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Gaylord India Restaurant
Category: Restaurants Indian Indian [Edit]
One Embarcadero CtrPromenade Level
San Francisco, CA 94111
Neighbourhood: Financial District
(415) 397-7775
Announcement
Martini Month at Gaylord india Mango Tango.Melon.Apple Strawberry and saffron Gin. and many more, Enjoy Happy Hour in Patio. Cheers.
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 11:30 am - 2:30 pm
Mon-Sun 5 pm - 10 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Garage, Validated
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
216 reviews for Gaylord India Restaurant
Review Highlights
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"The chicken tikka masala was really flavorful." In 16 reviews -
"They have the best spinach naan." In 49 reviews -
"but it's the best Indian food place I've ever had." In 9 reviews
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216 reviews in English
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Review from Ravi B.
Moreno Valley, CA
5/24/2012
I don't understand why their average rating is a 3-star... I guess you can't please everyone.
When I visit the Bay Area, I save the Indian Cravings for this place. Not only is the food great, but the service can't be beat. The owners really show their pride and care for their customers. There have been many occassions where I have brought business colleagues including my CEO and I have never gotten a complaint... well except that they ate too much! I will continue to love them and visit them as much as humanly possible. :-)
Btw... the King's feast is my favorite! -
Review from Anne H.
Tallahassee, FL
4/26/2012
I thought it was pretty good actually, despite the negative reviews. The naan (garlic - yum!) was perfect, the wine was good, and there were enough delish veggie options to keep a table of 30+ environmentalist hippies very happy. I thought there was a pretty good variety and that the food was actually fairly flavorful, but it's possible I've just been deprived of good Indian for too long, living in Florida. It also seemed reasonably priced.
I'm tempted to give it an extra star for being so accommodating -- somehow our organization had neglected to make our reservation, and the restaurant was still able to make space for us so that we were quite comfortable, even though we were a really large party. -
Review from Romi L.
Sacramento, CA
Updated - 2/17/2012
Update:
Went to the Gaylord on Embacadero in SF for my sister's birthday and it was such a disappointment. Either they changed the chef or they changed management because the food was bland, service was blah and at the end of the night, the servers just kept the cash portion of our bill. I doubt I will ever go back to a Gaylord ever again. the only thing good about our visit was the lamb samosa. Our bill was 225, and 35 of that was gratuity for service we didn't even receive. Very Very disappointed!!!!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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9/21/2010
The food is delicious but pricey. The views amazing though. My family and I went here a while ago… Read more »
Comment from Sushil s. of Gaylord India Restaurant 2/26/2012
Hi I am so sorry to read your review that my service staff… More » -
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Review from Procter F.
Santa Monica, CA
4/30/2012
Decent Indian food in terms of flavor. We tried the vegetable samosas, lamb samosa, garlic nann, chicken tikka, lamb rogan josh, sag paneer. None of these dishes were bad, although none were spectacular. I had hard time gauging this restaurant, because like twenty million other people, I've eaten at Amber India which was a great experience. Amber has its butter chicken but there is no buzz as to what the stand out dish of Gaylord is. I think knowing this would help steer the patrons clear of some of the average dishes. As an aside, the restaurant was deathly quiet on a Thursday night and really felt it was going through its death wail.
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Review from Amy N.
San Francisco, CA
5/3/2012
I've been here twice for lunch during the weekday with coworkers. Both times our group did the buffet. There are a fair amount of options - half veg and half chicken. Nothing blew me away though. It pretty much is the standard Indian fare you would find elsewhere - naan, pakora, chicken tikka, lentils, etc. The price is on the high side at $14.95 for the lunch buffet. Maybe next time we will try ordering off the menu. It seems to be better from other reviews.
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Review from Kim L.
1/31/2012 1 Check-in Here
Probably more like 2.5 stars but I'll round up since it was a lunch buffet.
These guys serve a weekday lunch buffet for around $13 which isn't bad since their regular menu is quite pricey. They have a good selection of salad, naan, veggies, curry, tandoori chicken & dessert. The ambiance was nice and the waiters were all attentive in uniform. The lady who seated me was very warm & friendly.
