Probably the most overrated/overhyped Indian restaurant in the Bay Area. The food here is non edible. Everything tastes old. We got one thali and one mix egg kulcha and chole. The thali came with 2 laccha paratha pieces and 2 naan pieces which were fine. The daal makhani felt like the cream had gone bad in it. The paneer was just mixed with some orange water (the gravy was non existent since it was just watered down). And the mix veg was floating in oil. The pindi chole was extremely spicy. Gave us heartburn in a few minutes. This whole meal was uncomfortable. Never again. If you must eat here, you can try the chole kulcha and nothing else. But be prepared for it to be extremely spicy. It's also not a clean restaurant. The floors were sticky. The bathrooms were dirty with flies flying inside. read more

As someone who grew up in Delhi and has eaten countless plates of authentic chole bhature, I was genuinely excited to see Bikanervala open in the Bay Area. Unfortunately, the experience was extremely disappointing. We ordered chole bhature along with items like aloo tikki and kachori, expecting fresh food. Instead, almost everything tasted like it had been reheated in a microwave. The aloo tikki lacked crispness, the kachori felt stale, and the overall freshness was missing. The biggest disappointment was the chole. They tasted old and stale, lacking the rich flavor, aroma, and freshness that Bikanervala is known for in India. The bhature were average at best and certainly did not justify the premium pricing. As a Delhiite, I understand authentic North Indian street food may be difficult to replicate perfectly, but freshness should be the minimum expectation. Sadly, this felt more like reheated cafeteria food than the Bikanervala experience I was hoping for. I really wanted to like this place, but based on this visit, I left disappointed and would hesitate to return. Didn't keep the bill but attaching the Credit Card Charge. read more

Bikanervala - Credit card Charge for the Bikanervala SF - Indian Near Me - Fremont, California

I'd give this place 3.5 stars if I could but in the absence of half stars, taking it down to 3. Counter service - check the menu and order. Once ready your number is called out so keep your receipt for your order number. Ambiance is casual and average noise levels for an Indian restaurant. Chhole Bhature (1 pc) - the marquee item on their menu deserves at least 4.5 out of 5 stars! The right blend of spices and not too spicy either. The item loses half a star because the quantity is too little for even one bhatura. Plus a slice of lemon with the chopped onions would be nice. Medu Vada - (2/5) avoid if you can. Made the mistake of ordering a South India dish at a North Indian restaurant, but never doing that again. While the Sambhar was nice, the medu vadas just did not cut it for me. Had to toss into trash half eaten. Paneer Butter Masala (2/5) - another downer as the dish was too spicy to handle. Pyaaj Kachori (3/5) - served with sweet and green chutneys but serving as chaat and serving them warm would have worked better. Taste wise, a bit spicy but fairly authentic Beverages (3/5) we ordered Fresh Lime Soda, Jaljeera and Mango Lassi and they were all average. read more

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Good place to hangout with friends and family members who prefer vegetarian-only places. Good ambience, feels like I stepped into a sweet and snack store in India. Friendly staff and quick service. The food tastes good - wish the portion sizes were a little bigger. Had to order a couple of extra snacks just to satisfy my hunger! The sweets taste good and are packaged neatly - I often come by to grab some sweets when visiting my sweet tooth friends! read more

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We enjoyed Bikanervala, it's like an Indian street food vibe which is nice for a more casual setting. We got hot chaat, the aloo tikki chole chaat and the methi matar with roti, both were good. The chaat was on the spicier side but the flavors were nice. I really liked the roti. The gulab jamun was very nice and had a good amount of sweetness! Service is pretty fast even though it gets crowded! read more

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I'm reviewing this purely on value for money, and honestly, it was disappointing. The chhole bhature costs 13.99 and comes with 2 bhature and a very small portion of chhole. This was a pickup order, and when I served it at home, I actually measured it out. You get roughly 3 spoonfuls of chhole per bhatura. That's barely enough to cover half of one. I ended up eating half a bhatura with my portion of chhole, and the rest just sat there because who eats plain bhatura by itself? It felt wasteful and poorly portioned. The chai was 2.99 for a small cup, which I wouldn't mind paying, except it wasn't even filled properly. It was about three-quarters full when I opened it at home. At that price, the least you can do is fill the cup. I don't mind paying for good food. But when the portions don't match the price, it's a turn off. For what you're paying, the quantity just doesn't justify the cost. Leaving this at 2-stars because the food is not totally bad. read more

