Such a pleasant experience this last weekend! My friend and I went around 6:30pm for dinner and had no issues getting seated promptly. The restaurant has such a beautiful interior and was a pleasant greeting from the moment we walked in the door! We shared a plate of delicious, savory Paneer Jal-Frazie, as well as Boti Kabob (lamb) which was served hot, sizzling on a cast iron plate (my mouth is watering thinking of it!). The Boti Kabob came with a side of rice which went well together, along with the complimentary sauces. We also shared a mango lassi which was by far the best I've ever had; highly recommend. To top it all off, they kindly served us a gift of rice pudding, which was chilled and succulent. The creaminess was infused with delicate spices, and the dessert was topped with pistachio. This is clearly a family owned restaurant, which I've come to adore only after one trip. During your meal, you can expect to be cared for as family. I'm so appreciative of the ownership for this lovely experience, and will return when I am back in the area. read more

Clay Oven - Boti Kabob; Paneer Jal-Frazie - Indian Near Me - San Mateo, California

My sister and I came here yesterday to celebrate our birthday lunch and had such a lovely experience. Our server, a very kind older gentleman, was incredibly attentive and kept checking in on us. He was also so accommodating with my 12 month old baby. The food was excellent! the butter chicken was very tasty and tender, the fish pakora was delicious and baby approved!, the rogan josh lamb was full of flavor, and the garlic naan was so fresh. At the end of our meal he even surprised us with complimentary gulab jamuns for our birthday, which was such a thoughtful touch. Wonderful service and great food. We'll definitely be back! read more

The restaurant was quiet, perfect for dinner and conversation. The food was delicious!! I had the chicken vindaloo nice and spicy and my date had the Kashmiri chicken. Both were excellent. The garlic naan was perfectly prepared and the server was gracious, helpful, and good natured. read more

Clay Oven - Chicken Vindaloo, Rice Pilav, and Garlic Nan - Indian Near Me - San Mateo, California

Great taste! Excellent customer service! Too good that I forgot to take the before picture for the tikka masala. The sitting area is nice. The music isn't too loud. Nothing but good vibes! First time here. Definitely will come back if I'm in the area craving flavourful Indian food. Other food that was ordered: - chicken coconut curry (spicy) - garlic naan - onion naan - white rice read more

Clay Oven - Chicken Tikka Masala - Indian Near Me - San Mateo, California

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The website states opening hours of 11:00 AM however only the cook was in the kitchen making buffet food. The door of the store was open and I had to personally look for servers in the store and ended up in the kitchen. The cook mentioned that the owner is "SLEEPING". I called the store line while being in the store for 3 times with no answer. Waited in the restaurant per cook's request that someone is coming. Waited for 20 mins with no one showing up. Store owner called back after seeing missed calls on his phone. He was very "RUDE" stating that the hours are different. Why open the restaurant door if no one is there to serve, and change the hours on your website. Not recommending this restaurant. read more

Clay Oven is my favorite Indian Restaurant in San Mateo. Quick for takeout and a great atmosphere for dine in. Highly recommend. read more

Excellent buffet and great service. The decor is very relaxing and soothing. I like the background music which adds to the vibe of the restaurant. Definitely a place to try at least once. read more

One of the best Indian buffets I've been to. My favorite is the fresh naan. A delicious surprise is the ice cream they make in house! Ask for it. Owner is incredibly nice. read more

Loved it. Went for the lunch buffet and the person who welcomed us was very kind and helpful. He said he'd been there for decades and that his family owned the business. Food was great and price was very reasonable for all you can eat. read more

Feels like a hole in the wall, with authentic food. Place had nice ambience and service was amazing. Food came out fast and generous portions read more

My bestfriend and I ordered butter chicken, Chicken Tikka Masala, pickles, chicken Tandoori Chicken, Garlic Nan and wow everything was impeccable. The ambiance is remarkable, the owners are so sweet & they even ended up giving us rice pudding on the house. 10/10 service, food, & experience!! we will definitely be coming back soon & would definitely recommend!!!! read more

