Chennai Hoppers Indian Restaurant

My experience here was lovely. The butter chicken here had extreme depth to it, and it wasn’t overly spicy, or bland, it was just great. It wasn’t the typical orange butter chicken you find everywhere else, it was the kind you remember and the kind you know you’ll most likely only find in a place like this one. The food was delicious to say the least, and the place is reasonably priced. The service was also very attentive. Would come back.

Have been wanting to go here for some time and finally did ! We went on a Sunday for lunch and couldn't make a reservation since it was last moment. Highly recommend making a reservation ! The girl up front and the manager that day were not very friendly. They seemed pretty rude. But it all made up for the amazing food !! We got the Hoppers Ghee roast chicken curry, egg Hoppers,Chukka Kari dosa, Chicken Dum biryani, Butter chicken and Aapam Paya. The ghee roast chicken was spicy and my favorite !! The goat curry that came with Aapam Paya was all right. The Chukka Kari dosa could do with a bit more lamb filling. Overall the food was simply great with the right amount of spices! The two people who took our order and served us were very friendly. We also had their Masala tea which was simply the best !! I could say that this is the best Indian food I have had in the US! Usually after eating out from Indian shops we feel bloated and very uncomfortable. Which was not the case here which made us feel the food was clean ! They also haven't tried to Westernize any dishes , which gives it the authentic flavor. I will make this a common stop when in the area and highly recommend to anyone !

Food was actually ok but the low rating is for our and the service experience. We were a group of 7 and I asked twice if we were ordering too much food, she only suggested we remove one entree but didn't mention the family dosa she recommended was 3 feet long, and should have said the additional 4 hoppers and bread basket would be way too much in addition to 8 entrees and 5 appetizers for 7 adults. It would have been common sense for her to tell us we didn't need the naan and hoppers if we were getting that 3 foot family dosa (especially since I asked if it was too much food), but she didn't. And when the food started coming out, I asked to at least cancel the bread basket and she said no, it was too late. I said we won't be able to eat it, and she charged us anyway. So stingy and so petty, this is that kind of place. We spent over $400 there and to not take off a $12 item is just such poor business sense.

The food here is DELICOUS. Everytime i come with family no matter what we get it’s amazing. This time we had ceylon paratha, Ghee roast dosa, kozhi lolipop, chicken 65 biriyani. I always have the mango lassi if you’re not hungry the lassi itself is very heavy. The atmosphere is lovely it’s the right amount of noisy and quiet and the music and lighting make it even better. My one problem was how fast the food comes, i had ordered the mango lassi just as we sat down and it didn’t come till after all the appetizers came.

Had a Valentine's day blast! The place was well decorated and great for pictures. You always go to Southern restaurants have dosa, but we ventured beyond the menu and had an amazing experience. Definitely recommend the Soup, the marine beach salad, the parotta. Absolutely delicious. Mohan our server, went out of his way to make sure all was well, and gave good pointers. Would definitely put on our list for a repeat visit!

ordered chicken and goat biryani for Saturday lunch, but unfortunately, the quality was very disappointing. The food did not taste fresh at all — it seemed like it might have been prepared a day earlier. When I called the restaurant to express my concern, they insisted it was made fresh that day, but the taste and texture told a different story. We barely had a few bites before deciding to throw it away — a complete waste of $42. I've attached photos for reference. I had high expectations, but this experience was truly let down. I hope they take this feedback seriously and work on improving the freshness and quality of their food.

A great hidden gem in Gaithersburg. Went early in a Thursday night and it wasn’t busy at all. Service was great with a very friendly server. Food came out promptly. We ordered; The Mushroom Manchurian Chicken Kottu Roti Aapam and The Yellow Dal I wasn’t the biggest fan of the mushroom dish but that’s due to personal taste. The other three dishes were to die for though. Great presentation and the taste took me to India and back! Overall and fantastic restaurant and well worthy of the recent awards they’ve received. Make sure to check them out.

