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Tandoor Indian Restaurant
Categories: Restaurants Indian Restaurants Pakistani Indian, Pakistani [Edit]
1301 E Franklin StChapel Hill, NC 27514
(919) 967-6622
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 11:30 am - 2:30 pm
Mon-Sun 5 pm - 10 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
24 reviews for Tandoor Indian Restaurant
Review Highlights
"We especially like the Chicken Curry, Lamb Rogan Josh..."
(in 4 reviews)
"I've come here for the buffet, which I thoroughly enjoyed."
(in 12 reviews)
"Samosas were crunchy on the outside with a soft inside."
(in 5 reviews)
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24 reviews in English
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Review from Cara R.
Oakton, VA
11/20/2011
I was in town for business and was hungry for Indian. I chose Tandoor based on other reviews and it's location. It is located in the basement of a small building. As you are walking down the stairs, the smells and the decor hit you. Hard to describe - not a bad thing - just a bit bright & overwhelming.
The restaurant was quiet, the service was good and the food was solid. I would definitely go back next time I am in Chapel Hill! -
Review from Claire L.
Carrboro, NC
12/15/2011
Distinctly average. Which in Chapel Hill, is just fine.
I've been here to eat and also order take-out. If you dine-in, you get a nice little appetizer of papadums, which is nice.
Portions are good, food is tasty. Service was almost too aggressive; my table just wanted a chance to chat.
The biggest drawback is the downstairs location. Between no windows and all the bright collars, I felt a little claustrophobic. -
Review from Cami T.
Chapel Hill, NC
10/25/2011
Tandoor is so far my favorite Indian restaurant in Chapel Hill (I haven't gone to Vimala's or the newly re-opened Guru yet). The basement location seemed a little weird at first, but I kind of love how intimate it makes the place feel.
Food-wise, their samosas are my favorite anywhere, and their gulab jamun is AMAZING (and served cold, unlike at Mint). I haven't had a bad entree yet, and the fella and I have been slowly sampling our way through their menu, so we've had quite a few. I will say, though, to expect lower quality if you call in an order to pickup. The quality is kind of iffy then, even if you are able to get it home before it cools off. I'm not sure why that is, but it definitely isn't as good.
The service here is pretty good too. Everyone there is really nice, but they also give you your space while you eat...I never feel pressured to hurry up or like they are hovering, which is lovely. -
Review from Mei O.
12/11/2011
Solid Indian food in a random uber orange basement. That pretty much sums up how I feel about Tandoor. Everything we have eaten there has been scrumptious, and the waitstaff are always polite and accommodating. I wish the dinner prices were just a little bit lower for the amount of food you get, but that's my only big complaint.
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Review from Tim C.
10/8/2011
Came here with some friends and ordered the Chicken Korma, Lamb Vindaloo, Lamb Biryani, and Paneer Saag.
The Paneer Saag was probably my favorite of the four. It was spinach with chunks of cheese, and it didn't taste too heavy or creamy, as some paneers can be. It was nice and light with good flavors.
The Chicken Korma was pretty decent - chicken was cooked well, and I liked the spices / sauce they used for it.
I was not too impressed with the lamb dishes, though. The Vindaloo sauce was too tomato-y for my liking, and the lamb was dry and tough - just not very well cooked.
The Biryani did not have much lamb in it, and I just wasn't very impressed with it overall.
Granted, I'm no Indian food expert, but I've had better Indian food than this. It's not bad - just nothing super special (in my limited experience). -
Review from John L.
9/6/2011 1 Check-in Here
There are lots of great Indian places in Chapel Hill: Mint has its epic buffet, the former India Palace also had a buffet, Vimala's is apparently very good, and then there's Tandoor. Situated in the same building as a State Farm (and next to Sunrise Biscuit Kitchen), Tandoor offers good Indian food, from an excellent Saag (I had a wonderful Saag shrimp), to wonderful spicy dishes if that's your persuasion. They also give you a lentil flatbread thing at the beginning of the meal which is quite good.
