Hema's Kitchen

The Indian food was really good. I ordered chicken and rice and they offered a sufficient quantity for a reasonable price. I definitely recommend ordering Indian cuisine from this restaurant and I will order myself again.

Had a wonderful time at Hema's! The food is delicious and reasonably priced, and the staff is helpful with recommendations. Best of all, it's a BYOB restaurant, and it's very casual on the inside. Come relaxed and ready to enjoy some fantastic Indian food!

Pretty disappointing for a lot of reasons. First off, the floor was covered in water as there seemed to be some sort of leak. As someone prone to falls, that’s something to at least stay on top of and mop up or at least have a warning sign. I could tell the server was super stressed because he was kind of talking to multiple tables at once and instructing another server. That’s understandable, but the service was slow overall. When it came to the food, we had to add salt to everything because it had virtually no flavor. We tried the kadai chicken and chilli ghobi, and thought they weren’t terrible, they certainly weren’t worth the prices at this restaurant. This may have just been an off day, but it’s not somewhere I’d return based on this experience.

I live in New Orleans and I can handle any spice on earth. The chicken vindaloo is the spiciest thing that I have ever eaten. Ever Great place and superbly authentic. Highly recommend Shukriya for the great food!!

Loved the murgh makhini.The service was slow, but the food was delicious so I cannot complain. The owner was very generous and gave me a complementary Gajar ka Halwa.I am planning to go there more often.

I really enjoyed Hema’s breakfast. I cannot have enough the Masala Dosa, Idly and Vada. A good starting points for authentic South Indian food. Will come back soon.

What can you say? Best Indian food in Chicago (hands down!) and for a price that wont leave you broke (can add a little extra Aloo Gosht but thats neither here nor there lol). All of the staff is always friendly, ready to assist in making your experience great! I always go for the Samosas to start (Meat or Vegetarian 👌🏼) Aloo Gosht (not too spicy pero soy Mexicano I'm not shy either 😤😭), Rice Pilaf, Naan/Parathas (Butter/Garlic 🙌🏼) and a Mango Lassi (or two 👀🍹🏃🏻‍♂️‍➡️) and my day is cancelled after (laying down with leftovers). I have been going there for my birthday for years and it is a tradition I don't intend on stopping. If I could have Hema's everyday I wouldn't complain shoutout to the family holding it down for their culture's flavor. 🙏🏼🥱

The food is amazing, staff were really nice and accommodating, and it's very pretty! Food also came quickly, but never made us feel rushed.

This place has been a staple for my husband and I the last 3 years, and especially throughout the pandemic! We love the lamb vindaloo, kheema biryani, samosas, and super fresh garlic naan. :) The restaurant has seen better times though--over the last stretch of the pandemic I think it's really taken a hit--its now a one-woman show, and she doesn't seem to have much help from other staff. I hope more folks will show up to support, so they can ride out these tough times! For now, I recommend ordering to go, and just budgeting extra wait time and being patient! The food is worth it, compared to the other spots we tried on Devon in my opinion!

The food is great, in restaurant or takeout. Buyer beware. If you order online, it lists each entree coming with rice. They only give 1 small rice for the entire order. Rice is cheap, our bill was $140 pre-tip, throw some extra rice in there. We ordered 6 entrees plus a ton of add ons, still only got one rice. It's enough for about 2 people. Door dash took care of us, but the restaurant couldn't care less. If you dine in, don't expect great service. The food is worth it, but the waitstaff leaves much to be desired. Also if you have a wimpy palate like me, don't expect them to be diligent about refilling your water.

Came here because my friend saw this place featured on Chicago's Best food locations. The owner and server there were very friendly from when we walked into the restaurant to the end when we were leaving. We ordered chicken masala, butter chicken and a lb bryani with 2 orders of garlic naan. The food did take some time to make, but when the food came out, we couldn't stop eating. The food was very fresh and delicious. At first I was hesitant to eat the garlic naan because it had cilantro in it and I do not like cilantro, but because of the spices in the sauce, I didn't taste any of the cilantro. The sauce was so strong it overpowered the taste of the cilantro. I would have to say that the chicken masala was the best dish out if the 3 we ordered. We also ordered a mango lassi and I wish it was in a bigger cup than in a tall wine glass. The proportion was just right. 3 of us killed all three dishes and had nothing left over. The spicy level was just ok to me. It could've been spicier, but my boyfriend and friend thought it was the perfect amount of spice. Just depends on everyone's spicy level everyone is different. I would definitely come back to this place to eat and would recommend other people to check this place out if they are craving for some Indian food.

