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    Chennai Express - Indian Cuisine

    4.5 (82 reviews)
    Closed • 11:30 am - 8:30 pm

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    CHENNAI EXPRESS - INDIAN CUISINE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Intimate

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    Chicken Tikka Masala
    Kent S.

    Rating 4.0 I've seen this place pop up on my feeds quite a bit but never got a chance to try it. We tried it for lunch yesterday. The place is very small and has limited seating so it's probably best you plan for takeout. We weren't able to be seated so we just ordered for takeout. We tried Mango Lassi, Chicken tikka masala, Cut mirchi, special chicken biryani and chicken palak. Mango lassi was on the smaller size comparatively to other places but was good. Chicken tikka masala was very good and flavorful. Chicken Palak was also good but was not exactly my favorite. Special chicken biriyani was interesting. Very flavorful and there are a lot of spices used in the dish. Personally some of the spices were too much for me. Tried cut mirchi for the first time and it was good. The different type of sauces makes it interesting and enjoyable. Overall the place was good and certainly offers more authentic Indian cuisine than some of other place i've been to. The foods are very flavorful and they use a-lot of spice/some kick of heat so you may smell like spices for a while after eating. Service was also good and relatively quick. Price is a bit high for lunch but still standard for Indian foods around RI. I would come back to try different type of dishes next time.

    Veg Hakka Noodles
    Kamal B.

    I LOVE THIS PLACE. This is THE place for authentic South Indian food! Omg was this food absolutely delish?? I 1000000% recommend getting the chili paneer if you like a kick to your food and is absolutely addicting. Don't get me started on the onion rava dosa because WHAT A DOSA! From the sambar (the soup) to the dosa filling itself (potatoes) just can't wait to eat it again. The Hakka noodles are an amazing combo with the chili paneer!! The restaurant itself is quite small, so it is no wonder most people get the food To-go. But! While I had the dosa later in the day at home, I was at a loss of words because man was it good even though I didn't have it fresh (yet!!). Chennai express is a gem.

    Garlic Naan
    Karla M.

    I came here for my birthday for a low key lunch. The parking lot on the side of the building is pretty big and there's also street parking but the dining area is very small. They are still able to squeeze in 4 tables of 4 people. It was a bit chilly but they did have a heater that helped. They only have digital menus and you place your order digitally as well which I was not a fan of; I prefer the human to human interaction and flipping through my options. We ordered chicken biryani, butter chicken, and garlic naan. My friend had been here before and recommended ordering the food at the lowest spiciness level. About 15 minutes after ordering, we got our food and everything was at a good temperature. The biryani came with two sauces--one I was not too familiar with and did not use and the other was a yogurt sauce. The rice itself was good. I was not a big fan of the chicken though. It felt like it was breaded on the outside but was soggy and there was too much of it. The butter chicken was delicious. I especially liked that the curry was very viscous and textured due to the visible spices, herbs, and maybe onion. I also liked that for the most part the chicken was cut in to manageable strips (I am used to chunks of meat so strips was a bit different). The garlic naan was good, it was packed with garlic especially in the center. While we were eating, a couple people called in their orders and picked them up so it is pretty busy, and I guess better known for take out.

    Chennai Special Chicken Biryani
    Jamie A.

    Satisfied and delicious! We tried a good variety of dishes here, and my favorite was the cut mirchi! I would order this again because it was savory and filling. The palark chicken was perfect with some spices and a spicy kick that doesn't overwhelm! The special chicken biryani had many different spices I'm not use too, and wasn't my favorite. This DID overwhelm me because the cardamom was very strong. The mango lassi was perfect and always a staple at any Indian restaurant. This place had authentic flavors and I would want to try more because it left a good impression. The staff were friendly, letting us order via app, and giving us an estimate time for our order. He was so kind and even offered to hand us our order in our car outside, but I can understand if he forgot to grab us since it was a busy time for them! This place has limited seating inside, and is more of a take out place. It's worth the wait for the food!

    Entrance - Waiting Area
    Otniel L.

