I was in the area and delighted to enjoy lunch at Black Pepper Lounge. The menu intrigued me how it's very specific to Kerala, a place in southern India, not just some restaurant having a generic Indian menu. I've been craving dosa for a while. The last time I had dosa was at Art of Dosa at the Sterling Food Hall in Chicago back when it was called Revival Food Hall. This masala dosa delivered. I also had a Kerala parotta. The flaky crispy chewy texture was so fun and I used it to finish off all the delicious masala stuff so I didn't waste a drop. I'm fine with the portions not being ridiculously large because I was happy to save room for dessert- Achappum Crumble- just what I needed for my sweet tooth. The toasted coconut with ice cream and butterscotch was a winning combination. read more

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Outstanding! Not the ubiquitous American-Indian typical of the burbs. We loved it. I don't remember the name, but try the fish that's baked in banana leaf (picture included) read more

Black Pepper Lounge - Fish Pollichathu (maybe) - Indian Near Me - Aurora, Illinois

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Amazing food.. they bring in the memories of Kerala.. kudos to the team working in the kitchen!

My son and I decided to try Black Pepper Lounge as a result of their participation in Aurora Restaurant Week. The $20 deal included a drink, appetizer, main entree, chapati, and dessert. The staff were friendly and helpful. The food was delicious! We look forward to returning again soon. read more

The owner of the restaurant is friendly and was very helpful in recommendations. The space is big. This is a place for authentic Kerala food, but some of which do not suit my taste. Most of the food is prepared after you place an order. So it may take some time if the place is super busy, but it will be fresh. We did not have that issue as v went on the time of opening on cold day, so there was not much crowd. Drinks- old fashioned was good, but the lime soda was flat and not tasty. Apps - Ulli vada first time trying was really good. Soft and different than onion pakora. Mushroom pepper has a good quantity of Kerla black pepper. Main- kerala paratta was really good, soft, and warm. The egg curry was good, too. The masala dosa was ok, and the chutney was blend. The smabhar had more imali sourness than I could handle. read more

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Best food ever. Authentic, good on spice levels, simple, tasty and light. We had people with allergies and vegetarians and pescatarians in the group , we loved all the food and attention and love it was served with. read more

Very friendly, delicious spot for Kerala cuisine, the only place I know of that serves it around here. Follow the chefs recommendations if you're new to it -- beef ularthiyathu, fish pollichathu, and chicken curry all excellent. Interesting breads, including a fermented rice-coconut pancake with an injera-type texture, and kerala parotta, sort of like fluffy naan, hard to explain but trust me, it's fantastic! We will be back... Suggestion: the menu is confusing, categories don't really make sense and it feels random ... we had the very kind hostess talk us through recommendations (thoroughly and patiently!), but if we had not I'm sure we would not have ordered well. read more

"The" place you go for South Indian Kerala cuisines. We had BDF, BPL Special Chicken Biryani, Pothichoru (a traditional lunch pack with rice, fish and several sides), Kerala Parotta,, Palappam and Egg Roast. The dishes had authentic flavors and taste. The service was fantastic, very attentive to our needs, very high quality food (the biryani came with a hard boiled egg, pappadam, achar and onion-yogurt salad) and the order was accurate. Love the decor and bar lounge... honestly we were beyond satisfied. We had to get a couple pothichoru to go too... read more

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So...I got mixed feelings. The person taking orders was nice. The food tasted pretty good... I got an order of kappa and fish curry. I mean I got I piece of cut King Fish, literally 1... with a lot of gravy, which I asked for. But I got 2 bites out of that piece of King fish. For $21? I'm just going to drive to my aunt's house. I don't think I could take a ride out there for a similar experience in the future. Good try I guess. I would suggest these folks to evaluate their business and bring more value to their menu in terms of portion size. I'll literally pay anything for a good meal, but I felt a bit taken advantage of in this scenario. read more

