Great food. Buffet seems bigger than the one at Maharajah. Problem...... A cockroach ran up the wall behind my wife. Waiter killed it. No manager stopped by. Needless to say we paid for our meal. We never went back. A shame too. We really liked the food! read more

We ordered through Grub hub and got 3 dishes each a different spice level. They all came mild with zero heat. Why give us options if they aren't going to make it medium heat or hot?? The food was tasty but not what we asked for. I called them and was made fun of and felt like he was discriminating against me for being American and not being able to handle spice. read more

Love this place! go to for Indian take out. The lunch buffet pre-covid was amazing. Usually get the chicken or lamb tikka masala, it's always perfect! read more

Lunch buffet, $12.95 (no drink). Water refills were frequent, but other than that service was terrible. We came in, waited. Finally, a man approached. He did not speak a word. He showed us to a table, and walked away. after waiting a few minutes we decided no one was coming back and headed for the buffet. The restaurant itself is in need of a scrub down and a spruce up. The buffet itself was mostly mediocre. Several items I tried were pretty bad. The fried items were soggy. Most dishes were tasteless, and there was not much selection for a vegetarian. BUT there was one dish that was out of this world good. Mater Paneer, or green peas and paneer. I am almost crying thinking about it (NO JOKE). It was awesome. One of the best things I've ever eaten. I could eat this dish for EVERY MEAL EVERY DAY fFOR THE REST OF MY LIFE. Yeah, it needed all caps it was that good. Had it not been for this dish, which was a 5, I would have given this place only 1 star. read more

I've only had takeout. No major complaints. I would order for a reliable hot meal, but so far nothing has blown my mind. The lamb curry was kind of spicy but besides that not as flavorful as I would prefer. Supposedly comes with yogurt but if it's in the sauce I couldn't tell. Next time will ask for it as a side as well. Generous with the lamb; lots of big, delicious pieces in my dish! Would've liked some more veggies or something to break up the broth in addition to the meat. Chicken 65 was pretty good and the naan was great but I've never seen a restaurant mess up naan. Gotta go back for the buffet. It's kind of expensive to do takeout from here so that should be a more affordable way to sample the menu. read more

I crave Indian food pretty regularly and I'm happy to know that there are a number of Indian restaurants in Madison to satisfy my craving. The samosa, vegetable pakora, paneer (cheese) pakora are decent. However, the Aloo Tikki (small spicy potato discs) is very tasty with the right amount of spices. I LOVE Parantha (layered whole wheat bread made with melted butter) and the Maharani Parantha here are delicious and remind me of when I used to make these with mom. You have to eat them right when they come out though because that's when they're the best - hot, buttery, crispy and tender. The Roti Naan is pretty good too. Made exactly the way naan is (baked in a tandoor oven) except they use whole wheat flour instead of white flour. The Chicken Tikka Masala is delectable. The sauce is orange colored, rich, creamy and has nice chunks of boneless chicken (could use more chunks of chicken). This is also spiced really nicely. You get a choice of mild, medium or hot for the level of spiciness in your dishes. Medium here is really good - it teeters on medium and hot. The Palak Paneer (spinach cooked with homemade cheese) is earthy, spicy and buttery. This is really, really good. The only thing about the dish is that the ginger pieces were a little overwhelming. Dessert Gulab Jamun (it's like a deep fried dounut hole soaked in sugar syrup) has been my favorite Indian dessert since childhood. Not a lot of places know how to make this dessert right. It has to be lite and airy not dense and hard. Maharani makes it just right and hot off of the stove! It's delicious! read more

As a visitor to Madison, I was expecting little more than the usual beef potatoes and other carbohydrates that I would normally expect from the late night Wisconsin fare. This restaurant was devastatingly good. Not only did they deliver straight to my airbnb, but the food was so satisfying and hearty that I had leftovers for the following day. It was equally, if not even more, delicious. I ordered a side of rice, a saag specialty item, and the chef's naan. The naan was a meal unto itself. The rice was perfectly done and the curry had the perfect amount of spice. It is also worth noting that this restaurant is very generous with its side-portions. Say yes to this choice, vegetarian or not. read more

