I think the food is delicious and the buffet is a good value. I do admit that they have a problem with timeliness although I've never experienced or witnessed any rude behavior from the staff or management as some reviewers describe. The new restaurant is very nice and modern looking but the booths are hard to get into and I whacked my knees trying once. All in all, it's not a bad experience if you have a lot of time on your hands to wait for good food. My personal favorite is the butter chicken entree! I also like getting a side of their naan bread for dipping. read more

Absolutely terrible service. It has been nearly an hour now and our meal hasn't arrived yet. We told the waiter if it wasn't here in five minutes we were walking out. read more

I have not been to the Taj Mahal since it moved into its new location. This is a buffet style restaurant plus a menu choice for dinner. I had lunch there with a friend. To conversation was good. The meal was less than desirable. The entrees were cold, the rice had no flavor and the tea was not hot. I will not be going back unless the change management and have a hot buffet with flavor. read more

Went to lunch buffet a few days ago. I believe I paid $12 or so total for my buffet w/water which was refilled frequently by a very pleasant female server. Naan here was relatively dry and hard to chew. Desserts included a bright orange mango pudding that fizzes in the mouth as though it is fermented (in a good way, not a foul one) and a nice thick kheer rice pudding (better than India's House kheer which is watery). Entrees covered it all- saag, korma, curries w/ and w/out chicken. Tandoori chicken was tender and flavorful. I also enjoyed the upstairs grocery which had an excellent selection of Indian cooking ingredients, frozen paratha/chapati, and miscellaneous snacks and tea items. read more

To be fair, I have not ordered off of the menu. I have only had their lunch buffet. On the bright side, it was reasonably priced for an all you can eat buffet. The food however...it was bland and cold. I know a lot of places intentionally leave their buffet food under spiced to appeal to the masses, but this was just bland. Indian food is about the explosion of spices. Nothing worse than bland Indian. It doesn't have to be "hot" necessarily, but it does need to have a lot of spice. In all honesty, if you don't like spicy food, you probably shouldn't be in an Indian restaurant to begin with. I don't know if the blandness was an unintentional consequence of trying to make food for people who cannot appreciate real Indian cuisine, or if it was just badly prepared. read more

Lunch buffet is a great value, come back at night to get it spicy. The only Indian restaurant in town as far as I'm concerned.

This was my first experience with Indian cuisine and overall positive. I went in for lunch and requested a menu. The server directed me to the buffet. I asked again if I could order from the menu. The server discouraged this us and said it would take a while to order from menu. I explained I had not been there before. Still referred to the buffet so I went with that. Food was good. Server did not check back. Service could be much better. I will try a different venue for my second experience. read more

Definitely not homemade Indian food, but it's pretty good if you've never had it before. I worked in a lab with several Indian coworkers and they were willing to eat there ... but acknowledged they'd had better. I mean, it's a buffet (for lunch, when I went) so what do you expect? The curries each offer something unique in terms of flavor. If you get there during peak hours, you can choose how much 'goodies' or sauce you draw out with the scoop ... if you get there late, you're getting a lot of sauce and not much goodies. For the price you pay, go on a super empty stomach and get a few plates. There's plenty of seating and although they always seem to have someone there, it's never terribly busy. It's definitely worth a try and they don't try to feed you anything crazy. read more

Place Claims to be open online but it is actually closed from 2:30p to 5pm like all other Indian restaurants in Columbia apparently people don't eat at those times. Or profit margins supersede any concept of convenience. read more

This is the best Indian restaurant in Columbia. The food on the lunch buffet isn't as watery as India's House. It's also spicier. Service is pretty good, and the price seems fair compared to most Indian buffets. The only reason I'm giving it 4 stars is because the naan is always soggy and never seems fresh. Just like some other reviewers, I'd advise getting there before noon as the food will be fresher. read more

This is the best Indian restaurant in Columbia. The new location is ten times better than the old one and their service is also improving. That's been the only complaint from me.. That it sometimes takes too long to get the food but at least it's worth it. read more

Disappointing food. Worst butter chicken i ever had.Naan bread was absolutely disgusting, soggy and no flavor at all.

