Came for the lunch buffet with friends. Arrived at 1150 and were seated promptly. We got waters and 1 diet coke in a can. Baskets of plain butter naan were brought to table to share so that was a nice touch beyond the buffet food. The buffet line was serve yourself and had a basic salad, indian dressings/sides, 3 dessert options, garlic naan stick, samosas, pakora, and 1 other garlic cracker thing I dont remember. The entrees had basmati rice, veggie biryani, palak paneer, a dal dish, 1 other veggie&potato dish, butter chicken, chicken tikka masala, tandoori chicken, and a stir fried chicken w/ veggies. Overall I enjoyed the variety and everything tasted pretty good. The buffet was 9.99 not including tip&tax. After we sat down it got pretty busy and there were at least 6 other parties during lunch. The waiter was attentive, cleared the table, and refilled our drinks frequently. read more

An actual hole in the wall hidden the RTP. Great buffet with lots of options, vegetarian and non. I always go alone so I can eat my face off and it's great because there are always people in there are doing the same thing. The flavors are great, naan is great, staff is very friendly, dessert is a bit sweet but I'm usually too stuffed for dessert anyway. My go to Indian spot for lunch by the work office read more

India Gate - Vegetarian options from the lunch buffet - Indian Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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So, I have been to this place about eight to ten times during 2013. A very unassuming place, always delivers on quality, quantity and price. Now readers would know that it's tough to balance those three. I am surprised that India Gate manages to do that, always. Personally, I would not mind a reduction in quantity or slightly higher prices for an increased quality. The portion sizes are huge and the prices are way cheaper than other Indian places around. So maybe there is a scope of improvement while remaining a successful business. This is primarily a North Indian food place (somehow, I have found the Indian food scene in the triangle heavily skewed towards South Indian food). The Paneers, Dals (Makhani being better than Tadka), samosas, pakoras, naans and Tawa Roti (my favorite) are simply awesome. This is Indian food how it is supposed to be. I would heavily recommend the Thali that lets you taste so many of the delicacies at the same time. Desserts menu consists of Gulab Jamoon and other similar things. Being a big fan, I barely look beyond the first. My non-vegetarian friends tell me that the Chicken and Shrimp preparations are awesome as well. Overall, a very reliable place that never lets you down. read more

Though the looks haven't changed over much from the former Bombay Grille, I was glad to find that the food is a marked improvement. And the ownership is just phenomenal! I'd ordered my food to go, but wandered off after paying with only one of the two take-out bags that was intended for me. I drove all the way home to downtown Durham and opened my bag to discover my loss. I called them up to see if my food was still there and they were incredibly apologetic (as if this was somehow their fault). When I arrived, they even insisted on sending me home with a free dessert for having made the trip out twice. Their attitude alone makes me want to patron the place again. But the food certainly warrants another visit as well. The naan was puffy and perfect along with our order of saag paneer. Their version still tastes like spinach, which I prefer. We also enjoyed the chicken vindaloo which had tender pieces of meat, not too much tang, a nice heat, and wasn't overloaded with potatoes. It did have a layer of oil sitting on top when we opened the dish, but that was the only fault either of us had. Our dessert -- balls of dough in a sweet, syrupy sauce -- capped everything off nicely. read more

The food here seemed authentic. This place would have received 5 stars but there wasn't many choices compared to other places I've been. The staff is Bert pleasant and go out of their way to make you feel comfortable. Oh did I mention this was a lunch buffet cause it is! Coming back again read more

India Gate is my favorite Indian lunch buffet in the area. The food is great - I always leave satisfied. I especially like their rices, chutneys, and pickles, made with fresh ingredients. If you have a habit of skipping over the chutneys and pickles on an Indian buffet, I encourage you to try them here! Very tasty - a party in your mouth! It's not busy at all on weekends, so if you're looking for a quiet Saturday lunch spot, this is the place! The owner/manager is as sweet as can be! read more

