Chaat Cafe
834 Blossom Hill Rd., San Jose, CA, 95123
Chaat Cafe Menu
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Address :
834 Blossom Hill Rd.
San Jose, CA, 95123 - Phone (408) 225-2233
- Website https://www.chaatcafes.com/
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:30 am - 9:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : No
Drive-Thru : No
Caters : Yes
Categories
India is the birth place of Chicken Tikka Masala and Curries. Indian foods are prepared with a blend of finely mixed spices quite popular across the region. The spices develop the rich taste in Indian food enough to boggle your mind. The ever-increasing fan base of Indian food around the New York city is steadily increasing because of the large number of Indians who traveled to the land of dreams. The Indians also brought their very own vibrant, colorful, and aromatic authentic dishes for the people in the West. While most of the Indian population is Vegetarian, Indian food is great for people who are looking for vegan or vegetarian food option. If you are a Meat lover, don't get disappointed yet. Indian food also boasts of some popular non-vegetarian dishes too. Few examples are the famous Butter Chicken, Mutton Biryani and Tandoori Chicken are enough to satisfy your taste buds.
Indian food has gained reputation all over the world especially in the United States. You can find many places serving the appetizing Indian food across all major cities in the US. India is a diverse country with different food culture originated from different parts of the country. While the Northern region boasts tandoori dishes and korma offering royal taste, the Western Ghats offers sea foods that is made in naturally sweet tender coconut milk. The South Indian food servers a quality of different dishes made from rice accompanied with spicy chutneys, curries and famous sambhar. Also, the Indian sweets are a delight to relish. If you ever want to have a burst of sugar syrup in mouth, don't forget to try few Bengali Sweets. Be it spicy, tangy, or sweet flavor, you can find everything in the Indian cuisine. Be assured that the melody of spices will surely bring delight to you.
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Inder S.
Flavorless food, although prices are cheap. We ordered a bunch of things, in the hope we'd strike it lucky. We started with the bhel puri, dahi vada and fish wrap. The bhel puri was sub-par, dahi vada was good, and the fish wrap was below expectations (the fish was fried, not grilled in the tandoor and the naan was too thick and it dulled any flavor the fish might have had). But we weren't about to give up so easily. We wanted our Friday night satisfaction, dammit. So we ordered a second round - pakoras and seekh kabab. The seekh kabab were the most flavorless I've experienced - very spicy, but no tandoori flavor otherwise. The pakoras were the one bright spot in the evening. The prices were reasonable, but I would not go back there again. P.S: For those who care, note that the meat is halal.
(2)Trisha V.
My absolute favorite Indian place to go to for the prices. Delicious high quality food for an affordable price. The flavors of their dishes are very outstanding, and I really can't say anything bad about them. The staff is always very nice, and the food always comes out in a timely manner. From their appetizers to entrees, you really can't go wrong by ordering anything on the menu.
(5)James F.
In my haste, I neglected to mention this place. The staff are super friendly. Despite only coming up here occasionally from Gilroy, Sam still knows who I am - after all these years. My usual is a tandoori chicken wrap and two orders of samosas. They are plenty spicy; about perfect. I've had other items on the menu and usually order to-go. I only recently started eating the beans that come with the food. They're incredible! Little did I know. This is the closest Indian place to Gilroy that is decent. Chaat could probably find a business down here, being that Gilroy is hurting for decent places to eat. Keep up the great work Sam!
(4)Patti L.
I've been to this place since they opened up, so glad they're in the neighborhood! You place your order at the counter and the staff will bring your food to the table when its ready. I usually order the chicken wrap which comes with cucumber salad or spicy potato salad (when they say spicy, they mean it!). The service is quick and food is great!
(4)Missmoti G.
I love the food it's sooooo good!!! But HELLO I can't eat spicy food!! I hugged the toilet for one good day!! Bummer. Food was really good. I love the "bhature" and the desi chicken wraps!! The samosa was so so!! I love the mango lassi wish they would give me some ice!!!! Overall great place for a date!! I'm cheap and I don't want my date to think I'm high maintenance!!!
(4)S J.
Been to this place several times. Tried many things here.. chaat, a la carte, pizza, wraps.. Our favorite are the wraps.. Food is definitely decent here.. but by no means great. At-least not to an Indian who knows what good food is all about. The chaat items here are HORRIBLE... if you are terribly missing chaat from India and don't have time to drive to other good chaat places (like Bhavika's Chat Pat or Chat Pata in Fremont).. then I guess it's a good alternative. Anyway, watch out for closing time. We went in once around 9:10pm (this place closes around 9:30 and takes order till the last minute).. ordered our food and sat down to eat.. Even before 9:35 PM.. all the staff closed up the kitchen/counter... stood near the counter facing us and staring at us while we were trying to finish up the last bite. We knew the closing time...and we were trying to eat as fast as we could.. Within few minutes of this..they dimmed the lights, shut off the music.. started packing up all the chairs on top of the tables... Talking loudly in their native language .. laughing... Basically they made it soooo very uncomfortable that we left our food halfway and walked out.. Only to realize it was just 9:38pm in our clock.. If they want to close down and be out of the restaurant by 9:30..they need to stop serving around 9PM at-least... After this horrible experience we haven't really gone back. Update: Owner contacted me and said this situation will be taken care.. and it won't happen again. Just for his proactive approach.. I'll give them another try. Either way, they still have to improve their "chaat" items by leaps n' bounds
(2)Azhar A.
Good Chaat is hard to find..and you won't find it here. But if you need your fix, and you live in Almaden, this is pretty much the only place one can go. The chaat, kabob rolls, etc are mediocre. The mango lassi is pretty decent. If you don't mind the drive, head up to fremont. The indian/pakistani food you get there is much better. I'll try to yelp about some of the places I've been to soon.
(2)Rupesh P.
My wife and I frequently visit this place. She always gets the salmon tikka masala which is damn right tasty and fresh! However, I order the mixed grill which is hit or miss. It seems that the meat is reheated or microwaved which makes it tough and some pieces are warmer than the others. Since you pay a premium for this dish I expect fresh not nuked!
(3)little h.
This place sells good good for a reasonable price and fast speed. You can look through their clean kitchen. Employees are friendly and helpful. Overall environment is clean. Money is worth spent on this place.
(4)Natalie T.
Chaat Cafe is pretty good but I did knock down 1 star because it's a tad overpriced. The food isn't as authentic as other Indian restaurants but it's still so delicious!! I love their tandoori chicken. It's not so much family style dining here so it's good if you wanna grab some food and you want something for yourself without ordering such a big plate of curry or chicken that was meant for 2 or more people.
(3)Cathy B.
This place is delicious! The desi wrap and tikka masala wrap are both so yummy. Their naan is amazing, and their samosas are also large and good. Their chicken is always moist and tender. I highly recommend this place!
(5)D L.
If you're not familiar with Indian food, let me tell you it can be very spicy. And Chaat is no exception. If I don't break a sweat, it's not hot enough for me. After eating at Chaat, I'm gushing sweat ;-) It is the hottest Indian food I've ever had. I love it! Anybody can make hot spicy food. Making it taste delicious is the hard part. The lamb curry is absolutely amazing. It's served shredded over a yellow rice with a tasty sauce. The chicken biryani is also served over rice and is freakin HOT. Their meats are consistently tender, not over or under cooked, and nicely seasoned or marinated. The portions are quite large but don't worry, they reheat nicely. The $8 a-la-carte items are plenty enough for me. I also like their high concentration of Indian clientele. I read a sign behind the counter that claims they serve "halal meat." Thinking it was some kind of animal, I asked what it was. I was kindly educated that halal meat adheres to the philosophy that in order for food to be considered halal, it must have been treated according to traditional guidelines. This is similar to Kosher. Others in my household don't appreciate hot, spicy food the way I do and for them the garlic naan and several of the wraps have been met with rave reviews. The whole time I was writing this review, I kept looking up at the four stars I had given them. Now I'm trying to think why not give five. Chaat is by no means an elegant, white table cloth dining facility. It's a neighborhood eatery in a strip mall. I'm going to make this review only based on the food and change it to five.
(5)tezaswi r.
its very hard to find good indian restaurants in south sj and of the few places, this is one of the best. chicken tikka wrap is my fav. the appetizer sampler goes very well with their selection of indian beer. the sauce for all the curries is the same, so i refrain from ordering those. the biryani tries too hard to be a mix of north and south indian that it ends up being neither. the ambience is casual and the service is usually prompt. in all a good place to grab a quick takeout.
(3)A O.
The best thing about this place is that the food is made super quickly! I probably waited for about 5 minutes today for my chicken wrap and my boyfriend's butter chicken. It's always fresh and never too hot or too cold. The chicken wrap was a lunch special; only $5! I just wish it had more veggies inside. They use A LOT of chicken though. My boyfriend always gets butter chicken (7.99 for lunch), and I know a ton of my friends who come here just for that, too. I like it as well, but I prefer the chicken tikki masala. I love it! Their naans are great too. My only complaint is that the lady at the cash register isn't super friendly..she doesn't say "Hello" when we walk in or anything. But the people that bring us our food are super nice!
(4)LT T.
OMGOSH! i love eating here. best east indian food, the most freshest, and delicious and great for the price and portion you get. I always get the tikka masala chicken roll with the cucumber salad or their potato. everything is made fresh right when you order it and you food comes out pipping hot. The service is really wonderful. i love eating here. everyone should give it a try and try their tikka masala chicken roll! two thumbs up!
(5)Jennifer T.
I was running an errand today at the Fedex Kinkos which was pretty much right next to Chaat Cafe. By that time I was already getting hungry, but had no idea what I wanted for dinner. So i figured, what the heck. It wouldn't hurt to try this place. I'm glad I did. I ordered the Chicken Curry a la carte with Naan to go. The chicken was nice and tender. The curry could've been a little thicker (at least for my preference), but it was still tasty nonetheless. The naan was soft, the way I like it. Oh and I love, love, love the green sauce! (not sure what it's called) Wow, just thinking about it makes me salivate =) Definitely go here if you want good, quick Indian food at a reasonable price. I'm already looking forward to going back so I can try their other dishes!
(4)Suchithra R.
Love this place. We frequently eat here. And we love the base for the paneer and malai kofta subji. The lunch deal for two is sumptuous and very filling. Love the kulfi as well. The price is great. Would love if it more if they improve the ambience and took orders at the table.
(4)Blake G.
Overall I was marginally satisfied with my experience here. I'm not really used to Indian food...especially to go/fast food Indian food and for a first time experience, this place was just alright. First of all I should mention that the place was very neat and tidy...at least the dining area. A good sign? Hopefully. The employees there were somewhat helpful although they seemed really busy with other things and were a little impatient. I ordered the $5 veggie wrap as part of their lunch special. The wrap was alright although I felt like it was just a lot of lettuce. I also ordered a side of potato bread which was similar to naan. This came in a HUGE serving and was actually pretty good although it did get old quite fast. Overall though, the food was only okay and the service was just average.
(3)Shanni P.
This place is just like yelp A-OK! The food is decent, the employees are nice. The food is like a fast food place...kinda like Mr.Chau's for Chinese food. I do like the fact that there food is made to order.
(3)Patrick K.
Many people do not want to try Indian food, I been coming here for 3 years now and getting the same thing every time. Chicken (tandoori) Wrap with potato salad. This is not a regular Indian dish because it does not have spices or curry. It is basically grilled tandoori chicken in a FRESHLY BAKED pita bread with some tomato and cucumbers. Try the green sauce!
(5)Bhumika B.
Awesome Food.This place is awesome for dine in for sure but it is great for Catering as well.We recently catered food for our son's b'day and right from ordering the food from the catering menu to the actual food it was super easy and every guest appreciated it.We ordered fish pakora, samora and wrap platters and the serving size and the taste was great.Highly appreciate it.
(5)Alex G.
Certainly not an Authority on Indian cuisine but for simple Indian food I was impressed. Defiantly will go back.
(4)Kathy L.
Best thing for me ever. When I'm too tired to cake, I just order one of their family specials for the night and I get enough for three people with leftovers for lunch at work the next day. Food is good, place is clean to eat in, and the folks are fairly helpful. I did find better elsewhere though.. but I still come here for dinner every now and then. Try the samosas!! They're good!!
(4)T B.
Chaat Cafe is the best Indian restaurant in South Bay! Service:- Prompt and Courteous Food:- Great Variety, Quality ingredients, Delicious, and Fresh Price:- A meal for two cost less than $20 with tips. They have a great deal of family meals. Only Drawback- They don't serve whole wheat roti or brown rice.
(5)lonni f.
Went for the first time (for dinner), and was thoroughly impressed. We got the Chicken Curry, Chicken Tika Masala, Onion Naan & Lamb Curry. All of them were delicious. The food came quickly, and it was hot, spicy and awesome. We'll definitely be going back.
(4)Ben B.
I love going to this place -- the prices are very reasonable and service is quick. It's a very casual place, so it's not much on decor -- which is fine with me.
(5)Benjamin L.
I'll say that I haven't had too much Indian food, besides samples of what one of my former managers used to bring in to share, but after reading some positive reviews of Chaat Cafe, I thought it would be worthwhile to check out. I went there for lunch with my father and sister, and each of us got a wrap. Actually, although my Tandoori Chicken Sandwich was listed under "Wraps," it's more of a stuffed pita-style naan. The white-meat chicken was seasoned just right, and the fresh tomatoes and red onions within it complemented the sandwich very well. The spicy potato salad served alongside the sandwich was also very good. I also had the mango lassi to drink, which is a yogurt-based drink. The sweet lassi, which my sister got, is just a bit tangier, while the mango lassi isn't quite so yogurty. If you enjoy yogurt, you'll certainly love the lassi (though I'm not quite sure about the salty lassi). Finally, the interior of the restaurant is crisp and cool, with photos of some of the more popular entrees to assist you in ordering. Also, the cashier behind the counter was helpful in answering our questions and giving his recommendations. Overall, a good experience and one I would recommend for anybody open to trying something new.
(4)Donald F.
Quality ingredients and great tasting food, they were busy everytime we came here. I've never tried anything I don't like yet, and for the price, you get a lot of food, and they aren't stingy with the meats either!
(4)Danny Z.
This place is walking distance to where I live and I regret not trying it sooner. I got the salmon wrap and was happy that they were not stingy on the fish. It was a nice hearty size - but I wish the side cucumber salad was bigger. Also tried one of their curries with naan; the curry had a great spice kick to it that was not overwhelming. The menu here is impressive for such a small place.
(4)David D.
Chaat Cafe is a great place to go when you're hungry for some relatively quick and good Indian food. Chaat offers a variety of menu items, though somewhat limited when compared to may full sit-down Indian restaurants - but that's the trade-off if you're looking for good Indian food in a hurry. Though they're quick, taste doesn't suffer. Menu items include Chicken Tikka Masala, Veggie Briyani, a variety of wraps, appetizers, and breads. Throughout the week, Chaat offers a variety of specials, which change daily. The lunch and dinner plates usually include rice and your choice of either cucumber or potato salad on the side. Counter staff are pleasant. Atmosphere is nice and only a few times has it been so busy that tables weren't cleared of dishes fast enough to handle the crowd - but this is only a rare occassion. Most menu items are usually priced between $3 and $11. Always a nice touch, after your meal (which could be spicy hot), you can buy a Mango ice cream bar (or a variety of other flavors as well). Parking is generally good as Chaat is located in a shopping center with a number of parking spaces. During the warmer months, you can also dine outside.
(4)Harish I.
This place is quite quick in service and have limited menu. But the good thing about this place is that they have good platters or combos. Usually it is quite filling for the price and at the same time pretty decent tasting. For meat eaters i believe this place has good dishes that have lot of meat in it. Their chaat items are decent again. Overall, the place deserves 3 1/2 * considering i am averaging out the few times i have been here. Tip - if you order to go or takeout, then you get nice "tupperware" quality plastic sets to take the food in... Its useful.
(3)Noemi S.
excellent food excellent service! fast and healthy!
(5)Lynn H.
Food - 4 Service - 3 Ambience - 3 There are several reason I like Chaat Cafe -- in addition to its close proximity to our home, Chaat Cafe is a pleasant and filling dining experience. I love Chicken Tikka Masala and they have a really tasting, creamy version here. The dinner comes with white rice, naan and various side dishes, including a cucumber salad (our fave), lentils and a vegetable dish (sorry, I'm terrible with the proper names). We find that it's enough to share between my husband and myself. Another dish I like is the Chicken Tikka Caesar Salad. The portion is enormous - enough to split into two meals. I don't care for their Caesar dressing, so I usually ask them to skip that and instead give me the green sauce, which makes a terrific dressing. A great place for a fresh, casual Indian meal.
(3)S B.
This place used to be good. Not anymore. The food doesn't taste the same...maybe they changed the cook. Also it took a while to get my order.
(2)Winston H.
Wow, what an unexpected location to find an excellent Indian food. I didn't expect to find something like this in this area, as I usually drive to Santa Clara / Mountain View area for Indian food. When I first entered, I was a bit put-off by the fast-food type of counter, and was wondering if I made a mistake. If it weren't for yelp, I probably would've turned around and went right back out. But I'm glad I didn't. The 3 of us ordered a few different selections, and I had the Chicken Tikka Masala. The order took awhile to come, which dispelled my concern about a big fast food buffet style pot back in the kitchen. All the selections were excellent, and I couldn't stop dipping my naan into the tikka masala. I have to say that this was the first time in a long while where I ate past full. I'm very happy to have found this place and will no longer have to drive far to get some decent Indian food.
(4)Steve S.
Food is okay, but appropriate for the price. 3 stars instead of 4 because of inconsistency. Most recent dinner there (pickup) had mostly good grub but one of the chaat dishes that should have had a mix of a variety of things was so rushed and sloppy that it was almost nothing but the puffed rice pieces. I'd come back again, but it isn't a first pick.
(3)Punam K.
My brother wanted to go here because he heard good things about it. It was okay. I had a Paneer Wrap, which I think was the best item we ordered. The channa bhatura, pani puri, aloo tiki, and chaat papri were okay. I didn't feel like eating fried foods, so I think I'll stick to the Paneer Wrap.
(2)aqua g.
Clean, Fast, Tasty and consistent! Our favorite place to get the North Indian fix for the last 8 hours. Love the chicken tikka masala roll and Briyani. Kids love Bhatura. The menu is not expansive, but has a good mix of entrees and chat items. The service is fast, friendly and consistent.
(5)Ram G.
Very expensive and really not much to eat. The food is just OK. I do not understand why people have given this place 4 stars. It deserves only 2.
(2)Eric S.
this place has a great variety of curry and the chicken masala tasted pretty good. I would come back again whenever I get the indian curry cravings
(3)Fernando V.
I always passed by this joint in Berkeley and always wanted to peep it out. A few days ago we were near the Blossom Hill one and we stopped in for a quick bite. The prices are good, the service was good and fast, and the food was good. What else could you ask for in a fast food joint? I had the Seekh Kabob and is was great, so to was the potato salad. Like others reviewing this joint, they did kinda skimp on the sauces, but we were able to get more. Also, the regular Naan was just OK. I would recommend this place to anybody looking for some fast Indian food.
(3)Carole G.
This is a nice, little place for lunch. They have good tasting food and they serve Halal meats, so the quality is there. I've been here a few times and usually get the regular Chicken Curry. Today the Basmati rice that came with it was just wonderfully fragrant and perfectly done. I had several large size pieces of chicken in my dish. In fact, I could not finish it all. The sauce was quite mild but had good flavor to it. I prefer spicier and will see if they can do that the next time. I ordered some plain naan on the side so I could try some of their relishes. The tamarind relish was very sweet here. Seemed sweeter than most other places. And the mint/cilantro relish was really salty. I didn't care for it much here. Their menu has a variety of wraps, salads and curry choices that feature veggies, lamb, chicken or fish. They have tandoori offerings as well. They also have a good selection of small bites, appetizers and stuffed naan dishes. Those looked interesting. There are certainly other items I would be willing to come back for. They also have a daily lunch special as well. Overall I'd say lunch was satisfying and filling and a good deal for about $10 each. The restaurant is fairly small and spartan but was clean and the atmosphere was pleasant. The staff was very friendly, helpful and willing to accommodate. They do have a few tables set just outside their door where you could of course have the, "Wow, I'm almost right in the parking lot!" dining experience. But, since today was chilly, I decided to wait and save that for another time.
(4)James P.
I go here a lot and always get the Tikka Paneer Masala. I really like the place and the service is just awesome. Best staff, really.
(4)Caroline B.
Three and a half stars. Tasty Indian-style fast food and friendly service. Many things are made fresh when ordered so you might have to wait while it is prepared. Honestly, it isn't the best chaat I've ever had but it is pretty good for the South San Jose area. We'll definitely be back. And, yes, they have pista popsicles. There are some very Americanized elements (like the wraps and salads) so it is a nice place to bring those folks who are unfamiliar with or don't really like Indian food. The only issue is that naan really isn't the best wrapper for a burrito so you might get some ingredients leaking out.