Fantastic place to have great authentic Tamil Nadu cuisine! Both vegetarian and non-vegetarian options re fantastic. Great ambience as well. Don’t miss out on the Sriviliputhur palkova which is very close to the original!

Went here on Mother's Day, after searching around, just picked the spot based on photos I've seen before. When you walk up to the location it's an unassuming spot with lots of outdoor and indoor seating, and your typical desi music when you walk in. The staff are friendly, and are very attentive while you're waiting and after you sit down to make sure they can assist as need be. I will say the spot could do with an expansion (very popular) it could have been 3-4X larger, and still been full. We came here for dosa's which were 10/10 in the flavor, as well as the mouth feel. I tried multiple types, and I enjoyed them all. My father got the chicken biryani which I would recommend emptying on your plate, as the meat is on the bottom (or was in ours). The price of the place makes sense, based on the area, and the waitress very nicely told me tip was included already (so I tipped more as a thank you). Perfect for a casual dining experience or a special occasion, make sure you book ahead.

Not bad! I will say the real challenge was to secure a reservation. My family and I originally came here on a rather slow evening, but we were unable to ask for a table, and even if we were to get one, they were not able to connect two tables for our party of four. Aside from that, the food was very flavorful. Be mindful that if you're going to ask for medium spicy, it is quite spicy so much so my scalp was sweating. So for beginners, definitely ask for mild. But I will give them points for not lacking on flavor. Members of my family were either vegetarian or non-vegetarian. For vegetarians, we got a Paneer Lababdar- rather sweet for our taste. I think next time we are going to try the Banarasi Biryani. This place in particular specializes in more non-veg South Indian dishes- so if you're up to try something other than your typical chicken tikka masala, this place is for you! Some highlights- Karachi Paneer Tikka, Reshmi Kabob, Chicken Ghee Roast (incredibly rich!) The staff was quite nice, although we've had to repeat our orders a few times to make sure that they got out/incorrect as there was some confusion. I would also recommend trying out their dessert list. They have some very unique flavors that are not found in any other Indian restaurants. I would recommend the Nannari Kulfi. Basically Indian sarsaparilla root ice cream (the same flavor for Root beer). You can also get the traditional dosa. Yeah, she saw a party of six order one large dose of for the whole table, that's a site to see! Overall, though it was a nice experience.

I went there on a Sunday at 8pm and it was packed. I expected to wait but the server said they were going to close soon so he basically refused us. Not great but I could see they were visibly busy. A friend who gets catered by this place brought me a plate while I was at work. The food was delicious so that's why I wanted to dine in. I ended up getting carry out for myself and family. The Thalappakatti Mutton Biryani dish was phenomenal. (I don't even eat meat but the rice alone was fragrant and flavorful). It comes very spicy so you should request it accordingly. It reminds me a spicy pulao. This is probably the best I've ever tbh. I picked up the Kozhi 65 which my family said was very good and flavorful. I also got the yellow dal which was ok (a bit too much bay leaves). But that rice dish was!

One of the best South Indian meals we've had in a while. The idli, vada, and sambar--simple and basic, but the taste was spot on. Felt like eating back home. The kottu paratha was good too--flavorful and a big portion. Tried the flower fritters (forget the name)--lots of people love it, but I didn't. Too much batter, couldn't taste the actual flower. We ended with a dosa, which was also good. Definitely overate, but no regrets! Make sure to book a table--place gets busy.

Great restaurant that specializes in Southern Indian food. There are many vegetarian and pescatarian options, which is great! I highly recommend trying their dosas and tandoori dishes. The portions are very large for a very reasonable price. The restaurant is located in a beautiful building with calming music playing. The service is attentive.

