Our last visit to Masala was about 6 years ago. Different owner and excellent food. Arjun, the current owner, was working the Tuesday night we were here. Apparently almost every restaurant in Ashland is closed on Tuesdays, so he was our server on this slow evening. We are prone to splitting meals since restaurants almost always serve too much food. So we decided to share the Butter Chicken. After ordering, Arjun was excited about the Cauliflower Manchurian appetizer and coaxed us into ordering it. He assured us we would not be disappointed. We were not. We LOVED it! A great mix of cauliflower chunks, moderately-spicy sauce and full flavors. Our Butter Chicken was equally good. Chicken was cooked perfectly, not dry but moist and very flavorful. Typically, for our tastes, Indian food runs a little hotter than others so we usually order medium spice, not hot. Our only regret is that we didn't order hot. It was very flavorful, but could have had a bit more kick for our preferences. All in all, we enjoyed (again) our dinners. read more

This place used to be better. My large extended family recently had a birthday dinner here. It took 40 minutes to receive our food while we waited in the sweltering room with no fan or AC. I asked the waiter if the "basmati" rice with the biryani on the menu was real whole grain--not extruded rice, which is a high-heat-processed rice product more like pasta. He said it was real rice, but it was not. It makes me wonder about other ingredients. The advertised "GF nan" I suspect is a frozen gf pizza crust heated up (texture tough and tasted old). Not one dish was exceptional and a few were flavorless. I and my family will not eat here again. read more

Had a great dinner here with some friends. I was the first to arrive and chatted with the owner a bit before the rest of my party arrived. I let him know it was my first time dining there. He kindly gave recommendations and checked back with us afterwards. He made a beautiful drink for me and just seemed to go above and beyond to make it special and I really appreciated that. We also ordered the royal thali x2 plus some cauliflower for the table. I'm not usually a fan of lamb but the owner gave some to try with my Thali and I was very surprised. It's yummy and no gaminess! Every part of the meal was wonderful, literally nothing was off. The service was great, the staff provided a lovely meal with lovely atmosphere and I plan on returning again sometime! read more

Masala Bistro & Bar - Indian Near Me - Ashland, Oregon

Excellent food and drinks and service!! Loved it all. Coliflower starter was terrific!!! We recomend!!!!!

This has been my favorite restaurant for almost 5 years! I have deep love for this place. This is no joke. Their menu is incredible and has a wide variety of options, the staff are always so awesome, and the owner is incredibly nice. I 10/10 recommend! read more

My first time in Ashland, and I had the good fortune to have dinner here. This accesible Indian restaurant and bar has friendly and attentive staff. The menu has a variety of choices for the vegetarian and the carnivore in you. We ordered chai (hot) which was perfect, smooth and aromatic. My partner and I shared the vegetable pakoras with spinach, potato and onion, which I loved the flavors, but my partner wasn't as impressed with. We then shared a Thali dinner with channa masala, also mutter gobi, and lamb roganjosh. Everything was spectacular, including the Naan, which was the best Naan I've ever had. While we didn't have any cocktails, the bar seemed like a welcoming spot for locals. I highly recommend this place and will come again next time I'm in Ashland. read more

Keeps changing ownership. On/around 12/30/24 it was chaos, with no one getting food within a reasonable amount of time; no bar as advertised, apparently due to liquor license delays; and last but not least, pretty darn terrible food. Very nice people, though. read more

food was good but.. seems a bit neglected, no dessert, no in open bottles of wine, took an hour to get our food server- don't think I will be going back any time soon. read more

Great food, great atmosphere! There was 7 of us. We ordered 4 dishes an appetizer and bread, then shared! It was plenty of food! So yummy! Highly recommend! read more

Masala Bistro & Bar - Chicken biryani and Butter Chicken - Indian Near Me - Ashland, Oregon

Came here with my mother on a whim -- and wow! Definitely will be coming back again. They have a solid range of appetizers, meals, & beverages to choose from. Most importantly, the staff are very attentive and the service is really above and beyond. We felt very welcome and taken care of while we were here and the atmosphere is peaceful. Unfortunately I did not get the names of the servers we had tonight, but they were amazing and I'll be recommending this place to all my friends & family in the area. read more

Masala Bistro & Bar - Tofu curry - Indian Near Me - Ashland, Oregon

Wow. Very long wait being greeted. Told to seat ourselves but no one brought us water or menus for quite a while. I know service is hard and I am really a patient person, but 30 minutes to take an order is a very long time. It's not a large restaurant. Sad to say the rest of our meal wasn't any better, the service here has really gone down hill. I've eaten here many times in the past years when traveling to Ashland and the last two times I was here this year have been beyond awful, food and service wise. read more

