I didn't have high expectations for Desi Dhaba since Boston, and esp. Central Sq. in Cambridge is known for having lots of middle-of-the-road, not bad but not good Indian restaurants. So I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed my dinner! The Tomato Soup truly hit the spot and was piping hot, flavorful, perfectly spiced and just plain delicious. I love soup, I love hot soup, I love hot, savory soup, I love hot, savory, spiced soup. So guess how I felt about this soup? If your answer includes "love", you get a piece of naan! My Chicken Vindaloo was appropriately spicy, but not spicy enough for me. Then I made the mistake of trying my boyfriend's Chicken Coconut Korma. Oh, wowee! I've tried the CCK at many places because my boyfriend always gets it and we have a lot of Indian food, but Desi Dhaba's is the best I've had. It was so good, actually, that I ended up finishing the Korma he couldn't finish--which made sense since I kept sneaking bites throughout the meal. :) The naan came fresh, hot and crisp. No complaints there. Dessert was a refreshing Kheer. One order was enough for the two of us because they give quite a huge portion. It was cold and sweet, exactly as Kheer should be, chock full of cardamon-y goodness. Yum! Surprised by how good this place is. Considering it's just a hop and a skip from my apt, I'll definitely be back! read more

Very polite when we called to see if they have dine in (they do). And the food was fantastic. Will Deff be back. So good.

Great buffet. We went on a Sunday. It was delicious and reasonably priced. Owner is very nice! Will come again.

Note: this review is based on going here 3-4 years ago, so the situation may have changed since then. In general, I love Indian buffets. Love, love, love. And I don't have very high standards.. been to the higher end ($15 buffet at Kashmir) and lower end ($7-$8 around Central), and both are great to me - I just love to eat. So it should be pretty hard to disappoint me, but Desi Dhaba has succeeded in that. I just remember the food looking old/stale, and being rather tasteless compared to other restaurants. Not downright bad - but probably one of the worst Indian buffets I've been to. read more

They are operating as biryani factory on doordash and food is horrible. There is no addressed mentioned on doordash and you realize it's desi dhaba after you have placed the order. Check pics and see if this is how goat biryani and chilli chicken supposed to look like. Also the food is spicy although I had selected medium/moderate in the app. read more

Desi Dhaba - Goat biryani - Indian Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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I have been searching for quality Indian food in the Boston area since I moved here in May. I have tried quite a few places, and this is my favorite so far. I've been trying Chicken Curry everywhere because it's a staple. Desi Dhaba's was great! Really reminded me of homestyle Indian food, rather than restaurant-style. I like that the chicken is all dark meat and juicy. I will say that it could have been spicier, but I like my curry really spicy. I ordered take-out, so I can't say anything about the actual restaurant or customer service. read more

Very bad food. It has no taste. Please save yourself. I tried the vegetarian lunch buffet. I was very hungry that day that's the reason I went to this restaurant. Number of options in the buffet were limited. They had cabbage curry as one of the dish. The naan was very badly cooked. The onion pakoras were under-cooked, were raw and oily. The paneer mutter curry was watery and had no taste. To my surprise there was no dal (lentil) curry in the buffet. Overall the food was bad and tasteless. Not value for money. read more

Food is really good! My only complaints is that the prices are a little high and they never give you enough nan and condiments.

Only ordered take out from here a few times. The food is decent. It's not the best of indian food. the prices are a bit high. There have a been a few times the Naan was a little disappointing but I still keep going back. read more

I went here for the lunch buffet on Tuesday with a friend. I had a good experience; there was a good variety of food and all of it was decent quality. I appreciated that the Naan was always refilled and that they provided chai tea for free. Also, the curries were all pretty good particularly the goat curry and the paneer curry. Overall, I'd say that the lunch buffet was a good value and I'd be happy to come back again. read more

Desi Dhaba - Paneer curry (top left), goat curry (bottom), naan (top), vegetable samosa (top), chicken curry (right) - Indian Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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First of all this place was AMAZING 3 years ago, but I blame Americans on this low rating today. When I order Indian, I expect spicy, rich curries and that is what I used to get. 3 years later I think they have changed some of their recipes to accommodate a more common and less spicy taste - which is sad! PLEASE GO BACK TO YOUR ORIGINAL RECIPES! It was SOOO delicious! read more

I went here for buffet lunch, and thought it was just mediocre. Then I got food poisoning!

