India Garden

I have only been here for the lunch buffet, but I've never been disappointed. Neat atmosphere, close to Pitt's campus, and rather inexpensive. Anytime I'm in the mood for Indian food, this is the first place I go. more

I tend to be very particular about Indian restaurants, as I can normally get really good Indian food from my grandma's kitchen. So, as this was going to be my first Indian restaurant in Pittsburgh, obviously I was going to be a bit reluctant of giving praise. Some coworkers and I decided to grab some dinner here a couple of month ago. First of all, you should know that its going to be difficult to find street parking around this restaurant. Be prepared to look around, and just drop off some people from your group so that everyone isn't deprived of a drink before dinner. Once inside, the place was small but not congested with a small bar area towards the front. They played hit music from India as well Indian music videos across the vast array of flat screens plastered on all the walls. Nothing fancy, really, just the flat screens made up the decor of this place. My colleagues had all been here before so they all knew exactly what they wanted, so I decided to go with the a staple at Indian restaurants- butter chicken. I asked for it spicy just to see if they could actually make it tasty as well as spicy, without just adding extra crushed red pepper. Also one of my friends loves to burn his tongue and digestive tract, so he asked the waiter to give him a 15 out of 10 on the spice scale. I threw a blank look at the waiter and he said okay. The food came out quickly, which was a good first sign. Next came out the Naan. At any indian restaurant you can easily tell the quality of the food by the naan. Overcooked and burnt: you probably should not come back. Anyways, their Naan was both well cooked and soft which was great. Finally, the food came out and the aromas were amazing and it was delicious. I thoroughly enjoyed my dish which was flavorful, saucy, and spicy, and the Naan only helped to bring out the well balanced dish. more

Great dinner buffet for $8.99. Service was prompt and friendly. more

This may be my favorite Indian Restaurant in the US to date. Over the years, I've had several friends who live in Pittsburgh. One lived right down the street from India Garden, and she introduced me to the restaurant. Every time I go back to Pittsburgh, IG is a must-stop. Not only are they open super-late, which is really nice if you have a student schedule, or happen to be rolling into town after a 4-hour car ride late at night, but dinner is half-off then, too! And its delicious Indian food, with a pretty wide variety of options, including a good vegetarian selection. If only this place were in Austin. We could use some better Indian food here. more

"The best Indian restaurant in Pittsburgh, though People's and Bombay are good too. I moved to Pgh from Ann Arbor, Michigan almost three years ago and it surprised me that there weren't more decent Indian restaurants. But then I found India Garden and I took it back. It is true that there service can be a little slow (can be, though not always). But they more than make up for it. And with their 4pm-6pm half off special and their bar (at least in Oakland), it doesn't get any better. I highly recommend their Navarratan Korma and their Tandoori Chicken. Amazing. " more

Pittsburgh's best Indian food, except for the authentic place in Monroeville. India Garden's bread is exceptional. I have a friend from India who disparages most of the Indian food in Pittsburgh, including India Garden, and I asked him "but what about the bread?" He blinked, and had to admit that India Garden's bread was as good as any in India. People complain about the service. Yes, the service kind of sucks. Twice in my India Garden eating career they have lost my order and I ended up sitting and waiting for an extraordinary time. They did end up giving the table free appetizers and a round of drinks. It may be tricky to get your water refilled, but they always bring out the food as soon as it is done, so the food is always hot and the bread is incredibly fresh. Chicken and vegetarian dishes (and the first two biryanis) are half off between 4-6PM and 10-12PM. They used to be open until 1AM, now they are open until midnight with the last (grudging) seating at 11:30. They also used to have a $1 draft every night, now the perpetual special is $2 Yuengling drafts. They have a respectable enough beer selection beyond that and a full bar. My favorite dishes: Shahi Chicken Korma, Paneer Chili, and Shahi Malai Kofta more

Hands down the best Indian food I've had in Pittsburgh (and a few other cities...) Cheap, delicious, great service - what else is there to say? Also, used them for catering a decently large event (100+ people) and it was amazing!!! more

This place is plain awesome. Quite possibly some of the best Indian food I've ever had. It's set in a neighborhood by the university and heard during school it's super packed with a huge wait. But, school wasn't in session and we were seated right away. Portions are small, but you don't need much when you have a piping hot plate of curry awesomeness. The garlic naan ist heavenly and (even though out of a gallon jug) mango drink goes perfectly. Highly recommended spot if you are in Pitt and craving all of the above. Also, as in any Indian Restaurant it seems - pop music blasting in the background and velvet paintings. Lots to look at and big, comfy wood booths. Lovely. more

I miss you IG! I didn't realize how hard it is to find a good Indian Restaurant until I left Pittsburgh. I usually went for the half off deals for an early (4pm-6pm) or really late (after 9:30 or 10...i forget) dinner. My favorite dishes were chicken korma, palak paneer and chicken biryani. During the day, they also have a buffet for $8. If you go on a Saturday they serve this fried bread, really tasty. IG has the most and best selections for lunch buffet. It even includes a good variety of desserts. My mouth is salivating just thinking about it. The owner and waiters are really nice too. more

