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Mirch Masala
Categories: Restaurants Indian Restaurants Buffets Indian, Buffets [Edit]
213 Broadway Ave E(between John St & Olive Way)
Seattle, WA 98102
Neighborhood: Capitol Hill
(206) 709-0111
- Hours:
Mon-Thu, Sun 11 am - 10 pm
Fri-Sat 11 am - 11 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
90 reviews for Mirch Masala
Review Highlights
"My butter chicken was delicious over my rice."
(in 16 reviews)
"Consistently good and excellent naan."
(in 30 reviews)
"I really liked the saag paneer."
(in 5 reviews)
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90 reviews in English
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Review from Tommy K.
Seattle, WA
11/29/2011
I'm giving this place 4 stars but if I could, I'd give it 3.5. The service is very good and the food was more than fine. I know others have complained about the portions but I really don't see the portion sizes here being any smaller than what you would normally get at most Indian restaurants.
The samosas were a bit substandard but were ok. It seemed like they might have baked them rather than fried because the exterior wasn't quite as crisp. The lassi was a bit runnier than normal ... closer to a juice in terms of its consistency. The butter chicken was quite good. My only major complaint was that I didn't think the food was spicy enough. We ordered the food to be very spicy and it felt more like a medium to us.
Overall, I would consider this place a perfectly respectable neighborhood joint. Unfortunately, we don't live in the neighborhood and so I doubt we'll be back as there are two equally good (if not slightly better) Indian restaurants in my neighborhood (QA). If, however, I happen to be in Cap Hill and in the mood for Indian, I definitely wouldn't hesitate stopping in again. -
Review from Arran T.
Seattle, WA
10/24/2011
This place is advertised everywhere. There are coupons on the back of my QFC receipts, it's on Groupon "Now" every day, and even on Yelp. There's a reason for this: this place is not great, not by a long shot. The service is strangely overbearing, and not friendly at all. I ate here on mostly a Groupon I hadn't had to pay for (plus $10 more than what the $20 Groupon covered).
So, a theoretical thirty dollars covered two of the least expensive entrees on the menu, plus a singular order of plain naan. Fun story: the portions suck.
Within the first five minutes of us getting there, the server came over to our table and asked if we were ready to order three times. I understand being attentive, but he was being impatient, and his tone just seemed rude. He used the word "yet." We ate there on a slow Monday night, so there was literally no reason for him to try and rush us.
I thought the Saag Paneer was good, but the Chicken Curry had a watery, flavourless sauce and weird fatty-chicken. The portions of both of the dishes are what I would consider to be $5 worth, and it was by far some of the most mediocre Indian food I have ever had. As a whole, it wasn't bad, it just wasn't good.
I really would never eat there again, simply because there's better places for much cheaper, with waiters who maintain eye contact and don't treat the customers like a nuisance. -
Review from Alex A.
Seattle, WA
10/24/2011
Like: hilarious staff, all dishes chicken
Cons: a bit pricey
I used to live a couple blocks away from this joint and must say I miss it on occasion. The service is prompt and friendly and the food is pretty baammmmb (in an annoying Boston accent). Chicken Korma is off the chains, tikki masala is also super solid. Throw in some garlic na'an and you've got yourself a feat from the east my friends. Gotta knock one star off for the price though as it's a bit spendy. Luckily if you parouse yelp, http://restaurant.com, or groupon you can usually find yourself a dealy deal for this place. Enjoy!Comment from Amar M. of Mirch Masala 10/24/2011
thanx for ur review ALEX. More » -
Review from Jay P.
Seattle, WA
2/5/2012
Premium prices for very poor quality food.
I ordered online from this place, a process which was very fast and convenient. My food arrived in under 45 minutes and because I had already paid for everything online (including tip) the delivery guy just handed over the food and said "enjoy".
So in terms of delivery service I can not fault this place one bit. Very good.
Unfortunately the food is of very poor quality.
I ordered a Chicken Tilkka Masala. The Chicken was that horrible fake/fatty kind. Tasted like it had recently been de-frosted and chucked in with some pre-made sauce from a jar. Horrible.
The lamb korma was a similar experience. The meat quality was slightly better, but not by much. But neither of these dishes tasted very good, just bland. I had a Safeway microwavable dinner which was way better than this, and spicier!
