Bollywood Bistro — Restaurant in Fairfax

I have only been to Bollywood Bistro twice. The first time I went, my husband and I loved the food and the restaurant itself had a nice ambience overall. Since that first experience was good, I recommended the restaurant to my family when we were looking for a nice place to celebrate my parent’s 36th wedding anniversary. We were 9 adults and 4 kids so naturally I called to make a reservation. The lady I spoke to over the phone (Betsy) told me right off the bat that we do not take reservations for more than 10 people. I then clarified that we are 9 adults and 4 kids. Instead of telling me that it will not be possible, she told me “We will make it work”. She put me on hold for a min then came back and said.. I can give you 2 tables if thats okay with you. First thing that came to my mind was.. ummm it’s a family dinner... so tables should be next to each other. So I told her, “sure it’ll be fine as long as the 2 tables are not separate and we are all sitting together.. it is my parent’s anniversary dinner” to which she said “ma’am we will make it work” We got there 15 mins early and were told to wait outside until the tables are ready. Fine! We waited. We went inside and we are directed to these two round tables NOT EVEN PUT CLOSE TOGETHER, so if we were to all sit down at those tables it would be like 2 different families having separate dinner, there was no chance we could even have a conversation between the people at the 2 tables. I decided to talk to the guy who took us to our tables. First thing he said was “this is why we do not take reservations for more than 10 people” ummm okay! Then why was I told over the phone that you could? He had an extremely nasty attitude the whole time we were trying to figure things out. Ah! I wish I knew his name! Anyway, after I explained to him several times what I was told over the phone, first he seemed pretty annoyed with his fellow staff member (Betsy) and said “ I don’t know why she told you that we can make it work.. then suddenly a light bulb went off and he said.. I will see if I can combine these 2 rectangular tables (common sense buddy! That’s what you should’ve done in the first place!!). While I am here feeling terribly embarrassed in front of my family, my parent’s decided that they will wait! He had already ruined the night for us..and I was furious on how things were being handled by the restaurant staff! We were all being given nasty looks by every staff member around us, they were all whispering amongst each other making us feel super awkward! We decided that we can no longer eat here.. while some of us were getting up and walking out the door.. the lady I spoke to over the phone finally showed up and stopped me at the door to tell me that she said “I will TRY to make it work” and that she never told me that we WILL sit together (I should’ve asked her what does it mean to her when she hears the words.. CELEBRATING and FAMILY DINNER). Anyway, so again I tried to remind her of what she said to me over the phone and she was adamant that I was making things up! That’s when I decided to just walk away! I was told later by my sister and my husband that when I was having a conversation with Betsy, the guy who led us to our tables was standing behind her, under his breath he told some of my family members to “just leave”. This was by far the most embarrassing moments for my family that we had to face due to the incompetent and extremely rude staff at Bollywood Bistro.. and that too, at a very special occasion for us! No apologies at all from the staff! What a shame their customer...

I didn't think it would come to pass, but this place deserves full honors -- all the stars I can give.

I only had one dish -- Goat Masala -- based on the waiter's recommendation; it was truly beyond words.

Parking -- I'll talk about this, it was a pain point for me as I'm not local to Fairfax (though I've been many times before). I missed the turn for parking while driving on the main road, and spent close to half-hour trying to backtrack and get to the same turn -- rush-hour traffic didn't help. Long story short, there's free parking in the garage behind this place. If you're ever driving on the main road, and you see any sign that screams "free parking here" -- just don't freeze up and miss that turn; I'll leave it at that.

How I ended up coming here -- bit of a funny story, but I'll bite. I was visiting a nearby event, the long drive and traffic was exhausting, and I also hadn't eaten lunch (I guess linner?). After parking, I headed to the Auld Shebeen -- a nearby Irish pub with gracious reviews. Well luck would have it, I came around 6pm, right at the time they were closing up shop. I accosted a greeter, he suggested the Bollywood Bistro as a favorite of theirs. Didn't have high hopes going in, but I was rather hungry and decided to check it out.

