Masala Art DC (Tenleytown)
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Popular dishes
Lamb Vindaloo
Fiery lamb curry with vinegar and potatoes
2 reviews
Saag Paneer
An all time favorite- cottage cheese in creamy spinach
2 reviews
Chicken Biryani
1 reviews
This neighborhood restaurant serves the most interesting Indian dishes in Washington. Coorgi Murg is fabulous, but you can't go wrong with any of the main dish courses--and there are many delicious vegetarian options as well.
Masala Art offers a large choice of dishes, including vegetarian ones. They finally made their dishes less spicy, so it is now accessible to most palates. The service was friendly, without being invasive. The noise level was low. Best feature is that it is one of the few good restaurants in the Tenleytown area.
Every dish was flavorful and interesting. Service was perfect.
Great food, service and value. Definitely will go back.
We've never been disappointed at Masala Art Tenleytown. This time we went for lunch but opted out of the buffet, preferring the freshly made alacart selections.
I have been going to this restaurant for years. But the meal we had recently was the best ever!!!! The presentation has changed since the last time and it is an improvement. Service is good. My only complaint is they turn down the lights so low it is hard to see. But overall excellent!!!
We were seated 30 minutes late and waited for our food for 50 minutes
We love Masala because the food is always excellent. The selections are very interesting and the wait staff are very helpful in selecting items that are not too spicy. We highly recommend this restaurant.
Unexpected suprise...........loved it! Great food, good service had a neighborhood vibe.
When you look up the phrase “neighborhood gem,” you’ll find a picture of Masala Art DC. A welcoming place with great food and great service.
We normally love Masala Art’s food. But this night the shrimp was over cooked and the eggplant was undercooked. The staff was insufficient and our wait for a drink and to order was too long.
Nice ambiance, very tasty food. Portion size of chicken was a bit slight though tofu entree and appetizer was plenty. Surprisingly, Monday night in January was busy-- number of walk ins for pick up orders. Taxed the service a bit so attention this visit wasn't what I've experienced in the past. Great variety on menu.
The kitchen and service continues to be top notch and iMasala remains a cozy and relatively quiet haven and good value.
We love this neighborhood restaurant. As usual, I had a special meal request, and the cook made sure I was fully accommodated. Great place to enjoy good food and friends in a charming yet low key atmosphere.
Still some of the best Indian food in town. Lately they have added items to the menu- this refreshment should continue.
The food was mixed. The salmon tandoori was dry. The chickpea appetizer was too sweet. Other dishes were good. I might try it again, but go with traditional dishes, not fusion style dishes.
I said I would recommend - it is not as good as it used to be..noticed this the last two trips..also, how can a restaurant be open without a functioning bathroom...that was embarassing for me with my guests...
I think we were unlucky with the table and the waiter. There was an older gentleman who chewed loudly and burped often and since the restaurant was almost empty (there were only a total of 3 tables with customers) we asked to move after a while but before we even ordered. The waiter seemed to have a problem with that. Also the waiter took a long long time before he got our order, never asked whether we needed more hot water for our tea. All in all, very poor service but good food. I have eaten there before, this is the first time that I was disappointed.
We two couples wanted good food that we don't cook at home, attentive service, a fair and reasonable price and we wanted to be able to hear each other on a Saturday night. Masala Art at Tenleytown hit a home run. Two of us had different versions of chicken, one had a vegetarian large bowl of rice and chickpeas, and one had the extra large grilled shrimp. Delicious. We talked and talked and enjoyed ourselves.
Family gathering
I dropped the overall rating by a star only because service was so slow on our last visit, probably due to understaffing. The food, however, was as good as it's ever been since this restaurant's opening. Probably because in recent years we've been ordering via their delivery service more than dining at the restaurant, we were actually surprised by how delicious and fresh-tasting everything was--both the old favorites and some new dishes we tried. We've always appreciated that Masala Art didn't pull its punches on the spicier dishes, and it still doesn't--not, unless, you ask them to. It remains Tenleytown's best restaurant by far, and in my opinion one of the best Indian restaurants in the larger metro area.
All the food was delicious, attractive, and served hot. The only problem was that we waited nearly an hour after we ordered to be served.
Excellent and innovative dishes. Indifferent service.
Consistently good food in a dining room where you don’t have to yell at your dinner companions.
The place was very full and although we had a reservation and were seated upon arrival, we did not our food for 50 minutes. I have been there several times and this is the first time i have to wait that long but it would have been good for them to at least offer a couple of samosas if you have to wait one hour to get any food!
Be careful and check your bill when you eat here. I had ordered a half order of dal, but was charged for a full order. Every time I walk out of here, I feel like I’ve paid too much, even though the food is great.
This restaurant is consistently our favorite Indian restaurant in DC. The lamb vindaloo is spicy, with very high quality ingredients. The eggplant dishes are exceptional. The wine list is fairly priced and the selections pair nicely with the menu. We highly recommend this unassuming restaurant with great ambiance and exceptional service.
Wonderful food, gracious service, we will be back!
Just before our reservation there was a tremendous wind and rain storm, which plunged Masala’s neighborhood into darkness. Blackout. Always a terrific place, but on this night Mother Nature has other plans.
Excellent food and service. The best Indian restaurant in the DC area.
We love this place. Great food and convenient location. But it was sweltering on Sunday night. No AC? In DC? Not so wonderful when you’re eating spicy food.
food and service were good, unfortunate that the Air conditioning was not working
Usually love the food, get the same dishes. Didn't like the flavor of mine AT ALL but we had brought a guest and didn't want to complain in front of him. Turns out it was the same for my husband; on our way home he told me how yuks his was. Will take this off the rotation
The buffet at Masala Art is the best sit down lunch value in Washington, DC, hands down. I'm not sure my bill even came to $40. The buffet is imaginative - it's not just butter chicken and saag paneer. The service wasn't great this time - it took a long time to get our bread and I had to go searching for the server to get our check. Other times I've eaten there that hasn't been the case.
Such a great place to enjoy when visitors are in town. The food is always amazing and it's usually quiet enough to have a conversation. We also enjoyed the leftovers that made the trip home with us.
Authentic food, quick service and peaceful environment.
Pain poori was really good.
I have long been a fan of Masala Art, but I was stunned at the poor quality of the food we were served on a night when we were more or less the only table that was occupied in the restaurant. Things were bland, some dishes were cold or not very fresh. Only the naan was at the level of quality I had known in the past. I'm not sure I will be back unless I hear a good report.
We had a spectacular meal. Every dish was wonderful.
This is one of my favorite (top 5) DC-area restaurants. The food is delicious and perfectly prepared, and they do not skimp on the portions. I always leave stuffed and happy.
Great food and service. Loved the waiter’s recommendations. Nice neighborhood atmosphere.
FAQs
Masala Art DC (Tenleytown) does offer delivery in partnership with Postmates and Uber Eats. Masala Art DC (Tenleytown) also offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (202) 362-4441.
Masala Art DC (Tenleytown) is rated 4.3 stars by 1064 OpenTable diners.
Masala Art DC (Tenleytown) does offer gift cards which you can purchase here https://www.toasttab.com/masala-art/giftcards.
Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable. Due to local restrictions, this restaurant may not be accepting reservations at the moment.