A modern Indian place with small portion. The food is good and tasty, but pricy for what you get. I won't go back. Good to try it once maybe. read more

Pondicheri - Indian Near Me - Houston, Texas

Good food choices , liked portion size and the unique way of presenting Indian food. Even my expert wife had to guess ingredients. Like desert, did not like chai, we were told they make chai one time in a day and serve from same pot, did not taste good at all. read more

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Again they failed to serve an Indian origin consumer !! What kind of Indian restaurant do not serve Masala chai !!!!! ???? I was willing to wait and cashier strictly said, " sorry we are out of tea" ; so that means Pondicherri do not serve you folks fresh masala chai ! This restaurant is disgrace to name Pondicherri ! My grandmother is associated with that place and she would be extremely disappointed if she would be alive ! My fellow Indians, I am honest about my opinions and food critics, please stay away from this place and do not go in for masala chai ! read more

Good food and service but AC does not work! It's hot inside so I got full fast, we shared texas dish with Lam burger but it was hot do we didn't touch the burger! :( Thanks for response! I was more upset of the fact that "they" denied the fact that the AC was broken for few days indeed, and poor staff were hot also! So if you want to serve the customer you should be mindful of your employees. read more

If there is 10 stars i would have selected that. Delicious food, fireworks in your mouth in every bite. The food can be a bit on the salty side but fixable if you ask them to take it easy in the salt. Unusual food items that are very exciting for adventerous people. Will go back soon for the rose-pistachio-cardemon cale soon! read more

I seriously love this Indian place!! They do meatless mondays to lessen their impact on the environment and I think that's amazing!! My brother and I got palak paneer and an egg curry that was in a butter chicken like sauce, but with eggs instead of the chicken. We also got a mango lassis, desi fries, and garlic naan on top of it all. Not the best mango lassi I've ever had, but still refreshing with spice filled foods. Will definitely be back! read more

Pondicheri - spread - Indian Near Me - Houston, Texas

The food is absolutely outstanding, truly best Indian inspired cuisine! Had one of the best Old Fashioned cocktails I've ever had. Stephanie our server was delightful and always has the best recommendations. Highly recommended, you have to try it! Casual comfortable vibe! read more

My friend and I's goal in Houston has been to eat as many of Alison Cook's top 100 restaurants in Houston. Coming in at #7, Pondicheri was definitely a must-try for us. Since then, we've dined there several more times and have come to agree that it deserves a higher ranking as sometimes we've come to enjoy it more than higher-ranking restaurants. We have only ever been extremely impressed by every appetizer, entree, drink, and dessert we've ordered. Our dinner must-tries include: 1. Madras Chicken Wings - perfectly spiced, yogurt is an excellent complement 2. Chili Lettuce Wraps - also spicy but amazing! 3. Coconut Crab - recommended to us by the waitress, our favorite appetizer by FAR 4. Lamb Rajasthani 5. Ocean Thali - I believe this has slightly changed since I've had it, but it used to have the octupus kebab and it was fantastic. 6. Drinks: Rose Rita, Lush Lassi w/ Rum, Most of their craft beers 7. Desserts: Try their cookies! Keep in mind that the menu rotates every so often, which makes it very hard to ever get bored here! I notice that a lot of reviews complain about customer service, but we've only ever had very positive experiences. The first time we went, my friend was wearing an Outkast shirt and the host commented on it. Then, he changed the restaurant's music playlist to an Outkast one! The first time we were also served by Jennifer and every time since then we've requested for her to be our waitress. Her service and recommendations are SPOT-ON and has played a big part of our experiences at Pondicheri. She is also very approachable, friendly and eager to make sure you have a great time there. If you do come to Pondicheri, I would 100% recommend you ask for her and take all of her food recommendations! read more

I loved the food. I paid for a vegetarian dish + iced tea a little bit more than 18 dollars. A little bit pricey for the amount of food I received but really tasty. The parking is free and very close to the restaurant. read more

Pondicheri - Indian Near Me - Houston, Texas

Come to Pondicheri for inspired flavors and unique dishes for modernized Indian based food. Appreciated that there were so many vegan options. Just note, if you're looking for some classic/traditional Indian food, there are not as many options for thst. But still definitely worth checking out! read more

