I love this place! Excellent food and incredible service. I made my order and met the owner and his son while my food was cooking. It's a wonderful family run place -- quaint restaurant, delicious food, good prices and quick service. After chatting for a little while with the owner and his son (in middle school, who helps out a lot with the place), he added a few additional items no charge to my order. They were so kind and friendly! I had the butter chicken, which was the best I've had, the garlic naan, gulab jamun, and mango lassi. Delicious, delicious!! I'm craving it all again just writing this... I'll be back. read more

This place is great! We stumbled across it looking for Indian takeout and we will definitely return. The food is fresh and the owners were very nice. It's very small inside so takeout is probably better but the prices are excellent! read more

My wife and I love Indian food and have not been able to find a place we like since moving to the area in recent years. This is why we were so happy to find Masala Express. This small family owned and run place is quick, clean and most importantly the food is delicious. The prices are very reasonable and the portions are just right. I had the lamb biryani and my wife had the chicken tikka masala. We were both very pleased with the food an the experience. The family provided the kind of service you can only expect from owners who care about their business. We learned that they opened recently and hope they will do well. They are on the right track given our experience. We look forward to going back and making this our regular stop for Indian food. read more

Sooooo good. The best Indian I've found in the DMV. Have introduced many friends to this place and everyone agrees its delicious. Better yet the price is great. I will say that it sucks they don't deliver to me in pentagon city (they only deliver in a 3 mile radius and I am 3.8 miles) but its worth the 5 minute drive to get food from here. I usually get the chicken tikka masala (boring I know), somosas and plain naan and it costs about $15 with tax (and it enough food for two big meals). My boyfriend got the Lamb vindaloo and asked for it extra spicy and he said it was EXTREMELY spicy, which he loved. I've also tried the butter chicken which was delicious. Most of the times ive ordered the young son (maybe 8 years old) is the one who took my order over the phone so it takes a little extra time for him to get everything, but its kind of adorable. GO HERE!!! read more

I've had MUCH better Indian food than what this place has to offer. Both the Chicken Tikka Masala and the Chicken Korma were just under an ok grade and the rice was boring, no taste! The portions are on the small side and the chicken is not all white meat and wasn't carefully cut/prepared for cooking as their were some very chewy veins that were left on the chicken pieces, not a pleasant experience at all. Once you hit one of these pieces it kind of turns you off to the rest of the meal. Also, not very "Express" waited a good deal of time for our three entrees and we were the only ones in the place. It was worth a try but sorry to say that we won't be headed back here again. Guess we are spoiled by the EXCELLENT food at Taj of India in Arlington. read more

The food and service at this place is really bad. We ordered veg pakora and tea and they did not serve tea until after our meals. The tea was just a mix of hot water and tea leaves PLUS it was not filtered. The veg pakora were not cooked properly from inside. The shahi paneer was too sweet with uncooked paneer. The naan was burnt. Overall I do not recommend this place if someone is looking for good Indian food. read more

Stopped by here on a whim after doing some Yelp research for quick Indian food in my area. This place did not disappoint. The menu is clear to read, the food came quickly, and I was out the door and enjoying it at home in a matter of 10 minutes. I got the butter chicken and the tandoori naan and both were really yummy. Satisfied my craving! read more

Excellent indian carry out. Love the vegetarian options. yum!

Rude staff, long wait time, okay food. Overall not worth it. Go elsewhere for local Indian food.

Ordered at 8:40 PM, Delivered at 9:00 PM. So fast! That definitely means it was sitting for a while but I don't mind because it tasted great!! The chicken tikka and butter chicken are essentially the same thing. Garlic naan was amazing and the rice was great too. read more

I keep coming back to this place for their delicious biryani and appetizers. The quality of customer service is excellent. Although at times it does get a little busy during the evening and you may have to wait a bit to get the food, trust me the food is worth the wait. I recommend this place to anyone out there looking for an inexpensive indian meal. read more

This friendly, family-owned spot offers the best sauces around: from butter chicken to shrimp vindaloo, you can't go wrong. The lamb dishes stand out also. Naan is always warm with great texture. Great value, quick service. Also the desserts are great and should not be overlooked. Try the mix & match if you want to get a taste of several dishes. read more

