Desi Chaat House
Indian restaurant · Woodland Terrace ·

Desi Chaat House

Indian restaurant · Woodland Terrace ·

Sweets, savories, chaats, lassis, and rice pudding delights

chaat
samosa chaat
mango lassi
samosas
owner
pani puri
vada pav
friendly service
Desi Chaat House by null
Desi Chaat House by Infatuation - Reviews
Desi Chaat House by null
Desi Chaat House by null
Desi Chaat House by null
Desi Chaat House by null
Desi Chaat House by null
Desi Chaat House by null
Desi Chaat House by null
Desi Chaat House by null
Desi Chaat House by null
Desi Chaat House by null
Desi Chaat House by null
Desi Chaat House by null
Desi Chaat House by null
Desi Chaat House by null
Desi Chaat House by null
Desi Chaat House by null
Desi Chaat House by null
Desi Chaat House by null
Desi Chaat House by null
Desi Chaat House by null
Desi Chaat House by null
Desi Chaat House by null
Desi Chaat House by null
Desi Chaat House by null
Desi Chaat House by null
Desi Chaat House by null
Desi Chaat House by null
Desi Chaat House by null
Desi Chaat House by null
Desi Chaat House by null
Desi Chaat House by null
Desi Chaat House by null
Desi Chaat House by null
Desi Chaat House by null
Desi Chaat House by null
Desi Chaat House by null
Desi Chaat House by null
Desi Chaat House by null
Desi Chaat House by null
Desi Chaat House by null
Desi Chaat House by null
Desi Chaat House by null
Desi Chaat House by null

Information

501 S 42nd St, Philadelphia, PA 19104 Get directions

$10–20

Order delivery
See Menu
Accepts reservations
Popular for lunch
Popular for dinner
Good for solo dining
Vegetarian options

Information

Static Map

501 S 42nd St, Philadelphia, PA 19104 Get directions

+1 215 386 1999
desichaathousepa.com
@desichaatphilly

$10–20 · Menu

Features

•Accepts reservations
•Popular for lunch
•Popular for dinner
•Good for solo dining
•Vegetarian options
•Comfort food
•Credit card accepted
•Debit card accepted

Last updated

Jan 9, 2026

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@eater
391,688 Postcards · 10,993 Cities

The Best Indian Food in Philadelphia | Eater Philly

"West Philly’s Desi Chaat specializes in the savory, street food-style snacks of northern India. There’s a wide variety of chaats here, with different mixes of thin, crisp bread, chickpeas, potatoes, and proteins, topped with chutneys and yogurt sauce." - Ernest Owens

https://philly.eater.com/maps/best-indian-restaurants-philadelphia
Desi Chaat House
@eater
391,688 Postcards · 10,993 Cities

The Essential Halal Restaurants of Philly | Eater Philly

"Potato-filled samosa chaat, lamb platters, and other Pakistan dishes can be found at this beloved café. Those who are looking for gluten-free and vegan halal options — come here, no doubt." - Ernest Owens

https://philly.eater.com/maps/essential-halal-restaurants-philly
Desi Chaat House
@infatuation
132,814 Postcards · 3,234 Cities

Desi Chaat House - Review - West Philadelphia - Philadelphia - The Infatuation

"Desi Chaat House is an Indian cafe in West Philly with a very long list of chaats, which are potato-based, multi-layer dishes usually covered in tangy yogurt. And Desi Chaat House carries both savory ones, like the traditional Papri Chaat, and sweet versions with tamarinds and dates mixed in. Come here if you want to grab a quick bite between classes, or for a take out dinner when you can’t seem to summon the strength to make it to the grocery store. And whatever you do, get a mango lassi for dessert. It’s kind of like a mango smoothie, with cold, creamy yogurt and sweet mango blended in - it’s one of our favorite desserts in the area." - Sydney McElwee

https://www.theinfatuation.com/philadelphia/reviews/desi-chaat-house
Infatuation - Reviews
Desi Chaat House
@eater
391,688 Postcards · 10,993 Cities

Where to Eat in West Philadelphia and University City | Eater Philly

"Indian snacks get the spotlight at this casual corner eatery serving up cool and crunchy chaats and bhel puris, along with mini-potato sliders (vada paav)." - Caroline Coral

https://philly.eater.com/maps/best-restaurants-bars-west-philadelphia-university-city
Desi Chaat House

gabriel G.