High quality Indian food at a reasonable price and a relaxed atmosphere. The hot and cold chai are both delicious, although know they are served unsweetened. Ordering is quick and easy at the register, then find a table. It can be tough to find a clean table before someone else snatches it up. Make sure to visit the bake lab upstairs! They have wonderful treats! read more

Pondicheri - Outside breezy seating in May, perfect weather. - Indian Near Me - Houston, Texas

I found it hard to enjoy myself because it was a super hot day and even though we were inside, I felt warm. They give warm water, so I ordered mango lassi to cool down. Imagine my disappointment when that was also room temp! I know it's a nitpicky thing to complain about...but Houston is hot majority of the year, some people are going to want cold water with their meal. I only ate 2 pieces of the chili lettuce wraps because the sauce flavor was very imbalanced, one particular spice was extremely pronounced in a bad way (mustard seed maybe?). The others at my table all tried it and agreed the sauce was a miss. The seafood stew tasted great, had a kick of heat and I loved the oysters, fish, and shrimp. However, the lobster was overcooked and a bit tough. But overall, I did like the seafood stew and would be willing to order again as takeout so that I can enjoy with ice water at home. read more

Very tasty menu! Love the casual atmosphere and concept. Customer service is great as well.

Had heard about this place from a friend and wanted to give it a try. Loved the location, it's in a very nice shopping/restaurant center in River Oaks. You have the option of sitting either inside or outside; we decided to go with inside since it is Houston at the start of September and my hair would've been a frizz show if we had sat out. The inside is a bit cramped, and you are essentially right next to the kitchen counter area wherever you choose to sit, making the inside quite a bit noisy from all the clanking/kitchen noises going on. You get used to it by the end of the visit, but it is something to note if you're looking for a chill/relaxing dinner - this isn't the spot for it. With regards to food, I say the flavor was pretty good. We ordered a samosa, lamb chops, butter chicken, garlic/original naan and the chai pie. The samosa filling was very good and I enjoyed the peach chutney on the side, you do only get one samosa per order, however. Portions are a bit small based off what we ordered for the price, but comparing it to the other restaurants in the area I guess they are reasonable. The lamb chops were great, they were perfectly pink on the inside and had a beautiful char on the outside. Butter chicken was alright, nothing extraordinary in my opinion; it came with a side of white rice. The naan was good, but I honestly didn't taste a difference between the garlic naan and original, and I prefer naan to be a bit more soft and buttery, this was a tad drier. The chai pie might've been one of the best items of the night. It was creamy and exploded with a cardamom and spice flavor, not too sweet - very unique and unlike a dessert I've tried before. Overall the service was accommodating; the hostess let us switch our table, and the waiter was helpful and recommended us items and explained the menu well. The food is good, but portions are small, I'm not entirely sure whether I would pick this place again, but it was a decent experience at the end of the night. read more

Pondicheri - Chai Pie - Indian Near Me - Houston, Texas

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We had the morning thali, Chilli Shrimp dosa, avocado dosa, papri chat, masala chai,iced tea and Shandy. The chai, Shrimp Dosa was good. Nothing to brag about. But we enjoyed it. The avocado dosa was terrible and the papri chat didn't really have any 'papdi' in it. The thali also was disappointing (oats in a thali? Seriously?). So that's about it for my review read more

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Met a friend for lunch - I ordered the carnivore thali and she ordered the herbivore thali. Came out super fast and we both decided it was a great way to try a lot and not be super stuffed. For lunch, you order at the counter and they'll bring the food to you. Water and silverware is self-serve. Ambiance was 10/10. I was slightly surprised about how small the space was from everything I've seen online. Food was good but I wish we were given more roti lol -- conclusion: I'd come again to try more read more

