Spice Mantra is a nice casual restaurant for grabbing tasty south indian cuisine. I went here with…read moremy family to grab lunch on a Saturday afternoon. We were promptly seated upon arrival. The menu variety was good. Pricing was reasonable. We ordered an appetizer dish of Idli and Vada Sambar followed by individual orders of dosas which is what we came for. The food came out shortly. The dosas' texture and taste were nice. The sambar was okay but chutneys were tasty. We received good service. The restaurant's atmosphere was pleasant and inviting. I am curious to try other dishes at this restaurant.

What an awesome place! I have been wondering about this place but put off visiting thinking it may…read morenot be authentic, glad we got the recommendation from our neighbor and checked it out. Great flavor and heat! They asked for the heat level for my chicken biyani and I said 10 (out of 10)...they double checked and I said 10 (due to recent experience at another place where 10 was a 5)...man! I am sweating! I don't usually use the yogurt that came with it...not that I had to put yogurt and I ended up ordering mango lassi. The egg bhuji and chicken seekh kabob had great flavor too. The egg bhuji here tasted more like Chinese spicy scramble egg than what we had at other places. But that flavor was at another level! Wish my mom could make that good :p

The mango drink and fast service was amazing highly recommend for a place with authentic Indian…read morefood that tastes delicious

Ambiance - clean, spacious, offers full bar service Service…read more- exceptional, our server was friendly & checked on us often Food - the samosa chat was super flavorful (slight kick from the spices and samosas were crispy), kebobs were juicy + well seasoned

I should've had Curry NaanStop a long time ago but I thought the name was too gimmicky- Big mistake…read more. The food is fast and tastes extremely fresh and flavorful. I love a good Biriyani and that's exactly what I got. The rice was moist and my lamb wasn't overcooked or dried out. My grilled and fried veggies in the rice was fresh as well and hadn't just been sitting in one big pot. I could taste everything individually in the rice and you get an eggg. But what was very noticeable was the price. I've had mediocre food in the area for 4-7.00 more a plate in the area. I also like the variety. Everyplace doesn't offer goat. I'll be back for sure

I really like this place. What's notable about this place is that the service is exceptionally…read morefriendly and attentive. The staff are all very lovely. The ambiance is strange, I believe it's in a former Chipotle and there is a strange mural on the wall that looks like someone made it with AI. The ambiance is really unimportant as it's the food that keeps me coming back. The best part is the lunch buffet. There's a lot of variety, it's very flavorful, the price point is great, and it's made fresh. My only real complaint is that I wish that they didn't use bottled water as it's not eco-friendly and you end up going through a lot of it while eating Indian food.

Consistent take out! They are accommodating to make dishes dairy free when asked. Everyone finds…read moresomething they like here. We have only done delivery so I can't speak to the ambiance but we are quite happy with the quality of the food!

Service is good. Food is delicious. I reviewed this 2 years ago but since then we've been back…read moreseveral times. Still not crazy about their chicken tikja masala (too thick for my taste) but their samosas are great. We also had their lamb chops masala. Lamb chops were so tender and delicious Their chicken lollipop appetizer is also great. Totally recommend this place

The food is great here, feels very homemade to me! We have always taken it to go, but the host is…read morevery gracious, so I'm guessing they provide great service. Huge variety on the menu as well and a good balance of spice and flavor.

India Foodie Lounge's name is a great description for its offerings. There are plenty of options…read moreand plenty of seating for you to try them all. Their large menu of selections allows you to choose from vegetarian, lamb, and chicken dishes. When seated, you can also select from various cocktails and drinks, both alcoholic and non alcoholic, to get you started. Once you've ordered, your dinner comes out quickly. When ordering, the spice options are also various for those who want it mild to those who want it very hot. Dishes also come with rice. It's a very friendly atmosphere and the restaurant is very clean and out together. Everything was orderly and everyone was friendly. We haven't visitors before but we are going to keep this restaurant in our rotation of food options for a night out. It's a new fav!

Great addition in Northbrook! Excellent traditional Indian dishes with great flavors and a great…read morestaff.

