Saffron

Indian restaurant · Waco

Saffron

Indian restaurant · Waco

1

2305 Marketplace Dr, Waco, TX 76711

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Highlights

Halal Indian/Pakistani family spot, buffets, great naan  

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2305 Marketplace Dr, Waco, TX 76711 Get directions

saffronwaco.com
@saffron.wtx

$10–20 · Menu

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2305 Marketplace Dr, Waco, TX 76711 Get directions

+1 254 640 0471
saffronwaco.com
@saffron.wtx

$10–20 · Menu

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Last updated

Sep 1, 2025

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New Orleans’s James Beard Awards Restaurant and Chef Semifinalists for 2025 | Eater New Orleans

"Father-and-son duo Arvinder Vilkhu and Ashwin Vilkhu, who run a family restaurant, were named semifinalists in the Best Chef, South category." - Clair Lorell

https://nola.eater.com/2025/1/22/24348944/new-orleans-james-beard-award-semifinalists-2025-restaurant-chef
View Postcard for Saffron

Bindiya Mansharamani

Google
It’s conveniently located in Waco in a shopping area. Lots of parking. The place was practically empty. My parent was on a walker and it took him a bit to get to the table. However in that time the server didn’t even come to offer us water or anything. We asked for cups. My dad had to use the washroom and the servers found it very funny when the man was struggling to get out of the place. Food was okay. Kids chicken and rice = shredded chicken + rice. Our kids didn’t eat it. The veg biryani had over cooked vegetables and tasted like meat. The kadai paneer was good.

Jeff Iberg (jefeOscuro)

Google
The staff is awesome. The food is cooked just Right and is very flavorful. The cheese Naan was awesome. It's almost like a pizza. I will definitely frequent this place. still a great place although they i still haven't been giving the spice level i expect. But that it minor.

Tasnim Ananya

Google
Loved their food .. quality, quality and pieces are fair. I will go back again anytime I will go to Waco. The Chicken boti was very very yum! To my taste bud goat biryani was average but the goat meat was tender and juicy. Their naan and butter chicken was too good too. They get quite busy as well and food can come a little late since they will be freshly made.

Ann Waitt

Google
Service was great! They greeted us as soon as we came in and immediately got our drinks. Food came out very fast and was amazing. One of the best restaurants in Waco! The lunch plate is a great choice if you want to try a few things!

Britton f

Google
1st time here! pulling up had my doubts! looked like revamped burger joint! not pretentious at all! the food was awesome! the reason we came! lunch was your choice of 3 items and I dont think you could choose wrong! I had chicken karahi, perfect heat! goat bihari and 2 delicious samosas! all excellent! oh! and a basket full of Naan! half of it I took home! Happy we discovered this place!!!

Ashley Rodriguez

Google
Our server was super helpful in explaining any questions we had. Our drinks were never empty, service was great! Dishes were spicier than anticipated but very delicious! We ordered the lunch special with butter chicken, super yummy! We had 3 appetizers. The chicken 65 was our favorite! Then we got the combination grill and it was tender, juicy flavorful! Will absolutely come back!

josh gee

Google
Amazing family owned restaurant! One of the owners Al is an incredible! Saffron has amazing service and even better food. Make sure you try their garlic naan, butter chicken, and their Pakistani BBQ. Saffron is a must go!

Isaac Esparza

Google
Drive down to try their food and was very impressed. Service was great and their chicken tikka and Bhuna chicken were incredible. It was a bit of a drive but would definitely go back!
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Angela W.

Yelp
In Waco for business and stopped at Saffron for dinner. Service was great, the restaurant is clean and the food is fantastic. The minute you walk in you are hit by a wonderful smell from the kitchen. When I come back to Waco I am eating here every time I loved it that much!

Isaac E.

Yelp
Drive down to try their food and was very impressed. Service was great and their chicken tikka and Bhuna chicken were incredible. Chicken was tender and had a nice spice to it. It was a bit of a drive but would definitely go back! The place was clean and welcoming!
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Madi M.

