I've moved away from Knoxville and hadn't been to Sitar in several years, so I was anxious to see…read moreif it was as good as I'd remembered. Friends and I met for the lunch buffet. Some of the art has been updated inside, but it is remarkably the same as always. The service is a little terse sometimes, but not rude or ill-intended. They're just way focused on efficient table turning. The food was still excellent, even compared to Indian restaurants in much bigger cities and much fancier places. The lunch buffet remains an excellent value as well. I'm thrilled to have eaten there one again and hopefully introduced a friend to a new favorite.

Sitar has one of the most delicious Indian buffets I've ever experienced outside of India. And the…read moredinner isn't half bad either. It's been a family favorite of ours for over a decade. The tandoori chicken comes out sizzling, a tasty skillet of chicken with onions and peppers. The basmati rice is very good. But I think the real star is the Dal Makhani side that comes with the tandoori chicken, a beautifully complex black lentil dish! I highly recommend it!

So... For a few years my wife and I would frequent, "Bambay Palace" in Turkey Creek. Then one day…read moreas we were going to order delivery, we realized it had changed name and management. To be honest, I kinda lost interest. I'm a creature of habit, and when I noticed our "go to" Indian food restaurant had changed name and management, I lost interest. Then last night, I again looked for a local Indian food restaurant that delivered because I LOVE INDIAN FOOD!! Sadly, my wife not so much. But that's another story lol.. So I got on my Yelp app and up pops Taj Indian Bistro. I checked the menu, had my wife have a look, and she found a dish that she thought she might like. And for whatever reason, DoorDash delivery was offering free delivery, so I thought "what the heck" I'll give them a shot. I have to say, I was skeptical about a few things on their menu. Do they serve dishes with rice? Or do I have to add it to the order? Are the portions small? None of those questions were answered in the delivery menu. But I gave all of the above a shot. Then: THE FOOD WE ORDERED WAS EXCELLENT! Of course rice was included. The Onion bhaji was amazing and almost too big of an order for one person! The Garlic Naan bread was perfect, and our main course dishes were TOP NOTCH (my wife didn't care for hers, typical.) After her mentioning that "It's Ok..) I tried it and it WAS ALSO DELICIOUS !! If I had anything negative to add, it was DoorDash. I personally HATE delivery services. They're all a major ripoff. But Taj is my new favorite Indian restaurant. We'll dine in next time.

Not to be mistaken for the actual Taj Mahal, Taj Indian Bistro is right in Turkey Creek. I love…read morecurry and was looking forward to trying this place. I loved the flavors! The korma was creamy with a great amount of spice and a bit of nuttiness. Great rounded tomato flavor in the masala. I was literally licking the bowl. I also loved the warm garlic naan bread (extra charge), which was perfect to sop up every drop. The issue I had was that there were very few pieces of chicken and no vegetables, so basically $18 for basmati rice, sauce, and a few pieces of protein is a tough sell. These folks know how to cook Indian flavors though!

After two trips, one for dinner and one for lunch, we will…read morecontinue to come back. I like it. I don't love it. The Vindaloo dishes are my favorites here. And tandoori chicken. The rest in the lunch buffet ALL have one of the spices that I don't care for. Others really rave about Aroma and I see why. I wouldn't know "authentic" from not, but the dishes here don't seem super American-ized and I appreciate that. Of the several options for good Indian food in the area, we'll keep Aroma in semi regular rotation, but it won't be my first choice usually. The restaurant is always clean and the service is great. The parking is busy at lunch, less congested at night.

I came here at the recommendation of one of my work colleagues and am glad to have done so!…read more Everything inside was clean and well kept. The staff were quick to help and efficient in all of the drink and food service. Overall the food was splendid - I particularly loved the curry chicken (so tender and packed with flavor). Definitely my new top spot for Indian food in Knoxville. Come visit and I hope you have as good of an experience.

Spice Hut's lunch buffet is a great choice when you want a satisfying, flavorful meal without…read morewaiting for individual entrées. The selection offers a nice mix of classic Indian dishes, from rich curries and tender chicken options to vegetarian choices, rice, naan, and sauces that let you customize each plate. Everything I tried was fresh and well-seasoned, with good flavor rather than overwhelming heat. The buffet makes it easy to sample a little of everything, go back for favorites, and find something for different spice preferences. The naan was a standout alongside the curries, and the overall value is hard to beat for lunch. The restaurant was clean, the food was kept stocked, and the staff were friendly and attentive. Whether you already enjoy Indian food or are trying it for the first time, Spice Hut's lunch buffet is an easy recommendation for a filling, tasty, and reasonably priced meal.