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Decent space with good seating space, regular ambiance, nothing great this place gets super crowded during the evenings, we had to wait 10+ mins to place the order, it's self service. Food came quickly, we tried Pav Bhaji : below average tasted more like tomato puree Chloe : decent Sandwich : highlight of our visit, very tasty read more

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Went here for the first time and decided to order some basic items to test the place out, chole bhature, aloo puri, and sev puri. I actually meant to order dahi puri but didn't realize until later. The sev puri was quite dry and didn't have the usual chutneys, which was disappointing. The aloo puri was about a 4/10 for me, it just didn't settle well on my palate. The only dish I somewhat enjoyed was the chole bhature. It was okay, not the best I've had, but tolerable. I totally agree with other reviews. If you're very hungry and just looking for something filling, this place will do the job. But if you're going out for a flavorful, enjoyable dinner experience, I probably wouldn't choose this spot. On a positive note, the restaurant itself was very clean, the staff was nice, and they have a large selection of sweets (which I didn't get a chance to try). read more

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Bikanervala is a chain from Delhi, offering sweets, chaats, breads, and North Indian vegetarian curries. Their most iconic item was the Raj Kachori, an oversized puri (crispy hollow shell) filled with diced potatoes, chickpeas, moong dal, and tamarind water, topped with a bhalla (lentil flour fritter), all doused in a sweet, creamy yogurt and topped with crunchy sev and tamarind & mint chutneys. The impressive looking chaat was cool, creamy, sweet, savory, and spicy all at once, but the real highlight was the presentation. Even more delicious than the chaat was the Deluxe Thali, which came with laccha paratha, tandoori naan, boondi raita, onion/cucumber, pickle, rice, a semolina sweet, and a choice of three mains: a dal, a vegetable, and a paneer dish. I had the chole, a chickpea curry made with a dark spice mixture; the palak kofta, spinach dumplings in a pureed spinach curry; and my favorite, the paneer makhani, made of paneer cubes in a creamy tomato curry. Each of these was perfect for dipping with the flatbreads, and my favorite was definitely the soft, crispy, layered laccha paratha! Overall, the food here was delicious and on point--everything came at a great value in a quick, clean counter-service setting. read more

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Went on a Saturday. Ample parking space around. The place was packed. Liked the decor on the wall depicting the timeline It was self service. You order at the counter and you pick up the food once they announce your number. Got the pain puri which had an option to upgrade to suji pooris. Tasted amazing! Also got the pyaz kachori- this could be better. The filling was slightly dry The chhole Bhature were the highlight. Perfectly puffed up Bhature and really tasty chhole. Also got the the thali which came with mix veg, paneer butter masala and dal makhani, raita and achar. It also comes with 1 laccha paratha and 1 naan. They didn't have galea but replaced it with a peda. I wish they let us pick our own dessert Also ordered the masala soda but unfortunately they don't have ice Got a bunch of sweets to go as well read more

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The restaurant has a good variety of Indian street food , snacks and entree type dishes. They also have a variety of Indian sweets The seating area is big and was pretty clean. Tried the Pav Bhaji and Raj Kachori. The taste was decent, but not memorable enough to make me want to come back. The dish prices are reasonable , and hence can be a good option if someone lives close by. May come back to try some other dishes. read more

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The food here is average overall. There are plenty of other spots that do specific items much better, sandwiches at Anapoorna, raj kachori at Garam Mirchi, and burgers at Urban Kitchen, for example. The main advantage of this place is the variety; it works well for groups or families where everyone wants something different. I'm a bit surprised it gets as crowded as it does at times. That said, the sweets are excellent and probably the main reason I keep coming back, definitely my go-to spot for Indian sweets. read more

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Some items were really great - blew it out of the park. Some were meh. We tried a bunch of items togo. Shocked at how neatly everything was packed, but a lot of single use plastic made us sad. Khandvi - 2/5, a bit too sweet and oily. Not like the ones I'm used to eating in Mumbai Chole bhature - 5/5, best chole in the bay. Tangy, flavorful, rich - ghee aromatics paired with raw onion was really something else Mix veg paratha - 4/5 tasty but reminded me of haldiram frozen paratha. Thali - 4/5 - while gravies are tiny in portion, this was a great way to sample everything. Loved the chaap curry and Rajma , but the paneer kadai was .. meh. Overall will be back to try more stuff, and get the iconic chole again. Hope they don't change the chefs read more

