Indian Lunch Specials in Salem, Oregon: Hours, Prices, and What to Order

Mint Leaf Indian Bistro serves lunch in Salem, Oregon from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM on Monday and Wednesday through Saturday, and from 12:00 PM to 8:00 PM continuously on Sunday, with two sit-down lunch specials priced at $12.99 for the Vegetarian Thali and $14.99 for the Non-Vegetarian Thali. The dining room is at 360 High St NE in downtown Salem, which makes it workable on a 30-minute break, a 90-minute client lunch, or a slow weekend afternoon. This is the practical guide: exact hours for all seven days, what to order at what price, and how fast each choice is.
One detail to lock in first. The restaurant is closed all day Tuesday. Every other day has lunch service, and a call to (503) 967-6946 gets a takeout order started.
What time does lunch start at Mint Leaf Indian Bistro in Salem, Oregon?
Lunch service runs 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday; Sunday is continuous service from 12:00 PM to 8:00 PM with no afternoon break; and the restaurant is closed on Tuesday. Dinner picks up again at 4:30 PM and runs to 9:00 PM on those same weekdays and Saturday, so on those days 2:00 PM to 4:30 PM is the only gap between lunch and dinner service.
| Day | Lunch | Dinner |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM | 4:30 PM - 9:00 PM |
| Tuesday | Closed | Closed |
| Wednesday | 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM | 4:30 PM - 9:00 PM |
| Thursday | 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM | 4:30 PM - 9:00 PM |
| Friday | 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM | 4:30 PM - 9:00 PM |
| Saturday | 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM | 4:30 PM - 9:00 PM |
| Sunday | 12:00 PM - 8:00 PM | Continuous, no afternoon break |
Sunday is the most flexible day. Because service never stops between noon and 8:00 PM, a 2:45 PM lunch is perfectly normal, which helps if you are driving in from Keizer, Woodburn or Silverton and cannot promise an exact arrival time.
What are the lunch specials, and what comes on the thali?
The lunch specials are two thali platters: the Vegetarian Thali at $12.99, which includes the paneer dish of the day, daal, roti, rice and rice pudding at 650 calories, and the Non-Vegetarian Thali at $14.99, which includes the chicken dish of the day, daal, roti, rice and rice pudding at 750 calories. A thali is a full composed meal on one tray rather than a single entree, so you get a curry, a lentil dish, bread, rice and dessert without ordering four separate items.
That is also why it is the best value at midday. The same components ordered a la carte would mean an entree plus a daal plus a bread plus rice plus dessert, and the thali collapses all of it into one price, one plate and one kitchen ticket. Call (503) 967-6946 if you want to hear which paneer or chicken dish is on rotation the day you are coming.
Which lunch dishes cost under $15 at this downtown Salem Indian restaurant?
Here are eleven of the lunch choices that come in under $15, from $3.99 for Butter Naan to $14.99 for the Non-Vegetarian Thali. Exact prices, with a note on when each one is available:
| Dish | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Butter Naan | $3.99 | All week; the standard bread pairing |
| Roti | $3.99 | Vegan; all week |
| Vegetable Samosa | $5.99 | Vegan; small plate |
| Aloo Tikki | $6.99 | Vegan and gluten-free |
| Veg Pakora | $6.99 | Vegan |
| Dahi Bhalla | $9.99 | Vegetarian, gluten-free; Saturday and Sunday only |
| Samosa Choley Chat | $10.99 | Vegetarian; Saturday and Sunday only |
| Aloo Tikka Choley Chat | $10.99 | Vegetarian; Saturday and Sunday only |
| Vegetarian Thali | $12.99 | Lunch service; 650 calories |
| Yellow Daal | $13.99 | Vegetarian entree; all week |
| Non-Vegetarian Thali | $14.99 | Lunch service; 750 calories |
Channa Masala also sits at $13.99, so a chickpea curry with a $3.99 roti lands at $17.98 for a substantial two-item lunch. Across the full menu of 94 dishes, prices run from $3.50 to $20.99.
What is the fastest Indian lunch downtown on a 30-minute break?
