I have always loved this place. Best saag I've ever had. Friend staff and quick service with amazing food

Love the lunch special here. For $8 you get an unlimited lunch buffet with all the essential dishes included like chicken tikka masala, saag paneer, and tandoori chicken. They are constantly replenishing the naan as well so you can enjoy it warm. They have a salad bar and desserts too. I come here often with work friends because it's close and typically you can be in and out in less than an hour. The staff is always friendly and attentive in taking away dishes and filling water or any drinks. And although I've never partaken, there is a happy hour special so would be s good place for an early dinner and drinks. The quality of the Indian food here I think is delicious and authentic. You have to try the mango smoothie (lassi) too because you won't regret it. It's refreshing and not too sweet. This is one of my favorite Indian restaurants in Cincinnati to order from. For the prices, you get a ton of food. Definitely one to keep in mind when craving Indian. read more

As others have said, this restaurant is owned by the family that used to own Dushmesh. I was a regular there, but I noticed quite a change in quality after the change in ownership. I was so happy to finally have a chance to visit Swad yesterday with my mother! Their lunch buffet was even better than I'd remembered at Dushmesh! I'd always loved their Saag Paneer, but I also found a couple other dishes that I really enjoyed, including some goat! They also offer garlic naan and khiir, some of my mom's favorites. While this location is the opposite direction of where I'm usually going, it's very worth the drive! The buffet is a steal for $8! And you can usually find $1.50 off coupons in the Bear Cash magazine. The service is friendly and the buffet is kept fresh. This is definitely a place a miss when I go back to St. Louis! read more

Swad Indian Restaurant - Indian Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Went for the lunch buffet today. Food was great. Nice and hot. Quality was excellent. Loved how they kept bring out fresh / hot Nan. Some of the food was very spicy - which was a good thing. They had a lamb dish (sorry, I didn't get the name) that was fantastic. All this for ~$8 This is now our top / favorite Indian restaurant in town, and we have tried many other ones. If you enjoy Indian food you must give this a try, you will not be disappointed read more

Excellent atmosphere, clean, friendly, exceptional service exceptional food. I already came in seeing the raving reviews so I had high expectations. Let me tell you it was ten times better than I could've even imagined. If you like Indian food, stop what you're doing right now and go to Swad. You can thank me later I had the Chicken tikka saag, its delicious. I went with a 4 on the spicy scale and I think I'll do a 5 next time as I prefer a little bit of spice. The garlic naan is superb. The breaded paneer appetizer is really good as well. Bathrooms are spacious and clean, service was great. It was almost uncanny how fast they are to refill drinks, rice, etc. So happy we found this place. We will be back again! I want to try their mango lassi, I didn't have enough room in the ole gutsack to squeeze it in there I was so stuffed. A+++ read more

Swad Indian Restaurant - Chicken Tikka Saag, Garlic Naan, and Saag Paneer across the table. - Indian Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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Sat out on patio with my friend and we enjoyed every moment there. The samosa appetizer was so good, and also the main meal of chicken saag. The guy that waited on us was attentive and pleasant. Thanks for making a beautiful day even better read more

If you haven't been to Swad in North College Hill yet, you're missing out on the friendliest service in the Tri-State, paired with some top notch Indian cuisine. If you live in North College Hill, College Hill, Mt. Healthy, Finneytown, or Colerain this is your spot for Indian. The servers are on top of it and you will always be greeted by friendly faces. There's never too long a wait and plenty of street parking. They also serve alcohol. read more

Abby and I have eaten here twice now. Since moving west of I-75, we've struggled to find good Indian food, and I'm happy to say that the search has ended! Swad has a wonderful atmosphere. It's hardly ever crowded (shockingly). When we've arrived, we've always been seated right away, and our food has come quickly. The staff is very attentive with refilling our waters. They have wine and beer (draft and bottle) as well. Abby likes the chicken tikka saag. I tried the chicken vindaloo, and it was not as vinegary as it is at other places, so the second time we went I tried the chicken tikka masala, and that was killer! We also got naan both times, and I don't even want to know how much ghee they use to cook that stuff, but it is delicious and perfectly crispy/soft. It's the best naan I've ever had. Prices are comparable to what you'd see at other Indian restaurants around town, but the servings are a little small in my estimation. read more

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Nice local authentic spot in NCH. The food is always amazing even with takeout. They adjust the spice to level to your preference.

