Essence of India in Chicago - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

Really great curry. Wife and I moved to Chicago from the UK 9 months ago and had been craving British tasting curry after some disappointing us style attempts (sorry Americans) . This really hit the spot and tasted a lot like home. Super impressed!

Delicious. Truly the best Indian food I’ve had in years.

Food was decent but I had to give this place 3 stars because the kheer I bought was sour and bad and was extremely thick. It had to be thrown away.

Whenever I'm in Chicago, I always stop here. The staff is friendly, the food is great. And they have unique drinks for you to try!

I can't handle spicy food and normally when I ask for the mild version of a dish (at other Indian restaurants), I get something bland and nasty. But not here! Their butter chicken (mild version) is out of this world! I'll be coming back for more.

This is the first restaurant we picked when we rolled into town & we were so glad we did! We loved it! Great people, great food!

Excellent food served so very quickly! Our waiter had spot on recommendations, my husband enjoyed the chicken Tikka masala and a mango lassi while I had saffron rice. So yummy! And so generous with their portions! If we are ever in the area again we'll definitely come back, highly recommend!!!

My friend took me out to eat. A very lovely place

Excellent. First timers, medium heat may be too hot for you. Go and enjoy yourself!

Very good butter chicken and giant Indian beer . Service was very good.

Food tasted great! I thought it was still spicy, although we ordered medium spicy. Fair warning if you enjoy that spice in food or not. Overall, great atmosphere and service. They were pretty busy for a Sunday. Great for groups!

Excellent Indian restaurant. Good food, impeccable service, and nice and quiet atmosphere, even on a Saturday night.

We love essence of India! It is our go to for a great Indian meal and the service is wonderful.

My daughter recently moved to the square, of course you have to sample the food in the area. Essence has become a place for us to usually grab food during our visit. I dinned here now a few times, bragging to my husband of how good their food was. This visit, I decided to order him Tandori Chicken - he's a huge fan of this dish and has his favorite places. We have a few local Indian spots in the burbs that we dine at frequently. Walking into the restaurant we were relieved to see several tables open and we were sat very quickly. When it was time for us to order our food, we were interrupted twice so that the owner could take phone calls during our order. I have worked and built a business, and understand that juggling tasks are not always the best way to be efficient. And it was not. I ordered samosas and a lentel dish, rice and tandori chicken to go. When the food was brought out, my rice was forgotten - my daughter had to ask. Not a biggie - was recently in an accident and don't eat much rice anyway. Let's just bring that home... Except for the fact that they had forgotten my tandori chicken and was surprised when I asked about it - as if i just ordered it. I was told 5 minutes and he'll have it out. Ok! I get to hang with my two favorite ladies longer. Only..my granddaughter was starting to get tired of sitting now as we had been there for almost an hour. Toddlers do not learn the art of patience right away. 20 minutes later we are still waiting for our food. (I know its Tandori, if given the correct time frame and asked if i wanted to wait would have been appreciated). Instead, my daughter and I had to wrestle with an anxious to leave Toddler. Food was tossed while I picked it up and she tried to leave the building - twice. While it is true that this restlessness is an opportunity to try to teach a toddler a lesson in patience, it is difficult for me not to be upset at the additional stress the owner's bad juggling created for us. This is not a one time situ either. My daughter is a regular here. Surely this man has children or has children in his life to understand that parents do not always have a unlimited amount of time when dining with their kids. When I got the food home - finally - it was already cold being simply wrapped in a clump of foil. One piece was dry, stale and from the night before. So much for waiting for completely fresh chickie. Sadly disappointed that the owner does not allow his other staff to assist him with orders or take on someone. I have heard about the rents in the area and understand staffing can be difficult. Unfortunately its always a teeter totter when dealing with these factors. The fact that his location is gearing up for national attention, I would not rely on doing things yourself if you want continued growth. This visit was unfortunately a wth moment for me. Life happens, the food was good when we were sitting down. It's difficult to become excited about eating there again. eh..i know that i'm only one person, yet i am always happy to support small biz in that area being a city gal myself. If you go, and find yourself continuously interrupted by phone calls while your order is being taken know that you will be spending a lot more time then anticipated. and your order may be messed up.

got take out a few times here. biriyani is my favorite in the area. curries are pretty good but not exceptional. quiet dining room

Great food and service. I'd recommend the veggie sampler. Lamb vindaloo ordered spicy was also wonderful (and wonderfully spicy) Drinks were great. And good service too.