Food was bland, below mediocre and just not worth anyone's time and money. The papad smelled fishy ( we are vegetarians) and the so called biryani was worse than home made pulav. When we politely brought this up with the owners, they got irritated and the lady started her line of questioning....where are you from? Have you ever eaten Kerala food? And proceeded to claim there are no restaurants in Chicago OR in the US offering this specific cuisine. Totally uninformed! There are several places opened now in the city offering very authentic Kerala cuisine. To top this all, the male owner proceeded to say "there's something wrong with your taste buds!" Unfathomable!! The audacity to talk like this in a customer facing service line is just disgusting. I would give it zero stars. read more

Wow! Came in on 11/26/23 about an hour before close. Greeted with warm and friendly faces. They did a thorough job of explaining all the vegan options for me. I went with the Kothu parotta- veg! They also provided me with a complimentary snack as I waited for my meal, so sweet and kind. I was pleasantly stuck with the most amazing aroma and flavors. I wish I had been more hungry or I would have gotten a small bite. But I 100% recommend. Will be back shortly and will be bringing friends and family:) For those foreign to eexperiencing Indian cuisine- I DARE you to step out of your comfort zone and try Black Pepper Lounge! You'll be struck with excellent flavors and undoubtedly have a pleasant experience! read more

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This place was terrible . Very small portion , food not great but expensive. We were told they run out of most dessert even though we were there right after they were open and place was pretty much empty. Looks like family owned, not friendly especially owner guy was very disrespectful. I would never go back after that kind of experience. Sad thing is bill comes with tip added when we had to ask even for water refill . GO SOMEWHERE ELSE read more

This has a potential to be a very good successful restaurant with some simple changes . The food flavors are great. We ordered the beef ularthiyathu, parotta, idiappam, palappam, egg roast, chicken curry, beef cutlets, vada and the mutton pepper . Out of all those, I would say the mutton pepper was the dish that probably should not remain on the menu. The meat was so tough even though it had a decent flavor. The mutton should be slow cooked so it is tender. The rest of the food was delicious. So why the 3 star you may ask. I think they need to reorganize the food menu and how the food comes out. Appetizer list should be way smaller and some of the pre meal bites are better served on the entree menu. I also think that the sides vs main should really be flushed out. The sides are really your entrees and the breads/appam etc should accompany those dishes as sides. The portions also should be adjusted for both appetizers and entrees. Given the size of the vadas and cutlets, you should have 3-4 per order. Same goes for the egg roast. The way the menu is organized will definitely be confusing especially for someone that is trying Kerala food for the first time. It was confusing even for me and I know my Kerala foods. I will definitely visit the place again in the future and happy to provide additional feedback if needed read more

We just tried this new Kerala cuisine restaurant and was fantastic. Growing up on Kerala (South Indian) food it is rare to find an Indian restaurant that caters to this cuisine. Everything we had was very authentic and by far the best we had in the area! It will be different than what most people think about Indian Food, but absolutely something to try! The service was also great, with good ambiance! read more

Black Pepper Lounge - Kuppa and Fish Curry! - Indian Near Me - Aurora, Illinois

This is an absolute gem love this very very very special place , most of America and o diamond is usually North Indian cuisine , it's rare to find South Indian authentic food and even rrarer is to get food from god's own country Kerala. Every dish we ordered starting from kerala parotta and masala curry to pall uppam and motta(egg) curry , kitty parrota and raita , veg pulav and side of dal , everthing we ordered was so tasty and authentic finally topped it off with custard as desert . The service is good and they make you feel so welcome and the ambiance is so comforting . I so very highly recommend this absolute gem . Cannot wait to go back there. If any malayalees are reading this review don't hesitate make an appointment and get down there is the BESt read more

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This was very good Indian cuisine. We had pothichoru, kothu parotta, Kerala parotta, and chicken curry. Everything was so good. The staff was attentive and wanted to make sure everything was right. The restaurant and bathrooms were clean. read more