Yelp
Service was great! Ambiance clean and spacious. Food was tasty, but smaller in portions. Basmati rice was overcooked and bland. $16 for vegetable Karahi portion we got, they must be stingy. Would not recommend as an over 4 stars ranking restaurant.

Ana B.

Yelp
Great food and service!!! All of what we've tried has been so good and tasty. definitely recommend
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Luigi B.

Yelp
(Chris Helmsworth voiceover) The vibe is fantastic place for Pakistani cuisine right here in Waco! Brianna warmly greeted us! The Mango Lassi was fab! The Pakola Cream Soda was great! The Lunch menu is unbeatable pick one item from each column! Wow!!!!! Tikka was fantastic! The Chicken Biryani amazing! The Naan was topnotch! But the Grilled Platter! The Grilled Platter was magnificent! Perfectly spiced! And spicy! Would order everything again! Thanks, Brianna! Woohoo!
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Hassan G.

Yelp
It was great to find a #halal option in #wacotexas, @saffron.wtx is a great spot with a massive menu. we ordered the Chicken 65, Shrimp Karahi, and Bihari Kabob. you will not get the authentic Pakistani taste when it comes to the bihari kabob and shrimp karahi but overall it was good. also want to note that the staff was really nice and the place has a great ambiance.

Shannon C.

Yelp
My son wanted to try Indian food, so we drove an hour to eat here. It was so, so good! The service and food were great. We will be back!

G. L.

Yelp
Very good Indian food. Chicken Tikka Masala was excellent. Fellow diners loved it as well.
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Haley B.

Yelp
Delicious!! Everything we have tried here is great. You can adjust the levels of spice, and the staff are great at answering questions about the cuisine.
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Zarina H.

Yelp
The food is good. I love the lunch specials so worth the money ! The service was super slow as there were 2 waitresses for 10 tables. The food was extremely spicy and the wait was very long to get the food. I did love the lunch specials how you can choose three different entrees for a good price, and I loved how the servers were very kind even though they were short staffed. The chicken boti grilled was the best thing I ate. I would recommend to get that, it was so juicy and flavorful, even though it was spicy, that was phenomenal ! The tandoori and garlic naan was great and came in an abundance of quantity. This place is great to try !
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Dennis D.

Yelp
The food was amazing. Loved the variety of dishes. Clean as well. Service was very good. Will make this a regular place to eat with the wife.

Cale M.

Yelp
Wow, this was some of the best Indian food I've ever had! I had the Nuclear Naan (amazing), the Karahi Lamb and asked for extra spicy (sooo good with the nuclear naan) and the Kheer. I have a high spice tolerance and would have liked the Karahi spicer but it was pretty spicy. The flavors of everything was great. Service was super friendly and the food came out in a reasonable timeframe. The ambiance was much nicer than expected! Will definitely be back any time I'm in the Waco area!
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julie h.

Yelp
Delicious and authentic Indian cuisine in Waco, Texas! I had chicken Korma and it was yummy with just the right level of spices. Not much for ambiance but the service and food were both excellent.

Nannette A.

Yelp
If I could give 0 stars I would. My husband is Pakistani so we frequently eat at places like this and everywhere we go my husband lets them know that I cannot tolerate their spicy levels and to please make it "no spice". This place said they would not do that but that they could do very mild...my ass! The food was so spicy I couldn't even eat it! And when I told the girl that I couldn't eat it she came back and said that the manager said I couldn't have a refund because I ate from it. First of all I didn't want a refund!! Second how about just an acknowledgment that I couldn't eat!

Ariana M.

Yelp
AMAZING SERVICE! 10/10. The food was delicious for my first time being here. The garlic naan was just the cherry on top! Definitely coming back
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Janet B.

Yelp
I recommend ordering Chicken 65 and butter chicken with nann if you've never eaten Indian food. 10/10

L G.

Yelp
This is the worst Pakistani restaurant I have ever been. Ordered the following: 1) daal - nonexistent lentils. So diluted and liquid 2) chicken curry - 4 miserable thumb size pieces and curry so diluted. 3) samosa - oily 4) naan - only good item Portions were so small and pathetic. Overpriced. Toilet was so dirty and nasty. Service was ok.
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Ashley M.