This is a smaller restaurant with minimal seating but they have an easy reservation system to secure your spot. The service is great, the waiters and staff are very friendly and helpful. I want to like this place but the food unfortunately doesn't cut it. It's average at best. The problem that I have is mostly with the tenderness of the meats. I got their lollipop chicken and while the flavor of their chicken was the skin of the chicken was so hard to eat, I've never experienced eating the skin to be that hard and unchewable. So I feel like this could be a 10/10 but with the skin texture its just make it 2.5/3 out of 5. I have gotten their goat Biryani and chicken biryani and unfortunately while their flavor was amazing, the meat was dry on multiple occasions. Similar as before, it could be a solid 10 but unfortunately doesn't hit the mark because of the meat dryness. Im willing to keep going to try different dishes until I find the best ones because their service is so good and tastes great, just wish their tenderness of their proteins would be better

We visited here for lunch on a weekday and we were impressed by the breath and imagination of the menu. Everything we ordered was quite tasty but we would have preferred more cost effective lunch sized options. If you're comfortable ordering dinner sized portions at dinner prices for lunch time, then this is a fine Indian restaurant and particularly specializes in vegetarian entrees and breads. Maybe I should have expected the prices given the Montgomery County location, but I was just a bit taken aback. We'll come back of course, but for dinner.

Lunch Dates are fabulous and quick service ones are even better! We ordered: an okra appetizer, garlic naan, and butter chicken Everything was tasty and we were checked on during our meal. The butter chicken was a bit more spice-infused than I'm used to (even my sis agreed who loves Butter Chicken anywhere). The portions were quite small in comparison to the price, so my only qualm was the teeny tiny butter chicken dish (and little bits of chicken) we got.

Vibey Indian spot with a rare mix of South Indian and North Indian dishes! The decor feels like an off-the-beaten path cozy cafe. The food is unique and delicious, and the menu flags many vegan items. The staff are also very courteous and kind- we had an allergy in the group and they took it really seriously. Some hits were the Marina Beach Salad and the Thattu Nei Podi Idli- both can be shared as appetizers. The place is definitely a crowd pleaser- I would come back!

Updating my review. We gave this another chance. We go alllll the time now. It's a unique experience and the food is sooo good. Okra fritters are a must try. Cheese dosa is a treat. I love the way they cook the fish.

We're lucky to have so many Indian options in MoCo. One of family favorites is Chennai Hoppers, a light-filled and cozy spot that's surprisingly never packed. A few weeks ago we came in extra hungry amd decided to order several dishes: masala dosa, palak methi paneer, dum goat biryani, murg tikka masala, garlic and butter naan and mango lassi. The medley of chutneys that came with the monstrous dosa was a parade of bright flavors that satisfied even the pickiest among us. Best to have a crowd to tackle this or you can make a meal of it. Their street samosas which are served in a little wire basket in the shape of a bicycle are also fabulous. While all of the dishes were delish, the other star of the night was the dum goat biryani. We savored the flavorful tender goat meat and rice. Their service is also attentive and friendly. Our eyes were bigger than our stomachs because we had enough leftovers for another family meal. Extra tip: They have generous coupons for $15 off a $60 gift card or a free mango lassi or naan with a minimum $20 purchase.

The food was delicious. It had the authentic South Indian taste. I definitely recommend this place.

I have been driving by this place for a while and never knew how good it was, but we went there for dinner the other day and it was a fantastic experience, the food was perfect, the kabob platter and the panneer curry were fantastic! Service was a little weird they asked for our number when we walked in (we did not provide) usually when they do that it is because there is a wait but the place had plenty of seating, they did not push it after we declined, the actually table service was good. Great atmosphere inside. You will not be disappointed with the food here.

