Curry Leaf

I am going with a solid 4-star rating. The ambience, service, and overall food quality were impressive. Their appetizers and curries were flavorful and well-prepared. However, I had to deduct one star due to the biryani, which didn’t quite meet expectations—it lacked the depth and richness of flavor I was hoping for.

I had an absolutely delightful experience at Curry Leaf! The staff was incredibly friendly and attentive, providing excellent suggestions for dishes that perfectly suited my taste buds. The food was flavorful and aromatic, though it leaned a little towards the spicy side. However, upon my request, they happily prepared a non-spicy version that was just as delicious. I highly recommend this restaurant for its warm hospitality and mouthwatering Indian cuisine. Can't wait to visit again! The garlic naan is amazing.

Overall a good choice for Indian food. Service is good and food is good too. The menu is not huge but you can find several choices. I tried a little of everything we ordered: veggie samosas, lamb, chicken, cheese nan. I do not give them 5 stars for one reason: everything in the menu is spicy without the possibility to order a mild food. Many other restaurant offer the choice to pick the level of spice (1 to 10). I asked the gentleman at the cashier if it was possible to order any dish from the menu without spices (mild food) but he said it was not possible. I did my best to finish my dish but it was too spicy for me. Despite this concern it was a good experience to eat in this restaurant.

While personal tastes vary, my experience with Indian food at curry leaf fell short of expectations. The flavors lacked depth, and the dishes seemed to lack authenticity. The service, though polite, couldn't compensate for the underwhelming culinary experience. I regret to say that based on my visit, I wouldn't recommend this restaurant to others seeking a satisfying Indian dining experience.

Came here for some Indian food with my girlfriend on our trip to San Francisco, and the food was absolutely banging! Chicken tikka masala, Biriyani and the Naan was delicious! I think the self service plates, cutlery and drinks put a lot of people off, but I think it added to the atmosphere and made it feel like a family run dining room. The staff were the most lovely and genuine people in San Francisco! Absolutely give this place a visit!

October '24- My favorite here is Tandoori chicken leg with their mint chutney. Can't go wrong with that. The lamb and chicken seekh kebabs are also good. September '23- Perfect for appetizers!! Really tasty food because it's prepared in coal oven/tandoor. All Tandoori items are absolutely recommended and one of the best I've had in Indian restaurants in the US. No need to go anywhere else. Lamb chops take 20 min to prepare. Tandoori chicken is very tender! The mint chutney is really really good (don't overeat that though). The only thing I regret is they don't make seekh kabab rolls with roomali roti (very thin roti) and they have everything to make those rolls. Tandoori roti was also perfect. Samosas were perfect here. Exactly how they should be. I ordered goat curry here but it wasn't that tasty, so try curries at your risk. They have a few tables outside where you can sit. Also, one of the staff here is from Delhi and he has a lot of experience working with real North Indian style food, so you can say Hi to him if you're from Delhi. This isn't a fast food place, so you have to wait for your food, specially all tandoori items take minimum 15 minutes to perfectly cook, so please be patient as they won't hurry for you. Parking is a little difficult here but you will find on the street in the same block or around it. It's worth waiting for parking to eat at this place.

Always busy with locals (a great sign), we ate here TWICE during our visit (that says everything). One of the best Indian restaurants we've had, and we try to find a spot everywhere we travel! Great naan bread, great tikka masala, great tandoori chicken, great mango lassi, great pakora, and great dips. Seriously, all great!!!

The best Indian food in San Francisco, hands down! The best food I have ever tasted. It's a nice place, the cable car also passes by. You order your food at the counter and take a number to your seat. The restaurant is self serve with getting your own water, sauces, napkins and cutlery. They do bring the food to your table and clean up after. Restaurant is clean but bathroom could be a bit cleaner. As for the food,  it was DELICIOUS!! Ordered the lamb biryani,  Karahi chicken, a side of white rice and keema naan. The food is tasty and authentic to its cuisine. Portion sizes are good for two to three people. Prices are reasonable for food quantity. One of the best I have had in a long time. But I am going to warn you, be aware of parking. THERE IS NEVER PARKING But at the same time its San Francisco so never mind. Highly recommend and will not be my last. I recommend their Chicken Seekh kebab, Lamb Seekh Kebab, Mix pakora, and Tandoori Fish. Also their mint chutney is soooo gooood.