Used to be a regular at Hema's when I lived in Evanston. Haven't been there in a few years, so thought I'd try it out again since I was in the area. Ordered all my old favorites to take out and eat at home, including chicken tikka masala, tandoori chicken, and naan. Unfortunately, they were all bad. So bad we ended up throwing most of them out. Even the naan! So disappointed. Must have changed ownership because when Hema was in the kitchen she would never have made food like this.

First time at Hema's on Devon. Visited the Hema's on Clark (Lincoln Park location which had closed) years ago. Like the other location, Hema herself has graced us with her presence. On a Sunday night, the place had quite a few tables open. The 4 of us ordered each ordered an entree too share family style. Entrees included the chicken vindaloo, chicken Tikka masala, chicken briyani, fish vindaloo, an order of rice, and 2 orders of Naan (garlic and one jalepeno). The entrees do not come with rice, FYI. Our food took FOREVER to come out like the others have suggested. We additionally ordered drinks, but it didnt arrive until 30 mins after we ordered. Service was very slow. It looks like Hema and one other woman was working. Unlike the other reviewer's experience, Hema was very kind and had a quirky sense of humor! We enjoyed our food very much when it finally came out. Wish the vindaloo and Tikka masala dishes came with more meat instead of so much sauce! There were only 5 pieces of meat in each dish Max. The chicken briyani was a nice portion for the price. Food: 4/5 Price: 3/5 for the value Service: 3/5- extra point for Hema, but the place is SLOW!!

Great food, great naan, and very kind staff :) My friend and I ordered the tiki masala and the service was fast.

Is Hema's under new ownership? A new chef?! I ordered my staples - hariyali chicken and sag paneer. The hariyali chicken that normally comes in a green, creamy cilantro sauce came in a watery brown chunky sauce and literally had only 4 bites of chicken in it. The sag paneer tasted of garlic, def not sag paneer. So disappointed. Where else can I get chicken hariyali???

Very ordinary restaurant. But it was the only one I could go to due to all other surrounding ones served Beef. This is owned by Telugu Christian but does not have beef on menu. Prominent displaces of Indian Teicolor due to recent Independence Day . Ate mutton biryani. Very generic. Not terrible. But nothing to write home about. The Ajwain fish was also ok. Amount of mutton and fish was less for the price. Decor is tired looking, as if they are just bidding time before leaving. The owner lady seemed nice and asked if we liked the food. Suggestion: if there are not too many people around, just bring a free desert like gulag jamun or something, which won't cost much but will bring a smile on the customer.

This is my fave place on Devon. Been coming for years and finally made it back since before Covid. Service was great and food was exceptional.Had a lovely conversation with Hema to end our dinner.

Delicious and authentic Indian food in Chicago. My favorite - Bhuna Gosht with Zeera rice, Chicken Malai Tikka and Chicken Vindaloo.

We used to love to go to Hema's all the time several years ago and decided to give it a try tonight. It was a bit strange as nobody was in there except we 4 people. The woman who worked there was completely by herself, seating, serving & cooking. She was very congenial, but the food was not what it used to be. While she was in the kitchen preparing our food, 3 people came into the restaurant and up to our table. They were begging for money and/or food. We were quite concerned, not only for our own safety, but for the woman seating/serving/cooking in the restaurant, completely alone. They went away when we refused, without incident. The food was below par for this restaurant, as we remember it from the past. I do hope it will come back to what it used to be.

Hema's Kitchen is gone. The sign is off the front. The web site is still up. There is a restaurant there, however. When I went in for lunch and asked the server if this is Hema's Kitchen, she said yes. Maybe she didn't speak English... No cover on the menu, but a google check of the address says it is now Oberoi's. Service was dreadfully slow, the room was ice-cold, and my order was under-cooked. I'm sorry to see Hema's go; this new place will need a lot of work.

