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Bombay Spice Grill & Wine
Categories: Restaurants Indian Restaurants Vegetarian Restaurants Gluten-Free Indian, Vegetarian, Gluten-Free [Edit]
10810 N Tatum BlvdPhoenix, AZ 85028
(602) 795-0020
- Hours:
Mon-Thu, Sun 11 am - 9 pm
Fri-Sat 11 am - 9:30 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Trendy, Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Dogs Allowed:
- No
About This Business:
Our specialities are south Indian, North Indian and Indo Chinese dishes. We are also serving Hyderabadi Dhum Bhiryani. We can deliver to any office and… read more »
99 reviews for Bombay Spice Grill & Wine
Review Highlights
"LUVED the ChickPea Ceviche - Y U M."
(in 13 reviews)
"13 for Chicken Curry & Chicken Tikka Masala."
(in 11 reviews)
"This place has an AWESOME happy hour."
(in 13 reviews)
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99 reviews in English
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Review from Shannon S.
Phoenix, AZ
1/8/2012
I already want to go back! The menu had so many tasty options. I love Indian food, and I realize this is Americanized Indian food, but it was rather delicious. The menu offers gluten free, vegetarian, and vegan options.
I ordered the Chef's Special to try the four sauces with rice, naan, and the two ingredients in which one can choose. The tikka masala sauce was definitely the best, but the others had great flavors too. I got the vegan chicken and mixed vegetables. It was so delicious, and I am already trying to think of when I can return.
The service was OK. It took a while when we were done, and they weren't that busy. However, it's not a big deal. -
Review from John K.
Gilbert, AZ
1/9/2012
Very americanized indian food with bad bad service. Nice vegan and vegetarian options though...
I tried the Chef's special and the four sauces seem to be all a bit off. Only the spinach curry was any good. Any don't go for the noodles! I know, its a weird option and as you know it, weird combo. Went out of my way driving but a huge disappointment. -
Review from Samara Y.
Scottsdale, AZ
12/13/2011
Went here with my husband and two small children on a Sunday afternoon. The decor was pretty nice, even if the energy felt low in there. There were a few families in there with kids.
Our waitress was nice and attentive, but she didn't know much about the menu at ALL. We asked her abotu the bottomless brunch which allows you to try small portions of several different things. She brought out the menu then, but I felt she should have mentioned it to us as an option without me having to ask about it.
We ordered the tandoori wings for the kids (our kids luuurve wings) and two bottomless brunches for ourselves. Hubby liked the wings, but I thought they were meh. They had kind of a sweet stickiness on the skin which was a definite departure from traditional dry spiced tandoori wings. I did go here understanding this is not "authentic" Indian food, but the sweetness wings were a little too much for me.
For appetizers my husband had the paratha, which was okay. I had the lentil cake tower, which was delicious, and by far the yummiest thing I had there. The sauces and relishes used for garnish had more flavor than anything else I ate there that day.
Between my husband and me we tried the shrimp and chicken tikka masala (passable), the shrimp curry (decent), and the shrimp korma (almost sickeningly sweet). They do use nice, big, delicious shrimp, which is a plus. But their sauces leave a lot to be desired.
I am giving three stars instead of two because my husband really liked it, it was kid-friendly (at least in the afternoon), the brunch was a good deal, and it was clean. But the food did not impress. -
Review from Yara V.
Paradise Valley, AZ
1/16/2012 1 Check-in Here
Went to Bombay Spice for lunch. Quick, attentive service. Ordered the chicken curry with potatoes and rice. It comes with naan. Food was good. Not exceptional, not bad. Spice wise, it falls short of the explosion of flavors Indian cuisine is known for. I would described it as watered down Indian food, still may do in a pinch if I'm craving Indian.
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Review from Gregory B.
Arlington Heights, IL
1/15/2012
I was told it was the best Indian restaurant ever by a woman who has spent much time in that country. Not sure what she must have had. Liked what I had (chicken biryani--I have had better
), but the presentation was a bit off...sticking papadoms in the biryani rice made them soggy. Why do that? I prefer a less trendy place. -
Review from vegegirly C.
