A nice, typical Indian lunch buffet. Food was good, not great. However, be aware that the yelp check-in coupon for 10% off does not work for the lunch buffet! Only valid for dinner a la carte. Even the owner declined to offer it. read more

Food was very good, perfectly spicy, especially the Dal Makhani and Naan - 5 stars! Service is 3 stars, we felt as if we were being rushed to leave, even though the restaurant was empty on a Saturday night. read more

Great place near Tufts within walking distance. Samosas were fresh and tasty. The naan crisp but soft and chewy just the way we like them. The Masala and lamb with spinach were also very good. One can always tell the quality of the food as the conversation becomes quite for a few moments as we enjoyed the evening. Enjoy read more

I drove from the south shore to this restaurant. All I can say is yum yum. The service was friendly and polite, going on a Friday night, busy but had not problems sitting at the bar till a table was open. The drink I had was yummy. Just plain great. Will definitely pass the word and will absolutely being going there again. read more

This is the best Indian restaurant in Medford/Somerville/Cambridge, at least since Namaskar was apparently muscled out of Davis by Diva. Apparently, Namaskar's far superior food couldn't compete with Diva's faux-nightclub vibe. But anyway, Masala. Outstanding food. Vegetable samosas are spot on and never greasy. they always seem baked rather than fried. That red onion chutney that every Indian joint puts out (usually in a tray that includes cilantro pesto and some sort of molasses-based sauce) with the papadums? Best. Ever. I buy a 16 oz. container to go after every meal, and I put it on everything. EVERYthing. $5 house mojito is a heck of a deal and very well-made. Beer selection is fine, not great. You can get a Sierra Nevada pale ale, so good enough. Their legume-based vegetarian dishes are just wonderful. I'm a Dal Makhani fanatic, and this is the best I've ever had. Beats every Cambridge restaurant I've tried, and that's a big deal. Naan is a tad greasy, but plentiful and just right for sopping up the perfectly-spiced sauce from my dinner. My ladyfriend usually goes for a chickpea-based dish, Aloo Chole or Chana Masala. The flavors are deep and wonderful. She once commented that she wanted to stop by Yak & Yeti on the way home, show them her leftovers, and tell them that THAT'S how to cook a garbanzo bean. (Yak & Yeti can be wonderful and is kind of our place, but it's wildly inconsistent.) I deduct a star strictly because of service. I don't mind slowness so much; that allows me to imagine that the chef is lovingly simmering my Dal to perfection, adding spices as the spirit moves him. It's the unevenness of the service that's irritating. Our drinks will sit on the bar for 10 minutes before being delivered. A dining companion's kebabs will come out 15 minutes before the rest of our dinners. And so on. Even when it's practically empty. But this irritation is forgotten with the first bite of food. Also, we've had consistently better service while sitting at the bar rather than the dining room. read more

I've been to Masala 4-5 times now and I have never been disappointed. The food is consistently really good. The Baingan Bartha cannot be beaten. The meat in the Tandori is good quality and tasty. Service is very good and waiters/waitress are very nice. It is 5 minute from my home and I will keep going regularly. My daughters are picky and they love Punjab in Arlington. Well, they love this one too and I personally some dishes are even better; if this can give you a benchmark. read more

Food: The food was good. Not too spicy and very flavourful. Ambiance: Casual. Would be very comfortable bringing the kid. You can go to the back and see the tandoori oven in action through a window. Staff: Friendly enough. No compliments or complaints. Overall: Its fine. I would eat there if in the area but would not go out of my way. read more

Masala - Samosas - Indian Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

My boyfriend and I live right up the street from Masala, but for some reason, had yet to dine there. Tonight was our first go at it and we will certainly be going back. The staff was very attentive and friendly. We had some questions about the menu and our server answered graciously. I got the Aloo Gobi (cauliflower + potato) and my boyfriend got the Chicken Tiki Masala. Both were great and seasoned perfectly. And nothing goes better than a side of garlic naan! The naan was equally delicious. After we paid our bill our server let us know they had a dessert that they wanted to bring us on the house. Out came two small servings (perfect size!) of a homemade carrot cake. It was awesome. Not a "traditional" carrot cake - it was very fresh and you could actually taste the carrots - rather than lots of cake and sugar. It was the perfect treat to end our meal. The restaurant was clean and well lit. You could see into a part of the kitchen which was a nice effect. There were some folks eating at the bar, which looked cozy as well. I have walked by many times in the warmer weather when they have their front windows open, and I'm excited to eat there on a nice summer night. Long story short. Food was great, service was friendly, atmosphere was pleasant and welcoming. read more

