The food was so good than I expected. I like that cute Indian boy who always help his dad to run their business.

We had launch buffet , it was delicious. We enjoyed it. The staff are very kind and welcoming.

I love this place. The food is excellent and has just the right amount of spice for me. It's a tiny place that mainly deals with carry-out, so know that before you go there and expect to have a sit down meal. Get the palak paneer! I don't even like spinach, but I love this dish. read more

Having been a loyal Masala Express patron, I was disappointed by the dinner delivered to my home and appalled at what took place at the time of delivery. As a Punjabi who makes this cuisine myself, I've been pleased in the past with the home-cooked taste of the food, i.e., not too much cream in the dal makhani, freshly prepared naan, etc. I called at 4 pm, hoping to have it within an hour; I was told it would take an hour and a half because the driver would be arriving late. As it was raining, I agreed that this would be fine. As the total to be charged to my credit card was tallied, a $20.40 meal, (dal makhani @ 7.95, chicken kardahi @ 9.95, and garlic naan @ 2.50), 10% sales tax, (2.44), the order-taker informed me that a $1.99 delivery fee would be added, which he went on to tell was being charged as of the last 2 years. Funny that this is not listed in the take-out menu they provided me the last time I picked up dinner. So, in all, an essentially $21 meal came to $27, and that's without even stepping foot in the place! When the food arrived at 5:40 pm, the owner's son and an older gentleman gave me my credit card receipt. The gentleman then proceeded to ask me for a tip, which I found unwarranted as they charge delivery and took over an hour and a half to deliver. When I told the gentleman that they already charge for delivery, he proceeded to tell me that people still ordinarily tip. HIs insistence was unnerving; and as they had both my dinner and receipt, I told him to wait. I filled in my spouse, who suggested that I go ahead and tip a couple of bucks. Clearly, hunger had gotten the best of us. I tipped $2, but I was upset. Despite this distasteful exchange, I was still looking forward to a tasty meal. Unfortunately, the food did not live up to our past experiences of eating Masala Express's food. The dal makhani lacked flavor. The chicken kadahi was oily and lacked any of the veggies (chunks of tomatoes, onions and bell peppers). The garlic naan had cooled enough that it was beginning to be too chewy. Thoroughly disappointing! Will not spend my hard-earned money here, again, particularly with so many other options for Indian food in the area. I echo Kalyani S and Laura H's reviews. The attitude of the staff - whether on the phone or in person - is that they are doing you a favor by taking your order. While the storefront is set up to be more of a take out place, like so many other sad places, Masala Express tries to do too much. Just do take-out well! And if you are going to offer eat-in service, cafe style or table service, then do it well! Stop trying to do more than you're equipped to do WELL. Whatever you do, do it WELL. That's what made your food stand out in the past! A little professionalism would go a long way! read more

I've ordered takeout here twice now and have enjoyed it very much both times. I really enjoyed the vegetable samosas, chicken tikka masala, channa daal and palak paneer. I really haven't had a bad dish from this place. The delivery is reasonable and the delivery people have been friendly. I would definitely suggest this place for takeout. read more

Just ordered from here because our regular place was closed. It was not very good. The tika masala was too tomato-y without enough Indian spices. The chicken briyani was also bland. In short this was super Americanized and really disappointing. Avoid this place if you are looking for some resembling authentic Indian food. read more

Never going back......food is so bland. Portion sizes are a joke. Tandoori chicken is dry. I was really hoping this would be good, but it was extremely disappointing. Overpriced, bland not worth the money. read more

Wow! What a nice restaurant with really caring owners who are attentive to customers taste buds. They always remember the little details and that's what keeps us coming back for more. Garlic butter naan is so tender and soft and melts in your mouth when dipped in their sauces. Lamb is tender, chicken always moist and paneer outstanding! Thoughts: Wish they would serve brown rice and offer a gluten free rice option. Sunday all you can eat buffet would be a nice addition! read more

3.5 stars....we came here based solely on the yelp reviews. While it was good and reasonably priced, seems like other yelpers have oversold this place. Food came out very quickly and was freshly cooked, although this place is clearly a take out place rather than sit-down, as the food came out in take-away boxes and we plastic cutlery and paper plates. I'm guessing if we had ordered take-out my review would have been higher. The BF especially enjoyed the naam bread. Tikka masala had a few prices of chewy brown meat chicken in it, which was unfortunate. read more

Ordering is sort of a hassle, but they have never gotten it wrong. In other words, don't let that put you off, even if they sound disjointed when you call. The food is excellent for a take out curry joint. Delivery is super fast and polite. Five stars for being the epitome of good take out in Arlington. Tasty, fast, and relatively simple. read more

I had their tikka masala and it was nice hot spicy ask for extra hot is close to my work so I got a lot and it tastes good every time I'm there never takes too long and their service is excellent I'll be going back there many many times as long as I work nearby read more

The takeout from this restaurant is slow and expensive, took over an hour for my food to be delivered.

