Chennai Express Restaurant

Roaches freely roam! Place needs to be cleaned.

Crazyy food. Tawa fish must try

Recently I ate chicken biryani here and had food poisoning that resulted in severe stomach ache and vomiting after eating (within 1 hour).

The food us good, but they should really switch the plastic plates, spoons and other plastic containers to more sustainable ones. They really need to think about the impact they are creating on the Environment and the planet.

Yummy dosa thin and crispy. Nice service.

Authentic and best south Indian cuisine for an affordable price.

All the vegetarian/non-vegetarian items we tried here are authentic in taste, my family enjoyed a lot , both elders and the kids.
One of the best Item I had it here for the first time is Set Dosa with Vadai curry, out of this world and “must try”.
The drinks “Mango Lassi” and “buttermilk” especially very very tasty!
If you are going to Washington Airport and taking accommodation in Chantilly area, this restaurant is 5/10 mins away.

I visited Chennai Express recently with a few expectations, especially because South Indian food has a lot of potential when done right. Unfortunately, the experience left me a bit disappointed across several fronts.

Let’s start with the food — which was a bit of a mixed bag. Some dishes showed real promise. The dosas were crisp, and the sambar had decent flavor, though it wasn’t particularly memorable. The chutneys were okay but lacked that fresh punch you’d expect. The biryani was flavorful, but a bit on the greasy side. Overall, the food wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t consistently good either — very hit or miss, depending on what you order.

Where things really started to fall apart was the dining experience itself. The service was lackluster. Staff seemed indifferent and uninterested — we weren’t greeted with much warmth, and getting someone’s attention for basic things like water or an extra plate felt like a chore.

The ambiance didn’t help either. The interior is dull and uninspired — the space feels neglected and doesn’t invite you to sit and enjoy your meal. It felt more like a cafeteria than a restaurant. There’s very little attention to décor, lighting, or even basic cleanliness around the dining area.

Service has improved a lot and staff is very attentive and professional.

But the biggest red flag was the restroom situation. The bathrooms were a complete mess — poorly maintained, dirty floors, and lacking basic hygiene. It’s honestly the kind of thing that makes you question how the kitchen is being managed behind the scenes. For any restaurant, especially one serving a lot of families and kids, restroom cleanliness is non-negotiable — and Chennai Express failed badly here.

In summary, while the food at Chennai Express has potential, it’s hard to enjoy it when the service is indifferent, the atmosphere is uninviting, and the restrooms are downright unsanitary. If the management focused a little more on basic hospitality and hygiene, this place could turn around. Until then, I’d say it’s not a place I’d recommend or return to any time soon.

Probably a (3.5/5). A decent place with a tad but loud ambience. The staff were friendly and the service was good. It’s a self service type of restaurant. I got the vada curry which was decent. I expected a bit more flavor.
The idly and vada combo was good. Can be a bit more tidy.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 4

Service: 4

I recently had dinner at Chennai Express. I had Tawa fish fry and Talapakatti Goat biryani , a true delight for non-veg lovers. The Tawa fish fry was fresh and marinated with aromatic spices. It was
so tasty! The biryani rice was cooked with perfection, the meat was tender and taste was outstanding. Visit this place to feel the authentic south indian taste. The staff were very friendly as well!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Cheese Masala Dosai, Chicken Noodles, Chicken Fried Rice, Chicken Biryani, Fish, Thalappakatti Goat Biriyani, Chicken 65, Chicken Lollipop

I recently dined at Chennai Express, and I must say, it was a delightful experience! The food was really tasty. Each dish was full of flavor, and you could tell it was made with fresh ingredients. I especially enjoyed the thalappakatti mutton biryani and dosa—they were delicious!

The service was excellent. The staff were friendly and helpful. They made sure we had everything we needed and were quick to take our orders.

Overall, I highly recommend Chennai Express for anyone looking for delicious South Indian food.

Parking: Plenty of parking

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Chicken Style Mutton Curry, Cut Mirchi Pakora, Chicken Biryani

Great authentic food in reasonable prices. Fast service almost all times except some peak hours on weekends but that too is not that bad. The place is great for carry outs or a quick cantina style quick bite, but not so great for a fancy restaurant style meal. The staff is really polite and friendly, overall great place for take out for an authentic South Indian cuisine.

Vegetarian options: Plenty of Vegeterian choices

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Gobi Manchurian, Masala Vada

Got food from here because this had been highly recommended for some of their items. As soon as we started eating I found a dead COCKROACH in the food. Had to immediately throw all items because clearly hygiene is not maintained at all. BEWARE!

UPDATE: We immediately called the restaurant and they were regretful and also gave us a refund. Later they saw our Google review, which was to warn other customers and started hounding us with calls asking us why we posted the review! They said since they refunded for the food we shouldn’t post the review. Not only does this restaurant not maintain cleanliness but they also engage in unethical practices. Also saw sooo many other reviews here about how filthy the restaurant is.

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 1

Service: 1

Had a delivery option this week. We enjoyed their Enna Katharikai Gravy, Mutton Biriyani, Gobi Manchurian and thengai maanga sundal was the best as always. Chicken fried rice had more pepper and salt...Recommend it and would order again

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 4

Service: 4

Recommended dishes: Gobi Manchurian, Chicken Fried Rice

as of aug 24 they are not into Chennai cooking at all. their menu is the same but their dishes have changed. In the name of cost cutting they just give the hyderabadi style pan biriyani for anything you order .... imagine getting pan biriyani when you order "naattu kozhi biriyani". so essentially they are serving is "bait and switch".

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 1

Service: 1