We Are All Fatlords

Queue up for the 8 best Indian buffets in Dallas

Plate from Muglai in North Dallas.
Courtesy photo
Bins from Taj Mahal in Dallas.
Photo by Teresa Gubbins
Plate from Udipi Cafe in Richardson.
Photo by Teresa Gubbins
Buffet line at Madras Pavilion in Richardson
Photo by Teresa Gubbins
Exterior of Madras Pavilion in Richardson
Photo by Robert Bostick

If you want to be an Indian restaurant in Dallas-Fort Worth, you pretty much have to do a buffet at lunch. It's the price you pay for serving a cuisine that's unfamiliar to a segment of diners reluctant to order from a menu without knowing what the food looks or tastes like. Luckily, many Indian dishes such as rice, curries and stews successfully withstand the vicissitudes of a buffet steam table.

Most of our Indian restaurants are located in the two suburbs with the largest Indian populations: Irving-Las Colinas and Richardson. But we didn't let geography stop us as we sampled Indian buffets across DFW to narrow down the list of our favorite Indian buffets. Some are vegetarian; others offer goat curry. Best comes first.

Madras Pavilion
Wild scene at this longtime Richardson restaurant, with throngs of Indian families, clanging dishes and a preoccupied urban buzz. Selection was extensive, with soups, lettuce salad, chutneys and 15-plus items, all vegetarian, all excellent — from three-bean stir-fry to potato curry with carrots and peas. Medu vada, or savory lentil doughnuts, had neat crunchy crusts, and there was a pan of creamy mango ice cream sprinkled with chopped pistachios from which you could help yourself.
Buffet pick: Aval upma, a thick porridge-like dish with onion and black sesame seeds
Buffet hours: 11:30 am-3 pm daily
Price: $11.99

Udipi Cafe
Part of a loosely constructed chain with branches around the country, Udipi's buffet is entirely vegetarian and of very good quality, with quite a few one-of-a-kind offerings not seen on other buffets, such as beet poriyal, a.k.a. stir-fried beets, and pineapple gojju, which are pineapple chunks in a spicy gravy. The selection is limited to 10-12 items, but everyone gets a dosa, the large flat crisp Indian crepe, made-to-order, in your choice of plain or spicy. The dining room is clean and bright, the staff crisp and efficient.
Buffet pick: Idli, a moist rice disc that's both dense and fluffy
Buffet hours: 11 am-3 pm, Tuesday-Sunday
Price: $8.99 weekdays; $10.99 weekends

Taj Mahal
Taj Mahal gets instant points if only for its location south of 635. But it also has the TLC that comes from a conscientious owner who is also the chef: Charanjit Gill. The buffet table was compact, clean and tidy, with a vibrant selection of chutneys; a trio of soups; and a dozen items ranging from popular staples like chicken tikka masala to less common items like kadhi pakora, onion fritters in a spicy yogurt sauce.
Buffet pick: Ground chicken kebab with onions and peppers
Buffet hours: 11:30 am-2:30 pm daily
Price: $11.99

Bawarchi
Former Clay Pit space hosts a significant buffet with a dozen items, meat and veg, plus three kinds of rice (one being an unusual mint rice), soups, salad, and five desserts. A rather chatty server brought naan to the table in a basket, as opposed to it sitting on the buffet — a nice touch. "Chilly veg" were chunks of cauliflower, bell pepper and other vegetables in a fiery red-hot sauce. Tindora fry, made with an Indian vegetable, resembled blistered chilies. Decor is a trip with a blue-sky mural on the ceiling.
Buffet pick: Mango kesari, a rich, extra-thick pudding flavored with cardamom
Buffet hours: 11:30 am-2:30 pm daily
Price: $10.99

Mughlai
Tucked behind Galleria Dallas, Mughlai has become a critical favorite not only for its food, but also for its classy atmosphere and attentive service — two things that you don't usually encounter at Indian restaurants. The buffet was medium-size, with four meat items (white-meat chicken, mostly), five veggies, desserts, and a lettuce-and-tomato salad that was noticeably fresh. Presentation was fancy, with shiny domes — sharper than the usual steam table. The crowd included lots of office workers. Servers were sweet.
Buffet pick: Aloo tikki, aka spicy potato patties, flecked with seeds and Indian spices
Buffet hours: 11:30 am-2:30 pm, Monday-Friday; noon-3 pm, Saturday-Sunday
Price: $12.99

Kalachandji's
Restaurant at Hare Krishna temple is officially vegetarian, but if it had a certifiable cuisine, Indian would be it. The menu changes every day, but there is always soup, rice dish, vegetable curry, vegetable pakora, wafers and chutney, plus a few non-Indian dishes and a couple of Indian desserts. Divine atmosphere.
Buffet pick: Cinnamon swirl bread
Buffet hours: 11:30 am-2 pm daily
Price: $8.95

