Ordered catering and food was done right (for our taste). We requested medium-mild and light on oil. All guests, many seniors, expected a ton of oil and noted that there was minimal used. All items had good sweet/spicy flavors we all enjoyed. read more

This is my third time back at the cafe and while I do give this place a lot of leniency due to its affiliation with a place of worship, I couldn't help but notice the quality of food slowly dwindling during each visit. The first time I ate here the food was absolutely amazing, the second time it was good, the third time the breads (pav and roti) were hard (stale??) and the food lacked any taste whatsoever in the thaali and to-go section. I ended up averaging all 3 experiences and gave the place 3 stars. I hope this trend is rectified... read more

Shayona cafe - BAPS - Pav Bhaji - Indian Near Me - Robbinsville Township, New Jersey

Order at one of the many kiosks. Grab a tray or two and go to the different stations to pick up by showing them your ticket, as this is proof of what you ordered. They will also need to scan it when you pay at the cashier. I'm no expert on Indian cuisine so I will rate it based on my own tastebuds. For cafeteria food, everything was served hot and tasty. No complaints. I'm not a Vegan but one of my most favorite type of vegetarian cuisine is Indian. Love me some lentils, chick peas and carrots. Here is what we ordered: - Authentic Thaali - Classic Masala Dosa - Utthapam Get the mango lassi. Omg, it was so darn sipping yummy. I was about to grab another bottle until I read the nutritional label that said it has 34 grams of sugar. How can this probiotic drink have that much sugar? Still, this drink was perfect to cut through some of the spiciness. Service at each station and the entire staff were very friendly and helpful. Lots of seating available as well as upstairs. We sat by the pretty tree that was in the center. Prices were surprisingly reasonable. read more

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Visited this cafe after spending some time in the BAPS mandir! The ordering process is a little interesting-- you have to go to a kiosk to place your order, get a ticket and then use that ticket to go to different stations to pick up your food. At the end, you scan your ticket and pay for your meal. There are ample tables to sit at after! The food is 100% vegetarian and is made with no onions or garlic. I was surprised to see so many fusion things on the menu, including items like pesto dosa bites. We got a few things to share, including the pav bhaji (it's just ok, the pav wasn't great), gobi manchurian (more on the sweet side, but good), tandoori panini (this was the best item, the sauce and cheese was great), agni fries (delicious), dosa, uthappa and a thali. read more

Shayona cafe - BAPS - Indian Near Me - Robbinsville Township, New Jersey

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Very good and affordable. Order at the kiosks (vs looking at the menu board) so you can see pictures of the food. read more

Shayona cafe - BAPS - Menu - Indian Near Me - Robbinsville Township, New Jersey

Shayana Café at BAPS Temple is a very good cafeteria that almost feels like a proper restaurant. There's plenty of seating inside, but it does get extremely crowded and quite slow during peak hours. They offer full meals as well as ready-made items like dhokla, samosas, papdi, and other snacks. They also serve juices, tea, coffee, and mango lassi, all at reasonable prices--not too expensive. We only went for the ready-made food because of the long queues for billing. The dhokla was awesome--fresh and flavorful! The samosa was good too, though the mango lassi wasn't sweet enough for my taste. Overall, the food quality and taste are very good, but be prepared for crowds if you visit during busy times. read more

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The flat bread was very very hard. You order the food, grab the ticket and visit each station to pick up your food with that receipt. The line can come pretty long, don't come hungry! I'd recommend have lunch and only stop by the cafe for water and mango lassi. You can refill your water everywhere. We didn't know we can bring water in read more

