Quick service, very tasty food at a reasonable price point. The chicken korma was noteworthy. Spice level was just as requested, a bit of kick at the medium level left a pleasant aftertaste on the palate. The tikka masala was different from what I am used to but it was very good and simply reflects a chef's approach to the dish. We came here because of the solid Yelp rating and agree on the 4.6 overall score. We would definitely return and particularly enjoyed the crunchy naan bread. [[HIGHLIGHT]]A nice clean welcoming atmosphere makes this a great choice for students and guests looking for a quality place to eat a very delicious meal and have a good conversation.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

Saffron Indian Cafe - Chicken korma and tikka masala - Indian Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

I'm giving them a five star review! Everything is always fresh and super flavorful! They are so patient with their customers and willing to answer question. They're always super friendly and accommodating. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The place is always clean and neat.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]It's fast casual not meant to be super fancy but the food is just as good![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Oddly enough they even have beef! My paneer saag was outstanding tonight. This was not my first visit. My Vegetable Samosa's even had a little kick to them tonight so I was super impressed by that! read more

Saffron Indian Cafe - Outside so you don't miss it! - Indian Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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My family and I came here for lunch recently. The lady who took our order was very kind and patient. I had a lot of questions about the menu and she happily answered all of them. Although it was not very busy, our food took a while to come out. There were only like 2 people manning the whole place so perhaps understaffed ? Taste wise the food was 5/5, very delicious and I appreciated that the spice level was customizable. We all enjoyed our entrees as well as the appetizers that we shared. I would for sure come back to try some of their other menu items (during off hours though, to avoid having to wait too long). read more

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Great food! Service was good, food made fresh and very tasty! Not too spicy. Wouldn't definitely recommend and go back. read more

Saffron Indian Cafe - CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA and naan bread - Indian Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

We had a great lunch today at Saffron Indian Cafe. We got there right when they opened and the service was exceptional. I got the lunch deal with chicken tikka masala, potatoes, naan, and a tandoori chicken appetizer with rice and my husband got the lamb vindaloo - both were phenomenal. The garlic naan was also amazing. My husband got the mango dessert, which was also great. The food came out quick, hot and had tons of flavor. It was exactly what we were looking for for lunch! We will definitely be back. read more

Saffron Indian Cafe - Indian Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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I was visiting from Ohio. The food and service was excellent. This was my second visit! See you in July!!

My family and I were very disappointed in this restaurant given all the rave review here on Yelp. Cons: - Chicken dishes all had the standard generic chicken cubes dropped into a different gravy. They were hard/dry and not at all tender/succulent - Chicken butter masala sauce was very ordinary and bland. One of the rare occasions we didn't end up finishing all the sauce - Naans are pretty thick and chewy and on the tough side. Pretty disappointed with them overall Lots of better options available in the Triangle imo. read more

Service was very nice, could easily and quickly point to the vegan options on the menu. Had a few samosas while we waited and they were fantastic. [[HIGHLIGHT]]It's a well lit and friendly place and smells of great Indian food![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]The open kitchen seemed clean and well managed.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Great vegan options for a late dinner read more

I give them a ZERO. I simply can not comprehend what makes some of the customers to write such glaring reviews, We just finished dining at this place and I have never been more disappointed by any other Indian restaurant across the USA. The vegetarian items we ordered were totally tasteless - flavorless. How can a "chef" if I may call that - not know how to make Onion Pakoras. It was some way old stale crap that the "Chef" just microwaved and turned it into something humans could not consume. We reported that to the waitress who was very nice and cooperative - she replaced that contraption with somewhat edible form of vegetable pakoras. I ordered a Masala Dosa - which was the most tasteless, flavorless version I have ever tasted. The chutneys tasted weird. I wonder why these so-called North Indian places experiment with South Indian food when they are not even good at making North indian dishes. Attn Vegetarians: STAY AWAY from this Place - there might be better options available in this town. read more

Great place with delicious Indian food. I just love their Mango lassi. Real mango and most delicate taste. Very friendly people work in this cafe. The service is fast and caring. Very tasty food. The chef tries to count all your preferences and makes the food as spicy as you ask for. I sincerely recommend this place. [[HIGHLIGHT]]I like to sit outside, but the inside of the cafe is also nice.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

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Soooo good! Medium is spicy- but my butter chicken was incredible. We will be adding this to the eating out rotation!