This place was delicious, with a number of dishes I haven't seen elsewhere, as well as Indian food…read moremainstays like samosas and naan that were very good! Well worth the visit while my wife and I were in town visiting family.

We got a "too good to go" to try this place. Had never been there before, but will be going back!…read more The food was excellent, the people there are wonderful. Tiny place, but great atmosphere.

I give the butter chicken 2 thumbs up! I ordered a "surprise" meal through the Too Good To Go app,…read moreand was given a container stuffed with rice, raisin naan and butter chicken. Everything was delicious. I'll return to dine in the restaurant, which is small but nicely decorated.

Very impressive new spot in Highland Park. Overall, the food is spot on - I was pleased with the…read morelevel of spice and the restaurant's ability to cater to various clients who tolerate different levels of heat. I enjoy spicy food, but my husband prefers a moderate level of spice. We were each able to sample sauces that met our needs, and both were very tasteful. More detailed food review to follow below. The decor is simple but the restaurant has nice murals and decor throughout (one small downside: the bathroom doors are frosted glass; while you cannot see into them, some outlines are clearly visible). Service is extremely accommodating and hospitable; we were in a hurry and the waitress sped up our order, which we are thankful for several members of the restaurant staff welcomed us and visited during our dinner to make sure we were enjoying the food and experience. Now on to the food! Amuse bouche: a tasty complementary treat composed of a thin, crispy outer shell filled with potato, chickpea, tamarind, cilantro and spice. Nice start to our meal! Samosas: a foundational Indian appetizer and this one was a hit. The mint chutney is mild and the other two are mildly and moderately spicy; extremely flavorful. The level of spice (not just heat) was perfect. Okra: very, very good. Mild heat and great spice. Crispy and accompanied by fresh tomato and herbs for interesting textures. We saved some to take with us to entice friends to join us next time. Risotto: creamy, flavorful, and comforting. The accompaniments are a special treat, particularly the pickled vegetables and crackers. The chili dal is also a nice touch. Chicken biryani: great flavor and comes baked with something like naan over the top. Great spice and you can adjust the level of heat to taste. My husband chose a moderate level of spice and was very satisfied with the attention to this request. My zero proof cocktail was a special treat, composed of cilantro and other, citrusy flavors. I strongly recommend this new Indian fusion restaurant, which caters to both American and Indian flavor profiles. We will be back, and we will bring friends!

Indus is a welcome addition to Central Street in Highland Park. We had reservations at 5pm, which…read moreis apparently when they open, as there was a bit of a line to enter. Our party was seated practically right in front of the door, which was ok, as the restaurant is small. My drink, a berry spritz, they said was sold out? I ordered a zero proof spritz which was nice. Our server told us that all of the dishes were prepared mild and more spice could be added. We enjoyed the samosas, naan, cauliflower, dal and biryani. The only dish we did not enjoy was the wagyu, which they presented without a knife. We asked for a knife and it took several requests and about 15 minutes to get one. The Wagyu, once sliced, was gristly and fatty and not tender. We expected more. A nice surprise was they offered the birthday guest a free dessert. The tres leches crème brûlée was good, with a crackly crust. Overall, the food was delicious and a nice take on Indian cuisine. Service was cordial and could have been more prompt. However we did enjoy our experience and will come back.

-Chicken Masala, garlic naan, and rice was great. -Great…read moreflavor and portion size. -Owner is nice and professional. -Clean and inviting eating area. I would definitely dine here again.

All the way from California we came across this gem !!! Food ...love love love atmosphere ....love…read morelove love owner and host ...was everything !! So kind and pleasant! Home away from home kind of cooking and eating

10/10 for customer service, food , hygiene , vibe visiting again…read more Sorry about the after math picture. Couldn't resist the food to take a proper picture.

I'll definitely give them another chance. My experience wasn't wholy positive. I think but they…read morehave potential. We ordered a lot of items. My favorite was chicken 65. All of the rest was Below par. That's 4.8 stars on Yelp so I m assuming they should definitely get another chance.