Princess Indian Cuisine

I went there on the last Friday of July 2013, This place is CLOSED.
CLOSED, CLOSED CLOSED
The actual building is now «Sin City» and after walking in and talking to the hostess believe you me, this is not the great Indian restaurant you want to take your staff to for lunch.
Them — «we’re going to let HR know about this»
Me — «but the Unilocal reviews were great»
Them — «I’m not sure I feel comfortable working with you anymore»
Me — «But the last review was in MAY 2013!» Fraud?
In any event, ti’s a gentleman’s club now not an indian restaurant.
You have been warned.

My new favorite Indian food restaurant. I used to like one in Clear Lake that I think has moved, but since I can’t find that place anymore, I ventured out to find a new buffet. I was very pleased with Princess Indian Cuisine. The staff was very friendly and quick to serve us. The environment is classic Indian design, but it seemed clean. We got seated at a booth and even in the environment, it felt a little romantic, which is odd for a buffet, or an Indian food restaurant, lol.
I loved the buffet selection. There were so many delicious choices. And the price was very fair for what they offer. My only complaint is that I got so full that I couldn’t try it all.
I tried going back on a Sunday, but unfortunately they are closed on Sundays: (Very sad. That’s the only reason they got 4 stars instead of 5.

Closed! It’s due to reopen as a sports bar?!

This place is now called Pavanni again. Price was good for buffet. The kormas/​curries tasted good but were a little watery. Their butter chicken however is one of the best flavored ones I’ve had and I’ve been to several buffets in Houston. Sambosas were crispy. Saag paneer kinda tasted like creamed corn, which was odd but good still. Dessert was REALLY good. The kheer was rich and not too sweet. The gulab jamun was also very good. I’d definitely go back if I was in this area only. Otherwise, Gourmet india is my go to for Indian.

This place rocked my world! I live in the San Francisco Bay Area where you can find some of the best Indian Cuisine in the United States and this was by far the best curry I have ever had. Not only was the food amazing but the staff was wonderful as well. They knew my food would take a while and let me grab something at the buffet (for free) to curb my hunger while they prepared my food. I will definitely be back next time I am in the Houston area!

This use to be Pavanni. To be honest the old Pavanni was a bit rundown looking but the food was incredible. Northern Indian which was much spicier than what you find in most Americanized Indian restaurants.
Princess looks much the same on the outside but the inside has been renovated and looks fine. But table cloths and new carpet does not make up for the loss of taste in the food.
The buffet is no longer a daily lunch and dinner buffet. Weekday lunch only. Most of the buffet items are the standard you could get at any Indian buffet in Houston. The chutney selection is also just basic now.
It is the closest Indian buffet to where I live so I will be back when I have to have my fix… until I find a new hidden gem like Pavanni use to be.

I want Pavanni back! Pavanni Express is out in Katy. The big lady who was the cook and ran the show had an accident– you may have heard on the news and passed away– very sad.
Again– throw table cloths on the tables, decorate a little, make the waiters wear fancier clothes, up the price and make the food taste like most indian restaurants– no good. Bring back constant buffet, bring back the old recipes and spice. You eliminated so many of the chutneys too– ugh. Same old Same old.
Won’t be back unless we have no other choice :/

So apparently this is soon to becoming Princess Indian or something of the sort per the banner draped across fromt columns outside. Kind of a little sad since this place has been Pavani for as far as I can remember, but the name (I assume owner/​management too) change isn’t too surprising.
We recently came back here for a non-​buffet weekend dinner and I can say this place is resolutely a two and a half star rating, but we’ll make it three to keep it consistent.
Early Saturday night, there was barely anyone here, but we weren’t too put off by that initially. But then I was personally a big annoyed that the service was so slow and lacking, the place might as well had been at full capacity. My friend ordered the appetizer with all the fried things — I sampled a bit of it and I can say I was not impressed. It came out room temperature — the samosas barely stuffed with mostly cold mashed potatoes-​like filling. Had it been freshly prepared (or should I said fried?) it probably would’ve been far more palatble.
Our entrees would take another good while to reach us (maybe I was just especially impatient this evening, who knows?!). I received my dosa before everyone else — the exact name escapes me, but it was similar to a masala dosa, but with extra vegetables added at $ 6.99. Definitely a substantial serving size and no meagerly stuffing. However maybe it’s just the particular style of Pavani, but the potatoes were very much mashed up to a paste. It wasn’t terrible, but I prefer it a little more chunky? Dare I say my dosa tasted a bit buttery — which is strange as I don’t recall butter or ghee being a component of dosa usually (I should’ve clarified, I guess, argh!). Overall it was decent, but pretty mediocre compared to all the other dosas I’ve had in my life.
It was the weekend of Diwali, so the waiter was very kind to serve us a few complimentary squares of a coconut based dessert. I didn’t try them, but it was a nice gesture.
Can’t say I was too impressed with this experience, but it didn’t totally offend me so I don’t know, I might stop by here one more time before it coverts into Princess. Or perhaps I should wait and see how the new ownership/​management fares?

