I was seriously let down by the quality/authenticity of the food here. The sambar is watery and doesn't have great flavour- one of the things I look for in a good South Indian restaurant that serves dosa! The dosa which is the main dish as it's in the name of the place - also was a disappointment- it was too thick and wasn't crispy or aerated like a normal dosa batter. All the while I ate the dosa, I felt that it was cakey and the batter was way off from traditional batter :( next dish we tried is the mysore bonda - we expected nice hot bonda with some potato filling, but what we got was plain batter with no salt or any flavour deep fried and tossed on the plate. Lastly, the chutneys are also very mediocre. Although the people are friendly and you are served too soon, the food is really underwhelming for me to try again! read more

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Was excited to have a South Indian option closer to SF (in San Mateo) rather than having to drive all the way to Sunnyvale. Dosa Express has an extensive tiffin menu with an Andhra influence (they have punugulu, mirchi bajji, etc) We got the paneer dosa and the mini idlis to share and a masala chai. The dosa was crispy and the paneer was a nice addition to it. However we were disappointed by the chutneys and sambar which were brightly colored but lacked authentic flavor. The chai tasted too milky and had an odd taste so we let it go after a couple of sips. Overall, they will have a lot of room to improve if they want to catch up to the expectations set by other South Indian places in the Bay like Mylapore or Madras Cafe. read more

Dosa Express - Menu - Indian Near Me - San Mateo, California

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I luv me some dosas and Dosa Express hits the spot! I came here with fam and we ordered a bunch of dishes: - Onion Pakaora https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/dosa-express-san-mateo?start=120&select=0k_Rbi5Y-c5WqMe3QiohyA - Mini Idli https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/dosa-express-san-mateo?start=120&select=EN1dA3B6w-up_WAsF0MJtg - Samosa https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/dosa-express-san-mateo?start=120&select=Tm1Q_WVrfa2jnzuJcyti3g - Masala Dosa - Mysore Masala Dosa https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/dosa-express-san-mateo?start=120&select=xvpXZNKWIczgFJP1K5vhqA The food came out quick, piping hot, and full of flavor. Our feast was delicious! The only lackluster thing for me was the coconut chutney. The flavor was milder than what I've had at other restaurants. That said, one of the best mint chutneys I've had. It has a bit of a spicy kick! They also give a chutney that is ginger-forward and tastes very fresh. My fave was their tomato chutney which is BOMB! I would love a jar of that stuff! Large dining room and helpful staff. When I asked the difference between Masala Dosa and Mysore Masala Dosa, they explained that Mysore includes a chutney layer. Yum! They were also helpful in confirming what is vegan and what isn't. I would easily eat here again. Parking is competitive on the street but totally worth the effort. read more

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I cannot comment to the ambience, cause it was a DoorDash to go order, but I will say this place is a no go!! An an order for lunch that went so terribly wrong. Where do I start? For a 10:30 AM delivery, clearly, this indicates that either the kitchen opened bright and early at 8-9am, or it's all leftover food warmed up, thrown together and delivered! The roti pachadi is plain and simple RANCID. I wish there was a way to capture the stink, the smell, and the sound of bubbles bubbling over. The Medu vada must've been made yesterday, taken out of the freezer, reheated today and packed - it lacked freshness! It wasn't crisp on the outside nor the inside soft and fresh like a freshly fried Vada. The sambar stank! It had an odd growth on it. The curd rice again proves that it's leftover rice thrown into curds with some seasoning sprinkled on the top. The rice grains were hard. It's not the satisfying curd rice that one eats at home. Curd rice is supposed to be gooey and soft and enjoyable! As soon as I received the order, I called the establishment to tell them about the roti pachadi rancidity. I think they ought to see it to believe it. I'm on my way there. I met with the owner and she popped open the lid of the chutney - which STANK to high heavens! Skip this place! read more

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Terrible service. We came in and had to wave down the waiter several times. When we were ready to order our main dishes we told him we're ready and he ignored us. Then when our food arrived they put it there with no utensils. I had to wait to wave him down for utensils. We didn't feel welcomed there. Food was ok, service needs to improve and common sense. read more

Stopped by Dosa Express on a Friday afternoon and was pleasantly surprised by the food quality. I ordered the Masala Dosa, which was perfectly crisp and flavorful--I highly recommend it! Topped it off with a traditional Filter Coffee that was the perfect midday pick-me-up. The service was fantastic and there is plenty of seating inside, so we were able to get a table right away. Just a heads-up: the parking lot is quite small and can be tricky, so you might need a little extra time to find a spot. Overall, a great find read more

