It's really tasty. It's a bit expensive to get all the time, but when I'm looking for nicer Indian food, this is a great spot.

Just tried Masala Art. Right away they offered us half-price bottles of wine, which was a nice way to say hello. Appetizers: The dahi papri and Pani Puri were delicious, but the Chicken 65 a little disappointing (not a fan of the wet version of the dish). But it was the pani puri that took the cake, I especially liked the presentation. Main course: The owner highly-recommended the gaulati kebab, which was as tender as promised but slightly bland for my taste. I preferred the daal makhni and seekh kebab, which were both delicious. My date loved the bindi and we both thought the breads were excellent. Definitely worth a return trip. read more

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Located right by the Tenleytown metro, this is the perfect place to get your lunch buffet on! I was really craving Indian food for a while after reading Jhumpa Lahiri's books... and this place really lived up to all the standards that "The Namesake" set for me. We were immediately seated on a Saturday afternoon and encouraged to go to the buffet, which was honestly amazing. One table starts you off with appetizers (and excuse me if I don't know the proper names for these dishes, it doesn't mean that I love them any less!) - puffed rice and chips with an assortment of toppings like fresh mangoes, onions, tomatoes, etc. There was also a large plate of salad for vegetarians. And of course, they had chicken tikka masala - which was delicious, whole chicken with a flavorful sauce. They also had what I believe is ground lamb with chickpeas... and gosh, that was also very good. And for my vegetarians - string beans and squash. The rice was also well cooked, not too dry but paired perfectly with the dishes offered. There is a huge variety, which is great for everyone. They also had rice pudding for dessert, which I did not try, but I'm sure it was also great. Let's also not forget that each table gets a basket of naan, one of the best things ever. The only thing to make this better was the bathroom - DOUBLE toilets, in BOTH bathrooms. Strange arrangement, but still usable and fairly clean. read more

Masala Art - Indian Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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I went to Masala Art around a week ago with my boyfriend, we had passed by the restaurant and decided to stop by. I am a HUGE fan of Indian food and I have had some amazing Indian food in my life time, and unfortunately I was not really impressed with Masala Art. To start off, my boyfriend and I arrived at around 7:45ish on a Friday night without reservations but I didn't think much of it since it didn't seem like there was too many people at the restaurant. It took us 4 minutes to even be acknowledged by the staff and it was a little awkward since they were they and they knew we were there and didn't even smile or mouth "I'll be right there" or something of the sort. Once the host came, he was not pleasant at all and asked if we had reservations and after he said no he was very kurt with us and just stayed silent looking at his computer and proceeded to seat us after. Both my boyfriend and I felt he was rude in a subtle way. I ordered the paneer makhan masala, which is cottage cheese in a creamy tomato sauce. It was not bad, but I didn't love it either. As I've mentioned, I've had way better Indian food at other places. We also got some rock salt and cilantro naan which was really really good. They do have a different and non traditional indian menu which I do appreciate. Result: The food was ok, I definitely won't come back. read more

Masala Art - Paneer makhan masala - cottage cheese in a creamy tomato sauce - Indian Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

This is my favorite place for indian Food when I am in DC. Food ambience drinks and host all are awesome. Location is also good and always ample if working around. I can't say nothing negative about all. I make them Mechlin rated if that was to me. Excellent food and wine selection. read more

Tops for Indian Lunch Buffet in DC. The location is a bit off the beaten track but my trip is always richly rewarded. The set-up is small but the quality of every item is exceptional. They use fresh veggies and healthier ingredients. Its not the typical greasy indian buffet that will sit in your stomach like a rock and make the rest of your day miserable. Some people complain about the service being slow based on the wait for naan. The reason for this is that they bake each basket of fresh instead of serving cold stale naan like some other buffets. I challenge you to run out of a beverage in this restaurant, the waiters in their fancy tuxedo vests swarm in to refill my water or soda at half full. read more

Excellent Indian food in DC. Nice portion sizes, excellent service. Very nice decor. Saag was very creamy, which is how I like it. Nothing was terribly spicy. read more

