I always like trying new Indian restaurants and when I saw the nearly perfect reviews for Empire I knew I had to stop by. The parking situation is tight. Maybe there's another lot I didn't see in the back? But the restaurant itself is beautiful. Lots of wooden features that don't necessarily give off "Indian restaurant" but was still nice to look at all the same. There's a decent amount of seating and a large bar where they also keep games. I really liked the music they were playing as well. I constantly found myself dancing along to it. For food I had the chili baby corn for an appetizer, chicken saag, and cheese naan. Also had a Limca to drink which are always wonderful. The baby corn was amazing! The portion was generous and I loved the chili sauce. It was appropriately dressed and fried to perfection. Chicken saag was also excellent. I prefer mine a little creamier but I loved the fresh taste and generous pieces of chicken. The saag itself was properly spiced and came with a generous portion of basmati rice. Finally, the cheese naan was appropriately priced and crispy with a generous portion of cheese. Was it some of the best Indian food I've ever had? Absolutely! It was right up there and I hope to stop by their lunch buffer sometime soon. I will say that the service was a little slow and the waiters didn't check in as much as I'm used to. But that didn't hinder the exceptional quality of the restaurant. read more

Empire Biryani & Grille - Chicken Saag - Indian Near Me - Johnston, Rhode Island

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The decor is plain and simple but relaxing. The server was attentive. The food came out fairly quickly but it was also quite empty when we got there (7pm). We had the garlic naan. Shrimp biryani. Lamb Rogan Josh. Malai chicken tikka. All the flavors were amazing and fresh. It's hard to find good Indian places. But this one was definitely worth trying. The spice level was custom to our order. Would definitely go back. read more

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The drinks were good, bartender took extra time to make sure they were made to our liking. Samosas were delicious! Entrees were yummy & the service was attentive & prompt read more

We got a new Indian restaurant in town! Decided to give it a shot and came here with one of my friends and it did not disappoint. We enjoyed everything from the samosas to the curry. The staff was extremely nice and attentive, it was a Friday night and the place was full with many families dining in which was cool to see. With that, service was a bit slower but we were checked on consistently which was appreciated. For apps we got samosas and the fried onion dish. Both delicious. The green (mint-yogurt?) sauce that came with the samosas was delicious. The fried onion dish was good, I enjoyed the curry leaves and spices in them, they essentially felt like the Indian street food version of onion rings. The curry: I got Goat Chettinad and my friend got Lamb Rogan Josh. Both delicious. Goat Chettinad has a thick curry with coconut milk in the base with turmeric, ginger and all the other great spices that come along. The goat pieces were a little lackluster, not as much meat and a lot of bone. I would get a different meat next time, though, I'm sure this is variable from order to order as goat usually is. The lamb rogan Josh, which I was able to try, was delicious. Bright flavor, tangy, deep ruby red curry and the lamb pieces were plentiful and tender. A slight smokiness from black cardamom, packed with Kashmiri chili, it had such great depth of flavor. Eaten along with some garlic naan which was light, fluffy and had some slight charring around the edges which is exactly how I like it. Also, the parathas. If you haven't had these before, order them. Flakey, buttery and delicious. I've made them at home before and these are better than anything i can muster up! (Probably on account of more butter.. Makes everything better). The curry was quite heavy on the oil/ghee, so be mindful if you're sensitive to that. Also, I enjoy spice, but for rogan Josh which has a kashmiri chili paste base, be careful ordering "spicy". Or if you're a medium person, you may want to go mild. I liked their "medium" for rogan Josh and the "spicy" for the Chettinad but I enjoy spice. I'd recommend trying this spot out, I'll definitely be back. read more

