Cafe Maharani

First time with Indian food.
The staff was helpful in choosing our order.
The food arrived and I loved each dish.
See pics for what we ordered.
It took like 15 min and asked for the check three times but they were busy. I’ll be back!

I love coming here when I am homesick for Indian food. The food here is generally much richer and creamier than the regular Indian fare. However, it’s very delicious. I have tried and really liked their parantha, naan, roganjosh, channa masala, malai kofta and dal. They do need to work on their matar paneer, which is better at Masala Grill. There was something lacking in the saag paneer too — maybe a little more garlic would do the trick? But I’m probably just nitpicking because I was eating Indian food so far away from home. I do love this place!

I never had Indian food before & never thought of trying until a friend of mine took me to Maharani! I instantly became addicted! Love, love, LOVE this place — you have to order the right kind of food if you’re not big on curry or a bunch of spices — I love their coconut curry shrimp & their coconut curry eggplant (to name a few) We usually go right at 5pm when they first open, service is not too bad as they’re not as busy around that time as they are later!

We’ve been here a few times for dinner and the food has always been DELICIOUS!!! The service is great, they are all very service oriented and know their menu well. Tonight, we ordered out and although it was a forty minute wait, it was soooo worth it. Definitely make a reservation or get down there before they open so you won’t have to wait so long.
Portions are huge and affordable. We usually get the mixed grill which is only $ 25 and has chicken, prawns and Lamb, a rice dish, and appetizer. It says it feeds three but we are a family of four and always have lots of leftovers.
Would definitely recommend!!!

So earlier today, the hubs and I watched «The Hundred-​Foot Journey.» If you’ve never seen it, it’s basically about an Indian family that opens a restaurant in France across the street from a Michelin-​rated French establishment… but I digress.
Two hours later, the mr., who has never eaten Indian food before in his life, is completely inspired by the movie and decides that we HAVE TO eat Indian food for dinner tonight. We’ve heard tons of good things about Maharani, so we decided to order takeout. We ordered the maharani dinner for 2, which came with an appetizer (we chose samosas), rice, naan, and 2 dishes (we chose the chicken tikka masala and butter chicken).
1. First off, 5 stars for packaging! Everything was very nicely/​neatly packed, and nothing spilled out of any of the containers (there’s nothing I hate worse than ordering takeout only to come home and find all the liquid has spilled out of the containers and is pooled at the bottom of the plastic bag).
2. The portions are huge! there is enough food leftover for another meal for both of us
3. On a tip from a friend, we elected to order takeout rather than eat at the restaurant, and this worked out perfectly. When we got there, the place was packed and there were about 15 people waiting outside. Since we ordered ahead of time, our food was waiting, and we didn’t have to deal with the crowd :)
4. Everything was delicious!
We’ll be back!

I absolutely love Café Maharani. Their food takes a long time to get but it is worth it. My favs are:
Garlic Cheese stuffed Naan. (THIS IS A must)
Butter Chicken (in fenugreek and tomato butter sauce) my favorite dish!
I liked the chicken tikka but I feel they have so much better food than this dish. The kabli naan is HUGE! I didn’t realize it would be so big. I ate on it for several days. It has cilantro and other spices on it.
Definitely a long wait and make sure you have reservations. Best Indian spot I’ve ever been to.

We’ve eaten at Maharani’s several times but our last trip was by far the worse. They definitely aren’t known for their service but this was completely terrible. We arrived at 8:50, put our names on the list, and were told it would be a quick turnaround. Ten minutes later, two large parties leave, but it wasn’t til twenty minutes later, that anyone came to seat us and that was after they spotted us hanging around outside the door.
We get to our table, which still has food and sauce on it from the previous party that hasn’t been cleaned. It then takes another twenty minutes before we, not them, request to place our order, which includes saffron rice. By the time the food finally arrives, we don’t get any saffron rice and overhear him tell another table that they completely ran out. Fine by us but it’s kind of their job to inform us since we’re the one paying…
Actually, the most terrible service I’ve ever had in my life.

