Always good, always fresh, perfect service and pleasant atmosphere. I've never had a bad meal at Cardamum, and I've been here many times.

I have heard about this place many times, and I have to say, I love it! I ordered the vegetable samosas, which were delicious - definitely a good mix of flavors and not just potatoes. For my entree, I ordered the Aloo Gobi (potato & cauliflower) and got it in medium-hot. There was a solid amount of vegetables in just the right amount of curry sauce. I also ordered the garlic naan; I'm not an expert on naan but they tasted like a healthier version of Italian garlic bread. For dessert, I couldn't resist the Chocolate Coconut Cake. It was drizzled with chocolate sauce. I love anything coconut, so I might be biased on this one. The ambiance was really nice - not too dark, not too light. Friday nights are very busy, as other reviews have stated, but the wait was only 10-15 minutes, and it was worth waiting. The servers are all extremely nice and accommodating! read more

Cardamom - aloo tikki - Indian Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

I live near this indian food place. Its not really my favorite place to get Indian food. I like some of their offerings. However, I'm not a fan of their mainstream punjabi food offerings like Butter Chicken, chiken tikka masala, tandoori chicken and paneer. The dishes named above lack a boldness to them, they are creamy and rich, however don't contain the ever so needed kick. I would not consider their punjabi foods quite authentic. All that being said. They do have some other mindblowing dishes. Their Naan is the best I have had in the United States because it is quite crispy/crunchy on the outside and melt in you mouth soft on the inside. The smell you get from this naan is sure to make your day. Another one of their offering I was quite impressed by was their daal tadka. For some reason, their Daal tadka contains the boldness I had been looking for in their food. It was smooth but bold, I felt like I was back in India because the flavors there were so on point. I think this place has quite accostomized itself to serving american not quite familiar with Indian food. Also this place is quite a bit more expensive than some of my favorite Indian food places. read more

Always delicious! As a celiac, they have so many gluten free options and I always feel safe eating there.

The chicken Briyani is the worst I ate here. It is more of cinnamon rice with dry fruits and chicken. The Momos are ok, better than near by places but if you can go to Detroit than DSC has much better than here. The food is little far from the Indian flavors and spices. The rice quality for the Briyani is worst as well. They have used pieces rice instead of basmati or good quality rice. They should remove it from their menu. read more

i ordered the chicken tikka masala and garlic naan. I've eaten hundreds of Indian dishes. the chicken as good but it felt very under-flavored. The garlic naan had a good texture but i don't know where the garlic was. for the price point and overall flavor, I would not recommend. if you don't care about the price and want something decent then it may be an option. read more

Great Goat Karahi, momos and tandoori chicken. It's the only Indian restaurant in North campus. They stay open after 9 as well. Good overall experience read more

I like Cardamon. A lot of Indian restaurants don't have as many naan options as this place. Cardamon has onion naan, garlic, regular naan, and one w nuts in them. We ordered samosas as an appetizer. It comes with 2 per order. We ordered 3 orders of curry and a rice dish. All of our favorites were the chicken makhni. It was creamy and better than the original tikki masala. The best part is that they give you free rice refills! I came here as a party of 8 on a Sunday night. They don't take reservations. We had to wait 45 mins if we could be split into 2 tables of 4 or 1.5 hours if we wanted to all sit together. We chose the first option. I understand why the wait is pretty long. This is one if the better Indian food places in AA read more

This place was recommended to me before I even moved to the Ann Arbor area. It has been on my list for three years and I finally made it there. I was not disappointed! They were busy for a weekday night and we had a short five minute wait. The staff was very friendly and accommodating from the second we walked in. We got an order of the samosas, the bhindi masala (my new favorite way to have okra), and the dal tarka. I ordered some momos as well but they were out for the evening. Probably a good thing as we had plenty of leftovers. Good reason to go back again! read more

