It's been a really long time since I have been to Gateway To India again and Steve and I made a return after many years after getting together for a group outing with some folks which prompted me to do an update. My attitude towards Gateway slowly grew more positive after seeing them at farmer's markets and getting their Indian Tacos. Wow I still think about those and as the weather is slowly getting warmer the farmer's markets will return and I can get a hold of those again. In case you are confused what exactly is a taco at the market version of Gateway it's a kabob type chicken put in a naan bread and you can make it a spicy as you want along with a nice dash of veggies. After having so many great experiences with those we considered going back to the restaurant itself and we did when a group socializing opportunity arose. We got the (Jalapeno) Mirichi Naan which we picked off of the menu and before making that decision we realized we never had naan before with jalapenos in it so we seized the opportunity to try it. It did not disappoint at all and was so, so good. Being able to smell the aroma of the peppers coming off of the bread made us drool and devour it all all the while enduring the heat. After that I got the Saag Aloo to share with Steve. I haven't had Saag in so long and I usually get Vindaloo when it comes to Indian restaurants but this time I was wanting a change of pace. I got the Saag Aloo which is a spinach and potato dish along with onion, tomatoes and ground spices. I got a medium heat (three stars I think) and it was perfect. So delicious! Steve got the Daal Maharani which was a mixed lentil dish. It was very good as well... but I still liked my Saag the best. To drink we got the Rocket Beer which was an Indian beer which I must add they have a nice selection of Indian beers here so that was very noteworthy and well worth remembering. For dessert we split some Ginger Ice Cream and it was great! It was strongly ginger forward as one would expect but the creaminess of the ice cream kept it more tempered and it was just lovely! With our large group... I am not sure if Gateway is used to handling large parties. Service was always, always friendly and was great in that regard but it was fairly slow, some parts of people's orders were forgotten ( like Steve's Daal dish) and when our large party tried to pay a whole bunch of separate bills not everyone got one so we had to talk to the the person ringing us all up on what we ordered to cash out. Despite that part of the service being uneven we will certainly be back sooner rather than later as we really enjoyed the food a great deal on our return visit ( second visit total). read more

See all

From the outside, it looks nice and impressive. Not many people inside (2-3 tables) for Saturday dinner. But we give it a go since one of us would like to have Indian for dinner. Inside looks clean, well decor of Indian culture, very colorful and nice music as background. There is a buffet set up but I guess it for Sundays. Got to our table, sat down and was asked if we're ready to place the orders (by the owner, I believe)...we nicely declined. But we got the feeling that she was watching us on every move. The staff are very nice and shy or scared of their boss, all they do were watering, take the foods out and clean the table. The rest are handle by the owner. When asked for something, it was directed to the owner, and when they dropped off the drinks/foods. No acknowledge of what is the dish or say anything, just drop it off and left. The menu is big and plenty of dishes to pick from. Got ordered in and picked the level of spicy for the dish and did told her that I'm Asian and I really like spicy...yup, it's the white version of spicy but it's fine since I can't find anyone after the foods dropped off. It was okey overall. The spices are good but not well seasoned. We didn't finished our foods but we did finished our drinks. Overall, the place is great, spacious and clean. read more

See all

I haven't had a meal from the menu in many years as my main choice is the daily buffet.For anybody new to Indian cuisine I'd suggest doing this,as you get to sample a variety of dishes for basically the same price.Two types of rice,naan bread,poppadoms,chicken,lamb,goat,vegetarian.Salad,dipping sauces,some dessert.And for those of you wondering if the dishes are spicy and too much heat,relax.Just about everything is mild and full of flavour.Lots of room for groups large and small in this quiet environment,either a little background music to accompany the tasty food.The owner and servers are very caring in topping up ice water and making sure everything is okay. read more

