Guru Curry House (Oakland)

This is my first restaurant meal in America for a long while and I have to say this is a superb meal. QUALITY ticks ALL the boxes thank you, GURU (the 389 room next was also a superb pre-dinner drinks bar)

LOVED this place! It was a cold day and the moment we stepped in we were offered hot chai tea, on the house! The staff was friendly and attentive and the food was fantastic. I would highly recommend this place to my friends!

Guru is all about the food, and it’s absolutely DELICIOUS. The vindaloo, tikka masala, and saag are our favorites. The service is also great - they are always so nice and thoughtful. The atmosphere…is not really their thing. The room is pretty plain, and they don’t put a ton of energy into the decor.

Love this place. The staff are always friendly and attentive. The food is always on point. Saag, tikka masala, and vindaloo are my go-tos. The samosas are huge and the condiments are super fresh*☆~

Restaurant Owners are really friendly. Staff are kind and give good recommendations. There is Free Chai. Every dish is amazing and delicious. Medium spicy is my go to, as mild is mild.

Food is flavorful. We can customize spice levels so can’t complain it’s not spicy or very spicy. Kids loved these thin yet soft naans and rotis and paneer dishes. Dal makhani is decent too. Samosas are good. I liked the mild chai center for unlimited tea although it’s not strong chai. Restaurant has very good indoor decor and service is fast and friendly. They definitely need to improve portion size of entries or sabzis.

This place is way too cute. As soon as you walk in, you can tell it’s very clean and well maintained. The gentleman helping us was so attentive and thoughtful. He turned on a space heater, some calming music and let us know we could help ourselves to their hot chai. The tea was so good! He said they mix the chai leaves with cardamom and masala. I was expecting small portions since the prices were relatively low, but I was pleasantly suprised that the portions are pretty large. The food was delicious, just perfect. Can’t recommend this place enough

My partner, and I come here once a month, I always get the garlic cheese, naan-bread, and the chicken tikka masala with a side of rice, it has become one of my comfort meals. The food is always so good and the owner is always so nice! (my friend took this photo on a film camera for fun!)

Wonderful service! Terrific food. What a find, if you haven't stopped by don't wait. You won't be disappointed!

The food was quite delicious! But the service was a bit slow, because there was only one waiter who was serving everyone. Overall, would recommend!

This is a true mom and pop Indian spot that almost feels like a front, in the best way. I've been here three times and I'm hooked. The prices are great and the food hits hard with just the right spice level. The tea keeps coming, the service is warm, and it's close enough for me to walk. It's everything I want from a local Indian place. If you're not sure what to order, get the saag paneer and thank me later.

We love Guru Curry House. Their chicken pakora, tikka masala, and coconut chicken all stand out. But we've loved everything we tried!!

1. Mango lassi is so good 2. garlic/garlic cheese naan so good 3. complimentary chai 4. basmati rice portion enough for 2 5. so many options for both vegan/vegetarians 6. great service guys i love coming here everything ive tried so far has been yummy!

Absolutely delicious! Just let them know your spice level since things can be on the flavorful but more mild side if you want to have it be spicier. This is a big winner for food in our household where some folks are vegan or vegetarian while others are meat-eaters.

Really good!! Some of the best in the area in my opinion. I always order spicy level because other Indian restaurants don't actually make it spicy but Guru Curry house actually makes their food spicy if you order it at the level!! I was pleasantly surprised. I enjoyed my food so much. The service was super quick. I placed an online order while grocery shopping and stopped by 15 minutes later and my order was ready. This is going to be my new go to Indian spot in the lake Merritt area.

What a wonderful experience. Easily accessible location near Lake Merritt, Oakland. The establishment is clean, spacious, and beautifully decorated. Comforting colors and esthetics with a picturesque mural on the back wall. Looks like a geat location for a family meal. I can tell this a small operation however I am sure if the owner will prepare for large groups when contacted ahead of time. Anyway, I was there for lunch. We ordered Samosa Chaat to start, which I found to be very good. Those Samosas were well made and the different textures of the dish complemented each other well. The other dishes we ordered were Baingan Bharta (eggplant), Prawn Karahi, Garlic Cheese Naan, basmati rice, and (for fun) Acher. The prawn dish, spice level (optional) "hot", delicious !!!! Two stars there. The rice was perfectly cooked, the Naan was hot and tasty. Now, the eggplant was pounded or processed into almost a paste, seasoned well, but once I tasted that prawn dish, the eggplant came second. I love eggplant and missed the bite of it that I usually get. Overall, a very good meal with great customer service. The server was so nice he gave me four quarters for my meter when I asked for change which I thought was very sweet. He insisted that I keep my dollar bill-super sweet. He also guaranteed that the Prawn Karhari dish would be good and said to let him know if it wasn't however it was! He made good on that! Oh, Complementary Chai Self Serve station! Awesome

