Where Route 130 meets South River Road, in a town that has been feeding travelers for three centuries, we cook the food of a whole subcontinent — one clay oven, several slow-simmered pots, and a dining room that fills up with neighbors.
Tamarind & Co. sits at 1275 South River Road in Cranbury, New Jersey 08512, at the junction of Route 130 and South River Road. The New Jersey Turnpike's Exit 8A interchange is close by, which is why our tables fill with guests from Cranbury, Monroe Township, South Brunswick and the Windsors on the same evening. Parking is free and on-site, with accessible spaces at the door.
We are proudly BYOB — bring the bottle you have been saving and we will pour it, chill it and pair it with whatever comes off the tandoor. Lunch runs from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm every day, dinner follows in the evening, and the full hours and directions are on our Visit page.
The heart of the room is the clay tandoor. Marinated lamb chops, tandoori shrimp, malai tikka and sheekh kebab go in on skewers and come out with the char that no pan can imitate; the breads — garlic naan, kulcha, roti — are slapped against the same hot wall to order. Alongside it, the gravy station works on a slower clock: Dal Makhni simmers for hours with butter and cream, rogan josh deepens, and koftas rest in tomato-cream gravy until they are called for.
Masalas are pounded in-house rather than scooped from a tub, which is the difference you taste in a Chettinad chicken or a dum biryani sealed and baked in its own steam. Our menu reads like a map of India — Punjab, Kashmir, Hyderabad, Tamil Nadu, Kolkata's Indo-Chinese street corners — and a Beyond India section for Thai and Singapore-style plates. Read the full menu before you come; it helps to arrive with a plan.
Weeknights are quiet enough for a two-person dinner and a bottle of wine; weekends bring birthday tables, cricket-match arguments and anniversary cakes. Reserve a table online in a few taps, or call (732) 466-1345 and speak to the floor team about a corner, a high chair, or a cake you want brought out at the right moment.
If you would rather eat at home, order pickup on our website and take 10% off — the same kitchen, the same tandoor, packed to travel. Larger gatherings are their own craft: see our catering trays and pricing or read the guide to Indian catering across Central New Jersey.
Tamarind & Co., 1275 South River Road, Cranbury, NJ 08512 · (609) 598-1397