Getting off work, hunger pains kicking in and all I crave is curry. Faithful Yelp, I roamed its abundance to find Indian cuisine in my neck of the woods. Royal Indian Cuisine came up, not close to home, but with its stars I had to check out the menu. I placed the order online and made my way. Text message notifications are amazing! You don't have to wait around wondering when your order will be ready. Once I stepped in, the smell of the restaurant permeated my senses making my mouth water and nose inhale deeper in pleasure. The gentleman behind the counter was welcoming without hesitation and extremely friendly. He notified me the wrong roti was prepared for my order and asked if I could wait 2 minutes. Of course I can! He asked if I wanted the other roti made by mistake, YES PLEASE! You can never have enough...(at least I can't)! The inside of the restaurant is quite spacious with ample seating and an ease to practice social distancing if that's your jam. Located inside Smart & Final Shopping Center (with Auto Zone & Round Table) on San Pablo Ave, between San Pablo and San Pablo Dam Rd exits, you will find it tucked away in the back of the parking lot. The parking lot is pretty big so parking is not an issue - I went around 6:45p. Food...FRIKKIN DELICIOUS! To go orders, the aloo gobi came in a plastic resealable container filled to the brim and each roti was wrapped in a white liner sheet sealed inside aluminum foil. Plastic utensils and napkins were provided, neither needed for me. If you are ordering online, in Special Instructions include your spice level (medium, spicy, extra spicy). I ordered the Aloo Gobi ($10.99) a combination of potato and cauliflower cooked with onion, tomato and spices. The spice level is medium, tingling the tongue while keeping the mouth pleased. The gobi is firm to the touch and soft enough to fall apart at the same time, the aloo is the same. Each bite marinated to perfection. The portion size is abundant, enough for 2-3 servings for one or family sharing for 2 (I didn't share)! Add rice and it will go a long way - I didn't. I also ordered the Tawa Roti ($2.99), each order comes individually (with 1) so I ordered two. BONUS: I was blessed with their Tandoori Roti ($2.99), each order comes individually. The tawa roti (similar to a flour tortilla) is just as I remembered it growing up, ours were prepared in a skillet on the stove. Soft, thin, easy to pull, thick enough to stand up to my aloo gobi and perfectly made to compliment each bite. The tandoori roti (similar to a pita) is thicker and flaky in texture, soft, easy to pull, stood up to my aloo gobi, complimenting each bite. Will I return, UH DUH! If you are looking for authentic, non-American Indian Cuisine, you're in luck - Royal Indian Cuisine is here cooking with home recipes (at least it tastes like it). Go! Enjoy! You won't regret a penny spent. read more

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Flavorful and well-priced Indian food, with discounts on daily specials and delicious appetizers. I ordered for pickup, so I can't comment on service, though from what I saw, there was no wait at 6 PM on a Monday. The restaurant was nicely decorated and gave off a mix of Insta-friendly backdrops and Indian banquet hall vibes. They have daily specials that knock off a few dollars on certain combos. Monday was $16 for chicken tikka masala and 1 butter naan. We ordered 2 orders of the chicken tikka masala, a garlic naan, vegetable pakora, and a samosa chaat app. Everything was packaged well. One thing we noted was that they did not include complimentary mint or tamarind chutney (maybe those cost extra?). The food was all excellent. The chicken tikka masala had a good flavor, and the apps were truly outstanding. The vegetable pakora had less batter than I usually see, which made for a lighter texture that really let the vegetables shine. The samosa chaat was also delicious, with a perfect mix of textures and spices. One tip is to check local coupon sites for extra discounts. We'll definitely be back! read more

Food was very tasty, but spicier than I expected Ambiance was great and prices resonate considering portions size read more

The least flavorful Indian food I've ever eaten all of the chutneys tasted like out of a can the raita was watery without any spices under salted with some random chopped up veg , the Shashi paneer tasted of nothingness and was unpleasant in texture, spice less the naan was mediocre and definitely the best thing we got the tandoori fish was advertised as pomfret butt I got a large portion of salmon with almost zero flavor just food coloring. It was cooked well but low quality salmon The service was odd at best The samosas were far from fresh made obviously microwaved as it messed up the pastry to nearly inedible. All that came to $78.00 I'm a chef and have cooked Indian food professionally for years and never been so ashamed of what people would serve Sadly read more