Thank you Essence of India! Best Indian food in the neighborhood and very friendly service.

One of my favorite restaurants. It’s so good I forgot to take pictures of the food. Favorites: Vegetable Samosas, Vegetable Pakoras, Chicken Tandoori, Murg Tikka Masala, Green Beans and Potatoes, Shrimp in Coconut Masala, Elephant Ride with rum!

Great service & food. Their Mango Lassi is delicious!

A lovely restaurant with friendly owners, fantastic food and a homey atmosphere. Try the chicken Murg Tikka :)

This has been a go-to spot since 2009 - it's the kind of spot you hope for in your neighborhood! The food is always delicious and the atmosphere is always warm and inviting, and they're very accommodating of dietary preferences and restrictions (our family needs to accommodate GF, vegan, and a tree nut allergy). Our favorites are the papadum (with chutneys), samosas, garlic naan, channa masala, saag aloo, dal makhani, butter chicken, murg tikka masala, rogan josh, tandoori chicken, and raita. We usually lean toward lamb, chicken, and vegetable dishes, but friends have gotten seafood dishes and liked them, as well. My only complaint is that the online menu on their main website page can be a little hard to read since the page moves back and forth on its own while you're trying to read the menu, but it's a small complaint - if you click "order online", that menu is fine.

One of the most amazing hidden food gems of Chicago... Just Go, and often 💛💛💛

I didn't like the taste honestly. I ordered chicken shahi korma and it was sour. The murg lajwab was also not the best I have had. I have eaten both this items in other indian restaurant and they are better than these. The delivery was late too. Maybe it was not their signature item I don't know.

Murg tikka masala and garlic naan are our go-to dishes. Absolutely delicious! And a great location.

This place has taken a sad dive in quality and service over the past couple months. I had to wait 30mins over my pickup time to get two dishes that tasted horrible… don’t waste your time. There’s plenty of other options in the area.

Love the food here in Ravenswood or whichever neighborhood it is... my favorite Indian cuisine.

We enjoyed our Naan, Malai Kofta, and Lamb Vindaloo. I definitely would recommend the Vindaloo most highly. The malai Kofta portion felt a little small (two pieces and sauce). The warm atmosphere was perfect for a late afternoon meal. They also have a nice selection of wine and beer.

Definitely towards the bottom of the value scale, food was pretty expensive. Dinner for two with no alcohol (2 entrees, rice and naan) came out to 66 dollars. Food was good, definitely recommend not getting the lowest spice option as however they make them kills the flavor of the dish.

Ordered take out this evening. The lamb vindaloo was sickly sour. Can’t really find any other way to describe it because that was really the only flavor in the dish. Everything else was just ok.

Very good food and service!! Small. By the time we left, people were waiting for tables.

Had the Chana Masala and it was amazing! Well portioned sizes!

Solid neighborhood Indian spot.

Excellent food, speedy service, friendly vibe. I ordered “spicy” and was put to the test. I loved it. If you’re not a fan of really spicy food I’d definitely recommend ordering mild. Don’t risk it with medium. Can’t wait to have my leftovers tomorrow 😋

This is the best Indian food in Chicago that I have found. Consistently great food.

Amazing food and helpful friendly staff, will definitely go again. It's probably the best Indian food I have had in Chicago so far. I do wish the portions were slightly bigger, but it is super tasty.

Not been in person but so glad in delivery zone...truly great Indian food is not found anywhere/everywhere but it is found here. Obvious high quality ingredients and their lighter-colored, creamy Tikka Masala sauce is the best I've ever had hands down.

Essence of India has been one of my favorite restaurants since my roommate and I stumbled on it way back in 2007. I've never had anything less than a fantastic meal here. Delivery, dine in, and carry out are all amazing.

Malai kabob is all there is to say.

The quantity is so small for the price they charge.

I love picking up and dining in at essence of India. The food is delicious and the owner and staff are wonderful. The restaurant is so pretty inside and the food is great. Great neighborhood gem!

Oh my gosh, so delicious that I crave it on chilly Chicago evenings! Seriously, to die for! And the restaurant is pretty, and cozy, to boot! They also serve interesting beers and other drinks, which is a nice treat.

مطعم يقدم المأكولات الهندية و الطعام لذيذ و خدمة ممتازة

The food was good, but not as good as many other places I have tried in the city. Service was great, everyone was very polite and attentive. The butter chicken was just a bit runny and a little sweet.

