Masala

This is a great local Indian/Nepalese restaurant. The menu is varied, prices are reasonable, food is flavorful and service is friendly. In the summer the windows to the street may be open which created a nice atmosphere in the restaurant. They have a bar with cocktails that I haven’t tried and a modest beer selection. They provide papadon with a few sauces complimentary at the beginning of each meal. Thanks!

We had mutton sekuwa, steamed chicken, and chicken biryani. The portion sizes were generous, the service was friendly, and as someone Nepali, I really appreciated the warm and familiar ambiance. The pricing was reasonable, and the table setup along with the background music added to the overall enjoyable atmosphere. After a long time, it felt truly great to dine at a Nepali restaurant. Had a wonderful experience!

We have been eating here for the last 5-6 years. Mostly takeout, and mostly we stick to our regular dishes. They never dissapoint. Sure on weekends, they can get behind on their takeout orders. I think they try to please everyone. However, the food is worth the wait. Eating there, they always have great service, and the lunch buffett is exceptional. My teenagers love it!

Delicious Indian and Nepalese food! First time trying momos and they were so good. The portions are generous and the prices are incredibly reasonable especially for drinks. I recommend the rack of lambs, saffron chicken and mango chicken. The staff is very sweet too. Will definitely be coming back.

Garbage food I ordered dosa at 10pm the kitchen close at 10:45pm the chef is hurry hurry I think he don’t know how to make proper South Indian dosa garbage guy.And he removed the dosa very fast in the pan and he went to home . I called them the staff are telling the chef went home I didn’t know how he left very fast if the kitchen closes at 10:45pm. Better don’t order food from this restaurant garbage food

Excellent, excellent food, atmosphere, and wait service. Photos attached show the food we ordered and I suggest below. Highly recommend that if you're new to Indian food, just get what we always get. It's delicious: For an app, get the vegetable pakora, which is a stuffed crispy dumpling with mashed peas, potatoes, and spices. For the main meal, get an order of garlic naan (soft chewy garlic pita basically), chicken Tikka masala, palak paneer, chicken chili momos, and enjoy. Just make sure you specify your spice level. They've always asked us, but if you want the authentic hot spice level, they WILL deliver. Bonus for reading the whole review: they have a house margarita that's $2.50, and it's probably the best marg I've ever had. Half the size of a usual marg, but you have no right to complain when it's the price a marg cost back in the 80s. Enjoy!

Delicious food and friendly staff! Amazed to see the varieties of food options! It was our first time but I'm already planning for next visit :) I would recommend to everyone who's looking for Indian/nepalese food. Best buffet lunch experience! Must visit!

Masala is a lovely place to get Indian and Nepali food. We tried it for the first time tonight and it was also my first time having food from Nepal. I tried the Kwatti which is a bean soup and Moo Moo Cha, vegetable dumplings. I also got my favorite Indian appetizer, Lamb Samosas. My husband tried the Nepali Thali. He’s had Indian Thali before… a series of little veggie dishes. This one he ordered medium spice and it was a bit too spicy for him. Just note the spice level you request… if you don’t like things too spicy, go mild! The masala tea was perfect with the spicy food. One of our guests commented the mango lassi was very refreshing. One more thing I tried for the first time was the papadam. It’s a light crisp flatbread almost like a cracker… made of chickpeas. It was so delicious on it’s own or dipped in the sauces/chutneys… my favorite being the tamarind based one. I will definitely return to this restaurant when I come to Tufts. Next time I will have their buffet so I can really explore!

I went to the buffet today and food was below average That would be okay if the service was good. From the time we sat down which was an hour before buffet ends, we were rushed through. They took away the food at 3:30pm which was half hour before buffet ends. All the servers eyeing our table so we could leave. Please don't have the place open if you want to rush the customers. Ambience was stressful with a toddler who was restless. I really use to like this place, not sure what happened, Disappointed !!

