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W 4th St (A, C, E, B, D, F, V)
Christopher St (1)
9th Street (PATH)
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3.5 stars
service was very friendly, personable and gave us an NYU discount. he checked in to make sure we were satisfied.
food was good--very spicy. they threw in free naan because we had a large party. Best indian i've ever had? no
good? very. prices were fair.
Well, I guess the Board of Health read my YELP on Baluchi's cause Robbie the Roach and friends is now closed. Yep, that's right. Check the photo!
Either the space was bought by someone else or the Baluchi's crew is pulling the wool over our eyes because the space is being overhauled and "Baburchi" is coming in.
Baburchi...Baluchi...to-may-to...to-mah-to...
To be continued...
People thought this was:
As this is my second update, you can see I'm a long time patron of this Baluchi's with nothing but… Read more »
I spent some of my last years of university life at this Baluchi's. I love their 50% off lunch special - it is true that it doesn't come with rice during this hour, but I still get full.
I always get their Vindaloo... chicken or lamb. The spice is awesome even though I have to down 2 buckets of water afterwards. The garlic naans are always awesome - you can't go wrong with garlic.
Sometimes I will have an appetizer, but that's a lot of food already and I eat a lot.
The first time I was here, I wondered why it's dark in there - it's a nice ambiance and it saves electricity bill, I thought. But it's proved to be nice and cool with the lights off as well during the summer. The decor is pretty good and the staff are very friendly. I really like it here.
People thought this was:
This is one of 2 Baluchi's that I've been to - the other is the one on Ave of the Americas. This one was the better of the two - the other is quite dirty and the food was not as good.
The food was decent and for lunch, really, really cheap. It's not at the top of my list for Indian but for an inexpensive lunch, it's worth a stop.
The food here was always mediocre, but this place has been shut down by the department of Health & Safety. Yeah, you know what that means...
People thought this was:
Baluchi's is a nice little Indian joint near my graduate school. And like any good restaurant catering to poor grad students, it offers hefty discounts that make it very affordable. While not being spectacular, the food is still good. I like the curry dishes, which are not made too spicy unless you ask for it. Thank goodness. Nice dark ambiance. Can get kind of hot though, as I don't believe there is any A/C. Will be back, definitely.
Look, I'm not an expert on Indian food since I can't really handle the intense flavors of real Indian food, and I only ever really get samosas, naan, and paratha at Indian restaurants, but I know when what I'm eating isn't entirely well-spiced. It's not that the food here is bad, but it's just not all that exciting. I ordered the naan with garlic, but I couldn't taste the garlic at all (and that is one spice I know extremely well) and I couldn't for the life of me find the cheese it was supposed to be stuffed with. The samosas I got, filled with potatoes, had a good crispy outside, but the inside tasted like chunky mashed potatoes. These two side dishes were $12, which is a little outlandish for a mediocre chain Indian restaurant across the street from NYU law.
I liked the mood lighting of the interior, though I didn't like when the lights suddenly went out...especially when the management offered no explanation or apology for this freak occurrence. The uncomfortable seating didn't help matters.
Bathroom Grade: N/A. I got stuck in a booth instead of a chair, so there was no getting out for me.
People thought this was:
We stopped here on a rainy night in June. Cute atmosphere but the food was just so-so and certainly wasn't spicy enough considering the particular dishes we ordered (i.e, Vindaloo). We ordered a prawn dish and there were maybe 4 prawns in it...a bummer considering the expense. Probably wouldn't stop here (or at the other restaurants with the same name) again.
50% off lunch! Otherwise this place would not be worth it. Entrees were about $12 without rice which was an extra $3 so in total it would be $15 for an Indian dish at dinner here. Expensive! Especially considering it wasn't extraordinary. Food was good but nothing I would return for. I was happy to find it as I was craving Indian Food. Nan was $3 for one piece. Total bill for me and a guest would normally be $30 but since we had 50% off it was $20 with tax and tip. Worth it for lunch!
It was definitely not the best Indian food I have had or go out of my way to get.
Also I agree with everyone: it is just plain wrong to charge extra for rice!!
People thought this was:
Pretty mediocre food. Small portions and not spicy at all. However, their 50% off lunch special makes it a decent place for a quick, cheap lunch during the week.
It's also extremely dark inside, for some reason.
