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Sizzling Tandoor
- Not valid for take-out.
- Limit 1 certificate(s) per table.
- Not valid for delivery.
- Not valid Fridays and Saturdays.
- Promotion lasts for 1 year from date of purchase. After that period, your Certificate is redeemable for the amount you paid. Not valid with other certificates or offers. Gratuity not included; please tip on full value. Must be 21 or older. Must use in a single visit. Only 1 certificate(s) can be purchased for own use. Up to 3 can be purchased as gifts for others. Subject to the Yelp Deals General Terms.
- Reg. Price $75
- Discount 47%
- Savings $35
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 11:30 am - 2 pm
Mon-Thu, Sun 5 pm - 9 pm
Fri-Sat 5 pm - 9:30 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Dogs Allowed:
- No
116 reviews for Sizzling Tandoor
Review Highlights
"Belly Dancing and live classical Indian music."
(in 16 reviews)
"Strongly recommend the lunch buffet."
(in 12 reviews)
"Their naan is always great and comes with the meal."
(in 34 reviews)
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116 reviews in English
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Review from Jena D.
Santa Rosa, CA
1/23/2012 1 Check-in Here
yummy. Waiter was really cute, big smile. Was his 1st night.
Lady working there (seems to maybe be owner) suggested a very yummy veggi dish. (Vegetable meatballs) Thanks! Only suggestion is for her to smile more. Her body language suggested she wasnt happy we were there using a yelp check in.
Also- The salad they serve with the entree is hilarious. Its seriously just some lettuce and an crappy slice of a tomato. Pinner. I sent it back. Soup was great! -
Review from C J.
Santa Rosa, CA
1/29/2012
Way over priced for the quality.
At Sizzling Tandoor your paying for the ambiance, floor show and presentation. The food quality is mediocre at best. If a restaurant is going to charge $23 for a curry dish then it better have uncompromising standards. Unfortunately, the decomposing prawns I was served proves otherwise. When I think back to the enormous menu, its no wonder freshness should be a concern. There are probably close to 100 food items on the menu (just look at the menu online) how can any restaurant possibly keep enough fresh ingredients on hand to accommodate?!
I did have a few curry dishes that tasted fine but there is no excuse for serving up those nasty prawns. I won't be back. There is way better Indian food all over Sonoma County...and for a third the price! -
Review from Curtis C.
Santa Rosa, CA
11/17/2011 1 Check-in Here
Meh
It could've been an off night, idk. It seemed like there was only one waitress for the whole place. Not just our order was messed up, but all I heard all evening was the other guests around me verbalizing their grievances too. We mainly ordered curry dishes and the the spicy levels were all mixed up between us.
They have a very thick menu, but almost half of it was a wine list. Even without several pages of wine, there was quite the selection of delicious edibles in the menu.
The food was okay, the "place on 4th street" is a bit better imho. It was nice that the naan was included, as some places don't, but the prices were inflated to accommodate it.
The decor felt as if it was all bought at the international imports store in coddingtown. Idk what exactly authentic Indian decor is, but I'm sure that 60's issue tie-dye isn't. -
Review from Jose C.
Santa Rosa, CA
1/15/2012 1 Check-in Here
The Sizzling Tandoor surprised me with their great service and good food. I was amazed at the variety of curry offered at the restaurant. They have great specials and offers via yelp and foursquare. If you like curry and are looking for an ambiance that is quaint and allows for some quality time with your friends or other half, this is the place to go. I would definitely recommend this place to my friends.
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Review from Jennifer E.
San Francisco, CA
1/2/2012 Purchased a Yelp Deal 1 Check-in Here
Yum! A bit expensive, but with the yelp deal, it was perfect!
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Review from Tiffany R.
Santa Rosa, CA
1/21/2012
All I can say is yummmmmmmmyyyyyy, and a belly dance show too!!! Yay!!!
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Review from Chelsea H.
Santa Rosa, CA
1/9/2012
Such a great place!!! Food is DELICIOUS and they have a great deal - buying 2 glasses of wine from the same bottle gives you the bottle! Makes it a good price. The atmosphere is fun and relaxing, too!
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Review from Monica D.
9/19/2011 1 Check-in Here
The BEST part about Sizzling Tandoor? The chai tea and the hotness of the belly dancer. Truth... look it up.
