Some of the best food I've ever had. We had the beef fry, parottas, appam, meen vattichathu and chemmeen masala ....and ALL were incredibly yum. read more

So... I am SUPER DISAPPOINTED TO BE WRITING THIS REVIEW.. SUPER DISAPPOINTED. Background info... Our boss is kind enough to treat us to lunches on friday in appreciation of our work. We often have stuff door dashed, or when it's very close to the office one of us who drives will go pick it up and bring it back. We have actually had this place ONCE before. That was an on the fence experience only because 2 of us got Biryani and it was pretty spicy. One thing i think some of these restaurants don't consider, be that oversight on their part or deliberate perhaps with their target customer perhaps only being those that share their ethnicity and culture and already know what is what. But for the rest of us, A GOOD RESTAURANT would CLEARLY identify what is spicy, what is not spicy, and or offer spice levels, so when we who are not familiar and are trying things for the first time can be informed. IF you look up "Is Biryani Spicy?" the general results say not necessarily but warns that there are certain kinds that CAN be. Karikku, like many other Indian places does NOT provide this clarification. So one of us couldn't eat the biryani at all and ended up giving it to me, who doesn't mind that level of spice so much... but HIS lunch for that day was ruined, all because a lack of specificity on something that is often make or break for many many people. That guy, who is put off completely by any kind of spice has pretty much sworn off Indian food totally because of that one experience. So all you other indian restaurants that do it right out there can thank Karikku Cafe in Fremont/Milpitas for that loss of business. The rest of us were ok with our food though. And since today that one employee isn't here to eat with us, we all decided, let's try that indian place again...the food was pretty good and we don't often get to do indian because of that last experience. The 3 of us ordered the following 2 orders of the Prawns Curry which you can choose between 2 kinds of rice or 3 kinds of "bread". 1 of those breads is Porotta (2). NOTE THE (2) there... that indicates to most english speakers "TWO QTY". So with *EACH* of those meals, should have come *TWO parottas*. 1 order of the Mushroom Varuthara, and a side of 1 Porotta (since that meal doesn't come with it). Coworker comes back, trusting all was correct with the order to find that there was only ONE (1) PIECE of porotta between all 3 meals. Doing the math above, there SHOULD HAVE BEEN FIVE (5) TOTAL. Coworker goes back (brings ALL the food back to show them) and lets a guy up front know what happened. Coworker reported treated as though he was trying to get over... That the guy rudely said "It's in there!" and when he showed him only 1 piece they took the food back and in a few minutes gave him back the food. Not wanting to be confrontational, he takes the order, assuming it must be right this time, which is a reasonable expectation, and come to find out... THEY GAVE ONLY ONE (1) MORE POROTTA. On and order of 5...we got TWO. We ended up splitting it amongst ourselves. This REALLY pissed me off.. porotta is one of my favorite things in teh world and was SUPPOSED TO BE the highlight of this lunch for me. So not only were we shorted, but coworker expressed that their service was really bad. That there were other people who were waiting and waiting and waiting unattended for their orders and that even some of them were complaining to the staff. And Coworker by the way got there almost 10 minutes after the promise ready time and STILL had to wait. Then be treated as if he were dishonest and trying to STEAL POROTTA. Cuz that's a thing right? Porotta bandits just hitting all the indian restaurants making orders then claiming they were shorted.... RIGHT? WHO WOULDN'T ASSUME THE WORST??? (eye roll emoji). And to top it all off... our stuff, also was VERY VERY SPICY... AGAIN, ZERO INDICATION OF THIS ANYWHERE ON THEIR MENU. It was tolerable, BUT it was also SUPER SALTY. ALL 3 of our dishes were. So much to my disappointment, this place on our second attempt has failed us miserably and is responsible for ruining our appreciation lunch this Friday. I will upload pictures as well demonstrating what was ordered and how their system CLEARLY says TWO pcs of Porotta for each of our prawn curry meals. And then Coworker ordered one separately for $2.50. So we got robbed today folks... Apparently this business is terribly unorganized, and the service seems to be pretty crappy too, trying to insinuate to a customer they are Porotta Bandits (smh). So 1 star it is... AND NEVER AGAIN AT THIS PLACE. The mistake was not such a big deal...it is how they handled, rather how they FAILED TO HANDLE that mistake properly...by insulting the guy with the looks and tude of implication that he was trying to get over rather than him just getting what we ordered. The UNEXPECTEDLY SPICY and over salted food.... the evidence of OTHER unhappy customers etc.. read more

