Mela Indian Restaurant

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578 Tremont Street
Boston, MA 02118

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(617) 859-4805
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Reviews
( 12 )
( 3 )
( 1 )
( 2 )
( 5 )

Best

Pricey but fantastic

Worst

Pros: * Food was tasty * Portions were well sized Cons: * Delivery took about an hour and half (ordered at about 7:10 and got our food by 8:35) * Did not mention that all the...

Editorial review from GrubHub 12/23/2013

by Marc at GrubHub Provided by GrubHub
Pricey but fantastic more
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Editorial review from GrubHub 6/18/2013

Pros: * Food was tasty * Portions were well sized Cons: * Delivery took about an hour and half (ordered at about 7:10 and got our food by 8:35) * Did not mention that all the sides came with a serving of rice (so ordered an extra serving of rice and ended with 3 big boxes full of rice, and by big I mean BIG) * Did not mention how many pieces of bread was included in one order of bread (ordered 4 chapatis and ended with about 10 or so pieces) Worst: * We had specifically mentioned that we need plastic ware, napkins, and disposable plates. I called to confirm that the delivery location was a work location and we needed cutlery. But we ended up not getting any. When we called back to ask, we were asked to wait for 40 minutes because the delivery person has to come back to get it. We had to go to the nearby store and get all this before we could eat!! Not cool! The rating is mainly for this - sorry guys - it wasn't pretty for us either! more
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Editorial review from GrubHub 5/16/2013

Food was originally quoted to arrive at 8:15, did not receive it until 45 minutes later... no explanation given. I ordered the samosa as an appetizer, and when it finally arrived it was soft and had obviously been sitting too long after being cooked. Main dish (Chicken Vindaloo) was lukewarm at best. Outside of that, I would deem the food mediocre. Not worth the hassle (delays are a consistent theme with this place) given the plethora of alternatives for Indian food. They didn't bother packing any utensils as well. You can do better. more
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Editorial review from GrubHub 5/5/2013

Very good food. Can take a little while tho. more
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Editorial review from GrubHub 4/21/2013

awesome. It was delicious and was nice an hot when it arrived more
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Editorial review from GrubHub 4/18/2013

Great food, great service, a little expensive. Delivered on time. Will use again (and maybe try to talk the price down). more
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Wonderful Brunch 8/27/2010

I'm of South Asian descent and have grown up on Indian food at home. Being in Boston for school I definitely miss home cooked meals and Mela's $13 brunch is terrific. Their masaladosa's are great and little station to make your own pani puri is creative and addictive. I highly recommend it! I can't speak of their other meals--but, brunch is fantastic! more
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The worst Indian restaurant in Boston 5/23/2010

Was desperately in need of Indian restaurant in good location to give treat to my international friends . I reached there. but I was dissatisfied with the restaurant. Small one with unbearable number of people.No caring of customer. Have to wait longer for food. Moreover the food were not taste as that of other restaurants. I recommend you to try other restaurant if you can. Pros: location Cons: unhygienic food, unhelpful people more
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THE Indian in South End. 4/22/2010

Mela has become my ""go to"" indian buffet over the last couple of months. Besides the regular menu that changes daily, the brunch buffet includes soup , salad, pakoras and somasas, about 6 meat and veg entrees including chicken tikka masala and tandoori chicken, baked to order regular and garlic naan and desserts that are multiple (fruit salad, kheer and gulab jamoon), which are a rarity in the indian buffet circuit. The setting is modern, clean and in the heart of south end, which is great for a walk afterwards. Service can be a bit spotty, typically when they are slammed, which is often!! A must for Indian food lovers. Pros: Decor, location, freshness Cons: Often busy, some dishes a bit watery/salty more
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Editorial review from GrubHub 10/12/2008

great butter chicken! more
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Outstanding Service, Best Indian in Boston We've Had Yet 9/7/2008

I am shocked by any negative reviews of Mela after our outstanding experience : My husband and I had one of the best meals we've EVER had in Boston at this restaurant. He is especially hard to please with both a serious gluten and dairy allergy set, and Mela catered to his every request. Food was SPECTACULAR and the service was tops -- we had a waiter / waitress at our table within seconds of a request. Food did not arrive super fast, but clearly this was because Mela is not the kind of place that has lots of dishes just gurgling in the back room for days... everything tasted so fresh (we had the mushroom lamb and the coconut beef). It never felt slow, but this probably isn't where you should go if you are in a rush to get through dinner. You won't regret it. Pros: Service, attentiveness to gluten and dairy allergies, freshness of food more
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Editorial review from GrubHub 5/12/2008

