Craving some delicious Indian food after only working for half a day, I decided to look for the closest Indian buffet. Yelp featured this restaurant as a hot new business so I gave it a whirl. My visit was at a time when the restaurant had recently opened. Everything was brand-spanking new. The place was clean and inviting and the sign for a $10 buffet could not get me through the door fast enough. Overall my meal for that day was worth more than the dollars that I had spent. This restaurant may not be the best I've visited but it certainly is no slouch either. Perhaps that's why I'm surprised by some of the negative comments. From what I and my palette gathered, the flavors of Southeast Asia were all there. To top it off the restaurant is Halal which is great for individuals that practice such dietary restrictions. Upon walking in you are instantly greeted with a take-out counter of delicious dishes that are piping hot. If you decide to try the buffet, there is a dining area in the back which in all honesty is not the largest. Filled to capacity this place would simply be too crowded. Thankfully on the day of my visit there were only a few patrons. I sampled most of the dishes on the buffet display. There was a good combination of both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. I loved the fluffy and flavorful chicken biryani that soaked up all the delicious flavors of the paneer tikka masala and aalo ghobi. I had a nice helping, perhaps more like a mound of helping, of vegetable samosa. That thing was cooked to perfection. I actually took some to bring home because of how delicious those samosas were. The seekh kabob, ground chicken mixed with some spices, was cut into bite-size pieces that reminded me of Italian sausages. I have to admit that the kabob was rather dry and could have certainly used more flavors. The warm and fresh naan in the chaffing dishes were also not the best that I've tasted, but still made for a great accompaniment to some of the more scrumptious offerings. For a quick lunch, I couldn't have been any happier. I found an Indian buffet close to work that serves up some good dishes. Would I come back? The answer is yes--but only for the buffet. I can't simply ignore such a great deal for a good meal. read more

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Ordered curry goat - had zero taste/flavor. Also the associate at the front was rude and had no sense of Customer Service. My goat was also cold! And not cheap. Would not go back and would not recommend!!! read more

The place is simple and chill, not the fanciest but it's very clean. The food is amazing and really fresh and the guys there are really friendly. read more

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Is there a -1 rate? Save your money and don't get sick, this place is disgusting! The walls and floor are dirty from food, the same food that is seating in the stands out and look that was made since 7 am in the morning, they microwave most of the plates including basic stuffs like the Naan, how can you go wrong with Naan in an Indian restaurant!? As soon as we left the place we got sick. We order Chicken Tikka Masala with white rice and the chicken was filled with oil and the rice tasted like dish soap, including the slow customer service, get away of this place! read more

We visited this train wreck on a Monday early afternoon for lunch and should have kept a-rollin' on along. The $10 lunch buffet had only two vegetarian options, cold naan, a salad prepared with little effort or thought, lukewarm samosa, incorrect or no signage telling you what you were dipping into: all coming together for a shoddy, sloppy mess that was worth nowhere near the price tag. The owners really need to rework what their team is doing here. Don't bother going. read more

Had the chicken 65 and the aaloo gohbi with 2 orders of naan. It was pretty good. Chicken was spicy and the gohbi had a good flavor. Naan tasted a little bit like a pancake (just slightly) and had an alright texture. Portions were slightly smaller than expected but not bad, suitable for two people. read more

be careful they selling expired food they keep every food after cook one week after one week or sometimes they finish before after this time session if food not sell out all they put this food for buffet and people enjoy soon will be hospitalize read more

Have had takeout over the last few months. Quality has definitely gone down over that time. Tonight's entree was simply sour. Couldn't tell if it was the lime or lemon in the dish or the tomatoes. Or if it had simply gone bad. Was not appealing. Shame that there are not many Indian places in the area and really wanted this place to be at minimum decent. Forty bucks and most of the meal found the garbage can. Probably won't be back. read more

Horrible customer service. Called to ask what they had for buffet. The guy said "food". Oh really? I thought it was a clothing store. And, fyi, he spoke English so it couldn't have been a misunderstanding. If you're busy, then say "give me a moment" or "call back later". Something along those lines, I'd understand. Suffice to say, I didn't end up going. read more

Delicious and good prices! I got chicken tikka Masala, roti, veg samosa, chicken tandoori, white rice and daal mash. Everything was so good. Appropriate portions and it fed two of us for two meals! Just enough level of spice and heat, made it flavorful with a little kick. Probably the best tikka masala I've had! We will definitely be back while in town!!! read more

