MasalaCraft

Most of the Indian restaurants we’ve written about have inspired us to say more than a little about the experience. After dining at MasalaCraft, an Orange County-based chain with three locations (Anaheim, Garden Grove, and Santa Ana), we were more depressed than happy – primarily because of the overall experience, which at the Santa Ana spot is a lackluster mix of fast-casual service and underwhelming seating. If that sounds at all familiar from neighboring restaurant 949 Grill Lounge – which closed in the same plaza due to “substandard” conditions – we’ll note that we had no such complaints about plazamates Gokumi, Little Pan, or Six Alley Xi’An Biang Biang Noodle, all still open next door.

Ordering is accomplished at a counter using either two oversized menu boards without prices, or a nicely organized, laminated card with over 90 food choices – largely vegetarian, chicken, lamb, and fish dishes. During a meal where our unkempt table in an open-air, somewhat too warm dining room was endlessly circled by bugs and approached by a bird from outside, we carved our way through bland samosas ($5) and needed sauces to dampen the brittle-dry naan ($4), which were at least reasonably priced. One of us was fine with her mango lassi ($5), but another ordered bottled water, and as the bugs swirled around us, felt thankful to not be relying on the carafes and metal glasses that had been left out at tables.