clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile
A tin serving bowl of curry and meat.
The mutton Chettinad at Sangam.
Sangam

24 Outstanding Picks for South Asian Cuisine in Austin

Indulge in fantastic Indian, Nepalese, Bangladeshi, and Pakistani food

View as Map
The mutton Chettinad at Sangam.
| Sangam

The South Asian food scene in Austin is stronger than most expect, with good places for Indian, Nepalese, Bangladeshi, and Pakistani cuisines throughout the city. The number of these businesses keeps growing too, offering fantastic biryanis, dals, chaats (Indian street snacks), tandooris, dosas (South Asian thin pancakes), pakoras (vegetable fritters), and much more.

For Austin, this means the excellent offerings of South Indian-leaning Sangam Chettinad Indian Cuisine, vegetable-filled wonders at Swad, Nepalese momos at Himalaya Kosheli, Pakistani offerings from Zaviya Grill, Bangladeshi specials from Shahi Cafe, plus many more.

For more regional fare from the greater Asian continent, scope out Austin’s best bets for halal, Southeast Asian food, Chinese, dim sum, Thai, Korean barbecue, and sushi, as well as a guide to the spiciest foods and restaurants found in the city.

Read More
Eater maps are curated by editors and aim to reflect a diversity of neighborhoods, cuisines, and prices. Learn more about our editorial process. If you buy something or book a reservation from an Eater link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics policy.

Lali Son: Nepalese & Indian Food

Copy Link

The restaurant within the Leander Quick Mart serves up some really fantastic Nepalese, Indian, and Indo-Chinese fare. There are all sorts of momos (chili to deep-fried), as well as samosas, tandoori wings, hakka noodles, curries, and biryanis. Takeout and delivery orders can be placed online.

Rock N Grill

Copy Link

The Round Rock restaurant is all about southern and northern Indian food, from all sorts of goat and mutton entrees to onion pakoras to spicy fried fish to tandoori to paneer entrees. Takeout orders can be placed online; there are indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

Yak N Yeti

Copy Link

The Cedar Park’s menu focuses on Nepalese and Indian cuisines, offering dishes such as momos, chow mein, tandoori, dal, and biryanis. Takeout orders can be placed online; there are indoor dine-in services.

Swad Indian Vegetarian Restaurant

Copy Link

One of Austin’s best Indian vegetarian restaurants relocated from North Lamar to Round Rock in -92019, where it still serves its essential thali specials, which are basically platters and the best way to try a little bit of everything. The restaurant is also home to some of the best dosas in the Austin area. Takeout orders can be placed online; there are indoor dine-in services.

Suprabhat

Copy Link

The Davis Spring restaurant focuses on vegetarian dishes stemming from across India. This means plenty of chaats from samosa to puris, idlis topped with chutneys, and so many dosas. There’s also a section dedicated to Jain cuisines, such as paneer butter masala. Takeout orders can be placed online; there are indoor dine-in services.

Bombay Street Food

Copy Link

The near-Anderson Mill food truck is all about Indian snacks, from the crispy bursting pani puri (crispy hallowed balls filled with chutney, spices, potatoes, and chickpeas), the flavorful ragda pattices (potato patties topped with chutneys) and vada pavs (deep-fried potato sandwiches)), to the samosa chaats (chunks of samosas topped with chickpeas and chutneys). Takeout orders can be placed in person; there are outdoor dine-in areas.

Chatpatti Chaat

Copy Link

The food truck at the Anderson Mill Food Park is chock-full of fun and delectable Indian street snacks, from pani puri to samosa chaat to bhel puri (puffed rice mixed with vegetables and tamarind sauce) to vada pavs. Takeout orders can be placed online; there are outdoor dine-in areas.

Sangam Chettinad Indian Cuisine

Copy Link

While the Milwood restaurant offers dishes from the entire country of India, its specialties lean more southern Indian, especially Chettinad cuisine from the Tamil Nadu state. The breakfast menu includes egg dosas, idiyappam (rice noodles) paired with coconut milk, and potato masalas. Lunch and dinner are more expansive with various entrees such as mutton chops, tangy fish curries, boiled egg masalas, idlis (essentially rice cakes), dosas, and halwas (a pudding-ish dessert). For drinks, there are rose milk and filtered coffee, plus booze. Takeout orders can be placed online; there are indoor dine-in services.