Food - I ordered the Palappam, Beef Ularthiyathu, Chicken curry and Payasam - the chicken curry was extremely bland and oily with huge chunks of chicken that had no taste at all. The Beef Ularthiyathu was passable but needed to have more tender cuts of beef instead of chewy gristle. The Palappam and Payasam were okay - hence the two stars Service - I had ordered this through doordash - that confirmed the food was ready to be picked up. I had to wait more than 15 minutes, even after showing them the confirmation email and my phone number, as they could not find my order and made no attempt to do so. Finally I asked them to compare what I had ordered with the bags that were waiting to be picked up and lo and behold, there was a match - this is simply poor service and is not rocket science Ambiance - typical Indian restaurant, not very clean, nothing to write home about. read more

Had dinner with a friend at Black Pepper lounge and enjoyed it very much. The veggie samosas were light and crisp their Chicken appetizer had a beautiful kick and the Chicken curry was fire. I will go back as the hosts were friendly. This is good is from a different part of India and I am glad I tried it. Thank you so much for the experience I will definitely return. read more

This was a wonderful experience at a truly authentic, exotic yet accessible Indian restaurant. Amazing chef Rob's is a true master and uses his grandmother's authentic recipes. Veena is a wonderful hostess. They have the most beautiful and well prepared delicacies imaginable. Something for everyone! The best bread we've ever had anywhere. The dessert was to die for. The balance of herbs and spices was just remarkable. Me read more

Wow. We are south Indian, this is the best Indian restaurant I have gone to I think maybe in life. Not greasy just lovely. Food was delicious and the service was beyond. read more

Black Pepper Lounge - I wish I took a picture of the idles. My mom will not like it but they were better than my mom's. - Indian Near Me - Aurora, Illinois

Overall, we had a great experience. All the food we ordered had a very authentic Kerala taste and smell. I agree with the comment about the appetizer /small bites, being a little confusing. Also, when we went the dishes come out a different times which wasn't the best when you are eating with different people and each person ordered something different. Over all everything tasted awesome and a great dinner outing will definitely go back and try some of the other authentic dishes. read more

We recently chanced on the restaurant during a road trip to Chicago, and I am so glad we did. There aren't a lot of places that specialize in Kerala cuisine, so this is a gem. I wish them all the luck and good business to continue providing great food. We had fish polichathu (fish & spices wrapped & cooked in banana leaf) - tad spicy and oh so yum, Palappam (rice hoppers) with chicken stew & veggie stew - warm in a comfort food way, Kerala parotta (flaky & delicious) and finished it with coffee. I am craving the food again as I write this review. Not to forget the meal starts with a few complimentary snacks to share (shakkara varatti is my new fav). Highly recommend. The level of personal investment in the cooking and service is evident. Thanks much for a great meal. We will be back soon. read more

Wow, so good! I was just looking for Indian in my area, and stumbled across this place. What a unique gem. The flavors were awesome, and the food was so fresh. I was satisfied, yet didn't feel like anything was too heavy. They really seem to know how to blend flavors and spices. I was worried I would miss having Na'an on the side, but both the Palappam and Kerala Porotta satisfied in different ways. The Ghee Rice, too, was nice to have as a complement to our other dishes: Beef Ularthiyathu (which I thought was spicier than described on menu) and Kothu Porotta-Chicken (which I found milder than I expected). I appreciated previous Yelper's posts with food recommendations. I just got take-out this time, but will have to dine-in to get a better education on how to order well. read more

Literally the weirdest experience I have had in a restaurant. We came in and sat down and in over twenty minutes no one ever came and said a word to us. Not even to give us a menu. After awhile we def looked confused and gestured and still no one came to see us. We eventually realized that we would never be served any food here so we had to leave. We eat Indian food weekly all over the area and was excited but they clearly do not seem to know what they are doing. Sad We may go back sometime to give them another chance, it just seemed so weird so who knows lol read more

Went to this spot the first time last night and it was delicious! This is a cute family owned spot and they make all the dishes themselves. This may be a different kind of Indian food than you're used to, as it's from a specific region in India, but that's the fun. We had the crispy chicken drumsticks and crispy beef to start: awesome spice on these. Then we had two curries (goat and chicken) and the flavors were unreal. Amazing breads to go with as well. While we may order to-go in the future, I think you should eat in the restaurant your first time, so the kind owners can explain the menu and you can try the breads fresh. Support places like this so they can stay and thrive in the neighborhood! read more