A couple whose toddler I babysat for a few weeks ago went to the waterfront location and raved about Masala Art. Like me, they've had difficulty finding excellent Indian restaurants. My guy and I came here for dinner yesterday. We shared a strawberry daiquiri which was sweet but had a bit too much ice for our taste. I had the veggie biryani and he had the lamb vindaloo. The biryani had the right amount of flavor without being overly spicy or greasy. It also came with a tasty yogurt sauce. He liked the vindaloo but said the sauce was very spicy. We also shared an order of naan. We shared the bread pudding and agreed it was amazing. Service was also excellent. Everyone we encountered was very friendly. Between Masala Art and Taj of India, I now have two excellent Indian restaurants on my list. And good indian food is difficult to find so thank you MA for a great meal! read more

We ordered delivery from Masala Art through a third-party delivery service and LOVED it! I loved how creamy / spicy / fragrant the chicken tikka masala dish I ordered was. We both ordered chicken tikka masala (I got the more spicy version) and really enjoyed it. I loved how the take-out boxes separated the rice and the chicken tikka masala, but they were still side by side, so you could easily mix the two. I can't believe I used to frequent Tenleytown so often and somehow missed eating at Masala Art. I'm glad I live close enough now to be able to order delivery (at least through a third-party service). So good! Would definitely order from this place again and would certainly visit the restaurant itself in the future! read more

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Really impressed with this place. I would definitely recommend. The flavors are great, and they do not skimp on portion sizes. Plus, that they include rice with the dish is really stellar. My friend and I got the Baingan Mirch ka Salan (eggplant and pepper in sesame seed sauce) and Paneer Makhan Masala (cottage cheese in tomato cream sauce). Both were very flavorful! Nice waiters who were not pushy. Quick service. Nice ambiance. Good for a group, too, which is a treat. read more

The food is excellent, but the service is lacking. Despite a busy weekend night crowd, the restaurant didn't have more than a couple of waiters, so even though we were seated immediately, we ended up waiting a really long time for our food. After a while, we asked our waiter - also the manager, I believe - about the status of our order, and he said he'd check on it in the kitchen. Unfortunately, it did not seem to be a priority for him, as it took more than a few minutes for him to do this. When our dinner finally arrived, we were all very hungry and enjoyed each of our selections. One recommendation for vegetarians and meat-eaters alike is the Lassoni Corn Palak - creamy spinach and corn with garlic. I'll give the lunch buffet a try next - that way the waitstaff won't have as big an impact. read more

Yes!! Found a solid Indian restaurant that doesn't break the bank!!! Service was on point. Went in on a Friday at 8pm and didn't have to wait for a table. Food came quickly, servers were very attentive, and the owner checked on us. Okay first, two amazing dishes: the pani poori and the rock salt & cilantro naan. You MUST GET THESE, especially the naan. Pani poori was a perfect blend of flavors and just such a unique dish in and of itself. Demonstrated some great chef skills. That naan is out of this world, as many have already noted. Major disappointment was the chicken tikka-- and this is why it only gets 4 stars. The flavor was great, but like other reviewers have noted, the chicken quality was a huge WTF moment. Seriously chewy, fatty chunks... no bueno. I was very relieved we just got this as an appetizer and not as a main chicken curry because I wouldn't have been able to eat it. I had one piece and had to spit out half of it. Nothing worse than chomping down on a rubbery piece of chicken fat. Also got the Bhuna Gosht (lamb) and the Mixed Veg Curry. The lamb was slightly on the dry side, but the flavors in the sauce made up for it-- really a nice, multi-dimensional blend of spices in there, and just the right amount of heat (I had to blow my nose only once, which is my measurement for the perfect heat). The veg curry was more mellow and I appreciated that... still very flavorful, just not on the demanding side of things, you know? Another reviewer said it was lacking, but I appreciated the subtlety. I'd also like to mention the rice, because normally rice isn't worth mentioning. This rice is. They've put a little extra effort into making this rice tasty- I couldn't figure out what it was, perhaps rose water? I don't know, but I give major points to a place that goes the extra mile with dishes that other places normally ignore. Right??! With tax, tip, and 3 beers, this meal cost $60, and two people left extremely full and satisfied. I'll be coming back for sure. read more

Masala Art - awesome pani poori, disappointing chicken tikka. - Indian Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Best Indian cuisine in the city. Cauliflower appetizer is amazing. Flash fried spinach appetizer is also delicious. Highly recommend.

