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Rice from Suprabhat.
Suprabhat/Facebook

19 Outstanding Picks for South Asian Cuisine in Austin

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

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Rice from Suprabhat.
| Suprabhat/Facebook

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 street crepes), 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.

Health experts consider dining out to be a high-risk activity for the unvaccinated; it may pose a risk for the vaccinated, especially in areas with substantial COVID transmission. The latest CDC guidance is here; find a COVID-19 vaccination site here.

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Lali Son: Nepalese & Indian Food

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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 orders can be placed online.

Rock N Grill

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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 paneer entrees. Takeout orders can be placed online.

Swad Indian Vegetarian Restaurant

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One of Austin’s best Indian vegetarian restaurants relocated from North Lamar to Round Rock, 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.

Suprabhat

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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.

Chatpatti Chaat

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The food truck at the Anderson Mill Food Park is chock-full of fun and delectable Indian street snacks, from pani puri (crispy hallowed balls filled with chutney, spices, potatoes, and chickpeas) to samosa chaat (chunks of samosas topped with chickpeas and chutneys) to bhel puri (puffed rice mixed with vegetables and tamarind sauce) to vada pavs )deep-fried potato sandwiches). Takeout orders can be placed online.

Sangam Chettinad Indian Cuisine

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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. This means Takeout orders can be placed online. 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 milks and filtered coffee, plus booze.

New Sitara Indian Cuisine

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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.

Himalaya Kosheli Nepali & Indian

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One of the city’s finest Nepalese restaurant is up in Barrington Oaks. The namesake thali offers up a 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.

Bombay Express

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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.

Zaviya Grill

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Originally Mirchi, the 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 slow-stewed with spices and peppers), and nutty-creamy kormas. Takeout orders can be placed online.

Shahi Cafe

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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).

Spice Fine Indian Cuisine

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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.

Biryani & Co

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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.

Saffron Indian & Nepalese Cuisine

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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.

Bombay to Kathmandu Kitchen

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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.

Bombay Dhaba

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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.

Bombay Bistro

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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.

Asiana Indian Cuisine

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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. Keep in mind that the restaurant is dine-in for lunch and takeout for dinner with orders placed over the phone.

Jaipur Palace

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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.

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 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 paneer entrees. Takeout orders can be placed online.

Swad Indian Vegetarian Restaurant

One of Austin’s best Indian vegetarian restaurants relocated from North Lamar to Round Rock, 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.

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.

Chatpatti Chaat

The food truck at the Anderson Mill Food Park is chock-full of fun and delectable Indian street snacks, from pani puri (crispy hallowed balls filled with chutney, spices, potatoes, and chickpeas) to samosa chaat (chunks of samosas topped with chickpeas and chutneys) to bhel puri (puffed rice mixed with vegetables and tamarind sauce) to vada pavs )deep-fried potato sandwiches). Takeout orders can be placed online.

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. This means Takeout orders can be placed online. 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 milks and filtered coffee, plus booze.

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.

Himalaya Kosheli Nepali & Indian

One of the city’s finest Nepalese restaurant is up in Barrington Oaks. The namesake thali offers up a 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.

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.

Zaviya Grill

Originally Mirchi, the 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 slow-stewed with spices and peppers), and nutty-creamy kormas. Takeout orders can be placed online.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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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.

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.

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. Keep in mind that the restaurant is dine-in for lunch and takeout for dinner with orders placed over the phone.

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.

Related Maps