Dwaraka Reviews

Went on a Saturday eve, place was very busy, friendly staff got a seat quickly. I have tried the tiffen combo during my other visit wasn't that great, decided to try Chicken biriyani this time was sweetly surprised, Biriyani was accompanied by gravy which we South Indians like it very much , very tasty rich biriyani.Unlike the North Indian type dry biriyani this is slightly juicy and tasted good Took one to go as well ..

There are some rather good Indian restaurants in Beaverton and Hillsboro, but my wife and I usually head to Dwaraka when we're looking for an Indian lunch buffet at a place that's reasonably close to our home in NE Portland. The surroundings at Dwaraka are pleasant, the buffet is attractively presented, there are always several enticing dishes to chose from, and the quality of the food generally ranges from good to very good. In addition, the host and hostess at this place are extremely gracious people; I always leave Dwaraka feeling happy about having spent time in their presence. Note that this review covers only the lunch buffet; my wife and I have never had dinner here or ordered from the menu.

The food looks delicious from outside. But when you actually eat it, its very bad tasting!! The restaurant was packed and there were no seats, So we offered to sit outside even though it was cold. When we asked them if we can move inside when a place becomes available, they said they do not understand. Then we explained again and they did not seem to be too happy to move inside when place becomes available. There was another party who came after us and they gave the inside place to them.. Then my husband went and asked them why did not they give us space, they said they do not understand. So finally they gave us a place inside after repeating ourselves, and they asked us to bring the spoons and forks inside which is fine. Next came the food which looked good but after tasting it, it had very weird taste. Malai Kofta was absolutely horrible. Please don't order. I will not suggest this place to anyone!

Another hole in the wall restaurant in Portland Or on SE Hawthorn St with a Big Punch in Flavor and the price was affordable and the service was spectacular. We tried the Lamb Curry and the Chicken Vindaloo and absolutly loved them both, the chutneys they served were the best I've ever had. I have had better simosas but the dinners were so outstanding that I would hardly mention the appetizer. I went there for dinner but it sounds like they have a great lunch that I will have to try sometime. I look forward to going back.

We got chicken makhani and tika masala (that’s how they spell it on their menu) They were terrible. The chicken makhani was large diced over cooked chicken in a sauce a thin as milk. The Tika Masala was chock full of diced onions that made it taste so sweet. I figured for sure they had given us the wrong dish. Never in my life would I have guessed it was Tika Masala but they confirmed it was. Weird. How did this place get so popular. Thoroughly disappointed.

I travel around the world for work, and this place lives up to the best Indian food I've had in NYC, LA, and Toronto (all places with large Indian communities and great restaurants). First of all, they made me what I wanted even though it wasn't on the menu - I deeply appreciated that because a lot of places won't go the extra mile. Second of all - best okra. I mean ever. I love that stuff! Third - the people who own the place are really sweet. When you walk in, the entire restaurant smells good. I eat here every time I go back to Portland to visit.

We did not like the food, not spicy for South Indian cuisine. Our Paneer order was really sweet, eventhough we ordered medium spicy. If you like true Indian flavors, this is not for you. Veg Biriyani is basmati rice mixed with frozen mixed vegetables from a grocery store and turmeric.

I've been here 3 times and always delighted with the food. I have to tell you, I love Dosas and pickle...and this place has the best of both I have tried outside of India. It's family run with Mom's cooking and it's so authentic. So warm and loving, it's like you've been invited to share food in their living room. My son is vegan and gluten free so this is a great place as they have loads of options and true knowledge about what vegan means. In India there is a saying, "The Guest is King" and it's never been more true than at Dwaraka!

We stopped in here on our way through Portland, the food is great, very authentic and the service was wonderful

I'm still fuming after the atrocious experience my family and I had at this establishment. The service was absolutely appalling, and I've never encountered anything like it before. We visited with our 11-month-old baby and were looking forward to a pleasant meal. However, things took a turn for the worse when we accidentally spilled some rice on the floor. I understand that accidents happen, and we were willing to clean it up. But what transpired next left us stunned. The guy at the register bluntly told us that he couldn't clean the rice and that we needed to do it ourselves. I asked him for a broom, thinking that would be the simplest solution. But to my surprise, he informed us that they didn't provide brooms for customers to use. why were they expecting us to clean the floor in the first place? It was a ridiculous and unreasonable request, especially considering we had a young baby with us. To make matters worse, the food was subpar. The tandoori chicken had a strong, unpleasant odor that was a major turnoff. We were really looking forward to enjoying a good meal, but the quality of the food fell short of our expectations. Overall, our experience at this establishment was an unmitigated disaster. The combination of terrible service and mediocre food makes it unlikely that we'll ever return. I would strongly advise others to think twice before visiting this place. The last words he said us after confronting him (HE SAID I KNOW YOU NEPALI PEOPLE) RACIST

