Braving the pandemic, Globe Indian Food opened on Massachusetts Street in April in the space formerly occupied by Tokyo Sushi.1
Featuring vegetarian curries, South Indian dishes and an expected array of South Asian cuisine, Globe aims to offer both new experiences and well-known dishes. Family-owned and -operated, it offers an excellent option for downtown dining.
Dinner and lunch offer slightly different options. Lunch adds a buffet on weekends or a refillable chef’s choice special on weekdays.
Globe Indian Food
619 Massachusetts St.
785-856-5556
11 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., 5 – 9:30 p.m.
Tuesday – Sunday
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The lunch special rolls out the standards of Indian cuisine: chicken tikka masala, a paneer curry, and lots of rice and naan flatbreads. This is Indian comfort food: the tikka masala is exactly the shade of orange it’s supposed to be, the naan is fresh and springy and the mango pudding dessert is floral and bright with ripe mango taste, which is hard to find this far out of the tropics. The paneer is firm and has the sharp edges that indicate it’s freshly cut, but otherwise it’s just a stage for the curry sauce. Refills were prompt and hot, and the service was attentive.
As with lunch offerings, dinner menu entrees are divided into veggie or non-veggie. The vegetable korma was recommended as star and lived up to its billing, with low heat but rich buttery flavor and a pleasing texture. The andhra curry is noteworthy, highlighting an array of spices that manages to have multiple notes of flavor that roll across the palate without overlapping or muddying each other. The saag curries are also pleasing, having a springlike flavor and smooth texture suggesting fresh spinach. Many styles of Southern Indian breads are offered, including some excellent gluten-free options like the Dosa, a broad, crepe-like pancake perfect for scooping up curries.
The side dishes give diners even more ways to stuff themselves. Everything is visually pleasing, with an array of colors and textures that makes one want to order everything they see. Vegetarian dishes are definitely the house specialty, and some of the meats in non-veg offerings being a little dry or chewy.
Don’t miss the mixed pickle side, which can serve as both a spicy boost to a curry and a sour palate cleanser. Also noteworthy is the masala chai, served unsweetened, which matches the intensity of the spices in the tea with the spices in the curries.
The dining area is large and mostly consists of spacious booths. The lighting is somewhat dark, even at noon, but the room is otherwise very pleasing, clean and uncluttered. A large central bar commands the room, and some table seating is available for larger parties. Servers are very quick to answer questions or requests and exceptionally polite and friendly.
Globe Indian Food, 619 Massachusetts St. in Lawrence 
Globe Indian Food, 619 Massachusetts St. in Lawrence
Prices are in line with what most similar restaurants charge, with entrees in the $12-$15 range and lunch specials around $10.
Overall: 8/10. Dimly lit dining area and sometimes slightly over cooked meats are minor distractions compared to excellently prepared curries and breads delivered by enthusiastically friendly staff.
— Elwood Schaad (he/him) is a longtime Lawrencian who has worked in nearly every role at many local restaurants over the years, and who has a deep love of Lawrence’s local food culture. Read more of his reviews for the Times here.
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