Garam Masala

I was here a little over a month ago, and before that I haven’t been here for a couple years. There is new management there than my prior experience (my one star rating) and they are great. They contacted me to compensate for being yelled at a couple years back and provided good and honest service, as well as delicious food.
My boyfriend and I ordered the coconut curry and a kofta curry that we loved. We also got garlic naan. The newer manager (it’s been about a year now since the switch) was very accommodating to us and our needs. Furthermore, he was genuinely interested in my last experience here and how him and his team could do better and to try and reach out to customers. I felt bad because he is basically cleaning up the mess that the last manager/​owner made, and it’s not really the new team’s fault.
Reasons I took off a star:
The place is small like it’s always been, and it’s in an older building (which you can’t exactly avoid being a restaurant on the ave). The size isn’t what matters to me. The older building and few décor inside isn’t necessarily inviting (it’s not horrible by any means), but it does make the place feel a little less lively. Not a huge deal, but just stating cause ambiance does add to a dining experience, and customers will compare it with another restaurant’s (especially since there’s many Indian restaurants on the ave).
Another reason is because I was expecting our 3 stars to be more spicy than we got, which I guess we can just know now to order a 4. Typically Indian spice scale is pretty hot and we normally get a 3 at other restaurants. But that’s just something as a customer you adapt to and memorize what spice levels you get at what places, so easy fix. Just seemed off.
Lastly, the naan wasn’t as good as other places. However, he did mention it takes a while for the oven to heat up to make the naan the best, and we came shortly after they opened. I feel like that could’ve been prepared before opening, but it might involve other restaurant business matters that I don’t know completely. I’m sure it’d taste better a hour or two after opening. However, that’s not something a customer should have to consider when eating at a restaurant.
Now I’m pointing out a lot of cons despite my 4 star rating. These cons are very little things I thought I should mention, but the food and service is what matters most, and that’s where my 4 stars are coming from. The food is great and the portion is too. We were very fully eating family style and had leftovers! It tasted great and we got plenty of each curry, rice, and naan.
The service was significantly improved (especially since my last review was rock bottom haha) and I really did feel like it was genuine. I was pleased to see how much the new manager cares about customers and the team reflects that as well.
I do recommend this place and will be returning!

I’m sorry to say that I just really didn’t like the food. I thought it tasted cheap like there was a lot of oil used, things were extra extra fried, etc.
The samosas reminded me of more of an overly fried egg roll instead of a buttery crisp pastry filled with potatoes spices and peas. The rice tasted dry and old, I ended up making my own basmati rice instead after tasting it and it didn’t even come with peas in it like I had ordered and paid extra for. Even the bread tasted off. Like white wonder bread in the form of naan.
The portions were small in comparison to other Indian foods restaurants for the same price. The chicken tikka masala just wasn’t very good. I think it might have been the chicken mostly but even a good sauce can cover up bad chicken. This one did not. The pakora wasn’t crispy and instead tasted chewy and old and had been fried for too long? Not sure, it was just like biting into straight up oil and batter.
I order Indian from restaurant instead of making it at home because I feel like the recipes can be a little complex and getting that right flavor is so hard. This food tasted like the food I would make at home from the chicken tikka masala sauce packets at the grocery store. I’m fine with a range in flavor but it just had a cheap taste.

Non-​traditional Indian food with a Pakistani influence. Great service and my curry chicken was tender with an amazing sauce. The other person in my party ordered chicken boti and it had a wonderful, savory marinade. We recommend you order it as is, which is a medium hot dish, to fully appreciate the delicious flavor. Bring your friends and enjoy it family style.

Do not come here!!! They add gratuity regardless of party size and without informing you… It seems like they do this a lot. The restaurant was empty during a time it should’ve been busy… The service was mediocre and the food was even worse. It tasted like it was watered down and not full of flavor. I used the free naan and beverage coupon from the student survival guide and the manager tried fighting me on it saying it was only for lunch and didn’t include a beverage. I had to physically show him the coupon for him to believe me. Would not recommend coming here. Go to cedars up the Ave.

Ordered via Eat24 on Friday January 8, 2016 at 7:22pm. Located a 20 minute drive from them, waited 1 hour, 40 minutes. No apology offered upon arrival. It was warm, not hot. The cold dessert was also as warm as the other dishes (yuk).
The food overall; however, is pretty good. Probably a better place to eat IN as they appear to have not yet mastered the art of delivery or perhaps are over-​ambitious about the distance they can serve given the challenges of navigating even short distances in this city in a timely manner… or maybe my experience was a rare screw up… who knows.
Their portions are a bit smaller than other places in town but their prices are reasonable.
Dishes were fragrant, flavorful and well-​balanced (not too salty or oily, etc.), meats (lamb and chicken) were tender, sauces were full-​bodied and of smooth texture. Palak Paneer was good… the cheese did have a deep fried essence to it which is not my preference.
The Kheer was disappointing due to mealy texture, absence of nuts and cardamom pods (or perhaps they were part of the mush). I wouldn’t order the Kheer again. The only place that gets me on the Kheer is Tandoori Hut which wasn’t accepting orders at the time I was craving Indian food… testimony to their popularity.

