Makalu Boston

Nepalese restaurant · Arlington

Makalu Boston

Nepalese restaurant · Arlington

1

352a Massachusetts Ave, Arlington, MA 02474

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Makalu Boston by null
Makalu Boston by null
Makalu Boston by null
Makalu Boston by null
Makalu Boston by null
Makalu Boston by null
Makalu Boston by null
Makalu Boston by null
Makalu Boston by null
Makalu Boston by null
Makalu Boston by null
Makalu Boston by null
Makalu Boston by null
Makalu Boston by null
Makalu Boston by null
Makalu Boston by null
Makalu Boston by null
Makalu Boston by null
Makalu Boston by null
Makalu Boston by null
Makalu Boston by null
Makalu Boston by null
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Makalu Boston by null
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Makalu Boston by null
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Highlights

Himalayan, Indian, Tibetan, American cuisine, momos, biryani, burgers  

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352a Massachusetts Ave, Arlington, MA 02474 Get directions

makalubostonma.com
@makaluboston

$20–30 · Menu

Information

Static Map

352a Massachusetts Ave, Arlington, MA 02474 Get directions

+1 781 316 0250
makalubostonma.com
@makaluboston

$20–30 · Menu

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Last updated

Oct 24, 2025

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@eater

Biggest Restaurant Openings to Know About in Boston, April 2025 | Eater Boston

"A Nepali-Indian-Tibetan spot showcasing hearty, authentic flavors — expect plump momos, crispy samosas, a variety of curries, and pani puri among other regionally inspired dishes that highlight street-food favorites and comfort classics." - Erika Adams

https://boston.eater.com/2025/4/30/24421176/boston-restaurants-bar-openings-april-2025
View Postcard for Makalu Boston

Kasey Kidder

Google
I highly recommend dining in at Makalu! We just had the best experience there for dinner. The vibe was amazing, we loved the ambiance, the owners clearly put a lot of love and labor into the aesthetic of the space and it’s beautiful! We also LOVED our meal. We split the Korma Paneer curry and it was 10/10. We got the garlic naan bread with it and that was delicious as well. We additionally got the vegetarian momo and highly recommend it! Lastly, we got the lava cake for dessert and that was an unexpected highlight. We loved it! The service was amazing, the space was relaxing, and the food was great. We will definitely be returning. I also highly recommend dining in vs. takeout - we’ve done both, and our dining-in experience is what shined the most compared to takeout.

Tsung-Hao Ku (tku music)

Google
As a person who doesn't taste Nepalis food often, the food here not only gave us a great introduction but also made us become obsessed with the "Dal" and "Bhat". The service is great and the decorations is pretty! The price is very reasonable. Highly recommend this restaurant.

Abhisan Ghimire

Google
Had a great experience here with a group of friends. The ambiance is pleasant, and the food quality is solid. We tried several dishes—*thaali* and *thukpa* were the highlights, while *momo* was decent. *Chatpat* had great flavor and texture, and *panipuri* was a healthier take. *Chowmein* was slightly burnt, but likely a one-time issue. Service was excellent—friendly, attentive staff with genuine smiles. I came all the way from Worcester; while I might not travel just for this spot again, I’d happily eat here if I’m in the area. Off topic : The place gives a cozy café/snack vibe—adding coffee/refreshers drinks/grab-and-go kind could attract more foot traffic. Only downside: it was quite cold inside, especially near the vent. Overall, highly recommend for anyone looking to enjoy authentic Nepali/Indian flavors catered towards Western taste buds.

Max Xu

Google
Delicious, beautiful food and decor. The chef/owner spent over a decade in fine dining and it really shows. Panipuri comes beautifully plated, def recommended along with the other Nepali specials. The classic Indian staples are solid too but I would recommend the chicken soup first (thukpa)

Ellen Todres

Google
We loved this small restaurant. The food is very flavorful and fresh, and the staff are super friendly and attentive. We had lentil soup, sekuwa grilled chicken appetizer, and the goat thali (which, by the way, includes amazing tomato chutney, bright and tasty) - everything was so good! We are definitely coming back for momo.

Dan M

Google
Delicious little Nepali gem of a restaurant. My friend lives close by and I met her and dined out front when I was dog sitting in the area. Good portions and very friendly staff

Liz Pegram

Google
Such an amazing experience! The food is great, the decorations are a really nice vibe, and the servers were awesome! They definitely deserve more recognition.

Megha Bhatt

Google
Amazing Nepali food with incredible service! The flavors were rich and authentic, and every dish was prepared with great care. The staff was warm and welcoming, making the experience even better. Highly recommend for anyone looking to enjoy delicious Nepali cuisine!! SANDESH Dai is the best 🙌🙌

Marina S.