(3)Amit C.
Ordered achaari paneer (dinner), papri chat, aloo tikki, sweet lassi. Everything was ok, lassi was slightly sour. Portion was big enuf. Definitely not a place worth visiting twice.
(1)Lyn L.
I came here for lunch on Friday and they now have a $5 lunch special with about 3 choices, one of which is the chicken wrap which I got. It of course comes with your choice of either a cucumber or potato salad. Very tasty and very filling.
(4)Robert R.
I consider the paneer tikka masala to be the best comfort food. Everything else is pretty darn good too. I recommend the veg pakora and paneer wraps.
(4)Christina J.
I like this one in San Jose much better than the one in Berkeley that I've been to a bunch of times. Went here for a quick bite in between jobs and was thoroughly satisfied. The place is very clean including the bathrooms and the front counter person was really friendly and helpful. I got the veggie wrap that was only 5.99 and included spicy potatoes pancakes with mint Mayo and romaine lettuce inside freshly made naan. It also came with cucumber salad or potato salad. I've had both before and this time I went with the cucumber so I could have that refreshing contrast to the spicy potato filling and it was perfect together. The seasoning and flavors were perfect except I thought the potato pancakes were a little salty. Overall a good, fast experience and exactly what I was looking for.
(4)Julia C.
good casual and relaxed atmosphere, which isn't intimidating when out for some good eats! my dad and i drove passed this blossom hill location on several occasions and were always curious as to what type of food was served. so wth, one day we decided to pull right it and give it a shot. we've been back multiple times since! all the dishes i've tried thus far have been very tasty. my favorites though have been the chicken tikka masala rolls and samosa with cholay and chutney. both are prepared fresh and quite filling. and to wash it all down or as a sweet after meal treat, the mango lassi. sometimes i even just stop by and grab a cup togo! the plaza offers ample parking, even on weekends. there as also plenty of seats available if you choose to dine in. take out is usually pretty quick as well.
(4)Kimberly L.
This is a Great Fast Food type Restaurant. It is a perfect place to go to when you want Indian/Pakistani food for one or to go. They are inexpensive and have pretty decent tasting food. I love their Chicken Wrap. The yogurt sauce is super delicious and the chicken is always tender. The wrap also somes with a spicy potato or cucumber salad. I love the spicy potato salad. So yummy. I love getting their food to go. I even have them on my speed dial on my phone. Just call in the order and it is ready when you get there. That's what I call Fast Service! So instead of going to In & Out right across the street, try this place. The wraps is about the same price as a meal at In & Out.
(4)Rinne R.
Some friends brought over to-go menu items from this fab place. I don't know why I don't go for Indian food more often. This food was HOTT and DELISH!!! The samosas were finger lickin' good! The Paneer Tikka Masala was the bomb, with its rich and perfectly spiced taste. I even had 2 servings of the okra dish--a vegetable that I don't usually eat!! So I'd definitely come back for more!! Afterall, you are what you eat!!
(4)Kim T.
I refuse to eat food from a food court if I can help it, and that's how I wound up at Chaat Café, caddy corner to the Westfield Oakridge Mall. I knew that this was a legit Indian establishment when I saw the number of Indian people there, on a Sunday, past peak lunch hours. Already, I felt that the odds were in my favor. I liked how they had a sign posted outside regarding the chef's specials for the day: vegetable biryani and chicken biryani. I ordered the chicken biryani with a mango lassi ($13 without tip) and it didn't take more than 10 minutes before they brought out my food. Although my dish wasn't much of a looker, the sauces more than made up for it. The yogurt, the sweet red sauce, and the cilantro based sauce gave every bite a personality of its own. The one thing I would definitely recommend is asking for them to use less ginger; I'm not a fan of ginger and it was almost too much for me to handle. Would I come back again though? You betcha! Although, next time I'll be ordering one of their staples, like tandoori chicken tikka (without the ginger).
(4)Cathy T.
This is one of my favorite local places to go eat. I always get the butter chicken. So flavorful! Sometimes it's made a little spicier than usual but always good. I think because of this place, I became a fan of Indian food =) I also get the papri chaat too. It's the appetizer with the yogurt, potatoes, and spices along with other stuff - gorbonzo beans i thinkg. At first I didn't like it, but definitely loving it now! It's a casual setting so don't expect a fancy environment, but food is gooood!
(4)Sarah k.
LOVE this place. Clean and food is consistently great and fresh!!!! I love the Chicken Masala sauce and the tiki chicken plate. The garlic naan is to die for!
(5)Carrie F.
I like this place because it's within walking distance of my apartment, and because the food here is pretty good. I almost always order the paneer tikka masala a la carte with naan. The sauce is smooth and creamy, spicy and delicious, and it pairs perfectly with the firm chunks of lightly pan-fried paneer. The naan is always hot and pillowy. The other stuff I've had, like the chicken tikka masala and saag paneer was great, but I absolutely love the paneer tikka masala the best. I actually like the atmosphere of the place. Yeah, the food sometimes takes a little longer than you'd expect, but it's worth the wait.
(4)N F.
Great alternative to an Indian buffet. Prices are reasonable and the chicken tikka masala wrap is humongous. I usually split it with a friend and order an appetizer on the side. We are always stuffed and always regret ordering the appetizer!
(4)M D.
We went on a Friday evening, with only one person taking orders and one waiter, they got overwhelmed pretty fast. After waiting for 30 min for our food, it turned out they had lost the order and that we'd have to wait another 10-15min for them to make it. We asked for our money back, the cashier didn't even apologize for the wait or anything. Not very professional.
(1)Maria C.
went here with my friend, boy are they fast! had the paneer wrap which was okay. ingredients are fresh which is good. it comes with potato or cucumber salad, and i chose the potato salad which was okay. probably should've gone with their cucumber salad which they said was more popular (there was some cucumber in my wrap which was good). we also got samosas and papri chaat -- which was interesting, yet quite good!) i liked their appetizers a lot, might try something other than a wrap next time and i'll update you on how that is! 3 for now :)
(3)Alex T.
When i first went there all I got was the wraps because I was clueless about Indian food. Since all the wraps I've eaten there were really good I figured the other stuff on the menu was good too. Sure enough I was right. From then on every time I went there I ordered something different and it was either good or better than what I order from the previous time. I've had almost everything that's on the menu and always been satisfied. The naan bread they have are hot and fresh right out of the oven pit they use(I'm addicted to that damn bread). If you ever get a chance ask for the deep fried naan which blows up like a balloon, but then deflates when you break it apart which is very tasty like a doughnut. This place is inexpensive, the food is great, and the portions are quite generous. For 2 people you can order an appetizer, split a dinner, and get away paying a little under $20. I love this place and I would recommend it to anyone.
(4)Gabe N.
Hands down the best Chaat Cafe in the south bay. Unlike the Fremont location it is always clean, service fast and the food reliably delicious. Believe me cooks at different locations make a huge difference and this one has the best. Appeals to the Indian food newbs as well as NRI crowd.
(5)Deb D.
If I could give a half star, this place would inch toward 1.5. Supposedly this is a great, cheap, quick indian place. But the night I went, it was anything but. Service was slow, food was uneventful, the atmosphere was mcdonald's like, and we paid over $50 for four people. When I'm thinking a cafe, i'm not thinking $13 per person on four mediocre dishes. and I guess if you feel like dealing with screaming kids whose parents think it is acceptable to run around a restaurant is a good thing, this may be the place for you. In fact, stay away from the nicer indian restaurants and take your brats here, please. based on these reviews, i'd consider going back, but.... probably not, cos there are far too many other indian gems in the south bay to try out.
(1)Silly g.
This place i great for the price. There are few indian places that offer dishes that cost less than 10 dollars and this place is it. They actually have a 7 course dinner that costs 25 bucks and serves at least 4 ppl. I bought this for 4 pl and we had enough leftovers for a whole other meal. the spices are pretty good. my favorite is the tikka masala. This does seem to have a lunch cafe kinda feel, but I would go here for dinner also.
(4)Maribel U.
I really was pleasantly surprised by this place as I had no real expectations. My fiance and I always love to have Indian food on our nights out to eat since he and I can't really cook Indian. My first impression was the the place was ultra clean which is always a plus. I got the chicken tikka masala and he got this lamb dish. They were both Yummy and the portions were hugh! The ingredients tasted fresh, like they advertised, and there was just enough spice to for me. I will return to this place if I want quick Indian food.
(4)Patty M.
The food is really good. I have cravings for it every few weeks. Yes, it's a little hole in the wall where you order at the cash register and the food takes a little longer than you'd expect given the "fast food" atmosphere, but if you're craving some delicious, inexpensive Indian food, Chaat's certainly a pleasant surprise in a little strip mall. I like the chicken tika, my daughter alwasy orders a wrap.
(4)Monica S.
First of all, I'm coming back to this place. I like the straight forward menu, the clean design, and the food tastes good, too. This is a order at the counter and take a number to your table restaurant. The order taker was patient with me as I asked what a few of the items on the menu were. For example, Boti is grilled lamb cubes and Seekh Kabob is grilled ground lamb. I chose the Spicy Seekh Kabob Wrap for $8 with spicy potatoes on the side. Yes, it was spicy and yes, the portion was man-sized. I couldn't finish. Maybe it was because I ordered a rich and tangy Mango Lassi for $2.50 which cooled my burning mouth. Our server brought two sauces: tamarind and a green tangy sauce. My lunch buddy had a Paneer Wrap which he thought was tofu until I told him it was Indian cheese and a mild cucumber salad on the side. In addition to the Paneer Wrap my lunch buddy had a Chai Tea that tasted authentic. He had no trouble eating the whole thing. I noticed a couple of gals sharing a Chicken Tika Masala roll. From a distance, it looks like a chimichanga. Maybe I'll try that the next time I visit.
(4)Annie D.
Their spicy kabob or fish wrap is tasty. Lamb, fish or chicken are all good in their curry. I like coming here for my Indian Curry fix. The prices are decent. Naan and curry is always the way to go when your unsure. Their butter chicken is moist and tasteful. Service here is ok, not the best.
(4)Tom T.
Yup, this is probably as good as it gets for those who get cravings for great middle eastern style food. I don't have this kind of food all the time, but all the dishes I have tired here are just awesome. Something about the tender meat drenched in tasty spices, the Naan bread for soaking up the left over sauce, or the moist veggies. Its just all good. I not an expert ny any means in this style of food, but everyone else I saw eating here was enjoying it as much as I was. If you are in the Blossom Hill are when the urge hits, seek this place out! I have posted my full review on SanJoseFoodReview.
(4)Heather R.
The food is pretty good. The value is good. But the servers are RUDE! Geez! Good food, bad service.
(3)T K.
Casual indian food, with fast-food atmosphere. Best things here are the cholay bhature and the garlic naan. They used to have awesome tandoori chicken wings, but they have been removed from the menu. The mango lassi is also worth trying.
(3)Tygemo M.
They have a family meal deal that is really good value. You get 2 curries, dal, veg, 4 samosas or aloo tikki, 2 rice, and 2 naan - all for $25. I tried the lamb curry this time and it was so incredibly good....very spicy and full of flavor. The only disappointment was that the veg of the day was okra (not a favorite of mine).
(5)aryan v.
Good Food when you need in a jiffy Yesterday we ordered some chicken wraps from this place. We were very pleased to enjoy the chicken wraps. The chicken was made well in chicken tikka style. It came with Potato salad on the side which was yummy. We will sure to go back and get more when we feel like some indian food and dont want to cook at home. Definitely try it if you have'nt. Guy at the counter was friendly.
(4)Audrey M.
TRY THEIR CHICKEN SANDWICH (Tandoori). REPEAT: Try their chicken sandwich. It is the best tandoori chicken I have ever had at an Indian restaurant. Best of all, if you go BEFORE 3, it is only $5 bucks verses $7. I like their butter chicken as well, my husband got that and I thought it was very delicious as well.
(5)Mini S.
Yummy Indian fast food! As a vegetarian, I like most of their veg. dishes. I always order Paneer wrap with cucumber salad, my children order the Chickpea curry with the huge puffed Bature and always the pesto Naan. We love the Kofta curry and the items we have tried so far from the appetizer menu. Finish the cucumber salad first so the water from the salad doesn't make your wrap soggy:-) or go for the potato salad. The crowd is a nice mix of people and sometimes you can have the place all to yourself. My favorite Indian place in the vicinity with quality food. And Yeah, no buffett!
(5)Paul W.
Had lunch catered by Chaat Cafe to my office in Mountain View. They brought a salad with greens, onioins, peppers and cucumbers, a spicy/hot potato salad, samosas, and chicken, beef, lamb, fish, and vegetarian wraps. For my company's meager lunch budget, this stuff was tasty. Very flavorful! The potoato salad had some heat to it, as did the veggie wraps. The fish wraps were fine, but not as packed with mouth punching flava as the veggie wrap, samosas, and potato salad. This is one of my favorite caterers. I can't wait till they bring me lunch again!
(5)Sandeep K.
Love the wraps and samosa chaat there, great place to have lunches.
(5)Ailsa B.
I had no idea this place existed until my mother mentioned it, but I'm thrilled to have decent quality Indian food closer to home! I had the chicken tikka masala, nan and rice. The chicken was good, the nan was GREAT, the rice was so-so. The amount of food for the price was good, and overall I'm pretty happy. I'm looking forward to going back to try out more of their menu!
(4)Richard C.
The place was clean. The service, if that's what you call a man standing behind a counter taking your order and money, is OK. I had chicken tikka masala and naan. The naan was very good. The chicken tikka masala bordered on the bland. I spiced it up with some hot pepper from a shaker jar and the green sauce that comes in little teaspoon-sized cups. I wouldn't purposely go back to eat at Chaat's Cafe, but the food was OK for the money.
(3)Elle N.
Food is tasty, but in my opinion, it's overpriced. A regular order of most dishes runs about $8 and the portion is teeny. I'm not sure I'll be returning.
(2)M G.
Menu is slightly modern and food is not bad. This place is more of a fast food atmosphere than relaxing, no service....go to the counter and order. We've tried naan and veggie/lamb wraps and they were pretty good. Veggie pakora was too greasy and bland. Stay away from the veggie pakora.
(3)Ali C.
Chaat Cafe has some great Indian fast food! It is located across from Oakridge Mall in the same shopping center as Jamba Juice. I have tried the Butter Chicken and the Chicken Wrap here and both are fresh and tasty! If you don't really fancy Indian food, you should definitely try the Chicken Wrap because it's really yummy! They also offer some great lunch specials! The Chicken Wrap is only $5 at lunch and comes with either potato salad or cucumber salad. I like the cucumber one better. The chicken is cooked in a tandoori oven and is incredibly moist and juicy but I think it's dark meat.. The naan is super fluffy and HUGE! You have to eat it with the green sauce which I need like 6 cups of because they are freakin' small! You are so right Mia N.! Just gimme a bottle of the stuff!! They also have lamb stuffed naan which sounds so delicious and I'll have to try next time I come here. I also saw a ton of people getting this huge deep fried thing with a dipping sauce which I found out is called Choley Bhature. It looks so yummy! The prices at Chaat Cafe are very reasonable and they offer a good variety of food so everyone can get something they like.
(4)Jason W.
Fast inexpensive quality food.
(4)Jim W.
I love Indian food, but some of my favorite places are a bit pricey. If you need something fairly cheap and tastes just as good, this place will satisfy that craving. Gotta eat there though because if put it in your car to take home, the wife will surely give you a hard time for the smell.
(4)Zania A.
awesome tikka masala rolls... just delicious...
(5)minal s.
This review is a special shout out to Sam who runs the counter and takes orders always with a smile. Food is awesome and its hard for me to say that. Indian restaurants are very "cookie-cutter" type here. We have dined or got takeouts several times. Their lamb and chicken wraps are a absolute must with the side of potato salad (its spicy be warned). But the reason for the review today is i was chatting with Sam about their chicken biryani and i was craving spicy. He said how spicy, i said i-am-in-india kinda spicy. And he accommodated. When i took the first bite, took me right back home! These guys make real good food, fresh, giant portions and inexpensive!
(4)jaime a.
i been here a few times and i always enjoy the food. i recommend the chicken curry with rice dinner plate, it comes with naan bread and veg's. . My only complain was when we were told they would be closing even though we had just received our meals.
(3)Matthew S.
Indian/Pakstani food meets Starbucks' atmosphere... This place is perfect for lunch when I'm in need of some quality tasty and cheap eats. I usually order the chicken tikka masala roll. This dish comes inside a "batura" which is essentially a fried naan. Usually the baturas are served with a chickpea curry called "Chana Batura" but this whole east meets west thing Chaat Cafe has going on with it's "wraps" is a clever delivery mechanism for its wonderful food. The chicken on the inside is of excellent quality and comes with some minimal vegetables and the whole thing has just enough curry like juice to make it succulent and very satisfying without dripping down to your elbows. If you're looking for something more healthy, try the Desi Wrap which is almost the same dish without the fried "batura" wrapper. Chaat Cafe's wraps include a few side choices such as a potato salad or a cucumber salad. I usually opt for the cucumber salad as its waterly "clean" flavor from the cucumbers is a good palate cleanser while eating my tasty wrap. There have been times when the cucumber salad has been a bit on the salty side but 95% of the time it's perfect! The chicken tikka masala wrap comes with two wraps (most of their other wraps are only a single wrap), and believe me, one of these is plenty for lunch so I always leave happy with left overs to enjoy later. Be sure to help yourself to the chutneys and pickles at the checkout counter to accompany your meal.
(4)Jenny T.
Great food for a great price. They are super quick too! I love the chicken curry with naan. ooooooo yummy. I think I'll get some on Sunday.
(5)Tina P.
I love their chicken wraps, butter chicken w/ naan, and their chicken caesar salad- their SF location is great, too! Very yummy- can't wait to go back :-)
(4)T Is For Tom N.
I was extremely hesistant to try out the food here, but I finally gave it a try just to see what it is all about. I was definitely right and should have stood by my guts feelings about this place because the food was extremely unbearable. I bought a chicken wrap and just had to put it away after 2 bites ( I just couldn't stand the smell from the sauce, whatever it was it was definitely not yummy). So that was my first and last time eating at Chaat cafe, however I do come by very often for their mango lassi (it is very good if you like fruity yogurt drink).
(2)Omeed B.
I don't think this place has very good dishes, it doesn't feel or taste like an authentic Indian joint to me. I feel this is Indian food for the people who don't know what true Indian food is. Something is very commercial about this place, it just doesn't fit the cuisine. Every dish I have had has been ok, or subpar. Nothing has impressed or made me want to go there again. I have ended up there with friends and family and a few occasions where someone else picked it out. Nothing to write home about.
(2)Sepi S.
yummyyyyy!! the samosas are pretty good and cheap
(5)Sara S.
I was expecting that it would be mediocre fast-Indian food but both times I've been there I've been impressed. The place is packed with Indian people too, which is always a good sign. Pretty cheap, fresh, and if you get the tandoori items they taste a lot lighter and less oily than at many places.
(4)Annalyn E.
I was so glad they opened a Chaat Cafe nearby instead of going to the one on Lawrence. I've been to this one a couple times and the last few visits weren't that great and unfortunately, today would be my last visit. I couldn't finish my wrap, i gave the last of it to the dog. I always order a tandoori chicken wrap with potato salad. It just doesn't taste the same anymore. BTW, they're stingy about giving out chutney sauce. Did they train everyone to be like that with the sauces? I rather spend a few extra dollars at a buffet.
(2)K G.
Great place. I always get the "chicken wrap" it is amazing. The chicken is very very good. It has best marinade, I can't even describe it. The naan is super soft and goes great with any meal you get there. I especially like the garlic and pesto naan. The green sauce they have up front is the best for the chicken wrap. Overall a great place!
(5)Doug S.
Good food (fresh, well seasoned and prepared), good quantity, reasonably priced, fast service, clean. Lots of space.
(4)Rose Ly T.
Pretty good food here. I've had the yellow chicken curry a few times, wrap with lamb and a few different naans. I loove the rice they serve here. It's so light and airy and with curry drizzled over it it really lets the spices shine through. The curry had a nice thick consistancy and yummy pieces of tender chicken. My only complaint is I wish they gave a bit more of it. The wrap isn't anything mindblowing but it taste fresh and alot better with the green minty sauce. I don't know what's in that sauce but it just brings out so much explosive flavor. The brown sauce they serve sort of taste like bbq sauce if you're into that. The naan breads here are great. They always come out warm and fluffy. I esp like the pesto and potato ones. Not only are they cheap, but they're huge as well. They'd make a perfect snack on the go. This place also has a nice selection of drinks and a freezer of fruit pops. Good eats, I'll be back to try out some more things.
(3)The C.
This place is great!! I had the pesto nann and a chicken wrap. It was excellent. We will be back. Love this place. Next time I'll try the pistachio ice cream.
(4)Monica R.
