The Good: Service is absolutely impeccable. Nice, kind, and thoughtful waitstaff; very similar to the elegant and professional waitstaff experience provided by the Cuisine India just outside of JSC down on the southeast side, which I had the ROTD for back in January 2011. Service elevates everything else and they win hard on service. Giving props where props are due before I take the satin gloves off. The Bad: No dish at the buffet was remarkable; it was simply edible and unproblematic, like I didn't find a dead guy and his gently used condom in any of my plates, which is at least a minimal concern at some of the Taco Bells I have passed through back in Filthydelphia. The chicken tikka masala was off-colour indicating a heavier spice and less cream than oft recommended, and it wasn't even spicy (hot) spice like I like, it was just a bunch of things that got shaken into the mixture which displaced the ratios for cream and made me a sad panda. The saag paneer was the thickest I have ever received, which baffled me for a split second compared to what I am used to - this is more oatmeal than anything else fam. The naan was likely the standout since it was hot and plentiful, unlike most of the other Indian joints I visit where you either pay by the slice of naan like an asshole or forgo it altogether out of their laziness and inability to get it from the kitchen to your beautiful face sitting there at the table in the dining area. But no problem here, it was hot and omnipresent. To say the buffet is 'bad' is an overstatement, but the quality resembles the Korma Sutra ("KS") downtown that failed to stay alive at their price point. This is a pricey joint and the quality of the food just does not reflect it, which led KS to close. Nirvana, unlike KS, makes up for the quality of their food with their hella nice waitstaff (in the good column) but they get a severe demerit with the valet only (in the ugly column) which balances them out as a-ok at best if we are being charitable - which I am trying to be considering how polite the waitstaff was. The Fugly: Valet only. Strangers touching The Dragon? No thanks, fella and/or ladykin. Also had I known this fact in advance I actually would have had some small bills on me for the tip, which would be a sensible tip to move my car six feet for me. I could literally see my car (and the Magic the Gathering mana land cards stowed in the glove box) six feet away from my beautiful standing at the front door of Nirvana but they had to move it six feet for me. But instead no, nobody told me valet only so instead of small bills they got wee ... uh, book money bills that I usually pay for in cash since the purveyors of "books" do not accept credit cards so I need to pay them in cash for their services. Valet pisses me off. I would uber instead of driving and valeting. BUT NOBODY GODDAMN TOLD ME, SUSAN, AND WHY WOULD YOU ASSUME I JUST KNOW THIS PLACE WAS VALET ONLY? Extra considerations: the doors in the restroom are super heavy and swing shut sharply & loudly. I thought the bro was real angry and slamming around as he exited the crapper where he was doing "mysterious things" whilst I was washing my hands. But as the next gent entered apparently the heavy doors just swing loudly, nobody was slamming around. And the sink in the gent's restroom had embedded color changing LEDs (see photos) which amazed me and was great fun; about the most fun I have had in a gent's restroom outside of that sweaty Wendy's bathroom just outside of Biloxi. But the loud noises I do not like with the heavy doors swinging shut. However, the neato mosquito lights in the sink nearly make up for that. Apparently the place had a major remodel from a few years ago, leading to the amazing LED sink. If they upgrayedd (with that double dose) the recipes and kitchen, then they will be the go-to Indian joint in town. As it sits now, their valet makes them a distant 11th or 12th choice for Indian in the Greater Houston area basically just replacing the tail end of the spectrum that Korma Sutra had previously occupied. If I get a rich person pregnant (or get impregnated by a rich person which is totes possible according to that Danny Devito film I saw once in the 90s) and am finally able to move in the Memorial area to raise my kids in, I would come to Nirvana out of convenience for its proximity to my fortress of solitude, not out of preference for the quality of muh dinner foods. If you want to look fancy (with the valet, the fancy sink, and the good service) and are not the biggest fan of Indian food and spices in the first place, hit this joint up to impress your date. Then hit up the Taco Bell around the corner just across Dairy Ashford for fourthmeal after you enjoy some "books" and obtain the munchies at a respectable 2am or 3am hour. read more

