What a tasty little gem. Fantastic Indian food, run by a wonderful family with real care and love put into every meal. We had a number of dishes, including the chili cheese dosas, chicken tandoori, chicken tikka masala, seekh kabob (lamb) and chicken biryani. Everything we had was savory, balanced and flavorful. My favorites were the chicken tandoori and chicken biryani. I was introduced to tandoori chicken a long time ago in the South Bay but truthfully, most tandoori I've had in SF or nearby is dry and soulless. This is the first tandoori I've had in years that reminded me of why I fell in love with the dish in the first place. The chicken had that smokiness you only get from a clay oven and a great balance of charred edges and juicy interior that happens when the marinade has the time to get all that delightful yogurt, ginger and garlic into the meat. The Biryani was equally delicious. Nice and fluffy basmati rice, perfumed with saffron, cardamom, and caramelized onions. I could have eaten disturbing amounts of this. Really nailed it and every bite felt like the rice and meat steamed perfectly together. I sense a lot of people order for take out but I would recommend dining in if at all possible. The service is friendly and the family that runs this place is just incredibly sweet and the place feels chill and cozy. It's just a block or so from the park so make a nice day out of it: walk to the Cal Academy or Botanical Gardens after and work off some of that delicious meal (or just walk down the street to get ice cream from San Francisco Hometown Creamery). read more

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Such a special little restaurant with delicious food, extremely sweet owner and just a really great vibe. Cannot wait to come back I lived it so much. Also the only place that I know of in the Bay Area that makes Dosas They're to die for! read more

Masala Dosa - Masala Dosa - Indian Near Me - San Francisco, California

Savory food, great service, authentic environment, big proportions. Blah blah blah blah blah because Yelp makes me add more words.

The service totally sucks here. I've come for lunch and for dinner and received the same level of mediocre service. At lunch, my friend and I came here and waited to be seated though no one was there. After we ordered, the server sat down to eat his own meal and ignored us until he had to bring us food. Then when we needed anything, we had to wave him down. Dinner service was basically the same. We stood for a bit while we could see staff talking to one another in the kitchen. Then someone with their back to us eating at a table stood up and realized we were standing there. He then greeted us. We do enjoy their food though. And I love that their menu indicates what is gluten free. The Dosas are delicious as are the Papadum and Pakora. Their Chicken Tikka Masala and Tandoori are both good. read more

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Great food and super friendly staff. Masala Dosa is my favorite place to get Dosa in the city!

I love this place always good and quick pickup for takeout orders. Pretty good pricing for the portions too.

The food was really good. We ordered aloo jeera both dry and gravy, papad, jeera rice, baingan bhartha, a side of saag paneer for the kid, dal, chapati and gulab jamun. Everything tasted just perfect! Our entire family from my little niece to my parents absolutely loved the food. Very authentic flavors and Mr Jaffer was a warm and gracious host, kind enough to accommodate our requests and modifications as well. Strongly recommend to people who want to taste homely authentic indian flavors. read more

Amazing food!! Fresh and tasty! The hospitality is excellent. They made jeera rice that wasn't on the menu, made a half order of curry for my kid, made buttermilk that wasn't on the menu, and made chapathis on tawa instead of the oven as we requested for it. We will come back for sure! read more

Food. Service. Ambiance. Chill. Been coming here for years. Biryani, dosa, garlic nann etc

I have now had 3 meals at this restaurant in the past month. The food, service, and the lovely feel of the place has been consistent. Also consistent is the absence of customers. The high quality of the food here should be enough to fill every table. Add to that the genuine sincere personality of the owner, the low prices, the variety of both south and north Indian food, the clean and nicely decorated room, and the peaceful vibe, and it is a mystery why there isn't a line around the block. I suppose that two different websites doesn't help. One places the restaurant on 9th Avenue which is where it is. The other website says it is on Fillmore, apparently confusing it with "Dosa" which has closed, at the same time as displaying a version of the menu at "Masala Dosa". I'll be back. Yes indeed. read more

My husband and I love the food and ambiance at Masala Dosa. Also, the owner and staff are friendly and make us feel at home. The Indian food is tasty and is very fresh and delicious!!!! We usually get 2 Masala Dosa drinks, so tasty, the goat cheese naan, Palak paneer, also the chicken paneer, medium spicy.. We also order raita and basmati rice and we leave full and happy. Don't hesitate to eat there. I am sorry I forgot to take pics because the ambiance is beautiful!!! Enjoy!!! read more