Their prices are very expensive, but you don't get what you pay for. They use some very cheap/bad quality ingredients.
The best Indian food I have had around the Capitol Hill area is Chutney's. They don't deliver but their prices are the same and the quality of their ingredients is very, very good. -
Review from Cynthia B.
Seattle, WA
2/9/2012
Been going here for a few years and the food is consistently good. I find myself craving their butter chicken more than I would like to admit. I have brought a few friends who claimed to not like Indian food and turned them into butter chicken fanatics like myself. The lunch buffet is awesome, wish they did this for dinner too!
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Review from Adinarayana B.
Seattle, WA
1/19/2012
Will never go to this place..I see the most recent reviews and it looks like customers are not really happy about this place..I went in there for dinner and I am very upset with this place and the food as well. for the quality of the food they provide it cannot be that pricey !! try to avoid the restrooms you might puke what you ate in there..
I think there are many other best places to eat in seattle.. -
Review from Maggie D.
Seattle, WA
1/4/2012 Purchased a Yelp Deal
Went in for the lunch buffet after seeing a yelp deal. The food is fine, nothing special. But the main reason for my rating is because they would not accept my coupon. The coupon didn't have any restrictions except in small print said "not valid on specials offers or items." The lady couldn't find anywhere on the coupon where it said not valid on the buffet, but still wouldnt let me use it. Bad Customer Service. She eventually kind of pointed and said, "the buffet is a special item, thats why..." Definitely not going to go back, there are better indian lunch buffets elsewhere anway.
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Review from Hedy L.
Seattle, WA
12/25/2011
This place always feels empty and I will never understand why. The food is great, I'm always stuffed when I leave, and the service is very attentive (a rarity in Seattle).
I can only speak to the vegetarian options, but I've tried them all and they are all delicious. This is my go-to Indian food joint. -
Review from Erin T.
Seattle, WA
1/16/2012
Great curry and amazing customer service. It's a little pricey, but the food is always wonderful, so if you don't mind paying a little more for good, homemade tasting curry, if shouldn't be a problem.
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Review from Wendy T.
9/27/2011 1 Check-in Here
I came here on the recommendation of a friend.. and this place wasn't bad... pretty good portion sizes and the staff was very friendly. We were there and talked and talked.. but we were not rushed out (it wasn't busy--Thursday night). The restaurant seemed pretty quiet to me (not a lot of customers) but I don't know what a typical Thursday night would be like in Seattle. There was plenty of people on the streets.. but mostly just walking around...
The food itself was okay. To me, not much to brag about... but I've definitely have had worse Indian food! I probably would not come back again... but this is probably mostly because I don't live in the area.. and if I did go back.. there are still soooo many other food choices! I'd love to try everything (all restaurants) if I could! -
Review from j g.
Seattle, WA
1/2/2012
Great food, great service.
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Review from Groundresonance C.
Seattle, WA
1/2/2012
Lunch buffet had a disappointingly limited selection. The curries were uninspired and the tandoori chicken was so dry, it was almost laughable. Restaurant had a clean atmosphere and the service was friendly.
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Review from Art S.
Seattle, WA
12/3/2011
I got an instant deal coupon and gave the place a try. It might have taken me a while to discover otherwise as it is not that close to my home and it sort of gets lost in the Broadway density of restaurants. The food was very good. It tasted different than most Indian places I have been too, but that was not a problem because it was good. It tasted fresh.
The service was very attentive and friendly. I will go back. -
Review from Nerick M.
10/17/2011
I"ve passed by this place on Cap Hill many times but have never really had the desire to try it out until Living Social made me do it. I have to say that after reading the menu I was looking forward to a treat. However, I wasn't as thoroughly satisfied with my dining experience here as I had hoped.
I do love Indian food. I was able to try the butter chicken, the lamb boti masala, calamari, fish pakora, lamb naan, spinach naan and garlic naan. My favorite part of the meal had to be the naan breads. Imagine warm bread with a chewy inside and semi crispy outside, stuffed with those delicious ingredients. You could make a meal out of just those stuffed naan breads. The lamb boti masala and the butter chicken were ok. You could tell they spent a lot of time in making the sauces fresh and from scratch. While although they were tasty, I've tasted better. The serving sizes were pretty small for $14 each too. I don't mind paying that much if I'm going to get full. The fish pakora and the calamari were just mediocre appetizers. I think I could have gone to Costco and bought these frozen bulk items and would have enjoyed it just as much. So, for the food......not bad. For the price and serving size....bad.
