Based solely on the lunch buffet, I’d rate this a 3 ½ star establishment. We came here for lunch to what I remember was a $ 7.95 buffet, but now I see they’ve raised their prices to $ 8.95, yet kept the offerings the same. They have a cold buffet table, two hot buffet trey tables, and a dessert table. The salads are passable, the samosa and vegetable pakoras appetizers tasted dry/old, but the curries they offer are well done. We especially enjoyed the Saag Paneer(spinach cooked with tender cubes of homemade Indian cheese), Chicken Tikka Masala, and mixed vegetable curry. We loaded up on the naan, which wins me over each time. I really appreciate the self-serve, Mango Ice Cream for dessert. The soft fried cheese ball, Gulab Jamun is a close second favorite. The buffet tends to lean heavily on vegetables and chicken, so one might not deem it worthwhile for the price tag, but we were happily stuffed after our visit. Tip: They offer a punch card where your 10th visit is comped. Make sure to ask for on at check-out!
Brian K.
Classificação do local: 3 Madison, WI
Very expensive food. Amount you get isnt alot. Wait time to get your food much above average. Food is good though.
Ansley G.
Classificação do local: 3 Dalton, GA
Found this place and wanted to try it out. It was my first Indian Restaurant to try here in Madison. Was taken here on my birthday with some friends and the service was just awful. We waited forever for someone to even really acknowledge us and get our orders. They didn’t really come back to ask if we were needing anything and we had to go hunt them down to get our checks. Pricing was a little steep for the service and the food. Okay experience, nothing too exciting.
Jeff B.
Classificação do local: 4 Madison, WI
The service is always fast and friendly. The Chicken Tikka Masala is my favorite dish, but is not the only good option.
Marc T.
Classificação do local: 2 Madison, WI
With a smaller selection than other nearby Indian restaurants — quality counts. Unfortunately Taj has consistently delivered only«Okay» levels of quality. The price is on the lower end of average which helps make up for it and I haven’t ever had anything BAD here at all but I’ve had some unfortunately fatty pieces of meat that did mar what would have been an otherwise good dish. I definitely get the impression that their lunch buffet is just«going through the motions» — perhaps their dinner service is better? That being said I’ll speak for the lunch buffet only — unless you’re only going because it is in walking distance for lunch — you’ve got other options that will deliver better selection and better taste.
Kristen E.
Classificação do local: 4 Champaign, IL
I found this place on the AA Dining Advantage website. I was the only diner on a Sunday evening, although several people came in for take out. The mild lamb shish kebab was spicy in a delicious way; there was enough for two servings. I also got a fresh side salad; nothing fancy. Service was adequate. Prices are fair.
S M.
Classificação do local: 1 Chaska, MN
If you are an Indian, stay away from this restaurant. Hope we don’t get sick. Anyone that says this is best, hasn’t eaten real/authentic(I am not saying ‘good’) Indian food. The americanized version is not good either. I should have read other reviews from Indians. :(
Jane F.
Classificação do local: 2 Madison, WI
I want to give one star, but it was technically food and I didn’t get sick, so meh. This is the first Indian I’ve had in Madison, and I would rather go the rest of my life without Indian(which I love!) then ever eat from here again. I’ve had better Indian from the grocery store — seriously. It’s really, really not good. I am not a person who is great with flavors, so I can’t tell you exactly what was wrong, but it was just… bad. And not in the«they fucked up the order» way. I’m pretty sure my Chicken Tikka was exactly how it’s supposed to be made. It just tasted… cheap? Fake? Like a poor imitation? I don’t know. It was bad. So bad I’m considering changing to 1-star. If I hadn’t spent almost $ 30 on the food I wouldn’t have eaten it at all. Also, all this aside, they didn’t deliver the food with any silverware! Nothing at all. Maybe for some people this wouldn’t be a problem, but as I’m from out of town and staying in a hotel — which they know, as they delivered to a hotel — I would have expected a fork and knife. Instead I had to leave my room, the exact thing I was trying to avoid when I deciding to pay freakin $ 30 for delivery just for myself, and track down a set from the front desk. I would highly recommend you don’t bother with this place.
Drew W.
Classificação do local: 1 McFarland, WI
very very greasy and over cooked. I was not impressed at all.
Dan M.
Classificação do local: 2 Atlanta, GA
In Madison for a couple of days(nice people around here by the way). Swung by Taj for lunch. Place was nearly empty but I was already here. Went with vegetable biryani. The vegetables were way over cooked and included some not listed in the description while adding some for the heck of it. Definitely had the impression they just threw some leftovers together and fed it to the guy in the suit(me) figuring I wouldn’t know the difference. To make up for the crappy vegetables, they over-seasoned the heck out of the poor dish. Disappointed. Maybe they weren’t expecting someone to order off the menu given they had a buffet.
Allison M.