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I recently visited this Indian restaurant and was blown away by chaat, paratha and Indian dessert variety dishes. The kachori chaat dish is must try. Fresh, tangy and just the right balance of flavors. Mango lassi was thick, creamy and refreshing. Paratha was soft and buttery. Everything was absolutely delicious. Just a note - this restaurant is super crowded on weekends. If you are hungry please order online or else need to stand in longer queues read more

Bikanervala - Mix veg paratha - Indian Near Me - Fremont, California

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Online pickup order - Sunday evening Items: Raj Kachori Chaat, Onion Kulcha with a side of Chole, and Paneer Paratha with a side of Dal Makhani. The place was bustling, and the pickup process felt disorganized--no clear system or designated spot, with people moving around. Management could definitely improve this. On the positive side, the staff was friendly, asked us to wait five minutes, and even explained which bag had which items when handing over the order. Food: Raj Kachori Chaat - The shell was old and chewy instead of fresh and crisp. The filling of potato, moong, and chana topped with yogurt and chutneys was decent and flavorful, but overall the chaat was let down by the soggy shell. Paneer Paratha with Dal Makhani (side $3) - The paratha was oily, made with maida instead of wheat, and the paneer filling lacked taste. It was soggy and heavy with oil. The dal makhani portion was very small for the price and lacked depth of flavor. Definitely not enjoyable. Onion Kulcha with Chole - Portion size was again very small for the price. The kulcha was extremely oily and soggy, though the stuffing was spicy. Chole was just okay. Overall: Portions are too small for the price, food is oily and lacks flavor. Unfortunately, not worth it--I don't think I'll be coming back. read more

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We visited the newly opened Bikanerwala, and it was definitely bustling with a big crowd. Despite that, the service was impressively quick, which was a nice surprise. We tried quite a few dishes - Chole Bhature, Pav Bhaji, Paneer Tikka Platter with Naan and Dal Makhani, and Dahi Bhalla. Out of everything, the Chole Bhature and Dal Makhani stood out the most - the taste was very close to how we enjoy it back in India, which made it feel extra special. The Dahi Bhalla was another favorite - soft and fluffy! Apart from the food, we picked up a variety of sweets, and everything looked fresh and inviting. Prices are decent for the quality, and the staff handled the crowd well while staying polite and attentive. Overall, a really good addition. We will definitely return back! read more

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Over the weekend, checking out another on checklist in Fremont area for Indian cuisine. This is a popular global franchise originating from India since 1904, and opened in USA back in 2017 and in Bay Area just last year. Lots of foot traffic Saturday evening to enjoy the "chat" dishes as well as dinner entrees. Did a quick glance to photos menu and actual dishes being served on tables and decided to order - chole batura, bhel puri, raj kachori n hot tea. All items were fresh and tasty, especially with "raj kachori" which seemed like local favorite. A signature item - large crisp shell stuffed spiced potato, moong beans, topped with yogurt, pomegranate seeds and variety of chutneys..it was yummy! The bhel dish was over tangy and wifey returned it back. They quickly made another plate which was much balanced in taste. Since it's 6 months old, spoke to one of the guys there to re-arrange the layout..as there was unnecessary cross traffic, they said they are still figuring out the dining layout..as water is placed one corner, napkins placed right in center. Hope they figure that out, for ease of incoming traffic and seating. Food quality is on the spot- will come back to check few other items......oh they do have Indian sweets/ saviories section. Got a sweet box of Bengali sweets(rasmalai, chamcham,etc) which was delicious too (Rangoli is still our go to). read more

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What a nice place. We went here on the weekend twice and it was too crowded so we had to go somewhere else. However weekday afternoon worked out for us and we came here for the lunch. It was still full but there was place to sit. Sweets are too good!! Chaat too. I loved Dahi Vada here... The texture was spot on!! A lot of other dishes (pavbhaji, sandwich) were unavailable when I asked so I tried aloo and Kachori. Very nice taste. Staff is friendly here,it's a self service place. Food did take some time but was worth it. read more

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Went at around 2pm on a Saturday. Place was not crowded. Interior was neat and clean, but surprisingly showing some wear and tear in places. The women's restroom door could not be locked. Service was prompt and friendly. Food was ok, a bit below expectations. The chole was authentic. Thick and spicy just like in Delhi. The bhatura was just ok, the dough had not risen enough. The bhaaji in the Pav-bhaaji lacked flavor. Pav was ok. Dal kachori was a bit oily. Overall the food was a bit heavy. They have a good collection of sweets. I have had some sweets before and those were good. read more

