Excellent Indian food. Staff was kind and checked to make sure we were happy, portions seemed large and pricing was affordable. Shared Tikka Masala Samosa, Butter Chicken, Garlic Naan, Chicken Tikka Masala, and Mango Lassi (the meal came with rice). It was all so tasty! Truly some of the best Indian food I've had in the San Diego area. The restaurant is in a strip mall, so it's very casual. Sat outside, which was nice. All food came in to-go containers, so nothing fancy. I would definitely recommend if you are in the area. read more

Want to preface this review with the food being quite good and portion sizes are generous. Have tried a number of items and have never been disappointed. If not for the couple of issues noted below would have rated a 5 star from food perspective alone (unfortunately lost some delicious items from the old menu: yellow daal, house special biryanis, and the onion paratha/kulcha.) Standout dishes: Malai kofta, Korma, Saag. Notes to management (one star each): 1) Please update your menu online (on your own website!) both the available items AND the pricing is outdated (11.99 listed, 13.99 new price). Raising prices is fine, totally get it, but should be represented as such on your own websites menu link. 2) Let customers make the decision on what to, if any, tip. My wife was aggressively berated with continuous "reminders" as she waited for our large TO GO order (near $200) prior to checking out, to the point of feeling bullied. Other customers in the vicinity noticed as well and was quite uncomfortable. Tipping, while nice, is optional and based on service. If required to keep business running, then just make the menu prices sustainable for your business. read more

Not my favorite Indian place in San Diego County. Was in the area and decided to give this place a try. Unfortunately due to the price, quality of food, and time frame from ordering I don't think I would return If I was in the area again. This place is busy and I was completely hopeful. I did see that there was 3-4 orders ahead of when I placed my order. Only one person in the front and it appeared one person in the kitchen until about 35 minutes into my wait, then there was 2 people. I looked at the menu on Postmates and had my heart set on a combo and appetizer. However opted to order at the restaurant, only to find out that the combo was a Monday through Friday option only and that is not listed anywhere on the website. I then learned that my entree only came with rice (as I've learned a few restaurants downtown that are upscale do) so all in all adding naan and raita sauce, tip was about $20 for one person. I had high expectations but the Tikka Masala was very oily and while there was flavor the chicken was rubbery or tough and unedible. The naan bread was thin and chewy with an off flavor for being plain. The raita sauce was not for me, it was chunky and strong in herby flavor... I ended up tossing the entire thing. On the way home, I picked up food at my fav Indian restaurant in Mission Valley and ventured home. Did I mention it was about 48 minutes from the time I ordered my food until the time I received my food... while I saw 3-4 tickets before ordering... it was interesting how 7 others received their meal before mine. Yelp has a check-in offer however their soda machine is "out of order." I have never been here pre-COVID... but I could imagine the wait being extremely long if they sat people inside the restaurant. Also, as an FYI, leaving rice out at room temperature is extremely harmful as bacteria can start growing, having worked in the restaurant industry and having a degree in Culinary Arts seeing food left out and not being temperature controlled, is a huge turn off. I didnt even touch the rice having knowledge of this... but it is concerning how many others have gotten sick and not even realized it was probably because of this restaurants lack of temp control for to-go orders and pick-up orders. I'm all about preparing as much as possible but it should be done properly. read more

See all

Can't say enough good things about Tikka Lounge. We've tried most of the Indian places around Poway and RB. Some are very good but none touches Tikka Lounge. We've been getting takeout for a few years, but ate in for the first time recently. What a wonderful experience! The owner is a fabulous host and the dishes that are so good for takeout, are even better right there! We love Tikka!! read more

We've gotten take out food here a few times and I absolutely LOVE their paneer tikka masala. The service is great and they are happy to make adjustments to food if needed. The flavors are always consistently amazing and I would highly recommend this spot. read more

10/10 recommend. I tried the samosa chaat, chicken palau, and lamb vindaloo. Everything was great! The samosa chaat was my favorite! Give it a try! read more

Tikka Lounge - Samosa Chaat - Indian Near Me - Poway, California

Zero for front staff, zero for service, floors were sticky, no ambiance, food was great. We've been here a bunch of times through multiple variations of this place including the good old days, and the buffet, and now this. Front staff was picking his teeth after a phone order and not acknowledging us when we arrived or were waiting around. We waited outside on a "for here" order for 25 minutes after being told it would be 10, to find out food bagged and sitting in the counter. Soda machine out of order. All 3 of us ordered the lunch special bowl for $7.99 and all 3 of us paid different prices. I got the paneer and the other 2 got Tikka masala. They were all really tasty and everyone commented on that. But the guy up front couldn't have done less for service. Because there was none. Is this a symptom of covid takeout laziness? Maybe. But, at least say hello,and at a minimum yell the order numbers so we can walk in, instead of it just hanging out on a counter. read more

Food is great every time, quick with their service too. I've only done takeout so that's all I speak to.

