Masala Mantra Indian Bistro

We came on Valentine's Day. Place was packed. Has to wait a bit for our food but I'm not unreasonable we showed up at 7pm on what I'm assuming is the busiest day of the year. Now the food. Everything was great. Between the 4 of us we got the Korma with Goat, Chicken Biryani, Butter Chicken, and finally Chicken Tikka Masala. Both of my kids finished their food before we did. Great meal.

I stopped by Masala Mantra Indian Bistro for a late Sunday lunch. The restaurant was packed, but I was seated quickly, which was a good start. However, it seemed like there was only one waitress handling the entire dining area, leading to a major delay in service. About 10 minutes after being seated, the server came by with water but didn't ask for a drink order; I assumed she was waiting until my lunch companion arrived.We ordered the medium lamb pepper fry, mild tikka masala, and garlic naan. It took quite a while for our food to come out, and we noticed that two tables seated after us received their orders first. After checking with a food runner, he reassured us that our meals were on the way, and about five minutes later, they finally arrived.Despite the wait, the food itself was hot and looked great. The tikka masala is always my go-to, and it didn't disappoint. My partner, however, found the medium lamb pepper fry a bit too spicy for his liking and will opt for the mild version next time.This wasn't my best experience at Masala Mantra, but I'm hoping it was just a one-off situation since I genuinely enjoy their food. I'll definitely be back, but I hope to see some improvements in service during peak hours.

This is the hardest review yet because the food wasn't bad at all but the flavor tone seemed so off. I recently tried Indian food for the first time and it blew my mind. I decided i wanted it again last night so i tried this spot out this time. I ordered butter sauce with chicken and a medium spice level last location so i decided to do the same order here at masala but instead with goat. Once again by no means was it bad but it just wasn't the best to ME. I can greatly understand why people would eat here. Now the flavor of the butter sauce was just SO sweet. On top of that i chose the medium spice option and at this point i just assume they didn't put any spice because it has just sweetness. Literally no spice. The goat tasted nice but it was just a dissatisfying amount compared to the first place i tried Indian food. OVER HALF THE "GOAT MEAT" WAS BONE. so not only was there only so many pieces of meat, it was majority bone. Maybe the chicken is different and i should give it a try however, at the price i paid, i should be able to order goat and receive a decent amount with or without the bones at this point. The rice was nice of course and the garlic naan was great also. I won't say i won't be back to give it another shot. When i do though i hope its what i expect this time because they're so close to my house i would eat there daily!

Again. The service and place was exceptional. Started off with a glass of wine and Gobi msnchurian for an appetizer. Best thing about Indian restaurants is that the food is sharable. Anna ordered the butter chicken an I ordered the tandoori shrimp. Both very good. Definitely will be back.

Looking for non-chain and different than 'always available'. Found this one (via Yelp) near our hotel/airport and were pleased with the portions, spice level (they asked) and service. Saag & Biriyani were both tasty. Pleased to learn have opened one closer to home too!

Oh my goodness. This might be my favorite restaurant in Jacksonville. I grew up in California, so I was spoiled to always have delicious Indian food readily available. This is definitely the best I've had in Jacksonville, maybe top 3 I've ever had! My cousin and I come all the time; we brought my mom when she came to town last week. She said it'd been YEARS since she'd had such good Indian food.The restaurant is beautiful, great ambiance, nice open space. The staff is so friendly and always willing to work with you if you can't decide (which I often can't, because everything is so good).Honestly, you can't go wrong here. The chicken tandoori is a must, I always get it as my app. The samosas are great, too. I've tried their chicken, lamb, goat, and paneer for proteins; for curries I've had traditional, tikka masala, butter, and the jalfrezi. Everything has been phenomenal. The garlic naan is also delectable. True culinary genius. I really can't say enough good things about this restaurant. My mouth is watering just typing this. If you enjoy Indian food, have your next meal here. Full stop.

The food was excellent and the establishment properly decorated. The bathroom was clean and well maintained. The service started off good with pleasant greeting and being seated however they were not very attentive. I had to ask for additional rice, water, napkins and they did not seem too interested in asking if I needed anything. All I ask be a bit more attentive to your customers.

Had it as a takeout-. I had goat curry with white basmati rice . It was delicious, but fairly bony . I need to brag on their garlic naan: Amazing !!!! Takeout service was good- they were polite , food was well cooked, and on time. Ambience yet to Discover .

First time going was pleasantly surprised by how close it was to my house. My boyfriend recommended we go here for lunch. It was a lot of options on the buffet and all the food was well stocked and hot. I tried a little bit of everything it was good. Staff was friendly and attentive.

The I-95 gods tormented us on the Saturday after Christmas. South Carolina, which prides itself in tormenting drivers with an inadequate highway south of I-26, created a monster traffic jam that extended to every possible alternate route. The resulting four-hour southbound delay killed any hope of reaching our planned dinner stop south of Daytona Beach before bedtime.So, we pulled into a Georgia rest stop and started searching for a restaurant that would meet the requirements of four fussy eaters with conflicting dietary needs and tastes. We wanted something no further south of Saint Augustine, and within five minutes of I-95. We needed to cater to a Presbyterian pescatarian, a devoted carnivore, and an assortment of strong dislikes and mild allergies that required careful accommodations.After considerable mousing around the Internet, we found Masala Mantra Indian Bistro. There were lots of good reviews, though many were praising the takeout. It sat in a suburban strip mall, not the usual venue for great Indian food, but it had parking and it was close to I-95 and I-295.Given the positive reviews, how bad could it be?I have eaten at some really good Indian restaurants in and around New York City and Boston, but I have been disappointed at the quality of Indian food when venturing beyond the Northeast. Until now. Forget the fact that we were dining in a suburban strip mall near the Jacksonville airport, these were some of the best Indian dishes we have experienced.We had two different breads, an assortment of appetizers, and three different entrees. The chicken saag (medium) was flavorful and perfectly spiced. The butter chicken (mild) was wonderfully tender, swimming in a tomato-based sauce that begged to be sopped up with the bread.The ambiance reflected its suburban strip mall setting, with the headlights of parking cars piercing the frosted glass of the windows. This restaurant is not for your first or second date, unless your relationship has absolutely no need for romantic settings. However, if on a fourth or fifth date your partner whines about the plastic water glasses and the lack of tablecloths, instead of noticing the wonderful food, my advice is to terminate the relationship before you require a divorce attorney to extricate yourself from an unhappy situation.There was definitely a family restaurant vibe, with several large tables occupied by extended South Asian families (a very good sign). The service was a bit inattentive, and the atmosphere was less than charming, which explains why the takeout is popular. However, the food overcomes all, earning Masala Mantra five solid stars.