Maharaja Indian Restaurant

1. Review of delivery from Maharaja Indian Restaurant — San Francisco
2. Easy to order from
3. Chicken Vindaloo — This was the first vindaloo I’ve had since I returned to San Francisco that was spicy enough to make me cry. I liked that. The potatoes were a little overcooked. The chicken was tender. The portion was good.
4. Vegetable Pakora — It was not very warm. But it was crisp and had a very nice spicy kick. I enjoyed it.
5. Vegetable Samosa — While not super crisp, the shell wasn’t soft. The filling had a nice texture but was a little bland.
6. Rice — It was a little clumpy but once it was all mixed up with the vindaloo it was pretty good.
7. Garlic Naan — It was rubbery and spongy. I did not enjoy it.
8. I ordered and paid for 2 Cokes and 2 Sprites. Once I unpacked the food, there was only 1 Coke and 1 Sprite.
9. The can of Coke was barely cool. The can of Sprite was room temperature.
10. The food was well-​packed in easy to reseal containers.
11. My order was registered at 12:52 PM with an estimated delivery time of 1:46 PM. The delivery was made at 2:10 PM. I consider delivery within an hour to be acceptable. There delivery was a little longer than this. So, not a good option is you are super hungry or in a hurry.
12. Their prices are good. They are on the low-​middle part of the range for Indian restaurants in San Francisco.
13. Overall, the vindaloo pulled their score up to 3 stars (really a 2.5) With the exception of the chicken vindaloo, the quality of the food was inconsistent. They did not deliver everything ordered and delivery time was a little long.
(Additional Note: If you ever find yourself in Siem Reap, Cambodia, go to the Majarajah Indian Restaurant (also called Taj Mahal) there. You will not regret it. Hands down, it was the best Indian food that I’ve ever eaten.)

Likes: Friendly service, sweet waitress
Dislikes: Overpriced, bad Indian food
I wish I could give this place a better rating because the staff and service were so friendly and sweet (they even offered my friend a free coke refill when it obviously wasn’t part of their policy) but… it really wasn’t that great.
I got saag paneer and garlic naan:
The naan was very dry; not the fresh, squishy naan I am used to. And I am not even sure there was much garlic on there.
The saag paneer had 3 cubes of cheese in it (I am not exaggerating.) My friend got the same and said she also had basically no cheese. And I am not sure if this is the more traditional way, but I am used to cream based (or at least creamy) saag paneer, and this was more like chunky vegetables. Not exactly a bad thing, but just not what I am used to.
Sorry but… GO TO PAKWAN. It is a 3 minute walk from Maharaja, cheaper, and super good!

Worst Indian food I have eaten in the States! And even worse was the attitude of the people there. We went there for a lunch buffet, and even though the food was bad, it could have tasted slightly better, if the Naans were not cold. Okay, I thought I would request them for some fresh ones. Can you believe it? The manager there told us that since we were having a buffet, we’ll have to wait for the cold ones to finish, before the fresh naans are served! Alternatively, we had the option of ordering the naans separately (& of course, paying for them over and above the lunch buffet price!)
In short, stay away from them! SF area has much better Indian restaurants!

Delicious. The 2.5 star rating average of this place is not justified in our opinion. I took my whole family here, 6 of us, and we all loved it. Living and dining in the Bay Area with its break-​neck restaurant competition had honed my radar, and this place does measure up, even compared to my travels to India.
We had Lamb Vindaloo, Chicken Tikka Masala, Bindhi Masala (Okra), Aloo Ghobi, Saag Paneer for a nice spread of Indian staples. The food was moderately spicy, as per request. Adding Raita and Mango Chutney was helpful to temper the heat for some of my guests.
The décor is inviting, there staff was efficient and friendly, it was quiet and there were no annoying A/​C drafts. Recommended.

Doooon’t do it!!! Only if there’s no other Indian restaurants around. Dipped in for an early dinner. The place was empty BTW [sign #1]. The food is average, there’s just a spice in good Indian food that they don’t quite capture here. I think the sauces were too sweet, and not spicy enough for me. The interior decorum, reminds of walking through a imitation fresco. There are a bunch of architectural cues throughout. It’s a little walking under Paris Hotel in Vegas. they have a painted ceiling with the faux building fronts withing. The owners/​hosts were reasonably attentive. Seemed like they may not have been fully open because the wife was on the phone the whole time. Even when she served the food. They have a vegetarian menu of course! Served were some standard Indian dishes as well as some more authentic dishes. It is a little pricey IMO… I know where to go always and forever. NNC…

I live just 2 blocks from this place, always walked by it and told my self «I should try this place», I always end up eating Indian food at the place on 16^th, closer to Guerrero st. This place was alright for what it is. The chicken tika masala was tasty but not my favorite compared to others. The service was nice but not always there, we never got refills on our colas. The Somosas where awesome though :)
I feel like I will continue going to the other spot on 16^th, I will visit this one once in a while. You know gotta support the neighborhood :)

Man, this place was bad. A friend just took me out to eat here, I had to hold back from making faces while I ate. The Saag Paneer was bland. The lamb dish was dry, the Onion Kulcha also bland, the Mango Lassi tasted chemically. The fan doesn’t work well in the kitchen, either, and the place was way, way too smoky with fumes.
The waitress was sweet at least, but there were two customers in there so it wasn’t much of a challenge.
They either own this building or it’s a drug front, because the food suuuuuucks and there is no way they are turning a profit here, unless the proximity to BART is doing it for them…
There are much, much better places within blocks, though.

