Food taste and quality is great ! Its only open on Fri and Sat but its worth the wait

What a coincidence . . . Myself, and two friends drove to Cleveland for the big motorcycle show at the I-X center. We are big fans, and owners of the Royal Enfield brand of motorcycle, which had a large display at the show, and was really the main reason why we drove to the show from Pittsburgh. After the show, we wanted to get something to eat, and I suggested Indian, so we did a Yelp search and the second listing to come up was called "Chennai Delicacy" . . . and believe it or not, the city of Chennai, in India, just so happens to be where the Royal Enfield motorcycles are produced, and where our bikes were made (Crazy coincidence huh?). So we felt like it was almost our destiny to eat here. I called them on the phone just to make sure they were open, and the owner told me, that they were not really a full-service restaurant, but they had some tables and we could eat there if we wanted. He also said . . . "We are not a fancy place, but the food is really good," and that is exactly what we found . . . a small take-out counter, that had food packaged to go, not very fancy, but the food was really good (it was heated up in plastic containers and served with plastic utensils and disposable plates). The owner was so nice when we arrived, he told us about how he makes everything homemade, and that everything is very healthy. He explained the dishes on the menu. My friends went with chicken dishes (Masala and Butter) and I wanted to try something a little bit different, so I asked about the "Moong Kootu," which happened to be a vegan dish, made from Lentils (Dal), and it was really good, a bit on the spicy side, but not super spicy. We also shared an order of bread (Methi flavored), and everyone liked their food. We talked to the owner, and he told us a little bit about his restaurant, how he does a lot of catering to hospitals and other businesses, and also where he was from in India, and I spoke a little bit to him in Hindi also (I am currently learning it). The food was delicious, I am giving four stars, because I am a big fan of the food, and I enjoyed talking to the owner. Cheers! read more

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Small takeout spot with great Southern Indian food. Seriously, it's small in there, but there are a couple tables if you must eat in. Otherwise, they sell the food ready to go in to-go containers and it's pretty darn tasty. We grabbed orders of curry chicken, chettinad chicken, and chicken biryani after listening to the suggestions from the owner. He advised Chet Tina's for my buddy that loves spice and the curry for me, the spice wuss. We included the order of the biryani because the dishes do not have rice included. Honestly, I wanted the biryani anyways, cuz I LOVE the stuff. We tried to get some samosas, hoping to have an appetizer, but he said they sold them all for the day and recommended we come on a weekend for such items. The food was very good and he was right to give the chettinad to my buddy, since the curry was almost too hot for me. We're talkin right at my threshold of too hot. Whew... I know Indian food can be super hot, so I'm always careful with my order. read more

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My brother told me about Chennai Delicacy a couple months ago while we were discussing his favorite vegan places. When he said it is also his favorite Indian place in the Cleveland area, I immediately bookmarked on Yelp. The owner is a cheerful and helpful guy. He worked as an engineer and his wife as a doctor prior to opening the place. I am glad that they followed their passion for food and now serve up fine South Indian cuisine. Their scientific and mathematical precision are evident in the dishes. Everything is made fresh and in house. Not every Indian restaurant in the area can boast this. They also cater to a few of the local hospitals including the Cleveland Clinic and Metro. Sometimes there are language and culture barriers for vegan customers at ethnic restaurants. This is not the case at Chennai Delicacy. I went to Chennai for lunch today with my friend and wife. The staff was very accommodating to Liz and her vegan dietary restrictions. All of the meat is halal for any of the carnivorous members of the Muslim faith. There is a small table to eat at in the store although the food is prepared in to-go containers. They will gladly heat up a meal if you wish to eat inside. There is a $15 credit cart minimum. The portions are generous and can be stretched out to multiple meals. My favorites thus far have been the chicken biryani and guntur chicken. The guntur chicken has an excellent dry spice rub. I plan on having a few beers out on the town tonight and coming back home to this as a nightcap. read more

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After driving past this place multiple times, I finally decided to stop in and I was really glad I did. It's a small location designed for takeout. Think: meal-prep type packaging. I got chicken chettinad: spicy but so flavorful! And chicken biryani: delicious and comforting. The two items together came to $19, BUT I have gotten 3 full meals out of it that I wished wouldn't have ended. I love that kind of value! I especially appreciated that the chicken was cut into good size pieces rather than small, crumbly sized pieces. (Maybe that's just me) The owner was a delight to speak with. He told me about his business and his food. He takes great pride in the service he provides for hospitals and the general public with his very authentic cuisine. I'm looking forward to stopping in again! read more

