Amazing Indian Food at an affordable price. This place is perfect for students living in Waterloo. One of the highlights of this restaurant is that they provide one complimentary rice/naan with every main course that you order. My favorite dishes here include: Starters: Paneer Tikka Vegetable Manchurian Dry/Gravy Hot Garlic Cauliflower Wings Main Course: Nawabi Subz Korma Baigan Bharta (Home style) Garlic Naan Rice: Vegetable Biryani For more such reviews and photos follow me on: https://www.instagram.com/theforkplay read more

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Overall food is great but don't try dal makhni it's not that good but they have a really good non-vegetarian option. The service is great and specially gurman she was my server for other night and she did a really good service read more

First off the plates small as hell. I don't know why they give you child size portions when you dine in. I ordered the goat curry and the bowl was tiny, i thought at first it was a mistake and they sent some child's order to my table but when i asked the server he told me that it was in fact the goat curry. After finishing the tiny bland food they called curry i almost went cross-eyed looking at the bill. The prices are strangely different then what is listed on the menu, some stuff like naan bread and rice came with the meal but the server didn't mention any of this so i got scammed out of more food. Save yourself 50$ and go to Walmart and buy a 6$ curry sauce and you've had the "Empress of India" experience. -Truly disappointing read more

Friendly staff, quality food and good portion. The ambience was really good and located in uptown.

Hours on website are incorrect - they were closed when I stopped by. I had tried to call in a take-out order, but their phone message was cryptic, no name, no hours, no message saying "we're closed right now". Was hard to tell if it was the right phone number. Also, no parking out front, so don't expect an quick in-and-out if you do manage to order take-out. read more

I've had a lot of Indian food in Canada and USA, and this place definitely stands out as quite good, which is kind of surprising because it's such a hole in the wall kind of place. I've been here twice so far and I've had the butter chicken, tandoori chicken, chicken tikka masala, vindaloo chicken and palak paneer. All these dishes were so good and very delicious, and the naan is freshly baked, warm, soft and fluffy - just what I look for in naan. The spices in the dishes were perfectly spiced and not too spicy. Also I think they give you a deal where you get a free bowl of rice if you order more than 3 dishes and they have a check-in deal on Yelp. I've been here for dinner twice and they usually have spots available, this place isn't too busy. Also the food is pretty filling, even though the amount of food looks small in the bowls they serve, it's so filling and so good. read more

Food was good. Service was awful. Waiter never checked in to see how food was. Water was room temp. Spent 2 hours in there and not because we had to wait for food. But because the waiter never came back. Asked for our bill 3 times before he brought it. Waited for probably an hour for take out boxes and our bill. Won't be back because of this service. Dont go for lunch unless you have all afternoon read more

Mattar Paneer is my go-to dish at Indian restaurants and Empress of India makes it pretty well. I've tried the Channa Masala, Vegetable Korma and the Vegetable Samosas and all are quite good. It's hard to find good Indian food in Waterloo. Most places I've tried in the area have fairly tasteless and watery food. Empress of India is not like that. If you're a student, flash your card and they'll take 10% off. I learned this after the guy ringing up my order saw my WatCard in my wallet haha read more

Don't be deceived by it's shabby looking exterior and broken down signage, this little restaurant serves up authentic, high-quality Indian cuisine! Me and my boyfriend came here on a Friday evening and the restaurant was decently busy. I had heard good things about their royal butter chicken ($15) so we knew we had to order it. However, looking at the size of the curry dishes at the table next to us, I was afraid we wouldn't be full so we ordered aloo ghobi ($11) which is a potato and cauliflower curry, a bowl of rice ($4) and two vegetable samosas ($4). The samosas came first and they were a lot bigger than I thought they'd be. Each bite was filled with potatoes, spices, and veggies and the outer coating was thin and crispy. I highly recommend them! Next up were the curries and basmati rice. The butter chicken was very pleasantly rich and flavorful, you could taste the time that went into allowing all the flavors to develop and blend together. The aloo ghobi had a ton of potato and cauliflower, however the flavors were not as strong and I would have preferred a bit more spiciness. We didn't have to worry about leaving with empty space in our stomachs as there was definitely more than enough to eat! I love Indian food and I would agree with other Yelpers that this is one of the best in Waterloo! :) read more