Vindu
Vindu comes from the owners of Pasand in Irving, who closed the Richardson Pasand after opening this nicer spot in Far North Dallas. Its saffron-colored walls and booths with granite tabletops are a step up, but service was hilariously bad, with a manager on his cellphone who gestured toward a table brusquely. The buffet held neon-pink tandoori chicken and many fried things, including potato-and-pea-filled samosas and vegetable fritters (a.k.a. pakora). Customers were mostly groups of Indian males, looking for a cheap, filling lunch.
Buffet pick: "Cabbage fry," spicy stir-fried shredded cabbage and peas
Buffet hours: 11:30 am-2:30 pm daily
Price: $8.99

Mumtaz
Mumtaz in Richardson was a big place with a couple of big-screen TVs in the corner, and yet it had a homespun feel, with hand-written signs on the buffet table. It specializes in Punjabi food, including spicy curries, tandoori meats and veggie items. The buffet had about 12-15 items total, with attentive staffers who replenished the naan bread regularly.
Buffet pick: Andhra-style eggplant, with chunks of soft eggplant and onion in a chunky tomato sauce
Buffet hours: 11:30 am-2:30 pm, Monday-Friday; 11:30 am-3 pm, Saturday-Sunday
Price: $8.95

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Burger Battle Royale

Get your grub on with the 5 best burgers in Dallas

Goodfriend Beer Garden and Burger House Facebook

Goodfriend gets creative with its burgers, like the Big Tex with white cheddar, Texas chili and crispy onion strings. A great patio and a ton of great beer round out the experience.

As our Best of Everything series comes to an end, we thought we would go with a topic that very few people care about: burgers. Namely, the five best burgers in Dallas.

A couple of criteria: These joints had to be from Dallas originally, so places like Hopdoddy’s were out, even though Hopdoddy’s could’ve made this list. The other criterion was that we made sure to not put your favorite burger joint on here. Just because.

So here they are, in alphabetical order: the five best burgers in Dallas.

Chip's Old Fashioned Hamburgers
This Park Cities joint has been around awhile for good reason. Yes, they put mayonnaise on the burgers, which ought to be grounds for disqualification — and it would be if it didn’t all just work so well. There’s a char on the edges that gives the patty some texture without that heavy char flavor. Add in cheddar, toasted poppy seed bun and all the toppings, and you have a burger in which each element acts like an instrument in a song. Put some shoestring onions on the burger if you ever thought about playing the keytar.

Goodfriend Beer Garden and Burger House
Great patio? Check. Dedication to craft beers? Bingo. Those are big draws to this neighborhood joint in East Dallas, but people come back because the burgers are really good. And really inventive. Like the Redneck, a beef burger with crispy Rudolph’s bologna, redneck cheddar, red onion, lettuce and Miracle Whip, or the Pepper Bomb with spicy house harissa, roasted tomatoes, lettuce and chipotle cheddar. They’re not as cheap as the other burgers on this list, but they’re also getting a bit crazier. And, as anyone who has ever dated someone with a few screws loose can tell you: crazy will cost you.

Keller’s Drive-In
This drive-in on Northwest Highway is as old-school as it gets, with dirt-cheap burgers — go with the double-patty, double-cheese No. 5 special for $2.49 — and tater tots with melted cheese sent from the gods or Idaho. The fact that there are neon signs everywhere and you can have beer brought to your truck (always a truck) just adds to the charm.

Maple & Motor
Maple & Motor got its big moment when Guy Fieri came to town for Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, but we still like this place anyway. The line is usually out the door come lunchtime, but it moves fast, so you won’t have to wait long for your burger. (And don’t even try to sit down before you order.) With a touch of char for added flavor and crunch, the fatty patties are more medium-well than some of the others on this list, if that’s your thing; just tell them “no pink.” Of course, you should throw some Wright Brand bacon on it. And charred jalapeños.

Off-Site Kitchen
Some people think that this is the ninth hottest burger joint in America, and it’s tough to deny the buzz surrounding the little building on the outskirts of the Design District. We still think Eater is a little nuts, but we would be equally nuts if OSK weren’t on this list. The patty is thick and juicy, if a little small, and the toasted bun provides the right ratio of bread to everything else. That ratio is paramount to a truly enjoyable burger. Too little bread and you’re dealing with a slip-and-slide disaster. Too much and you’re eating bread with some other stuff on it.

The No. 5 at Keller's is a steal at $2.49. Throw in a longneck of Bud Heavy and some cheesy tots, and there's nowhere else to be.

Hamburger America

The No. 5 at Keller's is a steal at $2.49. Throw in a longneck of Bud Heavy and some cheesy tots, and there's nowhere else to be.

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