I recently visited Masala for their all-you-can-eat Indian buffet, and it was an absolute delight! The variety of Indian food options they offer is impressive - from flavorful tikka masala to creamy palak paneer, delicious garlic naan, succulent tandoori chicken, okra, and more! Their weekday lunch specials from 11 am to 3 pm for $14.95 per person are a steal. The ambiance was calming, with soothing Indian music playing in the background. I particularly enjoyed sitting by the window, soaking in the peaceful atmosphere. The customer service was top-notch, with attentive staff catering to our needs. I can't wait to come back for another fantastic dining experience at Masala!

Great Indian food added to the rotation. Similar cost and distance as Spice Delight for us. Chicken tikka masala, daal makhani, palak paneer, mutter paneer, samosas, garlic naan all warm and tasty.

Solid spot for Indian food! I went for the lunch buffet and everything was really good. It was pretty full but didn't have to wait on a Sunday afternoon. My favorites were the dal makhani and the chicken tandoori. FYI- you can't order off the menu at lunch time, it's just the buffet, but they had a good selection. Would go again!

By my assessment this is the best Indian buffet in the area, Huge variety and they almost always have my favorite, Palak Paneer.

So happy to have this place in the neighborhood! The menu is extensive and I've enjoyed everything I've had, especially the baingan bharta. The chili momos are yummy and the lentil soup is perfect for when you're feeling under the weather. The aloo paratha is bomb, as are the classic tikka masala and garlic naan. I especially love the rewards system that has allowed me to discount some meals because we eat there regularly!

A very good and fair weekday lunch buffet. For 15$ you get all the standard Indian fair. Great tikka masala, they had a curry fish once I really liked, shrimp one too. The staff is always nice. Parking is a bit difficult but you can usually street park within a block or two.

Best Indian buffet I've had in the U.S...so far. Affordable pricing too. One request however - could you please add some veg momos alongside the chicken momos. Indian cuisine is incomplete without vegetarian options on the menu, as is convention.

The price is right for this lunch buffet! The food was as expected for a buffet, but they offered a nice variety of dishes and the garlic naan was delicious!

Great Indian food spot! The veggie sampler was absolutely delicious and a great value, I always love crispy pakoras and flavor-packed samosas. We also ordered their lassi cocktail, which was delicious. When the entrees arrived, I was pleasantly surprised to find that my paneer tikka was sizzling on a hot plate like fajitas!!! The paneer itself was wonderful, and even better with the masala sauce. I also tried the palak paneer, which was good but nothing to write home about. We ended the night with gulab jamun, which were piping hot and delicious. Will definitely stop by again if I'm in the area!

Delicious indian food! I have been to Masala and ordered takeout several times over the years and food and service has remained consistently good. Most recently tried the okra, palak paneer, garlic naan and samosas and everything was delish. They have limited street parking. Have been able to get tables without reservations.

DELICIOUS takeout. I ordered Chicken Tikka, Samosas, Lentil Soup, and Garlic Naan - all delicious! And they pack up all of the sauces you need for everything. You get a lot of food, and the price is right. A hefty amount of food for 40 bucks. There was a snaffoo with their ordering system via BeyondMenu, so they had to prepare my order while I waited even though I ordered ahead. They were very apologetic and included a free mango lassi and offered me a beverage while I waited. They worked quickly to get my food ready. Hopefully they will fix that but I don't think it was their fault. Maybe call before you head out to pick up your order. Enjoy!

Coconut naan was lovely, but I've had better chicken tikka masala. Spicy level could be higher!

I've been on a hunt for the best Indian food in the Boston area since I've lived here, and while there are some other gems in the city, Masala is my absolute favorite. Their food is very consistent and delicious. The quality of the meat is excellent, and every dish we've tried has been great. Some favorites are their korma, palak, and the lamb samosas. The prices are very fair for the area (especially including their amazing drink deals) and the staff is very kind and helpful. Regardless of whether you're dining in or getting takeout or delivery it's quite fast and fresh. I would recommend dine in if you have the time though - nothing beats steamy curries and naan fresh from the oven. Masala is the most consistent Indian restaurant across the board in the greater Boston area if you factor in price, quality, portions, dish options, drinks, service, and location. Definitely check them out if you're in the area! Edit: I have since tried the Nepalese Thali... I'm in love.