I have eaten here a few times. Great food. Upon my last visit, I was very dissatisfied with the food, however, I was very impressed by the response to fix the problem. My original review was 1 star, but it is obvious Masala vales their customers and wishes to keep them happy. For this, I have upgraded my review to a 3. read more

Went here almost every weekend last summer! Nice ambiance and great service. Really liked the boneless chicken tikka (appetizer) and my friend ordered the chicken tikka masala with peshwari naan and seemed to enjoy it very much! Only thing was that the portions weren't that big. But, $3 margaritas! (Although I think they only have that in the summer and spring) read more

I like the atmosphere in here. And though it looks expensive, but the fee is not at all. You can get a great meal by costing under 20 dollars. It's a nice try to have Indian foods. read more

This place is amazing! The food is always good and the service is very friendly. You always feel welcome here. I would definitely try their weekend buffets. An amazing deal and you will leave feeling stuffed. The buffet price includes all entrees, dessert, and freshly ordered naan. read more

Was planning to go out for an Indian staycation lunch with my son at Diva only to learn... oh no! Diva is permanently closed! What to do?!? Popped open the Yelp app and discovered Masala just a short walk away. The first thing I noticed about this buffet was the VARIETY. Wow! So many things to choose from... more than most buffets put out for the weekend & this was just an ordinary Wednesday. As a vegetarian, I was delighted by all of the choices & appreciated that everything was labeled. Everything I tried was FRESH and delicious. The naan was piping hot and crisp... so good. I think it's safe to say that although I'm super sad to have lost Diva, I'm delighted to have found a new, delicious place and can't wait to return. read more

Do not eat here awful service, food cold I ordered a boneless dish which had lots of bones in it i almost choked' quite dangerous especially for kids, and after all that I was charged full cost of the meal, and told to don't forget tip please, omg never again!!! read more

This is probably my most favourite restaurant in the area ! The ambience is excellent and absolutely beautiful The service is great and they are very humble if you are lucky enough like is you might just get great offers in deserts and have it on the house ! (Amazing) read more

We got the channa masala and naan which were both great! We weren't starving and ended taking some of the food home. Service is a little strange though...the owner or someone older was walking around constantly looking at us without saying anything. When he came to take our order (which took a lot longer than expected), I was about to order something from the drink menu when he said "oh no, those aren't for you". Definitely an awkward way to ask for an ID.... read more

Spectacular lunch buffet for less than $10.. Expect to leave with a giant food baby. I named mine gulapi, short for gulab jamun - the delicious sweet donut balls drenched in golden syrup. I love those things. Also great to try: their milk tea, garlic naan, andddd every food dish that is out. They usually have a selection of several types of meat including fish, tandoori chicken, chicken tikki masala, and some meat dumplings. Server is also really nice. Great seating, clean place, pretty awesome all around experience. read more

Really great place for lunch. The food was good and so was the service. Have been going here for lunch buffets often. I love their masala tea! read more

THE GOOD: [+] $8 lunch buffet on weekdays, $11 on weekends, from 11-3. [+] Though I have only been here for the lunch buffets, and only when I am really hung over, the food is decent considering the price. Sure, Masala isn't going to be fine dining, but it definitely gets the job done. That job, more specifically, is hangover curing. [+] $3 margaritas are both hangover extenders and hangover enablers. I really would have liked to be there when management decided that it made sense to offer margaritas at an Indian restaurant, but in some strange way, it just makes sense. Someone needed to compete with Rudy's in that department. Yeah, Masala's margaritas are terrible. But, they taste like $4 margaritas, so at the actual price of $3, that is an ideal price/quality ratio. It's all about the ratio. [+] Service has always been friendly. [+] Proximity to my apartment of less than 14 steps. [+] Naan comes built into the price of the buffet. They usually ask if you want some, but if not, just ask them for it. [+] 25% off Yelp Check-in Offer. THE NOT-SO-GOOD: [-] At peak hours the lunch buffet can get busy, especially when students are still around. When you are hung over and all you want is some Indian buffet in your face, waiting a few minutes makes you cry. Also, dishes can run out and not be replaced for a while, but that happens everywhere. [-] Their chai is super watery. [-] Needs more paneer in their palak paneer! TL;DR: I wish this place existed in my living room, but it is so close that I consider it my satellite living room. read more

Great Korma, either chicken or lamb. Sad to know I'll miss this when we move out of the area ... read more

I have no idea how this place has such high ratings - this is some of the worst 'Indian' food I've ever had. - and I've had A LOT of Indian food, all over the country and abroad. The service was good and the place itself is pleasant enough. Never eating here again! If you want decent Indian got to Mela in Boston. Worth the trip if you're in Cambridge like we are. read more