Your path to Indian delights starts at India Gate. I just got back from their lunch buffet and am Yelping their praises! It was fabulous. The restaurant is clean (inspection score of 100), service is fast and friendly and the food was SOOO good. They had garlic naan on the buffet today! I was so happy! I asked if that was a regular item and was told it is offered on the buffet approximately 3 times a week. Other days, it could be potato naan or something else. Can you tell I'm excited? Garlic naan at a lunch buffet is such a treat! The other items were delicious too. Today they had veggie samosas, vegetable biryani, potato cakes, butter chicken, chicken tikka, tandori chicken, palak paneer, channa masala, peas and mushroom curry and a variety of chutneys, salad and desserts. I'm probably leaving something out but you see where I'm going with this. Lots of variety and everything I tried was scrumptious! I can't wait to go back. read more

Oh me, oh my, I finally found the ultimate Indian buffet in Durham [thanks for course to Norma G.!] I don't know if it's a very good or very bad thing that it's right down the street from my house! I have some great memories as a child going to eat at Indian Buffet's in Oklahoma, and in every city that I live, I try to recreate these nostalgic feelings. With a killer buffet with all the "traditional" dishes as well as some you don't see typically (they've got samosa's on the buffet!) and seriously stellar service, India Gate will meet all your needs. I visited on a workday for their $11ish lunch buffet and loved how open the space was. They bring additional naan to your table to soak up all the amazing curries and you can end your meal with some Indian spice dumplings or a rice puddling. I can't wait to return, none too soon! read more

That this is one of the top-rated Indian restaurants in the Durham area makes me start to doubt the usefulness of Yelp ratings. Easily one of the worst I've been to around here. Two stars only for decent naan and passable rice pudding, and for the chicken dishes being hot and not making me sick. The saag was poorly spiced, as was one of the curries (they tasted like I tried to make it). The makhni definitely tasted like the abysmal sauce in a jar that's sold in grocery stores (this was the second -- and last -- time I've eaten here, and both times the sauces really tasted like they came out of a can or a jar). The chicken was flavorless, floating in this canned sauce. This was also the first Indian restaurant in the RTP area that didn't have a single diner who appeared to be from the Indian subcontinent. Not a good sign (and quite a feat, considering the large number of South Asians in the region, who generally are game to give even the most mediocre lunch spot a try). There are tissue boxes at the tables -- either implying that the food is particularly spicy (not the case), or indicating that the usual clientele finds even this bland mush to be too spicy. Don't eat here. read more

Had the pleasure of dining here on Saturday after having a huge craving for Indian food, and despite having only two reviews, to see that both were 5* was really what interested me into checking this place out. The buffet (lunchtime only) was $7.99 or something like that, but the spread was great! They had a good variety of different things to try and I was impressed with all the flavors. The butter chicken and the chicken tikka masala were my fav by far, the naan they serve is so buttery and tasty, yum! Anyways for the price I was impressed with what they have to offer and my husband was so pleased with his meal that he even said we should come back to have dinner here some other time. I cannot wait to taste more of the wonderful meals they prepare in the near future. read more

I was there a few weeks ago for dinner after seeing the initial reviews. The food was excellent. I don't remember exactly what we ate, but it was good, cheap, and I'm going back tomorrow night. I think they are very new, having taken over from a prior Indian restaurant whose owner retired. There were very few people there, which is too bad because it was excellent. Tempting to give it a 5, and I do not have any flaws to report, but top grade? Well, for the price certainly at least a 5. read more

This restaurant has been open for two months. It appears that it is a family affair with the servers. I was sad to see I was the only person in the restaurant. This is not due to the quality of the food. Everything I had was very good. I started out with mulligatawny soup (lentil soup on the menu). They serve saltines with the lentil soup which is strange, but the flavor is good. My main course was baingan bharta with roti. It was nicely spiced. Their hot was what I am used to being medium, but still good. Sadly my eyes were bigger than my appetite. I couldn't eat everything and my hotel doesn't have a fridge or microwave. Please do yourself a favor and check this new place out! read more

India Gate - Indian Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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After a trip back to India Gate for dinner, I stand corrected. This place is great. From the chai to the dal makhni and the garlic naan to the mattar paneer, everything India Gate serves is straight up awesome. Additional points for the dad wearing a Gorilla Biscuits shirt. Nothing better than hardcore in non-hardcore places, man. read more