I do give major points to the service, which was very nice and attentive. My party was promptly seated when we came in and we were served fairly fast, considering everything was made fresh.
All in all, I think I'll stick to my other favorite Indian restaurants. I'll probably go back just for the naan bread though. Who can say no to that naan bread? -
Review from Dana L.
Seattle, WA
10/18/2011
Yum! Indian delivery...
I love this place and I am disappointed in myself for not writing this review sooner as I'm seeing that there more negative reviews than I would have expected. Friday night takeout from here has become somewhat of a tradition for my husband and I. Usually about once or twice a month. We have tried quite a few things but we have narrowed it down to a few favorites. I always get one or two of the following: Baingan Bhartha, Mushroom Mattar, Paneer Masala. My husband gets either the Tandori Shrimp or the Chicken Tikka Masala. We always get several side orders of plain Naan, a side of Raita and ask for extra Tamarind sauce. Everything is always perfect. We call it in and they tell us it will be ready in 15 minutes. When we go to pick it up we are greeted with friendly faces and our food is always packed up and ready to go. The woman that works at the register is so extremely nice. They offer delivery when your order is over $25 but we live so close that we usually just pick it up unless we are already settled in for the night and feeling extra lazy. When we have gotten delivery it is really quick!
I have other favorite Indian restaurants when I am in the mood for a lunch buffet (Mayuri in Bellevue!!) and I have favorite places to go for Indian when I want to dine in (Annapurna and Travelers on Cap Hill!) but when it's a stay at home and watch movies night I am all about take out/delivery from Mirch Masala. The only thing I have ever gotten that I didn't love was the veggie korma. It wasn't bad, I just like the other things I usually order so much more. When we order three entrees (which come with rice) and a few orders of plain naan for the two of us we usually have enough left over to eat it again for a meal later in the weekend. Also, check their website for coupons. They often have one available for dine in and another for takeout available. -
Review from Teresa H.
Seattle, WA
9/10/2011
Mirch Masala Makes Me Hollaaaaaa!!
I'm giving this place such a high rating because they totes delivered to me before their delivery hours start (3pm). Called at noon fifteen, had lunch by one. Awesomeness. I like that you can order online from this place. It doesssss kinda suck that you have to call and confirm...I mean, I could have just called in the first place, but I digress. Anyways, my Lamb Goan Curry was DOOOOOPE! The lamb was all tendah like a lover in the night under the cover of darkness. The rice wasn't all dried up like my hands and feet get after I take a shower and before I put on lotion. A $25 dollar minimum for delivery is kinda steep, but I guess I was hungry enough to pay for it, so maybe you are too?? I don't know. My chicken naan was limp and sad looking, it was still passable. All in all, I'd say I'm happy with my order. Even happier with the fact that someone actually brought it to me. HEYYYYYYY...
Post Script; this place has NOTHING on Ana Purna. Just sayin... -
Review from Geanna M.
9/28/2011 1 Check-in Here
Yummy food, great service, easy access - what more could you ask for in a restaurant?
Comment from Amar M. of Mirch Masala 9/28/2011
thanx Geanna More » -
Review from Lisa B.
Seattle, WA
12/15/2011
This place was clean and comfortable, staff was great, and the food was fresh and delicious. We love Indian food, so we're rather particular. We had vegetarian dishes that were nicely spiced with fresh, perfectly cooked vegetables. The garlic spinach naan was yummy. The raita cooled the spicy food beautifully, and the portion was generous. I would definitely eat here again. They advertise a lunch buffet, which I hope to try soon.
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Review from Ariya K.
Seattle, WA
10/15/2011
We went there for the first time. It was Sat. evening and there was only one server and one bus boy with a full restaurant, so the service was rather slow.
