WHAT 'S THE RAVE ABOUT?
The reviews are in and we continue to be talked about. From Check Please!, Chicago Tribune, CitySearch to Yelp, from Metromix to Urban Spoon, people are talking about us, and this is what they have to say about our delicious North Indian food, our incredible five-star service as well as our wonderful location:
"Just tried this today on the recommendation of a friend, and it was awesome! We had the buffet, and everything was delicious, fresh and good--the best Indian I've found outside of Devon. I was also impressed that the buffet included freshly-made-for-you samosas (with seconds if you want them, although we were too full). The buffet had good variety for vegetarians and carnivores alike, and also included lentil soup, naan, and two desserts (the Gulab Jamun--the sort of spongy-cakey balls in honey syrup--is really good). Also, all of the staff was really friendly and attentive. Also very convenient, being right next to the Belmont station. I will definitely be back, and am hoping they deliver to my home area! "
- E F
"This is how a restaurant should be run.Nick, the owner, couldn't be more sweet, accommodating, informative, and caring. His attitude alone makes me never want to eat at another Indian restaurant in Chicago. The waitstaff are also all extremely kind and helpful..you can tell they are well taken care of and love their job.The food is delicious ( though I can't vouch for the meat dishes ) and the music is always exquisite. A very enjoyable experience.Although the buffet is a little more expensive than the other Indian buffets I have been to, it is worth every penny more, and I am happy to give the extra to this place.See you guys soon! "
- Emily C
"I wish I could give 6 stars. I went there last night and I was over the moon. I got the buffet and the first thing I tried, I said, that's it, I'm getting a whole plate of just this. Trouble was, I said that about everything else on my plate and I just can't put down 9 plates of food. If you are veggie or vegan, this place is full of options but they have meat, fish, and chicken too (all good). The food made me a believer. The owner made me a true fan. I normally only like to talk with the person I came to eat with, but I thoroughly enjoyed Nick coming over and I was glad that he did. It was toward the end of the night and things had slowed down a bit so chatted with us. The restaurant has a great story behind it and I honestly felt like he was having me over to his house for dinner. Cool, cool guy and a great place for authentic Indian food. I can't wait to go back."
- Dean K
"My husband and I stopped in for the lunch buffet and it was awesome! The food is so well seasoned and delicious, and the samosas and naan were an awesome treat at the table. But what really blew us away was the service! Nick was amazing, greeting us with "namaste" at the door, making sure we had everything we needed the whole time, and treating us to a small mango desert lassi at the end. Indian is my favorite type of food and we've been looking for a great Indian place in our neighborhood--we've found it! This is definitely going to be added to our regular Lakeview restaurant rotation! "
- Meggan T
"I live in the area and this is one of my favorite places to eat. The food is great and the staff is friendly. I really like the fact that is it family-owned and that the buffet uses the grandmother's recipes. It's also very vegetarian friendly. My only complaint is that I wish they were open for lunch Monday through Thursday. Just typing this review is making me hungry. Remember to pace yourself while you're here! "
- Julian H
"Hands down, the best service I've EVER had in Chicago. My friend and I entered the place expecting it to be a normal buffet-type cheap Indian restaurant, and were delightedly surprised to be greeted by a wonderfully enthusiastic and charming man who made us feel completely at home. Throughout our experience--yes that's what it was, an experience, not just a meal--our servers and the manager/owner complimented us on our choice of dishes and gave us fun facts about the regional ethnic origins of our meals. They told us just enough for us to be fascinated but not so much that we became annoyed. perfect. I'm never going to Devon again; this is my go-to Indian place in Chicago now, HANDS DOWN. AMAZING. I wish this place had a stronger social media presence so I could post their stuff everywhere!"
- Ted G
"Standard India Restaurant is the absolute best!!! How do I even begin to describe the food here? Let's start off with this -- I love Indian food and I love spicy food, and while places like Hemma's Kitchen turn up the heat, my stomach is berating me for it later. Standard India Restaurant, however, maintains flavor without ruining your stomach's lining. Another lining Whisperland won't ruin is your purse lining -- whereas $80 buys half tandoori chicken, saag paneer, garlic naan, and shrimp biriyani at Viceroy of India, after tax and tip, my friend and I end up paying $30 for our weight in tandoori chicken, saag paneer, and samosas-- it's a no brainer
I've been to Whisperland ever since Denise and Nick's father ran the place. It was a very quiet atmosphere back then (hence Whisperland)and the food was delicious alllll the time. When he passed, I was so skeptical of new management (I always am). While the decor has changed and the ambiance has become more vibrant and chatty, the food remains delicious. As for new management, Denise and Nick are lovely souls. Denise is so cute! I love her sweet demeanor.