Walked in, requested dine-in for one person, got a small table near the entrance rather quickly.

Waiter -- who was also my greeter -- was nice. He took my order, gave splendid suggestions, and checked in on me afterwards.

The ambiance was very good. Laid back, in a dim lit area. The overhead lights are not bright at all. Gives off a more casual, down to earth kinda vibe. I decided I liked it after all.

What I had -- going off suggestion for non-vegetarian dishes, I had the Goat Masala, with Garlic Naan for bread. It comes with white rice for free, with green peas dotting the rice.

The Masala has to be hands-down the best goat dish I have ever tasted. I honestly think it is one of the best Indian dishes I have ever eaten; and I eat homemade Indian food quite often, and have been to my fair share of Indian buffets -- so I know what good food is.

The Goat Masala was, for lack of better terms, simply sublime. The spices and aroma, juiciness of underlying meat, the presentation of leaves and ginger, all of it was top-notch. The dish as a whole was flavorful and perfectly executed. I would have it every day if I could -- in an ideal world.

The Garlic Naan is a staple bread in any Indian cuisine, and it went hand in hand with this dish. Rich and flavorful, and elevated the taste of the goat curry.

Once I was done with the Naan, I switched over to the white rice, and mixed it with curry. There was an abundance of it, and even though I was liberal in its spooning, it was inevitably a too-large portion. I finished maybe two-thirds. I was full, near to overflowing, by the end.

Overall, the Goat Masala was in a word, exceptional. Food was really good and filling. Silverware and napkin provided, and glassware well-designed. The ambiance was quiet and light-hearted. Service was good, and people were generous. Only minus point I had was the bill -- definitely on the more high-end side; but well worth it.

Highly recommend checking out this spot. I'll definitely be back if I'm ever...

Zero stars! We went there in a group of 4 adults and two toddlers and an infant. We arrived there a bit later than our reservation time (about 15 min) and since half our party wasn't there yet, we explained to the seating host that we are willing to wait for a table since we are late. They told us no problem and seated us at a table and so we asked for two high chairs for the toddlers which we then got. We sat down, and started feeding our 2 y.o. daughter.

That's pretty much where the "professionalism" ended and their real face started to show. Shortly after that we were asked by one of the staff where the rest of our party is and we told them that they are just parking in the adjacent garage. He asked if we knew for sure whether we needed the second high chair (why would we hold up a high chair if we didn't know we needed it, we are parents, we know high chairs are in demand!) Maybe you should understand that on the weekend it is normal for families to show up with kids and maybe keep a few more high chairs in stock than just two? I know, crazy outlandish idea right?

If that weren't enough, shortly thereafter(a minute or so after), the manager/owner came up to us and asked where the rest of our party was. We told him they just parked and will be here in a minute or two. We had already started eating so what is their hurry for the rest of our party? I guess he thought we lied about the rest of our group and they weren't gonna show up or something? Wow!

He then proceeded to taunt us further. He said I can't have you take up a half a table like that because there's a line of customers waiting and they ask questions like why is half that table unoccupied. Wow, so you buying a place too small for your clientele is now my fault and I have to help you with your image? We were willing to wait until the others in our party showed, you chose to give us the table anyway! We didn't force our way onto it!

You know, I can't help but wonder if we would have been treated the same had we been caucasian or at least white looking instead! We had ordered some non spicy food for our toddler and when the waiter came to serve he served the dishes pretty much over our toddler's head. I mean come on where is your common sense and sense of child safety? You NEVER serve a heavy hot item over a child's head. My wife told him please don't server over her head and he just replied in mocking manner with a smirk and said "Ok, not over her head"!

I think I've said enough but I will end with a few words on their food. It was definitely better in the past and they seem to be beyond their 'first golden years' now. It is clear from the buffet that vegetarians have less variety and are side lined.

Given the fallen quality of food and the outrageously horrendous customer service(if you want to call it that), please treat yourself better and stay away from this mad house! Did I mention the naans were cold and the rice crusty and dry? Please, be nice to yourself and go get some real Indian food! All you'll get here is a serious attitude...