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All India Cafe
Categories: Restaurants Indian Restaurants Pakistani Indian, Pakistani [Edit]
39 S Fair Oaks AvePasadena, CA 91105
Neighborhood: Pasadena
(626) 440-0309
- Hours:
Mon-Thu, Sun 11:30 am - 10 pm
Fri-Sat 11:30 am - 11 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Garage, Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
177 reviews for All India Cafe
Review Highlights
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"i love the chicken tikka masala." In 38 reviews -
"The Garlic Naan is excellent, the Tandoori is great." In 24 reviews -
"This restaurant is located in the heart of Old Town." In 20 reviews
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177 reviews in English
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Review from Preston A.
Anaheim, CA
5/18/2012 1 Check-in Here
My trip here was a delicious comedy of errors.
I give this place four stars for the food.
Negative one star for service.
It earns an extra star for the three hot female vegetarian roommates at the next table making a mess by eating without utensils, necessitating that they strip off their dirty clothes and pillow fight in their underwear right there in the restaurant. That last part might have only happened in my head...
Oh, right! The food: well seasoned. Ample portions. The sauce they provide with the complimentary Indian crackers actually had some kick to it. The mint chutney, not so much; was more vinegary than spicy. The naan was also kind of boring. Everything else was quite tasty.
The attractive clientele star is canceled out by the negative star for service. After I sat down with my party, I waited, and waited, and waited until I had to flag someone down to order a drink. Yeti lager -- 7.0% ABV. Not bad.
After being further ignored, we had to flag someone down to order our meals. Two meals came out first. They asked who got which, then put the plates down in front of the wrong people anyway. After some confusion, we decided that my chicken tikka masala was actually lamb curry. The lamb curry, which was actually chicken tikka masala, was quite good. I got it in the combo meal, which gave a nice little sampling of tastes. When my dad's meal never came, we had to flag someone down to ask where it was. They had clearly forgotten it. After more waiting when we finished eating, we had to flag someone down for the check.
One last oddity. A Yelp deal popped up when I checked in on my phone. 15% off. Sweet! Upon closer inspection, it expired OVER A YEAR AGO!? What??? -
Review from grace c.
Alhambra, CA
3/5/2012
Came here after a hike with some friends. Actually had no idea that this place existed! I'd have to say the food was pretty tasty...if you follow my reviews, you know that living in nyc had spoiled me and Indian food there is just amazing...but I'd have to say that this place comes pretty close. Their lunch specials are available on the weekend, which is a huge plus!! The price was cheap for the portion of food that you get. I had ordered the tandoori chicken and while it didn't come out as red as most other indian Restaurants but having attempted to make it myself, I know that the red is just food coloring. It was good, a tad salty but the flavoring was there and the dal of the day was so good! i gobbled that bowl up in one slurp with the help of a good ole naan. Two others at the table ordered lamb, which they all raved about....one vegetarian...another vote of confidence! and lastly my sister, she ordered the chicken tikka and loved it too.
I am definitely going to be coming back again! -
Review from Jess R.
12/13/2011 1 Check-in Here
Wah wahhhhhhh......
REALLY wanted to love this place since the Himalayan Cafe across the street pissed me off, and got great recommendations from a friend about All India Cafe!
Went in, ordered a Paneer curry, rice, naan for me, and onion pakora for the man. All to go.
Got the order home some time later and there was no rice, and instead of a paneer curry, it was a tofu curry!
It was still pretty good which is why the rating is what it is, but BOO on the mistakes. I paid for the rice, and I really wasn't in the mood for the mushy texture of tofu. Paneer is much firmer and I had been craving it all week.
Also, the onion pakora was really soggy so I had to bake it for a bit to get some of the crunch back in.
I will certainly give them another shot, but those mistakes certainly bummed me out BIG TIME. -
Review from Lisa S.
Altadena, CA
5/24/2012 1 Check-in Here
good amount of food for lunch specials. I had the chicken biriyni lunch special. Large serving and the chicken was perfect. moist, delicate, but not overcooked or too soft. The person i was with had the chicken masala lunch special and she couldn't stop raving about how good her meal was. She said the same thing about her chicken - its rare to find a place where the chicken doesnt feel/taste like its been stewing in the masala all day, too soft and mushy. not here. great texture! will definitely be back again.
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Review from Jenny L.
