Banana Leaf

We came here to enjoy some dosas on a Saturday afternoon before going on the Bourbon Trail. As soon as we sat down our waiter informed us that they were out of dosa batter — ok so even though that was like a needle prick to our balloon of excitement it was not the end of the world. Five minutes later, the owner came over to tell us that they were out of paneer as well and it will be ready in five hours. Ok so one more thing eliminated from the menu. At this point we were ready to walk out but one of us suggested that we have some light appetizers at least, since everyone seemed to be hungry. After going through the menu for 15 minutes with half the choices eliminated, I ended up ordering an assorted platter or samosa and pakoras. Well, surprise surprise, they were out of that as well but the waiter said they could switch the pakoras with gobi manchurian. I was alright with this arrangement as long as I got the samosa with it. Five minutes later the waiter came back inform me that the samosa will be extra. Excuse my insolence but I never even wanted the manchurian, it was offered in lieu of the pakoras and now I’m expected to pay more for the samosa? That was it for me, I canceled my order but by this time my friends had already ordered to we decided to just stay put.
I ended up splitting a samosa with my friend and it was the blandest thing I have ever eaten. I guess even though this review deals more with the service and customer treatment, from the looks of it none of my friends enjoyed their meal. The chat was too spicy and the rice looked like someone had scrapped the bottom of multiple rice pots and served it to us. Overall it was a terrible experience and needless to say I’m never ever going back there.

Nice, decent Indian place with nice, decent Indian food.
I have been here atleast 10 or 15 times, because this is the only accessible Indian place from my location — and definitely one of the better ones.
Food is 3 stars, but I give 1 star extra for this nice hospitality, and the sweet and welcoming waiters.

Banana Leaf shares a space with Bombay Bar and Grill. The food is authentic, expertly prepared, and consistently good. Service is friendly and they are happy to help you make menu choices that suit your palate.

Food is ok. Prices are a little high compared to other Indian restaurants around town while the experience is not necessarily elevated compared to them. They are one of the only places in town that have «South Indian» items on their menu which is a novelty.

Very bland food and atmosphere.

My first time eating Indian and I didn’t really like it… but I won’t blame that part on the establishment.
We explained to the waiter that it was our first time and he gave a suggestion with no explanation and he was quite hard to understand. After our meals arrived, I asked him if all of the entrees were soup like and he said yes… so do keep that in mind if you haven’t eaten Indian food before. The portions were very small for the price but came with a large platter of rice (that wasn’t warm). I don’t usually eat rice but in order to not walk away hungry, I caved and had rice.
The location, being upstairs is quite strange. I felt bit trapped, there was an exit sign/​door separate from the steps but wouldn’t be accessible because there was a table almost completely backed up to it. I must also mention that it was so cold in there… if you insist on checking this place out, bring a jacket, coat, blanket or all three ;)

They have moved location to a really horrible place. Previously it was a warm cozy place, but now it is outright filthy, cold and unwelcoming. The décor looks stale, with wires hanging everywhere. I ordered lamb rogan josh and it came luke warm and totally bland. Meat didnt taste fresh at all. Even the coke was completely flat (he never bothered to bring a fresh glass after i told him). Like Gordon Ramsay would say, it appears these people have just given up! Sadly no more banana leaf after this horrible experience for me!

I had heard great things, but my boyfriend and I came here on his birthday and it must have been an off night. It took ages for them to take our order (people that arrived after us got their food before we ordered…) and it took years for our food to come once we had ordered. We checked on it THREE times. I am positive they forgot to put in our order. After all this time (about an hour…) (and I should mention we had people waiting on us for a surprise party at home) the food was mediocre. The tikka masala cream sauce reminded me of spaghetti o’s sauce… Anyway, I’m sure they aren’t always that bad, but I am leery to go back…

The set-​up was nice. I ate by myself in a little quaint corner by the window that overlooked High St. The service was pretty good. I had a mango lassi to drink along with water and started off with Papadam to dip in Mint, Tamarind, and Onion Tomato chutnies which was pretty good but the Mint chutney was a different chutney that I had ben accustomed to as far as Indian cuisine goes. The tamarind chutney did taste like BBQ but I didn’t hate it! I then had the Lamb Tikka Masala and had them make it Indian HOT which is the highest level of heat they offer and it was AMAZING! The rice was perfect and not bland like one would expect! The bill was perfectly priced! I will be back again :)

«This is the best Indian food I’ve had since I was in England!» They are in a new location, located in the same building as Bombay on Limestone, but on the second floor.
They are much better than I remember them being in the old location. The naans were amazing. The lamb dishes that I’ve tried have been to die for. The prices aren’t that bad, considering the mountain of food you get.
The dining room is a little on the dated side. I know, the building is old. It doesn’t really detract that much, I suppose. But you just don’t get that intimate feel that you get from Bombay downstairs. This is not an endorsement of Bombay (I kind of like Banana Leaf’s flavors a bit more), just a casual comparison.

Okay, I’m the first to admit when I’m wrong. But I know the difference between palak paneer and paneer tikka masala. I ordered the former and got the latter. Yet the waiter refused to bring me the right plate. Not only was the order not right, it was also not good. Tasted like cheap, canned tomato sauce. The pakoras were at least day-​old. I left with heartburn and disappointment.