If only I could give 0 or negative score.....Server was really unprofessional. Food was crap. Nth taste like anywhere closer to any Indian cuisine. It proved real Taj Mahal is made up of marble and its cold. It seems this restaurant just adopted the cold part! Very disappointed read more

Unlike some Indian restaurants, Taj Mahal cooks in a number of regional styles and offers quite a variety of tastes. It is also not very "Americanized," so expect a few spicy surprises (the many vegetarian dishes often seem to be the hotter) and ingredients like mutton and okra. Ordering from the menu can be a little pricey, so the lunch buffet is the way to go. Chili paneer - paneer cooked dry with bell and chili peppers - and their always-piquant dal (which sometimes incorporates kidney beans!) are must-haves. If you're very lucky, there will be mango kulfi for desert, and there will be a thermos dispenser of hot, milky chai (add your own sweetener) by the buffet on weekends. read more

I'm going to start with the good first. The food was decent. There wasn't anything I refused to eat because of bad taste. Everything came out warm when it should be warm and cold when it should be cold. There are a lot of vegetarian options! There is more bad. I entered the restaurant and waited to be seated. No one appeared and there was no sign telling me to seat myself, so I went to a counter and asked if I should sit anywhere. I had waited for 3 minutes or so to talk to the person behind the counter, and in this time another couple had entered and after the girl at the counter found the hostess and told her to help them, she helped me. I had to chase down the hostess to take a seat...not cool, but not the end of the world. Water was delivered quickly but our order was confused and we only received 1 of the 2 we had ordered. The waitress checked on us only when delivering food, and it took over an hour to get our food to us (somasas, a cheese and pea dish, garlic and cheese naan). The food did taste as though it were freshly prepared, but service suffered because of it. Then, a cockroach crawled on the wall next to our table. It seemed a little dirty in places, but the table and silverware (including plates and glasses) were clean. It wasn't a horrible experience, but it wasn't the best either. The only other thing that drove me nuts was that every time the door open a loud buzzer would go off in a sequence of four or five chimes, which gets annoying when you're trying to have a conversation. On the plus, if someone were trying to sneak in with guns to rob the place, the patrons wouldn't be taken by surprise. Just the staff that seemed to ignore it. read more

The food overall was pretty good, but dinner service is very slow. We waited nearly 40 minutes for anything to make it to the table other than water. It was kind of baffling, because I could only see two other tables seated. Most of the restaurant was totally empty. As for the food: Tandoori chicken: very tough and dry, served on a sizzle plate on a bed of burnt onions. The flavor was fine, but it was way overcooked. Lamb Vindaloo: I ordered it at spice level 10, which was bold and spicy but not so strong as to clear out your sinuses. The waiter said that I could request up to level 13, but I think 10 is a nice balance. It was flavorful and not greasy. I would order this dish again. Palak Paneer: Unlike some other places, Taj Mahal makes their version with shredded instead of pureed spinach (think creamed spinach). It was creamy without being cloyingly heavy, and was a nice counterpart to the spicy, tangy lamb vindaloo. I ordered the dish at spice level 5, which was not overtly spicy. If it weren't for the slow service, I wouldn't hesitate to return. Next time, I"ll probably try the lunch buffet instead. read more

The food was stale when we went today. And when asked about it, the response was that's how it is made there. The same thing happened in the past about tea too. If they don't have proper recipe, instead of acknowledging it, they were adamant about read more

This may be an isolated event but highlights a lot of important things about the management's attitudes towards its customers. We went for dinner at this restaurant in March, 2014- four Indian students. We were promptly given water, and then there was a 20 minute delay before ordering food- I had to get up and find someone to ask them to take our order. After that there was a 30-40 minute wait to get food in a barely occupied restaurant. 5-10 minutes after we started eating someone walked up to our table and said (I quote): "Just so you know, you have 15 minutes before a party begins, they have reserved the space". After this people periodically came over and placed the check, then boxes intimating us to pack our food and get the hell out. The manager was as nonchalant as these people, he admitted that they had delayed but we still had to leave. We were visibly upset and mentioned never coming back he said (I quote): "Do what you want". When asked to be compensated for such shoddy treatment with at least 50% off on our bill, he had the audacity to bargain and offer "only 25% discount". I believe this report is consistent with the several previous accounts of bad service. Food was mediocre as well so they have certainly lost good customers. They do not seem to care enough to change their behavior. I do NOT recommend! read more