Cardamom is my absolute favorite Indian restaurant in Ann Arbor. There is a parking lot right in front so it is easy to find parking. You also know it's a good restaurant because it is always PACKED during dinner time. Even when I got there at 5pm, there was a line of people waiting to be seated. It gets even busier around 7pm. Nevertheless, I also really enjoy my food and experience. The service is always really quick and waiters are always willing to handle any allergy concerns including dairy. A lot of dishes can't be modified but they can let you know which dishes have no dairy at all! Today, I ordered the lamb saag for dinner (which is served with rice) with garlic naan on the side. The naan they serve here is thicker and more pillowy than other places I've been in Ann Arbor which I enjoy. The lamb saag is a slightly creamy spinach and lamb dish. Although lamb can sometimes be games, the curry sauce really complements it. The portion sizes are huge so I always have plenty to take home for leftovers. Overall I would highly recommend and would definitely come again! read more

Best Indian food in town! The chicken or paneer makhani is my favorite. Friendly staff and great service if you decide to dine in.

This is my absolute favorite Indian place in Ann Arbor (and quite possibly ever), and one of the best restaurants on the north end of town. Food is really good - love the Chicken Tikka Masala and the Rogan Josh in particular... tried the biryani once and didn't like it as much because it was a bit too moist for me. Other than that, really love everything else here. The interior is modern and clean, menu is tastefully designed (because these things matter...), and would highly recommend going for lunch because it's just a lot more worth it (you'll get a comparable portion to dinner at like.. half the price). read more

Cardamom - Lamb vindaloo and chicken tikka masala - Indian Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

Beautiful place. Beautiful food. Beautiful atmosphere. Beautiful people. WONDERFULL STAFF. From the entryway to the bar to the dining area professionalism oozed. I loved the fact that the staff was VERY DIVERSE. There were both men and women working different stations, none was in "traditional" roles. along with different nationalities, ages, and sexes the inclusion was excellent. My server was a young African American gentleman(please forgive me. I asked his name. He gave it. but I forgot to write it down SHEESH). But nonetheless he was very patient. Very knowledgeable about the history of the dishes pertaining to the spices and the preparations. He was kind enough to adhere to my keto diet by including vegetables instead of the traditional rice.(so sweet). I got the goat and my friend got the coconut milk chicken(YUM). Together they made a wonderful pairing. Along with my martini of course. The fact that this place is conscious of its carbon footprint is marvelous in itself. From the natural breath mint at the door to the eco bio degradable take a ways. Overall this will become a go to for me when I'm in the area. Be well my friends and keep yelping! read more

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Indian food is my favorite type of food, and Cardamom is a great introduction for those looking to try it for the first time. We tried the momos and Kashmiri naan in addition to our entrees, and both were fantastic. I'd especially recommend the naan - I'd eat it again in a heartbeat. We were both very impressed by the atmosphere as well. read more

