Amazing indian food. We were returning back from Yosemite to SFO and decided to stop here after reading the reviews. The restaurant was about to close so we called them and requested for allowing us to dine in at 9:45 pm. The server was very kind and we really loved their service. Everything we ordered was amazing especially Paneer bhurji and Dal Tadka. With every order of curry, you get a plate of rice which is good if you are a rice lover. 1) Breads- Garlic naan, onion kulcha, chilli naan ( everything was good - onion kulcha was even better) 2) Paneer bhurji 3) Malai kofta ( okayish, gravy tasted a bit sour) 4) Dal tadka ( came with rice) 5) Mango lassi ( okayish, should be thicker) Overall, the food is good and would love to visit again! The rates were quite reasonable too. Taste - 4.5/5 Service - 5/5 Price - 5/5 read more

Masala Express - Paneer Bhurji, Dal Tadka, Malai Kofta, Garlic Naan, Green Chili Naan - Indian Near Me - Merced, California

First time trying Indian food and let me tell you! I'm ready to eat this again. Service was good and fast read more

Masala Express - Buttery chicken - Indian Near Me - Merced, California

Food was SO GOOD! Service was good and friendly, prices were same as everywhere else. The food was plentiful and all three of us left with to go containers. Our server was a bit difficult to understand, but super friendly and courteous. We will definitely be back! read more

Lunch buffet is well worth it . The music that plays in the background is upbeat and got this dinner just a bit more ready to eat till my belly popped out in satisfaction. Our servers those lovely ladies made share the room was hydrated,clean,and smiling As for the Owner Sam, thanks for very inviting restaurant. Can't wait to try more of your restaurant's food. read more

We had an amazing experience eating here yesterday. The food was delicious & the customer service was excellent. Highly recommended. read more

Masala Express - We had an amazing experience eating here. The food was delicious & the customers service was outstanding. Highly recommend. - Indian Near Me - Merced, California

Omg, ya'll. The Chicken Tikka Marsala was THE BEST I've ever had! It was so smooth and delicious and creamy...and the onion naan was SO GOOD too! I will definitely be ordering from here again. I was even shocked to find that the leftovers reheated really well the next day...in a hotel room...with a hotel room microwave! read more

Awesome food! Big portions. Authentic Indian dishes. We were four vegetarians who took some dishes to go while on out drive from the Bay Area to Yosemite. We ordered Amritsari kulcha, butter naan, garlic naan, aloo gobi, paneer butter masala, salted lassi and mint lassi. Everything was fantastic save for the lassis, which were just ~good due to the yogurt being tart. read more

Delicious and i think it's the best Indian restaurant in town. Definitely try it out. Service was good as they always paid attention to us. I like the ambiance because they had Indian music in the background and a lot of Indian paintings. read more

Masala Express - Traditional Indian sweets - Indian Near Me - Merced, California

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A nice addition to Merced Area. Service was fast, but I was the only one in there at the time (not sure how service would be if busy). Please note: it's not really an express place like Panda Express. It's dine in with a waiter/waitress. You can also order food to go. My total came out to almost $30.00 for lunch I believe they use chicken thigh for the butter chicken (some meat pieces have a little skin/fat on it) read more

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This place is a casual, regular class restaurant. It is nice and clean, well lit , and is not a romantic or private experience. The prices are very affordable and the service was great. The owner was actually the one that came and took our order. I am a roomie on Indian food, and haven't had much of it except for butter chicken and samosas. I ordered both of these here. The samosas were great and some of the best I have tasted. The butter chicken was real good too, not the best I've tasted but everyone has theirs own taste. It was in the upper three or four though. I tried Chicken Takki Marsala, and it was top notch. This is the first time I have ever tried it so I do t have anything to compare it to, but I will say it was delicious. I hope wherever I order it again it will be comparable! The garlic naan is one of the best that I have tasted so far. To the owners...good job! We will be back to experience some of the other dishes you offer! read more

This is definitely a place I will go back to. The food was so good and fresh. The owners were very friendly and described everything for me. I was going to order Butter Chicken but he recommended the Chicken Tikka Masala. It was delicious! We had samosa for an appetizer. Those were the best I've had. They had some spiciness to them but just the right amount. We shared the garlic naan. So good!! I brought home some desserts but I can't remember the names. Great great place!! read more

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

Let me start by saying thank you to the server, I did not get her name but she was super friendly and kind. The food was amazing it's a must go and try. When you first enter you right away smell all the wonderful spices. So far best Indian food restaurant in town. And I will definitely will go back. read more

Definitely recommend coming if you haven't yet! Food was great the chef not sure if also supervisor or manager maybe owner ‍ but checked on us made sure everything was good even recommended things to try next time. showed that he actually cared about how restaurant is ran and how quality of food is. Can't Wait to Go Again ! Also I had got the butter chicken with their daily special Naan which I asked for spicy and definitely delivered on point of spice level read more

Tried their lunch buffet today. First off, I cannot remember a time when we were greeted so warmly when we walked in. I noticed the two ladies who worked there continuously greet everyone who walked in just as friendly. It was so refreshing to see. Selection and food was great!!!!! Samosas were so so good! And the garlic naan bread. The best I've ever had. You actually could taste the garlic (as it should be!!) and the bread was thin and crispy. Large size portions. The restaurant was clean and nice and cool in this 111 degree weather. We will definitely be going there again. This is a must try especially for those who would like to try Indian food for the first time. read more

Amazing food/small portions The food is absolutely delicious but I was very disappointed in the portion sizes compared to the prices. read more

Excellent as always,, Everything is cooked perfectly like my NaNi would make. Best place in Merced hands down

Best Indian restaurant in Merced. Clean environment. Food taste very clean & very flavorful. read more

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Very good food! Clean restaurant. Staff was super friendly, attentive, and helpful. We will be back for sure!