Love love loved the food! I placed a delivery and it was fast and delicious. I ordered Chicken Tikka Masala vegetable samosas and Chana. I regret not getting mango lassi. Everything was so good I know that would have been amazing. I definitely intend to eat here again! read more

We recently stopped at the Maharani Indian Restaurant to try their lunch buffet after the Saturday morning winter farmer's market. What a great find! It's on the same block as the Metropolitan Condominiums so parking can be a little tricky. However, the food is worth it. The selection was vast and everything was delicious. Salads, entrees, deserts, and they brought fresh naan to our table. The only thing that was less than perfect was when trying to pay our bill at the end of our meal. The hostess rang up the previous patron and then disappeared for almost 10 minutes. Otherwise this place was outstanding. We will definitely go back! read more

Avoid the chicken pakora - it tastes like half-assed, microwaved Indian chicken fingers. And unless you're a huge fan of spinach, I would advise that you steer away from the spinach dishes. While I recognize that they would be good to a spinach lover, the flavor (or lack thereof) of the spinach tends to overwhelm everything else in the dish. The dosa is also a little bland. Oh well, turns out there are some occasional bad dishes here. Still, everything else is awesome. I highly recommend the lamb or beef shahi korma. Definitely one of the best things I ever ate. It's steeped in this delectable orange (the color, not the flavor) cream sauce which contains ground-up cashews that are both impossible to distinguish from the sauce, and impossible to not notice in the taste. And who ever thought that raisins match so well with red meat? The chef's special naan is also god damn amazing. Dip it in everything. read more

When in Madison, this and Maharaja are the places i will frequently go. I have consistently returned because: -the lunch buffet is a steal - very reasonably priced for lots of yummy options. -although it appears hard to mess up a vegetable samosa, they are great at Maharani -I enjoy the fish masala, and the garlic naan... I could go on. It is all so yummy! Some negatives: -the staff can be awkward. Like, really awkward. -parking can be an issue if it is a busy time (although normally parking is not too big an issue) This place is yummy enough that I am willing to deal with awkward waiters. Cannot wait to return. read more

Once you get over the fact that you seem to be the only person talking in the restaurant because it's such an expansive place, you get lost in the large, delicious portions and steamy, buttery naan. The place doesn't look fancy enough for the prices on the dinner menu (about $13-16), but the food is good enough to avoid regret. If you don't want anything specific, the buffet is well worth it- all of the dishes always look steaming hot and fresh and there are at least 20+ different items (plus dessert) to choose from...all for only $8.95. in fact, i wish i was there right now. read more

I used to like it a lot more and frequented Maharani while I live downtown. I love their Tandoori Chicken, Butter Chicken, Grilled Fish, and various forms of curries, especially the lamb and beef. Their naan and house made mango ice-cream top my list of favorites too. However, on one occasion after a meal I felt super thirsty throughout the entire afternoon, and had to keep drinking water non-stop. Not the greatest feeling after a buffet. Since then I haven't been back for a while. Recently my lab had a craving for Indian buffet and they talked me into giving it another try. The food was good, but the feeling of addiction in the past didn't kick in. There are many others in the community, my friends included, who love Maharani. Personally I don't see myself going back in a (long) while. I know this is not going to be particularly helpful but I would suggest people to go once and decide for yourself if this is for you. And it will help too to go with an open mind and try the wide spread of food they have on offer. And if you do go I will be happy to hear any thoughts =) read more

Been back. They had some kind of lamb dish on the buffet. I love lamb so I fished the meat out and just ate that, the onion chutney (it's a nice moderate spice level), naan, and rice. I think I put away about 2 lbs of lamb. So for 9 dollars - that's not a bad deal. Only problem - you can't predict when they'll have the lamb and when they won't. bah read more

The lunch buffet here is just awesome. It seems like something different is on the buffet every time we go. The water that heats the buffet is always steaming. We really enjoy going here. read more

