Govinda's Vegetarian Cuisine

We came here during NYE for dinner. Restaurant closes at 9pm, but they close the buffet at 8.45pm. They serve you water once you get seated. Buffet had salad, few vege dishes, pasta in red sauce, rice, 2 dessert options. Food was good. I enjoyed the white halwa, nice variety. Fruit cake was a bit dry. Nice, peaceful ambiance. Located right next to the temple. Great facility if you're craving vegan/vegetarian food or looking to grab a bite after visiting the temple.

Govinda's is a vegetarian/sometimes vegan buffet located next to a temple. The buffet portion has about seven hot food options (including mains and sides), a salad bar, and a couple desserts. The waiter brings freshly made whole wheat roti around as you eat. The food was good and tastes healthy; what they serve changes every day. The price was reasonable, and there was a clean, relaxed, and casual atmosphere. There's additional parking in a lot across the street. I'd return if I was in the area.

I came here once during a conference right before the pandemic. Had lots of good memories about it and was happy to make a return visit today. Excellent food, friendly service, what more can you ask? I am a meat-eater but I never miss it when I'm here. I'll try to make this a regular stop whenever I'm in town.

I've been meaning to try Govinda's and I was happy I finally did! The parking lot is located across the street from the restaurant entrance. Look for the red awning for the entrance! I ordered a mango lassi to drink with my meal. Today (Tuesday) was a vegetarian menu, which was more up my alley than the vegan items. On Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays - they only serve vegan items. Service was very good and the employees were so nice, even for being a buffet. You can also order desserts or samosas for an additional price on top of the buffet price. Def swing by for some delicious Indian vegan/vegetarian food!

The Tucson location was my favorite until I made my way here. This Gonvindas is absolutely gorgeous! The staff is highly attentive and so very kind. And the grounds are absolutely stunning -- serene and relaxing. And the restaurant is spacious. It can easily accomodate groups of people (and it appeared there were some on their lunch breaks visiting). I came for a solo lunch while in town for business. I did not have much time, but there was no way I was missing visiting a Govindas. I seek them out when I travel. I did not have a chance to enjoy the temple and any of the meditation sessions or cultural offerings -- only time for a restaurant visit. What I love is that you leave feeling completely rejuvenated. The food is delicious. Perfectly cooked, perfectly seasoned and just gorgeous. I love a Govindas plate. Full of color, flavor and variety. I went with the salad, dal, saag paneer, biryani and a personal favorite, the aloo gobi-styled dish. Every bite was better than the last. And the team came by mid-meal to offer roti! What a treat. They have a catering menu, which is just glorious! The offerings for in house and catering include salad with house-made dressings, taita (a yogurt with herbs and cucumbers), papad, chutneys, biryani, puri and roti, tikka masala, saag, roasted eggplant, samosas, malai kofta, and desserts like custard pudding, halava and cakes. They also have soups. Also, the menu is on rotation. Some days are vegetarian, some are vegan. Plus, they offer a vegan menu on most major holidays, like New Year's Day, Easter, Mother's Day and Father's Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Lunch is about $17, and you can order lunch to go. Hint: I highly recommnend that if you come for lunch or dinner that you take a meal to go in addition to your sit down. The food holds and microwaves very, very well. If you have never been to Govindas and are not familiar with Iskcon, not to worry. The Hare Krishna movement is very open and welcoming, no matter your background or orientation. But you should know that the Hare Krishna are fully committed to vegetarian cooking, and you will often find vegan dishes here. The principles are that preparation and eating of food should be based on principles of compassion, non-violence and balanced living (meat of all kinds, fish and eggs are avoided). So you should certainly come ready to have a more relaxed and attentive meal service and dining experience. You can enjoy the restaurant without participating in any of the culture or sacred practices if you so choose. And if you are interested in learning more about the Hare Krishna movement, I highly recommend reading the Bhagavad Gita (this is an epic story and a fascinating read, considered one of the most important Hindu texts).

