Masala at Banff Avenue must be your one stop shop for Punjabi Indian food in Banff, Canmore and surrounding areas! We got take-out twice for dinner and shouldn't have looked elsewhere. On the first day, we ordered vegetarian- Paneer lababdaar, dal tarka, chili chicken and garlic naan. Today, we ordered garlic naan, chicken tikka masala, chilli chicken and chicken hot and garlic. Both chilli chicken and chicken hot nd garlic were exactly the same dishes but no complaints since you won't find it anywhere! It transported me to my childhood indo-chinese flavors! Chicken tikka masala was amazing with fresh flavors and nothing overly tangy or smelly. It was delicious and garlic naans were the best ever! This place must be on your list! read more

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Quite unusual for us to go for an Indian restaurant leave along two while traveling. This was our second restaurant in two days and this one was surprisingly good in many ways. Definitely recommend this over Zyka. Food however was on the expensive side in both places. Food - 4/5 Service - 4/5 Ambiance - 3/5 read more

Masala Authentic Indian Cuisine - Indian Near Me - Banff, Alberta

We had a long day hiking and made it back in town a little late for most dinner service. We decided to give this restaurant a try since it's still open and accepting customers. While the restaurant was half empty, service was pretty slow. After getting seated, we waited about 15 minutes until someone finally came by and took our orders. They ran out of the lamb Vindaloo we originally ordered, so we ended up with butter chicken and chicken tikka masala with side of basmati rice and naan. Maybe we are too spoiled with the various authentic Indian food spots in Houston, while the flavor of the chicken tikka masala was decent, the butter chicken completely missed the mark. Also both dishes came with huge perfectly shaped chicken cubes which were suspiciously tender (think Subway chicken texture). The naan and rice were pretty basic, we've had better naan and rice at some Indian fast food spots. When it was time for our check, we noticed they had the wrong dish listed (the original lamb vindaloo we ordered), and the pricing of the other dishes are higher than menu price. When we asked our waitress to double check, the manager stepped in and randomly offered us a 10% discount, which we found very odd. It almost seems like they are purposely inflating the bill and hopping customers in vacation mode won't notice. Unfortunately this restaurant really ruined our expectation of Indian food scene in Banff. We are pivoting to other cuisines for the rest of our trip. read more

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The chaat and onion bhajji were delicious. The chicken manchurian was sweeter than I would have liked. Overall a great experience.

One of the best butter chicken we've had and we've tried many places. I'll be thinking about this butter chicken for days after flying back. Food and service was quick. read more

Masala Authentic Indian Cuisine - Naan, Butter Chicken, Chicken Tikka Masala, Coconut Curry - Indian Near Me - Banff, Alberta

We had a long day and at night, a few of the dinner options were closed for the day. We wandered around and saw this spot open. Upon being seated, the service was extremely slow and we didn't have anyone helping us order for about 15 minutes. We got the butter chicken, chicken tikka masala, an order of naan, and an order of basmati rice. The food took around 25 minutes after we ordered. This is the first Indian spot I've ever been to that didn't serve rice with your entree dish. The butter chicken sauce was not good, very bland and off putting. The chicken in both dishes were extremely and mysteriously tender. The chicken pieces were very suspiciously square; how do you get such large square pieces of chicken even from a non organic chicken breast? I was questioning if I was eating real chicken during the entire meal. The chicken cubes were so tender to the point where we weren't sure if it was chicken or maybe some kind of tofu because the texture was just very off brand for chicken breast; think Subway chicken or some kind of Beyond Meat chicken. The tikki masala had a bit of a better sauce but same concern about the chicken cubes' texture. Not a fan. Once we paid our bill, we noticed that they rang us up incorrectly on both entree dishes (both dishes on the receipt showed to be more expensive than the menu pricing), thanks to photographic memory. We asked the server and they refused to correct the receipt but the head of house just applied a 10% discount. Very odd dining experience overall and the bill almost amounts to deceptive practices and might've worked on a lot of unsuspecting diners. I'm definitely keeping my receipt to confirm the bill later. Overall, this was the least favorite restaurant in Banff so far for the trip and this was subpar in every regard. There are plenty of other places to eat at in downtown Banff! read more