Came during a weekday for lunch. This is advertised as a lunch buffet, but when we arrived around noon, there was no food out. We patiently waited about 10 minutes before the first dishes were put out. More food came out as we started eating but we found the food to be pretty bland, which is surprising for a cuisine known for their big flavors. A bit too far from the office to have less than mediocre food. It's just a shame that all the local indian restaurants have closed down. read more

Good place for lunch buffet. Food is slightly spicy but not too hot. Mostly chicken dishes. Everything was flavorful and fresh. Restaurant was clean. I am fairly familiar with Indian food, but the signs definitely need some work for people who don't know what dish is what. They weren't very clear. Set-up is kind of confusing. The fridge to get your own jug of water is in a different room than the dining area. Make sure to get dessert on your way out. The rice pudding is refreshing. read more

Why is this guy in the front so lazy? Messed up my order, took forever to get it. I had to go back and forth 4 times in the middle of my dinner to ask for my remaining order, which i had to eventually change to take out. I got home with my meat paratha, only to realize that he actually gave me a regular paratha, but charged me for qeema(minced meat) paratha ofcourse. You try to talk to him as he walks through the tables, and he keeps walking. I will give 3.5/5 to food, and zero for service. If management doesnt train this guy to work faster and pay attention, They will loose customers. Food was good but I will not go back mainly for terrible service. read more

The place is small and at first glance, the hint that there's such a thing as a lunch buffet here may make you feel a little iffy about walking in. The way the food is already made and is to be reheated may even be a little off putting too but darn is the food amazing. The fact that most of their customers are native people speaks of the authenticity of their culinary approach. I would say, definitely try their Chicken Kebab and the Chicken Tikka Masala. The sauce of the masala was absolutely amazing and if you dip either the Garlic Naan or their Sada Naan into the sauce, the bread would just melt in your mouth. It was also my first time trying goat and I definitely love it. They've cooked it till the meat just peeled off the bone in soft chunks with all the juicy flavor of the spices soaked in. They also gave heaping portions of basmati rice, which I also favor second to fragrant jasmine rice (I'll admit I'm biased since I'm Chinese, haha). The Mango Lassi though.... My dad liked it so much that he ordered another cup to go. He couldn't resist it! Simply put. For a group of five, we definitely ordered A LOT of food! The staff are friendly and attentive, even going a step further by asking who was a mother in our group and wished her a Happy Mother's Day. My mum was very surprised and delighted. To top it off, they did their best to be accomodating to our needs and the price for the food was extremely affordable. Overall, I'm impressed amd thankfuk that my mum got to experience authentic Indian food and friendly service. I would definitely bring my friends here to enjoy the small but comfortable atmosphere. read more

Gave me uncooked samosas after waiting for half an hour, I had in my mind that it is a Pakistani restaurant with good quality food but I was wrong it is an insult on the name of Pakistani restaurant's name(dhabba on the name of quality) I got raw flour and potato past on the name of Samosas, there should be an option for "zero stars" read more

Dera Masala Grill is conveniently on my way home from work. I used to get take out here a lot last year while I was studying for a licensing exam and didn't have time to cook for a few months. Food is still okay. Nothing super exciting but stuff I normally eat at an affordable price point. What I don't understand is why every time I ordered something on Seamless, I'd get a call from them telling me that they don't have at least 1 of the 3 or 4 items that I ordered. Not that they ran out, but they just don't have it ever. Seems like they really need to update their menu on the app. My latest experience sealed the decision that I will no longer give them my business. I ordered and paid on the Seamless app, as I have many times in the past, and went to pick up my order at the given time 30 minutes or so later. I get there and the older gentleman working the counter claimed that I didn't put in an order nor did I pay even though I showed him my Seamless confirmation page with the order and payment info. He didn't seem to understand what Seamless was or that his restaurant even had capability of taking orders from an app. He then acted like I was lying to him and started helping the customers behind me in line. It was really confusing and I had to go find dinner elsewhere. Never again! read more

I've been Dera multiple times now- for buffet and during normal non buffet hours. Food is one of the most AUTHENTIC and DELICIOUS Indian/Pakistani food I've had out. I'm not sure why some of these reviews are negative when my friends, family and I all rave about this place equally and is our go to Indian/Pakistani restaurant. Fyi- the chicken 65 is really good but spicy. Everything is also priced very well- buffet and regular menu items. The menu items are very reasonably priced for the portion sizes. Also definitely try their Kheer. It is the best kheer I've had. Only con I'd say is that during the winter it is cold on one side of the restaurant. read more

