These are archived reviews of Raja Indian Cuisine from 2009. For more recent comments, please visit the entry.
2010-01-20 11:32:32 I have pretty much the same sentiment as everyone else here. I just think their customer service is fantastic! I think their food is easily equal to any other Indian food I've had in Davis or in the area. I prefer it to Kathmandu Kitchen based on price and friendliness alone. Last week when we were in, Taranbir suggested we try their southern Indian specialties next time, so I think I will give that a shot soon. —AmLin
2010-01-26 17:10:41 The food here is excellent but it is pretty difficult to find parking. Plan on walking in, and possibly walking a ways. Totally worth it, though. —rfrazier
2010-02-03 21:27:50 The food here is wonderful! On top of that, Taranbir is a fantastic host. He welcomes you into the restaurant like it's his own home.
Highly recommended. —mheathershaw
2010-02-05 12:00:21 This place is awesome, and so is the owner. Nicest dude on the planet! —gaboona
2010-02-12 21:14:48 I've only had Indian food a few times and had no idea what to order and how to eat what i ordered, but the owner was so hospitable and patient that it made the whole meal even more enjoyable that it already was. —Kamelia
2010-02-13 11:40:19 I just read the last comment, and whoever said this food is bland is TRIPPIN'. I've been eating at this restaurant since I was five yeas old, but I think they may have changed owners at some point during that time. The buffet is excellent, with many different tasty items. Who could say no to endless naan bread and rice pudding? MMmmmm ... and every time I eat there I see them constantly rotating the food, making sure each dish is as fresh as can be. And who could say the food is bland? Each dish is distinctively unique and different from the other and almost color coded, like choosing between the red, orange, green, or yellow dish. They're all delicious. My favorite, even though I'm not vegetarian in any way, is the vegetarian dish with deep fried potatoe. This restaurant is better than the other Indian spots I've been to here in Davis. If you decide to venture out of Davis, try Taj Mahal on Arden or India Oven off Truxel in Natomas. —aaron530
2010-02-18 22:02:35 Raja's Indian food is hands down the best indian food in Davis. Everything we have tried has been excellent! The owners are very friendly, treating customers as if they were family. It is great for take out or eat in. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone who wants delicious food with outstanding service. —Rhodes
2010-02-18 23:45:42 I have tried them on a few occasions. Previously, they were not so good. But recently, at the Farmers' Market, they were much improved. They said that they had changed chefs. The food is quite different from Kathmandu, so it may appeal to different people. I'll post an update after I try them at their restaurant location again... —IDoNotExist
2010-02-21 12:09:47 I ate at Raja's the other night with my girlfriend. The food was excellent, the price was right, and the owner was so hospitable! I found the food to be comparable to Kathmandu, but at a better price and with friendlier service. I will definitely be eating there again! —Keegano
2010-02-22 12:53:30 Delicious dinner.Excellent service. —jlawlor
2010-02-22 15:50:18 Raja Indian Cuisine! Best food in Davis!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I absolutely love their pakora, nan, and their rice pudding is to die for. I strongly suggest trying the pakora, food has never tasted so good!! This place is a hidden gem of Davis, I strongly suggest you try their delicious food. I have only met one owner, Tarabir and he is very kind, and helpful. The decor isn't fancy, but its simple and pretty, and the music is very cool. i <3 raja indian cuisine! —GiulianaWasHere
2010-02-28 16:17:28 Excellent! Raja's is among our favorite lunch spots in Davis for many reasons.... good food, great location, great value, and most of all, AMAZING SERVICE! Taranbir is extremely generous, welcoming, and attentive... and is always more than willing to accomodate large groups. Thank you! —MagaliRabasa
2010-04-12 21:49:45 Yumm, the new cook there is great! I loved the food before, but I like it even better now. It is nice too, because the new cook seems to add more of a variety to the lunch buffet. Same great service as always (: —laurengodla