I have been visiting this place regularly on Friday nights or get the food through my friends whoever visiting Cleveland from Chennai Delicacy. But this week when I got the Mutton Masala I found the food spreaded with fungus which is totally unacceptable. We had ordered food on every Friday and also for some food parties, Birthday functions and others but never failed to get good food . But this time we realised whether this food was prepared on the same day and served or not . Refer the pics which we got on October 4 2019 Friday night . Ordered carryout item Mutton masala. We will Never recommend this place hereafter to anyone . read more

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I found myself in the neighborhood, and hungry, at 1pm on a Saturday, so decided to give Chennai Delicacy a try. I had long wondered what kind of restaurant could operate in such a small building. Mystery solved! They have several varieties of dishes prepackaged in takeout containers, and ready to go. The owner was very helpful in showing their wares. I ate a samosa ($1) while I was standing there, and it was delicious. The owner also gave me a sample of a dessert, I think halwa, that was pretty wonderful as well. I took away a container of Chicken Chettinad ($9), and it made for a very good lunch. The quantity of chicken was very generous, I would guess at least 10 ounces. The meat was tender and juicy and so loaded with spices that it resembled lamb in color. I thought the spice level was perfect, a nice warming that enhanced the flavors and got the endorphins flowing. The owner is very proud of food quality, and justifiably so. However, I'm with the chorus that feels that rice (either plain or a simple pilaf) and/or bread are needed for a complete meal, hence 4 stars. I think this would draw more customers, and provide more revenue a well. I hope the owners are keeping an eye on the food truck scene in Cleveland. They could kill with a truck. read more

This places needs to have expiry date set on the stale food they serve customers. Although the food at times has been good, the last order was horrible. In lines with one of the reviews below, they hold on to stale food for long and don't even realize that it is bad. The owner (when he is present) is very interactive but the rest others who work in his absence are dud. Not going to repeat it in a long time. read more

Super friendly owner with authentic traditional food. Great for stocking up on weekly lunches or dinners, or for trying something new. Reasonably priced. Try the biryani. Everything homemade and you can tell it's homemade too. Not Americanized, just pure good food. read more

I've been boycotting the cafeteria at work (because it's overpriced crap), but today I caved when a co-worker introduced me to Chennai Delicacy. Apparently every Thursday they come into my work with an entree that is freaking delicious! Forgive me for not knowing what I ate, but I will try my best to describe it to you. For $7 I got a huge portion of spicy yellow basmati rice with chicken and cauliflower in it, this thin broth like sauce with chunks of chicken in it, and some fresh diced cucumbers and tomatoes in a milky sauce. The latter was cool and refreshing which matched perfectly with the spiciness of the rice and chicken. Literally so much good food that I want to crawl under my desk and take a nice nap. The guy serving it was really nice too! I will definitely stop by again on a Thursday to see what they have to offer! If they could bring in some South-Indian flatbread with the entrees I'd give then 5 stars. read more

The best Goat biriyani I ate in a food joint - bar none! It's not your typical restaurant experience. The owner sells packed lunches and dinners and he will heat up one for you if you want to eat one right at his place which has 2 tables and a white couch (why?!) I ate my food at his place as I was visiting Cleveland for work and it was as fresh as it can be. Good conversation with the owner, he described his food making process which was informative and felt credible so I'm not inclined to believe those expired food stories in other reviews. Will visit this place every chance I get. Next time I'm even planning to take some food back home to NoVA. Will come back and update if the experience is any different for food taken home. read more

These guys used to come to my workplace occasionally so I had an idea of what they serve. I have tried many items from them and pepper chicken remains my favorite. It is spicy as per Indian standards and goes well as a starter. I usually pair it as a side dish with biryani. The owner is friendly and can provide you the details about the food you have ordered. Their samosas are good too. read more

Hands down my favorite Indian food in Cleveland. The owner is so personable, and the food was fantastic!

Typical salem style mutton biryani , mutton pepper fry and mutton curry . My favorite winter food .

Best South Indian food in town. I don't say that lightly. The owner is so nice and so friendly. The food is all natural and everything is made in shop. You can genuinely taste the difference between this food and all the others. read more

Great price for the amount of food! Bummer was no naan, halwah, or mutter paneer. But, it made me eat out of my norm and was great! Spicier than I'm used to but enjoyed it! Samosas were great and had okra in them which was a nice change. Veg biryani was delicious also! My dad had chicken and said it was exceptional. All fresh, non-gmo and gluten free. Loved! Will go again! read more

This place needs to have expiration dates and prices printed on the food. You have no idea how long anything has been sitting there. The 15 dollar CC minimum is ridiculous. A light eater is forced to pay cash or buy two items or more to get to the limit. Talk about upselling. read more

Chennai Delicacy has a retail store, but it is for large portion to-go only. It is all freshly made the night before and is very authentic and that means very spicy. If you give them a day's notice you can get the heat down. As they do catering to businesses and parties, their hours are not standard and they don't have a menu u can order from. They cater once/week to my work and it is always delicious. My family all are big fans of spicy, authentic Indian food and love Chennnai, but southern Indian food is very hot and the standard heat is too hot even for my spice lovers. The owner is very pleasant and I wish they'd open a real retail location with a lunch buffet. read more

Best chicken/goat biriyani in town. I would also recommend the fish curry,chettinad chicken and amazing egg puffs.

