This restaurant is now a money swindling business. Overly priced menu. I been to a lot of restaurants in NYC, Boston and NJ but this is the worst I have ever seen. Potion size was too small from appetizer to entree. I ordered Lahasuni Gobi and we got 4 small pieces of Cauliflower for 9 dollars. Seriously I been to more expensive restaurants where the price is more but quantity is not sooo less. Potion size of entree is not enough for a single guy so for each guy you have to order 2 entree that increases your bill by (~13*2=26). Add one appetizer to it (+9 USD) + 1 non alcoholic drink (+6 USD) and say 2 Naan (~4.45*2=8.90 USD) so total for each person comes around = 50 USD with no alcoholic drinks and excellent poor service where you need to continuously find waiter for the service. Waiter service was very poor. We were looking at our surroundings so that someone can see us so that we can order the next round. And for this kind of service they added 18% tip. For 4 average people diet the bill was 120+. I am never going to that place again in my life. Cons: - Overly Priced. - Very little potion size. (Shamelessly little) Go and find yourself. - Bad Bad Bad service. - Pay 18% tip for bad service. - Price Menu and potion size are designed to keep adding money to your bill. Pros: - If you are on diet its a very good place to go. Ask the waiter and he will suggest you a very bland salad for 8 USD and that too very little. - Excellent place to experience how can someone charge 18% gratuity without even asking you for providing bad service. - Tables here are very small. If you are going with 2+ people then you are going to find issues in where to put your food on the table. - Want to get surprised. Go there.. you will be surprised after receiving little potion sizes in big dishes. read more

Unique menu. I liked seeing an Indian restaurant trying something different. It's refreshing to see chefs trying to branch out into fancier Indian foods rather than the "comfort" it's known for. Beautiful ambiance. Great flavors of food, though lacking in the spice. Okay quantity of food, for the price I would've expected more. Comes with rice included (I think I read a review questioning that before). read more

My favorite Indian restaurant around. They have fantastic food. I have done take out, lunch buffet, and Dinner here. All have been fantastic. I have had the Lentils many times and it is consistently delicious. The Samosas are always a good bet too. My wife always gets the Butter chicken and loves it. The wait staff is very friendly. They made great drink recommendations. They were very attentive. The price for the dinner is like going out to any other restaurants. Chicken around 13 and seafood 18. read more

This place is amazing Service : 5/5 Food : 5/5 Variety : 4/5 Ambience : 5/5 Music : 5/5 Environment : 5/5 read more

I have dined here several times since Chef Purvesh Patel departed early 2009 and they have not skipped a beat! While serving on jury duty in Hackensack I ate lunch here several times in the last few months. For $9.95, or so, it is the best lunch deal in the area! It is a high quality buffet! There are probably a few less options than at many other Indian lunch buffets but the quality of the food is far superior. read more

I came here for a little boy's first birthday. Having passed by this place a million times, it never occurred to me to try it. From the outside it looks a little sketchy for me, always very dark and the parking lot always seems empty. It is one of the few Indian restaurants in the area so it's worth trying. The party was set up buffet style. So on the 1 hand we had the party, and the rest of the restaurant was set up regularly. It was afternoon and there were many patrons there for lunch. It was not as dimly lit as I thought it would be. The bhel chat for appetizers was really good, and then the rest of lunch is forgettable. The malai kofta and paneer were sub par. The vegetable jalfrezi did not look appetizing to me, so I didn't bother to try it. Overall, I am sure it's a good place to go for lunch, my friends have raved about it before. Service was okay, they rushed us out right after people were "done" eating. These Indian places have to understand that Indian people are not just join to up and "leave," as soon as their "time" is up. Being smart, they should give an additional half hour to parties like this so they can comfortably finish talking and leave. I'm just not exactly going to go out of my way to come back here. read more

Don't eat here. The food is not good. An hour or so after we left for dinner, I received a reservation cancellation email from Opentable. I called the restaurant and whoever answered the phone pretended he could hardly speak English. They should not be in business...very dishonest. Crispy cauliflower - The waiter pushed hard for this, and what a disappointment. Not crispy and not very tasty. Lamb Vindaloo - We have never seen RED Lamb Vindaloo before, and it didn't taste like Vindaloo. Chicken Curry - Just okay. read more

