Swaad Indian Cuisine

San Jose, United States

3.8

Closed now

20 reviews

Accepts Credit Cards

Contacts

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Telephone:
+1 408-947-2030
Website:
swaadindiancuisine.com
Address:
498 N 13th St, San Jose, CA, 95112
Downtown
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:
0.8 miJapantown/Ayer (NB)
0.8 miJapantown/Ayer (SB)
0.9 miSaint James (Southbound)
Categories:
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Bussiness info

Takes Reservations
Yes
Delivery
No
Take-out
Yes
Accepts Credit Cards
Yes
Accepts Apple Pay
No
Good For
Lunch
Parking
Private Lot
Bike Parking
Yes
Wheelchair Accessible
Yes
Good for Kids
Yes
Good for Groups
Yes
Attire
Casual
Ambience
Casual
Noise Level
Average
Alcohol
Beer & Wine Only
Outdoor Seating
Yes
Wi-Fi
No
Has TV
No
Waiter Service
Yes
Caters
Yes

Today

Today 11:30 am – 3:00 pm
5:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Closed now
Local time (San Jose) 11:28 PM Friday, November 29, 2024

Business hours

Monday 11:30 am – 3:00 pm
5:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Tuesday 11:30 am – 3:00 pm
5:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Wednesday 11:30 am – 3:00 pm
5:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Thursday 11:30 am – 3:00 pm
5:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Friday 11:30 am – 3:00 pm
5:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Saturday 11:30 am – 3:00 pm
5:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Sunday 5:00 pm – 10:00 pm

Description

Specialties

Enjoy authentic Punjabi food served on a la carte plate. We focus on a few dishes which are made fresh throughout the day along with some of our specialties that you will not find anywhere …

and YES we do use real Tandoori Clay Oven to cook plain naan, garlic naan …

also tandoori mint or garlic chicken … tandoori Boti kebab or lamb chops …

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20 reviews of Swaad Indian Cuisine