New Sitara Indian Cuisine

Copy Link

The Wells Branch restaurant serves up fantastic Indian food for lunch and dinner, such as Goan shrimp, all sorts of tandoori proteins from paneer to chicken wings, biryanis, and rasmali (a cheese-based sweet). Takeout orders can be placed online; there are indoor dine-in services.

Himalaya Kosheli Nepali & Indian

Copy Link

One of the city’s finest Nepalese restaurants is up in Barrington Oaks. The namesake thali offers up the greatest hits of Nepalese from rice to dal to main options like vegetables or goat. The soupy jhol momos are also a great pick. Takeout orders can be placed online; there are indoor dine-in services.

Bombay Express

Copy Link

In far north Austin, Bombay Express serves up daily specials with both northern — aloo (potato) parathas, puri bhaji puris paired with potatoes — and southern regional fare, plus many dosas. Opt for the thalis, where diners can order two curries with rice, dal, snacks, and salad. Takeout orders can be placed online; there are indoor dine-in services.

Zaviya Grill

Copy Link

Originally called Mirchi, this revamped restaurant near Scofield Farms remains steadfast about its Indian and Pakistani menu. There’s chicken karahi (chicken cooked with a tomato-butter sauce), beef nihari (beef that is slow-stewed with spices and peppers), and nutty-creamy kormas. Takeout orders can be placed online; there are indoor dine-in services.

Shahi Cafe

Copy Link

For Bengali fare, head to this far north South Asian restaurant-slash-market. Expect dishes like excellent lamb biriyani, a good array of samosas and kabobs, solid pakoras, and satisfying chai. Keep an eye out for specials like Bengali-style beef tehari (marinated and slow-cooked beef with rice). There are indoor dine-in areas.

Spice Fine Indian Cuisine

Copy Link

Another fantastic pan-Indian restaurant, the Tech Ridge Center spot serves up something for everyone. There are numerous meaty entrees thoughtfully sorted by boneless (lamb, chicken) or bone-in (the really great goat), curd rice (yogurt rice), the Apollo fish (a deep-fried spicy fish), and more. Takeout orders can be placed online; there are indoor dine-in services.

Biryani & Co

Copy Link

The Hyderabadi-style rice dish is the star of the South Indian Arboretum restaurant, where the biryanis are filled with eggs, paneer, chicken, goat, shrimp, and more. Plus there are plentiful naans and tandoori. Takeout orders can be placed online; there are indoor dine-in services.

Saffron Indian & Nepalese Cuisine

Copy Link

More Indian and Nepalese specialties — plus some Indo-Chinese takes — can be found over at the Northwest Hills restaurant. Check out the Saffron scallops, tandoori lamb chops, and chow mein. There’s a second location near West Lake Hills. Takeout orders can be placed online; there are indoor dine-in services.

Bombay to Kathmandu Kitchen

Copy Link

Head to the relocated restaurant now in Highland still serves great Indian and Nepalese dishes, such as momos, kormas, and thalis, plus some fusion stuff like french fry chaat with chutney, yogurt, and chickpeas; and curry pizzas. Takeout orders can be placed online; there are indoor dine-in services.

Dosa Shack

Copy Link

The Allandale vegetarian Indian food truck is all about dosas, from original versions with fillings such as potatoes/onions or cottage cheese, as well as uttapam, chaat, and its fun doffles (waffle bites made with dosa batter on sticks). Takeout orders can be placed online; there are outdoor dine-in areas.

Indian food with Texan and Mexican spins at the East Austin restaurant means spicy curries, paneer quesadillas, keema (ground lamb) enchiladas, and South Asian tacos. The fusion approach carries over into the margarita menu with a curried version, a cardamon one, and a pomegranate one. There’s a second location on South Congress. Pickup, delivery, and Favor orders can be placed online; there are indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

Bombay Dhaba

Copy Link

On South First, Bombay Dhaba dishes up remarkable Indian food out of the trailer. The jalapeno cheese roti is great, as is the array of rice-accompanying entrees from the paneer tikka masala to the spinach lamb. Takeout orders can be placed in person; there are outdoor dine-in areas.

Bombay Bistro

Copy Link

The sampler dinners (vegetarian and meat) are the best ways to try the best of what the pan-Indian South Lamar restaurant has to offer, including samosas, rice, and more. Takeout and delivery orders can be placed online; there are indoor dine-in services.