The Great Indian Food Letdown…read more Listen -- I'm fully on board with a hole-in-the-wall serving up incredible food. That's my favorite kind of find. And maybe we caught this place on an off day, but for me, this was just... okay. And I genuinely do not understand what the rave reviews are talking about. Coming from Houston, a city with roughly a thousand Indian restaurants where almost every single one delivers, this felt like a real step down. Yes, it's attached to a gas station -- fine, no judgment there. They clearly put effort into making the inside feel a little charming. But our table was sticky and gross, and the bathroom matched. Not exactly the first impression you want. And it left me wondering: if the front of house can't notice -- or doesn't care -- that things are dirty, what on earth is happening back in the kitchen? As for the food, we ordered my personal benchmark trio for judging any Indian restaurant: Samosa Chaat, Palak Paneer, and Dosa (when available). They had all three, so I walked in optimistic -- maybe this sticky-table situation was about to redeem itself. Spoiler: it did not. The Samosa Chaat was fine, no real complaints there. But then my Palak Paneer arrived, and I genuinely did not recognize it. It was a strange brownish color -- think baby poop -- and the flavor bore zero resemblance to any Palak Paneer I've had in my life. I didn't finish it, and if you know me with Indian food, that tells you everything you need to know. My husband's dosa fared a little better, but the chutney tasted off, and there was only one variety with no clear indication of what was even in it -- whatever it was, it wasn't good. Traditionally, we're used to getting both coconut and mint chutney on the side, so this felt noticeably incomplete. Honestly, it was such a letdown that I'm not sure I have it in me to give this place a second shot. I'm just sitting here mourning the fear that I may never find great Indian food again after moving here.

I am so sad he closed. I know he had some problems, but we NEVER had a bad meal. And there are NO…read moreOTHER INDIAN places nearby, outside of Knoxville and the wonderful Spice Hut in Lenoir City. Sad to learn it is closed.

Okay, the owner Abbas is an interesting guy. If we all took the same approach to life as he does…read morethis world would be a great place. As far as the food goes, it's Pakistani home cooking. I went there only half hungry and split three dishes with a buddy of mine and I couldn't stop eating it, that's how good it is. Abass is the chief cook and candlestick maker. He does it all and he needs your support, His prices are good, and his food is fantastic. Go by and visit him and plan to eat there once a month to support him. He's not trying to create ambience or some sort of special experience, this is all about good home cooking Pakistani food.

What a gem!!!! Wonderful food, friendly service. The restaurant was clean and love the music they…read moreplay. We started with the Paneer Pakoras, and shared the Fish (tilapia) Curry. Our dining companions had the Chicken Curry and Shrimp Palak. I did try everything and it was all amazing. The garlic naan was AMAZING - some of the best I've ever had. I can't wait to come back. Sorry no food pics because we dove in and gobbled it all down.

3.5 stars. Gave Jalsa another shot since so many people say it's great. I wouldn't go that far,…read morebut it was definitely better than my first visit. They're running an October $10 lunch buffet special and there were better and more food options, so I'd say it was worth the price this time. Definitely not worth the $17 they previously charged. Food was still largely bland, with salt being the most common flavor, but a few items were tasty enough to make it worthwhile. All the Indian cuisine I've had before was spicy and/or rich in flavor; I think Jalsa is very toned down to try to appeal to the locals. I enjoyed a couple of the chicken dishes and the pasta dish was good. Adding some hot sauce gave some things a little flavor. The greeter was very pleasant and inside appeared clean. Nearly empty on Saturday at lunchtime, so where's all the people who love this place so much?

We ordered through grub hub so can't really say anything about the service, but it did turn up in…read morearound 30mins from time of order. We ordered 3 mains chicken tikka masala, a vegetarian masala and can't think what the third was but it was mainly okra in the dish and a very creamy taste my wife loved it. The portions were big that we got 3 days out of it, plenty of rice. And the naans could have been thicker but were still good.