Good fresh food! Enjoyed the matter paneer, lamb gosh and naan. Very nice service as well :) seems popular there were many delivery orders

When we lived in the city we frequently visited the Clark St. location (now closed sadly!) but food was always amazing and service excellent. At this location I can say that food was also very tasty, however service was extremely slow so if you plan to eat here (or order out) make sure to add an extra hour to your wait...us along with the only 2 other tables in the restaurant, waited over an hour for our food and as did customers picking up orders to go. They were also out of some items on the menu so I wish our server notified us when we sat down as we just so happened to choose those items and then rushed to look to order something else. So again... once we finally got our order, the food was very good but next time we are craving Indian we will most likely choose to go somewhere else..

Don't get me wrong, this place does good food. But maybe Hema has just gotten a bit lazy because some of it just is not as good as it should be. Went here for dinner 2 weeks ago on a Saturday evening to get some good Indian food. We ordered lamb vindaloo, chicken korma, lamb tikka and chicken tikka, sag paneer, okra, and naan bread. The flavors themselves were all great and spot on. Spicy when it's supposed to be and just tasty all around. However. The tikka dishes were flavorful but the meat just kinda fell apart too much to the point of mushiness, which tells me they were marinated for far too long in yogurt. The okra was also flavorful but the okra was old and fibrous and no amount of cooking can get rid of that. We enjoyed our meal and would go back, but the misses on some key dishes could not overcome what would have been a 5 star review based on flavor alone.

Hema's Kitchen is hands down the BEST vegetarian South Indian on Devon. The food is amazing. The service is prompt and cheerful. Hema, the owner, is a real sweetheart. Five stars!

Hema's is usually delicious, but don't expect your order to be ready anywhere close to the time given. I was here a year ago, and sat in there for 40 minutes past the time that I was quoted. After taking a year off, I decided to give her another chance, and right now I am at the 30 minute mark past the time she said my food would be ready. She quoted me 45 minutes, and I was very specific with her that I would be there at 6 PM, and here I am at 6:30 still waiting for my food. I don't understand why she just doesn't give people the truth regarding prep time? Nice lady, good food, but not worth the wait.

Hema's kitchen has got solid reviews by word-of-mouth. I'd say more so about their other location. But much of that word is spoken by Americans that flock to it for their appetizing scents and flavors. I've dined at Hema's kitchen on different occasions, but never by my choice, either a suggestion or I was attending events - where foods were prepared by the namesake. To me, Hema's is Neopolitan Indian food. Much like Neopolitan ice cream, it can be a little brown, a little white and pink too. I think they curtail flavors and spices to appeal to the American population at large which is why I've never found it appealing. TOO MILD. I need spice and I need to sweat. Interesting side note. While attending an event I got to meet / dine with some IL political big wigs. Raja Krishnamoorthi, Danny Davis and a few others. Usually a resident would have to attend their local neighborhood awareness meetings to get a chance to meet these folks. I shared samosas and chutney with a few!

One of my favorite Indian restaurants in a city with a lot of great ones! The food is delicious, the prices are very reasonable, and they'll cook each meal to your preferred level of heat. Hema herself is unfailingly friendly and welcoming, ready to strike up a conversation or recommend a house favorite. Highly recommend for eating in or carryout! (Just call directly so they don't lose a big cut to a food delivery app.)

I have to preface this by saying I only eat Indian food like once or twice a year. Although I think I'm going to increase that. I got the lamb curry. It was good but didn't amaze me. I tried someone in my parties different lamb dish with potatoes and peas had more of a spicy kick. The kick was good. When I go back I'm going to try different dishes.They get all kinds of awards!

Went in on a Saturday or Sunday night it was no one inside so we were a little skeptical. However we stayed and ordered. I wanted okra so I ordered the lamb/okra combo and it was so tender and flavorful. I also tried the lamb samosas as an appetizer. I was happy with the flavors however they werent as fresh as I expected. That didn't however turn me away. I have since been back several time to try the samosas and every single time they are fresh and flavorful. I've even gotten my coworkers hooked on them. Originally I would just order two. Now I order a double order so I could get 4. They are so delicious.

