Specials today were Pumpkin sabji, kadhi pakoda, and Egg Bhurji and I had to try all 3 of them! The flavor slaps! I especially loved the pumpkin sabji and egg bhurji! Ria's always delivers on tasty, unique, and comforting food. read more

Ria's Indian Cafe - Specials today: Pumpkin sabji (top), kadhi pakoda (right), and Egg Bhurji (left) - Indian Near Me - Columbus, Georgia

I was blown away by the hospitality here. I came in about 2pm not realizing that she works on reservations only. She said that she only needs about an hours notice but I didn't know that until I saw the sign on her door. I saw that she had a small grocery section so I asked if she minded if I looked around. We started talking and I was telling her how I'm rarely in the area and just googled a nearby place to eat. Before I know it, she's offering to whip me up something simple for lunch. It was a wonderfully favored chickpea dish with a side of rice and her special bread that she makes. Plus a small samosa. It was delicious. I highly recommend trying it, just make sure you call ahead. read more

Ria's Indian Cafe - Indian Near Me - Columbus, Georgia

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Super cute family owned business. Would recommend ordering food ahead- it is a takeout sort of place. They also have an array of different Indian spices and products available for purchase. I got butter chicken (the flavor was phenomenal but it was a little more liquid than I'm used to), rice and garlic naan. Delicious. Would definitely go back read more

We got butter chicken, cauliflower, and naan. The cauliflower was pretty good, but the butter chicken was okay. It was a big too runny and not creamy enough for my liking. Tip: call ahead to order and just have a list of things you want. They don't have a set menu and is dependent on what other ordered they have already. read more

Cafe and grocery store with Indian favorites. Menu is posted on Facebook everyday. Every visit feels like a special occasion. For this reason Ria has a dedicated fan base! read more

Loved this authentic Indian food restaurant! Owner is so helpful with choices during my experience!

We found out that if she is available, Ria offers cooking lessons (for parties of 4+). We called her to schedule a date and then we discussed what we would like on the evening's menu. We decided that we wanted to learn how to make butter chicken. She made it in front of us and discussed the ingredients while we ate our appetizers. It was so much fun. We got to eat what we watched her make and she also had for us many other dishes to eat during the times when we had to wait for the dish to marinade. She was very involved and it was so much fun that I encourage anyone who is interested in learning how to make Indian food to try. It was $50 per person and I felt that it was reasonable and 100% worth it. Such a fun experience! read more

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First time coming here and when I walked in nobody was there, I had to walk into the kitchen to find them. After I ordered the last came out and got something out of the store freezer which I now know was the naan. Besides the naan everything else was pretty good and the lady even made me fresh green sauce. read more

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Among the many chain restaurants in Columbus, GA lies this little gem of a store/restaurant. The owner is personable and takes her cuisine seriously. Hubby and I order Chicken Biryani from here about once a week, yes, it's that good. She posts her daily menu items on Facebook and it's all super good so you can't go wrong. You can buy fresh vegetables and Indian cooking staples in her store area. My only complaint is her foods are pricy, but I am willing to pay it to support a small business with excellent dishes. read more

First bite and word that came out of my mouth was , God bless America!! Who can say that in middle of small town USA one will find authentic homemade indian food. Hello, it was fresh, light on oil and easy on salt.. my memories went back to my mums kitchen. What a hole in the wall spot. In town, gotta stop here, if anything you can compare homemade indian food vs large outlets indian restaurant. read more

Ria is super sweet and treats you like family. I stopped in one evening just as they were closing, and Ria wouldn't let me leave empty-handed. She made a to go box for me with chickpeas, rice and okra. Food was delicious. Great place! Ria also told me she offers cooking classes if you have a group of four or more. I want to get some friends together to try that sometime. I'm interested in learning how to cook cuisine from different cultures and countries. read more

Visited for lunch with my team from work. We were a diverse group including several Indian colleagues. When our Indian team mates talked about how good it was you know you're experiencing the true thing. Very good!! read more

A little expensive but food is delicious and authentic and owner is very nice. A fun hole in the wall kind of place.

This is a hidden gem , love my Indian food and this Lady has some amazing Indian cuisine , she is in the early stages of the restaurant side of the shop . Recommend going to the website to pre-order but take whatever she is cooking on the day ! It resembles being invited into her home kitchen and getting incredible freshly prepared dinner . Columbus so needed this place . read more

Ria's Indian Cafe - Indian Near Me - Columbus, Georgia

I don't know why when I visit this place is generally empty, this place is everything you want if you enjoy amazing hospitality and a truly amazing homecooked meal. Ria and staff are so wonderfully sweet and accommodating. The first time I came with three other girlfriends: one has celiacs, one is a vegetarian, I'm allergic to mangoes and the other has no restrictions. With all of that in mind, they catered to us and absolutely everything they brought out was AMAZING. It's a low flat fee and they serve it to you family style so you get to try lots of different fun stuff! I myself love Indian food and have close friends from India and this is some of the best Indian food I've had! It's a super casual place, very homey feel and I'm home visiting in California as I write this but I can't wait to get back for more! read more

