After checking the menu we were pretty excited about checking out Pondicheri which has been on our list for a while. Decor was cute, loved all the chalkboard signs with daily drink and food specials. Got the paneer curry with naan which had a very different flavor to it than what I am used to. For cocktails I got the mangosa which was ok and the bf got the shandy which was delicious. Overall we thought the food was good. Can't wait to go back and try the brunch, Frankies, thalis, and some more burgers. I have also stopped in for brunch with my dad when he was in town and he loved the ambiance of the place and the great tasting food. read more

Pondicheri - Paneer curry - Indian Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Don't know why this place only has 3.5 stars. Everyone on the staff was extremely friendly. I have never seen a wait staff help each other out as much as the people who work here. They all aided each other in serving, cleaning, seating, etc. To me the food was delightful, a good change for sure. I get tired of going into indian restaurants and seeing the usual tandoori chicken, butter chicken, blah blah blah. This place has extremely flavorful dishes without being too overbearing. The deserts are absolutely delicious and unique. It is a little pricey but for the quality of the food that is served I am willing to pay it. I can see why they have to charge these prices though. For the location she has she must being paying a very high rent. If you like delicious food go here and give it a try! read more

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Good food and great ambience! I love the breakfast thali. They have great cocktails too! Great variety on their menu. For breakfast and lunch you order at the counter and take a number, for dinner it's table service with a waiter. read more

I like this little place! While it can be a little on the pricier side, it's a very cute place for an occasional family dinner, or a nice date. I ordered the paneer and mushroom Frankie, which was very good, but in my opinion overpriced. The desi fries were good, but I was a little disappointed when I found that the sauce Pondicheri offered was sweet. (I wanted more spice!) The wrap itself was good, as were the mushrooms and paneer inside, but I found it lacking of a little more spice. Overall, my experience here was good! read more

Pondicheri - Indian Near Me - Houston, Texas

we loved all the dishes we ordered - butter chicken, their thali, masala dosa and the Frankie. The coffee was amazing too!

Pondicheri is our family's go-to spot for fresh, flavorful, non-greasy, inventive Indian fare. We sit outside at the tables in the back with our daughter and split a thali and frankie. The baby loves the beet soup with vada, as well as the saag cutlet. My husband is a big fan of the gobi and the carrot roti. I love the chickfu frankie, or sometimes the green dosa. As for the Bake Lab, we got a carrot cake from the bake lab for our daughter's first birthday. She loved it as much as the adults - rave reviews all around. Ooh, also try the laal juice, it's delicious. read more

My friend and I came by for lunch/brunch. I was quite excited to try this restaurant because I had it on my list for a long time. The restaurant was modern looking and cool. I wasn't excited after having my entree but the presentation is beautiful though and somehow I think it was a generally healthy meal. I had the avocado crepe. To me, the crepe portion was a bit harder than I thought dosas generally would be. The avocado and salmon had a very unique taste together, although I did like that they gave a good amount of avocado and salmon. I did enjoy the tumeric soup and the salad was different than the usual salad. The salad was more like a side dish to me then salad because it tasted salty, which I liked. I think they have a very small variety on the menu, and it's quite different from the traditional indian meals which I like though. Too bad we forgot to visit the bakery. read more

Made a reservation, waited 10 minutes with no waiter or water while the table next to us was served. Tried to talk to the waiters but no one would help. read more

really amazing happy hour and good fusion dishes. Our servers John and Jennifer were the best!!

Different. I ordered the sambhar (tomato lentil soup) and the sindhi dal. Both were absolutely delicious and flavorful, as one would expect with Indian cuisine. I didn't love the naan, only because it was so charred on the bottom that all I could taste was burnt flavor. It's super thin too, so it was difficult to try and pull bits of the top off. The menu is unique, at least from my experience, and I've tried a lot of Indian restaurants. I'm really glad that I went back to get a ginger cloud to go. When I ate it, I was in Heaven! You can taste the ginger, but it's not the usual knock-you-over-the-head ginger. Its more subtle yet still very present. There's a balance of ginger and something else, but I'm not sure what. The texture is slightly chewy, and it's dense yet cloud-like at fluffy at the same time. I would go back just for the ginger cloud! Staff was friendly and attentive too. read more

