Entering Indian Oven is like jumping into a time machine. The walls are a shade of peanut that looks if it were scooped directly off one of their curry dishes. This texture paints a sure contrast to the maroon carpet covering their floor. Throw in a handful of blue aqua leather booths and this dining room looks like a vintage freeze-frame, a frozen moment captured in the midst of the 70’s. Their furnishings might not draw you in, but their menu will have you coming back. (And besides… they do offer take out).
If you’re the type of person that can’t decide what pants to wear with which shirt, you’ll be pleased to know that Indian Oven offers a lunch and dinner buffet. This reduces the pressure of having to make a decision. You can try as little or as much of this foreign banquet as you want. The lunch buffet is operating seven days a week from 11am until 2:30pm. The dinner buffet also runs seven days a week for over four and a half hours, from 5pm until 9:30pm.
If you don’t have the time, or the stomach, for an all you can eat buffet, you’ll probably want to stick around for a traditional meal. For starters, Indian Oven has an extensive list of appetizers. I tried their Vegetable Pakora. This platter is a mixture of fried cauliflower, onions and potatoes and is seasoned with a mild spice.
As far as entrees go, might I suggest the Tandoori, specifically the chicken (boneless) Tikka. The chefs of Indian Oven marinate the chicken in a creamy yogurt. Add in a little garlic sprinkle on some ginger, a few herbs and spices, and top everything off with a bed of onions, thin slices of cucumber, carrots, and tomatoes. The vegetables offer a fresh relief from all of the spice. When the fresh
Our photographer ordered the chicken and vegetable combination. And I watched the otherwise stern lips of a woman curve into a smile when a plate loaded with chicken makhani, lamb curry, vegetables, korma, daal, tandoori chicken, naan, and rice & kneer was set down before her.
The most popular dish at India Oven is Masala. It’s quite similar to most curries. Masala, however, uses a much thicker and heavier sauce. Whoever said “big things come in small packages” must have speaking about Masala. The gravy is so thick that it could bend your spoon, rendering it unusable. But the dish is so enjoyable, if you run out of spoons in your silverware collection, you can always use your fingers.
If you’re looking to end your meal on an international note, don’t order ice cream for dessert. That’s about as foreign as asking for French fries. I recommend Gulab Jamun; cream of milk balls in a light syrup. This delicacy is most often eaten at festivals and other major celebrations, like marriages and Diwali (the Indian festival of lights).

2890 S Colorado Blvd.
Denver, CO 80222
303.756.5866


Hours:
Sun - Wed: 11am - 10 pm
Thur - Sat: 11am - Midnight

Indian Oven Sample Menu

Appetizers
Chicken Pakauda $4.5
Deep fried chicken with spices served with achar

Samosa Chat $4.5
Samosa topped with yogurt, tamarind and mint chutney

Tandori Breads
Naan $1.25
Popular Indian style leavened of fine flour

Aloo Paratha $2.25
Paratha stuffed with spice, mash potatoes and onions

Dinner Entrées
Masala
Chicken Tikka Masala $12

Shrimp Masala $13.5
Best of both worlds. Involves both tandoori cooking and preparation similar to curries, but having thicker and spicy sauce.

Tandoori
Chicken Tikka (boneless chicken cubes) $11.95
Baked to order in clay oven mesquite charcoal, after marinating in yogurt, garlic, ginger, herbs, and spices on an onion bed in sizzler.

Chicken and Vegetables $16.95
Chicken makhani, lamb curry, vegetable korma, daal, tandoori
chicken, naan, rice & kneer.