I ordered food online from their website. It was easy to place an order and the food was ready to pick up when I got there. But that's where the good things end with this restaurant. I ordered a Butter Chicken and a Chicken Curry along with some Garlic Naan, some Poori and an order of Gulab Jamun and Gajar Halwa. Butter Chicken: Terrible. 1/5. The dish was too buttery and so very bland. The chicken was obviously not marinated in the gravy as the chicken pieces didn't have any flavor on them. The chicken was also burnt and VERY chewy. Some of the worst I've ever had. Chicken Curry: Okay. 3/5. This dish was better than the Butter Chicken but that's not a high bar to clear. It had plenty of flavor in the curry but the chicken pieces were again terrible and not cooked well. Garlic Naan: Bad. 2/5. The Naan was soooo chewy and so hard to eat. Not cooked well. And it didn't have the garlic flavor to it. Poori: Inedible. 0/5. I don't know who taught them to make Poori but that wasn't a Poori. It was DRIPPING with oil and al flaky. For $5, it was a complete waste of money. DO NOT ORDER. Gajar Halwa: Terrible. 1/5. The halwa had gone bad!!! It was starting to sour and they just gave it to me! It could have been good if it was fresh. Couldn't finish it. Gulab Jamun: Okay. 3/5. Not coming back to this place as long as they don't make some changes. I'm an Indian and this is terrible Indian food. Edit: After I posted my review, the owner of the business called it fake. So here's my receipt of my order as proof of purchase. I have no need nor inclination to post fake reviews. This is for everyone to read and judge for themselves. And not being able to take criticism doesn't bode well for a restaurant. And the reason I didn't bring the food back is because it was a to-go order and I live in Davis. read more

Royal Indian Restaurant - Receipt - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Pablo, California

I have been here 3 times in a span of three weeks. The food and service was amazing. I also really liked the ambiance of the restaurant. I highly recommend eating here! The Gol Gappa was my favorite! read more

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Amazing local spot. After 5 years of waiting for it to become a separate business from the retail shop next door. The owner has now opened up for business. Had to try it out, great menu lots of choices we went in expecting an okay place but the service, atmosphere,and flavors of northern India cuisine is delicious. Spoke with the owner while paying the bill. And he said he just opened back up after two months of separation of the business next door,which makes him happy. If you love Indian food please support them. We are definitely going back to try other dishes. read more

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I ordered vegetable samosas Aloo gobi mild -The best dish out of all of them. Paneer tikka masala medium - lacking in flavor and watery Butter chicken medium- great flavor and was pretty spicy but again.. watery Chicken vindaloo spicy - very watery, I have never had a vindaloo that tasted this way. It lacked flavor it was NOT spicy whatsoever Aloo paratha mild - came spicy and dry Garlic naan- really dry All the curries were with watery consistency whcih ive never had before...im not sure if the cooks read the orders wrong but most of our food was not what it was supposed to be. Very disappointed with the food and quality. Can't see myself coming back. read more

Really delicious Indian fare. People are really friendly and kind.! Highly recommend read more

Place is small but quaint. Staff was super friendly and helpful when ordering and very attentive. Chicken tikka masala- my go to dish when trying a new Indian restaurant and the flavors did not disappoint. It was creamy and well spiced. They used tandoori chicken which added extra flavor 10/10 my bad for asking for med spice should have gone higher but now I know for next time. Basmati rice- although it is a basic rice it complemented the rest of the dishes and was great for absorbing the yummy sauce Garlic naan- it was a little sweeter than I am used to but it was still tasty and definitely hit the spot Vegi Manchurian- these are veggie balls battered and fried in a sweet and sour chutney like sauce with onions 10/10 if you like sweet and sour Mango Lassi- perfectly sweet and creamy 10/10 Overall food was fresh tasting well spiced and we will definitely be returning! read more

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Delicious food, my friend don't eat spicy found its little spicy so if your don't eat spicy might not be for you we asked very mild. The tikka was grilled to perfection, everything we tried was a hit. Rice could have been warmer, nan was very good too, the place is very clean large of alcoholic and none alcoholic selection. I must say I can't wait to go back. read more

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I ordered through Grubhub twice so far and their food is amazing! The first time I tried Lamb Tikka Masala and it was absolutely delish. So flavorful and creamy esp with the rice and naan. Last time I ordered Lamb Saag (Spinach and lamb) absolutely delicious! I'm in love with this restaurant. I will make it a point to go in person one day soon so I can take pictures. read more

