The Wild Cook’s Indian Grill

This place has delicious food and the fastest, friendliest service ever for take-​out and dine-​in options. I would recommend the shrimp korma with naan bread and veggie samosas! Favorite Indian spot in Raleigh!

I ate lunch here today (Saturday afternoon). 1^st impression was the nice man who seated us. 2^nd was that all the buffet plates were dirty. Found food on at least 6 plates. The food was tasty but it was overshadowed by a group of flies, and perhaps another creature spotted scurrying by one of my friends. I will just drive to Cary the next time I want Indian.

I finally made it to Wild Cook’s, and I’m so glad I did! We used a groupon for a two person experiential dinner. We had the butter chicken and spinach naan. Both were very good and had the right amount of heat. We also really liked all of the staff that we interacted with. I’ll definitely be going back soon for dine in or take out!

Oh man, I just wish I could have my evening back where I would have gone to one of my local Indian places for dinner. This was simply put; disappointing! I’ll be honest, I mainly came because I had a free coupon from one of the larger coupon-​websites. Out of many local establishments and carefully selecting, I picked Wild Cook Indian Grill because it looked nice, little bit fancy, and there was an extensive menu of classic Indian veg and non-​veg dishes. With my coupon I was thinking I could treat myself to some extra dishes that I normally wouldn’t.
Driving by I didn’t even see the place, there is a very unassuming sign and only a few parking spots. From outside it reminds a bit of a roadside café out on the country side.
The interior was not as much fine dining as I had thought. Still not bad, colorful and nicely decorated, linen napkins, etc. I did not have a problem with the service, it was fast, corteous and to the point. My complaint and disappointment was with the food. It just wasn’t cooked well. Chicken bhuna was not marinated meat, it was not succulent. Although The chicken was not raw, but it was towards the uncooked side. The same issue with chicken vindaloo. It was like they had prepared it in a rush. It looks nice in the sauce, the sauce itself was tasty, but the chicken needs some major improve! ent in this restaurant. The simple key solution is to marinate the meat. This is abc in creating succulent meat, regardless of cuisine. What a shame!
The vindaloo needed more spice, I did ask for medium, but for a vindaloo dish I would have wanted some more heat. The mixed grill for 16 usd was just as big let down as the above dishes. The meat was tough, dry, missing moist and juice completely. It was a big portion on the sizzlar, but only two shrimps, if you can imagine medium frozen size. For the price I would have expected the high quality larger size, and preferably more than just two. The grilled lamb was just sad, some pieces tough to chew. Reflecting back, I wonder if they cooked the chicken and lamb together, when in fact they do need different cooking temperature and time.
I should mention that there was nothing wrong in portion size, apart from the raita that was served in a tiny little bowl. But for two dollars, I say fine. Speaking of raita, it was served with the veg pakora. I have never seen raita on the side with any pakora. The pakora itself was OK, but not crispy, and we suspect it was heated in the microwave, because it had that hot steam to it, and was served so fast.
My mom had the malai kofta. She loved it! I’m glad one in the party enjoyed their meal. The sauce was very tasty, but could have been couple of more kofta.
The naan, onion and keema naan, was probably the highlight of the evening. Although, some pieces were a bit burnt. Speaking of burnt, the papadam that is served before the meal had one large black piece, black as in completely burnt. Why would you even serve that? The burnt piece was on top of the other pieces, clearly no one is paying attention to details here. Papadam tasted like it had been sitting for some time and it was very strong pepper taste. Some might like that, I suppose.
The evening ended with complimentary dessert. I would like to say this brought the rating up to 3 stars. But it just wasnt enough to make this a satisfying visit. I hate to frown at free stuff, but what kind of dessert was this? Not sure if it was some custard or if it was supposed to be kheer made of semolina? Texture was odd and the white sugar was not blended in, it was like sprinkled on top, it is supposed to be boiled together? Again, it was four free bowls, and I am certainly grateful for the gesture.
I don’t like writing negative reviews, trust me, if anyone reads my other reviews they will see I typically give four stars. But I felt let down taking my family to spend money here in return for mediocre quality food. Should have kept to veggie food instead perhaps, since malkai kofta was good.
Oh, forgot to mention, there is a tv in the corner playing old cheesy 90s Indian pop! Made us chuckle!

