This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Business & Tech

Bites Nearby: India Garden

At the west end of Detroit Avenue, at Maile Avenue, there's a little piece of heaven in the form of Indian food.

The India Garden Restaurant, located on the west end of Detroit Avenue at Maile Avenue, is the place to be for quality Indian food in Lakewood.

Situated across the street from John's Diner, it is tucked back a little off the sidewalk with about 12 parking spots in front of the building.

The interior is richly-colored with various ochre hues; the room is intimate, but the tables are generously spaced; the servers are attentive and personable.

Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.

Glass coverings on the tabletops protect the intricately gold-stitched placemats. The entryway is defined by rich, floor-to-ceiling draperies and the walls sport newspaper clippings of rave restaurant reviews.

There is always someone at the door to greet you.

Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.

The all-you-can-eat lunch buffet (about $8) offers an extensive sampling of many vegetarian options like Kadhi Pakora (mixed vegetable lentil flour fritters) and Banghan Bhartha (roasted eggplant pureed with onions and tomatoes), plus some chicken items, Basmati rice, some potent mixed vegetable pickles, a soup, fresh fruit, chutneys, raita and naan. I shamelessly returned to the buffet three times and left very full, but wasn't incapacitated by the dreaded midday Food Coma. A small cup of Spiced Chai is the perfect finish to a meal.

India Garden's dinner menu is lengthy and clearly highlights the main proteins ($10-16 per entree, $29.95 for Lobster Curry) and an extensive list of vegetarian options ($8-11 per entree) — 15 entrees and 6 appetizers. Paapadum (lentil flatbread chips) are brought to the table for snacking while browsing the wine list; a good selection of Indian and domestic beers are available; the Mango Lassi is an authentic fruit and yogurt-based smoothie for a non-alcoholic option, or for dessert.

The subcontinent of India has so many regional cuisines defined by local culture, native crops (wheat and dairy in the north, rice and tropical fruits in the south), inland versus coastal (lamb and goat versus prawns, fish, crabs),  religious beliefs, plus European, Mongol, Persian and Pakistani influences and, of course, economics... The common thread for all regions is vegetarianism, extensive uses for grains, pulses and legumes and spice blends.

India Garden's menu offers a little of each of the major regions' fares, plus varying levels of spices, but it is left up to you how fiery you would like your meal to be. I am so partial to lamb preparations (Rogan Josh, in particular, as well as Vindaloo); the Tandoori Chicken comes out sizzling in half or whole sizes; the Mango Chicken Curry is fragrant and spicy.

The dinner portions are hearty, so be prepared to carry half your meal home for tomorrow's lunch. India Garden is open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner, their menu is available on line, credit cards are accepted.

Download the movie

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?