Tandoori Nite

My cousin was craving Indian food in Berkeley and found this place on Unilocal.We came here based on all the good reviews and I would definitely come back again. Reasonably priced and the tikka masala was great! What I enjoyed the most was the Chai tea! They even have free WiFi, if I had known about it earlier I would have totally study here as well!

I ordered food here for delivery and their website said the minimum delivery was $ 15.
Half an hour into my delivery time, I get a call saying they refuse to deliver because they decided their delivery charge minimum is $ 20. How is this acceptable?
If your website says $ 15 and my order went through, there is no excuse to not deliver the food to me, especially since now most businesses are closed for delivery.
Not okay! And I didn’t have the option of adding to my order, my only option was to pick up.
When I called the restaurant to add more food to my order in order to reach the $ 20 minimum, they said it was too late even though I had placed the order an hour before delivery closed. I would think that they would try to be even a little but accommodating considering they messed up not their end.

Lovely traditional Indian music plays overhead.
Indian pop music accompanied by lots of skin plays on the television in the main dining room.
A baby cries in the upstairs dining room.
Rap music plays loudly on a phone at the table next to mine. They had the phone upside-​down on the table with music on full blast for the entire time that I was there.
«Happy birthday» is being sung by the same table, multiple times.
The waiter approaches the table at least twice without saying anything about the music. However, he is clearly the only waiter, and he has an unreasonable amount of people for just one person to be waiting on. The birthday table alone had about 15 people, and not one of them seemed to have ever dined in public before.
I ordered veggie korma (per some random Unilocal review that I felt like trusting) and Kashmiri naan. Before those came out, I was served papadum with mint and tamarind chutney. I don’t normally order those, but the chutney was amazing, especially the tamarind.
The Kashmiri naan was okay, but either it was pre-​packaged, or the filling was just way over-​processed. It was like a blended paste rather than the individual ingredients.
The korma was flavored okay– not bland but also not very flavorful. As to the spice level, I asked for medium-​hot, and was given something beyond mild with no heat whatsoever. The vegetables were not the freshest. I swear some people think that they can cover up bad vegetables by stewing them. No.
The rice was good, but it had its own seasoning which conflicted with the korma. It kind of tasted like it had been cooked in chicken broth, but that seems unlikely for an Indian place.
The waiter didn’t check on me at all, but I wouldn’t have expected him to because he was really slammed to an unfair degree.
I was pretty solidly in the three star range before I used the restroom. Much of the floor had recently been mopped, but the areas near the sink, toilet, and trash were still coated in cockroach tracks in a big way. BIG way. Yuck.

I am so happy to have found such a great lunch option near campus! Taste, price, and overall value for the lunch buffet here is pretty on point. From 11am to 3pm seven days a week, you get a pretty decent assortment of options for just under $ 11 after tax (but before tip and any extra drinks you may want). I liked that since it wasn’t busy, the host asked where I’d like to sit, since I was hoping to be by the window on such a beautiful day.
The options are «limited» compared to your standard Americanized Chinese food buffet, but for an Indian buffet, this was a great spread. Along with salad, basmati rice, and a carrot pudding, there were trays of tandoori chicken, curry chicken (thighs and drumsticks), chicken tikka masala (white meat), saag paneer, mixed vegetables, and a couple things I didn’t recognize as something I’d had before and thus, didn’t try.
The salad was just iceberg lettuce with a few overly-​dense carrot pieces thrown in there. The tamarind sauce though was super fruity and sweet and was the perfect dressing. I have no idea if that’s what it’s for, but I’ll totally use it as a salad dressing.
The basmati rice was actual basmati rice, not the white sticky rice other places cheap out with on the buffet. I didn’t try the tandoori chicken here, there were too many other things I needed to fit in this little belly.
The curry chicken had, to me at least, spice baby #1, a bit of a kick to it. The curry sauce it was in was a little thin of a consistency but tasty. I got part of a bone-​in thigh chunk, but at least the big bone was the only bone — no tiny ones to fish out of my mouth mid-​chew.
The chicken tikka masala — oh my lord am I a fan of the tikka here! At first glance it looked much more golden and less orange than I’m used to seeing tikkas, but the flavor was just what I had been craving. It was so, so creamy and had just the teeniest, tiniest hint of spice that it was 100% comforting. I definitely got the most of it on both plates (ok, plate two was just some more salad with tamarind and then a ton of tikka on rice). The chicken pieces themselves were a little bit dry, so I essentially shredded it to mix it in with the sauce more, which made it just about perfect. Looking at the menu online, the butter chicken is shredded already. I’ve often tended to favor butter chicken over tikka masala since it’s often creamier with less pronounced flavors, but until I come to the buffet on a butter chicken day, I can say that if I was getting dinner here (so no buffet option), either when I go back to a night work schedule or when getting takeout or delivery, I’d get the tikka for sure! I’d love to try it with prawns sometime.
The mixed vegetables were kind of all mushed together besides the large chunks of potato. I couldn’t really tell any other vegetables apart except for a few strings of red pepper. It was all right, definitely not bad, but I’m glad I didn’t get too much so I had room for the things I liked more, like the TIKKA.
The saag paneer was another major home run for me. Being a spice wuss, some saags are somehow too spicy for me which breaks my heart. This one however, was soooooo creamy and comforting. Are we seeing a pattern with Tandoori Nite? I feel myself gaining 5 pounds just thinking about what and how much of it could have made these foods so rich and velvety smooth.
The naan was fluffy, thick, and chewy. It was a perfect vehicle for either the tikka masala or the saag. I’m not a bread fan, but this was some yummy, glutinous naan!
Paying was a breeze, my meal came out to $ 12 and some change since I got a can of soda. I left a decent tip, especially considering it was a buffet, since they asked if I wanted my water refreshed during the meal and were overall, polite and nice.
I’ll definitely be back here! It’s convenient to campus and had really great (in my very humble, Midwestern white girl, opinion) flavors. It was exactly what I personally want in my Indian food, and for a price very competitive with other buffets around that don’t sound nearly as good (or that I can say from personal experience I found far inferior), this is one of the best bang-​for-​your-​buck lunch options around the UC.

