Reviewing this spot again after nearly 4 years! In my eyes, this spot has withstood the test of time. Maharaja still holds a dear place in my heart. The food is always exactly what I'm hoping for, and the service is always quick. I don't have to wait very long to get my food, and I always leave happy. My go-to is the Chicken Vindaloo. I have a pretty solid heat tolerance, and I don't recommend this to anyone that can't handle a bit of heat... I sometimes find myself sweating after this dish, but it is so worth it. My wife orders the Chicken Tikka Masala and it's also very delicious. I've tried a few chicken tikka masala dishes in the area (by extension of my wife) and this is my favorite. The sauce is a rich, buttery sauce that tastes amazing, and the chicken is always so tender. We share a helping of rice for the chicken tikka masala and vindaloo. It is plenty of food and we typically leave with leftovers (which reheat nicely). I do also love the copper-wear. Some of the appliances are getting a bit dented, and unfortunately the window in the front is cracked and I notice these small things, but the food is good enough for me to look past that. read more

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Took my daughter out for a good old-fashioned dad & kid Christmas shopping refuel and let me tell you--we chose wisely. Service came out of the gate a little slow (hey, it happens), but once it got rolling, it ROLLED. Food hit the table and suddenly nobody cared about the wait anymore. The portions? Huge. Like "are we feeding the table next to us too?" huge. Everything was super flavorful, fresh, and clearly made by people who know what they're doing. We ordered the sampler app and a sampler dinner and shared--10/10 dad move. Now listen closely: DO. NOT. SKIP. THE. MANGO. LASSI. Absolute must. Cool, smooth, and borderline dangerous because you'll want another. And the everything naan... outrageous. Ridiculous. Should be illegal. I'd go back just for that. Place was clean, folks were friendly, plenty of parking (thank you), and even some private seating if you don't feel like sharing your life story with strangers. Long story short: great food, solid vibes, happy kid, full dad. We'll definitely be back. read more

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This used to be our favorite Indian restaurant but they've gone downhill lately. Everything just feels lower quality, from the decor to the service and, most importantly, the food. Flavors are a little off, the ingredients seem cheaper, overall we were really disappointed the last two times and we probably will not return. read more

My husband and I stopped at this restaurant during our travel from Bangor, ME to Seattle, WA. It was recommended to us by a local because it was down the road from our hotel. It's located on a very busy road, but there's a decent amount of parking in the back. The restaurant itself it's rather large, with plenty of seating. We went during busy dinner hour and were immediately seated. I would say the service seemed a bit slow? But maybe that's because we are able to decide what we want at Indian restaurants pretty quickly. The food was also good. I would say it's authentic and we did the most mild option, which actually made it a little bland. I'd go back and order the next spice level. Overall, food was decent and plenty of options on the menu. They also have a great list of creative cocktails that would be really fun to go back at try! read more

Great decoration and copper ware for dining and drinking is a nice touch. I ordered Lamb Kadai (spicy) and garlic naan for dinner. They served up very fast and they were delicious and spicy. The garlic naan was fresh out of the tandoori oven with great texture and flavor. read more

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As a vegetarian, I often keep my choices simple and focus on dishes that truly reflect authenticity and balance of flavors. During my visit, I ordered the classic yellow dal tadka and Kashmiri dum aloo and both exceeded my expectations. The dal tadka was comforting and beautifully prepared, with the perfect consistency and a well-balanced tempering that enhanced the natural flavor of the lentils without overpowering them. It had that unmistakable homemade, authentic Indian taste that is surprisingly hard to find. The Kashmiri dum aloo was outstanding. The potatoes were perfectly cooked, absorbing the rich, aromatic gravy infused with traditional spices. The depth of flavor, subtle heat, and creamy texture were exactly how this dish should be prepared. Honestly, I haven't tasted such an authentic and well-executed Kashmiri dum aloo anywhere in America. Ambience was very nice and service was exceptional too. If you are looking for genuine Indian flavors prepared with care and authenticity, I highly recommend this restaurant. It delivers both quality and taste in every bite. read more

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Ordered in food from here a few times. Sometimes it's decent, but last few times it's been too oily. Last order of biryani was really bad. They mixed yellow rice with some curry chicken. Very disappointing. Won't order again. read more