Always great food. I've both ordered take out and dined in before and always had positive experiences.

Love it - go to for South Asian cuisines including Indian, Bangladeshi, Nepali and Pakistani takeout.

Generous portions, delicious food, and unbeatable prices for the Boston-area! You *have* to get the palak paneer, it was absolutely delicious! We also got samosas, but ate them before we could take a picture :) Definitely my new go-to Indian restaurant No parking lot, but there are a few spots in front of the restaurant.

Got a to go order from this spice filled restaurant. Portion sizes except for rice were not to bad. The rack of lamb was plentiful but overcooked. Shrimp biryani had nice size shrimp it not many. Spiciness was lacking and missed. Pricing was high and value not realized. No utensils were added to a to-go order, I.e. no attention to detail. Yelp interface for ordering needs tweaking to go back and give instructions

Once again, fellow Yelpers let me down. We eat a lot of Indian food and are always eager to try new spots (new to us anyway). I don't understand all the rave reviews. We got delivery tonight and this was one of the most mediocre Indian meals I've ever had, and I've tried all over the United States. The entrees (palak paneer and chicken korma) were so bland, it was hard to tell I was even eating Indian food. The garlic naan was just ok and the portion was small. The highlight of the meal was the veggie pakoras appetizer but I think that's pretty hard to mess up. Luckily my boyfriend eats anything because if it were just me, the leftovers would be in the trash. There's a plethora of far better Indian options in and around Boston, don't waste your time here.

My weekly go to for takeout. Great tikka masala, vindaloo, and korma. Staff is also very friendly.

I decided to take out some Masala Dosa yesterday. Not the worst I've had, but not the best. The Dosa doesn't do well with takeout because the steam with takeout packaging makes it soggy. So I won't take away the points for sogginess. The potato masala was okay. Could have been a bit more spicier. I was surprised to see a cup of what I assumed was sambar but it was terrible. It had no flavor to it and had cauliflower and tomatoes pieces in yellow water basically. No dal (lentils) at all in it. I threw it out. Why bother serving it? I didn't take a picture of the Chicken tikka. But it was good. Succulent, tender pieces of chicken. There was no chutney served with it though. The mango lassi was nice. A little thinner than I'm used to. Overall, it will do. I might try it again but not for takeout. I would make it a point to go in and eat in to see if the quality is better that way.

Stopped by with a friend and tried the samosa, shahi paneer, and bhindi masala. Unfortunately found all quite lacking in spice and flavour, which is pretty standard for the boston area. It's still one of the better options for north indian food near the Davis area, so points for that. Will have to try their nepalese offerings another time.

Tried their weekend buffet. Not a good one. The items seemed to be a bit less fresh. They did not have many varieties also. Cannot recommend this place for Indian food.

Best south asian food round these parts. When my family orders south asian food, we order from Masala.

Absolutely delicious! Ordered takeout a few weeks ago, and I dined in this weekend. It was plenty spacious, and being a Sunday, not many other customers were there, so it felt very COVID-safe (and all employees were wearing masks). The food was really great. Have ordered lamb vindaloo and lamb korma, both were top-notch. Perfect consistency. Mango lassi, vegetable and meat samosas, and plain naan were all tasty. Can't think of any suggestions for improvements. Will happily walk the short 1 mile to dine-in again, next time I'm craving Indian.

The best Indian food/food in general. Amazing buffet and dinner menu. Wish I had better pictures but I dig in too quickly before I can take a good pic. That's how good the food is. Also the chai is 10/10.

