Chutney’s Indian Diner & Bar

Absolutely disgusting. Frozen food. Naan was unwrapped, sprayed, and put in a toaster. Their chutneys come out of plastic bottles and are artificially flavored liquids.
I urge everyone to try it and then try India palace.
I would never waste my money there when I can eat at India palace.

I love this place. Try the tandoori chicken wrap. The spinach paneer is one of my favorites. The bar is a great place to watch KU games. Try the tandoori chicken wings with a Amstel light.

One of the best things to eat is good Indian food. All the flavors throughout all the dishes is heaven for me. Sadly Chutney’s does not serve good Indian food. One of the worst things in the world is bad Indian food.
I got a sampler with 3 meats and 2 veggies. the lamb terribly dry. Although it came with a sauce, you needed a drink to help get it down. It was tough and chewy. I have never had lamb prepared so bad. Lamb is one of the most tender, delicious meats when prepared right, this just went horribly wrong. The pork was dry also, but not quite as bad as the lamb. The chicken on the verge of dry, but by far the most edible meat on the platter. The potato dish was mostly cauliflower and bland just no flavor. Both the potatoes and cauliflower were mushy and I don’t think that was the intent behind the dish, at least I hope not. The red beans had chili/​ketchup taste. All of the meat had some heat but not a lot of actual flavor outside of the meat and stock it was cooked in. The naan tastes like under cooked pita bread. Just nothing was really good. Even the Coke Zero even tasted like Diet Coke. Ewww that nasty after taste! I tried 3 different chutneys. They all had a distinct flavor and probably the best part of the meal and needed for the potato dish.
The service is very friendly, but slow. The are very tedious is dishing up the orders trying to be precise in the servings. Even being rang up seemed to take a lot longer than it should.
The restaurant is really clean. Has the Chipotle set up going. There is a separate bar area with alcohol, but I didn’t check that out. I didn’t notice any authentic drink types (spiced tea, etc.), but may have missed those. They did have a couple of desserts and I was going to get the tapioca dessert to go, but after the horrible meal, I didn’t want to risk it.
I often wonder being I tend to eat during non-​peak hours, how much that impacts the quality I receive. It shouldn’t at all and I wonder if I went during typical hours if the food would be fresher, more tender. Doesn’t matter though, I won’t be back. There are way too many quality Indian restaurants.

It wasn’t very good. The menu, while very small, still managed to be somewhat confusing. We ordered gobi potatoes ‘family style’, thinking it was for 2. It was large for one portion but too small for 2. Plus it wasn’t served with any plates to actually divide it up on. The samosa order consisted of 1 samosa. That might have been mentioned by the mute behind the counter as we discussed splitting an order of samosas. Naan was a la carte, which is normal, but so was rice apparently, because we got none. Again, it would have been nice to have some guidance. We were the only people in line so it wasnt like the guy was busy. When we asked if they had high chairs the guy told us they were ‘under the bus station.’ Thanks, dude. Not only do I have no idea where that is but my husband is holding a full tray of food and I’m holding a 6-​month-​old. Water cups were tiny and disposable. Big pet peeve. Beyond all that though, the food was just not very good. The garlic naan was like cheap, store-​bought pita, the gobi potatoes tasted like they had been reheated multiple times. The cauliflower in them was mush. Nothing was remotely hot– borderline worth sending back to be reheated. The mango chutney was simply not chutney. It was a cloyingly sweet mango sauce. We left, still hungry, and went to wheatfields for dessert and coffee, which as always didn’t disappoint.

The key is to get their little sauce condiments that they make there. The condiments are on ice next to the register. I LOVE the cilantro, but the bright red one is also good to add some heat and the mango is amazing with their gobi potato dish.
If you aren’t feeling too picky, don’t want to spend a lot of time ordering, and you want to eat something delicious and good quality, go here.
So I am confused what people do not like about this establishment… maybe you do not like indian food? I have eaten an India Palace many times and the food is just as good here, you get more sauces, and the naan is included. So just be happy! :)

It was okay. Cheap food, nice staff, nothing to write home about, especially with so many amazing options for Indian cuisine in the area. For a place that calls itself Chutney’s, it would help if the chutney was actually good and available in larger portions!

