Masala Street San Diego - Indian Cuisine and Catering Services

I went here for lunch and tried their combo. The food was exceptional, and the people were so kind and friendly, especially Rama, thank you so much. I am vegan and asked them what are the options they have available for me in combo. Even though they have only few options in their selection menu for lunch combo for vegetarian, they went out of their way to make feel good and got me vegan curries. They also went out of way to get me roti instead of naan, as naan has dairy. Most Indian restaurants would just ask you to pay extra for these, but not this restaurant, and the best part, its inexpensive. I highly recommend this place if you happen to visit Encinitas and crave for Indian food.

After trying Masala Street for the first time a couple of months ago, I’ve become a regular—and for good reason. I’ve tried both their chicken and vegetarian entrées, and everything has been excellent. That said, as a former vegetarian who prefers healthy, fresh meals, I can’t give enough praise to their vegetarian dishes. The Aloo Gobi, chana masala, and daal are outstanding—flavorful, well-balanced, and clearly made with care. One thing I really appreciate is that they use all the healthy, traditional spices in the entrées I’ve tried, such as turmeric, garlic, and ginger. I’m sure there are more spices involved, but these are the ones that really stand out and are easy to notice in both flavor and freshness. What truly sets Masala Street apart is how customizable everything is. All dishes are made from scratch, and they cut the vegetables right before cooking, which gives them a fresh, slightly crunchy texture you don’t often find. I’ve requested extra garlic and ginger in my entrées, and they were happy to accommodate without hesitation. Their Scoville heat unit spice level scale (1–10) is another big plus, making it easy to get exactly the right amount of heat. And don’t skip the tandoori roti with butter—it’s freshly made, warm, and the perfect complement to their entrées. On top of that, the service is consistently friendly and excellent—they genuinely go above and beyond to make sure customers are satisfied. Highly recommend Masala Street if you’re looking for fresh, customizable, and thoughtfully prepared Indian food in Encinitas, CA.

Delicious food in a casual restaurant. We had North Indian dishes. The Samosa Chaat includes two large pieces and a healthy amount of chickpeas. The mint and tamarind chutneys tasted fresh, and the aloo and ghobi pakoras (potato and cauliflower) were fried in a light batter to perfection. For the main course, we had Methi malai which the New Delhi visitors in our group confirmed were authentic. The naan included four pieces and just like the rest of the food, were wonderful. The service was attentive and friendly, and the prices are reasonable. Definitely a favorite place. >>> Update July 2025. Still delicious, still fantastic service. Still recommend Masala Street San Diego!

I had a wonderful experience at this restaurant, thanks in large part to the server. She was attentive, friendly, and made excellent recommendations. The food was also outstanding – delicious and beautifully presented. I highly recommend this restaurant and will definitely be back.

They started good a few years ago when they first opened up. We became one of their regular customers but we noticed the quality of the food was decreasing, the place started smelling really bad, restroom is awfully dirty & they don’t even have cold tap water or ice for drinks. And the main reason I finally decided to write this review is because we found a cockroach in one of our dishes couple of weeks ago. The place looks and smells really bad that I am very surprised how they even pass the health inspection every year. It is very unusual and disappointing to see such a filthy restaurant in Encinitas. Response to the managment regarding their response on 7/10/25: we did report it immediately, my husband took the plate to the lady at the front and she took the butter chicken off of our bill. we couldn’t finish our food and ran out of the restaurant because my 10 years old was about to vomit right there in the restaurant. Also, you do not take the cleanliness seriously, I suggest you walk into the restroom and see how well you take care of the cleanliness of your restaurant.

We’ve given Masala Street three tries now, hoping to find a winning dish, but overall the food has been just okay. Most items we tried lacked real flavor, and nothing quite stood out. The “burrito” options especially miss the mark — they really should be taken off the menu at this point. They have zero flavor and feel like a mismatched combination that just doesn’t work. On a positive note, the service staff is genuinely kind and attentive, which we appreciated each time. Unfortunately, the food itself just doesn’t deliver enough to make us want to return.

Food was fantastic fast service our waitress Muskan was very cordial highly recommended. It was so good the last time we came here we came back it was so delicious our waitress lovely was fantastic so kind and fast

All I have to say is I’ll be definitely be coming back Everything was amazing the food was so flavorful and the chicken was so juicy and the staff were so friendly and always cheerful and checking if we need anything or need anything else honestly I think we found our new favorite restaurant .

