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Mon-Thu. 11:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Mon-Thu. 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Fri. 11:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Fri. 5:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Sat. 12:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Sat. 5:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Sun. 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
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The Clay Pit is very good indian food. They allow you to decide how 'hot' you want your food and do a very good job matching it with your order. I generally like more heavily spiced dishes, and asked for a 7, which was perfect: spicy enough to have that certain bite, but not seriously spicy to make you sweat or overpower the flavor of your dish.
The dining room is large and fairly open, which can make it a bit loud, but otherwise I have no complaints. They have great luch specials which are delicious and very reasonably priced.
After a glorious weekend, it was becoming a pissy Monday, cold, wet, with stupid little things popping up at work that should have been handled Friday (when I was off), a new deadline at 1500, and the co-workers doing their best Grumpy and Sneezy impersonations--trust me, we're not doing brain surgery here, just call-in sick if you can't or don't want to play.
The obvious move was to work through lunch and nourish bodies and souls from the nearest drive-thru, so of course, we zip down Mopac through the rain to storm the Clay Pit castle. You know it's a karma sign when a parking spot opens up and beckons to you right in front of the place.
I have no reservations about places that only do buffets, but at real restaurants, I shy away from brunch and other buffet-type endeavors. But the time constraint on this particular journey meant one group pass at the Clay Pit's lunch buffet.
So one small step for man, one giant leap for tandoori chicken. I actually did the rice (like it), most of a bowl of jeera saag (ooops, sorry), their mulligatawny (like it), a cream of garlic soup I've never had here before (like it), and the kheer (love it). Cool. What I really enjoy about Clay Pit is the building itself and the ambiance they've created, a perfect place for a faux esprit rebuild. We were all in a great mood as we zipped back.
Within the ambiance of my own special world, I amuse myself with random thoughts: Would the cast of "Slumdog Millionaire" enjoy eating at The Clay Pit in Austin? And if you accept that premise, would the cast of "Friday Night Lights" insist on finding bbq in Mumbai? Oh my, these sleepless nights...
This restaurant feels special, but the prices are better than most "nice" restaurants. And the food is excellent-- that distinctive almost red-looking Indian grilled meat and deep, rich curries. Get the curry mussels and plenty of naan for an appetizer (the curry sauce with the mussels is great for dipping naan). Still, I'm gonna ding them for some sugary, uninspired "signature cocktails" from the bar.
Insider tip: Try to get seated in the downstairs cellar room. The ambience is phenomenal and not enough diners get to experience this.
Polite & friendly service, better interior decor than your average Indian restaurant in a strip mall, some good tandoori, fluffy naan, and tasty chana masala all combine for a 4-star Indian dining experience.
Maybe the feel of this place is a bit different then other Indian Restaurants. Hell, my favorite drink here is the mango margarita and that's hardly an Indian cocktail. The front of house staff here is about as Indian as most as Italian restaurants in Austin have Italians.
But I like the food. In the decade that this restaurant has been open, I've never had a bad meal here. I've enjoyed just about everything. From the naan bread to the curry dishes, everything satisfies. I've had good service and the occasional inept individual that was a newbie and not fully trained. There are not many Indian restaurants in central Austin (and far too many sushi restaurants) and I think The Clay Pit is the best.
Another unexpected great dinner out in Austin! I was just going with the flow for choices of restaurants and ended up at Clay Pit. Right when I walked it, I liked it. Comfortable couches to wait while they got a large table ready for us, pleasant hostess that greeted us, vibrant colored cloth napkins at each place setting and fabulous smells coming from the kitchen.
I walked over to clay pit with 6 other people...got seated, got menus--then we realized that 3 more people were coming. The hostess calmly told us that we would either have to be completely re-seated, or would have to sit apart. We all desperately wanted to sit together--but didn't want to gip our server from a big table. Our server ended up going and asking the owner if it would be alright to push some tables together for us (it was a circular table and a little square table--so it s something they don't normally do). The simple gesture was really appreciated. He also let us know from the start that large groups are welcome, but checks can only be split between 5 cards per table (4 of us had cash! it was perfect)
Amidst rampant jokes about how much time we might spend in the bathroom AFTER enjoying Clay Pit---we had an amazing time! Ha-a few of us that hadn't ever ORDERED indian food (just eaten it at buffet style places or had friends cook for us) were kind of scared we would accidentally order something WAY too spicy for us.
