Shangri-La
7345 A Wisconsin Ave,Ste A, Bethesda, MD, 20814
Shangri-La Menu
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Visit below restaurant in Bethesda for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Bethesda for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Bethesda for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
7345 A Wisconsin Ave,Ste A
Bethesda, MD, 20814 - Phone (301) 656-4444
- Website https://shangrilaus.com/
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:30 am - 10
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : Yes
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch
Parking : Street
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Quiet
Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes
Categories
India is the birth place of Chicken Tikka Masala and Curries. Indian foods are prepared with a blend of finely mixed spices quite popular across the region. The spices develop the rich taste in Indian food enough to boggle your mind. The ever-increasing fan base of Indian food around the New York city is steadily increasing because of the large number of Indians who traveled to the land of dreams. The Indians also brought their very own vibrant, colorful, and aromatic authentic dishes for the people in the West. While most of the Indian population is Vegetarian, Indian food is great for people who are looking for vegan or vegetarian food option. If you are a Meat lover, don't get disappointed yet. Indian food also boasts of some popular non-vegetarian dishes too. Few examples are the famous Butter Chicken, Mutton Biryani and Tandoori Chicken are enough to satisfy your taste buds.
Indian food has gained reputation all over the world especially in the United States. You can find many places serving the appetizing Indian food across all major cities in the US. India is a diverse country with different food culture originated from different parts of the country. While the Northern region boasts tandoori dishes and korma offering royal taste, the Western Ghats offers sea foods that is made in naturally sweet tender coconut milk. The South Indian food servers a quality of different dishes made from rice accompanied with spicy chutneys, curries and famous sambhar. Also, the Indian sweets are a delight to relish. If you ever want to have a burst of sugar syrup in mouth, don't forget to try few Bengali Sweets. Be it spicy, tangy, or sweet flavor, you can find everything in the Indian cuisine. Be assured that the melody of spices will surely bring delight to you.
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David T.
I recently went to Shangri-La for the second time. The first was for dinner and the second time was for the buffet. The food was quite good and the prices are quite far as well. I would've loved to have some more spicy options, but still felt the need to put 5 stars for the combination of great taste and generous portions. I'm not sure who decided that tiny portions are chic, but they definitely don't appeal to me. That is a non-issue at Shangri-La. The staff also seemed genuinely nice and never pressuring.
(5)Annie S.
I would not recommend this place, the food was under seasoned, over cooked and extremely bland. We had the buffet and I should have gone with my initial gut to leave immediately once I saw how old and beat up it looked. All of the items, with the exception of the tandoori chicken, were various shades of brown and the rice was hard and dried out. My advice is If you want amazing Indian cuisine try Heritage India in Glover Park!
(1)Lisa L.
This review is for the lunch buffet. If you are a vegetarian this is a great buffet. If you want to eat meat this is a terrible buffet for you. The only meat dishes are Chicken masala and Tandoori Chicken. The Tandoori chicken is undercooked (another review mentioned this as well), and the chicken masala kind of tastes like it is in a spaghetti/tomato sauce (maybe not that bad.... but too tomato-y for my taste). The plus- the Naan was good and like I said, if you are a vegetarian you have a selection of 4 veggie dishes. The service was pretty good buffet is 10 dollars All in all, I likely will not return but I can see the appeal of this place for others.
(3)Kate A.
I LOVE Indian food. I had never been to this restaurant before, but a Living Social deal inspired me to go. I went around 6pm on a Friday night, and at first the restaurant was pretty empty. But it filled up quickly! So that spoke well of the restaurant. The food was very good, and the portions were large enough to take home leftovers, which I always appreciate. What ruined this experience for me was the poor service. Once we got our food, our waiter never came back to check on us. Not to ask us how the food was, not to pour us more water, nothing. We finished our food, and waited more than 15 minutes; still, NOTHING! The woman at the table next to us was also finished with her food, and she joked with us that if she got our waiter's attention first, she'd make sure he checked on us, too. The waiters ACTIVELY did not make eye contact with you so that they didn't have to wait on you. I could not believe how slow the service was, and in the end, that Living Social deal probably only saved us $2. There are plenty of restaurants in the DC area that service good Indian food. So go somewhere else where the service is decent, too.
(2)Samantha M.
This is the best Indian Restaurant I have had so far. Their Lamb Rogan Josh is the best I've had. No one else makes it this good. You must try it. Their Chicken Tikka Masala is also really good, definitely one of the best, though I feel like lots of places make that dish well. We come here/order out regularly from Shangri-la even though we don't live in Bethesda anymore because it is that good!
(5)Benjamin G.
I love to get take-out from this place as it is of a very good quality. Their dishes are not only very fresh and flavorful, but garnished in an aesthetic way. The taste is very consistent, but as with almost every place, the spiciness is variable, which I always attribute to most European Americans' penchant for mild spices. The interior decorum is very clean and you get what you generally expect from and Indian Restaurant plus a little extra flavor. The wait staff are polite and items are served in a timely matter. They have about the best rice you can get in the area.
(5)Mike N.
We've eaten here a few times. We love Indian food, and what they serve here is average. But what kills it is the poor service. Very long wait for the food, even though the restaurant wasn't crowded, and then no follow up. It's almost as if the management has decreed: "Don't speak to the customers; do not ask if everything is okay; do not ask if they need anything else; do not give them the bill until they catch your attention by waving their arms, even though you've walked past them five times; after you bring the bill, forget all about them, even though they're waiting for you to run the credit card so they can get the hell out of this lifeless atmosphere. Act like you don't care if they ever return to our restaurant." We won't.
(2)Nazareth M.
$10 lunch buffet and a $5 beer...I left completely full and satisfied! I tried everything they had once and chose only 3 for my second plate. The naan bread was fresh and warm. The server was very kind and attentive.
(5)Doug P.
The food was great. I personally got the Chicken Korma and my girlfriend got the tikka masala and we both loved our food.
(5)Marivic L.
I was in the mood for momos (Nepalese dumplings) so I went to Shangri-La. The place is nice enough inside and the service was good and friendly. I tried the chicken momos. They were good and I liked the spicy sauce. I've had better momos elsewhere, so I wasn't blown away, but I was happy. I also ordered the mango lassi which was very good and fresh tasting, and the garlic naan was warm and tasty. My entree was the saag paneer (spinach with cheese). This was a good dish but not as flavorful as I'm used to. The cheese was nice and firm, which I liked, but it was still a bit of a disappointment.
(3)Helen V.
The portions were very small for the price. I was very disappointed, especially after reading such rave reviews.
(2)Maximus A.
Went to this restaurant to try out their lunch buffet. And let's say it was a bad experience! First of all, they had NO frickin' boneless chicken curry, their basmati rice wasn't that tasty and they had peas in the Samosas! They better change up their selection of food or else nobody will go back there. No wonder it was like $11. Even so, they should have more of a selection than 5 lousy choices! Come on, man! How do you expect to run a restaurant business if you're not gonna have much of a menu option, even for a frickin' buffet!? What garbage...
(2)Jennifer N.
(Lunch buffet only - 3.75 stars) I've driven past Shangri-La a few thousand times and I always thought the exterior looked, well, sad. It's on an unloved corner of Wisconsin and East-West Highway, next to the imposing police station, and there's little about the exterior that would make you think about venturing inside. But today, I was meeting a friend for lunch at Shangri-la and I found myself very pleasantly surprised by the lunch buffet ($9.99 - Mon-Fri). What I appreciated most is that this wasn't the ordinary overly creamy (ick), overly spiced, Americanified desi food. What was here was more sophisticated - a delicious chana saag that fought that creamy impulse, a tofu masala, a squash curry, freshly fried veggie pakoras, and a nice thick dal makhani. I should say, there was an abundance of veggie options, which was a huge plus, and the waitstaff will continually bring baskets of naan (it isn't brilliant, but it does the job). The only miss was the fruit cocktail which veered into dairy nightmare territory - too rich, too thick - why do this to fruit?! But otherwise, this was a cut above the ordinary desi lunch buffet.
(4)Sherry G.