Incredible food - don't miss: rock salt & cilantro naan, Ginger lamb chops, tomato cream chicken and of course the Birjani. Been twice - excellent both times including great service. read more

Masala Art - Cool decor - Indian Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Incredibly flavored food and a terrific value. My friend and I greatly enjoyed the experience and will be back. For appetizer, we ordered the vegetable samosas (fried patties stuffed with peas, potatoes and raisins). Two samosas come per order and it is served with a side of tamarind and yogurt sauce. For the main course, we split the Murgh Tikka Masala (chicken tikka in onion tomato gravy with fenugreek) and the Mattar Paneer (an Indian classic - green peas and cottage cheese). Both were excellent and were flavored beautifully. Both were in a tomato sauce with the Mattar Paneer being slightly spicier. Looking forward to trying more things on their menu. read more

I went for lunch a few weekends ago and had a decent meal. I did find it weird that they didn't have any soups - I was sick and hoping for either sambar soup or lentil soup, but it was not to be. Instead, I had the aloo tikki chaat (without the yogurt) since I can't resist crispy potato cakes. For my entree, I decide to step out of my comfort zone (one of my favorite dishes is Baingan Bharta) and tried a different eggplant dish - the Bhareli Wangi (Indian baby eggplant topped with a sauce). The serving size was a bit small - four very tiny baby eggplants topped with a tomato based sauce and rice on the side. It was good and the presentation was quite artful, but it didn't really fill me up. My friends' entrees were more traditional curries, so their portion sizes were a bit bigger. For whatever reason, it took a long time for the tea to come out. I'm sure someone else mentioned this - the bathroom is a bit weird - it's a single person bathroom but have two toilets that face each other! Without a stall or wall or partition in between. It was definitely a conversation starter - the table next to us was talking about it as well! read more

Masala Art - Bhareli Wangi (Indian baby eggplant with coastal spices and topped with tawa sauce) - Indian Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Unlike my visit to their location in Southwest last summer, I can say that my food here was delicious, very well-cooked, and the spices really were an artful blend of flavors. Service was also excellent and attentive. The atmosphere of the restaurant leaves me to knock off a star though, as it's just not quite ideal. Every table is just a little less than desirable it seems... the ones up front by the door were blasted with cold air every time someone entered or left, the ones in the middle on the right have a parade of people going to and from the bathroom, and the ones like ours on the back left, have a lot of people coming by to pick up takeout orders. Redoing the space to make up for these shortcomings would be a major undertaking however, so it's a good thing they have really tasty food so I wouldn't hesitate to come back when I'm up in the area. read more

I ordered Murg Makhani and Nan. I really enjoy my experience here, I was the first customer for a delicious lunch. My server was Himanshu K, who understood what I wanted, due I'm not a indie cuisine expert. It was great! Very clean and organized. read more

Masala Art - Murg Makhani and Nan. - Indian Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I want to start off with sharing the health department was called and they had 2 priority violations and 3 core violations. Sharing 2 - One being out of compliance with insect, rodents and animals droppings and another storage and proper cold holding temperatures. Maybe this will explain the low ratings for this Masala. Sharing how we got to this point, I have been a patron of Masala Art for years. I used to go to the restaurant and enjoy the atmosphere and the food. This one time, I order pick up. The shrimp dish that I always order came with mushy shrimp. This is a sign that they are not fresh and also it is a 30 something dollar dish. I contacted the restaurant and asked if i could get a replacement or refund. They kept me on hold for 15 minutes before I ended up hanging up and going back to the restaurant. When I got there, I asked to speak with the manager. He never came out. This is the 2nd time I am being disregarded. Finally when I went to the back where he was, he started yelling and said "I DO NOT CARE ABOUT YOU!" This was the most abhorrent thing a representative of an establishment has ever said to me. As many years as I had patronized Masala, for this person (not a staff member) but manager maybe an owner to let that come out of his mouth. This place should be protested because if he feels that way about me, he feels that way about ALL OF US. We are just a source of income. This event ended with me walking out and never returning. My funds were never refunded. I suggest everyone stand together and boycott Masala Art at Tenleytown. There are other Indian restaurants up and down Wisconsin Avenue. read more

The management and staff are accommodating and attentive. I made a mistake in judging a dinner meal as low heat. It was graciously redone. My meal was delicious - Kashmiri naan had good flavors. Only downside was I missed the lunchtime buffet! read more

Great food and service. Their lunch buffet is really yummy. Changes daily, but the chicken tika massala is frequently available, and always good. One of my favorite spots read more

