If I could give this restaurant 10 stars, I would. I had the Saag Paneer and the Vegetarian Appetizer Sampler, which consisted of 5 or so veggie apps. I also sampled a few different styles of naan. Each dish was more delicious than the last! I was there for dinner and even though they were busy the service was great! Everyone had a smile on their face and was more than willing to help. The whole vibe was very welcoming. Not only did they have great service and food, but it's BYOB with no additional fee for bringing your own alcohol. I brought a bottle of wine to share, which made the evening even better. After a successful dinner here, I went back for their lunch buffet. This is quite a steal for all of the food you're offered. The food was good too! If you love Indian food, you should give Dusmesh a try! read more

Not very crowded and yet it took 10 minutes just to get water. Another 10 minutes to have our order taken. Once our appetizer came, I had to ask for napkins and utensils 3 times. I had to actually track the server down. The curry was tasty but too heavy on the tomato flavoring. Once we were done, it took another 10 minutes to get our bill, once we asked for it. Slowest service anywhere. read more

My boyfriend's birthday was this week and to celebrate we tried one of the many Indian restaurants in Clifton, Dusmesh. The service at Dusmesh was amazing! As soon as your rice dish is close to being empty, they refill it; same with water. All of the dishes we bought were brought out quickly. And the 2 servers we had were extremely nice. We had Tikka Masala and the Dusmesh Special (not saucy, spiced chicken and onions), garlic naan and some spiced chicken appetizer. We tried a few of our standards (Tikka and naan) and went out on a limb with the others and were not once disappointed. They have such a large menu, I was a bit overwhelmed being there for the first time, but I look forward to going back and trying more items. A friend in our party did get some pickle thing off the appetizer menu and, well, I don't know whose pallet that is for but its tasted like cleaning supplies. Not to say it wasn't actually supposed to taste like that. We just weren't prepared for it. Dusmesh also has a $6 off two entrees coupon in the BearCat! I love indian food comas. I can't wait to try their lunch buffet! read more

Your next Indian fix starts here. Much more casual than Ambar, and a bit more affordable as well, Dusmesh is yet another sweet find in the Cincinnati Indian fare. Even at 5:30 on a Tuesday, the dining room was filled with the delightful chatter of humble patrons. My girlfriend and I shared the chicken tikka masala and some cheese and spinach paneer dish, with obligatory garlic naan and a bowl of white rice. The chicken tikka masala boasted of rich creaminess. Despite the seeming underwhelming size, just a small spoonful atop rice or naan lingered heartily upon the pallet. The spice level is not as intense as other Indian restaurants I have frequented; a 4/5 is enough to pique the tastebuds in a mildly alarming fashion. The paneer dish, echoed the same contents of the tikka masala. Small, but mighty. The cook did not skimp on the cheese cubes, either. Clearly, we got what we paid for. Overall, everything tasted fresh and complex. Our server was a delightful young woman, and the owner came out to make sure we were content. All was well. Parking may be a bit of a buzzkill, but this is Cincinnati, after all. read more

This is my favorite Indian joint that I have tried in Cincinnati. Mind you, I've only been to about 5, but this is definitely good no matter how many restaurants you've tried. I've had a variety of their dishes, all wonderful, and their naan is excellent. I can't really give any more specific comments. I always do takeout and while the service has been nice in this sense, it's not much to go by. But seriously though, you can't beat this from my experience. read more

I ordered paneer makhani from DoorDash and I wanted a spice level of 5 and I'm pretty sure I got a 0. It tasted like rice with yum yum sauce from a hibachi restaurant. I order Indian frequently and my favorite places are closed on mondays so I decided to try Dusmesh. I am unimpressed. read more

If you want some authentic Indian food, which doesn't change much with each time you visit, this is the place. I visited three Sundays in a row to check how the buffet menu changes and it really doesn't. One Sunday they had saag paneer and the next they had saag mushroom and the next week they got plain saag. That's more like 1% change every week! Today I visited again hoping something would have changed after almost 3 months and guess what, saag mushroom and others are intact.. To my surprise, the lady got me my bill as soon as I sat down with my appetizers.. I thought bill is given at end of the buffet.. The reason for 4 star is because the food tastes good, even though it's almost the same every time.. Am a vegetarian guy, so cannot comment on the other dishes. read more

Waiter did not order what I wZnted. Enjoyed teasing and I didn't appreciate the banter.

