By Beth Mack
February 18, 2021 (updated)
With one of the largest Indian populations in the state, Charlotte has a growing number of Indian restaurants, along with some staples that have been open for nearly 20 years.
India is a country with a rich cultural history that dates back thousands of years, and numerous influences have shaped what we know as Indian cuisine. Food in India has been and continues to be heavily influenced by religion– particularly Hindu and Islam– culture, and tradition. Within India, the vast regional differences in cuisine, shaped by climate and history in addition to religion, have culminated in a diversity of flavors. To group all the regional cuisines of India together under one umbrella is akin to lumping together Carolina-style barbeque with Kansas City barbeque. With Indian cuisine, the food is typically broken down to two main geographic regions, North and South.
Cuisine of North India is prevalent in restaurants in the U.S. and is characterized by rich, milk-based curries, kebabs, and tandoori-cooked flatbreads such as naan, paratha and kulcha. With a cooler climate, these meals are typically very hearty. Common North Indian dishes include butter chicken, palak paneer, tandoori chicken, biryani, chicken tikka masala, samosas and lassi (blended yogurt drink). Lesser known, but equally delicious, are dishes such as chole bhuture, (chickpea curry served with a fried bread), Rogan Josh (spicy lamb curry with a tomato sauce), and jalebi (spiral fried dough, similar to a funnel cake).
South India, on the other hand, has a warmer, tropical climate with its borders formed by the ocean. The cuisine tends to be lighter with more coconut milk curries, highlighting the abundant seafood and rice. South Indian food tends to have a hotter spice level than the North and often includes a bread item like uttapam (fried pancake topped with various vegetables and spices), dosas (similar to a crepe), or vadas (savory doughnuts). Popular entrées include regional-flavored biryanis (such as Hyderabadi region), chicken 65 (crispy chicken tossed in a red chili sauce), and madras curry. South Indian cuisine is not complete without its notorious street food, which has grown in popularity across the United States.
In a country with 22 official languages, the language of food is universal with each dish telling a story in homage to its history.
Curry Gate
Since it opened its original location in North End in 2020, Curry Gate has expanded across the city rapidly adding a second, larger location off of South Boulevard in 2023 featuring dine-in seating. Curry Gate offers quintessential Northern Indian cuisine with curries, tandoori meats, and breads. While the restaurant is relatively new to the Charlotte Indian food scene, owner and chef Chuda Dimal, has had his hand in Charlotte’s Indian food scene for years, having worked at Royal Biryani, Maharini, and King of Spicy, to name a few. With velvety curries and crisp tandoori-cooked naan full of spice, Curry Gate is a must for those seeking traditional North Indian cuisine. Given Curry Gate’s overwhelming popularity, Dhimal created another restaurant concept, Curry Junction, that just opened in Uptown’s Monarch Market and has another location set to open soon located in the Arboretum Shopping Center.
Curry Gate
630 W 24 St.
Charlotte, NC 28206
(704) 712-2968
5516 South Blvd
Charlotte NC, 28217
(704) 910-4038
Curry Junction
101 N. Tryon St.
Charlotte, NC 28202
Website / Facebook / Instagram
Passage to India
Nestled in a strip mall in the University area, you will find Passage to India. While its footprint may be small, its expansive menu explores all of India with popular dishes from both North and South India. Owner Andy Singh and his team have been serving up everything from tikka masala to dosas since 2009. A unique feature of Passage to India is that they only serve halal meats and a robust vegan menu. Passage to India recently re-opened their dining room to allow guests to take in all of the aromas of traditional Indian food.
