As we are fan's of Indian food, we were on the hunt for a new go-to spot and came across Saffron. Thank goodness we visited this gem because we may have just found a new favorite spot! We thought it was interesting how Saffron fuses traditional Indian cuisine with Nepalese dishes. Being that we have some friends who are from Nepal, this made us that much more interested in trying out this restaurant. Upon entering, we were immediately greeted by the manger (owner?) who was very friendly, warm and inviting. Because we were newbies, I'm sure he could sense our hesitation and confusion towards the menu. He made it a priority to ask the right questions and make fantastic recommendations as to what we should try. We started off with the Calamari (we have this thing about always ordering Calamari when we visit a new restaurant). While it was not the best we've ever had, it was good. It was fried nicely while still maintaining the calamari's freshness and texture. It wasn't rubbery like most places and the side of citrus mayo was a solid compliment to the appetizer. Onto the main course! Upon an incredible recommendation, I decided to try the "Lamb Pasanda" which was Boneless Lamb Cooked In A Cashew & Pistachios Sauce. It was incredible and I enjoyed every bite! He was spot-on about how much I would enjoy it because he didn't want me to be bored with the regular Tandoori Chicken that everyone seems to get because it's a "safe bet." We also ordered the "Achari Chicken" which was Cubes Of Boneless Chicken Cooked In Fiery Pickled Spices. It was more spicy than the Lamb Pasanda and quite frankly could not compare. However, it was very good...we just loved the other dish more. With an order of Naan which went perfectly with our meals, we were in heaven. We had such a wonderful experience at Saffron, that we simply cannot wait to return. My mouth is watering just thinking about it! Kuddos to the Staff and chef. We will see you soon! read more

Saffron - Austin - Bombay Brussels! These brussel sprouts were soooo good! They're oven roasted and tossed in creamy mustard sauce. - Indian Near Me - Austin, Texas

This place is really good. Lots of options on the menu, including Nepalese food. The pakoras, chana masala, aloo gobi and garlic naan were delicious. Service was prompt and friendly. We'll definitely be back. read more

I always come back to Saffron. I LOVE IT. Flavors are good. The paneer tikka masala, lamb rogan josh and paneer chili NEVER disappoint. Garlic naan was a tad doughy today but I'll let it slide! Already thinking about going back. read more

I thought this Indian food was very good. It tasted fresh and was well spiced. Portions were good.

Hands down best Indian food in Austin! Everything from flavors to ingredients to the service this place is the best! Being from queens nyc i grew up with some epic Indian food. Houston is also another Indian food Mecca and I think this rivals some of the best in Htown and even nyc! This is our go to from now on!!!! read more

I think Saffron has good taste and consistently good food, but in ordering take out recently, I ordered the "Bombay Brussels", they were $7. It is the saddest excuse of a serving of Brussel sprouts I have ever seen. To add insult to injury, I called back to discuss and they hung up on me twice and the manager apologized and said he would try to take it off my bill but since it was an online order they didn't know how to...what?!? Read through the other reviews, they are consistently serving very smaller portions with high prices. read more

4.25 stars. Saffron isn't the Hillcroft neighborhood in Houston, and it doesn't need to be. Instead, it's a rather unassuming strip mall restaurant on the outskirts of the Far West neighborhood in Austin, and what it does is provide excellent renditions of Indian and Nepalese cuisine. We started with an Indo-Chinese favorite of mine, the Gobi Manchurian. In Saffron's preparation, mid-sized husks of cauliflower are doused in a gravy fragrant with onion, garlic and pepper. We also devoured the french cut chicken lollipops which were appropriately served with a spicy dipping sauce. We opted to have our lamb sekuwa served with dinner, but the lamb came with cucumber and lime and was well spiced without being overpowering. Our other dinner options were also great. The saag paneer has enough cream without become overly indulgent in that one note flavor and the shrimp curry was fiery and went well with the garlic naan. Service was yet another win for Saffron. Everyone who worked here was really nice, and nearly every table was told as they were walking out the door that Saffron hoped they had done enough to gain a repeat customer. While my table didn't get the end salutation (it was a busy night for the restaurant, and they treated us very well), I can assure you I have every intention of coming back. read more

