Desi Tadka remains one of my favorite Indian spots in Birmingham, and the food is still doing most of the heavy lifting. The chicken tikka masala? Still tasty. The sauce was luscious and velvety, even if it showed up tonight with a mild personality. I kept waiting for the heat to clock in for its shift, but apparently it had PTO approved. Still delicious though. The vegetable samosas were crispy on the outside with that delicate, comforting filling inside. No notes. Just solid. And the garlic naan? Dangerous. I told myself "just one more bite" at least seven times. It's garlicky, soft, and basically a carb trap I willingly fall into every visit. Now... the service. Let's just say if attentiveness were a spice, it was left in the kitchen. Our waitress vanished for extended periods like she was filming a documentary about the back of the restaurant. No check-in, no "how is everything," no interest in whether we were thrilled or quietly combusting. It felt less like dining and more like self-guided Indian cuisine. Food: still outstanding. Service: spiritually elsewhere. Four stars because the kitchen deserves it. The front of house might need a little masala of its own. read more

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WOW. First, service is incredible here. We sat down and the waitress recommended the masala dosa as an appetizer. Imagine our surprise to see this giant tube roll out of the kitchen. It was INCREDIBLE! It's a fermented rice batter pancake (almost a crispy crepe texture) surrounding a potato filling with an array of sauces on the side. All of the dipping sauces were incredible. Absolute must try. I believe it can be hard to find traditional southern Indian cuisine, but I'll be back. We ordered some tandoori chicken, which was so moist and delicious. I had an order of the dal sag, which was great, too. We left with plenty of food to take home for leftovers. We also had the onion stuffed kafta, which was indulgent and delicious. The staff was so kind to even treat us to a gulab jamun at the end. My favorite :). I'll be back here again for sure. Absolutely worth the trip out to Hoover. read more

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My oldest daughter suggested this restaurant based on a Tik Tok testimonial. (Very good food!) Veg Samosa Chicken Tikka Masala Butter Chicken Garlic Naan Gulab Jamun Nice ambiance Good service. Food piping hot, great flavor, and good portion size. I will be back. read more

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The decor is one of the prettiest restaurants I have seen, the booths are so cute! The food was delicious, it took a minute to come out but was so worth it!!! I will be back that's for sure read more

Desi Tadka Alabama - Chicken Makhani (Butter Chicken), Chicken Tikka, Garlic Naangarlic - Indian Near Me - Hoover, Alabama

I've been wanting to try this place since I always eat at Dale's next door. Came for lunch and you're welcomed with an anesthetic of purple velvet booths and gold chandeliers, boating the restaurant/lounge space that it is. The menu is vast and the server was so helpful in deciding the spice level of our dishes. Of course I start with the chicken 65 (loved it) and moved on to some curry dishes-- chicken kahadi and lamb gvarthi (I have misspelled them I'm sure..). Both her delicious and spicy. They come naturally at a spice level of medium so I kept it there. The naan's are incredible! We had garlic naan and the coconut naan with fruits and nuts. Both were finger lickin good and flavorful. The gulab was a bit of a miss and for 6$ for 2 balls, I'd skip it next time, but we had a surprise dessert come out courtesy of the chef, so the mango was such a nice touch. I'll definitely br back! read more

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First time here. We ate family style. We had lamb seekh kebab, Tandoori chicken biryani, chicken 65 biryani and lamb tiki marsala. They ask you what spice level you want. Medium is spicy. We'll be back. Tap water on table. read more

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OMG OMG OMG!!!!! This is the SPOT! I have never gotten the 'itis' from a place like I have gotten this. We got to the car and literally almost fell asleep in the car after eating. We were so full, so happy, and content. This is what it feels like for your tummy to be HAPPY HAPPY! The food is outstanding and so is the service. We had Victor as our waiter, and he went above and beyond for us. I had the chicken biriyani without bone, and my husband had the butter chicken (it's a different name on the menu, but you can still find it in parenthesis). We also had the butter naan and two mango lassis. This food speaks to my soul and I can't wait to go back. The bathrooms were also clean (not super updated) but still clean! At the end of the meal we had a dessert that was so delicious. They were like donut holes covered in a sweet and aromatic syrup, and were melt in your mouth. Outstanding service, outstanding food. This place makes my top 3 favorite restaurants in the area! read more

