Shivaji Indian Express Cuisine
| Address: | 561 US-1, Edison, NJ 08817, USA |
| Phone: | +1 732-543-0171 |
| Site: | shivajinj.com |
| Rating: | 3 |
| Working: | 11:30AM–11:30PM 11:30AM–11:30PM 11:30AM–11:30PM 11:30AM–11:30PM 11:30AM–11:30PM 11:30AM–11:30PM 11:30AM–11:30PM |
Location
Photos 42
Reviews 5
MA
Marsha Lang
I was very excited to stumble across a new Indian restaurant because the one we have in East Brunswick is not good at all and very inconsistent with their food. My husband stopped in one day to get some chicken tika marsala for us to give this place a try. It was delicious, the flavor was awesome and I was very happy to see they used white meat. Of course we decided to come in for the buffet, I invited my daughters and grandchildren to join us. We got there yesterday around noon, my husband had already warned me not to expect a traditional Indian place, he said this place looked like 5 guys burgers making Indian food. He was exactly correct but that did not matter as long as the food is good. The buffet was not ready according to the staff we were told about 10 minutes. So we sat down to wait. About 25 minutes later my husband decided to start eating as no one told us the buffet was ready. Let me also add we were the only ones there. I asked for garlic nan, of course I was told that is extra which I figured and told the very unfriendly gentleman that was completely fine, he also gave us one piece of regular Nancy which was included for a table of 4 adults and 2 children. The food was very good however they put very little in the chaffing dishes so the chicken marsala ran out. I asked for more and they said they were making it. Within 10 minutes they refilled the chafing dish however I was very disappointed to find they used thigh meat this time. The first batch was white meat and the second batch was thighs. They do not come out to clear the table and you have to continuously ask for bread, they do not bring the bread to you, they call you from behind the counter or just simply place it on the counter and you have to assume it is yours. There were about 4 to 5 men working behind the counter and the place was empty. I was very disappointed with the lack of customer service, they were so unfriendly and I almost felt unwelcomed. There were no lights on and no heat. A few minutes before we left another gentlemen came in and he actually smiled at us and immediately walked over to the thermostat and turned the heat on, Im assuming he was the owner, I dont think he should leave his staff alone there. We paid about 55 dollars for lunch that included the buffet a few cans of soda and a couple of orders of nan bread, I think that is very reasonable. On the way home my husband and I discussed our experience and we decided to try the place one more time before giving up. I hope the owners read this review because I want this place to succeed and stay open. We need a delicious Indian restaurant, all we are asking for is consistent food and just a little bit of welcoming friendly service. Your food was delicious and we want to return often and tell all of our friends and family about this place. Please use fresh good products even if you charge a little more, people will pay and you will have a very successful establishment. Good luck!
MA
Matthew Johnson
We came in here for the weekend lunch buffet. It was a ridiculous disappointment. The seating area looked like that of a cafe, and the decor was preposterous, not matching to Indian architecture at all. What are katanas doing in an Indian restaurant? If I had not seen the name of the restaurant nor had I seen the food, I might believe it was some fast-food chain. The food was subpar for $12.95, and the name "Express" is ill-fitting. The buffet trays were tiny and held very little food, so they ran out quickly. The kitchen is also slow and inefficient. It took nearly twenty minutes to have the mediocre Chicken Biryani be refilled and the same amount of time to get the Chicken Khadai refilled as well. Overall, every single dish that ran out was not replaced until nearly thirty minutes after depletion. We ordered some dosa, which came with the buffet. I ended up waiting - you guessed it - another thirty minutes for two plain dosas. The dosas I got were thick, uncooked, soft, and soggy. I waited half-an-hour for disgusting dosas, which appalled me. I got some bad gas after eating the food here as well. I might add that the total bill came to $55 for a crappy ambience and crappy food. Shivaji Express Cuisine disgraces the name of Shivaji and Shivaji Ganesan. Jewel of India, a fine-dining restaurant with exceptional food and service, only charges $11.95. I am quite angered by the greed of Shivaji Express Cuisine. I think an acceptable price for this buffet would be $8 so as to reduce the anger from unfortunate customers.
HE
Henry Tat
Shivaji Indian Express is basically a takeout Indian restaurant which has tables if you want to stay to eat. The food is reasonably priced and there is a decent selection. I came with a group of people so we shared a few dishes (vegetable spring rolls, samosa chaat, chicken tikka masala, butter chicken, goat saagwala, saag chana, rice and naan). he order did take a while to come out. Im not sure if its because we ordered so much or if it normally takes a while. The soda machine also was not working, but none of our party ordered drinks. We all just drank water which was supplied to our table in a pitcher. The food came out in take-out like containers and there are plates and utensils that you use to serve yourself. So its not like a full service restaurant. But the service was fine and the cashier/server was attentive and friendly. The location used to be a Five Guys Burger place and they really didnt change the decor much. They added a television which shows Indian music videos and a few small wall hangings, but overall, it looks just like a Five Guys. So overall, I wouldnt say it was the best Indian place I ate at, but it wasnt bad. Id definitely order or eat there again.
KR
Krishna Vangapandu
Forget about how the place looks like a cafe.. Sure it does. Sure it lacks the ambience. What it lacks in ambience it makes it up with a clean environment, a clean kitchen. The quality of the food is very good. The chicken tastes like chicken and doesnt look all red or brown inside. The staff is polite and friendly, can customize the dish you want, the way you want. The weekend buffet, which I am having as I write this is pretty good. I personally dont need a 60 item buffet. Just a couple of good appetizers, good curry, good naan and some biryani .. It has all that and much more. And its not crazy 15$-20$. Its reasonably priced at 10$ weekend buffet and the made-to-order food from the menu is also priced much lower than those places at Oak Tree. As with any place .. Not everything is an awesome dish. Most dishes taste good. If only they can make a better tasting Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani this would always be my go to place. Best of all, the place is open until late night .. So if you need a quick bite late at night .. Give this place a shot too Good luck to the staff & owners. Hopefully they continue to run this place nice and clean!!
RO
Rohit Sharma
Came here for lunch, for their non-buffet f the front desk and our server advised that it would take 30 minutes. We were 45 minutes in, a when we went to inquire for the food, we got attitude from our server. The only thing we did was inquire about the arrival of our food - so dissappointed about the service. The food however was good. We got the shaam savera, daal makhani, the mushroom Mattar, and the chilli paneer. Each of the dishes were above average and enjoyed the food tremendously. Three stars because of the service.