We started off with the samosas! My fiancé and I honestly couldn't decide which one was better- we got both the saag paneer and blackened chicken. Next was the chili lettuce wraps... THEY WERE A-MAZING. I know I could literally eat that peanut chutney that was served with them everyday and be fat and happy with my life! Then we split the earth platter, a scallion cheese naan and ended with your signature chai pie. We had a wonderful meal with wonderful food and wonderful service. James was our waiter and I want to give a shout out to him because he answered questions, suggested items, and was very attentive all throughout our dinner. It's safe to say we finally got to check this place out, and it's no wonder it's been on Allison Cook's top 100 for SEVERAL years. We live closer to Galveston but man... the food alone was worth the drive. We will be back, that is a definite! read more

In the heart of upper Kirby lies the sweetest little secret which is Pondi Cheri. I am honestly surprised that this place isn't talked about more! It's one of the cutest restaurants in Houston shaded between buildings with floor to ceiling windows and plenty of outdoor seating. But honestly the best part about Pondi is the FOOD. So far I have ordered the morning thali for breakfast which has a plethora of small bites so you can try different flavors in one meal without getting overwhelmingly full. For lunch I've had the butter chicken with rice which is super flavorful and filling. For dessert I've had the chocolate chip, coconut and mint cookie which has literally blown my mind.. I've never felt so deeply about a cookie before :0 Only complaint is that they removed my favorite meal on the menu which was the Beet Utapam. It was sort of like this purple pancake with fried egg, lamb keema and it came with a delicious side of tangy soup and salad. For a beginner to Indian food I highly recommend Pondi, it's not authentic Indian food but it's an amazing and respectful rendition of it. Highlyyyyy recommend. read more

Pondicheri - Indian Near Me - Houston, Texas

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I love Pondicheri. I've never come for their food but will soon. I got one of their green teas and several pastries. Their brownie was phenomenal but honestly everything tasted so fresh with great spices incorporated into their food, nothing was typical or mainstream. read more

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Pondicheri has great food and the bake shop upstairs does too (and it's a different menu). Highly recommend!

This review would be alot better if Pondicheri had trained their staff..or hired staff with better customer service skills. The concert is interesting...but both times I was here service was slow...the waiter took alot of time to take my order..and I have to be at work in less than an hour. My.work hours are strange because I work in the broadcast industry, and I hate how people assune you have ALL day when you're at a restaurant. The waiter also discouraged me from trying one of their cocktails, because "it's spicy" Don't assume I can't handle spice. On top of that, he got my drink order wrong. read more

Try the purple potato Somosas! I stopped in randomly and I'm dying to go back. I did have one of their $6 juices, I didn't like that it was warm, however I'm not a juice drinker so I didn't know what to expect. However when you walk in this place, the aroma alone will have your mouth watering. I love the decor, very comfortable with an Indian theme. You can earn points by ordering your food ahead of time through ritual. And I love a good bargain. I'll be back to give you a better review of the menu and drinks. read more

Consistently delicious food with fresh ingredients. Also kid-friendly at lunch time. I love the Bake Lab upstairs too.

