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    The India Cafe

    4.3 (490 reviews)
    ModerateIndian, Salad, Seafood
    Open 11:00 am - 10:00 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Order The India Cafe Takeout or Delivery

    The India Cafe Photos

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    THE INDIA CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Quiet
    Good for kids
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - The India Cafe

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    Feast!
    Marcel E.

    We ordered a feast to go for dinner. This was our first time ordering from here so we basically wanted to try everything lol. Our top picks were the Chicken Masala (way more flavorful than the Butter Chicken), Garlic Naan, Samosas, Lamb Biryani, and the steamed Chicken Himalayan Momo (looks like dumplings) with the tamarind chutney was amazinggg. Loved that the chicken dishes all came with rice too. Definitely ordering from here again! Gonna see if we can eat at the restaurant next time

    23. Butter Chicken
    Derek N.

    I ordered garlic naan and butter chicken through DoorDash. The butter chicken was good, creamy and flavorful, but there was a pretty distinct tomato taste that stood out more than I expected. The garlic naan was decent but didn't really taste like fresh garlic; pretty sure they used jarlic instead, which made it less flavorful. Portion sizes could definitely be bigger; the photos online made it look like more food than what I actually got. Since I doordashed I can't speak on service, but overall it's a solid spot. I'd give it a 9/10: mainly just wish the naan had real garlic and portions matched the pics.

    Samosas
    Chris M.

    Stopped by for some food and saw they had some good reviews. We ordered the chicken tikka masala, coconut chicken, samosas garlic naan and mango lassi. Both chicken plates were terrific so tasty. Garlic naan is super good. The samosas were ok. The mango lassi was really good. The place had plenty of seating and was clean. Staff was friendly and found they were from nepal. Will definitely be going back super good!

    Butter chicken (bottom) and aloo gobi (top) lunch special

    This place is such a hidden gem. It's definitely more of a hole-in-the-wall spot, but honestly that's part of the charm -- no frills, straight to the point, and the people here are incredibly friendly and welcoming. The prices are AMAZING for the amount of food you get. Huge portions, super generous servings, and every single thing we ordered was absolutely delicious. You can tell they really care about the food and making sure you leave full and happy. Their lunch special runs daily until 3PM which is insane in this economy. The garlic naan was included with the lunch special at no extra charge, which almost never happens these days. And it was fresh, buttery, and so good. If you care more about incredible food and value than fancy decor, this spot is 100% worth checking out. We'll definitely be back!

    Chris S.

    This was my first time to the Indian Café. The service was good. This is a very basic, no-frills, clean restaurant. Service was good. My butter chicken was good but average. Portion size was similar to most other places. It came with rice. I had to order nan on the side. I would consider returning when in the area again however, I would probably try other restaurants first.

    Jim B.

    Small, but nicely arranged booths and tables. Helpful staff as we hadn't eaten India or Nepal food. I had Chicken Biryani for $13.99. Great and huge portion. My wife had the Lamb Thali which was very good at $14.99. Fun food as it was all new to us.

    Amelia M.

    Must say I'm really happy to stumble on them! The food is so good, the butter and garlic naan is not too dry, it's still moist. We pair it with. Goat curry, and it goes 10 for me! It's so good, the meat is generous, and the gravy! Oh wow, they gave the rice for one set of the curry, which yes for sure, I finished it with the rice! My daughter loves it, hubby likes it, for these 2 that always are picky eater, kinda good to know they like it! I had their mango lassi for drink, it's good! I will be back for more gravy! Oh the bathroom is so clean, it's a small shop but somewhat it felt homey!

    Vegetarian dish: 91. Vegetable Nepali Thali
    Cecile H.

    I was craving Indian food and came across this place while searching on Yelp. I came here on a weekday evening and it was pretty empty but I dined in and noticed many customers in and out grabbing to go. I wanted a vegetarian dish so I ordered the Vegetable Nepali Thali and it did not disappoint! I think I had eaten everything down to the last grain of basmati rice. It was soooo delicious and the naan was freshly made when it came out. It's not a fancy restaurant and could be viewed somewhat as a hole in the wall, but that's usually where the best food comes from.

