Madras Café

Established and serving South Indian vegetarian food for a long time. Overall it’s a decent place, however they can improve taste and service better. Chutneys are very bland and so are other items except for Sambar. Sambar Vada is good, Dahi Vada is ok on the bland side otherwise ok. Asked for Onion Ravva dosa with special request not make it toooo crispy, they served under done dosa with plenty of onions :( Quality wise pretty decent and not oily :) service could be better, place order and pay, they bring your food to the table instead of taking order while seated. They have grocery store with food court with a shared kitchen. For pickups order from food court for faster service and they may have additional items and snacks.

Overhyped and Bad service! Went seeing the 6k+ ratings but disappointed overall. Food was okayish, masala dosa sucks, kothu paratha was okayish, Idly vada was meh. Service was the worst of all, staff needs training, interior needs overhaul AND PLEASE focus on your hygiene!! Im surprised how this restaurant is still operating. My recommendation, skip this Indian restaurant.👎

Very good vegetarian food and helpful advice when ordering if you’re not familiar with some of the menu items. We have been here for dinner as well as lunch multiple times. This place always seems busy, which is a good sign.

The price in Madras cafe is lower than most other Indian restaurants in bay area. The South Indian food quality esp meal is also good. The coffee is good The interiors and service are below average. Overall reasonable Indian option in south bay if one is looking quality South Indian food.

I’ve been here twice. My first experience was ok, but this time it was bad. Service is bad and can be improved. The guy at the billing counter was super rude and not paying attention at all. Our order came late - he forgot one item and said “we’re running late” with a straight face. The waiters on the other hand were good. I wouldn’t blame them. Food on the other hand was average. The Vada and sambar were good, apart from that everything was subpar. The chutneys were horrible. Filter coffee was too bad. Tasted sour and no trace of coffee decoction. I liked the open seating outside, it was a good vibe. But food and service are more important to me. I don’t see myself coming back here for more.

Visiting San Francisco and this place is very well known for their South Indian vegetarian dishes. Food was delicious and came out really fast. Quick service. The place could use an update, the atmosphere needs a better vibe, had random music on, would recommend to sticking to Indian theme. All in all, I do recommend this restaurant for South Indian cravings. Filter coffee was nice and strong, yum.

Madras Café is a go-to spot for authentic South Indian food in Sunnyvale. The menu is purely vegetarian and packed with classic options—from masala dosa to pongal to filter coffee that’s strong and satisfying. The place can get very busy, especially on weekends, so expect a bit of a wait. It’s more of a no-frills, fast-casual experience—don’t go in expecting fancy ambiance, but the food more than makes up for it. Everything is flavorful, fresh, and reasonably priced. Their chutneys and sambar are standout, and they’re generous with portions too. Definitely a favorite for South Indian comfort food in the Bay Area.

Ordered Rava Masala, Podi Masala and Karam Dosa along with Upma Vada and Pongal Vada combos and mini Idly for the table. The dosas were absolutely delicious along with the chutneys and sambhars. They were generous with the refill as well. The upma was amazing in taste, probably the best one in the town. The pongal could have been better as it was a bit dry. We had to order first on the counter and wait to be seated for about 15 minutes. Since it was a Sunday, it was crowded so expect some wait time.

Visited for friend's dinner with South Indian food. * Restaurant: 2 sizable indoor seating areas, generally clean with cutlery and hand sanitizer at each table. * Order up front, seat yourself, food delivered to your table * Tried the Onion Dosa and Masala Chai. * Dosa was crispy. Chutneys & sambar were all tasty without being too spicy. Chai is served unsweetened so you can add sugar/Splenda to your preference! Will stop in again when we're in the area.

onion uthappam 5/5 masala dosa 5/5 As someone who loves Indian food, I can't help but be biased and give this place a good rating. Prices are great for what you get. A meal/significant snack for ~$10 nowadays is a crazy deal! It's a very casual place - think food court but with only one food stall. You order your food at the counter and then choose where you want to sit. They will bring your order out to you and there's a self service counter for utensils, water, napkins and then dirty dishes. We went for a late dinner ~8:30p and it wasn't too crowded. Service was quick.