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I went to Nirvana on a weekday with some colleagues. When we drove up, we noticed that we had to use their valet service for parking. When we walked in, we were escorted to our table, and we ordered out drinks. We then got up and filled our plates from the lunch buffet. I was impressed with the number of items in the buffet (16 different dishes, including 8 vegetarian ones for you non-meat eaters). I was a fan of the chicken biryani, tandoori chicken, chicken tikka masala, and the raita. There were two other stations set up as well for salads, as well as dessert. The waiters came by consistently to refill our naan (bread bowl). Overall, I was happy with the lunch, and I would see myself coming back here if I was in the area. What to order: -Lunch Buffet - $14.50 Pros: -Variety of different dishes, including vegetarian -Valet parking (if you don't mind tipping) -Value for all-you-can-eat Cons: -Indian people, this won't meet your expectations for spice level, but it's a good place to go if you're bringing in a lunch crew from different backgrounds read more

Nirvana Indian Restaurant - Nirvana - Inside (lunch buffet) - Indian Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Food is amazing!!! Dinner buffet is really cheap and there was everything: chicken, lamb, shrimp, biriyani. Butter naan was delicious. Everything tasted good. Service was good. Restaurant was nice. Definitely coming back! read more

If you have some friends that want an introduction to Indian tasting food this is a good place to go. The buffet that is on the weekdays is perfect. For $15 bucks a person you get almost 20 dishes to try including desserts. Everything from dahl to chutney and kheer. While the key flavors are present in the dishes they have definitely taken the heat out of them to make it more palatable to the folks who work in the area. This is perfectly understandable though since they have to cater to the masses and not limit themselves to a certain demographic. Even though they have made the food mild on the heat scale its pretty tasty. One suggestion, which is true of all good lunch spots, is to get there as early as possible. They have valet, which is a new thing, to ease the hassle of the parking. This is a welcome addition since parking used to be a quite a pain. The staff is super friendly and cricket is always on the screen. The lassies are smooth and flavorful. Not enough good things to say about this place. The only drawback is that you will most likely eat too much and have a horrible tummy ache for the rest of the day when you go back to work. Definitely worth a trip if you work in the area especially if you have people who aren't used to the normal spice of indian cuisine. read more

First timers and it was great!! I will definitely come back and try more! Service was perfect. Very covid cautious and great safety measures in place. read more

They relocated to this new place from being next door for 10 years. This place is a lot bigger than the old place and no more long lines for buffet. (Old place was always packed during buffet times). Buffet is 12.95$(which is very reasonable for what they serve) on weekdays for lunch. They change a few dishes everyday so you can try something new almost every time. Their chicken tikka masala is one of the best I had. Chicken curry is mediocre in flavor. The naan they serve there is very authentic and is so smooth and crispy at the same time. It goes well with all the curries they serve there. They keep refilling the naan basket for you. Even though I am a regular here, I go there only for buffet (which is one of the best in Houston). I went there a couple of times for dinner, tried a few dishes and thought the food was average (even though the dinner menu was huge). Verdict: Definitely give it a try if you like north Indian food. Tip: They have buffet during lunch times and also on Monday and Tuesday evenings. read more

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Love this place Food is always great! Especially enjoy the samosas and the pakora The paneer is wonderful read more

Since going vegetarian, it's hard to find well-round meals that leave me feeling full and satisfied. Nirvana hits the spot every time. Not only do you always get a side of chutney, yogurt sauce, and cucumbers, you feel full after every meal and have tons of leftovers. I would recommend the masala, samosas, palak paneer, and peshwari naan. read more

We had the lunch buffet. We came late because of work and barely were half way finished when they began turning off lights and shutting down the big screen that we were watching and taking away the buffet. It definitely was not 2:30, more like 1:45. They told us we could keep eating but it was obvious that they wanted us to leave. I gave them a 2 because the food was good, what we got to eat. We also ordered take-out a while back and they forgot the rice, so check your order before you leave. The portions for two on takeout were also very small. There should be two spinach and two rice, not one of each. Yes we went back to pick-up the rice and it took them forever to bring it out, while the rest of the food at home got cold....For the high price and small portions, we won't order takeout again. read more

Visiting from out of town. My father in law recommended the buffet. I'm pretty picky when it comes to Indian food having grown up in England where Indian food originated lol! Everything was exceptional, the owner even offered to make me vindaloo which isn't part of the daily buffet. The food was on point and so was the service. I would reccomend without hesitation. read more

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Awesome friendly service and staff! Love the food buffet style. Priced perfectly I definitely will return.

The price on the website misleading. It says $15.50 for lunch buffet but we were charged $20. One of employee said this was old price on website and seems no plan to remove or update their website. read more

The best service and outstanding cuisine!! Our go to Indian restaurant!! The owner is always present and ensure you have a wonderful experience! read more

Food here is always excellent. We have gone for buffet and a la carte and always so good.