Saffron - Austin - Saag, shrimp curry, nepalese lamb - Indian Near Me - Austin, Texas

We usually go eat at the biderman's deli in the next door shopping center. This time when we came they were out of lot of food options. So we decided to give saffron a try. We got there around 2pm right before the were closing. They let us in. Restaurant looked very clean and staff seemed very friendly. Definitely a step up from a usual Indian restaurant. We asked for were momo's but they didn't have any. Actually they said it would take a while to cook momos and they were closing. So we ordered regular entrees including some okra appetizer. Definitely a unique kind of okra I ever had. More like a hay stack fried okra. It's was fine though. Little bit on tangy side but still good. For main course we ordered baigan bharta, classic chicken curry and some goat dish. Baigan bharta was amazing with smoky flavor. Goat meat was equally good. Only complain on chicken was, it said chicken would come o the bone. But when we got the dish it was boneless pieces which were a bit on hard side. Never the less food was simple just like home cooked with just enough spices. Will come back and try different entrees another time read more

Saffron - Austin - Fried okra - Indian Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Reasonable prices, quick service and good food! Tried the samosa, paneer tikka, malai kofta and achari chicken.

I've ordered an assortment of items and have had the best experience every time. The food is delicious. Their delivery packaging is great and keeps the food hot. read more

I think we all knew that getting authentic, good Indian food is hard to come by. The consensus is all the same - even the best restaurants are "okay". Even the good restaurants are Americanized Indian. Saffron by far is one of the best, if not the best. We had an after work dinner and without any regret of our choice. We had the malai kofta upon which you can tell was made fresh from the gravy and kofta's silky texture. It simply fell apart as we dipped our garlic naan in. Rice actually had the long sought after time aroma and was airy fluffy but moist. It is rare to come across goat in itself and when there is such a selection, the meat would he dry and hard. The chefs here has a talent for tenderizing and making things melt harmoniously in your mouth which was the expected case with the bone in saffron goat curry. So delicious that I ate it for breakfast the next day. I am an extreme spicy lover and although the waiter will rightfully warn you that extra spicy is threatening to most, commit to the side of habenero sauce that they can provide for you to add it to the normal spice level. Nearly forgot the vegetable momos since I got carried away with everything else. Eat these right away while they're piping hot and steamy. Insides had curry flavor stuffing wrapped in a thick Momo skin that hardens and become slightly chewy as it cools - so again, eat fast! Will definitely come back, I heard great things about the buffet. Glad to find a good go to place close to the new job! read more

We pass this restaurant regularly on far west. We decided to stop by for some Indian food. We ate dinner at the restaurant and did not have buffet. We were very happy to find that the Vegan items were clearly marked on the menu. The service was nice. The restaurant is BYOB. The prices are reasonable. Will definitely plan to bring the family back for another meal soon. read more

Very good food and service! The food took a little long to come out, but I didn't mind. We got the seafood moiley in mild, but I think it would've been a little better medium or hot. It was still very good though. Delicious food, great service, it has it all! read more

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I absolutely love this restaurant and frequent it. The to go lunch special is enough food for more than one meal and it is absolutely delicious! The staff is always super friendly and the woman who is usually up front is the sweetest! I love this place and the people in it. I almost always get the vegetarian to go lunch special (they change up the dishes that are in it -usually saag paneer or matar paneer) with raita and mint chutney. If I had to say there was some they could work on- I once got vegetable pakora that was over fried. Considering how often I eat here, one tiny mistake over all this time is nothing! I love Indian food and moved here from NJ where there were at least 7 amazing Indian places within 15 min of me. I had a hard time finding good Indian in Austin and am so grateful I discovered Saffron! I love them! Go there and eat all the yummy food **unless things have changed since the reviews where people complain about portion size, I don't know what those people are talking about. I literally get 2-3 meals out of the to go lunch every time! **I'd also like to mention, as I noticed another did, that the food is extremely well packed! They go over all the boxes with Saran so NOTHING leaks read more

Love this place so much. The Brussel sprouts are so special and you can't go wrong with the classics, Tikka Masala & Grandmas Curry.