Forgot to send the utensils (AGAIN!!) even though i mentioned explicitely in my "special instructions"! \r \r How many times can one eat like this? more
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Horrible Service!!! below Average Food...Good Atmosphere... 4/28/2008

STAY AWAY FROM THIS ONE, we were very dissapointed with this restaurant after reading all those good reviews. We eat out twice a week and have not felt so unwelcome any place else. Though there was little space the restaurant was well layed out and clean.The food was average(i liked the gulob jamoon a lot). Pros: Ambience Cons: Service, bland food more
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Best Indian Food/Great Service 2/14/2008

Mela is one of the best Indian restaurants I've found since moving from Manhattan. The atmosphere is warm and inviting. The food is fantastic (I recommend starting with the meat samosas, then the butter chicken and lamb korma) and the wait-staff are extremely attentive. Pros: Great food, nice space, cool neighborhood Cons: No delivery! more
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The Brunch - Best Bet 10/14/2007

I was so excited when I saw that an Indian restaurant was opening in the South End. I must have been the very first customer to walk through the door. Since the opening, I have been back numerous times. All in all, I really like Mela's. The ambiance is wonderful. One of the cooler restaurants in Boston in this regard. The food is good to very good depending on what you order. I've never had a bad meal there. The Okra is definitely a proven winner. But you feel a little cheated by the pricing. You don't really get great value for your dollar here...except for the Brunch. The weekend brunch is definitely a bargain. It is well worth it. Pros: Value - Brunch, Ambiance Cons: Value - Dinner more
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Mela outdoes itself 10/5/2007

Mela has been open a couple of years now, and until now we thought of it as convenient, friendly, well priced, and good food. On our last two visits they have gotten to another level - the service is more seamless but just as friendly; but the key thing is, the food is not only good but really interesting. The menus in so many Indian restaurants include the same things, cooked the same way, that you could fall into the trap of thinking you know all about it. Then you eat at a place like Mela, and - Wow! you notice yourself really tasting the food again, because it's subtle and layered as opposed to just tasty. more
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Great Indian Food, Relaxing Ambiance, Lunch is a great value 7/12/2007

I was pleased to see an Indian restaurant open up in restaurant row in the South End & made it a point to stop by for lunch buffet this afternoon. I was struck by the decor, which was a mix of contemporary and traditional Indian motifs - it was tastefully decorated & very relaxing. The service was attentive at filling my glass and taking my order. At $9.99 the buffet was a great value, and I was happy to see that quality was not sacrificed in the least bit - the masalas were authentic and the ingredents were fresh tasting. The curry gravies were thick and not watered down, as many buffets tend to be. The typical Indian restaurant fare (palak paneer, chicken tikka, etc) were available along with some non-typical dishes such as Goan vegetable curry & a Beef curry dish, both of which were delicious. I highly recommend this place & can't wait to try their ala carte menu as well as their $12.95 weekend champagne brunch - what a great value on restaurant row! Pros: great food, attentive service, lovely ambience Cons: parking more
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Excellent Indian food in an charming atmosphere 4/9/2007

The food is authentic and tasty, the service attentive and the decor is great. I've been here with groups twice and though the space is a bit small, they always work to accommodate us. Pros: Authentic food Cons: tight space more
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Great food, not so great space. 3/25/2007

Really great Indian food, and I love Indian food. Our party had a veggie dish, 2 chicken dishes, and a lamb dish - all excellent. Our problem was the space. They have tried to cram too many tables into a very small space. The gentleman behind me (at a different table) and I kept bumping elbows, friends on the other side of our table had to watch that her hair didn't hang over the table behind her and into their food. It was very uncomfortable. Also adding to the cramped feeling was the fact that they had about 2 waiters for each table, and with too many tables - that equals too many waiters. They were litterally bumping into each other. Pros: food tasted great Cons: cramped space more
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Warm service, great food 3/14/2007

A long-overdue addition to the neighborhood. Everyone on the staff, from management to hosts to wait staff, is very friendly, willing to help, and welcoming. The menu has a lot of variety, and the food--including the breads--is delicious with a clean and crisp taste. The lunch buffet is inexpensive, and is a good place for a quick or leisurely meal. It is conducive to business meals as well. At night the atmosphere is festive, without the extent of noise so common in other new restaurants. We had experienced some minor service glitches when it first opened, but we sensed that that was attributable only to some staff inexperience, and not to attitude. Our friends and we have adopted this as our neighborhood restaurant, and are delighted. more
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Editorial

  • The Scene
    Mela's gauzy red curtains, copper wall-coverings and low lighting defy traditional Indian restaurant decor, creating a warm and cozy atmosphere. Tight quarters can make the room...

  • 5/10/2007 Provided by Citysearch
Additional information
  • Neighborhoods: South End, Shawmut
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