New go-to Indian restaurant alert? Was craving Indian and browsing Yelp as usual. I wanted to try something new but didn't feel like driving far. We decided on Chennai Hoppers! It was a Saturday night around 8 pm, which, I think is late for dinner, so I was surprised to find that the restaurant was still packed. We sat and waited for about 10 mins before being seated at a table by the window. They have a QR code scanning system and I think you can order from there too, but our waiter took our order. MAN is the menu HUGE! We ended up getting the Street Samosa, Old Delhi Butter Chicken, Dum Goat Biryani, Garlic Naan and Mango Lassi. Street Samosa: So cute that it comes in a truck! Comes with white and brown sauces. While I'm not quite sure what they are, I liked the brown sauce better as it was sweeter and balanced out the samosa. The inside of the samosa is just potato, I'd say relatively average for a samosa and nothing super mind blowing. Butter Chicken: Wow! At first I was disappointed by the portion because the chicken came in a tiny bowl with a side of rice but I WAS MISTAKEN. So full. And so delicious too! The chicken was cooked perfectly and that butter chicken sauce....the depth of flavors was incredible. Pair that sauce with the biryani for an even more flavorful bite! The pieces of chicken were big too. I was impressed. Goat Biryani: I usually don't like biryani, or maybe I just haven't had a good one. But this was probably my favorite biryani yet! The rice was so yummy I probably could have had an extra side of it. One thing we didn't appreciate was the tiny bones from the goat pieces...watch out! Also the pieces of goat were a bit dry and hard but given that this is still a 4 star review, the flavor of the rice definitely made up for it trust me! Comes with a yogurt sauce to balance out the heat, but honestly I didn't really need it. It was nice to mix it but it wasn't quite that level of spicy. Next time David says he'll try the chicken! I'm so glad to have visited this place, definitely can't wait to come back when the next Indian food craving hits!

Delicious South Indian food in Gaithersburg! Went here on a Sunday evening and the place was packed at 6.30. reservations are must but still expect to wait for a little while. We had the kaalan Manchurian which was tangy and a little sweet and we couldn't tell that this was made from mushroom. Also had the Thattu idli, chicken biryani and chicken parotta! The food was delicious and the quantity was more than average. The swing in the waiting area adds a nice touch to the general theme of the restaurant. Definitely coming back to try more of their delicacies.

Chennai Hoppers is a charming little spot in Gaithersburg that serves up some fantastic South Indian food. I ordered the Mysore dosa, and it was perfect--crispy, flaky, and packed with flavor. The sambar was also spot on, with a well-balanced taste that wasn't overly spicy but still had a nice depth of flavor. Everything tasted fresh and authentic, and the service was friendly and attentive. For dessert, I tried the cardamom crème brûlée, but it was more of a flan than an actual crème brûlée, which was a bit disappointing. While it was still tasty, it wasn't what I expected, so I'm taking off a star for that. Would come again!

Came here for the first time for dinner with a group of friends, one of whom, recommended this place. We ordered several dishes- their coffee, chai tea, mango lassi, mushroom fritters, taro chips appetizer, samosas, Kashmiri naan, garlic naan, palak paneer, masala dosas, chicken parotta, bread basket, and Kashmiri lamb roganjosh. Total for 6 of us came out to approximately $217, which included an automatic 18% gratuity. What's hot - Quality. Delicious, flavorful, and comes with a good degree of heat. All of our dishes were well-seasoned. We could definitely taste the spices from the dishes and there is a nice degree of heat that comes from the food, that heats up your throat. It's like a low-level spiciness that continues to build, which adds to the flavor. - Menu variety. There's an excellent variety for all dietary needs- meats, veggies, and vegans. Based on what one of our friends told us, who is from India, this restaurant is very good in that it caters more to the southern Indian cuisine, versus the northern Punjab region. As such, there are dishes on their menu that one may not ordinarily come across in a more mainstream Indian restaurant, such as their mushroom fritters and taro chips. - Service. Good and reliable. - Layout. Fairly decently space. Their tables don't appear to accommodate large groups, probably no more than a party of 6 people. Definitely make reservations if you come with a large group. - Price. The value for money, especially given the portions, is pretty good. Each of our curry dishes came with its own bowl of rice, as well. For example, my palak paneer came out to around $17, my husband's lamb roganjosh was $23, 3 samosas came out to $9. - Location. Fairly easy to find and parking is convenient. It's also located in a plaza with other restaurants, shops, and even a couple of bubble tea cafes. What's not - Rush. This restaurant isn't very large. Most diners appear to come in small groups. This place is definitely not one where they'll allow you to linger to continue small talk. After we paid, their staff pretty much asked us to leave, because there were other diners waiting. On the one hand, I get it. On the other hand, it felt kinda rude. - Price. Our tab included an 18% gratuity charge. I'm uncertain whether it's an automatic gratuity for all diners or for groups over a certain number, or whatever other reason there is. Just be aware there may be an automatic gratuity factored in, which means there's no reason for you to add even more. Final answer Would like to come back again, but it's a little out of the way.

