Third time. Lunch special. Loved the pepper chicken curry and the saag paneer. Both super fresh and spicy. Chicken had lots of onions, bell peppers in more of a tomato based. Naan is so good and hot. Saag was great! Soup was yellow lentils with turmeric plus other spices! Service is the best, very personal and very attentive. Love sitting next to the windows with bright natural light! read more

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On the former premises of Don Chicken (which was on the former premises of a Brazilian restaurant), Curry Express is having a run at this spot. Some locations seem to be a bit cursed, hosting a series of restaurants before one finally succeeds. I guess the question will be whether CE can be that one? The service and variety of dishes offered would seem to suggest yes. Everyone was friendly and enthusiastic. That said, however, the food itself was a bit of a disappointment. The tandoori chicken did not taste as if it was actually cooked in a tandoori oven. It, along with the other chicken dish I ordered (a tikka masala) were badly overcooked and dry. Flavors and spices were remarkably thin. The roti were OK, although they were a bit heavy. Taken in all, the meal was unfortunately mediocre. It may be that I caught them too early or perhaps a bad night. I may try Curry Express again at some point, but it was not an auspicious beginning. read more

Really great lunch special, fresh food, good chai and really friendly service by Javi!

So delicious and the prices are great too. Also attentive staff. I will definitely be back!

A delightful gem of an Indian restaurant. The food is delicious with ample portions, fresh and made to order. Their dining area is clean and comfortable, and their staff welcoming. Their curry is excellent! I recommend Curry Express, whether eating in or taking out. You'll be glad you chose them. read more

I went a few weeks ago. I wanted to give 3.5 as 2 of the 3 curries I got were quite good. Korma and saag paneer were good. The sauce for chicken tikka masala was not good. It tasted exactly like canned tomato paste. Maybe they ran out of real tomatoes as I hope they make it from scratch, but it is my daughters favorite dish and we all did not like it. I will try this place again some time but afraid to try tikka masala. read more

We really wanted to support this new business, so we decided to treat our staff of 18 to an Indian cuisine lunch. Unfortunately, the entire experience was frustrating and disappointing. When we inquired about pricing, there was no catering menu available. The owner provided verbal pricing, which already seemed high for what was described as shallow half trays--but we chose to move forward anyway. He requested a cash deposit, which caught us off guard, but we agreed in good faith. The next day, when we arrived to pick up the food, the experience became even more concerning. The owner again insisted on cash payment. After paying, I requested a receipt for business purposes, and he initially refused, stating that they do not provide receipts for cash transactions. When I explained that I needed one, he said he could provide it--but it will cost me more. He then claimed the additional cost was due to tax. I agreed to the 7.75% tax, but when the receipt was finally provided, the item prices themselves had been increased beyond what was originally quoted. When I questioned this, he explained that there is a separate "cash price" and "card price," which had never been disclosed before. Overall, the lack of transparency, inconsistent pricing, and reluctance to provide a receipt made this a very unpleasant experience. As a new business, building trust and clear communication should be a priority. Unfortunately, this experience has lost our future business. read more

The lunch special for $12.99 is really a great deal! The food was fresh and very tasty. I had the tikki masala chicken with medium spice (along with soup, salad, rice, and naan) and it was delicious! The place is very clean and we were served at our table by extremely personable staff. We'll be going back soon! read more

I grew up in India and have been eating Indian food for more than 65 years now, at least 20 of them in India. So I can tell, when the food I eat is authentic and well prepared. Curry Express in Coastal Encinitas is one of the better restaurants , serving North Indian food in the San Diego area. The chef at Curry express is exceptionally good and the food he makes are authentic and very tasty. I have so for sampled, Chicken Biriyani, Chicken Korma, Malai Kofta and Alu Gobi with Naan and cumin rice. Each dish had its own delicate flavor and a delight to the taste buds. I intend to try most of the menu, one by one , over time. The restaurant is unpretentious and the food is priced reasonably for the quality. Though you can eat at the restaurant, it is lot more of a take out place. I live in Encinitas and I have a vested interest in keeping this restaurant and chef in Encinitas so that I can get my favorite Indian food quickly and easily. So I would recommend that all the Indian food lovers, patronize this Local restaurant , so that we can keep this place alive and thriving in coastal Encinitas. I sure will do my part! read more