The food arrived quicker than I expected given how full the restaurant was. I had Methi Chicken and I liked it a lot. Even though it was not a spicy dish, assuming from not being asked about heat level by the server, after a few bite I started to feel pretty warm. The chicken was tender. The dish was tasty and had clean taste with slight acidity in it. My husband had Chicken Curry and he rated it 4 stars as well.Comment from Amar M. of Mirch Masala 10/16/2011
we are really sorry for the slow service and i hope u,ll… More » -
Review from Roman S.
6/25/2011 1 Check-in Here
not so sure why people say this is a good place for seattle..
this was one of my least favorite indian restaurants i've been to.
i tried their buffet which was somewhat limited in their offering and i didn't like most of the stuff.. the dishes with chicken were really dry..
the garlic naan bread was good though.
doubt i'll ever be back -
Review from Danielle B.
Seattle, WA
9/23/2010
I really like this place. Honestly, I do. I've been eating here semi-regularly for the past few years, and their food is really good, but I am giving them one star for the roaches.
I usually come in the early afternoons (for the buffet) or get takeout, but I ended up going in at night the other day. Everything was fine until I noticed a cockroach climbing up the wall. Then another one. And then a third one. The wait staff saw and just ignored it. They knew I knew, and no one said anything about the obvious cockroach infestation parading right past my table.
I checked out their health inspection records online (did you know you could do that? I had no idea until I decided to look into this), and they have some violations, but nothing that really over the top. I saw another review from July that mentioned cockroaches, though, so this has been going on for at least 2 months. I don't think I can eat here again until they get this under control. -
Review from Elaine B.
Seattle, WA
2/21/2011
I haven't seen any roaches while we were out here for dinner and we always go here at least every other week but I did find a strand of hair in our plain rice one time, but I still give it 4 stars because I fell in love with their butter chicken (a must have!) which is always flavorful and goes really great with their plain rice or lamb naan.
Their Indian chai is one of the best I've ever had. Best drank hot while walking out in the rain.
Always make sure you check and remember your order because one time the server (she is nice!) gave us the other table's samosas. I thought my husband ordered them so I took a bite and overheard the other table looking for their samosa (Ooops..) She realized her mistake and didn't charge us for the appetizer, but we still paid for them thinking it was partly our fault too. -
Review from Erika O.
Seattle, WA
8/26/2010
Mirch Masala is not great Indian food, not even by American, and especially Seattle, standards. That said, I have always enjoyed the food here as basically Indian junk food, especially well suited for a diet cheat or as comfort food on a cold, rainy Seattle night.
The paneer naan is greasy and very cheesy. The lamb vindaloo is even more greasy, but rarely as spicy as I'd like. The aloo gobi is always fresh and often more spicy than I'd like. (I really can't win.) The real test of quality for me is the channa (too many Indian places use canned garbanzo beans which is so unacceptable), but Mirch Masala has been out of channa every single time I've tried to order it. Maybe that's a sign of a good thing, that they're using fresh beans and thus can't just whip up a batch whenever they run out? I sure hope so.
I've only ever gotten take out here, so I can't speak to the in-restaurant service, or the buffet for that matter, but I've always experienced friendly service at the front when picking up my order. -
Review from Bunneh L.
Seattle, WA
2/29/2008 1 Check-in Here
Not sure about all the naysayers, but I really enjoyed the food here. I'm sure food fresh from the kitchen is better than their lunch buffet. OMG, the tomato-spinach soup appetizer was incredible! It was my favorite dish of the evening. I want more RIGHT NOW!
We also had the garlic/paneer naan bread, saag paneer, butter chicken, chicken vindaloo, and tandoori shrimp. Everything was really tasty, though nothing blew me away completely, except the chicken vindaloo perhaps. Yum. Three stars wasn't spicy at all, so next time I'm getting four stars (I'm Korean though, so the bar is set very high). I wasn't a fan of the raita--a little too sweet.
The service was attentive, portions were fair, and the decor was nice. They really need to get rid of those neon signs on the window and put some nice curtains up. I'd really like to see this place do well. It was a shame there were only a smattering of diners on a Thursday night.Listed in: Bunneh on the Hill
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Review from Ariel S.
Seattle, WA
2/8/2008
Passable but uninspiring Indian. Not a bad option, but nothing special that will pull you back to eat there again.
