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Mon-Sun. 11:30 a.m. - 10:30 p.m.
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This affordable Indian place near Central is, for my money, the tastiest value you can get! The food is always top notch, and the service is attentive, and the beers are big.
My highlights are: baingan bharta, chicken makhni, and the dosa. If you ask for spicy, they will make it spicy, so be sure to ask if that's your thing.
I've been for both lunch and dinner. I think their lunch buffet is really good, but their dinner si where they shine. Wide variety of options, and veggie-friendly as you would expect.
I worry about India Castle like a mother who's just watched her only son graduate from the Fire Academy. Will the Castle survive?
What does it say about the state of our economy and the declining purchasing power of the dollar that a $7.95 lunch buffet is cheap? Ah, but these are the times we live in.
The buffet is a little limited. The iceberg-lettuce based salad is to be eschewed. One piece of naan with lunch? A tease. But there's chicken. There are vegetables in spicy (but not hot, White Man!) sauce and it is tasty and unmistakably Indian. Tikka Masalla warms the heart of everyone who thinks they like Injun fare. I'm especially fond of the homemade rice pudding w/cardamom for dessert.
Service with the buffet is prompt and appropriately attentive.
+1 star because they support the Yelp. Now reciprocate: support the Castle!
Oh, India Castle. I live around the corner from you and I was hoping you'd save my Thanksgiving. I've ordered from you before and it's been so-so and last night when pretty much everything else was closed, I sought you out.
I ordered the veg appetizer platter and the chicken vindaloo (and I was all picky and asked for only white meat-- I mean, hell, it's Thanksgiving and I'm by myself so let's be picky here). I started with the pakora and it was okay. I had a bite of the vindaloo and the naan and it was all good- white meat. Props to you, India Castle for listening to my foodler special instructions.
Then I tried the samosa. I was *craving* this. I cut it into little pieces as that's just how I eat and, oh, hey, in my mouth there was this one-inch tube of what I can only liken in terms of texture to be seaweed, but it wasn't seaweed. It wasn't plastic, either. Let's just say it wasn't edible. I've found bandaids in my salads and pubic hairs in my soup but for some reason, this was even more off-putting, perhaps because I couldn't identify it. Tasted like a band-aid. If this were Greek cuisine, I would have just thought it was some sort of grape leaf gone nutty. But it's not. It's Indian.
I would have called to complain but it was late and you know what? I don't trust kitchens when one complains. I know way too many people who have worked in the back of the house.
So.... if something icky can get into my samosa of all things, I can't even fathom what could get into other dishes.
I was really hoping you'd come through for me, India Castle. I've eaten your food several other times and it was mediocre but given your proximity I forgave that and still ate there. No more.
This place is actually pretty good........ If you want to run straight home to poop. I ordered the VAGGIE [sic] platter to share with a friend. Four bites into the meal and our conversation turned to gas, bloating, and Montezuma. It's a good thing I plan to do the 20 mile Walk for Hunger on Sunday -- hope it will help me sweat out the impurities.
Seriously though -- I've been to this place several times and it's been great service and fine food. My advice is to steer clear of the fried apps.
Has this place closed? It was dark when we pass it at 5:00?
My estimation of the food hasn't changed. I'm writing to compliment the staff on their five-star service. They deserve another star. The guys here are nice.
Buy a dosa, drink a coke, watch the Red Sox. It's worth every penny.
The curry is sub par. The only difference between one curry dish and the other is the kind of meat… Read more »
This is my absolute favorite Indian dining locale in the area! So many tasty veg choices- love the chickpeas the most, followed by the aloo ghobi and lentils. And how can I forget the addicting eggplant or the creamy spinach. So many choices, all so so good. The rice is so perfect each time- wish I could make it so well. Their naan is amazing.
Lunch buffet for $7.95 is a great bet- at least 4-5 entrees to sample as well as an appetizer (yum veg pakora) and crisp salad. Top it off with yummy yogurt sauce, bright red onion chutney, and dark brown/plum sweet sauce. And they had some rice pudding the last time I was there, but had filled up on the aloo ghobi and warm naan delivered to my table.
The waitstaff are always so friendly. Take-out is ready in less than 15 mins usually- perfect timing for my walk down the stree to get it. Great atmosphere for dining in, too.
My friends and I often get our Indian fix at the India Castle, but I usually stick with my traditional soaked chickpea/vegetarian dish and garlic nan; tonight was a slightly different story due to the introduction of the "vaggie platter." So amusing was this typo that we decided to venture into the land of the deep fried god-knows-what-assortment. This was our downfall. Within moments of ingestion, my stomach began to swell and my thoughts drifted from the delicious to how quickly I might return to the privacy of my bathroom. Steer away from anything with a "vaggie" and you'll be in the clear.
