Sri Balaji Caffe Veg and Vegan

If you’re a fan of South Indian food, Sri Balaji Caffe is a must-visit in the Charlotte area! They offer a vast variety of dosas that cater to every craving. We tried the Mini Tiffin, which came with a perfectly crisp masala dosa, soft idly, crispy vada, and a flaky poori, served with flavorful chutneys and sambar on the side. We also ordered the Mr. and Mrs. Dosa combo, which lets you pick your choice of dosa and one uttapam — both were absolutely delicious! Everything was fresh, well-made, and packed with authentic South Indian flavors. The portion sizes were satisfying and the prices are quite reasonable for the quality. Highly recommend this place if you’re looking for authentic, tasty, and budget-friendly South Indian food in Charlotte!

A very cozy little place to have a perfect Vegetarian meal be it dinner or breakfast or lunch. The cafe houses several South Indian dishes that taste exactly the way it’s made back home in India - Tamil Nadu in particular. The service is pretty good as well. THE FOOD: We ordered several items for our dinner like Cheese Dosa, Mini Tiffin Combo, Chettinad Paneer Fried rice, Sambar Vara and Paneer Dosa. The Fried rice is what I had predominantly and that was over cooked and felt like Sambar rice (stickiness). Requested for Mild spice and it was ok I suppose. The taste/ flavor was okayish. The Sambar vada was good, nicely cooked and soaked. The Paneer dosa was once again requested to be mild spice and it came out bland. The sambar and chutney were excellent. Heard the Mini tiffin and Cheese dosa were good from my friends. Definitely worth the price for the quantity given. AMBIENCE & SERVICE: The place is very cramped but that’s ok as long as you don’t have a longer wait time or bad weather outside. The cafe is buzzing with so many different people talking and made me feel like I was in a typical hotel back in Chennai. The service is pretty quick and relatively shorter wait times for food to arrive but could be better. The staffs were nice and friendly. The only drawback being its small and finding tables could be difficult during peak hours. BOTTOMLINE: A very good place to dine out if you are craving for some home made kind of food (tiffin) in particular. Wouldn’t recommend the Fried rice at all here but definitely in for Tiffin items. Price worth the service and food quality. Sits well in your tummy. MY PICKS FOR YOU: Paneer Dosa (or Dosa varieties), Sambar Vada

Hands down best south Indian in the town!! Their dosas are excellent!! You dont need any accompaniments. The size is huge as well for the price. Only place where we can taste the vada, dosa taste in Charlotte.

Sri Balaji Caffe is a must for serious south Indian vegetarian food. I had the mysore masala dosa dish again. The dosa was crisp and golden-brown on the outside with a delicate softness on the inside - spicey and savory potato filling. The accompanying chutneys and sambar made it a complete dosa experience. Lastly, the mango lassi was thick and creamy with a sweet and tart yogurt flavor. The staff are low key and friendly. You can eat outside or inside with the gingko leaf wall pattern and music. The food is authentic and reasonably priced too. Bring your family or pals to Sri Balaji – it’s a place for everyone to enjoy.

The onion dosa was very good crisp, and full of flavor. It reminded me of homemade food, simple and flavorful . The coconut chutney and sambar on the side were fresh and paired well with the dosa. Service was quick and family friendly, Overall, a great experience and definitely recommend for a great South Indian experience.

Tastes like home! Cauliflower pakoda, Veechu Parota, curd rice, veg biriyani, sambar rice and chole are top notch. All the items we tried were absolutely delicious. The Veechu Parota was properly layered and the side korma was spot on. While Gobi 65 is common, cauliflower pakoda is rare. I'm very glad I found it here. The chole was so soft and will melt in your mouth. The mango lassi was very good too. It did have actual mango taste and did not have the mango essence taste. Edit: Went there multiple times and the consistency of the food is well maintained. It's very evident everything is fresh and no frozen ingredients

The food was simply outstanding — every bite carried the rich, authentic flavors of India that instantly felt like home. The spices were perfectly balanced, and each dish was prepared with such care that it felt truly soulful. The ambiance added another layer to the experience; the calm, devotional atmosphere of this vegetarian restaurant made the meal even more special. An ideal spot for anyone looking to enjoy traditional Indian cuisine in a serene and heartwarming setting.

I had two Idly with coconut chutney and a plain Uttapam with sambar. This was the best South Indian food I’ve had in Charlotte. It’s hot and freshly made. Perfect complexity of flavors and definitely made with love and passion. Perfectly priced for Indian food in Charlotte. It’s hot, fresh, fast, clean, friendly, and won’t break the bank. I can’t wait to go back.

