After my experience in Chatham (a rare bad one), I tried this place and was pleasantly stunned. It looks like it's in a new Basking Ridge strip mall but they say they've been here 30 years! It's simple décor like a pizzeria (there's a Vesuvio Pizza place here too - scary name!) Anyway pluses: KILLER LAMB SAMOSAS, pretty good chicken tikka with yellow rice. Efficient and nice break. Not sure I dug the dinnerware or metal cups but monstrous healthy plants festooned the place. Worth the visit. read more

I love coming here for lunch. They offer lunch platters where you get to try a variety of different sides and I always also get the garlic naan. I would recommend their chicken korma and chicken tandoori. read more

I ordered Tandoori Mela through uber eats since I love Indian food in NJ and I was traveling for work. I ordered way too much food for one person but my love for Indian food is insane. I needed to try my favorites. Good thing I stayed in because I ate way too much and ended up being a starfish. No doubt, a happy starfish with a belly full of Indian food. Not a bad place for Indian food especially being able to uber eats my favorites. Pretty quick from ordering to delivery. One day, I'll check out the restaurant but legit for delivery. read more

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The food was delicious. The spice level was as asked which doesn't happen often. The staff was attentive. The dining area is small but clean and comfortable read more

A solid 4 stars Indian restaurant. You can smell the spices marinating from the parking lot. Disclaimer: I've been to India (Bangalore, Delhi & Mumbai) over 135 times for work. I am a little extra critical. Its hard to find authentic Indian in North Jersey. The tika paneer was a little bland. The sauce was needed. The bells & onions that came with it were perfect al dente and crunchy. The butter chicken was good. I ordered it spicy (can request mild medium spicy on their online ordering) and it was barely spicy. However their tomato gravy was very developed and loaded with marinated chicken. 5.0 / 5.0. I got two orders of garlic naan. Pretty good. Very uniform. Curious if it's made traditionally or is premade bread they season pita they heat up. I got take away, guy at store was very polite. No namaste greeting but a nice fella. The entree (not large) app and bread was $47. A pricey meal. I will prolly go back despite my critical review. Support small businesses. read more

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I'm not happy with my food, but my wife thought it was decent. My food was cold and it looked like it was frozen then heated to temperature. I got chicken vindaloo last time and the heat and spices were on point, but today was lacking. My wife got paneer. We will go to other Indian restaurants to find our favorite and avoid this place. I'm glad there are other Indian restaurants in this area! read more

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10/10 !!!! This is my second day back in a row, and I will be again. Clean environment amazing customer service amazing food always consist and flavorful. read more

Tandoori Mela - Chicken korma and curry chicken with roti and naan - Indian Near Me - Basking Ridge, New Jersey

Been here twice and satisfied both times. The food is tasty and filling. The lamb is tender. Just walk up to the counter to order and they'll serve at the table when the food is ready. Service is simple and satisfactory. There's not much activity in this area so the restaurant is quiet even on a Friday. Will have to come back to try other things, like their kati rolls. read more

Tandoori Mela - Lamb Saagwala - Indian Near Me - Basking Ridge, New Jersey

As someone that has consumed Indian food for over 30 years, and traveled to India multiple times, this food was delicious in flavor but the chefs made a huge mistake. I ordered my wife, a mild chicken tikka masala, and it was outrageously spicy, while my Rogan Josh, which was supposed to be medium was fine. Such a shame as the food taste was really good, but the spice levels were all over the place, so the chefs need to pay more attention to their orders. Also the chili garlic naan, which is one of my favorites, was disappointing as instead of using fresh chilies was just a garlic naan bread, smothered in vinegar, chili oil. Overall, very disappointing to order so much food and to throw so much of it in the trash. read more

The food was good and and ambiance was nice. We got the vegetable samosas, chicken tikka masala, chicken korma, and mango lassi. The mango lassi was so good, and the tikka masala was also very good. The service was good as well. read more

Delicious authentic food. For takeout, we got the chicken korma, garlic naan and samosas. Service was wonderful and friendly. Highly recommended. read more

Average over priced food. It felt like the food was not fresh and tea was horrible. Ambiance and service was average.

Came for lunch. Quiet spot. Great food. Friendly service. Lamb roganjosh and lamb korma lunch specials were the right amount of food for us to have a little leftover. The naan was super tasty. read more

Solid food, very quick service! Our server Dinesh was very prompt and helpful with anything we needed. read more

