Probably the best Indian place in Evanston. The food tastes really good and there are a lot of options to choose from. Amongst appetizers I would recommend the chicken momos, a traditional Nepali/Tibetan cuisine. They serve it hot and fresh and is light enough to move on to the main course after. In the main course, I've tried multiple curries and tandoori dishes and I've found no reason to complain. Unlike many other Indian places, service is good and friendly and the place very clean. The only thing they could improve upon is the size of their portions as at some point it feels you're paying too much for the relatively small portions. read more

This has fallen for some unknown reason. The food is decent if undistinguished, but the cleanliness of the restaurant and the bathrooms has deteriorated, and the logical conclusion is the kitchen is in similar condition. Could it be this one's on the way out? read more

I was at this restaurant to celebrate my son's 25th birthday. The service was so poor that we left with a bad taste in our mouth. It took almost an hour for the good to arrive. Every time we inquire about the timing, waiter told us that it is coming. At one point, we were ready to leave without eating. Food had no taste. We particularly told the waiter that it should be medium spiced. Appetizer Paneer pakora was completely flat. No salt no spice. I mentioned to the waiter, but no use. He never offered to replace, instead brought siracha sauce. I asked to speak to the owner, but was given different answers, waiter said that he is at another store, but later the manager said that he is at home. It was about 7.30 pm. We got there at 6.00 and food came about 7.15. Finally I asked the manager how to reach the owner. He gave me his number and around 7% discount. Around 20% gratuity was added to the bill, which the service did not justify. I called the owner and left a message explaining my displeasure, but he never bothered to return my call. I will rate the service And Food quality at Zero. Dr.(H) Avi Verma read more

Decided to step out of Chicago for the evening and head to Evanston for dinner and a movie. First of all, what a cute little town with all the shops...I would consider moving to this area! We decided on Mt. Everest because we had the Restaurant.com gift cert. Overall, it was a great experience! The service was great, the place was packed, and the food was delicious! We ordered garlic naan (Amazing), Shrimp Pakora App. (not such a big fan), Whole Tandoori Chicken (very good), and Chicken Tikka Masala (Yummy)! This was my bf's first time having Indian food and he absolutely loved it! I thought everything was wonderful as well, and the service made it even better! I'd definitely go back the next time I'm in Evanston. read more

Great food. Excellent variety. I will definately be back. Plenty of vegetarian choices. Friendly service

I wish I caught on to this place when I was closer to Evanston but I've been several times with friends who live in the area. It's just terrific every time we go. The lamb curry is unbelievably good. The lamb is perfectly tender, the curry itself is the perfect blend of flavor and heat. I could eat that stuff every day. Try the mango lassi, which is like a mango-yogurt flavored drink. It's terrific on its own but it's particularly great to cool your palette after a spicy dish. Their samosas are really good, too. I do find it a little annoying that they don't take reservations, but it is what it is. The folks are very nice, service always is very good. read more

My wife and I had a buffet lunch during the weekend and while they served all the dishes you expect from a typical Indian buffet, the service and food were ok. No complaints about the service. The waiters were pretty prompt at refilling those water glasses and clearing those plates :) As far as the dishes goes, the orange colored buttered chicken and the Goat Meat were really cooked well. One or two dishes such as Tandoori Chicken seemed bland. My wife thought they could have done a better job with the Kheer dessert although she loved the Carrot Halwa. This restaurant comes close to my really favorite one, Himalayan in Des Plaines. read more

We ordered "non-vegetarian" meal for two. Fabulous. Delicious. We'll be back for more. read more

Three of us arrived for dinner on a busy Saturday night. Tables were filled, as usual. After 10 minutes at the entry, somebody showed up to greet us. We were asked to wait at the bar, where nobody was serving. Our table was soon ready. After another long wait for a server, we ordered momo appetizer. It was fabulous. Then we waited a very long time for one of the many staff walking around and around to take our dinner order. As usual, the food was delicious and fresh and a bit over priced. And as usual the service was awful, inattentive and disorganized. read more

Went to Mt. Everest for the second time this Thursday night with a former classmate/buddy from the office. We wanted to spend some time catching up, and this is one of the nicer spots nearest to the NU campus. We split chicken tikka masala and baigan bartha, as well as an order of yummy naan. The chicken was saucy and tender, yum, and the eggplant was standard. Delish! The masala tea is quite good. Good company, too! The first time I went, we ordered two of the combination plates for 5-6 people, and still had plenty of food left over. Everything was pretty tasty, if I recall correctly. I mean, the thing with Indian food (in my experience at least) is that it's reasonably consistent across different restaurants, so I find it hard to judge. I mean, I like spicy food! Wanna eat it! When I eat it I am happy. I don't think I've ever had BAD Indian food. And if I did, it certainly wasn't here. (I mean, there is always the risk of devastating aftereffects, but these were reasonably minimal compared to most curry-laden experiences.) AHEM... Plus, this is a little bit more upscale, and quieter than the spots on Devon. Service is attentive, too. I've yet to try any of the Nepalese dishes, basically because whenever I end up here, I can't get past the yummy dishes that I've had before and REALLY wanna eat. Maybe someday... and maybe I'll hit the lunch buffet sometime, too. read more