Sunday lunch buffet was around $ 11. I am a veggie and I felt I had very limited options to choose from. The food tasted really good and there was complimentary hot indian milk tea. You also get Naan (indian bread) included in the buffet.
If you want to have a peaceful lunch buffet with good taste, this is the place to go!

Dry tasteless food that was not enjoyable at all. They need to learn how to cook properly.

After coming here again for dinner, I have to say that I am pleasantly surprised. They now serve a side of rice with their entrees, which either they did not do before or forgot to give the last time I came here. The quantity of food x the superb quality (and service) compels me to update and give them 5 stars. Love their veggie korma.

Between 3 and 4 stars on this one. The lunch buffet selection was decent when we went, and I enjoyed many of the dishes, including the chicken curry, a mixed vegetable dish, and the saag paneer. The chicken tikka masala could have been better I think, since the chicken was quite dry. I liked how they give you the naan separately upon request, and the rice pudding and chai masala were good after-​meal treats.

All-​You-​Can-​Eat Lunch Buffet! What more can I say?
For $ 10 + tip, you get a decent variety of Indian food and unlimited garlic or regular naan bread. The selection is not very big, but they definitely adhere to the quality over quantity motto; there are two small carts worth of food. Everything they offered was delicious, especially the Chicken Tikka Masala, naan, and gulab jamun (sweet fried bread).
I normally don’t go for Indian desserts just because I’m not very used to the spices or because they’re too sweet, but this dessert is to-​die-​for. It is warm and drenched in a sugar soup mixture, but surprisingly it was not too sweet. The doughy middle was so fresh and tasted like fresh-​baked bread.
Their menu changes daily and I really hope they serve butter chicken the next time I’m there, since I’ve heard that it’s downright tasty.
Overall, this place is a gem and the décor with high ceilings and televisions playing Indian music videos makes it a comfortable place to slowly enjoy your food in. The one negative thing I have to say is that the server forgot about our naan even when we reminded him a second time, but hey, everyone makes mistakes.

We came here for lunch on the President’s Day holiday last week. The lunch buffet was such good value, including naan and hot chai tea too. I really enjoyed the butter chicken, vegetable, and tandoori chicken — didn’t even get a chance to try the other options at the buffet because I was stuffed after one full plate. The fresh melon for dessert and carrot pudding were excellent too.
There’s easy parking in the side street across the street from the restaurant.
This is going to be our new go-​to Indian restaurant!

Okay dude. Lunch. Buffet. Tikka Masala /​Butter Chicken. Saag Panir. Daal. Tandoori Chicken.
BOMB.
$ 10 + Tip
BOOM!

This should be your go-​to place in Berkeley for steam table Indian food.
The lunch buffet will set you back all of ten bucks, but the food is of pretty decent quality. Some of it — including the saag paneer, dal, and butter chicken — is downright tasty. The naan is fresh, and the pakoras pretty good. If you’d prefer the sort of buffet where you get small portions of 20 or 30 different things, maybe you should go elsewhere. But if you want plentiful, more-​than-​competent Indian food served by friendly people in an airy and comfortable restaurant then I repeat:
This should be your go-​to place in Berkeley for steam table Indian food!

Lunch buffet is $ 10+tax! Granted, there isn’t a huge variety, but it changes daily and the naan they serve (you can request plain or garlic) is piping fresh and delicious. Their chai isn’t as good as House of Curries, but overall you will spend less money here, so you get what you pay for (and the chai is totally acceptable).
Great value for the money!

