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Swadist

4.5 (238 reviews)
ModerateIndian, Chinese, Thai
Closed 12:00 pm - 3:00 PM, 5:30 PM - 11:30 PM
Updated 2 months ago

Order Swadist Takeout or Delivery

Swadist Photos

SWADIST ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Casual
Good for groups

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Recommended Reviews - Swadist

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Reviews With Photos

Garlic Naan
Simon W.

Drums of Heaven! I can (and often do) make a meal out of just this appetizer. These Chicken drumsticks are tossed in a sweet, spicy sauce that's a total flavor bomb and incredibly addictive. It really borders on too much spice and just really meaty too. A shareable appetizer with a friend. The Butter Chicken is also a favorite of mine. Rich chunky cubes of chicken, in a spiced tomato and butter-based curry (makhan) gravy. Butter chicken is typically known for a creamy, rich texture and that's a definite check box here. This gravy over rice is a hit for sure. I always get a plate of Garlic Naan here as well. This is the perfect vessel to shovel that rich Butter Chicken gravy into my mouth! Street parking is ridiculous. The spaces are so narrow, you'll be doing the D and R tango 4-5 times to park. Add the fact that mass transit buses go up and down this block as well and you've got a recipe for a lot of horn blowing and aggravation. And that's if you get lucky and find a spot!

Weekend Lunch Buffet (~$20/adult)
Aya E.

Ordered: Weekend Lunch Buffet (~$20/adult) Aya's take: Sometimes you don't want to think about what to order and a buffet like this does the deciding for you! Swadist has a popular weekend buffet that is clearly frequented by locals so we knew we were in for a treat. A majority of the items they have were fresh minus some of their fried options which were a bit soggy (understandable). I love Indian food and found every bite to be rich in flavors and aromatics. My favorites were the Achari Tangdi Kabab (tangy, smoky, and flavorful), Goan Chicken Curry (creamy, spicy, and tender), and Rogan Josh Curry (gamey, tender, and buttery). Save room for dessert because the Tutti Frutti Ice Cream is a must! This was my first time trying it and it was soft and fluffy with bits of chewy, sweet candy. It had a lot of floral essence which was nice & mellow after all the spicy food we had. If their buffet is like this, I imagine their a la carte menu is even better. Definitely recommend!

Rebecca C.

I ordered 4 things - Swadist Papri Chaat - this was delicious, flavorful, and fun to eat - Chicken Bhuna - this one is spicy (so my dad couldn't enjoy it) - Jhinga Masala - we liked this one (shrimp) and it was the perfect consistency for dipping the garlic naan - Garlic naan I'm especially interested in coming back for their weekend lunch buffet!

Victor H.

Came here for indian food for dinner and it didn't disappoint. The place was packed and seemed popular. Order Saag, Masala, and Naan. They were all delicious, on point, and addictive. Will definitely come back again in the future : )

Chicken
Amit P.

Located in Indian Square. It's a northern Indian restaurant in Jersey City, NJ, just a 5-minute walk from the PATH station. The service is excellent. Meter Parking is on the street, but free street parking is available a bit further away if you know the area. Highly recommend just taking public transportation to avoid the headache. The waiters and staff are friendly and another great perk? It's BYOB! We chose the buffet option and every single dish was tasty and fresh. . Even the dessert was so good I wanted to keep eating, but got so full too quick! My favorite dish was the goat hands down.

A little bit of everything.
Liam R.

We go here for their weekend buffet. It's a good deal, the food is always tasty with a good variety. One of the best Indian restaurants in the area IMO. Some things at the buffet can be a hit or miss, but for the most part, their stews and Coriander soup always impress us.

Inside
Regina Z.

I came to this restaurant twice. One time I came during a weekday so they didn't have buffet. I ordered mango lassi and tikka masala. The mango lassi was delicious. Tikka masala was amazingly delicious. It could be one of the best tikka masala that I had. It was extremely creamy and flavorful. I highly recommend this dish! The service that day was okay. There was one server and she didn't really check up on us. The buffet on the weekend was great! I came with a total of 7 adults. It was $20 per person for all you can eat. The servers were nice and checked up on us. There were a variety of food. There's rice, soup, many chicken dishes, butter naan, desserts, salad, and fruits. Food was really good! There are many seatings and it quite bright inside. I will be coming back for the food!

Juan S.

