- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
New Ganges Restaurant
Categories: Restaurants Indian Restaurants Vegetarian Indian, Vegetarian [Edit]
775 Frederick St(between Willard St & Arguello Blvd)
San Francisco, CA 94117
Neighborhood: Inner Sunset
(415) 681-4355
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 5 pm - 10 pm
Tue-Sun 11 am - 2 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
David O. said: "Best option for Indian food when it's past 9 PM -- and even worth throwing into your diurnal rotation. It's solid, but nothing fancy. High-quality ingredients and always fresh. A few caveats: --- The curries are pureed and slightly…" read more »
210 reviews for New Ganges Restaurant
Review Highlights
-
"Saag Paneer (homemade cheese cubes w/ spinach." In 12 reviews -
"AND THE VEGAN DESSERT WAS SO UNBELIEVABLY DELICIOUS AND..." In 6 reviews -
"The chana masala was elegant and perfumey and not oily at..." In 8 reviews
Loading...
- A Yelpy Insight: Vegetarians go nuts for this spot. See more places they like.
210 reviews in English
-
Review from Russell H.
Pacifica, CA
1/26/2012 3 Check-ins Here
WOW. That was vegetarian? I think I just found my favorite Indian restaurant in the City.
My boyfriend and I had just walked over from doing a one-mile training run at Kezar Stadium (we saw the restaurant as we were parking--and we both love Indian food so we decided to give it a try). Were a bit apprehensive at first since we were the only diners at 8:00 p.m.
That fear quickly subsided when the kind gentleman (got to be the same guy others have mentioned here) promised that "If we didn't like something--send it back and order something different... anything you don't want becomes my dinner").
BUT EVERYTHING WAS DELICIOUS! We weren't about to send anything back.
The samosas are light, flaky, and very fresh. And the man showed us how to eat them properly (i.e., without a knife and fork, and alternating between the mint and sweet and sour dipping sauces). The best thing was that neither of us were full after having one--it was the perfect appetizer!
We ordered the Paneer Tikka Masala: AMAZING. Perfect sauce! Zesty, tomato-y, creamy (but not too thick), and wonderfully spiced. We also ordered the Aloo Saag: Very good. Wonderful fresh chopped spinach. Yummm! And we had two wheat chapati (their only bread).
I'm a serious omnivore (I usually feel cheated if I don't get a meat in a dish), but I didn't notice (or care) at New Ganges.
And believe it or not they've been around for 36 years! (The kind man walked us around and showed us framed reviews dating back to 1976.) This is the kind of attention I like in a dining experience. -
Review from Chris F.
Concord, CA
4/15/2012
I had a groupon now deal for this restaurant, which was not honored because I didn't present it prior to ordering. No idea why that should make a difference. Would we have had different service if it was known we had a groupon?
The table cloth was dirty... The food was pretty good, but the owner kept putting things on my plate and touching my fork. It was funny, but strange. I had saag aloo. It was ok, definitely fresh, but I have had better elsewhere.
When I was ready to pay (I had to stand up at the desk and wait, my check was so slow in coming), the owner kept trying to figure out when I could come back in the future to use my groupon now deal (he was going to extend the expiration), and I finally had to say "They will refund my money, forget about it." It was comical in a way, I wasn't sure how many times I had to say "I have no idea when I'll be back in San Francisco" before it would sink in. Other patrons were laughing.
All in all, the food is ok, the service is nice, but a little odd. The dirty table cloths and, according to my daughter, dirty bathroom, are a turn off. -
Review from Joey G.
San Francisco, CA
3/30/2012
Eeek! Did I really eat the worst Indian food I've ever had?!? YES. I can see what happens when an owner begs his customers to write nice reviews on Yelp. For some reason, everyone does. But this basement-style place is filthy, with stained seat cushions, a front desk covered in clutter, a weird smell and a dirty bathroom. And the annoying owner hovers, talks incessantly, tells you how fresh and wonderful the food is, and you sit there is a napkin-covered chair consuming flavorless food the consistency of sludge. My dining companion couldn't choke the saag paneer down. The roti was bland and the consistency of a seat cushion. The bengan bartha was a pool of flavorless slime.
