Walked here for takeout and it was fresh and delicious when I got home. Such a friendly, warm host and atmosphere. Will come again

I've dined at India Bistro many years ago pre-Yelp. Same spot situated along Market like forever. However, I decided to reacquaint myself again with a TGTG double pickup on 3/17/26. Indian takeout on St. Patrick's Day, oops my bad. Most likely this takeout was cobbled together from the lunch buffet. Overall the cuisine was a decent variety and generously packaged. Each takeout box had basmati rice, peas & carrots in a tomato based sauce, bite sized samosas, with the main entrees provided were butter chicken, saag paneer, and chicken vindaloo. Reasonable to call it a takeout thali. Can't speak to ambiance because it was takeout. Service was swift and efficient, showed my TGTG order and handed a bag with two takeout containers. In, out, and go. I was glad for the thick plastic bag because it was overfilled, oozed out, and could have been a mega mess in the car heading back home. What was missing was the ka-pow flavor! Indian cuisine usually has mega flavor and palate pleasing. This did not align with my earlier visits from way back when. Perhaps I'm accustomed to fave Indian spots in the UDistrict. But when brought home, another family member,The Homie, agreed on this assessment when we later dined at home. Not bad, not great. Kind of a let down from my earlier memories of India Bistro. With the vast regional Indian spots in Seattle and across the lake in Bellevue and Redmond, I kind of expected OG India Bistro to be gold standard. Just okay, hence the three stars for this TGTG experience. read more

India Bistro - TGTG 1of2 (3/17/26) - Indian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Guys just skip it. We did the lunch buffet for 16.95. We should have checked out the buffet itself before committing to eating it, but didn't unfortunately. There were maybe 6 options total. The butter chicken and saag paneer tasted like nothing. The carrots and peas and the cauliflower curry were both lacking spices. I wanted to support local Ballard businesses but please do yourself a favor and skip this one. Everything truly tastes like frozen, heated up old food. $40 dollars later and I'm just hoping I don't get sick tomorrow. read more

I do enjoy Indian food, so when we popped in here one evening after work I thought how convenient- the food was at least 3 1/2 stars- I can work with that from time to time but the experience was definitely uncomfortable for my daughter who was being stared at by some of the male employees the entire time we were there having our meal- this was annoying and uncomfortable for her and I. Our server (she was great by the way!) even seemed to take issue with one particular male employee as well, saying to him aloud from across the dining room "Seriously!" Ironically today we went there again, hoping for a better experience (I sat facing the afore mentioned male server, this time) but no- same problem. The same male employee wrangled my daughter into an extended and unwanted, inquisitive, and uncomfortable conversation as she paid at the counter (yes, we asked for service several times and ended up going to the counter to pay.) Going here is just not worth it for us, I wish everyone better luck than us- we certainly wish Ballard businesses great success all the way around! What could be done better? Do better, way better- your questioning of personal information from a young woman is creepy. Understand we're there to dine and nothing more. Don't want to be stared at, don't want awkward -way too personal conversations. I said it. read more

If I could give zero stars I would. My salmon tandoori was raw. I had to double check to see if I ordered sushi or Indian. I had to recook it in my kitchen. When I finally got to eat it, it was insanely salty. The chat papri was the saddest I've seen. The chickpeas looked like they took it straight from the can and plopped sauces on top. I'm certain this place is still in business because it's the only Indian place in the area. What a waste of $50 in a world where gas $6 a gallon now. I should've just made top ramen. Save yourself. read more

India Bistro - Raw salmon tandoori - Indian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

The owner Mannwar Ali. He was super rude, and super impatient. And the food was not good. Anyway, go somewhere else for Indian food.

