Oh no. I gave this place 3 tries in recent weeks after I had a worse experience than in the past. I thought my first bad experience could have been a fluke, so give it a couple more tries to be fair. And sadly experience has only got worse. And now I see they have changed their name slightly so I guess it's under new management. Before I knew it as "Jyoti Indian bistro" but they've replaced bistro with "kitchen" and added the "Nav". Unfortunately in these last three visits, the food hasn't been as good. This last time has been the worst so far. It looks about the same, but when I ordered saag paneer, I received maybe 30% of the amount of cheese cubes that I used to get (they used to have all of the cubes in a separate cup and would cook them per order and the dumped soooo many in.) this time however, I watched him fish out a few floating in the spinach sauce but then just went for spoonfuls of the sauce only. Upon tasting, most of that warm seasoned flavor with the tanginess is all but gone. It's like there are no Indian spices to make it hot anymore, it tastes like spoonfuls of black pepper only. Really disappointing! None of the drinks on display were cold. They used to have tons of drinks in the refrigerator with the closed door and the open refrigerator shelf on the customer side. Now there are hardly any drinks in either, and none of the refrigerators are running. They had several Plastic 20 ounce bottles of Pepsi. At the time of ordering I thought the refrigerator in the back was working, just without a light. So I ordered one of those Pepsi's. Apparently the man working there didn't hear because when he rang me up he did not include any drink. So I had to order a second time for just a drink, and he said they only have Coke that was cold in the back. Why don't they put the Coke out in the front to let people know they have it? Why do they have so many Pepsi's but none of them are being refrigerated in the same place the Coke was? And the 20 ounce bottle was $3.25... Outrageous. As I started to mention, the service has gone downhill just like the food. I don't want to say anything bad about the individuals as individual people. I have nothing bad to say about them personally, but their customer service is poor. The woman who used to work there was so friendly, remembered me, asked how things were. She was easy to understand and she clearly understood me. Now however, these guys didn't really say much, they were very hard to understand, and clearly couldn't understand or hear me since they totally ignored my order for the Pepsi. I ordered the Pepsi twice, to both men. But clearly neither heard the first time. The restaurant was completely empty, there was no music or televisions playing. No loud machinery, and I ordered at the same volume, speed and clarity as I did the food. So why didn't they pay attention to the drink? Expanding on the interior of the restaurant. As I said there was no music, no television on. There wasn't much lighting. Walking by from outside you would be forgiven for thinking they were closed. And it was really hot inside. I understand it's a buffet style Set up, with all the food being cooked in pans in front of you, but it was never this hot before. It's early March - it's not as cold anymore. Certainly not cold enough for the place to run that hot. I AM still happy to have a fairly decently priced quick Indian restaurant in the area. Chestnut Hill and Germantown Avenue have a debilitating lack of fast and easy food. I'm so sick of Wawa and their terrible parking and people asking for money and taking up parking by eating in their cars and the guy from Temple Hospital who comes in and walks around the place around 1pm blasting funk from a Bluetooth speaker. So I don't want people to NOT go to Jyoti. I hope this review helps swing things back to how they were and to offer customers updated expectations of the place. So long story short my negatives from my last 3 visits: - Food tastes worse (tastes like mostly if not all pepper rather than Indian spices) - Employees can't seem to understand English as well and they're also hard to understand - They have no cold drinks on display. And the drinks that are cold are hidden. - Place is too hot. Dark. No atmosphere read more

The staff is very kind and knowledgeable. They are friendly and were helpful in recommending dishes for me to try. The ambiance of the place is that of a quaint local hole in the wall which is to say I loved it. I ordered the house speciality of Chicken Tikka Masala, garlic naan, and mango lassi. This place is setup for mostly to go orders but there is space to eat inside. read more

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Food was delicious and customer service was great. Got the masala Salmon platter and samosas. Everything came out fast and tasted awesome. Will definitely come back! read more

This used to be our go to take out Indian place, but it has evolved into an entirely different rendition of the same menu items. We have not enjoyed the six or seven dishes we have ordered since it opened. Not only do they appear different, but taste different too. The dishes seem to be missing spices and the food is meh now. The prep is lazy with much larger chunks of chicken and potatoes so that the sauce isn't as absorbed. We cannot recommend this spot any more. read more