I give Masala four stars, albeit barely. Masala is the kind of place that does some things extremely well, while others fall into the "needs improvement' category. This newest Indian restaurant in Encinitas is stuck in the slightly out of the way northeastern corner of the Town Center Mall, along with several other small eateries. Over the years, there has been a fair amount of turnover in this little spot, so I can't imagine that it is easy to financially thrive here. So first let me wish the owners good luck. The menu offers a lot of traditional and westernized Indian fare, although I was pleased to see at least one Indian family also eating there. They also have a couple items of SoCal fusion, notably their burritos. We stayed traditional, ordering a tikka masala, tandoori chicken, garlic naan and mango lassis for a quick, late lunch. The service was good and the food came out in quick order. The lassis were sitting premade in a refrigerated cooler with canned sodas and other drinks. The quality was good, but it did not taste as fresh as it should. I know that making them to order can be take some time, especially if a place is busy, but frankly this was a bit of a letdown. The owners should be willing to invest that time. The food itself was also of good, but varying quality. The naan was competently made and served. The tikka masala was good as well, but the flavors were somewhat muted. I could barely taste the garam masala or coriander (although the turmeric was present). This may be due to the fact my wife ordered as mild as can be. Perhaps spicier versions are more adventurous with the ingredients. They might also consider using chicken thigh instead of breast: it remains juicier when cooked. The star of the show, however, was the tandoori chicken. It and the accompanying vegetables were not only good, but actually some of the best Punjabi tandoor I have had in years. Succulent, savory and clearly cooked in a traditional oven, it really stood out far in a way the best part of the meal. On that dish alone, MS got its four stars out of me. What I need to do is return. I want to check out other dishes and see if the flavors pop with a bit more heat. Here's hoping Masala Street delivers.

I placed a pick up order for the coconut pineapple chicken curry and I have absolutely no regrets. This was probably one of the best curries I've ever had. It was sweet and perfectly spicy (I did get a medium spice level). I also got an Indian tea and it was the perfect way to end the meal. The tea was a tad sweet and was very flavorful. Would definitely come back!

They have a lunch special menu that can't be beat. We ate there this week for lunch and we were impressed with the food quality and portion size. We ordered the one Thali special, $18.99 it's enough for two people. We will definitely back again. You will

Sad this has to be my first review in 2024 :( Meh!! It was my first time here and I had a so so experience. We had dinner on a Saturday night and the place was a ghost town !! We were the only ones in here apart from couple of DoorDash drivers picking up food. The Thai place next door seemed to be having a regular night. So that says something. The place itself is small with four tables and a partially visible kitchen. All tables were slightly dirty and we had to request it to be cleaned. What we ordered - Aloo Tikki - The potatoes were over done and mushy and were barely salted or spiced. 2/5 Vegetable Spring Roll - This was one of the better appetizers we had. But again nothing you wouldn't find at any Thai place. 4/5 Gobi Manchurian - Okay . 3/5 Navarathan Korma - The worst dish we could have ordered! It had no salt, no flavor and the gravy tasted lumpy from the paneer and grainy from the nuts. And it was topped with some measly peas and zucchini. 1/5 Basmati Rice - This was a side that came with the Korma But it wasn't cooked fully . Think al dente. 1/5 Tandoori Rotis and Garlic Naan - The saving grace Both were down well 5/5 And our bill came to a shocking 65$!! For that price and the quality of food, I don't see myself returning.

Our recent visit for dinner at Masala Street was delicious! The quant little restaurant had a very relaxed atmosphere that immediately made us feel welcome. The service at the table was awesome! The woman was so friendly, helpful and encouraged us to tell her if we needed anything. The food came out hot and spiced exactly as ordered. I had the Butter Chicken and my husband had the Lamb Hara Masala. We ordered some Garlic Naan and Raita. The serving sizes are ample and I actually had half of mine the next day for lunch. Yum! I also tried the Mango Lassi which is a yogurt mango mixture that was absolutely delicious! I was too full for dessert but I noticed they had an ice cream type dessert that I have to come back and try! They have some amazing specials that is well within our food budget. Especially the $7.99 lunch special! What a pleasant surprise to have such upscale Indian food place in Encinitas! And at a price I can handle!

One of the newer North Indian cuisine Restaurants in Encinitas...we had saag paneer,butter chicken and assorted naan...saag was authentic with a home flavor...chicken was nothing exclusive....however the assorted naan was a delight with new items like coconut naan which was a sweet delight ...our server was very courteous and service was good...overall a nice small restaurant for North Indian food if you are in and around Encinitas.