Delicious. I had the fish wrap and vegetable pakora and my coworker had I think CTM and the cheese naan. I love how crispy the naan is. I for sure love the complementary chai. Went around 1:30 and it was surprisingly dead given the 15 minute walking distance to downtown and the lake but maybe 15 minutes is just a hair too long to walk, we were the only two people in the place til we paid and a few more patrons came through. . The ambiance is "you're about to eat some legit Indian food, let it speak for itself". It's traditionally styled in the way a great Indian place usually is, no booths, only a room full of tables like a proper dining hall with decorations sprinkled throughout. I'm moving within walking distance soon so I was scoping it out and am not at all disappointed.

Went in to the establishment on a Sunday afternoon of walking the lake. The place was not busy at all. Pretty quiet inside, People in and out getting their orders to go. I ordered a lamb curry with mango chutney and a garlic naan with basmati rice. Also ordered was a prawns curry with the same condiment's. While waiting for the food which didn't take long. We were encouraged to have a cup of tea maybe cardamom, I forget but it was good. As the host explained it was good for immunity. Our food came out and we proceeded to dig in. We both got a spice of mild I usually prefer hotter spice but since this was a first try I felt this was the proper move. The lamb curry was really really good with the chutney and the garlic naan was amazing as well. This was such a good meal after a walk. Please stop by this place and be amazed.

My favorite neighborhood Indian spot. Super friendly and accommodating. The food is always fresh and delicious, and there is an unlimited chai bar. Love this place :)

Came on a Friday night and the place was very busy. The staff was overwhelmed with the crowd and take out orders. If you're not in a rush come in and try the free chai at the chai station, it is decent and will hold you over as the food is prepared. Service was friendly despite the wait, they were very apologetic. I recommend calling ahead about 30 minutes so you're not waiting long. Got a few basic items to try, nothing too extravagant off the menu. Tandoori chicken: (3/5) really dry and small pieces. they do give you a few drumsticks and thighs but the flavor wasn't anything special. I wouldn't try this one again. Basmati rice: (3/5) this only comes as a side dish. It won't come with an entree. Wish that wasn't the case. You do get a good amount of rice TJ share for two people but as a standalone I don't recommend eating it. Must mix with masala or something else. Chicken tikka masala: (3.5/5) The container is big so you have plenty for leftovers but not a lot of chicken pieces in it, maybe 6 chicken chunks. Plenty of sauce and spice but heavy on the coconut which took away from it a bit. Had more of a thick puree texture so you're more globbing it on the rice than anything else. Lamb tikka masala (3.5/5) same review as the chicken. Honestly couldn't tell the difference between the lamb and chicken because of the thickness of the masala sauce. Garlic naan: (4/5) definitely good. I would order this again. The right amount of garlic on there and good texture. Served hot and warm. Several pieces to share with a friend. Vegetable samosa: (4/5) you get two for the price. Great deal. Thick and flaky crust and packed to the brim with flavor. I would order this again.

The menu is more than the usual Indian restaurant and tastes amazing. I live their cheese naan!! Great service too

Pretty good Indian food, plentiful portions. We ordered 3 dishes for 2 people and had enough leftover for the following night. Did not dine in, only did take out. We had the bhaingan bharta, paneer karahi and the aloo gobi. The medium wasn't very spicy. The flavors are good but nothing super unique. I really like when eggplant has the grilled, roasted flavor but this one didn't have it. But the prices are really reasonable and I would order again.

This place exceeded expectations. The staff was super friendly and confidently recommended the shrimp dish I ordered. Baby! This shrimp was plump the sauce was flavorful and spiced so nicely. I ordered spicy and it did not disappoint. The Samosas were great also had great flavor. There's complimentary chai and it also was delicious. The restaurant is bigger than it looks from the outside. Plenty of room for a big group and has smaller tables tucked away perfect for a date night. I will be back for sure!

Had the veggie masala wrap, enjoyed it, good mix of freshly cooked vegetables, makes me want to try the rest of their menu. Good snack to go, and hard to find anything decent at that price.