Please don't ask me to go to Dusmesh. My mother said, "if you don't have anything good to say about something, don't say it." I simply must explain and move on, in this case, back to Akash. Disappointedly, after almost three years of dinner at Dusmesh every three or four days, we've been told, by Mya and AJ's mom, that we "always complain." Hmmm ... on an average, that's easily $75-$100 a week in receipts. Most independent restauranteurs would not dispel the significance of regular customers and those friends they introduce to the cuisine. And, let's remember, they do not have a liquor license, so that sum doesn't enter that equation. Last Saturday, we suggested meeting friends for dinner. Other restaurants were mentioned but we decided on Dusmesh. Our experience was a dissapointment- and, I'll admit, again. I say "again" because we have "complained" on three occasions over the years. Our first occasion focused on one of three (99% of the time, we get 3 not 2 for two people) entrees having long hairs in it. They were on my plate (ewwww!) We did not make a scene, calling staff to the table. There was no apology forthcoming, the first thing out of their mouth was "what color is it?" No apology was made or any restitution, "oh, we will tell the kitchen to wear hair nets." Their second failure resulted from mention that reservations could be made. We called on a Friday night to make reservations. The mother seated a couple without reservations in a booth that would have been ours had our reservations been viewed as " an arrangement whereby something, esp. a seat or a room, is booked for a particular person or persons. Although there were some other questionable moments in the service, our third "complaint" occurred when my husband was enjoying our Saag Choley. Chewing, he discovered sharp metal in his mouth. We called Mya over, again, no apologies, did not take the plate. She said, "oh, that is from the dish washer." A few minutes later, the mother came over and repeated, ostensibly, the same thing. "That is from the dish washer's (metal scrubby.)" The bill was presented, the plate was finally taken away. No apologies, no offer of restitution was made, nothing. Our party was clearly over... my husband said to the mother on the way out the door "I don't think you handled this matter properly. What if it was a roach?" She again, offered no apologies, just wanted him out the door while she whined "oh you, you complain all the time!" One of our dining companions equated the experience to the action one must make to draw liquids through a straw. I think you get the point. We had been supportive of this small family run business... we will not be back. read more

We usually like the food, but tonight we were greatly disappointed. We drove the twenty minutes to the restaurant at 7:20 pm and we were told it would be 35 minutes!! There were at least 10 empty tables in the restaurant!!! We might not be back again. read more

I really dig Dusmesh. We moved fromt he Boston area in September 2011 and had our favorite places for Indian food there; we have tried a few other places here in Cincinnati and this is my favorite. It is set apart from the more bustling portion of Clifton, which I actually like, since it has been pretty easy for us to park in Dusmesh's parking lot. The service is great and so is the food. Our standard order here is Aloo Chole (chick peas) for my wife and Nav Rattan korma for me (vegetables and paneer in a somewhat creamy sauce that resembles tikka masala sauce but with a different flavor), some naan, some vegetable samosa, and some papardam. Delicious! We bring our 2-year-old daughter (chicken pakora for her) and the staff is great with her; I feel like this place is quite kid-friendly. We tend to do earlier dinners with her and I notice the early crowd has a pretty big kid-contingent. The place is BYOB and people at various tables around us were enjoying beer and wine they had brought. I have not tried the buffet. read more

