Agni South Indian Cuisine

Just ordered biryani from this restaurant and I’m honestly horrified. The rice was drenched in artificial food color — so much that even after rinsing, the dye stayed on our hands , I have attached pictures for reference. As a parent, I can’t even imagine feeding this to a child. These colors aren’t harmless — they’re toxic & could end up having cancer. If this is what’s visible, imagine what else they’re cutting corners on. We deserve safe, real food — not chemical-laced plates made to look good on Instagram. Do better. This kind of food that can hurt our families and children. Never ordering food here again.

The food here is phenomenal! They have a lunch special with several dishes to try, all of them were great. The hostess was also very kind and helpful. I would recommend this to anyone.

Food is delicious, 4 stars because the butter chicken is chewy, but the flavor is delicious. The Dosa is 5 stars! I got the plain Dosa. Friendly service. Nice casual atmosphere. No way to rate it between 4 and 5, but I'd rather this place as 4.8 out of 5.

Ordered the unlimited Non-veg thali and it was really delicious. Almost limitless refills and homemade taste. Loveddd the mango lassi! Absolutely recommend this place.

Omg, one of the best South Indian food in DMV area. Had Madras tea and it was freshly made. Most of the other Indian restaurants have premade. Kotthu parota and idly and medhuwada out of the world. Softest idly I ever had! Definitely my go to place for South Indian food.

Genuinely, one of the most authentic South Indian places you can find in Virginia. 100% worth it. From the staff to the quality of the food, they never fail to disappoint Highly recommend going on the weekends as well to get their thalis. A deal that leaves you wanting more every single time. The staff have always been extremely nice and welcoming. Please do not miss out on this restaurant! You won’t regret it ❤️

What happened to Agni? Once upon a Time, this place stood out for delicious, fresh, interesting spices that told you that you are at this particular restaurant. Today thali lunch was a grave disappointment of boring food that left only a sense of heavy cooking oils without the pleasure of interesting spices. Worst of all, four times I bit down on pebbles in the lentils – – and the hostess called them “spices“!. Furthermore, the bathroom was disgusting! The floors were not clean, the walls had holes in them, water was only scalding hot and no cold water at all, and the whole place looked like some forlorn gas station bathroom.

OMG, the best Indian food I’ve had in quite a while (maybe ever). This is a small hole in the wall place in a strip mall, so not crowded (tonight) or fancy but we enjoyed our evening there (so nice to be able to hold a conversation without raising our voices). Lots of people picking up to go orders, they know good food!

Food It's amazing I am speechless We tried Veg Thali unlimited option and it was so reasonable We also tried Pakoras amazing We tried the Neer moor which is buttermilk but really good Gauravi Ma'am who helped us and everyone who was in restaurant get second helpings Felt like home away from home Quantity was just right for 2 people to share Quality was amazing We even tried the Dosa which was amazing though chutneys were a little cold but no worries everything else was really good Would recommend it to all Vegetarians to come and try this place once And also all who are missing home food should try it It's worth it Ambience was really simple

I've heard great things about this place and decided to try it since I was in the area. As soon as we walked in, I fell in love with the cute triangle people deco on the wall, as well as the decoration behind the counter. Unfortunately there was some sort of smell, which I cannot place but it didn't smell pleasant. The tables were very nice, but the chairs felt like bar stools in chair form. The gentleman who was taking orders was extremely nice, quick and efficient. I'm not sure if they had any takeaway orders they were working on, but he did seem a little busy... So I felt bad for him, being the only person working the counter/diners. I wanted to try the thali, but it was too late in the day to eat that much food. There were so many other items on the menu that sounded amazing. We ordered the masala dosa, to keep it simple. It was quite large and very shareable...just not much filling inside. The masala dosa was ok, as were the sambar and chutney. I do wish it was a little spicier. I also ordered a Kerala parotta to go...haven't eaten it yet though. I will return next time I'm in the area.

Yum! We found out about this restaurant from Washingtonnian and decided to give it a try. Absolutely loved everything we ordered! The only issue we had was the restaurant was pretty hot... AC didn't seem to kick in the whole hour we were there. But we had a small child in our group that made a pretty big mess, we were trying to clean up, the waiter and waitress told us not to worry about it. Great Services!

