Fresh food in the lunchtime buffet. Great tasting dishes and naan and poppadoms. Friendly family-run place.

From Southern California and was pleasantly surprised by the authentic Southern Indian food in Apple Valley, MN. This place was packed with Indian customers which was indicative of a good restaurant. The spice level (heat) was perfect and they didn't cut corners on the spices (ingredients) making the dining experience enjoyable! I had the non vegetarian Boss Meal which I shared with my daughter and it was plenty for both of us. Hubby had the mutton choice and he was quite joyful. Love that the food is served on banana leaves. Cannot wait to visit again to enjoy their wonderful food!! read more

Kumar's Apple Valley - The Boss Meal - Indian Near Me - Apple Valley, Minnesota

This was a bad experience - the ambience is ok. We went there for lunch today and the vegetarian options were ok. 1. There is a reason why appetizers are served first. While we did order appetizers, we got curd rice as the first dish on the table. Any restaurant would know the order to get the dishes out. Especially a South Indian restaurant - Kumar's was clearly not meeting the bar here. 2. The vada was double fried and old. You could smell the reused oil literally. The chutneys were old - both visually and from taste. 3. The serving speed was bad - one of our dishes came after almost everyone completed their meal. 4. Lastly, the service - the waiter was simply missing all the time. The plates (with banana leaves) were dirty. If you have NO OTHER OPTION, then this place is ok. I would recommend 4 bananas if you are hungry instead of this experience. read more

They were still open for pickup and deliveries during the covid outbreak so I ordered the chole Bhatura, Muttai Dosai, and chicken Tandor. Everything was absolutely amazing!! Can't wait for them to open up again to try the all you can eat banana leaf lunch. read more

Kumar's Apple Valley - Chole Bhatura, Muttai Dosai with masala on the side, and Chicken Tandoor - Indian Near Me - Apple Valley, Minnesota

My husband and I were craving Indian. Didn't realize that darbar had closed and Kumar replaced the spot. We came at noon on a Saturday it was very busy and I recommend reservations. Lunch was all you can eat you stay seated and the servers stop by to serve you. No utensils are provided but they happily give you some of you ask otherwise traditionally you eat with your hands. We tried everything! Extremely satisfied and the servers were great and explaining the dishes and how to eat them. They start with salt and a pickle side, crispies, then veggies, and protein then end with dessert. Everything served on a giant banana leaf My favorite was the goat curry and potato masala. There's tons of flavors and textures you won't be tired and definitely an adventure. We tried potato masala, eggplant dish, yellow bean thing haha, goat, fish, chicken, naan. $13 for the vegetarian option and $16 for non vegetarian read more

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Shitty service, bad atmosphere, and awful food. My butter chicken had multiple strands of hair in it when it arrived to my table and the service was completely unreceptive. Would heavily recommend against coming. read more

Write this review on Sunday , 12/26. AVOID THIS PLACE!!! We left after waiting for our food for ONE HOUR. Don't know what the problem is but they clearly don't seem to have enough food available. There were many many tables like ours who had been waiting for more than 45 mins . No communication from staff . Had been here earlier in the year and things were good then. When prices are so high for rice based Indian food the service should match up . read more

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Boy let me tell you they had us waiting at least 5-7 mins to be seated and it was only two 3-4 person families in there! Next she sat us and didn't give us menus until 10 minutes late if not longer, then to order she wrote nothing down this may have contributed to never getting our meal, until I throughly the stay sitting and waiting kept getting up to go stand by the kitchen area to get them to service my family!! All the while they keep apologizing and saying we are working on it to never work on it, I swear you guys they told us our meal would be free and expected us to just leave without it as they served what I feel was every person who was possibly similar in skin tone sorry to say that but it's true... plates were rushing to those tables of similar face! Even after all this I wanted my food to go they brand it plated ‍ all I can say is they were a mess and didn't have what I wanted on menu even tho it's in the menu so I will not return read more

Kumar's Apple Valley - Nann cooked in same pan as garlic nann, paratta was hard masala no flavor serious I love Indian food it lacked! - Indian Near Me - Apple Valley, Minnesota

Best place to taste Indian food The people who work there are so nice And like to help I prefer going there in the weekend And asked for the ( vegetarian menu or non-vegetarian menu ) read more

Kumar's Apple Valley - Indian Near Me - Apple Valley, Minnesota

Gross! This was the worst buffet I have ever eaten at and I've eaten at a lot in Mexico! We arrived at 11:50 am and all of the food was either luke warm or cold. There were only a few options, so choices were limited. The service was fine but considering it was a buffet, all he had to do was bring us waters. I will never go back! read more