I was pleased to find out on yelp that this place had undergone some upgrades under the new ownership. Upgrades like ...better food...nicer decor...and finally...getting rid of that 8 foot wide TV screen showing Indian music videos. I mean let's be honest... We tolerate Indian music in the restaurants because we really like the food, but asking patrons to endure those videos, especially on that scale, is just not fair. During the India Palace era, I would generally opt to head on up the hill to one of the other 3 or 4 Indian restaurants on Ludlow... usually Ambar. Enter Dusmesh... Hooray! I now have an option that is dare I say equally delicious, has better ambiance, is not always crowded, and is a little closer to home (heck, I may walk there next time). Dusmesh also has a parking lot that is much easier to get in and out of than Ambar's. I still love you, Amber... but I've met someone else whom I want to spend time with, as well They don't have a liquor license at this point. So, it's up to you to bring your own alcohol. I love this!!! It makes an evening out that much more affordable! Also, I am looking forward to going there for lunch. I understand the buffet has goat meat!!! This just in.... Goat meat is delicious. ...and I almost forgot... At the end of our meal, our server brought us two small fried doughnut-like treats sitting in tiny bowls of a light sweet syrupy sauce. It was a perfect little treat after a delicious meal...and free, too. Gotta love that! read more

Had this for a coworker's Birthday lunch. I enjoyed all the dishes I tried, but sadly I don't remember what they were. I know one was Chicken Tikka Masala, which was really good and the paneer dish and the other unknown dish was quite nice, as well. The flavors and spices were all well balanced and no overpowering, which is a real good thing with Indian food. The quality of ingredients used is by far up at the top of any place I have gone. I wish I had gotten some Nan, but sadly I didn't and can't comment on the quality. If you are looking to try Indian and in the Northside area, I would definitely give this place a shot. read more

This is our favorite Indian restaurant in Cincy. They will accommodate vegans as well. Their curries are simply wonderful. I just wish they add some South Indian food like dosas. And we do appreciate that they put an effort in making a restaurant more pleasant looking. read more

The restaurant is hidden at the end of Ludlow, in between a residencial area, away from the coziness of the commercial area in the Ludlow/Clifton part. Its sign is almost inconspicuous too, barely seen as you enter the curve. The outside looks like a normal house with an abnormally large parking lot. The interior decor is standard, not too shabby, and bright enough to make it comfortable. The place has too options: buffet and menu. The buffet, I believe runs until 2:30 and it is done every single day. The dishes are the regular ones you see in an Indian restaurant, Chicken Tikka Masala, Saag and Curry. The good thing about this place is that leaves a little bit of spiciness which makes its buffett a welcoming flavor. Most other places, in an attempt to cater to everyone, make the sauce too bland for the taste but Dusmesh suceeds in making it just enough to bite your taste buds without being bothersome. The menu is also great, it has plenty of dishes and a good Indian food sampler (within the last pages of the menu) that gives us a good taste of what they can make. Obviously, my judgement is skewed as I am no expert in Indian cuisine, but I enjoy coming here every time and would fully recommend it to anyone coming by this area. read more

The food was good. Great friendly atmosphere! Beautiful dining area. If you are looking for Indian that has been downplayed for the average american to enjoy. The food definitely lacked the authentic flavors of Indian food. This is definitely food the entire family can enjoy. It's a good place for kids who aren't very tolerable of spices yet. read more

I have never had a bad experience here. I really love the vegetable jalfrezi and mushroom bartha. They are not afraid of spice here either, if you ask for a 5 out of 6 they give it to you and are sure to refill your water frequently. Also 100% recommend the kasmiri naan. It is very tasty and I am a big fan of the salty sweet combination. Make sure to ask for no oil on it though. Don't forget to ask or bring your loyalty card here though, you can rack up points to get a free dinner! read more

The restaurant continues to provide yummy food as well as one of the few restaurants that is BYOB. There used to be coupons in CityBeat or MetroMix, but I haven't seen them recently. Either way, the food and service are great. read more

Pretty good value on Indian food for the dinner menu, plus BYOB as always makes everything better. It definitely can be on the spicier side - if you don't like spicy, go with a 1 or 2 - the 3 has a good kick to it, have no idea what the 4, 5 or 6 are but beware. The naan was pretty good and very fresh, and the meals come with a giant portion of good rice. If you're a fan of Indian food, good service, BYOB and bang for the buck come here. read more

