STEPH JUDGEMENT: Delicious Indian food with a creepy cellar. We were in the mood for some Indian food while in Austin and this place really hit the spot! We ordered: Paneer Tikka Masala (lunch portion), Palak Paneer Naan, paneer Achari Kebob, and Batata Cham, and it all tasted great. They were quite busy during lunch so service was a little slow but since we weren't in a hurry we didn't mind. We didn't notice until leaving the entrance to their creepy cellar--which I guess is supposed to be haunted? At any rate, the ghosts must love Indian food too, because they're not messing with the kitchen. read more

Clay Pit - Paneer Tikka Masala (lunch portion), Palak Paneer Naan, paneer Achari Kebob, Batata Cham--everything was delicious! - Indian Near Me - Austin, Texas

Fabulous as always !!!!! Kuroos-el-tursh was absolutely delicious Very, very tasty !!!! My wife had her usual tikka masala and thoroughly enjoyed it. This is a great restaurant and if you haven't been there yet GO !!!! Make a reservation as the word is spreading. The lobby was crammed when we left We LOVE the Clay Pit read more

Both my date and I got sick from the dinner we had. He had food poisoning and I had an allergic reaction to something that got put in my tikka masala read more

3.5/5 I had lunch at Claypit today after reading some rave reviews online, which suggested it was better than other Indian places. As an Indian myself, I found the food to be Americanized, but I still enjoyed my meal. We had garlic naan, chana masala, rice, and tandoori broccoli. The broccoli was juicy and quite enjoyable. The garlic naan was good, though a bit dry around the edges. read more

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This is one of my favorite Indian fusion restaurants and it's been a while since I've been there. Had a nice time with friends this eve. Food was good. Service was a bit slow as we had to wait a while to order and for them to bring to go boxes. Food arrived fairly quickly. There may have just been 2 wait staff for our area. It was a bit loud inside so we had a hard time hearing each other speak. read more

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Mixed feelings about this place as the food was generally okay, nothing crazy special (except the lamb biryani) and for the price point it didn't wow. For the apps we got samosa chaat (did they really split a samosa in two and charge more than a samosa plate which comes with two?!) which was alright, the chana was flavorful but that's about it. The dahi (yogurt) puri which was I was most excited about was sadly disappointing, the puris tasted stale, barely any filling and for something called dahi puri there was maybe 2 spoons of it. I get the pretty plate but the essence of it was truly lost, where was the sweet tamarind chutney or sprinkles of sev? The lamb biryani was a hit though, caramelized onions combined with nuts and dry fruit made it truly special and the flavor came through. We went with hot instead of desi hot and I'm so glad I did, even as an Indian it was spicy. I ordered a mango lassi which was the perfect complement, not too sweet or plain. All in all an okay experience, we were starving having been fasting that day and in a rush for the next appointment so we called ahead to place our order when we were 15 min away and they said 'they don't take orders but the restaurant wasn't busy so it wouldn't take more than 10 minutes to get our food' when we got there we were surprised to see how full it was and were told we had to wait to get a table, mind you we literally called 15 minutes earlier. Thankfully the other hostess was able to squeeze us in. The service was quite slow and it took us a solid 40 minutes to get our apps and another 20 before we got our main. I'd probably visit again just for the biryani and maybe to try something else since they're right infront of my workplace. read more

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Such a great spot - it lived up to the hype!! We arrived right when Clay Pit opened and were one of the few seated in the back dining room - very calm setting by large windows out looking downtown. We ordered the butter chicken and garlic naan. It was a perfect portion to split for 2. I would probably opt for the Plain Naan next time - I love garlic but it was a little overpowering!! Hard to find a solid Indian food place but I will definitely be back. Awesome spot for a large group. read more

Clay Pit - Butter chicken and Garlic Naan - Indian Near Me - Austin, Texas

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A friend of mine told me he'd always wanted to try the Clay Pit. I haven't found my "go-to" Indian spot, so I was also excited to try a place I had never heard of. We were sat promptly and began ordering drinks and appetizers. I was so excited to try the samosas so I ordered that and waited for my app to come to the table. The appetizers arrived quickly and I chowed down the samosa. I thought it had great flavor and while I liked the chutney, I'd wish it came with a mint chutney in addition to the darker brown chutney. For my entree, I ordered shrimp saag along with a "spiced" naan. The shrimp saag was really good at a medium level of spice, but I definitely could have gone higher. The spiced naan was a naan with chili powder I think on top along with onion and chunks of bell pepper. This wasn't my favorite and I felt it was bulkier than I anticipated. While I thought the food was good, I don't know that I'd race to come back here. The waiter was okay (but frequently spilled drinks as he delivered them to the table and didn't seem to have a good idea of what each dish was on the menu) One note: Parties of 5 or greater get gratuity automatically added. I'd wish I'd known that prior to tipping an additional 20% on top. read more