A newly opened Indian restaurant in San Mateo..checked out early during week with my friend. It's refreshing nice decor and with comfy seats..with more spacious seating in the back as well. Tried their lunch thali..which is just adequate to fill you up with tasty curries(loved the eggplant curry) , flavoured variety of rices and accompanied by their off menu lychee shake. The taste and style is more southern India (believe Andhra style) - but not too spicy, just adequate. It gives a feeling of simple n homely taste with quick service. Will come back to try their dosa(always in pursuit of that perfect crispy masala dosa) and other items. read more

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Are you prepared for an express surprise (and not a good one)? You never know what you get - ordered delivery multiple times, and got inconsistent orders. First time, an entire dish and a bowl of sambar was missing, but all 3 chutneys were provided. Second time, the coconut chutney was missing.. And it's a shame, cos the idlis were very soft and tender, and this is one of the rare South Indian restaurants in the peninsula serving chocolate dosa. However I shall refrain from ordering again till the quality control issues are resolved. Seems like others also had similar quality issues/ consistency issues. Do yourself an express favor and run away from this like an express read more

I was meeting some folks right before they got on a flight and we chose this spot given its proximity to the airport. It ended up being a good choice since the dosas were great and disappeared quickly. The out of the towners left happy. read more

We gave Dosa express another try to see how they are doing since their opening. We interacted with 4 people to place our order which pointed to some confusion in their management/server interactions. The samosas were good however the plate was dripping in oil and i got a some oil on my lips when i took a bite which was not something I would expect. I would suggest them to strain oil before serving. The dosa was tasty - we enjoyed the chutneys. We ordered gulab jamun and it was served in a microwaved plastic to-go container which is a big no for us (heating food in plastic containers) read more

Great food, worth the trip. We are fans of vegetarian South Indian food and this place did not disappoint. read more

I have never had such bad food even on streets and never wrote such bad reviews for a restaurant. Terrible food! Please don't waste time, money and your health! We were served stale and gone bad uttapam. Restaurant is spacious and Interiors are so beautiful but it's sad that the food is served without any care. Even the simplest dosa has a terrible smell of ghee- not sure if ghee was also bad. read more

Came back after a long time and the service and food was really nice. We came very close to closing time and they didn't rush us at all.

Great place. Got takeout of their curd rice - which was delicious. The pickle that came with it was fantastic. Quick service, friendly staff, clean place. Street parking outside read more

Had a bad experience. I'm a fan of dosa and this was the thinnest dosa I've ever eaten. Chai tastes like water and halwa is oily and not tasty at all. I regret for choosing this restaurant just by how the restaurant interior looks like. I'm reviewing this so the restaurant can improve on the food quality. read more

Dosa Express - Plain Dosa Masala Chai Gajar Ka Halwa - Indian Near Me - San Mateo, California

We went there cause of the great google reviews (usually I check Yelp but on CarPlay, I asked Google to find a good South Indian place to dine at). Google has a lot of 5* reviews but the food that we got at the restaurant was average at best. I would have liked it if the oil they used was not smelling a lot. The service was okay - had to get up a few times to even place an order or pay my check. Ambiance was okay - again, a very strangle smell in the restaurant itself. Overall, a 2.5/5 at best. Majorly the 5* reviews on Google might be for the free buttermilk they give you when you provide them a Google review. read more

Worst dosa / South Indian restaurant I'd rather not eat south indian in peninsula if i had to come here again. Other Reviews are very real. The place is not even cleaned properly. read more

We visited this restaurant recently and unfortunately had a very disappointing experience with the food. We ordered a Thali, almost all the items, except the plain white rice, tasted stale and spoilt -- the curd rice, buttermilk, and other dishes were all stale and had an unpleasant taste. The fryums were soft as if they had been made long ago, and both my husband and I felt sick after eating here. The dosa and vada were at least edible, but overall, the food quality was horrible (literally spoilt food from days ago in the Thali) for what we paid. I've been here before and the food wasn't this bad at that time, so this was quite a letdown. Please be cautious if you plan to eat here. read more

Made a reservation since we were a large group. It seemed they were understaffed and the waiter was scrambling to serve all the tables. The dosas, vada, uthappam and sambar were mediocre, all 3 chutneys had awful taste - normally coconut chutney should not be so spicy. Convenient and uninspiring location, décor inside was optimistic. I would not make a special trip here again, too expensive for the quality of food and subpar location. read more

Dosa Express - Uttapam with chutneys - Indian Near Me - San Mateo, California

Fantastic food, excellent service, and a beautiful ambiance! We tried their unlimited vegetarian thali, idli/pongal combo, uggani bhajji, cut mirchi, onion bhajji, Mumbai gini dosa, punugulu, chickoo shake, and mango lassi. Everything tasted delicious! The best part is the thali's unlimited refills, which is a great deal. Their spacious outdoor seating is perfect for corporate lunches or large gatherings. Plus, the location is convenient--just 10 minutes from SFO airport. We'll definitely be back to explore more items on the menu! read more