Excellent food, great service. This is the best Indian restraint I have ever been to. Everything is gluten free except the naan.

Delicious, delicious, delicious.
Prior to finding Wild Cook’s, my favorite Indian place in the Triangle was Cilantro, in Cary. But Cary is kind of out-​of-​the-​way for me, so my boyfriend challenged me to find a decent Indian place closer to downtown Raleigh. Well, I found Wild Cook’s and it is not just ‘decent’ — it is mind-​blowingly delicious.
Wild Cook’s is great. It is so great. If you like Indian food, you should be there right now. As soon as you walk into Wild Cook’s, you’ll know it’s an authentic Indian kitchen — it has the unmistakable, lovely, spicy smell that can only mean they’re grinding and toasting spices fresh in the back. This authenticity is absolutely reflected in the food — from the papadum appetizer, to the obviously freshly-​made naan, to the curries. My favorite dish here is the Butter Chicken, though I have also had the Chicken Kashmiri Korma, Chicken Vindaloo, and some other dishes. My boyfriend tried the goat curry once when he ordered take-​out; he said it was great.
This is also an easy place to eat gluten-​free, as my boyfriend has to. We were told that none of the curry sauces contain gluten, so all you have to do is avoid the obvious sources of gluten — naan, basically. Also, the papadum is gluten-​free, since it is made out of black gram (lentil-​ish) flour. My boyfriend really like this; it is not too often that he gets to eat the free ‘bread’ provided at restaurants.
Also, don’t forget to order a mango lassi! And seriously, if you’re a gluten eater, do not skip the naan. It is absolutely the best naan I have eaten so far in the Triangle, bar none. Order it!
We plan to become regulars.

The first thing I detected upon entry was the pleasant smoky aroma throughout the restaurant (a grill, duh, what else). I ordered a curried eggplant dish that was spiced and just the right level of hotness. What really surprised me was the naan bread. Very warm and soft, almost like fresh pizza dough. The complimentary dessert of rice pudding with nuts was the perfect closure to the meal. The staff there take great care of their patrons. Only regret… is that I hadn’t made it here sooner.

Good, no great authentic Indian food! One of my favorite cuisines and I’ve had it for many different places. The food taste like grandma is stirring the pot in the back lol. I came during the weekend and it wasn’t packed at all in fact we were just there with one other person.
I ate the lunch buffet and oh my God it was so good. There were so many choices and they all were delicious and flavorful. The host was very nice and attentive. I ate myself to death.

The chicken jalfrezi (not sure of the spelling) was amazing. I decided to branch out from normal Indian staples and try something new and was far from sorry that I did. The sauce was rich and flavorful, the chicken tender, and the cauliflower and potatoes perfection.
The chef and servers were kind and attentive. Real candles flicker gently upon tabletops, adding a sweetly sincere glow to the colorful dining area.
Very reasonable prices given the quality and portion size of the food generously laid out before us.
Whether you love Indian food or maybe want to give it a try for the first time, stop in and let the Wild Cook wow you.

Whoa, what a pleasant surprise!
My sister suggested this unassuming little Indian spot for dinner tonight, and what a fantastic experience!
Loved the atmosphere (replete with traditional Indian music, which my shoulders bopped to all dinner long) — the candlelit tables were a sweet touch. And the service! I’m not sure I’ve had kind more attentive service at any restaurant in the area in some time. Several staff members handled our table, and every one was friendly, thoughtful, and really cared about our experience.
The food was delicious (a word to the wise, however, if you’re a weeny like myself when it comes to heat, beware the sauces and chutneys brought to your table at the beginning of the meal!) Both of us had great dishes — they Chicken Biryani was tender and flavorful, and my sister’s dish was equally hearty and complex.
Start to finish, we had a great time and left sated and in high spirits (and with leftovers — the portions are generous). Thanks for the royal treatment, Wild Cook! :)

This is the best Indian restaurant in the area hands down. The food is flavorful, not boring and Americanized, and the lunch buffet is a great bargain. I eat here a couple times a week and it is consistently fresh and I love the variety of the rotating dishes.
Massive improvement of the previous restaurant at this location.

