Southern Spice

Food was good and plentiful. This is primarily southern Indian food so it’s spicy. Please tell your server to go easy on the heat if you can’t handle it. 4 stars for atmosphere because it’s pretty sparsely decorated although crystal chandeliers are quite lovely. It seemed a bit too brightly lit although that may be preferable as it makes seeing what you’re eating easier but if you’re looking a more romantic setting and dim lighting I wouldn’t recommend here. The service was excellent. Our server was very accommodating. They have a full bar and even have an Indian produced beer which my dining partner said was excellent. Parking can be a bit difficult as the restaurant is located on Hillside Avenue which is very busy. Metered parking was available nearby. Overall I do recommend the spot for an enjoyable meal.

Was craving Chetinand flavors and visited Southern Spice today! Had the Paya soup after 25years and the flavor hit the right spot! Tried the Pompona Fish masala and it was prepared to perfection! My hubby enjoyed the Mysore Masala dosa and the that was prepared very well. The Sambar was very tasty. Manu served us with a smile and checked on us frequently! We will surely return for more southern flavors!

All the chicken same flavor and taste their curries are actually Appetizers and no taste in food

One of the worst South Indian restaurants far by quality and taste.This was a good 30 mins ride from home to this place and the expectations hit ground level when we tasted it for the first time.The Chettinad chicken was so watery and very salty.The Chicken 65 was a horrendous small portion of dry chicken just tossed in some weird spices.And the Malabar Parrotta could never be eaten even by a Sabre tooth!! It was so hard and rubbery.Worst experience doing take out here.Don't recommend this place ever and never going back again.

A hidden gem! Must try! Delicious, fresh and good flavored food. Staff are very friendly and welcoming. Prices are good for the amount of food you get!

We have always visited Southern Spice since we moved here. We absolutely love their kothu parotta and chicken 65. Their recent addition of Samba mutton Briyani and Gobi 65 are exceptional. Bringing back memories of our hometown. This is one of the very few places to get good South Indian food, with similar spice level and taste. Their recent promotion of Vazhai ilai virundhu had a 3 course meal including soup, appetizers, entree and dessert. As a whole the experience was exceptionally delightful and the food was delicious. Can’t ever forget the crab soup and super hot and spicy Kari dosa. The staff were very attentive and tended to our needs very well. We are a regular since Covid.. Recommended for a delicious South Indian food. South Indians, don't miss the promotion!!

I ate from this place for the first time last night and everything was excellent! The staff was so welcoming and helpful and the food was delicious. I will definitely be coming in again soon!

This is a very special place for true Southern Indian cuisine! You will not see any typical Indian art or statues, no paintings of gods either. This place is actually Indian owner and run! Let the colorful walls and the sound of classic jazz keep you company as you await some of the best Indian food in the entire area, if not the entire country. Made to order, dairy free and vegan available. Great personalized service!!

We ordered samosas, the vegetarian Thali, mango lassi, and Indian coffee. It was all Very delicious. It doesn't look like much right away but it is very filling. I'll bring more friends next time! My only negative was that I would have preferred the bathrooms to be cleaner.

The restaurant was offering a buffet for memorial day weekend so I figured it was a good opportunity to try a new (to me) place. Walked in around 6 PM on Saturday 5/25/24 and the place was empty, not one customer! The buffet was set up nicely, everything was neat. We were seated to a table. No menus were given, not even water. No one asked what we wanted to drink. At the buffet, every single item was COLD. The owner/manager said he would bring out hot food. How do you not have this ready at 6pm on a Saturday?? The food was okay, nothing really stood out taste wise. Everything was bland, oddly some dishes tasted similar. I had to ask for water/soda and refills each time. I also had to ask for bread that was included in the buffet. It's a shame because this would have been a great opportunity for them to attract some customers instead it did the opposite. Food 2 stars at most Service 0 stars, non existent Ambience 3 stars. Bright, airy and clean.

