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    Desi Express

    4.2 (102 reviews)
    Open 11:00 am - 8:00 pm
    Updated 1 week ago

    Order Desi Express Takeout or Delivery

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    DESI EXPRESS ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Good for groups
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Desi Express

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    Renee L.

    I ordered a chicken tikka (8 oz) and garlic naan. The flavor was there but the chicken seemed processed and not fresh. The garlic naan had a nice garlic flavor. Could be that I didn't quite order the best item on their menu. Ordering was on a kiosk and this is located within a food court.

    Chicken tikka masala bowl
    Julianne R.

    This is located in a food hall, where most of the vendors take orders through a self-serve kiosk. I didn't get any smiles from the person who handed me my food which would have been appreciated. The chicken tikka masala bowl cost $18 (including tip). I will say the flavor is quite delicious, but the rice wasn't the best quality and there was something off about the chicken texture.

    Menu on the displays does not have details on what's in the dish
    Anagha J.

    Not one dish was tasty. They used the same potato stuffing for puff and sandwich. The tea was really the worst I have had in the Bay Area. Items tried: 1. maharaja sandwich 3/10 2. Veg puff (with no veggies but only onion potato masala) 2/10 3. Ginger Tea 0/10 Edit: adding the following to answer the rude response from the owner: Yelp is a platform to give honest feedback. I gave the feedback based on my experience, but it looks like you only yearn for positive feedback. Negative feedback is an opportunity to improve, but looks like you don't like constructive feedback. 1. Your menu displayed on the monitors does not have description for veg puff (photo attached) or maharaja sandwich 2. Aloo puff is not the same as veg puff. A standard veg puff has aloo usually with carrots and peas. Aloo in a puff is spiced different than aloo masala in a sandwich. 3. The chai was so over steeped, it was bitter. I have had and liked good sandwiches and tea from other place to whom I have given 5 starts. I usually do not give poor reviews and certainly not 1 star but unfortunately your food fell really short on taste.

    Chaats
    Bindi S.

    Amazing desi version of sandwiches and chaats. My husband and I got the paneer tikka sandwich and the jumbo Bombay sandwich. They both tasted anazing-just like back in Mumbai but were a bit small for the price.The jumbo Bombay sandwich was a bit fluff and could have done with more stuffing. I tried my friends samosa chaat and dahi papdi chaat and they tasted great. Good value for money for the chaats and I'm getting that next time.

    Our Special 5 Paani Golgappe
    Manika N.

    The gol guppe were very good! I'd say the water was the yummy part, however the masala that goes into the gol guppet can use some more spice. It felt a little bland. The chicken tikka rice bowl was really delicious and the flavour was spot on. The pav bhaji was okay as compared to the other places here in the southbay. It lacked the basic flavor of pav bhaji masala. The rose tres leches was good, it was a little too sweet after a couple of bites so I'd recommend sharing it between atleast two people! The service was fairly quick and it is inside the SoFa market so the ambiance is more like a foodcourt. Overall, I'd say it is a nice place for some indian snack items. I will definitely come back for the golgappe and try some chaats and sandwhiches next time!

    Paneer combo plate w/ a side of samosas.
    Joselyn M.

    Food was sooo good. Flavors on point, so many diff flavors from toppings to sauces to the main dish. So happy and satisfied that I came here today. Service was ok. Once they helped me after awhile, they were nice and friendly. Not sure if they thought I wasn't ready or something, but then again you order through a kiosk. Guess it just took longer than what I expected to prepare during my 30. Took nearly half the time, so I only had 15mins to eat and then leave. Luckily I was just working at the Convention Center, so it wasn't too bad. Ambiance was cute. Great place to dine in, but the outside was even better!! It was a perfect day for it. With that said, I'll def be back and I highly recommend it.

    Dahi Sev Puri
    Keerthi D.

    Desi Express is a vendor in the SoFA market in downtown San Jose. Parking is limited, they take Apple Pay, and you can order in line, in store via kiosk or UberEats. There's plenty of place to sit in the food court if you choose, but we ordered takeout. The Dahi Puri Sev is flavorful and well balanced - it held well for takeout. The prices are also good for the quantity of food as well. I'd recommend this place if you're looking for an inexpensive Indian street food meal.

    Aloo Tikki Sandwich
    Evelyn T.

    For ~$15, you can get the following: - Aloo Tikki Sandwich ($9.99) - Chips (comes with sandwich) - Mango Lassi ($3.99) Given most food and drink combos at other restaurants would be $20, this DEFINITELY is worth your money for the quality and quantity of food. I came with a friend on Tuesday 4 PM, where it wasn't busy. Our food came out in five minutes, and we delightfully chomped away at our meal. The sandwiches are pressed, where your teeth will dive right into the crispy texture of the bread. The sandwich was filled to the brim with chutney, potatoes, red onion, tomato, and some other fillings that made it such a hearty meal! A sandwich may not seem filling, but do not underestimate how the bursts of flavors and various textures will fill your mouth. The mango lassi was a really fair size! It was creamy, rich, fruity, with a slight tang of sour. I personally am not a fan of sweet drinks, but this was perfectly refreshing to me! I finished it in minutes. Overall, my experience here is so pleasant! I would surely come by again to try their other options, as there's much to select from!

    Latest menu Jan 2023
    Anna B.

