Bollywood Theater
Indian restaurant · Vernon ·
Casual Indian street food, Bollywood films playing, & unique market
Casual Indian street food, Bollywood films playing, & unique market
"This location is bright, open, filled with character and even has a little market inside so you can pick up hard-to-find Indian ingredients. Their take on Indian street food still tastes true to it's roots with an injection of local Portland farm-fresh ingredients. They capture the right combination of green herbs, spices, creamy, sour, and heat in a variety of dishes easy to share. Portland needed this place." - Factory North
"Owner Troy Maclarty specializes in small plates and street food, like kati rolls filled with paneer and pickled onion, as well as vada pav — sort of like potato dumpling sliders with chutney. The under-the-radar stunner at Bollywood Theater, however, is the shop’s chai, well-balanced and unafraid of leaning into savory flavors." - Rebecca Roland
"Bollywood Theater has developed a reputation for dishes like its kati roll, a Kolkatan paratha wrap filled with paneer or chicken. Vegetarians will find the house-made paneer very satisfying, whether served in a tikka bowl or in a tomato and cashew curry. No matter what you order, prepare for nuanced combinations of flavors laced with freshly imported spices from several regions of India. Wash it all down with a mango lassi or hot-or-cold masala chai." - Zoe Baillargeon
"Named alongside other successful Portland fast-casual operations as an inspiration for launching a similar casual fried-chicken concept." - Thom Hilton
"Helmed by veteran chef Troy MacLarty (formerly of Berkeley’s Chez Panisse and Portland’s Ned Ludd), Bollywood Theater is a go-to for fragrantly spiced street-style food MacLarty discovered during his explorations in India—dishes like savory lamb samosas and rich, creamy curries. The original restaurant on Alberta in Northeast Portland, spacious and decked out with Indian imagery (including a projector for screening Bollywood films), has a fast-casual vibe: order at the counter, get a number, choose your seat. The location on Southeast Division, an even larger space with an open-concept kitchen, also features a retail market stocked with dry goods, fresh spices, rice, ghee, and more. "