When it comes to authentic Maharashtrian food, there are just a few Marathi places in Bay Area. Swaraj is definitely up in the list. We had tried the San Ramon location a couple of years ago and had enjoyed it. We tried the Santa Clara one for the first time. It has spacious dining area, albeit a peculiar setup in one part. I am guessing they have kept it to allow for larger groups. Parking was also easy. We ordered Vada Pav, Sabudana Vada, kothimbir vadi and Malavani Chicken. Vada Pav was big and delicious. Garlic chutney was tasty and not at all salty, like some other places dump ready made one. Sabudana Vada and kothimbir vadi both were crispy from outside and fluffy from inside. Again, other places have vadi packed hard and doesn't feel like freshly made. These were awesome. Malvani chicken was good. Son loved the different profile as he had not tried Konkani style chicken. Will visit again for the authentic food experience. read more

I had great hopes from this place but it wasn't as expected. - bathrooms were extremely dirty - bar looks good but it's for decor only - they said we only have beer and then when I asked why the red wines are in display, they said ahh it's Indian wine only. The comment was sus - food was ok. Saoji chicken was good. I am not sure what flavor was the sukkha mutton - weird. - Malvani chicken was not the authentic malvani flavor. I lived in Mumbai for several years and traveled across Maharashtra so it's coming from years of experience. read more

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As someone who deeply values authentic regional flavors, Swaraj holds a very special place for me. I first discovered this spot during my very first visit to the Bay Area, and since moving here, I've become a regular. They serve authentic Maharashtrian cuisine, and honestly, in my 10+ years in the U.S., I haven't found another place that does it this well. The food here feels incredibly close to home--comforting, flavorful, and made with so much heart. Over time, I've tried almost everything on their menu, and there are some dishes I recommend wholeheartedly: * Vada Pav - spicy, flavorful, and hits all the right nostalgic notes * Kanda Bhaji - crispy, perfectly fried, and great with chai vibes * Prawns Koliwada - bold, spicy, and packed with coastal flavors * Zunka & Bhakri - simple yet so authentic and satisfying * Malvani Chicken & Tawa Chicken - rich, flavorful, and beautifully spiced * Chicken Dum Biryani - aromatic and comforting * Moong Dal Halwa - absolutely addictive... I can never skip this! What really stands out is the consistency and authenticity. Every dish tastes like it's been made with traditional recipes and genuine care. The spice levels, textures, and flavors are all on point--nothing feels toned down or overly commercialized. The ambience is simple, but the focus here is clearly on the food, and it absolutely delivers. Service is quick, and the staff is friendly, which makes the experience even better. If you're craving real Maharashtrian food in the Bay Area, Swaraj is a must-visit. For me, it's more than just a restaurant--it's a slice of home away from home. read more

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Started off with the prawn kolivada which were made well, followed by Chicken Saoji (needs more spice imo) which has been my favorite dish here, pretty good this time too but honestly the chicken keema blew my mind. This was the best chicken keema I've ever had and I think thats going to be my new favorite here. Also not pictured is the tasty masala papad! Service was good too. read more

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Took 27 mins for the thali lunch order and complained the owner had the audacity to instead be very rude and tell us that 25 min is standard order time, we had to walk out without eating the thali, never retuning again until the owner changes, he should learn some basic manners. read more

They serve traditional maharashtrian cuisine. I would say, the spice levels were definitely standard to maharashtra and I would recommend mild or no spice if you have low tolerance. I consider that I have a good spice tolerance, but it was too spicy for me. I wanted to order puranpoli, but they were out. The service is quick and ambiance is casual. I am not very fond of that much spice level, so I might skip them next time. However, it does deserve a try if you aren't familiar of that cuisine. read more

Swaraj India - Pav Bhaji - Indian Near Me - Santa Clara, California

Awesome place to have Maharashtrian food here in California. We have tried Kothimbeer vadi, Shevbhaji and Hirva Chicken with Chapati, and Piyush here. Taste is great!! Perfect quantity too. Recently we tried Veg Maratha, Pavbhaji which was good too. Service is excellent and so is the decor. Listening to Marathi songs here was cherry on top. read more

