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Taste of India
Categories: Restaurants Indian Restaurants Pakistani Indian, Pakistani [Edit]
20687 Tracy AveButtonwillow, CA 93206
(661) 764-6464
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
79 reviews for Taste of India
Review Highlights
"...both happy with what they got, and I inhaled my lamb curry."
(in 4 reviews)
"Very good chicken tikka masala."
(in 3 reviews)
"...again when driving the 5 fwy rather than fast food any day."
(in 20 reviews)
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79 reviews in English
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Review from Jireh H.
Temple City, CA
11/22/2011 5 photos
[3.5 stars]
Summary:
- Food is decent and unique for a significant distance
- Service is friendly and straight-forward (order and pay at counter)
- Price is above average
Indian cuisine - another staple part of a Singaporean's diet.
It was semi-dark and raining on interstate 5 on my drive up to Monterey. I flew past my usual pit stop (Ranch House off Gorman exit) and tried to get as far from the rain as possible. (You know how it is - crazy Californian drivers who have no clue how to properly drive in the rain - hydroplaning trucks, RVs, and rice-rockets are no bueno).
I was closing in on Lost Hills and I've passed most of the heavy rain when I saw the Taste of India sign. Indian food...and a hungry Singaporean. Yeah, its over, I'm definitely exiting into another little area in the middle of nowhere.
I walked into a completely empty restaurant at 3:30 pm. Looked at their extensive menu and ordered a lamb mushroom curry (~$11), small plate of basmati rice (~$3), garlic naan (~$3), and a kingfisher beer (~$5). It took about 20 minutes before my food was ready and during that time, I just chatted up the lady working right there and stared at the remains of a charred burning vehicle across the street with lots of emergency workers attending to the immediate area. Talk about timing, lol.
Hot, spicy, lusciously complex and flavorful lamb curry over warm basmati rice pairs perfectly with the current cold and rainy weather. The garlic naan was thinner than I'm accustomed to and pleasantly crunchy. Kingfisher beer was a nice match with the food as well.
NOTE:
There is only one reason why I couldn't give this place 4 stars. I wasn't paying enough attention to the menu because of the fire across the street. So I just asked for lamb curry and the lady behind the counter asked if I wanted basmati rice and garlic naan to go with it. I agreed, paid for it, and then wondered why my bill was $23. I thought for a second that the beer must have been $10-ish until I sat down and noticed that the rice and naan were about $3. Pricing is obviously off BUT that's what happens when this spot is the Indian food monopoly for a significant amount of miles - above average prices and remain in business for more than 9 years. -
Review from Will H.
Lafayette, CA
12/17/2011
I'd rate this more as a 2.5 star place (considering the circumstances), but I'd like to have enjoyed this place more than I actually did. This place just doesn't have a whole lot going for it.
To start, the food was pretty good. Living in the bay area I'm accustomed to good Indian food, and this place was by no means bad. That being said, it wasn't minding blowing by any stretch of the imagination, and the naan, which is a must whenever you have Indian food, was thin, dry, and kind of burnt.
I'm happy to say I didn't get food poisoning, yet the problem is I shouldn't have to be worried about that kind of thing when I go into a restaurant. The fact of the matter is that looking at this place outside and in, I had my doubts. The bathroom for one was worse than ones you'd find at gas stations. The place was empty except for one other group, and the decor and lighting was pretty bleak on the inside. With hardly anyone at the restaurant and no music playing, I felt anxious after ordering at the front, not knowing what to do with myself.
However, driving down from San Francisco to LA, this is one of the only places you're going to get for a while. It's convenient, and if you feel like getting something that's not from a chain, you're super hungry, or you're in the mood for Indian, you might want to give it a try. But, if you're looking for a hidden gem off the interstate, this is not it. If you really want a restaurant experience, you might want to just wait for an hour or two and keep driving. -
Review from Michael T.
Alhambra, CA
11/28/2011
Well, it didn't make us sick. So that was good.
The bathrooms were filthy.. disgusting beyond the pale. The restaurant was shabby with little to no effort put into maintaining it. It might have looked nice once.
