A solid Indian Restaurant is an essential part of the Rolodex for any foodie. There are so many options in the A2-Ypsi area, and India Cafe is a great one to add to that list. Located on the busy Washtenaw Ave corridor, it's easy to find and is in a place with ample parking. The restaurant is simple, but the food and service is where this really shines. An experienced chef takes your order, cooks the food fresh, and delivers it to your table, all while also juggling takeout orders that come in. I went with Chicken Tikka Masala for my first visit. It's always a hit and this iteration came out beautifully. I went for the lowest spice level and it was flavorful without being too hot. Served with a side of seasoned basmati rice, it hit the spot. Portions were generous enough that I was able to take some leftovers to work the following day. This will be my new spot for Indian food, whether I'm dining in or carrying out! read more

India Cafe - Chicken Tikka Masala - Indian Near Me - Ypsilanti, Michigan

Omg! The food is Amazing! I've been making a conscious effort to support small local businesses and don't let the strip mall exterior in Ypsilanti fool you! He cooked it fresh to order. Like home kitchen style authentic indian cuisine. It's so flavorful! One of the best indian restaurants I've experienced. The food is handcrafted read more

India Cafe - Vegetable Korma - Indian Near Me - Ypsilanti, Michigan

I just had the pleasure of eating at India cafe this evening. Upon entering the establishment I was greeted by shah, he took a moment to welcome me to his restaurant and asked me how my day was going. I took a moment to look over the menu and chose to order the lamb korma with garlic nan. The meal arrived in a very timely manner and honestly was some of the best food I have eaten in a while. Hats off to shah. His food is amazing, I also got to sit and chat with him after my meal and really enjoyed his stories and take on the world! I will be going back again soon! read more

Not sure what that other review is talking about that the Tandoori chicken is wrong. If it's not a "typical Tandoori chicken" I don't care because it's the tastiest I've had in the area. Can get 4 or 8 piece, 4 is plenty for 1 person and you will probably have leftovers. Comes with rice or naan, both of which are awesome. The only other thing I've tried here are the samosas, which are scrumptious. Looking forward to coming back and trying some more menu items. Definitely a good addition to the eats in the area, and the place seems to be a one man show. He's been super nice and professional every time I've been. I think right now they only do dine in/walk in orders and phone orders, no third party apps. read more

India Cafe - 4 Piece Tandoori Chicken - Indian Near Me - Ypsilanti, Michigan

Grabbed some takeout on the way home and heard good things about this hole in the wall. Signage definitely isn't the restaurant's strong suit, but you'll find it under the banner of Foods of India. The premises look a little bit like a mix between a raided post-apocalyptic convenience store and break room, but you know that's the type of place where you'll get the good authentic stuff! We are greeted by a slightly grumpy gentleman shuffling between kitchen and cash register. Looks like this establishment is predominantly a 1-man show. Service was fast and even though we ordered right then for take out, food came as quick as 10 minutes. We took it home and chowed down. Honestly, it was some of the best chicken makhani ever had! Nice rust-colored, rich, creamy sauce, flavorful thigh meat, and a nice kick of heat in the back of the throat! The saag paneer was also great with a nice taste of spinach, fresh paneer, and a plethora of spice. While a slight preferential thing, the naan was a bit too fluffy and I like mine a tad thinner and crispy, but overall an amazing takeout spot if you're craving Indian food in Ann Arbor. read more

Omg! The Korma is amazing with the naan & parm. It's a little past Nordstrom Rack.. enjoy the hike.

The owner does everything himself and the food is excellent. You have to be able to disregard the grungy interior.

