The food and customer service is elite. This has been by far my favorite Indian food place for the past 3 years. The atmosphere is also great read more

My new favorite find, and some of the best Indian food I've had, anywhere. Very delicious, varied menu, sensitive to food, allergies, excellent service, and a nice atmosphere. read more

Craving Indian food, turned my car around to head to Zest Indian Kitchen.i was seated by the hostess. The menu had a plethora of Indo_ Indian cuisine, too many to choose so I ordered the lentil soup with an order of lemon rice and Fish and Chips. The fish had seasonings combination of indian not too spicy. Yes, it was a pleasure to have such delicious dinner fter I ordered Mango drink, one of my favorite. Perfect for a hot day.The lemon rice dish was lemony with Indian spices with curry. Very content, with the service very attentive waiter. I like trying different menu items. Easy parking, laid back mall. Till next time, enjoy! read more

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What happened? This used to be my favorite place. We dreamed about the food. Did they change the chef? Did the biz get sold? All of a sudden, the food sucks. Please go back to what you were!!! read more

Arrived early before the crowd. Enjoy a very authentic dinner. Would highly recommend. read more

Zest Indian Kitchen + Bar - App - Chicken Kabab Platter Vegetable Platter Paneer Tikka Masala - Lounges Near Me - Lakeway, Texas

I really wanted to like this place and love Indian food, but the food was a miss. The service was great, we got seated right away and all that. But the actual food (Chicken Tiki Masala and Chicken Korma) was not great at all. Rice and naan were fine for sure. But would I be back? Probably not. read more

We were here for lunch special! And it was an amazing deal. Copious amount of food, very delicious as well. We ordered one extra dish with a side of naan. We were so stuffed after eating half through. The staffs were all nice and the service was fairly quick as well. The interior is pretty cute too! If you are in the lakeway area, try this restaurant out! Definitely work it. read more

Zest Indian Kitchen + Bar - Lounges Near Me - Lakeway, Texas

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This place is run-down. The bench seats are torn and uncomfortable. The men's bathroom doesn't have AC and was hot and humid and dirty. The ladies' bathroom does not have soap and sanitizer was empty as well, very dirty .The food was okay, but not the best. read more

First time coming to this Indian restaurant! We enjoyed the fact that they do lunch special with $25 including 2 curries, 4 pieces of garlic naan, 3 pieces of kofta with 2 sauces with white rice! Additionally, we ordered vegetable biryanis and garlic nans! Twas full table for us and couldn't finish it but the amount they gave us were good! Very nice service and twas a cozy and quiet environment! We'll be back again! Keep up the good work! :) read more

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Best Indian food I've had in a looong time. Been there at least a dozen times in the last few years. Menu is extensive. Spice levels are spot on. Haven't tried anything that wasn't great. read more

Nice to finally have good Indian food in this area. This food at Zest is very good. The menu is full of the standard dishes and the preparation, taste, and portion size are spot on. The mango chicken has a good combination of spice and sweetness. Very tasty. Loved the Daal and butter chicken as well. Very nice ambiance. Service was excellent. read more

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This is very good Indian restaurant in Lakeway. . The samosas are good and large; if you don't share you may be full before the main We asked for medium heat. The chilli chicken was very good but the spiciest dish of the night. It seems that at Indian restaurants medium means pretty much bland and spicy or hot has tears coming out of your ears-somewhere between would be great. Maybe they should add "medium hot". All the naan breads are good except the garlic naan. They like most restaurants use that awful bitter jarred garlic. Salmon tandoori very tasty. Mushroom Mataar good flavor, could use a few more mushrooms. Service is very good read more

