Masala Bay Fine Indian Dining

Amazing! Have been going here for years. The food is amazing, staff are friendly and knowledgable and always suggest new stuff to try if you’re in for an adventure. Great for special occasions or a regular night out.

Parking is awful. But the food is excellent. Expensive, but up to par with others. Well worth it for a treat, but not for regular visits.

Such a cozy little restaurant in uptown. Never been disappointed here at masala bay. First time here I had all you can eat lunch, which was okay for the price. But the next few times I came here for dinner. Absolutely loved the food!
Price is slightly higher side, but the big portion compensates :)
Not a big fan of the tandoori though, I find them very dry.

I was never a big fan of Indian food, but this place is absolutely amazing. Don’t have much to say, it is definitely recommended! One serving comes in a fairly big portion, I shared with someone and still felt really full after.

Garlic naan, lamb vindaloo, butter chicken, and samosas have been excellent both times I was here.

I have tried both there lunch buffet and a la carte dinner. If you arent that hungry you will not be disappointed with there a la carte dinner even though it might be a little pricey but well worth it. If you are hungry then you should try there buffet as they have a lot of varieties of food even for vegetarians. You can notice the quality difference from the buffet to a la carte but the buffet is still awesome.

The lunch buffet here has a pretty decent selection. The curry and naan here are really oily, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing but if it’s not your thing, take note. The samosas are called «beggar’s pouches» and are a huge rip-​off.

Communal pots of sauce are taken from table to table, drying out and picking up germs as they go. Unhealthy and unappetizing, and it is revolting to see other people’s crumbs in «your» sauce. I’m not a germphobe but I found this to be a foul practice. I never saw the sauces refilled or the sauce plates taken away to be cleaned.
The curries are lacking — sloppily presented and tasted of stale spices. The only reason this place gets even two stars is that the samosas are still okay and the tandoori is decent. Our shrimp appetizer came with the nasty table sauce and cost $ 10 for four small fried shrimp. On the menu they allegedly have some special sauce, but it’s just the little table sauces and nothing special. Wine list is short, and mark-​ups are massive.
The outdoor tables should be a nice place to eat in the summer but the plastic tablecloths are tacky and dirty. Our waiter was rude and awkward. He nearly threw the food on the table and interrupted our conversation. I mentioned it to the hostess; she said he usually works in the kitchen and has a condition that makes it difficult for him to work with customers. This is unfortunate, but I’m still paying pretty high prices and part of that is service. Perhaps they should hire another waiter if they are lacking in staff.
It’s a shame, because we used to love this place. It used to be a cozy upscale Indian treat and now it’s just messy and lazy. They are very lucky that there’s little in the way of competition in K-​W, because this place wouldn’t last a week in Toronto. We took out-​of-​town guests to Masala Bay more than once and enjoyed it, but this last experience was a total turnoff. We will not be returning.

Terrible to average food quality, slow service, dim ambience and expensive. Probably still in business because of lack of serious competition in KW. Most Indian restaurants in KW are pretty bad.

Their weekday lunch buffet is a steal not a deal. Food is delicious and they offer dishes that are actually spicy.

I came here with such high expectations after having read quite a few positive reviews. We ordered off the menu for an early dinner. The mango lassi was quite good. The biriyani rice was dried out and crunchy — probably leftover rice from their lunch buffet. The chicken in the curry tasted as though it was a few days old. The lamb in the biriyani had too much fat left on it and made the whole dish taste too greasy. The décor inside suits the Indian theme of the restaurant. This is definitely not the best place in KW for authentic Indian food.

Masala Bay has good Indian food. The two times I’ve gone, I have been with a group of people and we have shared dishes, family style. So, I’m not always sure what I ate. But, it was all good.
Some of the things that stood out to me were: the garlic naan and the vindaloo (it is VERY spicy even to this southern so watch out).
As the previous reviewer pointed out, it is a small restaurant with what can be difficult parking (the second time we parked in a free parking lot just past the restaurant which was nice) and they can be understaffed. But, the food is good, the beer is good and the atmosphere is nice. I will certainly go back if I find myself in W-​town!

I love this restaurant! Definitely the best Indian restaurant in Waterloo.
The décor is very nice inside. For dinner, they dim the lights and bring out the candles so it has a very romantic feel. In the summer time, they will open up a patio which is a bit more casual if you want to go with a couple of friends. (The first time I went, I went with 3 friends and we were all dressed in very casual clothing. It was a little awkward since we were having dinner, and there were candles and everyone around us was dressed up and on a date or with their families. We didn’t know!!)
The service is good, but sometimes it seems they are understaffed and take a while to bring you something like more water. Overall, the wait staff is helpful with the menu and friendly.
The food is great! The butter chicken is very tasty and the naan is made very well. They also bring out some complimentary crispy rolls (?) and sauces for you to dip them in and they taste amazing!
The best value is to go during lunch time. For lunch, they only have a buffet. The one time I went, they had fruit, butter chicken, naan, a type of goat curry, chicken tandoori, potatoes, some beans/​veggies dishes, dessert and ice cream. Great value!
My only complaint is parking. Masala Bay is located next to a hotel, and there is a private lot but I guess the hotel claims all the parking spots there since there are signs everywhere that state parking is reserved for hotel guests only. Consequently, you will have to park on the street and walk about 5 to 10 minutes, depending on the time of the day.
One last note — there is a picture on the wall of Stephen Hawking at the restaurant! Neat :)

Unassuming exterior, but with well decorated Indian-​themed interior. Heavy, solid metal menus are part of the distinctive character. Extensive food options, and the place has been full of patrons the two times I’ve been there. Recommend.

Definitely my favourite place in Waterloo.
I’ve tried a couple of Indian places nearby and keep coming back. Many of the staples of Indian comfort food are done very well. The menu marks the spiciness of a given dish very well and I’ve never been surprised by either how hot or bland a dish was given the spice marking.
The portions are very large and conducive to sharing with a friend of partner. I’ve never been to their lunch buffet but their prices can be a big high at dinner. Regardless, I consider it a welcome premium for the quality of the food.
They also do take-​out and it is great to take such good food home. The portions are large enough that you can probably make two meals out of it.

Decent Indian food in the area. Parking can be a bit tricky and when it’s raining, you may have some trouble walking in the entryway. That said, we thoroughly enjoyed our meal here. Chicken Tikka Masala, Butter Chicken, Naan, and Rice filled us up just enough. The prices seemed a little high for what we got. Other than that, I’d probably stop in here again if I were in the area and craving Indian food.

Masala bay is decent Indian fair. The food is great and the terrace is a good as it gets in waterloo. I love the fact that if you want spicy… you;ll get spicy.
I just wish the portions were smaller and cheaper. I like to order multiple plates with my friends and share among the group. Its my personal preference not to be served a heaping bowl of food and stuff my face.

Not bad at all. The food is tasty, portions are large and prices are reasonable. Avoid the Khus Shurbat drink, though — it simply tastes like Sprite, which is what they said they made it from.