San Idli Vegetarian Restaurant & Indian Food

Very good South Indian food in San Diego. Loved their filter coffee. The staff were really friendly and especially Mr. Vivek was really helpful and had a great time chatting with him.

What a wonderful little find. I'm visiting from out of state and was craving some really good South Indian food. This one was close to my hotel and I decided to give it a try. It did not disappoint.

Great most authentic south Indian food in San Diego. It’s is a hidden gem for South Indian food lovers. The menu offers a great variety of authentic dishes. Friendly service and reasonable prices make it a standout spot for anyone craving authentic South Indian cuisine. We had breakfast thali. Highly recommend!

ordered a lot of food. variety of authentic south indian food. the lady at the cashier was super helpful. Food came super quick and we got constant refills of sambar and chutneys... that I haven't seen anywhere...

Pretty average food for California restaurants standards. I somehow found California to have amazing food and restaurants and found most the places amazing and this place was a little let down for me. Their sambar not chutney dint do justice with their description. Poori and masala dosa was average. Coffee and San dosa was good. I really hope they improve their sambar and chutney.

San Idli offers a delightful culinary journey through South Indian cuisine, with their signature idlis being exceptionally fluffy and flavorful. The vibrant atmosphere and attentive staff create a welcoming dining experience, perfect for both newcomers and seasoned fans of Indian food. Don't miss their coconut chutney and sambar; they elevate the meal to new heights!

What a great experience. A friend recommended this restaurant to us and the food was both delicious and flavorful. The staff members were all great and they gave information and recommendations for dishes to try. This particular restaurant serves Southern Indian Cuisine. 1. Samosas 2. Idli Manchurian 3. Butter Paneer 4. Andhra Spicy Masala Dosa 5. Indian Coffee 6. Mango Lassi.

San Idli in San Diego offers a delightful experience for those who love authentic South Indian cuisine. The restaurant has a simple, no-frills atmosphere, perfect for a casual meal. The menu features a wide variety of vegetarian dishes, including staples like dosas, idlis, and vadas, all prepared with traditional flavors that will transport you straight to South India. The highlight of my visit was the perfectly spiced masala dosa, which came with a delicious coconut chutney that was fresh and flavorful. The mango lassi I tried was smooth and refreshing, making it a perfect accompaniment to the meal. We also had two veg thalis, gobhi munchurian, butter milk and mango lassi. The service was efficient, though the staff seemed a bit rushed, possibly due to the steady flow of customers. Gobhi munchurian could have been better atlesst what I have eaten In Chicago is much better. Mango lassi was really good. San Idli is an excellent spot for anyone craving authentic South Indian vegetarian food in San Diego. The food is fresh, well-priced, and true to its roots, making it a must-visit for both locals and visitors

Great place. Tasty food. Friendly Service. Had the breakfast combo. Update and Pongal, red chutney was lip smacking. Filter Coffee is a must try. In Chennai style Vaerrreyy Levelu

Everything was so delicious and flavorful. Must try podi Idli if you like some spice. It was delish! The breakfast combo was super filling where you can pick 4 items. Curd rice was another great dish. Rava masala dosa with onions and chilies was really good and the dosas are big. Finally ended with a filter coffee and couldn't complain. Great way to start the day! And to top it up the service was good. Staff is very polite and courteous. Love how they are roaming around to check in on tables if they need more chutney or sambhar. You need to first order before being seated on the table but it does have quite a few tables so can accommodate big groups too.

Lovely owner, friendly, etc. but the food! The Iddli were ok, not fantastic, but ok...the coconut chutney was tasteless, and the tomato chutney had so much chilli you could barely even taste the onion. The vadai was edible, not delicious. Again, tasteless, no onion, no black pepper , no ginger...Not like what we get back home in India or at home with our wives and mothers. The Sambar was OVERLY salted and overly chillied. I did not tasty any other spices, and not even hing/perangayam which is essential to sambar. Yes, the peasant in the south used 3 flavors for sambar--chillis, tamarind, and sesame oil, with hing if they can afford it. But this is not peasant food, no? I can only surmise that no one in that kitchen has training as a cook in india, or, if so, worked at not very good places. The korma, again, is the one dish that of the 1000s of times i have had it in the south of india, its never too salty and never has much chilli, in fact, the hot taste always comes from black pepper, and there should be a lovely array of aromatic spices. This tasted like a weird dream of someone's sambar/korma, again, too much salt, too much chilli , not enough of the other flavors, and also over-cooked veg...normally there are beautiful chunks of fresh veg...carrot, potato, peas, etc. ok, the peas were there... the appam it was served with was ok...no complaints. Well, Indian food in SD has always disappointed, so this is still so much better than Chennai Tiffen the one across from Sri Mandir, whose food is practically inedible.