The food was so flavorful and such good pricing for a good amount. I'll definitely be coming here again. Their chicken tikka masala was so delicious and I loved the naan read more

I order food online and had it delivered. The sauces were great. The dishes left a lot to be desired. I love Indian food. This was not great, good but not great. The portions were mostly sauce with little vegetables or meat. They didn't have something I order so they just substituted with an item that cost the same rather than call me to see what I would like. I will not eat here again. read more

I came here because I was in the area, I'm vegan and can reliably find vegan options at Indian restaurants. Now, my favorite in my hometown has set a high bar, but I have Ben pleasantly surprised. The service is 5-Star, without doubt. I'm an African woman who regularly braces myself to be prepared for different treatment, the gentleman was every wit accommodating and pleasant. I felt good enough to eat on-site! He along with his staff served delicious food and great portions. The service was soooooo great that the food was a plus! I don't experience service and great food often. I am grateful for this experience. Not sure how long this establishment has been here, but I will definitely come back, and I encourage you to visit today! No pics, because I was famished but trust it was satisfying. Samosa ChaatBhatura read more

OMG, the food was so delicious! Mom wanted to get outside so we drove here to make an order for pick up. It smelled so wonderful inside. Ordered veg Manchurian, lamb tikka masala, lamb biryani, paneer Bhurji, garlic naan & veg samosas. Piping hot, seriously flavorful and beautiful dishes all around. Every time we go to Smart and Final now, I'm going to have to resist the urge to grab a bite here. read more

Chicken vendaloo is my favorite chicken is buttery soft in a spicy sauce with potatoes but the flavors are amazingly delicious don't forget the garlic naan ! read more

100% Halal meats! This place is delicious, my husband and I got takeout and we ordered the Punjabi masala bhindi (mild) Malai Kofta (mild) Chicken curry (medium) Chilli chicken (mild) Tandoori roti and plain rice The mild is perfect but the medium could be a tad more spicy. Looking forward to trying some more, especially the Indo Chinese. read more

Fun, relaxed atmosphere and delicious samosas and tandoori chicken! Love the family atmosphere.

The best and most reasonable Indian food around!! Love it. They have all my favorites like chicken masala, vegetable korma, and gulab.

We were in the Pinole area when this restaurant popped up on our search and I could not be more thrilled to have found our new Indian spot for food!! The service was amazing, they checked in multiple times to make sure everything was good we assured them it was great. It's a little hole in the wall on the corner of the parking lot and I hope they are around for a very long time. The quality of the food, the tenderness of the chicken was outstanding. We had chicken tikka masala, butter chicken, malai chicken tikka & the tandoori chicken. Could not tell you what our favorite was because we give all of it 10/10. read more

Royal Indian Restaurant - Chicken Tikka Masala(far left) Butter Chicken (middle) Malai Chicken Tikka(far right) - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Pablo, California

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Authentic and fresh punjabi food. The tandoori chicken is just perfectly tender and spiced to order. I have been searching the east bay area for a punjabi restaurant and I would highly recommend this one. Staff is friendly and the food is made fresh to order. Ordered the saag, butter chicken, and Naan; all great options. read more

Just dined here. My order included chaat samosa, goat beryani and aloo got. The order was prepared very quickly and the food was delicious ! The gentleman who served us was friendly and provided really high quality service. read more

Being an Indian myself I get picky about the Indian food I eat. The flavor has got to be there! This place did not disappoint. I will definitely be going back! My husband ordered the wings as well and they were able to put the 9ers game on for us. Can 't go wrong with a quick bite of wings and beer. read more

Ok, this place is pretty new, but you must go! It's delicious! The food was so spectacular and I'm picky about my Indian food. Go support them! We had so many different dishes and they were all spectacular. I'm so glad I decided to take a chance on them. Ambiance could be better, but they had the Warriors game on so that's really what mattered. read more

Royal Indian Restaurant - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Pablo, California

Really delicious food!! It's my first time trying and not my last. I ordered butter chicken, chicken biryani, naan, tandoori chicken and samosas. It was a to go order and everything was packaged well. read more

The best Indian spot in Richmond, San Pablo area very good and the dessert menu is varied and very very authentic. Love that owner got to know me after 2-3 visits and make sure I always enjoy the food. read more