I'm the hugest fan of good Indian food (Vik's in Berkeley!!) and often cook it at home. I ate in the smallest hovels in India and in each of them had far superior food to this place. I write this review because this was, without a doubt, the worst dining experience I've had in San Francisco in at least five years and I really don't want to subject any of my Yelp buds out there to this place.
Don't do it. Consider yourself warned. -
Review from Michelle B.
San Francisco, CA
3/13/2012
So my friend hit me up one night asking if I wanted to grab dinner. We couldn't decide where to go so he told me to check Groupon and see what jumps out at me. I saw a couple of Indian restaurants and took the hint that's probably where we're gonna end up tonight. I debated between New Ganges and another Indian joint in downtown; We finally settled on New Ganges.
We presented the Groupon once we were seated and the man, who we're assuming was the owner, took it gladly. He was very accommodating and nice. I can see how others would view this as pushy and annoying, but I thought it was okay.
Upon handing us the menus, the man offered the "if you don't like what you ordered or find something wrong with it, let me know and I'll take it back and you can order a different dish" talk. I thought that was cool since not a lot of restaurants have that option.
I should also add that prior to coming here, we had no idea this was a vegetarian restaurant (although I recall having dinner here a long, long time ago. Guess I forgot). I glanced at the menu and was like, awww, I guess no lamb for me tonight :( LOL For our appetizer, we got samosas which were mediocre. The two sauces were what took it a level up. This may be the part where most people would find the owner a bit pushy and somewhat awkward. My friend tried taking the first bite but the owner interrupted and showed him how to correctly eat it. He (owner) took the initiative to pour the sauces himself, first the orange then the green cilantro one, then both mixed together. I was giggling the whole time because it was just so awkward. Not that it was bad. Just awkward.
We shared two dishes family-style: the paneer tikka masala and I forget the other one's name but it had chickpeas and spinach in it. The tikka masala had cheese cubes in it (that I assume would act as the "meat" but since it's vegetarian, we got cheese instead). It was sooooo good. We paired it up with chapati, which was a very thin flatbread; Thinner than naan but just as good. If I would rate the tikka masala on its own, I'd give it four stars. If it was lamb, it'd be five LOL The second dish I wasn't very fond of. It was salty and lacked spices. My friend recommended I combine the masala with the second dish. I tried it and it was more tolerable. It wasn't that bad, but I kind of expected more of it.
I would probably be back for the masala and to try their desserts. I was so full by the time we stepped out so no room for dessert anymore. Oh, and the best part? When the bill came, our balance was 21 cents! Plus tip, of course :) -
Review from Jsd S.
Sunnyvale, CA
5/25/2012
The food was very good as it should be as real authentic Indian vegetarian food and service was also excellent. will be back with friends and family again.
-
Review from Lissette A.
Chicago, IL
5/16/2012
AMAZING! AMAZING! If you're looking for a good bite and a great price you should go here. The owner is awesome and if he puts together food for you to eat just go with it. This place is family run and you can tell he loves his customers. Embrace it. Except for him to hover and ask what you want and then tell you what you really want. Sit back and enjoy but if you like to left alone go to stuffy place and get ok food. Here you'll get great service and yummy yummy food! I don't even like Indian food but I loved everything I ate. I will go back again and again.
-
Review from Yelp E.
San Francisco, CA
4/29/2012
The food is nice and a little home style. Little pricey. I love that its less oily and I can get bhindi etc there.
As others have said owners publish regular GROUPON deals but dont like people with deals. The guy turns down groupon when you dont present it before the order. I also saw him reject a groupon because the person had used similar deal in the past !!. So basically you can't purchase similar deal twice !!. Eventually he will find some other excuse to not respect a groupon.
Service is pushy. Go for the food not for the service or discount ! -
Review from Liberty B.
San Francisco, CA
2/2/2012
Words fail me... We put in an order for delivery on a Tuesday night. It said that it would be her in 45-60 minutes. In the end we waited 2 hours 10 minutes to receive cold congealed food. We ordered at 7.30Pm and it arrived just after 9.45pm. Much later than I like to eat.