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I almost gave them 5 stars if they did not served the grilled chicken dish so late and they turned out salty. I am not Indian food expert but the Chicken tikka masala, biryani and butter naan were delicious. The two dishes should feed 2 people easily. The service here was great. The host and servers were friendly and attentive. The restaurant is spacious. It's good for small or big party. I did appreciate that since the grilled chicken came out after we finished eating and it was salty, they remove the item out of our bill. Since we went during the holiday, we had to wait for food for a little bit. When they said that they are specialized in Biryani. They actually made very good Biryani dish. Give this place a try when visiting Banff. read more

Masala Authentic Indian Cuisine - Grilled chicken - Indian Near Me - Banff, Alberta

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Taxi Mike (if you know, you know) has never heard of this spot, he doesn't even name it on his website. This is definitely a hidden spot inside one of the buildings on Bear Street. This is the BEST food we had this whole trip and the BEST Indian food we've had. The CHICKEN was all the rave for my bf and I. It cut so smoothly, like it was cooked fish instead! The FLAVORS were absolutely beautiful. I think we might have ate in silence just to enjoy every bite. The coconut naan was amazing, and it paired well with my butter chicken. Try it!!...or don't if you don't like coconut flakes all over your fingers and food. read more

Masala Authentic Indian Cuisine - Chicken Tikka Masala, Basmati Rice, Butter Chicken - Indian Near Me - Banff, Alberta

I don't give many five star ratings. This is one of them. I frequent Indian restaurants and this one is a cut above. I got a vegetable samosa, chicken tikka masala and a roti. Spice level of medium hot was right on. Some of the best masala I have ever had. Friendly server and great layout. read more

Tried the butter chicken and tandoori chicken, both were flavorful and came in large portions. The naan was especially good. My only complaint is that I wish they included a bit more rice with each dish. Overall, a satisfying meal and good value for Banff. Service was a little slow, would probably order takeout next time. Staff were very helpful and nice! read more

Masala Authentic Indian Cuisine - Tandoori Chicken - Indian Near Me - Banff, Alberta

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My son was craving Indian food for lunch and we stumbled on this gem. We came here for their lunch buffet after a morning of exploring Banff. They have a great spread of classic indian dishes. Rice, vegetable samosas, lentils, palak peneer, butter chicken, naan, etc. Family owned/operated and friendly staff. One of the staff's daughter was eating lunch by herself and approached my daughter to see if she wanted to play after they were done eating. I moved my daughters (4 & 7) to the table next to us and let them hang out and eat together. My daughters had such a great time that they still ask to go back! Because the girls were conversing and eating together, my daughters sat nicely and stuffed their face. This meal was one of our highlights to our trip! Hopefully we can come back next time and our daughters can meet up again. read more

I love Indian food and always order the same dish Shahi Paneer. This is a sauce made with cashew nuts, cream and little tomatoes if any. So the sauce is yellow/orange in color. What I got instead was a ketchup sauce, no spices, absolutely disgusting! I also ordered coconut rice, now a reasonable expectation is that it's rice cooked in coconut cream. No! It's plain rice with a whole cup of dried shredded coconut poured on top, again disgusting! The whole meal was inedible! The serving sizes are huge so enough for two people. The bathroom is in the basement which felt sketch. read more

Masala Authentic Indian Cuisine - coconut rice - Indian Near Me - Banff, Alberta

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The best Indian food I've ever had. I started with mango lassi and vegetarian samosas and both were excellent. Mango lassi tastes like they put fresh mangos with amazing yogurt you can just taste the freshness of ingredients. Samosas were thicker than what I usually like but so delicious. Then I had zafrani chicken and garlic naan with mint chutney and everything was so good. I finished 1/3 of my food and had to take to go. Staff really nice. Loved it read more

