New Ganges Restaurant
Categories: Vegetarian, Vegan, Indian/Pakistani [Edit]
Neighborhood: Inner Sunset775 Frederick St
(between Arguello Blvd & Lincoln Way)
San Francisco, CA 94117 (415) 681-4355
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
Mon-Thu 5:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m.
Fri-Sun 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
Fri-Sun 5:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m. - Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: Yes
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: No
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Good for: Dinner
- Alcohol: None
142 reviews
Neighborhood: Castro
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91 Reviews for New Ganges Restaurant
Mango lassis were the best I've had in the Bay Area, and generally the food was great. Just a heads up: the portions are a welcomed bit smaller than usual and they don't serve Naan as I'm used to it (which isn't saying much), but they do make a mean whole wheat type bread.
We ordered in from Grubhub.com at 9:45pm. The estimated arrived time was 10:45pm which is way pass this restaurant's closing time and yet they still delivered. The driver was very polite and also gave us 2 bottles of water free with our meal. We ordered the following and everything taste delicious and would recommend you try! The eggplant and rice was the most fragrant. The dishes are spicy and the cold water was a nice touch.
Mushroom Mattar
Bengan Bharta (eggplant)
Zeera Rice
Saag Paneer (homemade cheese cubes w/ spinach)
Bhindi (Okra)
after traveling for months in india, the standard sf indian haunts just didn't feel right anymore. either over-salted, over-greased, over-pureed bastardized indian fast food... or something vaguely authentic served in a ridiculously formal atmosphere (waiters in cummerbunds, serving dal and rice? weirdly ornate silver serving bowls? ugh)... i was beginning to think there was no middle ground in this city.
i tried new ganges last night, and found it very authentic. simple foods, made with fresh ingredients, complete with slightly over-bearing yet entirely well-intentioned owner. the bengan bartha was very good, as was the yellow dal. i can imagine that the saag dishes would be top notch, as no frozen or canned food is used here.
do not come here if you would be embarrassed to be told how to properly eat your samosas, or fork fed by the owner, or if you are looking for a fancied up version of indian cuisine.
do come here if you want a wholesome, quality meal and a laugh or two at the sweet yet fastidious service.
Hey! This is some good eats!!!!! The host will treat you like family, and the food is unforgettable. Be prepared to be entertained. The food will entertain your tastebuds and the host will take care of the rest! Good food, good laughs and good times! Can't wait to go back!
- C.J.F.
I had an excellent experience at New Ganges. The food is incredible and the services is even more amazing. You have to go for yourself to truly understand.
I've never been a huge Indian food fan but this restaurant has made me change my mind! I loved everything, from appetizers (amazing samosas), entrees, sides, to the dessert! You can taste the freshness of the ingredients, and that only makes everything even more delicious. I can't wait to go back and try all the things I didn't get to this time around! The atmosphere was also really nice, a great relaxing locale to enjoy with good friends and loved ones. They were also great about us bringing our wine. added bonus of no corkage fee!
This restaurant is amazing! I went here for the first time today and was very impressed. The food is all vegitarian and is amazing. The quality is phenominal and the lunch buffet is a steal. Also the service is super incredible. The owner/ chef is a nice guy but dont take his overbearingness as insulting or rude. He is extremely nice and will serve you your food and even put beans and sauce onto your naan. Just let him do it hes awesome. Anyway go to this place!
New Ganges is amazing. I usually go to an excellent Indian food restaurant that serves buffet similar to this one, but New Ganges certainly rocks a lot more. This place has amazing service; they will constantly assist you in making sure you are satisfied with your portions. It's tasty, delicious, addicting. I love Indian Buffet and New Ganges is my number one!
By far the best restauarant in the city, period. The only to have EVER had any true competition for this restauarant up till the beginning of this year was Mekong, which wasn't even Indian food! Sadly Mekong has closed. What do these two share? They both feel like stumbling upon the Holy Grail of hidden recipe gems. Quite simply, the lunch time buffet is always exquisite, with quite a few dishes being contenders for favorite. I've been somewhere around seven or eight times in the last two months, and always try to go on my lone day off a week. Go now!
If you like feeling like you're in someone's kitchen this place is fantastic. The slow pace and quite atmosphere can create a little haven of relaxation. It's not so much about going out to dinner as having a dining experience.
As others have mentioned, the food is very authentic and tasty. We got two dishes with spinach (which I don't like) and they were delicious. We also had chai tea, jasmine rice, and buttered flat bread...mmm...
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Seriously, the best Indian food I've ever had, and Seriously, the best food, hands down, I have had in the city since we moved here. I'm sorry about the lapses re: takeout and delivery. It is a small, family-run place, and it takes a while to enjoy your meal, but there are plenty of places in the city that do the exact same thing and charge you 2-3 times as much.