I work pretty close and was in a pinch for a quick lunch. Popped in here with a friend and we feasted. I was blown away. Everything was super flavorful, high quality, and quick to the table! Now I find myself here regularly for lunch. My standard order is simply Chicken Tikka Masala with Garlic Naan. I don't even need rice. So good. I'm not an expert in the cuisine, but I know what I like and I really like this local spot. Give it a try.

I finally tried this delicious food. The service was very nice, and in a gorgeous location in the North Beach district of SF. I go the chicken keema w/ potatoes to go. I'd love to try more items on their menu the next time I'm in the area. The food is very spicy btw, wish I love.

We went here on the 4th of July and it was a great Indian restaurant. You order at the counter and then sit down. We had Masala Chai, Garlic Naan and Chicken Tikka Masala. It was all delicious! This is also a great place to go before seeing a show at Cobb's (which is Nextdoor). Despite ordering at the table, service was excellent and everyone was attentive. I will definitely be back.

This small unassuming, no frills spot on Columbus is a pleasant surprise. Our kids shared the chicken tikka masala and my husband and I shared the Bengan Bharta with some garlic naan. We loved all of it. Like I said, the place is no frills - you order at the counter, then grab your own plates and water as you head back to your table, but the owner is friendly and the food is delicious. If we lived in the area, this would definitely be a regular spot for us.

Looks like it is a little family ran business. My hubs and I come eat here once a month and we are trying different food each time. Please order their Malaysian coffee, you will not disappoint. My hubs likes the Penang fried noodle. I like the fried noodle, the chicken rice and the lesi lamar. They are opening a new restaurant in San Jose soon. Will love to try it one day.

Perfectly spiced and juicy tandoori chicken! Crispy and chewy naan. Masala chai refillable for $1.99?! Are you out of your mind?! This hidden gem was sooooo good. We also tried sag paneer, lentils, and chicken tika masala... all very flavorful and yummy! Friendly service. Mostly self service which makes it fast and efficient while calm and enjoyable.

I have never eaten at the restaurant, but order on regular basis via DoorDash! Now I decided to leave a review, because their food is just amazing! Today I also ordered food and came one extra dish (not sure if it was accident or store gave us :)) that was so delicious, but I can't figure out what it is. Will attach a picture here and if you don't mind letting me know so I can order it again in the future. Need to visit restaurant in person as well soon.

A classic Indian place with food that's delicious and comforting. Curry Leaf is a local small Indian restaurant around North Beach. Every time you walk by this place, you always get this whiff of aroma, and you can't help but feel enthralled to come to try this place out. They have quite the selection of items to choose from. We ordered a few items, which includes the Fish Tandoori, Chicken Tikka Masala, Garlic Naan, and the Keema Biryani. I loved the fish tandoori. The fish was so tender, and the spices were delicious. The chicken tikka masala was quite buttery and creamy. Not as flavorful as I thought it would be but it's still good. The garlic naan was warm and toasty and you gotta pair that with the chicken tikka. The keema biryani is basically this ground chicken rice dish that is very good. The only thing that was unexpected was how spicy it was! It was pretty enjoyable for the most part, but man was the rice dish ridiculously spicy. Overall, this place is pretty good, and I would actually recommend coming here if you're in the neighborhood!

What would I do without Yelp!!!?? ;P After spending a few days in SF's Fisherman's Wharf area and enjoying meal after meal of seafood, fish n chip and clam chowder, we were craving something different and Yelp! came to rescue! We found Curry Leaf on Columbus Street and it is somewhat a hole in the wall. The restaurant is smaller, but very clean and comfortable, and seats about 20 comfortably. We walked in at about 6:45p and were asked to grab the menus and seat ourselves anywhere, and to walk back up to the cashier to place our order whenever we're ready. By the time we left at 7.30p, the restaurant was 90% full. We opted for a Vegetarian Samosa appetizer (excellent, and nice & spicy!), lamb wrap (really good( with balanced flavor), and a boneless chicken biriyani (very good and offered at a very generous portion!). Everything tasted very good and prices are very reasonable and on the cheaper side. Overall a very pleasant meal and enjoyable dining experience. Thumbs Up!

