Marla's Indian

One of my worst experiences ever in a restaurant. I have NEVER heard owners yell at customers and I have been in the restaurant business for almost 20 years. Serious control issues. Seems as long as she likes you it is golden, but god forbid if you complain or ask why food is late; she freaks! I'm not a psychologist, but what I am, I would suggest some serious therapy for Marla; seriously. more

This was a great restaurant, but it is closed at this location. Try this address: Marla's Caribbean Cuisine... more

This was a great restaurant, but it is closed at this location. Try this address: Marla's Caribbean Cuisine 3761 Bloomington Ave Minneapolis,... more

To all my dear customers out there I must apologise for TWINKLES51 review. This person who is also know as Renita Ragoonanan came into my restaurant, ordered a meal to share with a girlfriend and had no intentions of paying for it. When she was asked to pay for the food she ordered she refused and then proceeded to call the city which came out, and my restaurant received a clean bill of health. Ms. Ragoonanan is making false claims and a case is being formed regarding the allegations at present.\r Again to my dear customers you all know the truth, and to others who have not dined there yet, you are welcome to visit at anytime. Pros: great food, service more

I LOVED THIS PLACE!!! Both my parents are west indian and growing up we ate lots of food. Let me tell you these people know how to cook. Don't tell my mom but this was even better than her cooking. I ordered a curry chicken to go and as soon as i bit into the chicken i realized i should've stayed in so that i could order more! i will definitely go back. As to anyone that hasn't tried this food before Marla's is the place to go. Everything was perfect!! The service was great as well, and before i left Marla came out and made sure that everything was going well. I loved this and will go back again and again. =] Pros: Great Food, Great Service, Great parking, Wonderful family setting more

Im not quite sure what the previous review was talking about because the Marla's i know is the exact opposite. Its so clean in there and the people are absolutely wonderful. Its a small family owned restaurant and it feels like home every time I eat there. They recently opened a new restaurant on 38th and Bloomington Ave. serving primarily Caribbean Cuisine and the food is exquisite. Be sure to order the roti wrap, or even the Jerked Chicken. The bathrooms were very clean and even impressed my mom. She's usually very picky about things like that. They had a wonderful trinidad radio playing, and it felt as though we were actually on the islands. We ordered doubles as an appetizer and they were perfect. Just as we finished the doubles our food arrived. Yum! Curry Chicken Roti here i come. Bon A Petit! Pros: Great Food, Great Service, Great parking Cons: Nothing more

This place is small, and it seemed that every family member was there, and was so good! The cook even came out and asked how we like our food. We were encouraged to try different types of naan, which were all delicious, and it was interesting how they had other kinds (onion naan, potato naan) than garlic, though garlic is still my favorite. more

My parents are from india so i always grew up eating indian food. and let me say this is the closest thing to moms cooking that i have ever had. It was AWESOME! and so DELICIOUS! i will definately be back. The service was awesome aswell. I loved the fact that it was a small FAMILY restaurant. it made me feel right at home! I recommend this place to everyone! no matter what you will love it! and another great thing was that it was a reasonable price and HOT! just the way i like it. its made to order so even if you dont eat hot food give this place a try! i LOVED it! Pros: great taste. convenient parking. great sitdown place. Cons: nothing. everything was GREAT! more

My group and I visited Marla's on Saturday night and it was a great experience. We were recommended by many people who drive all the way from far away places just to enjoy their visit at Marla's.\r First of all the owner came over and introduced himself and was very helpful especially with the caribbean cuisine. He was able to help us decide on a wine that the entire group would enjoy and added that Marla handpicked all the wines to go with the cusines. We tried the vegetarian roti and that was ROTILICIOUS. We also had many of the Indian dishes and WOW they was the greatest. The naans were out of this world and this family were always there checking to see how we were doing even though the place was packed to its limit.\r I would highly recommend Marla's to everyone especially folks who wants fresh home cooked food. They will certainly take care of all your needs. And we know about Indian Cuisine. Pros: Great Service, Best Food, Wonderful Family business Cons: Make reservations on Busy nights more

