Last night I tried this place again for the first time in 7 years. I'm told that the restaurant has changed hands at least once since then and it showed. I was a bit skeptical of all the favorable reviews and I am a big fan of Ambar which is right up the hill, but I found that everything about this place was well executed. I was running about five minutes late for my date, but when I arrived, having never seen me before in their lives, the staff knew who I was, called me by name and led me to a booth in the corner where my date had already been seated. The staff is extremely friendly and greets you with smiles and warmth and does not seem to let any sort of language or cultural barriers come between them and their clientele. Once seated we opened a bottle of red wine that my date had brought. The server at Dusmesh was kind enough to provide us with the necessary utensils to cork and serve our BYO bottle. For dinner, I ordered the Bhatura and Lamb Korma- my date had the Panir. Dusmesh uses the 1 to 6 spice level scale that I think all Cincinnatians are now accustomed to. The Lamb Korma was excellent! At spice level 3, the Korma was spicy but it did not detract from the taste which was perfect. The Panir I felt had a bit too much of a spicy after taste (spice level 5). The Bhatura tasted like Bhatura. Overall the cost for our meal was VERY reasonable. $26.00 (before tip and taxes) for two meals and the bread. I would say the cost was significantly lower than at Ambar and that the food was of the same high quality. The only thing I would take away from this place is that going on a Thursday night they closed at 10:00 and you could tell that the servers wanted to get going. The music was turned off right at ten and everyone was wearing their coats, so we did feel a bit rushed, despite the fact that they had otherwise been keenly hospitable. Aside from that, this was an A+ experience and I will return soon. read more

Best Kashmiri naan in Cincinnati, service is hit or miss, and skip the rice. Let me start by saying that I'd rather eat Indian food on it's own with breads like naan or chappati, not with rice. Therefore I care a lot about the bread quality. This place, hands down, has the best Kashmiri (they spell it Keshmiri) naan in the city. This kind of naan is my favorite of all naans. It has coconut and nuts so it is nice and sweet. The Kashmiri naan in most other places is dry and flaky. Here, it is cooked but still moist, making it much easier to pick up food with (if you are eating it in a traditional style.) Apart from the naan, I have had consistently good quality subzis. The vindaloo and choley sauces are great. I also like the jalfrezi and tikka masala. I prefer the chicken here or veg dishes. The chicken always has a nice texture. Also I find their spice levels to be a little higher than other Indian places like those around UC. If you prefer rice based dishes, like biryani or rice with your tikka, this is not the place for you. As I said, I could care less about rice when I eat Indian in general, but here the rice is just too soggy/wet for me. I prefer a much dryer cook. (I personally like Krishna's rice.) Also their gulab jammin is way over priced ($4!?!?). Lastly, the service is really hit or miss. I think every time I have been in here, I have had a different server. Tonight's was like all thumbs and dropping things and mixing up checks. Next time I might try their buffet.... and order some Kashmiri naan on the side. read more

Dusmesh Indian  Restaurant - Chicken jalfrezi and lamb biryani - Indian Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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I received MOLDY food from dusmesh today and was so disappointed. I have been going to dusmesh for years and have always been a fan of their food, but I am truly shocked and disgusted at the food I PURCHASED today. read more

Dusmesh Indian  Restaurant - Indian Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

After a quick trip to the zoo, my family and I decided to get some lunch near Clifton and the University of Cincinnati. We quickly remembered the large number of Indian restaurants in the area and decided to give one of them a try. We settled on Dusmesh, which just might be the highest rated Indian in the city. Dusmesh isn't as close to campus as other Indian places, but would it be worth the extra drive? It does sit across the street from Cincinnati State Technical and Community College. The building itself appears to be an old house that has been modified into a rather large dining area when compared to other Indian restaurants we have visited. Google maps shows a different outside color, so it seems that the outside was painted somewhat recently. There are two main dining rooms, and we were sat in the street side room, which was relatively empty compared to the other room. The other room also contained the lunch buffet, the main reason for our visit. We were quickly offered water by our server and he asked if we would like anything else to drink. The restaurant does not serve alcohol, but you can bring your own. I started with a large serving of chicken tikka masala, chicken & broccoli, and some mixed vegetable pakora (clockwise from bottom). First of all the pakora were delicious, easily the best I've had. This was my first experience with an Indian style chicken and broccoli dish and I really enjoyed it. It was a bit sweet at first taste, but comes through with a nice kick of spice at the end. The sweetness was a little much on my second plate, so I don't know if I would order it as an entrée, but I did enjoy it at first. The chicken tikka masala was also good, but I wish it was a bit spicier. I would definitely consider ordering it as an entrée and spicing it up a notch. My wife sampled a lot more of the food than I did with her first plate. From what I can remember the real standout of her choices was the mushroom saag (at the top of her plate). We've had other saag dishes before, but the mushroom was new to us and it was very tasty. This was easily the favorite of our toddler son. The buffet itself cost just $8.50 each, which I feel is a great price for a lot of excellent quality food. We will be back. read more

