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Cafe of India - CLOSED
Category: Restaurants Indian Indian [Edit]
52 Brattle StCambridge, MA 02138
Neighborhood: Harvard Square
(617) 661-0683
- Nearest Transit:
-
114 Mt Auburn St (71, 73)
Mt Auburn St @ Story St (71, 73)
Brattle St @ Massachusetts Ave (86)
- Parking:
- Street
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
K P. said: "If you really love Indian food, and I mean, really care that it's good and not just like the stuff in the freezer at Trader Joes, this is your destination. Incredible service and Tikka Masala sauce to die for (real onion pieces, thick,…" read more »
169 reviews for Cafe of India
Review Highlights
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"I went for my usual, chicken tikka masala and basmati rice..." In 15 reviews -
"Excellent lunch buffet." In 20 reviews -
"Set in Harvard Square, the place is great." In 22 reviews
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169 reviews in English
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Review from Elizabeth G.
Somerville, MA
4/22/2012 8 Check-ins Here
RIP, Cafe of India.
I think yours was the first Indian food that this Minnesota girl ever tried.
Your papadam were my gateway drug. Your tadka dal, like a comfortable pair of jeans. Your palak paneer, flannel pajama pants. I could swear that your rajma masala sang me "Sweet Baby James."
As the years passed, I tried other Indian restaurants, but still I kept coming back to you, like a first love that just "gets" you in a way no one else will.
You had your redeeming features: those grand front windows, swept open to the sweet fresh air of a spring or fall day. Your reliably good food, and cheap lunch buffet. But I'm not gonna lie -- you're a 10-minute walk from my office. I know it hurts to hear, but if I'm gonna be honest, convenience was part of what kept drawing me back.
As time went by, others had their doubts about you. Recent reviews mention "abysmal" service, goofed-up orders or simply being practically ignored. I always felt the need to defend you. After all, there was such a history between us.
(Interlude: "Freedom" by Wham!) "But you know that I'll forgive you just this once, twice, forever, 'cause baby you could drag me to hell and back just as long as we're together... and you dooooooo"
In a way, it's good that you've gone. Now I am free to move on. -
Review from Steven N.
Somerville, MA
5/1/2012
We ordered take out and when I went to pick it up, two servers were chatting and ignored me. I waited about a minute and finally one of the servers walked toward me looked at the take out bag on the counter, mumbled something to me, and went into the kitchen. After another minute the other server walked toward me only to be called away by a third server moving tables, clearly seeing me standing there by the take out bag. So I spoke up saying nicely, 'Excuse me, is there anyone to ring me up? It doesn't seem like anyone wants my money.' The last server laughs but still makes no move to take my money. Finally the second server walks past me to a register, still not acknowledging me. I was left to figure out the she was ringing me up. I felt like telling her that I didn't think I'd be coming back ever. But it didn't seem like she cared anyway.
And to top it off, now back at home after eating, my girlfriend and I don't feel so well.
Definitely not going back. -
Review from Meg R.
Cambridge, MA
3/10/2012
Ugh. While this isn't the worst restaurant I've ever been to, it's definitely one I'll never go back to. I went for the lunch buffet and if I didn't have a Groupon, I'd definitely have felt ripped-off. The whole place was pretty shabby, as was the food. Dishes were strewn about the buffet and it was impossible to know if they were dirty or clean. The samosas were totally cold, the rice clumpy, the dishes monotone and oily. There was a cold section of the buffet with lettuce and deflated blueberries which left me confused. One of the veg entrees was EGG CURRY--hard-boiled eggs in oily curry. Suffice to say, I've never seen this offered in any other Indian restaurant, nor should it be.
The one saving grace was the mulligatawny soup--it was delicious. -
Review from Camille R.
Somerville, MA
1/30/2012
Cafe India is by far the WORST Indian food I've ever had.
One of my girlfriends and I have Indian food everytime we get togethe and this day I had a coupon to Cafe India. The biggest regret of my life is accepting this coupon and having to sit through a meal - is it a meal if you can't even eat it - at Cafe India?
We walked by the window and it looked packed, but when we got inside we saw they had just sat everyone in front of the window. The entire restaurant was empty.
Complimentary fried veggies made it to our table, but they were so old or just cooked to death, the grease and rubbery texture deemed them inedible. We had the aloo mutter, which was watered down and drowning in canned tomato sauce. The bengan bharta was so dark (I've never seen it like this) and so salty I only had a few bites. I asked for onion chutney, which was doused in salt and inedible, and the mint chutney tasted like green water. We asked for garlic naan, they brought potato naan and regular naan. We thought the regular was complimentary, but when we got the bill we had been charged for both. Neither of us said anything about the problems we had through the meal, I don't know why.