Passage to India
9510 University City Blvd
Charlotte, NC 28213
704-549-1886
Website / Facebook / Instagram
Royal Biryani
Royal Biryani has been serving up traditional North Indian cuisine since 2017 in their cozy restaurant located in the Sardis Woods neighborhood of Charlotte. When deciding what to order, a tip I find helpful is that if a restaurant includes the name of a dish in its name, you should probably get it. Royal Biryani’s biryani does not disappoint. Beyond the varieties of biryani, Royal Biryani boasts a large menu filled with curries, kebobs, tandoori breads, and desserts. Some unique things that set Royal Biryani apart from other Charlotte North Indian restaurants are their appetizers and the fact that all of their meat is halal. Peruse their appetizer list and you find your typical samosas and chaats along with more unique ones such as jaduee gobi (crispy cauliflower tossed in a flavorful, tangy sauce) and Kathmandu chicken (crispy chicken and veggies tossed in a spicy sauce), both of which are very popular.
Royal Biryani
9624 Monroe Rd
Charlotte, NC 28270
(980) 339-5842
Tabla Indian Restaurant
Named after a small drum commonly found in North India, Tabla offers authentic cuisine from across North and South India. Opened in Ballantyne in 2017, Tabla is part of a small chain that originated in San Mateo, California in 2012. With a vast menu of chaats, curries, biryanis, and tandoori items, they strive to be inclusive with a large number of vegetarian items and only serving halal meats. Owner Manjesh Gorajala is helping spread Indian cuisine in Charlotte and also owns the Indian restaurant Chat ‘N’ Dosa and Indian-focused bakery, Sweet Magic.
Tabla Indian Restaurant
15025 Lancaster Highway
Charlotte, NC 28277
(704) 210-8484
Persis Biryani Indian Grill
Located in the University area, Persis Biryani is one of the few Indian restaurants in the Charlotte area currently offering a buffet. Open every day of the week, their lunch buffet is a great way to try out a variety of Indian dishes. You can also elect to order from their extensive South Indian menu ranging from traditional curries, biryanis, tandoori entrees, and desserts. As part of the nation’s largest Indian chain restaurants, you can find Persis across the country.
Persis Biryani Indian Grill
3130 Driftwood Ct.
Charlotte, NC 28269
(704) 716-7001
King of Spicy
In 2008, a Nepalese family immigrated to Charlotte with a dream to open a restaurant serving authentic Nepalese and Indian food. That dream became a reality in 2015 as they opened King of Spicy in southeast Charlotte. Located in a strip mall with other international food businesses, King of Spicy lives up to its name bringing spice to their vast food offerings ranging from thalis, curries, biryanis, and tandoori meats and breads complete with a full bar. The family has gone on to create an Indian restaurant empire in Charlotte also opening up Curry Gate and Curry Junction.
King of Spicy
8829 E W.T. Harris Blvd.
Charlotte, NC 28227
(704) 900-5475
Sarangi Indian and Nepali Cuisine
The spot that once housed Indian restaurant Chatpatay in the University area, is now home to Sarangi Indian and Nepali Cuisine. Opened in 2021, Sarangi offers a larger menu that also incorporates cuisine from Nepal with one of the most extensive offerings of MoMos (Nepali dumplings) in the area. To complement the usual Indian dishes and thalis, you will also find tandoori-cooked chicken wings and Indian beers such as Kingfisher, Chakra, 1947 Craft Beer, and Old Monk to level out the spice.
Sarangi Indian and Nepali Cuisine
9211 N Tryon St
Charlotte, NC 28262
(980) 875-7775
Website / Facebook / Instagram
Raj’s Kitchen
Off North Tryon in the University area, you will find Raj’s Kitchen. Established in August 2019, Raj’s is not your typical Indian restaurant. A large part of their menu is devoted to street food from all over India. You will still find the curries, tandoori chicken, paneer, and chaats of North India, but also street food common to South India. Raj’s offers a variety of puris (deep-fried bread), Kati rolls (an Indian version of a wrap with chicken or paneer stuffed with vegetables and sauces all wrapped in partha), egg-centric dishes, and a large selection of desserts. If you are unsure of what to order, try the thali, a selection of various dishes served on a large silver platter.
