Passage To India
| Address: | 157 Washington St, Salem, MA 01970, USA |
| Phone: | +1 978-832-2200 |
| Site: | passagetoindiasalem.com |
| Rating: | 4.2 |
| Working: | 11:30AM–10:30PM 11:30AM–10:30PM 11:30AM–10:30PM 11:30AM–10:30PM 11:30AM–11PM 11:30AM–11PM 11:30AM–10:30PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 9
AJ
ajaybir singh
I visited the place with two of my friends.We like eating out and trying new places for food.So heres my rating for this place -- Ambiance -- 3 star cozy,comfortable,feels like an old restaurant in India Service -- 1 star fast but clumsy,you will not have a designated server - anyone walking around will serve - wont care to explain the menu ; if you are new to INDIAN food,better do some homework Water will be constantly refilled,even before you ask. Lady behind the bar is so scary that I dropped the idea of asking for a drink.One server in particular,youngest guy on floor,dont know the name (as no one cared to introduce themselves ) was rude and impatient.He acted weird and did not seem interested in talking or listening as well. Food -- 2.5 starts well prepared,fresh - Esp the breads.Low on salt and if you are in habit of ordering medium spicy at other INDIAN restaurants,do not do that here.Their medium is too spicy- and thats coming from a guy who eats Indian food regularly,so you can imagine.Mild may be better.Nothing extraordinary but still good Quantity --- 2.5 stars portions are decently sized ,but if you are big guy with a big appetite ,you may not find it enough.One dish serves only two- barely. Economy --- $$ Not very economical yet affordable Overall ---- 2 star ,3 if they only had better service Possibility of return ---- Only if I am around the area ,looking for Indian food and am extremely hungry without another choice
JO
JOSH POULIOT
I was visitng salem and very excited to enjoy some indian food. I have a registered and licensed emotional support animal, a small, quiet bichon. She comes w me everywhere. Upon arriving I was greeted with many condescending questions and disapproval from staff. I was forced to show my license for her, and even after showing her legal status I was continued to be asked questions against her validity. It got to a point where I said i wanted to leave because I felt uncomfortable. The waiter stated "no, its fine." But proceded with more accusations saying my dog wasnt going "under the table like seeing eye dogs do and isnt wearing a special tag." Though, she was wearing her vest stating she is an emotional support animal. It got to a point where I said again, I am going to leave because this is making me so uncomfortable, and with this, he responded "Good, thankyou." I personally will never visit this place again. However a phone conversation was had with the owner a few days later and I did receive an apology.
A
A Private User
I refused to eat Indian food in Massachusetts after living in Palampur, India for 3 months volunteering. I had been spoiled and felt truly disappointed in returning home and not finding any really authentic place. On a whim I tried Passage to India one night wiht a friend and it was the surprise of a indian-food-lovers life! SOOO GOOOD Everything was exactly how I remembered it from its mother country and the food all came out super fast and super hot. The palak paneer and tandoori chicken were wonderful and the service was great! The servings were perfect and i had enough to take home wiht me later and savor the next day. I love how they serve it almost family style in different pots on the table and let us share. It was a great evening of food and I have been 5 times! I cannot wait to go back and try things on the menu that I hadnt even tried during my stay abroad!
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Brian Cacchiotti
Wonderful Indian Cuisine in the heart of Salem! The food is the lure at Passage to India, but the people are what make you want to come back again and again! We dine here often, almost always at the bar with one of the best bartenders around, Monoar Khan. We usually start with a Passage mixed appetizer, which has a little something for everyone, while I also get one of the best mulligatawny soups around! This is accompanied by spicy poppadoms and onion chutney. Our three favorite dishes are the chicken tikka masala, the Goa shrimp and either lamb vindaloo or any variety of the saag. An order the the naan bread (basil is our favorite) with a large dish of rice completes the meal! Salem has limited ethnic eateries, but for Indian cuisine, The Passage to India is the real deal!
JI
Jill Ann
The curries and kormas are on point. Nice flavor, not overloaded with oil like some places. The drinks are nice, both alcoholic and non. The apps are delicious. Chutneys are fantastic. They will customize spice level for anyone scared of spice or for people who cannot tolerate it. The servers are very friendly. Parking is available but harder to find a spot during busy hours. But this is salem, even if you park a little further away, its ok. Relax on the pleasant city walk to the restaurant, take in the nice fresh air and scenary and the food will taste even better. This was the first indian restaurant that started my love for indian food so they will always hold a special place in my heart.
PE
Peter McEntee
It is hard to give this place a two so Ill start with the pros. Food was good (7.5/10) even though the portions are a bit small, Naan is excellent, and the dishes are a nice touch. At the end though was a bit disturbing when a mouse decided to come out from behind the booths and snack on the previous customers droppings. When I alerted the waiter he explained to me in his own way that there was nothing they could do. Hinting that the building was old and laughed it off. Not the right attitude to have in the food-service oriented establishment. I dont see myself ever coming back and I highly suggest to anyone reading this review to take their business elsewhere.
GA
Gabby Sause
Walked by this place many times and passed it up because it often looked dead inside. So glad I finally checked it out! The food was tasty and the staff was fast and friendly. There are multiple seating areas (probably why they never looked too busy..) one seemed to be for private parties and had its own bar, the other had a separate bar with seating, and a mix of tables and booths, all pretty casual. Ordered chicken tikka masala, fish curry, coconut basil naan and somosas. Everything was delicious! Admittedly not the most authentic Indian out there, but still very good, and would recommend both to people who enjoy Indian food, as well as those whove never tried it.
AM
Amber Nicole Cannan
Food was great, though they didnt bring me what I ordered, exactly. Fortunately, it was still vegetarian. They also forgot my husbands beer. It is Halloween weekend so It was busy, and I wasnt going to complain. We ordered at 2:30, and ordered from the lunch menu, but when they brought the bill, they charged us for dinner prices. We pointed it out to them, and they said they havent "mumble mumble for 15 years." As he walked away. So I guess their lunch menu hasnt been served for 15 years. Dont go expecting to pay lunch prices during lunch.
AM
Amanda Souliere
I asked for a drink menu, after all they did have a ‘specialty cocktails’ sign right on the sidewalk to draw people in. When she gave me the menu they had zero specialty cocktails. Then the bartender asked if we were going to be eating too & we told her that we were just stopping in for a drink. She said okay, let me finish up. She then proceeded to ignore us, while she did some dishes. We ended up walking out after waiting way too long!