Food: I will outright admit to my bias for South Indian food over North Indian food any day. Having said that, I haven’t encountered a poorly concocted dish from here. They will truly spice your food according to your preference, and insistence that you grew up for parts of your life in India. This means my food was very spicy (I personally didn’t tear up), but my boyfriend who I’ve seen capable of handling more spice than all my Indian friends — did experience a sweat attack after eating my food. His more appropriate «hot» gave him a kick, without killing him.
Dishes I recommend: Sambar Idli, Chicken/​Lamb Biryani, Lamb Dosa, Palak Paneer, Bindi Masala, Chettinadu Chicken and Lamb Varuval. (Bare in mind, I’m not a fan of the creamier Indian curries — a more northern quality. The Chicken Tikka will serve that craving, and is good).
Personally, this is the best Indian Restaurant in Lexington (granted there aren’t that many), in my humble opinion. Other locations I’ve tried: Masala (both locations), Bombay Bar & Grill and Curry House.
Ambience: Very interesting layout, part of a converted house. To get to banana leaf you go up the stairs once you enter Bombay Bar & Grill. The space itself is clean, as are the bathrooms. Nothing special when it comes to décor, lighting or music.
Staff: Very courteous, friendly and helpful. If unsure of what you want, describe what you’re in the mood for, and they will be able to help guide your decision.

So on our trip to electric forest, stopped for lunch ordered samosas, pakoras. The tamarind Sauer tasted like BBQ Sauce??? Then I order the lunch saw… it was bad! For real it was bad! Also the panneer tikka masala was no good. So if u want to drop 30 bucks on bad food go for it. Service was pretty good!

Amazing Paneer Tika Masala! I highly recommend this place if you’re looking for good Indian in the area. It was not very expensive and my takeout order was ready when I got there, I will definitely be coming back next time I’m in town.

A quite delicious offering on the constantly expanding selection of Lexington Indian restaurants. This place has a little twist: they specialize in Dosas, a southern Indian dish that’s slightly similar in construction to crepes or quesadillas. Meaning: a pancake type thing that contains stuff. They also offer more typical northern fare, all done pretty well. This place does seem popular with actual Indian folks, it should be noted — possibly due to the proximity to UK.
Anyway — it’s pretty delish, and charmingly unappointed, a little bit ramshackle. It’s kind of a joint. I like that personally.
PS: the owners also own, I believe, the Bombay Grill, which is just a block down the road. It’s significantly more upscale if you’re looking for fancy.

Went here again last night with the wife. We’ve been a few times now, but last night was the first time we ordered anything other than dosas. I ordered chana masala, my wife ordered bindi masala. Both dishes were underwhelming, and the assorted vegetable platter was somehow off compared to previous visits. It’s only a little closer to my apartment than Bombay Bar and Grill, and so I think we’ll try that out next-​time the craving for Indian food hits. We’ll probably come back to Banana Leaf for a dosa here and there, but not sure I’ll order anything else off the menu again.
4-​star dosas, 3-​star ambiance, 2-​star chana-​masala/​assorted vegetable platter. 3-​stars it remains.

My husband and I spent a hefty $ 44 on a mediocre lunch here — a bowl of idly sambar for each of us; a rava dosa for him and some chana masala for me. We know good Indian food and I’m sorry to say this wasn’t it.
We wish we had gone to Chipotle down the street and spent $ 15 on a much more fulfilling experience.

I’ve eaten at Banana leaf three or four times now. I’ve mostly gone for the lunch buffet and have gone once for regular dinner service. I much prefer their lunch buffet because I think the food is better and you get a better value. The one time I went to dinner service, I ordered mild chicken madras at the suggestion of my Indian friend. The dish came out much spicier than expected (and I often eat Indian food, usually between mild and medium). The dish had a lot of heat to it, but no other flavor. My plain naan was greasy. My table had trouble getting beverage refills; we had to call a waiter over even though he was sitting at a nearby table, doing nothing.
The lunch buffet does not offer the best Indian food in town by a long shot, but it is decent and Banana Leaf is convenient to access from UK’s campus.

Just had a nice carry out meal from Banana Leaf. It isn’t easy to get to at the moment (unless you live on or near campus) with the construction on Limestone. There were no other customers in the place today… so I had excellent service — very friendly.
The gentleman at the counter (owner?) recommended the Vegetarian sampler and the house special Dosa (Veggie, Fruit & Nuts). I also got some Naan bread to compare to my favorite Indian place in Lexington.
The food took 20 minutes to come up — it definitely was all cooked to order. I loved the food — especially the great appetizers!
I recommend this place, but with some reservations… just because I think there is better Indian food in Lexington (although not with everything on the menu here!) — go on the weekend, and there will be lots of on-​street parking for free.
Don’t get hung up on the décor and condition of the dining room… the food is fresh, hot, and good!

My good friend, Eric, and I came here after after a long afternoon of Coffea and studying to wind down and try something new. Let me tell you this place has one hell of a menu. Anything you can think of malaysian or south indian in nature: they’ve got it. Being a late resident of Malaysia, I got five kinds of amped about having some old favorites.
After much deliberation, we decided to split the non-​vegetarian appetizer sampler, roti prata, and some spicy chicken briyani. Holy hell, this was one of the best meals I’ve had in months. The sampler was amazing, with come spicy chicken, hot fried shrimp, some kind of puffed something-​or-​other, and a goat samosa. Wow, everything was perfect with the recommended sauce from the waiter (there were 3). The roti was good, but it seemed more like just a plain naan to me. I was expecting a pan-​fried bread, but this could be one of those translation errors. Anyway, the Briyani was amazing. The chicken was absolutely perfect; and i rarely if ever say that. Juicy, and perfectly marinated. Damn it was the best part. Order this! It was comfortably spicy too.
And the service was great too!
Go eat here!