Another reviewer mentioned the sink in the women's room. Honestly, it's pretty much the most remarkable thing about this place. The dolphin blew my mind a little bit. -
Review from Josie N.
Seattle, WA
10/15/2007
I've been here 3 times now, and have always had a great experience.
The owner is very friendly and attentive, and gives away small free things occasionally (the 2nd time I came in, I got extra naan from the kitchen; last time we got free mango chutney for our appetizers). The wait staff is very quiet and unobtrusive.
I absolutely love Chutney's in downtown Bellevue (the one on 15th changed for the worse after the original owner sold it) and am used to their chicken tikka masala (much more like a butter chicken elsewhere, I guess), so Mirch Masala's onion-heavy chicken tikka masala sauce wasn't really my thing.
However, their butter chicken and Kashmiri chicken are awesome! I plan on trying some biryani and other dishes during future visits.
The pakoras are great, too. So far, I've tried the paneer, chicken, and calamari. The paneer pakora basket holds a ton.
My favorite naan is the paneer garlic naan. As a cilantro hater, I am very happy that they only garnish with the stuff; I don't have to spend too much time picking it off my food.
I like the fact that their curries are a tad bit on the spicy side. I normally ask for medium, but decided to be brave and try medium hot once. I learned my lesson and am back to medium these days.
Their Hayward beer is the best one they offer; it's as light as the other lagers, but has a much more aromatic smell and slight (cinnamon? can't tell) spiciness to it that makes it more interesting.
It is a bit pricey, but not really much more than I'd pay at the original Chutney's. -
Review from Geoff N.
Seattle, WA
8/20/2007
Broadway has a brand new Indian Restaurant across the street from Castle between John and Thomas. Mirch Masala's strong points lie in the flavor of its food and the friendliness of its staff. I stopped by to place an order to go and was greeted as I entered by the staff, and offered tea and a seat while I waited. Clearly the staff was out to impress.
I ordered the chicken vindaloo and some plain naan. (Total= $14 after tax) The vindaloo was very tasty with a decent amount of spice for a 3 star order and included plenty of chicken. This was refreshing because many places skimp on the chicken in favor of potatoes with their vindaloos. However, despite the excellent flavoring, the vindaloo was much thinner than I like. On its own it was almost like a spicy chicken soup rather than a curry. I had to mix in all of my rice to get it close to thick enough to eat with a fork.
The restaurant also seems to be unable to decide whether it is a take-out joint or a sit-down restaurant. The tables are dark wood with cloth napkins stuffed in the water glasses and there is a floor to ceiling wine rack prominently displayed behind the counter. However, the restaurant has the same fast-food grill structure left over from the Tacos Guaymas, which previously occupied the space. The combination of fine dining furniture with fast-food kitchen space creates a disjointed atmosphere.
I recommend Mirch Masala for a quick lunch or take-out dinner, but it loses one star for watery vindaloo and one for a confused atmosphere. -
Review from Michelle B.
Seattle, WA
9/11/2007 1 photo
I went to the buffet - I only had one plate of food.
Only one plate of food at a buffet is not a good sign.
The naan tasted like it was made from bisquick (an astute observation from my buffet partner in crime) so I'm really not holding out a lot of hope for the takeout that I am sure to order in the future.
Update: I've been back and while the naan still has that bisquick flavor, the rest of the food had improved vastly. 2 plates of buffet food in my belly!
On a really random note: The sink faucet in the bathroom is in the shape of a dolphin, and that fact alone may have skewed my review of Mirch Masala. -
Review from E S.
Seattle, WA
9/23/2007
I like to try out both the buffet (if there is one available) and the regular fare when reviewing Indian restaurants. Now that I have tried both at Mirch Masala, I can write a review.
Mirch Masala is great. The food is really flavorful, if not sometimes a little overspiced. The regular dinner items are served in what looks to be small portions, but you soon realize that it's actually too much food. The butter chicken is awesome, as are the various tandoor items. Someone complained about the naan being too bisquicky or something, and I can see what you mean as it seems a bit more doughy than naan at other places, but it still tastes good.
The service is pretty good, a bit hit or miss. I've been there 4 times now and only the first time was our service kind of crappy. The last two times I've been to the restaurant, the first server we had was no longer there, so maybe they fired him I dunno. Either way, now the service is quite good and the owner (or at least I think he's the owner) always comes by and asks how we're doing and whether everything is good and is genuinely attentive and concerned for us.
