Nina’s Indian Grocery & Restaurant

Nina's Indian Grocery & Restaurant is a fantastic spot for a quick, flavorful lunch while stocking up on traditional Indian snacks and sweets. Whether you're looking for a freshly prepared meal or authentic ingredients to cook at home, this place delivers on both quality and convenience.The restaurant side offers simple yet delicious dishes that highlight classic Indian flavors, making it a great stop for a satisfying meal on the go. Meanwhile, the grocery section carries a wide selection of Indian staples, from spices and lentils to fresh sweets and savory snacks.With friendly service and consistently fresh offerings, Nina's is a must-visit for anyone craving an authentic Indian food experience in a casual, welcoming setting. Whether you're dining in or grabbing something to take home, it never disappoints.

I recently visited Nina's Indian Grocery & Restaurant in Lake Forest, and while the food was fantastic, my experience was a bit mixed.Let's start with the good--everything I tried was absolutely delicious. The kadhi Punjabi, chicken biryani, and chicken tikka masala were packed with flavor, and the portion sizes were generous. They also have great vegetarian options like pani puri, channa masala, and aloo gobi. The food alone makes this place worth visiting.The grocery section is another highlight. It's not the biggest, but they carry a great selection of Indian and British products, making it a convenient stop for specialty ingredients.However, I have to say that the service left something to be desired. Some of the staff behind the counter were rude and condescending, which made the ordering process a bit uncomfortable. It felt like they were impatient, especially if you had any questions about the menu. A little more friendliness would go a long way in making customers feel welcome.The dining area is simple and functional--nothing fancy, but it does the job. One downside is the restroom situation--there's only one, and it could be better maintained.Overall, I'd come back for the food and the groceries, but I really hope they work on improving the customer service. A little warmth and hospitality would make this place truly great!

This place is the best, great service too. I got the kadhi Punjabi and the person working at the front helped find an extra dough ball, and even recommended a good dish for me to try (the smoked chicken)Awesome food, awesome people

This Indian grocery store is a gem! Amazing variety of goods, everything is reasonably priced, and they have fresh coconuts! Plus, easy parking, friendly staff, and a clean store. Highly recommend!

Excellent masala dosa & plan dosa for my wife. Curry was really great for dipping the dosa. Service was very friendly and great. Love the fact that the market was pretty crowded with customers

I love Indian food ! And Because we needed a certain brand of rice and yes, they had it, it's a grocery store as well! best part of this place is the restaurant area, great prices delicious food esp. chicken, tikka masala . Service is always mellow and courteous. You can eat outside on a beautiful patio that they just put in

This review is just for the food only~ You enter the market and go straight to the back where you'll see a "cafeteria" style-like "restaurant." This is a fast/casual dining establishment where you first place/select your food choice and then pay for your food upfront. I so enjoy coming here to get my Indian food fix. The meal combo deal PLUS the Yelp check-in free additional combo item makes it so much worth it!What I do appreciate & love about Nina's Restaurant is: (1) they are not stingy on the portion (2) the staff ask if I would like any of the curry sauces on my rice :) (3) items are well packaged(4) they honor the Yelp check-in free itemNaan is made fresh to order, so you'll have to wait a little after your order is completed. The main items I have had here so far has all been pretty good. My favorite so far is the Chicken Tikka Masala and the Navratan Korma. The appetizer Aloo Chaat is good but feels like it is missing some chutney to go with it. Love the food so I will be back!

The scent of curry and Indian spices greet you before you enter the market. It's a small market but insanely packed to the brim. I took my time and went up and down the spice aisle. There are a lot of great deals but I had to guess on the quality based off of packaging and presentation since I wasn't familiar with the brands. Great to try out spices for new recipes too, jars and bags start at a few bucks. Tons of imported British foodstuff, candy, and spices. It's by far the most reasonable retails on Cadbury! I snagged rolls of Fruitella for $1.75 which taste like a creamier less artificial Starburst. Small section for housewares, beauty, & medicine. I didn't comp shop it.Highlight of the market was restaurant in the back. You can get hot food a la carte and the naan is made fresh to order. The tandori chicken comes as a side option or you can buy a full cut up chicken as well. The employee was nice and said we could sample anything if we liked. We were in a pinch on time so I asked what was the top vegetable side and he suggested cheese & peas which was my youngest favorite. Chicken curry was just ok. The tikka marsala was a family favorite.Highly recommend if you're in the area! I think it's probably better to go anyway, the food is not very hot in spite that we ate there. It was perfect as leftovers! And they package everything up perfectly so there's no chance of spillage. Great customer service!!

Indian food inside a market. Everything was already prepared like a cafeteria. On my keto diet so unfortunately no naan or rice but this spot was a great choice . Only wish food a bit hotter. Got myself the lamb curry. Protein a bit lean better for some but I wish had a bit more fat Chicken tikka masala' was very good. Wish had more spicy but overall good flavorGreat stop for quick meal

This is just for the prepared food area....Did they change ownership or throw away the old Natraj reciepes? I have always loved this place and now..... the food has no flavor!! It's worse than mall food court quality. Chicken Tikla tasted like the sauce was Campbell's Tomato Soup, and the saag pannier needed at least salt! Hopefully Natraj is still maintaining standards.