Following success at its locations in downtown Austin, Waco and College Station, the Texas-based Indian restaurant Tikka House opened its fifth location in Lakeway in July, owner Kshitij Kumbhar said.

“It's a very regional authentic Indian,” Kumbhar said. “It’s [not] Americanized. We kept the recipes as they were. ... People not only from here, but people from India also like how authentic it is.”

The overview

The small restaurant chain was started by the owners of Tulsi Fine Indian Cuisine in Round Rock.

“It’s a small group of friends,” Kumbhar said. “It's not corporate or anything.”

With most of the restaurant’s owners and chefs coming from a background in hotel management, Kumbhar said they bring around 15-20 years of experience in the hospitality industry.

The details

The most popular dishes at the restaurant, Kumbhar said, are chicken tikka masala—the restaurant’s namesake dish—samosas and biryani.

Compared to other Indian dining options in the area, the portion sizes and prices at Tikka House are unique in being large and also affordable, Kumbhar said.

The menu also offers “Indo-Chinese” options, such as Hakka noodles, fried rice and Schezwan chicken wings.

A variety of naan flavors and desserts like gulab jamun, sweet fried dough balls, and falood, a cold and creamy dessert traditionally made with rose syrup, are also included on the menu.

What else?

The restaurant is located directly next to SpiceBox International Grocery Store, a specialty shop selling exotic spices, lentils, rice and more.

“We are incredibly lucky that [Tikka House is] right next to the Indian grocery store,” Kumbhar said. “That helps us a lot.”

What’s next?

With five locations now operating in Texas, Tikka House plans to continue expanding with a new location on North Lamar already in the works, Kumbhar said.