The lunch buffet is delicious and very affordable. The salad is fresh and all of the chicken dishes were very tasty. I highly recommend the chicken marsala, which was some of the best I've ever had. It was not too creamy and with perfect spice. Also, they delivered a basket of fresh nan to the table-delicious! The service is very friendly and the place is clean with great atmosphere.
Had the following with my friend Caroline:
-Samosas
-Saag paneer
-Chicken makhani
-Small bread basket
-Rice
-Sierra Nevada (me)
-Harpoon IPA (her)
Fairly standard food, with slow service. The Sierra tasted a bit off.
They recently changed their take-out containers for the buffet to a smaller size...boo...
But, they still have the best lunch buffet!
I love India Castle. Since it's right near my work I love to get their buffet at least twice a… Read more »
We had a coupon for delivery from India Castle so we decided to give them a try. We had Goat Korma, Hot Onion Chutney, Garlic Naan, Chicken Dilrooba, Punjabi Tikki, and Cheese Pakora.
I was very happy with my goat korma, and the chicken dilrooba was pretty good too. The punjabi tikki was _fantastic_, especially with some of the onion chutney on it, and the cheese pakora was pretty good too (though I've had better). The naan, unfortunately, was pretty disappointing. It was very rubbery, barely had any flavor, and wasn't fluffy at all, being a lot more like a paratha.
Over all I was pretty pleased, but if their naan is regularly like that I don't think I'd bother with them again. I'll give them at least one more shot though, as it may have just been a bad naan day or something.
In the past I've only been to India Castle for the lunch buffet. And I've enjoyed it. Food is good, not amazing.
The other night my friend and I decided to go for dinner....bad idea. We got the worst service! We were completely ignored for most of our time there, food took forever and our sever was rude on top of that. She and I have both worked in restaurants and bars for many years and have a lot of patience and understanding for any kind of service delays etc. But it was so bad we almost walked out.
Therefore I can only recommend India Castle for lunch....since you basically are your own server.
There are approximately eight thousand Indian restaurants in and around Central Square, and I've eaten at most of them (India Globe, RIP), but this place gets a pass.
Once upon a time I had some leftovers from the previous night's India Palace* delivery, but was way low on rice. Ordinarily I'd walk the two blocks to Gandhi, my go-to rice-only takeout place, but it happened to be insanely cold that night, and the Castle was closer.
Assholes charged me FIVE DOLLARS for a side of RICE to go. No wonder they've got the highest prices in the neighborhood - clearly they're serving everything with a hefty scoop of MAGIC RICE on the side. That rice made me three inches taller and cured my scurvy but I'm still going to Gandhi next time.
* Yeah, you heard me. I live in Central and get my curry delivered all the way from Union Square. You wanna fight?
Against our better judgment we decided to set foot in this place. We've walked by this place hundredths of times and it is almost always empty. Now we know why...the food tasted all the same. I ordered the coconut soup and let me tell you it would've tasted better if ran through the tap. The fish masala and the chicken tikka saag were less adequate.
Bottom-line, with so many Indian restaurants around Central Square why bother going to the Castle.
India Castle is not very good. I've eaten there twice--both times ordering very basic curries, as I often do when trying a new Indian place. Figuring if they can handle the basics decently, then they probably do some nice (and more authentic) specials and regional stuff.
They blew my test on both occasions. Their lamb curry was made with tough stringy mutton. Their shrimp saag had an inappropriately bitter flavor (there are other nice Indian dishes that are supposed to be bitter), and the cream in it didn't seem very fresh. Their breads are not very well made--their aloo paratha featured undercooked potato bits and was leaden with too much ghee.
They also spent over 15 minutes making a simple coconut shake I had the misfortune of ordering for my second meal there. When they finally produced it, the ice cream was freezer burned. There's nothing that annoys me more than a food emporium that leaves things on its menu that its not prepared to make properly. Better to just tell me "we're out of that today" than to go digging in the dark recesses of the walk-in for some old-ass ingredient that should have been thrown out long ago just to make a lame attempt to keep up appearances.
I don't plan to eat there again, even though it's the closest Indian restaurant to my apartment.
And a quick parting shot: I take exception to the first review of India Castle written here by jylcat R. I don't think it's fair for Yelpers to trash a place without mentioning the quality of the food. Particularly since in this case it sounds like the problem was with Foodler, rather than with the restaurant. Also, the subsequent diss was based on second-hand information since no one but Foodler knows what the restaurant staff actually said or didn't say. So the review really should have been about Foodler, not about India Castle. Not cool.
I've had some great experiences here and some wretched ones (like when one of the vegetarian dishes in the buffet had lamb in it)
The one thing that has always irked me about this place is that it feels sort of sexist. Whenever I've gone there with a guy, even one who is constantly asking me questions about things on the menu, the servers -always- defer to the male sitting at the table. I just find that annoying.