For all the big signs saying "Try our Vegan menu," they were out of their vegan menus for perusal and didn't seem at all interested in relaying the contents to interested parties.
Everything tasted like it was microwaved or out of a can (canned peas..seriously). -
Review from Vishnu B.
Folsom, CA
11/25/2011
Probably one of the closest access from I5 to indian restaurant on the way to la.
Don't expect tasty food. Just expect to quench ur hunger. Garlic naan and chicken curry are okay. Don't order any of the biriyani, u"ll regret.
The girl working in the restaurant is very courteous and friendly to customers.
If u r an east indian reading this review , u won't care about this review and will checkin. That's what i did as well :( -
Review from Dhananjay S.
Cupertino, CA
2/9/2012
Surprisingly good. Let me clarify that this place serves the need for Indian food on I5. The food was simple, home-style and fresh. We ordered Dal, aloo matar and samosas which tasted pretty good. Excellent Naans.
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Review from Angela S.
Campbell, CA
12/25/2011
Bad service. The lady said they could not give me the insides of the wrap only. She wanted to charge me for the larger dish instead. I said fine I'll order the wrap and take it off myself. I'm gluten free so this was not the place I would recommend for gluten free diets. Young gal was rude but the older guy with pony tail was very nice. Food tastes pretty good. Mild is still spicy though!
After all that fuss them the lady over charged us. At least she caught it and corrected it but after the fact. -
Review from David B.
Sunnyvale, CA
1/15/2012
The food is a lot spicier than you might expect, unless you request it otherwise. A good example of the pretty decent highway food that's grown up along the once desolate I-5 corridor.
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Review from Jenny A.
Huntington Beach, CA
9/15/2011
This restaurant looks scary from the outside and inside but we decided to give it a try anyways. We figured it would be better than McDonalds. We were right. We read the reviews and decided to give the chicken curry a try and we asked for something off the menus and they gladly made it for us (vegetable korma).
The vegetables were all fresh and you could tell it was just made as none of the veggies were soggy...surprisingly full of color as well. The chicken curry was not cream based which we liked and the rice was good. Unlike other reviews the wait for food was only 15 minutes and the server at the front was very helpful and nice.
All in all for people who love Indian food we thought it was good and loved the "A" rating it got for being clean. I would def stop here again when driving the 5 fwy rather than fast food any day! Not fancy but stick to the very basics and it's great! -
Review from Christal B.
San Diego, CA
6/28/2011 1 Check-in Here
I really think that the whole point of having a restaurant in the middle of nowhere geared towards the average road tripper is to put out tasty food in a timely manner.
Stopped by here on the way to SF.
Like a lot of the reviewers here, Indian does sound amazing compared to the usual fast food options.
BUT..this place is nothing but fast.
We ordered the palak paneer, chicken biyrani, and yellow dal.
After the hour it took for the food to come out, I was disappointed.
The dal was decent, but that was it.
The decor here is extremely lacking. Remnants of what used to be there were poorly covered up with maps, and huge canvases.
Our food was wheeled out to us, which reminded me of an asylum.
All the flies buzzing around would have made me lose my appetite if I wasn't starving.
Did this food hit the spot? No, not really.
Did I feel like it was overpriced? Yeah, pretty much.
Would I come back? hmm, a big maybe. -
Review from Chris O.
7/22/2011 1 Check-in Here
I was all excited to be able to get some tasty Indian food on the 5 drive but I think a veggie Subway sam would have been cheaper and better for vegan options. The veggie wrap here was made with a tortilla instead of nan which was odd. Also it had a pretty sad selection of vegetables inside of it considering it was about $6, just some carrots, cabbage and rice really, no beans or anything interesting. Serves me right for the one time I forget to check Yelp first.
If they were really happy and nice here it would have been worth a second try but they seemed kind of down and not very freindly (note that the girl that got my wrap was fine but the other guys walking around like zombies were creepy). -
Review from Starr O.
Vallejo, CA
6/20/2011
It wasn't the best Indian food I've ever had (seeing as growing up in the Bay Area and going to college in Davis has spoiled me), but for food that doesn't come from a drive thru window along I-5 or out of a cooler that has made your food dubious, it was good enough for me. I was with two vegetarians as well, which made it easier that going to Denny's where they would inevitably get a salad. They were both happy with what they got, and I inhaled my lamb curry.