Staff is super friendly, food comes out pretty fast once ordered Love their mini idlis, dosa and coffee. Poori kurma is also pretty delicious. Now they also serve fresh sugarcane juice.

Can't remember the last time I had dosa. And tbh I'm pretty apprehensive about visiting Indian restaurants (except buffets) since I don't really understand what to order. The fact that Madras Cafe has a pretty limited menu helps! So brought the wifey and the mother unit here. I got the tomato masala dosa. They got the spring dosa and masala dosa. On a side note, I asked the employee what the difference between tomato masala and just tomato is, and it's the addition of potatoes. I really enjoyed the tomato masala dosa! It was falling off the edge of the plate giant. The edges were crispy. The filing was nice and savory. The sauces(?) were also really good. The two on the side that were orange and green were very flavorful. Slightly spicy but a good amount. I don't know if that small bowl was soup but I downed that thing. The clientele were predominately Indian when we were there, which seems like a good sign. Such a flavorful and filling meal. All for a very reasonable price. Definitely recommend and will be back next time we have a dosa craving.

The biryani was a flavor bomb with the creamy white yogurt and veggie sauce spread on your vegetable rice. So good. Masala dosa was crispy and had five dips. I liked them all. So good, filling, and only $10.

Madras Cafe is my go-to spot for dosa in the Bay Area. The service is always great, and the food hits the mark every time. I usually pair my dosa with filter coffee or lassi (their chai is just okay). My absolute favorite is the Onion Rava Masala Dosa -- crisp, flavorful, and consistently good. I also love the Mysore Masala Dosa, and when I'm in the mood for heat, I'll go for the Kara Masala Dosa with ghee -- but fair warning: it's spicy and might not sit well if you have a sensitive stomach . The potato filling here is better than most places, and while the chutneys are decent, they do the job. FYI - they use steel utensils. Wait times are reasonable, but weekends are usually busy, so expect a short wait. On weekdays, seating is easy to find. If you're with a pet, they do have limited outdoor seating -- it's right by the parking lot, so nothing fancy, but it works. The place has classic Indian street-corner cafe vibes, except this one's well-known and usually buzzing.

Still a great place to dine at. Authentic Madras style tiffin place. I am reviewing this place exactly 10 years later. Taste is the same, portions are the same, pricing is marginally more than a decade ago. It is a miracle the way they crank out all these tasty dishes at such affordable prices! Great job Madras Cafe team! Proud of you guys!

They make the best dosa in the bay area their mysore masala dosa (with potato on the side) is to dieeee for. All the other dosas and idly is also good. I really wish they made vegan filter coffee someday Vegan review

I love South Indian food and love my dosas. I remember coming to San Francisco years ago and eating some amazing dosas. This time, I decided to try this place after work. I should have read the reviews in details. Because even though the reviews are good, the whole experience was horrible. First of all, it's not really a proper sit down place. You order and pay at the counter, and the food comes to your seat. The ambiance is not that great. The chairs are ok, not very comfortable. The people working there were not friendly at all. I ordered the following: - Dahi Wada : so bad. It felt like they took it out from the freezer and served it. The yoghurt was ice cold and because of that, the wada inside was cold too. So bland that I could barely eat it. I've had some amazing dahi wadas before. - Onion Rava Dosa : the dosa was good, but the onions were not cooked at all. As seen in the picture, you can see that the onions were thrown on the dosa, but never cooked. Eating raw onions was not what I was expecting. I left half the dosa and left the restaurant. I don't care about the ambiance if the food is good. But for me, both the food and ambiance were mediocre. Definitely not coming back.

Since moving to Mountain View, Madras Cafe has become my most-craved spot. Love their dosas and Channa batura, perfect when paired with a lassi. I want to try more items from their menu. Casual dining area: order at the front desk then grab a table. Plenty of parking in the lot. Next to the cafe there's also a more cafeteria/hot food bar-style restaurant as well as a grocery store.