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What an absolutely pleasant surprise! We saw there was a new Indian restaurant that opened up (where the old PJ's Pub and DrDuffs) used to be and they offered a Sunday Lunch Buffet - say no more, that became our lunch choice for the day. They offer Sunday Buffet 12-3pm, we got there shortly after 12 and they were still setting up so we had to wait just a bit to start. I can't say I care much for the seating, I can't remember what the inside was like prior but they might've kept some of the setup - rustic wooden tables and booths don't really go with the Indian cuisine, lol - but we're here for the food. The food - let me tell you, this buffet offered ALOT. Way more than I've had at any other Indian buffet offering we've seen before and we enjoyed pretty much everything and were introduced to some new things we've never had before. I loved that they had several protein options - chicken, shrimp, mutton, fish....I was surprised to see there weren't any chickpea dishes but we were told they rotate options. My faves were the Chicken Manchurian and the Nellore Fish Curry. Service was super friendly and attentive and you can tell they're so very proud of what they do and it shows. We can't wait to go back! The buffet always allows to get a feel for what the restaurant can offer and this buffet hit it out of the park, we will be back. Price was $23.99 pp - a steal! read more

Empire Biryani & Grille - Weekend Buffet setup - plethora of options! - Indian Near Me - Johnston, Rhode Island

My family loves biryani, and since this place seems fairly new, we decided to give it a try. We hadn't tried food from here before, but a few reviews mentioned that their biryani was good, so that made us choose the place especially because there are too many Indian restaurants in the area. We ordered a few different chicken dishes. My family enjoyed the food overall, though everything turned out spicier than expected even though we selected mild to medium for all the items. read more

Came in while this place was being soft launched. They have a parking lot, and everything is nice and white on the inside. Cultural music (Bollywood mix, I believe) playing softly in the background Servers were very attentive Food was good. Interested to see spring rolls on the menu. Chicken saag was good, as well as the other dish we got. We will be back to try more on the menu! Seating is mostly booths, but they are decently sized (just keep that in mind) They also offer toothpicks and fennel/rock candies for when you are finished. read more

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Another night out for the brothers who love to eat! We wanted to try something new.. We walked in not knowing what to expect. The newly designed interior set the scene with a great ambiance. Started with Samosa. They were crispy and extremely flavorful.. the dough was not too thick. The garlic honey naan was soft and flaky as well as was the Paneer Kulcha. I really enjoyed the Tandori Chicken Biryani! I had it spicy.. it was the perfect amount. The rice was aromatic and flavorful with a generous portion. My brother was nice enough to let me try his Chicken Korma.. I was pleasantly surprised by the cream coconut milk flavor with a flavorful profile. The Chilli Baby Corn was a pleasant surprise.. crispy, savory, and bite of spice. The staff was attentive, and suggested good choices. Overall, the food was full of flavor with no lack of herbs/spices. I would definitely come back knowing that the quality of the food is better than what I expected! read more

Empire Biryani & Grille - Ambiance - Indian Near Me - Johnston, Rhode Island

One of the strangest dining experiences in recent memory. Decor reminiscent of a summer camp bunkhouse, and an overall atmosphere of having just opened a week ago and still finding their way. The good; a delicious tikka masala with much more complexity than I have seen elsewhere. And some wonderfully savory samosas. Both first rate. Less so; lamb chops that were presented beautifully but were absolutely cremated to the point of almost becoming charcoal. The odd: the decor, large screen TVs showing NASCAR and football while overly-loud Indian music plays in the background, and rustic, uncomfortable seating with diner-style paper placemats placed on roughly hewn tabletops. Oddest of all for a man of my age (one at which even my grandchildren would easily be old enough to drink) was being required to show ID in order to have a beer with my meal. I opted instead for a mango lassi (very tasty) rather than participate in such a silly ritual. Overall a passable, but very odd dining experience. May be a better choice for takeout than dining in. read more

Empire Biryani & Grille - Lamb chops, fresh from the crematorium. - Indian Near Me - Johnston, Rhode Island

You walk in to a restaurant full of booths. Not the typical Indian Aesthetic but more of a BBQ feel. The service was quiet! Kind of a weird description but the true feel. The waitress was a bit sluggish and lacked the friendly personality. The 3-4 men walking around just stared and gave a head shake to say hello. The interactions were lackluster and slow at best. The music is what kept energy flowing - it was a good volume- Authentic Indian dance pop. The menu provides a nice array of options from the norm to options authentic to this establishment. The naan was soooo tasty. Probably the best I have ever had. The honey and the paneer stuffed - 2 thumbs up. The sauces were all perfect compliments. The Samosa was stuffed and flavorful. The baby corns were a spicy and sweet crunchy small bite. Then the chicken Korma was delicious - smooth - creamy - coconut forward tasting. Make sure you know your spice level because even mild can be overly hot for the non-spice fans. The service became more interactive as time passed and we actually had a nice conversation with the manager. I wish they cleared the dirty dishes as we went along and they gave a printout of the bill but overall great taste- great spice - and awesome authenticity. I will be back and if you love Indian you should try. read more

