Came here for Dollar Stroll, so take what I say with a grain of salt since I didn't have the full sit-down experience. This is a small mom-and-pop run place, and I saw the kids outside trying to help bring customers in, especially with the Doro Bet line running right in front of their store. But honestly, don't underestimate this little place. THE FOOD IS VERY WELL SEASONED. For Dollar Stroll I got basically a little bit of everything they were offering, including the samosa, pakora, fried chicken, and chicken drumstick. Everything was very fairly priced for the crawl, and since I mostly use these events as a way to find places for future meal planning, I was happy to try a bunch of things. The chicken drumstick was the surprise winner. I took it home and reheated it, and WOW. It was tandoori-style and SO flavorful. Super smoky, with that bright red color that makes you immediately wonder how much seasoning they managed to get into this thing lol. The flavor really went all the way into the meat instead of just sitting on the outside. Really, really good. The fried chicken, though, I'd probably skip. My first piece looked like it was going to be a wing, and then I realized it was basically the spine/tailbone/butt area of the chicken. There was barely any meat on it. Basically fried bone. Usually that's the part of a rotisserie chicken I would just throw away, so getting that as my $1 piece was a little disappointing. If I hadn't gotten several other things, I probably would've been much more annoyed. The veggie pakora was REALLY good. Crispy and savory on the outside, with a flavorful vegetable mixture inside. This is the kind of snack where you can keep eating it because the seasoning is doing all the work. Definitely one I'd get again. The samosa was on the greasier side, but again, very flavorful. Crispy, flaky exterior with a nicely seasoned filling. Not the lightest samosa I've ever had, but definitely not lacking flavor. The store itself is small and pretty unassuming, and you could easily walk right past it. But don't. From a flavor standpoint, this place is STRONG. I didn't get the full restaurant experience, so I can't speak to everything on the menu, but based on what I tried, I definitely want to come back and try an actual meal. Small mom-and-pop spot, big seasoning. The tandoori chicken alone has me curious about what else they're making back there. read more

I was not impressed with the food. The soup was watery and could have had more veggies. I was asked if I liked spicy, which I do, but there was way too much hot pepper. And, the Saag Paneer was unremarkable. read more

THIS IS PLACE IS TERRIBLE!!!!! I ordered on their website and called about my food. Immediately!!!! I got yelled at by the owner telling me that I had order from the wrong company!!!! When I tried to explain nicely that it wasn't through a company but their website. He kept yelling at me and screaming at me. DONT EAT HERE!!!! Don't eat here!!!!!!!!!!! read more

I had to update my review. I ordered for the 3rd time, hoping for an upgraded service but I was left with disappointment. They never followed any of my requests. The food was watery as usual. The vegetables looked like they were from a store-bought frozen bag... and it was undercooked. Lord! I couldn't even bite the carrots that have a decorative cut to them (once again, store-bought)... no flavor at all. Then comes the lamb curry, only 4 tiny little diced lamb meat... even a toddler wouldn't be full from eating that. I told them I wanted it spicy, I couldn't taste not even a hint of pepper. Mind you, I did call before ordering, and the guy over the phone was extremely rude,and couldn't speak any English. Every word I say, he replies with: "No come here. No come here". That should have told me enough and not order from there anymore. But I wanted to give them another chance, this is it. I will never order from there again. None of the vegetables are fresh, perhaps the bell peppers and onions. The taste feels like store-bought masala sauce... the thing is, they should put more heart into cooking the food, at least. The phone situation is another story, but at least cook good food. It's supposed to be a restaurant, not a garbage can. I've had Indian food from across the I95 corridor and New England, and this is the absolute worst by far. And this is me being kind. read more

I've had three experiences here and two were pretty bad. The first time I went, I was with a few other people I asked about the menu and gave my dietary restrictions. The server gave me a list of the things that I can have. My next experience was during the dollar stroll what it was still just a neighborhood thing. It's a family owned business and a neighborhood restaurant. So you'd expect the people who work there so I'll be rude because they don't get a lot of foot traffic outside the neighborhood. One of the workers was really rude. My third time there, and my last a few things happened. I asked the server about dietary restrictions, and he gave me a different list than the first server did. So one of them didn't really know the menu and to could get people sick. I then saw a big cockroaches crawl across the wall.. When I pointed it out mm my server, he grabbed a tissue and squished in front of us.. We left. Haven't been back since I don't plan on it. read more