The only good thing about this place is the fast service. We did come in around 4 pm when there was no crowd. Food temperature was cold and taste average. Ordered idli and vada, which were cold so not very enjoyable. Chana batura, the proportion of Chana curry quantity for the two giant batura was not enough. There were like 10 Chana in the gravy. Definitely would not order any of these again.

Ive had the yummiest most authentic south indian tiffins multiple times 8 years ago at Madras cafe and sad to report that its not the same at all now. I recently visited Madras cafe after many many years for lunch over the weekend. I hyped it up so much to my husband who is actually from Madras lol that he got excited to try out my fav tiffins place too. Such a bummer and we did not like the taste or experience at all. Rava dosa: dripping in oil. karam dosa: it was so spicy my poor mil had to chug a mug full of water to overcome the spice. mind you, shes hardcore from madras and eats/cooks real authentic chennai food. if she says its spicy, IT IS SPICYYY. hubby had the 14 mini idly the iconic dish from chennai but it was a bummer. the sambar was not good at all. the idlys are hard and no taste to them. he also had the podi dosa which was decent i would say. tasty podi. the chutneys are mediocre. what happened to the most iconic OG south indian restaurant that is loved by one and all back in the day. My cheat day got wasted and so is the hype I gave my hubby and Mil. lol Also the interiors are the same even after a decade later. It deserves some improvement and renovation.

Madras Cafe gives you a HUGE dosa for a great price! I shared a Masala Dosa with my partner, it contained stuffed potatoes, rice, and lentils. It was very delicious and flavorful. I loved that it was big enough to share between two people. I do wish however it would've been more spicy. Overall, great food for a good price!

Went there after a year - quality is not the same. The authentic South Indian taste is lost, Sambhar tastes different. I have a feeling this restaurant changed their ownership or the cook. Hope they pick up their game as there are many alternatives for their customers.

Great restaurant.... Amazing food. You should try the onion masala dosa! It is delicious. The service is great because food comes in less than 10 minutes

Came in for dinner for 2 at around 6:15pm on a Saturday . We ordered at the front and seated ourselves afterwards. There was plenty of space to sit at this time. The food comes out super fast, we got our pongal-vada plate within 10 minutes after sitting down. Everything was delicious! We finished everything with some coffee and tea, and were done within an hour. Great place for a casual dinner with family and friends.

This is one of the places I love to order at while at work. Today I decided to eat in, I usually take the food to go. They are super friendly and attentive. I ordered their idli with sambhar and masala chai. It's super filling and packed with flavor! If you love flavored food this is the spot for you! The ambiance is very casual and family friendly. I plan to visit this place frequently especially if I am wanting South Indian food.

Dosas were ok - nothing special and it took quite a while to get them The Paper Masala dosa oddly had the potato filling served on the side and not inside - and it was a pretty small portion of that. A bit disappointing. Prices were reasonable

Chaotic in ordering, no set-up of wait line. Place order before you are seated and they asked for gratuity upfront. Cashier girl had an unpleasant attitude and rude demeanor. She had mask on and I had hard time understanding whatever she mumbled through the cloth especially with loud music in the background. Ordered rose milk, instead badam milk was printed on receipt, yet a pink colored drink (I assumed it's rose milk) came. Hoped they were the same price. Waited 15 min. for seating which was as told and fair. Drink came first but food arrived much later and separately. Overall service was average, careless and oblivious. Environment's messy and not super clean especially washroom area. Now the food, Dosa tasted alright, mild and a bit flavorless. Either they took a spicy level down for non Indian diners, or they are just cheap on using spices. I expect more flavor but it's mediocre at best. My special dosa contained cashew and raisins, mixing with fresh veggies and potato masala, oddly this combination didn't go well for me. Okay experience, nothing to rave about except the tasty rose milk and Lassi.

