Ambar India Restaurant
| Address: | 350 Ludlow Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45220, USA |
| Phone: | +1 513-281-7000 |
| Site: | ambarindia.com |
| Rating: | 4.3 |
| Working: | 11AM–10PM 11AM–10PM 11AM–10PM 11AM–10PM 11AM–10PM 11AM–10PM 12–9PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 11
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Ryan Cragun
One couple we know recommended Anand Indian instead. But when another friend said it was his favorite restaurant in all of Cincinnati and the opportunity arose, we went. The second friend said this place was always packed and he was right. When we arrived (~6:00pm) it was about half full. When we left (~7:00pm) there wasnt an empty table. As for the food, it was superb. We began with a great appetizer, the Vegetable Pakora. Debi had the Aloo Vindaloo (Potatoes cooked in a tangy hot sauce $6.99), which she really enjoyed but I didnt particularly care for it when I tried it. I had the Saag Choley (Chick peas and spinach cooked in tomato and cream sauce $7.99) and thought it was excellent. The service was adequate but not nearly as friendly as Sitar; possibly because it was so busy. The price is on the high end of the Indian places weve been, but still very reasonable.
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A Private User
Very expensive food and rude service. People work in that restaurant doesnt know how to smile.....for a restaurant service and hospitality is very important and that is not there in Ambar Cincinatti......food may be good but very expensive and rude service.....no proper uniform for the people work over there and not sure whom to ask for something....nothing is organized properly....management has to put lot of efforts to bring good service..or this will create bad name for indian food......be nice with everyone idiots...you are not God or something....we are all human beings...one day everyone will die..try to remember it ....you are working in a restaurant and smile and hospitality is very important otherwise you lose people...i will be one among others...i never ever go this place....expensive and bad rude service....
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A Private User
This place is overrated. Its one of very few indian places in cincinnati so obviously it has to be ONE of the best. But in all honesty its not that good. I am indian and the worst part of cincinnati is its lack of good indian food. I have to wait to go to Chicago or Toronto for real good indian food. Anyway, this place is real dirty and the service is decent. The place tries to save money by using the same base of curry and adding different things to it for different dishes and it makes most of their dishes taste pretty similar. Its a tad over priced and also all their rivals are family members. Yes even Amol, Anand etc. they are all relatives, which is why there menus are esentially the same. Its a conspiracy. This place is worth a try but its not that good and overrated.
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A Private User
Ambar no longer earns best Indian praises from Citybeat/reviewers. More authentic Indian preparations with fresh ingredients have opened my eyes and excited my taste buds. Adding ungodly amounts of cream isnt going to fool me anymore. Sagwala, masala and other curries can taste better, and I shouldnt accept bad service as ambiance. Fortunately, Ive really fallen in love with Dusmesh, Ludlows newest Indian installation. I taste genuine flavor that Ambar substitutes with mixes and cream. Ambar charges more for their breads/meals. Im not going to settle for less and pay more. Try a well reviewed Indian diner outside the midwest or drive down to Dusmesh. I guarantee the difference will cause you to question your adoration of Ambar.
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Will Brumfield
Hands down Ambar is our favorite Indian food restaurant in Cincinnati. It is important to note that we have eaten at a lot of Indian restaurants both in Cincinnati and out, so I am not just blowing smoke. The reason it is our favorite is 100% based on the food. Everything we have ordered has been excellent, every time we order it. They do the standard curries to perfection. The naan is never too dry or burnt. I always leave wishing I could eat more. For those who value dining experience be aware that the dining room is small and when it is busy you may feel crowded. Also there are employees who dont speak English and may seem a little cold. But I still dont think you will ever regret your experience if you taste the food.
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Brandon Johnson
Everything was wonderful at this restaurant.First of all, We were greeted courteously as soon as we walked in, they still served us even though we unexpectedly got there right before close and they had to stay open an extra 15 minutes, and they did it with smiles on their faces :) :) :) The building was fresh and clean and above standard compared to other Indian restaurants. The food was fresh, prompt, and absolutely delicious and the price was reasonable. All and all, it was a very satisfying experience. My only complaint is that the serving sizes were very large and their to-go containers were too small, but whoever said too much food was bad has never ate here.
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Nick Mastersen
I have traveled a bit in my time and I have to say that this is the go to indian cuisine restaurant in Cincinatti. On my visits to the nasty natti I come here and grab the chicken tiki masala and I would say it is unbelievable; try to get it at spicy if you can handle it otherwise I hear the mild is good as well. One of my favorite parts about this place is you get unlimited rice as well with your food! Plus they are not that difficult to find they are simply on Ludlow Ave, which is awesome. Just make sure not to come here at rush hour dinner time (ie 7pm) otherwise you might be in for quite a wait as the restaurant is a bit cozy.
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Reza Javidi
Firs of all, a bit expensive compared to similar places. Second, when you order two meals, they bring only one rice at your table, which is fine and most of the time you dont need the second rice but the problem is that you are paying for it. And if you dont ask for your second rice, they never tell you that you payed for two whole meals. And if you ask for the third rice, they will charge you extra money. This simply suggests that they are cutting a part of your meal that you payed for without telling you. This behavior is not acceptable to me. To be fair, food quality is good.
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A Private User
We come to Cincinnati about 4 times a year to visit family. We try to sample a new local restaurant each time. (in addition to our old favorites) Tonight I was in the mood for indian food and, Ambar was, unfortunately the first one we encountered. As soon as we entered, we felt hurried by the staff to leave.. about 2 minutes after the barely edible appetizer with shopworn chutneys arrived, I was inclined to agree. The entree was similarly disappointing. Usually I keep quiet and vow not to go back, but this time the service was so obnoxious, I felt the need to vent..,
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A Private User
I read the reviews here and was under the impression that they had the best Indian food in Cincinnati. I was thoroughly disappointed when I sat down and viewed their menu and did not see any wild buffalo, North American bird dishes or Maize. rather this was not the so called "Native American" aka Indian food that I expected it to be, but food from a relatively small, very poor country packed with over a billion people. If I wanted food of this type, I would have gone to an Ethiopian restaurant and had dirt with a side of flies.
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A Private User
Well, food was about OK. You can find better Indian restaurants in Cincinnati - like the one next to it called Amol. Service here is pathetic - extremely lazy waiters - they wouldnt serve a glass of water, or bother to even place paper napkins or even get the bill - I lost it when I had to leave my seat thrice to get their job done. They are rude, arrogant, ignorant, lazy and have a remarkable visible racist attitude. Apart from that it is unnecessarily overpriced. This is scrapped of the list for good.