I was quite disappointed with the food because it tasted extremely bland. One of the reasons I LOVE Indian food is the plethora is exotic spices they use in their food. This place totally lacks in that department. At some point, I forgot I was even eating Indian food!
Perhaps the cost of spices have gotten too expensive for them to prepare "real" Indian food!?! I'll go back if I'm really hungry but NOT to enjoy a nice Indian meal. -
Review from Patrick P.
San Francisco, CA
5/10/2012
basic tradermark indian dishes such as chicken masala and tandori were very bland!!! in general all their food lacked any taste. the buffet is $14.95. a bit expensive. even the naan was soggy. i would not recommend.
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Review from Kelly S.
San Francisco, CA
2/8/2012
2.5 stars
I so wanted to like this place, as I really can eat Indian everyday. Fact is that it's just south of ok. I had the veggie special of saag paneer and lentils (for lunch takeout) and it was pretty flavorless. Not bad per se, just not good. -
Review from Jack Alex Alan L.
Flushing, NY
4/13/2012 1 Check-in Here
First time eating here and I have to say the chicken was AMAZING!
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Review from Selvan M.
Financial District, San Francisco, CA
1/2/2012
Terrible with a capital "T". I only give it a star because I have to. Do not waste your time or money. I am of Indian origin from south africa and I have eaten Indian food in many countries and cities around the world because I like travelling. This place was terrible (actually the worst indian food I have ever had). The service was also pathetic.
We had the chicken tika, the shrimp curry and the lamb ghosh (vindaloo). The shrimp curry came with 4 shrimp that was overcooked and rubbery. My wife could not even slice it with the fork. The chicken was cold inside which appeared to me like it was just thawed and microwaved. I asked for extra spicy
Lamb and I swear that they took some spicy Asian sauce and added it to the curry. The lamb was also overcooked.
The only thing that was fresh was the bread. when I got the bill, I was even more surprised. I understand that SF is expensive but when you pay that amount for your dinner you expect authenticity. -
Review from charles h.
San Francisco, CA
12/6/2011
You've GOT to be kidding. First, you may not know that most Indian food in the US originates in one small region in the Punjab. That's why most Indian restaurants here serve the same fifteen dishes, in varying shades of grey and orange. A restaurant that charges a huge premium over the rest should be exposing you to something different--Bengali, South Indian, SOMETHING! But no, it's the same fifteen dishes.
Some people have praised the service. Being half Indian myself, I find it embarrassing--a sort of fake Raj-era obsequiousness that brings to mind all the worst stereotypes of the British Occupation. I had not been here in years but was dragged by a business colleague, and nothing has changed. -
Review from e f.
San Francisco, CA
2/2/2012
Not terrible, but not good either. We went because we were around the Embarcaderos one night, and Gaylord used to have a good reputation many, many years ago.
The place is expensive, and the portions are unnecessarily small. I'd say about 70% the size of portions of an ordinary Indian restaurant. Most importantly, the flavors missed the mark - like some spice was missing.
This was disappoining, since the prices were expensive for Indian food.
Ya live, ya learn. -
Review from Amy R.
San Francisco, CA
10/11/2011
I actually love generic, OTC masala, moderately authentic Indian fare. It's like Taco Bell. Sometimes I just have a craving for it even though it's not that good. It's more comfort smell than comfort flavor. That said, I would not pay $64 for 2 people at Taco Bell. I could eat at Dosa on Fillmore for $64...and Dosa on Fillmore is much better than Taco Bell. In fact, it's much better than Chipotle too.
I realize that The Embarcadero is not the splendiferous south bay where I can gorge myself on glorious Indian food from the comfort of a lawn chair for the low low price of $6.99...but I still find this place overpriced. I mean, it was $23.95 for the thali?!?!
The service was passable. One of my big pet peeves at an Indian restaurant is the implication that I can't handle the "spicy" food. Yes, I really do always drink that much water. Please, for the love of Gods, do NOT make this food any less spicy just because I drank a lot of water.
