Was sooo craving Indian food and trekked all the way here to satisfy. Love that they're kosher as well. Makes it easy (difficult) for me to choose something that suits my dietary restrictions. I love Indian food but don't know the names of dishes and the waiter helped me navigate the menu and chose a really delicious dish for me. I opted for the chili paneer. It was soooo good I honestly don't think I would've chosen that on my own but I'm glad I did. It was spicy, rich, creamy, acidic, and all the good things you'd want in a dish. It was a cold day so I got a masala chai as well. Everything warmed my soul. Delicious meal, clean place, great service. Will definitely be back again! read more

Pretty average quality South Indian food (I'd say it's probably worth it to just go a few streets over to Saravanaa Bhavan instead). What they did do well is service--our primary waiter was super attentive and kept checking in and ensuring our cups were always full of water. read more

Pongal restaraunt nyc - 29. Sev Poori - Indian Near Me - Manhattan, New York

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This review is only for online order from this restaurant. I'm so glad I gave online ordering a try and wow they do deliver in my neighborhood. I ordered Rava Masala Dosa, Idli, and extra chutneys, and everything was just delicious. The food arrived beautifully packaged, fresh, and piping hot. The dosa was crispy, the idli soft and fluffy, and the chutneys were full of flavor...you could tell everything was fresh and made with care. I have had experiences with other South Indian places like Adhyar Anand Bhavan at 1st Ave, where orders sometimes fall short and quality is subpar, let alone the sucky attitude they carry, so it was such a relief to finally have a South Indian meal that exceeded expectations. The portions at Pongal were generous, the quality was amazing, and honestly, I don't mind spending the extra bucks if I'm going to get this kind of quality and this kind of customer service. It's wonderful to see a restaurant putting real thought into both the food and the customer experience. With the growing Indian food scene in the NY, Pongal is definitely one of the places thats upping its game. I'll be ordering from them again without a second thought! read more

One of the good food places on lexington. Their serving size is decent. We tried their dosa and thali. Both were decent. Great option for vegetarian. Easy to find a table. read more

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I had an AMAZING lunch here on a Saturday ! The cushions make the seats very comfortable. So many restaurants don't value comfortable seating these days. I ordered pani poori and mysore thali. I tasted my first pani puri without the sauce and wasn't impressed by it, but when I dipped the second one into the sauce I realize that balanced all the flavors perfectly. A very pleasant, crunchy appetizer, but I really didn't need to order it with how much food comes with the thali. Every item on this plate is delicious! I couldn't help but eat the dosa first which has a beautiful crispy crunch. The medu vada was crisp on the outside with a light interior. I enjoyed the onion bread also which had a pleasant chew and savory flavor. The idli added a fourth texture of starch in the form of a moist, steamed cake. My favorite element on the plate was the coconut chutney. I have had coconut chutneys before and never been a huge fan. This one doesn't taste significantly different from what I'm remembering but some how the flavors in this chutney just make sense and are perfectly balanced. The badam halwa is rich and complex and a perfect end to the meal. I left here so full and happy! I highly recommend getting a thali from here. read more

Pongal restaraunt nyc - Mysore Special Thali - Indian Near Me - Manhattan, New York

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SERVICE - located on Lexington Ave near 28th street station - plenty of indoor seating with no wait - servers want you to order soon after sitting down - food served relatively quickly - ambiance good for a casual lunch or dinner - good for small or larger groups MENU - traditional South Indian dishes - all vegetarian with vegan and gluten free items marked - average price ($16 per entree) FOOD - paper masala dosa (8/10): ultra thin dosa filled with potato masala and served with sambar and two chutneys on the side. I added podi to make it more flavorful and spicy. This exceeded my expectations. The dosa was thin and crispy throughout making it more willing to soak up the sambar. The hardest part was trying to make sure it did not break off onto the table as I ate it. WOULD I GO BACK? Yes! It's a great spot for authentic tasting South Indian food at a reasonable price read more

Pongal restaraunt nyc - Paper masala dosa with podi - Indian Near Me - Manhattan, New York