Los Angeles, CA
5/12/2012
love eating here when i'm eating in the area. They offer a great lunch special menu. I always get the tikka masala chicken. The specials are under 10 and they come with a salad with some great tangy dressing, and two other sides, plus naan. I also tried the mango lassi, i've had better, but it's still pretty good.
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Review from Nerrissa S.
Los Angeles, CA
3/7/2012
Fast delivery, the service was very good. I even called to change my order and they were very accommodating. However, the food was substandard. I did not like the Tikka Masala or the samosas at all, the food was bland and not at all as flavorful and spicy as I'm used too. I asked them to make the dish spicy or extra spicy and it was barely hot and mostly tasted of cream. It was not good indian food at all. I will go back to my regular place #1 Mezzban in Old town or #2 New Dehli on Colorado which both have wonderfully flavorful Indian food.
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Review from Tiffany D.
Pasadena, CA
4/4/2012
They have delicious curry and amazing naan. I have had this a couple times and am always delighted with the food. They also deliver locally which is very nice.
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Review from Andy O.
11/8/2011
Judging by the reviews, I was a little worried that I'd end up hating the food. I didn't, but it wasn't really great either.
The flavors were a bit too subtle for me. It really depends on how advanced your tastebuds are. My woman has tastebuds from outer space, and so she enjoys weird shit like super dark chocolate and super bland soups. For her, All India Cafe hit the spot. She found the level of spiced-up-ness just enough to make her tastebuds "work for it", and really enjoyed the meal. But the woman doesn't Yelp, so this is MY review, okay?! She's not the boss of me, okay?! Don't tell her I said that.
If you're like me, and you really enjoy having your food with a lot of like... uhh... salt, then you'll find yourself agreeing with some of the other reviews in here. The flavors are definitely on the "bland" side for us simple Americans and our slather-everything-in-BBQ-sauce palates. That said, I did still find the food enjoyable.
The atmosphere was just average. Not a ghetto joint you'd only go to with your uglier friends, and not the kind of place you want to bring somebody on a first date. Or second. Maybe third, but it depends how cool she is. Fourth is probably safe unless she's a stuck-up wench.
The service was friendly. Laid back, no overly-friendly-and-submissive demeanor like you get at some of the joints in, say Studio City. Water cups stayed full, plates were cleared immediately, and we were checked up on just regularly enough to ensure that we were enjoying our meals.
All in all, if you've tried plenty of other Indian joints, and/or you know how to appreciate more delicate flavors, give All India Cafe a try. Otherwise, stick with something with a little more BANG. -
Review from Cydney M.
4/6/2012 4 Check-ins Here
My family and friends have been coming here for years and it is consistently great Indian food. We are hooked on the Chicken Tikka Masala lunch special and I think that is $8.95. Check out their menus online. I do not agree with Colu G.'s review. We normally request all white meat chicken and it is always delicious. The Tikka Masala is served in a cream sauce made with onions, ginger and fenugreek leaves. It also includes a lentil soup, a tomato based soup with potatoes and peas, a delicious salad with the best dressing I have ever eaten, fluffy basmati rice, and fresh naan right out of the oven. There is free parking across the street in the structure on Green St. for 90 minutes. They also deliver for free within a 2 mile radius with a $25.00 minimum purchase. Each additional mile is $2.00. I believe they have a sister restaurant near Santa Monica and another in Santa Barbara on State Street. The owners are great. At least one of them greets us each time we dine there. Try it out. You will not be disappointed.
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Review from Colu G.
Glendale, CA
3/18/2012
I was completely underwhelmed by All India Cafe.
I love indian food, and I often order Tikka Masala. All India Cafe's Tikka Masala has been my least favorite ever ordered at a sit-down restaurant. It was watery, had little flavor, and the pieces of chicken were scarce and tough.
Four of us (Indian food lovers) ordered five or six dishes to share, including Saag Paneer, Chicken Tikka Masala, Chicken Vindaloo, a couple of vegetable dishes, a lentil dish, rice, and naan, and the most liked was only average. We didn't even finish any of the dishes. Overall, a lunch experience that left us unsatisfied and not at all likely to return. Bland, little flavor or spice, and we also thought it was totally overpriced for the quality. We spent about $24 each for a substandard meal. Honestly, it tasted like reheated, mass-produced, watered-down food, and the naan's texture seemed as if it had been reheated in a microwave. $2.50 Indian food at Trader Joe's is way better than this.