We have been out exploring new restaurants and came across this Indian restaurant. We have found a few very good ones down in Austin and had high hopes for this place. Unfortunately, we did not find it to be worthwhile to recommend or come back to. It's located in a strip mall with plenty of parking. We arrived right as the restaurant opened and were seated right away. When we go to a new restaurant, we usually try some foods we are familiar with just to get a sense of how good a restaurant is. Normally I we would order appetizers at an Indian restaurant, but we kept reading about the "Chicken 65" and we started off with that. They are deep fried pieces of chicken with a 'chili' sauce. The chicken chunks didn't taste very fresh and the sauce was very unimpressive. It's a large appetizer and could easily be shared by four people. But I wouldn't recommend; it was lightly covered with the sauce and the chicken didn't taste freshly cooked. For entrees we had Chicken Tikka and Rogan Josh along with the Garlic Naan bread. The chicken in our dishes seemed to taste very similar to the Chicken 65; a bit over cooked and not quite fresh. And the sauces were only slightly indistinguishable. Other than color, they both tasted very similar. We ordered every "medium" for a spice level but it was more like mild. And the naan bread tasted like something out of a package and not fresh. We had heard about this place but it really didn't live up how others described it. The service was quite slow; they seem to focus most of their time on filling "to-go" orders. You might be better off ordering to-go and then when you pick it up, asking to eat it at the restaurant. There are simply too many good Indian restaurants down in Austin to recommend this place and I would rather make the drive to get amazing food than just settle for average. read more

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All the dishes we ordered were delicious, we asked for medium spice which we enjoyed. Loved the rosemary naan and chili chicken appetizer. Service was excellent. Relaxing ambiance. read more

The food was very delicious and spicy. Service was outstanding. The amount of food for the money was great as I could make several meals out of one order I can't wait to try their Sunday buffet. All you can eat for $20 excellent spot. read more

So came back here again to have a dinner now that it's been open for quite a while and I have to say that it is still very good and does not disappoint and is very authentic. The staff is so friendly. The place is a cute little vibe for date night or just to go have Lunch or dinner with friends and general. I always get the chicken tikka masala because it is delicious and one of my favorites here. My friend got the salmon which I have to say. I tried it and does not taste fishy and I am very picky on that so I have to say they did a great job on it. we also got the muscles which were to die for. I definitely definitely recommend them. And make sure you order the cheese bread. It is phenomenal. Great bar selection in there as well. A lot of good wines or any kind of cock to you would want in general. read more

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We both ordered the Chicken Tikka. The flavor on the sauce was amazing but we definitely could've used more heat. They have mild, medium, and hot. We opted for medium which tasted more on the mild side. If we return I'll definitely be getting the hot! The naan was great and rice standard. The reason for the lack of stars would be the chicken. It just didn't taste fresh and something was off about the texture for me but it was still a good dish and I would probably eat it again to see if the chicken was having an off day! 1 star taken off for the questionable chicken quality. Second star taken off just for overall first impression but we may go back and eat at the restaurant as it may just be that it's better fresh out of the kitchen! My husband also noted that it was nice inside. No photos taken as it was a to go order after a busy day. read more

The atmosphere is clean and nice, food is authentic and delicious. Lots of veg and non veg options. Service was good. We got veg samosas. They were great. My husband got kadai chicken and said the meat was good quality and was very well seasoned. I ordered yellow curry with is equivalent of Dal Tadka. It was flavorful and delicious. We ordered garlic naan and it was wonderful. To drink I got a masala chai. It was a small cup and $5 no refills. I feel like that was steep for what it was. It comes unsweetened and does taste authentic/ homemade as opposed to the pre-mixes I think some Indian places serve. They have Taj Mahal beer here and a decent alcohol list. We would definitely recommend this place. read more

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Solid Indian food for this area. Modern decor the light fixtures need to be dusted. Ordered 3 main dinner entrees, garlic naan, and 3 orders of Samosa appetizers. Chicken Tikka Samosa was greasy and lacked flavor. **Potato samosa is worth it and very tasty** We ordered "Very spicy", we could have used even more heat. Not sure if the entrees include rice but having two saucy dishes plus the other meat entrees we needed more rice. Service was good. Maybe we'll try the buffet sometime. The server highly recommended it. Overall a nice experience. read more

When I was in Austin a few weeks back I was craving Indian food and Zest popped up on Yelp while I was trying to find an Indian restaurant. Honestly I loved dining here. The ambience was very elegant and the customer service was absolutely on point. The servers went above and beyond to make sure our expectations were met. I absolutely loved their chilly chicken, so flavourful and delicious. We ordered the korma curry, fish tikka and the yellow daal. Everything tasted really well but my personal favourites were the korma curry so creamy and the chilly chicken. We had a few cocktails also, I had a vodka based cocktail which was unique and refreshing. They have a great menu and I would love to come back to try more items on their menu. read more

