This is my "neighborhood" Indian joint. Ive been here a handful of times and it seems to get worse with each visit. This time, I was accompanied by a fellow foodie friend who I trust has a similar palette to my own. He was not only unimpressed and disappointed, but furious with me for dragging him here. To start, it took about 6.5mins to wait to be seated at 1:30pm for a buffet lunch. There were 4 tables seated and we just stood there ignored for what seemed like an exorbitant amount of time considering it wasn't busy. I asked for a high chair. The host tells us where to sit and doesn't walk us there so we walk around not knowing where exactly we are supposed to be seated. We chase him down as he sets the table for us, meanwhile, there are dozens of other tables ready to be seated. No high chair. We sit.. we wait.. no drink order, no service, no high chair. Finally, I asked for a coke and a high chair.. we wait. Wait some more, and I have to give the guy an eye and he remembers to bring a high chair. We go up, no rice, no tandoori chicken, only two meat dishes (one of which was tandoori chicken which they are out of). Food was warm, not hot or fresh, we go back for seconds, still no tandoori chicken. I asked for them to bring some out. We wait for naan. No water refills. The service was non existent, the food was less than mediocre. Finally, the tandoori chicken comes out, but we have to be on our third plate by now. The freshest thing was the chicken. Dessert. No idea what they tried to pass those off as, but no, just no. The white discs in evaporated milk tasted like windex sponges and the honey/syrup balls tasted like boiled pasta in pasta water. Ugh. Never again! Sorry, Uncle Joey! read more

This place is very good. They have a very good lunch-buffet selection that changes daily. Been going there for quite some time. They have both vegetarian and meat dishes. read more

Don't let the outside dissuade you. The food was rather good, service wasn't great but I think that has to do with the language barrier. I would certainly recommend you give it a try. read more

Service was very unpleasant. Food was great. Waited over an hour after we sat before our food came though. Spoke down to us when they brought out the wrong drinks. Not worth it. read more

Dinner for two on a Saturday evening. The place is busy but efficiently run. The Indian food is between good and great. The vegetarian menu options are ample. As a bonus, the place has a liquor license/bar and does not overcharge its customers for a decent bottle of wine. Will definitely return. read more

Great indian food! Try the chili garlic naan! Theres never a wait and theres is ample staff.. hubby and i have been here countless times- just wish it was a little cheaper but definitely worth the quality read more

Lunch buffet is great for trying new dishes and selecting your favorite! The staff is very friendly and service is great.

I really cannot give this place enough praise. From start to finish, the food was impeccable! Absolutely startling how good it was. Creamy, fresh and flavorful! Really excellent value for the quality, as well. Try the Lamb Korma! I will definitely be coming back. This may be the best Indian I've ever had. read more

I came here hoping the food would blow me away-- and it did not. The chicken samosas were fried to a crisp and the meat inside tasted old and dry. The sauce accompanying it was amazing though. However, the chicken tikka masala was very nice with satisfying chunks of chicken. The meal lacked any true incredible flavor. The drink "Indian summer" is one of the best drinks I've ever had. Overall, I would not go back, but it was not completely horrible. read more

One of the few good Indian restaurants in the area! The layout is a little awkward, but we were able to snag a booth by the windows. Not everyone spoke English well or was able to answer our questions, but everyone was kind and sure to send someone over who could help. The appetizers (we had a number of them) were all wonderful and the chicken tikka masala, rice, and naan were cooked to perfection. All of the food was perfectly seasoned and the bottle of wine to enjoy with the meal was perfectly priced! read more

Very very very good. Love the lunch buffet. Authentic flavors. Aside from good qulity food the place is very nice, clean and the people are really awesome. Had a great experience and want to return NOW if i could! read more

Love Eating there. Get atmosphere. Their Indian food is AWESOME. I take my friends and family there. Very nice looking place. And their new year party was great. read more

Very flavorful Indian food some of the best around! Biryani is great and the chicken dishes are tender and flavorful. A+

I've eaten Indian food all over the world and this is a very solid option for fans of the cuisine. On par with Cinnamon Club in London and Restaurant Gandhi in Montreal. It is a family business run by Asha, mother of Jyoti, who the restaurant is named after. Try the lamb pasanda. Excellent naan and get some extra tamarind sauce. Trust me. Best I've ever had. read more

I love this place!!! Byob and has a coupon in the entertainment book.... I'm craving chicken tikka masala as we speak