Not the best place to stop if you're in a hurry to get to your destination, but it hit the spot. Plus the mango lassi calmed my stomach somewhat so that's always a plus. -
Review from Patrick L.
Alameda, CA
1/3/2012
Overpriced marginal food. Stick with the other fast food in the area. Did I mention overpriced?
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Review from Aris B.
Los Angeles, CA
10/23/2011 1 Check-in Here
Great samosas. Nice surprise. Not sure what some folks expect in the middle of nowhere, but for vegetarians on the road this is a solid Subway alternative.
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Review from albert r.
San Jose, CA
10/10/2011
Not worth the time spent driving from I-5...mickey D's is a much better choice. Don't bother, the food sucked.
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Review from Audra L.
Petaluma, CA
10/24/2011
Decent food. Friendly staff. But no lunch buffet or even a thali plate, so pretty limited options when each plate is about $12.
Too bad. -
Review from Steven J.
Lafayette, CA
12/13/2011
Keep on driving. The atmosphere is creepy. We were the only people in the place, there was no music - just silence and the drone of a refrigerator - and three staff members pretty much stared at us the whole time. Drive on, weary traveller.
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Review from Rosanna I.
Stockton, CA
8/28/2011
Overall, this is a pretty dismal experience. Food's not very good. Decor is horrendous. And it's sooo creepy to have your food wheeled out on the metal cart. BUT...it's a captive audience. It's just the right distance between home and LA either direction. Has fast food for the kids at the same exit, along with gas and a quick Starbucks. So...will I stop there tomorrow, on my way to LA? You betcha.
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Review from Umesh T.
El Sobrante, CA
3/27/2011 1 Check-in Here
I highly recommend for anyone to have the rice , yellow daal, and chicken curry. The chicken curry is what makes me drop in so many times on my drives between NorCal and SoCal as it's almost home-made good!
However, on the flip side, I would strongly advise you against almost every other dish; of the many we have tried, they were probably worth no more than a 1 star rating. Definitely avoid the chicken biryani as we could clearly tell by the texture of the rice grains and the general dryness of the dish that it was something that was most probably cooked the night before.
As long as you stick to the aforementioned recommended tri-facta, it will be 4 stars. Veer from that, and don't come crying to me as I am only going to say "I told you so."
I will have to dock one star for the sub-par so-called "daal makhani"
I will come back for sure, whenever I pass by this area. -
Review from Anthony B.
Redlands, CA
6/26/2011
Found a good way to get a full meal here without spending a cent...crawl onto your belly and lick the floor. You will miss none of the fine dining experience that this place offers. Just spent thirty dollars for and the only thing that I could eat was two bites of a tortilla. Absolutely the worst food I've ever had. Felt like a fly drawn into a web...middle of nowhere, hungry, a sign promising healthy vegan fare. Man, I suddenly have a lot of pained empathy for flies. The positive: I didn't die.
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Review from Erwin R.
Cupertino, CA
7/15/2011 1 Check-in Here
I have driven past this place so many times, but decided to stop today just to take a whiff. I tell you what, I should have kept driving! One thing I will say was ok, was the rice but thats it.
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Review from Athonia C.
Rancho Cordova, CA
8/2/2011
Vegetarian and vegans hopeful for thick spicy curry should avoid the Mushrooms Matar (for 9.99). It was tasteless and runny. salt and spicy green chutney will help it a little though. rice appears to be long grain instead of Basmati and it is not cooked with saffron. Its still nice to have an Indian option on the 5 freeway though.
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Review from Claire M.
Cupertino, CA
7/26/2010
I have probably passed the billboard advertisement for this place over 30 times on my journeys to and from San Diego but have never stopped here until yesterday for two main reasons:
1. I hate stopping on road trips. I like to get to my destination as fast as possible and only stop for gas when the light comes on.
and
2. I hate the smell of Indian food and especially the way the smell attaches to your hair and clothes.
So you may be asking why I finally decided to stop in here yesterday...