Raj’s Kitchen
9609 N Tryon St
Charlotte, NC 28262
(980) 999-5511
Website / Facebook / Instagram
Botiwalla
Located in Charlotte’s Optimist Hall, Botiwalla opened its doors in December 2020. Focusing on late-night Indian street food, Botiwalla offers a fast-casual service with a compact menu full of flavor. Botiwalla has a sister restaurant located in Atlanta’s Ponce City Market and another location in Asheville, both of which are part of the Chai Pani Restaurant Group that also runs an Indian restaurant, Chai Pani in Asheville. Chef and founder Meherwan Irani, an Indian native, has earned four James Beard Award nominations in his quest to share his love of Indian street food. Beyond the decor, representative of a traditional Irani cafe commonly found in India is a menu that offers delectable appetizers, entrees, and a variety of rolls similar to Kati rolls but uses naan as the wrap. While the menu may appear simple, the flavors are not. To crank up the flavor, try adding their house-made hot sauce, mango pickle, desi (creamy Indian spiced slaw), or riatta (lightly seasoned yogurt) to your dish.
Botiwalla
1115 N Brevard St.
Charlotte, NC 28206
(980) 296-3993
Website / Facebook / Instagram
Chaat ‘N’ Dosa
Located in Ballantyne, Chaat ‘N’ Dosa offers solely vegetarian South Indian street food. With an extensive menu and affordable prices, you can truly get a taste of the flavor explosion that is South Indian cuisine. While their dosas and chaats are an obvious choice, Chaat ‘N’ Dosa offers everything from vadas and puris to thalis. Opened in 2019, Chaat ‘N’ Dosa has a fast-casual setting where you order items a la carte or in combo sizes via a kiosk.
Chaat ‘N’ Dosa
8624 Camfield Street
Charlotte, NC 28277
(704) 271-9361
Maharani
Maharani has been a staple in the Charlotte Indian food scene since it opened back in 2002. Owned by New Delhi natives Amandeep and Manjeet Singh, they have kept true to their traditional North Indian roots. In an intimate atmosphere, Maharani offers curries, biryanis, tandoori items, and an assortment of tandoori-baked Indian breads and desserts. Uncommon in many Indian restaurants, Maharani offers alcohol, including domestic beer and wine along with a selection of beers imported from India such as Kingfisher, Flying Horse, and Taj Mahal. While their popular lunch buffet is on pause due to the pandemic, they do offer two thalis, a vegetarian and non-vegetarian, for those wishing to sample multiple dishes.
Maharani
901 S King St.
Charlotte, NC, 28204
(704) 370-2455
Zafran Kabab Palace
If you center your meals around meat, Zafran Kabab Palace (Zafran) is the Indian spot for you. Since 2017, owner Roaz Khan has been serving the University area specializing in North Indian tandoori barbeque with a Pakistani twist. Thumb through the menu and you will find that Zafran offers a truly unique menu devoted to kebabs and other tandoori-roasted halal meats. Not only will you find kebabs, you can also find chicken wings, lamb chops, whole roasted then fried chicken, and, elusive to Indian menus due to religious beliefs, beef. Zafran also offers traditional North Indian curries, biryanis, tandoori breads, and desserts. To balance out all of the meat, as is common with all Indian restaurants, Zafran offers a selection of vegetarian appetizers and entrees.
Zafran Kabab Palace
30 E WT Harris Blvd
Charlotte, NC 28262
(980) 258-0651
Copper
Last but certainly not least is Charlotte’s premier upscale Indian restaurant, Copper. Located in Dilworth in a renovated 1908 bungalow, Copper has been offering their take on modern Indian cuisine since 2004. Browse their menu and you will find the flavor and spices of India used to prepare non-traditional dishes along with some common traditional North Indian dishes. Copper’s menu offers typical Indian meats such as chicken, lamb, and goat along with a good variety of vegetarian dishes, but also a large amount of seafood and even duck. They also host a full bar complete with local beer, Indian beer, and craft cocktails.
Copper
311 East Blvd.
Charlotte, NC 28203
(704) 333-0063
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