The panipuri was really good. They have good options of Indian chaat available. The chai also comes with Parle G :)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Bennett Kane
Best lunch buffet in Atlanta! Come hungry.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Olivia M. Wilson
First time trying Chai Pani and I was a little disappointed! The appetizers we ordered were overly salted that we ended up not being able to finish them. The entrées were OK, they did come out hot which is great. However, this is Indian street food so it has a different feel/taste than authentic Indian cuisine. The mango lassi was probably my favorite thing that I ordered on the menu - it was rich and just the right amount of sweet!
Items ordered: - Matchstick Okra - Kale Pakoras - Daal of the day - Saag Paneer
I might come back to try the lunch buffet for a better experience!
Vegetarian options: Clearly labeled vegan and gluten-free options
Parking: The restaurant is connected to another with a shared parking lot for both so it does fill up quickly!
This place is a treasure and you gotta check out the brunch buffet. You can try more things but also go ham on the kale pakoras. Also Unlimited refill iced chai!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Saag Paneer Combo, Samosa Chaat, Kale Pakoras
Samanta Biswas
The shrimp curry and fried gobi was amazing
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Pani Puri, Saag Paneer Combo, Samosa Chaat
Nguyen Nhat Anh
The disco bhel blew my minds. So awesome
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Pani Puri, Disco Bhel
Mihir Shah
Went here for the first time with my family, and even with all the well-deserved accolades this place has received, it exceeded all expectations. This is one of the few places around Atlanta worth traveling out of your way for.
I'll be honest, my experience with Indian restaurants has been either hit-or-miss suburban strip mall places, or city ones that are either fantastic or overpriced. Chai Pani is simply neither and in a class of its own. The food, service, and atmosphere are so unique and well-executed it's hard to describe or categorize. Sure, you could go to an Indian street food place not far from here, deeper into the Atlanta suburbs, or find another "trendy" restaurant in the city, but this is hands down the must-visit place.
On top of that, I have a unique allergy to chick peas, green peas, and certain lentils, which often makes it difficult to enjoy Indian restaurants. This may have been the best place which catered to my needs. The server patiently and cheerfully went to the kitchen to confirm not just the offending ingredients, but even if they were fried in the same oil. This saved us a ton of potential heartache.
All the food we had was amazing. We had the pani puri at the front, with just the puri and water for me, and even that simple combination was perfect. Just about all the (vegetarian) appetizers have chick peas, which the rest of my family really enjoyed, but I did split the tomato-and-cheese uttapam with my son.
We normally just get waters when eating out, but the beverages here are top notch, including the mango lassi, salty lassi, and especially the hot chai. My father-in-law who makes chai in the house, totally approved. It reminded me of the streetside dhabas and tea stalls in India.
For entrees I had a bit of two: saag paneer with basmati rice, and desi salad with grilled paneer, minus the chick pea noodles (sev).
Finally for dessert we had gulab jamun and falooda (rose syrup, vermicelli noodles, falooda "seeds", and ice cream), both well-known delicacies but done even better than normal here.
A small detail I liked was that I could keep the rice and saag paneer curry separate in the two-compartment to-go container. It was almost perfectly sized.
The atmosphere is a loving tribute to 1960s-70s Bollywood, tiger and street-scape inspired artwork, with tons of marigold garlands. You have to look hard to remember this used to be an auto repair business years ago.
Finally the service was extremely attentive despite the increasing volume of people throughout our visit. Highly efficient and ever-present but also very friendly.
We will of course visit again!
Vegetarian options: Like all Indian restaurants there are plenty of vegetarian options. In fact it's probably a majority of the menu. There are a few vegan ones too. All of these are clearly marked on the menu.
Dietary restrictions: I have chick pea, green pea, and lentil allergies and although that limited my options, I still had plenty to eat and enjoy.
Many dishes have nuts, especially the desserts.
The server staff are very helpful in navigating the menu and seeing what can fit your restrictions and what can be adjusted. For example, I had the Desi Salad without sev (fried chick pea noodles).