Yelp
Sooooo I was on my way back to Austin and got the sudden urge for some good Indian food....I could smell this place from the street!!!! As soon as I came in I was greeted by the sweetest girl, she ran down the menu for me (all I know is I was craving goat lol) offered me some water while I waited for my food and even brought it out to me Now about this damn food chiiile I was in HEAVEN!! It smelled so good I had to pull over to take this picture before devouring it needless to say; it didn't make it. I wish they weren't so far away, tho I might just have to make a turnaround trip (an hour/half) JUST for some more! I would definitely recommend and will be returning. **I know I didn't take the best pics, my bad lol
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Michael N.

Yelp
We just got a late start on as month long driving trip. We were hungry before we could get to San Antonio tonight and stopped in here. I just a saw a message that Saffron needs pictures. Well, the empty curry dish used to be my butter chicken. The empty basket used to be naan. Excellent flavor, the chicken was super tender, the naan was great. Now I just have to drive another 2 1/2 hours without falling asleep.
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Scott R.

Yelp
AMAZING and authentic. I got the Karahi Goat and it was incredible. I highly recommend it. Everything is always hot and fresh and unique. The new location is fantastic as well. Can't beat the naan. Will be back regularly.
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Matt T.

Yelp
Food is amazing here. Definitely get the butter chicken and their garlic naan bread. Their new location is great

Vick P.

Yelp
Just ordered take out from this place. I ordered beef Bihari Roll.. The Naan was undercooked and still doughy ... the meat on the inside was raw. I took it home and tried to put it in the air fryer but still ended up being raw. Made me question the quality and safety of the meat being served here. Please be careful, someone can get very sick. The Samosas were ok but the filling was bland... not a good first impression of Indian food in Waco's only Indian restaurant. This is subpar and I promise you Indian food is better in reputable places in Austin or Dallas. The best ever of course is in India or in the UK.

Angel M.

Yelp
Tasty food! Friendly service. Conveniente location. They will adapt the heat on your food for you.
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Jeff M.

Yelp
Food was excellent. Service a little slow. (Our drinks were empty for much of our meal and when we asked for refills it took a long time to come.) We enjoyed Naan bread, chicken rolls masala, samosas, and a chickpea salad. Restaurant was clean and plenty of windows so pretty bright. We will definitely visit again. All food had warm spices which my wife and I enjoyed. However, if you're averse to hot spice, you may want to ask for more mild dishes. Good Indian/Pakistani food!
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Bryan D.

Yelp
We are always looking for great Indian food and Saffron did not disappoint. Immediately our waitress was super nice and full of energy. We ordered the Pan Tiki Masala, chicken Boti roll, cheese naan and garlic naan. The Boti roll and Paneer Tiki Masala were crazy good. Big flavor and just a little spicy. The Boti roll has a nice grill. The garlic naan was perfect. We would not order the cheese naan again as is is more like a cheese pizza. We will definitely come here again.
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MarMar G.

Yelp
The food was delicious. I ordered a veggie curry and a butter chicken. Only thing I didn't love was that the butter chicken had little bit of chicken. Usually a plate like this has enough for 2 people but this one didn't.
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Barbara L.

Yelp
Discovered a great little Pakistani place in Waco, TX. definitely will be returning. Had the best goat curry and the naan was perfect. Just enough crunch and chew. My husband had the buffet and thought it was ok. If you like Chicken masala or butter fish then buffet is the way to go but I think the a la cart items are much more unique. Servers were attentive and pleasant.
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Trevor S.

Yelp
Stopped in for lunch. AMAZING food, wish I remembered the servers name but she was great. I'll definitely be back and I'll remember the name next time!
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Dan S.

Yelp
Food is delicious we got the chicken curry, service was good, atmosphere is nice, the new location is clean
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Sandy C.

Yelp
Service and food were both excellent! I'm hoping they can break the curse of this building and thrive here

Derek L. S.

