The Favorite Indian Restaurant is... not my favorite Indian restaurant. But an Uber Eats buy-one-get-one deal plus a sudden craving for chilli chicken was apparently enough to get me through the door. We got the chilli chicken, and while it wasn't especially good, it did exactly what I needed it to do in that moment. Craving: handled. The surprise was the chicken curry. Rustic, hearty, comforting, and the kind of dish that feels less like restaurant food and more like something made to actually satisfy you. That one definitely hit the spot. So no, this isn't going on my "best Indian food" list. But when the craving hits and there's a good deal involved? I get it. Sometimes dinner doesn't need to be transcendent. It just needs to show up and do its job. And the food here did just that read more

Favorite Indian Restaurant - Chicken Curry - Indian Near Me - Hayward, California

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Favorite Indian Restaurant, Hayward August 2026 My nephew was craving for Tandoori and Butter chicken so we came here for much. We were served with appetizer called Papadum (Papad) which is are thin, crispy discs made from lentil, chickpea, or rice flour. They are served as an appetizer with mint chutney or tamarind sauce. They were so good! Next we ordered the Tandoori chicken and their lunch specials: Butter chicken, Chicken Vinaloo and Paneer Tikka Masala. All came with naan and side dishes. We also ordered the onion naan too. All the chicken entrees were very tender and fall off the bones. The Chicken Vinaloo was my favorite because of the tender, juicy chicken and the Vinaloo sauce was a tad spicy which I loved! I need to order an entree by itself next time! There was a rice pudding as a side dish they had and it was really good! It used to be plain and bland which I didn't like, now they added sliced almonds, golden raisins and other stuff that made it sweet. Perfect way to end the meal! Services were excellent! The waiter had all our orders correct and he was attentive. Definitely coming back for the weekend when they serve the buffet! Highly recommend this place. read more

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Love Indian Buffets and I miss the Favorite Indian restaurant in San Ramon. I was excited to try this location especially when I read they offered fresh grilled meats that came around to the tables. I was impressed by the buffet offerings and spacious nice interior. The fresh grilled meats served table side is a nice idea but poorly executed. There weren't very many and it kept running out by the time it reached our table. The lamb was good but the grilled chicken kebabs were dry. My favorite buffet offerings were all the veggies plus the tandoori chicken and naan. The zucchini, cauliflower and chickpea dishes were delicious. The tandoori chicken was fresh and cooked perfectly. Unfortunately the meat curries were bland for me with little spice and heat. Plus the chicken in all the curries were very dry. I'm happy I tried it but not sure I'd come back. read more

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$25 dinner buffet on Friday. We were seated right away even though place was busy! You know it's good when it's busy. They also serve table side meats like Brazilian steakhouses and cut a piece for you. But the meats were dry. We tried the lamb kebab, various chicken, chicken heart. They also have grilled pineapple with tajin. The goat curry is the best. Saag, egg curry, lentil curry, chickpea curry, aloo and cauliflower, some chicken curry and dishes were all good. The chicken tikka masala's chicken was a bit dry. They also have a salad and dessert station. But for the price and variety of food, it's worth it. Soft drinks are included in the buffet. You will walk out smelling like Indian spices/curry. Fast service, except for clearing plates. Private parking lot. read more

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Used to be impressed with the à la cart items. Now they seem to be stingy on the amount of protein in all their dishes (curries and biryani). The flavors also didn't seem as strong as I remember them. They were very busy for the dinner buffet (Friday night) and the items for it looked yummy, including the grilled skewers they were walking around offering. If I did come back, it would just be to try the buffet experience. read more

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This is a classic place to eat at for their buffets and lunch specials. I hadn't eaten here in years until my partner wanted to go after a friend suggested it to us We came on a Friday for lunch and it was quite peaceful. They have a very comfortable and upscale interior with good food options. We got the butter chicken and chicken tikka masala and everything was so creamy and went well with the garlic naan and curries. The kheer helped bring the heat down from the curries. Everything was made so well and we need to come back here stat! read more