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Sev Potato Dahi Puri SPDP, Pani Puri, Vegan, Chai Pani, Saag Paneer Combo, Samosa Chaat, Matchstick Okra Fries
Jennifer Riegel
We had the buffet. The food was really great and very fresh. The complimentary chai was the best I've ever had. My only complaint was the music was loud which made the full restaurant much too loud to hear my friends.
This was my first visit to Chai Pani and the food was absolutely amazing, as were the people working there. I will definitely come back again when I am in the area.
I only have one suggestion: turn the volume of the music inside the building a bit down. Eating great food in good company is even better when you don’t have to strain your ears or have to speak loudly.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Lunch
Sanjay Ravi
I recently revisited Chai Pani after a gap of 7-8 years, having fond memories of their incredible vada pav and tea. Back then, these items were so good that I would happily eat the vada pav for all three meals of the day. Unfortunately, my recent visit was quite disappointing.
The vada pav lacked the authentic taste that I once loved, and the quality of the tea was severely diminished, tasting more like hot water than the flavorful brew I remembered. It’s clear that the quality has declined over the years.
On a positive note, the Pani Puri and Dahi Puri were excellent. I thoroughly enjoyed these items, which still showcased the vibrant flavors I expected.
However, the overall experience was marred by the challenge of finding parking. It took me about 10-15 minutes to secure a spot, which added to the frustration of the visit.
While the Pani Puri was a highlight, I wouldn’t be inclined to return unless there’s a noticeable improvement in the quality and taste of their offerings.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Pani Puri
Amish Bhavsar
Good choices but price is a bit on the high side
Eric Edwards
So we haven’t been back since they drastically changed the menu many years ago and just wasn’t feeling it and didn’t see what the hype was all about. Had to ask for water and thought a waiter would come but had to ask for a waiter and got a bored one who left before and thankfully we got a much better wait staff. Maybe we didn’t order the right items, but the fried Okra was the best thing and the drinks were great. It wasn’t crowded as they why I waiter left early so not sure about what service was subpar until the end. -ossibly will give another try, but meh
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Matchstick Okra Fries
Brendan
Outstanding restaurant — has become our favorite place for Indian food. Not just the street food options but the buffet is also excellent.
It is our Favorite place in Decatur and Asheville!!!
This is a fun restaurant with delicious food. The service was fantastic and our server made our birthday celebration special.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Corn Bhel, Dinner, Saag Paneer Combo, Matchstick Okra Fries
The panipuri was really good. They have good options of Indian chaat available. The chai also comes with Parle G :)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Best lunch buffet in Atlanta! Come hungry.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
First time trying Chai Pani and I was a little disappointed! The appetizers we ordered were overly salted that we ended up not being able to finish them. The entrées were OK, they did come out hot which is great. However, this is Indian street food so it has a different feel/taste than authentic Indian cuisine. The mango lassi was probably my favorite thing that I ordered on the menu - it was rich and just the right amount of sweet!
Items ordered:
- Matchstick Okra
- Kale Pakoras
- Daal of the day
- Saag Paneer
I might come back to try the lunch buffet for a better experience!
Vegetarian options: Clearly labeled vegan and gluten-free options
Parking: The restaurant is connected to another with a shared parking lot for both so it does fill up quickly!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Vegan, Dinner, Matchstick Okra Fries
This place is a treasure and you gotta check out the brunch buffet. You can try more things but also go ham on the kale pakoras. Also Unlimited refill iced chai!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Saag Paneer Combo, Samosa Chaat, Kale Pakoras
The shrimp curry and fried gobi was amazing
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Pani Puri, Saag Paneer Combo, Samosa Chaat
The disco bhel blew my minds. So awesome
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Pani Puri, Disco Bhel
Went here for the first time with my family, and even with all the well-deserved accolades this place has received, it exceeded all expectations. This is one of the few places around Atlanta worth traveling out of your way for.
I'll be honest, my experience with Indian restaurants has been either hit-or-miss suburban strip mall places, or city ones that are either fantastic or overpriced. Chai Pani is simply neither and in a class of its own. The food, service, and atmosphere are so unique and well-executed it's hard to describe or categorize. Sure, you could go to an Indian street food place not far from here, deeper into the Atlanta suburbs, or find another "trendy" restaurant in the city, but this is hands down the must-visit place.