Lets just say my Dad and I are very different when it comes to road trips. He likes to stop every 30 min for either a smoke break, a bathroom break, gas stop, snack stop, or to stretch his legs out. Heaven forbid we do all the above in one stop!
The food was mediocre. The yogurt was wattery and the menu said it included carrots and cucumbers however there were just a few slivers of each. The green salad was pretty much just chopped lettuce with a few veggies here and there. Ranch was the only dressing. Last time I checked, ranch is about the farthest from Indian you could get.
Not a fan. Service was slow and when we asked for an extra bowl, he never brought one to us. -
Review from John J.
San Jose, CA
3/13/2011
This restaurant isn't anything that can be called great. Let's just say that the place is OK. I've been to this restaurant twice driving down the I-5, and saw the signs for Taste of India. Of course I wouldn't normally eat ethnic food in the middle of nowhere, but I felt compelled to support Taste of India because I could appreciate the difficulty of opening up a small business.
When I walked in for lunch, there were tacky decorations everywhere and the restaurant had hardly any customers. Of course, most people are probably just passing by, since I doubt Bakersfield (or Buttonwillow) would have a large Indian/Pakistani population. I ordered the Lamb Biryani wrap the first time and I asked for it Spicy. When it came to me 10 minutes later, it was way too spicy!! I managed to finish it, but it took a few glasses of water, and the chicken was on the dry side.
Learning my lesson, the second time I took my friend there and asked for it "medium" because Indian spicy is like Thai spicy. Most people can only take it in moderation. My friend had the chicken curry meal, complete with rice pudding, naan, rice, and a soda. The naan was good, but I've had better. I ordered Sweet Dasu Lassi which was AWESOME!! and the the lamb biryani (not the wrap), and it was like a medley of spices in my mouth. My friend was overall very satisfied. Me, being the critic on yelp thought it was a bit pricey, $28 for two people.
I really think Taste of India is somewhere you go once or twice with an open mind and an entrepreneurial spirit. I think in the future, I will just stop by In-N-Out when I drive on the I-5. You won't find another Indian place to go to when you're in the middle of nowhere, so it's worth a try. -
Review from Ginger H.
Temecula, CA
3/6/2011
I don't think I've ever had Indian food before and this was really great.
What caught my attention was the sign painted on their roof that is visible from the freeway. While it's pretty crude, it was hard to ignore and I just had to try this place out. I certainly wasn't interested in having any fast food on the long trip from Temecula to Sacramento.
I had the lunch combo with garlic nan. Not having had Indian food before, I went with the 'mild' spicy which is actually 'zero' spice. I think if you like even a little heat you could go with medium spicy.
The thing that wasn't all that great was the rice 'pudding'. I think rice pudding is a thicker and this was rice in milk with some mild flavoring to it. It wasn't bad but it was mislabeled.
I'm not inclined to give 5 stars because the atmosphere is pretty cheap and it wouldn't take much for them to class it up a bit. -
Review from Punam K.
Pasadena, CA
6/21/2010
Sure it's not in a fancy area off th I-5, then again, what is? As soon as I walked up to the door I noticed the "A" rating. YAY!
The naan was great, I wasn't crazy about the Vegetable Biryani Wrap, basically it's rice wrapped up (low-carb nightmare) and the matar paneer tasted good. I would visit it again. -
Review from Kellie M.
5/23/2010
Here are the restaurants near Taste of India:
Tita's Pupuesria, Willow Ranch, Travel Center, Planta Rojo Ice Cream, Elsy's Antojiitos, Taco Bell, Buttonwillow Auto Truck Plaza, etc.
You get the idea?? This is not exactly gourmet cuisine. In fact, it's pretty much tasteless junk: just what you would expect along the I-5. I fly along the I-5, the fastest route from LA to SF because it's much faster than the 101. It the same for the entire route - junk food. When you drive along the route you eat because we're hungry, not because we are looking for gourmet.
I'm vegan and will not eat at any of the numerous junk food places along the I-5. I am excited to have my very own vegetarian junk food place along the I-5: Taste of India.
It's okay vegetarian junk food.
If this place was in the city, I wouldn't eat here. But I wouldn't eat at Buttonwillow Truck Stop either if it was in the city!