This is the finest Indian food in southeastern Michigan . The owner is the head chef and cooks every dish himself. The seating area has been expanded and provides great ambiance. The owner Mr. Shah is a very wise and philosophical man who will take the time to discus life with any customer and give you positive insight into how to cope with day to day stresses of modern life . read more

See all

to start the food is beyond phenomenal amazing flavors and soooo tasty! the service is so wonderful the owners are so nice and helpful and through everything you can tell very passionate about the experience they provide ! it is very clean inside and never more than 20minuet wait for terrific quality,the food is always fresh and great portions! Lots of options for different tastes read more

India Cafe - Butter chicken, garlic naan, white rice! - Indian Near Me - Ypsilanti, Michigan

I defer to my parents judgement on what is great Indian food. They spent years in India and have found the cook, Shah, at India Cafe to make the tastiest Indian dishes in the area. We look forward to discovering his new location in Ypsilanti! read more

I lived in Ann Arbor for 11 years and discovered this little dive of an Indian restaurant in my last 6 months of living in AA. Bummer. Though probably not all bad as I would've spent way too much money here. Have always been met by who I presume to be the owner every time I come here. The food is delicious. I am an especially big fan of the tandoori chicken. Portion sizes are good and prices are reasonable. We've had rice pudding thrown in a couple times as a small sampler dessert, which we always enjoy. Would highly recommend to anyone. Very convenient for those living by the hospital. read more

Convenient location on solano. It's one of better Indian restaurants in area. Large indoor seating area that is nice.

This is the BEST Indian food I have ever had!!! Best butter chicken and naan, so delicious!! My only wish is that they had a buffet so I didn't have to pick just one dish! read more

Love everything the Uncle makes. Please don't go by the other reviews. The owner himself cooks everything. And he puts his heart and soul into it. You should just know what to order. Ask the man for recommendations. In my opinion he makes everything delicious. Ethnic Royal good. We got the achari baingan, dal makhni, chole, roti, naan, kheer, mango lassi. The best restaurant in the area! He gave us complimentary dessert and extra bread because he thought we would fall short. He didn't even charge us for it. Give this place a shot, you won't regret it! read more

Hands down, the best Indian cooking in the area. I love the personal touch and Mr Shah is a dependable cook! I hope he expands the dining space in his new Ypsilanti restaurant. His take on Tandoori Chicken is moist amd a nice spice base with a nice mix of flavorful vegetables. I love his curries too, next time again. Another good addition on Washtenaw! read more

Decent Food for Decent Price with Free Parking and friendly owner. Ordered veg Manchuria, samosa , aloo paratha and onion kulcha. Manchuria was not good and felt samosa are frozen . Onion kulcha is the one I liked the most. Give it a shot read more

India Cafe - a plate of fried food and a cup of coffee - Indian Near Me - Ypsilanti, Michigan

See all

I have no idea what I just ate but it wasn't Indian. And it sure as hell wasn't anywhere close to fresh. We were shocked to find the tandoori swimming in some greasy sauce. What?!? It was inedible. The raita was super spicy... uh what?! The rest wasn't inedible but tasted like Italian food and tomato soup, seriously. Old chewy naan. Very little flavor, and what we tasted wasn't anywhere close to Indian. Sauce in a jar from the meijers would have been astronomically better. The family is super bummed out. This was a first and last time eating from here. Will stick to our usual. What a waste of money and excitement for a good dinner. read more

India Cafe - Apparently tandoori chicken - Indian Near Me - Ypsilanti, Michigan

See all

Always such amazing food, samosas are 10/10 for me, friendly staff, great atmosphere.

Delicious and authentic Indian food made fresh to order by the owner himself. He even hand delivered it to our table and had a conversation with us. Experience was amazing all the way around read more

India Cafe - Butter chicken. Chicken Biryani. Garlic naan. Raita. - Indian Near Me - Ypsilanti, Michigan

Great food and excellent customer service. This is one of our favorite Indian restaurants.

