This was one of the only places open on Christmas day, so we had very little choice. Luckily for us, Masala Express had pretty good reviews on Yelp, so we decided to give it a try. A warm family and the musty smell of burning incense greeting us as we entered. A woman, a man (presumably her husband) and a child were all behind the counter. They smiled at us as we looked at the expansive menu on the wall behind them and ordered a large quantity of food. The more the merrier! For a restaurant with the word "express" in it, the food came out pretty slowly. At least the weather was alright to sit in, but the smell of cigarettes from smokers outside a nearby karaoke club was a bit overwhelming. But when the food came out, I realized it was definitely worth the wait, rain or shine. The shahi paneer I ordered was exquisite, and had a bit of zing to it. The naan bread was fresh also delicious. In general, everything that came to our table during that meal was rich in flavor. Malai kofta, baingan bharta, and some sort of curry, all possessed a unique flavor. We had a great time! And all throughout the owning family was friendly and helpful. We had a great time! (It's easy to enjoy yourself when you have great food :) We left with full stomaches and joyful hearts. read more

Masala Express - Located in a small shopping center - Indian Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

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My boyfriend was craving butter chicken for what was likely the 8th night in a row, so I decided to carryout from Masala Express as it's on the way home. Expecting just another Indian takeout (I've been to many!), I was so pleasantly surprised! The family running this restaurant is very sweet, and the place was packed! There's a parking lot, which is great for Arlington. Food was quick, tasty and similar to the home cooked dishes I've had growing up. New go-to! read more

This little place bills itself as eat-in or takeout, but it seems much more geared toward take-away. The counter staff was very pleasant, and the eating area is clean, but sparse on decor and quite small. In any case, I ordered samosas, butter chicken and eggplant with peas for takeout. The dinners came with a side of rice. The samosa were ok, but nothing special - I think they could have used more of the vegetable filling in proportion to the amount of fried dough. The dinners also were ok, but seemed to me to lack seasoning. Not that I think Indian food has to be extremely spicy, but I do like to get a whiff of coriander, cumin and turmeric in this cuisine. I'd buy dinner here again if it were convenient and I was in a hurry, but would not seek it out. read more

Review from Uber Eats Delivery: I've ordered from this place on multiple occasions, but disappointed that they've left out items from every order I've received. The first time, it was my naan, the second time it was my mango lassi and the third time it was missing my samosas. Rating based on their food is probably closer to 3.5. The naan is good and the samosas are great. The Chicken in the Chicken Tikka Masala could be more tender. The other reviews seem to agree with me that deliver leaves something to be desired. Since it is the most convenient will probably continue to order from them, but disappointed that I've lost money on missing items from my orders. read more

I ordered Masala express and had it to be delivered through Uber eats. I had company here. My order got mixed up and I only got one entree. I talked to the Uber guy and mine was the only meal they gave him. So I called Masala and they refused to rectify it, instead blaming Uber. I asked them to send us more food and they said they would but I never heard back and never got the 50$ worth of food I paid for. Basically, this is a cheap and untrustworthy joint that won't make sure you get what you need. The butter chicken I had to share was mediocre. There are tons of great Indian places. Go to any of them. Not this one. Masala when you're ready to make this right, let me know! read more

Nice little spot for some butter chicken to fill in the night read more

Masala Express - Indian Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

Chicken Saag: really good flavor, not spicy at all. I would have preferred a bit more chicken but it was a decent amount for the price Lamb rice: again good flavor, just waaaay too light on the Lamb. I will consider ordering double meat next time. Yes there will be a next time for sure. This place is really good for the price. The Naan bread was good too. It even reheated well, which I've never had with naan before. Takes a little while to fill your order, my recommendation is to call ahead for pickup. read more

Quick and delicious takeout food at a reasonable cost. The butter chicken and chicken tikka masala were indistinguishable aside from the latter having slightly more spice and onions. That didn't matter though because both were equally tasty. The garlic naan was also very good and served as solid dipping material for the leftover sauces. Definitely look forward to ordering from them again and checking out how spicy their curry can get. read more

I was craving Indian food so I decided to try this place. I tried the chicken vindaloo, Lamb Biryani, vegetable samosa and garlic naan. The food here is decent. the vindaloo was not nearly as spicy as it should have been, the biryani was favorable but the lamb was sparse. I will consider ordering from here again until I find a better place. This is a takeout place- not for sit-down dining. read more

Great Indian family run take out. I love the tikka masala and butter chicken. Definitely upgrade to garlic naan. They also turn the orders around quickly. read more

Masala Express is a small Indian family-run takeout in a corner strip mall, not a tablecloth and chandelier institution. I have been a frequent (weekly) customer since they opened. They can be very busy with phone orders so patience helps. I am always greeted warmly if informally. I love the food. read more

Butter chicken is basically chicken in tomato sauce. The naan was great tho! Portions were as to be expected.

