Royal Taj

I really enjoy being able to come to little hole in the wall for my lunch Indian buffet. I like all the dishes that they have had here. I have tried other places yet I keep coming back to Royal Taj.

We were craving Indian food without a lot of local choices so we decided to give the lunch buffet here a try based on the Unilocal reviews. We were not disappointed. The food was tasty and well seasoned. Every dish was delicious. My favorite was the eggplant although I couldn’t stop nibbling on the papadum like potato chips. Our server was very friendly and attentive — he kept refilling our water glasses as soon as they were slightly depleted. We left thoroughly satisfied with our meal. I highly recommend this place and I look forward to returning soon.

The one star is for attitude of waiters and service. I have been coming to this restaurant for over 20 years. I have many dining experiences in this restaurant. By writing this review my hope is the new owner and staff will read their Unilocal reviews. And actually care enough to make a change. At this time I won’t be going back anytime soon, I’ll be looking for a better Indian restaurant.
Last night as i was dining I first simply asked for a straw which was completely ignored and never served. They served mint sauce in a tiny metal container which is fine and expected, yet it was ¼ full with runny mint sauce that was grossly diluted. Had to ask for a replacement. Then I asked for picked vegetable which is like asking for ketchup, it is a condiment. Without exaggeration the waiter brought a small bowl with literally less than a quarter teaspoon. It was basically one tiny weeny bite. How cheap can they get. It felt insulting along with their blank stares and unfriendly demeanor. Horrible way to treat customers.
I didn’t say anything about their service or lack of, but felt irritated that it’s expected to tip when they could careless about caring for their customers.
The place continues to show dirty as there was discarded bits of food scattered on the carpet under tables. The combo dinners offered have little variation from one plate to the others. So if you don’t like the one vegetable offered you are forced to purchase individually which is fine but not great if you are dining alone. It’s far more expensive this way.
I do believe there are plenty of other Indian restaurants that would appreciate business.

This is an old building which could use some TLC. I usually go for the lunch buffet for $ 13 including the tip.
The buffet has a limited selection compared to others in the bay area. The one thing they have which most others don’t is the papadum. The food is just average and the service is not friendly but good enough.
Sometimes they do not refill the food which is disappointing. I keep coming back because of the price, location, papadum, curry chicken (flavor of the day). They do have tandori chicken, lentil, green salad and potatoes everyday. Saag paneer is offered on select days.

Yummy yummy yummy. I’d eat here more often if I didn’t care about gaining weight. Definitely the best indian food in town, very spicy and consistent. Love the dal makhani, chicken pakora appetizer, saag paneer and navrateen korma. Not sure why this has a lower rating than Rangoli (the most bland an unspicy indian food I’ve ever had). Also, the serving size is great for the price; I always have leftovers!

YAY! Came here yesterday with a good friend and YUM!!! Used to go to Shagun’s on Skyport in San Jose before they closed (Sob! The new place there is terrible!) and loved it. This place reminds me so much of that place. VERY good chicken korma! I do wish the gulab jamin were in a warmed syrup instead of being cold… but they are still good. Another place I tried put anise in theirs-​yuck! So this is my new favorite Indian place and I will be back often!!!

The lunch buffet is $ 9.95 and you can definitely get your money’s worth here.
When we first entered, we enjoyed the incense burning near the register. We were seated quickly, served glasses of water, and then left alone to pick what we wanted from the buffet. I was a little put off at first because the tablecloths and plates were dirty.
The service here was pretty great. They definitely refilled our water more than five times. The buffet was simple. Loved the free chai and that it was not sweet. Good aloo palak and chana masala. I had a couple plates full of those two and rice. Naan was good and very hot. The tandoori chicken and rice were decent. I’m not a fan of paneer tikka masala but it was good.
Overall, good food and really attentive service. It’s average Indian food but you can’t beat the price!

I live in Maui and love Indian food. I found this quaint place by mistake and what a TREAT. The food is so delicious. I highly recommend this place. Hopefully it doesn’t become too crowded. The price is very reasonable. ENJOY & NAMASTE.

The cheapest Indian buffet around — and open latest in the afternoon (until 3pm). The staff are super sweet, they refilled our water every 5 minutes. And bringing fresh naan bread to our table was a plus. There weren’t a lot of varieties of food, although what they did have was tasty: butter chicken, tikka chicken drumsticks, saag (the spinach dish but without cheese), breaded cauliflower and potatoes, peas and cheese in a soupy sauce, watery daal (I didn’t try it), rice, iceberg lettuce, and a delicious donuty dessert. I was a bit disappointed that they didn’t have one or two more types of curries — maybe a lamb korma and a vindaloo? But it is good value for the price.