The owner is a little overly solicitous, which is why I reluctantly stopped at 4 stars. He actually held our hands and put sauce on the pakora we ordered. Granted, they were the best pakora ever, and topped with the best sauces (cilantro and mango) ever.
We ordered the simple dishes: eggplant, chickpeas, and potatoes, with rice and chapati. The food is spiced perfectly, seasoned, drenched in ghee yet light. Simply put, the stuff was amazing. I've never had eggplant so good. It was almost a sauce over the rice. The rice is cumin-y, the chapati fresh and hot with more ghee. The mango lassi was creamy and sweet, full of fresh mango.
And it's cheap, unless you're used to buying the swill at Naan&Chutney, which isn't worth the discounted price. We paid $57, including tip, for three entrees, an appetizer, two chai, one lassi, two rice and two chapati. The prices alone would keep me coming back here, but the food is truly homemade and outstanding.
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I have been waiting for my delivery order for 2 1/2 hours and counting. I have called twice since the 1 1/5 hour mark elapsed and continue to be told that the driver is en route, and now they have stopped answering the phone altogether. Am tempted to throw cold chana masala at delivery man's head if he ever arrives. New Ganges is easily the most poorly-run business in San Francisco!
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I am fortunate to live close by this special treat in the city. I think it might still be one of those hidden SF gems! Located on Frederick Street, next to a yoga center and across the street from Kezar Stadium, New Ganges is an authentic vegetarian Indian restaurant with more bite for your buck.
Features:
* $7.95 all you can eat lunch buffet w/ at least 20 items
* cozy dinner tables
* hospitality
* satisfaction guaranteed or your money back
The owner is usually the one seating and serving you. He welcomes you into his restaurant as if it were his home. And if you really love the food, you can have it catered at your next party!
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Ghee free and good
(The nicest guy ever + delicious and flavourful Indian food) - and grease and oil like Naan N' Curry / the ability to walk it off while you head towards Upper Haight OR Inner Sunset = one happy belly
I wasn't a huge fan of the lassi (I originally ordered the plain but then asked if I could have some sugar to sweeten it up; however, the man just took it back and gave me a sweet lassi instead!), but everything else was absolutely amazing! These people know portions, nothing too big or too small and the spices were JJJUUSSSTTT right =)
Just come early...because it fills up pretty fast.
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1.5 hours after ordering food for delivery we call and ask where the heck our food is.
another 45 minz later we get our food and its missing the rice.
two seconds later we are inhaling some scrumcious delights!
it took us 1/8 of the time to eat the food as it did to get it.
for the record--they did come back with more rice 1/2 hour later. and threw in a small container of melon sorbet to make up for the lateness. still, i won't order delivery from them again. too bad the food was so frickin' good.
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for a few reasons, it's my favorite restaurant in the city. the owner is as cool as they come- he let me shoot a picture there! the food is out of this world good.
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I went here with my ex-boyfriend (back when we were together) and we both absolutely loved the food and the service. The man who owns the restaurant was an absolute pleasure and to have around. He made us feel at home and at ease, and he guaranteed us that our meal would be completely vegan and that we would love it!! I think I ordered a pea-mushroom-potato curry dish with yellow rice and vegan roti bread, as well as samosas to start. I ended up taking some food home but then I ate it later that night because I was still craving it!! The mango nectar juice was phenomenal as well. The only drawback was the lack in the variety of chutneys! They only had a mango chutney, but it was still very good. I can't wait to go back here!!
I really like the Indian food here. It has been delicious every time I've gone. There are three major drawbacks to this place, though, and if you're not as unflustered as I am about these things, this might be a horrible place to eat dinner.
First, the owner can be very pushy when you're ordering. It's not the normal I' ll-keep-suggesting-things-until-they-tell-me -they're-not-interested pushy; it's the I'll-keep-suggesting-things-until-I-die pushy. My advice? Be firm, and if you're with multiple people, it might help to have one person order for everyone so no one gets trapped by this guy.
Second, the food takes a long time to come. The first time I came here I thought it was just that night, but it's consistent. So if you've got somewhere to go afterwards, don't come here.
Third, it's in what should be the basement garage of a building. It's not dirty, but it's also impossible not to notice that cars used to live where you're eating. If you're claustrophobic at all, you won't like this place.
Now, if you still want to eat here, you will enjoy the food. I would suggest taking someone here to impress her with your knowledge of obscure places.
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I happened upon this restaurant as I was wandering around trying to find my husband's kick ball game. It was such a find! The owner was very friendly and talkative while I waited for my to-go order and even gave me a complimentary glass of fresh Mango juice. It was fantastic. I will definitely order the juices next time I'm in.
So I ordered the Pakoras and they were light and flavorful. I got a side of Raita just because I could swim in the stuff if they let me, but it came with two other dipping sauces that were also very good.