Love the food here. Owner is also the greatest.only place we go. The best ..... drive in from flushing

I've had Southern Spice bookmarked for a really long time and finally got a chance to visit. We didn't dine in the restaurant, so this review is for our takeout order via GrubHub. Disclaimer: I don't like to use food delivery services (especially for pickup orders) since their prices are always way more expensive than the restaurant prices. Ordering directly from the restaurant for pickup orders is the way to go! But someone gave me a gift card for GrubHub, so I used it on this occasion. What's for dinner tonight: (Note: prices listed below are restaurant prices, not GrubHub prices, which are $2-$3 more per item); -- Veg Samosas (2 pcs/$5): don't forget to ask for tamarind sauce and mint sauce! These samosas were ok. Pretty standard but not much filling inside. -- Butter Chicken ($17): this entree comes with a small order of basmati rice. I asked for this dish to be made "spicy" but it was very mild in heat level. This dish was very mild in overall flavor as well. -- Channa Palak $13): this entree comes with a small order of basmati rice. I asked for this dish to be made "spicy" but it was very mild in heat level. This dish was a little bit more flavorful that the Butter Chicken, but the overall flavor was very mild. -- Naan ($3): pretty standard. -- Basmati Rice: it's not listed on their menu but entrees come with a very small side order of rice. If you like more rice, best to order extra rice ($3/large). All in all, Southern Spice was ok. Not great but not necessarily bad. I grew up eating great Indian food and am used to much bolder flavors. However, the average "American" person will probably enjoy the food here.

Excellent South Indian food prepared to order. Means you will wait for dishes but will all come out hot and delicious. Dining room that is mostly empty because nearly all business is takeout. Pity. But the cuisine is authentic and good. Liked tandoori shrimp, garlic naan, beef tikka masala,Tom yum soup...will come back.

This restaurant is amazing! I am not of Indian heritage, but I love Indian food. I am also a vegetarian which sometimes complicates my ordering, but the owner understands the need to cater to the tastes of the clientelle. WELL DONE! The food is excellent. I can taste the freshness of the vegetables and appreciate the combination of spices. The owner was extremely helpful in helping us to choose a varied vegetarian dinner. If you like spicy, you can tell him if you like medium or mild, you can tell him too. It is the type of place that really understand that people have different palates. I like spicy, but was with a friend who likes mild. Southern Spice did great and we both loved our dinner. I have been here a few times, and each time I walk away so appreciative of the quality of the food and service.

This place is tasteless !! I would give it 0 stars if I can. I ordered 1 hour prior to closing and I'm wondering if they played into why my food tasted as bad as it did. My order was ready in 5 minutes, but typically when I ordered from Indian restaurants my ordered takes 30 minutes - 1 hour. I ordered the palak Chana and my chickpeas tasted wayyy undercooked. My boyfriend has the spicy vindaloo. He stays his meal was spicy but when I tasted it it didn't have much flavor to me. The garlic naan barely had any garlic on it. I don't recommend this place. No authenticity at all.

Not it. No taste not satisfied. Had high hopes but nope. Chicken korma no taste watery baigan barta was decent saag paneer not enough flavor

So glad to have a south Indian restaurant where you can also enjoy a glass of wine or beer with the food. We love the dosas and they are just superb here, along with the Nan and biryani. Service is excellent and we parked right in front. We will be regulars

Food spicy, chicken tikka masala not creamy, raita is ok. Kothu porota was decent but very spicy. Compared to other Indian restaurants this place is decent not spectacular. I should've read more reviews before I bought from here.

I called up to ask a few questions on some of the dishes and I asked one question and the guy hung up on me even though I wasn't finished with my questions. So I ordered from somewhere else. Very rude

Ordered on ubereats. Honestly, the chicken tikka masala was very disappointing and does not taste authentic. By far, the worse chicken tikka masala I had. I rather eat a big Mac at McDonald's or something. Look at picture for reference. The chicken tikka masala has no flavor, barely any sauce for rice/dipping, and just tasted off. Look at the color too, its suppose to be some creamy orange tomato sauce. Creamy my ass. The paratha was bad too. No butter flavor. store bought frozen paratha taste much better than this. Threw 80% of the food away because not worth the calories of shit food and $$$ down the drain.

