A Hidden Gem at Ballston Quarter - Fresh, Flavorful, and Worth Every Bite! After a full day of exploring the beautiful and lively Ballston Quarter area, my family and I were ready for a good meal--and Bollywood Bistro Express absolutely delivered! Located right in the food court, this spot turned out to be a hidden gem serving some of the most delicious and freshly made Indian dishes we've had in a long time. We tried the Lamb Bowl, Chicken Biryani, Chicken Seekh Kebabs, and Bombay Shrimp--and every item was bursting with flavor and cooked to perfection. For about $80, we had an incredible feast that easily satisfied the whole family. The food tasted fresh, authentic, and clearly prepared with care. Bollywood Bistro Express deserves far more recognition. Whether you're shopping, strolling, or just looking for a hearty and flavorful meal in Arlington, this is the place to go. Fantastic food, generous portions, and great value--highly recommended! Overall, we rate this place a solid 4.5 out of 5 stars. read more

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Two Haiku Review: Located in the Ballston Mall, serves dhaba style Fare. The bowls are more Like thali. A good Amount of food for a cheap Price. Quite tasty too. read more

Ordered the Chicken Tikka bowl and it was just ok. The Chicken was dry and the Palak Panir had a strange flavor. The Kachumber salad was unremarkable. I enjoyed the naan and mango lassi though. Overall it was just too expensive for what you got- the bowl and the mango lassi ended up being over $20. Service was fast though read more

Bollywood Bistro Express - Mango Lassi - Indian Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

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Chicken 65 It had an extremely overpowering Heinz ketchup forward taste that it was off putting. I'm not sure if that is the normal flavor or not. It was not my jam, maybe it's yours. I liked it was cooked to order, that's a bonus. Service Staff were friendly. read more

A great find when my coworkers suggested eating at Ballston Quarter today and I wanted to find something different for lunch.....more on the healthy side.. The menu has a lot to offer. Everything looked so good, that I decided to try their Triple Combo Platter...which gives you a choice to choose from 3 Entree Items and 2 Sides from the Buffet. So I dived in to sample some of everything. I ordered: Butter Chicken, Tandoori Chicken, Ground Lamb Malabari w/ Chick Peas, Cucumber Salad & Samosa!....as my entree and sides. The food was hot and tasted fresh. Everything was delicious and the food did not disappoint. A standout entree for me was the Butter Chicken. It had the right amount of spice and flavor. My order was completed fast and in no time or wait. The portions were more than enough to share as well. This I know, because by the time I got back at work, I severely needed a nap from all my Indian cuisine goodness that I received. Only a one star deduction for the tandoori chicken. It was a bit dry for my taste and was all white meat....which I am not a fan of and can't stand. lol In all, a great experience as a first timer, delicious food and friendly counter-customer service. This will become my go to, fast casual Indian Cuisine spot for sure when needing something healthy and quick for lunch or dinner while in the Ballston neighborhood. *Elite Tip: Happy to report they offer online ordering for pick up and/or delivery as well. read more

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Bollywood Bistro Express is one of the many vendors at the Ballston Quarter food court. The service was friendly and made good recommendations. CHICKEN BOWL PLATTER - 12.95 I think that was the price. For the entree compartment, I got a bed of basmati rice topped with chicken tikka masala. There was a good amount of chicken and the curry was creamy and tangy -- pretty good but nothing out of ordinary. For my sides, I got palak paneer and roasted corn. Sadly, there was only two cubes of paneer, both which were quite good I just wish there was more of it. The spinach sauce was pretty oily, though. The roasted corn was OK. I would recommend any other side instead because you can make your own roasted corn at home. Overall, Bollywood Bistro Express was alright, nothing stellar. If you're looking for a quick meal in the Ballston area and you're craving Indian food, this vendor isn't a bad choice. read more

Bollywood Bistro Express - Indian Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