Tandoori Lounge

Copy Link

The Southcross Plaza South Asian restaurant is centered on all sorts of tandoori — where spiced items are cooked in a special clay oven — including lamb, goat, shrimp, paneer, chicken, and more. There are also more general pan-Indian dishes like samosas, koftas, aloo gobi, curries, and some Indo-Chinese specialties. Takeout orders can be placed online; there’s a long list of third-party deliveries available (Seamless, DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Postmates); and there are indoor dine-in services.

Asiana Indian Cuisine

Copy Link

The bare-bones restaurant serves up delicious and not-to-be-missed South and North Indian dishes, from veggie and meaty samosas to tandoori meats to salty lassis. Takeout orders can be placed online; there are indoor dine-in services.

Jaipur Palace

Copy Link

The Southpark Meadows Indian restaurant, named after the capital of the state of Rajasthan, serves a variety of regional dishes, from papri chaat to parathas and stuffed kulcha bread to biryanis to a sweet and savory mango chicken dish. Takeout orders can be placed online; there are indoor dine-in services.

Lali Son: Nepalese & Indian Food

The restaurant within the Leander Quick Mart serves up some really fantastic Nepalese, Indian, and Indo-Chinese fare. There are all sorts of momos (chili to deep-fried), as well as samosas, tandoori wings, hakka noodles, curries, and biryanis. Takeout and delivery orders can be placed online.

Rock N Grill

The Round Rock restaurant is all about southern and northern Indian food, from all sorts of goat and mutton entrees to onion pakoras to spicy fried fish to tandoori to paneer entrees. Takeout orders can be placed online; there are indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

Yak N Yeti

The Cedar Park’s menu focuses on Nepalese and Indian cuisines, offering dishes such as momos, chow mein, tandoori, dal, and biryanis. Takeout orders can be placed online; there are indoor dine-in services.

Swad Indian Vegetarian Restaurant

One of Austin’s best Indian vegetarian restaurants relocated from North Lamar to Round Rock in -92019, where it still serves its essential thali specials, which are basically platters and the best way to try a little bit of everything. The restaurant is also home to some of the best dosas in the Austin area. Takeout orders can be placed online; there are indoor dine-in services.

Suprabhat

The Davis Spring restaurant focuses on vegetarian dishes stemming from across India. This means plenty of chaats from samosa to puris, idlis topped with chutneys, and so many dosas. There’s also a section dedicated to Jain cuisines, such as paneer butter masala. Takeout orders can be placed online; there are indoor dine-in services.

Bombay Street Food

The near-Anderson Mill food truck is all about Indian snacks, from the crispy bursting pani puri (crispy hallowed balls filled with chutney, spices, potatoes, and chickpeas), the flavorful ragda pattices (potato patties topped with chutneys) and vada pavs (deep-fried potato sandwiches)), to the samosa chaats (chunks of samosas topped with chickpeas and chutneys). Takeout orders can be placed in person; there are outdoor dine-in areas.

Chatpatti Chaat

The food truck at the Anderson Mill Food Park is chock-full of fun and delectable Indian street snacks, from pani puri to samosa chaat to bhel puri (puffed rice mixed with vegetables and tamarind sauce) to vada pavs. Takeout orders can be placed online; there are outdoor dine-in areas.

Sangam Chettinad Indian Cuisine

While the Milwood restaurant offers dishes from the entire country of India, its specialties lean more southern Indian, especially Chettinad cuisine from the Tamil Nadu state. The breakfast menu includes egg dosas, idiyappam (rice noodles) paired with coconut milk, and potato masalas. Lunch and dinner are more expansive with various entrees such as mutton chops, tangy fish curries, boiled egg masalas, idlis (essentially rice cakes), dosas, and halwas (a pudding-ish dessert). For drinks, there are rose milk and filtered coffee, plus booze. Takeout orders can be placed online; there are indoor dine-in services.

New Sitara Indian Cuisine

The Wells Branch restaurant serves up fantastic Indian food for lunch and dinner, such as Goan shrimp, all sorts of tandoori proteins from paneer to chicken wings, biryanis, and rasmali (a cheese-based sweet). Takeout orders can be placed online; there are indoor dine-in services.

Himalaya Kosheli Nepali & Indian

One of the city’s finest Nepalese restaurants is up in Barrington Oaks. The namesake thali offers up the greatest hits of Nepalese from rice to dal to main options like vegetables or goat. The soupy jhol momos are also a great pick. Takeout orders can be placed online; there are indoor dine-in services.