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This was hands down the best Indian food we've ever had. We shared some appetizers and really enjoyed them. The butter chicken and chicken korma were both fantastic. The naan was sooo good. We couldn't stop eating. Definitely will be back every time we visit! read more

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Food I tried: Garlic Naan And Paneer Butter masala. Taste: Amazing. The Naan was soft and the gravy was creamy and buttery. I tried with Uber, the delivery came in quick. read more

I would say this food is decent, they use white meat in their butter chicken. The samosas well only veggie, no meat option and the tamarind sauce weak at best. Vijays's is still my favourite by far, samosas are way better, tamarind sauce way better, butter chicken sauce way better, dark meat instead of white is their only weakness. Rice is rice. read more

This is a small family owned place - very kind waitress. The food is amazing - we had an amritsari fish which was very flavourful. We then had the mixed tandoori platter - it had chicken, shrimp,etc - the best Indian tandoori food I have ever had. The tandoori roti was quite fresh and recently made. Overall very tasty and aromatic food. Recommend this place for sure. read more

Empress Of India - Indian Near Me - Waterloo, Ontario

So good. The restaurant is very nice inside, nice decor, clean. The buffet is excellent value and incredibly tasty. The butter chicken is an absolute favourite. This is a great way for people trying Indian food for the first time to sample a lot of items. Also numerous choices for vegetarians. Like channa masala and bhindi masala. It was great, we'll be back! read more

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After much deliberation, we chose Empress of India for a satisfying Friday dinner as a group of vegetarian students. Not only did they have an array of vegetarian options, but it was honestly the best Indian food I've ever had. We started with chaat pakri (which sadly didn't live up to the expectation) and vegetable pakora (which was authentic and delicious!), and then shared a butter paneer and daal makhani, both of which were excellent. We got copious amounts of garlic naan to go with the gravy dishes, and didn't regret it one bit! I'll be coming back in the future. P.S: If the waiter could stop making unsolicited jokes about us girls finishing all of our other friend's dessert (which he ordered for himself?) that would be great. On the other hand, I would like to thank the part-time waiter for his patience with our indecisiveness. read more

Oh. My. GOD!!!! I have been to several Indian restaurants in Canada, Spain, the U.S., Ireland, and Spain and this was the BEST I've had. My friends and I agree. My friends and I had the Chicken Tikka Masala (spicy), Lamb Vindaloo, and Karahi Chicken. I usually get the Chicken Tikka and this was by far my FAVORITE!!!!!!!!!!!! It was a perfect amount of spicy and sweet. The vegetables added an extra dose of deliciousness as well. Anyways, throughout the whole food eating experience-and BELIEVE ME, It was an EXPERIENCE- we all felt spiritually moved. Eat here. You won't be disappointed. Side note: Currently, it is only takeout bc they are under construction. read more

Disappointed with portion sizes and overall taste. I had heard good things but I feel pretty let down. Would not recommend.

Empress of India is far and away the best Indian food in K-W. I have tried a number of other places around here and they don't come close. I've grown up eating Indian food on a regular basis, including going to India for it. And believe me, this is as close as you'll get to the real deal in K-W. Often times people are daunted by the sheer number of things on an Indian menu, and this restaurant is no exception. To get you started, I recommend trying their Veg Pakoras, Tandoori chicken, Amritsari fish, Dal Makhani, Garlic Naan and Chana. That's a fair bit of food across the board to get you going. The atmosphere is nice and cozy. It gives the feeling of a traditionally cooked meal, rather than a pre=packaged commercialized food experience. Now, I know lots of people who try Indian food for the first time are worried about spice. And not to worry, the food here is not too hot. I have brought many people here who are "noobs" in the Indian food world and they absolutely loved it... And left with their tongues intact, and their bellies full. read more

Kids took me for Father's day... Yummy stuff. I normally do not like to eat fish except sushi, but I'd go back in a heartbeat for the Amritsari Fish: Fresh Halibut marinated in garlic & ginger paste, lemon juice, special Indian spices and deep fried garnished with salad and lemon. Also had the veggie Pakora, Samosa, Naan and the Tandoori platter. Other mains were the Chicken Korma, Lamb Vindaloo and Dahl. While I wasn't wild about the tandoori platter, everything else was excellent, especially the lamb Vindaloo. Excellent value and capable, attentive service. Can't wait for my next visit. read more

