I still really like this restaurant. I had not ordered from them in a while. I got the south Indian thali, with the dosa as my bread choice. And I added on a side of masala potatoes for only three dollars, which essentially converted my meal into two, a dosa and sambar, and then more curries and a dessert for the next day. There were some dishes I liked more than others. There was a mixed rice that didn't do anything for me and three little red containers that I wasn't crazy about. One must've been rasam and I'm not sure about the other two. But the dosa and the potatoes were delicious. So was the sambar. The papadum was exceptionally tasty, and the little yogurt side went beautifully on it. There was a very nice little dal, a little lima bean curry, and then also some Pakora. There was a delicious little dessert and the rice was good. There was also another little dish that was between sweet and savory. Kind of like squash and apples together. Overall, there were about 12 little things to try. And even if there were a few of them that were not for me, there was enough for two delicious meals for $21. So I enjoyed it very much and Will order another time and enjoy trying still different things! read more

Went for the breakfast buffet. Was terrible. Food was pathetic, tasteless, of bad quality. Never recommend anyone. Wish I could give less than one star. read more

If you are looking for delicious South Indian vegetarian food, check out Chennai Dosa Hut. I loved the taste of their sambar (vegetable soup) and chutneys which I ate with the masala dosa. The dosa itself is about 2 ft wide! The potato filling is very generous (unlike some other local dosa places). The Chana masala (curried chick peas) were delicious with just the right level of heat. We got it with chappatis because we find the puris/baturas too greasy. The food service is fast and efficient. read more

Chennai Dosa Hut - Masala Dosa - Indian Near Me - San Diego, California

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A regular spot for me when I'm craving a southern vegetarian thali. Service is quick and theres no frills. Sambar is my favorite and all 3 of the sauces at the bar are delish. Their medu vadas are always perfectly crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside without being oily, which I greatly appreciate. Every dosa I've had is great as well. read more

Chennai Dosa Hut - Thali - Indian Near Me - San Diego, California

Delicious!! So many dosa and dosa-like options! Look at the menu!! Cooked perfectly! Perfection! read more

Chennai Dosa Hut - Indian Near Me - San Diego, California

Visited for breakfast today. Food was tasty and delish as usual. I must have had 10 cups of filter coffee. I do love the new addition of Manchurian Idli, it was very crispy and flavorful today. Along with the fresh puris and halwa, everything was perfect. Sometimes they offer fresh fruit like watermelon. I do wish they changed the menu a little bit. It's always the same items every week. Regardless, I always look forward to the South Indian breakfast once every few weeks...will return back soon. read more

Chennai Dosa Hut - Sunday all you can eat breakfast - Indian Near Me - San Diego, California

Good dosa, poori, prata. Weekend buffets are good value. Friendly but casual for sure. Would happily go back.

My heart has been broken ever since we lost Surati Farsan, which was located just across from Chennai Tiffins. Thankfully, Chennai is holding it down. Chennai Tiffins is a family style and child friendly South Indian restaurant that is vegetarian with so many options: Idlis, dosas, vadas and sambars -- lots of appetizers and full menu items. The restaurant is on the smaller size, and there is one table outside I have never seen anyone use. I always come for the thali, and also very much enjoy the dosas (lots of options here) and the gobi -- all excellent. It is a heaping serving of delicious home cooking at less than $20. The thali is served with two curries, idy, papad, rasam, dal and white rice, among other tasty items. Highly impressive, and the largest thali I have seen served in San Diego. Thali is served every day, which is also unique. Other places in souhern California will only serve thali on the weekend. Chennai Tiffins also has a weekend buffet that seems popular, also for less than $20. Service can be hit or miss, but the food is always delicious. The restaurant caters, and closes after the lunch hour for a break before dinner. I recommend showing up close to opening because it does have a tendency to get packed, and keeps busy with with to go orders. read more