My wife and I went here for lunch recently. It was the first time in several years. I remembered Jyoti to be somewhat mediocre, however they've redesigned the place, and the buffet on this day was extremely good! Great variety and lots of flavor. Will definitely be returning. Also, be sure to try their coconut soup. It wasn't part of the buffet (the day I went, anyway), but it's worth ordering. read more

Forget about all the other places. This is the best Indian restaurant ever. The service is excellent. The food is excellent. The owner is the coolest guy ever. Honestly there is nothing else to say. This place is awesome. read more

This is my favorite Indian restaurant!!! My wife and I love it! The owner is extremely nice and it is never overcrowded.

I don't go to Indian restaurants that often, more because of limited opportunities than anything else. However, I went to Jyoti for the first time last Friday and had the buffet at lunch. Fantastic is all I have to say. Everything I ate was delicious, fresh and well prepared. The interior and ambiance were also nice. I went in with limited expectations, but they really run a first class operation. Full bar as well, so if you like to drink alcohol with your meal, they have that too! Can't wait to go back! read more

Not sure how it managed to get 4 stars! They served us pure fat and uncooked meat for "goat curry", small greasy leg pieces for tandoori chicken, oily rice. When we told the guy on the counter, he blamed it on the Australian meat as if that's the reason why they serve fat as goat meat and don't cook the meat! Simple "tadaka daal" too was tasteless! Insult to Indian cuisine!!! Please avoid if you are really interested in authentic Indian food. read more

We have tried numerous Indian restaurants and were never able to find one that we really like until now. We will definitely be coming here again. The food was flavorful and delicious. Pleasant staff and prices aren't terrible. read more

A friend and I stopped here on her search for a nearby establishment that has good Indian food. Jyoti's humdrum appearance didn't impress me at first, and neither did the rather droll waitstaff, who only returned my smiles with looks of confusion, but the food made up for most of it. The rices were perfect, and so was the chicken tikkala, and the naan was amazing. I'm not altogether too familiar with Indian food, but I know delicious when I taste it, and this was damn good. Oh. Buffet's open til 3, but if you arrive there after 2, don't expect them to replenish the buffet, even if there's very little left. That last bit was so disappointing - by 2:15, R and I were ready for a second plate, but they were done making more food for lunch by then, and there was hardly any food left, and the food that was left was cold. Might be the place's downfall. My advice is to get there around 1. read more

Quiet ambiance. Quick service. Ordered the various grilled meats. Served with so much rice on the side (wasteful). The grilled shrimp was good (but only 1 in the dish!!!) and the chicken.... some pieces were so overcooked, the fork hesitated to go in... didn't eat all of it. Overall ok... would consider returning, but would order something else read more

The best of the best, my all time favorite Indian place. First, the service is fantastic. It feels to me as if every waiter/waitress comes to my table at least once. Food is outstanding, a little scared to try something other than the tikka marsala sauce but I will one day..... the amazing decorations give this restaurant the 5th star. Although when they are packed, service is not at its best- what who am i to complain? i just want my food. Last thing, I have been to many indian restaurants around New Jersey, but Jyoti has the cleanest/best bathrooms! I know it sound ridiculous for my to put this in the review, but its TRUE! other's- well, lets just not go there. read more

Before I thought that Jyoti had new management.... It's still the same! I went with my husband 1 week ago, and I had a great visit. I'm pretty sure its a family business. I used to see the owner a lot when I went- but now I don't until later in the night... That's okay!!!! because now her children are there!!! I ordered the Malai Kotfa, and the texture of the gravy was outstanding, my husband started out with lamb samoas (yum) and finished with the Chicken tikki marsala. Our waitress that time told us that it was a favorite here. She was right! I will be coming back soon! read more

Good variety of Indian food, but the cuisine is not too spicy. The desserts are tasty and not too sweet. Meat lovers and vegetarians alike will like the selection. The price is right and staff are attentive and courteous. The buffet is the best deal in town! Buffet hours:1200 to 300 PM. read more

Great combination and very flavorful. $10.00 buffet lasts 11:30 - 2:30 tues to fri. Weekends is 12-3pm Definitely coming back!!!! Loved it.

Excellent food , must try , loved their kulfi , Gobi Manchuria was awesome .