I was not impressed. In fact, I was disappointed and wouldn’t recommend it.
First, the portions are small. We ordered two family-​sized entrees for four adults. It was not enough food to feed four people. Second, it was expensive. For our moderately filling, extremely mediocre-​tasting meal, we all spent $ 20 each. We did take-​out, so that doesn’t include tip or drinks. I don’t mind spending $ 20 on food, but if I’m going to do it, it’d better be good food. The vindaloo was bland. The tikka masala was knock-​your-​socks-​off spicy. I’m no expert, but that seems backwards to me. We didn’t get much rice (I’m talking a smallish spoonful of rice per person), so we couldn’t even fill up on rice to make up for the tiny «family» sized portion.

I don’t get Chutney’s. I am in no way ragging on the cafeteria-​style aspect of this business; in fact, I initially thought it was a great idea for a college town. But upon visiting, I’ve concluded that nothing here really works.
First, when you enter you’re immediately confronted by the (small) bar. You’ve got to peer over the counter to see that the food is actually served in the back. This may not be an issue because there are rarely any customers around to block your view, anyway, but it’s still a bizarre setup.
Second, the menu is small and vague. For most, «gobi potatoes» means little more than «something with potatoes in it.» More detail is needed here — are menu items spicy? What ingredients are involved? What’s worse is that, inconsistent with a classic cafeteria style, you can’t actually see any of the dishes, making the decision even more difficult.
Third, service is slow despite the fact that it’s advertised as «fast Indian food.» I don’t know why it took our server over 5 minutes to ring up 2 very straightforward orders, but it was painful watching her struggle with the computer system. Not to mention I had to remind her to give us our naan.
Finally, the food: had I eaten everything as it was served, I would have characterized it as disappointingly bland. However, I ended up taking home some of my leftovers, and who would’ve thought — upon reheating, my palak paneer was actually much more flavorful. I suspect a lot of this had to do with temperature; when it was served to me it was an unattractive, lukewarm pile of congealed spinach. Once it was hot, I was finally able to taste the spices and it wasn’t all that bad (don’t get me wrong, though, it may have been passable but by no means delicious). Unfortunately, there was no saving the naan, which resembled white pita bread — and was also not served hot, despite the fact that it was «toasted.» Which brings me back to my main gripe with Chutney’s: something isn’t working here. Because if you’re going to serve cafeteria style — which by definition means you precook the food and store it in warmed dishes — there is NO excuse for lukewarm food.
Portion size is moderate; my serving of rice was adequate so it seems they may have taken a hint from previous reviews. Like others have mentioned, the chutneys are unremarkable in taste but ultimately pathetic in portion size and presentation; I don’t think there’s ever an appropriate time to serve food in a medicine cup.
Chutney’s simply did not deliver on several aspects that it advertised: it wasn’t fast, it wasn’t convenient, and it certainly wasn’t the excitement and flavor that I expect from Indian food.

I’ll keep this one simple:
The food was delicious, the space was clean, the staff was helpful, and the prices were reasonable.
We ordered a few random items and they were all great!

I was instantly pleased to see «vegan» right on the menu. So many Indian restaurants hide ghee. On top of that, the food is instantly ready but doesn’t taste like it’s been sitting around. I’ll be going back a lot. Lawrence needed a good Indian place that caters to vegetarians, and this fits the bill and has really good food. My only complaint, small as it is, is that the chutneys are not good and just come in little medicine cups. They squirt them out of bottles. Very Subway. But really that’s a minor thing. I hope they stick around.