This is THE place to grab dosas in the South Bay area! I've been here a couple times now and have recommended it to friends as well who haven't tried Indian food or dosas before. Depending on when you come, it can be very crowded and busy. When you enter the restaurant, there's usually a line at the counter to order. You can grab a menu from the front counter and browse what's available. The main things I've tried so far are just the dosas and idly. I most recently did a take-out order since I wanted to bring dosas home for my family to try out. Definitely would still recommend eating in if you can since the dosas are the most crispy and fresh that way. Take-out dosas are wrapped up in foil, so might get a bit soggy depending on how far of a drive you have before you eat them. Masala Dosa ($9.99) was thinner and its ends were still a bit crispy by the time I unwrapped it. The Tomato Masala Dosa ($10.99) got soggier and was soft. My order of idly ($6.99 for 2 pieces) was steamy and soft, which was nice. The entrees just came with larger single pots of each type of chutney. I did ask for extra chutney, so was a little disappointed that there wasn't a set of chutney per entree ordered, or extra cups provided too. I love dunking everything in the chutneys and usually will ask for refills when I'm dining in, so extra is always nice to have. Overall, still very happy with the taste here for the dosas, and glad I got to try out the idly for the first time here too. Next time will definitely dine in instead!

Wow yums! My friend recommended Madras Cafe for their dosas, i didn't realize how gigantic they would be! Each bite of the Mysore Dosa was so crispy with a savory potato filling. Also loved the variety of different sauces provided! One of them tasted like a light mung bean flavor. Service is also wonderful as well and awesome that it opens late. Look forward to being back soon!

If you're a fan of South Indian cuisine, Madras Cafe is a popular spot that is recommended by many foodies in the Bay Area. If you haven't heard of it already, give this place a try! I personally love their cheese dosa and tomato dosa! The cheese is stuffed in the dosa and makes for a satisfying cheese pull. The tomato dosa I can't find in other dosa spots. Highlight of the menu as the dosas are crisp, savory, and the inside tomato is sweet and refreshing. The accompanying chutneys and sambar are fresh and well-seasoned, love the coconut one. Their hot chai is also worth a shoutout: warm, spiced just right, and the perfect end to the meal. Be sure to add plenty of sugar if you want it to be sweet. Honestly, everything on the menu is delicious and comforting. this is one of those places where you can order anything and walk away satisfied. Tips before going: Ordering Style: You place your order up front at the counter, seat yourself, and grab your own utensils and water. It's casual, fast-paced, and efficient. You should know what you like before ordering as lines are long and they don't explain it too well. The food comes to you when ready. Seating: It's a small café with limited seating, so expect a bit of a wait during peak hours. They have outdoor and indoor seating. Food Quality: 10/10 I come for the food! flavorful and consistently delicious. Customer Service: 6/10 It's a self-service model, but staff are polite and quick with orders. Efficient, straightforward, direct. Parking: 6/10 Parking is tight , especially during peak hours.They share a parking lot with other stores but you can find a spot.

Madras Cafe seems to be a very popular place! My friends and I had a strong desire to eat dosas, so we came to try this place out on a Sunday morning. It was already quite packed, but they have ample seating. You order first, then choose your table, and the food comes out fairly quickly. We ordered 2 masala dosas and 1 paper masala dosa. The fillings were the same, but the paper masala dosa looked significantly bigger. They both were yummy! We also ordered mango lassi and it was quite good.

