Chai Pani

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!

First time visiting after hearing a lot of wonderful things and was very excited to try the buffet. This place is beyond cute both outside and in. It's a fun environment to be in. The cashier was friendly when we entered/paid but we had no interaction with staff after that (although there were plenty of staff around). The buffet was not being attended to at all. The entire length of it was dirty with spills, drips and drops. Some of the utensil holders were missing or filthy as well. And the chutney area was a disaster. Several of the dishes looked like they were sitting for a while and/or needed to be refilled. In addition, several tables sat witout being cleared after people left. That being said, the food was delicious. Everything I tried was super yummy. The pakora and chana masala were my favorite. Wish we could have tried the potato dish that person at the end of the buffet was making but we didn't see that they ever finished it or put it out. Overall, I will try it again because it was so tasty, although I did feel that it was slightly over priced..

My husband and I had our first experience at Chai Pani this past week and it was delicious and memorable. They're currently serving their Hurricane Hotbar for dinner post Helene -- not sure how long they will continue that, but their buffet is normally served for lunch.The colors, aromas, and most importantly, the tastes will be calling us back again in the future! Check our the historical preserved murals on the walls should you visit Chai Pani in Asheville. The service and friendly atmosphere was welcoming on a chilly December evening.

Longterm local here. Enormous fan of Chai Pani since its inception, plus MG Road, Botiwalla, and Spicewalla. The new Chai Pani is GORGEOUS and respectful of local history. Right now they're doing post-Helene buffet, and it is a blessing and a pleasure. I'd eat there three times a week if I could. The food is aromatic, fresh, and absolutely delightful. The house Margarita is creative and delicious. Go there and come away in bliss!!