Andaz

This place is huge. A lot of seating and a full bar. Just about average food that you find at any Indian restaurant around USA. Luckily, it seems like they are able to keep up with the cleanliness. We had the buffet on a weekday. I liked that they had a limited menu and the most amazing chai, with unlimited refills.

Served in posh environs are a selection of Indian favorites, including tandoori chicken and curry.
Crispy shallow fried potatoes were absolutely pleasing, stuffed with Indian spices and dry fruits. Lentil soup, made with a variety of lentils, was tasty with crisp pizza-​like flat bread from the tandoor oven filled with caramelized onions and dusted with coarse black pepper, which brought out much flavor in my delicious bowl.
Presentation of food was marvelously appealing, and I am glad I did not miss out on this authentic Indian cuisine with style, while I was in town.

We’ve tried this place twice now, once for dinner and once for lunch. Each time has been excellent. Probably a little better value for lunch, given the high quality of the buffet, but, dinner was great and we have enough left overs from our entrees for two full size lunches. We’re big fans of Indian food from our time living in the Bay Area, and this place ranks near the top! Highly recommend!

First time eating here and I was pleased to find an ample and tasty lunch buffet. The food is flavorful with an even blend of spices. Besides vegetarian and non-​vegetarian selections, the buffet includes four chutneys (try the onion), fresh (not steam table) naan, gulab jamon, chai tea masala, and soft drinks and the buffet price is reasonable. Wait staff was friendly and attentive without being intrusive. Give it a try.

The food took beyond and hour to get served and when it finally did it was not pleasant as the food was not warm and didn’t taste freshly cooked. Needless to say I will not be coming back. Bad experience for a first time impression.

If you want some decent Indian food for a decent price, this is the place to go. Although parking may be a hassle, the food makes up for it. Andaz has a pretty large selection of food on its buffet line, everything from Tandoori Chicken to Goat Curry. They also keep their items different every day of the week so going on different days means you get different items to try. Soft drinks and Naan Bread come with your meal so give this place a try!

I visited Andaz for their lunch buffet a little over a year ago and heard they revamped it so was excited to try again after the mediocre experience before. Unfortunately the experience was about the same. While the lunch buffet had a good selection, everything was pretty mediocre. The spinach with paneer was my favorite but it was really the only thing I wanted seconds of. The lentil soup tastes weird, very peanutty. In the vegetable curry it seemed like they just used some soggy frozen veggies which made the dish mushy and bland. The special curry was ok but had so many bones in it, it made it hard to eat. The tikka masala was ok too but so tomatoey, tasted like chicken in some ragu with a little cream. The fish pakoras were pretty good also but the fried potato patties very dense and hard to eat. Overall I was expecting a little more flavor punch from all the dishes and everything was pretty bland. And no tandoori chicken or samosas?! Bummer! Very reasonably priced at only $ 12 though.

This is basically the only place to get good Indian food in Gainesville and it’s so yummy! Would recommend :)

Beautiful interior and a nice menu. Service was thorough and friendly. This restaurant feels higher end than a lot of casual eateries in Gainesville. Prices were reasonable and the dishes were well seasoned. Daal was delicious. The only complaint was that the naan was dry and not as delicious as other places. Fix the naan and its 5 star.

The worst indian food ever. I mean the worst. Except for the ambience and classy looking, the food is the worst u could find south of atlanta.

Great good, absolutely horrible service. I had to flag down everyone in the place just to get more bread and they tell you they don’t charge for juice when they do. Go for lunch but be prepared to run around to get any help from anyone.

Every college town needs an Indian buffet. This town is no different. This restaurant is very classy, great sit down place. The lighting and ambient music is very friendly. The food tastes great with number of options for vegetarians and carnivores alike.
The food is not too spicy, the meats at tender and tasty, the vegetarian dishes don’t overpower with too much grease. The lunch buffet is a great bang for your hard earned cash.
Definitely a great recommendation

Great food! Service was outstanding! A bit pricey but the rent has to be astronomical for this killer downtown location. Garlic naan for sure!!!

Starting with a bracing Bombay Sapphire Martini my colleagues and I had a wonderfully delicious meal at Andaz. Service was attentive but not intrusive. Portions were more than we could collectively finish and all very tasty. I couldn’t possibly name all the appetizers and entrees our group ordered other than my own, Paneer Tikka Masala, which was perfectly prepared for my palate. I would not hesitate to return and enjoy their culinary delights anytime.