This was by far the WORST gulab and rasmalai I EVER ORDERED IN MY LIFE. The rasmalai looked like 2 a patty made out of corn lol. There was absolutely no cheese or condensed milk in it. So disgusting I had to smell before. First bite I spit and threw it away. Decide to try the gulab. It was hard as a stone and burnt. If I was part of the family of this person who cooked this food I would be embarrassed to even sit on a table with someone who owns a restaurant who serves food like this. The food looked and tasted like prison food. So f disgusting. read more

My food was delivered on a bike & when, It arrived and I, could not even eat, it because it was soaked with fluids and packaged, horribly. read more

See all

In search of a casual date-night spot in West Philly, I had high hopes for Desi Village - reviews seemed promising, and I'd never turn down the chance to get my fill of naan and biryani. But, after stopping in for lunch, it looks like I'll have to keep searching for a place to get my naan fix. Service was good, but unfortunately I can't say the same for the food. The naan basket arrived cold and under seasoned, and, a few hours after chowing down on some tikka masala (decent) and some veggie biryani (weirdly sweet??) no one at my table felt very hot. Was getting sick a coincidence, and not a direct result of the food we ate? Maybe. But regardless, I think I'll stay on the safe side, and keep hunting for another local watering hole elsewhere to get some fresh, warm naan. read more

Vegetable ball arrived looking like it was soaked in grease and cooked then cooked again after ordered and reheated. Samosa was same way. So I didn't eat that but ate lentil I ordered, I got so sick from it and through up for 4 hours!!! Still feel sick after this. read more

I've tried probably 70% of the items on their menu and nearly all of them have been consistently delicious.

My husband and I ordered food to go from this restaurant, this is really a gem in disguise. We ordered two appetizers and two entrees Appetizers: 1- samosa chaat 2- veg samosa Entrees: 1- chicken vindaloo 2- lamb seekh kabab And they gave us a complimentary mango lassi!! Everything had great presentation and flavor, I honestly can't believe I've been living so close to this place and never bothered to try it. I would totally recommend anyone to go and try this place if you want to eat delicious Indian food. read more

The food wasn't the worst thing I've ever had but very mediocre for what you get. Shahi Paneer or any Indian curry for that matter shouldn't have peanut butter in it! I've eaten tons of Indian food and have even traveled to the country and never have I had an Indian curry that tastes like straight peanut butter. Really just lazy cooking and they should disclose that their food has peanut butter since peanut allergies are super common. They only give you one tiny piece of naan for 2.50 and it was undercooked and cold. read more

Due to a situation from this thread (http://www.yelp.com/topic/montgomeryville-yelp-is-way-wrong) I found myself vowing to check out an Indian restaurant that I haven't been too since I couldn't get to the target that was under fire in South Jersey. Fortunately I didn't have to go very far since I still needed to try one of West Philly newest restaurants Desi Village. Over all I'm kind of mixed, and predominately think that it might be because I ordered wrong. I love the fact that Baltimore Ave. has gained another restaurant that isn't Ethiopian, and for that alone I'm destined to be frequenting it frequently. But compared to the other Indian Restaurant in West Philly (New Delhi especially), and it's Ethiopian neighbors, I found Desi Village to seriously be lacking in things like portion size and decor. And those are two things that I consider pretty critical. I'm also grieving the fact that it's no longer Blue Nile Falls(http://www.yelp.com/biz/blue-nile-falls-philadelphia), which was a place that I really enjoyed. The first thing that I noticed when I sat down was the fact that I was staring at 3 different kinds of chairs within a 4 table radius. I don't think it's just me on this, but I have a hard time taking a restaurant that looks like it rummaged through a yard sale to supply it's decor seriously. But I did at least like the various paintings and plumes that it had on the walls. On to the food. I was torn between going with seafood or veggies, and after choosing seafood I kind of found myself feeling a little bit cheated. The Shrimp Vindallo might of just been one of the tastiest shrimp dishes that I've had. I loved it's curry sauce and potatoes. But anyway you look at it, paying $15 for a shrimp dish that only hooks up 4 shrimp is kind of dick. Also after my friend chose his veggie dish the server gave him the option of choosing how spicy he wanted it. I would have loved that option (seriously I'm potentially training for Han Dynasty here!)! So while I clearly got dicked over, I did see it's potential. And I tasted that potential with each bite! And while you best believe I'm not ordering a seafood entree next time I come here, I'm definitely interested in trying what else to offer. I loved the bit of collard greens that I tried off my friend, and they make an awesome veggie samosa! read more

