Klay Oven Restaurant
Enjoy an authentic Indian dining experience in a casual atmosphere at this popular River North lunch destination.
Message from Klay Oven Restaurant
This elegant-informal environment was designed to create a warm and inviting dining place which offers the ideal getaway for business lunch or dining. The cuisine introduced by Klay Oven gives Chicago a new world of finest Indian cooking. At Klay Oven, we emphasize quality, freshly cooked food prepared to order, using healthy, low fat methods of virtually greaseless cooking in the centuries of old Clay Oven (Tandoor) and the Indian Wok (karhai). Freshest ingredients are used to create harmony of subtle flavors, tastes and colors. There is something so very satisfying about Indian cookery, more so when it is freshly cooked. Try to dine here with a group of friends or family so that you can share a wider selection of the delicious appetizers, rice dishes, breads and fabulous entrees and desserts. We hope you will enjoy the ambience, the food and the service of our establishment.
Editorial by Citysearch
In ShortTraditional Indian music plays softly in the tasteful surroundings, with Indian prints, textiles and elegant draping over frosted windows adding luxurious touches. Gracious servers roll draped carts, portioning dishes at white-clothed tables. The menu is extensive, with appetizers, tandoori dishes and vegetarian fare. Favorites include fried sesame seed-crusted prawns, moist skewers of spiced chicken, lamb vindaloo and cumin-infused mahi mahi. Of several breads offered, naan and roti are tops, served warm and browned.
Key Points
- Klay Oven cooks up a winner
- 20/20 rating by WBBM AM Radio
- Rated Excellent by Zaggat
The Inside Scoop
- What to Drink - The smallish wine list is supplemented by more than a dozen beers, including Chimay, Boddington's and Indian selections (Flying Horse, King Fisher and Royal Challenge). Other options: masala-spiced tea and sweet or salted Lassi yogurt drink.
- The Extras - The lunch buffet features three meat dishes, four vegetable dishes, rice, breads, desserts, appetizers and salads for less than $10.
Insider Pages Reviews for Klay Oven Restaurant
The food here was fine, but was a little less tasty and a little more expensive than some of the others (like India House for example). I've only been once and haven't had the urge to go back. The atmosphere inside the restaurant is nice though.
Posted 04/12/08 | Report Abuse
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Latest reviews from Citysearch.
Okay food, nice ambience
by mkumar
Went there three times, the quality of food varies each time. Liked it first time, but didn't for next visits. Food was undercooked. Bread was subpar. If you really know how Indian food tests, then you will not enjoy this much.
Cons: quality not consistent
Posted 02/19/09
Best Indian food in Chicagoland!!
by premmsn
The food was amazing but the portion quantity relatively was on the lower side. Otherwise the food was delicious, authentic North Indian flavor. Best value for money.
Pros: Taste
Cons: Portions quantity was less
Posted 08/18/08
Awesome Buffet
by linds26
Great lunch buffet 10.95. good selection of healthy and the creamy rich dishes. also serve salad at the buffet. Great experience! TRY THE DESSERTS both are great! Trust me give them both a try!!!
Pros: the dessert, good selection at the buffet
Posted 06/12/08
Great food and service, even with large group
by Junereese
Just went to Klay Oven with a group of seven from the office. Did not have that high of expectations but I was wowed. The service was great. The waiter recommended sharing dishes among the table. Asked for our preferences and brought the right number of appetizers, main courses and bread. Everything was delicious and the bill was reasonable. We felt very comfortable in the environment as well. I particularly loved the vegetable Somosas (spelling may be wrong on that). I will go again.
Pros: Very good food, good service
Cons: none I could see
Posted 03/13/08
Average Indian food; more expensive than indicated on Citysearch.
by fnu_eric
I went to KO for the lunch buffet. Food was decent; about average for an Indian buffet. Two major drawbacks were:
Price - lunch buffet was decidedly NOT the "for less than $10." mentioned on this site. Buffet was $10.95; add tax and the I-feel-obligated $1 tip, and you get $13 for the lunch.
