Maharaja Cuisine of India

Maharaja Cuisine of India
2437 East Main Street
Ventura, CA 93003-2603
(805) 641-3644


First Impression – 8/10
Maharaja Cuisine of India is definitely a top notch Indian food restaurant. Although I’ve never been to India nor claim to be an expert on their cuisine or culture, it sure felt like an authentic experience at this restaurant. From the atmosphere when you walk in the doors to the wonderful aroma of the spices from the kitchen to the greeting from the staff members, this is truly a restaurant to experience – not just eat at.

Service – 9/10

As we walked in the front door we were greeted by a host who then took us to our booth. (Side note: Last time we came here we unknowingly came in the back door, which is closer to the parking lot – the front door is the one on the street corner.) We came at dinnertime, however this restaurant offers a lunch buffet and has a banquet room as well. The server was very friendly and when asked about what he might suggest based on what types of flavors we were looking for, he was quick to suggest (and they were good suggestions!) He also explained the different sauces placed on the table and which item would be best with each.

Menu – 8/10

The menu is quite large in appearance; however there are many of the different curries that are duplicated with the only difference in being you can get them with Chicken, Lamb, Seafood or Vegetarian.   The items that are spicer than others are noted on the menu.  All the curries listed show what is inside the curries to make them as flavorful as they are.

Food – 9/10

On this occasion my wife and I decided to order the “Indian Affair” combination dinner for 2. This meal costs $40.95 and was plenty of food for the both of us. The menu describes the meal as this:

soup or salad, seekh kabab, tandoori chicken, lamb,

chicken curry, vegetable curry, pillau rice, naan bread –

(plain or garlic) complemented by dessert, tea or coffee

a glass of house wine or a small bottle of beer

For the soup, we chose a traditional Indian soup called mulligatawany. This is a chicken soup with rice, cream and Indian spices. Very well done. It was warm and smooth, like a cream of chicken soup should be. Then came the seekh kabab and the tandoori chicken. These two items were served on a hot sizzling platter over a bed of grilled onions, similar to the type of platter you get when you order fajitas from a Mexican food restaurant. Two sauces came with this dish in separate bowls. One was a green spicy mint sauce and the other was a sweet and sour sauce. The sweet and sour sauce was a typical sweet and sour flavor, not one that I would particularly try again just because sweet and sour isn’t my thing. The spicy mint sauce, I must admit it was good, although I thought I wouldn’t like it. I’m not a mint person. I usually don’t care for mint flavored anything. But this sauce was awesome! I placed it on the chicken and the lamb and bit in. My first reaction was the immediately coolness of mint…. And then it hit.. Spicy hotness. And it was hot. I couldn’t take more than a couple bites without having a sip of my Flying Horse Imported Indian Beer. Even without the sauces, the meat had good flavor and prepared on their tandoori grill.

The meal was also served with their pillau rice, which is basically white rice with herbs and spices. One of the spices that were prevalent was rosemary, which really added some nice flavor to it.  And the nan (indian flatbread) was awesome!   With the meal you get your choice of plain or garlic seasoned.   We opt'd for the garlic and it was very tasty!   A great starter and a nice palate cleanser between dishes to ready your tastebuds for the next wonderfully seasoned dish.    We topped our rice with the 3 curries that were served with our meal. Each curry was delicious. I can’t say much about how the curries compare to other curries because I haven’t had many curries before this. All I can say is they are very flavorful and we enjoyed each one to the last drop!

The meal ended with a dish called Kheer, which is basically rice pudding simmered with raisins served cold and topped with cinnamon. A perfect ending to a wonderful meal.

Overall – 8.5/10
 
Would I visit again? Absolutely! The food is wonderful, the atmosphere is nice and the service is very hospitable! There are many curries on the menu that I am eager to try.

Sportsman Restaurant & Lounge

53 South California Street
Ventura, CA 93001-2801
(805) 643-2851

First Impression - 6/10
Upon entering this steakhouse and seafood restaurant we are immediately immersed into very dim lights and a hunting lodge type atmosphere.  A small aquarium with two large fish at the entry way and large swordfish decorate the walls of the dining area.  The restaurant has a full bar with a typical long bar with about 15-20 stools and the dining room separated into another room to the left upon entry.  No one was at the door or the podium to greet us, one of the waitress' hollered to us from the back of the dining area "If you want to be seen to be seated, you've gotta come all the way in...." 

Service - 7/10

The service….  Well…  Have you ever been to a Waffle House?     You know the type, loud, not afraid to say what’s on their mind, talks loudly to the other servers across the room and has a loud overly exaggerated smokers laugh?  Yup..   There were 3 waitresses serving the dining area and all 3 with the same personalities.   Don’t get me wrong; they are friendly enough, just not what I would have expected in a nicer atmosphere restaurant.  Our waitress was kind, quick and to the point.   One nice gesture that I don’t see in too many restaurants that I like is the fact she left a carafe of soda for us on the table.   I like this, and not too many places do this, because often enough, when you finish the last of your soda - the server doesn’t come back for a while.  

Menu - 6/10

The menu had plenty of variety, but most everything seemed generic.   That is, nothing special to this restaurant that you wouldn't be able to find at any other restaurant of the same caliber.  Burgers, sandwiches, steaks and some seafood.  The burgers and sandwiches are in the ballpark of $10 and the steaks hovering $20+…    I’d say it’s reasonably priced compared to similar restaurants.

Food - 8/10

I ordered a Steak Sandwich for $15.95.   The menu really didn’t offer any description of it, so I was curious what cut of meat and any seasonings they use.   My first impression as the waitress set the plate in front of me was, “This isn't a sandwich!”   Basically, the ‘sandwich’ was a piece of toasted bread underneath a sirloin steak topped with an onion ring.  So I pulled out the knife and fork for this sandwich, and on first cut I noticed it was prepared exactly as I had asked – medium.  My impression of the first bite of the steak, delicious!   This steak was easy to cut and chew and was seasoned just right.  There really wasn’t any over powering of the seasoning.

My wife ordered the ABC Burger.  This burger was a typical Avocado, Bacon and Cheese burger.   I was able to sneak a bite of the burger and just like the steak, the burger was delicious!   The meat cooked to order and properly seasoned makes this a great burger.   The avocado was fresh and bacon crisp.   My wife couldn't stop raving about it the rest of the meal!  

Overall - 6.75

I'd say the ambiance is a little outdated and could use a little modernization but the food is excellent!  Based on my steak, I imagine the other steaks are just as delicious as well as the rest of their burgers.    Would I return?  Not likely on my suggestion.  If someone else were to suggest the restaurant, I wouldn't refuse.   Nothing at this restaurant is pulling at me to rush back.   They didn't have anything special on the menu, but perhaps they don't need to because the food is really good and prices are decent.