We were searching for good Indian restaurant around Waterloo. Previous to this rest , we had been to other restaurant with very average food in terms of quality and taste. But the food here is terrific. Quality was at top with any good rest in India. Food was very tasty. And I am sure to be a regular visitor here , whenever I come to Waterloo. read more

Sometimes when you're craving something, you just have to get it. That's how stumbled into Empress of India. Now while, it did satisfy my initial craving, it did not live up to the mark for my spoiled Indian food palette. We got the butter chicken and the palak paneer for take out since usually those are safe bets when trying a new India restaurant. The butter chicken was pretty good however, the palak paneer was not up to par. The palak paneer seemed to have a certain grittiness to it which I wasn't a fan of. Also, I don't think the price is worth it. You're looking at about $12-$16 per dish and that's pretty pricy for the quantity and quality you get. In terms of service, even though the restaurant was empty, it took a while to get a hold of someone. Overall, just about a mediocre place I'd go to if I absolutely had to satisfy my craving for Indian food. I feel like you can find places that are better in quality and a bang for your buck. read more

This is my favourite restaurant of any kind, and in my opinion the best Indian restaurant in the region. Actually, I've tried a half dozen recommended Indian restaurants in Toronto, and the food has never been as good as the Empress'. I love their curries, their garlic naan is spectacular. Some restaurant food tastes good on the first few bites, but it quickly becomes apparent the most of the flavour comes from salt, and by the half point I'm finding the food too salty. At the Empress the flavours are big, spicy, varied and rich ... a party in the mouth. And I'm enjoying the last bite as much as the first. The food makes me make involuntary yummy noises. Follow up comment: After reviewing the other comments, I don't understand why almost every review includes the line "best Indian restaurant in the ...", all of the reviews give 4 stars. Those are 5 star comments, so what's with the 4s? read more

This restaurant is excellent if you want great Indian food whether you want to dine in the restaurant or take it back to your dorm. It is a little pricey for students, but the quality is well-worth the slightly higher expense in my opinion. I have only ever tried their vegetarian curries, however these have all been excellent. Their paneer tastes light and fresh, and their chickpea masala is delicious, with just the right amount of spice. They have an excellent selection of tame to hot curries, though you're not going to find anything too intensely spicy. If you dine in the restaurant you will get complimentary papadum with two tasty chutneys. The servers are very helpful and polite. I'm very happy that they seem to have replaced whoever was constantly burning the naan. read more

Amazing food! It was my first time having Indian food, so I'm basing this review off of my preferences. For dinner, we had chicken tikka masaala, goat curry, shrimp curry, and lamb vindaloo with garlic naan, jasmine rice and saffron rice. Delicious! Aromatic, strong flavours and the curries were smooth and rich. I thought all these dishes were just spot on perfect. For dessert we had the milk dumplings, mango kulfi and rice pudding. The milk dumplings had an interesting texture, almost tofu-like consistency. It might not be for everyone but I enjoyed it. My favourite has to be the mango kulfi! It is a dense mango ice cream that is very refreshing. I will come back because now I love Indian food and this place makes it so well! read more

It looks a bit sketchy from the outside, but the interior is really nice and appropriate for dining! Our waitress was very attentive and they had a good atmosphere going on. I don't eat Indian food that often, but I had ordered the Chicken Tikka Masala and my date had ordered the Lamb Vindaloo. Both dishes were great - both the lamb and chicken were tender and the spices weren't too overpowering or intensely spicy! The garlic and tandoori naans were crispy and chewy, though I wish it was a bit warmer when it came to the table. Overall, I'd definitely come back here for a special occasion :) read more

I came here for their lunch buffet on a weekday. There is not too much to choose from, the buffet consisted of rice, naan, chili chicken, butter chicken, lamb curry, tandoori chicken and a vegetarian curry dish. I was looking forward to having briyani but they didn't have. Their lamb curry dish was my favourite, but I was fairly disappointed with their butter chicken. Overall the flavour was not as strong and spicy as other Indian places. It is a good place for those who crave Indian but can't handle the spice. read more