Long story short, I can't wait to go back and try more!
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I think if you ran the "Supersize Me" test on any indian restaurant in the city, it wouldn't be more than 4-5 days before you couldn't bear the sight of another naan or the smell of another chicken tikka masala. And not surprisingly. This whole curry business is just a mass-production restaurant phenomenon that's designed to make unhealthy, moderately tasty "indian" food that can be prepared by any Jose without screwing up too badly. Ever wonder why most curry dishes in restaurants taste the same - well, they ARE the same.
And that's where New Ganges leaves the competition far behind. They know that real indian food:
- is made from fresh ingredients
- uses authentic, home-made, healthful recipes
- is eaten with ghee-laden, whole-wheat chappatis constantly served piping hot as you eat.
- involves love and hospitality
You will find generous helpings of all of the above at New Ganges. Unfortunately, it appears the owner may have rubbed some people the wrong way with an overdose of hospitality, and understandably so. But taken in the right spirit, and being open-minded about giving up a wee bit of control over the whole eating-out process, it can actually add to the experience.
So ignore the nay-sayers and go ahead and try this place. You will not be disappointed.
Why, oh why! didn't I read the reviews before I went here?
I was so not prepared for the overbearing owner. We sat through his spiel about how great his restaurant is and then had our order dismissed because, apparently, he knew better. And he kept trying to add things. Actually, we had limited funds that night, so we had to almost argue with him not to bring us the dishes he insisted we needed.
If he has so much pride in the place, why doesn't he do something with the shabby interior? And the nasty bathroom. This place is depressing.
Oh, the food . . . it was pretty good, but not a good value. You'd have to pay me to go back here.
I'm not a foodie so take my opinion as you may, but I really enjoyed this meal. The owner is a bit overly familiar but harmless. He really wants to make certain that you enjoy your meal and that you will come back. I like that you can bring your own wine in with no corking fee. The plates are modest and delicious. I walked out with a belly full of vegetarian goodness, carrying a rose as a parting gift, feeling happy all over.New Gangs proves that it is still possible to enjoy quality Indian food in a cozy atmosphere with old school service without dropping a bundle. I'm already planning my next visit.
slow, poor service. worst restaurant experience of my life.
our party came in on a saturday night, so expectedly it would be busy. we waited for around 20 minutes and then were seated in the back, sit-down-on-a-pillow type of ambiance and were ignored for a long time. the staff consists of the husband, wife, and another waiter.
the food was good and fresh, though portions are on the small side, but it took a long time to come. when we were ready to pay our bill, i told the husband i needed to pay and leave, and he didn't come back for another 15 minutes.
i am NEVER coming back here again.
the whole night consisted of waiting and feeling ignored.
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I went to this place with a bunch of friends. I've been to many Indian restaurants and typically buy as many dishes I like. However the owner of this place would not allow us to buy number of curries we would have liked to. We were 6 and thought 4-5 curries would have been more than sufficient. We ended up getting 6 curries for 6 people!!! This place striclty serves one curry per person , bizzare haven't seen this anywhere
One more warning do not use the restroom its anything but clean
!!!eeks!!!!
I can only say one thing about this place:
Best Indian food i ever had.
AMAZING. They have a new all you can eat buffett for $6.95. This is real authentic home cooked Indian food. If you love Indian, you must try it!
While a fan of attentive service, I am not the type who likes someone breathing down my neck while attempting to enjoy a meal.
I think my friend was even more irritated.
It annoyed the crap out of us.
The food was ok, but not worth the experience.
Won't be back.
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Great, fresh food at a wonderful price. For around twenty dollars a person you can have an amazing array of dishes that are beautifully prepared and served. The quality of the food is second to none. Indian Homestyle at it's best!! The premise has no freezer! This restaurant is a jewel in the city of restaurants. Absolutely worth your time and money. I would give it six stars if I could. Go there in good spirits and Enjoy yourself to the fullest.
Okay, I'm basing this review on only one visit, but my meal here was pretty darn fabulous. I went to the lunch buffet (which is only $6.95!) and the food was hot, fresh and really tasty. Their deliciously flaky samosas were the best I've ever had. They also served a wonderful dish made of black eyed peas which I've never had before at an Indian restaurant.
The aforementioned owner was there, but he was merely friendly and attentive and we were allowed to feed ourselves, thankfully. I'll definitely be back again and again.
This Indian food isn't typical restaurant fare. It's more home style cooking. Wonderful flavors that left us satisfied. We'll be regulars.
dear new ganges owner,
i would rate your food a 4, but i took off a star because i prefer talking to my friends more so than talking to you. i think it's great that you stand behind your food (which is tasty!), but i think consistently interrupting someone's meal every three minutes is a bit overbearing.
next time, i'm getting takeout.