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Came here for their lunch buffet. All self serve. Food was very homey and filling. All very flavorful. The family that owns the restaurant was very welcoming as well and we were seated quickly. Very affordable pricing as well! read more

Masala Authentic Indian Cuisine - Butter Chicken - Indian Near Me - Banff, Alberta

We were surprised to find so many Indian food options in Banff. Even more surprised to find great North Indian food. We ate there twice during our trip both times delighted us. We got chicken 65, samosa Chaat, prawn curry, chicken handi, chicken saag and Malai kofta. I'd highly recommend prawn curry and Malai kofta for their very authentic taste. Service was slightly slow because there seemed to be less staff. The ambience was okay but the location is great, right in the heart of Banff downtown. read more

What a surprising find in Banff of all places!! The service was great and so was the food. We ordered: 1) Veggie Samosas (vegan) 2) Dahl Tardka (vegan) 3) Soya chop masala (vegan)** MUST ORDER** 4) Baigan Barta (vegan) ** MUST ORDER** 5) Lamb something... 6) Butter chicken 7) Regular naan 8) Garlic naan 9) Jeera rice (basmatic w/ cumin seeds) I didn't to a good job capturing photos of all the food but gosh, this place was super good! I was pleasantly surprised by the soy chop masala. I personally haven't anything like this since tasting the gravy from butter chicken masala decades ago. The soya was kind of weird but a decent protein option for those who don't eat meat. The gravy was just as I remembered plus an extra bit of sweetness. This was so good, I wish there was a place that served this around Fremont (that I know of). This food was the perfect meal during a cold day in Banff. If you're in the area and want something flavorful and hearty, this is the spot! read more

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The garlic naan was good, although thin. The curries were bland in the spice department and too sweet. Employees were nice, but service was slow. We didn't have a good experience, when the restaurant mixed up another table's order with our order. read more

Masala Authentic Indian Cuisine - Eggplant curry and Butter Chicken - Indian Near Me - Banff, Alberta

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Tried this place with my husband on our trip to Banff. We started off with Honey Wheat Beer and Fresh Lime Lemonade. Drinks were amazing. We then had Dal Makhani with Butter roti and Paneer Lababdaar with Naan. We were even served with a side of fresh cut onions. Both the dishes were delicious and were served hot. Our server was warm, polite, friendly and super attentive. The whole staff was great. The ambiance was nice. The restaurant was super clean. Best north Indian food place in Banff. 5 stars I would highly recommend this place! MUST TRY!! read more

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Came here for an Indian cuisine craving. I was excited to see that they offered an all you can eat buffet for lunch. The service was friendly and polite. The ambiance is authentic and inviting. Recommend. Butter chicken was good. read more

Masala Authentic Indian Cuisine - All You Can Eat Buffet - Indian Near Me - Banff, Alberta

We wanted something Asian, and we both agreed that Indian is foolproof...except it's not. We got the lunch buffet and would not recommend. Service was great, but food was only sub-par (which is to be expected in Banff). read more

Pleasantly surprised in Banff. Walked in to the competition down the road first and looked at the food on a patrons table and walked out. This place was bustling and the food looked appetizing and we'll presented. Definitely exceeded my expectations on eating. Bhindi was excellent and so was the chicken on a sizzling platter. Also had Daal and a vegetarian biryani. Good choice for Indian food in Banff. read more

Masala Authentic Indian Cuisine - Zafrani Chicken tikka - Indian Near Me - Banff, Alberta

One of the best Indian food i've eaten!!! Everything was soooo good, we got the Shrimp Biryani, Butter Chicken, Navratan Korma + garlic naan and basmati rice. My personal fav was the biryani it was super flavorful and so good. I also like how the korma was very creamy. Servers were also super nice and friendly as well. Note that the food portions are pretty big ~ around 2 people for 1 dish! read more

