Indian cuisine, with its ample vegetarian, vegan, gluten- and dairy-free options, is a great choice for groups of all sizes and dietary needs, and for those who like a little heat. The pandemic may have put a damper on the formerly ubiquitous Indian lunch buffet, but there are still many ways to sample a variety of deeply flavorful dishes for a reasonable price. Taste the rainbow at these colorful kitchens near you.
DC Dosa
Local micro-chain DC Dosa opened its first Virginia kiosk in National Landing in late 2023. Dosa, a popular South Indian lentil savory crepe, can be ordered with multiple vegan fillings and chutneys, such as onion-tamarind and coconut. Delivery and take-out are available, though when the weather is nice, you may want to enjoy your dosa—or an open-faced uttapam—in the ample outdoor seating oasis at Water Park, a Best of Arlington 2024 winner. A weekend brunch menu is currently in the works. // 1601 Crystal Drive, Arlington (National Landing)
Delhi Dhaba
Delhi Dhaba, which opened in Courthouse in 1991, has grown up. The buffet table is gone, replaced by a homey, open space focused on sit-down service with a vibrant weekday happy hour. Popular menu options include the make-your-own tiffin (multi-dish meals) and street food mashups like desi poutine topped with chutney, paneer and spiced chickpeas. Owner Daisy Dumera is adding a bottomless brunch menu this spring. Enjoy your feast on the large patio set back from Wilson Boulevard in the style of a true Dhaba, which means roadside café. // 2424 Wilson Blvd., Arlington (Courthouse)
Haandi
Haandi has offered its lengthy Northern Indian menu for more than three decades in the City of Falls Church. Artworks depicting traditional Indian scenes brighten the large dining room, which has a combination of roomy booths and tables, both good for larger parties. House specials include spiced salmon tandoori, murgh makhani (popularly known as butter chicken) and methi chooza, a mild chicken dish flavored with fenugreek. If you can’t dine in, you can order Haandi on multiple delivery platforms. The restaurant also offers catering and take-out. // 1222 W. Broad St., Falls Church
Kohinoor Dhaba
Owner Kulvir Singh made the tough decision to end his restaurant’s beloved lunch buffet during Covid and switched to weekday lunch specials that include an entrée, two vegetables, rice and naan. But the sleepy spot in Crystal City hasn’t missed a beat with its cooking. If you need something to temper the aftereffects of the fiery chicken, shrimp or lamb vindaloo, ask for a frozen kulfi, a cooling drink that blends cream and milk with fresh mango or pistachios. Delivery is a popular option, as parking is tight. // 2800 S. Eads St., Arlington (Crystal City)
Masala
Masala features traditional Indian fare (samosas, vindaloos, and of course, masala-spiced delights) as well as Nepalese dishes like vegetable- or meat-stuffed momo (steamed dumplings) served with tomato achar, a chunky sauce made with tomatoes, garlic, ginger, onion and chilies. The menu also features several unique seafood preparations. Try the shrimp dopiaza spiced with green chilies and fresh coriander leaves, or baked tandoori Alaskan king salmon. Bring your tiny taste-testers with you! A children’s menu offers petite versions of Indian favorites, as well as chicken fingers with a masala dipping sauce. The same owners also run Urban Tandoor in Arlington. // 1394 Chain Bridge Road, McLean
Minerva Express
This tiny restaurant is tucked inside India A-1 Grocery, a fixture in Arlington’s Yorktown neighborhood for nearly 40 years. Here you can pick up spices, lentils or Indian snacks and order hot dishes including goat and lamb curries and several types of biryani. The vegetarian list is long and tempting. Try palak paneer, a spinach and cheese dish; chana bhatura, a spiced chickpea stew served with puffy bread; and aloo mutter, a medley of potatoes, peas and tomatoes in tomato gravy. Seating and parking are very limited, but Minerva also offers delivery via DoorDash and Postmates. // 4815 Langston Blvd. Arlington (Yorktown)
Raaga
The sign may be faded, but the flavors are vibrant at this Bailey’s Crossroads institution. Lamb dishes shine—especially chops marinated in a ginger-yogurt sauce and cooked in a clay oven, and creamy rogan josh, which finds boneless lamb layered in a spicy, yogurt-based curry of tomatoes and onions. The building’s white stucco exterior opens into a modest dining room with fresh flowers. Delivery and take-out are both popular and Raaga offers a 10% discount for take-away orders. A lunch buffet ($18.95) is available Friday, Saturday and Sunday, plus occasional holidays. // 5872 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church (Bailey’s Crossroads)
RASA
Owners Sahil Rahman and Rahul Vinod have been friends since childhood and both have the restaurant industry in their blood. Their fathers, Surfy Rahman and K.N. Vinod, have run some of the region’s top Indian kitchens—including Bombay Bistro in Rockville and recently-closed Indique in D.C. At RASA, however, the format is fast-casual. Build your own bowl with the protein and toppings of your choice (including the recently added option of paneer cheese) or try a fan favorite such as the gluten-free “Tikka Chance On Me” bowl featuring chicken tikka with sauteed spinach, pickled radish and mint-cilantro chutney. To tame the heat, order a young coconut drink served inside the husk of the fruit itself. These tiki-style quenchers are cracked open to order. // 2200 Crystal Drive, Arlington (National Landing) and 2905 District Avenue, Fairfax (Mosaic)
Saffron Fine Indian Cuisine
Saffron offers a compact, daily lunch buffet for $20, including dessert and naan, but, the restaurant does most of its business to-go, and a portion of the dining area is dedicated to preparing these orders. Fiery vindaloos, Goan shrimp and meen molee (a Kerala fish curry) are among the menu’s signature dishes, and all come in enormous portions. // 1077 West Broad Street, Falls Church.
Spice Kraft Indian Bistro
Looking for a great lunch deal? Spice Kraft offers more than a dozen options for under $15, including curry rice bowls with toppings ranging from salmon to tofu; Indian “burgers,” including a homemade vegetarian version topped with mint and tamarind; and wraps stuffed with paneer cheese or chicken tikka. (Our dining critic also flagged this trendy haunt as a top pick for spectacular seafood.) Both the Clarendon and Del Ray locations have patio seating and offer take-out via online ordering, as well as delivery on several ordering platforms. Fresh purees and spice infusions find their way into an extensive cocktail and mocktail selection. The bar staff is also happy mix up a signature drink based on your base spirit and mixer preferences. // 1135 N. Highland St., Arlington (Clarendon) and 2607 Mt. Vernon Ave., Alexandria (Del Ray)
Urban Tandoor
When Urban Tandoor took over the former Republic Kitchen & Bar space in 2018, it followed a string of short-lived restaurants at the same location. Now, more than five years later, this thriving spot maintains Arlington’s only Indian-food buffet, with more than a dozen daily lunch items (including dessert) offered daily for $15 during the week and $17 on weekends. The restaurant specializes in North Indian cuisine, plus Nepalese dishes including wild boar, buffalo and a variety of momos (meat- or vegetable-filled dumplings). A sister establishment to Masala in McLean, Urban Tandoor has ample covered outside seating in the heart of Ballston and does a brisk dine-in and catering business with local offices. // 801 N. Quincy St., Arlington (Ballston)