Masala Art - Well that's different - Indian Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

We ordered the aloo chaat to start, which was surprisingly spicy but very delicious! The mango lassi was perfection too, highly recommend. Then we ordered butter naan, chicken karahi and a bainghan (eggplant) dish with a creamy peanut sauce. the karahi and naan were outstanding, but the bhaingan dish was... really terrible. But overall, it was great, attentive service and a wonderful spot for brunch! read more

This review is only for those who are in search of really good Indian food in terms of taste and it's richness. I have been coming to this place since its beginning or when Mr. Atul used to manage this place personally. They used to have best Dal Makhani and Murgh Makhani in DC but now it taste totally different and sometimes tasteless. They have increased the price of their food but didn't catch up with the taste. Now, this place is completely overpriced. I think because of the change in the management or Mr Atul decided to focus on their second branch this place is not good as it used to be. My advice is better go for other place if you don't want to pay for overpriced food and get disappointment in the taste read more

Very good Indian food and really well priced, the desserts are superior and unique if you ask me and the Nan with Salt is an absolute must. I found the waiter (forgot his name) to be very helpful and they all bend over backwards to make sure you are satisfied. There are some 'starters' which should not be missed, including an eggplant dish. For adventurous folks try the lamb vindaloo but be warned it can be hot. read more

The food at Masala Art is good, and that's why it breaks my heart to have to say I'll probably never be stepping foot into this restaurant ever again. When dining out at any restaurant, it's common to occasionally encounter lackluster customer service, but what I experienced at Masala Art last night was by far the WORST customer experience I've *ever* experienced, and it was on the part of the Manager (who should absolutely know better than to treat customers poorly). Our waiter was great, and I told him so. Our food was good. Ambiance was nice, until the Manager made a beeline for our table to aggressively tell us to hurry up and get out, because they overbooked and didn't have enough tables for their scheduled reservations. Here's how it went down: a friend and I met at Masala Art at 6:30pm. We did not have reservations, but were seated immediately and given menus. It had been a hard day for both of us so we were looking forward to chatting and relaxing with a nice meal at the end of a hard week. We ordered a round of drinks, an appetizer, and our entrées. The appetizer took a while to come out, but we were chatting and sipping cocktails so we didn't mind. The appetizer arrived and though for some reason there was a random (Ritz-like?) cracker in it that wasn't supposed to be there, we giggled about it, brushed it aside, and kept eating. We kept on chatting and sipping our drinks while we waited quite a long time for our entrées to come out. Again, we didn't mind. We weren't in a rush, plus we knew that things get super busy on a Friday night. Our entrées finally arrived, and we ordered another round of drinks. My friend had a chicken/cashew sauce dish that was good, and I had the malai kofta (cottage cheese balls with diced prunes). We ate, our table was cleared, and the waiter came back to give us dessert menus. My friend and I were looking at the dessert menus and chatting, and still had half of our second round of drinks left. At that point, the manager comes over and says "Are you ordering dessert?" We said we hadn't decided yet (we had had the menus for about 5 minutes and still had half of our drinks left) and he outright told us "Well we gave you this table without a reservation, and now we need you to leave because we can't seat our guests who did make reservations." Uh.....what? Start to finish, our entire dining experience lasted a not atypical 2 hours total, and it was only *that* long because the restaurant itself took so long bringing out our orders. We had spent quite a bit of money there that night for two people, with an appetizer, two entrées and two rounds of drinks (the place isn't cheap, mind you). I responded to the Manager by saying "Wow. That's really impolite." And he responded with "Sorry, but I need this table." Uh, ok. So #sorrynotsorry is what I"m feeling here. I then told him that I didn't appreciate being rushed out of the restaurant, and I'd be following up with a negative review. He then said "Do whatever you want, I don't care." Just, you know....get out. Thanks, sir. Way to make your customers feel welcome, especially after handing you a decent sum of money for the evening. We declined dessert but did finish the drinks we had ordered. Then we left, but not before I approached the manager again to tell him how inappropriately, aggressively and impolitely he had treated us that evening. He then said "I apologized. Do you accept my apology?" I said "No, because right after you apologized you were rude to me again; how sorry could you have actually been?" He then said "I am sorry. We just had a rush and I was trying to make room for customers with reservations. Next time you're here, we'll give you a glass of champagne on us." I left less heated after this exchange, but Masala Art has left a bad taste in my mouth, and I hesitate now to recommend it or ever go again. Because here's the thing: 1) If their staff had told us *WHEN THEY SEATED US* that we only had a certain amount of time to eat there because reservations were coming in, they would have adjusted our expectations as customers from the beginning and this whole unpleasant scene would have been avoided. 2) There's a nice way and a flat-out rude and disrespectful way to tell your customer that you need their table. Unfortunately, the Masala Art Manager's knee-jerk reaction is to tell you in a disrespectful and least professional way possible. If they simply explained that they overbooked themselves and sincerely apologized, we would have understood and helped them out. 3) The Manager did, in fairness, eventually give a better apology. But only after I approached him; he never proactively approached us to make things better. So in sum: if going with Masala Art, I guess just go with their delivery? We left feeling disrespected, and will not be supporting them in any way going forward. read more