My favorite place for good, authentic, vegetarian Indian food. The atmosphere is casual and the service is warm and friendly. I have been going there for years. The thali plate is my favorite, and I have never been disaaponted with any dish. Sometimes I just get a yen for their food and have to stop in - yum! read more

We live in the neighborhood and have generally had good experiences at Swad. Knowing the food is consistently good, we brought some friends who were visiting from out of town. I gave two stars in my review because all four of our entrees were very tasty. But, the service was just terrible. The restaurant was not busy at all when we arrived but it took over 15 minutes to have service (other than water) and this only occurred after I asked. During our entire dinner no server ever checked on us. Our dirty dishes were only cleared when we got up to leave. The oddest part was that the customers were expected to know that they were supposed to go to bar to check out, even though a bill was never brought to the tables. Upon check out the customers had to list out there orders to woman doing check-out and there was also tremendous confusion about their coupons, which has never happened in the past. I may continue to use Swad for pick-up but we are done with dine in service. read more

I have only tried the lunch buffet. The price point at 8.99 includes masala chai is good. They had like at least 4 chicken dishes which was also generous. I thought the flavors were good but I do wish the temperature of the food was hotter not spicier, i just mean most items were warm or warmish and nothing was hot at about noon on a Wednesday. My favorite item was their tandoori chicken but i also enjoyed the tikka masala. They also offer ice cream and had two indian desserts as part of the buffet. There is free parking behind the restaurant. read more

This place is yummy. We are mostly vegetarian and they have TONS of options! We split the veggie balls in mater sauce. So good and flavorful and the veggie balls had a great texture! We also got the fried paneer. Nothing crazy and revolutionary. But guys! It's fried cheese! It will be perfect! Finally we also split an order of the keshmeri naan. GAME CHANGER! It's warm and smokey naan filled with raisins, coconut and cashews. It will NOT disappoint! Service is nice and fast. Place was very clean. The back room smelled like fruity cleaner or an air freshener or something though which was a little off-putting (until I got my fried cheese). My husband could not smell it. read more

Swad Indian Restaurant - Veggie balls (sorry I forgot the name!!) in mater sauce - Indian Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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This was excellent Indian food! I had the chicken jalfrezi - as someone who doesn't eat dairy, I knew that would be a safe bet. It was delicious! I would even say this was the best chicken jalfrezi I've had. Very tomato based sauce with peppers and onions. I also had the garlic naan, and the slices were huge! Delicious, garlicky, well made. Would definitely recommend and return when in the area. read more

Just had a wonderful meal. We had the chicken curry, Nav Ritan Corma, chicken dal and the mango vegetables. Excellent all around. The owners are the former owners of dushmesh. It was great to see them. They are always very helpful and learn their customers by name. :) We are excited to have them so close to where we live! read more

Swad Indian Restaurant - Store front - Indian Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

I ordered the chicken Tikka masala as a online order and when I got home it was mainly sauce and very little chicken. Like soup. I was soo dissapointed. I wint be back! read more

Delicious, high quality Indian buffet! The saag paneer and the curries are beautifully prepared, and the relishes add just the right amount of spice, texture or creaminess. The Tandori chicken is wonderful! read more

This is hands down THEE BEST Indian restaurant in Cincinnati. Newly opened you have to be mindful that they are closed for four months a year. When they are open they have thee best buffet and the wait for lunch isn't bad. If you're feeling adventurous try the Naan with potato and chicken stuffed inside I s divine. The service is top notch and the bathrooms are enviable. There are more options than the typical Indian restaurant and the ambiance set this place apart from the rest. I recommend adding this one to the list. read more