The food was good, not great. We ordered to go, was told to pick up in 20 minutes and when we got there, still had to wait another 15 minutes. They also forgot our Papadum that we ordered. read more

I cannot believe this place only has 4 stars!!! This is by far the Most amazing Indian food on the planet. I rate it 5+++ stars. I'm so impressed. Everything is bomb. If you love authentic, fresh Indian food this is your place. I could tell everything was made from scratch and the service was incredible. My mom who has traveled all over the world said the fish and chips were the best she's ever had and I agree. I will be dreaming of this place. I also think the inside of the restaurant has great vibes and I was very comfortable. Will be coming back as often as I can! read more

Masala Bistro & Bar - Fish and chips, shrimp malai curry, chicken butter curry, saag paneer, garlic naan, pickle, raita, mango yogurt, INCREDIBLE, LIFE CHANGING - Indian Near Me - Ashland, Oregon

Worst place. Sat there almost an hour, while other people who came and ordered after me were served and almost leaving. Only difference probably was melanin (me being the only brown person among all whites). Finally when ask what the wait was for - they offer to comp my drink. I am not looking for handouts and can bloody well pay for my food and drinks. I paid for the drink and left without making too much fuss. But if you are brown or black person - think 10 times before going here. read more

Food was amazing!!! Seriously some of the best Indian food I've ever had. Our waiter was super friendly, and the ambiance was nice. read more

Masala Bistro & Bar - The Royal Thali - Indian Near Me - Ashland, Oregon

The place was packed & they were short on staff as many places are, but the wait was worth it. We had a delicious dinner.

Just had a great experience visiting Ashland at this restaurant. Carson knew the food and heightened the experience with his personality and personal touch for our dining experience, very positive energy. Thanks again bud. I hope you the best. Keep it up. read more

Hands down the best Indian food I've ever had. I'm from the Bay Area and have tried so many Indian restaurants. Masala Ashland is the absolute best. They are also very friendly to top it off. Will definitely be back. read more

Masala Bistro & Bar - Indian Near Me - Ashland, Oregon

Gracious service, friendly atmosphere and delicious food and drink made for the perfect dinner. Our host/wait person was friendly and attentive. The butter chicken and lamb roganjosh were flavorful and plentiful. I also recommend getting the cutney plate. The chutneys are superb. We had planned on dessert, but were too full. We eat at Marsala every time we come to Ashland and recommend it highly. read more

Cauliflower Manchurian is amazing. Service is always excellent, no matter what time of day

Lots of Indian food choices locally, but this is the best. Every single thing we ate was full of flavor and simply delicious. Fresh and clean tasting, complex spice flavors (particularly on the lamb dish), and great classic cocktails with Indian flavors mixed in to give it a fun twist. Lovely ambiance is calm and cozy but roomy. Only one staff member running the bar and waiting tables, but she never appeared stressed or overwhelmed and in fact was quite pleasant. We will return regularly! read more

Fantastic Chicken Biryani. The spice blend and heat were just right, savory and good to the last bite. Generous portions and leftovers were just as tasty. Friendly and informal. Plenty of veg options. read more

The Royal Thali was an amazing sampler of different dishes and came with just the right amount of sides and sauces! The new owner Arjun is super friendly too! Highly recommend read more

If you have not tried here you have got to! It is not on the main Ashland strip, but worth the small jaunt over. We went here for my mother's 80th birthday and the service was phenomenal. The hostess was polite and friendly, the restaurant was clean, modern, and with comfortable seats. The food was to die for. We got a cauliflower appetizer and some samosas. The spice was just right in the samosas and the cauliflower was so wonderful I wanted more. We then got a shared plate of lamb, butter chicken, and a vegetarian dish that came with papadum, naan, rice, and some sides. It gave us a taste of quite a few dishes without overstuffing us. The flavors were well blended and tasty. However, I tried my brothers fusion dish of an kale taco. It was so good I think I could have eaten his whole dish if he wouldn't have gotten mad! I highly recommend you try. read more

Complex spices. I had the thali combination with a lamb dish, aloo gobi, raita and naan. My husband had lamb rogingosh. Both were delicious. The service was friendly and efficient, and the ambiance was comfortable and welcoming. read more