The newly remodeled restaurant has an amazingly lovely ambiance. It has a much more upscale look and feel, but the prices haven't gone up very much. The tables are much nicer, and there are bottles of water and glass drinking glasses along with metal silverware. The new menu is brought to the table, and there are several new dishes. I chose the Palak Paneer, which is so delicious that my husband kept sampling it. When we sat down, the manager brought us a complimentary cup of spiced tea which was delicious and relaxing. The attentive service was superlative. The servings are quite generous. When we were boxing up our leftovers, I asked for small containers for the leftover chutneys. Instead, they brought full, fresh containers of the sauces for me to take home. The staff now removes the dishes from the table instead of asking customers to bus their own tables. We already loved this restaurant and their food. Now, with the improvements, we feel pampered and appreciated. This restaurant is well worth your business.

A very cozy little place to have a perfect Vegetarian meal be it dinner or breakfast or lunch. The cafe houses several South Indian dishes that taste exactly the way it's made back home in India - Tamil Nadu in particular. The service is pretty good as well. THE FOOD: We ordered several items for our dinner like Cheese Dosa, Mini Tiffin Combo, Chettinad Paneer Fried rice, Sambar Vara and Paneer Dosa. The Fried rice is what I had predominantly and that was over cooked and felt like Sambar rice (stickiness). Requested for Mild spice and it was ok I suppose. The taste/ flavor was okayish. The Sambar vada was good, nicely cooked and soaked. The Paneer dosa was once again requested to be mild spice and it came out bland. The sambar and chutney were excellent. Heard the Mini tiffin and Cheese dosa were good from my friends. Definitely worth the price for the quantity given. AMBIENCE & SERVICE: The place is very cramped but that's ok as long as you don't have a longer wait time or bad weather outside. The cafe is buzzing with so many different people talking and made me feel like I was in a typical hotel back in Chennai. The service is pretty quick and relatively shorter wait times for food to arrive but could be better. The staffs were nice and friendly. The only drawback being its small and finding tables could be difficult during peak hours. BOTTOMLINE: A very good place to dine out if you are craving for some home made kind of food (tiffin) in particular. Wouldn't recommend the Fried rice at all here but definitely in for Tiffin items. Price worth the service and food quality. Sits well in your tummy. MY PICKS FOR YOU: Paneer Dosa (or Dosa varieties), Sambar Vada

Sri Balaji has remodeled the interior and they have waiter service. Larger menu and the prices only went up a little bit. I ordered a chili, veggie, masala dosa and my bill was $14. Go check out the new digs.

A friend recommended this place, so we travelled 14-miles to check it out, and honestly, it didn't disappoint. I ordered the mini tiffin, and the idli and vada were incredibly soft ... exactly what I've been craving. I've been looking for authentic South Indian food in Clt for a long time and this place hit the spot. The place was cozy, and the service was quick .. our food was ready in 10-15 minutes. I'll definitely come back.

Smallish restaurant just past downtown pineville. They have a nice patio for extra seating when the weather is good. Staff was attentive and helpful. The food looked amazing and my husband (and our son) really enjoyed his dosa. Unfortunately their options for diners that are both Gluten Free and Dairy Free or Vegan were extremely limited. They did tell me the dosa batter uses just a "small amount" of all-purpose flour. (So no, not ok for Celiacs) Such a bummer. Otherwise would still recommend this place to folks without as many dietary restrictions as me.

This is a vegetarian South Indian place, and compared to numerous other ones I've been to, this one was a nice place to eat. The charming location had a gravel parking lot (the few spaces in front filled quickly but thankfully there were more in back) and indoor seating as well as a covered outdoor picnic area. The interior decor and music make it very clear that these people are strongly invested in their culture. Their specialty is the dosa, a fermented rice-lentil crepe which they make in many ways. When I stopped in for brunch, some of their other items weren't available, but I was happy to try a regional dosa with spices and onions. It was fantastic, with the finely diced onions offering flavor and texture and a delicious spicy sambar winning out over the chutneys (though I like them all). If I had room, I'd have ordered more. While most of the people here were clearly from the same cultural background, spoke the language, and knew the food, the staff here were more than happy to offer guidance to the North Carolinians who came in behind me and didn't know what was going on. And I'd say if you came to here for your first South Indian experience, this is a good place to try it and it's a cuisine worth knowing.

We had the idli and dosa combos for dinner. Everything tasted fresh and the service was fast. Ambience is nice. The only thing that disappointed us was that when we ordered Chapati worth $4, we just got a small phulka.

