I've been coming to this location for over 25 years, because of the food is always on point and tastes amazing! The Chicken-Tika-Masala, Beef Keema Curry, and Vegetable Khorma or my go-to dishes. The garlic naan is among the best that I have ever tasted among all of the Indian restaurants in San Diego. I had the pleasure of watching the owner prepare it in the back of the house, and it was nothing short of a masterpiece! If you're looking for fast casual Indian food, then this is your place. The food is a little bit spicy, so be prepared... Royal India Express is a train that will take you on a one-way trip to food paradise! read more

I tried the chicken korma and chicken tikka masala. Good job on keeping the chicken juicy and tasty. The flavor was spot on, and thanks for naan fresh made. I have zero complaints about this place. Great job! You guys went way above expectations for a food court experience. read more

Luna is amazing the food was great the chicken korma is high protein and taste amazing. Always happy to see Luna working she makes this mall better and gives great customer service with a smile. Love love this place because of her. The ambiance is mixed since they are at the food court read more

Royal India Express - Indian Near Me - San Diego, California

I had tiki masala and korma over a bed of rice. I had a combination plate with two items which was plenty for me. The food was mouth-watering. Two items were enough to fill me up. It was as located in a food court called the dining terrace ice rink. The seating area looked over an ice rink which is part of the utc sports center. Make sure you check out the food court before selecting a restaurant. read more

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Cashier was very nice and welcoming. Ordered and food came out fresh and hot. Fries were crispy and chicken was smoky and tender. Sauce was rich and savory and paired well with the chicken. Sad to see how empty it was but the restaurant looked very neat and clean. read more

Royal India Express - Tikka Fries - Indian Near Me - San Diego, California

Beware they are charging above the advertised price. Menu display TV showed 12.99 for a two plate combo, it rang up as 14.99 at the register for that. Seems like it's a common tactic they're doing reading other reviews; I will be reporting this pricing inaccuracy to the SD county weights & measures. Food itself was just fine. Got the chicken curry and aloo mutter, both were a bit on the bland side but fine by mall food court standards. read more

Royal India Express - Chicken Curry and Aloo mutter - Indian Near Me - San Diego, California

Amazing food, I'm not the type of guy to go back to a restaurant and eat the food but their chicken rap is so good I had to have it over and over again read more

With the many great flavors and the spices that make restaurants the best one of the best foods that you have are the best tastes of the midetwra ian and the Indian Countries. Going to the Royal Indian Express service of the restaurant you get the welcome when you come to the counter the many great dishes of the food court . With the many dishes they have at the food court the The Royal India they iscall all authentic the taste of Indian food . The many tastes and flavors you will find the many tastes of cinnamon and the many foods they prepare at the Royal India. Customer service at the Royal India is one that can help with the many foods and the flavors the sweet sauce that goes with samosas is one of the best. Seeing the cooking in the back you know the many products the warming dishes have the curry dishes and the nan bread you can use to eat many of the dishes having the best flavor with the potatoes dishes they have. The evening at the food court at UTC food court you can find the best restaurants for the many restaurants that serve many more more dishes. The Royal India Restaurant you can have the best food and enjoy the best ambiance of the outside with fire heaters and great wine and bars that are near by. The many desert places you can enjoy with dinner even the food you can take home Indian Food is one one of the great Mediterranean foods . As a Yelp Elite Reviewer the many great places you can find some of the best that has the flavors great for the whole family. The food court at the UTC food court you can have the best finding the best deals the best deserts and dishes to take home. read more

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This was my first time to try vegerable mascara and korma. The sweet sauce of the mascara complemented the vegetables. I love the slight kick of spice in the korma. The dishes were a delish combo. The staff was friendly too read more

Royal India Express - Vegetable chana masala and korma with basati rice combo. - Indian Near Me - San Diego, California

Luna always provides excellent service every time we come up to Royal India UTC and that is why we prefer this one over the downtown location. read more

Luna immediately sold me on the new Tika over rice! Royal India is delicious and the service is great :)