Bombay Express

In far north Austin, Bombay Express serves up daily specials with both northern — aloo (potato) parathas, puri bhaji puris paired with potatoes — and southern regional fare, plus many dosas. Opt for the thalis, where diners can order two curries with rice, dal, snacks, and salad. Takeout orders can be placed online; there are indoor dine-in services.

Zaviya Grill

Originally called Mirchi, this revamped restaurant near Scofield Farms remains steadfast about its Indian and Pakistani menu. There’s chicken karahi (chicken cooked with a tomato-butter sauce), beef nihari (beef that is slow-stewed with spices and peppers), and nutty-creamy kormas. Takeout orders can be placed online; there are indoor dine-in services.

Shahi Cafe

For Bengali fare, head to this far north South Asian restaurant-slash-market. Expect dishes like excellent lamb biriyani, a good array of samosas and kabobs, solid pakoras, and satisfying chai. Keep an eye out for specials like Bengali-style beef tehari (marinated and slow-cooked beef with rice). There are indoor dine-in areas.

Spice Fine Indian Cuisine

Another fantastic pan-Indian restaurant, the Tech Ridge Center spot serves up something for everyone. There are numerous meaty entrees thoughtfully sorted by boneless (lamb, chicken) or bone-in (the really great goat), curd rice (yogurt rice), the Apollo fish (a deep-fried spicy fish), and more. Takeout orders can be placed online; there are indoor dine-in services.

Biryani & Co

The Hyderabadi-style rice dish is the star of the South Indian Arboretum restaurant, where the biryanis are filled with eggs, paneer, chicken, goat, shrimp, and more. Plus there are plentiful naans and tandoori. Takeout orders can be placed online; there are indoor dine-in services.

Related Maps

Saffron Indian & Nepalese Cuisine

More Indian and Nepalese specialties — plus some Indo-Chinese takes — can be found over at the Northwest Hills restaurant. Check out the Saffron scallops, tandoori lamb chops, and chow mein. There’s a second location near West Lake Hills. Takeout orders can be placed online; there are indoor dine-in services.

Bombay to Kathmandu Kitchen

Head to the relocated restaurant now in Highland still serves great Indian and Nepalese dishes, such as momos, kormas, and thalis, plus some fusion stuff like french fry chaat with chutney, yogurt, and chickpeas; and curry pizzas. Takeout orders can be placed online; there are indoor dine-in services.

Dosa Shack

The Allandale vegetarian Indian food truck is all about dosas, from original versions with fillings such as potatoes/onions or cottage cheese, as well as uttapam, chaat, and its fun doffles (waffle bites made with dosa batter on sticks). Takeout orders can be placed online; there are outdoor dine-in areas.

Nasha

Indian food with Texan and Mexican spins at the East Austin restaurant means spicy curries, paneer quesadillas, keema (ground lamb) enchiladas, and South Asian tacos. The fusion approach carries over into the margarita menu with a curried version, a cardamon one, and a pomegranate one. There’s a second location on South Congress. Pickup, delivery, and Favor orders can be placed online; there are indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

Bombay Dhaba

On South First, Bombay Dhaba dishes up remarkable Indian food out of the trailer. The jalapeno cheese roti is great, as is the array of rice-accompanying entrees from the paneer tikka masala to the spinach lamb. Takeout orders can be placed in person; there are outdoor dine-in areas.

Bombay Bistro

The sampler dinners (vegetarian and meat) are the best ways to try the best of what the pan-Indian South Lamar restaurant has to offer, including samosas, rice, and more. Takeout and delivery orders can be placed online; there are indoor dine-in services.

Tandoori Lounge

The Southcross Plaza South Asian restaurant is centered on all sorts of tandoori — where spiced items are cooked in a special clay oven — including lamb, goat, shrimp, paneer, chicken, and more. There are also more general pan-Indian dishes like samosas, koftas, aloo gobi, curries, and some Indo-Chinese specialties. Takeout orders can be placed online; there’s a long list of third-party deliveries available (Seamless, DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Postmates); and there are indoor dine-in services.

Asiana Indian Cuisine

The bare-bones restaurant serves up delicious and not-to-be-missed South and North Indian dishes, from veggie and meaty samosas to tandoori meats to salty lassis. Takeout orders can be placed online; there are indoor dine-in services.

Jaipur Palace

The Southpark Meadows Indian restaurant, named after the capital of the state of Rajasthan, serves a variety of regional dishes, from papri chaat to parathas and stuffed kulcha bread to biryanis to a sweet and savory mango chicken dish. Takeout orders can be placed online; there are indoor dine-in services.

Related Maps