Typical street food. When you walk in you feel as if you are in India at a place where sweets and snacks are sold. Order at the counter find a seat then look for and listen for your number. Pick up at the counter. Those who are missing India this is the place. read more

Service was ok, order and then they will call the number when order is ready. We ordered 2 Thalis, chole bhatura, puri Bhaji and Raj kachori. Raj kachori is overhyped and expensive. All items in Thali were blend and all curries were tomato puree. Only chole bhatura was good. Restaurant was clean but try to come off peak hours else difficult to find table. read more

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I have gone there twice. Once for sweets for Diwali and once for dinner. Sweets: I was happy that I do not have to go far to Rangoli in Sunnyvale. However this places falls short. The bengali sweets look good and expensive ($20 per lb) but the taste is not as good as what you get in Rangoli (Sunnyvale). The texture is chewy. Dinner: Their chhole bhature is excellent and the pav bhaji is also very good. A tad expensive for the quantity. You will get better value elsewhere (eg Chaat Bhavan). The papdi chaat was ok and the daal kachori was so so. The lines were long on a Friday evening. You order and they give you a number and you pick up when your number is called. Plenty of seating area. Kind of noisy and rushed vibe. No booths. Just chairs and tables with chairs moved around by people so you will find tables with no chairs sometimes. Overall, the food quality is ok but you can skip the bengali sweets if you are a connoisseur/snob like me. If you have found a better sweet place in Bay area than Rangoli Sweets, please DM me. read more

We'd seen huge lines for Bikanerwala on social media, so we decided to try it while we were in the area. Luckily, it wasn't busy when we went so the service was fast and the food was really good! My husband said it's the closest he's found to authentic chole bhature in the East Bay, which says a lot. We ordered the two of their most popular items - chole bhature and raj kachori and both were fresh, flavorful, and served promptly. Next time will try their sweets as well. read more

Bikanervala - Chole Bhature - Indian Near Me - Fremont, California

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Totally love this place. Food was delicious. Restaurant is clean. Friendly service and generous servings. Only reason they didn't get 5 stars is cuz the menu didn't have some of the dishes I preferred to try. Such as pav Hanover cauliflower paratha va potato. read more

Food - fresh food is really good Unlike the frozen stuff that's heated and served. Tea is really good with consistent taste and quality always ! Sweets seemed stale . Tried rasgulla but tasted stale. Service is great . The manger is really friendly and attentive! Ambience is good ! read more

Bikanervala is a nostalgia for Delhites. There are not many restaurants in Bay Area which serve the kind of food you get in Delhi. I was really excited when I got to know that Bikanervala opened in Fremont. Since then, every other week it's a ritual to drive from Santa Clara to Fremont just to eat or get a takeout from Bikanervala. Till now I have tried most of their menu. My favourites are chhole bathure(the best in Bay Area and I have tried almost all the places who serve them), suji gol gappe (I grew up eating them and never liked atta golgappe), raj kachori, malai roll and rosogulla. All the milk sweets are amazing but my husband loves their malai roll as it's not too sweet and tastes heaven. Service is great and food makes you feel like you are at Bikanervala in Delhi. My favourite Bikanervala location in Delhi was Rajouri Garden and eating here brings back all those memories. read more

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Much like how it's back in India, this Bikanervala gives a vibe of the chaos that comes with an Indian chat restaurant. This isn't your typical dine in, you order ahead and after somehow managing to get a place to sit, your food when ready will be notified to you via a loudspeaker :). It's nostalgia for sure, but not for everyone. Coming to the food, the options are plenty. I loved their chole bhature and the regular Pani puri (not the sooji one). The rest were okay, it was late in the evening so I do expect things won't be top notch. The place didn't impress us much. read more

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We visited on Sunday evening, and the place was absolutely packed. There was a long line to order; it's self-service and extremely chaotic. On top of that, with self-service you're expected to clear your own plates and dishes. Given how cramped some tables are and the sheer number of people moving around, there's a real risk of bumping into someone or dropping dishes on them. I also didn't quite understand the purpose of the three gentlemen stationed near the counter just to hand over dishes; since the food comes out quickly, they could just as well serve it at the tables. We ordered Chole Bhature, Raj Kachori, Samosa Chaat, Kachoris, Mix Veg Paratha, and Poori Aloo. The highlights were definitely the Chole Bhature and Raj Kachori -- both well-prepared and flavorful. Solid 4.5/5. The Kachoris and Samosa Chaat were average. The kachori shell was hard, though the filling was good. The samosa chaat was decent but overloaded with "bhature wale" chana and lacked the balance of traditional chaat elements. 2.5/5. Lastly, the Paratha was a complete miss -- 0/5. Extremely oily, bland, and reminiscent of an in-flight meal. Honestly, it was refund-worthy. read more