I'm pretty much a newbie when it comes to Indian fare (I've only been eating it regularly for a little over three years now), so I've probably not had more than five different Indian eateries in the Cincinnati area. They've been pretty great ones, though, so I like to think I have a pretty good idea how to compare (by "great" I mean Ambar, Baba, Shaan, and Taj Mahal in addition to Dusmesh for reference). I'd heard a multitude of great things about Dusmesh--most notably that it is largely the favorite, as far as Indian places in the area go--so Date and I figured, hey, we both love Indian food, so what the hell. [Disclaimer: because I typically get the same dish at every restaurant (Matar Paneer--a vegetarian north Indian dish featuring paneer and peas in a slightly sweet and spicy sauce), it's hard not to compare how each establishment produces that particular dish. My review will likely reflect that.] Location: Conveniently located next to highways (I-75, I-74, and the Lateral) across from Cincinnati State Community College, at the bottom of Clifton, and the top of Northside. More importantly, Dusmesh features a lot, which boasts unprecedented ease in the parking department (at least compared to other Clifton Indian eateries). Atmosphere: Located in what I presume to be an older home, Dusmesh is special in the fact that it doesn't provide the same dull, tired, repeated Indian restaurant décor experience (see: every other Indian restaurant I've been to). There is quite a bit of character and there is a ton of seating for when they have higher volume crowds. The ambience was relaxed and casual, yet pretty quiet, providing a great atmosphere for either a date, small group, or even a larger party. Food: The food is pretty great, and I quite enjoyed my Matar Paneer, even if it was not quite as flavorful as its Ambar competitor's (note: the Paneer, or mild cheese, was pretty fabulous, even if the sauce wasn't entirely up to snuff). The rice was outstanding, as well as the Garlic Naan that Date and I opted for. All around a very good culinary experience. Overall Grade: B [out of a possible A+] My personal favorite Indian food remains Ambar India, but Dusmesh is definitely doing something right, and it's right up there with my other favorite Indian place. Great, attentive service; delicious food; and nice atmosphere. read more

Dusmesh is a great place and has some special options. I believe them to be the only ones who offer a full vegetable tandoori (not just paneer), my favorite dish! I have probably been there for a variety of different occasions (birthdays, date night, girls night out..etc) and have left satisfied everytime. The servers are attentive and one of the servers has actually started to remember me..even though I only eat at Dusmesh about every 3 months. The decor is average, the restaurant is small, and the parking lot can probably fit only 12 cars at best. This can be tricky during prime meal times. The buffet is probably what prevents me from giving 5 stars, the buffet is fine, and I have eaten it plenty of times, but really it is just average. The menu food is stellar, go for that! To wrap this review up, I have to mention a joke we have about Dusmesh. The tandoori dishes come out smoking (highly recommmend these tandoori dishes!). So when they serve one, the dining area also gets a bit smoky and spicy, so we always say, "food, spice level 2, air, spice level 5." High quality and delicious! read more

An outsider to the Indian food war going on in Clifton, Dusmesh resides in what looks strangely like a house. My fiance and I went for lunch at the buffet one weekend. Just as an aside: I am not particularly learned in the ways of Indian food. As a Midwesterner, most of my exposure has come in the form of lunch buffets. While I will try pretty much anything offered to me, I've always considered it more of a "buffet food" in that going to buffets allows me to try more, new things. Anyways, the buffet was delicious. It had all the usual suspects and then a good number of things I had never heard of. The naan was delicious and everything seemed pretty fresh. When anything ran out, it was replaced quickly. There were great options for both meat eaters and vegetarians alike. My fiance, who is a bit more experienced with Indian food than myself, really liked it, so that is a plus. It is very cheap for the lunch buffet and (correct me if I'm wrong) I believe it is BYOB. read more