One star because the food was food, but totally average, and one star for good service - the place was clean, water was always refilled promptly, plates were cleared right away, and everyone was courteous. Also, parking is free for 90 minutes at several garages in the area. -
Review from Alex V.
Azusa, CA
9/8/2011
Almost reviewed this place a couple weeks ago but decided to wait and see if I could get over my wanting to rate them one star... I have-I'd give it 2, now that I've cooled down.
My girlfriend and I met up in Pasadena one evening for a date night, we'd hit up some shops, get some food, etc. Typical stuff. As we're walking around she sees this place, says that it looks nice, so we go in. First problem-we have to flag down a waiter to get drinks. Not usually a big deal, but when one waiter is just across the [fairly small] room doing some sorting/stacking and doesn't come by or even look at you for 5 minutes after she sees you walk in there's an issue. Fortunately, someone poked their head out of the kitchen and I managed to signal him.
Food? Bland. Not spiced almost at all. Also, not spicy. I didn't expect it to be spicy given the location in downtown Pasadena, but even without spicy you should still have excellent spicing. This is where Indian food so often excels, in all the flavors it offers. Here? Nothing. It tastes like what I'd imagine massproduced frozen entrees would taste like if they claimed to be "Indian Food" (I say imagine because I've never tried anything of the sort). The one item that had some flavor was only due to the ginger. No complexity, no other flavors at all, just ginger.
We didn't finish our meals; just ate enough to agree that neither one of us had any desire to finish anything, and left. -
Review from Sue F.
8/1/2011
My bf and I just finished our delivery dinner from this place and I felt I needed to Yelp immediately after our majorly sucking meal. This was our first time ordering in since we moved to Pasadena. We weren't familiar with this place but thought we would take a chance.
We ordered a Chicken Tikka Masala Thali dinner, an order of Samosas and an order of Cheese Naan.
Bland, bland, bland. Maybe the worst indian fare I've had since before Cowboys and Sucky Turbans closed. Sorry to say but it was pretty boring.
The tikka masala was not the usual post-nuclear orange color you'd expect to find but rather a strange cream color. It was practically flavorless! The chicken was crappy and dry too. Not very quality.
The samosas tasted like potatoes and peas--- no spice, no flavor! The texture was nice but it was so bland. So disappointing.
The thali dinner was supposed to come with Raita or Catchumber Salad, Dahl and Aloo Mattar.
They forgot the Raita, we had to call and argue with them to have them bring it back. The aloo mattar tasted like boring vegetable soup and the dahl tasted like lentils with salt.
The naan was plain, not the cheese we ordered. All around bummer dinner.
Bleh. We won't order from here again.Listed in: My Sh*t list.
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Review from Jen C.
Pasadena, CA
8/11/2011
This was our first Indian food experience as a couple. We were going to go to Jake's, but M changed his mind and we ended up here!
We weren't too sure what to order, so we just picked a few things that sounded familiar to us.
I had a mango martini, but I would stick with the beer next time. It was not really a bar quality martini (and I don't think they have a bar).
I'm sorry I can't say exactly what we ordered, but we had chicken naan, chicken tikka masala, a dish with lamb and side of rice.
Everything had explosively wonderful flavors and aromas.
We ate and ate till we could not eat any more. We ended up taking some home with us (Yay!).
The service was a little on the slow side (minus 1 star), but they were all very polite and kind people.
There was a constant flow of customers coming in and out, for dine in as well as to-go. That's usually a good sign to me. Especially on a Thursday night.
Prices seemed pretty decent.
So All India Cafe gets four thumbs up from me and M. -
Review from Jackie K.
7/24/2011
This place is sooooo yums! My friends and I came here for late lunch and it was delicious. I had the tandoori chicken lunch and omg, it is to die for. I love chicken and it was so good with the nan, rice, salad, and the two sides. I especially love how it is served on a silver pan. It looks cool. Also the prices for lunch are reasonable. Food is plenty. I will forsure be back.
The service is great and the people there are friendly. Parking is hassle free. Just park in the structure and you get 90 minutes for free. After eating, might as well do some shopping too since it is right next to all the big name stores. -
Review from Crisnha E.
Pasadena, CA
11/17/2011
They have good lunch specials for the weekday and weekends. I've tried the chicken curry and the chicken tikka masala and both were good. I like the curry since its not too strong. The ambiance is great and the staff is attentive.
Parking: you can park at one of the garages. They do not give validation since the parking is 90 minutes free.
