Natraj Cuisine of India and Nepal — Restaurant in Long Beach

NOTE: This review was updated to add an old photo. This is not a reflection of the current owners.

Natraj is one of few restaurants you will find on 2nd street that has withstood the test of time.

This was the first place I tried Indian food in 2003/2004... and I keep coming back because, well, the food is amazing, the prices are generous for the quality you receive, the weekend lunch buffet/champagne brunch Sundays are such a fantastic value and Bubbly and Mr. Singh are sooo sweet and attentive!! You'll feel welcomed from the first to the last bite!

Bonus, it always feels good to know I'm spending money at local, family run, quality establishments like Natraj!!

Keep an eye on 2nd street.. you'll see restaurants with high prices (to account for the crazy rent landlords on 2nd street charge) pop up and disappear like a revolving door cuz they don't have what it takes to keep customers coming back again and again.

Natraj on the other hand, knows how to do it right!!!

Natraj has been there since either the 80s or 90s, and once you eat here, you'll see why they're a 2nd street gem!

I recommend the garlic naan and the buffet... especially if you're new to Indian food. You'll get a taste of the most popular dishes at a mild spice level. If you're more of a spice lover or are feeling adventurous, come in and order off the menu and have the spice level tailored to your taste buds.

Highly recommend the lamb curry medium- spicy level (it is mouth watering you guys!!!!!) , or for first timers, visit on a Sunday when mild lamb curry is served. I love the spinach saag (I always get 2 servings of this dish... it is so so amazing to dip that light crispy garlic naan into this spinach deliciousness 😋), tandoori and butter chicken are amaaazing, samosas are crispy and filled with a delicately spiced potato mixture and they have really tasty vegetarian options as well (they are DELICIOUS choices even if you're a meat eater, so I know vegetarians will love...

Please, this is a hard pass.

I've never had an experience this bad in Long Beach or Belmont Shore. The entire evening, every table was upset or frustrated at the lack of service. I was embarrassed for the restaurant and the irresponsible business management.

It looks like the new owners are quite careless for the all-around poor service they were providing everyone, they were very content with treating their customers poorly. It was not a functioning restaurant, especially at a prime location such as Second St.

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POOR SERVICE: Staffing was not being proactive, and they were standing around while customers were frustrated and waiting to be served, lots of tables were not bussed and flies were roaming the tables

Even though it was a slow evening, staff didn't bring drinks to tables until prompted by customers, multiple tables had to get up and go to the kitchen to follow up. We didn't get water served to us for 20 minutes.

We were charged for 'soda' when we only ordered water, and the owner (who also took our order) pushed back, looked at our table and then gave us a look and questioned us, "Are you sure!?"

We literally watched and overheard every table get frustrated with the same issues we had, the restaurant did not acknowledge any issues

The staffing team was so aloof and spaced out, it seemed they were not sober..

FOOD NOT GOOD: waited 45 minutes for water and our food even though it wasn't busy, there were only 6-8 ppl in the restaurant

food was watered down (ordered Chicken Curry & Lamb Vindaloo)

servings were ridiculously small, about 1 cup of food for an entree approx $16 was a good value

COST: overpriced for quality of food...

Food is good, albeit a little pricier than other Indian places in the area, but they deserve a stellar review for another reason. The owners (or I believe them to be the owners at least) are some of the kindest folks you'll meet. Like I said, food is good. I made the mistake of ordering my dish as mild and it was way too mild for my liking, but for those who don't like any spice - it would be great for you. I just never know what to expect when trying a new Indian place.

Everyone I was with loved their food as well. The guy seating us struggled a little bit with English, but he was so nice and cheerful, you couldn't help but smile. I had my giant dog with us and they were incredibly accommodating. We sat on the patio (this was over the summer).

My niece had a medical emergency while there - she has type 1 diabetes - that required an ambulance. The owner and his wife cleared off a spot inside for her to lay down, got her water and made her a pillow out of napkins, if I remember correctly. You could see the concern in their eyes as emts took o at their tiny restaurant, but they were only worried about my niece.

Everything was fine, but they were such a pleasure to be around. In my opinion, these are the types of business owners we should support more. Those who clearly care about the...