Hit everything on my list. Good food, service, atmosphere.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Food4Thought
A nice lunch in Chapel Hill. The restaurant was quiet due to the university out for the holiday break so nice for lunch. We had the shrimp tikka masala and the chettinad shrimp. Both delicious. The chettinad was a lot more spicy but really good flavor. Only downside on both entrees was the shrimp was left “tail on” so made it a bit messy to eat since covered in sauce. The house garlic naan was exceptional. We will be back!! Friendly and prompt service. Restaurant was very clean.
HeatherB
Friendly and professional staff, many choices and dietary variety on the menu, with helpful descriptions about flavors and spiciness, reasonable prices, delicious food in reasonable portions. The samosa appetizer was so good, paneer was so good, rice was warm and fluffy and fresh. Our server was helpful and made good recommendations. Overall great experience.
The food was delicious and yummy! Service was good, sign was up letting patrons know they were short staffed so I glad that was known up front. Our party sat outside and TVs were on the home football game. I would definitely recommend to others and come back!
ScottS
Our server, Paul was amazing and remembered us from a previous visit. He knew how to steer my husband to a dish that wasn't too spicy...and he loved it! We will definitely be back ?
Their food quality has really deteriorated and most importantly I don't think they are hygienic and clean. Their bathrooms had malfunction and it was leaking which their servers didn't care about. Food is spicy and service is spotty at best. My last time at this restaurant but then that's me.
TarHealer
Great South Indian food. This was our first visit and the waiter was very helpful as we tried to negotiate the menu. His recommended items were very tasty. Food was served hot. Nice presentation. We shall return.
HappyFamily
We had an incredible dinner at Cholanad Restaurant to celebrate our child's college graduation. The food was incredibly flavorful and the cocktails incredible - try the Cholanad Delight! The owners, Mathi and Priya, were gracious and friendly hosts. We had a great time overall and enjoyed the entire experience. I highly recommend Cholanad!
Geekdoc
Middle of the road Americanized Indian fare. Service was slow despite 3:45 PM with only a few other diners. I asked which of the spicy specialties was recommended and ordered the milagu mutton curry, "Indian hot" which had a barely detectable amount of chili, and mutton for that matter. Our waiter did not check on out meals after they were served and I had to walk to the main dining area to ask for extra chilis to season my dish. The samosas (part of samosa chat) were almost certainly premade frozen variety, the basmati low quality and without any character, and in general everything was underseasoned and bland. The dal fritters were overcooked and bland as well, and the sauce did not help much. I sampled dishes off others' plates and they were similar in character. Not bad but absolutely not special. More variety on the menu than most Indian places in this area, I just wish the flavor was there, which is the reason to chose Indian cuisine in the first place. I had hoped for something special as a celebration meal, but this was simply calories. Would only recommend if the prices had been much lower, but the downtown location was at least very convenient and the semi-outdoor dining was pleasant enough.
KCLJARM
This was our first time here, we don't eat a lot of Indian food, but I've seen the good reviews for awhile and wanted to give it a try. We were seated quickly and drink orders were taken. We explained to our waiter that we weren't very familiar with the dishes, so he was very helpful in explaining them. Also, the menu was pretty good with explanations by noting which dishes were spicy, vegan mild etc. The waiter recommended we try a small appetizer, Samosa Chaat. It had 4 dipping sauces with pita all 4 were very tasty. My wife ordered the Pepper Chicken, which said it was spicy but she didn't think it was. It also had cloves, "chili" and fennel seed. It was served with a thin curry dip, and a pizza-sized flat-bread (called parota?). The dish made her nose run, but really wasn't that spicy. I chose a Spicey Lamb curry dish with potatoes mixed in and served with lemon rice. This spice level was pretty good which made it very enjoyable. We enjoyed our meal very much and would recommend Cholanad if you like authentic Indian cuisine.
Waited 20 min to give order, but the very pleasant team admitted mistake, very apologetic and comped appetizers. food was excellent. Eaten here many times, and will certainly be back.
SteveB
Food was great. Service was great. Missed the ambience of the prior location (it was more upscale with white tablecloths, etc.) The multiple TVs in this present location make it seem more of a sports bar and less of a fairly high-end Indian restaurant. Also, I wish they would stock the bar with limes so that I could enjoy a really good Gin & Tonic. This is the second time limes have been missing when ordering that cocktail. I still like the restaurant for its food and service.
JaneP
We had a lovely meal. The setting is a bit industrial (cement floors, etc) but still feels festive. Sitting near the door on a cold evening meant we felt a cold draft every time the door was opened, so they could use a curtain or inner door. Otherwise no complaints!
Outstanding South Indian cuisine, some of the best I've ever had and I lived in India for 4 months and have eaten hundreds of dosai! Server wasn't as attentive as your most attentive server but perfectly fine. Atmosphere is modern, not particularly interesting. But 5 stars based on the food. Spring dosa is my favorite!
Our evening could not have been better. We were directed to a table for dining and the hostess answered many questions about ingredient lists because we have significant food allergies. She directed us to some great choices and had the kitchen staff make some modifications to accommodate our allergies. In other words, we were challenging diners. The food was fantastic and plentiful and the service was superb. We'll definitely return.
