Cafe 23 – Indian Street Food

I’ve traveled a lot and tried Indian food in many places, but 23rd Cafe truly stands out. With the new owners, the food feels homely and full of flavor—just like a proper home-cooked meal. As an Indian myself, I can honestly say this is the only place where I’ve found dosas, sambar, and chole bhature that taste this authentic outside of home. The dosas are crisp and delicious, the sambar has rich flavor, and every dish feels made with care. I’ve brought my kids and family here, and we’ve all really enjoyed it. If you’re looking for real, flavorful Indian food that tastes like home, this is the spot. Highly recommend!

The place is super cute and comfortable. My first time trying this food and it was delicious. Staff is super friendly and even though the place looks small is not, I absolutely recommend it!👍🏼

Really good Authentic Indian food, Vadapav is a must try. Felt like eating in India. Loved this place

Absolutely loved this place! The vada pav is delicious, perfectly spiced and super fresh. The kulhad chai is equally amazing, rich and flavorful, and makes the whole experience even better. Definitely coming back! ☕️🌶️

I ordered the Paneer Paratha and the Tandoori Chaap. I asked for extra sauce, which made it even more flavorful. I also got the Pav Bhaji, and they made it fresh—it turned out really tasty. The Paneer Paratha was just okay, but I’d definitely recommend trying their Sev Puri and Paneer Quesadilla.

The food feels like home, it’s really fresh and the menu is so big that you never run out of new options to try! The staff treats is so warm and welcoming. It feels like you’re eating a meal with your family! The ambiance is so great as well - there’s always Bollywood songs playing. Their value-for-money is so great. You get a full thali for $9.99!

The food was amazing, the service is outstanding, they were very willing to accommodate our large group of 15.

I’ve worked near this restaurant for almost 3 years and finally decided to stop by… and I honestly regret not trying it sooner. The variety on the menu is amazing. I love Mexican food and I love Indian food, so this truly feels like the best of both worlds. Everything was flavorful, fresh, and really well done. Definitely going to be coming back way more often.

Welcoming place and yum food . Was in the area stumbled across and will be back for sure . Hidden gem close to USC.

SERIOUSLY HAVE TO READ!! I grew up in this neighborhood, on this block, and know the previous 23rd street liquor store owners, The Lee's, well. I also know the current owners, Sabi and his father. This place was an empty warehouse before it turned into a cafe. Needless to say, it remains part of the community. A great location to grab a bite or settling in to study for that upcoming exam. Great joint right? Wrong! First time I came in after a few years, the young woman attending the cash register was snooty and didn't even wait for me to put my bag down before she rushed at me telling I need to buy something if I want to sit in. I gave her a smirk and told her I would order in a minute. She left me alone. I did just that. I went up to the register and ordered my drink/snack but not before giving her a very diplomatic earful. I gave her a 10sec history of who I am and made sure she remembered this is MY HOOD! I also advised her to learn better customer service skills if she wants people to support her business. She looked shocked and fearful, and she apologized. I continued going because it's the only place where I can concentrate and do work. Fast forward 2 months. I come back in around 2pm on a Saturday. I grab a menu and look through it. Once I was ready to order, the whole staff was sitting down at the tables having their lunch. I looked confused and asked if I can order, the Latina lady looked at me and said "I'm sorry, but right now we're having lunch." YOURE KIDDING RIGHT?? LOL. I went to put the menu back on the counter as they all watched, and sat down. 15mins later, same lady asked if I was ready to order. I said "Nope. I changed my nind." I finished my work and left. Moral of this story: If you don't know how to run a business, stay your ass home. :)

@ how kev eats brought me here located in a fairly sketchy place, i was excited to try their breakfast burrito after realizing wake & late was closed. i believe its family-owned, with a mother and her sons(s?) operating the restaurant. service was friendly and helpful but as the woman is the only one preparing the food, it took longer than expected for the burrito. the price off the menu seems a bit outdated as well as i was charged $1 or $2 more. now onto the food itself: the burrito was breathtaking. the tikka masala, soft potatoes, and the scrambled egg was a combo i never knew i needed to try. food 4.8.5 service/ambiance 3/5

Went here the other day and was beyond excited to order the burrito everyone always talks about. First thing I noticed was that the health grade was removed off the window. You could tell that it used to live there based on the tape left behind. Then, I see this lady in the back, talking on her cell phone, while cooking food, no gloves, no cap. Then, this other guy starts walking around in the back coughing around without a mask. The tipping point was the ding I heard from a microwave. Nope. Tried to look the place up on LA department of health to see what the true rating is and the name doesn't even exist. Wild. I'll pass on E. coli.