Loved the dosa as well as the medu vada. Definitely try this place out for south indian food.

We came in after a long day at Carowinds. Wow, I love the menu in this place! I got gravy gobi Manchurian , samoas, and dosas. The plates are huge and delicious. The service was great. The place is small and deceiving.

Food made me sick Crowded and dirty Dosa is greasy. Waited 20 min for idli and still didnt get it. Terrible service.

We were in the area during Christmas and found Sri Balaji Caffe opened and walked in. This is actually a house turned into a restaurant so it is a bit small but it did not disappoint us. You have to order at the front counter, we started with kesar (saffron) mango lassi, thumbs up , Chana samosa chaat, pani puri, and ghee masala dosa. Everything came out at perfect time and was above our expectations. The dosa tasted full of ghee and crispy (perfection), and pani puri was delicious as well. After the meal, we had the madras coffee which was good as well. You can tell everything is freshly prepared. Overall, we'd come back to this place if we're back.

Amazing Indian food! I always crave to come back to try something new here. I wish the other customers had more etiquette when it comes to taking a seat because I've had two instances where new customers interrupted me and my family while we were eating in order to rush us so they can sit. The service is nice and fast, but maybe they need to put up signs for other customers to be mindful.

We tried a couple of items from the menu and here's what I definitely recommend - Vada sambhar - crisp vada and delicious sambhar. Vada was warm enough though sambhar could have been warm/hot. Chole puri - surprisingly tasty. While it's a staple North Indian dish, i was pleasantly surprised with the flavor of chole. Dosa (I tried maysore masala) wasn't good at all. Soggy dosa and felt lack of stable maysore masala spice and flavor.

Sri Balaji Caffe may be my new favorite Indian restaurant in Charlotte. Even if it doesn't take the number one spot, it's certainly up there with the best of the best. I am so excited our friends invited us to enjoy it together for breakfast. The experience was delightful. We ordered the following and shared it family-style: Chilli Parotta Onion Podi Uttapam Aloo Bonda Chole Masala Gravy Parotta Kurma Mini Tiffin The Chilli Parotta was not only my favorite dish but also everyone else's favorite dish too. It is essentially a plain parotta shredded into small, bite-sized pieces mixed with sauteed onions, tomatoes, and chili powder. I had never tried it before but I will be looking for it at other restaurants now. And I'll certainly order again when I come back.

Tonya P is my source of good Indian food in Charlotte, so when I saw her frequenting this place, I knew it was time to try it. We came with Tonya and another friend so we could try more food. We tried the Onion Podi Uttapam, Chole Masala Gravy, Aloo Bonda, Chilli Parotta, Mini Tiffin, and Parotta Kurma. Everything was fantastic. I love Indian food, especially when it's all vegetarian. I would recommend everything we got, but my two favorite discoveries from this dining experience were the Chilli Parotta and the Uttapam. I had never had either dish before and they both blew me away. I thought the Chilli Parotta was going to be the flatbread with sauce on the side, but it was actually chopped up and fried in the chilli which was delicious. This is now in my top 2 Indian restaurants in Charlotte. I'm not sure if I can pick between this and Chaat N Dosa. Both are all vegetarian and very underrated.

All the worst parts of India. Crowded, multiple people push you and skip in line. Food is ok. But last visit two groups skipped in front of us and then we were refused to order 20 min before their posted closing time. Don't waste your time!

Great food. You know when you see all local and Indians there. Took my friend there and he absolutely loved the chole with puri.

What a great place. The food is amazing. The manager (?). helped us pick out the Sunday Special and combo #1. We got to try four kinds of bread and and 12ish sauces. This place will be on repeat for my family!

I had a pretty good experience here. I will say the only part I didn't like is that is a very busy place and seating is limited. The food was very flavorful... I just couldn't stop eating. I will be returning again this week to order the same meal. Parking is limited As well..

Great spot after shopping for Indian groceries. Some of the freshest tastes in the area. Recommended Indo-French wrap, especially if you like spicy and the mango lassi

Great vegetarian/vegan Indian option. The staff was friendly, the food was great! I do wish I could make dishes spicier but taste was great! It was packed, so be prepared to wait for food! The building is an old house and has a very homey feel! I would go back but may take it to go to add meat :)

Love the thaalis , me and my family always stop by here for homemade Indian comfort food

Pure Veg !! can you believe it ! It is great to see a pure veg restaurant. This reminds me of the Udupi restaurants in Mumbai. Small but cozy place with some great outdoor seating area. Food is just awesome !! For my fellow Mumbaikars, the sambar they serve is exactly like the one we have enjoyed in Mumbai! Staff is quick and helpful. We have been here on slow days and we have been here during their peak hours; and speed, quality and service was unaffected. Mysore Masala Dosa is to die for!