After reading glowing reviews on Grubhub we decided to order from this place. Possibly the worst Indian food I have ever tasted. First, they got our order wrong. Should have been Chicken Tikka Masala and Chana Masala but we received 2 chicken dishes instead. The vegetarian had no dinner! Both entrées were swimming in oil. I have never had chicken tikka masala that wasn't cooked in a creamy yogurt/tomato sauce. This was anything but creamy! The roti was also greasy. The rice was okay, the raita was okay and the samosas were so-so. Both entrées were inedible. There are too many good Indian restaurants in our area to put up with this horrible food. Not sure why any of the Grubhub reviewers thought this was good food. read more

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Very recent takeout order was great value for the money. Samosas were well constructed, not too greasy as can so often happen. Naan (plain) was piping hot, right out of the oven. Chicken saag was reported on by Deputy Yelper as "definitely five star." I loved the Baingan masala (eggplant) and the Saag paneer (spinach paneer) was the real star of the show. Saag paneer was especially pleasing for its mix of spices and rich, satisfying mouthfeel. This is simple, no frills Indian food. Don't forget to order the Raita, I don't know how you eat this food without it. They include very generous servings of basmati rice; we had leftovers for days after. Check the menu also for daily schedule of items. I'd been to Jyoti before for takeout, but now I was happy to try out Jyoti again during the COVID-19 pandemic. Their order pickup arrangement was very smart and reassuring: the glass door to the restaurant is locked, but the staff person comes to check names of people when they arrive (there was another order being picked up when I arrived, so I just waited at a distance). Once you check in, they put the order on a table that stands between customer and staff; everyone easily stays at a 6-foot+ distance. Order ready on time, as scheduled, without need to heat anything up after short ride home. Deputy Yelper phoned our order in, they put it through on the credit card, only then did DY realize she had forgotten a side-order item. Person taking the order said not to worry, they would just include it as a comp item. How nice is that! Five stars all the way. Will be back. read more

I've been looking for an amazing Indian restaurant and now I've found it. This is the real deal. Their menu does fluctuate so you have to deal with that - but they are reasonable and very delicious. There are some regular dishes always on the menu: Saag paneer, amazing. Butter chicken, amazing. Chana masala, amazing. As someone who grew up in NJ - I ate amazing Indian food all my life at reasonable prices. Then I moved away and had difficulty finding another place that was equivalent. Up until finding this place, I've had my family bring me Indian literally from NJ. Not joking. Yes this may not be mainstream like a lot of restaurants around here serve (aka with a lot of heavy cream) but this is the closest I've had to growing up in NJ. So if you like your dishes with a lot of heavy cream, not the place for you. Prices - you can't beat it. Taste - you can't beat it. It is a little bit of a hole in the wall and you may need to take out but I don't mind that. read more

Jyoti is a take-out Indian spot not far from where I live in Philadelphia. Though it has bistro in its name, there are only about two tables inside. Take-out is its primary business and this of course is perfect during the COVID-19 crisis. Now I have never found the food at Jyoti to rise above the standard ... and don't worry about it being too spicy for you - it isn't. Still I was happy to do takeout from Jyoti the other evening as I was getting tired of home cooking during the 'Shelter in Place' order in response to the corona virus. The Pakora I ordered with a tamarind chutney were decidedly ordinary. In fact I couldn't even decide what was inside - even after cutting it open. The special of the evening - Baingan Bharta - which has always been a vegetarian favorite of mine was better. Though it wasn't spicy at all (you have to add that at home), it was def freshly made and full of flavor. The takeout went smoothly. You order and pay ahead of time and then they will hand your bag of food out to you from the front door. That is the way it should be during these troubling times of the virus. I could assign only three stars to this establishment but if you have reasonable expectations for the food here (def not gourmet), Jyoti will occasionally prove to be handy for dinner. And it deserves an extra star for operating during the COVID-19 crisis in a responsible way. read more

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Meh. The reviews are only good because Mt. Airy people support horrible restaurants just so we can say we have places to go. The food is pretty gross. My chicken tikka masala was overcooked and had no heavy cream. The saag paneer was pretty tasteless and also had no cream. The naan and samosas were just blah. Everything was oily. The potatoes and peas the samosas were mashed together like they'd been sitting for days. I should've just went to Saffron on Broad and Allegheny, but I was feeling lazy. Never again. read more