Yelp
Just wonderful. Food was Indian style - very well done. Service was quick and friendly. The place is decorated in white - felt like on vacation. Large photos of the Nepal mountains. I have been to Nepal. It brought back memories. Will come again and again.
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Doreen L.

Yelp
We absolutely enjoyed dining here on Mother's Day with my child and mom. My mom's order came spicy, when she ordered nonspicy and they offered her a drink as we were leading after lunch as a makeup. We all enjoyed the food so much, esp my child and I. The portions were really good, even the goat meat, often served minimalist! Everything tasted was delicious and the garlic naan was really garlicky, the way I like it! The service was all round fabulous from everyone who hosted, served us and checked us out! Thank you so much for being such a good pleasant neighbor! Everyone deserves excellent neighbors
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Melissa R.

Yelp
What a lovely little restaurant, I am so glad we went! Street parking was available and easy. The decor was bright and welcoming and the service was great. There was beautiful art on the wall and fresh flowers on each table. Even the bathroom was cute and very clean with neon lights around it. They also had pickled veggies for sale on a shelf. We tried this crunchy peanut appetizer and it was so good, with freshness and bold flavors. You could choose the level of spice in each dish and it was perfect. I had chicken fried rice and my friend had the same, except with shrimp. Both orders were delivered quickly and absolutely delicious cooked with fresh veggies and lots of love. The chef even came out of the kitchen to check on us and make sure we were enjoying our meal. It was a great experience and I definitely be back if I am in that area.

T B.

Yelp
this is not a review for the food because unfortunately, I never actually got my order: I ordered via Grubhub for pickup on Monday at 11:48 AM. Google shows the business hours as 11:30AM, and my order went through via Grubhub as well. However, when I went out of my way to physically pickup my order at 12:10 pm, the restaurant door was LOCKED and NO ONE was inside despite a sign in the window saying OPEN. This is an absolutely SLOPPY way to run a business, and there is no way I would ever return when you cannot even bother to show up on-time to your own business. I had to call Grubhub to cancel my order, but it was super inconvenient to take time on my lunch break only to find a shuttered business.

Jenn S.

Yelp
We had a great dinner at Makalu! Not only was the food fresh and delicious (and they accommodated my onion sensitivity), the hospitality was amazing! The service was quick, the owner was very friendly, and we will definitely be back!
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Gabby B.

Yelp
More momo's more momo's! Please! We were craving nepalese food and wanted some momo's so decided to come to Makalu. We noticed the new decor upgrades as soon as we walked in which was a nice surprise. The waitress was very nice and quickly brought us water and the menu. After deciding on which momos to order we scanned through the menu and decided on their sauteed chicken dish and a yellow lentil dish. When the food came out, it was nice and hot. The garlic naan was nice and fluffy and good. The chicken was very different and surprisingly delicious! It had a very distinctive flavor and we couldn't figure out the spice which was exciting. The lentil dish was also very good. The momos were also very good and we really liked the dipping sauce they came with. I wish we had ordered more but we had plenty of food and we were stuffed by the end of our meal. We couldn't resist and decided to get mango lassis to go and they were already in to-go cups! Perfect!

Michael B.

Yelp
Areas best kept secret. We ordered for the table - noodles / rice / nan and dumplings. The dumplings were perfect looking and the filling was incredible. We also had a chicken curry. And the flavors were so incredible. The rice was cooked like my mum used to make it. Staff was friendly and we felt we had alot of value for our bill. This is our new go to. !!!

Jaisimha R.

Yelp
Very bad service, the food served was prepared using rotten or stale veggies. I would not refer or prefer to order from this restaurant
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Paulina P.

Yelp
Came in around 830pm and it was pretty empty but this spot is decent! Their momos are delicious and full of flavor. The lamb briyani was a bit on the bland side and there wasn't much lamb in it. The mango lassi was also pretty yummy! Service wise they didn't seem to care much but I guess it was also because we were the only dine ins ‍. There's no music and so it was pretty quiet. The table and seats we were at for some reason you can feel vibrations but it wasn't too bothersome.

Lauren W.

Yelp
We placed an order online today (11/4/24) at this restaurant. When we went to pick up the food, we found the building to be closed. There was no restaurant. There were paint cans, blue tape, a ladder, and old tables inside. It seemed obvious that the place had been closed for some time. Unfortunately, our order and the payment still went through online. We are going to have to try and get our money back. We also called the number attached to this place (after finding it closed), but it went to voicemail. The voicemail was for the number specifically, not even tied to the restaurant. It is also misleading because the hours on the Apple maps app and Yelp still show that it's operational. There are also two different websites that have different times and phone numbers (we called the one that is listed here in Yelp). Not sure why this is, but I hope that this is fixed and won't happen to others.

