What's New in Ellicott City's Desi Food Scene
TL;DR
- 🍛 The Ellicott City metro area has more than 25 Indian and Desi restaurants, from the fine-dining permanence of Royal Taj (open since 1998) to the Gujarati street food focus of Jalsa Indian Cuisine.
- 🫓 Sizzling Bombay in Harford County has been open since 2007—the first Indian restaurant in that county, run by owner and executive chef Mahendra Deshar and his wife Yashoda Gurung.
- 🥟 Kathmandu Kitchen in Towson and Mount Everest in Nottingham bring authentic Nepalese cuisine, including momos and biryani, to the broader region.
- 🌶️ Honest Indian Restaurant in Catonsville traces its roots to a family-run street cart in Ahmedabad in 1975—all dishes made from scratch daily, no frozen or processed products.
- 🍽️ Harbor Tandoor near Baltimore Inner Harbor serves Indian and Nepalese fine dining with weekday lunch specials and happy hours Monday through Friday.
The Desi Food Landscape Around Ellicott City
The Ellicott City and Howard County corridor—extending east into Baltimore city and north into Harford County—hosts one of the most concentrated Indian food scenes in the mid-Atlantic outside of the core Washington-Baltimore dining hubs. For the Indian diaspora in this area, the options span fast-casual peri peri, traditional Gujarati street food, South Indian vegetarian prasad, Nepalese momos, and fine-dining tandoori. Knowing which place suits which occasion saves time and sets accurate expectations.
This guide covers 25 Indian and Desi food spots across the broader Ellicott City area. Some are in Ellicott City proper; others are within a 20-minute drive in Columbia, Catonsville, Baltimore, Towson, Laurel, and Harford County—all within the regular orbit of the Indian diaspora community here. The geographic spread reflects how a mid-Atlantic diaspora community builds a food scene: centered in Howard County and extending outward as the population has grown.
Longtime Anchors and Fine Dining
Royal Taj at 8335 Benson Drive has been operating since 1998, making it one of the longest-running Indian restaurants in Howard County. The format is upscale, with aromatic curries, tandoori specialties, and a regal ambiance. Reservations are recommended for this fine-dining destination.
House of India at 9350 Snowden River Parkway in Columbia is now in its 18th year of operation, serving dishes including Chicken Tikka Masala, Tandoori Chicken, Rogan Josh, and Dal Maharani, with all breads made to order in a tandoor oven. The restaurant includes a full bar and offers catering and party tray services. House of India is closed on Mondays; it operates Tuesday through Sunday for lunch and dinner.
Chutney Indian Restaurant at 9400 Snowden River Pkwy in Columbia serves seven days a week, with a menu spanning tandoori, vegetarian, chicken, lamb, seafood, and biryani. Lunch runs from 11:30 AM to 3:00 PM and dinner from 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM.
India Garden at 5 Bel Air South Parkway offers authentic curries, biryanis, and tandoori dishes alongside a daily lunch buffet, with catering available for private events and group parties.
Street Food, Family Operations, and Notable Newcomers
Honest Indian Restaurant at 6600 Baltimore National Pike in Catonsville carries a specific pedigree: its roots trace to a family-run street cart in Ahmedabad in 1975 that later expanded to Thailand before opening its first U.S. location. All dishes are prepared from scratch daily using fresh, high-quality ingredients, with no frozen or processed products in the kitchen. The focus is on Indian street foods—a menu orientation that sets it apart from the curry-house format that dominates the area.
Sizzling Bombay at 2108 Emmorton Road was the first Indian restaurant in Harford County when it opened in 2007. Owner and executive chef Mahendra Deshar and his wife Yashoda Gurung run the operation, cooking tandoori-style from a clay oven and baking fresh naan in-house. The menu extends into fusion territory, combining Indian flavors with Chinese and Thai spices—an approach that makes Sizzling Bombay distinctive in the regional landscape. A kids menu and specialty cocktails are also available.
Jalsa Indian Cuisine at 8300 Baltimore National Pike in Ellicott City specializes in Gujarati cuisine alongside Indian street food and Indo-Chinese fusion, open seven days a week from 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM. For Indian diaspora families with roots in Gujarat, this is a specific and practical option in the area that most standard Indian restaurant menus do not replicate.
Samosa Supreme at 14207 Old Annapolis Road is a specialty operation built on 20 years of recipe development—beef, veggie, and crab samosas alongside fresh-cut fries and jollof rice. Preservative-free, with vegetarian and vegan options. Open Thursday through Saturday 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM and Sunday 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM.
Bella Indian and Italian Cuisine at 7423 Van Dusen Road in Laurel serves both Indian and Italian traditions under one roof—tandoori chicken and lamb vindaloo alongside spaghetti carbonara and wood-fired pizza—with vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options and online ordering available.
