Namaste Spiceland

I came here with my husband one evening for dinner and we absolutely loved the food! It was so good, so authentic and they make a nice chai! We loved the buffet style ordering and the ease of choosing your starches and your mains. We will be back soon!

The only reason i gave this 3/5 is because i had such high expectations. It did not live up. Its not inedible Its just so so so salty yet not flavorful.this is just not it. The nann is not crunchy but too dense. I'm only 1/3 The way down on the curry but my rice already ran out. The lassi is amazing though. I guess for a grocery store it is servicable. The people there are so nice too.

Been coming to eat here for more than five years! Best price-quality meal that can be found anywhere. This is THE spot! It is vegetarian/vegan. That mango lassi… The market has everything one could imagine.

Ordering the made-to-order items is the way to go here vs the cafeteria-style combo items. Dosa was fresh potatoes were tasty, idli was good and the Dahi vada was also had great flavors. Didn’t try the sweets or lassi.

It was a very good experience here. Had some snacks from the restaurant and bought some Indian groceries. Good food and nice people.

This is a great little spot for inexpensive and super tasty vegetarian Indian food. The staff behind the counter have always been friendly and generous with samples. Today, I ordered the Special Cheese Dosa and they gave me a free cup of spicy vegetable soup just because I had to wait a couple of extra minutes for my order. So far everything we have tried at this place has been amazing. Getting a combo plate is a great way to try multiple curries in one visit. Full disclosure, I'm a big meat eater, but the vegetarian food at this place is so flavorful and satisfying that I actually crave it. They have some indoor and outdoor seating. Much less indoor currently than they had before the pandemic. The market has a good variety of frozen Indian food as well as tea, spices, dry and canned foods, snacks and treats. If you love Indian food flavors and/or really delicious vegetarian food you've gotta give this place a try!

I’ve tried this place twice now. Both times the food has been delicious. First time, the food wasn’t very Spicy. The second time was very spicy. I recommend getting a mango lassi to calm down the spice. The fresh coconut is good too. The price is fair and the food is great. It’s only $11.99 to get a 3 veggie combo. They’re also very friendly.

We got vada pav (didn't get a photo), pani puri, dabeli and samosas. All were good and it made for a quick dinner. The green chutney was really tasty. The samosas were so nice and hot.

I just loved how there was a local Indian supermarket that I was not aware about until after my dentist appointment across the lot, and had to come in after! You will get positively lost in the amazing variety of authentic Indian goods that this store has. I was especially happy to see them having Indian mangoes, which are notoriously sweet and delicious! Not only do they have many varieties of groceries, they also have hot foods made in house! Along with groceries I purchased such as Indian tea, mango lassi, and snacks, I went ahead and got samosas with sides. SO delicious!! I will definitely come again to buy more groceries and more hot and ready food!

Awful experience as someone who is familiar with and genuinely enjoys dosa--the delicious combination of rice and lentils that's meant to be a flavorful and satisfying dish. Unfortunately, none of that was experienced here. The service was frustrating. The server at the stand asked for my order 3-4 times but refused to write it down, despite my kind encouragement to do so. As a result, I had to remind him of my order repeatedly, and we never received the samosas we ordered. By the end, we no longer wanted them. The dosas were thick, bland, tasteless, and held a strong odor of whatever oil continues to be reused on their pan. The Mysore masala dosa, Rava dosa, and poori with garbanzo beans were incredibly bland and completely lacked salt. My friend and I were so disappointed that we barely touched any of the dishes. The lassi was overly sweet and unbalanced, while the bhel puri was passable at best. I would not recommend this restaurant to anyone seeking authentic, quality Indian food or caring service.

Looking for a place to eat after I went gun shopping at turners and my friends and I wanted something with rice and we decided with Namaste Spiceland. All I can say regarding the food is if you ever decide to go vegan or vegetarian then Indian food is the way to go I don't know what specific region this is but either way the food was just right with spices and very flavorful! You'll never have a dull moment with your taste buds! The service was great they were very trusting and a little too trusting in my opinion lol cause you pay after you eat and you could easily not pay but I hope people didn't do that but yeah the ambiance in this place was great not too many restaurants mixed with a grocery so it was really something special!