If you want /authentic, tasty and flavorful food this is the place for you. The buffet style is amazing for people who maybe want to step out of their comfort zone and try something new! All of the employees are so helpful with any questions and the prices are really good for the amount of food you can get.

I had lunch at Govinda's a few weeks ago with my fellow Yelp Elite friend Pree and her lovely father. I was not familiar with Govinda's prior to our visit. The restaurant is located on the grounds of the ISKCON of Houston Temple and Cultural Center. They have a private parking lot across the street or you can park on the street. Upon entering, we were greeted immediately by a gentleman who may have been the manager. He explained the set up and showed us to our table. You don't pay until after the meal. All of the staff that we encountered were very friendly! They offer vegan options on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. You can check the weekend buffet offerings on their IG page.I appreciated the hand sanitizer at the start of the buffet line. I had an array of food and I don't recall the names of everything that I tried, but I really enjoyed my meal. My favorites were the pita crisp, the Saag Aloo, the Veggie Stir-Fry Noodles, and the salad (I chose an interesting honey mustard dressing which elevated the salad). For my beverage I had the ginger mint lemonade. It was fantastic! We also got to sample the hibiscus tea which was really good too.The inside of the restaurant had beautiful murals that were very colorful! I really appreciated how diverse the clientele was in the restaurant. It's really reflective of Houston as a whole.

Great food, only made better with great company!After running the full marathon in downtown on Sunday morning, my Dad and I made our way to Govinda's to have a proper lunch post-race.Timing worked out perfectly, since I was also able to meet up with fellow Houstonian Yelper Tiffany!So alongside a delicious vegetarian Indian buffet, I was treated to some great conversation. Also, since both of us are Yelpers, there was no issues with each of us taking out our phones to snap pics!I started off with a plate of salad with a delicious peanut dressing. Then for my main plate, I got the biryani, dark lentils, BBQ tofu, and curried spinach. Everyone at the table was a fan of the spinach. I tried to get on board with the tofu, but the sauce tasted more like ketchup than BBQ? Not a bad thing necessarily (as I am the first to demand ketchup when it comes to savory and cheesy dishes lol), but I was expecting BBQ flavor and that wasn't met.The manager(?) was really nice and thoughtful, asking us if we liked the food, and we also got to sample two different kinds of drinks (a ginger flavor and one berry).If you have never tried Indian food before and are in the Houston area, Govinda's is a great start. Perfect for a weekend lunch that is for sure!

I hadnt been at Govindas since before COVID and some things don't change for the good... still GREAT ambiance, delicious vegetarian/vegan food buffet snd such a pleaser service! I dont recall the name of the actual dishes that we ate but we went on Tuesday, which was vegetarian buffet. They have Vegan buffet Wed-Fri-Sun. The buffet consists on vast options of salad toppings, 4-5 options of vegetarian dishes, 2-3 options of soups, 2-3 options of sauces or chutneys , and 2-3 sweets. Plus the crispy bread and table flatbread. The price of less than $16 dlls is UNBEATABLE for the service and food. Everything was truly tasty, full or distinctive aromatics and flavours from Indian food. Some dishes had a kick of spice but certainly not overpowering! They bring you warm freshly made whole wheat flatbread to your table and they offer you house made drinks like tea, chai and DELICIOUS mango lassi. Overall, it reiterated the previously good experiences i have had before Covid. It will surely continue to be a favorite of mine on the vegetarian/vegan side.

Attempting to be a healthier eater in 2024, I am so happy to have discovered Govinda's! This vegetarian buffet is affordable and clean. Their buffet options change daily and the bread is made from scratch. The staff was very friendly and accommodating to myself and friend group. I wasn't a tofu fan until trying their tofu chicken - so good! Sometimes "healthy" food isn't very filling, however the buffet setup ensured no one left hungry. Parking is available onsite in a lot across the street. The building and walk-up to Govinda's was stunning. This is the perfect spot to enjoy a healthy meal and relaxing ambiance!