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It was a very strange experience. Pricy for just butter paneer masala, and it only comes with rice. The curry was okay. No one came to the table during the meal to ask how it was or if we needed anything. The restaurant was empty besides one large family, and there was no music or ambiance, just stale silence. Their napkin dispenser mentions that you get a free lassi with your meal if you give a review on Google Maps. I gave a review, showed them, and they refused to give me the lassi because I did not give them 5 stars in my review. I've since updated my review and lowered the ratings further than what I initially gave them, and have now decided to leave a review on Yelp as well. read more

Good service and ambiance. First time trying food, got rava dosa. Will come back again. read more

Chennai Dosa Hut - Indian Near Me - San Diego, California

Tomato chutney used to be really good but now since they have stopped putting all the chutney in the ice, it was sour and not good. Peanut chutney was warm instead of cold (which it was used to be). Sambhar, idli and dosa were good. read more

Every time we go to the Mandir, me & my family we eat here. Food is beyond excellent, good quantity and quality has stayed the same for years. Service has never been there, I'm not sure if they are always short of staff or not trained enough. Ambiance is good. My 5stars is for food. read more

We haven't been to Chennai Tiffins in ages and decided to dine here one week night What we ordered - -Onion Pakora - Onion Fritters -Aloo Bonda - Potato Fritters -Dosa - Rice and Lentils Crepe -Onion Rava Dosa - Semolina and rice flour Crepe. If I had to pick one, it would be the Onion Rava Dosa. It was perfectly done! -Mini Tiffin with Idly, Vada and Pongal - For those unfamiliar with South Indian cuisine, this sampler is the best. Everything was very well done and the Dosas both Plain and Rava were a big hit. Special mention to the Chutneys and Sambar. With its authentic taste, generous portion sizes and moderate pricing, Chennai Tiffins checks all boxes!! Chennai Tiffins might be my new favorite! Looking forward to dining here more frequently. read more

Chennai Dosa Hut - Mini Tiffin Idly(1)vada(1)pongal (6oz) - Indian Near Me - San Diego, California

Best masala Dosa & Rava kesari !!!!!!!! Absolutely love this place when I am craving Dosa.

I had ordered tomato chilli uttapam. I eat the borders first .. once I started moving towards the middle.. its raw .. So raw that you can pick up the liquid raw part with one finger. I called the owner and told her about it. She did not apologize .. She was so rude that she "You're telling now? You have eaten 20 % of it already .. you should have told us earlier instead of eating it". I picked up the raw part with my finger and asked her if she wanted me to eat it? She then said she would ask the cook to make a small uttapam for me ... She brought a very small uttapam with a little tomato on it. So thin that it was a baby size now .. took full payment for it !!! Terrible attitude ... terrible business ... be aware of this business !!!!! read more

I like the food here. The service is great. The music is fun. The style is Indian style. read more

Chennai Dosa Hut - Dosage & Mango Lassi - Indian Near Me - San Diego, California

Ordered Paneer Dosa for dinner. The dosa had a good quantity of paneer in it so it was worth the price. But the paneer stuffing was bit dry as the paneer and onions were mostly separate. If the paneer had blended well with the masala it would have been even better. I have been to Chennai Dosa hut multiple times for their South Indian Thali and Parotta with Veg Kurma ( must try items from this store ) The restaurant has a pretty decent seating arrangement and their service is also good in general. read more

I have been a loyal customer of this dosa place for a long time, but after my experience on my birthday, I will never return. Not only has the food quality dropped significantly, but the service was shockingly hostile. The owner/manager puts on a "smiling" exterior, but she is incredibly passive-aggressive and mean. When she found out it was my birthday, instead of being welcoming, she actually snatched chutney containers out of my hand while I was packing my leftovers, telling me I wasn't "allowed" to have more--even though another staff member had already helped me. To be treated with such aggression and disrespect on a celebratory day is unacceptable. To make matters worse, I developed a bad stomach ache after eating here. The kitchen area is clearly unhygienic, and the high staff turnover is a huge red flag. Save your money and your health--go somewhere where they actually value their customers. read more