Wonderful experience every time. Great food and extremely friendly owner. Recommend anytime 😊 👌

Amazing food and a lot of options for Indian wines!

Extremely bad quality of food. I could eat only 2 bites and it tasted like stale food. They should really work on the taste, quantity and quality of food served.

We got food from "Essence of India" for my daughter's birthday and we got great feedback about the food. We were treated really well and the owner helped us with the estimate of food for the number of people, suggested better dishes and made sure the food was delivered hot, packed well and on time. Definitely recommend for great Indian food when you are in this neighborhood. Madras Chicken curry was delicious, naans are soft and tasty and Mango lassi was yummy. Thank You Mr. Satya and staff!

OMG I enjoyed every bite.We ordered Keenan Samosas,Lamb Pasanda and Yogurt Fish. Love it,definitely come back again. Onion Kulcha so good. After all we ordered Lassi ,it’s very refreshing drink!

Really delicious. Great curry ( chicken madrasa). Great samosas.

Great food ! Great service! Great butter chicken!

Delicious food, good ambience in restaurant. Asked for medium spicy and it was just enough to be kinda spicy which is perfect for my preference.

4.5 stars. Americanized desi food that I was craving. They add cream to everything but that’s why it’s so tasty. Favorite dish was the Daal Makhani No rice with dishes so order it on the side.

Legitimately confused by the great reviews here. This was not good. At all. The butter chicken was extremely thin and some how both flavorless and overly sweet. It tasted like milky rice pudding. The Tikka masala was not much better. It had the right consistency but was sweet enough to be a dessert. Both also didn't have enough chicken which is perhaps for the best because what I had was tough and chewy. The garlic naan was very thick and doughy and the garlic didn't taste very fresh. Pretty disappointing. I would recommend against this place.

I very rarely leave such a negative review but the quality of the food is simply not acceptable for the price. The flavor is nearly entirely absent, almost as if no spices were added - except an excess of sugar. The butter chicken is practically water with yellow food coloring. The tikka masala was not much better. Likewise, the texture of the naan was quite unappetizing. Soft and again, strangely sweet. Unfortunately, this was one of the most disappointing meals (Indian or otherwise) I have had in the last decade. I hate to write such a negative review but I hope that either it encourages the kitchen to course-correct or at least helps some potential patrons choose their next dinner out more wisely.

I lived my whole life in Lincoln Square 36 years. I never had this place before tonight. Amazing food. Great little busy corner of Lincoln Ave. Open until 9pm but Tues. I am coming back! Perfect.

It's very simple. This place will change your perspective on how the food quality is the main character of this restaurant. Beautiful atmosphere and friendly service. Highly recommended.

Delicious food, great service. It’s gotten a little pricey but then again everything has gotten pricey so it’s understandable.

The food here always makes me dance and clap. The garlic Naan, Jingha Masala, and Tandoori Chicken 💃🕺👏👏👏

Stopped by for dinner as a result of a long wait at a nearby restaurant. Indian restaurant located on the corner so we decided to stop by. The restaurant was not crowded for a Saturday night and we were seated right away. The menu was really extensive and had the classic Indian staples. Ordered lamb samosas, garlic naan? butter chicken, and shrimp biryani. Absolutely amazing. Everything was phenomenal and so well seasoned. Perfect flavor. Fast service. I can’t wait to return. The flavors were authentic and I’m so appreciative for this serendipitous.

My husband and I have been ordering from Essence of India for almost 3 years now- we get the same thing every time: onion kulcha (naan), vegetable korma, butter chicken and basmati rice. I think over Covid we ordered once a week! It’s unbelievably good and extremely consistent. We’ve probably ordered this meal 100 times and maybe once was it not 100%- and even then it was still pretty dang good. The food is truly excellent and the staff is really sweet. We think it’s priced well, too. Try it out!!

Walked past this place literally a hundred times and never stopped in. Today as I drove past we stopped for dinner and I am so happy we did. The lamb biryani was some of the best I’ve had, the garlic naan was thick and moist, and the spice built up as I ate, but wasn’t over powering. They also do takeout so that’s an option we’ll be trying next. Their service was fast, professional, and friendly. We’ll be making Essence of India a regular in our meal rotation.

This has been my go to place for Indian food for years. Very good, consistent, great flavors and spice. Absolutely love the butter chicken and samosas.