The waitstaff was non-existent. Our waters were never filled, no one asked of if we wanted more wine, and we sat there for 10mins before we even saw anyone we could ask for our check. They took another 10mins to bring our check. They didn't add our coupon to the bill and had to adjust it. That took another 10mins. -
Review from Allison T.
Allston, MA
Updated - 1/26/2012
Goodbye Cafe of India - you've permanently lost yourself a set of customers. We went last night for a low key dinner and arrived to find the restaurant almost empty. There were five people working the floor which seemed a bit crazy since there weren't even five tables full of people seated for dinner.
Our food was disgusting. I mean awful. Drowning in grease - I have no idea what happened to the wonderful food that we'd gotten used to. There were also, in both dishes we ordered, uncooked, hard, peas, and some seeds that had been left in. My dining companion nearly chipped his tooth.
I can pass on an off night for food - what I can't pass on though, are restaurant staff who are rude, dismissive, and near bullies to their customers.
We watched, sort of horrified, as the table behind us went through their entire meal repeatedly asking for a few dishes that had been forgotten. An exceptionally rude woman who was working the floor (not sure whether she's a manager or server) basically told them, more than once, to calm down and wait. Their missing side dishes arrived after they'd finished their meal and sent their food to be wrapped to go home. WOW. Rude woman did not offer to comp them, didn't apologize, nothing.
Around this time we'd finished, had our meals wrapped up, and had been sitting, for 10 minutes, trying to catch the attention of our own server who was, for all intents and purposes, wandering aimlessly around the restaurant. We waited a few more minutes and then asked the aformentioned woman, since she was kind of hanging around near our table, whether we could please have our check. Her response: "ugh, yeah, yeah, just hold on." Then SHE ROLLED HER EYES! WOW. Another fifteen minutes went by before we finally got another server's attention, got the check, and had to pass it off to someone else to get it paid (our server was now making drinks for another table and had apparently forgotten about us).
An off night with food I can understand, new servers or people who seem a little off, I can also give a pass to. But someone who is visibly hostile towards customers, repeatedly, just makes me not want to visit again.
Dear Cafe of India - you've lost quite a few of us as customers permanently. If you'd like to retain others, I suggest you teach your staff some manners.2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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8/15/2010
So five years after the mousey incident I decided to give Cafe of India a second shot - and I was… Read more »
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Review from Dave F.
Newark, DE
1/29/2012
Thing I love about Yelp is the extremety of ratings. I was visiting Cambridge and the hotel suggested this place. I went in early and it was certainly not crowded. I ordered the Special Plate and was rapidly given bread and soup etc. I thought the food was very good, not fatty, well flavored to the level I requested.
Outside of NYC and maybe India, it was very satisfactory and I would return when next I am in Cambridge -
Review from Sara M.
Boston, MA
1/25/2012 1 Check-in Here
This is my spot for good, reliable Indian food. The naan is awesome (I always get garlic) and their chicken tikka masala has great flavor - especially when you order it spicy. The buffet offers a wide selection of dishes (usually a grilled chicken dish, a goat dish, a chickpea dish, rice, vegetable samosas, and one or two other items) if you'd like to try out some new things without paying a ton of money. I believe they do a lunch buffet everyday for around $10, and a dinner buffet (not sure how often) for $15. Everything I have had there has been enjoyable and I have definitely taken advantage of the buffet to widen my knowledge of Indian dishes.
Also, this is one of the restaurants that offers some good gift certificates on http://restaurants.com - check it out before you go! -
Review from Jessica W.
Somerville, MA
1/19/2012 1 Check-in Here
While Cafe of India does some things fine, it's also weak in other areas.
I shared the vegetarian dinner for two with a friend. The lentil soup was lukewarm, though we had no complaints with the piping hot samosas. The naan was kind of doughy. The dish of rice was quite generous, and more than enough for the two entrees that came with the meal.
At Cafe of India, you can choose your entrees, whereas at other restaurants, the kitchen often decides. We had the shahi paneer and the aloo mutter, and requested them medium spicy. They both came out mild. The shahi paneer was a bit too salty, and oily enough that you could see the oil separate from the rest of the sauce. The aloo mutter was a little sour--not to the point where it was inedible, but it was odd.
You get your choice of desserts from a selection of three, and we had the gulab jamun and the rice pudding. Between appetizers, main dishes and dessert, the dessert was the best course overall. The dessert portions are small, but the entire vegetarian dinner for two is definitely more than enough food for your dynamic duo.