Amazing food, outstanding service. We were party of 8 and enjoyed everything we ordered. Mysore dosa, Rava dosa, Parota, cofee, mysiore pak & filter coffee. My third visit here and foods is super consistent. Will be back again. Meena madam and team ... kudos to your smiling services. Felt like home eating at San Idli

Filter coffee: 5/5 if you are a fan of strong coffee, definitely try their filter coffee. Combo plate: good for sharing. We tried idli casa combo, breakfast combo (mini dosa, idli, vada, upma) and it was good for sharing. Masala dosa is pretty big, definitely enough for one person. We went there on a Fri morning and it was just 4 of us. They made everything fresh. Vada came out at the end but that's because it was made fresh and was delicious

Great spot for Indian food! I got the masala dosa and it really hit the spot. My bf got the thali and he really enjoyed it too. We both got their mango lassi and honestly I think it's the best mango lassi I've had in SD, and maybe even in all of California. It's just sooooo packed FULL of mango flavor but with a nice liquidy consistency. It's a must try!! Honestly I would come here just for that. The workers were also super nice because we brought our dog because they had outdoor seating, but it was already occupied so they brought out a table and chairs for us.

TLDR: This place is amazing. Food is absolutely scrumptious. Vivek hooked us up for our first time eating South Indian cuisine. I told the cashier we've never been here before, but wanted to try something new and asked for his recommendations. He was super friendly and helpful and told us to get three different things to split amongst us. We also got a mango lassi and it was so refreshing a perfectly cold and sweet mango yogurt drink. The first dish that came to us was the Andhra Spicy Masala Dosa since we told him that we love spicy food. We were shocked when we first saw the enormous portion being served. We were eating it wrong initially by tearing from the edges, missing out on the potato and pea filling inside, but he came to check on us and guided us in how to pinch off the dosa, by splitting it down the middle first. My friend and I both blushed having an inkling we were eating wrong. However, we were both absolutely delighted with the texture and the drippings were delicious. I loved the spicy chutney. I had to tell my friend it's traditional to eat with your hands and use the dosa as a utensil and he was skeptical at first, but conceded and tried to dip with the dosa, but he and I were unfamiliar to this practice and I was fumbling terribly making a mess. It was difficult having a crispy dosa turn soggy as soon as you dip into the warm spicy liquid trying to pick up the diced carrots inside. I made sure to keep cleaning up after myself, grabbing napkins to wipe up, not wanting the staff to have to deal with my mess. The next dish that came to the table was the poori. I liked that they had their menu and its history playing a slideshow on their TV. I also appreciated that they served the dishes as soon as they were ready unlike some restaurants that make all food go out all at the same time. So some dishes are already cold compared to others. I'll be honest, I felt relieved seeing the video of a man using his hand to hold poori and grab the chickpeas, it was a reaffirming comfort. It was a beautiful cloud of sweet dough and deflated as soon as we pinched off a bite. The chickpeas complimented the poori really well. My friend had given up on just using his hands and needed a spoon to get more of the liquid from the chickpeas with his bites of poori. I really loved the yogurt dipping as it was so refreshing and cool with carrot shavings inside. The last dish to come out was the Gobi Manchurian which our cashier recommended. It was fascinating that South Indians could imitate Chinese spices. My friend was amazed when I told him that it was cauliflower since he was convinced he was eating chicken because of the crispy dough on the outside. We both agreed it was the best Chinese spice we ever tasted. My friends said it was "like fancy Panda Express" which made me smirk. I grabbed us both forks because this dish was steaming hot. It also came with the yogurt dip, but it was so delicious by itself I didn't use the dipping though my friend needed it to cool the food since it was still piping hot. The cashier became our friend, Vivek, and checked on us again after having completed our meal. I said I'd love to try the Idli next time because I was curious since that's the restaurant's name sake. He asked if we were still hungry and my friend said he was okay since he had a burger for lunch, but I said I was a little. Vivek was so kind as to offer to give us a sample of the Idli for free since he said they sell so often they make a fresh batch every hour. My friend declined, but I said I'd take one if he was willing. My friend and I ended up splitting the complimentary Idli that Vivek gave us. It had another helping of the spicy chutney and this yogurt coconut milk dip. The Idli was somehow dense yet spongey in texture, but felt so light as it absorbed the liquid coconut milk yogurt dip. My friend enjoyed his half with the spicy chutney. I'm still grateful to have been treated so hospitably by Vivek. After the complimentary Idli, Vivek came around to every table with a tray filled with cute little treats and offered me and my friend one. I was absolutely delighted to taste this pastry since it smelled delicious. They were small enough to sit in the palm of your hand, but I enlarged them so you can see the texture. The flavor of these little bites was phenomenally sweet and buttery with a slight hint of coconut. I will definitely be going again to San Idli for more South Indian cuisine and try Thali next time.