We were drawn to SS for delivery given its immigrant-owned annotation in DoorDash. With so many options, we were happy to support a local, immigrant-owned business. Great food! The menu has a lot of nice variety. The lamb korthu parota was unlike anything I had before - loved the spicy flavor, and there was enough for leftovers. I've had a ton of samosa chaats before, but SS's had a lot of great textures and was generous for the price. The dosa was perhaps the least exciting; I was hoping for a little more crunch, and the dipping sauces weren't what I was expecting. But still, I liked the flavor and ate every last bit. I'd maybe try another type of dosa next time. We'll be ordering from here again and hopefully will go in person soon, too.

Ordered take out with my co workers and this food did not disappoint. Every thing tasted home made and very filling. Lots of flavor, seasoning, herb and spices.

I had a problem with my order and I just called the restaurant to complain of what happened to my order. Whoever answers the phone put me at all like 10 minutes then he came back and I explained my situation and I hang up the phone on me. Anyway this is my story it is my first time ordering from the place . The items were packed so sloppy I can't explain it. I ordered some bread and the bread was hot they just slap it into a foil pan and sent it when I receive it it was all wet. No silver Ware no napkins nothing. I ordered the same item from different place. They know how to pack it wax paper between. Under each bread to avoid it from getting wet from the heat. Again these people at this restaurant southern spice has no decency Or does not know how to run a business. The bottom line here all I have to say I wasted $14 on this . This was my first time and this my last time. I think I'm gonna stop payment on my card .

Love this restaurant!! So happy to enjoy the food and the service is great. The owner is so personable and nice to chat with when my family and I visit. And we love to get take away as well. Love their chicken 65. It has great heat. Maybe a little too spicy for my dad but he's wimpy haha. Their samosas are delicious as well. They're huge too! So worth the money. We ALWAYS get the navratan kurma! It's delicious! It is chock full of vegetables. There's a lot of variety of veggies in it and the sauce is delicious. I love dipping the naan in the sauce. So good. We also love their paneer in butter sauce. Yummy!! You won't regret it! And their fruits and nuts naan is so sweets it's like dessert. Really we've not had anything bad here over the years!

Food is not like it use to be. Butter chicken and malak kofta were very bland. Over priced for the amount of food given and didn't even taste good. Chicken 65 was so dry, not saucy like typical chicken 65. Never again

Food ok. Service sucked. Ambiance, there wasn't any it was a heartbreaking experience

What this place lacks in decor and ambiance (it's like eating in a cheesy decorated basement) it makes up for with authentic Indian flavors in spades. Located in New Hyde Park in a pretty quiet area, the food here rivals the offerings one can find in the Indian culinary centers of Hicksville and Jackson Heights. We arrived and were seated pretty quickly. The restaurant wasn't too full but it was popular with local Indian diners (always a good sign). We ordered a plethora of things: butter chicken (tasty), chicken tikka masala (similar to butter chicken but a tad spicier), saag paneer (creamy and delicious), aloo ghobi (best dish on the table - cauliflower cooked perfectly and potatoes not mushy), mixed grill (so-so b/c the meat was a tad dry) and the paneer dosa (excellent). The flavors here are intense and definitely not for the uninitiated. If this is your first foray into Indian fare, tread wisely. The food is spicy and flavorful. Every bite is an explosion of herbs, spices and flavors that are the signature of any good Indian meal. There is also a huge menu of offerings that purportedly cover both Northern and Southern Indian fare (not an expert but it's what I'm told). Service here is pretty good and prices are fair. I will say they like to keep the restaurant really warm (81 degrees on the thermostat) but not a deal breaker. Thumbs up.