I've always loved Hema's Kitchen - we've eaten there since 2008. My absolute go-to is the mulligatawny soup. It's my cure whenever I'm sick ... but delicious anytime with its hints of mint, deep savory lentil taste and small pieces of chopped chicken. The whole menu is delicious - anything we pick is delicious.

The food at Hema's is great! My friend and I ate here last night. We started with pappadam and spinach pakoras. Delicious! Then we moved on to fish vindaloo and a chick pea dish. With basmati rice, they were great. Each item had a unique flavor and aroma. Our service was attentive and cordial. The atmosphere lended itself to good conversation with my friend who I hadn't seen in a while. A wonderful dining experience!

I am torn between giving Hema's 3 and 4 stars. Restaurant itself was clean and inviting. We got the Green fish curry and Murg Makhani and they were pretty spot on with flavors and taste. Nan was soft and overall a solid meal. Prices for being on Devon are a little bit higher than the norm. So now of course you still wonder why the 3 stars? If you haven't guessed, it was the service!! There was only 1 server who also played hostess, cashier, and answered the phone which rang non stop for takeout and delivery orders. During our time there, she would disappear for 10 minutes behind the kitchen door with no one to refill our water glasses or place another nan order with. They are BYO!

This place is a gem!!! I have been eating hemas for 10 years. She is so nice and the food has never been anything but perfect! Please support small businesses during this time. Ask for grandmas dish :) thank you!!

Absolutely delicious food!! My friend picked me up at the airport and brought me straight here. We had Garlic Naan, Chicken Masala, Regular Naan, and a few other dishes I cant even remember the names of.... I tried to pull up the website to see the menu but my work computer marked it as dangerous and blocked it. The food was absolutely amazing, if I am ever back in the Chicago area, I WILL BE BACK! :) It was the perfect start to my amazing vacation.

Before heading off to venture through Chicago, my boss from my previous internship told me I had to go to Devon Ave to grab some authentic Indian food. Upon arrival, I mentioned the recommendation to my host and she said there was a restaurant there that made amazing food. It was Hema's Kitchen. She prefaced with, "Their food is really good, but the service is terrible." She was not wrong. There was only one table seated before we arrived. It took at least 15 minutes before they even came to greet us. The food took even longer to come out, but thankfully, it's BYOB. So, we enjoyed some Goose Island 312 to kill some time and share some laughs. Once the food came out, it was wonderful. The meal was full of flavor! Everyone passed their plate around, and I was able to get my first taste of Indian food while surrounded by great company.

I am a creature of habit, it's true, and I do like Hema's Vindaloo! The naan is tasty, and the variety of both carnivore and vegetarian options on the menu mean that no one goes hungry for lack of choice. This time around, I ordered three entrees: Lamb Vindaloo, Veggie Vindaloo, and Aloo Jeera - YUM! Try the pakora, and the simosa, and you won't go wrong, and don't forget to leave room for desert too! Namaste!

Well, I ordered my food at 6:45 from Grubhub. I finally called after it was a half hour late. Now we're going on 2+ hours since I ordered. Called the first time, they said it was on its way. Second time, it's almost there, 2 minutes away. Third call: now they aren't sure if they even have an order in my name. Said they would call back 15 minutes ago. Never again. Just hoping I get my money back at this point. Really was looking forward to trying it too.

So, I have been to Hema's several times. I admittedly know very little about food from this cuisine and really was at the hands of the server. Without a doubt, we were steered in the right direction. Every morsel of food was so flavorful. I was very impressed with the differences in the various dishes and that they were equally tasty. Probably my favorite was the different nans that they brought us. They have a wonderful variety of nan that you don't see in other Indian restaurants. It is a hole in the wall kind of restaurant and I didn't go there with presence or high falut'n expectation. My belly was full. Taste buds delighted and overall sense of happiness when I was done. Have been there more than once and will go back again.

