This restaurant was once owned by the family that ran Dusmesh. However it seems that they sold it several months ago. Just like Dusmesh, the quality at Swad has declined considerably. Once we were seated, we were shuffled through several servers, and each were confused by who was waiting on our table. One of the waiters made a habit of stroking our two year old's cheek every time he stopped by, something neither us nor our child appreciated. One of the other servers pressured us several times into adding more food to our order. The food itself was more expensive than before, but not nearly as good. The biryani I ordered had the texture and flavor of rice from a Mexican restaurant. The raita on the side was watered down. My wife's chicken tikka saag was much better but still bland. Both dishes were missing spice and the lovely nuance associated with Indian food. Our naans were thick and doughy. Have I had worse Indian food? Absolutely, but the experience was so disappointing given what this spot was at one time. Unless I lived in the neighborhood I would probably not stop here again. read more

Momos are now at Swad. They have both chicken and veg. I loved the sauce. We ordered Thali for the first time, too. What a treat! I liked the veg better aloo, mushrooms mutter, and saag paneer - I liked the shrimp saag better . There were 3 entree samples, Raita, two kinds of bread. So good! read more

A local favorite because their food and service are phenomenal! I have been here twice so far. I have always heard people rave about it so I tried it for takeout a while back. I got their malai kofta which was really tasty! Very close to what I've had in Pune, India. The second time was during a weeknight with a very large group. Our server was very friendly, making jokes and even knowing some of the regulars' orders. The place was moderately filled outside of our group. Everyone got their food in a reasonable time too! This most recent time I got dal makhani with some chapati and papardum. I was worried about the size of the chapati at first since I'm used to them being small but it came out the same size as a naan. The papardum included plain and spicy pieces with enough for leftovers. Now the dal makhani, which is made from a brown lentil -- AMAZING! Not many Indian places seem to have this dal but it is my favorite! Creamy, earthy and filling! Also don't be fooled by the small looking containers. It's a lot of food. Next time I go, hopefully I can check out their buffet! read more

This is our favorite Indian restaurant. I always order the chicken tikka masala, it never disappoints. The staff is friendly and the restaurant is clean and welcoming. This is a weekly ritual in my home. The portions are large. We usually order several meals and then everyone shares. I have found many items on the menu that are amazing, but chicken tikka masala is still my favorite. read more

My boyfriend and I have made this our new "it" place for Indian. We have eaten here about five times and each time they impress us with service and quality. The food is delicious. I order the vegetarian thal-the entrée sampler platter-at a spicy number four. It has the right amount of kick and the ability to sample several different dishes in one go is perfect for someone who wants a taste of everything. The servers have all been attentive and kind. They are very knowledgeable about the menu and are very helpful with explanations of dishes, spiciness, and suggestions for other items you might also like. I would highly recommend this restaurant to both frequent Indian style foodies and newbies. read more

I live nearby in Mt Healthy, so once i found out that an Indian restaurant was opening up not even 5 minutes away, I HAD to try it! I went there for a late lunch/ early dinner around 4 on a Saturday. Being newly opened and such a strange time of day, the place was completely empty. We were seated by the window and given menus and water. I ordered my go to meal: Chicken Tiki Masala- add paneer, with a side of garlic naan. Food took a while to get out, but it was delicious! The only complaint i had is that its a little pricey, but then again, what Indian restaurant isnt? I will definitely be a repeat customer and look forward to going back for the buffet! read more

What impressed me most about my visit to Swad was that the server recognized my husband, remembered that he was gluten free, and was very careful to suggest menu items without gluten. We will go back just for this fantastic service! We sat outside on the patio and it was very loud and echo-y because of a table of exuberant kids, but when they left I quite enjoyed the space. We really enjoyed the tandoori veggies (can't remember the Indian name) and the Special Chicken Tikka Masala. read more

I've done the carry-out once and the buffet once. The carry out was a better experience especially since you can text your order in. My wife and I each ordered a lunch item and we each got two meals out of what we ordered. They are a little pricey but the portions are generous and there are coupons on their website. The buffet is good, but not life-changing. I am a vegetarian and most of the dishes were chicken-based. What I had was good, but most of it was stuff I couldn't eat. read more