We saw their great review in Washingtonian and decided to try them out. The food was delicious, so good! I ordered the Butter Chicken, my wife ordered the Goat Biryani and we shared an egg Dosa. The butter chicken was great, so much chicken. I was worried I saw reviews saying how little they received, but mine had around 30-40 pieces of chicken, way more than I could eat. The goat biryani was good too, well seasoned and done perfectly. I would definitely order the egg Dosa again, and I recommend it to accompany your meal. Finally, I ordered garlic naan to go with my butter chicken and also recommend it to dip into the butter chicken. Will definitely be back, there were a few other menu items I wanted to try so will be back soon!

Excellent food and service. Lovely atmosphere too. Owner is very accommodating. I took my friend who never eats at a restaurant and is from South India and he was very impressed with the quality and deliciousness of the food.

I'm not an expert on Indian food but the place seemed so authentic. Food was good and staff was helpful. Place was clean. Priced reasonable. Recommend by the Washingtonian and they usually don't come out here.

I tried the chicken briyani and chilli chicken, They are tasty and good but mine was a take out so dine in might differ. Give it a try, you wont go wrong

Walking up the the strip mall vibe felt a little sketchy, as another reviewer said the two front doors were not working well. After coming in, we were pleasantly surprised that the restaurant is clean and modernized. For appetizer, we ordered the Pakoda, both dipping sauces melded well. For entrees, we had butter chicken (mild) and Mangalore chicken curry (spicy). For our to-go we ordered boneless chicken biryani. Excellent but spicy! The house paratha bread is the best!!! It's crispy layers of flaky dough that can perfectly scoop all of the leftover sauces. We also got garlic naan, warm and fluffy. It was obvious that the slower service was because everything was cooked fresh. We can appreciate that!

I got chicken 65 briyani to go and it was tasty and filling. Quantity was full in bento box but little spicy depends on your taste. Overall good for the price and food. TQ

One of the few places in the area to serve goat biryani, and I can see why. It would be very hard to compete against the food I just devoured. Deliciously spiced with a nice heat. I was asked how spicy I wanted the food, which is a good service for those that may be more inclined to tamer food. Meaning this can be enjoyed by those who like the heat and those that don't. My only complaint would be that the serving bowl was shaped incorrectly to lick up the last morsels. Would like to visit this place again soon when I could enjoy more of their cuisine and atmosphere.

I went to Agni with a friend who is from South India and is very particular about his Indian food. Both of us agreed the food and the service was excellent.

Food was amazing, completely authentic. They didn't skimp out on portion sizes either, food came in these cool stone bowls that added to the sense of authenticity. Paintings added to the overall vibe of the place, and service was exceptional.

If I could give zero I would. Waitress with long black hair refused to allow us to sit where we wanted to sit even though the restaurant was empty. Once seated the waitress refused to serve us and ignored our existence and threatened us with a high service hard because we wouldn't move to a smaller table in the back, at a freezing cold restaurant with no heat. The place was completely empty and she clearly had issue with us from the moment we walked in, while she was extremely nice to two white men sitting in the restaurant. She was abusive and out of control. Prices went up for very small servings and piss poor non existent service. A nasty woman.

Wanted some authentic Indian food, stopped here for the first time and my overall experience was amazing. Great customer service from everyone I interacted with, pipping hot yummy food, and clean ambiance. I got the Chicken Chettinad, Butter Chicken, Kerala Parotta, Garlic Naan, White Rice, and an appetizer chicken. I also enjoyed their drink selections, I tried the Mango Lassi (fav) and Panagam. I highly recommend checking them out, I'll be back!

Sometimes you can't rely on the critic's recommendations.  We are still really confused as to why this place was rated so highly by The Post.  The décor is nothing special and the service was not good when we were there. It was super slow as we were told they were working on a large catering order at the time.  Sure enough, we saw trays and trays come out of the kitchen only to sit cooling on a table while we waited for our food to come out.  Those trays were still there when we were done eating and left so maybe the order wasn't so time sensitive after all?....  Although the menu had some interesting options, the food was just not that flavorful.  We tried several of the dishes expressly mentioned in the review and they were ok at best.  Our favorite dish of the ones we did try was the cauliflower 65.  Others just completely fell flat.   Maybe we just ate there on a very bad day?  Regardless, with so many other great Indian restaurants in our area, such as Bansari, we will not be going back.