Shayona cafe - BAPS - Indian Near Me - Robbinsville Township, New Jersey

I imagine most expectations for a food court inside a tourist attraction/pilgrimage destination are pretty low. In my experience, these types of places don't have particularly good food, and are just another way to gouge tourists who've already spent a pretty decent chunk of change on the day. A pleasant surprise - that's not the case here. Yes, the menu is definitely Americanized to an extent (there's an entire section dedicated to pizza), but there's a lot of legit Indian dishes available at a really reasonable price. After walking around the BAPS Hindu temple complex for a bit with the Millennial Chum and the Millennial Chum's sister in very toasty conditions (probably low 90s with oodles of humidity, and a chaste dress code to boot), everyone was hankering for some calories. We'd spied the general location of the cafe when we initially came in through the main entrance, and it wasn't hard to find later on - the signage is pretty decent in that regard. Compared to the rest of the campus, this area looked stunningly normal - no intricately carved ducks to be seen. There were DIY kiosks right by the entrance, and quite a few of them so despite there being a lot of people on the premises we were able to order our items almost immediately, and you were then directed to specific stations based off of what you'd ordered. I of course decided to get a ton of stuff and ended up having to visit three separate stations. I got the Khichu - Papdi Lot, a Cheese Dosa and some bread that started with a P (I just know it wasn't Naan). All of it was really tasty, and as you can see from the accompanying picture, it's a very decent portion - I was pretty stuffed for the remainder of the day. The Cheese Dosa came with a side of mint chutney, I believe, which paired perfectly. The Khichu was the more exotic item, but I think it had a pretty mainstream taste - the Millennial Chum sampled it and we both thought it tasted like a very ethnic mashed potatoes. The texture was slightly off-putting for me, a bit too gelatinous, but overall really good and I didn't come close to finishing it. Given that there are so many moving parts to the cafe, I was pretty impressed by its efficiency and level of service. Everyone behind the counter was understandably busy, but I was given direct, personal attention at each spot promptly. I was a little apprehensive when I saw the line at the checkout, but despite only having two cashiers over there (are they even called that now with the vast majority of purchases being card transactions? Unclear) it went by very quickly. We were on a bit of a schedule during this portion of the day, so the speed of the cafe service was very welcome. And the cherry on top? Sticker shock, but in a good way. My mountain of food cost me a little over $20, and it likely would have been 2 or 3 times that somewhere else. I haven't been to the Museum of Natural History since Jurassic Park came out (they had a special exhibit that weekend which was AWESOME; I miss 1993), but I'm guessing that a meal at their food court would have required me to apply for a loan or at least speak briefly with an underwriter. This area of NJ is an absolute gastro wasteland, so even if you're a little tepid on the food genre, I'd give it a shot for that reason alone. The fact that it's actually decent is a bonus. read more

Shayona cafe - BAPS - Indian Near Me - Robbinsville Township, New Jersey

I am pretty surprised that this café is presented in a cafeteria style with the food so good. Usually they're mediocre, not here, the food was excellent. Surprise to me. I had the Khaman Chaat , (sp??) wow, with the sponge-like cake and the topping of chutney, yogurt and cilantro, made for one great meal. Why I say cafeteria is because you get a tray with plastic knives, forks & spoons. You pay for your meal online and you go to the different stations and pick up your food. Simple and plain yet efficient. The tomato soup was outstanding and chai tea, which is called here Masala tasted wonderful. This café is located on the grounds of BAPS. read more

Shayona cafe - BAPS - Khaman Chaat - Indian Near Me - Robbinsville Township, New Jersey

All vegetarian options meals. Everything was very flavorful. You pick and choose what you want to order at the machine. Then bring your receipt to the corresponding food stall to pick up your food. Pay at the end. MST.Very easy process. Description change. Food was fresh and yummy. Ample seating and spacious. read more

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Sept 12, 2025 review: ----- We visited this cafe after seeing the BAPS akshardham temple and on your way out, it walks you through the cafe and souvenir store. This cafe has plenty of variety from quick snacks to full meal, all pure vegeterian options. Quality of the food is top class and you will find the best taste as well. They have variety from different north Indian food to South Indian meals. We had lunch plan at different places so grabbed quick snacks here which are all made fresh.At the Grab and go Island, they had samosa, Dabeli, Khaman, Khandavi, Lilva Kachori and chilli paneer. They also have green and red chutney to take along with it in packets. Drinks options had bunch of soda, water, mango lasssi, chaas (buttermilk). The buttermilk was VERY good, we got the masala one. Khaman was melting in mouth. There are people to assist you at the checkout counter. The sitting area is also very quiet, they have a tree at the center of all seating area, which make it very natural and calm place. Really enjoyed this place and I would want to try more items next time. read more

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This cafe is located inside BAPS Akshardham and serves pure vegetarian cuisine with a variety of North and South Indian dishes. You add the food items to the ticket on one of the kisoks, fetch food from different counters and then pay at the checkout line. We tried the cheese pav bhaji, idli sambhar, samosa chaat, pizza, utthapam and shrikhand. Everything was fresh and tasty. The chaat is made to order right in front of you. There's ample seating in the cafe and it's very clean. read more

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I felt like I was in high school again here! This was an Indian cafeteria though - so cool! After you select what you want from the kiosk (plenty on hand!), you take your receipt and go to the area that is designated for pick up on it, you then pay the "lunch lady" and find your seat. My son and I both got Samosa dishes, that were quite good. Nice staff and clean. read more