All is well at Dwarka unless you unfortunately are a customer when the owner is serving -- today I stood right in front of the owner and gently asked him for another napkin -- he ignored me and tried to get the attention of a woman to ask her if she wanted something to drink - If you are a Latino , African or Asian it's best to find another restaurant with a less colonized mentality person for your server

We recently went there for my husband's birthday because of good reviews we read on Tripadvisor and other sites. We were amazed at how wonderful the food was. The place is very non-descript, but service was very friendly, and food was amazing. We started off with mango lassi, which was delicious. For dinner, my husband had their Combo Platter which comes with Idlis and Vadas with the Dosa, which were all excellent. We also has the Malai Kofta thali and Aloo-Gobhi thali, which included another curry, sambhar, rice, naan and dessert. The Malai Kofta was the best I've ever had. For dessert, we all tried the Mango Malai (mango pudding) which was out of this world! All in all, this was one of the best Indian food we have had in Portland in a long time.

This was a treat to discover! I love Indian food and have been to India, so I know what good Indian food should be like! The food was exceptional, the price was right, the restaurant was quiet, which is important to me. My son and I enjoyed a lovely evening dining here and will definitely visit again!

Had a lovely dinner here in the little dining nook with the arched ceiling- great lighting display from this area! The vegetarian entrees are great; we had the Paneer Tikka Masala and the Malai Kofta, both Thali style. Generous portions of naan came with the meals, and the meals themselves were abundant enough to make a leftover lunch the next day. Excellent beer on tap too.

I made an actual order rather than using the buffet during the time when the buffet was open- the buffet looked limited - and things like the chicken looked like there was only sauce left. so an actual menu order was placed. I waited, and waited, and waited... finally asked about the food - the waitperson told me it was done. I said i didn't want it unless it was ready. he went to the kitchen and rather than coming out with the meal- told me it was done... I think they ought to tell diners that it is buffet only during that time of day if they cannot fulfill an order in a reasonable time...

Ordered food for dinner....very nice experience in these tough times. They separated the entrance and exit for separation. Upon entrance my food was very nicely packaged and left on an isolated table next to cashier. Cashier was wearing mask and gloves and was extremely polite and careful dealing with payment and sanitized the pen and my credit card; he also provided sanitizer...great to see. Ok for the food: we ordered palak paneer, masala dosa and chicken korma with naan. Food was excellent but a little on the spicy side....more than what we expected with dishes chosen. Food was fresh and tasty....recommend...👍🏼

Went here because one of our party is vegetarian and wasn't disappointed. We all had the Thali's which were very tasty and there was plenty to eat and share. Staff were really friendly and helpful.

I had learnt that Portland is the city for street food. At 11.30 Indian food kiosk was not open, I looked for alternative Indian food and we landed at Dwaraka. In absence of internet in a foreign country and town, I had not prepared the list of restaurants. Choice was based on the name, Dwaraka is the city of Lord Krisna. At lunch time, it was buffet meal only. They had 13 items, both vegetarian and non vegetarian food. It had combination of both Northern and Southern Indian cuisines. Fresh food was replenish regularly. I found food authentic, tasty and had good variation. I found owner Mr. Reddy, pleasant, witty and welcoming. By the time we finished the meal, the restaurant was full. A group of 12 Korean people had come for their group meal. It is rarely, I have seen East Asian people in an Indian Resturant. It confirmed my view about Dwaraks' food objectively.

My friend and I had the lunch buffet here and found it very pleasant. Service was friendly and the buffet was re-filled frequently. The food was freshly-cooked, with a good range of mostly vegetarian food, but with a couple of chicken dishes and one turkey option too. It was a bit bland-tasting, but the home-made lime pickle improved that. It felt like a home-cooked meal, and great value at under $10 a person. I recommend it.