There's nothin' better then a new restaurant opening up in your town and giving you more options to dine at...but that's not this review. Nay, Southern Spice has been around for a while with me continuing to walk by on my way to Lemon Tree as it sat there, waiting for me to finally enter its doors. Welp, this past Saturday I finally did and I would most certainly return. Honestly I wouldn't have even thought there was as much space inside Southern Spice as it's such a tiny storefront from the exterior. I mean it's not huge, but there's enough area inside for at least 30 or so people, if not more. They had some casual jazz music playing which set a relaxing mood. The service was relatively spot on as the waiter read back our order, water glasses were consistently refilled, and plates were removed in a timely manner. Plates of what? Well SS has a nicely-sized menu of Indian options to choose from. Being with a few super Indian food newbies (I'm still somewhat of a novice myself), I tried to ensure things were kept pretty basic. That started with a few orders of samosas. Decently-sized and well-fried with a nice hint of spice to them. Not the best I've had, but definitely a must-order in the future. From there, my buddy ordered chicken tikka masala while I went for my current favorite dish, palak paneer. The chicken tikka was tender and simmered in a flavorful masala sauce worthy of soaking up on some tasty garlic naan. My paneer? Delicious in creamy spinach style with perfect pieces of curdled cheese. I would've loved a few more cubes as the sauce to cheese ratio was a little skewed, but I'd order it again in a heartbeat. My other amigo ordered a shark (that's right, shark) dish which I tried, but was too fishy for me. Perhaps it was made well, but either way, it didn't factor into this four star writeup. Overall, why not five stars? Well, it's close. Nice ambiance, pleasant service, quality food, and (might I add) good prices will have me back again soon to solidify this decision. One more visit could push things over into five star land. Just know that Southern Spice is worthy of your patronage, especially seeing how it's new...that's a joke...ya know, to tie it all together...I'm done.

This is our go-to for Indian food. We usually order delivery and we're NEVER disappointed. Definitely get some naan (love the garlic and the cheese) and enjoy! My new favorite is their chicken Kurma - it's coconut almond curry. My husband loves the chicken vindaloo (too vinegary and spicy for my but if those are your kind of flavors I hear it's amazing)

We got take out which was set up well with a booth to take or pick up your order. This place was Legit with really good garlic Naan, chicken appetizer which a number which was really an entree and delicious as was the saag chana. The lamb vindaloo was really spicy which I liked the heat level in general not tamed down for the Americans bland palate even in the saag but the sauce fell short dark and with only a couple potatoes. I would say the chicken tandoori was good although all dark meat and the rice was not special.

We've gone to this restaurant a number of times over the past 10 years. We returned tonight after the pandemic, and were extremely surprised in the decline of the quality and taste of the food. There were four of us and not one person enjoyed their meal. My friends took home leftovers that they will be doctoring up in their kitchen. We ordered the mixed grill, either very spicy or lacked in taste, two kormas, one with chicken, one with vegetables, one chicken tandoori and naan. All the dishes had no taste, almost as if spices were left out. The korma sauce was gloppy, not smooth, the tandoori chicken had a strange coating on it, and the garlic naan had no garlic. We didn't want to return dishes, since we had somewhere to be, so we ate and left, never to return. Too bad!!

ordered chicken tikka, chicken kuruma, regular naan & cheese naan, and chicken samosas. the chicken dishes were alright, the texture of the chicken itself didn't feel the freshest, the sauces themselves were good. the naan was pretty cold (i understand it being a delivery order, but still it made eating it kinda eh). the chicken samosas were definitely the best part, they were seasoned well and went great with the sauces.

Not impressed by the food and especially the bad service. Plates didn't look clean. Food could've been 3 stars but deducting a star for the girl's poor service. Not coming back again. Jessi's in NHP is much better.

My wife and I had awesome meal at Southern Spice in NHP, Tandoori Shrimp was incredible and Tikka Masala, Chettinad Curry both great. Beer glasses with names was tasty bonus! Owner and staff very friendly.

My favorite is the chicken malai. It's marinated in yogurt and cooked in the tandoori oven. It's one of the meats on the mixed tandoori platter. All of the meats are good but the malai is definitely a winner.

Neighborhood gem that I will be super exited to return to! I know next to nothing about Indian food, but have enjoyed everything I've tried thus far. Southern Spice turned the dial up for me. With Yelp recommendations, I order the Hyderabadi chicken biryani and naan (of course). I also ordered samosa chaat to start. My sister ordered the goat koruma I believe it was called and the vegetable samosa. Bomb!! The vegetable samosa came with a tamarind sauce which was amazing and a mint that I didn't try because every time I eat mint I feel like I am brushing my teeth. I enjoyed my samosa chaat as well. My chicken biryani was great, but I was so stuffed from just half of it. Huge portion! My sister's goat was amazing and I think I'll order that next time. And ahh naan. Always enjoyable and goes down so easily. When I return I hope to try some of the spicier things on the menu. Service was a tiny bit slow. When we arrived we were the only ones there, and 2 other customers came in while we ate. So I expected the service to be a little quicker than it was.