Cardamom - Indian Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

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Yelp review #1000--dedicated to the staple that got me through residency at U of M and easily a top contender for one of my favorite restaurants in Ann Arbor. There's a Cardamom conundrum because you want to explore try the whole menu, yet you are so satisfied with what you got last time. There are pages and pages of options, from vegetarian dishes to goat and lamb, from Indian food classics to novelties (they even have chicken tikka salads, Indian-inspired cocktails, cardamom cheesecake). The little blurbs with the descriptions are also very helpful and include fun facts about the background of selected dishes. To start off with, the simple MOMOS are a Nepalese specialty of steamed dumplings (my friend loved them so much, he got two orders for himself). The PAKORAS are a good choice if you're craving something fried, except it's even better than your average fried food because they use chickpea flour and lots of veggies. You can't go wrong with the curries for entrees, and the list is never-ending. The CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA is a classic, and I like how Cardamom's version isn't too creamy. I personally prefer the CHICKEN MAKHNI which switches things up and adds a nutty dimension with the cashew paste. For lamb curry options, I like the LAMB SAAG which feels healthy because of all the spinach, or the more hearty, intricately seasoned, Portuguese-inspired LAMB VINDALOO. The TANDOORI entrees feature juicy, perfectly roasted meats, reminiscent of Mediterranean kebabs. I like the KARAHI LAMB (also available with chicken), which has a lot of oomph and is a mash-up between the curry and wok stir-fry. There are so many great vegetarian/vegan curries, and I joke that I could easily become vegan if I ate at Cardamom every day. One of my favorites is the BHINDI MASALA. I used to dislike okra, but decided to give this a try when my roommate suggested it and subsequently this became my go-to (Funny enough, the menu description says "If you don't like okra, think again.") Another of my staples is the DAL TARKA, with lentils in a amazingly complex blend of spices. The VEGETABLE KORMA is a deliciously creamy option, but nonetheless healthy because it's based on an almond cashew sauce. Other vegetarian dishes I rotate through include the BAIGAN BARTHA (eggplant), PALAK PANEER (paneer cheese i.e. Indian creamed spinach), ALOO GOBI (cauliflower/potatoes), CHANA PINDI (chickpeas with tomato curry). Although the entrees come with a generous portion of basmati rice, it's hard to pass up their fresh NAAN. I usually get the garlic naan, and the KASHMIRI NAAN is an indulgent version stuffed with nuts and fruits. I have developed a habit where I always get an extra order of BIRYANI to-go in order to feed myself for the next couple of days (I toss in some mixed greens on a skillet at home, and it is the highlight of my day). Unlike biryani I've had at other places, it's not too oily. The mix of spices, raisins, nuts, vegetables, and fluffy basmati rice is so on point with a memorable flavor explosion. Another habit I've picked up (even with my take-out orders) is always treating myself to a refreshing glass of MANGO LASSI. Cardamom's version is by far the best I've had, with just the right balance of fragrant mangoes blended with tart yogurt. I think from my review you can conclude that the TL;DR is that basically you can't go wrong here. The place can get crowded during peak times, but their take-out with phone ordering is quite efficient. Otherwise, the space is clean, comfortable, and elegant with bright colors to reflect their array of spices, cardamom included. read more

The chicken tikka entre was hardly tandoori and was mostly rice. I included a photo for scale. In the photo we had already eaten the chicken, FYI, but the takeout container gives you an idea of the rice to chicken ratio. We were really disappointed because it was $13 for mostly rice. We also had the chicken biryani which was fine, but not spicy. For chicken tikka entre and biryani there were no spice options. Especially for Ann Arbor, this isn't great Indian Food. Madras Masala continues to be my favorite. read more

Cardamom - Chicken tikka entre (we ate the chicken already) - Indian Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

Wanted to love the food given the great yelp reviews - unfortunately it missed the mark for me. Came in on a Friday evening and sat at the bar to avoid the 15-20 minute wait. It definitely is a popular spot. Prompt, service at the bar (I did note they had difficulty in determining the appropriate serving size for wine and some of the eye ball assessments were way off). Naan bread was good and hot. Rice was hot and pretty standard. So disappointed with the chicken makhni. I ordered it mild which was synonymous with bland. It was lukewarm and the chicken was really dry. Despite this review, I will try it again in hopes it was an off day. I saw folks who received their food after mine and it seemed piping hot and they were complimentary. read more

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Whenever we're in Ann Arbor, we make sure we make time for a meal at Cardamom. Introduced to us by our Wolverine daughter many years ago, it's one of our favorite Indian restaurants - anywhere. It was a gorgeous August evening and we were up for eating on the patio, which meant that we had no wait for a table. Bonus! We ordered Chicken Tikka Masala (which was as always, delicious), a side of naan, raita, and for the first time and because it was a warm summer evening, we ordered the Tandoori-Roasted Vegetable Salad (paneer is part of the salad, too), with lime vinaigrette dressing. Everything was delicious, service was fine, and it was nice, having ordered the salad, that we were able to walk away not feeling as if we had overeaten. A nice change for us. read more

Over 1.5 hour wait for normal orders, staff is obnoxious, at least open outdoor dining, get with the pandemic times.