The ambience alone makes me want to come back: Indian art objects decorate the walls setting a beautiful atmosphere. The staff is polite and efficient, the service is prompt. Large selection of domestic and imported spirits. The extensive menu features something for every palate. The food is delicious. And all at a very reasonable price. Definitely a restaurant I will go to again and again.

Food looks great, nice rice and generous quantities of Naan bread but, sadly, the Chicken Shashi Korma is sickly sweet and the Butter Chicken is also too sweet.Way too much added sugar.

The food was amazing! The butter chicken was so flavorful and the chicken was really tender, the naan was delicious, and the saffron rice was paired really well with everything. The staff is super nice too and the food came out very quickly! 10/10 would recommend!

Food came out super fast, friendly staff and delicious food!

Amazing food, fast service, warm and welcoming staff. It doesn’t get better than this!

Essence of India is my favorite Indian in all of Chicago. If you're looking for incredible, authentic Indian food, you can't find better than Essence. If you're looking for a mild, plain old butter chicken, perhaps a Thai restaurant serving Indian food would be more your speed.

I ordered delivery from here via Uber Eats and they only gave me half of my order. When I called the restaurant, no one apologized once. They told me I could either call Uber Eats to deal with it or come pick up my order (they weren’t willing to bring it out to me b/c I’m too far- isn’t it too far for me too, rhen?). I asked her what happened and she said, “oh yeah so what happened was that we never entered the rest of your order.” No apology. Also, the food we did get was subpar at best.

We order little spicy but it’s turn out very hot and spicy that my stomach is hurt, my son in-law feel dizzy and sweating. We order lamb bariyani, Chicken masala, coconut shrimp, garlic nan, spinach dishes and beer. Food Taste good but can’t handle the spicy.

This is one of my son's favorite places in Chicago - we came here the first night of our visit. The restaurant is small but very warm and welcoming. We had exceptional service. We ordered a medium Murg Lajwab (chicken in a curry sauce) and a spicy Rogan Josh (lamb in a tomato curry sauce). We shared all our dishes - both were great, though I was glad we only ordered one at the "spicy" level - all three might have required some Tums for this guy. The garlic naan was well prepared. We asked the waiter to order a dish for our table and he brought a medium Malai Ka Kofta (cottage cheese and potato in a tomato and cream sauce) - wow, I really didn't know what to expect but it was very savory.

The food was decent but it could be better and more authentic.

I guess everyone has their own interpretation of what spicy means, but I ordered “Medium” and it was inedible because of its extremely excessive spice. I don’t even want to imagine what the “Spicy” is like. When I tried to eat it, I was truly in pain. Like my chest was actually hurting at one point. I asked the waiter if this was the medium in case they made a mistake, and he said it was “medium,” laughed, offered me a little thing of yogurt, and walked away and didn’t come back until he brought the check. The yogurt was useless in subduing the spice, and I sat there with my meal in front of me, basically untouched, while my friend ate hers. Like I said, the waiter never even came over to see if the yogurt had helped or to refill my water, and actually seemed to be purposely avoiding our table the entire time because he didn’t want to deal with me. He did look over at our table multiple times though, clearly seeing that I was not eating my food. Maybe it’s presumptuous, but in my opinion, good service means trying to accommodate your customer when they are physically unable to eat the food at their table, even if it’s technically the customer’s “bad.” Even half off the dish would have been nice. I get restaurants are still having a rough time due to the pandemic, but man, it was pretty upsetting to not be able to eat my dinner unless I paid for them to remake it. The chicken was also rubbery, and the fact that rice isn’t included in the cost of the already pricey dish, having to be ordered and paid for separately, is also pretty off-putting to me. These dishes are meant to be eaten over basmati rice… anyway, I will not be returning. There are much better and much more accommodating Indian restaurants in the city.

No idea if the food is good or bad because we walked in and stood in the restaurant for about 5 minutes, and no one ever came out to acknowledge us. A little disappointing, please put a bell on your door to alert your staff that a guest has entered your establishment.

Great food. Delicious chicken vindaloo and goan lamb

This place was such a treat. A true flavor journey. Really fun getting a few entrees and sharing across the table. Cannot recommend enough!

This was my first time in this restaurant. Food was very good and flavorful. Quick service, but a little bit pricey. I am talking by example about the rice. A lot of restaurants serve rice with the meal. Here you need to pay for the rice or the regular bread and it is not cheap for a small portion of rice and the chicken can be cooked a little more, but other than that food was very good.