I think the most fun part was wading through the menu trying to figure out what everything was. It all sounded SO GOOD in the descriptions. Our waiter was a huge help in explaining the dishes that he thought we might like based on what we said we liked and didn't like. We were told that a sure bet is to go with the curry menu where you pick a sauce, a protein, and a spice level (mild, medium, spicy, extra spicy)-and you have a dish! Those are all served in a bowl w/ rice---they encourage ordering lots of different ones to share. Each table has a few containers of rice that the server keeps refilling--then you can just sample all the sauces/dishes that people ordered at your table (if they'll share!) .
We started with two different types of naan--indian bread. Pretty good...next time I might skip the naan to save room for the entrees (they are worth waiting for!).
The favorites from our table:
-Vindaloo chicken--REALLY tasty. Delicious--curry sauce w/ onions and bell peppers. spicier than some of the other dishes. I would def order again.
-Chickin Tikki Masala--a Tomato/butter cream sauce. I prob would go ahead and order it hot next time (I only ordered it medium). The fact that the sauce is red makes it look spicier than it is.
-Lamb Korma--You can't go wrong with this. cashew, almond, pistachio cream sauce--YUM
-Daal Mahkni --this was one of my favorites. A vegetarian lentil dish w/ tomatoes and cream. Sounds plain-tasted UNREAL!
All of the above (and some others I can't remember or were multiples) were passed around our table to pour over the rice.
What a fun restaurant--I want to try another more traditional Indian place--but this was a great way to get my taste for Indian food initiated!
I'm not gonna be all posey and pretend I know the first thing about Indian food. I don't. But I know that I've eaten here a half-dozen times in the last ten years and it was always good.
So if you're an Indian food connoisseur, I can't offer any help. But if you're like a lot of people I know and are reluctant to try unfamiliar cuisines because you think it'll be too spicy or just too unfamiliar, I say: Have no fear. There's gonna be something here for you.
The dishes are heavy on the rice. The meats (beef, lamb, chicken ...) aren't anything too different from what you already know and like--"tandoori" just means they're cooked in a clay oven, or tandoor.
The sauces a rich and wonderful and may have some subtle flavors you aren't used to. But I can't say I recall having anything spicy here.
In addition to the good food, the building itself is a wonderful place filled with Texas history (it's the pioneer-era Bertram building (http://penningtongenea...).
Pretty good Indian buffet for lunch. Nice variety of curries and the tandoori chicken is really moist considering its a buffet. Love the naan. Really great for the buffet price. I enjoyed the mango tapioca pudding too for desert! What a deal. Now I see why there are always so many people here.
Can't wait to check out the happy hour!
Ouch. This was one of the worst dining experiences I've had in awhile. Hopefully, I'd be able to update this place some time in the future so that it'd get a better rating.
My sister had taken me and a few friends to this place since it was touted to have good food and she's relatively enjoyed the place. .
The service - I usually like to start off yelping about the food, but the service was horrible! We waited for nearly 2 hours for our table - and this was after catching a few other folks who came after us get in first! My sister complained several times and demanded to see the manager. We finally got seated - hungry and definitely annoyed and feeling really awkward. We half wondered if there was some sort of discriminiation going on because we were a group of asians and blacks. Might not be the case, but it certainly felt that way! We didn't even really get compensated except 10% off the meal. Plus, when we finally did get seated, it took forever to get the waitresses attention to refill our waters. Lame.
The food - We ordered a couple of curry which were not bad. However, the one that I ordered, which was a chicken curry had beef in it. Since I didn't care either way, I seriously wondered about their sanitation and how someone else would have a field day if they were allergic or could not eat beef. Really insulting. We told the waitress and she didn't seem to care and we had to bring it up to the manager again.
I don't even think I want to comment about the other things about this place. The above two things should be enough verbiage to describe my very disappointing first meal experience in Austin.
Fundamentally
It is not traditional
but it is de-lish
(summer)
the buffet contains
zero Scoville units
arrive before noon.