Food and service were outstanding. Can't wait to go back. The selection was tremendous from appetizers through main courses. Didn't have room to try desserts- yet. read more

Great peaceful atmosphere with great food, food is not heavy yet fulfilling. Ria is a wonderful hostess as well best place to get Indian food in town. read more

Ria's Indian Cafe - Samosas - Indian Near Me - Columbus, Georgia

It's really hard to find authentic and high-quality non-American food in Columbus (IMO), but this place definitely qualifies as being both of those things. My sister is visiting from Seattle, and I wanted to show her the gems of Columbus - I hadn't tried out this place yet, but the reviews looked promising. Plus, I love the feel of hole-in-the-wall spots. The front/inside is very unassuming, and this place is also a grocery (which I also need to check out more sometime, looks like they have a lot of good items). Towards the back/right once you walk through is where the cafe is. We came on a Sunday which is normally the slow day, so I would recommend calling first! The owner came back and explained what she had. Both my sister and I were perfectly happy to eat anything she could give us and what she had sounded great! We were served tandoori chicken samosas, chicken biryani, and some kind of mixed vegetable dish (it was SO GOOD!). We were also brought a variety of different FRESHLY MADE chutneys - one spicy one, mango chutney, and a date-based chutney as well. The mango chutney was my favorite....I could eat it with anything. We were getting pretty full and said we weren't sure about dessert, but she gave us a little bit of sooji halwa which she recommended we eat with the mango chutney. I was amazed how delicious and simple it was. Definitely will be back. Such a great experience! read more

Ria is the absolute sweetest!!! The Samosas and Butter chicken are great! Everything is always fresh. 10 out of 10 would recommend!

Always so friendly and accommodating. The food is perfectly prepared with a personal touch. Just like sitting down for a meal at moms house. In my opinion the best Indian food in Columbus, Ga. read more

I did not get a good vibe but this place. Almost $16 of food for a small thali. but what is even more disappointing is it is full of oil and oil is typically used in Indian food to give texture and mouth feel. Excess oil is used as a preservative and to speed up cooking. I don't think this is a good value and you can find better (healthier) options for the same cost read more

Ria's such a sweet lady! We instantly loved her food, biryani, curry, samosas, nan and i loved what she did to those chickpeas!! We'll definitely come back here for more of her curry & rice! read more

I have such a deep love for Indian cuisine and this little grocery store/cafe did not disappoint!! Truly authentic and delicious food, I will definitely be back again. You almost feel like you're in the owner's home and they are feeding you straight from their own kitchen. The owners are so sweet and welcoming A gem in Columbus!! read more

a while ago I was joking about a Jamaican restaurant here in town, where I said if Jamaicans did not eat there why should I? Well, my coworker Rakesh, who is Indian, invited a bunch of us to his favorite spot to eat; Ria's Ethnic Foods. The story I am about to tell, you will not believe. First from the outside this is just a house. The front part of the house has been converted into a store where she sells all manners of Indian spices and ingredients for cooking. In the back is one folding white table with six chairs and a couple of coolers full of drinks. If someone is sitting at that table you can either wait until they are done, or come back another time. There is no menu. Ms. Rai actually just cooks what she feels like cooking; kinda like what your mom does at home, and brings it out to serve to you. Meals are about $12 plus drink and tip. Which is very reasonable. All this aside, this is THE BEST Indian food I have ever had. She brought out 2 chicken dishes, 3 different chutneys, a tub of yogurt, plates full of Paratha and Naan, a bowl full of cauliflower and potatoes, rice and a fried wheat puff appetizer that was so good I almost ate the whole bowl. If that is was enough , she brought out a desert called Jalebi. I do not know what it is, but I do know I could not eat them fast enough. This place was amazing. Now you will have to call ahead and reserve a spot. She cooks when someone says they are coming. She told me that she is a healthcare professional so everything is fresh, homemade and healthy. No preservatives and She cooks what she and her family will eat for dinner. The best part? It was not dumbed down for Americans. This food had real Indian heat. I cannot eat there again for a while. This is completely off my diet plan, and I would not have gone today if my coworkers had not forced me to go. But I will be going back here. I will be bringing Karen and I will tell you this. There is no place better in this city for Indian Food. read more

While on a TDY to Fort Benning I stumbled upon this cafe by my hotel and happened to try it out three time. Here's my first experience the chef/ owner offered me a mixed entree with chicken tikka masala and cauliflower. Her Tikka masala was extremely runny and the chicken chucks were dry , it seemed like chicken was simply boiled and thrown into a pot of curry. Cauliflower was just ok. I payed $ 14 that day , this included a soda can as well. Second time Ms Ria offered to make me a dosa - this was probably the best thing she made. While waiting on a dosa i got a samosa - sadly it was right out of the frozen box. This time my bill was $ 11. Third time I got a vegetarian entree and 2 stuffed parathas (bread). This was the smallest portion and what really ticked me off was she charged me $ 19 for this order. I guess my face looked a little startled at the price and she immediately commented " what do you care just submit this for reimbursement to your company for dinner expense". From and ethical and moral stand point this practice of charging randomly for an entree appears to be illegal and her statement shows she has an alternative menu price. For this reason I will never go back. Like all restaurants and cafe she should have a listed price against each menu item. read more