Very charming family owned restaurant! Came here on a Friday night with girlfriend and had the Veggie Platter for appetizers and Chicken Tikka Masala, Aloo Saag, and Baingan Bharta for the main courses. Having ordered everything at medium level spicy, everything was very well seasoned and the man serving us, who I presume may be an owner, was super kind and very attentive. Also prices were very much on the lower end for Indian food. Totally recommend this place if you're looking for high quality Indian food at a good value! read more

It was a blasée day In a chilly month of May When I wanted to stay In the house all day But Desi Village was near And now I'm here Getting saag paneer That's putting my stomach In a zone of cheer. And the lamb vindalu Was amazing too So I'm giving that a nod In this online review Even the Naan Fit right with the plan To ensure I'd come back 'cause I'm definitely a fan. read more

Large takeout order for 4 people with lamb vindaloo, naan, samosas, and veggie biryani. Everything was delicious and we realized once we got home that they had thrown in some extra naan and a mango lassi to share! We loved this place pre COVID and are happy to keep coming read more

Got takeout and here's my summary: Garlic naan good but definitely under salted, like I literally had go get my salt shaker and add salt. Chicken Tikka Masala was fine, a little stingy. Mutter Paneer I swear to god was 7 little pieces of paneer with about 12 peas, for ELEVEN DOLLARS. This is my vegetable for the night, 12 peas? Mulligatawny soup was not a full appetizer serving. Tandoori Chicken was the only thing we ordered that was both cooked right and served at a remotely adequate serving size. Because guess what, Raita was so rotten it was fermenting and foaming. Please see pictures. Guess this is why the restaurant only had one table seated. read more

See all

When you knowingly choose the least expensive option for Indian delivery, as I did, you keep your expectations in check. So when my order arrived really fast (too fast?) I knew it wasn't going to be the best food I'd had. But it was fine. Well, I ordered a roti and got a plain naan instead, which was stale, but the bharta was decent and screaming hot. The rice was fine, the aloo gobhi not very good but not bad. I got what I paid for. That's my review. We usually get what we pay for. read more

Ordered the same thing I get at every Indian Restaurant since I was a child: Veggie Samosa's & Chicken Tikka Masala Veggie samosas were okay, they doused them in sauces before they were served so I didn't have the option of how much, little, or if any sauce I wanted to use. Chicken Tikka Masala was perfect consistency and taste, but not very large portion! MOST IMPORTANTLY: I Specifically chose this restaurant because yelp said they had outdoor seating and they allowed dogs. FALSE ON BOTH COUNTS. However, since my dog is a registered service animal they were forced to let us eat with him in the restaurant anyway. read more

Desi Village - Chicken Tikka Masala (half eaten) - Indian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

What in the "has nerve to be masquerading as a purveyor of Indian cuisine" did I just pay for and attempt to eat? A lover of spices and dishes of India, I'd made some Chana Masala on the weekend and wanted some sag aloo to go with it for dinner. I'd been out and about all day and was hungry--so since I was on B-more Ave. I thought I'd give Desi Village a try. I ordered the saag aloo, veggie pakoras and samosas. The saag aloo was just barely okay ( D-) and had a tangy citrus taste (hopefully it wasn't bacterial). I bit into a veggie pakora, which tasted like rubber and was greasy. The samosa was so greasy, I had to wrap a paper towel around it to try to absorb the excess. Even the tamarind and chutney sauces were subpar. The "restaurant" is visibly dirty, which can be a good thing, indicating great food as far as dive eateries go. Not in the case of Desi [Ill]age. Horrible. Horrible. Horrible. read more

Overpriced, tiny portion, bland garbage. Go the freezer section at Acme if you want better Indian food.