This was my jam for my birthday this year. I had been wanting to try this place for some time, as I drive by it quite often, and I love Indian food. After eating here meow I can see why so many people like this place. I am slowly expanding my horizons of eating food and drinking outside. In my younger years I thought why go to a restaurant and avoid sitting inside in the air conditioning. Following up on my experiences with Parlor Market in Jackson, Mississippi as well as The West End here in Houston, my horizons are expanding. I no longer feel completely like a peasant to take my drinks and food outside. Pondicheri has a nice outdoor seating array to be calm and casual outside as you take in the experience of the West Ave complex. It almost makes you feel like you are "in the city" of a city like New York. It is not that loud outside even if all the tables are occupied but you still can take in some amusing eavesdropping. The interior is decorated in an upscale way. It looks like a place you would put pants on for. The cookies out on the counter just call out to you as walk in through the huge swinging glass door. And you know it is going to be a good experience because cookies are everything. Just like at Katz's where all the black & white cookies greet you in the waiting area when you walk in, Pondicheri understands that cookies equal happiness. This also leads to my first of two minor annoyances with this place that prevented a five star review even though overall it was a great experience, the small things stand out under heightened expectations of the birthday meal. We stood there for minutes waiting for a table (it was not that busy) while apparently the only person capable of seating us was on the phone with girl talk while I angrily stared because food, well lack of food in my stomach. I was hungry. Don't tell me that is not an emotion because I felt that deep in my soul. It took a while when it was not that busy and got in the way of stuffing food in my face right here meow. After we were seated it was on. The plummer sangria was the weapon of choice for the drinking. One drink is $8 and a pitcher is $20 so you know where this going. The waitress said the pitcher was about four drinks. However in reality I would say five if you are trying not to get sloshed because you still need to drive home, but if you were not driving, I would probably refer to this as one drink and attempt to insert a straw into the pitcher. Don't judge me. And this leads to the other minor annoyance of the evening: it took forever to get the pitcher. Like 20 minutes forever which is absolutely an eternity from the time of drink order to when you can start gulping the elixir of the gods. Every time I spotted the waitress doing other things inside than bringing out the uncle's cough syrup I said "Gooby pls!" and I said that several times. The sangria is quite good once you finally taste it. All that waiting was worth it. It is delicious. It comes totally loaded down with ice though. It seems weird to have that much ice in the pitcher, and even more in the king's goblet you are presented with. So you can see why depending on mood this is either five drinks or one. Overall I would definitely recommend it as a drink option over everything else on the menu. The food was an obvious choice: chicken tandoori burger with desi fries (you can get fruit or a salad but seriously why would you?) The burger is sliced and sauteed tandoori chicken and onion, cumin yogurt, and kasundi on a brioche bun. And it is amazeballs. The bun by itself is a great entry in the hall of hamburgers: soft, chewy, and lightly buttered. It is a suitable throne for the chicken to sit upon. The chicken is top notch, soft, tasty, and none of that generic cheap chicken stuff you are used to seeing. The flavorings and accouterments compliment the bun and the chicken tremendously well. It is a party in your mouth and everyone is having a nice time, nobody is urinating on the cat or vomiting on the sofa or pouring bourbon on your Xbox360 because quote "it looks thirsty." This is wholly different than a Lankford or Refinery burger experience: this is an art that draws together the best of the Indian subcontinent with our proud American heritage of hamburgers that only Inspector Clouseau could fully appreciate. The desi fries were basically all the good parts of Arby's curly fries reduced in size, increased in flavor, and amazingly complemented well by the "special" ketchup. The ketchup is nearly Sriracha inspired like Little Big's Sriracha remoulade - but better because it is not mayonnaisey based. This is ketchup like the banana ketchup of Filipino derivation, it takes everything I like about non-HFCS based ketchup and increased with spices to make you take notice that this is not drive-thru ketchup. I like it, like Marceline likes the Ice King, memorialized in the best episode of Adventure Time ever. I will be back for sure. read more

Perfect spot for Brunch. Even better for breakfast. If only there were more eateries around like this place. I'm bored with all of the coffee shop bruncheries. Coffee, standard food that may or may not reek of Sysco standardization. With bland cookies and baked breakfast items, then genera-coffee centric blended drinks (from mediocre syrupy lattes to acerbic regular cups of joe). Cheap Tazo-caliber tea in paper filters. Death in a teacup. Pondecheri breaks free of that mold. It's brunch done Indian-style (via RO). It's "safe" Indian. But still, it's amazing hybridism. Try not to over think and define it. Also, I do know that the owner is pretty focussed on the local and healthier side of restauranteur-ing, so many items are relatively healthy (ghee has no milk solids - low in fat and lactose-free) and many items are marked gluten-free. They make many standard things (that most restaurants would buy at the store or via Sysco) in house. Paneer, ghee, infusion mixtures, chai. This is all remarkable. I mean, they taste so fresh and remarkable. I had a Shafti Infusion. Cardamom pods, almonds, orange or lemon peel, and cinnamon and/or clove (I think - can't recall). It's one of their three in-house made herbal teas that aren't listed on their online menu. They also have a few chais that smell fantastic. I didn't take notes, so can't recall the finer points, but to quote their menu, "menu might change due to seasonally available ingredients, relentless experimentation, and musing moods." I also had the Saag Paneer Omlette (which I could have gotten with just egg whites) and a few cookies (3 for $5) for much later. The Saag Paneer Omlette was WON-DER-FUL. Perfectly spiced. Perfectly resting on a parantha. Somewhat heavy, but kept me going all day. I wound up at the Galleria shopping for winter-weather-worthy leggings for several hours, but survived thanks to this magical dish and Hue. The cookies? I got the Pistachio Cardamom Shortbread (needed rosewater), Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Chili, and the Chocolate Hazelnut Basil (gluten free). Oh, and a Madeleine (coconut, rosemary, and spice) was thrown in gratis. Sigh. I really wish macarons would die off and be replaced by Madeleines. If all the macarons in all the land ceased to exist and were replaced by only Pondecheri's Madeleine, the world would be better for it. The cookies were good too, but that Madeleine was where it was at. I plan to stop by for dinner, but if I limit myself to eating here once or twice a week, it's going to be so I can eat my way through that perfect breakfast menu. Although, the lunch and dinner menu looks divine. Fish Curry? Carrot Paranthas? read more