Good naan, decent food, and a nice ambiance (although the decor reminded me more of Morocco than India...) Certainly not the best Indian food out there, but decent and not that expensive. If I'm looking for something of the sort in the area, I might go here, but it's not a destination in itself.
Mediocre and commercialized. The utensils and presentation were wonderful. The appetizers were better than the entrees, which could be had at any Indian restaurant. The host was wonderful and gave my friend and me complementary inedible rice pudding. The ka-chori had some really great bread, but the samosa was mild. My friend had her usual chicken tikka masala, while I had the saag panir. Maybe we both had been not really hungry before our meal, but the food was surprisingly mild after I requested spicy. Recommended for first-timers.
People thought this was:
Baluchi's has gone downhill. It used to be a very great place during the 2005-2006 year. In 2007 the decline started to happen and in 2008 the decline was in full effect even though prices had risen.
The chicken tikka masala,and rojan josh used to taste great, especially the chicken tikka masala it used to have a lot of flavor wasn't watered down and you could taste the tomato well balanced with the sauce. The rojan gosh was okay but now its watered down. They have cut back on the condiments, you have to ask them for it and now at times they don't carry some of the condiments like the mango sauce and sometimes the raita.
The restaurant stays alive because of its proximity to nyu and Washington square park . It's sad but true that the restaurant has gone downhill. The staff used to very friendly and greet you especially if they had seen you often. The new staff acts like they don't really care about you, if you try to be friendly and ask questions and be personal in any way they don't want to hear anything and shy away.
Stay away from baluchi's, its not that great, when the other baluchi's in manhattan were going downhill, this location stood out during the 05,06 years, not anymore. The only way this any other resturant will improve is if people stay away. It's not the worst indian resturant (aka cafe spice) but its still a 2 star resturant, which is a shame, and an embarssment too because I used to go there a lot and used to have my parents taste what I bought at times when ordering take-out.
People thought this was:
Place is Filthy + Disgusting!!!! I cant beleive no one has mentioned this issue yet.
My Friend and I sat at a table across from the kitchen and witnessed the most disgusting kitchen We have ever seen. So gross that we canceled our order and walked out. Food was in metal buckets along the filthy floor and vegetables lying in the corner in paper bags on the floor. Downstairs, while using the bathroom there were Plastic buckets of whole chickens..not refrigerated and just lying there uncovered, Sorry, I know that most resteraunt in NYC aren't the cleaniest , but It wont hurt me if I dont see it.
People thought this was:
50% off lunch special! Yeesss!
This isn't the best Indian food I've had, but it's still pretty good. I tried the chicken tikka masala, the navrattan curry, and the lamb saaqwala, and they were all very tasty. The portions are a little on the smaller side, and you need to order nan or rice separately, so I'm not sure it would be such a good deal without the lunch discount. The service was super friendly: the waitress was so sweet and nice and polite it almost made me self-conscious.
People thought this was:
By far the best Baluchis in the city.
The food is the same goodness you'll get at any of the others in the chain, but the added benefit of gracious and courteous service (If you've been to any of the other Baluchis in town, you know what I mean).
50% off lunches too, you can't beat that!
People thought this was:
I knew this would be bad, and I hope my dear friend who suggested the place isn't reading this.
The idea sounded great: 50% off all items for lunch! She ordered chicken tikka masala, cheese naan, and fried masala potatoes since it seemed like a bargain, while I ordered mushrooms and peas with saffron fruit rice (everything was shockingly expensive without the lunch deal, which was an extreme turn off).
My abhorrence for the place grew even larger when the food was brought out: the "Fried marsala potatoes" were little more than french fries dusted with seasoning, and the portions were incredibly tiny. What was especially annoying was the fact that rice and bread accompaniments were a separate charge, and even more so, that this offer didn't apply to take-out, nor could any of the leftovers be doggy-bagged! Absolutely absurd, and a good indication as to why my friend and I were often the only people inside.
The food was fine but could be acquired at an even better price and with a lot more elsewhere. Upon requesting separate checks from the dumb waiter who didn't even know what was in half the things on the menu, he quizically gave the affirmative, only to bring us a combined check. When I asked for a twenty in change, at least five minutes were spent fiddling with the cash register; I felt as if two year olds were running this joint.
I'll never go back here, and I suggest you stay as far away as possible.
Goa curry salmon and dal. Tasty. Yum. Decent. Half priced! Good. Clean.
