Holy Cow! My first experience with SOUTHERN Indian food and I was FAR from dissapointed. My friend…read morefrom India recommended this establishment and guided me through some proper ordering. Everything was bursting with flavor and a pleasant heat that doesnt overwhelm you, but leaves you wanting more. The sauces that accompany the dishes add so much value to the eating experience as well. Staff was overtly friendly and make me feel comfortable and unhurried despite me entering ~30 minutes before closing.

Thalaiva's is one of those places that keeps us coming back. The food is consistently delicious,…read morethe flavors are incredible, and the owners are genuinely wonderful people! You can tell they care deeply about both the food and the customer experience. Everything we have tried has been flavorful, fresh, and well prepared. Great service, great hospitality, and excellent food. Easily one of our favorite spots in the area. The inside has plenty of space for dining! After my mom had hip replacement surgery the Friday before Easter, we decided to try something different for Easter dinner. My dad and I walked over to Thalaiva's to place an order for carry out. We ended up sitting at the bar for 30 min or so enjoying an Indian beer and an appetizer surprise from the owners. We brought home fresh, hot food that was incredible!!

Nice atmosphere, good food…read more Open for Happy Hour from 3-5pm weekdays. One Mics and special weekly live music after 8pm weekly - check online or call for schedule. Service was good, not exceptional and appears to have mixed staffing roles. Overall a good experience to go with friends and an overall good restaurant to see. Circuses were no nonsense. Good neighborhood place. Will definitely come back.

I had such a fantastic experience at The Clove and will be back again! The food was a 10/10 and the…read moreservice was phenomenal! If you are looking for the best place to unwind, feel at home, and enjoy the best food of your life come here! I was celebrating a big milestone tonight and I cannot stop gushing!

I love their weekend buffet, but I can't give them five stars. Sometimes, their tandoori chicken is…read moreway too dry, as if it was leftovers from the day before and reheated. But, when it's good and freshly made, it is terrific. One thing I recently noticed is that some of their dishes look Chinese/Panda Express inspired, which I do not like at all. I wish they'd keep their dishes more Nepalese/ Indian. I'd much rather see my favorite dishes more consistently like the mushrooms and green/red peppers, okra, creamed spinach, green peas in orange sauce, and roasted potatoes. (The mushrooms are my favorite!)

This has always been one of my favorite restaurants for Indian food, and I've told so many people…read moreabout it. I went back today and was honestly so upset because my go-to dish, the paneer makhini, was nothing like it used to be. It literally just tasted like straight cream. I even asked them to remake it because I thought something was wrong, but it came out the same way. I ended up just eating the other food we ordered, but it was such a disappointment because this has always been the dish I look forward to. I even showed them old photos from past visits compared to today and it was clearly different. The chef tried it and said it was the same, which shocked me because it really wasn't. I get that places can have off days, but this was really discouraging. As much as I've loved this restaurant, I don't know if I'll be back if the quality has dropped this much.

Great food !! Everything we tried was outstanding (as good as I can rate Indian food - but my…read morefriend was from India and also liked it!) A little pricy but so good ! The service was ok-to-good and the ambiance was very good.

Wow I'm not sure what happened to Tava. This used to be the only place I could digest Indian food…read morewithout having stomach problems. I ordered the butter chicken and it just resembled slop. There was not many chicken pieces and the meat tasted old and not fresh. The container was mostly sauce and it was really liquidy like watered down. I ordered a garlic naan that was flavorless. Barely any garlic on it. $43 for a regular butter chicken , garlic naan and a mango lassi. Prices are very high and does not match the quality of food.

We gave this place a try since we happened to be in the neighborhood after a long day of shopping…read moreand car shopping. We got our seat quickly since I made a reservation on open table. Inside place there's not too many tables but sufficient as there was never a line waiting. Food we ordered was great. Loved the chili chicken appetizer, we got it spicy which was enough. I don't think I could have handled extra spicy. The chettinad lamb was good too, but to me personally felt too salty but the flavor was still good. I took away 1 star as the raita I asked for never came. After serving our food we never got checked on... and took forever to get the bill just waiting... just seems they could use atleast another staff member.

09/05/24 - Excellent restaurant, excellent food & service. While I'm far from a professional food…read morecritic or an expert on Indian food I know good food when I eat it & Mughai The Biryani House serves some outstanding food Mughai The Biryani House (MTBH) is located near the corner of Northwest Highway on Touhy Ave right next to Bluefish Sushi Bistro in the same mall. I went to lunch there today and split a couple of dishes w/my buddy. We ordered the following dishes * Butter Chicken - Excellent maybe the best butter chicken I ever tried. Tender chicken w/a rich red sauce & a plate of rice w/cilantro. * Non Vegetarian Lunch Combo - chunks of crispy chicken w/rice & cilantro. This also came w/a small bowl of chicken chetinaad (excellent), a small bowl of yogurt, small sweet ball dripping in sweet sauce * Hot fresh Garlic Naan Overall this was an excellent lunch w/excellent food & service. This is the best meal I've had in a long time & I will definitely be back again.

The food is authentic . Very good. Ambiance is good. It's clean. Staff is friendly and courteous…read moreand helpful. You get free soup.