First of all, this is not at all authentic Indian, it's a Nepali Restaurant and food also taste nothing like an Indian food. We went for Saturday buffet, and for variety sake , they had some random and adhoc stuff like some random green leafs sauteed in oil and chili and named tag was "saag" ..lol..Saag served in Indian restaurant looks nothing like this and tastes way better. Then all food items were saltless and tasteless, goat curry looks and taste like oil curry, overloaded with oil which you can strain from your bowl and still see lot of oil and curry is tastless. Chicken curry is plain tomato curry ..awful...I wont even categories it as Chicken Curry. I can go on and on but dont want to waste my time more on this restaurant.. Only thing I liked , it was well cleaned and nicely arranged place but food was not good at all. read more

The slowest service!!! We were there on a Wednesday night after our bike ride around the neighborhood. It was almost 8pm and the place was half empty. The waitress just handed over the menus and did not come back to our table for the next almost 15 minutes. Not even water was offered. We just left. read more

Came originally because I had a groupon but now we just come because the food is delicious. Great service and food always cooked to order (vs many places that give you a warmed up samosa). They have Nepali as well as Indian - all good. read more

My boyfriend and I have been ordering Masala 1-2 times per week since they opened last year, and previously I have given them rave reviews. Now, after about 3 months of agreeing "that kind of sucked" more often than not, I have to update my review. Lately, there always seems to be a problem with the food and rarely is it up to par. Namely, food is being delivered lukewarm and seems as though it has been sitting around. Delivery has been very slow (easily 1 hour wait most times-- and we live about 5 blocks from the restaurant). We order the same thing every time: Chicken Tikka Masala and Paneer with tikka masala sauce: unfortunately, it has become completely inconsistent. We spend $30 every time we order and now are ready to take our business elsewhere. Not sure what's going wrong with Masala but these loyal customers are disappointed to say we won't be returning. read more

Darn good Indian food. The dosas, biryani, chicken jalfrezi, naan, etc etc etc are scrumptious. Love this place. Delivery is pretty quick too! read more

Do you like Indian food? Good service? Cheap drinks? If you answered yes to any of the above, this place is for you! Masala has an extensive Indian and Nepalese menu, along with a variety of cocktails that are cheap and delicious. $3 house sangria anyone? With that, everything I tried - from the Lamb Palaak to the Chicken Masala, was divine. They have all the staples and for those of you who are noobs, the staff is super helpful, so ask away for recommendations, etc. So what's my favorite dish? Jalfrizi with a side of Kingfisher. read more

Sitting in this place right now for the first time and experiencing the worst kind of service. I am so surprised how this restaurant even runs without paying attention to customer relations. The food is not great either. I had to wait for a full 30 mins for a glass of water. Never got the naan we ordered. Very very disappointed. Ridiculous! read more

We have ordered from them a few times and been happy, but this last time was awful. The service was terrible, it took 1:20 for our delivery. The food wasn't at all what we ordered and was barely edible. Also if you're a celiac I absolutely would not order from here! read more

We travel between Vermont and MA multiple times per year and Masalla is our favorite place to eat along the way. This was the first time we arrived when the buffet was open. It was great! We especially appreciate the choice of Indian (hot and rich) or Nepalese (flavorful spicy - not hot, and not as rich) to choose from. We arrived at the end of the buffet time and they specially cooked up a couple items for us that had run out at the buffet (and we didn't even ask for it!), A very welcoming restaurant that we will continue to return to. read more

Attention!!!!!! O my god never had that bad experience in my life . food was so bland taste . This morning I had a lunch buffet there was a-lot off options to eat non of options was good taste . Price of there lunch buffet as compared of food price is high 13$ . There service is poor . I recommend you guys don't go to this place you guys totally gonna waste your time and your money . read more

First time ordering from this place and I am highly impressed with the quality of food. I ordered the chicken korma and it was AMAZING. There was a lot of chicken in the meal, which is good because some places skimp on meat. It is definitely worth the $14. Delivery was even 10 min early! I will be ordering from here again. read more

Almost 2 hrs for delivery and not even an apology. Don't waste your time getting delivery from these guys, there are so many good Indian places around here. read more

The food here is great -- one of the few places I actually venture outside my comfort zone and try a new dish. I've never been disappointed. They don't skimp on the "good" ingredients either. Too many times at other places, I've been served dishes that are mostly sauce and rice. The chefs at Masala have, to my tastes, the perfect hand with spice. Just enough to make the dishes flavorful, not enough to burn you. A lassi is the perfect complement to wash it all down. Another plus: great views of Teele Square for people watching. Also, the kitchen is glassed in, so you can see the chef at work. The only thing I wish they'd update is the decor. This place is too nice for drop ceilings and outdated fabric. For cheap, they could change the drop ceiling to faux tin ceiling tiles, recover the booths and chairs, and pick a better paint color. Maybe a wood-look laminate floor. After all, ambiance is almost as important as food, and I think a few changes would attract more customers. read more

