Masala Art

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990 Great Plain Ave
Needham, MA 02492

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(781) 449-4050
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Masala Art - Needham, MA
Masala Art - Needham, MA
Masala Art - Needham, MA
Masala Art - Needham, MA
Masala Art - Needham, MA
Masala Art - Needham, MA
Masala Art - Needham, MA
Masala Art - Needham, MA
Reviews
( 4 )
( 2 )
( 4 )
( 5 )
( 4 )

Best

My husband and I enjoy Indian cuisine but have stayed away from it with my recent diganosis of Celiac disease. Our waitress was very knowledgeable in what food options are gluten ...

Worst

The decor was typically 'suburban upscale,' and clearly had not been renovated/cleaned for a while

Masala Art Goes Downhill 12/31/2010

We went back to Masala Art for the first time in several years and were disappointed by the service and food. The Lamb in the Lamb Saag tasted dry, the seasonings were off and the food was served cold. Wine we ordered when we arrived came with the meal and the garlic naan had less taste than frozen naan that is bought at the grocery store. After asking for help, service remained inattentive and it took 20 minutes to pay the bill. more

Great Indian restaurant in Needham! 5/25/2009

It's not often that we find ourselves in Needham, but there we were and I had remembered this restaurant recommendation from a friend. The interior was very hip and the service was very accomodating. Our meal started with a complimentary serving of papadum with mint and sweet chutney. They very cleverly folded the papdum so they looked like little cones, which was fun and creative. My boyfriend had a delicious mango lassi and I went with the Indian iced tea, which was also delicious. For entrees, we split a Boti Kebab Masala (lean pieces of lamb marinated for 24 hours in yogurt and spices, grilled on skewers in the tandoor finished in a tangy, spicy red sauce and a Murg Malabar (A popular dish of saut?ed chicken curry flavored with coconut - From the state of Kerala). Pros: Large menu, great service Cons: Naan was just okay more

Why tip added at a buffet lunch 5/17/2009

Over priced, overated resturant. Went for a celebration to see a choice of buffet. Pros: so-so Cons: For the people who do not know Indian food? more

Rude, dirty, and dull 9/11/2008

The decor was typically 'suburban upscale,' and clearly had not been renovated/cleaned for a while more

Rudest staff around 1/12/2008

A lot of Indian restaurants in this area are just ok. Actually, a lot of restaurants are just ok, none warrant a review. This staff is so unbelievably rude, I created an account just to write this review! I was only there to pick up take out and they had misinformed the caller about how long it would take and I ended up waiting for 20 minutes. As I was paying I told them that they should really be more mindful about this, but the host would barely let me finish what I was saying. He kept interrupting me and insisted that he told my friend it would be 30 minutes, whereas he clearly told her 10. Our order was pretty much all food that they'd already prepared for the buffet. And then I tried the food and have to say that it's really not worth the price or harrassment. This must be the only Indian place in town for them to survive with staff and food like that. more

Editorial review from GrubHub 1/3/2008

by Liz at GrubHub Provided by GrubHub
Really amazing food. Appetizers are great and the tasty! more

GOOD FOOD; SURLY BARTENDER 10/28/2007

My wife and I had had a fine time here a coupe of years ago, but last week some college friends and I had to endure a surly bartender. Regulars warned us that we had to humor him as he ran down an endless list of drinks; one of our party didn't, and was told he was drunk and couldn't be served. None of us are eager to come back, although the food, price and service was first-rate. more

Great customer service AND great food! Good gluten-free options 4/16/2007

My husband and I enjoy Indian cuisine but have stayed away from it with my recent diganosis of Celiac disease. Our waitress was very knowledgeable in what food options are gluten free, and provided us a very enjoyable experience. We have been here several times and the food is always great, and staff very helpful. Pros: gluten free options (you have to ask), parking, tasting menu Cons: can get a little noisy when the bar is crowded. more

Pretty but Average 3/26/2007

I was really excited when I got there - the waitstaff was friendly and helpful and the place is gorgeous. I love the elephants behind the bar especially. Pros: Beautiful Restaurant Cons: Food was not nearly worth the price. more

Average but overpriced food, HORRENDOUS service, fading charmless atmosphere, filthy bathrooms... 2/3/2007