Lunch special starts at $7.95 -
Review from Melissa K.
Honolulu, HI
6/15/2011
Three and a half stars?? Really?
I came here with high expectations, especially since there was a yelp sticker on the front window. The restaurant is very cute and I was really looking forward to a really good, hearty meal.
But no. The samosas were unmemorable. We ordered the lamb vindaloo and the chicken tikka masala, along with naan. The naan was barely warm and seemed like it had been heated in the microwave for about 3 seconds. Might as well have been tasteless white flour. Both the vindaloo and chicken tikka masala were excessively salty-- so much so that they were barely edible. Any potential complexity of cumin, coriander, etc. was completely wiped out by salt. For the price, the portions were small. We left feeling slightly hungry. The food was so unappetizing that even though I was still hungry, I had no desire to wipe the sauce up with the naan.
Having worked at an Indian restaurant, I know what superb Indian food tastes like. Likewise, having worked at an Indian restaurant, I also know what mediocre Indian food tastes like. Can you guess how this dinner rated? -
Review from Samuel K.
Garden Grove, CA
9/11/2011
This was only my 3rd time eating Indian food. We came here for dinner before heading out to the UCLA football game. The interior was pretty unremarkable. It was simple but I felt a little cramped. I had no idea what to order but someone suggested the tandoori chicken. So I decided on the Tandoori platter which was basically pieces of tandoori chicken and 2 kinds of lamb sheesh kabob with pickled veggie atop sizzling onions. It came out in a platter like those from a korean bbq. It came with a side of a spicy, green dipping sauce and naan.
The chicken was pretty dry and not juicy. I needed to dip it in alot of the sauce. The lamb kabobs were surpisingy good with no offensive lamb smell. The naan was warm. Overall, the whole meal was very dry. I wish there were more sauces that came with the meal and also a side of rice would've complimented the meat very well.
My friends ordered various curries and raved about them. I'll probably try a curry next time. Service was good. I felt my platter was slightly over priced for what I got. Overall I wouid give it 2.75 stars! -
Review from DJ T.
Los Angeles, CA
12/18/2011
Came here with 3 friends for dinner recently. Ordered a tandoori platter, shahi paneer, pork vindaloo, and chicken makhani.
The vindaloo was a major disappointment. It was very watery and rather flavorless (granted we ordered the medium spice).
The paneer, chicken, and tandoori were all average, once again on the bland side, and I'm don't exactly love spicy food.
I'm an average hungry guy, I eat most anything without caring too much. The issue here was the price... add in a lassi and a few nans ($2.50 each) and we ended up paying $84.It just doesn't have the value in my book. -
Review from Corinne B.
Los Angeles, CA
8/9/2011 1 Check-in Here
I just ate here and had to write a review right away because it really bothers me that this place only gets 3 stars. I almost didn't eat here because of that, but my husband and I were in right in the neighborhood and really craving Indian food so we thought we'd go inside and scope it out.
When we walked in I asked if the Palak Tofu had any clarified butter or other dairy in the dish. The waitress was very knowledgable and let me know that they had many vegan options and that their nan has milk so they would give us a whole wheat bread instead. I really felt like she knew what she was talking about so we decided to give the place a try.
We each got a lunch special for $7.95. It came with bread, rice, salad, dal and a vegetable dish of our choice. We had the tofu with spinach and the potatoes and peas in a red sauce. Both were delicious! All the flavors were just perfect and I enjoyed every last bite! The salad dressing tasted so creamy that I was just sure there had to be yogurt in it, but they assured me that there was just a technique they used to get it creamy, and that there was definitely no dairy in it.
The staff was so friendly and came to check in on us often. Right as we got the bill I saw if I checked in on yelp that we would get 15% off our bill and asked her if they would still honor that for us and she said yes.
I definitely had a great meal here and will be back soon! -
Review from Tim E.
Arcadia, CA
1/17/2011 1 Check-in Here
This place is disappointing. I had high hopes that it would beat out Akbar from up the street but was I totally wrong.
We ordered four dishes and they all failed miserably.
We ordered the Lamb Makhni which was a curry dish and that was moist but in flavor there was none to say I enjoyed it.
The Chicken Curry also had moist chicken but the curry was so watered down it was more like bland soup, no Bueno there.
The Lamb Sheesh Kabab was super dry and the worst of them all.
And finally the Garlic Naan was cold and not up to par.
