Natraj’s Tandoori

Food is always bursting with flavor and soul warming. I only wish they used organic ingredients, then I would go a lot more often.

Yes.
I mean, I wouldn’t drive all the way from Anaheim just to eat here, but I’m definitely coming back if I find myself in the area for work like I did when I found this place. Keep in mind, its fast food.
But its so delicious. The menu is self explanatory. There are labels to identify each item on the display so you know what you’re getting. I got the 2 item combo with Baingan Bharta and Chana Masala. The baingan bharta was great, & I’m not even a big fan of eggplant. Chana masala was ok, but it tasted like it needed a little something. I don’t know, but I’ve tasted chana masala much more savory and perfectly seasoned than this.
Veggie samosas were a bit plain too, but its impossible to fuck up a samosa so I can’t complain too much.
Garlic Naan was a bit stale though. ~60 ish cent more for stale garlic naan?

A great place to get a quick bite for lunch or dinner. They don’t have much of a selection, but the majority of the stuff they do is good. One exception, the Chicken Tika Masala is excellent. My entire family has fallen in love with this one. The tables outside of the restaurant used to be a great place to sit, but has now turned into a playground for families that like to have their kids run wild (since the addition of some fake grass). Now only the tables on the edges of the area are worth sitting at if you want to soak in some sun or shade and relax for a while, unless you are of course the ones that are bringing your little kids. So we will now eat inside on occasion when the court is packed with kids. Wish they would have kept the pure yellow rice. That stuff was awesome (light, fluffy, flavorful). Now they have cheaped out on the rice — its now white with some yellow in it. The pure yellow rice you could eat as is… now you need to put the Chicken Tika Masala sauce on the rice, which is covering up the fact the new rice has no flavor, but covering it with an awesome sauce isn’t so bad ;)

I bought $ 15 gift card for $ 3 from
when it was on sale and wanted to try this place out. The food was ok compared to some other Indian restaurants and had pretty large portion. I tried Saag paneer (spinach and cheese) which was terrible! I’ll probably stick to chicken tikka next time!

To-​go Indian food? So awesome. Considering that Panda Express is next door (which as a Chinese person I love, sorry), this is such a great addition into the food court. I knew this place had to be good when I saw the long line to get it. They have a really wide selection of to-​go items, but if it’s not in their warmer they have plenty of entrée options. They also have the regular assortment of different drinks. I believe I did see some Indian drinks also but don’t quote me. They also have bottled Snapple.
The prices of the combo definitely rival Chinese take out, so for the price, I was able to squeeze two meals out of it. I love that they offered to put extra curry of your rice if you wanted it. I was then able to use the curry in the item tray for my naan. :) I was one happy camper!
Not sure why this place doesn’t have four stars but I love it! I’m amateur in experience with Indian food, or maybe I’ve just been spoiled by all the good stuff, but I’ll be back!

Wow! Great value! Great quality! Tastes amazing
I’m sharing with my girl friend 3 combo meal for 10.49
Definitely coming back

This place is great. The food is very tasty, the staff is nice and they have a good variety of food.
I really like the vegetable korma and the naan is made fresh and is super tasty!!! I definitely recommend this place. Also it’s also very convenient that theyre open until late!

I dont even want to give even one star. This food doesnt taste fresh. You should eat here only if you like eating cream and butter. Along with lot of salt. They dont know anything about indian flavours and how to cook. We ended up eating just the rice, rest all went waste.

I absolutely love this place! Use to go all the time but now I live in sd! But anytime I’m driving back to la or the oc I always stop by! Tikka masala is the best! Plus the customer service is amazing!