Best vegetable samosas I've had. Next time I'll get mild spice because the medium was a bit intense for me. You can eat in, but it's kind of a hodgepodge of random tables and chairs, which I personally like, but this is not the place for a fancy outing. I can't believe I've been in Ann Arbor this long and only just found this place. I'll be going here instead of to Cardamom, since Cardamom doesn't have indoor dining right now, and there is always such a wait. read more

Hey, everyone. Tough times with the pandemic. India Cafe is open for business. It still smells amazing in here! read more

I ordered 3 dishes and asked them all to be medium spicy. I love spicy food and 2 out of 3 were super spicy and clearly redder than the 3rd dish. The parantha was okay but too deep fried. Overall okay. read more

India Cafe (also called like 2 other names) is just fantastic. Just be sure to check your expectations at the door in regards to the actual establishment, and you'll be treated to some of the best Indian food I've ever had. This place shines best as a take-out joint, so I highly recommend it if you just want to bring home a super satisfying, reasonably priced Indian meal. I always order 2 orders of garlic naan (4 pieces total), rice, 2 orders of samosas (4 total), plus orders of the Sag Paneer and Butter Chicken. This setup is definitely enough for 2 people for dinner, and then both 2 leftover lunches. At ~$34.00 for all that, that is ~$8.50 per person per meal - really great value for the quality. It's so good that I've never really considered trying other things on the menu, but I'm sure it's all great. The food has a sort of comfy, home-cooked quality to it, and its always a home run. People have noted about the actual building, which I could understand (and was myself) being a little... confused? It's definitely not your standard sit-down restaurant. It's more like a few random tables next to a few aisles of groceries. I've seen plenty of folks eating in there and would be perfectly happy to do so myself now - I think most people just prefer to take-out. The guy who handles the orders is just so nice. He has a very quiet demeanor but you can tell that he and the other cook care a lot about what they do. I especially appreciate that he usually goes through the bag with your order when you pick it up to double check that its all there - it's a nice little touch that most take-out places don't do. Nothing sucks more than getting home and realizing somethings missing. I'm so happy to see that so many others enjoy this place - it's definitely worth checking out! read more

To be fair - I only got one thing, so I can only make a judgement based off that. I got their "korma chicken" and it is not like any I've ever had. Typically it's is yogurt and cashew based and this is basically herby water/oil. The flavor is spicy but it is not thick or rich like it's intended to be. I think price-wise it is reasonable, however, since mine is going in the bin and I still have a craving for korma, it will basically cost me double.... because I have to go elsewhere to get one. read more

India Cafe - Chicken korma - Indian Near Me - Ypsilanti, Michigan

hidden gem! love the paneer masala! got kindly warned about medium spice and oof they weren't kidding it IS spicy! happy with how it's going down might hurt later lol. friendly covid cautious space and staff read more

India Cafe - a person holding a bowl of food - Indian Near Me - Ypsilanti, Michigan

Just great Food. Everything we have had has been awesome. I am a little surprised by all the 5 star reviews, would like to give it 5 stars and if I was only getting take out maybe I would. Not the cleanest place around and not the best service around. Don't get me wrong I looooove the food here and the gentleman that owns the place is awesome. But the bathroom is not the cleanest place around, last time we were there one of the people I was with went and used and I was almost sure if they had their cleaning supplies they would have cleaned it. But do not take this as a bad review. This food cannot be beat and you should take some time to relax and hang out and have a meal there. It is a homey place and I will be back many times. Best regards, Tony read more

Best Indian food in Ann Arbor by far!!!! Hidden gem. The cook is amazing and the food is priced very reasonably. One tip, call ahead to place your order if you are in a hurry as there is only one cook so calling ahead will avoid long waits. But either way, the food is definitely worth the wait! read more

India Cafe - Navratan Korma (my favorite vegetarian dish) and Paneer Masala (Cheese with garlic and herbs in a tomato cream sauce) - Indian Near Me - Ypsilanti, Michigan

Always a good spot for some comforting Indian food! I always order the butter chicken with garlic naan. read more

