All aboard the Curry Express

If your destination is authentic Indian cuisine, you’ll want to hop aboard R&R’s Curry Express. For more than a dozen years, this eatery has been creating exotic specialties in Ft. Smith.

The restaurant is a dream come true for owner and head chef Raj. When Raj moved here from California, his dream was to bring authentic Indian food to the area. He opened R&R’s Curry Express in the summer of 2011.

“When I started this restaurant, I wanted it to be all-natural, homestyle North Indian food,” Raj said. “And it was slow in the beginning, because many people had never eaten or even heard of

Indian food here in Fort Smith.”

But that didn’t last long. Once people tried it, they were hooked and the word spread. Raj admits that Indian cuisine can be both exciting and intimidating. “It’s such a unique world of taste,” he says. “You combine all the techniques from other cuisines and add delectable spices to get an amazing experience.”

R & R’s Curry Express serves North Indian dishes like Chicken Tikka Punjabi Biryani, featuring tender chunks of chicken breast cooked with cumin, basmati rice and spices. They also have vegetarian and vegan options. Raj also serves up some delicious barbeque and catfish.

“People love our catfish,” he said. “We serve it up with a little Indian touch. I will also do dishes to order. If you don’t see what you want on the menu, just tell us and we will work something up.”

Since opening, Raj has had a string of 5-star Yelp reviews. Here is a sample of what fans have been saying about R&R’s Curry Express:

“Whenever we are in the area, we stop and eat here. It is great Northern Indian food. Curry, naan, tikka masala … all great, but my personal favorite is the Chicken 65. It is like a great BBQ. I have tried Chicken 65 in so many other places but this is the best!!” – Jennifer T.

“We walked in about 40 minutes before closing and the staff couldn’t have been more friendly and cheerful. My husband had the chicken tikka masala (also hot) and we had plain and garlic naan. I had the vindaloo and it was absolutely fantastic. Seriously the flavor was out of this world. 10/10. Definitely go.” – Tori O.

“The butter chicken is tandoori chicken in a butter sauce! It’s excellent and I have tried it several times. It comes with basmati rice and naan like most of their dinner dishes. Try the roti over the naan if you want a thinner wheat tortilla shaped bread instead. The shrimp vindaloo is also very tasty with lots of shrimp!” – Tamara R.

The recently remodeled restaurant includes a beautiful, fully stocked bar, which includes a selection of Indian beer. Stop by today and treat yourself to what may be the best Indian food in Northwest Arkansas.