In a strip mall in apple valley. Went in for a buffet on Christmas day and was pleasantly surprised with the variety of food and dishes. A good change to all the vegetarian buffets. Spicy food. read more

The most authentic Indian food I've had in the twin cities! Kumar's really focuses on South Indian preparations, and does so really well - none of the generic curry-centric fare! Every dish we have had (over multiple visits) has been flavorful and authentic, the portions generous, and the preparations very unique, and really different from most anyplace across the cities. The filter coffee is a perfect way to finish off a truly excellent meal! The ambiance is also very well-conceived, and relaxed. The only negative I can think of is that service can be a little slow when it gets crowded. Apart from that, I suggest ordering a la carte, and exploring the vast variety that is South Indian cuisine! read more

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OMG! The food was back to memory land when I was back home in south India Tamil. Coming back to try lots of others food. Would recommend this everyone whoever wants to taste the real real South Indian food. Definitely try the unlimited banana leaf meal. read more

Kumar's Apple Valley - Indian Near Me - Apple Valley, Minnesota

YUM YUM! We stopped by on a Thursday for lunch... our first time eating out since COVID. This was a great experience: the place was really clean, the staff illustrated proper precautions for safety, etc. The owner/manager gave us wonderful recommendations. We had an appetizer of fried cauliflower that was so crispy but somehow not at all greasy. We were amazed even as it cooled off it did not get soggy. For our main entree we had chicken Bahraini and curry chicken with naan. Both were excellent. We asked for medium spice and it was just enough to get our tongues to tingle without sweat. Please visit and support these individual restaurants like Kumar's. We cannot afford to lose this quality, interesting international food in our area! We will definitely be coming back but next time with all the kids so they can have the experience to expand their tastebuds. read more

Yuummm! This was my first trip to Kumar's and I'll definitely be back. If you love South Indian food - and I have a serious love affair with it - this is definitely a restaurant to add to your must try list. I started with the Rasam which is a peppery, tomato and tamarind soup that is a favorite and Kumar's interpretation transported me right back to Kerala where I first tried it. I also had a wonderful South Indian fish curry that hit all the right notes, sour, salty, sweet with cinnamon, and fiery with the addition of crispy curry leaves (a unique flavor). In addition I had the cone dosa - an amazingly thin, crispy flat bread made with a fermented rice and lentil batter that has a lovely slightly sour, slightly funky taste served with 3 lovey chutneys and a delicious sambar. The service is very typical of what you would find in South India with dishes arriving as they are prepared. The only coMplaint I would have is that I did have to request my Dosa several times. The server even started trying to box up items before it was served. Portions are large, so be prepared to either split with a friend or take home leftovers. I actually had 3 meals from 1 order. I understand that Kumar's offers banana leaf meals and I'm looking forward to going back when one of those is happening. Note that serving sizes are substantial read more

I am a Tamilian and Kumar's was tasty. It could be better, hence the 4 stars. We were a group of 4 and ordered the veg thali, masala dosai and ghee roast. The drawbacks were: chutneys were cold and not fresh, ghee roast was not crisp (though I had requested), Vadai was so so and the appetizers came after the main dishes. Otherwise the food was sumptuous and we loved it, will be back. So glad to have an authentic South Indian restaurant in the twin cities. read more

Saw rave reviews about this place and decided to give it a try on Friday. First of all the interior looks alright in the dinning space, as soon as you walk into the bathroom, it feels like it is not kept up well. Handwashing stations are dirty, things are hidden behind window curtains. The toilet seats are dirty, so was the toilet. Then to the service portion of it, the girl server didn't even greet, and differentiated between native to the cuisine and others. When they came to take orders the girl server reeked of bodily odor. My friend almost gagged because of it. Even the common courtesy of dressing is not unto par. The shoes were so nasty for the girl and has turned black from the original shade of color. The clothing also had stains over them. The food was alright, some of the items were tasty and some were alright, could be because of our preference of taste or the dish. They claim that they don't use MSG in the menu but we got that umami taste, but it could be from something else. Overall I would have given it a 4 star but the disparity and uncleanliness by the staff personally, quality of service and the bathroom forced me to give 1 star. Overall it left a lot of improvements left to be desired in atmosphere & service. read more

The food was amazing!! We had Thali which was served in banana leaf. The waiters were patient and it felt like we were eating at Indian wedding. Highly recommended. read more

I have visited this place four times; twice for a weekend lunch and twice for take away. I'm totally satisfied with the service and especially the menu, here. Definitely check out their weekend unlimited meals, if you crave a simple "home cooked like restaurant meal". (And the pipeline music playing here will definitely won't disappoint you either) read more

