Jackson Diner

A very popular Queens destination for southern and northern Indian favorites.

(718) 672-1232

37-47 74th St (nr. 37th Rd.)
Jackson Heights, NY 11372 40.7477 -73.8915

Get Map & Directions »

Neighborhood: Jackson Heights

jacksondiner.com/

Hours:

Sun-Thu 11:30am-10pm

Fri-Sat 11:30am-10:30pm

Price:

$

Last updated 4.14.11

Category:

Restaurants

Payment Methods:

Cash

Restaurant Special Features:

Lunch Spot, Romantic Dining, Date Spot

General Info:

Open 7 Days

Cuisine:

Indian

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What People Are Saying About Jackson Diner

The Owner

Jackson Diner

Owner

From the lush farms of Northern India, to the waterfront to the south, come experience a diversity of culinary flavors at Jackson Diner. Our delectable menu offers classic North Indian appetizers and entrees with newly added unique appetizers as well, prepared by our chef, who compliments our inventive and robust menu. At Jackson Diner, we bring India to Jackson Heights, catering to large and small gatherings of family and friends. Come and share Jackson Heights' best dining experiences where a magical feast to please every discriminative pallet awaits you.

Provided by CityGrid

Featured Review

Contributor

Contributor

In Short – This spacious Indian restaurant in Queens' Jackson Heights enjoys great popularity among natives and non-natives alike, and not just because it's right by the subway: its welcoming, colorful main dining room is the focus of many pilgrimages to Queens from Manhattan. Items like spicy masala dosa, a host of lamb and goat entrees, and fried appetizers like samosas and pakoras are complemented by milder southern Indian dishes and refreshing lassis.

