AUTHENTIC SOUTH INDIAN FOOD! This place can accommodate everyone somehow, its just magic hahaWith how popular this place is, my first visit was just so worth it. Very yummy, subtle tasting food. I wish they had more presence around California. But, if I visit san jose, I will make sure to stop by this place. Service, hospitality is nice, humble people. :)

Busy spot for decent dosas with quick service. Filter coffee and Onion Rava masala dosa were very good. The dosa wasnt too oily which is a common issue but it could be more crispy.

Loved it - Just loved it. Visiting from Seattle and eating really good South Indian food is giving me tears in my eyes. The Mysore Masalas Dosa has incredible flavor, The chutneys were so tasty, The cheese dosa was absolute sin and the vadas were awesome. Filter coffee was pretty good too!

Perfect home made Madrasi food.More than perfect Indian food for a travel-heavy day

Super deliciousness! Homemade without having to make it at home. EVERYTHING was super good!

Visited this place for the Sunday lunch and it was super crowded. There was a big line to place order. You have to order your food at the counter and wait outside till they call your name. If you know this procedure then you are ok, but there’s no one from restaurant to tell you this is how it works ! We blindly stood in the line and wondered what’s supposed to be done for a while when our number came. So placed an order for Medu vada, idli, Mysore masala dosa, onion uttappa, rava dosa for a party of four. We were told to wait for 30 minutes at least but finally Got the table after 45 minutes!Then the food arrived which was only one dish at a time. Only one person could eat and others had to keep looking at that dish or take a bite out of that dish. At the end I felt all dishes tasted the same. Chutneys are just ok ok.All in all the restaurant did its best to accommodate all ASAP despite the rush. But the food didn’t feel worth the wait. It’s just an average South Indian food place. If you are bored of making it at home, come for a change of taste. But don’t expect much.

Im from Chennai (AKA Madras) and walked in not expecting much except to fill my stomach with a dose of familiarity even if its not the most authentic.However, Madras Cafe checked all boxes in offering an extremely authentic Tamil breakfast.The pongal was velvety-smooth and soaked in ghee (venn). It hit the spot and did what a well-made pongal has the power to do - make you crave for a siesta.Idli with podi was also wonderful. The sambar and the accompanying chutneys were spiced to perfection.Will keep visiting and recommending this place for as long as Im in the Bay!

Food was decent but wait was long!I ordered their medhu vada, Pongal, idly and dosa.We have to order in the counter and then wait for them to call us when the space becomes available.The restaurant was crowded during the dinner time and we had to wait for 20-30mins to be seated. The food didn’t reach my expectations either or may be I was too tired after waiting long.I will have to try their breakfast before making hard conclusions.

I usually do not write reviews but I have been happy with this place consistently for almost a year. Consistent quality of food and service is what I like about this place. Great place for vegetarians and Jains!! We eat Jain food which has a lot of restrictions but this place can make really good Jain food - North Indian, South Indian, Chinese and chaat. Staff and especially Shawn is very friendly and accommodating for special requests. Highly recommended!

Went on Saturday around 1pm. It was super crowded. One has to order first and wait for your name being called for a table and food served. I had Mysore Masala Dosa. It was worth the wait of 40 minutes. Loved the tomato onion chutney.

There’s no need to any new reviews haha. There are already thousands of positive reviews. The food here is best. Its very basic in ambience but the taste is really authentic at very generous price.

The restaurant has very good South Indian vegetarian fare. The food is not too spicy and just right for the palette. I usually build a good appetite before getting here. Quality has been pretty consistent from the time I have been visiting here (close to two decades now).They have Rava Kesari here (closer to Sooji Halwa) which is a very tasty dessert to try. Close it out with a south Indian style coffee! Very affordable prices for the amazingly high quality of food served here.

It was good South Indian food I had. Some improvement in sambhar can be made..but overall a good place to eat...would recommend for sure.

Although the place is fair and prices are okay, it just didn’t match our taste buds. We felt that it was quite mild and didn’t have any spices. We had to add salt to Sambhar as well. We have tried South Indian at other places in Bay Area and they are much much better with service, price and quality.

Ordinary food. Find your own table.