I went here years ago before covid and was always my go to. It's been a while but i thought i should try it out. It's definitely changed on the inside but the food is great. I was skeptical because i didn't see any Indian workers or Hema herself but i was pleasantly surprised and will be returning soon. Also the prices are great so that's a bonus. If you are looking for vegetarian Indian this is your place!

If your restaurant decides to embrace technology and have online ordering function available, please make sure it works!! What is the point of going through the motion of ordering online if I have to end up having to explain myself at the restaurant for 10 minutes that I had already put in an order then write down all my order for them on paper and wait 30minutes for my food. Then I had to come back again because they left out part of my order.What a joke! With sea of choices of Indian restaurants on Devon this is the type of mistakes that will drive your customers away. Will definitely will not order from here again!!!

Went in for a pick up, 3 tasty entrees and 3 tasty sides all for a reasonable price. Although there was limited interaction with the staff (as it was just a quick carry out), the lady that helped us was extremely friendly and pleasant. Also got a quick glimpse of the restaurant and its beautiful. I will be back for dine in when possible. I recommend!

I like their food here. Really. It tends to be a little hot for some people, but I'm a fan. I am not a fan of the service I get here. It tends to be a bit cold, but the last time I was there, it was just silly. The only person working in front was a young woman, too young to be running the front of house alone. I would guess that she is someone's niece or daughter and just got thrown in because she was available. Her primary interest was her phone. Customers were somewhere further down on the list. My husband is not a consistent spice lover, so we ordered a mango lassi to help him navigate. The young lady said that they don't have mango lassi (it's on the menu). This is the only time I have encountered an indian resataurant without mango lassi. So...I asked for a plain lassi. Her reply was that she wasn't sure if the resataurant had that (!!!!!!) and she would check. She didn't check. She went in the back of the dining room and futzed with silverware. I went to a restaurant down the street and got a mango lassi to go. Of course I did. She didn't notice. Here is the deal. Not just anyone can run the front of house. It affects customer perception of the entire dining experience. When you staff the restaurant with people that clearly don't want to be there, you have failure. I see the same thing at Carrito's on Lincoln. You never see an adult there and as you can see in the reviews, the experience varies wildly from person to person. That is not the kids' fault. It is the problem of the adults that leave them unsupervised. Hema's food is definitely above average and Hema obviously takes the whole thing seriously, but don't make teenagers that don't give a hang run the restaurant. The kids don't like it and patrons certainly don't

1st Class Costs. 2nd Rate Food. 3rd World Service. Hema's food (Devon) USED to be good - I don't know if they've changed owners and/or cooks - but now all of the food is made with the same tomato based sauce, serving portions are smaller, and the lack of culinary skills is obvious. Delivery Service has always been AWFUL and this place is SHADY!! I ordered a 6 pack of sprite and they send diet coke (I don't like caffeine) so I called them and they wouldn't even refund my money or give me a credit. Delivery take a very long time and I'm always missing something in my order. Their menu clearly states that dishes are served with rice, but they are not - you have to order/pay to get rice. Even after pointing out what their own menu stated, they denied that it meant patrons should receive rice when the menu states otherwise. BUT their food USED to be so good, that I was willing to overlook the poor service. Now the food AND service are bad. Go to the other Hema's on Clark which is much better or GO SOMEWHERE ELSE!!!

I have a new Indian NANA! Hema is sweet, generous, and huggable. What a great family business. I feel almost welcomed into someone's, home, rather than just eating at a restaurant. The food is amazing. The vindaloo will knock your socks off! Come here expecting to wait a while for food. It is not Mcdonalds! (Thank God!) It is approachable Indian cuisine in a comfortable setting. Oh, and BYOB.

This review is based on delivery. Our first time ordering, the order was correct and arrived on time. The dishes were ... fine. Just ok. I've had better of each dish we ordered at other Indian places along Devon. And, the restaurant definitely skimped on the rice. The second time we ordered, the restaurant substituted one of the dishes without notifying us in any way - so we opened it up and there was an entirely different dish than what we ordered. I called the restaurant and eventually got an explanation that (I think?) they didn't have the dish we originally ordered that day. But I don't understand why they didn't call me to ask if what they were substituting was ok - I definitely would have chosen something other than what they substituted. Super unprofessional and disappointing. I won't be ordering from here again.

