This place is quiet spartan, and offers seats to dine in, but serves food in takeout containers and doesn't offer table service. I was a bit torn because a dosa is something you want to eat fresh, but I'd have been better served in other ways by getting takeout. Having said that, the food was intriguing South Indian cuisine. The gunpowder dosa I ordered was crisp and the sour, savory flavor zinged appropriately. I found the aloo tikki chaat too much to finish, but made the rest of the office jealous when I brought it in for lunch the next day. There are certainly some more menu items worth trying. read more

Bharath Cafe - Franklin St - Gunpowder Dosa - Indian Near Me - Chapel Hill, North Carolina

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Came here after another Indian spot was closed for the holidays: friendly staff and a small space with mostly takeout orders. We ordered the butter chicken and chicken tikka masala, both cooked to order. The tikka masala was rich, flavorful, and slightly sweeter than expected with very tender chicken--I probably should've ordered medium heat. I would've preferred the sauce a bit thinner, but overall the seasoning was solid. The garlic naan was a miss for me--too hard and not much garlic flavor. Also, the restaurant was noticeably cold during our visit. Overall, it's a good option for casual Indian food. read more

The newly-opened Bharath Cafe at E. Franklin St. is the most authentic Indian restaurant I've been to in Chapel Hill, NC. Compared to many Indian restaurants in the area, Bharath has a more casual style, offering an exciting variety of authentic Indian biryanis, curries, vegetarian & non-vegetarian appetizers, naans, desserts, and imported beverages. From the outside of the cafe, people can smell the fresh & savory spices they use for their curries & biryanis, which they serve in 3 spice levels: low, medium & high. Unlike what many Americanized Indian restaurants offer, Bharath's dishes are made with fresh ingredients, a variety of masala spices straight from India, with no preservatives. There's a head chef who assembles their secret recipe for Bharath's 2 locations: Cary & the newer Chapel Hill cafe. Most of Bharath's biryanis & curries are named after real places in India. Non-Indian casual foodies like myself may not be familiar to the differences of their biryanis just by glancing at Bharath's brochure-like menu, so I asked them to help guide readers of this review: - Gongura has a tingling, lemonish flavor - Ulavacharu has lentil soup, calcium & iron-rich - Vijayawada is more plain/standard biryani & boneless Bharath's biryanis are served in a traditional way as they come with 2 sauces: 1. Raita - white sauce made with spices & vegetables 2. Salan - a spicier, gravy-like sauce Both of these sauces enhance the flavor of biryanis, with the former being able to counter the spiciness. I had the pleasure to try out 6 of Bharath's authentic dishes (medium spicy), and here are my thoughts: 1. Chef's Special Paneer - The best Indian appetizer & best paneer I've ever tried. Its deep-fried, crunchy texture, chili & sour cream-based spices create a heavenly taste. 2. Ghee Roast Mutton Biryani - Highly-recommended if you prefer goat. The meat is so tender, and the spices are so well-infused with the aromatic rice and lemon. 3. Vijayawada Chicken - Standard chicken biryani with mix of bay leaves, cinnamon, coconut & cashews-based. The medium spicy level was just right. 4. Curry Leaf Baby Corn - Veg. appetizer with powder curry leaf, tasted healthy. Not a big fan but vegetarians will probably enjoy this more. 5. Karaikudi Chicken - perfectly cooked chicken curry loaded with flavors that just hit the right notes 6. Butter Chicken - One of my clear favorites and the best perfectly-cut & cooked butter chicken I've tried. Its creamy tomato-based & butter sauce over biryani rice or on top of Chapati is just pure bliss. The biryanis come in 2 sizes: Regular for 1 person ($16 to $19); Family Size for 3 people ($33-$38). One of the strengths of Barath Cafe is that they are able to serve authentic curry and biryani dishes with the flexibility to cater and adjust based on customers' preferences. Bharath also offers weekend specials such as the Hyperabadi - fresh boned-in chicken biryani; and the Rajugari Kodi Pulav (literally "King's Favorite"), which comes with rice & Raitha (yogurt mixed with onions). Bharath's desserts are also worth trying. I enjoyed the Rasmalai, a creamy dessert made of pure boiled milk & cottage cheese. The Rasmalai here has a rich, organic taste with powdery texture. There are more sugary desserts such as the orange Jelebi. I also tried mango lassi, which has a rich, not-too-sour taste; well-blended mango & yogurt drink served in a small cup worth $6 (quite pricey for the amount). Gulab Jamun is also highly-recommended if you're craving for something sweet. Bharath Cafe's ambiance is as warm and welcoming as its customer service. I was able to have a friendly conversation with the owner Chari, head chef Aravind, and Anvesh who are all passionate about the authentic foods they serve, and answered my questions clearly. Bharath's professional website and mobile app with clear photos & detailed descriptions of each item in the menu make it easy for customers to order. My order of 2 Family-sized biryanis & Chef's Special ABC Paneer were ready in less than 15 min. after I ordered via mobile app, which also gave reward points. The casual atmosphere in its cafe is also ideal to enjoy refreshing drinks they serve: authentic Indian canned & bottled drinks like coconut water, Masala Jeera (a cola drink recommended for bloating; great for digestion), and Badam almond milk that comes in a variety of flavors (My favorite flavor is strawberry). They also serve soda products that we're more familiar with. I haven't been to the first Bharath Cafe in Cary, NC that opened last year, but based on customers' reviews, it looks like it's thriving well. When I asked the owner Chari why they decided to open a Chapel Hill location, he said that he saw a gap, a lack of authentic Indian food in the area, and I agreed. I've tried a few Indian spots in downtown & other parts of Chapel Hill, and none of them tasted as authentic as what Bharath Cafe offers. Overall Score: 4.8/5 read more