For a 30-minute break, order small plates: Vegetable Samosa at $5.99, Aloo Tikki at $6.99 or Veg Pakora at $6.99, none of which wait on a curry, rice and bread to plate together. Add a Chai at $2.99 and you have a real lunch for about $10.
Two habits make a short lunch work. Call the order ahead at (503) 967-6946 and pick it up, which turns the trip into a walk plus a handoff, and name your spice level when you order rather than after the food lands, since everything is made to order from mild to extra hot. Arriving early in the 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM window leaves the most time to eat before a 30-minute break runs out.
Anyone working in the Capitol Mall area can walk over, eat and be back inside the half hour with a pickup order. If you would rather the food came to you, the delivery options for Salem cover that side of it.
What should you order if you have never eaten Indian food?
If this is your first Indian meal, order Butter Chicken at $16.99 with a Butter Naan at $3.99 and ask for it mild. Butter Chicken is the most popular dish on the menu, and ordered mild it is the gentlest way into the menu, giving you warmth and aroma without heat. Tear the naan, scoop the sauce, and you have the whole idea of North Indian cooking in one bite.
Chicken Tikka Masala at $16.99 is the other easy entry point, and Chicken Korma at $16.99 is another mild option. On the vegetarian side, Paneer Butter Masala at $15.50 delivers the same comfortable sauce with fresh cheese instead of chicken. The spice lab page explains how the mild-to-extra-hot levels and the spice blends behind them work.
The kitchen is led by Chef Jodhvir Singh, who brought 17+ years of culinary experience from Punjab, India to downtown Salem, and that background is why the daal, breads and tandoor items taste the way they do. The longer story is on the heritage page.
What are the best vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free lunch picks?
The menu lists 18 vegetarian entrees from $13.99 to $15.99 with clearly marked vegan and gluten-free choices, so a plant-based or gluten-free lunch in Salem, Oregon is not a side-salad situation. Named picks, with prices:
- Vegetarian: Vegetarian Thali $12.99, Saag Paneer $15.50, Shahi Paneer $15.99, Malai Kofta $15.99, Baingan Bharta $15.99.
- Vegan: Vegetable Samosa $5.99, Veg Pakora $6.99, Gobi Manchurian $11.99, Vegetable Samosa Chole $11.99, Roti $3.99, Saffron Rice $5.99.
- Gluten-free: Aloo Tikki $6.99, Aloo Tikki Chole $11.99, Chili Paneer $12.99, Papad Basket $3.50, Mixed Vegetable Raita $3.99, plus Kheer $5.99 or Rasmalai $6.50 for dessert.
Aloo Tikki Chole at $11.99 is the standout crossover order: vegan, gluten-free, filling and under $12. Yellow Daal at $13.99 with a $3.99 roti is the other one, and it is the closest thing here to a homestyle Punjabi weekday lunch. All meat served is halal, which matters if halal lunch is what brought you to this block.
Do Saturday and Sunday add anything to lunch in Salem, Oregon?
Yes. Saturday and Sunday add six Weekend Specials that are not served on weekdays: Choley Bhature $12.99, Tandoori Paneer Kulcha $12.99, Tandoori Aloo Kulcha $11.99, Samosa Choley Chat $10.99, Aloo Tikka Choley Chat $10.99 and Dahi Bhalla $9.99. All six are vegetarian, and Dahi Bhalla is gluten-free.
Choley Bhature is the one to know: fluffy, golden bhature with spicy, flavorful choley, a genuine North Indian weekend tradition rather than a menu novelty. Saturday lunch runs 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM, while Sunday runs continuously from 12:00 PM to 8:00 PM, so Sunday is the easier day to catch them. Full details are in our weekend specials guide.
How do business lunches, group lunches and catering work?
The restaurant seats up to 120 guests and offers private dining for groups, plus dine-in, takeout, catering and event service, which covers a four-person client lunch or a full office booking. The room is wheelchair accessible at street level.