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The excellent food was so good, fresh and authentic. The whole family had fun and was very satisfied. The service was excellent and fast.

the food over there it was delicious also the customer service is 10/10, Abi it was very friendly and fast read more

Kumar's Apple Valley - Indian Near Me - Apple Valley, Minnesota

Let me start by saying that like others, we were craving some Indian food and had no idea that Darbar had closed this location but we were excited to try something new. I'm so glad we gave Kumar's a shot. The owner was super helpful in explaining dishes, and pointing out more popular options. The restaurant was very clean and the music was great. They have your more well known Indian dishes as well as the southern Indian dishes, what makes them different. We decided to stick to the southern Indian side of the menu. We started off with Chennai Chilli Chicken. It's breaded and fried boneless chicken pieces, and it did not disappoint. A light amount of spice, with the lime squeezed over top it was fantastic. Definitely off to a good start. For our mains we shared the Ennai Kathirikkai Kolambu, which is a fried eggplant dish in a spicy sauce, and Thennaattu Muttai Curry, a hard boiled egg curry. We also had the parotta, a South Indian flaky bread instead of the usual naan. The eggplant dish was so flavorful and every bite seemed to be just a bit different from the last, keeping things interesting, never getting boring. I can not stress how flavorful this dish was. Fantastic. The egg curry, we asked for extra spicy and the delivered just the right amount of spice. Probably more than what many would like be we love spice. Ate it over rice (which is also fantastic and fluffy) and it was, like the eggplant dish, phenomenal. I'd be very hard pressed to pick a favorite out of the dishes we tried. I'll also add that I now prefer parotta over naan. The price was also very reasonable. Will be back. Can't wait to try out more of the South Indian dishes! read more

We have been to Kumar's in Apple Valley for dinner before. It was not busy any of the times for dinner. But lunch on weekends is a whole another story. We were really excited to try out banana leaf meals in USA. We got there a little after 1pm. We had a reservation. There was only one person at the counter taking care of reservation requests, water bottles, payments and takeout bags. It was chaos. They seated us in less than 10 mins. It was a lively atmosphere. It felt like I was back in India! We did have to call the server several times to remind them of our order. Other than that, the food was good and we just loved the fact that everything that was served was made in house. The Mysore pak was the perfect ending to this meal! Do not forget to use your hands to eat and lick your fingers when you are finished! read more

Kumar's Apple Valley - Sadya - Indian Near Me - Apple Valley, Minnesota

We have always enjoyed the take out. Food is good. But making New Year's Eve reservations was a huge let down. Arriving at 6:30 we could see a good crown through the window. I commented I could see our window seats. Saying we had reservations they sat us in a side room next to the front desk and waiting area. Ten feet from Doordash and others waiting for take out. No others were sat in this area and those entering after us were seated in the main dining area. We nearly left as there was nothing at the table except twiI salt shakers. We are MN nice people so stuck it out. But will not be returning. read more

Great food. We have been there multiple times, and each time, the Dosas are authentic. The chutneys are great!

So it's starts from the fact that this is first branch of this in Minneapolis. We booked one day in advance , two tables for 9 people. Then i receive an sms this morning to confirm if we are still on, so I download the yelp app and then confirm the same. We had a booking for 12:30 PM , so some of us reached by 12:25 and others reached by 12:40. We got the table which was ready. Now we get printed pages of menu and it says unlimited thali (veg and non-veg). After trying to give the order for about 10 mins , someone walks to us and takes the order and we order 8 non veg and 1 veg thali. The person yells us 15-20 mins, and then we wait. We wait and we wait. After 30 mins two thali comes, then another two and then another two and then 1. Then we wait again. We remind that two thali is missing and then we get that and then it has a missing poori. After confirming of it is unlimited , we get to know non veg is not unlimited. We finish the food and then we go to hadwash section and to our surprise the we see that there is a bottle of Clorox urine remover kept beside the tap. Which does not give a good feeling after you complete your food and go to wash your hand. For the price of 12 dollars the food is decent but the restaurant really needs to work several things: - clarity of menu. - service time - interior with tables being of different heights - we do not see an option of requesting for additional food of we need as difficult to find someone attending you. Food is okay but service really needs to improve. We would have to think really couple of times to make a visit again. read more

Kumar's Apple Valley - The hand wash area - Indian Near Me - Apple Valley, Minnesota

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Our whole experience tonight was phenomenal! Great service, AMAZING food, unique flavors and so many options. Mutton Chops Masala is a must have. 10/10 would recommend! read more