The food is definitely delicious -- if not a bit overpriced -- but you can certainly taste quality in every bite. The chicken tikka masala has a rich, creamy sauce that's perfect for garlic naan-dipping, but it could have used a tad bit more salt. The korma veggies were magical, and the saag paneer was perfectly spicy. I feel like I picked out the right degrees too -- they ask you, 1 - 2 - 3, with 1 being mild and 3 being hot.
When you order garlic naan, I mean they realllllly pile it on (see Alhamra? THIS IS HOW WE DO IT, tm Montell Jordan). We ordered a sampler appetizer platter and although the fried goodness itself was slightly overwhelming -- everything generally tasted the same, from chicken pakora to potato samosa and everything in between -- the chutney sauces were truly delectable. You could really taste the sweet, smoky, spicy and savory melding so nicely together.
Ask for the chai -- it's complimentary, and so worth it. Addictive as hell. And by that I also apply the statement to the beautiful young lady providing the dinner time entertainment. A belly dancer! And she's just perfect. The boys fell madly in love. :)
I would highly suggest coming here for an Indian fix while in Santa Rosa or nearby, but it definitely costs more than just a pretty penny. The service is with a smile and quite attentive at that. So get your boys together, enjoy yourselves, and dive into the awesomeness that is Sizzling Tandoor! -
Review from Lisa L.
Sebastopol, CA
1/26/2012 Purchased a Yelp Deal
We had a fabulous dinner last night at this spot. There was live sitar music and the place smelled so good... The tikka paneer and malai kofta were some of the most flavorful dishes I have ever tasted. The idlis were less than awesome. The chai was perfect. The dessert sherbert in an orange slice was a super nice way to end the meal. The food arrived promptly (although not all at once) as it became available from the kitchen. The service was slow even with repeated requests to place our order and to get our bill ~ we were there a full two hours for one meal! I mentioned that we had wanted to buy the Groupon and that the link wasn't working and the waitress kindly let us know we could download a coupon off Yelp :) With the Yelp deal the price of our meal was incredible for what we got. They also expertly packed our leftovers which I just enjoyed thoroughly for breakfast. I will definitely go again especially with the great coupon deals they offer. Yum!
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Review from Pooja B.
Hillsboro, OR
11/28/2011 1 Check-in Here
Horrible lunch buffet and bad customer service.the dishes with milk like lassi,kheer etc smelt rotten. Would never return.I cook Indian food everyday and would not recommend this - atleast the buffet,I dont know the rest!
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Review from Gail C.
Santa Rosa, CA
11/22/2011 Purchased a Yelp Deal
Nice to have the coupon; every bit saved helps these days.
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Review from Megan B.
Santa Rosa, CA
8/27/2011
I can't eat here enough. The best indian in town I believe. Little expensive but worth it for and amazing meal. Decor is interesting but vibrant. You can get half off coupons on line at bay area half off .com
Great if you like to choose your level of spice and heat. Something for everyone on the menu. -
Review from Alexa S.
Santa Rosa, CA
5/15/2011
This restaurant has ok food with pretty big portions and an enormous menu, but most of the entrees are around $17 to $25, which is obscenely expensive for the quality and service they provide.
The best part was the belly dancing performance, which featured two moderately talented dancers in elaborate costume and makeup. The whole performance lasted about 8 minutes.
One piece of advice, DON'T TRUST the tip calculations on the bottom of the receipt bill! The amount they show for a 15% tip is really 20%, the amount they give for a 20% tip is really 25%, and so on. Whip out your phone and see for yourself! It left a bad taste in my mouth. I'm so glad I checked! -
Review from Stephanie E.
Santa Rosa, CA
4/17/2011
There is nothing that bothers me more than a waiter/waitress asking if you would like something, making it seem like it comes with the meal, only for you to find out it costs extra when you get the bill. This is an extremely malicious and unethical sales tactic, and I won't stand for it.
My fiance and I were craving Indian, and we decided to give Sizzling Tandoor a try. Right off the bat, we noticed that the food is pretty expensive; however, wanting to give this place a fair shot, we decided to stick with it.