Google
I've never written a review before, but this place is wonderful. The chicken tikka masala is easily the best I've ever had- the meat and roasted bell peppers taste incredible. I came in feeling a bit blue and the meal I had gave me such a warm and comforting feeling. Very relaxing atmosphere. I am excited to come back and try the other dishes on the menu!

Eric T.

Google
Hello! This is the first Google review I've ever left. This place is fantastic. My friend and I used to come here every Friday, and the food is delicious, especially the samosas, which are incredibly affordable on a student budget. Desi Chaat House is perfect if you're looking for comfort food; the samosas and chaat were the highlight of my day every Friday. The owner is very kind, and the atmosphere is delightfully cozy. There's a good amount of vegan options too. Thank you for everything!

Behroze

Google
Amazing taste , clean store .Punjabi style flavor. Had the papri chat it was healthy and tasty

Farah S.

Google
The best chaat in the east coast! We drove two hours to have the samosa chaat, sev dhahi bhala, veggie samosas and gulaab Jamun. The flavors of the chaat were excellent and all ingredients mixed to perfection. The owner Hina is fabulous and goes above and beyond to make sure we are helped. We also appreciate the variety of chaats. Thanks Chaat House!

Falere F

Google
UPDATE: I would give this place 0 stars if I could, I called back asking for a refund, she kept saying "all chaat comes with yogurt" and "you shouldn't be ordering if you don't know what chaat" horrible attitude to a customer, and it doesn't matter you should say that on your menu, I was able to get a refund through the merchant site. I ordered from their website and was excited to finally try the food here. However, I opened my food and saw that it had yogurt on it which I can't eat and was not listed as being part of the meal that I ordered. I called the restaurant and the lady said all chaat comes with yogurt, I was aware of this as I've ordered chaat elsewhere which didn't contain yogurt or at least noted. Instead of offering a refund or a new me she just promptly hung up. I will not go back there again. If you're running a restaurant you should make clear what's in your food. Especially, as people have allergies and dietary restrictions.

Rita J.

Google
SCRUMPTIOUS. Will definitely be returning. I called ahead for their lunch special (non veg which was chicken Tika and another chicken dish I'm blanking on with rice and....I want to say a flour tortilla but I guess it was labeled as Naan bread....) and The samosa chaat. From the first bite, my tastebuds fell in love. The flavors were electrical. Value out of this world. Would recommend 10/10. My wallet remained in tact and that's always a big plus in my book; I consider this spot a STEAL. Between you and me, I do wish I got more meats in the lunch special but that being said, I'll come back and pay proper full price for a big portion. Or just come back for the chaats.

Keith F.

Google
The best chat in all of Philadelphia. The staff was very friendly and suggested that I put the yougart and sauces in a cup where I could mix at home since I was ordering take out. Great suggestion. I savored every bite and crunch. Thanks Sir. I will always stop in for take out whenever I visit Philadelphia, because it is a must have!!!

ahsan P.

Google
A true gem in neighborhood. Dahi baray, chana chat is mouthwatering. I have been going here for 10 years. Owner is very nice guy- always greets us smile
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Sharika M.

Yelp
Ordered delivery via DoorDash. The food was packaged really nicely and delivered really quickly. There is a spicy element missing from the dishes. if the standard doesn't include heat, there should be an option for customers to ask for heat. I also felt the pani puri portions could have been more. Otherwise, the Crazy Chaat was fun to eat! It had a lot of chana chur on top!
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Lindsey O.

Yelp
Wowowow! My bf and I came here on our own because we were craving Pani puri to realize it was Dollar Stroll. As a result, we ordered the Pani puri and chicken chaat we'd wanted, but also got a few extras like samosas and another dish whose name I'll never remember that was excellent. We also got mango lassi. Overall the meal and service was excellent. I can't wait to go back and try more and I'm so glad we ended up getting more stuff than we'd planned in the first place because of Dollar Stroll!
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Feeloo A.

