Hillsboro residents adore Indian cuisine. Maybe it’s the fragrant curries, sizzling tandoori platters, or comforting biryanis we’ve savored for years. This fits perfectly because our city boasts more variations—from fiery Chettinad to creamy Punjabi, and modern fusion spots—than many realize. Whether it’s a humble strip-mall gem or an elegant dining destination, this guide offers even more Indian flavors to cherish.
Indian Flame Authentic Cuisine
$ | (971) 864-6797 | WEBSITE
You can’t have a conversation about the best Indian food in Hillsboro without mentioning Indian Flame Authentic Cuisine. The restaurant in the welcoming Sardarji family-run space usually has a steady stream of regulars, and most folks are there for the authentic chutneys and spice. Maybe the most quintessential Indian dishes on the list, the Chicken Thali and Lamb Rogan Josh at Indian Flame are prepared with care that makes them worth the visit.
Apna Chat Bhavan
$ | (503) 718-7841 | WEBSITE
Authentic Indian cuisine is hard to find in Hillsboro, especially spots that feel like a second home with generous portions at affordable prices. But that’s exactly what Apna Chat Bhavan, a popular restaurant and grocery store, delivers. Their Goat Dum Biryani comes with perfect, heaping portions of tender meat and fragrant rice that’s cooked to aromatic, flavorful perfection with just the right spice balance.
The biryani also doesn’t overshadow the variety of vegetarian options, which includes dosas with crisp edges and soft centers or the lunch thali that offers a little bit of everything. If you’re feeling hungry and want to try multiple dishes, we recommend calling ahead during peak hours to avoid the occasional slow service.
Curry On Indian Cuisine
$ | (971) 448-4444 | WEBSITE
Every visit to Curry On Indian Cuisine should include the egg kothu paratha. If Curry On is the food truck version of a warm, comforting hug, then the egg kothu paratha is that extra little squeeze. Made with shredded paratha, eggs, and spices and served piping hot with complex flavors, it’s Hillsboro’s best Indian street food dish. The paratha always arrives perfectly cooked with fluffy eggs, and has a wonderful spice.
Get an extra order for the table unless you enjoy fork-fighting with loved ones.
Curry & Crust Indian Cuisine Desi Pizza
$ | (503) 992-6363 | WEBSITE
The Paneer Tikka pizza is why you go to Curry & Crust. The intimate spot offers a pricier pie (a large for $28), but it’s worth it. The balance between the crispiness of the crust and the creamy spiciness of the paneer tikka is perfect. Open until 11pm on the weekends, this tucked-away location is a perfect choice for late-night comfort food. Or grab your friends for the daily buffet, when Curry & Crust throws Indian-style pizzas alongside the decent spread.
Punjabi Sundew
$ | (503) 809-6750 | WEBSITE
Unlike the other curries on this list, the lamb at Punjabi Sundew is cooked with a medium spice level. That means a slight sacrifice in the heat department, but there’s still plenty of flavor. Complex spices coat every tender piece, from the rich sauce to the falling-off-the-bone meat, so while the first few bites might not taste fiery, each one builds until you’re reaching for naan. Make sure to try the Chicken Tikka Masala alongside it.
It’s got a creamy texture and balanced warmth that lingers for what feels like days.
Biryani Corner
$ | (503) 747-4770 | WEBSITE
While Biryani Corner makes a delicious butter chicken, focus your energy on the Chicken Biryani instead. The Hillsboro restaurant takes the aromatic spices of the dish and layers them so that each forkful can be savored from the first bite to the last. Compared to the fragrant rice the chicken seems almost tender, and is cooked in a generous blend of seasonings. Order it with a side of baby corn pepper fry, and scoop up every stray grain of rice that has escaped your plate.
Hillsboro Swagat Indian Cuisine
$ | (503) 844-3838 | WEBSITE
Hillsboro Swagat Indian Cuisine is a capital-R restaurant where everything from the food to the service is warm and welcoming, including the butter chicken. Despite tasting like home-cooked comfort, this Hillsboro restaurant’s lamb tikki masala and naan arrive in generous portions on gleaming ceramic plates. The butter chicken sauce is creamy but not heavy, with a smooth, velvety texture over tender chicken.
Plus, the tender lamb falls apart so easily it’s impossible not to utter a contented sigh. Dredge each piece of naan through the rich tikki masala sauce, and take bites of mild aloo paratha in between.
Chennai Masala
$ | (503) 531-9500 | WEBSITE
It’s only fitting that a dosa that’s worth crossing town for makes this list. That’s the case at Chennai Masala in Portland, and our favorite way to enjoy the aforementioned paper dosa is with a trio of chutneys that take up most of the plate. The golden crepe always arrives at the table steaming and still crackling from its trip to the griddle. And it always tastes better with a generous ladle of sambar, and after soaking in the warm coconut chutney runoff.
Bombay Chaat House
$ | (503) 241-7944 | WEBSITE
Only order the curries at Bombay Chaat House if you want to experience authentic flavor transcendence, because this food truck in Aloha makes the most phenomenal Indian food in the area. Each dish from the trio curry special to the samosas is packed with enough spice to cover the Walgreens parking lot, with pockets of flavor crammed into every nook and cranny. Even the naan has a ribbon of garlic swirled in.
If it weren’t for the fresh chai, fragrant rice, and welcoming hospitality from the owner and chef, one might faint from sheer deliciousness. Come here to feel warm, get some sun—there’s no indoor seating—and drink your weight in that standout chai.
185th & Indian
$ | (503) 649-9880 | WEBSITE
We’re just as likely to head to 185th & Indian for their Chicken Dum Biryani as we are for a comforting bowl of Navratna korma. Each dish is layered with extraordinary combinations of spices and textures, and comes with enough aromatic rice to constitute its own meal. The flavors are authentic and worth the cozy ambiance you’ll enjoy while you finish the garlic naan.
Biryani Express PDX
$ | (503) 207-6768 | WEBSITE
Head to Biryani Express PDX when you crave Indian biryani with portions that could feed a small village. Despite Biryani Express serving enough fragrant rice daily to fill Providence Park, the freshness never falters. The cooking here produces a generous and aromatic basmati base with layers of just-right-spice enveloping the tender meat.
Each bite tastes so satisfying that you might surprise yourself with how much you can enjoy, especially with starters like the vibrant Hara Bhara Kabob and the massive Masala Paper Roast Dosa.
