Indigo

In town on business and found this place within walking distance of my hotel. Food was fantastic and the restaurant has a very casual and comfortable atmosphere. Service was also excellent. Will definitely return if I’m in the area again.

This is my go to place for Indian food in DC. Outstanding. Authentic. I grab To Go here during the colder months but the ambience here is really cool in the summer with an outdoor bar and twinkle lights. Oh and did I mention they have a serve yourself bar? High five.

Wonderful flavorful food! Big portions. Small eating place but very nice service. Relaxing atmosphere.

So pleasantly surprised by this delicious and quirky little neighborhood spot. Best Indian food I’ve had in awhile. Reasonably priced, and so tasty. It appears to be family owned, and such great attention to detail. Lamb curry was to die for!

The most awesome Indian food I have had in US. Everything tasted like home cooked food including the chutneys and the achaar.

Favorite local spot. Bummed it’s getting more popular and crowded. The masala chicken is great. My boyfriend likes spicier food than I do so he gets the chicken saag. The chicken indigo roll is great too.

Take-​out dinner was excellent. I had the Indigo special bone-​in chicken, which came with rice and very tasty chickpeas. It’s a busy place. During the winter months, not the kind of place you will hang out and chat after finishing your meal because the dining area is small, but the outdoor space looked large, so I imagine it’s not quite as bustling inside during warmer months. Appreciated the courteous and well-​informed staff as well as the Bollywood dance videos that were pumping over the (totally not obnoxious) AV system. Also, they make every effort to be environmentally conscious, so I want to thank this business for their efforts toward sustainable commerce.

This place has some great, quick, on the go, Indian food. Always a hot spot on the weekends, or when there is an outdoor movie playing at Union Market. I liked this place so much that I catered a meeting at my office with their food. The manager was so kind and included an extra tray or rice. If you are ordering for a large group of people, order more meats and sides that you think you will need since the portions are a little small.

Service was great and that is exceptional considering they are always so busy. However the wait is never too long and even still the food is WORTH IT!

Service was prompt and very courteous. I ordered the #3 Spicy Chicken. Definitely had the heat and it was tolerable so it won’t scorch you like some Indian food can. I was disappointed that the rich flavor wasn’t quite there. I’m an avid Indian Food eater so this was a surprise to me. The speed of service, the presentation and overall atmosphere was nice. I’m going to come back and try another dish to see if this experience is limited to this particular item.

It tasted like home cooked Friday dinner when we typically try to make up for a hard work week with delicious meal.
Comfortable, very casual ambiance with very authentic Punjabi food
One of the best tasting palak paneer ever !

Great taste, great variety, in a quaint neighborhood setting.
Popped into this place a week ago while riding my bike. The place was packed with the usual NoMa DC folks (Hill-​staffers and NGO crowd). Ordered the Chana and Butter Chicken with some Roti. Tons of flavor, however the Butter Chicken was a tad bit watery (minus one star).
Since I’m now living in the area, will more than likely hit this place up again.
Highly recommended for anyone looking for quick delicious bites, or anyone who is generally a fan of Indian.
OH! The best part. Self-​serve bar. =D
You mix and make your own drinks.

I wish I could give this place more than 5 stars — probably one of if not the best restaurant in the district. The food is amazing and it’s great to support a local family business. The owner posts the menu on his facebook page every day. The prices seem expensive, but for me, the food is enough for two meals, so it’s actually a great deal. Chutneys and tamarind sauce are to die for, and I love that they make them available next to the utensils so you can keep coming back for more. EVERYTHING is good. I have yet to try something I don’t like.
Come here for the food, not the décor. They did recently add an outdoor patio and bar which is great, but the inside seating is very limited.

«Where will I find a reasonably priced place with delicious food, a pleasant yet not generic ambiance and a ton of vegetables?» Here. This is where you go. Don’t fool around with other places. There are so many fantastic options on their menu, you won’t get tired of it. Food is beautifully spiced, filling without being heavy. They even have a fun patio! GO!

Monday, 7:45 PM.
Indigo has a dope setup.
Quickie:
* Food quality
— Service
– Turnaround
+ Cool décor
– Cleanliness
And then???
Why no naan?
**********
Stuffed my face in:
1. Thali plate
+ Chicken tikka stood out (creamy taste).
Constructive comments:
*Option for compost
*Sustainable sourcing and practices

One of my favorite Indian places in this city. This last week I tried the lamb curry and chicken masala. Both were fantastic. If you are paleo/​gluten-​free/​non-​grain eater try the Thali without rice. You get a portion of meat plus 4 vegetables for $ ¹⁷⁄₁₉ bucks — I think the lamb is $ 19, if you get chicken it is $ 17. It is a great deal.
Everything is amazing. Pro-​tip: If you need a bit of extra spice in your life try the green sauce. They also have outdoor seating with beer and wine.

