The Royal Taj is the best place for Indian food in Columbia, hands down. From the moment you walk in until the time you leave (usually a few hours later because you are so comfortable....) you are completely taken care of. The food is always of the highest quality and the drinks are always refreshed. I'd highly recommend the tikka masala, lamb vindaloo, and the spicy dal. Be sure to get extra orders of naan because you'll need them! The owner will be there to greet you with a smile on his face, making sure you have the best dining experience there is to offer. Be sure to check out their weekend buffet as well... I'd highly recommend reservations as the weekend comes because it fills up quickly.

The place is usually packed. The tables are small. But hey...i am there for the food right? Well, the food is very delicious, seasoned well, and very good portions. If you try the buffet guess what...it comes with Hot chai!! What a treat. The desserts are not much to brag about...usually kheer, halva.

The staff is attentive, the table service is clean and water is chilled. We will visit again soon.

Another excellent dinner of fine Indian cuisine at the Royal Taj restaurant in Columbia, MD. My wife and I were greeted and seated immediately. We browsed the menu for a few minutes, enjoyed some delicious Papadam (thin pieces of crisp lentil bread with a variety of 3 sauces), and then placed our orders. My wife ordered Vegetable Korma, a combination of mildly spiced mixed vegetable curry cooked with yogurt sauce and spices. Perfectly prepared and delicious. I ordered Lamb Roganjosh, tender morsels of lamb [they almost melted in my mouth] with saffron and spices. The Roganjosh normally comes mild, but I ordered it with medium spices and it was excellent. Both dishes were served with Basmati rice. As always, the service was impeccable and the food delicious. This is a 5-star dining experience!

Our friends met us at the Royal Taj, and all four of us enjoyed the warm hospitality of the owner and his staff. The small size of the place seemed to make it easy for them to be attentive, but they did not hover. The food was wonderful with plenty of options for vegetarians, and the prices were reasonable. The personable owner chatted with us a bit, making us all glad that we chose to give him our business. He refilled our wine glasses at no charge and insisted on making a special drink for the one in our party who did not drink alcohol - also on the house. I realize some other places may do these things, but he did it in such a friendly way, it just made the evening all the more memorable. We chose this restaurant because of the fine reviews on this site - we will return because they clearly earned every one of them.