Very flavorful dishes. It's not the incredible Indian food like you'd get in Edison, but very solid dishes for when we can't drive that far.

Even though I don't usually go for buffets (sanitary reservations...), this one looked tempting. And I was impressed with the rich flavor of every dish presented! Very often I find that buffets dishes all taste the same. Not here! All the dishes served from vegetarian, to shrimp, to chicken were all uniquely flavor-full. The owner was very friendly, and because it happen to be restaurant week we received a 10% discount to boot! read more

Saw the good reviews and gave it a try. Not a good experience. First of all, there is NO buffet. The food, lacked any flavor. I ordered butter chicken and I could only taste the hotness of black pepper. Chai tasted like skim milk. The only like able thing there was the naan/bread. Secondly the service was very bad. Owner and staff both are very cold. read more

I have never sat down in the restaurant, I always order on GrubHub, so this review is purely based on the food. I am from Trinidad, so I am very familiar with the spice palatte in Indian cusinie. The food at this place is great. I have tried the Samosas, Biriyani, Lamb Rogan, Naans, Butter Chicken and Paneer, Chicken 69, Curried Peas and Potatoes, Ras Malai, Kheer, Gajar Halwa and Mango Lassi. Everything was seasoned properly, not too spicy. Portions where only okay for the price. Overall, I would recommend this place for take out. read more

Went here 2 times. The food is delicious. Great service if you eat in, but they dont seem to have the same service for take-out.

In spite of the uneven reviews and mediocre overall average rating here, decided to give this place a shot. The fact that they're the only game in town (in several surrounding towns, it appears) certainly worked in their favor, too. When it comes to ordering Indian food, my wife and I are definitely creatures of habit, and last night was no exception. We started with the veggie samosas (3 large ones), which were solid. Not the best ever, but more than serviceable. For mains, we got the chicken tikka masala and the saag paneer. We also got sides of naan and raita. Both main dishes were excellent, and surpassed expectations for both of us. In fact, these renditions were some of the better ones I think I've ever had. The flavors were spot on, and there was a nice and noticeable level of heat, but tolerable. I like some kick to my food and I often find these dishes aren't seasoned enough to my tastes, but these guys hit it out of the park. A slight gripe is that there could have been a bit more chicken in the tikka dish, and it was a little on the dry side, but that's really just being nit-picky. We opted for delivery and were told up front it would be about an hour, which it was. No problem. The service hiccup we experienced, however, is that they charged us for the naan but forgot to include it with the order. I called to notify them of this and opted to just have a credit applied to a future order, which they were more than gracious about and apologetic over. Several minutes later, one of the employees was driving nearby and brought us the naan, even though we had already declined their offer to bring some to us. That was a good look, and to me, is what service is all about. Sadly, we were pretty much done with our meal by that point and were already full (Note to self for next time; don't order so much!), but it was still very much appreciated and made me like this place even more. As others have said, it's not cheap, but at least in my experience, you get what you pay for...even if it comes a little later than expected. We'll definitely be giving them our business again. read more

Had dinner here with friends last night - fantastic experience from start to finish. The cozy red and yellow interior and friendly staff made for a very comfortable atmosphere. The only problem was deciding what to pick for dinner! Their menu is expansive, with a wide selection of dishes or vegetarians and meat-eaters alike. I always order the chana masala at Indian restaurants - it's a great dish to gauge the overall quality of the food. If there's a good CM you can bet the rest is top notch. And this was as good as it gets! We had 3 curries: korma, vindaloo and saag. It was a perfect selection of spice and mild flavors, and the kitchen was happy to adjust to our exact specifications. The garlic Na'an was also perfectly prepared, which was a great accent to the meal. We didn't have room for dessert, but you can bet we'll be back to try it soon! If you're looking for a great spot to share a big, delicious meal in the Maplewood area, this is the place to be. read more

Foods is delicious highly recommend the chicken tikka masala and garlic naan. Even take out is good!

