Saffron Restaurant & Lounge

First of all, I would have never gone to this place if it wasn't for the Restaurant.c0m coupon I had bought a month ago...We live in Durham and have tons of food options near us so this was something we NEVER do...They would have gotten 2 first time customers who could have been there many other times as we love Indian food. The whole idea behind this coupon is to bring in new customers and if we liked it, we would have returned and recommended it to friends, etc etc... Well, they had a sign at the door that they did not accept restaurant.c0m coupons...Never seen this before...Doesn't the restaurant agree to do this with the website before they can sell those? Second, it was 5:02 pm and the lights were dark...One guy came from the back of the place after us being there 5 minutes to tell us they're not open yet! I asked what time they're open, he says 5, I look at my watch and say, it's 5:07? He responds with, ""no we're not open, another 10 minutes"". I said forget this place! Never going back again and will deter any friends from going there. They lose out too as I had used my other recent Restaurant.c0m $25 coupon to go out for my birthday with a group of 14 last time with the bill being over $200...And none of the people I brought had been to that place so they just gained all new first time customers! Sorry Saffron, but you have no idea what it takes to maintain a successful business! more

If you like Indian food or any spicy (flavorful) cuisine, you will absolutely love this place! If you don't know whether or not you like Indian food, but like lots of flavor, try it. The naan (bread) is awesome - I've never had better. Nearly every dish bursts with flavor. This level of quality, service and variety are what I have come to expect in major cities like Chicago, New York, London & San Francisco. Trust me, this place rocks! more

Just purchased a restaurant dot com gift certificate last week for this restaurant. We love Indian food and were so excited to be trying a new place. We drove about 30 minutes to Saffron only to be told at the host station that they no longer accept these certificates. I'm not sure if I was scammed or if they just felt like not honoring it. But to say I was angry and disappointed is an understatement. To drive all the way there, hungry, and be turned away was really beyond the pale. If I could give this place no stars I would do so. more

Though I readily admit I am not a professional food critic I have made it a passionate hobby to try new foods, dining experiences and report on what I have experienced. Over the last several weeks I have had the pleasure of dining at Saffron's Indian Cuisine and Lounge on Davis Drive. \r \r Let me first say that I am skeptical of all lunch buffets. It is usually an assault on the palate with all the dishes blending together due to the sheer volume of preparation. NOT AT SAFFRONS! Their lunch buffet includes some wonderful offerings, each one unique in its preparation and flavor, offering a broad range of experiences for folks new to Indian Cuisine. \r \r If, like me, you have high expectations for authentic Indian Cuisine you will be very pleased by what you find. In addition to some wonderful vegetarian offerings The Chicken Tikka, Saag Paneer and Tandoori Chicken were my favorites, and the Garlic Naan melts in your mouth. \r \r If you have the time, Saffrons also offers a diverse menu providing an even more unique dining experience. The service is first rate and the manager / owner is sure to stop by your table to ensure you are enjoying your experience. For dinner the owner recommended the Braised Lamb Shanks, as well as a nice wine selection to compliment it, and they were amazing. \r \r The server recommended a couple of different dessert selection to complete the evening. Because there were four of us we were able to try several different dishes, which were all suggested by the server. I recommend this so that you can get an appreciation for the wide range of tastes and textures Indian Cuisine has to offer. Especially since Saffrons does it so exceptionally well. \r Bon Appetite! \r nanci. more

I had purchased a coupon on Restaurant . com for Saffron of Morrisville. When we presented the coupon at the end of the meal, the waiter said they are not accepting those coupons before. I explained to him I just purchased it the day before on restaurant . com and that you can still purchase these coupons even today. The waiter could not explain why they will not accept the coupon. I have used these coupons at several other restaurants and never encountered any problems, until now. These coupon never expire and there is no reason for Saffron at Morrisville not to accept their own coupon. One word ""SCAM"". On top of this the service was POOR. The food was good but way over priced for such bad service. more

Had reservations, got there and the table was not ready, they said it would be 15 minutes and a hour and a half later we wen t for chiness! I have been here many times before and like the food, but will never go there again!!! One bright note, Randy's pizziaria next door was awesome & great pizza and a wonderfull staff 5 star. Helped salvage an aweful evening Cons: Staff!!!!! more