Yeah, I’ve had better. We ordered delivery, and because the house is hard to find, I specifically told the lady on the phone that the delivery guy could call me if he got lost.
An hour later the guy is at the door, but says he’s been around looking for the house for a while, and couldn’t find it. Genius — why didn’t you call?! Also, he doesn’t have change for a $ 20, but he goes back to the car. Meanwhile… I’m staring into the darkness wondering if he’s actually coming back with my money. He makes it back with 10s only. So now I’m forced to give either a huge tip or a tiny tip. Sorry, but I’m not rich enough for a huge one:(
The food was alright, but as another reviewer stated, the Chicken Tikka Masala sauce was a little reminiscent of spicy Spaghettio’s. Pretty tasty I guess… but not compared to other Indian restaurants. The garlic Nan was also drenched in cilantro, to which I have an unfortunate aversion. However, my bf loved his order of Lamb Dal: pretty yummy I have to agree, but not enough for me to want to try this place again.

Highly disappointing. If you have an alternate choice, take it.
Please note:
1.) When I ask for Paneer Tikka Masala with «very little paneer» please don’t take that as a request for substitution of random undercooked vegetables. What I really mean is «mostly sauce». Honestly, in all my years of eating this very same dish in dozens of restaurants, I’ve never had it with chunks of green peppers, cauliflower, and mushrooms. Sick.
2.) When I ask for Naan, I mean Naan. Don’t serve me dried up Chapatti, and tell me that it’s Naan. If you don’t have Naan to serve me, at least fess up to the fact that you are substituting Chapatti. Don’t serve it and run away never to be seen again.

The quality of the food was so-​so. We were the only people in the restaurant for awhile, and yet the service was terrible.
We ordered the appetizer combo as a starter. It was fairly good, although we expected the pakoras to be mixed (some chicken, some veggies), but they were all cauliflower. Not only that, it arrived within a couple of minutes of ordering, which means that it was pre-​made (or frozen).
When they brought us the entrees, they didn’t even bother to replace the small plates that we had used for the appetizer, and they didn’t bring out any dinner plates, either.
We ordered the Rogan Josh lamb, which was OK, but was loaded with green peppers and onions.
We also ordered the Chicken Biryani, which had to be the worst biryani I’ve ever had: Completely dry and tasteless, no spices, just boneless chicken and rice.
The garlic naan was good, but it was only 2 large pieces, each cut in half.
I had ordered the Chai as a drink. The menu said only one refill allowed per order, but after I drank the first cup, no one ever asked if I’d like a refill.
They didn’t even light our candle until we asked, and it soon went out anyway, because there wasn’t enough wax in it.
All in all, a disappointing experience. Not terrible, but not at all good.

It was over a year ago that I went to Maharaja but the food was bad enough that I am confident that I’ll never go back, so I might as well go ahead and write the review. It was actually that stinging kind of bad that comes when you try a place for the first time *while hosting company from out of town* and the whole time you wonder if said company is more convinced with each bite that you either have no taste or do not like them.
This rating actually comes very close to being one lonely star. My party of three was virtually alone in the restaurant, and the service was still slow and not particularly attentive. The naan was satisfactory and the chana masala not explicitly bad. I can’t say the same for the tasteless biryani, unfortunately, nor for the dish that I ordered — navratan (or vegetable?) korma. No matter which of the two it was, the korma was the problem. It was not creamy so much as dense and almost gelatinous. Seriously, the consistency was bad enough that I couldn’t come close to finishing it, which is pretty rare for me, and with Indian food in particular.
I remember leaving Maharaja feeling a strange mix of unsatiated hunger, loss of appetite, and embarrassment about my restaurant choice. There are too many good alternatives within just a few blocks; you should never come here.

Food: Was good. Not the best but price justified quality
Service: Ok… nothing remarkable about it.
Finding cockroaches on the Menu??? Sorry, but I am not coming back to this place again. I do not care how good the food is.

Of of my favorite splurges is having Indian food delivered. I consider it a splurge since you can’t seem to have Indian food delivered for less than a $ 20 order.
Ordered the lamb tikka masala, veggie biriyani and naan. The lamb was really tasty though the sauce was a little bit too spicy for me. (Maybe because I was sick?) The rice was awful. I ended up taking two bites and throwing the rest out. The naan was okay. Delivery happened in a decent amount of time except the delivery person didn’t know I paid by credit card and had to go back, get the signature slip and come back.
There are many more Indian places in the Mission I need to try so it’ll be awhile before I give them a second chance.

