I did not eat here for several years, because I am a huge fan of Dakshin. But what keeps me coming back, especially with my mom is the proximity, which is what is probably what is keeping them open.
They have a great outdoor patio that overlooks mid city mall, and is great on any night of the week to people watch. Their indoor seating leaves much to be desired. Their carpeted space is worn and torn and their tables are haphazardly placed.. you would think if you had a second chance to rebuild, you would do it a little better? I'm not sure if this kind of thing bothers other people, and it might not bother me as much, if other things made up for it.
Their menu is not lavish, or detailed. It is very straight to the point, and includes a lot of common dishes (like tikka masala, or vindaloo), while including some vegetarian dishes that are not on other menus (like aloo palak). Their prices are comparable, except for the additional $2 for rice.. I am always pleased with the dishes I order. On a side note, I do not like paying $1.50 for 2 pieces of papa-dam though... I do think that is a rip off. And not to compare, but at other Indian restaurants in the city that dish is complimentary, as it should be considering they are cheap to begin with. for $1.50, they serve you 2 thin pieces with 2 bowls of chutney and tamarind. This is confusing. I would love to gobble up all those dips, but how can one do that with only 2 pieces of papa-dam?
I have found that the past two times I have been here in the last year the service has not been great either. Last night, I will assume he is the owner, or manager since he is always there, came to our table to take our order, he received a phone call at the same time and proceeded to answer it at our table and take their carryout order over the phone as he stood in front of us. I thought that was really rude. Not to mention, they didn't give us much time to sit and enjoy our overpriced appetizer. Then our meal was served in 10 minutes or less, which is not an issue usually, I just felt the since of urgency... like they didn't really want us to feel comfortable or linger. The servers made me feel like I was asking one of my teenage students for extra rice. He kind of rolled his eyes and then placed the rice in my empty naan basket upon returning.
I'm not sure how they stay open, aside from serving more than ok food, being in a prime location and having an outdoor patio. I'm not sure I will return and give them my money. I'd rather go somewhere where I feel welcome and comfortable. read more