There are at least a dozen Indian restaurants within a mile radius of my place. India Castle is the closest, and while it is not the best, it holds a special place in my heart.
My boyfriend and I like it so much that we once went there three days in a row. Of course, it was freezing, and the seductive aroma lured us inside every time we tried to go eat in Harvard Square.
Our favorites are chicken korma, both creamy and chunky with nuts and raisins; and the ultrahot beef vindaloo with these succulent baby potatoes like little gold nuggets to be unearthed. Baigan bharta is good and we really like the aloo ghobi, but chicken tikka is bland.
I've only been here for take away. It's one of two places in the area that I know that has lamb coconut korma, which is my reigning fave Indian dish. I will admit that I like the other restaurant better but India Castle is much closer and an adequate substitute (although like a $1 more in prices). A lot of the time, the lamb isn't as tender as I'd like, but I always enjoy the spices.
The staff here is very friendly. They always give me a glass of water and a refill while I'm waiting. Although I'm never really waiting long.
I passed by this place for about 4 years without stopping in... and now I know why. I'm a fan of Indian food, but this place is gross. I went with a friend of mine, and we ordered the vegetarian sampler. The naan was just okay, the cracker was stale. They took over an HOUR to get the soup to us, and the waitstaff certainly filled multiple takeout orders during that time. They made my food way too spicy, even though I specified very mild, and it masked the gross taste underneath. The atmosphere is dark, and it's hard to flag the waiter down. Even the garlic naan left much to be desired. They should be ridiculously ashamed of themselves keeping us waiting for that long -- and for food so mediocre I did not even want to take home the doggy bag. If I had to go again, I'd try the buffet.
I've always been puzzled by how "ethnic" restaurants cost so much. Growing up I feasted on, and learned to cook, a large number of Ethiopian classics. When I go to an Ethiopian restaurant here in the city the plate costs more than it would for me to make it at home, and the portions are a whole lot less. What I am getting at is I am a stickler for buffets: good food, lots of it, and family style conversation. While the family styleness of the conversation may vary on who your bring to India Castle, the food does not. For a little under $8 you get an all you can eat lunch buffet of a couple usual Indian dishes and naan. Bread for me is usually the most expensive part of the meal so if you give it to me for free then I am a happy camper. Don't get me started about bread, yo. Okay, let me just say this: if the bread is also the utensil for the food, don't make it the most expensive thing on the menu. I don't have to pay for a fork when I go to a French place. I'm not saying I wouldn't put some money down for an edible food delivery system, but you will have to give me a lot of it if you don't want me feeling bitter about it. The food isn't award winning, but you wont mind for the price. Also the mango lassis are not to be missed. The restaurant is clean and well lit so you wont have a problem going back to the catering serving containers again and again to fill up your plate. Don't feel bad about waving a waiter over to ask for more water as it can get pretty busy and they can get lost easily. Also, skip the dinner, for the price it isn't worth it. Finally, and most importantly, it is located between two CVS(s) and a Walgreens...I'm just putting that out there, take it however you want to.
Bottom Line: Though not worth a long commute, if you are nearby and hungry for lunch, this is the place. If you keep a mental tab about whether you or the Indian places (in general) are winning in the war for your money, you will always come out ahead here.
LOVE the Castle! I worked across the street a couple of years ago and used to eat here a lot. I've never had dinner but the lunch buffet is awesome. I love their pakoras and tandoori chicken. Everything tastes delicious and fresh. The atmosphere is nice and the service is great!!! I love that spicy onion chutney, and most places don't fill my water enough, but The Castle treats me right. I really don't understand not liking the atmosphere -- other than Diva and Kebab Factory, Indian restaurants in this city can be so depressing. This one has exposed bricks, high ceilings, a nice bathroom -- perfectly acceptable. Plus the food is delicious.
I have to confess -- now that I work 2 blocks away it slips my radar most of the time. But last time I went in, after a 2 year hiatus, the server remembered me! My kind of spot.
Horrible service. Ordered online with foodler, they were in my delivery area, everything went through fine. Then an HOUR later I get a call that they "don't want to deliver an order to you". Ridiculous.
In response to the review criticizing my review, I received a call from the restaurant directly, they were extremely rude personally. If you want to try ordering from them, go nuts.
I've eaten a lot of indian food from a lot of restaurants in a lot of cities. The food here, by far, is the best. I like vindaloo and they actually make it spicy! They don't pander. This, I've found, is rare. I don't eat meat other than fish, so if you're like me, you'll love the options here. Fish vindaloo is great. Get the bangain bartha, you can order it spicy, and it's divine. Maybe have it with some raita. Oh, and share a dosa with friends. It's always cooked to perfection. We've eaten inside and done take-away and delivery. In every case, service has been great and speedy!