I think I got my water refilled about 15 times. We also got a yogurt-cucumber sauce and mango chutney offered, which apparently costs extra...we were not made aware of that.
The experience speaks for itself. All I know is that I refuse to return, even if we are desperate. -
Review from Brett W.
Petaluma, CA
*Yikes! Service Failure. 60 minute wait for take out?* @SizzlingTandoor If you MUST eat the food... don't use the online ordering system and be prepared to relax for an hour.
4:45 I ordered online (website indicates "note: your order will be ready 30 minutes after you submit your order.")
5:15 I arrived. Waitress told me it would be 10 or 15 more minutes...
5:25 Manager told me Naan comes with every entree. I asked for a vegan option and he said okay.
5:40 Waitress advised it would be a few more minutes due to the size of the order (8 entrees). "uh... okay"
5:35 Manager advised it would be $17 additional (over the $125 total I paid) because the vegan option costs more money... "uh... no thanks. No naan." :(
5:45 Manager brings food. I expressed my dismay at the order taking 60 minutes. Manager offered very weak "sorry" after even weaker excuse ("the order wasn't called in until 5:17" Note: I ordered and PAID online at 4:45. I walked in at 5:15).
and finally..
6:15 I arrive home to find that they stacked the entrees and all of the bottom and middle containers collapsed.
I REALLY wanted to like this restaurant... lots of vegan options and it's not bad food.
Suggestion to manager: Advise customer of long wait and offer sincere apology soon after you realize your restaurant failed. Also, don't offer vegan options without advising of the $17 extra cost (for bread!) -
Review from Pri D.
San Jose, CA
5/14/2011 1 Check-in Here
Great food!
Great Service...
Great Selection...
If you happen to be around Santa Rosa, and feel like eating Indian food, this is the place to go! -
Review from Prashanth R.
Irvine, CA
3/4/2011
I've been to all the indian restaurants in Santa Rosa. And this is a decent place.
My disappointment with this restaurant is that whenever I ask for the south-indian dishes that are listed on the menu they have a reason or an excuse for not being able to serve them that night.
But its a good place to go out with friends and colleagues which I always do. My colleagues like this place a lot.
The options are plenty for both vegetarian and non-vegetarians. The food is not authentic indian food. As an Indian, my standards are a little higher. -
Review from Lori D.
Santa Rosa, CA
10/16/2011
Have always wanted to try this restaurant but never got the chance. Finally got a Groupon deal for the lunch buffet and tried it. Buffet choices were great (especially for me as a vegetarian) but my husband the carnivore liked it too. He said he'd definitely go back. I loved the iced chai latte! After the coupon my total cost $8.12. Going back for sure!
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Review from Michael P.
Petaluma, CA
1/20/2011 1 Check-in Here
Right off the bat, let me just say: I won't ever be coming back here. Despite the 4 stars. Despite what I'm about to say. I'll explain why at the end.
This was some of the best Indian food I've ever had. The samosas were absolutely delicious and are a must-have if you're going here. The tikka masala sauce was excellent and the chicken almost melted in my mouth. The vindaloo was great as well; probably the best in the area. The star of the show here was the kashmiri naan, though. I've had Indian all over the country, and that was the best naan I've had anywhere.
The service and decor were both above average. The waitress was very nice and prompt with refills of their awesome tea.
Now, the reason I won't ever return: the price. $75 for two people. There was nothing extra ordered. The samosas, two entrees, and two teas. $75. $75! That's insane! There's two other really great Indian places in the area that I won't mention by name to be fair, but the prices between those two are comparable and Sizzling Tandoor is literally 50% more than they are. Their food certainly isn't 50% better. The other two places are pretty amazing in their own right.
It's too bad Sizzling Tandoor's prices are so exorbitant. It's almost impossible to recommend them because of that. You can do as good, or better, in the area, for a lot cheaper. What a damn shame. -
Review from Ursela J.
Santa Rosa, CA
10/18/2011 Purchased a Yelp Deal 1 Check-in Here
The food here is always amazing, the portions are very generous. My husband and I always get the three course deal, It is so much food, but reheats well! The staff is very attentive and very friendly and fast. The only reason I am not giving five stars is because the waitress we have had a few times is not very friendly, but! That does not deter us at all!
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Review from Mary A.
