Bollywood Masala
| Address: | 23418 Three Notch Rd, California, MD 20619, USA |
| Phone: | +1 301-862-7735 |
| Site: | bollywoodmasalacalifornia.com |
| Rating: | 4.4 |
| Working: | Closed 11AM–2:30PM 11AM–2:30PM 11AM–2:30PM 11AM–2:30PM 12–2:30PM 12–2:30PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 7
CA
Cameron Durrant
My wife and I love Indian food and for the last 14 years have lived in the US and experienced a wide range. Having both grown up in the UK, where, arguably, you can find the best Indian, Pakistani and Bengali food outside of those actual home countries, the bar has been set high. Bollywood Masala, on the night my wife and I went there, was THE BEST Indian food we have experienced in the entire USA. The only place I have experienced, outside of the UK or India that was on a par, was a very pricey restaurant in Abu Dhabi. This place is tucked inside a strip mall, amongst the plethora of stores in Lexington Park. But what a gem. They also have a small range of Indian wines and the Reserve Shiraz was the most expensive, but at $30 a bottle was an absolute steal. You can of course take home what is left in the bottle and get a doggie bag. Our appetizers were chicken pakora and veggie pakora. These can be either over battered and/or soggy. Ours were perfect. Fresh, juicy, tasty and the spice was just right. My wife is gluten-free and everything on the menu was acceptable. I had shrimp Hyderabadi and she had chicken Jalfrezi. Both had fresh herbs and spices. You can absolutely tell when you have eaten as much Indian food as we have when this stuff is fresh. The Hyderabadi had a beautiful coconut flavor and we also had a gluten-free chickpea-based bread. My wife makes these at home and she is an excellent cook. This was even better. If you want a cheap meal, this can run to $15-18 per main, but the wine is not at all expensive compared to the scandalous mark ups I have seen pretty much everywhere else. To get high quality Indian authentic beer and Indian wine is highly unusual. I cannot emphasize what a gem this place is. Anyone who lives in the Lexington Park area has no idea how high a quality this place this is on a GLOBAL scale and believe me, we absolutely know about Indian food.
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A Private User
A friend and I stumbled across this resturant last night. She had never had indian food and I have not had any in quite a while. We started off with a pot of chai tea that was well spiced yet still tasted like tea. My one complaint is that the menu is difficult to read due to the font that is used. We asked the waiter if they had a "sampler type" platter and was told that they do not. He got the chef/owner who served us samples of lamb (which my friend had never had) and a sample of sauce to determine how spicy we wanted our food. We asked him to pick out three dishes for us, one each of lamb, chicken, and seafood. He asked us about allergies and told us that he would give us three dishes that complemented each other. I cant tell you what we ate, only that it was A-MAZ-ING. A variety of textures, spices, and levels of "hotness". When I thanked the owner/chef for taking such good care of us, his heartfelt reply was that he wanted people to feel that they were his honored guests in his home and not just customers in a resturant. Cost wise it was on the higher side. One pot of tea, one garlic naan, three entrees, and two desserts was $40 each with a 20%-ish tip. Well worth it but honestly more than I want to spend for dinner for one. I am looking forward to making the trip from Waldorf for the weekday lunch buffet which is closer to $10.
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A Private User
Some work buddies pointed this place out. I was never super inclined to Indian cuisine, but what I had had before was good. This place takes the cake! Its a great value, has TONS of flavor (not just sodium like a typical american restaurant), and a rather big menu. You can find things that are not spicy, so dont let that get to you. And if you like spicy, its your place. PLEASE ask the wait staff about things. Some of the descriptions dont lead you to believe how good its gonna be. I dont want to ruin it for anyone. But if you are looking for something different or new, TRY IT! Service: 6 (Not bad at all, just nothing amazing or that stood out) Quality: 9 (Top notch food!) Value: 9 (About $32 for my girlfriend and I, with appetizer) PS - Get an appetizer! I recommend any of the bread things. They are basically a flatbread that has been brushed with butter, spices (mild), and you can even get one with potatoes inside. Its like a pizza, but really really thin. SO GOOD! And they give free refills!
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M C Ertem
Absolutely wonderful, nice people, great tasty buffet! Also they know how to do hospitality. From my review of the Outback, right across the street from where we escaped to Bollywood Masala: [ Wed May 31, 2017, 2 pm, and the Outback is as empty as the real outback. Six hungry engineers walk in, fresh from flight testing in the morning. We ask for a table close to an outlet - to keep one laptop charged and take a quick look at our data while we eat. All the tables are empty. The hostess looks as if she never heard of such a thing as a power outlet. She says, with a blank stare, direct quote: "We dont have that." We say "How do you vacuum, then?" More blank stares. We walk out, cross the highway to Bollywood Masala, which turns out to be excellent. Great food and the host there says "Take any table, plug in, and what can I get for you to drink?" I did not miss that steak and onion bloom I had been looking forward to at Outback, not even one bit... ]
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A Private User
Im not sure if I was eating at a different restaurant from these other reviewers but this place is a joke in terms of Indian cuisine. Ive eaten at a number of Indian restaurants in Maryland and at least in terms of food this one was by far the worst. The Chicken Mahkani I ordered was so overloaded with extremely hot spices that I had to send it back twice (having asked for it mild the first time I ordered it, also never having had a problem with it in any other Indian restaurant). In addition, the chicken was full of gristle and was overcooked to the point of sawdust. Our waiter perhaps had some sort personality disorder as he couldnt seem to speak up enough that anyone could understand what he was saying. In any event, my wife and I went in once and never went back.
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Rupert Forester-Bennett
An amazingly unexpected find: Very high quality authentic food with many interesting dishes that I have not come across before. Lamb (and goat) is an essential part of Middle East and Indian cooking, yet is absent from most American restaurants. Not here - there are loads of lamb choices and the meat was high quality and plenty of it! Raj is a great host. Some of his servers are less experienced but hey, you have to train somewhere! I always have a Keema Nan with a curry, and this one was by far the best I have ever had (and Im a Brit, where Indian food is on every street corner) - Next time, Im having the lamb & mango curry!
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Bobby Beckner
Beware: The Sauce is Addicting. The owner came out to our surprise and personally guided us through the menu. My friend was able to try one of their *experimental* dishes that wasnt on the menu just yet, which was kind of cool. I had the Lamb Makhni Madras. I highly recommend that if youre a first timer like I was. The sauce... just amazing. The owner said his wife spent five years perfecting their blend of sauces, which was noticeable. She also gave us some snacks for the road. Such a personable experience.