We recently (Feb 2024) had Agni cater a delicious buffet for an adoption party. Raja worked with us on selecting the menu and the amount of food (the cost was very reasonable!). He offered tastings so that we knew exactly the preparation and taste of the various dishes. He even threw in some crispy bread/chips, raita/chutneys for free, which was much appreciated! To pick up the food, Raja provided a catering "locker" which made transport easy and kept the food hot until service. The buffet was a big hit! Everyone commented how good the food was and appreciated the opportunity to try dishes that are not common on most Indian menus. The Chicken 555 and the parrota bread were the biggest hits! There was plenty of food, and everyone took the wonderful leftovers home. We would highly recommend Agni for any catering needs. Raja and his team are masters at 'designing' an unique menu that everyone will enjoy!

When I wrote my original review over 2 years ago, the restaurant was owned by a South Indian lady whose aim was to bring authentic dishes from various parts of South India to people. She was super friendly and always eager to hear feedback. In March 2020, the management changed and now the owner is a North Indian lady. Over the last couple of months, we have been here 3-4 times, so my review is based on that. I have always gone on Friday nights, and never found a server at the restaurant. Each time we were served by the owner's teenage daughter. She takes the orders and brings the check. Not much to expect from a kid, but that's the service you will get. Each time we went, we were one of two families dining there, so never crowded. The new manager has kept the old chef. So if you enjoyed the South Indian dishes, you still will. But the menu now has North Indian dishes as well. They took out the kids menu, which sucks. Unfortunately, other than the chef, no one has any idea about the South Indian dishes. I asked about one of the specials, and was told by the daughter that she has no idea. Long story short, don't expect any service here. They will take your order and bring your check. Other than that, if I needed anything, I had to flag someone down. The family seems nice. But the service needs improvement. So why do we still go there? Well the food is quite good. Looks like there is just one person cooking in the kitchen as things take time to arrive, but are fresh and delish. Here is what I've tried: - Onion Pakodas: Amazing!!!!! Best I've eaten at any restaurant. - Masala Dosa: It's yummy. Wish they gave a bit more sambhar with the dosa. - Kuthu Parotha: I wasn't a fan of this. It was ok. My hubby loves their butter chicken and mutton curry. I will probably try their biryani or chana next. Yes - we will still go there. Maybe do a pickup order. I hope this restaurant sticks around and the owner can improve the dining experience, and service.

An unforgettable dining experience blending the rich traditions of Indian cuisine. From the moment you step into its vibrant and cozy atmosphere, everything is so delicious. The friendly staff make the experience even better, guiding you through the menu. With its reasonable prices and warm ambiance. Our family love it and will coming back for sure.

Pleasantly surprised by the quality of this restaurant. The service was very mediocre, but the cilantro chicken, as well as the goat dishes were quite unique. Will certainly come back.

Food is good quality, but portions are small and expensive. I wouldn't go here again, but definitely a place to check out. We were served one of their most popular dishes which was pretty bland UNTIL the server brought us the spice that was supposed to go with it. At that point, we had already eaten 80% of it. Kind of disappointing, but it was slow on a Sunday night so we got served relatively quickly.

Food was great I had the Madras goat curry, Kerala paratha, and chicken 65. The service was quick and attentive.

This place is the best Indian restaurant in the DC area. Their curries are all different one from the other. They have Kerala porotta that you cannot get anywhere else. The restaurant is very clean, modern and beautifully decorated. The service is amazing as well.

Definitely truly authentic Indian. You can tell by the laid-back vibe, the clientele, and the very low-key and slow service. But it is a relaxed environment. The decor here is pretty quirky and it is definitely interesting. The food here is really good but a little bit oily and I can only eat a little bit of it at a time because otherwise it makes my stomach hurt. I loved the onion pakoras. Huge serving size for an app! So flavorful and not too heavy on the dough. I tried the butter chicken which was delicious and had slices of chicken in it versus the typical tandoori chicken. However the chicken was very tender and the sauce was not too sweet and lighter than some other places. I also tried the shrimp curry which was oily but definitely a smoky flavor and pretty tasty. However I cannot eat a lot of this dish. The garlic naan was also tasty! The serving sizes here are pretty good size. Not massive but definitely not small. However I will say that this food is SPICY!!! I have a medium tolerance to spice but the food here was definitely hot. I had to ask for yogurt to eat with it. The menu does not specify the spice level but next time if I come back I will definitely ask for mild because whatever level they serve to you is so spicy! It was great getting to try authentic south Indian food which I do not eat very often.

