I can sum up this visit in one word - WOW! This by far was the BEST India food I have had since…read moreI lived on the west coast! Authentic, rich with flavor, large portions, this is worth the drive!!!! I loved the spices and curry used, added such flavor! Our server was EXCELLENT. We arrived 15 minutes before closing & he allowed us to stay when we told him we drove 45 minutes just for this place. He continued to provide OUTSTANDING service and between him & the food I Am coming back!!!!

Recently ordered some take-out from Taste of India and was quite impressed with the flavors…read more Started off the meal with their chili chicken. Spicy and savory bone-in chicken chunks to really get your palate ready for an excellent meal. The lamb vindaloo was quite nice, perfectly spicy and with a proper amount of lamb. The chicken biryani flavors were absolutely on point and they do not skimp on the portions either. Overall, this may be my new go-to spot as it's only 10 minutes away and packs a serious flavor bomb. Also make sure to get their garlic naan, because who doesn't like garlic naan?!

Got butter chicken, chick peas and rice. Delicious. Clean restaurant and friendly staff. Recommend!read more

When I'm on this side of town this is my GO TO SPOT!!! The Indian food/taco infuse mix so delicious…read morethe flavors will leave your taste buds wanting more. I love to get the 3 taco special but on the Naan bread- I love the chicken Tikka and tomato curry, with some cheese and pico salsa. You can make bowls,tacos. They have Pepsi products, so Dr.Pepper for me. You got to try the Mango smoothie very good!. You get to pick what you want in your taco or bowl from fresh ingredients Nice chill sit down area in side. Lots of parking it's in a plaza. The owner and team very nice.

Their butter chicken is worth the drive alone! So authentic and and so good! Service and ambiance…read moremade you feel welcome. Price was great, even better at lunch. Highly recommend even if you are new to Indian Cuisine- they will help you find something you'll enjoy!

I recently visited Masala Mantra Indian Bistro in Jacksonville and, unfortunately, my overall…read moredining experience was mediocre. I was hoping for more flavor and authenticity from the dishes, but several items fell short. The Masala Dosa was alright, but it lacked the depth of flavor I was expecting. The Garlic Chili Naan was good in texture and had a nice garlic-chili flavor, but it was noticeably missing salt. I ordered the Chicken Chettinad, which was the biggest disappointment of the meal. The chicken was tough and not tender, and more importantly, it lacked flavor. In traditional Indian cooking, especially with dishes like Chettinad, the meat is typically marinated with spices before being cooked in the gravy. This allows the spices and flavors to penetrate the meat rather than leaving the chicken bland while the curry carries all the flavor. Unfortunately, the chicken in my dish tasted almost like plain, unseasoned chicken that had simply been added to an already-prepared curry base. The gravy itself had some flavor, but the chicken did not absorb those spices, which made the dish disappointing from the first bite. For me, that is a major miss when it comes to Indian cooking. One pleasant surprise was the daal served with the Masala Dosa. It was flavorful, well-seasoned, and probably the standout item of my meal. I always appreciate restaurants that introduce people to Indian cuisine, and I hope this was simply an off day. However, based on my experience, I left feeling underwhelmed. Unfortunately, I don't see myself making a return visit anytime soon.

WOW. Seriously amazed. Came here on a double date with some friends and she was raving about this…read morespot for a while so I was excited to see how yummy it was for myself. We had originally booked a table outside on their patio but the rain had other plans for us. We were told a new table inside would be about an hour and a half over the phone so we waited until then and came. It was worth it! The restaurant is small, cozy, and intimate. We started with drinks and they were fresh and light. For apps we got the mesa wings and Batata vada. I loved both! Such great flavors. For mains, we got the the shrimp and grits and mesa chicken curry. Again - flavors were incredible. For the dessert, we got the banana pudding semifreddo - and I was obsessed! Such a delcious sweet treat. Would love to come back and sit on the patio when the weather starts to cool down!

Dropped in to this restaurant w/a party of 8 and they were able to seat us quickly, even without a…read morereservation. Our server was so knowledgeable, which was super helpful bc everyone had different dietary restrictions. I am excited to bring my husband for date night bc he loves spicy food.