(autumn)
Good rice pudding
stay away from the salads
and the fruit pudding
(winter)
The food is just ok, there is MUCH better Indian food in town at MUCH more reasonable prices, and I would encourage you to visit them instead of the Clay Pit. There are two barometers by which I rate Indian food. One is on the tika masala alone. While it should be somewhat buttery, the Clay Pit's is too buttery, to the point that it overpowers the very complex flavor that tika masala should have. The second is the spiciness of their basic spicy food. The traditional, spicy Indian dishes should at least have SOME spice. I don't think they have any spicy spices in the kitchen of this place at all. And when you choose spicy, the flavors are out of whack.
The major problem with the Clay Pit, however, is their employees. The servers here are the WORST. Not only is the service in the restaurant lacking (serious lack of attention to the little things that make dining out a treat), but I have had the misfortune of being in a restaurant where these servers were hanging out and they are rude and mean and I can't believe they actually work in the service industry. It is like they treat other servers in the ways that all servers complain about. I feel sorry for whoever has to wait on them. They should have their photos on the walls of restaurant kitchens across the city and be barred for life. Shame on them.
Went for happy hour. Great drinks and food for the happy hour price. I believe we had a mango drink, curried oysters and more.
Great Happy Hour. Yes, not as traditional, but still mucho delicious.
Shout out to the Bartender with dreds. Knowledgeable, friendly, helpful. He makes your drink even better just with his good attitude.
I am a huge fan of the Clay Pit. They are my 2nd favorite happy hour besides Eddie Vs. I LOVE the curried mussels, probably my favorite menu item here. Delicious sauce to dip your naan bread in. And the na'an! Oh. my god. It is so amazing they have a huge variety of na'an including jalapeno cream cheese, garlic, etc. The mango lassis are delicious, and I love the samosas and tandoori bites.
I'm in love with this place. If you're looking for a great lunch bargain, hit the Clay Pit's lunch buffet. The freshest fruit and veggies, and the tastiest Lamb Vindaloo, Vegetable Tikka Masala, and to DIE for chick pea side that I can't remember the name of.
If you can get down into the cellar for dinner, a good lunch spot turns into a lovely, romantic dinner. My boyfriend and I can't get enough of their Chicken Samosas, and you just cannot go wrong with a Mixed Grill Dinner. I've dined here several times and have never had anything less than fantastic food and service. It is honestly worth what they charge for their food. And that's saying something for me because I'm cheap.
My only complaint is that the main dining floor is cramped and on the weekend, it's loud, and not the best if you're trying to have a romantic conversation with a date. If you make a reservation, they can't promise that they can get you into the cellar, so that's just luck there. Also, It's a good idea to get a reservation when you know you want to eat here. The first time I went, my date and I waited for an hour and a half for a table at 7 on a Friday. We should have known better.
Solid Indian food in a beautifully decorated space. It was a bit too large for me (rd: seemed commercial) but the food was perfect.
I had the coconut shrimp and the suace was perfect mild.
Overflow of basmati rice - yum!
What i didn't like was that I was burping up chutney all night long which i think says something about my digestive system and not an indicator of yours... but just saying!
Even after the holiday review below, I decided to give Clay Pit another try.
This time, I got the paneer tikka masala.
No Christmas experience here. Instead, I got cajun. The nan was dense and tough, and tasted like bisquick. Mmm... biscuits. Or pancakes? Flatbread fail.
The curry came out and I instantly smelled tabasco sauce. What? Tabasco? My friend tries it. I try it. Definitely tabasco. Ick.
Indian food fail. F.
Though probably not terrible enough to deserve the 1 star review I gave before, I just don't like this place, no matter how friendly the waitress is or how nice the building is.
Indian food is not supposed to taste like Christmas Cookies. Way too much cinnamon, nutmeg and sugar… Read more »
First of all, let me admit that I am no expert on Indian cuisine. That being said, Clay Pit is not traditional Indian, but rather an interesting version of the country's fare that I find pretty amazing.