Indian Food is a type of cuisine that I have yet to truly explore. I came across San Idli while looking for a spot for lunch around Miramar road. San Idli specializes in South Indian food. I'm not entirely sure what the difference is between south and north but all I know is that this place is all vegetarian/vegan. I tried their Veg Thali. Which is only available for dine-in. My order came out within 10 minutes. What I liked about it was the assortment of different items. I was going into this blind so I don't remember which one I liked the most out of the selection. Again, I'm not so used to Indian flavors so it didn't wow me but food was still great. I would honestly share this with someone next time since it was too big for me. For less than $20, it's a deal. The restaurant itself was clean, service was quick, attentive, and friendly. There is also plenty of seating and parking spaces. I came on a weekday during lunch hours and it wasn't too crowded. I would love to come back here and try their other dishes.

We were visiting san diego and came to this place after recommendation from friends. This place serves really awesome dosa. We specially like andhra kara dosa. Also idli plate is good. Sambar was good. I liked their additional chutneys they serve with dosa. Himanshu was our server and he provided really good service. He was helpful in recommending the good menu items. After his suggestion we tried filtering coffee and it was awesome. Place holds good and clean ambience which is family friendly.

There was a long line, but we got our food very fast. All the food was really amazing. The best South Indian I have eaten in Southern California, and it's quite cheap too. The idli and the ilai parotta was everyone's favorite. The filter coffee is amazing too, just that it was warm and not hot. But overall a fantastic experience.

We went in for breakfast before going to downtown San Diego. The establishment was pretty clean and has decent amount of seating. The food was flying out of the kitchen at a normal pace but the servers were definitely overwhelmed juggling the register, to go orders, packing the catering order etc. Considering this restaurant opens pretty early and food tastes really good. What we ordered: poori sabzi (for the kids) Breakfast platter, poori Chole, and rava masala dosa.

We have been to San Diego so many times and never got a chance to try this place. Now, we are beating ourselves on missing out this gem. We were there for 4 days in San Diego and went twice to this restaurant. Once for lunch and the other day for breakfast. After many years in the US, so happy to see some authentic, clean, hygienic vegetarian/vegan food served in heart of San Diego. They have thali's and I highly recommend them. Their breakfast menu is lit, they serve everything from idli, dosa, vada, uttapam, upma, pongal and more. Do, not miss the filter coffee after. The lunch menu is good too with thali, sambhar rice, puri chole and more. Everything I tasted was fantastic, their service is top notch, you order at the counter and food is served at the table which is the best way. The pricing is reasonable in terms of California standards. Their filter coffee was perfect to end the meal and tasted delicious. Overall, really happy with the experience and the food. We only wish, we had this in the valley. We left content and gleeing at the same time.

My daughter recommended this establishment and now I know why. This is simple, wholesome, authentic, vegetarian, South Indian cuisine without thrills and frills. The service was friendly and was attentive when called upon. I came here for the Thali, which is an assortment of flavors and small dishes presented in tiffins in a circular manner. You can ask for refills on the small dishes but not the "breads" Delicious. So good. I loved the rasam (pepper water) and the dal and the tomato chutney. Lovely. The only question mark was that the business had a "B" grade on the window. There was no explanation and there didn't seem to be any concerns by all the patrons who were 95% Indian customers. Love it.