This place is amazing! This was the first place I tried Indian food. The naan was perfectly seasoned with garlic I orders the vegetable plate, I believe, it was really good. Especially the lentils. I am a huge rice lover & the basmati rice was seasoned to perfection & it tasted amazing. The employees are very friendly, and patient. The complaint I have is the lack of air conditioning. I've been here twice, and it's pretty stuffy and hot. The also play Bollywood music videos which I love !
(5)Sejal S.
This is the 4th or 5th time we've ate here and every time I tell myself, we're never coming here again! Unfortunately, there are not many Indian food options in the south bay and we end up coming back because we forgot how bland and tasteless the food is. If you love Indian food and especially if you are Indian, this is not the place for you. My paneer tikka masala tasted like tomato bisque soup. Our dhai vada, was vada drowned in a bowl of dhai (yogurt) and sweet chutney. No other masala. Our salty lassi was literally a cup of yogurt mildly liquefied. Definitely the last time I come here.
(1)Jeffrey L.
I ordered the mango lassi, samosas, and a chicken wrap. They were all delicious and the samosas were really spicy (but great). The only thing was the cashier took 3 tries to get that order right.
(4)Nupur L.
Highly disappointed. Ordered Samosa chat and it was bland. The only good thing was that food was served hot. Will never go again.
(2)VANESSA H.
Hands down one of my favorite Indian fast food places, the mango lassi is delish and my favorite is the lamb Sikh kabob it's super spicy and wrapped in naan bread. The samosas here are also killer!
(5)B T.
The place was packed on a Friday night but our order came out pretty fast. Utensils and water cups are conveniently placed on a counter to grab yourself. The pistachio kulfi ice cream was was super creamy. The tandoori chicken sandwich was basically a chicken salad in a naan wrap. I was expecting some more flavor out of the chicken. It came with a side of potato salad which was pretty spicy. We also got garlic naan which was great when paired with the dipping sauces. I believe it was a sweet tamarind sauce and green mint chutney - you have to dip everything in these!
(5)Boston ..
I tried that place again for multiple chaat entries. I noticed that they use the same chole sabzi in all their chaat. whether it is samoosa chat,aaloo tikki or chole bhatore. and the worst part it, it's taste. Definitely not a place for chaat.
(1)Courtanee V.
Chaat cafe is great. Their paneer tikka masala and butter chicken are delicious. I love indian food but i cant really deal with spicy. Both of these have a wonderful flavor but dont pack heat. I get the a la carte so it comes with either a side of naan or basmati rice. Indian food is something i crave once a week now and chaat cafe will be the one i turn to when i want that cravig filled. With naan. Or paneer. Yum.
(4)Amrita G.
Great food! Get the chicken tikka and garlic naan. Their naan is so light and delicious. We also got the bhel puri, Chana bhature and seekh kabob wrap all which were amazing. Will definitely come back.
(5)V L.
When Indians are eating here that's a good sign. I love this place for a quick Indian fix! We generally get the family dinner bc it's a good amount of food for 4 people. The papri chaat is like a yogurt nacho and pretty good. The lamb curry is awesome and I love their saag paneer. Garlic naan is $1.00 per order with the family dinner. I think it's worth it tho. Check your takeout items before you leave bc they messed up on our order and we were already home when we found out. I've never had to wait too long for my order when eating in or takeout.
(5)Rose Y.
Convenient locations off highway 101. Chicken tikka masala warp is great! Juicy and fresh. Salty lassi is really salty. Be prepared.
(5)Sara T.
Mmmmm indian food! I been really really craving some good indian food and I was very satisfied with my meal here :) This place is super close to Oakridge mall, so if you don't want to eat any mall food, just drive over here -- it's like 3 mins away :) So you go to the front to order, the person gives you a number, and you sit and your yummy food will be delivered to your table! There's an area where you can grab your own utensils, napkins, and water cups! The food here isn't very expensive and it comes in big portions! You can definitely share a dish with another person, or just order a lot and try everything :D So I ordered the chicken tikka masala ($8.99)and it comes with a side rice or naan -- I chose a side of rice and ordered some plain naan separately for $2. My friend ordered a lamb rice plate that came with a side of rice, garlic naan, and cucumber salad! We ended up sharing and we both loved the chicken tikka masala, it was suppppppperrrr gooood!! Very good comfort food and perfect amount of spice! The lamb rice was a bit spicy, but the cucumber salad it came with was very refreshing! We did end up with some leftovers since we ordered a bit too much. Oh, if you eat in and need a to-go box just go to the side of the front counter and you can find to-go boxes and cups -- no need to ask the workers, just grab it yourself :) Overall, I really enjoyed the food here and it tasted very authentic :) Restaurant is big with lots of seating, big parking lot, but the downside is that there is only one cashier and the place can get busy, but service is quite fast and food comes out fast and hot! Oh, there's $5 lunch specials on weekdays -- I must go try that one day! I will be back whenever I'm craving for some yummy indian food! :D Oh, I forgot...my friend ordered pani puri, but I think they forgot to give us the bread or whatever goes with it cause we only got the dip (the little bowl in the center of my picture)...or maybe we ordered the wrong thing...D:
(4)Skye V.
Ordered the paneer tikka masala, garlic naan, and simosas. The paneer tikka masala isn't my favorite. My sister and I agreed that it lacked some herbs and a spice to it. The garlic naan is tasty though. The simosas are DELICIOUS! The portions are pretty large. My sister and I were super full after order one "a la carte." Total: $17.31
(4)Tim M.
Butter chicken and Naan...delicious! I'm picky about my butter chicken, there are only a few places that make it up to my standards. This is one of those places. The chicken Tikka Masala is just as good. They also have a good ordering program for to go: order online, pay online and come to the restaurant to pick up your yummy food. Definitely a regular customer for this location.
(5)Maximillian S.
Came here for lunch, the staff was friendly and the food came pretty quick. I got the Chicken Curry with rice. Good portion size, the curry was very flavorful and wasn't too oily. The chicken was all dark meat (the best) and didn't have bones or excessive skin. The meat was really tender and full of flavor. Will definitely come again to try the other dishes and I hear the naan bread is great.
(5)Meemee T.
From a recommendation from my bf's co worker, we came here for dinner. This was actually our first time having Indian food in a long time and it definitely didn't disappoint! We ordered: Butter chicken dinner: 4/5; it was so much food!! It came with rice, cucumber salad, spicy lentil soup, naan (which we upgraded to garlic pesto.. Delish!!), and a cauliflower potatoe side dish... Everything was really good.. Chicken wrap: 5/5; the wrap was nice and soft and the tiki chicken masala was very flavorful!! We loved eating it with the mint chutney.. Samosas: 4/5; it came two to an order and was quite good. Love it with the tamarind... It was just quite heavy which left us pretty full even before our food came out! Taj Mahal Lager beer: 2/5; our first time trying it.. Not our style. It was very light... Tasted like a coors light or bud light. The restaurant isn't too big and is self seating.. They play some pretty good modern Indian music, very hip hop-ish. The customer service was good..I'd definitely be back if I was craving Indian food!
(4)KP K.
AWESOME Chole bhature! I was craving nice spicy chole puri and got it togo on the was. fast service and was ready in 3-5mins. And their puri is no too oily.
(1)Jas K.
We ordered two plates of chole bhature and they were undercooked and oily and disgusting. When my husband went to tell them. The man at the fryer didn't even acknowledge the fact that he messed up, all he said is do u want more? Seriously? Not even an average place to go :(
(1)Mallik K.
good food and options. I ordered a wrap and it tasted better than any other indian wrap I had so far.
(4)Shana N.
Updating review- after my last bad experience the real owner reached out to me with his deepest apologies. He offered a gift cars to make up for his employee's bad behavior. Today we had a nice family meal, and the food was amazing as usual. Made to order as we wanted. But the best part was the service! Food was fresh, service was quick, and the new cashiers were really sincere. This is the type of place I like to come to. Keep up the good work! Old dude at the register needs to go. Absolutely no customer services skills, screws up orders, yells at other customers about making a scene and all around rude. Seriously, the food is good, but this man is the worst. We came an hour before closing, waited 40 minutes to carry our food out, got home, and we were packed someone else's order! The owner/manager dude proceeds to tell us that the food is part of our dinner meal, when our receipt clearly says a la carte. I asked him for a voucher for the next time we came because they screwed up. Instead all I got "I wish, but no, sorry." Wow! What a dick. Seriously buddy, you'll be the reason this place loses all business. Please find someone better to run the place.
(5)Jerry S.
I give them 4 stars, this place is awesome been in a few times but mostly Get the food for pick up! They have great curry and several different styles of and types of heat spicy and normal Curry there chicken is always moist! Love this place I do recommend it!
(4)Javan E.
Thank you for the stomach ache! It's gonna be a long night! Watery stews and old looking cucumber salad. The naan was the only good thing about the meal.
(1)Venkata D.
Was able to place order through @paypa it was great #experience was able to pickup food on time. Great testing food and excellent quality specially samosa chaat was great
(5)Julia T.
Chaat Cafe whips up a decent batch of Chicken Tikki Masala. I came in for a late dinner and was surprised how spacious it was inside. The style of the place is a walk-up counter order, and they will deliver your food to your table. The two options you have with any curry order are a la carte (accompanied by rice or naan) or dinner (accompanied by vegetables, rice, dal, and naan). I decided to go with the dinner option for my chicken tikki masala. For what it's worth, the chicken itself was really tender, but the curry base was lacking in flavor and was too spicy for my liking. As someone who enjoys spicy food and loves Indian dishes at places like House of Curry, the chicken tikki masala here was good but wasn't anything spectacular. The cucumber salad that accompanied the curry was delicious! Wish I could say the same for the rice and naan, but overall they were all very dry and burnt. Generous portions though. And the employees here seem very nice. This is a place I would be more than happy to try again and see if anything else is worth noting. Parking is in a private lot, and the cafe is located in between FedEx Office and C2 Education.
(3)Gary J.
Great food in a casual environment. Prices are low and quality is consistent. If you fall in love with a particular dish, it will taste wonderful every time you visit. The ingredients are always fresh. Rangoli on Union Avenue can irritate with its erratic food quality and oftentimes negligent service. However, Chaat Café offers superb food that never disappoints, and does so at attractive prices. There is learning curve with any restaurant, but when you find dishes here that you like, you will find fresh ingredients and the same great taste every time.
(5)Janice K.
If you don't like the taste of overpowering garlic and you don't have a stick of gum handy, avoid the garlic naan. I absolutely loved it since I love garlic! I also got the samosas and they were delicious as well. Their hari chutney (magical green sauce) is, by far, the best I've ever had. This place is very clean with an open style kitchen. No hidden agendas going on in the back kitchen like other restaurants. Will be back to try other items on the menu.
(4)Saurabh A.
The worst boti roll I've had in the entire bay area. The meat was so hard, I just ate the naan and left all the filling!
(1)Phoebe T.
This place was super packed when I came & now I know why! I had ordered the chicken curry dinner which included dal, cucumber salad, rice & naan. Super huge portion, I ate half & definitely taking the other half home. Food came out fast even though there were a lot of people here, the chicken curry was a tad bit spicy but it was perfect for me! The rice was long grain & cooked in a little of salt, super delicious. The naan itself was fresh & warm when it came out. Love it! Overall I give this place five stars. Definitely coming back... Next time I'll try their seekh kabobs.
(5)Franklin N.
My brother asked if I was hungry .. And I said fasho. I told him I wanted something like so we were deciding what to eat for lunch . He brought up Indian food and I told him I'm down . So we ended up going to chat cafe ! A nice little place in a big plaza filled with other restaurants . We didn't know what exactly to get when we walked in. So we decided on getting the family dinner which was enough food to feed about 3-4 people. I was able to take some pictures to showcase how much food there was ! The server who gave us our food was very kind and even gave tips and recommendations on how to eat certain foods! We ended up finishing all the food! Just to give you an idea of what we ate .. As an appetizer we had samosas and this one lightly sweet dish ! For the main course we had fish and chicken curry , a basket of nan bread , a plate of long grain rice , some type of lentil soup , a side dish of okra and some freshly diced cucumbers .. We literally finished everything except for one of the appetizers. Surprisingly I didn't feel like I was going to die ... Haha. A majority of the food I ate was quite light ! The service was quick and the staff there were very kind ! ... There was so much variety from all the dishes .. Yet some of the food had similar tastes... Just my personal opinion but, I felt like they could use a little more seasoning and spices in some of the dishes to make them pop and stand out more ..aside from that I really enjoyed the food there .. If your in the area check this place out ! Your bound to stumble upon something you like there , there's a lot of variety on the menu ... Check it out ! Who knows you might end up going there frequently. Definitely a great place to eat and socialize and experience new foods ... If your in the area and happen to be hungry Try it it out !
(4)Brian S.
Had an issue but owners reached out.
(3)Nisht G.
My family orders takeout from here often. But, if there was a better chaat and kebab place near our house, we'd probably go there. The food is A-OK, but sometimes inconsistent. Most recently the sekh kabob was so dry it mustve been microwaved. The chicken wrap, paneer wrap, and chole bhatura are all good but nothing special. The chaats are delicious, but I have a soft spot for chaat. The papri chaat and bhel puri are the way to go.
(3)Kelly F.
I've been looking for a good Indian food place here in Fremont, and I think I found my place. We ordered to go the butter chicken and tikka masala and savored every bite. The sauce was creamy and flavorful, the naan nice and fluffy, and the potatoes perfectly seasoned and prepared. Not bad for take-out if I do say so myself!
(4)Jasmine N.
This was one of my first times trying Indian food and it was a success! Came here with one of my friends. I ordered the chicken tikka plate and my friend ordered the tandoori chicken wrap. My dish came out rather quick and the workers here are very sweet. My plate came with rice, garlic naan, cucumber salad and chicken. The chicken melted in your mouth and was tender and had just the right amount of spice. The cucumber salad was refreshing and delicious and the garlic naan was so light, and airy. I also ordered the mango lassi and I enjoyed that quite well.
(5)Richa G.
Tried papdi chaat and chole bhature today. Papadi chaat was ice cold and chole was tasting bland with raw smell in spices. It was missing the authentic indian taste. Bhaturas were okay. Not a good place for Indian taste loving folks. The restaurant had only 4-5 customers even on friday night.
(2)Jennie N.
I love their family dinner meals. Excellent prices for the amount of food you receive. I usually get their lamb wraps but during lunch they have the best deals! 5 bucks gets you a very tasty chicken wrap with your choice of side salad. I always go with the cucumber salad--quote refreshing! Five stars all the way! This place is super YUMS!!!
(5)Sundeep S.
I really love chaat and am constantly in search of good places. Sadly, after trying this place, I will still have to keep looking. It was our first time here. We had Papri Chaat, Pani puri and Paneer wrap. Papdi chaat was ok (better than most of the places I have had, but nothing in comparison to what you would get in Mumbai :) ). Pani Puri was horrible. Just had to leave the dish. I have had so much better Pani Puri here in bay area. Paneer wrap was ok. The overall idea of the dish is good but was way too bland for my taste! On the positive side, the dishes are very reasonably priced and the place is clean. In conclusion though, I don't think I'll be coming back anytime soon here.
(3)Ty F.
Chaat has become a regular treat for us. We always get the same thing, Bhel Puri to start is a really yummy with puffed rice with tamarind chutney. The fish curry is cooked perfectly, every time.
(5)Michelle L.
My friends and I decided to try this place as we were craving Indian food. Average food. The chicken tikka masala was not flavorful and did not compare to other places. The naan was also room temperature. However, their buttery chicken was good and similar to the chicken tikka masala at Naan N Curry.
(3)Darshita A.
Undoubtedly a five starrer! Food is great, service is excellent and the place is neat. Must say, by far one of the best Indian restaurants in the Bay area. The food is not only yummy and delightful, but comes at a reasonable price too. There are options for ala carte or dinner. The chicken tikka masala is one of the best dishes here. Cucumber salad that comes with the dinner menu is very nice and refreshing. Chat options like papdi and paani poori may not be awesome, still they are reasonably good. Surely a must go place if you are looking for a good Indian restaurant.
(5)Jackie S.
Even though I live ten minutes away from this place, I've never really given it much thought about it.. until the Korean restaurant next door was closed for the day and I decided to give this restaurant a try. This is a casual eatery place that I think would be more suited for lunch. It's one of those restaurants where you order up front and pay immediately to the cashier then take the number stand that they give you and sit wherever you want until they deliver your food. I ordered the tandoori chicken sandwich ($7.50ish) which was wrapped in naan. The wait-time for it was very quick, but the chicken was unfortunately dry and a bit tasteless. The naan tasted stale as well and wouldn't wrap around the chicken breast very well. Maybe it was because I came for dinner? I think this would be a nice to-go place if I were craving Indian food or something, but not exactly a place to take friends or anything. TIP: They also let you order online! ( orderaheadapp.com/places… )
(2)Johni Cheri R.
Ordered 2 family dinners of Chicken Tikka Masala and 1 order butter Chicken. Got home and received 2 family dinners of butter chicken and 1 order of chicken tikika masala. Returned to the restaurant and they told us the Buttered Chicken was Chicken Tikka Masala. Have been ordering Chicken Tikka Masala for years and know that was they gave us was not Chicken Tikka Masala. This was 2 visits (first and last). Spent $100 on dinner and threw it away because they tried to pawn the buttered chicken off as chicken tikka masala. Sorry folks, we're not stupid.
(1)Leebo P.
The best Indian food in the South Bay! It's always fresh and cooked perfectly. I started coming here a few years ago and have never left unsatisfied. They do a great job making everything fresh as well as their customer service. Their chicken tika masala roll, lamp wraps and butter chicken are some of my favorites. The naan is delicious even the garlic and fried naan. Definitely a great spot to check out!
(5)Brenda K.
WOW! Absolutely amazing food and amazing price! You get a ton of food here. I recommend the tandoori salmon. Spiced to perfection. I love this place!
(5)Michelle L.
Man this place is awesome! Really good food, nice people and Bollywood music videos on the tv. I ordered the gulab jamun, garlic naan, butter chicken, boti wrap, and mango lassi. They give you a good amount of food so right off the bat that's awesome. The garlic naan was great, fluffy and hot out of the oven. The gulab and butter chicken was delicious too. The Mango lassi was good but a little thick. Not totally sure how it's supposed to be but it was more like yogurt when I was expecting a drink/smoothie, although it was still delicious! The boti wrap and great flavor but the lamb was a little tough :( I saw a sign for $5 lunch special till 3 So I'll definitely be coming back :)
(4)Silver K.
Desi wrap is a win! I like their chai and Mango Lassi. All of their naan is good except the chicken or lamb! 5 stars
(5)Yags Y.
Paneer wrap was tasty and americanized one. Beware with stuffed naans, I had to do away with it, extremely salty !!
(3)Jodi H.
Got their lunch special $5 veggie wrap with deliciously made naan bread wrapped around my veggies! I stopped by to grab a to-go during work lunch, and wouldn't mind stopping in to sit down and eat next time I have more time. Not sure what to write since I only stopped by for to-go, but the place itself seems legit...it seems like a family or group of close friends run this place. There were Indians sitting inside and eating--so ya know it's good ENOUGH. And this place is great with their AC and large tables for bigger work parties. Service was nothing spectacular, but was done with a big smile. Can't wait to come back!
(3)Emmie N.
I'm a little disappointed. Was not a big fan of their Butter Chicken, I've had much much better, even at Indian buffets. The shish kabob wrap was so plain, and the meat was a bit dry. The only thing I liked was the garlic naan: fresh, garlicky, good dough consistency.
(3)Diana T.
The food here tastes better then I originally had thought. The chicken wrap and butter chicken are one of the popular dishes eaten here. The butter chicken has an orange creamy buttery sauce that is thick and covers chicken pieces. It can come with rice or naan. It's a bit on the salty side so I wouldn't eat it by itself as it goes well with the rice or naan. The desi chicken wrap was very good too as it was juicy and flavorful and nicely seasoned. The chicken meat was cooked to perfection as it was tender and not dry or stringy. The samosa appetizer also comes with a bean chili dipping sauce. It is crispy brown on the outside and soft in the inside as the inside is filled with potatoes, peas and Indian spices. The samosas were delicious and I haven't been to an Indian restaurant that serves samosas with chili either. Good place to eat.
(3)Yr6 2.
There butter chicken is amazingly delicious. This is my favorite. Pretty much all the food I had tried here is worth buying.
(5)Adam B.
Even the salmon is cooked well... juicy, tender, and not too little or too much. Spicy level just right. Portions great, love the music and dancing tv music videos.
(5)John D.
