Swagat Indian Cuisine

Claim
marker

2074 NW Lovejoy St
Portland, OR 97209

marker
(503) 766-3015
Incorrect info? Correct your listing
Photos
Swagat Indian Cuisine - Portland, OR
Swagat Indian Cuisine - Portland, OR
Swagat Indian Cuisine - Portland, OR
Swagat Indian Cuisine - Portland, OR
Swagat Indian Cuisine - Portland, OR
Swagat Indian Cuisine - Portland, OR
Swagat Indian Cuisine - Portland, OR
Swagat Indian Cuisine - Portland, OR
Reviews
( 19 )
( 18 )
( 8 )
( 2 )
( 9 )

Best

The family and I went to this place for the first time and it was a pleasant experience! Some of the food was a bit spicy, however the service was excellent and simply loved the a...

Worst

This is without doubt the best Indian restaurant in Portland, OR. Thus, on a national scale, it is a little below average, say 4/10 or so. Pros: Not offensive food; recogniza...

Best Indian Lunch Buffet in Town 1/20/2009

Portland has a number of good Indian restaurants but very few good Indian Lunch Buffets. For my money, and from my experience, Swagat is the best. It's only $8.95 for all-you-can-eat and they frequently replenish the day's dishes, so things are always fresh, hot and tasty. They could probably use more staff for the all-important water-glass-filling, but who couldn't these days? Pros: Great food! Great Lunch Buffet. Cons: Can get a little crowded, seems a little under-staffed more

Loved it 11/29/2008

Awesome buffet! Fairly inexpensive, fresh, hot, and tasty...especially for a buffet. I had low expectations going in, but a friend suggested I go and it was great. There is this creamy curry with pieces of chicken that is the best. Pros: hot, fresh, very flavorful Cons: service was "ok" more

WOW, very different 11/19/2008

A whole new experience for me and i was quite impressed. One must have a taste for the exotic and they do a lovely job. The food may not be for everyone, but if you like India food, this restaurant is very good. more

If you love Indian food, do NOT go here! 10/22/2008

Our first night in Portland so after a long day of travelling we wanted dinner, a shower and sleep. I thought it was neat that Swagat was located in a house but that was the only thing that was okay. My husband is from India so we have been to India and beyond for Indian food so we know what we are talking about. We have never been to a Indian restuarant that had non-Indian servers so we were immediately on alert. When asking for Masala tea, the server did not even know what masala tea was which was a joke. She said you mean Chai tea which actually means "tea tea". How can you work in an Indian Restaurant and not know what Masala tea is!!? The chutneys had been sitting out all day and were awful. We ordered thali meals which included sides, desserts, etc. The egg curry sauce was a mystery sauce to say the least. The Dal was too thick and tasteless and somebody must have put corn starch in the Rasam soup because it had the consistency of gravy. The Mutter Paneer was okay but it is not supposed as spicy as this dish was. The naan was actually okay. (surprise). The server then left us way too long and I had to get up to find her to bring out dessert which was Galub Jamon. It was too dry and just tasted like globs of pound cake. It is supposed to be extra moist with rose water sweetened sauce. What a dissapointment! If you do not know Indian food you may think this place is okay but it truly was a waste of our money. Hopefully we will find the rest of our Portland culinary visits worthwhile. Pros: Located in old house, naan Cons: Service, Indian dishes more

Delicious 10/9/2008

Well, I don't know how an American would rate this restaurant, but for Europeans this was the place we were looking for so far in order to eat normal natural food. After being stuffed by giant steaks and XXXL-sized burgers, me and my collegues were happy to walk in this restaurant. Pros: Food Cons: none more

Don't go out of your way, Nothing Special - Read the other reviews! 7/25/2008

It's interesting that people are rating Swagat highly when their commentary suggests they think the food is mediocre - which it is. I have given the place a fair chance, trust me. We moved to the neighborhood, and, being 4 blocks away really wanted to love the place. It's so convenient so we'll still eat there, but only if i am both having a very bad craving for indian food AND am feeling incredibly lazy - one or the other just isn't enough. now, i am not from india (although as another reviewer pointed out, that doesn't make you an expert anyway, and I also don't have any familial or regional prejudices about the food), but I grew up in NYC and I went out to eat with my family 3x/week from the age of 2 - at least once a week was Indian food. anyway - the food is so salty, I think to make up for the lack of flavor, you end up with major salt bloat, really really uncomfortable, and also - oh yeah - gross! Even the chutneys and the dough for the gulab jamun are too salty, not even sure how they managed that. Pros: In my neighborhood (Hahaha). Waitstaff fine. Cons: Too salty (get bloated), takeout service slightly incompetent, gross parking lot food more

Don't go for the service, go for the FOOD!!!! 5/25/2008

As with so many Indian restaurants the service here is mostly terrible. However the food is top notch. Go for the lunch buffet and enjoy some of the best Indian around at a very reasonable price and you don't have to worry about getting served, you do it yourself! Pros: Food Cons: service more

LUNCH BUFFET!!!! This food is outstanding!!!!... 5/17/2008

LUNCH BUFFET!!!! This food is outstanding!!!! I wonder how much butter is used in butter chicken? :) more

LUNCH BUFFET!!!! This food is outstanding!!!!... 5/17/2008

foodlover398 Provided by Partner
LUNCH BUFFET!!!! This food is outstanding!!!! I wonder how much butter is used in butter chicken? :) more

Example of a Kitchen Nightmare 3/9/2008

Swagat disappointed me years ago by making me wait for a take out order for 30 minutes then getting home to cold old curry that somehow they forgot to microwave during those 30 minutes. So I thought I would give it another go since my spouse had yet to dine there. I was hoping for a better experience since I was craving indian food. Pros: pretty indian ambience Cons: Food absolutely horrid. more