Delicious food - don't listen to all the other negative reviews. Support a local restaurant making tasty South Indian food

Wonderful dinner - loved all the food and the server was very attentive. Nice vibes for a great meal in the beautiful restaurant. We went with my family for dinner and we all loved the food. My kiddos loved the paper dosa dish. I loved the eggplant appetizer - so tasty. Will definitely be back! read more

Excellent aloo gobi, samosa, and chicken tikka masala. Wide selection of naan and other breads. Friendly service. One of our favorite spots. read more

My favorite Indian spot in the Sunset! I've been going there for years. Always have good service and great prices. Great for family dinners, a nice environment to enjoy yummy Indian, and receive great service from the nicest people! Definitely recommend read more

Everything was great and portions were huge. The service was fast and the atmosphere was super cute in the window seats. I highly recommend the onion salad, you can put it in anything. The goat cheese nan is some of the best I have had and I've never had better fish masala. The dosa was great too especially with the onion salad on top. read more

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Tried Chicken masala dosa- 1/5 dry pieces of flavorless chicken thrown on top of the potato stuffing. The dosa itself was extremely underwhelming and chutneys were horrible- the tomato chutney tasted sweet like ketchup, sambar was the worst I've ever had. For a place calling itself Masala Dosa, their masala dosa was the worst. If you're looking for good dosa, skip this. If you're willing to travel, get it in Sunnyvale- Uluvacharu Tiffins has good dosa. Lentil soup- 4.5/5 this was surprisingly tasty but way too salty. Samosa- 2/5 didn't really feel or look like a samosa. Seemed like potato stuffing rolled in a Mexican tortilla from Costco and deep fried. read more

Went in with some friends today to try their food, especially their Dosa, because our other friend recommended it. I highly recommend this place for the food because the Dosa (that we all ended up ordering) was delicious and came as a really big portion, but the service was strange. I ended up getting a chicken masala dosa which came with two types of sauces (both very delicious) and lentil-based soup (this was also very delicious). The next part I wanted to talk about though was the service. I do not have a high spice tolerance and ordered mild spice, but the server kept asking if I wanted to change it to spicy, to which I said "No, thank you because my spice tolerance really isn't that high". The rest of the meal was quite awkward because the server would throw slight shade and disgusted facial expressions toward me. Not sure if the server was having a particularly bad day, but it would have been more enjoyable and comfortable if there didn't seem to be that tension! Food was still delicious! read more

Masala Dosa - Chicken Masala Dosa - Indian Near Me - San Francisco, California

I have been going to this place for years and it is one of my favorites. The ambiance is elegant and intimate. The food is exquisite. We ordered the goat cheese naan, fish masala, mushroom masala dosa, and the onion salad. This was a great order for us this round, as it was a nice variety of flavors and textures. You could eat every dish together and it was fantastic. We added the onion salad to each dish, and it added another layer of complexity of flavor. I highly recommend trying this. The mushroom masala dosa is a more dry dish that you add the accompanying dips with, and we added the sauce from our fish as well. The combination was excellent. The fish masala was to die for, and was my favorite. It was cooked perfectly and the sauce was absolutely amazing--highly recommend this dish. It paired very nicely with the goat cheese naan (def get this naan if you are a goat cheese fan). Overall it was a great dinner, and the variety of dishes we ordered flexed our palette. Can't wait to go back once more. read more

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Great food and service. Food came out fast. Everything was cooked to perfection. Their chai was also delicious!

We have eaten in the restaurant and gotten takeout from it for almost 20 years and it's always been great, consistent, yummy. Not sure if they changed owners or cooks recently but the order we got today was not appetizing. The recipes have changed, dishes were a bit bland and not very savory. Everything saucy we got was unpleasantly chunky, even the green chutney. Our entrees and biryani all had hard fried onions in them. Not loving this change. read more

The dosas were amazing! The samosas were excellent! I really enjoyed everything I tasted here and they were able to adjust the spice level perfectly! read more

Everything is amazing! Very good food, amazing owner, and service! First time ordered the chicken biriani and had to come back for more only to be surprised by the chicken masala dosa. Double wow! read more

