Indian Restaurants in Memphis

June 14, 2026

Memphis diners who want to explore Indian cooking can find both halves of the cuisine across the city, from the tandoor-driven kitchens of the north to the rice-and-lentil traditions of the south. North Indian menus revolve around the clay tandoor oven that produces tandoori chicken, kebabs, and freshly baked naan, paired with cream-and-tomato curries such as butter chicken and tikka masala and Punjabi staples like saag paneer. South Indian cooking shifts toward dosa crepes, idli, and sambar built on rice and lentils. Memphis is Tennessee’s second-largest city, with a population of roughly 619,000 as of 2024 (U.S. Census Bureau), and its Indian restaurants cluster along corridors like Poplar Avenue and Madison in Midtown and out toward Quince Road, Germantown Parkway, and Hacks Cross in the eastern suburbs.

How a meal is structured matters as much as which region it draws from. A number of Memphis Indian restaurants run a daily lunch buffet, an affordable way to taste a broad spread of curries, tandoori items, and desserts such as kheer and gulab jamun before committing to dinner favorites. Indian menus are also unusually friendly to vegetarians and vegans, since lentil dals, chickpea and potato dishes, paneer plates, and vegetable curries are foundational rather than optional. Diners who keep halal can find restaurants that source halal meat and should confirm that directly with the kitchen. Most of these restaurants also handle takeout and catering, which fits a cuisine well suited to feeding a crowd.

Memphis restaurants operate under a food-service framework. A restaurant must hold a food-service establishment permit from the local health authority, which in Shelby County is the Shelby County Health Department working under the Tennessee Department of Health’s Food Service Establishment Program, and it must pass routine inspections whose reports are posted on site. Prepared food sold by a restaurant is taxed at the full combined sales tax rate rather than the reduced rate that applies to grocery food and ingredients; in Shelby County that combined rate reaches roughly 9.75% (Tennessee Department of Revenue, SUT-54). A restaurant that serves beer, wine, or liquor needs the appropriate permit or license, with on-premises liquor-by-the-drink service licensed through the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission.

Selecting among Memphis Indian restaurants comes down to matching the kitchen to the occasion. A buffet-forward room suits a fast, varied lunch, while a dinner-focused dining room suits a longer meal built around a tandoori platter or a specific biryani. Spice levels are generally adjustable on request, and staff at family-run restaurants are usually happy to guide newcomers between milder cream-based curries and hotter vindaloo or korma preparations. Diners with a concern about a meal or a billing dispute can contact the Tennessee Division of Consumer Affairs, which administers the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act (TCA 47-18-104), while food-safety questions can go to the Shelby County Health Department, which keeps inspection records open to the public.

Top Indian Restaurants Providers in Memphis

1. India Palace

Address: 1720 Poplar Ave, Memphis, TN 38104
Phone: (901) 278-1199
Website: https://www.indiapalacememphis.com
Services: dine-in, takeout, lunch buffet, Punjabi curries, tandoori dishes, vegetarian options, complete dinners
Description: India Palace is a Midtown Memphis fixture on Poplar Avenue known for Punjabi cooking and a dining room decorated with large hand-painted murals. The kitchen runs a lunch buffet of rich curries, salads, and chutneys that finishes with desserts such as kheer rice pudding, gulab jamun, and mango kulfi, and its a-la-carte menu carries favorites like butter chicken and palak paneer along with mixed grill and chicken tikka. Vegetarian dishes appear throughout the menu, and the restaurant offers both dine-in and takeaway service. India Palace has been recognized in the Memphis Flyer reader poll for Indian dining across multiple years from 1996 through 2015, a span that reflects its long standing in the local dining scene.

