Thomas S.
Yelp
In the post-COVID-era very few Indian restaurants have opted to serve buffet, instead focusing on take out and traditional dine in service. It appears that most have determined that increased food costs, combined with omnipresent waste, make the buffet model unappealing. Yet some brave establishments still offer this option, with an understandable increase in price. House of Tandoor is the gold-standard in nearly every way when it comes to lunch buffet, which for me is the ideally affordable way to enjoy Indian cuisine. The full meal experience including Masala tea (theirs is first-rate), soup (different each day and ranging from adequate to far better than average), tasty appetizers, fresh naan made to order (and they are happy to prepare without butter, if requested), and then outstanding entrees, and well-conceived deserts. They even offer additional choices on weekends, including a delicious shrimp do-Paizza dish that combines shrimp, peppers, onions and exotic spices. I am not even a big fan of seafood, but this signature offering is a refreshing addition to the many staples which are executed so well at House of Tandoor.
The staff is pretty friendly, and the dining room has a surprising charm and ambiance. One needs to descend below the ground level to enter the restaurant, which is calm and festive. The music is authentic and appropriate, though they could feature more variety (sometimes the same song will repeat nonstop over the course of a full hour). Finally, the restrooms are surprisingly on point. Not usually a factor to draw attention to, but to be honest the restrooms one finds in restaurants are generally forgettable. Not true in their case, however. Both restrooms go above and beyond.
Food is certainly the most important consideration when assessing the quality of a restaurant, and by this measure the buffet at House of Tandoor is unassailable. If it were closer to home I could see myself here 4-6 days a week, but as it is I will look forward to going whenever I am up for the drive!