Masala Authentic Indian Cuisine - Butter Chicken Basmati Rice Garlic Naan Navratan Korma Shrimp Biryani - Indian Near Me - Banff, Alberta

Nice ambience and courteous staff. Very clean and well lit. We ordered two dishes, paneer makhani and chicken tikka masala along with Jeera rice and dahi. Each item was delicious, prepared to the correct spice level as specified by us. The portions were very good and in fact we had enough for lunch the next day. It tasted delicious the next day also. Pricing was reasonable as well. Strongly recommend. read more

Great great food!! Loved it!! 5/5 idk what else to say it's just straight up good. Nice vibes to be in Banff too. Service was great. Ambiance nothing great but good. Come for the food and the area. That's all. Banff and (good) Indian food lol can't go wrong. read more

Masala Authentic Indian Cuisine - Indian Near Me - Banff, Alberta

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My third time to Banff and finally got to stop in here. If you're looking for a quick meal, you may want to reconsider. However, if you're okay with time and want some superb food, this is your place. Came in for dinner and ordered the butter chicken and prawn chilli. Both wonderful dishes but I definitely preferred the butter chicken. The one flaw was that neither were really spicy even though we asked for extra spicy. We ordered the mushroom rice and aloo naan to go with it-- they were magnificent complements to the protein. -Wait staff was short-staffed but very polite and courteous -Mango juice was thick; just how I like it -Full menu is not offered during lunch (buffet only) -Several outdoor tables available; dog friendly read more

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The Samosa Chaat Appetizer was sweet, crispy, and refreshing! The Lamb Biryani was flavorful, but rice was slightly dry. The Butter Chicken was creamy, tangy, and the chicken was cooked well! The last thing we got was the Prawn and the sauce was slightly bland, but can't go wrong when eaten with Paneer and Garlic Naan. Overall a great place to eat in Banff! read more

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Delicious food. No longer wait time. Pudina parantha is a must try. Great customer service. Strongly recommend this restauran.

Looking for Indian food and stumbled upon this gem :) We came in late and they still seated us. Food came out fast and tasted amazing ! From the appetizers to the main dishes . The restaurant was packed with patrons and I can see why. It had a traditional Indian ambiance. The food was one of the best Indian I've had between Banff and Jasper. read more

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Got butter chicken. Chicken was suspiciously cubic and overly tender. Like chicken nugget texture? Maybe subway chicken? I asked the server (bless her heart) what part of the chicken I was eating and she had to consult with the chef. He said breast. Felt like a half-truth. Very odd chicken. Maybe not chicken? read more

Food is good. The wait time to get in was 30mins. The wait time from they got our order to the time the food was served was 1 hour. We were starving by the time the food was served. Place is regular restaurant. Food price is on the expensive side, and the serving is on the small side. read more

Masala Authentic Indian Cuisine - biryani beef - Indian Near Me - Banff, Alberta

Bold statement, but this is the best Indian restaurant I've ever been to outside of India itself, and I'm from the Bay Area where there are plenty of Indian restaurants. I never expected to find such incredible Indian food in Banff, Canada of all places!! I'm still amazed. The chicken dishes are incredible, with rich flavors and the most tender meat. The garlic naan is soft and delicious, and the rice is light, fluffy, and perfect. The depth and richness of the flavors are remarkable. I'm lucky to have eaten here; it's my secret Michelin spot. The staff is delightful, and I found it amusing when they used the same lines on different tables, like "Are you hungry?"--it always got a laugh. I can't handle much spice, so I ordered a mild dish, while my friend, who loves spicy food, ordered extra spicy prawns. Everything was at the perfect spice level, and it was entertaining to hear other tables rave about the food as well. I couldn't agree more. I miss this place dearly. read more