The food was great, very flavorful and tasty. This joke in the wall is really good for a quick bite. I highly recommended the salsa verde especially if you're getting any of the burritos here.

(Tookout 10/07/2023 SA @ 5:00pm): In many ways, creativity was lacking from the literal name of this restaurant located at the corner of 23rd St. and Portland St.! A gifted soon-to-be-expired Groupon ($15.00 worth of food for $8.80) brought me to 23rd Street Cafe on this lazy Saturday evening as I had nothing to eat in my place. Their fusion of American, Indian, and Mexican cuisines certainly sounded appealing and odd at the same time, but it wasn't the first time I've eaten such a collaboration (I was fond of the late Cowboys & Turbans in Silver Lake). I loved all three of these types of cuisines, so was it worth the cost of admission to drive out to this unfamiliar part of town for this neighborhood cafe!? PURCHASE Mango Lassi 12floz Cup ($5.00): I loved all-things mango, and I always ordered this whenever I dined at an Indian restaurant. It lacked the familiar fragrances of mango and saffron, it was more watery than the thicker consistency I was used to, and generally it lacked much flavor with only hints of mango at best. A truly disappointing drink. https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=rK-bz0-8XSF71p1lmJLcvg&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw 2pc Lamb Samosa ($5.99): Large deep-fried orbs of ground lamb, I enjoyed the crispy wrapping, but the lamb, although plentiful, lacked much flavor which I had to resort to using the provided condiments. https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=4MSZJB9KCc9R0btsnLoYCw&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw Another disappointment (sorry, I forgot to take a picture of this dish). Chicken Tikka Burrito ($11.99): I was impressed by the size of this two-hander! https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=2mWqxbmEK7FYGTui4kZ5IA&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw Once I sliced it open to reveal its innards, I was dismayed to see that it was more filler (seasoned beans and rice) than thriller (actual chicken). Again, the meat lacked flavor, so the condiments were usual again. https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=S0dda4NXe6FhHSdD-Zi6ew&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw Paneer Tikka Masala Quesadilla ($11.99): This large greasy thing with plenty of melted cheese was easy to tear into. As with everything I've tried, it also lacked flavor and certainly wasn't spicy as you'd expect it to be. Such a total fail. https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=UvPUosSDm__NBuV-7tZJ7Q&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw SERVICE There was little to be desired during my visit. The place was completely empty of customers. I encountered two gentlemen at the front who didn't speak nor understood any English when I tried to present my Groupon, one of which then led me to woman who sat in a car in the back parking lot who then led me back inside only to crudely state, "We canceled our Groupons; we can't take that!" Well, fuck me! Since I was already inconvenienced to no end, I still decided to order food which took nearly 30 minutes before it was done... with no customers or online orders - ultimate failure! PARKING (FREE) They had a tiny private lot in the back that held less than ten spots. Otherwise, there appeared to be plenty of parking along the main drag of 23rd St. and all surrounding side streets - "nuff said. ATMOSPHERE, DÉCOR, AMBIENCE A corner eatery on a somewhat busy street, this somewhat long structure really struck me with its avocado green painted walls https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=wbtqtVAMsJr1AkbrsilO7Q&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw and empty food heating trays behind the counter. There were plenty of chairs & tables throughout as well as a small outdoor patio in the back. Random framed pictures hung on the walls, and the place honestly looked like it was either closed or a front for something else. Plenty of natural lighting came in through the many windows and doorways while various hanging ceiling lights filled in the rest. There was one TV with a paused program while I couldn't recall if there was any background music. ATTIRE Totally casual, so I would normally be in a t-shirt, boardshorts, and flip-flops. OVERALL 23rd Street Cafe was a dumpster fire from beginning to end with absolutely no plans ever to return. The food was awful, the prices would be comparable if the food was remotely decent, and the service was horrendous (which still gave them too much credit). I found nothing redeemable about this place regardless if it was a small mom & pop business which I usually liked to support. I found no value based on the prices, service, and experience noted above (TOTAL paid experience was around $38.00 BEFORE any discounts and/or tip). And, they accepted my credit card of choice... AMEX! 1.0 STARS

The food quality is very below or just average. Feels like an overrated spot. I also got a little sick, and the staff doesnt listen fully. I ordered a drink without sugar, but they didnt listen and added anyway. When asked to remake, they just outright said no. It's a very average place with mediocre food.

