Indian Flavor on Hope

Like two unwavering pillars of Indian cuisine guarding the north side of the Hope Street shops, Not Just Snacks and Not Just Spices are must-tries for any lover of Indian flavors. And if you think you’ve seen it all before, Not Just Snacks offers an experience unlike what you might expect at its upscale neighbors India and Rasoi.

The first thing you notice about Not Just Snacks is that is has all the atmosphere of a high school cafeteria. There’s no music playing and the furniture looks like it was scooped up from a going out of business sale. If the small main dining room is full, you’ll probably be seated in the backroom, which somehow looks even more odd! But if this puts you off, take solace in the fact that it’s the best Indian food in the postal district. And they do have an outdoor section for al fresco dining.

I must admit, I’m a little biased; I’ve never been a big fan of establishments that light a few candles, slap on a tablecloth and tack a few extra bucks onto a mediocre sandwich because the place looks classy. If you’re like me and don’t care to pay for the atmosphere, look no further for your Indian cravings. Not Just Snacks is also BYOB, so that may knock some serious green off your tab.

First the appetizers: Everything comes served on metal trays like in an army barracks mess hall, and the absurdly low price tag on their high-quality apps is reason enough to come here. We went with a huge veggie samosa, a fried vegetable pakora and an aloo tikki potato cake.

For a main dish I usually go for the super-spicy goat vindaloo and watch as other patrons and the members of the waitstaff laugh at the guy sweating through his clothes. On this trip, though, I didn’t want to embarrass myself, so I ordered the milder chicken tikka masala. It was, like everything I’ve had there, flavorful and delicious.  A side of garlic naan made the perfect sopping vehicle.

The service can be a bit strained; when asked to have our samosa cut in half, we were met with blank stares. But the staff totally makes up for it with their sheer friendliness and willingness to put up with our butchered pronunciations.

Going out for Indian food, especially at Not Just Snacks, always creates some kind of crazy time vortex; the food is so good that I plow through my meal at an ungodly speed, then I end up overfilled and unable to remember the last five minutes. It sounds unpleasant, but it’s a good thing in my book. And though the BYOB always has me pumped, I’m usually way too engaged in the food to manage more than a beer.

I’ll be honest: I know nothing about Indian cooking. It seems super intimidating and requires a huge supply of spices I can’t pronounce. But if I were, Not Just Spices would totally be my bag. NJSnack’s sister establishment is a mini Indian grocery, packed with a ton of cool stuff from huge jars of tahini to a selection of produce to more curries than I knew existed. For some reason, they also have a bunch of random hair care products and jewelry!

If you sit and dine long enough, you’re bound to see one or more members of the waitstaff running from Snacks to Spices and back, arms full of whatever ingredients the kitchen has run out of.

These places, with their off-kilter charm, may not be for everybody, but I personally hope they never change. So before you speed-dial your neighborhood joint for your fifth pepperoni pizza of the week, consider giving something Not Just a try!

Not Just Snacks is located at 833 Hope St in Providence, and Not Just Spices is across the street at 836 Hope.