Ordered takeout for my family tonight. Everything was fresh, delicious, wonderfully seasoned and flavorful, and clearly made with a lot of care. Would definitely order again.

Amazing food! They deliver so quick! And are so kind. Butter chicken, samosas and Naan. I ordered Chana Masala rice and samosas, which is amazing but was short on cash so I actually told them to cancel my chana masala because I just have to save money, And I was just gonna eat rice. They knew I was short on cash and when I opened my delivery bag they actually gave me the chana masala Me for free! So kind! I give it 6 stars. Kind people and amazing food. Please support these wonderful people. Best Indian food on the north side.

Food was pretty good, but not my favorite Indian food I've had in the city. I felt like the Naan was cooked from a store-bought frozen variety, which was disappointing. Prices were fair.

Good butter chicken, prices fine, quick service and nice staff

Clean friendly atmosphere ummmmm good Indian cuisine!.

As an ex employee. Not the first but I will say the very few of owner that will treat his employees like family! As a customer. He has very good vibe and so charismatic! Most important the food is uffff!! I know whole menu from one restaurant can’t give satisfaction to all of its own people in city but I’m willing to put $100 in table being here one time will definitely going to increase your desire to eat again from here! Thank you so much for the opportunity back in days! And thank you so much for delicious food today!! I love you sir satya!

Decent food, good service, peaceful ambience...a good joint for reasonably price Indian fare.

Food was excellent and the host was nice and very detailed

Respect to this place... very good food and service

The food was so good. My mom especially enjoyed it a lot she said she was still licking her lips after we left.

Our favorite Indian restaurant near Lincoln Square. We're big fans of the biryani and butter chicken.

Awesome nice and tasty Indian food.fantastic location. Every Indian should come here and taste this amazing food.

Delicious food and knowledgeable service. Will come back. My friends didn’t enjoy their food, because it was too much coconut in it. (And too little spices) But my chicken and nan were perfect. I am very curious to try their other menu items.

We went on a Friday. Disappointed with having to sit inside due to missing staff and no tandoori options. Still, the dishes we had were great. Spice levels are authentic - even for someone of Indian decent so spicy is spicy! The channa Masala lived up to its name, lentils were great and the bhindi tasted good. We had naans and puris which were good as was the paneer pakora. Interesting drink choices also and service was good. I might upgrade the rating if I can get the fuller experience once all the staff are there.

Their samosas and coconut shrimp are amazing 👏

Good food, nice ambiance. Cool look and nice music. Real clean and great people working. Not to expensive. Check It Out!!

Tandoori chicken is good, but everything else was quite average.

The earthiness and the depth of the dishes at this restaurant are as good as I’ve had at any Indian spot. Simply by ordering different items, you can experience floral and aromatic blends (chicken tikka masala), heat (achari chicken), and smokiness and texture in yet another (eggplant bharta). Oh and the biriyanis are irresistible.

Every dish was delicious! We mainly eat vegetarian food, so this is a great place to dive in... samosas, chana masala, saag chaman, and raita were flavorful and perfectly seasoned. I ordered the tandoori appetizer as our one meat-based dish, and it's a great way to sample the chicken & shrimp & lamb. Don't forget the pappadum, naan, and biryani for starchy goodness that ties the meal together! We ordered carryout, and everything was packed and wrapped to ensure no leaks... looking forward to dining in again someday soon.

My wife and I stopped in here for lunch recently; we are big fans of Indian cuisine. We both ended up getting vegetarian (nearly vegan; neither had cheese) curries because we wanted something lighter, and both agreed that they were possibly the best vegetable curries we ever had. (smoked eggplant for me, peas/mushrooms for her) The spice balance was just perfect and the ingredients were clearly of high quality. The prices are very reasonable and the portions are a good size- a filling lunch but not overly so. I would highly recommend this place, and it's VERY friendly to gluten-free diets.

Honestly I’m very picky about Butter Chicken or Chicken Makhani because sometimes there’s too much spice and it tastes funky but Essence of India has by far the best Butter Chicken and Chicken Makhani in the city! I moved to Chicago a year ago and found this place randomly. I love love love this restaurant.

Tbh this restaurant serves great Indian cuisine I liked it. Just a bit narrow for dine-in

My favorite Indian place in Chicago 🙌🏼