Masala Art does a lot of things right. The decor is well thought out, the wait staff knowledgeable and the presentation of the food pleasant. If I considered these things when reviewing a restaurant I'd probably give it a 3/5. I'll leave that kind of review to amateurs like Tim Carman. Masala Art gets one star because their curries are poorly spices, flavourless and unnecessarily hot. They get one star because they charge $12.99 for a chicken curry and use fatty, low grade thigh meat. One star because the lamb was tough and dry. One star because my chai was a thoughtless chai tea bag in a pot of hot water. One star because a Saturday lunch for two cost $60. One star because the Naan is small and the Paratha dry. The first thing that hit me when I first tasted my lamb and chicken dishes was that they lacked harmony. The second was that the chilli was too prominent. I'm not one of those people that says 'I liked the curry, it wasn't too spicy'. With me, it's just the case that I like to know what I'm getting into. Sometimes I'm in the mood for spice and sometimes I'm not. Choice is important. The idea that even the most pedestrian curry has to be extremely spicy is symptomatic of an inept chef. The two veg dishes we ordered were pretty good - if a little sweet. They give you the option of ordering a half size veg curry as a side dish but you cannot just order a selection of side dishes as I'm sure vegetarians would prefer to. This kind of arbitrary rule is bad policy. When I found out afterward that the owner and chef a runaways from Heritage India it made more sense. I've actually spat out a curry from Heritage for fear I'd get salt poisoning. Again, more poorly balanced curries. Alas, Masala Art is yet another bad Indian restaurant in a city that rewards mediocrity. The fact that the owner and chef broke away from Heritage and repeat the same mistakes is simply opportunism and arrogance. Oh well, at least it's not as bad a Rajaji! read more

3.5+ stars I've only been here a few times -- and it is already one of my favorite Indian restaurants in the area. People are going a little far in praising the place, but still it is very good -- one of the better Indian restaurants in DC -- especially in terms of value. All of the dishes we ordered were very good to excellent. Service was very friendly, but not at times not too attentive. On one visit our waitress was proficient and as nice as could be and the manager also checked in to make sure we were enjoying our meal, on some other recent visits it seems like we don't even have anyone charged with taking care of us and service is slow. The prices are extremely reasonable( ($5 for half orders of vegetarian dishes and $4.50 for a Samuel Smith IPA) -- easily the best restaurant in Tenleytown -- which granted isn't saying much, but this is a gem and a great neighborhood place. Will return. read more

I love Masala Art and I love that Masala Art delivers. There is nothing better than having hot, delicious and good quality food delivered to your door while you're in the middle of a Dexter marathon. The food arrives hot and with no detriment from the travelling from the restaurant. The naan is still delightfully warm and chewy. The Murgh Makhani is delicious; hands down the best I have ever had. The Awadhi Dum ke Murg is also great, but sometimes the cardamom flavor is just slightly too strong. The mixed vegetable miloni and zucchini jalfrezi are perfectly spiced. The chicken saagwala was too salty last time I had it. The rice is super flavorful on its own, but goes perfectly with any curry. The papri chaat and Aloo aur Pyaz ki Bhaji are both delicious, but might not stand up to delivery as well as the rest of the food. As others have noted, the ability to order half orders of any vegetable or dal is really convenient and allows you to try more food without overdoing it. Although, if you do order too much, the food makes for excellent leftovers. With the popularity of the restaurant, make sure you have reservations if you're going at a busy time. Or you can do what I do, and just order. read more