Its a Indian style take on Chipotle, with a cafeteria style tray and only limited protein options. You basically get a rice base with a protein of veggie main, a salad side and a few side options like a samosa, plus a piece of naan. Service as pretty friendly. The food is OK- truly like fast food Indian. I've been to the other locations and the food is a higher quality overall, but its not a bad option in the food court area. read more

Bollywood is probably my favorite Indian restaurant with my go-to location in Great Falls. I came into the mall eatery expecting to get a sandwich at Superette but spotted the Bollywood Express which offers a lunch special...sold. You get to pick different options from their different prepared dishes (hence the express) but everything looked fresh and tasty. I wasn't disappointed as all the main dishes and sides were outstanding (chicken Vindaloo, chicken Vindaloo, palak paneer). Quick, tasty, and large portions...good stuff read more

The samosas were so good! This is perfect for a snack if you want something satiating but not a full meal. The sauces were so good. One was more sweet and one had some spice to it. Overall, the service was average paced. It wasn't very busy, but it did take a little bit for my food to be ready because it came out fresh (which is a plus). It is the type of place that you can go for a quick meal to go or sit down. It's a very casual type of place and is within the food hall. A lot of people were there with families or working and it's easy to come and go as you please. read more

Bollywood Bistro Express - Samosa - Indian Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

Service was good - friendly staff, a little bit of wait time for tandoori chicken however that's to be expected since it was made fresh. Ambiance - cute! It's in a little food court area. Food - I think for me it was the chicken tikka masala that is swaying my rating to a 3 instead of a 4 or 5. It was a little too sweet for my tastes, which is not an experience I've really had with chicken tikka masala. Everything else was pretty average! read more

Bollywood Bistro Express - Indian Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

LOVEEEE this place! Every dish I've had is seriously so delicious. They do such a phenomenal job balancing spice with incredible flavor. Their portion sizes are generous and pricing is fair. Employees are always fast working and friendly. read more

Good portions, good food, good price. Service is friendly and quick. Ambiance is mall food court, with lots of energy and people moving about. The taste, though, isn't as flavorful as I would expect from Indian food, and while they have 2 choices of meats, they could be more generous with the servings. read more

Bollywood Bistro Express - food - Indian Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

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I just love eating at Bollywood Bistro Express! I'm in the building at least every other week for a recurring appointment, and we usually eat in the food court afterwards. This place has such healthy and delicious options! I've only gotten a few of their dishes--namely the tandoori chicken bowl and also their salmon tikka meal. The bowl is a great value at $12.95--you get 2 choices of protein, Channa masala, choice of a fried appetizer such as samosa or bhajji, brown or white rice, a large piece of naan, and the best part--the veggie toppings. Most Indian places don't know how to do decent salads, but here they offer cucumber salad, fresh greens, corn salad, and pickled onions. You can add all for no extra cost. This makes me happy because it's rare to find a variety of fresh vegetables to eat with Indian food which can be heavy. Other Indian places will just offer iceberg lettuce and shredded carrots with a tomato or 2 at best. The corn salad and cucumber salad are great. The other favorite dish is the salmon tikka (not the masala--just the grilled salmon). For $23.99 you get 4 salmon fillets, rice, and channa masala. So not as many varieties but this meal is very filling--definitely enough for 2 or for 1 person to eat 2 full meals. The salmon is deliciously grilled in Indian spices--my elementary school daughter loves this dish and is usually picky. As many have mentioned the service is very friendly and kind. They've given my kids free mango lassis and are always smiling. I hope these guys get more business! Try them out! read more

A wonderfully tasty experience. I went on a wednesday night and ordered the Tandoori Chicken. It was not that busy and service was quick. Since it was my first time I had a couple of questions and the staff was really nice and knowledgeable. He was able to help with my allergy questions and help with picking the right items. The tandoori chicken was cooked to perfection. Tasty spices and delicious sauce. It came with a mint chutney, rice, and chickpeas. In regards to taste, I would say it is great for lunch and a quick meal. But its hard to compare to other indian restaurants that take longer to cook. I would say as a quick meal, for the price, it is a wonderful meal. The ambiance is a food court area under the Balton Mall. I would say if you're around the area, give it a try. Its on my list of repeats for sure! read more