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Best authentic Kerala food. Loved the snacks in cutlets and chilli gobi. Their appam and fish virtues are must try. Their dessert with the authentic payasam is must try!! Will surely visit many times!!!! Please look for Mathew great service all the time read more

We ordered a veg tapioca biriyani. It was stale. This is the second time this has happened. Around 6 months ago, their chicken biriyani tasted stale. Tried to give this business one more chance, but lesson learnt. Their menu claims that the mutton pieces they serve is tender, but NO. Food here is not worth the price they charge. Save your dollars. read more

The food is great. Don't get me wrong. But why 1 star? Read on. This restaurant is inefficient AF. Their ordering system is a mess. You basically sit at any open table. They have menus online behind a QR code that goes to their Square website. It shows your table number and presents you with an option to order. So you order. But it goes to pick up order queue for the restaurant. WTF? Then next time you don't go that route. Fine. Second time around my wife and I along with our 9 YO wanted to celebrate our wedding anniversary by having lunch there and booked movie tickets at 230pm. I rode 40 miles on my road bike in anticipation of a hearty meal. We show up at 1pm. Sit at a table. This time not making a mistake of ordering "online" we wait for someone to take order. Full 20 minutes later the only dude who is serving food comes to take our order after I complain. We wait another 35 minutes and we still don't have food on the table. I called the guy who took our order enquiring about our food and 5 minutes later he comes back and says 5 more minutes. 5 more minutes passed and we were famished by that point. I was so pissed off that we got up and left. I am sure they didn't even notice us leaving. It was already 2pm. We went to pacific commons for our movie and it was 215pm. We settled for fast food as we only had 15 minutes before our movie. These guys ruined our day with their inefficiency. As if it was not enough, they were packing a lot of to go orders. It is clear that they prefer Togo orders and are screwing over customers that are seated. Either their kitchen is the most inefficient in the world or their management is the most inefficient in the world or both. I am willing to bet it is both. YOU GUYS RUINED OUR WEDDING ANNIVERSARY AND I AM NEVER FORGIVING YOU FOR THAT. Kaikaaryam cheyyan pattiyillengil restaurant business cheyyarudu. read more

This place specializes in Kerala cuisine (South Indian). Their food is good. I specifically like the Kappa, Malabar fish curry, Chicken 65, Cabbage throran. I have only dined-in once. I prefer takeout. I have used their services for catering my private events as well. The food was a hit with my guests. read more

Food was awesome , tried the Malabar fish curry - the best I have had in Bay Area , mutton pepper fry , fish biryani , chicken roast - too good , Appam - all tasted amazing . Only disappointment was parotta . Will definitely go here again . read more

We have never eaten in and only ordered takeout. Most authentic Kerala food I have ever tasted in the US. My husband will gladly drive over 20 miles one way from our house to get his fix of Kappa, Malabar porotta and beef roast. Kids love the beef curry. I usually have thoran and avial. Tasty food and quick service. read more

The food is Ok. Service was also Ok. Ambience is not the greatest but works. The coconut milk biryani was Ok - slightly bland. read more

Terrible food. We ordered thiyal, which was just a concentrated tamarind pulp, no other taste, fish fry, the fish was smelly and tasted bad, the appams were sour and the stew tasted bad with uncooked vegetables and big cuts of carrot, the more curry was awful as well. The only saving grace was the Avial, cabbage thorns and rice. They were edible and tasted ok. This cannot be called Kerala food. It sends a wrong message to non kerala people who are craving Kerala food. read more