I do like this place however I feel a little bit like its very Americanized Indian/Nepalese Food. I am a fan of Indian food and eat it quite frequently. One of my best friend is Nepalese so I also understand all their flavors and spices. For me, it doesn't have enough flavor or that something is always missing. I've had their Mutter Paneer and its watered down. I also ask for spicy and well...let's just say that all I tasted was pretty much chili powder rather than the flavor of the sauce, paneer, and cilantro. The chili powder overpowered everything and I usually LOVE spicy food, but this one was like taking a spoonful of chili powder in my mouth. I've tasted many of their chicken dishes and again it's missing an ingredient. It doesn't have that savory bite I'm looking forward for. Maybe I should stick to beef next time. Which is why I need to talk about their goat meat. I love goat and grew up eating it. Their goat is seasoned very well, perfect flavor, not missing anything, however the meat is not cook tender enough. Goat is one of those meats that need to cook for a very very long time in order to get that pulled-pork effect, much like lamb. It's worth a taste, but please bring a toothpick with you. Two things I do love is their Samosa and garlic naan. Just taste it and I promise you, it's pretty damn good. Also try their lunch buffet. When you're craving something different for lunch around the Evanston area, you'll get your moneys worth here. Just don't be too picky. Mount Everest is a local spot for me, but it's not something that I'd run into immediately if I'm craving Indian food. Once in a while is good or if I'm introducing someone fairly new to Indian/Nepali cuisine. read more

I probably should put off this review until I've had dinner there, but one must go with the experience one has had, not the one I'm looking forward to. I arrived at Mount Everest looking forward to sampling some exotic cuisine, as the posting seemed to offer Himalayan and Tibetan dishes, as well as Indian and Pakistani fare. Alas, those are dinner offerings; the lunch choice is the buffet, sporting more pedestrian cuisine. I was seated right away, towards the tail end of the lunch hour, and had a nice basket of fresh-baked warm flatbread set on my table before long. The only menu on my table was for wines; I thought perhaps menus would arrive once my lunch companion got there. Nope; once she arrived, we were told, politely, to help ourselves to the buffet (which I'd noticed everyone else was doing). There was a decent salad bar, with colorful veggies and 2 dressings to choose from. The entrees consisted of mainly chicken variations, a rice-and-peas combo, battered fried vegetables and a form of thin pita-like bread. It might have helped the presentation had we arrived earlier; later in the lunch shift as it was, I didn't see anyone come out and replenish the buffet choices. Having smelled that wonder curry-like scent permeating the room, I was expecting some fairly spicy fare, but my selections, while palatable, seemed unusually flavorless. I've had Indian food before, many times, and generally love the bite and difference you get from American fare; strangely, the lunch buffet here didn't measure up to what I was hoping for. With no menu, our drink choices were delivered verbally, by people with fairly heavy accents, making it a bit tough to discern what we were being offered. I caught the word 'coffee' from my server, and ordered that; my friend had tea. The wait staff was attentive and not cloying; our water glasses were refilled regularly. There were 2 dessert choices from the buffet; a sweet cream and fruit melange that was very tasty, and vermicelli (which I did not sample). All in all, I'd say Mount Everest deserves a 2nd try from us, mainly to take a shot at the dinner menu. It wasn't bad enough to not recommend (and judging by the 90% full it got, many like its fare), just a little less than I'd hoped for. read more

This is my favorite restaurant in Evanston by FAR. The food is consistently amazing, I haven't had one dish that I didn't LOVE. My favorite are the samosas and the palak paneer. The service is great and if you're a loyal customer you get freebies sometimes, and NU students get 10% off takeout and delivery (not sure about dining-in). I highly recommend this place, you can't go wrong if you like Indian food! read more

This is a place that I'd give half stars to, ideally I'd give it a 3.5. This is for a number of things. Mainly, I am judging on their lunch buffets. I assume that this is one of the highlights of the restaurant seeing that not many places in Evanston has a buffet option. I do have to commend the overall ambiance and cleanliness of the restaurant. Immediately upon arrival, I was greeted by a professional waiter who asked me what i wanted to drink, and he brought out a basket of warm naans at the same time. The buffet though, was a tad disappointing. I didn't think there was a lot of option, and it is on the pricey end. I've had better Indian buffets in even smaller towns for less of a price. The varieties of food offered was limited, and the flavor and preparation was very mediocre. Overall this is a good restaurant, but just don't come here trying to sample anything authentic. read more