Pondicherry is such a unique find! I've been here several time now and everything is amazing! I'm a huge fan of the garlic naan a well as the thali! I would highly recommend the happy hour where you can get an assortment of drinks at a lower price! I can't recommend Pondis enough go right away! read more

Just got our takeout food from this restaurant. The mushroom dish we ordered had a long hair intertwined in the dish. I called the restaurant back & the response I got when I informed the situation was 'Yes this sometimes happen. We can do a refund'. Seriously such indifference. He sounded like this is a relatively common occurrence at this restaurant. The food we ordered for 5 people went straight to the trash. 'Yes this happens sometimes' response tells the quality of their kitchen. Don't get food poison. Stay away from this place. read more

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Excellent food!!! Complex flavors and so yummy! We got the egg dosa, buttered chicken, and a side of the potatoes masa. We also went to their bake lab for dessert and got several yummy gluten free items. read more

Went there for luncheon. Menu was prechosen. Every dish was delicious. First visit. Casual seating yet nice for a date or family. Saw outside seating. We ate inside. My favorites were beet soup, sindhi pakoras. Vindaloo ribs, and honey blues mocktail. Dessert was lemon cardamon cake was light fluffy and sumptuous. read more

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Food and ambiance receive an A+. Flavors can be felt and enjoyed. Their deserts are awesome. May feel a bit pricey but worth every penny. They even have a bake shop on the second floor, with great deserts and baked goods. Pondicherry is an experience to taste when in Houston. read more

Pondicheri - Indian Near Me - Houston, Texas

The restaurant of my dreams! I live hours away but come here every birthday & stop any time I'm in the area. They treat cuisine as an art form & really care about what goes into the food. The prices are unbeatable for the quality! read more

What an excellent experience!! A group of 4 of us came here on a Saturday. I thoroughly enjoyed the Vindaloo Rib Weekends platter (serves two). The lamb ribs were the most well seasoned and most tender ribs I have EVER had. I loved there were many nonalcoholic beverages that were amazingly refreshing. For those who prefer vegetarian and vegan options they are plentiful. Service was stellar and even the hostess kept us apprised of our wait status. Pondicheri is only a short walk from a parking garage (complimentary). I will return! read more

The food was good. I like the flavors. But the service is really bad. We never got to order through our waiter. We waited for a long time, but no one came to us so we just asked a waiter who passed by. Even at the end, we waited for long to get him to ask for the check, but we couldn't find him. And no other waiter came to us when we were looking for him. So we paid at the counter. When we got out, our waiter chased out asked if we paid, and tipped at the counter... read more

I came in for dinner during Hurrican Harvey and had a nice experience. I ordered a variety of items to enjoy and take home. I ordered the butter chicken, goat and corn empanada, veggie fritters, cumin rice, and also garlic naan. Boy did I have a nice spread to myself! The flavors were all so bold and complementing. I'm not sure of all the difference spices I could taste in the veggie fritters. I was also intrigued by the different sauces they offered for the empanads, a yogurt based sauce and a green sauce almost like a green goddess salsa verde. This is a great place to come with friends and try new items and catch up over a lovely meal. I'll definitely be back to try their thalis and get some baked goodies. read more

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When we went to this restaurant, only the patio was opened for dine in. Since it was our first time there, we ordered the popular dishes recommended by the server. I was blown away by the Ghee burger. It was the perfect combo of sweetness from mango chutney and mild curry flavors. We also ordered the Texan Thalis so we can try a little of everything from the menu - the butter chicken was smooth and delicious but the lamb chops was dry. We also got an order of garlic naan on the side but it was burned ='( . There was no much garlic flavor to it. I will still come back for the ghee burger and try out other items on the menu. read more

Pondicheri - Ghee burger and Texan Thalis - Indian Near Me - Houston, Texas

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The Thali morning non-veg is good. Compared to the last time the potato wedge in the saag was high in salt. The Sunday special Biryani was far from tasting like biryani as I know!! Needs a complete redo. read more

Nice ambience ! Thali was good, but expensive . I went for non-veg earth Thali,, poriyal made from Brussels was something new and loved it. Defn, too expensive.; $30 thali I is too expensive for Indian thali which I don't see much options. I asked for raita, they included $3 for that which is absurd. I would have rather gone cheesecake to enjoy lavishing ambience still don't cost much and tummy full. read more