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Place rating: 5
San Jose, CA
I have been looking for a place that will serve organic chicken and I am glad I found one :) We visited this place on a saturday evening and we were seated in few minutes. I believe if you arrive in a group then it might take a while to get you set. However, there are a plenty of seats for 2 people.
This place is kind of small but they were not playing noisy music so it was a pleasant experience. Moreover, the kitchen was a bit open but it was not very noisy either. I have been to places, where there is a lot of noise coming from the back of the kitchen.
On our visit we tried fish pakora, chicken tikka masala, garlic naan, tandoori roti, and gulab jamun. Fish pakora was really fresh and I don’t remember what kind of fish it was. However, with mint & coriandar chutney these pakoras tasted delicious. slurppp :D
Chicken tikka masala had organic chicken and you can really tell the difference. The gravy was well prepared and it made chicken in it really tasty. Garlic naan & tandoori roti were fresh and soft, it complimented chicken tikka masala well. They created 4 pieces of naan and rotis and organized them alternatively in a small basket. So a piece of naan, followed by a piece of roti. This was repeated 4 times. I personally thought it was really creative :)
We ended our meal with some gulab jamun and it was really good. We asked them if they can warm it up before serving because I love warm gulab jamun’s. They did the same for us. Overall a great restaurant, with amazing ambience, very friendly staff, and delicious food. A must visit restaurant if you happen to be in San Jose Downtown area.
Place rating: 5
San Jose, CA
My boyfriend and I found this gem on a random night of craving Indian food. We go 2 – 3 times a month. It’s so good. We get the garlic naan, jeera rice, I get the vegetable tikka masala and he gets the chicken tikka masala. The Korma is good as well as the paneer masala. I’ve been wanting to try more things because everything I see looks so good but I just love my vegetable tikka masala. Staff is super friendly, hole in the wall vibe, quick service and great portions.
Place rating: 5
San Diego, CA
This place has a pretty solid CTM. It’s not spicy by default so I usually request for a little more heat. It’s very consistent and well made. The other dishes that I’ve ordered have all been very good. They use very fresh ingredients and its one of my favorite spots for Indian in the area.
Place rating: 5
San Jose, CA
I’ve slept on Indian food my whole life and tried it for the very first time about one year ago and I’m glad Swaad is the fine establishment that popped my Indian food cherry. This restaurant is amazing!
Since trying Indian food at Swaad, I’ve probably been to the restaurant at least once to twice a month since, not to mention ordered take out few times on top of that. Three words: chicken, tikka, masala. This dish is award winning. The sauce is so addictive I swear it will have you craving it days later. Samosas– awesome. Korma– über awesome. I usually order this along with the tikka masala. Garlic naan– a must. You have to order this to soak up all the saucy goodness. I can go on and on.
Parking lot is small but never had difficulty finding any since there is plenty on the street. Place is quaint and very clean. Cucumber water is always served and service is always great.
I know a few folks out there that still haven’t tried Indian food due to having some doubts. Take them to Swaad. It will definitely change their minds.
Place rating: 1
Milpitas, CA
Food poising! My whole family got sick after eating here… Feel horrible. The food was good before the other times. So disappointed this time something was bad.
Place rating: 4
San Jose, CA
Came for my B-​Day dinner cause husband and I were craving some naan. We ordered the lamb vindaloo and vegetable korma along with samosas. The portions were decent a little smaller than what you would find at a whole in the wall Indian restaurant but not tiny that there wasn’t enough food. I actually preferred the korma over the vindaloo, more flavors in the korma and seasoned well. Worth coming back to try some of their other items.
It’s a smallish restaurant but clean and staff was friendly. Parking lot is small but there is parking on the street and there are meters across the street by the park. When we were there we saw quite a few people pick up to go orders. I think that’s what I will do next time if I am having a craving since this restaurant is on my way home.
Place rating: 5
Montpellier, France
I’ve been here a few times and it’s consistently excellent, the price is good and the waitresses are very nice.
Their vegetarian dishes are delicious, I reccomend the malai kofta (veggie balls in a creamy curry), the saag aloo (potato and spinach) and the aloo gobi (potato and cauliflower). The drinks are great too: mango lassi, mithi lassi and mango milkshake — like the lassi but less thick.
For dessert try the gulab jamun — two donut balls in a sweet pistachio syrup.
Place rating: 2
Santa Cruz, CA
Unfortunately this place keeps slipping from where is was a year ago…
The last few times we have gone it has been very bland and just ok.
I keep hoping it will taste like it used to, and some days are closer, but no where near the taste they used to have.
