This place just reminds me of India Street Tiffins one of the best places that I have been close to the peninsula an awesome part of this place is that it opens at 8:30 AM in the morning which is typically the breakfast time but I can tell you one thing that has an outside seating and their filter. Coffee is so yummy that it reminds me of India their breakfast is so good. You have to try everything there but my best things that I enjoyed there was idly, and dosa. One of the tricky things here is their service people tend to forget where you're sitting who you are what you ordered and sometimes it takes a long time for the food to come and this place really really gets busy so you have to be on top of it many times they forget to bring certain things with the order so you have to remember what you ordered. If something is missing you have to remind them This place Cleaner. I haven't seen that before one. Another thing that I liked about this place was that they are always running around making sure you're good. I would prefer you all to bring your own water because I have not seen a good hygiene there. read more

Madras Cafe - Idly-Vada Combo - Indian Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

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You will need to know what to order. Took me a while to find out what all the names mean. Obviously, not an Indian food guy. I didn't like what I ordered but I do like the Dosa. In fact, the masala was good. Curry mash potatoe is what it was. The mango lassi was good too. read more

Tried their new thali! Came out fairly quickly. Overall 4/5. Thali came with chapathi kurma, veg pulao - raitha, sambar, Dal, Kolumbu, avial, rasam, Aalu masala, banana chips, rava kesari along with papad read more

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It's like my second favorite Dosa place in the bay area. It's also right next to an Indian super market, which I usually checkout after eating at Madras. read more

Madras Cafe - Indian Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

This restaurant seems to be a popular spot! I came for a mid-morning breakfast, and while I was able to easily find parking, there were already many people in line. That didn't seem to hinder service much; they were very friendly and wrapped up the order efficiently after educating me about some of the items of interest on the menu. The food came out at a reasonable amount of time. I liked the flavor of the dosa here, but it was too salty for my tastes and it helped immensely to have a beverage on the side. The texture was wonderful; it was the perfect level of crispiness without getting too dry or hard. I liked the variety of chutneys that went alongside the dosa as well. The prices seemed fair for the amount of food and area. It's a solid, bustling spot for a quick meal. read more

Visited a handful of times over the past decade or so and nothing much has changed. Place is always packed and hasn't lost its sheen over the years. Food is at best average though. Got the idli vada combo and rava dosa on our recent visit. Two of the three chutnies had desiccated coconut. Chutney is normally made with fresh coconut and use of desiccated coconut leads to a rancid smell in addition to a bad consistency. The rava dosa was bad as well, the consistency and texture was completely off. I think the picture itself speaks a 1000 words. read more

Madras Cafe - Idli Idly-Vada Combo - Indian Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

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I recently went to Madras Cafe with my beloved. I spent a lot of time in India including South India. The woman who took our order was from Hyderabad where I have been. She was kind and friendly. We ordered family style getting: Channa Batura aka Chloe bhatura- we enjoyed this the best. Chickpeas were amazing and flavorful albeit portions could have been bigger We got the special vegetable dosa- the fermented rice and lentil crepe was stuffed with potatoes, veggies, cashews, and raisins. Nice chutneys We also got idli podi- idili is fermented rice cakes and the podi was quite alright Ambiance was pretty basic yet appreciated all the food was served on metal thali plates and silverware We would return! read more

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This place has a horrible setup for customers. You stand in the line to place the order. Then you again wait to be seated. Then you wait further to get your food. It you want to order more food then it's a major problem. read more

Amazing! We loved the masala dosa. Lots of filling. It came with a chickpea soup/stew which was extremely tasty, as well with several sauces. Great price and deal! read more

Awesome South Indian spot! The ambiance is not so nice, but the food was incredible!! I am a big fan of the masala dosa, masala chai. The idili was okay and the vada also was okay. The chutneys are delicious and fresh! read more