I stumbled across Sri Balaji Caffe while in Pineville and what a gem! Delicious, authentic Indian food with nice staff. I had a dosa with potato curry and cauliflower. Another fantastic vegan find in the south Charlotte area. Five stars!

I usually order #2 Special Fried Rice. This place is pretty popular. So, if you want order #2, sometimes you need to wait more than 40 minutes.

This may be a small place with basic decor but the food is excellent. I've eaten Indian food all over the world, including India, and I'd say that this is some of the best Indian vegetarian food I've had. If you're passing through the area this is a great stop, if you live locally you're lucky to have this gem on your doorstep. The dosas and paratha are exceptional

The food was great, we ordered a variety of things to try and nothing was disappointing. They do mix the chutneys together so next time I'll have to ask them to keep them separate for the samosa. There was plenty of seating inside and outside on a Friday evening.

This is an awesome counter service South Indian vegetarian restaurant in a cute little house in an obscure part of Pineville. Most of the clientele is Indian, always a good sign, and trust me, it's worth finding. The interior is spotless and very small, and you might have trouble finding a table. But please try, because the food is amazing. Many dishes are vegan, and many more can be made that way. My wife and I had uthappam with different toppings, kind of like an Indian form of flatbread, or pizza. I did review Pizza Twist, and that's fun, but this is the real thing. Our flatbread came with a veggie soup which was great, and also some sauce to put on the flatbread. It was all very good. I also liked the bowl of anise with little bits of licorice on the counter, that you could help yourself to. Very tasty.

Love with this restaurant! Everything tastes delcious and so fresh. We will be back every week :) PS - The mango lassi tastes so good.

I came to visit my family and this place is outstanding. The food is amazing and fresh to the point that I had to come back before I leave. I was glad that they brought me to try this place out. All the food is great and you won't be disappointed. The service is quick and friendly. You guys are lucky to have a great dosa spot like this since LA has no dosa place that can provide this type of taste.

Lovely & authentic south indian food. I recommend dosa, Mini tiffin, poori, paratha n fried rice. Sweets r yummy too near the counter

Ordered Chole Masala Gravy and the description On menu screen clearly says that it comes with a poori, paid $12. when order comes there is no poori because they seem very busy that evening and they blatantly lie that it doesnot come with poori, pointed them to the menu screens but they do not oblige, asked me to order a bowl of rice and pay additional $3+ for the rice bowl . We have had that chole gravy with poori earlier too but this time, the experience was bad due to their unprofessional attitude. I lost respect for them

My daughter picked me up from the airport and found this place for us to try. I like Indian food but don't have a lot of experience with it and was overwhelmed with ordering. The gentleman that helped us was extremely nice and helpful. He even came over to make sure everything was okay. The food was delicious! I'll be back whenever I'm in town.

Small cramped space. Always crowded and you won't find space to even wait or park your car. Not because they have good food, but because it is so small cramped space. Don't go especially on weekends else u ll be just waiting.

First of all Thank you for being one of few Indian restaurants that serves breakfast!! We love our Idli Dose and Vades for breakfast! We drive all the way from LKN area whenever we feel like having a good Southern Indian breakfast. The idlis are soft, vade can be crisper but won't complain, kothu paratha was decent but I'd like more of the masala as it gets too dry as you eat. Overall a great all vegetarian/Vegan place for all your Southern Indian food craving!

Tried their ghee idli with podi! It was delicious and soft. Yet to try other delicacies though

This is the place to go for authentic Indian food. My whole life I thought I "hated" Indian cuisine but I just never had the real thing. And my first time here was a bit of a culture shock but such a good one. Service was great and the people were very helpful and friendly. The place was a bit loud and chaotic but nobody seemed to mind. I have to be honest I think I was the only white person there the entire time and I'm not complaining one bit! Usually that's a good indication that the food is authentic, when people from that country or culture are all there. I loved the food so much and I have been back and will continue to go back. If you don't mind waiting a little for your food and being in a loud crazy environment then go and be in for an amazing meal. If you don't like authentic food with authentic culture then just don't go, and don't leave a bad review. This place is amazing!

I love this place. The food is fresh and fantastic. From the moment you get out of your car you can smell all of the spices wafting through the air. The Paneer is excellent and the dosas come out hot and fresh and crispy. If you are close by do yourself a favor and stop by to grab something to eat, they have a huge variety

Fooled is amazing! arrive is reasonably quick for the crowd that is always there! Best south Indian vegetarian restaurant I have ever been in NC!