Swad Indian Restaurant - A sample of all of the food from the buffet. - Indian Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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I Ubered the Lamb Biriyani. Food was so spicy it was inedible. There was no spice range option on the app. And, $4 for two 12oz cans of coke. Are you kidding me? On the app it just lists "soft drink" you don't even get to pick your drink. But I rolled the dice thinking it would be AT LEAST 20oz each for that price. If I'd known they were selling 12oz cans for $2 I wouldn't have gotten it. read more

This place is amazing. They will sub coconut with anything which makes them more vegan friendly than pretty much any Indian restaurant in Clifton. Definitely stop by plus their open until 10 which is great for this side of town read more

Delicious Indian cuisine and the best service I've seen at a restaurant in a while. Casual, relaxing environment that is nicer than most. Their dinner platters are delicious and reasonably priced and come highly recommended from our four person dinner party. Check 'em out. read more

My friend and I have been on an Indian kick lately and this has been by far one of the best places we've been to lately. Our waitress was so sweet and kept our drinks refilled at all times. *We got naan with mint (with chutney of course) and I couldn't really taste any of the mint though. It seemed like they just sprinkled it on top of the naan and that was it. I was hoping for more of a mint flavor but it was still fantastic. Compared to other Indian restaurants I've been to, they cooked the the naan perfectly. Not too oily, not too soft; it was just right. *My friend ordered the Chicken Tikka Masala-3 (which everyone and their mom orders) and it was actually my first time trying it as I usually get Lamb curry-2 (as I did in this situation) and it was good. I still prefer my Lamb curry but I see why everyone orders the Chicken Tikka Masala as well. The lamb was cooked perfectly and the chicken was amazing (it was shredded beautifully). You won't go wrong with the Chicken Tikka Masala; but go a little out of your comfort zone and try the lamb curry because you won't be disappointed at all. *Lastly, our waitress was amazing. She was so sweet and she's definitely part of the reason we will be coming back. When we got our check another waiter have us this round donut soaked in what I think was melted butter and sugar. I'm not sure if they do this all the time as it was our first time eating here but it was a sweet gesture and made our experience that much better. We will definitely be coming back! read more

Swad Indian Restaurant - Chicken Tikka Masala (top left). Lamb curry (bottom left). Rice. - Indian Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Great food and the staff is really nice. I would highly recommend if you are looking for a peaceful environment to dine at.

Hate to say it because we've had it in the past, but tonight it was just awful. The chicken curry literally had two pieces of chicken in it and the curry did not taste good at all. As well, they have no customer service which is a shame since they are the only Indian Restaurant in the area. Guess we will have to keep driving a little bit further and go to Clifton. read more

Swad Indian Restaurant - Supposedly chicken curry... Where's the chicken??!!? - Indian Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

When we moved to Cincinnati, we went in search of some good Indian/Pakistani food. We were referred to the restaurants downtown and some up in West Chester and Mason, where the majority of the desi community lives, and honestly weren't super impressed. And the we discovered Swad, and best yet Swad is only few minutes from our house! The restaurant has ample parking behind, and some street parking in front. It's clean, and has never been super busy while we've been there. The lunch buffet is a great value, and is constantly being replenished with fresh food. The buffet spice level is pretty mild, probably a 1-2/6. The servers are quick and attentive. The menu otherwise is extensive, and reasonably priced. The food is pretty good. Not quite up to Devon Street or Jackson Height standards or family home cooking, but it gets us through in a pinch. I think it's one of the best Indian restaurants in Cincinnati. read more

Food is amazing. Service is Terrible. I don't know if they just don't care or if it is because we are a gay couple, but took forever to get greeted at the door. One we were sat we got handed off to another waiter without a word. He does a drive by with the menus and proceeds to seat the straight couple that walked in 15 minutes after us. They get menus, drinks, and place their order while my partner and I sit with water and nothing else... not even so much as a "be right with you." I might write it off as being over-sensitive. But this has happened (or some similar variation) each of the three times we've been in. Twice for dinner. Once at the lunch buffet. Never again. It's 2017. Not 1717. read more