A solid spot for dosas -- it was easy to get a walk-in table for a larger group, Rava Dosa was my favorite! I appreciated that they put the masala on the side, so it wouldn't get soggy. The chaat was decent, Pani Poori being the favorite, but would recommend the South Indian classics here. read more

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This place is always so reliably good for tasty food, clean environment, and great service. This time around we ordered the South Indian Thali, which was a great menu item. It lets you sample every possible south Indian delicacy. We also got some white wine and some chat. All of this was amazing. I always take anyone who is not Indian to this place because they enjoy the food so much. Vegetarian but wholesome cuisine. read more

friendly vegetarian south indian spot in "curry hill", a street filled with delicious indian spots in the heart of murray hill, as it is affectionately known. came as a guest in a party of 12 and they handled us with ease and care! the food came out promptly and was all super yummy! got to try the rose lassi, the pani purri, the samosas, lots of curries and dosas. overall a spectacular meal to share family style! the curries were v yummy but did come out smaller than I expected. read more

Pongal restaraunt nyc - Indian Near Me - Manhattan, New York

One of the great things about NYC is that you could walk into a neighborhood or restaurant and feel like you've been transported anywhere in the world - from Nepal to Peru. Dining at Pongal was like landing in Gujarat. We tried their Pani Poori and Gujarati Thali. Both were wonderful. The thali was great because parts of it were unlike anything I've had before at an Indian restaurant, such as the fried pocket with lentils and other vegetables and the giant fried Poori. Everything was perfectly seasoned and balanced, with the exception of the fried idli which was dry and bland and I didn't really care for. My favorite was the saffron, cardamom, and pistachio yogurt that served as the dessert section of the thali. The service was great and the decor was nice and inviting. I look forward to coming back soon. read more

Pongal restaraunt nyc - 28. Pani Poori - Indian Near Me - Manhattan, New York

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I was craving a dosa and this place definitely hit the spot. The dining room is lovely and the service was quite attentive. I ordered the kachumber salad. It was tasty but quite full of carrots. I was expecting the usual tomatoes and cucumbers which this had but it also had a ton of carrots. Not my favorite veggie. Then I ordered the rava masala dosa which was very delicious and hugely filling. It was nice and crispy the way a dosa should be though I found the sandbar a bit under seasoned. Overall a nice choice for dosas in midtown east! read more

Pongal restaraunt nyc - rava masala dosa - Indian Near Me - Manhattan, New York

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As an Indian born and raised in New York, this is my absolute favorite Indian spot in the city. Their service is quick and excellent, and they will cater to your diet and eating restrictions. The menu has a great variety of options which are affordable and come in huge portions. I've been coming here for years and have been beyond satisfied every time. The ambiance has the perfect mix of modern livelihood and Indian culture, and the restaurant can fit big parties as well. My favorites are the rose lassi, onion rava dosa, pani puri, and idli vada combo, however everything on the menu is a must try. read more

Pongal restaraunt nyc - Pondicherry dosa (spicy and delicious!) - Indian Near Me - Manhattan, New York

I really loved the unassuming homemade flavours that I could taste from all the dishes that I had when I ate at this place. The service was also really good, as they were very patient while dealing with us and also responded very promptly for any of our questions. The interior decor was also really cool, walls filled with colorful pictures from all of India. I loved eating here :) And this is by far the best authentic south indian food in NYC according to my taste! read more

Pongal restaraunt nyc - Coconut Water (Fresh) - Indian Near Me - Manhattan, New York

Was craving south indian food on a rainy Sunday evening and found this spot on Yelp. Went around 5 pm so it wasn't crowded at all. The music was a little loud but otherwise comfortable dining experience. I got the rava mysore masala dosa and the moru drink. The moru was amazing I wasn't expecting it to be so flavorful and also light. The dosa was also good. Rava was on point but the sambar was meh. Overall would come back to try more of their menu. read more

I would not have posted this review but I was asked for a feedback from staff so had to say it out loud. For folks who are not familiar with the dishes here, it may seem ok but not me as the items I ordered cannot be termed edible at all. The Mixed vegetables fritters and samosa chaat were extremely disappointing. Had I not been fasting, I would not have had a single bite. It would be better if they hold serving till their owner learns how to make an honest living. Btw, the cutlery was ancient and I'll kept too. read more