Parking: it's located in a shopping plaza. Parking is pretty easy for the most part. If there isn't one available then you'd have to park a bit of a distance but it's not too overbearing. Service: Service was interesting. We arrived at 4 pm since they close for a couple hours after lunch and the restaurant wasn't clean. Clean in the sense of there was still rice on a couple of tables and there were staff members walking around. We grabbed our menu and was able to place in our order there wasn't an issue with that. The drinks were limited to about 4 things and there's no ice which for some folks that won't be an issue. They predominantly had coke, Sprite, Diet Coke, and Lassi if I'm not mistaken. I ordered a family meal with Saag paneer, and | mentioned that I didn't want the paneer and he was taken aback by that. He had me repeat it 3 times that 1 didn't want it. If they weren't able to remove it that wouldn't hav been an issué, but repeating myself 3 times could be overbearing to some folks. Food: We did the family meal with the saag and butter chicken and the taste threw me off. The chicken was pretty chewy as if it wasn't fresh. the other items were good such as the saag, and the naan that we ordered. Ambiance: With the exception of the rice on the table the place was pretty welcoming. It seemed that something was missing upon entering the establishment. Opportunities: I've been going to this location off and on for about 3 years and the food was great, there were music that would play from the tv and the staff was welcoming. I'm not sure if it's due to new management but it seems to have not been at the standard that was established years ago. Making sure the place is clean and presentable would be a big ticket item for me. The staff nonchalantly walked to the table, wiped off the rice, and returned to the back. Overall: Tikka Lounge was one of my go to places whenever I would visit the Poway area. It seems over the years that things have changed, but not for the better. I'm not sure if I would pay them a visit again due to how things were then compared to how they are now. 2/5 read more

Woohoo! All-time Favorite Indian Restaurant! Kudos to Tikka Lounge! This Indian restaurant deserves special honors for its freshly prepared food, delightful flavors and original spicing. I first ate and fell in love with the cuisine of the subcontinent in the early 80s on East 6th St. in Manhattan. Fast forward to 2022, decades of dining in Indian restaurants in the U.S. (and even in England), buying Indian cookbooks, and eating homecooking at Indian friends', and this restaurant is still a standout. Tikka Lounge ranks among the best Indian restaurants I've ever tried. All too often, Indian food I've tried has a uniformity. One place tastes just like another, or, worse, the food tastes like TJ's frozen Indian entrees. It's as if they all use the same kitchen and spice mixture. But that's not the case with Tikka Lounge. It's the closest experience we've had to Indian home cooking. It tastes like the cook is using their mother's original recipes and spice mixes to prepare all the traditional favorites. These are some of the dishes we've really enjoyed so far (and we can't wait to try a lot more of their menu items): Samosa chaat Mutter paneer Saag paneer Lamb and chicken kormas Mutton hyderabadi Butter and onion naans Onion and potato parathas read more

One of my go to Indian places! Super good food and authentic. The lunch special is a great deal and can't wait for the buffet

I came here for the lunch buffet, and it is a phenomenal deal. For $15, they give you quality meat, rice, and meat and vegetable pastries. While I was eating, the owner brought garlic naan, which went great with everything. My favorite thing was the tandoori chicken, which they do very well. I'll definitely be coming here all the time from here on out. read more

Not bad, the menu was very limited The service was good, the waiter was very professional and friendly. read more

I haven't experienced their full menu or dine in yet so I will update the review when I do. But that is unlikely now since I have gotten one item as takeout and that wasn't even close to good. I got the chicken tikka wrap for to-go and I am sorry to say it wasn't good. It had way too much rice stuffed in and lacked flavor. I am hoping that the next time someone drags me into this place, I have a better experience than my first time. read more

I got to try Tikka lounge last week, and i was lucky enough to try plenty of their choices and to get inside their kitchen and see how they make their food, they are so keen to keep on cleanliness. everything is soo authentic and made with love, they do have very delicious vegan choices, I loved the grilled cheese and grilled shrimp and oh i don`t want to forget their Naan bread was beyond amazing. read more

See all

I had lunch today at Tikka Lounge and got to enjoy the lunch buffet. You definitely need to arrive hungry, otherwise you will be robbing yourself of tasting some of the best Indian food in the area. Some of the highlights that you will not want to miss: - while I suspect you will enjoy the naan, try their tamarind or mango sauce. Dipping the naan into the sauces are highly recommended - the chicken biryani is outstanding. - I tried egg curry for the first time, and thought it was excellent - Paneer tikka kebab - Tandoori chicken kabob - goat curry (Item on the buffet change daily so you may need to go back several times just to taste all these items). There is also a full menu - and the do carry-out and catering. read more

See all

Went to eat Bhel Puri, and Papdi chat. It was worst. They put yogurt in it. We didn't ask for dahi puri.