We've always enjoyed our meals here, but stopped going as the prices have gotten too high for everyday casual dining and are out of scale with other local ethnic food options. If they would come down a little on their prices, we would return as frequent customers. read more

Worst pineapple chicken ever . Could not even finish it . Gobhi Manchurian was awesome . Butter chicken was ok ok . Not so great . It is expensive compared to other Indian restaurant but quality of food is less. This was my last order here . I have already given 2 chances . Not anymore . Not worth it . read more

This is one of the best Indian restaurants in the entire NJ if not the best as far as the taste of the food is concerned. What puts it over the top is it traditional music night. Most of the Indian restaurants play traditional music over the speakers but I haven't been to any Indian restaurant that plays live Indian music. It's a treat to visit the restaurant during those nights. read more

Amazing, we tied alot of different dishes vegtable samosa, cheese Naan, sage chicken, Tikka Masala, lamb Vindaloo, black lentils..you cant go wrong. It's also byob.. I really enjoyed the meal read more

Tandoori Chef 2 - Amazing food, one of the best Indian restaurants I've been too in NJ! Cheese Naan, Tikka Masala, Vindaloo all great! - Indian Near Me - Maplewood, New Jersey

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Absolutely delicious food with tons of flavor. Tandoori shrimp is my judge of a restaurant, and this one is off the charts. Even the mild has a decent kick to it, both in heat and flavor. read more

Bad food and equally bad customer service. We ordered Paneer Chilli Dry and were sent it in a gravy form. People who know the difference know that the gravy form is not an appetizer. When I complained, instead of accepting that they messed up, I was rudely told that that's how they prepare it and can't give me a refund. We also ordered 2 paneer makhni dishes and the amount of oil floating on it was waiting to give one a heart attack. I've ordered from many Indian restaurants but none have been as bad as this. They've definitely lost a customer. read more

This was the first time I was ordering from this joint. My friend was craving for chicken biryani. Before ordering we called them to confirm if the biryani was boneless or with bone and they confirmed its with bone. Generally, boneless is made with frozen chicken pieces and its not authentic. When the order arrived we were surprised to see the boneless biryani. They not only lied to our face even the biryani tasted horrible. I felt so bad that my friend did not eat that biryani and we have to throw it out. I don't know why would they lie to me. They probably know that they don't sell authentic and good biryani and just wanted to dupe me to make a sale. I Will not trust them again and will not go or order from this joint again. I am going to advise everyone I know not to trust this joint and their food. read more

We order from this place on a regular basis. There are definitely nights that are sometimes better than others, where the food tastes more fresh but usually it's pretty great. We love the chicken tikka masala and the bindi masala, great samosas, etc. Good flavors, savory sauces. Hard to stop eating. This is our comfort food. Love this place! I understand the prices as it must take a lot of effort to make everything taste so good and run a restaurant. I'm happy this place is in Maplewood. It stands out from the other places in town. read more

Solid indian spot. Nice people, food is above average.

The food and service here is GREAT. They were understaffed tonight but you would never know by how quickly we were helped and served. Love how welcoming they are. The server heard me say that the doughnut holes are my favorite Indian dessert so he treated us to some after our delicious mango curry and chicken tikka massala accompanied with some vegetable samosas and garlic naan. We were so full after but left without any regret! read more

The food was awesome. Would recommend the paneer tikka masala and garlic naan! The gobi manchurian and hara bhara kabab were also great. They have been incredibly good with takeout customers and I'm definitely making this one of my regular places! read more

Sona Classic Indian Cuisine was an absolute delight!!!!!!! YELPERS, I REALLY want you to visit this place. I'm glad there is an Indian food restaurant in our town, and I hope the community supports this establishment to stay open so we have Indian food. Let me first say that I was not a true fan of Indian cuisine but this place changed my opinion. It serves fantastic freshly cooked Indian food. When we first walked in, I knew we had found our place. It's a little hidden gem at 6 1/2 Highland Pl,Maplewood, but don't let that discourage you!!!! From the decor to the selection, this place is awesome!!! We ordered a variety of dishes including lamb curry, shrimp curry, chicken tikka masala and Spinach(saag)Paneer. The food was served with perfect timing, as we had just finished our appetizers. The Spinach(saag) paneer has intense flavor, wonderful spice, and simply awesome. The lamb curry had a wonderful underlying spice that made it impossible to put down, while the shrimp curry held a sweet flavor that was reminiscent of a coconut-battered shrimp with a curry twist! . The dinner was truly an otherworldly experience and overall very Impressive. read more

We went there at Saturday night. Nice vibe and high quality food. Server was nice and cool. We asked for free naans and he brought us a lot.