Phoenix, AZ
12/4/2011
After seeing some bad reviews I was reluctant to try Bombay Spice. But I am so glad I did!
The food is NOT authentic Indian food. The server even told us when we were sat that it is Americanized Indian food. It is definitely an interpretation. (There was cilantro in my dish...) But as long as you have that understanding before you go, you should be fine.
They had an interesting selection of beer and wine. Unfortunately my husband did not care for his IPA and I didn't love my glass of Pinot Grigio. Luckily, the drinks were the only thing we disliked...
I ordered the mixed veggies entree with spinach sauce. Since the server told me it was Americanized Indian food, I was worried it wouldn't be spicy and I love a little heat. You are able to customize the spice level, thank God, so I ordered it medium. I thought the plating was attractive and enticing. And the food was yummy... Not swimming in ghee so it goes down smoothly. There was a delicious smoky grilled taste to the food that I loved. I wish it came with more naan. The naan was delicious too. Nice and crispy and garlicky. You can definitely taste the olive oil in the food which I wasn't expected to like.
My husband had the chicken biryani. He loved it. The portions are enormous, so I had plenty of food leftover for a yummy lunch the next day.
The service was great. Our server was eager, informative, and just a sweetheart.
Their brunch and happy hour sound amazing. Unfortunately their happy hour ends at 6, so I wouldn't be able to make after work. I might just have to sneak out early... -
Review from Jason M.
Phoenix, AZ
11/14/2011 6 Check-ins Here
I love Indian food. I'll admit that it's the hardest to judge, in my opinion, due to the lack of what I know about it & the complexity of all the spices. I also feel I've been slightly ruined after eating at some incredible restaurants in London. All that said, I LOVE this place.
I've never had a bad meal here, and I was actually motivated to write a review because of the service we had this weekend.
Let's start with the food. I imagine that some hardcore foodies probably think their food is not "totally authentic", and they might be right. However, the food is as good as I have had in other places. I find their use of spices & fresh ingredients are well balanced. They have a lot of great vegetarian options as well.
The service there is always top-notch. As mentioned earlier, our server this weekend really knocked the experience out of the park. I asked her about this hot spice / sauce that is served, and she could see I was disappointed to find out they make it in house (so, not available by some generic name I could get at a specialty shop). She didn't hesitate to go to the back, and brought be a small bottle of it as a gift. I was blown away.
Finally, I'll say that their bottomless lunch on the weekends is a STEAL, and a great way to try a little bit of everything. They also have an insanely killer food selection for Happy Hour.
I miss living over by PV mall, because I could eat here everyday. -
Review from L S.
Phoenix, AZ
1/18/2012
I finally got to try Bombay Spice Grill last night and I loved it. Wonderful service, great unique and flavorful food and a really nice mellow atmosphere. We had my book club there and the waitress was fabulous providing us with wonderful service and gave all 9 of us separate checks. The Happy Hour prices are fabulous! I would definitely have the chick pea ceviche again - mmmmm! I can't wait to go back and try more things on their creative menu.
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Review from Terri B.
Phoenix, AZ
11/4/2011 1 Check-in Here
This was definitely a hidden jewel!!! I am so glad that I found it on YELP!!!
The food was great. The service was great and the atmosphere was fun and inviting. They seem to have some great prices for Happy Hour also. I will definitely be back here. Its worth the drive. -
Review from Crazy J.
Phoenix, AZ
9/18/2011
I will start by saying that for the most part, the food here was uninteresting and bland. I am by no means an expert on Indian cuisine, but I have spent time in India and eaten my fair share. And I love Indian food! This is not close to anything I experienced there. It seems to be Americanized and I think they are trying to appeal to a broader audience that may not be as familiar with Indian food.
On the positive side, they do have a vegan menu. But it is strange in that when you choose an entree, you choose a type of rice (white/brown), a sauce (4 to choose from: masala, korma, spinach (palak), or curry), and what you want with the sauce (lentils, chickpeas, veggies, etc). I have never seen an Indian menu laid out like this.
The chickpea ceviche was good, and the tamarind-date chutney that was drizzled over it was also good. The bread that came with the entree was really a tortilla, I don't remember what it was supposed to be. And as I said before, the entree itself was pretty bland and disappointing. Won't be coming back, there's plenty of other good options for great Indian food around. -
Review from Jacob P.