We went here for the buffet as a welcome to the office lunch for a new person. Its a pretty nice place! The atmosphere is chic lounge-y, tastefully decorated, in warm colors, with touches of the exotic. The buffet is a good deal, with probably the largest selection of dishes I have seen on a buffet in the area. The quality of food is good, and the preparation is perfect. Service was spot on. Since it was a buffet, heat ranged from mild to slightly spicy, but even without a lot of heat, there was a lot of authentic flavor. They had several different desserts out (most buffets feature one), and the gulab jamun (always my favorite), was very, very tasty! I think the prices I see on the menu would be a bit high for the area if you come here for dinner, but it's balanced out by the impeccable decor and attentive staff. Parking is currently very confusing, as the car dealership next door is under construction, and they have moved their driveway, so it seems like the dealership's driveway goes into the plaza with Mantra. Also: its on the westbound side of Rt.4, not the east, as specified on the website. read more

I used to come to this place every week with my friends for more than a year. Today, October 21st. We had the worst treatment by the manager in charge. All the waiters are so polite But today this asshole in the middle of our meal brought the the bill, when I asked WHY he brought the bill in the middle of the meal he said because it was a buffet and we were eating for the second time dessert. WHAT? IF YOU DON'T WANT PEOPLE TO SERVE AGAIN DON'T DO BUFFET, DO A LA CARTE! We were 5 old ladies having a good time and this asshole ruined our one week time out. NEVER coming back and I will make sure all of my friends do not come back while this unpleasant manager is there. read more

i passed by the place a couple of times on the way to garden state plaza mall and finally i gave it try yesterday. I was really surprised about the place, the location might be not the best or where you expect a place like this, but it is defiantly a hidden secret in north jersey. the ambient is very nice, especially the lounge area. The place was not crowded but 80 % of the tables were taken, we got seated right away and the service was great from beginning to the end. Food was really fresh and tasty, and the cocktail i had was great. read more

Mantra is a hidden gem! Located in the same plaza as Chucky Cheese off Route 4. The food was authentic and delicious. It's very pretty inside. I placed a to go order. Yes it takes time to receive the order but WELL WORTH IT, as the food is fresh. I am a New Yorker and have tried several Indian restaurants and this one by far is my fav. If you like Indian food, DEFINITELY check out Mantra! read more

Lounge area was nice but empty. Dining area had a good amount of people. There appeared to be a back room for more privacy. The wait staff was very good. I wasn't interested in ordering the dinner menu so I opted for appetizers which were pretty good. Trio of Naan, Lobster Chaat, Samosas, refereshing cucumbers. Banana Fosters - done at your table! Good entertainment factor! And it tasted good! read more

Delicious food and great, attentive service. It was our first visit but it definitely won't be our last. If you're craving authentic Indian cuisine, served by a welcoming, caring staff, this place will not disappoint! read more

The service at Mantra was absolutely sub-par. The manager on-site was rude. We made a reservation for 8 at 12:15. We got there sharp 12:15 however were escorted to our table around 12:45! Those of us that have little ones will understand how much more frustrating this was. The manager escorted us to a table which could accommodate only 7 people. When we questioned the manager, he said we needed to compromise i.e. have the 8 of us sit at a table for 7! No apologies from the management. We let the management know that it was my mom's birthday and all the more important on this special day the restaurant lives up to its promise of having a table ready for the 8 of us at sharp 12:15....instead there were no apologizes - my sister's family drove down from CT and my parents were flying back to Mumbai the day after. Not a good experience. I would not recommend this restaurant. Instead if you are looking for a solid Indian restaurant that cooks up some delicious Indian food - street food / appetizers, entrees, dessert; friendly service & a colorful decor, I would recommend Monsun - an 8 minute drive from Mantra. read more

Food was excellent. The place IS in a strip mall and during the day time its painfully obvious but as the night creeps in you really forget about it! I grabbed a beer at the bar before dinner - noticed there were 2 Indian beers on the menu and thought what the heck! One the Taj Mahal was very good and bottled in India, the other was "ok" and bottled in... New York! What the heck? We had the Desi Wings, Tandoori Mixed Grill, and Curry Lamb dish (dont remember what it was called) Gotta say everything was really delicious, borderline awesome! I was really looking forward to the leftovers the next day! Looking forward to going back sometime! read more