I'm new to the Indian food scene and definitely was not here when the management change occurred so I can not speak to how delicious the food was before. What I can say is that the food was still pretty damn good. Lady friend and I came here after I bought a Groupon: one app, two entrees and two desserts. The 29$ for the Groupon more than paid for itself. The meal started off quite flat with the Paneer Pakora, tasted like... well.. nothing. From there things were on the upswing. I ordered the Ginger Chicken and the lady ordered the Chicken Saag. We both went with 5/6 on the spicy scale and agreed we should have asked for a 7. The Groupon came with unlimited nan and rice so we got the garlic, hot & spicy and were slightly coerced into getting the Kashmeri (our least favorite). After we finished about half of our meal we decided to surrender and save the rest for lunches, yes another way to tell you are over 30. read more

Beware Delivery!! Ordered at 6:19 PM through their website (not grubhub) with an estimated delivery of 7:19. Called at 7:49 and was told the driver just left (a 10 minute drive). Called back at 8:15 and was told the driver was 5 minutes away. Called back at 8:26 to cancel the order. There was zero apology or concern for an order being over an hour late. The driver did finally come with my order at 8:35 because they didn't tell him I cancelled. There is no chance I will every try them again for delivery or sit down. read more

I have never eaten at Dusmesh until today. I have always heard people talk about how it is their favorite Indian restaurant to eat at, so I gave it a try. I arrived around 11 a.m. for the lunch buffet when everything was still being brought out. The waiter was very friendly when I walked in and was very attentive to my table even though I was only eating off the buffet. The buffet has a large selection of Indian food and everything is very hot and fresh. I tried a little bit of everything on the buffet. I can't recall what it is called but they had this really good mushroom dish that I hadn't had anywhere else before. I will be back here and I will be sure to tell others to come here too! read more

The rice portions are slightly smaller than what is served at other Indian restaurants nearby. Ordered Aloo vindaloo and Saag Chole. The former was just sriracha and potatoes cooked together. Didn't have any other taste popping up. Chole on the other hand was fab. read more

Wow, this place is definitely a great neighborhood find. First, if you have some vegan Indian food loving friends (or if that's you), you should definitely come here as they can tailor most dishes to your needs and they do so without ever missing a beat...or at least to my admittedly not very trained Indian palate. For your carnivores out there, definitely try out the goat curry. The flavor is great but the way the goat falls off of the bone is even better. Also, the pieces of naan are huge so don't order too much of that and fill up on it. Lastly, it's BYOB, does it really get any better than that? read more

I had their lunch buffet and was really really disappointed. Chai was pretty horrible too. Heard non-buffet items are much better. read more

Great food, especially the Kashmiri naan. I have never tasted one so delicious. Who would have thought that coconut combined with powdered nuts can taste so good when stuffed in a naan! We keep going back whenever we feel the craving for that naan! read more

This is by far the best Indian restaurant in Cincinnati. Forget all the others! The staff here are VERY friendly, the food is always amazing and you aren't stuck at the table waiting for an hour. Vegetarian, vegan, gluten free and meat-eating friendly! Big servings too. Also, the option to bring alcohol with no corking fee is awesome. Makes for a more affordable meal... and more affordable equals more enjoyable. read more

Just moved to Cincinnati from NYC, and wanted to try the local Indian fare. It was kind of a mixed bag. It seems that there is a (very nice) new owner there, and all of the wait staff had been working for a week or less. They were new enough that they didn't really know the menu at all. One of the servers said that they loved the Naan because it was the most "American" thing on the menu. Oh my... The nan was decent, but not really scorched enough on the bottom. The mint chutney was surprisingly unflavorful- usually it's quite spicy. The Dusmesh signature dish was really not terribly good. The chicken was not tender, but overly chewy, and the spices really didn't mingle well with the rest of the dish. There was almost a strange corn starch texture to the sauce, which I've never experienced in an Indian dish before. I'm willing to give them another shot, and try a nice basic tandoori chicken to see if the basics come through clearly. It wasn't awful, but it was not inspiring either. I'm just hopeful that I can find some good food in Cincinnati. So far, it looks like a lot more cooking at home. read more