I'm really disappointed with my latest experience with Desi Dhaba. Hailing originally from New York, where the Indian community is quite large and the authentic food is unbelievable, Desi Dhaba used to be a go to for us. We have been ordering food for delivery here since 2013 and previously liked it so much that we got our colleagues on it too. Unfortunately, it seems as if their food quality and customer service have seriously been declining. Today, the man delivering the food refused to come into the building. My wife had to walk out to the street to get the food from him, and when she opted not to tip him because of it, he started screaming at her. Initially he asked her about the tip, and when she explained to him why she wasn't going to be tipping (even though we normally do), he got incredibly angry. He started screaming at her in the street and told her not to order from them again because he would be blacklisting us. $3-$4 isn't a huge deal to us and we aren't ones to skimp on a tip, but his behavior all around was completely inappropriate and just against the whole principle of delivery. There are so many people who are struggling with multiple children at home or are disabled and for him to require her to come outside to obtain the food (while expecting to be tipped for his subpar service is ridiculous). To top it all off, the chicken we ordered was burned and unappetizing. Gone are the days that Desi Dhaba used to be one of the best restaurants in Boston for Indian food. read more

Save Your Money and Time! This place is such a shame to Indian food. If I could give this place 0 stars trust me, I would. We ordered delivery for 2 and it was roughly $60. The ETA on the order was 15min. I should have known that it was going to be old curries that will be reheated. You can't cook curries in 15 minutes and have it delivered within that 15 minutes. The three curries we ordered were stale and tasted off. I can confidently say that these are old curries.The Garlic Naan was basically raw dough with no garlic. That means I literally paid extra for a regular Naan, which was raw. Are you kidding me?! The Chicken Karahi had watery tomato gravy ( there was water on top of the curry sauce) and the chicken was boiled and dunked into the gravy. I've had many chicken Karahi so I know what it should look like and taste like. This was disgusting. We also ordered a Lamb Rogan Josh which had the same gravy taste as the chicken one...why?? These are completely different dishes. And the freaking Daal Makhani,it had a weird smell and it was slimy and stale. Now this is the KEY word here: STALE. A lot of the reviews from South Asian people here all use this word. From experience, we know when our home-cooked curries go bad or old so how is it any different for restaurant curries? It's not like we don't know what we are talking about. We threw away everything. We couldn't eat anything due to the smell and taste. This was inedible and borderline food poisoning. read more

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Possibly the worst Indian food I have ever eaten. I've given them a few chances but the food is consistently disappointing - very greasy and not flavorful. Avoid the buffet at all costs. The food is not at all fresh and even greasier than a la carte. If you're desperate for Indian food, you're better off going the canned /frozen route than eating here. read more

Superb chicken tikka masala. Naan was great. And carrot juice with condensed milk was so good. Excellent service too. Highly recommend.

My goto place in Cambridge for eating out Indian or ordering for work events . Good ambience , great location and very friendly staff Food is excellent, balanced spicy (not too hot) without losing the true flavor and taste My co workers (from all parts of the world) love their catered food and insist on bringing their stuff for most events Balanced variety of both vegetarian and non-vegetarian food, Decent desserts and chai If you are in the central or Kendall square area in Cambridge, give it a try read more

Ordered malai kofta , Punjabi tikka and madras shrimp all of them were tasteless! Couldn't eat anything had to throw all of it . Do not waste your time and money at Desi Dhaba . read more

I'll start off by saying that I do really love eating Indian food, but haven't gone out and ordered it for myself too much. But, myself and a date happened to go to Toscanini's for some ice cream and quickly decided we were hungry and needed some take out, so we stopped into Desi Dhaba. We ordered the vegetable samosas, naan, and the chicken curry (so, pretty standard I think) and it was all pretty good! The wait wasn't terribly long and the restaurant itself looks pretty clean and well kept. Similar to other reviews, I was surprised that late on a Friday evening it was pretty empty. If you're an Indian food critic, maybe not your destination. But for Indian in a pinch like I was looking for - it definitely hit the spot! read more

I can say, with full confidence, that Desi Dhaba's lunch buffet has never caused me to shit myself in my office. That is 2 stars for them right out of the gates. The extent of my experience here is the bi-annual stop in for the buffet lunch, and as far as Indian buffets go, it does the trick. Decent variety, well priced, clean albeit simple environs and the aforementioned lack of immediate onset incontinence / and or wrenching gut pains. Decent outdoor seating when its nice. Really, what more do you want? You knew the idea of Indian buffet for lunch was questionable at best to begin with. read more