We didn't have any issues with the service, and the food came quickly. But there are other Indian restaurants in Harvard Square that are worth trying before coming back here. -
Review from Celia Z.
Cafe of India is my favorite Indian Restaurant so far. Its spices and deep rich flavor, especially for their lunch buffet, always caters to my flavor loving tongue. With a rotating assortment of entrees, appetizers, and dessert, I get variety without having to pay a high price. Especially if you buy a Groupon Now! coupon, you're in for a wonderful bargain.
The garlic naan is buttery and slightly crispy. The spinach dip is an exploding bite of flavor. The broccoli and cauliflower drips of sauce in every bite. The chicken tikka masala is perfectly marinated. The tandoori chicken is tender. The coconut rice dessert is rich and satisfyingly sweet. The atmosphere is beautiful with low background music and actually feels like an Indian (but very Americanized) atmosphere.
And their fruit plate includes really shiny grapes. My friend and I marveled over that for a minute before engulfing three plates of fruit.
When you leave, there is a bowl of spices mixed in with sprinkles to refresh the tongue. One of the most exotic pleasures I ever tasted.
Definitely worth coming back numerous times for. My favorite lunch buffet of any Indian restaurant. And I've been to quite a few. -
Review from Samir S.
Cambridge, MA
3/14/2012
Headline: "The food is so greasy that you'll need sunglasses to avoid the glare from your meal."
I've been going to Cafe of India for the past two years and it's really astonishing to see how this place has managed to fall into the state of crapiness that it currently resides in. Nonetheless, given it's location and the fact that excellent Boston Indian restaurants such as Mela are a bit of a trek, I find myself here once in an odd while.
Tonight's meal however was so bad that I will never return...NEVER.
So, I guess you're wondering what the straw that broke the camel's back was. If you have a couple minutes, read on. If you don't have a couple minutes, just heed the following advice: DO NOT GO HERE for indian food. It's an insult to a country with a truly vibrant and delicious cuisine.
My evening...
FOOD:
We decided to order one 'Cafe Special Dinner for One' (consisting of soup, veggie samosa, chicken makhini, sizzling tandoori sampler, rice and naan), one Paneer Makhini, and one tandoori roti.
The soup was completely tasteless. It was so watered down and tasted horrible. The chicken and paneer makhini was so oily it was like the Exxon Valdez disaster (seriously...I was desperately trying to rescuing the poor cubes of paneer but it was too late). The rice had to be sent back because we found a random plastic piece of the rice bag in it (ewwwww). The sizzling tandoori sampler was horrendous. The meat was so tough it was like chewing on the spare goodyear tire in the trunk of my car.
We asked for the food to be made spicy but our requests were simply ignored and we were served mild at best dishes.
SERVICE:
It kind of sucks to go to a restaurant where the waiters show little care for their customers. We ordered a tandoori roti and our waiter forgot to tell the kitchen. We notified him immediately when our food arrived but it still took 15 minutes to come out (at the very end of our meal). We were dissatisfied with the food quality but our waiter never came by to ask how the food was. We spoke to the manager but he was even worse. He was completely dismissive of our feedback and kept using the excuse: 'it happens'. I've never seen such apathy and a complete lack of standards at any restaurant I've been too.
Last but not least...and I really hate to go here...the waiter and the manager can barely speak english. It's painful to communicate with these guys and that's probably the reason so many of the little things fall through the cracks at this place.
CONCLUSION:
This place needs a major overhaul. Attitudes need to change and the food needs some adjusting as well. Maybe they should consider applying to 'Kitchen Nightmares' so that Chef Gordon Ramsey can fix them up. Seriously, this place is a sad sad sad attempt at Indian food.
--A concerned brown dude -
Review from Shani C.
Somerville, MA
11/19/2011
Unfortunately mediocre. There are several better restaurants nearby, so I'm unsurprised the place is frequently empty. The food is not outstanding in any way, and the service is really indifferent.
On the most recent visit, there was such a problem splitting the check with two credit cards that the cards actually disappeared for more than 10 minutes. That kind of thing makes me really twitchy, and I don't think I will go back. -
Review from Ronn F.
Somerville, MA
11/12/2011
The two most disappointing things about this restaurant were the quality of the food and the service. We arrived on a Friday night and were promptly seated. The waiter came over and was extremely unpleasant when taking our order. He made us feel like we were bothering and inconveniencing him by being there. The order did come quickly and the appetizer platter was quite good (especially the samosa and paneer pakora). About a minute after we received this, our meals were brought out, where they sat while we finished the appetizer. No one attempted to clear any of the plates, so we awkwardly had to move around all of the items to make room for the dinner which we were not yet ready to eat.