I LOVE Masala Art. My husband and I have been to thisTenleytown restaurant a few times now, and the food is Delicious. I've also brought a bunch of friends and everyone leaves happy. The lamb dishes are scrumptious, and the fish curry is AMAZING! I also had them cater a pre-wedding party. We got papri chaat, samosas, bhajis, and chicken tikka. Everything was delicious and my guests ate everything in sight! The decor is also really lovely. You feel like you're in a really classy place, but you're still comfortable and not paying over-the-top prices. The only odd thing is the bathrooms. I'm not going to tell you why. Just check them out... ;) read more

First let me say this is my first time writing a review on yelp or any site (for good or bad) it's not something I do. However the food I received at Masala Art this evening was beyond terrible. I've eaten dinner there 3 or 4 times previously and absolutely loved the food there. Tonight was a different story. I ordered take out for me and my mom for her birthday since she was under the weather and didn't want to come out in the cold weather. Maybe take out from them is from some mediocre chef cooking in their back alley. I'm not going to attempt to spell the Indian dish names at the moment but here's the run down... I ordered the cauliflower appetizer for us to share - which was actually good. Rockfish entree for myself - seasoned well but amazingly dryyyyy. The rice that came with had several large chunks/clumps of rice throughout as if it was old, had to break it up myself. For mom I ordered the lamp chops which came with rice and 3 chops. 2 chops were extra tiny and overly cooked like we needed a saw to cut through them. The 3rd chop was gigantic, she cut in and it was almost still alive - extra rare. And they definitely OVER seasoned. She thanked me for her birthday meal and though she doesn't ever want to waste food she couldn't stomach another bite and to the trash it all went. It's been almost a year since I've dined there prior to today. And I don't think I just came on an "off" night. I believe the quality has gone in the toilet. I will not be returning again. $60 down the drain tonight. read more

Although the food is half decent ( i make beter indian food myself at home) I used to go there a lot for the chat... Soon a day came when I was treated like filth by a maitre' d of my own country as though indians pay less for the same food... Rudely we were made to wait while that white loving suckup chauffered everyone, and even those who came in way after we did... No had a reservation, they jst had a skin which wasnt brown and for some reason the brown guy preferred everything other than brown skin... Even after we got a table( a corner one so the cool white guys dnt feel bad dat dey have to share a restaurant with an indian), the cold racist vibe was very evident... Id lost my appetite anyways but was with some elderly guests so wrapped up the meal quickly, wrote racist in the tip section and went off.... I feel better going to mehran now, a pakistani place with no ambience at all but they still knw hw to treat a customer with a smile like we are one of thier own... F u masala art! read more

Came here a few weeks ago with some friends. The evening was organized by Lalita S. who, it turns out, is actually Indian. Some of people have been laboring under the misapprehension that she is Hispanic, but no, she is Indian and knows her street food. The appetitzers here are absolute killer. Genuine bona fide Indian street food available in Tenley town. The main courses were typical - not bad, not great - the appetizers definitely set this place apart. If I can recall correctly they also have a cocktail list, but we were standing at the bar and about to sit down so speed was of the essence and I had to grab a Yuengling instead. Great vibe inside, great local crowd, lovely room tastefully and artistically decorated -this is a great addition to the Pantheon of Indians in DC. read more

I'm a huge fan of Indian cuisine, and am making an effort to try every Indian restaurant in the DC area. I'm about halfway through the list, and Masala Art sits firmly in the bottom half. First off, we made a 9:30 reservation. They took our order, brought our food, then hit us with the bill and starting making not-so-subtle signals that our time was up at 10pm (turning on lights, turning off music, etc). I understand that the staff needs to go home, but why accept a 9:30 reservation if you're going to kick your customers out 30 minutes later? Inappropriate. This would have been just about tolerable had the food been excellent. It was decidedly below average. The samosas tastes like they were defrosted - the pastry was thick and brittle. The lamb vindaloo had poor quality meat, not tender or flavorful as it should be. And the naan was ready-made, definitely not fresh - completely unacceptable for Indian food at any price level, and this is not a cheap place. It escapes the one star because the food is not downright awful and because I don't like giving one star reviews, but two stars is somewhat generous. Don't bother. read more

