Swagat is a small chain of Indian restaurants in the Portland metropolitan area, in the U.S. state of Oregon. The business operates in northwest Portland, Beaverton, and Hillsboro, and has also operated in Concord, Milpitas, and Stockton, in California.
| Swagat | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Restaurant information | |
| Owner(s) | Srimanth Chinnam |
| Food type | Indian |
| City |
|
| State | Oregon |
| Country | United States |
| Website | swagat |
Description
editThe restaurant chain Swagat serves Indian cuisine in the Portland metropolitan area, operating in northwest Portland, Beaverton,[1] and Hillsboro.[2][3] Swagat has also operated in Concord, Milpitas, and Stockton, in California.[4][5] All three Oregon locations have hosted lunch buffets[3] and offer take-out.[6] The Portland restaurant is located at the intersection of 21st Avenue and Lovejoy Street in the Northwest District.[7] It shares a bathroom and parking lot with a Laughing Planet restaurant.[8] The Hillsboro location has high ceilings, wooden archways, and copper serving bowls.[9]
Swagat focuses on South Indian cuisine and offers North Indian options as well.[10][9] Lunch options include chicken, goat, dal curry, palak paneer, pakora, rice, and naan. The dinner menu includes lamb saag, masala dosa, spinach pakora, and vegetable biryani. Desserts include gulab jamun and rice kheer.[11] Swagat has also served aloo gobi, chicken makhani,[12] and lamb vindaloo.[13]
History
editSrimanth Chinnam is the owner of Swagat. In Oregon, the Beaverton location opened in 1992.[14] In California, the Stockton location opened in 2009.[4] In 2011, the Portland location hosted a viewing party of the 2011 Cricket World Cup final in Mumbai between India and Sri Lanka.[7] Chinnam opened the Hillsboro restaurant because "a lot of Indian people, high-tech people, working there couldn't come to Beaverton during their lunch breaks".[15] Upon the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Chinnam laid off approximately 20 of 50 employees working at three locations.[14]
Reception
editMichael Russell ranked Swagat second in The Oregonian's 2019 overview of the metropolitan area's best Indian buffets. He called the northwest location "stately" and the two other locations "equally glorious". He opined, "If you don't like Swagat's buffet, most Indian buffets probably aren't for you." Russell recommended the red-black tandoori chicken and suggested passing on the vegetable pakoras.[12] He also ranked Swagat second in an overview of Portland's "bargain" buffets.[5] Swagat won in the best Indian restaurant category of the newspaper's annual Readers Choice Awards in 2024.[16] Rebecca Roland and Ron Scott included Swagat in Eater Portland's 2024 overview of the city's best Indian cuisine.[11]
See also
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References
edit- ^ Carlson, Kim (1998). Portland Best Places: The Most Discriminating Guide to Portland's Restaurants, Lodgings, Shopping, Nightlife, Arts, Sights, and Outings. Sasquatch Books. ISBN 978-1-57061-123-0.
- ^ Wolf, Laurie (2014-01-14). Food Lovers' Guide to® Portland, Oregon: The Best Restaurants, Markets & Local Culinary Offerings. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 978-1-4930-0670-0.
- ^ a b Gottberg, John; Lopeman, Elizabeth (2010-06-01). Best Places: Portland, 8th Edition. Sasquatch Books. ISBN 978-1-57061-699-0.
- ^ a b "New in town: Swagat's cuisine will inspire return visits". The Stockton Record. Retrieved 2024-12-10.
- ^ a b Russell, Michael (2019-02-20). "Portland's bargain buffets, ranked from OK to great". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2024-10-09. Retrieved 2024-12-10.
- ^ Curtis, Jordan (2020-04-10). "A Guide to Eating and Drinking in Beaverton, Tigard, and Hillsboro Right Now". Eater Portland. Retrieved 2024-12-10.
- ^ a b "All-Night Cricket Party". Willamette Week. 2011-04-06. Retrieved 2024-12-10.
- ^ Russell, Michael (2018-10-20). "With Bantam Tavern, Prost team brings neighborhood bar to Northwest Portland". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2021-10-23. Retrieved 2024-12-10.
- ^ a b Bakall, Samantha (2016-04-13). "Hillsboro's best Indian food". The Oregonian. Retrieved 2024-12-10.
- ^ "9 delicious Indian restaurants in Portland | Dished". Daily Hive. 2018-11-04. Archived from the original on 2020-09-27. Retrieved 2024-12-10.
- ^ a b Roland, Rebecca (2017-06-09). "Where to Find the Best Indian Food in Portland". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2022-02-15. Retrieved 2024-12-10.
- ^ a b Russell, Michael (2019-02-12). "The best Indian buffets from Portland to Hillsboro, reviewed and ranked". The Oregonian. Retrieved 2024-12-10.
- ^ "Swagat Indian Cuisine". Portland Monthly. Retrieved 2024-12-10.
- ^ a b Russell, Michael (2020-05-15). "Introducing the virtual buffet: self-service restaurant owners adapt to coronavirus ban". The Oregonian. Retrieved 2024-12-10.
- ^ "Cache and Curry". Oregon Business. 2015-02-23. Archived from the original on 2024-04-12. Retrieved 2024-12-10.
- ^ Copeland, Mims (2024-10-18). "Here are the 5 best Indian restaurants in the Portland area: Readers Choice Awards". The Oregonian. Retrieved 2024-12-10.
External links
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