RESTAURANT REVIEW: Baba India, Oakley

Food: 9/10

Service: 5/10

Value:
Dinner – 8/10 (you get what you pay for)
Lunch – 9/10 (lunch buffet is a great deal!)

 

Photo credit: www.babarestaurant.com

3120 Madison Road
Cincinnati, OH 45209
513.321.1600

www.babarestaurant.com

Genre:
Indian, Pakistani

Attire:
Casual

Price Range:
$$

Hours:
Mon-Sat          1130am-230pm
                        500pm-1000pm
Sun                1200pm-900pm

 

Located on Madison Road in Oakley, Baba India is an easy favourite of many East Siders.  Known as well for their affordable lunch buffet as well as for their poor service, this restaurant is owned by the same family as Ambar India and while it shares many of the same menu items, I suspect the main reason for Baba’s slightly lower prices is its distinct lack of ‘ambiance.’   Despite the bare bones look, even the less than stellar service is more than made up for by both the variety as well as the quality of Baba’s menu items. 

The lunch buffet ($6.99) on weekdays is a reliable option for those who want to be seated right away, eat right away and leave right away.  As the restaurant is a converted fast food building, there is plenty of seating.  The buffet items seem to be cooked in small batches and are always in good supply and piping hot.  It’s a great way to introduce Indian food to a newbie since the menu items are pretty diverse including anything from Korma to Samosas to Tandoori Chicken.  There are always several options for both vegetarians and meatlovers alike.  The service at lunch as well as dinner leaves much to be desired, with waiters often bringing the cheque mere moments after sitting down with your meal – to some, this might be convenient; to me, it’s a little rude.  Ordering take away at any time of day is always a good option since the service is fast and you will likely feel less like an annoyance to the staff when coming in to pick up rather than to ask for a table – or so has been my experience.  If you order ahead, however, be aware that they are closed until 5pm most days and are not likely to make an exception; I’ve not realized this before and was told to “call back in ten minutes when we’re open.”

As far as menu items go, the Garlic Nan is a solid option and the Chicken Tikka Saag along with the Chicken Jalfrezzi are consistently above par, as Indian fare goes.  The portions are definitely plentiful, the choice items and their accompanying Rice Pilaf is always hot and fresh and is more than enough for two average eaters to share when served with a couple Nan breads.  

Bottom line: great food, poor service… but really, the food is so good you will hardly notice.

 

 

 

Since the main theme of this blog is food, I think it’s only fitting that it also include some restaurant reviews.  Every Saturday, you’ll find a review of a local eatery in the Cincinnati area – if you’re interested in having your restaurant reviewed, please contact me.