I've bought buffet-to-go once (I think it costs $10). You are given a styrofoam container and told to fill it up with as much food as you want. I did just that and commuted home on the train. 45 MINUTES LATER AND THE FOOD WAS STILL DELICOUS DESPITE THE LUKEWARMNESS! The only complaint I have is how unsturdy the styrofoam container is. It doesn't stay shut even with a rubber band holding it together because it's so flimsy. When eating in...I rarely bother with water, soup, naan, or rice because I need to leave room for samosas, tandoori chicken, saag paneer, the cauliflower dish, the cabbage dish and the tomato cream paneer with peas yumminess.As other yelpers have mentioned, the tandoori chicken has been dried out a few times, but simply ask that they provide fresh chicken and they will do it -- no reason to lose stars over a dish that they're more than willing to replace.They also have a dessert similar to arroz con leche-- sometimes it's on the money, sometimes it's too thin, but since I haven't gotten up the courage to try the dough balls, arroz con leche is a tasty alternative.I could say so much more (like the bathroom is always clean and the waiters are kind and attentive), but that would take up even more room. Just go and relax and enjoy.Namaste Nick and Denise! "
- Te D
"Standard India Restaurant is in my top two favorites of Indian restaurants in Chicago. If you're looking for a wide selection, and a personal touch of friendliness from the owners, this is the place you want to be. I always leave here super stuffed, and not super broke :-) A friend recommended them to me and I have been hooked ever since."
- Dina
"I've only been here once, but the memory of this restaurant sticks. My sister and I came here and tried the buffet. I think it was the middle of the afternoon, so we were actually the only ones in the restaurant except for the owners who were very nice and friendly. The naan was great, the sweet dessert orange balls were great too, whatever they were. And all of the main courses were so rich and creamy and great! The only problem was, we didn't have enough room in our stomach even though we wanted more food! "
- Suran
"I've eaten here several times and every time has been a warm and wonderful experience! The waitstaff and the owner Nick are so hospitable and genuinely friendly, which you don't usually see in the food service industry. I usually go in with a large group of friends from art school who live around Belmont Ave and we always come out feeling happy and satisfied. Some of us have even come out with more than we went in with! My roommate wanted a copy of the music they were playing and the owner happily agreed to make her one! Also last night we went in and out of the blue Nick asks for us to write down our names so he can raffle us off a free gift. My friend won a free Standard India t-shirt and was so excited to wear it everywhere because it said "Namaste Babe! Let's you and me do it buffet style!" on the back. Over all five stars for service and for hearty comfort food that won't leave you hungry two hours later like some places."
- Rachel
"Happy Birthday to Standard India Restaurant (SIR)! SIR is celebrating 30 years of delicious northern Indian cuisine, which is flavorful and not spicy. This eatery will appeal to vegans, vegetarians, and non-vegetarians alike. I enjoyed SIR's all-you-can-eat buffet immensely. The sambar, naan, samosas, tandoori chicken, rice pilaf, butter chicken (absolutely the best I have ever had) and lamb vindaloo were tasty and flavorful. The paneer saag (curried spinach with cheese) was amazing! For dessert, the gulab jamun was fantastic. I mixed it with the rice pudding for a sweet, exotic taste sensation. I must also mention that SIR has eliminated many food allergens, such as soy, eggs, and all nuts. Kudos! I can dine here safely. My compliments go out to the Kamboj family, who so diligently own and manage SIR."
- Gerardo
"Words cannot even begin to describe the incredible, great service along with the mouth-watering authentic food. Nick, the owner, welcomed our group - like best friends that had stayed away too long as if we were entering his home. Seated, explained the buffett layout, along with the most efficient, best servers around. Plus, it was our friend's birthday - all the more superior. For authentic, original Indian cuisine, this is the only place to be. A true culinary experience that I am sure you will agree. "
- Bernie
"Nothing "Standard" about it! Cheesy, I know :o) Been a few times before the remodeling and before ownership was in the kids' hands and it was decent - a go-to because it was convenient and never a wait. Now, I'll be a regular! Service - awesome. So friendly, when my bf asked which sauce would be good for spice, she pointed out the red chile sauce but then brought him out his own "hopped up" spicy sauce, which did the trick.Waiter was super friendly but not intrusive. There was a great lentil soup, several veggie/vegan dishes (I had 3 plates.... I waddled out of the restaurant), and several meat dishes. The Chicken Tikka was even delicious and moist, which can easily get dry sitting on a buffet or just be mediocre. Good seating options, would be fine for 1 person, a couple or a group of 6 or more. Yum yum yum, I'll be back as soon as I'm hungry again!!"