Look, it's not as good as some Indian/Nepalese places I've been outside of Chicago (or even on Devon in Chicago). Maybe that's why I'm a stickler and only want to give it 4/5. I'm not sure if they cater it to the audience or they just don't have as fresh spices, but I feel like their food lacks the punch that I've gotten elsewhere. I'm not talking about heat... just all their plates are good without quite the "wow". If you're going for Indian buffet and you're in Evanston, it's great. If you have the time to travel to Chicago you'll find better for a lot less. I do have to admit that it has a great ambiance though, and it's on the upscale side (especially compared to many other Indian restaurants I have been). read more

Pretty solid Northern Indian / Nepalese cuisine in Downtown Evanston. I must admit that in several visits I've never actually ordered off the menu and have always enjoyed the instant gratification of the lunch buffet, so please consider this a review for the buffet only. While the selection and quality of the food are quite satisfactory, Mount Everest simply doesn't hold a candle to some of my usual haunts (Aroma in Vernon Hills and India House in Buffalo Grove) who regularly offer twice as many entrees and much fresher-tasting naan. Having Mount Everest in the town I call home is a definite plus, though, and I'll continue to return when the urge strikes and I'm in Evanston. read more

We met up with a friend for lunch here and all ate from the buffet. It was pretty tasty and reasonably fresh considering we ate at 1:45. The bread was brought to our table instead of being part of the buffet. Overall I would say the food rates at 3.5 or 4 but loses points for the bread and lack of choices at the buffet. read more

Great Indian food and not too pricey. My family often goes here for 8-10 person dinners (like birthdays or whatever), and really enjoy ordering the dinners so that we get lots of options. Anyway, not tons to say - it's just good Indian food in Evanston. read more

its a toss up between 3 and 4 stars here. im gonna go 3 just because its not byob... and lets face it... what goes better with spicy food than alcohol, and its non-byob-ness only adds to an already slightly pricey dining experience. but if youre in evanston and looking for some indian/himalayan... go for it. you wont be disappointed the food is very good. nothing too out of the ordinary. yummy samosa. service was very good. read more

Excellent food, very good service! if you are looking for a different style of food, this is the place to go!

They have a pretty solid lunch buffet here. I've never come for dinner, so I can't comment on the dinner menu. But there's always a pretty good variety of entrees for the lunch buffet (it leans heavily towards vegetarian). They always have vegetable pakora, which I love and tastes amazing dipped in their variety of chutneys. Service is sometimes a little slow, even when it's not super busy, but it's a good deal, so if I'm craving Indian for lunch, I come here. read more

Had lunch at this place for the first time and it was great! All you can eat buffet was delicious. Great service, great interior, great food. read more

As an Indian myself, I am very critical of South Asian restaurants. I'm telling you this because I absolutely love this place. I hadn't ventured into Nepal's culinary delights before so it was a big treat. We tried to order many of the items that were not familiar to us (things found on Devon or in my mom's kitchen). Those Nepalese items were really interesting and delicious. I can't remember exactly what it was called but we started out with a pot sticker dish with Indian spices then moved on to a couple of nepalese traditional curries with parathas. Nepalese food, to me, seems like fusion between Indian and Chinese food--makes sense given the geography. I highly recommend giving this place a try. read more

Their Tandori Chicken is amazing, moist, flavorful and aromatic, the buffet is where it's at to try almost everything this restaurant has to offer, the pice is great, the wait-staff and atmosphere is wonderful and you're right in the heart of down-town Evanston, it's definitely a wonderful find! read more

Good food great service... A little too pricey tho.... But it was very nice... And soothing ambiance!!!

I am not sure how this restaurant succeeded in lasting since I was in grad school last century, as it's just not that good. I've been to Nepal, and India, and I've heard South Asians dismiss Nepalese cuisine as "bland Indian food," but most of what they serve here, and everything on their buffet, is actually bland Indian food, not particularly Nepalese. The service was, and continues to be, somewhat lackadaisical, considering the relatively high prices for South Asian food. Even if you're on a graduate student budget, you're better off shelling out the train and bus fare, going south to Devon avenue around Western, California, in Chicago, for South Asian, especially lunch buffets. I do recommend this place if you find good Indian food to be too spicy, the last time I was here a woman sitting near us was just raving about the food, saying "I love the way Indian food smells, but usually it's just too hot for me, this is PERFECT!" Well, I guess I figured out how this restaurant has been around in Evanston so long. read more

Superb, authentic, and delicious! Fast service on a Friday night. And and didn't feel like I wasn't taken care of.