Service is excellent (our waiters/waitresses were very attentive, maybe a little too much so on the water), and the entire experience was generally very nice. -
Review from Molly R.
Los Angeles, CA
11/19/2011
I was so disappointed with the service my friend and I received at Tandoor yesterday. We went in for lunch a little after 2. The sign on the door says that lunch is served till 3pm. A little before 2:30, the server tells us that we need to hurry up and get all the food we're going to eat from the buffet because he's getting ready to close it. We weren't even finished with the first round, so we had to get up in the middle of our meal to get dessert, etc. It was so tacky. Aside from rushing us through our meal, the service was otherwise nonexistent. Needless to say I won't be going back here on my next visit to Chapel Hill.
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Review from Jessica P.
Durham, NC
3/5/2011 1 Check-in Here
Since Tandoor is pretty well reviewed here on Yelp, I decided to check it out. I haven't really found a favorite Indian restaurant here yet, and am open to trying them all out.
You open the door and there are stairs that lead down to the restaurant in the basement. I don't know this beforehand - a little weird to eat in a place without windows, but I am pretty open to anything. Not the cleanest place... don't really want to recount it all in my review... but there was a fly or two... and while we were eating, I saw two managers stomping loudly to kill something on the ground (now it could have just been a spider... but when you are eating, your imagination runs a little... and they could have been way more discreet killing whatever they were killing).
Anyways about the food. It wasn't horrible, but not the best. I know there are many different types of naan, but I wasn't a fan of the naan we had here. It was very thin and almost crispy. I did like that they served it with a yogurt sauce. I had the chicken korma (yeah, I'm exciting, I order the same dish at every Indian restaurant) and it was super bland... I couldn't really taste much spices or flavors (I've learned from a few Asian restaurants here that you really need to ask for it spicy... "medium" doesn't really have hotness).
I really wanted to like this place but... it just didn't live up to the food at other Indian restaurants here. -
Review from Fred B.
Greensboro, NC
6/18/2011
This place has been around forever it seems. We ate here quite often in the early '90s, when quality Indian food was simply not available in the triad area. We still stop in here several times a year, as we did several weeks ago. Overall, the food is still pretty good, if not spectacular.
The restaurant is in the basement of a building that also houses an insurance agency, and it is a little wierd since there are no windows. The inside is nice, but a litttle worn and dated. The service here is generally good, although it can slip when things are busy, especially if you are ordering off the menu.
We especially like the Chicken Curry, Lamb Rogan Josh, Chicken Tikka, and the Chicken Vindaloo. You call your spice level, and they are pretty good about getting it right - Hot means hot. We usually order several dishes and vary the heat level, and with rice and raita as buffers, this works well. We avoid the buffet because most, if not all, dishes will be mild, by design.
The Naan is generally good, but the Biryani dishes are a little weak and watery. The prices here are comparable with most Indian restaurants we frequent, all tend to be a little pricey, especially when portion size is considered. -
Review from mari h.
2/26/2010 3 Check-ins Here
I'm biased. I'll admit it. I've been coming here over the last 10 years. The two men that own/operate this place know me, even after I leave them for years at a time. They greet me like a friend they haven't seen in way too long every time I walk down those stairs and I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one, but it's really nice.
I'm sure there's swankier Indian. In fact, I know there's swankier Indian. But this place, has hands down, the best Navratna Korma ever made on their buffet. And I collect Indian buffet experiences, coast to coast. It's simple and yes, mild (if you don't rock their hot sauce), but they have some really good, classic, primarily northern Indian going on in here.
And yes, you have to ask for it, but they also have the best hot sauce I've found anywhere. A word of warning, the thicker it is, the hotter it is.
Now, all that said. Everything not on the buffet, is so much better than anything on the buffet...
Just remember this. Navratna Korma, with rice, and hot sauce=delicious.Listed in: Lunch in Chapel Hill
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Review from Katie P.
Chapel Hill, NC
12/17/2009
I really love this place. The one and only reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 is because their buffet is not good at all. Don't order off the buffet, you'll regret it. The food just doesn't taste quite the same.