I should have listened to the reviews. Do not get the garlic naan. It's hard and just like an ordinary bread. The garlic is also very light. Chicken Korma and Tandori Chicken are also very average and not enough spice. The place is inside the fast food of UTC Mall. Total cost of my 2 Combo plus a Garlic Naan lunch is $20. I do not recommend eating at this place read more

Royal India Express - Tandoori Chicken and Chicken Korma Combo with a very Hard Garlic Naan - Indian Near Me - San Diego, California

Dissatisfied. I usually come to this place for some lunch at UTC, and I'm usually very happy with my meal. Today, the chicken Tikki masala and chicken korma were very greasy, which has never happened to me before. Also, their new naan policy where they make it "fresh to order" is horrible!!! I ordered plain naan and they said it would take around 2 minutes for the naan to be done. I waited, and waited. The 2 minutes turned into 8 before I got my naan! My food almost went cold!! They need to switch back to having naan ready for people to order as soon as they do. Ridiculous. read more

the dahl was delish and luna was so sweet :3 i would definitely come back. I also love the basmati rice.

The Service was great and the food was amazing!! Definitely will be back!! They had samples and they were delicious!!

Everything was amazing and fast, the food was so good and the employees were great! I would recommend this place to anyone looking for some good Indian food in La Jolla! read more

Lovely people and delicious food!! Highly recommend. Right next to outside seating, very nice to eat in the area!

Disappointed. We love different dishes and Indian food is a treat but the chicken masala tastes like buttered chicken only and no spice at all, garlic naan is burnt and can't taste no garlic, while the tandori chicken was dry & hard like its been reheated a few times. Well, at least now I know what to avoid. read more

luna was a amazing help, helped us pick the best food, out of all that the food test amazing and I will com back 10/10.

I went on a Tuesday around 4:30pm - wasn't busy at all the sweet woman behind the counter helped me and she was absolutely delightful - even made a recommendation. The curry wasn't bad - I honestly don't remember which one she recommended it was a chicken more mild curry. It was good. Something I would get again if I was in the area. My issue is with the naan. I might be a little biased bc I recently came back from Japan and the curry out there is an absolute staple. But naan and curry go together like pb and jelly... this naan was not it. Tasteless, cold, FLAT (which was so sad) and surprisingly flavorless being a garlic naan. I think it's because they're pre-rolled in foil so it just dried out and flat flat flat! Yucki If the naan had been better I would be back but curry without naan isn't worth eating. read more

Royal India Express - Flat flat flat naan - not fluffy - Indian Near Me - San Diego, California

If I could give 5 negative stars I would. Run far away if you value your health and don't want to throw money away on food less than the worst dog food. Our family loves Indian food but this was the most unwholesome experience I've had in a long time and we are sad about it. The worst part is not that they cannot execute proper cuisine but that the food was old and close to rotten. I expected to see mold on the naan which was almost gooey in texture. The gentleman behind the counter looked sad too. I guess if you don't have decent standards you can't be happy about the slop you serve people. Maybe other RI are better but I will never frequent another one again because they have ruined the name for me by serving sub, sub, sub par food. Beware! read more

Bland food (Chicken Masala), Naan was burned and no flavor as well. Worker serving the plates was rude. Wish no stars was a choice

Clearly ordered two items. Server asked me for a third. Server gave me the wrong items, and I paid, and when I brought it up, he didn't fix the issue. read more

man i ain't even gonna lie. this shi was pretty good. for $15, crodie in the front blessed me up. i got the plate with double tikka and it was actually very good. the person working was very nice and gave me a very generous portion of tikka. the meat was also very nice and tender and soft and schmeaty. just absolutely fabulous. for 15 dollars, you can't get a better deal anywhere else for indian food ngl. all the other indian food around la jolla is causin students like me to file chap 13 bankruptcy from how expensive they r. but yeah this place def exceeded my expectations man. try the tikka read more

