Bombay Chaat House

We set out to grab noodles tonight, but on a whim decided to check out a few of the other food carts nearby, and thank god we did. Hands down the single best decision I’ve made this week. Somehow, after living in the area for a little over a year, we had no idea this gem existed. No Google search ever pointed us here, and not a single friend, neighbor or solicitor has ever mentioned it. It’s the kind of secret you want to scream about from a mountaintop… but also selfishly keep to yourself. We weren’t even planning on getting Indian food, we were literally waiting on our order from another truck when the owner of this cart walked over and offered us a sample of their “Loco Bowl” and the “Butter Bombs.” BUTTER BOMBS!!!!!!! One bite and… game over. Walked straight over, and left with not one, but two extra dinners. The flavors? Unreal. The kindness and hospitality? Off the charts. If you live anywhere near here, there’s no excuse to sleep on this place. And if you don’t — make the trip. It’s absolutely worth it.

Super great service, the guy was friendly and nice. Naan tacos were fire; i got the began coconut curry one, it was so good. good portion size and good price. soft warm tofu, very fresh.

This place is so good! Maybe the best I've had in Portland. I don't usually eat butter chicken but the nice man offered me a sample and it was so good I had to have it (despite that my intention was the Mexican cart). Tons of flavor, well priced, and good portions. Really heavy on the chicken! It's probably 3 meals for me with all that rice. And the rice was so fresh. The naan was to die for. I will definitely be back!

What a delicious treat! I've been looking for pani puri in the Portland area for a while, and it seems like this is the only spot to find it... It was everything and more! Isha ( I hope I spelled her name right) was such a sweet host and made the most delicious pani puri I've ever tried! It was fresh, portions were perfect, the flavors were an explosion of aromatics, and the combination of the textures were so on point--crunchy puris, soft potato filling inside, and a perfectly spiced water and tamarind chutney. Oh, and the chai was to die for... I am so excited to come back 💜 Agyamanak, nandri, thank you, Isha!!

My family and I have been coming here from some time alway provide the best service. Food is amazing and today I tired their new Loco bowl highly recommend. So much flavor along with some garlic naan

Amazing authentic indian food, cooked by punjabi daughter mother pair. We tried papdi chaat, aloo paratha, mango lassi, vada pav, hot masala tea (chai). Papdi chaat was best, chutney flavors combined with good quality dahi created symphony of flavors. Aloo paratha with dahi was good combo. Mango lassi was slightly thin compared to other places, I’m guessing it had milk in it, I liked it but my wife didn’t. Vada pav were perfectly cooked but it’s not exactly bombay style, stuffing of vada pav had chana daal in it, it wasn’t the deal breaker but as Mumbaikar, I prefer authentic mumbai vada pav. Last but not least, hot tea had homemade chai flavors that reminded me of India. I’ll strongly recommend to try this out.

I picked up a Loco Bowl from India Chaat House and it was delicious. I had half curry chicken and half paneer. The fresh vegetables and lime gave the bowl a very bright, fresh crunch. Will definitely be back to get this again.

These people are some of the nicest and coolest I've ever met! They are always smiling, always welcoming and they know how to treat people. The food and smells were amazing as well, super high quality and delicious! I would very highly recommend this place. The vegan options are great as well!

We got a Channa Bhatura and Vada pav Channa Bhatura was amazing and was also decent portion size for a person. The bhaturas were soft and was also freshly fried. The Channa curry was moderately spicy and tasted good with freshly chopped onion served on top of it. I like the vada pav but it wasn't the best. It was warm as well.

I love this place! It's on my top Indian food places in town. My only complaint is that it's not open for longer hours and isn't closer!! They operate as a food truck with the closest to home made food you can get in a restaurant. Their palak paneer is amazing. But their parathas are the real winner - soft, tasty and almost feels like a warm comforting hug! The folks who operate the truck are very nice. They've given us complimentary chai when we've waited for our food - and guess what, the chai is really good too! I sincerely hope this place never closes!