The first time I visited Masala - it was close to when it opened, I was a bit underwhelmed. So, it took me until a few years later to try it again based on recommendations of knowledgeable and discerning friends. First, I called ahead to see if there was space and they said it was quiet. When we got there our seat at the window had already been set waiting for our arrival. We had the kale tacos as an appetizer and the Aloo Mutter Gobi and my wife had the Chana Masala. The portions were sizable and the food was incredibly delicious. The service was also impeccable - another nice touch was the server bringing out extra spice just in case my dish wasn't spicy enough (I asked for extra spicy). We are definitely putting this on our regular go out list - probably top 3 place I've been to in Ashland and the prices were quite reasonable. Highly recommended! read more

Really solid food option in Ashland! I got the garlic naan with one of the sampler plates. I chose lamb Rogan Josh and butter chicken. Everything was delicious!! I do kinda wish you got to choose which chutney came with it, but the mint one is good. read more

Masala Bistro & Bar - Karma thali with butter chicken and lamb masala - Indian Near Me - Ashland, Oregon

I'm conflicted on this one. Food was good and very reasonably priced which is pretty rare these days. Another customer went on and on about how authentic it is to the region. It seemed like it was. Important to know that it's all vegetarian. Downside was that the menu didn't really explain the items so it was hard to order. Staff were friendly and tried to help, but their accent was too hard for me to really understand. Usually I'd give this a 4*, but they lost another point because it was really hot inside and needed some air conditioning going. We almost left as soon as we got there because of the heat. read more

Tasty, where"s the beef? No Lamb in Lamb Masala, no chicken in Butter chicken. Positives: great ambience, fabulous servers, awesome menu. Loved the Rose Vodka. I'm a local and this is a great addition to the Ashland restaurant scene. Prices are great. Compared to Taj, better ambience and totally loved the Street Food! But if you want more traditional Fare, Taj portions are much larger and plenty of "beef"!! I'll be back to order drinks and the unusual street food, especially fried squash and taco-type dish. Need Puri on menu!! read more

See all

In our semi-regular drives from Seattle to Yosemite and back, Ashland, Oregon is often one of our overnight stops. We're just not as young and resilient as we used to be for those marathon 15-hours drives! And we'd rather not spend our appetites on terrible gas station and fast food offerings. So, we are always on the lookout for more interesting and flavorful fair, which is why Masala Bistro & Bar caught our collective eye. The restaurant is located in a quiet storefront, walking distance from the Ashland Food Co-op. Because of the lovely weather, we grabbed one of the outside tables next to the sidewalk. We were both road-trip-ravenous, and I was super-excited by the multiple gluten-free offerings, so we ordered the Vegetable Pakora as a starter (one of my typical gluten-free go-tos for Indian restaurants) and then the entrees Lamb Roganjosh and Keema Masala with the gluten-free Naan (a first-ever for me, as I am accustomed to only being able to eat Papadam or Roti). For drinks, we also ordered a Rose Drop and an East India Company, (interesting choice for a cocktail name). The East India Company was flavorful and refreshing. However, the Rose Drop had the challenge of trying to successfully incorporate the strong rose flavor without the drink tasting...like soap. Unfortunately, it did not succeed in this endeavor. The Vegetable Pakoras were honestly, a bit of a disappointment. The dish is quite large, as you get four large portions each consisting of a sliced potato, onion ring, and a small handful of broccoli. I am more used to a pakora that is airy and bit light on the batter. These were drenched in batter and quite heavy. It was not our favorite. But then the entrees came out, and we were both blown away. My Lamb Roganjosh was a spicy and dynamic mix of tender lamb chunks. While it paired well with the rice, my favorite was dipping the gluten-free naan in the Roganjosh. Each bite was a super-charged explosion of flavor and bread that made me quickly forget the pakora. The Keema Masala had ground lamb instead of chunks, but the sauce was a similarly spicy, creamy, tomato-based blend. Not as spicy as the Roganjosh, but still very enjoyable. We were thrilled to find out that the lamb was locally sourced, grass-fed, free-range, and antibiotic- and hormone-free. We did miss having a chutney of some kind, as the two greens-based sides were forgettable. I think one of the sides was a spicy cole-slaw-like mix of some type? The only other issue we encountered was that after the server sat us, we waited for quite a long time for them to take our order. I think they mentioned that there were having an issue with the fridge? But after that snafu, they were much more consistently attentive. Fellow road-trippers traveling up and down the 5, avoid the rest stop fried foods and boring burgers and fries. Stop here to activate your taste buds after a long day of monotonous driving. read more