Great experience. Service was good, food was excellent. Highly recommend the chicken tikka masala, best I’ve had. Daal makhani is also very good if you are looking for a vegetarian dish. I will return.

I am grateful to have an accessible option for good, quick Indian food in downtown Gainesville for lunch, with a very welcoming and enthusiastic owner!

I struggle to find words for exactly how polar-​opposite this dining experience at Andaz was compared to my original visit… a visit so over-​the-​top poor I swore not to go back. Thankfully the Unilocaler in me couldn’t make good on such a stubborn vow, and I continued to read reviews that restored my trust enough to try them again. My hats off to you all at Andaz, because this was a nearly impeccable meal that will guarantee I return soon for some excellent and flavorful fares.
The Space
To recap: right off of University Ave. and just a hair west of Main St., they have a tricky situation to work with. There isn’t really any dedicated parking that’s reliable, and Andaz (for dinner, at least) isn’t likely to appeal to on-​a-​whim foot traffic. Step in and I’ll admit to being harder on them than was fair on this aspect: the floor plan is nice and open, with an upscale yet casual air. You can see into the kitchen and right across from it is a lengthy bar with one TV should you find yourself waiting for takeout and idling. Enough seating to handle a good crowd, and likely a possibility if ever you need to organize a larger dinner party.
The Service
When I first went and wrote my most disappointing review to date, it was close to opening week and at lunch time, where everyone is typically gunning for the buffet. Coming for dinner, or just coming after they got a handle on things, was a world of difference. Our party of 3 was quickly seated, pleasantly treated, and never overheated (water refills were on-​point the entire time). When someone like me says «Yep, I meant to say ‘Indian Spicy’ for my meal» and I don’t get the refills necessary to not look like a chump, I can get testy. The open space made it so that all staff had eyes on us for attention as needed: superb.
I will say that two notes came out of the meal, the first being that our orders of naan came too long after the main dishes and that my girlie’s cocktail 2-​for-​1s came all at once. The former was probably just an accident, but come on: who wants to have their 2^nd drink just idly melting while they try to chug the first?
The Food
This was the part I was most fearful of in coming back. Andaz ain’t cheap, and last time I came I dropped $ 15 on a real dish (not the buffet) that was so bland I took two bites before requesting to speak with management about it.
This time? Incredible, fresh, spice-​laden deliciousness!
— Paneer Tikka Masala, Indian Spicy (B+): Hot, savory, and loaded with plenty of paneer to keep each bite packing a wallop of heat and flavor. I nearly finished it all, despite the tears welling up. Rice was flavorful but a tad stiff with some bites.
— Garlic Naan (B+): I haven’t had many servings of naan, but this was piping hot, balanced with garlic, and a nice range of soft and crispy for lapping up the sauces
— Papadam (B): Crispy and surprisingly vibrant for a thin, chip-​like starch. Definitely awesome to get this served as a freebie before the meal
The papadam also came with 3 different «sauces»: a sweet salsa-​esque option, a spicy chutney, and a sweet, drizzle-​friendly fruit selection. Also had their merits but I definitely preferred the chutney most (sweet before a meal is a turn-​off for me, though I had a fair amount of them all).
Final Thoughts
Could not have asked for this to go any better than it did! Gainesville has no real REASON to maintain an outstanding Indian restaurant, but if my repeat experiences are like this one was I will sing their praises and immensely respect the transition they’ve made. I’m still scared to try ordering off the menu during buffet hours, but you better believe this dinner deserves your tummy’s time.

I love the lunch buffet! Good variety of items and the dishes are very flavorful. Buffet comes with a drink and naan as well. Lots of vegan options… the chaana masala is one of my favorites! Nice and clean restaurant. Reasonable prices and good service. I’ve eaten here several times and I will definitely continue coming back!

Fresh, rich flavors, a wonderful broad menu and very diverse dishes on the buffet from chicken tikka masala to saag paneer to pakoras. I’m a regular at Andaz!
I grew up eating a lot of East Indian food and love it when it’s good.

Take out — Chicken Korma, creamy and delicious. Aloo Tikki appetizer was good with a little kick. Would try their food again. Restaurant had a very nice ambiance …
*Minus 2 stars because I had to wait 15 minutes for food when I arrived, even though it was Wed @ 6:30pm and there was only one table full in the restaurant, and I had called the order in 20 minutes previously.