Really like this place for a quick bite. This place is an Indian restaurant and grocery store in one. The North Indian food is decent but south India is very good. Get the uttapum and the idlis! The service is great and the store is super clean. Easy parking outside. They often carry Kent mangos too!

Finding it: easy to get to, but be careful when approaching from the north (fwy) SERVICE: Super friendly staff will help you through tough decisions about what food to order today. Also helpful for grocery questions. SEATING: Simple tables. Clean. comfortable. Inside and outside. This is not a "restaurant" setting, but an area you can sit and eat inside the store. Very casual. Great smells of spices while you eat. FOOD: This was all good. Good price. The Mongolian Gobi - cauliflower was a little hard (?) (in a dried out way) - but the Paneer was DELICIOUS. All of the spices were so well balanced in both dishes. Not too oily. I hope to see some very spicy curries or saag on the menu some day. Plain rice was well made and delicious. I would definitely order both main veg dishes again, but I want to try the entire menu at some point. Naan - Got the plain naan. It's oil grilled instead of oven baked. Dense. Nice. I still used a spoon for the last of the sauces tho. Chai. Nothing fancy. Simple, but low price. Worth it! Shopping: I bought so many jars of chutney and pickle. Instant prepared spices for marinades too. And enough McVities and Hobnobs to fill an entire bag.

The hot food quality has really slipped, and the prices have gone way up, too: the #2 special comes in at $15 as of this writing and except for the rice and the samosa it's pretty bad. The only taste you get is salt and it's really greasy, too, a big disappointment. The market and the people are still really good but I don't think I'll be buying hot food here anymore, since it tastes nothing like real Indian food, which is a shame.

#Patels AMAZING!!! The best home cooked vegetarian Indian food from a restaurant!!! I got the combo with 2 vegetarian dishes with rice, chapati, samosa, yogurt, and rasmalai. The shaak was aloo bhindi and saag paneer. Honestly, there was enough food for 2 people. I also ordered the mango lassi. The green chutney and tamarind sauces are amazing too. Best samosa I've ever had!

Service isn't the friendliest but i promise the food and price are worth it! i eat here at least once a month. Portions are giving and like i said...cannot beat the prices! i could eat here for lunch everyday and not get sick of it.

The place is like going to Panda Express the food is there for you to choose and how many items. Don't ask if it is chicken everything here is vegetarian. Honestly indict know why I got but the cheese one was really a delight. I like the texture and flavor profile. The lemon was rice was good but I honestly did not taste the lemon. I would have liked more sauce. Next time. The best was the garlic naan!!! They grilled on the garlic paste. So yummy yum yum! It's also a market with so many variety of items here. Parking is convenient. You can bring your own water even though I bought mines.

We had a great experience at Namaste Spiceland in Pasadena! Affordable prices for delicious food. The staff were very friendly. Free parking lot. Bathrooms available. Indoor and outdoor seating. It's half restaurant half grocery store, so you can get some shopping done after your meal. I ordered the Do #2 combo, which comes with 3 veggies, your choice or mint or white rice, a samosa, chapati or poori (chapati is similar to naan bread but a bit thinner), papadum ( a thin, crispy, almost chip like texture), and pickled vegetables & raita (yogurt). For the veg options I got the chana masala (chickpea), the paneer tikka, and the mixed veg korma. All of these were hot and flavorful!!! We both got a Mango Lassi to sweeten the meal. It's a lot of food! We left feeling so full and happy. Thank you for a fantastic lunch!

First time here and ordered samosas and 2 Dosa's - Paneer and Masala. Both were absolutely delicious and spiced perfectly. The staff is also helpful and kind. Food came out hot and fresh in a timely manner. Parking was a breeze and tables were clean. There was a steady flow of people around noon time on a weekday. I also noticed the diversity of customers. Different nationalities of all ages. Couples, families, group of friends and solo diners. There's something here for everyone ! Will definitely be back!