I've eaten at this place several times in the past, but not in the past 3 years. What happened to the authentic Indian restaurant I used to know? I had the shrimp makhani dish. It was unbelievably bland...a Campbell's soup imitation of Indian food. There was nothing in it that had any resemblance to Indian cuisine. It was like someone in the kitchen opened up a can of food reserved for customers who have no experience with Aian food. Of course, the waiter failed to ask what spice level I preferred. And he failed to stop by after the dish was served to ask if the dish was to my liking. Doesn't this always happen when one really has a problem with the food? Further, the rice was dished out on a serving platter on which the main dish was served. How did they expect one to eat this? Off the serving platter....way too gauche for me. Obviously Dwaraka has chosen to go for the cheap profit and cater to customers who can't tell the difference. For real Indian food in Portland, one has many better choices! Go find them, I'll never eat here again.

The $9.95 lunch buffet (and no sales tax!) is a great deal for the variety of dishes that were served. All food was relatively tasty.

Friends had told me this was their favorite Indian restaurant in Portland, and they had previously taken me to a fine one they discovered when they lived in Seattle, so I decided to give it a try for the lunch buffet today. I'm a vegetarian and am often disappointed by Indian lunch buffets, but this was great! Lots of choices, the mixed veggie pakora was fresh and crunchy with many different vegs in it, the palak paneer (my favorite) was exceptionally fine, and the aloo gobi was the best I've had. The chutneys tasted homemade and super fresh. I just had to come back for seconds, although I'm trying to lose weight! The small restaurant is also very nice and was cool and pleasant on a steamy hot day. And the service was both friendly and very professional. I've made a date to take a friend there for dinner next week and I can hardly wait.

One of the many very good Indian buffets in Portland. The buffet is small but the food is very tasty. I wish they offered dinner buffet as well. Staff is very attentive and friendly.

Average food. Not particularly tasty curry. Food was hot, but I've had much better Indian food. Nice to have parking in back.

If you can't tolerate spicy food, then look elsewhere. Actually, if you can't tolerate spicy food, then you probably shouldn't even be eating at any Indian restaurant. I love spicy food and thought that this was some of the best Indian cuisine that I have had in quite some time. They have a lot of diversity in their menu and offer either ala carte dishes, or a main course with samples of other dishes. I wouldn't suggest the latter unless you are really hungry and adventurous. The "desert" that came with the platter was not impressive; kind of like flavorless yogurt jello. Service was great. It's a casual setting. Parking in the rear.

Very delicious Indian buffet. But I liked the menu more because it was very busy that day. The was my second time

We had dinner here on a Saturday night - attentive service, large menu selection, really tasty food with good portion sizes - great mix of authentic spices. The Thali option adds several sides to your main dish. Kingfisher beer was a nice accompaniment. If you don't like to much pepper heat, you can order "extra mild". Our new favorite Indian place in Portland!

Oh, how I loved this lunch buffet!!! Soooo many delicious items: the lentil soup was an excellent starter! The curry, chana masala, the pakoras, and ohhhhh the rice pudding dessert was so delicious!! If I lived in Portland, I would eat here at least weekly for lunch! The value was perfect too! Friendly service as well!

Went here for dinner while in the area. Had the curry chicken thali, there were many items in the platter. It included rice and naan. The naan was done perfectly, not overly crispy. The curry was delicious. If you like spice, go with medium. Medium is spicy. It's a nice cozy place, very good value and really great attentive service.

Can only speak to the one lunch stop I’ve made but it was very good. The buffet had a lot of options. The butter chicken (chicken makhani) was really really good. You can tell the food is very fresh. The eggplant wasn’t mushy from being over cooked or reheated. This will be my new lunch stop when I’m craving Indian cuisine. (I’d tried another place’s buffet. Dwaraka is much better.)

Lunch Buffett was refreshed constantly. Cold beer, clean restrooms. Best Indian food outside of India

For years I've been searching for a decent Indian restaurant that serves the style food I like. This one comes closest. The mildest option at this restaurant tends to be a bit on the spicy side for my taste but was not overwhelming. The onion bass used for a lot of the salsa seems to have been provided by caramelized onions which added a depth of flavor that I haven't tasted in quite a long time. It was rather surprising. The samosas were really very spicy and difficult for me to finish . However, if you're into spicy they were quite tasty . The naan bread could have stood to be left in the Tandoor for a few more seconds to develop a crispier crust. But, every restaurant is allowed to have its Style and this bread was certainly acceptable. The service I received was exemplary although it seemed to take a little longer getting things out of the table considering that the restaurant wasn't all that full.

Four of us ate together. All the food was very good to excellent. The makhani dishes were the best I've ever had. Service was prompt and courteous although our server was a bit on the nervous side. We will definitely be going back.