Dera Masala Grill - Indian Near Me - Clifton, New Jersey

Food ice cold. $40 worth of food that came out of a refrigerator. Who serves cold food for take out? This is unacceptable. The food at the counter looked old like it was sitting out all day. I refuse to eat this and will toss it. I can't jeopardize getting sick. read more

The food is really good in this little place. Not much of atmosphere so we tend to take out and eat at home. If I had to find fault it would be that they always run late, always expect to wait a while for your food eat in or take out! BUT the wait is worth it. Great Find.....If you like indian food, you gotta go....... read more

Don't go here! Spend your money elsewhere. I ordered chicken biryani and there was no chicken. Only rice. Additionally, the goat salan was too spicy. Better places in Jersey exist! read more

This place is different from the other dera locations in NY. The buffet here use to be good and they use to be good at restocking items that were running out. The quality has went downhill along with the service. The dark overweight kid that works in the front has no sense of customer service whatsoever. He is rude and sarcastic. I gave this place another shot thinking let me try something besides the buffet but even the quality for the non buffet items was the same read more

Very nice & tasty food . We order kebab & boti tika masala ,very juicy & tasty . Please try .

Arrived just before 2pm for the buffet on Sunday. Buffet is until 3pm. From the counter we were directed to the buffet but that was that. I did not expect a grand tour but there were no signs for the dishes, no offer for beverages. Very spartan set up with one employee doing everything from manning the front to replenishing the dishes. At least he does not need to do the cooking too it seems as I saw another guy in who seemed to be the cook. Dishes are not replenished as needed, perhaps it is better to arrive closer to buffet opening at 12pm. The dressings next to the salad had no serving utensils so I grabbed the one small spoon I found and used it and kept it untainted for future use on the yogurt based dressing. They will not serve you tap water and you cannot bring in outside drinks so a regular bottle of water is $2. Most restaurants offer tap water. They did have self serve chai tea for $2, which may be worth it over the water since you can refill from the spigot. If you do not like spicy food do not come here. I can handle my spice so I was okay with it but miss the more delicate flavors of other Indian buffets that are currently still not offering buffet due to the 'pandemic'. I know this place is not purely Indian, with other styles of cuisine (eg Pakistani) so maybe that is the main difference. The oil content is pretty high though. The tandoori chicken was the best I've had though. It was juicy, tender, succulent, etc. The web site is outdated for the price of $9.99, it is $14.99 for the buffet now. I will likely return as long as there are no other buffets open, but hopefully the others will soon. read more

Heard a lot about this restaurant but , not good even as expected , not good in test , it's bellow an average , didn't look special instructions , order medium spicy they send me zero to none spicy, The last one delivery was very very late, I ordered at 5:30 and I got food after 7:00 Don't know about the rest but never order food again !!! Worst service I have seen read more

Terrible, ordered one tray of Briyani and it was just bones, no chicken. I wouldn't order for catering again. It feels like they just out the leftover buffet food for take out customers read more

What kind of shit hole charges $15 for delivery for shitty Indian food??? What an absolute fucking rip off. That's price gouging at its finest! read more

Amazing service and great food!! I was getting home from the city and ordered food on the phone for pick up and they were closing in 2 mins. The guy on the phone told me to come and he took my order and said if they are not there by the time i got there he would leave my takeout outside the door and i can pay them another day. It was a really nice gesture ! Go check them out! read more

Please don't go to this place. It felt good while eating but it creates stomach issues. This place is not hygienic. Never going to this place. read more

they got the kulfi!!!! finally too happy 5 star. Gotta have patience, food is great.

This is my go to spot. Althought their veggie selection is small - three items , it is tasty. The buffet is not packed on a weekday. It is a serve yourself place. The restaurant is clean and so is the restroom. All in all its worth a stop. read more

Came here with my family (who are very picky with food) we enjoyed everything we ordered! The chicken tikka masala, chicken biryani, samosa chaat, chili chicken, and chicken seekh kebabs were great! The goat curry wasn't the best but overall the pricing is very reasonable and the quality of service and food is worth it. The service lacks though. We had to wait about ten minutes to give our order bc there was only one person handling the counter. Had to wait an additional ten minutes to pay our bill as well...even though the restaurant was empty. Service is very annoying read more

Behari kabab and naan are amazing! Typical desi restaurant all other food dishes are just average. Prices are a little high.