We called up four times every time we were told it will be there shortly. They did not once apologize on the phone for the amount of time we were waiting or offer a discount.
This business has now lost our business. -
Review from Greg G.
San Francisco, CA
12/13/2011
I don't know what was better...the amazing food or the wonderful, kind, funny and helpful man working there. With every plate, out came a sample of something different.
"Would you like to make that bite better?" he would ask, as he suggested combinations that I hadn't even thought of after spending nearly 4 months in India!
My mouth is watering writing this review. I'm ready to go back RIGHT NOW! -
Review from Vishal K.
Milpitas, CA
5/5/2012
They did not honor my groupon Now! even when I told about it before the check.The owner/seater seemed to be pretty shady about it. He said I was supposed to tell him about the Groupon at the Time of ordering. I would never go back to a restaurant which does not respect a customer's wishes. The food was ok but the pickle was good. Bad Experience in summary.
-
Review from P A U L.
San Francisco, CA
11/21/2011
Ordered from this place 2 hours ago. The food still hasn't arrived.
...
Food finally arrived after almost 2 and a half hours of waiting. Unsurprisingly, the food was bland and luke-warm. It was a lot like something you'd get from a sleazy cafeteria or food court, possibly even worse, except we paid about $40 for it. The daal was watery and flavorless and the naan was tiny, limp, and looked like it came out of a pack.
Apparently the delivery guy was apologetic (I didn't pick up the order) and even offered to refund our money if we weren't happy, so I guess that deserves mention. They can keep our money; it's the last of it they'll ever get.
As a vegan and lover of Indian food, I'm really sad and disappointed that I have to write this review. Believe me, I wish the Sunset had better options when it came to getting good Indian food, but Tasty Curry was our favorite place and it's been closed for months :(
I can't wait to move to Berkeley... -
Review from Scott A.
San Francisco, CA
3/9/2012
Lunch was very good. The owner was very accommodating indeed. The place is a bit odd as far as its set up, but the food was good and service came with a smile and jokes. We had the buffet.
-
Review from Mayur A.
San Bruno, CA
3/18/2012
One of the strangest places I've ever eaten at. It's dirty, empty and I can't imagine what's going on in the kitchen but this is not the worst of it. The service was something I just couldn't understand altogether. Between the rude hostess and the overly anxious manager who I guess doubles as a deliveryman, this has to be one of the worst Indian restaurants in San Francisco... simply because the food sucks. It lacks imagination, flavor and any kind of authentic value.
-
Review from Dao C.
San Francisco, CA
11/6/2011
I don't know about some of the other reviews below, but I thought that the waiter, Aftab (The Owner?) was quite amusing and he definitely brought customer service to a very very different level.
Where else would you get a waiter that actually takes the time to teach you how to eat and explain the sauces and create food combinations out of your food? He told me that if I didn't like any of his food, he would refund it or let me choose another dish until I was happy. Of course who is going to take advantage of that?
Aftab did spoon food me, let me poke his stomach and punched me in my arm for no reason at all, but he did it all with good intentions. I can see how some people can find it a bit intrusive, but he takes great pride in his food and his food is pretty damn good.
I would highly recommend this place for anyone that likes to interact with others. The food is probably one of the best in San Francisco and very fresh. I would definitely come back here.
He also gave us words of wisdom: Eat with your hands if you don't want to burn your mouth.
PS: I'm a bit sad that I can't give them a 5 star review because Aftab does try very very hard. I think a lot of people would give them the 5 star, but I'm such a picky eater with a very difficult appetite to please. I'm sorry Aftab, 4 stars for you.
PSS: Ah-Chaa = Pretty Girl in Punjabi -
Review from Samantha L.
Sacramento, CA
My friends and I (group of 10) went to New Ganges Restaurant around 11:30 a.m. on a Thursday for their buffet. Unfortunately, the food was not ready at this point, even though the restaurant opened at 11:00 a.m. The owner whoever was working in the kitchen started to quickly prepare the food and we just took this time to chit chat. Although I was a bit disappointed that the food wasn't ready yet (and that we didn't get any water this whole time), it was okay- at least we knew that it was being prepared, fresh.