I wish I would've visted Joyti sooner. What a pleasant surprise. I love Indian food, but I seldomly get as much as I would like to because of not knowing of any good places near me. Well, now I've got Joyti and it had been waiting for me to make my way over. Countless times I've driven past this little food treasure chest containing delicious butter chicken, chicken tika masala, biryani, naan bread and much more I haven't tried yet! I had been nonchantly taking my time to try this place because I had the impression that it was vegetarian only. However, coincidentally, my aunt brought some food from Joyti for my birthday potluck. I enjoyed it so much I wanted to get some myself and was thrilled to know it came from a place in the neighborhood. They have a variety of to-go options for a reasonable price. I love that I can get a little taste of India in Mt. Airy/Chestnuthill/Germantown. read more

I saw this place is known for its takeout menu so thought I'd try it out in the midst of a pandemic. The prices for a vegertarian platter were so fair and the proportions were even better. I wasn't expecting much given the price, but that saag paneer and roti definitely hit the spot! Not much more you can ask for. read more

This is ok Indian food. For the area it's pretty decent. More americanized than I prefer but enjoyable. What I enjoy the most is the size options for entrees. It allows me to pick more than one entree and not spend a fortune, unlike traditional Indian food restaurants. read more

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I have no idea why this place doesn't have more stars!! This has been a staple since we stopped here on one of our first cold winter nights in our new house and we .loved the flavors and relaxed nature of tis place while still being consistently good and a great value. If you're looking for some comfort food, this is your spot! read more

Always good. Consistently delicious and fresh. Limited menu but tasty and the prices are good.

I dined here tonight for dinner. I'm transitioning to a vegan lifestyle, so they have a few dishes I could choose from. Their menu is small and selections are different each day with a few selections you can order daily. There is metered parking however if you aren't scared and it is after bank hours, you can park in Vally Green Bank parking lot in the back. You will be good I was told. Lol I had their platter which you get two choices, a side salad and a piece of naan bread. You can swap out the side salad for more rice. I chose the aloo matar which is peas and potatoes in a tomatoe sauce. The flavor is mild yet delicious. My second choice was aloo go I which is cauliflower and potatoes with onions and spices. The flavor has a little kick and was good. I like this dish the most. The menu stars cilantro but I didn't taste any which was great because I don't like cilantro. The didn't have mango chutney or mango lassi :-( The woman was nice and engaging. They have a few seats for you to dine in. It was two of as and with 1 bottle of water the total was less than $20!!! I loved that they use recycled containers and have a composting trash can!!!!!! definitely will go back. Enjoy!!!! read more

Awesome authentic Indian food! Lovely interior clean quaint and bright. Must try the samosas and the Chana masala! The Server has a cute funny personality. Bring your friends. read more

Nav Jyoti Indian Kitchen - I like their sign too. - Indian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

I love the food! Saag paneer, butter chicken, the weekly specials--it's all delicious. But the guy who works there doesn't wear a mask and it bums me out. :( read more

Great! I've lived nearby for years but only recently started going to Jyoti - which has quickly become a favorite destination for takeout. So far I have only had a few of the vegetarian dishes, including a daily special or two, and they are all wonderful. The samosas, which I normally don't cafe for, are close to perfect. My only critique is that sometimes the rice has been quite buttery, which is tasty but can be a bit too rich. One word of warning: if you are doing takeout (especially on foot) I recommend ordering by the tub rather than doing a combo platter, the cardboard containers they use are eco-friendly but not very durable when walking home. read more

I've been here a few times over the years ( Before Covid ). The food is good, except the Naan is stale. They're cheap with the green chutney and the customer service leaves a lot to be desired read more

This is a great find. Such delicious Indian food at very reasonable prices. All very clean, fresh. Service very nice and quick. Easy to pay with square cash/ credit card program. Easy to park. Food a bit fattening, so I can't eat it every nite, otherwise, I would! read more

Best Indian food I've had in ages ! Veg korma, butter chicken, paneer KADI all fresh, perfectly spiced. Rice fluffy and delicious. Must try!