The best curry hands down in the area. We had the curry special with garlic naan and samosas. The sauces were all delicious and customer service was excellent! This husband and wife team were wonderful to chat with and the food was fresh, tasty, and well made. I enjoyed all the curry sauces sampled, the rice was well made, and the naan was soft and the perfect amount of garlic. I enjoyed the homemade spicy sauce that came on the side. Will be back again and often!!!

Good decent food. 3 course veg thali is a go to item. Curries are light and not so sugary. Limited items. Prices are a touch high and only veg. Give it a try if you crave for good North Indian veg food

My favorite item has to be their Four Curry Combo. Here you can get four different curries on one plate, and they were all different and delicious. I think my curry plate was vegetarian as they came with Paneer and Chick peas, which is quite healthy. I enjoyed the buttery sauce and flavorful spices so much, even the left overs were a treat. We also ordered a Chai tea and a Mango Lassi and loved both. They were flavorful without being overly sweet. Overall I would recommend it and I can't wait to try the curry combo again!

Taste was quite good and unique. Loved their Dahi puri chaat; Vada pav was so so. However price seems a bit too much (considering the amount served).

I have been eating here for almost 20 years now, since before the name change, since before the move from Downtown Portland, since before the drama with the cart ownership, and let me say that the Muter Paneer here is hands down my favorite meal on the planet, bar none. Harvey is the BEST and always manages to put a smile on my face. When they say the food is made with love, they really do mean it. This place means so much to so many people, and for a good reason.

Very delicious food, good customer service, never fell disappointed in the food. Would recommend.

Has remained our favorite vegetarian restaurant while recognizing the generations of chefs from their family business. They deserve the patronage of all vegetarians. Great food!

So rude .... Came here with my husband after working 17 hours straight. When I the female breadwinner of my family pulled out my sole debit card the owner asked my husband and I if we were "together, together " we responded yes we are married, despite the intrusive questioning . He responded "oh ok when you pulled out the debit card I figured it was a joint account" I mean what do you say to this disgustingly rude and weird line of questioning just to get some food. It was so demeaning to be talked down to like this, as if I as a women could not possibly be paying with my own money. This sexist perspective made my husband and I feel judged and disrespected. We will not be returning and I will let all my female breadwinner friends know they will be degraded here. ....... Giving a tablespoon sample of tea to sale a product in no way gives a hall pass for being sexiest. No one during a business exchange has the right to make comments about or question how their customers make, spend, share or don't share finances . This was not a joke it was not said with laughter or comical approach. I can joke around and have quite a bit about this very topic with FRIENDS .... Have some decency and wake up not every women is sharing her husband's money and not every man is the breadwinner of their family. Family can be anything a couple wants it to be. A stay at home dad is not less then a stay at home mom and some women bring in more money then their husband could ever make and some women never work.

Absolutely delicious and exceptional service. Don't let the hidden location throw you off. This is a gem you won't regret. Highly recommend the mutter paneer.

My wife LOVES chaat food and it was a must have for us during our wedding weekend. Coming from Indian families with home cooking, and having lived in northern California for the last decade-plus, we were both very spoiled with the quality of Indian food we expected. Bombay Chaat House easily met those lofty expectations we had! Harvey and his team came to our event to set up and serve three dishes (Bhel Puri, Dhahi Puri, and Papdi Chaat). The food was amazing and our guests all loved it! Harvey went above and beyond to also provide some parshad for our Sikh ceremony the next morning. We really loved Harvey's food and are excited to come back to his truck and eat there again!

Love the food very authentic Indian food. Thank you I got the curry combination and I order garlic bread

Best vegan /vegetarian Indian I've ever had Service is great The husband and his family are the kindest could not recommend any other Indian restaurant or food truck I'd go to but here

Good affordable tasty food. Folks are Hospitable, had samosa and dahi papadi chaat. It was extremely tasty. Will definitely come back again when in town.