San Francisco, CA
12/7/2011
I agree with a lot of the other reviewers, the food is not bad at all, what I didn't like is that they are all about bait and switch. Not trustworthy, will try and get you for a few bucks, no class, and don't seem to care about repeat customers. They advertise a $8.99 lunch buffet and then charge you $12.99. When I pointed this out to the server, they offered to and did fix it but also made me fill out this piece of paper with my name etc. And I only think they were so willing to fix it because of the earlier Yelp reviews. You can try it, but once was enough for me.
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Review from Andrea S.
Hayward, CA
2/2/2011 1 Check-in Here
Expected to have some good Indian food, and yes, there was good Indian food. Not many vegetarian dishes, which is unusual for India, but not really mind-boggling either.
The food was good, and I loved their sweet lassi drink. I had to get the waiter's attention several times to get it, however, as he totally spaced on it no matter how often I asked. But my older male companion had no problem getting his beers put one after another in front of him as he drank. I think it was a little sexist.
Then they have this "belly-dancing" scheme I think to draw in customers, by kind of hinting that this was "authentic" belly-dancing right from India. Man, me and my companion both enjoyed a belly-LAUGH when a young WHITE HIPPIE FEMALE comes out, blonde hair, unshaved underarms (not that they were hairy, she was very young and nubile, but still, a hippie girl trait), totally unlike what I expected to see for an Indian dancer of any kind.
Not to throw the focus on the belly-dancer so much but she was not authentically dressed in Indian attire, and the music was not even live. She danced maybe 2-3 songs, and then danced her way right off into the kitchen area and was finished for the rest of the entire night! And THIS had been labeled one of their big "draws" and "special entertainment" for us at the tables.... very disappointed. Not a very good dancer, plus she looked barely 18, if that, and it looked more like she was either doing this to pay her college tuition or maybe to save up to get herself a prom dress. Totally not meshing with the idea of an authentic Indian restaurant!
Otherwise, the food was actually delicious. I got a sampler of veggie foods, loved the dessert, and loved that my companion paid for this entire meal! ;-)Listed in: Best of the BAY AREA, Food & Dining
Comment from vinay mohini p. of Sizzling Tandoor 2/2/2011
Hi Andrea, Thanks for visiting the restaurant and providing… More » -
Review from Babak A.
Glastonbury, CT
8/6/2011
I ate here for the first time and thought the food was average. I was a bit surprised that the meals did not come with rice, and had to pay $6 extra. I thought my dish was a bit too salty.
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Review from A I.
San Francisco, CA
10/20/2010
Setting: Nice setting and we were promptly seated. Thanks for asking for drink orders right away and having some decent wine.
Leftovers: The appetizer sampler was dry enough to have been from the lunch buffet. I understand food service and recycling, but the best chef's can make leftovers great, and this just tasted like dry chicken tikka parts.
Too hot: There has to be away to convey to the chef that medium spicy means different things in different towns. Medium spicy means go easy in Santa Rosa. I love hot food, but this was too hot! Sure, I know the tricks, raita (yogurt), but despite what was deliciously spiced, it was too hot.
Well, I gave you folks two tries, and I think you can do better. I love this cuisine, so I'll try back in a few months. -
Review from carolyn m.
Santa Rosa, CA
6/4/2011
This place used to be amazing. My boyfriend and I used to eat here weekly, but we stopped eating there in Septemver 2010... Finally went back last Friday and was shocked by the lack of service and awful curry. We ordered salads that never came. The curry wasn't hot, and our water glasses weren't re-filled. My boyfriend ordered the lamb curry and I had the chicken, both were awful, both tasted like tomato. It was the worst curry I've had in a long time. Not only that but I ordered mild curry and he ordered the spicy - they tasted the same. Very disappointed. Not what I remember at all.
Comment from vinay mohini p. of Sizzling Tandoor 6/11/2011
Dear Carolyn, Thanks for stopping by and leaving your… More » -
Review from Fantom F.
Santa Rosa, CA
7/16/2010
I have eaten at this place several times because a good friend of mine from out of town likes indian food. I have tried numerous entrees here and frankly...most all of them taste the same. They do not seem to know how to use any subtlety in their spicing in order to bring out the uniqueness of each dish.