India Garden was the second Indian restaurant I've ever been to and it remains my yardstick for all others. What's so great about it? Well...it's got great naan, tasty aloo mattar, the best chicken korma I've come across, and the buffet is good too, which is saying a lot for a buffet. The atmosphere is kitchy Bollywood playing on the big screens and it's fun to go with friends, especially at half-price time. more

This place is my favorite Indian Restaurant in Pittsburgh. The staff are friendly and the food is great. Coupons are available for the buffet near the door or next door in the market. Buffet lunch every day and Sunday and Tuesday for dinner more

Yum. Yum. Yum. I have no idea why this place is getting such mediocre reviews! Maybe its because I'm a girl, or maybe its because Ive been here with Indian friends who chat up the waiters, but Ive always had great service! Just try smiling and being excited to try something delicious and maybe your luck will change! The food is just amazing. I love the naan (from plain, to garlic to onion to Peshwari), samosas, shahi chicken korma, palak paneer, aloo bhaji, chanaa masala, chicken tikka masala, lamb vindaloo, and kheer...just to name a few :) Oh and of course you need to get a mango lassi. AND everything is even good as take out or as a picnic when watching movies at Flagstaff Hill during the summer. Half price food after 10pm is also a great reason to come. Especially if you're a student. They used to play Bollywood music videos on the flat screens, but now they play music different than whats showing on the screens, which is a little sad. We used to impress people with our knowledge of Indian pop music! Now I just have Dhadak Dhadak from Bunty aur Babli stuck in my head 4 years later. And I like it. :) more

Originally I had thought i'd never been here, but when I came here the other day with my two friends, I realized I had indeed been here when my sister was in Pittsburgh, 5 years before! It was nice to be back in a supposedly good indian place after I had finally gotten accustomed to spicy food in the past 4 years. i came around 10PM on a thursday for their 50% off dinner items. the environment can most certainly be described as distinctive. it looks part old un-renovated ruby tuesdays, with a projecter projecting bollywood videos with the static theme of a man dancing strangely to impress a woman. but i digress. only part of the menu is 50% off, the chicken and vegetable dishes mostly. so i got my chicken saag, my friends got chicken and vegetable dishes, and each of us ordered one garlic naan. given their quantity of food provided, i'd say it's a great deal at half off, but definitely pricey at regular price. the garlic naan was delicious, although a tad thick for my liking. but garlic fixes most things, and it definitely made the naan that much better. at the end each of our bills came out to around 9.50-10 with tax and tip, so it was definitely one of the best deals i've gotten on indian food (minus indian buffets. i release my primordial tendencies when someone drops me off at an indian buffet restaurant.) i'll definitely go again for their 50% off deal! more

One of the greatest culinary experiences you an have in Oakland, a university neighborhood with plenty of them. I went here for the first time just the other week, and had an incredibly pleasant experience. The owner is one of the nicest guys I've ever gotten to observe managing while I ate. The food is delicious, helpings are generous, atmosphere is perfect for an Indian restaurant (nice lighting, great color scheme, plenty of art), and it's right above the best place to sing Karaoke in Pittsburgh on a Thursday night! You can't beat it! more

Great biryani more

My roommate and I came to India Garden about once every two weeks (and sometimes once a week or more) for half-price dinner. Maybe things have changed, since I moved from Pittsburgh in 2008, but we had the BEST service I've ever received at IG. They knew my roomie and I by name and would bring us free samosas when we came in. Waiters were always personable and friendly, and the food is FANTASTIC. We'd split an order of naan and get 2 entrees, and usually we'd end up with enough leftovers for a good meal the next day. The ambiance is also super cool, with Indian music videos in the background. Parking isn't easy, so be prepared to either pay for a garage or take a bus! The walk there takes you right through South Oakland, so be careful and take a friend if you're going for half-price at night! more

GREAT: I love this place!!!! I love the food here, and the waiters are HOT. i love going there.i would recomend this place to anyone! more

Half Off? Count me In!: Mike and I recently went to the India Garden on our Trip to Pittsburgh and we were taken there by native resident/new-found friend who frequents this great restaurant. I love Indian food. I live near Little India in Chicago and have frequented many restaurants there but I have never seen such variety in a menu.They give you the option of what spice level you can handle. I had a level 5 which suited my buds just fine. The atmosphere was great. Not too dark with ornately designed lighting and continously looped Indian music videos. The big plus is after 10-pm all entrees are HALF OFF....yep, 50% off! Our server was a lil shifty and kinda too serious but that's alright....cuz the food was very very tasty! So, go check out India Garden! more

Great tasting authentic indian food. Loud bollywood music make a decent conversation difficult but half price during happy hours (9-11pm) make it easy on the pocket. more

Hooked Me on Indian. Food, that is. I've been coming here for nearly six years, and the food is the best in Oakland (best Chicken Tikka Masala I've ever had). The prices are fair, though I find the service hit or miss. I'm going to assume some of the guys just have better things to do with their time. Who am I to judge? The naan is delicious. more