Delicious! We ordered the lamb curry and vegi coconut curry with level of hot. Very hot and very yummy!

Me and my fiancé been shopping in the area and decided to stop by for a QUICK MEAL. What a surprise! This place treats itself like big pricy restaurant!
Very friendly stuff (yes, if you have experienced indian service before you know what im talking about)
Food was delicious, the prices are very reasonable. Make sure to get the garlic bread when you come over;)) Definitely will be back.

Awesome authentic chicken biryani… Also try the chicken tandoori… The spices are different than what you encounter in Indian restaurants. Try this if you want a flavor of Indian Pakistani food

Great authentic indian food. I love everything we ordered. We ordered allo tikki and papdhy chat as appetisers they were awsome full of flavour. For the main dish we ordered lamb baryani and butter chicken with garlic nan and aloo kulcha they were soooo delicious. its was our first experience and won’t be the last we will definitely come again: D its also halal so its a perfect choice for Muslims: D keep up the delicious food

I really can’t decide whether to give this place a three or a four.
It’s really quite good food with an amazing variety on the menu, and great value. I’ve never been disappointed. And I’ve always been impressed with the Biryani!
But I’m giving this a 3 because I’ve only ever ordered takeout or delivery. So I may up the ante later.
So — the food. I’ve had a bunch of different dishes — sides and entrees. The meats all seem to be very good quality. It’s not a five star establishment, but I’ve never seen anything oily or leave me with a nasty taste. And for many restaurants, it’s easy to smother really cheap fatty cuts of meat in lots of sauce. But I’ve not encountered that here.
The butter chicken is amazing. Hands down. I would get that any day of the week. And the portions aren’t bad. The Biryani is amazing, so is the eggplant. Did I tell you about how amazing the butter chicken is?
And when you order naan you really get a GIANT GODDAMN NAAN. And it’s cooked to perfection, and hot when you get it. I’m drooling just thinking about it. And full disclosure — I got so hungry writing this that I actually ordered lunch delivery in the middle of doing this review.
So… back to the matter at hand! The one downside is that they do take quite a long time to deliver. They say that up front on the Eat 24 app (SO CONVENIENT) that they’ll be anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour. Since I live just a few blocks away, I usually opt to pick up the food instead of wait unless I’m exhausted, busy, or at work (like I am now).
Another critique — The takeout containers are pretty flimsy and look like they’re about to collapse under the weight of the curries they’re carrying. So be careful with that.
But, when you do order through the Eat 24 app (not sure if they do this in person or if you order delivery over the phone), there are coupons you can use to get a free side or dessert. I thought that was a nice touch, and definitely adds value to the meal.
All in all, this restaurant has a special place in my heart. The first time I picked up my food, it was a slow day and the owner was unbelievably gracious and welcoming and helped me to my car with the food.
And, of course, it’s all so delicious — just real comfort food — that it’s going to keep me coming back.
NOTE for those dining-​in — sorry this review concentrates so hard on delivery. One thing I can say is that parking sucks on the Ave. And the atmosphere in the restaurant is very so-​so. But they do have delicious food.

Great food for a great price with outstanding management. Had them cater a school event and it was incredible. Highly recommend!
Second time: came back for dinner with a friend and was even better. Had the mango chicken curry and it was to die for. Also had the house nan which was unique and delicious. Will be a regular for sure.

I was craving butter chicken and Unilocal said they were the cheapest and nearest, lol.
I don’t know if the owners/​staff are really horrible and are starting to listen to the advice of Unilocalers or those Unilocalers are all crazy ass snobs.
We went in and there was literally nobody inside. Sat down and I ordered right off the bat, my friend didn’t want anything but the waiter/​owner guy was chill and got my food right away and even gave us this enormous naan bread-​free. Uhm hell yeah. The butter chicken was delish and creamy and and the bread was fluffy and soft.
My only qualm… Well the portions were kinda small and not ThAT cheap in comparison. My chicken was around 12.99. Anyways, the owners/​cooks? Were heaps nice and casual which I loved. Will defs be back.