I can't tell if the changes this place needs to make end up just adding to its small local charm or irritate the crap outta me. I came here with a friend and the place was empty. We were seated right away and they basically let us sit anywhere. There was a young girl who greeted us and got waters right away. With only one table in the restaurant I wasn't expecting slow service anyways. The issue I had right away with this place was a cleanliness factor. There was a table right next to us that had a dirty tablecloth with stains all over it. I'm talking huge stains of spilled food that I just couldn't stop staring at because eww. My friend and I ordered the saag lamb which I loved. I got some garlic naan on the side which was fantastic as well. They skimp on the lamb in the saag, which was noticed and not appreciated, so if you're ordering the meal just know you're paying extra for the lamb without much of the actual lamb in it. You might as well just get the chicken. Back to the service, remember how I said we were the only table? Well that might have worked to our disadvantage because the girl totally forgot about us! She refilled our waters once and was totally absorbed in her phone. While I was dining in I heard they take tons of take-out orders. So maybe this is a place people tend to order from, but not eat in. Makes sense given the lack of clean tablecloths. read more

The missus and I popped into this recently opened Indian food joint for a last minute meal the other day, and were pleased with the results. I will echo the sentiments of the last poster about plastic utensils being unacceptable. HOWEVER, there was nothing subpar about the food. Our meal was well prepared and the menu had plenty of options for both veggies and omnis (though vegans may have some issue getting a meal prepared without ghee (we forgot to ask)). The garlic naan was flavorful and fresh and the wait staff was lovely and attentive. The atmosphere isn't the greatest, though that is in large part due to the plastic dishes and the "grandma's couch" style plastic table coverings. We will definitely be going back to try it again, and hopefully by that point they will have made the trip to Ikea for some dishes. read more

I really wanted to like this place, especially because I recently had such an excellent experience at Desi Chaat, Desi Village's sister restaurant. But even as the only two customers, we felt the overall experience was less than ideal. Although the fault was neither ours or theirs, the mistakes were preventable. And this is the reason for 3/5 stars. The food was very tasty, we had the Lamb Rogan Josh (per the delightfully charismatic waiter's suggestion), Shahi Paneer for entrees, Samosa Chat (starter), and an interesting spicy naan bread. The food was delicious, very Indian. Not the absolute best I've ever tasted, but quite honestly... I could not stop eating it. Currently I am full. Seriously full. read more

See all

Didn't even know this place existed until I read the reviews here - and I live around the corner! Stopped by for lunch today. The food was great. I had the Shahi paneer and my friend had chicken tikka masala. The sauces were fantastic, the paneer homemade and the chicken tender. We ordered mild, having been burned by other Indian places in the past, but I think I will try medium next time. I couldn't finish my meal and the waiter brought me extra rice to take home with the rest of the paneer. The waitstaff were super nice and attentive, but not annoying. I will agree with the previous posters that the decor leaves much to be desired. The space has definite potential, but needs a major makeover. And the plastic table covers have got to go! Will definitely be back and I'm so happy to have good Indian in the neighborhood! read more

This place was full of women draped in blinged-out technicolor saris, a reasonable marker of authenticity at an Indian restaurant. Desi Village serves up the best Indian food in West Philly. Beats Tandoor and New Delhi by a league (British colonization = imperial units), and is perhaps slightly better than Sitar. Ambiance isn't the classiest and service can be a little slow at times, but the food is worth it. It's worth noting that the portions can be a bit on the small side for the price, especially the meat dishes. Makhani chicken and palak paneer with basmati rice and naan. That's all you need to order for a delicious meal. read more

