Salt and Pepper Grill III

Seriously better than a lot of sit down Indian restaurants. I like that they’ve added an online delivery option, especially where you can choose your spice level, they don’t skimp on the heat when you ask for spicy. Delivery has always come in about 30ish minutes, even though I always get a text saying they’re backed up and will be more like 70 – 90, so I don’t know what that’s about, but one of the fastest delivery places I’ve experienced in the Brightwood Park area.

I ordered from the dinner menu for delivery yesterday. The food was delivered within a reasonable time. I had ordered the Salt and Pepper Special and the Chaat Papari. The Special came in a clear plastic container intended for cold foods, and my food arrived at room temperature, not hot or even warm. The meats seemed to be leftovers from a previous meal time, and were very dry. The rice was cold. The chickpea item was tasty, but, unfortunately, it was not warm. The Chaat Papari was well seasoned and tasty.
Because the entrée was not freshly prepared, the meats were dry, and meal was delivered cold, I will not order for delivery from this place again. I am very disappointed, since this restaurant is in my neighborhood, delivers, and is serving something other than pizza or Chinese food.

This review is for delivery service only. I’ve had good experiences when I pick up meals at this eatery.
The past two times that I ordered from Salt and Pepper III, I found the estimated delivery time listed on the Unilocal/​eat24 app are misleading. The app states delivery in 45 – 60 minutes. But when I placed the order, the confirmation came back stating the food would arrive in more than 80 minutes.
The food actually came more than 20 minutes after that — so, in fact, their actual delivery time was about double the actual time it took to get food to my door. I waited to post this until I saw a pattern here. More galling, is that there is a delivery charge — delivery is not free. When you pay extra for a service, the restaurant ought to be stating something approximating reality on its eat24 order page — rather than misrepresenting things.
I will still do carry-​out; but until this establishment states realistic time frames for online delivery orders, I am sad to report that I won’t be giving them as much business.
To the owners: please accept this as a constructive thought to improve your business. Your food is good. The value is also good. Delivery… meh! Please fix!

I just ordered delivery from the Georgia ave location. Delivery came in 50 minutes and was nice and hot– big plus.
I’m glad I got multiple things because the two dishes were vastly different. The lamb biryani was delicious with perfect spice and tender pieces of lamb. Samosas were on point with good sauces on the side. But here’s the thing– the butter chicken was disappointing. It’s like someone grabbed the sugar instead of the salt. Or stirred in some sugar once the dish was done. Ukh! Tender pieces of chicken gone to waste. Still I’ll give them another shot and try a different chicken dish next time.

We have ordered from Salt and Pepper Grill III a couple of times now. They make a wonderful addition to the Petworth/​Brightwood/​Manor Park delivery scene. We usually get the basics, chicken tikka masala, butter chicken, chicken korma, and sometimes a lamb or shrimp masala or palak paneer. We also order naan, and veggie pakoras and samosas depending on who is home.
The last time the shrimp were a bit tough but nothing ridiculous considering it is delivery. I usually love korma but I think their butter chicken is the best of all of them. Can be surprisingly spicy, again, a good thing, just a heads up. It is all good, hot, not too salty, and delivered quite quickly and without issues to date. I think they don’t open till 5PM, so keep that in mind if you want to order on the early side.

Hands down the best Indian food I have eaten. The chicken tikka masala and butter chicken is amazing! Talk about the perfect blend of spices. We order from here a lot and it has been consistent every time!

It’s too bad. Ordered carryout from them once and we really really liked it. The other night we tried to order through GrubHub for delivery. Got a confirmation that our order was received at 6:50pm. The next email we got was at 7:20pm saying that our food would be ready between 8:20 — 8:30pm. I’m sorry but I would not have ordered had we known that delivery would take longer than 90 minutes. At that point, I called the restaurant and spoke to the rudest man ever. I told him that I wanted to cancel our order and he kept blaming «the company,» saying it was not his problem or fault. He refused to cancel the order. They then showed up at our house at 9pm with our food!!! We refused the delivery. Next morning I called GrubHub and they were appalled and apologetic and refunded our order.