Had a lovely dinner here last night. Despite some of the other reviews, I found the service attentive. The food was delicious and delivered promptly. I will visit again if business brings me back to the area.
(5)Pallabi G.
The first and only time I ate here, they gave me water with a giant dead bug in it. If I was the waiter, I would have been falling all over myself apologizing, but he just coolly brought me another glass without so much as a sorry. Then my boyfriend found a piece of plastic in his rice. Game Over.
(2)Latonja S.
Great restaurant. I've taken my parents here and introduced it to new friends. I also order delivery and found the owner to be very accommodating when I spoke to him about trouble I had with the delivery man. My go to meal is the chicken tiki masala with garlic Naan.
(5)Yulai L.
There is better. Limited selection and average taste
(2)Mo M.
4 for price. 10 for food. Ordered chicken tikka masala and chicken vidaloo. Got lamb vidaloo in our delivery but who cares-it was amazing! And spicy! Order the yogurt sauce. Tikka is milder. Get naan also! So good! Will pay price again- worth it.
(4)Brian F.
I agree with many other reviews. The food is spectacular and masterfully prepared. That said, the portion size is quite small and the prices are outrageous. We went on a Saturday (no buffet) and wondered why we were the only ones there during the lunch rush hour. Feared it was b/c the food was bad but that wasn't true. Food was great. Prices and portions were terrible. Service was mediocre at best. It seems that owners could just read customer reviews and improve their business; guess not. Recommendation: Go during a week day so you can sample food from the buffet at a reasonable price.
(2)Greg W.
Grease man would been proud of a place with this name. The food was good, a bit spicey. The facility was nice. Very accessible to the Bethesda metro station.
(4)Amanda I.
I have been here about 6-7 times, both for the lunch buffet and for dinner. The atmosphere is nice, there is a flower and candle on each table and light Indian music playing on the speakers. At dinner they bring out papadum bread, which is fried until crunchy and has a little kick to the bread itself with pepper, and three sauces to accompany, one is spicy and chunky, the other is green and fresh and the last is a more salty option. This is a really nice touch, none of the other Indian restaurants I frequent give free papadum. The lunch buffet is ok, they have two or three meat dishes, and the rest (about five dishes) was vegetarian and rice. They also provided naan bread, which having bread at an Indian restaurant is a must. The price is about $10 for the buffet, not bad, but not too many options. They had tandoori chicken, an item I rarely order. It was flavorful, but a little dry. They also had tempura vegetables, which was mostly the fried batter, so I skipped out on getting seconds of that. The lamb dish they had was good and what I want from an Indian dish, saucy and flavorful! The naan bread was charred perfectly and soft and fluffy. For dinner they bring the dishes out in these little copper bowls over a lit candle, I love the display. my go to item is lamb roganjosh. I love this dish, it is super flavorful and the lamb is always tender. I would definitely recommend this one. For bread I go with the aloo paratha, this is stuffed with mashed potatoes and green peas. I love it! I also have gotten the chicken korma, this is bathed in a nice creamy sauce, it is flavorful but not spicy. The chicken is tender, this is probably my second favorite dish here. The chicken Tikka Masala is good, it tastes pretty standard every place I order it. This sauce is not as rich and creamy as the chicken korma sauce, but is definitely packed with flavor. I have also gotten the non vegetarian thali, this is a great option if you are new to Indian food, you can try out a lot of different dishes. They also have a special that is buy two thalis for a discounted price. This comes with rice pudding for dessert, I found that to be a little to much cream sauce left over, I have had other rice puddings where there is really no extra liquid. The service is not the best, it took a while to get someone to fill up the water. We also have sat waiting for someone to take our order for about 10 minutes so don't come if you are in a hurry.
(3)Aaien T.
Food is overpriced. Restaurant was close to empty and the two waiters did not check on me enough. If only they knew that if they would of been more attentive, I would of tipped better! The food looked older and tasted like it was leftovers reheated many times. The rice pudding was super watery and tasteless.
(1)Barbra S.
Disappointing. Today, we went to Shangri la for their lunch buffet. Indian food is our favorite and we have enjoyed many Indian buffets throughout Montgomery County and this one was quite disappointing. The buffet was extremely limited. There were approximately 8 entrees, a small salad and 1 dessert. Several of the entrees needed replenishing and none of them were hot. The Saag Panier contained no paneer. The waiter brought is warm naan, however never offered us more after we finished the original 3 small pieces. A second trip to the buffet turned out to be pointless as nothing had been replenished.There was no music playing which made the atmosphere dismal. All in all, we left disappointed and don't plan on returning.
(1)Emily T.
When I lived nearby it was hit or miss with this place. I usually got delivery or take-out. Go-to was the Chicken Tikka Massala with naan. The first time, it was delicious. Chicken was juicy and tender, curry sauce was flavorful. But then other times the chicken was dry and blah. The first time I got delivery, the guy who delivered was super friendly -- only he remarked that my order was small for the mileage he had to put into getting to my apartment. Okay, I understand that, but that means their radius for deliveries needs to decrease, or they need to up their minimum, which is what most Indian restaurants do.
(3)Reggie N.
Don't do lunch buffet. I've been here twice for buffet. Wasn't impressed. I'm not a fan of Indian restaurants in the Bethesda area in general (they cater to a very bland-food-crowd). Very disorganized. Service is slow (even for buffet). Two waitresses are running around doing all the work and the managers (or owner) are just standing in the back like idiots. Heard a couple people complain about service while there. Took about 10 minutes for them to run a check. +Excellent naan. +Vegetables were ok. A few selections but all tasted the same. +Chicken curry was decent. Sort of spicy. +Price not bad-$10 for lunch. Drinks over-priced +Decor is not bad -Tandoori chicken was undercooked. -Not many dishes unique to Nepal. Just average Indian food. -Small restaurant, tables too close to each other.
(2)Stephen M.
This place easily earns 5 stars. When my fav local Indian buffet placed closed for a few months for renovations, I thought I'd just have to go without quality Indian food. After experiencing some of Bethesda's other offerings, it seemed I was right. But Shangri La came to the rescue! All the dishes were well-spiced, tasty, and served speedily. Rice kept coming (no extra charge, because paying for rice at an Indian place is ridic). No "but"s about it...this is one of the best Indian places in the Beltway. Can't speak to the lunch buffet, but dinner entrees are done well. Expect to pay $15 / entree, with 3 entrees giving a couple enough for a meal + take-home odds and ends box. The restaurant is often featured on Groupon, too, which lessens some of the wallet damage from dining in Bethesda. Well worth it. We'll be back.
(5)Jay B.
Came for dinner and it was a bit pricey. The food was pretty good. I prefer the bargain and variety offered at lunch buffets.
(4)Hubert C.
Don't fret about the negative reviews in the less than four stars... that is ridiculous. the food that we ordered came out quickly and hot the taste was amazing some of the best Indian food that we've had in a long time. ... The service is nothing but great and attentive . the place is reasonably priced and in line with most Indian food
(5)Alycia J.
I have ordered delivery three times using Seamless. I don't order takeout often, but every time I order from Shangri-La, the delivery guy complains that I didn't order enough, so the tip isn't enough in his mind to be worth delivering to me. I order for myself most times I order takeout, so if there is a minimum order, Shangri-La should make it clear. The food tastes good though.
(2)Jessica G.