Chaat Café (CC) has quickly become my go-to spot in the South Bay for quick, inexpensive and good Indian food. They serve a wide array of Indian cuisine from Indian street food (chaat); Indian dinner plates (e.g., Tandoori, curry, briyani, etc.); salads and wraps. I've tried quite a few things so far and it's all ranged from pretty good to great. Here's a quick summary of my favorites: Chaat- These are primarily meant to be served as appetizers, but be warned they can be pretty huge. Our current favorites are the Samosa and the Samosa Chaat. The latter of which is big enough to be a meal and is pretty spicy; which I like. 3.5* Main Dishes- Their dinner plates range from good to very good, but nothing really stands out to me as excellent. My favorites are the Butter Chicken, Tikka Masala and their Tandoori Chicken. If you plan to order the Tandoori Chicken I would suggest calling ahead, because it seemed to take an inordinate amount of time for it to come out. I also wish they would give you less rice and more meat on the plate in order to achieve the proper ratio. The Naan is also pretty good. 4* Wraps/Rolls- This is my current favorite menu item here at CC. They're pretty cheap ($6-8), very good and they are very generous with their portion size; you could almost share one if you were so inclined. I'm currently partial to the Chicken Tikka Masala Roll. For your edification: the difference between a "Wrap" and a "Roll" is the Rolls are served on deep-fried bread. 4* Beverages- The Mango Lassi is pretty fantastic. It's got great Mango flavor, nice texture and isn't ridiculously sweet like Lassi's can sometimes be. My 3-year-old loves them and it's a good way to sneak in some fruit into his diet. 4.5* Desserts- They have a little freezer in the corner that they sell Asian-flavored Ice Creams and Frozen Juice Bars. They're all pretty good but I particularly liked the Lychee Ice Cream. **Allergy Alert** All of the Ice Creams contain Pistachios so if you have a tree nut allergy be aware. 3.5* Service & Ambiance- This is not a waiter service type of eatery. You walk in; order at the counter; pony up the dough; take your number; grab a seat and wait for them to bring your food out. I've found my dealings with the staff here to be somewhat strange. There always seems to be a different person working the front and they can range from being coy and sheepish to a little blunt. Not exactly sure what to make of them. However, I do like the decor of the place and I really dig that they always have Bollywood musical numbers playing on the TV; they're always good entertainment. 3* This is a really good spot for a quick lunch or a nice stress-free sit down dinner. I've mostly used it for the latter as some days I'm just feeling too lazy to cook dinner but want something quick and good. The value factor for this place is outstanding. I highly recommend the Family Dinner special for around $25 (I'd get into it more but my boy, Räv V, did a fine job already explaining it; I'd suggest reading his review if you want to know what's up) While CC is not the best Indian food I've ever had, it is certainly good enough to satisfy my cravings for spicy goodness.
(4)Anu M.
We decided to stop by at Chaat Cafe on a Saturday evening for a light snack, which eventually ended up just being our dinner. The cafe is located in a complex, so finding a parking spot wasn't a hassle. The menu is displayed by the counter. You order your food at the counter, pick up a number tag and seat yourself at a table. Food will be served at your table. Here is what we ordered: - Papri Chaat - Samosa - Cholay Bature - Stuffed naan with lamb kheema It was sufficient for 4 of us. The food turned out to be decent. I thought the channa masala (that comes along with Cholay Bhatura and Samosa) was bland and that it could have been more savorful. A decent place to come for chaat or even for dinner because they have a dinner menu too.
(4)Karina D.
I ordered the Malai kofta curry with basmati rice. The portion was decent, spicy bold flavor on the curry. Perfect for a quick lunch w h ile running errands.
(3)Richard L.
Great spot to grab some Indian/Pakistani food. I always come here during lunch on weekdays for the $5 chicken wrap lunch special. It comes with a side of cucumbers or potato salad. Make sure to get some of the mint chutney. The lamb naan was also pretty delicious, but the chicken wrap is the most bang for your buck.
(4)Cecilia D.
Got butter chicken with garlic naan, bhel puri, pani puri, and a mango lassi. I think the prices are very reasonable. Seems like a lot of people come in and out, and the workers are quite sweet and friendly. Great little place; I'll definitely be back.
(4)M S.
So we (hubs & I) tried Chaat Cafe the other night. We picked up the food to go, and I must say it was delicious! The husband had a veggie wrap, which was pretty different from veggie wraps we've had at other Desi places because they used Aaloo Tiki as a filling. Yum! I was very pleasantly surprised to find a chaat place open that late, that actually had paani puri at dinner time. The BEST part though, were the CHAATS. Yes, I had a variety of Chaats for dinner, at 9.00pm. Crazy hormones, what can I say... I had high expectations for the 'Chaat' because of the restaurant name, and they did not disappoint. I had the Paani Puri; which was YUMMAY. It was sooo good that I couldn't even save a piece for hubs. I saved the Paani Puri 'water' and am drinking it as I type with regular intervals of coughing & spluttering (its tangy and spicy, don't try this at home white people) My 2nd course was the Papdi Chaat, which was also VERY good. It was crispy despite the 13min drive home in a container. The chutneys (green & tamarind) were on-point. The tamarind chutney was delicious, not too sour, not too sweet - perfect balance for me. By then I was full and put my 'Dahi Vada' in the fridge. I had it the next day and despite an overnight stay in my refrigerator it tasted SOOOO good when I had just 30 minutes ago, so much so, that I decided to actually write a review. Seriously... good job guys. Forgot to add that their Sweet Lassi was very good too. Not overly thick, not overly sweet - just right. Definitely going back again. Maybe tomorrow?
(5)Kimberly P.
I was craving Indian food and due to the decent reviews, I thought I would give this place a try... bad mistake!! The chicken tikka masala was NOT good at all. It tasted as if they grilled some chicken and put it in the sauce, the rice was hard and the naan bread was burnt!! Trust me, save your money and go elsewhere!! I wish they had a Nann-n-Curry (Concord) here. .. that's AUTHENTIC Indian food.
(1)Teddy G.
OMG, love this place. The taste and quality of their food is the shizzle..But on a serious note they have great food here. My first time ever trying Indian food was here and I was so skeptical but was shocked at how savory it was. Best chicken tikka masala in town. I've tried other places and they always fall short in my book. I invite friends and family and they always end up loving it. I crave this place like a junkie!
(5)Maya W.
Fantastic Indian food (the only thing is i could just live without the loud music). Great food & great price.
(4)George T.
I haven't had a lot of experience with Indian Food aside from Curry and Samosas. After seeing reviews for this place, my girlfriend and I wanted to try it. Let me start off that their portions are fairly big. We ordered their Samosas, Aloo (Potato) Naan and Tikki Masala Rolls with Cucumber Salad. The Samosas nice and starchy, as were the Aloo Naan. The highlight of the meal was the Tikki Masala Rolls. The were served on Bhaturas, which are equivalent to a light and fluffy Chalupa shell. The chicken had a niced grilled flavor to it, and the Cucumber Salad balanced the heavy Tikki Masala Rolls. The server was very helpful, as we mentioned to her that we aren't cultured on Indian Food. Service was quick, and the meal was fairly inexpensive. Trying Chaat Cafe was a great find, and I look forward to trying them again, as well as other Indian Cuisine.
(4)Dalena H.
Excellent foods, always fresh & delicious! We usually eat there at least once a week, try the curries.
(5)Kelly C.
I like Chaat Cafe, I like it a lot. I have only ever ordered the veggie plate of the day, but I have ordered it many times. Each day they have a different veggie (red potatoes and onions, eggplant, cauliflower, Okra, etc...) the plate comes with naan, rice, cucumber salad, dal and the the veggies. You get a pretty large portion for $9 and it is always ready quickly. I usually call ahead on my way and pick it up to go. The people who work up front are nice, and you can see into the kitchen in the back where there are usually 3-4 people cooking. There is always Indian music playing and Indian music videos on the TV that hangs near the register. The food is always warm and tastes good. It is a good spot for quick and casual food with a friend or for take out. Not really a date spot or for a night out.
(4)libra h.
Been going here for years, and usually the quality is consistent but I got super sick from today's meal. Chicken tikka meal with potato salad. Will not go back again.
(1)Sunkam P.
This place sucks big time. They can't get the order right, they don't even apologise for making mistakes and then they don't even give you refund for mixing up your order with someone else. The person taking the order is very rude. I would not recommend going to this place. I certainly will never go here again
(1)Chin C.
Nice place... Clean!!! They have good food for the price you pay... My husband ordered sweet lassi by mistake and I couldn't drink it as I am diabetic... The guys exchanged it for salty lassi without charging us...
(4)Mindy S.
I'm not in San Jose very often but whatever my reason is for being in the area I will go out of my way to have a meal here. Now, thanks to Chaat Cafe, Tandoori Oven is just a distant memory.
(4)Sarah M.
Got the butter chicken samosa raita and nan . The butter chicken was watery and not creamy and too spicy . Samosa was good not greasy . Overall happy with my order . Will try again . I forgot to mention very nice staff .
(4)Pancakes D.
Lamb briyani done right! In fact it was excellent! The rice was not soggy and overcooked, as some Indian places tend to drench their rice in curry. It was just the right amount of heat & spice. Restaurant itself was clean and well kept. The staff does a good job of keeping the place tidy and getting food out.
(4)Jason C.
The food is absolutely amazing and the people who work here are very kind. I highly recommend eating here
(5)Ken K.
The food has not tasted as fresh as it used to be. Seems like the food tastes more like reheated rather than fresh cooked food.
(2)Rachel S.
I love their food and their service. It was a pretty good restaurant.Their samosa chaat is really good. Sometimes they take too long to serve, but overall it is a really good restaurant. You should really come here.
(4)Lauren P.
I love Indian food and I like this place. This place is clean and they have items I like to eat. I love their butter chicken with plain naan. My husband likes their chicken tikka. I think their chicken tikka is too watery. I like thicker sauces. Our son likes their tandoori chicken and we get breast only for the chicken. One thing I don't like is that I always ask for extra onions and they usually put a very small container of onions. I like getting things packed the way I ask and not have to pull everything out to check.
(4)Kayla C.
I have been coming here for about 5 years now....since then there prices have lowered and flavor has gotten better! I take all my family and friends here when they want to try good indian food. The food is always delicious, flavorful, and good portion size for the price. Staff is helpful and friendly. Great place and will always come back when craving Indian food!
(4)Jane T.
I ordered take-out from their website. It was easy peasy and user friendly. I picked up my food from the restaurant -- no wait time and the guy who works there was very friendly. I only gave them two stars because my order was completely wrong. Not a single thing in my order was mine and I didn't discover this until I got home and opened it up. I paid $20 plus tip but I received about $10 in food and the food had a main ingredient that I don't eat, so I basically paid $20 and was able to eat a piece of naan. I received an email from the restaurant the following day asking me to take a survey on my experience, I did, and they did not get back to me to address my concerns. The restaurant was clean and smelled really good -- I understand mistakes happen and they switched orders, so I will give them a second try. Update: I gave Chaat a second try. I ordered online, my order was correct and ready when I arrived. The lady working there seemed very friendly. The food was good (Tandoori Chicken), Roti, and yogurt sauce. It tasted fresh and healthy and there was enough food for leftovers. My only complaint is that I do wish they'd use stronger spices. Also, the roti was a little hard around the edges, as if it was cooked too long.
(3)Jasmine F.
I honestly love this place! This was the first place I've ever tried Indian curry. My cousins showed me this place, and ever since I can't stop going back. I get the buttered chicken curry with rice and they give you a really nice portion that fills you up!
(5)Selina S.
Came here last month, wow it's not as good as I remembered and raved about. Everything we ordered was just okay. I'm probably not going to go back unless I'm in the area craving indian food.
(3)Jagmeet Singh J.
We were looking for some quick Indian food and came here. The food was real good and tasted fresh. I was surprised by the wide range of food they had, thinking it would mostly be just chart. Got myself some butter chicken and naan and it was delicious. They have takeout too so I am sure we will order food from here for home as well.
(5)Villin S.
Very un-friendly server/host. No sense of customer service and how to treat customers. Never go to this place since the hostess has not been trained at all on how to treat customer with respect and dignity.
(1)Mandy S.
My boyfriend and I love this place. Excellent food, and it's within walking distance of our apartment. Tandoori Chicken & Garlic Naan are my personal favorites. Yum.
(4)Aaron J.
I've been to the one on Mowry in Fremont many times and this one only once. I have to say, it was good, but it's not the best in San Jose by a stretch. Service is friendly and the place itself was clean, but the word that keeps coming to mind when I try to find a one-word descriptor is "bland." The location is excellent, though, and that should help them along. All in all, I would go back if I had a craving in the Almaden area, but I don't see myself making any pilgrimages specifically for this spot. A-Ok, indeed.
(3)Ally W.
I have had the butter chicken (nice and creamy). My brother usually gets the lamb or chicken wrap (he really likes it). Today I ordered chicken biryani (chicken with rice accompanied with various spices) wow, I was expecting a lunch size portion but the plate was piled high with a mountain of biryani! No complaints here, I took a very big box of leftovers home! Comes with yogurt sauce. Yummy. And it was about 10.00 each for both of us. We left full and happy!
(5)Lucy L.
it took me a while to update the review, but after my first review, someone(owner maybe?) from Chaat contacted me and let me know that they will make their food less salty...,you pretty much don't see that no more, most of the places don't even care, so recently we went back again, and the food was great!! We are happy to have our fav take-out place back again.
(4)Bryan N.
For the money, this joint is pretty darn hard to beat for Indian grub on the south side of San Jo. For around $10 or less, I never leave this place hungry. I highly recommend the chicken vindaloo but I have never been disappointed by anything here. The wraps are pretty dank too. Side note, the samosas are huge! Like the size of a billiards ball.. You get two per order and they're wrapped in what looked like a wonton skin. Not really what i was expecting but tasty none the less. Bottom line: drop by if you're on the hunt for good Indian food on a budget.
(4)Ali A.
I can't think of much to say about Chaat Cafe. Their food is not quite as big a kick in the stomach as authentic Indian food, but if you're craving some butter chicken and naan, you're not exactly settling with this place. It's good. It's pretty well-priced. And for those of you who care, apparently the meat is halal. I feel a little ashamed to admit this, but I come here all the time for take-out. I shouldn't be ashamed though. For food that I can order, pick up, and take home almost like pizza, this food is delicious. As a dine-in place I'd probably describe it most endearingly as "casual". Go with a friend or co-worker, not a date.
(4)Ken A.
good for price. 5$ lunch speicals. chicken wrap and the cholay bhature was good. i eat almost anything tho. food is good. see for yourself.
(4)Jennifer T.
Went here for the first time the other day. I have had their food before; the boyfriends parents always togo the food to eat at home. Anywho, i was craving for one of their wraps the other day and i decided to get some togo as well. I tried calling so i can place my order in advance so i don't have to wait but there was no answer. oh wells, figure they were busy. Whatev. I went there and to my surprise it was a ghost town in there! WHAT THE EFF?!?! Upon entering I had weird stare down from the employees behind the counter. YES I AM ASIAN AND YES I AM WALKING INTO AN INDIAN RESTAURANT, GET OVER IT!!!! IM A PAYING CUSTOMER! It even took FOREVER to pay for my food. I probably wont ever want to come inside the restaurant again and will continue to have the boyfriends parents togo the food. The food is good though, the workers just need to learn how to say hi and not stare at people funny like they don't belong.
(3)Tee S.
This place was somewhat a life-saver to cure my Indian taste bud cravings. Not found or should I say, gave up looking for decent Indian restaurants in San Jose and stuck to my treks up to Santa Clara, Sunnyvale, E.Bay,. or Upper E.San Ramon, etc. Chaat Cafe... pretty good. Had pani puri a couple of times and not the mind blower but it does it's job. Another time ordered the butter chicken dinner in which the chicken was tender and sauce was perfect. Well don't compare to your Mother's but for outside food, very nice. So I think it's fair to say if they can make a decent butter chicken, looking forward to curing my other cravings in the future of what they have to offer. Thank you Chaat Cafe for not making me drive to another city! :)
(4)Mely F.
The food at Chaat Café was worthy of a review. The tall, young man at the front counter was helpful in pointing me toward a couple of selections that favored my interest. I enjoyed the assorted Pakora appetizer and the Lamb Curry dinner dish. Both were very good, but the portions are not very big. The mint and tamarind chutney were a good complement to the Pakora assortment, although the tamarind chutney was my favorite. The lamb dish was tender and flavorful with lots of gravy to spoon out over my delicious rice. The seating is not great - our table was immediately adjacent to an ice cream freezer, so nearby kids kept coming over to try to open it. The atmosphere is more like a "Mom & Pop" café, but all of the tables and chairs are portable - no booths. I recommend it for lunch, not dinner due to the atmosphere. Overall, it was a good culinary experience; but if you're looking for more than a good meal, you'll be disappointed.
(4)Kenny P.
It had been a while since I'd been back to Chaat Cafe. So I went here on a whim for lunch the other week and was really glad I tried the lunch special. Great price and just the right portion of food. The girl at the register was nice and the restaurant is clean and updated inside. I had noticed that there was no lamb on the lunch menu, so I just decided to go with the chicken. With the open kitchen, I could tell at the front counter that the place was essentially family run. Three seemingly immediate family members working in the kitchen, made me feel good about ordering here. They took their time preparing the food which I can justly appreciate. She brought the food out to the table from what I remember, and there was this green non-spicy sauce that they had on the front counter. The green sauce was needed to eat the wrap properly in my opinion. The chicken and wrap was actually delicious, and at less than $6 a really great deal. I believe I will be back here for the lunch special sometime soon; hell I might even come for dinner if I have the chance.
(4)Reyz A.
It's inexpensive, delicious, they serve halal chicken, food is msg-free, it's popular, and did I say inexpensive Indian food? I love the "Indian Street Food" of papri chaat. This is like having heavy crackers under tons of yogurt, lentil dumplings, garbanzo beans, potatoes, tamarind and a bunch of spices. It crunches because of the beans and chips, yet the yogurt is cool to the mouth---I like this flavorful combination. I also like the cholay bhature, again with chick peas or garbanzo beans with cilantro and onions. This is served with two freshly fried bhatura bread. You can see the beans on this dish, unlike the pureed papri chaat. I also like their line up of pakoras, served with tamarind chutney...yum. Have a mango lasi to wash all this down. Double yum. Someday, I will try their naan, curries and wraps. OK, this could be heavy in calories...but for a quick inexpensive, fast Indian lunch, it is worth dropping by. The 24-hour Nautilus is not far away, so eat-then-go-for-10K, is what I say.
(4)David T.
The lamb curry is pretty damn good, lots of flavor with a great, not overwhelming, spice burn, my only beef (or lamb) with it is the meat is not very tender. I loved the garlic nan. They delivered it pipin' hot from the oven.
(4)linda h.
Love coming here for the desi wrap, samosa and mango lassi. desi wrap has chicken, jalapeno and onions. i love the clinatro and tamarind sauce that comes with it. I usually order to go for our weekend lunch place is clean, customer service is good and food is made to order!
(4)Lyna C.
I would have given it a 3 star but added the extra 4th star for the quantity. We ordered a dinner plate that came with paneer curry, dal, rice, plain naan, cucumber salad and a peas and paneer side- Now that is a huge portion for one person! Loved the plain naan- it was freshly made and very authentic Indian taste unlike the frozen version served at some other Indian places. The curries very good too- medium spicy and good quantiy. The dal I dint enjoy as much as I felt it had extra Turmeric flavor. We also ordered Chole Bhatura Again- The Bhatura was really good- not oily and soft and fluffy. The sweet lassi was good too.
(4)Randy L.
Been here multiple times now every time it was great! Clean atmosphere and simple decor, the parking is easy as private lot in a shopping center. Service was good, order at the counter and they bring the meal to you and your designated number. The staff is friendly and helpful, very good at articulating dishes to the noobs and giving helpful tips and suggestions on meal. I have had almost everything on this menu, and every time I go I always order something different and walk away relatively happy and fully satisfied. They have daily specials, and family meal specials which are always a good bang for your buck. They are a private owned chain with other locations, they cook without MSG and use only fresh produce and halal meat. At the counter they provide a fennel mix to snack on, think of like and Indian trail mix. The dishes can either be a la carte, dinners, or you can just get Chaat dishes (street food, appetizer/tapas sized). All the dinners come with Dal (chickpea lentil soup), rice, veggie of the day, cucumber salad, and Naan. You can always ask for Raita (fresh yogurt) for the naan, and there is always an abundant amount of tamarind and mint sauce at the front counter for your meal. All the "Curry" meals are good, i only say curry because most people don't realize curry is not a dish, it is a blend of spices, the dishes are classified as Masala (lightest in spicy), Aachari (medium spiced), and Vindaloo (spiciest and most pungent). The chicken and lamb is good for all these, the catfish and salmon were succulent and my favorites. They do have wraps that are relatively decent and well priced. The real highlights of this place are the appetizer or Chaat dishes, the Tandoori Mixed Grill, and the regular Naan or Stuffed Naan. The best Chaat dishes are the: 1. Chicken or assorted Pakora, its basically Indian tempura with a nice cardamom/cinnamon dusting. 2. Tandoori Spicy wings, they come on a sizzling grill and have a nice spice and texture, full wings w/ lemon juice and fresh onions to match the heat. 3.Papri Chaat, think of a sweet/savory cold style Indian nachos The Tandoori Mixed grill is all the meats they serve coming out on a hot griddle and served a la carte, this is best match with an order of Naan or even better the Bhaturas (Deep fried naan) The top stuffed naan was the Keema Stuffed Naan! it is a spicy lamb stuffed naan that is flaky and crispy outside, then savory and filling inside. It is the bomb when eaten with fresh raita and tamarind sauce! They also have Indian desserts in a case next to the soda fountain, plus mango lassi! Overall this place is a definite must whether you are experienced in this type of cuisine or just starting to dabble. They have a broad range of food to meet all palates and its cheap and easy. Oh and don't forget to try the Bhaturas! its not really found on the menu, you have to ask for your naan to be fried! (No extra cost either!)