Finally got a chance, and courage, to go an visit them for lunch. We've been trying to go a couple time before. Got there during their lunch time. Only one there for a while. I've always heard they were good place to go around the area and glad we did. We ordered the lamb briyani, chicken tikka marsala, butter naan. Chicken tikka marsala came out first with the naan. Then the lamb briyani. All were hot. The briyani had a bread topping. The marsala was sweet and well made. The briyani was interesting but also well made. We asked for 0 spice but it was still a bit too much for me. The service was good. The space is large and clean but can do with a bit of lighting help. A lot of food delivery orders in and out, which is a good sign. Overall Swadist gets a recommendation. We will go again for the buffet.

Inside
Sofyan S.

Food (4/5): We ordered the Tikka masala and the mango lassi. The Tikka masala was quite flavorful and the mango lassi was a good consistency but more tangy than sweet. Rice came with the Tikka Masala and was flavorful too. Service (3/5): Got menus but then took almost 15 minutes for someone to take our order. One server seemed to be deep in conversation with another party and not working. Meanwhile, the other seemed to be taking a bunch of phone calls. We tried to get their attention but they seemed too focused. The food fortunately came out reasonably fast. The servers seemed busy with others or the phone but got better later on. Ambiance (4/5): Well decorated restaurant with plenty of seating. The wallpaper and art of the walls look nice.

Soy malai tikka
Reema S.

I found myself in Jersey City this past weekend visiting my friend and we ordered delivery from Swadist. The butter chicken was absolutely phenomenal, the meat to sauce ratio was just right, rice was fragrant. We also tried the goat biryani and I was floored! The goat was tender, soft, and perfectly spiced. The rice was fragrant, spicy, with just the right amount of oil. I loved the food when I dined in and I loved it even more when I ordered in. Everything I've tried here has been delicious and amazing. This is definitely a high quality Indian restaurant dishing out authentic amazing food. They definitely know what they're doing and therefore deserve my extra star! :) If you are in Jersey City and looking for an amazing and authentic Indian restaurant amongst the sea of options, please go here!!

Bhelpuri
Suchi O.

Came here with office colleagues for Friday night dinner. Decent ambience and service. The food is tasty, well portioned and made fresh as it came piping hot to the table. Also priced right. We tried different grilled options - malai soya kebabs, paneer, and mix meat grill. Masala papad and bhel were tasty too. And its BYOB. Definitely do try this place if you are in this area!

Dining

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4 months ago

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4 months ago

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14 days ago

Went on Saturday night. Slow service. Ambience is just ok. Very friendly staff. Taste is just ok.

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8 months ago

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2 years ago

Best northern Indian food in Indian square. It is BYOB and the portion sizes are generous. The service is also great.

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4 years ago

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1 year ago

Love their Hakka noodle and cumin soup. Staff is very nice too . I usually do takeout so not sure about dine in experience

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3 years ago

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Ask the Community - Swadist

Are the flowers on food baking flowers meaning not sprayed with insecticide?

Is the buffet open?

When I went I didn't see it. I think its closed due to Covid.

Is this a BYOB?

Yes, it is. No bar but I'm assuming it's ok to bring your own.

View All 4 Questions

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Desi Adda

Desi Adda

4.3
(18 reviews)
0.2 mi

I don't know why people would say Dahi Puri Chaat is good here---I saw that in reviews on Google…read moremaps and so ordered via DoorDash since I had ordered food from a nearby kebab place. Anyway they didn't even actually make the dahi puri! They just put the puri with some potatoes dry in a container and then on the side gave tiny chutney containers for the yogurt, tamarind sauce & green chutney. Ok if you're putting it separately to avoid sogginess then at least give enough for the dish. It was laughable how stingy they were. Dahi puri is supposed to have LOTS of yogurt and instead this minuscule container of completely watery "yogurt" was not even enough to fill 2 of the puri. $10 plus tax & tip for this?? Also since they didn't make anything why did they keep the driver waiting for SO long? What a complete waste of money & time.