After the bad experience I never gave this place chance until now. With the pandemic I been with home food for 1 year . I wanted some fluffy nan and curry and needed it locally. This place is close to house. I ordered 8 nans and chicken butter curry. The nan were burned razor sharp and it was not fluffy. It was crunchy and crisp nan which has burn holes. The curries were nothing to write home about and wasn't filled to top. I tried chicken tandoori which was like old and flavorless chicken with bunch red color. I tried chicken 65 which was the only good thing in the whole order and they barely filled the take out box. Some places don't improve. Not going back.

The best Indian food I've had in a long time! The friendly service is straight from the chef himself, Sridhar, who has worked at many Michelin star restaurants and world famous joints in India! From kotthu parrota, to fried fish, to biryani and beyond - anything I have had at this restaurant has been simply delightful. Not just loads of spice, but rather perfectly aligned flavor with just the right heat! I wouldn't hesitate recommending this place to anyone!!! I've been there numerous times and really love this place

Soo when I'm craving Indian this is my go to! since going the owner and I became friends. He's just a genuine person, so down to earth and a great guy. I recently moved to Huntington and tried all of the Indian spots in the area and they can't compete with southern spice! And I'm not saying this because him and I are friends, am saying it because the food is absolutely amazing!! My wife loooooooves the fish, she always calls advance to see if he has it. When is great is he always buys the fish fresh! I'm a typical white boy so I buy the chicken masala ( mild ) Listen try this place out if you haven't I guarantee you'll walk out happy! Joe

I ordered the veggie samosas and the chicken biryani. Spicy without being overwhelming and the rice was done nicely. I'll be going here again. My mom was very enthusiastic.

Best Paneer Dosa in the entire city? (Yup. That's a real possibility!) The Lamb Vindaloo's delicious, as well, and perfectly piquant. (So many vindaloos I've had here in the U.S. just fall flat -- I guess the folks who cook them are scared of spice of sumpin'. Not so here, though!) This nice Hyde Park eatery goes out of its way to implement COVID-19 prevention measures, by the way -- and that's a huge plus in my book.

We used to be regulars at Southern Spice and considered them the best for Indian food. More recently we've been disappointed in our orders. Not sure if there's new management but it feels like they're cutting corners. Certain favorites of ours like ginger lemonade are no longer on the menu and the food looks like it's pre-made and portions are smaller. This used to be a 5 star place for us, wish they'd get back to their original quality.

Very vegan friendly! The chef is super nice and accommodating. Everything was delicious.

There is SO much variety in Indian food, and it's unfortunate that even as someone who is originally from the Subcontinent, I have only scratched the surface of the various regional cuisines. Southern Spice is far from standard South Indian cuisine which I normally think of as dosas, sambar, idlis, and other mostly vegetarian dishes. With a wide range of non-vegetarian options, Southern Spice certainly delivers a high quality and tasty introduction to Chettinad cuisine. The "spice" in the restaurant's name is legit so tread lightly. Whether you're vegetarian, pescatarian, or meat eater, you'll have plenty of options (pesca-pescatarians are SOL though). Though dosas are on the menu (and are very good), the biriyanis, various grilled seafood and meat options, and especially the lamb curries are decadent. Whether your'e dining in or carrying out, you're in for a treat and make sure to order yourself a lassi to cool off from the heat in your mouth!

Ordered out here tonight and it was DELICIOUS. The food tasted nice and fresh, and the naan bread was incredible. I recommend the Chicken Kuruma!

We tried a variety of dishes from Southern Spice via GrubHub delivery. Positive: food came on time. Negative: nothing we ordered wowed us and for relatively expensive Indian food we were very disappointed. Will not try again.

Hard agreed on the comments that say this is tasteless. Unless you literally cannot have even the most mild of spices from "Southern Spice", I would not recommend.

This restaurant is very clean and the food is fresh. This review is basic because I find the place to be very friendly and very knowledgeable of their cuisine. I would come back because I am a vegetarian.