Madras Cafe - Indian Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

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Madras Cafe has vegetarian Indian food that revolves around a dosa, which is a savory crepe that can be dipped in chutney. This was my first time trying Indian food where it isn't the usual tikka masala curry and naan, and I enjoyed it! You would rip a piece off of the main dosa and dip it in whichever chutney you want. The chutneys themselves were a bit different to me due to the variety of spice combinations used, and I think I only preferred one of them. The masala dosa itself was really yummy, especially in the center with the potatoes. Madras cafe was very packed on a Saturday night with families. Order first then wait until your name is called so you can be seated. You won't wait too too long though, because generally the food comes out quick and people are done eating quicker. Once you're finished the tables are cleared fast too. read more

Madras Cafe - Masala Dosa - Indian Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

I live right next to this place and I love their food. The service is pretty fast and the ambiance is good - it feels like a typical restaurant in some Indian metro city which makes it feel more authentic. My personal fav is the Ghee Kara Masala Dosa - the one in the menu doesn't come with ghee but you can request them to make in ghee. The sambar tastes authentic and I like the 4 kinds of chutneys they serve. The medu vada is also great but can be a slightly more oily at times. One thing I always order is the filter coffee!! The one thing that I don't like from the menu is the special rava dosa- it is sweet because of all the cashews and stuff they put in. If you plan to come on the weekends for lunch, I'd suggest getting there early before 11:30 am. This place gets really crowded! read more

We were driving back to SF from south and were craving a good dosa for dinner. Stopped by at Madras Cafe on a busy Sunday evening and the place was packed. It is a no frill no fuss kind of place that runs on good food and quick convenient service. You have to place your order at the counter before sitting down. We ordered two Mysore Masala Dosa and one Ghee Masala Dosa, medu vada, a coffee and a tea. Food is reasonably priced except vada (only two vada in the plate). The dosas were quite filling and delicious and so were the chutneys and sambhar. Such a good fulfilling meal and very quick service. I actually left my handbag on the chair and left for the car but the owner came running after me to hand it back. Overall, a great place for good Tamil food and good service. read more

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Aaah feel so relieved that this time our experience was much better. A few reasons for them 1. Since the pandemic, I kinda lowered my expectations of top quality food and service from most places, this one included. Once you do that, you start looking for things that went well and focus on them. Exactly what we felt today. 2. Order smartly : Do not order what you did not like the previous time or order some something similar but not same. Last time I was underwhelmed by the idli so this time, I I stayed away from the idlis but got the mini idlis and they were, very surprisingly, much better! Further instead of getting greasy vada and Sambar separately, I got it the vadas soaked in it and believe me, when I say this, I thought they tasted so much better!! Finally as I had found the Ghee Masala Dosa to be very very oily and greasy the last time, this time I got the Paper Masala Dosa and enjoyed it thoroughly! The coconut chutney this time was made of coconuts that were overripe (read rancid) so I just stayed away from it and rather than griping over it , focused on and enjoyed the mint and tomato chutney, something I was just not open to earlier! We also got the. Onion Rava Dosa and while I felt it should have been fried longer to a golden brown tinge, rather than the pasty brown color that it was served as, I enjoy some edges of it which had in fact got fried well. Coffee was strong and hot and making it extra sweet makes up for everything else. Miss the old days of this place but at least I enjoyed some aspects ( dishes) of this place, this time around! read more

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We have been coming here for many years given the choices of South Indian restaurants in the Bay Area it's been awhile since we last visited so thought of checking it out.... They have ample seating space inside & outdoor. Only thing is don't come here expecting it to be a quite restaurant it's extremely noisy ( inside) especially during weekends morning after 10 am having said that we were there by 8.30 am & saw the crowd started coming in few minutes later family as well as bachelors .... It's a very popular place. This time we tried - Medhu Vada Sambhar - the vadas were soft & nicely soaked in sambhar which was pipping hot. My husband enjoyed it very much. Mini Idli plate - mini Idli's were soft & I could taste little ghee on it again it went very well with the pipping hot sambhar & all the 3 chutneys. We shared the dish happily. Paper Masala Dosa - we ordered it crispy so it was not at all greasy while having it. Only thing is we got little disappointed seeing the potato masala which was very less but still we loved it. Idli plate- I was craving for more Idli's ... I love soft & pipping hot Idli's very much .... here the texture is little hard but still it was ok . Rava Dosa - it's been years since I last had it ... it was good but I would have preferred it to be more brown. Veg Biryani (from weekend menu section) Togo to have latter ... which was nice . And lastly 1 filter coffee without which any South Indian breakfast is incomplete.... It was nice & strong. Here the service is excellent, they are very attentive the moment they see any empty dishes they will come & pick it up which is nice .... more space to have especially if it's a small table. Will come back again soon!!! Everything came piping hot so enjoyed having our breakfast... read more

