Restaurant Review: Jackson Diner

The Jackson Diner in Jackson Heights, Queens, serves delicious Indian curries and tandooris. This well-run restaurant easily handles a crowd, and after more than ten years, it continues to please.

The oft-heard refrain is that it's not as good as it used to be. Really? I was there. I think in the last 10 years the quality of New York's Indian restaurants overall has improved, leading to greater expectations. The Jackson Heights isn't the best Indian ever, but you go because the food is delicious, it's dependable and clean, and the Desi scene on the weekends is a lot of fun.

Pros

Cons

The Jackson Diner has become a New York institution over the past ten years. Though no longer housed in a former diner, its current spacious digs have not dampened the quality of the food.

The curries are filling yet relatively light, not floating in a sea of ghee, the clarified butter that is the base of much Indian cooking. I recommend whole heartily the chicken tikka and the aloe gobi. Scan the menu carefully. There are a few uncommon delights tucked away. The mustard greens, oh the mustard greens. They're pungent and flavorful, and make me stand up at attention and then applaud.

Dinner for two at the Jackson Diner with appetizers and beer or mango lassis will run about $50, but you can spend much less and still walk out very pleased.

The lunchtime buffets are cheaper, and the Jackson Diner's buffets are well-stocked and popular. They're better than the typical Indian restaurant steam table, but definitely the food is better if you order a la carte.