What a horrible experience! I found a Groupon for them yesterday and bought it with the hopes of using it when my mom comes to town in a couple weeks. In the meantime, last night I was craving Indian food, so I ordered online for dinner. No estimated delivery time was given, but the delivery guy came relatively quickly (I only live a few minutes away). The delivery guy left before I got a chance to check my order, but I noticed that the Raitha I had ordered was missing. I immediately called my concierge to see if she could catch him, but he was already gone. I, then called the restaurant to let them know. They told me they would send the delivery driver back with the Raitha. I called my concierge back to let her know the driver would be returning and to send him up when he arrived. An hour and a half later the delivery driver still hadn't returned so I called the concierge to see if the driver had even attempted to return. She said no. So I called the restaurant. They told me the delivery driver had called me twice, but I hadn't answered. I had my phone next to me and in the on position the entire time and had received one other phone call and multiple notifications, so I know my phone was working and the volume was on. I told the woman on the phone that he had not returned and that had he in fact attempted to call me, he not only didn't leave a message, but he also didn't attempt to come back to the building where the concierge could have called me, or sent him up directly to deliver the item. She then told me that she tried to call me as well. I don't know whether they are being untruthful or there were genuinely phone issues that ONLY affected them, but I do know there were ways to get around that if there were and they didn't take them. The delivery driver never returned. I never got my Raitha. When I asked for a refund, I was told they'd need to speak to their manager and they would call me back. They never called me back. When I called this morning, I was told by the guy that answered the phone that I'd already spoken with the manager about this. That's news to me. I don't like calling people liars, but I didn't receive the phone calls they allege, they didn't come back and attempt to deliver the item, and I certainly did not speak to the manager. I was told the manager will call me this evening when they get in, but I'm not holding my breath. I'll be going a different direction to get my refund. Also, I returned my Groupon because I will NEVER be returning to this restaurant again. The food (that I did receive) was good, but that means NOTHING to me when the service is terrible.
(1)Eric B.
The food is very good. Still best in Bethesda, but the prices are outrageous for what you get. They don't give you enough rice. Order some extra? $4! Naan? Rip job - especially if you want garlic, etc. Three small tubs of food, and not enough rice to eat it all will set you back $50. Crazy.
(2)Michael S.
The place is spotless and the hostess/waitress was attentive and knowledgeable about the differences between Indian and Nepali dishes. The dinner for 2 is an excellent value, and allows you to sample a number of different dishes. You choose 2 different Thalia, or sampler plates. If you enjoy Indian brunches this would probably appeal to you.
(4)Tanya G.
Located right on Wisconsin near the busy intersection of Old Georgetown, Shangri-La is easy to miss. In fact if it was not for the fact that they are one of the few places that provides free delivery to Walter Reed Hospital, I may have never ventured in. I repeat, one of the few places that provides free delivery to the hospital - a silver lining for edible food during a 24+ hour, weekends or holiday shifts!! The food is delicioius, flavorful and plentiful. I am a big fan of the buttered chicken, chicken saag and lamb vindaloo. Both chicken and lamb are so tender that I rarely have to use a knife. The vindaloo, known to be a spicy dish, definitely lives up to expectations for me here. KA-POW!! BOOM! The burn tingles in your throat even after you are done eating!! And of course, how can I resist garlic naan?!?! A little expensive compared to others with no separate lunch menu or prices. What you see is what you get no matter what time of day it is. Shangri-La does offer a lunch buffet that I have yet to visit. Perhaps it would make having lunch there more reasonable. The restaurant ambience is nice and quiet. Quiet? Usually empty?? Perhaps it was just those two visits or perhaps people just love having food delivered instead of eating at the restaurant. . . Lazy bums. This is the ideal place if you do not want to be disturbed, even by the wait staff. It's not that they are not attentive, you just have to ask for attention. Definitely one of my favorite Indian places in Bethesda to frequent and the favorite place for delivery!!
(4)Helen S.
Very few things excite me like these three things: Indian lunch buffet. I'm a huge Indian food fan, and all you can eat Indian food is just amazing. I came here for lunch with two friends to dine here and it was a decent meal. There were all the usual offerings: chicken tikka marsala, chicken tikka, daal (chickpeas), saag paneer (spinach and cheese), some chef's special that involved pork, naan, salad, some kind of chicken stew, and rice pudding for dessert. Unfortunately, I was disappointed with the chicken tikka marsala which is usually my favorite dish. The meat was way too tough, to the point that I picked it out and just dipped the naan in the sauce. The chicken tikka was just okay, but what I liked most was the chef's special, although I have no clue what it was. I filled a large plate and then went back for a little bit of seconds. Overall, the lunch buffet is a pretty good deal and tasted okay, but it's not great Indian food.
(3)John L.
Great service, excellent food, reasonable prices. Get the naan, samosa, green curry!!
(4)Juliana C.
A $10 AYCE lunch buffet in Bethesda is nothing to be sneezed at. Especially one with tableside naan bread and attentive water fillers. The place was empty when we arrived at noon, and completely full by 12:30. The options were perfect for me (rice, spinach, salad, chicken masala, fritters, some kind of spicy cabbage, another kind of charred chicken, rice pudding, other stuff I can't pronounce), but I can see it feeling rather limited to a connoisseur. I stacked my plate and had another one. The food wasn't overly spicy or crazy delicious, but it was filling; the perfect meal for a cold December day. Unfortunately it's July.
(3)Allison F.
We've passed this restaurant numerous times, but hadn't felt compelled to eat there before now. There's nothing on the outside that screams: Most Awesome Indian Food in the Area! And quite honestly, nothing in the decor screams it either. Well, there's nothing like a Groupon to motivate you to try some place new. We are so glad we did! We love Indian Food in our house and are pretty dang picky about it. Balance is a must in a dish. If it's hot, we shouldn't just taste the chilis. The other spices must be equally palatable as well. The dishes must also be rich and pungent, but again balance. We don't like anyone flavor to permeate our food, especially onion since hubby has a sensitivity to them. Prior to eating here, the only Indian restaurant to live up to our expectations was Taste of India in Vancouver BC. Since flights every weekend are out of our immediate financial future (unless we have any terminally ill, well off, relatives ready to cross over and leave us their worldly fortunes that we don't know about...anyone? Bueller?) we've been on the lookout for a local alternative. We have eaten far above our pay grade in this quest. The search has also been taken us from side trips on cross country road trips, to wherever we happened to be living on either coast. No one has held a candle to our beloved BC haunt, until now. *Everything* we tried when dipped into their non veg Thali Indian AND Nepali Thali samplers was amazing. Balance was evident in every dish. In fact, the only reasons we can't give it 5 stars is 1) The papadums came without any Chutneys. I think you have to pay for them separately. However, the papadums were pretty awesome in their own right. 2) We haven't tried everything there yet. But we will!
(4)Minn L.
Used to go here very often (their garlic naan is to die for, stuffed with minced garlic and soft and chewy, yummm!) until they upped the prices. I wonder if it's affected their business at all? Service is always good, and they serve the curries in little metal bowls that are kept heated over a candle. The serving portions are pretty generous as well. I've tried their Chicken Tikka Masala, Butter Chicken, Lamb Vindaloo, Lamb Saag, all of which were very tasty and flavorful. Although, sometimes I would just go for the garlic naan (yes, it is that good). Just wish they hadn't increased their prices :( Think I'll wait for a Groupon unless I'm dying for their garlic naan. (took 0.5 off for increasing their prices, but round it back up for old times sake)
(4)Avi S.
Got take out from this place while I was staying at a hotel nearby. When I placed the order for PICK UP I was asked if I want to take care of the bill on the phone. Quite frankly I have never been asked that ever before. So that was weird. I go and pick up the food. Kind of a weird ambiance inside for an Indian restaurant. The food was decent for a chicken tikka masala fix. But being from NY this really is just mediocre food. The naan wasn't fluffy or soft. The chicken tikka masala was well portioned but not creamy and rich. More watered down and tomatoey. If I'm around and need a quick indian fix I may try it again but not so impressed especially for how much they charge.
(3)Bhooter B.
Food is ok, but beware using Groupons here - when I mentioned that I had one, my server increased the prices, and initially insisted that I eat there instead of doing takeout. I convinced him that it would be easier if he let me just do takeout, and since then have not bothered with them - the different groupon prices were too much...
(3)Eddie W.
I absolutely love Indian cuisine, yet I have a pathetically cheap theory I live by...I only eat Indian lunch buffets. The price for Indian food can be insanely outrageous in the United States, and in my years of global traveling, I know that delicious Indian food typically costs a couple bucks per person in other countries, not upwards of $20 like it is here. So I find my my favorite lunch buffets, with great food at great prices, and Shangri-La takes a win! I've enjoyed the lunch buffet here in Downtown Bethesda at least a dozen times, with never a dampened experience. They have a decent selection of choices, which they seem to rotate quite well. So it's not always the same picks each time, I like that. Service is great, and the hot, fresh naan keeps coming, if you keep asking.
