If you’re in Owings Mills and crave authentic Indian cuisine, your map just lit up. From aromatic curries that transport you to Delhi to tandoori feasts worth the drive and butter chicken so good you’ll cancel other plans, we’ve got your cravings covered. These are the 11 essential spots for a quick lunch break, a celebratory dinner, or when you need to impress foodie friends without leaving the neighborhood.
The Mint Room
$$ | (410) 696-2727 | WEBSITE
This Indian spot has a peaceful dining room with comfortable seating that works great for a family gathering or a casual date night. The prices here are pretty reasonable, with classic dishes like daal, butter chicken, and saag paneer all under $20. Our favorite, the Chicken Tikka Masala Pizza, comes topped with tender chicken and creamy sauce on a crispy crust.
Head here for a relaxing weeknight dinner or a weekend lunch when you want to enjoy the excellent buffet and try something new from their frequently changing dessert options.
Belvedere Cafe
$ | (410) 464-0002 | WEBSITE
If you’re craving authentic Indian flavors in Owings Mills, there’s hardly a spot we can recommend more than Belvedere Cafe–it’s our top-rated choice. Situated in a welcoming neighborhood setting, the cozy space features warm lighting and comfortable booths that invite lingering. At around $18 per entrée, the generous portions include standout dishes like creamy Palak paneer, aromatic Vegetable Korma, or the rich Curry Lamb. Perfect for a casual celebration or a satisfying weeknight dinner.
The service is consistently friendly and accommodating, the menu a delightful mix of Indian and American classics, and you’ll leave completely content paying that $50 tab for two (just savor every bite).
Paradise Indian Cuisine
$ | (410) 203-1115 | WEBSITE
For a last-minute dinner with a group, Paradise Indian Cuisine is the spot. They have a small but comfortable space with simple, clean tables perfect for sharing from their extensive menu. Since it’s not hard to get a table, you can focus on the important things–chicken biriyani or shrimp curry? Fish curry or the signature chicken?
Paradise has something for everyone, including a warm, welcoming atmosphere and the owner’s friendly smile for the inevitable group photo you’ll take between bites of your aromatic curry.
Sangam Indian Cuisine
$$ | (410) 313-8818 | WEBSITE
Typically, a satisfying Indian feast can run you as much as a weekend getaway. Owings Mills’ Sangam Indian Cuisine delivers something special—a genuine South Indian experience for under $25 a person. Inside the bright, airy dining room, you’ll settle into spacious seating, surrounded by warm decor, and catch the scent of spices while waiting for your goat biryani to arrive. They have some of the same appeal as other Indian spots—rich butter chicken, creamy saag paneer, and fluffy butter naan.
But unlike those other places, this meal feels relaxed (it’s leisurely paced). Visit when you crave a quiet, inviting atmosphere, and savor flavorful dishes, all without having to debate the check when the evening ends.
Paradise Biryani Pointe
$ | (410) 747-0080 | WEBSITE
Paradise Biryani Pointe is an Owings Mills Indian restaurant that joins the ranks of the area’s standout culinary destinations. The welcoming space feels like it’s straight out of Hyderabad–it has the ambiance of a bustling family eatery, complete with an open kitchen view and warm lighting that connects the dining room to the takeout counter.
The menu has a biryani selection, small plates–including the tender Apollo Fish and Chicken 65 Biriyani–and larger dishes like the Hyderabadi goat biryani and Chicken Madras Curry. You’ll find families and groups of friends sharing orders of Thalapakatti Goat Biryani, but the best experience in the house is at a table, sampling the weekend special Pomfret Dry, Chicken Fried Rice, and biryanis from the steaming pots.
Indian Ocean Restaurant
$$ | (443) 281-8028 | WEBSITE
Indian Ocean Restaurant is an elegant white-tablecloth establishment in Owings Mills offering a serene atmosphere with pleasant music and a variety of interesting seafood dishes. The most notable items, though, are inspired by the restaurant’s coastal theme. Everything is meant to be savored, from the exquisite Goan Salmon with its subtle sauce to the perfectly spiced Lamb Saag where you can choose your preferred heat level, but you’ll want to keep the mango chicken to yourself.
The tender chicken in that sweet-tangy mango sauce is unforgettable (and worth ordering seconds).
Cafe Spice Indian Cuisine
$ | (410) 891-8740 | WEBSITE
If you’re looking for an affordable, delicious weekend lunch, we immediately think of Cafe Spice. The warm, inviting Indian spot is usually bustling, but the flavorful chicken tikka masala, plates of chicken biryani, and Friday buffet for $20 are worth it. Come with the whole family or get a front row seat at the first come, first serve Saturday lunch buffet.
Persis Biryani Indian Grill
$ | (410) 747-0213 | WEBSITE
Persis Biryani Indian Grill has a winning formula: can’t-miss dosas, aromatic rice cooked to perfection, and a vibrant, feels-like-a-bustling-Mumbai-market aesthetic that you can only get from an authentic Indian grill. The biryani, curry, and thali options are plentiful, and they have some of the best starters in town. The crispy Masala dosa comes whole, so you don’t have to make the impossible choice between savory or spicy, and the Hyderabadi Chicken Dum Biryani is plentiful.
Order those, plus the poppable Karam Podi Chicken. It’s a laid-back place where it’s easy to grab a flavorful dish and savor, well, everything. And if the spice level heats up, just pick up where you left off in the will-it-cool-down saga playing out in the dining room. Spoiler: It’s a hot Sunday. It won’t.
Biryani & Bakers
$ | (443) 300-7866 | WEBSITE
Biryani & Bakers has the very casual vibe of a neighborhood spot, but with a much more focused menu (no disrespect to chain restaurants–we love a place with endless options). They make some spectacular biryanis for dinner–we’re partial to the Hyderabadi Dum Goat Biryani, layered with tender meat, fragrant rice, and aromatic spices. There’s only a couple tables inside, but it’s more fun to sit near the counter and watch the action anyway.
It’s a popular spot for local food lovers, so if you want to grab dinner without a wait, plan to arrive before the evening rush.
Taj Palace
$$ | (410) 413-6361 | WEBSITE
Taj means “crown” in Hindi, and as it turns out, this welcoming spot may be one. In some ways, it’s like other Indian restaurants in town: goat curry, saag paneer, and butter chicken on the menu. But it’s especially useful for their generously portioned (read: huge) $15 lunch buffet and a relaxed family dinner. A few dishes that have our undivided attention are the tender and flavorful lamb pops, fish chili with a perfect kick, and samosas that are crispy without being greasy.
There are warm lights on the ceiling and a glowing mural behind the counter—it feels like they know the families and pre-night-out friends in the dining room will appreciate those warm, considerate touches just as much as the hint of spice in the butter chicken (our favorite). And they do.
Tandoor Spice
$$ | (410) 988-5962 | WEBSITE
Tandoor Spice is a north Indian spot that blends traditional flavors with modern touches—and serves it all with warm hospitality. The welcoming space has a calm atmosphere and plenty of seating for groups, and it packs rich Butter Chicken, savory Hakka Noodles, and garlicky Garlic Naan with perfectly generous portions. There’s not a bad bite to be had, but the creamy, spice-balanced, amazing Butter Chicken is one of the best comfort foods we’ve had all year.
If you go for dinner (like the entire regular crowd), try the flavorful Hakka Noodles and garlicky Garlic Naan. Or roll up with a big group post work for rounds of the satisfying dishes, rich flavors, and as much naan as you can handle.