I don't pretend to be an expert on Indian food but I do love to go ethnic every once and a while. Came here on a Friday night after reading about Masala Art in the Washingtonian. Started with Samosas and Dahi Bahalle and shared Lamb Vindaloo, Chicken Tikka Masala and a Cottage Cheese cube in tomato sauce dish. The appetizers were awesome, especially the samosas. The Lamb was unbelievably spicy (which they warned us). The Tikka Masala was probably my favorite dish and the cheese dish was forgettable. A general theme seemed to be lots of sauce, not much meat but we were all magically full by the end of the meal. The waitstaff is super-friendly although I'm not sure that I would take their recommendations. I feel like I would be doing a disservice to yelp if I didn't mention the bizarre bathroom set-up. There are two toilets in each bathroom, but there are no internal walls. In fact, the two toilets are about 4 feet from each other and face each other. If I didn't know any better I might think that there is some strange Indian custom where after a meal you carry the conversation to the bathroom and continue talking face to face... read more

The food is decent... not remarkable and far from the best I have ever had, but still pretty decent for this neighborhood. If you are an Indian food rookie, the lunch buffet is a great way to navigate the different flavors and textures. I've dined here several times, and my biggest complaint is the way that some of the staff treat some patrons. I came here for lunch with two of my colleagues one afternoon (one was white, the other hispanic). My white friend wanted to go to the lunch buffet, while the two of us wanted to explore other culinary options in the area. A few minutes later, we both ended up back at Masala Art and walked towards our colleague, who was already at the buffet, to let her know we'd decided to dine here as well. Instead of being greeted and offered a seat, one of the waiters (all 5-foot-nothing of him) stands in front of us and tries "body block" us from getting to the buffet. At first, we both thought he'd walked into our path by mistake, so we said 'excuse me' and tried to walk around him but he would not let us pass. He just shuffled his stance and stretched out his arms as if he were blocking the opposing team's player in a basketball game. I'm not sure what he thought we were trying to do besides have lunch (and mind you, he never said a word the entire time and never mentioned why he was blocking us), but that is no way to treat customers. Needless to say, they did not get my business that day. I dined here once more after that incident, but only because the aforementioned colleague insisted on dining here one last time for her farewell lunch before leaving the company. Had she not become a close friend, or had it been anyone else, I would have unflinchingly declined. I would have never spent another dime in a place that treats patrons so rudely. read more

Indian places seem to be opening and closing in DC with alarming frequency these days (goodbye Polo India Club, Taj Mahal, and Nirvana; hello Dalchinni and Rasoi). Masala Art isn't all that new, but it has been a nice addition to the improving Indian food scene in the District. The first thing you notice about the menu is that vegetarian dishes outnumber meat dishes (referred to here as non-vegetarian specialties). I will have to agree with Paul M. that it's the appetizers that set this place apart. The samosas, always a good indicator of a kitchen's ability (that and daal) were quite good, the sweetness of the raisins counterbalancing the heat of the chili. The Dahi Bhalle, described on the men as "velvety lentil dumplings" in yogurt sauce, were just that: velvety (and delicious). The Sarson wali Gobhi, tandoori cauliflower in mustard sauce, was good, even if the mustard sauce reminded me of French's yellow mustard. As for the mains, the lamb in my Bhuna Gosht was a bit tough, but maybe that's because it was stir-fried rather than stewed. The Murgh Makhani, aka butter chicken, was a good version of what has become a "classic" Indian dish, but frankly, my favorite part of the meal was the cilantro and sea salt naan. The dishes themselves are aggressively spiced. Service was friendly, almost too friendly. Unusually for an Indian restaurant they have four draft beers, which included Sam Adams, Yuengling and Bass. They also had a pretty decent wine list, and the Cline Vionier accompanied the chicken dishes well. Tip: half-priced bottles of wine Sunday-Thursday read more

Very sad and unfortunate as an Indian I felt like we were not get welcomed by the waiters at this place... They only have 2 waiters serving the entire restaurant and bunch of buzz boys. Wway understaffed. Though we have reservation we were early the manager(he was nice) did get us the table right away. We ordered appetizer along with our dinner, however our appetizer never made it to our table and kids were starving!!!! We directly got our dinner. The server never bothered to check if we need refills for soda or water. The dinner plate my son got was chipped. The waiter did not like when we asked for extra dinner plates. Food- I thought it was OK. We had ordered Chicken Curry, Baingan Mirch ka Salan and Dal Panchrattan. Worst was the Dal Panchrattan- no salt it tasted like the lentils where pressured cooked and chef added barely any salt and turmeric. All the food had too much turmeric. Waiters are front-runner of the experience families have when they go to the restaurants...they need to fix that attitude !!!! I think there far better Indian restaurants options in the DC metro area than this one. read more

