My first visit to The Clay Pit was great. It was a Sunday afternoon, so they weren't crowded (which, I'm told, is unusual other days). The food was great - some of the best Indian food I've tasted (although I've probably had only a dozen or so Indian meals). Serving size was just right. Service was great. To summarize, I like this place and will return. read more

The chicken biryani was OK but the chicken tikka masala was horrible i won't come back again

I took a friend here to repay her for letting me crash her place for the weekend. So I hopped on yelp and looked for Indian food in her area and this is what popped up. I saw both the good and bad reviews and decided to just risk it, it seemed like maybe there were some picky people. We were greeted by a pretty brown haired typical looking sorority girl as our hostess, who smiled, and just dumped us at our table with no explaination of what to do.The decor was actually pretty lovely and my first impression was "Wow! I was not expecting this." And yet, that was the first bad sign. I should not be comfortable in an Indian restaurant, if i want real Indian food. Anyways, my friend and I looked at each other, looked around for a waiter to take our drink orders, shrugged and dived into the buffet. I loaded my plate up with one of the two soups, the Creamy Vegetable Soup, rice and Garam Masala and Lamb Korma with some Pakoras. I started with the soup and was mildly impressed with it, very creamy and not what I would expect from soup but hey, it's a new type of soup! But I'd never had any soup at an Indian restaurant before so I have nothing to compare it to. The Pakoras were also passably tasty if a little cold. Buffet food. It happens. The Masal and the Korma however... It's hard to put my finger on it. It was very bland, but there was most of the flavour but it was just so MILD, no spicyness at all, which I think took away from the food immensely. Whatever gives those dishes their sinus clearing flavour, it's absolutely necessary to the flavour. So this was possibly my worst Indian food experience, because it was just so .. watered down when it came to flavour. I had to check myself, and look about to see if anyone else was enjoying their food and they all seemed to be! My dining partner was aghast at the taste as well. With unimpressive naan that was almost like pita bread from being flat and not puffy at all, and too wet rice, well it was just all unappetizing. As we left, we debated about it and decided this place was so well liked because it was like Asian Fusion restaurants. A very Americanized setting with absolutely nary a sign of anyone who'd normally be there enjoying the food, which put all the Upper White Middle Classers at ease and let them think they're being "cultured". The absolutely only reason I give this place two stars is because the soup was pretty delicious and I left not feeling too hungry and because my dining partner said the curry was passable, compared to the rest of her plate. I don't recommend it for anyone who considers themselves a real foodie, as opposed to someone who wants to just go "be experimentive" in a familiar environment. If you want Indian food, go brave the masses and sit elbow to elbow with a loud family and you'll be delighted by your food. Otherwise, don't bother saying you like "Indian food". read more

Usually very good tonight major #fail. All the way down from bartender ignoring us to hostess bypassing (reminds me of the days I had to wait at the China Club) us for the younger cooler walkups. Waitress was tired I can't blame her for that but are food was unbelievably slow getting out and cold. Will I try it again, yes, soon no it's not worth the wait. read more

I have friends that LOVE this place. I don't. I don't hate it either. It just doesn't do it for me. There is NO heat even when I've specifically requested it as spicy as they'll make it. I find their kormas and curries too sweet and cloying. I prefer my Indian a litlle less watered down and Americanized. For my friends that have "milder" tastes, this place is perfect. I prefer something a bit spicier and more authentic. I am, however, a big fan of their samosas and their mussels. So, when my sissy taste budded friends want to go eat here, I stick to those items and a good helping of wine. They have a nice wine list. read more

Couldn't ask for a better birthday. Service was spot on, the food was amazing. After reading these reviews anything under 4 stars the people are nuts, no really read them. One person says something about not being "ultra" fresh? Not sure how you can old food in a place that stays this packed, it would be hard to have old food if they tried. Next one guy "swapped" out two entrees because it wasn't what he was looking for, ask ask ask read the %@%^ description, WHAT IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE IN AUSTIN. Management if you're reading this, I manage a restaurant and have been in the business for many many years and I have to say you guys do an AMAZING job.... read more

Randomly search indian restaurant when i was there in Downtown, me and my wife was on the road for several days and craving for rice and some good curries, the restaurant is amazing, service is 5 star, we ordered curry crab cakes, they served with lemon...are you serious? i am from boston. i am a big fan of crab cakes..for the main course we ordered chicken biryani..worst biryani i ever had but the goat curry with white basmati rice was ok..overall not a good food. hey guess what guys if you use YELP check in here and get an app for free..thats was 5 star right there. read more