I will say the buffet isn't as good as the regular fare. The buffet seems a bit rushed, is pretty lacking in most items, and it's just not as good. But as far as buffets go on Broadway, it's better than India Express and their chicken-bone splintered dishes (India Express is still a good restaurant, mind you, but their buffet leaves a lot to be desired).
The only things keeping it from a 5 is lack of delivery (hey, sometimes I don't feel like dealing with all the meth-addict kids on Broadway constantly asking me for money), and it's a little expensive compared to other Indian places. But, at least you can order beforehand and pick it up, and paying for quality isn't a bad thing.
Edit: I just went there for pickup and the owner dude gave me a free chai tea while I was waiting. Mirch Masala officially gets 5 stars now. ;) -
Review from Nader A.
Portland, OR
3/23/2009
This place is ridiculous! The fact that there are about as many Indian restaurants within roughly 5-6 blocks of each other on this one Seattle street than in the entire city of Portland just makes me want to cry. At least we still have our pro NBA franchise, and real estate is still affordable here!
Seriously, if any of those other Indian restaurants are even half as good as Mirch Masala then I'm gonna have to start planning roadies to Seattle at least quarterly! Their daily buffet (yes, even on the weekend) was an amazing bargain at $7.95 - that's cheaper than most of the Indian buffets we have even out in the 'burbs!
And the food...oh lord the food! I nearly killed myself trying just about every item in the buffet (avoiding only the Mushroom Masala due to my fear of mushrooms) and everything was fantastic! The Aloo Saag was one of the best I've ever had - I really appreciate that the spinach wasn't chopped/pureed as finely as most places do it.
Their Murgh Makhani (aka Butter Chicken) was so absolutely to die (or kill) for - full of wonderful chunks of white meat, tender enough to cut with a fork, and wonderfully seasoned with the perfect, creamy texture. Oh so good! I also dug their Chana Masala, and their chutney's (especially the zippy green mint) were so good I was thinking about how to try and smuggle some out in my pocket!
They also had a dish I'd never heard of before called called "Methi Chicken" that was amazing - a quick google search and I learned that "methi" is the Pakistani word for fenugreek (not uncommon in Indian/Pakistani cuisine), but this too was a real standout cooked on the bone and simmered in a tasty, garlicky curry.
Even during the buffet they bring you delicious, fresh naan, and the servers did a great job of keeping our water and soft drinks full.
Combine these prices, delicious food, and great service, and Mirch Masala would be my second home if I lived in Seattle! Maybe us Portlanders need to start a petition to see if the owners would open a spot a couple hours south in PDX!Listed in: More than a stone's throw away
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Review from Cece C.
Seattle, WA
2/17/2011
The most traumatic food experience. EVER. The reason why this restaurant is so dark is that they hope that you don't see the tiny roach-like bugs crawling all over the walls. If that wasn't bad enough, I found 2, count them, 2 long HAIRS in my rice. I wanted to vomit, but I was with a group of people and I didn't want to make a scene. NEVER COMING HERE AGAIN, clearly.
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Review from Vicki L.
1/10/2010
Indian food is so complex, and i'm a really picky eater, so naturally I was excited to see a restaurant that offered a buffet lunch on a weekend (ah, the perfect opportunity to sample small bites of everything to discern what I like / dislike!). The boyfriend and I came here and left with full tummies and mild food coma.
THE PROS: lunch buffet is only $7.95 and it's offered 7 days a week, which is rare. The food also seems really fresh and I saw cooks rotating dishes at least 2-3 times while we ate. It's also a very clean and relaxed atmosphere. The naan is divine, light and just the right amount of chewy. The mint chutney has a tasty kick to it, and the vegetarian offerings were respectable. The rice pudding is super tasty, and I wish I had left room in my gut to eat more of it!
THE CONS: it might be cuz we came on a Sunday, but I felt like the buffet offerings were pretty limited in terms of the # of dishes. Also, do NOT try the weird macaroni pasta dish hiding amongst the salad bar. It looks intriguing, and I'd never seen macaroni noodles hanging out in an Indian buffet, so I had to give it a go. Blech! Skip skip skip.