Yelp
Delicious fresh watermelon juice, no sugar, just pure fruit flavour. And I had the pani puri, so yummy, reminded me of home. Highly recommend!

Cayman M.

Yelp
Great food with an authentic taste. Mango lassis are especially delicious. Open late, too.
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Emil G.

Yelp
Samosas by themselves are okay, but I ordered a samosa chaat and it was severely lacking in terms of flavor. $10 (plus tax) for 1, maybe 2 samosas, cold chickpeas, cubed potatoes, crisps, sauce, and yogurt seemed rather underwhelming. As someone with a decent appetite, I had it all in one sitting and felt satisfied, sure. But the tamarind/chili chutney did not have enough flavor of its own to carry the dish; the only other source of flavor in the dish was the samosa(s) which was rather bland. This food might fly in Ohio, but not Philly. If you're looking for a hearty, bold-flavored chaat, I recommend Mood Cafe instead. PS Online ordering does not work, and the pricing is no longer accurate on the website. Call ahead, Grubhub, or order in person.
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Clare D.

Yelp
It is now time to give Desi Chaat House the props it deserves. For well over a decade, I have been frequenting this unassuming restaurant with not many expectations because when I first heard of it, I didn't know what to expect and I found the restaurant to be unique and nothing quite like it. Let me tell you, this place is a pioneer in chaat. Time and time again, I come to this place and the food is consistently good. It is Indian street food, pure and simple, and you should not expect some lavish place with pretense. Oh, no, this is a place with down to earth people and food that is very comforting on a cold, rainy day or even an uneventful weekend. It just hits you in the right way. I've tried the standards, like Papri and Dahi Bhalla, as well as the "everything" chaat (the Crazy Chaat), which has six different chaats all on the same plate. The biryani is good and the mango lassis are really good. Yes, this is fast food, but it's fast food done right. You know it's good when you drive by this place and crave its wonderful flavors. I give five stars to this place without hesitation. You are in my heart forever.
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Risa D.

Yelp
I miss spicy, authentic Indian food and this spot did not disappoint. I grabbed some samosas and a samosa chaat- and YUM YUM! My sons loved the samosas, and I grabbed enough to take home for later. At 1.75 a piece, I don't think you could beat the price and portion size. It was a sunny day after school so we sat outside, and our order was ready for pick up as soon as I walked in. I ordered online via grub hub. This spot has a lot of my favorites- gulab jamun, chaats, pani puri! I will definitely be back soon so I can get my Indian food fix. You can also get dishes made to suit a vegetarian diet. the decor inside is very sunny- yellow walls, digital pictures for the menu- and the owner came outside to check on us! Five star service!
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Olga C.

Yelp
SCRUMPTIOUS. Will definitely be returning. I called ahead for their lunch special (non veg which was chicken Tika and another chicken dish I'm blanking on with rice and....I want to say a flour tortilla but I guess it was labeled as Naan bread....) and The samosa chaat. From the first bite, my tastebuds fell in love. The flavors were electrical. Value out of this world. Would recommend 10/10. My wallet remained in tact and that's always a big plus in my book; I consider this spot a STEAL. Between you and me, I do wish I got more meats in the lunch special but that being said, I'll come back and pay proper full price for a big portion. Or just come back for the chaats.
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Claire Y.

Yelp
We ordered the samosa chaat and Aloo Tiki chaat. I personally like the samosa chaat more since I am a big fan of samosa. Aloo Tiki chaat is slightly spicy. The chaat is cold overall, with a hot samosa or Aloo Toki on top, which is a bit different than I expected. But doesn't affect the taste much. I like the crunchiness of the crackers on the bottom soaked in the sauce/yogurt. This is my first time trying Chaat and absolutely love it! What makes this place even better is their Customer Service! The owner is super duper friendly and very patient when explaining the menu items to us!!! I will def come back again!
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Sanjana P.