If you've never tried Indian food before, Clay Pit is an OK choice; but for the price you're better off buying some frozen chicken tikka TV dinner and calling it a night. One other reviewer described this as the Indian Olive Garden, and that's basically accurate. I've been here multiple times and am always underwhelmed; the food is overdone, fairly bland, and non-threatening. I shy away from the idea of "authentic" Indian food because there are so many diverse cuisines from region to region across India, and moreover you can't just use jalapenos instead of Indian green chilis and expect it to taste the same. But some restaurants do better than others; Clay Pit is not one of them. I'm primarily talking about North Indian/Mughlai/Punjabi food, because that's what I know after years living there and that's 95% of what gets served in Indian restaurants in America (along with the ubiquitous Goan Vindaloo and the occasional dosa, pao bhaji, or Bengali prawns). This is a pet peeve to begin with, but the main problem is that the secret to this kind of food is that the spices are all cooked carefully at different heats for different times. You can't just dump them in at the beginning or at the end or it won't taste right. So beware any restaurant--such as Clay Pit--that offers food "spiced to order." They make the food bland then dump in some extra chili powder at the end, which doesn't even help cover up that obvious bitterness of burnt turmeric. Another problem is that keeping the food heated at a lunch buffet (if that's what you choose) makes all the flavors soak together and the texture deteriorate on some dishes. Also in many dishes they rely too much on rich cream and sugar without balancing the flavor; just because it's a dish wish "malai" (cream) in the name, doesn't mean that's all a person should taste. The bar has a few creative drink options that are worth trying if you end up there, but not worth their own visit. read more

Very friendly and attentive staff. Their Chicken Korma with their fresh Naan bread Is The BEST, I Love It!

Great place to take friends and family. The korma and tiki masala are great dishes that never disappoint. Also recomend the jalapeño nan

I know this is an uppity restaurant with a chain feel, but the food is delicious so I can't not come here! The vegetarian options are awesome and the spices are perfect! read more

Delicious Indian. We had a chicken special. Mild creamy curry with spinach. Lamb vindaloo. Nan with cream cheese and jalapeños which was decadent. And a half order of palak paneer. Everything was super flavorful. read more

I enjoy coming here often. The food is darn good, and the atmosphere and service is better. I could take a casual date here, or just come here with friends. read more

Nice ambiance, great drinks. The food is delicious - worth 4 stars. From an operations stand point, they would be well suited with a new team (or maybe just new management who properly educated and supported the staff) who understands excellence in service and delivery on all levels. The service was dreadful. We were there for over 2 hours, the first 45 minutes without any food at all. Our entree's arrived about 20 minutes after appetizers were completed and my entree was delivered about 5 minutes after the rest of my friends.... it just got progressively worse. The energy was chaotic and made it challenging to enjoy our humble Sunday evening meal. The servers were running around with frowny faces, completely overwhelmed...lets be honest, who wants to eat around a bunch of unhappy stressed out folks who clearly hate what they do and who they serve? My recommendation is to consider take out! read more

Best mussels and custom drinks. Great food and great service. Don't usually like Indian food but I like this place.

I am a late comer to Indian cuisine, having avoided it after a bad experience back in the day. My first visit here I did not know what to expect in terms of menu. Luckily, I went during a buffet and that turned out to be the best thing for me due to my lack of knowledge about Indian food. I got to sample several different dishes and was blown away by how delicious the food is here. I have been back several times now and have enjoyed a consistent experience in terms of food, customer service and ambience. It really deserves the high marks for the food preparation and presentation. Well done. read more

The tikka masala here changed my life. Overstatement? Maybe a little. I've never been a fan of curry until I came here, then I realized that I am only not a fan of mediocre curry. Their chicken tikka masala was rich, decadent, creamy, and just the right amount of heat for me (mild). I can't handle spicy things at all and their "mild" was perfectly fine for me. The only thing that could be negative about it is that their chicken chunks were a little too big. I'm a pretty small girl, and every time I took a bite I looked a bit like a chipmunk. Atmosphere was noisy and crowded, but that might have been because we were there on mother's day. We almost had to shout to hear each other, and our server looked rushed and stressed. Our appetizers came out quickly, but it took over 30 minutes for our food to arrive. One thing I didn't like was the garlic naan - I love naan usually, but this was packed with not-small pieces of garlic. More than once, I took a bite only to be greeted with the unpleasant moist crunch of a not quite cooked chunk. Coriander calamari was good, but not amazing. All in all, a hobo could have served me in a barn and I would still come back for the curry. read more

Location is nice. Decor is interesting but tables are put together too close. Almost to the point of feeling claustrophobic during weekends. Food is nothing exceptional. Not upto the hype. read more