I have two words for this place Expensive and tasteless It is prepared with no garlic and onion. I would rather suggest to avoid this place and the canteen itself unless you wish to spend unnecessarily extra on bland food in the entire canteen area. read more

Yes the temple was amazing as we expected it to be BUT the food here stole the show for our foodie family! We were initially not very hungry so ordered a couple of items only to try out and we were so happy with the mild ( not spicy not bland) flavours. Obviously ordered more stuff after the first round. The papdi chaat and khaman chaat were the clear winners. Even the thali was great, the best part was that everything felt so light on Tummy, no extra oil whatsoever. Parents absolutely love the masala tea and we got some saffron sweets as well. Oh the pizza was thin crust and even though there was less paneer but still the flavour was delicious. I wish it wasn't too far from our house, it's a long drive but I hope we will be back soon. P.s. it was crowded but they planned the self order placing counter, pickups and payments counter in a very crowd friendly way. We were in and out in no time, hygienic and hassle free experience. Oh also, the food was super affordable!! There is nothing to complain about :) read more

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If you like authentic Indian food, especially for a good bargain you will love this place! It is a little chaotic/overwhelming at first when learning the system, but the employees guide you as you stand in line to order at the kiosks. Then you bring your ticket to the station where your food ordered is and present your ticket for pick up. It is a cafeteria style establishment and there is first come first serve seating on the first and second floors with cozy booths and large tables. We enjoyed a variety of dishes. Our favorites were the papdi chaat, chili paneer and thaali. Each dish was so deeply flavorful. The mango lassi was also delicious. They have so many dishes I want to try and even an ice cream station as well. I will definitely come back to explore more of the menu items! read more

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If you're craving and looking for authentic vegetarian dishes,this is the place to go . There's a lot of choices and their BAPS coffee tastes good. Friendly, hospitable and courteous staffs. Place is inside a Hindu temple which is of great marvelous Hindu architecture which makes the ambiance so serene and appealing. read more

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I was told the medu vada ($6.49)red soup wasn't spicy -not true. The "donuts" tasted like gritty sand & tasteless. Had to throw it away. Friends Samosas were ok. read more

Shayona cafe - BAPS - Medu vada I was told this "red soup" wasn't too spicy-not true. What looks like donuts taste like gritty sand. Friends samosas were ok. - Indian Near Me - Robbinsville Township, New Jersey

Just got back from an unforgettable afternoon at the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Robbinsville (often called the Windsor temple locally), and wow--still buzzing from the experience! As someone who's traveled to temples across India, this one rivals the best of them right here in New Jersey. It's not every day you find such profound peace and jaw-dropping artistry just a short drive from home. Arrived around 2 PM on this crisp November Sunday--perfect timing, as the golden hour light was starting to dance off the 162-foot pink sandstone and marble facade. The campus is massive (183 acres!), but everything flows seamlessly. Free parking, easy online reservations (a must for weekends), and the friendliest volunteers greeting you at every turn. Modest dress is required, but they provide wraps if you forget--super accommodating. The mandir itself is pure magic: over 13,000 hand-carved pieces telling stories of devotion, harmony, and Hindu heritage. The intricate elephants, lotus motifs, and deities on the exterior are mesmerizing up close--you will stop and stare. Inside, the sanctum is serene and sacred (no photos, which honestly enhances the reverence). The darshan of Swaminarayan Bhagwan and the Akshar-Purushottam lineage was deeply moving--soft bhajans, fragrant agarbatti, and a stillness that melts stress away. Separate sections for men and women keep the energy focused and respectful. Took time to explore the welcome center's exhibits on seva (service) and ahimsa (nonviolence)--short, impactful, and great for kids or newcomers. Grabbed a quick bite at Shayona Cafe: the pav bhaji and fresh mango lassi hit the spot--clean, vegetarian, and wallet-friendly. The reflection pond and walking paths are perfect for quiet contemplation as the sun dipped low. This isn't just a temple; it's a celebration of faith, culture, and human craftsmanship. The fact that 12,000+ volunteers built this over 12 years blows my mind. Left feeling centered, grateful, and already planning my next visit--maybe for Diwali next year! If you're in NJ, PA, or NY, make the trip. You won't regret it. #BAPSTemple #RobbinsvilleGem #SpiritualNJ #MandirMagic read more