Now that I've sampled a few things, I think I will return and order off the menu next time. For such a cheap buffet, it's above average, and I will be back! -
Review from Rachel S.
Seattle, WA
11/17/2007
Let us speak first of the exterior: somewhat unprepossessing. Not so much so as to deter entry, particularly when one is old, crotchety, and in the grips of a fierce hunger. Most of the restaurants where the food is best do, after all, look undistinguished or downright dismal from the outside.
And then let us move to the dining space: tall, narrow, cold, largely unadorned. Up to the tops of the walls, a neutral cleanliness; above, a ceiling like that of King Street Station. The 1960s ceiling, not the original ceiling. The ceiling that is, one fervently hopes, soon to be removed. The ceiling that makes one slump slowly sideways in despondent reflection on the essential character of mankind. The gray ceiling , that maybe used to be white; the ceiling full of dreadful little perforations; the ceiling marked out by aluminum brackets holding panels that look about ready to fall on one's head; the ceiling the likes of which one hopes one never has to behold again.
And then let us consider the bathroom sink: peculiar! Astonishing! A round, polished basin of red-and-black-grained stone, and leaping over it a gleaming dolphin, from whose mouth the stream of water pours.
Does this decorating scheme hold together, Dear Reader? Does it create a soothing aesthetic unity, bathing one in a sense of peace and calm and witless gustatory readiness?
Why, no, it does not! It confuses one, and leads one to rush back to one's table, exclaiming to companions, "You *have* to go to the bathroom! It's amazing! You have to see!" and then inattentively ingest one's food while one' s mind is off in other realms, trying to imagine the sequence of events that could lead to that ceiling and those faucets appearing in one and the same eating establishment.
So that one ends up with little impression of the food except that it was pleasing but held a tad more salt than it could bear. -
Review from Rowena D.
9/2/2008
Mirch Masala is one of the few Indian restaurants on Capitol Hill and particularly Broadway. I came here recently with my husband, father in law and his friends for dinner. We each ordered our own dish which came nicely presented on platters with candles underneath for warming. I thought that was a nice touch. Along with our entrees we also ordered Garlic Naan which I thought were really good.
For my entree I ordered Fish Goan Curry. The dish is prepared with cod that is simmered in a coconut curry sauce. For spicyness I choose 3 stars but my dish just tasted mild with no heat at all. Next time I will have to go for 5 stars to see how spicy my food will be.
The service here is really attentive and the staff really nice. This might have to be my go to Indian place on the Hill.
And, I noticed this week when I got my Val-Pak in the mail that they have a coupon for this place. I'll definitely have to take advantage of the savings. -
Review from k v.
Seattle, WA
4/13/2008
The only reason my partner and I walked through the door of Mirch Masala was because of their "buy 1 dinner, get 1 free" coupon in the Valpak mailer, and because hey, another reason to eat Indian food, great.
Everything about the atmosphere has already been mentioned in other reviews on here, and I agree with those, so moving on.....
About the food: The chai was only mildly hot, which made it drinkable immediately (yes!) but it got cold almost as immediately (no!). The naan was ok. The tomato and spinach soup sounded like a good appetizer but it wasn't! Talk about *bitter*! I love tomato soup, but that tasted like it had been boiled with a dozen aluminum spoons in it.
Ok, so on to the main courses: My partner ordered some lamb dish, which she says was "delightfully complex." I ordered the malai kofta: the sauce was perfect, but the kofta balls were hecka salty, even for me, a self-proclaimed saltaholic. Aak!
I wouldn't have total beef with this place if it wasn't for the shoddy wrap-up of mediocre dining experience: When we got the check, neither of our dinners was "free" as the coupon advertised it would be. Instead, $7 had been deducted from the total bill, and when we asked the waitress why, she said that the coupon wasn't REALLY for a free entree of lesser value, it had a $7 maximum discount (which was conveniently never mentioned.) And all the dinners cost more than $7!
THEN, adding inappropriate inquiry to injury, she asked if my partner and I are "sisters." We say "No." "Really? You look so much alike." She incessantly proceeds with, "Are you just friends??" "No." ........ Come on people, you have a restaurant on BROADWAY IN CAPITOL HILL. Two people of the same gender eating dinner together can't be THAT unusual. Especially since your website shouts out the fact that you are located in a "colorful neighborhood."