Favorite Indian Restaurant - Butter Chicken Chicken Tikka Masala - Indian Near Me - Hayward, California

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My favorite Indian has literally stepped up their game and is top tier! They have servers walking around with meat like a Brazilian steakhouse. The meat is seasoned to perfection and too spicy for our toddler. The restaurant has literally up levleled their service. They are so popular. Not that we were gateleeping this place but I wish we did. It is soooo popular now. And they remodeled so there is more space. You definitely gotta try this place. If you don't come anything but the mango ice cream you will be satisfied. read more

Excellent food. The buffet is solid 4 star in flavor and freshness. My companion and I arrived around 5:15 on a Saturday. Friendly staff seated us very quickly. We had 2 runs through the buffet offering and were about 80% full. Then around 6pm the Brazilian style bbq started making its rounds. Chicken and lambs are very juicy and have exotic flavors. Ambiance is typical Indian restaurant but quite a bit bigger than usual hole in the wall I frequent. The veg options from the bbq is kind of limited and may need special requests. read more

Favorite Indian Restaurant - Buffet table - Indian Near Me - Hayward, California

Just highlighting the amazing customer service. I did an uber eats order, but one get one! Orde the chicken rolls masala, naan, and vegetable samosa. They gave me 2 extra samosas! They also gave complimentary rice to go with my chicken tikka. And of course gotta have a mango lassi, mine is currently in the freezer getting extra cold!! read more

Favorite Indian Restaurant - Butter Chicken Naan Mango Lassi - Indian Near Me - Hayward, California

Came closer to closing time so no other customers were around Opted for buffet styled dinner Selection was not bad for price but average quality overall Loved the endless chai refills Loved the mango soft serve Thank you! read more

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Food was amazing. My family and I love it here. Service was very attentive. Also they refill the food very quickly. Clean up dishes, attend to our drinks very quickly. Very good price for dinner buffet on the weekend for $22.95/person. Parking is plentiful just next to the restaurant. A safe area too. read more

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An absolutely favorite for my family and I to eat authentic and delicious Indian food. We have been going to Favorite Indian buffet since they opened in San Ramon. Now they moved to Hayward we still come once in a while. My favorite is their Butter Chicken. The best!! read more

Favorite Indian Restaurant - Favorite Indian buffet - Indian Near Me - Hayward, California

First review in 2026 goes to... the aptly named Favorite Indian! So freakin' good! I haven't eaten this much in a longggg time (and this is coming right after the holidays). It was a dark and rainy Saturday night ... and something about Indian buffet for dinner sounded right. So we made the 30 minute drive up and over 580, and were happy to find we didn't have to wait-y. We were even happier to find a parking lot for the restaurant (I'm always anxious about the parking situation at places). The food was fantastic, with a good variety of chicken, fish, and vegetarian dishes. I don't recall there being any lamb dishes. Butter chicken was on point, fish pakora was tasty and not overly greasy. Biryani was delicious and didn't have those little chips of bone or spices that so often ruin biryani for me. Tandoori chicken was well cooked, not dry. There were also dishes I hadn't seen at other buffets, including a hard boiled egg of sorts, chili shrimp (which felt more Indo-Chinese but still tasty), chicken curry (chicken fell off the bone), and a yogurt curry which was amazing. I do wish there were more sweets available for dessert. The kheer was delicious, but I love gulab jamun. However... there's a mango soft serve machine! And the ice cream cones were surprisingly fresh. Also, unlimited chai is always a bonus! Drinks are self-serve, although we did have our waters refilled throughout the meal. There were also sodas and three varieties of lemonades available. This place isn't huge, but it's got a good number of booths and enough TVs where you have a clear view of one no matter where you're sitting. Football was on when we were there, so you don't need to sacrifice sports for food (although it would be worth it!) I felt pricing was very reasonable at $55 for dinner for two people. We'll be back, and we'll be bringing our friends! read more