ambiance
100.0% positive
  1. “The decor may be a bit too "cafeteria," but the buffet is so nice that you won't care much.”
food quality
78.5699987411499% positive
  1. “great food”
  2. “have been here for lunch buffet and thought it should be a good treat on diwali, so here we go but my utterest disappointment the service and the food were nightmareous.”
  3. “Basically, the food was not memorable.”
  4. “Great Indian food, great neighborhood to not only eat, but do some shopping.”
  5. “Very good food overall with different dishes from Dosa to Crab Curries (which is a little strange but delicious).”
  6. “The prices are also great for those used to Manhattan prices for subpar food this is a refreshing place to goto.”
  7. “Always a treat, the butter chicken, palak paneer, and goat curries are sensational, while the tandoori, samosas, and chana aloo are a bit dry.”
  8. “If you want authentic Indian/Paki food, go to Roti Boti which is not far from Jackson Dinner (Broadway/72nd - there are two, right across from each other, I think the Shaheen Roti Boti is the better one).”
  9. “The friendly and courteous staff is a wonderful compliment to the food.”
  10. “The food was great and came quick.”
  11. “am an Indian and trust me I know all about good tasting indian food”
  12. “always get take out if I go there, as the the food is good.”
  13. “It is a great restaurant with great food.”
  14. “The malai kofta was not that tasty, chicken makhni was improperly cooked, samosa chaat and masala dosa were okay.”
  15. “(i.e. pushy in ordering, no recommendations on dishes when requested by us (trust me, nothing there was good), not friendly, never smiled until we paid the bill, took forever to get more napkins, charged us extra for roti we never ordered, dishes were not”
  16. “Yeah maybe I might have had bad experiences here and there but this place serves best frickin Indian food then any other Indian restaurant around there.”
  17. “Chicken makhani, vegetable pakora and saag paneer were all delicious.”
  18. “While the food was good and service was typical for a crowded restaurant, I can't help but acknowledge there wasn't anything unique about the whole experience that would entice us to return there over any other Indian restaurant.”
  19. “My favorite dish at their buffet is the karhi (or kardhi) which is basically made from yogurt & graham flour and is eaten with white rice.”
  20. “loved the food.”
  21. “We were so much in shock to see that we are decent tax paying american citizens that were treated like we were animals or that we came in for a free meal at the jackson diner in jackson heights, just because we didn't have a tip to give.”
  22. “went there Saturday evening hoping for some good Indian food with family.”
  23. “On the other hand, if you want great Indian food that's reasonably priced, don't scrap coming to Jackson Heights altogether.”
  24. “well what can i say i have eaten indian food all over the world and i have never ever had indian food this good!”
  25. “My faves are the mixed grill, lamb korma and the chiken tikka makhanwalla is divine.”
  26. “The food was horrible.”
  27. “do recommend this place to everyone, please dont listen to someone who has no idea on what Indian food is all about.”
  28. “highly recommend this place to anyone who has never tried Indian food before.”
  29. “But I can say this: this is certainly NOT an authentic joint.”
  30. “P.P.S. During my last visit however there were these loud obnoxious people next to me who could only stomach Chicken Tikka and complained about the food being too spicy.”
  31. “However, if you'd like to be a little adventerous, Kebab King Palace around the corner is a great deal for really authentic South Asian (specifically Pakistani) food.”
  32. “my husband loves the chicken makhani and chole.”
  33. “The bread was very good, fresh, and soft.”
  34. “so if you want some authentic delicious tasting indian food check this place out no matter how far the commute may be.”
  35. “was not sure if it was going to be spicy, but to my surprise the waiter asked us how we wanted our food and their medium level was good.”
menu variety
100.0% positive
  1. “their buffet has the best variety, something for everyone, i love the kadhi, the chaat, and the chole those are my favorites.”
overall
75.0% positive
  1. “It is a very good place to bring your non-Indian friends to introduce them to Indian Cusine.”
  2. “The prices are also great for those used to Manhattan prices for subpar food this is a refreshing place to goto.”
  3. “Yeah maybe I might have had bad experiences here and there but this place serves best frickin Indian food then any other Indian restaurant around there.”
  4. “It is a great restaurant with great food.”
return potential
100.0% positive
  1. “While the food was good and service was typical for a crowded restaurant, I can't help but acknowledge there wasn't anything unique about the whole experience that would entice us to return there over any other Indian restaurant.”
service
53.5699987411499% positive
  1. “Avoid on Holidays and weekends and specially the service is bad”
  2. “The friendly and courteous staff is a wonderful compliment to the food.”
  3. “The service is not extremely fast but we weren't totally neglected.”
  4. “(i.e. pushy in ordering, no recommendations on dishes when requested by us (trust me, nothing there was good), not friendly, never smiled until we paid the bill, took forever to get more napkins, charged us extra for roti we never ordered, dishes were not”
  5. “was not sure if it was going to be spicy, but to my surprise the waiter asked us how we wanted our food and their medium level was good.”
  6. “Some Advice: Staff is very rude if you enter the restaurant between 9:55 PM - 10:05 PM.”
  7. “While the food was good and service was typical for a crowded restaurant, I can't help but acknowledge there wasn't anything unique about the whole experience that would entice us to return there over any other Indian restaurant.”
  8. “P.P.S. During my last visit however there were these loud obnoxious people next to me who could only stomach Chicken Tikka and complained about the food being too spicy.”
  9. “highly recommend this place for people who want to go to Jackson Heights for its very South Asian bazaar like feel (the sights, the smells, the people - its all there!)”
  10. “The service was horrible.”
  11. “have been here for lunch buffet and thought it should be a good treat on diwali, so here we go but my utterest disappointment the service and the food were nightmareous.”
  12. “Service is effecient but misses the personal touch, it's all about the order and once you have placed an order, Boy it can take you ages to catch staff's attention for something else (They are all glued to the big Screen Indian TV on the ceiling).”
  13. “Let's just say this was the worst service ever.”
  14. “Service was friendly and helpful.”
value
100.0% positive
  1. “For the price ($8), the quality of the buffet is great!”
  2. “While the prices have just recently risen to $9.95, it remains a reasonable price for all that you get.”
  3. “The prices are also great for those used to Manhattan prices for subpar food this is a refreshing place to goto.”
  4. “As a matter of principle, I asked him if he could honor the price on the website anyway, and he refused.”
wait time
75.0% positive
  1. “The food was great and came quick.”
  2. “Weell, to make a long story short, it's not bad, but it's really over-hyped.”
3 Star Rating: Average

07/30/11

Not bad

by Claudia Tabares at Citysearch

The atmosphere is very nice, specially decoration, which is in my point of view pretty particular. I went with my family and even though the food was taking so many time it is not bad.