Bollywood Bistro Express - Tandoori - Indian Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

I have ordered the same order at Bollywood Bistro Express about 5 times already, chicken tikka masala with rice. It is very flavorful and a good size. Service is friendly and there is ample seating in the Ballston Exchange/Commons area. The food is usually ready in about 10 minutes. I've gotten the naan here before which was good. I've gotten the mango lassi twice, which is very thick and filling. It's not the best mango lassi I've had, about 3/5 for that drink, but the price is OK. Overall, I will continue to get the chicken tikka masala here! read more

I had 2 separate rock like hard substances in my food. I informed the Cashier and then sent an email via bollywood express website on the same day. That was more than a week ago but there has been no response. read more

Yummy spot in the Ballston food court! The samosa chaat is delightful - full of creamy, tangy and savory flavors. I got the medium spice chicken tikka masala, and it was a perfect level of heat - slight warmth without being too much. The chicken was quite tender and I loved how saucy this was. It was definitely a comforting meal. This pairs quite well with the mango lassi to balance out the heat with the refreshing sweetness. read more

This place had some of the friendliest people I've come across at an express food slash food court. Mind you it was kinda slow at the time I went but they were very detailed in describing the dish and breaking down the menu. I had the chicken masala bowl that was very tasty. Serving size was decent. We also had the lamb bowl. Not very pleasing to the eye but VERY good. Really enjoy this dish. Great spot for a quick lunch or dinner. read more

Bollywood Bistro Express - Lamb Bowl - Indian Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

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Yummy chicken tikka masala with fresh naan, samosa, spinach, and cucumber salad, plus a mango lassi. Service was friendly, and everything was delicious. It's a little hidden in the Ballston Quarter restaurant area, but worth the few minutes it takes to find it! read more

This place is a wonderful addition to the Ballston Mall and I was wondering how it would compare to other Indian restaurants in the Arlington/Alexandria area. First off, I think the process is slightly confusing as the menu online seems to highlight more of the entrees and the menu when you arrive seems to push you towards a bowl option. The bowl or platter has a number of great options that seem great, but I do wish that the process for ordering could be a bit more streamlined. For example, the protein + sauce throws you a bit off as I guess you could technically get a Paneer Tikka + Butter chicken sauce. We got two platters - (1) Minced Paneer + Paneer Makhani + 1/2 and 1/2 veggies + Kachumber salad + mint and spicy sauce; (2) Lamb kebob + Lamb Rogan Josh + 1/2 and 1/2 + pickled onions + splendid greens. All of the flavors were quite on point and the heat was ON! Definitely 4 stars across the board but I do wish that (1) the ordering would be more straightforward; and (2) the bread could be fresher. read more

Bollywood Bistro Express - Indian Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

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Service was quick but not too friendly. It may have been a busy night or just caught them at the wrong time, but for $12 build your own bowl of chicken, lamb, and 2 side dishes, the portions were lacking. The 2-3 pieces of meat, potatoes, and vegetables were lacking as it was mostly sauce. Was pretty excited to try this place as we pass it often but must say it was not fulfilling. Maybe next time we will give it another shot as many people have enjoyed their experience. Enjoy! read more

Bollywood Bistro Express - Cumin basamati rice Chicken tikka Lamb Rogan Josh - Indian Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

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My favorite fast-casual spot in the ballston mall. You can easily get a meal that'll fill you up for under $10, and the add-ons like mango lassi and garlic naan are only $2.50 extra! I always get the butter chicken bowl and garlic naan. Butter Chicken Bowl: my favorite combo is brown rice, butter chicken, chickpeas, corn, cucumber, and mango sauce. You can have more than one type of meat but I like having extra butter chicken. Garlic Naan: very fragrant and fresh. Overall: their customer service is stellar and they get you in and out within five minutes. I love grabbing lunch here in between my meetings. A must go if you love Indian food while on a budget! read more