Yelp
As of the time of this initial composition, we had watched several of the classic scenes in return of the Jedi while we were waiting for some attention from our server. At length I was finally told that no goat was available, and I regrettably selected chicken as the replacement. What went to us for our selections today, as the beef kebab was utterly indigestible by my orthodontically challenged mandibles. Moreover, the misfortunate replacement chicken biryani was offensively grainy and dry. I like some spice, but these sapor of the beef kebab was well beyond quotation mark medium." I did like the creamy Orange curry sauce and the masala chai tea, so I did upgrade from my initial single star.

Alessandra J.

Yelp
Love the food here ! The fans in there are always running high and its a little bit of a bother. But they will turn them off if asked to , and its very appreciated. ALTHOUGH , this 2nd time I went , 2 young waitresses seemed to be in a rush and overwhelmed chitchatting complaints to eachother. seemed to have an attitude about the fans being off because of customers request which made it so obvious and uncomfortable. Theyre attitude appearance made it uncomfortable to ask for utensils , napkins and a refill lol
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Janet M.

Yelp
We were in Waco for an art workshop and stopped here after a long day. They had dosas as a weekend special. I had the masala as did my friend. Our other friend also had the dosa but she ordered chicken. The crepe was thin and crispy on the edges and filled with potatoes and chickpeas. It came with two dipping sauces. It was so big it hung over the edge of the plate. Our waitress was so so nice. Asked if we were visiting Waco and was very engaging. I will definitely back when in Waco.
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Kaitlin O.

Yelp
Came here off of a recommendation from a friend when driving through Waco. I decided to order the lunch plate ($11) so I could try a variety of different things. You choose 1 dish from 3 different categories. The waiter recommended the chicken samosas, butter chicken or tikka masala, and the chicken biryani. I enjoyed everything that I ordered along with the garlic naan. The samosas were really crispy, butter chicken masala was creamy, and chicken biryani was full of flavor. My vegan friend ordered the daal fry. She said there was basically nothing in there, but still ended up being really filling. I am curious on what their weekend lunch buffet is like, so I would come back again to try that.
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John B.

Yelp
First visit for lunch. Very nice menu, lots of choices for whatever you're craving. Pakistan/North Indian, though they also have biryanis available. Some unique items not always seen on Indian restaurant menus. Lots of drink choices. Well kept with plenty of seating. Our party ordered three different entrees from the full menu, plus two different naans. Everybody loved their food, and agreed it was very fresh tasting, like your favorite family member was in the kitchen cooking it just for you. Generous portions, and everything came out in a timely manner. The lunch menu looked like a good value, a "choose one item from three columns " for a fixed price, with butter naan included. Another plus, they were playing music from Indian cinema, so we got to recognize show tunes from some of our favorite Shah Rukh Khan movies (Om Shanti Om, Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, Veer-Zaara)! We will be back!

Matt P.

Yelp
The lunch specials are amazing even though they are done in only. The tikka masala and samosas are the real winners here. Always fast service too.
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Cordelia Y.

Yelp
The best service and the restaurant was slammed because of Ramadan. We got chicken samosas, garlic naan, butter chicken and karahi chicken. Everything was fresh, they customized our desired spice levels. We took most of our meal home as the servings were pretty big. Definitely will return. No pics because we were snarling, hungry beast.
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Jennifer W.

Yelp
Once seated, the wait for the food was about an hour. It was a hot day outside, but chilly inside. To the restaurant's credit- the food was amazing and exactly what I hoped it'd be. Honestly I'd still return, but this time wearing long pants and a sweater, having eaten a snack beforehand, and with no other plans for the evening.

Clara T.

Yelp
I ordered butter chicken with extra chicken and I don't believe I received the extra I paid for.. I'd be interested to see how little they give you if you don't order "extra". It didn't even amount to one whole chicken breast. The naan they provide with the meal was large size so thankfully I was able to fill up on bread. Ordered Palak Paneer and it was extremely watery, not creamy or flavorful, I would definitely pass. Vegetable Samosa was OK, I've had better from the frozen section of the grocery store. I'd pass. Definitely not worth paying $50+ But I guess it's what you get for wanting indian food in TX.
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Margo M.

