Indian in South Florida

10278 W. Sample Rd. Coral Springs

954-227-1123

Indian, Critics' Pick, Menu, Slideshow, Takeout-Home, Takeout-Cuisine, Takeout-Neighborhood

Arun's is the number-one-rated Indian restaurant in the area, serving Indian staples like biryani, paneer korma, butter chicken and galubjamun for dessert.

3 articles

Bombay Cafe

3060 N. Andrews Ave., Lauderdale Lakes Fort Lauderdale

954-568-0600

Indian, Best Of, Menu

Indian food is such a rare find in South Florida that diners can't be as picky as they can about, say, sushi. But that works out well for Bombay Cafe, which draws a sizable crowd to its lunch buffet and does a brisk business with neighborhood fans in the evening too (Wednesday night is another all-you-can-eat buffet). Even when it's not buffet night, the portions are so massive that you'd be crazy not to take half home. A raft of vegetarian choices will please those favoring meatlessness, from palak paneer with spinach to navrattan korma, a "royal delicacy" of veggies tucked in a creamy sauce. Of course, there's chicken tikka masala, but there's also chicken chile malasa, which amplifies the heat level considerably. Dishes like the delicious lamb vindaloo can be made extra hot as well.

3 articles

Bombay Darbar

1521 E Las Olas Blvd Fort Lauderdale

954-990-7222

Indian

Diners can crunch on crisp papadum wafers while watching Bollywood movies at this Indian-food mainstay. The menu is lengthy, but at its heart are the tikkas, tandooris, and vindaloos that fans of Indian food crave. Bright vegetable samosas are a good start, as are some of the tandoor-baked breads — try the soft, fluffy onion-flecked kulcha naan.

Bombay Grill

4465 N. University Dr., Lauderhill Fort Lauderdale

954-741-8388

Buffet, Indian, Vegetarian, Recommended, Menu

What this expansive Indian restaurant and buffet has to do with "grilling" is anyone's guess. But what it does do is turn out homestyle dishes of chicken korma, chana masala, and lamb vindaloo like nobodies business. The smartly decorated interior is a bit bright, but inviting, and the staff charming. The ingredients are fresh and the food well prepared. Try the wok fired chicken kadhai, a stir fry of juicy chicken breast with chunks of tomato, onion, curry leaves, and scorching hot slivers of fresh chili. Or the tandoori fish, made with fresh tilapia. Some of the starters are hit or miss -- like the sulfurous papdi chat with yogurt and boiled potatoes -- and the naan is a little on the doughy side. But the friendly owners, who walk the tables, introduce themselves, and make you truly feel at home, are quick to amend any discrepancies. A well-maintained lunch buffet runs daily, and all day Sundays, and a belly dancer entertains on weekends.

Guru Indian Restaurant and Wine Bar

232 12th St., Miami Beach South Beach

305-534-3996

Indian, Recommended, Menu

At this California-casual global restaurant, the prime focus is Indian food: unusually tasty dal makhani (braised lentils), savory nilgiri korma (stewed beef in rich yogurt sauce), kofta curry (tender vegetarian "meatballs" in comforting cream sauce), mattar paneer (peas and tofu cheese in a sweet, zingy tomato sauce). But you can also get Japanese steak, Cajun blackened salmon, Polynesian plum pork, Thailand's classic pad thai, an Argentine churrasco, a caesar salad, even American fast food. It's your basic Indian/Hawaiian/Italian/American Deep South/Japanese/New Orleans/Thai cheeseburger joint.

India Garden

10436 W. Atlantic Blvd. Coral Springs

954-752-2226

Indian, Pakistani, Recommended

Since it debuted in 2008, India Garden has revamped and refined its sprawling menu, which passes through Kerala and Goa, Indo-China and Sri Lanka. You'll still find familiar dishes in tikka masala and vindaloo and korma, but some of the more adventurous options like duck vellayappam flavored with toddy, kingfish moilee, and cashew-filled chettinadu have been removed. But there's still plenty to pause ovr, like Manchurian chicken made with soy and coriander, and Kerala fish curry with tamarind and mustard. A large list of vegetarian options, crisp dosai, excellent lassis, and a huge buffet round out the menu.

1 article

India House

1711 University Dr. Plantation

954-565-5701

Indian, Pakistani, Recommended, Menu

Since moving from its Oakland Park location to this western Broward spot inside a Quality Inn, India House has continued to turn out stellar food. Its menu is a train ticket through India, stopping in Portuguese-influenced Goa with Goan fish and vinegary vindaloos, weaving through Northern Punjab with its hot-iron "tawa" dishes, even trucking to the south for dosai and Keralese stir-fries. The sheer number of selections can be daunting, but a simple start is best: Perfectly fried and seasoned vegetable pakora ($3.95) are dynamite with the array of homemade chutneys (particularly the anise-studded tamarind variety). So are the wafer-thin lentil papad dropped at each table, and damn, they pair well with a crisp Taj Mahal lager. The quirky hotel setting is strange at first, a little dated with plastic potted plants and banquet-style seating. But it's easy to forget about that in the busy restaurant while chowing down on spicy pieces of karhai-cooked chicken or sizzling tandoor.