I was excited to try Pondicheri Cafe as I live nearby and love Indian food. The best thing about this place was the decor which can be described as "industrial-chic" and made me feel as if I was in NYC or SFO. However, every other aspect of my meal was a disappointment. I had their chicken curry which consisted of chunks of dark meat chicken swimming in a thin-ish, super-spicy sauce. It was more like a soup than a curry and I didn't care for it at all. It definitely was not worth the $14 pricetag. We also ordered some samosas to split but they were also so spicy as to not be enjoyable. (Let me just say that I do like and eat spicy food but the food at Pondicheri was on a whole 'nother level of spiciness.) The place was busy so the service was slow and we had to resort to flagging down our waitress whenever we needed something. In her defense, we were seated in the largest part of the restaurant and there only seemed to be her and another waitress waiting on the entire room which was packed. Given the lack of anything to absorb sound, the cement flooring and windows exacerbated the noise level which was extremely high. I could barely hear my friend speak which got to be very annoying. I am not sure who would enjoy dining on barely edible, overly expensive Indian food in cacaphonic surroundings, but I can say with certainty ... that person is not me. read more

Disappointing. Take this with a Rashomon perspective. One the one hand, this was merely a service misstep on the staff's part. Cluelessness, disorganization, whatever, led to us waiting for our plates of eggs for over 30 minutes. The bartender, on the other hand, was very nice. He was friendly and attentive, noticed we had been waiting, checked on the status of our food and reassured us it would be along shortly. Unfortunately, that reassurance was offered 10 minutes ago, and we had already been waiting longer than expected. While we waited, we noticed people who had ordered after us receive their order before us. This is one of my favorite places. So my feelings are hurt. I know I shouldn't take it personally, but again, that Rashomon perspective. This is my birthday week. I don't really live here anymore, so I selected Pondicheri for brunch with specific intent. I am not a spoiled brat. I understand being in the weeds, and this was not that kind of situation. So, missteps happen. I asked for a refund, and received it. The cashier gal seemed to think it was no big deal to wait over 30 minutes for an order of eggs, and I guess I can be down with that, but in our case, we were overlooked, so instead we left hungry, with the bitter taste of disappointment over this experience. read more

Late Sunday night I got a text from my best guy friend, who'd had a hot date earlier that evening that he really wanted to impress. "I took her to Pondicheri; you'd be proud," he said. So I guess I've talked about my newest restaurant obsession a lot recently. But considering that my BGF is about as opposed to Indian food as I am to rotten milk, I was floored. "WTF?! How many stars?" I asked. "4.5," he answered. "They were patient and took time to explain everything to me. Food was fiery but really good. We're going back." And that about sums it up. Pondicheri, little sister to Indika, is modern Indian done flawlessly. Don't walk in expecting a traditional Indian experience. Their dishes, much like their decor, are creative and edgy. Meticulous care and quality ingredients go into their recipes. Food this good doesn't happen by accident. The goat samosas dipped in cool yogurt sauce are so delicious that I find myself staring at them. I literally turn them around and analyze them with each bite I take because it's hard to believe that anything could be so perfect. The butter chicken salad with warm goat cheese and crispy toasted lentils is hands down the best salad I've ever had; no kidding. And if you order the butter chicken, get a side of garlic naan. Absolute heaven. There's nothing lacking at Pondicheri. In fact, I'm tempted to go back and downgrade some of my other 5-star reviews to 4 stars. It's like a culinary adventure every time...it almost makes Indika feel boring. read more

