Most people visiting Chicago will be staying in the downtown area. You may be concerned about all of the expensive places to eat, but if you know what you are doing you can find a few delicious places just off of Michigan Avenue that you won’t soon forget. Indian Garden on Ontario street is a perfect example of this kind of diamond in the rough restaurant.
Atmosphere
When you enter this restaurant from the street at #2 247 E Ontario St, You will be quickly underwhelmed. There is no entrance really because the doors from the street open onto stairs. After a quick climb, however, you come to the real entrance of the Indian Garden. Through glass doors you can see a richly purple and exotic looking area brimming with that Indian/Middle East feel. There are spices in little scales, paintings of belly dancers, and of course a nice decor that complements the food.
Food
As you seat yourself down in this nice establishment, you are given a kind of Indian crunchy bread and three kinda of sauces. The menu reveals that there are plenty of choices with Indian and Pakistani themes as well as helpful descriptions for those of us who don’t know the Indian word for lamb. The waiters are very helpful and polite. For lunch, a buffet is set up for a different but equally amazing experience. Their most popular dishes are all set out and for an affordable price you can try a little of everything to decide what you really like.
Thoughts
Well the prices are good for tourists, but if you are a local then chances are you can find a more inexpensive restaurant in one of the neighborhoods. Some people complain that the decor is a little over-the-top. The restaurant does include a lot of ethnic type decorations, but I think the decor gives it a sense of home and relaxation. The restaurant is big on coupons and other discounts to encourage business so be on the lookout for those. It also has a number of excellent vegetarian choices if that is a concern to you.
Indian Garden has a number of things that make it a fantastic restaurant. If you don’t feel like going out, then you can even call them for takeout! This restaurant’s staff has been trained to make you feel at home so after a few times of eating there, they will recognize you and probably recall your name as well. That is something that you can’t find everywhere. Maybe not the absolute best Indian food in town, but certainly worth taking a look at.
Source: http://www.yelp.com/biz/indian-garden-restaurant-chicago
