Where to begin!? First, we arrive at 5:15 pm on a Friday and get in a twenty-minute line. The line is just to get on a waitlist, which we cleared in 45 minutes. So, while waiting we went upstairs for unusual cocktails: tamarind margarita and Kashmiri sunset. Both delicious and tasted of Indian spices. And because it's Friday, the remarkable vegetable Pani puris were available. Wow: we ate five and could have just eaten those for dinner. Go on Friday or Saturday! But we headed downstairs and ordered three items: Matchstick okra: One of the most unusual foods I've had in a restaurant. Simply delicious. Holy smokes! Uttapam: a vegetable pancake that was very tasty. Sort of like a fritter. Butter chicken: accompanied by a tray of add-ons, this was just a wonderful hearty dish. The atmosphere is loud and bright, with lots of colors. But it is not so loud that you can't have a conversation. Highly recommend: I've been to maybe 20 Asheville restaurants and this is in the top two or three. read more

Top notch experience today at Chai Pani. Friendly staff, eye catching and transformative interior design, and the food...wow! This is probably the only Indian restaurant I've dined in that I wouldn't mind going back to in the same week. In a way I did, as my brother in-law first took us to their fast casual spot. In love with the SPDP I asked that we dined at the mothership, and each dish we ordered was terrific! Baingan bartha- bangin, tots and fried puffs - delicious. Saag - lip smacking good, sloppy jai - full of flavor, prawn and kabob scrumptiously charred. Carrot cake and ice cream a perfect ending. If I ever come back Asheville I'm definitely eating here again. Thanks to all the hard work, your love shined today at lunch. read more

Wow. Just wow! What a freaking 10/10 experience we had on our visit to Chai Pani. For starters, the decorations throughout were beautiful. As for food, I cannot recommend the matchstick okra fries enough. Even if you don't like okra, please give them a try. As someone who doesn't like okra normally, we were convinced by our waiter to give them a try and I am so glad that we did. So crispy and salty, just a wonderful way to start the evening. Highly recommend the chaat as well, full of flavor and a refreshing start before the main dishes arrived. They all sounded good, so really a personal preference on which to go with. For the main dish we opted for both Thali's, butter chicken and the saag paneer. Both were delicious and full of flavor, again I don't think you could wrong since you get a little of everything on your platter. Our service was phenomenal as well! Our waiter walked us through the menu, gave us recommendations, and was very attentive. Food came out super quick as well so all around 10/10. I will now be waiting ever so impatiently for our next visit to Asheville so that we can give more of the menu a try!! read more

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I absolutely adore this place and the unique foods and amazing drinks. The decor is so lovely too, colorful and fun and elegant. There's often a wait but late lunches on weekdays can be less busy. Highly recommend ordering the kale pakoras, cheese uttapam, and disco bel! Chai Pani has been around for a while for good reason, it's such a joyful and delicious experience. read more

Chai Pani - Disco Bhel - Indian Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

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Loved having lunch here! You walk through a gift shop with the cutest merch a restaurant could have. The interior of the restaurant is spacious and colorfully decorated. We got the Sabudana Vada Tots to start. I liked how it was fried very crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside, but I wish there was a little more flavor within the tots. We got the KFC Sandwich Pav and butter chicken for entrees. The KFC pav was delicious, no notes and best thing we tried. The butter chicken was flavorful but nothing special. The mango lassi tasted fresh and a little different than what I was used to. The service was great! Really felt taken care of here. read more

Chai Pani - Indian Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

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Just go with a plan to be uncomfortably full at the end, because the food is amazing and you will eat too much. Everything is fantastic. The staff is amazing. The vibe is great. They have excellent cocktails with their own twist on classics. The food is just incredible, TONS of flavor and truly elevated versions of classics. I have no idea what they make the dessert dumplings out of, but you lick the bowl clean. read more

This place was fantastic. And I'm grading it based on a rigid scale here. I love Indian and Indochinese food and could literally eat it daily. So the bar is pretty high for what is phenomenal and Chai Pani was an excellent choice. We tried several dishes, including the sweet potato chaat, SPDP, matchstick okra fries, kale pakora chaat, baingan bharta, and chili chicken. The service was also fantastic. It took them a while to seat us, but once we got seated, everything was smooth, friendly, and fast. The place is also gorgeous, mixing vibrant bright colors in the design with bold flavors in the food. One other thing that wins me over is the merch, and they have cool designs for sale. Being back in DC, I'm definitely going to head over to Union Market for a second round. 4.5 out of 5 stars read more

