This place is the real deal. I spent a summer in South India several years ago and this is the best Indian/South Indian food I've had outside of there. The poori masala is fantastic, as is the Chennai Special goat curry. Even more typical dishes like butter chicken, tikka masala, and palak paneer are outstanding. Can't recommend this place enough for authentic, flavorful Indian food. read more

Great service. Small dine in area with okay ambiance is available to enjoy fresh cooked food items like dosas.

More like 2.5 stars Food Came for the masala Dosa I specifically asked for no cilantro, vile weed,and of course they gave me cilantro. The filling for the dosa is made in a large batch and they are too lazy to pay attention to what a customer wants in their food. The sambar and red chutney were ok but the sambar had no veggies and was thin liquid. Ambiance The eatery is tiny. There are four tables. It's also cold. We didn't take our winter coats off for the entire meal. Service Reference to my no cilantro non delivery as above. They didn't provide paper menus which I also am not a big fan of. We made multiple requests for extra chili which were never delivered Parking is either street or lot in the adjacent lot Overall, I've had much better Dosa elsewhere, the place is uncomfortable to dine in and doesn't have great service. I've had my fill.. read more

Food is knockout - I eat here every time I have a little extra nice takeout money. Very small spot, friendly service and portions are the biggest of the Indian spots in the immediate area so it's the most bang for the buck in my opinion. read more

Rating 4.0 I've seen this place pop up on my feeds quite a bit but never got a chance to try it. We tried it for lunch yesterday. The place is very small and has limited seating so it's probably best you plan for takeout. We weren't able to be seated so we just ordered for takeout. We tried Mango Lassi, Chicken tikka masala, Cut mirchi, special chicken biryani and chicken palak. Mango lassi was on the smaller size comparatively to other places but was good. Chicken tikka masala was very good and flavorful. Chicken Palak was also good but was not exactly my favorite. Special chicken biriyani was interesting. Very flavorful and there are a lot of spices used in the dish. Personally some of the spices were too much for me. Tried cut mirchi for the first time and it was good. The different type of sauces makes it interesting and enjoyable. Overall the place was good and certainly offers more authentic Indian cuisine than some of other place i've been to. The foods are very flavorful and they use a-lot of spice/some kick of heat so you may smell like spices for a while after eating. Service was also good and relatively quick. Price is a bit high for lunch but still standard for Indian foods around RI. I would come back to try different type of dishes next time. read more

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This place is small, family-owned, no-frills, & an absolute gem. Highly recommend! The first time I tried Chennai Express, I went back for the next 2 days afterwards because I was so hooked. This is remarkably good Indian food & I can't wait to explore more of the menu. So far, I've tried only some of the classics (butter chicken, tikka masala, rogan josh, biryani, dosa) but I'm really excited to adventure beyond what I know. I trust them. I've only ever taken my food to-go (the restaurant is very small) but the service has always been prompt & kind. For my GF folks: Dosa is technically gluten-free, as it's made with lentil/rice flour. Definitely try the dosa from Chennai Express. It doesn't usually make it all the way home with me since I just end up snarfing it in the car. It's that good. Pro tip: You can order online or directly on the Yelp app. read more

Chennai Express - Store front - Indian Near Me - Cranston, Rhode Island

Do not order from here unless you are prepared to have your meal ready 45mins to an hour late. If you go inside, they may or may not acknowledge you. Then they will tell you 5mins which really means 45 mins. Oh and none of the phone numbers listed for them will lead to someone answering the phone. read more