Service here is top notch. Surprising as it's just a tiny little hole in the wall. However, the food is not consistent. They have a lunch special, which is an excellent value if, and it's a big "if", the food is good or better. That's the problem at Masala Street. My lunch was mediocre at best. The lunch special I chose consisted of one meat which came with rice, salad, raita, and naan. Other options are available. That being said, aside from the "lunch special" I thoroughly enjoy their food, their customer service and just the overall experience. I come here quite frequently, at least once a week. I absolutely love this restaurant and feel very lucky it's within walking distance from my home

sweet staff, yummy food! The curry here never disappoints! Their sauces are really good too

I stopped by on the way to San Diego . We just ordered a cha n samosa . Quick service and very welcoming front desk staff. Samosa was fresh and authentic . Chai was like homemade cha . Felt at home after long time . Plenty of parking .

This place is absolutely amazing! The food is fantastic--superb, even. Every time we camp in the area, we make a point to stop here. We always tell ourselves we'll eat here just once during our trip, but we end up coming back at least twice!

Did new owners again take over this Indian restaurant? We came here craving Indian cuisine and the name/interior changed in the past year. Menu changed a bit, lunch specials not offered over the weekends (rats!) only plates and Ala cart items in the weekend with non naan, salad, tzatziki,sides chicken me with any of the dishes. Service is good, it's the flavors or lack of flavors in the dishes. Saag paneer was spicy hot, but missing spices like cardamom and curry, masala - was really bland. Chicken tikka was dry as was the Tandori chicken. Have to order naan and salads because none of this comes with the entrees. Not impressed by these dishes m, won't be coming back.

Good service, nice decor, good prices, but didn't like the curries we tried for the most part. Gobi Manchurian: Sweet in taste, which is different but still good Butter Tadka Kofta (medium): Wasn't a fan of the flavor Paneer Tikka Masala (mild): Wasn't a fan of the flavor. Seemed to have more of a garam masala flavor. Garlic Naan: Good

Woah really amazing Indian food! Ordered through DoorDash when there was a summer special happening and the food is super good! Very flavorful chicken korma, best I've had. Masala dosa was piping hot and tasty as well with a potato stuffing filled with spices. They gave me a free rice which I appreciate. Yum!

Interesting reviews on this restaurant. We were quite happy with our dinner of Fish Curry and Lamb Saag. Both were tasty, freshly made and just the right amount of spice. We also ordered garlic naan which was warm and plentiful. There was alot of fish in my curry and I couldn't eat it all. The saag also had alot of meat (not as much as the fish). We had just the right amount of rice for our meals. This our first time having dinner here and there were several other groups of diners of many ethnicities. We've eaten at all the other Indian places in town but this one was the most casual of all. Outdoor seating and lots of windows for indoor seating. It took a little longer to get our food but that's ok knowing it is freshly made. Service was good for counter service. Only downside is that they use paper plates, the Chinet variety, which is not good for sauces. By the end of my meal the paper started shredding from the bottom. Also, the bathroom needs alot more attention. Anyways, we'll be back and want to try the lunch special for $12.

Surprisingly good! I was not sure when my husband chose to take us to this place but I am glad he did! Good food and friendly customer service. It's a little hole in the wall but will soothe Indian food craving.

I was immediately greeted with a pleasant smile. Their lunch special is fabulous. Its a huge meal for one person. All and I mean ALL of the entrees are delicious and gives you a home-cooked vibe. Mango Lassi is perfect, not too sweet. It does have a "homey" feel. I highly recommend this place. So far, one of the best Indian Restaurant in San Dieg

The good and service are really great. I highly recommend this restaurant. The best indian food ever.

Just had dinner here and it's easily going to be our new favorite Indian food spot. We got the chicken tikka masala mild and hot, the chicken pakoras, paneer, garlic naan, and the lamb tikka masala was a 10/10.

Had ordered through DoorDash. Ordered biriyani, chicken 65 Food was not edible. The chicken 65 was soaked in red food color. It just went directly to trash. Biriyani was oily and tasteless. I got sick after eating it.

This restaurant is a hidden gem . The food is excellent, with many choices and spices levels can be adept for your taste buds , and the owner is friendly and fast. Recommend dishes: Chicken Biryani Chicken Tandoori Chicken curry Samosa Bhindi Masala (okra).

After six years in san diego we finally discovered an Indian restaurant to call home. Restaurant is clean, w plenty of natural light, high ceiling. The flavors and textures were impressive, staff is warm, prices reasonable, and parking facile. Could not expect more!

What a find!!! We happen to stumble upon this restaurant while shopping and had one of the best Indian meals I've ever had. portions were very generous, and the staff is so very friendly and helpful in explaining the menu. i had the chicken biryani, and my spouse had the vindaloo with rice, both such flavor!! there was ample indoor and outdoor seating, very comfortable. we will be coming back over and over.

