Tandoor Authentic Indian

I cannot believe how long it took me to finally dine at Tandoor. I went in last Monday for the first time and have already went back again this week. I was immediately struck by the warm and friendly ambiance. Upon our arrival we were greeted graciously by the owner and his family. For an appetizer, I started with the chicken and veggie pakora; magnificent! The batter on these fried meat and veggies was so light and fluffy, yet it had just enough crispiness to compliment the deliciously spiced filling inside. The two chutneys that came with the pakora, a mint/corriander chutney and a sweet tamarind chutney, were absolutely delicious. My favorite was the tamarind chutney, which was a deep, vibrant red that had the perfect amount of sweet and slightly sour. For the entrees, we went with the servers recommendation, the mix grill combination platter and the butter chicken. We were told the mix grill would take about 15-20, as the meat needs enough time to cook in the tandoor oven, and I'm so glad we didn't let the time change our mind about our selection! The array of items on that menu item were incredible! There were two minced meat kabobs, one beef and one chicken, that were deliciously flavored with garlic and ginger; a few pieces of tikka (authentic tandoori chicken); and chicken boti (boneless chicken breast that had been marinated in indian spices and yogurt). The butter chicken was the most delicious of any butter chicken I have ever tasted; super rich and flavorful with the perfect balance of butter and spices. We tried the garlic naan as well, which was simply out of this world. I will never eat plain naan again after eating this soft yet chewy garlicy goodness! The Indian beer selection is wonderful. The Taj Mahal is my favorite, but I also tried the Maharaja, which was also very good. I would recommend this place to anyone. By far the best Indian in the area. I'm a bit surprised there was no mention of this in this year's City View awards. This will definitely be one of my go-to-places from now on! more

Hard to find a better deal, tastier, healthier food in world than this gem in west des moines! more

I love this place.Food was soo awesome I love it i will be back very soon Pros: Very delicious more

Our group had a party of 10 people and went for the lunch buffet. The waitress was extremely rude to all of us. I looked at their take-out menu and their prices were absolutely ridiculous! I mean who charges $16 for 7 shrimps sauteed Indian Style????? So I asked the waitress if the restaurant had a buffet take-out box since I wasn't feeling too good and would probably eat later. She advised me the restaurant did have a take-out box and that it would be $1 more than their eat-in buffet price. I though to myself it would be better for me to pay $8.99 for a meal rather than $16 for a single entree and asked for the take-out box. A few minutes later the waitress returned to our table and warned me that the owner ""Sheikh"" was very particular about how he conducted his take-out buffet. That I should avoid putting just 1 or 2 items in the takeout box, and that if I did not.. the owner would charge me ""FULL MENU"" pricing for the item ($16). What kindda cr*p is that? When's the last time you went to a buffet and were told that if you ate too much of one item you would be charged full menu price?!?! Lucky I'm not suing as this was an insult and total embarrassment for me. Next time we'll find a better place to go for lunch. To add to the insult...this cr00k charges 18% gratuity on parties of 6 or more, so this added another $23 to our bill. This will be my first and last time visiting this Indian restaurant that charges gratuity while providing 2 STAR service. The owner ""Sheikh"" needs to go to business school and learn the basics of running a business. Pros: 18% Gratuity? Cons: Very expensive menu! Rude service! more

I stopped there with my girlfriend and it looked near closing so we were pulling out to drive away. Before we could a very nice man who appeared to be the owner invited us in and when we got in some girl who must've been a waitress rudely turned down service and told us they were closed because the owner had left. Didn't even get a chance to try their food and service was already unacceptable. more

After reading a couple of these reviews, I almost didn't go to Tandoor. What a mistake that would have been! Not only was our server friendly and helpful, the food (especially the butter chicken) was very good. I will be back with other friends very soon. more

This restaurant averages around 11 to 15 dollar entrees and 7 to 8 dollar appetizers. For the the price of the food, it was just not worth it. When I asked the waitress to explain the special, she was sarcastic and rude. She also was not very helpful to my friend's questions about certain entrees. I mean come on, Indian food varies from region to region. When we got the food there was not a good balance of ingredients and liquid. The flavor was too strong the combination of the spices were too heavy (and I do not mean spicy). I have had Indian food before in the United Stated, in fact, it was all had eaten when I was in the UK. There are good Indian restaurants out there, just not at Tandoor. Pros: Ambience, the restuarant style is peacful Cons: food, service, and cost more

Our chicken was dry and without much flavor. The naan tasted like it was made from pizza dough. And some 15 year old girl in jeans and a t-shirt was serving us water, for some reason. The better place to spend your money is India Star. They have less expensive, higher quality food and trumps Tandoor. more

WELL comepared to the the other disgustingly bad indian places this was a relief...atleast i was not worried about quality and cleanliness and ambience....the worst part was the manager who was beyond friendly which i dont like.......WHO SITS AMONG THE CUSTOMERS AND EATS AND ALONG WITH THAT HE WILL EVEN SERVE PEOPLE.iTS CERTAINLY NOT AUTHENTIC INDIAN FOOD AS IAM TOO PICKY but yeah better than rest........mr manager you NEED TO GET MORE PROFESSIONAL OK....DO HI HELLO AND NICE THINGSS BUT DONT OVERDO AND PLZ SPK SOFTER AS OTHERS CAN HEAR YOU Pros: BTR THAN OTHER INDIAN RESTRAUS Cons: NOTHING GREAT more

After much research through the web last February, I deceided that Tandoor would be the perfect restaurant to have a wonderful Valentines dinner with my new girlfriend. I knew that I had made the right choice, from the moment we walked in... the dinning room glowed with soft copper and gold like colors with the flickering candel lights, the warm and cozy fireplace, intimate seating, and the soothing music playing in the back. The waitstaff was very polite, extremely curtious...all our questions were answerd, and all expectations were met and surpassed. You deffinitely get your moneys worth at this gem of a restaurant. The food is top notch and some of the best Indian cuisine around. It will keep you coming back for more and more. (I know we will). You'll want to try everthing on the menu... you'll never dull your senses. It will keep you talking about it and telling your friends for days after. (Do not be surprised if the owner and the chef come to your table to ask how things are). Pros: Nice patio (which we will utilize this summer), Indian beer and good wine selection Cons: Not enough parking more

I've been to the other 2 Indian restaurants in Des Moines (India Star and Taste Of India), and this is the best one. I'm an Indian myself, so I do know a thing or two about good Indian food. This restaurant has the best interior design and the best food. Taste Of India is good, but they are not consistent. India Star is absolutely horrible and their service is rude, but Tandoor is top-notch. They make their dishes slightly differently than tradition, but it is still authentic and the taste (which should be the most important thing) is great. Pros: Best Indian food in town. Good ambiance. Friendly staff. Cons: Price above average. Needs more vegetarian dishes. more

My Des Moines-based sister took me to Tandoor. As a Southern California resident, I can be a food snob, but I must say, this restaurant blew me away! From the warm hummus appetizer to the mango custard dessert, we were thrilled and delighted! Everything from the service to the ambience were incredible! The menu was appropriate for everyone, from the spicy-hot lovers to the timid. Just a lovely experience. Pros: Nice ambience, lovely server. Chef and owner came out to greet guests - nice touch! Cons: None whatsoever. I loved it! more