I have had two experiences with Desi Village. The first was 2 years ago, so I won't write a review for that. What I will say is that it was a poor enough experience that it took my husband and I this long to give it a second chance. Last night we were craving Indian, and I recently saw the GrubHub sign outside Desi Village's storefront. So we said, "oh heck, why not?" Our first experience had everything to do with poor service, and we didn't remember the food being bad. Delivery came quickly. That was nice. We sat outside in our yard by candlelight and began to eat. I got a chicken tikka curry, and my husband ordered eggplant. He loved his dish and practically licked the bowl. He enjoyed the naan and his giant veggie samosas. His only complaint after was that he felt like he ate way too much starch, and it was catching up with him. My chicken curry was 2.5 stars. The sauce was lovely, but the chicken was tough, as though it had been microwaved too long and added to the curry. I also had Mulligatawny soup, which was 90% salty broth with some bits of spinach floating in it. Kind of non-descript, but edible. I added a side of mango chutney, because I am a mango addict. The chutney was very gelatinous, and strangely just as salty as it was sweet. So I only used a bit of that. We got a free mango lassi because our order totaled a certain amount. The lassi was heavy on yogurt and milk, light on mango. Now, let me say this--I have some food sensitivities that typically don't apply when eating Indian. They're usually a problem with asian cuisines. I get extreme bloating immediately after consuming anything with MSG in it, followed by worse problems. I also avoid gluten, because it irritates my system on a milder level. I can usually get away with a bite or two of bread, or a sip of beer, and I'm unaffected. On this occasion I had a sip of my husband's beer earlier, and I had a little bite of naan, Naan is the hardest of all breads to abstain from. Gluten-free peeps, I am sure you can relate. But what happened to my body 20 minutes into my meal was equal to the gluten attack that first made me give it up, which involved half a Dock Street pizza and growler of IPA. Plus, I had all the symptoms of an MSG attack. I stood up after eating and I had to sit back down. It felt like I had swallowed a hard plastic ball full of air. My skin hurt from my stomach expanding so quickly. It was bad. I'll spare you the details. I have no way to prove that Desi Village uses MSG, but no other ingredient has ever caused this kind of instant reaction. If you are sensitive to gluten or MSG, or have IBS, I suggest that you avoid this establishment. There's a place on 40th and Chestnut that clearly labels all their GF entrees in their extensive buffet. A much safer option. You'll be fine, just watch your portions. The funny thing is, I accidentally ordered from that place on Chestnut first. I had to call the restaurant and GH to cancel the order so I could get what I wanted from Desi, which had a much shorter wait time. This was probably an omen I should have heeded. I am so sorry, irritable bowels. read more

These guys are open no matter what the weather conditions are! My wife and I were staying overnight at our friend's place close to Upenn. We had limited grocery in the house and decided to order online for Indian food. This was one of the few places that was open even in the heavy snow, but given our hunger pangs we took a chance! We ordered the Chicken Tikka Masala, Daal Makhani, Mango Lassi and the Samosa chaat apart from the usual bread and rice. Delivery was prompt and within the 45 minutes time frame as promised. The food was surprisingly warm. The food was good. I would say it is surely value for money compared to other places close by given the quantity they serve. It could have been more spiced up, but we are not complaining given that they delivered and everything else added up!. We will visit for dine in next time around. read more

Unfortunately, Philadelphia has some of the worst Indian food of any major city I've visited. This is one of the better places, and it sure beats everything else near Penn (New Delhi, Tandoor, and Sitar simply suck). When I went, the waitress was loopy but nice. As with most Indian places, you can't be sure how fresh the curries are, but if it doesn't make you sick it's worth going back if you live in West Philly. read more

I've ordered delivery from here several times. I've tried several dishes and everything has been very good. I though that the chicken makhani was very good and I'll definitely order that again. The samosas are also pretty good. Nan just OK. The time from ordering to delivery has also been pretty fast so that's nice. From what I've tried, this seems to be the best Indian restaurant in West Philly. This is owned by the same family who runs Desi Chaat house and also Mood Cafe. read more