Not sure how you can serve butter paneer without any salt...I requested it to be mild, not spicy - that doesn't mean no salt. I've dined in here before and liked the food, but this order for delivery was terrible. I felt embarrassed to have my guests eating this. Not going to order here again.

Best southern Indian food great service great ambiance extremely cozy Good prices party food beautiful music I love

Went on a whim Dim Biryani- good! Chettinad chicken -nothing special imo, ok Cheese nan - loved it! Kulcha onion - okay Good service! A+ infant friendly

This is a South Indian restaurant with traditional and street food Prepared expertly. The host, Shri, is very accommodating and friendly. I had crab cakes that were real crab, not a bunch of breading like a lot of restaurants make. I also ordered the tandoori mix grill which was excellent. My friend ordered the lamb paratha which was street style. Really good. They also have a small bar if you want alcohol. I highly recommend this restaurant.

Kottu paratha with a ginger lemonade always hits the spot! Also, their dosas are very unique and comes with a nice spicy curry instead of the regular sambar. Biryanis can be a hit or a miss and the chicken 65 doesn't have that right kick to it.

This is a review about this restaurant's great customer service as I have yet to try their food. I put an order in with uber eats, and after 30 minutes the driver messaged me saying he has my food and he's on his way. Suddenly I get a message that my order has been cancelled. I called the restaurant to determine what the issue was, they confirmed they didnt cancel and that the order was picked up by the driver. The driver had logged in their system that I cancelled my order. The restaurant was kind enough to call uber eats customer service to try and reach the driver and resolve this issue. He even conferenced me in once he reached a rep. The driver had logged in the system that I cancelled my order and that I also picked up my order, which was untrue and also ridiculous because if you're gonna lie buddy, at least don't have your lies contradict themselves. After uber customer service guaranteed that I won't be charged and that the restaurant would be paid for the food, the owner stayed on and insisted that he could make another order and personally bring it to my house. It was 5 mins before their restaurant was closing and I didn't want to inconvenience their kitchen plus I didn't want to wait any longer bc my family is starving so I declined. All the same the owners kindness was very appreciated! I will definitely be trying the restaurant the next time we have a craving for curry and will update my review with a rating on the food. For tonight, it will be grilled cheese sandwiches for us but we'll be dreaming of southern spice

It may look like your typical Indian restaurant, but it is anything but that! The menu is very large and I would recommend getting The garlic naan as that is a good addition to anything ordered off the menu. I wandered in with two friends on a Tuesday night, and was immediately greeted by the friendly staff and incredible aroma of Curry! The restaurant was filling up quickly (it was almost 8:30 pm) but we managed to get a table. My friend and I ordered Chicken Masala as well as the Fish Curry with a side of jasmine saffron rice. They have different types of rices so you don't only have to get white rice, which I like. When our food arrived, our expectations continued to be exceeded. By the end of the meal we were planning our next visit. Don't let appearances fool you--the decor may be divey, but the drinks as well as the vast amount of sides on the menu are fantastic. They really have outstanding service and consult came to ask us at our table if we needed anything else. This place is perfect for groups or a casual date night.

So I ordered from here a few times now and my favorite items were the dosa and the whole fish in a banana leaf with the lentils and rice! I've tried the chicken tikka masala but not a huge fan! The best items were the items I mentioned already! Full of flavor!

Bought garlic naan and regular naan with butter chicken after having a major craving. The butter chicken was horrible. It was super watery with no flavor. We got it spicy and there was a little kick but it tasted horrible. I'm giving 2 stars because the naan was good and it was a while naan unlike some stores that sell 1/2 a naan. Was expecting better because of the reviews though.

A solid option for Indian food if you're in the area. We came during happy hour to grab some beers and comfort Indian food to relieve our stress from work. We ordered the chicken vindaloo and chili chicken. The vindaloo was the star of the show - flavorful and spicy and according to my friend, a "stress reliever." The chili chicken was not bad but have definitely had better. Make sure you can handle spicy food because the dishes here are spicy! Seeing that little India is nearby, there are definitely better options for Indian food but if you do stop by here, you won't be disappointed.