We got take out from Masala Dosa as part of our quest to explore the Indian cuisine of the city (of which, joyously, there is a wonderful selection). We ended up very happy. The garlic naan had a nice crisp and good char, the latter of which filled the house with its smoky aroma as soon as we opened the package. Our only complaint that it could have been more garlicky. The sauces on both of our primary entrees were much more substantial than similar dishes at other restaurants. They were full of meat and the sauce itself had more body - it was more like gravy that sauce. My gf got the chicken tikka masala. The chicken was flavorful with an excellent texture, which was clearly the result of not only high-quality meat, but also its having been grilled on a spit rather than sauteed in the sauce. The sauce was delicious, with notes of black pepper and butter. This was my gf's favorite chicken tikka masala in the city so far. I ordered the fish vindaloo, extra spicy. The dish had a bold and inviting brick color, and had a smokey but sweet flavor. The potatoes were perfectly done and the fish melted in my mouth. Usually when I order something spicy, I get the equivalent of a couple of dabs of Tabasco sauce. But the fish vindaloo had legit heat, which I so appreciate! It was so spicy that my nose began to run and I poured myself a glass of milk to go with it. I can't wait to order the same thing and have it with some Riesling and/or champagne (which I didn't do this time because I had some athletic endeavors planned for the morning). I have been to this establishment one time before, in the pre-pandemic (and my pre-Yelping) days and had the dosa that is this restaurant's namesake. It also is very tasty. And I love intimate yet spacious interior (especially the little nook by the window. All-in-all, I recommend this place very much, not only for takeout, but for dining in, too (whenever that becomes a thing again). read more

Masala Dosa - Chicken Tikka Masala, Fish Vindaloo (Hot), Garlic Nan - Indian Near Me - San Francisco, California

All 5 Stars! I have recently found this restaurant while in the Sunset. The ambience is pleasant, beautiful, modern, and upscale. The service was outstanding and the food quality was very authentic. Amongst other dishes, I really look forward to trying other cuisine. They have an array of dishes though I like Dosas and have tried in the Bay Area. This is one of the BEST and the name gives it the spot. I loved their homemade dressings and coconut sauce which was a mix of spices. If you want really good Indian cuisine this was an authentic and delicious. Thank you! read more

Oh my! Our go to restaurant was closed on Christmas Eve - who could blame them. So we went to another favorite a tad further away... Masala Dosa was open!!! Yum!!! Fried eggplant to start. Lamb biryani, lamb kebab with veggies, basil garlic naan. Scrumptious cuisine after a long day. Atmosphere and services were excellent! We are spoiled with such delicious dishes in the city for the holidays! Merry Christmas! read more

Our neighborhood go to place for years. Super welcoming atmosphere, kind service and comforting food. Malai kofta and dosa are delicious. BYOB if you want, for a perfect evening out with friends. read more

This hit the spot after a long night. While it isn't the crispiest dosa, it still really tasted good and comforting. I got the Mysore masala dosa and thought it had a good amount of potato masala within it and the red chutney spread was good too. I personally like it when it is spicier, but this one wasn't as spicy. I thought there could have been a little bit more flavor in the sambar but overall still a great place to eat at in the inner sunset neighborhood! Would also recommend the chai, it was very tasty and smooth! Very kind service, making dining there good. read more

Masala Dosa - Mysore Masala Dosa - Indian Near Me - San Francisco, California

We Love Masala Dosa!!! It's Our Favorite Go To Resturant, The Food is Always Delicious,Fresh, Healthy and Satisfying! Expertly Prepared!!! Definitely get The Lentil Soup its Delicious also the Eggplant it's Amazing The Potato Dosa is perfectly spicy and out of this World! The Ocra is scrumptious and I never Really liked Ocra but Now I get it there every time it's So Delicious!!! There's always plenty of food to go around. We usually order a few things and share. read more

Masala Dosa - Family Birthday Dinner Always Accommodating Eggplant Pakora Tandoori Appetizers Tandoori Appetizers Lentil Soup Mixed Grill - Indian Near Me - San Francisco, California

I have been to Masala Dosa twice now and as a South Indian, I think the food is alright. I recently got the mysore masala dosa and the ghee sambar idli. The mysore masala dosa was a good level of spice. However, the masala (the potatoes) were outside of the dosa. Traditionally the masala should be inside the dosa. Also the masala wasn't mashed an the potatoes were pieces. This is also different from what I am used to. I may be unaware and this may be another style but just something I am not used to. The ghee sambar idli was tasty but I felt that the idli batter was somewhat dry and could have been ground smoother. Overall though if you are looking for comfort Indian food and flavors, I would still recommend the restaurant. read more