The swordfish was very, very chewy. As we sat, chewing like ruminants, the waiter walked by and asked us how we were doing. We told him that the swordfish was bad--dry and chewy--and he seemed incredulous. He stood there in silence with a pained look on his face for a while until we asked if we could get something else. He seemed even more shocked at this and pretty much told us we couldn't. After insisting, he finally got the manager, who was not much more pleasant. He did, however, bring us a Chicken Tikka Masala as a relpacement. It wasn't great.
I'd enjoyed the buffet there previously and the naan was great. Still, I will never go back there. They really don't know how to treat a customer. The prices are on the high end for Indian food as well. -
Review from Margaret W.
Medford, MA
1/27/2012
I echo Allison T's comments. I too was at the restaurant last night, and noticed the empty tables and the waitstaff lingering near the door. Which made it that much more vexing that we had to wait and wait and wait and wait to get our waiter's attention and get out the door.
The room was loud -- no soft, absorbing surfaces anywhere and the folks in the table behind us were not of, say we say, delicate voice. We had to literally shout to be heard over them.
Our food was also pretty unpalatable -- rock-hard veggie balls, lumpy (perhaps old?) rice, and who thinks adding sweetener to coconut soup is a good idea? Either that or they cooked it using coconut creme, which is way inappropriate.
In any way, we won't be returning to Cafe of India. Arlington's Punjab by way of comparison has fantastic food, great service and a lovely atmosphere. -
Review from Beth M.
Cambridge, MA
1/24/2012
Pros: Great naan. Watching it get made in the tandoors is cool!
Cons: Everything else seemed so-so to not that great at a recent trip to the lunch buffet. Lukewarm food often lacked flavor, the chicken was dry, the dessert was really one-dimensional. The servers were polite but very slow.
Wish we could get the naan from here with the rest of another nearby Indian lunch buffet that we prefer in every other way! -
Review from Lynne B.
Watertown, MA
8/4/2011
I went to Cafe of India with a Groupon Now Deal today. The deal was $8 for $11 buffet. Normally I stay clear of buffets, as every one I've ever tried has been a lot of mediocre (at best) lukewarm food - but today I was hungry & I thought I'd give it a try.
Well, when I got there, I wasn't pleased to see that the cost of the buffet was really $8.95!!! Like I said, I was hungry, also really tired & since I already bought the Groupon, I didn't want to turn around and go home.
Let me make this clear: this particular "Now-Deal" was good ONLY today for the lunch buffet - so it was an out & out lie. If they had been honest, (they don't put the cost of the buffets on their website, I now realize), they would have said it was a 95 cent savings!!!
I also didn't realize that this restaurant conglomerate also owns - in addition to about a zillion other places - Mumba Choptix in the Back Bay. I remember reading a review by Yelper, Nitin K., where they did the same type of bait & switch game - claiming a savings that wasn't there! Since I read that review (and other negative ones) I avoided going to Mumba Chopstix, only to get scammed by Cafe of India!!
That left a bad taste in my mouth - but as bad as this is, it's not as bad as how sick I was after eating the food there.
Never again!!
Edit: Although this isn't a review for Groupon, thought I'd pass the follow-up along to other Yelpers. I filled out Groupon's email form to let them know about this deception - was amazed that they actually credited the $8 back to me!! I actually didn't expect it - didn't even ask for it. Just wanted them to be aware of this bad business practice. As I suspected, they did not know - and Groupon impressed me again with their customer service. "Taste of the World" (the company that owns Cafe of India and the zillion other places) should take note. Somehow, I don't think they will... -
Review from K.C. K.
Boston, MA
11/20/2011
This is one of my favorite places in the area, and definitely my favorite Indian in Boston. While I'm admittedly not the most adventurous diner of Indian food, Cafe of India gets all of my staples right: samosas, vindaloo, korma, chicken tikka masala, saag paneer, aloo gobi, aloo muttar, dosas and naan.
Service has always been fine and the restaurant is clean. I even like their buffets, and I usually hate buffets. I need to come here more often; we went today and I am reminded yet again how much I love it. -
Review from Reem M.
Boston, MA
2/27/2012
I only go there for the buffet and it is worth it. Variety of delicious food and great price if you go during the lunch time.
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Review from V C.
Boston, MA
Updated - 2/6/2012
This was my last time.