3 of us came in for a mid afternoon lunch. Ordered Kala channa, Alu gobi, and Malai kofta. We loved all 3 dishes. The flavors were so very distinctive, even in the leftovers eaten for lunch today. Service was gracious and welcoming. We arrived well after the lunch hour so the room was very quiet. We were very happy to be there. BTW they have an "A" rating from the NY Health Dept - a must for us. Looking forward to the next time & hope it's soon. read more

The crisp was a fun texture on the lentil donuts. It's kind of more like a Burger King fry rather than a McDonald's fry kind of crispiness. When I ordered a masala dosa, I thought I would get the cylindrical dosa, but it was flat. It was a bit oily, And the potatoes came in a separate bowl, not inside the crêpe. Was not as filling as I had hoped it would be. There's a cool blue cow sculpture. Visual presentation overall is nice. There were strong smells of cleaning fluids read more

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Delicious food, wonderful spot for lunch. Best dosa I've ever had, crispy and light. Our server Ipu was friendly and made great recommendations. Looking forward to coming back. read more

Pongal restaraunt nyc - 43. Onion Masala Dosai - Indian Near Me - Manhattan, New York

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Craving dosas on A summer weekend. Popped in here. Attentive service, nice room, many options, good prices! We will return. read more

Pongal restaraunt nyc - Mysore Thali closest; Millet dosa w/cabbage, onion & cilantro further. Delicious & satisfying. - Indian Near Me - Manhattan, New York

I haven't had dosa in ages so I happened across this restaurant on a hot afternoon after a doctor's appointment at NYU. They have a lunch special which I took advantage of. Also, it's all vegetarian food if that's your jam. The dosa was so flavorful as well as all of the different dishes in the Thali. Service was very friendly and timely and our waiter explained to us how to eat all the different dishes together. read more

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Food was very ordinary, lacked authentic flavors and seemed over priced for what you get. Not visiting again.

I come here often and it's consistently good! The food is authentic, flavorful, and consistently amazing. The dosas, idlis, and sambar are some of the best in the city - highly recommend! read more

Had dinner at Pongal last night and it was absolutely delicious. I ordered the dosa which was huge and came with 4 sides/ chutneys, tomato, coconut , lentil and potato. (Sorry, I don't know the exact names of these) Everything was spiced to perfection and so flavorful. Service was prompt and courteous. The restaurant is decorated simply with a clean warm feeling. It's well lit and had a vibrant friendly vibe. ( I like to see my food when I'm eating). As delicious as everything was , I could only eat about 1/2 since the dosa was so big. Looking forward having the rest for lunch today! I will definitely be back. I'm quite excited to have found a great vegetarian place. Apparently Southern Indian food is made without all the heavy sauces that Northern Indian food is made with so that's a huge plus for me too Also I had rose lassi which was yummy and for some reason not so easy to find in restaurants these days . Definitely recommend. read more

Overpriced vegetarian food. My $30 meal was a small bowl of curried cauliflower with a small bowl of rice and a mango lassi. I've been to India many times and It was good but not worth $30! No condiments. No papadum. Over solicitous service. I won't be coming back here. read more

Delicious! I had wanted to try this place for a while. Two of us ordered the mysore special thali and the avial (stew from the state of kerala). the mysore thali came with a mini dosa and potato masala on the side, coconut chutney, onion utthapam, vada, sambar, and badam (almond) halwa for dessert. According to the menu, it should've come with idli, but we didn't get any! :( I didn't realize until later. Everything was delicious. The sambar was a highlight, it tasted perfect. The potato masala was a bit on the mild side, but still flavorful enough. it was my first time trying avial, and it was delicious. String beans, carrots, and potato in a coconut cream sauce. The potato was purplish and dense (and very tasty). The dish was mild and savory and comforting. Came with rice. When I first saw the portions it looked a bit small, but I ended up stuffed. We came on a Saturday night around 7pm and were seated right away without a reservation. Friendly service and nice ambiance. They've been around for 27 years (since '96). A little pricey. read more