Two things keep a business lunch inside the 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM window: book ahead through reservations, and pre-select a few dishes so the table is not reading menus for 15 minutes. One Vegetarian Thali or Non-Vegetarian Thali per person is the simplest group order there is, since bread, rice and dessert are already included. For larger parties, sort catering and private dining by phone or through the contact page.
The restaurant holds a 4.8 out of 5 star rating across 313 Google reviews, worth knowing when you are the one picking the venue.
How do you get to 360 High St NE, and where do you park?
Mint Leaf Indian Bistro is at 360 High St NE in downtown Salem, Oregon, with street parking on High St NE, several public lots nearby, and service from Salem-Keizer Transit (Cherriots) bus routes. The Oregon State Capitol and the surrounding state offices are a short walk away, which is what makes the 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM window practical on a workday.
The restaurant serves guests from Keizer, Woodburn, Silverton, Stayton, Dallas, Independence and Monmouth, and the Willamette Valley run into downtown is short enough that Sunday lunch works from the far end of it. More on the weekday routine is in our Salem Indian lunch overview.
How do you order Indian lunch takeout in Salem?
Call Mint Leaf Indian Bistro at (503) 967-6946, tell the kitchen your spice level (mild, medium, hot or extra hot), and pick the order up at 360 High St NE in downtown Salem. Phone ordering is the fastest route on a lunch break, and it lets you confirm the day's thali dishes before you leave your desk.
Whether it is a $5.99 Vegetable Samosa between meetings, a $12.99 Vegetarian Thali at a real table, or Choley Bhature with the family on a Sunday afternoon, Mint Leaf Indian Bistro in Salem, Oregon is open for lunch six days a week at 360 High St NE. Browse the full menu, book a table, or call (503) 967-6946 and have it waiting when you walk in.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time does lunch service begin each day?
Lunch starts at 11:00 AM on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday and runs until 2:00 PM. On Sunday the restaurant serves continuously from 12:00 PM to 8:00 PM, so lunch begins at noon.
Is the restaurant open on Tuesday?
No. Mint Leaf Indian Bistro is closed all day Tuesday for both lunch and dinner. Every other day of the week has lunch service.
How much is an Indian lunch in Salem, Oregon?
A full sit-down lunch is $12.99 for the Vegetarian Thali or $14.99 for the Non-Vegetarian Thali, each including a main dish, daal, roti, rice and rice pudding. A quick small-plate lunch starts at $5.99, and the 94-dish food menu spans $3.50 to $20.99.
Is the meat halal?
Yes, all meat served is halal, including the chicken, lamb and goat dishes and the chicken on the $14.99 Non-Vegetarian Thali.
What is the best Indian lunch in downtown Salem?
Mint Leaf Indian Bistro at 360 High St NE in downtown Salem serves lunch from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM, with the $12.99 Vegetarian Thali for a sit-down meal and $5.99 to $6.99 small plates for a fast one.
Can I get Choley Bhature on a weekday?
No. Choley Bhature at $12.99, the stuffed kulchas, the chaats and Dahi Bhalla at $9.99 are served Saturday and Sunday only. Weekdays feature the thali lunch specials, small plates and the regular a la carte menu.
Are there vegan and gluten-free lunch options?
Yes. Vegan picks include Vegetable Samosa $5.99, Veg Pakora $6.99, Gobi Manchurian $11.99 and Roti $3.99; gluten-free picks include Aloo Tikki $6.99, Aloo Tikki Chole $11.99, Chili Paneer $12.99 and Kheer $5.99. There are also 18 vegetarian entrees from $13.99 to $15.99.
How spicy is the food, and can I order it mild?
Every dish is customizable from mild to extra hot, so Butter Chicken at $16.99 or any other curry can be made mild. Name your level when you order, since dishes are prepared to order.
Can I book a group lunch or order catering?
Yes. The restaurant seats up to 120 guests and hosts private dining for groups, and offers dine-in, takeout, catering and event service. Call (503) 967-6946 or use the reservations page to arrange a group lunch or a catering order.
Sharing authentic Indian culinary traditions, spice knowledge, and recipes from Salem, Oregon.