RAVE ALERT!
This place has an AWESOME happy hour! I mean super awesome. The line on their menu describing the food as "Authentic flavors refined" is too accurate to improve upon!
All the things that usually make me want to sprint in the opposite direction of an Indian restaurant: buffet style setup, clashing colors, poor presentation, poor service and funky smells were not present at Bombay Spice. In other words, the experience was much less of a culture shock for me; elegant and modern style decor, dine-ware and silverware did the trick.
The staff was very friendly and helpful. I can't wait to go back! I had the Indian chai latte, Chicken Tikka, Samosa and Carrot Halwa. Total bill before tip: $5.74. How can I not give this place 5 stars? I mean, seriously!
WHAT I'D RECOMMEND:
Going for their amazing happy hour, as well as their Indian chai latte, Chicken Tikka, Samosa and Carrot HalwaListed in: Phoenix-Love-Inducing Hot…
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Review from Dolores G.
Phoenix, AZ
My friend Tina T. invited me to join her for a Wine and Henna event that they host Thursday nights during the summer. For $10 you get your 1st glass of wine and a henna design. While here we also sampled from their Happy Hour menu. I have to say I was absolutely impressed with the Tofu app and the garlic naan. We also tried a chickpea ceviche, the chicken tika and the tandoori wings. Again of all those the tofu was my favorite.
The lady doing the henna designs was amazingly detailed. Very traditional henna designs with a paste that turned a very beautiful dark burgundy brown.
While it is not your "traditional" indian cuisine, all the wonderful flavors are present. The last thing I want to eat when it is 120 deg out is heavy Saags or cream laden indian dishes. The dishes here are light and flavorful.
I look forward to going back to another Wine and Henna event and would not hesitate stopping in for a bite to eat if in the area. -
Review from Siegren C.
Scottsdale, AZ
8/27/2011
I like this place. Its not my favorite, but I will happily go there.
CONS: You really need to ask questions about the menu items, otherwise you will literally have a thin layer of peas and potatoes between a tortilla.
PROS: The food is pretty good, and its easy for a vegan to find something they will enjoy. They have relatively decent wines by the bottle at low prices and the wait staff is friendly. Bombay also has special events certain days of the week, which is fun. Date night I believe is on Wednesdays (with good specials for couples) and they also have henna tattooing on another night.
Clean, good food, reasonable prices. -
Review from Rob H.
Phoenix, AZ
11/30/2011 1 Check-in Here
Been here many times for lunch and dinner..always tasty, nice selection. Like the naan. Esp. like the lamb chop appetizer. Like the naanwich. Miss the 16th and Glendale location I used to frequent.
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Review from Evan B.
7/7/2011 9 photos
Does Trendy = Healthy? Well here it seems to. While this is one of the few trendy Americanaized Indian restaurant in town.
The big star here for me is the menu. Vegiteran dishes and Vegan ones are all marked on the menu.In addition many menu items can have the protein of choice including tofu and or veggies. And a choice of starch, rice, brown rice or egg noodles.
We had two build you own combos, Curry with mixed veggies and tofu over noodles $11.95 +$1 for tofu. The curry was a bit bland and the noodles to me were not the best match, but if it were truly healthy I would be ok with the flavor. The other dish was a spinach dish, with mixed veggies and brown rice. I really enjoyed this dis. $11.95
As with Thai food you get to pick you heat level so anyone can eat here.
For flavors it was 3 stars the veggie options made it 4. However I did miss the Bollywood music I usually hear with my Indian food. -
Review from Amanda P.
Scottsdale, AZ
7/14/2011
A girlfriend and I have been meaning to check Bombay Spice out for a while but have never gotten around to it until last night. (I found a great deal on http://LocalDines.com -use ref # 102729 if you sign up! Also, checking in with FourSquare got a us a deal! )
We ended up going a little later (8ish) so there wasnt a wait or a crowd at all which was nice because the venue is a little smaller. The bartender was very friendly, our serve was a little distracted and took a little longer to respond to our needs but she was very nice.