Excellent casual Indian food establishment that focuses on Dosa or thin pancakes made of a batter of Lentils and Rice (comparable to French Crêpes), and it usually comes with a variety of delicious dipping sauces. We ordered two Dosa today and were very impressed with the flavor, the variety, and price. The service here isnt great; but they make up for it with the food.[The Food]As stated, they focus on Dosa (or thin Crêpe like pancakes). The Dosa is really good, but what makes it good is the variety of dipping sauces you get with it. We really didnt know what the sauces were, but tasted a mix of coconut, chilis, and yogurts. It was simply delicious. The Dosa we ordered had curried potatoes in it, as well as a spicy chutney (or jam like dip). It was excellent.[The Restaurant]So the seating here is outside, but they do have tables inside. It was clean but mostly closed off due to COVID. There is plenty of parking out front, ample seating. They also do take out orders. The customer service was okay. Theyre not very friendly but they focused on getting the food out, so we were happy. They are also very busy.

Cedric is a one-man army . He alone played a versatile role in serving us . restaurant owner should take a note to add staff . great job buddy . coffee was way good 🤞

Great food... Fast service... Great experience... Definitely coming back...

This place was highly recommended by friends and colleagues and it stood up to the expectations. Certainly puts you in a Tamil Nadu / Karnataka restaurant atmosphere. We had a plate of vade, poori, onion rave dose and filter coffee. The vaDe was really hot when it was served but one of them was still a little doughy on the inside. Rave dose was good and the chutneys and sambar are all quite good. Poori was quite good too and although it was well puffed up, the bottom side was rather thick to our liking. Enjoyed the filter coffee a lot. Will visit again.

Want to have south indian breakfast with the ambience of true Indian restaurant then this must visit. Idli, medu vada and podi masala dosa are must try.

This is another South Indian cafe which provides good South Indian food. It is one of the best and renowned restaurants.Ambience: well not their strong suit! But it’s clean.Service: well they try their best. They are courteous while talking. But since they are always overbooked, they tend to make you wait a lot (like 45-50 mins).Food : amazingggggggggggOverall, doooooo visit this restaurant, it’s definitely worth a try for South Indian food.

Authentic South Indian food! Everything was great, nice experience will come back for sure .

Great India food，especially the Masala dosha，My first time eat ，enjoy very much！thanks my India friends recommend the food for me！love it

The best South Indian food west of the Mississippi. Always visit here when I am in the Bay Area. The Masala dosa, Pongal, sambhar and chutneys are so delicious.

Was there for breakfast over the weekend.. had Pongal Vada and washed it down with a filter coffee… was perfect! Will be back.

I went on a Saturday afternoon. The place was full. We had to wait 30 min to get a table but we were able to place our order beforehand. Ambiance wise, it’s very basic but the food is great.!Must try: The idli and the vada! It’s simply delicious and has that authentic taste which I find in a very few places in US.The dosa is super huge though the masala is little bland. I liked it nevertheless.The aloo poori wasn’t that good. My friend didn’t like it. So my actually rating would be 4.5 only!Filter coffee is also nice but they bought it after we had our food so we were too full to enjoy it fully..!Overall, I was in food heaven after having that authentic South Indian breakfast.

Had a few of South Indian dishes for Breakfast with friends. I just managed to take the pic of Idili & Vada, but we had many dishes during our visit. The hospitality and ambiance was pleasant. On weekends, its better to go a bit early, else it would be crowded.

Really tasty and authentic South Indian cusine. Reasonable prices and portions. Service was impeccable! Definitely would recommend. The sambar was on point, idli was nice and fluffy, and dosa was crispy on the outside, yet soft on the inside. Be aware, this spot is really popular, for good reason!

This place is a must visit if you are fan of South Indian food 😍 we tried cheese masala dosa, ghee masala dosa and Mysore masala dosa! All three were so good! -1 for the chutneys..it tastes of desiccated coconut and not fresh coconut.

Excellent. Inexpensive, especially for Bay area, and delicious. We had a onion masala dosa and two coffees for $13.Make sure to get the (South Indian) coffee. Hard to get in other places and such a treat.