Me and my wife came here for food, and the owner was very sexist when my wife pulled out her card to pay . He asked if we were together, and we replied yes we are married. Then he said that her card must be linked to mine ."Not sure exactly what supposed to mean". This is very sad because she is the breadwinner and I'm a stay at home husband. He gave us a little shot glass of warm tea, but this doesn't give him the right to be so disrespectful. Very poor customer service. He should keep his opinions to himself and not drive off business

Best Indian food I've had in a long time. Got the Special, veggie samosa, bhel puri, and garlic Naan. All were spot on. Will definitely be back again very soon.

The family working here is really entertaining. You can stay and have a chat with them after ordering. Food was good, tea was good too. Overall a good experience with seating available in front of the food carts.

I've always "liked" Indian food, and I'm fortunate to have several very good options close by, but this place has me LOVING Indian food. I can count on one hand the number of places I'll go and tell the server to pick for me, and this is one of them. Everything on the menu is vegetarian-friendly, which is awesome because I'm used to only seeing one or two vegetarian options most places. I've tried something new every time I've gone, and it has all been excellently spiced and flavored. Look for this cart at the back of the cluster kind of hidden behind Walgreens off Alexander and 197th. Go see Harvey and his beautiful family and tell them Topher sends his regards!

I'm so happy this place has reopened! I used to come to the location next to the library in downtown since I was a teenager. Some very excellent vegetarian Indian food! I love their naan, and their lunch special. Their curry is amazing, and they have excellent chai tea! The people who run it are also very friendly.

Went here to try the new carts. This was one of the only ones open. They were definitely worth it. Portions were large, flavorful and fantastic. The service was even better. I love family owned places and supporting our local economy. I will definitely be back.

They've reopened with a brand new cart in Aloha. The food is just as good as before! And it's still a great deal. The combo lunch always ends up being two meals for me. And the owners are such nice, friendly people. Very highly recommend!!

Absolutely delicious Indian food and extremely nice people. The flavors are just perfect, not too mild, not too strong. Every item surpassed our expectations, we loved everything we bought! This place is a must try! 10/10

Very friendly, Excellent food, and generous portions. We tried the samosa, aloo paratha with yogurt sauce, and gulab jamun. I can't wait to go back to try more.

I have been frequenting this food cart for over a decade. Actually I think this is where I got to know Indian grub. Man oh man...these dishes got flavor galore. Even though I don't work downtown anymore I walk this way when I got a hankering. Yeah...it's that good...scratch that...it's that amazing. The lunch special is where it's at w naan bread, rice and a few curries to try. Some faves are the pishwari naan and navrataan korma. I might've spelled that wrong but I'm mos def right that this is how Indian food should be...flavorful and oh so fulfilling. Sometimes served with a side of comedy with the ever so amusing @funharvey.

Ordered mango lassi, server said they don't have any after charging me ‍. Then made it- mango lassi is just ok. "Make our own yogurt", well people do too at home. Lassi is thicker. Food was satisfactory. Vada pav was good. If you like Indian normal spicy- best to say mild or slightly spicy! Learnt that the hard way haha, overall good sitting and vibe. They don't serve meat, so that added a star. Edit: I do not feel cheated and did have a good experience. Will be coming back for the vadapav for sure!

I can't believe it's taken me so long to visit one of the most unassuming, oldest, and best food carts in Portland. Such great vegetarian food and such amazing prices for the quantity and quality! I just had the little "starter special" with Dal Tarka and Navratan Korma, so yummy and the perfect portion for my diet. The menu is huge and completely vegetarian . Of all the Indian food carts, including Taste of India and Real Taste of India, this is my #1, and it's a bit away from the madding crowd, enough to qualify as a hidden gem. I can't recommend it enough. Say hello to Harvey for me!

