My husband and I have eaten Indian buffets around the country and were very impressed by the variety of dishes at 5th Element. The inclusion of soups and chai tea, as well as multiple desserts was a nice surprise. The restaurant and buffet area are very clean and the folks running the restaurant are very friendly and attentive. The main dishes tasted fresh and were constantly replenished. We paid $15.99 each for the weekday lunch buffet. It was worth it. I would recommend. read more

Worth it every time! Paneer is perfecto! Lots of vegetarian options that meat eaters will drool over. Everyone wins.... especially your digestive system! A lot of Ayurveda is in this style of cooking. Which means healing is there. Enjoy read more

This review is of the 5th element location in Sanford, specifically. I love Indian cuisine and the food here is good - food is 4 out of 5 stars. BUT... I've gone for their weekend buffet twice in the past month. It is reasonably priced ($16.95 and on New Years day was $20.95). Unfortunately, on both occasions, I've found that their tandoori chicken bowl was left empty for 15 or 20 minutes at a time before being refilled with a 1 gallon bowl of chicken for a restaurant that had 60 customers inside. The butter chicken was a tray of sauce that was empty of chicken. I don't know whether it is: (1) intentional on the part of the owners to limit consumption; (2) an inept kitchen; or (3) just my bad luck on two occasions. Nevertheless, I won't go back. read more

This was my first lunch here and it was amazing. Fresh, tasty, great flavors and good customer service and the restaurant was very clean. We came right at 11am when they opened and it was really nice and quiet. I'll definitely be back! read more

This is real Indian food. Lots of great flavors. I have no idea why the reviews are all over the place. I did notice many review's had to do with wait times. This is one place that when asking for extra spicy you get it. Unlike most other Far East and Middle Eastern type restaurants where asking never seems to change a thing. I know this has much to do with the fear of complaints from the majority of customers in Florida with unsophisticated palates. If someone gave this less than 3 stars then the reviewer was having a bad day or they had a vendetta. Sure there are a few things that could be improved upon that might be more of a personal preference. read more

To quote Guy Fieri "Welcome to Flavor Town." My wife and I wanted to try Indian food. So I ordered random items from 5th Element to bring home for a Sunday football buffet and here are my thoughts! We ordered Mixed Tandoor, it had chicken, shrimp and lamb. Everything was tender, tasty and full of flavor and we would get it again. We also tried the starter chicken Pakora, this was an amazing fried chicken with fantastic flavor and heat. I ordered everything mild, and everything had some kick. My wife loves the heat and she said it was spicy. This was amazing, will order again. We also tried Butter Chicken, This was amazing tender chicken in a flavorful tomato based sauce. This could be comfort food, so good. This may have been my favorite thing. We ordered Masala Dabba & Tandoori Bread. This had bread and several dipping sauces. It was good, but I wouldn't order again. We also had Paneer Pakora so Indian Cheese sticks. I liked them my wife didn't. I have heard of Samosa's so I ordered samosa chat and that isn't what I thought. This was more deconstructed. It has great flavor but i ordered the wrong item. I also ordered Rice Kheer but they were out. The instead gave me Gulab jamun, which is Milk dumplings steeped in saffron syrup, the quint essential, Indian Classic. It was good, I will say doughnut hole in simple syrup. The menu was huge, and I liked the flavors. I have many things i still want to try. I may come back here because its the one I live near, but several others are around. The biggest drawback was the order time. I placed my ordered and the confirmation said 30 minutes, So when I arrived in 30 minutes, in was 10 minutes, then 10 more minutes, then 10 more minutes, then 2 minutes so it was over an hour. The food, was hot and fresh, so not complaining over good food, maybe just better expectations. They inside is nice, they have plenty of space and a bar. The servers wore masks and the had a decent crowd of people. Once again the food was outstanding, I had a patron tell me this was very authentic to what she grew up eating. read more

Very very dissatisfied... 1.Portions are too small for the dinner menu's. 2. Very small amount of meat (small piece per dinner serving) 3. Take-out dinner did not come with a side of rice or bread. 4. I paid $42 for 2 very very tiny dinners neither of us got remotely full. (Had to go to Macdonald's 1 hour after eating because we were hungry) 5. Please stop ripping off people who are not your culture, we're not stupid. I noticed that the local's get a different menu. 6. Shame on you- I will never go there again and certainly will NOT recommend! read more