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i came here for dinner for the first time with a few friends.
so first things first....
the food here is PHENOMENAL. OUTSTANDING. AMAZING. words cannot describe.......especially if you're vegetarian and you love indian food as much as i do, this is the place for you. no argument about that.
the owner however....
this dude is a different story. don't get me wrong, the guy's super nice and attentive, well maybe, WAY TOO attentive. time after time, he kept interrupting our conversation and telling us how to eat the food so that we can experience the best possible taste....
in short, he was too aggressive and i felt as if i was under the radar the whole time like he was watching me eat my dinner to make sure i was eating it "correctly". i think i talked to him more during dinner than i did with my friends.
i will definitely come back again but this time i'll order take out.
oh yeah, another thing..... although the food here is delicious, the price's are kinda steep for indian food. keep that in mind.
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New Ganges has some of the best and most authentic Indian food in SF. Owner by husband & wife. Vegetarian food! The waiter/husband/owner is very entertaining! The mango lassi is spectacular, as well as the chai, chapatis, pakoras & daal w/ spinach. the samosas were a bit disappointing though. everything else was really yummy!!!
You cannot beat the Indian experience on offer at this quaint little spot. Always quiet and almost always personal. The food is all fresh and all vegetarian. Do not let this deter you, I took Brazilians here and they left happy. Aftab the jovial owner will always offer to substitute a new dish if you do not like one (never happens). I could never get enough of this place. I love spicy food. I have put this on my must see list for all my out of town guests. If you have a large party you can call ahead and ask to reserve the party table in the back.
I have travelled the world as have my other friends and guests, to have a place to show the like this in the U.S. is really special. A person who cares so much about his business, truly the struggle for the American Dream. Try it. Mixed Pakora, Bindhi, the pickles, Chapati, and leave room for dessert!
samosas were fantastic with a flaky crust. spices were perfect. the owner stepped into my personal space quite a few times and had a habit of turning the lights on/off. he loves what he does and stands by his food 100% it's obvious. plus he tells you like 3 times straight up to take it back as many times as you want.
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Upon reading the other reviews I *wish* the owner was pushy! I *wish* we were spoon fed food. Food of any kind! please!
We did get our samosas. They were fine. But after that, we waited for THREE hours for our food. It never came. WTF. We were ignored. No word on there being a wait. Nada.
Meanwhile, the two guys next to us, who had come in 45 minutes *after* us (who clearly knew the owners) were served within 15 minutes. Same goes for a couple that had come in an hour and a HALF after us. Finally upon watching them finish their meal, get dessert, and to-go containers, we left 5 bucks for our samosas, got up, and left. I can't say anything about the food, I'm sure it's good, but the service was beyond s---. Long story short, do NOT come here. I'm surprised this place stays in business. I don't know why were singled out for bad service when everyone else has had such good experiences, but as I come home at 2am still hungry because of these mofos, I urge you to eat elsewhere!
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This place was great! Went there on a Saturday night for dinner and there was no wait at all. The food was definitely fresh--as described by the owner. I loved the samosas. The only odd thing was that one of the people I was with had the cheese saag and I had the potato saag--somehow the saags were different from each other in texture and in taste. But overall, it was a good, homey restaurant. Even non-vegetarians will leave happily satiated.
ahhhh... New Ganges. Your getting desert. No, you don't understand, you're gonna have desert. There is no point resisting, it's just gonna be forced down your throat anyway, probably even if you don't resist.
The owner is a force to be reckoned with, a classic example of why the kitchen folk are kept in the back. He really loves his product, and he wants to invade you with it.
Everything I ate was quite good, and unique at that. This isn't you're standard Indian joint. They forgo staples such as tandoori chicken. Also, curry is actually a bit difficult to find. Fried cheese makes an unexpected and prominent appearance on the menu. The sauces are great. I didn't really love the samosas. Edible but bland for my tastes. Which brings me to another thing I want to point out. The flavors here are subtle. I have developed a strong appreciation of late for the intensity of Indian flavors. You won't really find that intensity here. But you will find something pleasant and something you probably haven't experienced.
You know, you really have to look at this restaurant more like a performance art piece to appreciate it.
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My first thought: God, what a dump. New Ganges is a total hole in the wall, and even though my friend assured me the food is great, I was concerned as I walked into what looked like someone's shabby living room outfitted with a few restaurant tables. Within minutes of receiving our food, though, I knew I had to eat my words. Everything was wonderful and, more importantly, inexpensive relative to the quality. The samosas were some of the best I've ever had, and the bengan bharta (eggplant dish) was outstanding. As a vegetarian, I was grateful to be in a place that not only caters to meat-free patrons but also makes food delicious enough for omnivores like my husband. We left totally satisfied, if not a little disappointed (relieved?) that the notorious owner was a little subdued compared to a usual day.
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