Maharani is definitely the best place for Indian food in Madison. As a guy that normally just appreciates a good burger, Indian food was never my thing. Until this place, that is. Maharani has more than a few SUPERB dishes, including chicken biriyani, their many curries, mano ice cream or lassi, and quite a few more. I would suggest for anyone looking for something a little different in Madison. There's something here for everyone, but be careful what you wish for with these dishes, mild is hot and hot takes you to hell and back. Delicious food and terrific service. read more

The food is ok and every time when i ask them for extra chutney they don't even give me to go enough with the appetizers quite disappointed

I was in town on business and it was close to my hotel. I was a solo diner, and my service was not very good, but the food was. I'd go back, but bring a book again to keep myself busy while I waited to be taken care of. read more

Awesome lunch buffet with really good vegetarian options - they bring out naan w/ ghee (crispy buttered flatbread), and you can find stuffed paratha on the buffet table, along with a whole selection of desserts. Really, really good! It's a few blocks from work, and just fabulous. read more

No offense but I have to say a big no-no to this place. I once wrote the review but was filtered by Yelp. But hey, I have to say the truth - at least from my end. I didn't want to waste my time writing for them. It was a very bad experience. The service was bad and I can find a better place for the taste. I actually hate to write a bad review, but well, I have to say what I've to say. Hubby and I decided not to give it another shot. read more

Windows, loads of natural light, large buffet, attractive dining area, reasonable price. Good start, Huh? I joined a friend for buffet lunch on MLK Day. The place was hopping with the young and those of us that have been on this planet over 50 years. The temperature was dropping like a stone and the flurries were beginning to fly. Perfect day to over eat. The buffet was chock full of different dishes some of which I had not seen before. There was a dish made from puffed rice and chopped onions along with other veggies. Very tasty, crispy treat. I had some tandoor chicken, goat masala, biryani, a veggie somosa,a really excellent yellow dal, and some other dishes which were equally as pleasing. The food was good but not outstanding. The service was fine. The price was right. Would I do it again? Yes. Might I prefer Maharaja? Yes. I find their dishes to be more distinctive and full flavored.My recent visit to Dhaba set the bar high. My love of Anmol in Milwaukee will never be surpassed. But variety Is the spice of life and there is room for the Maharani buffet on my spice rack. Try it, You'll like it. read more

Vegetarian combo was a great deal and very tasty. The coconut soup was a new treat. Generous wine pour. A little noisy and servers hard to hear. read more

One of my Madison-area friends has been on an Indian food kick ever since I suggested my Milwaukee go-to, Royal India. I'd never had Indian in Madison before, but Yelp has only rarely steered me wrong, so I trusted the judgment of the locals and my friend, my new girlfriend (who was with me on a day-trip to Madtown), and I settled on Maharani, right downtown. Indian restaurants seem to either be very formal or extremely casual. I can't speak for the place during their buffet (which, just looking at the size of it as they were cleaning up, looks formidable), but at least during our visit they seemed to err towards the formal side. That was definitely my first impression, so be prepared. Waitstaff was polite, but distant. No points gained or lost there. Just standard operating procedure. I ordered the goat curry, served spicy and bone-in. I figured something more basic would give me a gauge to work from if and when I return. I can definitely recommend the dish; it's very flavorful and the goat is tender and despite being covered in a really flavorful sauce, retains a little bit of that rich, slightly gamey flavor that the meat is known for. My dining partners had the lamb curry (hot, just like mine) and chicken curry (ordered mild), which I sampled. Of the two, I definitely preferred the lamb--although that may have been due to spice level--but the chicken curry would be a good introduction to Indian food. As I mentioned before, I don't have much to compare Maharani to in terms of Madison's Indian food scene, but I certainly didn't have any major complaints here. I'd love to return for the buffet. read more

I've been here 3-4 times and as far as Indian buffets go in Madison this one does the job. They tend to have a variety of vegetarian and meat items and the sassiest/spiciest onion chutney I have found in Dane County. I prefer India Darbar, but when I don't want to leave the confines of downtown this is my first choice. read more

Fantastic selection, and our 3 little kids (4 and under) ate well and were taken care of nicely by the staff (high chairs, cups with lids, etc.). The only thing that I could complain about was that my husband said it wasn't spicy enough, but he likes it super-duper-hot. I like it more flavorfully-spicy, if that makes sense. We've eaten at a lot of Indian restaurants in different areas of the country and in Europe, and this one was excellent. read more