Haven't been out to an Indian restaurant in a while before this place. A huge group of us came here last week to celebrate a co-worker's last day. When you walk in the layout is interesting - to the right, a regular restaurant, to the left, a lounge set up with a bar. At first I thought it was weird but it works. Food was great, I love indian food and was not disappointed. The menu is extensive and can be kind of overwhelming. The nan wasn't the best I've ever had but then again you can't go too wrong with nann in general. I would definitely come back here to try more of them menu. read more

When I first walked in, I thought, wow is this really paramus on route 4 next to a dodge dealership? They did a great job inside. The decor gets exemplary marks, maybe a little darker than I'd want, but great color scheme. I'd prefer it if only one person (the person who took my order) to checkup on us occasionally, not 5 different waiters 5 different times. Food wasn't bad, portions were small. Dessert menu, ask if we want to see it, rather than putting it in front of us. All in all, the atmosphere and the waitress we had were great (sorry, I forget her name). For a classy looking joint, act the part & have the food meet higher standards, like your decor advertises read more

I won't be coming back. The waitress forgot our appetizer. I had to ask for it and she didn't try to make up for the mistake. Ok whatever, no big deal. For the entree I ordered a sort of sampler dish of various meats. I have no idea how to pronounce it little lone spell it. Anyway, while the meat was just ok, that's all the dish was! No side dish. Not even a sauce! Just meat on a plate. I asked for a sauce, but it didn't make it much better. My girlfriend ordered the shrimp curry. While the dish lacked in shrimp (3 shrimp), the curry was actually really good. Our waitress was probably the worst I've ever had (Heavy set African American woman with big hair). After she brought our entrees we never heard from her again. Our waters and beers were empty and our dinners had long been finished. She was around, but at this point I wanted to see if she had the sense enough to come check on us, ask if we were finished, clear our plates, see if we wanted another beer or water, and/or ask if we wanted dessert. NONE OF THE ABOVE. After 15 minutes of just sitting there I flagged her down and asked for the check. Her tip reflected the service and we will not be coming back. read more

I went to the restaurant mainly because I was craving some Nan and it came up on OpenTable.com! I checked the reviews and restaurant website and saw that it was reasonable had meals that I ate, and reviews were great to excellent. I figured why not, let's try this. Well, we were in for a big surprise when we arrived and found out that it was BUFFET!!! $11.95 BUFFET!!! We were absolutely delighted when we saw all the offerings and items that we were actually going to get off the menu for $18.95 and more. It was amazing. The staff was courteous and friendly. They were attentive to our needs, requests and answered our questions in regards to the amount of spice with the food. Everything was delicious and there was a great variety. I will be definitely be back! read more

One of the few Indian restaurants that have bar and lounging area. Ambience is good, service is okay. Definitely a little $$$ for the quantity of food served. Presentation and taste is good. Spiciest item on the menu still remains in medium spicy category by authentic indian standards. Tables are too small. Indian meals comprises of many pieces and a small table makes it cluttered with dishes etc. they need to get bigger tables whether it be a table for 2 or 4. Parking is not a problem and this is right there in shopping district. read more

Probably the best Indian food in Paramus, Hackensack area! I've eaten here once and got food delivered from here a bunch of times and every time I am amazed by the authenticity of some of their dishes. Must try: shrimp appetizer, samosa chat, veg manchurian, madras chicken, mushroom methi malai, asparagus kofta, khoya kaju and carrot halwa. read more

Mantra catered the Indian cuisine for my fusion Indian wedding at Royal Manor, and did a completely wonderful job with it! They do a modern twist on Indian food - not fusion exactly but not traditional either. Amazing results nonetheless! The food they prepared for our wedding was FANTASTIC!! All our guests, Indian and American, told us repeatedly how good the Indian food was! Second I will add that the manager Pradeep was so professional and courteous. He held a private wedding-menu tasting for my family, fiance, and me at their location in Paramus; they prepared a sampling of veg and non veg appetizers and mains, and we took notes and came to a selection that worked for us. I am writing this review because I wasn't able to find any reviews on Mantra when our wedding venue brought them up as their preferred Indian catering partner; we were hesitant since we'd never heard of Mantra as an indian caterer despite hosting and attending parties in the NJ Indian community for decades. But Mantra and Pradeep really came through and made the whole experience from tasting to wedding just wonderful. read more

