Mughal Darbar

Disgusting. Very greasy and so salty I trashed everything and am currently eating just the plain rice! Oh and they put the food in a styrofoam CUP with a FLIMSY plastic LID that broke and leaked inside the delivery guys bag.

Stopped here for dinner last week & am so glad we did! There is outdoor seating, but it was chilly. Inside is gorgeous. very cute & inviting. The service was fantastic, as was the food. We started with the samosas… the green sauce was probably the best I have ever had. It tasted fresh & bright. I usually skip the sauce, but this was excellent! I ordered Saag Paneer & he ordered Lamb Korma. Both were excellent. The garlic naan was also probably some of the best that I have ever had. light with a little chew. Will definitely be coming back!

Along with some co-​workers, I ordered the Mughlai Darbar Chicken Tikkavia and a side of Samosa (via Skip the Dishes). When the order arrived, my lunch was missing (although I did get the Samosa). I chose to get my money refunded rather than wait for another delivery, but at least the Samosa was really tasty. My co-​workers really liked what they had, and I have to admit it all looked good. I’m sure this was an uncommon mistake, so I will try them again some time and update this review accordingly.

First thing you should know– there’s a $ 9.99 lunch buffet. I wish I knew that when I was ordering, it’s not displayed anywhere and our server didn’t mention it… At least not until after we had eaten and paid. Very unprofessional and rude.
Second, the food is good but the portions are extremely small and not worth their exorbitant prices. I had the chicken vindaloo and fried paneer (bland). I would definitely recommend Aab over this place any day.
The building and staff are not very welcoming, which capped off the bad overall experience.

Awful!!! Seeing all the great reviews, Its quite fascinating people are not able to differentiate the high quality & low quality food! I feel sad for these people!
First of all, This sounds like a indian cuisine but it is actually not! As the name says «MUGHAL» is a Pakistani or Middle eastern cuisine with blend of indian flavor. I see this time and again, Pakistani or Middle eastern food served under the name of «Indian Cuisine». Its disgusting!
Anyways, Coming to my experience was absolutely awful! I walked in on a weekend for a lunch buffet and looked all the dishes which was on buffet. I felt disappointed but still decided to give it a try.(I must have listened to my gut to walk out but i didn’t)
The food was absolutely awful as few Unilocal reviewers mentioned! It was rotten and not fresh. And top it was gressy. I feel like they are throwing away left over food for buffet!
Please save your money and go elsewhere! Any day my recommendation for indian restaurants are AAB india (Grandview), Cummin (Polaris) And Gokul Café (Dublin).
Good luck Unilocalers!

Awesome food and service. The Valentines Day special was great. The dancers from osu did a fantastic job. We had the Tandoori chicken, chicken cury, and butter naan. Everything tasted great and Ash took great care of us.

I’m glad this place has opened up next to campus. I had bookmarked it thanks to all the positive reviews. The owner is very gracious and makes you feel welcome.
We all really liked the samosa chat. It was very good. I highly recommend it. My wife and I disagreed on the lamb handi. I thought it was pretty good but my wife did not like it at all. The chicken tikka masala was not good. Quite disappointing. The chicken karai was just okay.
So some good some not. I would still like to give this place another try.

The waitress — not sure if her name is Ash but the skinny lady who serves there seems to have attitude. Ordered tandoori and my Indian friend ordered chicken tikka masala and she gave him a sad look. Learn to have some manners and respect for your guests in order to get repeat customers

Cleveland is a foodie town with countless options for restaurants featuring international master chefs and cuisines from around the world. Unfortunately, our Indian restaurants seem to be sub-​par compared to other metropolitan cities. While driving through Cbus, my gf and I decided to give Mughal Darbar a try based on it’s positive reviews.
We were not disappointed. Everything I tried was phenomenal, and my gf who has spent time in India agreed that it was the best tasting and authentic Indian food she has ever tried outside of the sub-​continental country itself. The restaurant is owned and operated by one family who’s recipies have been passed down through generations. Our server was extremely pleasant and made sure we enjoyed our meal. We will be back next time we’re in Columbus, or maybe even just driving through.
We enjoyed everything, but my lamb and goat dishes were my personal faves. Tip: get everything flavored «hot spicy».

Not sure if we were there on an off night but the food was quite mediocre. I’d not go back.