This gourmet Indian spot is such a great. The owners are incredibly welcoming and kind, and you can…read moretruly feel the care they put into every detail. The food is made to order, and they even bring out a small sample first to make sure the spice level is just right, which felt thoughtful and very personal. The location is fantastic right across from the castle in the heart of Old St. Augustine. Before sitting down to eat, we walked around and checked out the Southern Lights Candle Shop nearby and picked up a few things. It's a very nice shop and highly recommended if you're in the area. We had the butter chicken, spinach chicken, and lamb with rice and naan (bread), and everything was absolutely delicious. The setting is a super cute outdoor garden with a relaxed, cozy vibe. They have fans for warmer days and heat lamps when it's cooler, making it comfortable year-round. The drink selection is solid as well. I had two Indian Rupee beers the IPA and the lager and both tasted amazing. The lager was my favorite, but I'd definitely recommend trying both. My wife really enjoyed the wine and sangria; the red sangria was her favorite, though all three were excellent. Great food, warm hospitality, an awesome atmosphere, and a prime location in Old St. Augustine definitely a place worth checking out.

This gourmet Indian spot is such a gem. The owners are incredibly welcoming and kind, and you can…read morefeel the care they put into every detail. The food is made to order, and they even bring out a small sample first to make sure the spice level is just right, which felt thoughtful and personal. We had the butter chicken, a spinach chicken, and lamb with rice and naan (bread),.. all delicious. The setting is a very cute outdoor garden with a relaxed, cozy vibe. They have fans for warm days and heat lamps when it's cool, so it's comfortable year-round. Drinks are solid too: wine, beer, and sangria are available, and all three sangrias were delicious. The red was my favorite, with the white (moscato blend) coming in a close second. My husband tried an Indian beer and really enjoyed it. Great food, warm hospitality, and a great vibe in the heart of Old St. Augustine. Definitely a place worth checking out.

We tried this place for dinner. We were seated right away. It's a small place and ambiance could be…read morebetter. We tried their samosa chaat and chilli chicken for appetizers. I didn't care for the chaat but chilli chicken was good. It was a bit more spicy than usual so keep that in mind if you don't eat spicy. Then we ordered their daal makhani, spice special chicken curry, Bhindi masala and chicken Manchurian. Bhindi wasn't very fresh. It was hard to chew at times. Daal makhani was super spicy. Indian spicy at level 7 was a bit too spicy. I only liked their spice special chicken curry the most. Then for dessert, we got the Gulab Jamun and ras malai. Overall I have had better India food. This place was good but not the best. Food photos are below.

I had the opportunity to try out this restaurant with my friends. One of them recommended this…read moreplace for us to meet up for lunch. We were greeted and it was chilly inside. I ordered the following: Chana Chaat - chickpeas, onions, tomatoes, cilantro, spices with tangy chutney and these crispy golden sprinkles. Indian Spicy Level 7. Served cold, but absolutely delicious and flavorful. Butter Chicken lunch special - creamy, tomato based buttery gravy with garlic naan, white basmati rice and Gulab Jamun (like a "donut hole" in sweet syrup). Indian Spicy level 7. Very robust in flavor and delicious. The Gulab Jamun was nice and sweet. Overall, enjoyed the meal and able to have some leftover for home. Would like to return and try out more items.

We moved away from our favorite Indian restaurant so we needed to find a different one to take its…read moreplace as we were in the mood for some good lamb. That's when we found 5th Element in the Town Center. I forgot that they were there, not only that they also have our favorites, my Lamb Saagwala (creamed spinach and curry sauce) with mild spice and rice and his Lamb Tika Masala (spicy creamy tomato sauce) with medium spice and rice. We both at all of the to-go order. We could have saved half for another meal but we were so hungry and it was so good that we just devoured it all. It was so good. He also got a Chikoo Shake (shake made with chikoo fruit) and while he said it was good, he had been hoping it was more like a milkshake). The prices are pretty reasonable so I think we found a good spot when the need hits us.

