So far best Indian food I've had in Charlotte. I would…read moreorder ahead and it'll be hot and ready when you get there. This place is always so busy, but food is always spot on. The naan is Devine. Butter chicken or chicken tikka masala are my current favorites. Five spot but they are beautifying the inside and it seems they are creating room to dive in.

3 out of 5 stars is generous. The best part may have been the service but the food we had was not…read moregood. We bought the aloo gobi and 2 sides. The naan and samosas were typical but the aloo gobi had more of a watery tomato taste than the thicker sauce I was expecting. I could also tell the vegetables didn't marinate long enough as they were almost seasonless and undercooked. Also, the restaurant was simply dirty. Wouldn't recommend this place. I did like how they offer mouth refreshers at the front desk, though (cardamom pods, fennel seeds, cloves, etc)

This place is a hidden gem. I always spend the night near…read moreairport when flying home looking for a good meal. I found on Yelp and it did not disappoint. I ordered a hot and asked for the hottest since non Asian they asked me twice. I did get a very spicy meal with soup and loved it. I'll be back. Rick

Palak(Saag) was pretty good. High standard stuff for Indian cuisine from what I've tasted. The…read morechicken in the saag was dreadful, absolutely horrible. I was served fast and got a plentiful portion. Naan was good and rice was fine. The 4$ soup I had was also pleasant 4/5.

One of my families favorite places to go in south end. We have yet to have a bad appetizer or meal…read more Their menu is compact, and brimming with flavor. We have had items from vegetarian to lamb and chicken and we have not been disappointed. The naan is phenomenal and supports the dishes wonderfully. To top it off there is plenty of rice to go around! The servers are very pleasant and attentive. It can get busy some evenings, but lunch typically is a slower time.

Modern Indian food in Charlotte, NC 3.75/5…read moreI haven't been here in years, but I used to come here a lot growing up, so I was excited to try it again. The food was good, but nothing out of this world. I ordered the Keema Bhatura Chaat ($14), Murgh Tikka Masala ($21), and garlic naan ($5). The chaat was definitely my favorite--it was delicious and really stood out. The curry, on the other hand, was just okay. I wish it had a bit more flavor. Overall, it was decent, but not as good as I remembered.

I stumbled upon this place last summer with a friend and we sat at the bar and just to head there…read morespicy cauliflower and the bartenders selection. Everything was fantastic. The last couple of times I've been was with my work group. We ordered several items for our table and then we also ordered entrées. Each time I visited this location everything is very nice and clean and the food as spicy as it is is very well seasoned and tasty. All of the sauces and curry creams were cooked to perfection hot in temperature not too hot to enjoy. Our servers were very kind and patient and courteous to us as we made our decisions. They also made perfect combination for our selections. And the best selections for drinks and desserts. Since then, I've even ordered on Uber eats and my food came just as perfect. This is a great go to place for good Indian food. If you're in the uptown area it's located below the Green parking lot, which is across from the Knight theater. It's just a good place even if you want a good drink at the bar. Enjoy!

Flavor is good the salt level is much too high. Food is good. Service blah- especially for how…read moreslow it is. Server just looked in my direction and kept moving - I definitely could have used a napkin or two. Portion sizes are good. Very nice ambiance- relaxing and inviting. Half the salt would have made this a 4.5/5.

This was our 3rd time coming here in the last few months and every time the food has been amazing!…read more We've had both the lamb and chicken and would order it again. The server was very helpful and attentive. The Indian music creates a fun atmosphere to match the flavor of the food. We'll be coming again soon.

Best restaurant in Charlotte, by far. Flavor packed food. We got: Appetizer - 5 Pieces Pakora (like…read morespicy chicken nuggets). I liked the 2 sauces that came with it. Chicken Tikka Kebab. Came in a cast iron pan. Not too spicy, good for my 12 yo son. Butter chicken (not too spicy) Special Hyderabadi Chicken Dum Biryani some pieces of chicken on top, then a large amount of delicious rice then slow cooked dark meat fall off the bone chicken at the bottom. Huge portion. Special Hyderabadi Goat Dum Biryani was amazing as well. Both of those dishes do not have sauce. So, we ordered 2 tikki masala sauces on the side. 2 Large gravy boats of sauce. This was my favorite part of the meal. I poured it on everything. Creamy, similar to the butter chicken sauce but a little spicier. 1 Garlic Naan 1 Butter Naan We should have gotten 2 garlic naans instead. Best Naan we've had in a while. Freshly made. Service was awesome. Restaurant is brand new and clean. We moved here from the west coast where there are tons of Indian food restaurants and have been on the search for a good one. Found it!!! Better than Blue Taj IMO. This family moved here a year ago from the west coast and had a restaurant there. This restaurant is a hidden gem! Near the home depot in promenade shopping center. So glad we tried it.

Ordered spicy garlic momos, kadai chicken, garlic naan and roti. Momos were deep fried and yummy…read morewith a lot of sauce. Kadai chicken was ok, wouldn't get it again. The chicken was very tough to chew. Naan and roti were good.

