Chauhan Ale & Masala House
| Address: | 123 12th Ave N, Nashville, TN 37203, USA |
| Phone: | +1 615-242-8426 |
| Site: | chauhannashville.com |
| Rating: | 4.3 |
| Working: | 11AM–2:30PM 11AM–2:30PM 11AM–2:30PM 11AM–2:30PM 11AM–2:30PM 5–11PM 11AM–3PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 6
MA
Mackenzie Carter Collins
Nashville is the "It City." Now everyone wants to open a restaurant, store, etc. here. And that is just what Chef Maneet Chauhan did; however, this restaurant was not executed with the precision of the other great places that have recently opened. Believe all the bad reviews Chauhan Ale & Masala House has received. I didnt. I took a group of friends and left the evening apologizing for the service, the food and the experience. The Service: Slow. Indifferent. Irreverent. We waited 25 minutes before ASKING our server if we could place a drink order. She then requested that we order our entrees simultaneously. (We would have ordered cocktails and appetizers, then wine and entrees. However, that was not an option.) The entrees were served at different times, as in 15 minutes a part. There was never an apology or recognition that the service was slow and poorly timed. Generally, our server was irritated that we at her table. The Food: Meh. Underwhelming. Uninspired. Yes, the typical Indian flavor were there. However, there was nothing excellent or stand-out about the food. It was average at best. Several of the meats were overcooked. And the execution and attention to detail were missing. (We decided that we could get the same quality of food at South Street or we could order the same dishes at Tavern and it be excellent.) The Experience: An amateurs attempt at joining the big leagues without seeking advice/expertise of those in the big leagues. The spaces acoustics are poor, thus, extremely loud. While the light fixtures are pretty, everything else about the space is cheap, random, incohesive and poorly executed. The service treats customers as though they are irrelevant and a nuisance. And the food is common. For Chef Chauhan to have received the accolades that are touted when gracing "us poor ole hillbillies" with her presence in our fair city, the effort was uninspired and underwhelming. Bottomline: If you are looking for great food, you know where to go... Holland House, Adeles, 404, MStreet restaurants, the Southern. If you are wanting Indian food, Woodlands is still and will always be king. Because Chauhan Ale & Masala House is not the place for either.
AS
Ashwin Mudigonda
The place is great because of its fusion ideas. Its a true amalgam of India and USA from the décor, the ambiance and, of course, the food. While most Indian restaurants daintily skip over most of the country and focus on mostly the north Indian fares, Chauhans aggressively seeks and serves up as many south Indian dishes like poriyal and kootu as it does with north Indian foods. Many dishes have a distinctively Southern (US) twist to them and for that alone it deserves accolades. This is probably the only high-end eatery in the city where vegetarians have a decent set of choices. From appetizers to the main course, there are many interesting choices for the non meat-eater, and this gets them high marks in my book. I am a big fan of south western Indian cooking, and Chauhans does a good take on the spicy, coconut milk based gravies from that part of the country. I am, however, terribly dissatisfied with their beer. Not only are they pricey (hovering around 10$) the quality is not in commensurate with the price. GIven that they have started their own brewery, Mantra Brewing, I hoped to find the beer more affordable, but by going with pricier = better route, I am left with a sour taste (not the good kind) with their beers. Chauhans has managed to elevate the image and quality of Indian food from a frugal hole-in-the-wall inside a strip mall to a dignified, first-date-worthy establishment that people want to have reservations for.
LE
legendofzoltar
I have been to Chauhan 3 times. The first time was decent. The food was tasty but the service was a bit disappointing as the staff seemed overwhelmed. The appetizers were the highlight given the vindaloo was very sweet. I thought I came on an off night so I decided to return. The second visit 45min passed between my appetizer and entree. I eventually had to leave my seat to track down my server, as i had not seen him in at lest 20min, to tell him i needed the check because i was too hungry to wait any longer. As i was walking out the assistant general manager caught me and apologized. She was adamant that if i came back I would be "taken care of" as this phrase was repeated at least three times. She gave me her card and asked me to email her before i came back. So on my third trip i emailed the assistant GM and she said she was looking forward to seeing me. I came with a friend and spent over $100 and never once saw her. Nothing was "taken care of" of either. Not only does this place give consistently poor service, the promises of the management seem to dissipate shortly after being given. I will not be returning.
LE
Leo tan tan pop
My son and daughter in law took me today for my 63rd birthday lunch. My daughter in law and I had the salmon and I loved it, the skin was crispy, the meat flaky and the sauce was creamy and enhanced the flavor perfectly. The sauteed greens and salsa were well seasoned and the crunch was a nice companion to the salmon. We both enjoyed it. My son ordered the Indian "meat and 3" Thali which was a nice variety with the fragrant and flavorful Indian spices - we all sampled it and were pleased with the flavors and textures. I have read the other reviews and I only agree its a bit pricey, but no worse than many of the new restaurants that have come into town over the past couple years. We loved it and look forward to returning. I loved the interior and like the size which made it more intimate and warm. Our times was pleasant, we were well tended to and our waiter patiently gave us good information and descriptions of everything we asked about I for one am glad Chef Maneet opened here, but I do wish she had stopped to ask how we enjoyed our meal when she came through, though she did smile and speak.
K
K W
My girlfriend and I came to Chauhan Ale and Masala House for the first time for our 3 year anniversary, and we were absolutely amazed. The place was packed when we went, but it was a Friday night, so that wasnt too surprising, especially not for a restaurant voted into the top ten restaurants in Nashville! Our server, Asha, was VERY attentive, yet not pushy. Asha even accommodated my love for spicy foods by offering to make my saag sauce spicier (and it was AMAZING). Now Im not exactly a rich guy, so we couldnt go ALL out, but for the price we paid, we both had a beer, some naan, and two dinner meals that were enough to have leftovers the next day. To really top everything off, the general manager was walking around delivering beverages himself; very, very kind. We thought he was the bartender, but when he introduced himself and we told him about our anniversary, he gave us a treat on the house! Overall, incredible service, and incredible food. If you dont mind a little bit of noise, I HIGHLY recommend dining here.
RO
Ron Kidd
My wife and I visited about a month ago. We were looking forward to a great experience based on other reviews and the reputation of the chef. Ive lived and visited in countries where great Indian food was a staple so we know a little about Indian food. We ordered a bread and chutney appetizer that was okay but not worth the $11 price for basically naan and about 8 small chutney samples. We order the desi fare chicken vindaloo. It was so spicy hot that it was inedible. We kept eating because with the reputation of the location it must be us and not them, but after three or four bites our mouths were so numb we simply couldnt continue. When we explained to the waitress why we werent finishing you could see her figuratively roll her eyes at the uninitiated. There were no offers to mitigate the bill, (which we werent asking anyway), or even an apology. It was a haughty attitude that made me not want to ever return. I gave it two stars because the naan was really good and the chutney was decent.