Not good. Food is often poor quality and and takes forever to show up to your table. Chicken tikka masala is watery and made me sick the last time I came here. They recently had to close down for health issues and I can't say I was surprised at all. If you're looking for good Indian check out India's House instead. read more

Owner was extremely rude when trying to order food for take out. The restaurant is dirty and food mediocre at best. Avoid this place.

I DREAM about this food! Like that's how good it is! Just thinking about it makes my mouth water. I love the chicken biryani, and raita, and mango lassi, and gulab jamun, and chicken curry, all of there biryanis are delicious! The best I have had in my whole life! This is the best Indian food in COMO hands down, better than Curries or Indias House!! Buy there groupons which are a really good deal, I get them a lot! Or there buffet which is a steal, unlimited for $9.99 with a drink included!! ;) (they always bring fresh food our during the buffet as well) And they have service during the buffet which is great, the waiters have always been good here. I also love the potato stuffed parata, it's to die for! And they do delivery which is great as well! I go there at least twice a week, and recommend it to all of my friends! This is one of the best places in Columbia, since they have remodeled it's beautiful inside and they make delicious food!!!! ;)))) read more

Taj Mahal - DELICIOUS mango lassi!!!! - Indian Near Me - Columbia, Missouri

went for weekend brunch which was app $13.00 per person. There were many varieties. Of meat dishes Goat curry wqs pretty good, the chicken tandoori was dry, and chicken curry also bland. Chicken Tikka masala was OK. vegetarian dishes OKRA was good but a bit oily, chana ( chick peas)was watery and in general other vegetarian options also ordianry. The gulab jamins were hard and dry, kheer was OK though a bit watery. All in all OK option if one eats chicken but not so great for vegetarians. read more

staying at a nearby hotel w/o transportation, we ordered delivery from the Taj Mahal through Beyond Menu which said our food would be there by 9pm. By 9:15, my husband called the restaurant to be sure they had our order, which turned out they did not. They apologized and had our food to us in 20 minutes. He again apologized at the door. It was perfectly spiced & flavorful! Well worth the wait! I would highly recommend them!! read more

I went to dinner at this restaurant. The vegetable Pakora, chicken curry, garlic naan and mango kulfi were excellent.The service was poor, when I go out to dinner I expect a certain professionalism, I'm in the service industry as well and the service was not what I expected. I will not return to this restaurant not because of the food but because of the poor service that I received. read more

Amazing food and nice people. I recommend the Chicken Tikka Masala. Been here twice and will continue coming back.

I regularly buy the Groupon and Add Sheet deals for Taj Mahal, those are almost always for their lunch buffet, so that's when I go. The service (it's a buffet, mind you) has always been good, we have plenty of water, and are seated very quickly. I don't often tip for buffets, but I usually tip here, because they do a good job. Friendly and efficient. The food is great, spicier than other Indian offerings in town. I like the new location, it's fun and easy to get to. So, for an inexpensive lunch option within walking distance of campus and downtown... you can't do much better than this. read more

I love the food at Taj Mahal, i always order ala carte to get everything hot and fresh. Last night I arrived at 7:30pm and did not leave with my to go food until 9:00pm........way to long to wait. They need to staff up! I still recommend the food the service is just needing a little help. read more