Swaraj India - Polya - Indian Near Me - Santa Clara, California

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Our lunch at Swaraj today was one of the most disappointing restaurant experiences we've had in a long time. The sabudana vada was outstanding, and unfortunately, that was the only highlight of the meal. The most serious issue was that my mother-in-law, who has been a strict vegetarian her entire life, ordered the Paneer Rajhans. When the dish arrived, we specifically asked the server if it was paneer, and he confirmed that it was. It wasn't. It was chicken. Serving meat to a lifelong vegetarian is a serious lapse, but assuring the customer that it was paneer before serving it is inexcusable. The replacement dish turned out to be nothing more than a mediocre paneer makhani. The Malvani mutton (goat) was equally disappointing. The masala tasted raw and undercooked, lacking the depth and richness that define a good Malvani preparation. The kombadi vade were another letdown. They were chewy and certainly didn't taste freshly made. The service was poor throughout. At the height of the lunch hour, the only server in the restaurant spent much of his time standing behind the bar looking at his phone.  I came to Swaraj because of the many positive reviews by friends and genuinely expected an authentic Maharashtrian meal. We left thoroughly disappointed. This restaurant does a disservice to Maharashtra's rich culinary heritage by marketing itself as a Maharashtrian restaurant. read more

This place was an unexpectedly delicious! Came here randomly when our favorite was closed. Ordered: 1) Paneer Ranjhans: very flavorful lots of cardamom flavor coming through, not creamy but rather immensely flavorful. 2) Veg Peshwai: this dish appeared just like the Paneer Ranjhans but it was amazing. This dish would be even more delicious if it was spiced but with kids the mild version was equally yummy. 3) Shrikhand Puri: it's ok, because I like my version at home. Puri is thick not thin and light. 4) Jowar Bhakri: nice and light..almost like a roti. 5) Paratha: Ajwain paratha...standard. The two guys inside with orange vests were ok. The shorter one seemed nicer, the taller guy: the way he cleaned up other tables was extremely loud (throwing dishes) which made me not want to come here again. read more

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Excellent Vada pavs - very authentic and amazing pandhra rasaa. Their chicken sukka was also really good - hot but good! My husband liked the pav bhaji - I did not think it was authentic Mumbai style but very close. I loved dining here and will be back for their Vada pavs! read more

Misal pav & Sabudana vada is one of my favorite maharashtrian foods. I used to work in Pune, MH for couple of years. I've a lot of memories trying different authentic maharashtrian foods. Ambiance: Beautiful, well designed with a lot of native elements including gudi Padwa rituals, maharashtra state map etc., One thing to note here that we've complained about eye itching and irritations & they told it's because of HVAC and onion cutting etc., I really hope they'll work on fixing their HVAC systems. Food: We've ordered a lot of foods for our table. Sabudana vada - 4/5 Kothambir vada- 3.5/5 Kandha vada - 3.5/5 Gobi Manchurian- 3/5 Misal pav - 4/5 Varan - 4/5 I really liked Sabudana vada and Misal pav. Kothambir vada and Kandha vada was okay-ish. Service was good other than the HVAC issue that I already mentioned. Only reason to give 4 overall is because of their ambiance. Otherwise, it's SOLID "3.5" read more

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Visited with couple of my Maharashtrian friends and all of us loved the menu and the food. We ordered veg thali, non veg thali, missal pav , kothambir vadi and sabudana vada. Rice bhakri and Shrikhand were amazing and we ordered some for later as well. Prices are reasonable. Ambience is simple yet good.service was very polite and attentive too. Definitely recommended if you are in town and in mood for maharashtrian delicacies read more

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Had a great time. Food was spicy and delicious. Serving sizes are good. Easy to share. Good ambience and service. I live a little far away but will definitely visit when I am in the area next. read more

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Wonderful maharashtrian soul food! Good diverse menu. Food was tasty & flavorful - we ordered mutton curry, chicken makhani, paneer curry, zunka. Chai, piyush & Kokomo sherbet was nice as well. Kothimbir Vasu was superb, Vada pav and sabudana Vada were nice. Good service, wonderful and cultural ambience. Sandeep and Pradeep were good attentive hosts. Good time all in all. read more

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Tried Swaraj India in Santa Clara recently. The vada pav was the highlight--crispy, flavorful, and reminded me of street food back home. Unfortunately, the mains were just average. Both the paneer and chicken dishes lacked depth in flavor, and I was surprised to find out they don't serve naan. For an Indian restaurant, the absence of any tandoori or bread options really took away from the overall experience. Service was below average--not very attentive and a bit disorganized. I'm giving 2.5 stars solely for the vada pav. Otherwise, the visit was underwhelming. read more