Consistent quality of food (excellent) but they are always very busy so the follow-up service is slow after you sit down and get your first entrees delivered (ie if you ask for more chutney or sambar they often forget). Good customer service though. Medhu vada are excellent and sambar is also great.

Madras cafe is all about south indian tiffins

Kara dosa was good idli was average

Best Indian Food in the bay area. This is the place I regularly go to. They have very consistently maintained the quality of food even through the pandemic.

Super efficient staff. Extremely crowded. We love their food. Very consistent taste and quality.

Long wait during peak hours.Great vegetarian and healthy south Indian food options. Decently priced. Well managed with during peak hours.

The best rasa vada in the Bay Area.

Great food, fresh as always. Great service. Uthappam and Dosa were really good. Just like most of the Indian restaurants in the Bay Area, they don’t take care of the restrooms and I just don’t understand why there is no attention paid to keeping the wash room and restroom areas clean. It’s just as important as the main dining area. People are grossed by the cleanliness of the restrooms.

Great authentic South Indian food at amazing price. Service was so quick as well. Hope they open their Fremont location soon!

Dosa was good, pongal was good, but chutney was very bad.

Excellent food selection. Huge menu. Food and service were excellent. We drove from Conifer for our 30th anniversary. Ambience could be more decorative, however, what it lacks in luster it more than makes up for in excellent food.

Always my fav spot to go if in Mountain view and craving for (South) Indian food.

Simply the best place to get Masala Dosa in the Bay Area! Add to that a degree coffee and you really feel at home! Courteous service makes every visit pleasant. Love to go there anytime!

All food authentic so good and the management very friendly. Only my concern is please consider and use package stuff not use all the food aluminum foils so customers feel more happy. Again food really great and quality. I requested extra Sambar and they provided enough Sambar and thanks for your service

It was good enough to taste the Indian food. The service was also good and prompt. The food was not spicy nor oily which keeps us healthy. The crowd was enough to be in a que for half an hour.

One of the worst customer service experience in Madras Cafe.I have been regularly coming to Madras Cafe. I like the food and ambience. I supported the restaurant even in the Covid times. I was a loyal customer. But today was the height of bad customer service.We were waiting patiently for our turn as weekends are usually busy. We needed table only for 2. But I saw one couple who came after us and took pick up order and then just went to the person who assigns table and requested a table.They got table before any of us even before families with kids who have been standing in the summer heat for sometime.What horrible selfish people to order as pick up and then without regard to others just shamelessly try for tables without even thinking about kids who were waiting.Pick up order means person will eat some where else but not in restaurant itself. If they want dine later on then the time they made the table request should be considered and ask them to be in queue and allow people who have been in the dine in queue for sometime.Restaurant should be clear of these rules. After looking at this mistreatment of genuine people, I cancelled my order and left. Wont be returning here. Bay area is full of good Indian restaurants.I know it wont affect the attitude of people but I cant be customer of a restaurant who allows such things to happen.

Decent food, ok service, good value for a meal.

Good homely food. Fairly priced. But the noise decibel level is too high here. The overall dining experience is chaotic at best. Servers hardly pay any attention to the guests. Food is not as spicy it is pretty mild.

I usually love Madras cafe, but today the experience was disappointing. The masala dosa had a measly amount of potato stuffing, and the dosa itself was bland. The service was also sloppy. The server tilted the plate as he put them down so that the chutneys splashed over the edges. The bowl of the sambhar was smeared all over - pretty unappetizing.

Very disappointed with the dosa and vada. Came after seeing the wonderful reviews. I think it’s just a overrated restaurant. Visit other places they have better South Indian food with authentic taste.

Very mediocre food. Stuffed full of onions that overwhelm every other flavor. I do not recommend this place if you’re a connoisseur of South Indian food

Our go to place when we have South Indian cravings! Amazing taste and fast delivery. Also during covid times ample of outdoor seating available. Their Sambhar and chutneys are really good!

Completely disorganized. Do not go there for lunch. The food is very good, but the service stinks!

I looked at online reviews and came here thinking food is extra special but its not. Food is ordinary. Nothing special. Sambar is not good. We had to wait 40 minutes to get our food.

Terrific quality and excellent service. Very affordable prices and one of the best South Indian restaurant in the bay. Puri is a must try! Special rices are good too.