Used to be good. Portion sizes are a joke now. 2 orders of butter chicken got us 4 bite sized chunks of chicken. Waste of money

I have ordered the food and the guy on the phone told me that it will take 45mins to deliver. I ordered the food at 7:40 and that time they told me that you have to give order of minimum $20 so I try to add something more. And then the total came around 18 and the guy on the phone asked for the tip. After 1:45 minutes I got the food. Naan was ice cold. I eat the food with the rice. Over all food is good but service sucks. I think I might go to restaurant to eat food not delivery. Last thing the lady on the phone said that its my fault that I ordered the food in the bad weather. read more

The food is quite tasty, but I have two complaints: 1) We ordered the lamb biryani and the palak paneer, among other dishes. The lamb biryani had very little lamb and the palak paneer had very few paneer chunks. It still tasted good but I couldn't help but feel ripped off. 2) The delivery guy took the opportunity to bomb my entire floor with Masala Express pamphlets. I felt guilty walking down the hall and seeing those flyers for the next five days until everyone finally picked them up. Annoying! read more

It's a small restaurant with only a few tables, and you'd probably be better off getting it as carryout. However, for great Indian food at cheap prices, with nice sized portions and delivery, you really can't go wrong. Love this place. read more

I had to create an account to write a review for this place. That's how bad our food was. I know Indian food (Tried almost all the joints in the area from Rasika to Minerva Express [which btw was the best carryout-cum-grocery-store in the area until they decided not to be anymore]) and this place is a pathetic excuse for food; Indian or otherwise. What was ordered: Vegetable Biriyani, Dal Makhni, Garlic naan, Samosas, and Green Chutney What was delivered: Terribly flavorless mix of colored rice with frozen vegetables, dal makhni containing pinto beans from a can, bread that tasted like pizza crust, overly hot samosas (again flavorless) that tasted like pie crust, NO Green Chutney. That's right, they forgot to deliver the chutney (the one thing we were looking forward to the most). Even the rice was begging to make its way to the trash. 1 star. Would never ever go here again. read more

Five stars, bravo! I have been looking for an indian place to become a regular, and after trying out many spots all around NOVA - I was so happy to find this place. The older gentleman who owns the place is delightful. Portions are huge, prices are low, and food is authentic and delicious. Naan is warm and soft. Biryani is best I've had. No formal seating but I prefer to eat Indian food this way - chilling outside on the porch. read more

Had delivery tonight from Masala Express - delish! Had the lamb Biryani (large portion, tasty), chicken tikka masala (my FAVE, yum), chole (like the sauce), chicken vindaloo (SPICY and chicken isn't on the menu but they do make), naan (staple, can't go wrong). Portion sizes were good, not too small and the price is half what you pay at all the other Indian restaurants in the area. Plus I always enjoy supporting a family owned business. I have finally found my go-to indian delivery restaurant! Allow an hour for delivery! read more

I like this place for their masala chai and samosa which I occasionally have after a long day of work. I like the people there. Very nice and attentive. Its a small takeaway kinda place with limited seating which gives it a cosy feeling. Food is good (not great, so that is why, three stars) and reasonably priced too. I occasionally take out dinners from here. Definitely recommended for a warm evening tea!! read more

The best Indian takeout in Arlington, and they now deliver! The food can be uneven at times, which is disappointing, but most of my experiences have been very good. (And certainly better than Delhi Dhaba, my other option in takeout/delivery grade Indian in North Arlington.) read more

This place doesn't look like much from outside but the food is the best Indian takeout I've had. In fact, my husband and I liked it so much that we went back twice in one week. The eggplant is amazing and the biryani is also a favorite. The naan is perfect. Really great prices too. This will be our go-to place from now on! read more

Came here with a friend for lunch because of the reviews. Great mom and pop place. Got the lunch special that included rice and naan and a mango lassi to wash it down with. Good flavors and excellent value. Not much seating, but you can always get it to go. read more

UPDATE: I love Masala Express - it is convenient and fast, the food is really good, and the owners are delightful. My only complaint is that last two times I have ordered takeout they have been out of Samosas which I love. PLEASE make more samosas!!! read more

Giving them a star. Just ordered a veg biryani and it doesn't taste good, it's bitter in taste and even the smell is different unlike other biryanis. read more

Everything was awesome! Really tasty mango lassi that tasted like it had chai spices in it, and the BEST garlic naan I've ever had. Seriously, don't skip it. The owners were extremely friendly and gave us extra sauces and lassi to try with our meal. I'd give it more than 5 stars if I could! read more