Food was great, but it's family run so service can be a bit slow at times. Just something to keep in mind but it's really great!

The food here is all homemade with family recipes that are tasty and unique. For instance the lamb kebobs were amazing and unlike any I've had before. But what really stood out for me was the service. They were so kind and attentive. This restaurant has a warm, lovely family vibe. read more

We ordered takeout from this restaurant a couple of times and it has become one of our favorites for North Indian food. Everything we ordered was great (Paneer Tikka, Malai Kofta, Palak Paneer, Naans, Veg Biryani) and it reminded us of the succulent North Indian food you get at restaurants back in India. This will remain on our list for future orders. read more

Everyone in our party of seven loved their food. The portion sizes were good, the garlic naan was fantastic and our server was great. This is our new favorite place for Indian food. read more

Love the food here so much. Favorite spot in town for Indian. Tandoori chicken is always so flavorful and tender. The samosas are bomb, we always order two Orders so we can eat some with our leftovers. We always have leftovers here and we like it that way. The food is also great the next day. Haven't eaten inside in a while bc Of Covid but we get carry out from here a lot. read more

While we usually enjoy take it from saffron, although pricey, tonight our $14 scallop dish contained three small bay scallops (one not pictured because I ate it, trying to figure out what part of the order it was) and a pile of sauce. There is no way this could be an actual meal for anyone, not even a toddler. So disappointed. read more

Saffron - Austin - The smallest bay scallops in the world, pretending to be an actual meal. - Indian Near Me - Austin, Texas

I love both Nepalese and Indian food, and Saffron does not disappoint. I've enjoyed their Biryani, their Momos, their Saag Paneer, and even their Tikka Masala and have no complaints. I think they have a buffet.. I'm not sure when though, and have never tried it. Spice levels are more Indian/Nepalese spice levels, NOT American spice levels so make sure to order mild if you can't handle spicy food. I love spicy and depending on the day, will order medium, hot, or extra spicy. read more

I've been in one other time for their lunch buffet and really liked it. It turned me onto their veggie chow mein. I ordered takeout from them via their website. What I got was pretty underwhelming. What frustrates me most was the portions. $9 for the veggie chow mein - it wasn't filled enough in the container. $13 for chicken tikka masala that came in a much smaller container than the veggie chow mein. I attached a pic for dish comparison. My order didn't seem correct either. I selected Medium spice online for the masala - there wasn't any spiciness whatsoever in my dish. The garlic naan I ordered was regular non garlic naan. The cherry on top is my pick up for 6:10PM was actually ready closer to 6:25PM. I wanted to make Saffron my go-to Indian takeout - but not sure I'd get it again. The lunch buffet was good tho read more

Saffron - Austin - Indian Near Me - Austin, Texas

Nothing perks up a cold dreary drizzly day (or any other kind of day) like a plate full of Indian and Nepalese cuisine...especially one where I tried each and every offering and it was tasty to the last bite. They bring hot fresh nan to you and ask if you'd like some...yes please thank you very much. We loved the service and a huge plus for me is they were open at 11 am and the buffet was fully stocked and ready for me to graze....my wife showed restraint and barely loaded a plate, i reined myself in and didn't even need sideboards to keep it all on my plate. We loved the food and the people and we'll be back for more and probably soon. If you love Indian food, this needs to be on your radar. read more

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The samosa Chat was absolutely on point. Btw friends... They close at 9, at least on Saturdays, when I went. read more

I dream about the Chicken MoMo! Saffron is currently my favorite Indian restaurant in Austin.

