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Cuisine India
Category: Restaurants Indian Indian [Edit]
1212 Nasa PkwyHouston, TX 77058
Neighborhood: Clear Lake
(281) 333-4343
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 11 am - 10 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
51 reviews for Cuisine India
Review Highlights
"Saag Paneer - so creamy, so cheesy, so good."
(in 6 reviews)
"...chicken tikka masala, the korma, the naan, the besan burfi."
(in 3 reviews)
"...of a well-stocked, fresh lunch buffet with variety."
(in 5 reviews)
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51 reviews in English
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Review from James W.
Dickinson, TX
Updated - 12/1/2011
I've written a review for this restaurant under its full name: Cuisine of India.
Best Indian food in town. Yes, I like it even better than those places over on Hillcroft. Not cheap, but good quality and plenty of it. We always come home with leftovers that get snapped up quickly, which is not the usual in our house.
Or eat the buffet at lunch, and get a great deal. The chicken tikka masala, the korma, the naan, the besan burfi... the pakoras (especially the spinach!)... all excellent.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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12/1/2011
Two things: Food is very good and service is excellent.
The owners remember you - we've been going… Read more »
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Review from Shakira D.
Houston, TX
9/30/2011
Went for the lunch buffet 9/29 - what a fantastic selection! And the food is phenomenal. I must agree with a previous review that I'm skipping Hillcroft for Indian cuisine and headed here from now on.
And the waiter service...TOP NOTCH. I have never been so impressed by such attentive service. Buffets tend to lack in that department, not here. I ordered the buffet and my friend ordered the chicken curry off the menu (fantastic, cooked to your spice level preference!)
The decor was very contemporary with some subtle pieces that reminded you that it is an Indian restaurant. Beautiful bar and wood accents. A place that I'd love to bring a group to. Or perhaps stop in for some wine and dinner.
Wish there was a location closer to downtown Houston - a best kept secret of Clear Lake for sure. -
Review from Annie T.
Houston, TX
9/20/2011
If I could give half stars, I would have given this place a 4.5 because this place just really surprised me. I've always had the impression that if I wanted good Indian food, I had to go to Hilcroft but I'm glad this place changed my mind.
I made reservations for 13 people....and usually, its a lot for a restaurant to handle but these people did such a great job. They were attentive (always had our water glasses or drinks replenished) and quick. I haven't been this impressed by a waitstaff in a long time, and thats a shame!
For entrees, my bf and sister and I split the following items:
1) chicken tikka masala -- yums; perfect creaminess and cooked to perfection (aka wasn't dry)
2) chicken korma -- spicy! we made this hot hot (this is what the waiter repeated to us); wonderful taste and true to the waiters comment, it was hot hot. Had to drink several glasses of water but its worth it!
3) lamb biryani -- WOW. this was amazing. The waiter made this medium hot because he was fearful of the hot hot chicken korma (and we appreciated his advice). By far one of my favorite dishes. Lamb was tender, rice was flavorful -- I couldn't get enough of this!
4) chicken biryani -- just as good as lamb biryani. Portion size was huge too! Lasted me for a good 3 days as left overs!
5) Chana masala -- my least favorite dish. I think the Chana masala at Cafe Udipi is better however, the flavors were still good. I just don't like the chickpeas with a soft, mushy consistency.
They split the checks for our large group and were very accommodating and for that they've won over a loyal customer. I hope to come again soon to taste what else they have on the menu! -
Review from Rachael B.
Friendswood, TX
1/28/2012 1 Check-in Here
Nice staff! Delicious food. Don't forget dessert at dinner. Favorites: vegetarian delight, mango lassi, chai tea, naan, the dressing on the green salads, gulab jamun.
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Review from Cuy M.
McLeansville, NC
2/2/2012 1 Check-in Here
The food was excellent, I really enjoyed it and will be back!
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Review from T N.
Houston, TX
1/4/2012
Great food and great service! Very rare for an Indian restaurant! All the positive comments below are all true! Give this place a try!
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Review from Avinash R.