They do the standards right: the veggie samosas are wonderful, and the garlic and basil naan is always warm, well-seasoned and perfect for scooping up whatever flavorful sauce is gracing your plate. If you like calamari, their coriander version is, for lack of a better phrase, like crack. (Try to stop eating it. I dare you.) And their seafood yellow curry is full of perfectly-cooked shrimp and veggies in the most delicious sweet sauce. (Begin salivating.....now.)
The best thing about Clay Pit is that there is something for every pallet. Vegetarian? The rich veggie korma is a delight, as is the vegetarian vindaloo. (Go for medium or spicy; it really adds a punch.) If you trend more towards carnivore, the lamb roganjosh is truly one of the best dishes I have ever had.
I would advise going for dinner, however. The daily lunch buffet leaves something to be desired, even if it is pretty affordable. (I had to take off a star because the lunch situation just isn't that great--too many fried things; not enough interest.)
The ambiance really adds to what is already a delicious menu. Housed in a quiet old building on Guadalupe, the Clay Pit really transports you a little bit back in time. To top it all off, their wine list is impressive (and they sometimes suggest food pairings.)
Clay Pit is a definite not-to-miss.
Clay Pit. Wow. I can't express my love for you enough.
Birthday dinners, business lunches, wedding parties, you've always come out to play and brought the big guns. The chicken, the potatoes, the curry, the lamb, the rice, the salads, the fruit, the chutney, the chickpeas, the divine tapioca-textured dessert that I can never name. Awesome. And what better way for a student to enjoy the beautiful food at Clay Pit than at a lunch buffet.
Running from Monday-Friday 11:00-2:30, and Saturdays from 12-3, the buffet offers a rotating selection of food, with an expanded buffet on saturdays. The waiters aren't the A-listers from dinner time, but the management clearly doesn't take a hiring pool shared with wendy's or the like.
Service, food, and atmosphere have always been rock solid, hands down my favorite Indian Food restaurant in the city.
I had the most AMAZING evening out last weekend thanks to Clay Pit! Or should I say, thanks to the guy with dreadlocks working at the bar. :) That guy was a PRO!
After spending the entire day moving my boyfriend into his new apartment, we decided to gussy up and go do a good, real-deal date downtown. We had both never been to Clay Pit for dinner, so we decided to give it a try. There was about an hour wait (8 PM on a Saturday night, so not bad) so we decided to go hang out at the bar. Although it was extremely crowded, Mr. Dreadlocks made sure we had great timely, service, never acted as though he was in a rush, and made sure we liked the appetizer we ordered (the steamed mussels - we did!)
Luck must have been on our side last night even when it came to the seating. I knew there were two eating areas: the big open space in the front, and then a more secluded, intimate area behind the bar. So I was a bit surprised when my waitress headed down a set of stairs into the basement. I don't know if this is common knowledge or not, but there's an incredibly beautiful, romantic, intimate cellar below the restaurant with only about 8 candle-lit tables! We ended up ordering two of the house specialties (chicken and lamb, don't ask me to remember the names any more specifically than that!) and they were both out of this world amazing. I was so surprised at how wonderful our dinner went, and Clay Pit is now definitely at the top of my list for a great date downtown. :)
Warning:
I know NOTHING about Indian food. I can't tell tiki marsala from coconut curry chicken, so…
Read more »
In my own naivety, I've always avoided Indian cuisine. Though never with much adamance as it's rarely been a suggestion made by my friends and family. But whenever it was proposed, a troubled look would creep across my face as my brain queued up that unpleasant dinner scene from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. Ya know, where they eat like worms and stuff. Ok, ok. I never really thought it would be that bad. But, well. Alright, I guess I have no excuse.
Fortunately, last year a friend of mine forced me at gun point to try Sarovar. As I looked over the menu, all my skeptiscim melted away. This looked fantastic! Chicken, beef, rice, I could do this! And it was so delicious. Since then I've also tried Star of India on Andreson Ln and found it to be just as tasty.
Finally I was ready to try some fancified Indian food at the highly revered Clay Pit.
I met a date (or friend?) for dinner here on a Wednesday evening and we were seated right away. It was just the right amount of busy; plenty of people but no wait.
The interior is an aesthetically-pleasing, elongated room, chock fulla' good feng shui. The waiter was friendly and promptly brought us the Indian equivalent of chips and salsa, while we looked over the menu. (It was basically a basket of over-sized crackers that you could break up and dip in two different sauces - whatever it was, it was delicious!)