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We've been here a few times since it opened and it is great! We stopped by today (Sunday) for their buffet and highly recommend it. It's a great way to sample additional dishes at a very affordable price. read more

I'm so glad that there's great Indian food in this neighborhood (and full bar!)! For this first visit, we got the lamb Rogan Josh, mixed Tikka grill, Gobi Manchurian (or similar name, can't really remember what they called it), aloo paratha, paneer paratha, and mango lassi. Mango lassi: wonderful, more mango-y than what I've had in other places Paratha: nice and soft, fresh. Not too salty which makes it great for sopping up sauces. Lamb Rogan Josh: very good portion size, very tender lamb. Great flavor. Tikka mixed grill: this was only ok to me, as I found the proteins a little on the dry side. Gobi Manchurian : this one is harder for me to judge because I've not had this dish at other places before. We were informed that the heat levels was designed for American audiences and we ordered medium. To my palate (I eat more spicy than American and Japanese, but less spicy than Thai and Indian), I could barely detect any heat in their medium. Next time I'd order hot. Price i think is fine for this area but perhaps a little on the higher side. read more

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I love Indian food. As soon as I saw this restaurant I knew I had to try it. I've been three times over the last few months and each time has been delicious. We've sat at the counter all three times and the bartender was super helpful explaining what was on the menu and made recommendations for my husband. I tend to get the same thing each time - if it's not broke, don't fix it lol. The garlic naan served piping hot is so good! The tiki masala is perfect and their dipping sauces are fabulous. The food is fresh, delicious and fast. The drinks are made properly and strong. read more

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We've been fans for years! The food is excellent, the ambiance is friendly, and the service is top-notch!

Delicious Indian food with friendly service. The curries were flavorful and prepared to our requested spice levels. Naan was fresh and hot as were the samosa appetizers. We came with an Indian cuisine newbie and the Tandoori chicken did not disappoint. We've ordered takeout from here before but the dine in experience is the way to go. read more

From the moment you step through the doors, the world outside disappears. The air is thick with the intoxicating scent of spices and slow-cooked perfection, wrapping around you like a spell. Flickering candlelight dances across dark wood and velvet textures, casting shadows that whisper of something decadent, almost forbidden. Each dish arrives like a masterpiece--vibrant, daring, unapologetically bold. Flavors explode with drama and depth, pulling you into a story told in bites and sips. It's not just dinner--it's a sensory journey, a beautifully orchestrated escape where time slows down, and every moment is designed to leave you breathless. read more

One of our go-to restaurants in Lakeway! It's definitely the best Indian food in the area! Our favorite dishes are: Chicken tikka Marsala, mango chicken, chicken samosas & garlic naan. You won't be disappointed! read more

Great service, great food, great vibe! Will definitely return Recommend the stuffed naan, lamb rogenjosh, lentils!

Great place in Lakeway, great food, great ambiance and even better employees. We had a great time during our lunch at zest. Employees even told us they have secret menu and brought our authentic Indian dish kadi which is not even on the menu. We liked it so much that we even took an order each of kadi chaval home with us. Seems very legit Indian food place. Been here a few times since I came here for lunch with some friends.. highly recommend read more

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Great dishes as always! Looking forward to coming in for the lunch buffet soon! We had veggie samosas, paneer makhni, chicken vindaloo, lamb achari, naan, rice and ras malai . I also had a mango lassi and I sure needed it for the heat that came from the medium spice level we requested for the lamb. Loved every bite! read more

Finally found a good Indian restaurant in Austin that not only serves good food but also focuses on ambiance as well as service. I was pleasantly surprised when I came to Zest for lunch and found a couple of regulars sitting there who couldn't stop raving about the food and then the food actually exceeded our expectations. read more

Zest Indian Kitchen + Bar - Garlicky gobi - Lounges Near Me - Lakeway, Texas

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Great authentic Indian food. You can order every dish with the spice level that you want and the menu has a wide selection of different Indian dishes. read more

We recently used Zest for catering 2 of our events and our experience for both was really good! Food was amazing! We did North Indian Chole Bhature for lunch one day and a large spread for a dinner. Our guests from New York and DC raved about the Chole. Prices were reasonable. They did an outstanding job and worked with the hotel. The food had right amount of spice so everyone could eat it including the kids!. They were easy to work with and very accommodating. Highly recommended them for their catering needs. read more