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Food 5/5 Service 5/5 Ambiance 4/5 Food is Halal! Saag palak paneer is the best in town. A must order. Masala cheese fries were also hot, fresh and delicious. Needed some more cheese though. They also contain Mayo ketchup so if that's not your flavor avoid. Prices were fair, portions were good. But 2 Gulab Jamuns for $6 is steep. Give us at least 4. The photo next to the menu has 6. Vegetarian items were fantastic. I'm super picky about biryani since my mom grew up in Puran Dhaka where the Mughals spent years perfecting the recipes. I wasn't a fan of chewy over spicy rice and curry. Biryani should focus on meat fat, aromatics and ghee and comfort. So I'd say pass up on the meat dishes. Chicken 65 was spicy and saucy. I prefer the drier variety. Areas to improve. I'm American Desi and I just want to see this place improve a bit so it can stay in business. So please take this advice with love... The little silver cups were cute, but Americans need large cups and tons of ice. And straws. This is the south. We were given a few ice cubes that we had to ask for and room temperature water. Americans love cold drinks in abundance. Keep water jugs in the fridge and train waiters to not skimp on ice or napkins. Our waiter would count out 3 napkins each time we asked for them. Both of the young men who attended to us were very respectful and attentive. Asked us several times how the food was. Also, the thermostat was set at 76. This is way too hot for Americans. If your AC isn't working I know a good company who can help. Inbox me & I'll give you his information. Americans have to be comfortable eating food. This is the south so that means keep the place cool and cold water and ice ample. Also bathrooms need attention. They need to be cleaned 5 times a day especially if you're serving Indian food. Also, maybe ask customers what their spice and heat level is when ordering. Indian food should always be spicy. But Americans just aren't used to so much chili in their food. When cooking the dishes add the chili later after taking the order. Ask if they want it spicy before giving them food they're bodies simply can't enjoy or digest I really like how cute this place was decorated. I loved being able to pay with a QR code on my phone. Best wishes! Will be back soon! read more

The food was incredible and the service was impeccable. The ambience of the place is nice and cozy and super chill even on a friday at dinner time. The staff is extremely kind with frequent check-ins and good customer service. 10/10 would recommend. read more

A new restaurant in this strip mall that we tried out today. Interior is open and welcoming. The menu is extensive but we did not spend much time looking at it but rather opted for the lunch buffet. The lunch buffet is pretty small, but it does include garlic naan and chili garlic naan in addition to the regular naan. It also includes lemonade.....but the lemonade isn't good and tastes like it's from a powder mixture, so it doesn't add to the buffet for me. While the buffet is small, it does include a few items that were tasty - chicken tikka masala, tomato soup and one other item I can't remember the name of. So with the fresh, on-demand naan, those were good enough for me. Service was fine, as one would expect at a buffet. The experience was good overall, but the food on the bar was lukewarm rather than hot. Dessert is the option of one item. Take it or leave it, so unfortunately it was leave it for us as we don't like the one option available. Lastly, the price was in the high side for lunch at $16.99. The buffet was pretty comparable to what Taj India offers, each restaurant with their own pros/cons, but Taj prices their lunch buffet at $11.99. At these price points, Taj is still the place for me! read more

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This is a new Indian restaurant located on Highway 31 in Hoover. The restaurant is located in a popular strip mall. The space has been renovated with fresh paint and new dining room furniture. There is a full-service bar towards the back of the restaurant. At the time of this writing the restaurant had not yet received their liquor license, but it is in the works. The menu is quite large. It can be intimidating if you are unfamiliar with Indian cuisine. Wait staff was helpful in describing some of the dishes that we were considering. Our party of three shared a Butter Chicken, Chicken Vindaloo, and Singapore noodles. All three dishes were good, my favorite was the Chicken Vindaloo. I also like the Garlic Naan. read more

Desi Tadka Alabama - Butter Chicken - Indian Near Me - Hoover, Alabama

A new Indian restaurant in Hoover! Desi Tadka is located in a strip shopping center right off 31 behind Hunan Garden. Simple glass entrance, but the interior impressed me. Nicely covered seats, beautiful tables, regional decor with matching music, DT has plenty of seating with a large private area in the back. They've only been open about a month and are still awaiting their liquor license. They plan to have a grand opening soon. When they do, they also plan to offer a lunch buffet. The place was rather empty for a Wednesday lunch so we were seated immediately. Paul, Kenny and I decided to order family style. Butter chicken: I thought it was very good. Thick yet creamy with lots of coconut in the curry. The chicken portions were tender and melted in your mouth. The medium spicy level was just right to give it a good kick. Chicken Vindaloo: A darker color and a little more "heat" than the butter chicken even though it was also requested with medium spiciness. Again the chicken was tender and so were the potatoes. Schezwan Hakka noodles with chicken: Delicious! It was their indian version of a classic chinese dish. They used an almost vermicelli pasta, stir fried it in a myriad of indian spices with small pieces of chicken breast topped with a copious amount of green onions! We also ordered some garlic naan and chapati. I much preferred the buttered naan over the chapati which were thin and flat almost like unleavened bread. Note that they do not come with any sauce or curry to dip. I also tried the cold coffee with ice cream. A large scoop of vanilla ice cream in a medium glass with indian coffee, indian sugar and milk. It was strong but good. Some suggestions. Instead of having 3 large laminated pages, they should make one traditional foldable menu and add some descriptive language for each dish. Luckily it wasn't busy and our server was able to tell us about the dishes we were interested in. Although I enjoyed the decor, they could tone down the bright almost blinding flourescent blue lighting which travels the entire length of their bar. They brought a large glass bottle of water which was left on our table for us to help ourselves. My suggestion would be to have it filled with chilled instead of room temperature water. Either that or inquire if anyone wants ice. The flavors are authentic and on point. Service was spot on and prices are reasonable. This is a family owned restaurant whose owner also owns the Indian grocery store a block away in the same strip shopping center. I can't wait to return and try their lunch buffet after their grand opening! Welcome to Hoover Desi Tadka! read more