I have been to this place so much that the owners know me and are so so nice. They know what I typically order (Chicken Biryani Hot and Garlic Naan). They also deliver which was great when I lived on Chapel Hill's campus. They are by far the fastest delivery to campus and the food is amazing. I haven't found any Indian food that matches it yet. -
Review from Julie D.
2/16/2010
My boyfriend and I just stumbled upon this place for dinner after doing a shop at Trader Joe's. You have to walk down a flight of stairs in order to get to the restaurant and once there you are bombarded with Orange. Almost the entire interior is orange with a splash of red and cyan ( I love the color orange so I am not complaining about this).
We decided to order the Tandoor dinner for two which consist of 2 Vegetable Samosas,2 Vegetable Pakora, Chicken Curry, Vegetable Curry, Lamb Pasanda served with Rice, Nan, Raita, Mango Chutney, Kheer. Everything that was served to us was delicious. My favorite thing was the Lamb Pasanda. It was so good I actually had to clean the serving dish with Naan just so I could get all of the sauce up. -
Review from Greg D.
Virginia Beach, VA
9/10/2010
Well done. Downstairs in the State Farm building with family flair. Not fancy, but attractive - you can bring a family or a date. Samosas were crunchy on the outside with a soft inside. The lamb saag seemed a bit, but only a bit, on the bland side. The other dishes were flavorful. Staff was helpful and friendly. No question that we return. As a helpful aside, there is a small children's menu with Indian dishes so you are not forced to order large expensive dishes for the kid, and don't have to order nuggets with fries.
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Review from Kristie S.
Durham, NC
9/6/2011
My husband and I visited this restaurant because we had a Groupon. I am just mentioning that because I wonder if that affected the level of service we received. The service was terrible! The staff mostly ignored us. In fact, my husband finally had to go up to the front and inform one of the waiters who we were in order to pay--and the waiter thought we were just then showing up! But the main reason I'm writing this review is that not only was the food not really very good, it made both of us sick. And all we ordered was vegetarian food, so bad meat was not involved! Anyway, we definitely will not be going back.
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Review from William J.
Chapel Hill, NC
6/21/2008
I keep wanting to come here for the lunch buffet, yet somehow I can only ever make it out for dinner. I suppose I shouldn't be complaining. Dinner is excellent enough to please just about anybody.
I'm a huge fan of Indian food, and Tandoor delights right up there with the rest of them. I typically won't do any of the starters or anything, since they take away from the glory that is the main dishes. Most of the stuff you can get is some variation on "meat or vegetables in heavy, spiced sauce," so just throw a dart at the menu and order whatever it hits, you'll probably be thrilled with it. Oh, and make sure you get naan bread to go with it. It's great.
The decor and atmosphere are well-played faux luxurious, and the service is impeccable, speedy and oh-so-polite. They can occasionally feel like they're trying to rush you out of there (which they are), but don't let them pressure you and you can have a nice, relaxing meal.
Final recommendation: Get a mango lassi. If you've never had one, you simply must. It's a kind of Indian yogurt smoothie, and it's like crack mixed with sex infused with essence of puppy-dog-cuteness. Orgasm in a glass. Get one. -
Review from Samantha E.
Alexandria, VA
1/31/2011
Another good Indian restaurant. Whether you come for the buffet or order off the menu it is all delicious!
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Review from Piper L.
Chapel Hill, NC
10/6/2007
We rate the food slightly above-average as Indian goes, but not outstanding. There were good samosa-type items, and a mango dessert that was tasty, and the buffet had good variety and was frequently refreshed.
As for service, we got none! There was a dinner buffet, but we planned to order off the menu. We gave up on that idea pretty quickly and just got in line for the buffet, since we couldn't get a waiter to make eye contact. We got no water refills, and we thought we would order beer but no one offered to sell it to us. Other tables were getting drinks. Oh well, at least they took our money on our way out the door.
