That Taste of India is really good (as I think there’s one in Uptown too). Be forewarned about the dinner for two though. There was enough to be called dinner for four or so and my friend and I are big guys! 
. I’ve been to India Palace over in Tamarack Village and that’s when I noticed the pattern. I went to New Delhi over on Eat Street right before seeing a show at the Guthrie on Wednesday night and that’s what prompted me to post this thread since that was another all-male-run Indian restaurant. (I’m blanking on the fourth restaurant right now tho…)
For an authentic answer ask a native Indian.
Poll the owner of every Indian restaurant you visit.
Write to the “Chamber of Commerce” of India to pose your quaestion.
In the long run what difference, if any, does it make?
Certainly don’t ask the SDMB. We certainly do not want to find out information on other cultures.
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Or someone who might have knowledge about indian culture. I didn’t realize that none native indians could not have this information.
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Apparently the OP observed this at several restaurants visited. Others also noted this. So is this coinicidence or is there cultural, economic reason.
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ridiculus -
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In the long run it does make a difference - we can’t ask questions about different cultures? How are we going to learn about them or dispel myths. I didn’t find anything derogotory about the OP if that is what ticked you off. If it is coincidence then so be it - if it isn’t maybe we’ll learn a little more about indian culture.
I just wish you all wouldn’t assume that being different is bad.
Before this gets kicked over to IMHO, I’ve noticed that there are very few female Hindu/Indians in computer programming. Scads of males though. And a lot of them are very forgetful of their passwords.
Echoing what Dogzilla said, I have run across lots of female Indians, and not many males in healthcare.
Not much. Does that mean it’s wrong to ask the question? What’s with all the hostility towards this OP?? It’s perfectly legitimate to ask whether a certain profession has a statistically significant gender bias, and if so, to ask what causes that bias.
Anyway, my impressions seem to confirm the OP’s observation. But I’m not convinced it’s limited to Indian restaurants. Many high-class western restaurants also have mostly male waiters. And it’s my impression (unsubstantiated, admittedly) that Indian restaurants are influenced more by English clubs than Indian traditions.
Trying to keep on topic, one could consider whether the Indian restaurant was run by Bangladeshi Muslims. That would explain why women weren’t very much in evidence. And from my reading and Googling, a tremendous number of “Indian” restaurants in London and NYC are run by Bangladeshis.
I’ve not tried to find any similar info on Hindus and Sikhs, assuming the last two groups are involved with very many Indian restaurants.
I hope this might get some people looking for answers to what started out as an interesting discussion-----and still could be.
Uh, and this is different from every other ethnicity how? 
I live near Boston, and most of the Indian places I’ve been to do seem to have an a disproportionate number of male servers. I found it odd that in the one place that did seem to have several female employs, the head server would address my father first and basically ignore me (I’m a senior in college, mind you, so it isn’t that I’m just some kid). I found that irksome, but oh well, it was many steps above caf food.
I don’t really have an answer for the OP’s question but I just wanted to say that I’ve been to the exact restauraunt that St. Pauler is talking about in Maplewood and I got a female server. I don’t know if that means anything. Probably not.
Now now, everybody…this isn’t something worth getting so upset about.
I am Indian, female, and was born and brought up in India (though I’m not there now). Hope my answer will satisfy some of you.
Waitstaff in India are overwhelmingly male. The cheap workers’ diners? Male waitstaff. Lower middle class restaurants? Male waitstaff. Upper middle-class restaurants? Male waitstaff. Upper class restaurants. Still overwhelmingly male.
Where do you see females then? Mostly in places like coffee shops, or cafes that serve food primarily from behind the counter. And this too, mainly in the metropolitan cities.
Is this a cultural thing? Damned straight it is. When I was young and innocent, and I got it into my head that I needed to “earn my own money”, I suggested waitressing at a posh restaurant in Bombay. My father’s response? “Absolutely not. Not a girl’s job.” And we’re a well-educated, cosmopolitan family in every other way. Why this bias? Because customers might be boors (especially in places that serve alcohol), and may “take liberties”.
Is this a justifiable reason? Well, in favour of it, eve-teasing happens everywhere. Every damn place. I averaged atleast 2 catcalls a day. And on really lucky days, a catcall and a butt/boob fondle too. Yay! So, from that perspective, the protectiveness towards women might be justified. But on the other hand, women serve at shop counters and as sales ladies with impunity. So, why single out waitressing? Seems to me, it’s one of those ideas that just persist in the social mindset.
Switch gears to where I am now. Singapore. Safe and calm as a cow chewing cud. A far more westernised social culture than is prevalent in India. Indian restaurants here? A healthy mix of men and women on the waitstaff.
Coming to the OPs American conundrum. Why predominantly male waiters? Maybe because the restaurateurs in question are just a first or second generation immigrants. It takes a while for the culture of a new place to become so ingrained that it displaces habits of old.
So there you have it. That help any?
That’s odd. I’ve been to 3 different Indian restaurants, and every single time the server was female. One in Ames has a woman who runs the counter and helpfully explains the stuff on the menu, and does all the interacting with customers. Heck, I was at one last week where I had two waitresses, even – one American and one Indian – who would take turns asking us the same questions. (??)
Just a coincidence, but there you go.
Aankh has pretty much explained everything I had dropped in to say. In Bombay and pretty much for the rest of India the hotel industry is dominated by males. Female chefs and waitresses/servers can only be seen at high end restaurants or maybe small family run places.
Although nowadays one can see a 50-50 male female combo in places like Mcdonalds , Pizza Hut and other cafes etc, usually places where the younger lot tend to hang out.
Aankh and Maleinblack beat me to it.
Nothing else to contrtibute!
Chambers of Commerce serve municipalities. There is no “Chamber of Commerce” of India.
You’d want the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (which mostly deals with racial and religious issues rather than gender-based ones), or the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.
spingears, I’m sure the OP could have figured out that he could ask a restaurant owner himself. He came here instead, and it shouldn’t matter to you if the question is justified.
Not quite.
A chamber of commerce can be at national, state or local level. In this respect, we do have the state chambers of commerce, e.g. the Gujarat Chamber of Cmmerce and Industries, and a national body that regulates all these tinpot CoCs - the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry.
/nitpick
Thanks aankh and others. British Indian restaurants can get very rowdy after pub closing time, so I can see that women might not want to work at any restaurant near to popular pubs. The Indian restaurants in California are far friendlier places and the proportion of female waitstaff does seem higher here.