Great tasting food! Came in for the lunch buffet and was blown away with the spread and the taste. Would highly recommend to check it out

I come all the way from orlando. Only place around orlando to get authentic South indian food. Good people and ambience. Stick to the specials or authentic items on the menu. Only recommendation is to maintain consistency as sometimes we encountered not so good takeout. read more

I ordered with Uber Eats 1/21/22. Everything was dry and overcooks. Flavors were awesome but inedible due to the dryness I ordered $80 in food I willing to try more Indian food for the flavor. read more

Food is really good and they have a lot of options for their buffet, especially if you like spicy food. They have a large veg and not veg option so you get a little bit of everything. The service could be a little better but it's not bad at all. read more

5th Element is simply some of the best Indian food around. I've dined here multiple times now (both take-out and dining in) and each time has been wonderful. Today, I went with the lunch thali special with chicken. The amount of food you get for the $10.99 price tag is incredible, and everything from the Mulligtawny soup to the dal to the veggies and tikka Masala was filled with SO MUCH FLAVOR!! Also I have to give some extreme points for them having dosai (and it being gluten free!!!) the rice pudding was delicious and I loved the obvious taste of cardamom. Overall, this place has quickly become one of my new favorite spots for authentic and delicious Indian food. Give them a shot - you won't regret it!! read more

5th Element - Chicken Lunch Box - Indian Near Me - Sanford, Florida

I wish this spot was more prominently advertised because it really made my day. The to go box weighed about 5 pounds and came with two sauces (one creamy, one with some zing) plus raw onions on the side for those who aren't a fan. The decor (especially the ceiling) and music felt immersive and authentic. Really friendly wait staff. Can't wait to come back once I finish these leftovers read more

Great food and wonderful service. We really enjoyed our meal. We ordered several vegetarian options, and really liked them all but especially the dosa. read more

My friend ordered the Onion Pakodi and there was a sharp piece of plastic in it that penetrated the roof of his mouth. He thought it was a bone, but didn't realize it was plastic until he was able to yank it out. It looked like the little plastic square thing that holds bread bags closed. We called the waiter, because it wouldn't stop bleeding. The waiter came over, grabbed the plate, and said he'd get the manager. The manager (owner!) came over, didn't apologize, and then asked if we took a photo. When we told him no, he said the meal was on him and that mistakes sometimes happen (still no apology). The wait staff were clearly not surprised, or even remotely in awe, by what had just happened. What's even worse is that his son grabbed that piece first, but he told him that it was too big, so he ate it instead. This situation could've been WAY worse. What's even worse is that the bloody piece of plastic was on the plate that the waiter swiftly took away. Definitely not the first time this has happened. Unbelievable! Why is this place still in business? They deserve to be shut down. Such a shame, considering how well this place had started out. read more

The food was great and cooked to perfection. Staff was wonderful! We tried 10,000 Monk beer recommended by server (India brew) and very happy we did so. It complimented the Chicken Makhani and Chicken Korma perfectly. Highly recommend you stop by and try the cuisine. Onion Kulcha and Garlic Naan were very good with flavor and flakey light Naan. Thank you 5th Element for making us not regret moving to Lake Mary area. Will return and try other dishes. read more

One of the best Indian restaurants in town. We tried their veggie pakoras for appetizers. Ordered rava dosa, masala dosa, and meat biryani. The food was excellent. Rava dosa was a mediocre. Their biryanis are always good. read more

Take out: AMAZING. When I asked for "Indian Hot," I meant it. And they gave it to me! I finally found food that's almost too hot to eat!! When I dined in, I asked for "Indian Hot," they gave me the most mild food. Take out is always amazing. Lamb Korma is a must. read more

Authentic indian place. Server are very friendly. If your carvings for indian food you should try thier lunch buffet and have lots of selections.They have happy hour too. read more