2 articles

Indian American Restaurant

8270 Griffin Rd., Davie Fort Lauderdale

954-680-1916

American, Indian, Pakistani, Critics' Pick, Slideshow

Called Indian American, this Davie eatery is a bit of a misnomer. Chef/owner and Pakistani-native Syed Chisti is enthralled by food from all over the world. Indian food, like butter chicken and chicken tikka, are on the menu. But he also serves an array of American and Pakistani fare. Thereâ??s everything you can imagine: pancakes, waffles, omelets, crepes, pizzas, burgers, sandwiches. But the real draw is the rarer options. Try the Nihari, a traditional Pakistani brown stew filled with fragrant spices and ingredients, such as ginger, jalapenos, and garam masala. Similar to Indian cuisine, itâ??s worth checking out.

1 article

Krishna Vegetarian Indian Cuisine

8344 W. Oakland Park Blvd Fort Lauderdale

954-747-1299

Indian, Vegetarian, Best Of, Menu

1 article

Little India Restaurant

8344 W. Oakland Park Blvd., Sunrise Plantation

954-741-7570

Indian, Recommended, Menu

Diminutive in name but not in flavor, this hole-in-the-shopping-mall eatery is difficult to find. Masala and korma dishes are well-balanced, the shellfish in the tangy shrimp vindaloo is fresh, and tandoori chicken is actually juicy, but you'll take your chances with the goat. Choose from ten types of bread -- the keema naan (stuffed with lamb) is robust -- and more than 15 vegetarian dishes. And don't assume the spices will be dumbed-down for American palates: If you ask for it hot, these folks will take you at your word. The superb gulab jamun for dessert makes a trip to Krispy Kreme "hole-y" unnecessary.

1 article

Lovey's Roti

8336 W. Oakland Park Blvd., Sunrise Plantation

954-741-9212

Caribbean, Indian, Recommended

Lovey's Roti is the place to go for West Indian-style roti and curry with a Trinidadian bent. Roti comes three ways (dhalpourie is with lentils, sada is thick like naan, and "buss up shut" is thin and ribbon-like), each made fresh to order. Chicken, duck, goat, and pork curries abound, as do some truly awesome "straights" - that's vegetarian dishes like channa aloo (chickpeas and potatoes), bhagie (spinach), and sweet orange pumpkin. Lovey's also serves excellent Trinidadian street food like doubles and aloo pie, two sandwich-like specialties made with fried bread and stuffed with chickpeas or potatoes and garlicky mango kuchela. Prices are cheap, but cash only.

4 articles

Madras Cafe

1434 S. Powerline Rd. Pompano Beach

954-818-0217

Indian, Pakistani, Critics' Pick

Despite a sizable Broward population of immigrants from the subcontinent where vegetarian cooking is a high art, there's a dearth of Indian restaurants here willing to venture into the uncommon cuisine of southern India. But Madras continues to buck the trends, serving idli, sambar, and those delectable little savory doughnuts called dhai vada, plus lesser-known dishes from the southern coast - like the marvelous, hot sour Malabar fish stew made with kingfish and curry leaves. Excellently cooked North Indian clay-oven specials are here too, like chicken tandoori marinated in yogurt that falls off the bone in one lovely bite. And anybody still craving lamb vindaloo and chicken korma won't go hungry. Read our full review.

4 articles

Nirala Sweets BBQ

8913 W. Oakland Park Blvd., Sunrise Plantation

954-578-9060

Bakery, Indian, Pakistani, Recommended, Menu

In 2004, this small Indian storefront sweet shop expanded into the Texas-themed room next door from a forgotten barbecue joint. The deeply strange space now offers the usual weekday Indian lunch buffet alongside the less usual, like kebabs, paya (gelatinous cow foot), and a weekend brunch of halwa puri -- flatbread served with a thick, sweet farina spread and hot, sour pickles. But Nirala truly shines with its namesake sweets. It's the sole American outpost of 58 stores worldwide, and four generations of the Shabbir family make, among other things, their exemplary jalebi, deep-fried spirals of syrup best experienced fresh with still-liquid centers. Or try the kalakand, a concoction of cheese curds, pistachios, sugar, butter, and cardamom. Heavenly.

2 articles

Royal India

3801 Griffin Rd. Fort Lauderdale

954-964-0071

Indian, Pakistani, Recommended, Menu

Excellent spicing distinguishes this crown jewel from the pretenders that crowd the county. Samosas, pakora, and onion bhajia are all grease-free and crisp, and a half-dozen varieties of pliant naan challenge the decisionmaker. Lamb saag and butter shrimp rival each other for succulence. Terrific chutneys, pappadam, and raita at Fort Lauderdale's Royal India.