Swaraj India - Indian Near Me - Santa Clara, California

Amazing food and service. The ambience is reminiscent of the pride of Maharashtrans and is friend/family friendly. The sol kadi is soul satisfying. Their appetizers have a good variety of street foods, including their famous vada pau. They know how to balance flavors in their meat dishes. The Saoji mutton, Sukha mutton and keema is a must try; which goes well with Bhakri roti. From their fish the silver pomfret is the real deal not the pompano with the black skin. If people who know their fish will know what I mean. Some establishment try to pull a fast one claiming it is pomfret when it is actually pompano and has a different flavor. Also they have puran poli which they make quite well. We have been here often and they do not disappoint. read more

Service was inattentive despite the very small Lunch crowd. Two bony pieces of chicken hardly worth the wait Decent price and nice spices. Management can Make this a 4 with some customer focus read more

This happens when arrogarnce hits you after you become popular. I went to Swaraj Vada Pav Food Truck in Milpitas today and ordered a cheese pav bhaji and vada pav. I wanted Cheese Pav Bhaji togo and Vada pav to eat there but chose take out since on the new screens they have added, you cannot split your order. The only option you have is "To Go" or "Dine In" When we opened the vadapav and ate in the car in like 1 minute, it was chilled cold vada. When I went and told him, your vada was cold, he was like no way and where is the vada. I said after taking the bite how do you want it back ? There was no apology or even care that they served someone elses old ToGo Order was given to me because who would know ???? When I shared and told them, you handed me someones old cold order... He was like "Yeah Yeah Whatever !" This happens when u suddenly become successful, you start showing your true colors and customer service or customers go for a toss ! Not again sorry Swaraj Vada Pav you disappointed me big time today. Anyone taking parcel please check they are giving you hot or old stale cold vada in the pav. Here is the picture of the vada pav whose bite I took and was served chilled to me. read more

Swaraj India - Stale Old Cold Vada Pav from Swaraj ! - Indian Near Me - Santa Clara, California

This place used to be good, really excellent tastewise and very authentic flavors just like back home in Maharashtra, but our recent experience has been opposite.Bhakris,rotis have gotten smaller and dry, all dishes lack flavor-they are just overwhelmingly spicy.Even the pav that comes with misal/vadapav is hard and dry.Solkadi had burnt mustard tadka taste.Puranpoli was thin like a papad with no ghee, again very dry! This place served authentic maharashtrian style food that we used to enjoy but not anymore.Our server was kind so 2 stars but food quality and taste has gone down.Please work on it! read more

We went with our maharashtrian friends who were visiting from east coast. They were very excited to try the dishes. We ordered Vada pav, sabudana vada, masala taak, sol kadhi, zunka, matki chi usal. Vada pav was very spicy but tasty. Sabudana vada was pretty good too. Bhajra roti which we ordered which zunka was pretty thick. Zunka was decent. Usal gravy was oily as expected. As that's how it is supposedly. Service was pretty bad as they had less ppl working, we had to remind them about masala taak thrice and in final bill they added it extra as we kept reminding them. read more

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TLDR : Great food - authentic Maharashtrian spices, nice ambience depicting stories for Maharashtra and quick service We tried Swaraj India as it was highly recommended by friends for authentic Maharashtrian cuisine. This place comes closest to finding spicy Maharashtrian food in the bay area. The menu is exhaustive with multiple options to choose from. The prawns koliwada was good and the saoji chicken was nice and spicy. Loved the Bhakri and sol kadhi! read more

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Our table ordered multiple items and we are not going back for any. There is no taste to anything, just overwhelming spice. Service was below average. read more

I did Uber Eats The food was authentic I wish chili could be the Mumbai style skinny ones. Excellent taste with vada pav and it's dry chutney I was visiting Santa Clare from New York. The street food of Mumbai I missed an this one was excellent read more

I came here several times. I love the decoration of the restaurant because it shows me the culture or story of Maharashtrian. The service here is friendly & nice. The food is delicious. I like chicken malvani because there is star anise spice which kinda reminds me of Taiwanese food. The food is a bit over my spicy level. Overall, I would recommend foodie friends to try this place. read more