Open late, reasonably priced, flavorful cuisine. Curry leaf is a gem. While most people order this place on a delivery app- I think hot and fresh Indian food tastes much better than Indian food cooked 45 minutes ago. That being said ambiance here is no frills but it is clean and the service is attentive. You order at the counter and you have to pick up your food when it's ready. I really enjoy the Bengan Bharta, fish tandoori and samosas here. The bharta is one of the best I've ever had. The fish tandoori is a mix of smoky and flavorful. Samosas are soft but pack a punch. The ctm is good but certainly not the best and the sabzi is good but simple. Overall I recommend eating here and it is worth a stop even at 10p on a Saturday. Nothing I've ever eaten here has been below good.

Good place to get a sit-down meal after a comedy show at Cobbs. Their food is good, and they stay open late. We were glad we ate here and look forward to eating here again after the next show we attend! Atmosphere was sufficient. Service was good. Food was good. I wouldn't drive out of my way to eat here.

I want an infusion of their chicken tikka masala into my veins and their Bryani in my lungs

Been going to these guys for over a decade! I went on the first day it opened. Ali is the best!

So I'm not a connoisseur but it's the best palak paneer we have ever had. All of the meal for 36.00 for 2. It was very very good. Clean and nice staff. Let me take pics :-) high recommend

Curry Leaf wasn't even our original dinner spot but when we walked by there was such a flavorful delicious aroma coming from the restaurant that we just had to at least stop by for a snack. I'm suuuuper duper glad that we did stop by and try out some dishes because everything was sooo incredibly flavorful and packed with spices. We got the chicken biryani (so many different spices and packed a lil spicy punch too!). The rice and chicken were both not too dry but the rice was really the star with how delectable it was. We also got the saag dal and it was also very flavorful. The spices are definitely less punchy than in the biryani but it made for a great pairing to the rice. Lentils and spinach were plentiful. There were so many other yummy looking things on the menu that I wished we chose more dishes to try but even then we did not finish the two that we had ordered so portion sizes are solid. Service was quick and easy as you order your food up front and then you pick up at the same counter. The restaurant itself is small/mid sized but still with enough seating. I hope to be able to come back and try more things!

Wowwww, that was incredible and super well priced. Stumbled in randomly with my three kids. Convenient self service for drinks, silverware etc, and just killer food. Low priced. 5 of us ate our fill plus desert plus the amazing mango beverage at $5 a pop, total $97 before tip. Blown away.

This place is a must in San Francisco. The location is really great, outside of the touristy area. The service was really great. But the food, was out of this world. I haven't had better Indian food in my life. The naan was so flavorful and perfect to dip in my dish. I ordered my favorite dish. The roasted eggplant vegetarian dish. It was so so delicious. The flavors were perfect and bold. And topped everything off with a tasty chai!

I went here for the first time yesterday and I have to say this place is amazing. Totally unassuming but fantastic Indian food. We got the typical tikka masala, naan and rice. You have to order at the counter and get your own tableware and pick up your own food but the food here is like a high end Indian restaurant. The sauce has a subtle flavor to it. The naan is not greasy and comes out piping hot and the rice is also fantastic. The food here is truly delicious. We will definitely be back for more and to try other things on the menu. We got there right at 4:30 for open and there was a line of people. This place is great! Portions are big enough for two people the split. Very good prices too.

Cute little place in north beach serving tasty indian and pakistani food. You order at the counter and pay when you finish your meal. Lots of water and sauces available for free. We ordered the vegetable pakora, the lamb chops, sag and lentils. The pakora were filled with a mix of potatoes, cauliflower and onions. These were yummy!!! the lamb chops had so much flavor unfortunately they were over cooked. The sag and lentils were excellent!! Prices are so reasonable!!!!

