Excellent home style North Indian food. I got the appetizer platter which has 2 samosas and 4 pakodas. The samosa filing is not too spicy and the cover is quite flaky and crispy. The pakodas were a bit dense for me. I got a roti (light, buttery) with the Navratan Korma (mixed veg) and Chicken Achari (my favorite). I have also had their Tandoori Chicken before and it's quite good. It's rare to find good Indian food in the city so I'm definitely coming back. The ambience and service reflect that they are a small family-run operation.
Janine M.
Food was good but not enough spice. Would order again, but definitely adding more heat!
Linda L.
Surprisingly good. Originally wanted to have sushi but we had to wait so we thought we'd be adventurous and try something new. Quiet little cafe on the corner. First we were hesitant because there was no one inside. We looked up the restaurant and saw it had good reviews. We also want to support small businesses so we just tried it. The food was good. The mild still had some kick to it but if you like spicy, you can have it spicier.
eric f.
Dollar for dollar, this is an awesome spot. I'm a huge fan of Indian food and A Desi Cafe fits perfectly into the SF Indian food scene as a great mid-priced option. It's not expensive fine dining. It's above the bargain-level spots. A Desi Cafe is a great addition to a regular restaurant rotation. I've been a handful of times and have enjoyed all of the dishes. The staff if friendly. The space is cute. Definitely recommend checking it out.
Amanda L.
this is one of my go to spots for indian food! we usually get mixed vegetables, chicken masala, shrimp coconut curry, biryani (either lamb or chicken), garlic naan, and seekh kebab. we take it to go and they really pack in the biryani. when we poured it out in a bowl, we were shocked at the big portions. i always see the same guy working, not sure if he's the owner, but he's always very nice.
Anwaya Aras
We had samosas and chai and both were pretty bad. Samosas were undercooked and chai tasted weird. No wonder the restaurant is empty.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 2
Service: 1
Pratul Lakhotia
This is the definition of a delicious Indian hole in the wall restaurant. I can’t understand some of the bad reviews - I eat here all the time, and tried some great Indian food around the world (Europe, India, Thailand, Singapore) and all the “best” Indian restaurants in SF. This is definitely in the top 2-3 in SF and recently finally getting recognition in some of the local foodie articles.It’s family owned for decades and serves authentic Indian food with a homemade style. Great thing is it’s not doused in oil and butter, like most places, it’s really clean and more flavorful without the added fat. Inside its no frills cozy and service is great. You can customize the spice for all the dishes and they got Indian beer with sports usually playing quietly on the TV’s.Butter chicken is the best, it has a deep red sauce full of flavor and isn’t over poweringly buttery like other places - it’s almost like a hybrid tikka masala and butter chicken. I wish it had a bit more chicken though. Mixed vegetable and saag paneer are also delicious.Samosas are also really good - perfect size, crispy slim thickness, and nicely full flavored with spices.Tikka masala is pretty good but not as good as the butter chicken.Don’t sleep on this place - definitely a must try and easily can become your regular go to joint
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Papadum, Butter Chicken, Saag Paneer, Chicken Tikka Masala
Matt C.
Consistent, good food slightly on the sweeter side but very tasty. Hits the spot. The mint chutney is great.
Sunset Searider
Great food. Awesome proprietor.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Andi B.
The food was fine, service was excellent. Lamb samosa was just that, mostly chopped lamb and not particularly interesting. Mixed vegetables was too sweet. Biryani was good.
I'm sorry to say this, but I didn't know Indian food could be this bad. Staff are kind, so I feel guilty, but the current yelp rating is high and misleading. Other bad reviews say that the management or kitchen must have changed, and that the food used to be good but is no more. Lentils were a fluffy, oatmeal like texture like no daal I have ever been served. All dishes were in desperate need of salt. Steer clear of here- I felt a bit robbed. If I was more bold I would have asked for a refund.
Kristen V.
Server was really great and attentive, however the food was ok. The garlic naan was fresh, but didn't really taste like garlic. I was a little disappointed because the Dal tadka and Navratan korma were lacking flavor.
Mohammed Hanif
very bad service and absolutely no quality. We ordered 4 cups of tea, and it had no taste. when I complained, they did not refund, nor offer to remake, instead kept the tea which I had issue. probably going to sale it to someone else.The guy who was the cashier, had an attitude and very rude
Faye Tam
This Restaurant has the best food and services, this is a very good experience for Indian food ever!Highly recommended!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chicken Tikka Masala
John Hill
Food was mediocre at best. I agree with the statement that it's a far below trader Joe's.
