Mem Sahib Indian Restaurant

This has got to be one of my favorite restaurants in the area. It’s kind of tucked away near the goodwill. The outside is unassuming however the food is great.

Need Indian food fix?
Lots of choices unlike other Indian buffets in the area. They served all my favorites++
This buffet will satisfy your craving. Kids friendly.

Dinner here is great, platters with plenty of options. Diverse family courses. The lunch buffet has great veggie and meat dishes. Flavorful and hearty. Great serene atmosphere with comfortable seating spaces for the family. One of my favorite Indian buffets in Rockville.

Went there for Lunch buffet.
Ambiance:
Ambiance is good, gives you a kind of some old hall of haveli (Big palace) in India. But the placement of arranging the food wasn’t that good as it leaves a very little and tight space for people to walk while getting the food.
Food:
Options were really less in both Appetizers and Main course for Vegetarians but if you are a non-​vegetarian, you get 2 extra curry options but still is very less considering its a $ 12.99 buffet. I didn’t find the taste exceptional for my Indian taste buds, specially when you know that it’s not how that dish should taste like.
Samosas were good but both Dal Makhani (lentils) and Eggplant (bharta) were under cooked according to how it should be.
Moving to desserts, both Halwa and Kheer were pretty good.
Service was really slow to get the stuff back on the serving dishes but since it was crowded, it justifies a bit.
We were a group of 4 and none of us liked it. All in all, just an ok place with little overrated reviews, I won’t be visiting again.

Lovely five course dinner great for anniversaries, special occasions, or a large group. I love the reclined seating on couches and pillows. Don’t go here if you are in a hurry — they usually serve all the guests the same course at the same time. Lovely ambiance and great food.

Amazing and adventurous! We went there not knowing that the menu is fixed on a Saturday night and that it has five courses, but it ended up being a fun and marvelous experience. Very authentic! The food was delicious. It took a few hours for everything to be done and they even had a belly dancer.
Would absolutely recommend if you’re open for authentic Indian cuisine and a great night!

I went here for lunch with some coworkers the other day, expecting a typical Indian restaurant with the standard Indian lunch buffet. Little did I know I would be walking into such a thoroughly decorated and cozy oasis! You’ll sit on low benches covered with Indian fabrics, and the tables are at the same level as the benches. If you’re a messy eater, you’ll definitely want to cover your lap with napkins. There were lots of choices at the buffet, including rice pudding for dessert, and both meat and vegetarian options. Everything I tried was excellent, and the service was very friendly. I would definitely come back for the buffet again!

When the hand wash came up. we got up and left, did not order anything

I agree with other reviewers that this is the best Indian restaurant in Rockville. What I love about this place is the way it is arranged; they have covered benches (comfortable enough) that surround the tables. It is a great way to eat with a group, so that in most areas you could have 8 – 10 around the table and it sort of feels like you’re sitting in a small living room, particularly with the décor that has an authentic Indian feel and also feels kind of «homey». The lighting is typically dim, and even if there is ambient noise you can still have a conversation in your little contained area.
I’ve had both the lunch buffet and dinner offerings at Mem Sahib, and the difference in atmosphere between the two is really interesting. Lunch is typically a bit louder, since they often play Bollywood videos. At least they used to do this — I believe the last time I was there they did not play videos, so I don’t know if they have stopped this practice or it just wasn’t a Bollywood kind of day. Dinner is typically quiet, and without the buffet option, there is less activity.
And, oh yeah, the food is great. The buffet always has good options for appetizers, entrees & dessert. It has been a while since I’ve had dinner there, but I remember it as being an experience that is worthy of an evening.
As other reviewers have noted, the strip mall does make it seems like there’s a good restaurant inside, but don’t judge this place by its curb appeal.

Be warned — the seating here is unorthodox and causes you to have to bend over to eat your food. This prevents you from really stuffing your face so wear either elastic-​waisted pants or a muumuu if you want to get the most out of the buffet. Also, the interior is dark and I’m a little concerned about the hygiene. But … the food is absolutely delicious and that’s all that really matters. The samosas are some of the best I’ve ever had.