Excellent Indian food. I am indian and I eat out a lot. This place is really good. It's not conducive to dining in, but for carryout it's excellent. read more

I like the food here, but it always takes an absurdly long time to prepare and there are usually 5 family members (?) standing around arguing/yelling. But that have great palak paneer! 15 or 20 minutes if you walk up and order anything. read more

Found this place on Yelp to try it out for the first time last night. The menu is not as expansive as some other Indian restaurants, but has all the classics and meats to satisfy most palates. I ordered the Butter Chicken and Lamb Vindaloo, and was pleasantly surprised by the quality. The chicken was tender with a good balance between the creaminess and the spices. The vindaloo tasted fresh and flavorful; not gamey at all. It wasn't as spicy as other vindaloos I've had, but I'm sure you can request more chili. The portions were pretty big - my boyfriend and I could barely finish the 2 entrees + rice. Great value for under $20!! read more

The family owners are friendly and the combo, whether for lunch or dinner, is sure to fill you. Indian in the DC area is hit or miss, but after four visits I've yet to have a mediocre meal here. They know what they're doing and the care given to the food is obvious, it's just all done without the bells and whistles of a sit down. read more

Great food, convenient. We ordered for delivery. The delivery took about 30 minutes longer than planned, thus the 4 stars instead of 5. It was a busy night and we ordered late though. We got the butter chicken, a shrimp rice dish, and the chicken tikka, and loved every last bite! read more

I just gobbled up my shahi paneer! Thank you Yelp! for telling me about this place :)

Love love love this whole-in-the-hall takeout joint. My family and I recently discovered this take-away spot and have returned several times. Everything is seasoned well and very tasty. I particularly like the eggplant and the malai kofta. The naan is also excellent. There isn't much seating (maybe 4 small tables total inside and outside). It's best to order ahead for fast pick-up because it can be a decent wait for your food. read more

When I'm in the mood for top notch Indian cuisine, Masala Express is the first place I turn to for both takeout and also dine in (they have approximately three tables so recommend getting there early). I've tried a number of their chicken and vegetable entrees (all excellent), and my favorite so far is their Chicken Tikka Masala (best I've ever had and I've tried a number). Also their homemade tea is amazing (similar to Chai with milk, but not as spicy). Family that appear to be the owners were very kind. Thank you for being in the neighborhood. read more

Had the spinach with chicken, cheese/veggie balls and garlic naan yesterday. All were very good - authentic Indian food . This mom and pop shop is what Arlington used to be like before the restaurant chains took over - very friendly, eager to please, food cooked when ordered and, can be customized. Portions are larger than many other Indian places in the area. Indian food has gotten very expensive (unjustifiably IMHO). It's not that way at Masala Express. Both of my dishes were $8.95, I believe. This is not a sit-down restaurant (as the name implies) but you can eat there at one of about seven small tables. It is very clean and pleasant. I plan to return often. read more

These guys are as good as it gets with Indian food! This is our go to place when we are too lazy to go out for dinner or cook. Very authentic Indian food - and trust me I've tried almost every Indian restaurant in the NoVA region, and this is my favorite. I hope they don't change anything. Love this place! read more

Solid Indian take-out/delivery place and much better than most in the DC area. The prices are reasonable compared to many Indian places around DC and if you like spicy food, they will give it to you if you ask. They only have a couple tables and chairs, so I recommend picking-up or get it delivered. The lamb saag and biryani are my favorites. read more

I ordered the chicken tikka masala and it tasted like tomato soup with chicken in it. The chicken was also all dark meat. It didn't taste anything like chicken tikka masala. Quite a disappointment. We also ordered saag chicken which did not taste traditional and was not great either. Wouldn't order from here again when I could go to a sit down Indian restaurant and pay a couple dollars more for the real thing. read more

We entered this "restaurant" with a huge party, with lots of different culinary tastes. I would like to say few words about the service.... It was absolutely amazing and touching. From what I understand it is a family owned businesses, with there son helping out, I loved it. The food was absolutely the best and delicious in perfect portions, I am so coming back!!!!! read more