I have to say that there have been BIG improvements since my previous review! The naan is excellent and quite large. Buttery and flaky, fresh and not too thick or dense. All the ingredients are fresh, fresh, fresh. It's amazing. They are tender but have a bite to them, and you can make out the flavors of each ingredient. When you ask for spicy, it comes out spicy! which is rare. I feel like the portion size for the price is a bit small, but, I am happy with the quality so, I won't complain too much about that. But, free dessert with each dinner I've purchased! that scores some extra credit. The masala chai is not wonderful. A bit bland and too much milk in my opinion. The service is exceptionally friendly. Of the campus area Indian places, this is my choice. It is not my favorite Indian for all of Cincinnati area, but it's good for sure. This is from two recent dinner experiences. I have not been back in for brunch. read more

Not as good after new management took over. Quite a disappointment since this was my favorite Indian restaurant in Cincinnati. The curry and the masala taste like it has been watered down. Flavors are not nearly as robust as before and mouthfeel is terrible. Tandoori chicken is bland. I like the chili chicken though! Service is okay but Aj and family were much nicer. Mango lassi is still amazing! read more

Dusmesh Indian  Restaurant - Tandoori chicken, masala and assorted veggies - Indian Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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Don't bother calling, they just set the phone down and walk away. Took an hour to get carry out. Food is good. Almost too late to eat it now though. read more

Best Indian food in town. Hands down. I rarely pass out 5 stars. But this one gets it. Constantly great quality. Different varieties each time while keeping the same staples. I like the curry, but the chili chicken is the bees-knees. I would mention how often I come here...but it would be embarrassing... read more

Dusmesh Indian  Restaurant - Indian Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

After eating the lunch buffet several times, I finally tried dinner at Dusmesh. Both options are fantastic, especially if you can find Bearcash coupons that will shave off a few bucks once your bill comes! First off, there is great service here. Staff is attentive with drinks, refills, extra rice, and food doesn't take long to come out. Secondly, their extensive menu will fulfill all your needs and preferences. And of course, the food is FILLING and delicious! I am one to judge an Indian restaurant solely by their saag paneer, and this one was excellent, although the amount of paneer was somewhat lacking. On the other hand, since we dined with a group, I was finally able to leave my comfort zone and try something new that will certainly be ordered again: bhartha, an eggplant dish with herbs, spices, and other veggies. Everything was filling, creamy, and rich with flavor. + The naan is huge and comes out steaming hot! Dusmesh is a great establishment for your standard Indian fare. Prices are pretty reasonable, especially the lunch buffet. There is outdoor seating for warmer days as well as a parking lot. (And BYOB with no extra fee!) read more

Dusmesh Indian  Restaurant - Bhartha (eggplant), [unknown dish], saag paneer, and special chicken tikka masala (clockwise from top left) - Indian Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Heard great things about this place, so we decided to try it. We ordered to go, 3 dishes, a cucumber salad and naan. The food was tasteless and bland. The chicken tikka masala had 2 ounces of chicken, the lamb dish had potatoes that were undercooked and the shrimp curry was simply inedible and the man was underbaked!! How hard is it to bake naan!?!? If I felt it was a miss in one of the dishes, we would try it again, but everything we ordered was a miss! Sad that we paid $70 for a meal that was inedible!!! read more

This place is shady. The food is ok, and the naan is really good, but I don't appreciate having to ask for a lunch menu at lunch time, and the owner being visibly annoyed by it. Are you serving the lunch menu or not? The portions are laughable for what you pay. To be clear. I've been a chef for over twenty years. I understand food cost, and this restaurant is fleecing people. read more

One of my favorite indian restaurants in cincinnati! And my favorite of the UC area and there are 3 on Ludlow ave alone... I'm a big fan of their Saag Paneer :) read more

You CANNOT go wrong here. Service: Awesome Food: Excellent Decor: Charming I love this family restaurant and we visit all the time. read more

Dusmesh Indian  Restaurant - Lentil soup - Indian Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Went last night with a friend and it was a 5-star experience all around! The staff was super friendly, and our waitress was super sweet. Lots of menu variety and large portion sizes. Very affordable and the food was super flavorful! read more