Bombay Chaat House has been in business since about 1998. Harvey, his mum and now his wife serve up some delicious home style Indian food. Everything is vegetarian and most items can be made vegan upon request. Their lunch special is a bargain and includes naan, rice and three chefs choice curry dishes. It is served mild to appeal to the general population. But if you really want to sample their cooking skills order something a la cart from the extensive menu. You won't be disappointed. I have tried much of their menu over the years and found everything to be delicious. Of course when ordering a la cart you choose mild, medium or hot spice level. Everything is served in takeaway containers but there is some limited seating available if you wish to eat here. Harvey and his family are very nice people and they appreciate their customers. If you want to try some yummy vegetarian Indian food this is a great place to visit!

This is hands down the worst Indian food I've ever had. The mutter paneer was completely tasteless, the channa masala was so bland it was like eating garbanzos from a can. The samosas were filled with what amounted to unseasoned mashed potatoes. No other veggies or spices. Honestly, the entire meal reminded me of hospital food. The only saving grace was the mango lessi, which helped me wash down the dry, tasteless food. EDIT: The owner (presuming Harvey is the owner) of the truck doesn't like my review so he has been badgering me to prove I actually ate there. WHAT ON EARTH is wrong with people? I don't care if other people like your food, my experience was clearly different. Harassing me and calling me a liar isn't helping the situation. 2nd edit: The owner is still badgering me hours after I left this review. I never sent him the receipt so he is lying about that. Being inundated with his comments is pure harassment. I just don't understand what he thinks he's going to accomplish by treating customers this way. I wonder how many other negative reviews people wrote that he badgered them into taking down.

Ordered pani puri here. Cute little food truck in a great location. I think the pani puri was way expensive than usual. They just gave 5 Puris and charged 7 dollars for it. I would say the taste isn't worth the price.

The people running the truck are super friendly! Ordered papri chaat, samosa chola, and mattar paneer (with rice and naan). Everything came pretty fast and the chutneys were really great. However, the portions could be a bit bigger. The samosa chola was definitely the best - super great flavors and crispy. The papri chaat was pretty good, but the papri itself could have been better/bigger. The mattar paneer was my least favorite; the naan was good but the gravy could have been more flavorful. All in all, recommend.

Great food and service. Our order included chaats, naan's and curries..everything tasted great. Harvey and his family were awesome. We had a great time - got to eat lip smacking vegetarian food and had great conversations. A must visit place.

This is an all vegetarian cart. I tried their lunch special. The menu appeared to describe it as rice with 4 curries and naan. However I only got 2 curries. Food was tasty but expensive, $14. The weekend all you can eat buffet at Chettinad restaurant is $18 in contrast. Food cart prices are crazy.

SO many great things to say about this place. First off, the food is PHENOMONAL. Utterly authentic. I grew up my whole life eating Indian food across several cities and states throughout the US and I can easily say hands down that this is one of if not THE best Indian food I have ever had in my life. That remark's value increases when you realize that I'm talking about their VEGAN food. So, their vegan food outdoes all the non-vegan Indian food I use to have and that should surprise a lot of others as well. Imagine foods that typically have yogurt, ghee, or some kind of dairy product in it and just appreciate that there's food which outdoes THAT flavor but without the animal products. Unbelievable. And that brings me to the next point: their vegan diversity. It's one of the only places I've found which features vegan KORMA. And it's just the most flavorful, creamy, and aromatic creation that your nose will consume and all while disregarding to leave leftovers for you. Furthermore, they offer vegan pershwari bread, aloo paratha, rice plow, and so many other goodies. It's hard to find a place that will offer vegan options all the way from the appetizer, to the specialty rice, to the specialty breads (thank you for offering more than roti lol) and then the entrees. Moving on, they are affordable. I mean, we got 2 entrees, 4 orders of bread, 2 orders of appetizers and an order of rice for $65. When you average that out, that's less than $7.30 per item and for Indian food, that's cheap! Last but not least, the customer service. Harvey is just an all-around good guy. He's funny, relatable, friendly, and THOUGHTFUL. He made sure not to include the sides of yogurt that Indian places normally do (which is a turn off for vegans ordering) and even went out of his way to discount the costs of not including it. He kept taking note of how far out we drove just to pick up the order which shows he pays keen attention to detail and you know he's always looking to get a smile or laugh out while packing up your meal. This is the experience that one wants when ordering out! Amazing that they're doing this all out of a food truck and they more than deserve their own brick and mortar (which we hope is all vegan). If you have one place to pick to take a friend out to eat, take them here! Upon first bite, no, smell, they will instantly learn why Portland is becoming famous for its food.