When the food was ready, the owner invited us over and handed us our plates. He was very helpful and eager to make recommendations of how to eat the food,with which sauces to use. The first round of food got us going but we were all waiting for samosas, and some naan. The samosas came out 10-15 minutes after we started eating and were pretty tasty. But not everyone in our group was able to get one with the first batch. We waited for a bit but the naan never came out, oh well. The food that we did have was pretty decent, especially since it was vegetarian (not usually what I'm into).
Food options included: salad, white rice, other-not-white rice, lentils, garbanzo beans, samosas, potatoes, curry-like-sauce with cheese (which I thought was tofu initially), fresh fruit, and a variety of sauces (yogurt, cilantro, mango chutney). At $8.95/person, the price is okay, but I was hoping for a little bit more variety. The owner is really genuine though and takes a lot of pride in his food.
Sidestory: the table next to us was really upset about the lack of food and one lady just stood next to the buffet, eating what was there until the samosas came out. It was kind of comical, but also a kind of awkward and intense situation.
Notes:
-Broken/shattered window with paintball stains.
-Completely vegetarian. -
Review from Tiffany T.
San Francisco, CA
11/21/2011
Unlike some reviewers here, I actually got my food. But it was after waiting 2 hours for it to be delivered.
We called in once to check on things, and "Ten more minutes!" was the word - but in reality it timed out to be forty. When it did arrive, it was lukewarm. By that point we were furious, but starved, so we ate it - angrily.
The pakora were decent, if cold and rubbery - but that was made up for with the pungent sauces.
The mains we ordered - bhaingan bharta, daal, and saag aloo - were sad and flavorless - particularly the daal, which was like a sloppy soup in consistency. The saag aloo had a strange tang about it, almost like chlorine. All of them were pooling with grease.
The naan has to be one of the most sickening pathetic attempts at naan I've yet encountered - it had a slightly moldy, chemical tinge to the smell and flavor, and was thinner than most storebought pitas - with a similar dry, unseasoned texture. It flopped and tore through, and the liquid daal got all over my fingers. The rice was no better - bland, unimpressive, and tinged with the same signature chemical smell.
All in all, it could be that this place has some decent dishes, but they weren't what we ordered. At most, they'll top out at mediocre. At worst... well I'm not sure you want to see what that tastes like. -
Review from Ann S.
Cottonwood, CA
1/3/2012
The one star is for the food which is quite good. But that alone is not a good enough reason to visit this restaurant.
We had a "groupon now" which is why we were eating here for our first time but it was not honored. We presented the groupon mid meal but the waiter/owner insisted it was too late. He said that we were supposed to inform him of the groupon before we ordered and he could not honor it unless he knew in advance. He could provide no reasonable explanation for this. This sure makes me wonder if groupon customers get "special" preparation of their food. Thankfully, groupon refuded the groupon to us.
The waiter/owner was also very pushy when it came to ordering our meal, practically forcing us to order more than we wanted to. Not only that, but he actually picked up my fork and tried to put some of the spicy pickle (that he forced us to order) on my food. I had to tell him no 3 times before he let go. VERY odd and uncomfortable. I'm always up for a friendly chat with anyone, but I just wanted this annoying man to shut up and leave me alone! Not only was he obnoxious but I feel like he scammed us out of our groupon.
We will DEFINITELY not be back!!! -
Review from Lia L.
San Francisco, CA
4/20/2012
Wow. Ridiculously bad. Also got a groupon that was not honored. Ordered pickup (and was allowed to place the order) but the groupon was refused on pickup. They said they would have honored the groupon if I ate in, but the tables were (really) covered in stacks of old mail and it looked like a place someone was about to vacate without paying rent. Pretty terrible. I can't comment on the food.
-
Review from Whitney W.