Pondicheri - Earth non thali - Indian Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Delicious food! The flavors were very unique and it's obvious the food was fresh. Such a great spot. If you are looking to try something new. Also, the food seemed quite healthy without overtly trying to be, which is always wonderful! read more

Order: Green Masala shrimp, garlic scallion naan Drink: Honey lime soda The shrimp was well cooked, the sauce was well prepared and had an appropriate level of spice. The food was slightly Americanized but brought about a good spin to Indian food. Nan bread was a good balance to the spice of the shrimp. The drink tasted well Cody did well our waiter, he very knowledgeable and attentive. We will be back. read more

Pondicheri - Dinning area. - Indian Near Me - Houston, Texas

Some of the best indian food i've had. ever. We got the Texan Thali and the goat masala samosa. Did not disappoint. I'll be coming back.

I was definitely not expecting to find an amazing fusiony Indian restaurant in Houston but this place turned out to be delicious. Our group ordered the Earth Thali, Texas Thali, and the Fenugreek Fish. I thought the Fenugreek Fish was by far the most delicious. The thali came with a wide variety of tasty dishes, but I was a little sad that the food got cold quickly in their isolated pots (I guess this is unavoidable with a Thali). The saag was surprising because they used a green veg that was definitely not spinach- maybe watercress? Friend who ordered the Texas thali thought his chicken was over cooked, but that was not a huge problem given the overall quality of the food. Next time, I'll probably stick to ordering individual entrees and sharing family style. We also got the Chai Pie for dessert, which was tasty. Friend who had had it before was disappointed though bc he said it used to have more Chai flavor. read more

The food was very bad and overpriced , even the service was bad. Portion of the food were small and tasteless . read more

Pondicheri - Texan thali , very disappointed - Indian Near Me - Houston, Texas

Pondicheri is a vegan dream!!! One of my favorite date night spots since it's accommodating to everyone. I ordered the vegan chickfu curry (gluten free too). So so good- highly recommend read more

Pondicheri - Chickfu curry - Indian Near Me - Houston, Texas

Not your authentic Indian cuisine, but this place's bakery (located on the second floor) has the BEST pumpkin pie during the holiday season. Yes, a slice is a little pricey (~$7/slice and ~$60/whole pie) but I kept bragging to my family about it, so I brought my brother there to see what I was talking about. The cookie crust sends this pie over the top. Can't wait until this holiday season. Other foods, like the Thali plates, are very flavorful and filling. Drinks are strong, but wouldn't get again due to price. read more

Absolutely fell in lovvveee with this place ! Where do I start? The place itself was so vibrantly decorated. The booths were beautifully printed, with plenty of seating indoors as well outdoors. For food: I ordered the buttery chicken based on the reviews, and was not disappointed! My friend ordered the pork entree, which was great as well. The meal was rich in flavor, and the portions of the food on the plate were very filling. I can not wait to come back and try more dishes. The staff was extremely helpful, and kind. The place is in a shopping center, so it was a bit hard to find at first. They have garage parking, so parking isn't an issue. Definitely recommend trying this place out. read more

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I would take a date here. It's sorta like new-age Indian food if that is a genre? I guess if I can explain it would be non-indians cooking indian food. It's like going to a pho restaurant and the people working and cooking are white. The food is good, but is it authentic? Overall, service was great, atmosphere is great, food is good! Try it out! read more

Pondicheri was overall a strange experience for me. Some of the food was amazing and some was a weird combination of flavors. I appreciate the concert and what the owner has done with trying to elevate Indian cooking. However some home flavors just need to stay as is. Walking in, my family was the only Indian family at dinner. And I think part of it contributes to the Indian culture. Some of the dishes you are paying three times the amount for, you can find at a home style Indian restaurant for a lot cheaper. However Pondicheri did an amazing job with using high quality ingredients that you can really taste. The difference was very apparent. My favorite part of dinner was the dessert. It was to die for, again with amazingly fresh ingredients you could taste. I'm glad I got to experience this dining experience, but I'm not sure that I would return for seconds. read more