Great service, friendly waitress and nice comfy space. Booths are nice and tall for intimate settings and other side has more communal spaces. Had chicken curry and it was delicious. I didn't want to go spicy but they have levels and that was great for me, I had mild. Garlic naan was so yummy, could be more fluffy but decent. Samosas were delicious and come with 3 siping sauces, def a must. Great to go containers. Prices were a bit high for proteins but considering it's not take out I'll leave it up to you to decide. Great flavors read more

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Absolutely delicious. The chicken tikka masala was thicker than what we usually have, but it made for a hardier dish. The lamb saag was moist and tender with a slight hint of mint. The naan was perfectly crispy and chewy at the same time. Lots of garlic sprinkled on top. So fragrant. And our apps were super flavorful. Everything was served in quaint copper ware. Even the glasses for water were copper. Add superb service and distinct decor and it made for a wonderful dining experience. read more

Maharaja Indian Restaurant - Indian Near Me - Albany, New York

Just what I expected, very good food and service. I will go back when the call of good Indian food needs answering

The Maharaja hit on all three . . . My wife and I enjoyed the food we ordered, the service was excellent, and the ambiance was just what one would want in and Indian establishment. We plan to return! read more

The food was delicious and the people were nice. Gluten free and dairy free options were available. read more

Maharaja Indian Restaurant - Cucumber salad - Indian Near Me - Albany, New York

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I've only driven past here roughly a million times and never stopped in. I will say I'm quite the novice when it comes to Indian, but luckily my date was a pro. It was really nice inside! Great table settings, nice decor. Cute spot for sure. We started with drinks and for me, the Tamarind Margarita was delicious. I love a drink with strong savory notes and this was perfect. We decided to start with an appetizer and we chose the Combo Platter for some variety. The dish was a mix of veg and meat appetizers - beef samosa, chicken samosa, veg samosa, aloo tikki, chicken pakora. The samosas were exploding with flavor and the house sauces on the table just amped it up. The chicken pakora was my favorite. It was basically fried chicken thigh pieces, so flavorful and juicy and crispy. I would totally order that next time, and there will be a next time! We ordered three mains to share - chicken tikki masala, lamb vindaloo and tandoori murg half order. This came with a pot of rice and of course we ordered some naan. The chicken tikka masala was my favorite, it was so flavorful, warm, creamy, tender, really well prepared and delicious. The lamb vindaloo was pretty spicy hot for me, but I can't turn down lamb, so I did enjoy a bit and the meat was so good and tender it just fell apart. The tandoori chicken was shockingly good. It was a half a chicken, and the bone in thigh was so juicy as soon as you broke past the charred exterior. It was such an excellent meal and we each had a to-go box, and Indian left overs are the best. I am so happy I finally decided to try here. I see myself getting takeout frequently in the future. The service was a little slow at times, but that happens and the meal itself was so worth it. Trust me, I'm currently eating those left overs. read more

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Served spoiled, stale food--completely unacceptable and highly unprofessional. This is not just about taste but a serious concern for customer health and safety. read more

Food is just okay, nothing special and a little expensive than the other Indian Restaurants in the area.

Food was good we got the butter chicken and there was barely any chicken at all. For the price paid you should get more chicken if that's what you are paying for. read more

We ordered for pickup and got two dishes, asked for mild and the food was so spicy we couldn't even eat it. What a waste of money. The flavor was good but way too spicy. read more

New ownership with classy touch of seating and ambiance is impressive from past management. We ordered veggie item mutter paneer which comes with rice, plain Naan and to start with Veggie Samosa. Serving size is good for two and since I am Yelp review writer so Free dessert item for one should one right a review!! Which I ordered Raas Malai really tasty as finally. read more

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I had an order of the most delicious wings cooked in a tandoori oven they were the juiciest ,tender and most flavorful jumbo wings I have had in a long time. Accompanied with this, I had also ordered a couple of bowls of M soup, one for lunch and wanted to take home later. It was also delicious, flavorful, aromatic and very filling. They also gave me a bowl of lentil soup was very tasty and also very nice of them. It's always a wonderful experience eating quality food on a consistent basis. Maharaja proves once again it can be done. Thank you Dalip and crew for such a delicious meal. Well done! read more

The restaurant is beautifully decorated and there is a lot of staff for helping who checked up on us frequently. We ordered the dahi papri chaat and the raja thaali. I would not recommend the chaat at all -- the dahi was very watered down and the puri smelt stale and didn't taste good. The raja thaali on the other hand was good. All of the meat items were great, although the kheer it came with was also on the flavorless side. I think some of the items are a lot better than others, so if we come again we will order different items. read more