I have come here twice and both times ordered the Chicken Tikka Masala. It was delicious — spicy, but not too spicy, full of flavor, and had large, moist pieces of chicken. The serving sizes are spot-​on. Their naan was better the second time I was there — thicker and a larger piece. They toast it to order, so it comes out nice and warm. My favorite chutney is the cilantro, but the yogurt is good too and helps cut some of the dish’s heat. Like others have said, the food really doesn’t need the other flavors, as it stands on its own. The food is reasonably priced, and we actually found it more economical to order the family portion for two and order the naan and rice ala carte, instead of two combos, but that depends on if you both want the same thing! The service is fast and friendly and it is a great stop for a quick lunch!

I visited Chutney’s twice, ordered the lamb dish once and the beef korma the second time. I also tried a samosa. In my opinion, this is not a resturant but rather a fast food joint. It is set up very similar to chipotle including it’s atmosphere. The staff was average and there wasn’t but one other patron so of course there was no wait time. As for the food-​it was cold, meat was dry, and lacked spices. It was also severly overpriced for the quality and serving size. I will not visit again. I doubt that it will last in Lawrence’s downtown district. However, it would probably strive in a strip mall on Lawrence’s westside.

I took a group of people here as a thank-​you for helping sort 50,000 books in the Center for the Study of Science Fiction’s lending library (well, it was half-​way through the day, anyhow, and we were starving) on recommendation from someone who knew someone who liked it. Sounded good, so we gave it a try.
I have to say I didn’t expect much from a deli-​counter-​style walk-up-and-order-what’s-in-the-hotplates sort of joynt. I was also a little worried when the counter person didn’t know how to split an order (my favorite Indian food is half chicken tikka masala and half saag paneer), so I just went with the tikka. I don’t eat wheat, so instead of the usual half-​naan, half-​rice sides, I got a full bowl of rice (more than I could eat!), which was good but not seasoned as one usually gets in an Indian place. I also got a cup for iced tea, and blended 90% or so unsweetened (THANK YOU!) with a dash of sweet tea to soften the edge.
The tikka was much more flavorful than I expected! It was medium-​spicy, much more so than one gets by default at India Palace, for example — wonderful. No gristle or fatty bits, just tasty chicken and tasty sauce. Price was reasonable, a little less than IP, though not nearly as nice a place to hang out (it’s basically an Indian deli), but we were able to fit 8 people at a couple of tables pulled together in the back.
Service is super-​fast, of course, because they fill your plate or bowl right there as you walk along the counter.
Recommended!

We’ve been waiting for the grand opening of Chutney’s since we first heard about it last year, and it didn’t disappoint on our first visit yesterday. It’s meant to be fast-​casual Indian food (as David G. mentioned, kind of a «Chipotle-​style» place), and I think if you evaluate it on those standards, it really shines. It reminds me of a place in D.C. called Merzi where you pick your base (rice or naan), and then choose your proteins, hot sauce, and cold sauce (chutney). The menu is simple, but vegetarian and vegan options are available and clearly marked, which I definitely appreciate. I tried the spinach paneer, which is my go-​to dish at any Indian restaurant, and my dude got the gobi potatoes. The spinach paneer was flavorful and the right amount of spicy, and the dude enjoyed the gobi potatoes but said that next time he’d probably get the spinach. The naan was fine, if a little dense, and the samosa tasted good but wasn’t as hot (temperature-​wise) as I would have liked. The staff we encountered was pleasant and helpful — I had to ask for chutney recommendations to go with my dish, and the guy behind the counter recommended the cilantro and mango chutneys. That mango chutney is totally awesome, by the way.
My one complaint is that I wish there had been more rice on my plate, but the amount of spinach paneer was substantial and I did not leave hungry by any means. The price for two was a little bit higher than I expected (about $ 25 for the two of us, so expect the prices to be a little higher than Chipotle’s) but overall I think the quality of the food was good, and it’s awesome to have more vegetarian options in this town.