OMG!!! The food is amazing and very authentic. Great service and very accommodating with food allergies. If you want delicious Indian food this is the place for you.

Loved it! Very unique Indian cuisine and a lot of dishes to choose from. The appetizers we very tasty as well.

The food reminded me of my mom's cooking. Agni is fantastic South Indian food. On the weekends, they have thalis. It is wonderful food!

The last time we were here we had a bad experience with the food and left a negative review at Yelp according to our experience. The owner Ms Sri contacted us and asked us to visit them again for a better service. Today we were around that area and decided to give Agni another try. This time the food was amazing,Authentic South Indian food. We had the Vegetarian Thali and Non Vegetarian Thali-lots of options-vadas,parota,peas curry,shrimp curry,chicken curry,dal,sambar,rasam,yogurt,plain rice,biryani,papadum,pickle and sweet Pongal. Everything tasted great and the food is unlimited(except parota)and I would say a great value for money. The decor was fresh and cute. Ambience was peaceful. The hospitality of the owner Ms Sri is very welcoming.

Very authentic and delicious Indian food. The Chilli shrimp appetizer was amazing and I also really liked the Gongura chicken curry.

Empty dishes because we were too excited to eat and it was delicious! I had the butter paneer and will definitely be going back for more. We arrived late Friday night and they were busy but service was quick and everyone was so sweet. 10/10 recommend!

We love Indian food and just moved to Sterling so we are trying to find restaurants that we can enjoy frequently. We are writing this email to share this negative experience in the hope that you recognize and improve. I attached a picture of our food order to depict what I describe below. First, we only got one thing of rice but paid for two chicken dishes. We ran out of rice when the two of us had to share this one small bin of rice and had to cook more up ourselves. Second, for $16.99, the butter chicken only had three bite size pieces of chicken. The entire container was essentially sauce. This was a lot of money for almost no protein. Indian food is one of favorite types of meals so we were excited to find a local, Sterling establishment to start supporting so we are just really disappointed. I tried contacting the restaurant first to offer this feedback but their email bounced and no one picked up the phone.

The perfect blend of Home spices and flavors from the South. Everything here is super super fresh which is their biggest USP. Wouldn't mind repeating their Lunch Thali every weekend! Must Try: Lunch Thali and everything else Avoid: -NA Easily the best South Indian restaurant in the NoVa area. P.S: Always a tough choice deciding between ChennaiExpress and Agni!

I visited Agni with my whole family about a month ago and had a great experience. There is a new manager who was an absolute delight and guided us through the whole menu and answered our many, many questions. The manager comes from a certain region of India where many of the dishes are from and told us about those dishes in detail and how they remind him of his childhood, he was very sweet. Definitely check this spot out, the food is AMAZING! Every dish we had was great (curries, appetizers, dosas etc). The ambiance is also very nice, with a very cohesive theme and great decorations. Overall, my family had a really great time and we're already planning on going back! Definitely give this place a visit, they also do takeout.

I am a repeat customer here, but don't get to Agni as much as I would like. The service is always warm and welcoming. Last week I ordered the Vijayawada Biryani and asked them to kick up the spice just a little. That is exactly what they did and I was very impressed. Also the naan is always warm, soft and buttery. Hats off to the crew here and I look forward to my next visit.

I was on a date with a South Indian guy and wanted to impress him with organic authentic yet modern and eclectic taste of his cuisine. Mind you I really like this guy and what better way to win his heart through his stomach. We arrived about 6pm during the busiest hour. We were greeted by the kindest host ever. As soon as we sat they brought us water and gave us time and space to review the menu. The waiter explains the dishes and provided some recommendations. They offered me samples to help decide what I liked. Needless to say everything was an experience. Here I am a year later back here to celebrate our first date. AGNI thank you for the pleasant memory and the delicious food. PS my in-laws love this place too.

STAY AWAY STAY AWAY STAY AWAY - NEW MGMT 1. Nothing south Indian about the food. 2. They serve stale food and even if you point out, the second serving is stale again. The new management is a Punjabi family with no clue of south Indian food

I had left a good review for this place 2-3 years back. However, it has been through 2-3 management changes. Exorbitant prices, relatively lower quality and service are reasons I am not recommending this place. Moreover, the new management is charging 18% service charge to every check.