Good food for what's in the USC area but prices were steep for what's given. The tikka burrito is such an interesting fusion and was pretty good! The chicken was a bit dry but the flavors were so umami and tasty. The naan was also fresh and crispy, but came out a bit later than everything else. I was most excited to see the pani puri and try it for the first time, but a bit surprised by the steep price ($10). The place is a hole in the wall and I would recommend if you want Indian fusion in the area. Service was a tad slow but I was able to catch up with my friend waiting.

Sketchy area but I've been in worse. First red flag, their health letter was removed and just the tape was left from the outline. My guess, probably it not an A. Second red flag, one of the workers got back from lunch, barely washed his hands, no gloves, no hair net. Third red flag when the microwave sounded. Didn't touch nor order anything but the above was enough for me to get back in my car and head somewhere else.

This is easily my favorite Indian restaurant in LA and I come here almost weekly at this point. I used to get the chicken vindaloo curry with garlic naan and rice before switching to the tikka masala burrito, and my god the burrito is impeccable. No shade to the curry as the vindaloo was always fantastic and the chicken cooked beautifully, but the tikka masala burrito is truly unmatched. A combination of rice, beans, and tikka masala chicken, all wrapped in a flour tortilla and grilled to perfection is a staple for any occasion. This burrito has cured my hangovers, my depression, and even my relationships with my roommates. No burrito has had such an influential impact on my life as this one has. If you were given an hour to live, that's just enough time to order and eat at 23rd street cafe.

Found this place off instagram to be honest and was intrigued by the chicken tikka masala burrito. While the burrito was good, the service and ambiance was mid. The people working there seemed really unhappy to be working and were annoyed when I asked questions about their incredibly long menu (all I asked was which burrito she liked better). At first a man was taking our order but after he got confused (not sure if he spoke English), he asked the woman for help. She made it seem as if it was the hardest chore in the world to take our order. After taking our order, her and her partner just went back to scrolling on their phones. The woman working in the back had no gloves, mask, or cap on and she actually sneezed once or twice while we were there. No uniform or professionalism in the staff either. The kitchen is open to the eye to see and didn't look that clean AT ALL, noticeably the health grade sign is missing. The little lady cooking in the back (the only one actually working) seemed like she was getting bothered by one of the other workers too. They do have a small parking lot in the back although the area is a tad sketchy. We got chicken tikka masala burrito, paneer tikka masala burrito, masala fries, and mango lassi. The burritos were actually huge and pretty good. Came with some sauces. Luckily didn't get sick from it (was fully expecting to) but wouldn't come back based off the environment and the terrible service.

Food was just alright, place was Gloomy. Sucks that I give 3 stars is because people are actually nice. Not my favorite

Stopped here for a lunch and coffee. I saw there were vegan options and was wanting to try something new. I ordered a iced latte and specifically asked for oat milk and cashier said they had oat milk. The other two people I went with ordered chicken tandoori and Aloo matar. Our order took about 45 minutes to make. We were all unable to enjoy our food because it took sooo long and my latte had dairy therefore I was not able to drink it. This place is not vegan friendly and has incredibly slow service ): We asked multiple time how long it would take and they seemed forgetful. The 2 dishes and 1 drink came out to $40 and I feel as though I was robbed.

Really good and flavorful food! Came on a Monday night and it was pretty empty. Found street parking right outside of the restaurant. Vibes were alright, I think I would do takeout next time, but overall would def eat again!

This restaurant's fusion of Indian and Mexican foods are the BOMB! Try the burritos!!! The service was very friendly too. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Just an average place, but this aloo paratha was the best thing I've eaten here. The service is super slow. It's really small place.

I came by to try the chicken tikka masala burrito and it was a very unique experience. The flavors worked well together. I did wish there was some more sauce in the burrito so I'd probably ask for extra next time, but overall quite good.

My first thought from stumbling upon this place was "a Indian/Mexican/American fusion???? What?" I honestly didn't expect this place to be as good as it was with so many specialties. But it was great! 100% would recommend. I ordered the garlic naan, chicken tikka masala, veggies, samosas, paneer, and chicken masala burrito. All were amazing! I rarely have Indian food but this place hooked me! I'm super impressed. As for parking, parking is easy. There's street parking and a small lot. There was plenty of spaces in the lot at 7pm on a Sunday night so parking wouldn't be an issue surprisingly. Overall, yes yes yes. This place is great! Try it out, you won't regret it!!