(5)Lien T.
Err, so it turns out that I'm not so cut out for Indian food. Initially...I was super excited about all the different spices that I was tasting, but sadly it got real old, real fast. It eventually turned into flavors that I couldn't stand anymore. I don't know what it was, but I guess I'm just not used to the flavors. The 3 stars is mainly for the cafe's cleanliness, fresh ingredients, and fast/friendly service. We came in because we wanted to try their nice looking chicken wraps. We ended up wanting to try some other Indian dishes so we ordered the dinner combo. The only dishes that I recall are the samosas and aloo tikki ( yelp.com/biz_photos/Rj7w… ), cucumber salad, chicken tikka masala, naan, and another curry dish with fish. Two sauces were served with the food--mint and tamarind. The mint was ridiculously minty and reminded me of toothpaste. It was an interesting experience, as everything was so foreign. It's kind of embarrassing, but I had no clue what I was eating! Oh well, at least I can say I tried Indian food!
(3)Pankil S.
We love this place whenever we want to eat simple vegetarian north indian food. Not many variety but quality is good. We have been here thrice till now. I would recommend this place for North Indian Food at decent price.
(3)Manoj N.
We visited Bay area for my neice's birthday. They had ordered chicken and veggie wraps for the birthday party. They were really well made and tasty. Lots of chicken in each wrap. Staff was nice and the restaurant is clean. They gave a lot of chutney and cucumber salad with it.
(4)Nathan B.
I ordered the Family Dinner which was just over $30 after tax. I wanted Vindaloo but they had run out. In the end we had a Saag Paneer and a Chicken Tikka Masala. I am from the UK, and we have a lot of Indian restaurants, and the food here was just different from anything I have had before. It wasn't what I expected.
(2)Janette W.
I'm in no way and Indian food expert, but the takeout I got from here was more than tasty and it was affordable. I started with the Paneer pakora, which is like deep fried cheese, covered in chickpeas. The cheese was a little melty inside, crisp on the outside, and perfect for dipping in the two tasty chutney sauces it comes with. Up next, the Chicken tikka masala. The portion was a little smaller than I had expected, but overall it offered all of the expected sides in good form. I was only in the restaurant for a few brief minutes but it looks very nice, and next time I come I will have to eat in!
(4)John J.
I am extremely satisfied. TV's playing Hindi pop music? Large spacious room? Food brought directly to the table? Yes, please! The last time I came here was 2 years ago and I just went back there a few minutes ago. After a few mediocre experiences with Indian cuisine, Chaat Cafe has rekindled my appreciation for it. I got the Desi (spicy chicken) Wrap and my friend got the Paneer Wrap. I got the garlic naan and he got the onion naan. The wraps were cut in half, so we shared the wraps and the naan and got the best of two worlds. The wraps and naan were just pleasing to look at, and the flavor was like a party of spices in my mouth. I love how Indians use like a million spices in their cooking, and each restaurant has their own unique blend of spices. Chaat Cafe had two different types of dips on the counter, and they were both very good. I would definitely come back to Chaat Cafe. It's right next to Tofu house in the Lucky's plaza. Give it a try!
(5)Courtney M.
I love this food it is the best Indian in the area I think for the price. Quick service, if you call ahead they tell you 15 minutes it is ready hot and fresh! Will continue to be a regular here! High recommend!!!
(5)T. T.
Overpriced & very Americanized menu/ food. I give this place 3 stars for the service, ambiance, and the entertaining Bollywood music videos that are constantly playing at all- times. Flavor-wise, nothing spectacular so I can't say it's a "you have got to try it" type of place.
(3)S G.
One of my favorite Indian resaurant in south S J. I enjoy my food every time i visit this place. The food tastes fresh & authentic unlike the other indian restaurants. You can see the chef behind the cash counter always a busy place.They keep the place clean & the bathroom is always neat & tidy .
(5)Ada R.
The thing I really like about this place (and the reason I'm adding another star) is that the curry plates come with dahl and a vegetable. At other Indian restaurants the dahl or veggie has to be ordered separately and it's almost the same price as the entree. I want both meat and veggies in one meal, dammit. Also, where I grew up dahl and sautéed cabbage came free with your meal. It pisses me off that no one does that here. All the curries I've had here are good, but sometime the veggies are bland and overcooked.
(4)Renu S.
This one is a decent joint with neat and clean interiors. The food was amazing. I tried the paneer roll here. It was soft and fresh and reminded me of some of the nice rolls I have had in India. I wish I had tried their chaat too but wanted to jump to the main course right away. Next time it will be chaat time.
(5)Noelle J.
The World According to Noelle ~Allergic Girl's Guide to Life~ " Naan + Noelle = Happiness." Indian fast food at its best. The food is good and the service is fast. The samosas are delicious and the curry dishes heavenly. The naan is fluffy and my favorite. One day while waiting for my naan, I was talking to the man behind the counter he informed me that most of the curries and all of the samosas contain coriander which I am allergic to. I discovered a couple years back that bit of knowledge about the samosas, I didn't know that about the curries. While, I cannot consume most Indian food there was a time where I was once able to taste the delicious Indian cuisine. Like most foods I am allergic to I've had the opportunity to taste once in my life. So for those who are lucky not to be allergic to the world- this is a delish, clean and customer friendly Indian fast food place! Noelle's Notes Good Indian food in the burbs!
(5)Dawn D.
Yumm!!! Shared a chicken tikka masala wrap with my training buddy Venus H. and I was so stuffed. That was thing was HUGE and so YUMMY that I devoured my whole half. Can't wait to go back. I'll want to try other stuff, but I'm so happy with that wrap.
(4)Mia N.
This is a good place for some Indian cuisine when you aren't in the mood for a buffet (sneha/grand indian buffet or bombay garden) and don't want fine dining (amber or junoon). My only gripe is the green sauce (forgot what it's called) is put into these TINY TINY TINY little dixie cups at the front. I have to go back and forth at least 3 times for more sauce. I don't want to look like a GREEDY SAUCE WHORE and take what... 10 little cups of sauce at the beginning. Sigh. SAUCE PUMP, where are you?! I really don't get this, because it crowds the front register area, and really should be where all the other condiments are. Anyway, tandoori chicken tikka was moist and flavorful. The lamb kabob was very dry though and kinda ruined the greatness of my mixed grill meat platter. This other ground up meat was spicy and yummy, with jalepeno seeds! It went perfectly with the yogurt dip/sauce. The lamb stuffed naan was yummy enough to where I just gave up on my low carb/white flour, etc ban. There are other many options besides lamb, including cauliflower. The cucumber salad was refreshing and consisted of fresh cucumbers (not funky tasting super old ones like at other places). Be sure to check out their daily specials.
(3)Mo N.
Awesome wraps and good biriyani. Tried couple of times and will come again. Staff is friendly and food is not spicy and it's flavorful . And service is fast.
(5)AL N.
I don't know.... maybe it's Under new management now!?!?!? the food is just okay now. I guess it's still cheap low toppings for dinner plate for 9.99.. but for me the food isn't good enough for that I would rather go somewhere else and spend that 10 bucks on something I'd enjoy better. ***we order two butter chicken, one plate was empty and other one was full of chicken ,happen to me two times and i dont know why? :(*** Service is decent.. but I really liked it before.. I'm kinda sad now.
(2)Theresa T.
If you have ever wanted to try out a different type of cuisine, then I recommend trying out some Indian food! I introduced Chaat Cafe to a friend of mine last week. Keep in mind that he has never tried Indian food and was a little wary, but in the end -- he loved it. =) The chicken wrap is my favorite, and I think it's probably the best dish to start off with if it's your first time there. Delicious tandoori chicken accompanied by a refreshing medley of cucumbers and tomatoes -- all wrapped in a fresh & soft piece of naan! Ooh naan, how I love thee. If I wanted to, I could probably eat it all day, everyday! All of the wraps come with either a side of cucumber or potato salad. As much as I like the cucumber salad, I would recommend opting for the potato salad because the cucumbers will get the wraps a little soggy. :( We also got the Chicken Tikka Masala plate. When that was served, I was a little in awe because of the amount of food that came with it. It was all yummm. Chaat Cafe is actually a little cheaper than Tandoori Oven! Great food that leaves you feeling satisfied and full, without breaking the bank. They also have a lunch special around 12-3pm, in which a selection of wraps are only $5. There's a rule of thumb when picking out a place to eat. Usually if there are many diners, then that's a good sign that the food is good. Sadly, Chaat Cafe was empty when we got there (and when we left too) ... and it's such a shame because the food is delicious! :( However, there are times when the place is poppin', but don't let the empty tables scare you away. Haha.
(4)Vivian V.
I came here yesterday as a late lunch with my best friend Sylvia of 7 years + . We both love Indian cuisine, and I had eyeballed this place two nights before when I ate at the Korean BBQ restaurant next door with my family. Sylvia introduced me to this Chaat Cafe, and I was thrilled to try some North Indian cuisine :) I mean I've tried it before, but I didn't have a very good experience the first time around, so here I am writing a review for my experience at Chaat Cafe. I loved the decor and the music seemed just right. We came in around 4:30-5pm on a Thursday excited to eat Indian cuisine. We both noticed that there weren't any customers inside, but decided to proceed to the front of the cashier to look at the range of foods they served. I was overwhelmed by the array of foods with the pictures on the menu, so I decided to grab a menu and sit at one of the nice tables. I couldn't decide on the spot, but the visuals of the dishes helped alot. I believe the owner was the one who was helping us with our order and he made a few suggestions. Sylvia just stuck to her favorite dish, the Chicken Tikka Plate & I ordered the Spicy Seekh Kabob Plate and an order of Tikka Masala Tandoori Chicken Tikka. First, the curry of Tandoori Chicken Tikka came out first w/ the plain naan, damnnn it was soooo good. We teared at the naan and dipped it into the curry sauce, it tasted very rich and full of flavor! EVERY THING was soo incredibly delicious! My god, I couldn't have it any other way. The food was sooo good, and we stuffed ourselves :) Plus, at the front, they have two types of sauce to put in our dishes, which were 2 types of chutney. I loved the green mint chutney with the garlic naan. It was quite delicious. The price for our meal came to a little over $28, but it was worth the meal. I loved it, and I even got to bring home some chutneys & leftover garlic naan to my house to snack on later. The bad side: Some customers were very rude and stared at us eating. Im not sure if it was because we had a whole table of food, and they wanted more. Or the fact we had bright pink & green colored hair. Th customer service was really friendly and this one lady was real nice and we got to talk to her, explaining the situation with the other customer who was rudely staring at us while we ate. Other than that I loved the food and the place seemed very relaxed and nice. I am now a fan, but I would love to go and try other places, especially the buffets omgaaawd.
(4)Venkat B.
I have been here about 5-6 times. I'd give this place a 3.5 . No other place has confused me like chaat cafe has. The first time I went there, my first thought after tasting the sheekh kabob wrap was, "Damn!, I have to give this place a 4 on yelp". But then I had a bite of their chicken tikka. 1. The wraps :- I think they're the best. Soft naan wrapped around tender meat and some veggies. The sheekh kabob wrap and the desi chicken wrap are the best. The meat can be "well done" at times, but the taste is brilliant. The paneer wrap was not too bad. 2.Chaat :- The papdi chaat was a surprise. Not very authentic, but it tastes pretty good. I wouldn't bother with their Bhel. They dont mix it up with the chutneys and whisk it, as a result, the puffed rice, is still puffed. Their samosa chaat was also pretty decent. 3. Chicken Tikka masala and rice :- Bad! bad, bad , bad. The tikka masala was not seasoned enough. The rice was dry and the meat was not tender. This is a really nice place, for a quick bite. I'd stick to their wraps and chaats.
(4)Immortal S.
Every time I come here, this places gets better. It's delicious, inexpensive, quality food-not just fast Indian food. The service is always pretty fast (for what they are making) and everyone I have come across has been really nice and friendly. My "go to" meal is usually the chicken tikka plate meal that comes with naan and rice. I would recommend getting garlic naan if you don't mind garlic. It's amazing! Other things I've sampled are also great as meals were: - Pani Poori - Ghobi pratha naan - Papari Chaat -Raita -Aloo Tikki -Naan (especially, Garlic Naan) They have a large selection of drinks such all types of sodas but also have mango drinks and traditional Indian teas as well. This place blows tandoori oven out of the water- hands down! Bathrooms and general seating area are well maintained and the shopping center is clean/new(ish) looking. Finally, this place is a dog friendly restaurant.
(5)JQ V.
Food was good but service was HORRIBLE!!! We came here around 9:10pm on a Sunday night; 20 minutes before closing. We ordered the chicken tikka dinner plate and a paneer tikka wrap. Both were pretty delicious! However, we left this place on a sour note. When we ordered, we were notified that they were only taking Togo orders for the night. We awknowledged it and placed our orders. After reciving our food, we were so hungry that we decided to start eating our food at the table since other people who placed a to go order was doing the same (about 3 other tables were occupied). I guess it was 9:30 and closing time since all off the staff stood by the register and waited for us to finish. This was unpleasant because it seeme like they were forcing us to leave! But what pushed it over edge was that we heard them conversating that they should get overtime for having to wait and extra couple of minutes. Even more so, one of the female staff members approached us and said it's been over 10 minutes since closing and basically was trying to kick us out. We understand that we were extending out stay. The wrong thing is to force someone to leave. I've been to many places that can compensate an extra 10-15 minutes after closing so people can finish their meal and leave happy. We only had a few more bites left. Plus we were going to leave behind a generous tip for waiting. What a way to ruin perfectly good tasting meal!!! Sorry.... They lost a few awesome customers that night!!!
(2)Richard K.
Love the wraps. Staff is very friendly and service was super fast.
(4)Greg G.
A completely different Chaat Cafe then what I am used to in SF. I liked it because it was fast convenient and well let's get to it ... Cheap. Dinner special could fill four people easily. I am a big guy and I was stuffed after only the appetizer round and some entree in. For 25 bucks you get 2 appetizers, 2 entrees, and rice. It's kind of spicy which I was glad for. Not amazing quality but not horrible either. Overall I was pleased. Be warned if they say they close at 9:30 that means the doors lock at 9:30. We got the eye of death from the staff as we were talking at our table around 9:20. We walked out and when I checked the time at 9:31 ... and looked back at the place it was closed, locked and dark inside. Not kidding.
(4)Sheila P.
Came in over the weekend - the place was packed. I was glad we were at the front of the line because as soon as I placed our order and moved to wait on the side for it -the line just grew and reached the door! The Order: Chicken Pakoras - 4 stars! crispy indian style chicken nuggets served with mint and tamarind chutney. Chicken Tikka Masala & rice - definitely a good curry and a very light amount of spice. 3.5stars! Spicy Sheekh Kebab Wrap - 4 stars! came with a nice cold and spicy potato salad. Mango Lassi - 3/5 stars - refershing! The wait was a good 25 minutes for our to go order.
(4)Nain M.
Keeping the review real and short :) Pros 1) Good dishes - Chicken wrap, samosa chaat, chicken curry with naan 2) Good value lunch and dinner meals. 3) Service is fast. Cons 1) hate the self service to get dishes and water for yourself.
(4)Shantanu N.
Good food. Have been going there for years. Good service also. Try the chicken wrap with potato salad
(5)Luke S.
I usually get the chicken wrap. It's usually very good. However, on some occasions the side potatoes or the chicken is too salty or too spicy. The taste is not consistent.
(3)Karen L.
3.5 stars. I haven't had much exposure to Indian cuisine but I do know I like it. A coworker recommended this place and it's pretty good. Has a good crowd on the evenings so that's a good sign it's good. Good prices, good size portions, and friendly service. We came here for the dinner combos. Take out did take a little long though when they said 15 mins, it ended up being 30 mins. They are generous with their sauces though. The Tikki Masala is one of my favorite Indian dishes, but it wasn't as good here as some of the other places I've been to. The lamb rice combo we ordered was really good. The Samosas were awesome, I could eat those all day!
(4)Courtney B.
Me and my boyfriend were watching "Good Eats" while he made Tikka Masala, and we suddenly had a craving for it but did not want to do all the work. This was the place we decided to try, and we were glad we did. We called ahead and ordered the chicken tikka masala dinner to go, with extra garlic naan. The dinner was large enough for us to split, and we were both full after our meal. We are hoping to try some different menu items next time.
(5)Stephanie L.
Came here for the first time the other night. My first impression when I walked through the door was that it felt like an Indian fast food joint. The food was all very reasonably priced and came with a fair amount. The naan is outstanding and is the one thing I would probably come back for. I ordered the veggie plate and my husband had chicken tikka masala. Both of the dishes had decent flavor, but were both overly salty. The more we ate, the less we wanted to eat because it started to literally taste like each meal had about a bucket of salt in it. The dishes also were both slightly more on the mild side. The facilities were very clean and the workers seemed friendly. It was also pretty crowded with people when we went so that's always a good sign. All in all, I felt it was a pretty average dining experience, with average Indian food. If I was in need of a quick Indian bite to eat, I would probably go back but would definitely try different items (the wraps looked good). If you're looking for a quality Indian meal, this probably isn't the place.
(3)Vicky L.
This is a decent place for some quick indian food. I ordered the chicken curry. I told them I'm a mild spicy kinda girl, and they highly recommend that i get this one. I'm so glad that i did. i had it to go, and it was delish! Although pricey, i got a really good sized meal that i proceeded to devour. The naan bread and the chicken curry was the best part. It also came with rice and a cucumber salad (not sure if it really was a salad because i saw some fine black specs, but tasted like cucumbers for the most part).
(3)Laura A.
Tried it for the first time, was much nicer than other Indian places and very clean. The food was yummy and I like that they had more selections than my previous Indian spot. It's definantly worth a try, you won't be disappointed!
(4)Cassandra T.
We have never been disappointed when coming here. Like I said, when there's real Indian families flocking in on a Friday night, you know you've found a winner! Delicious food. Generous portions. Fair prices. What else can you ask for?!
(4)Wilma G.
I came here with co-workers over the Memorial Day weekend and we all enjoyed the food! One co-worker has been there before and she liked the food. The place is clean and a good amount of customers eating in during their lunch hour. One co-worker ordered the samosa as an appetizer to share and it was very tasty. 2 big pieces come in the order. I ordered the boneless chicken saag a la carte with rice and a side order of garlic naan- I love naan and had to get it. Both were DELICIOUS! They had 2 types of sauces on the counter you can take to put on your food. I liked the green sauce, but not the other one... it was a bit too sweet for my taste. The co-worker that has been there before ordered their gobi naan and that was really tasty. It was interesting to have small chunks of cauliflower in the naan. I would definitely go back. Tasty food, good customer service, low prices, and a clean establishment.
(4)Darrin J.
I love Indian food and now I love Chaat Cafe. Although this is not a full service restaurant the staff was all wonderful from taking our order, delivering our food, following up on how the food was, getting us togo boxes and thanking us when we left. Simple things that many restaurants can't even do. They had a reasonably extensive and reasonably priced menu appetizers, wraps/salads, tandoori and curry entrees. The vegetarian samosas were large and flavorful. The dinner portions include alot of food so I recommend for two get an a la carte and an dinner portion and it will be more than enough. We had the tikka masala which was perfectly cooked (e.g. tender but not falling apart chicken) and flavored. The vegetable and dal were nice additions to the dinner. The rice was a bit on the dry side. The plain naan was good but the keema naan was awesome although on the spicy side. Although I was completely full it would have been nice if they had gulab jamun. Bottom line...this is my short list of places to eat especially when I am hankering for some Indian good eats.
(5)John C.
The flavor of the chicken was so good. cooked so well. $5 lunch special with a side cucumber salad, unheard of. But wow. So good. will be back again and again.
(5)Jay N.
I had a dish, which was new to me, at a school fair where they had a booth. It was awesome! puffed rice with potatoes and a brown and a green sauce. The woman serving me did not speak English well, but was very nice, and a younger gentleman was quick to jump in and help me understand what to pick. I can't wait to visit their restaurant!! One important piece of advice; DO NOT confuse this with New India Chaat Cafe. New India.... is the most horrible, hateful restaurant I have ever been in - and I've been in a lot of dives in my time.
(4)Demanding T.
Rather go to 7.99 Buffet on Blossom Hill n 85. Its OK..
(2)Satnam B.