We both had wine, the "single glass" serving is actually 2 glasses in case you are torn between splitting a bottle for $20 or just buying a glass for $6. I recommend the Falling Star Cab, it was full bodied and very yummy. The other wine we tried was the Hob Nob Pinot Noir. It was great, it had a delicious combination of earthy and sweet tones to it. (I am not very good with wine lingo, but those are my unofficial terms that make sense to me.)
Neither of us were very hungry but we wanted to sample the fare so we could at least see if we wanted to come back. We got to choose either a free humus or a dessert because of my deal for checking in on FourSquare (POWER NERD! I know.) I really wanted to try the mango sorbet but we opted for the chickpea hummus and roti bread. For those of you, like me, who aren't sure what roti bread is- its much lighter than pita bread and a little thinner than a tortilla. Its very tasty. The hummus was very good, and they garnished it with diced tomatoes, onions and cilantro which i loved!
We also ordered the seared eggplant. It was AWESOME. It was a large slab of eggplant with a black sauce that was herby (thats a technical term in case you were wondering). They also served the egglplant with a yellow sauce drizzled on the plate which was sweet and very good, in addition to a small scoop of a red chili sauce (our waitress told me the name and I couldnt remember it for the life of me) which was spicy...I really loved this sauce it was the perfect amount of spice for the eggplant.
I will be going back here to try the curry and some of the other things on the menu i cant pronounce.
There are a LOT of vegetarian/vegan dishes clearly marked on the menu. Their menu also boasts that everything, except for 9 or 10 items, is completely Gluten free.
Good experience, definitely looking forward to trying it again for a full meal. -
Review from Susan W.
5/9/2011 1 Check-in Here
Maybe it's just me, but I don't understand why this place is still in business.
Okay, admittedly I'm not a big fan of Indian cuisine, but I've been here twice now (once to try it for myself and another time because a girlfriend dragged me here). I just don't get it. With so many restaurants going out of business, how is this one still making a go?
I will say the servers are very friendly and attentive. But, for me, that doesn't make up for the lack of ambiance and the food. The place is located in a strip mall and the inside is just okay. Most of the tables are placed close together, so you could easily hear one another's conversation. However, since we were the only people in the restaurant, this turned out to not be a problem. The food is okay, I guess. I'm not a big fan of lamb or curry, so I can't be a good judge. I ordered the vegetarian flat bread and it was okay. I also had an ice tea, but it had a weird and slightly unpleasant flavor.
If they don't start drawing in more customers, I'm thinking, they might not be around that much longer?Listed in: R.I.P. Restaurants?
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Review from Vivacious M.
Scottsdale, AZ
8/8/2011 1 Check-in Here
in short: HORRIBLE TASTING FOOD!!! Far from authentic ofcourse.
Their selling spiel is all about how there is not butter or oil used. I would have been happy by that as long as they make sure the food is well cooked without too much oil. Their concept is to not use butter/oil as cooking medium and then serve tasteless, undone food.
Samosas were bland and too soft (ofcourse not fried, not even pan tossed well) , bhel puri was a sham- like the worst ever. Veggie main dish was tasteless, very low on salt and spices. If that is a health-diet need, one could enjoy a meal there, but for tasting good indian food- this is JUST NOT THE PLACE. -
Review from Tuyen H.
Tempe, AZ
9/20/2011 1 Check-in Here
First time having Indian food ever. If it's all like this and better. I'm on board with Indian food for life. Almost everything on the menu has 500 calories or less. There's a vegetarian option to everything on the menu. The food has no added fats or oil. Which is a new concept for me because I love oils and butter. The flavors come from cardamom, cumin, turmeric, tamarind, and etc. Constructed in a way to bring out or enhance the lamb, chicken, lentil, etc. I enjoyed in the food even more in the nice modern decor. They have all the alcoholic selection display in a grid like cubical on the wall with a green back light. Highly recommend Bombay Spice as you intro to Indian food. I'm sure it only gets crazier.
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Review from Todd C.
Tempe, AZ
6/26/2011
I'm happy to be able to update my review. I do love this place the flavor is unparalleled. They have changed their menu yet again, but now you can add a vegetable to your dish for only $1 dollar. This is fantastic!