Kumar's Apple Valley - Indian Near Me - Apple Valley, Minnesota

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Kumar's is one of my favorite South Indian restaurant in Dallas, so when I found out that they are opening in Minne, I had to check it out! They are still in soft opening. Grand Opening in a few weeks. The restaurant space is nicely done and with a lot of updates! We arrived at 6:45 pm and got seated right away. The hosts were very friendly. We ordered mini idlis, sambar vada, pongal, eggplant Kara kozhambu and Taro root fry.. The food was just as I had in Dallas. Super delicious and as always I ate way too much!! Everything tasted fresh and we're delivered quickly! The Hosts came back to check on us and enquired about the food..I can't wait back to try out their banana leaf lunch ! read more

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One thing you must try here Tandoori Pomfret. This will be worth the drive there. Other dishes are okay, not as good/bad. The taste factor for several dishes hasn't reached my expectations. And they can be but spicier. It's not completely authentic or it's not improvised version the recipes. I'm confused. Lol read more

Kumar's Apple Valley - Tandoori Pomfret - Indian Near Me - Apple Valley, Minnesota

Southern-based, but yr not gonna miss any northern choices; they have them all. Only place for miles around that even has a buffet anymore, and so reasonably priced! Every single thing is delicious; even the hot/spicy stuff that I can't handle. Both lunch & dinner buffet; closed between. Their inviting service absolutely humbles me, and that is the clientele they draw as well. Can't say enough about this place. Worth a drive, because there's no place like it around here. Believe me, I looked. read more

Amazing South Indian food at Kumar's! We stopped in for lunch and ordered a few of our favorite south indian dishes. We were blown alway by how fresh and flavorful everything was. South Indian cuisine has a few different dishes that are specific to south India, so to be able to go to Kumar's in Apple Valley and experience what you would eat in South India traditional on a banana leaf is pretty cool and different from other Indian restaurants around Minnesota. We tried a range of different foods and each dish was amazing. We ordered dosa, eggplant curry, gobi (cauliflower pakoda), Kothu parotta (indian bread stuffing). So good! And I ordered Chai tea and it was really good! I waited a few minutes longer for the tea than expected because they make it fresh. It came out hot and I could tell it was just brewed. It was the best Chai tea I've had in a restaurant! Highly recommend trying Kumar's next time you crave Indian food! read more

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A sneak peek in to South Indian hospitality. Should definitely try the weekend buffet for the experience. Make sure to reserve before you go read more

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Food is good.. but very poor service.. Update 11/26: no improvement yet. I ordered for pick up 3 times until now to check how things are going on... and everytime there is an issue. 2 times.. they missed couple of times.. and 3 rd time today 11/26.. I ordered food at 11:17am and its 1:05pm now.. and they haven't prepared the food yet... They don't work on any feedbacks. May be I have to stop ordering food here and use my valuable time... I suggest everyone to go here only if you have many hours of free time, stopping all your valuable work..very poor service. read more

Made a reservation for 5 people at 5:30. Received confirmation. 5:35 OPEN sign on and the door locked. We looked inside and couldn't see any people. We waited several minutes outside, bit no one opened the door. We ate somewhere else. read more

Food is great, kuli paniyaram was absolutely authentic. Ambience and service was good as well, Nirmal was good with service to our table. Food could served be faster. read more

Wow. Had Sunday buffet with family. Large selection. Tried everything and everything was fantastic. Vegetarians and omnivores in our group were all delighted. If this place was a bit closer to home, we would go weekly. read more

This evening I had a sumptuous authentic TamilNadu food at Kumar's in Apple Valley, MN. The ambiance and warm welcoming hosts made me feel at home. I am from Madurai and I have been craving for authentic Madurai Malligai poo Idli, Sambar, Medu vadai, ghee roast dosa. Finally, I had my palate satisfied at Kumar's with exactly same Madurai taste and quality idli, sambar, dosa and vada. I am so thankful to the owner for bringing such an authentic food to US. The appetizers Seppan Kelangu fry and baby corn pepper fry are very tasty and completely different dishes that I have never seen in any other Indian restaurants. My 10 year old loved baby corn pepper fry. I am going to introduce Kumar's to my friends. read more

Food was terrible. We went to buffet and the food was all oily and broken. Not worth the money. Overhyped place and doesn't live up to the expectations. read more

Customer service was awesome! Very attentive and came around often asking if we need anything. The food was great! (If you have little spice tolerance maybe ask for less spice. They start from mild) overall, the place is super cute and food is good! So many selections!! Would definitely come back! read more

Food wasn't that good; it tasted plain. Did not have the authentic Indian taste at all. But the waiters were very nice and welcoming. I do not recommend this restaurant if you looking forward to eat a very good tasting Indian food. read more