    This spot is the REAL DEAL!! I was feeling adventurous today and decided to try a brand new restaurant in Cranston (brand new for me, it's been opened for 2 years). This restaurant is a tad small, but don't let that deter you from stepping inside this wonderful place. It has great Chennai decorations that make you feel like you've been transported outside of Cranston. The food was absolutely amazing!! I'd highly recommend the Gobi Manchurian appetizer. It is made out of Cauliflower and is crispy, sweet, sour and absolutely delish! They were able to somehow make it have a similar texture to chicken, so I think the carnivores among us would enjoy it. The other dishes were so flavorful, tender and craveworthy. The the lady that was working out front and waiting the tables gave great customer service. The food arrived quickly, she was pleasant and simultaneously taking care of a few tables. I highly recommend this spot and I know you'll love it!!! -ODL Connect with me! IG & YouTube: @AOEAT

    Annie R.

    It might look small from the outside and maybe something you pass by here and there, but let me tell you...you gotta go inside and try this place out! We were just looking to try something new while in the Cranston area. Everything we got was delicious! Here's what we ordered: 1) cheese naan- wow! This is my absolute favorite naan ever. Never even knew there was a cheese option. Other places didn't have it. 2) paneer butter Masala- this was soooooo good! Every bite was worth it. The flavors are all there. 3) chicken palak- it's like the same as a saag dish where it's spinach base. This was delicious! 4) fried cauliflower app- (forgot the name to it) but it was tasty! It can fool you to think it's meat. The staff was also super kind and fast! There's about 4-5 tables to sit down and eat in. Their menu is also pretty big. It's very cozy and cute. I'll be coming back!!! It's a must try!

    Victoria K.

    Had a really great experience ordering takeout from Chennai Express recently! Tried Chili Garlic Naan, Vegetable Samosas, Chicken Lollipops, Chennai Special Chicken Biryani, Chicken Tikka Masala, and Hyderabadi Chicken Curry. The Naan came in a foil packet which kept it warm and soft. It was quite spicy but really good! The veggie samosas came 3 to an order which is more than what some other local Indian restaurants provide in an order. The chicken lollipops were very yummy! The special chicken biryani was excellent and a MASSIVE portion! The tikka masala was a bit creamier and richer than what we are used to, and had onions and peppers in it, but it was still very tasty and a bit sweet. The Hyderabadi curry was a totally new dish for us, and was very flavorful and pretty spicy too. Overall nearly everything was on the spicy side but we really enjoyed it! They also gave us some rice pudding made with vermicelli noodles when I mentioned it was my sister's birthday. This was super thoughtful and generous and we appreciated the special treat. It's quite different from the rice pudding we are used to but it had good flavor! We are very happy to welcome Chennai Express to Cranston and it's great to have such a delicious takeout spot with excellent food, great service and reasonable prices so close by!

    Gulab Jamun. Sorry for the bad and messy takeout photo. It was delicious!!
    Bekah M.

    Oh my goodness I am so happy. I have been craving egg chettinad so badly and it's a hard dish to find, but Chennai express did not disappoint. The flavor is wonderful! I got the chicken chettinad as well, and it's also really tasty, but it's dark meat. I know some people prefer dark meat, so then I highly recommend this for those of you. I personally prefer white meat so I'll stick to the egg, but this is really good as well, no doubt. The chili paneer is also delicious, and it's also another really hard dish to find. Chennai express is just making my day. The podi dosa is also great. Thin, crispy, and tasty - true South Indian style. I prefer the chettinad podi at Jaya's but this is a close second. I do, however, prefer the coconut chutney here. It was a great combo. There was another spicy chutney that came with it which was also very good. Garlic naan, samosas, tamarind chutney also great. They also gave me a gulab jaman with my order which was super nice. It's the only pic I ended up taking because I didn't know what it was at the time and wanted to identify it later. I have never seen square gulab jamans before. I loved it! Normally I don't like gulab jaman but their recipe is different. It reminded me of a bread pudding in a way. I usually find gulab jaman to be too sweet, and while this was still sweet, I don't think it was too rich. The sauce was also kinda yellow and reminded me of a firni or rasmali. There were two square pieces of some doughy thing that was soaked in the yellow sauce. It was sooooo good. I typically am not a fan of Indian sweets, with the exception of kheer and mango lassi every now and again, but I will def order this next time. There's not a single thing I got that I didn't like. True five stars. I know for a fact that I will be ordered the egg chettinad and chili paneer very frequently - so please don't change the recipe! And there were a lot of other things on the menu I wanted to try, so I'll report back once I get those.

    Cheese naan
    Alma C.