I don’t like writing about a restaurant when they open, but this place is so good I want to tell everyone right away! This welcome addition to Mass Street combines the quality and flavor of Indian food with the speed of a quick serve restaurant. The marketing describes it as the «Chipotle» of Indian food and that’s pretty accurate. It isn’t about wraps, but rather a simple menu of ingredients served up at a counter in a variety of combinations.
Literally and figuratively, it sits between the carry out Indian style on one end of Mass Street and a sit-​down and buffet restaurant on the other. You pick your items from a menu above the counter and it’s dished up on your plate and ready to go by the time you are ready to pay. That’s the «chipotle» style they refer to. Your meal isn’t cooked to order but assembled before your eyes to either eat in the large dining room or take it to go. The line staff were accustomed to naïve westerners who don’t know what the dishes are or understand the concept here. Fortunately the menu is small, so it’s easy to explain
The carnivore menu is simple: beef, lamb, chicken or pork combined with rice. Typical of Indian restaurants (yeah!), the vegetarian menu is actually a bit more adventuresome including spinach paneer, garbanzo masala, gobi potatoes, rajma and dal. Mmmm. Kudos to Chutney’s for marking what is vegetarian and vegan (no dairy). I suspect many of these are gluten free, but I suggest you ask about ingredients. They were very forthcoming about the recipes and even now include nutritional info on their website.
These dishes can either be served individual style with ½ a piece of naan (plain, whole wheat, garlic) and basmati rice or entrée style designed to be shared and purchased a la carte with rice and naan separate.
They also have street style foods that can be used as a snacks or appetizers: tandoori chicken bites and samosas (Indian version of a New York Knish – which is potato wrapped in pastry). For dessert your choices are rice pudding or gulab (waffle balls – which I didn’t even realize waffles had balls!) Didn’t try the gulab because the rice pudding was darn tasty. I however did have the mango lassi which is a smoothie style drink. A small flute of this was $ 3.50, but that’s ok because the other items on the menu seemed fairly priced. Meat dishes were between $ 7.99 and $ 9.99 and vegetarian items were between $ 5.99 and $ 7.99. New restaurants often tweak pricing so I expect some of this may change. Sure this is the same price as a buffet, but here you get in and out quickly and don’t wonder who sneezed into the dish :-) Also you get out in ¹⁄₃ the time because no waiting for a table, trips to the buffet only to find out they are out of naan, and you pay at time of ordering. This is going to be a hot lunch spot for sure. Speaking of hot…
The taste? Awesome. I was really impressed. Spicy with flavor but not too much heat. I was worried sitting on a line for a long period of time might dry it out. It didn’t. While I don’t usually order meat, I did try the chicken tikka and liked the fact the chicken wasn’t just dark fatty meat. The naan wasn’t fresh like I expect at a traditional Indian eatery, but was a nice compliment to the meal. They toast it to order but nothing is going to compare to fresh naan, but hey it would be awesome if chipotle made tortillas to order (Chevys!) or the burger place made fresh buns.
I was told (and confirmed on their website) they don’t use ghee, butter or cream and most meat dishes don’t have oil. I can confirm the dishes I had didn’t suffer from the copious amounts of oil I often find in Indian food. Given the small amount of saturated fat in the nutritional info, I suspect coconut milk provides that fatty mouth feel without drowning it.
My only complaint, ironically was the chutney. The portions were small – just a squirt in a small condiment cup (I’d say about 1 teaspoon) Two flavors are included and additional ones are 25 cents. From what I tasted they were good, but the spicy cilantro and tomato wasn’t terribly spicy in my mind but again, I didn’t taste much of them. This is another tweak I suspect that will change over time when customers keep asking for me. The kicker was I had no need for it. The flavor combinations I received didn’t need any accent.
The «bar» portion of this isn’t quite ready yet. Just a few beers on tap and in bottles but quite a few TVs if you want to watch the game while eating — I won’t be going here during basketball games as I try to avoid those. Spicy food and beer go along so well, so I’ll look forward to a deeper beer selection.
Thanks for being so vegetarian friendly and providing Lawrence with a quality sit down Indian restaurant that just happens to provide quick service. Namaste.