I love the chicken keema, curry, rice, and potatoes combination. Its a delicious explosion of flavor.
The service can be spotty sometimes, but come here for he food and flavor. -
Review from Angelique A.
Phoenix, AZ
8/4/2011
chris, the manager, is great!
their $1, $2, $3 happy hour items are unique and delicious!
wednesday nights, they have a $40 special for an appetizer, ewine bottle, 2 entrees and dessert for $40.
check out their 50% off deals on http://www.groupon.com, http://www.localdines.com, etc!
it's a great deal with these coupons! -
Review from Gavin F.
Phoenix, AZ
5/5/2011
Mouth-Wateringly-Goooood-Food!
Nothing on the menu is over 500 calories and the owner is a doctor-nutritonist who spent a lot of effort on craft the menu. It really shows in the quality of what's to offer.
Everything looked good and smelled awesome, but in the end one always has to make a choice. So, my wife and I ended up going for the Chickpea Ceviche starter, then Lamb Kebobs and Chicken Curry with extra pappadoms instead of naan to keep it 100% gluten free. All 3 dishes were a smash hit and washed down with a perfect Mango Lassi drink. Delish. (Wait a sec - the picture that Jessica F uploaded of the 2 dishes and a drink was my lunch!)
I'm so looking forward to coming back here for another taste buds extravaganza!
The only thing I'd change is that the 2 page menu to download from their website is a whopping 9MB file - it's time to fix that people! -
Review from Mary S.
Glendale, AZ
9/24/2011
First off, I should have listened to the reviews...this is definitely an Indian restaurant that is catered to first time Indian food triers. Of course the flavor will be bland when using no butter/cream in Indian food. But it still tasted good, very light.
If I lived closed I would definitely come back for the happy hour. Which is REALLY good. A few bucks for small portions of different Indian cuisine = A+! We ordered from the happy hour to start - tofu REALLY good but only 3-4 pieces, 2 samosas yummy for not being fried and my bf got the 3 chicken wings, he said they were spicy. We both ordered from the create your entree section for our meal. I was wondering about the noodles which is really odd to see on an Indian menu. Luckily the waitress said under her breath that they are NOT good and then said after "wow I should really not have said that" I appreciaited it though! I got the brown rice, mixed vegetables and tikka masala. My bf got brown rice, lamb and tikka masala. The good thing is that you can eat the whole dish and not feel really bloated and full like regular indian food. But it was a little bland and did not taste like authentic indian food. It almost reminded me of the trader joe's indian food packs you can buy there. Overall I would visit this restaurant if you live close by and order from the happy hour menu. -
Review from Tani L.
Phoenix, AZ
6/15/2011
I went here last week and I am definitely a fan! I love Indian food, so hearing this is a healthier version of Indian cuisine I had to try it! I got the Lentil cakes as an appetizer which were really good. The main course I got was Veggie Tikka Masala. The sauce isn't what you would get at a traditional Indian restaurant, but it is flavorful and delicious. I would have to say you can't compare this restaurant to an Indian restaurant, because they are very different. I would say this is modern Indian food, kind of like PF Changs is to Chinese food.
I gave them 4 stars, because the service is alright. They weren't attentive and we did wait awhile to put in our order and to get our food. The good news is that they have $20 bottles of wine, so it gave us time to finish the bottle without chugging! -
Review from Corinne Y.
Phoenix, AZ
9/17/2011 3 Check-ins Here
Very good service and tasty food. The only reason I didn't give it a five is because of consistency. There does not seem to be consistency in level of spice. We go there often and sometimes spicy means mild to the cook and sometimes it actually comes out nice and spicy. At our table we had the chickpea ceviche which was fantastic, the korma, tikka masala and curry. All were very good.
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Review from Seb and Anna d.
Phoenix, AZ
5/4/2011
Went in on a Wednesday around 1:30, it was nice out so we sat on the patio. We were in a rush and the server was great, he pointed out the fastest items we could order. Ended up having the "naan-which"; a chicken for him and a tofu for her. LOVED IT!! The server told us all about the fun events they have and can't wait to take advantage of the "date night" special! The wine bar looks AWESOME.