We ordered chicken biryani and vegetable biryani with salna for about 20 people. It was ready on time, hot and well packed and ready on time. All our guests appreciated both the biryanis. We could have used a few more chicken pieces in the biryani. The guys once again was excellent and authentic.

This place is the best kept secret in the dmv. Everything was delicious. Service is prompt and hospitable. The ambiance is great, even the outdoors is so cute! I already have a list of things to try next time!!!

The samosas' and the dosa's potato filling, the mutton kurma, and the chatneys, particularly the tomato chatney, were all delicious, and the service was very attentive, but the room was chilly and all of the drinks are all non-alcoholic and sweet (except for the water).

It is very hard to find a good south Brian place in Maryland and I really this place. Food was very good. It is clean and has a very good ambiance, nice interior. Reasonable prices. Definitely go again and highly recommend.

These guys never fail me!. Amazing good and great service! Food was great! Ambience was on point!

What an experience. The restaurant was classy, yet comfy. The only thing is that the tables were a little too close together. It was hard to get in the seat. The staff was very helpful, available, but not in your face. We started with Kozhi 65, one of their very popular dishes. It was crispy, moist, and very tasty. For entrees, we got Hopper Ghee Roast, which was exceptional. We have not had anything like it before. The second entree was the Paneer Labadar. Just LOVE! My husband does not eat the Paneer, but he loved the sauce so much he dipped the garlic naan in the sauce. I just love a plain dosa... so I had to get one. It was HUGE and good. Obviously, we got plenty of leftovers. They were as good as the first night. We will be back.

Authentic Tamil / South Indian cuisine. Great veg Thali. Service is great and felt like fine dining from start to finish.

New go-to for South Indian classics AND some fun "newer" options. We came for dinner on a rainy Friday for date night and it was well worth it. We started with Chana daal vadas and paya soup. The vadas were wonderfully crispy, flavor packed, and plenty of chana dal inside which I really enjoy. A warming that they Might be spicy for some but it was just perfect for me. The Paya soup was for hubby who had been looking to try this since watching Killer Soup on Netflix. He said it had good but spicy flavor with plenty of goat. No real reference point as this was first try but still very tasty and comforting on a rainy day. For main I got the Mysore masala dosa which was perfection. Delicious chutney inside and out. Flavorful sambhar but just a bit too thick for me. Nonetheless flavors were just perfect top to bottom and dosa itself was top notch quality and texture-- exactly what you expect when getting dosa. My husband got the Lamb uttapam which he said was not spicy but not at all bland -- flavorful but not "hot". They didn't skimp on lamb which he appreciated. He agreed that the sambhar was exactly Right in terms of flavor but perhaps a bit thick. He specifically enjoyed all 3 chutneys it was served with. For dessert we split the Cardamom creme brulee. Fair warning that this is definitely more of a flan in texture which hubby wasn't fond of but I enjoyed the flavors immensely. We really enjoyed the food so much that we didn't mind the cramped quarters in the restaurant itself. We will certainly be back to try more.