We randomly bumped into this place and what a surprise! Simple ghar ka Khana (household food) which is hard to find in a Indian restaurant where people add so much oil and masala. The food here was a delight and reminded me of my mom's daal Can't wait to try other items on their menu sardar ji was very polite and welcoming !

Fresh tasty food at a good price! Interesting Indian and Mexican fusion mom and pop spot. My go to for lunch in the area. My favorite is the chicken tikka masala burrito with no beans. p.s. they have a nice convenience store next door

Partner and I got a chorizo, breakfast burrito and a tikka masala breakfast burrito. Both super good

We ordered our lunch today from this place. Street parking is available. Its a small café on the street with an adjoining small grocery store. While entering, you can smell yummy Indian food being cooked. We ordered their:- Paneer tikka Quesadilla- Its tortilla with their paneer tikka sabji and cheese. Its not a bad combo at all, but the taste was not good, the paneer sabji with the cheese was giving an unpleasing taste. Paneer tikka burrito- The filling consisted of rice, paneer tikka, beans and a little cheese. When we got home and opened to eat it, the tortilla had become very soggy. We did roast it on our skillet, but were not found of the kind of flavor it imparted. Dal Tarka- It tasted good & nicely spiced. Vegetable lunch thali with aloo matar- It comes with a serving of naan, very small containers of dal and vegetable sabji, Raita, rice and choice of vegetable. We had ordered for aloo matar but by mistake they gave us paneer matar which is fine. The naan were good, not thick like doughy from other places. The thali is good for one person. Overall, their fusion food like the quesadilla and burrito were not good, but their Indian food is like what you will get when you eat homemade Indian food. Will try some other Indian dishes the next time.

I'm back. Their customer service is better than before. I love vegetarian dishes. Lemonade is also so good. Preparation takes usually min 20 min, so I order on the phone, then pick it up in 30 min.

I love the chicken tikka burrito! perfect fusion of mexican and indian food. I live nearby and love the little walk to get food. The people working there are always very nice too.

Simply Amazing food and amazing service with a good atmosphere A good place to go with the family

My sister took me to lunch here and it was really good. The food took a little longer than I wanted it to but it was still very tasty. The pricing was decent also.

23rd Street Cafe is the best Indian food I've found in the South LA/USC neighborhood so far. Is it the only Indian restaurant? Maybe? Regardless, the food here is really great. I'm a person of habit and I basically order the same dishes every time: - Vegetable Tikka Masala Combo w/ rice and plain naan - Saag Paneer Combo w/ rice and garlic naan Quality is consistently good. I've ordered via Postmates and phone orders and am never disappointed! This is definitely the spot to hit when you've got a craving for some great Indian food!

The Chicken Tikka Masala Breakfast Burrito was every bit as good as everyone drooled about-which is why I selected it. Mind you, the same can be said for the disappointments regarding orders. With that said, and if you have a good temperament ( after all, these folks are serving and cooking InThe dead heat of the summer) the prices, the tastes and the freaking delicious masala is enough to keep you coming back. I ate half my burrito for breakfast and the rest for dinner. Half kept me satisfied for 7.5 hours- plus their cafe latte, of course (I'm not a beast, for goodness sake!)

chicken saag burrito is soooo good! it's ginormous, packed with flavor, and not dry at all :o order a side of mint chutney for optimal experience

Mango lassi is really good. We also got the chicken tikka and chicken curry burritos and they were both good. Authentic food. Would be curious to go back and try other items on the menu.

This place is a hole in the wall and is kinda hard to find as I yams too to a liquor store but once you do you wont be disappointed I will say that their actual Indian food during the buffet time wasn't that great But BAYBEEEEEEEEEEEEE Their chicken tikka masala quesadilla is BUSSIN. flavorful and just the right amount of spice. I go crazy for it every time I have has Indimex foods in the past and it's always fallen flat on the flavor but not this place. I don't know how their tikka masala is so good in the quesadilla but meh during the actual Indian food. Also, their fries are good too! You're welcome :)

I go there for their Breakfast Burritos. Pictured below. They cut in half perfect for sharing. The food always seems fresh and the table condiments compliment the food well.

We ordered takeout from here! There's a very unique fushion of indian and mexican food on the menu. We got the chicken tikka masala burrito and samosas and they came with an array of sauces. The samosas were amazing, but I kind of wish you could taste the tikka masala flavor more in the burrito. It honestly tasted almost like a regular chicken burrito with a slight hint of tikka masala there, so was a little disappointed there. That being said, it still tasted great, just not as much of the unique fushion we were expecting. Overall reasonable price for the portion. All in all, I would give the food a 4/5 and value a 5/5. Would recommend!