I've lived in Austin for over four years and everyone has always told me how great this place is. I've always lived too far away to make the trip to dine in but last night, my boyfriend was in the area and offered to pick up some food to bring over to my place. I put our order in online and when he went to pick up, he said he stood by the hostess stand for a while without acknowledgement from any single person on the staff. Thinking he may need to go to the bar to pick up food, like many restaurants do, he went to the bar where he was furthered ignored by the bartenders. He told me that after several minutes he finally got someones attention and they told him, "We have a dress code." without bothering to help him. (Shorts and a t shirt was what he was wearing, which is fine y'all have a dress code but it's no reason to ignore someone) The bartender told him to go back to the host stand and the host would help. By the time he got to the front of line at the host stand, the host told him to go somewhere else to pick up the food. The generated email from the online order form said our food was ready at 6:37. My boyfriend didn't get to my place (On E Oltorf) until well after 7:30, which means he definitely waited too long to pick up food. I ordered the samosas and aloo gobi. The samosas were great but they forgot my rice for the aloo gobi so it wasn't so good. Probably won't waste my time at a place like this again. read more

Ok food with good service. A little overpriced but it is in downtown so it has to be that way. Nice seating arrangement but a long waiting time . read more

Pretty good quality, but the food lacked strong flavors. The lunch buffet is a pretty good deal though.

Ordered baingan bharta. The onions were raw. How do you mess up that bad. read more

I took a friend here and we got 3 entrees two lentils and spinach were really blend. The third options was curry vegetables was fantastic. The Naan was okay. read more

1 star if you are Indian, 4 stars if you are not. The food is not close to authentic, which is a huge disappointment if you like real Indian food. However, if you like the toned down, creamy version of Indian food, that is made for a midwestern palate, this place will rock your world. read more

I love the korma paneer here; it's a mouthful of cashew and coconut and creamy sweetness. It's a great item to throw in the mix when you're sampling dishes with friends. Clay Pit is an easy place to bring people who are intimidated by Indian food because there is a wide variety of options on the menu, like simple, grilled meats and vegetables. I especially appreciate the attention paid to denoting what menu items are gluten-free. This is a winning option for people who are gluten-free, vegetarian, or both. read more

Taste of the food was excellent. That was the only good part of the experience. Portions for some items were way too small. 17 dollars for a lamb dish and it comes out looking like a kids size.. Seriously. Not impressed. And a very small dish of rice for two people to share?? Hmm.. Ambience was lacking as well, we were in a secondary dining room with bright lights shining in my eyes and Irish music playing. Huh?? Not exactly what you expect in a fancy Indian restaurant. Service was extremely lacking. Our waitress said the least amount of words possible and would not smile or make any eye contact. Simple requests like extra rice took forever and got forgotten. Price is too high for what you get. We had waters to drink and between two people it was still almost $50. If I'm paying that much for a meal there should be bigger portions, decent service, and a better atmosphere. read more

We have been eating at The Clay Pit for years and have considered it to be our favorite Indian restaurant in Austin. However, tonight's experience was not good. First, I went to the bar to order a glass of wine while waiting for my friend. The man in front of me ordered two cosmos. The bartender stuck his nose in a shaker, sniffed it, and indicated that he needed to wash it. After he washed it, he stuck his nose in it again, sniffed, and declared that it was better. (When I say "stuck his nose in," I mean he stuck his nose all the way in the shaker. Do you want someone's nose in the container where your drink is to be made?) Then when he was cutting the rind from a lemon for garnish, he cut himself and declared that he had. However, he did not put down the lemon and utensil. He just kept going--handling the lemon and placing the rind in the two drinks. (If someone cuts himself while handling something you are going to ingest, don't you want him to clean up and start over?) Second, we have always enjoyed eating the papadum and sauces served as we were seated. (I loved the green sauce!) However, The Clay Pit has done away with this. Very disappointing! Finally, I have a favorite dish that I have ordered repeatedly over the years, Bombay Aloo. It has always been consistently good...until tonight. The sauce has changed for the worse. It was sweeter and more like a cheap pasta sauce than the delicious Indian food I remember. I ordered it medium spicy, and it was not spicy at all. The meal was disappointing, and I will not be heading back there any time soon. read more

Great Place! My Husband took me here for my birthday dinner and we couldn't have asked for better food or service. We were quite impressed with the Jeera Saag and the Shahi Paneer. Our server was hilarious/entertaining while being hospitable at the same time. At the end, he showed us his skill of tossing the pen into the air to flip into the "bill holder." The restaurant has fun Indian Decor. Will come back to try more and different entrees. read more

Torn between a 4 and a 5. The hands-down best Indian food restaurant in Austin, whether buffet or off the menu. Great atmosphere in a hip downtownish building. You will not regret this. read more

The Tikka Masala here is to die for! I'm also a fan of the delicious fruit naan.