Awesome food, even better customer service! Very friendly staff. We make it a point to have at least one meal here whenever we are in San Diego.

The Miramar neighborhood has many solid choices for Indian cuisine. I can't say I know much about South Indian vegetarian fast food, but I love to try new culinary experiences. The suite for SAN IDLI was rather hidden on the north side of an industrial complex. Parking was not an issue as there were several available marked spots in the lot. The interior reminded me of a school cafeteria as it was pretty basic. I selected a Masala Dosa which came with a couple of sauces. While the fermented batter was cooking, the staff allowed me to walk over in front of the griddle to take a photo. The finished product was a very large, thin pancake containing potatoes, rice, and black lentils. The spiciness of the masalas in the dipping sauces added flavor. A cup of lentil-based vegetable stew (Sambar) came with the dosa. I also got an order of the Vada which was two pieces of fried dough (like a donut) mixed with lentils, chilies, onions, and curry leaves served with curd. The curd provided tartness as a dip for the dough. It was certainly different not having any meats with an Indian meal which I usually prefer, but I knew that coming into this place. I did notice the staff was trying hard to please the customers so kudos for their efforts.

This South Indian place is some of the best food I have ever had. We only go on weekends to get the Thali platter. It's a whole bunch of different flavors and curries. We love to pair with a masala dosa with cheese. The food is so good. Lost one star for dining area cleanliness, but that doesn't stop me from coming back again and again!

The food here I legit! The part I enjoyed the most about this place is the food experience. I recommend the food platter so you get to experience the plethora of different flavors and textures. This menu item is a hit if you are with a group. If you're with a big group order two and get a extra naan bread. The drink we ordered was the lemonade, homemade but unique to Indian cuisine. For logistics, you order the food from the register, receive your order number sign, and the staff delivers your food and drink order. The parking lot can get impacted during the weekday lunchtime so get there early. Dinner time was not as busy on the weekday or weekend when we got there around 4 pm. I will come back here the food was authentic and freshly made.

A hole in the wall restaurant with a good selection of dishes and excellent flavors! We tried a few dosas and the paneer masala (our favorite!). All dishes were delicious and good portion sizes. The staff were very friendly and the food came out quickly. We would certainly come back!

It was extremely crowded, resulted in not so great ambience. not a place to visit during busy time. We were asked to pay for the items first and then find a place to sit. Got the coffee first before we got the food!? Taste was okay but the ambience is not great when it is busy.

Last month I dined at San Idli, for the first time. Boy, was I in for a treat! :) The associate in front, was helpful with the ordering and explaining the specials of the day. I ordered the Masala dosa, a Mango lassi, and their Idli. Every item was so flavorful and appetizing. The more I consumed, the better my appetite was. The prana in their food soothes your stomach just right. I will definitely be coming back here again, and bringing my Hubby. Thank you, San Idli Team! :)

Loved every bite! 1. Andrha spicy dhosa- spicy and fabulous! The dhosa is slightly reddish brown from the chili-spiced flour but the flavor of it is mild. It comes with 3 chutneys and the hottest one is red- they just call it 'tomato and onion chutney' but it's far from plain- so totally spicy and addicting. The coconut chutney is also tremendously fresh and addictive! It is made fresh every 2 hours so the coconut flavor is very powerful and delicious. I love the addition of mustard seed for a uniquely fragrant note. The last one is brown- with bits of stewed veggies and good too but the other two are just superstars. The dosa itself was so crispy with the perfect texture and the potato stuffing was well-seasoned. I would order this again and again! 2. Veggie Uttapam- salivating now thinking about it- chock full of shredded veggies! It's so good it makes other restaurants look bad, lol! 3. Biryani- best I have tasted in San Diego! Not dried out like the others and the yogurt and spicy chutney are sooo delicious! Too spicy for my son but then more for me! 4. Mango lassi- delicious and perfect to cool off the chilies! And silly us, we forgot to order the namesake idli! Will definitely be back to try it soon!