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The Gongura chicken biryani, the Ghee roasted mutton biryani ( too many bones) were delicious . It is served with small sides of raita and salan ( eggplant/ green pepper sauce ). The plain dosa with the sambar was also good. It is unpretentious canteen style. It is better for take out. We ate there on paper plates with plastic cutlery. The food takes 20 mins as it is all prepared fresh. read more

Food was delicious! I went last weekend and havent been able to stop thinking about the dahi puri, I also got the masala dosa which was surprisingly big. Its a nice little place in a shopping center very easy to get to. The cooks were super nice and checked on me throughout my visit. Will definitely be back for the dahi puri and maybe ill get the butter chicken next read more

I would give this place 3-3.5 stars. I ordered takeout -- a dum biryani with chicken and the paneer tikka masala. Like other reviewers said, the biryani was great! Super fragrant and the chicken was very tender. On the other hand, the paneer tikka masala was sweet, which was not what I expected. The gravy was way too thick and almost chalky in flavor. I had to doctor it up at home with some extra yogurt, lemon, and salt. I was pretty disappointed by the paneer tikka masala, and honestly would not recommend getting that again in the future. read more

I read 3 five star Yelp reviews for Bharah Cafe and decided to give it a try. We had butter chicken and saag paneer with the garlic naan. Everything was delicious. I have had Indian food around the world and this was among the best. We were alone for a Wednesday lunch so the ambiance was quiet and the service was quick and friendly. We will be back. The take out option looks good as well. read more

Bharath Cafe - Franklin St - Butter chicken and saag paneer. YUM!!! - Indian Near Me - Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Biryani - incredible! Great heat and spice and super flavorful. This is clearly their specialty. I unfortunately did not love other entrees I've ordered from here, including chefs special ABC paneer, saag paneer (too watery and creamy), and paneer butter masala (paneer very bland and not salted). I plan to continue to order from them, but stick to my biryani order. read more

Super casual, small new place that opened in January and still getting off the ground. The staff are all very nice. Great biryani, rest of the food was decent. Garlic naan -- the surface was crispy but the naan was a little thicker and softer than anticipated with a very buttery taste and mild garlic flavor Andhra chicken curry -- love boneless chicken curries and sauce is flavor forward without being overly salty, chicken is good quality (would get spicy) Ghee roast mutton biryani -- goat melts in your mouth, rice is flavorful and the meat to rice ratio is good (would get medium). Salan was overly nutty, almost a bit overpowering for me. Raita was thin and mild with great yogurt flavor, pairs well with biryani especially if you order on the spicier side read more

Bharath Cafe - Franklin St - Ghee roast mutton biryani - Indian Near Me - Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Tucked away near Staples. Excellent food in a "canteen" setting. The Samosas are so authentic accompanied by chutneys. We also had Butter Chicken and it was delicious. Highly recommend! read more

delicious food, & great service. the price is good for the quality of food. They also have dessert and chai

A terrible terrible restaurant. The food is not very good and the waiter did not speak English. I ordered a Diet Coke and they did not have ice! They serve the food on a paper plate, with plastic silverware. I am never going back. read more

Contemporary ambience. I avoid Indian food in and around Chapel Hill because they are far from authenticity. This restaurant changed that opinion. The spices are equally or better than the best of the best. Must try if you like Indian food. read more

Bharath Cafe - Franklin St - Gobi Schezwan Manchurian - Indian Near Me - Chapel Hill, North Carolina

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Food is absolutely phenomenal. Waiter was extremely helpful with helping us select our food. Definitely recommend this restaurant.

Enjoyed authentic spicy south Indian food at this new Indian eatery in Chapel Hill. Believe this is an extension of the larger Cary location. BTW the menu on the website is for the Cary location and not all items are available here. Couple of things stood out- its tucked away in a small strip mall behind the Staples where the DMV was once located. Unlike downtown CH, parking is not an issue. It seems geared towards takeouts - informal vibe, limited seating, order and pay at counter, grab and go drinks area, etc. Not the typical date night place! Food was really good, hot, flavorful and served within 10 min. We ordered one of the biryanis - rice, veges and meat cooked with spices and served with raita yogurt. Portion size was good enough to feed 2 people. We'll certainly return for the food. read more

Tasty food, well prepared and wonderful helpful staff. Cafe style with a good take out business. Staff very willing to assist with food choices and suggestions. Will be back to sample new dishes. Had sag paneer and chicken curry. Both very flavorful and generous portions.. read more

i ordered the butter chicken and it was delicious. i asked for the highest spice level but because it is a tomato based curry sauce it isn't that hot. the service was kind and helpful. the ambiance was nice. decor was minimal but the food speaks for itself. i would eat there again. read more

Had lunch here today with some friends. The food was really tasty and the portion size was good! If you like Indian food and are in the area, check this place out. The interior gives a "take out" vibe but they have tables and we had a just fine time sitting there and eating our meal. read more