My all-time favorite for dinner in Austin. I've been to a lot of Indian restaurants around the country, and this is one of my faves. The chutneys are wonderful, especially paired with the garlic naan. Also highly recommended are the chana masala, the daal, and the rice pudding. The atmosphere is great for a dinner with friends or a date. Request the underground dining room for an intimate dinner only if you aren't claustrophobic. Avoid the lunch buffet. read more

NOT WORTH THE HYPE... Food is barely a 4/10. The wait time and the attitude just puts you off. I have never been to a resturant that makes you wait 50 mins to the dot. It's like we have been given a time-out for not making a reservation. The reason I say that is, after waiting for 45 minutes patiently, I asked the front desk to see if we are gonna get the table, to which she replied, "You have 5 minutes left.". Lo and behold, we get the table in 5 minutes. The attitude they have is just unbelievable. No smiles, no putting a face to show that they are interested in being there. The food is no way contemporary by any means. May be its their version of Indian food. Having been in NYC for 20 years, there are better indian places that are like a hole in the wall than this. Shahi Panner is no way "shahi" by any means. Mango lassi is just yogurt that they mixed with mango pulp just after the order. I strongly recommend not going to this place even if you are hungry and there is nothing to eat. Please don't waste your time and money at this place. One star for the person who waited on us in the restaurant. FYI... I created an account just to post this!!! read more

This is a comfort spot if you love Indian food and you're in downtown Austin. Within seconds of sitting down, hot poppadom quietly arrived with cilantro and tamarind chutneys. The service was a notch above what I expected. Our server was subtle and attentive. The old limestone 19th C. building adds to a sense of timelessness. Full bar - and I mean they have a whole selection of infused vodkas, using dried mango, ginger and spices. If you want to start your decadence right after work, go for the half priced happy hour appetizers and start your evening right. read more

Loved the atmosphere here! Beautiful artwork (was waiting for an hour) but it was totally worth it! Everyone was nice and helped us out on all the questions my girlfriend and I had. We also went under to an almost wine cellar where our table was, as if it weren't already awesome enough! I am a big naan fan and their were amazing! With a little bit of their cilantro sour cream dip... My mouth is watering just thinking about it! Overall experience, we will be back! Just a little hint... Make a reservation for a Friday night :P We will be back! read more

I had my birthday dinner at The Clay Pit this year... it was lovely! Everyone was talking about how good the food was and what a cool room we had. I originally was going to have my dinner at The Melting Pot but was told my group had to spend a minimum of $700 bucks before tax or gratuity...no thanks. I found that rather insulting, is it not enough to bring the business of 15 people? Anyway, back to The Clay Pit... I reserved a room which was only $50 bucks to be put towards the bill when we got there. We were sat in a wine cellar type of room. The waiter, Mark, I think was super nice and gave great suggestions on how we should order. We enjoyed the many of the dishes and the garlic naan was delish. Our reservation was until 8:30 but we stayed until 9 and the waiter didn't even trip! Then I got a delightful mango cheesecake for my bday dessert. Good time had by all! read more

I really enjoy their naan and their lunch buffet. Food is really good but I wish they had more selection for their buffet like some saag paneer maybe? Naan is unlimited just ask for more! I think its a bit pricy for the amount of food selection but I love Indian food. read more

i love this place. I always go here with my family because the food is good for sharing in groups. make sure you make a reservation, because it's always crowded. My only problem with clay pit is that it is REALLY loud in the restaurant and hard to hear the people you are dining with. but DELICIOUS indian food. Definitely try this place. read more

I went here with five other friends for a friend's birthday on a busy Friday night. Our waiter was Wolfgang, and he was wonderful! The food was pretty good, but since I'm South Asian, it wasn't like WOW. Our naan and chutney and pomadoms were refilled more than twice, for NO extra charge! That was nice. Our waiter was very attentive, ask for him, and he also hand packed our food at the end. We all were left with one more serving of food at the end, even after stuffing ourselves, AND Wolfgang provided us with a box of rice that EASILY served 5 people. Remember to get the MILD if you don't do well with spicy things. Even the HOT was spicy for me, and I eat spicy things. read more

Went for a weekend lunch buffet and was not disappointed. They had a good range of dishes, both in terms of spices and protein content (I eat meat but my dining companion does not). Some of the dishes were more popular, so they ran out more quickly and it took time for the chafing dishes to be refilled. I didn't mind a leisurely meal, but it might not be the spot for a quick bite. As with many buffets, the cost is more reasonable if you can eat quite a bit in one go. read more

The Clay Pit hosted the wedding reception for my husband and I. Balto L. the manager was the most kind and helpful manager I have ever worked with. He set up the room for us and was willing to make changes up till the last day. The menu was flexible and all of our guests loved the food and thought the venu was beautiful. We had room for dancing. The food was well done and delicious! We even had a bar well stocked up stairs! My husband and I could not have had a better reception with helpful staff and would recommend the clay out for any family event that you want to run well and be memorable. read more