So I eat here because of the location! 3 stars for food 1 + 1 star for location.
I agree that the food is spicy, which I love. I got medium spice, and that was just right for me but would probably be too spicy for most.
I have never been a more interesting bathroom: 3 soap dispensers (eenie meenie, miney, moe), paper towel dispenser and hand dryer, terrible paint job and one tacky "bouquet" of dusty pink silk flowers. -
Review from Tasha M.
Tacoma, WA
11/19/2008
Just keep driving...
Believe me, don't stop. I know, those colorful, handcrafted signs along the abysmal stretch of desert road that is I-5 are appealing. With the sequence of quirky little boards popping up with bold lettering, reminding you that there is an Indian restaurant in lieu of a burger shack, boasting things like "fresh ingredients", "wraps to go", "vegetarian", and even "taste", it seems like a no-brainer to pull over in Buttonwillow and show this mom and pop joint some love. Don't do it! I repeat, do NOT do it.
I, like many others apparently, was lured in by the signs. I had been on the road for hours, my stomach was growling, and I was preparing to head to one of the countless fast-food spots to get a quick bite to eat. That's when I saw it: the cardboard Taste of India roadside advertisement. I was elated, and eagerly followed the vibrant trail of homemade signs to my destination.
The restaurant seemed clean enough when I arrived. I gave the menu a once over and decided I would try one of their ultra-convenient wraps to take on the road with me. I ordered it with lamb and waited over twenty minutes before I received my food. The wait didn't bother me so much, because 1) I was sick of being in the car, 2) I expected the food to be good, 3) they were busy and 4) there was a sweet Bollywood musical playing on the TV that entertained me for a while.
When I finally got my meal, I headed out to my car and attempted to eat it. Key word: attempted. First of all, there was no way it was a "to go" kind of wrap. It was impossible to just pick it up and bite into it, a knife and fork are required. What a silly concept, a wrap for the road that you have to balance on your lap and eat with utensils.
Once I gave up on the idea of eating and driving simultaneously, I dived in. It smelled really good, it looked tasty, and I was starving; lethal combination. After inhaling a few bites of the wrap, shoving food in my face so fast I couldn't even taste it, I began to pace myself and realized I had made a mistake. I was completely underwhelmed by the amount of flavor contained in the wrap. It was a tortilla encasing raw carrot slices, mushy rice that somehow had the aroma of spices without the taste of them, and awful meat.
OH GOD THE MEAT! Just thinking about it makes me want to vomit again. That's right, AGAIN. I ate about half of the wrap, got back on the road, I started feeling queasy and I had to pull over and yack it back up. I felt nauseous during the remainder of my drive and almost can't stomach the thought of eating Indian food again, and I LOVE Indian food. All for the bargain price of $12.38.
If India tasted like a wet sock stuffed with rancid meat, then the name of the restaurant would be suitable. Until then, I suggest they change the name from "Taste of India" to "Taste of Food Poisoning", since that seems to be a more cohesive theme here.
Consider yourself warned!Listed in: Drive The Five
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Review from Anita L.
9/5/2008 1 photo
I wish I had done a search on yelp of this place BEFORE we stopped for lunch. We didn't want the usual fast food and we'd been to Mike's Roadhouse Cafe before and it wasn't exciting either. This place looked interesting.
We get inside and ordered. I was IMing my friend and he checked out this place on yelp and told me to NOT eat there. Too late. Our food was already coming out.
We ordered chicken biryani, chicken vindaloo, garlic naan and hubby got a veggie biryani wrap. I thought it weird that all the wraps were biryani wraps -- never ever had a biryani wrap before. Hubby was eating and I tucked into the chicken biryani.... it was bland and tasteless. It did not resemble any biryani I've ever tasted, in fact, the biryani at Masala Bowl is better and that's saying a lot.
The chicken vindaloo was hot, like temperature hot so I thought it should be fine eating it. Then, my friend IMed me saying several reviewers said they got sick eating there and one had the wrap. As soon as I told hubby, he stopped eating and pushed his wrap out of the way.