Favorite Indian food! I already look forward to eating here when visiting family in poway. It is so flavorful and always fresh!

Food and staff was good. we highly recommend it. Ordered way too much but we can take it home.

Great Indian option with a full menu and friendly service. The mango lassi is fresh and not overly creamy like ones you get at other places. I mean, look at the color! Tikka Masala was really good, a hint of sweet and you can see that they use real tandoori chicken. Lamb Saag was also delicious. Would recommend! read more

Tikka Lounge - Mango Lassi - Indian Near Me - Poway, California

See all

Sooo good. Everything tastes fresh, the chicken is very clean and seasoned perfectly. The spices were perfect. 10/10 would order again. read more

See all

This place did a ton of takeout business while we were here eating. The food was OK but I wish they would've told us how spicy some of the dishes were and had a choice to modify that. Not very friendly pretty Business only attitude restroom sink was filthy but the rest the bathroom is clean. read more

This place is EPIC!!! Everything is very fresh and they were willing to make the dishes spicy (just ask if you want that).... BUT damn, the quality of the food the flavors are incredible. By far the best Indian food I've had in my entire life. It's weird that this is in San Diego county much less next to a movie theater, I would have expected this quality from a much divier place in an Indian neighborhood in an urban area. This was not what I expected from the outside, and while it smells good inside it's not an overwhelming smell that grabs you. Just a kind of standard vanilla looking place, very clean... my expectations were honestly kinda low. Chicken pakora was killer, as was the lamb vindaloo. We ordered a lot of smaller things just to try our way around the menu, and enough food for three people come out around $40-44 (pretty good deal). I don't know what it's called but there is a column of yogurt sauces that come in different flavors. This didn't appeal to me but my wife wanted to try it, so we got the cucumber one. It was incredibly delicious, I was really enjoying dipping the chicken in that stuff. The server was nice and the guy in the open kitchen was very nice too. I would suggest taking a moment to read through the whole menu before you order because we found some cool stuff by doing that. This place is 40 minutes from our house, we bought very last minute movie tickets and we were super stoked to have found it. We keep talking about when we will be there next, and we don't really ever drive out of our way this far to eat anywhere but we will 100% be back. By far the best meal I've had in years. Back when Zagats was a legitimate business this place would have been listed by them. Really a gem of a spot. read more

Absolutely the best Indian food I've ever had. You can tell they made all the sauces fresh in house which I don't think I've ever been to an Indian restaurant that does this. It even seems the bay leaves in some of my dishes were fresh. The green cardamom even seems to be the best qualify if not fresh (be careful not to bite into it). So spicy so good. They didn't ask me how spicy I wanted any of the dishes so I don't if it's something to you can adjust. Very complex tasting. Tangy, mildly sweet are some of the sauces, possibly from tamarind. The young man that help d me with the order was so sweet. Had the okra/tomato dish, Chana Marsala, chicken tikka and the potato/cauliflower dish. All slightly different and so addictive. The okra dish was my favorite. The prices are reasonable too. read more