I always rave about this place but came back recently and 2/3 curries were very salty and inedible.

Grocery store, restaurant, market and deli, whatever you want to call it, Namaste Spiceland has been an anchor of mine since moving to the area a few years back. In fact, we picked up food from Namaste the very first night we moved to Pasadena, and I've never looked back. It's solid, good food. I love that they've got stellar Indian vegetarian and vegan cuisine plus a grocery store. I can place an order and shop around while my fresh naan is in the works. Yes, they have tables to dine-in, but this is mainly a quick food eatery. I'd guess most orders are to go. You know the type, all the food options are already made on a hot bar, and you just need to make some choices. Pick a combo, pick your rice, pick your dishes, pick your bread, and you are minutes away from a hearty, satisfying meal. You don't have to go the combo route, items can be à la carte. Plus, they have samosas, pakora, and a hell of a lot more. Vegan mango lassi, you say? Yep. They make the most wonderful Indian pickles, in house daily, that come with the combos. I buy extra because they are fantastic with just about everything. One observation worth mentioning is that the food isn't always consistent. It's always tasty, but I think the chefs have their own interpretations. Sometimes I'll get the green bean dish and it's nothing but savory, comforting, and mellow. Then the next week, the same dish might be so spicy I'm sweating my ass off on the couch while eating it. Again, both are good, but wildly different. Some chefs are a little heavier on the salt too, which I'm not a fan of, but that's rare. Ask for a quick taste of anything you're not sure about unless they're crazy busy. Even the pickles are different every time, but I'd never turn those down. Namaste Spiceland is just one of those go-to spots that every neighborhood needs. It's not fancy, it's not going to win awards for innovating the next generation of Indian cuisine. But the food is damn good, and it packs flavor into every single bite.

The Vegan/Vegetarian hot food section here looks amazing! During lunch and dinner time it's packed. However, I occasionally stop by Namaste Spiceland for fresh herbs, peppers, coconuts, mangoes (green and ripe ones) and dried spices. I wanted to make Thai Massamun curry and this market had all the dry spices I was looking for to make it from scratch. Prices are pretty reasonable, but for some stuff a tad overpriced compared to other Indian markets I been to. Overall I find Namaste Spiceland well stocked on spices and condiments. It's always clean when I shop here. Parking is available and street parking on Locust Street vs Hill St is available when the lot is full.

Great choices of Indian vegetarian food. Couple of combos to pick a couple veg dishes, rice and bread. Great prices and a large amount of Indian dessert offerings. Full Indian supermarket as well with so many staple and gourmet imported items. Plenty of parking and small seating area to dine inside.

Namaste Spiceland is located in an unassuming block, and is part of the Indian grocer. There's plenty of folks shopping there during the time I was eating there. There's a variety of sides to choose from, and despite not having meat options, I really don't feel like I'm missing out. I highly recommend getting the combo so you can try the wide expression of South Indian food. The prices are fantastic, I'd highly recommend getting a few samosas, the dips are great, especially that sweet one. They really pile on the rice/sides so it's an incredible deal to be satisfied in stomach, mind, and wallet!

Yum!! If you're craving Indian food, this market/restaurant is perfect. They have a variety of vegetarian curries to choose from and I opted for the #2, which comes with your choice of three curries, rice, naan, samosa, and additional sides for just under $15! The serving was very generous and I really enjoyed all the curries. They all had great flavor and a bit of heat to them. Their garlic naan is heavenly. Also, the workers here are very friendly and helpful. I will definitely be back here when I'm craving Indian food.

One of the great gems of Pasadena! Their Paneer, Samosa, Naan, and Poori always taste great and consistent. The servings are generous and you can always add extra sauces. I go here for to-go food. The line moves fast if there's one but very rare.

