Finally tried the Indian cuisine made by Masale Bae and I would have to say it exceeded my expectations. We ordered many dishes but three specific dishes that grasped my attention was the butter chicken, chicken biriyani, and the spicy lamb appetizer. To start, the spicy lamb appetizer was tender with little to no gamey-ness. The portion was decent sized as well. This dish goes really well with rice or naan bread. Then, the chicken biriyani was spicy with lots of exotic spices added. Paired with yogurt and all the spices gets a perfect balance, making you want to take another bite, after bite, after bite. Finally, the best dish that won the night was the butter chicken. The sauce was creamy and flavorful which goes really well over rice and the naan bread. Also a little green chutney on the side gives it an extra flavor boost. Honestly one of the best Indian cuisines I've ever encountered in the OC. Definitely would recommend! One thing to be aware of is that service was leaning towards the slower spectrum, in which I believe there weren't that many workers there that night. Although you can tell that all the servers/workers there were doing their best. Again, 10/10 would recommend for Indian Cuisine seekers! read more

See all

Delicious-looking and tasting food! Despite its humble appearance from the outside, Masala Bae boasts some of the most lively Indian fare that I've had the opportunity to consume in a long time. When I came here, I went for three very different dishes--cauliflower appetizer, spicy okra, and butter chicken. Despite their different taste profiles, some spicy, others tangy, they paired together nicely and demonstrated this joint's ability to cook dishes of all sorts. To get into the weeds about the food, the cauliflower came out first. Though not soaked in sauce, it was coated perfectly with a tasteful mix of sour and sweet flavor. The spicy okra, though veering towards the salty side, was thankfully not too oily nor too dry, making for a delicious combination of both veggies and spice. The butter chicken (which we paired with the garlic & cilantro naan) was our favorite though. Despite the other options making this a hard choice, the chicken dish was not only generous in its portion size but also in its flavor. Without being too watery or too rich, the butter chicken had a saucy consistency to it and complemented the softness of the chicken well. Before coming here, we saw that many others had chosen to get the Chicken-65 or the Chicken Tikka Masala. Though I didn't get either of these and can't comment on them comparatively, the dishes we got were perfect and I would come back here again. Great place for a casual, yet tasty meal, with portion sizes chocked full of value. I would highly recommend to anyone in the area craving Indian fare! read more

See all

Great food, great ambience And great service. Overall pleasant and fun experience........

Heard about this on TikTok and thought I'd give it a try as lunch buffet is so rare now... VASTLY exceeded expectations-- the food was maybe the best I've had from coast to coast with many options, complex flavors, and generous amounts of meat. Excellent hospitality as well. Waitstaff is calm but highly attentive to naan refills, clearing plates, etc. And the restaurant itself is very clean with a relaxing feel. read more

Masala Bae - Lunch buffet - Indian Near Me - Tustin, California

Great place to have buffet. The food was so good and the service was awesome. The servers are always pleasant and pick up the dirty dishes. Got to meet the Chief. read more

See all

What an amazing dining experience on more levels than one! They are so knowledgeable and passionate about their art and it really shows! We dined on a Tuesday evening and ate a little past closing, but did not feel rushed at all. Every dish we tried was delicious, well-balanced, and nicely plated. They even took the time to educate us on some of the ingredients, the regions they come from, and the meanings of some words. 10/10! read more

See all

I was craving Indian food and Masala Bae caught my attention on Yelp. We ordered the Chicken Tikka Masala, Butter Chicken, and Garlic Naan. You're probably thinking, two chicken dishes? I couldn't decide, so I got both. Plus, the sauces are slightly different and the Chicken Tikka Masala uses chicken breast, whereas the Butter Chicken has boneless leg. Both were so creamy and good, but next time, I'd just get the Butter Chicken. In addition, we also want to try the Shrimp Biryani. read more

Masala Bae - To go - Indian Near Me - Tustin, California

See all

Masala Bae is definitely a place that you want to go! The food is unbelievably delicious, and the service is great! Please consider coming to Masala Bae, you won't be disappointed! read more