Austin, TX
9/4/2011
Don't order to go from this place it took the staff over an hour and a half to get us food when we ordered on the phone. It wasn't the wait that was the problem, it was that the staff lied to us. They said 45 minutes over the phone, then when we reached there they said "5 more minutes, they've gone in to check something with your food." I waited. And waited. Again when I asked (now 1:20 minutes later) they said "5 more minutes." And again 15 minutes later 5 more minutes. This was ridiculous. I have a pregnant wife at home.... After getting the food, the food was OKAY.
The Navratan Korma was made with LARGE inedible vegetables, the Saag Paneer was very creamy and the paneer seemed to be placed right on top of the saag, separately made. Also, the Goat from one of the dishes had a good gravy, but the goat itself was a bit chewy (overdone). The Vegetarian Momos were okay. Although the staff apologized, and gave us a small token of free Mango Mousse. -
Review from cat w.
9/4/2011 1 Check-in Here
Yum. I was happily surprised to see kema naans on the menu. My fav naan and usually annoyingly missing from menus.
The menu is quite small but they have good choices. Tasty food and they are willing to spice things up for you if like me mild is not for you! Looking forward to a repeat visit. -
Review from Jack K.
San Francisco, CA
12/6/2011
Indian food in texas.
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Review from Jonathan G.
Houston, TX
11/23/2011
One of my absolute favorite lunch spots in Clearlake! Everything on the lunch buffet is kept extremely fresh. Entree items can change on a day to day basis which is great for some variety. The owners are extremely friendly and their valuing quality ingredients really shows. The nan is always fresh and tasty although sometime they get a bit behind in delivering it to your table during the lunch rush. I have have taken numerous indian business associates here and they all state it is very authentic northern indian cuisine. Check it out! You won't be disappointed!
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Review from Dave S.
Pasadena, TX
11/6/2011
I love this place!!! The food and service are outstanding. Make sure to get the tandori mushroom appetizer if it is available. Awesome!
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Review from Samira K.
Houston, TX
3/25/2011
This place is awesome! I am Pakistani and eat pretty much all this on a regular basis when I visit mom so I know good Pakistani/Indian food. I had the vegetarian plate when I went and it was very good. I love samosas and mango lussi the most out of all the food. Excellent cooking and excellent staff.
I think the part I am most impressed about is the staff. It is way too common to have a good Indian restaurant where the staff is non-existent or rude.
I went with a group of people and there were kids there as well which is usually chaotic....this time was no different. They gave us a table in a private room and let the kids run around. Maybe not to disturb their other guests, but either way it was pretty thoughtful. Everyone had fun! -
Review from Big C.
Houston, TX
12/22/2011
Cuisine of India has a great buffet, with a great variety for both meat and veggie lovers. It gets crowded at lunch. Service is usually quick. I definitely recommend trying their food!
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Review from Domingo M.
Dickinson, TX
Great food!! Service was pretty good. Try the viceroy feast for two. Lots of food. Will eat here again for sure!!
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Review from Erin D.
12/12/2010 1 Check-in Here
I came here yesterday for lunch, expecting to spend a hefty price for small portion sizes. Instead, this place has a buffet. I am not a huge fan of buffets, but it actually turned out pretty well. I can't list everything I tried (don't know all the names), but I didn't taste a single food item where I thought, "Ugh, I don't like this." I was pleasantly surprised! In addition, waiters constantly come around to refill water or your plate of naan.
We were 20 minutes early, but the restaurant still welcomed us. They encouraged us to start eating the appetizers and whatever was available. They admitted, "Some of the main dishes are not out yet." I only saw one empty spot on the buffet, which was promptly filled at noon. They also did not rush us, since we stayed about an hour, and plates were cleared off of our table efficiently without interruption.
The best part was the price. Two adult buffets cost us around $21. Not bad at all!!!!!
I also find it interesting there's a Yelp sticker on the door. So, of course I had to write about my experience! -
Review from Robert F.