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Came here on a Friday evening and the place was very efficient with no wait, but also very crowded and clearly a popular institution beloved among its regulars. TOMATO MASALA DOSA ($10.99) - You can't come to Madras without getting dosa! I really enjoyed the tomato sauce, which added good flavor to the crispy ends of the dosa that have no filling. Regardless of which dosa flavor you pick, I highly recommend ordering one of those with the warm, hearty masala (potato) filling, which is super comforting and packed into the center of the dosa. All the dips had a pretty strong coconut flavor, which I don't love, and so kind of kind of blended together to me, but went well with the ends of the dosa and weren't not spicy. CHANNA BATURA ($9.99) - The batura were as huge as advertised, and came out steaming. They were a delight to rip into and top with the onions, carrots, and Channa masala, which fairly standard but was well-seasoned and slightly spicy. Overall, Madras Cafe offers delicious southern Indian food at great value, and I'll definitely come back to try more offerings! read more

Madras Cafe - Channa batura ($9.99) - Indian Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

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The only good thing about this place is the fast service. We did come in around 4 pm when there was no crowd. Food temperature was cold and taste average. Ordered idli and vada, which were cold so not very enjoyable. Chana batura, the proportion of Chana curry quantity for the two giant batura was not enough. There were like 10 Chana in the gravy. Definitely would not order any of these again. read more

Madras Cafe - Chana batura - Indian Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

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Came across this place when I was looking for dinner options. Masala Dosa - very crispy. The masala was very flavorful. I loved all the sauces you can dip the dosa in. Mini idlies - they taste like rice puffs. The sauces you dip them in were good. Onion tomato uthappam - it was flavorful with the onion and tomatoes. I didn't realize there would be okra. The sauces made this even better. read more

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Food is solid. Highly recommend the dosas (especially plain and onion rava masala), upma, rice platter, and filter coffee. Note though that the onion rava masala dosa often takes extra time to come out. It's a super popular spot so there's always a line out the door even on weeknights. read more

Madras cafe is a classic South Indian spot, and I have a Mysore Masala Dosa from here every time I go to the Indian grocery store next door. Service is quick, food is consistently good and flavorful, and they bring extra chutneys and sambar to your table if you ask! If want something really spicy, try the Kara Masala Dosa. I thought I had a high spice tolerance, but had tears in my eyes eating this (and I loved it). read more

Madras Cafe - Mysore Masala Dosa - Indian Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

Love Madras Cafe for being quick with the service, generous portions of dosa, and affordable prices for all customers. Really enjoyed my tomato masala dosa. It was well-seasoned, crispy on the edges, and extremely warming in the center. Will be coming back to try other dishes (e.g thali) in the future. read more

The idli vada dips were awesome. The kara masala dosa was really spicy, i loved it - my friends didnt. Upto your taste buds i guess. Rava masala dosa was mid. Good overall food. read more

Still love the food here. Dosas are my go-to though I did like the medu vada - fluffy rounds similar to a savory donut. I didn't find the idly particularly compelling - different texture but has a more muted flavor. As a heads up, the onion masala dosa has a ton of raw onion. Another heads up: the bathroom is usually pretty dirty. read more

Madras Cafe - Indian Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

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Absolutely to die for and I'm sad that this isn't closer to home. You know an Indian restaurant is legit when you're the only non-indian there. My friend told me that this is actually local food to him in South India. Like many countries in the world, different parts of the country produce different flavors and textures. Now I'm assuming that South India has my favorite. - madras paratta 5/5 - cheese masala dosa 5/5 - mango Lassi 5/5 If you want a flavor explosion, this is the place to go. Might be top 3 best Indian restaurants I've had in the world so far. Without a doubt coming back here when I'm in the area! read more

