Masala Express is easily my #1 Indian spot in Merced. I ordered the chicken tikka masala and man... this was next level. Super tender chicken and the sauce was rich, creamy, and packed with flavor perfectly spiced without being too heavy. With the fluffy rice and warm naan it was one of those meals you don't want to end. What really makes this place stand out though is the service. The owner is always there super welcoming and constantly checking in to make sure you're taken care of. You can tell he takes pride in the food and the experience. Great food top-tier service this place doesn't miss. read more

Masala Express - Indian Near Me - Merced, California

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Having been here two different times, both experiences have been delicious. The first time was ordering off the main menu. There is a huge selection with a variety of options. The entire meal was flavorful and the team provided excellent service. The second time was with the lunch buffet. It had a good amount of chicken items and vegetarian options. Two different types of basmati rice which were amazing. It was great to sample a variety of entrees during lunch. Again the flavors were consistent and the servers did a great job even though it was the buffet option picked. They do have door dash, payment the do take card and Apple Pay. It is definitely a local business that is worth the support. There is not a negative thing to say about the restaurant, food or the team working there. read more

Fantastic food and wonderful customer service! Everyone was very helpful and welcoming, and it was nice and clean inside the restaurant. We enjoyed the lunch buffet. We will definitely be back again! read more

The service is horrible and the food is mid. Please make sure to check your receipt because they may try to overcharge you as well. Don't waste your time and money. read more

Finally checked it out and we love it! 1st off, they leave a bottle of water on the table, I love that! Why don't more restaurants do that. Our waitress was awesome and suggested a new dish for us to try, aloo tikki chaat... it was delicious! The ambiance is a relaxed modern restaurant with a cool photo op space. The place was packed but the food came out quickly. We will definitely be back. read more

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First time ever trying Indian food. The atmosphere was calm and peaceful, perfect for introverts or for couples looking for something new to trying. The owner/manager was amazing! He came to greet us and he was very informative with his own dishes and spices. He helped us go through the menu and explain the items what they came with and what they use and what he recommends for people trying it for the first time. Very open and welcoming. The food was amazing! Very fresh with lots of flavors! Very warm for the belly! Everything just tasted fresh and homemade nothing tasted processed or heavy. Highly recommend to try it. Posting a pic of what we had and our bill cause I don't know the names of these. Also they had a lot of healthy vegetarian options and non vegetarian as well read more

Masala Express - Recipe - Indian Near Me - Merced, California

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We have been here multiple times and the food is fantastic however the service has continued to decline. We came today and the ladies couldn't understand our order off the menu. We had to point to it on the menu and she still looked like she wasn't sure but said ok. We waited an hour and only one dish came out. When we asked for the rest of the food she was confused and didn't know what we were talking about. She came back to the table and apologized and said it would be another 30-45 min because she didn't put it in the system. We were the only people in the restaurant at the time so it's not like she was busy. We have had previous discrepancies with our orders but nothing this bad. The food is delicious but the service is not. read more

Lunch buffet was convenient and tasty. Had good chicken and vegetarian options. Food was not very oily and tasted very fresh.

Delicious food. They were able to accommodate our differing "spicy" tolerances. Service was quick, friendly, and efficient. Restaurant, including the restrooms, were clean. read more

Honestly the food portions are terrible, service is terrible and lacking, and I felt like I was given rations. It felt like a hassle to even ask for napkins. The food was okay, but it could've been better. Hoped for more considering it's reputation, but it truly was lacking. read more

Back here for a second time and the service and food was consistent, consistently great! Mandeep greeted us and remembered us from last time, and shared about how he's working on renovations! The restaurant is very clean and food was awesome. We had the fried fish, achari paneer, chole bhaturey, naan and butter chicken(bone in). Chai was also great. We appreciated the personalized service and great tasting food. This is a must try when in Merced or if you are just on the 99 passing through, craving some delicious food. Really impressed with how good the food was ... again. Looking forward to our next visit! read more