Taj Fine Indian Cuisine

201 SE 15th Terrace #101 Deerfield Beach

954-427-0423

Indian, Pakistani, Recommended, Best Of, Menu

There's no better way to mop up a sauce made from fresh tomatoes, green peppers, onions, and the remnants of perfectly cooked chunks of tender lamb than with a piece of Taj's chewy onion kulcha, a bread baked on hot tandoor walls. Every dish here is unique, intensely aromatic, with a mixture of spices unlike any of its neighbors. Colors and textures vary from the odd, sweet, brilliantly red pickled potatoes served at the lunch buffet to the dense brown blanket of the mashed eggplant bharta, the soulful green gravy of buttery spinach and cheese saag paneer, the butter and cream-colored chicken korma studded with raisins and almonds, or the bright-pink, yogurt-infused, fall-off-the-bone tandoori chicken pieces. Taj's channa masala manages to be head-clearingly spicy and still intensely comforting. A buffet lunch, served daily, features Punjab-Bengali standbys; dinner is a la carte.

2 articles

Udipi Cafe

2100 N. University Dr. Plantation

954-748-5660

Indian, Pakistani, Vegan, Vegetarian, Recommended, Menu

Our version of the national South Indian chain, Udipi serves exotica like the mildly sour iddly, steamed rice and bean-flour cakes dipped in yogurt/coconut chutney and lentil sauces; the vada, fried lentil doughnuts; and paneer pakoras, fingers of homemade cheese in chickpea sauce. There's "street food" like stuffed puris filled with potatoes, rice, onion, tomatoes, and cilantro and a full list of dosai, some as long as a grown man's arm - enormous rice, bean flour, and cream-of-wheat crepes to pull apart and eat with sambar and chutney. You'll see the gigantic puffballs of filled baturas going by and the house specialties, like pesarat uppuma made of ground moong dal, rice, and cream of wheat with onions and chilies. It's almost impossible to stagger away from Udipi having spent more than 15 bucks, making it one of Broward's most interesting cheap-grub destinations and an absolute paradise for teetotaling vegetarians.

1 article

Usmania

8251 W. Sunrise Blvd. Plantation

954-839-7949

Indian, Pakistani, Recommended

Usmania is the lone South Florida location of the popular Pakistani franchise with outposts in Karachi, Pakistan, and Chicago. It's run by Aftab Katia and his wife, Fouzia, two natives of Karachi with a background in catering. The place is a real family affair: Their children work in the restaurant, and on weekends, it fills with members of a tight-knit community of immigrants. The restaurant makes a host of common Indian and Pakistani dishes like butter chicken, tandoori meats, and korma. But it also serves menu items that you won't find in many local restaurants - some more adventurous than others. There are Indo-Chinese dishes, vegetarian specialties, and biryani. More intriguing options like nihari (Pakistani beef stew), haleem (a thick meat porridge), and brain masala are tempting and rewarding fare.

1 article

Vix at Hotel Victor

1144 Ocean Dr., Miami Beach South Beach

305-779-8888

Asian, Contemporary, Indian, Latin American, Middle Eastern, Recommended

Chef James Wierzelewski has cooked in exotic locations for 20-some years, gathering gastronomic ideas from places the way tourists collect T-shirts. The menu at Vix, however, is no hodgepodge homage to his travels but rather a short, sensible compilation of mostly Mediterranean and Asian dishes, with a few tips of the toque toward Central and South America. The arrival of a basket brimming with fresh-from-the-tandoor-oven naan bread is the first sign Vix is paying attention to details. A ceviche of tequila-and-lime-soaked saltwater prawns exudes pristine quality, while grape-leaf-encased sausages of minced Moroccan-spiced Merguez lamb let you know this chef isn't afraid to heat things up. Full flavors and sharp contrasts are displayed in entrées such as Basque-style loup de mer, a firm-fleshed white fish fillet seared and dressed with chorizo-fortified tomato bouillon; fresh, meaty artichoke hearts; and a sweet red pimiento polenta. Risotto was also exemplary. No such luster brightened a dull "chow mein" of Hong Kong barbecued duck and lobster, but we didn't say Vix was perfect.

Woodlands Indian Cuisine

4816 N. University Dr. Lauderhill

954-749-3221

Indian, Vegetarian, Recommended, Best Of, Menu

This quaint strip-mall eatery out west in Sunrise serves regional South Indian cuisine with a flair for curries and chutneys and an assortment of starches with which to sop it all up. And it's all vegetarian -- yup, no meat whatsoever. There's vada, fried lentil doughnuts dipped in sambar or rasam; bonda dumplings made of lentil or potato; uthappam pancakes topped with chilies and potatoes; and massive dosai - rolled-up crepes larger than your forearm and stuffed with all sorts of delicious veggies. All this is to say nothing of an excellent range of curries and pullavs -- fragrant and liberally spiced -- and freshly made flatbreads like naan and paratha.

7 articles

Zaika Grill

1491 N. Palm Ave. Pembroke Pines

954-391-9919

Pakistani, Indian, Menu, Slideshow

1 article

Indian in South Florida

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