Went to the lunch buffet today ($8.99), and I thought India Gate did a great job putting together a nice buffet at that price. Highlights were the samosas and naan (served fresh at the table, killer!). All the entrée dishes I tried were good to very good, but none of them were flat-out amazing. Service was friendly and efficient, and the buffet selection with entrees, pickle, salads, and dessert was very impressive. I really would rate this place 4.5 stars if I could. In the end, the lack of a stellar entrée kept it at four stars but I will definitely be returning. I think it's easily the best Indian in south Durham and only exceeded by a few places in the Triangle. I also was a bit perplexed by them serving the Gulab Jamun (think donut holes in honey water) cold; hot is the way to go folks! read more

I worked in an Indian restaurant while attending University and have been eating it for more than 25 years so I like to think I know the cuisine. India Gate is a mom and pop joint with moderately priced and fresh food and tremendous service. I've eaten there for lunch and dinner and the service is always excellent. The couple that run the place are about the nicest people I've ever met with a genuine love for their customers and for the food. Their children are just as sweet as they come and very attentive and concerned about your dining experience. My son loves the korma and garlic naan and the 2 year old loves the samosas. My wife's favorite is the chicken tikka masala and it's her favorite of all the places we've tried in the Triangle. I think they do a fine job with most of their offerings and as some of the constructive reviews note, there is room for some improvement. However, the critical reviews here saying that there isn't enough salt or spice are disingenuous: you ate food off the buffet, where it is made deliberately bland to suit the mass palate at lunch. Go for dinner and order it the way you want it or, just ask for a little heat and / or salt, they will gladly accommodate you. This criticism can be made for any of the twenty or so Indian joints who offer buffets in RTP and the surrounds. read more

We went for the lunch buffet on a Sunday at half past one. The restaurant closes at 2 pm for lunch. They stopped heating the food 30 mins before closing time and we had to eat cold food. Also doesn't have many vegetarian options. read more

This Indian cuisine was exceptional. We ordered two vegetarian dishes and were blown away by the flavor. The portions were more than we could eat so we brought home the rest for lunch the following day. We will definitely go back and recommend to our friends. Your review helps others learn about great local businesses. Please don't review this business if you received a freebie for writing this review, or if you're connected in any way to the owner or employees. read more

We went into this place by chance, we we're planning on going to the sushi place next door but they were closed, which was fine because this restaurant was great!!! The ladies working were so friendly and everything came out promptly and hot. Their pakoras are fritters, which in my opinion is way better than when it's just vegetables dipped in the batter. The portions are also huge, which is great because I'm sitting here eating left overs for breakfast after thinking about their makhni sauce all night. We will definitely be coming back when we're in the area! read more

Excellent Indian food and good service although the place doesn't give that impression initially . Definitely try Butter chicken or Tikka. Byriani with chicken or shrimp is good too. read more

India Gate - Indian Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

This place.... Ah, so good. I literally have cravings at least once a week. The portions are great and I usually have enough to last me for a few more meals. I've had their takeout and their buffet. Both were fresh, filling (important when you don't eat meat), and savory. The service is spectacular as well. Friendly, quick and kind when I've stepped in to pick up a takeout order. When I brought my family in for the lunch buffet I was blown away. The food was amazing and far from scant for a buffet.... But what really blew me away was their attentiveness with my father. He had a stroke a while back and can't as easily get around, especially when it means bringing back a delicious FULL plate of food. Before we had a chance to help, the servers were there setting the food at our table and pulling out the chair for him. This amount of kindness made our experience so special. Really, you can't go wrong here. Delicious fresh food and above and beyond service. If you're in Durham, or Cary, or Morrisville (really anywhere in the Triangle), seriously consider giving this place a try. You won't regret it. read more

By far the worst Indian food place I've ever visited. The single star is for serving "real fresh Naan" for the buffet, while it's very rare when compared. The vegetarian options are very less, all items had extra salt. Believe me, o know when food is cooked with art and attention, it's clearly lacking here. The samosa/ kachori was so bad... I doubt if I can dare to try it somewhere else. The presentation with Fruit/salad/veggies/desert might fool you, but when it comes to actual real cooked good.. There is absolutely nothing..! The staff were kind and courteous, but with good this bad, nothing sells. I wouldn't recommend even for trying it out for a one time thing. read more