The food is great, affordable, and plentiful. I just can’t seem to get the phone number right (rings at another location at times). Great to have this option in the neighborhood! Check them out!

We lived practically across the street from this place and it took us a month to figure out it was an Indian restaurant their marketing could definitely be improved. Once we found it, we have ordered once a week for several months. Love it — the food is spiced well, not bland. Their naan always tastes fresh — love that they offer stuffed naan. I tend to order paneer dishes, my husband likes the chicken dishes and samosa chaat. My favorite last are the paneer kadhai and the paneer makhani. They will make things not on their menu if you ask (and maybe are a regular). The biryani is ok — few takeout Indian places cook the meat with the rice because they offer different meat options, but it’s not greasy and the portions are substantial. This would be a solid three star takeaway place but they get an extra star for being in my neighborhood — so glad!

A takeout Indian joint in the northern reaches of the District that offers quick service and plenty of food for the money. It’s at a bit of an awkward intersection on Georgia Avenue, and nowhere near the Metro. But, if you can get here, you’ll find quickly ready and reasonably tasty food, ready quickly and in good portions.
I ended up with a solid yellow daal and a flavorful potato-​laden bread. Can’t go wrong with the basics.

Wow, I’m so glad to have found a good option for Indian around the area! I was able to put in an order for pickup and by the time we arrived, it was ready in no time at all.
Ordered the butter chicken, chicken tikka masala and (2) samosas which were delicious. I do have to say that the chicken tikka was a little too spicy for my taste and I have a high tolerance for spicy foods. Portion size was good as well for the price. Good amount of rice included.
They have a small little dine in area inside but we preferred to just bring it home for dinner. All and all, I will definitely be back!

This is right around the corner from my house, and is a great, quick, take out option! We’ve ordered from here now 2x, and both times we were quite pleased. The goat curry was delightfully spicy, the chicken korma was rich, the lamb biryani was flavorful, but the taste-​award winner is the garlic naan. It makes the carb-​aholic in me want to overdose.

I was close to this location so I placed a «to go» order. Unfortunately, the phone number on the menu is for the other location on Georgia Avenue. This needs to be fixed on the website, because my food was prepared at the wrong location.
Since I was walking, the gentleman at the other location placed my order for the right Salt and Pepper Grill.
The samosas were awesome. For the entrée, I had the Daal Makhani. The lentils was seasoned perfectly. This is definitely something for my rotation.
This place is definitely a carry out, so there isn’t a place to eat your food. Overall, it is worth trying out if you like Indian food, but please make sure you dial the right number that is on Unilocal

As Jonathan V. has reviewed, there are large discrepancies in the prices posted online and what they actually charge… $ 8.32 is no small amount in his case. I too have been surprised by what I’ve approximated in my head, and the actual charged amount. Largely my own fault perhaps (though take that with a grain of salt; how do you determine prices for a phone order other than asking detailed questions when you call or using an outdated webpage?), but buyer beware.
Setting aside the discrepancy («ies» actually; I’ve given them 2 chances) the food is never worth the price. My wife and I have found the paneer dishes to be greasy and cooked with an excessive amount of cream.
I won’t mention 2 other local restaurants we have frequented; however they have a price inline with S&PG3 for a sit down experience, though the food is comparable in quality. 1 of those restaurants sends out coupons almost weekly. For a storefront that is essentially a fast food set up, S&PG3, drops the ball in quality and price.
Trader Joe’s sells Indian dishes at a superior price, and taste much better. Yes, I am comparing S&PG3 to what amounts to TV dinners, and giving the edge to them.

Delicious — recently moved to Brightwood — and we order from here once every 2 weeks! Delivery is fast, reliable & delicious!