Need I say anymore. Was it because we sat near the door that our Naan was cold or was it that they let the door open to let the freezing air freeze us for a few minutes after our meal was said and done.
I cannot appreciate this place at all but only to recommend Akbar also in Old Town Pasadena and their Crab curry which was the best thing I've tasted. Not like I can compare that here but there is nothing here to compare to any good Indian restaurant.Listed in: GET Me a BARF BAG PLEASE
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Review from Jennifer C.
Pasadena, CA
12/15/2011
I adore this place. I love their nirvana chicken and chicken tikka masala with cheese naan. Service is good and food comes out pretty quick. The only draw back is that they serve soda by the can...which is not a big deal for most people but I am a fountain soda kinda girl. Silly, I know. I come here at least once a week and Im addicted!
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Review from Brijen V.
Los Angeles, CA
6/29/2011
I normally don't prefer going to random Indian restaurants but I made an exception.
The food there is just amazing, specially the dal of the day is highly recommended. Also if you are fan of spicy Indian curry this is one place to try. Also the naan bread and chapati were really good too. -
Review from Lawrence Z.
Los Angeles, CA
4/17/2011 3 Check-ins Here
From the moment you walk into this little restaurant you know you're going somewhere special. You're hit with the smiling face of the very friendly employees, and the perfume of spices hits you. As you sit down and go over the menu, you're given an appetizer made from, I believe, lentil flour and a tomato chutney. This chutney is the perfect introduction to their flavors... not too sweet, not too hot, just perfect to prime your taste buds.
I've always said the acid test of a good indian restaurant is their samosa. If the samosa isn't that good, then I don't think anything else is worth trying. So naturally, I ordered theirs the first time I was there (over 8 years ago) and absolutely loved it. The potato and pea filling is composed with a fragrant array of spices and it's not dry or gooey. The chutney they pair it with is Tamarind, which is pure decadence. It's pleasingly spicy and acidic, as well as with hints of heat. Perfect for the Samosas.
Being a vegan, I only stay with the vegetarian options... but unlike some other restaurants, AIC has offerings all over the menu. I've tried all of their dishes and I love them all. My favorite is probably the Kabuli Cholay. This dish is a chickpea featured dish in a sauce with ginger and other spices. What makes this and all their dishes amazing is the fact that you can't detect one particular ingredient or spice over another. It's so artfully prepared that you feel like you're experiencing a new sensation with every bite.
Another reason I love the place is their employees. Each of them always seem to remember me and always smile when I walk in, and greet me enthusiastically. I immediately feel like I'm at home there and always leave feeling satisfied.
My only issues I have with the place are twofold: One, they installed a massive flat screen TV in the back of the dining room, loudly playing Bollywood. Now, don't get me wrong, i LOVE Bollywood, but I go there with friends and I like to not be distracted from my conversations.
Second is in their packaging for to go. They go overboard. If they offer to give you a to go bag you can be assured that each dish will be put in a styofoam container with a plastic lid, then put in a plastic bag. If you order their food to be delivered, you can expect yet even more plastic as everything arrives. I really wish they would embrace compostable containers and use paper bags.
Otherwise, this is the BEST Indian restaurant that I've ate at in LA, and it is always busy in there.. so clearly I'm not the only one who knows it.Listed in: Vegan Foodie Finds
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Review from Sydney H.
San Francisco, CA
11/19/2010
The Bollywood music videos on the wall add a nice touch of kitsch to this otherwise neat-and-tidy looking Indian place. I loved the food--it's not super spicy, which (for this particular evening) was just right. We got the spinach with cheese, garlic naan, rice, and lamb curry, and between the two of us, we wiped our plates clean. The lamb was fantastic, melt-in-your-mouth, would-fall-off-the-bone-if-there-was-a-bone delicious. They refilled our water with astonishing regularity.
A little pricier than I usually go, but definitely felt like I was treating myself. About 4 different staff members checked on us throughout the night, super attentive service. -
Review from Wendianne L.
Los Angeles, CA
3/28/2012
best of the best. eat a shahi paneer lunch special and try to tell me it's not the best of the best. cuz you'd either have terrible taste or be a liar. i have been coming here about once every couple months for ten years. sambar soup is to DIE FOR. and that indian lemonade., nimbu panni., is great and cures a hangover. when ever i am out of the country for months at a time i always come back to the US just to eat at all india cafe. direct from LAX. love love love. i have always wanted to go to india, but sometimes i worry, the food there won't be as good as all india. represent.