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My new favorite Indian restaurant! I've been wanting to try this place since it opened and so glad I finally stopped by. I ordered the chicken tikka masala and garlic naan. Both did not disappoint! The flavor was delicious! My friend ordered the empire special chicken curry which was highly recommended by our server. I was surprised by how amazing it was - very authentic and the chicken was spiced well. The service was the best part of our dinner! Food was quick and service was attentive. I can't wait to go back and try other dishes on the menu. read more

We got take out and everything was so fresh and hot. My paneer masala was incredible, but the honey garlic naan stole the show! Can't wait to go back and try other items! read more

Pleasantly Surprised! I was super tired and ordered late-night Boneless Chicken Biryani on Uber Eats. Honestly, I was just hoping it wouldn't have raisins. To my surprise, it turned out to be authentic biryani -- and it was delicious! Definitely hit the spot. read more

Came here with my daughter after the smell caught our attention from the parking lot next door. We love trying new places for Indian food so we were so excited to test out the menu. We ordered chili shrimp, veggie samosa, chicken tikka, honey garlic naan, chili garlic naan, and regular garlic naan. For drinks we just got water for the table and some mango lassi's which are my daughter's favorite. The food was SOOO good! I think our favorite was the chili shrimp and honey garlic naan. I'm not a honey person but it was just addicting! Our waitress was LOVELY and the food came out promptly. We also loved the Bollywood videos that played while we were in there. It was just a great vibe, great food, and great service. We even got food for takeout to bring home because we knew we'd thank ourselves later, and we did! read more

Glad this new South Indian spot opened up in RI. The ambiance inside is nice - had a modern, edgy vibe. Grabbed takeout from here and tried the chicken biryani and the chicken 65. The biryani was awesome - great flavor and plenty of chicken. The chicken 65 was also good, though I expected it was hoping for a bit more crunch. Spice-wise, it was on the mild side for being labeled medium. Overall very good experience. read more

Owner was so nice! came to order some takeout but was surprised by their weekend buffet. Wanted to do takeout, but the owner was nice enough to let us know that the buffet was actually cheaper than what we wanted to order and allowed us to do takeout from there. Amazing spread of biryani, paneer, chickens etc. the food was soo good, id absolutely come back here! read more

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Truly Exceptional Indian Cuisine! I don't usually write reviews, but this place deserves it. Hands down one of the best Indian restaurants I've ever been to. The flavors are incredibly authentic -- rich, natural, and clearly made with fresh, high-quality ingredients. Every dish tasted homemade in the best way, with bold spices and perfect balance. The service was just as impressive. Warm, attentive, and genuinely welcoming. You can tell they care about what they do and want you to have a great experience. On top of all that, the prices were more than fair for the quality of food you're getting. Fresh, top-notch Indian cuisine at a great value, doesn't get much better than that. If you love Indian food (or even if you've never tried it), this place is a must. read more

The food was excellent however there was a significant wait that our server should have warned us about. We got a Palak paneer and Tandoori chicken Biryani. Both very good and flavorful. Very homey like you went to somebody's house and they made you dinner. The staff was very apologetic about the wait and extra accommodating once we spoke up. The atmosphere is quite nice and the rest room was clean. I wish this business well and hope to return in the future. read more

Extremely flavorful food. Everything I've tried is excellent. Very welcome addition to the Smithfield area, would highly recommend!