2010-04-15 21:20:49 We just had dinner there for the first time... we had lamb tikka masala, lamb coconut curry, and these delicious little fried paneer nuggets. We are Kathmandu Kitchen regulars and we thought we'd try a new place, and it was so delicious!!! Our server was super friendly and prompt, the owner (? i think?) was very kind, and our food was well-prepared. A+!!! Also, the naan here is freaking incredible, and all of our dishes had a supremely delicious amount of garlic. A great experience, we'll be back soon! —ohfoot
2010-04-21 21:20:00 Delicious food. Great, friendly service. Charming personalities. The owners are great. Taranbir is always so friendly, welcoming and caring! He cares for students so much. He really does treat you like you're his family! Delicious food especially the vegetarian dishes. Highly recommend the channa massala, veggie pakoras, and anything with palak. Mango lassis are yummy and the rice is always fresh here unlike a certain other Indian restaurants. Plus they always give you free naan and rice with your food and are not cheap on refills. Very attentive and prompt. The food comes out pretty quickly after you order. They pay proper attention to you also to refill your water and give you boxes etc. They don't forget about you until it's time for the check. Service is unmatched in Davis and food is great! —Maryam
2010-05-01 23:26:49 The owner, Taranbir, was very welcoming and friendly. What it may lack in atmosphere it MORE than makes up in flavor and deliciousness. Reasonable prices and sizable portions for authentic Indian cuisine. Will definitely come back!! :) —LilianaC
2010-05-02 15:51:55 I eat at Raja's all the time because of the excellent food and unbeatable service. The owners are very friendly and go out of there way to make sure you have an excellent dining experience. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone and guarantee you will enjoy your food and the service. —cccozad
2010-05-06 04:00:51 I really recommend going to Raja's. The Service is wonderful, simply being there will brighten your day. The food is great, and the price is amazing! (I never liked Indian food until eating here!) GO. —YaraZ
2010-05-14 14:17:25 I go here weekly on fridays for the lunch buffet with all of my friends religiously. The food some of the best in Davis. The best part far and away is Taranbir, who is not only the nicest restaurant owner in Davis, but easily the nicest restaurant owner I've ever met, seen, or heard of. —ZacharyRyan
2010-05-22 22:27:25 I had a great time at Raja's. The food was wonderful & reasonably priced. The owners themselves were serving us— and they were so warm & friendly that it took me completely by surprise. I know I will be back— maybe I will try the lunch buffet next. —MagStar
2010-05-29 16:37:24 I am a big fan of this place, whether it's for the lunch buffet, dinner (the portions are both delicious and huge), or at the Farmers' Market. I love sitting out on the patio for a relaxing, delicious meal. I recently enjoyed a dosa with potatoes together with vegetable momosas at the Farmers' Market. (Too much food for one person, but that gives you some momosas to shrare). Fresh and tasty. I want more! —CovertProfessor
2010-06-08 19:32:37 This place has fabulous food, great prices, and a friendly staff. Hard to beat when you're a poor starving college student, especially since it is right around the corner! —alkonost
2010-07-01 14:34:03 Best food in Davis, in my opinion. Especially since the hired the new cook, the food has been outstanding, and has had great variety. Both the Buffet and dinners are great, try the Malai Kofta if you like a good creamy, spicy dish, its amazing! —Didjstud
2010-07-07 16:57:28 The tandoori chicken tastes ok, but contains anorexic bits of chicken hanging off the bones, garnished with onions. It is hardly filling, or worth the 12/13 dollars it costs. The naan are about as interesting as those doughy tortillas served at Chevy's. They are thin and small. The lamb vindaloo is the worst I've had (save for something I had in Milpitas once). It was a pint of tomato soup with five bits of gristly meat. Once the substandard quality of the food is discovered, one ponders on why the owner is suspiciously friendly. He did not remember me on a return visit, and I imagine with students flowing in and out of this town, money is made either way. The surfaces in the restaurant are dusty. Bits of something were floating in the ice water, and it wasn't lemon flesh. Looking into the kitchen, I just saw large bottles of oil on a rolling cart, and a single cook. I'm on a quest to find good Indian or Pakistani food. Some Indian food is absolutely blissful, and the only danger is possibly eating a bay leaf. I guess you have to go to Bradford or Leeds for that. —seesharp