I went here on a Saturday night. I was excited about this restaurant because of all of the great reviews on CitySearch, but to my dismay, my impression of Marla's was not a positive one and I will not be going back! The family who owns the place was sitting around on the back tables and if we wanted anything, we had to wave at them to come over. That was kind of uncomfortable! Honestly, I felt like I was bothering them or in there way....That's how they made you feel. Anyway, I ordered a glass of red Spanish wine and the wine was old, so I asked them if they could bring another glass of wine of a different kind of wine....this time Pinot Noir. They brought it and set it down and did not say a word, which I thought was odd. Normally, they would say I'm sorry about that or something. I tried the new wine, but it was the same old wine! So I told him that I dont want that wine because it's the same old wine. He said he would not do that to me. I know my wine, and yes, he did that to me. He even charged us for the wine, but we paid anyway. I was embarrassed for him. I am normally not one to ever complain at a restaurant, but this time I did because I thought it was outrageous.\r \r Not only did he bring me old wine, he brought me an old salad with no dressing on it. Normally, at Indian restaurants they will put a yogurt dressing on the salad atleast. I thought the sauces in the dishes were too heavy. One good thing I will say is the garlic Naan was very good with fresh herbs on it. \r \r I will not be going back to this place and I would not recommend it either. I expected a family-owned place to be much more friendly and hospitable like they normally are! There are much better Indian Restaurants in the Twin Cities! Pros: parking lot in back, colorful murals on the walls, good naan Cons: bad service, old food more

Visited Marla's for the first time with a friend who had eaten there before.\r \r I enjoy Indian food very much and this was excellent! The samosas were great and the Naan flavorful and delicious. I had butter chicken medium spicy. The sauce was great, the rice fragrant, and the chicken was tender.\r \r A little warm on a warm night, but overall great experience - will return. Pros: Quaint environment, friendly service, great food Cons: Small parking lot, restrooms, building temp more

My wife and I decided to go to Marla's for the fist time with a couple of our friends. We have been to a few other Indian restaurants, but our friends had never tried Indian food before. We wanted to go somewhere new and decided on Marla's. Let's just say that this was a great decision. I have never tasted Indian food that was so fresh before. I know some Indian restaurants mellow down the spices and make everything into a sauce. This was not the case at Marla's. You could really taste every spice in each dish. We all got different dishes and each one had its own unique flavor, which at other Indian restaurants is uncommon. Typically all the dishes taste relatively similar. We really enjoyed the chicken tikka masala, chicken biryani, and the coconut chicken. Everyone in our group enjoyed the meal and would highly recommend this restaurant to diners who are looking for great-tasting, fresh Indian cuisine. more

My party and I had the most marvelous time in this small and quaint restaurant. It is definitely family run, and you feel as though you are in the presence of family. The owmers and their kids make sure that you are comfortable, well fed and happy while you are there.\r The food was great!!!!! My husband ordered the Jamaicanjerk Chicken and claims that it is the best he's had since Jamaica. My vegetarian roti was very soft, silky and tasty. The other couple with us had the mixed grill, and the Saag Paneer (that is a dish with cheese and spinach). They were also enjoying their food and setting a date to return.\r Great atmosphere, great owners-a very caring bunch, drinks were delicious, and don't forget the free parking in Uptown. This is definitely a place to return.......soooooooon. Pros: Great service, Free Parking, Loving atmosophere and GREAT FOODS Cons: Wish I could eat more more

Before I begin to rave about my favorite Indian/Carribean restaurant, let me point out that the phone number listed is incorrect- 612.823.2866 is the current phone number.\r \r Marla herself is in the kitchen making the richest, authentic kurries, kormas, soups, stews and breads.\r The prices are fair to moderate in comparison to competitors, but in my opinion, they are the best in the Twin Cities. Service is great, even when the restraunt doesn't have an open seat in the house. My food has always been fantastic- and usually average about $15- for an appetizer, entre, some delicious bread, and a caribean soda.- Try the Papdi Chat; chick peas, potates & yougurt sauce over a crisp breading with. I highly recommend the chicken cocunut or chicken masala. Although they do not have a full bar, they do serve beer, wines and some joices and soda's. For a sweet treat, try the kola champagne, non -alcoholic & tastes like cotton candy! This family recognizes costumer loyalty, and they are committed to ensuring you become a regular! Pros: free parking, great service, authentic food and plenty of it! Cons: lighting could be dimmed- otherwise great place for a date or a few friends. more