There were so many promising choices on the menu that I had a bit of trouble making up my mind. I already knew I was going to have to come back, so for my first visit I decided to go straight for the curry. There are many currys to chose from so I went with "everyone's favorite," the Tikka Masala, medium spicy, over chicken breast. I also put in an order for a bowl of the spicy Mulligatawny Soup, described as 'delicately spiced vegetables, apples & chicken breast with a hint of lemon.' My friend-date, a Clay Pit enthusiast, had also ordered the Tikka Masala, only mild.
The soup was absolutely savory with just the right amount of spice. When he brought out our entrees, he seemed sure which was which, but we ended up with each other's anyway. Oops, I thought, as I was already enjoying his mild curry. When I switched over to the medium spice, I was glad I didn't go any spicier! The Tikka Masala is a tomato-based butter cream sauce seasoned with herbs & spices, and it's damn hard to resist. I poured it over white rice and devoured as much as I could. By the end of the meal I could already feel my digestive system trying to figure out how to process all that spice. Now I know why he went for the mild...
So, yeah. Five stars for Clay Pit, but, important tip: always go for the mild when on a date.
I don't come here when I want Indian Food. If I really want Indian Food, I'll go to Swad. Or maybe, if I feel really extravagant I'll hop on the airplane and visit my Mom in Boston. No, I come to the Clay Pit when I want a nite out, a tasty meal and some creative bevs all with Indian-ness lightly waved over it.
Yes, this is not an On-Fire Indian Experience. For that, you need a stripmall, not the classy old-timey Austin Bertrams Building, which to my eye always seemed like an old Train Station.
To be sure, the meals are creative and maybe a little westernized. But make no mistake, the indian flavors ARE there and many of the dishes ARE traditional. Just not the kind the real people of India would eat on the streets or in their homes. For instance, the Khurus-E-Tursh: a chicken breast stuffed with spinach, mushrooms and a sort of cartuja sauce. As you enjoy this tasty dish, you get the feeling of perhaps sitting in a 5 start cricket club somewhere in Punjab, looking over the rolling foothills in the distance with your 10 closest ex-pat friends in tow.
The curries are heavy. This is often the case with Northern Indian cooking, though you'll feel more cream than oil in your belly. The example I gave above fits the bill as do the Khorma, Coconut and Tikka Masala curries, the latter being too salty for my taste but the first two being very tasty, especially with the huge fragrant Cardimom pod I got. Maybe I just fell for the oldest trick in the Indian Cook Book, but I like it!
So, get about 1/2 as many entrees as you normally think you'd need and split it with appetizer, naan and maybe a small dessert and you're through.
The main downside to this restaurant is that the menu is pretty much fixed. I think, given the style of the restaurant, it would do much better to have some rotation as a vehicle to deepen the creative aspect. Short of that, we just don't go very often. But when we do, we appreciate young, hip service, we get to reconnect a bit with the Mother Ship without feeling just thrown off the boat, and quite often we walk away with pleased bellies (if we avoid pairing the recommended mixed drinks with the spicy food).
This place sits in it's own niche (like Mars Used to) and should be tried. But when I REALLY want Indian Food (South Indian), I go to Swad!
This place used to be my favorite restaurant, but the last time I went their sauces were a little watered down and their peshwari naan wasn't as good. I'm wondering if they have a new chef or management. Anyways, used to be great and now, not so much.
I finally got to try this place out last week and it lived up to the hype. It was my coworkers birthday so a big group of us thought it would be a great place to try. We were sat in the back room and it was extremely loud, not including our party. That was the ONLY downside. Our waitress was so very helpful, considering how busy the place was and how much time she had to spent with us. She took the time to explain all the curries to us and wine to match, not once showing just how busy she was. We tried so many things and we loved them all. So my thumbs are way up and THANK you so much, Daniell. We will be back to see YOU. Keep up the great work. 5 stars Clay pit, 5 stars
I don't think I am an expert in Indian food even though it's my favorite, because I've never been exposed "real" indian food so I don't have a comparison. However, I love the Clay Pit dearly. I went for lunch several times and dinner once. Dinner is pricey since you have to buy naan and order something over 11$. I did go there for someone's birthday and since I was gonna eat cake and ice cream after I ordered a side of saag and spinach naan for 6$!!! I shared and it filled my up soo much! The lunch buffet is cheap and great! The inside is nice, but you can go there in jeans if you want or dress up. Many of my indian friends tell me the Clay Pit is great so I have to go with their judgement. Most people I go with love the meat, but the vegetarian is amazing!