Thursday 5/14/2024 I made a takeout order through toast app and got some items i was familiar with & some new items that were highly reviewed & rated. I ended up spending $78.22 on a mango lassi $6, garlic naan $5, plain dosa $12.95, old Delhi butter chicken (mild) $18.95, kozhi 65 (fried chicken cubes) $12.95, and aadu chukka (boneless lamb-medium spice) $17.95. - mango lassi (rating: 7.4/10) * this reminded me of a mango flavored Danimals yogurt drink but it was decent. * one thing I didn't like was that I got the drink only 3/4ths full while having to pay full price which is bogus. - garlic naan (rating: 7.3/10) * this was solid and it goes great with some of the other dishes I got (particularly the butter chicken & rice). - plain dosa (rating: 2/10) * this was something I never had before until now and I did not like it at all. I tried it with multiple different dips but I just wasn't feeling it. - old Delhi butter chicken (rating: 8.4/10) * this item right here was my favorite. Butter chicken is easily the best Indian dish I've had and they definitely made it pretty good. - kozhi 65 (rating: 7.4/10) * these fried chicken pieces are decent but nothing impressive. It does have a nice citrus flavor with the lemon, cilantro, and onions but I wish the texture was more crispy. - aadu chukka (rating: 7/10) * this is seasoned well and definitely has a spicy kick to it but for me it was alright. All in all, this is a solid Indian spot with pretty expensive prices and smaller portions than I was expecting. When I saw pictures of the food, the portions looked a bit bigger than what I got but maybe I'm tripping. If you come here make sure you definitely get that delicious butter chicken. I would be open to a future visit so I could try even more of their items like the goat biryani, nilgiri lamb kurma, kozhi lollipop, murg tikka Marsala, tandoori wings, and murg til tikka.

After reading reviews of several area Indian restaurants, we decided to try Chennai Hoppers. The restaurant is decorated with photos and artifacts from India. When we arrived only a few tables were occupied, but before we left there was a line at the door. The service was excellent and the food was perfect. This may have been the best saag paneer I've ever eaten. The Murg Tikka Masala was perfectly seasoned, cooked well and the chicken was mouthwatering and tender. The street samosas were served in the cutest truck, but it wasn't just about the presentation they were perfect! The only downside was that there is no alcohol to drink, but don't let this deter you from trying this gem of a restaurant!

We found this place on Yelp when we were in Gaithersburg. We made a reservation on a Friday night and drove to this place. It's a small place with limited seating inside. There were some people waiting to get in. We waited like 5 mins and were seated. The service is ok. There were just 2-3 servers that night, and they just came to take the order. But never came back to check if we needed anything. We had to flag them to talk to them. The food is quite good. We didn't try a lot of things or the traditional items, which I'm sure is quite good. We got the following: - Uthiri Onion Pakoda- this was very good and crispy. It comes in a good size portion as well. - Street Samosas - this was ok. Nothing special. - Dosa - not bad. The chutney and sambhar were good. Dosa could have been more crispy. Overall, we had a good time and the food was good. Look forward to trying other things on the menu next time.

Cozy nice well decorated clean place with friendly staff. The food is very delicious we enjoyed every single dish . We definitely will go back to try more . Thank you best of luck

One of my friends ordered a feast for a birthday party and I enjoyed the Palak Paneer, Samosa, and Garlic Naan. The paneer was quite flavorful, albeit a bit greasy and oily. The crispy Samosa weren't too big and a good size, easy enough to conquer. The naan was soft. The food had a mild spicy kick, but not overpowering. I would order more dishes when we're in the area!

The egg drop tasted so refreshing. The staff allowed us to try how much spicy we liked. Naans were crispy outside soft inside. First time to have chicken biryani, I liked it more and more after first bite.

The food here was delicious. I had the paneer tikka to start, and the Dum goat Bryani. The servers were attentive and very nice. The inside of the restaurant has a warm vibe to it. Definitely a great place for lunch and small groups. I had a chai tea for dessert and left full and happy. I'll definitely be back.

Truly spectacular! Exquisitely authentic and insanely delicious ----if you've missed your favorite South Indian delights---you've got to go here. On the pricier side sure but it's worth it.