Hema's Kitchen is a terrific Indian restaurant. Period. Visited last night for the first time in awhile, and the food is still as good as we remembered. How any Yelper could describe anything here as "tasteless" or "bland" is beyond me. The quality and selection on the menu at affordable prices is beyond compare. Perfect Indian comfort food for a frosty night. The best Samosas in Chicago, perfectly fried Vegetable Pakora. The Biryani was fresh and succulent, good quality Chicken and plenty of it. The Lamb Vindaloo (yes, it's spicy) is addictive, with bite-sized chunks of tender lamb and potato. Matar Mushroom and Chana Masala were flavorful, and the Naan was simply perfection - just the right amount of char, pillowy on the inside. The restaurant business is more competitive than ever. Places come and go and today's consumer is more fickle, and louder than ever. The fact that Hema's has been around so long and is still turning out quality food is a testament to Hema's passion and dedication. To read other reviews mentioning things like soda choices, or wait time on delivery, and flippant comments like "bland", "tasteless", "disinterested"...talk about fake news. Too spicy, not spicy enough...come on, people. These are problems that are easily solved by speaking to your server, or the manager. If you're concerned about something being too flavorful, make that clear when you order. If you've blown out your taste buds on a lifetime of fast food and/or Marlboro Lights, ask for some extra Bam! on your entree. Everyone's taste buds are organic, living things that vary. Here's a radical idea: if you're not happy with the way something tastes, when your server pops by and asks "how is everything", tell them (nicely) how you feel! Perhaps things can be adjusted to your taste. If you own, or have ever owned, your own small business, you're aware of the challenges. Now multiply that times ten and you have an idea about making it in the restaurant business. If a proprietor is on their phone or behind the counter for awhile, who's to say they aren't engaged in something that's necessary? As for having to wait occasionally? Good things sometimes take time. If you're looking for a quick bite and you value tempo over deliciousness, head to Noodles or Burger Barn. If you're looking for a welcoming, captivating experience crafted by hand, with fresh, top quality ingredients, then visit Hema's. You'll be glad you did. And you'll be back.

What do you do on a cold, dreary, rainy Saturday with $100 promotion in Postmates ? Netflix and order in, of course ! Trying to find a place that delivers to our area (rogers park) is quite limited, but we narrowed it down to Dak for wings or good 'ol hema's for Indian. Sadly, Dak ran out of chicken wings by 7 pm... a chicken wing place that ran out of wings ? I was extremely disappointed by the news, but thanks to our backup, Hema's did not disappoint. We ordered the chicken tikka masala that came with fragrant jasmine rice, Sag Mur - deboned chicken in creamy sauce with spinach & wonderful array of spices, and I can't forget about the naan! Side of garlic naan and onion kulcha naan to sop up all the delicious sauces ! My sensitive tummy (TMI!) will immediately tell me if the Indian dishes are clean, and Hema's dishes are perfectly cooked, clean, not overly greasy & pairs well with everything. It was the perfect way to end my Saturday night !

Absolute hidden gem! Delicious food and reasonable prices. Best was the service though - the owner came out and chatted about the restaurant business with us. I couldn't be happier about supporting her business.