Classificação do local: 4 Middleton, WI
Close to my work, tasty, and often containing a surprise. The last time I went, Taj was serving delicious goat curry! I took a colleague who was a bit uncomfortable trying Indian cuisine, and she liked that the food wasn’t too spicy. Also, the price for a work lunch is fantastic! I haven’t been for supper, but for lunch, it’s a nice pleasure to break up the day.
Samantha S.
Classificação do local: 3 Madison, WI
I feel like in Madison when you’ve been to one Indian buffet you’ve been to them all. The food here was good, tasty, but not memorable. It’s a steal for 8 bucks though. The only reason I rate them an okay rating is that I think some other buffets around town offer some more interesting dishes during their buffet. But they have all your basics and necessities here so you can’t go wrong. And they are close to me so that is also a bonus.
Danielle M.
Classificação do local: 5 Delavan, WI
I wrote a 4 star review of Taj after having been several times. But after going a couple more times, I really had to come back and change this to a 5 star review. I can’t even believe how LOW the prices are(compared to other Indian restaurants I have been to in Madison) and how great the food is. I have never been to Taj’s buffet, nor have I ordered any dishes with meat in them so I cannot attest to any of that stuff. But speaking for the vegan food on the dinner menu, I love Taj and never go to any other Indian restaurants in town anymore. I once went with a friend to Maharini(at the corner of Broom and West Wash) and we were so unhappy we went to Taj afterward to get some pakora! The pakora(an appetizer technically, but usually makes up the bulk of what my friends and I order) is just the best thing in the world. The samosas are great(and both those items are so cheap) and the entrees I have ordered(usually spinach, eggplant and mushroom in various combinations) were great but not all that large of portions. 1 thing that would make this place even more amazing is if they had vegan naan, which I can never find anywhere!
Rahul B.
Classificação do local: 1 Madison, WI
This is my first post on Unilocal… my strange experience here compelled me to make the effort to post this: Service: This was my most bizzare experience, though the lady did give proper food service et al… but what really shocked me was that they treat Indians(me) like unwanted guests, i.e. forget a well mannered welcome hi/hello… all i got was curt replies, a kind of disrespectful vibe,…point is even a stranger would have the decency and courtesy when they talk. lets not forget we are their customers! And not that the server was treating all others the same way, I noted that some american customers were treated like proper guests… this is really shameful of the restaurant staff. I would suggest going to Swagat, Maharaja, Haveli… but never again Taj. you will feel the difference
Vemana S.
Classificação do local: 1 Madison, WI
I went to Taj on friday driving all the way from middleton to way with my friends who work at UW. When i stepped inside the restaurant I can barely see any customers, we went for the buffet and it was horrible. All the dishes seems to be horrible they didn’t look fresh at all. Only thing I liked is samosa which seems to be freshly made. I went to Dhaba, Minerva and swagat on west side and Taj seems to the worst of all. I will never goto this place and wouldn’t recommend to my friends. Stay away from this restaurant.
Angeline N.
Classificação do local: 4 Las Vegas, NV
I am relatively inexperienced with Indian food, and as someone who is very picky with food I am unfamiliar with, my experience here was pleasant. Service was quick and we were seated promptly. My SO and I came on a quiet afternoon after he stated he was craving some Indian food. There were only about 3 other people in the restaurant so it was pretty quiet. I had no clue what the chutney was for, and I didn’t like the aftertaste of papadum(just in general), so I just waited for my order for the tikka masala and mango lassi. The naan and my mango lassi came first, the latter being very delicious. I don’t like the taste of naan, but their tikka masala and the rice were excellent. The chicken was tender and I couldn’t get enough. So as far as service and the quality of the food I ordered, I was very satisfied!
Piper S.
Classificação do local: 5 Edgerton, WI
Very tasty and good prices on the buffet. The only tiny drawback is the mazelike path to the restroom, but I didn’t come for the potty, I came for the samosa! Bring it on!
Mel S.
Classificação do local: 5 Madison, WI
Hands down my favorite Indian food in Madison. Can’t go wrong with the naan or tikka masala. They offer delivery, which comes with slightly larger portions than dine-in.
Merlin C.
Classificação do local: 2 Manhattan, NY
What are people giving good ratings talking about? For starters, the bathroom was disgusting: flies everywhere. There are some in the main restaurant, too. They left the tikka massala unfilled until several people finally asked for it. The Naan was obviously just heated up in a microwave. It was also pretty cold. Yuck!
Kelsi B.
Classificação do local: 5 Madison, WI
I got Taj delivered to my apartment last night as I didn’t feel like venturing out to a restaurant. It was super fast and arrived piping hot, I was very impressed! I got the Matter Paneer and it was the best I have ever had. Super flavorful. The rice is also delicious as was the naan. I got an order of plain naan this time but would try a new flavor next time. One thing I would note for next time is that the dinner options come with a side of rice. I didn’t realize this as most places I have been to everything comes a la carte. So I ordered an extra order of rice but like I said it is delicious so I’m not complaining!