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During the Pandemic I became acutely aware of packaging. Packed the wrong way and an entire dish could be a ruinous stop by the time it gets to your door. Tandoori Mela has turned packaging into an art form We got our food on time, and it was obvious upon opening the box that it was prepared recently. TIMING people is key to serving great food. You know how annoying it is when you open a box and find some limo samosas that looked like they were unfrozen three hours ago? Nope, not here! Our samosas came hot and perfectly crisped! The sauces on the side were spicy and tangy, perfect! The wrapper was perhaps a bit chewy and bread for my preference, but still freshly made and cooked in fresh oil so there was no bitter aftertaste Another thing I appreciated about the packing was the organization and clear labeling. For our group order, everyone's name was printed on their respective boxes. No errors were made. And the boxes were stacked so that no food was compromised. Ok ok, but how was the food? The "Spicy Paneer Vindaloo" was bombastic. They don't pull any punches with the spice let me tell you and I'm here for it. Even though I was sweating like crazy, the explosion of flavors amid the sauce, paneer and potatoes was phenomenal. I was definitely considering my next order of it before I'd even cleared my plate! read more

Tandoori Mela - Vegetable Samosa - Indian Near Me - Basking Ridge, New Jersey

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Friendly , food always well prepared, great variety. Food is up there with some of the best Indian restaurants I've been to in New Jersey.

Food was good...ordered spicy and it was actually spicy. Small place with only a few tables. Quick and friendly service even with one guy doing it all himself. read more

Tandoori Mela - Veg lunch special with palak paneer and roti - Indian Near Me - Basking Ridge, New Jersey

Better late than never i suppose! Several months ago i ordered the Paneer Tikka Masala from Tandoori Mela in Basking Ridge, NJ. I remember very fondly the smell of the inside of the restaurant when i went to pick it up. It smelled like a true auntie's kitchen (and i'm half Indian, i would know). On my way home with my order, i remember that I didn't double check the bag was secure; it ended up spilling all over me and my vehicle! I was really upset, mostly because i was just so hungry, but also because... well, it's orange! Haha. Anyway i called in and they were very kind and understanding, they said of course we can re-cook the meal for you. The following week when i was in town, I came back for the paneer, and this time i just ate it there lol. It was SO SO good. And i mean, Really good. It brought me back to my childhood when I would be in the corner at the indian weddings, wolfing down all the paneer. I live close-by, and will definitely be returning again and again to eat here, i'm excited to try more of their offerings. Thanks for reading! Enjoy. read more

Wife and I got a lunch special each. Food was good but not the greatest. Not worth paying over $50. Biggest slap was paying $7 for only 2 small balls of the gulab jamun. read more

Tandoori Mela - Tiny dessert for $7. Definitely not worth it. - Indian Near Me - Basking Ridge, New Jersey

5 big stars here! Atmosphere was pleasant and welcoming as was the staff. Prices are very reasonable for lunch. The Chicken Tika Masala was only $12.99 and includes beans, veggies, salad, rice and 2 pieces of Naan. Everything was absolutely delicious. A+ all around and probably some of the best Indian food I have ever had! read more

Their food is awesome. I love the papri chaat and their breads are just delicious! Delicious food and great service. read more

Really love this place - the food is really amazing and they have lunch specials. Tons of options and spice level. Cute inside and the people there really couldn't be friendlier. Definitely recommend read more

Tandoori Mela - Chicken tikka masala - Indian Near Me - Basking Ridge, New Jersey

Food portions are okay, with average taste. Had mango lassi which was overly sweet! The place has no air conditioning to speak off, prepare to be sweating while you eat. read more

It's close to me. Their food is good and reasonably priced and they have gluten free options.

I went here for lunch, the staff was friendly, polite, and service was fast. I ordered the lunch shrimp platter, and I like how it comes with veggies of the day, rice, and choice of naan. The shrimp curry was spicy but full of flavor, and each veggie was really great as well, especially the curried cauliflower. $12 and I thought was a great value for all that you are getting. Will definitely go back to get some more! read more

Tandoori Mela - Shrimp curry platter - Indian Near Me - Basking Ridge, New Jersey

Bought a ton of food for Christmas Day. My chicken tandoori meal was inedible. Rice was ok, chicjen so dry I ate 2 pieces. The chicken and lamb masalas had sauce to cover super over cooked meat. NJ has a ton of fabulous, intelligent Indians but no edible food; my friends agree. Outside of Edison, it's garbage. My homemade Indian meals are SO much better. Time to learn to make samosas. No more overpriced garbage. Even the Dal was pathetic! read more

Delicious food for a local hot spot. Really love the variety and selection, flavors are bursting and not too spicy. Everything was served fresh and no complaints about anything given my order was $150 worth of food so quality was on par with expectations. Can't wait to order from here again read more

Tandoori Mela - Lots of food - Indian Near Me - Basking Ridge, New Jersey

This is a cute spot and the lunch specials are reasonable - you can get a platter for as little as $9. The quality of the food is just ok though... definitely not at the top of my list for Indian restaurants, but I guess there is not much competition in the area. My chicken tikka masala was way too sweet and the chicken was fattier than I am used to. The vegetables, daal of the day, and salad were pretty disappointing... I would have been much happier if the platter consisted of the chicken tikka masala, rice, naan, and a samosa. Interesting that when we arrived, there were open tables that we could have been seated at but they still made us wait quite a while. Wouldn't say this place has the best service or great food but for this area, it is an okay option. read more