Madras Cafe - Indian Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

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Horrible Rava dosa which tasted like Sabudana to me Manager declined that they had anything wrong. He was least bothered about my opinion. Made a mistake coming here while we had so many other options. read more

Madras Cafe - Rava dosa - Indian Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

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Visited for a late lunch on the weekend with a craving and it delivered. Got the idly vada combo platter to start. Normally this comes w 2 idlys but the cashier was kind and said she could replace it w 2 vadas instead. Both idlys and vadas were yummy but the standout was the coriander chutney which was spicy and flavorful. The rest of the condiments were kind of mid. We also got mysore masala dosa and ghee roast masala dosa. Both were yummy but were very heavy w the oil but they were still good. Last we got a filter coffee and this was classic and a wonderful way to end the meal. Madras Cafe is a no nonsense South Indian place which is more about quick service and good food so if that's what you're in the mood for I recommend this place. read more

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"Much ado, About Tamil Nadu." If you like a show with your breakfast, run (don't walk!) to get your tickets to Madras Cafe. The dosas are the lightest and crispiest this reviewer has ever had. The coffee is strong, the tea well spiced. The service is polite and efficient. But the ambience... the ambience is simply cinematic. The large and airy dining hall, the sun streaming in through the southern glass wall. Waiters rushing out of the kitchen every ten seconds balancing stainless steel platters of all sorts of South Indian breakfast foods... Marvelous drama to accompany your masala dosa. True score: 9.3 / 10. Return? YES read more

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It's always a treat when I get to have my cheese masala dosa at Madras Cafe. It is truly the best. Trust me, I've tried dosa at many other restaurants, including places in the UK, and nothing compares to their cheese masala dosa. Pair it with a mango lassi and you will not be disappointed. If you're feeling extra hungry, order the idli vada combo too. It's absolutely delicious, with a savory crispy donut and a soft, fluffy steamed rice patty. So satisfying every time. read more

I have tried this restaurant few months ago & had poor experience with taste but was hoping it would have improved by now (friends invited me now) so decided to try again. Some of their food like idli & dosa is ok, but Uttapam has no taste. We ordered Tomato onion Peas Uttapam. The dough they used was probably not fermented enough (just like last time) so all of us felt that the taste was really bland & had zero flavor. Could not tell what I was eating. They did not add enough salt in it either which made the taste even worse. Was craving for yummy uttapam but was extremely disappointed. Had ordered coffee too and asked for it multiple times when they brought our food, but they only brought coffee at the very end. Otherwise service is generally good & price wise it is quite reasonable, but I go mainly for taste more than anything and I was disappointed with taste, that is why I am giving one star and won't be coming to Madras Cafe again read more

My friends wanted to show me different South Indian foods. When we first walked in, I quickly noticed it's such a relaxed vibe that felt very fast casual. We ordered dosa, idily, and some other dishes. I loved the dosa. We got the potato dosa and I had tried it with the green chutney. I personally will be going back for that. read more

On a short trip to bay area and finally a place that knows how to make sambar and delicious chutney along with scrumptious dosas and pongal. All of which we devoured Service is quick and efficient and ambience is humble just how I love it read more

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This used to be a favorite establishment but the quality of food and service have deteriorated over time . The idlis are not as soft as they used to be . The chutneys are very average. They only put a drop of decoction when you ask for strong coffee . Good place to go with kids as it's very casual . We liked the sambar vada but we definitely prefer other restaurants over this now read more

Rava dosa- the dosa was very dry. Will not order again. (2/5) Mysore masala dosa - flavor was good. (4/5) Idli- soft and nice (4/5) Kesari- not overly sweet and delicious(4/5) Ambience- not fancy, very simple. Service- was quick! Will try other dishes! read more

This restaurant is very busy during the weekdays for lunch. When I came here there was a line, but once the order goes in the food comes out quickly. Here you wait in line, place your order, then a server will seat you down. The people taking the order are very kind and will explain what the dishes are if gob aren't familiar with it. For this visit, got a masala dosa and an order of the idly-vada combo. The idly-vada came with two steamed and one fried. The masala dosa came with potatoes stuffed in between the dosa. For both orders it came with 3 chutneys- tomato, coconut and cilantro/mint (?) as well as a lentil soup. It was pretty tasty. The steamed idly reminded me of a steam bun. read more

