I'm so happy I finally got a chance to try Desi Tavern. When i called in my order, the waitress was friendly and helpful. I ordered two butter chickens for my husband and I, garlic Naan and a Mango Lassi. The butter chicken was delicious but adding the garlic naan along with it really pulled it all together. The mango lassi had just the right amount of sweetness to it. I can't wait to go back and explore more of their menu. read more

Desi Tavern - Butter Chicken and basmati rice - Indian Near Me - Garner, North Carolina

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Easy enough to find in the back of a Garner business district. Not bleeding parking, but we did just fine. You can make reservations using the Yelp app, but we got there at 6pm Thursday and tables were open anyway. It filled up in about 90 minutes. Not a lot of pics in the huge menu. They have specials on certain days. After we ordered, we found out about a great deal for Thursdays. It was our fault we missed it because it was written RIGHT THERE on the menu. The lack of pics made it tough to order, though I'd had Indian many times. And the thick accents from the employees didn't help us to decide anything. Myself, I just stuck to curry. I picked mutton because I'd always wanted to try it. Yelp pics didn't help much either because few people write in descriptions what the photos are. Everything tasted amazing. They really know their food. Not to take anything away from the main dishes (I told you I loved them) but the standout for me were the fried pepper appetizers. A mix of just enough outside crunch and soft inside flavor. I'm no fan of chai tea, but I really liked theirs. The mutton was great, but I more prefer my meals without bones in them. Like with oxtails, which are routinely more skeleton than flesh, it's never a fine experience finding your bite to be a mouthful of bone. It's overrated, I promise you. The bill paying system is grossly inefficient. Tell them you want separate checks and nothing happens until the very end where everyone has to tell the server what they ordered, in a language they don't understand, mind you, and she charges everyone, one by one. It took like ten minutes to get through our party of five. It's a really bad method. Since it was my birthday, they played a YouTube video over the speakers. It was a generic "Happy Birthday To Whomever" type deal that worked fine, but they let it play for its whole fifteen minute runtime. It was cute, funny and ridiculous all at once. Wonderful food, nice servers, language barriers can be tough, and some questionable business practices still make this one a solid keeper. Just brace yourself. read more

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The food is authentic, delicious and the portions are adequate. A Plus is they are here in Garner near by. I don't have to drive to Cary or Raleigh to get my favorite food! read more

My husband found this place when he was trying to plan his date night. We had not had Indian food yet in Garner and we wanted to try out this place. 10 out of 10 would recommend! Everything was freshly made and amazing! The staff was super helpful and the menu is extensive for all types of eaters. We will be coming back here shortly! read more

Desi Tavern - Indian Near Me - Garner, North Carolina

Food and Service are amazing. Had the goat biryani and DT Chicken Curry. Perfect amount of spice for my liking. Garlic Naan was good as always. Would highly recommend to anyone looking for a solid meal in or out. 10/10 read more

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Best Indian food we have had in the Raleigh area aside from Fine Dining. The selection is amazing and we haven't had anything that wasn't excellent. Service is great, too. They are a gem and a treat and you dont have to travel to Cary or Morrisville too! read more

We were in a rush and didn't have time to eat out or make dinner so we ordered a doordash order from Desi Tavern. We are planning to come in soon but sometimes we like to preview the menu ahead of time with ordering in. We got the fried rice and butter chicken with butter naan. It was so delicious! If you are a fan of authentic Idian cuisine definitely a safe chocie to order! read more

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So glad that this place isn't opened up close to the home! It has so many options and we're so excited to come back and try them. I love that they have Indian snacks for bar bites it really sets them apart from other Indian restaurants. The bartender was so kind and it was obvious that she was really trying to learn the menu and about Indian food since she was not Indian herself. She had such a great attitude and told us that she's working on you drinks for the restaurant. read more

Desi Tavern - Masala papad - Indian Near Me - Garner, North Carolina

Exceptional experience! The food was amazing. This evening I tried the DT omelet and Chili Shrimp. Wow, it was delicious. I paired it with a martini. YES.... The service was quick and the ambiance was great. Tonight, DT had Indian Music Night. This was an authentic experience. I highly recommend DT to anybody seeking great food, service, and ambiance. read more

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Yes! Food, super good! Staff was super friendly and the butter chicken and rice was really good!