Service was terrible (time-wise), food is an average (quality-wise).
Tables are so close to each other - you overhear others. It gives such a claustriphobic feeling and so much noise.
Not a sound of indian music, except in a restroom.
I actually left the place with a headacke.
Sorry.
Even groupon will not get me there.
The only good side was: the server (an old guy) was extra-pleasant.2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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11/28/2011
This time it was a way better experience, me and my husband enjoyed greatly our night-out.
We had a… Read more »
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Review from John S.
5/11/2011
I hate giving bad reviews to Indian restaurants, since I love Indian food so much. But my recent visit there was a spectacular failure.
The food was fine, don't get me wrong. Tender chicken, flavorful spinach, great naan, the whole nine yards.
But the service was abysmal, and the nadir was when an inept waiter dropped an entire tray of dirty dishes, spraying me with rice and yogurt. He didn't apologize until about ten minutes later, when he offered me a free beer, which I turned down. He didn't offer me anything else (not to pick up the dry cleaning bill, or to get me a dessert), because apparently it was either the beer or nothing at all.
Also, they were out of virtually all of their dessert options, which I learned over a span of fifteen minutes as the server kept returning to my table to tell me they didn't have any of what I was ordering.
Overall, a crushingly disappointing time. If I was just judging on food, I'd be happy. But when you walk out covered in spilled food without much of an apology to mollify you, you've got to rate it as a bad experience. -
Review from David K.
Belmont, MA
7/1/2011
Beautiful room, love the on-kitchen window and the open-air exterior wall.
The food? Hit or miss. The buffet can be alright, but my recent dinner with my family left me completely turned off.
We were the only patrons when we arrived and yet one of our appetizer orders (chicken tikka) came out cold and dry. I understand it gets a little dry and a little tepid but this was simply left out too long before they brought it.
The swordfish was supposed to be fresh...maybe it was, but it didn't taste it. The lamb was overcooked and tough and the korma sauce with the cheese (shahi paneer korma), though very tasty, was far too acidic for my taste...I expect it to be mostly creamy and it really had the essence of a tomato dish.
The cheese pakoras were ok but not seasoned, so incredibly bland. The samosa which I think was supposed to have shrimp had a large quantity of poorly seasoned or poorly cooked spinach which lent a medicinal quality.
I liked the gulab jamun dessert but the ras malai tasted like it had been either poorly stored or stored too long in a freezer and was impossible to enjoy.
As for the service, it was at times very good and at times we waited ages for any attention at all.
The kicker - all our entrees were $15 or more and WAY less delicious than the Indian food at, say, the food court in a mall. Absolutely insulting - it feels like we were literally robbed.
Go to the buffet if you are working nearby and craving Indian, otherwise brace for disappointment. -
Review from Vawnya N.
Boston, MA
5/19/2011
Last night was my first time at Cafe of India, and I have to say it was quite nice, despite how packed it was. (I clearly wasn't the only one who wound up waiting until the last day before my Groupon expired.)
Since I had forgotten about my Groupon until the last minute, I ended up going by myself, which was probably a good thing. The line to be sat was backed up out the door, so I took a seat at their small bar and was served right away. I was greeted just a minute or so after sitting with a complimentary plate of a few potato pakoras with sliced cucumber and a lovely sauce. A very nice touch, I must say.
Since I had $30 to spend, I knew I'd be ordering a lot, and taking 2/3 of it home for left overs. I started with the vegetable pakoras, which were huge. A large serving of deliciousness that came quickly in a cute serving basket. These alone could fill a person!
I then ordered the Chicken Tikka Masala and Peshawari Naan. The chicken was incredibly tender, but I would probably order it medium next time instead of mild. The Naan was a little drier than I usually liked, but still quite tasty.
My service was great. These men were working a more than packed house, and yet I was constantly checked in on by both the bartender and other servers.
Overall, really nice food and service. It's a little pricier than I normally pay for Indian, but if this Groupon pops up again, I'll be there in a heartbeat! -
Review from Alla T.
Middlesex, MA
10/15/2011
The worst customer service ever. I had never have such an unpleasant experience in the restaurant. One of the servers was loudly upset about the tip that her table left her, then he was practically screaming at another server right in the middle of the restaurant. Our server didn't speak any English, which would be fine if he tried to smile once in a while or at least refile my water once. We went there on the group and when I gave the print out the server, he studied in for 5 minutes, right at the table, made me very uncomfortable. The whole experience was very unpleasant, didn't expect it... oh the food, was ok, nothing special at all, definitely didn't worth the trip.