Never going here again. Terrible food quality and even worse service. For all who've left them good reviews and call this authentic - Please dont call this good Indian food leave aside authentic! read more

It is a decent place with good food and just reasonable (not very cheap and neither too expensive) prices. I tried their weekend buffet for the first time and before I wrote a review I provided feedback to the restaurant. They assured me they will fix it. Visited again and noticed no improvement. In fact it was worse. First the positives - decent buffet with a small selection and good food. The restaurant is clean. Areas of improvement: 1. None of the dishes in the buffet are labelled. Especially as an Indian/Pakistani restaurant it is very important to label the buffet dishes so people with dietary limitations are aware. For example it was very difficult to tell which dish was beef and which was goat. Had to ask and make sure it was the right dish. 2. There are serving spoons placed on either side of each dish. It is not clear if you use the spoon from the left or the right when serving dishes to avoid cross-contamination between vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes or between beef and non-beef dishes. Noticed patrons mixing the spoons and hence had to avoid all dishes next to the beef dish due to openly mixing spoons. People were dipping the spoon coated with the beef dish into the goat dish and vice-versa! You would think given this is a tight place they would label the spoons with a simple tag on the spoons - beef, goat, chicken, vegetarian, etc. to avoid this problem but the owners have a very casual and care free attitude about this. No signs and mixing spoons by design!!! Shame on the owners for the complete lack of civility and courtesy. 3. They have hot milk tea in the buffet table along with all the other items. However there is a catch. Tea is extra $1. There is a sign posted on the wall that you will notice only if you go scanning through all the other posted advertisements. I have never gone hunting for signs and special instruction before serving every item from the buffet to determine if it is included or not! If it is on the buffet table any prudent person will assume it is included. 4. Naan and pooris (fried bread) are not replenished to ensure fresh and hot bread. Until the very last piece of cold bread is gone a fresh batch is not brought out. Barely had a 3" piece of Naan bread as it was so cold and soggy from the oil dripping from the pooris right next to it. Naan is supposed to be the star of Indian food and should and must be served on the table and not let to sit and steam or dry cold on a buffet table. Quite a letdown! The restaurant was largely empty during my first visit and terribly packed during my second visit. Nonetheless none of the servers stopped by to check on dishes or even offer water. Seating is also super super tight. You will be knocked by people around you every 2 minutes. Not their fault. There is no room between chairs or the walkways for people to go and get food from the buffet station. You cannot relax even for a minute due to this. A restaurant with some potential but being run in such a sloppy manner. Just because most of the patrons are largely Pakistanis it does not mean that you forget simple civility such as labeling the food, arranging spoons properly, offering water to guests, etc. read more

I give 2star, because of their service. Food quality average. We finished our food then left over ( 4 items) we will take with us. But when we told server to give us containers he watched our table & give us a very small box even we told him need more!!!!! Also we we feel quite discrimination even they're Asian We're going back to Elmwood park Indian Restaurant read more

Visited on a weeknight at friend's recommendation. The food was good especially Chicken 65 and Seekh Kabab. Since there weren't many people so couldn't gauge the service. Will definitely go back to try buffet. Good to have a desi restaurant in Clifton. read more

The food here is great especially the lunch or brunch buffets. The food is extremely fresh and it's a very clean restaurant. I believe they make their own tasty breads on the premise. The food is very authentic in taste. I also like that it is in an area near to where I live compared to trying to find this type of ethnic food in certain areas such as Jersey City or Patterson, NJ. The food was also reasonable in price which is great and they are serving Halal food which is hard to come by in the area. The stuff is also very friendly and answer any questions about food. I would definitely recommend it to people like Indian/Pakistani food or just plain spicy curry based food. read more

Doesn't look all that cool on the outside, but when you walk in expect a world of excitement. Regularly when i buy food there i am satiated. But on ramadan during the buffet, they took my breath away. The food was great to say the least. read more

Small space, food ready made. Amazing food, I haven't had Indian food for some time, and they did not disappoint. I will certainly be coming back every time I'm in the area. 10/10 read more

30 reviews · 9 photos in the last week Ample parking and dinning space but the food and experience really sucks...buffet timmings are 12 to 3 but even by 2pm they didnt hav all there food out on table despite of calling and confirming on ph prior to visit.all there food sucks except the samosa..goat is pretty bad...no chickn tikka and desert is kept behind the glass display in nxt room(never heard of it)they barely had any food in trays but when asked to refill about 10 times they bring in like 2 spoons..ni recommended read more