Southern Spice
“The chicken kothu paratha and mutton biryani are delicious, the chicken tikka masala hits the spot.”
“The Lamb Nilgiri has a delicate minty flavor.”
“We ordered vegetable samosas to start, garlic na'an, and I had a Kuruma curry with lamb (Kuruma being an almond and coconut curry).”
Southern Spice
Takes Reservations: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Has TV: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Caters: Yes
PokéStop Nearby: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
8 reviews
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Not the nicest place I ever been to but this New Hyde Park Indian does have good food. The samosas are a misfire and very small. The chicken biryani was delicious and very spicy. Equally good was the chicken tikka masala which also packed a bit of heat. Service is slow and slightly cold. Prices are a bit high especially for the appetizers and vegetarian dishes but the portions are big. I would come back.
Everything was so good, I'm salivating thinking about it.
We ordered the Samosas to start, Chicken Tikka Masala and Malai Kofta as our entrees, and Naan. We also had Mango Lassis. Everything was fresh and delicious. But the stars of the show were our two entrees. Southern Spice has hands down- the best Chicken Tikka Masala I've ever had. The chicken was so tender and juicy- it literally fell apart. I could tell a lot of love went into making it. I'm not usually a fan of Malai Kofta- but I found myself digging in and stealing it from everyone else at my table. The sauce was very rich and flavorful.
The decor could be better, but it doesn't matter with food this good. Indian music plays in the background and it was a great selection. I Shazam'd multiple songs we heard! Service was perfect- with our waiter being very attentive and friendly. The owner/manager came over to our table after we finished our meal and we had a lovely conversation about eating various cuisines.
It was a perfect dinner and I can't wait to go back!
A descent Indian restaurant serving some amazing food. I dined at this restaurant while on our way back to Rego Park from Jones beach. The place has a southern Indian name and feel to it but their North Indian food will knock your socks off. The Malai kofta was spicy and had strong flavours juxtaposed to sweet n creamy textures gravy served at other Indian restaurants.
A new dish which I tried from their menu was Kothu- small cubes of paranthas layered with scallions, veggies n Egg. You can also add any meat to Kothu. The portion size of this dish was also quite generous.
The Naans were quite crisp, thin and perfectly baked. Next time, I am devouring their dosas n idlis!
I was surprised to find this restaurant completely empty during dinner hours on a week night. I found the service to be extremely quick and attentive but that may have been due to the business volume at the time.
I ordered garlic naan, lamb chettinad, and masala chai. The naan was crispy and had a nice char. It was not buttery and garnished with abundant cilantro. It was different yet enjoyable. The main entree was perfectly spicy and had a very nice touch of black pepper. Most of the lamb was quite tender. The tea had a nice balance of spiciness, bitterness, and creaminess; I'd suggest stirring in a little sugar for some sweetness.
All in all, I'm surprised the restaurant was empty considering how good the food, service, and reviews were. I'd certainly go back if I'm craving Indian while in the area.
My dining group dined at Southern Spice on Friday, 9/4. The dining room was barely half full at 8 p.m.(not a good sign). I've worked and lunched for fifteen years near Curry Hill in Manhattan so I know a thing or two about Indian food.It pains me to write a review of this nature. My group did not like the food in this place. The much lauded Cauliflower 65 was meh, My duck dish tasted weird. One of my dinner companions had a bone in her Chicken Biryani(this is inexcusable as it says "I do not care"). Disgusted, her dish was left untouched. Another Indian American diner in our group thought the Dosa was subpar. Another said the same about the Chicken Tikka Masala. On the plus side, the staff was friendly and very helpful in explaining the dishes. Our group thoroughly enjoyed the mango lassi.Based upon the great reviews this restaurant received in the past, I was shocked. If this type of food is representative of what Southern Spice serves on a daily basis, the restaurant has lost its way. Our group will never return.
I had high expectations seeing all the good reviews here, but was disappointed after trying the Sunday lunch buffet recently. It's not the worse Indian food I've ever had, but I've certainty had better. At $14.95, it wasn't cheap, and I don't think I'll be coming back any time soon.
Service was slow and only marginally competent. Things got off to a bad start when the buffet, which was posted as starting at 11:30, wasn't ready even though it was well past noon. The waiter said we'd need to wait another 5 minutes or so as they finished setting it up. Buffet food is pretty much self service – so the only thing we really needed was water (slow) and the check (really, really slow).
Decor is dated and run down. Think drop ceiling with acoustic tiles (some stained). A few decorations and cheap looking tables and chairs. Like a basement from the 1980s – which seems like the last time the place had been thoroughly cleaned (the silverware, buffet, and tables were clean – but the walls and ceilings showed a lot of age).
For good ethnic restaurants, however, I'm over willing to overlook decor and service if the food is good and cheap. I've already mentioned the price, and unfortunately the food wasn't that great either. Nothing was terrible, but I've had much better elsewhere (maybe I've just been spoiled; I work two blocks away from Curry Hill in the city).
The Chicken Tikka Masala had a sauce that was a bit watery and not all that flavorful. Chicken 65 was better, and had a nice mix of spices. However, both dishes suffered from chicken that seemed a bit tough and overcooked. Other dishes were equally mediocre. The Nan wasn't all that great either, and just a bit burnt as well.
It got crowded as were leaving, so it seems like the place is popular with locals – that seams like a bad sign for the quality of Indian food out on Long Island. I guess I'll stick to Manhattan.
The restaurant was pretty empty for a Friday night…first sign of trouble. Right from the beginning the service was a little too "attentive" – not in a good way where you feel like all your needs are met, but in an overly interruptive way. Of course, now that I think about it, that might have been a byproduct having a relatively empty restaurant. The rice and naan were pretty standard. Although the garlic butter/cilantro flavoring to the garlic naan was pretty nonexistent. Our gobi manchurian was good, but I've had significantly better. Our lamb parotha entree was certainly not something to be missed. It lacked in flavor and content; I barely noticed the lamb at all. I won't be going back anytime soon.
Solid South Indian/ Indian restaurant. We had a whole bunch of food, although not cheap it's pretty good quality.
The dosa was pretty good, cauliflower was to die for. I usually hate veggies, but this I must say was a good appetizer.
I had the chicken Briyani rice, it was okay but I'm not sure it was worth 12$ when compared to the various NYC street chicken briyanis.
Check out the 1947 beer they carry. You're in for a treat.