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Review from Wenjiao Z.
Malden, MA
1/4/2012
It's O~~K~~.
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Review from P. K.
Somerville, MA
3/2/2011
This place was an absolute nightmare.
The service was incredibly slow, I mean we were there for over two hours in total in a half empty restaurant as a party of two.
I asked for cream for my tea and it was curdled. That was disgusting.
The staff were rude and when I complained to the manager about how we sat for 25 minutes before we even ordered AND I was served cream well past its expiration date he knocked only 20% off the bill. Also they didn't even replace my tea which now had curdled cream in it. GROSS! -
Review from Leslie W.
4/13/2011
On a cold, rainy afternoon, the thought of a warm Indian food buffet bolstered my spirits.
Walking in, I was struck by the size of the restaurant. It was much bigger than it seemed on the outside. There were some nice tables by the window, a whole wall of booths and larger tables in the center of the restaurant. The center of the restaurant features a glassed off area where a chef prepares food, right in front of your eyes. I saw him pull out several skewers from the tandoor oven.
Both Amy and I went for the buffet. When at a new place, you want to try as many things as you can. So, I did. The only thing I did not try on the buffet was the kheer. There was a huge flat heated dish with squash and chicken on it. (I would call it a giant comal, if you're of the Mexican persuasion.) That was wonderful. The other standouts included: mint chutney, chicken tikka masala and the sliced omelet hidden next to the salad bar.
We were given a choice of garlic or plain naan. I don't usually order garlic naan, as I find it can compete with the flavors of some Indian foods, so I asked for plain. I like when naan is a little chewy from being undercooked. This naan was exactly that. Awesome.
The other vegetarian foods were fine, but not as spicy as I would have liked.
Our server was good about refilling water glasses, but less so about my iced tea glass. Amy stopped him to ask him to refill my glass. I appreciated that, but wish that he would have recognized that on his own. -
Review from Monica H.
Houston, TX
6/10/2011
All right, I've tried three Indian buffets in Cambridge since I've moved here, and this is my favorite one by far.
The options were fantastic. On a Saturday morning: the main dishes were four veggie dishes, tandoori chicken, goat curry, and chicken tikka masala. On top of that, there was soup, sweets (kneer!) and the usual chutneys. You also had the option of regular or garlic naan.
The service was definitely lacking. My water did not get filled, and I was basically ignored until I bad to pay. But that's okay because it's a buffet. The regular naan was also too thick and buttery.
Even though the Indian food here can't compare to the ones I've had in Houston, Cafe of India is definitely a favorite in Boston. -
Review from Jen S.
Cambridge, MA
5/10/2011
I used to only get take-out from Cafe of India, and always the same thing: tandoori shrimp masala & aloo paratha or aloo naan. Twice in as many months, I decided to try dining in the restaurant, once for the lunch buffet so I could try a few new things, and once to use a groupon and have my favorite shrimp masala.
The first time, for the lunch buffet, the service was slower than molasses in January, and I got so sick afterwards. I thought it might just have been the intense variety of spices imbibed, although that's usually not a problem.
The second time, I wouldn't have thought it possible for the service to be any slower... but, sure enough... our waiter disappeared. We were forgotten. Finally, I asked another waiter for help, and our food came out, but the usual raita and chutney that comes with naan didn't come, and I had to ask for it... first, a huge bowl of raita came out. I said, I thought there'd just be a little of each, to go with the bread... so he took it back & brought out small bowls of each. It took forever to get our tab, too, and then longer still for the waiter to settle it.
Forget dining in at this place. Ugh. -
Review from Karen D.
3/23/2011
I would give it 3.5 stars if I could. I went there with a Groupon with my boyfriend on an early Sunday evening. There were only a few people when we got there, so there really wasn't a good buzz yet. I was kind of put off at first because the menu was dirty and when I used the restroom, it wasn't dirty, but kind of messy.
But the place redeemed itself. The service was good, the food was very good, and they had some cool low-key Buddah Bar Club music playing.
We got the curries and korma along with naan. There was definitely enough to fill you.
I would go back on a warm evening when they open up the windows to the street when there was more of a crowd in there. -
Review from Carrie C.
Boston, MA
2/29/2012
Not a bad place. I had a Groupon for here so I figured I'd check it out. Nice atmosphere and we were greeted and seated promptly. The food was good, though I have to say I am used to a little more spice. I know I ordered my food "mild," but that doesn't mean no spice. I guess I'm just used to other places which like to make you beg for water. The waiter was less than attentive, but I assume that's because of the Groupon. Sometimes people assume you're a cheapskate if you use those and you get less than stellar service. Overall I'm neutral.
