Masala Express

This is my go-​to Indian takeout place. I’ve had the Chicken Tikka, Malai Kofta, and the Butter Chicken. All were delicious, plenty of food, good value too!
For me it usually takes them about 40 minutes to deliver. Doesn’t bother me, I’m willing to wait and I don’t think that’s bad, especially during peak dining hours.
Love their tea as well. I’ve never actually been inside the restaurant so I can’t comment on ambiance and the like but I’ve always been satisfied when I’ve eaten food from Masala Express!

The takeout from this restaurant is slow and expensive, took over an hour for my food to be delivered.

We walked in hoping to get some yummy Indian food for dinner. No luck! The lady at the counter said we have to choose from 3 pre-​made dishes, all of which looked like they’d been in the warmers all day. We decided to head down the street to another restaurant, which we know has great food.
Also, on a side note, their restroom has an out of order sign on it.

I had their tikka masala and it was nice hot spicy ask for extra hot is close to my work so I got a lot and it tastes good every time I’m there never takes too long and their service is excellent I’ll be going back there many many times as long as I work nearby

Having been a loyal Masala Express patron, I was disappointed by the dinner delivered to my home and appalled at what took place at the time of delivery. As a Punjabi who makes this cuisine myself, I’ve been pleased in the past with the home-​cooked taste of the food, i.e., not too much cream in the dal makhani, freshly prepared naan, etc.
I called at 4 pm, hoping to have it within an hour; I was told it would take an hour and a half because the driver would be arriving late. As it was raining, I agreed that this would be fine. As the total to be charged to my credit card was tallied, a $ 20.40 meal, (dal makhani @ 7.95, chicken kardahi @ 9.95, and garlic naan @ 2.50), 10% sales tax, (2.44), the order-​taker informed me that a $ 1.99 delivery fee would be added, which he went on to tell was being charged as of the last 2 years. Funny that this is not listed in the take-​out menu they provided me the last time I picked up dinner. So, in all, an essentially $ 21 meal came to $ 27, and that’s without even stepping foot in the place!
When the food arrived at 5:40 pm, the owner’s son and an older gentleman gave me my credit card receipt. The gentleman then proceeded to ask me for a tip, which I found unwarranted as they charge delivery and took over an hour and a half to deliver. When I told the gentleman that they already charge for delivery, he proceeded to tell me that people still ordinarily tip. HIs insistence was unnerving; and as they had both my dinner and receipt, I told him to wait. I filled in my spouse, who suggested that I go ahead and tip a couple of bucks. Clearly, hunger had gotten the best of us. I tipped $ 2, but I was upset.
Despite this distasteful exchange, I was still looking forward to a tasty meal. Unfortunately, the food did not live up to our past experiences of eating Masala Express’s food. The dal makhani lacked flavor. The chicken kadahi was oily and lacked any of the veggies (chunks of tomatoes, onions and bell peppers). The garlic naan had cooled enough that it was beginning to be too chewy.
Thoroughly disappointing! Will not spend my hard-​earned money here, again, particularly with so many other options for Indian food in the area.
I echo Kalyani S and Laura H’s reviews. The attitude of the staff — whether on the phone or in person — is that they are doing you a favor by taking your order. While the storefront is set up to be more of a take out place, like so many other sad places, Masala Express tries to do too much. Just do take-​out well! And if you are going to offer eat-​in service, café style or table service, then do it well! Stop trying to do more than you’re equipped to do WELL. Whatever you do, do it WELL. That’s what made your food stand out in the past! A little professionalism would go a long way!

I am really confused by the bad reviews that have been cropping up for this place recently. I moved out of the area about a year ago, but when I lived nearby I probably ate here twice a month at least and I still miss it and go back every now and then. I understand that the small seating area and the cheap containers and plates may not be everyone’s thing, but that’s kinda what you get from a family owned place with pretty reasonable food prices for the area in an old strip mall style shopping center. I usually did pick my food up and take it to go.
But man, the food is so good. According to an Indian friend I brought here, it’s not the most authentic but she absolutely loved it anyway. We came here several times, and other friends I brought were equally impressed. It’s not the cheapest, but I always got at least two solid meals out of an entrée, the rice, and an appetizer like pakora. Yes, the naan is a little burned sometimes but it’s never been to the point I won’t eat it and I’m the person who throws toast away if it gets too dark. And the owners have never been anything but nice to me. Busy, a little hard to understand at times, and yeah they bring their kid to work. But never anything but friendly. So I say give them a chance, because I definitely will be going back more once I move back to the area!