Yelp
I was very excited to try this place but the food was underwhelming. I got a chicken wrap. Since this place is called desi chaat house I expected Indian/desi flavours in the wrap but instead I got some dry chicken meat with lettuce, banana peppers, drenched in Buffalo sauce. I was planning on eating in the restaurant but the person who made my order only gave me the wrap, no plates or even a to-go container to eat it in. I had to ask for a box later so I wouldn't make a mess on the table (since the wrap was 40% just liquid dressing that kept falling out after every bite). The taste of the food itself was alright. But definitely not desi flavours since it was straight up Buffalo sauce. Also, this may be nit picky but the aluminium foil and parchment paper used to hold my food were folded INTO the wrap. So before every bite I had to essentially open up my wrap to peel out the foil and paper. Just was inconvenient and made eating the wrap even messier than it was. I will definitely come back to try their more "chaat" like menu items but was not impressed with the chicken wrap.

Adam G.

Yelp
Guys... I used to love your Vada Pav, but I went in today... All I can say is, it was all Pav, no Vada. What the heck are you doing? Chick peas are cheap, potatoes are cheap, make the patty big like from a truckstop on the Mumbai-Pune expressway... Also, Martin's potato rolls, seriously? This is super sad... Only making this 3 stars because my wife's chaat was decent.
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bhanu V.

Yelp
A decent chaat house. With average plus chaats. Not that we're bad, but I've tasted many better chaats in the US. Must go and visit if you are in the neighborhood.
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Maura P.

Yelp
Two stars because the food didnt taste utterly disgusting. I think if you know what you're getting yourself into you might like the food but I didn't like it at all. Just know this is cold food and I mean ice cold which is off putting. I didn't expect that. I ordered a vegan dish but it smells like boiled eggs. Note I don't see eggs in it but the smell is just strong. It's not completely inedible but it's just different. If this is your thing you might like it but if you're trying something new brace yourself and do your research first. I was going to save this and try to eat it over rice for lunch as a hot dish but tbh it is going in the trash instead because I dont trust it. The employees are very nice. I'm so serious I had to go around the corner and get a veggie burger instead. I wasn't prepared. Of course I wont be eating at this place again.
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Medha G.

Yelp
I visited Desi Chaat House two years ago and then once again this past week and both times, I met the same lady who appeared to be running the restaurant herself. She was the highlight of both of my visits as she was extremely sweet and dedicated to the chaat-making craft. I ordered the Delhi Chaat, which was a spin-off of the Papri Chaat. All the chaats can either be mild, medium, or spicy and I chose medium, but it will still a little easy for my taste. The flavors were sweet and tangy as promised, but my friends who chose hot thought their dishes need more space. The quantity of the food made it enough for a meal, despite chaat traditionally being considered as a snack item. My friends ordered the mango lassi and falooda drink. The mango lassi was delicious, but not authentic and the falooda was a nice change of pace from the basic Indian desserts typically sold at restaurants. Overall, Desi Chaat House was a nice break from the trite Indian food scene in University City.
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Sushant S.

Yelp
It was testy,but only the think I don't like is that the masala was little overpowering the chat other then that it was ok.
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Ryan R.

Yelp
I'm a student who attends the university nearby and this is extremely close by and as an Indian/Bengali I love Desi food. Today I finally got the chance to try it and sadly I was disappointed. And I got 3 reasons. The first reason: My girlfriend and I got the Chicken Tikka Masala special and veggie samosas. But, when we ate the samosas it was definitely from a frozen package, because they were kind of cold and watery. The second reason: The chicken tikka was not even chicken tikka it was butter chicken and the price compared to the portion was horrible. I paid 13.99 for a measly 7 small chicken breasts in a buttered sauce. Granted the buttered sauce was good only because it was sweet and I kept wanting to eat it. Also the rice portion was small like it's rice it is not expensive to make or even cook. The third reason: I asked for a mango lassi and it was $5.50! That is ridiculous! They weren't even freshly made! Because of these reasons I would not be a returning customer however I should try their chaat but the prices were intimidating.

James G.

Yelp
Tasty and quick! Perfect for a lunch in Clark park. Happy to be able to find chaat in the city! Everything was delicious.
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Elena K.