Delicioussssss and cute to-go containers kept my food hot after my hour drive home. Looks like the inside has been renovated I'll definitely be dining in soon! read more

Very good place. Nice and friendly staffs. Good food. Smooth music in the background. Lots of parking space. read more

Albany, kudos to your Indian food! Great tandoori chicken, great naan, very friendly service. The place also has a very authentic Indian feel to it. The mango chutney is great and has a hint of whiskey flavor to it. I ordered roti, but I truly thought it was naan. When I asked, they said it was roti. I wonder if they thought I didn't notice. Tomato soup is what lowered the rating. It tasted like Campbell's tomato soup with some extra spice. This does not taste like the traditional homemade Indian tomato soup. It also could have used a few peas. My dinner buddy loved the chicken tikka masala, and the garlic naan. The naan was very thin and tasted more like a warm pita, same for what they said was my roti. Overall, it's a legit Indian restaurant if you happen to be in the area and yen for Indian food. read more

Very greasy biryani, asked for mild, got spicy, no one checked on us at all besides grabbing our order. No drink refills.

If you are looking for an aunthentic Indian food in Upstate New York, I highly recommend this restaurant. Almost fine dining, as soon as you walk inside. Most of utensils are the one that they serve and use in India. The entire place is very appealing, very attractive Indian art. It is also neat and clean. AA and ordered: Goat curry, chana masala, masala dosa, samosa. All are perfectly served. Hot from the kitchen. I could say the Indian touched was there in every bite and the aroma, hmmm. Very satistying. We also have their Chai Tea that no one in this area can ever do it, it was not just refreshing but it makes you relax and enjoy the scent. Overall, I loved this place that I make sure I visit this place almost once a month for no occasions but to enjoy their known and famous Indian flavor and touch. read more

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The decor here is kind of over-the-top, but in a good way! I think it's very tasteful and I love the details in the lights, paintings, comfortable cushioned seats, and goblets for your water. They are advertising themselves as a higher end Indian restaurant and it's a refreshing atmosphere. Everyone in the restaurant when we came in was Indian which was also a rare sight. The food was delicious--we got chicken tikka masala, chicken murg (?), chicken biryani, and a lamb dish and everything was great and nicely presented, not too spicy (actually could have been a bit spicier). The chicken murg was more tender than the cubes of chicken in the tikka masala, but no huge complaints there. Service was attentive, and very flexible with splitting the check, which was done on an iPad. It did take a while to get the check. This is a bit on the pricier side for an Indian restaurant, but I enjoyed my food and would return. read more

Maharaja Indian Restaurant - Chicken Tikka Masala, Chicken Biryani, Garlic Nan, lamb dish - Indian Near Me - Albany, New York

Yay Indian Lunch buffet that has good diversity of dishes! The outside of this place doesn't look so great, kind of run down and unattractive sign. However, once you step in the ceiling, lights, decor, traditional metal goblets/containers and flatware give a welcoming Indian cultural feel. My faves are the tiki masala, the yellow sauce veggie, paneer spinach, vegetable pakora, tamarind sauce, papadam crispy thin cracker (wish this was part of the Buffet or wish it was unlimited like the Naan is) , and dessert rasmali (sweet cheese -btw free dessert with regular menu entree-Yelp). The spiced fish appetizer was okay, needed a sauce or something. If they had real crab curry this would be perfect but haven't found that anywhere except in Queens. Friendly service makes us regulars and of course the reliable authentic flavored Indian dishes. See y'all soon! read more

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I am not generally a fan of Indian cuisine. That being said, when I do order it I am pretty limited in my choices. Many years ago there was a restaurant in Albany, NY called Sitar. They had one item I truly loved called Reshmi Kabob. It was kind of a chicken kabob item with wonderful spices. Sitar is long gone but the memory of that one item remains a most pleasant one. No other restaurant that I have tried offers that specific item. There are variations offered but none are quite the same. Well, I have discovered a new favorite item. I have tried this item before, at other Indian restaurants and have never been impressed. I frequently check Yelp for restaurant reviews. We were in the mood for Indian food and Maharaja got top reviews. We decided to give it a shot. We were not disappointed by doing so. I tried Chicken Byriani - a spiced rice dish - with a side of plain Basmati rice and some plain Nan and my wife went for the Everything Nan. To say that the Byriani was magnificent would be an understatement. The spices were phenomenal. The chicken was moist and tender. Thankfully they let you choose mild, medium, or spicy. I went for mild and was glad I did. The spices were not overbearing and as Goldilocks would say "they were just right". The plain Basmati rice and plain Nan were cooked perfectly and very tasty. My wife's Everything Nan was also a winner. It was made with potatoes, onions, cauliflower, spinach, and paneer. Overall a succulent combination of ingredients that she will definitely be ordering again. I would say that you can't go wrong with Maharaja. Though we ordered pretty simple items the care that went into their preparation was a clear indication of what earned this restaurant so many 5 star reviews. Give Maharaja a try. I would wager you will become another 5 star reviewer. read more