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We've been on the hunt for a particular Naan bread that my grandson loves. We decided to try this place this afternoon. Not only did they have the bread, but the food was amazing. The service was great and the ambiance is beautiful. We will definitely be back. read more

Wow!!! Having been to South India over the last 18 years this restaurant never lets me down. Fantastic service and authentic food Manchow soup is excellent. You won't be disappointed. I try to come here once per week and drive from Chelsea. read more

Desi Tadka is a great addition to the Indian food scene in Birmingham. We tried several of our usual favorite dishes this time, in order to compare to how other restaurants prepare them. They were all delicious, and I can't wait to return to try more items off the menu. The veggie samosas were some of the best I've had. The pastry was perfectly crispy, and the pea and potato filling was nicely spiced. They are served with two dipping sauces, and the mint sauce in particular was a fitting complement to the flavors contained within the pastry. The chicken tikka masala had a great flavor, rich and creamy, and not overly sweet as some other local restaurants make it. Tue chicken chunks were large and the portion size was adequate. The butter chicken was delicious, with a very mild heat. Again, a good portion size with good amount of chicken. The saag paneer was perfect, savory and mild. The naan was perfectly chewy with a nice char. The butter naan was a great side to soak up the spicier curries, and the garlic naan was good by itself but also good with the milder saag paneer. read more

Desi Tadka was a surprise. We tried it on a whim and loved it! We've been back twice and it was just as good. I had the Chicken 65 then the Butter Chicken--both awesome! The Lamb Keema Lamb it excellent! We got it on our last two visits. If you have a few with you, consider the Naan Basket with three types of naan. A friend who loves spice loved whatever he got. The only slight negative was that they didn't have a lot of help the two last times we were there. But the young man who waited on us was very attentive. I don't know how much advertising they've tried, but it isn't enough--Birmingham needs to know about this place is! read more

Great Indian Food, great bar and great people!! Very clean and good service and good deserts

My husband and I love Indian. The food, atmosphere and service here were all great. We will be back! Thank you! read more

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Came here for lunch with a friend. This is in the shopping center with Hobby Lobby. They have a full menu plus a buffet. I was very happy to get the buffet. There was a good variety of food in the buffet both meat and vegetarian. I was pleased to hear the buffet also came with naan and lemonade. I tried a few different things. I really enjoyed the one curry I had. It was really good. The samosa was decent but I've had better. The garlic naan was excellent. Good and garlicky. Service was great and the young man who waited on us was very attentive without being annoying. My only complaint is that my chicken had a couple of bones in it. That was really only the reason I deducted a star. I'd happily eat here again. read more

New favorite Indian restaurant! The staff was friendly and the food was top tier. We had a variety of things and they were all delicious. The tandoori chicken and chicken tikka had tons of flavor and the meat was tender and juicy. The sauce provided on the side was a nice touch too. The highlights for me were the paneer tikka and the cheese naan. After my meal I was already planning on what I was going to get next time when I go. If you don't have any leftovers afterwards walk over to Desi Brothers after too for some more Indian food for the home! read more

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Delicious food! Great service, lots of options! The dinnerware was very nice and so was the ambiance!