Great addition to the neighborhood. Food was EXTREMELY fresh. Prices are about right for the portions and quality, and it came out fast. Definitely more of a take-out place, as the name suggests. I plan to come back often. read more

Really great, affordable food. We had the chicken tikka masala and lamb biryani with garlic naan and were happy with the robust flavors, spiciness (we asked for HOT HOT HOT) and the price was right. They allowed us to order and pick up even though they were about to close in 15 minutes and didn't scrimp on the servings. Great bang for your buck considering most Indian restaurants tend to get expensive with the ambience of fine dining. read more

Stopped by tonight, a Saturday night, and this place was BUSY. There's a small seating area, and it was all taken up by people waiting for their take-out orders. Not sure how this place got so popular so quickly, but it's worth it. Call ahead so you don't have to wait. I started off with the samosa w/chole. The samosa was HUGE and well spiced. The tamarind chutney was pretty standard, but the green (mint) chutney was really fantastic - fairly spicy, but it didn't overwhelm the fresh mint flavor. I'm glad they put two of the mint chutney in my bag. The chole had chickpeas that were the right level of firmness & the gravy was perfect. The lamb in the lamb vindaloo was extremely tender and fell apart easily, and the amount of lamb significantly outnumbered the amount of potatoes in the dish. I would have liked it to be a little spicier, but the flavor was pretty good. The one thing that I disliked was the naan. It looked right, but was doughy instead of fluffy. Decent taste, but way too bready and dry. Hopefully they'll work on the naan - if they perfect that, they might get that extra star. read more

I went for lunch and enjoyed the chicken and spinach with lentils...Everything was full of flavor and delicious. I also order a mixed platter with tandoori chicken-half with palak paneer for dinner. OMG it was sooooo good...I love the tandoori and spinach....DEFINITELY will be going back and placing orders for lunch and dinner again!!!! read more

Don't let the tiny storefront in a nondescript strip mall scare you. This postage stamp of a family run restaurant has great northern Indian food. The rice is lovely, the garlic naan very nice. The fish tikka is great. If you don't (or your dietician doesn't) like cream in your dishes, ask them and they will omit. This is an obvious sign that the food is mostly cooked to order. Call ahead to avoid a wait or get it delivered. read more

Another day and clearly a better day. I get my Vindaloo and eat it too. Very good, Delivered in 45-60 mins as I was told. Gracious delivery.

Fantastic food! Best tasting indian food in arlington! A great addition to the neighborhood.

Good food and great value. The best Indian food I've found in Arlington. Not much space for dining in, but great for takeout. Nice family.

This place is fantastic--by far the best Indian food in the area. It tends to be spicy, which I like, but those who prefer more mild spice may not appreciate it. We have tried at least 5 of their dishes--all were amazing. Butter chicken is my favorite--chicken saag is another. Their naan is great too. The owners are polite and their portions are quite generous. One tip: this is definitely a takeout place--it is tiny! read more

My roommates and I tried Masala Express for the first time last night and we LOVED it. We have tried a lot of Indian restaurants in Arlington, VA - so far Masala Express has to be my favorite, especially with the service and price. We ordered garlic naan, chicken tikka masala, butter chicken, and lamb vindaloo. The chicken tikka masala was our favorite, but all of the dishes were delicious. The chicken tikka masala is the best I've had in the area! The garlic naan was also delicious. We got delivery that arrived in 30 minutes and a lot of food at a great price. Definitely going back..a lot! read more

Stop your search for great Indian food -- we found it. It's Masala Express. Having lived in India, and in both DC and VA for the last 3 years, I can honestly say this is the best Indian food I've found in the area. They are family owned and operated, consistently make incredible food, and are always cheerful and polite. Who could ask for more? They know your name and remember your order (maybe we get take out too often...) and are always excited to see a return customer. We live in DC currently and still regularly make the trek just for Masala Express. Their Butter Chicken, Lamb Korma, Garlic Naan, and Samosas are amazing. They're literally so good we've never wanted to try anything else, although I'm sure it's all delicious. The portions are gracious and reasonably priced, and the dishes are always fresh. You can't go wrong with Masala Express! read more

Impressed but they need to add more meat to their dishes. Great Samosas!

Best Indian food nearby! I love how its family-owned. I always order the butter chicken and the garlic naan. My boyfriend loves the lamb roganjosh. I had to knock a star off because they don't deliver to our apartment! read more

Quick and flavorful Indian food. Pretty good prices. Taking off some stars because the portion sizes are weird..I have ordered palak paneer twice from here and both times there was an over abundance of spinach but only like 5 small slices of paneer. Not paneer-ly enough!! read more