Do go to this restaurant for a good chettinad cuisine.. when you're in journal Square in Indian Street. You will see multiple different restaurants within a span of hundred meters... and I'm sure you'll be confused where to eat.. if you're craving for a good south Indian spicy food food I strongly suggest this restaurant.. it's also BYOB.. fantastic service.. the biggest headache is parking.. It's hard to get street parking and I had to pay about $12 for the parking... if not for the parking this restaurant has only positives . I also had food in their Edison branch. We ordered chicken Chuka and it was really peppery and good.. perfect South Indian aRoma and taste.. my friend had fish fry and he just loved it.. there were five or six small pieces of the fry.. I still think it's slightly expensive about $20-$22 for the fish and generally all of the dishes.. the best one was dindukal thalapakatti biryani . Nice and very tasty . Good experience overall. Wanted to give a 4 star but gave a 5 star just for the taste and service !!! read more

See all

the group ordered chicken fry (like popcorn chicken), mushroom pepper fry (spicy stir-fried mushrooms), parotta (flaky flatbread), & chettinad chicken curry. our server was helpful. my favorite of the entrees was the mushroom pepper fry, but everything was tasty. i also rly liked how flaky the parotta was. would def come back to try more dishes read more

See all

solid south indian chettinad cuisine - hakka noodles were a huge standout for being peppery - also really liked the crab masala (even though the crab meat was sparse), egg kothu paratha, and the mango lassi - chicken 65 not spicy enough - skippable a bit on the pricier side sadly read more

Masala Cafe - Indian Near Me - Jersey City, New Jersey

See all

This is a hole in the wall in Little India in jersey among all the other hole in the wall places along the street. As the name of the area implies, it's a street full of Indian eateries and shops. Food was above average . I'd have thought given the number of Indian restaurants in the area, you'd have to be top notch. The service was nice, we had a very nice woman take care of us. The Gobi Manchurian & pomfret fry was delicious and the best thing we ordered. The dosa was good, but charged $1 extra for smearing a spoon of ghee. That's highway robbery! The porrottas were $6 a piece! Now if you are an outsider, I'd caution you. Get your food to go or better yet, door dashed. People drive like they are in India (I would know) someone dinged our parked car and drove away. The streets are not-so-clean and crowded. read more

See all

Food (5/5): We ordered a massive variety of dishes and all were delicious. We got the dosa with toppings, Gobi Manchurian, Garlic Naan, Chettinad Shrimp Curry, Chicken Satti Soru, Chilli iddl, mango lasso, and rose milk. All were amazing and the beverages were great. I particularly enjoyed the rose milk. The Gobi Manchurian was delicious and shows how Indian cuisine does an amazing job with vegetarian dishes. Service (4/5): Overall good and helpful service. Main improvement would be that we were given bottles of water without us asking and then we realized in the end that we got charged for them. Besides that food came fast and the servers were helpful. Ambiance (4/5): Not the fanciest looking restaurant but solid amount of seating and space. The tables are comfy and well laid out. read more

See all

We were looking for an Indian restaurant in Little India and decided on Masala Cafe based on the reviews. Unfortunately, the vast majority of restaurants on Newark Ave have terrible reviews... so it made the decision easy. Masala Cafe was DELICIOUS. We ordered the onion pakoda, boneless chicken biryani, and dosa with potato masala. The onion pakoda was a really good starter - would definitely order again. The chicken biryani was fabulous. Usually boneless chicken would be dry chicken breast, but this was brined chicken thigh and was really moist, tender, and super tasty. We ordered the biryani mild (because mild at Indian restaurants usually means medium/hot) and I'm glad we did - it was spicy, but just spicy enough. We also had to get a dosa filled with potato masala. Really tasty, and came with three dips. We would absolutely come back and order all three of these dishes again. Highly recommended for Indian lunch in Little India! read more

