Update: new bathroom; yay!!! Now if there was some additional rotation of the curries on the buffet, this place would get full 5/5 read more

Wait for it. I've had a good South Indian buffet here before but this was the first time I've ordered from their menu. But the poor waiter, with the distinct stache forgot to enter half our order in their system. Half of us were watching the others finish their good channa batura and typical dosas when he came over and told us everything ordered has been served. He quickly apologized when he saw our incredulous faces but the food still took an hour more to arrive. As I timed it, we entered the place at 8 and I got my set dosa at 9.45. And I guess they 'hurried' my late order as I got a dosa that was more batter. It was like waiting for game of thrones, having xfinity bail on you, and then finding out your favorite character died. I suggest not visiting this place during a busy evening. And if you do, please keep reminding the waiter about your order. read more

Total rip off 2 idli for $8 wow amazing. Will definitely let everyone know in my neighbor not to deal with these con artists. Last time I ordered I got more now it's less real rip off people stay away read more

One of the best places in Maryland-DC for authentic, South Indian vegetarian cuisine. Their Onam Sadya today was out of this world! The Avial, Olan, Kalan, and Palada payasam served on banana leaves transported one all the way to Kerala. Not much publicized given the high quality of their very affordable food read more

Usually I'm easier to please than this, but when I factor in the service, I have to give Madras Palace a 3. The food was good - I ate from the buffet, which today was mostly Southern dishes. Though I prefer Northern Indian cooking generally, I really liked the Dosa and the saag paneer was completely awesome - the cheese was creamy and soft, like silken tofu, and the spinach's faint natural bitterness was completely gone, disappeared into a creamy sauce. I take points off because I actually was more inclined to order from the menu, but when I asked if I could see one the waiter hesitated. He telegraphed several signals that they didn't really want to serve menu food: he hesitated and looked at me with surprise when I asked for the menu, he asked if I was the only one who wanted a menu or if my companion did as well, and then he brought us take-out menus, one crumpled from previous use (!) instead of table menus. Hint taken, Dude, I'll get the buffet. They were also completely stumped by our attempts to split the bill. We asked to have half the bill on a credit card and half with cash, but two separate staff members came up to us after we sent the waiter off with a check asking us to clarify what we wanted to do. We told the waiter we wanted to "split the check", we told another we wanted "half" on one credit card and half in cash, and we told the last one to put "50%" on the credit card and the rest in cash. Nothing sunk in. They were quite stumped. Finally my companion took my cash and said to put the whole thing on her credit card. We though that would fix it, but when the brought it back, they presented her with two receipts to sign - they had charged her credit card twice for two different amounts - one for $10 and another for $14!! Moral of the story: don't go dutch and don't expect to eat from the menu. Fortunately, the buffet is pretty good, so that's still enough to get 3 stars from me. read more

Delicious South Indian vegetarian restaurant with an amazing lunch buffet. When Madras first opened a few years ago, I took my mother there for dinner and we both enjoyed the delicious southern thalis. When I returned to the area several years later, we began going to their lunch buffets. As a vegetarian lover of Indian food, I was overjoyed with the diverse plethora of delicious dishes, many of which were new to my palate. They always provide a great spread: dosas, mango kalan, saag aloo, idly, chana masala, chutneys, naan, upma, daal, and a number of other delicious dishes whose names I have not yet memorized. Oh and desserts, they always have good desserts. They vary the dishes too, while often keeping the favorites, so you can try new things. I started bringing a friend of mine who is also vegetarian and happens to be of Indian descent (though not South Indian), and it has become our favorite place to eat in this area. As he said, it's rare to find a South Indian vegetarian buffet. The ambience is casual, and expect a crowd especially on weekends around lunch. I find the owners to be very friendly, and the staff to be attentive and polite. Also, their chai tea is quite good, and a great end to a filling and delicious meal. read more

Madras Palace - A vegetarian's paradise - Vegetarian Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

Worst experience here. We went to celebrate Mother's Day. The staffs were very limited and not able to attend properly. Food was bland and cold. Disappointed and dissatisfied. read more

I went here a month back and then again a few days ago. First visit was fantastic. I had the thali and they had quality food. Second visit they brought back the dreaded all you can eat lunch thali. The minute something becomes all you can eat the food goes downhill and ala cart gets less attention. A Thali is plenty of food. We don't need unlimited refills. There are plenty of places catering to the eat till you pop crowd. There is an underserved crowd for quality hearty South Indian lunch. You are headed to becoming another mediocre indian buffet. The reopening started off so well. read more

