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.

Located on Luckie Street, this small, counter-service Indian restaurant might be one of downtown Atlanta’s best hidden gems. Head to Aamar for homey dishes of vegetable biryani, lamb tikka masala, tandoori platters, and spicy curries. Open late.

This Sandy Springs establishment offers a delightful selection of classic Indian flavors. The restaurant specializes in catering a party favorite — biryani, a slow-cooked layered dish of rice and proteins, available on its own as a Biryani Bucket or alongside a curry, an appetizer naan, and dessert to serve two. The extensive menu includes single-portion choices of biryani as well. In addition to traditional Indian restaurant dishes such as butter chicken and paneer, Bawarchi Biryanis features regional delicacies such as a fragrant and flavorful grilled chicken bihari kebab with notes of ajwain, the nellore chepala pulusu, Andhra-style fish curry with tamarind, and karaikudi goat curry with succulent chunks of meat cooked in a luscious sauce redolent with the flavors of fennel, coconut and a balanced myriad of other spices.

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.

In a small shopping strip anchored on either side by two different food marts, nestled in a largely residential area in the heart of Dunwoody, is a no-frills Indian restaurant with modest seating. But its soulful Andhra-style Indian food might make even the most discerning diner drive across town just to enjoy one of the varieties of dosas here. Be sure to try the minimalist papery perfection that is a ghee dosa served on a large oval platter with a spicy coconut chutney and the staple lentil stew, sambar. The decadently flavorful malai kofta is comforting and nutty, and this owner-run restaurant is a great neighborhood gathering place, too.

First opened on Scott Boulevard in North Decatur over 25 years ago, Zyka continues to offer a broad range of dishes from Hyderabad and the surrounding region. Think dishes like aloo tikki and gobi Manchurian and popular favorites like Chicken 65, saag paneer, Hyderabadi biryani with mutton, and malai kofta. The restaurant also serves halal meats. Make sure to order kulfi — a dense frozen dessert sporting flavors like pistachio and mango served in clay pot. There’s now a location of Zyka open in Alpharetta.

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.

Expect to find everything from Szechuan Hakka noodles and ginger capsicum or curry fried rice to chicken and gobi Manchurian, crispy Chinese bhel, and even General Tso’s chicken with a twist at this Indo-Chinese restaurant. Chinese Dhaba also includes locations at Patel Plaza in North Decatur, at the Global Mall food court in Norcross, and in Suwanee.