Indian

India Garden 328 Atwood St. $$ (412) 682-3000

Located in the heart of Central… India Garden 328 Atwood St. $$ (412) 682-3000

Located in the heart of Central Oakland, the India Garden is the go-to Indian restaurant for Pitt students, Oakland dwellers and anyone who loves a good paneer tikka makhni.

Slowly but surely, India Garden’s owner, Didar Singh, is snatching up prime realty on Atwood. He currently owns Spice Cafe, tucked below the India Garden, and Bombay Mart, an Indian grocery store right next to Spice Cafe and the India Garden.

The menu is extensive and offers dishes for carnivores and vegetarians alike. They make every dish to order, so you can specify how spicy you want your dish to be on a scale of one to 10.

Apart from the entrees, they also offer a wide variety of appetizers and desserts. Try a variety of things with an appetizer platter and finish off your meal with mango ice cream.

India Garden boasts great specials, with daily lunch buffets as well as half-off specials from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. every day.

They also recently remodeled the interior of the restaurant. They moved the bar from the back of the restaurant to a prominent spot right inside the doors and rearranged the seating area. — Annie Tubbs

Bombay Grill 416 Semple St. (412) 578-9778 $$ No Panther Funds

It’s late at night. You’re starving. You can’t bear to leave the house. You’ve had Chinese or pizza at every meal for the last month and another round, you think, just might kill you. It’s time for a change of pace. But what to do?

Thanks to Bombay Grill, an Indian restaurant on Semple Street, there is an answer: Order some Indian food. Yes, now some delectable chicken makhni or lamb biryani can be delivered at no extra cost to your door until midnight, or you could do it the old-fashioned way and dine in at their comfortable and cozy location.

Bombay Grill’s huge menu offers all of the staples of Indian cuisine — curries, vegetarian dishes, chicken and lamb specialties, biryanis, samosas, varieties of roti and nan and delightful Indian specialty drinks such as lassis and tea.

There are also special combination dishes available in vegetarian and non-vegetarian varieties, though not for takeout. And they even offer some specialties with beef, a true rarity for Indian restaurants. — Daniel Richey

Prince of India 3614 Fifth Ave. (412) 687-0888 $$ No Panther Funds

Pitt students seeking dinner rarely travel Fifth Avenue, except for the occasional fast food run. This is unfortunate, because one of Oakland’s culinary treasures, Prince of India, is located on Fifth, between Meyran and Atwood.

Always smelling of traditional Indian curries, Prince of India is a treat anyone who loves flavorful Indian food. The biryani, a fried rice dish by which Indian restaurants can be reliably judged, is moist and coated in delicious spices. Also excellent is the lamb pasanda, a nutty curry-like dish. And don’t miss the chicken makhini, with juicy pieces of chicken and a creamy tomato curry.

As an affordable all-you-can-eat treat, Prince of India offers an elaborate dinner buffet from 4:30 to 9:30 p.m., allowing a thrifty student to get a good dinner tucked in before nightly study time. And, in the middle of the day, Prince of India also offers a lunch buffet from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. for anyone with a noontime craving for great curry. — Greg Heller-LaBelle

Star of India 412 S. Craig St. (412) 681-5700 $$ No Panther Funds

The understated elegance of linen-covered tables, artfully folded napkins, burgundy decor and soft lights help make Star of India the swankiest Indian-cuisine restaurant in Oakland.

Star of India’s menu reflects the numerous cuisines of India, from shrimp biryani to chicken asharj. The wide selection of breads is wonderful as well. Many dishes are authentically prepared in a traditional tandoor. A hearty and tasty lamb and potato vindaloo can really beat the chill of a cool Pittsburgh evening. `

The staff is helpful and knowledgeable about the dishes and keeps your water glass filled when you’ve ordered a spicy curry.

Star of India serves a lunch buffet from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Alcohol is BYOB, and there is a minimal charge for extra glassware. – Dawn Diehl

Tamarind Flavor of India 257 N. Craig St. $$$ (412)605-0500

If you’re looking for Indian food in a fancy atmosphere, Tamarind may be the place to go.

Located in a 120-year-old house on North Craig Street, it’s just a short bus ride away from campus and the atmosphere is perfect for an exotic yet intimate date. There is an outdoor patio to enjoy during the warmer months.

Most of the entrees cost between $10 and $14, and they have special lunch buffets for $6.99 on weekdays and $8.99 on weekends.

Their menu breaks up the entrees into three categories: Tamarind specialties, the milder side and the spicier side. They have dishes for both vegetarians and meat eaters.

Presently, Tamarind is BYOB, but if you’re underage or not in the mood for booze, they have a number of tempting drinks, from a mango lassi to a masala chai. — Annie Tubbs