It has been a long time since I've been discriminated against - have to say I didn't like the feeling. I had dinner reservations for a party of 10 today. Got there and found that a table wasn't ready. No problem - I agreed to wait. 15 minutes later our party was led to the back of the restaurant, behind a large screen, where a make-shift table had been hurriedly pulled together in an area that was being used as a staging area for the wait staff. It was complete with excess plates, cutlery, salad vegetables and condiments and several large empty heating plates that are presumably used for the restaurant's lunch buffet - EVERYTHING other than other paying customers who were comfortably seated in the dining room. Several waiters walked in and out of the area to pick up various items for the other diners. We protested and asked the manager why he had accepted our reservation if he didn't have the required seating available - no answer. I then asked if he would have treated a non-Indian family the same way - he admitted he wouldn't have. We left and will never be back. Pros: Great pizzeria next door with great service and good food Cons: Worst Management Ever more

\r I have been a customer of Safffron Morrisville for about 3 years now and as loyal patron , I had to write something in response to the last few reviews. My family and I eat there almost every week and I DO NOT agree with what is written at all. My experience has been positive both culinary as well as service. Have any of you who have wriiten the bad reviews ever been to another Indian restaurant in the area?? Forget about service, you have to eat in paper plates.(pathetic) Try it for yourself before you make a decision. And while you are there try the Scallops in Pomegranate sauce....yummy!! Pros: great variety of dishes weekly more

Saffron has become sort of a family restaurant for us. We go there to celebrate birthdays,anniversaries,graduations and just hang out. I like it that you can grab a great buffet lunch at a very reasonable price and yet get a great service. We were there on Father's Day and enjoyed their new vegetarian thali. Also a great place to mingle and network during lunch. Waiters are more attentive than some Indian restaurants that I have been to and I like that they always recognize their regulars. Waiting time for tables is quick during lunch so you can get back to work on time and yet be full till dinner time. Surely a great treat in Morrisville! Pros: one stop place for a quick lunch and romantic dinner more

Went there on Fathers' day with friends to enjoy my first experience with Indian cuisine in Raleigh. Very disappointed. After eating the buffet - the waiter came to table and said ""are you done eating?"" When I respondeded ""yes"" - he stated we have other people that need this table and asked us if we could leave. This was extremely rude since we were just done eating and trying to enjoy some conversation - I don't intend on coming back to this place!! more

The temperature inside was awfully hot on a very hot summer day. Went for the Buffet on a Sunday afternoon and were asked to leave by the waitor as soon as we were done eating. How worse could an afternoon lunch be? We couldn't sit and chat for a while. There were flies in the buffet trays and food was not getting refilled. I had so much expectation while I went but it was disappointing to see even the basic things were not there. I am not planning on going there any more. Pros: food was O.K Cons: See Details more

Let me just say that i don't believe any bad reviews unless I see for myself ...looks like restaurant dot com duped a few customers and Saffron is paying the price for it. Every restaurant has the right not to accept any coupon that they have no alliance with, it happens at grocery stores all the time..C'mon people, the lunch buffet here is a bomb!!!! the mango mousse, tandoori and freshly baked naan is mouth watering. My friend is catering her wedding from this Saffron and I cant wait!! Try it!! And yes add thecmango lassi Pros: great service,ambience and food more

I have visited lots of Indian Restaurants in NC, but I can say Saffron Indian Restaurant on Davis Drive in Morrisville is the BEST in Food QUALITY and SERVICE. \r \r The location of the restaurant is in a safe neighborhood and is in a strip mall. The ambiance of the restaurant is quite wonderful. The staff was attentive and courteous. The dishes were well prepared and presented nicely. It was a wonderful dinner experience. We highly recommend to anyone who wants to try quality Indian food with a quality service. more

We have considered Saffron to have the best Indian in the Triangle. But the service was unacceptable- dirty knives taken from plates & put back on table, Styrofoam boxes tossed on the table in passing, I had finished my 1st course before my wife’s arrived, never refilled water glasses, etc. I ordered a gin martini- it had something sweet in it- undrinkable. Both restrooms were a huge mess. Paper towel dispenser duct-taped to the wall, overflowing trash cans, etc. They are opening in Chapel Hill in May. If this lack of service, poor attitude, and incompetency continue, I doubt they will last very long. However, the food is still good. Pros: food still pretty good Cons: service was pathetic, cocktails were awful more