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Someone recommended this place so we tried it. The interior was done very nicely compared to the dreary design of the previous establishment. We ordered the Uthappam and Dosa. My Uthappam was so bland, I had to add salt to it. The crispiness was so so. I did not taste my husband's dosa but he wasn't thrilled. On top of that they served plastic utensils. Sorry, I'll stick to my favorite dosa on Valencia St. read more

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So we went for rava dosa and unfortunately we were told they can't make it that day. So a little disappointed. I ordered pessaretu with upma. But the upma had no flavor or salt, so the chutney saved the dish. The chutneys were good, could be better. We also tried punugulu and gongora rice. Both needed more flavor and salt, then they would have been better. Place is good has the potential to be great, if they pay attention to flavor. read more

Beautiful, modern and cleanl interior. Ordered the plain dosa and Veg Thali. So thin and crispy, loved the sauces. Veg Thali had 10 containers and 1 was the rice desert that I loved! 2 kinds of mixed rice. Lentil, okra w peanuts, cheese masala (dont know but was my favorite), 2 soups, yogurt and another spicy item. Loved trying so many things! I will be back to try everything on their menu! Also fast and freindly service! read more

Dosa Express - Veg Thali - Indian Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Vegetarian Restaurant Really liked the food, definitely recommend to try Uggani Bajji, thali(veg pulav is good), kadapa karam dosa, mini idly. Everyday Thali - 18.99 read more

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We wanted to meet a friend near the airport since he only had a couple of hours to meet so went there early weekend morning. The first impression was it looked like a decent place, small but could accommodate small groups Somehow the water glasses had a bad smell so that put me off immediately. we ordered a bunch of dosas , my son had a paneer dosa, I got a rava dosa and some got mumbai masala dosa Dosas were decent but sambar and chutneys were lacking in taste and flavor, being in the bay area and eating very good south Indian food, we had more expectations and this place did not meet those standards read more

Ambience is nice and welcoming. But the food needs some work, salt was missing in most dishes. The masala dosa lacked masala quantity, and the podi quantity did disappoint. Do not take this as me trying to diss on the place, genuine feedback to make the place better. read more

I was so excited to see this place in the neighborhood and I'm so glad this place didn't disappoint me. Really friendly staff and the food has good flavors. The menu is exhaustive of South Indian dishes - Dosa, idli and various options including Thali which is also pretty nice. The food is not too oily or spicy. Just right for me. Special shoutout to their chai and ghee pongal! I have already been here 4 times and I know there'll be more . read more

This is nice new restaurant with 25+ Types of Dosas. Great interiors with spacious outdoors. The Chiku Milkshake was amazing to start with. Ordered Breakfast combo & their Idli , medhu vada and sambar tasted pretty good. Also tried the Uggani Bhajji and ponugulu. Veg thali was definitely top notch. Tried Mumbai dosa and pesarattu. Will definitely visit again to try their different types of dosas. read more

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I have never had worse dosa and vada in my life. The dosa was sour, the chutneys tasted terrible. I genuinely have the worst after taste. The vada doesn't even look like a vada. I spit out the coffee after one sip, don't understand how this place has good reviews. Please save your money and don't come here. read more

Dosa Express - Indian Near Me - San Mateo, California

The new Dosa Express offers authentic South Indian tiffins and meals in a clean, casual setting. The Cone Dosa was a thin, crispy fermented rice and lentil batter crepe rolled into the shape of a cone and served with sambar (lentil soup) and three different chutneys: an earthy coconut chutney, a red tomato chutney, and uniquely, a sweet green ginger chutney! But even better than the dosa was the Veg Thali, a plate of 13 different items with a huge variety of flavors and spices. There was more hot and sour sambar, a peppery rasam soup, a salty yellow dal, curd rice, vegetable pulao (rice with broccoli, carrots, and other vegetables), lemon rice, paneer makhani (cheese cubes in a tomato cream gravy), an oily vegetable fry (eggplants, onions, peas), along with rice, roti (actually a flour tortilla), fryums, and Indian pickle. Every item was distinct in flavor, and the thali was a perfect way to sample lots of different dishes! My favorites were the creamy paneer makhani and the dal, but everything was delicious in its own way! On top of the delicious food, the service here was quick and friendly, and the prices were a great value too. read more

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Tasty Vegetarian Thali check! Nice and clean interior check! Outdoor seating check! Fast and friendly service check! Proximity check! I am rooting for this place to succeed! I love their thali( Hot take alert!!! Buffet is not the way to experience Indian food.). This is my second time here and both times, the thali was great! They serve it with: 2 Kinds of flavored rice sides ( Veg Pulao and Coconut rice this time), Fry( Tindora), Curry(Drumstick), Dal( Spinach tomato), a chutney, Rasam, Sambar, fry'ems, Curd rice and a sweet. Every item was tasty. The service was friendly, engaging and fast. The place was clean and has nice seating inside. They also have good outdoor seating so, I can hike with my dog in the morning, head straight for the unlimited thali and completely offset any good karma(calorie deficit). Keep it up! read more