Great Indian food! I know a lot of people don’t like buffets but this is probably the best quality Indian buffet I’ve had. You even get a free dosa with your meal. One time my friend Ellen C., you Unilocal vets may know her, went with us and was charged even though she didn’t eat. I felt so fulfilled that I paid for her anyway.

I’ve eaten the lunch buffet here several times with my co-​workers but it had been about a year since I last tried it. That is until this past month.
There’s a wide variety of both meat and vegetarian items which is great for vegetarians like myself as I’m not shut out of options at a buffet. I recall the food being spicy in the past which I really loved. However, they really toned the spice the last time I went. Pretty disappointing but I suppose they have to cater to all sorts of tastes.
My favorite things about the buffet are the made-​to-​order dosas and the bhindi (okra) masala. Yum! This is the only buffet I recall that has the dish. Also, my co-​workers (non-​Indian) get a kick out of watching the Bollywood videos that always play on the TVs.
This is still the better one of the Indian lunch buffets in the area that I’ve eaten at. Pavani beats out Bombay to Beijing and is far better than Café India in Sugar Land. It’s a toss up between here and Mayuri’s buffet though.
Don’t think I’ll make the suggestion to eat at Pavani during lunch to my co-​workers again. However, I’d go again if my co-​workers initiate it.

I actually had not been here for a while. A group of mine used to come here for a work lunch every so often before we moved offices. For some reason we were craving Indian food today. I was surpised to find that the buffet was still open at 2:30pm today AND that the restaurant has received a total makeover. It looks much nicer inside than it used to, with three or four flat screen televisions playing different types of Indian soap operas or music videos.
The food has actually improved since I remembered it, and there is a bigger variety of dishes. Furthermore, the restaurant is now serving 100% Halal meat and is open 7 days a week now. Hopefully they’ll do better under new management and chef.

I’m what you would call a Indian food noob. I’ve only had it a handful of times, in very controlled environments, with people that knew what to eat and ordered what they enjoyed for me. The best part about having a buffet of Indian food is being able to try everything. The waitress/​hostes recognized that we weren’t really all that familiar with the courses, and helped us through.
All in all I highly recommend Pavani. If you are new to Indian cuisine, it’s a must stop. If your a pro, I’m sure it’ll make a good lunch.

This is my go to Indian place. I have been eating at Pavani for over 7 years and have enjoyed many great meals there. The staff are very friendly, specifically the woman that wears the sari. She always comes to our table and talks about the various spices and cooking techniques they use to make everything. They used to have weekday dinner buffet, but with the economy, they have had to cut down to dinner buffet only on the weekends. The food itself is very creamy and delicious. They are sometimes hit or miss on a few of the dishes (saag paneer sometimes watery), but compared to the competion, they are my favorite buffet in city. Must try the fried cauliflower and the butter chicken. The only thing I wish they would do is to make their food as spicy as it used to be. Definitely worth eating at.

Today is a sad day. I am begrudgingly updating my rating to reflect how I’ve felt after my last three or four meals at Pavani (the most recent being last Friday).
Watery saag paneer with little cheese and no creamy consistency and lukewarm naan + still-​delicious dosa (served upon request), butter chicken, and tandoori chicken = three star meal. Permitting my four star rating to stand would be committing a fraud upon the Unilocal community. Additionally, I’m not sure why I didn’t notice before, but beverages are not included in the dinner buffet price of $ 15ish.
‘Tis indeed a sad sad day.