Pros: 1) This is a legitimate Indian restaurant when it comes to food quality, despite outward appearances. 2) Food is always flavorful, never feels over cooked. 3) Rates are reasonable, well, better than reasonable. 4) The daily lunch platter features regular household dishes, properly made, worth trying. Cons: 1) Limited vegetarian options, though the ones that they offer are all great. 2) All entrees come with rice as a side, would be nice to have the option of Naan / Roti, even if with a slight surcharge. 3) Seating / ambience / hygiene is dismal, great for carry out though. read more

Food is so good! Had the Malai kofta, was the best I've had after searching and trying other places in the area. Also the garlic naan is the best I've had ever. Price is affordable yet food is better than upscale restaurants. Will definitely be eating here again. read more

Masala Express is delicious! I ordered Baingan Bharta and an assortment of the bread- it was so good. It tasted super fresh and was completely satisfying. read more

Masala Express has OUTSTANDING flavor and price. Everything is homemade and authentic (per my Indian co-worker who referred me there). It's a small family business, and you just can't order anything bad. The prices are great also - super inexpensive. I am a meat lover, but I often order vegetarian here, because the sauces are overwhelmingly amazing! I also love spicy food. If you don't do spicy, remember to order "not at all spicy". The malai kofta is my go-to, but my friend loves lamb. I don't really like lamb, but I would have eaten his entire lamb roganjosh had I not had my own order of malai kofta. It was delicious! The lamb was ever-so-tender and flavorful. Also wonderful are the palak paneer and samosas. Then there's the naan. I could eat tons of their garlic naan. Soooo soft, chewy, and flavorful! read more

I've only ever gotten takeout from Masala Express, so I'm not sure what the service/ restaurant itself is like, but the naan is great, and it's good cheaper Indian food option. I typically go for the chicken Tikka masala here and I'm never disappointed. read more

(4.5 stars) The food was DELICIOUS! The service was fast as well. Only complaint I would have is that they skimped on the paneer in the the Palak Paneer. i will definitely be ordering from there more often :) read more

I love good Indian food (which is hard to find outside of the UK or Canada) and Masala Express makes great Samosas. The problem with Masala Express is poor service; they advertise delivery but can't consistently deliver. I've only successfully ordered from them twice. The other 4 times I tried to order they didn't have a delivery driver or it was going to take 1.5 hours to get my food to me; they've even asked me to come pick up my order instead of delivering. The point of food delivery is not having to leave your home! I live in Clarendon, so there are tons of decent restaurants right outside my door, if I decide to cross the threshold. As a food delivery customer, I expect to call, place an order, pay, and have food arrive. End of story. I'm not interested in excuses and a long story about how my business is an inconvenience. Know your market Masala Express - don't make it difficult for people to do business with you, you are not the only option. read more

I came for uber Pickup the order wasn't ready there were tow customers waiting for there foods and the owner trying to play game the food will be ready in 2 minutes and it took 46 minutes the other customer got her refund and he wasted my time I couldn't make any money I talked to the back lady I think she is her wife I told her you guys should hire some people she told me are you gonna pay for employee.never should go to that kind of restaurant a very bad customer service. read more

Ordered buttered chicken, very bland. I agree with other people's comments, it's just tomato sauce. And not tasty tomato sauce, it's a watery bland sauce. Very disappointed and do not recommend. So many other places in the area to pick from. Highly do NOT recommend this place. Just skip the bland tomato water chicken, trust me! read more

This place is great! It's in a strip mall, so it's got that going for it, plus sometimes there is a kid doing math homework at one of the two tables inside. I always go for the buffet. Small selection, but it hits the spot when I want Indian. read more

I was pretty impressed with Masala Express. We visited recently and truly enjoyed the food and service. My fiancé and I both ordered the chicken tikka masala dish (our usual at Indian restaurants) and also got a side of samosas (came with 2) to share. Very fresh and delicious and the cream in the chicken tikka masala was perfect. The only reason I'm giving this 4 instead of 5 stars is that I found a hair in my food... not the happiest about that, but otherwise the food was good and I would visit again. read more

The staff is friendly and the food is great. The seating isn't optimal for dining in, but it is a great option for carry out. We are happy repeat customers. read more

Called them to place a delivery order to a hotel in the area. Minimum $20 for delivery. Delivery took an hour (they did say 45-60 minutes). Delivery person wouldn't deliver the food up to the room, had to come down to the lobby to get it at the hotel. Wouldn't leave the receipt, weird. And the guy was RUDE. And there were no utensils, napkins, etc. Food cold by the time we ate it. Mediocre Indian at best. Would not order from them again. read more

Delivery is never faster than 45 minutes, and always twice what they quote on the phone. When I call 30 minutes past the end of the window, I get told "he just left", and my food comes 1.5 hrs after I ordered it. The straw that broke the camel's back, though, is that my most recent bill went up by $2 between when I signed the slip and when it appeared on my credit card. Their food is good. Their take-out service is okay. Delivery betrays such a lack of respect for me as a real person that I'm spoiled on the whole operation. read more