See all

Edit: I have been here a few more times since my last visit, and they definitely don't disappoint. One of the Indian Restaurants in Jersey City that is consistent in quality. I still don't feel like giving 5 Stars since most of the dishes don't give "OMG" moment. So far, the Egg Hakka Noodles is the only item that passed the test. I just couldn't stop myself from taking 1 more bite. Again, as I already mentioned, this is a MUST VISIT restaurant if you are looking for good South Indian food, and can easily qualify for 5 Stars. I am just more brutal when it comes to my reviews of Indian Food in general. **********Original Review********** Disclaimer - I would have given 5 Stars if I didn't know to cook South Indian Food..! All the dishes we tried - Chicken Rice (made in Clay Pot), Parotta and Chicken Gravy, and Crab Masala, tasted pretty good but it feels home made. While it's generally a good thing, it might not be what you are looking for if you cook regularly at home and just want to taste something special at a Restaurant. There isn't really anything to complain about with w.r.t. Service, Atmosphere, Quality, or Quantity, especially for the price range. Casual dining is what they advertise and what you get. Giving 4 Stars simply because I won't be willing to drive 30 mins just to eat here. But if I was visiting Jersey City, I probably would opt to eat here when compared to other South Indian Restaurants in that area. read more

See all

First time trying Masala Cafe. Takeout included Chettinad chicken curry, an eggplant dish (Ennai Kathirikai), and a lentil dish (Paruppu Kuzhambu). All were delicious and spiced perfectly. Nice to have some more authentic southern Indian food nearby that is not drowned in either cream or coconut milk. Will definitely come back and try other offerings. The website menu provides description of the dishes while the .pdf version does not (worth looking at as most of their offerings are different than what you see on a typical American-Indian menu). Note: phone orders totaling over $50 require prepayment and they charge a 4% fee on credit card use (not disclosed; present on receipt) read more

Excellent and authentic South Indian food. Good and quick service as well Must try is chicken kothu parotta. read more

This was a great choice for South Indian food. The egg biryani was full of warm spices and had just the right level of heat. The vada had great texture, and the sambar was also seasoned well. The portions are quite large. This is a solid choice in Jersey City. read more

Masala Cafe - Egg biryani - Indian Near Me - Jersey City, New Jersey

See all

Just bad food! But well mannered staff. I tried 2 things this afternoon! Vada and Dosa both are equally awful! They should stop selling these if they can't do it at a good quality! 1. Medu Vada was old sticky, served with rotting Sambhar and chutney! 2. Dosa same like above! No flavor, not fresh, not seasoned! Just awful waste of time and money! I do not recommend this restaurant for above! ---- This was my first time trying things at India square in New Jersey. I wouldn't go to India square at all! Most of them are rundown restaurants... it's collection of just average 1-2 star Indian restaurants! Shopping groceries might be nice place! Will review in another review. read more

Came in for lunch on a Sunday - would recommend, but would order based on reviews as I found the food taste mixed. Gobi 65 - excellent! So crispy and flavorful. Dosa - prepared well, thin and crispy, with very good sambar and chutneys. But the dosa flavor was missing the depth that comes from fermentation. Masala was tasty. Veg Murtaba - a new dish to me. I liked the flakiness of the bread a lot. The filling was in between a samosa filling and pav bhaji, and spicy. I didn't love it, but would try the egg next time. Wasn't too busy around 12:30, but filled up by 1ish. read more

Masala Cafe - Veg Murthaba - Indian Near Me - Jersey City, New Jersey

See all

Really good service! Delicious food! Located in indian square. Wish the portion size was bigger tho! We did enjoy the naan here as well as the meals we had. Thank god the meals came with rice!!! I highly recommend the lamb curry! It was spicy and flavorful. Lots of seating areas but we also came here for a late Friday lunch! Overall enjoyed my experience and definitely will come back ! read more

We delivered from DoorDash and it came pretty quickly! The food was really good, perfect spice! I would definitely visit the restaurant in person. read more

See all

Tried this place for the first time last Sunday. Ordered filter coffee (decent), natu kozhi varuval (flavorful and delicious), chettinad chicken (decent, mild flavor), chicken biriyani (good but the chicken pieces seemed over fried), Kesari (good). Moderately priced. read more

Masala Cafe - Nattu Kozhi Varuval - Indian Near Me - Jersey City, New Jersey

See all

Kottu was great. Big portions, nice atmosphere and great service. Definitely my go to for South Indian food.