I have been eating Indian food in New York and California for the last twenty years, and although much of it was good, it was rarely spectacular. India Cafe is a place to fine superb food -- full of flavor, color, and texture, immensely fresh, carefully created by the very expert and genial owner Tasawar Shah. Five people ate to near-dangerous satiety for $87 plus tip. Now some details. We had (and I will forget some dishes) eggplant, okra, appetizers of breaded hot peppers and cauliflower, chicken tikki masala, lamb vindaloo, shrimp curry, chickpeas, rice pudding, naan, and more that I can't remember. Much Indian food has been (understandably) long-cooked for flavor, but as a result, becomes a green tasty mush or a brown one. And the resulting mouthfeel gets tedious. The food at the India Cafe, made on the spot by the chef-owner, is colorful and full of lively texture. Each dish had a subtly different spice profile, and if I closed my eyes I knew exactly what I was eating and could identify ingredients -- which, to me, is the test of good cooking. Yes, the decor is potentially misleading, for much of the floor space is given over to shelves of groceries. But the place is blindingly clean, and it is not the usual hole-in-the-wall that will give you an authentic case of the trots several hours later. I would just add that the owner is extremely gracious and eager to please, and that although Ann Arbor is full of wonderful little ethnic restaurants, I would put India Cafe at the absolute top of the list. I am hoping to get there for a second meal before I end my sojourn. Even if you think you don't like Indian food, this place will change your mind. And if you dream of lamb vindaloo, the India Cafe will be a happy revelation. Bravo! read more

We stopped in a few weeks ago after a visit to the University of Michigan Medical Center, and we were so glad that we did. The food was delicious and the servings were large -- enough for leftovers at the hotel that evening. We would definitely like to stop in again the next time we're in Ann Arbor. Everything is made to order in a cozy little spot not more than a mile or two from the hospital. Recommended. read more

I've driven by the small strip mall on Broadway without noticing what was there until we decided to search for Indian takeout. We tried India Cafe on a lark and were not disappointed. We ordered curried lamb, chicken vindaloo, and butter chicken. The medium curry burst with flavor without being hot. If I was ordering again, I would take the vindaloo up a notch from mild to medium. It was delicious. The butter chicken was nice and the person who ordered it raved about it all night. We will return again. read more

The worse Indian food I have ever had. I don't understand how this place has 5 stars! I ordered the butter chicken and lamb vindaloo. The sauce is sooo watered down and has zero flavor. They cheaped out on my rice portion as well. I usually get my Indian food from cardamom which is just down the road but I decided to give this restaurant a try and I was very disappointed. The price u pay is the same as at cardamom but the quality is way down. Just save ur self the trouble and skip this place. read more

Seriously surprised by this place. We've curried on at another nearby Plymouth Rd establishment for a while now, and while they remain great, these guys, albeit it a tad pricier, really take Indian to the next level. Enjoyed the CTM, the Cholle Bathure, naan, and a host of other dishes from this non-descript hole-in-the-wall. read more

Stopped by this evening & even thou they are closed on Monday but somehow it was open. Mr. Tashawer, the chef & the owner cooked us a great meal. The Onion & Paneer Paratha's & Navratna Korma were very testy. We even had him make Paratha to take home. Thanks. read more

This hidden gem of a culinary experience awaits in the least expected location in Ann Arbor: a small strip mall tucked in off Broadway and Maiden Lane. As others have noted, don't expect a fine dining experience. Expect top notch carry out that when once in your own bowls at home will surely wow any and all. The owner/chef, Mr. Tasawar Shah, exemplifies how chefs (as opposed to cooks) operate in their kitchens. Mr. Shah's tiny kitchen, visible behind the counter, (from what I could see just a 4 burner stove) and his techniques (cooking five of my entrees at the same time) bring me back again and again. For instance, chefs always taste. Always. Mr. Shah keeps on his left side, tasting spoons. On his right, the cooking spoon. He takes a bit from the pan in his cooking spoon, then dribbles it onto the tasting spoon, then tastes. His lips never touch the cooking spoon. He then adjusts the flavor; he finally re-tastes using the two-spoon (and very hygienic) method. I wouldn't have believed it had I not seen it, yet in eleven (11) minutes, five different dishes came off that four burner stove: butter chicken, mango chicken, 2 orders of palak paneer, and chicken vindaloo (minus the vinegar). As these were in preparation, he came out with my own tasting spoon so see if the spice levels worked for me! Each entree had its unique flavor profile described in one word: wonderful! India Café is a well needed outpost of great cooking in town. Save the trip to Farmington. read more