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Tried this place out with a friend and my fiance. After hearing so many things about it over the years, I'm surprised it took this long. The restaurant is a bit fusion-y which makes for interesting taste. Dosa-wrapped frankies w/ desi fries: the description gives off a super hot dog w/ fries vibe. It was very tasty, full of flavor, and we finished this dish completely. The fries were also super flavorful and well-fried. Saag curry: It was a very decent curry-- pretty flavorful. I don't think this is the best saag I've ever had though. Earth saag thali: about the same as above. It was tasty as well. I'd order it again. Pistachio, almond, and rose water ice cream: This was probably my favorite dessert. So flavorful and light. ice cream sandwich: very tasty! it was a little bigger than I was expecting. chai pie: my least favorite of the three we ordered but I'm also not a giant cinnamon fan. Overall, a very trendy place to go to with friends. I think it's worth trying out at least once. read more

It's not my favorite place for Indian food, especially when you have options on Hillcroft that I loveeee. But considering the proximity to Rice, it's a good option for a brunch reunion with friends or a lazy afternoon. I do love the atmosphere and vibe of Pondicheri. It's industrial and hip, probably sticking to the aesthetic of the Upper Kirby area. This last time I went to Pondicheri, I came for brunch with some Rice friends, and I ordered their green dosa. It didn't have much flavor for me, personally. Whenever I eat Indian food, I crave spice and richness, so I was slightly disappointed that the filling in the dosa was slightly on the blander end. I appreciated the flavor and texture of the crepe, though. nice and fluffy with a little chew. The complex does have parking in the garage and in front of the different shopping complexes. I'd imagine on weekends, it might get kinda hectic, but so far I haven't had any issues with parking. There's seating both indoors and outdoors! The Houston heat does make it a little difficult to want to sit outdoors, but it's a nice patio arrangement they have going, so I appreciated that. All in all, it's not my #1 recommendation for Indian food, but it is close to many amenities in the Upper Kirby/River Oaks area, so if you're there and craving some Indian food, it's not a bad place to stop by. read more

Pondicheri - Indian Near Me - Houston, Texas

Perfect spot to meet a friend or two for a casual lunch. Nice modern space with plenty of windows. My friend and I both had the butter chicken - delicious! The dish was simple but also really pleasing to look at. read more

Pondicheri - Butter chicken, baby! - Indian Near Me - Houston, Texas

This place was busy the night we went but even though we didn't have reservations they sat us with no problem. I had the garlic naan & shrimp masala, mannn this had a lot of flavor and it was actually spicy but a good spicy. read more

Warning: do not go here if you want AUTHENTIC Indian food. I'm not saying this isn't good, its flavors are ON POINT. But it's a fusion. Lemme repeat - a fusion. But it's very trendy and in a beautiful area of Houston. I love to go and people watch. I went on a Monday where their menu featured Meatless Monday. It was so good! I had a salad with a green curry dressing and paneer. The textures ranged from soft, crunchy, savory. I enjoyed the salad very much. They also have fresh squeezed juices, but the day I went, they were out of the mango lassi which was a disappointment. I did love this fusion restaurant, but know that it is before you go or bring guests there. I still recommend! It's an aesthetically pleasing restaurant with large windows and outside seating. Water rating: 8/10. You serve it yourself. read more

Pondicheri - Meatless Monday! Sorry it's kinda crooked. It was very good! - Indian Near Me - Houston, Texas

Average food, and coffee was cold. Overall, it was a disappointing brunch. We won't be back.

What a unique Indian food experience! First off, the staff is friendly and it didn't take too long to get food once it's ordered. If you're interested in trying a little bite of everything (and save a little $$ along the way, I highly recommend their thalis! It comes with a lot of variety--carbs, veggies, proteins, fruits, and a dessert--in one dish. I had the chance to try the Rancher and Tuk Tuk thalis, and both were SO delicious! I loved the butter chicken on the Rancher and Calcutta dal (lentils). This thali comes with a roti as well as plenty of greens. My overall favorite sampler on this dish (and probably for the night) was the duck kofta and lamb. The Tuk Tuk came with chicken kebabs (grilled), greens, fries, fruit, naan, and a cookie. Probably the healthier thali of the two I tried. If you're indecisive between these two dishes, definitely go with the Rancher. If you're not feeling as adventurous, go with the Tuk Tuk. Again, loved this place! I'm still thinking about that duck kofta and lamb! read more

Not very impressive. The wait staff was really nice and attentive. We went on a Saturday night for dinner and were able to get a table without making a reservation beforehand although I would recommend making a res. The food was ok, not that great. A bit too spicy than it needed to be without adding a flavor or taste. read more

Pondicheri - Indian Near Me - Houston, Texas