I was very disappointed by this place. I ordered delivery from here and ordered the following: chicken biriyani, chicken 65, medu vada, and a couple side orders of sambar. I'll start off with the good; the chicken 65 was pretty good, cooked well and decently flavorful. The chutneys, both tomato and coconut were delicious. Unfortunately everything else was a disappointment. The sambar was overall okay, but was much too watery. The medu vada was crispy on the outside which was great to see, but then inside was bone dry and bland. The biriyani was one of the worst I've had, almost no flavor at all in the rice and the chicken pieces were extremely bland as well. Overall not a great experience and will not be ordering from here again read more

This place is on Indian Street. We were super hungry and went in at around 9.30am for breakfast. They have a lot lot of options on their menu. We ordered tea, filter coffee, Idli and plain dosa. Tea - 4.5/5 Filter coffee - 4/5 Plain dosa - 5/5 -came with coconut chutney, tomato chutney and sambar. Everything was delicious. And the dosa was huge. Idli - 4/5 - came with coconut chutney, tomato chutney and sambar, I liked it. They refilled our coconut chutney and sambar for us. Staff was nice and welcoming. I have no complaints at all. And I would recommend this place. Thumbs up from me. read more

See all

Amazing South Indian restaurant! I've been on the lookout for legit South Indian restaurants and have to say that they're hard to find! So glad that I've finally found this place!!! They have amazing dosa and paratha that will comfort your stomach and soul! Dosa was slightly crispy on the edges while tender and chewy in the middle - also the bottom layer of mashed potatoes with lentils, onions, cashews and spices was a nice bonus! Honestly the dosa was so good that I could just eat it on its own without even dipping in the sambar! Paratha was made fresh (and not those store bought frozen ones that just got reheated) and has nice crispy buttery layers! Tried their Kochu Paratha before and highly recommend as well! One note though - personally I find that their egg masala and kochu paratha pack quite a punch! So just be aware when you order! read more

See all

Exquisite food, so many different and fresh flavors. My mouth is watering just writing this. The service is always on point. The decorations are cool and funny. I don't understand the references but it doesn't matter because they're charming. They burned incense one time which I didn't like, but besides that one time, the ambience and delicious food smells wafting through the restaurant have been consistent. The prices are also fair. I love coming here. read more

Ordered food over multiple meals for a family event with a group of 40. The owner was responsive, provided good suggestions, customized the menu to our group and delivered on time. All the guests loved the food and mentioned the taste was authentic. The overall price per person was reasonable. Highly recommend for South Indian food lovers or for someone who want to try out. I would definitely dine or order again. read more

I had wanted to try this restaurant since it opened. Went for lunch today. Its on the busy newark avenue, can get difficult to find a parking. Ordered chicken weeekend special thali- 12.99$. Its a weird set of dishes. I couldn't identify most varieties in there, even though I am from North india. It also comes with one parantha. I asked if I could have a refill, but ofcourse no. Who does thali with one parantha ? Weekend special mutton biryani was decent -14.99$ low on spices but flavourful. Decent in my opinion. Also ordered a filter coffee which was good. You can pay the bill contactless by scanning the barcode read more

See all

We've eaten here a couple of times now and it's always excellent. The service is great - really nice, helpful staff. We ordered the Paneer Makhani and Paneer Tikka Masala, as well as both Garlic and Butter Naan. Nuanced and rich flavor - the naan was excellent as well. The food was exceptional, this place is quickly becoming our favorite! Highly recommend! read more

Worst biryani they gave a whole bowl overloaded with rice but not a biryani pls change cook mixed south n north , Chinese place

We had South Indian food which was pretty good The idli was soft just like how you get idlis in Tamil Nadu The tomato chutney and coconut chutney were good too. The Sambar was a little bland . Could have been more spicier We also ordered uttapam and veg kothu parota. The kothu parota was decent . Had some pepper aftertaste For the uttapam you have to select toppings like onion , tomato , podi etc... the toppings they charge for additional. The additional charge can be avoided The service was quick . Since we went around 11 am on a weekday the place was empty The place is small so I assume in rush hours one would have to wait for a table read more

Should have gotten the chettinad curry from what friends have suggested, but totally content with the Madurai chicken biryani and egg kottu paratha. The chicken was fall off the bone. Usually skeptical of takeout biryani but this tasted good even few days later. Only complaint, my idly did not come with coconut chutney or sambar. Came here during a busy Diwali few weeks ago, but service was fast and super friendly. Coming back again! read more

Great new spot in Jersey City, serving authentic South Indian food! Ordered the idly vada combo, filter coffee and chicken biryani. The idly was super soft, probably the best I've had here and even the sambhar and vada tasted great. The chicken biryani did have the authentic Chennai flavor, although I was a bit disappointed with the lack of meat. The filter coffee was on point too, and each sip was reminiscent of my days in Chennai. Would love to order again and try out some of their other meat dishes. read more