Very disappointed. Was the second guest seated and ordered when they're opened. Took nearly 40 minutes to get our food. Meanwhile the restaurant filled up and others got their food. Was told the kitchen was backed up? We were the second order! Then was told that they were short staffed, again we were the second order! Food was modestly warm at best. Don't plan on returning. Update: Downgraded to 1-Star - Then she piled all the dirty dishes in front of us at our table before attempting to grab them and carry them away. Where has service gone. read more

Cardamom - Messaged them on FB as well. - Indian Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

Good for lunch! There is very cheap but good quality lunch menu! Very delicious and comfortable :) We ate Chicken Makhni which is served with Naan and one side dish. read more

Cardamom - Chicken Makhni - Indian Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

I've been to this restaurant many times. It has authentic Indian food likely made by Indians. It is generally flavorful. I wonder about their management though. They screwed up our carryout order (also never even labeled the different dishes some of which were vegetarian and others weren't). Despite their popularity, they had no courtesy and said we could come back to pick it up or they would refund the price of that dish. Most restaurants would apologize and just have refunded the order or maybe said next order would be on them. Anyways, then I ate the food. The samosa smelled sort of odd but I ate it. Got food poisoning and was vomiting later that day. Will not be returning ever again. Don't plan to pay for food poisoning and no proper customer service read more

Delicious, awesome flavor. Order everything medium spice. I'm someone who can't tolerate spice and mild was too mild even for me. The one medium dish we got had barely any spice but gave the dish its complete flavor read more

Excellent eating experience! We got there just as they opened and already they were busy ( 5 pm Saturday) - fast service- tight seating- cold water and lots of refills - I had a lemonade w/ goner- delicious- hubs had the chai - it was very good, too- samosa and pakora veggies were light and delicious- not over cooked- served with my two fave sauces- we then had the Kashri Goat, tandoori chicken, palak paneer- yes! I want to lick the plate the goat was lean and so tender- tasty tasty. The palak was the best ! It's reasonably priced- will definitely be back read more

If we were rating on food alone, I would give this place 4.5-5 stars. The chicken tikka masala is WONDERFUL. The sauce was so flavorful and came with a sizable portion of chicken inside. Garlic naan was ok, but more crunchy instead of fluffy as naan should be. Chicken bryani was good as well, especially when paired with the yogurt sauce, but wasn't anything too special. The three star deduction is because of the service. The staff was friendly enough but SO SLOW. My boyfriend and I went on a Tuesday night after peak hours and it took them a solid hour to get two dishes and naan ready. We almost passed out from hunger! read more

Cardamom - Chicken tikka masala. YUM. - Indian Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

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If you like whitewashed Indian food then this is the place to go. The food was very bland and the biryani was terrible and made with chicken breasts so the meat was dry. The only good thing here was the momos. The chicken tika and roghan ghosht were bland. Their chai was ok but nothing special. The staff were nice and the place was clean and had a good vibe. Overall if you're looking for more authentic Indian food you're better off trying somewhere else. read more

Dear Cardamon, My family loves your restaurant and I love your restaurant. We have been very blessed to have access to your delicious food during the pandemic and now I've learned that we will have the privilege of sitting in your wonderful restaurant again. I've missed some of the dishes that couldn't be provided during the pandemic! I'm grateful to know that there is a Cardamon Restaurant in our future! read more