If you're craving authentic Kerala cuisine, this place is a must-visit. We tried their pothichor, a rarity outside Kerala homes these days. Each serving has plenty of rice for two people, though the curries are slightly less in portion. I highly recommend this spot--it truly brought the taste of home back to me. Thank you for such a delicious reminder of Kerala! read more

Karikku Cafe - Pothichor, karimeen fry - Indian Near Me - Fremont, California

I placed a pickup order online today at 5.44pm. Received a message + email saying order will be ready to pick up at 6pm. I showed up 20-25 mins late due to map misdirecting us. To my surprise the order was not ready even then ~ 30 mins past the promised time. That's was a massive disappointment. Now, the food. we ordered mutton curry, karimeen masala, parotta and aapam. The mutton curry had the most terrible pieces of meat that I have seen any food from a restaurant. I could evidently see a bunch of people in the restaurant sitting without any food in the tables few with frowning disappointed faces. NEVER going back here and would not recommend to anyone. Either this place is understaffed or mismanaged, they messed up big time. read more

Really enjoyed the food here a month back and based on the recent experience looks like quality is going down. Consistency is the key. When you are putting that plate of food in front of the customer, remember that you are not giving it for free. It is expected that quality and taste is same every time. read more

Very very slow serving... below average tasty food. We had beef roast, beef peralan and butter chicken with Kerala porotta. We didnt get the two extra Kerala porotta ordered even after 30 min. No plan to visit again. read more

(I didn't have a 5 star experience. But since we have no other Kerala restaurant around, I want to give benefit of doubt to Karikku) Pls pay attention to online orders: Many of us place online orders. And we get messages confirming pick up time. But I have noticed that Karikku staff has no idea about the order until we get there and ask about it. Don't do this to patrons. If you are accepting online orders, act on it right away. Everyone else does. Pls keep tables clean: my family visited Karikku last time a few weeks back. It was disgusting to see so many tables with leftover food and garbage & no one cleaning it up. Pls provide consistency: I guess this is the same team that ran Malabar Coast in the past. Food quality has no consistency. We know it's hard to keep good chefs. But don't make it a problem for customers. Add more staff: most customers wouldn't give feedback in person when they see owner's family (wife and kids) at the front desk. It's cute and all to see a truly family run restaurant. But not too professional since most of us (kind people) will just walk away without showing how upset we are about food or quality service when we see children at front desk. read more

Welcome edition to the South Indian food scene in Fremont. We were sorely missing a Kerala joint and thank you Karikku for bringing us authentic food from God's own country. This is a simple no nonsense place with a roaring takeout business. Food is excellent - stand out items are fish curry chicken curry and thalassery biryani. Very low on grease but high on taste. Reasonably priced. Service is skinny but adequate. I wish this new business the very best. I already regular customer. read more

Excellent, authentic Kerala food in the bay. Drove down 40mins to eat here. The ambiance and service were great. shrimp mango curry was excellent! read more

Food is Kerala-style cuisine. For non-Indians, Kerala is a state in South India. The spice level is moderate and the food variety is different compared to North-Indian style food. This is my 3rd time visiting. Unlike many other Indian restaurants in the Bay Area, this place is clean and does not have a strong curry/spice smell. The bathrooms are also cleaned regularly. About 2 days ago, I went there around 2p and the place was full. Irrespective of that, we got our food within 15 minutes after we placed the order. The food was also fresh and tasty. Over the last 3 times I visited, the food quality has been consistent, and good. I heard the owners of the restaurant are not there to just make money, but also have a passion for cooking. I will highly recommend this place to anyone interested in trying a new Indian-style cuisine. read more

Excellent Kerala cuisine in this amazing restaurant. The service was very pleasant! A must try for anyone who wants to have authentic Kerala cuisine! read more

Karikku Cafe - Appam, beef, prawn curry, kappa etc - Indian Near Me - Fremont, California

It is open, they sat me in and then after 2 minutes they tell me the kitchen is closed. I have never had that experience anywhere. This was almost 30 minutes before the advertised closing time. read more

Place to get authentic Kerala food. Love the food as always! Service is great. Will visit again.