Great lunch buffet - chicken tikka masala was delicious! Nice front dining room and back buffet room. Nice to see the old staff for Dusmesh and their quality of service and food. read more

I am glad that this place is open, Indian in the 'burbs is a huge step up. But I must say it isn't my fave. In a pinch, I guess it will do, but I find the flavors a little on the bland side (and that is coming from someone who is a spice wimp!) My biggest complaint is that they water down the Raita(yogurt cooling sauce that comes with biryani) and the biryani just isn't right. Like I said, I am glad that there is an indian place close, but I would like a little bit more authenticity. read more

3.5 stars, really, but I have a strong suspicion that rating will go up on future visits. We called ahead and made a reservation for the same night, then drove over, parked in the side lot, and walked right in. Having been to this location back when it was Van Zandt, it was funny/interesting to see what looked the same and what had changed. The front dining room was pleasantly busy, and based on staff/customer traffic, I think the back dining room probably was too. We ordered mango lassi (delicious but filling!), an appetizer of fried cheese (sorry I can't remember the proper name for it), and then garlic nan and our favorite dish anywhere, chicken tikka masala. Everything was *really* good -- except the fried cheese. That came out kind of dry and spongy, a definite disappointment. (Hence why I think we'll like Swad better in the future. Next time: samosas!) Anyway, this is the first place that I've really thought could compete in my heart against Ambar. It's also much closer to us than Ambar is, and the parking situation is a bit better. (There's a lot on the side of the Swad building, as well as a good amount of street parking on both sides out front.) Service at both places is good, but *friendlier* here. Pricing seems on par. read more

Hands down, this is the best Indian buffet in Cincinnati! It's $8 and all of their food is being refilled constantly because of how much traffic they get. I love that they have both garlic naan and normal naan. The food is hot, and they have a good variety of dishes. Their spice level is perfect! With a lot of Indian buffets, I feel like they go too light with the spice level and the dish just doesn't feel the same. It also seems like their dishes actually have the chicken and other protein in it! A lot of Indian buffets seem to be all sauce, but not Swad! I also tried a Mango Lassi for the first time. Yum! The atmosphere is a little dim, but the service is pretty good. read more

Unfortunately, not as vegan friendly as they claim to be. The rice has butter, and more than once I have found paneer in my food. The naan is also not vegan. read more

What an awesome restaurant. The owners and staff are super friendly, the interior is upscale, sweet covered outdoor patio, BYOB (for now), and handcrafted delicious food. Swad's lunch buffet is the best I've had. Get gone to Swad Indian Restaurant now, try the mango lassi with your meal and say hi to Maya and AJ. read more

I can't help but provide an update. The service at Swad is amazing. Unfortunately I am only able to patron Swad once every few months. And, true, I do tend to get some of the same 4-5 dishes in rotation. But the last time I went, the owner (who also serves as a charming waiter for dining in) not only recognized my order, but the spice level and protein substitution. He said, "just like last time?" - which just made me smile from head to toe. The food is delicious. My favorites are the goat curry and baingan bharta. the other staples are also delicious including the excellent variety of breads and rices. read more

Based on the solid recommendations, I scheduled a business lunch at Swad and was not disappointed. The staff was very kind and grateful for the patronage. We had the lunch buffet which had a good representation of the standbys and some really unusual dishes too. The egg dish was really tasty. I sampled about 6 things and the Dal soup and it was all really solid Indian food. The place was clean and well kept with two dining rooms and an covered porch area. I would recommend anyone that appreciates good Indian give Swad a try. I'll be headed back when I'm in that area of town. read more

Wow. Wow. And wow! Gf and I stopped by looking for something off the wall and DELICIOUS and man did Swad deliver! For less than $8 I couldn't even DREAM of better food! UNBELEIVABLE. GO. Go now. Hurry. read more

