As far as I know, there are two main Indian places in Charleston, and they're right down the street from each other. There is Little India, which I have raved about on the regular. And there is Sitar of India, which I just visited recently.

Sitar is located on Lee Street and isn't quite as opulent from the outside as Little India. But the inside is definitely bigger than I thought it would be. Lots of light brown/red wood, glasses, chandelier and dark red napkins about.

I really didn't need much time to look over the menu because I wanted to compare my classic, typical, favorite - chicken tikka masala. And an order of vegetable pakoras, for good measure.

The pakoras came out first and were fairly average. Some sauce was at the table that I used, but I really don't trust things that just sit at the table. I've seen what children do with salt shakers; I can't imagine what they do with something they can actually get into. Plus the sauce was goopy and kind of gross looking.

The tikka masala came out not too long afterward. It was pretty good, but it was just missing that certain depth that I found at Little India. It was tangy, slightly spicy and had a beautiful blend of spices, and I would certainly recommend it. But knowing that Little India has all that plus that little extra something, it was hard for me to commit fully.

Grade: B