It's been years since I've had Indian food that I didn't make at home. A coworker had suggested…read morethis place during a work trip so opted to take them up on trying it out. Take note there are two 5th Element spots within 10 minutes of each other. I started with one of their bottled Indian lagers. It wasn't too bad, although I wish they had draft options for the Indian beer. All the food was ordered for me prior to arrival so I'm a little lost on names of everything. We had Paneer Pakora (fried cottage cheese which was better than I had expected), buttered Naan bread, lentils and I believe vegetable biryani. It was all delicious! However, best part of the meal was the mango ice cream machine. That will make you comeback. It's house made. Our server was excellent. Highly recommend this spot! I'll be back if I'm in Jax again.

I recently noticed Karma while on my way to Office Depot to pick up an order. On my way out I saw…read morethat they'd done the printing for Karma's menus and business cards. I decided to grab one of the menus. I took a look and everything sounded appetizing. It was also a number of different dishes I hadn't seen on any other Indian restaurant menu. I decided to give them a try. I ordered take out. When I went in to pick up my food I was delighted by the decor. It's fun. The person who brought out my order was friendly. My party got several items on the menu: Malai Kofta, an assortment of breads and desserts, and the Chicken 65 Biryani. Everything was fantastic. The following week I saw that Karma was on TooGoodToGo as well. I couldn't pass up Karma suprise. The food was once again fantastic. The only thing I would change about the TooGoodToGo order would've been a little more variety in the dishes. What I got was great though. This place should be full whenever they are open. So good! I am looking forward to going back.

Me and a friend are making our way down Baymeadows road trying places we haven't ever been! So this…read morewas dinner one night, walking up they have this beautiful mural outside, this place has been a few different Indian restaurants but this time is the prettiest I have seen, outside and inside, dark and moody and music, really cool inside! We get a table and start to order we think our server couldn't hear us maybe cause I think we got different things then we ordered but hey we just ate them, lol! Everything we tried was very good, but definitely seemed like some miscommunication with our server, like we asked for mild on a dish and it came out so spicy. Despite that we ate everything and enjoyed, standout dish for me was the mushroom Nan it was SO delicious! Piping hot fresh with cheese and mushrooms in it, with butter all over!

Maa Kitchen on 210 -- Authentic Indian Food That Tastes Like Home!…read more We recently discovered Maa Kitchen in St. Johns, and it has quickly become our go-to Indian restaurant. Everything we tried was incredibly flavorful, aromatic, and tasted genuinely homemade. We had the mango lassi, samosas, chili black pepper lamb, fish fry, Hyderabadi dum biryani, bhindi masala, daal tadka, and green chili garlic naan. Every dish was delicious, with fresh ingredients, beautifully balanced spices, and not overly oily. The dum biryani was fragrant and flavorful, and the lamb had just the right amount of heat. The daal, bhindi, and naan were pure comfort food. The restaurant itself has an upscale, elegant ambiance that makes you feel like you're a guest in a beautiful home. It's warm and inviting without feeling stuffy. We also had the masala chai, gulab jamun, and carrot halwa for dessert--everything was wonderful. A special highlight was meeting Chef Rambabu, who came out to speak with us. He told us he wants his food to feel like it's coming straight from his kitchen to your table. You can taste that philosophy in every bite. Authentic, fresh, aromatic, flavorful, and made with care. Maa Kitchen is definitely one we'll be returning to!

The food was delicious and amazing portions. The service was slow and it was hard to get a hold of…read morethe server

My wife and I have been to Jax Spice a number of times. Jax Spice is our go to for good service…read moreand great Indian food. We always seem to get the same things, but do try to change up one thing. The butter chicken is one thing we never seem to swap out. So many dishes. Def. will be coming back.

Food is great Ambiance nice they have a party room available. Still have a service issue at…read morelunch. The lady server isn't very friendly- and I wouldn't normally mention it we know indian food so we don't need help ready to order. Wish she was a bit more welcoming. The guy servers much friendlier. Other issue is beer and wine only during lunch. Although they have a full bar.