I have not had such an authentic experience in DC in a long time! Indigo is tucked away on a residential street in NE. Their outside patio is spacious and inviting. Inside, they have about 6 tables scattered around the outskirts of the room. Its an order-​at-​the-​counter style restaurant and when we went they had indian music videos on all TVs with indian music playing in the background. Their menu is written in chalk on the back wall and we saw an employee changing several items on it during our meal.
Food-​wise everything we had was amazing; hot, fresh, and quickly served. The rice was light and fluffy and all of the sauces we tried were flavorful and not overly spicy. They also have a selection of wines and beers.
All of the employees were SO nice! We even rang the bell (which they ask you do to if you enjoyed your meal! HOW CUTE!)! ⁵⁄₅ for Indigo. WOULD RECOMMEND. Worth the trip even if you’re not a neighbor!

I have never had better Indian food in my life. My friend and I ordered a side of shahi paneer with our chicken tikka and saag chicken and everything came out literally within 10 minutes (at 6pm on a Friday) and they were all perfect. The entrees came with rice and chickpeas and we both swooned on the first bite. And pretty much every bite afterwards. Halfway through, we stopped because we realized we forgot 2 important things – mango lassi and roti. So we took a quick break to get those and then continued. BEST LASSI EVER. The roti was a little dense but still great. We didn’t get these, but they did offer Indian beers and wines (but really, get the lassi too).
The restaurant itself is a super tiny room with a TV playing Indian music videos, and there’s an adorable patio with tiki torches and plenty of outdoor seating. The staff were friendly and offered suggestions, and the décor is just the cutest ever. It is clearly a family owned restaurant judging by the family portraits, loving couple iPad background when you pay with credit card, and the framed WaPo article of the loving couple. Also, see picture for cutest little square on the chalkboard menu. My favorite part of the meal was ringing the bell at the counter before I left, because of the sign that says to ring it if you enjoyed your meal. Did I EVER.

It was a neat place to find. I only did a take out because of the time it took to cook my food freshly. But it was worth the 30 minute wait on my food just because of the freshness.
They have outside seating which is very comfortable but inside is very small and when you sit in there for a while; your attire smells like curry. So when going back to work, it’s little inconvenient.

Converted house in a residential neighbourhood. Extensive patio seating. Prices are somewhat high considering the counter service and the divey hipster look but matches the quality and quantity of food.
I ordered the veggie combo with palak paneer and aloo gobi for $ 12. It came with channa masala and rice while you have to order bread on the side. The food overall wasn’t spicy but I enjoyed it especially the palak paneer which tasted so smooth but not too rich.

Food was just okay. The butter chicken had an overwhelming flavor of cardamom that was unpleasant. Spicy Masala Chicken was pretty good. Chole was solid but not super flavorful.
Paratha tasted good, but was very thin.
Good portions.

I heard really great things about this place, so decided to check it out. It’s a great ambiance… Walk up and order and they bring the food out to you. The outdoor seating area is great! And there is also a bar out there.
I ordered the Butter Chicken, and my friends ordered the Chicken Tikka (moderately spicy) and the Haraa Baraa Chicken. My dish was a little bit sweet, and I would probably order something else next time. But both of my friends loved their dishes. It seems like the spicy levels listed are accurate, and the staff was also willing to guide you on levels of spicy-​ness.
Overall, I thought this place was pretty good. One downside, they don’t have Naan! They have Roti bread which is thinner, but I definitely prefer naan with my Indian food.

Relaxed environment, colorful decorations, writing on the walls, dog friendly, and the delicious aromas of Indian food? No this is not a dream, or a hangover. This places exists and it is called Indigo.
Indigo is right by H street. They make good use of their space, with their outdoor bar and patio. There is also seating inside. It is fast casual in the sense that you order at the counter and if you eat there, your food is brought to your table. There also tends to be a line but it’s a sign the food is good. The menu is written on a chalkboard wall with specials starred by staff. The menu changes often tool; just something to keep in mind. For my first visit, I ordered the Lamb Curry and my fiancé ordered the Spicy Chicken Masala, as well as roti. The food also comes with rice, chickpeas, and fresh spinach. It’s actually a lot of food and they give a generous portion.
We sat with friends outside both human and four legged and waited for our food. Another plus to Indigo, they are dog friendly and allow dogs on the patio as long as they are on leashes. Our food came after a few minutes, and it was hot and smelled amazing. I went straight for the lamb and I was rewarded with a delicious and tender meat in a yummy curry sauce. It wasn’t too spicy but it did not lack in flavor.
Side note on writings on the walls. There is writing everywhere everything from jokes, notes to the chef, and random thoughts. It makes for some interesting reading and conversation.
Prices can add up if you add sides, appetizers, just something to keep in the mind. They take cards which is helpful. The staff is friendly and make good suggestions on what to order. Great spot off the beaten path.