I stopped to get some simple spices here, but decided to get lunch here also. The food was average or less than average. The paneer was extremely salty, almost inedible. The split chana dish was also very salty. The samosa was okay, but the crust was very thick. The food felt cheap, not sure how else to put it. The 4 dollar king coconut water was sour tasting. Maybe that's a thing but I didn't like it. General atmosphere was not outwardly friendly or accomodating. I nodded at one of the workers and he just looked at me and ignored me and walked past. By far the most bothersome thing about this grocery is that the majority of the spices are not priced. Ended up walking out without buying any groceries because of the general vibe of the place and lack of pricing. Anonymous and unwelcoming experience. I'll be going back to India Sweets and Spices in Atwater Village.

I was in Pasadena today for a meeting. Afterwards, I called my coworker to join me for lunch at Namaste. He agreed. We met at noon and I ordered my usual dish - Masala Dosa. It comes with chutney and sambar and soup. The Masala Dosa was $10.97 including tax. A bargain during these inflationary times. Coming back this coming Friday with all my coworkers. DJ's rating: 4.75/5.00 Would I come back? Definitely Yes. See you again on Friday.

Went inside to check the grocery. Great selection of spices and Indian products. The stuff was helpful when I asked for price check on a couple of times. Afterwards me and my better half shared Masala Dosa which I loved but was a bit too much for her. And Chai which we both loved. Great place. Can't wait to the rest of the menu

the food at Namaste Spiceland tastes authentically spicy if that's what you're yearning for and it's authentically vegetarian. people who have lived in India eat here. the kitchen will heat up any breads you order on request. there are tables to sit at to eat your purchase right away or you can order take-out to go. the food is surprisingly filling especially on an empty stomach. there isn't a huge selection but it's all good. this is also an Indian grocery store if you're looking for an ingredient supplier with regular weekly clientele and inventory turnover. NS is a regular stop for me whenever i visit LA and Pasadena is mellow and easy to navigate.

BEST Indian food in town. You get a big plate with lots of variety. All delicious. I travel from quite far to go here

We absolutely love this gem the people working here are always so sweet and helpful and the food is delicious, inexpensive and abundant. Of course they get five stars make sure to eat your samosas and try some of the wonderful chutney that goes along with them to absolutely make the flavors explode

Good grub with a good spice level. All vegetarian and great customer service. Its also a good spice shop. Smells like home. Prices are reasonable.

Been coming here for a few years now and really enjoy this place. Nice little Indian market with attached restaurant. All of the prepared foods are really tasty. A couple of combo choices are available. My favorite item is the samosa. There is a small dine in area. I love that they use paper based containers but sometimes they do not hold up well for take out. Highly recommend you try this place!

The man helping us order was so helpful, we have zero knowledge of Indian food but he was so kind in sharing his favorites and even recommended ways to enjoy our order. The food is generous in proportions, super fresh, and so delicious! 10/10 would recommend, it was busy but had a nice little parking lot and fast service.

Thank you!!! The vegetarian food is outstanding and the staff surprised my daughter with a lunch as a gift. I couldn't be more grateful. This place is very special!!

Honestly there is nothing, i can say that is negative about this grocery store. The family that owns the grocery are so nice, and explain everything when you have questions. the options for fresh food us amazing. The Masala Dosa, Paneer Paratha and Samosas are awesome. Actually all the hot food is great. The food is vegetarian which is a very nice change. All the combos come with the Indian rice, which I love. Very good prices, and good amount food. The grocery part has a wide variety of spices, and fresh herbs, peppers, coconuts, mangoes (green and ripe ones) and dried spices, items that are not easy to find. Definitely a place to come and try good food, home made. Dragon Egg Approved!

Returned recently for lunch. The food was much better than it had been. Not too salty. We arrived early, so the food was very fresh. The potato and cauliflower dishes (vegan) were excellent. The pakora and sauce for it were much better than in the past. Prices have gone up, like everywhere. We shared the 3 item combo for $12.99. Still a good deal. Plenty for two people. After eating, we did a bit of shopping in their grocery section. I found some excellent leaf orange peko tea for a good price. We'll return.

another Indian prejudice place as an Indian when you walk in you don't get a smile. You don't get welcome. Nothing when the white skin walks in. It's a different story. The food is shitty as shittiest. It can be. These guys are just hanging around like the sausage and talking shit about people standing in front of them, they understand that they could understand what are you talking about and the food quality is amazingly disastrous cleanliness in the fridge and the food area is awesomely atrocious very unwelcoming uninviting Indian place to eat. Shitty food for high price.