(Sadly, I think the Indian food in DC is much better than the quality in New York. Jackson Diner has definitely become a tourist trap and their buffet tends to be bland. Too bad!)
People thought this was:
The place is good, and reasonably priced.
I claim no expertise in indian food; but I do know that our tikki masala was very tasty, as was the garlic naan. The other dishes that we had: and eggplant dish, and the lamb handi weren't bad. The service was friendly if a little too overbearing. A good meal if you're in the neighborhood and craving Indian.
People thought this was:
We wanted to test our gastronomical limits. For some reason. On this day. After a few mid-morning pints at McSorley's we neandered our way here for lunch. Hey, when you're on vacation, the days are limited, you gotta squeeze in the experiences as much as you can.
Didn't know what we were in for ,but saw a couple of dudes appearing of Indian decent walk in so, it can't be that bad. Like crack is to a crackhead, I am a fiend for curry. This was good curry. Service and atmosphere was great, price was reasonable, no cheap. Go there if you're-in-the-neighborhood type of joint.
People thought this was:
This place has pretty decent food and I am quite a fan. However, on my recent visit a friend opted to try an invalid "coupon" certificate from http://restaurant.com and my boyfriend complained that he had to pay for RICE. By the time our food arrived we were so pissed off about the cost that the flavor lost it's luster and we couldn't wait to finish off and leave!!! In spite of this (and the small portions)* the food was good and the service proved quite friendly.
Hey---They even validated our "invalid" coupon!
The food is solid and plentiful and I hear the lunch deal is pretty fantastic...but I am a little put off by this place. It's way more expensive than places in Curry Hill (charging separately for rice?!) and lacks the campy, fun atmosphere of non-chain places (no Bollywood movie posters or curled ribbons emanating from the ceiling?) Plus they sat me by the door, which let in the most frigid blast of cold air every time someone came in. This should be their to-do list:
1. Lower the prices a bit and STOP CHARGING FOR RICE
2. Work on better insulating the place
I found Baluchi's googling something amongst the lines of cheap + stingy + good food + lunch + ny. Me in a nutshell. Skimp on lunch, splurge on dinner.
Anyway, Baluchi's lunch menu is 50% off, dine in only so I talked my boss and a few co-workers into going with me. I didn't want to be the only one taking a two hour lunch. Our cheap asses trekked 14 blocks (notice it's cheap people and not just myself since I got accomplices) and holy crap I was not disappointed. The service was out of this world and the food was even better.
We ordered a few appetizers, decided to share our mains, and chose the basket of na'an suggested for groups. The appetizers were immediately brought out and surprisingly good considering the speed. The samosas were not oily and the shrimp baluchis! It's fried shrimp stuffed with creamcheese... basically the Indian California Roll but I don't care. It's damn good. Our appetizers quickly disappeared and just as they settled, our mains came. My co-worker who can't eat spicy food got the Tikka Masala. Not a fan. I was in a full blown sweat like crazy while eating spicy curry mode, so it was too sweet and creamy. My other co-worker got the Lamb Rogan Josh (semi-hot). Only because he liked the name. I guess the taste lived up to the name. He dug right in and kept digging. Or shoveling the curry in his mouth to be more accurate. My boss got the Tandoori Mix Grill and it was just that. Mixed grilled meat on a hot plate. A lot of it. He offered me some but I declined. I wanted curry damnit! The only vegetarian of the group ordered a vegetable curry in a greenish brown sauce. I forgot the name but I took one look at the huge veggies floating in the roux and instantly craved meat. Good for vegetarians, bad for carnivores.
For my main dish, I choose the Chicken Vindaloo (super spicy) which is now my favorite curry. I let everyone take one taste, and one only. What was supposed to be shared was not -it was mine! all mine!! That's how good it was. Actually it worked out perfectly because everyone seemed engrossed in their own food. And the na'an! The basket easily serves 4-5 people (us) vanished moments after it hit the table. The garlic na'an was the most popular so we ordered some more.... uhhhh I'm misrepresenting us to be barbaric pigs but the food was that good. I swear! Needless to say, we all left satisfied in an immense food coma. We cabbed it back to our office even though we knew we needed the 14 block walk.