First let me say for lunch this place is amazing. The buffet is worth it. I went to dinner for the first time last night and that brings the rating down. The servers don't communicate well in english. Overall this isn't a problem. Except when your drink is wrong and it takes 3 tries to get it right. Or they throw your food away when you ask for it to be boxed. That last part really upset us because we purposely didn't eat it all to save it. The food was really good though. So it also saves the ranking. I should add the booths tend to be broken and the decor is really old. read more

The food here is wonderful. The buffet has a wonderful range of options, none of them too mild or too spicy, but with just the right amount of flavor. It's all vegetarian, which absolutely thrills me. Spinach and vegetable korma are both great. The service is attentive and wonderful, friendly and helpful. On the flip side, the cashier is all but rude. She yawned at me when I came in, and never smiled or even spoke as I paid. The building looks like it's falling apart, and cleanliness is not their thing. While I would come back for the delicious food, the dirty floors, peeling walls, and stained ceiling make me want to leave quickly. read more

Eating food from here reminded me of any restaurant in Chennai. I am tamil, and my husband is from Chennai, so I can pretty much say this is the best South Indian food I've eaten in the dmv area. The vada, thali, and vada where my favorites! read more

Great lunch buffet experience. We tried the vegetarian lunch buffet. The items on the buffet are a lot different than the traditional indian buffet which consists of lot of north indian entrees. Madras Palace wins here. The menu items are unique and taste good. They served dosas and naan on the table . The dosa/sambhar/vada were all good and they live up to being a good south indian place to go! We were so looking forward to finding a place closer than Amma's Kitchen in Tyson's Corner. Madras Palace gets a thumbs up from us! Recommended! read more

Pamela 9/5/2015 I hate to play the race card but it seems to apply in this instance. On 9/4/2015 I felt unwelcome and uncomfortable around the female at the register and she cheated me. That night shortly after eating my take out I got extremely ill. My first thought was food poisoning, I then thought that I must be wrong. Who would do that to another human being?. So I went back on 9/5/2015 and got even sicker from the menu. I eat from the buffet and have never had this problem. I order from the kitchen two nights in a row and pay to have someone intentionally hurt me. You are despicable and that's why you can't see the goodness hiding behind my blackness. I feel sorry for you. read more

The north indian dishes are not very impressive. I have ordered dosas but they have never come out hot. We ordered chilli pakora once and found that only the outer crust was warm, the inner potato filling was cold!! This seemed like food made earlier and warmed in the microwave! The mango lassi is not too bad. Overall is just ok. read more

SPECIALTY IN FRIED BUGS. ------------------------------------------- Went with friends for a birthday treat at Lunch Time (Lunch Buffet) ...... We were eating dosa and then my friend saw cockroach in dosa. After telling the present Manager , Instead of saying sorry he said IT"S NORMAL TO HAVE COCKROACH OR FLY at this SUMMER TIME ...... GUYS !!!! I would say if you really want to have healthy food and healthy life ..... Don't go there......They serve you fried bugs and sickness for free...... read more

Yum. I was not expecting this place to be so good, but that's not saying much because, well, I wasn't expecting much from a strip mall Indian place in Gaithersburg. I went for the lunch buffet with some coworkers and we all had a really nice meal. It's South Indian food, which means dosa, sambar, idli, etc., i.e. not what most Americans think of when they think of Indian food. No tandoori chicken--in fact, no chicken at all because Madras Palace is a vegetarian restaurant. I tried a number of things whose names I can't remember, but the standouts were the daal, the banana curry, (sign said banana, but I don't know how much banana was in it), and the green chutney. There was a cabbage dish I hadn't ever had before with corn and shredded coconut in it that was different and tasty. The rice pudding (kheer) was good as well. They offer plenty of chutneys on the side so you can adjust the spice to your preference. By the time I had finished eating I was full but didn't feel weighed down and gross and my clothes didn't reek of Indian food. For what it's worth, the diners here were primarily Indians. Usually a good sign. The price (about $9) was also great for such a good all-you-can-eat. It's not going to knock your socks off, but it's definitely on my list of no-fail lunch spots. read more