Last but not least, the saunf...you know, the candy coated fennel seed mix that you get on the way out of an Indian restaurant. I love that stuff. LOVE it. This tasted like licking an incense burner. I have 2 theories:
1. The saunf has actually been sitting there for 3 years absorbing the incense from the air.
2. The incense is being burned too close the saunf.
Really, who cares? I couldn't get that taste out of my mouth for an hour. Blech! -
Review from Nick K.
San Francisco, CA
12/28/2011
***Good***
Decent enough Indian food. Cheap, comparatively to other Indian places. I would go back.
***Bad***
Poor quality rice. Embarcadero center location isn't all that cool.
***Recommendation***
Lunch Buffet is good. -
Review from Jim B.
San Francisco, CA
3/16/2012
Uh... If I could give 2 1/2 stars. I would. good service and friendly servers. Buffett was good, but no way was it great. I really like the Naan, but the naan here was so so and had zero flavor. Tandoori chicken- pretty good. I would give it a second try. I have walked by here so many times and can smell delicious Indian food cooking. Anyway, I will go back and try again, I guess.
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Review from Lauren B.
9/11/2011 1 Check-in Here
Went here for a friends birthday. We order a lot of things from the menu to share family style. The chicken Masala was great and the other dishes were fine.
It was great that it wasn't super crowded or noisy. The wait staff and ease of seating, ordering etc bumps this from a 3 to a 4 star for me.Comment from Sushil s. of Gaylord India Restaurant 9/13/2011
Thanks for your feedback and thanks a million for your… More » -
Review from K N.
San Francisco, CA
2/18/2012
I'm giving this restaurant 5 stars, mostly to offset the 2 and 3 stars everyone else seems to give it. Having spent a lot of time in an Indian household growing up, I've always been a fan of the cuisine. The food here is very fresh, delicately seasoned, and appropriately proportioned. I've noticed that many Indian restaurants in the U.S. seem to cater to our culture. Extremely over flavored and massive portions seem to be a requirement. I cannot stress this enough: INDIAN FOOD IS NOT JUST CURRY AND CAYENNE PEPPER. I highly recommend this restaurant.
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Review from Johnny A.
Oakland, CA
11/16/2011
While the service here is five star without a doubt, the food is not...
I came here with my girlfriend for their lunch buffet so that we could try a few different dishes. The chicken tikka masala was one of the worst i have had at an Indian food restaurant. This place is also on the more expensive side as well.
I am giving it three stars because the food was about a 2 and the service was five, but I value the food more heavily so three it is! -
Review from Hasan S.
5/25/2011
Sorry to say, this place is absolute garbage :(
The only upside was the warm greeting I received from the lovely lady at the front (hence the extra star), she's such a doll.
Too bad her cohorts were absolute morons, and complete jerks. They obviously man a restaurant at 1 Embarcadero because they have no idea what it means to have SF respect. I gave it right back to them and they did lighten up a little.
Everything would have been all gravy if the food wasn't complete crap. Ordered the Ghost Vindaloo, one of my favorite dishes, and it was garnished with huge pieces of ginger that masked the horrible tomato paste and bland spices. That the naan didn't pull apart so you couldn't really eat with it might have been the biggest bummer (I love eating with naan).
Completely overpriced my meal was $35, an entree, a sprite and rice with a tip.
(pardon the language) -
Review from Nancy Q.
San Francisco, CA
3/13/2012
I don't know about anyone else but I love this place. Food is really genuine and they have great selection. Most Indian restaurants use fake ingredients such as butter to make it taste really good but really fattening. This place use genuine ingredient to make it taste true to culture. Love it. They also have clay oven where the Nan gets baked fresh right before you eat. Love this place.
Comment from Sushil s. of Gaylord India Restaurant 3/16/2012
Thanks for the Five stars Review. We all here greatly… More » -
Review from Faith W.
San Francisco, CA
7/25/2011
I was told by my vegetarian co-worker that this place serves a great lunch buffet. I will never listen to her again. The food tastes flat with no spicyness. I realize they are trying to appease the general patron, but with Indian food I want spicy. Too expensive. Next time I will walk to Bindi on 2nd for Indian buffet.