Average food, less than average service. The cod fish masala was good; not amazing, but I would order it again. The veggie korma was not good; it lacked creaminess and the consistency was off, a bit too thin. The paneer kulcha (bread stuffed with cheese) was bland and lackluster; I would not order it again. The mango lassi was ok, a bit thin, if you're ok with that. When we raised our hands to call someone to take our order, she came over and scolded us, said that she takes orders in the order that people get seated, insinuating that we had to wait our turn. But yet she waited for us. We paused, and asked, so, are we allowed to put in our order? And she said, "what do you want?" with an impatient tone. We waited for 50 minutes before the food came out. They don't have straws there. They elected to leave the A/C off on a warm day. They charged 0.50 per take home box and bag... $2 charge for three boxes and a bag. The impression of penny pinching at a full service restaurant is such a turn off. One last note is that the entrance display is really dusty and the booths are super soft and sit low, giving a real less-than-great experience and a sort of old look and feel. There is so little game in town for Indian food that they are able to get away with subpar service and food. Not so sure I'm gonna give this one a try again. read more

Very flavorful, delicious food and friendly service. I also love their chai tea. We often get the food to go but the restaurant has plenty of tables and it's nice to eat there. read more

Let's start with the great and work our way down. First, the food is phenomenal, like really really good, I had an amazing dish, not even sure what it was called and a sweet naan bread both were to die for. My wife had the most creamy curry I have ever had and it was full of flavor. In the middle of the road side was the service, it wasn't bad, it wasn't great. The guy seemed bored at his job, but I get it we were there pretty late in the evening, no harm done. On the bad side is the decor. This place seriously needs a renovation. It feels very stereotypical, and also a little grungy. I would just recommend a spruce up to make the place feel like it wasn't a caricature of Indian culture Still, will definitely be back, I understand they do a weekday buffet and I would love to do that! read more

See all

I have never felt so uncomfortable in any establishment however from the moment we walked in we probably should've turned back. We waited over 15 minutes for someone to come and take our order. It felt as though we were forcing them to serve us. We will never be returning to this establishment. We felt as it was due to race! read more

!!0/05 STARS!!! HORRIBLE COSTUMER SERVICE!! The server Kuljinder that took my order was VERY rude. after paying she looked at my receipt and asked how much my tip seeing I put $0 when I replied "$0" she just threw my receipt at me. She was upset that I didn't leave a tip... mind you my order came out to $60. & I was charged a 'Togo fee of $2.50' for the containers the food came in INCLUDING the foil. I told her it was my first time here and she wasn't very welcoming and rushed my order. this place just seems money hungry. save your money from this place read more

The food was all very tasty and the service was wonderful. They're very nice people. They recently spruced up the place too with new booths and paint. We'll definitely return. read more

Gateway To India - Veggie Korma, & garlic naan, & aloo mutter - Indian Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

Gateway to India is one of our reoccurring Tacoma favorites! The atmosphere is spacious and welcoming. We always get seated right away, and the service is prompt. The portions are generous, and SO flavorful. We love the curries and the garlic naan, and always enjoy the way they present and house the curries. In a stylish brass bowl with a tea light underneath to keep it hot. They keep the water coming, and we always leave with happy bellies. We can't wait to come back. read more

Gateway To India - Vegetable Samosas and Pakoras. - Indian Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

There are a few Indian restaurants in the Tacoma area, and I wanted to try something new. Those plans fell through and I came to Gateway To india, again. I was disappointed to see that my previous pictures that I've taken over 9 years weren't showing anymore on the app. The restaurant was completely full and I had to wait about 10 minutes for a table. I ordered the vegetable pakoras and wasn't happy with them. They were mostly batter instead of vegetables. The veg korma that I ordered didn't have the cream base in it that I'm used to... and needed salt. Maybe they were trying to make it a vegan dish. The server that was assigned to my table was very kind and helpful. It would have been nice to have some music playing for the atmosphere since it is an ethnic restaurant. The best part of my dinner tonight was chatting with my server. read more

See all

I moved away several years ago and every time I'm in town I make an effort to get food here if I can, or at least take out from here. I've never had Indian food as good as this place. Their masala sauce is incredible and I've never had paneer pakora at another restaurant that I've liked, highly recommend it from here. Their basmati rice is also super good and really everything I've had here has been good. It's decent inside, nothing fancy but some cool cultural art fixtures and murals, and the servers are really friendly! read more