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LOVE THIS PLACE! There is something for EVERYONE! Adventurous or not, carnivore or not... SO MANY CHOICES! Have an espresso martini while you decide! A FULL bar is available. Hadn't been in YEARS. I didn't have standout memories & it's not always easy to park, so I had forgotten about it.... I really feel like they've upped their game! I LOVE that there is SELDOM a wait because it's HUGE inside... and we tend to eat before 7pm. No meal is complete unless we start with the Crispy Brussel Sprouts! I am in love with the tamarind-chili sauce! AND we have to have papadum & naan...we'll, DUH! We have to have SOMETHING to sop up all those delicious sauces! CAN'T waste a drop! Our usual go-tos are butter chicken & korma, but our waiter suggested Khuroos-E-Tursh (chicken-breast medallions stuffed with spinach, mushrooms, & onions in almond-cashew-pistachio cream sauce) NEW FAVORITE! We tried to share, but ended up ordering TWO! I also love the Kothmir Salmon (comes with Goan yellow curry sauce). SO SO FLAVORFUL! Sadly, I don't have advice on desserts...I never have enough room! But they look great, too! SEVERAL to choose from! read more

So good and the place is huge!! Perfect for a big group. The food is very good. I'm going to be honest though, I am very unfamiliar with that authentic Indian cuisine tastes like so take this with a grain of salt. The butter chicken slaps and the coconut curry is awesome. Their crispy cauliflower is yummy as well as the tikka masala. read more

Amazing place to experience Indian food in Austin. We ordered tandoori broccoli, paneer makhni,dal makhni and mango bhel. All of them were delicious and flavor fully crafted. read more

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What happened to you Clay pit? 5 years ago I took my then girlfriend here for a meal and we loved the malai kofta and kashmiri naan. Fast forward today, I did uber eats from them and what disappointment! Malai kofta was a red gravy okish thing, previously it used to be white gravy kofta. Paneer was border line food truck quality. Mirchi and Cheese naan can't hold a candle to the then Kashmiri naan. Dear clay pit, if u want to be that ordinary Indian restaurant that serves same gravy for all curries then open a food truck, you've pretty much bordering on that quality right now. Sad to see an original qual Indian restaurant literally getting destroyed by trying to be common place one. read more

This was the best thing we ate on our trip to Austin! We wanted to try something different and saw the reviews on this place so we dined here. The architecture of the building is very industrial meets Indian charm. It's a small but very comfortable restaurant. It was fairly busy when we went but the service was still on par (Thanks George!). Everything we had was phenomenal: -Garlic & Basil naan: flavorful, garlicky (real word?) and came out HOT! -Chicken Tikka Masala: WOW! Great flavor, creamy and well balanced. (Paired with the garlic naan is a dynamite duo!) -Raita: (reminds me of tzatziki) super refreshing and cooling. Great to cleanse the palate between bites and cut through the fullness of the curries/spices. -Goat Curry: BEST DISH! The goat was perfectly spiced and tender! If you want some great Indian food in Austin, it doesn't get much better than this place! We can't wait to go back to Austin to eat here again. read more

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I'm not by any means an Indian food connoisseur. I can't comment on whether this is the most authentic Indian food out there or not, but I can say it was PRETTY GOOD food. We had been to the Clay Pit for a ghost tour and the smell of that place was glorious, so we need we had to go back whenever we went to Austin again. The food was amazing. It was even more especial for us since we knew the history of the building and felt honored to dine in a place with so much history. Feel free to ask the staff about the history of the building, they are a delight and extremely accommodating. Order the Brussel sprouts and the samosas (they have a different name on the menu. The drinks are also really good. Prices are very reasonable. We ordered 2 appetizers, 3 entrees, and 3 sodas and our check including tip was $110. The Clay Pit will definitely be a must stop for us every time we go to Austin. read more

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Amazing place! Variety was good, everything we had was perfect and the service was great as well! We had Butter chicken, Masala chai, Daal Makhni, Masala papad, Garlic naan and rice. We loved the food, ambience and it was easy on the pocket. Must recommended for Indian food! read more