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Review from Alicia D.
Salem, MA
1/23/2012
Where to begin? We went on a very cold night, and it was also very cold in the restaurant. Maybe they had a problem with the heat, but we were greeted with a space heater, and there was also one near our table. The restroom was absolutely arctic; like no heat at all, and the trash was overflowing. Needless to say I was back at the table in about one minute, looking forward to my soup. Well, it was lukewarm and not that great. But it was part of a vegetarian meal for two, so my husband and I hoped for better things to come. Oh, and when we switched from regular entrees to the veg meal for two, it totally confused the waitress, and we feared we might get the meal plus the entrees that we were considering, but then we switched. OK, all went well with that. The apps were good; samosas, yum yum. But the entrees were pretty bland. We got saag paneer (spinach) and baingan bartha (eggplant--I might have spelled it wrong...) and they were both pretty flavorless. We also got a cabbage dish that was a first of a lifetime for me: Indian food I simply could not eat because it tasted bad. Wow, that has NEVER happened to me. Naan was totally bland and overcooked. Rice was plentiful but cold. At one point our waitress walked away when my husband was ordering a soda..it was actually funny. They did not have the beer I wanted. And finally, the meal for two comes with coffee or tea and dessert. We were presented with the check and no offer of dessert. Well, I was dying to get out of there, and was not looking forward to cold tea, so we just paid the bill and left without mentioning the lack of dessert and coffee/tea. But seriously...sloppy on many fronts. Judging from the decent reviews we were probably there on an off night, but Yelper beware. This place looks as if its best days are behind it.
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Review from Steven L.
Cambridge, MA
12/12/2011
My Indian husband I went here and everything was fine. I let him order everything and it was just fine.
After I ate the naan I was actually full.
Good amount of vegetarian options.
Interior is kind of boring.
Staff was nice though.
Wouldn't go back again. -
Review from April Y.
Somerville, MA
12/9/2010
If I were rating based on the food alone, I'd probably give them a 4. It's pretty delicious, albeit a little pricey. ($9 for a bread basket? Come on!)
However, every time I've been here, I've had the slowest service imaginable. I went today for lunch, and had to take my food to go to get back to work on time. When we informed the waiter, who came to tell us it would be "just another minute or two" more than a half an hour after we'd ordered, he looked disappointed, but didn't offer to, say, comp that pricy bread basket. To be fair, he did offer free chai, but when you're racing back to work at 12:55, it's not really the time to sit and wait for a drink.
I know that the buffet is the big draw for lunch, but if they are unable to handle taking orders of the menu at the same time, they shouldn't even offer it as an option. -
Review from Caroline C.
Boston, MA
10/4/2010
If you like your food hot, order it HOT. Do not order 'medium' out of fear that it may be 'authentic.' Medium = MILD.
Other than lack of hot, the food was pretty decent, although not rock star fabulous. Huge portions, though - and since Indian often tastes better as leftovers, it makes for a fabulous lunch.
The Cafe Dinners (for one or two) are the best bet, as it allows you to get samosas, soup and all the fixings (rice, bread, etc) at a reasonable price.
A previous poster noted, however, that they try to get out of bringing you the coffee/tea and dessert that comes with these meals. Believe me, this is a blessing. Their masala tea . . . worst tea ever. And India, although home of many fabulous things, isn't known for its desserts.
Oh, and also - you can often get a discount for your meal. You can get a $25 off certificate from http://restaurant.com (which normally go on sale for $2 each). Also, they sometimes give you a discount if you have theatre tickets next door (depending on the production). -
Review from Jenna H.
Cambridge, MA
4/15/2011
Came here for dinner with a http://Restaurant.com gift certificate, and left full and happy. The only problem was, we ordered all of our food spicy and it was barely spicy at all. Weird!
Since we had to order 50$ worth of food with our gift thingy, we had a huge feast before us, and I would recommend any of the following: Aloo Chole, Saag Paneer, Aloo Paratha (delicious fried flatbread with potatoes and peas inside!) and we also ordered the Shrimp Do-Piaza, but I didn't like that very much; the sauce was too tomatoey, almost like ketchup or something.
A little pricey, but that's always the way with Indian food isn't it. -
Review from Teri L.
