But frankly I want to go back some night when the older gents are in and demand a handful of paneer. I felt slighted. Bummer.

I wish India Oven would repair their stinky bathrooms so my wife and I wouldn't think to go elsewhere.

• Pros: Food is okay when the right people are making it. Good appetizers.
• Cons: Horrible service. Horrible, horrible service. sometimes mediocre food.

02/07/07

Never Again!

by newpdxdiner at Citysearch

Unless you're craving mediocre small servings of over-priced food and you like being ignored by rude, unsmiling wait staff, don't waste your time or money here. We were there early and only two other tables were occupied but we ended up waiting a long time before anyone approached our table, even though there were two waiters on the floor. Our order was taken without any eye contact, smiles or "thank you". When the food arrived we were brought one small side of rice to share between two entrees. No one came back to ask if we needed anything else or how our food was so it was a little difficult to ask for more rice let alone our check. When I finally did make eye contact with one of the waiters who was bringing food to a near by table and tried to flag him over, he actually looked away and kept on going! We finally had to get up and wait at the front desk for our check. If the food was delicious or the prices unbeatable, I might consider giving this restaurant another chance but after reading other diner's impressions of this awful, awful place, I realize we didn't just catch them on a bad night...they're all bad nights!

• Pros: Nice view of Burnside
• Cons: Service, Food, Price (what else is there?)

12/04/03

Good food, previously abominable service

by DinahDavis at Citysearch

The owner is sullen and generally makes you feel as though you've ruined his life by visiting his place of business.

Since the demise of Bombay Cricket Club, there aren't that many choices for the cuisine near my home---thus I found myself at the India Grill with my brother who lives in a small town and was jonesing for some good Indian food.

Imagine my shock when the owner took our order, and even asked if we wanted naan! Granted, you couldn't call him friendly or pleasant, but at least he wasn't actively nasty.

The food and drink arrived at the prescribed times! My brother was even able to flag down a server to bring me another glass of wine.

Perhaps the owner is realizing that his rep is getting out and is trying to clean up his act.

Perhaps I can begin revisiting this restaurant.

• Pros: Good food, Convenient location, tasty food
• Cons: unpredictable service, crowded dining room, small portions vs $$