Ummmmm wow. Perfectly packaged for takeout. This is the best Indian food I've had in a long time. Perfectly spicy & awesome portion sizes. Highly recommend the garlic naan & this chicken vindaloo with rice. So delicious and quick. My food was ready for takeout 25 minutes after ordering. Very casual atmosphere if choosing to dine inside. Super impressed with the quality of the food!! I will be back

The best! Tables at this casual restaurant are squeezed in tight because the good is that good it's always busy! Order at the counter and take a seat - the food will be made with love and delicious-try everything you can and decide for yourself what your favorites are! We visit every time we are in the City!

This place is unreal! So, so good! It's saved us from the panic of not having access to good Indian food--and easily become one of our most favorite places of all time. Everything is phenomenal, especially the tandoor chicken leg (10 outta 10; so smoky and savory--the level of flavor is unreal), bengan bharta (9.9/10; spicy, smokey, savory, incredible), and lamb biriani (9.9/10; so herby, spicy, lots of delicious lamb, and one of the best deals in the city). We love these folks so much, and I hope you do, too!!

If you're Indian and have had good Indian food then you know this place is ASS. I read the reviews and thought hmm can't wait to try, I ordered the chicken tikka masala and man it tasted so bad, the taste was reminiscent of charcoal, like a bbq type taste, and tomato. The best Indian ever is in Sacramento. They are called chaat of India, curry leaf can't even compare. Ohhh and to top it off the young Indian guy taking my order was really weird, he kept flirting and giggling with these young girls who were eating next to the front of the store. I was so tempted to ass his weird ass if he was okay. Dude kept acting like he was on drugs. Anyways I don't recommend. Try star India if you're in SF instead and Chaat or India if you're in SAC

So far my Favorite Indian spot in the whole Bay Area!!!! As far as food in concerned, decor is regular (nothing fancy) however, their sauce has that SOUL (not sure what or why), that Something that calls you to return (i think its fat content related), i would compare it to my love for Oxtail adobo :) lol... i "loke" it (coined here like/love=loke) just made that up..... Check it out

Best Desi food in entire Bay Area . Owner is Gem of a person he always smiles I can eat here every day it's like Moms kitchen .

Delicious food. Nice eating area. Prompt service. Only real minus - naan is super chewy & pale. It takes away from the meal. Can use some toasti-ness & maybe lighter dough?

SF parking is horrible as usual even at night. We came an hr before closing and the place was still decently packed. Food came out in about 20minutes and they close the kitchen 30min before closing. Dine in set up is done by yourself as water, utensils, cups, and napkins are set in the back. 10/10 Chicken Tikka Masala $12.49 - does not come with rice! Cheap price is a bit misleading. Still very good, lots of flavor, creamy, and good amount of chicken chunks. Asked for super spicy and it was still about a 6/10 for spicy level. 10/10 Lamb Briyani $13.99 - lamb was super tender! Fried rice was flavorful and definitely worth it! 8/10 Garlic Naan $2.49 - garlic flavor was lacking but the naan was nicely warmed up with a toasty outside and soft inside.

They have almost a perfect rating for a reason!! First time ever trying today with my wife. Staff kind, food came out quickly. Food amazingly flavorful, best Indian restaurant I've been to thus far. Highly recommend.

On the way to Cobbs for a show, looking for some place to have a light dinner, passed by this place and smells good outside so we glanced the Menu and decided to try it. Place is quaint, place your order at the counter and they bring it to your table. Self serve your dining plates & drinks. We had the Samosas- so good with the sauce, garlic Naan of course and their BBQ chicken! Will definitely come back to try other things!

Quick and near our office. Convenient for our monthly group lunches. Everyone enjoyed their orders, and good amount for the price, too.

Food here is delicious, spicy, and flavorful. My friends were intrigued by the restaurant's delicious smell each time they passed by outside. Portions are big and prices are affordable. I would definitely return to try out the other items on the menu. Very affordable and it made us all full. The place is self-served, so you grab your own cutlery, food, and water. They place iced water and their paid drinks in the same fridge, so we were quite confused if we were allowed to grab the iced water. We ordered 4 items and it was a good portion to share for a party of 3. We ordered the: - paneer tikka masala - chicken tikka masala - garlic naan - keema biryani Would definitely recommend everything we ordered and I would return again to try out the other items on their menu!