Definitely the best indian restaurant in the Cincinnati area. Amazing food & excellent service. I will be here every time I visit Cinci. I have eaten here twice this visit and it was perfect each time. The naan was simply amazing and their saag is always my top choice. I've never been to a better indian restaurant (I have been to about 15 diff places). I plan to try many more in the future, but I can't imagine it getting much better than this place. My only suggestion is that they not have flashing twinkle lights above the bar. I love the lights; dislike the flashing. Not pleasant. Another great thing is that they are byob AND they have a bar! How cool is that?! This place will be a favorite of mine for as long as they are around (which I hope is forever). read more

I love Indian cuisine and Swad was no exception. When my wife and I ordered food, it was great! However, I must rate it a 2 star based on my last (and most likely, final) experience. My wife placed an order, but the woman on the other end was too distracted to take it. I was greeted by a young woman, who promptly stood up, said to another woman to take care of me and vanished into the kitchen. The other woman neither smiled, nor made any attempt to be friendly. I handed her my credit card as payment and she put it on the counter after processing it. When I brought the food home, we were in for more disappointment. The food came in smaller containers than they had in the beginning. My wife ordered our food with a #2 spiciness. Our food was bland and flavorless. The fried naan was heavy with grease. All of this at a higher price than another Indian restaurant which is close to our location as well. We will not be back. read more

This restaurant used to be great. Not sure if it's different owners but the customer service is a joke. Called a to go order in and they say 10min. I get there 15 minuets later and they can't find my ticket. Then the 2 women working up front find it and start yelling at one another ( I'm assuming about who didn't take it back to the kitchen). She then takes my money and leaves me standing there for 5 minuets. Then she comes out and says it will be 10 minuets. Okay 10 minuets pass and they bring it to the bar. She says your food is up so I walk up to the bar to get it and they are arguing again over who is going to just give me my bag( they were both trying to wait tables as well). Food is still pretty good but I've been going there for a while and it was great when it opened but has gone way downhill since. At least offer a guy a drink or mango lassi while he's waiting for your mess up. read more

Just an addendum to the older review: They now have a liquor license, offering many wonderful Indian Beers! Rejoice!!! read more

This place has an extensive menu, and the staff is really friendly and efficient. Have never been disappointed with their fish Tikka, chicken Tikka and all the vegetarian options. Of course, it's got the North Indian heavy cream. But you can avoid those items on the menu. Highly recommended! read more

Delicious food, excellent service We shared Bhartha Mushroom (heat 3) and Aloo Gobi (heat 5) with Roti and Garlic Naan. It was all fantastic and the perfect level of heat. The best Indian food I've had in the area, maybe ever. I definitely recommend Swad. read more

Been here before for the buffets and I loved it. As a newbie to Indian cuisine I chose items on the regular menu that I was comfortable ordering and for several times it was the same thing. We decided to come here for dinner again and I wanted something different and the waitress couldn't give me a recommendation and told me everything was good which I believe but I was expecting some sort of guidance on something different hence the 4 stars instead of 5. So I ordered the same thing. I do ask severs for recommendations as I value their opinions since they deals with customers all the rime and know what people like or dislike. I will come here again but I've met another server that I wil request next time. read more

The food was fantastic - I got chicken curry and my friend got mixed vegetables (with some kind of sauce, didn't say on the menu). We also both ordered naan. The entrees were full of flavor - sooo good! - and the naan was piping hot and fresh. A+ on the food. The service, however, was lacking. They got moderately busy as the night went on, but the place was only about half-full. My water glass was empty for quite a while and when someone gave us the check they didn't linger long enough for me to ask for more water - nor did they offer. Once we had our payment ready it took quite a while before we were cashed out. I will be craving that delicious curry, so I will be back, but hopefully the service will be better. read more

Cute, cozy, excellent service. And they have the same amazing chef who made me fall in love the food at dusmesh. I now prefer coming here. This is certainly at the top of my list for best Cincinnati Indian food along with Brijmohan. Great vegetarian options. The tea has good flavor and the naan is excellent. read more

Always great and I love that their spice levels are easy, if you like a bit of heat but still wanna taste flavor I'd recommend starting at 4 out of 10 read more

Great food and good service. The business has been in operation for several years and the food quality has been consistent throughout.