Now let's talk about the service...the apparent owner of the place is very overbearing (the guy with the Errol Flynn mustache)...
observe him with his "non-indian" staff...very disrespectful... I hate to see that when I go out to eat...for Pete's sake show some class... Also, he seems to need to take an active role in the taking of each and every order...when you get your bill...you find out why. He tries to get you to order more items saying it "comes with the meal" and then you
can expect him to charge you for it.
Long story short...service is terrible...food is not nearly as flavorful as prepared Indian dishes from Trader Joe's and when you you get your bill you will have wished you would have just stayed home and had Trader Joe's. ... nuff said... I won't be back....not even for the cheap bottles of wine they give you after you have already ordered two very expensive glasses.
I am usually a very generous tipper...I gladly left no tip at all to this schmuck...he needs to learn a lesson or two. Let's see if he finds need to address his impropriety...let me know if he does because I won't be back to observe him.
...Having reviewed my review several months after I am glad to see that others confirm what I have said about "Vinay"...in that he is arrogant and will overcharge you for anything he thinks he can get away with. To me this is unforgivable for a business and we should not reward such behavior with return visits. I am personally boycotting this place and I urge the entire community to do the same. Time for a new restaurant in the downtown. -
Review from Tara W.
Portland, OR
11/16/2010
SERVICE: Good most of the time. Occasionally a little slow to get the check, but the food is so good I couldn't care less.
FOOD: BEST INDIAN FOOD I HAVE HAD THUS FAR. And I love Indian food and eat it all the time. I recommend the Korma, and the mushroom dish (forgot the name).
ATMOSPHERE: Very nice. Reminds me of Casual Fine-dinning, but you still eat a lot of Indian food with your hands :)
OVERALL: I dream about this place when I'm not in the area. Literally dream about the food. It's heavenly. -
Review from Mike T.
1/17/2010
The food wasn't horrible, but I thought it was average, especially for the price. For a dinner portion of chicken curry, small rice, and cheese naan, I paid about $25 not including tip. Considering any other Indian place I've ever eater at, I've gotten a full meal for under $20 (often including daal & papado in addition to stuff above), I was expecting really amazing food.
The interior and the ambiance was quite nice inside and the staff seemed friendly and good. Also there was a free belly dancing show since it was a Friday night. However, I didn't go for the belly dancing, I went in search of great Indian food. -
Review from Randy W.
Santa Rosa, CA
Updated - 9/1/2010
What happened?
Perhaps they were just having a bad night. Sure, the prices have been seeming a bit steep lately, especially considering we typically order vegetarian dishes and the serving size is smaller than their competitors. I'm not letting that affect this review though, being that we have a choice to eat elsewhere if the prices are too high.
My sig other and I were headed back in to Santa Rosa from a trip to NV. We were tired and we were very hungry. We called our to-go order in at 8 PM and we were told that it would be ready for pickup within 15-20 min. We arrived at 20 min after the hour and were told it would just a moment. Five minutes passed and were told it would be five more minutes. Again, ordering simple vegetarian items and the house wasn't busy. Ten minutes later the same staff member unapologetically handed us our food. I gently told her that our order took twice the time we were told it would take and she said in a very unconcerned way (and with a giggle), "Oh, um, sorry?" Wow, really? A simple, "Here's your order and I'm sorry for the wait" would have gone miles that night and instead I have to bend your arm for an unauthentic apology? Hrm.
We drove home, unpacked our food and found that they had forgot the rice for two order we had placed. We also ordered garlic basil naan bread and what we got was one small piece of chewy naan. About a half orders worth really. Not impressed. We also ordered two vegetable samosas but they forgot to include the sauce (not yum). Grrrrr.
One star for the curry that was spot on.
What a disappointment. Maybe they really were just having a bad night, but then again I'm not really willing to spend $50+ on dinner to find out anytime soon. We're going to just stick with our neighborhood Himalayan place from here on out. If only they were open on Sundays as well.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/7/2006
I agree with Eli's review above. Sizzling Tandoor's food is the real deal and you won't go wrong… Read more »
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Review from samanta v.
Healdsburg, CA
11/25/2008
I like indian food, but am by no means an expert on it. I've been here a few times before, but not recently until last night.
