Biryani in Columbus runs through strip-mall dining rooms and buffet counters more than through any single destination kitchen, and that is exactly how a metro this size should eat it. These twelve rooms, spread from the Short North to Easton's edges, cover the range from tandoor-driven plates to full lunch buffets where the rice dish is one plate among many worth ordering.
№ 01
Layla's Kitchen Indian Restaurant
$$
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Butter chicken and saag paneer share the menu with a biryani built for a dining room that runs on low light and quiet service rather than volume. The kitchen's output has drawn some inconsistency on delivery orders, so dine-in is the safer bet for the biryani done right. Booth seating and a calmer pace set it apart from the lunch-buffet tier.
What to orderbutter chicken, saag paneer, biryani
№ 02
Indian Oven
$$
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Garlic naan gets singled out often enough to order two, and the tikka platter anchors a menu where the biryani is only one strong option among several. The lunch special draws a steady crowd, and the room stays clean and unfussy. This is a straightforward run at Indian standards done with real care, not a biryani specialist, but a dependable one.
What to ordergarlic naan, chilli chicken, tikka platter
№ 03
Haveli Bistro
$$
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The tandoor is the reason to come, with tandoori shrimp and chicken pulling focus from the biryani on a menu built for groups. Gluten-free items are labeled clearly, a rarity worth noting. The room fills late even midweek. The buffet has drawn sharp complaints about cleanliness, so ordering off the tandoor menu is the safer path.
What to ordertandoori shrimp, tandoori chicken, saag paneer
№ 04
Taste of Awadh By Chef Anand
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Chicken tikka and kebab share billing with a biryani on a menu wider than most Indian rooms in the city, including pan-Asian dishes not common elsewhere on Central Ohio menus. Spice levels run genuinely hot when requested. Seating is ample and the pace is unhurried, making it a solid stop for diners who want to range beyond the standard curry-and-naan set.
What to orderchicken tikka, chicken kebab, biryani
№ 05
Curry Kabab Handi Biryani
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The name states the intent plainly, and the lamb korma and paneer tikka masala back up a biryani built into the restaurant's identity rather than an afterthought. Vegetarian and vegan options run deep. The buffet gets called out repeatedly as among the strongest in the city, and repeat visits are common among regulars who treat it as a family spot.
What to orderLamb Korma, Biryani, Paneer Tikka Masala
№ 06
New India Restaurant
$$
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Onion bhaji and chicken curry lead a menu that clearly labels vegetarian and gluten-free items, useful for diners building a biryani order around dietary limits. Service is attentive and to-go orders run on time. The room deserves more traffic than it gets. Occasional unannounced closures are worth checking for before a special trip.
What to orderOnion Bhaji, Chicken Curry, Samosa
№ 07
Awadh | India Restaurant
$$
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Dal tadka and navratan korma travel well, arriving warm and properly packed, a good sign for anyone ordering biryani for delivery rather than dine-in. The doi mahi mahi draws specific praise alongside the standard curry lineup. It reads as a newer addition to the city's Indian roster with a broader mix of dishes than the average storefront.
What to orderdal tadka, navratan korma, doi mahi mahi
№ 08
Aab India Restaurant
Grandview Heights $$
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Tikka masala and dal anchor a menu with a biryani worth ordering alongside them, in a room kept clean and staffed with attentive service. The lunch buffet draws mixed opinions: the food is tasty, but the price runs higher than typical buffet math for the portion received. Dinner service gets steadier praise than the midday spread.
What to orderTikka Marsala, Chicken Curry, Dal
№ 09
Clove Indian Bistro - Restaurant & Catering
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Tandoori chicken and saag paneer pair with a biryani that has turned takeout customers into regulars, with friendly service noted even when the visit skips the dining room. The lunch buffet draws interest from dinner guests who have not yet tried it. Catering is part of the operation, useful for anyone planning a larger order.
What to ordertandoori chicken, saag paneer, biryani
№ 10
Cumin & Curry
$$
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Paneer tikka masala and chicken tikka masala headline a buffet in a side strip near the Easton shopping district, with parking easy to find and a biryani worth returning for on its own. The paneer selection draws specific praise. Service is consistently strong, and longtime regulars treat it as one of the city's steadier lunch-buffet stops.
What to orderpaneer tikka masala, chicken tikka masala, dal makhani
№ 11
Dosa Corner
$
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Masala dosa and mango lassi are the draw at a South Indian counter that sets itself apart from the north Indian biryani-and-curry rooms dominating this list. The dosa arrives crisp with flavorful accompanying sauces, and prices run fair. It fills a real gap in the city's Indian dining, worth seeking out specifically for the South Indian menu.
What to ordermasala dosa, mango lassi, idli
№ 12
Dakshin Indian Bistro
$$
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The lunch special is the move here, delivering a wide sampling of the kitchen's range including dosa and curry alongside the biryani, with portions large enough to justify arriving hungry. Service runs attentive and the room has a warm, low-key feel. Dishes arrive fresh and well spiced, and the kitchen's consistency stands out even against tougher critics.
What to orderlunch special, dosa, curry
Frequently asked
What is the best Indian restaurant near me in Columbus for biryani?
It depends on which side of the city you are on. This guide spans Columbus proper along with the wider Central Ohio dining scene, and each entry names its actual city so you can find the closest option, whether that is a Short North room or a strip-mall counter near Easton.
Which of these restaurants are in Columbus proper versus a suburb?
All twelve restaurants in this guide are located within the city of Columbus itself, not in ring cities like Bexley, Dublin or Worthington. If a restaurant were located in one of those separate municipalities, this guide would name that city directly.
Do lunch buffets typically include biryani in Columbus's Indian restaurants?
Most do, though the biryani offered on a buffet varies day to day and is usually one of several rice dishes in rotation. Restaurants noted for buffet strength in this guide, including Curry Kabab Handi Biryani and Cumin & Curry, are worth checking for biryani availability on the day you visit.
How are restaurants ranked in this guide?
Each restaurant carries an Insider Score built from the public review record, weighing consistency and volume of feedback over time. No restaurant pays for placement or ranking on this list; the order reflects the data, not advertising.
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The data first, then the verdict
We start with the review record, not a press release. Every room here is a real kitchen with a strong rating across a meaningful number of reviews, ranked on our 10-point Insider Score. We weight consistency over time and the rooms locals return to, not the ones tourists pass through once. The list updates as the data does. How we work →
Tommy Vu
Staff Writer · Top of Columbus
Tommy Vu is the Corridors and Heritage Editor at Top of Columbus. He grew up rolling silverware in his parents' pho shop in a Bethel Road plaza and has been eating his way through the city's strip-mall corridors ever since. If the best kitchen in the plaza has handwritten specials taped to the register, he has already ordered them.