Super spicy Butter chicken has been my pregnancy craving for the last month so I've ordered soooo many times. The food has always absolutely amazing and consistent. Definitely better than the other Indian restaurants in town. I love that you can choose the spice level, that's not available for the other restaurants.. so this stood out to me. Service was pretty good when I went in as well. A little expensive but worth it. 5 stars for sure read more

Food better than their peers who have have simular businesses. Service is warm and caring, ambiance is wonderful with the background music.

Very fabulous food, simply loved it. Tried chicken tikka and Malak Kofta along with rotis, would recommend both the dishes. read more

Masala Express - Restaurant pic - Indian Near Me - Merced, California

Fabulous. Super friendly and very clean. The food was vibrant and fresh, so delicious. Highly recommend this spot. Done I. Or take out.

As an Asian cuisine lover this new Indian restaurant was absolutely delicious. Without a doubt in my heart the best Indian restaurant here in Merced. Can't wait to try their lunch buffet. read more

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

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Food is phenomenal. Servers are very attentive and polite. Place feels welcoming. Food takes a while to come out, but it tastes amazing.

Great service and the samosas have a great powder season on them. Feels like a family owned restaurant.

This place caught us by surprise and my husband and I have never eaten Indian cuisine so we were skeptical. I am vegetarian and my husband is Muslim , and we were so happy with the menu ! Amazing service and the owner served us and is so passionate about everything he does. The ambiance was great and it was full but we were still catered to and felt very attended. We are so happy overall and this is our new favorite spot!! read more

Great experience staff was great!! This is not a fast food place so don't let the word express detour you!!! Probably some of the best food I have had and I've had Indian in little India in Los Angeles! Butter chicken was so good I want a jar of sauce to take home!!! Tandoti! Sorry no pictures we ate it all!! read more

Food gave me severe food anxiety. The service was nice but they burnt my Tandoori chicken and the curry was not nothing special.

I ordered the shrimp curry 10/10 Mango lemonade 10/10 Service 10/10 Ambiance clean & eye catching 10/10 read more

Their food is delicious and flavor full! I come here for my cheat meal every 5-6 months and it's worth every bite. The employees are nice and friendly, again I come here every 5-6 months and felt welcome each visit. Just found out they service Indian pizza, it's not on their permanent menu but they'll make it if you ask. If it's your first time trying Indian food, get the butter chicken with garlic naan. I would also recommend coming here for their lunch buffet, that why you can try the other dishes and see what you like best. As of today 03/22/2024, the restaurant is extremely clean almost spotless and they have been opened for a couple of years. read more

We ate here for the first time this week and it was wonderful. Excellent service, very clean and the food was outstanding. We will definitely be back. Highly recommended! read more

Looked this place up while I was in town for a work trip. Indian food can be very hit or miss. The second I walked in, I already knew it was a hit. When I walked in I was greeted twice. Once by one of the employees. And second was the by amazing aroma of spices that were coming from the kitchen. I got the chicken tikka masala with butter naan bread. The masala came with rice as well. I ordered it at the medium spice level which turned out to be delicious. I enjoy heat so I think I would have liked it at hot but medium was very good. Good amount of food and the naan was fresh. The service and food were great. I wish I was here longer because I'd go back again. read more

Masala Express - Chicken Tikka Masala & Basmati Rice (take out). - Indian Near Me - Merced, California

No frills, clean Indian restaurant with good selection of delicious food for dinner and friendly service.

We finally tried Masala Express last night and it was absolutely amazing and now our new favorite! The food was fresh, hot, and the menu had a good selection of dishes. If I could have given them 6 stars I would have. My only complaint would be the portions and prices were off a bit. Everything we ordered only the basmati rice was over proportioned. But none the less a must try!!!! read more

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I'm picky when it comes to Indian food and this place is legit. I ordered butter chicken, saag paneer and basmati rice on Doordash and was pleasantly surprised at the portion sizes for the price and the authenticity of flavors. The butter chicken was creamy and spicy and the chicken was super tender. The saag paneer was also good - I was craving that deep spinachy flavor and that's what I got. Rice was tender and cooked perfectly. I'm excited to have found this place and can't wait to try their other dishes on nights we order out. read more

Best Indian food in town. I talked to the chef personally and he said they don't use msg and only small amounts of seed oil. The food recipe is much cleaner and healthier than the other competitors. The fragrance of the spices are more pronounced and u don't feel sick afterwards . Great job. Not to mention the customer service is outstanding. read more

Amazing food, great service, and clean, nicely decorated place. The Naan was freshly made and tasted amazing. All the dishes we ordered were good. read more

Food is really good! I love the bitter chicken. The staff are friendly. Prices are reasonable. They should have a little dessert selection. Growing up, I had some desserts that my friend's mother made, AMAZING! I am not sure what the dessert was called. I wish I knew. read more

Great tasting Indian food! Pricing is good too, I have ordered delivery of individual items and all have had great taste but today I stopped by during lunch and to my surprise they have buffet between 11-2 with great selections of food read more

Really one of the best Indian restaurants that I have been to and that is an understatement. I have been to several Indian restaurants and none of them were this good. I loved the curry, and pani puri, and the other dishes. The place was nice and clean as well and the people in the restaurant were really nice. Overall, my favorite Indian Restaurant in Merced. read more