Outstanding food, excellent service, and very compassionate people. My vehicle broke down in their restaurant after a 5 hour drive from home. The manager, Gopal, was very kind to offer tools and his help in fixing my car. Unfortunately, it was a major electrical issue and the vehicle had to be towed. Gopal allowed me to keep my car at his restaurant until I was able to get it towed. When I came the next day, I met the owner, Imanchu, who went above and beyond to help me. He even offered us tea and a warm place to wait while we waited for the tow. They even offered to give me a ride back up to Albany to get my car. These are some of the most kind hearted people I've ever met and they really made an extremely stressful situation much better. Their food is top notch. Everything was fresh, well-priced, and flavorful. The decor inside the restaurant is very modern and unique. Even though I live nearly 5 hours away I will be coming here to eat plenty more times. read more

Love this restaurant. I always order lunch from here. Everything is delicious from the soup to chicken to samosas! Always on time. Packed nicely. Working my way through the whole menu. Very clean restaurant. I understand they will be offering a buffet very soon. Can't wait to try! read more

The Chicken Biryani and Samosas were good, everyone enjoyed the meal.... The service though, we asked Numerous times for Drinks and I watched one of the Waiters beeline for the Bar to glare and gossip about us.. we had two different waiters attending or table and it was the shorter one we had problems with, because he pointed directly at us. Other tables received their items right away when asked. Experiences vary when we go, food is always good, everything is nice. The service just needs to be better. read more

Food was delicious. Great variety for veg eaters. Staff was attentive, knowledgeable and pleasant.

My favorite Indian restaurant in the region! I've gone several times and always order the same thing: Vegetable samosas, garlic naan, chicken tikka masala, and a mango lassi and they are consistency delicious. The vegetable samosas are a great size and have a great mix of spices, making them a perfect appetizer. I always get the chicken tikka masala as my main dish and ask for it mild. Even the mild is a little spicy, so I get the mango lassi to balance out the spicy taste. The garlic naan tastes great when dipped into the chicken tikka masala too. The setting is fantastic as well. The chairs at all their tables are super comfortable and the service is good. Will be back! Also check-ins on Yelp get you a free dessert! :) read more

Maharaja Indian Restaurant - Chicken Tikka Masala - Indian Near Me - Albany, New York

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Really excellent food at a reasonable price. Excellent selection for my wife who is vegetarian. Service is fast. Very nice people. Restaurant is clean and bright. Nice music. Highly recommend. read more

Mmm...authentic Indian food done deliciously right. Though I haven't been here in a couple of weeks now and would rather write a review when I have a visit fresh in my mind, so this is all I'll say for now: when I want excellent, authentic Indian food in the Albany area, this is where I tend to go. More to come... read more

Maharaja Indian Restaurant - Chutneys and mulligatawny soup - Indian Near Me - Albany, New York

By far the best authentic Northern Indian food I have had. Service was amazing and everyone was very nice. Take you mouth on a flavor adventure and try this place out! Amazing! read more