Yelp
This doesn't look like much from the outside but the inside is big. You can have huge get together here. The yogurt sauce is yummy, and the leave the onion and cucumbers on the side as in traditional Indian restaurants. The food is very spicy, as it should be. The butter chicken is the least spicy and very tasty. I love Indian food coming from Los Angeles, and highly recommend this place. We walked in on Sunday and we're greeted with a buffet. I was grateful to get to try all of the main dish flavors. I am definitely coming back to this place. Next time I will get dishes so we can bring some home. Oh - and be hungry!! The food is very filling and is served with naan (so good!)
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Lorana R.

Yelp
Amazing! My husband had a braised goat dish and I had butter chicken. Every bite was a party n our mouth. Perfectly spiced, savory and incredible. Highly recommended! Can't wait to go again!
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Greg S.

Yelp
Good portions, huge naan breads made fresh. Delicious blend of spices to make each distinct dish.

Tapy K.

Yelp
Bad food quality and it's not fresh at all. My food was cold and smelled really odd. I don't recommend.
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Elianne V.

Yelp
Came here with referral from a friend who loves Indian food -- authenticity is there! Ambience: 3/5, the inside is very simple, bare bones with a buffet counter in the middle but not in a bad way. You come here for the food not the ambience lol. Only complaint is we kept having fruit flies going around our table. Service: 5/5, our waitress was super friendly and receptive to our needs, the food came out quick, and they definitely treat their customers well. Food: 3/5, we ordered the chicken Karahi and chicken tikka masala with the least spice possible...even then it was too spicy for our liking. Portions are generous! If you can do spice, then great! Cheese naan was basically a cheese pizza...would probably go with the regular naan. Chicken and beef samosas -- chicken over beef, they were ok, a little more flakey and fried than my liking and the beef was again pretty spicy.

Yolanda M.

Yelp
First time here and we enjoyed the food. Very flavorful. We got the buffet so it allowed us to try different types of dishes. We will continue to visit. The service was friendly. Looking forward to coming back soon!

Rishi K.

Yelp
Bad food, their servers were decent but it's a really messy place. Food quality was not fresh and was very very cold. They served me food and it was as cold like it came out of the fridge. The pani puri was so bad it smelled like it was so old.
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Kristopher T.

Yelp
I am not an expert or anything. However I have been able to eat Indian/Pakistan food from San Francisco to NYC. I will have to say I was very surprised how good this place was. Not ditching on Waco but we are a smaller town in Texas and normally places like this tend to be just ok. I highly recommend eating here if you are here on vacation or even if you live in the area. Everything I had ordered was so full over flavor and spices. I was surprised by the appetizer and the level of spice since most places tend to lower the spice level. I will be coming back soon.
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Cherie W.

Yelp
Loved the palak paneer and garlic Naan. I had forgotten to specify spice, but the dish came out spiced perfectly a cross between mild and medium. It is a perfect combo to accent the flavors. My husband got a chicken dish. He loved his and said it had a perfect blend of spice as well. The atmosphere is relaxing. We arrived after the buffet so it wasn't very busy. If you like flavorful indian this is a great place.
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Isaiah P.

Yelp
I'm giving this place 4 stars because of the atmosphere. The food was delicious. I ordered the Chicken Tikka Masala...great! It had ample flavor and a generous heaping plateful of it! (I didn't finish everything) Back to the atmosphere, the inside was a red and grey paint theme, the colors might work but it has the "old buffet" feel which needs to go...LED lights over the table and throughout the restaurant give the wrong kind of light...also upbeat Indian/Pakistani music doesn't go with the general; soft, peaceful, mood lit, Indian restaurants I've been to. Again the food was amazing, staff warm and friendly. I'm just posting this as a tip that I think if atmosphere was tuned a little bit this will be a great Indian/Pakistani food destination for the surrounding area.