Oh, their kheer is horrible. The rice is undercooked, at least when I ordered it. -
Review from M K.
San Francisco, CA
1/25/2012
I read all the bad reviews for this place but still decided to go check it out for myself. Well it turns out the bad reviews are all true. I'm never going back here! I'm Indian and I know my food..this place serves some really terrible Indian food.
I went here for their "recommended" lunch buffet and it was one of the worst I have had..in terms of quality of food and variety. The food looked and tasted like it was stale and poor quality. It was cold and uninviting. The chair cloth had all sorts of stains and so did the carpet. Seems they haven't changed it since their inception very many years ago!
The owner lady is a nice lady, smiling and welcoming but apart from that they really have nothing going for them.
If you want to have the best Indian lunch buffet in the city, go to Amber India @ 25 Yerba Buena Lane, it is a couple of bucks more expensive than most places but totally worth every penny! -
Review from jazzy l.
San Francisco, CA
8/9/2011
They have two sections for the dining area. It's not a big box shape but divided in sections. They also have a small bar area in the front of the entrance.
They have an outdoor patio. We danced the night away meshed between tall skyscrapers in SF. It was a pretty mild evening.
Service was attentive.
Food was decent.
Bathroom needs to be upgraded.Comment from Sushil s. of Gaylord India Restaurant 9/1/2011
Thank you very much for attending our friends event.I really… More » -
Review from Mark M.
6/21/2011
This is the "safe" place to come for Indian food in the area. Nothing shines, but the food is really decent. It is perfect after some shopping and you are not with a date who minds how you smell after a meal.
I like the Masalas here, and really, that is all I know here. Don't bother with the desserts. -
Review from Michael S.
New York, NY
4/26/2011
+ Decent Chicken Masala
- I ordered Chicken Makhani
- Uses Uncle Ben rice instead of Basmati Rice
- Throws seasoning and peas into rice to compensate for lack of flavor
- Ridiculously expensive (Makhani, Rice, Nan = 23$?)
- Price:Portion ratio is terrible. Masala came in half-full pint container.
- Overcooked, ultrathin Nan was awful.
I am now eating a hot pocket, and it is far superior.Comment from Sushil s. of Gaylord India Restaurant 4/26/2011
Dear Michael S.I am sorry to read your review at yelp about… More » -
Review from Jason B.
Denton, TX
1/8/2012 Seated via OpenTable 1 Check-in Here
Very good indian food, with many vegetarian options. I have only been once, but everything I had was very good. The only issue I had was the food was a little more pricey than I was expecting.
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Review from Clifford L.
San Francisco, CA
1/24/2011
ONLY 3*** . . .
worn down after 30+ years of splendor & excellence? -tho never famous for "LUNCH BUFFET" . . . fa one, the original chef is prolly LongGong. We'll hafter check it out fa the last Hurrah. . .
. . . and, no comparable understudy!
Naan & Curry?
C -
Review from Laurence H.
San Francisco, CA
5/31/2011 1 Check-in Here
20% off with a Yelp coupon and right next to Embarcadero Cinemas. EZ breezy...
Decent Indian food. -
Review from Ravirao R.
Fremont, CA
2/11/2012
Worst possible service - 35 minutes after we ordered food came. The food was mediocre, nothing special. Small quantity for big price. Total mess. Not coming back here for sure.
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Review from Luzette P.
San Francisco, CA
7/6/2011
We order here every Friday night. The Chicken tikka masala is the best here and the creamed spinach!
the staff is super friendly the owner is always around chatting with us.
Definitately great indian food, and i LOVE indian food. I haven't had tikka masala better anywhere else. -
Review from Halle T.
San Francisco, CA
4/23/2011
I usually stay away from places with buffets. Not just because of the terrorist threats to poison American buffets... but really because I always walk away in a food coma.
But Gaylord's also lets you order from the menu. The food is pretty good (I love the vegetarian navaratan curry, and the garlic naan is sold). The place could use a few updates, and it's entirely overpriced ($14 for a lunch entree). -
Review from T S.