San Francisco, CA
10/17/2011
I came here for the first time with a bunch of classmates after class for their lunch buffet around 11:20am. The restaurant opens at 11am but the food was not ready when we got there. The owner greeted us warmly, but after that...we sat there for about 15-20 minutes before the food were all out at the buffet table (I didn't really care too much about the wait since I was there with a group of friends, but I can see how the wait can be annoying...)
For a vegetarian buffet, the food was decent. There weren't too many choices (4-5 different sauce/dish), and one of the trays was just sauce (can't even really tell how it tastes since it was kinda masked by the other curry stuff mixed in my plate). There was potato, beans and paneer, but no cauliflower :( The only dessert we got was an assortment of fruit but nothing special. The samosas are the highlight since it came out fresh and warm. I only had one Somoza because it was huge (for a little Asian girl anyways). They bring it out in batches so make sure you go get one as soon as you see them come out.
One major complaint that I have is the price ($8.95). For what they have to offer, the price was on the high end and food was not ready when we got there (Chai tea was not out, samosas were not out, and no ice cream/fruit even after most of the food were out).
I don't love it, I don't hate it. Not sure if I'd come back for the food though.
ps There are red paintball marks on the window that you'll see as you walk into the restaurant...don't think those were intended as part of the restaurant decor though... -
Review from Kylie S.
San Francisco, CA
1/20/2012
I have been a big fan of this little spot for several years now and am always pleasantly surprised at how consistently good the food is. It goes without saying that the owners are beyond friendly and would do anything to assure you like your meal. In addition to the great service, I love how tasty and fresh the food is every time, and I really like that my vegetarian meal comes from an entirely vegetarian kitchen. Maybe I've watched too many episodes of Kitchen Nightmares, but it really is an added bonus. I always order delivery and it always arrives hot and in the time frame they promised...ok, sometimes a few minutes more but it's worth it. Nobody is perfect, but I think New Ganges is pretty darn close.
-
Review from Darcy B.
San Francisco, CA
1/14/2012
This is a real mom & pop place. The owner is adorable. Every time we have been there he is warm and sweet. He asks if you know how to order and hooks it up! Even if it's too much food, it's very inexpensive and great to take leftovers home with you. Yes, he spoon feeds you perfect little bites, but I find it absolutely charming. I told him I couldn't handle spicy food, and he was respectful of that. Last time we were there he even gave a rose to my BF on the way out. Funny and cute!
The food is as fresh as it comes. It's truly Indian home cooking at it's best.
Must orders:
Chapati - this warm buttery flat bread goodness
Bengan Bharta - Eggplant nom-ness
Mixed Platter - Fried veggies, similar to a tempura
If you are up for a real Indian meal experience, do this! It's nothing fancy, but great food, cheap eats, and an overall pleasant experience. It's nice to see local small businesses like this in our city. Let's help them stick around! -
Review from Manish J.
Sunnyvale, CA
5/22/2011
This is one of the very few reviews I've written. But, this one got me so pissed that I had to.
The first time I went to this place, I took my girlfriend on a date. It was a horrible idea. We weren't that hungry, so ordered one curry, and the owner shouted at us to "look at the back of the menu and then talk to me." And he just left the table! Looking at the back, we realized that the restaurant had a at least 2 dish policy. We weren't that hungry, but anyways.. we ordered. But, not without the owner making racist comment about "people who only order one dish" (it was too ugly for an open international community that is SF to be put here). I was literally called "cheap" by the owner in front of my date.. There are better ways to tell customers about restaurants rules. I was totally taken aback. Anyways, I let it go, the food was good.
We decided not to frequent the restaurant, but still liked the food. So, we started ordering it at home, approximately like once in 2 weeks at least. They have a minimum of 25 dollars for delivery, and their quantities of food are the lowest I've seen in the entire SF bay area. Anws.. they're close to our house.
Why I'm writing this review? We ordered food today, and during delivery my girlfriend was told on the face to "either give bigger tip or order from somewhere else." (She gave 15% tip, and the owner wanted more like 30%). He also continued to say that "they took 2 hrs to deliver previously because _nobody_ wants to deliver at our place because we give low tips". WTF!!!! They're deliberately delaying our food!! Who f***ing does that! This is sick!