Food was excellent. Service was fast and friendly. I really like the ambiance of the place it was really chill . read more

Desi Tadka Alabama - Indian Near Me - Hoover, Alabama

The food is authentic and delicious, just the perfect amount of spice and flavor. Good portion sizes. Friendly staff. read more

Desi Tadka Alabama - Complimentary dessert - Indian Near Me - Hoover, Alabama

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Truly enjoyed the food here and the service was also wonderful. Every time we eat here it always an amazing experience. Anytime you find a hidden gem like this, you want everyone to come and have that same experience as you. So if you so happen to want Indian cuisine, please stop by Desi Tadka Indian Restaurant and enjoy a little piece of India. read more

Desi Tadka Alabama - Butter Naan - Indian Near Me - Hoover, Alabama

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Maybe we went wrong by eating the Buffett. Some of the items were cold and that's why I'm giving them 2 stars. The service was great but I was expecting to eat at least lukewarm food. This wasn't the case at all. read more

North indian cuisines are great and indo-chinese is highly recommended. Ambience is great and good customer service but be prepared to wait for atleast 30 minutes after ordering read more

I've eaten Indian food all across the country, around the world, and every single one in the Birmingham area. This is up there with the some of best I've found, and it is definitely the best in Alabama. read more

Absolutely amazing from first bite to last. Service was wonderful as well, we had 2 servers checking on us and what we assume was one of the chefs. You are missing out if you like Indian food and don't try this. Husband and I agreed it was the best Indian food we have ever had read more

Great food and friendly staff! The restaurant is well decorated as well. We will be back.

Omg!! So yummy! They just unveiled the paper masala dosa on the menu! It was delicious!! Idli was perfectly soft. Spice levels can be adjusted from super mild to spicy -- which was great for our diverse family! The service is amazeballs -- they were so nice. They even gave us a free desert! The ambiance was great too! read more

Amazing service, ambience, and food. The food was authentic. The lamb vindaloo was very good and had a good amount of heat and spice. Had the garlic chili naan and it was amazing. Received a complementary dessert as well. It was delicious! read more

Desi Tadka Alabama - Complimentary dessert. - Indian Near Me - Hoover, Alabama

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Tried their new lunch buffet. The highlight is definitely the Naan which is ordered and u have the option of garlic, chili garlic or normal. This is something none of the other Indian buffets in town. Their buffet itself is a bit small but there were definitely a few very good dishes such as the chicken Tikka masala and the paneer vegetables dishes. The price point of 16.99 is a bit high imo especially if u compare the the bham standard taj india which is 12. read more

Stopped in for the first time today, on that side of town for a baseball game and needed to grab lunch before my parents headed back to KY. My dad loves Indian food (as do I) but they don't have any in their rural area. Desi Tadka is by far the best Indian in Birmingham metro and we have definitely tried them all, even thru name and ownership changes. Our table had Goat curry, lamb curry, bhindi masala, chicken tikka masala, vegetable Mahkani and my 7 year old got Hakka noodles with chicken. Wish I had taken pictures but we all started digging in when it arrived. read more

Two friends and I visited Desi Tadka for lunch on a weekday this summer. Everything we ordered was terrific, and our server brought us an additional bread and a dessert in the house. Everyone working was super nice and the space is nicely decorated. We had butter chicken, garlic naan, malai kofta and a chicken from the specials menu. Planning to go back today. read more

Desi Tadka Alabama - Saffron (?) doughnut - Indian Near Me - Hoover, Alabama

This is the best Indian restaurant in Birmingham and anyone who disagrees is wrong. Spice is legit so if you're a wimp go mild.

Seriously good food and service!! We had the Gobi Manchurian for an appetizer and it blew us away! Also had the chicken mahkani, coconut chicken and the saag paneer. Everything was fantastic! Definitely get the butter naan too. They were all very attentive and sweet. Will be back soon! read more

Desi Tadka Alabama - End of meal surprise! - Indian Near Me - Hoover, Alabama

This was such a nice surprise! We randomly decided to go try Indian food today and it was delicious. We got the Goat Makhani and Lamb Vindaloo! We got the garlic naan and we ate every bite. The lamb was cooked so tender and the vindaloo was the right amount of spice. We decided to try the Thandai drink which was a perfect way to end the meal. Overrall very happy with this lunch. The service was great and the restaurant was VERY clean which is always appreciated. read more

Desi Tadka Alabama - (Goat/Lamb/Shrimp) Makhani (Butter) & Garlic Naan - Indian Near Me - Hoover, Alabama

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One of my favorite restaurants in the area! Everything I have tried here is phenomenal, and the ambiance is nice and relaxing. This place is a hidden gem in Hoover. read more

Freshly prepared, flavorful aromatic dishes, made in good time with just the right amount of "spice" (as the customer requests). Their fresh-from-the-oven garlic naan is perfection: light and fluffy, but with a buttery crispiness toward the edges and lovely fresh coriander and garlic spread evenly across. Quality home-made sweets. The purple booth decor and lighting is kitschy but also classy. Music was ever present but not overwhelming. Prices very fair. Will be back. read more

The food here was amazing! Garlic Naan has wonderful spices and not overly garlicky. The waiter suggested a dish for my friend that was really good and we never would have picked. Beautiful inside and very nice staff. read more