Today, my family and I stopped by this restaurant and it was a really great experience. [[HIGHLIGHT]]It had a great ambience and service.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] We had ordered butter chicken, goat curry and beef and goat biryani! Along with butter naan. The food was very flavorful and authentic to Indian cuisine. Towards the end of our meal Chef Rawat had stopped by our table and engaged in friendly conversation and shared that he was new to the Raleigh/Durham area. It was a lovely time and meal and would 100% come again!! read more

[[HIGHLIGHT]]The place looked great and the service was too.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The food was amazing and we really enjoyed it, especially the chicken tikka masala and mango lassi were our favorites. Chef Balkrishan personally stopped by and checked on us to make sure that we enjoyed our food and that is why we think that this place deserves a five star rating. read more

Saffron Indian Cafe - Counter - Indian Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

[[HIGHLIGHT]]Amazing service, food, and no-frills hole in the wall ambiance.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Can't wait to go back. Everything tastes very fresh and housemade. The samosa chaat was perfectly balanced. Could taste the fresh strained mangos in the mango lassi. And the butter chicken was divine, especially with plain butter naan. More tomato based flavor than im used too, which I liked! 65 momos were a great compliment to the saag. read more

Saffron Indian Cafe - 65 momos, butter chix, paneer saag - Indian Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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The restaurant staff are really warm and friendly and the food is wonderful. I ordered the lamb saag, and it was excellent!

Best butter chicken I got the spicy butter chicken and it was delicious and very well seasoned and spicy

Very nice food presentation. Very friendly staff. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Very clean.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Wheel chair accessible. Apple Pay accepted. Can sodas and fountain machine. My wait time at 7:40PM on Saturday was about 12 minutes for chicken tikka masala. You can get spicy or non-spicy. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Outdoor seating is available.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Handicap parking is available. Security cameras in the area for everyone safety. read more

Saffron Indian Cafe - Sanitation rating as of August 2nd 2025 is 97.5 - Indian Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Atmosphere: Saffron Indian Cafe is a newer restaurant conveniently located on Erwin Road. The interior has a few tables but is mainly set up as a takeout restaurant. Service: We ordered on the phone and our food was ready in ~30 minutes. Food: We ordered the Butter Chicken, Chicken Korma, and Garlic Naan. We found that the Butter Chicken and Chicken Korma tasted pretty similar, which we were a bit disappointed by as we were hoping for a more buttery, rich taste from the Butter Chicken and a more savory, complex, and aromatic Chicken Korma. The portions were also quite small for the price point. The Garlic Naan was pretty soggy despite us eating our food ~5 minutes after picking it up. Overall: Despite Saffron's convenient location, we thought that the quality and portion of the food did not match its expensive price tag. We hope to see Saffron grow and improve, but would likely opt for other Indian options nearby. read more

Saffron Indian Cafe - Butter Chicken, Chicken Korma, Garlic Naan - Indian Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

