Best North Indian food in Bloomington. We ordered dal makhani, chicken tikka, garlic naan and samosa. Everything was delicious. The two chutneys green n onion one were very tasty and went well with samosa as well as with the food. The seating is good and does not smell like curry leaves. Smells like good food. read more

Just finished eating here for our first time and let me tell you it was fantastic! Wow the food quality and price was great. We both had the lunch buffet and it had all the right tastes you are looking for when coming to a traditional Indian restaurant. If you are in the Bloomington area this is a must try!!! read more

Puran Indian Restaurant - Indian Near Me - Bloomington, Illinois

I went here recently with a few friends. Being poor college students, this was quite a splurge, however the food was great. We ordered saag panner, chana masala, and a lamb dish that I can't remember the name of. The 2 I had (being a vegetarian) were great and the breads we ordered (naan and onion kulcha) were great. The service was reasonably fast and we always had water. I don't know how helpful the staff would be with people not experienced with the food, so I can't critique on that. We were all fairly sure of what we wanted, since all 3 of us eat Indian regularly. Ordering 3 dishes and 2 breads were plenty for us and there were leftovers. My only gripe is that for being in Bloomington-Normal, a huge university student area, it's a little expensive. Sharing among the 3 of us was good, but this couldn't be a regular thing. However the food was delicious, so no complaints there! read more

Usually do Signature India. Decided to try this on today-Saw a roach on buffet gotsta go! Sucks bc food was ok! Can't do it!

Amazing chicken curry! I usually get it pretty spicy with a side of bread and it's always great! However, if you get take-out, just make sure you're careful when opening up the rice clamshell because it's usually overfilled and spills everywhere when opened. And if you go inside, the only complaint I really have is that it seems the price is never the same and you don't receive an itemized check. But the food overall is fantastic! Definitely recommend. read more

I ordered the chicken karahi with a medium spice level and it was delicious. The chicken was nice and tender and melted in my mouth. The portions are pretty big and I ended up having enough leftovers for dinner. Definitely would recommend eating here! read more

I really have no complaints!! The best Indian food that I have ever had! My wife and I are huge Indian food fans and we decided to stop by here for lunch on a Saturday afternoon. We shared an order of lamb curry and both had an order of garlic naan. Very delicious. The meat was extremely tender, while the sauce was spicy and just the right texture. The naan was done well and the service was fantastic. Easily the best Indian restaurant in Bloomington area, no reason to even look anywhere else read more

Please help yourself not going to this place. What pissed me of: 1. gone there with the kid, ordered a curry, and guess what, I had some good Iron content in it (pun intended). ---- Seriously there was a NUT (or a bolt) in the curry. Later got to know it was a old TAVA (some kinda utensil to cook indian food) which had a loose nut and helped in the IRON content. For me this was a very reckless gesture. Later I was offered a 5$ offer on the check. Eh... but who cares. I did not mean to get a discount or anything. But what would have happened if my 4 year old had consumed it... Scary I would avoid this place at any cost in future.... read more

I went with a group of fellow coworkers for dinner one night. I believe there were about 10-15 of us. We split naan, tikka masala, and various other dishes I don't fully recall. The food came quickly, was super tasty, and pipping hot. Would definitely consider if I am ever in Bloomington again. read more

So let's start by saying service here is usually great. But like everything else, it can be hit or miss. I visit regularly and most of the time the one server is there and understands my order exactly (actually knows what I'm going to order since I get the same about 6 or 7 dishes). But others seem not to understand when you order. Food also hit and miss. Sometimes it is great other times it's not. It's been everything from salty to bland. Ordered the Punjabi special curry and it usually comes with about 6 pakoras but today only 2. So quality control isn't a top concern. There is a buffet but I have never been to it. A little more consistency and this could be a 4 Star establishment. It is good for vegetarians. read more

The good: the lunch buffet, ambiance (more formal than the other Indian restaurants in Bloomington), the samosas come with jars of chutney instead of small bowls The bad: Service is very slow and forgetful. The food is inconsistent, hence my preference for the lunch buffet. Sample dinner: The meat curries on my thali platter were good, but the dal, and the gulab jamun were not. I also asked for medium hot spiciness on the meat curries and one came out medium and the other hot. The two stars may be harsh, considering I would eat there again. But I just wouldn't highly recommend it. read more

As always when traveling an Indian joint is alway a must find. I found some really great ones and found those that make ya regret your choice. Puran was almost smack in the middle, but that may have been partly my not going with the spicier of the the two options given to me when asked how spicy. One of my signs of not being as young as I use to be my tolerance for really, hot and spicy has waned a tad and when I've gone with the really hot and spicy and find fearfully I may slowly becoming like my lovely bride when it comes to spice. In short my tiki chicken masala was mild, if I gotten the spicier who knows? The garlic naan was good, the portion was good, the service was good, so Puran was an average feast of Indian cuisine. The going out the door is I would be back but definitely would go with the spiciest option. read more