Masala Dosa - Ghee Sambar Idly - Indian Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Take-out at 5pm on a Wednesday: could that be asking for trouble? In hind sight, the food smelled funny in the car on the way home. The flavors were fine, we ate the idli and sambar pretty quickly. The uttapam and veg curries next. I didn't start to feel the heartburn for another 2 hours and then spent the rest of the night hoping the food would move: come up or go down, it didn't matter. By 2am it thankfully chose down and all at once. I've never had this experience before (not in India!), and I'm a pretty adventurous eater. I hope the restaurant figures out what went wrong. read more

Nice little Indian restaurant in the Aves Owner was very nice and welcoming. Dosas were good read more

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Absolutely delicious food with a large menu- we had a hard time choosing! Nice atmosphere and loved the music too. Staff was kind to us even though we came in late and stayed till closing. Would visit again. read more

Masala Dosa - Indian Near Me - San Francisco, California

I tried the Masala Dosa and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I have tried dosas at other places and compared to most places, the one they serve is huge! Good amount of food for your money. I liked the friendly and quick service. I like that they label the vegan friendly food as well. read more

Masala Dosa - Masala Dosa fresh and crispy - Indian Near Me - San Francisco, California

I've been searching for the best dosa in the city, and finally found it at Masala Dosa! It's a low key & casual environment where you come for the food. The chilie cheese dosa, sambhar, and chutneys were all top-notch! The service was decent as well. We left being confused by the ratings, as this place totally hit the spot! read more

Horrible food and service. Stay clear of this place. Read full review on why I say so. I am a proper South Indian and after strolling through Golden Gate Park for about 3 hours we (family of 3) were hungry and the name attracted us. We ordered the namesake (Masala dosa), Medhu vada, 2 Garlic Naan and Mattar Paneer. There was poori on the menu but no side and I was told it will be just poori with no potato or masala side. When I asked about side and I was informed none. Are we joking. Nobody eats poori without a side. Ok let's move on to Masala dosa. The masala in the dosa was going bad already and tasted bad in the mouth. No need to guess on what they served as chutney was also going bad and the sambar was hot water with some vegetables floating. Sambar should stick to dosa when dipped. Please do not take me as high expectations. The masala dosa is the name of the restaurant so please do not spoil the name of the dish. Let's move to Medhu vada. Nothing to say about sides as they are the same as Dosa. Enough said. I just need one info. When was the Vada made. I am not averse to frozen food but this was probably from ice age. It belongs in a museum and not a plate. The garlic naan kept coming to my mouth for about 5 hours and I was walking for around 3 miles which says a lot. The paneer in mattar paneer was just taken from freezer and dropped into the tomato peas paste mixture. It was raw and tasted raw. Now jets get to service. I was served 1 glass of water for 3 people and no tissues, table cloth or cutlery. When asked I was given exactly 3 tissues and 2 knives and forks. Dosa, Vada and Naan with knives and forks. Ha Ha. Let me get to the biggest joke. After serving Naan and mattar paneer in a basket and 2 bowls for 2 people, I was asked if we needed plates. Seriously. I don't want to dispute other reviewers but it means that they really are desperate and anything goes. My humble request to them is to provide honest reviews so that folks spend their money right and get decent food. I spent around 65$ here. Maybe I should have tried rose Indian cuisine opposite this restaurant. Avoid this place at all costs. read more

Unfortunately the food was not good. I wished we would finally have a good Indian place where they cook fresh food and don't use frozen vegetables or batter that's old. Nope. The Vada was actually inedible. Very hard and not the right texture or color. The dosa itself was not the worst. But it had a LOT of filling. Almost too much. The sambar was definitely not made fresh. It was a bit too runny and had an enormous amount of garlic or some preservative smell. Couldn't tell. read more

Masala Dosa - Vada. - Indian Near Me - San Francisco, California

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We loved it! Great food, kind service! We had the chicken karma and lamb and both were fresh and really beautiful.

There is definitely horrible quality control issues at this place. Ordered through Uber eats and got a fly in the mysore masala dosa. Horrible!! read more

Masala Dosa - Fly in the masala dosa - Indian Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Yummy food (served promptly) and good, friendly service. We especially love the aloo naan, the baingan barta, and the rice pudding dessert.