Desi Dhaba is a nice place to stop for the buffet (which is about average $7) they have recently given the place a face-lift and have a fully stocked bar. The wait staff is very pleasant and it has a great atmosphere. My one fault in going out for Indian is that since I can remember I have been ordering Chicken Tikka Masala. Sometimes I will get Poori or Naan with it, but basically, I'm usually freaked out to try something new, cause I KNOW what I like. Just last week (4/25/08) I went with a friend for dinner, and decided that I would step outside the comfort zone. This means I trust the nice little men at DD to make it good. We got Coconut Soup, Curry Shrimp, Tandoori Grill Platter, and the Large Bread Basket. Literally covered the table in food. We sat and ate for well over an hour, and water was refilled frequently, sauces were brought, plates taken away, check delivered all in a timely fashion. I was happy that I tried something new. I love tandoori chicken, and only get it for buffet usually. So tasty! We had enough food to feed about four people! The bill was about fifty bucks and that included a drink each. Also, it's not hard to convince anybody you eat with to join you at Toscanini's afterwards... A little coffee or ice cream treat totally hits the spot after any good meal. read more

I love Indian food so I'm very picky about where I go. Hands-down one of the best lunch options in Boston! The food the drinks and the service is very friendly ! And I'm sorry you just cannot beat these prices! read more

What I love about this place is that it's open on holidays, like Christmas and New Year's Day, which happened to be the two days I went. The food is great and an excellent value - I paid something like $13 for the thali dinner (which included naan and dessert too) and $9 for the lunch buffet (which included dessert and chai too). Lunch buffet was exactly what I needed after a night of drinking to ring in 2014. Helps that it's right around the corner from my place! I see people eating by themselves here all the time, so don't feel like you need to rally up a group to go in - the seats by the windows are great spots to enjoy your meal and people watch. When it's nicer out, they put chairs and tables outside so you can eat outdoors. They offer brunch but I haven't been here for brunch. The service is friendly and attentive, and from their South Indian offerings (like dosa), you can tell they have a wide variety of menu options. read more

Desi Dhaba is the flashiest Indian restaurant in Central square. The interior design doesn't reach the wackiness quotient of Kabob Factory or Diva but it's colorful and modern. The buffet is of average size and price, it has reliably tasty vegetarian dishes and, at least sometimes, offers Punjabi Tikki instead of the pakoras and samosas you might be tired of finding everywhere else. Their plain naan is possibly the best plain naan I've ever had. If you make decisions about where to eat based on bread quality this might be helpful to you. read more

Yum Yum Yum Yum Yum (insert me rubbing my tummy here) I had the Chicken Mushroom with garlic Naan and this wonderful paper thin crunchy bread thing (I didn't order it but man I ate it!). We sat outside and were served very quickly, water glasses never empty, waiters polite. I can't wait to go back! This is now my excuse to get to Central/Kendal Square more often!! read more

Surly waiters? Check. Terrible service? Check. Seriously below average food? Check. Expensive (for indian food)? Check. Zero atmosphere? Check. Throwing up all night? Check. After my last meal there, I'd rather eat whatever that is that gets expelled from the melting snow piles around Central. read more

Ok, I've changed my mind about Desi. I cam here the other day, and service was not very good. The buffet food was bland at best. For example, there was saag, without paneer or anything in it, that just tasted like mushed spinach. Obviously, it's good it tasted like spinach, but someone skimped on the spices. Finally, the dishes were wet and kind of dirty. One had a squashed bug on it. When I brought to the attending server, he just took it and said nothing. Yep, I had a hard time eating my meal. I should have left after seeing the bug. read more

Decent enough, fresh, non-greasy Indian fare. Inoffensive. EXCEPT when I ordered vindaloo and it was as spicy as half the spice of a korma. Do not order their vindaloo if you want spice. read more

This place really has the most craveable Shahi Paneer in the Boston area. Whether its authentic or not, I have no idea but god, it is delicious. I tasted my first Shahi Paneer 4 years ago and it was at Desi Dhaba. Since then, it has become my favorite dish (followed by Malai Kofta as a close second) to order at any Indian restaurant but no one does it quite like Desi. For those who have not been exposed to the wonder that is Shahi Paneer, I don't care if you're an avid meat-eater or grew up on a farm eating meat all day every day... TRY IT. It's nutty, creamy, slightly sweet, and the paneer is cooked so well. So unless you're lactose intolerant...no excuses. And I find myself writing this rampant review at 2 in the morning because I am craving it! read more

The food was good, just a little spicy. Service was good, but a little slow. Folks there are very kind. We were worried that the food wasn't going to be good because there was hardly anyone in the place, but it was excellent and they gave us plenty. would visit again read more