This review is for vindaloo fans only: I've been grabbing to go orders from guru curry house for years now (even before too, when they were house of curries), and guru is by far the local leader in vindaloo. Today was a Wednesday so they were closed, so I tried another similarly yelp rated curry spot and the difference in quality was so apparent it prompted me to write a review. If you like lamb that falls apart and tastes properly braised rather than hardboiled in sauce, go to guru. If you like lots of fixings packed with spice instead of curry soup, go to guru. If you want the potatoes to be buttery and well cooked instead of just a thin slice "cuz it's supposed to have potatoes," go to guru. If you like your current spots and don't want to ruin them for yourself, don't go to guru. Yes, the prices are a little higher. However, the difference in quality for me far outweighs the difference in price. For reference, I've ordered lamb vindaloo from probably 7-8 different places in the area and nobody comes close. If you are a fan of a savory spice packed vindaloo, go to guru! To the staff: you guys are great, I've never had a bad experience here throughout the years I've been a patron. Keep up the excellent work!

I had yet another great experience at Guru Curry House! This time I ordered takeout instead of dining in. The food was delicious as always, my order was ready in less than 20 min, and it was piping hot. My only regret is that I didn't dine in for chai.

In my rotation of take out restaurants and dining in. Spice levels are always on point and the food portions are generous! Love the lamb vindaloo, Chana, saag, mint chutney, briyani, and free chai if you're dinning in

Great food. Had the chicken biryani and vegetable lentils. Very friendly staff. Warm and lovely looking place. The chai station was cool and the tea was great too.

I came here specifically because I was craving chicken karahi and it definitely hit the spot. My partner got the madras chicken and that was also good. Both tender bite-size pieces of chicken breast, yet somehow so moist. And there's unlimited complimentary chai and hot water/tea bags. It was a mildly spiced chai. When we got here, there were only a few people, and the manager (didn't get his name!) said we could sit anywhere. After looking at the menu, we asked him his chicken recommendations. He was refreshingly honest about how some dishes weren't particularly unique or difficult to make and guided us. For spice, we got the karahi med-spicy and madras just medium. I'd say medium is pretty mild by my standards, next time I'd get spicy if I wasn't dining with my mild-spice white bf. After asking about the naan over papadum, he suggested naan but gave us papadum on the house, which was really appreciated. Mid way through dinner a large party (15+) came in, making the place much more lively and busy, but service was still good. I was glad to see it for the business :) Next time I would try some different appetizers, a lamb dish, and maybe aloo naan. Looking forward to coming back.

This place is really good! The food is very flavorful and can be spicy if you want it to be! There's also free chai while you wait for your food. The portion might look small but it is enough to make you super full but you do have to order rice on the side. 1 side of rice is also enough for 2 people! Last but not least is the service is great, they're always on top of things and if you ever need anything you can always ask!

The service was very good! I came here for my birthday, which my family had mentioned and to my surprise our waiter had delivered me a free mango shake in the house! The food is very tasteful and authentic, with big portions. The free complementary Chai Tea is incredibly and like no other place, with Natural Cane Sugar! The waiter was not trying to oversell us with rice because we were hesitant with how much we should get- he recommended we should only get two orders of Basmati rice instead of 3 since that would be more than enough, which was right! The ambiance was perfect with how neat and tidy it was. Great place to visit!!

I ordered extra spicy dishes and it's all super bland. I have tons of leftovers and I may just throw them out -- it's not worth eating. You can find way better Indian food in the Bay Area.

My brother was in the mood for lamb Curry and ordered from here. He also ordered basmati rice and garlic Nan. According to him, "the lamb was fork tender, the rice was fluffy, and the Nan bread was perfect for dipping into the Curry. We are looking forward to our next visit there.

I ordered the Papadam (theirs is the best of any Indian food in East Bay), the Saag Dal and the Chicken Saag - consistently exquisite

Enjoyied my visit here. Menu was well laid out, service was good and the food was on point. Nothing special, but if you are seeking GOOD indian food in Oakland, add this place to your list. And it happens to be right next door to one of my goto dive bars when hanging out near Lake Merritt.

My wife and I came here for the first time after running a 5k - Guru Curry House was the perfect post-run meal! The complementary chai was delicious, and we ate the chicken tikka masala, chicken vindaloo, aloo naan and the cheese naan - All incredible, this was one of the best meals we've ever had. There was a welcoming atmosphere with kind staff, and we can't wait to come back.

The absolute best Indian food I have ever eaten. And trust me, I've eaten a lot of Indian food as it is my favorite cuisine. I reside in Brentwood and the ride to Oakland was well worth it. Virginia Sawa

Food is very tasty with many vegetarian options. Their mango lassi is excellent, not too sweet. I highly recommend especially for take out

I like their lamb curry! The food was very delicious! Thanks your amazing food service! I will Coming again ! If you want to eat Indian food, I recommended The Guru curry House restaurant!