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After an eleven hour drive all the way to Banff, we stopped by this restaurant by chance after we saw so many people eating their delicious Indian cuisine. Immediately as we entered, we were greeted by hospitable staff. They gave us a seat even though they were near closing, and I was so thankful. The food tasted divine. It was served relatively quick, and I had no complaints with the food. The garlic naan, beef biryani, lamb roganjosh, chicken tikka masala, and butter chicken were all recommended by a wonderful waitress, and we were absolutely impressed by the flavor and presentation of the dishes. Inside the restaurant is beautifully decorated, and you can hear people having a good time eating good Indian cuisine and talking with family and friends. I highly recommended anybody visiting Banff or is around the area to check this place out. I hope to come back soon! read more

Masala Authentic Indian Cuisine - Garlic Naan, Beef Biryani, Lamb Roganjosh, Chicken Tikka Masala, and Butter Chicken (08/25/2023) - Indian Near Me - Banff, Alberta

I ordered carryout from Masala for my family reunion of 15 people last week at our trip to Banff. Everything was excellent!!! Everyone loved the dishes that were wonderful. We wanted to order a second dinner from them but ran out of time on our 6 day trip to Banff. It was our best meal in Banff!! read more

Came here late evening and it was busy even after their business hours. People just kept coming in, and they just kept accepting tables. I had their butter chicken (17$) and it came with 6/7 chunks of big chicken pieces. The sauce was rich and creamy. The butter chicken dish did not come with sides, so we paid 4$ for their garlic naan. This venue accepts credit card and the entrance is located within a mall on the (Banff) stripe. Parking is free on the after 8pm on the streets. read more

Masala Authentic Indian Cuisine - Butter Chicken (17$) - Indian Near Me - Banff, Alberta

The food was quite tasty and yummy, perfect to enjoy on vacation and in cold weather. The service was also prompt.

This was some seriously delicious cuisine. We were absolutely starved after a long day of Glacier hiking in Banff. The other nearby Indian restaurant had about an hour wait at 9pm so we walked down here. Fortunately this one is larger inside, a bit nicer, and has more seating but was no less crowded as every table was full. We were happily sat after about a 5-minute wait as a table paid and left. We went with a veggie cauliflower dish, the chicken Korma, a green salad, and garlic naan for our meal. The food did take a while and it took probably 15-20 minutes for my husband to get his beer but they had just sat a lot of tables nearby and were super busy with the last dinner rush. Service was very friendly and food quality was very good. read more

Excellent food all the way. Been to this restaurant twice during my stay in Banff. Ordered Chicken Biryani, Garlic Naan and Chicken Curry. Fantastic food. That Garlic Naan was the best I had outside of India. Been to the Buffet they have in the afternoon, Butter Chicken, Veg Korma, Butter Naan, Veg Spring Roll were on point. Highly recommend this restaurant when you are here. Service has been really nice and the servers were kind. read more

My family and I ordered the lamb vindaloo, Malabari fish curry, the fish curry, paneer naanx2, and a rice. This was plenty of food for 3 people(could definitely have leftovers). All the dishes were delicious, aromatic, the perfect amount of spice/flavor. Super filling. The prices for what you get is very reasonable. We asked if the curries can be spicy and they did just that. Props to the chef! Would love to come back here again. The waiters were super attentive, asking us if we enjoyed the food, if we needed more water, and made the whole experience even better. read more

Masala Authentic Indian Cuisine - Malabari Fish Curry and Fish Curry and Paneer Naan - Indian Near Me - Banff, Alberta

We stopped by for a quick lunch which was a lunch buffet only. We were looking to eat something quickly and continue driving so this was a good option. There was on meat option of chicken tikka masala and a few veg curry options along with samosas, rice and naan. Overall for the price of $17 it was pretty good and even though the selection was small, the flavors and quality were better than I expected on first impression. read more

We arrived minutes before they opened so that we could order take out. We wanted samosas but they ran out already!? Then we ordered our food and they said it would take one hour! We ended up ordering anyway: aloo gobhi, lamb vindaloo, and naan. The entrees were okay. Not too much flavor and the gosht was so watery. Maybe dining in is better or maybe we just didn't order the best dishes. read more

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