Clay Pit - Butter Chicken Daal Mahkni Garlic & Basil Naan Masala Papad Hot Masala Chai Side of Rice - Indian Near Me - Austin, Texas

Really delicious, and flavorful. There's a great bar area with high tops that are seat yourself. The wait can get long but there is full service in the bar area. The menu is classic, well done dishes. Samosas with tamarind sauce are excellent and I can't go here without getting the tikka masala. The naan is chewy and piping hot. We love coming here and ordering several dishes to share. We always try at least one new thing and are never disappointed. There's a solid happy hour too! read more

Clay Pit, how do I love thee, let me count the ways... I have been coming to Clay Pit since the early 2000s and it has always been the best Indian food in Austin. We have been here for many special occasions, group dinners and birthday lunches. Nothing is bad, literally nothing. I have had, probably, the whole menu at this point (maybe not because some things are new) Tonight I went with an old favorite, butter chicken. To illustrate how delicious it is, we don't have any pictures of the food because we scarfed it down so quickly! We had the mussels and cheesy garlic naan for an appetizer, as well as chicken tikka masala, mango lassi and the cucumber salad. My husband had an old fashioned, and I don't drink anymore so I had a drink from the nonalcoholic menu, as a sober person I greatly appreciate nonalcoholic drink options, I don't recall the name but perhaps the gin fizz? It didn't taste like gin (nonalcoholic liquors really don't) but it was very refreshing nonetheless. Service is great as well, only thing to be aware of is the current (October 2024) construction on the sidewalk on Guadalupe which means patrons have to walk in the street to access the restaurant from the parking lot, I do think the city should do something to make that more safely accessible for pedestrians until the construction is complete. read more

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We went thirty years of living in Austin without eating at Clay Pit. If we go thirty more years until the second time we eat at Clay Pit, No harm will be done. * * * The Clay Pit is not a terrible place. The room in an old Texas stone building is utterly charming. Nothing is bad. But things are meh most of the time. They have a couple of spectacular items. If you hit a lottery winner, all the bells and sirens go off and this is your day to be happy. Most of the time though, you don't hit a lottery winner. Most of the average curry houses in Austin will give you a better meal than Clay Pit will. * * * One absolute lottery winner that you need to pay attention to ... The house-made mango-ginger-and-jalapeno infused vodka. Lots of people in town try to make infused vodkas. No one does it as well as Russia House used to. Many vodka wells contain terrible stuff. The mango-ginger-jalapeno vodka though is a winner. Most fruit vodkas are not sweet. This is fantastically sweet - with all of the sugar content of ripe mangos. The ginger is its own taste -and the jalapeno is its own taste. It is rich, thick and almost syrupy without being cloying. The ginger gives it one kind of edge and the jalapeno gives it another. Don't drink too many mango vodkas on any one visit. These babies are hangover city, due to the high sugar content. But this is one fine way to get a hangover. * * * Candidly though, this is not a special occasion restaurant - even with the beautiful stone room. For really fine Indian food, go to Saffron on Far West or drive up Parmer to Sangam Chettinad. Or get on an airplane and go to London. Wembley has dozens and dozens of Indian restaurants that will change your life forever. read more

This is one of those places that has sat with me since I left it. The mumbai mules are an absolute must try. The drinks come in small copper cups, but what makes it so good is the infused vodka with ginger and chillies. Happy Hour is 3:30 PM - 6:30 PM for discounts on drinks and small plates. Believe you have to sit in bar area for this. Ordered achari chicken, dahi puri, samosas and chutney for apps. Ordered malai kebab, butter chicken, malai kofta, cheesy garlic naan, garlic basil naan, palak paneer naan, and rice. Ordered mango cheesecake and ras malai for dessert. I would probably say the dishes that stood out were the malai kebab, butter chicken, malai kofta, garlic naan. For apps I think they're a good way to "pregame" the meal, and so many options to choose from, but personally felt we could've gone without the desserts as they were okay. Service was a little tricky to get a hold of throughout the meal and we found ourselves waiting for quite a while. We ended up going up to the bar to get anything we needed. The bartender was friendly to chat with. Surprisingly packed for a weekday night, but assume that's to the popularity of the place. Clean, nice, ambiance inside, bathrooms were woodsy and clean. Would come back to get more of those mules for sure! read more