I happened to find this restaurant by chance and am soooo glad I did. This is an authentic South Indian restaurant with a variety of options to choose from. Their dosa reminded me of home and no other restaurant in this area beats it. I had their Madurai dosa , chilli parota and chola poori and ended with a hot gulab Jamun. This place is vegetarian delight and I really wish they expand to other cities . The waiter was very sweet to guide us through the options even though we went 10 minutes before closing time.

just nowNEW Awful yuck !! Went to Balaji on recommendation of friends - absolutely the worst food in Charlotte. will not recommend ever to anyone . I wish I could upload a photo of what we got for $40 not to say 30 min wait n rude staff . If chat and dosa was average 5/10 , balaji is lower than 0.I wish I could give a minus score . Sorry to say whoever appreciated this place has no taste or sense of hygiene at all!!

Looks this the go to restaurant for South Indians. Checked this out at the suggestion of friends. Had time to kill before my flight. Had the Mysore masala dosa. The potato filling is not as good as other places. It was missing The curry leaves and mustard seeds. The beauty about coconut chutney is the texture and I tend to like it the old fashioned way with bigger pieces and not the blenderized stuff. Overall good and spicy though. Bet I will need pantoprazole later.

Super delicious Indian food with a variety of menu options. I absolutely recommend this place. The interior decor is not the prettiest but the food and convenient location makes up for it. The owners were kind and efficient. They also have parking and outdoor seating. The butter paneer was so flavorful and they add a lot of paneer cubes, which I love. It doesn't come with rice like at some other restaurants but I ordered garlic naan on the side, super yummy! I definitely recommend that you try the mango lassi as well. I will be coming back!!

AN UNPOLISHED VEGETARIAN JUST OUTSIDE DOWNTOWN PINEVILLE. This unassuming cafeteria style indian fusion restaurant is about a half mile from dtown pineville in a three room house on the side of the road. It is not to be missed. They keep the overhead and FLC costs low and transfer that into their menu prices. It is very affordable with giant portions...a welcome respite in the current inflationary times. 100% vegetarian and vegan. I counted at least 50 different varieties of rice bowls, masalas, vadas, samosas, and mainly dosa menu items with all the sambar sauces chutneys and other sauces you would expect. No waiters. Food is expedited to you in simple schoolroom style trays with heaping healthy portions. Dosas in every possible form and flavor. Know the menu before you arrive. It goes quickly and they crank out food. I came on a Friday night at 730p and 25 families of Indian descent from the surrounding area were and enjoying all the cafe had to offer. In my city, this would be an overpriced hipster hangout, so it was nice to see an affordable cafe being enjoyed by people of all ages in this small town. I got some vadas, samosas, twice fried rice bowl and of course a spicy masala for rolling in my dosas. My wife and I had more than we could eat and it was about $30. I'm rarely surprised when I travel and usually pretty disappointed with eating out, because I'm cheap and I'm a vegetarian. This tiny Cafe in a house on the side of the road in Pineville NC brought a smile to my face. ***and as a side note: it's nice to see a staff working hard to make sure every customer is happy in the current climate of the restaurant industry. Job well done to the owners of Sri Balaji Caffe.

Stopped here per a recommendation from a friend. This place has THE BEST NAAN! went on a Saturday night and it was packed! It was so packed that we sat outside. It's also a very casual dining area. Note this is a vegan and vegetarian place so don't come here looking for your tandoori chicken! We had some paneer and a chickpea based dish. Both were very good. We enjoyed this place, but would likely come back mainly for pick up unless the weather is cooler!

Great tasting options. I l also love the Mom & Pop atmosphere! Definitely coming back

Great meal. I'm not Indian so I could have used more help with its extensive menu but my wife and I took a shot and won big. She got some sort of cauliflower dish with a red not too spicy sauce while I got an onion pizza bread like dish that was really good. We'll be back. Note: It's a vegan place so be aware.

Another yelp super-find!!! We stopped here today after a hike in Rock Hill for some lunch. A huge selection on the menu of south indian and southeast asian food. Service was good with outdoor dining. Food was spot on and exceeded our expectations, especially for the price. Super tasty dosa, sambar, upphidam, and gobi manchurian. Will always be back here.

Useless service. Took 45 mins to make one poori for the kid (while the kid was starving) and the person at front desk doesn't want to help or take the blame, in-spite of me reminding them 3-4 times. 3rd class service, never returning back.