Best South Indian food I eat here every time in the area I love their sambar and chutneys read more

This place totally satisfied my dosa craving. Yes, I have. been to San Idli too but that place is too crowded for me. This was our second time here and the dosas are consistently delicious. Service is quick and the waitress was sweet. The table and the restroom were spotless. We ordered the spring dosa which is basically veggies sandwiched inside a dosa. It was a bit spicy and so yummy. We ordered a side of the masala potatoes which we did not need as it had some potatoes inside. I also ordered the onion chili rava dosa with a side of potatoes. This baby was so tasty and crispy, i was in dosa heaven! Everything came with tasty spicy, sam bar and three chutneys. We had tons of leftovers so we could have managed just fine with just one order. Dosas reheat really well so nothing will be wasted! if you like dosas give this place a try!! read more

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Tried it again. Iddli, Sambar, Oothapam It should be hard to mess those up. I threw the sambar away. No flavor and tooo much chile...The peanut chutney tasted stale and the coconut chutney was rancid, like old dried grated coconut.. The oothapam was edible but not delicious The waitress was fairly ok... read more

I like authentic Indian food, and this place has been on my bookmark list for a while, recommended by a friend at work. Two of our family members are vegan; I try to avoid bread and potatoes and starch, but they won this round. My wife doesn't like spicy food so she lost. This is one of my sister's favorite places in the area. We ordered some dishes mild and some spicy, but they were all too spicy for my wife. The fried cauliflower was good, the dosa were good, I guess the potatoes were ok. Pickle sauces were good, and family liked the soup. The bathroom was strange, a single room with an outer washroom, and someone was in there for a while. All in all it was okay, my family liked it but I'd choose somewhere with more protein and less starch. read more

Worst Avail ever seen or eaten in my life! Extremely watery, 90 % potatoes, two pieces of carrots and green beans each for adding some color. No flavor or taste or aroma! The staff was at sweet though but that does not satisfy ones hunger! I would never spend any money at this restaurant again. read more

The food was excellent, love the chutney sauces esp the peanut chutney. All you can drink soup was tasty with a little kick. We got the mysore masala dosa, poori channa, onion & tomato uthappam, paneer butter madala, all were great. Will be back read more

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Ghee roast dosa is supposed to be crispy and not a regular dosa. Dahi vada should be cold and not hot vadas in the dahi. Sambhar should taste like sambhar not like bland lentil soup. Deeply disappointed, never visiting. read more

The food and service is so good and fast and the food is amazing! Pictured: Papadum and Gobi Manchurian read more

Chennai Dosa Hut - Indian Near Me - San Diego, California

Food was delicious. Great service. Cutlery did not look so clean. But the food was not too spicy, just right.

We love all the dosa varieties at this restaurant. The peanut chutney and Sambar are also extremely delicious. I highly recommend that this restaurant be visited at least once. read more

Chennai Dosa Hut - Indian Near Me - San Diego, California

We went for brunch. While there are options I felt overall taste was okay. There's an old uncle who very sweetly asks if someone wants fresh hot dosa or Bhatura. Service is decent. It was a buffet. Price didn't feel right to me as I have had much better vegetarian South Indian lunch buffet in Atlanta. Ambiance is normal. read more