STAY AWAY from this place, we were a group of 8 people, and these are our common findings Food: was cold waiter service: ordered a rava dosa and it took 45 minutes to arrive condiments (coconut chutney was always out and sambar was thick and cold) I would never visit this place read more

I am south Indian and I know quite a bit of south Indian vegetarian cuisine. This place is OK. I am not so pleased with their chutney (Chutney is a condiment used in South Asian cuisine that usually contains a spice and vegetable mix) selection because all they serve is only ONE coconut chutney which is very bland and tasteless. In south Indian restaurants usually they serve at-least 3 chutneys with Idli, Dosa, Vada etc. Besides my problem with their chutney, I like their buffet. Other things on the menu are fine. read more

I feel sorry for the kind of food some Indian restaurants serve and get away with. One of the worst weekday lunch Indian buffets in the area. Food is substandard and pricey. Would not recommend the place at all. read more

Very average Indian food! We ordered two pretty simple Indian dishes - Pongal and Bisi Bela Bath. The Pongal was floating in butter and was undercooked. Before I had eaten about a quarter of the plate, I had this weird sense of fullness (not in a good way).. The bisibela bath (which according to us is pretty straightforward to do) was made in basmati rice (again weird) and tasted bad... Food is heavy on oil/ fat and we wouldn't return! We had to walk for about 30 minutes after dinner to get rid of the sense of fullness that was caused by this food...I'd go back to Minerva if I need Indian food again! read more

Great vegetarian Indian buffet for the price. Food is always plentiful and delicious, and the place is packed with Indian families, so you know it's good. It is South Indian food, as opposed to North Indian cuisine. I prefer the "no / few heavy sauces" of South Indian food as opposed to the normal stewed and saucy North Indian food. The "to go" buffet is a good deal as well. The owners will specially make you packages and give you a bag of little foil wrapped morsels, which will probably feed you, along with your "to go" box, for at least 2 meals. For someone with a small budget but a BIG vegetarian appetite... hit this place! read more

Worst Place i have ever eaten i have tried food over here 3 time's first time it was good.But the second time i ordered dosa.It was way too SALTY.i didnt complain abt it ,paid the bill & left. Next i went again thinking the food would be good then but was greatly disappointed again.When I told the manager(a lady at the counter) about the food, she instead of apologizing , argued and said the food is made that way & there was nothing wrong with the food.We didnt eat the food and paid the complete bill.The lady was very very rude, inspite of serving horrible food with lots of oil n salt that could spoil your health.And this is just not my opinion , a lot of my friends has the same opinion.None of them had a good experience eating there.So save your money and instead eat at minerva or at India palace. I would highly recommend you all not to go there. read more

Random dish's ...mini idly has chickpeas in sambar. Bisi bela bhat had kidney beans Medhu Vada had oil dripping. Over period of time the quality has gone down. And all this was ordered. . not buffet. It's probably good for catering if you are having a gathering at home and want to included some south Indian dishes. read more

This evening, my kids and I drove to the Madras Palace. You can't imagine my feeling of loss when we arrived there and found it had morphed into some sort of Latin cuisine establishment. Anybody know what happened? read more

Sorry to say to all the reviewers who say this is the best south indian restaurant in the DMV area - not by a long shot. If I had to choose the best south indian, I would pick Saravana Palace in Fairfax, VA, or Udupi Palace in Langley Park, MD. Since this is not the place to review Saravana Palace or Udupi Palace, I will say that Madras Palace is just ok as far as I am concerned. I have been here almost 15 years ago when it was famous for its buffet spread, and I didn't think much of the food then. Recently I started working in gaithersburg, so I came here a couple of times, but still the food is nothing to rave about. If I have a craving for dosa or vada, I might come here, but I will try to find another restaurant first. Maybe even Minerva, on Shady Grove rd. Again, to respond to a previous reviewer - Okra and spinach are not only made in north india, but are also made in south india. So just because you see spinach or okra in the buffet, it doesn't mean they have to be made in the north indian style. read more

Very disappointing. Ordered a chilli chicken, it was tandoori chicken peices and they made a gravy out of it. Parotta was very thick. Def not a South Indian restaurant read more

I'm so glad this restaurant opened after the long wait. There isn't a good South Indian restaurant around this area that makes Rava Dosas. Will definitely come back for more South Indian food. read more

I don't know what the reason is for my review to be different from others .this place if not something that you will like if you are looking for some good Indian food read more

Decent south-Indian food, all vegetarian. Have been here multiple times over the years.