1 Star Rating: Poor

05/17/11

bad restaurant

by milanS at Citysearch

i ordered tandoori chicken and they brought me 3 pieces of bone with tiny bits of meat on them and then they charged me $12 for it all. this "meal" is barely a sampler! they didn't even bring me rice, but even if they did, that still wouldn't change the unacceptable meat dish! I i ended up paying $19 because i was eating with a friend's group and that's the share my friend asked me to pay! maybe the restaurant made some kind of mistake? also, i sent them a an email through their website and it's been a few weeks now and they have not responded yet, so i just resent it. in case u work for the restaurant and u r reading this, please work this problem out 4 me and email me back at milanchik85@yahoo

5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

01/15/10

FANTASTIC Indian Food

by NitaJ at Citysearch

I am Black American but my husband is Indian. So when he suggested that we and a couple of our friends go to Jackson Diner for Christmas Eve the first thing I asked him would the food be as good as what he makes at home (I am also a vegetarian). Much to my surprise, the food at Jackson Diner was ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS and the drinks are POWERFUL. FINALLY, there is a restaurant where you can order an alcoholic beverage and really taste the alcohol; YUM, YUM! The restaurant was really busy (which is always a good sign). The waiters were very sweet, a little shy at first, but all you have to do is be kind to them and they will certainly pour on the charm. I strongly suggest to anyone visiting a restaurant which is of a different culture than their own, is to please keep an open mind and let the good times flow.

5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

01/14/10

Authentic Great Indian Food

by Jobesmirage at Citysearch

Very good food overall with different dishes from Dosa to Crab Curries (which is a little strange but delicious). The prices are also great for those used to Manhattan prices for subpar food this is a refreshing place to goto. The only issue I have with the place is that they do not take credit and so you should hit the ATM but a dinner for four should not cost more than 60$.

P.S.

Great Atmosphere

P.P.S.

During my last visit however there were these loud obnoxious people next to me who could only stomach Chicken Tikka and complained about the food being too spicy. Avoid this table at all costs

  • Pros: Food is great!
  • Cons: Does not take credit cards
1 Star Rating: Poor

03/29/09

Totally disagree to the one star rating.

by FoodEnthusiast1 at Citysearch

They don’t deserve a star at all. They deserve to be shut down. Wasted money. I should have gone to McDonalds for dinner.

I went there Saturday evening hoping for some good Indian food with family. I was wrong, and embarrassed, to bring my family there. It was so bad I don’t know where to begin in this post. The service was horrible. The food was horrible. Everything was a big disappointment. Let’s just say this was the worst service ever. Even worse than Chinatown service if you people know what I mean. (i.e. pushy in ordering, no recommendations on dishes when requested by us (trust me, nothing there was good), not friendly, never smiled until we paid the bill, took forever to get more napkins, charged us extra for roti we never ordered, dishes were not made to order, and much more).

As for the food, a few of my family members (elders and toddlers) can not eat spicy food. I specifically requested the waiter to have those dishes be mild. The waiter just nodded his head, so I assumed he understood and made a mental note. When the food came, everything was spicy. My nephew couldn’t eat anything but white rice the whole night. Poor kid!!!

What really got me upset was when we requested a booster seat for my three year nephew. The waiter said they do not have any. Right there, I was already skeptical about this restaurant. What restaurant doesn’t have booster seats!!!!! I was right about it. When we were about to pay the bill, I see 5 booster seats against the wall. We didn’t see it from the beginning because the restaurant lighting was dim.

  • Pros: None at all
  • Cons: Everything was horrible from service to food

The Details on Jackson Diner

Place Categories:

  • great indianpaki food
  • worst service
  • highly recommend place
  • courteous staff
  • really nice buffet
  • honor price
  • very good bread
  • worst restaurant
  • all delicious chicken makhani
  • favorite dish
  • bad experience doesnt mean place
  • really over-hyped weell
  • bad experiences
  • great indian restaurants
  • authentic joint
  • loved lassi
  • not that tasty malai kofta
  • good nothing
  • divine chiken tikka makhanwalla
  • good medium level
  • love kadhi
  • order alcoholic beverage
  • great indian food
  • love chole
  • all delicious saag paneer

As Seen In…

Best of Citysearch

New York

Message from Jackson Diner

  • Tandoori, Kebab, Lamb and Goat
  • Vegetarin Specials
  • Heart of Jackson Heights

From the lush farms of Northern India, to the waterfront to the south, come experience a diversity of culinary flavors at Jackson Diner. Our delectable menu offers classic North Indian appetizers and entrees with newly added unique appetizers as well, prepared by our chef, who compliments our inventive and robust menu.

At Jackson Diner, we bring India to Jackson Heights, catering to large and small gatherings of family and friends. Come and share Jackson Heights' best dining experiences where a magical feast to please every discriminative pallet awaits you.

Jackson Diner
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