Pongal restaraunt nyc - 77. Avial - Indian Near Me - Manhattan, New York

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I used to go to Pongal on a weekly basis when I lived in NYC from 2007-2010. I love South Indian food and this was one of the 3-4 South Indian restaurants at the time. This time I went to NYC for a week, and only found this place still standing. I had to eat South Indian food so decided to go there. It was empty when I went around 6:30, but got busy around 7:30 or so. The menu looks the same. There was only one server that day, but very friendly. I went with a colleague and ordered the following: - Bhel: the portion size has gone down for sure. But loved what was served. - Sev Puri: yummy. Loved the way it was made. - Dahi Bhalla: the yoghurt was a bit thick, but overall loved the taste. - Onion Rava Dosa: the red chutney was a bit spicy from what I remember from past years. The dosa was delicious and so was the sambhar. Overall, still my go to place for South Indian food in NYC. Don't expect service or ambiance, but the food is great. read more

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Take it from a South Indian - this was some of the worst Indian food I've had in the US. Nothing was good, very basic experience and exorbitant prices. On top of that they added 15% gratuity for a party of 3, which I usually see for a party of 6, counting my 5 yo kid. Never go. read more

Great hospitality, and highly authentic dosa and chaats available here. Cannot wait to try the rest of their menu! Definitely my go-to spot for Mysore Rava Dosa and Chaat moving forward! read more

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Beautiful room full of energy! Friendly service by Tipu. Loved my dahi vada and masala dosa! This was my first visit here. Kinda enjoyed better than Sarvana Bhavan. Madras coffee was really very hot and tasty. read more

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Went to lunch today . Ordered thali . Horrible quality. We paid almost $100 . Food was neither authentic South Indian nor tasty . My parents came here 10 years back and gave raving reviews. Hence went today and so disappointed. Masal for Dosai was basically mashed potatoes, Koorma for Poori had Uncooked cauliflower. Idly was dry . Sambar was so thin and lacked flavor . Will never come here again. Wasted $100 . Has the management changed???? read more

I enjoyed my lunch at Pongal. I decided to come here because a friend had recommended it. So far it is my favorite South Indian restaurant in NY. I had their chef's lunch special, which came with a dosa, an idli, a medu vada, sambhar, coconut chutney and red chutney. The service was good. I was seated quickly and my food came out promptly. Whenever I needed a server (to order the check, or if I had a question), there was always someone nearby. The food was also good. The vada wasn't too spicy, the idli was pillow-soft and the dosa had the perfect proportion of crispy parts to soft parts. All three if these tasted very good, and I could not have asked for them to be made better. Hats off to the chef. However, the coconut chutney and the tomato sauce, although good, did not particularly leave an impression, and the sambhar was a bit spicy for my taste (although it was not unbearably spicy). I really enjoyed the Badam milk, though. It was perfect: just enough crushed almonds inside, not too sweet (just the way I like it) and not too large in size. I really enjoyed my lunch overall and would come back here. read more

Our grandchild visiting from MA had specifically asked us to go to a vegetarian Indian restaurant, and we found Pongal first just by walking past one day, and then looking it up on yelp! We loved that they followed to the letter asking for vaccine verification and ID, so we felt reasonably comfortable eating in (not that there was an eating outdoor option, lol). Had an excellent experience, both food and service. Three starters: mulligatawny soup, steaming hot which was so appreciated on this cold, windy evening; idli (apparently usually 2 per serving but the woman - owner? manager? - asked if we would like to have 3 and we did); and samosas (same number). They were so good! Never had large idli like those, totally bland and perfect for dipping into the little cup of sambar (soupy lentil stew) or the coconut chutney. The samosas were really good, bigger and with more filling than we usually find, and really good dipped into either the spicier green sauce or the tamarind (?) chutney served with. Our entrees were: aloo gobi for my husband who doesn't tolerate spicy food, and this he pronounced very good, served with rice; teen had baingan bhartha (eggplant) w rice also and really liked it a lot; I tried something different, a mixed veg utthapam. This was a lightly fried pancake with peas, tomatoes, carrots and sambar and a chutney. Three very satisfying appetizers and 3 delicious mains, and we were quite full! But put a dessert menu in front of me and all bets are off, lol! We let the teen choose, and they chose something called Shrikhand, which was a yogurt-based (I think) pudding with cardamom, saffron, and some chopped pistachios. Mmmmm! Creamy and smooth but not too rich, we shared 1 order with 3 spoons. We had plenty of fuel to walk the 30 or so blocks home! We really enjoyed the entire meal and expect that we'll be eating at Pongal again even without our grandchild! read more