This place has good Indian food. Their spice rating is a little off, so if you like spicy, order a number up than you usually do. It is BYOB & they don't charge a corking fee if you bring wine. Their prices are typical of most Indian restaurant. read more

The best ever indian food I eat in Ohio I eat at many restaurants but they were not like yours one guys and your teenager waiter is very smart guy he is very friendlier read more

We went for the first time for the lunch buffet, today, after a poor experience at Amol, up the street, last week. Very pleased. Clean, nicely decorated, the staff were occupying any free time they had with cleaning, windows, tables, etc. A lot of choices on the buffet, a few I hadn't seen before; a scrambled egg dish with peppers, a frozen mango chat fruit dessert. Good spice level, good presentation. The food was fresh. Good music to listen to, no video of any sort (to me, absence of video is a big plus). Reasonable prices. "BYOB" appears in the front window -- no alcohol otherwise. This ranks right up with New Krishna in Sharonville. read more

We went on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, and the place was packed. They were greatly understaffed, but they were working their tails off. The food was great, with me ordering the chicken vindaloo, and my date the lamb Rogan josh. We also split a garlic nan. I will say that their food is great, although the spices were a little varying. For example a 5 is not the same 5 for every dish. The food was delicious and the price was reasonable. I would recommend this place to anyone. read more

Went here for lunch with about 5 other coworkers. Most of us are not familiar with Indian cuisine and asked our server for some suggestions. The server, who was very friendly and helpful, offered the buffet in hopes we could find something from their large selection rather than order a single dish. This was a great suggestion! All of us were trying different dishes and enjoyed the wide selection. The buffet was very clean and was constantly being restocked with fresh food. There was also naan included on the buffet which was a nice touch. Overall, this was a wonderful experience for all of us! read more

Dusmesh Indian  Restaurant - Sampler from the buffet with naan. - Indian Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

This was my third time having Indian food, and was absolutely the best! My first two times were a rehearsal dinner and a dinner buffet (two separate restaurants) and were okay, but not exceptional. Dusmesh was amazing! My husband and I came here with a Cincinnati local who has been here many times and is friendly with the owners. We were welcomed like family. The service was wonderful, and it was a perfect place to relax, enjoy great food, and talk. Our food arrived quickly, and our ice water replenished constantly (as some ordered spiciness level of 3). I kept mine at mild. We started with their assorted vegetable platter, which was a mixture of different fried veggies that came with a mint, spicy, and sweet sauce. Our food was served fairly quickly. You get a large platter of rice to share, and our dishes came in ornate, silver bowls. We also got an order of naan which was huge, and more than enough for three. I don't remember the specific name of my dish, but it was chicken cubes in a spinach, onion and tomato sauce- wonderful! My husband had the saag paneer which he enjoyed, and our friend had the mango chicken. I would definitely come back if we are in the area. read more

What's not to love? Super vegan friendly! BYOB! Open late-ish every night! If only they had chana masala on the menu (and more lentil dishes), I'd give it a 5. Maybe I should ask them about that next time... read more

Unlike the other Indian restaurants in Clifton, Dusmesh has ample parking. While it is usually busy I have never had to wait more than 5-10 minutes for a table. The lighting is somewhat dim and it can be a little noisy, but the staff is very helpful and friendly. The food is reasonably priced and for about $12 they offer a platter with a sampling of five different dishes. The servings are very generous. The food is delicious, the staff friendly, I love that it's BYOB, and I have occupied a table for 2 hours and never once been made to feel rushed. Definitely a great place for Indian food! read more

Parking lot at lunch time was very full, and other parking options were not available given the location. I took this to be a good sign of the restaurant, but was disappointed. The buffet offerings were plentiful, but not quality offerings. Taste was only average compared to other local Indian restaurants. Naan was thicker than most pancakes in breakfast places. Not a good sign. They were also very dry and rubbery. All of the chicken pieces from the various curries were extremely dry. The vegetable pakoras were also not fresh. Perhaps the a-la-carte options are better, but I am not keen to try this place again. read more