I absolutely love this place and have been a fan for years. I realized how much I miss this place now that I live in San Diego and have not found anything that comes close to Natraj’s Tandoori. We stopped by on our way back home from LA so that we could get our fix of yummy Indian food and my baby boy could get his first taste of its deliciousness. It is just as good as I remember. My favorite dishes are the Saag Paneer (spinach and cheese) and the chicken tikka masala so I always get a two item combo in a to go container. The portions are very generous so that I always have half my meal as leftovers so I have something yummy to look forward to later. Their naan bread is so fresh and delicious… it’s what I always hope my frozen naan bread from Trader Joe’s is going to taste like at home but it just doesn’t quite hit the spot. Since this recent visit was a special stop and we hadn’t been here in so long, I treated myself to a samosa as well. So tasty and flavorful! I love that the yogurt comes with the meal and you can even ask for the mint and other chutney sauce as well. Service is always super friendly here too… has been for years. I really, really, really wish that they had a location in San Diego. I loved having Natraj in my rotation of regular eateries!

I remember my first time trying Indian food, was back in 2008 with my ex who happened to be Ukrainian, anywho it was a great experience and today I have come back to show this little gem to my friend and boyfriend and they both enjoyed it so much!
The bread that comes with your meal is great
Samosas are bomb!
Tikka masala chicken is no Chewie all great things: D

I originally wanted to try this place a long time ago, but after I found their other outlet at Quail Hill I have been going there since it’s closer. The first time I went there however, I didn’t have such a good impression as the portions were pretty small for the price. However, they have improved since then and now give much bigger portions. So, I just happened to be in the area and had a hankering for some Indian food, and this is why I ended up here.
As for this Natraj’s, I must say I was a bit disappointed. While the Quail Hill outlet has improved in portion size and taste, this one falls a bit short. I ordered the usual Saag Paneer (creamy spinach with cubed cheese) and Chicken Tikka (clay oven baked chicken), but this time added one more item of the mixed Potato and Vegetables. The chicken tikka tasted good, but the portion size was about ²⁄₃ of what I get at the other outlet. The saag paneer was ok, but a bit runny. The only thing I enjoyed was the plain naan (bread) which was freshly made and just out of the oven. The combo plates come with rice and a naan, but I usually skip the rice otherwise the meal gets too carby.
The concept is the same… you basically just go up to the counter and order a one, two, or three item plate which comes with rice and either a garlic or plain naan… then you seat yourself and bus your own table when you’re done. The guy behind the counter seemed pretty helpful, but no smile.
I was glad I got to try this place, but think I will stick to the other outlet I’ve now gotten used to.

This is our go-​to place when we crave regular Indian spicy fare sans the fine dining. It is the Indian Chipotle for you.
The best value for money are the combo platters which come with rice, naan and the extras like chutneys (dips), side salad, raita. Get the three item combo for 9.99, two items for 8.99 and so forth. Bhindi masala is great on some days, but not when the okra is not in season. Kadhi is spicy and the pakodas are soft. Navratna korma (mix veg in creamy curry) is a delight and so is the palak saag (spinach with cottage cheese).
Their chhole bhature is the comfort food I’m used to from India.
Among the sweets, the gulab jamun is worth mentioning. Natraj is the only restaurant in this area I know that serves authentic gulab jamun, tasting fresh and homemade. They don’t feel like they’re from the tin boxes or from readymade mixes that most restaurants around here serve in the name of gulab jamun.
All in all, hands down the best Indian casual dining place in the area. I could eat here every week. I wish they open another branch closer to UCI campus.

I’ve been a regular here for as long as I can remember but dropped a star for being unsanitary.
This is the place to be when I need my Indian food ASAP.
So this probably isn’t super authentic Indian food, but it’s great for a quick curry fix! Their chicken tikka masala is a MUST. The naan always comes out piping hot (garlic or regular but both good!) and the basmati rice is fluffy and delicious. The portions are super filling too, comes with a ton of meat for a 2-​item (~$ 11) plate and I usually split that into two meals.
Had to subtract a star cause the guy who made my meal made a mistake on my order, and put the container that he scooped my rice in BACK into the pile of new containers :/​
He also grabbed my naan bread with his bare hands after cashiering. Soo yeah… stayed away from the naan this time.sadly.
Hate to be one to complain about a lot of things but I really hate it when people handling my food are unsanitary.
Service is normally pretty good. The guys are usually super efficient and kind, but guess I got unlucky this time.