They were doing their best to follow the precautions they block the door with a table .they had you slide your card across this 6 foot table. they had on gloves and I can't remember if they were in a mask but they seem to be using all precautions to keep everyone safe it was very impressive. Not to mention of the food is delicious for the price you can't beat it!!! I hope they're cooking with masks etc. also and that they can stay in business. read more

Made out first visit here today, led by Yelp reviews. Two of us LOVED it; two did not like it....would have been two 4's and two 2's....so we'll pick a three rating. The guys will definitely go again! read more

Really not good food at all. My husband and I stopped by for their weekday lunch buffet and were quite disappointed. I won't be going back unless I really have to. Their samosas were undercooked, and tasteless. The garlic naan was really oily. The butter chicken, masala goat curry, and chicken tikka masala looked and tasted the same. All three were made of the same over sweet canned tomato based gravy, with pieces of meat floating in them. The saag tasted alright but had thick crusty darker bits on the top which were very unappealing. The paneer in the mattar paneer was tough and unpleasant. The desserts that we tried were alright- there was nothing wrong with the gulab jamun and the meethi chakri was fine as well. I'm sorry that the food wasn't better because the service was very pleasant. read more

Great food, family operated, good vibes. Handsome Jay provides excellent customer service. You could feel this restaurant's positive soul. Thank you for the experience. read more

We are staying in a local hotel and tried this based on Yelp ratings. It did not disappoint! Excellent food, large portions, good price. They are only offering pick up or delivery at present, and seemed to pay attention to safety details relating to CoVid during pick up. If we lived locally, we'd be regulars! read more

We really like this place. It's quick and easy, and consistently good. It has my favorite chicken saag around!

I'm not a connoisseur of Indian food, so I thought the food here tasted pretty decent and authentic with a good amount of spice, but nothing too special. I went in for the lunch buffet, and at first sight it seemed like there wasn't much food (the buffet counters only take up a small corner of the restaurant). However, they hit the main Indian dishes and I got full pretty quickly. It is definitely worth $10 (!!! probably the best deal for Indian food in the area), but not dying to go back. read more

We ate on a Sunday night. Here's what we had: Appetizer: -Chicken Soup & Tomato Soup - Not good tasted like it came out of a can, neither of the soups tasted like they were Indian Main Course: -Tandoori Chicken Half Order - Taste was inconsistent throughout -Kadai Paneer - Oily and not a lot of paneer, very little taste to dish -Aloo Paratha - Very good, served hot -Salad - ugh - who puts lemons with rinds in a salad? and the dressing was vegetable dip - too salty Service: Very average considering that we were the only two people in the restaurant General Comments: Really french fries are the side dish for main courses? Unacceptable for an Indian restaurant. The Bollywood music is jarring for such a small space and we are not at a club... consider something more melodic and soothing - Ravi Sankar? Food was not top notch on the day we went. We are not going back anytime soon. I know J.C. gave them a good rating but I think it depends if the owner is working that day or not - she wasn't on the day we were there. read more

I love their malai kofta. Food is decent overall. Lunch buffet wasn't impressive but a la carte is better. Service is pretty quick and it's not an expensive restaurant. It's one of my regular Indian food places. read more

I quite like this place. Following my bad experience with Spice and Curry, I decided to try India Gate because of the good reviews. I ordered Chicken tikka masala and pakora chicken, both were really well made and tasted good. I asked for a spicy chicken tikka massala and it was reasonably spicy. I was nicely greeted by the owner upon entering the restaurant and he had my food ready. The downside is that they do not take online orders (I cannot use my coupons). They are also closed on Saturdays and Sunday night only open for take out from 5-7 pm. It sounds like they mostly target weekdays probably for people working at the RTP. read more

Came here for the lunch buffet yesterday and I was pleasantly surprised. India Gate is located in a sort of hidden strip mall so I would have never known it was there if it wasn't for Yelp. The lunch buffet was cheap - $9.99/person and while the selection wasn't massive, the offerings of Indian dishes that they had was great (along with a few desserts that I hadn't heard of before!). Fresh naan was also brought to the table as well. Everything tasted fantastic and I'd definitely come back again! read more