I've been here before and liked it so I came back with the missus after a hiatus. They sat us no problem. The complementary pappadums and onion/tomato relish and cucumber yogurt sauce came with it . It was O.K for some reason it didnt seems as good as last time. We had the samosas to start which were stuffed with potato and peas and came with a tamarind sauce, that was really good, not over spiced. My wife had fish vindaloo which they made with salmon which was very good, just the right amount of tomato, spices and potato. . I had the shrimp nargiz for the first time-a southern Indian style dish in a coconut milk based curry which was O.K . The shrimp were cleaned but it seems they just dropped the shrimp in the sauce and let them simmer instead of sauteing them first then adding sauce. Luckily the breads especially the garlic naan and puri were fantastic and they made a fantastic island punch made with rum that was very tasty and sweet. The service was excellent. read more

Dayum. Best Indian food I've had in NJ yet. Ordered lunch off the menu, looked like most everyone else was there for the buffet. Chicken Khorma was REALLY GOOD, even the simple rice pilaf was good. Dal Makni very nice, Kyber Pass kebab very good...YUM! read more

Caveat; I've only been the buffet lunches.Given that, I find the food to be well-prepared, using notably all fresh ingredients. They put on a little extra effort in the Friday buffets, so if you can choose a day, that's the day to go. read more

I wanted to update to say this place is no longer BYOB, which makes me a bit sad. Never had a bad meal here!

Worst place EVER. Staff is rude and just act as though you are bothering them... I went with a gift card and was told I was unable to use it on take out. What thats crazy why would I not have the option to eat there or take it home. The man at the front counter was rude and tried to make me look foolish. I will never go there again and am telling everyone I know to do the same. There is a great place in Montclair, or just about anywhere is better then this place. Dont waste your time. read more

As Indians, sometimes we'd rather have other people cook food because of our own laziness. So one night, my fiancee and I came to this place. The service was okay, nothing to be happy with but not horrible enough to be upset about. As far as the food is concerned, I wasn't that impressed by it. The chicken was on the saltier side and the rest of the food was lackluster. Maybe because I'm Indian, my expectations and tastebuds were different than other people who may have eaten here. I might try this place again, but likely beacuse it's nearby and I can be lazy at times read more

My wife and I have been to Jyoti and their sister restaurant, Satish Palace in Montclair, literally hundreds of times over the past 10-15 years. Both are outstanding. We've had Indian food all over the tri-state area as well as Ireland, and nothing comes close. The servers are Jyoti are so cute and have a high-chair ready at our table when they see us walking up to the restaurant with our son. They smile and make faces at our son who always smiles back. If super busy, service can be a tad slow, but they're hussling and not being lazy. This place has the best lamb korma you will find as well as the vege samosas. You get several chutneys and papadum immediately when you sit down. Garlic naan is heaven, fried vege appetizer always not greasy and flavorful. Biryani dishes are spectacular and flavorful. When you order food "hot," it's always spot on and not inedible. There is s+p at the table but you will not need it. I wish Jyoti had the chicken with okra dish Satish has, as we live near Jyoti and go there often. Go for the weekend buffet and sample everything! If there is a banquet in their hall next door, you will likely have an amazing assortment. They even do an Indian take on Chinese food which is awesome. Can't say enough praise about Jyoti and the owner. read more

Fantastic food. Generous portions. Really delicious. We had the chicken tikka masala. Loved it. We used our entertainment coupon, and they are so kind that they let you keep it and use it again when you come back. Excellent service. Very tasty. read more

Decent looking restaurant with outdated interiors.. but boy, do they serve the best damn Chicken Tikka Masala. Finger-licking-delicious. Worth the hefty 15$ price tag. I will visit again, inspite of everything else, just to savor the chicken tikka masala dish again. read more

Whaaaat? Died and went to Indian food heaven. Get the fried cauliflower or anything lamb (not gamey). Well done, Jyoti.

Hands down, the best Indian food in North Jersey. Always consistant and delicious food. Great vegetarian options too. Staff is always friendly. read more

Do not get carried away by the Average Ratings and Number of good reviews. I tried this restaurant and found that they do not have any clue how to make indian food. The food was bland without the much needing indian spices and masalas. The chicken Biriyani we orders looked like Masala rice with lot of water content in it. The food is tailored for Americans taste rather than Indians. When I went there, I have not seen any Indian eating from that place. Service was also terrible. As per my experience this is the worst Indian food I have eaten in New Jersey. read more