I give this place 5 stars just for the service. The owner was so friendly and helpful. You just don't get that around here. The food gets 4 stars because I didn't love the chicken saag as much as I wanted to. I'm a bit wimpy with spice and it was too spicy (for me) and yet lacked the rich flavor other saag has had. The hubs got butter chicken with two sides of veggies, rice and naan for about $9. This place is a bargain, good food and super friendly worker-bees. read more

This has been our go-to place for Indian carryout for years. Excellent quality of ingredients, nicely spiced and generous servings. Plus, inexpensive. read more

The speed of service betrays the word express. Typical n Indian at best. The wealth of fantastic reviews doesn't add up.

Mixed feelings. The people here are very friendly and the food is excellent and cheap. However, I feel compelled to leave a bad review because of a bad business practice, that I won't keep supporting. I've frequently ordered by phone with them and receive good portions per entree. If you order through Yelp/Eat24, though, they purposefully skimp on the portions to offset their cost of having to pay a percentage towards the Eat24 service. My stance is that you shouldn't give those customers less to offset those costs, it should be factored into your standard pricing. As a regular customer, I came to expect a certain portion. By the way, I only know this because the owner/manager told me, but he gave it a positive spin: "don't order off Eat24, contact us directly and we give you more food." Only, I doubt that once you started using Eat24 you started including larger entrees for customers who ordered by phone... The reality is you decided to offer less for the same price to certain customers. It just seems like a cheap and scummy business practice and I will no longer support it. If you disagree, and you see it the way the owner does, feel free to ignore this review and enjoy the food. Just make sure to call direct. Edit: See Will J's review, as well. I guess they follow the same policy for Uber Eats or any other 3rd party services. read more

The chicken biryani with garlic naan is delicious, and big enough for two people.

Just came back from eating here and would definitely agree the food is very good. Service was great as well. We ordered the butter chicken, lamb kabob, naan, and a mango lassi. Everything we ordered was tasty. At other indian restaurants the mango lassi is watered down...love the fact that it has a creamier consistency over here. The naan was soft and freshly baked. The lamb and the chicken were cooked perfectly and the sauce tasted very good. I've been to many indian restaurants before and would have to say this is definitely one of my favorites. I definitely plan on coming back to try the other items on the menu. read more

Really good Indian mom & pop shop. The butter chicken was exceptional as was their lamb kabob and chicken curry dish.

Masala Express on Pershing Drive in Arlington, near intersection of Pershing and Washington Blvd, is a new family run Indian restaurant that just opened up! I went by for dinner tonight, a few days after they opened, and had the dinner combo - I tried the chicken kabob/tandoori, curry/butter chicken, the cauliflower/carrot side, and rice served with fresh made naan. Everything was really good. I liked how they used a lot more spices and less heavy cream than some of the more Americanized Indian places. The fresh naan is a little different than what I am use to, but it was also really tasty. I dipped it in the yogurt cucumber sauce and the spicy green sauce. The service was very friendly and kind. Highly recommended, go check it out for a quick take-out dinner. I don't think they are related to Minerva Express or Marsala Wok, so don't let the name confuse you! I can't wait to go back. Maybe I'll go back tomorrow since I live just down the street. IMO, there are very few really good authentic Indian restaurants in the area. One of my favorites is Cafe Spice in suburban Baltimore. This place just might be my new spot - need to try some other things on the menu. read more

Masala Express - Masala Express - Indian Take-Out! - Indian Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

Food was barely ok, the butter chicken tasted so flat the sauce could have just been replaced with milk and it might have been better. But the main reason I'm going out of my way and doing this review is because of that guy working there. He was so rude and acted like he had better stuff to do while he's serving you. He would even say things under his breath, and to top it off, he put the curry in a styrofoam dry food keeper which just fell out into the bag, I asked for the Tupperware but was greeted with a $1 surcharge wtf? Any ways, there's a lot of many other choices for good Indian food around the area so whatever. read more

I love the chana dal curry here. It's much better than at most Indian places.

Tried it for the first time last night. Really, really good Indian food. The owners were very friendly, and I especially like that they keep their food selections covered. The line was almost through the door when I was leaving! They seem to be off to a good start. read more

Great food, one of the best Indian places in town. Not really good for eating out but take out is great and staff is friendly.

Great little place for Indian food. It is hidden away in the back of a small shopping area next to a dry cleaners. I go for takeout since the place is fairly small. The Lamb Roganjosh is awesome. I also like the chicken vindaloo. The vindaloo does not start out all the spicy but it has a nice kick as you eat it. Great place for quick and easy Indian food. Also, the people that run it are really nice. read more

One of the best Indian take-out places in the DMV. I love their chicken biryani, though their curry dishes and veggies are also excellent. There is typically a 30 minute wait for your food after you order, but it's well worth the wait. read more