Clay Oven - Rice pudding & ambience - Indian Near Me - San Mateo, California

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I own a Y salon spa at the corner Sanmateo dr & 3rd avenue near Clay Oven on third Avenue . I usually order and pick up for a busy day. My favorite dish is butter chicken and Nan bread. It's so delicious. Cannot compare with any other Indian restaurant that I have tried , the owner Malhi is such a gentleman and attentive. I enjoy their food. very much and had recommend lot of my clients to go there . I believed local business support local business. read more

I've always known of Clay Oven but haven't tried it until recently. This place is amazing! Love the ambiance and service was great. Really enjoyed the food! IMO one of the better Indian restaurants in the San Mateo area! read more

Best chicken tikka masala, and naan bread!! Very affordable too! Never liked Indian food intill i came here!

This is our absolute favorite restaurant in San Mateo and favorite Indian in the Bay Area. The owners are so welcoming. Food is awesome.

This is my favorite Indian restaurant in the Bay Area. They have amazing authentic Indian food, a beautifully decorated, cozy atmosphere, and excellent service. Boti lamb kabob is delicious and a very generous portion, served sizzling hot! Another long time favorite is coconut curry mixed vegetables. Try out their lunch buffet! read more

I enjoyed Clay Oven's service and overall ambiance! The food was good, not incredible, but I'd go back. My friend and I got the Chicken Tikka Masala and it was tasty. We both got mild spice and it wasn't spicy at all. The rice was good too. We also got the naan basket with plain naan, garlic naan, and onion kulcha. The plain naan was my favorite, the onion kulcha was tasty too, and garlic naan is always good! Almost forgot - we also got the vegetable samosa which was a litttttle spicy for me but tasty! read more

Clay Oven - Indian Near Me - San Mateo, California

Oh man - sadly this place is just occupying real estate that a better restaurant could take over. As an Indian with a deep appreciation and love for Indian, Indian fusion and progressive Indian cuisine this place is bad. The food is stale, creamy and tasteless. This is NOT authentic Indian food. Authentic Indian food is not sweet, creamy or heavy like this. Ambience is the typical painted Indian ladies with pots on their heads?! And burgundy wooden chairs: again not classic to Indian design or sensibilities but somehow the vibe of most below average Indian restaurants. Service is alright. Would not recommended unfortunately. read more

5/12/23 We've gone to Clay Oven a few times, but the first time we got food from Clay Oven was via takeout. I remember that I got a chicken vindaloo that was supposed to be spicy but to me, it was barely spicy at all. One night, we decided to go in to the restaurant to eat and Zach personally loves Indian food. When we got there, it was fairly late so parking wasn't an issue (we got a parking spot right in front). There was currently only one table occupied besides us. Here's what we got for dinner: - Garlic naan (to share) - Saag paneer (his) - Vegetable samosa (to share) - Rice pilav (to share) - Chicken coconut curry (to share) - Papusa (given by the restaurant) The staff were all friendly and polite. One employee even got Zach a cold, delicious mango lassi when he saw that Zach was sweating profusely from the extra spice he asked for in his saag paneer. The food in the restaurant tasted way better than what I had when I tried their take out before. The spice level in the chicken was perfect and the chicken itself was tender, and the curry was creamy. I tried a little of the saag paneer but since it was extra spicy I didn't eat anymore than that initial bite. The samosa was good, nice crunch on the outside with soft potato filling. The garlic naan was good too. The rice pilav was basic and not outstanding. Overall, Clay Oven is a decent spot for Indian food. I wouldn't say it's the best, but it definitely satisfies the craving. read more

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My friend and I came here for dinner and thoroughly enjoyed it. Many patrons were clearly regulars, and we could see why. While there, about 30 people filed in and we thought oh no, it's going to get loud. But they were so quiet. We did notice that they all sat at different tables, and we learned that they were a tour group from India, and they stop there for "home style" cooking that they are missing! We will definitely go back. read more

The food here is great. Especially the chicken tikka masala and tandoori chicken. Everything is excellent. The ambiance is comfortable. The service is impeccable. All around my favorite restaurant in San Mateo. read more