My boyfriend and I have been here about 5 times in the last six months. Every time, the staff has been amazing (and remembered us on our second visit), the atmosphere is definitely unique (it feels like a large house decorated with Indian decorations), and the food is amazing! We haven’t had a single dish we disliked. We’ve ordered chicken and lamb items, as well as a different appetizer and garlic naan every time. If I lived closer, I’d go once a week!

This is our 4^th time here in less than a year
The food is consistent and is as authentic as it can be !
We placed the order on line but it is recommend that you just call in
It is family operated which is the best part
I think this is 3^rd or 4^th generation cooking the same great food the same way
It has become our No 1 Indian place

My rule of thumb for great Indian restaurants is that all curries should have a distinct look and taste. This place has it. I rank it next to my new NYC favorite, which is unreal to think of when it comes to Indian joints in Columbus, Ohio. It’s a family run operation and our server/​owner told us that the menu is basically her mom’s recipes. From apps to dessert, you can taste the personal touch that lot of us Indians crave when going to indian restaurants.
We ordered Murgh Malai Tikka Kabab as app and it was on par with what we had back home. Curries were all really good and not creamy at all, which is always good to see. Chicken Kadai stood out as the winner, but chicken mussulam was right behind with chicken tikka masala. Veggie items were spectacular as well, but I didn’t taste any.
Give this a shot if it’s your first time or millionth time eating indian food. There is no way you’ll be disappointed. Take this from a foodie indian who grew up with outstanding indian food.
I’ll be back next time I am in columbus.

Great place to eat out! They have nice indoor seating and it looks like they will have a great patio for spring, summer and fall.
They have a good selection with some healthy items too. We ate off the healthier menu and it was super.
If you don’t know what to order ask for help. Ash got us on the right path and we were pretty reserved.
Maybe the best Indian I’ve eaten… I’ll be back!

Loved this place! Especially the Malai chicken tikka. Really good food and nice patio. Will definitely come again!

This is my first Unilocal review, and it’s well-​deserved. I first came to Mughar Darbar with my friend’s family. The exterior is a little shabby and blends in with its surroundings. However, inside is lovingly decorated with pretty wallpaper, curtains, tapestries, and tablecloths. The minute I stepped in I knew I had found a genuine Indian restaurant because Indian music was playing on the speakers. Overall, the atmosphere is chill.
The menu is hard to figure out if you’ve never had Indian before, but the waiter was happy to help us out choosing what to order. It took a while for the food to come, but when it came, it was ah-​MAZING. Savory curry with chunks of potato, spicy but not unbearable. Airy, soft naan bread. Mango juice with ice. It was delicious. If heaven were food, Mughal Darbar’s food would be it.
I recommend any food with «cottage cheese» which is just homemade cheese cut into chunks. Delicious. Also, mango juice goes well with the meal. Go here when you’re really hungry, because boy, the food is rich and satisfying. Also, they have a takeout option if you’re at home craving some Indian.
Good service, heavenly food. Definitely a five star place.

Best indian restaurant in Columbus. Good food, location, service, and setting. Get the Naan and baigan bartha — roasted eggplant for a great overall meal.

Awful. Absolutely awful. The paneer pakora was too heavily breaded, seasoned poorly, and not cooked all the way through. The shai paneer is unlike anything I’ve ever eaten with that name. Additionally, it was greasy and disgusting. Would NOT shop again, especially given that the person I contacted for delivery wasn’t exactly accommodating.

*THE BEST INDIAN FOOD IN COLUMBUS, OH*
Sorry for shouting, but it’s true. I’ve tried the rest and they don’t remotely stack up (sorry Taj Mahal and others).
I’ve been here many times but finally got my wife to try their food this past weekend. She wasn’t willing to give Indian food a try until now. She said that she can’t stop thinking about it after having it and can’t wait to go back. Her excitement reminded me that it might be a good idea to write a review of our experience.
Everything that I’ve ever had was fantastic. Ash is always really friendly and livens up the place with her personality. My picky 4 year old even likes the food!

Indian cuisine is great on a hot day and even better on a snowy day — too bad this just didn’t hit the spot. Something was missing… I love traveling to new cities and trying Indian and new ethnic dishes. So I like to think I know my curries and chutneys!
We got the Darbar Makhani $ 13 & Malai Kofta $ 12 with a side of garlic naan. There were only 2 dumplings in the kofta and to be honest I’m not sure if they were cooked all the way through. The sauce was spicy and fairly decent but it was just sauce. I didn’t really get a taste of the cream if they had any?
The chicken in the Darbar Makhani was dry and again there wasn’t a hint of yogurt that was mentioned on the menu. Everything was okay, spices were okay, but I probably try out other places first.
Taste buds are different — maybe give it a try & test for yourself.