Tikka Lounge - Indian Near Me - Poway, California

You need a carb overload - and you're craving Indian food? You came to the right place. Tikka Lounge is...BOOMING with AYCE Indian Buffet (from what I know...AYCE dinner buffet on weekdays!) I came with my girlfriend yelper Christine as we both wanted to catch up and we lived nearby each other. What better place to bond...then Indian Buffet?? Plus it was like around ~$15/17 per person? We went straight to the cashier to pay before grabbing a seat. Lots of parking in the plaza of course. And the place was flowing with people shortly after we got our 2nd plate of food. I have a strong weakness for bread and naan and...I know it's not a real Indian dish...but I've been craving Chicken Tikki Masala like NO TOMORROW. And yes, after Friday, I got my Indian fix until the next couple of months until I get it again. Mr. W (boyfriend) and I avoid Indian food due to how good it is and the carbs - we're trying to eat healthier so a lot of cuisines are our occasional indulgence. But back to Tikka Lounge - the restaurant itself is kind of small - smaller than its neighbor Chipotle but bigger than Subway (I think). The food I remember eating was the vegetable samosa which was pretty tasty and flavorful. After you take a bit you could see the spices within. My favorite - no doubt as I've been craving it was the Chicken Tikki Masala sauce over naan. The only thing I would complain would be that it wasn't as thick as I'm used to having it. It seemed to have more...liquidity and watery. But the flavor was still there. Everything else I sampled and just ate. Fried fish...didn't seem to special. I also avoided a dish or two as I saw it had bones in it. Due to my small stomach I only ate 2 plates of variety which I believe was worth it. If you went to a Indian restaurant, you're subjected to only buying a certain entree due to pricing. At least for AYCE you get more variety. Service was also pretty fast. When we finished something, it was like the plate was gone within 2-3 minutes. A kind lady also dropped by our table and others to ensure each table was doing well. Christine and I enjoyed our time and we definitely had the food coma status as we were leaving the restaurant. A group of people were waiting outside - so I would just say, this place needs to expand because they're doing pretty well. read more

Although I'm not Indian, I literally eat Indian food for lunch and dinner every single day and can say that this is the best Indian food on this side of town hands down (if not, maybe top 5 in San Diego?). After I came back from my trip to India one of the main things I've been missing about Indian food is how vibrant and full of life it tastes overseas! Maybe it sounds a bit vague and abstract to you, but food over there just tasted so much better in terms of flavor and texture. Especially with the buffet style food that most restaurants nearby serve, I've found that most indian food here tends to taste overcooked, stale and just kind of .. boring. Tikka Lounge changed my mind. Each curry was just so fresh and densely packed so much flavor that you can't deny the mastery of the chefs behind these dishes! I understand that operating a buffet is a bit more difficult in that you will often have food sitting outside for prolonged periods of time, so props to Tikka lounge for keeping their dishes fresh and refilling in a timely manner! You could taste clearly that food here was not overcooked and the ingredients used were fresh and properly managed. On top of that, service was fantastic, despite it being a full house and the waitress was so fast and efficient that I could never catch her taking my plate. Tikka Lounge is also a new restaurant (as of may 2019) and definitely has a more pleasant and trendy feel to it. Even without their rewards program I would definitely be back :) read more

Tikka Lounge - Buffet - Indian Near Me - Poway, California

I went for the Grand Opening in March 23rd with hubby. Parking & Location: Easy & accessible Service: On point. Friendly owners and happy staff Serving size: Just right. Neither too much, nor too little Price: Value for money My special interest: Zabiha Halal non vegetarian food Due to it being a Grand Opening Day, there were some discount offers and a complementary glass of Mango Lassi for everyone. What we ordered: Chicken 65 Chicken Maharaja Chili Chicken Chicken Tandoori Kabab (This was our server's recommendation. No regrets at all. Listen to your server.) Hyderabadi Dum Biryani (Mutton/Goat) Naan (Garlic and Plain) Chicken 65 & Chicken Maharaja were both good but have only subtle differences. (Not the restaurant's mistake just the way they are made.) Better order only one of them and try something else for variety. Chili Chicken was nice but there is a slight room for improvement. (Merely a suggestion. I may still order it again as is.) Chicken Tandoori Kabab came on a sizzling platter. Was crisp, juicy and tasty. 10/10 to the server for her recommendation. Naans were perfect. Star of our lunch: Hyderabadi Dum Biryani (Goat) It was delicious. Apart from the fragrant rice that are a hallmark of well cooked Biryani, the individual pieces of meat actually had taste to them, were tender & beautifully cooked. Also I have a liking for goat meat more than others especially when it comes to Biryani. This Biryani made sure it hit all the right notes. Ps. Due to an extremely hungry person aka me, we were unable to take any photos. We just devoured everything that was served. All The Best! Hope this business is a success. Update1: Ordered food for a dinner at home and it was awesome. My guests were happy and that made me super happy! Update2: Had a party of 28 people at the restaurant today for dinner. It was GREAT. The owners helped us every step of the organization and ensured that our guests were well catered to. This place and its owners have won us over! read more

This place had awesome appetizers and good entrees. I ordered a lamb entree and it was okay - it was actually kind of watery. The bread was amazing - I ordered garlic and butter naan. The butter chicken had a very interesting taste compared to other butter chicken entrees I've had. I can't pinpoint the flavor but it was very buttery. Service was good and food was brought out quickly. The green chutney tasted more like water than chutney. Idky a lot of the food was watery. Kind of prefer the thicker flavor. Overall, my appetizer and bread were my favorite and the best tasting. Next time I come, I might just order a bunch of appetizers lol! I saw someone next to me order biryani and it look delicious - might try that next time! read more