We found this awesome Indian restaurant while in Merced. The restaurant is nicely decorated and very clean. It has a fun little vibe with nice music playing in the background. My husband ordered Tandoori chicken (medium spice) with Green Chili Naan and I ordered the Saag Paneer (medium spice) with the Butter Naan. Medium spice is definitely on the spicier side for me and I should have probably ordered mild! It was not too spicy for me to eat and was balanced out a bit with my butter naan and rice. My husband's chicken was also a bit more spicy and ate a little more spicy with his green chili naan. Our servers were so sweet and friendly! They truly provided us with great customer service and made our dining experience a pleasure. We will definitely be stopping in to eat at Masala Express the next time we are in Merced. Although the name of the restaurant made me think it was more of a take out restaurant, it is a great place to sit down and relax and enjoy some delicious Indian food. I highly recommend this gem of a restaurant! read more

It was my first time here and I was very impressed. The customer service was awesome. The food was amazing. I had the goat curry and the fish curry and I both love them. The owner was very friendly. The ambience was cool. Five stars. I will be back for more. read more

The food is good. The service was very respectful and polite. The place is clean. They have a new policy of 1 rice per table even if you order various foods that normally come with a side of rice it will still be 1 rice bowl. My family and I went in when the place was pretty empty just one other table of 2. I went ahead and ordered all the food but somehow when the food came out they kept forgetting dishes, three different times the waitress came and asked what the order was, 3 times I reiterated the order yet it was brought out wrong. I gave up and ate what was brought out. read more

I officially love and crave the food here. Customer service is EXCELLENT, the owner is actively greeting and helping out in and out of the kitchen. THE GARLIC NAAN AND REGULAR NAAN is the BEST you can find!! MUST TRY. Tasty , soft, fluffy and beautiful, but you can order to your preference. The service here is so quick. Restaurant is very clean , nice music playing , and enjoyable. Thank you!!! read more

Went to their lunch buffet. There weren't as many choices as I had hoped for, but I liked how all the buffet trays had a metal cover on top. The samosas were just okay. Anything deep fried needs to be eaten searing hot out of the fryer, these had been sitting there for a few minutes and started to cool down. The tandoori chicken was perplexing. The first bit was dry, but as I ate other parts of the chicken it tasted a lot better. I figure this is the least common denominator of an Indian restaurant. I'd say it pretty good but not spectacular. The butter chicken was very good. But the highlight of my meal was the masala chicken. The meat was tender, juicy, and flavorful. After I finished off my first tray, I had a hefty second helping of this. The rice was excellent, as was the fresh garlic naan. The price before tip was around $14. For that 5th star, I would like to see goat and/or lamb dishes in the buffet. read more

Masala Express - CTM, samosa, masala chicken, dal and rice - Indian Near Me - Merced, California

The best buffet choice for lunch hands down! Fresh and flavorful with a friendly staff. Everything was great!

Wonderful place! The food is always delicious, the owner (I believe) is such a kind man. The employees are always kind and welcoming, and always offer to make any changes we would like. The environment is always clean and welcoming. read more

Amazing food. Great service. Awesome ambiance. Second time, we visited this restaurant and same experience. Worth driving from tracy. read more

Masala Express - Tandoori Paneer Tikka - Indian Near Me - Merced, California

I haven't had a chance to dine in at this location but I've ordered food to go multiple times. Each time the servers offer water while I wait and are always happy to make substitutions to my order for me. I've been very happy with my food each time, it's delicious and keeps me coming back. read more

Came here for the second time, and I have to say, I'm quite impressed so updating my review to add another star. This time we got some of our usuals, butter chicken, cheesy garlic naan, samosas, mango lassi and masala chai. The new items we tried were mint lassi and tandoori chicken. The tandoori chicken was delicious and came out on a sizzling plate! The mint lassi was not what I expected, so I asked the waitress if I can get a mango one instead and she delivered. The mango lassi is sooo good, probably one of the best I've had. Both the waitress and the gentleman working (owner maybe?) we're so attentive and nice, two thumbs way way up for them. They also added a backdrop wall for pictures, check it out next time you're there! read more

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My husband and I love the butter lamb with butter naan. About a year ago we wanted to DoorDash some and noticed it wasn't on the app so we called to ask if it was still available. The owner answered and was kind enough to say that he was sorry it was not available on the app, but he would personally deliver it to us. Which he actually did! Very kind gesture and delicious. read more

Masala Express - Butter Lamb and Butter Naan - Indian Near Me - Merced, California

The food is delicious every time we go. Whether we get buffet, order for pick up, or eat in the restaurant the flavor is consistently good. The prices are also reasonable for the serving size. So excited that rice actually comes with most plates on their menu. Every staff member is extremely nice and attentive to what we need. We enjoy going to Masala Express. read more

Amazing food and such wonderful customer service!!! Love Masala Express! Their food is the BEST!

