India Palace Restaurant

The food is very tasty, I really enjoyed the rice with the chicken masala on top alongside the mango chutney. And there deep fried chicken dipped in some mild sweet sauce has a very satisfying touch. The waiter who was a lady, she was very nice and the music was fitting in the background. The buffet looked pretty good for $8 dollars but if you're going for that great Indian food experience I recommend buying plates of a few different items off the menu. While I spent $22 dollars there split with a friend it was well worth it. The spicing was perfectly done on the food as well as the taste was really a great experience. I would definitely like to go back soon! Although I would definitely say that my dad makes some Indian food it's not as good as at the India Palace but the India Palace is also not as good as actually going to India yourself and eating the food there. more

Overall, a medium rating. The owners should take down the Christmas lights which are not part of the... more

Overall, a medium rating. The owners should take down the Christmas lights which are not part of the decorating scheme, but look like they don't c... more

I've been eating at IP for the last five years and have always loved the food. The Tiki Masala, a very traditional Indian dish, is rich and savory with tender pieces of meat (I prefer chicken). The beef vindaloo has a rich tamato sauce and can be spiced up to an intense level if you request it. There are a variety of rice dishes that are always served warm and fluffy and most have a subtle saffron flavor that compliments the meat dishes nicely. For the vegetarians they have great dumplings and peas paulo (sp?) and the Indian tea is a warm nutty accompaniment to almost any meal. I love it, I've gorged myself there quite often, make sure you order the buttery garlic naan to wipe-up all of your leftover sauce because it's not worth leaving on the plate. \r \r Service at the restaurant is some servers treat you like a longtime customer and good friend, that's the best. Other times they are mildly gaunt and uninvolved. Get to know the crew and request one of the good servers, though the food will make up for it, if you need company take a friend. \r \r Gotta love Downtown Salem, cheers to diverse dining!!! Pros: Meats, Sauces, Veggies Cons: Retro Decor, Gaunt Service more

This was by far the worst Indian food I have ever had. They forgot to add flavor to the food. It all tasted the same and the buffet had a tiny selection. It was not worth the money and I would not go back. Save yourself the time and money. Eat somewhere else. Nothing was even remotely spicey. I have no idea how this place stays open. It barely tasted like indian food. Cons: everything more

I've been a customer here for ten years. The Indian food here is the best. I moved to Portland recently and have been to several Indian Restaurants here, and so far none are better than India Palace, although India Grill was close. Only negative thing is they have one waiter who tried to rip me off once, but I forgave the restaurant for this one waiter's deceit. Pros: Great food, atmosphere, value Cons: Service is usually good or great, but on rare occasion may be poor. more

As one of the few inexpensive ($5.95 for buffet, $3.95 to go, $$$ for dinner) places left in the Salem downtown area, the India Palace is deserving of its praise for good reasonably priced food despite horrible phone manners. The atmosphere is quaint and dark, accomodating of both big and small parties. Subtle Indian background music and the odor of burning incense are not distracting while sampling the many varieties this place has to offer. The lunch buffet may be small (items change daily), however, one will still get his/her money's worth. In addition I'm told they are expanding the buffet to add almost 10 additional items as of this date (May 10, 2004). The one gripe I have is their terrible phone manners. If you are to call about hours, menu items, or prices, expect a few short answers before being hung up on by the owner. Pros: Price, Environment, Food Cons: Service, Busy, Variety more