This is the best Indian food I've ever had in Austin. Their lunches are a good deal for a lot of food, and the quality is impeccable. Love this place! read more

Saffron is around the corner from us - I love their chicken tikka masala - side of a raita and a warm fresh naan everyone once and awhile. It's not inexpensive but the quality is so good I know they are paying a lot for their ingredients. My partner has a thing of their saag paneer in the house/ fridge at almost all times. Ask them for the tamarind and cilantro chutney when you pick up so you don't have to pay $3 for a huge side that will go to waste (well does in our house). read more

Good Indian food at a reasonable price. We made reservations last night for dinner and were pleased by our waiter's hospitality. As an appetizer we ordered the gobi manchurian and the vegetable pakoras. Both were excellent. Fab job with the chutney. For our meals we had the chicken tikka masala and murg shahi korma. We went with a mild spice level on the masala and medium on the korma. Both had too much heat for my liking, which is odd because I'm a salsa girl. I like a little burn and have what I believe to be average spice tolerance, but both dishes were so spicy that it took away from being able to savor the flavor. I won't hold this against Saffron, but next time I'll ask for no heat, just to play it safe. We had the rosemary & cheese naan, which was good but lacked cheese and flavor. Now our favorite thing that we ordered was the saffron naan...amazing! Definitely a must! It's sweet and has a filling of pistachio, cashew, and saffron. The hubs and I both loved it! Very unique. Atmosphere was decent. The restaurant is located in a strip mall, but they did good with the space that they have to work with. We'll definitely be back! read more

I love this place and everything good I said in the last review still stands. I only write updates if I have discovered a new epic success or new epic fail. This is a new epic success. The Saffron naan. No - the dominant taste is not saffron. It is called Saffron naan so it can be named after the restaurant. It is a house specialty. It LOOKS like pomegranate naan. That same color red and little red circles. But it is actually a sweetened cashew filling. It is A D D I C T I V E I just had an appetizer and the Saffron naan - and I didn't want anything else. I was full, happy, and I devoured every molecule of naan in my basket. * * * Don't take a date to Saffron and order Saffron naan. * * * If you want your date to see the wild animal in you ... you want to show that in a more intimate setting. You don't want to show your wild animal side by scarfing two whole Saffron Naan into your face in less than thirty seconds. * * * Order the naan - but only when you are by yourself or with people with whom you are in a secure relationship. read more

Rating the Sunday buffet. There are better places to go for an Indian buffet lunch. The food was not fresh when we arrived at 12:15 but that's not surprising since there were so few people in the restaurant. As a few more people arrived they freshened the food but we'd already served ourselves. Also beware pricing for children. They initially charged adult price for my entire party. I asked if this was normal and they offered to charge children's price for my 7 year old (he ate 2 pieces naan, 1 piece tandoori chicken, and one small spoon of chicken tika). My 10 year old ate less and when I asked about the age for children's pricing was told he didn't know the ages but the manager had said only the younger one could be charged the children's price. This wasn't bad but I wish I'd gone somewhere else. read more

Stopped here for some takeout on a whim, and so glad I did. Here's what went happily into my belly: - plain naan - excellent. Nice and chewy and flavorful. Next time I'm trying garlic. - lamb vindaloo - spicy and meaty without being dry - samosa with tamarind and the green stuff sauce - ugh I'll be honest this is really what I'm looking for when I get Indian. Crisp, flaky, filled with potatoes and wonder. So happy! The waiters were wonderful and charming and super attentive for the 10 or so minutes I was waiting for my order. Next time I'm dragging a group of ladies for dinner and we're gonna give them a run for their money. 10/10 will return! read more

Saffron - Austin - Half a portion of the Lamb Vindaloo and a samosa. - Indian Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Goat curry? more like G.O.A.T curry, amirite?? In Austin anyway (TBF the goat curry at Biryani &Co is great, too) These are really nice people making really good food, and you should order some of it and give them your money. Seriously, it's all really good. I am looking forward to the day when they can reopen their buffet because it was without a doubt one of the best in town. "I'm just wild about Saffron" read more

As a last minute decision, my boyfriend and I decided to get Indian food. I wasn't sure what to expect but I loved the food and the staff. I was unsure of why the tandoori chicken still had bones, but I understand everywhere is different. Would love to come back soon and try more food that is offered read more