After having read several of the reviews here, I was expecting exceptional Indian food in the Central Illinois. What a rare treat that would have been? The food was bland. There is no other way to say it. Sure, we asked for medium spicy. But that doesn't mean they need to hold back on the flavors. None of the dishes we had were memorable in any sense. Being an Indian, I am accustomed to various flavors to be found in the dishes we had. Perhaps the best thing on our table was the tamarind chutney that came with the appetizer. The service was decent. It left much to be desired. But for an Indian restaurant, it wasn't bad. For example, my friend was approached for our order while I was in the restroom. Judging from the ambiance, it wasn't a place where I was expecting anything more than decent service. We had gone for dinner and had ordered off the menu. But I don't intend to return for dinner or the lunch buffet. read more

Best Chicken Biryani and Garlic Naan in town. NEVER DISAPPOINTED. Buffet is fantastic as well. Always appreciate the friendly service I receive when I go there. Thanks all. read more

The naan is fantastic here. I could eat that all day. Along with the naan we got an order of tandoori chicken. I wasn't a huge fan of it, I've gotta say. The flavor was different than I've had previously for tandoori chicken at other Indian restaurants. Our service was exemplary, however. Very polite and attentive. I'd be curious to try the lunch buffet some time. read more

We very much enjoy he Puran lunch buffet. The cream bases are the best:) nice variety on the buffet, including desserts.

Very good Indian restaurant, very generous people , they looking for ur satisfaction!! Every chance i get i pay them a visit. Definitely recommended read more

I've only been here for dinner, a group arranged. Now it says that they serve a buffett, and i saw the parts for it, yet our group arranged for a sit down meal. We had appetizers and the group ordered various varieties of sauces to choose from. They have a good selection for traditional Indian food. As a disclaimer this was the first time I had eaten Indian food before. I was quite impressed with the selection of sauces and entrees to choose from. It was flavorful but expensive for my budget. The staff was quite nice and attentive, then again we were the only group there at 10 at night. Good place for Indian, not light on the wallet if you are ordering... the buffet may be differently priced. read more

Best Indian food in town! I eat it as often as possible. Buffet is excellent as well.

What I appreciate most in Indian food is spice and freshness, and Puran delivered both in spades. I'll echo everyone else's recommendation of saag paneer: it was a really well-balanced dish with perfectly-incorporated spices and was especially tasty when paired with naan that appeared to have been rushed right from the oven. Their menu seemed pretty extensive, so if you're not a big spinach person, you will have plenty of other options. I arrived right at 5pm on a Sunday, so the restaurant was pretty empty and service was prompt. If I ever have cause to return to Bloomington, IL, I'll definitely be making a second visit to Puran. read more

This is the worst Indian restaurant I've ever had the displeasure of eating at. I ordered the tandoori chicken and it wasnt even chicken, I have no idea what it was. They overly spiced it with pepper and coriander to disguise the taste. I really hope I don't get sick after eating that horrendous food! read more

Very delicious Chicken Tikki Marsala and tandoori chicken! Best mint sauce I have ever had! The server was very nice and very quick, no problems with service at all read more

The food is good if you prefer to dine in at the restaurant. Do not order online for delivery, I have had repeatedly 3 times bad experience when I ordered for delivery. They forget your order or the taste is not same, there is no spice. They forgot to deliver one item and asked me to come and pick up. Pointless! I have had better experience at the restaurant. Saag Paneer, Garlic naan, Lamb curry and Lamb biryani is really good. read more

I lived several years in Bloomington while my husband was in grad school. I recently moved to Chicago. I've tried many Indian restaurants in Chicago, and many are very good. But I find myself missing Puran India. The food is delicious, especially the bread. The staff is so friendly, and willing to answer any questions customers may have. Twice I brought friends who claimed to not like Indian food to this restaurant. They left being fans. I often think of hopping on I-55 and driving back to Bloomington just to get their malai kofta. read more

We are first time customers and ordered for pickup. Food was amazing! Flavorful, healthy and fair portion sizes. They even made a kid sized portion of an entree for my toddler! Best of all, incredible customer service. We made a mistake, but they went above and beyond. We will definitely order again soon! read more

Three star for Samosa, but Chicken biryani was the worst! It was more like rice in chicken soup.