Was excited to finally check this place out. I went for lunch with some friends and the food was delicious. We ordered okra and paneer dishes as an appetizer. For entrees we got the mango shrimp curry and goat biryani in addition with side of Naan and Masala dosa. We also ordered mango lassi and rose milk to drink. All the dishes were exceptional. I was looking for a lunch menu but was told they didn't have one. This place was worthwhile, and a bit pricey for lunch but I highly recommend it.

Not my favorite for Indian food. This is one of those Indian places where everything has a cinnamon spice taste. I don't like this kind. It's also more expensive than the Indian restaurants in my neighborhood, which is a far nicer neighborhood than where this place is. So you have to go out of your way to this neighborhood and pay extra for worse food. Not ever going back. I don't think their food is bad, as in the quality of the got was good, and the overall preparation was good. Maybe some people even like these flavors. But for me, I spent $80 for 2 people and had only enough leftovers for 1 meal. I normally spend only $45 for 2 people at Minerva and have leftovers for 2-3 more meals. The other negative is the packaging. They package to go orders in paper boxes. Everyone knows the industry standard is the black plastic containers. Yes it wastes plastic, but I don't care about wasting plastic when the alternative is a flimsy paper box that dissolves before you finish the food. If I lived in this neighborhood I might go back, but there's absolutely no reason to take a trip to this neighborhood for high priced Indian from the part of India that relies on one spice dominating the dishes, rather than the complex flavors of better Indian food.

Astronomical portions for the chicken biryani. The chicken is bone in. The rice was cooked very well. It didn't mush up, i could feel each individual grain. I personally would've preferred if it was spicier. But it's definitely NOT lacking in other aspects of flavor.

Don't think I've ever been to an Indian restaurant with a menu like this - classics mixed with a lot of fun options. We came on a Thursday night and the restaurant was pretty busy, but the tables were moving fast and we got seated in under 10 minutes. The ambiance in the restaurant was really nice. There were artifacts and pictures all over the place and a lot of families dining in. We got the onion pakoda to start. Seriously what's not to love about battered fried onions, such a fun snack. We shared the Mysore masala dosa and chicken biryani as mains. The dosa was crispy and came with deliciously spicy potato filling and a tasty Sambar. The biryani was amazing as well - the rice flavorful and the chicken cooked tender. The portions are so generous, the two of us thought we did pretty well but had at least half of the pakoda and biryani as leftovers. Btw the leftovers keep so well, the pakoda remained crispy for a few days in the fridge.

Wonderful restaurant with authentic food. Easily the best Indian food we've had in Gaithersburg. We also loved the ambiance and warm service.

Overall a pleasant experience! It's only my second time trying dosa so it's hard to compare, but I enjoyed their dishes. Ordered their fried taro and onion as appetizers, both were solid but not too special. Their eggplant curry was good, but a bit oily. Service and atmosphere were excellent!

Amazing Indian food, service. Clean and will definitely come back! Highly recommend. Great service

This is by far my fav Indian restaurant in the area. I have been here so many times and I'm surprised I haven't reviewed them earlier. This time we went with some family that was visiting from the West coast. We started with Gunpowder paniyaram. It's not really gunpowder Gunpowder is a South Indian dry rub made with roasted lentils, cumin, and other spices each chef/home chef have their own version of gunpowder. Paniyaram is a lightly fried rice batter dough, the paniyaram quoted in the gunpowder spice and it is delicious. For the main course, we ordered Nilgiri lamb korma, chicken korma, ceylon Porotta and Kothu porrotta. A porotta is a flaky naan but so much more yummy. A Kothu porotta is dice up porotta with diced onions, spices, and your choice of protein, we chose chicken. This is a must have item. Chennai hoppers is not for the faint of heart. They do ask for your spice level, but even the mild is spicy for the weak hearted. We ended the night with cardamom custard and a Palkova. The cardamom custard was delicious, but the chocolate sprinkled on the plate I think took away from the cardamom being the showstopper. The Palkova was mind blowing delicious. It was a wrapped in a banana leaf and was moist and had a slight grit to it as well. Ditch the other Indian restaurant and come here for an awesome meal. The place is small so make a reservation!