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Review from Alan K.
1/3/2011
This place was a delightful surprise. My friend and I initially wanted to eat Hurry Curry...but that unfortunately was replaced by a Vegan restaurant, so we decided to try this place instead.
We tried several different dishes including some Sambar (Lentil soup), Tandoori Chicken, Garlic Naan, and Kachumber. They were all delicious. The Sambar was a great dipper for the garlic naan. The Kachumber was very healthy as it only included vegetables, and the chicken was great. The decor seemed to be a little run down. I also noticed that the table cloth was dirty. However, if you concentrate on the food only, it is delightful. The waitress that helped us today was very hospitable. -
Review from Nicole M.
10/25/2010 3 Check-ins Here
Oh man. I LOVE PASADENA. There's so many kinds of food everywhere and this is one of my favorites.
They deliver too, which was one of the best things I've ever had delivered.
Don't forget to get some naan! and I got a little tub of this minty-cilantro like sauce that I don't get in the restaurant.
I always have Baingan Bharta (sp?), the eggplant dish, and it's always yummy. I always get a side of rice and garlic naan and I'm never disappointed.Listed in: favorite things to do in old…
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Review from Justin M.
Anaheim, CA
11/8/2011
Came in last Saturday between 6 and 7 and my friend and I were seated right away. The service was quick and the food was good. I had the Gobi Frankie. It was really tasty--I've never enjoyed cauliflower quite so much--and on the whole, the dish managed to successfully balance savory and sweet qualities without either being too overpowering. My only misgiving was that I thought there was going to be a bit of heat in all that spice. But hey, I finished my plate and enjoyed it the whole time, so I can't complain too much!
As far as ambiance goes, the inside is fairly unremarkable, and they've got a fairly large flat screen playing Indian movies in the back. Overall, it lacks the charm of Akbar, but the prices seemed a bit lower, so depending on whether you're interested in a quick bite or want Indian food for a hot date, you've got options. -
Review from Joy L.
Pasadena, CA
7/14/2011
I tried Indian food for the first time at this place, and it got me hooked. For a while I went quite often for tikka masala or tandoori, but now, having found better places like Bhanu's, I come once in a blue moon.
The decour is distinctly Indian, with paintings, murals, and Bollywood music videos. During every visit, I discover interesting details I hadn't noticed before. The seating is a little cramped for my liking... makes it a little difficult to have a good conversation on a busy day. Service tends to be on the slow side (for food), but servers are friendly and attentive to your needs.
I'd say my fave dish is the Tikka Masala, which is quite tasty and always satisfies my Indian food cravings when I'm in Pasadena.
I have a weakness for the Indian Iced Tea... The drink is minty with hints of various Indian spices and comes with a sweet milk that you pour in. The description didn't sound good to me, but the combination is simply delicious, and now when I go to other Indian restaurants I try (and fail) to find this particular tea. -
Review from Casey S.
Altadena, CA
6/30/2011
I enjoyed the food. We cleared every plate. But it was far from "authentic". My mother and I have been eating Indian food our whole lives. My mother has studied, cooked, and eaten Indian food for decades. LOVES Shahrukh Khan. And I mean LOVES this man. Only watches Indian cable TV (I swear I'm not lying). Basically she lives and breathes India. She hated the food. It was all decent, average and muerto. When you eat excellent Indian food it will blow your mind. Its just a magical thing that happens. Its hard to explain. But you will know it when it happens and you cant stop eating. This place did not have the "Umff" like the restaurants down in Artesia do. Lack of depth and real Indian flavor, I guess. Dont get me wrong, it was tasty but the food did not grab me for a return visit. Mother said it was "Awful".
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Review from Karla M.
Los Angeles, CA
10/28/2011 1 Check-in Here
I absolutely love the Shrimp Tandoori and the garlic naan here. It has a nice ambiance for a date too. Food is great and staff is friendly. Nice quiet space. Not the best for group dinners though. Right off of Colorado in Old Town Pasadena so you're near shopping too.
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Review from Stuart V.
Santa Monica, CA
11/14/2011
Delicious homestyle natural food, friendly ambiance. Great masala! Old Pasadena isn't old anymore!
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Review from Annie D.
Rosemead, CA
10/13/2011
Best Indian food I ate so far. Great service. Love the options of curry. Didn't really like the tea they served. Very satisfying.
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Review from Ana M.