Bollywood Bistro Express - Garlic Naan - Indian Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

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For an Indian restaurant, the choice for cooked vegetarian dishes is lacking. They have 2 cooked vegetarian entrees every day, which never change (Chickpeas and Palak Paneer). Need more vegetarian options on ready to eat items. Staff is very friendly and service is very good. read more

We ordered two bowls and our only complaint was that there wasn't enough rice. Everything we tried was well cooked (Chicken Tikka, Butter Chicken, and Paneer Makhani). The food definitely tasted very Americanized, it was not spicy at all and lacked the deep, complex flavors of traditional Indian food. read more

The food tasted alright here, the chicken vindaloo wasn't quite as spicy as I am used to. The portion size was a little disappointing for the price, the chicken dish only had about 5 small pieces of chicken in it, and was mostly potato pieces. The service was a little bit slow. read more

Just tried this for the first time last night. Had samosas, chicken tikka masala, and garlic naan. The samosas and chicken tikka masala were both great. (I asked for the chicken hot, and they did not disappoint). The only thing I did not like was the garlic naan - to me, it tasted like something reheated from Trader Joe's earlier that morning. Will definitely go back to try more foods, but will be skipping the naan. read more

I ordered takeout from here last week. The takeout process was simple and straight forward. I ordered the garlic naan, aloo tikki chaat, and the lamb/chicken bowl that comes with chicken tikka, lamb seekh kabob, butter chicken curry, aloo palak, chana masala, and fresh corn salad. The naan was pretty standard to what I expected. However, I was disappointed with the bowl: I could hardly find a discernible difference between the butter chicken and the chicken tikka, the seekh kabob wasn't very flavorful, I was disappointed that the two vegetable curries were lumped together in the same pocket, and the corn was bland to the point of actually taking away from the meal. I wish they had would have just used the section in the container that they had used for corn for one of the other curries, and frankly, I don't fully understand what the "toppings and salad" are supposed to add to my meal besides taking up a spot that could be used for curry. The aloo tikki chaat was a little too sweet for my taste, but still decent. Overall, the only definitive "pro" I can think of this place is the price point, as I thought everything was well priced. In the future I'll be sure to check out other Indian restaurants in the area, but if I find myself in a bind for Indian food and need something from here, I'm more inclined to order some curries from the a la carte menu. read more

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Fine. You really want Indian, it'll do, don't expect the best, but do expect efficient service and a decent meal. That is all.

Let me start off by saying, it's just not worth it attempting to cook butter chicken at home. Mine ended up tasting nothing like it and left me craving for the real deal. I had to look/walk no further than the Ballston Quarter food court. You're able to pick and choose what you want on your bowl (i.e. plate) and the food tastes like what you expect! We mixed and matched the meats and sides, myself opting for the butter chicken, lamb rogan josh, aloo palak (spinach), chana masala (chickpeas) and a mixed salad of sorts. On top of that, you get a naan on the side. This was more than enough for lunch and at the low price ($10) I really can't complain. If I had to nitpick, I'd say the naan was the only letdown since it didn't have that nice, bubbly char. They get a pass though since it probably wouldn't make sense to install a tandoor there. If you've never tried Indian food, this is absolutely the spot to go to since you're able to try so many different things for a very reasonable price. read more

Bollywood Bistro Express - Butter Chicken and Lamb Rogan Josh ($10) - Indian Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

They had chicken in vegetarian food. Instead of paneer, chicken was found. We told the lady in the front cashier and she did not agree to it. Their manager Dilip is out of the state and noone was reachable to address problem. If you are veg, do not trust this place. read more

Bollywood Bistro Express - Chicken in paneer dish - Indian Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