A legendary local spot. Delicious food and a great value! Some of the tastiest samosas ever.

TL;DR: Namaste is truly a institution of Pasadena. It's the best Indian food around, an excellent value, and always a fun experience. Read on for details. Namaste Spiceland is a hidden gem of Indian cuisine. Nestled in a cozy strip mall on Hill off the 210 in Pasadena, this is our go-to spot for a quick, delicious, and affordable Indian feast. The Mysore Masala Dosa is a delightful concoction of spiced potatoes wrapped in a light, crispy crepe, offering a perfect balance of flavor and texture. It is sizeable. We usually also get the "Do" combo, which includes rice and 3 items from the buffet. The buffet options change every day and there are usually about 5-8 dishes to choose from, including different curries, paneer, dal, vegetables, and others. We usually go for their curries and vegetables, which are always hearty, richly spiced, often earthy, and full of complex flavors. Even though the food is all vegetarian (there are no meats at the entire store), their dishes are so incredibly rich and flavorful that you won't miss having meat. One quirk of this place is that the dishes often differ depending on who is cooking that day. It's actually fun that you get a different take on the dishes each time you go and they are consistently excellent. We usually get naan with the combo (either plain or garlic, the garlic is very garlicky), and it's worth mentioning that the naan is quite unusual in being soft, fluffy, and moist, almost buttery (rather than the typical charred, drier naan). This makes it perfect for rolling up and dipping in their delicious chutnies or curries. Speaking of the chutnies, they make them all in house and fresh. The mint chutney is a special standout and we always ask for two tubs. The Pav Bhaji Dosa is also a standout, with a hearty tomato flavor and other spiced vegetable and onion notes, and a tangy and subtly sweet finish. The restaurant is in a grocery store, where they have very fresh produce, including the freshest ginger in Pasadena. And they often have fresh turmeric, which is not so easy to find. The value here is incredible. You get a huge amount of food for extremely reasonable prices. Finally, the staff are super nice. They're always helpful and patient. Shashi is especially awesome and always greets us warmly. If you call your food in, they always have it ready in about 5 minutes by the time we make it over there. Oh, the chai is great too.

The management seriously needs to revaluate their approach to the organization and cleanliness of the store. Burst ice cream pints with the ice cream leaking out and frozen into the freezer racks, haphazardly stocked shelves, not putting back what customers move (though customers also need to have respect in this regard, it falls on the market staff to put things back in their place), and fridges with piles of products belonging in very separate categories just thrown in. Makes you wonder what the state of the kitchen looks like if they are not so bothered with what the exposed side looks like. It is not even a matter of them being short on staff. They had plenty of employees the couple of times I have been in. Additionally, the market shelves are placed directly under the lights, making it super dark and difficult for customers to read labels. Lights should align between the aisles. If it weren't for a specific spice I needed, I would not entertain the idea of purchasing anything else from this establishment.

Killer dosa, chaat, veg curry, all super inexpensive. Come for the food, not the ambience, but do come for the food!

Service: this place is a grocery market with a hot food- cafeteria style food bar. The family that runs the place is really cool. They help explain their food options to those who need it and is really good and patient when making recommendations. The portion size is too big- haha. Everything they offer is vegetarian. Food: my friends and I pretty much ordered everything they had that day and all of us was pretty good. Some options started tasting like the other, but it was still very enjoyable. The breads and samosas were clearly cooked to order since everything we got was super fresh. They have specials that make the value so good for what you get. I highly recommend coming with someone so you can try everything. Everything is cooked perfectly and worth it. I took one star off because I would like to see more options for sauce base.. at the same time, if you want to keep the prices low, it would be the price to pay right? ‍

Tasty and a pretty straight forward process until it's not. I ordered, I paid but items didn't find their way into my bag. One I caught missing and went back and one I did not notice until I came home and started to feed my family. It wasn't busy. I know I was new to ordering, but I knew what I ordered and my bill reflected that. Next time, please make sure all paid items are doubled checked. Food is expensive. I wish you growth, but we will not return .