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Excellent vegetarian masala dosa and very delicious! It was a huge fresh dosa and quick service. The cashier was patient to explain what's on the menu as we don't regularly eat Indian food. We also ordered fresh sugar cane juice. We ask for some ice as it tastes better. You can't beat the value of the Dosa! read more

Madras Cafe - I will definitely recommend this dosa place! - Indian Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

A staple of Indian food in the Bay Area. I couldn't recall what kind of dosa I got but it came with like a coconut curry for dipping. The dosa was fluffy and crispy the same time. The curry was not heavy whatsoever and was very flavorful. Parking is insane in this plaza so beware, and it gets crowded. Do make sure to call ahead of time. It had at least 30 tables but people were waiting in the rain on a Wednesday night! read more

Madras Cafe - Indian Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

Can't beat the price and flavor. One of the few places which are easy on the stomach and the pocket. Love their Kesari and Badam milk. Friendly and quick service and ambience reminds me of the old South Indian cafes in Delhi. Nice place, for spicy Indian vegetarian food! read more

Madras Cafe is a local legend when it comes to Dosa. Well known in the local Indian community... Everytime I've been here about 90 percent of the patrons are Indian...a very good sign if you ask me. The ambiance isn't the greatest, this place feels more like a big hole in the wall. There isn't much when it comes to table service...well any service actually. Order your food at the counter in the front and wait till they call you. I couldn't figure out their system; but when your name is called you get a table and they bring you your food. I have no idea how they know what dishes each table had. You need to get your own water, napkins and utensils. The food does come out fast. Nothing we had was bad... South Indian Feast: ~ Mysore Masala Dosa - 4.5/5 Thin Crispy Dasa with a different flavor. Served with Potatoes and Chutney. ~ Paper Dosa - 4.5/5 The thinnest Dosa here. Thin and Crispy, served with Potatoes and chutney. ~ Cone Dosa - 4.5/5 It just the shape & presentation. Thin and Crispy, served with Potatoes and chutney. ~ Idly-vada - 4.5/5 Idly (the white one) & vada (other one that looks like a dounut) served with chutney and sauce. I don't know how these are made...but they are delicious. Solid spot for Dosa...absolutely brilliant! This place gets packed...come early! read more

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I love masala dosas and this place makes theirs thin and crispy. This use to be my go to but it can get very crowded so I've been trying other places. This one you order at the counter, pay, have a seat and they bring it to you. Others, you may get seated and order, eat, then pay at the register. Does that make a difference to you? The sauces are good. They all seem to be a little different at each place. Some can be more gingery or spicier and none of them seem consistent. It's table and chairs here. Employees are polite. It's casual here. More friends know of this place when we talk about masala dosas and they like it here too. Week day mornings are not crowded. I would come often if I had the time. read more

Madras Cafe - Indian Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

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It's been a long time since I've had a dosa and so, when I was in the area, I knew I needed to stop in. The cafe is attached to the grocery store and is a no frills kind of place, not too different in appearance from any other Indian grocery stores with an attached take away section. It's clean and smelled great, but if you're there for the ambiance, this is not the place. What you should be there for is the food, and nothing but the food! I ordered the Vegetable Biryani and a Masala Dosa. The Biryani came out immediately from the counter, while the dosa only took about 20 minutes. The biryani was very flavorful without being too oily or greasy. It had a nice kick but was not overwhelming. Served with a little bit of Raita, a cooling yogurt sauce, it was delightful. However, the true star was the dosa. It was about a foot long and perfectly crispy. I've had dosas that are slightly overcooked, but this one was evenly browned. The potatoes were nice and buttery and their softness contrasted so well with the crispy exterior of the dosa. The little cup of sambar added an additional layer of warmth, like a slightly spicy hug. Very filling and for around 16 dollars, I feel like that was money well spent! Hope to be back soon!! read more