(4)Heather J.
Wow, this place is overrated. The food is definitely not worth the price. I went using a Groupon worth $20, and ordinarily would be happy to go over the price of the coupon to get enough food for the two people in my party. But looking at the portion sizes at other tables tipped me off. We shared naan, basmati rice, and an order of chicken tikka masala and it came to almost $30 (with tax and tip included). This tiny bowl of sub-par chicken tikka masala (literally tasted like dry chicken in marinara sauce) was totally overpriced and unsatisfying. Apparently the lunch buffet is good (and possibly more affordable?), but I definitely won't go back to order from the regular menu.
(2)Cyrus C.
Horrible place to go to. I had a groupon for this place, so my wife and I went to check it out. Since it took them 25 minutes to bring out my food, I ordered an extra papadum (wafer thin crisp fried dough). the waiter never informed me that it would be an extra charge. Nevertheless, I spoke to the owner who said "everyone now charges for papadum". I informed her that not one restaurant in Bethesda (that I've been to) charges. Anyways, the food comes and the quantity and quality is not what we expected. We ordered a side of rice for a whopping $3.99 + tax. The quantity was small enough for one person to take it. To top it off, the customer service sucked!!!! Not once did the waiter come and ask us if everything was ok or if we needed anything. I had to call the waiter on multiple occasions to request something. FINALLY, I had to go to the bar where the owner was and pay my tab. No one even came to collect the money. I would not recommend to anyone. There are better Indian restaurants in the area!!!!!
(1)Bonnie B.
Checked it out using a groupon. Service was bad, I expect much better service for those prices. Food was decent enough, but when I wanted to get my leftover meal to take home, they did the thing that I dislike more than anything.....they brought containers to our tiny table and made me put it in the containers for them. WHY do restaurants do this?? Also,we had to ask the staff several times to take away our used plates. I suppose they were friendly enough, but not overly attentive.
(2)Grace C.
3.75stars The first time I went, I got a very spicy (but delicious) chicken curry dish. It was great. Unfortunately, the duck appetizer I ordered was forgotten by an older female waiter and was finally brought out at the end of our meal after I reminded her. I wish I had not reminded her though, because it was awful and not worth the price. Very few pieces of cold shredded duck. There were more toasted nuts and some sort of salad accompanying it. The overall flavor of it was not very pleasing. A huge MISS. The second time (last night), the SO and I got the dinner for two (Non-veg, Shangri-la Thali) and we loved the assortment of dishes. There could have been more rice, but I can easily heat the leftovers with my own rice. The "dessert" was some sort of sweet milky rice mixture. It was not horrible, but it wasn't my idea of a dessert. The Chicken Masala was amazingggg. The SO loved it so much, he stole pieces of it from my plate. The Palak Panir was surprisingly delicious! I say "surprisingly" because I thought it was tofu, but the cheese blocks mixed with the spinach was very good on its own. The inside of the restaurant is very cozy, although the two-seat tables are a bit cramped. We had a younger gentleman waiter the second time, and he was attentive, but not overbearing. Whereas, the female waitress was nowhere to be seen (even when it was time for the check). Overall, I think the food here is great. They often have "groupon now" available, so check before you dine here!! There is a parking garage within walking distance at 1hr/$1 on weekdays and free for weekends/holidays.
(4)Sara B.
I decided to get a few appetizer plates so I could try a couple of different things without ordering too much heavy food. I ordered the Vegetable Pakora - this is basically a veggie fritter, a little dry in the middle but it came with this great tamarind sauce which I ended up dipping everything else I ordered in. Also had the Chicken Momo which are steamed chicken dumplings that came with 2 dipping sauces. These were just okay - I thought the filling was a bit bland, but made better by dipping into the tamarind sauce. My favorite was the Chicken Tikka - the chicken breast chunks were moist and very savory. I wrapped a few chunks in their naan bread and ate it like a sandwich. Will definitely come back for this. Their naan bread was super fresh, warm, soft, and chewy - appeared to be freshly baked when it came to the table. The aroma reminded me a little of bisquick pancake batter (it did not taste like a pancake though). I think the batter could use a touch more salt, but I could still house basket after basket of that stuff. The service was good, the waiter and other staff were friendly and welcoming.
(4)Adrienne T.
Truly great Indian food in Bethesda. Not only that, but their customer service is incredible. Friendly, fast, efficient, and willing to correct any mistakes (not that there are many). We order from here all the time, and one time we had one dish missing from a very big order. We called and they couldn't have been more apologetic, rushing the missing dish right to our door. For that type of customer service alone, I will always order from here!
(5)Matt K.
I went here on a recent business trip and the food was very good. If in the area I'd surely go back.
(4)Michelle W.
I normally don't do buffets, but we got there first for lunch and no one else had stuck their nasty hands in it yet, so I decided to go for it. I'm not sure what people usually expect for $9.99 buffets, but I thought it was a great price for decent food. I was expecting super bland based on some of the yelp reviews, but the food tasted good enough for me to want to go back. Nothing stood out as raveworthy, but nothing was particularly bad either. One dish (don't remember which) actually had a little bit of heat in it. The waitress and staff were attentive. I will go back for the buffet if I can get there right when they open again and be the first to stick my grubby hands all over it. I gave this place 4 stars for having an excellent priced lunch buffet with okay food.
(4)Mimmi G.
I have placed a delivery order and they estimated that they will need about an hour to deliver the food. I was not really too happy with the estimate but, hey, it was Saturday night so I should not be too picky. 20 min after the estimated hour delivery person is calling me to say, I guess that food will be even more late. I guess, because I couldn't understand anything he said!!! So all together 95 min after placing the order my food had arrived. This place is too expensive for such sloppy service, will not order from them again. Also now that Haandi is open in Bethesda again, we will not be going here for restaurant experience either. Yes, the chicken tikka masala was good (I have had better) and the lamb dish we ordered I did not like. So if I could I would give them 0 stars
(1)Lilian Y.
I love this place! The food is excellent, the service is exceptional and a nice atmosphere to boot! My boyfriend took me here for the first time a couple months ago. It was my first time trying Nepali food and I was pleasantly surprised. I'm very picky with food and very particular about the new foods that I try but the Chicken Briyani, Chicken Curry, and Momo's are to die for! We tried the lunch buffet once and came for dinner a couple times. Lunch buffet doesn't include Momo's which was a disappointment. But the food was great nonetheless. We also got take out one time, and it wasn't as good. Probably because it cooled by the time we got home, but it was ok. Everything is better hot than warm. It's a definite favorite of ours whenever we're in Bethesda.
(5)Samuel C.
We were shopping around and getting something to eat for lunch. My cousin my sister, and I. The food is OK. Not much selections. The restaurant is really small. The staff are nice and friendly.
(2)Maggie B.
This place has the best chicken korma I have ever had the pleasure of eating (which is saying something, because I've been to dozens of Indian restaurants). They also deliver, which is great, because then I don't even have to put pants on to eat. It has a really nice ambiance inside, and the wait staff is so friendly and great.
(5)A L.
Food was decent but the waiter gave us attitude when we asked them for food to put on the buffet platter. He then went on to give my table a look like we had killed his family. Seriously guys for a weekend lunch buffet, half the food is there and half isn't with empty steel containers? Be Organized and don't give attitude when customer is politely and nicely asking you for what they came for.
(1)Amani A.