Skip this place. Take your "sisters" and "friends" elsewhere. -
Review from Jeff G.
2/2/2010
Yup the food is good. The buffet is a good value, the Butter Chicken is one of the best in town. But holy cow(pun intended) the service here is.... well...I'm not sure there is any service here actually. For lunch You'll probably be greeted at the door, seated, have someone pour water(maybe) and then not see a soul until you pay your bill.
Dinner isn't much better, if you're lucky maybe the server won't be outright surly, if you're really lucky they may even take your drink order and if you're super dooper really lucky they'll even bring you your drink before you're done eating. -
Review from C. J.
Seattle, WA
10/27/2010
Both dinner and the lunch buffet are quality Indian fare, not too expensive and quite tasty. The staff was very warm and friendly and had no problem chatting and giving advice on what to order.
Be sure to try the mango ice cream at some point. It has a dry, flaky consistency like a Butterfinger bar and is some of the best ice cream I've ever tasted. -
Review from Rob M.
Seattle, WA
1/22/2010
I ordered delivery from these guys in my never ending quest for good Indian food that I don't have to cook myself...and let me say that I am not exaggerating when I say it was one of my worst food experiences ever, right up there with puking up burned blackberry pie in my school cafeteria when I was 5 years old.
How much do I dislike this place? Let me count the ways:
- I asked for everything to be hot and detected absolutely no spice whatsoever. Sure, there were spices in the sauce, but spicy? Not even close.
- The chicken was incredibly rubbery and had a weird plasticky aftertaste, like it had been cooked, frozen, wrapped up and left in the freezer for a few months, then defrosted (possibly in a microwave) and thrown in some tikka masala sauce for ten minutes before being sent out. I took a few bites of it and felt like throwing up after.
- The lamb saag was bland and flavourless. Oddly enough, lamb is a much less forgiving beast than chicken when it comes to cooking it properly, and whilst the lamb was not as rubbery as the chicken the saag was more soggy than creamy and devoid of much in the way of flavour.
- The naan is alright, but anyone who opens an Indian restaurant should be able to make naan from scratch. No extra credit except that I can actually say one decent thing about this place.
- Oh, and to boot I got really sick the next day. Awesome.
Avoid, avoid, avoid. There's simply no excuse for Indian food to be this atrocious. Perhaps it's my insane snobbery - having grown up in the north of England where you can't walk more than 100 yards without finding a curry house that serves excellent, flavourful cuisine, I find most Indian restaurants in the States to be bland and lacking. But this place really took my breath away as to how bad it could get.
If you must brave the crapshoot that is Indian delivery on Capitol Hill, try India Express (also on Broadway) or Maharaja on Pike instead. What I was served was absolutely inexcusable. -
Review from Sarah A.
6/9/2009
Totally great late night food option!! I didn't realize this place was open late until we were on our way to Charlies (out of pure hunger mind you) when we were seized on the sidewalk with some samples. They were good and they convinced us to come in and eat.
They had a limited late night menu, but we all got wraps. Veggie, lamb and chicken. YUM! And $5! I'm totally coming during the buffet to try out more of their food, but just thought everyone should know a great spot to check out when it's 1am and you're hungry on the hill. -
Review from Zachary Sam Z.
Seattle, WA
Updated - 4/23/2009
A couple weeks back, it was time to order my standard takeout fare from Mirch Masala.
"Hi, order to go? Tandoori chicken tikka... no rice..."
"Hee hee hee"
OK, seriously? Asking to hold the rice is comic relief? I just want the meat and veggies, I didn't think it was too strange. I wrote it off, thinking maybe she heard an awesome joke just before she picked up the phone. But then, when I went to pick up the order...
"Ah yes, the chicken tikka with - hee hee hee - no rice?"
I have never been so self-conscious about a custom order in my life.
Their tandoori grill is great (I've tried both the shrimp and the chicken tikka), and I love their curry vegetables. But they've lost their monopoly on my Indian takeout preferences.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/19/2008
Got take-out from here the other night, and what a great experience! I got tandoori shrimp without… Read more »
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