India Oven is nestled in a retail strip off of West Avenue, where the restaurant has been serving San Antonio diners for almost 30 years. The storied establishment is a great spot for a nice, sit-down dinner or a quick takeout meal, but did you know that India Oven’s lunch buffet is both affordable and delicious?
I checked out India Oven’s all-you-can-eat offerings around 1 p.m. on a Wednesday, and the lunch rush was still going strong. Here, the tables are configured in a proper way, with tablecloths, multiple forks and an empty glass for water. There’s also a well-stocked wine rack stacked along a wall when you enter the restaurant.
India Oven’s vibe is swanky but casual, elevated but relaxed, and the service matches this energy, with attentive employees making sure water is poured and empty plates are picked up frequently. Once I was shown to a table, I was off to the races to grab my first plate of food. The buffet spread has a decent amount of variety, and the fragrant dishes beckoned like a siren’s call.
First round one, I loaded up my plate with a small mound of rice, some naan, saag paneer, a scoop of vegetable curry and a little bit of butter chicken. The curries were much spicier than the ones I’ve had at other Indian buffets, but they don’t sacrifice flavor for the sake of heat. The butter chicken was a standout, with its rich, creamy curry and thick chunks of succulent chicken.
Instinctively, I went heavier on the butter chicken for my second round, which produced a similar plate to the first with the addition of tandoori chicken and a vegetable korma. The spread at India Oven’s buffet had plenty of veggie-based options, making it a clutch spot for vegetarians seeking out Northern Indian cuisine…