Authentic kerala food. Their lunch box i love. Best there is pompano fry. We are repeat customers

Ordered Chicken curry, Kappa and Appam. Worst food. Kappa was giving bad smell. Chicken was not fresh and appam had fowl smell.

Amazing food!!! Highly recommend. Brand new location tried it out and everything was great.

Food was not good at all. Service was mediocre too Ambience nothing great. Meat was tough, order was incorrect. Overall a disappointing experience when we expected authentic kerala food. read more

Ambience is nothing great. We tried Aappam, Porotta, idiyappam, a couple of chicken dishes and the beef peralan. Other than the beef and porotta, everything else was just mediocre. Still better than Madhuram. I would still go back to Karikku because there are not many other Malayali restaurants around. read more

I found Karikku Cafe a couple of days ago in my quest to find a place that offered Onam Sadya for pickup. The food was excellent - there were more items/variety than I expected, all the dishes tasted authentic with quality ingredients and the quantities were generous. I am so glad I found them on a Google search. I am sure I will be back often to explore other options on their menu even though the restaurant is 30 miles from where I live. read more

Great food and service ! Love the chatti choru. The Appam is the softest appam I've had in recent times !

Dined here once on a Sunday afternoon. Was not crowded. Thalasseri biriyani and kappa biriyani was really good. Good Malayalee food in the area. read more

this is the first time I ate here place is clean food is not authentic if you know the authentic taste. we o a combo lunch menu but actually it is not a combo because it has only one item . the dish had a huge masala roast but no taste the wait time is reasonable I won't recommend this place read more

Awesome mallu food. Beef fry was great, parottas were flaky. Need to try other things on their menu. The owner is fairly involved in the business and takes pride in his food. Good to see! read more

I tried Malabar fish curry, I missed to ask what fish was it. It was kingfish. I guess it was the frozen fish you find in coconut hill which is old and has no flavor. So my suggestion is to stay away from fish dishes unless they switch to using fresh fish probably salmon. My wife had thalassery chicken biryani, which was ok. Folks in other tables were ordering all the beef dishes. So I think beef dish is what is best here. I will try beef dish next time. Good luck to the restaurant. The service was friendly and good. read more

Too pricey and not worth the quantity or quality. Pothichoru quantity was less for the price. Not worth the hype if there is any.

Great Kerala cuisine ! We had the malabar paratha and appam and chicken . And all were great.

We ordered multiple items in bulk for a catered event attended by about 35-40 guests. The items ordered include atta rice (aka Kerala rice), Chicken Peralan, Fish Curry, Beans Thoran and Semiya Payasam. We the hosts, and all the guests were very happy with the taste and authenticity of the food. It exceeded our expectations. Although we ordered boneless chicken for the Chicken Peralan, what we got was chicken with bones. That was a slight glitch, but the chicken tasted so good that we didn't bother to complain. read more

Don't go here. Very unprofessional, garbage service. They cancelled my order and then refused to refund the money and hung up on me. The audacity. read more

Drove all the way from Morgan Hill just to be disappointed by below average food. Ordered fish masala fry, peralan chicken, porotta, spicy fish curry, kappa- all were a disappointment. noway close to the amazing Kerala food. My husband is from Kerala and he did not like any of the preparations. Porotta was weird, chicken peralan was not chicken peralan quite honestly, and the fish curry and kappa lacked the authentic Kerala flavor. Curry leaves provide the distinct yum taste and aroma- and they were absent in the dishes. ordered badam milk- again a disappointment. The Ambience lacks taste as well - not going back for sure. read more

Tried their onam sadhya. It tasted fresh and yum . pachadi , erissery and sambar deserve a special mention.

Yummy sadya!! The food was really good. Will order again. Thanks for the service. Yum

First time ordering from this place. I heard their food was good so thought of trying when I had few friends over. Nice presentation and smells amazing. Food was not that great. Everything tasted sweet. Even the biriyani tasted sweet. Not sure why. We had 3 orders of porotta, there was only 3 porottas. When you price something's at almost 3$ at least 2 per order would be nice. Or the size should be a little bit big. Not sure if I will be ordering from there again. read more