I initially was recommended this restaurant and went on two separate occations for the lunch buffet. Area location looks a bit rundown from the 59 feeder and small parking lot. Seating seemed a little narrow and crowded. I noticed alot of non-​Indian customers compared to other places. Food selection was good, some of the items were a bit on the extreme spicy side even for me. The best item ironically was the mango ice cream for desert which is freshly made and is very tasty /​addicting.
On both occasions though the service was horrible. We had the manager /​head person rush the check or tab before even we sat down to eat and kept checking if done every few minutes as though they wanted to rush you out; which was very distracting when having a conversation. The second item was the lunch buffet price was way over priced if you know other local prices and is not justified.
Overall 4 stars for the food alone. 2 Stars with the service and price factored in.

I go here and to Madras Pavillion in Sugar Land – both are good but Pavani is friendlier, (not that I have had rude experiences at either-​I have not) but the hostess is always nice and the food is yum!
I do compare some of their foods to Madras – Madras has more KICK to their foods when it comes to spiciness but both are good.

The lunch buffet is fabulous! My family and I come here when we feel like splurging on calories. I can’t hold back when I see the saag paneer! The naan is always fresh, and I absolutely LOVE the potato-​filled crepes. It’s never a disappointment with their food. My dad loves the goat curry (which is surprisingly enough not at all Indian restaurants). My sister and I love the tikka masala and butter chicken. The downside is that they do have samosas, but they’re mini samosas. The fact that they have their freshly made potato-​filled crêpe makes up for it.
The price is a tad high for a lunch buffet, but it’s worth the extra couple of dollars more when it’s never been a disappointment. The service is always attentive too! Don’t let the old Steak and Ale décor fool you. it’s still great food!

The buffet is $ 14, so I don’t know how much of a value it is. But the food is delicious and well prepared Indian on par with much nicer looking places.
I didn’t look at the menu because the buffet spread is more than adequate without being so huge that you know they are recycling. The chicken was tender, the goat curry was great, saag paneer had huge chunks of cheese. The naan was not dissappointing either.
All in all I was a shameful sight scooping in mouthfuls of multiflavored curries and cheese and naan with raita and chutney dripping all over everything. I might have to go adopt a child in Bombay to make-​up for the guilt.
The restaurant itself looks like an Irish bar, turned into a cheesy suburb night club around 1984, then taken over by a cantina or perhaps country kitchen, now with an Indian Restaurant sign. I wasn’t even sure it was open or if it was an Indian nightclub… like you might actually find in India.
The extra effort and expense apparently goes into good food and staffing.
They are also open very late night. Not that I would be drinking anywhere within walking distance, but good to know.
Not a date place. But more for when you are comfortable farting in front of your s/​o.
Also, unlimited mango ice cream on tap.

Pavani was the first Indian restaurant I went to, when they were at the old location. It is still a favorite.
This a great place to get an introduction to Indian food because there is a large buffet selection, and the dishes are labeled so you can learn what they are (It took me about a year to fully grasp Indian cuisine terminology). The spice level is moderate, but not bland. Newcomers will be able to handle it. There is a nice balance of meat and veggie offerings. The chutneys are also varied and tasty. Everything tasted great and it was pretty fresh for a buffet.
Service was friendly and professional, and the restaurant was clean. I will be going back soon!

I used to work five minutes from here. The biggest heartache from being laid off from that particular job is being so very, very far away from this restaurant. I came here frequently enough to be a regular, though that never made a difference in my treatment by the staff, as they’re nice and accomodating with everyone.
The buffet is gargantuan. There is one buffet containing salad, fruit, and dessert-​type offerings. Then the other buffet, which has everything from tandoori chicken to vegetable masala. Some dishes, like saag paneer, are featured daily, while others are rotated in and out. The naan bread is to die for and if you don’t load up on it around your first trip to the buffet, it probably won’t be there when you go back. My favorite dessert, galub jamum, is not on the buffet all the time, but they gladly make it for me on request (and usually don’t charge for doing so).
Service is wonderful; I’ve never had to go without a full glass of iced tea or water. The restaurant (including the restrooms) is very clean and pleasant. It’s very easy to get to and parking is never a problem. For the price ($ 10 at lunch, not sure about dinner), it’s a steal.