How happy I am to have a quality Indian cuisine restaurant in my area. I enjoyed a delicious vegetarian Biryani at lunch, and was served a generous portion. I got a to-go box to take home! Very modern interior and nice staff here. read more

Zest Indian Kitchen + Bar - Delicious! So happy to have a very nice Indian restaurant in my area. Finally! - Lounges Near Me - Lakeway, Texas

First time to Zest last night. They were incredibly busy on a Tuesday evening (took FOREVER for any waiter to even stop by to acknowledge us, after we were seated - super annoying). That said, the food was absolutely flavorful and delicious, and redemption happened. My husband and 16YO son practically wanted to lick their plates clean. We ordered the chicken Tikka and Lamb Korma - just scrumptious! Bonus is the super stylish design inside and great music. Fun vibe and can't wait to go back. I understand why they were so busy. read more

Zest Indian Kitchen + Bar - Chicken Tikka - Lounges Near Me - Lakeway, Texas

This is excellent the food is authentic! The flavors make your mouth do a jumping Jack! Go here! The waiters are kind! Ask for Ajay read more

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Something has changed here. Our samosas were outstanding, but entrees this time had hardly any flavor. We ordered several dishes. All bland. Almost watery. Place wasn't busy like it usually is. I was surprised. Must have been a change in the back of the house. Disappointed since it's always been so good. read more

We had an awesome dinner at Zest. They are still working out some kinks but the food was the best Indian food I've had in Austin. Hands down. Can't wait to go again. We had veggie samosas, samosa chaat, chicken tikka masala, vindaloo, mater paneer, saag paneer and a bunch of the different naans. Everything was outstanding. I thought my so. Was going to lick his plate. Full bar. Great sav Blanc by the glass. Really just A+ all around. read more

Zest Indian Kitchen + Bar - Waiting for our table, at the full bar. Great mango lassi too. - Lounges Near Me - Lakeway, Texas

I am very picky with the Indian food restaurants I eat at, and this one hands down is really good. The food didn't taste "dirty" with too many cheap spices or weighted down. Even having the lamb Korma, it was still light, fresh, and tasty. The wait staff was great! Our waiter greeted us with a smile, ended with a smile, and even gave us a small mango Lassi at the end of our meal. I wish I still lived in Lakeway because I would come here at least once a week. Highly recommend! read more

Constructive criticism: Pay attention to detail, and be consistent with good customer focus & service, and be cleaner please. The floors and items in the hallway and status of the restrooms has me lose faith in quality of food and sanitization practices, and practices of BOH. Clean the door handles. Clean the walls. Clean the floors. The restrooms and hallway feels very different than dining room and that's not good. It should be seamless and spotless. I want to like this place more than I do. It definitely has the capacity and ability to improve. Here is what I have to offer: The food is great. But the restaurant experience is more than just the food, and there's opportunity to improve. I've been here 4-5 times now since you've opened (over a year ago?) and I have had the same wanna-be-good service but unfortunately there is no consistency, by anybody on the team, as far as I've experienced. When I think about going to dine here, I choose not to 90% of the time due to inconsistent service. It's hard to get service at the table, and most times when the server is there, many times I've been, it's as if they're only half paying attention. If I ask for something, I've often had to ask twice and things take too long to happen. I know restaurants and people very well and I'm not just saying this. There is also lack of communication from service to customers. Think about positioning statements. A little communication goes a long way. I believe Zest has been open long enough to have a better foundation than this. I suspect there is complacency, and maybe they don't actually care. Please be better and bigger. Restaurant is more than food, it's about the whole experience and details. The only time I ever received good customer service was my very first time in. If this style continues it'll be a 2 rating and then I just won't dine at Zest or recommend it. It's not hard to work harder. Make that orange corvette look good by cleaning your restrooms and make things make sense. Edit: yelp shows your health score was rated 88/100 originally and then last month rated 78/100. This is a huge problem and I'm glad I voiced my very legitimate concerns above. Hopefully you all get it together and raise your standards. 78 is disgusting. read more