This Indian food with a modern twist is a perfect balance for a couple like us. Thanks for the mid-day pick me up Bombay Spice! -
Review from Megan R.
Paradise Valley, AZ
1/10/2011
I am definitely a fan of Bombay Spice. Their food is delicious, healthy & priced right. My boyfriend & I went there the other night & got an appetizer & two entrees & the bill was only twenty bucks. Granted we did not get any drinks, but if you are going here with the intention of being healthy, you should stick with water anyway!
We started with hummus...not my absolute favorite hummus but still a very yummy starter.
I ordered a cauliflower curry wrap. I'm obsessed with the naan bread, & the curry made it taste like I was eating much more than just vegetables & rice. Getting your dish "hot" isn't really that spicy (for us anyway...we love spicy!), but ask for their spiciest dipping sauce if you like more bite...I want to buy bottles of it! I saved half of the wrap for lunch the next day & it was still delicious.
Boyfriend got the chicken curry entree...basic, but he loved it. Again, it was gone before I could try any of it.
I worry about places like these hidden away in strip malls. It is a really nice place, but always seems to be pretty empty when I go in. The decor is neat & modern, not a kitschy Indian place by any means. They have a pretty nice wine list, so it would be a nice place for a quiet date.
Hopefully the word starts to get out that this is a delicious, healthy place that is affordable & tasty enough to eat at all the time! -
Review from AMber W.
8/19/2010 3 Check-ins Here
I don't consider Bombay Spice an authentic Indian Restaurant; more of a modern and healthier version of the Indian cuisine. I appreciate their healthy take and their vast vegan and gluten free options.
I have been to Bombay about five or six times over the course of the last year, and have eaten some of their items at Yelp events. I have never disliked any of the items I have tried, but there have certainly been a few items I found less than flavorful (vegetable lentil soup, cauliflower, spicy veggie curry).
Last week I tried the seared tofu, and it was absolutely amazing. It is an appetizer, but comes with five or six good sized slices of tofu, and I would eat it as a meal. I also fell in love with the DELICIOUS tofu masala. I couldn't be happier with either of those selections and highly recommend them.
I also like that you get to choose two menu items and have it served in a variety of ways (plated with rice, lettuce wraps, roti taco, etc). It gives a little extra variety depending on your mood.
One complaint I have is that they do not know which wines are vegan. To have a separate menu focusing on vegan entrees and to not know what complimentary drinks are also vegan leaves me a little dissatisfied.
Overall, Bombay has good service, a good location next to Whole Foods, progressive menu items, is moderately priced, and has a good variety of items available for vegans and carnivores alike.Listed in: Get your Veg on, The Most Annoying Eater…
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Review from Sandra M.
North Bend, WA
8/11/2011
I did the "create your own entree". White rice, tikka masala, lamb. Had Papadam crisps to scoop up the lamb. It was really good. I asked for extra spice (otherwise they serve it not so spicy). It was a bit spicy, but still could of had a bit more heat. On a scale of 1 to 5, I would say the spice was a 3. It was still delicious. I ordered a Ginger Green Tea and it had no flavor. It was mostly water.
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Review from Jason B.
10/20/2010 1 Check-in Here
Went here with a party of 3 last night (Tuesday) at about 7pm. The place was mostly empty with just a few diners eating. The decor is modern, neat and clean if that makes sense to anybody. It wasn't over the top and you probably couldn't tell this was an Indian food place by looking at the decor at all.
I am beginning to like Indian cuisine and its good that there is a place like Bombay Spice that makes it healthier. This is good because I had no idea that "regular" Indian food was unhealthy. Oops.
I've been meaning to try this place for a while and by chance I found it on Local Dines so I snatched up a $40 cert for $20 ( http://bit.ly/dfR4eQ ). Definitely a solid find for a solid place and worth it because their food isn't very expensive to begin with.
Anyway, the service was excellent and the food came out quickly. Here is what I sampled:
* Caesar Salad - this was weird and I'm glad I tried it but I wouldn't get it again. It was just Romain lettuce tossed with some weird Caesar-like dressing. Our waitress said it was a weird salad but I wanted it anyway.