2. Cafe India

Address: 3810 Hacks Cross Rd, Suite 101, Memphis, TN 38125
Phone: (901) 695-1292
Website: https://www.cafeindiamemphis.com
Services: dine-in, online ordering and takeout, catering, biryani, tandoori dishes, curries
Description: Cafe India operates from a suite on Hacks Cross Road in the southeastern part of Memphis, serving a menu organized around biryani, tandoori, and the curries that anchor a full Indian dining room. The restaurant supports online ordering through its own platform and provides catering for events, along with dedicated mobile ordering apps for iOS and Android that make repeat takeout straightforward. Its location near the Hacks Cross and Winchester corridor puts it within reach of the Hickory Hill and Collierville-adjacent neighborhoods on the east side of the city. The kitchen positions itself around made-to-order Indian cooking served for dine-in, pickup, and catered gatherings.

3. Bombay House Cuisine of India

Address: 1727 N Germantown Pkwy, Suite 101, Cordova, TN 38016
Phone: (901) 755-4114
Website: https://www.bombayhousememphis.com
Services: dine-in, takeout, delivery, daily lunch buffet, tandoori dishes, curries, vegetarian options
Description: Bombay House Cuisine of India is a longstanding Indian restaurant in Cordova on North Germantown Parkway, serving the eastern Memphis suburbs. The kitchen describes its approach as fine Indian cuisine prepared with homemade, fresh-ground spices, and the menu carries familiar dishes such as lamb korma, chicken tikka, butter chicken, tandoori chicken, paneer plates, and samosas. A daily lunch buffet gives diners a quick way to sample across the menu, while dinner service covers the broader range of curries and tandoori items. Beyond dine-in and takeout, the restaurant is available for delivery through major third-party platforms, making it a practical option for the Cordova and Germantown areas.

Frequently Asked Questions About Indian Restaurants in Memphis

Q: What is the difference between North Indian and South Indian food at Memphis restaurants?

North Indian menus center on the tandoor oven and on rich, cream-based and tomato-based curries served with breads such as naan and roti, with Punjabi dishes like saag paneer and butter chicken among the staples. South Indian menus are built more around rice and lentils, featuring dosa crepes, idli, and sambar. Some Memphis restaurants emphasize one tradition, such as India Palace’s Punjabi focus, while others carry dishes from both regions on a single menu.

Q: How much is sales tax on a restaurant meal in Memphis?

Prepared food sold by a restaurant is taxed at the full combined rate rather than the reduced rate that applies to grocery food. In Shelby County that combined rate reaches roughly 9.75%, which covers the 7% state portion plus the local option tax (Tennessee Department of Revenue, SUT-54). Alcoholic beverages are also taxed at the full rate, and a separate liquor-by-the-drink tax can apply to on-premises service.

Q: Do Memphis Indian restaurants have good vegetarian and vegan options?

Yes. Vegetarian cooking is central to Indian cuisine, so lentil dals, chickpea and potato dishes, paneer cheese plates, and a wide range of vegetable curries appear across most Memphis Indian menus rather than as a small add-on section. Many dishes are also vegan or can be made vegan by leaving out dairy such as ghee, cream, or paneer, though it is best to confirm preparation with the kitchen.

Q: Which Memphis Indian restaurants offer a lunch buffet?

A daily or midday lunch buffet is a common format in Memphis. India Palace runs a lunch buffet of curries, salads, and chutneys with Indian desserts, and Bombay House offers a daily lunch buffet as well. A buffet is an economical way to sample a range of dishes before choosing a-la-carte favorites for a later dinner, and buffet days and hours can change, so confirming the current schedule before going is worthwhile.

Q: Does a Memphis restaurant need a permit and health inspections to serve food?

Yes. A restaurant must hold a food-service establishment permit issued by the local health authority, which in Memphis is the Shelby County Health Department operating under the Tennessee Department of Health’s Food Service Establishment Program, and it must pass routine inspections. The permit and the most recent inspection report are required to be posted where customers can see them, and inspection records are open to the public.

Q: How do I raise a concern about a Memphis Indian restaurant?

Food-safety and cleanliness concerns can be reported to the Shelby County Health Department, which inspects restaurants in the Memphis area and keeps the reports public. Complaints about billing, advertising, or other business practices can be filed with the Tennessee Division of Consumer Affairs, which administers the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act (TCA 47-18-104). Keeping the receipt and any relevant records helps when filing either type of report.