I can't even begin to explain how incredible the food is here... Simply superb. I went with my boyfriend who has visited southern India and he found the food to be identical to the dishes he ate in India. The idli and the masala dosa were delicious. The paneer makhani though deserves it's own paragraph... The most delicious thing I've had in a long time. Full of spices and an amazing sweetness. Try it, you won't be disappointed! Our experience was wonderful and a huge dinner for 2 only cost $24 before tip. Crazy! Definitely our favorite Indian in Portland.

The food and service was great. But there menu was miss leading. So we left feeling hungry. Need to ask more questions when ordering.

I had ordered the Panneer Tikka Masala Thali. My boyfriend ordered the Lamb Vindaloo Thali and asked for it to be extra spicy. My boyfriend LOVES spicy food and he was thrilled they actually made it spicy. The owner even came over and asked if it was spicy enough. It was all so delicious. There were so many flavors. I am so glad my boyfriend liked it especially. He has never been a fan of Indian food and I love it. So now we have a place we can come back to that we both love.

Food is quite good and reasonably priced. Atmosphere not great (the Indian restaurant down the street has a nicer atmosphere but this is reflected in their prices too). Very long wait for table on a Saturday night. Would have been a perfect experience if not for the lengthy wait.

It's been a while since I've been to this Indian restaurant. Let me say that in general Indian food in Portland leaves something to be desired. Yes, the food is nothing compared to what you can get in San Francisco or India or Honolulu, but for Portland, the food at this restaurant is pretty good. The service was efficient and friendly, and the business was brisk. For this Thursday lunch, every table was full! It's not a very big restaurant, though, so plan accordingly. The chai teas we got were some of the best I've ever gotten in Portland! Try out the lunch buffet at least once with your work buddies or friends!

Dwaraka offers a nice mix of dishes. All are quite tasty. What stands out about this restaurant is the Southern Indian (vegetarian) dishes, including Masala Dosa, idli and vada. Most Indian restaurants do not serve delicious dishes. The casual café atmosphere is also appealing. The staff is always pleasant and attentive.

Lots of vegetarian choices in Portland. This nice find has delicious vegetarian selections, with choices for those who prefer meat as well. Staff was above average in service! With quite a few Indian restaurants around, this is one I would return to and recommend to friends.

this review is based on only two visits to this restaurant, but we were delighted to find such good indian food here in portland (after 17 years of mostly duds), and then so disappointed to visit the same place three weeks later, and found the food so middle of the road on the second time there. the fact that two of our five dishes were identical between the two meals convinced me that either the chef was having a bad night or else they have a chef du jour. the first time we visited the malai kofta, paneer makhani, saag paneer, and chana masala were all particularly good, but the latter two we ordered the second time around and the flavors just didn't cut it. garlic naan was consistent (good), as were the vegetable samosas/chutneys. standard indian beer choices. service on both occasions was excellent. parking tricky in the area (only a handful of spots behind the restaurant, and crowded residential streets the other option).

I had no idea there was an Indian restaurant in the Hawthorne District. It was a total happy discovery as we were searching for somewhere to grab some dinner before walking to the Hawthorne Theater to see a show. We ordered two Thali (dinner), one with Aloo Gobi and the other Panneer Tikka Masala. Both were excellent. I recommend ordering the Thali meal as it is a great way to taste many of the establishments fine flavors, including dessert! Thali includes one main entree, veggie curry of the day, dhal, sambar, rice, raita and dessert. Oh, and lots of naan. As vegetarians, we are always happy when we discover an Indian restaurant because we know there will be a lot to choose from.

Went to Portland for a girls weekend. They had never tried indian food, which happens to be my favorite. Since we were staying downtown Portland, and it was my turn to pick the restaurant, I yelped and found this diamond in the rough. It's in a very hipster area, and is actually on the 40th block and not 39th block, so had to call to figure out where it was actually located. It's pretty small and not the best looking restaurant inside or out. But don't let that dissuade you, because the place is packed and the food is amazing! We were seated within 10 minutes without a reservation on a Saturday night. My favorite dish was the chili chicken appetizer which was absolutely amazing!!! Perfectly spiced and tender. I could have eaten it as a meal with some rice and would have been satisfied. However, we ordered quite a few dishes since it was my friends first time having this type of food. The chicken korai was really good. It had a slight kick to it (because I like it spicy and requested it), and was also slightly sweet. We ate the lamb curry and the perfectly cooked chicken tandoori. Of course i also ordered the very delicious channa masala...which i also requested spicy, and it was super good. The naan and garlic naan were extremely good. Usually when u go to indian restaurants, the naan is loaded with butter, but this had no butter and was delicious with the sauces on the table. The server was very helpful...extremely friendly..and gave great suggestions in terms of how to eat certain dishes on the plates and pair them with the various sauces and curries that came in the Thalia we ordered. My friends are now indian food lovers, and I am happy to have found this amazing food. Looking forward to my next trip to Portland so I can eat here again.