Elk Grove, CA
9/18/2010
My thoughts on what to look for in a quality Indian/Pakistani restaurant, the basics are often heavily overlooked:
1) The spice factor does not overpower the natural taste of the food
2) The vegetable dishes are often considered to be the highlight of the meal (Indian Restaurants), The meat preparation, quality and taste are the highlight of the meal (Pakistani Restaurants)
3) Fresh generous offering of Naan and Roti (warm, not stale, or served as an accompaniment to wine, this is just stupid)
4) Free Soda Refills
5) Portion sizes make you feel like family, not like a bothersome ill welcomed guest.
6) Authenticity is lacking (Being Sarcastic)
-washroom is not the equivalent of a latrine in size or cleanliness
- pictures of India's poor surround you, making it an ethnic experience
7) Clean, comfortable dinning environment
To Begin, lets not make the mistake of categorizing this restaurant with the likes of:
1) Naan and Curry
2) Pakwan
3) Chutney
4) Punjab Kabob House
- Although they are local favourites to some, they tend not to appeal to sophisticated Indian palettes' and can be characterized as being:
- unclean, smelly/uncomfortable
- places you would not feel comfortable bringing your family, boss or colleagues to
- have offerings that will typically blast your mouth with flavour/spices
-use poor quality ingredients, lack presentation, lack specialty and/or will often upset your stomach.
The Review:
I visited Gaylord Restaurant at the Embarcadero 1 center here in SF on a Thursday at roughly 1:00pm and opted for the $14 buffet.
The positives:
1) Food was fresh
2) The Staff were friendly
3) The Restaurant is generally clean (not including the bathroom)
I felt the food was of a home-style appeal, meaning the offerings were relatively safe and lacked a gourmet specialty. The items offered were selections' your mom or favourite aunt would serve but would not highlight the family meal. The options lacked excitement, i did not observe any uniqueness, rather the selections were unexciting.
The Buffet Selection:
1) Matter Paneer - this is a home-style vegetarian dish
- too much Paneer (tofu/homemade cheese) and too little Matter(peas)
- the sauce was rich and tasty
2) Yellow Daal - a pure staple, nothing special here
-extremely easy, boring and passable
3) Curry Chicken - though not a staple, nothing extraordinary
- the best dish they had
- I felt it lacked any uniqueness, and the sauce was too thin
4) Baked Fish
- didn't bother trying it, no creativity involved, nothing I would eat at home or look forward to as a gourmet Indian offering.
5) Naan - of a medium quality
- was not served fresh at the table, rather it was left under a lamp
- nor was there a garlic option for those who enjoy an Indian experience with a flavour explosion.
6) Tandoori Chicken - don't really care for this item, as it is extremely rare to find good Tandoor in any Restaurant
7) Vegetable Pakoras - a appetizer staple
- appreciated the offering and noted Imilee Chutney (tamarind sweet chutney, a favourite of mine, and is often overlooked or not offered)
In conclusion, I generally feel if I am going to pay $20 or less for an Indian lunch, I want to consume dishes I would not normally encounter at home, at least try to impress me:
1) Butter Chicken - one of my favourites
(often confused with Tikka Masala - not the same)
2) Tikka Masala
3) Kofta - mixture of vegetables wrapped into a ball with heavy tomato based cream sauce
4) Bhindee (Pindee) - Okra and masala
(delicious, very difficult dish to create but when its done right will beat any other offering when served with Naan)
5) Lamb Vindaloo - Spicy Lamb Masala
6) Fish Pakora, Fish Curry
7) Creative Subgee (Subzee to my Persians)
- mixed vegetables in various masala's
Bottom line, without any of the above specials served in quality, I would pass on this $14 lunch buffet. I do fancy the independent movie theatre next door and would consider returning if I were meeting friends who may want to choose this as a meeting spot.