Nepalese Cuisine and South Indian Options
Mount Everest at 7927 Belair Road in Nottingham serves authentic Nepalese and Indian cuisine including momos, chicken biryani, dosas, and a range of curries, available for dine-in, takeout, and delivery seven days a week. Catering services and gift cards are offered.
Mount Everest Restaurant at 1011 West 36th Street in Baltimore's Hampden neighborhood has been operating since 2001. Chef and owner Ammar Chhantyal builds the menu around traditional Nepalese and Indian spices, offering dine-in, takeout, delivery, and catering for private events. The restaurant is closed on Mondays and open Sunday through Saturday otherwise.
Kathmandu Kitchen at 22 Allegheny Avenue in Towson covers spicy curries, aromatic biryanis, and momos, with vegan and vegetarian options and lunch box specials available. Darbar at 1911 Aliceanna St in Baltimore rounds out the South Asian dining options in the city proper, with pickup and delivery available through its online ordering.
Murugan Temple Kitchen at 6300 Princess Garden Parkway is distinct from the commercial restaurants on this list—it is the food service and prasad operation of the Murugan Temple of North America, serving traditional South Indian cuisine and sweets to temple devotees and visitors. The kitchen supports the temple's puja and service programs and is worth noting for diaspora members who want South Indian prasad-style cooking.
Additional Spots Across the Metro
Harbor Tandoor at 803 South Caroline Street near Baltimore Inner Harbor serves Indian and Nepalese fine dining—tandoori specialties, slow-cooked biryanis, and traditional curries including Chicken Dum Biryani, Tandoori Chicken, and Butter Chicken. Lunch specials run weekdays 11 AM to 3 PM, and happy hours operate Monday through Friday from 3 to 6 PM.
Clove & Cardamom at 6000 Merriweather Drive, Man O Salwa at 7145 Security Boulevard (Indian and Pakistani cuisine), The Mint Room at 528 Baltimore Pike, Kitchen of India at 1842 East Joppa Road, Butter Chicken Restaurant at 6837 Loch Raven Boulevard, Pavan Foods at 8904 Harford Road, Chopathi at 1741 Dorsey Road, Sapphire Restaurant at 13304 Laurel Bowie Road (Indian, Thai, and buffet), and The Egg Holic at 6600 Baltimore National Pike extend the directory further.
Tribos - Peri Peri Chicken at 6010 University Boulevard offers a distinct angle for the Indian diaspora—peri peri chicken with Indian and Mediterranean influences, open from 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM on Mondays and available for halal-conscious diners.
Insider Tip: Sizzling Bombay's fusion approach—Indian flavors layered with Chinese and Thai spices—is the most distinctive cooking style in the Harford County portion of this area. If you are introducing non-Indian colleagues or friends to Desi food and want something more familiar as a gateway, the fusion format lowers the barrier. The kids menu also makes it a practical choice for Indian diaspora families with young children who are still building their palate.
FAQ
What is the oldest Indian restaurant in this area? Royal Taj at 8335 Benson Drive has been open since 1998 and is one of the longest-running Indian restaurants in Howard County.
Which restaurant traces its roots to a street cart in India? Honest Indian Restaurant traces its origins to a family-run street cart in Ahmedabad in 1975, later expanding to Thailand before opening in the United States.
Who runs Sizzling Bombay? Owner and executive chef Mahendra Deshar and his wife Yashoda Gurung have operated Sizzling Bombay since 2007, when it became the first Indian restaurant in Harford County.
Are there South Indian or Nepalese options in the area? Yes. Murugan Temple Kitchen serves traditional South Indian cuisine and prasad. Mount Everest, Kathmandu Kitchen, and Mount Everest Restaurant all specialize in Nepalese and Indian cuisine with momos, biryanis, and curries.
Is Jalsa Indian Cuisine only Gujarati food? Jalsa Indian Cuisine in Ellicott City specializes in Gujarati cuisine but also serves Indian street food and Indo-Chinese fusion dishes, open seven days a week from 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM.
Bottom Line
The Ellicott City and Howard County corridor gives the Indian diaspora a dense, varied set of dining options across a 20-mile radius. The fine-dining permanence of Royal Taj and House of India sits alongside the Ahmedabad street-food roots of Honest Indian Restaurant, the Nepalese momo traditions at Kathmandu Kitchen and Mount Everest, specialty samosas from Samosa Supreme, and the fusion approach at Sizzling Bombay. Whether you want a weekday lunch buffet, a Gujarati meal at Jalsa Indian Cuisine, prasad at Murugan Temple Kitchen, or a peri peri bite at Tribos - Peri Peri Chicken, the broader area covers it.