I have gotten takeout about 3 times from here, never eaten inside before. Overall a good experience but not my favorite place to go. Pros: Good location, pretty much the only Indian restaurant that delivers on the West Side. Ordered online and delivery was right on time. Chicken mushroom curry and Lamb Shrimp dinner combo were both good. Cons: The last time I ordered from here I got Lamb Do Piaza which I have had many times at other locations but this one was different, way too much oil was used so it wasn't creamy and it was hard to eat. Too strong of tomato flavor as well. Prices are a little high but average for Indian food around here. The Naan was okay but not as good as at other places in town. read more

Having heard good reviews, we selected Swad for a week night dinner. Food was tasty and well presented. The service did not compare. We had to wait over 15 minutes after asking for our check. read more

The food is terrible. The only thing that was the good was the ice cream bar and the 2 out of 3 desserts. The reviews on here don't do justice, I only went here seeing the reviews. You could tell seeing the food in the buffet that it wasn't fresh. Samosa were frozen and I wouldn't be surprised if the food was from yesterday. Terrible Indian food and I feel disgraced knowing this is an Indian restaurant because I myself am Indian and have never had this terrible food ever. read more

I think Swad has "jump the shark." Had been a family favorite for the past years, but recent visits have been disappointing. More bad than good for lunch today. Old, over-cooked, mushy Saag Paneer. No chicken in the Chicken Curry. Nan flaky on on side but cardboard-like on the other. Gulab jamun still frozen in the center. It's going to be a while until I come back. New Krishna has become our favorite... read more

This is an amazing restaurant with a wonderful buffet. The atmosphere is very nice and the food on the buffet is perfectly spiced: not too hot, but just enough that it is bursting with flavor. When I found out it was the same great people that used to run Dumesh in Clifton, I tried it right away and I am very happy I did. It was great to see AJ and Maya again and the buffet had varied, wonderful food on each of the past three times I have eaten there. I am so happy there is a GREAT Indian restaurant so close to my house in Mount Healthy. read more

This family used to run the dis mesh restaurant located by Cincinnati State College. The new location is larger and offers much more parking. In my opinion they serve the best Indian fair in the area. I would give 5 stars but the service was slow. I'm sure they will improve on that as they become used to the larger facility. Highly recommend the lamb saag and ginger chicken dishes. read more

My friend and I met up at Swad to catch up on a Thursday evening. I was familiar with their excellent lunch buffet, but had not ordered off their menu. My friend brought her two young boys with her and the wait staff could not be more accommodating! Throughout our meal, they stopped by to check on us and chatted with the little boys. Service was top notch! My food was excellent and my garlic naan was the best naan I've ever had! I ordered chicken biyrani and it was delicious! I'm a big fan of Ambar in Clifton, but love the location and service at Swad. Thank you for an excellent meal and dining experience! read more

This place is so much cleaner than Dusmesh. Smells better too, staff is very friendly and accommodating. Plus they have Palak Paneer, fried spinach! Good place to take a date. Parking was awkward if you never been here before. Wish they have an all day buffet! Oh well stiil food is excellent read more

Swad is one of my favorites! Every time I get something delivered via Uber Eats or pick it up to go the food is always amazing. The chicken tikka masala is fantastic, but really you can't go wrong with anything there! read more

Never had a bad experience here! We've dined in, ordered delivery, and gotten take-out, and everything is always delicious! My husband was a little disappointed that the lunch buffet didn't offer many spicier options, but we both enjoyed trying everything they had. We love Swad!! read more

Indian buffet is pretty good and has a nice selection- the main eating is a bit dim? Wait staff is very prompt and polite.

I always enjoy my food here. The food is fresh and hot when it arrives at the table. The lunch buffet is a must to try. I was introduced to garlic naan here and I am hooked. The staff is friendly and helpful. Nice neighborhood place. read more