Ordered pav bhaji, hyderabadi goat curry, and two orders of garlic naan. Food was all served piping hot, which was greatly appreciated. The flavors and spices in the goat curry were well balanced. The goat curry came with a heaping serving of rice, which we hadn't realized when we ordered the naan. Ambiance was casual and service was decent, a little slow at times. read more

If you haven't been here yet, you're missing out on some of the best Indian food in OC. The warm atmosphere, incredible food, and delightful owner make it our go-to spot every week. We've been regulars here for about 2 years and have always ordered from the a la carte menu. They have a lunch buffet as well, which we've noticed a lot of people coming in for. Our favourites here are; Food: Appetizers: Fried Idli Idli Wada Combo Achari Paneer Tikka Dahi Puri Main Course: Paper Dosa Mysore Masala Dosa Paneer Makhani All naans Dessert Fruit Custard Gulab jamun Most of the times we've had South Indian cuisine here - the dosa sambar, fried idli accompanied with the coconut and tomato chutneys is bliss!! The filter coffee is like a warm hug. In conclusion, Masala Bae is a true Indian culinary treasure in Tustin, CA. read more

Embracing that I live in a place that we get to taste other parts of the world I've been having my quarterly craving for Indian food I walked in thinking I was going to have some chicken tikka masala and garlic naan but found the restaurant was an AYCE and totally took advantage of it I sweet surprises! Bravo to the amazing service read more

Excellent presentation of dishes. We ordered the Samosa Chaat for starter, I would have preferred this item with more chickpea to cover the samosa. The main dishes were the fish pulusu, which is a spicy fish gravy and the Hyderabad Dum Biryani. The fish pulusu was really spicy, so we enjoyed this dish mixed in with the Biryani. Fish was soft and cooked thoroughly. The Biryani tasted authentic and most are made with a lot of oil, this wasnt the case. The Dum style is a Hyderabad special, but it is usually bone in chicken. The host was nice enough to make a boneless version for us. Overall, service was friendly and the restaurant looks a lot more pleasant from the previous style. I would come again to try out more dishes! read more

Masala Bae - Samosa Chaat - Indian Near Me - Tustin, California

See all

Great Meal bc of Kavya's Recommendations! I've limited exposure to Indian cuisine -- Gaylord's SF (decades ago); Indian-American Pizza (Fremont); lunch buffets locally -- due to my spicy intolerance. KAVYA's sound recommendations surprised us with the BEST Indian meal we've experienced!!! [*** my faves]: - DAHI PURI*** 1st time having this YUM Stuffed Puff Pastry w/ Yogurt Mousse. - SAMOSA CHAAT. Addictive tamarind sauce accompaniment. - TANDOORI CHICKEN*** This is my Go-To dish, first had at Gaylord's (SF Fisherman's Wharf). Since then, it's been mostly disappointing (often dry & lacking wow factor.) MB's rendition, in contrast, is moist + WOW in its seasoned complexity! - KASHMIRI LAMB ROGAN JOSH. Delicious. Was thoroughly enjoyed by all in our party. - RASSOMALAI*** 1st time tasting this YUM milk patty w/ cream dessert finish. We also ordered: - NELLORE FISH PULUSU. Go-To Fish dish of a family member. Super SPICY!!! Fish, tho', was of perfectly-cooked tenderness. Nice visual presentation, too, of each dish. Thanks, Kavya! I'll be back for my Chix Tandoori fix! read more

See all

So many tasty dishes. And prepared quickly. I walked in, ordered and it was in 15 minutes. - Samosas with a meat filling - Tandoori Chicken - Butter Chicken - Spinach Paneer with cheese - Garlic and Cilantro Naan They have an all you can lunch buffet for $18.99 where you can try other Indian dishes. The samosas was not on the menu. Staff recommended the butter chicken as a favorite. read more