I absolutely love this food. I'm a huge fan of Indian food, and South Indian is my favorite. I'm usually disappointed even when I order 'spicy' Indian food at most restaurants. But Agni gets it right. It's not food for the lighthearted; it's not for the casual Indian food eater. (As a testament to this, I can tell you that throughout the entire lunch hour, I was the only white guy in the entire place.) But if you are hardcore about authentic Indian cuisine, then this is your place. I had the thali lunch (non-vegetarian version), which came with several dishes, most of which I really, really enjoyed. My favorite was perhaps the bone-in tandoori chicken that had been pan fried or some similar technique to give the chicken a crispness akin to an American chicken wing -- not something I'd experienced with Indian food before, but it was AMAZING. The other chicken dish in a brown, spicy sauce with veggies was delicious as well, I believe it was some version of a chettinadu. The yellow rice, soup, vegetables, fried cauliflower and other dishes were also very, very good and incredibly flavorful and spicy. I didn't care so much for the bean dish or the pudding, but I've never cared for the Indian sweets (so it may be good to those of you who like such things). The naan was standard, but good. As far as the white rice, that was probably the only part of the dish that wasn't spiced and interesting. It was boring and plain, no cardamom or saffron or anything to talk about. Here's the kicker, for a $13 lunch, everything is unlimited. But I, someone who normally loves a good buffet and eats his face off, was so full after my first plate I didn't request anything more. The service was a little slow, but fine. The atmosphere is beautifully decorated with a unique blend of western and eastern, modern and classic. However, the space is a little tight, and the furniture is mostly uncomfortable wood and metal. Overall, I loved Agni and will certainly be back for more.

So, I've now been to Agni a couple of times and it has become a must-visit monthly place for me. The owner Shri is a warm and attentive host and her passion for South Indian cuisine really comes through the food. I've tried almost everything on the menu and nothing disappoints. My favorite are the Dosas. I'm lucky to have a restaurant like this in my backyard. Shri beats the pants off the generic Saravana Bhavan's, Mysore Woodlands and Udupi's off the world.

Yet again an amazing experience! The moment Sri saw me at the door, she welcomed me with a big smile and assured that they have my favorite Sakkara Pongal to serve today. I tried their veg thali for the first time. It was very yummy, fresh and authentic flavors. I love the gonghura pickle, veggie medley, pakora, papad and sambhar a lot. I think the rassam in the thali could have been skipped since they serve that as a welcome drink too. Also, a suggestion from my side would be to add one more veg curry item so that it would balance off the dal/ sambhaar sides. Special thing to mention here is Sri gave me a box of hot Sakkara Pongal, for all the times I have missed it. It was such a lovely gesture! I was touched! Thank you Sri!

Pretty nice ambiance. The servers were pro-active. The host did visit the table to ask us about our experience. So basically all things CHECKED :) We tried their non-veg thali. There were two chicken items, I loved the food. The presentation of thali was also nice, the chicken with gravy was just great, had the perfect spice level.Lunch Thai is unlimited and you can request for fill ins. We also got a free lassi on checking in on yelp. Will certainly recommend this place !

We got the gobi 65 and it was made like bajji, which sucked. We got the mysore dosa (wout masala). Dosa was a bit bland Sambar was lacking salt Chutneys were good Waste of calories.

Me and my husband were in the area for shopping and found this place on yelp. We decided to drop in for dinner after looking at their menu which seemed really unique. First of all a big thumbs up for the idea of Contemporary South Indian restaurant. This place is amazing and everything is well thought and implemented. We were greeted and seated promptly. The service is really nice. Our order was dosa vada curry and chicken kottu parota. Dosa vada curry seemed ok probably not my favorite but I loved the kottu parota. The portions are big and perfect to share. I am generally not a dessert person but their badam halwa is by far the best I had. It was soo amazing and I am definitely going back for more of it. Overall we had an amazing experience and planning to visit again to try out the many interesting things on the menu.