3.5 Stars. Came here for lunch buffet with part of my lab, and the first thing that struck me was the décor. I thought the place was really cool they way they set it up/​decorated. It was much more casual and homey. They keep the place relatively dim (even for lunch) with their dark blackout curtains, indian rugs and patterns all over the walls. You eat on couches that surround small circular tables. First time in this kind of environment in a restaurant, so that was pretty exciting to me. (although slouching over to eat over the table can get pretty uncomfortable esp if you’re tall)
Buffet food was pretty good. My favorites were the butter chicken and goat rogan josh, tandoori and their naan. Meats were all tender, moist and delicious. No dry chicken around yay, and the goat was fall off the bone delish. (Have you noticed I’m a gigantic lamb/​goat fan yet?). Both sauces were flavorful and yummy. They were smart and only used drumsticks for the tandoori chicken, but it was super moist and delish. Their naan was relatively flakey and kept somewhat warm in the buffet dish thing.
I wasn’t as big of a fan of their vegetarian options. Although, I did like the sauce for the chickpeas. I did not like the cabbage. Oh, and I liked their rice pudding for dessert!
Service was nice and accommodating for our large group of 9. Waters were constantly filled, and plates were taken away in a relatively quick manner.
Overall, ok place for lunch buffet. The sign said $ 12.99 for lunch, so not exactly super cheap. But it was definitely an interesting visit with a cool atmosphere. My boss has come before and said that they have a fixed course dinner and of course, as other people have mentioned there’s the bellydancer during dinner. Might have to come try out their fixed dinner course.

My 5 year old sums up the place and the food after a meal, cause I asked him how it was: «Mamma.if we bring my brother here (who is 3 years old by the way).he will start running and dancing after eating the food. It is THAT good».
Just try it. Amazing find and amazing food and amazing hospitality. I have to thank my friend and co-​worker for bringing me here.

Wow… I’ve been coming here for almost 6 years.
My favorite Indian restaurant in Rockville. The standard fare (butter chicken, chaana, etc.) is great. The owners are sweet.
Look past the older plaza and décor it’s situated in and you will be rewarded with a good meal.
Just note that there is a fixed course eat in menu and a take out menu with more variety. I’ve done both and enjoyed them.
By the way… To the reviewer complaining about taxes?! Everything in the U.S. is taxed, even death. Welcome to the country.

Lovely place! Just go for it!
Great Indian food. They have a five course menu. It’s a lot of delicious food!
The owners are really friendly and keep coming to check up on us.
This place is perfect for large groups! We went in a group of 8. They served us food in a big place in the middle of the table. Unique experience and a must try.
The belly dancer was phenomenal! Beautiful ethic ambiance and décor. Right out of Arabian nights!
Like I said, don’t think, just go for it!

Wonderful experience. The owner is a wonderful woman. The service was great. The food was superb. My daughter and I had the 4 course dinner. It was a long dinner but you hardly notice the time pass between the food and belly dancing. The first course was 3 salads and fried fish (so good) the second was tandoori chicken (moist) with a green dipping sauce. For the third we chose goat curry with rice and garlic naan (spicy goodness) and the forth was fruit, nuts, rice pudding and chia tea. I will definitely be returning. It was really nice to sit back and actually enjoy a great meal and conversation without the feeling of being rushed to finish. So happy I found this place.

This place is really nice if you want to have a unique experience. However, only eat here if you are in no rush to go anywhere because you will not get out within an hour or two. From the outside the place looks sketchy but you will be impressed when you walk in. I would definitely recommend this restaurant if you like tandori chicken. This place has the best one that Ive tried so far.
As for entertainment, my boyfriend and friends enjoyed the belly dancing performance a lot. You will get your money’s worth. They have modern day Indian music on TVs, live performance, and a 5 course meal. What more can you ask for?

The service was courteous and professional. The food was delicious. I’m still thinking about their Butter Chicken. We took the family out for dinner and a new cultural experience. We enjoyed the evening, the food and the belly dancer. We’ll definitely go again (without the kids next time).

The worst restaurant to go in life they rip you off if you go on Sunday night with lot of taxes. This restaurant should be closed for their stupid attitude. Never again to come across such stupid place.

Had my 30^th birthday dinner here ¹¹⁄₀₁
What a wonderful time
Great food
Drinks were a little weak
Will definitely return!

Three course meal for $ 22. Very homey inside, and you wouldn’t expect this place from it’s location. Persian rugs on the walls, on the chairs, and gumbo flat screens showing music videos from Bollywood movies. Since we went at dinner, they had a belly dancer. I wasn’t blown away by the food, but it wasn’t bad either. Tandoori chicken was okay. The bowl of fruit before dessert was odd. It looked like it was passed around when it wasn’t finished by other customers. Mostly just enjoyed the rice pudding and the chai at the end. Maybe the vegetarian dishes would have been a better option.