I had the worst experience here, I ordered dinner for my family and called to confirm that my order would be dairy free. I put the notes in my order AND called to confirm. When I went to pick up my food, the dish I had ordered for my kids (who have allergy to cows milk) had been made with dairy. Thank goodness I checked with the waiter at pickup. But the waiter was incredibly rude, would not take back the dish, would not remake it, EVEN if I paid for the remade version, honestly the worst customer service I have experienced in my life. Now I am cooking dinner for my kids while my food gets cold. At this point in time even if this is the best Indian food I've tried I will never go back. Update - very average Indian food, even 'spicy' items were under spiced. Go someplace else.

I love it here! They offer free chai for dine in customers and it is delicious. The food is affordable and so scrumptious. They adjust the food based on your spice level and they do spicy so well! The waiters are always so kind and accommodating, you truly cannot go wrong.

The big open space feels fresh and inviting. The photograph of the Dalai Lama seems to watch you while you check out the wall mural of Tibet. There's no wifi or cell service so you can truly relax while sipping complimentary chai and waiting for your food. It was all delicious. We enjoyed our to-go order.

I order the saffron and the veggie biryani. So good together! Nice portion. I order mild, cause their spice has some kick. If you eat in, they have a chai station.

Delicious! Open during COVID for delivery and take out. I ordered via Yelp Order- if you haven't used it already, it's so easy and you get real-time notifications when your food is ready; always spot on. I ordered the chicken saag and my boyfriend ordered the chicken tiki masala. We got a side of Basmati rice (doesn't come with the dish) and garlic naan. You get to order the level of spiciness- I got extra spicy. My dish WAS spicy- being Hispanic, I could handle it but might break out into a sweat on a hot day. The dish was really good even if the spiciness took over. My boyfriend got a mildly spicy chicken tiki masala and it was very tasty- you can really taste the flavors. We both enjoyed the garlic naan- you get 3-4 large pieces. The dishes/sides are about 2 serving size though my boyfriend ate his dish is one serving. I really enjoyed Guru- will be back to try more!

After an invigorating hike, my friends and I decided to try out this Nepalese Indian restaurant. At 2 PM, the restaurant was empty which allowed us to be promptly seated.The restaurant's interior was spacious and emitted a typical Indian restaurant ambiance. The staff, must have been on a "slow-mo" setting. We had to twiddle our thumbs for a good five minutes before they noticed our existence. But hey, at least we got free chai to sip while we waited! Priorities, right? We ordered a bunch of dishes to tackle our post-hike cravings. First up, the tandoori chicken. It was okay, but you know what it had more of? Food color! I guess they wanted the chicken to look like it was attending a rave party. 2nd, Samosa chaat. It was missing something essential - the tanginess of yogurt and the sweetness of tamarind chutney. And then, there was the fish coconut. Did they forget to put salt in it? But thankfully there was Karahi paneer to the rescue! It was a lifesaver - packed with flavor, oodles of paneer. The fish tandoori? Well, it was as exciting as a rock in a pond - nothing special. The service did go from "are they alive?" to "woo-hoo!" and the staff's friendliness added to the overall enjoyment of the meal.

Yum! Delicious warm curries. Very wide variety and each one was delicious. Servers were very accommodating when we as a party of six requested tables off to the side. Unlimited self-serve chai from a quaint "chai room" off to the side. Ambience wise, dining area was spacious, uncrowded, with centrally located restroom, service desk, and of course chai room :) Service - 10/10 Quality - 10/10 Ambience - 9/10 Value - 10/10 Overall - 10/10

Guru Curry House 08/15/20 Ubereats delivery order with small promo. Did take a bit longer than predicted but it was Saturday dinner hour. Vegan menu choices. achar - spices, mixed vegetables and mango Indian pickle. Too salty for my taste and not sure what the hard bits were Vegetable Biryani. Vegetables and rice with biryani masala. Okay, with lots of white rice clumps Aloo Gobi. Potato and cauliflower. Tomato, ginger, Tumeric, cumin, coriander - Medium spice. The sweats proved there was spice but just a decent bite and not too hot. Might crank out up a notch next time. One of my go to dishes. Saag Dahl. Stir fried Spinach and yellow lentils mild spice. Tasty dish Roti Was still warm from delivery. Kudos to my Ubereats delivery guy. Hope to try other vegan dishes.