I'd like to begin with "I was damn hungry." So then the story begins months ago when a few friends and I talked about what types of food we have yet to try [together], and Indian was on the top of the list. And after lots of talking, reading, and drooling, I took initiative [in part because my friends and I are among the most indecisive on the planet] and decided on Hema's Kitchen. Talk about judging a book by it's cover, I did NOT expect the decor to wow me like I did. I'm not sure why, but I was thinking like a super dive-y joint. It was legit pretty inside. But forreal, Hema, yes THE Hema, greeted us at the door. Super nice lady. The rest of the staff was aight...nothing special. Although our server made one rather good suggestion. Which leads to... the food. Let me start out by saying portions lack size, but make up in flavor. Our party of three ordered: -garlic naan: drooL!! I'm a sucker for garlic...and carbs. If you are too, then you must get an order or two [one order was decent for the three of us]. -green curry fish: looks can be deceiving, as this fish dish looked like the ooze that turned four turtles into the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. But it was tasty. -shrimp biryani: a flavorful rice dish that adds to filling your stomach in conjunction with the smaller entrees. -lamb vindaloo: now they list it "very spicy," but I could've done spicier! Regardless, this was delish. -choosa tikka masala: very subtle spices, as odd as that may seem. So yeah. Food was delicious, so why three stars? I'll give two big reasons: lackluster service and cost per serving. The service was really mediocre, at best. Our server came up to us and asked if we were ready, which we were, so she stood there ready to take our order...then left without us saying anything. She didn't come back for five minutes. It struck us very odd. The real bone to pick with this boneless dining experience is cost. I'm not the biggest penny pincher out there, especially when it comes to food. I'll spend top dollar on some grub. But I really can't justify spending $60 for 3 people at a restaurant that dished out super small portions. I'll end it with "I left and was still damn hungry." So we went to get gelato.

First off, the food at Hema s Kitchen was great! We ordered the samosas, lamb vindaloo, chicken masala, Nan, rice plate and sag paneer. The spices of all were very well balanced . Tasted like everything was made to order. Only complaint we have was the service. Young female server, very slow, not very friendly, and besides taking our order never came by. Well, at the very end to bring our checks, and finally a smile. It also didn't help dropping silverware while taking our plates and getting Indian spices on my leg. Some more water and napkins please? Half way through our meal, we had to ask where our rice was. The food was so good. Just wish the service would follow . I'm sure we can find a place with great food and great service with the ambiance that follows. Right?

There are a many choices for an Indian restaurants on Devon, we decided to go to Hema's Kitchen. Don't worry if you forgot to pickup some Indian beer, there are a few liqueur stores around the area that have your favorite beverage on hand. We ordered a couple of appetizers The somosas were prepared well, the chicken tikka was moist and flavorful (Not dry at all). Then the entrees came, The vegetable biryani, garlic nann was excellent, especially with the butter chicken. We were too stuffed to continue with the desert. Overall Hema's Kitchen rocks. Pro's: Free corkage, BYOB, prices, plenty of metered parking. Con's: none.

If you've read my review for Hema's Kitchen II, you'll know why this is a 4-star not 5! This was my favorite on Devon for the longest time. But then came HK II and Hema went away to LP. The service went down, the orders started getting mixed up (several times), the food just wasn't the same. I shifted to HK II too. But now, she is back to Devon and when she personally takes care, this is the best!! One plus: Prices are cheaper here than Lincoln Park. One minus: They don't have naan! My favorite part about Hema's Kitchen: It's closer to home food. Trust me I'll know - I grew up in India on mom's food. My recommendations: Chana (chickpeas), Veg samosa, phulka (this is the bread we eat at home, not naan), paratha (and this bread too), yellow daal, veg biryani.

It usually takes me months if not years to write a Yelp review (you can check, I have only written 9 reviews in my 45 years of being a Yelp member) But I had to do a quick turnaround on Hema's because they have several fair to poor reviews and I don't get it. To be fair, a lot of them are for delivery or take out and let's be honest, they should make a different Yelp for babies to complain about not getting delivery fast enough. it is SUCH a pointless complaint to be shared on a website like Yelp unless it literally took 4 hours to get your food and then the delivery driver spat on your food and in your face while handing it to you. Sorry I got way off track. Hema's is a pretty basic Indian restaurant, including their menu, which is pretty refreshing to see. I have a feeling the menu hasn't changed since the day it opened and I think that's great. This would be a good restaurant to bring someone to if they've never had Indian food before. The menu isn't overwhelming at all and it has all of the favorites you would expect from an Indian restaurant. Hema and the waitstaff are all very friendly and charming and it's like having a meal in your grandma's kitchen, if your grandma's kitchen also included many other tables and your grandma only made Indian food. it's pretty chill and laid back and may not be for you if you are an aggro loud asshole. The entire reason we came hear was hearing about how great the Vindaloo was and it did not disappoint. Since moving to Chicago, people always give us ("us" being my girlfriend and I. I do not have an alien symbiote inside me like Venom) recommendations for food and to be honest, most of the time it's a let down. Hema's Vindaloo is FAR from being a let down. I think it's a tricky thing to say "this is the best _____ I've ever had" so I will refrain from saying that, but if you like Indian food and namely Vindaloo, i would say you should go out of your way to try it. It is nice and spicy and completely flavorful. The heat level is high but it's not punishing so it doesn't sacrifice any of it's exceptional flavor. It's definitely on my new and still pretty small list of can't miss dishes in Chicago. All of the other food we had was great, but the vindaloo was in a class of it's own. I'm not used to ending these Yelps on a good note so I'm not quite sure how to close this out, but trust me, a stranger from the internet, the Vindaloo is amazing and worth your time to try.

