I'm Indian, my mom was a chef back in India, and I say that only because it means my standards for…read moreIndian food are... unreasonably high. I've lived in Atlanta for almost 30 years and never found an Indian restaurant that got it right. Then I stumbled onto Taj on Fifth in Columbus, Ohio on a business trip, and it might be the best Indian meal I've had outside of home. The lamb chops were incredible... I single-handedly finished the entire order and have no regrets. The butter chicken was the real thing: creamy, properly spiced, none of the honey-sweetened version so many restaurants pass off as authentic. The garlic naan was thin and crispy on the outside, yet soft and chewy in that perfect way you only get from a real tandoor. I'm a 100-pound woman who typically can't finish a single entree, let alone two. Most Indian food is so heavy and greasy that I'm done after a few bites. Here, I polished off a full order of lamb chops and half the butter chicken and garlic naan... one and a half entrees, solo, no help. ‍ Rich, properly balanced, and never heavy. That's rare! The service made the meal even better. My server, Deepak, struck that perfect balance...attentive without hovering. Turns out he's actually the owner and the chef behind the menu, and he took ten minutes tableside to chat with me. We realized he trained at IIHM in Hyderabad, which happens to be my hometown. That explains everything... the food isn't just made with passion, it's made with real technical training behind it. I also had the Jasmeen Dream cocktail, which was a great pairing. If you're anywhere near Columbus, this is a must. I'm already trying to figure out an excuse to go back.

First, the location is great since it's close to our hotel and situated along a busy street, so we…read morefelt very comfortable walking to the restaurant. The area also felt very safe. When we walked in, the restaurant was filled with happy diners, many of whom appeared to be of Indian descent--which is always a great sign when you're looking for authentic Indian food. We ordered the classic butter chicken and beef korma (we substituted beef for the lamb), along with the garlic naan. The garlic naan was perfect--crispy on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside, and the perfect vehicle for scooping up all that delicious curry and getting it straight into my happy belly! The sauces were absolutely amazing and packed with flavor. The servers were also very friendly, attentive, and professional, which made the experience even better. We were really happy with our experience at Taj on 5th and so glad we stumbled upon it while searching Yelp for great restaurants nearby. Definitely a wonderful find and a place we'd happily return to!

One of the best (if not the best) Indian restaurants in Columbus, in my opinion!…read more Everything is so flavorful and aromatic. I ordered the chicken tikka masala, chicken vindaloo, raita, garlic naan, and samosa. Loved it all. You can tell every item is prepared with love and care. It tasted how I would imagine food would taste if someone's grandma prepared it- obviously, I mean that as a huge compliment. Portions are quite large- my partner and I ate it for dinner last night, again for dinner tonight, and still have enough left over lunch or maybe even dinner tomorrow. Don't miss out on this fantastic spot! Taste of Awadh for the win!!

Ample seating and plenty of interesting things to choose from on the menu. spice levels are…read moreslapping! They're doing a really cool innovation where the buffet is now in the evenings, even on weekends. I have yet to come back for that. But the vegetarian taster platter is fantastic. From reading it I believe it's never ending, but you're not allowed to take anything home. And honestly, it's more than enough on the first serve

Very nice restaurant, very clean and tidy, the staff there were really kind and attentive, and…read morethere was lots of tasty foods I got to try. However, I was very disappointed in the Chicken Tikka Masala. I absolutely LOVE Indian and have gone to many restaurants across the US. maybe I just came on the wrong day, but it was very bland (I could tell by the beige color before I even tasted it) Even though I got the "medium-hot" on the spicy scale, it tastes like I asked for no spice at all. It was still good and creamy but it didn't have that full luxurious flavor I am use too. I like to feel the heat in my face, but it didn't even tickle my tong.

So Mark and I decided to check out Aab's lunch buffet the other day... Mixed feelings here…read more.. The food is quite tasty but the price is high for lunch ($16.99) especially considering the limited number of offerings. Also, the items marked "Spicy" really weren't spicy at all. On the plus side, I got a Taj Mahal beer and it was competively priced at $8 a bottle. The service was excellent with all the staff helping with removing used plates and checking to make sure things were all good for us. The ambiance is upscale casual and very tastefully done. I honestly doubt that I'd go back for the buffet but I am up for another visit to try more things on the menu. Also, the "Suggested Gratuity Amount" is wrong. It should be for your food and drink only. They are including tax in their calculations so if you're going by their numbers, you're paying sales tax and tipping on it too. That being said, I'd give these folks 4 stars.

Ordered their dal tadka, navratan korma, and paneer fry for delivery. Arrived properly packed in…read moresturdy containers and warm. The dal tadka will make you miss your mom's home-cooked dal; I love how it is not oily (unlike the dal tadka in many other restaurants). The navratan korma is done just right - fresh vegetables and the perfect amount of spice. And I must end with the paneer fry - a mouthwatering blend of tangy crispy paneer, capsicum, and onions that leaves you wanting more...and more... Ample portions, fresh ingredients, authentic recipes...you've gotten it right, Awadh. I will absolutely be back to try more.

We were first time customers and food was amazing. We loved the garlic naan, chicken kormah, tikka…read moremasala, and lamb samosas. Highly recommend!

The food was great and I liked their garlic Naan. The overall ambience was great. They are very…read morefast and pretty good in servicing.