Tried this place based on Tom Sietsema's review and it did not disappoint. There were 4 of us, none of us super familiar with Indian cuisine. We got 2 thalis (one veg, one non-veg) as an appetizer so all of us could try some of the different flavors and every last one of them was delicious! I was partial to the sambhar and rasam. We ordered three entrees to share - masala dosa, gongura (green) chicken curry, and butter chicken. None of us had ever seen a dosa that large. Potato filling and sauces were fantastic. The gongura chicken curry was also good; but the butter chicken? Knock your socks off delicious! Garlic naan and parota also quite tasty. There's always a 'but' though, right? Folks are nice, service is very casual (young kid), and decor is functional. If you're looking for a 5 star dining experience, this isn't it. If you want good food, we would recommend. Perhaps take out is the best compromise. Again, we're pretty novice Indian food eaters, but we would definitely come her again - or maybe order take out!

Went there for lunch on a Saturday the first full week post restriction removals. Inside seating only ( saw one metal table between them and next restaurant and I don't think that counts as outside seating ). Ordered kuzhi paniyaram as appetizer and it was great ! Went along with Taj beer ( always extra points for chilled glass for beer ). Entree was veggie dum biryani and Kerala Kurumma along with side of Kerala parotta. Food was delivered on time and was awesome! If there is a little bit of dissonance - I found it strange that paneer showed up in a Kerala kurumma. Outside of that spice levels were perfect ( medium spicy is what I had ordered ). The serving portions are adequate and not too big. We wasted nothing and we didn't have to doggy bag things Overall a great food experience and will be back again

Agni offers a unique (compared to most) take on indian food. Don't expect to get chicken tikka masala or some vindaloo here. The focus on South Indian (duh) dishes. We've been two times. The first I can't quite remember what I got, I believe it was the Kola Urunda, but I can't 100% remember. It was pretty good, but didn't completely blow me away. The second time we opted to try some different things. My fiance got the chicken biryani which was great. The sauce that came on the side of it (we got it to go, not sure if its normally on the side) was super spicy, so use it sparingly if you don't like a ton of heat). We also got the Mutton Sukka which was good, although very very spicy. I got the Mangalore chicken the second time, and absolutely loved it. It was very rich, and pretty mild on spice. I could have used a touch more heat, but overall it was very good, and will probably be my go-to there. One knock on them is the mango lassi's tend to be a little on the small side. Wish they were slightly bigger.

This place was fantastic. Now I know I ordered "White people" food by ordering butter chicken but omg it was one of the best I've ever had. And the naan bread was fantastic. Service was also good this is more of a 4.5 rating here from me but Yelp only allows me to do whole stars. If you are in town for work or near by I recommend making a stop.

Just moved back to the dmv area and SO happy we found Agni! The cutest date night spot if you're craving Indian eats. Food: primarily South Indian cuisine. I loved that they told you where each dish was from (what part of India). This is hard to find at Indian restaurants. We ordered the chili baby corn which was yummy but a bit too fried for me personally. For the main course, I got a cheese dosa (mozz cheese inside) which was surprisingly delicious! My husband got the chicken pepper and chicken curry which he loved both of. Portion sizes were also perfect. Staff: very attentive and accommodating. Their attention to detail was great and the food came out in a very timely manner. Cost: great! Especially for the ambience. Atmosphere: my faaaave part. Finding an indian spot with modern decor is hard. Esp outside of dc, so I'm super happy we found this little gem. Will we be back? Umm YES!! This place was awesome!!

Horrible food... if only I could give one zero star I would. I believe they served me leftovers!!

Visited this place for the first time and NEVER AGAIN. I wish I could give 0 stars. We were 4 adults who went on a Thursday evening for dinner & entire restaurant was empty, just us. After 30 mins of wait, when I asked how long, they said they just have 1 chef. We ordered 4 dishes - 1st order came after 40 mins & that was a plain Dosa. (Does it really take 40 mins to make a plain Dosa?) 2nd order came after 45 mins, 3rd order came after 55 mins & then they asked do u have a 4th order. That's when I canceled the 4th order as I had no more patience left. I could have cooked faster at home. The food taste was horrible. We got 2 dosas, & there was no salt in the dosa filling, the sambhar tasted terrible. 3rd order was uttapam & it didn't come with any chutneys. On top of that, they charged 15% service fee for the worst service ever. AVOID this place by all means if you want to save your time & money. No offense to the waitress who works over there, she was nice & it was just her 2nd day there.