Yesterday was the birthday of Rishi, my friend and colleague at the lab. Rishi is a vegetarian, but one of those vegetarians who doesn't like most vegetables. He seems to live on rice, beans, lentils and the occasional samosa. For American food, it's pretty much cheese enchiladas or cheese pizza. So, when picking a place to take him out for dinner, Clay Pit was the obvious choice.
Twenty of us made reservations for 8:30 at Clay Pit last night. We were all on time (which for our group is in itself amazing), but our table wasn't ready until a little after 9:00. The previous group had paid, but was lingering at the table. The hostess and manager were very apologetic and comped us some appetizers; the delay didn't bother us as much as it did the manager.
Our server, Chris, was wonderful. Our group was a mixture of people from various regions of India, from China and S. Korea, and the balance Anglos. Everyone found something they liked, and we shared different dishes among the group as well as we could while sitting at a long table.
A couple of people had picked up a tres leches cake at Whole Foods, which was dropped off at Clay Pit in the afternoon, and that was served at the end of the meal. Rishi, who is generally fairly shy, really seemed to enjoy the gathering, which was our hope. He moves back to Bangalore in July for a faculty position, so hopefully we'll be able to fit in one more group dinner at Clay Pit before he leaves.
Large dinner groups can be difficult, but the staff at Clay Pit pulled it off with professionalism and great food.
I've loved Indian food for many years. When I was an undergrad I had a friend from Bangladesh who… Read more »
I love this restaurant!
Any restaurant that takes the time to label the vegan items on their menu is on my good side for sure. Their samosas and Aloo Gobi are the reason I go back. I once went three times in one week, it's hands down one of my favorite restaurants in Austin...and I am picky.
I have never been for lunch and I know that is where they lose some fans but dinner has never failed me.
I liked the lunch buffet. It was inexpensive and had a good selection.
Their curries were flavorful. The tandori chicken was good.
It's about on-par with other Indian food restaurants in Austin.
There seems to be a deficiency in Austin in Indian food unless you go to the asian supermarkets up north, so we went in the Clay Pit very hopeful. We were utterly dissapointed!!
It was a Thursday night like 4 months ago, so they weren't too busy. We get there, and the rude hostess looks at us and just starts walking to the table. I guess we follow her.
Our waiter comes by like 5 mins. later and gets our drink/appetizer order. 20 mins later we get our mango lassies and sumosas and he takes order without appologizing. We order our food and wait for almost an hour, and we still didn't get our food. If you're looking for a rating on the food, well, I wish I could give you one but we never got our food!!!! What was more appalling was that people that came in after us would get their food, eat, and leave while we're just sitting there.
The 2 times we talked with our waiter in the 1+ hr we were in there, it was very very akward. The whole time, he was standing next to the rude hostess and checking my date out!!! We decide to walk out without, we were starving and mango lassies and samosas that're cold inside are not enough!! Later, my date told me the waiter was totally checking me out like I was ready to go home with him instead! Maybe he was too busy giving us the sexy lookover to remember to put in our order.
I've never walked out of a restaurant till that time, but it was ridiculous the horrible service this place has. Congratulations on the people that actually were able to get their food, cuz to give this place 5 stars the food must be outta this world. If you like to be treated horribly, go to the Clay Pit and get ready to go hungry. Tell me how it goes, cuz I'm not going there even if you pay me!
I'm certainly no expert when it comes to Indian food, but I lived in London for several months and pretty much survived on Indian food during my time there.
I went to Clay Pit for dinner with my brother and some friends last Friday. I haven't had Indian food in Austin, so I didn't really know what to expect. My brother and I split the veggie samosas and they were awesome. Crispy shell and just the right amount of spice in the center. We then split a selection of currys across the table. The standouts were the saag paneer and veggie ayam. With plenty of naan and long grain rice for everyone at the table. We all had more than enough food and it was DELICIOUS. I find myself thinking of ways I can justify going again in the next few days.