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Wow, this place lived up to the hype! The decor is magical inside. A modern Indian twist that's colorful with so many details thought through! We came right at opening on a Saturday for lunch and were seated right away. By the time we were leaving there was a wait. Their street food and fusion options are what I'd recommend most here. Loved the sweet potato chaat and kale chaat. Mango lassi tasted like it had real mangoes. Vegetarian thali was good too but if I were to go back I'd try some of the other appetizers. It's obvious that they use high quality ingredients. Highly recommend. read more

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AMAZING food! The fried okra strips - which come in a large pile! - were surpassingly good; it is intriguing to see a different take on "fried okra" when so many places serve the traditional southern style. Well worth a visit. read more

Chai Pani is one of those places I can't say enough good things about. The food is consistently amazing--great quality, generous portions, and full of flavor. The weekend lunch buffet is top tier, and the free chai refills are a game changer. Even if there's a wait, they take care of you with complimentary chai and biscuits, which honestly sets the tone right away. If you've never had pani puri, go on a Friday or Saturday evening--it's such a fun experience (especially with a drink in hand). Also worth grabbing some spices to take home. The decor, ambiance, music... mwah. Just an all-around experience. Definitely a place you'll keep coming back to. I sure do every time I go to Asheville! read more

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Chai Pani was such a fun and flavorful experience! Definitely 4.5/5 if that was available! First off, the decor inside is super cute--colorful, eclectic, and full of personality. Definitely gives off the vibrant street food vibes they're going for. Heads-up about the wait: there's no actual waitlist you can join online or by calling ahead. You have to show up in person and wait in line just to get on the waitlist. We put our name down around 5:45 PM and still waited just over an hour. When we left around 8, they were quoting a 2-hour wait, so definitely recommend getting there before 6 PM if you don't want a long wait. Once seated, our server/bartender Christine was amazing--super friendly, knowledgeable, and gave us great recommendations. Her tip to try the Sweet Potato Chaat was spot on. As a chaat lover, I was impressed. The dish was bursting with flavor--sweet, tangy, crunchy--and the pomegranate seeds were a nice touch. Would absolutely get this again. We also tried the Chilli Chicken, which was just okay. It kind of tasted like fast food spicier orange chicken--not bad, but nothing memorable. The portion was generous, though. I would try something else next time. The Beef Bihari Kabab was perfectly cooked, super flavorful, and well-seasoned. Highly recommend this if you're looking for something meaty and satisfying. All in all, I'd definitely come back--great atmosphere, service, and several dishes I'm already looking forward to trying next time. read more

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We ate at Chai Pani for lunch on a Saturday. We got lucky and were seated immediately, but shortly after we were seated, the lobby filled up and there was clearly a wait. Food - 43/50 We started with the hot chai, which was delicious. We ordered the KFC Sandwich, Kale Pakura Chaat, Naan, and Tandoori Chicken. Personally, I came here for the Kale Pakuras. Ever since the first time I had these years ago, I have dreamed of them. They are delicious, and I highly recommend everyone try them. They used to do them without all the sauce and toppings, which has its pros and cons. The sauce and toppings do make them a bit soggy, but the flavor and spices were so incredible I didn't even mind. These were literally "lick your fingers" delicious. The KFC sandwich was good, but honestly lacked a crunchy green aspect. The pickles did not do much to break up the thick slab of chicken, and the pickled cabbage slaw served on the side was not bright enough to break through the heavy meat. It was spicy, but not overpoweringly so. I would recommend this, but it was not nearly as good as the Kale. The naan was slightly burnt on the bottom. The tandoori chicken was well seasoned, cooked well and still juicy. The sauce it was served with was yummy and a needed addition to the dry seasoned chicken. Service - 30/30 The service was good, our waiter was very friendly and personable and in a cheerful mood, which was nice. He was quick, kept our chai's and waters full and was prompt with the check when we were finished with our meal. Ambiance - 7/10 This was my first time at their new location, but I am a returning customer to the establishment. The inside of the restaurant is bright, colorful and lively. The seating was VERY tight where we were seated. Misc. / Notables - 3/10 There are only 2 single person gender neutral restrooms. The entire time we were there, there were at least 2 people in line for the restrooms. There was a sink outside the restrooms, which was needed, but it was a pain to wait 5+ minutes in line to use a restroom. Overall - 83/100 We will definitely be returning, and recommending this place to friends and family! read more