While I'm not an expert on Indian cuisine I eat Indian fairly regularly all over the US. I like to compare my favorite dishes at different places and no place cooks every dish perfect therefore my review is based on the dishes I ate. I ate here on a Saturday night and it was not crowded, no wait. The decor and ambiance is like most Indian restaurants not exactly pleasing mostly slightly worn out and not too tidy. The staff was not exactly brimming with enthusiasm but, were OK. The food was good I had Mulligatawny soup Chicken Tikka Masala and plain naan and everything tasted very good. Over all a pleasant experience. I will definitely come back when I'm in Madison. read more

For dinner, the food was pretty tasty and the service was quick. I pretty much enjoyed everything, the only bummer is the food isn't particularly spicy. I ordered my dish hot and well... it was mild at best. Still pretty good, but if you have a spicy food itch like I do look elsewhere. There's a lot of vegetarian options, which is pretty cool too. The buffet is pretty good too, they have a pretty wide selection of things. Definitely one of the better Indian food buffets I've been to since moving away from NY. read more

Do not order delivery from here. We were told it would take 45 minutes. After an hour we called and they said the driver had already left and would be five to ten more minutes. Twenty minutes later we called back and were told the same thing. The driver finally showed up an hour and 40 minutes after we placed the order, and were lied to out right twice. We live 10 minutes from the restaurant. The reason I gave it two instead of one star is because the food is tasty. read more

The food deserves 5 stars, but the service really brings it down. We were there several times for lunch buffet and never try their dinner. The service has always been pretty inattentive and sometimes unwelcoming, so never will try dinner. Their naan bread is super great, always made fresh, so sometimes you gotta wait a little bit; most dishes are above level good--their chicken dishes are tender most of the time. The use of spices is excellent and exotic. I never tried fried food and they do look a bit soggy but again I can't tell. Dessert is always the same but I'm not bothered by that. This is not a huge buffet, but the food they offer is great. I like it this way because one really doesn't eat that much. The thing we don't like is the service, as mentioned. Sometimes servers don't even smile and come and go without saying anything. Plates on your desk remain there. I don't think their servers do that on purpose, it's probably just the Indian way? However that does make the dinning experience sometimes uncomfortable. Another thing is, when the food is empty, refills are slow or missing. It happens on weekends as well, days you pay more. We still come back because the food is still pretty good. It's just such a shame that they would have been such a great restaurant! read more

I recently went to Maharani on a Friday night and was quite pleased with my experience -- good food...pleasant atmosphere...friendly wait staff...reasonable prices...and convenient location. Yet this was my first time eating Indian cuisine in Madison, so my ability to compare it to others in the area is somewhat limited. That being said, I found the food wonderfully tasteful and the atmosphere enjoyable. The naan and dipping sauces were as good as any I had ever tasted. My spiced lamb dish was so delicious I couldn't stop talking about it after we left. Unfortunately my companion didn't necessarily share the same level of enthusiasm for her dish (tandoori chicken), but promised that it would not discourage her from making a return visit in the future. Which reminds me...the wait staff was fantastic! Very attentive and personable. I thought the prices were relatively reasonable considering the cuisine. Both of our dishes cost around $12, and the food portions were sufficiently large. The clientle during our visit included two older couples (60's), several middle-aged couples (mid-40's), and a family of five with three relatively young children. It probably wouldn't be my first choice of somewhere to take kids, but it certainly wouldn't be out of the question...depending on the kids and/or the parent's level of patience. All in all, Maharani provided a great alternative to other local restaurants around the capitol. When you need a break from Great Dane's fish fry, The Old Fashioned's mac & cheese, or Brocach's shepherd's pie, I would recommend heading down the W. Washington spoke of the square and hit Maharani. read more

Great Indian spot. Love the lunch buffet. Classic Indian options that seem to be on the spicer side compared to other lunch buffets in the area but I appreciate that! Service is decent and the dining space is laid out nicely for lunch service. Overall highly recommend! read more

