Amul India Restaurant in Columbus: North Indian Comfort Food on the Northwest Side
A family-run North Indian restaurant on Columbus's northwest side, Amul India has operated for years as a sit-down dining room serving the kind of curry-house staples that regulars return to weekly rather than treat as a special occasion.
What's on the Menu
The kitchen leans heavily into North Indian standards: butter chicken, lamb rogan josh, dal makhani, palak paneer, and a rotating selection of tandoor-cooked breads including garlic naan and paratha. Biryanis are a reliable anchor on the menu, typically available with chicken, lamb, or a vegetable preparation. The lunch buffet is the entry point most Columbus diners know first, offered daily and priced in the range of $13–$15 per person (lunch buffet pricing at Indian restaurants across Columbus shifts occasionally, so worth a quick call to confirm current pricing before you go).
Appetizers run the expected range: samosas, pakoras, and seekh kebab from the tandoor. Entrees at dinner fall roughly in the $14–$20 range. Portions are generous enough that two people ordering two entrees plus bread typically have leftovers.
The menu is largely vegetarian-friendly, with a substantial section of paneer and vegetable curries. Meat dishes are present but not the dominant focus, which reflects the restaurant's appeal to Columbus's South Asian community as well as to vegetarians in the broader city looking for options beyond the obvious.
How It Fits Into Columbus's Indian Restaurant Scene
Columbus has a reasonably deep bench of Indian restaurants, concentrated in two areas: the northwest side along Dublin-Granville Road and the stretch of Cleveland Avenue near Morse Road, plus a smaller cluster in Dublin and Hilliard. Amul India sits in the northwest side group, putting it in direct proximity to competitors like Taste of India on Cleveland Avenue and Aab India Restaurant in the Short North.
The clearest comparison is with Aab, which runs a more polished dining room closer to campus and downtown with a slightly higher price point and a stronger cocktail program. Aab suits a date night or a meal before a show at the Ohio Theatre. Amul suits a Tuesday dinner when you want a reliable bowl of dal and a basket of naan without a 45-minute wait or a reservation. The lunch buffet format also gives Amul a practical edge for weekday diners coming from offices along Bethel or Sawmill Road who want something more substantial than fast-casual.
Taste of India on Cleveland Avenue is another frequent comparison. That restaurant has a longer history in Columbus and a more extensive menu with South Indian items alongside the North Indian lineup. Amul stays firmly in North Indian territory, which means you won't find dosas or idli here. If that's what you're after, Taste of India is the better call.
Who This Restaurant Suits
Amul works well for families, for groups with vegetarians and meat-eaters to accommodate, and for anyone who eats Indian food regularly enough to have a standard order. The room is informal, the service is direct, and the pace is relaxed without being slow.
It is not the right choice for someone looking for contemporary Indian cooking, regional dishes beyond North Indian, or an upscale dining environment. The decor is functional rather than atmospheric. There is no cocktail list; the restaurant is BYOB-friendly in practice and has standard soft drinks and chai on the menu.
First Visit
Walk-ins are generally fine for lunch, and the buffet format means you can eat and be out in under an hour if that's the goal. Dinner on a Friday or Saturday benefits from calling ahead, though the restaurant is not difficult to get into on a weekday. Expect a menu that reads longer than it functions in practice: many regulars cycle through the same four or five dishes. The butter chicken and the lamb biryani are the most frequently ordered items based on what comes out of the kitchen during a typical dinner service.
Logistics
Amul India Restaurant is located on the northwest side of Columbus, in a strip-plaza setting with surface parking immediately in front. Getting there from downtown takes roughly 20 minutes depending on traffic on 315 or Sawmill. Hours run through lunch and dinner daily, with the buffet available at midday; the restaurant typically closes between lunch and dinner service, so arriving between roughly 3 and 5 p.m. will likely mean a closed door. Confirm current hours directly before making a special trip, as independent restaurants on this end of Columbus do adjust holiday and seasonal hours without always updating third-party platforms promptly.