Lumbini Restaurant

I’ve tried all the Indian restaurants on Charles Street. I like many of them; competition is fierce! But Lumbini is my favorite.
Here’s a tip: get a Groupon and make a reservation. It’s usually fairly empty in the restaurant, but I think the Groupon fine print specifies that you need to have made a reservation to redeem it so I make a reservation to be safe. The waiters are very used to the Groupon process and it is always easy to redeem it.
This might be the priciest Indian restaurant on Charles Street by a very slight margin. Even though Groupon can mitigate that, people give Lumbini a lot of flak because you really can find solid Indian food elsewhere nearby for slightly cheaper. But Lumbini is the one that wowed me. This is the one I come back to. Everything I’ve tried on the long menu is yummy, and I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve been here.
The ambience is super cool – there’s a mural of the Himalayas that covers the downstairs wall. Service is generally quick, and the waiters are clearly doing their best despite a bit of a language barrier.
Here are my favorite dishes:
–Butter Chicken. It is head and shoulders above the competition.
–Gobi Manchurian. It’s spicy but the pain is so worth it.
–Chicken Sekuwa. Cooked to tender perfection and served with a generous helping of timur spice.
–Chicken Korma.
Other things to know:
–This restaurant serves alcohol. I generally don’t order it, but since many Indian places are BYOB, this may affect someone’s decision to come, so I’m including it.
–There’s a whole space on the second floor you can rent out.
The lunch buffet is also awesome. It’s about the same price as the other nearby Indian restaurants (I think $ 12 on the weekends, $ 9.99 otherwise?) Give it a try!

Hydrebadi lab is the most delicious Indian/​Nepalese dish I’ve ever had, and the service and lunch buffet is amazing!

Had lunch buffet on break from jury duty. Some of the dishes were barely hot and most had mediocre flavor at best. Buffet was overpriced considering quality. Disappointing.

By far some of the best Indian delivery I have had. Better than most eat I restaurants. Extremely happy looking forward to traveling back to the area to order again!

Not a bad buffet! Food nicely prepared, good spice, tender meats, nice free chai. Service a little sloppy– never got drink we ordered. Interesting and nicely decorated atmosphere. Nice addition to dining options if you are further south on Charles Street.

I’ve tried all 5 of the Indian food venues on North Charles, and while they each have their own unique characteristics, aesthetics, and menu strengths, Lumbini is the only one I’ve felt compelled to write a 5-​star review for. I’ve been there 3 times to-​date (always in the evening, never at the buffet yet, though I’m planning to try it out sometime).
Some of the dishes that have particularly stood out in my experience there would be:
— Gobi Manchurian — usually I don’t go for the spicy appetizers, but tried this on a whim and it’s become a favorite when visiting.
— Butter chicken — best I’ve tried in Baltimore so far, it’s on-​par with the best butter chicken I had when exploring Indian food venues back in Chicago. The chicken is always extremely tender and the sauce is decadent.
— Sekuwa — tried this on my last visit and it was an amazing non-​curry option. Also very well-​prepared as a chicken dish and served with an awesome Nepalese spice mix. My server didn’t know what the mix would be called in English, but it was great.
— Lamb biryani — I’m not a huge biryani fan but we got this once and it was delicious.

I’ve had better. The sweet tea was super weird. The food was good but nothing remarkable.

Lumbini was okay. It wouldn’t have been worth the price had it not been for the Groupon my friend got before we entered the restaurant. Also, they were practically the only restaurant opened on christmas eve at mount vernon, so we didn’t have much of a choice.
Servings are on the smaller side. So unless you have a small appetite, or you are not as hungry, this place might not be the best option for you. But, it’ll work if you want a fancy date with nice ambience. We had the vegetarian samosas, rosh saag lamb, and butter chicken. All of which were not very memorable. However, I may return for their buffet. Seems like quite a number of variety are available on the menu for it.

We must have driven by this restaurant hundreds of times. We ate across the street several times. But we never knew it was there until friends bought a coupon from an on-​line site. We’ve eaten at Indian restaurants in the past, but never one that specialized in Nepalese food before this visit. The food is similar to Indian, but the spices and variety are different. I have a dairy allergy, and they were helpful in finding a dish I would enjoy. Everyone enjoyed their dinners, appetizers and breads. The owners will greet you warmly and are sincere when they wish you well and hope you return. We will be back with or without a coupon in the future.

Just moved from Jersey City, Nj. Now living here in Baltimore, MD. Random night, decided to stop in to try Lumbini restaurant. Wow! What an experience!
Xetri was the waiter for the evening, great service, amazing food. Great night.
Try the tandoori appetizers! We had a mouth-​gasm!
Then came the Chicken Tika Marsala.Mmmhhmm.
But wait, there’s more.. The lamb chops (tandori) was to die for. Stop in if you want great food, great service and an all around great experience.
Dooo it!!! I dare ya!

I was looking for an Indian restaurant in the area around the Baltimore convention center. I found one on Unilocal at the Lexington market or close to it but after I got to the market I found myself in a neighbourhood that made me quite intimidated. I’ve been in Baltimore for 4 nights and never felt particular threatened but I got out of there and headed to this one on St Charles.
The lunch buffet had adequate choice and there was no shortage of naan. I added popodoms too, which were not included.
Best of all, I left alive.