First time going and will definitely visit again. The food was really good! I sat inside and it was a nice quiet atmosphere in the late afternoon. Only reason for not giving it 5 stars is that I was not offered an ice water (you have to buy a bottled drink from a fridge). There was no butter on the garlic naan bread as it showed in the picture on the menu.

We stopped in a week ago for dinner and are going again tonight. This place is great. We've had some mediocre Indian restaurants in the neighborhood over the years but Masala Street really stands out. The restaurant space is not much changed from the previous, long time Indian restaurant in its spot but the food is 100 times better. Like its predecessor, the ambiance is perfectly fine but not a place where you'll linger for a long time. Instead, its where you'll grab dinner on your way from point A to point B or when you want an easy place to go, eat, and move on. The service was delightful. The young woman server was warm and welcoming. She offered her advice and direction just enough to guide us - gently. We really enjoyed the food, though we ordered too much (not an unusual occurrence). We had vegetable pakora appetizer which was sinfully good. Then alu gobi (cauliflower and potatoes) and chicken tika masala with aromatic basmati rice and garlic naan. The alu gobi and tika masala were both carefully flavored and delicious. We should have asked for them just a touch milder. We are accustomed to spicy food but 6/10 was slightly too hot. Next time we'll ask for 4 or 5 on the spice scale. We also had Indian tea which was delicious. I would go just for for the tea!

$7.99 lunch special (weekdays only I believe) for all this. Wow. It was fresh, authentic and so flavorful. The people working here are so nice and kind. this place should be so much higher rated. Maybe it's old reviews from previous owners or something? They are great. So worth a try.

Big portions, great quality. Fantastic flavor. The veggie Samosa was the BEST I've had.

New owners, new prices. Lunch specials are more expensive but they give you double the entrée amount. I got Palak paneer combo. I see that a lot of people have been disappointed with the new owners but most of my lunch was tasty. Lunch combo: --naan is outstanding --dal was scrumptious --super cucumber raita -- as for the paneer itself? The spinach was perfectly fine. But the paneer seemed overcooked. VERY dry and kind of squeaked when I ate them. Normally places don't give you enough paneer and I want more! But these were not very appetizing so I left them all behind. Still, for $15 for the combo, there was a lot of food. And I was very full just from the spinach, Dal, delicious naan, rice and yummy raita. So I'm not mad at them. I just wouldn't order a paneer dish here again. It might be an off day but it's safer to order something without it. Still I am full and happy. But I'm disappointed to hear that at dinner time there aren't combos anymore - that makes things more expensive here.

Stopped back yesterday with my wife to take advantage of their lunch special (for two). The food was very fresh and flavorful, the owner and staff were very friendly and helpful, as usual, and the price was extremely fair. These days it isn't easy to find great food, very efficient service, at a great price. Give yourself a treat and try Marsala Street.

Sign says new management, they really mean new owner and menu! Pros: VERY friendly staff! Happy to give you full details of everything. When I asked about the mango drink they gave me samples of the drink and the fresh mango they shave everyday. Kitchen is from scratch, unlike a lot of places using condensed paste. We had Saag, butter chicken, chicken Masala and variety of naan. Everything was great and spiced correctly ( many places over spice). Cons: nothing so far. We'll be back!

Spare your taste-buds doom and just go to Himalayan Kitchen down on Encinitas Blvd. instead.My friends, family and I used to love this place. for many, many years we enjoyed their Hara Masala lamb, and specials with the "added veggies" which always tasted great on their patio, or brought home to share with friends. However, the new owners have lost the great recopies and wizards who knew what they were doing in the kitchen.. not sure if we'll ever be able to go back after giving them a half dozen second chances. Yeah, I know the kitchen didn't have cooks from India working before, but they made each dish to order with care and higher quality ingredients. Now KC tandoor is a ghost name only, hollowed out by the soulless homogenizing consolidation cancer. Calling on the new owners to De-badge the "KC" name they no longer deserve, even if though they must have bought it.

Good food with good volume at a reasonable price. Strongly recommend for all. Service is quick and efficient.

Delicious food, awesome service, definitely will be coming back. Dessert was amazing.

Excellent food and service! Would highly recommend! The Mango Lassi was the best I've ever had.

Service was great, super quick and very friendly staff. Food was very yummy. Tikki chaat and dal makhni were outstanding. Quantity was pretty good to share. breads were freshly made. Definitely recommended.