We ordered chole bhatura and biryani. Chole bhatura arrived first and they were delicious and we ordered another plate. The biryani was decent as well. The chef and the person on the counter Ishu is very sweet and she helped us with some extra onions and a side of yogurt on request. A simple chole showed the flavors of Indian cooking. Pomegranate molasses and some raw onions were added on boiled chickpeas and it tasted delicious. Chole bhatura is a famous North Indian street food and is loved by everyone. The bhatura bread served here is soft and perfectly cooked. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to try some Indian flavors. The food truck is open until 5 pm I guess. However, if you are in Portland downtown during that time, don't forget to try it.

Don't waste your time to walk or drive here because it's closed till March. I called their number and the message said that they won't be reopening till March. In my opinion, they should change their status to closed.

Finding BCH is one of the worst things to ever happen to me. I can't eat at other Indian restaurants now without comparing to this place. Every time I want Indian food now, I have to come here hell, most of the time I want food of any kind, I have to come here. Please don't make my mistake and ruin your life. Go to chipotle instead.

Edit: is the owner on crack?! Oh my god this review is from an experience 3 months ago but okay dude, you "checked the camaras", lol. Guess their customer service is shit too! I'm amazed at the insecurity and unprofessionalism. YIKESSSS I loved that they are 100% vegetarian but their food wasn't that good. We ordered the daily special and they were out of 2 of the 6 items in the lunch special. We thought whatever, it's like 6 bucks what can you expect. In hindsight, not much! One of the entrees tasted like nacho cheese and the other was spinach and wasn't salted at all. They do let you know all of their dishes are prepared mild and they aren't wrong about that. Hot sauce didn't help. The naan was good but nothing exceptional. The lunch special is enough to share between two people but you will both end up with upset stomachs.

Pre Pandemic during my walks out and about Downtown Portland... I walked past Bombay Chaat House frequently. One afternoon, I stopped and ordered... but, I didn't know what I wanted. The owner said he would make me a "Special Plate" I asked after I was handed my meal... if I could eat at the outside dining area (it's small) and I was told that many of the diners prefer to. I was asked if I wanted the Spicy Hot sauce... I like my World Foods to be mild (so I didn't get any Spicy Hot Sauce). While I was outside eating my food... the owner came and inquired about the taste of my food. I was able to put down my plastic fork... and tell him... just how much I liked my "Special Plate." I didn't order any Soda, or H2O because I bought a Gatorade Zero Orange earlier. I wasn't surprised that I liked my meal so much. I asked at what time the Food Cart closed. Sometimes, the owner said, they close early... because all the meals/ food has been bought by hungry Vegetarians, Vegans... and people who are loyal to Bombay Chaat House. I spoke with the owner for a few minutes after I had eaten half of my meal. I was told that he (the owner) was going to be married to his fiance' soon. I asked him (the owner) if she liked his family... I was told that yes, they were going to get along... (his soon to be wife and his family). I'm going to bring my Darling Husband here sometime when we are parked in Downtown Portland. I didn't know I liked Vegan foods so much until I ordered my meal from Bombay Chaat House. Also, there was a friendly cute younger man on the MAX that I was on wanted to know what kind of meal I was holding when I boarded. I told them/ him... I went to Bombay Chaat House.... and that the meals for Lunch are less expensive than a humungous fancy coffee drink. Do you think you'll get the Spicy Hot Sauce when you order your meal at Bombay Chaat House? Thank you for making five stars meals for people who like Vegetables as much as I do.