Royal India Express - Indian Near Me - San Diego, California

Food: 3.5/5 Service and Setting: 2.5/5 Value: 2.5/5 From what I remember, Royal India has been a staple in UTC's food court since forever, gracing its main entrance. They are always offering samples of rice and one of their chicken curries, so you can definitely grab a taste before you commit. The service here was eh, I came when they just opened and when I asked for prices or how many samosas came with the listed price, the lady helping me gave me major stink eye. Even for mall rent prices, I felt that having a two item plate for $12.99 without bread was astronomical. Even though it looks like they pack in the food, in reality, the styrofoam containers they use are thinner than other restaurants. If you are craving Indian/South Asian food while shopping, this is a good option. Samosas be going brrr though, read about it below! Korma Chicken: 3.5/5 I feel like Korma Chicken is a dish that has fallen out of favor with the American Indian food community. I see a lot of vegetable korma but not so much chicken. The Korma Chicken at Royal India is very sweet, much sweeter than I expected. They may do this to sort of differentiate it from their other chicken curries. It has a respectable amount of savoriness in a ubiquitous style tomato-based curry gravy. The chicken in the dish was not dry at all and the ratio of curry to protein was good. For me, it was a little basic and too sweet, but I'm sure that there is no one who will outright dislike this dish. Aloo Mutter: 3.5/5 I liked the Aloo Mutter slightly more than the Korma Chicken, but not enough to give it a higher score. They do not skimp out of on the potatoes and peas. Since I went during their opening time, the potatoes I received were cooked perfectly and even had a slight bite to them. The sauce is a bit plainer than the korma chicken and tastes simply like tomato. Unlike the korma chicken, there is a more savory flavor rather than sweet. The spices used are very mild and because of that there is a lack of depth overall. Meat Samosa: 4.5/5 It is really rare to see meat samosas being offered at Indian restaurants and when they are, they are usually chicken. I believe this one was beef, making it very rare. Let's start off with the bad. I found the samosa to be very expensive at $2.99 for one with a less than ample amount of filling. The pastry was very oily as well. The flavor though is very interesting and reminds me more of an African style sambusa. The flavors are very different from anything I've ever had and are both memorable and delicious. Give one a try even if you chose not to have your full meal here. read more

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there is a good reason this place is a ghost town while other food joints in the same food court are busy. This place was built by two Indian brothers who had the best food and even better service. unfortunately I wasn't aware that they are no longer owners of this place. current owners are non-Indians and have no clue what these dishes are supposed to taste like. when I told them their food was not edible, the chicken was all fat instead of breast meat, their bread was so thick, hard and stale I could not eat it. the spicy beans had a foreign object in it the size of a thumb. the chef came outside, told me to show him the plate. His only response was that there is nothing wrong with the bread and walked away. don't throw your hard earned money away and very possibly jeopardize your health. Horrible food Horrible service Over priced Apparently they have another location in Del Mar... You have been warned!! read more

OMG the food was sooo good I licked every morsel off my fingers just to savor the tandoori yum yum yum 10/10

Delicious hot and fresh! Highly recommend Chana masala, chicken korma and spicy chicken curry

Quick service and tasty food! Can't go wrong with a good Tikka Masala! The area was clean and the options were simple, so can't complain.

they make the best samosas in whole of San Diego! thank you so much Norma for giving me the best price for the corporate order and ensuring timely delivery of the samosas! Packing was perfect too :) read more

Royal India Express - Vegetable Samosa - Indian Near Me - San Diego, California

Ridiculous prices I got overcharged for a small bowl the guy said it was tax but I saw the sign said $9 for bowl and he charge me $12.99 read more

Royal India Express - I paid $19.41 for this small plate I believe the guy charged me wrong the bowl should of been $9.00 not $12.99 never coming back here - Indian Near Me - San Diego, California

stupid workers, i had to ask for a bag even though the worker SAW it was leaking. zero star i hope you get fired and this gets shut down this wasn't worth twelve dollars read more

Royal India Express - two item combo that is very obviously leaking - Indian Near Me - San Diego, California

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This used to be my go-to choice in the UTC Mall Food Court, but we went there today for lunch and were disappointed. Everything was bland. Not just that it wasn't spicy, it wasn't spiced. If you didn't know what you were eating, you would have had a hard time telling it was Indian. Portions are still big (and sloppy), and the prices haven't gotten too high, so it's not bad, it's just not really good. read more