Had dinner with my sister, who was in the mood for spicy food, and I hadn't been there in a while... well, we left disappointed. The samosas were flavorful, but small... and I ordered the Calcutta appetizer, and when it arrived at table, beautiful plate, but only 1?! Very small portion for the price... and we had to ask the waiter 2x if had coconut or pine nuts, for him to finally tell us, yes it did....my sister is allergic, so I was the only one who could eat it. Pakora is not on menu, but when asked, they were willing to make it... that was nice. They offered a small courtesy tomato soup in between, and honestly, it tasted like canned soup... We ordered a table side chaat, and he mixed in a bowl that was previously used! Yikes... not happy about that. I mean, even if no one else touched it, I don't want to see my food prepared in a used bowl... Waiter seemed to be more involved with a group table in the back, but there was only us and 3 other tables full, rest of the place was empty! Why service wasn't quicker is beyond me. Main dishes arrived, small portions, the lamb vindaloo needed salt, wasn't spicy at all and was quite bland... and my chicken murgh was just fine, nothing special or worth coming back for... With all that, sadly I won't be back. .. Decor was nice, good atmosphere but food just didn't cut it, and value was not there. read more

I love Mantra. I look forward to eating the delicious food, interacting with the amazing staff and enjoying the ambiance of the restaurant. Mantra has not disappointed me since I have been going to eat there. Their creativity in plating food along with their fusion of flavor makes it a culinary inspiration. Their paneer is the BEST I have tried in the US. I will be back to enjoy the good food and company soon! If you haven't tried it, give it a shot. Also I highly recommend their catering and Pradeep Singh is THE BEST person to deal with!!! read more

We were here for the lunch buffet on 6/14/2015. On a previous occasion, we had dinner at this restaurant and it was OK. However, this time - it was a disaster. The food was bland and without any flavor. The peas in the (Aaloo-mutter) were under cooked. I think it is easy for an 'Indian' restaurant to position themselves for a clientele that does not know any better. When we asked the manager, Peter as to why the food was so off, his response was that they cater to a different ethnic segment. Well, that is OK if the restaurant wants the food to be less spicy - but the missing flavors, under-cooked food, wrongly labeled dishes (their Chicken Vindaloo was red in color) make it difficult to give them a rating more than a star. I would strongly advise anyone against going here, especially if they like the flavor of Indian food. read more

We enjoy our dinner here last night! The tiger shrimp I ordered Was tasty, and very nice environment and great service too! read more

Mantra - Indian Near Me - Paramus, New Jersey

Very delicious food. Although I'm not an Indian food expert, I found the lamb and chicken dishes to be very tasty and flavorful. We called if there was a wait (even though it was only 5:45) and she took my name and we walked right on upon arrival. The waiter we had was very knowledgeable. I would highly recommend this place and will return again. Although I haven't been to their buffet, that will be what I next return for! read more

$9 panner tikka had exactly three pieces of panner. so only possibilities are 1) they think they are michelin star restaurants 2) they don't give a damn and believe can serve whatever and however they want read more

Mantra - Indian Near Me - Paramus, New Jersey

Decent lunch buffet. Great value for money. There is a good variety of dishes for the price. I had not been there in a while and this time, they added a new talipia curry dish which was very tasty. Only thing.... while I didn't notice it as I was eating, there must have been too much salt because I was so thirsty for the rest of the day. read more

Mantra offers a wide selection for their buffet brunch for a reasonable price ($10-$12.50 at the time of this review). Some highlights are the super moist tandori chicken, samosas, and any spinach puree. The last time I had the buffet it was a spinach saag with lamb. Naan is complimentary with brunch. Overall good variety and friendly staff who will never let your water glass get half empty. You will try different dishes and most likely be full for five hours after since it is unlimited. read more

Expensive and upscale dining establishment. If you want to impress a date with how much money you have, this is the place. The food itself is average standard Indian fare...you could get the same dishes cheaper, spicier, more authentic and better elsewhere, honestly. read more

Been to Mantra 3 times now, most recently this past Saturday night. Pretty hip restaurant to be in a strip mall on Rt 4. It's got a chic little lounge area as soon as you walk in and an ample size dining area. The lighting is subdued which gives it a bit of a romantic feel as well. It's been a couple months since I was last here and our waiter immediately recognized us (or so he claimed); either way, it made us feel important and welcome. Lol. Had the lamb vindaloo before and it was very good, the spiciness was just right for me. This time had a chicken appetizer dish off the specials menu which came with a spicy yogurt on the side. Don't recall the name but it was along the lines of a Tandoori chicken, except the sauce was a little thicker. My gf had the Tandoori chicken (her fav). It was also very good and definitely had a nice kick to it. For my entree I had the Rogan Josh, which was a goat dish made with a cardamom sauce. My first time having goat, big fan! Finished off the meal with a little mango ice cream to cool the palate. Ahhh, nice and refreshing. read more