Food selection - and this is largely a personal preference issue. Their curried vegetables looked and tasted like they had just taken a bag of frozen veggies and mixed in some curry sauce. They also did not have any paneer dishes; saag paneer is one item I always look for on Indian buffets and it was nowhere to be found. I asked the waiter if they have saag paneer on different days (thinking they might switch some of the dishes around), but he said that they do not put that on the buffet.
On the plus side, the restaurant was not at all crowded at the height of lunch rush on a Wednesday.
Pros: not crowded at lunch time; curried chicken was good
Cons: overpriced; smallish food selection for lunch buffet
Posted 11/06/07
Avoid Klay Oven
by joschus
Four of us went to Klay Oven for dinner last week and were not impressed. The service was very slow even though the place was half empty. The food was edible but disappointing. The overall problem with all our food orders was that all the dishes tasted pre-cooked and warmed up. Nothing tasted like it had been cooked to order. Nothing was served hot - just warm. To me, an indication of a 1st class Indian restaurant are fresh tasting spices and sauces. Klay Oven's tasted like from a can. Not going back.
Pros: It's close to the city center
Cons: the food and the service
Posted 09/13/07
MMMMMMMMM!!!!!!
by phat5088
Simply wonderful.
Posted 07/20/07
Best Indian I've Had
by burbsdweller
The reviewer slamming this place is either dilusional or a disgruntled owner of the Indian place down the street. I've been going here for 3-4 years and have never been dissapointed. I've gone for the amazing lunch as well as dinner on a Saturday night.
Everything is amazing there. I've tried most of the Indian places in Chicago and there's no comparison.
Pros: Easy in and out for lunch, great service and prices are RIGHT!
Cons: They aren't closer to my house :)
Posted 05/02/07
Simply Awful
by docchicago
My wife and I are foodies and have enjoyed great food all over Chicago. We were eager to find a good Indian restaurant and figured in a city like Chicago, we should be able to find one. I saw that Klay Oven was ranked 1st on Citysearch's "Best of Chicago" site. Based upon that review we headed over for what we hoped would be a great, hot meal on a cold Chicago day. Unfortunately we were sorely disappointed. To be perfectly frank, the food was awful. The vegetable curry dishes- channa masala, a paneer dish and a mixed vegetable dish were all poorly prepared, lukewarm and tasteless. My guess is that these dishes were made days before and simply reheated. The mixed vegetable dish was obviously made from a bag of frozen mixed vegetables (cauliflower, carrots, green beans), they were soggy and tasteless. The channa masala was served lukewarm and tasted "old." The paneer dish utilized tomato paste and some spices, appearing amateurish, not fine Indian dining. The restaurant is dim and the decor as bland as the food. I would note recommend it under any circumstances. How this restaurant is ranked so highly in surveys I don't know, but likely speaks to dearth of good Indian restaurants in Chicago.
Pros: None
Cons: Poor quality, taste, value and ambience
Posted 02/08/07
Great Place for special occasions
by ashishkanchan
Went there for our first anniversary. nice quiet and beautiful setting in the downtown. Good service and great food! One of the few places where tandoor is used very well.
Posted 11/17/06
Nice Lunch Buffet
by randallsclark
Came in starving and walked out satisfied all within 20 minutes or so. I would recommend to any Indian food lovers in the River North area.
Pros: Quick and plenty to choose from on the buffet!
Posted 11/14/06
Amazing found and outstanding service!
by chicagojess
My husband and I went to Klay Oven for dinner Saturday night. We has a reservation and were seated immediately - we were surprised by how it busy it was. There were three different gentleman who served us, I think between the three of them they served the entire restuarant while others ran food, bussed tables and always kept our waters filled (which was a bonus because we ordered some spicy food!) They were extremely gracious and helpful with the menu. My husband did not see what he was looking for on the menu, he explained it when we ordered - the kitchen made exactly what he was looking for. They roll out the food on the carts and plate it for you. I had the chicken tikka - it was juicy and delicious. My husband had a lamb dish. We had basmati rice and naan with the meal. We had samosas as an appetizer. Everything we ate was incredible - can't wait to go back!!
Pros: Great food, ambience, and service
Cons: Parking may be difficult
Posted 09/30/06