Been here a couple times over the past couple year or so and it's been one of my favorite places for dosas! Madras Cafe is certainly a popular spot, generally pretty packed on weekends! ~Ordering Process~ The ordering process can be a little confusing if it's your first time and the place is busy! You order at the counter and if they have a wait for tables, they will ask for your name. They call out your name once your table is ready and they will bring out to food to you shortly after! The service here is quite fast and efficient even when busy! We generally don't wait too long for our food once we get to the tables. ~The Food~ - Masala Dosa ($9.99): We've ordered this one quite a few times and have enjoyed it! The dosa is very crispy on the outside and the potatoes on the inside are nicely flavored! The chutneys on the side pair really well with the dosa as well. Definitely recommend Masala Dosa! *one note, this time around, there was a piece of hair embedded into the dosa, which was a bit unpleasant. However, we called over staff and pointed it out to them and they remade the dosa so that was nice! - Aloo Paratha ($4.99): First time trying their new aloo paratha! I believe this was a sort of flatbread made with wheat flour and stuffed with potatoes on the inside! I really liked this one! I had never tried aloo paratha before, so when I first ordered it and saw that the price was only $4.99, I was unsure if it was going to be filling, but this one was actually quite filling! The flatbread had a nice fresh chew to it that I really enjoyed! - Mango Lassi ($4.50): The mango lassi here tasted very fresh imo! It is on the sweeter side, but the mango flavor tastes very fresh! ~Pricing~ Pricing for all the dishes here are very reasonable! All the dishes are less than $11 and their portions are also quite generous! Overall, I'd definitely recommend this place for their dosas and parathas! I would love to try out some of their other dishes as well!

We dropped by on a weekday afternoon, and sadly, the service left a lot to be desired. The lady at the counter seemed disinterested and a bit rude, which made the whole experience feel unwelcoming. We ordered the podi masala dosa, thali, and a cone dosa. The dosa was really spicy, but the flavor didn't quite live up to the heat. The thali was a bit of a mixed bag, a few of the dishes were tasty, but the rest were forgettable. The food had its moments, but the overall vibe was let down by the attitude of the lady.

"Much ado, About Tamil Nadu." If you like a show with your breakfast, run (don't walk!) to get your tickets to Madras Cafe. The dosas are the lightest and crispiest this reviewer has ever had. The coffee is strong, the tea well spiced. The service is polite and efficient. But the ambience... the ambience is simply cinematic. The large and airy dining hall, the sun streaming in through the southern glass wall. Waiters rushing out of the kitchen every ten seconds balancing stainless steel platters of all sorts of South Indian breakfast foods... Marvelous drama to accompany your masala dosa. True score: 9.3 / 10. Return? YES

Paper dosa reminded me of the giant dosas in tiffin spots in India. The thali gave me a full depth of South Indian deliciousness. The veggie bhaji with an insanely good coconut chutney was an icing on the cake. Prices are also very reasonable floor Bay Area.

Regular customer at Madras cafe and order through Door Dash for many years. Almost from the inception. Good service and quality of food is great. Authentic South Indian cuisine. Managed very well. Recently they have improved side dishes like Sambar n chutney especially their green chutney. Kudos to the team. Well managed wish them all the success.

This restaurant seems quite inconsistent when it comes to taste. This was my third time here and it was mostly disappointing tbh. Service was quick and the tables were clean and well stocked with napkins and such. The medu vada was pretty decent as was the masala dosa, but the rava dosa lacked flavor and was undercooked. My daughter ordered the onion uttappam which she said was meh! As someone that grew up on South Indian food, the chutneys and sambar were very underwhelming. We also tried their fresh fruit juice since it was advertised at the cashier. We ordered an orange and a mango juice. It was weird how we couldn't tell which was which - both were tasteless and quite sour. I think there are better options for this cuisine in the Bay Area.

South Bay's South Indian food surpasses that of SF, and Madras is a pillar of the restaurant scene, having been a local favorite for many years. The decor is basic, leaning more towards food court with metal trays and quick service. You order at the front counter before sitting and then the food comes to the table as it's ready. There are many varieties of dosa available of which the paper dosa is the largest and most impressive, but having been a number of times I usually mix it up and try something new every time. My wife prefers to try the delicious vada and idli, and we usually finish off our meal with a cup of very hot chai each. While I can't comment extensively on the quality of the food as I am admittedly newer to south indian food, I will say of the handful of establishments I've tried, Madras does very well, and as such a "classic" location, would do well as a first stop to anyone trying to get acquainted with the food and the area!