Timing is everything. Sometimes things just fall into place because they are meant to be. On 11/09/2024, at around 4:45pm, my family and I were traveling on NB 880 when we started talking about having Indian food for dinner and how much we missed the old Favorite Indian Restaurant in San Ramon. Well, someone must have been listening because when I did an on-board computer search, the first option that came up was - you guess it - Favorite Indian Restaurant in Hayward! Done deal, off we went. We arrived right at 5pm and were the first customers of the dinner rush. The owner told us to sit anywhere we wanted, and we chose a booth near the buffet station. The interior was dark, and cleanliness was satisfactory. The space must have been an American restaurant in the past because many aspects reminded me of one. The buffet ($22.95) featured 20 meat and vegetarian items plus salad, soft drinks, and desserts. I noticed some higher cost ingredients such as okra, cauliflower, etc. were missing. The overall quality was decent. The standout items were the fish pakora and tandoori chicken. Both were made in small batches to ensure freshness. I was disappointed with the chicken tikka masala. The chicken breast pieces were tough and dry. Service was alright. The owner came by several times to refill water and clear the table of plates. All in all, I thought this place was decent but not as good as their old San Ramon location (better selection and quality). 3.5 stars rounding up to 4. Will return when I crave Indian buffet. BONUS MATERIAL: - Private parking lot on site. - Major credit cards accepted. read more

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I ordered 2 fish pakora plates. 1st one was a quarter empty. 2nd one was half empty. They just threw the slices of lemon to make it look filled. I picked up the order myself. Very disappointed. Don't pick up items without verifying if you order at Favorite Indian. These people are scammed for me. read more

Favorite Indian Restaurant - Indian Near Me - Hayward, California

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10 out of 10 food and service best Indian food in Hayward. I got the tandori chicken it was the best chicken I've had in my life. read more

Favorite Indian Restaurant - 10 out of 10 experience 10 out of 10 food I got the Tandori chicken. It was the best I've had in Hayward. - Indian Near Me - Hayward, California

Best Indian Food! Drove from San Ramon. Worth the drive. Our waiter was attentive and very nice.

This is the best the best the best Indian restuarant i ve ever been too. The all you can eat is amazing in value and in quality. The selections are plentiful, the quality of food is best. Their lamb skewer theybserved table side is fantastic, best ive ever had. Just go eat here, you will be wow by this place. read more

Favorite Indian Restaurant - The amazing amazing lamb skewers. BeSt LamB i ever have. - Indian Near Me - Hayward, California

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someone picked my friends purse when she left it on her chair backside missing 200 at the weekend buffet. sketchy staff and customers. they ruined the marsala chicken with too much cream in it and had curdles like cottage cheese, then they added sugar to the chai which was not done previously, and over sugared it and i dont put sugar in my chai. waste of money and got ripped off. not going back here. thieves. read more

I ordered the Lamb Biryani, Lamb Tikka Masala and naan, omgosh, everything was so flavorful! My tummy is quite happy as it has been a while since I had good Indian food! This food is absolutely delightful and wonderfully delish! I highly recommend this restaurant! read more

Stopped by over the weekend with a couple friends and ended up staying longer than we planned. As soon as you walk in, you can see the live kebab grill going -- that alone pulls you in. Everything coming off there was fresh and had that smoky flavor you don't usually get at buffets. We went for the Saturday all you can eat option and it was actually a solid deal. Plenty of choices, and they kept everything stocked so nothing felt picked over. I liked that the food tasted fresh, not like it had been sitting. I've also tried their lamb chops buffet Friday before, and that's honestly the reason I came back. The lamb chops were juicy, well-seasoned, and didn't have that dry texture you sometimes get. Service was chill and friendly, nothing over the top but they made sure we were good. Overall, good food, good portions, and worth it if you're hungry and want variety. read more