Very spontaneous plan to come here because my husband randomly said it had been about 4 or 5 years since he had South Indian food. This place was amazing! He got the Masala Dosa - really really big Dosa with a good amount of the Potato Masala mix inside. He definitely enjoyed this meal. Dosa was very crispy on the edges and delicious. I got the Set Dosa - My first time having it and I actually enjoyed it. It did seem like a lot less food in because it was two thick circular dosas about 6inches wide. They tasted nice but they were a little bit greasy as compared to the regular Dosa. Sambar was beyond amazing! So so good. Not too thick and not too runny - Is the right texture and the perfect flavor. Coconut chutney and tomato chutney were also delicious. I absolutely loved all three and finished almost everything served. Actually wanted more sambar as well haha

I am in San Diego to visit my friend and he took me to this San Idli restaurant. Simply superb food! Ambiance is simple but food is very good and they served the awesome food fast. I had Rava Dosa which is very good with good sambar and coconut chutney. I went with my friends and whatever we ordered, everything tasted if you are visiting San Diego don't miss this restaurant.

San Idli offers excellent service and delicious food! The breakfast combo is a must-try, perfectly balanced with authentic flavors. Highly recommend for a hearty start to your day!

Absolutely unacceptable experience! The server taking orders was incredibly rude and unprofessional. We walked in to find a long line, so my fiancé stood in line to order while I looked for a seat. Instead of politely explaining their 'policy' (which isn't posted anywhere), the server decided to loudly and publicly shout at another employee to tell me to 'get in line and wait.' This kind of behavior is embarrassing and completely uncalled for. If your process is so rigid, at least have the decency to put up a sign instead of having emotionally unstable staff yelling across the restaurant. Never coming back!

I went here with my husband recently and ordered two dosa Mysoor and Andra with kuttu parotha. First of all the order came really late and the dosas went soggy. When one go for dosa they expect to have crispy when ordered paper thin. Worst sambhar ever I had in San Diego literally. Kuttu Parothas were good and spicy and 2 star is for only for parothas, It was second time the sambhar was disappointing and the quantity of it was very less.

OK food, remember ladies that if you spend a lot of money in your hair, after visiting this place it will smell curry or other spices and you will have to wash it (unless you are used to this smell which is fine). That is the only reason that I don't go there often. I like their appetizer style of food (I miss Surati farsan of the old days) but don't like the crowds and find it not super clean. On the good side, great portions, plenty of parking lot, friendly and fast service.

The food is always amazing. I highly recommend the Idli and Medhu Vada, but you can't go wrong with any of their menu items.

This place is as good as it can get for south indian snacks/breakfast in San Diego. Service is pretty good for the type of establishment it is. If you order thali or lot in a group, always there was complementary dessert. Chai and madras style coffee are ok. AC doesn't always work :). It just fells short of great everywhere but no aspect bad either. It is a good spot.

This place has south Indian food. Masala dosa, idli, sambar. It is absolutely delicious with both spicy and non spicy options. Their coconut chutney is exquisite, no wonder because it is made fresh every 2 hours I highly recommend it.​​​

Best indian place to eat in San Diego! My daughter loves the ghee dosa and we love the thali! Super yum!lotsif vegan options.

Visited this restaurant last week during a weekday for lunch. We ordered their thali and a Mysore masala dosa. The food was delicious. Each and every item on thali was perfect in taste. They also give extra curries if you need any, but the amount of food in thali is good enough for one person. The dosa was also nice and crispy. The staff is friendly and the ambience is OK. Will surely visit again.

Best vegetarian lunch! Friendly staff. We were happy to have help deciding what to choose too.

The best South Indian restaurant in San Diego! Love their chutneys, pongal, their Thali and their coconut rice .. the best is their breakfast combo on the weekends where you get to choose 4 different breakfast items. The sambhar and chutneys are authentic taste and I love visiting here on the weekends! They have now expanded their menu to include noodles/fried rice/biryani etc, can't wait to try them all! Lot of vegetarian/vegan/gluten free options!

My husband and I come here to enjoy soft Idlis and soul satisfying Rava onion chili dosa. They should consider serving sambar in a bucket. It is slightly inconvenient to go ask for more sambar since it is that good. Our go-to dessert is Rava Kesari. We prefer coming here during weekdays.

The food was amazing, the service was even better. Every dish - the poori masala, rava onion dosa, pongal vada and idlies all were good. Definitely one of my favorite South Indian places!