We have eaten at their truck before and so wanted to try out the restaurant. We had got something at Ketli Chai and wanted something to fill up. We ordered the misal paan and Saoji Chicken for the kids. The food was ordered to go and was ready on time. The misal paav was good and perfectly spiced. It could be spicier , maybe as a special request for the next time. The kids ate saoji chicken and it was very well received. it was simmering for a long time and the spice was a little high, like a good kick. next time they may try the saoji mutton. maybe we'll try eat at the restaurant than eating out. Definitely a place to go if you want Marathi food. read more

This was my second time here at their restaurant located at El Camino, Santa Clara. Before that, I used to go to their food truck in Milpitas many times. I heard from a Maharashtra folks that their vada pav is the best one you can get in bay area. Not being a vada pav fan, I was little hesitant to try but their vada pav is really good and not very spicy like other places. I had tried their pav bhaji as well at food truck but found it spicy and didn't like that much. When I came to the restaurant in Dec 2022, that was my first time having piyush and truly loved it. What an amazing refreshing drink. Anjeer kulfi was also something unique and tried first time in my life. So obviously when visiting bay area, this place was on my go-to list and I got to try it in Jan this year. Sabudana vada- very crispy and does not feel oily at all. Vada pav- good as usual but sabudana vada made it to top in my favorite appetizer list. I wish they also had sabudana khichdi in their menu. I didn't like tawa pulav,it felt like premade and just got heated. It wasn't even heated properly. Also very spicy. We had to get extra yogurt to be able to eat it. Bread- puri is great, fluffy and not oily, crisp as well. But roti (whole wheat bread) wasn't that great. Disclaimer: most of the veg curry are on the spicy side. I was recommended veg peshwari as something not that spicy but even then it was Thali wait time is 15 mins, which was little surprising to me as most of the items in daily thali as pre-made. read more

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Came here for the first time after trying their food truck for many years Ambience : 4/5.: the ambience is true to its cuisine. With large portraits of famous Mharatha king and queens . Maharashtrian traditional arts and ornaments on the wall creates a unique decor inside Food: Here my opinion is divided Prawns Koliwada : 3/5 : Prawns koliwada is not necessarily besan cooked but with semolina. Here it was besan cooked , however the prawns tasted good and went well with the chutneys Mutton kheema : 2/5. : here I did not taste the mutton but more of onion, Tomato and peas . It looked like there was not enough mutton to call it a mutton heels Fish fry : 4/5 : this was good . 3 pieces and tasted fresh and good . Here they did use semolina batter Rice Bhakri: 5/5: Fantastic and light Komdi wade : 5/5; very good tasting Drinks. Piyush : 5/5. Very authentic , maybe too sweet for some Solkadhi : 5/5 : best in the bay Overall a satisfactory experience Somewhere between 3 and 4 stars. I wish the Prawns Koliwada and Mutton Kheema were good but they were alright at best read more

If you're in the mood for some spicy, flavorful maharashtrian food, Swaraj will not disappoint. Came here on a weeknight around 7:30 and the restaurant was moderately crowded. Very interesting menu featuring drink options that I haven't spotted anywhere else in the Bay. Right from the appetizers (such delicious kothimbir vadi with a zing) to the main course (tawa pulao, phodniche varan, paneer rajhans), every dish was bursting with flavors, truly making it a feast for all your senses! Taking a star off for consistency issues with the food over several takeouts, which should be an easy fix. read more

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Thiis was our second time in the restaurant and nth time with Swaraj. You can't leave without having their vada paav. The interiors are all maharashtrian style with quirky quotes here and there. I liked that they have tried to incorporate some of marathi musical instruments as part of their decor. The food tends to be on spicier side and they do not adjust spice level so go only if you dare to or can digest high degree spice. We have tried kolhapuri mutton before and it was good. We tried paani puri today and I must say it is very good. Yea was perfect in Mumbai special cut glass. I will try chicken curry and sabudana vada ( sago fritters) in our to go order. I wish they could include some more marathi style varieties like aamras puri (seasonal) or modak. The place is on pricier side and they have increased their prices by 11.5% But you must try it Atleast once if you like spicy maharashtrian food. The service is fast but I would definitely like them to play some regional songs too instead of just Hindi or South Indian music!! read more

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Great food. Very good food. My go to for vada pao, sol kadhi and pomfret. Service could be faster

