Always coming back here for the dosas and badam milk
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
metallicfern
Vegetarian spot with tons of vegan dishes. I tried the dosai and it was delicious. Prices were great food was fresh.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Alexander Kopelman
I have been coming to Pongal for nearly 20 years. It is even better in the new space across the street from its original location on Lexington Avenue.
The food is fantastic, and the service attentive and personable. Tipu, the wonderful manager who had been at the restaurant since 2008, is a delightfully welcoming host.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
R A
My visit to Pongal on a Monday evening for a snack with four people was largely overshadowed by the lack of hospitality, despite the excellent food. The owner, manager, or server, though greeting us, appeared overwhelmed and made the experience feel unwelcoming with awkward comments and a distinct lack of warmth. While the food itself was fresh, flavorful, and clearly made with care, the dismal service (rated 0/5) significantly detracted from our enjoyment. For this reason, I would recommend Pongal for takeout only, as the food quality deserves recognition. I hope this feedback encourages the establishment to improve their customer service for a more pleasant dining experience.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 1
Raj S
⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3-Star Review for Pongal Restaurant, NYC
Visited Pongal with high hopes, especially being a Tamilian and excited to see a restaurant with a Tamil name in the heart of NYC. The location is nice and the restaurant has plenty of seating inside, which is a plus. However, parking nearby is quite a challenge.
The food, unfortunately, didn’t live up to the expectations. I specifically asked if the chef was South Indian before ordering the Chennai Thali ($20), and while it was confirmed, the thali itself was underwhelming both in portion and flavor. The spread included puliyodharai, rice with rasam, poori with kurma, and one muttakose (cabbage) curry.
Puliyodharai lacked any depth of flavor, rasam was just okay, but the poori and kurma were quite good. Honestly, I think I should’ve gone with the North Indian thali instead.
The most bizarre part? When I asked for pickle, the server replied, “Should I order 1 qty of pickle?” 😅 In all my visits to over 20 restaurants in the Lexington area, I’ve never seen a place charge for pickle with a thali meal.
Overall, Pongal didn’t deliver the authentic Tamil experience I hoped for. Average food, questionable pricing strategy, and not compelling enough to make me return.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 3
Charvi Desai
I have been coming here since the last 20 years!! Highlyyyy recommend!!!! by far my favorite restaurant for Indian food. I will tell you my favorites and my go to's! first is onion rava dosa . The Sambar is so good!!! it comes with tomato and coconut chutney!! the rose lassi is so cooling and tasty. the pani puri is yum. I love the masala bindh andi the samosas . For dessert I love the badam halwa!!!! I eat it there and take a order to go . And their pista kulfi is absolutely mouth watering. Just want to say thank you to Pongal for always making my tummy feel good and for making such good soul food. best wishes to you guys always!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jiya Sishodia
As an Indian born and raised in New York, this is my absolute favorite Indian spot in the city. Their service is quick and excellent, and they will cater to your diet and eating restrictions. The menu has a great variety of options which are affordable and come in huge portions. I've been coming here for years and have been beyond satisfied every time. The ambiance has the perfect mix of modern livelihood and Indian culture, and the restaurant can fit big parties as well. My favorites are the rose lassi, onion rava dosa, pani puri, and idli vada combo, however everything on the menu is a must try.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
True Tales
Horrible. Even if you get free food don’t go there. I don’t know how can an Indian restaurant be so bad at everything!!! Food was garbage. Maybe dig out from there?! It was cold. Every dish had the same serving. Just given different names. There are tons of better restaurants on the same road. Go there. Even if you get free food here-run far away!! We were served uncooked batter for vada. They refused to do anything about it. When we said we want to return it since it is uncooked-The server refused. He was mannerless and arrogant. I asked him how can I eat this uncooked dough?! He literally threatened us. Threw the bill.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Recommended dishes: Chef's Special Thali with Rava Masala, Madras Thali, Royal Thali
Elena J
Terrible food
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 3
Steven Rappos
this is one of my favorite places - fresh, delicious, low-key and super friendly