After my first memorable trip, I immediately went back for dinner at a location closer to my home. I had to make sure the food was indeed good and I wasn't just starving. I ordered teh same things (samosas, Shrimp Baluchis, Chicken Vindaloo, and garlic na'an) it was good but not wow. Ok, maybe I was just hungry that day. To triple check, I went back to the one downtown and it was damn good again. Since then I've visited various locations throughout the city but by far, this obscure location is my favorite.. from the service to the taste, everything is superior. Oh, and they have clean bathrooms too.
wow. never knew how much i loved baluchis...
the end.
People thought this was:
well, the story is this:
me and my friend T we come from the far seas of China and we lived in metropolitan Shanghai. There is this nice little Indian place we always go to called "New Delhi". thus, we have a point of reference to compare all future Indian cuisines and curries and the likes.
we were very, very, very disappointed with this place.
so very sad that my friend even questioned me if the chef was indian. (clearly, the indian waitress was shouting in hindu, but i guess the damaged taste buds in our tongues impaired our brains and hearing abilities too)
we had a shrimp appetizer, a lamb spicy curry, and a potato cauliflower curry thingie. (i really don't remember their names, and i almost wish i could forget their taste)
ok fine it wasn't THAT bad, but i guess the place we go back home is too good?
the curries were not creamy enough, and the spices amounted to something nice, but still feeling like it was watered down.
the rice was ridiculous (we had the fruity rice), since they only replaced peas with about 10 puny pieces of raisins and grapes or sth of the like, while raising the price for about 3 dollars.
curries always look like the portions are tiny, but you always feel filled to the top of your esophagus. same happened today, and yet we ordered a plain nan, because it was the only thing that would be able to fulfill our mental thirst and happiness.
decor was nice, those little metal containers always look so organic and keep wobbling around the table if you don't hold them while your serving yourself, but i dig it. the waitresses, were okay. but minus 5 stars for mis-charging us for the normal price since we came during 50% off lunch-time. (btw, if that's the price they offer during normal hours... it is way overpriced)
if i didn't have anything to compare it too, i might have given it 3 stars...
okay, not even that, it deserves a 1.
will probably not be coming back, even when i get a sugar-daddy who pays for all my expenses.
People thought this was:
Folks this is one of the most reasonable indian places in town. I go to school in the area and i go there atleast few times a month. Lunch time appetizers are half off. That to me is a great deal. If your feeling cheap you can order 2 appetizers and it will not cost you more than 10 bucks. Everything else on the menu is pretty incredible too. Do not leave that place without trying the nan.
People thought this was:
Like the one in the 70s on Columbus too.
People thought this was:
It is definitely not one of the best high end restaurants for Indian, but it rather doable. They have a good service and a decently sized menu. The lunch special is good, but there is an Indian lunch buffet two streets south on Bleeker. The price is decent and it is definitely a good last resort stop. But, if you want real indian food, head east to curry row for cheaper and better.
I've been to a few Baluchi's restaurants and they are all really good. The ambiance is really warm and the service is great. Not as dirt cheap as Indian Row, but better for when you want a cleaner, more relaxed meal.
Basic and good food with no imagination. Malai koftas very delicious, but the fried potatoes came out tasting like half-cooked steak fries (at an Indian restaurant?!!!) Would go back, but I'm not running there the next chance I get.
you couldn't pay me to go back here. stupidly enough while my friend and i were wandering around hungry we decided to go in here. i live in jackson heights and have been eating indian food all my life. this indian food wasn't particularly well spiced. frankly, it was pretty bland. the portions were shitty, the naan was burnt and the gosht was mostly bones. wtf?! i just paid this much to suck on bones? save your time and taste buds and get on the e/f and get off at roosevelt ave in queens and take delight in real indian food. skip this place.
Traditional Indian food served family style never looked so good! If you go to Baluchi's for lunch on a weekday, everything on the menu is half-priced! The Chicken Tikka Marsla is top notch and the variety of naan is amazing. Watch out thought - some of the dishes are unexpectedly spicy!
i liked....it was tasty..but i love my mommaz cookin moreee she makes the best paki dishes...=]....umm yea i like the vegan dishes...and mango lassiiiii
People thought this was:
Wow, this is Indian food? I've had better out of a box from Trader Joe's. I'd heard mixed commentary about the Baluchi's chain, and ducked in on a particularly hungry evening thinking "How bad can it be?" Even mediocre Indian usually satisfies. Service, price, and atmosphere were all fine. But the food--really? It wasn't just not spicy, it was practically tasteless. How is that possible?
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I love it and have eaten it all across the…
I work in the Village, where cheap and good lunch…