I've decided that every Indian restaurant in the DC area is trying to outdo the other for who can be the most overpriced. Well, Masala Art wins for mini-portions for ridiculous prices. Perhaps my time in India ruined my ability to ever give a high rating to an Indian restaurant anywhere else. I mean, when you get used to the insanely cheap prices (we're talking about $2-5 per entree) for the best entrees you have ever had, it's hard to go back to places like Masala Art. I ordered the okra tawa and a half portion of the veg curry and almost managed to eat it all. I ordered a mai tai and it was quite literally the smallest mixed drink I have ever had and cost $10. Not okay, Masala Art. The server was friendly and the food decent, so that's good, but I was far from "wowed" by this place. Especially considered I walked like two miles to get there. read more

We all know that there's very little in the way of exciting dining in Tenleytown. In a sea of fast food joints and standardized Thai restaurants, Masala Art seems to stand out - for starters, the slightly awkward long space has been transformed into a fairly elegant dining room, and it's a bit pricier than most of Tenleytown dining options (our dinner for two came to $40 with tip). The menu features the usual suspects (chicken saag, dal makhani, aloo anardana, saag paneer, and so on) though it does have far more veg dishes than non-veg (which I appreciate). The down-side, though, is that the preparation is fairly standard Americanized Indian food - heavy, creamy, and over-spiced - of everything we sampled, the dal makhani was the best (and it feels strange to celebrate the praises of something that's usually more of an accompaniment). The chicken saag was the least creamy and the least rich, but the chicken was just too undercooked for my taste (it was still a bit pink) and the aloo anardana was just a bit too bitter. I appreciate Masala Art for what it is - it's a bustling neighborhood spot and, at least so far, it's proven to be the best Indian within a mile of our house - but it pales in comparison to the Real Thing (and even, in my mind, pales in comparison to slightly grungy Woodlands - which, admittedly, I go to only for South Indian food) read more

It's a lucky thing to happen to go to a restaurant on the first day it's open. It's also highly risky - the wait staff might still be finding their groove, the kitchen crew might still be working on the rhythm of dish preparation, and the flavors might need tweaking. I don't have much more insight into the operation of any food establishment other than the few friends I have in the industry, and more so, reality TV. So, with everything that could go wrong the first few days a restaurant is open, I put successful meals down to small miracles. Masala Art came through amazingly well. Indian restaurants are so common in this town most can't tell the difference between them, so it's quite refreshing to find a place that is unique, and not shy in expressing themselves via your taste buds. As a matter of fact, most of the menu selection probably isn't found in other restaurants, or prepared differently. The flavors are bold and expressive, and they don't hold back on the spice (although that might change depending on the feedback they get from diners). We chose dishes we didn't see anywhere else, or seemed different in approach. Even something as straightforward as a samosa was complemented with the standard tamarind chutney (accented with cloves!) and an interesting yoghurt-based chutney with lime and mint. We also tried the Sarson wali Ghobi (cauliflower with a spiced mustard sauce) which was just amazing and Karawri Mushroom (rice flour-coated mushrooms and cooked South Indian style) which kept me happy on the spiciness scale. Did I also mention I think everything comes with brown Basmati rice? Nice approach for the healthful. I could go on and on about everything we had like the well-seasoned Channa Masala or the Warki Parantha and Cheese Kulcha breads. Or the desserts - Lemon Sorbet that doesn't hold back and Shahi Tukra, a bread pudding generously drowned in a cardamom pistachio sauce. There were some unexpected clunkers though. The Papaddum was presented as a solitary piece, soft and not crispy at all. But hey, it was opening day! This place hits all three highs in my book - taste, presentation, and ambience. Masala Art is definitely a good addition to Tenleytown, and I'm looking forward to positively revising my rating after my next visit (and it will be soon. I never like rating a restaurant from just one visit!). As it stands now, I can't recommend this place enough, and am making this a regular stop. read more