Food: 5/5 Service and Setting: 3/5 Value: 3/5 Seeing many of the negative reviews especially from those I assume to be Indian, I was sort of afraid to try Chennai Tiffins as food is becoming more and more expensive. I want to be the first to say that the viral 3.5 rating phenomenon for Chinese food does seem to apply for Indian food as well. Chennai Tiffins is in a plaza with easy parking surrounded by other delicious South Asian eateries. One strange moment I had was as I took a picture of the entrance, the hostess aggressively asked/accused me of taking a picture of her. Strange, but I guess be careful taking photos and try to not capture the staff. After clearing up the ordeal, she was very kind and even shared with me that they have an all you can eat buffet on Saturday and Sunday mornings. The overall dining area was clean and the food is bomb! Lunch Thali: 5/5 What I love about Indian food is how vast their cuisine is. I have tried Southern Indian food before, but not like this. The curries are all very rich and flavorful without being overindulgent. Coconut and peanuts take the place of dairy in the more typical types of Indian fare offered around here. The Dosa and the Vada were deliciously crispy. My favorite dish in the Thali was the Chana Masala. Chana Masala is normally in a rich tomato gravy, but here, it is deeply savory with boiled peanuts, a true treat. I am not sure how to explain the food as I am not familiar with it all, but the flavor profile is a bit more nutty and a different vibe than others, especially Northern Indian foods. The yogurt rice, this sort of sour soup, and sambar were all incredibly delicious. I am a huge fan of Indian buffets as I get to try a bit of everything, but this Thali has changed my mind and this will be one of my go to places. I am a big eater and I was stuffed after this meal! Highly recommend and please come help out a small business that has been serving the community for a while! Sweet Lassi: 4/5 Thick and sweet, I prefer my Lassi to be a little more tart, but this is a great way to end your meal. Nothing special, but nothing bad! Buffet: 5/5 I have returned to eat the weekend brunch buffet and it was honestly very good. All you can eat idli, vada, puri, dosa, pongal, sambar, halwa, dal, and chutneys. The food is good, but the vada and idli do taste not as good as their freshly made versions. The buffet itself was clean and there is this charming grandpa who comes around every few minutes with fresh poori and/or dosa asking, "would you like Dosa roll?" I honestly like the thali better for the freshness and variety, but I will definitely come back if I have a huge South Indian craving! Falooda: 4.5/5 A very interesting drink/dessert, the falooda was filled with I think chia seeds, noodles, and delicious rose flavored milk. The ice cream on top felt a bit much and made many of the toppings freeze, but it something you should try at least once! read more

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And this is my happy place. The best Dosa in SoCal. Whenever I visit San Diego, I make sure I have to visit this place. My all time favorite Dosa is Pizza Dosa. Being a Sambhar Vada lover, I tried it this time. It was good but could be more crispy. However, no complaint the taste was really good. The place is following all necessary COVID norms and helpful staff. Looking forward to see you soon! read more

Chennai Dosa Hut - Pizza Dosa - Indian Near Me - San Diego, California

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Great food, tasty dosas and delicious Sambar. Highly recommend it! I brought my friends to enjoy the dishes. They will return. read more

Terrible customer service. It took forever to get the order, water and process the payment.

Waited over 25 minutes for medu vada arrived when restaurant opened and we got our masala dosa first And butter masala dosa we were disappointed with the wait but food was delicious and piping hot Vegetarian cuisine read more

I have been here several times. And for the 1st time, I m disappointed with the food quality. Sambhar was cold and food was served cold. Staff was not approachable. read more

Amazing service and food! My favorite dishes here are the chili dosa and the paneer butter masala. The spice level is perfect. I'll definitely return whenever I'm craving a great vegetarian Indian meal. read more

Had good food and good service At this place. All family members enjoyed delicious dosas here. Would love to come back for delicious dosas.

Update : i am here again on 2024 and i have to say that this feels like a completely new service from the entire team. Food was excellent! Better than what it was in the past, folks were very nice and kept checking on us on what we need, if we were doing good and kept bringing Dosa and Puri! Will definitely return for the weekend breakfast buffet. read more

Excellent food! I would recommend Thali! The food is very tasty and authentic and the portion is very generous.

Great to see, since I come from the same town, only thing politicians changed the name to Chennai, While growing up it was called Madras, they have so many Dosas variety, can't imagine this is not my original phone to put I lost both the phones. Hopefully once I reach CHS, SC I can get back, . Nice folks... I didn't get their names. Good services read more

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