    21. Chicken Tikka Masala
    Colleen R.

    Don't judge a book by its cover! This hidden gem in Costa Mesa has yummy and authentic Indian food. Came here on a Sunday after a beach day- there was one other party so we were able to sit right away. We sat at our table for a few minutes without being greeted so had to peek my head over the counter to get some help. I had chicken tikka masala with an order of garlic naan. One order is the perfect amount of food for one person and the garlic naan came with four pieces or enough for two people to split. Its nice because they do ask what level of spiciness of food you would like on a scale from 1-10 (other Indian restaurants I've been to don't ask this). The chicken could have been a tad bit more tender, but flavor was on point. Good service and very polite. Would definitely come back if i am in the area and craving Indian cuisine.

    Chicken tikka masala

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    5 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    2 years ago

    This place is absolutely amazing! I LOVE the chicken Korma, it is always a generous portion so I always end up with leftovers.

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    2 years ago

    Go to spot and a hole in the wall basically but the garlic naan is great and I love the saag paneer

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    2 years ago

    My go to Indian restaurant. It's more of a mom and pop place, but their food is flavorful and reasonably priced.

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    3 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Not great - lacks luster and ambiance. The food is average but tasty.. however, it was $20 bucks for a combo-drink included

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    4 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    3 years ago

    I really recommend this place. The food is really really good. I love Indian food and they are so fast.

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    5 years ago

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    Page 2 of 13

    The India Cafe Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - The India Cafe

    Do you serve halal meat?

    Yes we serve all kinds of meat halal thanks.

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    Water Grill - South Coast Plaza

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    Had to add the rest of the photos. I Recommend trying the…read moreoysters and some of the fresh seafood options like live Dungeness crabs, live Maine Lobsters, Live shrimps and the king of the Crustaceans the king crabs. Be prepared to drop a few Benjamin's here.

    My experience with the Water Grill began with reading…read morereviews on Yelp. I was expecting an overpriced let down like another Fish place in Lake Forest that we have visited. What I experienced was on a whole different level, I might even say this is a "perfect" restaurant; so much better than any other fish restaurant I have ever experienced. We had a reservation for our anniversary, but the table they first offered was not private. We got miffed and spoke with the manager. He moved us to another table which was private. He said something to me that I will always remember, "We are going to make your evening incredible." He did. Our server was John. He was kind, relaxed, attentive and friendly. He immediately brought us the most delicious bread and butter. Our appetizers were shrimp and crowder. Both were very excellent. Unfortunately, one person in our party had a medical issue, but John stayed with us through the whole ordeal. He was so compassionate, sharing a time in his life when things were not so great. His care and kindness were so above and beyond any level of service I have ever experienced. Things improved quickly and our meal came. We had Alaskan Black Cod over soba, the Sea Bass, and I had a two and one quarter pound Lobster! It was a kind of "Oooh" with the sea bass, "Wow" with the Black Cod and "OH MY GOD" when the lobster came. If you have been following me or read my reviews, I can be very harsh and picky when the food is not prepared correctly. This was the best lobster I have ever eaten. The meat was so sweet and fresh. John explained in detail how exactly they prepare the lobster. Great care is taken to preserve that freshness. They gave me every part of the lobster, and I absolutely loved taking my time finding and extracting every ounce of Lobster meat. I love to work and eat at the same time. It was fun. We ended with coffee and dessert. This was an Epic Meal. They spread rose petals on our table for our anniversary. I will never forget the kindness and compassion of John. Beyond Five Stars Definitely the very best restaurant in Orange County.

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    Pearson's Port - Swordfish, very tasty grilled

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    Shuck Oyster Bar - Chowda

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    Shuck Oyster Bar - Grilled cheese

    Grilled cheese

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    Shorebird - Fluffy hotcakes served warm at brunch in Newport Beach, finished with butter and syrup for a classic start.

