Chennai Express Restaurant

Very good

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 5

Service: 4

I’ve ordered food from this place and I can vouch for the Thalapakati goat biriyani and the chicken 65. The goat biriyani is flavourful, has generous portions of meat, and is more than enough for two people to share. Same with the chicken 65 — generous quantity for sharing but it’s not the usual chicken 65 which is slightly gravy-ish. This is just boneless chicken pieces, marinated in spices and deep fried — but it does taste good. I tried the ambur chicken biriyani but it was quite meh imo. The rice was unnecessarily spicy and it lacked flavour. Better to avoid the ambur style biriyani.

When I had visited the restaurant a few months ago, it had glaring hygiene issues in the dining area but the management seems to have finally taken that into consideration. Earlier, many people would simply order takeout instead of choosing to dine in. However, the dining space layout has changed and the place looks cleaner, more hygienic, and well-maintained than before! Hoping that they keep up this streak for long. :)

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 3

Service: 3

Chennai Express is honestly a pleasant surprise now. It used to be a bit worn down and I mostly stuck to takeout, but after their major interior renovation around January 24, 2026, the place feels completely refreshed. Super clean, bright, and actually very comfortable to sit down and enjoy a proper meal. It finally feels like a restaurant you want to dine in, not just grab food and run.

I ordered the masala paper dosa and it was really good, crispy, light, and nicely done. I still personally think Woodland Veg Restaurant has the edge when it comes to dosa, but for Chantilly, especially if you are visiting Costco nearby, Chennai Express is a solid option. The chutneys were decent, though a bit on the bland side for my taste, but still enjoyable overall.

I also had the fish fry, forgot to take a picture, but wow, that was excellent. Properly cooked, flavorful, and easily a 5 out of 5. Yummm is the only word that fits.

Food gets a 5, service was friendly and smooth so another 5, and cleanliness now is also a solid 5. If you visited before and were turned off by the old ambiance, I would strongly recommend giving Chennai Express another try. The upgrade makes a big difference and the food still delivers.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 4

Service: 5

A hidden gem. The store serves food with paper plates, plastic cups, and plastic forks and spoons and looks pretty run down from the outside, but the food is extremely good. The food tasted like authentic South Indian food like ones I have tasted in India. My mother ordered the dosa and it was the biggest dosa I've ever seen. I ordered the mutton chettinad and it was very spicy (as I would expect from chettinad) and what I liked was that it had dry red chilis floating in it (which made me feel like it was authentic). Would recommend

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Very authentic taste, whether vegetarian or non-vegetarian. Love chili parotta, biriyani varieties, and dosa varieties along with their side dishes.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Some of the food really taste good but some of them aren't really. Choose your food wisely.
Thalapakatti Goat Biryani is our favourite but not the chicken TB.
The place is so small and the interior ambience need to be improved a lot

Atmosphere: 2

Food: 4

Service: 4

This restaurant is a clear example of why you shouldn’t always trust Google reviews. The hygiene standards are extremely poor — food was spilled all over the place, and the overall cleanliness was disappointing.

The food quality was below average and felt unhygienic. Here’s what we ordered:
1. Mysore Masala Dosa – 2.5/5
2. Vegetarian Thali – 2/5
3. Non-Vegetarian Thali – 2/5
4. Filter Coffee – 3.5/5

Although the portion sizes are large, the dishes are made with low-quality rice and ingredients. Overall, it’s not worth visiting.

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 1

Service: 1

Good place to order carry-out. Food is tasty. The place could use a coat of paint and glass cleaner give it a face-lift:)

Atmosphere: 2

Food: 5

Service: 5

Amazzzzing food ! The best of the best ! I don’t understand negative reviews because I have never been disappointed by their food and mind it I eat here a lot. Every dish is made to perfection. It feels like they put all their soul in their food. If you have never eaten here you are truly missing out, Chennai stands out and come as a clear winner in sea of south Indian restaurant here in DMV!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Got lamb biryani but instead of lamb it was almost all bones!!! And cheap quality rice while price of plate was same as good restaurants. I threw most of it in trash I was too far to drive back. I wouldn't go again not recommend. Come on meat is cheap in America you can provide decent meals for the price customers pay. By cheaping out you lose customers.

Atmosphere: 2

Food: 1

Service: 3

Food was excellent. We tried cut mirchi , chicken lollipop, soup, kara masala dosa,mutton curry. All were excellent.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Idly is overcooked , I told the manager- Mr. Rajesh that once their idlyes were best in town but from last 3 times, it was overcooked and hard as rock..!!

Food: 3

Excellent

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

I have been coming to this place for almost 1 year from the time I moved here. Always good food never had any issue. I get the best Chennai fried rice and chicken vepudu

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Ordered a bunch of main course and appetizers, although their mild spicy was also pretty spicy, the food was very flavorful..enjoyed every bite .. I kinda turned all sweaty and the staff offered paisam on the house . amazing food and courteous staff

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 5

Service: 5