I wonder why this place has good reviews. Surely doesn’t seem authentic. Everything about this place is HORRIBLE. There is one particular staff here who is racist, rude and must be fired. We should have known better than to have continued to order when he was giving us the worst treatment from the moment we entered. The food was horrible. We got uncooked rotis, basmati jeera rice in the madras meals ( 🤔 - for a South Indian restaurant this is blasphemy!) We received an undercooked Vada,we didn’t complain even then. The cherry on top was when the staff there started yelling at us because we wanted to pay in cash instead of the card, which btw he didn’t bother asking our mode of payment before he made the bill. The man was an absolute visit to hell and back - he completely ruined our mood. How a staff at a restaurant can yell at the customer, throw the bill on our table and call us colourful names is beyond me . As a female tourist travelling with old parents, this made me feel so unsafe and concerned for the safety of my parents, their health due to the consumption of such low quality food and the mental harassment we had to endure due to this incompetent person. I really hope the owners of this restaurant look into this- please see your video recordings! And do something about the man working there in the dining area. He should never be allowed in any restaurant and I genuinely hope he gets a taste of his own medicine.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Dan Saccardi
Expansive variety of very good Southern Indian dishes at very reasonable prices; an underrated Curry Hill spot!
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 4
Beixi Li
Best Indian restaurant we have tried in NYC! All vegetarian and so delicious! 100+ items on the menu and we are amazed by all the dishes we have tried. Friendly staff and clean environment.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
vivek jain
Food was bland and very pricy with small portions. Service was ok.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 3
Praveen G
I had worst experience from beginning to the end. They did not offer me a seat for nearly 10-15 minutes when I m the only one waiting to get seated. Food taste is ok but the quantity is bad. I’ve got the thinnest Pesarattu ( Moong dal dosa) ever. They even forgot to bring lassi that I ordered. Thank goodness they didn’t charge for it. The place to sit it very conservative. The seat cushions are just falling off of the seat. Very uncomfortable to sit. Also they don’t accept American Express cards.
Always coming back here for the dosas and badam milk
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Vegetarian spot with tons of vegan dishes. I tried the dosai and it was delicious. Prices were great food was fresh.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I have been coming to Pongal for nearly 20 years. It is even better in the new space across the street from its original location on Lexington Avenue.
The food is fantastic, and the service attentive and personable. Tipu, the wonderful manager who had been at the restaurant since 2008, is a delightfully welcoming host.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
My visit to Pongal on a Monday evening for a snack with four people was largely overshadowed by the lack of hospitality, despite the excellent food.
The owner, manager, or server, though greeting us, appeared overwhelmed and made the experience feel unwelcoming with awkward comments and a distinct lack of warmth.
While the food itself was fresh, flavorful, and clearly made with care, the dismal service (rated 0/5) significantly detracted from our enjoyment. For this reason, I would recommend Pongal for takeout only, as the food quality deserves recognition.
I hope this feedback encourages the establishment to improve their customer service for a more pleasant dining experience.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 1
⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3-Star Review for Pongal Restaurant, NYC
Visited Pongal with high hopes, especially being a Tamilian and excited to see a restaurant with a Tamil name in the heart of NYC. The location is nice and the restaurant has plenty of seating inside, which is a plus. However, parking nearby is quite a challenge.
The food, unfortunately, didn’t live up to the expectations. I specifically asked if the chef was South Indian before ordering the Chennai Thali ($20), and while it was confirmed, the thali itself was underwhelming both in portion and flavor. The spread included puliyodharai, rice with rasam, poori with kurma, and one muttakose (cabbage) curry.
Puliyodharai lacked any depth of flavor, rasam was just okay, but the poori and kurma were quite good. Honestly, I think I should’ve gone with the North Indian thali instead.
The most bizarre part? When I asked for pickle, the server replied, “Should I order 1 qty of pickle?” 😅 In all my visits to over 20 restaurants in the Lexington area, I’ve never seen a place charge for pickle with a thali meal.
