
“Hillcrest lunch buffet spot with loyal butter chicken fans and inconsistent execution—order what the regulars order.”
One loyal customer calls out butter chicken and cheese naan as their 'go to'—likely the safest bet on the menu.
Multiple service flags (meal delivery, food delivery, online ordering) and one reviewer mentions ordering 'on multiple occasions' with consistent results.
Reviews range from 'NEVER disappoint' regulars to complaints about bland fillings, undercooked bread, and overcooked proteins—quality inconsistent.
Google summary highlights lunch buffet; one reviewer specifically praises the 'lunch special' as a go-to for sit-down dining without spending much.
“Tandoori Hut serves University Avenue's cheap Indian lunch buffet and late-night delivery orders—not the neighborhood's most polished operation, but often the only one open.”
Where Bahn Thai and White Elephant polish their service and nail consistency, Tandoori Hut operates on a different principle: volume and availability. This is the spot feeding the post-brunch crowd who needs something besides avocado toast, the NYU grad students ordering butter chicken at midnight, and the office workers who hit the lunch buffet because it's $12 and you can go back for seconds. It's not trying to be your date-night destination—it's trying to be open when you need it.
The buffet is the real draw during lunch hours: steam trays of saag paneer, chicken tikka masala, dal, and naan that comes out warm enough to matter. Quality varies—some days the korma's creamy and well-spiced, other days it tastes like it's been sitting since 11 a.m. The kitchen does better with the classics ordered fresh: butter chicken that's reliably rich, cheese naan that shows up hot and stretchy, samosas that aren't revolutionary but get the job done.
Service runs the gamut from genuinely helpful to distracted-bordering-on-curt, especially at the register during rushes. The dining room itself is functional—a few tables, minimal decor, the kind of space that prioritizes turnover over ambiance. There's outdoor seating that catches whatever breeze comes down Fifth Avenue, which matters more in August than January.
This isn't where you go to impress anyone. It's where you go because you're craving aloo gobi on a Tuesday, or because the group can't agree on anything except "not pizza again," or because it's 10 p.m. and most of Hillcrest's kitchens are already closed. For inexpensive Indian food that shows up when you order it, Tandoori Hut does exactly enough.
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University Avenue, 3890 Fifth Ave, San Diego, CA 92103, USA
5 months ago