These ladies at Jyoti could not be nicer! I walked in and felt their huge hearts immediately and for that alone I want to give this corner bistro 5 stars. And the food- tasted like hearty home cooking! Maybe the kind that your grandma would make If you were of Indian descent. The rice is flavorful as are the samosas, and the home- made chutneys were tangy, flavorful and delicious! My only complaint comes in the food sensitivity category and I know this is a personal one as I am uber super sensitive, so everyone else can ignore and just go frequent this place for the cozy and warm atmosphere and taste. For those few others like me-There was some ingredient that behaves in my body not so well in the vegetarian dishes I tried. It could have been a veggie stock that always seem to have some kind of "flavor enhancer" or perhaps it was a pre-packaged spice blend which I know from frequenting the Indian markets, some brands have them as well. I usually frequent Indian restaurants not only because I live the food and the culture, but because I can eat a clean meal away from home without reactions in my body. Not so much this time.... So, I will come back for chai and appetizers, and maybe work with the dry curries and ask more questions before I order next time! read more

It's good, quick, and cheap. The folks there are very nice. If you keep in mind that you get what you pay for you will be happy.

Thank You, to the Lady's whom prepared those dishes. My entire family enjoyed them So Much. The Only Downside was not being able to Thank Them for Those Wonderful Dishes in Person. We will Return. read more

This is a great place for Indian in Mt Airy! This was my second time (the first was take out and equally delicious). We got platters (non vegetarian), with an extra side of garlic naan (I love their roti but DH was not sure he'd like it and wanted a backup...he enjoyed both). We definitely have leftovers, we could hardly dent the platter! You get heaping servings of your two choices, plus the large side is filled with basmati rice and a little cup of salad. I like that there are rotating dishes throughout the week...it means I can come back everyday and eat something different if I wanted too! We'll definitely be back for more! Butter chicken A- Saag paneer A Beef Keema Curry (Sat) A Chana Masala A Garlic naan A Enjoy! read more

I love this place and I'm so grateful for it during the pandemic. The saag paneer is fantastic, and I stock up each time I go. It lasts well for several days in the fridge. The rice is always fluffy and aromatic. The value is exceptional. And if you need any other convincing, look at the photo of the owners on the restaurant's webpage - they're adorable. read more

Portions were small and the order wasn't correct, but the food nourished us and we were thankful.

We love this place! The food is great and always a hit at our house. We love the butter chicken and chana masala in particular. It's inexpensive and you get a lot for your money. It's easy to get take-out from and they are super quick as well. read more

I have enjoyed their food for years. I am taking a long break from eating there after receiving just awful customer service this evening. I never received an order that I placed through GrubHub. Whoever was answering the phone at Jyoti this evening was clearly committed to helping as little as she possibly could. First, she denied ever receiving my order, then said she would replace my order and have it to me in 20 minutes and then, finally, she told me that it was a driver mistake, no food was coming and told me to take it up with the driver and call him directly (she gave me the number). The driver insisted he was never given food for my address and had already explained that to the woman at Jyoti. It took no fewer than four calls to the restaurant, one to the driver and one to GrubHub to finally get the order cancelled and refunded. It's a bummer she was so unhelpful. read more

My wife and I happened upon Jyoti a couple nights ago after flying in from the west coast and wanting a quick bite of supper. We're glad we did. Our meal... The butter chicken was on point, although we would've preferred it have a bit more heat/spice/kick. The spinach was not much more than okay, but still flavorful. The lentils were very delicious, as was the jasmine rice. Service... The hostess was very warm, friendly and welcoming. She was a bit talkative, but also helped us deciper the menu/options. Several "regulars" visited while we were there and it's clear she has taken the time to get to know them personally, so that's a nice touch. Final thoughts... The menu was somewhat limited, and prices were somewhat difficult to decipher. The restaurant appeared very clean, and was well appointed with current decor. I will be traveling to the Mt. Airy neighborhood of Philadelphia 2-3 times per year for the next several years, and will definitely consider eating here again. read more

