With decent tandoori one day and sloppy curry the next, one must beg the real Bombay Gaylord to please stand up.
In December (when this bird flew under “The Daily Penguin” banner), Bombay Gaylord (8401 Georgia Ave) scored mild kudos for its menu, lunch buffet and 22-ounce bottles of Taj Mahal beer:
“The food at Bombay Gaylord really isn’t that bad. The tandoori platter ($11.95) is good eats, with moist pieces of grilled chicken, shrimp, lamb and kofta (beef and lamb patties), all with hints of cinnamon and cardamom.
“Their butter chicken ($9.95) is an indulgence, combining curry with rich cream and clarified butter. It’s the chocolate-frosted, custard-filled Krispy Kreme of Indian cuisine.”
But a more recent visit revealed the restaurant’s true Jekyll-and-Hyde nature. And it’s freakin’ terrifying.
The once-decent tandoori platter has transformed itself into a bland pile of mostly overcooked meat (above). Chunks of chicken, lamb and shrimp are grilled until tough, with those slight hints of cinnamon and cardamom charred away.
The butter chicken has lost its Krispy Kreme allure, degrading into a disastrous wreck. Boneless strips of grilled chicken are slathered in a thick sauce seemingly made of ketchup and yogurt. It’s overly sweet and lacks any balance. It’s a mess.
The saag paneer (spinach with fried cheese cubes, $7.95) and chicken palak (dark meat with spinach, $9.75) were described previously as “runnier than the standard-operational mush of a creamed spinach,” with tempered but not completely muted spices.
A previous request to turn up the heat on both dishes resulted in a “tart, Tabasco-like sting that collides with the clove, cumin and nutmeg.” Neither entree was reviewed in The Penguin’s most recent visit.
On the upside, some things remain the same. The garlic naan bread is still heavy on the garlic, and the basmati rice is still inexplicably greasy.
While Bombay Gaylord’s kitchen struggles for its identity, at least the decor has been consistently cheap but clean. The large dining room is dark and opium-den mellow, while the smaller dining room serves as the restaurant’s main entrance.
It can get hectic when the lunch buffet or takeout business gets cooking. However, service is generally brisk and prices are reasonable.
Bombay Gaylord, 8401 Georgia Ave, Silver Spring, (301) 565-2528
Photos by Ron Pace and Jennifer Deseo for The Silver Spring Penguin.
Read 
What the hell are they building now? Learn more from 
Boxed wines and rosés are back in vogue. Just ask The Penguin's sommeliers.
I’ve had a more consistently positive experience with Bombay Gaylord, but perhaps that is because I always order the same two dishes–chicken tikka and chana masala. Bombay Gaylord is a good utilitarian spot–centrally located, inexpensive and unpretentious.
That said, I hope that there will be more Indian restaurants to choose from in Downtown Silver Spring. I’d appreciate something more high-end like Heritage India in Glover Park or a South Indian place like Udupi Palace and Woodlands over in Langley Park.
I LOVE UDUPI PALACE! Tiffin, its carnivorous sibling down the block on University Blvd, is pretty damn good, too.
I’m a fan of their Butter Chicken too – love Indian food and so glad downtown SS has this restaurant here – good prices too!
the chicken vendalu is pretty solid as well
I LOVE Bombay Gaylord. My sister and I go there all the time and receive a pleasant greeting. The tandoori, the chicken tikka and the spinach with potatoes are always delicious!! And, great job on the renovation – it looks much better. Although, I would have done hardwood floors versus the cheap carpet.
Ah, Bombay Gaylord, the Droopy Dog of Indian restaurants. I’ve always felt that the food was decent, but the decor was tired, tired, tired, dull, dull, dull.
I look forward to seeing the new jazzed up version.
I was sad to see the lackluster review. We’ve always enjoyed the food at Bombay Gaylord!
I do have to say, the renovation of the store looks great. The place looks better and I think they are paying a bit more attention to the food. Yea, they bumped up the prices but I’ll still head there once a week now.