I went to Garam Masala last night and ordered chicken tikka masala, vegetable samosas, and plain naan to go. I was coming out of a meeting and on my way home I had a craving for some Indian food. This place seemed like a good fit: not only was it open late, but it was also completely empty, so I was looking forward to a short wait time. This was also my first visit.
For ease of convenience I went ahead and paid for my order so that I could just leave once it is ready. After that was complete, one of the staff members kindly suggested that if I use Unilocal I should write a review of my experience. I thought «why not?» and proceeded to «check in» to remind myself to complete a review later.
As I was waiting for my order, one of the staff served me water to drink as I wait. As I enjoyed my water, two of the staff began to discuss with me the importance of my writing a good review because they really need more business. I became curious and wondered why they were beginning to pressure me to write a review and decided to take a look at what other Unilocalers noted regarding their experience here. Much of what I read made me apprehensive but I remained hopeful. Sometimes you never know how people or businesses might change. However, just as a precaution I did take note of multiple Unilocalers stating they were charged fradulent amounts and took a picture of both copies of the receipts, keeping one for myself.
When my order was complete and ready for me to take home one of the staff (although he was nice) again pressured me by asking «did you write a review for us yet?». I kindly responded that I am not okay with writing a review until I’ve had the opportunity to eat my food but that I will submit one.
When I got home I was somewhat surprised by how small the entrée portions were (especially considering portion sizes of other Indian restaurants in the local area for comparable prices). I wasn’t too thrilled with how the chicken tikka masala tasted, either. The sauce tasted like there was something missing or was off — I know that different restaurants often have their unique way of making the same dish, but I believe there is a difference between that and a dish just simply not being as good as at other places where you’re familiar. The chicken also had a very strange texture when I chewed it. When I examined why that might be, I did notice some pieces were kind of pink (read: undercooked). I threw the remaining pieces away to avoid getting sick.
The vegetable samosas were my favorite! The stuffing inside was delectable, balanced in flavor and had so little amount of peas I couldn’t even taste them … which I am okay with because I despise that vegetable haha. The naan was delicious as well.
All in all, I rate this place a 3 because while I was disappointed with the portion size and quality of my chicken tikka masala, I did enjoy everything else and the staff made me feel at ease for the most part (with exception to the weird pressuring to write a review). I suppose in the future if I come back I might order sides and pay with cash but I probably won’t order a main dish from there in the future.
EDIT: In response to comment reply by owner —
My concerns did not have to do with staff not showing enough effort to give me quality service but with the quality of my entrée and the unnecessary pressuring to write a good review. What I posted was sincere and honest, and I also obviously mentioned positive aspects of my experience as well. Just because you as an owner do not like my review, it doesn’t mean I am not an «actual customer». That type of attitude is a little arrogant to have, and defeats the whole purpose of what Unilocal is about.

Bomb butter chicken and chicken masala!!! The rice is spectacular and he service is great!!! The employees will go an extra mile for you to have a good experience.

Gets 4 stars purely for having phenomenal NAAN!

Me and a few friends wanted some Indian food for dinner so we walked into this small, cozy restaurant. I wasn’t expecting much, just wanted some lamb tikka masala and some naan with chutney.
The food was decently portioned and there were more pieces of meat compared to other restaurants. They served us the garlic naan and it wasn’t too bad. I had better, and bigger, naan at other places. We also had to ask for the chutney, and ask for refills, as they didn’t just readily serve it with the naan. I personally like having an unlimited amount of chutney with my naan, and meal, so that’s why I docked off a star. Otherwise, Garam was another pretty good Indian restaurant.

Very good lamb and butter chicken! Saw a few Indian families there and they seemed to enjoy it. Recommended by my roommate, and now me :)
Service is fast given there was only one waiter/​cashier.
All in all, a good place for Indian food and I’ll be back!

This might be good if you’re a student and haven’t eaten a lot of Indian food in your life. Small portions (quarter pints and hand sized naan), and not cheap as others described. You’re still going to spend 15+ here.
There was about a half inch of grease at the top of my vindaloo that I had to sift out, spilling some food in my sink. Good thing though, since ³⁄₅ means temple-​sweating spicy, and I can handle a lot of spice. Not sure what the red stuff was on my garlic naan, but it managed to somehow be tasteless.
A plus is that it’s a short wait to get your food.

DO NOT GO TO THIS RESTAURANT. THE OWNERS APPEAR TO BE NICE BUT ARE NOT STRAIGHTFORWARD OR HONEST.
I recently came here weekday at around 11:25 a.m. to have the lunch buffet.
Several days later, looking at my bank account, I was surprised to discover that Garam Masala tacked on extra $ 3. In other words, they changed the bill, ignored what I had written down and paid for.
(I had brought in a coupon, which included a drink).
Though the food was mostly good, especially the naam, which was brought out crackling, there were only a total of about 6 – 7 different dishes, and the salad was paltry. I should have gone a couple blocks north to Tandoori.
I would not come back here again because of their dishonesty, as others have also experienced.

Stopped in here one evening for a bit of dinner and was not disappointed. I am super picky about butter chicken and this place has a pretty good sauce. The service was quick and attentive. I would recommend this place to anyone looking for some decent Indian cuisine in the area. Prices are what I would normally expect for what you get ($ 10 – 14 per entrée).
I noticed one of the reviews mentioned the restroom was not up to par and all I have to say to that is — there was a working toilet (clean too), a door and a sink for washing up. I can’t imagine taking off points because the restroom isn’t pretty. It was clean and functional.