The vindaloo was weak and watery. The garlic naan, although seemed to please the young man, was hard and crunchy instead of soft and pillowy. The garlic on top was also really pathetic. I really regretted eating the plate of serrano chilis and onions -- which were raw -- but I prayed that I wouldn't get sick.
It was so expensive too. $40 for that and the portions were small, not that I care since we didn't really want to eat any more anyway. The pre packaged Indian food from Trader Joe's is far better than this crap they're trying to serve up.
There were flies buzzing around inside and the whole set up was really weird. I think it's a good concept to have an Indian restaurant on I-5 where all you see are fast food chains, but c'mon.... make the food at least half way decent. You have to be truly dying for Indian food to eat here. Honestly, I'm sure if I try, I could make better tasting Indian food than this.
Only positive thing was that none of us got sick. And next time, I'll settle for a Whopper thank you very much.Listed in: GROSS GROSS GROSS
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Review from Grayson F.
Manhattan Beach, CA
5/30/2009
For a non meat-eater, a trip through central California can be a dreary one. The I-5 is a barren wasteland of steak houses and the smell of bored cows getting ready to die, and granola bars do little to satiate ones appetite. Under these circumstances, the word "vegan" flying past you at 90 mph in big red capital letters can easily be interpreted as a mirage, a wish that your brain is tricking you into believing--but it's no mirage, it's Taste of India.
Location is Taste of India's greatest attribute. The Buttonwillow exit off the 5 is like any other--a small oasis of gas stations and fast food. But this conveniently placed Indian restaurant separates it from the rest.
I haven't had the chance to try anything other than their wraps, but they do have an extensive menu of both meat-based and vegetarian plates. They used to have four vegan wraps, but now only have one, the #1. The #1 was a colorful blend of rice, veggies and herbs, and delighted my tongue with a unique combination of sweet and spicy (beware: we ordered ours mild and they were quite spicy). Our wraps came out in less than two minutes and could easily be eaten while driving with only a little messiness. I cannot speak for the rest of the menu, but next time you see the big wooden signs, pull over at Buttonwillow and check it out--this wrap is worth it. -
Review from Anthony S.
Berkeley, CA
12/1/2008
Ummm. I'm ashamed to say that I've eaten here. Twice no less.
The first time was about four months ago and my wife and I saw the brightly colored billboards of Taste of India and were thrilled that there was something different than the typical Toxic Hell, Jack in the Crack and all the other road trip gut bombs so prevalent on Interstate 5. Hell we were ecstatic that we could have Indian food. We had actually had pretty good luck with Interstate Indian food in the past, so we were willing to give it a shot.
The first trip was a good one. I would have given the restaurant three stars easily. We had Saag Paneer and Naan with two hot chai. The food was actually edible, good even. The staff was great and we congratulated ourselves for finding a diamond in the rough.
Fast forward to Thanksgiving weekend...Buttonwillow is a freaking demilitarized zone...People everywhere...Lines at all of the restaurants, at the gas station, at Starbucks. It was mayhem. We pulled into Taste of India's parking lot. It was packed. We go inside. It was a microcosm of what was happening outside. Utter craziness. We finally got seated and waited to order. And we waited...
Finally someone came to take our order. Wanting something light, we both ordered the 'Indian wraps' I ordered chicken and Astrid ordered the veg version and two chai. And we waited some more. The food came out on a Rubbermaid rolling cart and the waitress plopped it down in front of us. It looked disappointing. It was nothing but a freaking burrito with biryani as the stuffing. We took our first bites and were even more disappointed by the flavor. It was bland and tasteless, the antithesis of what Indian food should be. Astrid's veg wrap was made with canned 'Veg-All' http://farm1.static.fl... veggies. There was nothing fresh about it. The chai was cold and we had to ask for sugar instead of the Splenda they gave us. Who uses Splenda in Chai? Nasty.
We left with $20 less in our wallets and a disappointing meal in our bellies. Don't be lured by the pretty signs that beckon you with promises of fresh food. They might as well be Sirens calling you to your doom. -
Review from isabel c.
San Francisco, CA
8/6/2007
Oh god no, don't do it. as tempting as this place seems in comparison to the fast food options along the boring old, stinky cattle-slaughter-house smelling I-5....I BEG you, don't do it!
