Sangam Indian Cuisine: Flavorful, Quick, and Filling Located on 424 Eddy Street, Sangam Indian Cuisine is an excellent bargain for visitors and Ithacans alike looking for a flavorful meal on a budget. This restaurant offers a breath of fresh air from the usual pizzerias and American fast food places. The portions are large and prices cheap, perfect for the masses of students nearby. The food is exceptional and quickly prepared, or during buffet hours, piping hot when you arrive. If you're tired of eating bagels for lunch, yes it gets old, or won't spend another day at a dining hall, do yourself a favor and take a quick trip to Sangam. A 10 minute walk from Cornell's West Campus, Sangam is ideally located near various school residence halls and apartment complexes in Collegetown. For those of you who like to mix up your body's intake Sangam's ethnic food is the perfect and quick alternative. The chef at Sangam knows his craft well. Even though the kitchen isn't the biggest you never have to wait long. Most meals will come out within twenty minutes. Nam, a traditional Indian bread, comes out even sooner with a selection of dips. For instant satisfaction visit Sangam from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM. During the restaurant's buffet hours all you can ask for is ready to eat: salads, appetizers, curry, biryani, rice, in addition to the fan favorite kheer, a sumptuous rice pudding sweet. Don't be shy, take as many plates as you'd like! Quantity is a quality of its own. At Sangam you get the best of both worlds. Not only is the food superb, there is a lot of it. The food portions are excellent; nearly all dishes come with a large platter of golden basmati rice, enough to feed two or render even the hungriest guest full. If you can't finish it that's great, it just means you'll have wonderful leftovers the next day. You just can't go wrong at Sangam. When you stop at Sangam you know you'll be getting a full, savory meal in a timely fashion at an excellent price. You also know what you'll be leaving with: a completely satisfied stomach. The next time you and your hungry friends are in Collegetown visit Sangam, you'll be glad you did. read more

Travel the globe and experience fine Indian dining while in Ithaca NY! My wife and I are discerning foodies. We have sampled cuisine from extremely fine dining institutions. A friend of ours recommended Disney World's Epcot Center as an epicenter of fine dining. We ate at several international restaurants, yet nothing matched the flavorful flair of Sangam's in our home-town of Ithaca, NY. The dining area is not pretentious, and it does not pretend to be something it is not. If you seek elegant atmosphere, you may be disappointed. However, if you want amazing food, astounding service, and great people, this is the place to go. The deep, succulent flavors of India never fail to satisfy the palate and always leave me wanting more. There are multiple Indian restaurants in Ithaca, but this is by far the best. It surpasses the highest expectations. I absolutely love this place. The food is always amazing and never fails to excite my tastebuds and satisfy my desire to experience a culinary world outside of my normal experiences. My favorite dish is the Chicken Tikka Masala. Couple that with some nan, some pakora, a Mango Lassi, and some rice pudding for dessert and you have dining fit for royalty. The staff and owners are extremely responsive, and will even make dining recommendations if you aren't sure what will suit you. My children are somewhat tenative about new food. The owner lady fixed a plate from their lunch buffet after asking a few simple questions that my most discerning son enjoyed. I have enjoyed dining at many ethnic cuisine establishments. I particularly enjoy Indian food. Of all the places I have visited (both at home and away), Sangam is easily the best. Epcot center, Diamond's, and Mahak do not compare. The best food and service is available, at a reasonable price, and close to home. Nothing is able to bring a taste of India to you like the food at Sangam's. My entire family loves this place! read more

I visited Sangam Indian Cuisine in Collegetown for the first time, though my friend had been here before. We decided to sit in, and I opted for the Karahi Lamb while she stuck with the classic Chicken Tikka Masala. Let me just say, the food is solid - nothing mind-blowing but definitely not bad at all. In fact, I had their lamb biryani through delivery before (from their Downtown location), and it was great! The only catch? The portion sizes were much bigger with delivery. Honestly, I might stick to that next time. Speaking of portions, when they brought out our food in person, the portions were tiny. We even had to share a single small plate of rice between us - despite ordering two separate dishes! We ended up asking for more rice (which they charged an extra $3.50 for...). It just felt a bit off, especially considering we were two people. The service was incredibly slow. We waited forever for everything, and when we asked for more rice, the waitress completely forgot. We had to remind another staff member before we finally got it. It just didn't feel smooth at all. However, I must say that they did check in with us pretty often to make sure everything was alright - well appreciated. Would I come back? Maybe - mainly because it's the only Indian spot in Collegetown without having to trek to the Commons. But given the portion sizes, slow service, and random rice fees, it's not at the top of my list. read more