Bacliff, TX
4/17/2011 3 Check-ins Here
I haven't actually tried the a la carte menu. Every time I visit "Cuisine India" it is for the buffet lunch - but I'm happy with that.
The buffet selection is good - easily allowing 3 full plates with different flavors filling each plate.
My only complaint would be that sometimes there is quite a bit of a wait for a waiter to bring na'an bread to the table.
Oh, and the changes to NASA rd 1 have made it a bit of a challenge to figure out how to get into the restaurant's parking lot. -
Review from Daniel L.
Updated - 7/1/2011 7 Check-ins Here
Due to a yelp glitch it appears as if there are two pages for this place, probably owing to the move down the road the restaurant underwent a few years ago from the sketch factor 100% shopping centre to the nicer, cleaner, and less-likely-to-get-stabbed-here strip mall it and its delicious food currently reside. Also since the ROTD was a while ago I figured an update was due and owing.
If you eat at Indian buffets enough, given enough time and repeat visits, certain things start to stand out. I would hesitate to say that this is the BEST yay let's set off fireworks Indian buffet in the city and surrounding areas, but it is definitely (a) the most consistent in food quality, (b) has the nicest, most polite, and action-oriented staff, (c) has the widest selection of foods, (d) has the most unique things I really enjoy eating, and (e) has the best naan. Not to disrespect other Indian buffets in town, some of them, Indian56 my most favorite for other enumerated reasons (see companion review of Indian56 Bhog) do certain things tremendously well and it is just a different sort of place altogether than Cuisine India. So let's talk about this one.
This is a very nice, very clean, manicured for the corporate/white collar crowd type of place. It is not "traditional Indian" like Indian56 Bhog or Bombay Tadka. It really is more of an "upscale" (you really don't need a tuxedo to walk in through the front door) place with the granite countertop bar, they have more waiters running around than all of the other Indian places nearby, and they are wearing the clean white shirt and black tie uniform.
The food quality is very consistent. There has never been a bad dish no matter how many times I come here. That is something that matters - nothing is more depressing than having an amaze-balls dish at one of the other places, quickly titling it your favorite, then on a repeat visit the same dish tastes like dirty socks and dishwater.
The buffet goes from right to left after you pick up your plate.
Salad - good quality
Onions with some spice on them - yes! Tasty!
The red hot sauce - creamy, a little kick behind it. Very nice compliment to the meal.
The white yogurt dressing for the salad - very cold and creamy.
White rice with peas mixed in
Fried spinach - go on, you know you want a piece or two
Mixed vegetables - a lot of cauliflower
Saag Paneer - so creamy, so cheesy, so good!
The eggplant dish - my favorite! This is so good. They don't have it every time though. I miss it when it is not here.
Chicken tikka masala - on the days the eggplant dish is MIA this is my favorite. The sauce is so creamy and tasty you can't leave any on your plate, use that naan to get it all! The chicken is good quality and the pieces are substantial, it is not a little microwave meal portion or quality of chicken. This is one of the better tikka masalas I have had across the world, but note the sauce is creamy and not piecey like the CTM over at Kiran's in Highland Village.
Fish curry - yay! An Indian place that has fish and its not deep fried and deep fried again! The sauce is very liquidy. Very, very liquidy. But the fish is seasoned and tasty.
The water gets refilled before you drain it, every time. The naan guy is never far from you.
This is a great place to come with your co-workers, friends, and family for lunch. They do dinner too.Listed in: where i get salsa on my khaki…
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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10/29/2010 ROTD 1/26/2011
Bombay the hard way.
You know whenever you have a special playlist on your iPod devoted to a certain… Read more »
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Review from Julie C.
Houston, TX
12/16/2010
My husband and I ate here for the first time tonight. It was a lovely experience. As soon as we walked in we both commented on the nice interior. It was clean and inviting.
We were seated immediately and presented with a beautiful menu with a lot of great choices. Should I get the saag pander? Gee, a samosa sounds good. Hmmm maybe some dal. Gotta have some naan. So many choices! I was glad to see they offered a number of combo platters. I went with the vegetarian delight which had everything listed above plus a salad, rice with peas and malai kofta which is sort of like a veggie meatball in a creamy sauce. It's delish.