Excited to see a new Indian restaurant in Encinitas! I love that it's a family business and was greeted very warmly when I entered. I got a takeout order of veggie pakoras and samosas, mushroom masala, vegetable biriyani, plain naan, roti, lamb saag, and rice pudding--all delicious!! My husband is English and grew up with Indian food, and he loved it all, too! I will be telling my friends about this place and look forward to visiting again. read more

We love the food at curry express. They use fresh ingredients, serve large portions and have a great flavor profile. My two sons also love the food here, truly a great place for the whole family! It's a true delight! read more

I was raised on Indian cuisine. I cook it at home as well. Spent time in Mumbai and Pune in India. So it's good to go out and have Indian food that is made the old fashioned way. Simply the best vegetable biryani I have had. The roti was home made and delish! I could go on, so check this place out. It's worth it. read more

They have a huge sign outside with a lunch special offering for their new restaurant for $12.99 but when you go in they will not honor it on the weekends. It does BOT say M - F. Crazy that they will not honor this trying to get new business. Crazy that they will not honor this when it is clearly their mistake for omitting it on their signage read more

Just had delicious lunch special of Aloo Gobi. Very friendly staff, great flavors, and they can accommodate vegan and gluten free. I'll be back! read more

New place and great food! It's extremely clean with a varied menu. Lunch ( vegetarian or meat) special includes soup and warm naan. Choose your spice level and enjoy! read more

Ordered to-go. Food came out relatively quick and the chef gave my daughter a free ice cream! Got the Chicken Korma and Chicken Vindaloo. Was very surprised by the depth of flavor, very nice. Chicken was tender and not overcooked. Very pleased, will be back. read more

We were looking for a restaurant for my birthday dinner and wanted to try some place new. We googled "some place new for dinner in Encinitas" and Curry Express came up, so we decided to give it a try - and we're happy we did. Curry Express serves Punjabi style food. I'm not an expert on the different styles of Indian cooking, but I can say that everything we ordered was great. Dinner started with a complimentary order of papadam with three sauces - tamarind, mint and chili. All three were good. (The chili sauce has a kick to it.) For an appetizer we had Vegetable Mix Pakoras. They were fresh and hot and packed with flavor, and there were plenty of them to enjoy. Curry Express provides generous serving sizes. For a main course, I ordered Navaratan Korma, a veggie dish. (I'm vegetarian, so was happy to see one full page of the menu dedicated to veggie entrees). The cashew sauce was excellent, fragrant and tasty. My wife ordered Malai Kabab for her main course, and this was the real test. She's very picky about what kind of food she likes. Well, she liked her kabab a lot. She's a light eater, but she finished about half the plate (did I mention that the serving sizes are generous?), which is more than she usually eats; and she packed what was left to bring home. For her, that's a really good endorsement of a restaurant. A side of rice steamed with cumin seed came with the main courses. I'm not a big rice eater, but this was so good that I ate a few spoonfuls of rice, while my wife was soaking the rice in her kabab sauce and loving it. For bread, we ordered the Onion Kulcha. It came out steaming hot and was delicious. I was spooning the cashew sauce from my korma onto the kulcha. So good! My mouth is watering now while I write about it. If you're looking for a new restaurant to try out in Encinitas, I recommend visiting Curry Express. The woman who served us said they had a soft opening a couple of weeks ago, and had their formal opening about three days before we came in. It's good to support new local businesses, and Curry Express deserves our support. They're a great addition to the many options for restaurants in Encinitas. read more