Kim and I headed down to Baltimore for the weekend. We wanted to have a good meal on our tummies before driving back home. We took a chance here and we’re very glad that we did!
It started with GK, our waiter… no, our tour guide of an extraordinary experience. His table side manner, knowledge, and services were stellar.
The food, Sunday meal (not buffet), was incredible. The portion were good, the flavors devine, and the price reasonable. We definitely got our money’s worth and more!
We will be coming back here soon.

Walk in n the place only has 3 tables full. I ask to sit a little away from the door n another couple. the guy says no in case they want to put the tables together for a group… they were not busy at all!
Ok so we sit where they want us to n tell him we have a groupon which we got as gift.
.he says we need to order an appetizer n 2 main dishes… this was not written on the groupon or online… n he wanted me to bring up the coupon on my phone… I tell him we got it as a gift! So it would NOT be on my groupon app.
Fine I’m there with hubby so we ordered the Chicken Saag n Chicken Tikka Masala n eggplant pakora for appetizer.
A little while later a white couple comes in n the younger waiter sits them at the table I had asked earlier to sit at. They seem to be nicer to the white customers. We were never rude to them… we were cordial.
Dishes weren’t too bad but the chicken was a little chewy for both dishes. Rice was clumpy… both dishes n rice might have been leftovers from the lunch buffet is my feeling.

I had only been here for the lunch buffet previously, but today I came for dinner service (non-​buffet). I got the chicken tikka masala and I loved it. The portions are a little bit on the small side if you’re a big person, but I was pretty full by the end. Right now there’s a $ 10 coupon on their website for dinner! Just print it out.

I was excited to try out this place — Indian food within walking distance of the boothang’s apartment? Sign me up! Buuuuttttttt… now I see why they’re running deals on a menagerie of discount sites. And even with my $ 25
gift certificate, our dinner bill set me back a pretty penny. Not cool.
From the start, I was put off — by the waitress sitting outside in a panhandler-​esque fashion, the stains on the tablecloth, and the general stickiness of, well, everything on the table, from the menus to the silverware. I thought whatever, as long as the food is good, it shouldn’t matter too much, right? Mmm, not so much in this case.
We ordered chicken tikka masala, molai kofta, and shrimp saag. I don’t know how they butchered (ha) the first dish, but the chicken was dry and there was very little sauce (I wasn’t about to ask for more a la a previous reviewer and get charged an add’tl $ 6!). The molai kofta was almost inedible… the kofta was VERY salty, but made barely palatable by the creamy paneer. Thank goodness the shrimp saag was tasty (though we were crunching on shrimp shells all night… better fresh than fake, I guess?) and the cilantro naan was good, otherwise this would easily have been a one-​star review.
Lumbini: you’re my personal definition of «once bitten, twice shy.»

(4÷22÷2015). Delicious food, very friendly service. Heard mixed reviews about the place, but went to try it for ourselves and glad we did. Hyderabadi Lamb was a truly mesmerizing dish. Looks are simple (lamb in sauce), but spices were a wonder, tender yogurt marinated lamb cubes, buttery, tangy, creamy, lemony sauce; a little tart, a hint sweet with coconut milk, savory with curry spices. The Nepali Thali «plate», selections of various dishes are so worth a try, get them to share.
They were a business vandalized by the Baltimore riots, def go to support your local businesses!

My boyfriend and I came here this past weekend and we had a great dinner. We weren’t expecting a whole lot since they were on Living Social, and sometimes restaurants on there are on their way out of business… but Lumbini exceeded our expectations!
I ordered the chicken tikka masala and it was very flavorful. It was a little skimpy on the meat, but still good overall. My entrée also came with rice, a salad and raita (yogurt that helps with the spiciness of Indian food). We also ordered a side of the garlic naan and it was really tasty! This might actually be the best naan I’ve ever had. It had plenty of pieces of garlic and green onions on it. I also tried a bite of the lamb vindaloo and it was spicy and the meat was very tender.
Prices were reasonable at around $ 40 including tip for the two of us. And as for parking, theres metered parking out front.
I thought I would have to head back to MoCo for some good Indian food, but turns out Lumbini was a great option right here in the city. Can’t wait to come back to try the lunch buffet!

I was in Baltimore for work and it was raining so heading out and walking around until I found a place to eat wasn’t going to work. I read the reviews on this place and since it delivered I figured «Why not?».
I ordered the chicken coconut korma and some chicken soup. It was delicious in flavor, texture, and scent. The rice was lite and fluffy. Delivery was prompt to my hotel room.

Nope
I do not get this place. I was SO happy to try this restaurant because it is so close to my apartment, and… food. I love food.
But — *eh*. Now I am biased because my neighbor brings us home-​cooked meals her mom made… and at times she cooks a meal or two… but still.
no
it is overpriced, the amount of food you get is moderate, they nickled and dimmed us (I asked for ordered the fish tikka masala and asked for a bit more sauce and they said it would be $ 6.00… for 3 spoonfuls of sauce. comeon) and the food does not taste very fresh.
not a fan

This place was fantastic.
Unlike some of the other reviewers leaving comments, I actually do eat a lot of Indian food. And, this was some of the best I’ve had in the States, ever.
So, pleasant surprise there. Add to that the fact that I was ordering their food to my hotel via GrubHub — so they knew that I was likely NOT a repeat customer — and they still went way over my expectations in terms of quality of food, and quantity.
Very nice subtle variations on standard dishes. These made the entrees stand out. I did not plan to eat as much as I did, but I simply could not stop tasting everything in front of me.
Terrific menu options. Terrific service and packaging. And tremendous food quality preparation. Really — thumbs up! And, thanks!