My husband normally eats meat but tonight he went with the vegetable vindaloo. The waiter was wonderful and asked how spicy we wanted our food. The hubby's went with medium and I went with low to medium. I also ordered a mango lassi, a deliciously refreshing yogurt drink that helps cut some of the heat.
The food did not disappoint--even if we did fill up on the complimentary papadum (the thin crispy cracker bread they serve with tamarind and that spicy green sauces). We both loved what we got. In retrospect, I think next time I will order my food a little spicier because Indian food is really at it's best when it's spicy and makes your mouth feel like it's really alive.
I've eaten at a lot of Indian/Pakistani restaurants around town since one of my close friends is Indian and Cuisine of India is right up there with the best of them like Aga's and Royal.
Go have a delicious meal, in a pretty atmosphere where you'll get great service. -
Review from Lee J.
11/11/2010
This is the hubby's favorite place. He drags me here for dinner almost every week (no kidding!). We're here so much that the waiters recognize us (even outside the restaurant...like when we were in Walmart one of them said hi to us & I didn't know who it was till the hubby told me).
New Name (sorta, dropped the "of" from Cuisine of India?). New location. Closer to work for me. They start you off with what I jokingly call "chips n salsa" but it's actually papadum (thin crispy wafers with cumin) and two sauces to dip in (mint chutney and tamarind chutney). Yummm!!! We order our usual chicken masala ($12, tomato cream sauce), saag paneer ($9, creamy spinach), hot masala chai tea ($3), and besan burfi ($4, small square cookies with pistachio & cashews...mmm mmm mmm). Sometimes we change it up a little and we might order goat biryani ($12, goat with seasoned basmati rice) and dal makhni ($8, black lentils).
Great service. Small & clean two-stall restrooms. Bar area in the front. Lunch buffet ($9.95 weekday, $10.99 weekend) is great (See Daniel L's "Cuisine of India" review for the buffet description & a laugh)! And for the past few months, they've had a coupon on the bottom of their receipt ($5 off when you buy two entrees, dinner only). Highly recommend this North Indian/Nepalese cuisine.
** Coupons can be found at http://postalpublicati.../ **
That's always a plus in my book! -
Review from Sheira H.
7/25/2011
I grew up in Clear Lake and this was the first Indian restaurant I lave been to...who can imagine life without saag paneer and naan and spiced Jasmine rice...the staff was really nice and knew my name when I used to visit often.....I have sense moved to Southwest Houston ... but I have a warm spot for this place. I used to go to the lunch buffet every Sunday with my baby brother...and we would go to Barnes and Nobel....those were the times
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Review from James T.
Houston, TX
5/19/2011
Okay, here's the scoop....we're Indian (yes "two geeks in a pod")....and having explored the haunts of Houston, it was nice to get away from the city for some real indian food.
I've been to Cuisine of India once before, and having gone again, I have to give it kudos from the motherland.
The restaurant is owned by a nice courteous woman who was pleasant as can be, with a service staff that serves up dishes with a smile that stretches all the way from here to Nepal (based on our conversations with them, it appears they really are from there).
Anyway, my other half has gone here many times, and says that one of the marks of a good restaurant is the turnover on staff. She's been going for years and swears they are the same. Either way, they are one of the nicest serving staff you can find.
What to order...what to order...
Well first, they serve up a small salad with homemade dressing that is tasty as one would expect (not truly Indian in flavor, but who really cares...it wets the appetite, right?).
In terms of dishes we would recommend....you could go with a Korma or Goat Khari dish....and I recommend going with the Poori rather than a naan (the Naan was just okay, nothing bad or good...but the Poori is the large crispy/flaky kind whose taste can transport your senses to the spice routes of India).
There is a gobi dish (spicy cauliflower) dish which is literally to die for....(just make sure you really can "bring it" on the spice-o-meter, as this dish will set your taste buds on fire).