Great Authentic Indian Cuisine in a superb classy atmosphere tucked away of central square on Mass Avenue. Perfect Lighting, Great Decor, Owner and waitstaff are very knowledgeable and personable. FREE DELIVERY - one of the few Indian restaurants offering free delivery. If you want a good experience..I suggest going for dinner and not buffet...thats my suggestion on all indian dining...:-)) read more

Great food, decent service. I ordered with the food for all app, and they treated us really well giving us a huge dish to take home. Check it out! read more

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The only reason I am not giving up five stars in the service. I eat here so often, and still, so slow Soooooo slooooooowwwwwwwww....... On the plus side- Really excellent outdoor seating where you can drink beer Yummmmmy, if in a very American way, food Really reasonable prices Superconvenient, right down the street from my house location As long as you don't have a starving seven year old with you, who can't wait half an hour for a re-heated samosa, you'll be just fine. read more

The best Indian food in Central Square! I really just had to share my experience from last night. I had had a scratchy throat all day, and I walked off the 70 over to Desi Dhaba to get a to-go order and walk home (it was nice out). Anyway, I walked in, and told them I was there to pick up an order, and they showed me to the bar, and had me sit down while they went and got my food. Then, the waiter poured me a glass of water. It totally hit the spot on my scratchy throat, and it was nice to have for the walk home. I'm not used to such attentive service for takeout from an affordable Indian joint! My food was all ready, but I thought that was such a nice touch! Also, the food itself turned out to be very impressive! Thanks, Desi Dhaba! Your attentive service earned you a positive Yelp. read more

The food here is solidly good. I wasn't blown away, but it's apparently pretty authentic. Of course, I'm no Indian food expert, but my Desi friend came with me to guide me through the meal, haha. We got the large naan basket, which included a sweet naan (interesting, almost dessert or pastry-like), one with potato in it, and a garlic one (my personal fave). We split tikka masala and palak paneer. I guess we didn't expect the portions to be so generous. When it's served, it doesn't even look that big, but as you're eating, you realize just how much food there really is. My only complaint is that the waiter was rather...not smart. He was very polite and courteous, but he was just off in some ways. He did a horrible job explaining to us the size difference between the large and small baskets of naan (something about 2 kinds but 4, 1 of each type, wtf?). We also had to wait a century to get the check, and when we were getting things to-go, he could NOT understand that we wanted to split all the dishes between the two of us. I'm coming here again before it gets too cold to sit outside, and I'm feeling adventurous so I'm going to get everything spicy. Yeahhh boy. read more

I really wanted this place to be da bomb of indian buffets because it's located 5 minutes walk from my work but alas, beggars can't be choosers. Desi Dhaba does provide one of the cheaper buffets in Central ($7.95) but compared to the multitude of Indian buffets I've gone to, it's really only middle of the pack. They tend to only serve chicken and the curry dishes could have been a bit more spicier. The chicken tikka masala could have used a little more zing and tomato tanginess. Small buffet selection as well. I'd rather pay a $1 more and go to India Pavilion further down the street. read more

I couldn't have been happier with this place. Excellent Indian food, including south Indian dishes (thalis & dosas). I loved the pani puri as well. A number of inexpensive beer options and a nice atmosphere. The dishes are reasonably priced and of the highest quality. I left immensely satisfied. The only possible criticism I could offer is that there was no alcohol-infused mango cocktail on the menu. Such cocktails are delicious. However, I firmly believe that given their ability to make mango lassis and the presence of hard liquor, they could produce such a beverage if so implored. This is my new favorite Indian restaurant in Boston. read more

I used to be a regular here, but I haven't been back in a year or so. And I can say the quality of the food has went down a lot. I ordered the Madras fried shrimp. It tasted sour and the shrimp were chewy like they were imitation shrimp. The veggie samosas weren't good either. My friend got all potatoe while I only had peas. The entrees was good enough, but no where near how the flavor used to be The naan was covered in cilantro. The server was nice and took the shrimp off of the bill with no problem, but I don't think I'll be returning. read more

Not a great option with all the great Indian restaurants around, but decent enough, and it gets a star for free delivery through campusfood.com. update: loses a star for delivering poor, bland tandoori salmon when i ordered tandoori swordfish. update: i've been unfair to this restaurant. solid delivery, decent to good food. 3.5 stars. read more

I love this place. My friend introduced this place to me as his favorite "indian" restaurant and since then, this place became my favorite indian restaurant. The Chicken curry is amazingly good and also the portion is generous. I usually split the dish into two so that I can eat for two dinners. read more