Daaaaaaaaaang, Hema! Love the new digs! Hadn't been into the Devon area location in a long time and found ourselves in the neighborhood tonight. After driving by the old location (oooops! They moved?), we Yelped the address and found the new restaurant. Vast improvement! Goodness... I remember the night i waited for 2 hours to get a table when Hema's was just the ONE storefront on Oakley and could only sit like 20 people. My how the times have changed. Loved the decor. Everything was new and clean and lovely. The service! Wow! It was like a new Hema's! I couldn't take more than 4 sips from my glass before it was filled again. The waitstaff checked in multiple times to see if we needed anything. Everyone was super friendly. The food... ah, the food. Hema's has some of my FAVORITE Indian food. The saag murg is easily one of my favorite dishes, ever. The tandoori chicken is THE BEST I've ever had. We tried the Indian fish fry tonight and while it wasn't my favorite, it's pretty damn good. I would say tonight is going to leave me dreaming about going back... but the beauty is that I have large containers of leftovers waiting for me to consume tomorrow. Mmmmmmmm...

Sadly after eating here for years, I won't be anymore. My last order gave me horrible "Delhi belly" which shouldn't be happening here. Clearly the standards for cleanliness have disappeared which is sad because i used to love ordering and dining in from here. In the past my food was perfect with the exact spice level requested. The last few times, I requested different spice levels, they were identical upon arrival and both times horrible stomach pains and #3. The last time was so bad I actually took off work for a few days. I should have known but since I'm such a fan I needed to give them one last shot. Now I have to find a new restaurant that makes aloo jeera as good as hema's used to

If the menu at Hema's Kitchen offers an Indian-food experience that's safer and more predictable for non-Indians than you're likely to get at other restaurants on Devon, it's still a quite a good one. It's not all that promising when you walk in, though: The room is long, cave-like, and somewhat dreary and dim, with drab, dated decor. It was empty on a Sunday afternoon at 12:30, although about a half-dozen other tables filled while we were there. And our young server was friendly enough, but her attitude about getting drinks to our table was a little carefree. The food won us over, though. We mostly went with conventional selections: Lamb vindaloo was tender and bold, and saag choley had a deeper and more complex flavor profile than the average saag dish. Bhendi masala, an okra dish, was not quite as good, but still satisfying. Onion kulcha was very nice, too, and some of the "green peppers" with which it is purportedly stuffed were of the jalepeno variety. We'd never had the appetizer shami khebab before: It's a delicate cake of lamb and lentils that was great. Only real disappointment at the table were the vegetable samosas, which were pretty bland. FWIW, I suspect heat levels are kept ratcheted down for the non-Indian clientele. We ordered our stuff at 7 and 8, and the heat in it didn't register all that much.

Love Indian food and this place did not disappoint. We ordered 2 dishes, chicken tikka and the other a shrimp dish on top of rice. They both tasted authentic and full of flavors. The place is clean and has good amount of space where you dont feel cramped. Relative to most restaurants that serve as good or better food along Devon St, I would say that the prices here are just a bit higher. The service is just ok. Our water was never refilled Paid $40 with tip for 2 dishes and naan bread. This is a safe place if you want a guaranteed delicious meal. I might try other places in the area but have no problems coming back here.