Masala Kitchen

This is a south Asian grocery with a daily buffet. The weekend buffet has 10 items and is quite an experience. The seating and service are simple, which I am certain keeps the costs low. Each item seems authentic to me, but I cannot be a judge. The Butter Chicken was excellent. There are fully vegetarian options as well. The buffet is on a steam table next to the cashier. You have an option of take out, which is by the pound, or eat in all you care to eat. We received two very nice Naan breads and were offered more. The drink is water, but if you want something else, they have a full selection of drinks to purchase.We were encouraged to go back for more, and they checked on us regularly. The seating area is in the back of the shop. I am giving a high rating for quality and authenticity. The grocery has a huge selection of spices, rice, and other delicacies, breads, etc. There is a halal meat counter.

Thank you for this recommendation, Yelp! Masala Kitchen is a total "find." Unless you happened to drive around a business park in Columbia, you would never know it's there. And, that's a shame. Masala Kitchen deserves to be known widely. It has much going for it.This surprisingly large South Asian grocer has a great looking butcher shop and nice produce department. The rest of the store is well stocked and clean. However, my friend and I didn't go there for food to take home, we wanted to eat there. We opted for the buffet. Despite offering only a few different dishes, each one, including the butter chicken that is well loved on this site, was remarkable. There was goat, there was chicken, there was lamb, there was lentils. Also included are the typical sauces and a wonderful spicy applesauce. The buffet comes with water and naan. We also ordered the goat karahi. It was remarkable. (And, it saves me a trip to the kabob and karahi place in Montgomery County.)We ate in the large room in that back that appears to be used for various functions. The room was simple and felt like a part of a warehouse, however I'd eat that fantastic food anywhere.The place is run now, and has been for the past decade, by a lovely couple in that mom-and-pop shop way.If you've any interest in South Asian food, head to this unlikely location. You'll thank Yelp, too.

Shoutout to our local community heroes! The Owners, Mr. and Mrs. Shah have been giving friendly service for about 10 years. They are professional, kind, warm, hard working, welcoming, and easy to speak to. Their Facebook Bio states that they are the largest South Asian and Middle Eastern grocery and Meat store in Howard County. And I believe it! The venue is clean, organized, well lit, and there is soooo much variety. I'm not sure how many cultures are represented, but at minimum there's 4: Indian, Pakistani, Bengali, and I even found British snacks. They offer many accommodations like dietary restrictions, preferences, vegetarian and non vegetarian, etc. Having 5 Star quality food so close to my church is so awesome, because we don't have to travel far to eat. The venue is a bit camouflaged as I am trying to get used to in Columbia, MD nondescript building beige tan landscape, but once I see the inviting blue stripes above the doors, my brain happily transmits, " You have reached your destination!". There's a lot of parking available, even handicap spaces, and handicap ramps. Did I mention 5 stars on Google. (Shoutout to my hubby for this venue recommendation) He knows how picky I am. Flavors are on point! I never knew some of these foods existed! Order food online for delivery, dine in, or takeout. (delivered via Door Dash) or walk-up to the ordering counter . Weekend buffet pay by the lbs. Store front, Halal meat counter, Fresh fruits and veggies , International Food and snacks. There's a banquet sized Dining Room, (behind a large curtain towards the left side of the storefront. It's like going into Narnia), so plenty of room for tables and chairs to spread out, they a large projector screen to watch whatever, TV, sports, music, comfy lounge seating to chill and eat, and kid sized tables as well... so it is very family friendly. Great prices, Generous portions, Authentic flavors! Classic favorites like butter chicken, beef curry, tika masala, kebabs, tandoori, samosas, naan breads, Jasmine rice, beef patty, mango lassis, biryani, etc... and new favorites curry goat, puri, Spice levels can be adjusted as well. Hubby like food more spicy than me nowadays. I feel like I am genuinely getting my taste buds educated! My culinary life has been elevated! I never knew that I would LOVE curry goat! My entire family will love this venue! I can't wait to bring them all when we all have our next get together!

Butter chicken with naan was excellent. I think I remember getting the samosa which was alright, but the highlight for me was butter chicken. I finished the whole thing in one meal!

Food was excellent- I had the veggie curry and my companion had the chicken biryani, with chicken samosa- and naan. Service was friendly and helpful. Ambiance - well, this is an imported foods store, with a pickup counter for take away and a quiet room in the back with limited seating- some table seating and lounge chair seating as well. Personally I think the food makes up for what is missing in ambiance. The store itself is plain awesome with great variety of import foods from the region. A definite revisit !

I recently found out about Masala Kitchen on Facebook. I could not believe that they've been there for years and I didn't know! The staff was so friendly and helpful. We got butter chicken and chili chicken, and they recommended trying the spring rolls. We also got samosas. The food was fire. The butter chicken was so flavorful and tender. I could eat the sauce and naan alone and be good. The chili chicken was spiced so perfectly. The chilies didn't kick in immediately but kind of slowly came in with just the right amount of heat, not so much that you can't enjoy it but you know it's there. The spring rolls were delicious. Definitely not a Chinese spring roll, the flavor was clearly Indian/Pakistani and it was crispy and not the least bit greasy. Same with the samosas, just scrumptious and we had to make a stop on the way home, so they were lukewarm and not hot. Masala Kitchen is my new spot, now. 10/10.

We came here with our two young children and initially weren't sure what to get. The owner very kindly gave us recommendations that suited our needs perfectly (e.g., prevented us from over spending for the kids' meals). We got the buffet option and the food was as good as I can imagine, with freshly made white rice and naan to boot. Parking is curbside, just look up and you'll see the awning that looks to be part of an industrial park.

Wanted to try something different so I saw the good reviews here and made the trip with my wife. Yes, it's in a small grocery store (a nice one at that!). When we showed up for buffet the owner apologized and said the room in the back was reserved for a party...However, he very kindly offered to set up a table for us in the front corner of the store! We had come a long way so we took him up on his kind offer. So we sat in the front of the store eating our lunch buffet as some shoppers went by...interesting experience. The buffet itself was small but good and reasonably priced. My favorite was the tandoori chicken and tikka masala both very good! The owner and I believe his wife and son both checked on us and were very friendly and wanted to go out of their way to accommodate us! You can buy food from the buffet to go, so, as an idea, if you happen to be at Sapwood Brewery nearby, you could grab some nice Indian food and take it to the brewery! That's what we will do next time we visit Sapwood!

Incredible quality delicious and flavorful buffet served modestly on plastic plates in an awesome party room in the back

Amazing food, Great taste, Great service,Big portions. Outstanding price & Quick service.