Loved the fresh made gobhi parathas and veggie biryani!! Delicious dhaba style food, good service..!! A must try if you like Punjabi street food!!

Mostly good. However, thought it was strange that my tofu masala that I requested 'mild' had zero flavor. I wanted minimal heat, not minimal flavor. There was no salt, no seasoning at all. Very weird.

23rd Street Cafe still serves Indian and Mexican food and a fusion of the two and that is what makes them special. Order something like the Chicken Tikka Masala Quesadilla and have it with salsa or have an Asada or Carnitas Burrito and have it with Chutney or any combination and see how that goes. The cafe has updated over the years having installed a bar in the front and now has a lunch buffet. The pricing is fine for the neighborhood at affordable and low medium price for casual eating. It's alright to study and does not usually get that busy, but it can and you'll usually see people from the neighborhood and from the local universities and college. There's some parking in the back and otherwise street parking in the neighborhood.

The food is beyond awesome! Of you have not rated. Their paranthas and biryani, you have not eaten anything! The gobhi parantha is to die for and I was licking my fingers with the veg biryani Jessica made is so pleasant and was amazingly helpful. Go there now and don't miss the amazing Punjabi paranthas! 10 stars and absolutely yummy.

The breakfast burritos are the way to go! Eggs, chicken, rice, all well spiced. Another good option is to get the veggie breakfast burrito and ask to add chicken tikka to it for some more vegetables/crunch. We love this place and will definitely keep coming back

Delicious food. Some of the best vegetarian samosas I've ever had. Parking is tight but the food is worth it.

An interesting blend of Mexican and Indian cuisines. Came for dinner on a Sunday and the restaurant was pretty empty. The thing I noticed first was just how big the menu is. There's Breakfast, Mexican, Indian and American. I noticed that they also serve alcohol here. Overall, the food here is pretty affordable. Ordered the Chicken Tikka Burrito, which seems to be a popular item here. I was pretty excited to try it since I can't say I've ever had anything like it. Unfortunately, I was a bit disappointed. It tasted kinda like an average chicken burrito. I couldn't really taste the Indian influences much. I am interested to try some of their strictly Indian food so maybe I'll be back. Parking: Free street parking available

Service was very slow. People who ordered after us were getting their food and we got 30 minutes after that. It happened both times we Wei. They kept saying in 2 minutes and took long time. Food was decent

Delicious. Nice humble staff and nice place. I ordered from there for take out, because of covid-19. Food was delicious. I tried many Indian cafes and restaurants, not all of them can cook so good, but this place is really cares what they sell. I attached a pic after we had finished our dinner. It was so much that we couldn't eat all. Very nice place. Delicious Indian food.

Didn't expect a place called "23rd Street Cafe" to be an Indian fusion eatery with traditional Punjabi food AND Indian-Mexican options. I got the Paneer Tikka Burrito and it was exactly what I would have imagined when I thought of an Indian burrito!

I've popped by this place twice now. The first time I had their lunch special and it was decent. I can't remember exactly what I got. Today I got the chicken tikka burrito, mango lassi and garlic chile naan. The naan was crispy and had decent flavor to it. I think the garlic and chile flavor could be stronger though. The mango lassi was good but the consistency could be thicker. It was a bit thin compared to other lassis I've had. The chicken masala burrito was good. The flavors were all there and the chicken was cooked well. Service is a bit slow during lunch time so be prepared to wait. This place is good and their Mexican-Indian fusion is interesting. Prices are very reasonable for the area. Makes it easy for college students to get a quick bite.