We ordered the Tandoori Pomfret and Virudhunagar Chukka Kari. Both were delicious and authentic. The waiters were polite and helpful. I have eaten here 3 times and all of them were gastronomical delights. I will keep coming back!

The dosa here is really delicious! If you love South Indian this is the place. The service was good too. It's a nice and kinda cute place.

I can't believe I haven't been here before but really impressed by this restaurant. It's in a very competitive area but was fully packed. I had made a reservation prior to coming in so was on a table within seconds of coming in. The staff was friendly and attentive even with how busy they were. The menu has lots of vegan and vegetarian options along with other non-vegetarian staples of South India. We ordered all vegetarian options and were not at all disappointed other than the fried onion pakoras and the veg Biryani. The pakoras were just too crunchy and individual onion slices meant we felt more of the dough rather than the onions in each bite. And with the veg biryani, a little spicier than expected. If they would have asked us, I would lower the spice level just slightly (I was able to eat but my parents found it really hot). Now for the good stuff, the paneer tikka multani was perfectly spiced and the accompanying moong daal and chutney add the nice balance. The moong dal helped clean the palate and calm the flavors so I can take another bite of the paneer for more spiced fun. The banana gotas or the banana dumplings as they called them in their description were surprise winners in my book. They had that gota and falafel texture but with the South Indian feel to it. Really nice with the Imli chutney on the side. My two year old enjoyed the sambar and idli but for me the paneer curry and masala okra were the show piece. Enjoyed how unique flavored they were; even though they were North Indian dishes, they had just the right amount of south india represented. Overall, really great menu with some of the best non-typical south indian fare but still lots of options for south dishes as well. I will definitely come back.

Love this place, the food was great and the service was too. The servers were nice they accommodated my food restriction. Lovely tables and clean settings.

We've been to Chennai Hoppers several times, driving all from Silver Spring (about 19 road miles). The food is always excellent, with the Pallipalayam Chicken being one item to die for. However, they don't quite have the management down to a science. Yesterday, we made a reservation over the phone several hours in advance. When we arrived, they claimed they had no record of the reservation. (They seated us anyway at the only available table.) We also ordered a mango lassi that never arrived. In between the staff almost never checked on us and we essentially ran out of water even with a pitcher on the table. Alert management would have given us a discount or a coupon or something for the combination of the lost reservation and forgotten lassi, but all we got was a sort of mumbled apology from one member of the waitstaff.

This review is solely for their Goat Bucket Biryani. The bucket biryani is something I have only seen in India so to see it on their menu when we were placing a takeout order was very exciting! It comes with goat biryani in a bucket enough to feed about 4-5 people and also includes a chicken 65 appetizer, raita, dessert and soda. The biryani was tasty and spicy, however more goat pieces would've made it better. The chicken 65 and dessert (gulab jamun today) were also good, but not enough for 4 people. I would definitely recommend and order again.

Ordered delivery from here for the first time. Packaging was some of the best I've ever seen. Tamper proof brown bag contained everything. All plastic containers were plastic wrapped to ensure no leakage. Cardboard containers had stickers to discourage tampering. All the dishes are so flavorful, more so than Bombay Bistro (our other local favorite Indian place) and way more so than OM Fine (we were so underwhelmed). We ordered Iyer yellow dal, kaaigari pakoda, ennai kathirikai (medium hot), dum veg biryani, chettinadu kalan thengai pattani curry (spicy hot), and old Delhi butter chicken (spicy hot). These came with 3 small containers of white basmati rice. We probably wouldn't order the kaaigari pakoda again. It was 60-70% breading and the rest vegetables. Flavorful but just too much breading. Everything else was really good. Appreciated the generous white rice portions and all the care that went into the packaging.

Tasty food, good service, lovely ambiance... we enjoyed the wholesome South Indian cuisine