My first visit to Sangam was the first time I tried Indian food; since then, I've been a regular here. I can only speak for the vegetable dishes, but they are really great. The veggie pakoras are delicious, and don't even get me started on the yellow daal, chana masala, or vegan meatball curry (not sure what it's actually called :P). This place also got me obsessed with their tamarind chutney. The service is always friendly and welcoming, and they will never let your glass go empty. As a spice-a-holic, it is always impressive to find restaurants that actually serve food extra-spicy when they say they will. Whenever I go back home for break, I hold myself over with Indian restaurants in my area, but they don't hold a candle to Sangam. Their buffet is also a great deal; for ~$8, you can eat as much of their delicious food as you like, and it's open from 11-3 every day. Their dinner service is also very impressive. While some might say that the restaurant's atmosphere is too dark, I have to wholeheartedly disagree. The atmosphere of this place, from the delicious smells in the air to the comfortable shading, make it feel positively cozy, and it can be a nice place for a date (each table has a candle, which goes perfectly with the shade). Overall, for the nice atmosphere, lovely service, and delicious vegan food, I have to give this place 5 stars. You should totally try this place! read more

I went to so many Indian restaurants including the new Indian restaurant mehak next door but none of them are as good as SANGAM. Let me tell you, this place is amazing! They have a lunch buffet everyday for 7.99 and it is amazing!!! . The food tandoori chicken , Masala Dosa, with Sambar , Yellow Basmati rice, Curry Chicken, Spinach with chesse are always amazing. I had tried at Mehak the new restaurant a few times and I don't think they even know what Indian food is. It was Terrible, even there wait staff seems like a joke because the waiter seemed like an Indian gentleman who didn't even speak English and seemed like he didn't know anything about Indian food. I don't recommend anyone to go to mehak. Watch out for that restaurant. SANGAM is the best choice for Indiana food in all Upstate New York! I will not cheat sagam ever again! I love samosas, they have the best. One of the best thing about sangam they have the longest lasting wait staff and you can tell the staff knows about Indian food. My favor tie items are veggie samosa, chicken tikka kabab , fish kabab, lamb vindaloo , and garlic nan. Goat biryani is also awesome. This restaurant is fairly priced and perfect for college students. They have the best value lunch buffet with lots of items. Anytime I go to Sangam they always have new items on the buffet. finely take my honest advice and try Sangam restaurant. read more

My first experience with indian food was at Sangam Resturaunt, I was pacing through Ithaca, NY and noticed that this restruraunt seemed to be busy, not knowing any better, I stopped with my family. What a nice place. To start, the welcome by the staff was very "welcome home" ish. The buffet was the choice for all, cant say enough about the food. Very tasty and healthy. The Tandoori chicken was so good with the charcol flavor from the cooking. Being in a Indian Resturaunt for the first time, my family realy enjoyed the atmosphere of this place. Everything from the friendly staff, cleanlyness of the facility to the cook stopping by to check on us, was outstanding. On returning from our trip south, the kids wanted to stop at Sangam for dinner. That was sunday night, we were so surprised to see that the place was packed. After waiting 10 minutes for a table we again were pleased with the food and service. If you think the buffet is good, wait for dinner!! The Goat curry was so delicious. The kids again ordered the Tandoori chicken, they love that stuff. My wife ordered chicken tikka masala and mango lamb keema nan garlic nan and cucumber raita, she raved all the way home. I highly recommend this place for any and everyone. What was a wim by stopping by, is now going to be a regular stop when passing through Ithaca. GREAT!!!!!!!!!!! read more

Sangam definitely offers the best Indian food in Ithaca - and my roommate from Mumbai agrees. For that matter, this is the best Indian food that I have eaten in New York state outside of Astoria, Queens. The lunch buffet is solid and, if you come hungry, is the best value Calories per dollar in Collegetown. My boyfriend and I ordered off Sangam's menu for the first time the other day. We started with scrumptiously buttery garlic naan and a vegetable samosa with codeine-laced onion chutney on the side. For entrees we went with two Indian classics that did not disappoint: Chana Masala (which the chef happily prepared for us off-menu) and Alu Gobi Masala. No crumbs left behind. We topped off our food comas with some refreshing Mango Lassi for the warm evening (by Ithaca's standards). From the wording of the menu, their food seems to have Punjab origins. They also use a Tandoor which really bakes in a nice smokey Indian flavor; the customers sitting at the table next to us ordered kabobs and the scent of their food as the waitress passed by our table with the dish in her hands made our visit to the restaurant worth it. All in all, if you are near Collegetown and want to get taken to South Asia stop by Sangam and you will be satisfied. read more