Not an exaggeration when I say that this place is one of the most disappointing restaurants I've been to. Nothing we ate had any resemblance of heat nor freshness. We had the rice, tikka masala, lemon potatoes and garlic naan. The whole meal was a bit pricey for the portion, especially considering it's food court Indian food. Why is everything so lukewarm and oily? The rice was bland and practically cold. While tikka masala is my personal favorite, I couldn't finish the small portion that was given. It was runny, tasteless and cold. Even putting the sauce on the rice didn't even add any flavor. The lemon potatoes had some zesty flavor, I guess but the oily residue overpowered everything. Soggy and once again cold. And the garlic naan, what an abomination! It was pre-wrapped in aluminum foil and surprise, it was the coldest item of them all. How can you call something garlic when it tastes like you rubbed oil on it, sprinkled some herbs and let it sit out for a whole day. Likewise all this food lumped in my stomach for the rest of the day. I don't know if everyone was eager to leave for the night but they were just threw into a box and didn't smile nor seem happy to be there. No amount of water could wash down the greasiness I felt after eating and nothing could redeem the fact that I spent almost $14 on the worst food court experience ever. Although they sometimes give out samples, don't take the bait. Not worth your money nor arteries. Would not recommend and I genuinely regret giving this spot a shot. read more

Royal India Express - rice + tikka masala + potatoes - Indian Near Me - San Diego, California

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Food was delicious, hot and fresh. Service was very friendly. You can build a plate or a bowl. Food is easily addicting and next time I'm back I'll get it again read more

The service was excellent. Juan is the best. The food is my favorite here. Love this place.

The food was mediocre and very bland (I know good Indian food) what made the horrible experience was the young man working tonight made feel rushed not be able to ask him whether items were spicy or not which is a dietary issue for me. I was the only one in the line but felt as if I was bothering him with his smugness and eye roll when I asked literally about two items. After paying for my food he wadded my receipt and thew it in the trash and didn't bother to ask if I wanted it. I asked for the receipt he acted shrewd again tapping on the screen to retrieve a new one when he realized it was too far at the bottom of the trash apparently. He didn't apologize at all which really bothered me. My exact thoughts were.... this food better be good!!! Nonetheless the food was not worth the price for the attitude at all. I had the chicken Masala ( I got two chunks of chicken and a lot of watery sauce!!!!!!) and the vegetable curry item, and a vegetable soma (this was good with the sauce) which were exactly just ok. The naan was burnt and as soon as I unrolled the foil and it was exposed to air it was hard. All in all this review is of the customer service and food itself. I could have taken my business else where spending 20 dollars (overpriced and obviously why there is no customers) and wish I would have just to have gotten a friendlier service and better meal. read more

Royal India Express - The rude guy with glasses working here - Indian Near Me - San Diego, California

A happy kid is a win. Large portions. Good food. Juan was so inviting and helpful. Felt like our personal server. We'll be back to try more. read more

Royal India Express - Delicious Indian cuisine. - Indian Near Me - San Diego, California

I could not finish my meal. The tikka masala had a runny, watery texture and the chicken was weird and the taste was so bland. The naan was worse than reheated Trader Joe's microwave naan. The rice wasn't terrible. I went home and had cereal. read more

I decided to try Royal India Express because I enjoy Indian food and this seemed like a different choice in the food court. I also know that Royal India has been at UTC for as long as I have been coming here...a long time. This place is definitely worth 2 stars. I've had Chicken Tikka Masala at other Indian restaurants and they are usually made with chunks of chicken breast. The Chicken Tikka Masala here is a mixture of weird chunks of white meat, dark meat, gristle, and some bones. It was lots of fun digging through the sauce trying to find the edible pieces of chicken. The sauce could have been more flavorful or maybe a little heat would have been nice. The basmati rice was good but the yellow rice was sticky and had a weird flavor. I chose the veggies in my $10 combo plate. The veggies were overcooked and soggy. I was sadly disappointed in my choice for dinner. read more

Royal India Express - Tikka Masala and Veggies - Indian Near Me - San Diego, California

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