This place doesnt even deserve one star. We got there at 9 pm and upon arrival we werent greeted and had to make our way to the register. The girl up there said that they cant seat us coz they close at 10(we got there at 9). The excuse was that they were busy and hence decided to close early and I said the website hours say they close at 10. To this she walked away n came back saying we could do a carry out if we wanted and just left us with the menus.
We decided to walk away…

BYOB BYOB BYOB! There is a god!
I have found my favorite Indian restaurant to go to on the island. Comparable if not better than many Indian restaurants on the mainland, Café Maharani offers the tastiest dishes where you can bring your own wine/​alcohol. Combined with a warm atmosphere with cool dinnerware, this place is perfect for a hot date.
We came around 6:30pm and it was starting to get busy. Luckily we found parking right in front. Free street parking starts around 6pm. What an unassuming area for such a gem like Maharani. My date and I ordered the Lamb Vindaloo and the Lamb Masala. If you can handle a spicy kick, definitely go with the Lamb Vindaloo. It has the perfect amount of tanginess and spice but it’s probably best to eat it last as it actually overpowered the Lamb Masala. SO MUCH FLAVA! But seriously, everything is good here.
Do yourself a favor and order the garlic naan. My date had never had it before. WAT WAT WAT!?! Imagine a whale eating food, but a pretty whale. That was her. I hope she never reads this. The naan helped clear our palette though. If there’s anything I’d recommend is not to come starved. The spices make it hard to appreciate the food, and trust me, you want to savor it especially if you don’t want a stomachache. Don’t be THAT whale. With that said, one dish can seriously feed two people. So bring your neighbor, your friend, your mom, a date b/​c this gem is for everyone and will steal your heart.

Café Maharani is the perfect place to dine with friends and family. The dishes are all sharable and the portions are generous.
This place gets pretty busy at prime dinner time, so my suggestion would be to either go «early» or go «late.»
MASALA
Masala is a general term for the spices used in Indian cuisine. Any combination of spices, simple or complex, could be used in a masala, which explains why these «Masala» dishes below tasted pretty different from one another.
CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA
Chunks of chicken swimming in a spicy and almost-​creamy masala sauce.
Think spicy tomato bisque, but with more of an Indian twist. (Hope that helps.) The sauce was very well-​rounded and balanced. And it went great with the garlic cheese naan and the poori. I tried eating like a native, with my fingers, and using the poori as a scooper. Truly amazing.
VEGETABLE MASALA CURRY
If you love vegetables, and maybe even if you don’t, this dish is a must-​try. Cooked to perfection and bursting with flavor — who knew vegetables could taste so good?! Although different from the Chicken Tikka Masala, this dish was in no way lacking in flavor or boldness.
LAMB MASALA
At Café Maharani, they put lots of love (and time) into their cooking. I can tell. The chunks of lamb were so soft and tender — like, fall-​off-​the-​bone kind, but without the bone. And the portion of lamb was generous. I mean, every scoop I put on my plate had nice chunks of meat. This dish was extremely flavorful! Highly recommended and I would for sure order this again. Even if you aren’t a lamb lover, you should give it a try! No gaminess at all!
TANDOORI MIX GRILL
Who doesn’t love a sizzling platter of food? I’m a down-​ass chick any time of the day! This Tandoori Mix Grill came with 2 styles of spice-​rubbed chicken, shrimps, and sliced onions on a sizzling platter. They were great by themselves, without any type of sauce, but also great with the tamarind sauce provided. I liked the mint sauce, too, but it seemed to cut the spice down (and I love spice).
GARLIC CHEESE NAAN
DAH! I die. Seriously. I had no idea naan could come this way. My life has forever changed. And I’m going to order this every single time I dine here. No joke. The garlic and cheese were nicely balanced and no flavors were overpowering.
POORI
Didn’t even know this was a thing, but it is. It’s this amazing bread that is deep fried and puffs up into this tearable cloud of goodness. YUM. I used this thing as a scoop. Scooped me up a ton of masala with this bad boy. I’m sure my arteries are hating me, but whatever — life is short.
KHEER
This was our dessert. Totally killer. Like, I killed it. And they killed it. Just try it. It’s kind of like a rice pudding. Like a Thai one, but not as sweet. It’s sweet, but not too sweet — you know?
VERDICT
I definitely understand why this place is as popular as it is — the food is truly delicious and memorable. I mean, I’ve been thinking about this place nonstop since the last time I dined here (which was about a week or so ago).
I’m dying for a return visit. And soon.