Had the Bhindi Masa (okra) with uions and curry, in masala with spices. it was excellent. Dining companion had Chicken Curry - ordered it spicy and ya, it was spicy -- although really good.
I love the Pachranga Achaar (it's hot mixed picked green mango, with chilies, lemon etc) and SALTY AS ALL GET OUT - but it's supposed to be, so order with caution.
Decent but slow service. I like how well described all the items are on the menu, and they are grouped well.
I don't eat indian often enough, but I would certainly not turn my nose at coming here again.Listed in: Ethnic - mostly Curry based
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Review from Leah B.
Santa Rosa, CA
1/26/2011
Ordering online is such a pain in the ass. Don't even bother. Also, they say they offer free delivery, but they don't.
My husband ordered:
1 x Vegetable Pakoras (Bhajias)
1 x Chicken Pakoras
1 x Kumbh Mattar, Aloo Mattar or Mattar Paneer
1 x Garlic Nan
1 x Aloo Paratha
1 x Missi Roti VEGAN & GLUTEN FREE
1 x Vegetable Biryani
1 x chicken tikka masala aka - ctm - sizzling tandoor indian restaurant
The total at the end of the order was $66.87. My husband got a receipt that said $91.78! FOR WHAT?! He tried to go over it with the owner, and he freaked out, started raising his voice at him and got in my husband's face, and stormed off shaking his fists at my husband.
He said we ordered 3 entrees, when we didn't. We ordered 3 types of bread (naan) but the online menu doesn't say it comes with an ENTREE, we just wanted the bread. So he assumed what entrees we wanted with the breads.
He then came back and pulled all the food out of the box, yelling the names of the orders to my husband, then SMASHED them back in the box.
My husband had to walk to the car, dripping curry on his sweatshirt, pants, and shoes, and then have it leak all over the backseat of our car.
I checked the bank account, and saw that we had only been charged for the $66.87, (although looking at it now, we were charged 3 times for different amounts over $65). I'm in the process of disputing the charges with my bank. -
Review from Brooke B.
Monte Rio, CA
Staff was super friendly and informative. The flavor was pretty strong, in a good way. We ordered appetizers, some kind of side sauce with yogurt, curry, lamb.... the works!! We loved it.
Didn't have room for dessert.
THIS IS NOT THE SAME "SIZZLING TANDOOR" BY BODEGA BAY!
Thank gods. The other place is a nightware!! -
Review from Tina G.
Santa Rosa, CA
3/12/2011
My husband and I went to Sizzling Tandoor earlier this year. I first want to state that we are both very picky about our Indian food. My husband is from Punjab India and we both went to school in the San Fernando valley were there is a huge selection of wonderful Indian food. Sizzling Tandoor was definitely not wonderful. The food was not bad tasting, it was edible but it was not good and it definitely was not Indian. We had a vegetable dish and a Daal dish, both of which were extremely bland and boring. I felt like I wasn't eating Indian food. Indian food is supposed to be exciting and full of flavor. Their food was boring and bland. The service was good, but the the food was extremely overpriced. I would definitely suggest an other restaurant to people who are looking for good Indian food. Torch of India is quite good, and right down the street, and is even cheaper.
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Review from onelife t.
San Jose, CA
7/3/2011
Good ambience, nice food and friendly service. Perfect restaurent.
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Review from Steve L.
Castle Rock, CO
8/30/2008
I've been to my share of Indian places, and it's not uncommon to see wide swings of opinions about different Indian restaurants. Some places have a more "hole-in-the-wall" decor but awesome cuisine - and others have an upscale atmosphere but rather bland food.
One thing that's important to remember about cuisines that are traditionally spicy/hot is that many of those restaurants temper their hotness based on the patrons in the restaurant. That is, if a nice old man asks for something spicy, his dish may not be actually as hot as say an Indian asking for something hot. Just keep that in mind in any restaurant when ordering a level of heat.. ;) I feel I can make this claim because I'm married to a beautiful Indian woman to has brought my tolerance for spice to hers over the years.
My experience at the Sizzling Tandoor was a good one. My wife and I visited there on a Friday evening and didn't have to wait to sit down. The atmosphere was slightly dark, but clean and comfortable.