Went here while the wife was out of town since she's prefers standard fare. The place is small, but well accommodated and the food smelled great. I, like some other reviewers, was surprised that the majority of the entrees were pre-prepared, but that didn't dissuade me one bit. In fact, let's be honest, most restaurants at this price point are going to have a certain number of dishes either full prepared or partially prepared you're just not going to know it because they're hidden behind the kitchen walls. I went a little crazy with ordering but I wanted to try a few different things. I ordered the Samosas(1 order), Naan (1 order), Butter Chicken (Medium) and the Saag Paneer (small) and some Gulab Jamun (1 order) for dessert. Everything was very tasty and I thought well spiced. I was in India just last year and while the food I had there may have been more strongly spiced, I found Jyoti's offerings to be not that far off the mark. Have I had better Indian cuisine in my travels? Sure. Have I had worse? Heck yeah! But for everyday, fast, take out Indian I'm not sure I could do much better around here. So to me it's a solid 4 stars with a side of Naan. Service was pleasant and welcoming and no complaints about my butchering any of the names of items on the menu. Oh, I ordered enough food for probably 3 people to feel satisfied and now have leftovers for today. Hooray me! On a related note: PLEASE SUPPORT OUR LOCAL RESTAURANTS AND SHOPS IN MT AIRY!!! We recently lost Food For All that was right up the street from Jyoti, which is a shame because they had some great casual food items. We need businesses to thrive here to keep the community strong. So if you like it, support it with your hard earned dollars. Namaste. read more

"Welcome aboard Air Jyoti! " is what should be said upon entering the place. But come to think of it, I have had Indian food on Air India that was better. I was so happy to see that corner shop under renovations and then finally open but soooo disappointed with what we got. Canned, mylar-sacked, pre-pre-pre-prepared dreck. A little research turned up the Patch article that I should have read BEFORE going there. http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/component/flexicontent/item/42232-northwest-philadelphia-to-get-new-indian-takeout-restaurant?Itemid=1 "For the past 30 years, the couple has operated JYOTI Natural Foods, a prepared foods company whose cuisine is available on store shelves and high in the sky as in-flight meals for a handful of airline companies." "Most menu items will be prepared inside the company's 50,000 square-foot factory in Sharon Hill, Pa. north of the Philadelphia International Airport then delivered to Mt. Airy. A few items, such as kebabs and the restaurant's rotating bread options, will be cooked on-site. " However, the kebobs, which we got by mistake having ordered butter chicken, were sort of flaccid, slightly gelatinous meat things that even the cat wasn't interested in. The 'bread', a greasy yet dry bit of wallpaper paste wrapped in foil. Thank goodness for the 'salad'....not out of a can I take it. WHAT would Gordon Ramsey say? I don't mind fast food...I eat plenty...I don't mind greasy food...I eat plenty...and I don't mind canned...yeah...I eat plenty...I will go to the most obscure Carribean eatery with all food under red heat lamps...if it is goooood....but come on guys! This is the taste equivalent of the bullet-proof Chinese take-away up the block but with a much cuter decor and very reasonable prices. Tiffen...meh...won't be in trouble...these are two different beasts. Tiffen has the slowest most inefficient staff I have ever witnessed, adequate food (90 minutes to Jersey City if you want to taste what Indian food is meant to be). Tiffen is also outrageously expensive...but at least you can reuse the containers...Jyoti platters come in styrofoam boxes...ick. I WANT Jyoti to be great!! I want to have FABulous Indian food nearby...not 90 minutes away... A little more in-house cooking and Jyoti might be swell..but right now - as it is - I can go to Weavers Way and buy cans of the same product and heat in the Microwave. Please, please, please. The free Dinner Epilogue was VERY nice however....and welcome. read more

"Soft" Opening on Saturday Jan. 12, 2013 for a great Indian Bistro in Mt Airy part of Philadelphia, PA. Good selection of vegetarian options and a few tasy meat options too. I ordered the butter chicken and the chole. They were both great. There are a few placs to sit but this is mostly for take out or a quick bite. Prices are very reasonably. Two somosas for $3.00 and a platter for $7.00. There were also many folks in line but the line moved very quickly. I highly reccomend this place. read more