I went here with my girlfriend on a Friday night, expecting to wait to be seated. When we walked in they promptly put us in the back corner, where they have the buffet during the day. After about 15 minutes, our server came to table and asked us what we would like to drink, as well as eat. My girlfriend ordered Tandoori Chicken, and I ordered Lamb RoganJosh. We also ordered Naan for an additional $3. Our server brought us our drinks (water) and we waited for the food. Literally an hour and 15 minutes later they brought us everything. The chicken was cold in spots, and warm every where else. There were 2 chicken breasts total that looked like they were cooked with seasoning, with a single piece of broccoli and a single piece of collie flower on the side. The lamb was warm but there was WAY too much sauce for the amount of lamb that came with it. The bread was also just warm, and we were never offered more bread or even a drink refill. After eating and waiting another 5 minutes or so, I found the manager and asked for the bill. I told him how bad the service was as well as how the food wasn't even hot. He told me, ""we are swamped tonight"" and gave me my bill and walked away. The bill came out to about $35 and we both left hungry, and unsatisfied. After this experience, I will never be eating here ever again. I do not recommend it to anyone. Cons: Terrible service, mediocre food, overpriced more

I usually never bother writing reviews, but I couldn't help myself after my last few visits...so here it is. I used to be a huge fan of Saffron...but I will probably never go back to eat there. The food used to be really consistent but not anymore. Now, it's more hit..or..miss. Quality of food at Saffron has been steadily slipping downwards. I was visiting this place 3 to 4 times a month and used to recommend it to my colleagues at work. Not any more ! Nowadays, you can never be sure how they will surprise you...be it pizza dough naan's or excess turmeric in all dishes or too much masala. Even their mango dessert is now screwed up. But their employees still maintain some old traditions...like nicely wrapping up naan's in foil paper and stocking up on generous portions of food for themselves to enjoy, once most patron's have left. The last 3 times I took my family there, food was so hopeless. I got a feeling their main business was to feed themselves and throw the remaining food at the patrons. We felt more or less like an inconvenience to them. Why go 3 times when food was bad? I realise every restaurant has their bad days but most recover quickly and maintain consistent quality. Then again, this is an Indian restaurant, and for them to realise, it will take a jolt where it matters most...their wallet. The employees and manager seem to forget that the restaurant is still running because people keep coming back...and the only reason people come back is great food...nothing else. We expect good food on every visit, not just when the cook feels like it. I'm not going back there, and will try other restaurants in morrisville instead. For people who have never been there...don't bother going. It's not worth it anymore !! Pros: Service is Ok. Cons: Food going downhill...Buffet is horrible now-a-days. more

What can I say, Saffron is no doubt my favorite Indian restaurant and is also high on my list of top fine-dining. I've visited before and just recently visited again a few nights ago. The lamb shank was incredible, the meat was falling off the bone; absolutely delicious, melt-in-your-mouth texture. My friend and I had the paneer, i believe it was the tandoori paneer, as an appetizer and we both enjoyed it. My friend had the malai kofta as her entree, I had a taste and loved it, her as well. The service was also great, ambience was really cool, the bar setting is especially artistic. We even talked to the owner, who was so very genuine, respectful and nice. Talking with him was a wonderful end to the evening. He also mentioned that there is a new branch of Saffron opening in Chapel Hill so I'm very excited for that. I have no doubt I'm visiting Saffron again soon, I recommend it to everyone, have been doing so with all my friends and family. Pros: Best Indian food around Cons: none i can think of more

We went there just yesterday for Lunch around 1:45. No body informed us any thing about the quantity of the food left for that lunch buffet.\r When we started, all the items were almost empty. When we asked for it, they said it is coming.\r WHen we asked about the Naan's they said they will be served on the table. After taking nearly 10 mintues they served the naans, but only 4. When we asked again, they said they are coming. but we waited for 10 more minutes, but no response. In between we asked for it 2 more times. And about the Rice... It was hard that, you fell like you are eating some cripsy item. Rice is not even half cooked. Taste of the curries also not good.\r So very horrible experience. We would never go there again. Cons: So Many more

The experience at Saffron is inconsistent. Sometimes you get the most delicious naans along with your buffet, and at times you get the driest chewy underdone clumps of dough. Somedays the vegetable biryani is an exquisite blend of flavors and sometimes it is an assault of undercooked spices. We have been going to Saffron for about 2 years now and of late we have been having more bad experiences than good. It may just be our luck but we no longer equate Saffron with a good Indian cuisine experience. Overall, considering that Saffron is one of the priciest restaurants around I do not think it is value for money. Pros: good mango lassi Cons: inconsistent quality of food more

We went to Saffron for the first time for their Sunday Lunch Buffet. It was truly amazing, one of the best Indian buffets we have found so far in Raleigh. They had a nice array of dishes to choose from and everything was very flavorful and pefectly spiced. My favorite dish was the chana masala and the lentil dish. I would highly recommend trying out Saffron. The decor was really nice too and had a bit of a trendier edge from a lot of places I have visited for Indian buffet. Pros: great, tasty Indian buffet, nice decor Cons: nothing more