Maharani is on the corner of King St. and Hausten St. There’s a small lot in the back with about 8 stalls and a bunch of street parking in the area. They open for dinner at 5pm and I suggest you go a little early and wait outside to get a seat as soon as they open.
Maharani is best for groups to do a family style type of dinner. Their meals for ¾/​5 come with quite a bit of food and their curries are quite filling. I would suggest a meal for 3 to be split with a group of 5 people.
My go to foods here:
Samosas
Lamb Masala
Naan
Saffron Rice
Chicken Vindaloo

I give this place 5 stars because from the moment you walk in to the moment you walk out, the employees treat you very special. It was my first time here and I came with my boyfriend, we were very impressed by the environment and the authentic decorations. We haven’t even got to the food part yet! So then it was time to order and ace it was our first time, we asked our server for recommendations. We got the cheese stuffed naan with jalapeños, chicken masala curry with bits of ghost pepper (yum!), lamb saag and saffron rice. He made amazing recommendations! We did the dinner for 2 and it was such a great deal! We will definitely be coming back to this place! My first Indian food experience was awesome!

Unilocal 100 Review Challenge 2015: ¹¹⁹⁄₁₀₀
I thought I could never do Indian Cuisine after my first (spicy) experience! But after researching Indian food (YouTube is a great resource) I discovered Butter Chicken and decided to give Indian food a second try. Best. Decision. Ever.
Café Maharani has been reviewed my a number of my Unilocal friends and the pictures, website and reviews left me craving! I heeded the Unilocal warnings that the wait can be a nightmare and arrived promptly within the first half hour of their opening on a Saturday night. I found street parking and walked around the block to find the LED Café Maharani sign. We were seated immediately, between two couples on either side of us with our tables being only inches apart. People weren’t kidding when they said this place was cramped. My chair back was facing the wall, closest to the kitchen leaving me with barely any room to squeeze into my chair but I am petite compared to my fiancé so I took one for the team. The crowded, cramped space started off warm and soon escalated to hot as the couples on either side of us got their hot dishes delivered to their tables. I started to sweat, which isn’t common for me, so I was forced to tie my hair back. They have one fan and two house-​sized A/​Cs but luckily for my fiancé, his back could breathe unlike mine against the wall. We were told the other vacant tables were reserved for a large party but… I thought they don’t take reservations?!
After weighing our options, we decided to order the Dinner for Two (p.s. their menu online has old prices and menu options). Of the 3 choices of appetizers, we choose the Vegetables Samosa which were two crispy, deep fried dumpling filled with peas and carrots that was served with 2 dipping sauces. One was dark and tasted sweet while the other looked similar to Greek yogurt but had a spicy kick (can you tell I don’t know Indian food? LOL). We were given a choice of two entrees from a list and I choose the Butter Chicken while my fiancé got the Chicken Masala. These entrees came with a shared plate of Saffron Rice and 4 half pieces of Naan Bread.
The food arrived promptly and I give serious props to the servers who carry the hot, heavy dishes to the table with their bare hands as I had trouble just touching the hot dishes to rearrange them. The small, square table was just big enough to fit our entire order, leaving not much space to maneuver. But besides being cramped and uncomfortable, the food was amazing! Butter Chicken was all I ever dreamed of and more. It has a nice creamy texture with a mild spicy and the chicken was tender and juicy. My fiancé’s Chicken Masala had a strong curry taste but was not spicy at all! And the rice & naan bread complemented the entrees so well. I like that Indian cuisine and the local (Hawaii) culture share the similarity of including rice in their meals!
Getting the bill and take-​out boxes, because the Dinner for Two was really more like a Dinner for Three or Four, was a little tricky. The staff seems understaffed, not like they have more room for bodies but you literally have to flag them down in this tiny restaurant. After finally packing up and having to ask the couple closest to the aisle to let us through, we were able to walk outside to the cool breeze where a line had formed. Only upon leaving did we see a party occupy the tables we were originally told were «reserved». Next time, I will either come with a larger party to have more tables and at least be elbow to elbow with people I know or ask for a table near the door to catch a breeze!