I wish I could have a la carte, but buffet didn't disappoint us as well. Plenty of options!! One of the most nice Indian lunch buffets we have been to in DC metro area. read more

I go to this place for the lunch buffet and sometimes just to order off of the menu. The food is some of the most delicious indian food I have had. The dosa are great and the buffet is always pretty extensive and at a good price. My only complaint is that there is no lunch order special, which makes it a more pricey option for a quick lunch at the office. If you order off of the menu, I suggest the Chana masala (so good and just spicy enough) read more

Firstly about the food, it was 'eatable'. But later that night I had a complete stomach upset. All I ordered was a simple North-Indian Thali. I think they added some kind of baking soda or something. As far as the service , if you are totally jobless and have lot of time, then prefer this place. The service was the slowest I've ever seen. They take 20 mins to send you the waiter. Then after that, it takes 30mins to get your order, and all I ordered was a simple North-Indian thali. I don't know why it took so much time. Then the thali arrived but there was no Roti. I informed about it to 4 waiters who just listened to me and kept quite. After 15 more minutes came the Roti. All the while I was just waiting for the Roti even though all other items were there. When I told about this politely to the manager(a moustache guy), he said :"We only have 2 hands"....What the heck?!! I totally do not suggest this place. Instead just outside try the Subway or the Sushi place opposite to it. You will save some money and get good food atleast. read more

Food quality was okay. They now offer non-veg options. The spread was not that great for a weekend buffet. The annoying part is that you are served and not allowed to take food by yourself in a buffet, although one is not limited to a certain number of servings. Not sure if this is in practice to stop food being wasted. Unless one asks for dosa, naan or chapathi, it is not offered during a buffet. Could be managed better. read more

Loved the Thali Buffet; the owner/manager is one of the most courteous humans I've met! The food is brilliant, they serve traditional food mainly from the south of India in a fast casual setting. I loved their desserts too! We had a great time! read more

We had heard that the Madras Palace restaurant had reopened at the same old location, so we decided to give it a try. We went there on October 10 for dinner with three of our friends. The restaurant has been nicely refurbished and is now the kind where you order the food at the counter, which I don't mind. My wife and I ordered Rava Dosa and my friends ordered thalis. All the food was very good and not very spicy hot. I am sick and tired of South Indian restaurants, like Godavari and Minerva, that make the food super spicy hot (Andhra style). The food at Madras Palace is such that my stomach could easily tolerate it. Thank you for bringing back Madras Palace with true Madras taste and not Andhra taste. read more

Same excellent tasting food as before! But it's now a mix of veg and non-veg and prices are higher! $10.95 for a limited thaali in Gaithersburg is too much! read more

Great place to go for authentic vegetarian South Indian food. Even my South Indian born and raised parents think so. I've had the lunch buffet a couple times and the variety is great. I've also ordered items off the menu and have been pleased with the dishes, except for one North Indian dish I tried once. I didn't expect it to be great (Madras is a South Indian city after all) but had to give it a try. Never again. I'll stick with the south Indian items from now on. The Rasam is awesome as are the dosas. The buffet is definitely the way to go. Very vegan-friendly too. read more

Very good vegetian resturant. Their dosas are out of this world. Although all my indian friends say the string beans & coconut and potato & coconut is good, i didn't have an acquired taste for it. The food has gotten alot less oily since the owner has taken over the cooking which made everything alot tastier. Other notables include their sambar (nicely spiced!) and idly's, noodle dish and their daal was very good as well. I would go to Minvera for meat eaters and this place if you have veggie friends. I had their buffet btw (7.99 M-Thurs, 8.99 Fri, 9.99 Sat-Sun) read more

AMAZING south Indian food in the DC area. I've been here many times, as my aunt and uncle live nearby in Montgomery Village. The south indian curries have always been FANTASTIC- beans, snow peas, beetroot, cabbage, carrot, etc. They are each sauteed with generous use of coconut. The yogurt rice (thayir sadam, if you speak Tamil) w/ pickle I've had several times here has also been fantastic. Actually, pretty much everything here has been awesome. read more

There is no excuse whatsoever for an Indian restaurant not to have pain yogurt. None. Especially since there is a supermarket next door.