Super cute! The food is really good , very friendly staff. It's nice to be able and find spices needed for cooking

This is my go to spot for a quick and delicious meal. My boyfriend and I come here at LEAST twice a week, the food has become our latest obsession. It so good, get the combo, all the food is always so hot and delicious, you won't regret it. My favorite dish EVER is pav bahaji. The service is also 10/10 fantastic, we love SASHI and look forward to seeing him every time. Do yourself a favor and get a #2 combo from namaste spiceland!

Vegetarian Indian food plus a market, a one stop shop! Even though the food is vegetarian it was very filling, neither of us could finish our dishes! Line up (the place gets really busy around dinner time even on weeknights), and choose from the vegetables they have on the buffet line. We went with the combos that come with 2 veggies, rice, yogurt, pickled veggies, and bread ($1 to upgrade to naan). There are 3 types of combos you can order, the 2nd comes with a samosa on the side! ---yellow daal and potato curry: yummm ---naan: made fresh to order NOTE: they have indoor and outdoor tables for seating

Food is okay at best. I just come here when I need a fix, especially for a little pani puri or samosa. Everything else is too heavy and tastes the same. But I would let that slide if the service was better. The guys behind the counter act like they give zero f**ks about you. They will give you a minimal response and you can forget about actually getting a smile. Is it because I am a Desi too or do they treat everyone as badly I wonder. Not a good example of Desi warmth I am afraid.

Really authentic Indian cuisine. The food is very nice tasting, and a lot of food for a very reasonable price! I ordered a "three veggie@ combo, and it was surprisingly big! I got to chose 3 options of vegetables (paneer tika, lentils, eggplant, chickpeas, and vegetable mix were the options) and it came with: rice, naan (I changed for roti), samosa, and curd. Very nice service, fast! For dessert, they have many options, I tried the Shrikhand (yogurt with honey, saffron and cardamom) - great taste! They also have a supermarket with original food you can find in Indian's supermarkets. Very nice place!

Two times I've been here. The first time I got the two veggie dish and it was good with the best naan I've ever tasted in my life (that's a lot). It was soft, hot and fresh!!!! The second time I had the naan, it was a complete disappointment with burnt garlic and dry like paper. The veggie dishes were fine but definitely not coming back. The samosa was a ball of dough that's been sitting out for quite a while. It was terrible at best. Tables (thanks to dining in available again post covid) were so dirty and no one bothered to wipe them. Good selection as a market but the food was 4 out of 10. Won't be coming back.

I went yesterday and clearly asked the server if there was any peanuts in the food, as I have a severe peanut allergy. He assured me "no." I sat to to eat and immediately had a strong allergic reaction told the manager that theres peanuts in something as i left for the emergency room. Overall, I still love this place and have ate here a few times before, but I wont be back unless they can figure out whats in their food!

Fantastic resturant and marketplace. Very friendly staff, my week is not complete without a visit!

Local vegetarian Indian takeout place with grocery store! There's ample parking in a lot with a dentist and pizza joint in the same complex. While we are familiar with before but we couldn't tell what the hot dishes were without labels. The staff were kind and described each item and ingredients. We are not vegan but the guest after us was and they alerted him that one of the items contained butter. They really know their food and proud to talk about it! They gave us recommendations on paratha and rice. We did the Yelp check in and got a free samosa as well. Our to go items (paneer, garbanzo, cauliflower) were all delicious, hot and smelled awesome still when we got home ten minutes later.

Picked up some quick Indian food. On my way home from school. It was pretty good. We liked the Dahl the best. All the prepared food was good. Picked up a can of Indian soda. It was old or something. Tasted off.

It's a great place with great food. Recommend to all my friends and family. The folks are always super nice and helpful.

Is this place closing down? They hardly have stuff on the shelves . It's the bare minimum. Their frozen food was not really fully frozen as the freezers are not working properly. I regret going there for groceries .