Arrived on a Saturday evening at 5pm with several friends for a reserved birthday party. We were almost the only people in the restaurant and service was good by knowledgeable wait staff. Ordered some Mango Lassi which is a mango drink and Chicken Makhani. The drink was very good, the chicken dish is essentially large chunks of chicken in a bowl, smothered in a tomato soup colored hot sause. It is served very hot and is also spicy hot. It is served with white rice. Flat bread is served to the table and there are 3 selections of different colored goo to put on it. I am sure each of these had a name and some history in the Indian culture, but I was not enlightened on these points. The bread is very good by itself, however the salt content is noticeable. Chicken Tandori was another favorite of the folks at the table and I would order that the next time. As the evening wore on, additional patrons began showing up and the noise in the room started to really climb. Hard surfaces on the floors and walls with a tall ceiling makes this a very noisey space with a room full of people. By the time we got to sharing a piece of cake, that the restaurant was gracious enough to supply plates for, we had to shout at each other to be heard. This is really not the quality environment that the menu pricing would suggest. They do have some tables on the sidewalk so you can chose to either have a shouting match inside, or breath car exhaust and street dust outside. You will not need to figure out a tip for your bill - it is already calculated at 20% and added on as an "automatic gratuity." How helpful !

Had dinner on a Saturday night. I ordered a Lamb Tikka Masala (boneless lamb cooked with potatoes in hot & spicy sauce) and my wife had Chicken Curry. The food tasted great and we sampled a few Indian beers as well. Only issue with the place is If you plan on having dinner get there early because reservations are only taken for a party of 6 or more. The interior of the restaurant is very simple and basic with a few Indian decorations.

I've stayed away from Indian restaurants because of I have a serious allergy to garlic. Last week, when we had out of town guests, my wife called Dwaraka, a storefront Indian restaurant on Hawthorne Blvd. near our house. They assured her that they could make garlic-free dishes for me. So, we decided to try it. When I explained my problem, the waiter had the owner come to our table. He carefully explained which dishes I could eat and which I should avoid. I ended up with a delicious vegetarian dish, mildly spicy, Aloo Mutter. It came with a large portion of rice and it was delicious. There was so much food I ended up taking half of it home. We also had a Mixed Pakora plate as an appetizer, and a very large serving of Naan. Both the owner and waiter pointed out which items were safe for me and which side sauces I should avoid. Personal service throughout our meal was outstanding. Food was wonderful and I had no allergy reaction. And when the check came I was surprised at how low the bill was. We'll definitely return.

Four of us just tried Dwaraka for dinner. We found the atmosphere very pleasant, the service truly excellent, but the food just average. I had the chicken saag, and my husband had the tandoori fish (mahi mahi) tikka. Both the chicken and his fish were kind of dried out, maybe overdone. The seasonings were not great. My spinach had a slight sweet taste in it that I had not tasted in saag dishes at the many other Indian restaurants I've tried. Too bad, as these seem like very nice people, and the restaurant is pleasant -- not as noisy as many places are in Portland.

We recently found this little restaurant in the Hawthorne neighborhood of SE Portland. We visited on a Monday for lunch. The buffet was extremely limited, featuring mainly vegetarian dishes (neither of us are vegetarian), and two meat dishes. The food was a little bland. Also, the owner/waiter was quite, well 'offish' - never greeted us, never said good bye, thank you etc, even though he visited the table several times to fill water. There's a good number of decent Indian restaurants in Portland offering lunch buffet, but this isn't one of them. Maybe we'll try it on an evening - give them another chance.

This was most likely the best Indian food we've ever experienced! We both had the chicken korma with the Nann. Wow! Seasoned perfectly and chicken was very tender. Our waiter was great and personable, we had a nice chat with him. If we lived in the area, we'd be back every month (more often if my wife wasn't an amateur chef!). It was also very reasonably priced! I actually paid less than the airport breakfast we had that day.

We didn't like it here. The food looked home made but did not taste good. Good place for someone who often eats out because the food here looked like it was cooked at home. But certainly not a place to enjoy your meal. Service is not good. Staff is not friendly.