Food was absolutely delicious. For the time of day we went the atmosphere was average many of the employees just sitting in the dining area with customers. But the food was absolutely worth it. read more

Uh, not sure what's going on. I dropped by at 4 pm on a Thursday and the place was totallly empty. Not even wait staff about. I walked in and right back out. I didn't order food because of that. Hope everything is ok. read more

One of the best Indian restaurants I have been to anywhere. Great atmosphere and excellent specials such as all you can eat dosas on Thursday night. Their tandoori wings are by far the best chicken you will ever have. They come to the table sizzling in a cast iron platter. Their biryani has great variety and I highly recommend the goat biryani. The paneer here has excellent texture and works well in the saag paneer. read more

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I ate at Desi's Tavern twice, and both times I was disappointed. Their menu is far too large. Both times we tried to order something and the waiter had to go check if it was in stock. The first time he had to check on three different items. Both times service was rather slow and spotty, with our water being refilled very infrequently. At the second dinner one of my companions was dying after eating something spicy and we couldn't find anyone to fill up her water glass. Also an item we ordered didn't show up until an hour after we ordered it, despite us asking the status of the item from every waiter we interacted with. The food was just okay. We tried a wide variety of things. Some were good, some were bad, but none were particularly good. One of the curry dishes the chicken appeared undercooked. The cheese dosa was tasty. The one thing this restaurant gets right is the vibes - this definitely feels like a modern tavern that also serves Indian food. The Indian grocery store next door was pretty nice to drop by and get some snacks after some disappointing dinners. I went back the second time since my first time was within a month of them opening and I wanted to give them a second chance. But I don't think I will be going back even though I love Indian food. read more

First time here but definitely not the last. We went with the Christmas special which included drink (non-alcoholic), soup, salad, appetizer, entree, bread, dessert, and chai. All for $29.99 pp. There were three of us and we all ordered something different. EVERYTHING was so delicious and the flavors were just perfect. See you again soon! Thank you Desi Tavern for a wonderful experience! read more

This place was amazing!!!! Authentic food, speedy service, and great atmosphere!! Loved it!!

Love this new Indian restaurant! The food is excellent and the service prompt and helpful. Spice level of the food is whatever you request as everything is made to order! There are plentiful delicious options for vegetarians and vegans, and of course carnivores too! The interior is spacious, clean and comfortable - a real gem in Garner. And worth the drive even if you don't live close by, for sure! read more

Desi Tavern is here!! Thank goodness for a thoughtful way to welcome guests to this new location in Garner, NC. The Chicken Tikka Nachos and Szechuan Noodles were an awesome choice to start on the first visit. Multiple visits after not so great. Be sure to request that the Nacho chips are not soggy. The staff has improved a lot. The bar seating is also available and has been a good experience so far. read more

Uber Eats delivery; I couldn't be more excited to have this place close by! Way to go, Clayton/Garner! Sooooo excited to have more Indian options in Joco! Many have tried, but Desi Tavern has delivered! Thankful to finally have authentic Indian food in the area, without having to go into Raleigh/Cary!! read more

The ambiance of the place is so wonderful! Their service is quick and the waiters were so respectful and friendly, especially Bhanu, Akhil, and Nikhil were really sweet and making sure we got everything we needed. We went there for their unlimited chaat on Wednesday and the samosa chaat was the best, the pani puri reminded me of the one in India. Had to be the best pani puri I've had since I've been here in the US. read more

Desi Tavern - Samosa chaat (tastes amazingly delicious) - Indian Near Me - Garner, North Carolina

We've eaten at this place several times, and each time has been great. My favorite is the Chicken Korma with Garlic Naan. Very yummy !!! read more

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I really loved this restaurant. It tasted like authentic Indian food. The service was great as well they are very attentive and friendly. The food was very tasty and not too pricey. read more

We are picky about ethnic food in my family. This place is awesome. We went to the grand opening. They were busy and definitely needed to correct some kinks as far as service. Everyone was really nice. The drinks from the bar were really professional and well mixed. I got an espresso martini. We orders butter chicken, veggies vindaloo? Garlic naan, Both samosas. Everything was incredibly. It was clean and I loved the interior design. There is an Indian market right next door as well for the Indian cuisine home chef. Highly recommend. read more

Desi Tavern - Love the vibe - Indian Near Me - Garner, North Carolina

We picked Desi's when my son was visiting last week. We got the chicken tikka, a lentil dish and a chickpea dish. All were well portioned. So flavorful! If you are looking for some delicious Indian food out this way I highly recommend Desi's! read more

Desi Tavern is hands down the best Indian food around. The food was incredible from start to finish. I ordered the tiki masala and garlic naan, and both were absolutely excellent ; rich, flavorful, and clearly made fresh. The portions were generous and well worth the money. read more

The food was excellent ans tasty !!!! The waiter was attentive. Nice atmosphere, flavorful food and mostly all of our food was quickly served. I highly recommend to anyone that likes flavorful food and definitely I would go back again! read more

Great experience for the first week of opening. I usually avoid restaurants the first week because of the typical problems but the staff, service, food, and atmosphere made this a wonderful inaugural visit! Yes there were a few things (ingredients for cocktails, a dessert) that were not yet available but there were so many other options that were absolutely delicious! Service was amazing! Will be dining here again. Thanks for bringing Indian flavor to our area! read more