Great find. But just to be clear, it's not a restaurant. It's a shop selling Indian food and groceries with an area for sitting if you want to eat the food they cook for you. Having said that, the staff (owners?) are incredibly friendly and almost make you feel like family. The food is excellent and freshly cooked to order. They make their own sauces, and use fresh vegetables from their store. The menu changes according to what they have available, and in fact, we just told them our preferences and allergies (2 vegetarians, 1 egg allergy, and 1 meat eater!) and told them to bring out whatever they wanted to cook us! And to top it all, the pricing is very, very reasonable. Highly recommend for anyone who enjoys good, fresh, authentic Indian food. read more

Ria's Indian Cafe - Ria - the owner and chef - Indian Near Me - Columbus, Georgia

This is a hidden gem in Columbus! Friendly service with great authentic Indian groceries. I am new to cooking Indian food and Ria opened her kitchen to show my wife and I new recipes. Great for the vegetarian and meat eater alike. read more

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Amazing Indian food and fresh groceries. Definitely gonna start coming here more often.

We walked it not knowing what to expect and we greeted by a very nice employee. She made us the special of the day and it was delicious! Everything was very fresh. Ria came in towards the end of our stay and greeted us. She was very friendly and sweet. The grocery had a lot of great Indian food items so we found a few of our favorites and bought them. Everything was reasonably priced. We will absolutely be back! Tip: if you go on a cold day, make sure to have a sweater or jacket as the dining area has a space heater and we were a little chilly. read more

For years we were stuck with Taj Mahal or Bombay Bay...I'm so glad that I discovered this place. Ms. Ria, the owner and chef, provided such wonderful service and was willing to make accommodations for any food preferences. You can even requests certain dishes as long as you give Ms. Ria a heads up beforehand. I can't wait to come back. I hope anyone reading this review will take the time to go check this place out. read more

One of the best Indian foods I have ever had . It's authentic Indian food. They make you feel at home . A definite winner . Come here over any other Indian restaurants in Columbus . You will be surprised !!!!!! read more

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Was a little blander than I prefer with Indian food, but I appreciated the idea of a dinner box to go for a good price! We enjoyed the meal overall. read more

Ria is the nicest lady! When I send my husband for seasonings and Naan she is always so helpful. Her food is delicious too.

I had the samosas and the bhel puri (along with some groceries). They were both excellent. I can't wait to come back to try more items from the menu. read more

Yum yum and yum! Love that I can stop by and get lunch and pick up a few groceries Great food fast read more

Ria's Indian Cafe - Indian Near Me - Columbus, Georgia

if you're a local or visiting from out of town, go here. Ria is conscious of vegan restrictions and the dal and paratha...some of the best i've ever had. straight from the heart and kitchen to my tummy. this is seriously good. read more

If you have ever had Indian food from India or the the Middle East, this is almost identical to anything I've have during my travels. All of the food tastes like it came from a family recipe that's been pasted down from generation to generation. The fact that they make everything to order with fresh ingredients makes all the difference (you can taste the freshness of the food) from the Samosa's to the chicken biryani and the drinks the you would find in a local Indian market place. This is the real deal! If you are in the Columbus area and want REAL Indian food this is the only place I would go. I would come back here in a heart beat! Affordable and really homey environment which makes the experience even better! A must go!! read more

My first trip to the restaurant was a real discovery. Remember folks this is a small Cafe. I had the best Indian meal ever. Chicken Tikka and Marsala, tomato rice, Cauliflower and potatoes, and lots more. Tasty Food cooked in small batches. Nice website, good groceries too. Delightful owners really believe in service. Oh, try the desert that's offered. Friday lunch buffet. read more

Eating at Ria's is like eating at someone's home. No menu, she just told me what she had and what she could whip up for me. Asked if I was vegan or vegetarian (I'm vegetarian) and laid out what she could feed me and I said yes. It was awesome. Highly recommended. read more

I went to Rias' Indian Cafe last night with my wife. We always celebrate our big events with dinner at an Indian restaurant. We had gone to Bombay Bay a couple of times and really liked their food but the board of health closed them down! We found Ria's Indian cafe on Yelp and the reviews were so positive we decided to give it a try. We had a great meal! Rima is a very nice woman. She treated us like valued guests. She told us what was on the menu that day and my wife and I both chose the chicken curry. It was very good! Ria also brought us some extra nibbles, a potato dish and a bean dish, both were very good. The naan was yummy too. All in all I felt like I was eating at Ria's house and being cooked her favorite home cooked meal. The dining area is very casual and very clean. She was alone that day so was quite busy preparing our food and taking care of us too. All in all a great little restaurant, great service and most importantly the food was excellent. read more