Chai Pani - Kale Pakora - Indian Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

The decorations and atmosphere was beautiful and inviting! We had a 20 minute wait on a Wednesday at 6pm. We got drinks and headed upstairs to sit and sip. They texted us when our table was ready and we were seated next to the beautiful window under the chandeliers. We ordered the butter chicken plate w an additional single butter chicken and naan order. It was enough for me and my boyfriend to split and leave full after a long day of hiking. The Gulab milk donuts were SOOO good I had the waitress bring me another. Highly recommend! read more

Chai Pani - Butter Chicken - Indian Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

We recently celebrated with a family visit. After receiving a copy of the founders book, I was looking forward to this and it was one of the best meals I've had. The appearance lets you know of the Indian influence yet held some of the historical markings, which were appreciated. The staff were very professional and friendly. Dishes came out promptly but not rushed. The menu is incredible, we ordered several sharable along with main dishes. I had the best Butter Chicken I've ever had, the plating was a piece of art and very satisfying. Same with other main plates ordered. I found new favorite cocktail, a cardamon old fashioned. Chai Pani is now one of our favorite go-to spots and having read about the history beforehand, I have a greater appreciation for the overall dining experience they presented. read more

The first time we visited Chai Pani the restaurant was a hole-in-the-wall with a terrific menu and incredible food. This time we visited its new much larger and beautiful location to find...a buffet? No worries, the selection may have been limited but the food was still as great as ever. Evidently during the slower winter season Chai Pani gives its employees a bit of a break by switching to an all-you-can-eat buffet service. So while we sadly missed out on items such as the wonderful puff-filled puri balls we were still able to experience a delicious lunch. Butter chicken, saag paneer, pakoras, okra fries, naan, papadams and a variety of chutneys. Great food and also a great value. Still highly recommended! read more

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The care and love this family has for flavorful food is remarkable. Backed by their high quality spices at Spicewalla, Chai Pani is a first class dining experience. The colorful interior and attentive service create a perfect prelude to the flavor feast coming for your taste buds. I've travelled 2,600 miles to get here a second time and I can't wait until my third opportunity! read more

Looking for a bite of India in Asheville? Chai Pani delivers street food magic with every plate: Vada pav - crispy, spicy, and absolutely addictive Chaat - tangy, crunchy, and bursting with flavor Thaali platter - the ultimate feast you will not want to share Cocktails - perfectly crafted to balance all those bold spices From the vibrant décor to the first bite, it's like stepping straight into the heart of Mumbai--minus the flight If Indian street food is your love language, this is your Asheville must-try read more

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I was nervous coming in as I am to every Indian restaurant. I know the best food comes from my home that I grew up with so I am always wary of any Indian restaurant but I was pleasantly surprised by Chai Pani. Pros: The ambiance and decor was so cool and the service was phenomenal and the food was actually really well done. We got tandoori chicken which was juicy and delicious. We had vada pav that was really good and flavorful but was admittedly pretty heavy. The cheesy uttapam was also pretty heavy but did taste great and the sambar with it was really fantastic. And wow the chili chicken was the best thing we got we loved it! We also got the tamarind cola which was so good and refreshing. Cons: The food overall was pretty heavy however nothing was greasy, I think it just was the nature of some of the things we ordered. The chai was not bad but definitely was much more cardamom flavor and not much ginger. Would I come back? Yes! I can see why this place is really popular and think that it definitely would be worth coming back to try a cocktail or two with a small plate read more

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Okay so after 4 years I try it again but solo this time. I still feel their menu is so limited and hardly have any vegan food. I had uttapam and sabudana vada knots with tamarind drink. Both were marked vegan and were delicious but I have been having upset stomach after I ate it, I am worried if it had any kinda dairy in it (it doesn't suit me). The wait time however wasn't the problem this time probably Cz I was single. Ambience is great though. read more

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I love chai pani - such a nice restaurant and street food feel with delicious, mouth watering Indian food! We arrived without a reservation and we specter to wait 1 hour, but they ended up getting us in within 15 minutes due to a cancellation. We were seated as soon as our whole party arrived and taken care of by a very nice waitress. We decided to go family style and try a lot of vegetarian dishes. The vada pav was the show stopper, full of flavor, spice, and everything nice! The gold hour sour was the perfect compliment y to my meal, not too sweet but so tasty! I would highly recommend both of these dishes. The malai paneer tikka was not your traditional tikka - still very unique flavor but could use a slight bit more salt. Overall, I had a lovely experience here and would recommend it to anyone who loves rich flavors visiting Asheville! read more