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We dine in, ordered food. The server says you cannot share. What the f***. I did not ask for more. I just walked away with family, such an embarrassment. If you want to people come and spend time , improve your service. Take this leadership principle customer first, almost every company follows. What surprise me is there is no reason for such behavior. Rude Rude Rude. Not acceptable. read more

Amazing food and excellent service. This is now one of our favorite bi weekly restaurants

I wanted to share a few reasons for my lower rating after our visit today. First, the restaurant was buffet-only (at least on weekends), but this wasn't clearly communicated. When we asked for a menu, the server brought a list of buffet items instead and then explained there was no à la carte ordering. It would have been helpful to know upfront so we could decide if it suited us. Second, after paying the bill (including a tip), a manager approached us fairly quickly--after we'd been there only about 35 minutes--and asked us to leave because other customers were waiting for tables. There were visibly people who had arrived earlier and stayed longer, so it felt rushed and a bit unfair, especially right after tipping. Lastly, the food quality was disappointing for the $25 buffet price. Some dishes were overly spicy without any labeling or warnings, which made it hard to enjoy everything. Coming from an area with stronger Indian food options (near a bigger city), I expected more flavor balance and authenticity--overall, it didn't feel worth the cost given the experience. Service issues aside, the buffet setup is convenient for trying a variety, but the combination of miscommunication, rushed service, and average food left me underwhelmed. Hope this helps the restaurant improve! read more

We ate at the newly opened (3 months) Desi Tavern last night for my birthday. We had never been there before, and we had a wonderful experience. The place is very clean and has an extensive menu of both vegetarian and non-vegetarian delights with multiple categories of traditional Indian dishes. They also have a bar with a special menu. We ordered a biryani which was more than enough for several people, an absolutely delicious garlic naan, Tandoor shrimp (just a tad too spicy for my taste but I did order medium spicy) , a Hariyali chicken kebab (also a large portion sufficient for two) and I had a very flavorful mango lassi to help offset some of the spice. In fact, there were so many interesting selections, it took us some time to figure out what we wanted! The servers were very friendly, as were the mostly Indian diners. They are starting some specials on Wednesdays and Thursdays with all-you-can-eat options that we are very keen to sample. The decor was ornate wallpaper featuring Indian scenery, and there were also large paintings to add to the atmosphere. We were told everything came directly from India. It was an overall excellent experience and we hope to be back. We would definitely recommend this restaurant to others as very authentic and a very nice addition to the area. Parking is not a problem either as there are plenty of spaces and there is even a very interesting Indian grocery just a few doors down, also worth a visit. We hope Desi Tavern does well and is there for many years to come. read more

Got my food to go, it was incredible. Highly recommend trying this place if you're on the fence.

Food is excellent for taste, preparation and portion size. Seriously the best food of any style/culture we have had in the area. Service was fast and cheerful. The ambience is light and fun without being loud or overbearing. The location is tucked away a bit but GPS got us here directly. Highly recommended. read more

This place is delicious and has great customer service. Please do not listen to the reviews that say otherwise! You will miss out on an amazing experience! read more

It's nice to have such a fantastic Indian restaurant in Garner. Desi Tavern covers multiple regional dishes from India providing a much broader menu. So far, I've had the Hyderabadi biryani, gongura biryani, tandoori chicken, butter chicken and several of their appetizers. Everything has been absolutely delicious. I have recommended several friends and they have stated the same. One of visits had a partial dj, adding to atmosphere of the nice space they have. Each time has been great service no matter how busy they've been. So glad Desi Tavern is close to my house and have been weekly since finding out about them. read more

Wow! So excited to have this nearby. Our table had a variety of breads that were all delicious with the masala dosa the highlight. Entrees included korma, vindaloo, and biryani. Great food, bar service, and table service. Will definitely be returning! read more

Great food and service came out fast and the people are very friendly. Will definitely recommend this for everybody.

We just moved to the area from the Northeast and had an abundance of quality Indian resturants in our area. We found Desi Tavern tecommended in multiple Facebook groups and thought we'd give it a try. The food was excellent - butter chicken and tikka masala was flavorful. Naan bread was light and airy. Grilled tandoori wings were juicy and tasted fresh. Kids dosa was HUGE! There were no Indian beers listed on the menu which was disappointing because it is always great to pair with a nice curry but when we asked the waiter he said that they had bottles of Kingfisher we will be back. read more

The staff were attentive , the ambience and decor is excellent and most importantly the food was delicious. Happy to have good Indian food in the area , keep up the good work guys . read more

My girlfriend and I ate here for lunch today for the first time and had such an amazing experience. Mrs. Sam behind the bar was so kind and extremely helpful helping us decide on our meal. Over all we will will be returning. So many menu items to choose from cannot wait to eat here again. Thank you to the amazing cooks in the kitchen and front of house staff! read more