Horrible customer service. I called to ask about Iftar buffet and was told it is rom 6 to 10 pm and was told price but they failed to tell me it was only offered only on Mondays and Tuesdays. We were a group of four and it took over 15 minutes to get us a samosa appetizer We ordered our main dishes and asked for naan but forty five minutes later nothing materialized. We decided to leave and just pay for samosa. Only then they claimed that our order is ready and their excuse for the delay is that they had many take out orders. Well if they can't handle both in restaurant customers and takeout order then they should offer takeout orders. read more

First time I have left a restaurant because of a server. I cannot recommend Nirvana based on the incredibly vile man who seated me on a Friday early evening. If your establishment's open sign is turned on, be ready for customers. He treated me like I was a great interruption in his day, seating me with no greeting. He returned to my table and asked, Are you ready? I ordered samosas and was going to ask for a glass of iced tea but he turned his back on me. This was beyond the pale among the rudest behavior I've ever experienced at a restaurant anywhere. I got up and walked out. I don't care how great the food is. This place will never get another chance from me. read more

This is the first time I'm trying Indian food in Houston. However, I do spend a lot of time in Asia an in the SF bay area where very good Indian food buffets are a norm. We brought our mother here just to try it out as it's relatively close to her home and she likes spicy food. Located right off Memorial Dr., this restaurant is located in what looks like inside like a very spacious and sparsely decorated home. The main focus seems to be the buffet table which offered (at what I counted) about 15 or so different items, beautifully presented in the center of the room. On the side was a little table for dessert which offered 4-5 items of sweet desserts and fruit, and a small salad table next to that offering 3 or 4 varieties of salads and dressings. First word of caution......go try this buffet only when you're VERY hungry as there's just so much food to try! I wanted to try as much as I could and took a small serving spoon full of almost every item I could....minus the rice since freshly made naan bread is included and brought out soon after. Just a spoon full of most items and my plate was already full, and I was stuffed after just one round! I could not eat anymore after that!.....not even a little dessert. Every item I tried was actually quite delicious. The sauces and gravies were very well done. Ok, I have had better, but this was still good. However, my main problem that the chicken meat in the various dishes were a bit dry. I'm very sure there's a way to prepare the chicken so that it's tender and juicy.....if other Indian restaurants can do it then they should be able to do it here for sure! If this can be fixed then I think this place will be excellent without a doubt. My brother commented that the freshly made naan bread.....that goes really well with all the curries by the way......was a bit "doughy." However, I actually kind of liked the warm and soft fluffiness of it, although it could have stayed in the oven for an extra 10-15 seconds or so. Service was very good and everybody was very friendly and helpful here. My only shock was that a lunch buffet cost $13.75 per person plus tax. It's slightly less expensive where I have my Indian buffets in California.....and oh what memories gone by when I think back to the days when I used to enjoy Indian Buffets in the Silicon Valley for $6.99! :) read more

Let's start with the fact that I don't like Indian food so I thought. Nirvana just changed that for me. I'm still not crazy about curry, but their buffet had so many items to choose, I didn't even bother with the "safety" of tandoori chicken. Chicken & rice. Lamb/beef & rice. Veggie dishes. Salads. I left stuffed. Nirvana, in their new location has really stepped up their game. Excellent service, beautiful decor. It's a bit pricey, but well worth it. Next time someone suggests Nirvana I won't be so reluctant! read more

Before you read this review, note 2 things: 1, I absolutely love Indian food. And 2, I was here for a wedding rehearsal dinner. So, you may or may not want to take this review with a grain of salt. Atmosphere: Great! The restaurant looked small from the outside but was surprisingly quite spacious inside. It was very clean & simply decorated. They had an outside patio seating area as well, which was also very neat, simply decorated, & inviting. Food: Excellent! The food was hot, fresh, & very tasty. There were a variety of meat & vegetarian dishes that were sure to stimulate all of your taste buds whether you fancy spicy, sweet, or salty flavors. Each dish was seasoned with just the right amount of spice, & everything from the naan to the chicken tikka masala to the rice pudding was absolutely delicious! Service: The staff was excellent & made sure to refill our drinks, even when they weren't even close to being empty. What more could you ask for from your waiter when you're eating a buffet with dishes loaded with thirst-inducing spices? Overall 5/5: Great environment, great Indian food, great service, 5/5 would recommend! read more