Great service! Very clean! And the customer service is very warming! Will definitely come back soon

New spot in Merced Authentic India. cuisine Really like their butter chicken here. Great flavor! I would love to try menu items for dinner in the future, they have some sizzling plates and things I have yet to try. Great service here. The owner came out and chatted with us for a few minutes. It was great to see the care he has in his restaurant. Nice atmosphere read more

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Amazing service and great food and flavors. The butter chicken was phenomenal. The lamb is to die for.

My first time trying this place I ordered thru Doordash. I ordered the Goat Curry and the Lamb Naan. The Goat curry was delicious and very tasty! Shoutout to the owner of the restaurant for going above and beyond and ensuring that I received the correct order. The lamb naan was very tasty it was stuffed naan that I haven't tried before. Can't wait to try other dish on the menu. Will definitely recommend! Forgot to snap photos we were hungry and excited to eat) read more

Delicious! The owner was very friendly as well. Great vegetarian/vegan options as well.

Good food as always. Been coming for a long time. The service was excellent. The host was very attentive. Just wish I didn't eat so much so I could try the desserts. Next time. read more

Wow the flavors are amazing here! The prices are reasonable and the service is amazing too! This place is definitely one of the best places to eat in Merced! So many options and so so delicious! You will leave, full, satisfied, and with extras for lunch the next day! Enjoy! read more

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Food was so DELICIOUS! Very fresh great variety on the buffet. Butter chicken was fantastic! Been was fresh and delicious!! Staff was friendly & attentive. I was told the buffet changes daily. I can't wait to come back again to try more of their dishes!!! read more

Another amazing dinner!!! We tried a few more options. Such a clean facility and so fun to watch the music videos. Service is still excellent!!! read more

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Amazing food. Everything was made fresh as per our order. They were even able to modify dishes spice level as per our liking. We ordered daal, mix veg, paneer makhni, pakora and aloo tikki chaat. Pakoras and tikkis were very crip, fresh out of kadai. Owner told us we can make any dish vegan which I wasn't aware. I'll try to replace paneer with tofu and cream with coconut milk next time. Place is very neat, clean and quiet. read more

Outstanding restaurant. Outstanding selection of dishes to choose from. Outstanding and friendly service. Sam is the man! We ordered the curry goat and basamti rice. Amazing. I live in oakland ca and I will make it a habit to take a road trip just to sit down at Masala express to enjoy the ambience and food! 10 stars if I could give it! read more

Excellent service. They were always checking if we needed something. Regarding the menu: With the word Express being in their name I thought that it was going to have 2 options in the menu (combo1 and combo2) , well I'm happy to announce I was wrong . The menu was full of options and they seemed very aware of costumers who might have allergies. The food was great I loved the garlic naan because it tastes like garlic. The chicken tikka masala was creamy and rather addicting. The navratan korma was sweet and full of flavor. The desserts were also delicious: The kheer was like any rice pudding delicious but honestly not world breaking. However I had never tried Gajar ka halwah and I am changed. Now the price was great 50$ for a bunch of food plus dessert. read more

Masala Express - Garlic Naan Chicken Tikka Masala Navratan korma - Indian Near Me - Merced, California

Amazing food and service, the bread and curry was very tasty!! Nice service Thank you!! read more

Fresh food, excellent service, and the ambiance is modern & cozy. The owner is really friendly and cares about his customers. He even offered to make our son a special dish that our son requested. Overall, I recommend this place to everyone who appreciates a delicious meal and comfortable time! read more

Their portions are not that great for what they charge. They rush you to pick up your order... and the chicken tikka masala seemed old and WATERED down :( If you're looking for good QUALITY Indian food, please try Royal Indian Cuisine!!! read more

Masala Express - Chicken Tikka Masala - Indian Near Me - Merced, California

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Has not tried many restaurants in the area, but this place is authentic and makes an awesome Sev Puri. I have had the regular puri where you filled the puri yourself, but the Sev Puri comes ready-made. The Lamb Curry had good flavor. Overall, it was a great experience for Indian food and beats most places you find in big cities! read more

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