I would have easily given Salt and Pepper GRILL III 5 stars, but I was shocked to discover the bill once I arrived to SPG3 to retrieve my meal. Before I got there I tallied everything up from looking at the prices shown on
:
* ½ Chicken Tandoori: $ 10.95
* Vegetable Samosa: $ 1.95
* Sweet Lassi: $ 2.25
So, I expected to pay: $ 15.76. However, my expectations were not met, once I heard «that will be $ 24.08.» I went over the bill with the brother who works there, and he explained to me that while SPGIII is affiliated with SPGII and I the prices on the website are inaccurate. «Those are last year’s prices,» he says at one point. Misleading right? Exactly. I hadn’t even tasted the food yet, and already there’s a bad taste in my mouth. Advertised prices MUST reflect what is concurrent. So, I wasn’t cut a break; therefore I left feeling a little deceived.
There is light at the end of the tunnel though. Once I got home, and made sure everything that I ordered was present, my eyes were so pleased with the contents of the to go container. The container was full, and everything looked and smelled so beautiful! I’ll give out 2 big stars for aesthetic and aroma alone. The food looked very vibrant, fresh, and appetizing. Nothing looked overcooked, undercooked, or half-​assed; that is very impressive for carry out IMO. I took one taste of the chicken, and gave out one more star for taste. Everything was seasoned well, and my senses are dancing at this point. I was proud of myself for taking a photo of everything before devouring most of my meal. It was so beautiful I had to send a photo to my friend. It was so good, I returned to SPG3 shortly after lunch, and told the brother who works there how satisfied I actually am, and how in the end it was really worth it. Especially since I’m pretty sure he threw in a side order of Chole for free. So, that right there is worth another star.
So, again my only gripe is the prices on the website don’t reflect the in-​store prices, and I think I was charged for a side of Naan that I didn’t order. Other than those two things. 4 stars for delicious beautiful Chicken Tandoori, Vegetable Samosa (w/​dipping sauces), Sweet Lassi, and complimentary Rice. It only took 20 minutes for pick up too.

Love this place. Was a frequent customer to the lower Georgia avenue location so I was super excited to see that they opened this location in my neighborhood. The food is fresh and always delicious and the prices are great.

A great addition to the Salt & Pepper Grill family. The food is fresh, hot, and delicious. I highly recommend the butter chicken, lamb karahi, and bhindi masala.

Can you believe there is another Salt and Pepper Grill, and it’s right in Brightwood? Wow! Business is clearly booming! In a world where Indian restaurants are plentiful, posh and pricy, enter this one with a Pakistani flavor to liven up the mix. Nice addition to Brightwood eating options!!!
Parking is a challenge, but manageable. The venue is new, so sparsely decorated and barely furnished– just one table with a couple chairs, and by the door, the old counter from the prior establishment. The staff is friendly and efficient. The menu is diverse, but it is different than the original. It is shorter and has a few different items.
This is a pick-​up your order kind of eatery, so call ahead. I appreciated that they were willing to make items that were on the original’s menu, despite them not being on the menu for Salt and Pepper Grill III.
Also, they were willing and able to address my requests for vegan items– no ghee, butter or yogurt. Awesome.
The portions are fair, but the rice accompaniment they give you seems to be super sized! Mmmmm more for me– basmati white rice, yum.
The spices are superb– a nice complex mix of flavorings that I could never hope to replicate. Bland Indian food is the worst, especially when compensation is made with salt and oil. Here– no need for that! The food did not have too much salt, but there was a lot of oil in the food, and even a bit in the rice.
If you are a fresh veg-​a-​holic, like me, you will, however, frown over the veggies. They are mostly from a can or frozen mix. Too bad!!! Because of that and the smaller menu, I give them four stars.

I’ll start this place off with a great review. I’ve only ordered from their other two locations (the one on lower Georgia Ave. and the one on 14^th Street). The food is excellent, although very rich. They use lots of cream in many dishes. However, the flavors are great and I am happy to finally have a delivery option for northern Georgia Ave. in the Brightwood area.
Areas to improve:
Update the website to reflect the different phone numbers for each location and the different menu options for each location.
Implement online ordering because sometimes the phone is busy.