Clean atmosphere, attentive staff, delicious flavorful food. I had to come try this place given the excellent reputation of the owner and his experience in restaurants! I was pleased and tried so many delicious dishes. I'll certainly be back to try more items. The Gajar halwa was great, and they also have one made with figs. DELICIOUS read more

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Excellent, delicious food at very reasonable prices. This was our second visit (of many we hope) and we loved it. We live in the inner city. This restaurant is 16 miles away each way, but well worth the drive. The buffet is very well laid out. Strict vegetarians like us were delighted to find a very thorough segregation of the vegetarian and the non vegetarian dishes, which showed the Owners' sensitivity towards vegetarians which we don't find in our areas as a general rule. The staff were polite and friendly. They were all masked, except the waiter who served us water. We plan to go there often. Hopefully the waiter who serves water will be masked henceforth. Desserts were plentiful and also delicious. read more

Amazing food, affordable prices, very welcoming environment. The service was great and just overall a nice place for dinner.

Went here and it was okay so I am not sure if it was the company I was with or if it was the food. Maybe when this COVID-19 is lifted it will revisit solo and see for myself. read more

The food is DELICIOUS! I came here for lunch buffet and could not stop eating. Everything was fresh and tasted amazing. I especially appreciated the buffet style where you are required to wear gloves to serve yourself and the food is covered. Loved this place. Highly recommend. read more

I love the lunch buffet here... So the buffet had a wide selection of vegetarian and carnivorous options. The fresh bread placed at the table was gone in seconds. Some of my favorite dishes were the chicken tikka and Aloo Gobi. They do have a section for large parties separate from the main dining area. I also loved the yellow table clothes, and the utensils.plates, and napkins were clean. The restaurant itself seemed to have a nice atmosphere and I loved the outside patio with the fireplace. If I worked close by I would definitely frequent this place for lunch. We showed up late and in style at 3:11pm and the buffet was over, but since part of the family had arrived on time at 2:30pm they kept the buffet open for us. The restaurant closes at 3pm, but they kept it open for us and the manager was nice about it. The even above and beyond to give us some free samples of their desserts. The cardamom tea was off the chain and I was easily able to gulp down two cups and two gulabjamons. read more

I've lived in the area for years, but have never tried this place out. So one night, my fiancé and decided to give this place a try...especially after a recommendation from my fiancé Indian coworker. Unfortunately, we were disappointed in the food compared to our regular Indian restaurants we like to go to (i.e. Ashiana's and Neeta's Indian Cuisine). I do want to clarify that the food was not bad by any means, it just was not as good as other places we've been to. We ordered the vegetable samosas, lamb korma, murgh makhni, and garlic naan. The only thing that we both really enjoyed was the garlic naan, everything else was mediocre in comparison. Parking: limited parking Service: normal, not bad but also not great read more

Excellent food and service great Ambiance 17dishes in buffet with extended dessert station complimentary valet parking they also have a patio If u cant make it for lunch buffet they offer dinner buffet on Monday and Tuesday only Love the presentation and its our fav restuarant read more

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I've been here a few times and never had a bad dish here. Great white tablecloth experience, if that is the vibe you are going for. I'd recommend all their dishes! And one of these days, I may have to try the buffet... Yes, I'd say it deserves the name "Nirvana." read more

Best indian/ Pakistani restaurant in Houston! Very mild and everything was fresh in the buffet! Way better than aghas!

Not worth it for money. I mean seriously, no presentation, no taste, and how rude the waiter/caption is, that guy seriously told us that premium restaurants are like that while ordering. A corner snack shop will have more manner than these guys. There is a saying in India - , - all that glitter is not gold. This actually justifies over here.. This is not the way you treat with customers. -5 star for this rude behavior. They should go to some corner store shop and learn mannerism & learn how to present the food. read more

2 1/2 star - Very similar to cruise-ship Indian food buffet. Food is okay nothing really stands out as there specialty. Place was clean and good atmosphere. Not very customer oriented! Did take are drink order and took 15 min to get are bill. read more

Absolutely terrible service I went to this location tonight and was sat in the corner waited for seven minutes and no one ever came to my table to even give me water or a menu to other party's came in five minutes after I did and they were helps right away. The restaurant was not even busy. When I was leaving I stop by the counter and told him I was leaving because I received no service for the entire time I was sitting at the table, Comment was "what are you having the buffet" when I told her no I was just waiting on a menu and something to drink. read more