Only the social pressure of a friend's anniversary and the prospect of ""upscale, adventurous Indian fare"" convinced us to trek out the suburbs on a cold Friday night: we should have listened to the reviews about the dreadful service and stayed at home and ordered in from Gourmet India. Let's get the food out of the way- reasonable range and appetizingly described on the menu- but overall standard and not standout Indian with no focus on any particular geographic region. A good variety of vegetarian options and the naan breads were crisp, soft, chewy and charred in the right places. Some dhal purris were delicious and the paneer salad seems to come from Hyderabad via Mykonos, lifted by onions, tomatoes and a pleasantly acidic dressing. Otherwise the seasonings were heavy handed (my 3 day marinated lamb barra kebabs should have been rescued after 1 day) and the sauces thick and greasy. I had the faint suspicion that the cooking ghee was stale in a number of the dishes. Well mediocre food and pleasant company would have made of a nice meal but it was ruined by the singularly charmless, abrupt, souless, unsmiling, inattentive service- starting with the ""hostess"" whose attitude to small tasks such as taking coats or showing people to the bar seemed to be ""DO IT YOURSELF"". The wait staff appeared harrassed, told us to hurry and order dessert as the kitchen was closing (10.20 pm on Friday night- surely early, even for Needham?) and then turned up the lights and their attitude at 10.35. Many reviews have been focused on the modern decor and atmosphere. It might have looked fresh and interesting in, hmm, 1997 but now it looks tired, worn and slightly dirty. The feature spice bar was empty, half the blue wall lights were off, the bar TV screens were on blank and the lunch buffet still partially set up. The bathrooms- disgusting- overflowing waste bins and unclean floors. This place is in desperate need of an overhaul of both staff, cooking fats and decor. Avoid. more

Poor Customer Service!!! 1/27/2007

We went there on a Saturday night around 8 pm. We got seated promptly. The table was small and to add to it there were so many unneeded glasses that the waitress failed to take after placing our drink order. We waited over 15 minutes for her to take our drink order. When the drink order came she made a performance of not being able to open the half bottle of wine my husband ordered and she refused help as ""she would get in trouble."" It took her another 15 minutes to come back for our food order which in turn came out delayed and not only that it came out with our appetizers. We were certain our nonexperienced waitress forgot to go check on our order. Food---- mediocre at its best. We eat out several nights a week and we enjoy Indian cuisine alot.I have had better, much better. My Saag was so dry it was almost day old. Trader Joes has better Samosas and they are frozen. Out waitress continued to annoy us with her hair flipping and when she took our bill she forgot to return our credit card. She was never to be found after that. Thank Goodness one of the other waiters spotted it in the kitchen and managed to find us. To makematters worse the waitress that failed to come by to check on us was sitting at the frotn of the restaurant counting her tips. I would never go back......... Pros: promt seating Cons: food, SERVICE more

Nice ambience, bad service, mediocre food 1/18/2007

Visited on a not crowded week night and it still took 15 minutes for waiter to come over to ask for drink order. Refills for drinks and rice were not available as waiter was busing taking take-out orders at hostess station. Pros: Atmosphere, bar selection Cons: Serving size, wait staff service, flavors more

Great Indian Food 8/27/2006

This is the best Indian food we have had outside India! Unfortunately, the lunch buffet doesn't vary much from day to day, so going there for lunch regularly can be boring. Dinner however, is a different matter. Each dish is better than the next. Service is good. Highly recommended Pros: Parking is easy and service is good Cons: The ambience is just average more

Chipped Dishes & Dirty 7/23/2006

The food was mediocre, the restaurant was dirty, the music was loud and hip hopish, and the service was slow and inattentive. more

Bad Service 4/17/2006

The service was so bad that we missed all the fun. We travelled all the way from Waltham hearing about this restaurant but it turned out an utterly disappointing experience. The place looks cool and calm but the service is just not up to the mark. We did'nt receive our side orders until we completed the drinks. Once we ordered food it took ages to arrive. After all the wait I was so disappointed to see dishes we did'nt order and all we got is a simple sorry. Finally we got the dishes we ordered but were'nt spicy. I would'nt recommed this restaurant for spicy food & good service looking customers. Pros: good ambience Cons: bad service more