I am a vegetarian and this place has some great veggie wraps, aloo tikki with chana and really good chana dahl with patora. If your ordering off the menu their saag paneer, chana masala and naans are goooood! The great thing about chaat cafe is their menu is great for snacks or a full meal. I just wished this place had a deal with restaurant.com or had coupons
(5)Brenda L.
I came here with my friends for lunch and thought the place was very spacious and clean and the menu was very simple and straight forward. I got the chicken tikka masala which was very tasty. The prices are also pretty decent.
(4)Anna S.
I adore this place, have been coming here for five years and every time excellent. Most people order the really traditional stuff which is okay, but what really blows me away are the various wraps. Not only are they incredibly cheap, but the portions are enough for two and are absolutely superb. I highly recommend the Chicken Tikka Masala Wraps with the fried bread, it is decadent heaven, The regular paneer and Masala wraps are very very good too. Papri Chaat and the other various small items are divine too! They have plenty of delish sweet tamarind chutney which is a major plus to and I find it adds well with a lot more than one would think. Try them, I swear it almost makes up for the pitiful, bean filled bland overpriced taquerias we suffer in this area. The hours are very good and predictable.. I love all sorts of Indian food; and I really love this place for serving it their own fast way.
(5)Jennifer T.
I don't know too much about Indian food but we found it pretty good and reasonably priced. We had the samosas, garlic naan, vindaloo, and the butter chicken. Glad we grabbed a mango lassi to go at the end of our meal, was quite refreshing.
(3)Rikki B.
The service was great. We went here for my B-day dinner because we have a toddler and thought a place where we order from the counter would be casual enough for little kids. It was a clean place. The pesto chicken Naan was crumbly, so I preferred the regular fluffy Naan. The Raita dip was excellent. I loved the green sauce they served at the counter. It was fresh and sort of reminded me of chimichurri sauce. I had the Desi wrap and it was flavorful.
(4)Tina P.
Oh yeeah, this place hits the spot. I had the chicken tikka masala with naan and a mango lassi. Awwww man, it was so satisfying. It's fast, it's affordable, it's delicious, and it comes with friendly staff. Seriously, what more can you ask for?! I'm coming back!
(4)Sonal P.
Absolutely delicious!! Plus, fab prices :) Went in search of kaati rolls last night, when hubby suggested this chaat cafe. I was pleasantly surprised at how clean and nicely maintained the seating area was (as was the restroom)! It's the first time I haven't left a local so-called chaat cafe disappointed. The papdi chaat was spot on (especially when you pour some of the spicy green chutney they have in little bowls at the counter) and I loved that they have room temp water filled pitchers on the side (there's ice on the side if you must have some)! Best of all, were the chicken tikka masala rolls. NOTE: - the difference between the wrap option & the roll, is that you get TWO rolls & they're wrapped in a batura i.e. deliciously decadent deep fried dough!! It's probably the first and last time I'll ever have the courage to eat them... but man it was worth it!! The chicken masala was DELISH - really tasty, just a tad spicy and had loads of meat. We also ordered the Spicy Seekh Kabob wrap which was a disappointment unfortunately (hence the 4 stars instead of 5). I would suggest not over cooking them & wrapping them in a fluffy naan instead, and adding a spicier blend of sauces & mint+yogurt. Still - this place was a HIT and we're definitely coming back for more in the future!! Although, I don't think I'll ever deserve the fried batura again, unless I bike ten miles to the cafe and back!
(4)N F.
I love Chaat Cafe. Last week I ended a stretch of 4 visits in 7 days! Just when I decided that I should take a break, here I am once again craving Paneer! Just can't get enough of the Paneer Tikka Masala Dinner. I also love the Chicken Tikka Masala Dinner. It's a lot of food for $9.99! You get basmati rice, naan, dal and a vegetable (I usually get the cucumber salad). The Paneer is a bit bland for most but I always use the two sauces they include and am HAPPY! The Naan is thick and flavorful. I recently tried the wrap version of the Paneer Tikka Masala and it's great BUT I am back to the dinners as I can get two meals out of it and these Paneer and Chicken Tikka Masala wraps go for $7.49 alone. I have tried the Paneer Pakora appetizer and did like it but it wasn't something i'm craving...I'm going back today for the dinner and will try another item off of the appetizer menu. Additional: Staff here at the Blossom Hill location is always friendly; clean restaurant; daily specials; fast service; I DO recommended it for Take-out!
(4)Scott V.
My wife and I came across this place by accident through google maps with an irrelevant organic search result for the key word "thai food." Up popped Chaat Cafe on my iPhone, which indicated Indian Cuisine right around the corner from my house. We did not know that we had Indian food so close to our residence, which enticed us to blow off thai food for the night and try this little cafe out. I must say that when we first walked into the cafe, it was completely empty! My wife and I looked at one another and both saw the look of reluctance. We could not have been more wrong! I ordered the Spicy Seekh Kabob Plate and was immediately taken back by how generous the serving sizes were. As I looked at the portions, I thought to myself that they must be generous with quantity to make up for quality and taste. Yet again, I was wrong! I enjoyed every bite I had and took advantage of their selection of chutney's that went excellent with the various vegetables and lamb. My wife ended up getting the Vindaloo, which is a tangy and spicy curry. She enjoyed dipping her naan in it, which she thought was fresh by the smell. Needless to say, we were very happy that we took a chance at Chaat Cafe. There prices are reasonable, portions are large, and food is tasty. You can never go wrong with that combination. P.S. After proof reading my review, I just realized that the description in the paragraph describing my wifes food could be taken on a detour to metaphoric island. Let's not allow that boat to sail fellas!
(5)Lisa C.
We ordered mild food but our food was so spicy that it burnt out mouths. When we explained this to the waitress she spoke with the cooks for quite a while. Eventually, she brought over only a small part of our dish (we had ordered a dinner). They refused to replace the entire dinner we had purchased even though it was their error to include so many spices. We ended up walking out hungry and frustrated. VERY bad service!
(1)Margaret C.
Ok, so I've never officially had Indian food until I came here. Originally my friend and I were going to go for Thai food, but the restaurant wasn't opening until later. We weren't going to wait. So around the corner is this Indian restaurant. I thought to try it since I've never really had Indian food. I didn't really know what to get since this was all new to me, but I guess it's a good thing my friend has had Indian food. He knew what was good. The lady behind the counter was even kind and helpful enough to guide me on what to get. I ended up ordering the chicken tikka masala, which came with rice, cooked veggies, cucumbers and this other thing that was served in a bowl that tasted like spices. And I believe my friend got naan and this circular potato thing (I don't remember the name. Potato pancake?) And some meat dish that looked similar to my chicken tikka masala - I think his was beef with a different kind of spice. Overall my first experience was alright... I suppose I don't have the tastes buds to enjoy Indian food. It was okay in the beginning, but towards the end I felt like I was eating a whole bunch of... I don't know, stuff covered in spices. I didn't know what I was eating anymore. The cooked veggies was covered in spices, so was the chicken, and the stuff in the small bowl. And I tried some of my friends potato and WOW that thing is bursting with spices. The spices are all just too overwhelming! My favorite part of this meal was probably eating the naan with my chicken tikka masala. It was crispy. And I think the only thing that balanced out all the spices was the cucumbers. Those weren't covered in spices. In the end we still had a lot of food leftover. A whole box! We also had some pistachio ice cream, which they sell to the side of the restaurant. Yummy. Oh, and I also tried some sauces too. Meh, didn't really care for them. One was mint/cilantro and the other was tamarind. I don't think this is something I'd ever crave for... though I'd try it again just to try something different.
(3)ruby l.
Awesome chickpea Chole. Upbeat friendly service. Clean. Great prices. Very nice naan (try the garlic naan, awesome). My son plays hockey down the road at Silvercreek Sports. This is a great spot for a quick healthy lunch. I have eaten at least 50 indian meals and this place is much better than I would have expected. We have been back 5 times since our first visit.
(4)kiely k.
good food and usually good service. my favorite place to get indian food in the area, until there was a black hair in my chicken tikka dish (im blonde) and they refused to reimburse me or even a simple apology
(3)Sibel I.
I really liked this place, until my unfortunate experience this evening. After a long day at work, and suffering from a migraine, I thought I'd pick up some butter chicken and head home. When I went to pay, I discovered that they don't accept American Express, my preferred payment method for just about everything. Now, I've had this card long enough to know that not everyone accepts it, which is why I have a "back-up" Mastercard. This week, though, Mastercard had called me to let me know that there had been some fraud on my account (NOT committed by me), and that they were going to mail me a new card. Given my options, I tried to pay with cash. I had a fifty and a few ones in my wallet. When I put the fifty on the counter, I was told that they don't accept anything larger than a twenty. The girl at the counter had the nerve to tell me that I should walk over to Lucky to ask for change. So I'm standing there, hungry, tired from work, carrying my one-year-old and holding the hand of my four-year-old. The LAST thing I wanted to do was to walk to Lucky to ask for change! Another lady (manager?owner?) was standing there, and all she did was to repeat their policy, as if I hadn't heard it the first time. The way they spoke to me made me feel like a second-class citizen, or like some kind of crook who was trying to pull a fast one on them. I'm not in the food service industry, but something tells me that this is NOT the right feeling to impart in your customers! I am an elementary school teacher, so I certainly understand that rules are rules. I also have ten years of experience working in a bank, and I know that in some instances, it's totally appropriate to make exceptions - that's what good customer service is all about! Besides, I *hardly* think I look like a con artist! Not being one to make a scene or to be belligerent, I told them that if they wouldn't take my money, I wouldn't be able to pay them, and quietly walked out. Too bad for Chaat Cafe: I like to eat out, but won't be frequenting their place of business any longer.
(1)Kelly S.
For the money, this is as good as it gets, people. I enjoyed the Aloo Tiki, Cholay and Saag immensely, and my man got the Chicken Tikka Masala, which he also loved. We also ordered the Chicken Vindaloo, which I thought lacked a little flavor but it wasn't bad overall. Dal was great, Naan and rice were both perfectly done. I will be frequenting Chaat Cafe a lot from now on!
(4)Jean K.
I was a Kinkos, making a giant poster for work, and I realized I was starving. I looked around and found Chaat. I asked the girl at the register, and turns out she loves recommending food! She was extremely enthusiastic and friendly. She asked me if I was a vegetarian or not , if I wanted a curry or a dish, and if I could handle spice. I felt like I was taking a survey, but in a good 'I feel like I'm going to get something I like because of the questions' kind of way. I ended up with the butter chicken that comes with rice, dal, a cucumber salad, and naan. I actually liked the dal and cucumber sald more than I did the butter chicken. And not only was it yummy, I had enough for lunch the next day. I'll be back for the wraps soon.
(4)Dave S.
I ordered Lamb biryani after finding out the giant "lunch specials" sign at the entrance wasn't actually in effect. It was tasty, though spicy!!! Wow. Chutney are served in thimble-sized cups. I went through 8-10 of them and felt bad over the number of cups being thrown in the trash from just my use alone. Tables were clean. Staff was friendly.
(3)Susan M.
A busy restaurant during the lunch hour. The food is so delicious. On a previous dinner-time visit, I had had the Biryani, which was so eloquently prepared, with a delicious moistness to the rice and a delicious combination of spices. So I could count on having a fantastic lunch. I had the Veggie of the Day, which was cauliflower with potatoes in a curry sauce; along with basmati rice. The food came with the entree served in a separate ramekin, so I could add the sauce to the rice as I desired. Also, condiments are available at the counter. I added the delicious green mint sauce to my cauliflower and rice which greatly enhanced the flavor, and made the hearty dish lighter. The service was great -- the food was ready almost before I sat down at my table -- and the staff is very friendly. A great plus is knowing that I ate healthful food. Would recommend this restaurant to friends and family. A great place to relax and enjoy!
(5)Kiki K.
Such great food, always have a good experience here. I just recently tried their grilled chicken it's awesome my new favorite.
(4)Hemant D.
Ate samosa chat and aloo naan. They made it to order as I like it spicy. Sev puri was a bit surprising with yoghurt as bombayites eat sev puri with only chutneys. Requested them to make aloo in whole wheat roti but they did not Overall decent
(3)Maleia M.
Whenever I'm in the area, and craving some Indian cuisine, I go here for their delicious naan and paneer tikka masala! They have the right amount of spice that I like! The wait time to pick it up to-go as reasonable, and I'm never disappointed.
(5)DJ E.
Good lunch spot. I tried their chicken wrap with cucumber salad. The chicken was flavorful and juicy. Place is clean and food came out fast. I will be back to try other foods they offer.
(4)Herman P.
The paneer and chicken tikka masala (same sauces) wraps are the best I've ever had and it pairs well with the cucumber salad. I tried the papri chaat and thought it was better than most places, nothing jaw dropping. The naan is amazing and they actually make real garlic naan which can be hard to find. It's soft and fluffy without being raw. I just wish the dinner/ lunch entrees were a bit more genuine and not so generic but for the prices, you can't go wrong. Personally, I'm looking for something a bit more character.
(3)Debbie S.
This place is consistently good. You order your food at the counter and they bring it to you. I have been to other Indian restaurants and so far this one is the best. It is very casual but a good place to eat.
(4)Benny H.
Spicey good fun. Not a bad place and the chicken wrap has some of the best chicken you'll get in a semi-fast food establishment. Thumbs up.
(4)Rizwan M.
I am really disappointed from their service and policy . Just to let you know guys their closing time is 9.30 pm but if you get there by 9.05 they will refuse to serve tandoori items ......and they will make it only for to go (no tandoori items to go ) their is no sign for it ...I think this is not fair .....i got really bad service not planning to come back again .....I know they don't care about customer service but just a heads up for others.....
(1)Doreen J.
Update: cholay was watered down, no flavor and they just threw crushed peppers when I asked spicy. Quick food, spicy when requested. Good kheer too. I like that they are open late and I can get my food within 15 minutes. Favorite dishes: Cholay Bhature, Spicy Chicken Curry Tandoori Chicken Pieces Kheer
(2)Pachi C.
Food: Great Friday $5 values Service: Friendly Price: Very affordable I love their $5 Friday menu. Notably, Tandoori Chicken Wrap (comes with side cucumber salad) Cholay Bhature (two fried breads with garbanzos) The Samosa Chaat and the Mango Lassi are both also excellent. I tried the Pani Puri but was disappointed. A little too tangy on the tamarind water for me. Good stuff.
(5)Anthony G.
Excellent food and really fast service. The food was spicy and the naan was fluffy and fresh. It don't get better than that!
(5)Asha B.
Love their Fish Curry dinner and Chicken Tikka Masala. Oh not to forget they have good Mango Lassi and Indian Masala Tea too. This place is quite close to my house and when ever I feel like having a good dinner I just drop by for a to go or for here, just in case I want to enjoy the Bollywood songs on the TV
(4)Ai T.
Mmm naan, they have assorted flavor of naan in here, garlic is my favorite. I also love their lamb briani? And butter chicken curry, along with the lamb curry, portion is quite large , I always share which make this place delicious and affordablev
(4)Kyle T.
I must have passed this place for I don't know how long, but I started to gain a liking for Indian food via work so I decided to stop in. This place sunk it's claws in me and won't let go. I have had the: butter chicken chicken tikka masala chicken tikka masala wrap chicken tikka masala roll ( you get 2 of them :D) Paneer roll Spicy sekh kabob Samosa All is amazing, everytime i go. AND if you go between 11:30 and 3 you can get their amazing lunch special Chicken tikka wrap + side (potato [spicy] or cucumber salad) Veggie wrap + side (potato [spicy] or cucumber salad) A third dish.. never gotten it a bang up deal for 5$. NOT only is the food amazing, but the service is friendly and the environment is always lively as there are music videos sitting int he background. I LOVE this place.
(5)Martha R.
First time eating Indian Food and it was great!! I ordered the lunch special which was the Tandoori chicken wrap with cucumber salad and soup. I also ordered the Samosas. Everything was delicious. The wrap was screaming flavor!! So much chicken and so many different flavors. The samosa was delicious there was an explosion of different flavors in my mouth that I had never experienced. The wrap was huge. I only ate half and my picky son at the other half. Yes my picky son ate the wrap and said it was "soooo good". I will be back to try other things on the menu. The workers are very pleasant and will take time to explain the menu items. Give this place a try you wont be disappointed.
(4)Lucia C.
Chaat never disappoints. Full of flavor, spicy just the way I like it, and service is always fast and friendly. The atmosphere is made by the music videos playing on the tv. Love their malai kofta curry! I want to try their naan wraps next time.
(5)Michele C.
Very nice atmosphere;beautiful mural on the wall and Bollywood musical videos really get you in the mood here--enjoyable for the whole family to watch! I came here for the $5.00 lunch special ;mine was the chicken wrap,with fresh naan,and great potato salad.Cucumber salad is also a choice.I don't often get potato salad out but this was nicely seasoned and not bland.The chicken wrap is quite big,and very tasty,especially with the tamarind sauce and green sauce.I also really love the lemon pickle.The whole meal was a great value for the price.For 3 dollars you can get a mango lassi. I didn't really need it,but since it was hot out I was in the mood for one.I was pretty full when I was finished.You get your food pretty quickly.Employees are very friendly and accomodating as well.Very authentic flavors.
(5)Tracey M.
Great spot for fast Indian food that is not "fast" tasting. Son had chicken tika masala, hubby had mixed grill, and I had lamb curry. The food was very fresh, and well prepared - some of the best I have had outside of Mint in Saratoga. Most of the fast Indian food I have had has been over cooked and made with not so great ingredients. Had it not been for the Yelp info, I would have skipped Chaat just based on bad history with other places. I would have really missed out. Chaat truly exceeded my expectations. The Naan here is truly freshly made, and was SOOOOOO Good, and the butter chicken is some of the best I have had even outside of CA. The salmon on the mixed grill is worth the trip alone. I love salmon, but was hesitant to try it in a fast food place. Since my husband got it, I tasted his. It was perfectly done, not dry or tough as I expected, and so flavorful that I was a little ticked that I did not order it. I will come back for that alone. Really good food and great service. They even refilled my son's lassi without us standing in line.
(4)H A.
I come here for the $5 lunch special. I order the usual: chicken wrap with potato salad. Their naan is fresh and delicious, the chicken is hot and juicy, and the potato salad has a great kick to it! Not only that, their service is usually quick!
(5)Sandy T.
Superb! I highly recommend using the link in their profile to order online! A very simple and efficient method with a clean interface. It gives you pick up time options, which are in 20 minute increments. You can also pay after ordering which is very convenient. The pick up time was accurate, my order was ready and correct when I went to the restaurant. Butter chicken was delicious -- tender, saucy and a generous portion. Garlic naan was very good as well, and I also ordered the Aloo Tikki which are potato patties (more or less). Try it!
(5)David G.
Great food and great service! The good is always consistent and the service is just as. My wife and I go here every week and wish they were open 24 hours a day!
(5)Janay C.
Hands down best indian food ever! I just wish they had a location closer to the downtown area. My favorite dish is the vindaloo chicken with extra naan :P
(5)CA R.
3 stars for the food, service, cost of food. 1 star due to the bug i saw (see pic # 65).
(2)Corrina S.
Not many people I know eat Indian food but my ex, who is paki, introduced me and I loved it! After being a frequent at tandoori oven, a friend of mine took me to try out Chaat Cafe. I was hooked to this place. I finally convinced my mom to go with me and try out the food. Now she can't get enough. Chaat cafe got her hooked as well haha. We always order the same thing: Chicken Tikka Dinner (not to be mistaken for the masala) and butter chicken. Both dishes are amazing. I especially love my chicken with the restaurants unlimited supply of tamarind sauce. Another great side is the aloo gobi. Two words: spicy and delicious. I only gave four stars because my mom and I (hispanic women) always get stared at from everyone..including staff....right when we walk in. Almost the whole time it seems like everyone is interested in our table. Its a bit uncomfortable but not enough to keep us away from the delicious food.
(4)Joan L.
Their slogan "Fast. Fresh. Casual." is so right on. This place reminds me of a little Sonoma Chicken Coop. Look at the menu, pick what you and boom your food is served. We had: Garlic/Pesto Naan - Yummo, the name says it all. Tikki Masala dinner - Delicious (tomatoes, onion, cream, roasted spices & a dash of fenugreek). Comes w/ rice, cucumber, plain naan, lentil soup. Punjabi House dinner - Good (yogurt & onion based curry w/ roasted spices) Order & pay ahead of time by using their cellphone app.
(4)Aries E.
So good! I was craving spicy indian food - ordered chicken tikka masala with naan and veggie samosas. Hit the spot - nice amount of spice. It was flavorful without being overwhelming.
(4)Anila Y.
I am a frequenter of this place since I work right next door. I can never get enough of their Mango Lassi--it's a great, healthy, cooling on-the-go snack that reminds me of my time in India. I also really enjoyed the Papri Chaat. It was a perfect mid-afternoon break snack, again crunchy and cool with the right amounts of sauce/other stuff. I've even had just the garlic naan with no curries and that was delicious also. However, I am concerned that their actual meal items may not be up-to-par. I came for dinner with my family on a friday night. The food came out unusually fast. I had the paneer tikka masala with plain naan. The naan had also been undercooked clearly. I felt that it had no personality--no spices. Just paneer swimming in what tasted like creamy tomato soup. My dad had ordered the Vegetarian Biriyani and that was no good either. It was way too over-smoked in my opinion. Over all, their chaat/snacks are good, but don't count on having a good meal.