Ok so I loved this place so much the first time I decided to make a return. So I'm really skeptical about buffets but I gave this one a try and it was fabulous everything was fresh and they had a wide variety!! Plus the serve is awesome & parking is easy especially on the weekend
(5)Sarah C.
lunch buffet with my ladies (so no food porn) my first Nepalese/Indian lunch buffet *squealed with excitement* I rarely munch on either but I heart spicy ventured down lunch-rush-355 small restaurant but used layout well for seating attentive staff - frequently cleaned buffet area most popular option for crowd busy weekday lunch please keep in mind that I heart spicy eats so if I don't mention it, still be cautious 'cuz it may be spicy for others not certain if these were "regular" buffet items one I'm sure was seasonal and fan-fruckin' awesome forgot to read the name on card squash cut in large cubes drenched with saucy goodness wanted to graze on that all afternoon saag paneer (?) was another superstah 'twas spinach cooked in some creamy sauce scooped a healthy load of those during each round I finally know what chicken vindaloo is yes it took me more than a quarter of a century but hey they should call it chicken VOODOO 'cuz it put a spell on me 0_0 boneless chicken and potatoes cooked in curry sauce ahhh, if only I had kimchi they offered other random choices like an Indian version of hush puppies sorry, forgot to view name on card when starving main objective is to insert food in mouth these are the main goodies I remembered btw, they had an addicting green sauce found when beginning the buffet line enjoyed the lingering heat on tongue I put that shnit on the chicken voodoo, squash, spinach, hush puppies, you get the idea note: after a few hours nothing needed to evacuate my belly - score
(4)Erin K.
I'm a bit of an Indian food snob, and this place stands up! Really wonderful dishes, and good service both in the restaurant and when I've ordered delivery. Only complaint is that the prices are a little high.
(4)Just My Opinion P.
Even though it's pricey, I used to order delivery a couple of times a month. I'm a vegetarian and one time they sent my dumplings with meat instead of vegetable. I called to let them know and not only would they not deliver the correct item, they wouldn't give me my money back. This made me stick with my all-time favorite, Tandoori Nights, instead, even though they don't deliver.
(2)Mocohen m.
Shangri la had been one of our standby restaurants when we come to Bethesda. I don't normally like Saga dishes, but their Saag aloo is highly addictive. The food is always fresh and I like that they have dishes from Nepal, although I prefer the standard Indian dishes. Been going their for years and never had a bad meal.
(4)Charlotte S.
Excellent food for resonable prices! Extremely friendly wait-staff and nice atmosphere. Affordable, superb all-you-can-eat lunch buffet, including rice and naan. All for $10/person! If you're in Bethesda and have a hankering for some delicious Indian food, this place is worth your while!!
(5)Tricia K.
Where to begin? I was here for a lunch buffet a little less than a year ago and didn't have a terrible experience. While it took the service some time, the food was good. Now onto Saturday evening's experience. We stopped here for dinner because we had purchased a restaurant.com coupon (per my recommendation since the time I had gone before then wasn't horrible). We were seated outside, where there are three tables only, one of which was already occupied. Inside, there were only two tables (one with a couple and one single person) that were occupied. Overall, for a Saturday evening at 7 PM, I'd have to say their dining room was fairly light. After we were seated, we had a staff member bring us water. We sat browsing the menu and waited. And waited some more. And waited. Finally, after about ten minutes, another wait staff (perhaps the owner?) came to ask us for our drink order. At this point, we obviously already knew what we wanted, so we ordered the whole she-bang. In that order, there was a Ginger Ale for me (which was explicitly listed on the menu as an option; note this for a later comment). We received our appetizer of naan, with small plates, but, we still had no silverware or napkins. Fail #2. We asked for them and the wait staff promptly gave them to us. However, that ginger ale was still no where to be seen. So when the silverware was brought to us, I politely stated to him that we were still waiting for it (this was about ten minutes after our initial ordering now). A few minutes later the Ginger Ale arrived, but it was not ginger ale at all. It was the old Sprite with a splash of Coke trick. GROSS. Businesses, please DO NOT list this as an option if you DO NOT actually carry the product!! I was disgusted. Do they actually think they fool people with that trick? Uh, no. My taste buds are a wee bit more sophisticated than that. Sorry. Then the food arrived. My bf received his just fine and the waiter who brought this (yet another member . . . now our third one), told us what it was, I asked multiple times what mine was because I didn't think it was what I had ordered, but I wanted to be sure. Finally, I just asked him if it was the dish I ordered. It was not. Fail #4. Had to wait another ten minutes just to get my food. At that point, I was tired of waiting around. I took some of my boyfriend's food, if even a small bit. While it was enough to barely feed a bird, I was frustrated enough to not even want my food once it came out. While the staff member was quite polite in the whole situation (apologizing multiple times and making sure to update me every few minutes that the food was coming), it didn't take away from the snowball effect of bad service we were getting that night. The really horrible thing is . . . the food? IT'S DELICIOUS (the only reason why there are 2 stars in my rating as opposed to 1). I think if I were ever to eat here again, it would be strictly for carry out (and I would check that I had received what I ordered prior to leaving the restaurant). I wouldn't dine-in at this establishment ever again. Oh, and I did never even get asked if I wanted a refill on my fake ginger ale, either. Once the check came and we realized there wasn't even a comp on the soda (after all that poor service that was acknowledged, I believe a discount was in order in some small portion). So, the tip? Not what we usually put down (which is usually at least 20%, if not more).. Diners. beware. Eat inside so you're not neglected. Eating outside apparently gets you screwed up orders, no refills and inadequate table prep.
(2)Joel S.
This is the second time we eat here. We like Indian food and this restaurant that offers Indian food with a Nepalese wrinkle is a pleasant place to sit in and its food Is delicious. For starters, we had two samosas and a Nepalese appetizer whose name I forgot, but looked like a falafel ball, which were both very good. We also had mango lassi to drink and Nick had tomato soup. For the main dish, I had butter chicken, Neomi ordered a Biryani, Roy had the chicken saag (spinach) and Nick had the green kabob. With the exception of Nick, who thought the kabob was too dry, we all loved what we ordered.
(3)Valerie L.
This is the WORST Indian restaurant I have ever been to! Indian cuisine is actually one of our favorite ethnic cuisines and I can honestly say we have never been disappointed until coming to Shangri-La! My fiance and I had purchased a restaurant.com coupon in hopes of finding a new "favorite" Indian spot only to find out after being seated that they had apparently terminated the "program" 2 weeks prior. Though our waiter graciously asked the owner if they could still honor it, the answer was still no. (We let this slide, because we were starving.) On to the service.....we went to Shangri La on a Thursday night around 8pm and it was pretty much empty (since it was Thursday night, we weren't surprised).....there was 4 seated tables (three 2-tops, including ourselves) and 3 servers. We ordered 1 appetizer and 2 entrees. Our appetizer took over 30 minutes to arrive, and our entrees took almost a full hour to arrive! With an empty restaurant and an overabundance of staff, we couldn't believe how long it took. On to the food.......YUCK! In all of our years of enjoying Indian cuisine we've never experience a lack of flavor, until coming here! We order a basic saag paneer and the Shrimp Masala. The saag paneer consisted of defrosted frozen spinach with cheese blocks reminiscent of rubber erasers and the Shrimp Masala was made with chewy frozen shrimp and tomato sauce. Both dishes needed about a ton of salt to taste like anything at all!?!?! We basically questioned how that was at all possible considering spices are generally what sets Indian cuisine apart from many other ethnic foods. (even my mango lassi tasted like 99 % yogurt and 1% mango puree.) In short.....DON'T COME HERE, it's down right TERRIBLE
(1)K.t. W.
I'm kind of boring when it comes to Indian food. I like butter chicken and butter naan. That's what I get basically every time at every restaurant. They do both things well here so I highly recommend them. The service is pretty good but sometimes the food's a little slow coming out, but it's worth the wait. I've been here on days that it's quiet and perfect for an intimate meal. I've also been here when it's packed and noisy- really depends on the day and if anything is going on in Bethesda. Parking's a bitch like always in Bethesda, but across the street from the police station there's a big public lot (free on weekends!)- only about a block away and there's normally parking there. They also have a lunch buffet here which is great for weekend brunches, and pretty inexpensive. The buffet is hit or miss- I've gone on days when it's great, have also gone on days when I was pretty disappointed both in the selection and the quality of the food.
(3)Niana K.