    I was super excited seeing the menu and picked a variety of sandwiches to try on a cold rainy evening. The order arrived quickly. Each sandwich came with a mini bag of lays potato chips! The bread and the toast on the sandwiches was really impressive and delicious. However the filling left a lot to be desired. Pizza sandwich - the paneer and veggies were cut too chunky, oregano was too much, sauce was too mild and the cheese was merely sliced as opposed to being grated. Grating the cheese makes the cheese hold the sandwich together, but here it kept falling apart with each bite. Flavor was 2/5, tasted nothing like a pizza. Schezwan sandwich - tasted nothing like schezwan. The veggies were too chunky and sloppy cut, they kept falling out and the slippery Mayo made it so hard to keep things in place. But I still liked the peppers and the overall Mayo sandwich vibe. Just don't call it schezwan. Mumbai sandwich - had all the right components but giant thick chunks of cucumber and bland potato. Really good green chutney. Overall I don't know. Not the best Indian sandwich, I'll not crave it or remember it. I will be back though, to try some of the chaats.

    Dahi Bhalla Papdi Chaat
    Pratima M.

    A tasty chaat spot tucked into the back of SoFa Market! I stopped by with some friends for a Sunday lunch and the food came out super quickly. The servers were really sweet and brought the food to our table. I got a Dahi Bhalla Chaat and it was really solid! The lentil patty was unique and the dahi was SO good. There are obviously a lot of chaat options in the Bay Area, but this one was pretty decent despite looking unassuming. The portion sizes were large and filling, and my friends got the sandwiches which looked delicious too. I would definitely come back if I was in the area!

    Self Ofer station
    Amanda N.

    The serving size here is moderate so it's not large portion or too small, just enough to satisfy your appetite. Item one: First bite of the tomato sandwich it was super Tasty!! Item two: The avocado toast was full flavor and not dry Highly recommend!

    Paneer Tikka Sandwich,  Aloo Tikki Chaat and Viral Dubai pistachio dessert truffle.. everything was spot on.

    So many dishes to choose from! It was a quick lunch and great food and experience.. the taste was spot on.. yum.

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    3 months ago

    Best customer service and the food is amazing. So many veggie options and drinks. Dev was soooooooo good

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    Ritika D.

    Thanks for visiting Amanda! We hope to see you again.

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    Ritika D.

    Thank you for trying our food Sunil. We hope to see you again.

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    Both my friends who got the milkshakes came down with terrible food poisoning. I had the Mango Lassi and it was very good.

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    Page 1 of 3

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    Ask the Community - Desi Express

    How does the catering for a party work? If we order chaats like bhel, papdi chat and pani puri. We wanted something like a stalls in our backyard.…

    Hey Suchitra, we do accommodate the chaats as catering items. And are you looking for live catering for pani puri?

    Can these dishes be made without onion and garlic?

    My grandma follows a Jain diet which includes not eating onions and garlic. We just ordered one item for her (Dahi puri or sev puri) and they were able to accommodate her.

    Do you have Vegan options?

    Yes we can always make vegan items as per your request

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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    Coffee & Water Lab

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    I was craving an affogato on a rainy day and Coffee & Water Lab totally hit the spot. The place is…read morereally cute -- I walked in to a lot of people on their laptops, so it definitely has that cozy work-friendly cafe vibe. The drink itself was great! My only complaint is that it came in a very small cup. The price is pretty standard for the Bay Area, but for the size, I was a little disappointed in the value. When you're craving an affogato, you want more than a few spoonfuls! Small cup aside, the quality was there. Perfect rainy day spot.

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    The Orange Tabby

    The Orange Tabby

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    I came here today for the Summer Market they were hosting. I love their sustainability model! As…read moresomeone who's not a fan of single-use plastics and prefers glass, it's great to see them rewarding customers for bringing their own cups. The inside is small and was very crowded since they had several vendors set up inside. It was a bit claustrophobic. I think it would've been helpful if the volunteers managed the crowd and organized the lines a bit better. On the bright side, the staff were very friendly and helpful. I tried the summer special, Mango Creamsicle Matcha, with 50% sweetness. The matcha was delicious, the flavor really came through. I love matcha so I'm glad it wasn't weak. That said, I felt like the mango flavor was too subtle. I'm not sure if it's because I adjusted the sweetness but I could barely taste the mango so it didn't give mango creamsicle vibes. I still enjoyed the drink though. I would like to come back when it's less crowded to explore the market and try more drinks without the crowds.

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    Interior
    Interior
    Strawberry Matchas
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    Aroma

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    Banana Cream Matcha
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    Entrance, march wall and counter for ordering
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    We tried Chromatic Coffee and I got the Bonus Cup mostly because I didn't know what it was, but it…read moresounded interesting. The staff described it as cold brew with milk and sweetener, which was helpful, but it ended up being way too sweet for me. That might just be how it's supposed to be though, and probably my fault for not choosing something that better reflects their coffee. The space itself is pretty large, with a good amount of seating inside and a few tables outside. There's also a decent amount of parking, and it's in a shared building with a brewery and other businesses. It has a bit of an unfinished warehouse vibe, which honestly makes sense for a coffee roaster. Only real inconvenience was that the restroom is locked, which feels a little odd for such a large coffee shop. Overall I'd still come back, but next time I'll definitely try an espresso based drink instead.

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    Found the entrance
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    Desi Express - indpak - Updated July 2026

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