This family owned gem is one of the great parts of my neighborhood. Everything here is flavorful - even the rice. I'm obsessed with their Palak Paneer and their Saag Chana. They are so well priced that most of my dinner parties are a big order from here. The desserts are also amazing. I often get to go but there is great love and warmth in the energy when you eat in. Love Love Love Curry Leaf!

The food was pretty good, except the chicken was super dry and rough. The sauce of the tikka masala was flavourful and same with the rice in the biriyani. The problem is the lack of covid protocol, no one at the counter or any of the kitchen staff was wearing a mask (open kitchen). It was really busy on a Tuesday evening, most tables were full. You have to order at the counter and grab you own utensils at the back counter. Some of the cups/forks we grabbed weren't cleaned very well.

Very good vegetarian choice. Nice location within walking distance from home. Try it from time to time.

The food is so delicious! I always get the spicy chicken tiki masala with garlic nan and basmati rice! It's always fresh so it tastes amazing! The service is pretty fast and The place is always clean! Definitely one of my favorite spots in San Francisco! Next time I'll take pictures!

10/10 Dittos!! Handsdown the best indian/pakistani food I've ever had. Came here on a Friday night after a long day at the Chase Center and did not disappoint at all. To order, you do it at the register and they'll give you a number for your order which they'll call once your food is ready. We ordered one plain naan, chicken tikka misala, and blain basmati. The total only came out to around $18!! This fed two people and was extremely filling/just right to satisfy our hunger after standing and walking for hours. Definitely lifted our moods. You get your waters, sauces, utensils, and plates yourself in the back. The service is friendly and the food came out extremely quick and was fresh n tasty! Affordable and delicious food, would definitely recommend and i'll definitely be back (: Just beware of sf parking as per usual.

This place has delicious Indian and Pakistani cuisine. Every dish was delicious. We had papadum, vegetable samosa, daal chana, chicken boti, chicken tikka masala, plain rice, and plain nain. Everything was delicious. The samosa outer crust was flaky and delicious, the chicken boti was juicy and perfectly seasoned, the chicken tikka masala was flavorful without being too spicy, the naan was bubbly, fluffy, and the perfect complement to the rice and tikka masala. I take away a star because the service is kind of confusing. You have to order from the counter and then find a seat or have someone save your seat while you order for your party. The drinks including water are self service. Additionally, the ambiance is not upscale with the door left open and limited seating availability. Great for food, but not necessarily a good date night spot.

Great food... excellent recommendations from the cashier. But next time I'll take it home so I can drink a glass of red wine. Self-serve ambiance is fine, but better to-go.

We ordered takeout food from this place tonight to try out a new place. The food was OK. I don't understand why everybody is raving about the chicken tikka masala. There was hardly any chicken in it, and it was all chopped up in small pieces, There were no tikka per say. Mostly just tomato sauce. Palak paneer was good but baingan bharta was also very tomato heavy. I don't know if it's because it was take out but the quality of food wasn't great. We won't be coming back.

The best price I've found for good quality Indian food in SF. The lassi is only 2.99 (premade, you just pick it up from the fridge), the paneer tikka masala is 11.99, the pakoras are 3.99 for 8 pieces etc. The menu is concise unlike many other places that try to do too much - there's a handful of options for each category. The samosas are medium sized and taste great. The curry was flavorful, but the paneer quality was ok - good not great. Their breads taste good (i had the aloo naan, garlic naan and paratha) but note that they don't have some traditional north Indian faovrites like bhatura.

finally tried curry leaf after my friend kept mentioning how it was their favorite south asian restaurant in SF. they did not disappoint! the naan was so fluffy and delicious, we ordered extra. what we got: mango lassi garlic naan cheese naan chicken tikka masala vegetable samosa raita papadum bengen barta palak paneer karahi gosht everything was spiced to perfection. the mango lassi was delicious and not too sweet. there was something different about the chicken tikka masala that i didn't love, but it wasn't enough to deter me from eating it. absolutely loved the karahi gosht and the bengen barta. i'll definitely be back to try more dishes! and take pics next time.