Food is good, but I recommend going during the lunch buffet. The lunch buffet is a great deal. You have several dishes to pick from and can have as much as you want. It also comes with Naan and tea for a flat fee of $ 10.
During the dinner, the portions are MUCH smaller and expensive, and Naan and tea are not included. Food is really good quality. Service could be better. The place was empty and we chose to stop by since this restaurant is much closer than House of Curries. The young Indian girl rolled her eyes when we walked in (great greeting), and after filling our glasses once, they were left unfilled the whole time. I think it was a cue that our dinner conversation had gone on too long. Sorry! Will try not to come back as often.

$ 10 for a lunch buffet? I’m so there *_​_​*
Their buffet selection isn’t that big, but the food is great! I’m stuffed after 2 plates of food so I don’t mind the small selection.
Their chicken curry is great, and even better with the naan!
The service was very quick as well :)

I’ve always walked past this place after my treks from Athineon, 85C, Platano — you name it. However, when my boyfriend mentioned this place to me and their super cheap lunch buffet, I knew I had to try this place out. We came in at 2:30 — 30 minutes before they closed to switch over to dinner service. The first time I walked in it seemed so fancy for a place that served lunch buffet — multiple tables with white tablecloths and a small buffet section way in the back that I almost missed had my boyfriend not pointed it out for me.
I tried a bit of the palak chole, chicken masala, gobi, tandoori chicken, and the rest I don’t remember — more of their vegetarian dishes. To be honest, I didn’t grow up with Indian food so I’m not one to say whether it’s authentic or not, but it was delicious. So much better than the Indian Express place along Bancroft. They also serve dessert — a sweet, light rice kheer! I had to go back for seconds for that one (mainly because I have such a sweet tooth for anything — even sweet potatoes aren’t safe from me).
Basically, if you want a cheap Indian lunch buffet, make the trek to Tandoori Nite between 11 and 3. The buffet closes at 3 so if you get in at like 2:45, make sure you grab as much food as you can! The workers were so nice they even came up to us and told us that they were going to close the buffet carts, so if we wanted more food we could grab it before then. Service was awesome! Pay at the register! Leave super full and happy!
Oh did I also mention complimentary naan/​garlic naan that you can ask more for? Yeah. You’re welcome.

After the first football game of the season, we were ready to eat some amazing Berkeley food. I guess I’m old now, because a lot of the restaurants I remember from my days at Berkeley do not exist anymore. We came upon Tandoori Nite and decided to give it a shot.
I ordered my usual saag paneer (it’s what I use to gauge how good an Indian restaurant is), and we ordered one plain naan and one garlic naan amongst the two of us. They brought really spicy papad/​chutneys to the table, and we ordered a mango lassi, which was super yummy! The food came out and they brought an entire bowl of rice for each entrée, which was nice.
The naan was SO GOOD– really soft and flaky where it needed to be and chewy and awesome. I wish all Indian restaurants could make naans like they make them in Berkeley. it must be the water. I ordered the saag paneer «medium spicy» and it still had a slight kick to it, but it was really good too! I love their generosity with the paneer as well as the freshness of the paneer.
Would I come back? yes– I wish it was closer so I could come back more often!

So happy to have discovered this place! Thank you, fellow Unilocalers, for pointing me in the right direction!
I was instantly greeted by a friendly man as soon as I walked in the door. Seated me right away, brought me some water, and asked if I’d like the buffet. He then finished with «Would you like some complementary Naan?» Ummm… is the sky blue?!? Yes I’ll take some fresh Naan, make it garlic. Folks, the Naan alone is worth the cover charge.
Onto the buffet. Not a gigantic selection, which is fine because what they do offer is done well. My faves were the chicken tikka masala, saag paneer and chickpea curry. Tried the carrot pudding and it was alright, maybe a bit sweet for my taste.
So there I sat, all alone mind you, making yummy noises while savoring each flavorful bite. I’m sure I looked like a complete weirdo. But I DIDNT CARE because I was in pure INDIAN BLISS.
So there you have it, folks. Best Indian lunch buffet in the Bay Area. Yep, I said it.
Oh, and all this for ten bones. What a deal!

The very best of Indian restaurants seem a bit sketchy to the uninitiated Americans. Tandoori Nite does not disappoint!
Hospitable staff, amazing food, and excellent ambiance.

This is the best Indian buffet in the UC Berkeley campus area – period full stop. No it is not the best in the Bay, however, for the price point of the buffet $ 9.99 and the quality of the food (north indian and non-​greasy) it cannot be beat.
My only hope is that other supposedly «good» restaurants in the area will increase their food quality and offer lunch buffets as well.
This is my new go to Indian place near UCB, no other places can match with respect to food quality, lunch buffet, price point, and a pretty good interior (not that I go here for the interior decorations).

Great place for lunch with a buffet at $ 10! Food is more than decent for the price. The naan was delicious, less thick from what I have experienced but really good. The tandoori chicken masala was not so spicy, I love chicken more tender and it was a bit maybe too cooked but still good! A big 5 star for the sweet rice pudding. I was with my in laws and mom is usually not eating outside so she got only some salad from the buffet and they didn’t even charge for a third person! Very nice people.