Wow! Our usual Indian takeout spot in Ann Arbor is currently closed, so we decided to give India Cafe a try. Firstly, the owner took social distancing seriously, and did a no-contact pick-up for me, which I appreciated. The restaurant is tucked away in a little strip mall of shops, but there is easy parking. The food was ready quickly too. We got home and were completely blown away! The vegetable samosas were light and crispy, not greasy at all, perfectly spiced, and melted in our mouths. Our naan was simple but flavorful and perfectly cooked. My husband ordered chicken biryani, which he said was excellent. I ordered chicken shahi korma, which was also excellent. I could drink that sauce! I hadn't realized that the korma didn't come with rice and I didn't ask for it--my bad! I'll order a side of rice next time. The very kind owner threw in some free rice pudding, which was lightly spiced with cardamom and just the right amount of sweetness. Delicious! My kids were licking out the containers! We have a new favorite place for Indian takeout, and will be back soon! read more

If you ignore the slightly decrepit appearance of the store, you're certain to be surprised by how good the food is. In my opinion, this place is better than cardamom and far cheaper, except of course this is a take out place and is definitely not a fine dining option. The manager is a soft-spoken and courteous guy the and food is ready within ten fifteen minutes most of the time. Lots of vegetarian options and a convenient location with plentiful parking. Perfect place to pick up dinner after a long day at work. The only gripe is I have is that it's sometimes hard to reach then on the phone when they are busy in the kitchen. I have to try more than once to get through. Maybe an answering machine will help. Make sure to try the kadi pakoda and baingan bhartha read more

Awesome! Truly amazing, so, as I've had said in previous reviews on yelp, I'm an English guy formerly from Birmingham in England which happens to have the biggest Indian population outside of India itself, so I have grown up with Indian cuisine and know good Indian food. I found myself stopping over in Ann Arbor for a night whilst traveling with my job, I was in need of good Indian food but not expecting to find this little place, upon checking yelp for Indian cuisine in the area I found 'India Cafe' it had some very enthusiastic and encouraging reviews, and justifiably so! On first arriving here looks are deceiving, a kind of half full Indian grocery store on a quiet side street with half empty racking and a few people sitting on mismatched chairs waiting for their order, the smell of fresh India ingredients being prepared and cooked was mouthwatering! A lady took my order and conversed with the chef hard at work in his modest kitchen, he cooked me up a truly stunning meal, even allowing me to taste test the food before it was finally packed to see if it was to my liking. I ordered Lamb Biryani, Cauliflower Manchurian and a Keema Naan bread. All of the dishes he made were on point! I can honestly say this was some of the tastiest, well prepared, colorful, truly delicious Indian food I have eaten! What a gem of a find, I will be going back whenever I'm in this area again for my fix of delightful food. Just wish this place was nearer to my new hometown of Chicago, I would be their # customer! read more

Absolutely the best indian food in Michigan (IMHO). The seasoning and spice level is perfect. Hot and long lasting flavor, but doesnt "burn" your mouth. I generally order medium plus or hot. In addition to the wonderful food and bread, the owner (and chef, waitstaff, cashier, lol), is one of the kindest and most intelligent men you are ever likely to meet. Food and philosophy in the unlikeliest of places. Add 20 minutes to what your told, check your ego at the modest door, and enjoy a spectacular meal. read more