Worcester, MA
1/9/2011
This is a tough review because I don't have alot of experience with Indian food but I know what tastes good and what doesn't. I tried only the things I could tell what they were. Tandoori Chicken Dalwala, Basmati Rice, Chicken Tikka Masala...you get the picture. I wasn't going to eat goat sorry. The food was hot and full of flavor. The naan bread was amazing! Masala tea was delicious and the Kheer was the best! There was this other desert...Suji ka Halwa was the hit of the lunch! I will need to make this at home. I can't describe it nor can I tell you how good it was. Just know this.
I would love to go back and dare myself to go beyond my comfort zone and discover more about Indian food. I do think I love it! -
Review from Leighann F.
Astoria, Queens, NY
1/5/2009
I am beginning to think that getting good Indian food and decent service in the same restaurant is not possible. Though I am still a beginner in the genre of Indian food (and therefore can only offer an amateur opinion on the quality of the fare), I know what makes good service. Cafe of India is teetering on the dividing line between fair and poor service for several reasons. We sat for quite some time before anyone even came to say hello. Not one person that came to our table even said hello. They kind of just grunted or nodded. And of the four total times throughout the meal that someone did appear at our table (to deliver or clear food), not one person asked if we were enjoying our meal.
I'd say it was better than average to good. It's the first Indian restaurant I've been to where they serve you an amuse. This one consisted of deep fried eggplant with two dipping sauces. The samosas were crispy and well-seasoned. The lamb saagwala was some of the best I've yet to have, but the Tandoori Mixed Grill was poorly executed. Served on a sizzling platter, I had high hopes for this dish. Most of the meats were bland and dry. The vegetables, while fresh, had no flavor at all.
There was plenty of food left over, so we asked to pack some things to go. The waiter then took everything off of our table at once, piling dishes one atop the other, even those we were taking home. It took him quite a while to do this and it was really awkward to watch him arrange and rearrange the plates so he'd only have to make one trip to clear the whole table.
Once we had our to-go bag, we were, without a word of thanks, handed our bill. Did we want tea, coffee or dessert? Apparently the staff had decided for us already and was ushering us out the door.
Though Cafe of India is very close to home for me, I'd sooner check out other restaurants serving this cuisine before I'd come back here. -
Review from Nina N.
Brooklyn, NY
8/2/2011
If you know what decent Indian food tastes like: you wouldn't go to Cafe of India. We had the lunch buffet. Except for the rice :) everything was so bland... What a disappointment. I didn't like the big chunk of whip cream they put on top of my lassi, but it was the only decent thing I tasted in there: the mango lassi. One star for the lassi!!!
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Review from Kyle H.
1/4/2010
Yes, I agree with the local reviewers that the service here is curt, and done without a smile. My Cambridge host and I ate here early on New Year's Eve, and so perhaps it was slightly better than normal service, but not by much!
Still, when the tap beer tasted slightly "off" we weren't scared enough not to get up and ask for a different beer in a bottle. But besides that little problem, the food was excellent!
The Saag Paneer was good, although a few more cheese cubes wouldn't hurt. The Chicken Tikka Masal was excellent, a must order at Cafe of India if you like the dish elsewhere. The Veggie Samosa was good too. We were brought complimentary desserts of Kheer rice pudding. It was a nice gesture.
I could see this being a low expectation dinner option (as far as service goes), or coming here for their lunch Buffet- no server issues there!Listed in: Cambridge/Boston has Mass…
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Review from marie c.
Somerville, MA
6/2/2009
I struggled with the star rating on this one, I like it more than some of the other Indian places in Harvard Square, but am I really a fan? I don't know.
The decor is nice, but the seating area is quite dark. Service was a little awkward, but not rude or bad. Just a little off.
The food itself was quite good, and there was a lot of it. It made for great left overs the next night.
There was one weird thing that happened. We ordered the Riesling (Things I learned from my father: Indian food + German wine = a very good idea) and the bottle that showed up at our table wasn't the bottle on the menu. I didn't realize this until the end of our meal, so I don't really know what happened, but it was a bit odd.
Bottom line? If I'm looking for Indian in Harvard Square again, I might go back. Odds are that I'll probably just go to Diva in the future though--the prices are the same, the service is slightly more awkward, but the food is a bit better. -
Review from Hilary S.
Morgan Hill, CA
9/6/2010
I am a little leery of buffets in general, but I really thought that the lunch buffet at Café of India was quite good. It was larger than others I have been to with nice variety and interesting dishes.
If anything I thought that the service was a little too attentive with a server bringing our check before we'd finished and assuming I'd placed payment in it when I hadn't gotten to it yet. To his credit he seemed embarrassed and assured us we could take our time. I liked the decor and ambiance at Café of India, and the price was very reasonable.