    I've been here a handful of times now, and this little hole-in-the-wall, mainly carry-out spot is my new go-to for Indian in the area. The food is consistently good, and the cooks don't patronize your palette by watering down the spice level and heat (unless you ask, of course!). It's been a long time since I've eaten Indian food this satisfying in the area. Top 3 things I've had and recommend: chicken tikka masala (I can drink the sauce), veggie kofta, and roti.

    Chennai Express's tiny dining area - 4 tables, 4 chairs apiece

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    Photo of Mark M.
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    6 years ago

    Ordered Take out because of COVID and the food was great. Staff was friendly and order was perfect. I will definitely be returning.

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    Photo of Mallikarjun K.

    Mallikarjun K.

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    6 years ago

    Just tried the Chennai special biryani. It was amazing!! I really hope this place sticks around

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    Ask the Community - Chennai Express - Indian Cuisine

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    India Restaurant - Garden Patio

    India Restaurant

    4.1(840 reviews)
    5.9 mi•Summit
    •$$
    Locally owned & operated
    30 years in business

    5 enthusiastic stars for GREAT Indian delivery food that was very vegetarian-friendly!…read more We were ordering in and the reviews had us convinced that India Restaurant was the way to go. Things we loved: - the naan is LEGIT. And the order came with a very hefty amount of it. - veggie and tofu biryani: I put a note for it to be mild and it was! The star of this dish (other than the perfect rice and sauce) were the little raisins or currants that gave the perfect sweet surprise in many bites. - masala curry with tofu: Again, I requested mild and it was mild. My esophagus thanks them! This came over a bed of rice and the rich sauce was so delicious that we used the naan to sop it all up at the end. No scraps or crumbs left behind! Truly this was a great Indian meal. Though I wish we would've been able to eat at the restaurant, the delivery was faultless and the food traveled very well.

    Place was very accommodating with seating. I felt bad for making reservations and we were initially…read moreseated inside but we preferred outside since my friends came from CT i wanted them to see the nice outside. They were nice about it. I honestly liked the lamb biryano a lot. I wish they had other samosas too though unless I'm wrong and it only comes with potatoes. Hot sauce was Masala yummy Drinks could have been better to me. I'm a bartender that's a curse! Maybe I'm just picky. Overall service was great i hope it turnneed out well for our server at the end.

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    India Restaurant - One of our wonderfully fragrant biryanis. Basmati rice slow cooked together with meats or vegetables of your choice.

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    Monalessa’s Kitchen

    Monalessa’s Kitchen

    4.8(64 reviews)
    16.8 mi

    This restaurant was such a hit! Swung by for a late lunch date and enjoyed everything we ordered…read more Started with the onion pakora and samosas for an app, got the lamb biryani and chicken tikka masala as an entree with garlic naan. And ended with rasmalai. Everything was flavored so well. The Tikka Masala sauce was outstanding, and this place definitely had the BEST naan I've ever had (and I've eaten lots of Indian food in NJ!!) it was truly just so fluffy and warm, and delish. Can't wait to come back!!

    We had a wonderful experience at Monalessa's Indian Cuisine. The space is warm and welcoming with…read moreplenty of seating, and the staff were genuinely friendly and accommodating, which always makes a difference especially with kids. Very kid-friendly spot. We ordered the fried okra, which was surprisingly unique and absolutely delicious. Perfectly fried with a savory flavor and just a touch of sweetness definitely a standout. For mains, we had the butter chicken and chicken tikka masala. Both were creamy, rich, and full of flavor, and the white rice was cooked perfectly. We also tried the naan bread, including the onion naan, which was generously stuffed and packed with flavor. To drink, we had a mango lassi and fresh lemonade, both refreshing and a great pairing with the meal. Overall, we were really impressed and truly enjoyed our experience. We'll definitely be back.