Pondicheri - Madras Chicken Wings - Indian Near Me - Houston, Texas

My friend and I went to Pondicheri on a Thursday morning and it was delicious! We were served quickly as there were very few customers there at this time, and the food was delicious. The coconut pancakes were fairly hefty but were very different from normal pancakes because of the rice flour, and the different textures put in. The caramel sauce was incredible. The egg bun was personally my preferred of the two because of the amount of flavor in it. The turmeric bun was very different, but the combo of flavors with cream cheese and smoked salmon worked well together. There was a bit too much avocado but I highly recommend it and the price for it was really good at $8 read more

Pondicheri - Egg bun and coconut pancakes! - Indian Near Me - Houston, Texas

I was blown away by this place. I cannot believe it took me so long to get here! I started off with a delicious pinot grigio cocktail with mint and ginger. As soon as it was spotted on the menu my boyfriend knew that would be exactly what I'd order. Pinto grigio AND ginger? Ummmm, yes please. I highly recommend the chaat sampler for the appetizer. It's a unique offering with these little puffed rice balls that you fill with a concoction then add sauces. It was so flavorful with all of the spices that you would want in an Indian meal. For my entree I got another sampler style offering. There were a few different combinations to choose from consisting of vegetable, meat, or a mix of both. I chose the "Earth" and it was pretty delicious. The saag paneer was not my favorite, as after eating the appetizer with the spicy chutney, it tasted pretty bland. The sauteed greens were my favorite part of the sampler. My guy ordered the butter chicken. It resembled butter chicken that I have had at Mom and Pop Indian places, but had a few extra touches such as rice with some added spices. Another great thing about this place? Their prices are awesome! Considering this West Ave location, I had assumed it'd be $25 a plate, but to our surprise, it was around $12 a plate! With our appetizers AND cocktails, out meal was just shy of $60. That's a steal if you ask me. I cannot wait to go back and try everything else on the menu. I've since gone for brunch and was equally blown away. Everything is so wonderfully executed here. I'm still dying to try the lamb burger with mint! read more

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The team got back home and we decided to decompress with a nice meal. I voted for Mexican but my friends wanted Indian and what's a guy to do? This is the second time I went to Pondicheri; the lady friend took me last time. The service was horrendous both times. How do I say so rude? The restaurant was labelled as being open until 1000 and we got there at 830. Nobody even acknowledged us after we were seat for twenty minutes. No water, no drinks, no greeting, nothing. We had to call for service. They brought everything out at once, appetizers, main course, etc. Around 930, mind you we had only gotten our food for perhaps 10-20 minutes they started taking stuff away like the spicy catsup, silverware, etc to clean up for the evening. The food didn't warrant and stand up to the horrible service. It was below average for Americanized Indian food. I would strongly recommend never going here. read more