Hit everything on my list. Good food, service, atmosphere.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
A nice lunch in Chapel Hill. The restaurant was quiet due to the university out for the holiday break so nice for lunch. We had the shrimp tikka masala and the chettinad shrimp. Both delicious. The chettinad was a lot more spicy but really good flavor. Only downside on both entrees was the shrimp was left “tail on” so made it a bit messy to eat since covered in sauce. The house garlic naan was exceptional. We will be back!! Friendly and prompt service. Restaurant was very clean.
Friendly and professional staff, many choices and dietary variety on the menu, with helpful descriptions about flavors and spiciness, reasonable prices, delicious food in reasonable portions. The samosa appetizer was so good, paneer was so good, rice was warm and fluffy and fresh. Our server was helpful and made good recommendations. Overall great experience.
The food was delicious and yummy! Service was good, sign was up letting patrons know they were short staffed so I glad that was known up front. Our party sat outside and TVs were on the home football game. I would definitely recommend to others and come back!
Our server, Paul was amazing and remembered us from a previous visit. He knew how to steer my husband to a dish that wasn't too spicy...and he loved it! We will definitely be back ?
Their food quality has really deteriorated and most importantly I don't think they are hygienic and clean. Their bathrooms had malfunction and it was leaking which their servers didn't care about. Food is spicy and service is spotty at best. My last time at this restaurant but then that's me.
Great South Indian food. This was our first visit and the waiter was very helpful as we tried to negotiate the menu. His recommended items were very tasty. Food was served hot. Nice presentation. We shall return.
We had an incredible dinner at Cholanad Restaurant to celebrate our child's college graduation. The food was incredibly flavorful and the cocktails incredible - try the Cholanad Delight! The owners, Mathi and Priya, were gracious and friendly hosts. We had a great time overall and enjoyed the entire experience. I highly recommend Cholanad!
Middle of the road Americanized Indian fare. Service was slow despite 3:45 PM with only a few other diners. I asked which of the spicy specialties was recommended and ordered the milagu mutton curry, "Indian hot" which had a barely detectable amount of chili, and mutton for that matter. Our waiter did not check on out meals after they were served and I had to walk to the main dining area to ask for extra chilis to season my dish. The samosas (part of samosa chat) were almost certainly premade frozen variety, the basmati low quality and without any character, and in general everything was underseasoned and bland. The dal fritters were overcooked and bland as well, and the sauce did not help much. I sampled dishes off others' plates and they were similar in character. Not bad but absolutely not special. More variety on the menu than most Indian places in this area, I just wish the flavor was there, which is the reason to chose Indian cuisine in the first place. I had hoped for something special as a celebration meal, but this was simply calories. Would only recommend if the prices had been much lower, but the downtown location was at least very convenient and the semi-outdoor dining was pleasant enough.
This was our first time here, we don't eat a lot of Indian food, but I've seen the good reviews for awhile and wanted to give it a try. We were seated quickly and drink orders were taken. We explained to our waiter that we weren't very familiar with the dishes, so he was very helpful in explaining them. Also, the menu was pretty good with explanations by noting which dishes were spicy, vegan mild etc. The waiter recommended we try a small appetizer, Samosa Chaat. It had 4 dipping sauces with pita all 4 were very tasty. My wife ordered the Pepper Chicken, which said it was spicy but she didn't think it was. It also had cloves, "chili" and fennel seed. It was served with a thin curry dip, and a pizza-sized flat-bread (called parota?). The dish made her nose run, but really wasn't that spicy. I chose a Spicey Lamb curry dish with potatoes mixed in and served with lemon rice. This spice level was pretty good which made it very enjoyable. We enjoyed our meal very much and would recommend Cholanad if you like authentic Indian cuisine.
Restaurantji Recommends
Waited 20 min to give order, but the very pleasant team admitted mistake, very apologetic and comped appetizers. food was excellent. Eaten here many times, and will certainly be back.
Food was great. Service was great. Missed the ambience of the prior location (it was more upscale with white tablecloths, etc.) The multiple TVs in this present location make it seem more of a sports bar and less of a fairly high-end Indian restaurant. Also, I wish they would stock the bar with limes so that I could enjoy a really good Gin & Tonic. This is the second time limes have been missing when ordering that cocktail. I still like the restaurant for its food and service.
We had a lovely meal. The setting is a bit industrial (cement floors, etc) but still feels festive. Sitting near the door on a cold evening meant we felt a cold draft every time the door was opened, so they could use a curtain or inner door. Otherwise no complaints!
Outstanding South Indian cuisine, some of the best I've ever had and I lived in India for 4 months and have eaten hundreds of dosai! Server wasn't as attentive as your most attentive server but perfectly fine. Atmosphere is modern, not particularly interesting. But 5 stars based on the food. Spring dosa is my favorite!
Our evening could not have been better. We were directed to a table for dining and the hostess answered many questions about ingredient lists because we have significant food allergies. She directed us to some great choices and had the kitchen staff make some modifications to accommodate our allergies. In other words, we were challenging diners. The food was fantastic and plentiful and the service was superb. We'll definitely return.