Wow. My first one star review… thought it would never happen.
I was home sick with the flu and needed something to be delivered. I now know that pizza is the only good delivery food I’ll ever have… unless someone has a suggestion?
Here’s what I ordered:
–Matter paneer ($ 8.95): Dude where’s the rest of the paneer? They totally skimped on that. The flavor was just okay.
–Raita ($ 2.00): Yogurt with cucumber. Holy moly it was salty!
–Chicken Biryani ($ 11.95(: I was looking forward to this one. When I opened the paper box, the rice and chicken were a pale yellow. No veggies, not much spice. Dry, dry chicken. That food was actually collecting in my esophagus, hurting my chest. C’mon you know what feeling I’m talking about!
–Naan ($ 1.50?): meh. It’s just naan. probably the best part of my meal!
Everything came out to be about $ 25 without tip. Okay so the few good things about this place is that it delivers and the portions are very big. But I guess it sucks that now I’m stuck with A LOT of crappy Indian food. eh… still edible.

Affordable and tasty Indian food in the Mission, and you will always get seated immediately.
My boyfriend and I go here often enough that the family who owns it recognizes us. Our favorites are their chicken tikka masala (you can get it STUPID spicy or just mild) and the naan. We are always so happy with this that we never end up ordering much else… but I bet it’s yummy too :)
The décor is cute but somewhat puzzling… the interior is painted to look like an exterior of a supposedly Indian building. They’ve even built in fake doors, windows, and stairs into the walls. I have never been in here when there’s more than four tables of people, but I’ve always been confused why since it definitely tastes as yummy as the other Indian/​Pakistani places around 16^th.
Don’t be afraid if the hostess lady doesn’t smile at you, she’s nice enough :)

good stuff:
–the inside looks like a castle!
–the servers are fairly friendly.
everything else was not that good:
–samosas were small and too doughy. ok, but not great.
–the beer is WAY WAY WAY overpriced. 8.50 for a large taj mahal… i don’t think so.
–the mataar paneer was spicy but somehow bland and tasteless. also we got like 4 pieces of paneer in it. at other places, i usually get at least 6 or 7.
–the naan was ok but too buttery.
–it’s overpriced for what it is.
–they had some indian-​hitler voice broadcasting from back by the bathroom and no music. that was disturbing, especially at dinner.
–my boyfriend saw a cockroach in the bathroom. i won’t be going back here again, since that puts the icing on the already mediocre cake.

I love this place, and agree that it is good, and not the best. I also find the food is much better when you go there, than it is when you get delivery (naan is sort of unimpressive when it’s been sitting, packed together for too long). The service is awkward, but did you really go into an Indian Joint that is clearly not top drawer and expect anything different?
I love their food. The only reason it doesn’t get 5 stars? Awkward service. That is all.

I love Indian food, but this place didn’t really ease my craving or impress me enough that I’d go back when the craving strikes again. Somehow none of the food had that Indian flavor goodness. Chicken Tikka Massala is one of my favorites, so I had that, but it was too spicy and honestly, I think I’ve made better at home from the Indian cookbook I picked up at Costco. The naan was fine. My bf’s aloo palak and tandoori chicken were better, but still not wow.
The service (older guy) was pretty awkward and unfriendly — nothing particular, just mumbly and brief. We sat near the front window, but the place still felt really dark — and not in a «romantic mood lighting» kind of way. And yes, the décor is pretty trippy. I’m not an expert on Indian architecture, but I think I saw some Mexican elements in there, and wonder if they didn’t remodel an old taqueria. :-)

Before you question my taste or intelligence for giving this place four stars, let me explain that Maharaja has sentimental value to me.
My then-​bf, now husband brought me here for Valentine’s Day when we’d been dating for only 2 months. Before you judge HIM, you must know that
A) He was FOB from an unnamed European country
B) He knew I didn’t want anything fancy
C) Hell, he just liked Maharaja and didn’t feel like he had to impress me much.
Hey, it worked, didn’t it? I love it here! The food is damn good (it’s pretty hard to mess up Indian food) I’ll suggest the paneer and my husband swears by the chicken tikka masala. The décor is… interesting, and the staff, well, they’re kind of, well, let’s just say it’s a family-​run business. No harm, no foul.
And you know what? We went back for our anniversary our first and second year. ‘Cause that’s how we roll. Not to mention, the choice of after-​dinner drinks on Valencia is unparalleled.

Nothing to write home about, but the portions are substantial and I didn’t feel cheated on the quantity (or quality) of meat in the dishes, as I often do at Indian restaurants. The naan was only so-​so, being a bit on the crunchy side.
I wouldn’t go all the way to the mission to eat here again, but I would definitely have it delivered when I’m not feeling like walking down to my local spots (Naan N’ Chutney and Rotee) for dine-​in or carry out.