Here's a tip for the owner: If you have a minimum limit on the food, stick to it. Don't go around asking for money. Tip is given when the customer is pleased with you. Act better, and you'll get better tip.
The owner has a huge attitude problem. I've never seen anybody being that rude to their regular customers. Avoid this place at any cost. There're way better restaurants in SF. Both food wise and service wise. -
Review from Briar S.
Cottonwood, CA
1/6/2012
Read the reviews, folks. See if you can find a pattern. I don't think anyone is really complaining about the food, which is actually quite good. However, should you choose to eat here, I would really keep an eye on the owner/waiter/salesman. Be prepared to be uncomfortable!
-
Review from Kelly M.
Daly City, CA
2/7/2012
New Ganges Restaurant is one of the best Indian restaurants in the city. Tasty, homestyle cooking in a comfortable atmosphere. The dishes are vegetarian, but so rich in flavor that non-vegetarians won't miss the meat at all. The service is very attentive and friendly, they will make you feel at home! This place is in a great location -- just a few minutes of walking from the UCSF medical center, and the Haight. Check out the Lunch buffet, too!
-
Review from Andrea S.
Portland, OR
5/18/2011
Oh geez. I am so torn about writing this review. Let's start with the good.
FOOD! Probably the BEST Indian food in SF. No Joke. Delicious! The owner takes pride in what comes out of the kitchen and it is lovely, lovely, lovely. Flavors are very balanced and not just overwhelming as in some places. Just as spicy as it needs to be without going overboard. Beautiful homemade curd and chutneys..yum.
So, why didn't I give it 5 stars? Actually, I almost gave it less, but i did not have the heart. The Owner is just too desperate. More so than needed. His food could stand on it's own. When we dined in, at first it seemed like he was just being very friendly....up to the point when he actually took my friends fork and started feeding her. Would have been funny at just one bite, but he kept doing it until she got really uncomfortable... overkill.
I have ordered delivery from here (again, food amazing)..Owner delivers himself, which shows great entrepreneurial spirit...but both times her forgot the raita...probably because he kept me on the phone for 20 minutes trying to order. After we ate (Almost 10pm!!!) he CALLED me to ask me to write a 5 start yelp review! Not kidding! Called me at almost 10pm! I was flabberghasted!
Note to Owner: Chill out. Your food is great. Work on the decor and lighting of the restaurant and the atmosphere. HIRE A WAITER and don't be so desperate. No one likes it.
If you do this, and PROMISE ME you will stop calling people to solicit reviews, I will do a review for the food. The food is 5-star...the salesmanship is WAY over the top. I will update this review...I swear it! You are hurting your own business with this craziness. Don't kill a good thing! -
Review from Bob G.
San Francisco, CA
4/2/2012
Food quality is pretty good, but overpriced in relation to serving size--the lunch buffet might be the way to go. For those who have read the reviews or are otherwise familiar with the owner's style of interacting with customers, you know what you're getting. Some love it, some don't. It's astonishing to see that when you search all of Yelp's New Ganges reviews for the word owner, that as of today 136 out of a total of 202 contain that word. Unheard of for a restaurant. Overall I prefer Udupi Palace for all veg, Dosa if mixed is what you're looking for.
-
Review from Juliette R.
San Francisco, CA
5/29/2011
The restaurant has a very intimate setting; the tables are about a person away from each other (a little too close for my comfortability) but it didn't bother me too much! The table set up was very nice; folded napkins, nice glasses, candles, and there was even a sign that had my name on it (since I called in for a reservation).
The waiter is extremely gregarious and humorous! I've been to restaurants where they give you no attention at all, and since this restaurant is small, each table gets the same amount of attention.
The food was very good and filling! The mixed vegetables is a must! My family really enjoyed the food!
We never had to raise a finger to ask for more water or anything of that sort because he was on top of it!
If you order something and don't like it (or don't think that it's spicy enough) they'll take it back and give you another one! He even gave us dessert on the house!
Overall, we received the best service and amazing food!