Huge lines, fast turnaround, but not worth it. I think people are coming in for the famous name. But the taste of the food was not great. for example puris of the pani puri were stale and some items were too salty read more

Food is not tasty at all. Blend and not your typical Punjabi food at all. Tasteless food bad very disappointing, knowing that it is a brand from India. Don't order thali at all. read more

I am so happy they opened a store in Fremont. We went when they opened. The crowd was maddening. We waited in line for one hour. Of course we knew we wouldn't find a place to sit so we ordered takeout. Mixed veg kulcha was okay. The kaali daal was amazing. The Raj kachori was to die for. We also bought a Kerala mix. It's again very fresh. So overall, I'm going to give them time to settle before I go there and eat. I will probably stick to takeout for a while. read more

Bikanervala - Indian Near Me - Fremont, California

Ordered the samosa chaat and chai. Both were a huge letdown. The samosa chaat didn't taste fresh, the flavors were off, and I couldn't even finish it. The chai was bland and tasted watered down. Won't be ordering from here again. I honestly wouldn't have either of them even if they were free. read more

Update after a second attempt - we came in for a lunch again and this time they had everything available from the menu, yay! We ordered the tikki chaat, chole bature, pani puri, samosas, raj kachori, butter paneer thali, assorted mithais. Everything was very good! Service was reasonably fast. read more

Yummy food! Friendly service. Really liked the chole and the mithai are awesome. The service was good. I wish they would serve at the table.

Food reminded me of home. Really good but service was slow and very expensive for sweets. read more

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I ordered Pav Vada here. The Vada was microwaved beyond limit and it was so hot that it burned by tong. This place serves very bad food. Please don't give them any business. They need to improve quality or go out of business. People are crazy to go here. Food is mediocre at best and not great quality. Shame on this restaurant. read more

Indian Sweets this good does not exist outside of India. Bay Area had a huge void- there was simply no Indian sweet shop with good quality, freshly made, good tasting sweets. The rasgullas were so soft and squeezy, the syrup was just the right amount of sweet unlike the thick & nauseatingly sticky sweet syrup at other not-so-good stores and grocery store packed ones. The gur malai roll, kalakand were just melt-in-the-mouth delicious, again without being overly sweet. Balu shahi from here is also a big favorite. Dal kachori and aloo tiki chaats were crunchy delicious. Whoever is the chef needs to be complimented and he/she should never be changed. We drive here from further north and would come here again anytime we need Indian sweets! read more

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I was pretty disappointed with my visit. The food here tastes like it's all frozen and just reheated before serving. Nothing felt fresh, and the overall quality was very average at best. For a place that markets itself as a proper Indian food spot, I expected much better--especially in terms of freshness and flavor. Unfortunately, it felt more like eating pre-packaged meals than restaurant-quality food. There are definitely better options around if you're looking for authentic, freshly prepared Indian food. read more

Just had the most amazing meal! We ordered the Raj Kachori and Chole Bhature, and WOW -- the flavors were absolutely spot on. Crispy, tangy, spicy, and just the right amount of comfort in every bite. It truly reminded me of back home and the authentic food we grew up loving. Super happy with the whole experience -- warm vibes, fast service, and a taste of Delhi right here.! Highly recommend if you're craving real Indian flavors done right. This place gets a solid 5 stars from me! read more

Bikanervala - Raj Kachori - Indian Near Me - Fremont, California

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It's sad to see such a legendary restaurant completing ignorant and non accommodating. We went there on my sons birthday, he has food allergies, the cashier used a blanket statement that all the food is "contaminated" and can have cross contamination with other foods?! I asked is there anything a kid with nut allergies can eat ? She said "everything is cross contaminated" Please close your kitchen or teach your cooks to not "cross contaminate" every single food. Learn to be accommodating, I have visited 100's of restaurants around the world, and no one has ever used a statement like that. It's really sad, even Indian sweet shops are able to say which foods have nuts and which don't. I will be reporting this to department of public health as it's a food safety issue if all your food is cross contaminated. I hope owners will look at this review and take it as a learning opportunity and train staff than washing hands under a blanket statement. read more