I have visited India Castle for lunch buffet for more than 8 years and always found it to be very good. They switch up the menu items from day to day and you're not always guaranteed the same items day after day which is a delicious change to try new dishes and experiment with things you've never tried before like goat curry. My only complaint is that for takeout they switched from aluminum/metal containers with a plastic/acetate cover to styrofoam compartment containers which are not very good because they are not able to be recycled and they have a tendency to open and leak all over the plastic bag on your way back to the office... which is not a very good start to what would have been a warm tasty meal.
good tasty Indian food. Walking distance to Harvard Square. Probably my favorite Indian food in the area. Sometimes live music. They even deliver to MIT area. Cozy and quiet for meetings. I haven't tried the buffet.
Try the lamb sag!
Excellent Indian ( Punjabi) food... Not overspicy or salty and overdosed with cream/ butter like most desi places in Boston .....good service..with a stocked bar at all times...!! Owner and waitstaff are very personable!!! One of the few indian places that does free delivery in the Cambridge area...!!! I suggest going for dinner and not buffet...thats my suggestion on all indian dining...:-))
Just average. I had been there before outside buffet hours and I was disappointed, but then I went for their buffet and I thought it was good meal for what I paid. My Indian roommate said the food was prepared differently from what he is used to but he liked it.
Decent Indian food with little ambiance.
I love it. I will eat there everyday! Great service, food tastes great. I have tried a few chicken dishes there. All amazing. They open till very late in the evening. Good for late dinners!
I was a bit trepidatious as I walked into India Castle with my friend, as the only other tables filled were a group of old folks and a middle aged man on his own. Our waiter seemed to be rather green, not sure of the options available with our dinner for two and bringing us glasses of red wine when we ordered Vouvray, though he was very attentive for the rest of our meal. The food was okay- not nearly the best I've had in the area, but also not the worst. There were tasty chunks of ginger found in a couple of our dishes- a bonus to know they use fresh ingredients!! While fine enough, I probably would not come back with better options nearby.
I've been there twice and I don't think I'm gonna go again. The food is simply not good, and on top of that, the atmosphere in the restaurant is almost gloomy and the staff rather indifferent. With so many Indian restaurants in the area, why waste your time/money/palate here?? Instead, try Punjabi Dhaba in Inman Square, or Tamarind Bay in Harvard Sq, or Royal Bengal (aka Royal India) at 313 Mass Ave.
This was among the Indian restaurants I first tried. It's passable, and had a good buffet, from what I recall, but didn't make it to the top in my book.
Horrible. When you can describe Indian food as bland, you know something's wrong.
India Castle's lunch buffet is available everyday for $8.35 (even on weekends) till 3:30pm; however, the taste of the food is average at best with a rather uninspired selection. I found the decor to be quite pretty with exposed brick walls reminiscent of Italian trattorias. There were 7 hot items which included: basmati rice, veggie pakoras, saag paneer, daal punjabi, veggie jalfrazi (quite tasty), chicken tikka masala, and chicken tandoori. Garden salad, onion chutney and raita were on the side with gulab jamun (which I didn't care for since it was sickly sweet) for dessert. The chicken tikka was oddly bland and everything was lukewarm; being nowhere near hot enough on such a cold day. It was nice how the naan was delivered fresh and piping hot to one's table in a basket via a very friendly "server" as opposed to being on the buffet table. By no means the best in taste but edible if you're in the area and craving Indian cuisine.
This place was named well, only 'cause their prices are at royalty levels. Adding insult to injury is that the steep costs pay for what's easily the tiniest servings dished out by any of the multitudinous Indian eateries around. (With the lone exception being the snack-sized entrees at Punjabi Dhaba.) Samosas hardly larger than frozen "pizza rolls"...a single ramekin's worth of rice...only enough of the main dish to cover said minuscule portion of rice one time...later for Lilliputian dining! I rolled in there in desperation last night due to the strange insistence of decent places in the area on closing at 10 PM on weekends. (Wasn't feelin' Moody's, Tavern on the Square's food totally bloze, India Pavilion is beyond redemption with their tomato soup "curry," and the sub shops and fast-food joints of the 'hood see enough of me.) In a way it was reassuring that India Castle stayed consistent with their mini-meals and, yes, bland offerings from when I gave them several "fair and open-minded" trials during the first months they were open. And any place where the waiter throws your silverware at you when there are maybe seven other customers in the entire restaurant deserves to be no busier than that.
Lunch special $8.95 all you…
Neighborhood: Coolidge Corner
NEW - Saturday and Sunday…
Neighborhood: Downtown
Neighborhood: Central Square
Category: Indian
Neighborhood: Central Square
Category: Indian
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Category: Indian
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