I am very familiar with good, authentic Indian cuisine. I was dissatisfied with Desi Village tonight. I order three items, the Yakni Soup (Chicken), Veg. Samosa and the Chicken Paratha Roll. The only item that was o-kay was the soup; it was hot and evenly seasoned. The Veg. Samosa and Chicken Paratha Roll were over fried and burnt. It was a challenge to even enjoy the taste of these food items as a result of them both being overcooked. If I were you I would look for other options in the area if possible. read more

Their delivery person left my food outside without ringing my house's doorbell. Who does that? My phone was on silent so I didn't notice his text when he first arrived. He sent a text saying he was leaving my food on my front porch less than 5 minutes after he texted me to say he arrived. Such a mess. The food itself was ok, nothing special. If you still want to order here don't include your tip in advance otherwise your food may get left in a corner somewhere. read more

Stopped in for a quick cheap dinner. Started with samosa chaat which was deep fried vegetarian samosa smashed and covered with chickpeas, chutneys, and yogurt sort of like the Indian version of nachos. It was awesome. I ordered saag paneer and split an order of whole wheat onion naan, the ingredients were fresh, spicy, and super filling. Waitstaff was polite and kept our water glasses full which was nice. I don't know if this place is authentic since I am a polish-italian from Port Richmond, I do know it was really delicious. read more

I got the chat papri. They say it takes 30-60 minutes to arrive however by the time my food got there the crunchy part of the chat got soggy, making the whole dish a TERRIBLE experience. Although the other parts were good, had the food come earlier I believe the food would have been significantly better. read more

I wish I could give this place 5 stars for lunch and 4 for dinner...although it's on the fence for dinner...so I bumped it up to 5. It's like, a good 5, but not an amazing 5. Quality has been consistently good. I think this is an above-average Indian place. The food is flavorful, some of it is very rich but it has never seemed greasy or disgustingly heavy to me. The bread has always been good too. I especially have had good experiences with the saag here, but I've ordered a bunch of stuff. Some of the other reviewers have commented that they think this place is overpriced. I think this is a commentary more on the standards for this style of Indian food in America than on this place...it's not appreciably higher in price than other sit-down places of this caliber. I do wish, personally, it were just a tiny bit cheaper. But I still come to eat here, at the current prices. The lunch specials here are a steal, especially the vegetarian lunch special...you get quite a lot of food, a little bit of several different dishes, for a remarkably low price. Also, the people who work here are also very friendly. read more

Desi Village has some wonderfully delicious food on offer, but be prepared to wait. Our dinner stretched into what seemed like an absurd amount of time, but I just like to think that it's because they're in the back making every single thing from scratch just for us. ROFL. The chicken curries and biryani were delectable, as was the assortment of naan we ordered. I'd check this place out if you don't mind venturing that far past the Schuylkill. read more

3.5 stars. Three for the food, four for the service. Was here with an Indian friend for dinner. I was surprised when I saw the menu prices--more than $10 for a plate of curry?! Luckily I don't eat much and the curry is served with rice. We also ordered an aloo paratha and garlic naan. One makhani chicken with the "breads" was just enough for the two of us. read more

I was there during the summer time and they had a few outdoors seating which was nice. The inside was a little small. They seemed to have only one server/ hostess for all the people eating there, it took him forever to attend to us, and the food was pretty slow to be served. However, the food was delicious! I had one of their lunch specials, which came with a samosa, spiced chick peas, jasmine rice, naan bread, rice pudding and some curry meats. Would definitely go back again when I'm not super hungry. read more

Desi Village used to be my go to Indian spot in the neighborhood. I ordered take out from them a few nights ago and something has seriously changed, beyond the packaging. My samosas tasted salty and fishy, and seemed to be made with some new ingredients. I asked for my dish (shrimp) to be mild and it was too spicy to eat. the naan and rice pudding were good though read more

As far as Indian places in the West Philly/Cedar Park area, it's pretty solid. I had the chicken vindaloo and an order of samosas. I asked for spicy and got a pretty good spice level, yay! It lasted me for three small meals (although the rice only lasted me for two). I got it for takeout and was ready exactly at the time I was told it would be ready. read more