My son and (now) daughter-in-law had a 3-day Indian-American wedding in Ithaca, and Sangam provided all the Indian food--a "Chat "Bar" on the first evening and a vegetarian lunch buffet after the morning wedding ceremony. My daughter-in-law was a bit nervous since her parents, aunts and uncles-- originally from Gujarat and now living in Jersey City, Boston and Montreal--were skeptical about whether there could be good Indian food in Ithaca. But they were more than pleased; in fact, several of the aunts and uncles sought out Sangam's owner, Beni, to compliment him on everything he served and one even asked if he would cater a wedding in Boston! And Beni did an incredible job in every way--well beyond what we could reasonably expect--to be sure that everything was 'just right.' One indication of Sangam's excellence: Friday evening, there was food for every taste--the "Chat Bar" and another buffet catered by Dinosaur BBQ in Syracuse. While I love Dinosaur BBQ, I barely touched it because I kept going back to the excellent Chat! Friday night: Samosa Chat, Alu Tikki Chat and Papdi Chat Post-wedding vegetarian lunch: Paneer Makhani, Yellow Dal Tadka, Mixed Vegetable Curry,Malai Kofta, Naan, Kadhi and Pulao read more

Sangam Restaurant has always served delicious, authentic Indian food. When I returned from England 10 years ago, I walked in for a chai and found delightful owners, delicious food, and very good service.After tasting the chai, that made me feel I as back in London I ordered alu palik and nan. The nan was so fresh from the tandoori oven and the spinach dish was perfect, not too spicy or salty, just right.I have been eating there for 10 years and my son who is 6 adores the chicken curry. I like to bring out of town visitors here to relax in the friendly atmosphere and eat the wonderful food. Recently, they have added new appetizers and goat dishes. The raita is so fresh and good , as well as the lassis which come in a few flavors, mango, plain or salted. The buffet is a very good deal, and always full of different dishes although you can count on tandoori chicken. The waitstaff is very helpful and can ask the cooks to prepare vegan if that is your dietary need. They are also attentive and polite, smiling as they carry your food to the table.I have tried the 2 other Indian Restaurants but my heart is with Sangam! read more

Sangam is the best Indian buffet in town, with delicious dinners to boot! Every day they have an assortment of excellent dishes on the buffet (peanut free, with vegan and vegetarian options available and clearly listed), including various levels of spice. In addition to the staples of rice and tandoor chicken (which is made in a real tandoor with charcoal, which gives it a very rich, delicious, dark flavor), I highly suggest the items on the far end of the buffet, which can range from shahi paneer to vindaloos to chili dishes. The desserts are mindblowing as well - try the gajar halwa (the orange one)! The dinner menu is also incredibly good and worth a visit. There they have a lot of dishes that don't show up on the buffet that often such as the mango curries and some of the seafood dishes, all of which I highly recommend. For beverages try the chai in addition to their lasses (both sweet and mango are great - haven't tried the salty lasse). I have seen people come in the late afternoon just for chai. read more

I've bene eating at Sangam's for over 15 years. There's a reason we keep coming back - the food is just perfect. There are dishes we don't prefer, but everything is good. The naan is divine. Samosas are characteristically oily, but beyond that, delectable, meat and veggie (though I agree with one of the other posts, the meat are better than the veggie). They have their own tikka oven, and prepare chicken, lamb, and beef in traditional style. Be aware when papa is cooking - all spiced get kicked up a notch. As far as I can tell, that's Friday and Saturday nights. And do NOT forget to try to mango lassi. If I could think of any minuses it would be the promptness of the service. It can be slow - sometimes painfully so. But if you're relaxing with good friends, who cares if it doesn't come in 5 minutes flat. You're there for a social occasion. So If you've got some time on your hands, and want a DELICIOUS meal, Sangams is the place to go! read more

If you're looking for an explosion of flavor that will transport your taste buds to culinary paradise, look no further than the chicken tikka masala at this restaurant! From the moment the dish arrives at your table, the aroma of aromatic spices tantalizes your senses, preparing you for a gastronomic journey like no other. The tender, succulent pieces of chicken are perfectly marinated and grilled to perfection, then bathed in a rich, creamy tomato-based sauce that is an exquisite balance of tangy and creamy. Every bite is a symphony of flavors, with the warmth of ginger, the subtle heat of chili, and the richness of cream dancing harmoniously on your palate. Paired with fluffy, fragrant basmati rice and warm, pillowy naan bread, each mouthful is a revelation. This chicken tikka masala is not just a dish; it's an experience that will leave you craving more and dreaming of your next visit to this culinary gem of an Indian restaurant. read more