This is one hot, yet cozy little Uptown secret. Tonight we had a very delightful experience at Marla's. The food was very tasty and authentic. I had the dhalpourie wrap with a very flavorful and greatly spiced goat curry, my mom had the chicken biriyani, she kept talking about how great that meal was all the way home. My dad had the shrimp curry which had just the right spices and my teenage kids who are usually very picky eaters enjoyed the tandoori chicken which was very tasty and succulent. I would recommend Marla's at anytime. The service has to be the best we have experienced in the Twin Cities and the restaurant is spotless. We will soon be back with more friends and family. Pros: Great Value, Clean Place, Family owned and owners are very attentive. more

On the strength of reviews we read here, we returned to Marla's location, where we had eaten a pretty dismal meal in this place's former purely Indian incarnation a few years ago. Perhaps it is because we had high expectations, or because we are vegetarians and aren't spice fiends, but we didn't even finish our main courses, and didn't take anything home. It hurts to say this, because they were so nice and made a real effort...but it was the worst Indian food we've sampled in the Twin Cities in our five years here.\r \r On the bright side, the service was wonderful and attentive, and the samosas were unique and very tasty. But we ordered the vegetarian korma medium hot, which turned out to be *way* too hot for either of us, and the item below it on the menu (another vegetarian offering) we ordered mild. It was supposed to have been in coconut milk...but tasted of slightly burned gravy. (Maybe they burned the coconut milk by mistake?) Usually we eagerly bring home leftovers to bring to work for lunch, not to mention hating to waste food, but we looked at each other and sadly agreed this stuff was bound for the dumpster.\r \r Maybe the usual chef was sick that night, or something else was amiss...but we aren't going back to find out. Before you dismiss us as the gringos in the room, please know that we eat out Indian more often than anything else (it's a real pain to cook Indian at home), and we have eaten at Indian restaurants in the UK, LA, and Chicago. We generally love Indian. This place may be unique, but for us it wasn't better than the ""typical"" Indian place in our area - or the world. Pros: Great service, good appetizers, nice ambience, family run with dedication Cons: Alas, (really) bad vegetarian main-course food. Tight parking on popular nights, but does have its own lot. more

Can't say enough about this place. My first time to Marla's and I can't wait to become a regular! This will be my only Indian restaurant of choice. There were 4 adults in my group and 1 - 2 month old. We had ordered our beers and appetizer, and the young one started being fussy. When the appetizers arrived, the owner's mother (with 20 years of nanny experience) came out from the back and volunteered to take our baby off our hands so we could enjoy the food while it was hot! When the main meal arrived, Marla (the owner, and former RN) volunteered to take the infant and feed him while we ate! She sat in the corner with a bottle and fed him! Amazing service! And of course, our glasses were never empty. The food was terrific, very tasty, and portion sizes were a great value. The chicken korma and the coconut curry were excellent, and the flavor of the bihryani was complex, with a hint of sweet, followed by a combo of Indian spices and heat. Medium was the perfect heat level for the dish. I will tell everyone about this place! Pros: Service, family owned, great food, delicious Indian beer, ambiance more

I have been looking for this unique combination. Go to Marla's and it is quite an adventure. My friends and I tried both the Indian and Caribbean meals and they were done to perfection. Don't forget to ask for Marla's special hot sauce if you like it spicy. The Jamaican Jerk was the best I ever had, yes even better than some of the spots in Jamaica. Best Indian and Caribbean foods! Pros: Clean, Great parking, Inexpensive more

I am from England and i know a thing or two about Indian Cuisine as curry is our national dish. The food at marlas is in my opinion the best Indian in Minneapolis. I ordered Chicken Korma, a lamb rogan josh, the tandoori mix of shrimp chicken and vegetables, naan bread a rice pudding and a sweet lassi. The curry sauce was filled with flavour. Everything was excellent. I highly, highly recommend it. Marla was very hospitable. I wouldnt even bother with the other Indian restaurants as they are rubbish compared to Marlas. Oh, did i mention that everything was under $40? Pros: great value, excellent food, great service Cons: no delivery more

Having eaten at a variety of well known Indian Restaurants... Marla's reigns supreme. Low fat options across the board, all of them delicious. $6.95 for the Buffet, normally a restaurant looks to get away with offering a lot of options while sacrificing quality... here you will find both. I loved Marla's. The owner's were there to chat about the food and explain each dish, caring to explain how it's prepared (after I had asked). Very nice place. more