A pleasant addition to the Gaslight District recently bucked this trend, however, when Amol India, an established Indian restaurant on Ludlow, transformed into Grill of India.
Driving by, I was suddenly greeted with the bright blue Grill of India signage — and they are not messing around with this signage. Two neon signs announce that the restaurant is open, with their hours plastered onto the door. They also note a website on a sign tacked to the outside wall (grillofindiaoh.com) and list a phone number below with the invitation “TEXT ME” written above.
When an Indian restaurant asks you to text it, you don’t ghost them.
My boyfriend and I recently visited, parking near the back of the Habanero/Ambar India parking lot, assuming that this new Grill of India joint had reserved a few of the parking spaces in the lot (they did).
We entered through the side entrance — also decorated with not one but three Grill of India signs — and were greeted with a beautifully decorated but empty party room. Turns out, everyone was just busy getting another plate at the buffet.
Our waiter sat us at a booth near the full bar, where dapper men with neat aprons tied around their waists were popping straws into mango lassis. The restaurant’s lighting is dim, with curtains drawn around the far-off front windows, creating a cozy Indian diner vibe.
I’m a sucker for what’s directly presented before me, so I ordered the buffet ($7.99) and the mango lassi ($2.99) I had been eyeing earlier. My boyfriend opted to order the aloo choley ($10.99) off the menu, as he prefers his Indian food spicy enough that I don’t pick half of it off his plate when he’s not looking. He ordered it spicy level 5 (out of 6). I grumbled and went to the buffet.
Grill of India’s daily lunchtime buffet offers not one but two buffet tables — the sandwich board outside advertised it as 36 items. While I didn’t count, there were more than 12 different types of entrée dishes available to pick and choose from on the right-hand buffet table. Luckily for this vegetarian, each entrée selection was marked clearly. There was also a free ice cream buffet, available from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., with more than 10 kinds of ice cream. Ludlow Graeter’s, you may have found your match.
I shoveled the multicolor rice, aloo choley, saag paneer, a vegetable samosa and a hefty slice of naan onto my plate. Usually, this isn’t enough for me — I once took a Tinder date to Dusmesh buffet and never heard from him again, presumably because he wasn’t as impressed with me finishing five plates. This time, I finished up my plate before my boyfriend’s aloo choley even got to the table, but I was actually full.
One reason the food went down so quickly is because Grill of India obviously uses extremely fresh ingredients. Saag paneer is an item I love to order but dread to eat from buffets — sometimes the saag seems to burn when left out. Grill of India’s saag still was delicately creamy, the paneer cubes retaining firmness. The aloo choley had a deep tomato base and tender chickpeas. The naan was actually warm and not overly greasy at all. The vegetable samosa was a bit greasy, but I love that in a fried potato dish. Grill of India exceeded my expectations with each buffet element. The meal was half nutritious, loading me up with actual vegetables and spices, and half delicious.
My boyfriend’s aloo choley was fantastic, but not so much better than mine that I’d avoid the buffet here. Our waiter offered more rice to us whenever we needed it, too, right when he put down the aloo choley — he knew what we were about from the get-go. The only disappointment at Grill of India was that I could actually eat my boyfriend’s level 5 aloo choley; the spice level was more of a 1 or 2. Nevertheless, he ate the entire dish. Once we inevitably become regulars there, he’ll know he has to order above their 6 limit.
I actually didn’t try the ice cream buffet; the mango lassi was everything I could want in a dessert. The rose water taste was clearer in Grill of India’s mango lassi than any I’ve had in Cincinnati. I grew up on rose water desserts, and having that flavor here is special.
I was able to chat with the owner of Grill of India for a few minutes as he surveyed the buffet selection, a big man named Singh with an even bigger smile. “People come in once, then twice, then three times a week,” Singh said. “They like the food.”
Unlike my original presumption, Amol India hadn’t magically become Grill of India overnight. It is now operated under completely new ownership by the same family that brings North College Hill’s Swad of India to Cincinnati (which is a seal of approval for most Cincinnatians). Singh told me that each dish is a tried and true family recipe, which explains why Swad of India is one of the most popular Indian restaurants in town and why I’d put money on Grill of India rising to the same level of local fame.
This restaurant fills a local niche I didn’t know existed: It’s perfect for fans of Cincinnati’s Indian food scene and those who frequent Kentucky diners like the Pepper Pod and Anchor. Next time I go in, I’m bringing a book and sticking around for the entire buffet time to snack on samosas. See you there. You won’t be able to miss the signs.
Grill of India
GO: 354 Ludlow Ave., Clifton; CALL: 513-961-3600; INTERNET: grillofindiacincinnati.com; HOURS: 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m. daily (lunch buffet 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m.)