Saffron - Austin - Tandoori Chicken - Indian Near Me - Austin, Texas

Saffron is kinda like when you realize that your date is a very nice person but there is no chemistry there. After 2 dates I had fun, but there's no love affair with this place. The good and the not so great...Right now Saffron is take-out only. The person at the register is very friendly. Orders came out very quickly. The tandoori chicken was dry and gritty. I think that's what happens when too much of the marinade is left on chicken and it then overcooks-the yogurt "breaks" and becomes little gritty beads. The chana (chickpeas) were tasty, and the best flavored dish we tried, but literally swimming in tablespoons of oil. The saag had lots of paneer, but was void of the complex flavors/aromas of my favorite Indian restaurants. On an ending note, I will say that, on both visits, the onion kulcha was perfect. read more

One of my favorite in Austin. Check the pics. Me and my husband stopped at Austin for Saffron on our way to San Antanio. Totally worth it. We went in when they were serving buffet but staff were nice to let us order from menu as item I wanted to try was not in buffet. Professional staffs Make sure you try Kathmandu style Kothe Mo:Mo. So juicy.. yummmm... Chicken Mo:Mo was steaming hot when we got it. If its not steaming its not GOOD Mo:Mo its signature of MO:MO and many resturant here in US fails to do that. Nepali decoration was heart warming.  They were playing mix of indian and Nepali music. We hardly hear any Nepali song even if the resturant is Nepali. So Thank you Saffron :) Will definitely stop again and again when we are around. read more

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Saffron should definitely be on the best Indian Food in Austin list! I visited on a Thursday for dinner with a group of 4 and had a reservation but definitely didn't need one. Most people were picking up to-go orders it seemed. ***Definitely note that Saffron is BYOB! No corkage fee or anything so it's actually nice. They are in the process of getting their beer/wine permit. Get the Momos (dumplings), they were so good. Our table ordered a couple chicken dishes (Chicken Tikka Masala was one) and a couple lamb dishes and they were all excellent! Garlic naan was also great. Our server was very helpful with recommendations so definitely ask! Location is a little random but there's parking and a CVS across the street for BYOB purposes so it works. Definitely going back! read more

Excellent food, great service. We had lunch today and ordered the mushroom curry and kofta along with naan and kulcha. My favorite Indian/Nepalese restaurant in Austin! read more

Saffron is a simple concept in a strip mall type plaza near the far west area. I don't remember what used to be here but it's really pleasant to walk in with all of the added light in the restaurant. It's an open concept Indian restaurant and for a Saturday evening was relatively busy. The decor is simple and the menu is relatively simple for those who don't know much about Indian food. The other perk of this place is that it's BYOB...yes I said BYOB. So not only do you save yourself $40 on a bottle of wine but y'all can drink whatever your heart desires and share with the table if you'd like! The menu is simple and dissected into vegetarian and meat options which satisfies most palates. All the dishes we ordered were flavorful and unique. I really liked the lamb jalapeño poppers and the calamari although it smelt fishy was not fishy in taste but large and hearty rings. The chicken korma has a good flavor along with the goat curry that we tried, I'm used to a lot of heat in Indian food but these were perfectly balanced. It also looks like they do lunch during the weekends and weekdays buffet style which is nice to know if I'm ever in the area. So yes I'd come back again and yes I'll bring more drinks! Thanks saffron for a great double date night! read more

What a gem! Was taking an elder to medical care nearby and decided to stop in for lunch on a Thursday afternoon. Plenty of tables available. We started with samosas, and they were enormous and delicious, and tasted fresher than at many places in town. I had lamb vindaloo extra spicy. It would have been pretty spicy for many people, but they brought me some extra heat to take it to the next level. Aside from heat, the dish was nicely seasoned and generously portioned. The sauce was so tasty I nearly ate my napkin. My companion had the lamb pasanda. It was mild but filled with rich flavors. She really enjoyed it. The garlic naan was moist and airy, exactly as it should be. Even the basmati rice was done well, with green peas in it for an extra twist. The atmosphere was really clean and pleasant, and our server was so cheerful and attentive. This place is on my faves list now. read more