New Ganges is a tad on the pricey side, so Naan N Curry fulfills my Indian food cravings if I'm low on the cash... which is most of the time.Listed in: Options for the starving…
-
Review from CHRISTINE B.
Westminster, CA
5/28/2011
Complete surprise! I did not expect going into this restaurant that it would be SO delicious. the way the buffet is displayed really had me thinking wow....this is going to be a really medicore and bland meal and now that i've entered I can't get out without being rude!
It was DELICIOUS. The spinach dish was the best I've had in the city so far. I'm a huge meat lover and my curry usually feels lonely without the meat....nope...didn't miss the meat AT ALL!! I highly recommend that you give it a try and see how deliciously flavored everything is.
I recommend this over curry village and nan and curry in the area. -
Review from Brian K.
San Francisco, CA
5/17/2011
I've had the food and it is decent.
However, I went on a Monday and it was closed despite the hours saying it was open (I've since edited the yelp profile).
The next day, I called to order pick-up looking forward to a delicious lunch, they have a ridiculous $25 minimum order (and not for delivery). Two fails in a row. Seems like it's just too difficult to try to eat here. -
Review from Sirina K.
San Francisco, CA
2/8/2011
You will find good food here, but there is a cost. Actually I would say that this is the best indian food in the area, especially because it is really fresh. I have been here three times, twice for lunch and once for dinner. The lunch experiences were great, but dinner was a nightmare. Heres what went down:
1. Personal space violation and car-salesmen like behavior: Manager was completely intrusive in the meal. He used our forks to mix our food. Commented on every bite that we took. This felt very invasive and ruined the dinner experience. It was really bizarre and I felt violated.
Also, when he was taking our order, he asked us about every individual piece of the meal that we could possibly order, including pressuring us to get the more expensive rice and more chapatis when we were finished with the first.
2. Portion size- TINY dishes for $10. Its ridiculous.. no other indian restaurant makes it this small.
3. Unknown charges- He insisted on bringing us extra ingredients to make the dishes spicier and then he charged us for them in the end! we didnt even asked for it.
If these things changed this place would be my go-to indian dinner place.
The LUNCH BUFFET is a different story. No pressure, they leave you alone, theres lots of food. Its really cheap.
moral of the story = come here for lunch, not dinner. -
Review from Cherylphoneyelp R.
Oakland, CA
3/25/2012
People should go to this place to experience the owner and practice the skill of having patience. He is a character and did spoon feed my husband and give us a rose. I believe he said they don't use refrigerators because everything is fresh and gets used that day. Can't remember the food. Went a couple years back. The owner is a trip.
-
Review from Tommy R.
San Francisco, CA
2/4/2011
This place is on my way to work. I tried it once many years ago, but wasn't very impressed. I think the cook was the only person there at the time. She was nice, but the food was bland. I chalked it up to a bad day for the restaurant and thought I might give it another try later on. The other day I noticed that the place had been vandalized, with three large cracks in the main window. This gave me the push I needed. I emailed some friends, told them about what happened, and urged them to join me for a meal. Even though they aren't vegetarians, they love Indian food and believe in supporting local, mom & pop restaurants.
Early on there were warning signs. I arrived at 5:30pm, but the place looked closed, despite the sign that said "Open at 5pm." I called and was told that the place was open. I tried the door, but it was locked. Finally, one of the workers came over and opened the door, but apparently, there was some confusion over the opening time. He called the owner and left me standing there instead of offering me a seat. I was finally seated, but no menu was given to me until I requested one.
The owner arrived later around the time my friends did. At first, everything was fine. He was friendly and attentive, took our orders, and made us feel welcome, even though he was a little pushy on the upsell. However, once the food arrived, it all went downhill. The owner extolled the virtues of his food, then proceeded to mix my friend's food and feed him. It was funny and eccentric... the first time. However, this happened over and over, which also interrupted our conversation repeatedly. Had the owner given us more breathing room, I would've given this place higher marks. -
Review from Carlos R.
San Francisco, CA
3/9/2011
This place has some of the best Indian food I've EVER had.
Samosa's are the highlight and everything else compliments them.