I go for the lunch buffets, which are suited for non-vegans, having 3 different chicken dishes (I especially like their Chicken Tikka Masala- it's unique, zesty as opposed to creamy) They always have black daal, again my preference. The naan is delicious. And, kids are half-price, $5, making this by far the best family value sit-down in Maplewood/South Orange. read more

I wasn't too familiar with the downtown Maplewood area so I came here in a whim after a book signing event around the corner and walking around to find dinner. It was a weeknight and the place wasn't too busy. I was hoping they would have dinner buffet but turn out they did not. So oh well, we ordered tandoori chicken and chicken tikka. They were ok, I've had better, but not bad either. And I kinda wish they served the rice more generously considering we ordered 2 entrees. read more

I really wanted to like this place because I just moved to Maplewood and need a go to Indian place. Maybe more like 2.5 stars but the food lacked spice and flavor. read more

Food is fresh and delicious! Staff is very friendly and really great to small children. Will definitely go again!

I can not stress enough how amazing our waiter, the staff and our foods was !!! I came with my husband and our 3 year old daughter (who let me remind you does NOT know how to use her indoor voice) Talk about the level of anxiety I was having the entire time because I felt so bad for the other guests! i would like to apologize to whoever was here tonight for my loud child! But with the sure faces of the staff keeping her entertained I can not thank them enough! THANK YOU FOR SUCH A WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE ! WE SURELY WILL BE BACK ! (But promise our daughter will be a little more behave the next time) read more

It took about 45 minutes for them to serve Chicken Tikka Masala. The food itself was good, but nothing exceptional. A little watery and not spicy, even though I asked for some spice. They also skimped on the chicken pieces, with enough bits to count on one hand with enough fingers left over to poke someones eyes out. Maybe they thought I was a lazy vegetarian and were trying to help me out. I don't think I'll come back here. read more

The food is generally good as is the service. However, this restaurant started charging a 4% "Convenience Fee" for paying the bill with a credit card. There was no mention of this on the menu nor were we informed of this by the waiter. I do no like surprises so I will likely go elsewhere when I crave Indian food. read more

I had the lunch buffet on a sunday. Literally the worst indian buffet I ever had. I sure I can cook those dishes better than them.

This place is the BEST Indian restaurant in New Jersey - hands down! It's a classic North Indian cuisine with a twist so that it keeps you coming back for more. I'm not a paneer fan - but I"m speechless about the pineapple paneer. And the atmosphere is great, it's hard to find tastefully decorated Indian restaurants in New Jersey, but this will inspire you. It's incredibly cozy and the service is really warm and inviting. And it's conveniently located - although I would really go well out of my way to eat here. In a street filled with restaurants and cafes, you won't have to fight for your own parking spot since this has it's own parking lot! I can't say enough great things about this place. You will be spoiled by the experience :-) read more

Very pleased with the food and service here. My new local go to Indian food spot.

This place I tried to order from and they wouldn't deliver due to it being less than $45! The mileage from them to my address is 2.9 miles and they said it was more and couldn't do the delivery! Ridiculous read more

Solid Indian food. Good flavors, a bit of spice, just a really nice surprise all around. I lived in India for a short while and really struggle to find Indian food that I want to return to and this is great. My only issues were easily fixed things - chicken was a touch dry and they forgot sauces for the samosas. read more

A beautiful restaurant with great decor and a killer chicken tikka masala. The free mango lassi with check in does not hurt either (only one per table though)... read more

First time in maplewood area, we went to tandoor chef early on a Saturday night. Ordered samosas, chicken tikka masala and butter chicken. Overall the best Indian I've had. I will certainly come back wth friends. read more

My husband and I came here for lunch quite recently and were sorely disappointed. This was not our first time there, in fact we ate at the restaurant several times before it was renamed "Tandoori Chef 2." But it'd been quite a while since we returned. The lunch buffet left much to be desired and we were very surprised at the poor service. Our waiter disappeared for much of the time we were there and for quite a while no other customers came by (we were the first). Several things were striking about our experience. First, a few of the dishes had not been properly heated and I was literally in a state of disbelief. The bhindi masala and daal were practically the only items I could eat. Secondly, one dish was not fresh and after taking a few mouthfuls I realized that it may have spoiled. In addition, my husband noticed that the Tandoori Chicken was unusually dry. Unfortunately this marks our last visit to Tandoori Chef 2. We had hoped for a better experience especially since the management supposedly changed and the restaurant was renamed. We've always thought that the decor was very nice and that it could potentially become one of our favorite local spots. Sadly, this is not the case. In short, this restaurant may need to reinvent itself if it is to thrive. read more