We ordered garlic naan, lamb vindaloo, murgh makhani (boneless chicken in a tomato cream sauce), and navratan curry (vegetable curry). The spice scale is 1=mild, 2=medium, and 3=spicy. I usually like things on the spicy side so we ordered the lamb spicy, and the other dishes medium.
The lamb (again, ordered hot) was terrific, hands down. It had my sinuses clearing out and my beer emptied pretty quickly. (A good thing if you want spice)
The other dishes were very tasty as well, and I think I would have like them even better had we ordered them spicy (3) as well.
We found the menu to be a little bit on the pricey side, though. It's worth it for an occasional visit, but the price couldn't support me being a regular there. Speaking of the menu, though, it was one of the best thought-out menus I've seen at an Indian restaurant. Each item was well-explained, so anyone could figure out what they would be ordering..
I'd encourage you to at least try this place once. I read all the other reviews for the Sizzling Tandoor and it looks like people either rave or hate this place. Just keep in mind that reviews have a lot to do with a singular experience (the regular cook could have been off one night a reviewer stopped in, for example), and take basic average across them all. Including mine.. ;) -
Review from Mia M.
Geyserville, CA
11/24/2009
It isn't all that often that my husband and I get to get out for a night without the kiddos for a date...and that being said maybe our expectations were too high?! Anyway, we are fans of Indian food although not the most well versed Indian food eaters.
The ambiance was cool. Dancers on this particular Saturday night. We were seated quickly.
BUT...four of the wines that were listed on the menu (and the wine menu was big) that we were interested in purchasing for dinner were NOT available. Not the best way to start off our meal. Then we needed some help navigating the menu and needed suggestions and we really didn't get any help from the server. :( The food we did order was really good but then when the bill came they had totaled it wrong and over charged us. Maybe it was an off night for them and we just were trying to hard to get a nice romantic dinner on the fly...but we had money to spend, time to chill and left feeling less than excited about the restaurant. -
Review from renee c.
Napa, CA
6/26/2010
My boyfriend and I tried this place for the first time last night. I overall liked it, not loved it, but want to give it another try. After reading some of the other yelp reviews, I will look closely at the price add ons for condiments. I asked for the yogurt condinment as well as the chutney.
The chicken Tandori was very good. I am still thinking about it, it was so good. That alone will have me going back.
Also this is a family owned place and I have a special place in my heart for these kind of restaurants. The Wine Country is becoming more and more into the whole "fine dining experience" with partners and silent partners or even corporations owning restaurants, and they are all beginning to seem the same. Going to a quaint Indian Restaurant is nice, down to earth and comforting. -
Review from Dana N.
Santa Rosa, CA
5/23/2011
Sizzling Tandoor has the best Indian food you can find in the North Bay. Awesome vegetarian and hotness selections, great service and prices, and super cool decor.
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Review from Veda F.
Fairfax, CA
Updated - 7/17/2009
Against my better judgement I went to Sizzling Tandor. It's my friend's favorite restaurant. My last experience was less than steller.
Last night Biriani (sp), naan and wine list were great. The Bogle Reisling really cuts the heat. The waitress was friendly and attentive not like my last experience. I've had better saag. I'll update my review to 3 stars.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/31/2008
Hi there,
The wait staff was nice but the service was INCREDIBLY slow. The food was good, not great… Read more »
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Review from Nique F.
10/5/2009
I have eaten my fair share of Indian food and Sizzling Tandoor has a ton of pluses to be mentioned. First, let's admit it...some ethnic restaurants could use some help in the ambiance department, but ST had the perfect balance of modern sensibility and authentic Indian decor. It's very plush, with beautiful wood chairs, colorful pillows in the entrance sitting area, and a huge peacock feather wall piece we were oo-ing over. It's one of the most upscale family-owned ethnic joints I have seen.
Food was great. We had a big group of 10 so ordered a little of everything. Our guest of honor is from India and she has eaten here about once a month for years. So, I'd say that's a worthy seal of approval. I thought the Butter Chicken was boring but the Chicken Tikki Masala just delish. Quality was noticeably high...all lean chicken meat is a good indicator.
Service was spot on, which says a lot when you've got 10 people to keep happy. If Indian is your craving du jour, you can't go wrong here.
