India Palace – San Antonio, TX

Date Visited: 2/17/23
Website: https://indiapalace-sa.com/

India Palace is a small, independently-owned Indian restaurant located in the corner of a strip mall at the southeast corner of the Fredericksburg/Wurzbach intersection in San Antonio.  It is positioned (very appropriately) right next door to the Himalayan Bazaar (and Indian grocery and general store), which we believe is owned by the same family.

Not much can be found about the history of the establishment on their restaurant’s website.  That said, their about section suggests a strong customer-driven menu that was developed by feedback.  They cater to both vegetarian and omnivorous diets, which will be welcome news for many.

Parking is ample, a large shared parking lot for the strip mall.  There are few handicap slots available close to the L-shaped building, and a couple of access ramps for wheelchairs nearby.

Immediately, the decor is unmistakably Indian.  The walls are adorned with traditional Indian artwork and photography of Indian architecture.  That said, the “Pepto-Bismol” pink walls would benefit from a color change – definitely not what one would normally associate with restaurant colors and not colors that would normally induce appetite.

[Menu not shown because we knew what we wanted to order and forgot to ask.  Will add a picture when we visit next.]

The food menu is quite extensive, with multiple options representing multiple regions of India.  There is also a small beer and wine list for those who would be interested, and this list was reasonably priced.  Navigation seems to be quite easy, as most of the entrees are naturally gluten-free.  They also feature a buffet, if that is more to your liking, but we prefer to order off the menu.

Lynn:

For drink, I opted for hot black tea.  Unfortunately, this turned out to be just plain Lipton tea.  The tea was hot and tasted fine, even if rather uninspiring.

For my food, I chose the Lamb Vindaloo.  I ordered this extra spicy as I do like my Indian food on the very spicy side of things, and they really delivered on that!  The curry sauce itself is a nice balance of acidity, spicy, body, and salt.  Aromatic herbs of clove, coriander, and star anise shine through the spicy chili pepper base.  The lamb was cooked perfectly with an exceptionally tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture.  The potatoes were cooked nicely too, though I felt the potato chunks were rather large and I would have preferred them to have been cut somewhat smaller.

The curry is served with a side of what I believe to be white basmati rice, which was also excellent.  Judging by the slight oil slick on the rice, it seems to be prepared pilaf style with fennel seeds, and is seasoned well.  The rice itself was cooked perfectly – not hard but not mushy.  It went well with the rice and rounded out the package into one cohesive bite.

Laina:

I ordered the Chai for my drink.  The flavor was mild and pleasant – not too sweet, not very spicy.  I found it comforting, with a taste that was almost cocoa.  (Oops – I inhaled it before I remembered to take a picture; simply imagine what looks like hot chocolate.)

For my entree, I ordered a chicken buriyani, also extra spicy.   The buriyani was seasoned nicely and not too salty, with a generous amount of spice!

The chicken quality and texture vary somewhat; the favor is always good, but some pieces have more or less moisture than others, and some chunks are a bit large for my taste.  The softer ones are quite juicy and you can really taste the good chicken flavor.  The rice is an expertly-prepared pilaf: firm but not hard, not gooey or sticky.

The white yogurt-based sauce is a tangy blend with plenty of seasoning but not overpowering, with crunchy bits of fresh carrot and a pleasant cilantro accent.

Other Information:

While the food is excellent, the service is average-to-poor at best.  We’ve been many times and this has been a consistent theme.  Some of the servers speak little to no English, so there can be a communication barrier too.  The restrooms are segregated, multi-unit restrooms that leave something to be desired in terms of cleanliness and maintenance.

Verdict:  Come for the food, not the service.  You’re best doing either the buffet if you prefer that, or if you want to order off the menu, we recommend calling ahead and ordering takeout (the latter of which they usually do an excellent job of packaging to ensure your food will not spill on the drive home).

Highlights:

• Excellent, authentic Indian food at a reasonable price
• Buffet and sit-down menu options
• Limited beer and wine options
• Mix of traditional and unusual choices of decor
• Service is definitely lacking
• Restrooms could use some work
• Recommended to order buffet or call ahead for takeout