Excellent home style North Indian food. I got the appetizer platter which has 2 samosas and 4 pakodas. The samosa filing is not too spicy and the cover is quite flaky and crispy. The pakodas were a bit dense for me. I got a roti (light, buttery) with the Navratan Korma (mixed veg) and Chicken Achari (my favorite). I have also had their Tandoori Chicken before and it's quite good. It's rare to find good Indian food in the city so I'm definitely coming back. The ambience and service reflect that they are a small family-run operation.
Food was good but not enough spice. Would order again, but definitely adding more heat!
Surprisingly good. Originally wanted to have sushi but we had to wait so we thought we'd be adventurous and try something new. Quiet little cafe on the corner. First we were hesitant because there was no one inside. We looked up the restaurant and saw it had good reviews. We also want to support small businesses so we just tried it. The food was good. The mild still had some kick to it but if you like spicy, you can have it spicier.
Dollar for dollar, this is an awesome spot. I'm a huge fan of Indian food and A Desi Cafe fits perfectly into the SF Indian food scene as a great mid-priced option. It's not expensive fine dining. It's above the bargain-level spots. A Desi Cafe is a great addition to a regular restaurant rotation. I've been a handful of times and have enjoyed all of the dishes. The staff if friendly. The space is cute. Definitely recommend checking it out.
this is one of my go to spots for indian food! we usually get mixed vegetables, chicken masala, shrimp coconut curry, biryani (either lamb or chicken), garlic naan, and seekh kebab. we take it to go and they really pack in the biryani. when we poured it out in a bowl, we were shocked at the big portions. i always see the same guy working, not sure if he's the owner, but he's always very nice.
We had samosas and chai and both were pretty bad. Samosas were undercooked and chai tasted weird. No wonder the restaurant is empty.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 2
Service: 1
This is the definition of a delicious Indian hole in the wall restaurant. I can’t understand some of the bad reviews - I eat here all the time, and tried some great Indian food around the world (Europe, India, Thailand, Singapore) and all the “best” Indian restaurants in SF. This is definitely in the top 2-3 in SF and recently finally getting recognition in some of the local foodie articles.It’s family owned for decades and serves authentic Indian food with a homemade style. Great thing is it’s not doused in oil and butter, like most places, it’s really clean and more flavorful without the added fat. Inside its no frills cozy and service is great. You can customize the spice for all the dishes and they got Indian beer with sports usually playing quietly on the TV’s.Butter chicken is the best, it has a deep red sauce full of flavor and isn’t over poweringly buttery like other places - it’s almost like a hybrid tikka masala and butter chicken. I wish it had a bit more chicken though. Mixed vegetable and saag paneer are also delicious.Samosas are also really good - perfect size, crispy slim thickness, and nicely full flavored with spices.Tikka masala is pretty good but not as good as the butter chicken.Don’t sleep on this place - definitely a must try and easily can become your regular go to joint
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Papadum, Butter Chicken, Saag Paneer, Chicken Tikka Masala
Consistent, good food slightly on the sweeter side but very tasty. Hits the spot. The mint chutney is great.
Great food. Awesome proprietor.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
The food was fine, service was excellent. Lamb samosa was just that, mostly chopped lamb and not particularly interesting. Mixed vegetables was too sweet. Biryani was good.
Restaurantji Recommends
I'm sorry to say this, but I didn't know Indian food could be this bad. Staff are kind, so I feel guilty, but the current yelp rating is high and misleading. Other bad reviews say that the management or kitchen must have changed, and that the food used to be good but is no more. Lentils were a fluffy, oatmeal like texture like no daal I have ever been served. All dishes were in desperate need of salt. Steer clear of here- I felt a bit robbed. If I was more bold I would have asked for a refund.
Server was really great and attentive, however the food was ok. The garlic naan was fresh, but didn't really taste like garlic. I was a little disappointed because the Dal tadka and Navratan korma were lacking flavor.
very bad service and absolutely no quality. We ordered 4 cups of tea, and it had no taste. when I complained, they did not refund, nor offer to remake, instead kept the tea which I had issue. probably going to sale it to someone else.The guy who was the cashier, had an attitude and very rude
This Restaurant has the best food and services, this is a very good experience for Indian food ever!Highly recommended!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chicken Tikka Masala
Food was mediocre at best. I agree with the statement that it's a far below trader Joe's.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 5