The mango lassi is good (although I personally like my lassi's a bit less thick, but to each their own).
The meals are reasonable priced (averaging about $13 for entrees and half that amount or less for appetizers, and yet half again for the various selections of breads).
The only reason this place is not a 5 has to do with location and decor...its a bit subdued for my taste, and understated (particurlarly being in a strip mall)...but still the food is SOOOO tasty, its worth a culinary trip.
Hope that helps, and keep on munching
"Two Geeks in a Pod" -
Review from Kelly C.
Seabrook, TX
8/6/2011
This place is fantastic!! The owners are very friendly and they really try to mix up the variety on the lunch buffet. If you love the lunch buffet, you will love love love dinner. Dinner is even more flavorful and delicious!! I dine at Cuisine of India at least once a week and sometimes more.
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Review from Angie F.
Pasadena, TX
7/30/2011
Really good lunch buffet and very nice inside and clean. Great service! Their cilantro chicken was awesome. We will be back! We also have been there for dinner and it was great.
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Review from Cruisin' C.
Adkins, TX
3/18/2010
Penchant for something spicy, exotic and different? Check.
Love Indian food? Check.
Close to Nasa? Check.
Convenience of a well-stocked, fresh lunch buffet with variety? Yep!
Check, check, check and Yep! Also delicious. Need I say more? -
Review from Kristi A.
League City, TX
4/26/2011 1 Check-in Here
Okay folks, I'm ready to move to India this place is so good!! I only know the name of one of the entrées I had and I think I'll name my next child after it. Chikka masala. You've GOT to try it!!
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Review from Nish P.
Deer Park, TX
3/19/2011
this is one of those hidden gems. being indian, you'd figure i'd eat indian food all the time, but honnestly, i really dont care for it too much, unless i am ordering it at a restaurant. i first visited this place a few years back, and it was good, but i was in love with the restaurants out towards the hillcroft area.
about 2 months ago, on a "date night" with my wife, we descided to try this place out again. since my last visit, 3 years ago, it has moved diagonally across from where they used to be. the new place is larger and well decorated.
we walked in and were greeted by a friendly server, and we were seated right away. we ordered some food and boy was i surprised! the food was amazing, even better the service was GREAT!!! the entire serving staff were walking around to different table and making sure that the tables were okay on their food and beverages.
on the way out, i asked for the manager, and i got to meet her, her name was monica. i complimented her on her staff and food, and told her we'd definately come back. i you noicte that i started off by saying that me and my wife went there 2 months ago, well since then, we've been back once a week, every week.Listed in: Restaurants
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Review from Steve C.
Friendswood, TX
11/3/2011
I honestly can not think of anything bad to say about this place. The best Indian food in Houston. It's better even than anything in the Gandhi District. This was the first place I ever ate Indian food and it's still the best I've had. If you're near NASA and hungry you should eat here.
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Review from Douglas B.
Friendswood, TX
4/3/2011 4 Check-ins Here
Great choice for Indian food. The have a few different combination platters that let you have a little bit of several dishes. My favorite the vegetarian delight.
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Review from Bobbi B.
Webster, TX
7/29/2007
I dont like Buffets but this is the only one I will eat at because so far the people are mostly business persons for lunch, little kids usually dont eat here as PARENTS you cant trust them at a buffet. They will touch the FOOD or sneeze or do something !!! Watch your kids.
The food here is fresh, love the Nan Bread, Chicken Marsala, Sag Pinor, Chicken Balls, Chili Chicken, Basmati Rice and Chutneys are OK. -
Review from Taryn B.
Friendswood, TX
2/11/2011
This USED to be my family's fave spot, but unfortunately the last visit left a VERY bad impression on us. After going there for lunch, both me and my spouse got very sick. We havent gone back since, especially because the smell and taste of the restaurant brings back bad memories. We have found other Indian restaurants in the area that are actually comparable to this location and plus a few bucks cheaper!
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Review from Mario H.