Tikka Lounge - Indian Near Me - Poway, California

See all

I've never had Indian food before and omg this was soooo good! The butter chicken is my favorite and the garlic naan is sooo flavorful! The lunch special is a huge portion with rice, naan and a drink for only $7.99 read more

Tikka Lounge - Butter Chicken lunch special/ Chicken Tikka Masala Lunch Special - Indian Near Me - Poway, California

See all

Really miss the amazing Indian and dinner buffet that this place used to do pre pandemic. Glad that ordering takeout still hits the spot. They do the basics super solid - chicken tikka masala, butter chicken and sagg paneer are my favorites to order. The portion sizes are decent, almost feel like it's more than the places who use the clear deli containers. read more

Americanized Indian/Pakistani food. I like their flavors, not too spicy. Very fragrant foods. I like the menu very much. The tandoori bread is very delicious. The dough is made perfectly and you will end up eating a lot of it. What I would change is Portion sizes. They are on the smaller side. If I were you I would order the Lamb Curry and Chicken Biryani. The rice in the biryanis is very fragrrent. I ordered level 10 spicy so it was still not spicy for me. However the balance of flavors was amazing. If you have never tried Indian food or Just want a different taste, give this place a shot. read more

See all

atmosphere..very casual food..chai..salty lassi..paneer kebab..garlic naan..roasted cauliflower..pani puri...spicy ans good food. chai needed more ginger. service..good.. read more

See all

After a full day of moving and painting we just wanted something quick but good. This spot was close by and had good ratings. I went with my favorite go to tikka masala with their shrimp option. It is also available with lamb, goat, or chicken. The menu also has a good selection of vegetarian options. Usually it is limited to 1-3 items only. Also ordered 2 sides of garlic nan. I which is more than enough for 2 people. I was assuming it would be 1-2 pieces per order. But it was more like 4 pieces each. The flavor of the tikka masala is more buttery here and it was more watery. I am use the consistency being thicker. They didn't ask for a spice level, it would have been nicer with a bit of spice. The entrees come with plain basmati rice. Overall I enjoyed the garlic nan with the mint sauce. The tikka masala was good but I would like it to be a thicker consistency and I wish it had spice. I think the prices are reasonable for the amount of food you get. Customer service was very nice. They also have a lunch buffet and weekend special buffet. read more

See all

I got a notification from Yelp that this is a new hot place. We were in the area one of the evening so thought of trying out. It was the first day that they started a buffet for dinner. Buffet had some good options but we first wanted to try something from the menu. We ordered Chicken seekh kebab sizzler. It seemed like it was made fresh. Although We weren't served any chutneys along with it. The taste was pretty bland. Not many flavors or spices. We were expecting better. Chutney was served though after some time. Papad was served in the beginning which was good. read more

Tikka Lounge - Chicken Seekh Kebab - Indian Near Me - Poway, California

Buffet is really good especially Friday. The have very tasty chicken briyani at Buffet. Chief are authentic indian cooks. Very friendly service and I recommend very highly. read more

OMG! If you like Indian food you HAVE to go here. The food was amazing and the serving sizes were huge! When we went we did wait about ~30 minutes for our food. So plan ahead, but it is SO worth the wait read more

This is hands-down the best Indian food I've had in San Diego in fact their veg Biriyani is the best one I've ever had in the United States!! Stop what you're doing and get over here and try the very authentic and delicious Indian food at the Tikka Lounge. read more

Tikka Lounge - Indian Near Me - Poway, California

Best Indian Restaurant in Poway. Solid All-You-Can-Eat Buffet. All Halal Meat. The go-to-restaurant for people on a lunch break. To me a plate of freshly cooked curry with the perfect cornucopia of bright and colorful spices paired with a pillowy, flaky buttery warm piece of naan or roti is pure heaven . Here I indulge in a combination of Lamb Curry (Red) , Chicken Karahi (Orange) , and Vegetable Korma(Yellow) . Alhamdulilah, so happy right now. NOTE: The owner has done amazing charity work giving free meals to medical service workers and distributing food to the elderly during the COVID Crisis. Amazing! read more

Tikka Lounge - Lunch Buffet - Indian Near Me - Poway, California

Terrible food. Worst panner tikka wraps. No one in my family ate them. The food had no flavor, no salt or spice in them

Service was slow and somewhat friendly. Portion size was good but mild was really not mild (more like medium) for both dishes and too spicy for the kids. Not sure if I would return again. read more