Good but not great. Had lamb biryani and lamb sheesh kebab as well as garlic naan. They forgot the naan and brought it after we were almost halfway through the meal. The sheesh kebab was good but the white rice not that flavorful. The lamb biryani was ok but the rice kind of sticky and the meat too fatty. Also it wasn't that warm when it came out. Glad to have found an Indian place in town but wish it was a bit better. read more

At the age of 20, Summer time is no longer a relaxing time of the year, but rather, a continuation of your busy life. Consumed with jobs, internships and Summer classes, this time of year has become a busy one. Every Thursday, my friends and I put aside these summer responsibilities to have dinner and a girls night out. Recently we decided to expand out pallets with Indian Cuisine at a little restaurant known as Sona. During the 12 years that I have lived in Millburn, I have yet to find an Indian Restaurant nearby. To my surprise, one of my friends suggested a place in the next town, closer than I ever expected an Indian restaurant would be.. After doing a little research on the tasty restaurant, we stumbled upon a very unique address. Everyone remembers Harry Potter's puzzlement in finding platform 9 ; this same reaction came over the girls and me when we found 6 1/2 Highland Place in Maplewood, NJ. When we inserted the address in the car's GPS sure enough, about five minutes away from my house located in downtown Maplewood stood Sona: Classic Indian Cuisine. Sona is a hidden restaurant that has been around for about two years. With the option of dining inside or outside, my friends and I decided to avoid the Summer's humidity and dine indoors. Walking inside the decor immediately caught all our interest. From the vibrant red walls, to the table décor, to the winding meticulous lighting, I felt the Indian culture interlocking with the modern restaurant aurora,. Sona had a very comfortable environment with inviting seating around decent sized tables decorated with leaf skins and clean white linens. Although there were only two waiters they were very friendly, attentive and dedicated to ensuring our enjoyment for every minute of our dining experience. The manager of the restaurant even greeted our table to make sure everything was to our satisfaction. As the evening progressed, more people came to dine and several people came in for take-out. Indian Cuisine is known for its curry-enriched kick and plethora of spices and textures Costumers have the option to have their dish either mild or hot and if you ask any of my friends, they'd be quick to tell you my dislike of spicy foods, but at Sona, I ventured into the hot realm of spicy foods. I quickly discovered that each dish we ordered was perfectly seasoned to neither be too hot nor too mild. Because it was one of the girls' first time eating Indian cuisine, we decided to order family style and share all of our dishes. We ordered Rel Naan, Tandoori Chicken, Chicken Tikka Masala, and Saag Paneer (some dishes included a side of rice). Rel Naan is an onion flour soft bread, which includes several pieces of bread in one basket, perfect for dipping in saucy dishes. By the end of the evening we ended up devouring through the warm fluffy Naan due to the large portions of the other dishes. As the waiter brought out the Tandoori Chicken, tender marinated spiced chicken, I could tell that it came straight from the oven because the food still sizzled on the plate. The two dishes that went perfectly with the Rel Naan were the Chicken Tikka Masala, grilled chicken in creamy tomato sauce, and my personal favorite Paneer Saag, cubes of cottage cheese cooked with spinach. One of the highlights of the night was when the waiter brought each of us Mango Lassi, a thick cold yogurt based mango drink, on the house. Although many people would agree that free things always taste better, this Mango Lassi was as delicious as they come. By the end of the night we were stuffed and brought home leftovers due to large portions of food. I was very glad that we were able to find this local hidden gem. Now if I ever get a craving for Indian food I know a great place just a five minute drive away, halfway between address 6 and 7 Highland Place. read more

This place doesn't really stand out as anything special. My fiance and i went here for lunch buffet and few things bothered me. First, the food quality is very poor. Things tasted too salty and stale. Naan seemed like it was frozen then warmed up from the microwave. Second, the number of choices is very limited. There were 3-4 different dishes for lunch buffet, very poorly done in my opinion. Then the price is 9.95 and their service is not even that great. I hate to bash on a local restaurant such as this, but I really had much better Indian food and I won't be returning to this place. read more

So, I gave this place another go (3 years later!) and this time the dishes were way more flavorful. And the salad wasn't served with Ranch :) read more