The food was amazing, but the service by the lady in the front was really bad...this place can be great if you fix that detail

We picked this restaurant based on the reviews. When we walked in it smelled like a Chinese Wet Market. We were hungry, so we decided to give it a try. We were given a table with one of the chair having a large stack of...kitchen towels on it so we moved it so we could take a seat. We surround walls were marred and I. Desperate need of painting. The bathroom smelled like a sewage plant and very humid. We asked for a bottled water, and the waiter said “one moment”. Well after 10 min., we asked again for a bottled water. Then the food case and it tasted sour. Yuk. We didn’t even eat 1/8 of it. Told the waiter, and she insisted that “Everyone” else has “Loved” it. Unfortunately, there were only 2 other tables seated and I highly doubt the “Everyone” else was ordering the same dish as we did. This place is a sham. And the icing on the cake was the appetizer that we had packed to go was given in cheap Chinese made styrofoam which leaked all over the bag and our car. Yuk, Yuk, Yuk. Try 5th Element, You will be happy you did. We won’t be returning to this ever.More

Went in about 11.30am and had their buffet. It was a good spread with enough choices for light eaters like me. I really liked the quiet ambiance and will definitely go to this place again.

I love this place. Owner is very kind and cares for his customers. Food is consistently amazing. I've been loyal customer since I moved into Jacksonville. Just tried a samosa for the first time. Mmmm!

We have been going to this restaurant since they opened, The service has never been friendly, but we have enjoyed the food. The last 2 times that we have visited, we have had very poor servide-icy cold. On our last visit, our food was good,...but the service so absent and unwelcoming, that my wife will never return. There is much competition in Jacksonville. There are many Indian restaurants in this area. We really felt like we were good steady patrons and do not know what we did to deserve such poor treatment.More

We have been loyal, happy patrons of this restaurant for years but after our last dinner there we are not likely to return. The service was nonexistent having to practically beg for water, orders were taken in a haphazard fashion and the wine service was...poor. Our entrees all arrived as ordered and at the same time but none of them were as fresh and tasty as in the past. An order of Sikh Kabab arrived with dry sausage and a side of raw onions! The waitress did not once ask if we needed anything else and we had to shout across the room in order to get our bill.More

Was in the neighborhood at about 12:30 last week and was craving Indian so I stopped in for the buffet lunch. Not the best decision I ever made, to say the least. Walked in, was met without a smile, having to work for even a...greeting and found my way to a wobbly seat at a wobbly table by the window. Approached the buffet and most of the very few trays were pretty much all depleted and what was left was lukewarm. Filled a plate and then went back for some sambar (soup). Waitress backs into me, making me spill hot soup all over my hand. Not even an "I'm sorry". The offerings from my plate all tasted pretty much the same. Spices were dumbed down and as far as variety goes, this had to be one of the most limited Indian lunch buffets I've ever sampled. The raita was very good, hence the second star but I want more than just good raita while partaking of a buffet. On my second trip to the buffet, the trays were replenished but the pedestrian offerings were still nothing to write home about, even though seeming a bit fresher. Naan stacked in a heated buffet tub was thin, overcooked and cracker-like. Service was pretty much MIA. Dirty plates not collected in a timely manner and when she DID come by, took the plate away while I was still eating off it. Water was never refilled even once. Also, after having read the latest health department inspection in the local newspaper (13 violations, 3 high) that was posted a few days after I ate there, I'm really glad I did not become ill later on! Got the bill, paid and left. The whole time there, did not exchange one word with those who work there. There are many excellent Indian restaurants in Jax and I do not see how this one survives. I was shocked to see actual Indians in there eating. I should have just driven the extra few miles over to Baymeadows where there are many Indian restaurants, both buffet-style and à la carte that are quite excellent. I wanted to give this place a try though so I did and I will not be back.More

My son and wife just had a little boy so we thought it prudent to celebrate his birth at home with some nice Indian food. The lady taking my rather large order was extremely patient with my destruction of their language and took the time...to repeat it back to me. All in all everything was very good. It was just spicy enough for my wife who doesn't like heat and everything was nicely seasoned. The portions were very fair and they sent all the typical chutney and toooooons of basmati rice. My only disappointment was the onion pakora and honestly I never should have ordered them take out.... they got rather soggy. I'm spoiled in Jersey where you can find many Indian restaurants within a short drive but I must say masala was a pleasant surprise in Jacksonville.... Thank you masala and, again, I apologise for putting you through my tortious version of your language.More

Located in a strip shopping center with out front parking. Ordered the Hariyali Chicken Kebab for dinner - chicken wrapped in cilantro and mint leaves, served with rice. The chicken was moist and tender, served with fluffy rice. Polite service; definitely worth a return.

Masala Indian Cuisine, as the name suggests, the food is truly Indian and spice. One can control the level of spice to low, medium and hot though! We were on a family dinner and had Chicken Soup, Tomato Soup, Iddilies, Chole Batura, garlic Naan, Ordinary...Naan, Butter Chicken, Today's special Lamb Curry and finished it masala tea. The quality and quantity were adequate. Food was very tasty. Service was prompt and professional. Would like to go back there once again to taste their other varieties too. Well, the people who attended could relax their muscles to portray a smile and it'd make world of a difference.... But for that, its a good place to enjoy Indian Spicey Cuisine.More

Delicious Indian standards, tikka masala, chicken curry, lamb curry and samosas. Nice atmosphere and I heard the lunch buffet is awesome.

3/21/2018 First of all, if you're going for Indian food and want the full intense flavor of a real indian course, don't do the buffet, please. Go to Masala during dinner where they have their full menu and make everything, especially spiciness according to your...liking... not according to the masses in a buffet. Now that I've gotten that outta my system... Masala is the place to go! Coming from a West Indian country, I know my curries! This is the only Indian Restaurant I've seen that actually uses real curry leaves in their dishes. One must try the Chicken 65... sounds a little out of the ordinary, but the flavors are extraordinary! If you're a veggie lover, you must try the Gobi Manchurian... omg it's divine!!! Their menu has a nice range of Indian cuisine from different regions, so be sure to sample them all. Their Thali is great and really filling as it consists of a huge round platter with different entrees and sides, including a dessert. I love everything on their menu from their curries, vindaloos, biryanis to their tikka masalas, samosas and paneer. The staff may not be the friendliest and the female server might be mean-muggin you lol, but ignore that and just psych yourself up for the main event which is the food itself.More