Butter chicken in Columbus runs through strip-mall dining rooms and Easton-adjacent plazas more than it runs through downtown. This list covers the kitchens across the city and its ring suburbs that keep the tomato-cream base balanced and the tandoor working hard, from lunch buffets to made-to-order dinner plates.
№ 01
Layla's Kitchen Indian Restaurant
$$
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Butter chicken shares the menu with saag paneer and biryani in a dining room built for a slower dinner, with low light and quiet music suited to a date or a catch-up meal. Service runs efficient even when the room fills. Delivery orders through third-party apps have drawn more mixed results than dining in.
What to orderbutter chicken, saag paneer, biryani
№ 02
Indian Oven
$$
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The garlic naan gets singled out as some of the best in the city, and it is the right partner for a butter chicken order here. The tikka platter and chilli chicken round out a menu built for lunch specials, with a clean room and service paced for regulars who treat this as their standing order.
What to ordergarlic naan, chilli chicken, tikka platter
№ 03
Haveli Bistro
$$
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The tandoor does the heavy lifting, with tandoori shrimp and tandoori chicken pulling as much attention as the butter chicken itself, and gluten-free options are labeled clearly on the menu. The room stays lively into the evening, drawing groups and larger parties. The buffet has drawn sharper criticism than the a la carte menu.
What to ordertandoori shrimp, tandoori chicken, saag paneer
№ 04
Taste of Awadh By Chef Anand
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Chicken tikka and biryani sit alongside a menu that stretches into pan-Asian dishes not common on other Columbus Indian menus, giving butter chicken here more company than usual. Spice levels run genuinely hot when requested. The room seats large groups comfortably, and the menu rewards diners willing to order outside the standard list.
What to orderchicken tikka, chicken kebab, biryani
№ 05
Curry Kabab Handi Biryani
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Lamb korma and paneer tikka masala get named as often as butter chicken on the strength of a deep vegetarian and vegan selection alongside the meat dishes. The buffet draws repeat visits and ranks among the stronger lunch spreads in the city. Family-run pacing keeps the dining room feeling unhurried.
What to orderLamb Korma, Biryani, Paneer Tikka Masala
№ 06
New India Restaurant
$$
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Onion bhaji and chicken curry come dietary-labeled for vegan and gluten-free diners, and butter chicken fits into a kitchen built around that kind of clarity. To-go orders arrive on time and service stays attentive on slower nights. The catch: closures for maintenance have interrupted visits more than once, so a backup plan helps.
What to orderOnion Bhaji, Chicken Curry, Samosa
№ 07
Awadh | India Restaurant
$$
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Dal tadka and navratan korma travel well for delivery, arriving warm and properly packed, which says something about how the kitchen handles butter chicken too. Doi mahi mahi stands out as an unusual addition to a fairly new menu. The mix of familiar and less common dishes rewards a first-time order.
What to orderdal tadka, navratan korma, doi mahi mahi
№ 08
Aab India Restaurant
Grandview Heights $$
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Tikka marsala and chicken curry anchor a menu built for both the lunch buffet and a sit-down dinner in a clean, attentive dining room. Butter chicken fits comfortably into that lineup. The lunch buffet draws mixed opinions on value, with the food holding up better than the price point for some diners.
What to orderTikka Marsala, Chicken Curry, Dal
№ 09
Clove Indian Bistro - Restaurant & Catering
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Tandoori chicken and saag paneer make this a strong takeout order, and butter chicken keeps pace with both on repeat visits. The staff gets credit for friendliness even on carryout orders where dine-in service never comes into play. The lunch buffet draws interest from dinner-only visitors who haven't tried it yet.
What to ordertandoori chicken, saag paneer, biryani
№ 10
Cumin & Curry
$$
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Paneer tikka masala anchors a buffet that regulars return to specifically for its range, in a strip plaza near the Easton shopping district with parking that makes lunch easy. Chicken tikka masala and dal makhani round out the menu. Service and location both draw praise as reasons to make this a regular stop.
What to orderpaneer tikka masala, chicken tikka masala, dal makhani
№ 11
Dosa Corner
$
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Masala dosa gets called out as the best some diners have had, arriving crisp with flavorful sauces alongside a mango lassi built for balance against the spice. Idli rounds out a South Indian menu that runs at fair prices. The room stays casual and unpretentious, built for a quick, satisfying meal.
What to ordermasala dosa, mango lassi, idli
№ 12
Dakshin Indian Bistro
$$
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The lunch special delivers a wide sampling of the kitchen's best dishes, including dosa and a rotating curry, in portions large enough to take some home. The dining room favors comfort over formality, and service gets consistent credit for attentiveness. Freshness and depth of spice stand out across both lunch and dinner orders.
What to orderlunch special, dosa, curry
Frequently asked
What is the best butter chicken near me in Columbus?
It depends on which part of the metro is closest. This guide covers rooms inside Columbus proper as well as nearby options, ranked by Insider Score, which is built from the public review record and never from paid placement. No restaurant here paid to be listed.
Which Columbus butter chicken spots also do a lunch buffet?
Curry Kabab Handi Biryani, Aab India Restaurant, Cumin & Curry, and Clove Indian Bistro all run lunch buffets, and Dakshin Indian Bistro's lunch special offers a similar wide sampling. Buffet quality varies by visit, so check current hours before heading out.
Is butter chicken different from chicken tikka masala?
Both are tomato-cream based chicken dishes and menus in Columbus often list them side by side. Butter chicken tends to run richer and sweeter with butter and cream, while tikka masala leans more on tomato and chili. Several kitchens on this list serve both well.
How is the Insider Score calculated for these Columbus Indian restaurants?
The Insider Score is built from the public review record for each restaurant, not from advertising or submissions. It reflects patterns across many customer experiences rather than a single visit. No restaurant on this list paid for its placement or ranking.
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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.