The food is amazing, the ambiance super lovely (think goood lighting for a date but not ridiculously dim). Everything that we ordered was delicious. The service was exceptional! I really appreciated having our food come out quickly with the right amount of time between appetizer and main course. Definitely recommend!!! Oh yeah, and they have traditional chai free of charge. Classy move. I really appreciate the chai tea vibe of Indian restaurants. This one did not disappoint.

My favorite north indian restaurant in Oakland. The food is always well done, the service is warm and friendly, the free chai is a beautiful concept. I love sitting near the windows. I recommend.

Yes! Our 15 year old daughter found this curry house when we were in Oakland for a brief stay. The chicken korma and the chicken masala were delicious. How delicious??? Our 6 year old daughter and 10 year old son LOVED it! Guru also came highly recommended by a local couple (Andres & Jessica) who we happened to meet at Room 389, next door, where we enjoyed a specialty cocktail while waiting for our delicious to go order. So so yummy! We also recommend the chicken seekh kabob wrap. Andres and Jessica recommended the cheese and garlic naan. We did not order it, but we definitely will if we ever happen to be in Oakland again in the near future. Note: Make sure you order your rice for your curry, it does not come with rice.

Amazing food and service! The person running the place was SO kind and the service was fast. The portions are great and you can taste the quality of the food! We tried the vegetable samosas, lentil daal, and lamb cashew dish. I would recommend this place to anyone!

The food is delicious! A must try!!! The chicken tikka masala with the garlic cheese naan is my FAVORITE.... Just try it for yourself. The workers are very polite. Food is 10/10 you won't be disappointed.

An absolute favorite, with such delicious food and kind service. Highly recommended for an easy spot around the corner, date night, or time with friends.

Great service. Fast and courteous. The chicken tikka masala was phenomenal. Highly recommend and would come again.

9/18-9/19/22 Well, it wasn't baaaaad.... I know I gave it 1 star out of 5, but when was the last time you had Indian food so bad it was inedible?--kinda hard to make stew taste like vomit if you just throw curry powder and cheap meat in right? So, anyway, no, the food wasn't so bad I threw it all away, but I feel it was probably lumped with the worst 20% of all Indian food I've tried around here. 1. Garlic Naan $3.99: So their naan is probably some of the worst I've had. It's just really unevenly cooked--some parts are tough and hard and dry, and some other parts are nice and soft and chewy. Also, strangely the back side is blackened and hardened, but at least the upper surface is nicer. As for this garlic style, it was smeared with some kind of orange garlic sauce. It does do the job, but unfortunately the bread just kinda sux. 2/10 2. Aloo Gobi $12.99: Stewed potato. I'd say it's pretty good--quite flavorful. 7/10 3. Basmati Rice $2.99: Perfectly cooked white rice. Each kernel was distinct, and yet all moist. 7/10 4. Lamb Karahi $15.49: This was probably my biggest beef... er um, lamb... it was dry and faaaar too lean. The sauce was quite flavorful, but again, does it matter if you're basically saucing up cardboard? 2/10 5. Cheese Naan $3.99: Yeah, so, again same deal with the uneven some hard some soft cooking. And funny thing is they even carried that over to the cheese!--the naan was cut up like pizza, but some slices were totally stuffed with gooey super yummy cheese, while others probably only had a few strands and were turned into cardboard. The cheesy parts were totally DELICIOUS, like Indian quesadillas, but to be honest 70% of it was hard and crappy. 2/10 Anyway, I'd say it's somewhere between 1 and 2 stars... 1.5? But since Yelp only allows whole numbers: 1/5 #oakland #indianfood #indiancuisine #doordash #cheesenaan #garlicnaan #basmatirice #indianrice #lambkarahi #aloogobi

Decent Indian food. I tried the eggplant which was amazing! The coconut fish curry was good but pretty sweet so I probably wouldn't get it again. This spot has plenty of seating and an adorable Chai House inside with complimentary chai tea. If that's not your thing they have black tea and hot water as well. The rice was on par but the naan was chewy and left something to be desired. It seemed like doctored up pita bread. I wouldn't get it again. I think the spot may have more Himalayan roots but the food was decent. I'd go again just for the eggplant alone. So good!

Would like to come again to test out the dining experience, but takeout was fine! Street parking at noon on a Sunday wasn't too bad at all. We had the chicken tikka masala and the saag paneer with a garlic naan and rice on the side. The amount of curry is plenty enough, enough for leftovers. We had the tikka masala mild, but we didn't taste a single hint of heat lol. But still tasted good. No complaints here! The man at the front was nice, offered us paper plates since we were taking our order to-go.