I came here for my birthday for a low key lunch. The parking lot on the side of the building is pretty big and there's also street parking but the dining area is very small. They are still able to squeeze in 4 tables of 4 people. It was a bit chilly but they did have a heater that helped. They only have digital menus and you place your order digitally as well which I was not a fan of; I prefer the human to human interaction and flipping through my options. We ordered chicken biryani, butter chicken, and garlic naan. My friend had been here before and recommended ordering the food at the lowest spiciness level. About 15 minutes after ordering, we got our food and everything was at a good temperature. The biryani came with two sauces--one I was not too familiar with and did not use and the other was a yogurt sauce. The rice itself was good. I was not a big fan of the chicken though. It felt like it was breaded on the outside but was soggy and there was too much of it. The butter chicken was delicious. I especially liked that the curry was very viscous and textured due to the visible spices, herbs, and maybe onion. I also liked that for the most part the chicken was cut in to manageable strips (I am used to chunks of meat so strips was a bit different). The garlic naan was good, it was packed with garlic especially in the center. While we were eating, a couple people called in their orders and picked them up so it is pretty busy, and I guess better known for take out. read more

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Satisfied and delicious! We tried a good variety of dishes here, and my favorite was the cut mirchi! I would order this again because it was savory and filling. The palark chicken was perfect with some spices and a spicy kick that doesn't overwhelm! The special chicken biryani had many different spices I'm not use too, and wasn't my favorite. This DID overwhelm me because the cardamom was very strong. The mango lassi was perfect and always a staple at any Indian restaurant. This place had authentic flavors and I would want to try more because it left a good impression. The staff were friendly, letting us order via app, and giving us an estimate time for our order. He was so kind and even offered to hand us our order in our car outside, but I can understand if he forgot to grab us since it was a busy time for them! This place has limited seating inside, and is more of a take out place. It's worth the wait for the food! read more

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I LOVE THIS PLACE. This is THE place for authentic South Indian food! Omg was this food absolutely delish?? I 1000000% recommend getting the chili paneer if you like a kick to your food and is absolutely addicting. Don't get me started on the onion rava dosa because WHAT A DOSA! From the sambar (the soup) to the dosa filling itself (potatoes) just can't wait to eat it again. The Hakka noodles are an amazing combo with the chili paneer!! The restaurant itself is quite small, so it is no wonder most people get the food To-go. But! While I had the dosa later in the day at home, I was at a loss of words because man was it good even though I didn't have it fresh (yet!!). Chennai express is a gem. read more

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Their tandoori chicken is reheated and dry. The Paneer with spinach does. Not taste much read more

If you are looking for a larger Indian restaurant with a hostess, fancy decor, and some scheduled belly dancing for entertainment, this is not it. If you are seeking really well prepared, authentic Indian food, in a cozy neighborhood spot, then this is the place you seek. I've seen this place when it first opened. I remember making a mental note to go in then just kept forgetting about it. Well, seeing that it still exists about 3 years later, I was convinced there is something special about it so this time, I headed in. Chennai Express is hands down, the best Indian restaurant in RI. Step into the small spot for ordering to-go or dining in, and your nose will be treated to the fragrant, mouthwatering aroma of dishes being prepared in the kitchen. I walked in and sat down on an empty table to peruse the menu for a to-go order. It was a challenge picking which dish to order as the menu presented a host of delicious options--from the more popular Indian dishes, to very authentic sounding appetizers and entrees. I wanted them all. Ultimately, I decided on Shrimp Biryani, Butter Chicken, and Nellore Fish Curry. These did not disappoint at all. The rice and chicken were not dry and the sauce were so flavorful. While waiting for my order, I have witnessed how busy Chennai is for take out. There's a quick cycle of pick up orders on the counter. A small group sat occupied two of the four 4-seater tables. I cannot help but look at their orders, taking note of the dishes for my next visit (yes, I was already planning coming back even before getting my order). Tip: Bring some cash so you avoid paying a surcharge. They take Venmo, too. I get home and excitedly open my package...mmm...worth the wait. Chennai Express is the real deal. read more

This spot is the REAL DEAL!! I was feeling adventurous today and decided to try a brand new restaurant in Cranston (brand new for me, it's been opened for 2 years). This restaurant is a tad small, but don't let that deter you from stepping inside this wonderful place. It has great Chennai decorations that make you feel like you've been transported outside of Cranston. The food was absolutely amazing!! I'd highly recommend the Gobi Manchurian appetizer. It is made out of Cauliflower and is crispy, sweet, sour and absolutely delish! They were able to somehow make it have a similar texture to chicken, so I think the carnivores among us would enjoy it. The other dishes were so flavorful, tender and craveworthy. The the lady that was working out front and waiting the tables gave great customer service. The food arrived quickly, she was pleasant and simultaneously taking care of a few tables. I highly recommend this spot and I know you'll love it!!! -ODL Connect with me! IG & YouTube: @AOEAT read more