(4)Dave M.
Decent food, good portions, decent price. Would prefer to give 3.5 stars, because it's a bit better than just "A-OK" but Yelp doesn't allow that, so I'm rounding up to four stars. If you have a craving for Indian food, Chaat Cafe will satisfy. But you are not coming here for the atmosphere or the service!
(4)Minouche M.
After a long day of fasting I was looking forward to try the butter chicken, after reading the positive reviews. I ordered take out and was very disappointed to find out the chicken was burned. I am not taking another chance and won't be ordering from this place again
(1)Dan A.
outstanding healthy indian food at an unbelievable price. I order: papri chaat chicken or paneer tikka masala rolls family dinners cholay bhature naan I love the potato salad and have ordered it for catering parties at my house
(4)Harsha G.
Delicious and CHEAP!!! Love most of their to-go options, the wraps are filling and full of good flavors and a right blend of ingredients. The veg thali is very reasonable and can feed 2 people with an appetite. Their chats are refreshing. love love their alu tikki - it's only $3.99 I have never eaten at the restaurant as we would order lunch from here atleast once a week from work, but perhaps one day I will swing by and comment on the ambiance and cleanliness. For now I have a happy tummy screaming Thank you!!!
(5)Brad K.
This is a so-so Indian experience (I am Indian), we found it twice the cost of Sunnyvale and Cupertino foods. Malai Koftas were bland and naans were not quite tasty. But the wraps while not really Indian were probably ok.
(2)Michelle D.
Food was OK. I love Indian/Punjabi food but this place did not impress me. Their butter chicken was watered down and their samosas were just ok. I would go back only if I happen to be around that area and craving Indian food.
(3)Bita H.
This place is awesome! Super clean! Smells like homemade food! I am in love with their Paneer Tikka Masala! Next time try it!
(4)Jan P.
Fast food Indian with no frills and moderate prices is fine with me, especially since the food is good. Plus, the place is clean and I always end up with ample leftovers to save as another meal.
(4)Erin T.
This place is ridiculously delicious. Love it every time, from all their vegetarian plates, to the hot naans that they serve. Will always be a repeat customer.
(5)Gino C.
Clean restaurant however food is mediocre....had the desi style chicken wrap which claimed to be spicy but was very disappointing... it was not spicy at all! And what's worse is that the meat seemed old. Also tired the stuffed keema naan that was ok but not good enough for me to go here again.
(1)Darlene V.
My husband and I simply love Indian food and have tried all from many regions. We absolutely LOVE the Chaat Cafe the food is wonderful, it's place is relaxing and is much more enjoyable than the Indian buffets. The staff is courteous and friendly, and you can't beat the pricing. Everything is freshly made and the wraps, sandwhich, and tikka masala rolls are a bargain and then some!
(5)Amber D.
Very tasty and fresh. But their soda machine broke so I sat for the whole time waiting for them to fix it.
(3)Hannah J.
I've been coming to this spot for years. Service is excellent as well as the food. I usually get the paneer wrap which is off the chain! You get a choice of cucumber or potato salad on the side as well. The naan is hot and fluffy- the garlic naan is my absolute fave. The wraps do tend to get a bit messy so be sure to have plenty of napkins handy. I've tried the samosas and they were so delicious! Nice and crispy. Parking is not a problem since the restaurant is in a huge plaza next to Johnny Rockets, Kinko's, Lucky's, Starbucks, etc.
(4)Aaron L.
Thanks for introducing this place to me Sean. Great food + Great Service + Clean place = 5 Yelp Stars Try the chicken wrap. It's pretty bomb. It's only $6 and you'll be full. The wrap comes with either a cucumber or potato salad. I'd suggest the cucumber, it's very refreshing. Enjoy!
(5)Corrine L.
MMMMMMMMM DESI WRAP!!! SOOO goood... its just perfect. I like to get it with cucumbers. My friend Lauren got me hooked on this... its sooo good. I don't ever eat in the place for fear of smelling like curry. 4 stars because they skimp on the extra green and red sauce. I need sauce ok!!! What is this, McDonalds being stingy with the sweet & sour sauce? Don't be cheap.. give me the damn sauce for my desi wrap.
(4)Monica L.
Not bad! I was a little reluctant to come back here after we were turned away for dinner about a month ago at 9pm. The restaurant closes at 9:30pm and the workers were telling us they were closing for the night when we stopped by at 8:55pm. Sooooo decided to give them a second chance. This place inside doesn't look like any traditional Indian restaurant. It has that Southwestern feel kind of like a Chipoltle. I ordered the chicken tikka masala dinner which came with vegetables, dal, rice and naan. Tons of food for $10. My husband ordered Butter Chicken which was also flavorful. We both enjoyed our meal and for about $20 it was a pretty good value especially for Indian food. Service is okay...that is there only downfall. Doesn't seem like the people working there really want to be there and they are a bit on the rude side. Luckily they have a bar where you can fill up your own water glass so the only interaction you have with people working there is when you order. Might be back!
(3)Steve S.
Big time fan of the butter chicken here! Delish! I tried the Paneer Wrap for the first time today and very much enjoyed it. It was a perfect blend of flavor and spice rolled up in a warmed naan. Woah, I'm starting to salivate thinking about it. An interesting offering is different types of stuffed naan like garlic/pesto naan. I've been tempted by these many times, however, if you enjoy scooping up food with naan and eating it, these don't lend themselves well to that action - they are a dish unto themselves. The cafe itself is comfortable to eat in, but the food tastes just as good at home. Call ahead and they'll have it ready in 10 minutes.
(4)Archie G.
It is basically Indian fast food. It tastes fine like American fast food, but once you finish you are not truly satisfied and regret eating there to begin with. Not sure why people go here. Not sure why I came here. Basura. Wait, how do you say "garbage" in Hindi, Hindco, or Urdu?
(2)Victoria Y.
Oh. I've died and gone to heaven..in India. I used to crave Indian food, I wanted it every week. But because I ate it so much I got sick of it and therefore stopped. Its been quite awhile since I've been back but I for one have missed it. The garlic naan is freaking amazing. Oh my god yummy. Its crispy but soft, garlicky goodness and delicious with the tamarind sauce. The chicken tikka masala..yum-o! The sauce with the fresh basmati rice. Love the sides too- the cauliflower curry and the cucumber salad. Not to mention the lentil soup when I absolutely HATE lentils. I like how everythings self service so I can get my own take out countainer, water, and utensils without waiting forever for it to be brought to me. The waitstaff is super nice and friendly. A++ for cleanliness and it not being smelly. But please please put papadum back on your menu!
(5)Tyrus A.
The curries are great, the wraps are amazing, and the deep fried naan is excellent. Service is friendly and quick and they are great with recommendations for first timers and regulars. I would suggest to eat in as opposed to take out, it seems like every time I've gotten significantly larger portions and/or more side dishes when it's "for here". Chicken Tandoori wrap and tika masala are my favorite. The bbq potato salad goes perfectly with the wraps and the sauces compliment everything nicely. I don't eat here enough.
(4)Palak K.
Being an Indian by birth, I know a thing or 2 about our cuisine. With that in mind, I have to admit, when I'm looking for a quick bite, Chaat Cafe is a great solution. The food is decent in taste, and service is quick. Chaat food, is Indian snack food. Everything from Bhel to Pani Puri, and Paneer Wraps to Mango Lassis, I would definitely go back. Even though it's not the best I've ever had, it can take 2nd place. Not to mention, it's around the corner from my place, and diagonally across from Oakridge Mall. :)
(3)Shannon C.
Inexpensive, great quality food definitely makes this place the best bang for the buck in terms of local Indian food. On top of that, it is just a hop, skip and a stones throw away from my current apartment complex, making it ideal for a quick, stress-free dinner.
(4)Cynthia G.
It's fast and not too pricey but it's not that great either. I actually like the side dishes that come with - the daal and the vegi - but I've had two curries here and always get heartburn and upset stomach. My husband loves their kababs and wraps (mostly salmon and chicken), but it doesn't do it for me. I love spicy food, but to me it is rather poorly done.
(2)Girly S.
The family dinner is the way to go. For about 25 bucks you get a wide array of items to try and plenty of naan. The food is good, even though it is cafe style. Our family thoroughly enjoys the meal.
(4)Janet O.
Good food. Clean place. Prompt service. I tried the Curry Lamb. Loved it! The meat could be more tender. It comes with the requisite naan. Pardees ordered the Chicken Tikka Masala. Verdict? He said it's pretty good with a good amount of spice. I also ordered the Mango Lassi. It was good. Quite ordinary nothing special.
(4)Dave H.
Stopped by for a quick meal, due to proximity and convenience, but found a new favorite for Indian food. Great food, good value, quick service. Looking forward to trying more on the menu!
(4)Michael C.
Came in here the other day with a couple of friends who live nearby. Never been to a Chaat Cafe or Chaat House before, but it reminds me of places like Tandoori Oven. Hmm... I wonder if there are fast-food Indian chains in India that are like this? In any case, true to my discovery club tactics, I asked the cashier what would be his recommendation of dish, and he recommended something that was not on the menu. It was basically butter chicken curry and it came with both rice and naan, and some cucumbers. It was really tasty, but small on the curry, and huge on the rice and naan. In fact, it was 3 pieces of naan! It's a fast food chain, so I didn't really expect anything authentically Indian, but on the other hand, I have never been to India before, so don't think I can make that kind of judgment anyway.
(4)Kevin V.
This is my new favorite place to eat, and I've only eaten there once. My roommates and I went on a spur of the moment decision, but also because one of my roommates is Punjabi and he said we should try it out. The service was great, the workers were extremely friendly. I got a complimentary drink because it was my first time there. I guess from the way I was talking about the menu, the guy knew I was a straight noob to Indian food and felt bad for me. I ordered the chicken curry and for the 15 minutes I spent eating it, I actually liked it more than pho (yeah i'm Vietnamese). Grow some balls people, break out of your shells. Stop it with the typical eateries and try out this great Indian (semi-fast food) restaurant!
(5)Christina C.
The food here is decent but not great. Curries are more watered down and less spicy then other places I've had. Their chicken tikka masala tasted like it had BBQ sauce in it. The samosas are really good. I'll go here for a indian food fix, but I've had better. p.s. I for the longest time I thought "Chaat house" meant it was free WiFi coffee place. LOL
(2)Melanie C.
The food here is pretty good, and the portions are decent. We usually get one item and share. I really like the samosa chaat. The first time here we got the malai kofta and I thought it was a bit spicy, but on following visits we've ordered different things and they're pretty good. The biryani portion is huge! Pretty inexpensive. Easy consideration for somewhere to go for lunch on the weekend.
(4)P C.
Damn is the samosa chaat plate huge. It's different, but I liked it. And that was were the positives ended. Their dinner curry portions are abysmal. And their biryani was so sweet an peppered with raisins. Biryani is meant to be savory and is not dessert. I still gag a little from the biryani's taste
(2)Shilps S.
Had them cater a party for us and their food was amazing! Ordered for 60 but had 70 people show up and we STILL had leftovers because they gave us soooooo much food. Sam is great - he really helped us pick a perfect menu for the party. They were also really accommodating since I didn't want the dal. When we eat there, we love their chicken tikka masala curry, butter chicken and lamb curry. Of their wraps, we love the seekh kebab and their chicken tikka wraps (which come in baturas - fried bread). Their mango lassi is also amazing. Their potato salad (which comes with the wraps) is indian style is also really good.
(5)Sondra M.
Great for take out and casual dining.
(5)Rav V.
CC has unofficially become our go to Indian restaurant. Location wise it's convenient for us and though parking could be hectic, I always end up getting parking right out front. As far is Indian food goes, the spice levels are strong. Good for me but maybe not for others. You order at the counter, get a number and remember to grab silverware, napkins and water. Orders are brought out to your table. Usually everything is brought out at the same time. Don't expect to be waited on because it's not happening here. My experience regarding the staff is that they are shy but nice. I suspect people get different impressions but that is my impression. A simple smile goes a long way. Though my issue is depending on who you get, getting food information from them will vary, more below. We typically order the family dinner. From my experiences, Indian families are pretty large yet Chaat's family dinners will at the most only fill up 3 people. It's not an issue for us but I can see for larger families. Portions are not big but I think ordering to go gets you a slightly larger portion. Chaat Cafe Family Dinners - $24.99 4 Samosas or Aloo Tikkis 2 Meat or Veggie Curries 1 Veggie of the Day, 2 Naan, 2 Rice This will vary. For example it seems that sometimes you can order butter chicken yet other times you can't. Sometimes I can do 2 Samosas and 2 Aloo Tikkis and other times the 4 have to the same. Again, no rhyme or reason to these changes. Either way, this is not a deal breaker but the reason it's not 4 stars. We love their food so we will be back. This is certainly not the best Indian food I've ever had but probably the best in South San Jose. A la sature! *3.5 Stars
(3)Shana A.
This is the BEST Indian food I've ever had! The restaurant looks small and isn't fancy but that just makes me love this place more! I have been coming here for 5 years and I have NEVER been unsatisfied with my food. I am a spicy food addict and I often order the chicken curry, extra spicy, and it's always on point with the perfect amount of extra punch. The butter chicken is delicious! Their samosas are yummy! I am NOT a fan of lamb but they have a lamb appetizer that I love! This is one of only 2 places that I will eat and enjoy lamb from! Their chutney sauce is the best I've had too! I just love this place! Even my Indian friends say this is where they come to eat Indian when they eat out!
(5)Nicole B.
So great! Got butter chicken, garlic naan, rice, and samosas. It's rare we can find an Indian restaurant that serves the rice with the meal. The butter chicken and rice was only $8.49 and it easily makes 2 meals. Very easy to order online and it was ready when I got there. I recommend it!
(5)Johanna S.
My favorite snack or dinner place! Top picks: Samosa Chaat, Lamb Curry Dinner, Chicken Tikka Masala dinner, Mango Lassi. If I lived closer I would eat here most nights of the week.
(5)Wingman X.
Everything I've tried there has been really good: samosas, aloo tiki, lamb saag, butter chicken, lamb biryani, dal and naan. Their pakoras may be ok fresh there but they don't travel well in take home only 10 mins away so I don't get them any more. Friendly folks and not afraid to hide the cooks/kitchen. Standard strip mall style seating/tables inside, but always clean. I highly recommend for good Indian food without a lot of fanfare.
(5)Chris C.
The chicken biryani was good, samosas good, the butter chicken was just ok (and a very small portion for $11), the gulab jamun completely a soggy mush. I ordered on the phone and asked specifically for extra mint chutney to go with our 3 entrees and two orders of naan, but they gave me just one itsy bitsy teeny weeny little plastic cup of it, which is very annoying because I like to eat it on EVERYTHING! I think I'd go again but not sure because the portions seemed a little stingy for the price.
(2)Amar B.
Quick with great service! Definitely recommend the Samosa and Chicken Tikka with some Garlic naan. Samosa was perfect! Chicken was moist and the food always tastes fresh.
(5)Sam A.
Mediocre food. They lose phone orders, then I end up waiting for sometime when I get there to pick up the food. And they don't even apologize for their mistakes!
(2)Vedanta B.
Awesome wraps, I would have it again any day.
(5)Integrus I.
My go-to place when I have a craving for Indian.
(5)E L.
Was my second chance dinner here last night. This time was no different than my last visit.. Packed place with never ending stream of people but very bland food, no spice, no life in the food. Service was quick and helpful but will be my last trip here. Sorry to say that all the indian places in south San Jose lack flavor and originality. Back to Sunnyvale and mountain view for fd closer to the homeland.
(2)Sofia N.
I love this place. They're super fast, good price, and the food is always delicious. Staff is friendly as well.
(5)Karthik S.
Nice place to get some Indian food. As usual the spices are a little over the top but for once in a while situation they are definitely way better than many India restaurants in the area. Their samosa's are nice and the Kulfi too.
(4)Melany R.
Came here on a whim. I've always noticed this place but never have I actually eaten here. There was a wait at Thai Grata so we decided to walk around and see what else they had in the plaza and ended up at Chaat Cafe. You order first then pick a table. Gets busy around lunch/dinner time. The chicken pesto naan is a must. It was freshly made and is good enough for 2 maybe 3 people. The butter chicken was also really good although there was much more broth than chicken. I'd definitely come back here.
(5)Nivedhitha V.
The place is decent. We had chikken tikka masala and garlic naan. The tikka masala was more like tomato soup with chicken in it. We were a bit disappointed but all the curries in Indian restaurants here were more or less in this consistency and taste. So, atleast the price was good! Definitely not an authentic indian place. The flavour and spiciness has been mellowed down to a great extent. We also had sweet lassi which was not sweet at all. But since the day on which we went was pretty sunny and we were a bit parched, we drank up the lassi quick. It's ok. Not too bad, not great.
(3)Sabrina P.
Okay, "Roger K." you should probably relax. Someone could have put the wallet in the back in a drawer or something and left for the day. Or maybe the employees were too busy and didn't check the back? I've known the owners for years, as I used to work here a few years back, and I'm pretty sure no one was trying to steal your wallet. Anyways, BEST Indian Food in San Jose, guaranteed. I started working here in 2005 and the managers had me try every single item on the menu. I've tried other Indian Restaurants and to my surprise the others didn't even compare to Chaat Cafe! Try the Butter Chicken with a Mango Lassi! Amazing....
(5)Tony E.
Good place. I like the Chicken wrap.
(5)Dzang T.
Quick with great service! Definitely recommend the Samosa and Butter Chicken with some Garlic nan. Samosa was perfect! Chicken was moist and Garlic was done right!
(4)Abhi P.
101 for wraps - they needs to be wrapped in a foil even when having it "here"- it's very difficult to hold, nevertheless keeping my struggle aside, the wrap itself was delicious,light and plentiful. Ordered the chicken tandoori wrap with side of baked potato. Loved it
(4)Tonya M.
Service was fastest I have ever seen. Good was out in less than 5 minutes. Awesome food, chicken tikka masala, samosa's and Palak paneer was perfect and spicy like I asked. We will be back. Very authentic. I felt like I was India. (Love it there) Very street food like. Perfectly done, to the owners. :)
(5)Jenny O.
My bestie and I were quite the hungry girls after a few hours of shopping at Oakridge (awesome mall btw) and were in need of food, FAST. Busted out our Iphones and used the handy dandy Yelp app and found this gem in a plaza nearby. We were going to order separate meals, but then we saw this bangin' dinner deal for.... Wait for it..... Oh, I'll just tell you at the end of the review. It came with the following: 1 Appetizer: We picked the Samosas (order of 4) which were huge! They were perfectly golden and crispy on the outside, warm and mushy on the inside and just plain delicious. I could totally go for one right now. They also had 2 types of sauces that complimented the Samosas nicely. 2 Curries: We picked the Chicken Tiki Masala and the Paneer Tiki Masala. The Paneer was goodddd. I was happy that it came with plenty of cheesy cubes. Next time I'm going to come with sweet potato fries and pour that curry all over..MMMM!! The chicken was also pretty good as well, not overly dry like how it is at some other places. 4 Pieces of Naan: We traded it for Garlic Naan for I think a buck fifty more. I think I could eat this stuff all day. No joke. 1 cucumber salad: I kinda wish we had the leafy salad, but this provided a nice balance to the hot and semi-spicy meal. 3 other random curries with different types of lentils and beans in them, not bad, but not something I'd order alone. 1 heaping plate of Jasmine rice. Alright, now onto the good part...all this food (see pic) costed us a total of about $32, this included a watered down ice tea too! I think the deal itself might have been labeled as $25.99 or something. Worth it or what?? We both also got to bring home leftovers. That's right, leftovers. And girlllllllllllll, I can eat. The word "leftovers" doesn't even exist in my vocabulary. So 5 stars goes to the massive amount of food, the affordability, and the quick service.
(5)Jas B.
I like the veggie wraps here with cucumber, they are very tasty. The chana bhatura is also a winner, it is near $6, a little pricey but nice for a change of pace, once in a while. The rest of the menu is good, saag paneer, aloo gobi, veggie of the day. Service is normally friendly and they get your order right the first time 4 stars
(4)Catalina R.
the chicken wraps and rolls are delicious. Samosas are also great. it is open late and I've seen the have lunch specials during the week They also sell indian vegan ice cream, Mango and pistachio are delicious
(4)Chris C.
I've been on a Naan N Curry tear recently so when I found that Chaat Cafe was near my office, I had to pounce. I had the Chicken curry with Naan and another order of Garlic Naan (You can never get enough, can you?) and was very satisfied with the taste. Service was also very friendly and helpful. My only real gripe is that it's slightly more expensive than Naan N Curry for about half the amount of curry. While that's a little disheartening, I still like the convenience of Chaat Cafe and will definitely be back for my curry and naan fix.