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My husband's uncle in law is Indian, so we were on a hunt for an authentic Indian meal! This spot is in downtown, so just prepare for some traffic, patience to park & a little bit of a wait in the evening for dinner. I had called ahead to make a reservation & that was super helpful. Upon arriving, the vibes were nice. Super chill! The smells were yummy! The place was pretty packed & like I mentioned, I'm glad I made a reservation. No wait for us! For appetizers, we got a few bites & then the main courses: my coconut chicken & veggie curry was unmatched. So good!! We had the salmon dish, which was subpar. We also had the lamb dish, which was super earthy. The garlic naan is where it's atttttt. No drinks or dessert for us. I gave it 3 stars because service was subpar. Also, we didn't know that the salmon came with a sauce. The server didn't tell us and that's why it was not that yummy. It was missing a whole component. Pretty pricey. The curry stole the show. read more

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Clay pit is so good!!! Started with crispy Brussels which were so yummy - never had fried Brussels before. Ordered butter chicken, garlic naan, and jalapeño cream cheese naan to split. The jalapeño cream cheese naan was insanely good but very heavy so beware. Everything was delicious and even had enough leftover for lunch the next day :) read more

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Excellent food here. I had the vegetable samosa to start followed by the mixed tandoor kebab with cheesy garlic naan. I also had the Tempranillo from Spain. read more

Twice I've been here now and place never fails me (dinner time at least). There's usually not a wait fortunately, but I'd recommend coming with no more than 4 people total. Service is fine, nothing too exceptional or out of the ordinary. Love the food's flavor, however, I'd say the spice level is not what I expected. We ordered a biryani dish that was medium level, but it tasted more like mild instead and another that was desi hot but it wasn't that spicy. One thing I REALLY appreciate is their menu having pictures for each food item when you go to their website. I don't typically eat Indian food, so it's nice to know how they look like. Overall, I'd come back again with my friends. read more

Clay Pit - Kothmir salmon and mango lassi - Indian Near Me - Austin, Texas

This restaurant has some delicious dishes shown on the menu so I had to try them out. I got the Jeera Saag and Jalapeño Cream Cheese Naan, both of which I had not tried before at an Indian restaurant. I got so full I didn't have room for dessert! You can make a reservation online which might be helpful during their busier times. I hope others can stop by this place if they have the chance! read more

Clay Pit - Indian Near Me - Austin, Texas

Nariyal Curry with Vegetables and Lamb Tikka Masala! 10/10. Clay Pit is a staple for a filling meal and excellent service. read more

Clay Pit - Nariyal Curry with Vegetables and Lamb Tikka Masala! 10/10. Clay Pit is a staple for a filling meal and excellent service. - Indian Near Me - Austin, Texas

The food was fantastic. Everyone was very nice and the service was fast. It was a little uncomfortably cold for a while but then warmed up. But nothing that would keep us from going again. read more

Clay Pit - Indian Near Me - Austin, Texas

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First time at Clay Pit! We're promptly seated at 11 am on a Saturday, it was quiet and picked up a little afterwards. Great service, delicious food at reasonable prices. For 2 people to share we got the samosas and chicken pakoras to start. Chicken tikka Masala and Jeera Saag and cream cheese and jalapeño naan (the star of the show? I think so ) Can't wait to try more things on the menu! read more

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Phenomenal dining experience at the clay pit. Decor of the restaurant is awesome and the food was out of this world. 10/10 would recommend!

This is a MUST every time I am in town. It's hands down the best authentic food you'll ever eat a really cool historic building. We've come here on several occasions, a work dinner, I have celebrated my birthday dinner here, and even came ten minutes to closing one night (we didn't realize they closed at 9pm & walked in at 8:50pm). We were Expecting to be turned away and asked if we could order to go & the host was so gracious he let us dine in and enjoy our meal without rushing us. It was the end of the night, only a handful of people in the restaurant and I was impressed with the level of service, timeliness, and great food. I've never had a bad experience here and am totally a raving fan. read more

We really enjoyed this place when they had a daily lunch buffet. Now it's just an overpriced average quality Indian restaurant. And with no buffet, Austin has better choices. read more