Great Authentic Indian food with fresh made spices. It tastes like food in India, absolutely terrific. The staff is very courteous and noticed them giving recommendation on pairing and how to eat, to someone who was eating Indian food for the first time. It is all booth seating, not the best to maneuver; but who cares (not like I'm stuck there forever). Visited once, and I might be getting a frequent flyer card. Can't wait to go back again. read more

Went here for the first time today and we will be back. 10/10 all round really, unlike some buffets we have been to. Food was good, spice levels about right, and vall you can eat value for money at $20 - where can you get that value thesedays - a buffet near home was almost double that price. Cant wait to go back and try some of the menu items - only trouble I will have is which one to pick. Checkitout, you wont be disappointed. read more

2nd visit and everything was still outstanding! Tried the roti and samosas with my chicken tikka masala this time. This is a must try new restaurant read more

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We went here for the first time as a group of 4 on 10/31 and it was a great experience! The service was amazing- our waitress was very sweet and helpful with the recommendations and very attentive. I wish I knew her name so that I could give her a proper shout out. The food was AWESOME and the portions were very big! This is the first Samosa I've ever liked! So glad that we have a good Indian restaurant much closer to home than Cranston or Providence. The ambiance was great too- it's very clean and the decor is rustic and very pretty. I look forward to going back! read more

Made my first visit today. Would definitely recommend. Very authentic! Spice level was on point! So if you are new to it. Mild is the way to go! But I went medium which was great! read more

Been here a few times now. And 5/5 stars! A few of my favorites are the lasuni shrimp, chicken korma and their garlic naan.

Ordered takeout and got the Goat Chettinad, Lamb Rogan josh, Chicken Saag, and some naan. All the entrees came with rice. The portions were good and they did not skimp on the protein. We went with medium spice and were very pleased, it had some heat but wasn't unpleasant. The food was fresh and delicious. I definitely recommend checking this place out. read more

Excellent...as good as any other indian I've tried...they were way too dead for how good the food was...get the mango chicken mild if you're scared, it was sweet and not spicy...they also have buffet hours!...go there so they stay open for a long time! read more

Absolutely delicious. We went for the buffet, but my kids are picky eaters, so we also ordered off the menu. The staff was kind. And though they are still ironing out the details, (they've only been open for four months), I will definitely go back because everything was remarkably delicious. read more

Food was incredible and delicious!! Derive couldn't have been better. We were a large difficult group who took forever and our server was very patient and accommodating! Chicken tikka and palak paneer were out of this world! read more

My first time talking with them on the phone and they asked for my name it was fine my is Carolyn so anyways I wanted directions to go to this new restaurant that was on tik tok which was lamb chops that was juicy and big spicy rice and something else but my order was $70 so when I got there the two hosts looked at me like I wasn't welcome never figured out anything because I'm very friendly to everyone when I got my order and drove home my lamb chops looked very over cooked the rice seem ok this meal wasn't worth $70 more like $5 I started thinking I was racistly profile I will never go there ever again if they don't like black people go back home and you won't see us again I'm so tired of ppl with their fucking racist shit in my country. read more

Our second visit. Tried a lamb, a chicken and a vegetarian dish, and of course naan. Food was amazing. Very friendly service.

I was pleased to see another I Indian eatery. We stopped in on a Sunday and were pleased to see there was a buffet. Wow ! Over 20 dishes. So many that we couldn't try everything. Looking forward to ordering from the regular menu. Give it a shot! read more

This is strictly a review of the weekend buffet. Was average. The food lacked any flavor- the go to standard "butter chicken" was like a soupy stew. Also, of concern was the food temperature of the buffet items. Service was great. I'll go back and order off the menu,maybe. read more

Cool ambiance, but that's about where it ended. We waited an unreasonably long time for food even though the restaurant wasn't full.

So yummy. Food is super fresh and came out fast. Service was great. Will definitely be back again!

The food was excellent, bursting with flavor. Tried several dishes and none were disappointing. Will be going back to try more. Very friendly environment and pleasant waitstaff . Highly recommend this restaurant! An overall pleasant experience. read more

Food is terrible! Lamb Rogan Gosh was clumps of FAT!! Could not find the chicken in the Chicken Biriyani!

The food is authentic and delicious. Haven't tried anything that I didn't like. The deserts are soooo good. Definitely pallet cleansing. We've tried so many new things, it's exciting when we go to try something different. read more

So glad this placed opened. We needed some great Indian food in the area. We ordered several different dishes. All were severed hot and delicious. Service was attentive and friendly. read more