This is absolutely ridiculous. First of all the service was HORRIBLE. Their website mentioned that they require a reservation so I called them twice and no one decided to pick up. So then I was able to book a reservation on their website for 8 pm. We got there at 8:05 because there was traffic. When we got there, we had to wait even when I had a booked a reservation. So then 10 minutes later, we were given our table. The menus came and we even quickly decided what we wanted to have because we were very hungry, and had just come from Lake George. On top of that we had a 3 hour drive back to New Jersey because that's where we are from. So we decided what we wanted to eat when we sat, however NO ONE came to take our order. We had been sitting for 25-30 minutes almost (and I checked the time on my phone when we sat to when they came to take our order). Not to mention, we didn't even get water when we came. They gave us water after they took our order. The restaurant was busy when we came, however no matter how busy a restaurant is, to every restaurant I have been we have been given a bottle of water even if they were busy. We were all thirsty. So finally at 8:45 when they took our order we waited and waited and waited. It was 9:17 and they didn't even bring our order. And I was noticing that some people that had come after us, got a menu, food ordered, and food delivered to them pretty soon, especially to one big family that had come after us. And we were still waiting. It wasn't until one of us stood up and asked where our food was because we'd been waiting for almost thirty minutes. I mean come on, thirty minutes to have them take our order and on top of that thirty minutes for our dinner to be served, ridiculous. We ordered mixed veggie platter for appetizers that had samosas and pakoras and they didn't even serve chutney with it. Same with the papad no chutney. Like at other restaurants they do serve that with chutney and we complained to them at that they said they'd bring it out but what's the point when we had already finished. Our main course came after we called them out for being late. I mean thirty minutes is just ridiculous and by then there weren't too many people just a few coming a leaving. We ordered lamb seekh kabobs and they were so plain no spices at all. The malai kofta was good but the gravy had too much tomato paste. The most important part about this is that the lady that gave us our table, and the one who was in charge (the manager) knew we were angry about the service, she was even the one who we had complained to her about the food not coming quickly. We wanted to talk to her about it when we payed the bill but she was so smart she sent another person to prepare our bill because she KNEW we were going to complain about the service. And I can confirm because when my father payed the bill she wasn't there then afterwards he went to the bathroom and when he came back she was right there. Standing there looking like nothings wrong. She didn't want to get yelled or deal with the matter (which was obvious by how chill she seemed). Even as people were leaving, no one came to clean up the tables. When we had come to the restaurant people both our left and right sides had finished their dinner and left. Yet no one none of the staff had come to clean up. The mess was just left there like seriously, it's disgusting. All in all, no matter how busy a restaurant is we have never experienced this terrible service at all. We were out all day enjoying the long weekend and we thought we could enjoy some good food. Especially because this restaurant had such good reviews and were wanted to enjoy the food but because of the bad service and the late arrival of the food we were not able to enjoy the food. The owner was there too, they sat there inside but then was waiting in their car. I wanted to say something to them but it was no point because nothing can be undone. read more

I like Indian food but usually go to different restaurants' buffets so I am probably being exposed to the same dozen or so dishes. That is fine for me. I had a place I loved just up the street, but after their chef left I found many of the things on their buffet that made them special were missing. So, I cast my net for a new favorite buffet. Having never been here, I decided to come with my wife for their weekend buffet. The interior is lovely, with dark colors and artwork and music. Some stylistic choices I didn't like at all- silverware with round handles that I found difficult to hold; large glass plates with tall rims; and metal water cups that felt weird to drink from with nicked rims- but they did add a certain elegance to the experience. The staff were friendly. The same dishes I would expect elsewhere were here. Well, almost all. They didn't have tandoori chicken but since everyone always has dried out meat with small bones I didn't miss its omission here. They had a couple of dessert offerings including a simple rice pudding that my wife liked. What took me a while to notice was something my wife picked up on early: none of the food was spicy. And by that it was neither peppery/hot "spicy" or flavorful "spicy." It was mostly just bland. That might be catering to the clientele or just their house recipes, but it was a pretty boring culinary experience. Frankly, it was a decent buffet but it just wasn't a great buffet. And at nearly $17 a person, I expected more from them. read more

A Last Minute Lunch We hadn't planned on going to Maharaja Indian Restaurant for lunch but found ourselves hungry and decided to stop in. Arriving about 25 minutes before closing, the manager informed us as we walked in that the restaurant would be closing soon. We took this as a suggestion to order quickly. And we did. For our lunch, we chose samosas, garlic nan, chicken kofta masala, murg keema (both mild spice), and cokes. The samosas came out quickly along with a trio of condiments. Fried to a golden brown, flaky crisp, the samosas were hot and flavorful. Our meal followed in a timely manner and was served with perfectly cooked herbed rice. The dishes are served in beautiful, well-used, copper saucepans which match the copper vessels set on tables that are filled with water. Both dishes had good flavor but might have benefited from a bit more heat/spice. The restaurant itself is lovely and comfortable and the service was spot on. We did not ask for, nor was it offered, a second soda so we don't know if refills are free. I would say this was a good, solid meal and a restaurant worth trying. read more

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What a delicious meal! We happened upon this restaurant as it was next to our hotel. The food was well prepared and the service attentive. Highly recommended. read more