Very slow speed and food quality not consistent. They have a child working in the front who seems sick all the time. Can’t be safe for the food.

This is by far my favorite Indian food in Arlington. Ordering take out is the way to go here, and you won’t be disappointed. Dishes are flavored well, and are consistently delicious. Some family favorites are the Vegetable Biryani and the Shahi Paneer.

Where do I begin… I ordered chicken roganjosh take away and, to quote Gordon Ramsey, «this chicken is raaaaaw!» That’s enough to never return but the saga continues… garlic naan looked great on top-​lots of garlic-​the underside was black and it all tasted burned. The sauce was just a puddle of oil on top and inedible whether it had raw chicken in it or not. I was fuming and hangry as I hadn’t eaten a damn thing in 9 hours! Biggest waste of time, I went out of my way to come here-​shame on me! –And money ($ 13– and I took one bite since I quickly discovered the chicken was raw)! I will never return here and I’m hoping I don’t get food poisoning on top of not getting to eat dinner tonight.

I really enjoy Masala Express. My boyfriend and I will order takeout from here a few times a month. Our go to is Butter Chicken and Garlic Naan. We normally split one order ($ 13 total), and it’s plenty of food. A few things to note:
1. Do not go their expecting to dine in. The restaurant is very small. I would recommend takeout only.
2. The quality of the food is sometimes inconsistent. I’ve had a few amazing meals, followed by some that were so-​so. I wish the chicken dishes had a better protein-​to-​sauce ratio! Seriously, sometimes I’ve only had 3 – 4 small pieces of chicken in an order.
3. The phone may be off the hook. Don’t fret, go to their website and dial their second number.
All in all, we really do enjoy Masala Express. I wish their food quality was a little more consistent — and that their dishes had more meat. Other than that, it’s a great cheap eat down the road!

This was one of the only places open on Christmas day, so we had very little choice. Luckily for us, Masala Express had pretty good reviews on Unilocal,so we decided to give it a try.
A warm family and the musty smell of burning incense greeting us as we entered. A woman, a man (presumably her husband) and a child were all behind the counter. They smiled at us as we looked at the expansive menu on the wall behind them and ordered a large quantity of food. The more the merrier!
For a restaurant with the word «express» in it, the food came out pretty slowly. At least the weather was alright to sit in, but the smell of cigarettes from smokers outside a nearby karaōke club was a bit overwhelming. But when the food came out, I realized it was definitely worth the wait, rain or shine. The shahi paneer I ordered was exquisite, and had a bit of zing to it. The naan bread was fresh also delicious. In general, everything that came to our table during that meal was rich in flavor. Malai kofta, baingan bharta, and some sort of curry, all possessed a unique flavor.
We had a great time! And all throughout the owning family was friendly and helpful. We had a great time! (It’s easy to enjoy yourself when you have great food :) We left with full stomaches and joyful hearts.

This is a small mom and pop restaurant with
excellent customer service and the food is amazing. Try the butter chicken and the chicken tikka masala. The chicken biryani is also great with good friends portions. Orders are always ready quickly.

I ordered online since I am visiting VA. When I went to pick it up, I was harassed by the husband and wife «You have cash?», I said no, «sorry.» The husband asked 3 times AGAIN, «No cash? really?» I was like no!
Horrible service! Food was even worse! Ordered Malai kofta, which tasted too sweet. Gross food.