ADDED TO MY TOP TEN FAVORITE PLACES TO EAT EVER! It blows my mind that this place wasn't packed on a Friday night, but don't let that fool you because THIS PLACE IS DELICIOUS! Parking is a breeze. Lots of space to park in front of the restaurant. The staff were well versed in their meals, described each of their favorite menu items to a T and gave us great recommendations. We ordered the Butter Chicken, roasted eggplant (I forget the actual name of it), Chicken 65, garlic and cilantro naan, AND SECRET ITEM chocolate dosa. Not one disappointed. read more

See all

Went here with my girlfriend and her family and it was great. Food was delicious and staff were nice and helpful when we asked questions about the menu. read more

Masala Bae - Butter Chicken, Chicken Tikka Masala - Indian Near Me - Tustin, California

Great Food. Slow Service. Been here for buffet and also dinner. Prefer coming here for dinner since there are more options suitable to our liking. The portions are good size for sharing. read more

There was a wait so get there early and plan ahead. The food was flavorful. My favorite had to be the butter chicken, however the goat dish was pleasantly tasty! The service was great. Definitely recommend and would come back! read more

Masala Bae - Buffet time - Indian Near Me - Tustin, California

I wanted to try their wada so that's the main reason I went to this place. But as I enter they have to buffet open so gave it a try. Honestly for 21.00 and like twelve items with 3 kinds of chicken and fish is not bad. The reason I gave it 3 stars is because the service. The place was not busy but 3 people working and the older guy was the only person provide any service. The girl and younger guy having a chat by the cashier area entire time we ate but never came to pick up the plate, it was piling up on the table. When I want to pay the bill the younger guy took the card and took another 10 minutes to bring it back. So they need to improve on service way better. read more

Our new to-go Indian restaurant. Love their paper dosa and chutney. The dosa is thin and crispy. We've tried almost all items non- vegetarian items on their menu and they're not disappointed. We've ordered to go a few times. It takes a while for the order to be ready. Make sure to call ahead. Service is good. Prices are reasonable with good portions. Overall, highly recommended. read more

See all

Every option that I tried was so good. - I would DEFINITELY come back for the vegan tofu thing oh my gosh so good

My co-workers all wanted to eat here. I overheard my boss was not happy that they bought food here, so the price might have been too high for the budget, or he's not a fan of buffets. I decided to go if only because it wouldn't eat into my food budget this way. Anyway, we all ate the buffet. I didn't really have a big appetite and the various spices used in the food were overwhelming my taste buds so I mostly consumed refillable beverages. They tasted pretty good. The line for the food fluctuated a lot. It's like everyone stood up to get food at the same time, and then it became empty afterwards. There was plenty of parking in this part of the plaza's parking lot. It's in the same plaza as the Ding Tea. read more

Food is always great! Service is quick and friendly! They have the best samosas! I definitely recommend this place. read more

Driving all the way out to Tustin for dosa listed on the website was a waste of time. Upon arrival, we were informed that the menu had changed even though it's still listed on the online menu, and several major items were no longer available. Menu is very limited now. What a great idea owners! read more

Chicken Masala is okay, but the rest is very good. And the best is the refill on mango lassi.

Service: Kind, prompt, and efficient Food: Good range of options. Unfortunately what I ordered lacked seasoning, spice, and was very sweet. Summary: I did not finish my food and would not order again. read more

The lunch buffet was delicious! There were at least 12 items offered. The staff were very friendly and attentive. Quality, cleanliness, and service are far better than most lunch buffets I've been to. Can't wait to come back! read more

Food was very delicious. It was served very quickly. Inside the restaurant it was clean and quiet. read more

Amazing gem!! The owners are in the kitchen, cooking up authentic dishes and it really shows in the quality of the food. Please give this place a chance. We ordered the Dahi Puri, cheese dosa (for the kids), Highway Karahi Chicken (OMG good), Okra Fry (yea!!) Achari Paneer Tikka, and garlic naan. Also got the faluda and it was outstanding!! Great service, very authentic, affordable. read more

Chicken kadhi Falooda Pakora Tea Excellent items Best food in town I highly recommend it read more