First off, why does this restaurant have 2 different yelp pages? Anyhow just a warning, they do NOT do the "free appetizer" deal when you say "Yelp!" That was a fail and kind of embarrassing/awkward because he didn't understand what I was talking about at first................err I generally like to ask the waiters for their recommendations on the most popular dishes or what they think is the best, but our waiter stated, "All of our dishes our great! I love all of them so I don't know." For some odd reason, I could sense that he was trying to avoid answering us? Hmm....? We started off with an onion stuffed naan ($3.70) and the Cho-e-la ($7). I'm obsessed with naan, so I was seriously looking forward to eating naan all day. Unfortunately, the onion stuffed naan was too greasy and NOT what I was hoping for. It honestly just tasted like an onion pizza with no sauce. Really really sad...actually, depressing! On the other hand, the Cho-e-la, which is some shredded marinated duck, was pretty light and refreshing. After failing to get advice from the waiter, we decided to choose the Nepali dishes: Nepali goat curry ($16), and Nepali chicken curry ($14). I don't remember the actual names, and their websites not updated...but they were the only Nepali dishes in those sections. The goat curry had a lot of flavor and was quite delicious except there wasn't enough meat (too many bones!). The chicken curry was OK, but it had some weird grainy texture I couldn't point my finger on... We had a restaurant.com coupon so the price wasn't too bad, but I wouldn't come here if I had to pay full price...in fact, sorry to say, but I don't think I'd come here again in general. I think "awkward" is the word that fits my experience the best. I'll give them points for ambiance, friendly servers delivering the dishes, and okay food
(2)Opie M.
Been a bunch of times for Lunch buffet, and several times when they are not open, like on weekday holidays, Presidents day, MLK day, Columbus day..., I keep forgetting. If they were open and word got out, would be sweet deal. Shame the indian buffet near BGR closed. Very good food with a nice wine selection.
(4)Crispin V.
Went here for the first time this weekend. All in all, a pretty good experience. I had the lamb rogan josh and garlic naan. All the food was nicely presented by a courteous and attentive waiting staff. The lamb was very tasty; sauce was well done (and I've had rogan josh from plenty of places), although 2 or 3 pieces of lamb were very chewy and one wasn't even edible. Ample food meant I was quite full at the end of the meal. Only downside was the garlic naan - very dry overall, and flavor was nothing to write home about. Despite this, I'd go here again and would love to try more of their curries as the lamb was pretty darn good.
(4)Steven B.
We have been trying more and more Indian food recently, and were really happy with our experience here! We had the chicken tikka and the chicken tikka masala (we're still new to Indian food) and they were both outstanding! The service was good and the price reasonable. If you like Indian food, please try it.
(4)Nathalie F.
I had the shrimp tandoori and it was amazing. My boyfriend had the chicken tandoori and it was a bit dry and bland. Service was good just a bit slow. Definitely coming back.
(4)Clarissa C.
Ordered in at work for lunch. We got the Chicken Tikka Masala and the Chicken Korma. Both were tasty tasty. Regular Naan cost 2.50 and garlic was 3.75. Wierd. Anyway it was nowhere near garlicky enough to justify the price difference. Also got an order of momo. The entrees were de-lish (very creamy and buttery tasting), the momo was fine but I wouldn't order it again. I'd love to dine in next time.
(3)Mel M.
I will give them 5 star for service; waiter was polite and attentive but not intrusive. When the waitor saw that me and my date were engaged in conversation he backed off or excused himself prior to interrupting...more waitors should be like him. now, the food---HUH? no spice complexity at all. I just did not like it. And I love indian food. sorry i wont be back.
(2)Dee M.
Terrific restaurant with pleasant staff who really seem to respect their customers and appreciate them coming in, and work hard to please. We have been getting takeout here almost every week since they opened a few years ago. Our favorites are the Green Kebab, and Butter Chicken. Samosa and naan are also our staple sides. Their in-house mango lassi is always a treat! Neither fancy nor garish - fresh flowers and candlelight in a basic, clean, and quiet setting with quiet Indian (or Nepalese?) music. The food is as good as or better than any you would find in the DC region. The owner is seemingly a seasoned restauranteur with a sister restaurant in Silver Spring MD named Ghar-E-Kabab. They all seem to work extremely hard to make this place work, with a serious passion for their food to be the best. And it is. We have had the owner or his wife show up with delivery, and once a waiter in a tux! It's funny, but it's kinda like your dinner just arrived by limousine!
(5)Mark M.
Great lunch buffet! Very good Indian food.
(4)Penelope W.
Not the best, but also not the worst. The food is flavorful and spicey, especially the little cracker they give you for free. I absolutely love Indian food, so I was looking forward to eating at this place. However, going for dinner is boring. You feel like you're eating in your own home with people watching you, because there aren't very many people there for dinner. So overall it's very quiet and you feel as though you can't fully relax. That's made up by the fact that their food is well presented and tastes well. If you know your Indian dishes, this is a place to go. If you've never had Indian before, the waiters don't have much interaction with customers so it's hard to communicate with them. My biggest disappointment there was the roti, but that's probably because of my experience with it. I've had the kind that looks like a pancake and the one they serve looks like naan.
(3)Michelle S.
I was so excited to try a new Indian buffet. However, I was not only disappointed, but truly horrified, by Shangri La. The food was nothing short of disgusting. Every single dish on the buffet looked like it had been sitting out for hours--it was dried out and crusty along the edges, but oily and greasy. There were only two meat dished on the buffet and both had very low quality chicken. Everything just looked and tasted old. The waitstaff was very passive aggressive, and seemed annoyed that we didn't finish our plates (they actually commented on the fact that we were "wasting food"). No one in my group finished their entire plate however because the food was disgusting. Penny pinching in the restaurant business will never get you far, especially in Bethesda! I will never be going back.
(1)jb s.
I like the food, don't get me wrong, but I'm not going back there again. Gave it three times. Each time, the service was horrid. Forgot to bring food, got the wine order mixed up (we wanted a bottle, they insisted they only served by the glass which was blatently NOT true according to the menu) and last night it was just me. . . one person: food was only warm (not hot), I would have liked a second glass of wine but no one stopped by to see how I was doing, no coffee or dessert was offered (which I would have ordered), instead the check was slapped on the table. So I left. Not going back. There are too many other good restaurants in the area who will give me good service.
(1)Alicia C.
3.5 Came here for lunch with some coworkers. We all opted for the buffet so we could try a few things. Overall, the food was pretty good, very flavorful, nothing was too spicy (though this could be a downside if you like the heat). The price and location make it a good option for lunch if you're in the Bethesda area. However, they had less selection than some of the other Indian buffets in the area. Since their daily offerings may change from day to day, I'll have to come back again before I make a final verdict about this place.
(3)Guillermo H.
Great food and great service. Both Nepali and Indian food were really good. Especially enjoyed the momos and the chicken tikka masala. I've been there twice already and def will be back!
(4)Adrienne L.
Winter's awful winds blew us into Shangri-La, which is just across the street from our office and yet, we'd never been. We had plans for hot pho on a frigid day, but the temperature and promise of a $9.99 Indian buffet swayed us -- ad we were so glad. First of all, I love the endless naan. Our second basket of naan was whole wheat, which was surprisingly soft. The buffet had several options, but I would have liked one more vegetarian dish. Anyway, we left very full and very satisfied. I'll be back for sure!
(4)Izzat A.
Went back here for a second time and I had to update my review to give it 5*. The food was probably the best indian food that I've had. I got the butter chicken, my cousin got the green kabab, my uncle got the molai kabob and my aunt got the boti kabob. I asked to make the butter chicken extra spicy and it was prolly the spiciest tastiest butter chicken that I've had. My cousin's green kabab were very good too. Tons of meat, and it was very soft moist chicken. Service was just as good as last time. This is definitely the best indian restaurant I've been to (I'm Pakistani, so I've been to several so that is a strong statement).
(5)Jen C.
This is a small place but quite nice inside. We came here for dinner on a Sunday night and it wasn't busy. Ordinarily, I would say this place is pretty expensive at dinner prices, but we used a restaurant.com coupon so it ended up being very affordable. I had the chicken saag and garlic naan. Both were good and I would come back again providing I had another coupon.