Great South Indian food!. The staff is very friendly and very prompt in their service. Must try ghee dosa, puri,uttapam. Rasmali was yumm!!

Best authentic south Indian food after a long time! Loved everything we ate there! Dosas, Idlis, and dont forget the filter coffee!

All praises to this place. Quality and deliciousness. What more to say..If you are a pongal vadai fan, don’t look anywhere else. This is the place.

No doubt this is the best authentic South Indian breakfast must-go place in Bay Area

Decent quality food. Good option for bay area dosa lovers. But their service can get slow and messy during peak hours (especially on weekend).

Be ready for long wait times.The food is great but not as good as I expected it to be from the reviews. The utthapam lacked salt but everything else we order like medu vada and mysore masala dosa were pretty good.

Good south indian food for its price. You will know which items are real good only if you try some of them. The rava dosa and medhu vada are good. Not very impressed with the uttapams. The filter coffee is amazing though. The service is quick enough and not too long waits

Food is tasty as usual. One of the few places maintaining consistent quality in the Bay area. Probably, the best place for South Indian breakfast in the Bay area. Coffee quality can get better though.

I would definitely recommend this to anyone thats missing authentic south Indian breakfast.Please note that their food portions are not small.

Ordered pickup by phone. Crowded on reaching. Pickup was slightly confusing but food was delicious and very timely.

Good food authentic taste.Except long waiting time on weekends lunch time. Min 30-45mins on avg for dine in

Food is great but long wait and too crowded specially not so good during covid. They do have outdoor seating too but it’s a very busy place.

We ordered Rava dosa yesterday. It came with 3 different chutneys and a sambhar. Usually Rava Dosas take a while to arrive, but this came much earlier - maybe because I asked for a softer version. The chutneys were extremely bland and cold, not to mention had no seasoning. And, not even sure if the coffee we ordered - filtered coffee - was filtered or just an instant coffee! Oh well!

Wonderful authentic food. Efficient service.

We were a group of seven people and enjoyed different types of dosas and idlis.

We have been going here almost weekly for the past 3 years and always enjoy the food though today will likely mark the last time I ever go there. We were waiting in line to order food today and a family ahead of us had a child (maybe 11 or 12 years old) who threw up inside the restaurant all over the floor. The family proceeded to continue to order and grab a table to eat (I am not going to judge peoples parenting styles as that is personal). I would have expected the restaurant staff and owners to take much greater responsibility and either ask the family to leave (since the kid clearly was not well) or potentially close off the area to thoroughly clean. These are rules put in place by Health Codes at restaurants and that blatant disregard and nonchalance to the Health and Safety violations to make sure they can continue to get business is just not ok with me. Needless to say, this place has been a favorite for our kids but we will never be going back.

One of the best places for south indian food in bay area. My go to place for weekend breakfast. Place does get very busy during weekends, however the food is worth the wait. I have tried pretty much everything on the menu, so far the food quality is awesome. Highly recommend this place.

Taste was okay- it was crowded so I guess it appeases many of them.For the quality of the dosa and kothu paratta that I had, I would never visit again on

I cant believe how many Indians were lined up for this place (I was one). The chutneys were watery and bland and the sambar had little to no sambar spicy and just tasted like watery daal. Each dish comes out 1 by 1 so if you arent sharing, you have to eat in shifts. Bizarre service/system that is not justified by the food.

Second time here, this time I didnt get the spiciest thing on the menu! The rasam is spicy, no surprise, but is amazing. The Dosa is extra crispy, and definitely falls into my Comfort Food category!

Always love the food from here. The people are kind and polite, the service is quick and most importantly, the food is yummy.

Went there on a long weekend. The place was heavily flocked with people and servers were quite impolite and ill-manneredly served plates on table as if they were doing charity. And, all that for cold, soggy and thick dosa. Vadas were also cold and soggy. So, nothing like hot and piping sambhar dosa experience. If they justify all this because of they were busy I still wouldnt go there because of how servers were so rude! Yikes! There are other great dosa places in bay area to check out but never again to this place.

Authentic South Indian food. Crowded. Fast service. Good for breakfast.