Went there for the lunch buffet on a Sunday. Solid food, friendly service, great price. I definitely recommend this Teele Sq joint. We showed up about 15 mins before the buffet ended and were worried that we'd be left with the scraps, but not at all. Plenty of yummy goodness to go around. I'm no Indian food snob, so I'm sure you can find better fare elsewhere, but if you live in the area and want a satisfying lunch buffet experience, hit this place up. (Also, they have a frequent buffet-er card: buy 8 lunch buffets and get one free!) read more

This place STINKS! Literally. Walked in on a Sunday afternoon around 2:00 PM. And the first thing I feel and smell is this offensive odor. The closest description I can think of is walking next to a vagabond who hasn't showered or washed their soiled clothes for weeks on end. That offensive smell of rotten urine. Was wondering for a few seconds if I walked into a restaurant or a dirty unclean public restroom at a train or bus station! Needless to say, that ruined any appetite I had. I did eat but all I could think about was the source of this disgusting smell. I hope that isn't an indicator of the hygiene in the kitchen! The food was bland. The only item I enjoyed was the crisp samosas. Will never return to this restaurant again. P.S.: If you are still adventurous to check it out, do stop by. That is if you are eager to dine in a restaurant which smells like a dirty public restroom! read more

How to put this... I've ordered delivery from Masala so many times that when I answered a friend's door (because of course I'd turned that friend into a Masala convert), the delivery guy got confused and thought he was in the wrong place with the wrong order. Yes, he -- the very nice delivery guy -- knows my house well. He probably also knows a lot of my friends' houses, without knowing it, because of how many people I've introduced to Masala over the last few years. Nobody has ever been disappointed, to my knowledge, and many of them are regulars now. Occasionally I've tried to cheat on Masala and order from somewhere else, but I always regret it. My litmus test for Indian food is palak or saag paneer. From Masala, you will get the most flavorful, nicely textured palak paneer that you can imagine. Others seem bland and mushy in comparison. My boyfriend can eat their chicken tikka masala pretty much constantly, and I can vouch for its tastiness. But the dish that really surprises me is their tandoori chicken, which is so much more moist and flavorful than most versions of that dish. I now regret sitting down to write this review. It's nearly midnight - which means no hope of eating Masala tonight. Not good. Not good at all. read more

There is one dish on their Nepali menu that is unique from other restaurants - Momos (veggie and chicken - steamed, not fried) . The chef is trained in New Delhi (Pisa Institute - good place) and is a good cook. What do I see in a restaurant? hygiene, quality of food, ambiance and service. They score full marks in all these categories. The place is well maintained, roomy (not crammed) and the ambiance is very relaxing. The service is good too - the server (Lal Bahadur Aiyer) is very polite and goes the extra mile. The food is a mix of Indian and Nepali (50-50 probably). You will find typical Indian/Punjabi dish of chicken tikka, palak paneer, etc. while also sabjis (veggies) which are cooked in Nepali-Indian fashion. They sometimes have samosas - freshly made, so you will appreciate the flavor, same with chutneys, etc. My personal recommendation remains - momos with special chutney (tomato base). If they're out of veggie momos (during buffet), don't hesitate to request for veggie momos. I write this after being there 3 times (twice buffets and once dinner) - same positive opinion all times. read more

We came for the Sunday buffet and wow were there a lot of options! The food was very interesting, solid, and authentic, with selections that included the usual palak paneer and chicken tikka masala, tandoori chicken, dhal/lentils, but also goat curry, bamboo shoots, Nepalese chicken, other greens, as well as dumpling momos! There was a bar with a lot of condiments and chai prespiced. Dessert was milk balls with syrup. They come around with complimentary naan baskets (they ask if you want garlic, also free) fresh from the oven. These are also handmade and there's a window where you can watch it happen - this my dad enjoyed. Service was great in as far as promptness with refill naan and water glasses. Everyone was very nice. Tip was included in the buffet bill for our party of six FYI. All in all, would definitely go back for authentic Indian and Nepalese cuisine. read more

A friend local to the restaurant introduced me and I've been coming ever since, with or without them, even though I don't live in the area - from Boston and now from Belmont. Really enjoy the food - the quality, the taste and the variety. Especially as they have vegetarian and vegan options, which makes the restaurant more accessible. Appreciate the warm, pretty decor, and the friendly, helpful staff - from the very gracious owner to the cooks, some of whom you can see through a glass partition as they make Tandori. Love this place, and recommend it to both seasoned (no pun intended) Indian and Nepalese cusine appreciators and those looking for a new culinary experience. Enjoy! read more