Nothing like home cooked Marathi food! Just like Mama just to used to make. We really love this place. Was pleasantly surprised to see how packed this place was. Next time we will try the mutton and chicken dishes as well, The Vada Pav was tasty, typical Mumbai street food. Personally, I could have used some tamarind chutney or some wet chutney to put on the bread. But the party had nice taste and when you add the peanut chutney and onions and mirchi, it was great. The sabudana vadas were very good too. Could have used more spicy as that would be perfect with the sweet yogurt with peanuts and shredded cucumber. The khanda bhajii was excellent. Sliced onions spiced up in a chickpea flour and deep fried! However the dish was missing any wet chutney as a dipping sauce. Some negatives: Water was never refilled. Not the friendliest staff and could use a little more customer interaction. We will definitely come visit again to try the new extended menu. read more

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Extremely tasty vada pavs! We ended up ordering one more plate and I highly recommend it. The pav bhaji was delicious and buttery and one of the best in the bay. We also ordered the paneer rajhans which had a bit too much saffron. My friends enjoyed the non-vegetarian dishes a lot. read more

I had Maharashtrian food at other restaurants before but food at Swaraj was outstandingly delicious. The flavor of food and service was spot on. There was good amount of wait time when I did walk in with my group but it was worth it. I liked the whole ambience giving Maharashtra's vibe and serving style (in steel plates). I would visit again without hesitation. Highly recommend! read more

Swaraj India - Shrikhand and basundi - Indian Near Me - Santa Clara, California

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I loved their food at Milpitas Food truck and then got my friend for a sit down experience at the restaurant but I was really disappointed. Pandhra rassa lacked salt and flavor (was little Gammy) Vada Pav was extremely spicy Prawns Koliwada was decent but wasn't crispy. Malvani chicken was nothing like malwani dish. It was also all bones no meat. Kolhapuri mutton was all bones less meat + just spicy. Bhakri, roti and vada was too dry. Service was friendly and quick. Ambiance is decent with Indian accent walls. It I wouldn't recommend or take any friend to this place again. Sorry. Really sad to write this review. I was disappointed. read more

Swaraj India - Prawns koliwada, pandhra rassa, vada pav. - Indian Near Me - Santa Clara, California

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A good Maharastrian restaurant with good ambiance. Kothumbir vadi and Kesar pista lassi are a-must-try! read more

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We visited this place on last weekend. Staff was friendly and attentive. kanda bhajji (onion fritters) was so delicious that it took me back home ! I must try here. Wada paav was also really good, planning to try all the starters in near future. We also got veg Peshawai it was mild but nice taste. Kolhapuri chicken was also really very tasty- it is very spicy that how the original kolhapuri dishes are. Roti hear is like fulka... small in size , so order more. Green chilly thecha was not up to the mark , the salt was missing and something was just off. Overall amazing experience! We'll definitely visit again. read more

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Ordered the vangyache Bharit and zunka. Both tasted good and weren't oily or spicy. It was also great that the takeout was not packaged in plastic boxes. read more

Swaraj is a fantastic place to take family and friends! Their Kolhapuri preparations are so authentic and tasty, that we keep going there all the time. Service is very nice, and all the servers are pleasant and courteous. Ambiance with all the Maharashtrian decor is very appealing. Enjoy their fish, mutton, bhakari and yes, wada-paav too! Yummy yummy in my tummy!! read more

Food is great, service remains bad. Went here a second time recently. This is one of the few places in the Bay Area (if not in all of California) that serves authentic, home-like Maharashtrian cuisine. This is the cuisine of the central state of India, which is neither North-Indian (like naan, butter chicken), nor South-Indian (like dosa, vindaloo). I ordered (1) Sabudana Vada, (2) Zhinga Masala (prawns), (3) Rava-fried fish, (4) Biryani, (5) Veg Peshwai, (6) Onion Bhaji, (7) Piyush. The Piyush was DELICIOUS, as was the Sabudana Vada and Onion Bhaji. The only dish that I think I could have done without was the Veg Peshwai - it was mediocre. Though they serve fantastic food, they really need to improve their service quality. We requested a larger table because we knew we'd be ordering a lot of things - but the server was reluctant to seat us at a larger table (there were plenty of free tables). They also messed up the order of the food, and entrees came in before appetizers. Decent experience overall though! read more

Mouth watering food, authentic taste and great ambience! True taste of Maharashtra. Saoji chicken is finger licking, little spicy but their quantity huge. Solkadhi was absolutely refreshing! Prawns koliwada was okayish. Bajri was great too. Service was quick too, servers were attentive. read more

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