HORRIBLE!
I have been to many places with OK service or food. This place is exceptionally horrendous.
First, the lady at the counter had pathetic attitude and was least bothered about customers. We received no greetings after entering the restaurant. We were party of four and there was no table for four. We had to pull table and chairs ourselves. We understand that it is more of a takeout place but how about showing some courtesy and helping out your customers?
The lady treats customers like beggars. We asked for order of four samosas and the lady says «I can give you a samosa and a pakora» WTF?
We asked for an extra plate (they had the cheapest quality ones that must be costing not more than 5 cents). The lady said «NO» shamelessly.
They don’t serve water either. There’s one filthy pot of water towards the left near the entrance. By the time we finished our food they were out of water. One of the other customer told the lady about the water running out. As expected the lady showed least interest in helping the poor man get water.
The restaurant itself is shabby. We went to the restaurant because it had four stars on Unilocal,but regretted immediately. The food is OK. But the lady’s attitude and the restaurants ambience overshadows the borderline decent food.
I do not recommend this place (unless you are interested in being treated like shit).

Stopped by for a quick meal on a Saturday night; we ate there, but there are only a couple tables and it’s definitely meant to be a take out spot (everything was served in take-​out containers). The place seems to be family-​owned, which is always nice to see!
We got the butter chicken, chicken korma, and naan. Our total was about $ 23 (pre-​tip).
I will preface the review of the food by saying that we love Indian food; it is a favorite and we eat it a lot. That being said, we were not very excited by our food here. The dishes were creamy and rich, but had little depth of flavor or spice. They were actually both pretty bland. The butter chicken tasted more like a creamy tomato bisque, and, while I like tomato bisque, I do not want my curry to taste like it. The very reason I love Indian food so much is because of the flavorful spices! The chicken dishes also had a few chunks of chicken, but no veggies. $ 9 – 10 is a pretty good value for Indian dishes, but it was really mostly sauce here.
Overall, this is a decent place to grab a quick, pretty inexpensive meal, but if you are in the mood for Indian, there are much better places in the area.

Quick, casual Indian restaurant that specializes in take-​out food; good food, good prices.
It’s hard to find good Indian food in Rosslyn, and my friend and I were looking for somewhere quick and cheap. We found Masala Express online and decided to give it a try. The service was very friendly and also quite quick. This is a very casual place that mostly does take-​out, so seating was pretty limited, but we grabbed a table outside to enjoy the warm weather and sunset.
The portions were good, and the food was delicious. We had the palak paneer — which was very creamy, but light on the paneer — and the chana dall — a plethora of chickpeas in a savory sauce. The food fortunately came with equal parts rice. Between the two of us we finished the palak paneer and chana dall in no time, along with half the rice. I will definitely go back next time I get a craving for Indian food!

Man. I love this place so much, especially now that I know they deliver! Amazing food at extremely reasonable prices. The restaurant itself is tiny, it’s really a take-​out spot. The butter chicken, chicken tikka masala, and garlic naan are out of control. Honestly I think it might be the best garlic naan I’ve ever had, it even beats Rasika in my opinion.
The delivery is fast and it’s always ready quickly when I do carry-​out. Cannot say enough good things about this place.

I used to frequent this other restaurant up the street from Masala Express for my Indian food. Then one day, I walked into Masala Express and my tastebuds were so happy. Immediately, that other spot lost my business.
Shrimp Biryani! Flavor bomb in your mouth, and a hefty portion, definitely enough to share or eat for leftovers the next day.
Tonight’s meal, I’m having the Shrimp Biryani again and they’re making me Palak without the cheese. Woot! Woot!
This mom and pop shop is great, friendly, and all of the food is made to order.
Get in my belly!

Great place if you’re craving some quick Indian cuisine to take home! Tiny place, although they have a couple of dining tables — not really intended to dine there. Take out portions are decent size. Would most likely come back since it’s nearby.
I don’t eat Indian food as often but can’t go wrong with Chicken Tikka Masala!

Just discovered this place and was pleasantly surprised. Portions are quite large, so you can share for a light meal, or put yourself in a food coma.
While this is not the best Indian food I’ve ever had, I think it is very good for its niche of Indian Takeout. Not overly complex, but satisfying in that comfort food way. I’ve only had a couple of their chicken curries so far, and they have given me no worries about continuing to work through the menu.
Give them a go, orders are filled quickly and food is good. They also have a few seats, but I would skip the spartan seating and go home.