- Anna
"The owners and servers here are outstanding. The food is delightful and incredibly vegan/vegetarian friendly. I usually don't like buffets, but the food here was fantastic, warm and plentiful. I have never written a yelp review before but after having dinner here tonight for the first time, I had no choice. This place is just great. Nick and his wife bent over backward to accommodate us and our abundance of picky eaters and copious amounts of alcohol. My younger sister has never eaten Indian. Not for a lack of availability but simply because she has feared it. Nick walked her through the whole buffet and helped her chose food according to her pallet and sensitive stomach. This was truly an incredible place with great food. But it's definitely the owners who make the experience. I'm so sad to be moving to DC next week because I won't get to visit again! Highly recommended!"
- Jacqui
"Being a Brit I used to enjoy my Indian food in the form of a huge pile of Pakoras and Onion bhaji with a side of spicy sauce after a late night out in Glasgow when a chippy just wouldn't cut it. Now I prefer the slightly more classy option of door-to-door delivery. I wasn't sure if Standard India would deliver, being a buffet (still to actually go to the restaurant), and was a little unsure what to order from the Eastern Indian menu which has different dishes than what I am used to. BUT I was really impressed with both the food and the service. They deliver for just $3.00 and for whatever time you want, cook your food fresh, and call you to let you know its on its way. As usual, I picked up the phone without any real decisive decision made as to what to order and had a bunch of questions about the dishes. Refreshingly answers did not come in a series of grunts or simply 'yeah its good'. Instead I was passed over to the very knowledgeable and friendly Nick who explained the types of dishes, ingredients, how they are made etc. He recommended the Chicken Makhani based on what I told him I liked in a curry and I get this dish every time! I'm still working through the bread menu to find my favorite. Looking forward to some rice pudding next time! The food was delivered right on time, fresh, tasty and delicious. Great portion size for the price. A smashin Indian! As a later note: the rice pudding is very very sweet, so if you like desserts that way then be sure to try it as it is good, just in little portions."
- Jenni
"I went to Standard India Restaurant about 9 years ago and remembered liking it very much. It was my first foray into Indian food. I hadn't gone back because unfortunately, I don't have many friends who like Indian food, and of those who do, they tend to have very specific places they want to go.
My sister's boyfriend decided he wanted to try Indian food for the first time, so I suggested SIR. Four of us ended up making plans to meet for the buffet (which I think is awesome at $12.99). The restaurant is also BYOB with no corkage fee (I know corkage fees are illegal in Chicago, but that doesn't stop many places from still charging).I have to admit, I went on Yelp the day I was going, and I got really nervous. The reviews seemed really harsh, and I was second guessing suggesting SIR as the place for someone's first taste of Indian food. I was happily wrong (read on). I ended up getting to the restaurant before the rest of my group, so I grabbed a table. The server/host came up to greet me as soon as he was finished with other customers and asked if I wanted anything to drink. I produced my own bottle of wine, and he happily brought glasses and opened the wine for me. As I sat there with my glass of wine, the new owner/manager (which I'm gathering from Yelpers is the former owner's son) came over to chat with me and ask about the wine I was drinking. Once the rest of my group got there, we dug into the buffet. The other new owner/manager (former owner's daughter, perhaps) came over to us at the buffet to answer questions about all of the food. The food was amazing. Delicious. Maybe my palate is inexperienced, but everything I ate was delicious. Some of the food was very spicy (which I love), and some was mild. There was a great selection. We ended up staying for quite some time, as we shared three bottles of wine. The staff was very doting, but not in an annoying way. They answered all of our questions (even my friend's question about the particular instrument used in the music that was playing) with knowledge and friendliness. I left feeling they truly cared about our dining experience and would have done whatever they could to make sure we enjoyed ourselves. That's right, Standard India Restaurant, you get five stars in my book. You filled my belly with delicious food, put up with my friends' and my drunken questions, and gave great service. I'll be back soon! "
- Michelle