Best Indian Food on the West Coast 2/22/2008

I live in Seattle and would travel to Portland just for this food. This food is wonderful. I heard an old tale that says that this restaurant started in San Fran and then when Intel moved into the Northwest, the software engineers would not relocate unless this restaurant also opened up shop in Portland. There are locations in Portland and in San Fran. Been to all locations. They are all excellent! Food is 100% 5 star. Decor of the restaurants are somewhat inconsistant with each location. My favorit location is the Hillsboro for decor. My favorit location for taste of the food prepared is down town Portland. Older building in downtown Portland is OLD and a little stinky due to the age of the building. Pros: Food Cons: decor more

Authentic taste, HUGE portions 1/29/2008

We have searched for good, affordable Indian food in Portland, and have finally found the place. Swagat is an unassuming, authentic, and extremely affordable Indian restaurant. They have all the favorites and more. We had CHicken Tikka Massala and the Tandoori Lamb dinner platters. The kabobs were an insane amount of meat for the money. Both dinner platters included tons of sides/complementary items which is what I love the most about Indian food. We both left beyond stuffed and can't wait to return for more. more

One of my FAVORITES in PDX! 11/12/2007

I've been eating here since '99 and have had no problems besides a few bad staff members every once in a while. They are a family owned/run restaurant, so the food is authentic in taste(if you want it spicier just ask). They make my dish for me whenever I go in for dinner(its not even on the menu). I agree that they could have more selection for their buffet, but for the price and tastes, its a great deal! The food is cooked with lovely consistency that keeps me coming back to appease my cravings. I really like that the kitchen is open for customers to peek in. Don't expect the service to be "professional"(ie. I'm just here to do my job.), expect a more laid-back/family/friendly approach. No need to rush things...would you rush through your own family dinner or dinner party? If you want Americanized versions go somewhere else and pay the higher prices for it...or just the higher prices in general. Pros: Everything! Cons: very little parking more

Will never go back 6/29/2007

1. They sat us in the bar when we had three children with us! (And we had reservations) Pros: can't think of one Cons: too many to list more

Decent lunch buffet 4/4/2007

Swagat has a decent, moderately-priced lunch buffet which is worth checking out. It seems to offer plenty of vegetarian options - last time they offered chana masala, dhal, sambar, some type of fritter, turnip curry, vegetable korma, and naan. I'm not dying to go back, but it's worth stopping by. Pros: Affordable lunch buffet Cons: Not outstanding more

Just Indian food - nohting to write home about. 2/12/2007

We are on a continual search for great Norther Indian cuisine - sadly, this isn't it. Don't get us wrong, they do have the Chicken Tika Masala, Saag Paneer, papadum and naan you are used to - it is just that they all taste like you made them yourself. Very little differentiated each dish - they were all the same. We found ourselves dousing the curry with spices and provided sauces to give them some life. Perhaps the lunch buffet is a reason to come back, and if it is, I'll update. But, for now... sorry Swagat all you did was push us to search for someplace else. Pros: Seated promptly, friendly staff, tasty papadum Cons: Bland meal. more

Easygoing Indian 1/25/2007

I've only dined here in the evening, but have always been able to drop in and get a table immediately. The food is good, service is good. Not outstanding, but a great place to go when you're too lazy to cook! more

Never a let down. 1/4/2007

This place is great for a quiet-ish dinner with a date or friends. Their lunch buffet can't be beat and their servers are always nice. The booths are large and sequestered away from the rest of the customers so you can maintain some kind of intimacy while enjoying good Indian food. Pros: Easy to find, great price, consistent service Cons: parking. more

Good Buffet, Few Items 12/30/2006

Its small, but its good. Certainly there are better ones out there, but Portland still has a lot to learn in terms of solid Indian establishments. The prices here are similar to most Indian places, except the variety is a lot less. Pros: Food, Service, Prices, Parking Cons: Small Buffet more

Best Indian Buffet 11/15/2006

Very good Indian Buffet for a great price. Pros: Great Buffet more
< Previous 1 2 3 Next >
Menu for Swagat Indian Cuisine


Summer SALE!!!:
15% OFF all yearly plans
Use year15 at checkout. Expires 1/1/2021

Indian cuisine served en masse to hungry business lunchers and big groups at dinner.

Owner Message
  • Welcome to Swagat, the finest choice for North and South Indian dining in Portland! We're here to serve you, seven days a week, with mouth-watering dishes from India's vast range of cuisines.

    If it's a quick lunch you're looking for, we have a 14 course lunch buffet. If it is that cozy atmosphere and relaxed ambience you want, we have a dinner menu that'll delight you while you settle back and enjoy your evening.

    For over a decade now, we've been the most popular Indian restaurant in Portland. But don't just take our word for it, the Zagat Survey rates us highly too!

    Specializing in catering for every event, special menus on request, Swagat Restaurant. Can cater any event. No mater how small or how large. From 15 and up.

Editorial
  • In Short
    Office workers flock to the lunch buffet, which offers tandoori, curry and masala dishes, plus salads, soups and dipping sauces. Dinner hour draws a more eclectic bunch of...

  • 8/22/2005 Provided by Citysearch
Additional information
  • Hours: Lunch: Daily 11:30am-2:30pm Dinner: Daily 5pm-10pm
  • Payments: Diner's Club, American Express, Discover, Master Card, Visa
  • Neighborhoods: Northwest District, Neighbors West - Northwest
badge