Masala Cafe Chettinad

I stumbled on this place by accident but was so worth it. If you wanna experience the most authentic Chettinad food, then this your place for that... service was great and the food taste was amazing. I'd be coming here again

I have been here for 2 times (2 years apart), both the times food was awesome and service is at its best. If you like 90s Tamil comedies, atmosphere and menu will definitely make you smile. Overall good food and experience.

Worst food i ever had in nj. We are group of people who tried here for the first time. We ordered corn soup ,2sambar idly,chicken biryani and goat biryani and chicken fry . Chicken fry and chicken biryani is excellent but corn soup smells and tastes worst. Even goat biryani is cant explain in words.very worst food.coming to their raitha and salan cant explain in words. We informed the front staff about the food and they don’t even care and shouting themselves on each other.

Authentic Chettinad taste! Fish fry is absolutely delicious with a final touch of Madras filter coffee.. Highly recommended for a flavorful and satisfying experience..

We had Kothu porotta, Chicken Biriyani and chicken 65. Everything tasted well, especially the chicken 65. But unfortunately we all had stomach upset right after dining. Hence not sure if it's proper quality chicken.

Delivered gulab jamun with mold and when complained they told me to order again without even offering any other form of compensation or refund. Why would I order again when I got delivered this spoiled food! Even the biryain is too oily and tasteless. It used to be my fav to go place but now its just horrible. Disappointed

Masala Cafe Chettinadu offers a delightful experience. I had the Mutton Kothuporotta, which was perfect with tender mutton and well-balanced spices. The Masala Tea was aromatic and comforting. The service was attentive and efficient. A must-visit for authentic South Indian flavors.

A truly wonderful dining experience! The authenticity of the South Indian dishes transported us straight to India. The spices were perfectly balanced, and each dish was a flavorful masterpiece. The staff was incredibly friendly and attentive, ensuring that our dining experience was top-notch. The atmosphere was vibrant and lively, making it a perfect spot for a family dinner or a gathering with friends. Highly recommend this gem of a restaurant!

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!

My recent order of Crab Curry left me  satisfied, as it usually does. Despite a minor issue with portion sizes, the overall taste and experience were nothing short of excellent. While the generous portions of crab were certainly appreciated, I couldn't help but notice that the amount of curry served was less than ideal. The combination of tender crab meat and flavorful curry made for a truly satisfying meal that left me craving 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.

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.

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 !

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

trust me , dont order or dine in at the restaurant. it's really bad .. the meat has a foul smell to it .

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

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

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

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!

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

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!

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.

Below average food. There are a lot of places so competition is strong. Please step up on quality, service and ambience. Nothing is charged less nowadays that requires businesses to sacrifice quality.

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

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.

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.

I had high hopes for this place but food was mediocre. The portions very small and the service was slowest I have ever seen. There was one female sever for the entire restaurant I think. She did her best but you could tell she was overwhelmed. We spent about $200 for 5 people with tip. Everyone besides my mom who had the standard masala dosa was disappointed with their food. The bill came 15 minutes before our dessert which was frozen ras malai:l. There were 3 small vadas and 3 mushy idlis for 10 dollars each...the best thing were the coconut chutney and the sauces. I hope they take this review seriously and make some improvements. It would be a shame for this place not to flourish because it has so much potential.

The food was excellent - flavorful, delicious. The service was friendly and prompt. Highly recommended and great job, Masala Cafe team.

After seeing the reviews, I ordered chicken and veg biryani. The vegetable biryani was just colored rice with lots of chili and chicken biryani was so bland. The quantity is good.I am not sure if it was just today, but the orders were so disappointing.

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

Was walking by and came here just for a taste. It's an awesome place. Filter coffee, chicken samosa, lamb samosa are fantastic. The Bhai Mutton Biryani is also absolutely amazing. Would recommend this place for great taste and ambience !!!

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.

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!

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!

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).

Very yummy South Indian food. Many vegetarian options. Spicy but they warn you if it's too spicy.

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.

Fresh food served fast, reasonably priced. Fantastic idlis and chutneys. It's a small place with only 4 tables so either go when it's not busy or get carry out. Really good!

The restaurant is located in the heart of Jersey City's Little India neighborhood. It's quaint, the staff were friendly and accommodating. The best part was food. The food was not short of spectacular. The Paper Masala Dosa was exceptional. The Medhu Vadas were excellent. The overall experience was fabulous.

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.

Tasty food. Generous portions. Loved their chicken fried rice the best. Kozhi mulagu varavel or pepper chicken is good but very spicy. Enjoyed it but would suggest to bring down the spice level. Thalapakatty mutton biriyani was good but can be made more flavorful. Overall we enjoyed the food and is very satisfied. Recommend and going back.

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

An absolute must try on Indian street, authentic South Indian food the feels home made.Especially love the Murtaba and Kottu parotta!

Placed a catering order for breakfast on. Sunday morning. Chela was very helpful and accommodating to our requests and provided extra decoction for the coffee. Very authentic South Indian experience with idli, vada, pongal, poori and chutneys with plenty of Sambar.

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

We ordered the mutton biryani and the vegetarian Kothu Parotta, and both were delicious. It was the first time that we tried the Chettinad cuisine, and we really liked it! We count to go back soon.

We enjoyed our experience at Masala cafe. The Sookha chicken and parantha was delicious and the service was very good.

Superb food! Went in late night with the wife after a long flight cravings Chettinad food and Masala Cafe did not disappoint. The Kozhi Milagu Varuval was tender took me straight back to college days in Madras. Constantly let down by Indian restaurant Biryani's but always hopeful of finding a good one, I asked what type of biryani they serve and they said THALAPAKATTI! It was awesome. Washed it all down with fresh lime soda and went home fully satisfied. My only request is please maintain this quality as you have earned a regular customer.

Masala cafe never disappoints! We have tried Biriyanis , curries, chicken fry, dosa, iddli and even the coffee was very authentic! Best south indian food in Jersey City!

We'd loved to have loved them. But three strikes and we're out. First the goat soup had minced meat in it and some awfully smelly stock- strike one. We returned it after two sips but they charged us anyway- to double down on the buffoonery. Strike two. Third, their star dish the chettinad chicken, featured (foul) chicken - no pun intended! It raised rancidity suspicions despite copious spice masking. Sure enough next day the concoction made an indecorous, hasty escape from digestion. Strike three. Their stunning ability to skirt all inspiration would have earned them two stars, but the tour de force ethics-free operation on show won them the solitary celestial award.

Great food! Authentic South Indian taste! We had the biryani, Chettinad chicken curry and parotta. Definitely recommend this place!

Awesome food and excellent service!!! Will definitely go back. The chicken biryani is one of the best i ever had!

Authentic chettinad dishes served with good quality.. On Diwali day I had good feast with my family. Chef prepared special moong dal payasam at the end. Podi Idli tossed in Ghee, Ghee roast dosa, Kal dosa with chicken or mutton kurma are our favourite dishes. Today is the 4th time we visited Masala cafe. Happy to be a regular customer. Customer service is very good.