West Avenue at River Oaks...now that's something else. I had driven past it time a plenty and peeked at its grandeur (Ava Whiskey bar, in particular, appeals to me both visually and taste-fully). But my visit to Pondicheri was my first stab at going unto the breach. Spurred on by good things to say, both by Alison Cook, reviewer extraordinare, and my fiance, who has impeccable taste in food, I went in with high expectations that rose ever higher with the haughty decor and location. Despite what you think of the lifestyles of the rich and famous, they still offer free parking in this complex, which is nice. It's in the garage, and not too far of a walk from the shops and restaurants. The recession affects all as well; there are still plenty of unrented spaces in this strip. But ah yes, the food. Here's the rub: the food is very good. Not amazingly great, like Alison Cook would lead you to believe. And definitely not one of the most unique spots in the universe, either; that was hyperbole beyond imagination. I would best liken it to a blend of the fast casual concept pioneered by Pei Wei, combined with the chic overpriced trendiness of PF Chang's. Now both are places I hate, only fair since I'm Asian. While I can't speak to the Indian mindset, there were definitely quite a few dining at Pondicheri during my visit, so that's good. I vouch you can get better, more authentic (i.e., cheaper) Asian food in Chinatown. Likewise, you can get cheaper Indian food at Hillcroft. That said, I venture to say that Pondicheri is just as tasty, and similarly authentic. Just not as cheap. Again, I'm no expert. Breakfast and lunch are counter ordering, which saves you from tipping (if you're so disinclined). Dinner is sit down. The menu is pretty steep, and there's plenty to order. After we did so, the damage came out to $38 for 2. For lunch. Yikes. Drink-wise, we ordered a fizzy berry+mint drink and the sweet lassi with cardamom. Excuse the lack of an accurate description and price; the online menu is outdated. The specialty drinks are about $3-$5; both tasty; both pricey. Food-wise, we started with the breakfast frankie, the opening salvo from Cook's review. While it was delicious, it didn't taste overtly Indian, and in Houston with breakfast tacos a-plenty, it's quite strange that she led with this rather generic affair. The breakfast frankie, by the way, sets you back $5, which can get you two breakfast tacos of similar stature, volume, and tastiness. The samosas were next, filled with a fantastic corn and veggie mixture perfectly complemented by a delicious tasting chutney. The only downside to the plate was the slightly overcrisped and thick wrapping, which didn't have the soft bite and melt in your mouth flavor I'm accustomed to with samosas. We wrapped up with the rancher thali, a fun and exciting blend of different dishes (there's other thalis as well, if you're looking to go family style and varietal). The butter chicken was quite tasty, although slightly misleading given the tomato base. The ground beef (or lamb?) was my personal favorite, with a heaping of chili powder to give the requisite zing. The cucumber-melon salad was also refreshing. The naan was, like the samosas, a little too crisped for my taste. In summation, everything was good, and I wouldn't be too averse to return again. But it's just good, not great, which is what I was expecting. Maybe a return with lowered expectations can garner a bump in the rankings. read more

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My family and I recently ate at this restaurant for my mother's birthday, and it's safe to say that we enjoyed EVERYTHING! The atmosphere of the restaurant was very hip and relaxing, and the food was absolutely AMAZING. We all shared the pani puri, the paneer burger, rice, naan, and the meat thali. The waiters were also super nice. We loved this restaurant and we will definitely eat here again! read more

I've been here several times and Pondicheri is my favourite breakfast spot in my neighbourhood. For those that gripe that it's not really Indian food, well it's not exactly American food either. Where else can I go besides someone's home to get eggs masala for breakfast? I don't think I even have an Indian friend of the Asian persuasion. Years of eating breakfast at nearby Avalon Diner and House of Guys leaves a guy wanting more. So I transitioned to the nearby taquerias for breakfast for something tastier and now I have something better in Pondicheri. Sure it's somewhat pricey but we're talking about River Oaks here and I'm not going to bitch about prices when I (could barely afford to) live in the neighbourhood. So I enjoy their eggs masala that comes with a potato curry that is better than any hash brown I've had. The fact that the potato comes slathered in curry means that I don't have to dump ketchup and tabasco on it. Speaking of ketchup, Pondicheri carries these spicy ketchup bottles (tomato chutney?) that I want to take home. The best part of breakfast at Pondicheri is that it goes on until 3pm. That's right. I can get trashed the previous night, wake up stinky, step into the cafe and the host just knowingly nods and smiles knowing that it's about to hit 3pm. Oh I enjoy their vegetarian lunch and dinner items but breakfast is where it's at for me. read more

Good food. Sat by the kitchen in the corner by the side door. It was so hot with no air circulation. I was soaked. That made the entire experience 4* read more