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This place is supposed to open at 11 am. I was here today for a 9am temple appointment and was at Shayona cafe at 10.45, they didn't open the doors until 11.13am which was shocking to me. There were 100s of people waiting outside. It was so disappointing to see volunteers/employees roaming inside chatting having tea but not opening the door for whatever reason. They finally opened at around 11.15 and i got samosa chaat and khichdi. Samosa chat was 7.99 and khichdi was around the same price. You then pay for the food. Tea desserts dont show up on the ordering screen, so we only got to know about them after we had already paid! I was told you have to wait in the queue again if i wanted tea. The food tasted amazing, perfectly spiced and balanced. Quality is superb! But the quantity is less than average. The chat had just one samosa! I am a little disappointed. read more

Shayona cafe - BAPS - Khichdi - Indian Near Me - Robbinsville Township, New Jersey

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If you love Gujarati food - go for it. Otherwise, just keep your distance from this place. There is too much sweet in every dish and the thali is a big NO. We also ordered the pav bhaaaji, samosa chat and chili paneer. They were not as bad if you compare. Overall, I definitely had better experience of temple food than this cafe. read more

The cafeteria is located inside the temple premises and also contains a store to buy snacks and sweets. The restaurant has a menu clearly displayed, and there are screens available to place an order, and it's easy to navigate. As once you place the order, you will take the slip and get your food. All of the food will be ready in a few minutes. Some foods will be ready instantaneously. There are coffee commas tea and other beverages like mango drinks available for purchase. Then, as you exit to the dining area and make the payment at the cash register. The staff is friendly both at the cash register as well as the food serving area. The area is crowded because we visited during the closing time. We ordered cauliflower Manchurian, pav bhaji, coffee, and tea. Cauliflower Manchurian was okay, not great taste, but pav Bhaji was fantastic. The Masala tea was tasty, and my friend said they like the coffee, too. The interior of the restaurant is very well maintained and clean. They do have restrooms closer. Overall, if you are visiting the temple, the cafeteria will definitely cater to your appetite !!! read more

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Interesting cafe located in the BAPS temple. The place is primarily full of volunteers. They have self order stands available. There are several places to pick up your items (an Indian street food section, pizza, chai station, ice cream station). The paneer pizza was a bit salty in my opinion. The samosa chaat was ok and I wasn't a big fan of the Kati roll. The chai had too much sugar. I do like how the temple has Americanized Indian options for visitors or maybe people that might not prefer pure Gujarati food. They do have traditional guju dishes as well such as papdi no lot. Since this is a religious place, don't expect meat options, onion, ginger, or garlic on any of the items. IMO- there is way better Indian food in Jersey but I do like this place for the convenience. read more

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Great vegetarian food! We love stocking on lots of authentic Indian Gujarati snacks. They have a wider variety over the weekends.

This cafe is so impressive! We came on a busy Saturday when the temple was packed and were still able to move quickly through the line. Everything we chose was reasonably priced and delicious. The chili paneer was my favorite, along with the Chai. Seating is ample with lovely views of the temple grounds. We loved it here! read more

Shayona cafe - BAPS - Vegetarian Thaali, chili paneer, chai, mango lassi - Indian Near Me - Robbinsville Township, New Jersey

After walking through one of the most breathtaking tax write-offs in the world, I was blessed with a smorgasbord of homie Indian comfort food. Don't skip the shayona cafe, it is arguably the best follow-up lunch to the BAPS temple visit and I will be back! read more

Shayona cafe - BAPS - Chili paneer, khichidi, samosa chaat, pav bhaji, mango lassi, and limca - Indian Near Me - Robbinsville Township, New Jersey

Went for lunch during the BAPS temple visit. We went for dosa but they weren't serving dosa that day. So, we got veg thali, 4 different chaat, utapam and dessert. The thali was pretty regular, the chaat were not good, just didn't come together with all the spices and sauce and everything. The only thing I liked was utapam which wasn't the best but not the worst that I've had. The fries were okay as well. Now for the dessert came the huge disappointment. The jalebi were stale and just not crispy. It was really bad, inedible. I couldn't even go for a second bite. We also got gulab jamun which for the tiniest ones were pretty good! We also had chai which was good. Also do check out the snack store, I got the spicy banana chips which were really good. Lastly to get the uncooked jalebi taste out of our mouth, we got dhokla which was okay but again not really good. Everything was just below average. p.s. we had to buy bottles of water even when the water was available. For some reason, the staff didn't let us fetch the water. The staffs weren't helpful at all. read more