"Good Indian food on Erwin Rd in Durham by Duke's West Campus" This location is between Firehouse Subs and Mediterra-- this spot has been the home of quite a few different restaurants over the years (most recently, Itaewon Grill Korean bowls). The space is brightly lit, and one orders at the counter (or online). If the weather is warm, there are a few tables just outside, though shared with Mediterra and the other restaurants in the strip. My wife and I came here on a Saturday evening around 5:45pm. No other customers were in the store when we started, and only one other couple came and sat in the whole time we were there-- I'm guessing most of their business is takeout. I got the chicken tikka masala, and my wife ordered the vegetarian anjeer bhare malai kofta, both mild and both came with rice, and we both got mango lassis to drink. It took about 15 minutes until the food was ready. Everything was packaged to go, but when the person behind the counter saw we were eating in, he gave us some styrofoam plates. Both dishes were very tasty. I really liked the chicken tikka masala-- it came with some bell peppers and onions, which I'm not used to seeing in this dish, but which complemented the flavors nicely. I had a bite of my wife's kofta, too, and it was nicely flavorful with a tiny hint of sweetness. The rice was good too-- it was basmati, but not just simple white basmati-- had a bit of something else mixed in, too. The only challenge for my wife was that "mild" here was not sufficiently mild for her... I'd rate my chicken tikka masala as between mild and medium (which I was fine with), and her dish was a little too spicy hot for her tastebuds. Service was good even without formal table service-- as I mentioned, they noticed we were eating in and offered us plates, and they seemed concerned when they saw my wife wasn't eating and asked her if it was too spicy for her. Quantity was good-- I did finish my dish, but I was pretty full with that. Price was fair-- $16 for mine and $15 for hers. Maybe a tiny bit cheaper than nearby Naan Stop (which I also like). Overall, I liked it and would recommend it, especially for takeout. And the location right beside Duke makes it ideal for students/ staff/ faculty/ visitors there. read more

Omg, the food was amazing. I'll start with the tikka masala - it was tied for best ever. Thick, creamy sauce with tender flavorful chicken. Reminded me of Pintu's tikka masala in west Springfield Mass - my prior best. We started with the Aloo Tikki Chaat. Wow - so much flavor packed into it. Spouse pulled out a cardamom pod, and I think I tasted some tamarind sauce. Touches of onion and lots of other goodies smushed in. And it had a nice kick to it. Spouse had the beef Pepper Fry which was quite good. The peppers were fresh and still had some crispness; there was lots of meat and it was tender. I had a cup of masala chai which was creamy and full of flavor, including a bit of pepper-heat. This was their second day of being open, and the food was excellent. Don't let the strip mall ambiance deter you; the food here is too-notch. read more

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Nice little restaurant in a convenient location with plenty of parking. The staff are friendly and welcoming. The food is delicious! We had chicken biriyani, chicken korma, and garlic naan. So glad we stopped by! read more

Saffron Indian Cafe - Chicken korma and chicken biriyani - Indian Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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Best authentic Indian food in North Carolina! Most pleasant and professional service too.

Great food and people! We got the box lunch and it was ready in just a few minutes. Also try the mango lassi drink! read more

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Great food and great service by Chef Balakrishnan. We tried Malai Kofta, chicken curry and dal Bukhara and everything was yummy.

Great gem by Duke. I'm in NC for the summer and fall and decided to stop here for a food break after working on homework and wow I could have not been more blessed for the right decision. I have tried the Chicken Tikki Masala and it's actually amazing. Great spice(heat-wise), great use of spices, and everything else that makes this item great. Also, I was able to have other accommodations with no sense of denial such as wifi and military discount. Chef Balkrishan and Roy were great in helping achieve this. read more

Great staff and some delicious Indian food that is near my house....Definitely enjoyed it and planning for it to be a regular stop.....The main dish was amazing and even the Naan was great......Definitely worth checking it out...... read more

