Best Of

Best Indian Food In Sacramento

January 15, 2014 / 5:00 AM PST / CBS Sacramento

Your other New Year's resolutions may not have made it two weeks into January, but we've got one to add to your list: find the perfect Indian restaurant. Luckily for you, we did the heavy lifting and found the top five Indian restaurants (or takeout) in Sacramento. So put away your tracksuit and cancel that gym membership, because these restaurants are about to dominate all other resolutions.

Shaz Restaurant
4333 Airport Drive
Sacramento, CA 95821
(916) 488-8840
www.shazrestaurant.com

Shaz Restaurant specializes in authentic Indian and Pakistani food, which is why it is one of the most popular Indian restaurants in Sacramento. One of the best things about this restaurant is that everything is made from scratch; the spices are ground on the premises, Shaz makes its own yogurt, the naan is lovingly assembled each day and the curry is flavorful and not at all greasy. Shaz offers a wide variety of meat options including mutton, lamb, chicken, beef, seafood and goat, though the vegetarian selection is equally diverse. If you can't quite decide what to order, try the weekend lunch or dinner buffets, which are sure to satisfy all of your cravings.

Pooja Indian Grill
1223 Merkley Ave.
West Sacramento, CA 95691
(916) 375-8906
www.poojaIndiangrill.com

One of the biggest draws at Pooja is its buffet. Not only does it offer a wide variety of vegetarian options, but also includes goat, lamb, chicken and fish, and finishes everything off with a large dessert selection. This is the ideal restaurant for those who are a little apprehensive about being overpowered by spices; the food typically runs on the mild side, and many of the dishes are cream based. This restaurant is growing in popularity, so be prepared to face a bit of a crowd in exchange for the heavenly, buttery, fluffy naan.

Ruchi Indian Cuisine
2600 Gateway Oaks Drive
Sacramento, CA 95833
(916) 927-2600
www.ruchi.com

Ruchi Indian Cuisine specializes in bringing together northern and southern flavors. Its food, like its restaurant, is presented in a more upscale manner because presentation is equally important as flavor. For biryani lovers (it is a flavorful rice-based dish, for those of you who are not biryani savvy), Ruchi designates each Tuesday to honoring this dish by offering goat, chicken, egg or vegetarian biryani at a discounted price. All meat served at Ruchi is halal.

Cottage Mart
2130 51st St.
Sacramento, CA 95817
(916) 739-6310
www.cottagemart.com

Cottage Mart is a surprising addition to this list because nothing about it reveals that it is anything more than a sandwich shop. However, it offers some of the best Indian and Pakistani takeout in all of Sacramento. Everything about Cottage Market is unique from the ping pong table, to the wood-paneled bar, to the fully stocked market, but what makes it shine is the fresh, inexpensive and delicious Indian food. The staff is extremely friendly and will happily take the time to educate curious customers on the differences between Indian and Pakistani food.

Bombay Bar and Grill
1315 21st St.
Sacramento, CA 95811
(916) 441-7100
www.bombay.com

Bombay Bar and Grill is the perfect restaurant for those who like their Indian food toned down on spiciness and infused with local flavor. The menu at Bombay constantly changes to reflect whatever is in season, so customers get new, fresh and creative options all year long. If you are unsure of what to order, Bombay's garlic naan and chicken tikka masala are customer favorites. The best thing about this restaurant, and what really sets it apart, is that you can order online and have your food delivered to you.

Megan Bowyer is a freelance writer in search of the best food and drinks that Sacramento has to offer. You can find her at any number of dive bars or trendy restaurants; just look for the short blonde feeding the jukebox. Her work can be found at "Examiner.com"