Went here yesterday to give this place a try for dinner. This restaurant is really close to my barber so I drive past it every time. Went inside and there was nobody inside. The guy at the bar took my carryout order and I just sat and waited. Didn't take longer than 10 minutes. He was also very kind and offered me tea. I just kept it simple and ordered the chicken tikka masala with naan bread. Total came out to 15.00. Pretty great meal that was enjoyable. The parking is the only downside since the restaurant is on a busy road. Please give this place a try. read more

Wonderful food. Just the right amount of spices. The service was exceptional. Had a wonderful experience here. Will definitely be back again. read more

I got this for lunch one day because it's close by and was really happy with how good the food was! It's become a personal lunch favorite!

Food is ok.It is not authentic or anything. Its the same American Indian food that can be found everywhere in the Midwest. The good thing about it is that its edible and not 100% bland and tasteless like all the other places. The ambiance is the same bullshit with so called Indian art on the walls with not so bright lighting. We got inside at 9:25 pm and ordered instantly. The food was served around 10 pm.We rushed to finish. The whole time the manager was standing right beside us and looking at us.Around 10:15 pm he started asking us to leave rather impolitely. We were understanding. We still kept our cool and went out.Thats when we heard the manager swearing and calling us "motherfuckers". We ran back in.My wife knew hindi and told the manager that if he cant serve then dont take an order but dont show attitude after taking our money. We will never go back there and think twice before going to any Indian restaurants ever. read more

Momos are now at Swad. They have both chicken and veg. I loved the sauce. We ordered Thali for the first time, too. What a treat! I liked the veg better aloo, mushrooms mutter, and saag paneer - I liked the shrimp saag better . There were 3 entree samples, Raita, two kinds of bread. So good! read more

My first venture into N College Hill lead me to Swad's lunch buffet! When we walked in I was a little disappointed with how empty it was. I mean it was an Indian lunch buffet at lunch time on a Sunday. The place should be hopping. We were sat at a nice booth up front and there was 1 other table occupied in that room. There was also a HUGE bar (with just 6 chairs... all empty). We went to check out the buffet in the back room. WOAH BUDDY! The back room was packed! That's where all the action was! The food was constantly being refreshed so it was always hot and fresh and delish! I tried just about everything on the lunch buffet (except the goat curry) and it was all good. Even a little kick in a few items which was a delightfully unexpected find! The price per lunch buffet was under $10 which is super reasonable for such a delicious meal! I'm definitely going to have to come back and try out the menu offering! read more

Let's cut to the important part, IT'S DUSMESH!!!!! Before Dusmesh started sucking, aka before all the awesome people left Dusmesh. Otherwise, it's the same thing. And that's a good thing. The buffet is the same, the mango lassi is the same, and the family, most importantly, is the same. When we went, only 3 weeks after they opened and after only a few days of knowing who it was owned by, we were greeted and quickly chastised (in a friendly way) for not coming more often. It's like they never left and we never even ate at that other restaurant that now has their old name. Although I did remind them that it was THEIR fault that we hadn't eaten there in the past few months. In short, best mango lassi, best saag, best tikka massala. And my husband finds the desserts to be the best. I can't say I've ever liked any Indian desserts, but these are the best on any buffet. I would take away a star for now being driving distance away instead of walking distance. But, naaahhh. Best Indian in town! read more

As far as Indian lunch buffets go, this place is as good as it gets! I came here for lunch last Friday with a few co-workers...We needed to eat quickly and get back to work, and this place was a great stop! We were seated very quickly, and our waitress immediately took our drink orders. The buffet had a lot of options on it, and everything was hot and fresh. I particularly liked the saag with mushrooms and the chicken tikka masala. The only thing I didn't really like was the goat curry because I thought the goat was a little tough. Oh, and they had garlic naan on the buffet! Service was great. They kept our waters full and they immediately took away any dirty plates. They even split our check 6 ways and didn't even bat an eye. And did I mention that this all-you-can-eat buffet was around $8?! So cheap! This Indian buffet is top notch. I'll be coming back again when I need some fuel during work! read more