NEVER AGAIN GOING HERE!!!!! We wanted to try yet another Indian restaurant in the Somerville area and since their menu looked large and interesting and their prices pretty reasonable for Boston takeout, we settled on this place. We did a phone order simply because we had some questions about whether all the lamb dishes were cooked with the same tender meat (due to noticing that only a few items on the menu actually specify that they had tender lamb), and were told that both the Lamb Curry and the Lamb Malabar were not as soft as say, the Tikka Masala so of course, we made a quick decision to play it safe and simply go with the Tikka. Our order included the Vegetable Samosas for $4.95, Aloo Paratha for $4.45, and Lamb Tikka Masala for $18... Mind you, the only reason for selecting this entree was for its so-called tenderness of the lamb. However, boy, were we surprised when we took our very first bite of the meat, to then discover that it was in fact tough and chewy. I really could not eat more than 3 different pieces before giving up on dinner, and although my spouse did finish his portion of the dish, he too said that it was pretty awful and not at all what he was expecting... Especially, after speaking with the restaurant directly to ask which lamb might be softer. Yes, the Vegetable Samosas were decent and the Aloo Paratha barely acceptable thanks to its doughy texture and small amount of potato filling, but it all came down to the lamb being so darn tough!!! We cannot even imagine what the other dishes are like if ours was supposed to be tender and many of them not so much.In any case, we won't be going back and just want to warn Yelpers to look elsewhere for good Indian cuisine. Personally, I think that Trader Joe's frozen Indian entrees are far tastier and definitely of higher quality. Good luck!!!

Came here for lunch buffet with my friends at 3:45pm. While the food was adequate, it would have been courteous to tell us when we walked into the restaurant that they were going to starting closing up their buffet in ten minutes. Instead, we sat down and when we started eating, we were told this. This is NOT okay and was actually really rude. This pretty much ruined our dining experience. I will not be coming back given this experience. The buffet food was fine in terms of taste although several dishes were cold. I try to be understanding of this given that we were arriving at a very late lunch hour. The wait staff was nice but wow - totally threw us off guard when we were told ten minutes into getting our first plate of food that we had ten minutes left to get what we wanted from the buffet before they cleaned up. Again, this would have been easily remedied by a courteous mention from the staff before we sat down with our food or while we were looking at the menu to see what we wanted to order versus doing the buffet.

Went to the lunch buffet on Saturday, March 26, 2022 and found the quality, taste, variety and presentation of the food to be outstanding. There were shrimp, momos, goat, beef with cabbage, fried calamari, chicken, salad, fresh hot garlic nan, soup, dessert, salad, vegetarian dishes, and so much more. I would describe the food as a combination of Nepali and Indian with more Nepali influences. Saturday and Sunday buffet cost was $16.95 plus $1.19 tax which comes out to $18.14. There is also a weekday buffet at a slightly lower price, but with less food variety. Service was excellent as the servers were great at refilling my water glass. The place is very clean, including the bathroom. It would be nice if the bathroom had a coat hanger on the back of the door as I had to put my purse on the door handle, then balance the cost on my purse. The restaurant is about a half-mile walk from the Davis Square MBTA stop. Walk up the street on Holland until you come to Broadway. I've been wanting to visit Masala for the past few years and glad I finally made it.

Error.

This is my second time coming here. The food is of good quality and the place itself was so cute coming here. However, the service was debatable. There were two nice food runners who were very kind and attentive. I went with my partner here. I'm not sure why, but our waitress was very sassy. She would make faces after we ordered or asked for something. For context, we are a same-sex couple and maybe that was a factor? This was an issue. Additionally, she would press for us to order more food and would give us a look when we didn't want to. When it came to the check, she placed my card down hard on the table and chose her own tip on the Toast device. And when we were leaving she was waiting right by the table. She repeated "bye" twice as I was still putting on my coat. We order just a few items for dinner and I don't feel like it is appropriate for the waitress to be rude about our choices. This is the second time I have encountered her service. The time before was a bigger group, so I excused her behavior last time. Now I know that this is simply how the waitress is. It really felt like such an uncomfortable atmosphere. It was very unwelcoming and I don't see us coming back here unless she is not working evenings because I don't think I can handle such negativity for dinner. It really is unfortunate since the vegetarian food was good.