2010-07-29 14:13:06 I personally feel that Raja's is the best Indian restaurant in Davis. I have never been for the dinner, but I quite often go for the lunch buffet. The food is delicious and the hospitality is great. —BrianNaiman
2010-08-11 11:54:26 I have eaten dinner here with friends. The food is phenomenal, and the owners are amazing. The hospitality is notches above any other restaurant. The owner walks around and acts like your grandpa. He's awesome! —DanaMace
2010-08-11 12:41:02 I think this is the best Indian food in Davis. They have a nice patio for outdoor dining, the owner is super nice and friendly. The food is very tasty with a nice presentation. —DagonJones
2010-08-12 21:30:17 I LOVE RAJA'S! It's always been a staple and shall remain so post-Davis life. The buffet is consistently delicious, but now they've outdone themselves with a brand new "crazy buffet" featuring 25 more items (!!!). I wasted no time upon hearing this news and was over there within 69.9 seconds. So how "crazy" is the "crazy buffet"? It's pretty crazy. As in last week's lunch was the greatest day of my life. Dinner-wise, I've always loved eating there as well. It's cheaper than Kathmandu and way more consistent/flavorful. It's also as spicy as you want it to be, which is always good news. Lastly, I've never met a kinder and more gracious owner than Taranbir, or as I like to call him, "T.T."! Whenever my friends and I go to Raja's, he greets us warmly with that million $$$ smile, never leaves our water unfilled, asks us frequently if we're enjoying our meal, and brings over fresh naan to our table even when there's a bunch inside. Now with that being said, I've been reading this page about how nice he is to you and all your friends and stuff, and while I don't doubt that, I'm pretty sure he loves us most. COOL! —PepperJack
2010-08-12 21:50:32 OMG I LOVE THIS PLACE SO MUCH. Although it's been said like a million times already: the staff is def the friendliest of the friendliest in Davis. The buffet deserves SEVERAL trips back and every time i eat here, I always have food babies so big I almost wanna buy First Response. They also feature the naan of my dreams, served either from the buffet or right at your table! I recommend sitting on the patio outside, wear some sunglasses and enjoy the best (imho) Indian food in Davis while checking out the cute track runners in their little short shorts or hot hipster boys on their fixie bikes passing on the street below. —ArdentSiren
2010-08-16 17:32:54 I love Raja's lunch buffet- I loved it before and I love the new "crazy" buffet as well. The food is consistently delicious and so flavorful and the service is outstanding. They carry some good Indian beers that I haven't seen too often elsewhere... always fun to try. I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone. —KatieR
2010-08-16 19:57:53 The new super buffet is SUPER. And you really cannot beat the service here anywhere in Davis, or elsewhere for that matter. —SRB
2010-08-21 18:24:14 The food at Raja's was good, the naan & rice pudding were especially amazing. Taranbir was the sweetest host ever! —JeanetteO
2010-08-21 When you eat at Raja Indian Cousine, you will feel that you have been welcomed into the owners' home. The selection of food in the lunch buffet is quite extensive. If you enjoy vegetable dishes, my favorite is their lovely Navratten Korma (mixed vegetables cooked with nuts in a cream sauce). When I worked at UC Davis many years ago I used to eat at Raja every week; this past week I was back in Davis during lunchtime, and returned for a buffet lunch of the sort I had been remembering so fondly... worth the trip! — Kirsten Klinghammer
2010-08-31 14:19:48 I have been eating here for a few years and love it. It is great place for a date who likes Indian food. I like that the food is affordable and now the lunch buffet, allegedly started today, now has 30+ items. —DonGibson
2010-09-02 12:43:12 Raja's lunch Buffet is literally crazy. Crazy delicious. I love Taranbir and I love Raja's. EAT HERE NOW! —HaleyW
2010-09-15 14:45:18 This place is awesome! It is really close to campus, cheap and really delicious. The owner is also one of the sweetest people you will ever come across. A++ —JenDen