I've been traveling to Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge for the past 3 years for the holiday season. I…read moreresearch countless videos and recommendations for the best restaurants in the area. I've been disappointed by every single popular recommendation. I can get much better pancakes, steaks, biscuits, ice cream, donuts, and pork in Chicago. This place was a much welcomed change from the usual tourist long line, overhyped fare. The flavors were incredible. The chicken was tender. The lentils were delicious. The cilantro jasmine rice was a bit dryer than I like my rice to be and needed the sauce to work, but I was cutting back on my carb intake, so I didn't finish the huge portion of rice they gave me. Oh and the food comes a bit spicy. Maybe that's way locals aren't patronizing this place, but if you can tolerate the spice, this place is must try! Think a more spicy and saucy version of chipotle for anyone who's never tried Indian food before. Service was standard, atmosphere was roomy and clean, I would even go so far as to say bare. They may benefit from adding some art work to the walls. Bathrooms were standard as well. You wouldn't know you were in a fast casual Indian restaurant if it weren't for the music playing and the smell of spice when you enter. I was here for about 40 minutes and I was the only customer the entire time at 1:00pm. Please come check this place out and let me know if you think I'm wrong

I have gotta say, I read the 1 star reviews and I cant disagree more. The only one I can kind of…read moreunderstand is the little amount of meat. However, Americans eat a lot of meat, most countries do not eat that much, especially non-western. Authentic Indian food isnt giant portions of meat held together by a bit of gravy. The server we had was so nice, we had a nice conversation about dollywood and other things (because I kept talking) she recommended the dishes that are popular and answered questions I had about some of the more authentic vegetarian dishes. I got the onion bhaji(?) Garlic naan, lamb tandoori, and a paneer and pea dish. The naan wasnt the best but everything else was better than I expected in a small town in the middle of Tennessee. It could have been slightly more authentic, but then people would be complaining about that, too. If you like Indian, understand international cuisines, and are tired of eating heavy diner/steakhouse/mediocre barbecue, then absolutely go here. It was delicious.

What a pleasant meal! The aromas of smells that hits you when you walk into the building lets you…read moreknow its going to be an amazing experience! The food was filling and was so tasteful. The flavors are great and you won't be disappointed. Service was fast and the waitress was very kind and present whenever we needed!

Ordered garlic naan, chicken tandoori,butter chicken and curry goat. All were extremely good and…read morethe staff were super friendly and helpful with ordering! We ate too quick and forgot picture!

"Danger Will Robinson! Danger!"…read more The ice cream here is THAT good, and you will definitely be in danger of going back for more. After deciding not to wait longer than 2.5 hours for a rain delay at the relatively nearby baseball stadium we launched plan B and headed here for a sweet treat. I'm not sure who enjoyed the ice cream more, the 4 children or 6 adults. Everyone was too busy eating to stop and chat. When you first walk into Cruze Farm the line you see may seem daunting but it moves very quickly with orders being taken but one set of people and filled by another. Some flavors remain constant while others vary. Lavendar honey which is a favorite was not on the menu this visit so I went with blueberry. Some in our party got twists, cups, cones, sprinkles. No matter your choice, you can't go wrong. There is inside seating, a small gift section, and a small selection of food products for purchase. We had a moo-velous time!

If you're looking for the best soft serve in Knoxville, Cruz Farm is it…read more The moment you walk through the doors, you're greeted by a bright, cheerful atmosphere that feels like stepping into a classic American farm stand. The vaulted ceilings, vintage wagons, wooden barrels, farmhouse décor, merchandise, and nostalgic Americana theme make it feel wholesome, welcoming, and full of character. It's the perfect escape from the Tennessee heat and humidity. The ice cream is what truly sets Cruz Farm apart. I ordered the Sweet Cream and Strawberry twist, and it was outstanding. You can actually taste the freshness of the dairy. It's rich, creamy, and authentic--not overly sweet or loaded with the artificial flavors and preservatives that so many soft-serve places rely on. They also make the experience fun by constantly rotating flavors. During my visit they were celebrating Christmas in July with treats like Candy Cane, Sugar Cookie Dough, Peppermint-inspired churns, Birthday Cake Churn, Brownie Fudge Ripple Churn, and more. There are plenty of seasonal options, plus delicious dairy-free choices as well. Everything about Cruz Farm feels intentional--from the spotless interior and friendly atmosphere to the fresh local dairy they proudly serve. It's nostalgic without feeling outdated and modern without losing its charm. Whether you're craving classic soft serve, a thick churn, or just looking for a place to cool off and relax, Cruz Farm is absolutely worth the visit. It's one of those places that leaves you smiling long after you've finished your ice cream, and it's easily one of the best dessert spots in Knoxville.