The momo, the Himalayan dumpling that became a genuine Columbus signature, sits at the center of this list, but the wider Nepali and Indian table across Central Ohio runs from Morse Road counters to strip-mall dining rooms in Worthington, Reynoldsburg, and Pickerington. This guide tracks where dal bhat, thukpa, and biryani are the actual draw, not an afterthought on a longer menu.
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The counter that helped make the momo a Columbus signature sits inside the Morse Road grocery landscape that anchors the city's Bhutanese-Nepali community. Steamed or pan-fried dumplings, filled with spiced chicken or vegetable, come with a jhol broth or a dry chili sauce. This is grocery-counter eating, not a dining room, and it is the reference point for momo in this metro.
What to ordermomo, sampler, aloo paratha
№ 02
Layla's Kitchen Indian Restaurant
$$
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Butter chicken and saag paneer anchor a Columbus dining room built for a slower dinner, with dim lighting and booth seating suited to a date or a quiet catch-up. Biryani rounds out the table. Service reads warm and quick in person, though delivery orders through third-party apps have drawn complaints about consistency. Dine-in is the stronger bet here.
What to orderbutter chicken, saag paneer, biryani
№ 03
Everest Cuisine
Worthington $$
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Momos are the reason regulars keep coming back to this Worthington storefront, which serves Nepali, Indian, and Tibetan dishes side by side and lets a family try all three in one sitting. Chili chicken and dal makhani round out the table. Long-term customers report the kitchen's consistency has slipped compared to years past, so dine-in over delivery.
What to ordermomos, chili chicken, dal makhani
№ 04
Durbar Nepali and Indian Cuisine
Reynoldsburg
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Fresh naan pulled hot from the kitchen and fish tikka masala give this Reynoldsburg room its reputation, alongside a momo plate available in both meat and vegetable versions. Vegetarian and pescatarian diners are well covered, with veg chow mein another regular order. Dine-in service moves fast even close to closing; delivery through Uber Eats runs slower.
What to ordernaan, fish tikka masala, momos
№ 05
Khaja Ghar | Restaurant & Bar
$$
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Pork momo served in a brothy gravy is the dish regulars point to first at this Columbus strip-mall spot, alongside dal bhat and chow mein for a fuller Himalayan comfort-food plate. It runs as a mom-and-pop counter operation with call-ahead pickup, and the room sits in a plaza shared with other small businesses on the surrounding block.
What to ordermomo, dal bhat, chow mein
№ 06
Jhapali Kitchen & Bar
Pickerington $$
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Dal, paneer tikka, and biryani carry this Pickerington room, which draws couples and families for a full Indian dinner even from skeptics who don't usually seek out Himalayan or Nepali cooking. The flavor lands, though some dishes read as prepared ahead of service rather than made to order, worth knowing before ordering the full spread.
What to orderdal, paneer tikka, biryani
№ 07
The Gurkha Crown
Pickerington
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Lamb samosa and aloo chop, a Nepali potato appetizer, are the dishes worth building a visit around at this Pickerington room, with vegetable samosa rounding out the starters. Dine-in service gets credit for staff who walk newcomers through an unfamiliar menu, patient and thorough rather than rushed, which matters for a cuisine still new to a lot of the guest base.
What to orderlamb samosa, aloo chop, vegetable samosa
№ 08
Dosa Kitchen
Gahanna
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The dosa here comes in a large portion, the kind of order that turns a first visit into a regular stop, and the room in this Gahanna plaza runs with an Indian restaurant's full sensory package, music included. Samosa and curry round out the menu. Service has drawn complaints on slower nights, so timing a visit matters.
What to orderdosa, samosa, curry
№ 09
Dhaba Kitchen
New Albany
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Aloo tikki, a fried potato patty served with two sauces, stands out as the vegetarian order worth seeking at this New Albany counter, built for carryout more than a sit-down meal. Butter chicken and chicken tikka masala are the mains, though the kitchen's execution on those two has drawn mixed reports, inconsistent from one order to the next.
What to orderAloo Tikki, Butter Chicken, Chicken Tikka Masala
№ 10
Indian & Nepali Kitchen Restaurant & Bar
Pataskala
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Butter chicken and naan lead a menu built around customizable heat, useful for a table split between diners who want mild and diners who don't. This Pataskala counter runs fast, with quick turnaround even on delivery orders timed to a hotel check-in. The dining area is compact, so this reads more as a takeout stop than a lingering dinner.
What to orderbutter chicken, naan, dal
№ 11
Yak N Yeti
Blacklick
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Veg thupka, a Himalayan noodle soup, and paneer mutter are the dishes that keep this Blacklick room in regular rotation for nearby diners, with samosas and a naan basket rounding out the order. The interior is plain and the service is quick rather than polished, but the kitchen's consistency across visits is the real selling point.
What to orderveg thupka, paneer mutter, samosas
№ 12
Darshan | Restaurant & Bar
Reynoldsburg
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Butter chicken and biryani anchor this Reynoldsburg room, set in a strip center with easy parking and an open, airy layout that works for families. Naan rounds out the table. Service has drawn praise as attentive from the start, with staff checking in early, and the kitchen's execution has been called out as a reason to make the drive.
What to orderbutter chicken, biryani, naan
Frequently asked
What is the best Nepalese restaurant near me in Columbus?
It depends on which side of the Outerbelt you're on. Momo Ghar Market on Morse Road is the reference point for momo inside Columbus proper, while Khaja Ghar covers Himalayan comfort food elsewhere in the city. Outside the city, Everest Cuisine in Worthington and Yak N Yeti in Blacklick are the closer options for many suburban addresses. Each listing here carries an Insider Score based on the public review record, and no restaurant pays to be included.
What is a momo and where did it come from?
Momo is a steamed or pan-fried dumpling from the Himalayan region, typically filled with spiced meat or vegetables and served with a chili-based dipping sauce. It became a genuine signature dish in Columbus in the 2010s, driven by the city's Bhutanese-Nepali community, one of the largest in the country by some claims. Momo Ghar's counter on Morse Road is the dish's best-known local anchor.
Is Nepali food the same as Indian food?
No, and several restaurants on this list serve both cuisines side by side without collapsing them into one thing. Nepali cooking centers on dishes like dal bhat, momo, and thukpa, a noodle soup, while Indian cooking spans regional traditions with dishes like biryani and tikka masala. A menu that lists both is serving two distinct culinary traditions under one roof.
How is the Insider Score calculated for these restaurants?
The Insider Score reflects the public review record for each restaurant: volume, consistency, and what customers actually say about specific dishes and service. It is not paid placement. No restaurant on this list, or anywhere on this site, pays for a better score or a spot in the guide. The score is meant to help you weigh a pick before you go, not replace your own judgment once you're there.
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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.