I've been coming to Favorite Indian Restaurant for around 15 years now, and it's still one of my go-to spots for Indian food. The food is always good, and it's one of those places I always come back to. I'm really happy their lunch buffet is coming back on May 2, and I'm excited to try the new Live Kababs too. I've missed having a good Indian lunch buffet with fresh food and all the classics in one place. If you're looking for good Indian food, a solid lunch buffet, or a reliable Indian restaurant, this place is definitely worth trying. read more

Favorite Indian Restaurant - Indian Near Me - Hayward, California

Tasty food, attentive service, mango soft serve and drinks I don't usually see at Indian buffets like coffee, green tea, three different lemonades (mango, regular, and strawberry) and slushies. Plus traditional standbys, like soda fountain and chai. Fantastic place I wish I had known about sooner read more

Favorite Indian is indeed my favorite Indian restaurant. It's consistently good and for a great price, too, with generous portions! The lunch buffet is worth (so is the lunch special) if you have time to sit down, but I also love just taking out. Great comfort food! I'd give food recs but basically everything is good on the menu. A Hayward classic :) read more

The food is always fresh and tasty. There is a stand alone sign in front of the door that advertises three lunch specials. One is totally plant based the other two r meat based. The vegan lunch is about 11 or 12.99. Very reasonable. All servers r professional and accommodating. The restaurant is about medium sized and is immaculate. It's a family oriented eatery that u will be proud to share with ur friends and family. Enjoy. read more

I have ordered from this place for years. I noticed that the quality of the food has significantly declined. The butter chicken and chicken tiki masala was spicy- which was NEVER spicy before when we ordered. The bhindi masala was bland and soggy. Did not taste like the food we are used to ordering. Very disappointed. We will be looking for another Indian restaurant. This definitely is not my favorite Indian restaurant anymore. read more

Best Indian food in Bay Area Part -3 25$ only for UNLIMITED INDIAN DINNER BUFFET Follow @priyaincalifornia on Instagram to get 15% discount coupon Their weekend buffet is a celebration of authentic Indian cuisine. Whether you're a long-time fan or new to Indian food, our buffet offers something for every palate. Dinner Only Buffet: Available Friday & Saturday, 5 PM - 9 PM. Fresh & Authentic: Every dish is made the same day, using hand-selected spices and quality ingredients. Wide Variety: Enjoy meat, vegetarian, and vegan-friendly options. All You Can Eat: Indulge in unlimited portions of your favorite Indian flavors. Buffet Menu Highlights Butter Chicken - Smooth and flavorful with Zabiha Halal chicken. Tandoori Chicken - Marinated overnight and grilled with Zabiha Halal meats. Vegetable Biryani - Fragrant rice with fresh vegetables and bold spices. Paneer Tikka Masala - Creamy vegetarian classic. Fresh Naan & Garlic Naan - Baked fresh daily. Dessert Bar - Sweet endings to your Indian meal. Enjoy our buffet in Hayward, Fremont, Union City, Castro Valley & San Leandro! (California telugu ammayi, Sunnyvale blogger, Santa clara blogger, san jose blogger, Fremont blogger,hayward blogger, el camino real, newark blogger) #california #hayward #fypppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp #explorepage #bayareaeats cooking reelítfeelit reelsinstagram siliconvalleyfoodies sffoodie sffood sffoodies sffoodblogger sffoodguide southbayeats coffee sanfranciscofoodie bayareafoodie sanjosefood southbay bayareafoodies bayareafoodguide mountainview bayareafoodiecrew sanjosefood siliconvalley croissant bayareafoodiesquad sanfranciscocoffee bestfoodfeed sanjosefoodie bayareafood bayrestaurants sanjoseeats coffeeshop sanfrancisco read more