After quitting Dusmesh, I had a friendly yelper reach out and suggest I try Swad. I owe them, because this place is great! My husband and I came here for the lunch buffet and were not disappointed. Super salty fried pakora, plenty of vegetarian options, loads of dessert choices, fantastic services and wonderful decorations. If I was taking a friend to try Indian food for the first time, I would take them to Swad. Their saag was creamy, they had an egg dish with onions that was delicious, and a great spiced cauliflower dish too. I appreciated their variety of dessert options. Based on personal preference, I like my meals spicy, and lots of the vegetarian options on offer were pretty mild. I'm not sure how to resolve that! We also found a coupon for $3 off in City Beat, which we applied to the two buffet lunches with no problem! I don't know how frequently we will be able to get over to Swad, it's at least 25 minutes from downtown. But when we have the time and the craving for Indian food, we will definitely make the drive! read more

I knew Swad was going to be a classy joint when they painted over the clumsy mural from the days when this location was the failed Van Zandts. The interior also has a pleasant atmosphere with burgundy walls covered in tasteful tapestries. The lighting is low and relaxing, the music is soft and undistracting, and the seating is roomy. I visited on opening day - you would never have known. The lunch buffet had all the classic favorites, but they were all packed with amazing flavor. Even the fried food tasted light and fluffy. I was incredibly impressed, as I've encountered some lazily cooked Indian food at other buffets. There is a long bar, but no liquor license. Don't let that be a deal breaker. The food is worth it, and the chai tea hit the spot! The excitement between guests was contagious. Many of the diverse tables were remarking on the quality and talking with each other, despite the fact they were complete strangers. One guest remarked that the new owners are the same people that were across from Cincinnati State, and he had extremely fond memories of their previous menu that have carried forward to the new place. I just learned that Swad means "tasty"! A perfect name for what I just experienced. Hope they stay in North College Hill!!! P.S. They deliver!!! read more

This restaurant was once owned by the family that ran Dusmesh. However it seems that they sold it several months ago. Just like Dusmesh, the quality at Swad has declined considerably. Once we were seated, we were shuffled through several servers, and each were confused by who was waiting on our table. One of the waiters made a habit of stroking our two year old's cheek every time he stopped by, something neither us nor our child appreciated. One of the other servers pressured us several times into adding more food to our order. The food itself was more expensive than before, but not nearly as good. The biryani I ordered had the texture and flavor of rice from a Mexican restaurant. The raita on the side was watered down. My wife's chicken tikka saag was much better but still bland. Both dishes were missing spice and the lovely nuance associated with Indian food. Our naans were thick and doughy. Have I had worse Indian food? Absolutely, but the experience was so disappointing given what this spot was at one time. Unless I lived in the neighborhood I would probably not stop here again. read more

** Vegan Review ** I don't think it's necessary to draw this review out with a ton of specific details about each meal I have enjoyed here. However, it is important to know that I rarely give out 4/5 star ratings. I'll just simply say this: When I am craving Indian food, I drive to Swad. I don't even consider another place. read more

Like others have mentioned, it is also our fav Indian spot. The food is expertly prepared and the taste is divine. I have had the buffet but prefer to order individual dishes as I found their buffet to only be average. Service is excellent and prompt. The naan was great (recommend either the Garlic or Kashir) and my favorite meals are any that have Paneer in them. Oh yummy! There are usually coupons in the Bearcash/Citybeat, etc for here and it can help save you some $$. The outdoor patio is small but great for al fresco dining. read more

The restaurant is clean and ambience is great. The service is one of the best. But...unfortunately, food is NOT tasty. Its NOT Indian food. When I went, ours was the only Indian family there. Lots of Americans were there with families. If you love authentic Indian food, I would NOT recommend this place. Not good! read more