Really good homely cooked food. Being single I am a regular there. 9 times out of 10 quality and quantity had been to notch. And occasional times is still 80-90%. All in all good place. Just one thought. Under $15 is cash only. You guys should take credit card for over $5 without extra fees. Being single, everytime my bills is $9 - $11. read more

We ordered the butter chicken, fish curry and chicken chettinad and must say it was yumm..really enjoyed it. Planning to buy goat briyani next time read more

The best homely food I have ever had. Ever. Everything we ordered was fresh and yummy.. just the right amount of spices. So homely! Would love to come back again' read more

I became addicted to Chennai Delicacy as they were coming to Fairview Hospital every week. Thursday was always my favorite day in the Hospital cafeteria as most of the other selections are totally unsatisfying. Chennai is AMAZING!!! I've just discovered that as of 6/7 they will no longer be coming to Fairview??? i'm so sad but NOW will be hunting them down in their retail location. It really is THAT GOOD. I have no idea what south Indian food should taste like but this food is So good that they must be doing it right. EVERYONE would get Chennai and you had to make sure you got to the cafeteria early or there wouldn't be any left. Trust me you won't go wrong. And another major bonus is the owner is a super nice guy!! :0) Miss you Chennai! read more

Hot and spicey and the owner there gives a lot of BS. Keep a lot of water when you pick anything from here.

AVOID AT ALL COSTS!!!. Absolutely terrible experience. These people do not understand the meaning of customer service. I ordered nan bread with meat inside (Keema nan), received tortilla shells, I actually had to laugh. Why not just tell me over the phone that you don't have any nan, rather than wrap up tortilla shells in foil? I placed an order of 3 items (Goat Biryani, Butter Chicken and Curry Chicken), total charge was $60.00 (even at a rate of $15 per item which is already an exceptionally high price to pay for the quality you receive, that only brings the total to $45), food was bland and forgettable to boot! Food is served piping COLD! What type of take out have you ever had to heat up yourself?? It took an exorbetant amount of restraint not to just stiff them rather than pay their insanely rate, but I am not the type of person to order food and then not pay for it, I just never expected to be robbed like this. This place is a terrible excuse for Indian cuisine, please spend your money (a lot less than this place charges) elsewhere! Go right a few more blocks down Pearl Rd. to West 130th and get better service and better food at REASONABLE prices at Cuisine of India. read more

With all due respect to Stuart S. of Cleveland, i believe his review was written out of frustration for not being hip to Chennai's business model, and is no way a reflection on the quality/price. Read other reviews and you'll see that they're main client is some of the hospital systems, I believe they're at the store very early every morning cooking and packaging meals and deliver them daily. They also package some food for sale to the public, and is for sale usually cold, a la cart, and in slightly larger quantities than say a Chinese food takeout place, and the price reflects that. All that aside, the food is so consistently fresh, delicious, and expertly prepared, and CONSISTENT (did I say consistent?) it hugely overshadows the non-standard business model for a normal Indian takeout restaurant. I work in the area and have eaten here about 20 times, every single time i'm happy i did. Honestly, this is the best South Indian (not the same as north indian Punjab-type cuisine) I've had in Cleveland area, and stacked up to the handful of indian places in some major cities around the US, I haven't found better. read more

This restaurant serves lunch at several hospitals in Cleveland. The obnoxiously fake-friendly owner charges $7.50 for a small order of rice with either veggies or meat over the rice and a tiny side of cucumbers. Now I'm sure some of that $7.50 goes to the hospital but the actual amount of food that the owner himself serves up for each order is outrageously small and a complete rip off. He barely fills up the container and when asked to add additional volume (which just about everyone requests in my experience), he will only do so with great reluctance and typically will only add sauce. What's even worse, the food isn't even particularly good to justify the price. Trader joes frozen butter chicken, which is about the same volume of food, is cheaper and tastier. I try to avoid the owner and his visiting restaurant at all costs because the food isn't that great and the price is exorbitant for what you actually get. read more