Had dinner at our favorite Indian spot tonight and it was SO good. We've been coming here for years, and they recently changed the place around with servers bringing meats around table-side almost like a Brazilian steakhouse experience. The lamb and chicken were absolutely out of this world. Part of me wants to keep this place a hidden gem, but they truly deserve recognition for the amazing food and service. One of the best parts is seeing the same familiar faces even after all these years it really feels like family every time we come here. read more

The food is phenomenal, and there is a great value for what you get. Buffet as well is definitely worth it. Up to date and very good atmosphere. read more

13 years later and we are still loyal regulars! So happy to see the weekend buffet back on Friday and Saturday nights. They've leveled up the menu with new items like lamb chops, lamb cubes, and chicken kabobs, plus a few other delicious new dishes. As always, the service is top-notch. Highly recommended! read more

This is for Friday night buffet. Foods and service are good. Only thing that holding me from going back is the price. Used to be way cheaper. read more

Considering food, service and ambiance for Sunday dinner I would rate this 2.5 - 3. No dinner buffet so ordered a variety of items... First issue is you walk in and the place is dark....not dim but dark like a nightclub...still light out at 6pm but blinds closed and lights off except for blue rope lighting along the ceiling which was annoying. Service is pedestrian and lacking other than to place your order. Not much follow up and when you ask for items it's a 50-50 you'll receive. Items that were good: :: Mixed tandoori chicken - :: Lamb curry - tender pieces of lamb with carrot and potato :: Meat samosa - best item we had, nice pastry with a flavorful filling MEH items: :: Lamb biryani- rice seemed overcooked to me :: Vegetable pakoras - over battered :: Chicken tikka masala - flavor a bit flat :: Chai seemed off...I love chai but their version was different, not a fan Possibly new owners as I haven't been in awhile (since pre-pandemic) and not sure I'm rushing to return. Even by 730 the lights in some booths were on but dim...this wasn't ambient lighting and brighter outside. Ridiculous...no longer my "favorite" Indian spot read more

Favorite Indian Restaurant - Yup it's that dark inside! - Indian Near Me - Hayward, California

Solid North Indian food. Great options and variety. Really nostalgic going here and neighborhood restaurant.

great place! super friendly staff. the kabab sever was extra nice and courteous. Keeping our table clean. For the food. The lamb kabab and chop was so flavorful. The red and yellow grill chicken kabab was super juicy and good. The naan was thin and crispy. Everything was fresh and yummy. The mango lemonade was the best of their lemonade. and mango ice cream very good and creamy. only complain is their mill tea is a bit weak but I'm used to much stronger stuff. read more

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Amazing Indian restaurant! The food was delicious, fresh, and full of authentic flavor. The service was friendly and attentive, and the atmosphere was welcoming. Everything we ordered was excellent, and the portions were generous. Definitely a great place for anyone who enjoys Indian cuisine. I'll definitely be coming back read more

So delicious that it is memorable! I come here every time I'm in Hayward. Typically I order the tandoori chicken, so juicy and flavorful. Plus the cauliflower and potato dish has a good amount of heat. Meat (lamb) samosa very tasty. Generous portions and reasonably priced. Look at the size of the rice that comes with the bowl of chicken tokka masala! read more

Favorite Indian Restaurant - Aloo Gobi - Indian Near Me - Hayward, California

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Even though their schedule is until 10pm Fridays, they won't let you in after 8:30. Don't waste your time and go somewhere else where their schedule is honored. read more

Deeeeelicious food , good parking , good ambience . So glad they stayed open through COVID ( they did take out and outdoor seating ). It's a regular lunch spot for my friend and I . Try the butter chicken and paneer pakora , you won't be disappointed ! read more

easily best Indian food I've had in a while. Very flavorful, not too heavy. Thank you for the meal

BYOR - bring your own rice. I've been ordering food from this place for 15+ years and the main dishes always come with rice. My last two orders have not. It's really a shame to see my favorite place mess up like this. I guess they're started to nickel and dime for rice? But what Indian restaurant serves tikka masala without rice?? Won't be ordering again and that sucks. read more