I have never been to this place for the buffet so gave it a shot. It is excellent. Lots of choices including my favorite lamb curry and lentil soup both very good. Lots of vegetarian dishes as well. The dining room is huge and better looking than most. A little more expensive than some at around eleven dollars I think, but worth it. I just wish the service staff that work here to at least be a little friendly. Even if there is a language barrier it doesn't hurt to make eye contact and SMILE! No one here did. I can live with it and would go back. read more

I love Indian food, but not "any" Indian food. While the dining room is clean, and the service is decently good, the food is anything but lackluster. I went to a buffet lunch with friends, and was not at all impressed or even pleased with the food. On the buffet menu are lentil ball appetizer that's covered in yogurt sauce (I forgot the name ... shame on me), pilafs, 2/3 different type of curries (lamb meat and vegetable ones), and few other items that I didn't try. There are also desert, too. Some of my friend particularly liked the balls covered in honey sauce (again, I forgot the name of the dish, but that's what it is). I'm not saying that the food is bad, it's OK, but not much more. My two Indian friends also share the same review - they told me to go somewhere else for more authentic food. read more

One of my favorite restaurants in Madison. Absolutely delicious. The ambiance may be lacking, but the food makes up for it. I love their chicken tikka masala and chana masala. Yum! read more

I've eaten at Maharani both for their lunch buffet and for dinner. When it comes to their lunch buffet where Maharani truly excels is selection. They have the widest selection available in the Madison area which allows you to try more things -- half the point of a lunch buffet, in my opinion. The lunch buffet has had consistently good quality food for the several times I've been there. They also do have some spicy dishes for those who are concerned about the lack of authenticity in the heat at most Indian buffets and fortunately by having more dishes available they keep service accessible to most people. Lunch can get very crowded and that can impact water and naan basket refills. Similarly dinner is great but can get expensive (especially if you are a naan fiend). The caliber of service increases dramatically when the lunch rush isn't on and our waiter was very attentive and helpful. If you are looking to try as many new things as you can for lunch this is a great place to go! read more

This is an excellent place to come on a date or for a nice conversation with friends. The food is excellent, from the appetizers right down to the mango ice cream. We got the $40 non-veggie meal for 2, and it was amazing. Very good, decently priced place to bring a date for a romantic night. Service is also very good and polite. read more

Ate here for lunch yesterday. I've probably visit this restaurant every time i'm in Madison. I love the buffet! Great choices. Not much to add, but the desserts are great as well. read more

This is really a 3 and a half! I went for the lunch buffet, and I'd say half the dishes were great and half were pretty low quality. Some tasty things worth noting were the Green Beans Poriyal which were incredibly flavorful and cooked perfectly and a cauliflower dish I forget the name of. I wouldn't recommend the Dahi Vada (those donut-looking things) unless they're freshly out on the table, cuz they get so soggy so quickly! The paneer dish I had was good, the tikka masala was nice, but the fried fish dish was pretty blah- not fresh, and there's nothing worse than not-fresh fish! Dessert was yummy but the staple Indian buffet mango ice cream just tasted like vanilla grocery store ice cream flavored lightly with mango. Tip-if you're going anywhere important later, be careful, because you'll walk around smelling strongly of delicious curry for the rest of the day! You decide if that's a good or bad thing. read more

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I've only been to the lunch buffet on Sundays, but I absolutely love the place. I would say the variety of dishes is deserving of 4 stars, but the taste of the food, the service, and NFL games being played at the bar on Sundays jack the overall rating up to a 5 star. Runs you about $10 per person but its worth every penny. Got kind of busy around the 12:30pm time-slot. read more

This is my go-to Indian restaurant in town. Just did their buffet on Saturday, and I was not disappointed. I tried so many different items, but one that stuck out to me was their butter chicken. YUM. They bring over your nann to you in a basket, which I appreciate, because it means the bread is not just sitting out on the line getting dried out. Their mango ice cream is also great. Also ordered a mango lassi, which had a great mango-yogurt balance going on, and was not overly sweet. Service is efficient and friendly, but not overly so as I've seen in some Indian places around Madison, where you take one sip of water and have a waiter rushing over to refill your glass. read more