Food is delicious. A friend of mine introduced me to this place and I keep coming back. I ordered their veg chowmein platter to bring to a potluck last night and it was a hit. People at the party inquired where this location was and said they'd come to this restaurant just to have the dish again. I've tried different things on the menu and nothing disappointed me - everything is flavorful and authentic. On top of that, the restaurant owners and workers are all so nice, respectful, and professional. Great customer service. Restaurant looks clean! I'm going to bring my son and husband here ASAP. read more

It took me awhile to write this review.. Maybe I wanted to make sure the quality was consistent. I must have ordered take out from this place on at least four different occasions and it's always been a hit. I've tried the chicken tikka masala, butter chicken, lamb vindaloo, and lamb saag.. the meat is always flavorful, juicy and tender. I always get the samosas, garlic naan and usually a side of rice. Today I tried the lemon rice which was super delicious. I shared with a couple of family members from out of town and they both were very impressed. This will definitely be my go to Indian spot from now on. read more

I've been to this GEM several times, and will be going back! Each time, things have been added to improve the ambiance. The food and service is always stellar!! Yesterday, July 26, 2023, we ordered Chicken Biryani, Shahi Paneer, and veggie samosas. I wasn't going to eat one of the Samosas (2 for $3.99!) as I'd always found them heavy and greasy. Not these!! Light, flaky, and fabulous!! I'd ordered the Shahi Paneer by mistake, thinking it was the incredible spinach dish I'd had before, but...!! Lucky me!! It was beyond heavenly!! It's squares of paneer (a kind of cheese which doesn't melt) in a heavy cream, tomato, and spice (oh the spices!) sauce. Oh my god!! Incredible!! the Biryani! Each order was plenty with two, with some left over! I hope this lovely place stays forever!! Go!! read more

Just ordered the butter chicken for delivery via Grubhub, and honestly, never ordering from here again. I get inflation and all but I got a bucket of soup with a handful of chicken slices in the sauce. The other bits in my plate is the vegetables pakora. Look at the plastic fork for scale of how much chicken they sent along. read more

Royal Indian Restaurant - Butter Chicken Vegetable Pakora App - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Pablo, California

The food is delicious and elegant. The Gol Goppa is delicious but it has to be spicy. Well all the foods we ordered had a little spicy kicked to it. They have the Chana Masala that I've been looking for decades. The service is good because they check to see if anything else is needed. Pretty spacious place and quiet. read more

This place is delicious! I ordered once from Door Dash and was so impressed. I recently visited in person for a very small catering order - the owner is lovely and welcoming! The food was again delicious. Highly recommend for high quality *authentic North Indian food. read more

I really wanted to like this place. It's close to my house and I just always wanna support a new restaurant in the bay since business is hard for them. I ordered three different dishes, and everything was incredibly salty! I could only manage to eat a small spoonful of each dish with a whopping portion of rice. I found myself chugging multiple glasses of water after my meal. Fortunately I was able to salvage most of it by adding some of my own ingredients at home to dilute the salt content, but phew it was rough eating that first meal. I'm glad that it looks like other folks really seem to like this place. I may try this place again in the future to see if this was a one-off fluke, but it's definitely not something I'm rushing back to. read more

By far the best Indian food I've had in west contra costa county. I could taste the love. Had lamb saag, fish vindaloo, and onion naan

Eat here.... Best food ever. I loved everything I ate. The service was great I left there happy

Discovered this restaurant last Saturday by chance as the restaurant in El Sobrante we drove to was closed for a few days. Someone suggested to go to this new restaurant (Royal Indian Cuisine, San Pablo). Food: Excellent Butter Chicken (tender), Malai Kofta (soft and well spiced). Garlic Naan was crisp (not doughy). Daal Makhni - Really good. We enjoyed the food and excellent service. It took a little longer than expected for the food to arrive but it was worth the wait. Meantime, we enjoyed the most delicious Samosas ever. Good sitting, wide space between tables. It was a little chilly. They said that they are getting central heat soon. Went to this restaurant again yesterday (Wednesday, Feb. 15) and ordered Tandoori Chicken and Bhature Sholay. My partner said that this was the most tender Tandoori chicken she has ever had. Sure, we will come back again with friends. And, by they way, the bathroom was very clean ! read more

Royal Indian Restaurant - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Pablo, California

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good food, cocktails, and service. Go see Ruby the bartender. Everything is really wonderful

Some of the best Indian food I have ever had!! And very friendly service! Highly recommend! :)

The garlic naan and chicken tikka masala was soooooo gooood i could cry! Will be returning thats for sure!!