Disappointing!! The staff were friendly and nice, else I would have given a single star The sambar, and chutneys were terrible The uthapam was undercooked The $19 thali had nothing except 3 kinds of rice, one terrible roti and sambar Rasam and 2 other daals We would never go back again read more

Located close to the San Francisco Airport, this is the newest hang-out spot for South Indian food lovers. Fully vegetarian with 30+ types of Dosas and Uthappams to choose from. Also try the unique appetizers like Mysore Bonda, Punugulu, Uggani Bajji and Ghee Pongal from the extensive menu. We liked the seasonal Chikoo milkshake as well. Don't miss it if available! The service is prompt and we loved the ambience indoors and outdoors. Parking is limited in the front, so plan accordingly. Check out my detailed reels and posts on Instagram food page @veggie_central read more

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Absolutely excellent. Had the Mumbai dosa it's stuffed with potatoes. Cheese , tomatoes. So fresh. Also, the other doses are excellent. They've added now non-veg options extended menu . Excellent chicken dishes with parathas and rice really highly recommend very authentic. So happy something like this is opened in Burlingame. ! read more

wanted to try a new south indian place and the thali looked good. service was okay (when i asked about which items had tree nuts such as almonds and cashews, he just repeated that they use peanuts. the thali had almonds in the kheer). partner ordered the idli + vada combo and it came with three chutneys (tomato, peanut and ginger). the restaurant also had many handwritten signs that one thali is for one person (i got reminded several times when ordering). read more

Dosa Express - Vegetarian Thali - Indian Near Me - San Mateo, California

Saw this place had opened up in the neighborhood recently and was so excited to try it! Came in on a Saturday at 8:15pm only for the workers to tell us they were closed, despite their website and Yelp posting open hours until 10pm on Fridays and Saturdays and 9pm on Tuesdays through Thursdays. Too bad. Willing to try for another time, but they should really make an effort to update their hours especially since they're new. read more

Location: Easy access from 101 freeway. Parking right in front of the restaurant but only a few. If thats filled then it's street side only. Ambience: Bright, clean and upbeat. Restrooms were also clean. Such a relief to see that the owners have given this importance. Seats were plush and nice and not those plastic chairs. Price: $$ slightly higher than other south Indian restaurants. Menu: Variety of items. Kids friendly. Service: Owners Hruthika and Sindhu quickly took orders. Both have pleasant and friendly demeanor. While waiting after ordering one of the owners came and updated us on how long it's going to take to serve although it was served pretty quick. Food: we ordered andhra karam dosa, veg thali and mysore masala dosa, salt and sweet lassi. Dosa was crispy, the karam powder was tasty, it was served with sambar, 3 different chutneys, onion tomato, ginger and coconut. Sambar was the best of all, next was the coconut chutney, ginger and last is onion tomato. It was bit too sour for my liking. Mysore masala similar feedback. Veg thali the tamarind rice, pulav were very tasty. Dal was good too. The curd rice was bit disappointing as it was mixed in basmati rice and it felt like the curd didn't mix with rice and basmati rice hijacked the curd rice essence. The gravy curry was bit too sweet. There was no rasam or achar in the thali. Roti was nice and soft but it didn't feel like whole wheat roti. I will not have their thali again. Sweet lassi was bit too watered down and not sweet enough. Also there's no mention of allergens present in the food. One of the curries had peanuts. Owners kindly add that in your menu. Final verdict: We will go there and try different items. Will definitely try the idlis. True test is how they make their idlis. Overall a good place. read more

Visited this place with a group of friends. Their quality, ambience, service was good unlike other places nearby. Their food was real good and their diverse menu was the best part. Did justify their name, tried 3-4 varieties of dosas, all of them were great. Definitely suggesting this place to anyone craving wide varieties of dosas. Definitely will visit them again when I visit Cali. read more

Came in just past 8pm this Saturday evening (5/24/25) and was told by the staff that they are closed by 8:30pm and kitchen was closed. Both yelp hours and their own website stated that restaurant was open until 10pm on Saturdays. Better communicate your hours or you won't last long in this area of San Mateo where other places such Curry & Kebab has built a legit reputation. Besharam Dosa Express! read more

Dosa Express - Hours on Dosa Express website is inaccurate. - Indian Near Me - San Mateo, California

I ordered sambar rice and a dosa for takeaway. Very tasty sambar rice. Restaurant smelled amazing!