Sadly this review is grossly overdue. But, as the saying goes: Better late than never.
Na Na Naan!
Thanks to a kind dinner invitation, I was able to finally try this restaurant that was on my bookmark list for what seemed like an eternity. Interestingly enough, good food comes to those who wait.
PARKING: Small lot in the rear of the building or street parking.
NOTE: No reservations. Take-​out available. BYOB. If the restaurant is crowded, make sure to sign in at the take out counter.
SETTING: The restaurant is quite cozy, with just enough room between tables to allow patrons and staff to move about comfortably.
FOOD: Altogether we ordered, the Tandoori Garlic chicken wings, Chicken Tikka Masala, Papri Chaat, Eggplant Tikka Korma, Stuffed Naan.
Firstly a warning: The garlic chicken wings are spicy! Ok, I’ve done my part to advise my fellow Unilocalers about the spice level of the chicken wings. That being said, they were actually very good. I’m not sure if I’d order them on a future visit to due to the spice factor, but I’m sure lovers of spicy foods will gravitate towards this dish. The Papri Chaat, humorously called «number 13» throughout our meal because of its numeric assignment on the menu, was extremely delicious. I think the best way to describe this dish is that its an Indian version of nachos; the chips combined with all vegetables, yogurt, and chutney proved to be one of the favorite dishes of the meal.
The main dishes shared included the Stuffed Naan, Chicken Tikka Masala, and the Eggplant Tikka Korma. The naan was a delightful surprise for me in particular, as I had not heard of or ordered stuffed naan before. The filling of dried fruits, nuts, and raisins made the dish all the more appetizing for sure. Using the naan to scoop up the sauce from Chicken Tikka Masala made the dinner all the more fun too. Finger foods area always fun I think. The Chicken Masala was a good dish, in my humble opinion, but it was probably my least favorite of the night. Which brings me to my absolute favorite dish of our meal: The Eggplant Tikka Korma. I think no words can truly and utterly express how incredibly delicious this dish was… but I will try certainly. It was a generous portion filled with chunks of eggplant and vegetables. The dish was flavorful and just so, so good. We all agreed it was the favorite of the night.
SERVICE: Quite good. The servers answered all our questions, and kindly brought over some glasses with ice for the beer we brought (its so awesome this place is BYOB!). The food was delivered to our table in a timely manner, water refills were readily given, and take out containers were provided for all our leftovers. Overall, good service provided.
BOTTOM LINE: A truly memorable meal with delicious food and wonderful company. I can’t wait to go back!

There’s a reason this place is 4 stars with 900 plus reviews. When it comes down to it, this place nails pretty much all categories of a great restaurant.
Food 5/5.Naan is never disappointing, and the flavors of these dishes are insanely good.
BYOB ⁵⁄₅. Go figure
Seating time ⁴⁄₅ My suggestion go LATE (maybe 45−1hr prior to closing)
First time? Order the combo (vegetable korma, chicken & lamb)

My friend has been raving how delicious the Indian food here is. So we ended up here for dinner. The wait was around 30 minutes or so. We walked to Down To Earth while we wait. As soon as we walked out of the store within 20 minutes or so the waitress called my friends name.
The restaurant was small and the tables were closely pushed together. The décor was fancy style and very Indian-​ish with the music. The water cups were fancy.
My friends and I did a family style dinner. We got the tomato rice, chicken saag, and eggplant tikka masala. The tomato rice was okay, found chunks of pepper in it. Weird. The chicken saag and eggplant dish were kinda salty. All dishes were added with a little spicyness to it.
Four of us were really full after eating. The food was kinda pricey. Servers were okay. Bathrooms are small and it feels like a sauna. On the plus side, dinner with sauna included. Haha. I’m just kidding!