Yelp
Delicious and refreshing chaat! I wasn't familiar with the menu and got very helpful recommendations based on what I mentioned I was looking for. I communicated my excitement about about having mango in my chaat and the woman preparing the chaat was kind enough to give me a little extra mango. Definitely would go back on my next visit to Philly!
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Cat K.

Yelp
Always a tasty bite, served quickly. The food is often ready prior to the time quoted.
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Santeri P.

Yelp
Desi Chaat House caught my attention because it serves some Indian food items I hadn't tried before, specifically chaat. When I stepped inside, I was greeted by friendly people that seemed happy to see me. I asked for a recommendation and stated that I like spicy food. The Delhi Chaat was recommended and I went with it. I also added a Vada Pav to my order since I know I like them and would love to have a spot where I can get them as a snack whenever I want. I didn't pay a lot of attention to the preparation of the food but I did see them microwave the vada pav. The Delhi Chaat was good but not as flavorful as I'm accustomed to with good Indian food. I liked the crunchy toppings a lot, it makes the dish seem like a snack. It wasn't very spicy and the girl at the counter did check to see if it was spicy enough which I appreciated. When I said that it wasn't she offered to make it spicier. I handed it back to her and she added more sauce which to me actually tasted kind of like a standard American vinegar based hot sauce such as Frank's Red Hot. It still wasn't spicy in my opinion, but I do have a high tolerance to chilis. The Vada Pav was actually spicier than the chaat. I liked it even though I have had better ones. I like the whole concept of a fried potato patty eaten as a slider, basically a comfort food snack. The food was served fast, no long wait. Probably because it's already pre-made but I still liked it. I will certainly come back to grab more chaat and vada pav. It's a good quick filling snack that doesn't amaze but still satisfies.
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Teddy C.

Yelp
The lady that prepared my food used the same vinyl gloves to handle my cash and coins. The credit card service was down. I reluctantly proceeded to eat my food. As I recall the the chicken chaat comes with small chunks of mango, apples, potatoes, and chickpeas. Today only with potatoes and chickpeas. I also got 2 samosas which was a mistake. It was really dry and appears to have been under the heat lamp for over 24 hours. No sauces or chickpeas were offered with the samosas, which I had to ask for. I used to come here often when I lived around the corner. I remember a friendly gentleman working behind the counter. He was always eager to serve whenever I visited. Fast forward to today, the lady working here today doesn't seem to want to work. I couldn't understand what she said as she mumbled her responses. I am disappointed after coming here today. The quality control is not the same when I visited 10 years ago. I'm kind of pissed that I wasted 12 bucks.

Mahassain B.

Yelp
i ask for 2 orders of chicken and got 1. and charged for 2. the sauce was runny and chicken wasn't tender.
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Trushit O.

Yelp
This is one of the times I am really disappointed in the rating of the restaurant. Some of the food sold here is really stale. One of the items today, vada pav was so stale that you could smell it having gone bad. It was still served. The chaats are nothing special either. To me, avoid at all costs

sophia a.

Yelp
I use to like it here but some of the food is definitely stale. The flavors are there but I'm scared to eat the rest of my lunch. The shop also needs to be cleaned up a bit.
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M S.

Yelp
What an interesting experience. We had no idea what chaat was or what to expect from the various items on the menu so we randomly ordered chicken chaat, Delhi chaat, and panpuri Chaat. All were $6-7 and fairly good portions. Each dish had a layer of crispy tortilla-ish bites, the meat or potato (maybe?) layer which was coated in a yogurt sauce and then topped with more sauces or lot of different crunchy items. Honestly we weren't quite sure what we were eating but it was very fun and tasty. We learned later than Chaat is meant to be a snack but sharing 3 items between 2 people was a good meal. The food was prepared quickly and looked very fresh. I would definitely go back for the experience but maybe ask a few more questions and bring someone who knows what to order.
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Yingbo W.