The food is bland as hell, with lack of flavor. I looked around, there's all nationalities and no Indians. If you see a restaurant packed with Indians, that indicates the food is good. Love the lassi, salad and tea. You really need to work on the flavor of the food. read more

I had an unsatisfactory experience with the Alleppey fish mango curry from Masala Bae in Tustin, CA. Authenticity is important when it comes to regional dishes, and it's disappointing when expectations aren't met. read more

See all

The flavor is very very good. The only pity is the food is not hot enough and the chicken was probably stewed too long time. Anyway, still a good Indian restaurant. read more

See all

Decided to try something different, so I picked up take-out from here for the family. I did have an issue with the fact that they ran out of rice and it took forever for them to make more to complete my order. How do you run out of rice at an Indian restaurant? They assemble the orders in the dining room, so my food was packaged and sitting out for quite a while before the rice came out, but luckily nothing was cold when I got home. When I did get hoe, we loved the food. We ordered a lentil dish, chicken tika Masala and the lamb shank, along with rice an order of samosas and garlic naan. We had no leftovers from the entrees. Everything was really good, and the lamb shank was da bomb. The lentils and samosa were a bit spicier than I was expecting, not too hot, just more so that I was expecting. If you are getting take-out, I would call in the order, as I expect grub hub gets a cut of the order on line. read more

Mom and pop kind of place. The lady working there was very helpful, asked if we liked the food and checked in on us often to clear plates and refill water. Giving 4 stars because I appreciate the effort owner's put out, and chicken tikka masala was very good. The saag paneer I found too creamy and not enough vegetable ratio. The pakora and samosas were good. I would have liked more salad/greens options, as the food was very heavy. read more

Lamb Korma and palak paneer Food tasted great, service was good and friendly I wish sometimes they had old Indian music just for fun haha read more

Masala Bae - Lamb Korma and palak paneer - Indian Near Me - Tustin, California

Service was impeccable, went for the lunch buffet with a friend and we both really liked the options as they all tasted great. The establishment is clean, would definitely go back again. read more

We had dinner here few nights ago. The food were delicious. We ordered chicken masala. Chicken baryani and one other dish that I don't remember the name. The high light of the night was the chicken masala. They charge for bread which is fine in this situation with COVID. We will be back to try more. read more

Drive all the way here to have Dosa because it was listed on their menu online in multiple places. When we arrived we were told they no longer served dosa "we changed our menu". Update your menu! read more

Indian restaurants can be hit or miss. Fortunately, this place is a hit. After being awkwardly seated, I was given a glass of water with regular refills. Rather than get the recognizable tikka masala, I asked for recommendations. The waiter asked me how much spice I could handle, and I said a little bit. He suggested I get the chicken chettinad, which I ordered. It had chunks of chicken thighs (?) in a mild, I think buttery sauce, with whole black peppercorns sprinkled all over it, a few slices of mild red peppers and cilantro, if I recall. It was very enjoyable, although I could see that if you're more used to an overly salted (Americanized?) palette, you might find it bland. It was not bland, just mild and well seasoned, which allowed me to finish the entire dish without feeling bloated. The waiter also brought over a cup of white rice in what looked like a small galvanized metal pail. I also ordered garlic and cilantro naan, which was not as steamy hot and soft as I would have preferred. I was a bit more firm. I would have also preferred it to be a bit more garlicky, but it was nevertheless very good, and served well to dip in the chettinad sauce, or as a wrap to pick up the chunks of chicken (a technique I learned from a Nigerian restaurant). Finally, the mango mint sharbat was a carbonated mango juice with a bit of macerated spearmint sprinkled on top. It was rather thick, a good thing since it means the mango part is still prominent. I wasn't sure what to expect when I ordered it, but I'm glad I did. I don't know why more fruit drink or milk tea places don't offer stuff like this. It was absolutely delicious. The closest thing I think I've had to this is yuzu soda from a Korean restaurant, but honestly the mango makes it way better. For about $30, it was easily a meal for two, but I managed to finish it all and still wanted seconds. I'll definitely be back for sure. read more