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Ordered dinner here on Thursday and this little place was almost swarming. I came here during Avenue Bistro's brief stint and the decor is leaps and bounds nicer now, with lovely exposed brick and various tchotchkes about. If you're on your own or with one other person, you could definitely dine in, but it's more of a take-out kind of place, and they don't deliver. I ordered butter chicken and chana masala, because I'm adventurous like that, and threw in one of their daily specials which was some curried coconut shrimp deal, as well as samosas, naan, and mango lassi (smoothie on the menu). Apart from the lassi, everything was ready in about five minutes flat, and only cost about $30 for what worked out to be two days worth of food for two hungry adults. I must say, I sorely wanted to fall in love with this place. I am a huge fan of Indian food, but honestly, Tiffin is way too slow and expensive and rarely hits the spot. I am a Yelper of simple tastes, and I enjoy cafeteria-style Indian food that's been sitting around for a while to allow all the flavors sink in. I was, however, disappointed to learn (thanks to Ames A.) that most of the food is prepared off-site. Even so, I thought the food was pretty decent. The boyfriend and I both enjoyed the samosas, butter chicken and chana masala, but the coconut shrimp was fairly blah. The mango lassi offset the saltiness pretty well, but it would have been better to not have to deal with all that unnecessary sodium in the first place. The naan was a bit greasy but nice and chewy. The other thing they have going for them is that at least half the menu is gluten free, vegan, or both, so if you're looking for a quick, inexpensive meal to accommodate various dietary requirements, you really can't go past this place. read more

Great real Indian food! This food is delicious and inexpensive. Similar to other Yelpers, I find Tiffin way too expensive and the waits are often ridiculous. Though they have only been open for a little while, the service has improved significantly. Initially, I visited to be scowled at by the fella serving my food. He was not very pleasant nor inviting. I thought maybe its just me so I returned with friends...scowl. I told myself long ago that I simply will not spend $ where I don't feel appreciated so I was done. But in my ongoing efforts to forgive and support local businesses (and get some awesome food!) I returned last week and found Ms Babes (sp?). She was pleasant and very welcoming making for a delightful overall culinary experience. Jyoti has my business again...as long as scowl man isn't there! read more

We ordered take out from this restaurant. It was really cheap, but the food was okay. I ordered the butter chicken and thought it was tasty. The naan was good as well. Overall, the food was decent but nothing amazing. read more

Nav Jyoti Indian Kitchen - Butter chicken, naan, and rice. - Indian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Excellent and quick with a great price point. For a long time when it came to Indian (or South Asia) food it was Tiffin or nothing, now there's a second choice in Jyoti's Bistro. The menu is smaller with some rotation but the quality is excellent and the prices are far better then Tiffin with much quicker turn around between order and delivery with little to no sacrifice when compared to Tiffin. read more

Love! Fast, friendly, and many of the courses are nut-free (I have food allergies so this is a huge plus for me as many other Indian places use a lot of cashews). Not to mention it's DELICIOUS and the woman at the counter always tells me I'm pretty. :) read more

Nav Jyoti Indian Kitchen - Get the butter chicken, with rice and garlic naan. Good grief! Even if you have a sensitive palette, this dish is amazing. - Indian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The best thing about Jyoti is the price!! Compared to other Indian restaurants, Jyoti is considerably cheaper! I have been here twice and thought the food was good here. I have had the Butter Chicken, Aloo Mirch, Saag Paneer, Chana Masala, samosas, and Naan. The first time we ate here, my fiance' and I ordered platters. The second time, we ordered our food a la carte and had leftovers the next night. I didn't think the lady who worked here was particularly friendly, but would still return because I enjoyed the food. She was very friendly to my fiance'- just very standoffish toward me. read more

I've been waiting for this place to finally open up! I was very excited to see them open last week, and having forgotten my lunch, this was the perfect excuse to spend money and buy my lunch. I was expecting to pay a lot, but was very happy to see that most of their menu was under $10 and came with a lot of sides. I called in the order, and got a $8 platter, it came with the chicken saag, lintel, rice, and bread. It was ready right when I walked in, 10mins later. Now the platter was a perfect serving, I was full till dinner, and had no left overs. There are about two small tables right next to the door, so I won't recommend to eat in this place as your food may get cold fast in the winter, and in the summer I doubt those seats will ever be available. The staff were very pleasant and willing to talk you through the dishes. I plan on hitting this place up regularly, its cheaper than the pizzeria, and likely healthier than the corner Chinese spot! Try this place out! You won't regret it! read more