Indigo is a small to-​go Indian restaurant nestled off of K. When walking up to the restaurant, you see their nice little patio with an outdoor bar and picnic tables to sit and enjoy your food, al fresco style. When you walk in, there is chalkboard with colorful chalk, listing a variety of platters, such as Chicken Tikka, Spicy Chicken Curry, Masala Chicken, Chicken Biryani, Keema Curry, Mango Chicken, Aloo Gosht, etc. They also have vegetarian options, offering vegan and non-​vegan offerings, and roti/​breads. I tried their #1 Chicken Tikka (in a ginger and garlic base, served with rice and chickpeas; while I appreciated the fresh and juicy chunks of chicken, this was way too tomato-​y and slightly watered down for my taste) and their #2 Butter Chicken (tomato cream base, also served with rice and chickpeas; this was surprisingly delicious, as it was creamy, a little more thicker in consistency, and had a nice hint of ginger and spices). I was also surprised at how good the chickpeas were, as they seemed very tomato-​like; however, they were seasoned wonderfully, cooked perfectly, and complemented well with the main dish; the basmati rice was also fluffy and perfectly-​cooked. I also tried their Garlic Roti, which was green in color; I wasn’t really feeling the roti, so I may try out their Cheese Bread next time. The mango laasi, which I couldn’t pass up, was thick and creamy, and quite refreshing. The staff here were all pretty friendly and efficient, and you can tell that the place prides in themselves offering freshly-​made, homecooked meals. The place has a cool vibe to it, with a plethora of quotes written all over the walls, superhero metal posters, and a big tub full of bottle caps. There are some seating inside as well. I’d love to try out their Signature Indirolls, the Chicken Biryani, and the Spicy Chicken Curry the next time. Check them out: D
+#2 Butter Chicken platter: D
+chickpeas :D
+yummy basmati rice: D
+mango laasi
+friendly staff: D
+limited free 2-​hour parking on K St

Having been back to Indigo a number of times, I’ve concluded that it’s a better value proposition to order a veggie combo rather than a thali, the former of which gives you decent portions of two dishes, plus a side of invariably delicious chickpeas over rice. Their many rotating menu options make it easy to enjoy a filling, plant-​based meal; there are usually at least a half-​dozen vegan options and several more dairy-​based vegetarian ones. Even if you eat in, they’re serving it in a biodegradable cardboard takeout box, and I do find myself with leftovers, especially if I get an appetizer or bread.
They’re actively working on improving their outdoor seating area, which fills to capacity sometimes. Weather permitting, this is a very nice area to eat at. Mostly residential and relatively quiet for being in the city; a nice respite if you’re walking up from the downtown agencies. Its deceptively anonymous locale is reasonably walkable from the Union Station area and the eastern part of the Mall, as well as being close to H street and Union Market, should you want to catch a relaxed dinner before going to a show of some sort. It’s quite walkable from the NoMa Metro, but I’ve also found that the neighborhood is not terribly difficult to park in, somewhat to my surprise.
Their space is limited, their prices continue to rise, and not every dish is created equal, but I continue to come back because it is, all things considered, some of the best Indian food I’ve found in the city. And believe me, I’ve looked.
List of dishes (selections vary daily)
Winners: Shimla Mirch Aloo, Bhindi, Bandghobi Mattar, Jeera Aloo, Channa Saag, Daal Makhani, Paneer Masala, Shahi Paneer, Something Called Nutrella, Samosas, Masala Paratha, Lentil Roti, Chickpeas with every veggie combo!
Meh: Mattar Aloo, Palak Aloo, Beans Aloo, Garlic Roti, Raita that comes with every thali
Still Haven’t Tried: Rajma, Shalgam, Channa Daal, Daal Tadka, Khumb Mattar, Aloo Paratha, anything with cauliflower, eggplant, or squash (and those can stay untried), Chai, Desserts, Indirolls, who knows what else…

I don’t know how residents nearby can resist the tantalizing smell of spices and not come in. We could smell it a block away!
Indigo is clean and small — 4 small tables and one communal table. I loved the scribbles on the wall!
The offerings are written out on a chalkboard. While I was tempted by the meat + 4 veggies option ($ 17), I couldn’t decide on the veggie options without any pictures to guide me so just ordered the Chicken Tikka. The Chicken Tikka was tender and flavorful, with fragrant rice and buttery chickpeas. I thought a little more heat was wanting (but then again, I consume sriracha and red chili flakes with most of my meals). Delicious meal for the price and location!