This is our go to Indian take out restaurant. It's a family business and are very attentive. The food is consistently good and well made. A few of my Indian friends also say it's great. I think it of more as a take out place - not really a sit down restaurant. I honestly wish there was more room for a sit down restaurant - we'd go more often! read more

Ordered the Malai Kofta for dinner which was very good, it had the perfect amount of spice in the sauce. The food was also ready quickly and the service was very friendly. Great place for take out with very reasonable prices. read more

This place is a step above Delhi Dabha but not quite as good as Delhi Club. I also think the quality has slightly gone done, for whatever reason, from when they first opened. First time I ate there I was really impressed. The second time I thought it was good but not as great as before and I pretty much ordered the same stuff. I hope it survives but they may be cutting a corner or two due to lack of business. read more

This little, family run restaurant is my favorite place by far for Indian food in Arlington. They are very courteous and the food is reasonably priced. I have gotten the chicken curry and chicken tikka masala so many times I've lost count. Every time I go I tell myself I am going to order something new but those two dishes are so good I always talk myself right back into ordering one or the other. The garlic naan is wonderful as well read more

I really enjoyed eating here. While the place is definitely take-out oriented (not that many tables), the food was excellent! The gentleman and his wife are very kind, and patiently gave us suggestions on what to order. I thought everything from the Mix and Match tasted great. The gentleman even brought us a piece of watermelon to finish the meal. read more

I don't know much about Indian food, but I stopped in this place attracted by the word "Express" on a night that was busy for me. What a nice surprise! Fresh food, wide selection, fast and friendly service. This is a go-to spot for something different for dinner. read more

Yum - Indian food delivered. I particularly liked the Lamb Vindaloo - it was actually fairly spicy, which is pretty rare in this area.

I absolutely love this place! It is both affordable and delicious- especially the palak paneer! I will definitely be ordering from here again and again. read more

I'm a fan. Chicken Biryani and Lamb Vindaloo were both excellent. The plain naan was good. Had the rosmali for dessert and it had a great texture and flavor. The staff were very nice. The price was good. The wait wasn't long. This is my new neighborhood Indian take-out. Can't wait to explore the rest of the menu. read more

Food here is great!!! I love indian food and wanted to try this place out. The chicken biryani was delicious and butter chicken was oh so good!!! Naan is nice and fluffy. Prices are reasonable, we ordered the same dishes at Zaika nearby and the cost was twice as expensive than here but the food at Masala express was way better. The actual restaurant itself is very small with about 4 or five tables so it's more of a carryout. The staff are friendly and the food is worth a try if you like indian food. read more

This place is fantastic! The food was fresh and high quality. The portions were generous and reasonably priced. This is a wonderful, family-owned spot with friendly customer service. Our dinner was very yummy. I consider myself very picky about Indian food (my favorite cuisine). And this place exceeded my standards! read more

Love the food here. Great for mix and match platter. There food is really great. Samosas are good. Butter chicken is excellent. Try ordering from the menu and you will be surprised. Delivery service is also great. They do catering for big events also. read more

I discovered this gem one evening when I was searching yelp for a new place to grab a quick bite to eat nearby. I had never tried Indian food but I figured wih such good yelp reviews it was worth a try! I was a bit hesitant at first upon arriving because it looks a little sketchy from the outside but I got over that quickly. The place is run by a family and everyone is so friendly and helpful with what to try. I highly recommend the chicken tiki masala-- sooo delicious! The dinner portions are generous and are served with rice (but you should totally get a side of the naan as well!) there are a couple tables inside and outside but these tend to be used for people sitting and waiting for there food- it's definitely more of a take out business. Give this place a try- you won't regret it! read more

The food here is consistently great, especially like their Butter Chicken and Saag. You can tell they put a lot of care and love in everything they make. Prices are very reasonable, portions are generous, the owners are friendly, and delivery is usually quick. read more

Good value and delicious food. Only complaint is that naan does not come with the main dishes and has to be ordered on the side. They give you a truckload of rice to compensate though! read more