Masala Bistro & Bar - Foreground to background: Lamb Roganjosh, vegetable pakora, gluten-free naan, and Keema Masala. - Indian Near Me - Ashland, Oregon

So happy to stumble upon this place! The food was amazing. We started off with samosas, shared a Royal Thali plate (definitely recommend ordering an extra naan with it), and ended with the most decadent cheesecake! We also tried the Mumbai Margarita, East India Company, and rose lemonade, which were so delicious. Big shoutout to our server/bartender Amanda for being so knowledgeable about the menu and being the absolute best! We will definitely be recommending Masala to all of our family/friends in the area! read more

Masala Bistro & Bar - Royal Thali - Indian Near Me - Ashland, Oregon

See all

I'm pleased to report that previous problems with service have been resolved. We've been back three times and the service has been superb. The food is (as always) excellent. Thanks! read more

The cauliflower street food dish was sweet and delicious. The butter chicken was great and the chicken biryani tasted great too. We ordered as mildly spicy and added a spicy aioli for those of us who wanted some extra heat. read more

Can't believe I haven't tried this place before! Everything was soo delicious, I had lamb masala made with coconut milk, and tried the cauliflower and naan bread. They let you choose mild, medium, or spicy and the flavors and portions were perfection. Masala is the hidden gem of ashland restaurants. read more

Masala Bistro & Bar - Lamb masala - Indian Near Me - Ashland, Oregon

Great fusion Indian restaurant - flavors are intense and delicious, and broad/innovative variety of 'street food' including Indian-style tacos, deconstructed samosas and many other dishes. We've eaten here twice now, gotten Royal Thali (shared last night), with Cumin Chicken, Aloo Gobhi, and other dishes - all amazing and very healthy-tasting and intense. Good beer/bar selection also and friendly staff. Only ding is counter service and bus your own tables? Prices are for sit-down restaurant, and they seem to have plenty of staff - who come around to ask how things are and bring out food - would just be a little extra effort. But food makes up for it. Also, 1 extra papadam for $2? A little silly -but overall, amazing restaurant and will return. read more

My husband absolutely loved the butter chicken. My Zen salad was perfect. We enjoyed a decent glass of Sauvignon Blanc and enjoyed banter with the waiter. It was uncrowded even though it was an easy three block walk from the Shakespeare Festival. A gem of a place for Indian cuisine. read more

Murg burrito is good, it's a secret menu item that is no frills but tastes good as arrives as you'd expect, unlike literally all the other food items on their menu. Drinks are overpriced, small, and weak; and not very culinarily synergistic. Many of them Don't taste good or add any nuance to the food. Appetizers are decent, but not very flavorful Main and thali is all pretty sweet for my taste, and I literally am a sweet tooth. Fish curry was so sweet it could have been dessert. Samosas are small, dry, not flavorful, disappointing For good Indian, go to Taj read more

So yummy I got the butter chicken and my bf got some sort of taster entree. We loved! Great service great food

This place is incredible! I went in already loving Indian food, but the spin they do on their dishes (especially the fusion and street portions of the menu) were beyond my wildest dreams . In addition to the food be so good, the prices are just as good. It's by far one of the most affordable places in Ashland. The waitstaff was great too. Our waitress suggested the Tikki Masala Poutine and decided to go for it, and now all I want to do is pour that sauce down my gullet and drink away. The Punjabi fish and chips were good, and the lamb masala was absolutely amazing too, and for just $10, it was a big portion. read more

Masala Bistro & Bar - Punjabi Fish & Chips - Indian Near Me - Ashland, Oregon

See all

Amazing authentic Indian street food lands in the city of Ashland! What happens when 3 generations well-versed in Indian cooking decide it's time to open a restaurant in Ashland? Masala happens. We have been here many times now, and all indications are that the people of Ashland (and their tourists) are in for a treat. A menu with both classics and new fusion (think: Kale Taco) with Indian flair make it tough to choose between many options. My advice: grab a few interesting items from the 'street food' menu, and then pick a main. Samosas, 'Tacos', or 'Sliders' plus an entree of Butter Chicken or Paneer Tikka Masala will make you and your wallet happy. That's the thing: You get authentic eats at great value here. They also have a well-stocked bar and around 6 taps. So - this can be a fun experience to grab drinks and a few snackies to pair, if that's your thing. Vegans and Vegetarians can also celebrate a menu that doesn't relegate them to second class and single-item-to-order status. You guys know what I mean. All indicators are that this is going to be something fun and a local treasure for us Ashlanders. Hope to see you there! read more