Overall, Pongal didn’t deliver the authentic Tamil experience I hoped for. Average food, questionable pricing strategy, and not compelling enough to make me return.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 3
I have been coming here since the last 20 years!! Highlyyyy recommend!!!! by far my favorite restaurant for Indian food. I will tell you my favorites and my go to's! first is onion rava dosa . The Sambar is so good!!! it comes with tomato and coconut chutney!! the rose lassi is so cooling and tasty. the pani puri is yum. I love the masala bindh andi the samosas . For dessert I love the badam halwa!!!! I eat it there and take a order to go . And their pista kulfi is absolutely mouth watering. Just want to say thank you to Pongal for always making my tummy feel good and for making such good soul food. best wishes to you guys always!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
As an Indian born and raised in New York, this is my absolute favorite Indian spot in the city. Their service is quick and excellent, and they will cater to your diet and eating restrictions. The menu has a great variety of options which are affordable and come in huge portions. I've been coming here for years and have been beyond satisfied every time. The ambiance has the perfect mix of modern livelihood and Indian culture, and the restaurant can fit big parties as well. My favorites are the rose lassi, onion rava dosa, pani puri, and idli vada combo, however everything on the menu is a must try.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Horrible. Even if you get free food don’t go there. I don’t know how can an Indian restaurant be so bad at everything!!! Food was garbage. Maybe dig out from there?! It was cold. Every dish had the same serving. Just given different names.
There are tons of better restaurants on the same road. Go there. Even if you get free food here-run far away!! We were served uncooked batter for vada. They refused to do anything about it.
When we said we want to return it since it is uncooked-The server refused. He was mannerless and arrogant. I asked him how can I eat this uncooked dough?!
He literally threatened us. Threw the bill.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Recommended dishes: Chef's Special Thali with Rava Masala, Madras Thali, Royal Thali
Terrible food
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 3
this is one of my favorite places - fresh, delicious, low-key and super friendly
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
I wonder why this place has good reviews. Surely doesn’t seem authentic. Everything about this place is HORRIBLE.
There is one particular staff here who is racist, rude and must be fired.
We should have known better than to have continued to order when he was giving us the worst treatment from the moment we entered. The food was horrible. We got uncooked rotis, basmati jeera rice in the madras meals ( 🤔 - for a South Indian restaurant this is blasphemy!) We received an undercooked Vada,we didn’t complain even then. The cherry on top was when the staff there started yelling at us because we wanted to pay in cash instead of the card, which btw he didn’t bother asking our mode of payment before he made the bill. The man was an absolute visit to hell and back - he completely ruined our mood. How a staff at a restaurant can yell at the customer, throw the bill on our table and call us colourful names is beyond me . As a female tourist travelling with old parents, this made me feel so unsafe and concerned for the safety of my parents, their health due to the consumption of such low quality food and the mental harassment we had to endure due to this incompetent person.
I really hope the owners of this restaurant look into this- please see your video recordings! And do something about the man working there in the dining area. He should never be allowed in any restaurant and I genuinely hope he gets a taste of his own medicine.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Expansive variety of very good Southern Indian dishes at very reasonable prices; an underrated Curry Hill spot!
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 4
Best Indian restaurant we have tried in NYC! All vegetarian and so delicious! 100+ items on the menu and we are amazed by all the dishes we have tried. Friendly staff and clean environment.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Food was bland and very pricy with small portions. Service was ok.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 3
I had worst experience from beginning to the end. They did not offer me a seat for nearly 10-15 minutes when I m the only one waiting to get seated. Food taste is ok but the quantity is bad. I’ve got the thinnest Pesarattu ( Moong dal dosa) ever. They even forgot to bring lassi that I ordered. Thank goodness they didn’t charge for it. The place to sit it very conservative. The seat cushions are just falling off of the seat. Very uncomfortable to sit. Also they don’t accept American Express cards.
I don’t recommend this place for anything.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 2
Service: 1
Loading...