We ordered palappam, egg roast, cutlets, masala dosas, and beef & porotta, and everything was flavorful, made-to-order, and authentic tasting. The chai was also just like I make at home. That being said, the food is pretty expensive (1 cutlet or 1 palappam for $4!), so that would be the one thing that would might keep me from coming back. read more

Very tasty south Indian food, which is very different from those Indian food I tried. They have beef, made to tender and flavorful. Curry was good, fish was good too, can even eat the bone. They don't have naan but they have many different rice pancakes, rice cake and rice crepes. Very interesting menu. Worth to try. read more

Authentic Kerala food!!! I loved the Beef Ularthiyathu with Kerala Parotta I was told it was cooked to order, so I would suggest to plan some extra time with your loved ones. A great place to hang out for different occasions, with friends at the bar, family dinner, or for a special occasion. When you aren't sure about menu, please do ask the servers, who are super friendly. I would definitely go again to try other menu items at this family owned business from Kerala, India. read more

Food and service were good but prices way too high. Five chicken wings $17.99 and not even the whole wing. Also no side dishes just 5 half wings. read more

Food was very tasty, nice ambiance and good service. Paneer sizzler, Aapam, coconut stew and Thaali were all very good. Payasam was creamy and full of flavor. read more

Excellent food in a casual comfortable setting. The vegetarian meal is enough for two.

We've visited this restaurant on multiple occasions, and each time, the culinary experience has been consistently exceptional. The establishment is relatively new, clean, and the food is prepared fresh to order. They offer an extensive selection of authentic Kerala cuisine, and every dish we tried was delicious. We had tried Appam, Fish curry, Porotta, Chicken curry, Idiyappam, Chicken Stew, Meals and Pothi choru. Service was prompt. Definitely a must visit to savor Kerala cuisine and for a journey down the memory lane. read more

Consistently exceptional. The owners take pride in the food both in terms of execution and authenticity. One of if not the best Indian restaurants in the Chicagoland area. read more

This is the only authentic Kerala restaurant in Chicago area. Great quality food.Their must try item is pepper goat fry. read more

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Nice ambience, yummy food and very friendly people. Food was served pretty quickly and my favorite was the super soft Kerela Parottas and Kottu Parotta! Had a wonderful time at the restaurant!! read more

If your are looking for real Authentic Kerala food , This place deserve more than 5 ratings .

Just had lunch here. We found out about it from the Fill the Bowl event for Marie Wilkerson Food Pantry. We tried a variety of dishes. All the food was delicious. We got samoas and pepper mushroom for appetizer. We shared four dishes beef, fish, dal and vegetable biryani. My favorite was the mushroom appetizer. Definitely worth a visit. read more

Outstanding service and cuisine on the whole. The owners were enthusiastic about accommodating our admittedly large group, and in educating us on the history and culture in the state of Kerala, especially as it plays into the style of their traditional cuisine. The thin, rice flour appam was a highlight, alongside the tender, flavorful Chicken 65. The use of coconut milk as a basis for a wide variety of cuisines, as well as black pepper, as the name might imply, resulted in a rich, broad flavor palate. Would absolutely recommend this to anyone interested in trying Kerala food! read more

We hosted a group of students to try out this place! The food was amazing! We enjoyed various foods recommended by the owners. The owners were so kind. They talked about their culture and shared about their journey prior to opening the restaurant. It's a can't miss! read more

We tried it a couple days ago and the service and the ambience was great. I am from Kerala and had had certain expectations coming in. First of all the section mini bites were kind of confusing as some of those dishes need something to eat with unless it is only meant for people ordering alcoholic drinks. I also felt the portion size of the kappa was too small for a dinner plate with fish curry and extra serving was offered at a price little too high even though I understand the owner has the full freedom to decide on the portion size and prices. read more