What a nice little gem of a restaurant. Flavourful food and a great value for lunch at $8. Good portions. Why eat across at McDonald's for $12, when this is here. Support small businesses and keep this place going. Highly recommend.

Very SAD to be writing a one star review...but I just got home with my takeout order tonight (that I've been getting for years) and I was very disappointed when I opened the bag. For the first time, I saw two big containers of curry (mushy not wholesome ingredients like before) and one regular sized container with rice to share when ordering two meals at $15 each. So, I paid $30 for half the rice and way too much curry and no naan or yogurt cup as side orders like before? Disappointing. After this discovery with my order, I had to look online and see what I missed... I found out that the KC's Tandoor I have loved for over 7 years is gone. The restaurant is under new ownership and new management. Im also guessing new chefs because the food is not very flavorful either- mediocre at best. I can't begin to explain how sad, disappointed and bummed I feel about this news. I can honestly say that the two meals I ordered tonight will be my last. I will no longer visit KC's or order from them again. Apologies to the new owners but you're taking away all the charm and tradition this place has held for many of us (customers) over the years. Now the prices are too high to be given a half meal in return, compared to the incredible full meal we had experienced before. Good luck! **This is a message to the original (previous) owner, I wanted to say Thank you for making KC's such a joy and a place I could indulge myself in your Indian cuisine and truly enjoy everything I tried for many years. You were a restaurant I loved sharing with family and friends and also introducing Indian food for first timers. If you ever open another spot please let US know! You have a community that loves your food and would support you- wherever that is. Thank you again! - Candace E.**

If your thinking of coming in don't bother. We ordered saag burritos, we had to pay extra for them to add chicken. The burritos were served cut in half, the foil wrappers were greasy and the burritos were bland and disappointing. Their website rating lists 4.9, after we placed our order and sat down to wait I discovered their 3.8 Yelp rating and knew we were probably in for a disappointment. The yelp rating is correct.

Excellent lunch special leaves you completely full. Lamb curry was excellent. Service was great! Dining was pleasant! Only complaint was the salad has some rotten lettuce in it, and the bathroom could be cleaned. Other then that no complaints! Will definitely be returning!

I have eaten here several times, each time different items on the menu. everything has been delicious and wonderfully seasoned. I have tried several Indian restaurants in San Diego and this is my favorite, beating other higher priced restaurants. all the staff is very friendly and they give the place an open and inviting vibe. casual indoor or outdoor seating options. I highly recommend giving them a try.

Food is really good at reasonable prices for lunch. Had the chicken masala with vegetables. So good!

Really really good food and great service. People here are really nice too. Definitely recommend this restauran!! 10/10

The food is very good. I really like the Indian burritos. Very flavorful and packed with good vegetables or chicken. The lunch special ($7.99) might be the best lunch special in north county. There is more food than I can eat, with 1 meat dish, 1 veggie dish, salad, rice , nann and cucumber sauce. Definitely worth going!

Masala street food is very good I love fish masala and garlic naan is so yummy so I will going back masala street

Do NOT listen to these bad reviews this place is SOOOO GOOD. I got the Goat Curry and it was fall-off-the-bone good. The service was great, they brought out Lentil Crisps while we waited for our food. Our server was also very jolly and happy and excited we were there. The Vegetable Biryani was so good as well. Beware, they give you a LOT of food. The biryani probably couldn't be taken down by professional eaters, it was huge! Definitely recommend this place!

We just re-discovered this place that used to be KC Tandoor, but is now Masala Street! So glad to find this gem with great food, reasonable prices and so close to home! The staff were excellent, so helpful and offering refill of rice. The dishes (palak paneer, chicken coconut, aloo gobi) were flavorful and spiced just right to our preferences. We are certainly repeat customers!

The food here is excellent! I'm impressed by the variety! I ordered a ton of different items one evening for friends and everyone was blown away at how good it all tasted. It has now become a regular place for me.

A true 10 out of 10! Kind and welcoming staff, and top tier Indian food. My personal favorite was the lamb tikka masala. I don't even usually order lamb because it tends to be strong tasting and gamey but this was something I'll come back for again and again.

7.99 lunch menu is great value and very delicious. The naan took longer than the rest of our food, so they gave us a free dessert which was kind of them. I got a mango lassi too which was really good. I will be coming back :)

Very mixed feelings. It's a great option for most people, as the food itself is outstanding - best Indian option around. However, we've ordered twice now, noting please zero spice for some of the dishes due to our young kids. Each time it's been too spicy for them to eat, which is really impactful for our busy family. Steep food/delivery fees for food that our family can't enjoy.