Raj Kumar, owner of the soon-to-be-open Royal Indian Grill on Marshall Street, has one main objective: to make his customers happy.

So when SU students who frequented his wife’s restaurant, Dosa Grill in DeWitt, asked him to open a place closer to campus, he couldn’t say no.

Although his family is known for Dosa Grill, Kumar said this will be their first direct interaction with the SU campus.

Kumar’s wife opened Dosa Grill five years ago, and it quickly became popular among international students. Kumar said it gave them a taste of home while studying abroad in a foreign country. However, the commute to DeWitt to get food was becoming tedious for them.

“The students were complaining because driving up to Dosa Grill gets hard, especially when it’s winter and the roads are covered in snow,” Kumar said. “And if they don’t own a car, coming up becomes much more harder. We had many who asked us many times to open a closer branch and now we’re on Marshall Street.”

Royal Indian Grill, now in the place of Red Bowl Cafe, may be a new face to Marshall Street, but Kumar is by no means new to the restaurant business. His family runs almost 20 restaurants in the New Jersey area. Kumar opened his first restaurant, Minar Fine Indian Cuisine, 14 years ago near Utica College in Utica, New York. He also owns another restaurant, also named Royal Indian Grill, in Hamilton, New York.

Kumar says those waiting to try the Royal Indian Grill for the first time will have to wait roughly another week for it to open. For those customers who have never tried Indian cuisine, they have a chance to experience different styles.

He added that they have three chefs working in the kitchen, each specializing in one region, in order to make their food as authentic as possible. They have just finished perfecting their menu, and it includes food items from each of the different regional cuisines offered.

The menu is fairly comprehensive, and hardly one that can be fully experienced in just one visit. Appetizers, specialty main courses, desserts and specialty Indian soft drinks are all included as part of the menu. There is also a separate menu of Southern Indian food.

The most noteworthy items on the menu are the bone-in goat and lamb specials, and freshly made Tandoori breads. Soft Indian beverages, especially yogurt drinks and Indian desserts are worth a look as well.

Though the restaurant doesn’t open for another week, the interior is fully set up and ready to welcome and serve customers.

Upon entering, customers will be greeted by a warmly-decorated dining room with neatly-picked decor. On carpeted floors rest dining tables covered with tablecloths and dinnerware already set on the table. There is also another dining room located downstairs. Overall, Royal Indian Grill seems warm, welcoming and the perfect place for a cozy lunch or dinner.

Open seven days a week, Royal Indian Grill will offer take-out and delivery options in addition to other special offers for SU students. Every day of the week, from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., there will be an all you can eat lunch buffet for $7.95 per person. On Sundays, from noon to 3 p.m., there will be a special brunch buffet offered as well. There is also a special 10-person dinner menu only offered to SU students with a discounted price.

Price-wise, Royal Indian Grill is relatively student-friendly. Main courses range between $11 and $15. Appetizers and deserts all cost less than $5.

Whether you’re grabbing a quick bite, having a laid back and fancy dinner or looking for a fulfilling buffet experience, the Royal Indian Grill caters to all different types of diners.

Published on September 6, 2016 at 9:04 pm

Contact Deniz: dsahintu@syr.edu