This place just reminds me of India Street Tiffins one of the best places that I have been close to the peninsula an awesome part of this place is that it opens at 8:30 AM in the morning which is typically the breakfast time but I can tell you one thing that has an outside seating and their filter. Coffee is so yummy that it reminds me of India their breakfast is so good. You have to try everything there but my best things that I enjoyed there was idly, and dosa. One of the tricky things here is their service people tend to forget where you're sitting who you are what you ordered and sometimes it takes a long time for the food to come and this place really really gets busy so you have to be on top of it many times they forget to bring certain things with the order so you have to remember what you ordered. If something is missing you have to remind them This place Cleaner. I haven't seen that before one. Another thing that I liked about this place was that they are always running around making sure you're good. I would prefer you all to bring your own water because I have not seen a good hygiene there.

You will need to know what to order. Took me a while to find out what all the names mean. Obviously, not an Indian food guy. I didn't like what I ordered but I do like the Dosa. In fact, the masala was good. Curry mash potatoe is what it was. The mango lassi was good too.

The idli vada dips were awesome. The kara masala dosa was really spicy, i loved it - my friends didnt. Upto your taste buds i guess. Rava masala dosa was mid. Good overall food.

Tried their new thali! Came out fairly quickly. Overall 4/5. Thali came with chapathi kurma, veg pulao - raitha, sambar, Dal, Kolumbu, avial, rasam, Aalu masala, banana chips, rava kesari along with papad

It's been a long time since I've had a dosa and so, when I was in the area, I knew I needed to stop in. The cafe is attached to the grocery store and is a no frills kind of place, not too different in appearance from any other Indian grocery stores with an attached take away section. It's clean and smelled great, but if you're there for the ambiance, this is not the place. What you should be there for is the food, and nothing but the food! I ordered the Vegetable Biryani and a Masala Dosa. The Biryani came out immediately from the counter, while the dosa only took about 20 minutes. The biryani was very flavorful without being too oily or greasy. It had a nice kick but was not overwhelming. Served with a little bit of Raita, a cooling yogurt sauce, it was delightful. However, the true star was the dosa. It was about a foot long and perfectly crispy. I've had dosas that are slightly overcooked, but this one was evenly browned. The potatoes were nice and buttery and their softness contrasted so well with the crispy exterior of the dosa. The little cup of sambar added an additional layer of warmth, like a slightly spicy hug. Very filling and for around 16 dollars, I feel like that was money well spent! Hope to be back soon!!

It's like my second favorite Dosa place in the bay area. It's also right next to an Indian super market, which I usually checkout after eating at Madras.

This restaurant seems to be a popular spot! I came for a mid-morning breakfast, and while I was able to easily find parking, there were already many people in line. That didn't seem to hinder service much; they were very friendly and wrapped up the order efficiently after educating me about some of the items of interest on the menu. The food came out at a reasonable amount of time. I liked the flavor of the dosa here, but it was too salty for my tastes and it helped immensely to have a beverage on the side. The texture was wonderful; it was the perfect level of crispiness without getting too dry or hard. I liked the variety of chutneys that went alongside the dosa as well. The prices seemed fair for the amount of food and area. It's a solid, bustling spot for a quick meal.

Disappointing. We were looking forward to the reliable set of tastes that we have come to know and love at this place but the quality of food during our recent visits has been mediocre at best. Rava dosa was served uncooked and the chutneys were all pretty average. Vada Sambar was good but I wouldn't return just for that.

I live right next to this place and I love their food. The service is pretty fast and the ambiance is good - it feels like a typical restaurant in some Indian metro city which makes it feel more authentic. My personal fav is the Ghee Kara Masala Dosa - the one in the menu doesn't come with ghee but you can request them to make in ghee. The sambar tastes authentic and I like the 4 kinds of chutneys they serve. The medu vada is also great but can be a slightly more oily at times. One thing I always order is the filter coffee!! The one thing that I don't like from the menu is the special rava dosa- it is sweet because of all the cashews and stuff they put in. If you plan to come on the weekends for lunch, I'd suggest getting there early before 11:30 am. This place gets really crowded!