(3)David F.
After trying a chicken "burrito" the other day at another indian restaurant and being less than satisfied I had to give Chaat's chicken wrap a try. Wow! The spices are perfect and the heat is just right (I love spicy). The naan is superb! Light, chewy, and crispy in all the right places. Glad I stopped in today and I cant wait to try their other menu items. Excellent service as well.
(5)Sir T.
Delicioso, definitely. Good bites at nice prices. Ambiance: Very clean place. Has a refreshing vibe to it. It's like your hole-in-the-wall restaurant without the holes! Favorite: Aloo Naan, a potato-filled naan that comes with raitha. For about $3, the size of this beaut can easily serve as a lunch itself. Good. Only thing that got me was that the waiter was sassy. My aunty just asked what was in the vegetable wrap, and the guy just snapped back, "vegetables!" and laughed. ... but otherwise, a good, good place. nomz.
(4)Daisy L.
My favorite was Vindaloo curry with chicken. Friendly staff, and good food. What more can I expect from a restaurant? And the dinner portion is a lot of food.
(4)Vimal Chandra G.
This place is good and has lots of varieties to taste. Specially the chicken curry was very yummy and the biryani was ok. The service is excellent here and the cleanliness is also good.
(3)Jenny L.
I came here for the first time today with my family, a co worker of mine told me about this place, excellent food. It was all very tasty. I did yelp this place before I came in but it was very clean, and we had chicken tikka veggie and soamosa and chicken curry and the Naan was very good, it all hit the spot, wasnt too spicy or bland.
(5)Amber M.
Really wish I could leave zero stars. I decided to try a few different things off of the menu. I went up to the counter, ordered my items, and paid with my credit card, including a tip, since I would be dining in. The employee told me that that I had ordered too much food for myself and decided to send it to my table in to go containers and then handed me a plate, no silverware. I had to open up all of us to go containers and make a plate for myself at the restaurant. I had to get up and find my own fork and could not get the attention of an employee to even get a cup of water. When I eventually got to try the food, it was a complete disappointment. The flavors fell flat and there was nothing that stood out. The chicken tikka masala was bland and the saag paneer was watery. Won't return :(
(1)Jennifer C.
This is one of my favorite lunch spots. You can't beat their $5 chicken wraps with a side of cucumber salad or spicy potato salad. It is a naan wrap chock full of tandoori chicken with some cucumber salad and green chutney. They do not skimp on the meat here. I'm not a big fan of the accompanying sides though. However, I appreciate that when I order this item to go, they do give me extra sauces :). The brown sauce is a bit sweet while the green sauce is more herb-y and similar to the sauce inside the wrap (if not the same). My favorite a la carte item is butter chicken with a side of naan. It's perfectly spiced and oh so juicy :). Their mango lasse is pretty good as well. The samosas are okay, but they're vegetarian (potatoes and peas). However, they're practically a meal themselves instead of just an appetizer. For a little over $4, you get two large crispy samosas and a side of garbanzo beans. The service is fast, but you have to get your own utensils, napkins, side sauces, and non iced water from the front counter. It's a solid four stars.
(4)Soujanya K.
The good thing was that the service was lightning quick. However, food was disappointingly average considering the very good ratings. Papdi chat was a shoddy job - had no sauces other than yogurt; no onions, tomatoes, sev etc. Bhatura was dripping oil, but chole tasted pretty decent. All in all, it was meh.
(3)April S.
So I came here last Saturday to get some food to go. I ordered the chicken tikka masala, saag paneer and tandoori chicken platter. The nice thing about the tandoori chicken was that it came with naan and basmati rice while the other two I had to choose between the two. My advice, get the naan, unless you really love rice. This one is alright but the naan is better. The whole order came out to be around 30 bucks. Not bad for three orders and the wait time for my food was very short which was super awesome. But when I brought the food home, I was surprised to see such little food. Over half the tandoori chicken dish was rice and only about 5 little nuggets of chicken. The cucumber salad was delicious, but I wish there was more. And the saag paneer and chicken tikka masala were stuffed into two small containers. But overall the food was good and it ended up being just enough for my family lunch. Although I love this place, I think you'll get more bang for your buck actually eating at the restaurant. They're just lucky that I love their food so much. And I hope you like Bollywood movies, because that is all they play there, but so does every other Indian restaurant :0) Also, they have a PDF file of their menu on their website!
(4)Vik S.
Its okay. You won't leave this place saying " That was the best ___ ever!" or "Wow, that was awesome". You will satisfy your hunger pangs at a decent price. The Chicken Tikka plate (bonless breast pieces, salad, daal, rice) was my choice and the chicken and daal part was really well done. The salad was Salt with a hint of cucumber, do not want..... The chaats are good enough but hell you can make that stuff yourself at home with one trip to the Indian grocery store and a stroll down a produce aisle.
(3)Leslie J.
I come here for the desi chicken wrap. I ask them to put more coriander in it to add spice. It comes w a cucumber or potato salad for 7.95$ Spicy and tasty. I just wish they had an option if a thinner wrap like a flaky kati roll. They use a thick roti bread. The hubby orders a chole bature (beans w a puffed up bread). Not as good as I can make it but not bad for a 5$ lunch special. Dont expect smiley happy service they all look like they dont want to be there but who cares its a cheap eat.... get in my BellAy!!!
(4)Isa T.
This place is a nice looking clean Indian fast food place. The food is rather average. I didn't care for it too much and have seen much better chaat places. We had the Aloo Tiki (couldn't finish it - tried hard, but just couldn't), the Paneer Wrap sounded interesting, but was nothing to remember :( I might give it another try just to see, but not sure so far...
(2)Cindy C.
The lady at the counter was nice, even though she had to stop us mid-sentence while taking our order so she could deliver some food to a table. If I owned the place, I might think about hiring another person to help out. The food is totally mediocre - the tandoori definitely sub-par. . The papdi chaat was good. I poured a ton more tamarind and mint sauce over it for more flavor. The garlic naan was pretty good. The butter chicken was nowhere near as good as Rongoli or Amber, but my son always orders it here--he seems to like it though not as much as Rongoli's. The tandoori chicken was dry as a bone. Don't order tandoori here. Totally disappointing. The kulfi was freezer burned. The mango lassi and the chaat were the best things we had. I wouldn't discount this place if I were in the mood for chaat and a mango lassi, but I would skip the entrees for sure.
(3)Isaac L.
2 bucks for a bowl of rice is a jip.
(3)Jon J.
Pretty good fast/street food type of place that gives pretty generous portions for a reasonable price. The lamb biriyani is a particular favorite of mine. I try get an order of it every time, even if I end up eating it a later meal. The only thing I recommend is to check your order if you take-out. My take-out orders have been messed up several times, and not just too few napkins or a missing straw -- missing or wrong food items. So, while I would recommend the food at Chaat Cafe, just make sure you're getting the right order before you find out too late at home.
(3)brian b.
I became addicted to samosa's when I was working with a primarily Indian population. At every function someone would bring samosa's. When I no longer worked with this group of people I really began to miss this delicious deep fried potato treat. One day when I was at my local shopping center I noticed Chaat Cafe and saw that they had samosa's. I had to get some right away. I ordered the samosa appitizer which is two samosa's with a side of choolay (not sure if that is spelled correctly) I had never had choolay before but tried it. It is made with chick peas, spicy seasonings and topped with cilantro and onions. I immediately fell in love with this too its the perfect compliment to the samosa. I like to break apart my samosa and mix it in the choolay. This is the only item I ever eat when I come here. Why stray from something that you love so dearly? The place is always clean and the staff is always friendly. There is also a tv with entertaining bollywood videos on every time I've been. Thank you chaat cafe for having samosa's to feed my addiction.
(5)Gunjan M.
I got them to cater for my son's birthday party. It was for 100 people and the food and the service, both were excellent. They individually wrapped teh chicken tikka masala wraps, paneer wraps and seekh kabab wraps. And they were well done, hot and fresh. I also order the Aloo Tikkis and Cholley and both were excellent as well. I would definitely recommend this place!
(5)Fireholster S.
Had chicken tikka plate for lunch today.. Good taste..good price..ok quality.. Really liked it.. Suggestion: the rice and the daal you guys serve is the only thumbs down..you can charge more and try to improve it
(4)James S.
Absolutely delicious naan and curry. The atmosphere is nice and clean but it does feel like your in a fastfood stripmall. Still it doesn't disappoint. Will def be back. The Taj beer is surprisingly good.
(5)Hoa Q.
I'm not a big fan of Indian food--well, except for bhaturas--so I was very pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed the food here so much. My family shared the Family Dinner for $27.99, which was supposed to be only for about two to four people but was more than enough for the six of us. We enjoyed the Samosas, Chicken Tikka Masala, Butter Chicken Curry, Naan, Bhatura, and Lamb Boti Wrap. The food was not oily, and the flavors were just right: Not too well seasoned but not at all bland. The service as also very fast. Almost as soon as we had just gotten comfortable at our table after self-serving ourselves utensils and beverages, the food started coming out. Great food, and a great place to go if you don't have a lot of time for lunch.
(4)Amanda D.
I didn't know what to expect from this place, but wow I was blown away. Staff was friendly, ordering was easy, and the food was SOOO GOOD! I love Indian food, and this place really stood out to me. PLUS we got there during the dinner rush, and there were a lot of Indian families who came in to eat, which is always a testament to how good the place is for me :)
(5)SITANSHU G.
Good papdi chaat. Good seekh kebab. Good butter chicken. Awesome tandoori platter aka mixed grill. Good stuffed naan. Service not so good.
(4)Jessica A.
Mms! Cheap and fast Indian food. My fiancé love coming here ow to get our Indian food fix. The food is cooked to order and comes out hot! It's very affordable. I love their chicken tikka masala, garlic naan and their wraps!
(4)Peaches P.
I absolutely love coming to this place. Their Butter Chicken Curry is BALLIN'. And their Chicken Wrap is a beautiful thing. I LOVE CHAAT CAFE. I literally go here every week. They know me pretty well. Love y'all.
(4)Parth P.
if you are a frequent and you haven't had their biryanis than you missing out.
(4)Jennifer N.
The restaurant is so spacious! My first time stepping in here went beyond my expectations for Indian restaurants! I really love the seating, the rekaxing atmosphere and the big tables. I came here for dinner one day when I was in the Blossom Hill area, and ordered a side of samosas, butter chicken and chicken tikka masala. The food's pretty inexpensive and the flavors were right on! It was delicious. The samosas were a total hit. They were spicy, and flavorful and had a nice bite.
(5)Chaka H.
One recommendation: Chicken Tikka Masala Roll !!! This is a quaint space, situated in a plaza with many other shops/ grocery stores. I gave them 4 instead of 5 because the side of potato salad is less than appetizing. Other than that, service was polite and relatively quick, the place seemed clean and there are usually many patrons eating there. I consider this an excellent choice for a quick stop for some good curry/ chicken tikka masala... but you can definitely find better! :)
(4)Ryan G.
Mediocre Indian fast food at reasonable prices. A decent place to satisfy your Indian food craving without breaking the bank or traveling far. My husband and I tried Chaat Cafe after finding it on Yelp. Chaat Cafe is a seat-yourself restaurant with an acceptably diverse menu. My husband and I both ordered a dinner, which consisted of a meat dish, rice, eggplant, naan, and a cucumber salad. Both meat dishes (chicken masala and tandoori chicken) were decently spicy, the the meat quality was lacking. The additional sides made a filling meal. The naan was delicious when it first hit the table warm and moist, but soon turned chewy and less satisfying. Service was fast. Once we ordered and took a seat, our meal was delivered to the table within 10 minutes. Dirty plates were cleared away promptly. Overall, a decent Indian fast food restaurant, but not the best. Chaat Cafe will satisfy, but not wow.
(3)Zain A.
Best papri chaat I have ever had and chicken tikka masala rolls are so good and give you a lot of good for what you pay for.
(5)Sandra C.
I absolutely ADORE this place. I've been probably 6-7 times after being introduced by my brother & his lovely girlfriend :) Super friendly staff, quick service and EXCELLENT flavors & food. I like the fact also that they're family owned & operated, use all Halal, free range & organic meats. Chaat Cafe Family Dinners $24.99 - Awesome Deal! * Samosas - HUGE & decent flavor * Papri Chaat - OMG I'm so glad I took a chance on something I knew nothing about ... ammmmaaaazing! * Paneer Pakora - Indian Cheesestick but in cube form & super deeelish with the mint dipping sauce. * Paneer & Chicken Tikka Masala - Both are super tasty * Butter Chicken & Naan - DUH! * Spicy Seekh Kabob Wrap - My bro's fave! * Desi Chicken Wrap - Aly's fave ... all the wraps are awesome! There are lots more things I am dying to try, the hard part is going to be peeling me apart from my established faves! Thank You Chaat Cafe!
(5)Sabrina S.
Tasty, but expensive. Unlike the disaster that was Tandoori Oven, this place has kept up the quality of the ingredients and service. Very basic facility. Not great or fancy, but good fast-food style food. Staff provide good service and do their best to keep up with the demands of the customers. The chai, however, has the McDonalds' syndrome: so hot that you have to wait 20 minutes before it can be sipped, and another 20 before it can be drunk. Good variety of dishes, complete with many vegetarian options, and excellent chicken pakoras.
(3)Jesse S.
I had the chicken saag with naan and roti. The saag was good but a little on the bland side. It had no salt and I had to add around 1/2 tsp of salt to make it taste good. It didn't have any hot-spice which is disappointing. The portion size of the saag was tiny, maybe 1-cup worth.
(4)Padma S.
It was my first time and really liked thé food. Simple place, quite ambiance. Liked it. Will go again
(4)LaRa K.
Falls short. Go to sunnyvale/Santa Clara if you are looking for good authentic indian.
(3)Jigna M.
Ordered chhole bhatura, rice and paneer and indian tea. Bhatura was extremely oily. Neither chhole nor paneer had any flavor. Tea was tasteless too.
(2)Tony L.
Pretty Darn Good. I've tried most of their menu at this point and I've never had anything thing I didn't like. Food is consistently done with care. And the Tamarind Sauce they leave out is amazing. Garlic Naan is amazing and goes well with just about anything.
(4)Zlatko B.
Tandoori Chicken Wrap is the best at Chaat Cafe. My friend introduced me to this place a couple of years ago and I've never been dissapointed when I go here. The food is extremely fresh, the restaurant is clean; no complaints. This place actually led me to try more indian food :). The service is fast, but they do get busy during lunch. Also they have a lunch special that's worth trying.
(5)Matt R.
I absolutely LOVE THIS PLACE. the authentic great food is the best part. Highly recommend it. Not a fancy high end place. Casual with fast service. Go here for some good food. Great lunch or dinner.
(5)Dusty S.
This is A Cool Place To Come With Your Friends and Grab A Quick Bite (Maybe even an informal date). The Food is Good and Relatively Affordable. I Find Chaat Cafe interesting in the sense that it doesn't give me the vibe of a cliche Indian Restaurant with the Lunch Buffet. If you decide to come try this place out I personally recommend trying out one of their wraps, especially if it is your first time
(3)Preeti G.
If you're looking for food that's authentic north Indian look no further. Not only are their items reminiscent of the taste of foods one gets to sample on trips to Delhi and north India but the variety is amazing! Their tandoori chicken is succulent and tender. It is not coated in a heap of red paste. Their paneer tandoori is equally delicious. And their desi wraps are phenomenal. The chat is passable. My son loves their channa bhutare. We have yet to try many other items but are looking forward to doing that. The rates are very reasonable and the ambiance is simple yet pleasing. My favorite find in San Jose!!
(5)Denise R.
This was my cousin's and I first time here, we ordered: - Cholay Bhature; which were tasty, yet spicy. - Fried Bhature's; very good. - Butter chicken; curry tasted very much like tomato and had very little spice. The chicken was dry as well. Chi tea; needed all the fixings. Mango Lassi; refreshing yet, could have been sweeter. Plain naan; tasted like a puffy cracker, no butter very plain. The sauces/curries for chickpeas and butter chicken were watery. And there was too much bread. (2 naan and 2 bhature) alongside a small serving of cholay and butter chicken. We didn't receive rice as ordered and indicated on menu. A well lit and busy cafe with an atmosphere that was was clean and comfortable. I will only return to have the fried bhature's and mango lassi, otherwise I'd rather enjoy food elsewhere.
(1)J S.
I want to begin by saying that this review is in no way a reflection of the food. The food is always fresh and very tasty. This review has been a long time coming for the customer service of the female cashier Jeswinder. Ever since I've been coming here for the past few years, all the employees have been very sweet, helpful, and kind. Unfortunately I can't say the same for Jeswinder. From day one, whenever I call in for a food order, she consistently cuts me off mid sentence and I end up coming home with the wrong order. This hasn't happened once, but too MANY times to count. On top of that, she always behaves like she has no patience for me, whether the restaurant is busy or not. Her attitude towards me has always been as if I'm bothering her or imposing on her time.... And when I called in today for a to-go order (again getting cut off on the phone by her), and my husband coming home with the wrong order AGAIN and getting charged for a full order when I asked for a half order, with the wrong item) you can only imagine my frustration with this consistent issue with this employee. I decided to go to the restaurant and address this issue because I can no longer accept her negative behavior, who pays little attention to her customers. When I mentioned all the things I'm stating on Yelp to her, she didn't apologize for her behavior and instead tried to defend herself by saying that she's busy. My family has owned restaurants for all of my life and I'm very aware of what being busy entails. But does that give you the right to always cut me off and have no patience with me? (By nature, I'm super easy going and can't stand drama but bad behavior from anyone, especially when you're giving them business doesn't feel good.) After I addressed her behavior and lack of customer service, I asked the other very sweet and genuine employee to help me. While the other friendly cashier was helping me, I noticed an older man, tall cook in the back kitchen wearing white giving me the most unprofessional dirty looks. I've never seen a more disturbing look on anyone's face before. This is for the owner. Dear sir, your food is FABULOUS and I want to keep coming back. But how can I when half the service is wonderful, with a few unfortunate and unprofessional ones?
(1)Katharine A.
I got something different than I ordered here. I ordered a Chicken Tikki Masala Wrap with Paneer and only got the Chicken. However, I was hungry and craving Indian so I didn't make a fuss. It was good, not great. I liked the sauces available on the counter. I'd come back if I was in the area, but would not go out of my way.
(2)sanj k.
Been here a whole bunch of times... food was always so-so, but always thought it was Indian fast food at a decent price. Went there yesterday and had the worst experience with their customer service (do they really think they are still in India where customer service is non-existent?). The guy almost yelled at me for wanting to substitute naan for rice and not understanding why they should charge me more for that (I always thought they made the food to order, and substitutions have always been no big deal). They did make substitution, but charged me 50cents for the privilege. Daer Chaat Cafe - I understand that you do not like to substitute, but if it is not that big a deal, why not do it? Please look up the words customer service - you will notice that being mean to a customer is not in there. Like I told you when I left, with so many choices in the area, I don't need this. Methinks I will never be back.
(1)Vicky C.
I was craving for Indian food and I had my heart set on going to Taj Palace but... they close in the afternoon! I hate that. So I came on yelp to look for some places near my house and I came across Chaat Cafe and behold... really close to my house! It's located right across the street from Oakridge in the same plaza as Jamba Juice, Starbucks, Luckys, etc. When we walked into Chaat Cafe I was pretty surprised at how nice it looks inside. We went in the late afternoon so there was no line, we ordered the Chicken Curry with naan and the Chicken tikka masala with naan. Our food came out in about 10 minutes or so, which I don't mind cause it came out fresh! The curries were eh, nothing out of this world- I've had better, but my boyfriend really liked the curries here over other places. What I really liked was the naan, it was perfect! It wasn't too thin, I love my naan nice and thick and they didn't burn it either like other places usually do. It kind of bothered me how the workers didn't clean the tables after someone left. When we walked in I already saw two tables with plates of food left on the table and when we finished eating and left those plates were still there. Isn't that some sort of health code violation?
(3)Gio G.
I can't believe some of these reviews I've read. The aim for Chaat Cafe is not to be authentic as much as it's meant to bridge the gap between american simplicity and Indian Cuisine. Their wraps are good! I used to frequent the Fremont location and I stumbled across the San Jose spot on a lunch break at another eatery. Today I finally made a stop here to eat. My personal favorite is the Boti (spicy Lamb) wrap and I LOVE their cucumber salad. However, the Lamb was a bit saltier than I remembered at the Fremont location. Their service was a little on the slow side, but it was 4pm, so I'm sure they weren't as staffed as they would be during lunch/dinner hours. I'd definately go back here and hope that the last Boti batch wasjust saltier than usual. If so, and I get my food faster than I did today, than I would add another star to this review. I would recommend this place to those who haven't tried Indian food and are not accustomed to curry and spices. This would be a great intro in the the wonderful world of Indian Cuisine.
(3)