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Overall, the restaurant had a lot of options, was pretty quick to fulfill orders, and was packed with people. My friends and I got there around 11AM and as we were eating, people were pouring in, it might have been over an hour wait to order, pick up your food from the food court, and to find a seat. I would suggest going earlier in the day so that you avoid the crowd. We ended up getting Butter Bav Bhaji, Samosa Chaat, and a Spicy Paneer Tikka Pizza. Prices were not bad, but the main reason for lower rating is because the food wasn't amazing, it was great, but wasn't anything noteworthy. read more

Shayona cafe - BAPS - Butter Bav Bhaji & Samosa Chaat - Indian Near Me - Robbinsville Township, New Jersey

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The service is very good. . The temple is very beautiful. But I have one complaint. Why are they using PALM OIL IN ALL THE SNACKS. It's the cheapest and most unhealthy oil for consumption. read more

Firstly the BAPS temple and the whole compound is stunning, so definitely recommend going to the temple. The food although was strictly average. We tried pav bhaji, khaman chat, idli, paneer tikka, gobi Manchurian. Nothing was really impressive. I must say the cafe is beautiful inside. 5 stars for the ambience, cleanliness and staff, 2 stars for the food flavors. Next time I am going to spend more time at the temple, get masala chai from the cafe but eat somewhere else. read more

Food was actually delicious! The lines were well controlled. They had a lot of kid friendly options and plenty of space for our large family to sit. It's built directly into the temple, so the decor matched and it was beautiful. read more

After touring the temple and grounds, my husband and I had lunch at the cafe. It was crowded, being a Saturday, but the way they handle ordering and paying, etc., was very quick and efficient. I can't eat a lot of spicy Indian dishes, but thoroughly enjoyed the Papdi Chaat, just a bit of spice, lots of flavor. My husband got the Tandoori Panini and enjoyed it very much. For dessert, we got the gulab jamun. All the food was very good and flavorful. For a beverage, I ordered the mango rose cooler with orange boba and it was so refreshing on a hot day. Would go again just for the food since we already toured the temple. A must do when visiting. read more

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Very good quality food tasty and economical price . I love Swaminarayan food . Specially khichdi and khichu. I love vegetarian puffs and pizzas read more

The food is mostly good and the prices are decent the pizza is worth it. And I suggest getting a milkshake they're $5 and worth it. Getting the food was pretty complicated the service is alright you kind of just serve yourself apart from the kiosk and the kiosk can be confusing. Also the pizza is worth it, unlucky that there's no meat but it makes sense it's a mandir. The Dabeli sandwich looking thing is not worth the money. Also don't recommend the mango lassi, it just taste danimals and isn't worth the money. read more

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Good & fresh vegetarian food & snacks. It is on the pricier side but this is almost like an oasis in the middle of the desert. read more

Akshardham was absolutely beautiful and it was nice to eat at this cafe afterwards. I believe that the cafe is run by volunteers and the prices were very affordable. The decorations were very modern and clean, and the restaurant was very vegetarian/vegan friendly. My family had chai, samosa chaat, and kati rolls. We were a little unimpressed with the quality of the food given how good the indian food is at other restaurants in this area of New Jersey. read more

Delicious and tasty food! Quick and friendly service. Clean and 2 floors of seating area. read more

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Great food but we need to specify allergen ingredients. My child has peanut allergies and he had the Papdi Chaat which indicated it has milk and wheat, NOTHING about nuts. He had an allergic reaction. If peanut oil or nut ingredients were used, should be noted as an allergen. Food allergies is a serious thing and should be taken seriously. Would help if ingredients were more transparent. Other foods on the menu had nuts indicated as an ingredient but Papdi Chaat did not reason we chose it. Please be more transparent with the allergen ingredients. Thank you. read more

Shayona cafe - BAPS - Papdi Chaat- note below picture it shows milk and wheat nothing about nuts. - Indian Near Me - Robbinsville Township, New Jersey

This was a little confusing at first. It's cafeteria style, and the main dishes are ordered in different lines than the one we were in. The cafe has really good food! We will order more food next time--not just snacks. But also, the snacks and spices at the store across the hall are top notch! read more

This place is amazing. A holy place to feed your soul and after head to the cafeteria and feed your belly. There's numerous selections of Indian food, and the best part is that they both have traditional and modernized meals. It is served cafeteria style. The service was great. I truly enjoyed my freshing mango lychee after a restless walk exploring this huge place. read more

Shayona cafe - BAPS - Indian Near Me - Robbinsville Township, New Jersey