I've had several dosas before and this was much smaller than the normal portions I would get at other restaurants. The sauces were also quite bland. It wasn't bad but definitely not worth $12. The restaurant itself is nice and cozy and has good decor. Biggest gripe was the server had incorrectly charged one of my friends for the wrong meal and after not telling us, had still tried to charge for that meal. They also did not tell us there was a mandatory tip already included in our check, and also charge you for a takeout fee if you want to take leftovers (have never heard of this at any other restaurant I've ever been to). They also still charged us as a whole group when we had asked for individual checks. When my friend had tried to explain our complaints to the server, he immediately started arguing and was quite rude to her. Overall mediocre meal and poor service read more

Pongal restaraunt nyc - Indian Near Me - Manhattan, New York

We stopped in impromptu after a trip to Kalyustan's. Even though we weren't super hungry, the idea of a hot masala dosa was irresistible. This little restaurant is tucked away downstairs and the ambiance make you feel like you've come to someplace exotic and fine. The restaurant was just about full even though it was lunch time, and the menu was quite extensive. We settled on one of three vegetarian Thalis - the one with the dosa. Everything was cooked to perfection. The dosa and aloo we're comfort food embodied. The vada was especially impressive - they can be heavy and oily, but this one was crisp and flavorful. The sambar was also delightful. The waiter wasn't super pleased that we were splitting a thali, but it was more than enough food for us and we will be back. read more

The food was mediocre. I had the Pondicherry dosa and it was very soggy. My guest and I ordered masala chai. His was delicious and mine was tasteless. It tasted like it was watered down. I asked him to try it and he felt the same. I called the waiter and told him that it tasted different from my guest: as if it was topped off with hot water. He said they were both made the same time. I asked if they could make me another one. He just walked away. Never came back to give me an answer. We just asked for the check and they refused to take it off the bill even though I didn't drink it. Very rude service. I won't go back again and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. read more

Authentic & delicious Indian food with great service! My fave Indian spot in NYC :) Way better than anything else in the neighborhood. read more

This is a solid choice for South Indian food. I had a Mysore special thali and salt lassi. The food took a while even though I was part of one of two parties in the restaurant at the time, but all the items tasted very good. The metal plates and glasses reminded me of home. read more

They'll charge you tip percentage on top of your tax and then ask for tips on top of that read more

Pongal restaraunt nyc - Indian Near Me - Manhattan, New York

Had a hearty meal where we ordered a Mysore Special Thali that consisted of a mini masala dosa, mini onion uttapam, vada , idli, sambhar, chutney and halwa. Also ordered a filter coffee along with the scrumptious meal. Food felt light on the stomach considering the quantity of the thali. Service and ambiance was simple but good. Should definitely visit if you are craving for some South Indian vegetarian breakfast delicacies. read more

Pongal restaraunt nyc - Mysore Special Thali - Indian Near Me - Manhattan, New York

We were looking to have some authentic South Indian food and we came across this restaurant. We tried both the Madras thali and Pongal. Madras thali: The Poori and the curry for it was very good. Pappadam isn't usually the most authentic addition, I would have liked just the regular rice appalam. Also the quantity of white rice for the thali was just too less ! The tamarind rice again wasn't authentic. The sambar and rasam was pretty decent. The next dish we wanted to have was Sweet pongal and unfortunately they did not have it :( That was disappointing considering that was the name of the restaurant lol! so we ended up getting the spicy Pongal. But that was good .. so that was a good thing !! :D Also i would recommend you to try the buttermilk on a hot sunny day! :D Overall cannot say it the food felt very South Indian but sure is a decent place to try ! read more

Pongal restaraunt nyc - Indian Near Me - Manhattan, New York