It might have just been that we were there at peak time on Friday night, but, really, we eat out on Friday nights all the time and this never happens.
Also, there were lots of little kids there, FYI. -
Review from Asher S.
Raleigh, NC
2/2/2011
I like this place for the lunch buffet and for regular ordering at supper.
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Review from chaz t.
Durham, NC
5/9/2010
Saturday night out and Tandoor was the selection for a group of six. The food was requested at a medium spice and it came out with no spice whatsoever. We informed the server and his response was to bring a bottle of hot chili sauce. We informed the manager and he was surprised and said that he would take care of it. Eek. Me thinks will not return here again. Sorry Tandoor as the staff is quite nice and the flavor of the food is generally spot on.
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Review from Kianna M.
Dallas, TX
6/8/2008
I've come here for the buffet, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Sooo many food items to choose from here. You can start with a nice salad or fruit which is always fresh and delicious. Then move on to samosas and perhaps some chicken curry or tiki masala. I'm like one of the other reviewers, I love spicy food-- it can't be too spicy for me! I would recommend coming here hungry, that is if you're doing the buffet, and eating slowly so you can go back for as many "seconds" as you can manage.
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Review from Henry S.
Manhattan, NY
7/4/2008
The lunch buffet is the best part about this place. While I've been for dinner, I always feel like I'm paying way too much because the buffet is such a steal. The naan here is great, as are the samosas and various curries. I love the staff here, as they are overly-friendly and love return customers. I think it's the best Indian place I've visited in the Triangle, so I will keep coming back until I find something better.
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Review from Lenka B.
Chapel Hill, NC
7/17/2010
For a year I let the State Farm building intimidate me. I saw the signs for Tandoor, but I kinda thought it was a joke. I thought maybe I would walk in hungry, expecting some tandoor chicken, and it would not be there. Or that I would get served saag paneer laced with car insurance. The thought of being tricked into getting insurance through the lure of Indian food really freaked me out. Two nights ago I decided to take my chances, and I must tell everyone out there not to let the State Farm building scare you away. The restaurant is underneath the building in a brightly decorated basement area. I could tell that the cooks put a lot of love in the food. The food is delicious and the portions enormous. Something about the pink & orange decor must have made my eyes larger than my stomach, but it was well worth it the next day when I had leftovers. I highly recommend the vegetable pakora to eat and the mango lassi to drink.
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Review from Christina G.
Durham, NC
6/5/2008 1 photo
I come here so often these guys know my name and my 'usual' -- chicken curry, chicken saag, both spicy, and an order of plain nan. Delicious. I'm sad to see the reviews it's gotten because I really do love this place. I think it's better than the other area Indian I've had (India Palace and Bombay Grille), and the owners are just wonderful. I took a date there once who unwittingly tried to match my order for heat. When he was visibly red, sweating, and had taken about three water refills some time later, the server brought out a ramekin of yogurt to tone down the sauce. When my date's plate still stood untouched, the owner took it away and replaced it gratis --and unasked-- with the same dish, cooked mild instead of spicy. I thought it was great how they went out of their way to make sure he was satisfied with his food, even though it was my date's mistake to order something he couldn't handle. If I come in to wait on a to-go order, the servers always offer me a place to sit and a drink (try the chai!) while I wait, and never charge. The owner also went above and beyond to deliver food to me when I was living outside their stated delivery boundaries -- and he didn't even charge me a delivery fee! So there. I hope I've won you nay-sayers over. If you're a college student, flash your ID for a 10% discount on takeout.
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Review from Sharon L.
Mariposa, CA
2/15/2008
Only been here for lunch buffet, but visit on a regular basis. Buffet consists of some standards, such as tandoori chicken, some type of curry, some type of saag, naan,some type of pakora, and rice of course. Not a huge amount of vegetarian options on the buffet. A couple of dessert options. Food is ok. Not exciting...not bad...just kind of there. It is consistent though, and not overly greasy. Service has always been great and friendly, though admittedly eating at the buffet means drinks just need to be refilled.
