This Chattahoochee Food Works food stall run by celebrity chef Palak Patel, known for her appearances on Food Network, features spicy and vegan takes on popular Indian street foods. Expect dishes from the food stall such as kachori chaat — a signature dish from Patel — as well as vegan sliders like vada pav and a Mumbai-style grilled cheese sandwich. For vegan and gluten-free options, the lentil bowl at Dash and Chutney is both filling and flavorful.

Tucked into one corner of a shopping center at the intersection of Sandy Plains Road and Woodstock Road is a modest little restaurant offering classic Punjabi food, in the spirit of a dhabba or an Indian-style truck stop. In operation since just before the pandemic, stop in for one of the elaborate lunch specials or select from the many delightful entrees such as a paneer bhurji — a scrambled paneer and peas preparation — or an addictive honey gobi of seasoned cauliflower that is battered, fried, and finished with a spicy sauce. Everything is cooked to order, and it is well worth the wait. Seating is fairly limited. Be sure to add a lightly sweet and perfectly blended mango lassi for an unforgettable meal.

Ever thought about filling up on Indian food while filling up the car? The newest addition to Atlanta’s dining scene is a ghost kitchen tucked into an Arco in Buckhead — a gas station with plenty of food options run by the owners of Savi Provisions. Trimming away the overheads of a full-fledged restaurant, and designed for takeout, this clever idea is a Chicago-based franchise with a no-fuss approach to eating out, that also includes classic Indian flavors. The menu at the Cumin Bowl offers vegetarian bowl meals as well as many vegan options. From comfort foods such as a tadka dal with vegetables served over rice, or a regional dessert of softened mung beans cooked with ghee called moong dal halwa, the menu selection is as close as one can come to a home-cooked meal as possible. Please note that on any given day, not all of the menu is available to order. Order to go or grab a seat for a quick bite at one of the bistro tables inside.

Set within the busy food hall of Ponce City Market, this boisterous stall is part of the Chai Pani brand of restaurants, and the brainchild of award-wining chef Meherwan Irani. The hyper casual restaurant stall with counter service offers popular Indian street foods like chaat and a street food favorite from Pune, sev puri dahi puri or SPDP — a snack mix of puffed crisps filled with potatoes, doused in spicy, sweet, and tangy chutneys and smothered in chickpea vermicelli or sev. With a large selection of wraps like chicken tikka and lamb boti kebab rolls, tamarind glazed spare ribs, burgers, and grilled skewers, there is something for everyone at Botiwalla. It includes a few vegetarian and vegan options, too. The friendly staff is happy to make recommendations for dietary preferences. The in-house spice blends from Irani’s Spicewalla are available for purchase here. Irani also owns critically acclaimed restaurant Chai Pani in Decatur, serving variations on Indian street food favorites with cocktails during dinner and a buffet during lunch.

Open in the new State Farm building in the Perimeter Mall area, owner Srinivasa Nimmagadda dubbed the restaurant “the Indian version of Chipotle.” Create build-your-own meals by choosing from proteins with carbs and vegetables as rice bowls, burrito-style rolls, or salads. Add one of the flavor-packed sauces — a house yogurt or the tangy sweet tamarind sauce — to the selection to create a dynamic dish. Curry bowls are sumptuous portions of one of several entrees or curries served over rice with the option to add a single serving of one of the restaurant’s many savory sides, such as a vegetable samosas, mango chicken, or paratha. The menu includes several vegetarian and vegan options as well.

An Atlanta staple for decades, Madras Mantra includes two locations in Decatur and Marietta. As the name suggests, the menu features many iconic south Indian dishes like spicy rasam soup, the popular lentil stew sambar, and umpteen dosa and uttapam variations, all ideal for gluten-free or vegan diners. The menu also includes familiar north Indian entrees like dal palak — a spinach and lentil stew — choley masala — a stew of garbanzo beans — and south Indian regional fare such as the fiery hot gutti vankaya curry made with banana peppers and peanuts. Chutneys are available in takeout containers.

Nestled in an office park off of Windward Parkway, Nalan offers many Indian dishes for the food lover interested in exploring traditional recipes from home kitchens across the country. While it features familiar fare such as tandoori, tikka masala, and koftas, explore regional dishes here such as idiyappam, or string hoppers, aapam, or hoppers made with rice flour and tapioca flour, and parotta, or layered white flour parathas crushed and served with traditional curries. The kal dosa is a spongy, home-style dosa with the texture of soft savory pancakes and is available with a host of sides. Finish up with a creamy coconut and fennel custard, a lightly sweet flan-like preparation sans caramel sugar.

Owner-operated Rice and Pie is a hidden gem in a shopping complex off of Peachtree Industrial Road in Duluth. This establishment has operated since 2017 and survived despite the pandemic, thanks to its unique pizza offerings like a Chatpata Chat with chaat flavors, a chili pizza with curry leaves, or mobile-only pies like the corn and spinach pizza. The restaurant also offers a small selection of biryani. The owner here is quick to offer her friendly personal suggestions for those needing help selecting from the menu. Add a chikoo (or sapote, a type of mamey fruit) shake with milk, honey, and ice cream for a delightful beverage choice, or their Stramba smoothie with strawberry, mango, and bananas.