To put it simply. This India Bistro is a letdown. I love Indian food, so I was really geared up to try here, but will likely be one and only visit. To start with the good - The naan is good, which could be said about most Indian places, but they have Paneer Naan which hit the spot and came out hot. Cocktails are only $10. I got a pomer-tini which is just as it sounds. Not too sweet, with a nice presentation. Now where did it all start to go wrong? Well India Bistro still seems to be getting a good portion of their business with Take-out and App delivery drivers. So, most of the stay people would be coming in and out to pick up food. This is fine, but there was no balance to checking on the actual diners seated. We sat for well over 10 minutes before anyone came over. The waiter was apologetic, but still. I got the 'Murgh Makhni' as recommended by the waiter, and I didn't see Tikka Masala. He said that this was 'like it'. I should've known right there but decided to go with it. This entree is described as "cooked" and I assume served in a cream sauce. You know with that gravy consistency you know with Tikka Masala. Yeah, this is nothing like that. This was like a chunky salsa or Pasta sauce. It seems to fit more the description of their Jalfraizies which is a sauce loaded with diced onions, etc. Either way this was a letdown and it seemed deceptive because I'm sure that waiter knows what Tikka Masala looks like. That ain't it. The Samosas were alright, but they're huge. I prefer 3-4 small ones than 2 huge ones. Smaller ones are better for dipping. The ambience is cut into by them having the news on. The volume is turned down, and I'm not against the news. I just don't think it fits an evening dinner out. The experience could've been way better and judging by the mixed reviews, I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised. If you're looking for Indian food. Skip this, go to Spice Waala nearby. read more

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The lunch special value and sheer quantity of food cannot be beat. And it warms my heart to see this restaurant pop back up after the pandemic. The lunch buffet is back and that coupled with their bargain lunch special would make this a regular lunch stop if I lived closer to Ballard. The tandoori chicken was a bit dry but other than that, I loved the creamy butter chicken and well cooked rice. The chana masala is also good and nicely smokey. And even after a 30 min drive, the samosas were still warm and crispy. read more

I went to the lunch buffet today and LOVED IT! You get the bang for your buck with the lunch buffet special for sure! $17.82 after tax for the lunch buffet and it includes a good amount of food. A really nice option if you are looking to try out Indian food for the first time but are unsure where to start. Aside from the food my experience with the service was top notch - my waiter always kept my water glass full and was quite friendly. He brought out HOT, mouth watering naan and overall I would definitely come back to this place. read more

India Bistro - Naan Bread, butter chicken, rice - Indian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

This is one of mu neighbors favorite restaurants in our neighborhood. We had been on a walk and decided to have dinner it's close to home. My neighbor had her ho to the coconut curry chicken medium and had the Chicken Vindaloo one step up in spice as I like my dishes a little spicier than her but not so much that I can't taste the flavors. It was the perfect amount of kick for me came with basmati rice in beautiful bowls from India. The staff is friendly and were very accommodating they do a great job of taking care of those dining with the large amount of take out they do. Water glass was always full. The owner is so nice , definitely won't wait so long to return. read more

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This is very very very very good Indian food. We have been getting it for 10+ years. Takeout is so easy, and don't let the exterior trick you, the inside is actually very nice and classy. Staff is nice, and prices are reasonable. Trust. I'm an expert on this place. read more

The mango chicken was heavenly! The cost was fair and the taste amazing! Thank you Parking may be a challenge but it's worth it indeed. read more

India Bistro - Mango Chicken - Indian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Never again. Ordered by accident. I thought the Uber app was showing me India Bistro (Roosevelt), which has been the best Indian food in north Seattle for years. Nope. It's this other India Bistro in Ballard, and it is a trash pit. Please just look at the photo of lamb "tikka masala." I have eaten tikka masalas for 20+ years. They are orange and creamy. This is red and not creamy. This is basically marinara sauce with some Indian spices. What on earth? And the lamb was tough and chewy. Tikka masala is one of the most popular Indian dishes at any restaurant. How do you mess it up? The saag paneer was better but still lifeless and lacking cream. Probably the best thing was the Peshawari naan. You have so many better Indian food choices in town. Do not do this to yourself. read more

India Bistro - Lamb "Tikka masala" - Indian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

The food is amazing biryani jackfruit cutlet are great but malpoha is very very sweet we ordered 2 and were not able yo finish it

Ordered delivery and was looking forward to some tasty carbs. Unfortunately the samosas and stuffed naan bread were both extremely bland. I've never had bland Indian food before. It's usually bursting with flavors of cardamom, clove, cinnamon, cumin, etc. I ended up adding my own seasonings and salt and using the provided dipping sauces to give the samosas and bread some flavor. The lamb biryani was better and had more flavor at least. read more