Great food , great service , will definitely be back ! Food was tasty and our server was super…read moreaccommodating

I had an amazing experience here. I read about the owner of this restaurant. He's a James Beard…read morefinalist in his Asheville restaurant, so I had to try this here in Charlotte inside Optimus Hall. And it was an experience I will not forget, and I have to come back here. You have to order off the street food menu if you really want something different that you would normally not see at other Indian restaurants. I got the SPDP which were savory puffed flour crisps filled with sweet yogurt chutney, potatoes, onion, and cilantro, and it was loke nothing I've ever had before. Total flavor bomb. Then I got the chicken tikka roll. So delicious and huge and filling, with that perfect savory and acid going at the same time. I'll definitely be back since I can't stop thinking about it. Lol

Botiwalla at Optimist Hall is such a fun, colorful, energetic little spot, and honestly one of the…read moremore charming fast-casual concepts I've tried lately. If you're heading there, it's closest to the Duke Energy side off 16th Street, and parking is actually pretty easy. Just make sure you scan one of the QR codes for the Metropolis parking system so you don't accidentally get ticketed. There are signs everywhere, so it's pretty straightforward. The setup at Botiwalla is super organized. You queue from outside the storefront, but the menu boards and specials are large, bright, and easy to read while you wait. The vibe inside is playful and campy in the best way -- Bollywood-inspired touches, fun signage, colorful details, Indian hip-hop playing in the background, and lots to look at while you wait for your food. The staff member taking orders was friendly, professional, repeated the order back correctly, asked smart questions, and they take Apple Pay, which is always appreciated. I ordered the Butter Chicken Thali and it was beautifully presented in a compostable divided tray. The complete breakdown of the meal included: * Grilled chicken tikka in a rich, velvety tomato-cream-butter sauce enriched with sweet jaggery and roasted garam masala * Fragrant jeera (cumin) rice * Warm naan * Cool raita * Tangy, crisp desi slaw * A sweet, syrupy gulab jamun for dessert The butter chicken sauce was fragrant, creamy, and comforting, and the naan was perfect for scooping up every last bit of it. The chicken portions were generous with large chunks of white meat, and overall the meal felt satisfying and thoughtfully prepared. One small heads-up: because the takeout containers are fully compostable and not wax-lined, the sauce does start soaking into the packaging fairly quickly. If you're taking leftovers home, definitely transfer everything into another container sooner rather than later. My only real disappointment was the chai. I ordered it hot so I could ice it later at home, but unfortunately it was extremely weak and lacked that bold masala spice flavor I personally expect from chai. If you love strong, robust chai like David Rio's Tiger Spice or a traditional masala chai, this one may leave you wanting more. At around $4, it just didn't deliver the flavor punch I was hoping for. That said, the food, atmosphere, service, organization, and overall experience were absolutely worth the visit. Optimist Hall can feel hectic, but Botiwalla manages to feel upbeat, efficient, and welcoming all at once. Life's too short to not eat well.

Was in the mood for Indian food. Since I've seen quite a few reviews on social media, my husband…read moreand I decided to try this place out. We started with an order on samosas which were really good and they had a nice kick. We did chicken biryani and the nalan special curry and naan bread. Everything was really good and packed with flavor. Will definitely return! Tara was our waitress a d was really nice!

Loved this restaurant!…read more First off, location is great - I feel like Indian food was missing on the map in this area and Nalan is a great addition. We tried a couple of their appetizers (chicken was recommended by the staff), and we loved it. Flavorful and well cooked. They custom made fried rice for my kids (if you've been following my reviews you'd know my kids love their rice at the restaurants), and fried rice was so tasty - my husband and I couldn't help ourselves from eating their rice. Chicken curry was delicious too - well balanced spices. My husband asked for high spice level on Dal and they delivered, it was yummy! My toddler loved the garlic naan and downed a good portion of it - yay! Their tamarind whisky sour was yum yum! My only complain is the service of appetizers. We requested papad for a quick bite and they didn't deliver until the brought rest of the appetizers. On our second order of papad again, they came so late we had to turn it down. But manager at duty took note of it and acknowledged the delay (that's a sign of a great service, hence a 5 star). Overall a good find for us - we will be back.

This place is a go-to MUST.. when you walk in you don't quite know what you're getting yourself…read moreinto but that's okay! You can taste-test any of the items before buying and trust me you will find something you'll end up loving !! I was helped by Rachel and she's not only a fantastic worker but a very genuine person with a great attitude!! I Recommend going for the all-in-one special which is 2 meats rice, & desert with bread. They also have free water if you aren't interested in their drinks on menu. This place is fantastic for lunch/dinner or just wanting to simply try something new but whatever you do stop by and give them a shot!

What a nice concept, fast casual Indian cuisine, authentic flavors, a wide variety of options to…read morechoose from, and a friendly staff that allows you to taste everything before you decide on your order!! We enjoyed it all very much, and will definitely be coming back in the future.

Chicken tikka masala was delicious tonight!! Nice chunks of chicken, fresh vegetables, delicious…read moresauce. I thoroughly enjoyed this meal!

Came here with my brother and my son today. We all really enjoyed our meals. They have spice from…read morelevel 1 to 10. Super flavorful and a lot of food! Very clean restaurant with a peaceful atmosphere. Service was friendly and very on top of everything! Pricey, but well worth it for a nice meal! Will be back!