Always looked at this place but never went in and am glad I did. It was very easy to get a table and the ambiance is cozy but also nice with linen tablecloths. Service was good (although our first server may have not spoken fluent English, he had someone else answer our questions). After dinner they were so nice and gave us complimentary rice pudding! My friend and I got the samosas, chicken tikka masala and the naan basket. The naan basket had a lot in it. All were good but plain was my favorite to dip in the sauce. The food was good, but I still have other favorite Indian restaurants. The service was so friendly though that I'll definitely go back. read more

Came to Clay Oven for dinner. We ordered a few items like a curry, chicken, and naan. Service was friendly and food came out hot. Everything tasted okay (not super memorable or amazing) and portion sizes were definitely on the smaller side. Restaurant was pretty empty for prime dinner hours. read more

Such a hidden gem, wish I'd tried it earlier! Food was excellent! Service was great, ambiance was nice. All the dishes were delicious - we had samosa, grilled meat platter, tandoori chicken, biryani, eggplant, and 3 meat curries. The naan was great too! We will definitely be back! read more

Let me paint the picture here. It starts on a Thursday afternoon-almost-evening in downtown San Mateo. Naturally, I've been drinking at Barrel Bistro, also recommended. A smoked old-fashioned or two-maybe-three since you asked. No judgement. I'm off on Fridays, and don't be jelly. Anyway, suddenly buzzed and ravenous, I stumble into the nearest Indian restaurant and ask for a tikka masala prepared "extra-extra-extra-extra-not-White-guy-hot." Oh. I should note that I'm offensively White. Like, dude-bro Silicon Valley douche-supreme White. I can't help it, people. Born this way. The result of being so cliche White, other than being instantaneously punchable, is that nobody believes I'm also addicted to XXX anus-melting spicy foods. I am. To the point that I've been to the ER a time or two because my mouth wrote checks my stomach absolutely could not cash. Okay, back on track here. The gentleman at Clay Oven questions my seriousness. I reassure him. And off he goes to see that my order is prepared as asked. I'm happy to report that despite my overwhelming Whiteness--again, usually resulting in a 70% debuff or more in spiciness--this plate comes out dark red like nuclear molten lava, and I've no doubt the same Mordor fire will be melting San Mateo plumbing systems at some point soon. So if you legit like spicy foods, I highly recommend the tikka masala assuming you also ask for it extra-extra-extra-extra-not-White-guy hot. Also, as tikka masala is not typically the spiciest of dishes, I can only surmise that other offerings will be even spicier should you ask for them Butter naan also good. Thumbs up to all spicy fanatics. read more

Clay Oven - Extra-extra-extra-extra spicy tikka masala. - Indian Near Me - San Mateo, California

Very good food, pleasant ambiance and excellent service. Our party of eight had a variety of dishes and everyone was happy with their selection. My wife and I don't like highly spiced foods, and dishes we got were pleasantlty seasoned. Though no one ordered a dessert, the staff provided us with a complimentary dessert which was a pleasant surprise. Definitely a place I would go back to. read more

We went in on Easter Sunday,not expecting much. The food is AMAZING. Go. Now. Fresh food. Elegant atmosphere. Fun surprises (cool mango treat!) read more

If you're even remotely craving Indian food, stop scrolling and just go here. The flavors hit that perfect spot between authentic and elevated. Service was warm and unhurried in the best way. Ambiance is cozy! read more

Good quality food and they are open until 11pm !! That alone is a worthy of a good review. My wife usually comes after her shift ends and sometimes is just too tired to cook. We had the rice with spicy chicken curry, grilled chicken, and strong indian tea. Plus the warriors game show. Would try the buffet next time! read more

Great local spot downtown. Good atmosphere and food. Fair prices. I had enough for two meals of leftovers. Attentive service. Really, a ton to like. I'm surprised by the low Yelp rating. There are a lot of one-star reviews, and the vast majority are from pre-2020. I wish there could be a recency adjustment from Yelp because I reckon the rating would improve. Alas, it is what it is. I enjoyed my dinner and look forward to returning! read more

