House of India
| Address: | 6430 E Riverside Blvd, Loves Park, IL 61111, USA |
| Phone: | +1 815-637-4771 |
| Site: | houseofindia.net |
| Rating: | 3.8 |
| Working: | 11AM–2:30PM 11AM–2:30PM 11AM–2:30PM 11AM–2:30PM 11AM–2:30PM 11AM–2:30PM 11AM–2:30PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 6
A
A Private User
Valentines day. The place was not even filled near to capacity. Very pleasant atmosphere, swank little bar, lovely green tiled floor and walls, ambient lighting. We stopped in without reservations, and after about 15 minutes waiting for someone to attend to the front desk, were seated. It was probably a good 20 minutes before we were served ice water, and literally 25 minutes after THAT that we finally got menus. There looked to be maybe five people waiting on all the tables, including some of the kitchenstaff and a young daughter of one of them who was dressed in a sweatshirt and jeans. I watched her take dishes around to the tables and literally ask the guests if this was their dish, and as it usually wasnt, shed make the rounds until finding the right table. The one gentleman who was actually DRESSED like a busboy finally came around and took our order in a rather curt manner. I ordered a crab dish, at which he told me they were out of crab, but suggested grilled shrimp. He then went on to explain to me the difference between shrimp and crab. Ooookay. The food, when we were served AT LAST, was delicious. Sure, the vegetables in the curry were unmistakably that cheap canned mix you find at the grocery store. The lamb was on the salty side. It would certainly have been worthwhile had the service been better. While we were waiting just for our menus, we saw at least three groups of people just get up and leave. We and the two groups that were seated immediately after us traded questioning glances, wondering why these people walked about so nonchalantly and without any real effort to extend basic hospitality. Apparently they were understaffed, but they sure didnt adjust their pace. Altogether, we were there close to THREE HOURS from the time we were seated until paying our check. My boyfriend wanted to tip them $10. He had a $1 and $5 bill and I couldnt convince him to keep his $5. Too bad Id cooked Thai for lunch; the Thai Cuisine down the road has MODEL customer service and makes you feel welcome as SOON as you step through their door.
A
A Private User
My husband and I enjoy ethnic food so last night we decided to try India House in Loves Park. The place was nicely decorated, softly lit, with Indian music playing quietly in the background. It was in the afternoon and the dinner crowd had not yet arrived although by the time we left, people were starting to show up. Not being familiar with Indian cusine, we asked our waitress for help. The young lady, probably the owner’s daughter was personable and helpful. We asked what were her favorite dishes. After finding out if we liked vegetarian, chicken, lamb, seafood, etc. she recommended two delicious entrees – one with shrimp cooked in a spicy, white sauce, the other was lentils cooked with herbs and spices. She also recommended the saffron rice, as well as a chewy, flat bread topped with seasonings and filled with a tasty garlic mix. While we waited for our meal, she brought us a plate of a thin, crispy bread and three different dipping sauces ranging from sweet to spicy. We had fun trying the different flavors as well as mixing them for a new taste. The entrees were served in large bowls each with its own heat source which kept everything at the proper temperature. It was like eating a hearty, home-cooked meal. Everything was delicious! To accompany our meal, we both tried and enjoyed the chi (tea made with milk and spices like cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves). My husband also ordered one of their many Indian beers which we both enjoyed. Our only complaint was the number of shrimp in the entree – we wish there had been more of them. We had a good time and will be coming back again.
A
A Private User
Hi, I & my Friend went to this restaurant couple of weeks ago. We are from India and this is the only Indian restaurant in Rockford. We thought well give a try. Usually we go to suburb of Chicago, there are many fine Indian Restaurants available. Based on feedback from my friends, We didnt have great expectations. We expected a normal food... But the experience was very disappointing. 1. Service: Very bad service. No smile.. And no waiters, I believe the restaurant is family run, and the relatives and daughters are taking care of serving food. That is a good thing, if it is family run you would expect a better service. But in this case, no matter what, you cant make them smile. Once they took away the food we were eating. It was embarrassing. 2. Food: Food is below average, doesnt taste like Indian cuisine. Some items tasted like stale. Not many varieties, that is ok, but even the available ones were not tasting that great. 3. The place is kind of little stinking, the atmosphere was not that great, may be if the people were smiling it would have made a difference. 4. Value: Though we got buy 1 get 1 free, it doesnt make a difference... It was one of the very bad experience we had in this year. Good that it was not some special occasion, or else we would have felt all the more bad. Note: I have eaten in the Chicago - India House, it was good. I think this particular Franchise is not that great, very badly managed.
UJ
Ujwal Unni
Probably the worst service i have received till date in any restaurant. We reached the place at 1:30pm a saturday afternoon buffet. There was no one to receive guests. We waited patiently for about 10 min. The chef from the kitchen did see us waiting but no one cared to seat us. Then we walked in to the kitchen to be seen by a lady whom i presume was the waitress/manager (i have no idea)she didnt bother to greet or seat us, we chose a table for ourselves. When we did a walk through of the menu items, there was nothing left(please note we went an hour before the closing time, not like 5 minutes before lunch ends). There was no bread (naan) or Tandoori chicken. Just a few curries and some rice left. When enquired about it, she gave no proper response as though she really didnt care us dining there. No apology, we felt really unwelcomed. We walked out of the restaurant. Cant say about the food but totally disappointed with the service. Indians take hospitality very seriously and i am unsure if they behaved this way since we were Indian origin guests. One advice for the management, please get your service straight, thats why you are here.
ZE
Zephyr Brammer
If you have never eaten Indian food before then youll like this place. To start we ordered an appetizer that specifically stated it came with five pieces and we were given four. After that we ordered a meal specifically marked as vegetarian and were brought the non-vegetarian version. When we pointed it out they argued with us about what we originally ordered. We have been vegetarians for over five years so I am pretty sure we didnt order the non-vegetarian version. The food itself had no flavor what so ever. The naan had no taste outside of burnt. I noticed the waiter picking up the wafers they serve with his bare hands. Im a little concerned about how the rest of the staff handles the food in the kitchen. Overall, if you never hand Indian food outside of the Rockford area then youll probably like this place. However, if you have eaten good Indian food before I would avoid this place.
A
A Private User
By far, the worst restaurant Ive ever been to. We went on a Saturday afternoon and all you could get was the buffet - no ordering from the menu. The food was terrible - I think they forgot to buy salt the last time they went to the store, but more than made up for that in oil. The service was just as bad. They ran out of dessert before they could refill and we ended up waiting over 20 minutes (after we asked for some) for them to bring it out. We got so sick of waiting that we ended up leaving before it made it out. I was surprised to see the place as full as it was, but with no other Indian restaurants in the Rockford area, I guess those folks really dont know what theyre missing. I come from an Indian family, so I guess Im biased, but there are plenty of Indian restaurants that have amazing food. $9 isnt much to pay for an Indian buffet, but please dont spend it at this one!
