Salt & Pepper

Located at 3793 Samet Drive in High Point, Salt & Pepper serves Indian cuisine for lunch and dinner seven days a week. Delivery is available, and the restaurant has a loyalty program (accessible via its Facebook page) with monthly promos/discounts.

Given BBQ Nation’s declining service, this new Indian establishment is a welcome addition to the High Point dining scene. There are a few areas for improvement, but there is also a lot of promise here.

Housed in a plaza between Samet and Tinsley, Salt & Pepper can be difficult to find. Should you locate it, however, prepare to be impressed by the interior. The white and wood look is crisp, clean, and bright, and the chic bar area is an eye-catcher.

Visual appeal extends to the menu as well, which has plenty of recognizable favorites: samosas, pakoras, tandooris, biryanis, masalas, naans, and desserts. As with many Indian eateries, there are quite a few vegetarian options.

For our first visit, my wife and I shared vegetarian and non-vegetarian thalis. The quintessential Indian combo platter, each thali came with an app (samosas/pakoras), rice, naan, a dipping sauce (tamarind), and two entries. Here the entrees were chef’s choice, and while that bit of mystery may unnerve those who want to know what they are ordering, we were willing to roll the dice.

Overall, the food rates as good but not great. The non-veg thali came with chicken tikka masala and goat (?) saag. While the chicken was just short of overcooked, both sauces were excellent. The creamy tikka masala was one of the better versions I’ve had, and the hearty green saag was well-spiced and richly flavorful. The vegetarian thali came with palak paneer (usually one of our favorites) and a daal. While the creamed spinach was fine, the lentils were bland and, confusingly (the rest of the food was up to temperature) lukewarm.

Service was friendly and attentive throughout the meal. Some confusion regarding the point of sales system caused a brief delay when paying the bill, but the matter was resolved quickly. Speaking of that bill, thanks to one of Salt & Pepper’s promo offers (BOGO entrees – seriously, check out their Facebook page), it ended up being a steal at $16+tax and tip, but even full fare would have been reasonable for the amount of food.

Salt & Pepper may be the kind of place where you have to order carefully, but what they do well, they seem to do very well. Add a great-looking space and pleasant staff to the mix, and it gives High Pointers a good alternative to braving Wendover traffic to get to Taaza.