So after the lockdown of Covid, when they re opened for takeout , the quality of food is gone way down. I don't know an Indian restaurant that doesn't serve basmati rice with your order , they did before Covid and now it's jasmine rice! Also quality of curries , has gone down , they basically use same one in all , just mix it up differently. Not worth paying for cheap quality !!!! read more

India gate is your best lunch choice for Indian food in South Durham. The food is authentic (not super-spicy, which I am ok with), and I really recommend the butter chicken. The staff is also very nice. Hard to beat a ten dollar lunch that comes with fresh naan! read more

I went here a few months ago and was pleasantly surprised! I'm not a big fan of coriander/cilantro (which is in most curry), but what I had was perfect! My buddy also wanted his meal prepared at a proper Indian Spice level. The chef obliged my friend and made his order as he would make his own meal. My friend just raved at how good it was! The staff was great as well! I do not hesitate recommending this place to anyone! read more

Love the food and the consistency of flavor. We have not had a bad meal over the past couple of years we've been going here.The family that runs the restaurant is super nice which makes the experience even better. Would recommend for those who are new to Indian spices as well as those who have grown up with them. Delicious! read more

I went for the lunch buffet midweek. The selection is more limited than others I have been to, but I found the food quality high. The spice level was a bit higher than most US Indian buffets, and the naan was very fresh! read more

My partner and I finally decided to give this place a shot, and we were not disappointed. While I can't say this will be our new favorite spot, we will definitely be back again. Pros: Cleanliness - Health Rating is 100%, and restaurant/bathrooms are very clean. Price - At $9.99 for a lunch buffet, this place rocks! Naan - They bring it to your table piping hot, and it's delicious! Flaky, buttery perfection! Atmosphere - The decor is really cute, and there was nice, gentle Indian music playing in the background. It also had a nice, family-run vibe which we tend to favor. Curries - These were delicious! Especially the Butter Chicken and the Daal. They also had Chilli Chicken as a curry, which we thought was very interesting and tasty (we've only seen that as a dry appetizer). Red Onion Chutney - I love having this with Papadum, but I never feel like I'm given enough. I loved that it was on the buffet and I could take my fill. It was also a bit spicier than I'm used to, which was a pleasant treat. Sweet Lassi - We've been noticing a trend that some other places are only serving Mango Lassi, but not Sweet Lassi, so we were glad to see it on the menu. The Sweet Lassi here was perfect. It was quite thin, which usually make me think it's been watered down, but in this instance it was still very flavorful. It was very crisp and refreshing, where many thicker lassis can coat your mouth and fill you up too quickly. Desserts - This buffet had a larger selection of desserts than we're used to, which is a plus. Cons: Curry Selection - We were a bit disappointed that the only meat on the buffet was chicken. It would have been nice to have a lamb or fish curry to break things up. That said, maybe that's how they keep the price at $9.99. Not necessarily a bad thing, just something to be aware of. I've seen other reviewers mention lamb dishes, so maybe it was just the day we were there. Gulab Jamun - This is one of our favorite dishes, but we did not enjoy the one here. We usually like it hot and soft, but this one was cold and firm. The cheese balls were also extremely uniform, which made us wonder if it was canned or frozen, rather than homemade. Kheer - This dish was good, but there was no texture other than rice and milk. We typically enjoy it with some other element, like raisins, shaved almonds, pistachios, etc., but there was none to be found. Halwa - Again, not enough texture. No raisins or any nuts, just carrot. It was also a bit dry (maybe needed more ghee). All in all, this place exceeded our expectations, and is definitely worth a visit! read more

Food is good, but service knocked this review down a star. Butter chicken was delicious, can't get enough of it. We also had the Palak Pander which was just ok, nothing to rave about. But the garlic naan really sealed the deal. We came in for dinner, they were really slow. Things were great, but after we finished we had to wait a least 15 minutes for the check. read more

Home style cooking with a somewhat small selection (Lunch Buffet) but the flavor and quality of the food was amazing. I highly recommend for people who prefer quality over quantity. read more