Gaylord's could easily move up to its peers by:
1) Offering better specialized dishes
2) Avoiding simple offerings of Indian/Pakistani food
3) Offer better/cleaner restroom facilities, toilet seat covers would be a good start
Gaylord's SF Gourmet peers include (my ranking):
1) Amber India (expensive)
- a much fancier/gourmet offering, where at lunch the price difference is near negligible
2) Dosa (specialty Southern Indian food, but a very clean restaurant)
3) Chaat Cafe (SOMA Location)
Favourite Gourmet Indian Restaurants Bay Area (my ranking):
1) Amber India (Mountain View/SF, et al) - expensive
2) Mezbaan - Santa Clara
Best,
About me:I am Punjabi, having grown up in Vancouver Canada (the motherland), I have a naturally discerning palette for good gourmet Indian/Pakistani food. I eat both meat and vegetable dishes. -
Review from Cathy L.
Newark, CA
10/19/2011
Good food, good service, good location. Can't ask much more from a restaurant. If I'm ever in town and in mood for Indian food, I will definitely come back here!
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Review from C J M.
San Francisco, CA
12/5/2011
My new best Indian food in SF. We were there in the evening and we asked the server for recommendations because we had arrived so late (just before they closed at 10pm) and we wanted our food fast. It was all great. I don't understand the poor reviews - maybe they were for the lunch buffet. I haven't tried the buffet.
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Review from Michelle O.
12/4/2011
Garlic nan, onion kulcha, and chicken tikka are aromatic and tasty. The restaurant is expensive but worth the price for a special occasion.
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Review from Tania C.
San Francisco, CA
2/17/2011
Food is delicious. Small portions and somewhat pricey. No. I don't work in an office in the financial district.
Of course, service is good and everyone is nice. Main concern was the price of food. I wouldn't really recommend going here. I've tried cheaper and better indian food in San Francisco. -
Review from Sarah C.
1/8/2011
I came here right after Saveur wrote an article on how Gaylords was the first restaurant to make it out of India somewhere in England, blah blah blah.
What I remember is a pleasant meal with good service, good flavors and a good feeling in my guts. As in, I didn't want to pass out and go into a korma coma immediately after my meal...and it wasn't weighed down heavy rich buttery creamy tasting...which was nice, I could actually taste what I was eating.
I don't claim to be any kind of an expert on Indian food, but I really did enjoy my meal here. -
Review from Deepti A.
Santa Clara, CA
Good place. Waiter was very helpful and informative. They have nice collection of wines.
But the best part is they serve the food on little burners so it stays warm all the way. Nice!!! -
Review from Herra Chink y.
San Francisco, CA
8/13/2006
My day at work:
9:30 a.m.: Oh my god, I'm soooo hungry. Wherever will I eat lunch? What time is it - damnit, it's only 9:30! I need coffee....
9:37: WTF?! It's only been 7 minutes?! I hate my life!
10:02: Seriously, I need to EAT. My stomach is going to shrivel up inside me.
10:35: (to coworker) Hey, where do you want to go for lunch? I know it's only 10:30....
11:17: Ok, Indian Lunch Buffet at Gaylords - perfect!
11:49: OMG - SHUT UP on your damn phone call and let me go to EAT!!! I HATE YOU SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP!
11:55: Freedom!
12:01: Gaylords! I'll pick you, Vegetable Pakora, you, Chicken Tikka, you, Mushroom Saag. You're all so delicious!
12:30: Can't talk. Eating.
1:15: I really shouldn't have eaten that last plate of food. Or the one before it. Or the one before that.
1:34: Food Coma.... and damn - I smell like Indian food.
1:47: I need to go to the bathroom...
1:53: I never want to eat. Ever. Again.
2:13: I'm so tired. I think I'll sneak a nap in the lactation room. Where I can rub my belly. -
Review from Meghan P.
2/5/2009
I'm not a huge Indian food fan but, as far as Indian food goes, I like Gaylord a fair amount. When you walk by the Embarcadero center (especially if you're hungry already), the strong smells will engulf you...
I would recommend the lunch buffet at Gaylord for as much food as you can eat at a reasonable price. Be careful not to fall asleep at your desk when you get back to work though because you may feel a bit sluggish after all you are bound to consume!