There's a lot of places in the area that try to make Indian food, but Mantra comes closest to it. I've been a regular visitor for my homeland-cravings and the lunch buffets have given me numerous food-comas. The buffet offers a very balanced option space - with some indo-chinese appetizers/ idlis or wadas with sambar/ pakodas, a couple of vegetarian subzis, a chicken tikka and rotating fish/lamb dishes. One of my personal favorites is their asparagus kofta. Their cloudy nans are very well done and even though the gajar halwa fails to impress, the kheer more than makes up for it. Their service is quick and the staff is very friendly. Not the best Indian food I've had - but it's geographically located to succeed and satisfies my cravings with much ease. read more

I've eaten here several times before and food was always impressive. But today's buffet lunch was a disappointment. Not a single dish worth seconds. Wouldn't go back again. read more

If you have never had authentic Indian food, then this may seem alright or maybe even kinda good at times. But authentic Indian food this is not. There is basically no element of spicy even in the spicy dishes. The meats are kinda dry too, probably more a product of mediocre execution in the kitchen than anything else. All in all, of you just want to pretend like you are having Indian food and you have an overly Western palate or you are not very fussy, this may be a good place for you. If you are having grandma over and she can't eat spice or it'll go straight into her diaper, then this may also be a good choice. Otherwise spare yourself the trouble. There are plenty of better options. As in, all other options are probably better. read more

Just returned from the most AMAZING dinner I've had in Paramus! I love Indian food, and FINALLY talked a friend into an Indian meal (he's Italian). If you're taking a neophyte to an Indian restaurant, this is a great place to start. It's a great place, period. The bar choices are great. I got samosas and friend got lamb kebob. The portions were just right for an appetizer portion. Friend got Lamb Vindaloo--the lamb was amazingly tender, the sauce perfect without being overwhelming and portion sizes were great. I got grilled tandoori vegetables. I am not a paneer fan, but it really made this dish outstanding. Of course, naan and raita were involved. Dessert was interesting in it's presentation. We asked for orange sorbet (his first venture...let's not go crazy). It was stuffed in a hollowed out orange, frozen solid. Once we got spoons and pried off the top, it was so refreshing and very pleasant. What a whimsical end to the evening. So glad I finally made it there. The only reason it doesn't get 5 * is because it is rather pricey. read more

Went to Mantra because I bought a groupon. The location doesn't justify the decor. It's exotic and dark with romantic dim lighting, with the fireplace separating the lounge from dining room. It seems like a nice place to hang out at night. The food was OK. I think it was too pricey for their food ranging from 15 for veggie entrees to mostly mid-high 20. I liked how they gave complimentary appetizers and my bf's dish (which was basically chicken tikka masala) was pretty good. I got the tandoori mixed grill, which was mixed for sure. Some meats were better than others, my favorite being the chicken and least favorite was the shrimp. I didn't like the lamb because it tasted too gamey, but thats personal preference. After reading other yelp reviews about the desi wings, I was disappointed that I didn't see them on the menu. The service was mostly helpful, but I would say pushy at times. We would order something and our waiter would "highly suggest" a few more items, like the 16 dollar lobster appetizer. But he was more than happy to answer any questions, and our food came out on time. Take note that sodas are not refillable even if they ask if you would like another drink, my bf was charged twice on the bill. I would come again, but only for lunch buffet, which seems like more of a value. read more

Valentine's Day 2014 Very dark and little lighting Parking was easy Lamb vindaloo was spicy and full of meat. Lusinda chicken was yogurt based. Also delicious. Samosas were great. Bathroom was clean. read more

Excellent food, not your average Indian place. Manhattan innovative menu here in NJ, staff is attentive and polite. Best Indian food in the area! read more

This place is great. Safe town, great food, great service. I can't say much more because it is truly a great place to go. If you are new to this place, I would recommend going for the lunch buffet, so that you can try a little bit of everything. Great place for any occassion. My favorite is the Chili Chicken! I can't wait until I go there again. read more