Betsy L.

Yelp
Exceptionally yummy food. What is it about Nepali flavors that make them so irresistible? The biryani was the most flavorful rice we've ever eaten. And I could live on those momos. Friendly staff. There were a few small problems (a blinking light fixture, a missing dessert) and the manager was gracious and generous in taking care of our needs. We'll be back!
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Vanesaa D.

Yelp
Brand new Nepali restaurant right on mass Ave! If you want some good Nepali momos or Dishes this is your place ! It was really all delicious and the serving sizes were great - we we're table of 3 and we had left overs. We ate in and service was great! It's a very quiet ambiance - no music but it's great for intimate conversations!
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Amy T.

Yelp
My husband and I got takeout last night -- so delicious! We started with the Kothey Momo ... the best momos I've had to date. We also got Bhindi and Kadhai Paneer, both of which came with basmati rice. Finished off with a delicious Naan. I will definitely be going back here again soon!

M E.

Yelp
Had amazing lunch with delicious, freshly prepared food. Recommend trying momos and samosas as appetizers.
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Gene G.

Yelp
Makalu is decidedly mediocre, it will serve if you crave Nepalese, but otherwise meh. On a 10 point scale, steamed momos were 7, a bit salty, but I liked spicy kick to the filling. "Lentil" soup was a 6. It did not have visible lentils, mostly tomato and rice, but otherwise was not bad. Thukpa was 4. It had a lot of promise as comfort food, a thick noodle and protein soup, but constituent diced roasted chicken cubes were dry beyond embarrassment, not even chewable. After letting it sit in fridge overnight they absorbed a tiny bit of moisture and became at least edible. The noodles and broth were very nice, but this dry chicken really killed it. Naan was 6/10, not stale, not freshly baked either.
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Juliet K.

Yelp
This restaurant opened in the space where Sabzi used to be. It still looks very similar to when it was Sabzi, but the cuisine is quite different! We ordered takeout here online when they first opened and they did not have one of the items we wanted so they called and suggested a substitution. The momo's were good (who doesn't love a momo?!), and the dipping sauce was yummy and plentiful. The other dishes were inspired and beautifully plated even in our takeout containers. We will definitely be eating here again. I hope to eat in at some point. The interior looks very cozy and will be a great place to eat dishes with warming spices in the dead of winter.

John D.

Yelp
Just had our first take away. Much improved from the previous Makalu. Greatly expanded menu. My wife likes Indian tastes but not the heat. They accommodated that well with steamed momos and Saag. My chicken Chettinad had just the right level of spice. Looking forward to trying their non-traditional pizzas.
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Emily H.

Yelp
Consistently good takeout, though we mostly get the same dishes: Chana saag, tadka dal, matar paneer, chicken tikka masala, samosas, naan. The food is flavorful, and the price is decent. The saag can be a bit salty, but this is a small problem.
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Dawson B.

Yelp
Food was excellent! Service was poor. We were the only people seated, they were handling take out orders, and we were mostly ignored. Next time we will do take-out!

Ian P.

Yelp
It has a dingy dark interior where little effort was expended to make it into inviting. The kitchen was beyond slow, and while there were only 5 people in the (tiny) space, the server spent most of the time in the kitchen. A delivery person waited 20 minutes for pickup, then left.

Allan M.

Yelp
Great food, not you usual Indian buffet or curated momo shop. The biryani I had was one of the best I've ever had. The momos were outstanding and even though we walked in mere minutes after they unlocked the door, everything we ordered was prepared quickly with a fine dining presentation. We stopped on a whim, needing lunch an loving Himalayan cuisine. we could not have been more pleased with the results and we will definitely return.

Hesh H.

Yelp
Not a value for Money place.. orders 40 dollars worth of food daal and lamb boti.. the quantity was peanuts.. literally peanuts.. it was an uber eats order so total 78 usd.. not worth it..

Asif M.

Yelp
I would give it a negative rating if I could on yelp. Hung up on me when placing a take out order. When I called back multiple times they didn't answer. Finally when the person answered he was rude. He flat out lied that somebody else must have answered the phone. Will never order from here again.

Madeleine S.

Yelp
First time here and we loved it! Delicious flavors and incredible value. Plus the staff is very friendly. Definitely recommend!