The food, service, and prices were amazing. Traveling from Yuma to get real authentic Indian food, this is a place to go. The ambiance is great too. We'll definitely be returning anytime we visit San Diego.

Since I'm vegetarian, I ordered anything. I had no idea what I was ordering. Tried the Street Dosa, vegetable thali, paneer butter masala, and vegi korma, and mango lassi. Everything was excellent and blew my taste buds away. Was not like the other typical Indian restaurants. Can't wait for my next visit.

We had an excellent experience with San Idli. The food was great, and the customer care was outstanding. We stayed for four days and loved to eat there every time. After a long time, we tasted authentic South Indian food. Idli, dosa, Pongal, vada, biryani, and curd rice were all excellent. I definitely recommend it!

Amazing service, delicious food, very very nice people. I believe i was served by the owners itself, but i cannot say for sure. The person who took our order was super friendly, he suggested the best of their menu. We tried their Idli, Vada, dosa, upma, puri-bhaji and rava kesari (i think thats what its called). All these came with Sambhar and 2 chutneys - the sambhar was sooooo flavorful !! My in-laws said this was the best sambhar they have had in california. And of course, no breakfast is complete without the Filter coffee. Super kadak coffee - and he served it hot as soon as we finished our meal. I will visit them everytime im in San diego and highly recommend it for an indian homely meal.

Super yum! Masala dosa is excellent! Kids dosa is adorable! Chaat plate looks fun ... Trying that next time!

Authentic South Indian food with many Jain options. We were looking for pure vegetarian restaurant and found this gem. We really enjoyed it.

We came around 8pm on a Thursday evening. There was no line, and it wasn't too crowded. I ordered a paneer butter masala with rice. The total was $16. It came out slower than my friend's rava dosa but not too long, and it was a little spicy as expected. It was a lot of food! Service was very nice and welcoming. They came around and offered us more sauces and rice, and they were really nice and accommodating. The restaurant is very clean and spacious. Parking was easy. The restroom has a sink outside too so if you're just washing your hands, you don't need to wait (but there are no paper towels, and the hand dryer doesn't work). Next time I'll try something new on the menu! Also, I noticed they have some specials so that could be nifty too.

Greta food, very helpful staff We went for our cousin's birthday. Amazing food, especially masala dosa and rasmalai.

We are regular patrons of San Idli and with good reason. Their food is consistently great and my personal favorite is the onion Rava dosa. Believe me when I say that it is comparable to what you would get back in Bangalore or Chennai. We used their services to cater an event this morning, with individually pre-packed boxes of idlis, chutney, Sambhar, pongal and kesari. Everything was delicious. The order process was smooth, delivery was prompt, seamless, and the best part is the boxes were wonderfully packaged with no leaks whatsoever. Highly highly recommend.

The ambiance is more like a hole in a wall place that has been recently upgraded with nicer tables and such . Service is great - they are kind and care for the customers. Very friendly! Now the food : the best part ! Authentic vegetarian food especially South Indian and best coffee ! A must visit but be warned you may get hooked.

Spoiled by great Indian food in Bay area, i was still quite impressed by this place. No nonesense vegetarian dishes included excellent dosas, poori & uthapam, with addictive dipping sauces to boot. It was only mild-medium spicy so even my Cantonese family was able to enjoy it. My fav was the dosa & the onion uthapam. The veg biryani needed more flavor, perhaps i m used to the lamb version.

On our way back to LA, we went for early dinner at this place. Delicious Food and Great Service. Will definitely visit here again.

This place was pretty good. I noticed that all the clientele appeared to be of Indian (?) descent so that was a good sign. We like dosa and idli so we got those. I got my dosa as masala since I like the potato stuffing. The chutneys on the sides for these were all the same - a coconut one, sambar, and a spicy tomato chutney. I liked all three of these - the coconut one offered a little bit of cooling flavors. The tomato one was orange red and was quite tasty and creamy but it was a little bit on the spicier side so beware if you can't handle spice. The dosa itself was nice and huge, crispy and tasty. The potato filling was also very flavorful. Everything paired well with the chutneys. I don't like getting my hands dirty while eating so I used a fork and knife. The idli itself was also decent and paired well with the chutneys. Fluffy pieces. Interior is very plain but you don't come here for the ambiance. I would come back for more dosas!