Benny, owner of Sangam Indian Restaurant, on Eddy Street in Collegetown next to Cornell University is a terrific host. His food is great; his special luncheon buffet is mouthwatering and reasonably priced. You certainly notice by the looks of the work staff that the food is prepared and served from an original source. The entrees are served with fresh ingredients and served hot. You can even get an imported bottle of Indian beer to go with your meal. Sangam, I understand, has been in this location since 1984. A year 'round business contributes to the haute cuisine of the Collegetown area particularly during the off season when the townspeople look forward to dining in a quiet comfortable environment. The students and faculty of the University are the backbone of his business. They occasionally hold parties on and off the premises and Benny always has an open air stand at all festivals that the townspeople look forward to. read more

Whenever I crave for Indian food, I rush to Sangam. Sangam offers authentic and delicious Indian cuisine at a very reasonable price. I often go for buffet during lunch hour. I like their starters (pakora, samosa, chaat and so on!) and deserts (mango custard, kheer, halwa and so on!) very much. Main course is equally delicious. Occasionally, I go for dinner and relish their Veg Biryani. It's very yum! Soft Indian instrumental music played in the background along with beautiful ambiance portraying India's rich & diverse culture make the dining experience outstanding. Service is extraordinary too. Everybody in the staff is very courteous and welcoming. When you are in Ithaca next time, one thing you should do for sure. Go to Sangam and taste authentic Indian cuisine in authentic Indian ambiance. It's not mere food, it's a fantastic experience as well and that too at a reasonable price! read more

This Indian restaurant is a great, and it will satisfy your Indian food cravings. I am of Indian myself and as such I've had exposure to amazing home-made Indian food at home and have also tried numerous fine Indian restaurants in the area but I keep coming back to this one. I can easily say that Sangam Indian Cuisine is the best indian cuisine in the area. Food tastes authentic and is not to spicy. When I open my take out container at other Indian restaurants there is usually a layer of oil on top of my food, but not here. Ingredients are fresh and good quality. I've had the buffet and I can say the quality and taste is the great through out the restaurant and service is excellent. Favourite dishes here are the Paneer Makhni (shai paneer), Palak Paneer and Mutter Panner. The naans are also amazing and cooked in an authentic tandoor. I will be back forsure! read more

I've been eating at Sangam for over 4 years now. First as an undergraduate and now as a grad student. The chicken jalfrezi curry is delicious along with the garlic naan. I've been to many nice restaurants in NYC and LA and honestly quite surprised with the high quality of food served at Sangam considering it is located in Ithaca. I am not impressed by that many restaurants in Ithaca but I would eat at Sangam even if it was located in Manhattan next to many other great restaurants. The service is also excellent and it is one of the only few restaurants that is open late which is nice. One small aspect that can be improved would be making the food quicker because sometimes it can take almost an hour for the food to be ready for pickup. read more

Highly recommend the Chicken Tikka Masala dish at Sangam. For those who love spicy foods, order it extra spicy and you will not be disappointed. The dish comes with a solid portion size for the same cost as other Indian restaurants in the area. As a college student, I am unable to regularly enjoy my mom's home cooked Indian food, but luckily I have Sangam right down the street to satisfy my need for delicious and flavorful food. The employees are extremely friendly and have always treated me very kindly. The combination of good food and good service has kept me going back to Sangam for the past four years and I know it will be the first restaurant I visit whenever I am able to return to Ithaca after graduating. read more

Sangam has been a favorite of our family for many years. The food is always fresh and prepared with love. They will also easily and deliciously tweak their recipes to your liking, if you prefer no dairy, etc. Whenever we leave the choice of where to eat out to our two children, they always blurt out Sangam before any other option! The owners and staff always greet us with smiles and it feels as though we're surrounded by family. We love trying food from different indian restaurants. Whenever on the road or travelling we'll seek out the closest indian restaurant to taste and try out. Sangam always tops our list of favorites!! read more

It's a great place to eat after a long day of classes. The owner and staff are very welcoming and there is always a feeling of warmth when you enter the restaurant. You are greeted with the traditional Indian/Pakistani hospitality. Benny Singh, the owner, is a really nice person with a great sense of humor and is always in high spirits. The buffet offers a decent assortment of food, including some traditional indian desserts @ only around $8 per head. An amazing place for students, families, and tourists altogether. The neighborhood is also just perfect for visitors to see other parts of town. All in all, five stars for Sangam! read more