To this places credit. The food is very delicious. I’ve not been disappointed. With quality. The buffet selection isn’t a whole lot, but every dish is very tasty. I had a previous post about this place regarding the service… but ultimately, if you come here to eat food indian food, then I highly suggest the place.

I have tried other Indian cuisine places but it doesn’t compare to Royal Taj! I typically go during their lunch buffet special on a Tuesday because they have Paneer Tikka Masala which is my favorite! The buffet will cost you $ 9.95 per person.
Of all the times I have went it is with my girlfriend and her sister. This is our favorite go-​to for Indian food and they do not disappoint! When we first sit down, we have to order a side of Garlic Naan because it is so good dipped in the sauce of the Paneer Tikka Masala. A quick tip to not have the Paneer Tikka Masala and Chicken Korma mix together on your plate is to use the little bowls they have when getting your food! Its also really good with Chicken Korma but I tend to side towards Paneer Tikka Masala! You must get Aloo Gobhi which is potato and cauliflower and it compliments the food you are eating. They usually have 3 – 4 desserts but the one I like is rice pudding. Since I’m a sweets person, it was a nice little dessert to have at the end to wrap it all up. Overall, the waiter was very nice to refill our water and ask us if we wanted more Garlic Naan
Will I come back again? To answer that question, ABSOLUTELY! This is my «hidden gem» for Indian Food in San Jose because it is that good! I give a big RECOMMENDATION to those in the area to try out Royal Taj!

Back when we lived around the corner, the Royal Taj was our favorite. The staff were friendly and engaging, and the food was good. We moved to Boulder Creek 11 years ago, but still went back often, since we both worked over the hill. When the new management took over, the food was still good, but the service went from warm and friendly to indifferent at best, outright hostile at worst. We stopped going as often. Now, the last two times we ordered takeout to eat once we got back home, we drove forty-​five minutes home only to find that we had been given the wrong order once we got there. Tonight, I ordered channa masala, sag paneer, benghan bharta, samosas and rice (my husband and I are both vegetarian). I got home nearly an hour later to find that, even though the manager had repeated back the correct order to me as he looked at the slip, what I got was vegetable biriyani, chicken tikka masala, raita and naan. The part that makes me the angriest was that what I got would have cost far less than I paid.
NEVER AGAIN.

I am now lowering my previous 3 star review to one star.
As I mentioned in my previous review, we WERE regulars and came to eat there regardless of the management’s poor customer skills (mid to late 30’s, black frame eye glasses, balding, always looks like he hates his job). Today, my husband and I went to the lunch buffet and decided that we will no longer step foot in that establishment again.
1. When you have a customer waiting, you should not reply unprofessionally with a loud «HUUUH??» when you mistaken «for two» with «to go» and then become visibly upset when we tell you we are both there for the «eat in» buffet. Are you THAT upset to have your customers eat there? Your treatment was also noticed by the fellow seated near by who acknowledged how awful you were by shaking his head. I wanted to walk out of the restaurant SO BADLY at that moment but my husband decided to stay.
2. You should not give us the bill 10 minutes after being seated, before even giving us our naan!
3. You should not throw the naan basket on the table while customers are eating.
4. You should not show how much you dislike your job and treat your customers like you do not appreciate their business. If you dislike customers so much, maybe you need to change jobs!
5. When customers pay and leave, be THANKFUL! You don’t even need to smile if it’s so difficult for you, but at lease say THANK YOU! You just look pissed off, don’t say anything and don’t even make eye contact most of the time!
I sat down eating our food in shock the whole time and left with a very unpleasant feeling. We thought «Why do we come here only to feel so crappy when ever we leave?». The food is great but your attitude just seems to only have gotten worse over time. We will not be ordering takeout from you anymore or come back. You lost a repeat customer that has been coming there since 2005.
—- Previous Review, 3 stars —-
We were huge fans of this place until the new management came in about 3 – 4 years ago. The guy (in his mid to late 30’s, balding, wears glasses, always on the phone) does not appreciate customers (minus one star). At first, he seemed to. now he doesn’t even greet anyone or say anything after paying. The staff working the tables are much nicer than he is though. We are regulars, so he’d see us pretty often. We live close by and in this area, we preferred this restaurant over rangoli or steps of India. We order take-​out which is spicier (our preference) than the buffet but also come to the buffet for lunch once in a while. The prices can’t be beat and they are better than the others in this area in my opinion that are lacking on spice or variety.
They recently take online orders through a link on their site to another site named «MealHi5» and we have used it several times. I don’t know who was at fault but somehow my order wasn’t fulfilled when I went to pick it up 40 minutes after I submitted it. The manager retook my order and just told me to sit and wait for 15 – 20 minutes. No apology, and didn’t even seem to care to say a thing when receiving the food (minus another star). Never has happened using Eat24 for Rangoli (and by the way, they are nicer and appreciate you there!!)
If you don’t care about how you’re treated, then by all means give this place a try. Unfortunately for us, the cambrian park area lacks in good Indian food (with decent prices and variety in the menu) so I can’t say that I won’t be back.
My favorites on their menu are their Methi Chicken, Chicken Tikka Masala, Chicken Makhanwala, Saag Paneer, Okra Fry, Chana Masala, Rajmah Himachali. Onion Bhajji and Aloo Tikki are also very good starters.