(3)Jonathan C.
Pretty decent food. Got the goat which is quite nice. Tasted of the sour pickle stuff. The saag paneer was mild. Service was excellent.
(4)J P.
This is very solid Indian fare -- The best in Bethesda and in my opinion it rivals Rasika in quality. 5 stars for quality. 5 stars for friendliness and service. You won't be disappointed.
(5)PAUL G.
We went here for dinner with a Groupon. This was a great find. We didn't really have any Nepali dishes, but the indian dishes were excellent. The service was pretty good considering the phone was literally ringing off the hook. I am assuming that these were all take out orders being placed. We will actually be likely to return. Extra benefit ... close to the Bethesda Metro station.
(4)Vera R.
TERRIBLE TERRIBLE TERRIBLE TERRIBLE costumer service. I will never ever order from this crappy place again.
(1)Kristi C.
I went here for lunch on Friday for the first time and now I'm a big fan of their lunch buffet. The food was delicious, there was a good mix of meat and vegetarian dishes, and the price is very reasonable at only $10. The only reason I'm not giving it 5 stars is because the service was a little slow clearing our plates between trips to the buffet.
(4)Robin V.
The lunch buffet was fantastic. Great value, food was good and nice service. Four entirely vegetarian dishes, vegetable pakora, salad and rice pudding for dessert - we didn't even get to eat the dessert we were so full. They had three or four other meat based dishes on the buffet which we didn't try and a great tasty assortment of chutney and sauces. I would recommend for a quick tasty lunch.
(4)Tom D.
3.5 stars This place stopped my in my tracks as I had not seen it before -- and their sign says Indian and Nepali cuisine. There are not many place that advertise that they serve Nepali food, and fewer actually serve it. It has been years since I have had a good Momo (a Nepali dumpling) -- so I dodged traffic jaywalking across Wisconsin ave to find out. MOMOS! They had Momos on the menu. Count me in. So I had the buffet and Momos as a starter. Buffet was very good. There were not as many options as some other Indian places in Bethesda that offer a lunch buffet. But some of the items I thought were excellent. The Tandoori was nicely cooked, a bit blackened (which I like) and wasn't the usual tasteless Tandoori. All of the food was well seasoned and well prepared -- and a deal at $9.99. I didn't love their Naan -- it was lacked a little fluff and packed a little too much oil. The much anticipated Momos....well they were a disappointment -- not like any Momos I have had and the dipping sauce wasn't the traditional stuff either. Will return for Indian buffet, but still iso Momos. Do I have to go all the way to Madison?
(3)D M.
Dined there Sunday evening. Waiter was attentive but food took long to arrive. The chicken biryani had inedible sticks in it. The chicken was both rubbery and dry and all dark meat. The dish did not have the raisins and nuts promised on the menu. I reported all this to the waiter but he made excuses not apology. My husband's lentil dish was also not anything out of the ordinary. He was offered more rice. I'd like to mention that I wanted a lamb dish but was told that the spicy level could not be adjusted to my taste. This suggests that food was prepared in advance not to order. Waiter could not give us any recommendations. The food was not worth the 30 min wait. The phone in the restaurant was annoying since no one answered it and it kept chiming out the caller ID. Kinda ruined the ambiance. Still trying to figure out what all those little sticks were in my food. When in town again will seek out someplace else.
(2)Brian F.
Good food, good service, decent ambiance, and fair prices. We ordered the pre-fixed Indian meals, 1 veggie and 1 meat. We enjoyed the quality of the food and ample amount. We would return.
(4)Scott R.
So I was on the return tube from a meeting in NoVa and decided it would be far more interesting and far less stressful to exit Metro in Bethesda on foot in search of lunch, than to exit Shady Grove in commuter vehicle navigating through strip mall hell. And so, by total chance, I stumbled upon Shangri-La. At least that's what the sign said. I think the name is a bit ambitious. Land of Enjoyable Lunch. Sure. House of Indian Delight. Yep. Fair meal, square deal. You got it. Shangri-la? Well .... not quite. In other words, this place is ok. Not bad. Not exceptional either. As per other reviewers, lunch buffet was a bit small compared to others in the region I've been too. At the same time, everything was reasonably good, and the price was fair. Service was also prompt, efficient, and gracious. Not a destination. But a good lunch. And far more enjoyable than driving around Gaithersburg looking for something interesting.
(3)Carrie H.
I had previously been here for the lunch buffet, which I remember as having been fantastic for the price. So I was excited to come back with a friend on a Saturday night when we had a craving for some pre-movie Indian food. It wasn't as busy as the rest of Bethesda, but the dining room was almost full when we walked in. Upon learning that we did not have a reservation, the person who greeted us had to go consult with a second person, who came over to confirm that we did not have a reservation. I really felt like they were saying "you don't have a reservation?" in that "why don't you just turn around and leave then" way. But it was COLD out there. They didn't offer us a table until my dining partner specifically asked if they had anything available. Then they seated us immediately. It was weird. They were otherwise polite the whole time, so maybe there was just some sort of confusion/communication breakdown. We got our papadum/chutney right away. My dining partner found the papadum too spicy to eat. I think he was just having an off day, it was flavorful, but I didn't think it was spicy at all. But I have an extremely high tolerance for spiciness. Anyhoo, he wouldn't eat it, so more for me! Also as far as spiciness, they didn't ask us how spicy we wanted anything when we ordered, and I think everything came out fine. However, I did hear a lady behind us requesting that her food be absolutely not in the least little bit hot, and the waiter seemed helpful and accommodating and pointed out a similar dish that he thought would be even blander for her (which sends chills through my little chili pepper loving heart, but to each his own.) We started with the vegetable pakora appetizer. It was really excellent and clearly made fresh. So often you get appetizers at an Indian place and it tastes like it was made yesterday, frozen, thawed back out, and microwaved for your dining pleasure. These were fresh and fluffy, slightly crunchy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. So yummy! Yum! Yum! Yum! And there were six of them, so I didn't have to "accidentally" stab my buddy in the hand to get the last one or anything. Our entrees were good, but I don't think either of us would order what we got again, so that is why we're down to 4 stars. I can't find it on the menu now, but I got the aloo mata (I think) - it was supposed to be Nepalese style with potato, black-eyed peas, and bamboo shoots. It was not completely my thing. The sauce had one spice in it that was a little bitter and the beans were not cooked as much as I would have liked. My dining partner enjoyed his chicken curry slightly more, but said he wouldn't get it again. The portion sizes were good, plenty if you're hungry, but not too much that you can't eat it all if you're feeling gluttonous. We also got naan and it was fine. Oh also I should say we ordered sodas and they did refill them. Sometimes I'm afraid they're going to pull the one sad single can thing in a place like this, but here you may exercise your god given right as an American to drink as much fountain soda as you want.
(4)Sarah B.
Our favorite order-in Indian. In fact, we used to get it about once per week! The food is high quality and flavorful. The people also are friendly. A good one!
(4)Tom M.
I took my wife and four teenagers to Shangri-La, and everyone loved it. The food was first class and the service was excellent. We will definitely be back.
(4)Candace K.
My adventures in Bethesda Lunching continue. This place is known in my office as "the cursed place" because it seems like there is a new restaurant every 9 months and Shangri La is the newest tenant. I am not an Indian cuisine specialist but I am always up for trying something different. This place offers a "buffet" for lunch for $9.99 not bad considering it is Bethesda. Now I'm torn about this buffet. It was small like 8 items total, which to me isn't really a buffet but the things they had looked really good and I tried pretty much everything. So maybe they have the quality over quantity attitude? Who knows but I really liked the Butter Chicken, the Tandoori Chicken was on the bone and was tasty but difficult to eat. Na-an was warm and delish. The place fills up fast and my dining companion and I were sat at a 4-top and half-way through out lunch they sat 2 strangers with us (-1 star). Other than that the service was passable, I mean how much service do you need for a buffet. I think I might pass on the buffet next time and just order the butter chicken and maybe I'll stick with take out.
(3)Aesah L.