A full restaurant experience is everything from the flavor of the dish, the waitstaff, the ambiance, and I would even go so far as to include the authenticity of the place. Especially when it's an ethnic restaurant. That being said, I love Indian food. I'm a foodie and just simply love flavors and the conglomeration of tastes and such and with Indian food, the sheer amount of scents, spices, intermingling with rich flavors and textures between curry, meat, rice, and if you get it, naan all form this great tapestry of an experience that the restaurant ambiance itself can only heighten. That being said, the 3 stars is mainly because this place seems like it's the same place as some of the other Indian restaurants in America. I visited here based on the recommendation of a co-worker. And with Indian, i LOVE butter chicken or the Muhkni. I used to eat that stuff every 2 weeks or so depending on the budget. At first, my butter chicken experience was great till I heard of this place. And with it being recommended by an Indian himself, I guess you'd call my expectations set a bit high. Why wouldn't you? A native recommending a restaurant from the culture he knows better than I could? You have to take that into account. Luckily, I was in the area. But let me just say... I wasn't impressed. The butter chicken tastes just like other places here in SE Michigan. A tinge of tamarind, tomato paste, maybe ghee was used, and such. Just like all the rest of the butter chickens I've tried. Wasn't impressed. And their naan bread wasn't all that spectacular either. And if you had basmati rice from one Indian place, you've had it all so again, nothing special to say the least. Part of the lack of the 5 star experience was also due to the horrid wait time. Sure, Indian foods use sauces and curries which may take some time. But I've had places where a butter chicken took 8 minutes to come out. Here, it took almost 20. And it wasn't the staff's fault at all but let's consider that normally, a server checks in on his patrons every so often. My man did nothing of the sort. I did tip him well though because a good patron does that regardless of the service. Call it showing grace. But it was slow and very disconcerting. All I can say, the ambiance was pretty cool. Set in a college town which comes with essentially poor college students but then again, Sallie Mae seems to be helping U of M students quite well! At prices ranging from $11-$17, this is better than a simple pizza or Easy Mac boxes. And you will walk into Indian pop music/Indian techno with a trendy college aged waitstaff. But for the most part. If you've had Indian food anywhere else, you've probably tried them all and probably won't be too impressed. I wasn't... and now to go back to my co-worker and mock him for his sub-par recommendation... read more

I have now tried Cardomom for dining in and carry out and the food is fresh, tasty and the selection is expansive. This place was recommended to me by a friend from the Tamal Nadu region so my first visit I ordered the Chettinad Lamb and it was gorgeous. My husband had the chicken tikka salad with was also great. We had, usual walked in off the street. WARNING: this place is very popular indeed. We agreed to wait to dine and ended up at the bar. The cocktails look amazing. Sadly I couldn't try them as I am still pregnant but the bar was pretty sociable and the lady next to me was eating the veggie eggplant dish which looked yummy. Last week I was in town, craving spice, so I ordered the veggie okra dish with rice and roti to carry out. It was really tough to find a parking space and I ended up at the bottom of the hill. On my walk up I could smell the aromatic casserole coming from Cardomom and was glad to eat there again. My okra dish was lovely but I think they should offer a meat version too, it just seemed to lack a little something. However I am really taken with this place and hope to have a proper date here after the baby arrives. read more

I've been back multiple times since my initial review. Everything I wrote in that review still applies, and I've worked my way around the menu a bit...they just do everything right, here. Do make a point of trying them out. Love it. read more

Great Indian food by north campus. Goat Biryani was huge and flavorful, enough for leftovers. Rogan Josh was great, served with rice Palak Paneer was rich and creamy, one of my favorites Bhindi Masala ( okra ) was the best dishes of the night and is my go-to whenever I will come here in the future. Total about 60 for the 4 dishes. read more

Vegetable Momo's were outstanding. Chana pindi with cucumber raita and basmati rice was really good too. The soup of the day was perfect. Really good food. read more

Chicken Tikka Masala on point. Garlic Naan on point. Did not disappoint even though indoor dining was temporarily suspended.

This is my favorite Indian restaurant in Ann Arbor! It's always pretty packed here if you need an indication of Cardamoms popularity. The ambiance is dim with some overhead lighting and all the servers are really friendly / hospitable. The food here is legit. I love all of their curries and they have the perfect consistency -- not soupy but not too thick. My go to orders are the garlic naan (ALWAYS), chicken tikka masala or chicken makhni (better known as butter chicken), and aloo gobi (cauliflower and potato). I would also high recommend the paneer makhni (cheese cubes) and baigan bartha (eggplant). The sauces between the makhni and tikka masala are very similar, the main difference is some cashew paste which makes it a bit creamier. read more

If you're hesitant about the price, try their lunch special! For $10 you get the dal tarka, 2 pieces of naan, and a hefty portion of rice and whichever lunch curry you select! The Baigan masala is out do this world (and vegan friendly!). Great staff, great food, give it a go! read more

SO GOOD. My go to whenever I'm craving Indian food. There's a lot of parking available, which is a plus. Their lunch deals are really reasonably priced. I sat at the bar today (first come first serve) during lunch. Service was quick and the bartender was friendly and funny. I got the lamb korma and my sister got the chicken tikka masala, and we were both impressed with our entrees. read more

Always so delicious, this was a business we made sure we visited during the pandemic as it's one of our favorites!