Where do I even begin? You'd think because it's Chipotle style it would be Chipotle-quality, but it…read moreis way way better. The employees were so helpful and kind, helping us each build great bowls. I got the saag paneer/chicken and mango lassi, and it was INCREDIBLE. It's easily 1.5-2 portions of food and so delicious, I loved building a bowl and getting to have toppings on my food which was super unique. I loved the mango slaw and the cucumber. They look like they have a great happy hour so I'm excited to go back. I can't recommend this place enough. One of my Desi friends came along with me and is very picky about her Indian food but she really enjoyed her meal as well. They look like they have a great happy hour so I'm excited to go back!

Very disappointed. Very confused by all the reviews. I ordered DoorDash and I couldn't see myself…read moreordering again. I ordered the Butter Chicken, curry chicken, saag paneer and some naan. First the naan was more like a cracker than soft naan. Very overcooked or very stale. The saag paneer was just ok. The Butter chicken wasn't creamy. And the curry was just ok. The flavors were lacking, but the biggest most surprising thing was the super tiny portions. I couldn't believe it. This was expensive compared to other places and these are the smallest portions I've encountered in a long time. Not a good value for the money!

the food was absolutely delicious. it was made fresh by the owner. there was 2 available tables to…read moredine at.

Good Indian food but sadly, I received the wrong order and they refused to take care of me…read more I ordered food online from the menu listed as Saag Paneer but received something completely different. I called and was willing to drive to pick up the correct item. But the employee argued with me and did not make it right; and insisted I would have to pay. We have ordered this many times; unfortunately the poor service was a major turn off. We will not be ordering here again.

I had this food delivered and I paid $80 ($9 tip included). It was mediocre…read more 1) I bought the House Special Boneless Chicken Biryani which was $21.00. I paid an additional dollar for what I thought was just extra limes and basic sliced red onion but it wasn't. For $21 you'd thing that the limes and FRIED onion (not to mention an egg) would already be included in this price. It was just rice and the chicken. No show of other flavors such as cilantro or the spices they used to make this. Medium heat on this was good. Definitely expected more for the price 2) 1 full piece Cheese Naan was ok, didn't like the cheddar cheese in it. $5.50 3) Gulab Jamun one of my favorite desserts. got 4 pieces but i expected them to be bigger for $8.40 4. Paneer Majestic: I expected more of a fried dish. Good amount but it was all packed together so the Fried outside ended up being mush. I would suggest a recyclable box to help maintain the product $18 5. Kadai Paneer: was too salty. I went out and bought a potato, boiled it and cooked it in with the Kadai Paneer so it soaked up some of the salt $18 I have had a large variety of Indian Food in my life and is also one of my top 3 favorites cuisines. This is my first one in the Columbus area since I moved here in March. I could potentially go back to this place but not without trying all of the others that are around me.

Delicious food at a great price. Highly recommended…read more Food was quick, highly flavorful. Staff was friendly. Great addition to the neighborhood. I will be making this place part of my frequent rotation.

Ordered VIA APP, said NO CHEESE, NO LETTUCE, no AOLI SAUCE and when got to hospital to feed someone…read morewith it, had all 3. Pointless to use APP if intake employee cares that little. Has happened before, management does not care or would not happen.

Food is 6/10, nothing to write home about but by no means bad. A little greasy, not consistent,…read morestill overall okay. Service is bad. Went with family, ordered 3 masala dosas. At first we got someone else's order. Pointing this out to the waiter seemed to bother them. I'm not particularly interested in eating sometime else's food. First dosa put on our table was very cold. We asked the waitress. She rolls her eyes and says "it's fresh, what do you want me to do". Two other plates for our table come out. Food is hot and fresh. Clear difference in quality. One of the dosas is pancake-like. Super thick. Some have barely any potato. After food was delivered, waitress stopped checking at our table. No water refills or anything else. The ones that were made well were good. But there's no consistency, and pointing it out gets you worse service and poor treatment.

Very cozy yet authentic South Indian spot - an unexpected find during a short trip to Columbus…read more Overall - this is a must visit for anyone who wants to try authentic Indian comfort food! We tried a few different things, I liked the sambar, chutney, and potato accompanied by the dosa. I also tried chole puri, and truly enjoyed this one, the spices were mild and not overpowering like the many other Indian restaurants. Service was quick and the tables were clean. I wish the dosas were not so oily, that was the only downside, hope they improve this next time.

Lots of gluten free options that are labeled!…read more When it comes to Indian food, I love everything that comes off the Tandoor. The shrimp dish was amazing. I ordered it with rice and medium spice. Immaculate. I ordered this through food delivery so I can't speak to the service.

Busy late even on a Tuesday night with laughter from a group of six punctuating the din of academic…read moreconference goers one-upping each other with stories of tony graduate institutions and prestigious journals. We were seated right away and surveyed the menu with a prodigious number of choices including robust tandoori offerings. I opted for the Mighty Shrimp Tandoor which may have been a bit overstated in terms of their girth or lack thereof. I chose 4 out of 5 on the hot scale and it was a full fledged 4 for someone who often opts for 4 or 5. So go low if heat is not your thing. My dining companion went with her favorite, Saag Paneer. Artfully presented, reported to be passible, not spectacular. Alas the rice ironically is where a notable shortcoming came together, literally. There were sticky clumps of rice that were not as warm as the rest and made us think perhaps we'd come too close to closing. With prices of $22 for the shrimp and $19 for the paneer one should hope these standard details are attended to even later in the evening. The servers were pleasant if a bit hesitant. So the good news was they were still open at 8:55 when the first couple places we tried were closing at 9. The food was serviceable but not one we will make a point of returning to.