Great Indian food with a large menu! Take out is affordable, easy, and always hot. Good quality ingredients with big portions for the price.

Had the lunch buffet and the food options were surprisingly great! Pretty much everything was fresh and tasty, especially the tikka masala and roasted vegetables. We really loved the garlic naan that came with the meal - very crispy and fragrant! Overall, left with a food coma. Very happy with this affordable meal that was also delicious!

Indian food is not our biggest go to but we have it once in awhile. Whenever we do have it we ONLY order from Masala. We live in Revere and go all the way to Masala just because its that good. We usually do pickup and get the Aloo Gobi, Chicken Tika Masala and Garlic Naan. It is all high quality and lasts if you do leftovers. I sincerely appreciate them doing basmati rice instead of plain white rice, its a much healthier option--so thank you! Not only is the food great the price is fair too and you can order online which makes it all super simple. If you order over 50$ you even get a discount. Highly recommend to anyone looking for authentic Indian food.

Great restaurant, hard to find decent Indian food in this city. After 5+ years of trying, Masala has become our go to spot for Indian food in Boston. The buffet is consistently great quality and refreshed well, at a good price. We then came recently for an evening meal for the first time which was even better. Beyond the food, the excellent service stands out, always kind and attentive. Not easy to find. I think if this was located in other busier areas they'd be better known, but I don't mind keeping crowds away here as it's usually pretty full!

DISAPPOINTING CUSTOMER SERVICE!! We were driving from New Hampshire to Jersey and we happened to find this place in yelp when searching for some Indian food. We called them and checked for the timings before we decided to drive to this place , we were told the kitchen closes at 10pm and we arrived at 9:35 pm and to our surprise they tell us that the dine in is closed and only take out is available. We went out of our way and drove into this busy downtown on a Saturday night and were really not happy with this kind of customer service at this place. If you don't accept dine in's 90 mins before closing time you should let people know clearly.

One of the best Indian places in the Boston area! Honestly, can't say one bad thing about the food I've had here, especially for the price, which isn't expensive at all. I've paid much more for Indian food that isn't even half as good. Will be coming back again and again. The mixed nan basket is super good to add to any order.

My favorite local Indian restaurant. I love their lunch buffet. Great price for a great buffet. Service is always amazing and professional. My kids love watching the chef handle the tandoor oven right from the table. 10/10

Been going here often to thank them for building the hotel in The Teele Square Pit. My typical order is bread basket, malai kofta, navratan korma, palak paneer, lamb rogan josh. I haven't had anything bad, frankly. This place is a neighborhood gem. The reason I'm reviewing: their thukpa is my new favorite chicken soup. It's collagen-y and thick, a little spicy, with tandoori chicken pieces in it. So good. Next time I'm feeling under the weather and need chicken soup delivered, I'm getting 2 servings of their thukpa.

Lunch buffet Mon-Fri is outstanding. So many delicious options. Take little tastes your first time through the line. There are far too many to fit on one plate! You'll discover your favorites and can go back for more of whatever you like best. They also bring hot fresh naan to the table. All for about $15 plus your drinks, tax and tip. Quite reasonable these days. I enjoy their delicious cooking. They vary the dishes from one day to the next.

Delicious food! Very reasonable prices! Chicken tikka masala was amazing, highly recommend. Will absolutely be coming back in the future!

They are very nice inside. Ordered take-out. Definitely recommend getting rice on the side, whatever you do. Buttery, & infused with lovely spices. The bread is also awesome! Had the chana, a saucy chickpea dish I like, and my friend got an okra dish which was really good. We also got a fish dish, which wasn't my cup of tea- would go with a different protein the next time.