Best Indian food in Cincinnati, seriously, hands down. If you want good Indian food you have to go here

The food from Dusmesh is incredible. It's the best Indian spot in town hands down. I found the prices to be very fair. The only thing I could even think of to change is for them to offer later delivery hours slightly later into the evening. read more

Dusmesh is almost easy to drive by without notice. Set directly across from Cincinnati State College, on Ludlow Ave., it is just a quick drive from the active hub of Clifton. Whether you're dressed casual, slightly under casual or even somewhat "dressed up", you'll fit right in. As it is very typical in decor, paint, tables and of course music, it doesn't stray far from the mold of your typical Indian restaurant. Quite comfortable. A dinner for two - Starters Mushroom Tandoori (Spice Level 4): This one was a bit odd. The description on the menu is as follows. (Mushroom marinated in yogurt, mild spices and herbs). The description of our experience was as follows. Breaded fried mushrooms on a plated with a spicy sauce mixture of green peppers and onions. Whereas the sauce was not bad, and quite spicy, there was nothing at all impressive about the mushrooms. They were your basic fried mushrooms. Kachchumber Salad: Not bad but not great. My only real problem with the cucumber, onion and tomato salad was that it was room temperature at best. You expect a salad like this to be chilled. It wasn't wilted but it was warm. Garlic Naan: Fantastic! Entrees Tikka Bartha (Chicken) (Spice Level 5): Good flavor, good spice level. The chicken used was cut is very small pieces. Near minced would be the best way to describe it. Unfortunately, because of this, the chicken itself was a bit dry. Lamb Korma (Spice Level 5): Fantastic. No complaints whatsoever. The lamb was beautiful, the sauce was fantastic. Would highly recommend this dish to anyone. Dessert Kheer (Rice Pudding): Good. Pretty standard. Price: This reviewed meal including two soft drinks came to about $47.00, before tip. In summary, we would recommend Dusmesh. On a scale of 0 to 5, we both agreed to about a 3.5. Some of the aspects of the meal were easily a 4 to 4.5 however the starters really bruised the ratings a bit. We enjoyed our meal, the staff was attentive and friendly. The atmosphere was crowded but comfortable. Would I go back? Absolutely. We've been a few times now and have even brought the kids. read more

Super kind people. The mango lassi is a must try!

Let me start out by saying that I think this Indian may be stylistically different from most Indian places around here. Everything that we tried seemed a bit off. Not necessarily bad but a little different. So if you are a fan of New Krishna or Shaan, you may not like this. On the other hand if you are looking for something that is a bit of a departure then give this a try. That being said the Palak Pakora is amazing. Perfectly seasoned, crisp and delicious. I could have made a whole meal out of it. We had the Chicken Tikka for the entree. It was ok. We are used to this dish coming out dry and sizzling on cast iron with a masala sauce on the side. This came slightly sizzling in a metal plate with a tomatoey sauce on it. It was also a little greasy. The onion nan was good a little denser than others perhaps. Bhatura is not my favorite dish anyway but I will say I likes this one better than most. The mango lassi was tasty and a nice finish to the meal. The Keshmiri Nan was also amazing. Sweet but not overpowering. It was exactly what I expected it to be which has not been the case at other places. The price was very reasonable, a little cheaper than most Indian places. Also, our waiter was fantastic. Very patient with our indecisive nature and extremely helpful and attentive. read more

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The food here is AMAZING! the staff are so polite and they really know how to make people feel welcome and comfortable!

I enjoy going here when I'm in the mood for an Indian Buffett. This place has the basics like chicken tikka masala, basmati rice, naan, roti/ paratha, tandoori chicken, Saab panner and other vegetable curries, variety of chutneys, raita, and more. It has a decent amount of space but they have a private section for dinner (but I believe they'll let you sit there if you have a large party coming for lunch Buffett. The employees are kind and attentive to your needs. I do think if you prefer Indian food that has an abundance of flavor or spice, this place tends to be not as spicy or "authentic" as I've tried. read more

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Tried the buffet after visiting the nearby American Sign Museum. Everything was well prepared, the facilities were clean and the servers were friendly. The vegetarian dishes were particularly good. I really loved the rice pudding....and i usually don't! So, this is saying alot. read more