Went to the lunch buffet. The food was very fresh and nicely seasoned and the price was right( only 10). They didn't have a huge selection though and the naan was overbaked. read more

came here for lunch about two weeks ago. what a great place! the food was great, a good variety. i love the atmosphere of the place- clean and casual with nice decor. if you like indian food definitely come here! read more

Definitely one of the best restaurants in Evanston. Been here several times, and everything I've tried has been fantastic. For those of you that haven't had Indian cuisine before, this would definitely be a good place to try it. Go for the biryani (spiced rice), baingan bartha (mashed eggplant with tomato, onion, and spices), and their fresh naan! Everybody also loves their samosas, which aren't too spicy. read more

Great lunchtime buffet. I used to go here all the time whenever my sis came to visit me. There are better places on Devon, but if you don't want to leave Evanston, come here. read more

The lunch buffet is a solid choice - typically there are 1 or 2 appetizers (pakoras, pappadam), rice (usually a pullao with vegetables), 4 vegetable dishes, and 2 meat dishes. Plus the usual complement of salads, raita, chutney, pickled vegetables, and as a nice plus, fresh fruit. And fresh naan brought to the table, and usually one or two desserts (kheer, halwa or gulab). It's a great assortment of different Indian dishes, with different vegetables and spice combinations, and the buffet usually has a Nepalese dish also, which is a unique feature. On my last visit, I had the Nepalese special vegetable, bhindi masala, palak paneer, and another mixed vegetable dish. All very tasty and reasonable priced. The service is always friendly and quick, there's always someone on hand to bring you naan or a lassi, tea, or drink from the bar. A great lunch spot! read more

Lunch buffet is a great value with some nice offerings. It's neat that they do both Indian and Nepalese dishes and there's much more variety than the typical Indian buffet. I got a little overwhelmed with the choices and wound up with some Gajar Ka Halwa on my plate because I had not idea carrots were a dessert dish. Nevertheless, everything was really tasty. I especially liked the chef's daily vegetables which were cooked up in a spicy (but not too spicy sauce). I came for a slightly early lunch (11:45) to beat the crowd and within a half hour or so this place was definitely jumping. I should also say that the Gajar ka Halwa was awesome, the first dessert I've ever had at an Indian place that I actually liked. read more

More of a 3.5. This has been a family favorite for years, with really tasty Indian and Nepalese cuisine, from the familiar chicken tikka masala to more specialized dishes. The waiters are occasionally a bit brusque, and can try to "upsell" you on a naan per person after appetizers, but they also pack in extra rice with leftovers, so it seems to work out evenly. read more

When I came in I don't know if it was just me but it smelled like an owl regurgitated. My friends and I had a gross expression on our faces. We sat down and I went to get my food. After discovering numerous hairs in my chicken, I was ready to barf. Then I ate the rice and gagged at the taste. I spit it all up in my napkin and rushed to the bathroom that was by the way worse than a jail cell. It was horrible in there. My pals and I got desert only to find what looked like a literal piece of poo. I asked the waiter what it was and he said nothing and just took my bowl and ran away. Should I be concerned? My friends and I had to immediately leave without paying the check. I don't think they cared because they knew their food stunk. We went over to Viet-Nom Nom just a couple stores over and has the best time! Yay for Vietnamese food but not for Indian... read more

This place's food is ok. It seems like it is somewhat of a yuppie hot spot, which generally leads to having food that is not all that spicy. As for any indian place, go for the lunch buffet, as you get the most bang for your buck. read more

This could be my favorite restaurant in Evanston. 5 stars for the Hariyali Tikka. Can you even get it anywhere else? I also recommend the non-veg meal for two. Lunch buffet is good too. They don't offer a huge buffet but a few quality items (butter chicken included). The price keeps going up, but it is worth $2 more than that Italian Beef and fries for real food. They have beer and wine too. read more

never had a Nepalese restaurant, so I give this one a shot. trying a bunch of dishes, and they are really good. i guess the food are very close to indian food and they are taste. yum.... read more

What is Nepalese food? Good stuff, go here and try some if you're in Evanston (and you already know you like Indian food). I haven't been in for the lunch buffet but love to sample everyone at my table's dinner orders. It's a pretty casual, well-priced place but feels upscale with white tablecloths and good wait service. Be aware of the spicy- they know how to do it and will adjust accordingly if you have a preference. read more

I visited a couple of nights ago for the dinner buffet. It was great! The Chicken Tika Masala was BOMB. Also, they had these great lentil chips that I couldn't get enough of. The service was a tad slow, but honestly, I didn't care too much because it's self service and the food was so good. read more