Bombay Masala

Lunch at this restaurant left much to be desired. The essential part of any restaurant is food, food food! Bombay Masala was a complete miss here, as far as the lunch buffet went. Cucumber raita was watery, and that was the best part. The vegetarian dishes were all bland, mushy, and seemed to be a hodgepodge of leftovers. The chicken dishes were bland and dry, clearly having seen better days. Such a disappointment…

I’ve eaten here before and hated it. So, I guess it’s hit or miss. If you’re looking for ambiance. Go somewhere else. If you want a healthy vegan meal that has a homey feel, step right in. Not cheap at $ 9.40 a pop, but considering the dearth of anything other than fast food in this area, Bombay is the better choice. The food was good, the samosas very tasty. A Mr. and Mrs own and run this restaurant. The gentleman cooks, and his wife runs the dining room. They would probably do much better if they engaged the customer, but they mostly… don’t. You go in, sit, get the buffet, eat, pay and leave.
There’s a Ruby Tuesday in this mall, if you like factory food.

The only reason why i am giving this a two star is because its expensive for the amount of food they give for the dinner. They say it can feed two people. i ordered the chicken tikka masla. They brought it out in a small bowl. I was wondering where the rest was…
But i will have to admit the food was very delicious.
i ordered
Chicken tikka Massla — 9
Naan –8
Lamb curry 8
Tandoori chicken 7
Mango lassii –10 (best ive tasted, and ive tasted plenty before.
Overall, it was very good but just not for the amount of food you get.
Will i go back? Probably not

This is a historical rating now, as they shut their doors on 12−31−11:
For a little neighborhood joint, it’s pretty good. A lot of reviews seem to imagine that a place in a mall out on University Boulevard is supposed to compete with the tony joints in DuPont Circle. Do you ask a VW Bug to compete with a Lambo? They’ve been OK in responding to my requests for keeping salt out of my dishes. They only messed up once, when they added a spice mix with salt to an appetizer that was shared with myself & some friends.

Not only did they not use a single spice in the food but Bombay Masala managed to completely suck out any natural flavor that may have been there in the first place. The food was absolutely horrible! We had Chicken Thikka, Matar Paneer and Naan. All of it, even the Naan, was beyond salvageable. Even my husband who prefers Indian/​Pakistani food a little on the calmer side couldn’t believe how tasteless every single dish was. I’m not even sure salt or pepper was used.
We ordered carryout so I cannot speak of the customer service. But does it really matter what the customer service is like when the food is nothing less than ghastly???
If you’re considering discounting this review thinking i’m one of those girls who isn’t happy with anything… DON’T. Trust me, this will be the worst Indian food you have ever had the misfortune of putting into your mouth. I’m seriously considering breaking into their kitchen tonight and throwing around some cummin, paprika, curry, masala, cloves… anything!!!

Love Indian food, Wouldn’t say this is my favorite Indian restaurant.
Service was good. Waiters/​Waitress was attentive. Food came out piping hot!
Place was clean, with good atmosphere.
Malai Kofta was okay, not favorite rendition of this dish.

Simply the worst Indian food I’ve had in the USA. I think the best way to describe it is to think of the last time you’ve had a really bad head cold or flu and your lost ability to taste — everyhing is bland. I’ve eaten here at few times and I think I gave them a fair chance. Indian food is all about spices and herbs. Indian food is not about opening a can of Campbell’s tomato soup and pouring it over chewy chicken (a few bones too!) and calling it Tikka Masala. How this place stays open is a mystery to me.

The DC metropolitan area has plenty of delicious Indian food to offer. So do yourself a favor and avoid Bombay Masala — and try a restaurant that has good reviews instead.
I work across the street from this restaurant, so it has been a tempting option for lunch. They advertise a buffet, so I tried it out. I’ve had a variety of really good Indian buffets around the country, and this was very mediocre. Very small selection, and everything had clearly been sitting in a steam tray for a while. The naan was chewy and the rice was dry and clumpy. Some of the main dishes had pools of oil floating on the surface. All very unappealing.
But being a sucker for Indian food, I decided to give Bombay Masala a try for dinner — maybe it’s just the buffet that’s bad. The food was fresher, but it didn’t have the quality or flavor that I’ve gotten elsewhere. And the naan was still chewy! I don’t know what they’ve done to this poor bread.
They did have a «secret» Indian-​Chinese fusion menu, and we ordered a couple of dishes from it. In theory, the idea of combining these two cuisines is interesting. It was unimpressive. But it does offer a hint of novelty at a restaurant that is otherwise unappetizing.

I love Indian food and this place is 5 minutes away from my house, yet I’ll never go back. What does that tell you?

WOW. The worst.
If u like old, stale, cold and bland food, then this place is right for you.
Don’t waste your time, there are better options in Laurel and Silver Spring.

How to seduce a Su: whisper into his ear the words chicken tikka masala.
Food — I went with my wife today for the lunch buffet ($ 9.40) and it was a mixed bag. First, I found what I called the lazy man’s samosas hilarious: a sliced potato, seasoned, breaded, and fried. That may be an actual dish, but I found it amusing. Second, I found the chicken tikka masala – my kryptonite, my lovah, my friend – very bland, though it wasn’t so bad when I poured tamarind chutney on top. Third, the chicken tandoori was excellent! Succulent pieces of dark meat chicken, perfectly seasoned. Mmmmm! The chicken tandoori at Tiffin, India Gate, and Sapphire all bow down in reverence and call the chicken at Bombay Masala a cow.
As far as the other dishes, they had 2 mixed veggie curries, a spinach curry, chick peas, rice, naan, and the aforementioned dishes. I was expecting more at nearly $ 10 a pop.
For dinner, the chicken tikka masala is $ 13 and mango lassi is $ 3.50
Location — not a bad interior, though the tablecloths made me feel like I was at a picnic (
).
Service — the servers bussed our table and filled our waters very efficiently. Well done!
At $ 10/​person, I’d recommend India Gate ($ 7.95) or Sapphire ($ 8.95) as they are cheaper and have better chicken tikka masala. If however, you work near Greenbelt and someone whispers those magic words into your ear, make your way to Bombay Masala stat!
Lunch buffet:
11:30am-2:30pm M-​F
12pm-2:30pm Sat
Closed Sunday