Houston, TX
3/27/2011 1 Check-in Here
Tasty! Been to a few Indian restaurants in Houston and this place is delicious. Try the buffet if ya can!
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Review from Nick S.
Galveston, TX
4/15/2010
I like their new location much more than the previous strip-mall location. The lunch buffet is good, although the seasonings and flavors seem to be toned down a bit -- probably for the large NASA crowd they get.
The Saag Paneer was a bit watery, and the Biryani wasn't anything special. Their butter chicken was tastey, although the sauce wasn't very rich...and was almost a bit grainy. The other offerings were OK, but nothing particularly stood out.
I prefer Mogul's on Bay Area at Space Center, although I might give this spot another try and come back dinner to see if the flavors and sauces are better when not having been prepared specifically for a buffet. -
Review from David T.
Cuisine OF India has moved diagonally (and apparently dropped the OF from its name.) Nicer building, more seating, no noticeably change in the lunch buffet. Nice-tablecloth service. Sagh Paneer is very good. Other food is pretty good. For the price, (> $10 for lunch buffet without drink), need to have a few more selections of meat on the buffet.
My map says they're in Webster, but their website says they're in Houston. In any case, they're just East of the El Camino / NASA Pkwy interchange, across from the Walgreen's and next to the Shipley's. -
Review from T R.
Galveston, TX
4/28/2011
Loved it!
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Review from Alex O.
League City, TX
4/28/2008
The lunch buffet is quite good and one of the few of which I am not afraid. As a native Las Vegan this is quite a compliment. Dinner is great, all the food is well prepared, contain high quality meats, and each dish has a robust and unique flavor. Even so, the mango lassi and rice pudding are my favorite offerings. Great service and a quaint atmosphere top this one off.
Parking is easy and I have never needed to wait for a table.
Give 3.5. -
Review from Derrick C.
Deer Park, TX
8/6/2011
Wow, just ate here. OMG we ordered the feast for two and it was a lot of food for $35 plus a drink and tax so $40, but it is way worth it because me and my wife are stuffed and we still have leftover food for tomorrow for both of us. You get like a Indian version of chips and salsa when you get seated. For the feast for 2 they gave us vegetables that were fried in a batter (appetizers.) Then a salad for the both of us (kind of hard to explain the dressing, but it's good.) Then they brought some chicken, shrimp, lamb, and I think some veal.) On the side came some white rice, chicken Marsala, some other type of shrimp in sauce, and then some spinach dip, and they give you some pita bread which looks like a fluffy tortilla. After that they brought some rice pudding or in Spanish, (Atole de arroz), which was for dessert. good service, they boxed up our leftovers for us. Delicious food and great price for all that food for 2, which actually feeds 4 people.
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Review from Mandy B.
Portland, OR
8/6/2009
Ughh, I moved out of state about a month ago and I miss this place so much. Cuisine of India seriously has some of the best Indian food I've had. Anyone who has had subpar food here probably went to their buffet, which I've never been to, but anything from their dinner menu is awesome.
I had been going to Cuisine for nearly two years before I moved and never once had a bad experience. I'm pretty sure I've craved their saag paneer every day since I left. And their soft naan, chicken tikka masala and kheer! :( I was bummed I didn't get to see them move into their new and bigger building - but oh well. When I come back home this will be one of the first places I visit again! -
Review from Lauren A.
Houston, TX
2/1/2011 3 Check-ins Here
Cuisine of India has a very decent lunch buffet. It doesn't have a tremendous amount of food selections on that buffet but it has all the standards including some of the best Chicken Tikka Masala that I've had (in the area). The service is great and out waiter brought us lots of hot fresh naan. Yum!
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Review from Ben C.
Grand Prairie, TX
7/8/2010
Tiki masala was excelent! Very good naan and pistacio cookies for dessert.
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Review from alicia l.
Houston, TX
8/1/2011
EXCELLENT place, my favorite lunch spot! Great buffet with good food, variety of items clearly described, decent price. Good, quick service with constant refills of naan and drinks. Lots of Indian food places around here but this is my hands-down favorite.