8/3/2008
You really can't judge a book by it's cover...because if you could this place would be delightful and not shitty...like it was. The only redeeming quality about this place is that it is rather charming inside, but don't let that fool you!
I'll admit I am not the best judge of Indian food but I do know bland food, and that is what I got. I ordered the lunch special which came with palak paneer, mushy unspiced rice, ho-hum naan, and a weak salad (9.50 + a extra dollar for garlic naan instead of regular). Everything was kind of boring, portions were small. My $1 was spent in vein because the naan was not garlicy at all :(
Service sucked. Not friendly, useful, fast or attentive. I had to chase down our server to get hot sauce which was anything but hot when I finally got it. This place does not deserve to have a yelp sticker in the window. -
Review from Kokoro I.
San Francisco, CA
2/6/2008
I will actually give a five star review here. Rare no? Simply because I have never left this restaurant unsatisfied.
Their chicken curry is always good, mango lassi beautiful, their garlic nan bread fantastic.
Service is always fair. I've never had to go "uh, where is my water?" Food comes out fairly quickly, even when the place is packed. Bathroom is clean too!
When you go there between lunch and dinner, around 3:30 - 4 pm, you can see the staff sleeping in the back. That's always kinda cute.Listed in: $20 or Less Eating!
-
Review from Tina L.
Pasadena, CA
1/3/2008
This place is pretty good. One of my fave Indian restaurants in Pasadena. If you go and don't know what to order here's a few dishes I've tried and recommend: garlic naan, tandoori platter, chicken tikka masala, lentil pappard, and gobi aloo. Their raita (that yogurt sauce) is good, but a little watery. Their mango lassi is fantastic! Also, since they mainly cater to locals, if you want anything spicy you have to request it.
An extra-plus? Their next door to Pinkberry! -
Review from Karen Y.
Altadena, CA
4/21/2010
D'oh, All India Cafe failed to honor their coupon from Clippers magazine!
I have it in front of me. It reads:
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FREE appetizer with purchase of $25 or more ($4.95 value - Dine in only)
All India Cafe
39 S. Fair Oaks Ave. - Old-Town Pasadena - 626-440-0309
With this coupon. Not valid with other offers. Expires 4-29-10.
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The waitstaff said that it was for dinner only. Really? I don't see "dinner" written anywhere.
I like how, in this economy, restaurants just filter themselves out. -
Review from Paul S.
Pasadena, CA
7/2/2008
All India Cafe was by far the worst northern Indian food I have ever had. Hands down. They win.
1. Slow service.
2. The wine was warmer than Campbell's soup.
3. The dark meat, and I repeat dark meat chicken was drier than the driest white meat from KFC.
4. The chicken tikka masala was so watery, it was like water.
5. Fine, the dal was okay.
6. Keema nan was putrid.
7. Garlic nan was gross.
8. I'd rather eat poop than go back to All India Cafe.
Thanks. Bye. -
Review from Felicia C.
Manhattan, NY
12/1/2007
The best naan ever.
That's what my friend said to lure me into All India Cafe for dinner last night. And you know what? I'll give it that. It has damn good naan...but that's about it.
The service, first off, was a little weird. Our waiter talked really softly or blurred his words together or something, but I had no idea what he was saying for a while. Words would come out of his mouth...Too bad I didn't know what words they were. Plus, they kept on pushing us to order a drink - let me drink my water in peace please!
The food, outside of the naan, was okay. I ordered the Non Vegetarian Thali but maybe that was the wrong dish to get. The curry and such seemed a little too watery. Don't get me wrong though - it was good, but not great. -
Review from Sean P.
San Francisco, CA
10/1/2006
Yeah yeah yeah, the food was good... yeah yeah yeah we showed up for table 15min before they were closing... yeah yeah yeah we were already kind of drunk...
but yeah... they were kind of dicks on the service end through out the night... sorry we wanted food and you were open and didnt tell us to go elsewhere...
had a good dinner with a buddy, and besides the retarded (ie. slow, lame, what are you doing here so late?) service it was great.
This would be way below 3 stars except for the fact that they let us finish our bottle of wine and yap our sad sad experiances about women we love(d) and our broken hearts, into the night w/o annoyance. The earlier stupid service was made up for with that...
I would try this place out but not expect it to be too grand, akbar is close and better taste wise, this place will be easier to get a table if it is last minute.
Metro rail info... close to the memorial park station on the gold line if thats how you roll.
