bollywood masala — Restaurant in La Plata

Came in this evening. I wasn’t properly greeted but I noticed when other folks wlkd in they were greeted with a big smile & enthusiasm. Mainly Caucasian people got the best greetings. When I wlkd in I asked if they have anything w/ shrimp, the young gentleman said yes, then wlkd off. I thought maybe he would show me on the menu or say more but he didn’t. Moments later the another man came up to me he’s older, slim build, wears glasses and he has a language barrier which I just found out about tonight per the owner Mr. Raj. The man with lng. barrier took my order I didn’t get his name, I asked him if there was shrimp kabob & he said yes! & just pointed to the menu, like telling me :”read it” again he didn’t explain or suggest. I then said I’ll do lamb, but I asked him what kind of lamb is it? He said it’s long strips then cut up, I asked was it shredded or braised or chunks, & he just kept saying, it’s long strips cut up. I then said nvmd, I’ll just do the shrimp kabob bcuz I did not understand what he meant with the lamb. He walked away, didn’t ask if I wanted a drink or soda or nothing. I had to yell across over to the bar and ask if they have soda. The other younger man said yes & I asked for a coke. So then my shrimp kabob came out, the shrimp cabbage & peppers were hot temperature wise the rice was warm& the garlic naan was warm. I started to cut the shrimp up and eat some and it had no taste. It Was not seasoned at all. I then asked do they have sauce he said butter or creamy I said ok I’ll take that. He said ony 1! I said okay butter. He said okay wait put his index finger up at me to gesture wait and he then proceeded to go help the table across from me with then Caucasian people. The older man with language barrier saw the cook cook come out while he was tending to the Caucasian people and then that’s when he told the cook to go get me butter sauce so I can add to my shrimp. I finally got the sauce about 3 mins later I added it to my shrimp & cabbage& it still wasn’t tasteful. Then on top of that I saw the older man with language barrier picking in his mouth & at his Teeth & sucking food off his pinky finger it ruined my appetite more. Then a few moments later he was behind the bar flossing for at least two minutes with a toothpick. That is very unsanitary & unprofessional. It made me feel sick because he carried out the Caucasian people’s basmati rice shortly after picking in his mouth. I was appalled. I then asked the waiter(man with language barrier) if I could get something different & pay for that because this was not enjoyable. He then proceeds to tell me NO, sorry, and walked off. He tells me I ate all my food, but I definitely didn’t. I had about 3-5 bites tried to like it but it was not good. He then gets the cook, the cook tells me the same thing. Sorry nothing I can do, you have to pay for this. I had a whole plate of rice shrimp & cabbage sitting there. I asked for manager, the Owner Raj came out. I explained to him, the customer service, the food not being enjoyable, the man picking flossing his teeth and sucking pinky finger & he wasn’t enthused. He just said I’m sorry he did that & he said he has language barrier and didn’t know what I wanted. Raj offered me 10% off and another order (I’d pay for) but I just said I’ll just take the 10% and that it’s. My meal that I didn’t fully eat was still $35. I paid $35 for bad customer service and a refill on coke & water I had to asks for myself. I don’t think I’ll come back here again. I didn’t like they way they handled the situation.I was not rude at all, I was very calm and explanatory. It’s just very sad smh. And I saw a few more ppl come in while I sat there and observed how they treat them. If only they knew. Also they sort of hovered over me after I expressed my concerns. I believe the owners wife and his two sons came out from the back just to see what was happening. Not sure but it was weird how they all stayed up there by me until I paid. I guess they thought I wouldn’t pay. I shouldn’t have but it’s all good. Everything happens...

I am a regular at Bollywood. This is my families' typically go-to spot for Indian cuisine; however these last two interactions have really put a bad taste in my mouth. There is a younger Indian gentleman (~mid-thirties) who serves and also works in the bar area who is extremely rude. I came in about a month ago with my girlfriend for dinner and the infused drink I ordered was not to my liking. I told my server (an older gentleman who is always pleasant) and he removed the drink from the table. The rude younger Indian guy brings the drink back to my table saying that he's going to add ginger beer to it for me to like it. I tell him that I do not think I would like that and would like to see the drink menu again so I can order another drink. He tells me that I must pay for the drink because he made it. I explained that I would not be paying for a drink that I did not drink, but I do not mind paying for a different drink that was more palatable. With some banter and persistence, he eventually removed the modified drink from our table and took it off my check.

I thought this was a one off, but it sealed the deal last week when my husband ordered our usual order (3 chicken Kashmiri's, 2-garlic naan's, and a peshwari naan). When he arrived to pick up the to-go order the peshwari naan was not there. He brought that to the attention of the person taking the payment (same rude guy from my previous visit). This guy goes back and forth with my husband stating that he ordered kashmiri naan instead and because the kitchen made the order he must pay for it. He went on to say that, if he wanted the peshwari naan he could order it, but would need to pay for both naan's. This order was $85, so to argue with my husband about an item that cost $10 is not good customer service. Had I been picking up the order on principle alone I would have canceled the entire order and left with nothing.

I previously worked in food service and I truly do appreciate good customer service. I will not frequent an establishment that does not take my experience as the customer into consideration. As I stated before, we order from this restaurant ALL the time and our order is never less than $75, we have shared this restaurant with friends and even for family gatherings so I was extremely disappointed to hear that, this had happened. In our early days of coming here we met the owner and he seemed like a really nice guy, so as a fellow business owner myself I wanted to to share these concerns to make the owner aware of how customers are being treated and why this loyal customer will no longer be visiting. If this staff goes on unchecked, I am sure I will not be the only customer lost.

I am disappointed with this horrible customer service and complete disregard for what seemed like an honest mistake. The food is typically good, but this visit something was off with the chicken as well (very tough). I really hope that management takes head to this review and looks into who they have hired to represent the...

I don't know who Terry Jones is, but I was in Bollywood Masala today. The guy comes in, has drinks at the bar, acts like he is angry and starts to leave without paying for his drinks, then is profanely rude to the very gentlemanly fellow who was hosting the dining area as he leaves, and now is calling the owner -- who was sitting near me at the opposite end of the restaurant and never spoke a single word to him -- a racist.

Racist? This from someone who says in his review, "The old Indian host should be in the kitchen." Can you believe that?

This man and his behavior are outrageous and libelous, in my opinion. I have eaten at this restaurant many times, and with people of many different racial backgrounds. Not once have I, or any of my friends and family, been treated with anything other than the utmost respect and courtesy by all of the staff and management at Bollywood Masala -- and this restaurant has about the most racially-diverse mix of employees that you'll find anywhere in the region.

It's a shame that some unhinged and/or unhappy person can try to scam a business, then use this forum to try to damage the reputation of one of the finest businesses and individuals in the area. Look at all the many glowing reviews here, by people of all ethnic backgrounds, before you give credence to some absolute nonsense like this. What this man said is...