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It is so nice to have India Bistro in Ballard. The owner who was there this week when we stopped in for dinner is the same guy who has been there for at least 20 years. We shared two entrees and an order of lentil soup and even with a decent tip we still got out the door for less than 50 bucks. Which is saying something in Seattle. The lunch buffet is back as well, and at $18 is not the bargain it was a few years ago at $10, but once again, big city prices. Only a couple of things prevented me from giving India Bistro 5 stars. We were greeted by a staff member wearing a white hoodie with what I swear was an Ewok character printed on the front. This fellow obviously didn't get the "hospitality gene" from his forefathers and never quite got into the "Thank-you-for-coming-in-what-may-I-get-you-to-drink" mode. Another young fellow who took our order was somewhat more outgoing but looked like he might have slept in the shirt he was wearing. This led me to wonder if there's no dress code for front-of-house staff. Which seemed odd because the owner (who was doing most of the serving) was nicely dressed. Guys, if you're going to be meeting the public at least go to Goodwill and pick out a couple of dress shirts (white please), invest in a steam iron and learn how to use it. Also, when I come in it's not my job to have to flag you down so I can place my drink order. You're in a service business; better service means repeat customers and better tips. read more

The food is very tasty and yummy. Not sure what we've got because the name is quite long but I think one of them is chicken tikka masala? Also garlic Naan bread. Can't remember the other one name. All of these are tasted amazing! read more

India Bistro - Indian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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I remember when this restaurant had a 4.5 star rating. Nowadays, lackluster service, very poor operational procedures and often a lack of good English speaking ability make for an awkward and sometimes uncomfortable dining experience. Good example. Listed everywhere, and on their front door, open at 11:30am. Nope. They won't open until noon. How hard is it to put a small sign on the door giving diners the new, poorly thought out opening time? This could be a whole lot better. read more

This was your standard Indian buffet. The food was good! We ordered mango lassi, samosas, and the appetizer platter in addition to our buffet. The buffet had the standard fare, butter chicken, dal, pakoras, tandoori chicken, and vegetable curry. The buffet came with basmati rice, naan, and chai tea. Good deal for a filling meal! Give them a try! read more

We wanted to find a cheap but food Indian buffet and this is a great option!! They rotate through their buffet menu and you can see the pictures for details. Their food selection had all the basics, many vegetarian options but only 2 chicken meat dishes this time. All the flavors were quite good. So I am a fan simply because the food is cheap and yummy even if the selection isn't as wide. But then again, what can you expect for the prices! I will definitely come back! read more

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Friendly service. Delicious food,nice ambiance and music. Their murgh(chicken)masala was very flavorful. Their large size naan bread was fresh and warm. read more

Food poisoning. I've had their food a number of times, but something wasn't right this last time. Let's just say pretty unpleasant digestive issues followed, and that was definitely as a result of that meal. read more

Nice ambience. Friendly service. Lots of options on the menu (not as many as Cheesecake Factory). I got the Chicken dish with spinach and medium hot - very flavorful. I also got a regular naan. Not much to it. If you want flavor maybe try the garlic naan. Overall, enjoyed my dinner. If you feel inclined, the also have cocktails. Which I didn't try. Dry January! read more

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Their portions were huge, for example, they gave us a whole take out box of rice for two curries. They nan too was also giant and didn't taste soapy. I liked their vindaloo the most but it was more oily than I would prefer. Overall, very filling meal. read more

India Bistro - Garlic Naan - Indian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Ordered my favorite dishes that I normally get from the Roosevelt location: Mango Chicken and Lamb Korma. Used the same exact sauce for the mango chicken as for the lamb korma.... Very disappointed...we have no idea what the sauce was supposed to be! Because the rest of our order was correct, it seems like they could have ran out without telling anyone and substituted some mystery sauce? I have a pea allergy and somehow a singular pea made it into our mystery dish, it made me feel like there was some sloppiness in preparation for that to happen. Legumes (nuts etc) are a fairly common allergy, so this was definitely disappointing. So glad we saw it before eating! read more

India Bistro - Why are the lamb korma and mango chicken the same!?! - Indian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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My family stopped by today. Everyone there was very nice. We ordered vegetable pakora and that was very good! I thought it was odd that there was no paneer tikka masala or butter chicken on the menu. But I figured I'm just a basic white girl who doesn't know REAL Indian food. I ordered Shahi Paneer. Well, to my surprise it had CANNED FRUIT COCKTAIL in it. Look, I LOVE canned fruit cocktail... but not in my savory meal. I cannot find online anywhere that uses a recipe like this so I'm completely confused. Do not recommend. read more

Tried the buffet, it was small and limited in options. Not the worst Indian food I've ever had but far away from the best. Cozy little restaurant on a corner. read more

Staff is super friendly, food is delicious and big portions. One of our favorite places to eat in Ballard!