I suppose I expected an actual full-service restaurant, so I'm taking that into account in my review -- that this is primarily a takeout place. My friend wanted to try this new Indian restaurant with a hotshot chef from India. We were disappointed at the takeout vibe, but decided to stay. This restaurant has no provision, other than tables, for dining in. The curries are served in plastic containers with lids, the rice is delivered in takeout boxes. The naan is wrapped in foil. There are no trays, so you have to make multiple trips to the counter to pick up your food if you are dining in. Cutlery is self-serve and plastic. It is not at all clear which cups are to be used for water (from the soda machine) and there was no ice in the machine when we were there. Mango lassi is pre-made and served out of the bottled beverage refrigerator. We asked for lamb saag, mild spice and butter chicken, medium spice. It was delivered exactly backwards. The lamb saag was made with good-quality lean lamb, cooked just right (not too soft, not tough), but it was EXTREMELY salty. The flavor was good, but hard to discern under the salt. This is one of my favorite dishes so I expect it to be somewhat salty, but this was extreme. It was MY idea of medium spice, but my companion found it on the mild side. The butter chicken was loaded with nice chunks of tender chicken breast, but the sauce had an odd sweet taste (perhaps tamarind?) that neither of us had ever had from this dish before and that I don't think really worked, for the sweetness overpowered everything. Garlic naan was made fresh and was very good. Perhaps we should have figured that a place close to the hospital was going to be primariy takeout, but the credentials of the chef and the web site led us to believe that this would be a sit-down restaurant. For $62 for two people (just 2 entrees, 1 bread, and 2 mango lassi), including a tip that I don't know why I gave that much given that there is no service other than cooking and packaging the food, I guess I expected something different. read more

Great food but more importantly, great people. Definitely give it a try as it's the best Indian food you can find near Duke now. read more

[[HIGHLIGHT]]Good food, friendly place![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Back again from Lynchburg. We are creatures of habit. He always gets chicken curry, I always get tandoori chicken. Guys were apologetic about how long it took, but tandoorI chicken always takes longer to be just right. Perfectly seasoned and aromatic. Generous portions, made with love and kindness. Coming to town for cancer treatment isn't the best, but we always look forward to visiting her afterwards!! read more

[[HIGHLIGHT]]Great little spot.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] We stopped on our way home from Duke. My wife has alpha gal and they were so helpful in accommodating her. The food was amazing. I highly recommend. read more

Very good! Love the chicken tikka masala. Great place for takeout but [[HIGHLIGHT]]not the best place for a date night[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]]

Best Biryani in town!!! Great customer service.. Me and my daughter enjoy almost everything they have to offer. Been to many restaurants owned by Rawat's.. by far this one is my favorite!! read more

Such a cool spot. The food is SO flavorful, we try something different every time we come. They make it fresh infront of you or you can order their lunch specials, delicious! Never too crowded and so glad we found this place for incredibly tasty Indian food. read more

Weird pervert vibes from the cashier, felt like he was recording me but was slick about it so you couldn't be sure. Be safe if your a college student. Food was just ok, It is also a takeout only restaurant. I've been to the Cary location and the food is much better, with better service. read more

Food was delicious, we had the Chicken Tikki Masala and another dish. We ordered medium which was plenty spicy. Atmosphere was pleasant enough, although it's more for takeout we dined in. Good service, friendly staff. Will return read more

This place is astounding! The food is delicious and everyone is very kind. If you don't want to eat inside you can also order To-go. The mango lassi is also super delicious!! Would definitely recommend if you want a delicious Indian restaurant. Chef Balkrishan was also amazing and very nice in addition to cooking delicious food. read more

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First time trying Indian food and I must say it was quite an experience the different season of the food were very exciting and I will return read more

If you want authentic Indian Food, this is the place. What a delicious lunch we had for our first time. The rice is spiced with seasoning. The vindaloo was flavorful with a rich sauce. The tikka was creamy and delicious. Just a note: spicy is spicy. My lips are red. But you can ask for mild if that's your preference. Simple store front restaurant for a casual meal. Will go again. read more

This newly opened restaurant located on Erwin Rd near Duke hospital. This is by far my favourite Indian place after I've been trying so many different restaurants throughout the triangle area. the food is full of favours and very tasty! read more

Saffron Indian Cafe - Cauliflower 65 & samosas chaat - Indian Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Food was delicious and the service was great! I enjoyed eating here for a quick lunch!! Looking forward to returning!