PLEASE SPICE IT UP AND START PUTTING THE WHOLE SPICES IN THE DISH Like it used to be!
Place rating: 3
San Jose, CA
Not sure what all the hype is about… the food here is pretty sub-​par and the space that this restaurant is located in is small and there were flies buzzing around our food and drinks (which made the whole experience feel a lot more low-​end than it should have been – based on the price points of the items on their menu). The service was great though. But still… we ordered paneer tikka masala, chicken tikka masala, and lamb tikka masala, with mango lassis and a mango milkshake. And also a garlic naan, a paneer stuffed naan, and jeera rice.
The naan was pretty great – both the paneer stuffed naan and the garlic naan. While my co-​workers thought the food was spicy and tasty, I thought that the paneer tikka was not spicy enough despite asking for spicy… it was probably below the medium spice threshold. It was quite buttery and creamy so that aspect of the curry was still there. I just left feeling like the paneer size was too big and the curry was something I could live without. At their price point, I was expecting slightly better tasting food than the usual Indian places. At $ 11 for a paneer curry and $ 13 for the chicken and lamb curries, and the naans and drinks being priced at $ 3 something (compared to the $ 2 naans and drinks and most Indian places), I was expecting something even tastier. I would come back here again if I wasn’t in the mood for something spicy…
Place rating: 2
San Jose, CA
Lot of bugs at this place. They keep on flying all over your food.
Food is descent. I would consider going back if they keep the place little bit cleaner.
Place rating: 2
San Jose, CA
The food at Swaad is magnificent. This small restaurant serves some of the best Indian food in the South Bay.
My lunch started with Asparagus Shitaka Tulsi soup. A light soup with lots of favor. Followed with a wonderful seafood curry. I asked for the curry to be very spicy and it certainly was. The flavors were so good. A wonderful dish! I love Indian deserts. I ordered Rasamali, which is a mike pudding with nuts. The flavor was excellent. My meal was superb.
After I finished the Rasamali, I went to the restroom. When I returned my table had been cleared along with the items I brought with me. Since I had lunch by myself, I was at a table for two. The waiter said that people were waiting to be seated. Outside I saw only a group of six men waiting for tables. I had to pay at the cash register and the waiter gave me my personal items.
Being treated like this is unacceptable. I am not married. I have eaten in finer restaurants than Swaad alone. I have never been treated in such a rude way as today. The waiter could of politely handled the situation in a better way. The one thing I don’t understand is I was at a table for two. The group of men outside were at least a group of six. Why didn’t the restaurant reserve some tables.
The bottom line is that I will never go back to this restaurant. If I do, then the restaurant will have to pay for my next dining experience to make up for the rudeness that I encountered today. Rude service is bad customer service. Too bad, the food is excellent.
Place rating: 1
San Jose, CA
The worst experience I have ever had in a restaurant. Me and my friend arrived around 8:00 pm for dinner. We talked to the server standing at counter. He said it will be 15 mins. We were okay to wait, even though it was cold and super windy outside. We were standing outside for 15 mins and then came back in.
At that time two tables got empty and I requested the server if we can take the table away from the door as we were already feeling cold. He for some reason started yelling at us. «WAIT FOR 5 MINS» Yelling at customer just for a simple request? I don’t mind waiting another 10 mins but why did he had to yell at us in front of everyone just for a simple table request ?
I and my friend left the restaurant at that time to go somewhere else. I will never ever in my life visit this restaurant again.
Place rating: 5
Santa Clara, CA
One of the best Indian food in the South Bay.
Place/​Ambience: Tiny, hole in a wall place, but I couldn’t care more since I was here purely for the food.
Food: Ordered the Lamb Korma and Veg Pilaf. The lamb meat was amazingly tender and the rice was filled with good flavors. A must try for both these dishes. Also, the dishes do not come with floating oil, which is very impressive.
Price: The total bill came up to $ 20, which is probably a little higher for curry and rice, but the portions were good and totally worth every $$
Staff: Really friendly and made sure everything came out quick and was up to the expectation.
Place rating: 4
San Jose, CA
4.5 stars actually, for the good service and tasty food.
Overall, Indian places in the South Bay do not have very good ratings even when the food is decent. So, we were intrigued by this place that has a very good rating. One Tuesday night we decided to check this place out and lo and behold we found a good Indian place hidden in plane sight. It is not a very conspicuous place but the food is good.
We tried the Chicken Tikka Masala and the Fish Jalfarezi. We were impressed by both the dishes. They used Mahi-​Mahi for the Jalfarezi and it tasted fresh and well cooked. The Chicken Tikka Masala was also good and tasted good and not too creamy, which was a good plus. On the spice level: we ordered an 8 which was fine for the tikka masala but was a little hot for the Jalfarezi. So keep in mind.