Unless of course you want to eat the worst Indian food you've ever had anywhere (i've been to India, i know my food) and....AND wait a whole hour to get the crappy shite. (reminder to self: aren't you on the I-5 because you're looking for the fastest way from SF to LA??) -
Review from Jaime P.
1/22/2008
After seeing the ghetto painted sign on I-5 I decided to give this small business some business. I agree with the other comments, the restaurant itself is not set up the best space wise, nor was I anticipating this to be excellent Indian food (I've consumed the homemade stuff way too many times already).
The good news is, that I had no urge to shit out my pants the remainder of the drive home, the bad news is avoid the spicy unless you really like your tongue on fire. I consider myself to have a high level of spicy tolerance but damn their spicy was hot! Next time I'll go with the medium instead!
Also they have decent prices, it would be about the same price had you hit up a fast food joint instead. -
Review from Heidi H.
Irvine, CA
1/16/2010
Don't do it!!! DON'T.
The food was completely inedible. The Chicken Tandoori (over $11, plus the extra charge for rice) was so dry I could hardly chew it, and the only flavor was from the overwhelming bell peppers. Just awful.
I ate a couple of bites, and then shared a little of my friend's Chicken Tikka Masala instead. That one was, again, dry chicken, even though it was soaked in sauce. The rice (which, like I said, costs EXTRA on every entree) was squishy, bland white rice - NOT Basmati.
It was so bad that I asked the nice-but-clueless waitress to take it off the bill, but that didn't happen. She grimaced and asked "Uh, what do you want me to do?" and I said, again, to please take it off the bill. She grimaced again and said "Um, I'll have to ask, because I don't know..." Cut to a few minutes later, when she comes back and says "They said it's supposed to be like that... (with some rambling explanation about how they cook it before making it into tandoori, or something like that) ... so, it's dry meat. That's how it's supposed to be." Uh, no - Tandoori is awesome in every other place I've ever been to. It's "supposed" to be incredibly moist and tender and flavorful. That's how it's "supposed" to be.
So, not only is the food awful, but apparently some $15 is more important to them than happy customers. Seems like they're relying on unsuspecting one-time travelers and have no hopes for repeat business ... and it shows in their product and service. -
Review from Jaina D.
4/21/2009
The best thing about this place is the very nice young ladies who work here.
The "Indian Tea" (only served in styrofoam) tasted suspiciously like Lipton with milk (no spice, no sugar-- and no sugar on the tables).
The service is terrible, the salt level is lethal, and the prices are nothing short of... highway robbery! Yes!
I agree, keep driving.
PS: I just realized that THIS is probably where I got food poisoning on this trip.Listed in: Snack Away
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Review from Maximillian M.
San Francisco, CA
5/13/2008
One of the more bizarre road trip stops. The dingy, run down restaurant has signs all over the place inside, including the funny aforementioned "YOU MUST PAY FOR WHAT YOU ORDER" (really!) to "Please do not fill water bottles" on the standalone water dispensers, to inspirational quotes from Oprah and other celebs. Bollywood playing on the lone TV. Giant bathroom...with one lone toilet. You could've fit a Mini Cooper in there.
On to the food: their wraps made with "very thin naan"...uh, you're not fooling me. I know a flour tortilla when I see one. The veggie biryani wrap (were those peanuts crunching in the mix?) was suitably spicy and passable, but by no means great. The samosas, weak. Being the only game in town off the 5 freeway, they charge accordingly (over $10 for my food). I've had much better Indian food buffets for much less. I felt like a sucker, falling for the few ads off the freeway.
The food is actually two stars--third star for the sheer novelty. Road trippers, you gotta check it out once. -
Review from Jessi H.
San Francisco, CA
6/20/2011
This is my first time writing a review on yelp, but it was so ridiculous I had to say something. My friend and I have made several trips from San Francisco to San Diego and we've always been curious about this place.
She's vegan, and needless to say it's difficult to find food on the road. On our first 3 drives by this place we were intrigued that there was, not only an Indian restaurant in the middle of nowhere, but that it also specifically advertised vegan options. Finally, on the 4th pass we had to stop and try it. Whoops, probably should have checked out yelp first.