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Chai Pani is an experience. You have to be there if you want to experience good hospitality, colors, flavors of India, with a modern twist. Arrived here for lunch and it was still pretty packed. We had heard about this place so much, we decided we just had to try it out. We first ordered their signature coolers -RASPBERRY LIME RICKEY (omg this blew my mind, it was so refreshing yet nostaligic in a way) and the jaljeera one of the best ever had!.. Then we ordered the okra fries crispy. These go down quick for sure.. we went ahead and ordered their kebab and naan, while the kebab was spectacular then naan disappointed me big time, it WASNT naan. it felt more like kulcha (for those who know, know!) Here is now where we come to the star of the show, the Butter chicken thali, OMG, i jsut dont have words for it, it wsa so good that had to order on on the side, and it was wiped out amongst the two of us! Lucious, delicious, buttery, packed with flavors of sweet, smokey, spicy, buttery.. just hit all the right notes, the thali comes with chole which were equally good, boondi raita, chapati and rice and gulab jamun which was really good as well! Because it was just us two, we couldnt try more things.. and none of it does justice to carry along with.. Its the atmosphere that ties it all together giving it a memorable meal! read more

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Arrived at 4:45pm with the kiddos for an early dinner - the doors opened right at 5pm and we were sat very soon after. We ordered the SPDP, the tots, and the chaat to start. Kids had the chicken paratha, the dahl and naan. We added the tandoori chicken and the feast began! Lovely service, very attentive and such a cool atmosphere making it feel like a real Indian restaurant! We always hit up Chai Pani as soon as we get to Asheville and it never disappoints. Keep it up!! read more

The food is all amazing. I'm sorry we couldn't have a sleepover and eat continuously. The waitstaff are all excellent and extremely helpful and courteous. The decor is mesmerizing. read more

This was a highly anticipated meal and overall a good experience! Our wait time on a Sunday evening wasn't too long after getting on the waitlist, approx 25 minutes. The interior of the restaurant is stunning with thoughtful attention to details. We found only a couple standout dishes, however, and mostly they were the appetizers- we LOVED the matchstick okra fries and kale pakora chaat, but the vada pav and tandoori chicken were slightly underwhelming. Would maybe make different choices for mains if I returned! read more

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This place is very busy so I recommend being ready to wait. We walked around the area while we waited which made the time go by. Service was wonderful and food was incredible! I recommend the okra fries and the aloo tikki chaat. The restaurant is also decorated really well! read more

Chai Pani - Chili Chicken - Indian Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

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Wow! I know this place gets a lot of publicity but it is for good reason. There is a wait but you are able to leave once you put your name in. You can also grab a drink at the bar upstairs. Come with a group of people. It was only two in our party and we left stuffed but wanting to try more options. The tandori chicken was amazing. So incredilbly juicy and flavorful. We also had veg uttapam. I woul probably leave that as it my least favorite (just to save room for other dishes). read more

Walking into Chai Pani, you are immediately welcomed to a beautiful waiting area which also doubles as their gift shop. While you wait, you can peruse the merchandise they have which ranges from clothing to spices. It's a very fun entrance and it gets you excited for the meal to come. We had to wait 30 minutes for our table and ended up sitting at the bar which was available first. All dishes are meant to be shared and the nature of Chai Pani's menu revolves around Indian street food. I'd recommend bringing a group of 4 people which will allow you try even more dishes. It was only 2 of us, so we opted for 4 dishes. The Matchstick Okra Fries is a fun rift off the southern fried okra classic. They julienne the okra into "matchsticks" which makes for a different type of bite. The flavor was nice and the crisp of each fry was addicting. They didn't have the Mushroom Uttapam when we went but they add a Green Onion Uttapam which was great. These pancake-like bites were slightly chewy and paired well with the sambar and coconut chutney. The Beef Bihari Kabab was a surprise and my favorite dish of the night! It is PACKED with flavor and each bite puts all of your taste buds into hyperdrive. I liked the texture of the meat, but do know that it's definitely more on the soft (borderline mushy)-side. The Bhel Puri is a classic Indian chaat and we loved this one. Tangy, acidic, savory, slightly sweet, crunchy; this is one of those dishes you have to try. read more

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First and foremost this location is beautiful. They did a great job with the design and ambiance. It is super fun and vibrant! I had two drinks which were delicious and different than anything I have tried! I had the spiked lemonade with different spices including cardamom and the mezcal margarita, which had a nice smokey taste. For food, we had the tikka masala, steak skewers and lamb slider. All were very good, I just felt like the portions were pretty small given the price point. read more