The food is great. But... just received my 2nd takeout order with the wrong food. It's very disappointing when you get home. It's annoying but, unwrap your order and check it before you leave. Someone else received my order so I know I'm not the only one. We order 3 meals and 1 of the three is usually wrong. read more

Pros: $9.95 lunch buffet! Good flavor, fresh food, and wonderful selection of dishes. Convenient location (Market and Ballard Ave). Plenty seating. Friendly and efficient waiting staff. Cons: Um...no parking? No WiFi? It's minor flaw to me. read more

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Ordered chicken coconut curry, Shahjahani Biryami and Aloo Kulcha for take away. Service was punctual. We enjoyed a very good dinner with left overs for future I would return here again as everything was delicious. read more

I tend to believe that no Indian food is truly bad, but some is meh and some is amazing. This place erred on the side of "meh". It scratched the itch but wasn't fantastic. That said, the servers in there were very friendly! We ordered takeout and, I'm sure most locals know (we are too new for that, but certainly know now) that parking is very hard to come by on Market. There doesn't seem to be many Indian spots in this area, so it'll do if you want something close by. It just wasn't amazing. read more

Always the best Indian food. My personal favorite is Chicken Sagwala. It's perfect for a good meal in the restaurant and enough for a delicious meal of leftovers the next day. The ambience is great: quiet, clean. read more

Phenomenal food, friendly staff, with a daily lunch buffet mon-sat that is seriously legit and gives the ability to sample several different dishes. Music playing isn't terribly loud so can still enjoy a good conversation over a meal. read more

Service was good but the food was mediocre. Not bad, just not as flavorful as other Indian restaurants around town.

We hired India Bistro for their catering services for our wedding reception, and we really enjoyed working with their team. It is our favorite cuisine after all! India Bistro is really close to the Golden Gardens Bathhouse, where we did our wedding reception, and is easily accessible to most of the greater Seattle area. Mukesh was responsive the day of our reception, and helped us to set up the best menu for our guests well in advance. The food and their services were excellent, you could really see the effort they put into their catering! Every single dish was top-notch. If you need your next event catered, we would recommend India Bistro. read more

India Bistro - Assorted entrées and naan. - Indian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

It's been a long time since I've eaten in any North Indian Restaurants because I've found the food to be too oily and the flavors merged to one curry... But tonight at Indian Bistro, my Indian-file friends and I were beyond delighted by the quality and flavor of the multiple dishes we ordered. The host and wait staff were extremely pleasant- and professional, saw no indication of a previous review I read, We definitely will return here again and again. read more

Fast delivery with caviar - ordered two entrees (mango paneer curry & chicken vindaloo), side of pea rice, and garlic paneer. Ordered both medium spice level and will likely order something slightly spicer next time given that it didn't quite have enough heat for me. One star taken off because the lack of potatoes and protein in the vindaloo and not enough paneer in the curry. I really liked the flavors of the mango paneer curry and would recommend it only if you like sweet and savory together. I do appreciate the amount of food that came in this order and you won't regret over-ordering. read more

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I am a long time customer of the Ballard restaurant. I prefer the murg tikka, but they also have a wonderful vegetarian menu. The chef prepares food as the customer orders, which is wonderful. I prefer my food with very little spice, and have found a lot of chefs who prepare food to a level of spice that they prefer, not the customer. Not so here. read more

India Bistro is quite tasty, and it's a very welcome addition to Ballard. This is one of my staples, whether I dine in or order through Eat24. I love, love, love the chicken makhni (similar to tikka masala), saag paneer, veggie pakoras, and garlic naan. Portions are great, and the prices match. The staff is always super friendly. Plus, there's patio dining for nice Seattle days. read more