I've come here a couple of times and had mostly positive experiences. The pros are friendly/efficient staff and an exceptionally wide variety of menu options compared to other Indian restaraunts near this part of town. The cons have been the price point relative to quality and the consistently missing dessert items. I recommend giving the menu a once over before coming because it is LONG and even as someone who's been to their share of Indian restaraunts there are a fair number of unfamiliar menu items. I'd usually recommend asking your server for advice when deciding between options, but I've been pointed in some unusual directions here. One that particularly stood out was my server recommended getting my Korma (a usually creamy/rich dish) "Desi Hot" which is the spiciest option on the menu. I went with their recommendation and didn't find it excessively spicy, but it very much took away from the flavor I was looking for. On the note of quality, I've mostly enjoyed their curries, but I've found the meat quality to be inconsistent. Their chicken in particular has usually been pretty tough and/or dry. I've had better experiences with the lamb/goat dishes. Lastly, their desserts have all been great and are without question the best value on their menu. I think this is a good area to go with something unfamiliar, though their more Americanized options are good as well. However, I've found that almost every visit at least one or two (if not most) items are not available. Overall, I think this is a good place to try for some more unfamiliar Indian dishes. However I think there are higher quality options available at this price point in the area, and much better values if you're willing to go a little further outside the city center read more

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Food was amazing!!!! No further comments Got the butter chicken, naan, crispy cauliflower, vegetable samosas read more

Clay Pit - Butter Chicken Garlic & Basil Naan - Indian Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Solid Indian food in Austin. There was sadly a dearth of Indian food while I lived in ATX and I appreciated that Clay Pit was always there if I had the urge for some solid Indian cuisine. read more

Made a reservation for 12 over a month ago and explained my needs. They were more than accommodating. It was surprisingly busy for a Sunday night. I checked in with the host and he was great. He promptly got our server Luke to introduce us and went over my needs with Luke. Luke sat us and got drink orders going and let us socialize for a bit. We did have a rough start with apps bc he kept informing us of items they were out of but all the apps we were amazing. My favorite was the mussels and cucumber salad. We also had chicken wings, pakoras, and garlic naan. We ordered entrees, we had goat and lamb curry, tiki masala, and my personal favorite vindaloo. It was my first time here and ya'll did not disappoint. Can't wait to come back again! read more

Clay Pit - Vindaloo - Indian Near Me - Austin, Texas

Cellar is super cool. In general, it's worth a visit simply to tour the building and capture the ambiance. The food is really good too.

If you're sitting at the bar at The Clay Pit, you're in for a treat; especially if Peter is behind it. Get ready for some laughs and eats. As the bar manager, Pete not only crafts incredible cocktails but also curates an outstanding selection of spirits. His knowledge, attention to detail, and ability to perfectly balance flavors make every drink exceptional. Whether you're looking for a classic or something creative, Peter always delivers. He's the kind of bartender who elevates the whole experience, making The Clay Pit a must-visit for both great drinks and great company. read more

While visiting my sister out of town she insisted we had to stop by. I love the design and authenticity of this restaurant. Our food was ordered quickly and came out quickly. Everyone enjoyed their meals and when I come back in town I be back! I know its not the main meal but we definitely enjoyed the naan. read more

The food here is amazing. Geez what to choose from. Ambiance great, service great, smells amazing. One of my favorite restaurants in Austin!!! read more

Twice a year my coworkers and I attend a statewide conference in Austin, and for years we have purposely made sure to stay at the hotel around the corner from Clay Pit specifically so we can walk to dinner while we are there! As many times as we have been, we continue to be impressed by the food and never get tired with the wide selection of entrees, appetizers, and naan! The flavors are always a hit no matter what dishes we order (although, I am partial to the lamb vindaloo and goat biriyani) and even the pickiest of eaters that we have convinced to join us leave with happy bellies! My biggest plus is that Clay Pit allows you to customize your heat level, and unlike most places, they actually deliver! As an absolute spice fiend, I always order "Desi hot" and ask if they can do anything possible to make my regret my entire life with how spicy the dish is...they never fail to disappoint! In the most perfect way, the dish is as spicy as can be, without compromising the great flavors. 10/10 experience every time and I look forward to returning as often as possible! read more

Clay Pit - Indian Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Absolutely delicious food. This is one of the best Indian restaurants in Austin. 4 Cheese Naan - 5/5 Curried Mussels - 5/5 Everything on the menu is amazing. The naans are always sooo fresh, sooo fluffy, and sooo buttery. Best naan in Austin. The curried mussels were recommended by a waiter once, and I always ordered them from them on. The curry is incredible. Their biryanis and other dishes are delicious as well. Service is always great. The downstairs is a great vibe. read more

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