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Loooooooove! Came here with a friend and a brand new baby. They were super friendly and accommodating and the lunch buffet (something I definitely don't typically do) was DELICIOUS! I got to try all kinds of things I'd never seen before and wouldn't have known to order, like masala peppers and okra and battered fried spinach leaves. Wow! YUMMMMM! The buffet included plenty of offerings for a pescatarian like me--plus delicious dessert--all for only $9.60 (unlimited refills!). Highly recommend. read more

Absolutely delicious! We accidentally ordered too much naan because we had no idea how large they were

I understand that when you choose to eat at a buffet the motto is usually quantity over quality. Dumesh's buffet is a good example of this. Maybe I was expecting more because of the reputation and all the hype I kept hearing about their wonderful lunch buffet. I, however, was underwhelmed. The Pros: 1. nice variety of dishes on the buffet 2. clean 3. lot available for parking 4. there were a few ok dishes like the chicken jalfrezi, saag paneer, and palak pakora The Cons: 1. horrible service (and I'm not asking for much since it is a buffet) 2. more sauce than anything in most of the dishes 3. Chicken tikka masala is my absolute favorite dish and theirs was the worst I've ever had 4. gulab jamun was soggy on the outside and dry on the inside-not tasty-poor quality 5. was that even naan or cardboard?! Overall, decent enough if you're hungry and want to fill up on something besides fries but if you are looking for tasty Indian food I'd pick a different place. read more

My son and his friend got carry out and not only was the food not cooked properly or particularly good, but his friend found a freaking maggot in his food! We won't be going back there again. Yikes! read more

I ordered Ras Malai from Dushmesh today. I thought they delivered khoya or some other Indian desert. Guess what? THIS IS their ras malai. It's frozen and disgusting. It's tastes spoilt, sour and months old. I can taste the ice chunks and the milk has definitely gone bad. In their defence, they said that you will not find Ras malai like the one you get in India. I sincerely hope that they are not making this in this kitchen because then they should take it off their menu. I have tasted their rose ras malai before and it was really tasty. we haven't tasted other things on their menu. I hope this is just an off night for them. read more

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I ordered through the Yelp app and they had my order waiting for me when i walked in! Saag Paneer and garlic naan were both delicious, and well priced. Will be returning! read more

Good food, service was fine and the outdoor dining patio is lovely weather permitting.

My best friend took me out for lunch yesterday for a belated birthday. It was a buffet set up and sorry don't remember all the offerings but more than I could eat in a month. My favorite was the chicken Tikka masala. There was a small rice variety. The only thing I didn't care for was the tandoori chicken wings and poor excuse for iced tea. But for me drinks do not count. Their hours are basically 11:00 to 10 pm. I really expect you try this establishment and I'm sure you will find dishes you will die for. Let me know !!!!! read more

We ordered take out: Lamb Vindaloo, Saag Paneer and an onion/lime/chilli salad. I put a spoon into the very saucy Vindaloo for a bite of lamb, but only got a potato; I tried again, same thing, then again, same thing - I thought they'd made a mistake and given me a vegetarian version - I had to put my reading glasses on and literally fish for the itsy-bitsy lamb pieces . . . I think we counted 4 or 5 in total. We ordered the hottest version they had - a 6 - and it wasn't spicy at all. The Saag was passable, but not very good. The salad was HUGE pieces of Red Onion Jalapeño peppers (not spicy) and couldn't taste any lime. The lamb was like 85% sauce, 10% potato, and 5% (maybe) lamb . . . Total cost over 40$ Never going back. Overpriced ripoff read more

I will preface by saying that I have eaten at the restaurant many times, but will not be returning because they are not following state COVID-19 protocols. I went to pick up my carry-out order tonight and saw that the front of house staff were wearing their masks under their noses. A person from the kitchen then brought out my food without any face covering at all. I asked the FOH staff if anyone in the kitchen was wearing a face covering, and they said no because "the department of health said they didn't have to." I walked out the door without my food. Either the staff at this establishment were terribly misinformed by a department official (unlikely), or they are lying through their teeth. Face coverings are still required for all employees of all for-profit businesses in the state unless they are specifically documented as an exception. I guarantee this restaurant is no exception to the rule, and I have reported them to the Ohio Department of Health. It is very disappointing that a local business with good food thinks it can skirt around regulations and put others at risk. I will be supporting other local establishments that take the health and safety of their customers and employees seriously. read more