The only reason I docked a star is because they don't split the checks. It was kind of a pain since we were a larger group.
I first went to Clay Pit with low expectations. I came away pleasantly surprised and find something new to love every time I go back.
The location is great, in a part of Central Austin that doesn't have too many options. The building is an old feed store. Look at the front from across the street and you'll see the resemblance to some of the old feed stores that surround Austin. Legend has it that the downstairs cellar was a tunnel to a brothel in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The interior is immense, with a large bar and main dining area, 2 rooms in the back, cellar seating downstairs and a private party room on top. Sometimes it can feel like it's too big, but the cellar and back rooms don't leave you feeling that way, so if it's not too busy, you might want to request a table there.
The menu is comprehensive and full of surprises. First off, the appetizer menu is what I would generously call Americanized Indian. Delicious, but not traditional. Mussels are very nicely done and you can even order a side of the mussel curry to dip naan in. Crab cakes are a surprisingly good choice and the Tandoori bites allow you to see whether or not the Tandoori chef is on point or not (they usually are). I was shocked to see beef on the menu. They know how to work the tandoor here and cook their beef well. It's one of the few places in Austin at least that you can try all of the curry flavors with beef which is a whole new set of flavors if you're counting. My personal favorites are the chicken saag, the lamb vindaloo, or the rack of lamb, which are all well-cooked and spiced to your request.
I don't normally go meat free, but Indian restaurants are a great place for vegetarians (probably less so for vegans with all the clarified butter), and Clay Pit is no exception. The Daal Mahkni (lentils with a tomato cream sauce) and Aloo Gobi (cauliflower curry) are well executed. The rice is fragrant and perfectly cooked, and every naan selection I've tried, I've been impressed with.
When you're ready to try Indian with a wrinkle, Clay Pit is a solid choice.
Oh man, oh man. I LOVE this place!!! I had never ate at an Indian restaurant before but the contemporary cool outer design and inviting smells of the building begged me to come in and try one night. And I'm so glad I did.
For the first Indian dish I thought to go basic: Tikka Massala mild. I have been to Clay Pit about 20 times since and have only had the Tikka Massala! It is just so incredible!
The veggie samosas (sp?) are awesome too!
I love this place and bring every out-of-towner here! Highly recommend!!!
Yeah, yeah, I know. This isn't "authentic" Indian cuisine, but The Clay Pit doesn't pretend to be the leader in authenticity. It's just solidly good food in a relaxing atmosphere. I'm fine with that. In fact, it's one of my favorite places to go on a date. I love that it feels fancy, but at the same time isn't pretentious at all. How do they do that?
The waiters are some of the best in the city, in that, they generally know the menu well, and in fact, are sometimes brutally honest when asked their opinions. I asked our waiter once how he liked a particular signature martini, and he said, "I hate it." Bravo to him for giving me his real take when asked for it. Refreshing! Additionally, the waitstaff isn't in your face at all times. They blend into the background while you're enjoying your curry and seem to be available whenever you need them.
Speaking of the curry, I am in love with the Mirch Masala with lamb (spicy and onion-y sweet at the same time?!), and I adore the Mixed Grill kabob as my go-to backup. It's difficult to serve up several different types of meat, grilled, and have each be just as moist and delicious as the next, but Clay Put does it well.
My only complaint lies in the chairs. Yes, a small thing, but some of them are rock-hard, and I don't understand why they can't spring for nicer furniture. It does, however, force me sit straight up instead of slouching my ass back into the seat of the chair.
Definitely make reservations if you are wanting to come in on a Friday or Saturday night, as it can get jam-packed, and the bar area is a bit small.
Upon arriving at this establishment I was pretty nervous. I'm not one for spicy food and this was my first time at trying Clay Pit. I must say that the waiter was very helpful with me deciding what to get. The meal he had suggested was very good. I like to taste what I'm eating and not have my mouth on fire and my nose running! I will definitely go back!