Yelp
Never stepped foot in this store because I ordered from Uber Eats! I have driven by it and it looks like a hole in the wall but whatever I love those! This is my first experience ordering from a restaurant that exclusively sells chaat. I've tried samosa chaat at an Indian restaurant before but didn't know what chaat meant and never knew it could be made in so many different ways. I made a big Uber eats order (to be eaten over a course of few meals) because I was curious. Turns out the experience was super fun and interesting! Basically the chaat come in all variations of chickpeas, crispy prices (fried dough strips or noodles of some sort), tamarind, fruits, onions, turnips?, this green stuff (I think mint?), and yogurt, seeds, all layered on top of each other and mixed together like some crazy weird dip. Some of them have meat and some of them don't. They all seem to be served room temperature minus the meat topping. I tried the pani puri, samosas, samosa chaat, and chicken biryani. I also got some lamb chaat but they gave me bhel puri instead (I think) which was vegetarian. Uber refunded my money for the wrong order so I was happy. I also got medium heat which wasn't spicy at all. The samosa chaat was savory but the bhel puri was sweet and tart. The pani puri were these little hollow balls you had to crack and fill with the chickpea mix and the tamarind/date water. It felt like I was eating dainty little escargots--but not as gross and also vegetarian. Everything tasted great except the chicken biryani which was really boring. It was like a halal guy's wannabe but no white sauce included!! Get halal chicken and rice instead or chicken biryani from your favorite Indian restaurant, just not this one. For dessert, I got this pink milk drink with the rice noodles, faluda, which reminded me of Vietnamese che, and the carrot halwa, which I had tried once at an Indian wedding. I loved the faluda but the halwa was a bit drier than I remembered. Overall, I'm super impressed with how authentic and unique this little hole in the wall restaurant is. It's Indian food but not your typical stuff like the chicken tikka, naan, curries, whatever that you would find at other places. I loved this glimpse into a subset of Indian street food. Coming from a person that knows the ins and outs of Chinese food, it is amazing to discover the variations of Indian food exist as well! Oh and LPT, I found the chaat tasted better after leaving in the fridge for a day (like all Asian takeout and leftovers) so it's perfectly fine to take some home.
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Richard C.

Yelp
Desi Chaat House is quite innocuous as you pass by it. It's located in a residential part of University City and sticks out quite a lot amongst the homes that surround it. This humble store however packs quite a punch in flavor! I ordered the Samosa Chaat, which was recommended to me by the owner. I'd never had chaat before, so I was really excited to try something new. What was presented to me was totally unexpected. Essentially, there were chips(?), potatoes, chickpeas, and a whole samosa drenched in this tamarind-like sweet sauce and a milky white sauce. Usually, I'm not a fan of drenching things in a lot of sauce (like the white sauce when I'm getting chicken over rice at a Halal cart), but MAN, it really worked well in this dish. This is a hot and cold dish, pairing the slightly cold sauces with the warm samosa. What resulted was a delicious and complex flurry of flavors, textures, and temperatures! Every ingredient complemented each other quite nicely. I particularly appreciated the addition of potatoes and chickpeas, as they helped to settle the almost overwhelming sauce. This is also a very filling dish because of all the carbs in it. I was ready to take a fat nap afterwards. This was a great experience, but the reason I didn't give a full 5 stars is because of the samosa. The potato-pea filling was a little too medicinal for my palate, and I do wish it was hotter. I still don't really know what chaat is (haha), but I really look forward to tasting other intriguing menu items the next time I pop by! I highly recommend it!
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Shar M.

Yelp
So, here's what I know... 1) I've driven past this place a gazillion times. 2) This is my 1st time having chaat. 3) I will keep driving past this place in the future. 4) I may never eat chaat again on my life. Why? Because of Desi Chaat House. Like, yo! This is the most confusing food item I've eaten since baby food. I'm pretty adventurous, but herein lies the problem...I don't even know what it was supposed to be. It surely didn't look like the picture on the menu. It was layers of crunchy, with cold potato chunks, chick peas, onions, craisins?, 3 dices of mango (literally) with a ladle of yogurt, tamarind?, and something bright green. Serious. I posted a pic. Whatever. It was an unbalanced, cold, unloved "hot" mess. Even from watching the way the guy assembled it...I should've known. Maybe I picked the wrong menu item. But the cashier was also hocking up spit in the back while I ate...I couldn't get over the noise. Pretty nightmarish sound. Bye, Desi. I was hoping you'd be a winning find.
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Tuba H.