Walked up and had to order because of the yummy smells! Ordered the #13 Aloo Chaat. It's a naturally vegan dish with potatoes and garbanzos tossed in a flavor packed red sauce with the right amount of spice. They let you pick your spice level! The rice underneath was also delicious! Can't wait to go back and try more menu items

We ended up here on the Thanksgiving morning. Thankfully they were open! The food here is almost as close as it gets to authentic Punjabi food. The food is so flavourful without being too spicy. Every curry has its own unique flavor. We ordered a combo meal and a Veg biryani. Both were mindblowing!! The owners of the food truck are very friendly and we struck a nice conversation.

I always come here when I'm downtown to get some samosas because they are so good. Super great crunchy texture with an awesome yummy filling that is just warm and delicious and is probably one of the better samosas in the Portland area. Bonus points for the employees being fantastic at this location!

Some of the best and most authentic Indian food I've had in the 10 years I've lived in the United States. While visiting Portland, my nose led me to this awesome unassuming food truck (that apparently has a lot of history). It just so happened that I got there just as they were closing but the owner and his family are wonderful people and served me anyways. I had the chana bhatura and was perfect, I felt like I was back home for a while. I also got to hang out with the owner and his adorable daughter and had a great conversation to accompany the great meal. It really made my weekend. All the best Harvey (and family)! Good luck with the move. I hope to stumble upon you guys again the next time I visit Portland. Thanks for the awesome dining experience.

They opened a new cart in aloha. The taste has definitely much improved and tastes even better. We tried vadapav, pani puri, samosa chat, biryani, mutter paneer with naan and alooo paratha. Everything tasted delicious and it was very warm. I am definitely visiting this place again and again :)

So delicious, I wish I could post a pic of my food but I demolished it so quickly!! I got the #2 with curry and basmati rice and he was so nice and let me do half and half with the curries so I was able to try the Chana masala and the korma and both were incredible, the korma especially was so creamy and delicious and both were incredibly flavorful and comforting. Not only that but the prices were so reasonable, a perfect lunch in my book! Highly recommend if you're passing through Aloha or are nearby and trying to find a good place to eat, this is it. Will definitely be coming back!

These beautiful people make the most delicious Indian food that I have found in Portland. I'm writing this review today because I realized that as I'm hungry for lunch, I am literally CRAVING some Malai Kofta & Garlic Naan from this food cart. They allow you to choose the spiciness level for your food but always do a great job of adding spiciness while maintaining the delicious flavor of their food. No matter what level of spiciness you choose, their spices always complement the flavors of their dish. The portions that you receive for the price you pay are very generous as I always feel full and satisfied when I leave this food cart. Their lunch special is always a great choice if you're having a hard time choosing which dish to get! The people that work inside the food cart are very friendly and the man that usually takes my card for my food always entertains me with jokes and stories about his day. Great vibes all around!

Excellent food, friendly hosts. We had the daily special with 4 kinds of curry, rice and naan bread... Super delicious!! We will definitely be back soon!!

Ordered the veggie samosa, dal tadka, aloo kulcha and garlic kulcha. Veggie samosa had a little hard filling. But dal tadka was really really good. It came with yellow rice.

Mouthwatering pillowy vegan garlic naan. What more do I need to say? The food is delicious. The little girl (owners daughter?) who hangs out and interacts with customers is the cutest little angel in the world. The prices are great. My review is a 4.5 (I wish we could give half stars!) and the only thing that could bump it up to a solid 5 is if the space was cleaner and there was a for-here option. I hate single use waste so it makes me feel a little cringey when we order "for here" and then have to throw a bunch of trash away.