* Sauce Sampler w/ naan bread - this was just ok. It was worth it though to try their sauces. Nothing to special about it.
* Lentil Soup - I didn't like this. It was really thick and weird.
* Tikka Skewers - Peppers, onions and chicken stir fried. This was pretty good.
* Beef Tikka Masala, Chicken Curry, Spinach and Tofu, and Chicken Keema - all of this was very good. I got 2 of the above and sampled the rest off of the other plates of my party. My only real issue is that the food lacked a certain kick or pizazzz. I guess that's what all the unhealthy stuff that other places use adds to the dish. I don't know....it just wasn't as flavorful as I would have liked. I would order the stuff again though. Perhaps next time I will kick it up a noch with some of that stuff on the table that looks like cinnamon but later learned it was some hot spice stuff.
I will be back soon to try more of their stuff! -
Review from Bill L.
Phoenix, AZ
6/5/2011
Stopped in for lunch. Not fancy. If you want a great chicken curry, come here. Service was great. I'd come for dinner any time. Good wine selection,
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Review from Nicole M.
Phoenix, AZ
5/20/2011
Bombay has done an absolutely fabulous job in menu revisions lately. Being a Vegetarian, it is a fabulous place! There is a tofu or potato option available for all entree choices. There food is also extremely low calorie and healthy. It's so darn good, though that this seems to be untrue! (but it's not). I never feel overly full or stuffed. They have awesome wine specials (20 bucks a bottle for a large variety of
tastes-some high end) and some couple's nights deals comparable to most restaurants (20 buckish). Happy hour specials look awesome, though end before I'm off work and head out.
I minus one small star for service. Seems mildly slackish at times and not customer centered. It's a small establishment, so I unfortunately cannot blame a busy server/bartender. At times the service does seem aloof. However, if you love modern music, fabulous Indian food, and a wide variety of wine, come hither.
It's a great place I feel is trying to improve and I applaud the option of Vegetarian dishes and all low calorie, body happy foods. Kudos Bombay! -
Review from Dan D.
Mesa, AZ
5/17/2011
If you like Indian Cuisine, this is THE place to go. Lamb Chops appetizer- amazing. Entree equally delish! Great service too!
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Review from Honest R.
Phoenix, AZ
5/8/2011
Having to eat gluten free these days, I was really hoping to find a new restaurant I enjoyed and can eat at safely. Nope on both counts. I would like to point out to you review readers to remember to read reviews carefully. If they are superlative without offering many specifics, or the details tend towards telling you what things cost and special offers and overspecific details about the owners/managers, you might want to take the review with a big ol' salt lick.
Bombay Spice is somebody's idea of making Indian food more accessible and healthy. What did they do? They deconstructed the cuisine, breaking it down into components (meat or veg mostly) and sauces (korma, tikka, etc). They took out the cream and ghee (butter) and the MSG (you may not know it but many Indian restaurants use MSG). The meat is cubed chicken breast and fish. There is no paneer. The enjoyment you derive from this menu comes exclusively from the self-congratulatory superiority you feel from eating bland-ish, deracinated "indian" food. If you are a celiac like me, you eat there because you can and there are few alternatives available.
The waitress was pleasant and friendly, but utterly unknowledgeable about Indian food. Bombay Spice advertises itself as an Indian restaurant healthy alternative with gluten free options. This means that staff must know their way around Indian cuisine, basic nutritional issues, and the gluten-free diet. She lacked these understandings and didn't know what paneer is.
Oh, and she talked us into eating this chickpea ceviche. I am weary of hummus and chickpeas on restaurant menus - the reason you are seeing hummus everywhere is because it's cheap to make - but my dining mate wanted this, so I caved. Allow me first to be certain you know what ceviche is - it's fish marinated in chilis and or citrus and or garlic and onions and herbs. BS's version of chickpea ceviche was this huge pile of chickpeas covered in this gloppy, sweet, pinkish-gray sauce. We were told it had onions and tomato, and with diligent searching, we each found one tiny (3 mm) cube of each in our dish. It was all chickpeas and sweet, yogurt-based glop. This was a rare time I could not quite figure out what was in a dish by looking at it and tasting it. Was it chickpeas mixed with Yoplait blueberry yogurt? Perhaps. My friend ate two bites and apologized to me for wanting to order it.