Pondicheri (aka Pondicherry) is a peaceful coastal town in India... and also an Indian restaurant in Houston. I can say that I have been to both and I enjoyed them both! Although the restaurant reflects nothing of the actual town Pondicheri, I appreciate its attempt to emulate some of the flavors of India. I came here for lunch with my friend. Since it was one of those ever-so few cold days in Houston, we ordered a warm, spicy chai (tea). Slowly sipping on the warm tea was soo soothing and relaxing. For appetizers, we ordered the goat samosas. The crust was yummy and the goat filling was so-darn good! For the entree, I ordered the earth thali (which is like a sampler plate of several vegetarian dishes) and my friend ordered the butter chicken. Most of the dishes in the thali were good. The only disappointing thing was that it only came with one piece of naan...Extra naan costs an additional $2... The butter chicken was pretty incredible...creamy, tomato-ey, spicy, and flavorful without being overdone. The chicken was moist as well. The service was not bad either...They were a bit slow but it was understandable because of the lunch time rush. SO you may wonder, if the food was great and the service so-so, why only 3 stars?? Well....the food came out cold! A dish can have amazing flavor and be perfectly cooked, but it is just not as satisfying when it is served cold. I am pretty torn...food was good but they were all just not warm (from the samosas to the butter chicken to the rice & naan). Hopefully, I'll come again at a not-so-busy time and get warmer food. read more

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I've been to Pondicheri for dinner and brunch, and I've been underwhelmed both times. The menu always looks amazing, but the food just doesn't match up. For dinner, I got a thali (can't remember which one), and for brunch, I got the morning thali. I feel like the thalis are always overpriced and unbalanced. There wasn't enough naan/paratha to eat with all the curries and sauces. They only give you ONE piece! :( My carb-lover self is crying. I also didn't think the curries tasted that good. The naan was fine, but the carrot paratha was really thick and kind of hard. It had a slightly strange flavor and didn't taste like carrot at all. Honestly, the thalis may only be good for pictures (I have to admit, they are gorgeous :P). My friend got the lamb mint burger with desi fries, which I got to try. The burger was small but tasted pretty good! It wasn't very juicy but had a very good lamb flavor. I really liked the flavor of the desi fries-- they were spicy and a little tart, but they were not very crispy at all. If I came back again, I'd want to try something other than a thali. I'm eyeing those frankies and other brunch items. read more

Pondicheri - Morning thali - Indian Near Me - Houston, Texas

For some reason, I've always been repelled by the thought of trying Indian cuisine. Maybe it was due to a bad experience I had with my friend's homemade curry a few years ago - I'm not sure. However, after hearing such ravishing stories about Pondicheri, I decided not to let this little aversion influence my decision to give this place a shot. WOWWW oh my goodness!!! Thank gawd for my coworker who has been wanting to check this place off her list for a while. If it weren't for her, I probably never would have stepped foot. Morning Thali (4/5) - bread with fried egg, potato curry, yogurt, grits, and ground beef (?), or at least I think so. They've got foreign names that I can't remember. I explained to the cashier that I've never had Indian food before, so the thali was something she recommended (it's kind of like a sampler plate) Earth Thali - My coworker ordered this and she absolutely loved it, especially the rice and the buttery chicken. The chicken was amazing and cooked perfectly! I didn't get to try any of the other samplers on her plate, but she swears by it. Garlic Naan (4/5) - A little too much garlic for my taste, but still very delicious. I very much want to return and try other things off of this menu because I've now officially been converted to a lover of Indian cuisine. The plate wasn't entirely too filling, but I felt very satisfied. read more

Pondicheri - Morning Thali, Earth Thali, garlic naan - Indian Near Me - Houston, Texas

This is my second time trying Pondicheri. I really enjoyed my entree, Butter Chicken. As a appetizer, I had a samosa. My entree was on the spicy side so i I recommend mixing it with rice and trying some of the cooler sides. I wasn't a big fan on the chai pie that we ordered for dessert. Also, the air conditioning wasn't working when I went so the spicy food + warm restaurant wasn't the best combination. If it's your first time trying Indian food, I believe butter chicken is safe choice! read more

Pondicheri - Butter Chicken - Indian Near Me - Houston, Texas

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I have had better. When restaurants try to get the best of both worlds they sometimes fail to maintain the positive aspects of each cuisine. Although it has only been a couple of weeks, I remember a Indian influenced cuisine that charged separately and skimped on the naan bread. When you order saag paneer, getting one small piece of naan is almost an insult. I will however compliment the mint lamb burger, it was very good. Avoid the sampler plate and the butter chicken curry. Pondicheri is trendy, cool, and I love the giant doors you swing open when you enter. But in the end, the interior is quite hollow when it comes to fulfilling its customers. read more