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    Monalessa’s Kitchen - Chicken Tikka masala and Chicken Tikka and Plain Naan

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    Kabob and Curry

    Kabob and Curry

    4.1(611 reviews)
    4.1 mi•College Hill
    •$$

    It's been a while since I've been back but I remember kabob and curry being one of my favorites in…read morethe area. They don't have a parking lot, but they are located on Thayer St so lots of street parking to choose from. Since we went after 6 pm, street parking was free. The inside looks just like how I remembered it. We were seated on their first floor (they do have a second) towards the back so it felt very private. We could catch a glimpse of outside from the windows but most of it was obstructed by a wallpaper which was a shame. I was craving something sweet but hearty so I ordered us some cauliflower 65 as an appetizer. For drinks we just stuck to the water they gave us. The cauliflower 65 was good. It was sweet and a tiny bit spicy. The cauliflower was very soft. But I do wish the cauliflower would have kept more of its crunch from the batter. I couldn't decide on what I wanted as an entree so their special was perfect. I forgot the name of it but it's essentially a plate with rice, 4 different main dishes in small portions, a sauce, and naan bread. What I didn't like was that since the sides came in such small portions, the food cooled down very fast so I felt like I was racing against time. Also, I would have gladly paid an extra $1 to be able to select a topping for my naan. Without anything on it, it tastes too plain and kind of a waste of calories. The tandoori chicken was a bit dry but flavorful. Besides these, everything else was good. The flavors were good, the portion size was good, and customer service was also good.

    I came back to Kabob and Curry to redeem a voucher ($10 off a purchase of $40 or more). There is an…read moreAll Day Menu and a specials menu. On the specials menu, I saw a Chicken Tikka Masala and Aloo Gobhi combo. Since I really enjoy Chicken Tikka Masala and wanted some vegetables alongside it, this was the perfect combo. We also ordered Mango Lassi and Coconut Fruit Naan. The food didn't take long to come out and it was steaming hot. The Chicken Tikka Masala had tender, grilled boneless chicken in a creamy tomato sauce. The Aloo Gobhi had potato, cauliflower, ginger, and onion. I enjoyed my whole dish and I even had leftovers to take home. Service was friendly and I can't wait to come back to Kabob and Curry.

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    Kabob and Curry - Inside

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    Kabob and Curry - VEG SAMOSA

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    Empire Biryani & Grille - Tried the roti and samosas with my chicken tikka masala this time.

    Empire Biryani & Grille

    4.4(39 reviews)
    6.7 mi

    The decor is plain and simple but relaxing. The server was attentive. The food came out fairly…read morequickly but it was also quite empty when we got there (7pm). We had the garlic naan. Shrimp biryani. Lamb Rogan Josh. Malai chicken tikka. All the flavors were amazing and fresh. It's hard to find good Indian places. But this one was definitely worth trying. The spice level was custom to our order. Would definitely go back.

    We got a new Indian restaurant in town! Decided to give it a shot and came here with one of my…read morefriends and it did not disappoint. We enjoyed everything from the samosas to the curry. The staff was extremely nice and attentive, it was a Friday night and the place was full with many families dining in which was cool to see. With that, service was a bit slower but we were checked on consistently which was appreciated. For apps we got samosas and the fried onion dish. Both delicious. The green (mint-yogurt?) sauce that came with the samosas was delicious. The fried onion dish was good, I enjoyed the curry leaves and spices in them, they essentially felt like the Indian street food version of onion rings. The curry: I got Goat Chettinad and my friend got Lamb Rogan Josh. Both delicious. Goat Chettinad has a thick curry with coconut milk in the base with turmeric, ginger and all the other great spices that come along. The goat pieces were a little lackluster, not as much meat and a lot of bone. I would get a different meat next time, though, I'm sure this is variable from order to order as goat usually is. The lamb rogan Josh, which I was able to try, was delicious. Bright flavor, tangy, deep ruby red curry and the lamb pieces were plentiful and tender. A slight smokiness from black cardamom, packed with Kashmiri chili, it had such great depth of flavor. Eaten along with some garlic naan which was light, fluffy and had some slight charring around the edges which is exactly how I like it. Also, the parathas. If you haven't had these before, order them. Flakey, buttery and delicious. I've made them at home before and these are better than anything i can muster up! (Probably on account of more butter.. Makes everything better). The curry was quite heavy on the oil/ghee, so be mindful if you're sensitive to that. Also, I enjoy spice, but for rogan Josh which has a kashmiri chili paste base, be careful ordering "spicy". Or if you're a medium person, you may want to go mild. I liked their "medium" for rogan Josh and the "spicy" for the Chettinad but I enjoy spice. I'd recommend trying this spot out, I'll definitely be back.

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    Chennai Express - Indian Cuisine - indpak - Updated October 2026

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