Never knew this place existed until I read all the amazing reviews online. We love Indian food but always have the worst luck with restaurants. We get to liking a place then one day find hair in the food or something! That always happens to me. So we wanted to try this place. Ate there on a Sunday around 7pm for the first time. The parking lot was almost full only one spot open. The interior was very nice and we were excited that maybe we found our new "spot". My husband loves Indian food I think even more than I do and I swear if I could learn how to cook it we would never eat at a restaurant again, but sadly I can't master it. I've tried and failed miserably. Anyway, I promise I'm getting to the point but wanted to give the whole picture. So we were greeted immediately by the lady (owner maybe) and the staff was friendly. First we ordered paneer pakoras as an appetizer and I think somebody else hit the nail on the head with the green sauce, as it's too green, like they added food coloring. It was kinda bland too and watery. Now, when I tried the brown sauce I swear it looked like small hairs in it! My husband says it's spices but I think it's hairs. We ask for another one and they give it to us. At that point I'm just hoping and praying the food comes out ok. So the food comes and I have no problem with mine, but I will say they really don't give you enough sauce. It's in a small round dish and my husband had to order extra curry to have enough sauce. This made the bill come to $50 because they charged for 2 orders of curry. Now here comes the kicker. My husband had finished the first dish of curry and was on the second one and everything was going reasonably well until I saw him take a bight and this horrible look came over his face, and my stomach dropped...... he pulled A PIECE OF METAL out of his mouth! There was a piece of metal in his curry! It was shiny and silver and resembled a staple but was thicker! I think maybe some type of metal tie or something! Like it could have cut up his mouth or worse if he accidentally swallowed itIt was about 2 inches long. I don't even want to imagine where it came from...... we were about to call the lady over when he was holding it and then he accidentally dropped it and it must have went on the floor. We searched for it but were never able to find it. So without the proof we were scared to say anything because without the proof they would say we are lying or crazy and not believe us. So we just got up, paid our $50 something bill and left never to return here again. Spent $50 something dollars on dinner for two with hair and metal in it. Very sad and disappointed. read more

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This place stinks. No one understands what you are asking for, because their English is so rough. So then you order is always wrong-- And then they say it's your fault this all happened. As if it's not them who got it wrong for not understanding English. I'm never going back. read more

My favorite place for Indian cuisine! I highly recommend Dusmesh. Their owners and staff are extremely friendly and accommodating. Thank you so much for delicious food and wonderful service! read more

I ordered the dinner special Chole Bhature which usually comes with rice. But the rice that was given to me had chicken pieces and by the looks of it, it looked like someone else's leftover rice. Highly disappointed! read more

Used to live within walking distance of this lovely establishment but now almost every Saturday morning my wife and I drive down to Clifton for their lunch buffet. The kindest people work here and we are always greeted with a smile. Everything on the buffet is made fresh and they have a huge selection. If you aren't a fan of a buffet no worries because you can still order off the regular menu during buffet hours. And ding ding ding another great thing is that is BYOB so you'll always have the exact beer/wine you want to have if you bring it yourself. We have also had dinner here and it's always been excellent. I can't say enough good things about this place. Sadly I feel people overlook this restaurant and go to the Indian place up the street but those who do are totally missing out. Love Dusmesh and I will always be a loyal customer to them! Also quick note - the tomato soup on the buffet is MAGICAL!!!!! It's my favorite thing they have - I know it's an odd favorite but once you try it you'll see why! read more

We came for lunch while driving through Cincinnati on a recent road trip. The lunch buffet was pretty typical, with a large selection of typical Indian dishes and everyone's favorite tikki masala. Service wasn't very impressive - we were almost ignore and the waiter never brought out a drink order. We pretty much just helped ourselves to the buffet, paid, and left. By far the most memorable part of our experience was watching the elderly Indian lady in the kitchen argue with one of the cooks. She yelled at the guy nearly non stop for about 15 minutes. I have no idea what she was so upset about (none of it was in English). Customer service could use so work, but the food is OK. read more

A couple of years ago I had some disappointing meals here and didn't go back, but a friend mentioned to me that the original family had bought it back, spruced up the interior, and brought the quality back up to what it used to be. So I gave it a try with a friend -- yes, it is nice and bright and clean now, service was prompt and attentive, and, we both had the non-vegetarian sampler tray -- plenty of food, cooked to the spice level we wanted, and served nice and hot. Definitely worth going there. read more

Have come here a couple times for the lunch buffet but had never gotten take out. The buffet is fabulous and you should definitely check it out, but the take out leaves a lot to be desired. I ordered chicken tikki masala. Make fave, a staple. I get back to school, open it up and it looks like a soupy mess. Now a soupy mess is ok if once I start moving stuff around there's some meat, but alas, that was not the case. It was 70% sauce and 30% chicken. For as much as it costs, that's a problem. Wouldn't do take out again from here. read more