Went here for the first time with some friends. Great little place, good ambiance and excellent service. I'm not an Indian food connoisseur, but the chicken biryani was excellent as was the garlic naan. Will definitely be back for more.
(4)Meagan W.
Visiting from Seattle...LOVED our meal! Butter chicken, super lamb, great garlic Naan... Superb!
(4)Ava B.
Went in for take out on my way past, and almost turned around because it didn't look like a take-outy kind of place - much more of a sit-down atmosphere. But the staff was very polite and welcoming, with big smiles all around, which widened when I ordered the saag paneer. When I got home with my food a few minutes later, I found out why they were smiling; it was hands down the best I've ever had. My husband inhaled most of it within five minutes, so now I'm thinking about ordering more, since they deliver. This is not to imply that the portions are small - it was just that good. For a shade over ten bucks for dinner, it's unbeatable.
(5)Raymond W.
Of the 3 Indian restaurants in Bethesda that I've tried, Shangri-La easily had the best decor and ambiance that is more suited for a date than a family meal. The dumpling appetizer was a let down and seemed like it was previosuly frozen as the dough was dry and somewhat hard. The lamb curry I had was however delicious. The meat was tender and was served in a mini bowl over a flame that kept the food hot. I was however starting to sweat as the spice of the curry was beginning to overwhelm me. I'm still just a rookie *sigh*
(3)Jake B.
My partner and I went to Shangri-La for the first time a few weeks back with a $25 gift certificate from restaurant.com . The food was good, portions were well-sized, atmosphere was nice, price was affordable with the gift certificate (and maybe a bit high without it), and servers fairly attentive. They have a good variety of vegetarian dishes from which we chose our meal (saag paneer, veg thali, garlic naan, and mango lassi). I enjoyed the food, though it wasn't the best Indian food I've had, and the thali could have used a lot more rice than the little dish they put in the center. If I lived closer to Bethesda, I would go back for more.
(4)Julia L.
This place is right next to my work, so it has been responsible for feeding many night while I'm working late. You know how some places are owned by such nice, welcoming people that you feel like they truly deserve your business? This place is it. The food is solid and they have plenty of vegetarian selections. They will also deliver, so you really have no excuse for not trying their food yet!
(4)Jason H.
Tried it last nite and it was a great restaurant overall. I tried the shangr-la thali and it's a good thing to try on your first visit. A thali is a sampling of many dishes from a particular region. It's like a appetizer sampler. The food was great I can taste the flavor like it's authentic Indian food. I am an Indian food expert but I can taste westernize food when I go a restaurant. I give it 4 stars b/c I want to leave the 5 stars for the very best!
(4)Greg M.
I came in at 5:00 and beat the dinner rush. I asked the waiter if I could get half orders of raita and green chutney because I wanted to try both but didn't want to pay $10. The waiter just brought me a complimentary sampler of three different chutneys. Cool! The green chutney is like a jalapeño chutney -- pretty good. On the down side, I had ordered chicken vindaloo and was brought tandoori chicken. I decided I didn't want to wait for a replacement order and just ate the tandoori chicken anyway. The naan is unusually good here.
(4)Kelsey V.
This place is great. I appreciate the fact that it's just as cheap as Delhi Dhaba for the lunch buffet, yet they provide much more variety of options. The rice pudding left something to be desired, but everything else was great, especially the vegetable dishes and chicken makhni.
(4)Sarah M.
The best thing this place has going for it is it's location. I thought the food was pretty bland and the price for what you get is ridiculous!
(2)Angela G.
really good aloo gobi. according to the other folks at the table, the chicken mo-mos were amazing, and the chicken tikka masala was right on. the "bread basket" was just kind of meh. It was fine, but not worth the $7 it cost. Overall, the food was really good, and we'll be going back, but I still feel like it's a bit overpriced...
(4)Lisa S.
I've only ordered food for delivery, but always reliably delicious. Nicely spiced, good quality fresh ingredients (no undercooked chicken or overly chewy lamb, as I've gotten from other places). Plan on a hour for delivery, but food arrives hot & tasty. Tonight I tried the chicken curry, lamb rogan josh, bread basket, and momo dumplings. Would give it 5 stars if delivery was a little faster, but really, an hour is reasonable for a great meal delivered to my door.
(4)rupa l.
This place was unexpected!! On a training in Bethesda & was looking for something ethnic & this place really hit the spot. Great ambiance & unbelievably good food. I can't wait to go back there again.
(5)Robert S.
UTOPIA PART WAY Normally, I dislike buffets of any kind. However, this Indian & Nepalese neighborhood lunch buffet is exceptional -- though not extensive -- with all but unbeatable bargain price of $9.99. I have not ordered off the "sit down" menu which must await a future visit by this American Sahib. While the naan bread had been close to hand, it could be described as less than masterfully baked and somewhat bland. Iced tea is good and strong the sort of which one might find in an Sri Lankan salon. The vegetarian dishes were generally fresh and light. Those looking for meat that is "hot to trot" may be happy to know that one may satisfy one's naked desires without the need to avail oneself of condiments. Notwithstanding my strong distaste for cooked spinach, the chickpea curry with edible leaves is eyepopping without being brutal. The lamb vindaloo was spicy, red, hot & flue. Though chicken tikka was still on bone, worth whetting one's appetite while getting off away from home. For weight watching gals and like narrowminded guys who may be into a culture of beauty that does not include fatties -- trans or otherwise -- this is one passage to India that does not employ ghee guise. Even with outdoor patio, the only place to write about the decor would be in a cow cutter. Thus, this may not be the place to take a date -- weather they be hot Hindu, sticky Asian, cold Englishman or lukewarm USsie. Though the owner manager is friendly and welcoming enough, fact that he was the only one on duty led to limited service during my tour. Thus, I found myself walking from my table to the counter for refills of iced tea. Consequently, cardamon unsweater proved to be of cold comfort. Me Hot Man Bobby
(3)Denis G.
Average setting with nice background music. Caring and attentive service. Tasty indian food, but beware if you do not wish for hot spicy food; I had to return my non-spicy main course because my mouth was burning. Also the portions are relatively small.
(4)Elliot R.
We went there for dinner last night arriving at 6 with a reservation. The reservation probably wasn't needed at 6 but by 7 the tables were full. The service was very good and attentive without being overbearing. The staff worked as a team which I like. We have a LOT of Indian food. This ranks at the top of the list. We ordered three entrees, an appetizer, raita, and breads. All vegetarian. All were surprisingly excellent. Cooked but still slightly crisp cauliflower is hard to get right... it was perfect. The okra... perfect. The papadum was very spicy and I couldn't stop eating it. They also have a very nice selection of organic wines.
(4)Ingrid T.
I went to Shangri-La for their lunch buffet and I wasn't very impressed at all. Their selection seemed to be the foods left over from what people didn't order the day before. There wasn't anything on the buffet worth going for. Also, the staff was rude. They don't pick up your old plates and have a bad attitude towards their customers. The biggest turn off, I felt, was their pushiness towards spending more money. They seem a bit greedy. I don NOT recommend going there unless you like to feel taken advantage of.
(1)Joe H.
I went with my parents to this place for the Sunday lunch buffet, so I can't say what it's like during the week. I hear it's pretty busy. It was pretty deserted on Sunday. I don't know what kind of buffets the other reviewers expect, but when we went there was salad, rice, dessert, and six other dishes: lentils, zucchini and potato, palak paneer, a chicken curry, goat curry, and tandoori chicken. It's no Minerva, but that's enough for me. All of it was tasty. The tandoori was cut up into smaller chunks which were more manageable than the usual large pieces. The owners formerly worked at Deli Dhaba in Bethesda.
(4)bob w.
Tried it for the first time last night with a friend. He and I both love Indian food. this restaurant 's food was as good as Rasika and Indique Heights, but way less pricey. good flavor, friendly service, nice low key atmosphere. We could not believe the price of check. Give it a try!!
(4)madhura j.
i am an indian having spent most of my life in india, we had gone here for dinner and found the food really mediocre, plus its highly overpriced..certainly not worth it.
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