Gateway To India - Vegetable Masala - Indian Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

Excellent food and friendly service. Had been a few years since last visited. A great time all around, as was all in the past. read more

Gateway To India - Korma and butter chicken. - Indian Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

My third time eating here. I love the food and the service was good. The flavors were spot on. I suggest the mango lasse as the drink of choice. It's very good and sweet. Had plenty of leftovers to bring home and reheat for lunch the next day. I'll be back with friends. read more

At first, we thought the place would be great. But we went in and got seated, the front lady was a bit rude... Ordered food and it was great presentation and looked delicious, but the portions were very small. Throughout the whole time, no waters were refilled, no service to tend to you. At the end once we were done eating we checked out waters, and there were mini fruit flies in my partner's cup. Then in mine, the cups weren't completely washed. There were particles of film and old food in my water... read more

Gateway To India - Indian Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

See all

Food: so delicious. We all ordered different dishes and they were all tasty! Tandoori chicken, all the naans, murgh karahi. Yum Service: kept the water full and Che led on us regularly Ambiance: low lighting, comfortable seating, not too loud. Will go back again for more! read more

Was our favorite spot but is getting dirtier and dirtier. This time we left early cause there was a giant rat literally climbing another customers leg while eating. Probably won't be coming back. read more

We haven't been here for awhile. Last time we were here I had to call back a couple days later because they decided to give themselves an extra 10 dollar tip. She seemed frustrated that I called and had to return the tip. We just came back today and the options were a bit slim so we weren't too excited about the food. As we are eating a huge white rat runs across the floor and multiple people saw it. The lady saw it and didn't care. We got up instantly and paid and left. Definitely not coming back here read more

Brought a group of 10 for early dinner. Food is great, but service is confusing. Staff are super friendly, but when the food comes to the table they don't know who ordered what. The night we went it was also very cold in the restaurant, due to the heat not working properly. read more

SHADY BUSINESS!! Beware of this place--they might be adding extra charges to your bill without your knowledge! I checked my bank and they had charged themselves an extra $10 tip without my authorization. When I called, instead of apologizing or fixing the issue, they argued with me. This is completely unacceptable--no restaurant should be adding tips without the customer's consent. If they did this to me, I can only imagine how many others they've scammed. Check your receipts and bank statements carefully if you eat here. I'll be reporting this to the proper authorities to prevent this from happening to others. read more

Great customer service and the Food is amazing. The at home vibe provided a delightful lunch experience. read more

Gateway To India - Goat Curry - Indian Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

Wow wow wow. I had never been to an Indian restaurant before (I've had Indian food, just never in a sit-down setting). The food was amazing and full of flavor! Our server was Samantha and she was so kind, patient, helpful, and amazing! Our group was all relatively new to Indian cuisine, so she guided us a little bit. I want to keep coming back here to try all the menu items! There is also a lunch buffet that I want to go to as well (which was recommended by the staff)! Also, the location is right in the middle of 6th Ave so it's a great place to grab dinner then go bar hopping right after! read more

See all

This place was very good - it has a very much family-run feel to it. I think my brother and his wife go here a lot because the owner knew they were vegan and wanted to check when I ordered if I wanted mine vegan as well. (Which it was by default.) I think the prices are pretty reasonable and they have a good selection of Indian dishes. They do let you order by how spicy you want it and I went with 4 out of 5 which was actually a little spicy. They give you a good quantity of rice with your order, and I also ordered a side of garlic naan that was good. I like how they start with a complimentary cup of soup. I'd love to check out their buffet if I come back. read more

Gateway To India - Soup - Indian Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

See all

Food was a slapping skibidi and the 5 level spice for anything is insane, inna good way. The onion appetizer had so much spice and flavor was poppin. Server/busser dude was unintentionally funny and comical. "Onion. Soup. Rice." Mmm yes yes. Very demure. Apparently it's a well loved restaurant to celebrate your birthday dinner there too, as there was a group celebrating ones age-- but hey, who wouldn't probably wanna eat spices and flavors on their birthday. Personally I wouldn't but it was nice that the restaurant do be letting people have their own guest/table events. read more