2010-09-21 15:02:05 Raja's was awesome! The owner that we met when we went there for the lunch buffet (8 bucks for all you can eat!) was incredibly friendly, came to check on us a bunch, and made us feel like family. Took a menu to-go and definitely coming back! —AndrewWalker
2010-09-23 17:44:06 Favorite Indian restaurant in Davis. food is great, manager is very sweet and efficient! friendly service makes for great atmosphere —carmencraven
2010-09-24 15:46:28 This is a fantastic restaurant! The food is excellent and the service is just as great. Best Indian food I have had in Davis. —JenG
2010-09-30 17:57:03 I adore Raja's. The lunch buffet is very tasty, though when I'm in the mood for something spicy, dinner is the time to go. A new, larger buffet is being advertised. I can't wait to try it! —AlisonBree
2010-10-02 15:13:23 I don't eat meat, my boyfriend doesn't eat veggies, and both of us always leave Raja's full and happy! We always feel welcome - as if we were eating at the home of a friend or relative. They've got great variety and reasonable prices. A great place to go for a filling lunch or nice yet casual dinner. It's definitely my favorite Davis restaurant! —ElizabethSkwiot
2010-10-03 20:08:28 Raja's is hands down the best restaurant in Davis. The service is incomparable and the food is so flavorful. The owner is the sweetest man, and makes the customer feel so welcome. My personal favorite dish is the chicken vindaloo. The buffet is the best deal in town. Everyone needs to try this place! —LenaRothstein
2010-10-09 22:08:35 I just had dinner there last night with my friends, and as usual, the food and service was exceptional. My friend, who normally doesnt like Indian food, enjoyed herself thoroughly and was pleasantly surprised by the friendly atmosphere. Do check this place out, not just for the food, but also for the super friendly people! —MaryamZaman
2010-10-10 14:09:41 Raja's is always my favorite place to eat. The owners are the sweetest people ever, and even if the food wasn't fantastic (which it really is) I would go just for the wonderful service. —AliceChou
2010-10-12 23:07:07 The food is fantastic here! Raja's has become a favorite of mine, and I will be coming here again. The owners are so nice and accommodating! They'll have my business for years to come. —Wong
2010-10-16 17:47:24 I adore Rajas! The food is the best Indian in town by a long shot, and the service is unmatched. The attentive and darling owner loves to shower you with fresh naan just out of the oven. My newest favorite food option at Farmer's Market on Wednesday's is with Rajas, their stand at farmers market offers these veggie wraps which are super filling and delicious. —NadineJones
2010-10-26 18:16:42 Fantastic food, great customer service and wonderful location. We will DEFINITELY go here for dinner again very soon! —EMO777
2010-10-26 20:34:54 This is by far my favorite restaurant in Davis! The food is just simply amazing, If I could I would come here everyday! Taranbir is also by far the sweetest and most welcoming owner I've ever met. If you've never had Indian food, this is definitely the place to go, because you will forever love it! Hospitality is outstanding and the food is delicious! —OpheliaZuniga
2010-10-30 15:53:32 I can't believe I waited almost 5 years to try this place out for dinner. In my opinion, this is THE BEST RESTAURANT IN DAVIS. The prices were great, the service was great, and the food was amazing. I usually find Indian food to be too greasy and have poor quality ingredients but this place has a lot of healthy options and uses high quality veggies. They had some great vegan options for me and some great vegetarian and meat options for my company. Sure, the atmosphere is a little, um, simple? Cafeteria-like? But it's worth it. I don't understand why it was so empty when I went in, but it was kind of nice to have the whole place to ourselves. —elgreen
2010-10-31 11:53:41 I think the food is flavorful. Love the tandori chicken, the naan, and the service. There are a few flies inside but not many. —Kenny0427
2010-11-11 15:46:43 Just went for the lunch special today for the first time, and I am kicking myself because I hadn't gone sooner. The owner was extremely (I mean EXTREMELY EXTREMELY EXTREMELY) friendly and helpful, he came outside with a basket full of naan every time a fresh batch was done to make sure everybody had all the naan they wanted. The food was tasty enough that I could have eaten at least four plates and not been sick of it. Nothing but a pleasant experience, which I will definitely return to the next time I want good Indian food. —ThomasReeder