I don't usually review places at all, let alone so harshly, but this is by far the worst delivery experience I have ever had. An hour and a half after I ordered my food, I called to ask what time it would be delivered. I was told the delivery driver hadn't shown up yet so it might be about another half an hour. Things happen, so I wasn't worried about it. Half an hour later, I get a call from the delivery driver and go meet him outside to get my food. When I arrive at his car he is screaming into his phone that the food isn't in his car, that he broke his e-cig, and this wasn't his fault. Needless to say, he forgot the food. Again, things happen and sometimes we forget things, so I was completely understanding. However, he didn't apologize and barely slowed down long enough to even acknowledge me standing there. As he left to go back to the restaurant to get my food I was thinking they'd likely waive the $6 delivery fee and the $3 tip I had already paid online before the entire thing happened. When he returned 10 minutes later, he handed me my food and didn't say a word. As he was walking away, he shouted over his shoulder "sorry for the wait!". I paid just shy of $30 for my meal (including the delivery fee and the tip) and waited over 2 hours for my food. It did taste good, and I think they were just having an off night, but I was surprised at the lack of customer service I received. I won't be eating here again. read more

best indian to be found in columbia. a few years ago they were not as good but i think the owner/manager started to have more involvement. delicious and offer your standard fare. i usually get the vegetable biryani, cheese naan is also delicious (and fattening..). one word of advice though -- do not go to the buffet! it is not the same quality as ordering from the menu. also, the portions from the dinner menu are HUGE. i spend $8 on biryani and it will easily serve 3 people. they also do order pickup if you call them. read more

Terrible! Vegetable Samosa was frozen solid in the middle, gross! Naan was burned, and super thin, you could see through them. Ordered a Chai Tea - tasted like water, no joke. The waitress suggested I add sugar. I had to wear my coat and hat because it was so cold in the dining room. Took 2 hours to serve a table of 7, with 1 waiter, and another waiter who was texting behind the bar read more

The food is good enough in this area(Columbia MO), and the service is ok(not rude just took long time to be served). It took almost 30 min to be seated and the group of people came us after to be seated before us. After seated, It took 30 more min for waiter to come back to get our order, and 30 more min from that brought us drinks finally, and after that, it took 2 hours+ to come out our food order. It's been like this last couple of times we go there. I think they need to hire more stuff for the better service. read more

Oh boy...where do I begin??? My girlfriend and I love Indian food. We ate at Taj Mahal a few time, it wasnt bad at all, in fact it was quite good, until I found a roach in my Chicken Tikka Masala, this was unfortunately the same visit in which we had to wait...and wait...and wait for the food. We had to wait...and wait...and the resteraunt was empty!!!!!!! That was the last time. Do yourself a favor and go to India House on Broadway. read more

Not much in the way of decor. At dinner we basically enjoyed a view of the empty lunch buffet tables. But the food was outstanding! And confirmed authentic by my Indian companion. read more

Good place and enviroment, very authentic indian food. But perform not consistent, sometimes not enough food provided when people more than 20 there. read more

Much better than India House. I haven't been back to India House since I tried Taj Mahal. The presentation is better, though it is a bit slow. read more

The gulab jamun tasted heavily of freezer burn and I threw it out after one bite. When I ordered the vegetarian combo online I thought I would get to choose the curries, so I listed which two I wanted. They didn't bother to notify me that that wasn't how it worked, so I received two curries I never would have ordered. read more

Worst service ever!!! Do not eat here!!! There should be a 0 star option! I never write reviews, but this time I feel it is necessary to warn other people not to eat here. I love Indian food, but I only came here because India's House was closed due to a "family emergency." We waited an hour and a half for our food before walking out. The young, female waiter could not explain the difference between the Butter Chicken and the Chicken Tikka Masala and she let our party of 5 order 2 of each because we didn't know which one was the one we liked. Which means half of the food we ordered wasn't what we wanted. She never came to fill our drinks. There were only two waiters working for a pretty busy Sunday evening. At the 1 hour marked we flagged her down and asked her how much longer it would be for our food to come out and she never came back to tell us. Fifteen minutes later we flagged down the other young man who was waiting tables and asked what was going on and he came back and said it would be another 5-10 minutes. Fifteen minutes later he came out with a tray of food and it went to a party upstairs that came in after us! At that point we got up and left. Ridiculous!!! read more