We went as a small group and had the buffet style offering, but you can also order off the menu. The staff was friendly and attentive, but I can't say I enjoyed the food. I went around once and made selections, but wasn't tempted to go back and get more of anything. I went back and selected items I had passed by the first time, but none of them stood out either. I wish Samosas were part of the buffet as I know I like them. The soups and curries seemed watery, which is okay I guess, except I didn't see any small bowls to use. I don't have much experience at all with Indian food, so I will have to try another place for a basis for comparison. But as it stands I wouldn't go back to Fifth Element. I will say that the mango soft serve ice milk, or whatever it was exactly, was pretty good. read more

Recently move to the area and was craving Tikka Masala. I decided to try this place without reading any reviews and boy was I pleasantly surprised!! First they have a buffet which I'm never a fan of unless it's here!! They had your more known dishes like Tandoori chicken and Tikka but then they introduce you to some amazing and flavorful new dishes like Sambar and Yellow Daal. Every dish is perfectly balanced with spice, curry, acid and coolness. I've gone back a couple more times and they change up the buffet which is so nice to keep learning new Indian food. To top it off you can be the price point of $13. Highly recommend checking this place out! read more

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This restaurant has good food sometimes but it's very inconsistent in taste, portion size, and presentation. I have attached a picture of a recent order and this isn't the first time it's been a bit messy. I brought a friend with me once and she was put off by some of the things she saw. I think that although the food can potentially be really good it may be worth it to search around for other places because sometimes things can be really bad. read more

5th Element - Bad order - Indian Near Me - Sanford, Florida

The best Indian food I've ever had!! Dishes are beyond flavorful and fresh. They could throw in a little more lamb in the lamb curry but as far as taste and quality this place has my business all day!! read more

Horrible food. The Vada was raw from inside. Sweet corn soup had no flavor. Noodles had big chunky pieces of carrot. Everything we ordered was bad. read more

Food is great, but service is always awful and slow. I have no idea how they stay in business. Don't order takeout they are always late on the food. read more

They ran out of ice. That's what I was told when I asked for a glass of ice for the room temp water they serve you. And when I asked for some iced tea, the hostess told me they don't have iced tea. So, even though we love the buffet, next time we come in, we have to bring our own ice. read more

Missed the entire middle third of our order and never checked with us about it not coming out. Never apologized. Never credited our bill. We were so disappointed, I just paid the bill so my starving dad didn't have to argue with anyone before we left. Food that actually did make it to the table was hit or miss. Will never return. read more

This place used to be great. And as an Indian it has been hard to find what I think is quality Indian food in central Florida. I would have given this place 4 stars or higher prior to the pandemic but now it is just terrible. We have tried delivery as well as dining inside over the last two months. First the delivery portions they should be embarrassed by as owners. Especially for the price. Second for both overall the flavors of their dishes have tremendously suffered. I don't know if they have a new person cooking or not but wow. Flavorless unless you really don't know what good Indian food is supposed to taste like. I mean it was lacking anything to really comment on and we had a variety of South Indian, indo Chinese and regular Indian food on our last visit. And across the board not impressed. Aside from a spice level there wasn't anything discerning about what the flavor profile should have been. Even the indo Chinese noodle dish tasted like they just took spaghetti and tossed it with some oil and veggies. If you read the description it should be more like Hakka Noodles and have soy and other flavors. There was definitely no soy. So let's talk about service and Covid. First there weren't many people there so we were expecting good service. It took forever for them to ask for the drink order and then forever to come get the food order. I mean like 20 minutes in between. That slow services followed into getting water refills and food coming out. They really must have had to go to the grocery store to get supplies as the food came out after like 30 minutes and then only half of it came out. The noodles came out after most of the table was done eating except those that ordered the noodles. It's like they forgot. And then had to go but spaghetti and then boil it. What a terrible terrible service. No apologies for the delay not a care in the world. Will not be back to this place as I would have been fine if they at least acknowledged our existence and patience. They did not. Then the place is empty and while we are finally finishing our meal because the noodles finally show up they sit a table of 6 right next to us on a joined booth. Like we shared the same bench. The rest of the restaurant was empty. They are not really following separation and that was totally rude as then we have no choice and all of us have our masks off to eat. Do not waste your time. Go to Publix and get prepare frozen stuff or pre cooked sauces and you can eat better quality food at a much cheaper price. Believe me when I say it will taste better. read more

We tried the 5th element. We came in 11:15 for lunch 45min passed no food served. We changed the order for to go so we can go to our son's soccer match. Terrible! read more