    Shorebird

    4.3(1.1k reviews)
    2.4 mi

    We came to Shorebird around 8 pm with a reservation for a larger party and waited about 10 minutes…read moreto be seated. The restaurant itself is spacious with a beautiful view of the water. Service was good throughout the meal, though nothing particularly stood out. We ordered several dishes to share, including the Butter Basted Hokkaido Scallops, The Shorebird, Swordfish, Prime Skirt Steak, Prime Skirt Steak Taco Platter, Chilean Seabass, Yellowtail, and Carrot Cake. Everything was definitely on the pricier side, but the quality reflected the price for most of the meal. The only miss was the Swordfish, which was too dry for us. My personal highlights were the Prime Skirt Steak, Chilean Seabass, and The Shorebird, especially the risotto that came with it. Everything tasted high quality and well prepared. We found street parking directly in front, which was free after 6 pm. There's also an underground lot where Shorebird validates two hours of parking. Overall, Shorebird is a great option for a special occasion or a nicer dinner out. I'd recommend making a reservation, especially if you're coming with a larger group.

    We went for a large work party and were seated right away. First I will say the service was the…read morestandout here, all the humans we engaged with , were super kind and supportive. I have an allergy so I always have to navigate food carefully-they took such wonderful care of me, and made it so easy to feel comfortable. The view was great, I sat close to the water and enjoyed a bit of a breeze and a great view of the boats coming and going. The only issue we had, was getting cell service to call ubers for our large group after dinner lol. Over all great experience.

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    Luke's Lobster Balboa Island

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    4.5(81 reviews)
    3.0 mi

    Luke's Lobster in Balboa was another birthday treat from the wife, and she wanted to take me here…read morebecause she knows I love lobster and crab rolls, or really just lobster and crab in general. Now here's the thing, I've never really had a great lobster roll. It's always been so overpriced for the lack of flavor and just never really worth it. Luke's was the first and truly one of the best places I've had a lobster roll, and honestly it was kinda shocking. We ended up getting the flight, which came with a crab roll, a shrimp roll, and a lobster roll, and all three were phenomenal. But what completely shocked me was that the shrimp roll was a hundred percent the best of the bunch. The butter it came with, that pure savory sweet ocean saltiness, the bread, the butteriness of it, I wish I had ten of them. I could have sat there and eaten all of them right then and there. The shrimp roll was number one for sure, which really surprised me, but it was that good. The lobster roll was a solid second. Great amount of lobster too, and I mean this isn't the kind of place that gives you two or three sad little pieces, they pack a whole handful of lobster in there, which I really appreciated. If you're paying a pretty penny for it, at least they came through with a generous amount. The crab roll though, that one completely fell short. I wasn't too bummed since I was way more locked in on the lobster, but the crab just wasn't there. I don't know if the crab itself just didn't have the flavor this catch around, but it tasted like watered down salt with a little bit of butter. So yeah, that one was not great. Lobster and shrimp though, wonderful. The clam chowder was also really good. I added a little pepper just to give it an extra kick and a little bite, and it was great. The staff were so sweet too, super welcoming and helpful, especially since it was our first time and we had no clue what to get. We hit them with a bunch of questions just to get their insight and hear what their favorites were, and they were awesome about it, really welcoming and just genuinely sweet and helpful. This is definitely one I'd love to go back to, and I highly recommend it to anybody looking for a good lobster roll. Truly a good place in my opinion.

    I visited Luke's over 2 weeks ago and can't stop thinking about the food. We got the Maine combo,…read morewhich includes a drink, a 6oz lobster roll, a cup of clam chowder and a bag of cape cod chips. The roll was FULL of quality claw meat. The chowder had really large chunks of clam- no barely there tinned fish around. As a note to temper expectations- this is a shack style beach joint. You order your food, and there is a small seating area behind the shop that is shared with a wonderful coffee shop. There may be limited seating. I would have eaten this meal standing up and would be happy as can be.

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    Luke's Lobster Balboa Island - Front of Luke's Lobster

    Front of Luke's Lobster

    Luke's Lobster Balboa Island
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    The India Cafe - indpak - Updated September 2026

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