I’m not going to pretend to be an expert in the area of Indian food — that’s probably important to state right off the bat. I’ve had Flavors of India in the North Market some time back and that is really it since coming to Columbus. Short story is that this is better in both taste and value than Flavors of India.
Our group ended up here during a lunch break — foreign food Fridays. I was not particularly impressed with the dining hall, which was dimly lit and straight out of the 80s. We were also somewhat disappointed that the lunch buffet was not open. Instead, there is a vegetarian and non-​vegetarian lunch special to coincide with the Tamil New Year festival (had to Google that). For $ 5.99 or $ 6.99 for vegetarian and non-​vegetarian, respectively, you get a nice platter that I can’t begin to describe (see pictures).
The food was pretty good, portion sizes were great, service was fantastic, and prices were reasonable. My untrained palate says this is definitely worth a repeat.

I would like to start off with my background being Indian myself that I have been raised on Indian food. I have experienced authentic Indian food in India, have eaten in major cities and have been to most of the restaurants in Columbus. I am seeking authenticity when I dine at Indian restaurants and have my standards.
When it comes to my Indian dining experiences 3 things stand out that I have had problems with specially with the restaurants in the Columbus area.
The first is the inconsistency with the food the food can be up to my standard than be a disaster the next time.
Second, that they don’t know how to blend the right amount of spices for flavor. This is very difficult with Indian food you have to have good intuition, it sometimes
is not a science. I can instantly tell when the food was not prepared properly by my extensive experience.
Lastly, I can also add substandard service at times.
I have gone to Mughal Durbar for a few months and upon entering the establishment I have been always greeted by their warm friendly attentive staff.
I did opt to eat on their patio during the nice summer weather and I would have to say that it was pleasant.
The food is the closest to authentic that you can get to Northern Indian food! They know how to blend the right amount of spices for a flavorful experience.
They are also consistent, I have never had a bad dining experience to where the food is not meeting my high standards. They also can make the food to order
and in my case I like my food with a little more heat. The prices are also reasonable and you won’t be taken to the bank.
The staff has been warm and friendly to me and as stated very attentive and love having your input on the food.
I would have to say that I have found a diamond amongst a group of Indian restaurants that are over saturating Columbus at this time!
I definitely recommend this restaurant!

Judging by 2 Sunday buffets, this is the worst Indian place I’ve been to. There’s not much selection, food isn’t labeled so there’s no telling what it is. And the food isn’t well presented, nor does it look appetizing.
The room is down a dark hall, in the back of the building. There’s no one to greet you or anything to let you know to go straight through 2 rooms. It’s dark and gloomy. The furniture looks like castoff office furniture. The service line is cramped and impeded by nearby tables. The food isn’t accessible from the back, so staff have to block the line while re filling steam table. Staff are disorganized and there wasn’t a manager or supervisor.
Despite all this, it’s way overpriced.
For authentic, delicious, good service and good values, go to buffets at Banana Leaf, Udipi, Sher E Punjab and Aab. Another great place is Dosa Corner, on Old Henderson Rd

I’m not too experienced in eating Indian food; in the past I’ve generally liked most of what I’ve tried but not really loved anything. Mughal Darbar is a 30 second walk from my house and had a lunch buffet though so I figured I would give them a shot today to try some different Indian dishes.
To start with, the buffet was not well stocked and they actually ran out of tandoori chicken before I got there and never added anymore. While I was there one or two of the other dishes were all but finished and not bothered to be replaced even though it was only 1:30 and the buffet didn’t end until 2. The food was warm but certainly not hot or all that fresh either. There were 8 main dishes to try and about half were vegetarian, options including coconut chicken, goat keema, an eggplant and peas dish, and lentils that I remember. The goat keema (ground goat meat essentially) and the naan stood out as above average, but everything else was pretty much mediocre and nothing I would choose to order if I came back. I will say the staff was friendly and immediately cleared my finished plates each time I finished (not that this was difficult with only 5 – 6 other customers)
Overall, everything about Mughal Darbar struck me as very average, and even though it’s so close to my house, I can’t see myself paying $ 12 for the buffet again or willing to try a main entrée not knowing if it will be any better.