Don’t judge a book by it’s cover. The outside of the restaurant looks questionable but the food was great! I have always wanted to try this place and their lunch buffet and since I was off work this week, I thought it was the perfect time.
They start off with a salad they serve you with feta cheese and pomegranate seeds. There were a lot of different currys and when I went it was all chicken (which I am fine with, since I don’t eat lamb or goat). They had fresh naan and I loved their samosas and vegetable fritters! Great selection of different entrees and for 9.99 it’s a great price The dessert was a rice pudding and I wish I could have had more! It’s my favorite I will definitely be back!

Don’t be fooled by the random signage outside the small restaurant… I am so impressed with the food here! The two dishes we ordered were so flavorful and bold, perfectly spicy, and oh so delicious. My friend invited me since she got a groupon deal and we had some delicous wine (Garnacha), lamb Shahi Korma and goat jafrezi annnnnd the kulfi dessert for $ 29. Can’t beat that deal but I’d gladly pay full price here… everything was tasty, service was friendly and the small restaurant was cozy and clean. I’m happy to finally find a good indian restaurant… long overdue!!!

We stopped here late on a weekday evening and were their last customers for the evening. The staff is very friendly, and the service is fast, but their food was a bit stodgy.
We ordered a Palak Paneer, a Bhuna Chicken, a plate of Roti, and a Garlic Naan. The Palak was ok, but the paneer was kind of hard, and seemed a bit old. The Bhuna Chicken was alright as well, but it felt like the chilli in it could have been cooked a bit more. We had asked for it to be spicy, and it tasted a bit as if the cook had dumped a ton of raw chilli powder in and mixed it, which did make it spicy, but didn’t really improve the taste of things. The Roti was not good at all, not a phulka, or a tandoori roti, but something in the middle, which we weren’t thrilled with. The garlic naan was ok, but not enough to make us want to go back.
The staff were very gracious, it was lovely to watch a Hindi movie with subtitles during the dinner on the only tv in the place, and the complimentary papad, and dessert were a nice touch, but I don’t think it was enough to rescue the food.

Fantastic food all around. The family and employees are great here at Wild Cook’s Indian Grill. The naan is great. The rice is great. Chicken Tikka Masala (CTM) is great. Yeah, I know I need to venture out and try other stuff, and I have, but MAN the CTM is awesome. I had a Bell’s Two Hearted Ale. It goes nicely with CTM.
See y’all there real soon.

There’s an old adage about putting lipstick on a pig. This is not the adage that I will use cause I did not dine at the old India Mahal. I visited The Wild Cook’s Indian Grill for Sunday lunch a week or something ago. I don’t know, keeping track of time becomes difficult as you age.
Overall, I liked the diverse array of selections. The Wild Cook had a good variety of meat and vegetarian dishes. Naan and basmati rice were readily available to serve as the perfect complement to each dish. There were even pakoras and samosas on the buffet.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t overwhelmed by the quality of the food. I’ll certainly acknowledge that a huge part of this had to do with walking in at 1:30 when the restaurant shuts down at 2:30 to prepare for dinner. I was hoping that the lunch rush would still be present, given that people trickle out of church at all hours, but this was not the case. I probably should’ve picked another day to dine when I noticed that the restaurant was almost empty.
That being said, curry that sits for a while should not develop the insane amount of saltiness that I found in a lot of the dishes. This saltiness was worse than the saltiness on Twitter when One Direction and Justin Bieber fans debate who is hotter.
Indian food has a very high bar. I’ll likely return to The Wild Cook’s Indian Grill thanks to its close proximity, but I am certainly in no hurry to do so.