See all

Very very tasty food!! Just tried this restaurant at 10am Saturday for a brunch and everything was really so good! I tried mini idli which was laden with GHEE, so satisfying. Sambhar and chutney are good too. My friend tried the veg omlette and chicken kurma with parotta which he loved as well (I am a vegetarian so didn't try those). But the server saw that, and offered me free veg kurma to try with my friend's parotta and it was so tasty too. read more

Masala Cafe - Mini Idly - Indian Near Me - Jersey City, New Jersey

Awesome place to have south Indian style food. Thier King fish fry is one of the best fish fry, I have ever tasted that was so awesome in the Entire Newark Ave based restaurants. Must Try Items: Kaima Idli, King Fish fry, Nethili Fish fry, Meen kuzhambu, Mazhabar parotta A must visit place in Newark Avenue (Indian street). read more

Incredible food. I had the fish, vegetable claypot rice and chicken 65. Best Indian food I've honestly ever had.

Been here twice, first time by accident second time because I wouldn't miss it. Fried okra (bindi) dosa!!!! Fried cauliflower, butter chicken, seriously the flavors are delicate, the portions are perfect sized, the people are friendly...this place is a GEM hidden in plain site amongst so many other Indian restaurants. Just go. read more

I came upon the restaurant while trying to select from the extensive choices on the road. I selected Masala Cafe based on the unique menu items listed on the blackboard outside. It impressed me. The staff is extremely friendly and helps with recommendations. The staff and cooks all hail from Tamil Nadu in South India, and they provide authentic fare. Meal was quickly prepared and well presented. Highly recommend if you are seeking authentic South Indian Tamil Nadu cuisine...or you haven't before, worth your visit read more

Masala Cafe - Appetizer - Mutton Chukka - Indian Near Me - Jersey City, New Jersey

Placed and order and waited for almost 45 mins. When asked for food the women mentioned she forgot to place the order and asked what we wanted without even an apology. When we said we'd rather leave she says ok. Such is the service at this place. Wouldn't expect anyone with a shred of dignity to patronize this place. read more

Masala Cafe - a black car parked on the side of the road - Indian Near Me - Jersey City, New Jersey

Finally, an authentic South IndIan restaurant. Went on the opening day and the food was awesome. I hope they maintain the same quality.

Absolutely disgusting. We ordered paneer biryani via Grubhub and there was meat in it!! How careless must one be to serve meat in a vegetarian dish? You can sue a restaurant for serving meat in a veg dish in NJ & NY! read more

Some friends and I stopped here to eat after seeing reviews on yelp. And I haven't had a lot of Indian food in the past, so I just ordered something randomly. Everyone loved their dish. The staff was really friendly and a place just had a real nice peaceful vibe. Oh and it was my First time to try masala tea. Wonderful flavor! read more

Loved the biryani, amazing people very delicious food! Ambur biryani and chicken Chettinad is a must try! read more

So disappointed with my order! I would have given 3 stars because the food was so average. Or maybe that's being kind. I lowered it because they lie about the samosas. No, they are not large. Actually, they are smaller than average. The flavour is unexceptional, and they don't give any chutney. So these are a major rip-off at $8.99. Shame on them! My vindaloo tasted very unbalanced - more of cloves and vinegar than anything else, and more medium spiced than the super-hot it should be. At least by the standards of Indian restaurants in England, this place wouldn't last 5 minutes. I expected much better from a neighbourhood with a great reputation for Indian food. I'll never get food from this place again. read more

Ordered from this place thrice, each time hoping for the food to better than the last since I'm a fan of south indian food but the food was consistently bad. The Good: Their onion samosas were pretty good. The Bad: The chicken biryani was oily and tasted like tomato rice, the chicken in kozhi milagu varuval had a weird taste and I'm sure the chicken definitely several days old. It was the same problem with meen kolumbu where the fish was definitely tasted old. After 3 failed attempts definitely not ordering from this place read more

Excellent food. Great Chettinadu specials (Tamil certified) and definitely worth a visit if you are in Newark looking for authentic Indian food. Thank you to Vishnu who helped us out with top-tier service. Will 100% be back. read more