Yelp
Came here tens minutes before closing .... we got pani puri , papri chaat and mango lassi . Mango lassi was the highlight . Everything else was pretty average. Absolute no yogurt in the chaat . Unlikely to visit this place.
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Bill M.

Yelp
Overall a 4.5, but curving to five because of the incredible service and extensive chaats that I can't wait to eventually sink my teeth into! With plenty of fruit and veggie chaats to choose from, veggie and chicken samosas, way too many wraps to chow down on, and Indian desserts to choose from; Desi Chaat house definitely gives you plenty of good reasons to go from "Mild to Wild!". Upon first entering I was sold on just walking out with one of their lamb wraps, mango lassi, and a container of gulab jaman. But the person helping me behind the counter (I think owner) was amazing enough to walk me through the many varieties of chaat, and its plentiful varieties of ingredients. He was even friendly enough to scoop me up a complimentary small portion of fruit chaat for the road. extensive and helpful service like that just has to win you over. My take out experience wasn't without it's foibles since the lid of my container of lassi managed to become loose and leave me with a fruity surprise. but it could be just as easily on the part of my error in carrying, and what I was able to salvage turned out to be super sweet. the gulab jaman wasn't as good as what I've had at New Delhi, but it managed to hit the spot all the same. While the particular chaat offered enough to pique my curiosity, it didn't fully deliver, and I found it to be way too sweet. But it made for a good preview that was enough to leave me interested in trying more.. The main event was the lamb wrap and it was amazing. it had enough spices and sauces to rival the best of them at places like Saad's, and clocked at close to $1 less. So overall Desi Chaat House left me with plenty to enjoy, and I'm hooked on finding out more!
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Anila Y.

Yelp
I did not like this place. First of all, everything is served in those really fancy reheatable plastic to-go containers. This probably makes everything really expensive... i found the bill very overpriced for chaat. The chaat itself was not great.. it had wayyy too much red chutney and was hard to stomach. The pani puri filling was gross and not really a traditional pani puri filling. I ordered it spicy, but didn't find it spicy at all. The only thing I could really drink was the mango lassi.
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Amaresh S.

Yelp
When I lived in philly, I came to this place an absurd amount of times. Not because it's the best tasting chaat or anything, but it's quick, convenient, and cheap. For around 6 bucks, you can get food in less than five minutes and it's reasonably filling. For those of you who are looking for something a little more exotic, try the pani puri chaat - there are these little crisp puffs that you poke a hole into, and fill with a chaat mixture and some tamarind water. One of the best things about chaat is that you get a different set of flavors and textures in every bite, which is a pretty enjoyable experience.
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Tyler R.

Yelp
If I had to describe Desi Chaat House in one word, it would be "amazingly satisfying." "That's two words," you say...I know, I know, but its unfair to contain Desi Chaat House to just one word or even two. The selection of chaat should please anyone, the variety of lassis and desserts offered always hit the spot, and the ice cream flavors are mind blowing. When have you ever had paan ice cream? How about rose and basil seed? Let us not forget the almighty Punjabi samosas they serve. Giant, stuffed triangular pyramids of complete satisfaction. Ask for more Tamarind sauce, and they happily oblige. Also, the chicken biryani, though spicy, is also amazingly good. Desi Chaat House- you are wonderful, and you will always be a favorite.

M W.

Yelp
Delicious! Had samosa chaat & kheer and both were very good. Highly recommend if you like chaat.

Prithvi M.

Yelp
Really couldn't eat the food. Basic stuff like samosa chaat was not edible. Samosas were not cooked fully.Spice level requested was medium but it turned out sweet. Pav bhaji that we ordered was way too spicy despite the medium spice level requested. I will not recommend this place.
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Natisha C.