Ok. I've been here too many times and just realized that I have yet to write a review. I usually try to wait til I patronize the business a couple times before writing one so here I am after maybe what 10-15 times??? lol If you follow me here on this amazing platform Yelp, you know I eats all kinds of cuisines. Indian is one that is on my cycle of rotations roughly about every 2-3 months maybe. As with all cuisines it's hard to find a good one and on top of that, one nearby home. This place is pretty much easy to find as it's in the heart of downtown San Mateo in the restaurant district where you can find a plethora of business to dine at. However you might have a hard time finding parking as it's usually super busy during the lunch and dinner hours. The restaurant is peaceful with background music or the tv playing as you eat. Soft cushioned seats with China settings and decent stemware to make you feel elegant. They have a really good menu with plenty of choices from apps to dinner and drinks. Service is really attentive and pleasant. Sometimes it does take a while for the food to come out but most of the time it doesn't bother me as I'm relaxed watching the tv or having a drink. Fairly priced meals and drinks and great portions that will keep your belly full for quite a while. My usual go to is the Tikki Masala, Curry Chicken, The Okra, Biryani, Naan (Garlic and Kashmiri) and the Vegetable samosas. These have never failed me and every now and then I'll change it up with other type of meat and flavors. What are you waiting for, country it out and come back and tell me how you rank it. read more

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Wonderful and authentic North Indian food! We took our parents for lunch and they enjoyed it so much, we catered from here for our pre wedding dinner. The food was a hit amongst the Indian crowd. If you're looking for authentic North Indian food, this is the place to go! We personally won't be going anywhere else from here on out! read more

Please do not order any paratha or Roti. They are like cardboards - both in terms of taste and thickness. It was a DoorDash order.

I have been going here for the last 30 years and Clay Oven is my absolute most favorite food in the whole world!!! every single time I'm in heaven and the staff treats me like family! I love this place and the owners and people that run it and serve there! From the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU Clay Oven! : ) read more

Had a great dinner at Clay Oven in San Mateo! The food was excellent -- flavorful and beautifully prepared. The wine list was very nicely chosen. The owner, Malhi, was extremely accommodating and welcoming. The interior and ambiance are lovely, and the menu has a great variety. They also offer a lunch buffet (which I'll have to try next time). Highly recommend! read more

I ordered via Uber Eats and my review is for the seamless ordering and delivery. I would have taken a star off for the tough lamb in the grill mix and I have definitely had better seekh Kabab but what impressed me was the attention to detail and the spectacular chicken tikka masala. Our order arrived in an hour from online ordering - I had asked for a side of red onions and pickles and loved how well Clay Oven had executed on my request. The Saag Paneer Was well executed as was the Keema Naan and the order fed my family of 3, two great meals ( I added a salad and a dal from home to both meals ) I will definitely order again ( just might stay away from the mix grill !!! ) Don't forget a double order of the tikka masala - yum! read more

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My boyfriend had been craving Indian food for a minute and we ordered just that. Chicken makhni and chicken masala with rice and naan to go please. This place had me saying mmmm mmmm mmmm every bite. I was doing my happy dance lol. Juicy chicken, flavorful sauce and rice that reminds me of pilaf, yum. If you're craving some good food check this spot out! Don't come at me with my grammar, punctuation and English! You understand what I'm trying to say. read more

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The food was so incredible that I barely had time to appreciate anything else--no pictures, no distractions, just pure enjoyment. Every bite was an explosion of flavor, from the perfectly spiced curries to the tender, melt-in-your-mouth naan. The service was equally impressive--warm, attentive, and welcoming. The ambiance is so peaceful. My husband and I enjoy coming here for date night. It's rare to find a place that gets everything right, but exceeded my expectations in every way. If you love Indian food or are just curious to explore, this is the place to be. I'll definitely keep coming back--next time, I might even remember to take a picture! read more

Great food great people. The owner is humble and kind, and they are very generous with their portions of food and everything on the menu taste delicious. read more

Clay Oven - Indian Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Exceptional cuisine. My family all greatly enjoyed the lunch buffet. Lovely ambiance with Real Roses and wine glasses for water. I tasted almost every dish and each one was spectacular. They brought complementary naan to the table; service was delightful. I don't know where they get their grapefruits, they were insanely rich, I'm pretty sure it was the best I've ever had. read more