It’s hard for me to understand why Café Maharani is so popular. Is it the proximity to the university? The interior is cute with unique tables/​chairs. Although, it is really crammed in there and gets hot/​stuffy especially once you start eating.
We tried the chicken coconut korma, eggplant tikka masala, rice, and naan. The chicken coconut korma was a bit bland for my taste (I needed more heat and spices), the tikka masala sauce was unlike any other I’ve seen – much more red and tomatoey – but it wasn’t better than other tikka masala sauces I’ve had. The rice was standard and my favorite thing was the naan because who doesn’t like fresh bread?
I think having spent a lot of time in the Bay Area spoils me because there are so many Indian immigrants there. There are different restaurants that each specialize in dosas, curries, seafood, etc. and can make the very best of those dishes. Café Maharani may be good for Oahu, but in the scope of things, this was just really soso. In addition to the food being just okay, it was so hot and cramped inside, that it made for a mediocre dining experience.

I am basically an Indian food virgin, and I have to say I was very impressed with the food here! Walking in at opening time on a Wednesday, there was already a small line out the door. I would guess that on a weekend, getting a table might be dicey.
The interior is nice and has an Indian vibe with nice décor and a TV playing belly dancers??? This might be a good place to also go on a first date– so if they are a bore you can always watch the exotic dancers instead.
My favorite was the warm Cheese-​filled Naan. It tastes like a thin and fluffy pizza bread that melts in your mouth!!! We also got the plain Naan and Garlic Naan, which were also great. I though the Chicken Masala and Butter Chicken was also quite good, having some sweet and spicy flavors to the tender chicken.
From my only other Indian food experience being the food truck of India Café at UH Manoa (bland or 5 alarm
Fire level spicy), this was a great change. I am sure to come back in the future!

Winner of the coveted Unilocal 5 star review, this is one of the few places that I’m willing to wait in line for over an hour to get into. You had me at warm buttery Naan Bread,. .. . so good! They also have several different varieties of naan — roasted garlic! cheesy! olive! the list goes on and on. .. bread!!! more bread!!!
As for the other food, now that my bread needs have been met, this place is a vegetarian’s dream. So many vegetarian choices, so little time (try the Palak Paneer).. . and for you meat eaters like me. .. well, there are countless options. My favorite is the Boti Beef Kebab.
The lowdown on this place:
Small lot with parking at the rear — street parking also available
BYOB!!! Corkage fee of $ 1.50 pp applies.
Dinner only (5 – 10 p.m.)
Takeout available
No reservations — limited seating — nice and cozy
There is only one complaint I have. The establishment has only one highchair. Maybe because the seating is cramped? It would be nice if they could invest in a couple of those kind that perch/​clamp on the end of a table. Our friends struggled to eat their food while juggling their toddler. And the tables are tight, so made it a little difficult for them.

Hidden gem alert!
As a native Californian, I’m used to having all types of cultural food at my disposal. So when I started craving Indian food, my friend recommended I try this place and I jumped at the next chance I got to make a visit. So glad I did!
Some tips before coming here:
1) Call ahead to put yourself on the waitlist. The restaurant is small and the usual wait time is about 40 minutes.
2) BYOB but with a corkage fee of $ 1.50/person
3) There is only one unisex bathroom that is not the cleanest so maybe make a pit stop to Longs across the street beforehand if needed
4) If you end up having to wait, give your wine/​beer to the staff to keep cool for you
We ordered the Dinner for Two. The vegetables samosas came out hot and delicious with two sauces for dipping. Very delicious. We ordered the chicken tikka masala spicy. Perfect amount of heat and a generous portion to boot! Also very generous in the amount of rice that was given to the both of us. We upgraded to the cheese and garlic stuffed naan. Best decision ever!!! It was like an amazing cheesy bread stick to dip in the curry.
Overall, a highly recommended Indian restaurant! I subtracted one star because service was EXTREMELY slow and inattentive. But the food was good enough to pardon them so that’s saying something I guess :)