The food here is great - excellent taste and presentation. Very authentic - love the mango lassi, tika masala, anything tandoori style. Many options to choose from on the menu. Beautifully decorated, but you can only eat-in for lunch and the afternoon. Always welcoming good service. Some of the best Indian food around. read more

Online menu not updated. Significant difference. Bought a biryani, got chicken over rice. Owners are rude. read more

Plain rude customer service. We had a long day flying in to NJ from Cali and we wanted to try some Indian food. Lady was rude from the beginning. When I asked her for hot water, she replied very loudly and in an extremely rude tone saying "we don't have any specialty like hot water" and shut us off. Although we were hungry and tired, we left the place. Niceness shouldn't be hard to come by. Hope they do better. read more

Solid Indian food and pretty much the only show in town. Surprisingly there is almost no competition in the area. Naan/paratha are fluffy and fresh baked. Chicken tikka, veggie tikka, come with a respectable portion, flavorful sauce, and fluffy rice. Hot chili chicken has been my favorite dish so far. read more

Just another Americanized Indian place with thick red sauces and diluted flavors. Did try their chicken lunch special for a quick pick up and was pleasantly surprised by the ambience and the jam packed crowd. When I are the food I was very dissatisfied with the chicken curry as well as the vegetarian side that was provided. The roti was good... I hope they had an authentic Indian menu for the desis and a modified version for People who can not handle the spices. read more

This is an amazing local Indian restaurant located in The Hills section of Basking Ridge. My wife and I have mostly visited for lunch and 1 time for dinner. They do not serve the typical Indian buffet for lunch you find in the area but focus mainly on a traditional Indian meal served on a metal tray. Super delicious with lots of options to order; chicken, veg, a shrimp curry and lamb rogan josh. Adjust to your preferred spice level and all meals come accompanied with a naan or roti, basmanti rice, a spicy salad, daahl (braised lentils) and a mixed veg of some sort. This is really a great deal and absolutely delicious. They have other unique items on their lunch menu and they also have a complete regular menu with various items you can order ala carte. We visited this place for dinner once and in the evening this is how you would order food. Come here for lunch and give this place a shot; they serve their lunch menu 7 days a week. This restaurant is very small though so reservations would probably be recommended for the evening. FYI; BYOB. read more

Tandoori Mela - Karahi chicken, spicy. Absolutely delicious meal. - Indian Near Me - Basking Ridge, New Jersey

3rd and final time I've had food there, and I've been disappointed each time. Orders have been wrong, chicken overcooked and not fresh, no shrimp in the dish. Not a good look. I'll never go back. Surprised they are still in business. read more

Food is hit or a miss. The tandoori dishes are ok, but def on the former side. Butter chicken was fine.

Roti and naan fresh from the tandoor, unsweetened chai, a bright and quiet place, fast friendly service and low prices make Tandoori Mela a home run for lunch. The lunch veg special for just $8 gets you a thali-style metal tray with dal, cauliflower curry, a bit of dry lettuce, a lot of plain white rice, 2 huge pieces of naan or roti AND your choice of sauced paneer (mild white cheese). For $9 you get all the same but chicken instead of paneer. Only downside - such a first-world problem, a complaint that's right up there with "this fish is too fresh" - is that they give too much food! Two minor suggestions for improvement are both about heat: A cup of chai (tea with milk and spices) came with sugar on the side, that was a nice touch, but it wasn't hot enough argh. And my Karahi Paneer (cheese in tomato onion garlic sauce) was wonderfully seasoned but had no heat, they might be pulling some punches on the pepper. Vegetarian rating: definitely 5 stars - heck even the vegans just might be happy here. Options include channa masala (chickpeas in sauce), daal makhni (black lentils with spices), gobi aloo (cauliflower and potatoes), palak paneer (cheese in curry spinach sauce), vegetable korma, etc. etc. You'll eat very well here. The people here say they're Punjabi. But I didn't see a chana bhatura (chole bhatura) on the menu, dangit, so I guess you'll have to go somewhere else for those big pillows of fried dough on top of chickpea curry. Are you ABCD? Lol my Paki buddy made me put that in. No offense meant! He loved the food (that seemed like high praise), I loved the food, you'll probably love it too. read more

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Fantastic Indian food with great service and amazing lunch specials. I had a lunch special with lamb saag, and it was delicious and incredibly authentic. Highly recommend! read more

Worst food we have ever had... we never do that, but this one all went into the garbage after a couple of bites... really no one should eat anything like this, not even my dogs read more

We love this place. Been many times for lunch and dinner and it's always good. It's a small clean place with a very friendly staff and delicious food. Amazing $8 lunch specials that leave you completely satisfied and a bit too full if you eat it all like I do. See my picture. And the fresh naan! Yum.... I read a couple reviews they weren't good and I wonder if they were really at this restaurant! It's a super place and I highly recommend it....... read more

Tandoori Mela - Lunch special - Indian Near Me - Basking Ridge, New Jersey