On top of that, I have a unique allergy to chick peas, green peas, and certain lentils, which often makes it difficult to enjoy Indian restaurants. This may have been the best place which catered to my needs. The server patiently and cheerfully went to the kitchen to confirm not just the offending ingredients, but even if they were fried in the same oil. This saved us a ton of potential heartache.
All the food we had was amazing. We had the pani puri at the front, with just the puri and water for me, and even that simple combination was perfect. Just about all the (vegetarian) appetizers have chick peas, which the rest of my family really enjoyed, but I did split the tomato-and-cheese uttapam with my son.
We normally just get waters when eating out, but the beverages here are top notch, including the mango lassi, salty lassi, and especially the hot chai. My father-in-law who makes chai in the house, totally approved. It reminded me of the streetside dhabas and tea stalls in India.
For entrees I had a bit of two: saag paneer with basmati rice, and desi salad with grilled paneer, minus the chick pea noodles (sev).
Finally for dessert we had gulab jamun and falooda (rose syrup, vermicelli noodles, falooda "seeds", and ice cream), both well-known delicacies but done even better than normal here.
A small detail I liked was that I could keep the rice and saag paneer curry separate in the two-compartment to-go container. It was almost perfectly sized.
The atmosphere is a loving tribute to 1960s-70s Bollywood, tiger and street-scape inspired artwork, with tons of marigold garlands. You have to look hard to remember this used to be an auto repair business years ago.
Finally the service was extremely attentive despite the increasing volume of people throughout our visit. Highly efficient and ever-present but also very friendly.
We will of course visit again!
Vegetarian options: Like all Indian restaurants there are plenty of vegetarian options. In fact it's probably a majority of the menu. There are a few vegan ones too. All of these are clearly marked on the menu.
Dietary restrictions: I have chick pea, green pea, and lentil allergies and although that limited my options, I still had plenty to eat and enjoy.
Many dishes have nuts, especially the desserts.
The server staff are very helpful in navigating the menu and seeing what can fit your restrictions and what can be adjusted. For example, I had the Desi Salad without sev (fried chick pea noodles).
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Sev Potato Dahi Puri SPDP, Pani Puri, Vegan, Chai Pani, Saag Paneer Combo, Samosa Chaat, Matchstick Okra Fries
We had the buffet. The food was really great and very fresh. The complimentary chai was the best I've ever had. My only complaint was the music was loud which made the full restaurant much too loud to hear my friends.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
This was my first visit to Chai Pani and the food was absolutely amazing, as were the people working there. I will definitely come back again when I am in the area.
I only have one suggestion: turn the volume of the music inside the building a bit down. Eating great food in good company is even better when you don’t have to strain your ears or have to speak loudly.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Lunch
I recently revisited Chai Pani after a gap of 7-8 years, having fond memories of their incredible vada pav and tea. Back then, these items were so good that I would happily eat the vada pav for all three meals of the day. Unfortunately, my recent visit was quite disappointing.
The vada pav lacked the authentic taste that I once loved, and the quality of the tea was severely diminished, tasting more like hot water than the flavorful brew I remembered. It’s clear that the quality has declined over the years.
On a positive note, the Pani Puri and Dahi Puri were excellent. I thoroughly enjoyed these items, which still showcased the vibrant flavors I expected.
However, the overall experience was marred by the challenge of finding parking. It took me about 10-15 minutes to secure a spot, which added to the frustration of the visit.
While the Pani Puri was a highlight, I wouldn’t be inclined to return unless there’s a noticeable improvement in the quality and taste of their offerings.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Pani Puri
Good choices but price is a bit on the high side
So we haven’t been back since they drastically changed the menu many years ago and just wasn’t feeling it and didn’t see what the hype was all about. Had to ask for water and thought a waiter would come but had to ask for a waiter and got a bored one who left before and thankfully we got a much better wait staff. Maybe we didn’t order the right items, but the fried Okra was the best thing and the drinks were great. It wasn’t crowded as they why I waiter left early so not sure about what service was subpar until the end. -ossibly will give another try, but meh
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Matchstick Okra Fries
Outstanding restaurant — has become our favorite place for Indian food. Not just the street food options but the buffet is also excellent.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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