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Ambiance is so authentic and colorful. The service is also very friendly and welcoming. But the best thing about chai pani is the food. I recommend the spinach saag. read more

The vibe is super fun. Went when they were doing their buffet. The food was ok. The food did have a kick to it but lacked flavor at the same time. The golden hour sour was really good and my favorite thing. read more

Probably one of the worst Indian restaurants we have been to. The chai martini cocktail, the tandoori chicken were equally disappointing. My husband said it was Costco rotisserie with a yoghurt sauce sprinkled on it. The spices barely were on the surface, the meat was completely unseasoned inside/ SPDP was ok. As a Mumbaikar, I downvote this restaurant. Had high expectations with the great reviews. It's a solid 3/5. read more

Chai Pani - Tandoori and SPDP- please don't order the tandoori. Hands down worst tandoori I've ever had. - Indian Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

Overall quality was amazing! Portions were as expected for street food style. But flavor was bold and delicious. We went right at opening at 5pm to get in and there was already a line. Such a popular place and nice they have a cafe portion and upstairs that has pani puri and drinks! Service was great and they treated us so well and quick. read more

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Wanted to treat hubby to Indian food as he loves it, not a big fan of (I thought!). I am now a convert! Our server was attentive and informative. We ordered: Traditional multi-course meal served all at once on a steel platter (thali). Main dishes come with daal, channa masala, veg raita, seasonal kachumber, jeera rice, papadum, chapati, & gulab jamun BUTTER CHICKEN Marinated & seared chicken tikka in an oh-so-over-the-top tomato-cream-butter sauce with jaggery, roasted garam masala, and aromatics. $20.99 This was a great way to sample several dishes and I liked most of it. I associate Indian food with curries but its so much more. I had not had much exposure to it so this was a pleasant surprise. We also ordered the 'KFC' sliders. I had a chai tea and we also had water--I like that they put a bottle of water on the table. The atmosphere was casual and decor was vibrant with Indian music playing but not too loudly. It was busy for a Monday night but were seated right away. Parking on the street was free. Bill was $53.89 with tip. We are from Northeast Georgia so we were pleased to see there is a Decatur location as well. https://chaipani.com/asheville-menu See attached pics! read more

Chai Pani - My happy hubby and a peek at the decor and music. - Indian Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

If I were to recommend one restaurant in town, this would be it. Even though we live here, it feels like a vacation when we go. All the flavors and textures are turned up to 11, to where you start to think... "I've never eaten anything quite like this!". The staff is lovely and helpful. Beautiful, groovy, and dazzlingly exotic interior makes you feel like you've been transported. The only possible thing that could be improved is if they had outdoor seating, but honestly this place has been close to perfect every time we've been. Until I've found something better, this is my favorite restaurant in Asheville. One of the few places that lives up to the hype. Great place to bring out-of-town guests. read more

We literally flew to Asheville just to have dinner here, and it did not disappoint. The service was fantastic and the food simply amazing. read more

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My all time favorite restaurant! Worth the hour and a half drive. The food is sooo good! Service is always great and the vibe is immaculate! read more

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First stop in Asheville for my 50th to grab a snack to go. Ambience was amazing. The best Indian Street food I've had in this country. read more

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Wow, the buffet during off season was GREAT! Service was friendly! We could not get enough of the butter chicken and naan read more

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First time trying Indian food and this was the perfect choice with their buffet they have right now. I was able to try lots of different tasty things. The chhole, daal, and saag paneer were some of my favorites from the curry choices. All of the tidbits were delicious. The chaats and salad were so good and flavorful. Service was great. read more

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Chai Pani is just the best! My partner is from AVL and has been a loyal Chai Pani diner since they opened. I get to experience it about once a year when we visit and it's always a treat. Living in CA we have a lot of Indian food options but nothing like this. My favorite is the Chicken Pakoras, which were recently re-introduced to the hot bar menu due to popular request (especially appreciate that they reply to social media comments about this!). I also love the Lamb Keema, the Bhel Puri, and the Papadams. The naan is also great. In the new location, I love the upstairs bar area while you wait, as the wait WILL be long (but worth it). The service is very friendly and there's also a gift store area to browse. Cute merch (I get tons of compliments on my tiger shirt)! read more

Chai Pani - Hot Bar Buffet - Indian Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

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