Our first and last trip to Mughal Darbar
I was really hoping for a good experience as we love Indian food and this place is close to home.
We went for the lunch buffet and were not impressed. When comparing it to other restaurants that we frequent, I couldn’t find one item that was as good or better. Not even close, really.
The rice had some overcooked bits, pakora was not crispy, veggie and chicken dishes were had excess oil and nothing was really hot.
To add insult to injury, they charged my four year old full price for the buffet. That’s never happened. The two people who were working the dining room saw that he had a small plate and took one piece of chicken and one piece of pakora. And they didn’t offer to discount when I pointed it out.

We had dinner here last night and it was perfect on all levels. We sat outside on the patio, which was lovely — a perfect outdoor space for the summer.
To start with, the food was great. Everything tasted homemade and authentic. Food was perfectly seasoned (not too spicy for those with American spice sensitivities), but you can order it extra spicy to get a more authentic heat level.
Second, the service here was so wonderful! This is a family operation, and you can really feel the investment each employee has to the restaurant. Service was attentive, friendly and warm.
We will be back (probably every week!).

I was pretty excited to see all the great reviews on this place and decided to give it a try this past weekend. When we walked it, it took three different people passing us off to one another to show us our table. Not a big deal, but a little disjointed service. We then had separate staff to fill our water, order dishes, and order drinks (the bar tender was floating around the restaurant asking if we needed drinks.) The décor was nice and the rooms felt cozy since the restaurant was set-​up in an old house.
It was nice that they had gluten-​free, vegan options at this restaurant, so I give them props for that. The chickpea based bread was really delicious! My main problem with this restaurant was our main course dishes. Although it tasted great, everything was slathered in grease. I had ordered an eggplant dish and my friend ordered the Chicken Tikka Masala and both had an insane amount of oil in it. You could see at least a ¹⁄₃ cup of oil in the bottom of our dishes. I was hoping for a slightly healthier entrée, hence the rating. If taste is your only concern, then I would have given the place four stars.

Being in Columbus for only a few days for work, I wanted to go on a culinary exploration of their city to see what they had to offer. I found a few places with 4 stars on Unilocal,bookmarked them, and then went with my craving when it came time to choose. My first night was sushi and it ended with dissatisfaction. The second choice of the trip was Indian which lead me to this little establishment.
Now I’m no alien to Indian food, in fact if I died and someone studied my gut they might think I was half Indian and half Taiwanese! So after my sushi experience I was skeptical that this place would live up to my expectations. I was delightfully wrong!
I came on a Friday night and asked for a table for one. All the tables were full, but the host asked if I’d like to eat at the downstairs bar. I agreed, as this is so common for a singleton. I swiftly noticed this place was originally a house and they kept the interior very true to style with little rooms tucked off the main foyer. The downstairs bar was a bit out of place for the style of the house. It felt a little dank and unkempt, but after some time talking with the bartenders (who both recently started in the past few weeks) it seems bar was not an area of focus until recently. So hopefully over time this will improve. It could use some cleaning up and décor for sure — maybe some new bar stools so you can sit comfortably while eating your meal.
It was a family run restaurant, except for the new bartenders (who said they felt like family). They were all very gracious and personable. The bartenders even let me have small sample of the signature cocktails they were making. I found the vanilla margarita to be my favorite and felt it went well with the Indian cuisine.
But onto the food! I went all out and ordered a few things. I think the waiter taking my order thought I was a little crazy! But I wanted to try a few different things so I could get a feel for them. I had the samosa, the darbar paneer pasanda and the dal makhani. The samosas were among some of the best I’ve had. Light and crisp pastry filled with spices and real chunks of potato with peas. The mint chutney was also exceptional. The darbar paneer was interesting. I found the sauce to be very tasty indeed and enjoyed the interior of the ‘structures’ that came out (paneer with some spices and fruit), but wasn’t too impressed with the batter around the paneer. It was soggy from the sauce and just didn’t fit to me. The dal however was marvelous. So full of flavor and fresh ginger strips. I ordered everything spicy and it was decent, but not as much as I’m used to.
Overall I loved the food here and the people. I hope they can make the bar a little more appealing for those of us who have to eat down there, but otherwise I’d def come back or recommend this place.