So, the good news is that the food is edible, the establishment is clean, and there is plenty of seating.
But I cannot recommend this restaurant to anyone who is hankering for some Indian food or wanting to try it out for the first time. The flavors are almost non-​existent. The only decent dish in my 3 item combo was the tomato based curry with mushrooms and peas. The Chicken Tikka Masala, which is by far the most popular dish when it comes to Indian food (at least in California), tasted like salt and Chicken:(I have never been to an Indian fast food or sit down restaurant that served flavorless anything, unless it was their yogurt sauce.

Indian food is my favorite! I make it a point to try seek out and find the best spots in town and when I am on the road.
In my opinion…
If you don’t care much about Indian food actually tasting like Indian food, then you might like this place.
If you are seeking authentic Indian cuisine… don’t waste your time or money here.
Natraj’s Tandoori is basically a fast-​food Indian Food restaurant… and that is exactly what it tastes like. I feel that the food is overpriced for the low quality cuisines.
The flavor of their food is horrible. Their dishes do not have the rich and complicated flavors that one expects from Indian food.
I had their Chicken Tandoori and Channa Masala. The Channa Masala tastes like it had canned tomato paste or something like that in it… this flavor over-​powered whatever spices that they may have had in it.
The Chicken Tandoori was unimpressive; it tasted like basic grilled chicken.
I’m never coming to this place again…
One is better off taking an extra 5 minute drive to India Kitchen in Tustin.

I’m not sure why the reviews aren’t all 5 stars! T and I stumbled on Natraj’s and have been back two weeks in a row since we discovered this place. They have awesome deals for the already made food on display at the counter. You can get a 1, 2, or 3 item combo for ~$ 10 or less! There’s a good selection of vegetarian items as well as curries and chicken to choose from. I’ll get a 3 item combo and share with T. He loves the Chicken Tikka Masala, and we both love the Baingan Bharta. We’ve also gotten the lentils and the channa masala, which neither of us were huge fans of, which was surprising for me since I usually love channa masala. They also give you a generous portion of rice and plain naan with the combo (pay more for garlic). Last time, we got the food to go, and this time, we got it to eat there — I’m not 100% sure, but it looks like they only give you salad with your combo if you eat in.
The employees are always really friendly and have smiles on their faces, which is another huge plus! They also have a seating area right outside. Perfect for this Cali weather.

Met up with my sister, her husband and her twin boys here 3 nights ago for dinner. It was pretty empty and I thought it was Indian fast food because they are the pick and choose type. But they do have things you can order on the menu that they don’t have displayed or already made.
We ordered:
Chicken Tandoori — a little too dry and way too much onions — actually there were more onions than chicken.
Saag Lamb — really doesn’t look all that much appealing however it was pretty tasty especially with rice.
Koma Chicken — oOoh I really love this dish — it was very flavorful and the sauce is really creamy — great for dipping the Naan in.
The food was pretty decent but the portion of the rice was too little — we ordered three meat dishes and they should all come with rice but they only gave us one dish of rice… which wasn’t really enough though they did give plenty of naan.
The service was okay. They weren’t all that friendly I guess… and well the food took a very long time to come out too.
Overall service was meh but the food was decent enough for me to come back for quick Indian food.

I don’t know why but there’s something about this place that taste better than other Indian places I’ve been too.
I typically get a combo of the tikka masala and the paneer. I lather my rice with the sauce and then scoop it into the naan and made a burrito type meal out of it. May sound weird, but fresh warm naan with chicken, rice, and the creamy sauce just satisfies my cravings for Indian food.
The workers are pretty friendly too. They always have some sort of small talk with me which is nice since many Indian places I’ve gone to don’t really say anything, at least not to me. The lassi is alright here, has a decent tang to it.

Natraj’s… Oh let’s see… Can’t give this place more than 3, why?! For the most part, it’s pretty good. When it’s not a good day, IT’S NOT A GOOD DAY!
NOT A GOOD DAY = stingy servings & tasteless sauces!
GOOD DAY = generous servings & friendly staff & decided to put effort in prepping their dishes.
This place is hit or miss. If it’s on point, you’re good to go! I usually go for the chicken masala or the chicken coconut curry. Maybe they’ll be more consistent someday. ‘Til next time!