Empress Of India - Lunch buffet - Indian Near Me - Waterloo, Ontario

came here on a Sunday night to order takeout and there was a decent amount of people dining in. the food takes a long time so i suggest calling in advance for pickup. my boyfriend got the vindaloo lamb with rice and i got the goat curry with rice. both these dishes had 3 chili peppers for spiciness but we didn't find it spicy. the goat curry was so greasy to the point where i couldn't even eat the sauce with the rice. the goat was also very chewy. the vindaloo lamb was good with a nice tomato sauce and the meat was tender. i would give this place another try and order something different next time. read more

Nice atmosphere, and good service. I ordered the spinach paneer and found it to be too mild for my liking. If you like spicy food, definitely go for the 3 chili peppers level of spice. The downside is that the curry doesn't come with enough rice for the entire portion, and the extra order of basmati rice is quite pricey compared to other places. However, the curry was creamy and delicious, and the naan was perfectly made. It'd be nice if the waitress came to refill our cups more often, but it was a busy night. read more

I ordered Butter Chicken and let me tell you all that it was the best Butter Chicken I've ever had in my life! I've had butter chicken many times and none of the one's I've had before can compare to this. I was 100% satisfied with my order it was $15 plus tax. For some people including myself the price seems like it may be a bit too expensive but trust me the food should be worth like $30! Cheap (very good thing) compared to the quality (delicious best one yet). I definitely recommend anyone trying the Butter Chicken from Empress of India! read more

As I eat my leftover butter chicken for lunch today, I noticed that the tenderness of the chicken is great. I am clarifying my first review that the lamb could be more tender, however I admit lamb is not my favourite meat choice as it tends to be on the tough end anyway. read more

Hands down worst service ever. I also saw the servers picking there nose and not washing hands after using rest room. The food is tasteless and the servers were rude. Worst Indian restaurant in Kitchener. read more

Complete Garbage worst place in town Please Avoid this dump staff is unprofessional more concerned about watching tv then taking care of customers and delivery drivers complete waste read more

DO NOT EAT THERE! Saturday night treat turned into Saturday night being very ill! Ordered almost eighty dollars worth of food from this place. I called to tell the owner what happened and he offered to comp us $60.00 for our next order. Seriously??? We were all very ill severe gastric reactions. My colleague called to complain as well and was told that we were not ill from his food that he sold $2500.00 worth of food that night and no one else complained. That does not mean it did not happen!!!!!! He further went on to tell us we were lying and he did not believe us that it must be a virus or something. Out of 12 staff working five of us ordered and ate their food and we were all sick afterwards. Due to his being impossible and informing us that he did not believe us we all have decided to file reports with the board of health. Sorry sir but you brought this upon yourself. It's not nice to call your customers liars, nor is it conducive to good business. And just so you are aware we are all nurses and can recognize food poisoning! If you are wise you will not eat there. I am sure thousands have and have had no problems, we were the unlucky ones. We were not being unreasonable what started out as a fun evening turned into a more than 24 hour ordeal of being ill. read more

We tried four main dishes and they were all amazing! The Naan were huge and perfectly cooked. Free rice with three orders of curry! Servings where large so it was nice to bring home enough leftover for a second meal. My friends and i are excited to see their new, larger location when it opens:) read more

Me and a few friends went here for the lunch buffet this week. There wasn't a huge selection, but they had the staple curries and Fresh naan. The food was really delicious. Service wasn't great. read more

I've tried their Matter Paneer (paneer and peas) and the Bhindi Masala (okra) and both were great. Their paneer is a nice texture and I'm usually pretty picky about that. My boyfriend had the chicken vindaloo which he enjoyed. Their naan is definitely the best I've had in Waterloo. I've been at Empress when it's been busy and also when it's been empty, and the service is always good (water glass was never empty and the waiters are never pushy). It does get a bit pricey for dinner, and you need to buy naan/rice separately, but still a good spot for special occasions. read more

Probably the best indian restaurant in Waterloo! The food is always fresh, authentic and overall delicious. In particular the chana masala and tandoori paneer are amazing. Would recommend for sure! read more

We have been here a couple of times for the lunch buffet. Very clean and very nice ambience. The food was very fresh and tasty. They don't have many selections, but I believe this is typical of Indian restaurants in Kitchener. read more

This is our favourite Indian restaurant in Waterloo! We always get the same vegetarian dishes and they are delicious every time. A very authentic taste with flavourful spices and ingredients. read more