I always order butter chicken. Today I ordered gobi mancharin and paneer Kathi roll and samosa. It…read morewas absolutely delicious. So fresh .... I could see the steam coming out if the box. Not too spicy , it was just perfect. They give you chutney and sauces to go with your samosa. Always give you rice to go with your butter chicken. They care about their customers and what they will need to make a complete meal. Highly recommend this place. A++++.

If you want to explore one of the most underrepresented regional cuisines in Chicago's Indian…read moredining scene, Magic Pepper is a place worth discovering. Magic Pepper is a new restaurant in Niles, and while the menu is broad--featuring North Indian dishes, Indo-Chinese items, and even a small kids menu with American staples--the heart of the kitchen is clearly Kerala cuisine from the southern part of India. That's what makes this place special. You can absolutely order familiar Indian dishes here. But the real reason to visit is the Kerala food, which is extremely hard to find done this well anywhere in the Chicago area. The restaurant itself is comfortable and straightforward. Think of the format of a casual sit-down chain restaurant--plenty of seating, relaxed vibe--but operated as a local family-run spot. Everything is clean, friendly, and welcoming, but it's not trying to be a trendy or overly polished dining room. It feels authentic in the best way: a solid neighborhood restaurant focused on good food rather than presentation. Service & Experience * Friendly, welcoming staff * Food is cooked fresh and brought out as it's ready * Expect dishes to arrive at slightly different times, especially with larger orders * Lots of takeout activity--clearly a popular local spot Sharing dishes actually works well here since the table tends to fill up quickly with all the accompaniments. Food We started with a familiar classic: * Samosa - solid and well executed, though this is more of a North Indian staple. Where things really shine is the South Indian and Kerala specialties. * Ghee Roast Dosa - outstanding. Thin, crispy, flaky, and served with all the traditional accompaniments like chutneys and sambar. * Pidiyum & Chicken Curry - a very traditional Kerala dish that's rare to find in Chicago. Comforting, rich, and deeply flavorful. * Malabar Parotta - a highlight. Flaky, layered, almost lacy bread that's incredible when paired with curry. This is something you rarely see outside Kerala-focused restaurants. * Kerala Chicken Curry - perfect with the parotta; deeply spiced without being overwhelming. We also tried some other menu sections: * Street-Style Indo-Chinese Fried Rice - flavorful and well balanced. * Hyderabadi Dum Biryani - served in a small kettle and executed beautifully. The basmati rice was perfectly separated and aromatic with spices. Dessert: * Gulab Jamun - warm, sweet, and a classic way to finish. Drinks One surprise was the cocktail menu. Even though there wasn't a dedicated bartender working constantly, the drinks were very good. * Indian Mojito * Indian Sunset Both had creative flavor twists using Indian ingredients and fresh juices. They took a little time to come out, but they were worth it. Verdict Magic Pepper isn't trying to be a flashy destination restaurant. It's a relaxed neighborhood spot focused on cooking authentic regional food--and that's exactly why it works. What makes it special is the Kerala cuisine, which is extremely difficult to find in the Chicago area at this level. If you're adventurous with food or want to explore beyond the usual butter chicken and tikka masala lineup, this place is absolutely worth seeking out. Come with an open mind, order some Kerala specialties, and share dishes. Five stars for bringing something genuinely unique to the Chicago area's Indian dining scene.

Other than food, you need to improve on everything. ZERO organizational skills, we waited in line…read morefor 15 mins, no one even came to ask or tell us we will take X number of minutes to even attend to new guests. After that once we got seated, they never even came to get our order and once they did, they didn't even care to bring our food. Fun part we ordered everything at once and we literally got only three out of six items that we ordered. Overall, we entered at 1:45 PM and got out at 4 o'clock. Frustrated the biggest issue I felt was the button idli that we asked for kids we never got it. Their service was so terrible that the guy was taking our order was expressionless didn't even care when we decided to walk out. I was so mad that I didn't want to even pay the bill for the stuff we ate, but we still paid and left. The table which came after us they even got some of their food but we didn't. They are so much potential with their food the management sucks

Dosa Point has a private parking lot with plenty of parking spots…read more I had a wonderful experience at Dosa Point! My relative has visited India and stated the Dosa she ordered was so delicious, tasted just like dishes one makes in India. My veggie Samosas were perfectly prepared. I really enjoyed my Brown Sugar Boba Bubble Tea. Our order was placed and served quickly. Wait staff was attentive and extremely friendly. The place is wonderfully decorated with lovely artwork all around. Thanks Dosa Point for a nice dinner. Cheers!~

Potato dosa was good and fresh ($12.99) plus 8oz of Iranian tea ($4.99)…read more It's a one-time experience--definitely not sustainable for a second visit at those prices.

The food was delicious. The place is casual with outdoor seating. The staff recommended the Afghan…read morecurry with chicken. He was spot on. We ordered it too mild but it was so good. My sister liked the dumplings. Nice service too.

Newly opened in the area. Tried their chicken momo was really good. Shrimp vindaloo (was a little…read morespicy) but was delish. The lemonade was a must try. We went in almost at closing time but they still were able to seat us. Love the deco very instagrammable. Nice Nepalese video songs at the back.