Food - just okay. Service - just okay. Nothing I'd write home about. We went on a Saturday night so the place was packed, and after a 10 min wait we were seated in the side extension area that was sectioned off a bit haphazardly out in the open. Luckily, the area was heated so we weren't cold. Unfortunately we had to keep flagging down our waiter throughout the night to bring just about everything -- it seemed most people in our section were being forgotten about. The food was pretty mediocre as well. The appetizer pakoras were crispy, but the Varanasi Aloo was too oily for my taste and my stomach felt a bit uneasy later that night. We ordered a few desserts as well but none were really that impressive. This might suit the average American palate, but for someone who has grown up on Indian food, it was really just okay. read more

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I used to think Cardamom was really good but I recently ordered takeout and found the food to be quite underwhelming. Given that it was Valentine's Day, I ordered takeout the avoid the inevitable hour long wait. While the food was actually ready for pickup when I showed up (unlike some other places) 45 minutes later, what it essentially came down to was two small containers of bland food with a larger box of equally bland rice. The chicken tikka masala that I ordered medium spicy lacked the creamy tomato-y kick I was used to and was more mild in terms of spice. The chunks of chicken, while tender, lacked any flavor and was just accompanied by a thin, creamy mess. I thought that the palak paneer ordered mild spicy would save the day but it was just another extremely bland creamy mix of spinach with cubes of tofu cheese. While it's been a while since I last ate here, either the chefs have lost some of their taste buds or it's just a bad idea to order out from this place. I may give Cardamom another shot, but when I'm in the mood for yummy Indian food full of flavor I will likely look elsewhere. read more

Cardamom - Takeout - Chicken Tikka Masala and Palak Paneer - Indian Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

I SOOO wanted to be blown away by the food here but sadly, I wasn't. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't bad by any means but I'm not rushing back for another visit. Several people had recommended this place saying it was the best Indian food in Ann Arbor so I think my expectations were pretty high going in. I had read the Yelp reviews before going and had a pretty good feeling I'd be satisfied with my food. I tried to go before during the week (on a Thursday, I belive) around 1 p.m. or so but the wait was so long and the restaurant doesn't seat many people, I had to leave and return the work. I think the lunch crowd is pretty large so I learned my lesson. The second time around, I met a friend there at 11 a.m. We were seated right away and our waiter came to take our order. I had studied the menu prior to coming so I knew right away that I wanted to get the chicken Thali. I love options so it seemed like the perfect choice. The soup of the day was lentil soup. It was warm and the flavor was good but it was soupier that I would have preferred. The veggies it came with were seasoned carrots, potatoes, and green beans. They were all good but I wasn't blown away. The tandoori chicken was my favorite with the chicken tikka masala in second. The huge disappointment was in the naan and the dessert. I absolutely LOVE bread and it's nothing worse to me than hard bread. To me, naan is supposed to taste like soft, warm pillows of deliciousness. This naan was hard which was off putting. Secondly, the dessert was disappointing in its size. I went with a friend and based on the waiter's recommendation, we got two different desserts and tried each others. I went with the rice pudding and she went with the gulab jamum (which is a donut). What he failed to mention was that the donut was the smallest donut I've seen in life and not really big enough to share. I understand that it's just a tasting portion but it would've been nice if he would've told her it wasn't really big enough to share. As a side note, I'm also not a huge fan of the Achaar (the Indian pickle) but that's just my personal taste. All in all, the food is not bad but I won't be making a special trip to visit a second time. I'm always open to giving a place a second shot because maybe I didn't try the right thing. read more

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