1^st off they online ordering thing sucks, I ordered food waited 15 mins and drove over, only for the front desk guy to say «What Order «, then I had to explain and he went and looked for it in the backroom, guessing it printed out somewhere, but no one checked…
The food was Avg, the price was fair… We order a few things and it was on pair for most of the places out here, price was a bit cheaper or maybe I have been going to the over priced silicon valley ones…

I just love this place, best Indian food at a reasonable price.
Can’t complain about the service since hubby is a regular they know what to bring and what to order.
We always get the chicken Tikka Masala, chicken biryani and chicken tandoori, food made in Indian heaven.

We decided to go to an Indian restaurant on a Monday night and selected the Royal Taj.
Upon arrival a host greeted us with no smile and directed us to an open table. His cologne smelled like cigarettes, not good. The décor looked dated and the atmosphere had no energy.
We ordered the combination number two and the combination number six. For $ 10.95 each, you receive a good amount of food at a bargain price. The combination number six included Tandoori Chicken and Lamb. The combination number 2 included Curry Chicken, I just wished there were more than 4 pieces of chicken though.
The meals were more than enough to fill the appetite, but my taste buds were not completely satisfied. In my opinion, it was ok, but could have been better. I thought to myself would I come back? Perhaps in 6 months?

My friend Joe picked me up in the Santa Cruz mountains while I was back home, and asked me what I wanted for dinner. I decided on Indian food, since we both like it and I never have a chance to eat it at home anymore… so OFF we went on an adventure! Does he take me to a place in Santa Cruz? NOPE! He heads over the hill and into San Jose… to Royal Taj.
The staff seemed nice enough. The place was small inside with only a couple of tables being used, and it was fairly dark because of the wooden window coverings… but the sun coming through them left pretty shadow designs inside. They had what appeared to be a buffet setup in the front of house, but I didn’t see anything in it. We took our food to go, and went back to Joe’s house to eat it.
The food was good. It wasn’t stellar and didn’t have me oooh’ing and ahhh’ing like India Kabob in Reno does to me, but it was good. If you like Indian food, this does the trick… though this trip dinner was more about spending time with a good friend while back home. :-)

I enjoy this Indian restaurant when I am craving some curry! Rangoli is great too in the area but this place is a better deal. What we usually order for take out:
–Chicken tikka masala
–Palak paneer (spinach with cheese)
–Okra
–Roasted eggplant curry
–Garlic naan
–Vegetable biyrani
–Vegetable pakoras
Please don’t judge, yes this is what we order for two people. Overly indulgent, I know. We also do not end up with as much left overs as you would think! (sad) Anyways, the flavors are all terrific and the food is burning temperature hot every time we pick it up. The only thing I hate is when they add utensils for 6 people… ITS ONLY FOR TWO! Family size, I think NOT! :P

Great place for Indian food. I went there for lunch with a group of 4 people and the total was around 45 $. Not bad at all. Lunch is 9.95 per person
The restaurant is very small and comforting. Maybe not so ideal for a very large group of people. I love the environment and how it’s quite dark in there with the curtains on the windows.
The food was delicious. I really enjoyed most of the food options for the buffet. The currys and the naan were amazing. It wasn’t too spicy, just a nice kick. I recommend ordering the garlic naan. I also love how they didn’t charge extra for all the naan we ordered.
There was only one waiter there and his service was good. He filled up our waters continuously and cleaned up our plates after we were done so that we could get more.
Overall, this place is delicious and I left feeling satisfied.

$ 9.95 per person for the buffet. They had the paneer tikka masala and the chicken korma. My personal favorite is the paneer tikka masala! And on some days they would have Navrattan korma! I love their vegetarian curries more than chicken and lamb.
The tandoori chicken is really good! Not dry or stale at all. If you ask for the garlic naan, they will bring it out with no extra charge :). Soda is $ 1.50 with free refills!
The place is small, the atmosphere is a bit awkward (no music or tv) when there is little people. But once lunchtime hits 12:30−1pm, there’s background noises which I enjoy.
Our waiter is really nice (there was only one). He was very tentative and made sure we felt comfortable and always refilled our drinks and would bring our fresh naan after we finish a batch.
Total: $ 45.12