Visited a handful of times over the past decade or so and nothing much has changed. Place is always packed and hasn't lost its sheen over the years. Food is at best average though. Got the idli vada combo and rava dosa on our recent visit. Two of the three chutnies had desiccated coconut. Chutney is normally made with fresh coconut and use of desiccated coconut leads to a rancid smell in addition to a bad consistency. The rava dosa was bad as well, the consistency and texture was completely off. I think the picture itself speaks a 1000 words.

Amazing! We loved the masala dosa. Lots of filling. It came with a chickpea soup/stew which was extremely tasty, as well with several sauces. Great price and deal!

Awesome South Indian spot! The ambiance is not so nice, but the food was incredible!! I am a big fan of the masala dosa, masala chai. The idili was okay and the vada also was okay. The chutneys are delicious and fresh!

We were driving back to SF from south and were craving a good dosa for dinner. Stopped by at Madras Cafe on a busy Sunday evening and the place was packed. It is a no frill no fuss kind of place that runs on good food and quick convenient service. You have to place your order at the counter before sitting down. We ordered two Mysore Masala Dosa and one Ghee Masala Dosa, medu vada, a coffee and a tea. Food is reasonably priced except vada (only two vada in the plate). The dosas were quite filling and delicious and so were the chutneys and sambhar. Such a good fulfilling meal and very quick service. I actually left my handbag on the chair and left for the car but the owner came running after me to hand it back. Overall, a great place for good Tamil food and good service.

I recently went to Madras Cafe with my beloved. I spent a lot of time in India including South India. The woman who took our order was from Hyderabad where I have been. She was kind and friendly. We ordered family style getting: Channa Batura aka Chloe bhatura- we enjoyed this the best. Chickpeas were amazing and flavorful albeit portions could have been bigger We got the special vegetable dosa- the fermented rice and lentil crepe was stuffed with potatoes, veggies, cashews, and raisins. Nice chutneys We also got idli podi- idili is fermented rice cakes and the podi was quite alright Ambiance was pretty basic yet appreciated all the food was served on metal thali plates and silverware We would return!

I have tried this restaurant few months ago & had poor experience with taste but was hoping it would have improved by now (friends invited me now) so decided to try again. Some of their food like idli & dosa is ok, but Uttapam has no taste. We ordered Tomato onion Peas Uttapam. The dough they used was probably not fermented enough (just like last time) so all of us felt that the taste was really bland & had zero flavor. Could not tell what I was eating. They did not add enough salt in it either which made the taste even worse. Was craving for yummy uttapam but was extremely disappointed. Had ordered coffee too and asked for it multiple times when they brought our food, but they only brought coffee at the very end. Otherwise service is generally good & price wise it is quite reasonable, but I go mainly for taste more than anything and I was disappointed with taste, that is why I am giving one star and won't be coming to Madras Cafe again

Food is solid. Highly recommend the dosas (especially plain and onion rava masala), upma, rice platter, and filter coffee. Note though that the onion rava masala dosa often takes extra time to come out. It's a super popular spot so there's always a line out the door even on weeknights.

One of my favorite South Indian dosa places in the Bay Area for a relatively cheap price. The mysore masala dosa was $11 and very large. The pooris came out so fresh, we just ate them up in minutes. The service is definitely a bit unorthodox where you order first and won't be sat until your food is ready especially when they're busy. But once you're given a table, the food is out within a couple minutes. The turn around is also quick so it's great place for a quick satisfying bite.

Madras cafe is a classic South Indian spot, and I have a Mysore Masala Dosa from here every time I go to the Indian grocery store next door. Service is quick, food is consistently good and flavorful, and they bring extra chutneys and sambar to your table if you ask! If want something really spicy, try the Kara Masala Dosa. I thought I had a high spice tolerance, but had tears in my eyes eating this (and I loved it).

Love Madras Cafe for being quick with the service, generous portions of dosa, and affordable prices for all customers. Really enjoyed my tomato masala dosa. It was well-seasoned, crispy on the edges, and extremely warming in the center. Will be coming back to try other dishes (e.g thali) in the future.