Pretty good Indian. A little on the spicy side even if you ask for the lowest spice level. I love spice, but my wife often can't eat it. But the flavors are really good. The quality of the food has also been excellent. read more

Absolutely delicious! Wonderful atmosphere, delightful service! I came to Gateway to India with my husband on a whim. We were looking for furniture but we also were hunting some good Indian food. The chai tea was spicy and delicious, the butter chicken was tender and delightful, the masala and biryani were divine! I'd definitely come back! Everything at this restaurant was cooked with a high level of skill and presentation was great! read more

Went there last month for their lunch buffet, the curry goat was very good as well as the chicken dishes, all well-seasoned. I also enjoyed the lentils and naan bread. They also have vergitarian and vegan options as well. I'll be back again. read more

Came here for the lunch buffet. The food was ok - the naan ran out a couple times but was replaced pretty quickly Apps/sides Papadums (tamarind chutney, mint cilantro chutney) Raita Potato Bajia or something (fried potato) Rice Mains (some of them) Biryani (rice dish) Tikka chicken Butter chicken (bone in) Mutter paneer (peas and paneer) Chickpea dish (Chana masala?) Lentil dish (dal makhani?) Goat curry Chicken+potatoes Desserts: Mango pudding (meh) Pudding vermicelli (meh) Orange slices For a lunch buffet I thought it was decent, nothing special but not bad. 16.99 plus tax and auto gratuity got it to $+22. As others have mentioned the food wasn't super hot but I didn't mind it either. Some items looked better than others. read more

The food here is amazing and the way they serve you some of the food is very interesting as it keeps the food warm while you are eating so it doesn't get cold the ambiance is nice and the service is also nice read more

We've been going here for years. By far the best Indian food in the Pacific Northwest. Their service is always delightfully friendly.

Love this restaurant! We have been coming for years but it recently got a face lift and it only enhances the vibe. The food is amazing and we enjoy conversation with the staff. We will continue to come and look forward to it every time read more

This review saddens me. I used to love this establishment and the owners. The food is still good although not quite as good (consistency). However as prices have increased by 20%+ their customer service has hit rock bottom. I can understand price increases if quality and service at least remains the same. But it hasn't. My 2 last experiences- they got my order wrong and didn't want to credit it or address it and were short. I've gone for years and everyone has off days so I ordered from them again. I called and ordered directly over the phone. I did this as restaurants prefer to avoid fees charged to them. The food was correct (although they didn't provide the lentil soup that is supposed to come with dinners. The outrage is they charged me a 20% service fee. For take-out. These fees are for bar and gratuity etc when you are in the restaurant. This is preposterous. What is really obnoxious is fact if I had used an online service they would t have been able to charge this and they would have fees for the platform services. So I paid $20 to pickup my food. I will never go to this establishment ever again. read more

This place is the most realistic inter-dimensional gateway since The Chronicles of Narnia. Have you ever tasted something so good, that it made you close you eyes, take deep breathes through your nose, and begin to slowly nod in silence? ... No? Well I guess you haven't been to the Gateway to India. There is Indian music playing, artwork all over the walls, and I mean look at this picture! Is this Tacoma Washington or Mumbai?! Well wherever you really are while eating this - bring extra socks bc this Peshwari Naan is gonna rock yours off. read more

Gateway To India - Peshwari Naan, vegetable masala (left), lamb korma (right), Roti (back) - Indian Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