I have been staring at the "Write a Review" button for several moments trying to put together the proper words to describe the majesty of Clay Pit. I do not have the words.
I feel like I can't write a comprehensive review of my meal without sounding like a gushing teen talking about Zack Efron...
Rather than gush, I will just mention my favorite part of the meal, the part that has me searching for a possibly likeness in Houston, was the curried mussels. Love love love.
i love this place. I always go here with my family because the food is good for sharing in groups.
make sure you make a reservation, because it's always crowded. My only problem with clay pit is that it is REALLY loud in the restaurant and hard to hear the people you are dining with. but DELICIOUS indian food. Definitely try this place.
Went there with a business associate yesterday. Not knowing much of Indian food, I found it a bit better than I expected. However, it was lunch buffet. I didn't think buffet provided me with in-depth profile to judge. Therefore only 3 stars for now. My friend used to be a regular there before they were changed hands and the original owner and chefs were better. I heard that dinner menu is much better. I'll have to go back for dinner and try different things. So far, not quite "Oooh! I've gotta go back again soon!" but rather "hmm. OK... I don't mind trying again."
The Naan was good. And that was about it.
The drinks were expensive, small and nasty. The food didn't have nearly enough meat and was way too sweet. And the service was awful.
Actually that is my biggest complaint. The service was slow. Our waiter acted like he had a stick up his butt. Had to ask several different waiters to get service in addition to the guy we had.
Then, once we gave the credit card, we waited at least 20 minutes to get our bill back. Come-on!
Oh, and the next day, I was hurting from the food. Not some place I will give a second try unless I am dragged along.
I went to the Clay Pit with my sister for her birthday. I flew in hours before our dinner, so no reservation was made. Fortunately that evening, we arrived early and there was space in the basement hallway. The basement area has the ambiance of a wine cellar. While the sound was bouncing off the walls, it was much quieter than the main dining room (very loud).
For our appetizers, we order the veggie Samosas and the Coriander Calamari. The samosa is a golden-fried, conehead pastry puff filled w/ vegetable and is good with dipping sauce. The calamari is lightly breaded and fried, cooked perfectly and served with a tasty sauce.
Our soup dishes are the Taj Mahal Soup and the Mulligatawny Soup. The Taj Mahal is a puree of lentils and vegetables, while the Mulligatawny is also a puree of chicken, apples and veggies. The Mulligatawny is very good but the Taj Mahal is highly recommended. We have our soup with onion & cilantro naan.
With our soup and appetizers, we probably should have stopped with all our plates being fairly large in portion. But we have a few bites of our entrees with the expectation to save the rest for takeaway. The entrees each turned out to be only ok. The Chicken Tikka Masala had good chicken cubes but I've had better flavor elsewhere. And our Clay Pit Vegetable Stir Fry and Channa Masala seemed to taste similar and thus a disappointment.
As far as the heat of this place, the waitress will ask the table if you want mild, medium, hot and desi (super hot). Medium tends to be the average, so we go with that. Everything up to the appetizer was medium, but the entrees were more on the hot side. I recommend to err on the side of caution when ordering spicy - especially when you are with others!
While there were some highlights in the menu, there were some dishes that would have been okay to skip. I would have given this place 2 stars because of the entrees and the noise level, but there were some good points. So 3 stars it is.
Even after I have tried out many Indian restaurants here in Austin, the Clay Pit is still my favorite. The wait can be a bit ridiculous at times so try to get here early if you do dine here, and unfortunately they are closed during Sunday lunch. The atmosphere is pleasant, and my servers have always been very polite and mostly prompt.
The food really sets this place apart, and I think it has the most flavorful and authentic dishes in Austin. I usually get the Lamb Korma, but I can vouch for the Chicken Tikka Masala as well. A couple of my friends thought the Korma sauce was too sweet, but I think it's perfect. The sampler platter is my favorite appetizer, but also very good for an entree if you aren't very hungry.
Definitely try this place out if you are looking for great indian food, just come early so you don't have to wait.
Neighborhood: Oltorf/East Riverside
Category: Indian
Austin, TX
Category: Indian
Austin, TX
Category: Indian
Austin, TX
Category: Indian
Neighborhood: Great Hills
Category: Indian
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