Great Dosas!! And the sambhar tastes great too!Uthapam sometimes takes long to make, so confirm how long youre ready to wait below ordering that. One of our group ordered Uthapam and everyone else was done eating by the time the Uthapam arrived.Also cant wait for them to bring steel cups back for Madras filter coffee. Still using paper cups due to Covid.

Best south Indian food in the bay area. We have been going here for 8 years now. Consistently high quality, and fast service. Interior is not very posh, it reminds me of other fast eateries in south india that I grew up with.

Ordered on phone. Crowded when arrived. Pickup was slightly confusing but food was delicious and timely. Spent about $10 for masala dosa and sambhar. Very economical too. Might not go dine in though because of the huge rush most times.

Simple menu and ambience. But highly authentic and tasty food, consistency in quality and excellent service!! Highly recommend.Wait time is tedious; expect long line like a Thanksgiving sale! :)

They have graduated from styrofoam but food lacks quality compared to say Madurai Idli Karhai

Service is very slow and food taste has degraded a lot post covid

Located at the right place, I have been to this place many times, and it is always crowded. Their idlis and sambar are really good. Dosas are good too but have experienced the sourness in them at different times. This definitely reminds me of India.

We used to go to Madras café when my kids were younger. Food was Tasty and workers were friendly. After a long time we visited it yesterday, boy the quality has gone down. We ordered 4 dosas and a vegetable biryani. I specially asked for crispy dosas. The order came in batches; Biryani tasked like leftover food, Dosas were not crispy at all and staff was not very friendly. All this after 40 minute wait...not coming here again

Always great food which is cooked fresh! Run by the hardest working man ever! Weve been there on all days of the week and at all times of the day. Hes literally always there, running the show and making sure everything is going smoothly.

Great local dosa Idli vada fix! Usually busy but gind a table quickly.

Simply excellent ! Great food, awesome coffee and reminds of a typical South Indian restaurant back home

I love all the dosas and the filter coffee! Also, surprisingly, the chhole bhature are yum!

Good south Indian restaurant in the bay area. I wont say the food taste is exactly like the one you get from Tamil Nadu. But its way better than any other restaurant here in Sunnyvale. The only downside is its always super crowded on the weekends. But weekdays mornings are not busy. You can have a relaxed breakfast. I like the filter coffee here 😬

Great dosas always! I had the tomato masala dosa

The food here is not authentic or tasty. The dosas especially are dry and the sambar and chutneys are nothing like what they are supposed to taste.

Solid food. Go for the food not the ambiance as its pretty loud with a lot of seats. Pretty quick service

An authentic and affordable South Indian cafe in Sunnyvale aptly located right next to the Madras grocery store. If you come on a weekend morning. Be prepared to wait for 10-15 mins but the lines move fast. Very good service.We got the rava onion masala dosa, paper masala dosa, methu vada and idli with sambhar and podi. Below are my reviews of all the dishes:1. Portion sizes are very good !2. The dosas were both really fresh and crisp- masala was not to spicy though3. The sambhar was also low on spices - wish it was a bit more spicy and dark4. The coconut, mint and tomato chutneys were fresh and tasty5. The idli could have been softer6. Vadas were really good - fresh and bette when dunked in the sambhar7. The podi was little strange - not sure if they had used ghee or oil.Will go back to try the other items on the menu. The place is fully vegetarian.

Despite such a long wait, I wasnt too impressed with the food. The vadas were quite oily. The sambar was very bland (needed a kick in there!). I order the butter masala dosa, assuming theyd cook the dosa in butter, but instead it was a normal masala dosa with a giant blob of butter in it. The chutneys were tasty! Definitely not the worst south indian Ive had, but certainly not the best.

Ive seen this place grow from a 400sqft setup to 3 times the size now, spawning a huge portion of the shopping complex. The taste of the food and speed of service has remained the same though. Too good! This is by far the best south Indian restaurant in the bay area. Try the poori with avisl, and the kothu parota. They are heavenly.

Hands down best Dosa place in bay area. Our fav Onion Rava Masala Dosa. Idlis are great too.

One of the best restaurant for South Indian food. My favorite is Kara Masala dosa and no doubt Kesari. Whatever we tried was simply amazing.Highly recommended place.

Had delicious food... Must visit place