Put "nut allergy-no nuts"in the notes for all our dish orders. The rogan josh had cashews in it and someone could have died. The food is delicious but no nuts means no nuts.

This place is a real gem. They serve some of the best Nepalese food (including momo) in the entire greater Boston area. Can't comment on their Indian food much except the Tandoori chicken, Samosa and Naan, all of which are offered on Sunday lunch buffets and are quite delicious.

Wanted to give them 3-3.5 stars however been here so many times i felt biased to give them 4 stars since I have been coming here for the past 5 years. Must say - they have remained consistent. This review is only for the nepalese side of their menu as I come here only for that and didnt try the Indian cuisine barring once when I had the chicken tikka - Decent enough. If you have had the momos in nepal and northern parts of West Bengal(State in India) or even in Sikkim or Bhutan you'll know that Masala doesnt have that exact regional momos but their rest of Nepali dishes are as authentic as it can get. These are a bit more spiced up however till now this has been the best momos I have had in the east coast. The stuffing is juicy and it does ooze out when you break it. The shell is soft and nice. Love the flavours they create. Love the chutney they give with momo( i generally ask for more. #Not Guilty) Love their Noodles - Both Thukpa and Nepali Chowmein. The aloo ka achar( spiced up boiled potatoes ) is tasty and has a tang to it. All from Mustard oil which is common in the cuisine. If you like bamboo shoots( beware : it has a very distinctive pungent smell) then they make really nice aloo bodi tama. The Khasi ko mas(Goat curry) is simple and hearty. Make sure you mention to the server :"Nice pieces of goat please". Definitely will go there many a times even in future maybe just for momos.

I was actually quite impressed with the Sunday buffet here on offer. Though the dishes were sometimes rather salty, most of the meals were quite tasty and balanced. The saag paneer was solid, the pakoras were amazing, and the goat (curry? I forget what sauce was used) tasted particularly tender. On the other side of the buffet were Nepalese items, including some decent dumplings (momos), something like stir-fry lo mein (this one could skip), and some spicy vegetarian dish, details of which I forgot. Overall a good solid Indian food place!

This has easily become my go to spot for Indian food! Have tried so many things on the menu, and I like it all! It's so interesting - I've eaten masala so much, but I've never actually dined in. The take out is so convenient! My favorites are the dal makhani and the paneer tikka masala. My husband loves the chicken korma. For those of you new to Indian food - paneer is a type of cheese and dal is lentils. I recommend you order the puri bread if you're interested in trying something other than naan. It's my favorite. It's lightly fried bread and you won't regret getting it. We always get the veggie samosas when we eat here - can never go wrong with those. Most recently we ordered the Kheer for dessert. It was so yummy! Kheer is a sweetened rice dish and it's one of my favorites desserts. Overall, will definitely return and I think you'll enjoy your meal here!

Ordered delivery from here, minimum is $15 for free delivery so I ordered the non vegetarian plate which ended up costing over $20. Was not very impressed with what I got an hour later. It was entirely meat, no rice or veggies or anything, and the portion was pretty underwhelming given the price. All of it was pretty dry and chewy, as if it had been sitting in the refrigerator for a while before being microwaved for me. It was also not warm by the time it got to my place, which was only a couple blocks away. Don't plan on ordering again from here anytime soon.

Love the buffet! And the large open wall window makes it like outdoor seating!

This is one of my most favorite Napali/Indian restaurants in the USA. Period! Food is cooked to perfection. For people less tolerant to hot spices, this place has lots of options in lunch buffet and dinner. Many vegetarian options too. I've tried both lunch and dinner. Lunch buffet quality is very high and definitely worth the hike from David square T station at a very reasonable price. Included in lunch buffet are fresh-baked naans (they only started to make it for you after you are seated!) and hot milk tea. Contrary to many Indian buffet, the seasoning is less sweet and salty. Interior decor is cozy with some upscale ceiling trimming and paintings. Light new age background music. Good place for lunch date for sure.