Sonar Gaow (CLOSED)

While this restaurant is certainly inexpensive, you get what you pay for, that is sure. We went last night and ordered the dinner for two at a fixed price, as we were tired and didn't feel like making any decisions. We aren't picky eaters and generally like everything, especially a surprise. What a mistake. The service was slow, they didn't put the sauces on the table until we asked, and then tried to take them away a few minutes later for another table! Unlike every other Indian restaurant on 6th Street they never refilled the water, and when the main courses arrived they watier didn't tell us what we were getting. It was also the last time we saw the waiter, he never came back and when he came it was impossible to get his attention. The appetizers they served 2 servings of the exact same thing - the mixed appeatizer that you would generally share with someone (ie there are 2 of each thing on the plate so we got 4 of each thing!). The food was bland, the poppadum was soggy because they put it underneath some lettuce and all in all the food was subpar.

on what you order. this is probably my favorite indian on 'curry row'. i mean, what do you expect for a $4.95 lunch? if you don't like the lamb biryani, it's probably becuase you shouldn't be ordering something like that from a restaurant this cheap. i've never had a problem with the mattar paneer or the banana pakoras. i think they are delicious! and i always leave happy for getting so full for so cheap. i've eaten there with friends who've been extrememly disappointed with what they've ordered, but again, i don't think you should expect great food from the more complicated dishes, mainly the chicken tikka or any other meat dish. stick to the simpler things that are harder to mess up and you will be stoked with the bang for the buck this place can potentially deliver. it is what it is, and eating on curry row is an experience in itself.

Sonar Gaow has great food for extreamly cheap prices. The lunch special (until 4pm) is only $4.95 and includes an appetizer, soup, bread, rice, entree, and dessert!! The dinner special is the same exact thing but 2 dollars more. I go here about once a week for the cheap good food. Oh yeah and you can bring your own alcohol because they don't serve any there, which saves a ton of money! I like this place a lot because I don't care for spicy foods and there are non-spicy options that taste great. You will never leave here hungry or broke, but maybe drunk. Tthe music is way too high pitched for me.

Me and my boyfriend (both from England) decided to venture out for an Indian meal New York style one Friday night and after many minutes of drifting down 6th street trying to avoid all the rude promo greeters we settled on the quiet but well lit Sonar Gaow. This restaurant was a disappointment on many levels - i was sitting near the door and froze for the entire experience due to insufficient heating. Our food when it finally arrived was bland and barely lukewarm and the waiter completely forgot our order of sweet lassis and mango chutney. The best part about it was the very low price of the food (which probably reflects the quality), and the fact that we got to bring our own trusty bottle of scrummy red.

My boyfriend and I live on "Curry Row" and have been sampling the many different Indian restaurants we are lucky to live near. The price at Sonar Gaow is definitely cheapest at a prix fix dinner special of $6.95/person -- but you most certainly get what you pay for. The ambience leaves much to be desired, with tacky red pepper xmas lights tripping you out the entire time. The place is surrounded with mirrors and dirty salt and pepper shakers give a bad first impression. The wait staff is quite eager to seat guests, but are apathetic to customers afterwards. The waters were refilled regularly -- but took over 15 minutes to arrive after our first request. Our food came slowly (we'd already finished about 1/2 of our bottle of wine by the time appetizers arrived). The trio of sauces typical to Indian cuisine are much more watery than anywhere else in this area. They lack the distinctive taste and spice that was expected. The main courses also lacked -- my lamb vindaloo, though spiced extra hot per my request, contained only about 5 tiny morsels of meat, and my boyfriend's chicken tikka masala's sauce was sub par. This place is great if you want a quick Indian fix, but if you're really craving quality Indian cuisine, this is certainly not the ideal choice. There are plenty of other economically sound choices in the area -- I suggest looking elsewhere. We will most likely not return, unless we're effin' WASTED and want some microwaved naan.

Nice ambiance, vibrant Indian music on tape, totally mirrored walls with resulting visual juxtapositions and, last but not least, hundreds of plastic red chili decorations hanging from the ceiling. The food is good and well prepared. Sonar Gaow is still holding to $4.95 for the luncheon special when others on the street have moved it up to $5.95. An affable waier and a pleasant dining experience.

Tonight i wanted to get indian, and i wanted to go to a place that had a vegetarian thali or prix-fix menu. so i went to sonar gaow based on the reviews here, which exclaim it to be such great food. but, my experience was quite the opposite! the food was subpar in my opinion. i am surprised that the reviewers below have given it such a good rating, i was beyond disappointed.