A hidden gem that needs some light shined on it! My wife and I have tried Indian restaurants all over the south sound area and what we've discovered is that they are few and far between. Then when you find one, it usually isn't very good. We were surprised to stumble upon Gateway to India just a few weeks ago because it is literally just a few blocks from our house. We've lived in Tacoma nearly all our lives and yet somehow we've missed it. I do have to say that our first visit was a little bit confusing because they have a sign that reads; wait to be seated and yet the woman told us just to sit anywhere we wanted. Then when my wife went to choose a table flanked by a booth on one side and chairs on the other as she prefers, we were asked to sit at a smaller table even though the place was not busy. I think the lack of communication skills along with the over-eagerness to provide a good experience actually hinder the hostess a bit and that could be the reason that other reviews label the staff as a bit rude. I didn't experience rudeness; however, I did feel like they don't have a good routine down and that they are just over eager to please. Putting that aside, the place is spacious and can accommodate a lot of people. They keep it clean and presentable, and the ambience is comfortable and welcoming. The aroma of the food that greets you as you enter the place will stir up more of an appetite than you had previously thought you'd had. We have always visited during the lunch buffet and unlike other buffets, you pay after you're done eating rather than up front. The buffet offers a good selection of entrees, and they rotate their selections daily, so you never know what you'll be able to have until you arrive. On every occasion, I've tried every dish offered on the buffet table and I have been very satisfied with nine out of ten of the items each time and that is not because the tenth item was not good, but my personal tastes did not line up. If I had to give them any suggestions, they would be that the naan isn't very good overall. It's good enough as far as naan goes but I've had way better at other Indian restaurants. They open from something like 11:00 to 3:00 for lunch buffet and then close down for a bit to prepare for dinner service later in the evening. We have not attended that, but they do not offer the buffet for dinner. I'm sure that you can order from the regular menu during lunch hours as well though. Overall, this place is clean, inviting and a very good value. The staff is a bit anxious and over eager to make sure that you enjoy your meal, but the complete experience is definitely worth making a trip over to see for yourself. Pro tip: If you like your spice level higher than the default which isn't bad to begin with, they will provide you with their house made habanero hot sauce to add to your dishes. Be careful though because it is HOT. I can't say enough good things about Gateway to India and I hope that this review can help bring them more business. Thanks for reading and Cheers! read more

This place has all the ambiance and all the marvelous aromas as soon as you walk in the door, and the food lives up to those promises! Lentil soup starter was delicious, samosas were perfectly crisp, korma and masala were outstanding. We made a mistake in coming when we had a time limit, though -- we had over an hour between when we stepped in the door and when we needed to step out, but service is slooooooowwwwww. Super super slow. Friendly! Nice! Detailed! But it wasn't at all crowded and the timelines were more for packed and short staffed. Worth it. I'd definitely go back again -- just recommend not having any place to go after so you can enjoy unstressed! read more

I came for the lunchtime buffet and was blown away! Based on other reviews on here I was a little skeptical about the quality of food, but it was phenomenal. They had all of the food ready when they opened and kept all the items well stocked. Service was good and polite, the restaurant had nice aesthetic and felt very clean and organized. I am not Indian, and this can't quite determine what is authentic Indian food, but it felt authentic to me. I'd highly recommend you stop by! read more

Food is exceptional for an Indian buffet! Hits all the cravings and desires, the environment is very much India vibe! Service is fine tho but that's how you know it's good read more

See all

I ordered a nice spread, to-go. I was very pleased with the packaging and everything arrived home without spilling or coming apart. I ordered the pakoras and they came with two really tasty dipping sauces. The rice pudding was great. I had the eggplant dish, spicy level medium +. It had some recognizable heat that was perfect. It came with rice. I was able to eat this for dinner and lunch twice! I'm not the biggest eater but this much food (around $35) easily made 3-4 meals for me alone. read more

5 STARS TO GET THIS TO THE TOP. I was having dinner with my partner , first time here and the food was good. We were then companioned by a RAT. Stared at us and ran under another couples booth. Told the workers and they scrambled to figure out what to do. I did pay for our meal but told one of the owners I didn't want to take my food home due to the rat. She responded "it's not in the food just in the restaurant." Yeaaaaa I'm good, still paid our bill but vomited shortly after read more

Gateway To India - Indian Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

Things I like about gateway to India, the service is fast and the food is prepared quickly which makes it ideal for a grab and go for lunch. The dinning room also has plenty of seating if you want to dine in. The issue I really have is that each curry comes to about 25$ with tax. For a simple curry I really only want to pay about 15$. I do understand that some of that is just due to inflation and the high taxes in Tacoma but realistically I just think the price point for what you get is a bit high. read more