We also got the pappadums as a side with some sauces. There were 4 sauces offered - tamarind, mint-chilli, "red," and a yogurt raita. They supplied 2 tiny spoons for the 4 sauces. We needed a couple more tiny spoons. The sauces were ok-ish, but the "red" sauce tasted pretty much like hot paprika mixed with water and oil. None of them were memorable. The portions were very small, less than 1 tablespoon of each sauce, except maybe 3 T of the raita.
Our entrees were acceptable in flavor. The sauces were tasty and close enough to what you'd expect. They were just meat and sauce. There was a problem though - my gluten-free entree came with triangles of bread surrounding it. Even a crumb of bread makes me ill - this is why I'm so careful about eating out and don't eat in restaurants that don't understand the restrictions of the GF diet. Bombay Spice advertises its gluten-free options. This is why I was here. The manager was friendly and accommodating, but once something like this happens, the cat is out of the bag, and I know the kitchen staff doesn't understand the GF diet, and they've probably thrown flour and bread crumbs everywhere and taken no precautions against cross contamination of bread-ish things into the other food. I was now on notice, and my bellyache 2 hours later confirmed I'd eaten more than a crumb of gluten.
At some point my wine glass was refilled gratis which was nice of them as an apology, but it won't make things right for my intestines, which unfortunately can't eat any gluten and won't heal for 2 or 3 days. Can somebody tell me why so many of the reviewers on here claim that $6/glass wine is a great deal? It's not. The BS wine list is full of bottles that retail for less than $10, meaning their glasses cost them $1.50 each, and many other restaurants charge less for wine. I got a $2.95 glass recently in a restaurant, and that's their regular price for house red.
Finally, the decor is dull - medium brown wood chairs, typical restaurant bench-ish seating, a long shotgun of a dining area with a semi-open kitchen. Not a place to go if you like interesting spaces. Overall, this place is a dud. -
Review from Ron S.
Phoenix, AZ
1/15/2011
This restaurant would be a very nice introductory experience for those who have not previously enjoyed Indian food.
For those who have are more experienced with Indian, Pakistani or Afghan cuisine this restaurant will not be a par experience with your favorite family ran establishment. -
Review from Winston S.
Phoenix, AZ
8/18/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Been here a few times. Will keep going. This place will redefine Indian food for you, not the standard buffet you are probably used to. Chicken tikka masala is my favorite at the moment, love the coconut milk in it. Rice pudding or carrot halwa are always good for dessert. I started putting cardamom on my vanilla ice cream because of this place :)
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Review from Suzanne T.
Phoenix, AZ
7/26/2011
I got a Groupon and was excited to try a new Indian restaurant. We were seated right away and received our drinks not far behind.
There was one server and one guy just walking around ~ not too sure what his roll was.
My husband and I both ordered the "naan bread tikka masala chicken" sandwich. The "naan bread" was a tortilla and the tikka masala was out of a can (not very flavorful). The only reason why I knew that there were veggies in the sandwich was because I saw them ~ they also didn't have any flavor.
I asked for more tikka masala sauce due to the dryness of the sandwich and it arrived just two bites before I was done. Yes, I finished my sandwich but that was because I was extremely hungary.
We went to try the restaurant due to the reviews but I was very disappointed. Maybe the dinner menu is better. -
Review from Hemant M.
Scottsdale, AZ
5/19/2011
Really bad food, tasted like frozen food ...
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Review from Jay J.
Phoenix, AZ
9/28/2011
Fantastic flavors, nice presentation, good portion size, novel menu, vegan and gluten-free options, appealing restaurant design, clean, friendly staff. Ordering spicy (vs mild) it was actually spicy.
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Review from Rochelle G.
Los Angeles, CA
8/10/2011
I went there on a thursday with some girlfriends and had an amazing time. We went on a night where they For $10 you get your 1st glass of wine and a henna design. I was so excited to see they had a Vegan menu, everything from the food to the service was excellent.
The pricing was so affordable too whats not to love about Bombay Spice!!!