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I went in to Bollywood bistro express with one of my friends today to get lunch. I got a bowl with Butter Chicken, Chicken Tikka, Chana Masala, and Brown Rice. I also got some garlic naan. The food I got was really good and the amount of food I got for the price I paid was well worth it!!!! read more

Bollywood Bistro Express - Chicken Tikka - Indian Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

A very cute and convenient little spot to eat great Indian food. The prices were okay, the food was great, and the portions were generous. The mango lassi here is also great as well! The staff here were also friendly, and I would be happy to come back sometime. I also want to mention that their carry out food trays are biodegradable, and anything that is good for the environment is an extra plus in my book! Now I hope that they will eventually use biodegradable plant-based plastic forks, knives, and spoons. read more

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Bollywood Bistro Express is a quick and easy place at Ballston Quarter to get all of your Indian food needs fulfilled! They have CYO bowl options, Mango Lassi's, and even a few dessert options! I ordered the Lamb Biryani and was super happy with my choice! The wait was short and even though this isn't a full service Indian restaurant, the Biryani was cooked beautifully and the Raita they served with it was very fresh and complemented the dish really well! read more

Bollywood Bistro Express - Lamb Biryani* - Indian Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

Went here for lunch with my family. Got the butter chicken, the spinach and potatoes and the cucumber salad and corn salad. Also got veggie samosa, garlic naan and mango lassie. Everything was great. The veggie samosas were huge and there's 2 per order. The garlic naan was freshly made. My little 2 year old loved the butter chicken and rice. Everyone was happy! read more

Bollywood Bistro Express - Butter chicken bowl - Indian Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

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Such delicious and quick Indian food at a great price! Love the bowls to go- you get a little of everything and the quality is excellent. Great comfort food and super flavorful! read more

What I liked about this place is their customer service! I ordered vindaloo and they would only prepare with potato and paneer. I asked if they add any veggies or not. They offered to put veggies into the dish for me, without any extra charge added. I also noticed how chef prepared, mixed and heated food in front of me. The portion size is big enough for one meal. Taste is good too. They have some items in the menu that you would not find at other Indian restaurants commonly. I will surely come back here to try those! read more

Another wonderful addition to Ballston Quarter! Like many eating establishments, this place does the pick your, rice, sauce/curry, protein, veggies, etc. I am no expert in Indian cuisine, but I can say that I really enjoyed my recent meal here. I had the chicken tikka, with chickpeas, spinach, cucumber salad and naan. It was all very flavorful and satisfied my hunger. It is quite heavy and portions are generous, so I recommend coming here on an empty stomach. The chicken was tender and quite good. Naan was fresh, soft, and good for dipping in the curry. I'll have to try some of the other currys and ingredients next time I go. I think Bollywood Bistro Express will have mush success in Ballston! read more

Bollywood Bistro Express - Indian Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

When I heard that Bollywood Bistro Express was opening in Ballston I was really excited and I knew I had to give it a try right away. The portions are pretty generous and there are quite a few options you get to include in your order. I got a brown rice bowl and topped it with paneer tikka and minced tofu. On the side I got aloo palak, a fresh corn salad and mint yogurt! All this for about ~$10 (seems like a good value to me)! The food itself was pretty good. It's solid Indian food that would satisfy a craving if I had one, but definitely pretty average on a whole. On a whole, I had a good experience at the new Bollywood Bistro Express and I'll most likely be visiting again! read more

Bollywood Bistro Express - Indian Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

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I'm going to be honest - my friends and I came here because it was the only place still serving at 8 PM in the Ballston mall food court and it looked like it had great reviews. However, the food was very okay. It tasted good, but just wasn't anything particularly special for Indian food. If you're looking for some delicious Indian food in Arlington, I'd go to Namaste Everest. read more

They've recently tweaked their menu and while prices have gone up (understandable in this economy), bowls now include a samosa or onion fritter and a half size portion of naan. The naan bread is amazing when cooked to order so maybe order full size and ask for fresh bread! read more