Kidaan New Jersey! Golgappe ya Pani Puri? Aate wale ya Sooji…read morewale? Yeh debate to shayad kabhi solve na ho... Lekin ek jagah zaroor hai jaha kuch bhi craving ho -- golgappe ya Chatpati chaat , vada pav ya Dabeli, kathi roll ya bombay frankie-- sab milta hai aur woh bi taste aisa, aap bologe - yeh kya bana dia yaar? To aajao mere naal to Desi Adda in Jersey City jaha milta hai chai ki chuskiyo ka sath wo bi naye aur purane dosto and the best part most dishes are $10 and under! Here are my top recommendations- Gol gappe- wo bi 6 tarah ka paani- mango, garlic, pudina, khata meetha, jaljeera and hajma- jab paani hi 6 flavors ka ho, toh golgappe khate waqt expressions bhi 6 tarah ke aate hain! Kutchi Dabeli - Yeh Dabeli nahi, Gujarat aur Mumbai ka love story hai ek pav mein band! Dabang Vada pav- Layered with flavorsome coriander chutney, sweet & tangy tamarind chutney, and a spicy dry garlic chutney -- it's crisp, bold, and ek dam mast! Peri peri sandwich- Peri peri wali masti, har bite mein spice ka perfect kick aur cheese ka comfort -- ekdum chatpata, aur full paisa vasool! Amul cheese maggi- Desi jugaad meets comfort food - jab Maggi pe Amul cheese girti hai, toh dil literally pighal jaata hai! To intezaar kis baat ka, visit Desi Adda today!

Photos
Sugar cane juicing machine and menu display.
Sugar cane juicing machine and menu display.
Dahi Puri Chaat with no yogurt in dish, just a tiny sauce container of watery "yogurt" not enough for even 2 puri! :(
Dahi Puri Chaat with no yogurt in dish, just a tiny sauce container of watery "yogurt" not enough for even 2 puri! :(
Outdoor view

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Outdoor view
Deccan Spice

Deccan Spice

3.3
(644 reviews)
0.1 mi
$$

I went to Deccan Spice for lunch since I heard that they had a great biryani. The place was empty…read moreon a weekday at lunchtime. The waiter was very friendly and helpful. I wish that they offered some sort of lunch special, but unfortunately they only have one set menu. They had a lot of seating, and a lounge area as well. I ordered the Deccan special biryani. It comes with boneless chicken, which is actually a favorite of mine that not a lot of places offer. The biriyani was really good, one of the best I've had in a while. It's perfectly spiced and flavorful with a generous portion. It can easily be shared between 2 or 3 people. Overall, I plan on coming back when I'm in the area. The biryanis in Manhattan do not compare to this. I personally do not prefer the Dum style biriyani, so I was very happy the special was a regularly prepared dish. However, they do offer dum biryani as well.

Went here for dinner and it's a pretty Decent place. I ordered the Masala Peanuts, 555 (chicken),…read moreand Schezuan Fried Rice. The food was tasty and flavorful but everything was on the saltier side. For Drinks I got mango lassi which is perfect! The restaurant is fairly neat and simple. One thing that made the experience unenjoyable was the service. Some of the female staff showed attitude and were not pleasant. There was a male server who brought us our food- very polite and pleasant. I would say take out is a better option than going there in person.

Photos
Deccan Spice
Deccan Spice
Deccan Spice

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Masala Cafe

Masala Cafe

4.2
(84 reviews)
0.3 mi

the group ordered chicken fry (like popcorn chicken), mushroom pepper fry (spicy stir-fried…read moremushrooms), parotta (flaky flatbread), & chettinad chicken curry. our server was helpful. my favorite of the entrees was the mushroom pepper fry, but everything was tasty. i also rly liked how flaky the parotta was. would def come back to try more dishes

Do go to this restaurant for a good chettinad cuisine.. when you're in journal Square in Indian…read moreStreet. You will see multiple different restaurants within a span of hundred meters... and I'm sure you'll be confused where to eat.. if you're craving for a good south Indian spicy food food I strongly suggest this restaurant.. it's also BYOB.. fantastic service.. the biggest headache is parking.. It's hard to get street parking and I had to pay about $12 for the parking... if not for the parking this restaurant has only positives . I also had food in their Edison branch. We ordered chicken Chuka and it was really peppery and good.. perfect South Indian aRoma and taste.. my friend had fish fry and he just loved it.. there were five or six small pieces of the fry.. I still think it's slightly expensive about $20-$22 for the fish and generally all of the dishes.. the best one was dindukal thalapakatti biryani . Nice and very tasty . Good experience overall. Wanted to give a 4 star but gave a 5 star just for the taste and service !!!

Photos
Inside
Inside
Galbu Manchurian
Galbu Manchurian
Nattu Kozhi Varuval

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Nattu Kozhi Varuval

Swadist - indpak - Updated July 2026

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