We walked up to the counter and asked the attendant which menu items were vegan. She stated that she was out of a lot of things, and that there were only 2 vegan options. WTF?!? Don't get me wrong, we don't expect to have a plethora of choices but only 2 dishes on their extensive (and very overpriced) menu when they specifically advertise vegan fare. It's painted on their roof, for god's sake! I was willing to give them the benefit of the doubt that maybe they were just out of a lot of dishes, but what kind of a restaurant isn't stocked at 7:30 on a Friday night?
In the end we ordered wraps to go. They were expensive, especially considering they were 90% rice, and I know we ordered them spicy but DAMN! I like spicy, I love spicy and it took me 3 sittings to get through it because my mouth was burning.
Conclusion: Expensive. Distinct lack of vegan choices despite being extensively advertised. Food was very spicy but otherwise bland. -
Review from Stephanie S.
Newport Beach, CA
3/28/2010 1 Check-in Here
Better than I expected! Come on, it's off I-5 in the middle of nowhere! I think Yelpers are grading this place a little harshly.
I was drawn in by the crafty handmade signs and the novelty of Indian cuisine on my looong drive back down to college. So I stopped by here with Rita S.
The naan came out piping hot and neatly sliced. We also ordered two vegetable samosas, which were well spiced but contained less potato and more onion than I preferred.
The meal came with mango "chutney" which was watery and somewhat tasted like mango. I ordered a side of cilantro chutney which tasted fresh, authentic, extremely spicy!! Overall I definitely preferred Taste of India over the usual highway stop fare of Denny's, McDs, or slimy Subway sandwiches.
The inside has kind of tacky decor but at least they tried, plus I appreciated the Bollywood film on in the background. The restaurant has beers with interesting names: Karma in a dark bottle and a spicy hard lemonade with an actual jalapeno chile in the stem of the glass! -
Review from becky b.
Corte Madera, CA
4/17/2011
After many years of wondering we finally tried it! Too expensive for so so food. The rice was OK. The lamb curry had a nice sauce actually. But the chicken Tandoori was inedible! It certainly wasn't tandoori. It was like chicken painted with red food coloring and microwaved. It had that "old chicken" taste. Mango lassi not great either.
$30 for the 3 of us and we only ordered two dishes. Gave it two stars because it was clean and the veggies on the Tandoori (green bell pepper and onion) were fresh. And I like spicy and they made it as I asked (lamb). To be fair, I could eat the lamb again.
Next time, the taco truck :-) -
Review from Angel A.
Santa Clara, CA
9/3/2007
Sure, it's not the tastiest India food you'll ever eat in your life, but it is the best choice for a real meal for a good long while. The food is cooked when you order it, so it takes about 20 minutes but at least it hasn't been sitting in some vat all day.
The korma was decent and the vindaloo was good, but both are better if you order them spicy. You have to rice order separately though, which is odd. Who eats a curry without rice? Their chai was sweet and creamy and a wonderful way to end the meal.
I've been to India (not that a vacation makes anyone an expert in that country's cuisine!!) and had much worse meals. If you're trying to make time, take your pick of any fast food drive-thru. If you're looking for a break from driving and craving something that isn't junk food, give it a try. -
Review from G J J.
Boston, MA
12/4/2007
Let's be fair to the Sardar who runs this place. First, he's a nice guy. Second, he'll pack your meal to go since he know you don't live in Buttonwillow, and you are probably on your way to SF/Davis/Sacramento. Does he need to utilize his space better? Yes. Does he need to attract less seedy customers? Yes.
Regarding the food, as others have said, it's not the best Indian food ever. Take it from me though, you'll never find good Indian in America. Never found it, never will. It's just that way. Sure, you'll find good pseudo-Indian food, I don't doubt that. Don't think it's authentic - it's as authentic as American Chinese is (and that's no very authentic either)
My suggestion is - look, if you are heading north or south on I-5 and need to get something to eat, why eat at McD or some other fast food chain and support big-nasty business? Not to mention the nasty calories and unhealthy content of it?
Try the masala chai and the pakoras here, the Sardar will put amchur on your pakoras. Good times!