Food is prepared fresh, u can tell the dishes are not grease and veggies but spices and veggies.
Have gotten take out once and ate the lunch buffet twice. I intend to go back.
The owner is personable and u can tell he aims for customer satisfaction. I prefer this over an owner who just says hi and bye without caring if you enjoyed your meal. -
Review from Soup N.
San Francisco, CA
1/26/2011
Its the worst restaurant I have ever ordered food from. The owner literally told me today after the delivery that I should give him more tips like 30%, I had given him 15%. C'mon first of all the owner himself is always delivering food and then he has a ridiculous 25$ minimum order on food delivery. And his dish sizes are the tiniest I have ever seen! This is the worst Indian food restaurant in Sf.
No body behaves so rudely with their regular customers!
I have been to better places then this, where both food and service were good.
A note to owner" you should be happy that wife is a decent cook, as you are the most intrusive and rude service provider."
I will never ever order food again from this restaurant. Avoid it at any cost, if you don't want to get insulted! -
Review from Sarah H.
San Francisco, CA
12/30/2011
Nice people, quick delivery and super tasty food.
-
Review from John B.
Redwood City, CA
5/5/2011
Definitely one of the best Indian restaurants I have been to but with much more personal attention and help than anything I have experienced.
A wonderful selection of vegetarian items and even some vegan fare. I ended up having the eggplant appetizer with this delicious mango sauce. I was surprised to learn that the batter was made out of chickpeas and not something greasy..
The main course was this delicious spinach dish and I continued to heap the mango sauce onto that as well. Yum.
Then came desert, which turned out to be made of potatoes... But it tasted like a combination of pastry and cake or something. I was again surprised to learn there was no sugar in it. I'm definitely coming back for more of this delicious, unique experience. -
Review from Ryan L.
San Francisco, CA
7/27/2011
I like New Ganges. The food is fantastic. Great Indian food...among the best, if not the best, that I have had in SF so far. Run by what looks to be a small family, this is a great mom and pop place worth checking out.
The owner is a real sweetie pie. The only remarkably negative comment I would make is that he seemed VERY concerned about the experience that my girlfriend and I were having, which is normally fantastic, but in this case was fairly awkward. He kept fiddling with the volume levels on the music they were playing and coming over to our table just a little too much to show us the best ways to mix sauces, etc.
This is sort of a half complaint, because I also have never been to a restaurant where you could tell the owner cared so much about my experience. -
Review from Zoe S.
San Francisco, CA
11/6/2011
My husband and I headed to New Ganges on Sunday at 12:00PM for their lunch buffet. We were disappointed to see that they had still done nothing to fix their vandalized windows - it was frightening from the outside. Even though their hours state they were open, the restaurant was not open. I did not want to call the owner to inquire because I did not want to wait for them to prepare "buffet" menu items, and I did not want the extra attention from someone already mentioned as being "pushy" in other reviews. We left hungry.
Disappointing. -
Review from Sarah H.
San Francisco, CA
4/19/2011
Ok, the food here was DELICIOUS!
Yes, the portions are a bit on the smaller side. This is different from most Indian places, but I think it is due to the high quality ingredients and freshness. 2 people, very hungry, 1 appetizer, 3 entrees $40.
Yes, the service is ...interesting. You may have you napkin draped across your lap for you, but heh, this is actually common in nice restaurants. No big deal.
They do ask thuroughly if you want any drinks or dessert.
The place is a hole in the wall, quaint place a little on the funky side.
So, go there if you are in the area. Go for the lunch buffet.
Just have appropriate expectations and you will be very happy! -
Review from Chelsey G.
San Francisco, CA
8/23/2010
The BEST Vegetarian Indian I have ever had. Not greasy, and the meat and fish is not missed. The ingredients are fresh and it is clear that soul and individual attention was put into each dish. AND THEY DELIVER!
Here are some of my favorites:
*Daal of the day
*Saag Paneer
*Peas and Mushroom dish
The service is pretty incredible, run by a husband and wife who do it all, greet, answer phones, serve, cook, deliver, clean and even literally feed you by hand.