Nirvana Indian Restaurant - Indian Near Me - Houston, Texas

This is one of my favorite Indian places in Houston. I love getting their lunch buffet. It costs around $16 and includes about 10-12 main dishes (about half of those are vegan or vegetarian), 2-3 appetizers (1 vegan) , a sort of salad bar (raita, chickpea salad, chutneys, cucumber & onion salad) and three options for dessert (usually a rotation of gulab jamun, kheer, suji halwa, mango mousse, fruit salad and carrot halwa). You also get fluffy naans. They also do a dinner buffet on Mondays and Tuesdays. It is also one of the few Indian buffet spots that actually does justice to their food. Everything is fresh, there are no giant vats, no dry, overcooked/overheated food under heat lamps the way you might find it in other desi restaurants. It is also spacious, clean, airy and beautifully decorated with white linens. The service is also quite nice. I love that they have a cute little patio and often choose to sit their when we go for dinner. The dinner portions are a bit on the pricier side, but pretty huge and yummy. The only cons I can think of is that the food often is a bit too oily and there's no alcohol (it's BYOB though). If they could fix the grease situation and have a good beer & wine selection, I'd probably rank it as the best North Indian restaurant in Houston. read more

We walked in at 9:53 pm to find out the kitchen closes at 10 pm. The host went to check with the chef to see if the kitchen was still open before seating us. Thank goodness they were because we were hungry and the food was amazing! The naan was fluffy and warm! The chicken biryani was my favorite! I already recommended to friends! The food came out fast too, maybe because we were the last customers and close to closing time? Either way, the service was quick and they were very attentive. read more

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Parking Private. Easily accessible in the front of the building Context I came there w husbie and 3 kids (all 5yo and less) within an hour of them closing. They welcomed us. My toddler son broke a small bowl and the wait staff continued to be gracious. Food Amazing variety. Lots of great vegetarian options delicious- a little mild tasting- I like spicy but they have fresh jalapeños that you can use to increase the spiciness. They left the food out until we were finished. They did not rush us at all despite them closing soon. Price $15.95 pp for buffet and they did not charge us for the kids Return Definitely! Great variety, delicious, warm, welcoming. Would return! This is also a great place for those intimidated by Indian food. Great flavors without being overpowering in any way read more

It's okay. Not the best, not the worst. I found variety a little underwhelming. The place has mandatory complimentary valet parking. I liked the chicken Tikka the best but I've certainly had better. I was only able to find 2 to 3 things I liked from the buffet. Like I said, selection is just too small. Definitely felt overpriced. I'm glad to have tried but won't be back. read more

Nirvana Indian Restaurant - Indian Near Me - Houston, Texas

This was the first Indian buffet I had ever gone to, and I was pleasantly surprised and disappointed all at the same time. There were a lot of chicken dishes that were all overcooked, but trying out the different variations of sauces made it interesting. The only thing that was really memorable to me was the unlimited naan and cream dipping sauce. For $15 at lunch, it's worth at least one visit. read more

Nirvana Indian Restaurant - My buffet pickings. - Indian Near Me - Houston, Texas

Really good buffet. Very authentic and delicious indian food. Great mix of vegetarian along with chicken and even goat curry. 3 different kinds of rice plus a dessert and salad bar. I tried a little of everything except the goat and all was yummy/flavorful. The vegetarian curry & tikka masala were two favorites. The lunch buffet came with free refills of naan hot out of the oven. And service was very attentive/did a great job. Two thumbs up for value, ambience and quality:) read more

i have been going to this restaurant since 2005 and have picked up food lot of times and have also enjoyed eating over there. We went this time and the food quality was hopeless even though we had ordered multiple dishes. Non of the dishes were upto good quality food we had experienced all these years. The website mentions timings for sunday open till 10.00 pm and we went at 8 pm and the server staff informed us to place food order immediately as chef was about to leave by 8.45 pm. Mushroom vindaloo we ordered more Spicy and hot but it was made with Tomato ketchup and not spicy or hot. Decided to not go to this restaurant as we feel the long time Chef has changed which the manager confirmed when we talked to him. Not worth now what it used to be for many years! its Sad! read more

First time trying Nirvana, and it was awesome. I ordered the Tandoori platter for delivery, and the food was well packaged, and very delicious. The chicken was great, naan was soft. Plenty of leftovers too. Will be coming back! read more