Maharana Indian Restaurant — Restaurant in Madison

OMG. I am sitting on the toilet as I write this review. My tummy started hurting right after finishing dinner. Things got progressively worse just a minute or two after leaving. Oh how I regret going there...

Here’s our experience prior to my explosion:

I ordered chicken vindaloo (mild) and my boyfriend ordered mixed vegetable curry (medium). We also ordered some garlic naan. After ordering, we received a plate of pappadam. My favorite chutney is the spicy onion. My first taste was a surprise mouthful of spicy heat which quickly turned into EEK SALT. So, I tried some more pappadam with a little more chutney. WHOA! A mouthful of salt. No more chutney. After that, even eating the pappadam just tasted of salt.

Our food came quickly so we dug in. The garlic naan was lighter than what I was used too. It wasn’t bad, but the second piece was already cold. I don’t believe I ate that slowly to have it already that cold. I think it was partly due to the plate they used to serve it in.

I was a little weary of trying my dish considering how salty the chutney was. Turns out it was ok. Or so I thought. I was hungry, so as I was going for my second helping, the salt started to kick in. I noticed how much the server was coming over to fill our water glasses.

My boyfriend asked me to try some of his dish. It reminded me exactly of the chutney. It was spicy and super salty. I gave him some of my dish so I didn’t have to bring any home. I should not have finished my dish.

Once I did finish, I noticed how my tongue was tingling and how I was downing water like I was walking in the desert for days.

We were served some complimentary mango ice cream. Sadly enough that was the best tasting thing of the whole dinner.

Service was good. The server was attentive with our water needs.

I can’t say that I will ever go back after that...

New to the area and wanted to try something different. I ordered delivery through Grubhub.

First impressions, they are quick from taking the order and having it ready and then the delivery driver dropping it off to me, which is great, I was starving!

Food: I ordered the Chicken Curry and in the notes I asked to make it extra spicy. Boy, did they deliver! Out of all the places I've tried in the Madison area where I asked for "extra spicy" none have delivered, but Maharana has, and I'm so happy about the spice level!

I also ordered the Garlic Naan, it was delicious, though I wish it had a stronger garlic taste, but that's just me loving garlic too much.

I did receive, what seems to be their Mango Ice Cream as a nice surprise from them. Maybe they took pity in thinking that I wouldn't handle the spice 🤔 lol. Haven't tried that yet, as I could barely finish my first portion and I didn't want to push myself.

Portion Size vs Value: The portions are relatively big for one person. I tried to only eat half of the curry, rice, and naan. I have enough curry and rice for two other meals, which is great for the price I paid. With the service charge for Grubhub, taxes, and delivery tip, the total was $23.05.

Conclusion: Overall, I really enjoyed my meal from them, the amount of food I received for the price that I paid is pretty fair to the eater, honestly. I'll be enjoying that freebie as a night snack. The food was well seasoned and met my spice expectations, the curry sauce didn't taste water downed, it was full of flavor. I'm looking forward to ordering more from them and bringing in friends/family that are willing to step out of their...

I have eaten at this place 3 times during visits to Madison. After my first experience, I would have rated it 5 stars: the food was good, the staff was kind and helpful regarding my gluten free needs, and I enjoyed a delicious leisurely meal. My second visit was during a Sunday buffet. I didn't realize until I walked in that there was a buffet. I said I would like to order off the menu due to gluten free concerns, and the host started arguing with me about it. When I held my ground, he started making extreme gestures toward the kitchen, apparently indicating to them that I wanted to order off the menu. I finally relented, and took the buffet (if I hadn't been so hungry for Indian food, I would have--and should have--walked out). I'm not sure why I went back a third time, but I did, this time with my sister who was also visiting Madison. The visit started pleasantly enough. There were only two other tables occupied when we were there. After we ordered, bread (including gluten free) and sauces were brought to the table. We were still eating those, when the waiter tried to whisk them away. The entrees were brought out about 30 seconds later. The rest of the meal, we both got the very strong impression that they were trying to rush us through the meal and out the door. This didn't seem to be happening to the other two occupied tables, and we had no idea why we were being rushed out of the place. After reading some of the other reviews, we have not been the only customers to experience this. Service and food both seem to be inconsistent. I will not return to this restaurant on future...