This place is so interesting. It is like a no fuss eatery but then there is a full bar by the entrance that kind of looks like it gets the place TURNT at night. Not sure what to make of it. Anyway, on to the dining experience which is the BUFFET. I went for the advertised 11 am - 3 pm AYCE buffet for 10.99. I was pretty excited because this is pretty affordable in my experience of Indian cuisine AYCE. However, it was extremely underwhelming. Observe my photographic evidence. The buffet had very limited selections, albeit the options are definitely fan favorites like butter chicken. When I arrived, there was literally one serving of rice (which I scooped up). THE RICE WAS VERY DRY, as a previous review noted. They did not refill the rice tray until another diner asked them to. They took a styrofoam take out bowl and scooped the rice out from a large rice cooker and put two servings in the tray. And that was it. Again, this matched exactly what the previous review said. The rice was still very dry. The dish that stood out the most was the butter chicken. I guess you can't go wrong with that. Believe it or not, the other buffet offerings were quite bland. BLAND! INDIAN FOOD BLAND???? (Another previous review ALSO mentioned this) The butter chicken was GREAT though. You better believe I got a second serving of THAT! Also, the serving dishes were very shallow, so I imagine if there were around 10 people partaking in the buffet that the food would be gone in an instant. We were only 2 people buffet-ing, so it didn't matter. But I wonder with a larger crowd... A group of USC students came, presumably for the buffet because one hipster looking kid said "That's it???" They decided to order a la carte. Yes, I was being nosy. Also it's a small space. As I was finishing my second round of food, the owner comes and gives me naan. I didn't even think this was included, but I guess they were still making it or something. I saw him deliver another naan basket to the other diner who was also partaking in the buffet. Then I remembered the yelp check in offer and showed the cashier. She showed her boss and he looked at me in an evaluative way, and probably decided to honor it because I'm a Millenial and we millennials take our yelp check in offers seriously. He could probably sense that I was GOING to write a review anyway, so he said literally "Yeah ok give it to her." Would he have not honored it if I was a boomer?! I can only speculate. Anyway, final thoughts: BUFFET IS CHEAP AND A CHEAP EXPERIENCE YOU WILL GET. IF YOU ARE A BROKE COLLEGE STUDENT THEN THIS WOULDN'T BE TOO BAD FOR YOU. IF YOU HAVE HAD OTHER EXPERIENCES WITH INDIAN FOOD BUFFETS AT OTHER RESTAURANTS, THIS BUFFET WILL BE DISAPPOINTING. Just being #real. Will I be back? Yeah sure, why not. A 3.5 isn't BAD. That's like a C+. For 10.99 I can get as much butter chicken as I want. And, I may not be a broke college student, but I am a broke teacher.

Drive down University Park and you will see a little restaurant that looks like your average corner liquor store. The discreet sign that blends into the building tells you that this location isn't your average liquor store, but actually the 23rd Street Café! Street parking is abundant and plentiful depending on the time and season you are visiting. It is a very local spot, mostly frequented by nearby students and Door Dash employees picking up orders for those who rather stay within the comfort of their own home and did not qualify for the restaurant's free delivery policy. The interior is long and narrow, but can seat a big group comfortably if needed. There is also a small patio area outside for those who would like to experience the great outdoors. Their menu is very large. It ranges from breakfast foods, Mexican food, Indian food, and even some fusion dishes. I ordered the standard Indian fare, Chicken Tikka Masala, and decided to upgrade to a combo which included rice, naan, a veggie of the day, and dahl. Upon seeing the entrée arrive at my table, I was quite intimidated by the size of the meal. The dahl was bland and was not something that added any substance to the meal, but I did like that they served it in an elementary school cafeteria like tray! The chicken tikka masala wasn't as flavorful and lacked that kick you would normally expect when eating Indian food. The rice wasn't as fragrant and when mixed with my curry was lacking in flavor and spice. The naan however, did take me to flavor town! It actually enhanced the curry and saved the entire meal! A decent spot for Indian food, and would probably prefer to go for the lunch buffet than dinner. If you do go for dinner, I would definitely recommend ordering a combo for maximum value! And, be sure to choose a flavorful naan to accompany the curry you choose!

Best food and best people ever. 23rd street cafe has been my go to restaurant while at college. It feels like a piece of home when I eat here. The food is decent but it has single handedly fed me life and health during my days at college. If you want a damn good chicken tikka masala burrito come here. If you want some homemade tasting Indian food, come here. Can't recommend this place enough for incoming college students, if you want to start your time at SC right, come here and have open arms into this enchanting establishment.

This is pretty simple. It is definitely a good place to adventure into. It iMexican/ India fusion. Order from the menu, but at all costs avoid the lunch buffet. We ate dinner there with our kids and enjoyed our meals immensely. 2 of us had burritos and the others quesadillas. Hot fresh and the tastes were dancing on our tongues. The next visit we tried the lunch buffet. There was dried rice on the buffet, so when we asked for fresh rice, the lady scoops fresh rice out of the cooker and pours it over the bad rice. All the items were warm at best. It was a food borne illness waiting to happen. The woman that took out money then went into the kitchen without washing her hands, grabbed the samosas and carried them in her dirty apron. Seeing this we decided to end our meal and found snack food later down the road.

This little place opened up when I lived nearby and I was SO PLEASED. A neighborhood convenience store/bodega/market with authentic Indian food.