Lunch Money: India Cafe

Judging by the sheer number of restaurants, dining out might be the top recreational activity in Augusta.

• Comment
• E-mail
• 

• Photos

Tharon Giddens/Staff

India Cafe is harder to find, but it's worth the effort. It's in the back left of the retail complex behind Applebee's on Washington Road and serves lunch from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturdays.

Advertisement

There's something for every palate, too. Maybe it's the influence of Fort Gordon and the Medical College of Georgia, but there is an amazing assortment of ethnic dining options here for a city of this size.

There seems to be a Mexican or Chinese restaurant in every strip shopping center, but if you search around a bit, you can find a taste of other cuisines, too.

If you're in the mood for a taste of India, there are three restaurants in Martinez that specialize in the subcontinent: Taj of India, 502-7 Furys Ferry Road in the Bi-Lo shopping center, Bombay Central, 3112 Washington Road, and India Cafe, 503 Shartom Drive.

India Cafe is harder to find, but it's worth the effort. It's in the back left of the retail complex behind Applebee's on Washington Road and serves lunch from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturdays.

This is standout Indian food, served in massive portions attractively presented. On a recent visit, Lunch Buddy Donna and I shared Kashmiri chicken ($9) and chili chicken curry ($9), both spicy, filling and good. We could easily have shared an order, and took a to-go plate home filled with enough food to make another meal.

We chose water with our meal instead of the usual tea. The tea served on past visits was from a mix instead of freshly brewed.

India Cafe was a one-person operation on our visit, but we were pampered and pleased with the service.

The only drawback was that our meals were brought to our table at different times.

The dining room is cool, dark and intimate. You can watch the best of Bollywood while you dine. A floor fan distracts from the ambience, and I had limited stretching space behind my seat, but it wasn't overly bothersome.

India Cafe is also open from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. Call (706) 860-3267.

Join the lunch line conversation at the Lunch Money blog at blogs.augusta.com.