We ordered Garlic Naan and Roti’s. Both were fresh and we reordered the roti, which was light and not too hard like many other places. I would definitely try this place again, especially because the service was good, polite and very prompt.
Try it.
Place rating: 5
San Jose, CA
Chicken saag with extra green chillies — awesome!!!
Fish jalfrezi — just OK
Chicken kadhai — good
Overall excellent customer service too!
Place rating: 5
Milpitas, CA
My usual place for Indian food is Naan and Masala in Milpitas but last month they gave me the runs. Since my grandma wanted Indian, I relied on Unilocal in search for another good Indian restaurant and went here based on the positive reviews.
Pros
Garlic Naan: their crispy naan is topped with chunks of fresh garlic and cilantro and made as you order. $ 3.25 for a single garlic naan was pretty pricey but worth it.
Chicken Tikka Masala: the cubes of chicken breast was tender and moist. The creamy and smooth masala sauce was delicious.
Chicken Korma: this curry dish came with cubed chicken breast and an assortment of vegetables. The curry sauce was creamy as well but it has nuttier texture which was just as tasty as the chicken tikka masala.
Service: my waiter was super attentive and always came by to see how my table was doing and even made sure our glasses of water was never empty. Also it was a bonus that they serve their water infused with cucumber.
Ambiance: I’m used to dining out for Indian food at hole in the wall joints; however, there was some nice comfortable furnishing inside. The restaurant is small but they utilized their small space to make it cozy. The lighting is dim to give it more of an intimate vibe.
Place rating: 5
San Francisco, CA
Swaad is my favorite Indian place in the Bay Area. I actually drive all the way from SF to eat here.
Soo. I never eat Indian food ever. until I came here. I know I don’t order the most traditional things, but their Chicken Tikka Masala and Butter Naan is the bomb! I get that every single time and it has never disappointed! Sometimes other places’ chicken is super dry and hard, but this one is super soft and cuts with my fork. The butter naan and garlic naan as well as all their other stuffed naan you cannot go wrong.
Their vege rice is delicious with the curry and chai tea is very good too.
Place rating: 3
Santa Clara, CA
Food– 4⁄5 Ordered 2 dishes, (veg) one was delicious and (non-​veg) tasted as if it were made a few days prior
Service: 4.5÷5 good.
Ambiance– 3⁄5 could do better with the furniture and décor, also the interior of the restaurant is very small, no real waiting area
Price– 2⁄5 quite pricey for this type of Indian Restaurant. but it looks like their prices have increased as their Unilocal reviews have increased. $ 3.25 for a Garlic naan. Are you serious? It did taste good though.
Location: 4⁄5 for locals
Parking: 4⁄5 only about 7 – 8 parking spots in the lot but plenty of street parking, not sure if they have restrictions
OVERALL: 3.9÷5
Place rating: 4
San Jose, CA
Swaad is great! It’s truly a hidden gem in San Jose. Located off Empire and 13th street and on the corner, Swaad is a tiny restrauant that serves really good Indian food.
My party got here a little before 8? and it was crowded, we managed to get the last table before a small line formed.
We ordered;
Chicken Tikka Masala
Garlic Naan x2 (8 pieces total)
Lamb Korma
Seafood Curry
Rice x2
I have to say, these dishes definitely filled up 3 grown men.
The chicken masala was great! full of flavor, I wish I just had gotten it spicier. There was definitely an explosion of mint, lemon grass and other spices that made you want more of it. The chicken itself wasn’t dry and cooked to perfection.
The garlic naan was amazing! I loved the infused garlic hint and parsley leaves on it. Great addition to the masala, curry and korma.
The lamb korma was a great dish, Unilocal reviews suggest so. Be careful though! THERE’s potatoes in this, friend thought he got lamb, but ended up with a potatoe.
Seafood Curry, my favorite dish! The fish and shrimp were cooked perfectly. The sauce/​curry was spicy and flavorful. Over rice it tasted amazing! Dipped with the naan and it was even better. If you’re looking for seafood, I suggest you get the seafood curry dish!
By far one of the best indian places there is. I am definitely going to try the rest, but this is on my top list.
Place rating: 4
Denver, CO
Swaad means taste or delicious. What a fitting name! I am so proud of them for serving us their delicious Lamb Korma. It is to die for! Chunky, tender, delicious morsels of lamb meat. It’s described as succulent lamb with veggie delicately flavored with Saffron curry and creamy sauce. $ 12.99. Exactly as described! d
Creamy saffron curry sauce was the best. It comes in mild, medium and to hell and back spicy. Of course being lame I opted for the mild. Yes. I am a coward of full metal jacket heat! I’m no crazy Asian with a Scoville scale of pain. My tolerance doesn’t even reach a fraction of the lowest scale which is 90 – 100. There you go!
Sweet service provided by the all male staff. Clean place with a parking lot of its own! Such a plus!
Their garlic naan is also noteworthy. Oh by the way– they use cloth napkins. Just sayin’…