This little place sits in a strip mall on land used for the US 31 drive in theater when I was in high school. It is probably an improvement. It is a buffet that only costs $10; which is probably what got Pat’s attention. Like most buffets taking pictures is difficult. I took selected shots of the buffet line first thing.
Best Indian Food we've had in years. The quality of the good here is top notch. The owner greets.you at the door and is always nearby to assist with refilling a drink or making a suggestion. I can't recommend the restaurant highly enough!
Great naan, terrible desserts. I'd expected more items for a Sunday lunch buffet so I was a little disappointed. We sat ourselves because no one came to greet us. The food wasn't too bad. The rice was ordinary - something I could have made myself. The curries more mostly gravy with very few pieces of vegetables or meat. The disastrous desserts should be avoided at all costs. I have never tasted such stale, leathery gulab jamuns. The carrot halwa was watery and not sweet enough. The badam kheer tasted like the rice pudding you get at the school cafeteria. What was simply amazing were the fresh naans, definitely not the ready-made frozen stuff. For this alone, I would go back. I would rate this place average without the naan.
Quality food with great flavor and lots of variety. The friendly service of the owners and serving staff makes you feel like family. Highly recommend for an authentic taste of India!
Professional Eater Mike
+4.5
The only negative of the Clay Oven is it's value, otherwise, this place rocks. What is it with Indian Food? If you go to any buffet, you're getting a bargain basement price. However, if you order any regular entree, the prices climb to ridiculous heights while the portions decrease. I got two entrees tonight with a take-out sized box of rice and two pieces of naan for $31. Ouch. Actually, I might've ordered an appetizer and they just never put it in the bag, but I don't know because I left my receipt on the counter when I left.
The food was delicious, my wife got a curry chicken and I got Chicken Jazeer. The curry chicken barely had any chicken in it, but was quite delicious. My Chicken Jazeer was better.
I would say that this food is better than Mumbai Grill, but I think that better value exists out in town and I"m going to keep looking.
Delicious Food And Excellent Service Even Though We Arrived Late. I Would Definitely Recommend them!
Excellent food and very nice atmosphere. Will definitely go back.
Best Lunch Buffet. The restaurant is beautifully decorated . The staff is friendly and food is mouthwatering. I was not very sure of what I liked, but on the buffet you get try a little of everything! The food is not HOT just wonderfully spiced. Don't miss it!
Very good food!!! Extremely sweet people as well. Best in Indy.
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
A Symphony in Every Bite!. Indian cuisine always reminds me of a symphony. Take your basic food, add both subtle and searing spices, and combined they form something greater than the sum of their parts. And The Clay Oven did not disappoint. I arrived just before opening at 11AM, and wondered if I should have the buffet, or order something traditional from the kitchen. The buffet won out, and it was a great choice.
Starting with Chicken Tikka Massala (okay, that was about as authentically Indian as bangers and mash, but still yummy!) and Vegetable Korma (mixed veggies in cream sauce with nuts and saffron), the battle of the taste buds was on. Drinks were kept full throughout, and of course the Naan was delivered to my table fresh from the oven. Next I tried the Alloo Gobhi (potatoes and cauliflower in a cream sauce with onions, tomatoes and spices). For the finale I sampled the Gulab Jamun (okay sampled is a bit of an understatement). The cheese balls braised in cinnamon sauce may not sound appetizing to the uninitiated, but it was absolutely heavenly; and epitomizes Indian Cuisine in my opinion. Subtle and complex spices, unlikely alliances of ingredients, and a thoroughly unforgettable experience.
Bravo to The Clay Oven!! I can’t wait to return again!!
Absolutely delicious Tikka Masala and Butter Chicken. For whatever reason this place was dead on a Saturday night, but the staff was friendly, the spices were on point, and the garlic Naan (along with everything else) was perfect. Will be visiting again soon.
My wife recommended this restaurant to me after enjoying it with some friends. My first experience there was fantastic! I ordered the Gobi Manchurian, and I will absolutely order it again. They cooked it to perfection. The service was excellent, and every member of the staff we encountered was kind and hospitable. I can't wait to eat at Clay Oven again, and I hope more people have a chance to enjoy it the same way I did!
This was my first time eating at Clay Oven. The owners were so sweet and friendly. The food was AMAZING! There were 3 of us and we had a huge variety that we ordered. Appetizers included chaat, vegetable samosas and paneer with chutney. Main dishes included aloo, chili paneer, chicken 65, vegetable biryani, spinach dishes (I don't remember the names) and naan. Each dish was better than the next. They recently relocated to a different space and it's very nice. I highly recommend Clay Oven.
This was a great experience. Having never eaten Indian food and going to India in a week, we asked for recommendations. Very helpful. Great food. Great experience. We plan to go back after we return from India. Highly recommend.
used to be ny favorite but often feel as if they dont value customers at all.
we ordered take out and for 6 prople w full.orders on serving of rice. burnt naan. my foid was ordered separately and packed in so i never got any rice or bread or chutney. what a waste of my $20. also they aystem was down to order online so coupon was not honored. really its the fault of the system ? why penalize loyal customers who dine frequently. well no more ! hope you guys see this bc im sad to lose a favorite dining spot a d will no longer give good recommendations to others. enjoy your 10$ coupon scam !its the last 100$ you will get from me
This place was great! Came bc of vegan options. They have about a full page of vg options too! So pumped. Got a masala and an eggplant plate. Also got two of the appetizers. Super dank. Wish I remembered names! Ask them w pictures. They're the only two vegan dumpling thing options.
Another diamond in the rough. Obviously their Naan is good but wow everything else is so good too. I really like the Tandoori Chicken Tikka. I took a friend who had never been to an official place before and she tried the Chicken Biryani. Very good. Haven't tried anything I didn't like. Plus everyone is always so so nice!!
Had an amazing lunch here! We went during the buffet but decided to order instead so we could choose our spice level but the buffet had lots of options and looked very appealing. Everything we ordered was amazing and served family style so we could easily share to try each others food. The servers/owners were very friendly and were always refilling our water asking us how it was etc. overall amazing experience. Will definitely go back!
This is a great Indian restaurant on the Southside- we had excellent service and the food was delicious. This was our second time here and we will be back again :)
Nice place for weekend buffet , helpful and friendly staff. Food is cooked fresh and tastes good , only place on Southside that has buffet options on weekends .
Make a reservation
Order online
Find the best restaurant in Indianapolis
An error has occurred! Please try again in a few minutes