I was pleasantly surprised by the Wild Cook’s Indian Grill. I had been there about two years ago, and the dinner was really no bueno.
Since that point I’d been avoiding the place, but eventually decided to give them another shot just because their big sign is so silly and gaudy.
Alright, so in case anyone is nervous, let me go ahead and let you know that there isn’t any wild cook terrorizing the patrons of this joint. In fact I’d say that the food was pretty tame, standard Indian fare. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
This restaurant (aside from the name of the place) lacks the pizzazz of a lot of the other Indian restaurants in the area. It doesn’t have the gorgeous paintings of Indian heroes like Royal India. It doesn’t have the hip decorations that Blue Mango has. The place is pretty low-​key, and when I went for lunch buffet yesterday, the lights were all but turned off.
For the lunch buffet, they just automatically give you a salad, instead of having a salad bar on the buffet line. For someone who doesn’t eat lettuce like me, this was a waste of food, and for somebody that doesn’t eat cheese like my wife, this was a waste of food. I wish that they would have asked if we wanted salad, and then maybe my wife could have specified that she would, but with no cheese. I suspect that they have this practice because there isn’t a lot of room for the actual buffet. Similarly, they end the meal with a little serving of rice pudding, whether you want it or not.
So, my picky vegetarian wife was really happy with her meal. They have Navratan Korma on the buffet, which is her favorite. For people who don’t eat a lot of Indian food, that’s pretty much just vegetables in a Korma sauce, which is strangely uncommon in Triangle buffets.
The Daal really stood out for me, they were nice and spicy. I also liked the Koftas.
On to the meats: the Tandoori chicken was big, but a little bit flavorless. The Butter Chicken was very good, and the sauce it was cooked in made for excellent dipping for my Naan. My favorite food was the spinach chicken. Yum! Just like every other Indian restaurant, the goat was served on the bone. I don’t understand this practice, but I don’t like fighting with bone, so I didn’t try the goat curry or the chicken curry.
The naan suffered from the common «buffet line naan» problem: it’s a little bit limp and flavorless by the time it gets out of the buffet and into my mouth. I really prefer when restaurants just bring a table their own fresh naan.
My picky vegetarian wife and I were really happily surprised by our meal, and will be back again soon.

Sometimes you learn more about a place when things aren’t perfect.
I went back to Wild Cook’s recently this time for dinner not the buffett. I got the goat saag and when the waitrees asked how my food was I said I thought the saag was kind of bland.
The reaction by the staff to this comment really impressed me. All too often when you complain about things you get the you trying to get something for nothing look. In this case my server and the owner both displayed a sincere desire to insure my dinning experience was a positive one. They acted imediately to do everything they could to make it right and were genuinely concerned that my dining experience not be a negative one. I would add I think I was partly to blame. I didn’t specify I wanted it spicy. They brought me out a fresh order of the saag and I liked it much better.

As somebody who once ate at the old India Mahal, all I can say is thank you for putting a new restaurant in that space! I have some friends who liked it but it was a pretty poor excuse for Indian eats IMO. Enter Wild Cook’s Indian Grill. The space has been freshened up a bit but it’s still a bit old-​school. Young staff in t-​shirts (pretty sure they are State students) handle the dining room.
Our visit was for brunch and for $ 8.50 it wasn’t bad. Tried the butter chicken, tandoori chicken, some saag and more. Everything was reasonably well done but definitely under-​seasoned. The naan was a bit under-​cooked but you know what? For the price I really can’t complain. There were 10 to 12 choices on the buffet and that’s plenty enough for lunch! And the basic taste was there so who’s to complain?
Here’s to Wild Cook’s Indian Grill taking a step forward from the old India Mahal! There’s still some work to be done but you’re headed in the right direction…

Was looking forward to trying this since I went to the place that was there before a million times (even into when it started to get really bad). The décor is different. The bad Christmas lights are down, the dusty ceiling fans have been replaced and the staff is no longer 2 grumpy men.
Good:
Price — only $ 8.50 for lunch buffet
Staff was nice
Parking is always easy here– especially since it is Hillsborough Street
Clean
I did not eat anything that was not decent.
Bad:
The dessert is not on the buffet. This is bad for me as I like dessert and getting a honey ball and a couple small bowls of rice pudding is one of the reasons why I love Indian buffet.
Flavor/​spice is lacking
Naan was off. There were no crispy parts in it.
I may go back if I am near there. I don’t think I would drive out of my way for it.