Akbar Restaurant

I have eaten in hundreds of restaurants all over the world and I never met such a behaviour as I did in Akbar in Baltimore. We went to this restaurant and ordered two dishes. The place looked pretty nice and the prices were not cheap but acceptable. When my dish came I started to eat, and after I had eaten about 1/3 of it (which was pretty fine but salty) I saw something moving in my plate. In general I am not a person who is disgusted and if for example I find a hair or even a small fruit fly in my food I will put it aside and continue eating without complaining. This time as the buug was pretty big, had many legs and was still alive, I couldn't continue my food and I called the waitress. She saw the plate, took it, went to the manager and came to ask me if I wanted to continue eating the rest of my food in another plate (!!!).....I was pretty shocked and told her that no, I wasn't able to continue eating my food and I would like to go. She comes with the bill without having deduce anything from it!!! Not even 1 $ just to be nice!!! I receive the second shock and tell her that at least I would expect not to pay for my plate as I found a live buug in it and I hadn't even eaten it! The waitress first and then the manager come to us and start arguing, trying to convince us that we brought the buug in! They actually asked my if I went to the park that day and I brought it with me in my hair!!! How incredibly ludicrous are these people?! I was at a loss. I thought they were joking but apparently they were absolutely serious. Instead of appeasing us and excusing themselves for having found a live buug in my plate, they actually attacked us and said that it was our fault. Amongst their absurd arguments was that ""if the buug had entered while it was being cooked, it would be dead by now!!!"". So if it had been dead I had the right to complain, now that it was alive it was our fault. FInally, after all this arguing they removed 7$ from the bill. I found that unacceptable and told them that if they were smart, they would try to satisfy their customers instead of trying to make a few bucks more as long as a bad review could cost them a lot more than just a few dollars. After half hour of arguing they agreed to remove 17$ (the plate was 22$) off the bill.... I am sorry for the ranting but I've never seen anything like this before. I hope they lose customers and they learn their lesson. Pros: decent indian Cons: Unprofessional more

Lunch buffet is horrible, chicken tikka masala is made using a premade sauce which tastes old and nasty. Better go to kabab stop in Mt. washington, a place that serves authentic and tasty indian food. Cons: All more

I have been to Akbar many times .The food and the staff is always great.\r Its unforunate that the last reviewer could not get in because of one bad server.\r I think it deserves another chance before rating it one star.\r The place is located in Mt.Vernon the best historical place in the city .Its very\r close to Walers art gallery.Peabody institute,Johns Hopkins hospital and university\r Syphony hall and center stage.\r I would recomend Akbar for best India food.\r \r Pros: Best buffet and their Chicken tikka masala more

We (with an out-of-town guest) arrived on Saturday at 2:45PM for the weekend buffet. We were scared away by a belligerent staffer exclaiming repeatedly ""We are closed"" and ""Dinner starts at 5!""\r \r I understand from others Akbar has good food, but despite arriving (very hungry) during the published weekend buffet window (10AM-3PM), we were turned away.\r \r We would have gladly been seated for a dinner menu, but that was clearly impossible.\r \r Also, Akbar isn't in a good neighborhood (we were presented with beggars asking for food money). Parking is difficult as well.\r \r So, go to a Bombay Grill (locations all around the Metro DC/Balto area) instead.\r \r Pros: None at all Cons: Nasty staff. Unpublished/unhonored hours. Dingy, dark, dank establishment. Poor (scary) location. more

Great food, great atmosphere! more

Great food, great atmosphere! more

The food here is amazing. I love the lamb saag. The atmosphere is great too. Formal, yet informal at the same time. Romantic, yet also comfortable to go just for fun or to hang out with friends. Highly recommend. Pros: Great food, beautiful decor Cons: weekend hours are more limited than I'd like. Parking. more

I've always found Akbar's food to be average, above average at best (slightly better than Kumari's Nepalese food; Mughal Garden's is much better). But the last time I went WAS the last time. I went in on a not-so-busy Sunday to have the maitre'd stare at me from across the room. About three minutes later he finally seated me, and I went to the buffet. I'm there, putting the food on my plate, and this guy drags a table right in my direction. No waiting for the customer to move, not even a simple ""Excuse me."" He just about knocks me over! And there is not much room to get out of the way, mind you. Then, once I am seated, the same gentleman comes up the aisle behind my chair, collides with me, and keeps on going as if I wasn't there. Again, no ""Excuse me!"" Now I am a pretty polite and tolerant patron, and am pretty understanding of little snags like late food or accidentally dropped dishes. And I usually leave about a 15% tip. And since the service is pretty much self-serve, one has to go out of one's way to merit a low tip. The folks at Akbar really went out of their way for that low tip. And I accommodated them, by leaving 10 cents.\r \r Some folks have had great experiences with Akbar. I, sadly, will not set foot in Akbar again. Go to Mughal Garden, Kumari or Bombay Grill, even Indian Delight in Catonsville instead if you want hospitality. But not Akbar. Pros: food is average, but edible, conveniently open later than all other Indian buffets in the area Cons: food is edible, but average, sometimes extremely rude service more

I have been to Akbar half a dozen times. The food is consistently delicious and served piping hot! The atmosphere is a little gloomy but the food is why you become a regular here. And it's totally affordable. A local's secret! Need I say more! more

I have been a regular patron of the downtown location for over 10 years! The ambience of this quiet little gem is not readily revealed as you descend below the sidewalk on North Charles Street. However, you are quickly greeted (and recognized as a regular) as you enter this cozy, brick walled restaurant. You must get there early or make a reservation to get a booth or accomodate a party of more than 4 on the weekend. The very moist chicken tikka is my favorite with an order of nan. My husband prefers the ecclectic mixed tandoori grill with marsala and an order of paratha. We have dined in and carried out on more occasions than we can count are always very satisfied! Fun place to take out of town guests to show them Baltimore has more to offer than an overpriced and crowded inner harbor and crabs! Pros: Efficient Service, Extensive Menu Cons: Crowded more

I have tried almost all of the Indian restaurants in Baltimore, and Akbar has to be considered the best. The food is always good and the service is always prompt and courteous. more

Akbar is a restaurant for the taste buds. Whenever I have a craving, I run to Akbar for some chicken tikka masala or the salmon--DELICIOUS. My experiences have always been good and I reccommend Akbar without hesitation! Pros: Inexpensive, Flavorful Cons: crowded more

Akbar was a horrible restaurant. The waiter that served me was rude and illtrained. more