Bistro Indian food 1/11/2006

Unfortunately the food was ok, the waiter got my order wrong, and it did not bother him. The food was ok. The thing that bothered me the most was it was very loud and the tables were so close my husband and I had to yell to hear each other which is most likely why the waiter got my order wrong more

for me, this is average 8/28/2005

this place is average because they have same stuff repeated for lucheon buffets. just a regular indian restaurant for me with the same tikka's. Where are afghan, persian varieties of food, that I used to like, when I go to restaurants in India? only 2 stars ( ** ) for this place. little costly compared to other indian restaurants though the food is not at all special. more

Excellent 5/17/2005

What a great find. The food is delicious. The luncheon buffet was fresh, varied and hot! The service was attentive but not intrusive. The decor is amazing. I felt like I was away on vacation rather than in a bustling downtown suburb. more

Very Tasty! 1/14/2004

I am not a HUGE Indian food fan, but the flavors in this restaurant are amazing! Our waitress was more than helpful in suggesting entrees and informing us exactly ""how"" to eat each dish. Very comfortable atmosphere. Very easy to find parking. Pros: Service, Flavors, Decor Cons: Is in the 'burbs more
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Menu for Masala Art


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Our Cuisine and Its New Home Reflect the Breath of Indian Culinary Traditions, Its Diverse Culture, Art Forms, Religions and Regional Specialties

Owner Message
  • In recent years, with the increase in popularity of Indian cuisine, Indian restaurants have sprung up in every American city and town. As pioneers of Indian food in New England, we are proud to share our countrys diverse culture, art forms, religions and regional specialties with our restaurant guests. Our dishes include family recipes as well as those inspired by Indias extensive culinary landscape.

    Namaskar, please visit Masala Art for a delightful culinary experience.


    Masala Art is a contemporary, upscale Indian eatery, a new concept to New England. The idea for the restaurant sprung from surrounding competition. In an era where almost every Boston area Indian restaurant had similar menus and decors, the trendsetting couple decided once again that it was time to for a paradigm shift. Observing that the Boston and Cambridge areas were becoming saturated with Indian eateries, they decided to move their newest concepts to the suburbs. Opening Curry Leaf and Masala Art within one year was a challenge, but once again a trendsetting development.


    The concept of Masala Art is unique to other Indian Restaurants. Firstly, the décor is unlike any other. The restaurants design itself took close to three years in development. The extended time spent is showcased in every detail of the restaurant, from the sculptures of Lord Ganesha (The God of Prosperity) behind the bar, to the fiber-optic lighting that illuminate the main dining areas, and the silk covered pillows that rest on the beautifully designed banquets. The real exhibit however is the Spice Bar, an exclusive nine-seat bar which is actually a small kitchen created in the dining area where guests can have an interactive cooking/dining session with the executive chef by reservation. Guests can choose from preset menu options which include vegetarian, non-vegetarian and seafood selections.. * Lunch
    * Dinner
    * Catering
    * Office Parties
    * Karaoke


    Fine Dining Masala Art is a contemporary,upscale Indian eatery,a new concept to New England. The idea for the restaurant sprung from surrounding competition. In an era where almost every Boston area Indian restaurant had similar menus and decors,the trendsetting couple decided once again that it was time to for a paradigm shift. Observing that the Boston and Cambridge areas were becoming saturated with Indian eateries,they decided to move their newest concepts to the suburbs. Opening Curry Leaf and Masala Art within one year was a challenge,but once again a trendsetting development.

Editorial
  • The Scene
    The family behind the Back Bay's Kebab 'n' Curry and Harvard Square's Bombay Club operate this elegant Indian restaurant in Needham's town center. The expansive, stylish dining...

  • 5/31/2006 Provided by Citysearch
Additional information
  • Hours: Sun 11:30am-10pm; Mon 11:30am-10pm; Tue 11:30am-10pm; Wed 11:30am-10pm; Thu 11:30am-10pm; Fri 11:30am-10pm; Sat 11:30am-10pm
  • Payments: Cash, Visa, Discover, American Express, Master Card
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