So the kids had to have Indian Food in San Fransisco. My son who does a great job finding restaurants hunted this place down. Glad he did! The restaurant is self service, go to the register to order, get your own plates, water, utensils, etc. No complaints, we actually liked the idea. We ordered garlic naan, butter naan, chicken tikka masala, paneer tikka masala, veg biryani and papad. Food is made per order and comes out fast. The taste of each dish we ordered was flavorful and wonderful. No complaints with the food, service, quantity and quality of the food and establishment. The owners are 2 young brothers who are wonderful and manage the restaurant really well. We were really happy to have found this restaurant!

Went into curry leaf because the smells just draw you in when you walk by. It is also obviously popular, so we figured it must be good. I am usually not an Indian cuisine fan because I can't handle spicy dishes, but this place has become one of my favorites! It has a very homey , local atmosphere. I like the Set up where we order our own food, get our own plates and utensils, and bring our food to the table, as a Trade off to getting reasonable prices for delicious meals!

Best Indian food in the area!! Quick and easy pickup process. The lamb curry is so delicious :)

This is one of my favorite Indian restaurants that I have ever been to! I ordered the lamb curry with garlic naan and my friend ordered the chicken tikka masala with rice. The lamb curry had the perfect blend of spices in it which went well with the soft large naan. The portion sizes are very generous and not too small. The tikka masala was very creamy, sweet, and savory. I like how there is a self serve bar where you can get as many napkins or water bottles as you want. The food also came out very fast even when there was a very long line! The prices are very reasonable as well and there is a decent amount of seating indoors and a few tables outdoors. The workers were friendly and let us know that they would be right there with us. My friend and I will definitely be coming back here to try out the other options!

Eggplant dish, garlic naan and mango lassi very tasty, fast and inexpensive, big servings

I wanted to eat Indian Hyderabadi Dum style biryani my mouth was watering at the thought of that and as I was in San Francisco union Square I wanted to find a place where I could get good Biriyani. Shalimar is my usual go to but they don't serve biryani so I ended up at curry leaf. I ordered chicken biryani, eggplant Bharata and one Naan, see pictures below and boy were they fantastic???. The food is prepared fresh and it comes to your table steaming hot and that itself on a cold San Francisco evening was a bliss and and on top of that it was spicy and tasty. The chicken biryani was flavourful and many people who walked by said that looks yummy. Suffice to say usually I do not eat the whole plate but I did that day. This place is good and if you are into Indian food please do visit curry leaf. One star less for ambience and the whole self serve thing

Still as solid as every other time we have been here over the past eight years. We don't live in San Francisco anymore but we still come here as often as possible whenever we happen to be nearby. We have tried many other Indian restaurants in our new neighborhood but nothing compares to Curry Leaf.

I have to periodically remind myself that there is more to North Beach than Italian food. Actually, Indian and Indian-adjacent (e.g. Pakistani, Nepalese) food is really good in this neighborhood too. I liked everything I tried at this joint. Also, lots of food for the money, so a very good value. Don't miss the various grilled items, they're perfect add-ons to your meal. Seekh Kabab: Not that pricey at all, so a great add on to whatever else you're ordering. Densely packed ground lamb with nice spices. I especially like how the raw onion on the side really brings out the flavor. Chicken Breast (On the Bone): Wow, this was a sleeper hit. I normally go straight for the curries because of all the flavor in them. But since this was popular on Yelp, I decided to add-on one. First of all, it wasn't shaped like a regular old thick chicken breast. It was cut in several which ways to maximize the surface area. That made it absorb more marinade and get more char in the tandoor. Speaking of, wow the spices in the marinade were simply amazing. And the chicken was so tender. Shockingly, my favorite of what I ordered. Chicken Tikka Masala: A reliable standby. That creamy tomato sauce with naan is just perfect. And, of course, the tender chicken is nice too so you get some protein in you dips. I like how the chicken was cut small, so you get a little in every bite to stretch the curry even further. A hearty comfort food that is so hard to pass up. Lamb Biryani: Looked kinda funny with a big ol' boiled potato in the center. But quite tasty. Fluffy rice with loads of tender lamb pieces. Lots of nice flavor. Not as moist/fresh as biryani right out of the dum, but pretty good for faster biryani when you don't have time for the from-scratch order. Garlic Naan: Fluffy. Garlicky. A must pairing for any curry.