Try something different! I was excited super excited to try this place because they have a buffet. I like buffets sometimes because you can try all kinds of things at a frugal price! I really love naan and dipping it in their sauces! Their buffet is constantly changing. The food was amazing! My favorite was the shrimp vandaloo (spicy). Their buffet is just around $10! The buffet is open 11am-2:30pm weekdays and 11am-3pm weekends. It's definitely worth the bite! read more

5th Element - Indian Near Me - Sanford, Florida

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I ordered my first takeout through DoorDash. I had Navarathan Khorma (veggies in a mildly spicy cream sauce) and Kabuli Naan, Which was described in the menu as leavened fine flour bread stuffed with almonds, pistachios and cashews, but tasted like it had cherries and coconut instead. Still, the bread was good. There was enough Korma for two meals. read more

5th Element - A little bit of rice and Navarathan Khorma-- vegetables cooked in a cream sauce. - Indian Near Me - Sanford, Florida

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This was, by far, the most terrible experience I've ever had with a restaurant. Ordered a takeout via their website for a fam of 4. $120! Granted - prices are going up, so whatever... was told it would take 45 minutes. Went to pick up the food on time, ended up waiting an additional 48 minutes to get the food, only to find out items were missing when I got home. How do you miss rice? It comes with every curry you order! I called them, explained that items were missing, including Matar Paneer ($16). Was told to come back and the food will be ready in 10 min, was told to drive back because they don't deliver... even though their website says they do. Drove back and waited additional 38 min to get my food, just to get home and find out that the Matar Paneer was missing cheese cubes. They only gave me sauce! Lol no apologies, no offer to be reimbursed or add additional food (the typical things restaurants do when making mistakes). I got absolutely nothing. Needless to say: we will never go back to dine with this establishment. Would give 0 stars for a horrible customer service and lack of attention to detail, if I could. read more

OMG!!!!! I have not even finished my meal and I can tell you honestly this food is out of this world. It is fantastic! The flavors leave you wanting more. This is my new favorite place and I will be coming back here often. The BEST Indian restaurant around. read more

5th Element - Indian Near Me - Sanford, Florida

This isn't our first time at this restaurant. We stopped in for the buffet and were surprised they didn't have any of our favorites at the buffet. What they had was just so so. We were floored at the high price of the bill. It was ridiculous! Won't be returning. read more

This place was awesome; I can't understand the low ratings. Do the buffet, endless dishes, so tasty, you can smell the spices when you walk in. Our glasses stayed constantly full, it was clean and tasty and everyone was very nice. Beautiful interior, great decorations, I hope they stay busy for years to come. Go here and give it a try, do the buffet and find what you like :) read more

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The ambience of this place is nice but the food is not upto the mark. Also, there is a strong smell of meat or non vegetarian food inside the restaurant. They need to have better exhaust system. read more

Usually we go there for lunch buffet. the quality is top n so is the variety. today i ordered a take out from the menu. the taste was good but the quantity was unreal. photo attached for $ 14 main dish container. spoon gives you the relative size of this container. sometimes the eye can be deceptive. so i filled water n poured it into a container from another Indian restaurant just to minimize variations. it was just over 50% of standard entree take out size. hope they fix this issue. because otherwise a good place with good food. read more

5th Element - half the standard size - Indian Near Me - Sanford, Florida

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Really good spot for authentic Indian food... You can burn you face off or just a tingle as you can adjust your spice and heat level. From the lamb, to the cheese Dosa and everything in between; it was a delish meal. The interior is inviting and the service is good and the tasty food just seemed to keep coming.. read more

Food portion was more than other Indian restaurants around. Taste is better in lake mary - orlando area compared to other indian restaurants. Nice place to dine in aswell. I dont see any bad points on this place so 5 star thumbs up from my side. read more

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My partner, and I ate here on 10/4/19. I have to be very honest, and say this place was so darn delicious. Very courteous staff from the moment we stepped into the restaurant. The buffet was to die for. Oh My Gosh the selection is so amazing. Being it was my first time there I stuck with dishes that I already knew. The next time I will be very adventurous, and try some new dishes. I highly, and I will say it again. I highly recommend this restaurant. Put it on your "To Do" list. Eat, and enjoy! read more