Was in town for work and popped into this place expecting a pretty mediocre dinner. I received my food and was pleasantly surpised to find such a great indian restaurant. I played it safe and went for the tikka masal and would definitely order it again. The naan was fresh and tasty too. If life takes me back to Bloomington this spot is on the agenda. read more

The first time we go to order takeout, we sit at the bar and wait for our food. My boyfriend opens a magazine on the counter, and a cockroach jumps out. GROSS. The lady tries giving us our food for free but we just left. She even followed us out of the restaurant practically begging us to take the food. The second time we go (why did we even go back?) was because Little India was closed and we were absolutely craving Indian food. We tried to put the cockroach incident out of our minds and try the food. One word: disappointing. Our food lacked flavor and wasn't very hot when served to us. The food was just bland all around. Not spicy or flavorful. I was completely underwhelmed. I will never go back. read more

I've eaten here once for lunch and that was because the Caribbean restaurant I wanted to try was already closed. I'm so glad I tried it! We ate the buffet and I loved it. I'm usually not one for ethnic foods outside of mexican. I read the other reviews, and I don't know if I went on a good day or what. Service wasn't the greatest. We had trouble getting refills, but it was no biggie. read more

The other reviewers that like ordering from the menu, but aren't too happy with the buffet are right on. There is a world of difference in quality between the two. The buffet dishes are usually watered-down and mild with dry meat. The naan is burnt and flaky on the buffet, but when you order it from the menu, it's thick, chewy, and buttery. I recommend the chicken chole, lamb saag, mattar paneer, veggie samosas, and garlic naan. The malai kofta is good, but not great. Order a little spicier than you normally would because a medium there is pretty mild. The service is usually indifferent at best, so carry out isn't a bad idea. read more

My husband and I had our rehearsal dinner here a couple days ago. We had a large group - 25 people - and many were wary about trying Indian food. We ordered several appetizers and then ordered enough naan for everyone and about 15 sauces. We passed around the sauces and everyone took a little if it looked good to them. It was a huge success! Only 1 (very stubborn) person didn't find something they didn't like - a feat considering we had a lot of older, more conservative eaters. The service was attentive, gracious and speedy - couldn't have been better. Everyone kept saying how delicious the food was and how it was such a good idea to have our rehearsal dinner there. It was a wonderful experience at one of our favorite restaurants in B-N. read more

Been here a handful of times and never been disappointed. If you like Indian food, then you'll like this place alot, If you never had Indian food, then give it a shot. Great range of spiciness, (i like it hot, and the medium high level is about perfect). The naan here is great, they have some pretty good beers, and the food is always delicious, plus you will get enough for leftovers. Highly recommended for a town lacking in originality. read more

I just went there for dinner this evening and had hear great things about the food and service. I'll admit the service was very good. The food was mediocre though. Typically I expect the rice to have some sort of flavor of usually its infused with lavender, but here they serve it plain. I also noticed that they named some of the dishes as masalas and others as curries, but I'm not sure why. The flavor was okay, but it seemed to be slightly bland. I'm not sure if its just suppose to be suited more for an American pallet or what, but it wasn't what I expect. I think there are more authentic and better places in town for Indian cuisine. read more

For over three years, Puran India has been my go-to location in the Bloomington area for authentic, and very tasty, Indian food. Every dish that I have tried so far has been cooked to perfection and seasoned exceptionally. Indian food is no doubt an acquired taste for the uninitiated, but anybody in this area could do a lot worse when searching for a first time experience. The staff is very friendly and accommodating, especially if you have questions about certain dishes. Highly recommended. read more

My Indian co-workers and I go here on occasion. A bit pricey but really good. Try the palak paneer.

This is by far the best Indian restaurant in Bloomington-Normal. The food is flavorful. The service is ok. I always want to try new things but I always want what I normally have, which is the paneer saag. It's the best paneer saag I ever had, even better than anything I had in India! The buffet is good with a lot of variety except I only had it once so I can't really say how good it is most of the time. But the one time I did have it was on mothers day and the food was very bland and tasteless, especially the tandori chicken, and it wasn't to the quality as something you would order normally. I can easily say that this is the best Indian restaurant around, after eating Indian food... well, since I was born, but I've been eating at Indian restaurants here for a long time and this is my hands down my favorite. read more

Health inspection scores are not good. This establishment has failed 4 out of the last 6 routine health inspections. Here is the scores. read more

Puran Indian Restaurant - Indian Near Me - Bloomington, Illinois

It seems to have gone downhill. Maybe I went on a bad night, but I ordered the fish tikka and it was horribly dry, overcooked, and overpriced. I think the curries were blander than before as well. Anyway, it's still okay, just not exceptional. Next time I'm sticking to the curries and asking for more spice. Naan was still excellent. read more

Decent one. All time best is Saag Paneer. For years they haven't changed the taste of it.

My husband and I enjoy Anand's buffet the other day and after doing a little research I discovered that the same people own this place! This location even has a weekend buffet! So when we needed some food before leaving town, we visited Puran! Just like Anand, the flavors in all of the dishes were fantastic! My favorite was the Saag Paneer. My husband seemed to enjoy anything with chicken and the mongo ice cream even more so! read more