Yelp
Nothing compares to Desi Chaat House. After eating so many not so great chaats along the way, I now know that the chaat served at Desi Chaat House exceeds all standards in portion size, quality, and taste. There are so many great options to choose from in addition to deciding whether or not to go MILD or WILD! It seems that at any other restaurant, chaat is served as a appetizer or after thought. I love how the chaat here is the star! The portion that is given is filling enough to be a meal, which I happen to like when I want to feel full but not necessarily weighed down. Whatever system they use for preparing the chaat is super efficient. No matter how busy they are service is very speedy. The employees are also very kind to match. Now that I no longer live in the Philadelphia area, I'm sad that Desi Chaat house is no longer in my weekly rotation. But whenever I visit, I'll be sure to stop by. Dear Desi Chaat House, please stay in business for the rest of my life. Signed, a loyal customer.
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Sophia H.

Yelp
Samosa chaat was pretty okay. This is my first chaat, and i probably wont order a chaat again. The food was really heavy, and there were cold sauces meshed together with warm chickpeas and samosa. The blend of warm/cold food was just not great. I want a fully warm meal or a fully cold meal but not two different-temperature foods. But also, the food was nothing impressive. I don't think I'm a chaat person.
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Setu J.

Yelp
Very average place. We had the vada par and paani poori. Nothing to write home about. Not a place to fulfill your Desi chaat cravings. I was also surprised to see frozen samosas in the fridge. Why would I come to a restaurant to eat frozen food.
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Lionel R.

Yelp
I am not sure what this restaurant is trying to sell. The food is not fresh nor authentic Indian in anyway. The chaat is old and the masala tea is basically semi boiled water with a hint of.. salt?? not sure what that was. The lady was rude when we requested her to heat the tea. She also confessed the food there is from a sister store nearby. Please avoid this place...
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Tanzila S.

Yelp
I'm a sucker for dahi puri. So you can imagine my excitement when this little gem of place opened up. I was ecstatic! Their other chaats are great too. Check out their ras malai, mango lassi, and paan ice cream (I think they only sell in the summer). Apart from that, the owner is friendly and sweet. Don't miss out!
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Lin Y.

Yelp
My desi-red late night snacks. My Indian friends said it's authentic so I'm gonna agree on that. The owner seems nice. They have varieties of chaat you can choose from, all are relatively cheap and very satisfying to eat as a late night food run.
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Kris S.

Yelp
This is a good little spot in West Philly. Their chaats are good, especially the samosa Chaat. However my favorite food items are the wraps. I would recommend all of them, but if I had to pick I would suggest the Lamb Wrap. Their samosas are also good but I definitely prefer them without the sauce.
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Urvashi L.

Yelp
The chat was pathetic. It was weird and had weird textures too sour too sweet. I asked for punjabi chat it lacked the main ingredient aloo tikki. Well I had to throw it in dustbin. I also bought a chicken samosa it was stale and as soon as I put my hand to pick it opened and all fillings came out. Over priced and not authentic
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Mckayla W.

Yelp
I found the chaat to be nice and crunchy with a great array of flavors, but my samosa fell apart when I picked it up :( This place loses stars for the prices, which are far too expensive for snack based menu. As a comparison, the nearby Indian buffets are around the same price point.
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Shereen C.

Yelp
Crunchy Bengali and saucy Punjabi Chaat: Your crisps are delish!
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Prasath S.

Yelp
Ordered the popular Samosa Chaat which was very good. No Complaints there..But also ordered a Sev Puri and I get Pani Puri Shells? Huh? If you don't know what something is, then don't put it on your "Specials" Menu. Stick to what you know !!!
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Kinjal S.

Yelp
It's pretty good considering it's practically on campus and for someone who's indian, a good place to go when missing home food. Only complaint, the samosa can be soggy and the puri seemed stale.
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Jerry H.

Yelp
Nice spot to sit and chaat. I've come here a few times and gotten their chicken chaat, and I've never been disappointed. Cold, hot, spicy, sweet, sour -- it has everything. Their mango lassis are very creamy and tasty as well. I usually stop here when I need a quick bite and am in the area. The service won't stand out to you as much as at the nearby Mood Cafe, but I see myself coming back to this place in the future.

S S.

Yelp
Fan of their papdi chaat. But it looks like the size is smaller now, with of course increased price.