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Thanks to Yelp and the good reviews here, we decided to try this restaurant while visiting Providence. We got food delivered from here through grubhub. There are so many Indian options nearby Providence downtown, we wanted to try each one a day but Chennai Express was so good; we ended up ordering from here all through out our stay. My family loved the chicken appetizer options (chicken 65 particularly) and the weekend dum biriyani. The vegetarian options were good too. We highly recommend this place for everyone looking for good Indian food. read more

It might look small from the outside and maybe something you pass by here and there, but let me tell you...you gotta go inside and try this place out! We were just looking to try something new while in the Cranston area. Everything we got was delicious! Here's what we ordered: 1) cheese naan- wow! This is my absolute favorite naan ever. Never even knew there was a cheese option. Other places didn't have it. 2) paneer butter Masala- this was soooooo good! Every bite was worth it. The flavors are all there. 3) chicken palak- it's like the same as a saag dish where it's spinach base. This was delicious! 4) fried cauliflower app- (forgot the name to it) but it was tasty! It can fool you to think it's meat. The staff was also super kind and fast! There's about 4-5 tables to sit down and eat in. Their menu is also pretty big. It's very cozy and cute. I'll be coming back!!! It's a must try! read more

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Had a really great experience ordering takeout from Chennai Express recently! Tried Chili Garlic Naan, Vegetable Samosas, Chicken Lollipops, Chennai Special Chicken Biryani, Chicken Tikka Masala, and Hyderabadi Chicken Curry. The Naan came in a foil packet which kept it warm and soft. It was quite spicy but really good! The veggie samosas came 3 to an order which is more than what some other local Indian restaurants provide in an order. The chicken lollipops were very yummy! The special chicken biryani was excellent and a MASSIVE portion! The tikka masala was a bit creamier and richer than what we are used to, and had onions and peppers in it, but it was still very tasty and a bit sweet. The Hyderabadi curry was a totally new dish for us, and was very flavorful and pretty spicy too. Overall nearly everything was on the spicy side but we really enjoyed it! They also gave us some rice pudding made with vermicelli noodles when I mentioned it was my sister's birthday. This was super thoughtful and generous and we appreciated the special treat. It's quite different from the rice pudding we are used to but it had good flavor! We are very happy to welcome Chennai Express to Cranston and it's great to have such a delicious takeout spot with excellent food, great service and reasonable prices so close by! read more

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Idly vada and rice plus sambhar sides was a good choice. Idly was a bit tough but edible. Vada was good. Generous portion of sambhar to soak vadas and chutney all delivered within 30 minutes. read more

Going by the high rating here, I ordered a couple veg biriyani and veg Hakka noodles and I was greatly disappointed to find that both the dishes tasted stale, as if the leftovers from the previous day were heated and served, as well the noodles did not taste anything like the Indo-Chinese taste I was expecting. I practically had to throw away the remaining unopened boxes of food, which was sad since I hate wasting any food. I do not like giving local businesses low ratings, but after spending around $60 on the order, and expecting quality food, I am sorry to report that my overall experience was very very disappointing. I don't plan on ordering from here anytime soon. read more

Usually order take out or delivery. Ate in house on one occasion and really enjoyed the cozy atmosphere. It's a great dinner for two spot! Everything I've tried has been excellent. Great Naan. Love the Egg Bonda, and Kati Rolls. Very good Vindaloo. Give this place a try, definitely won't disappoint! read more

I've been here a handful of times now, and this little hole-in-the-wall, mainly carry-out spot is my new go-to for Indian in the area. The food is consistently good, and the cooks don't patronize your palette by watering down the spice level and heat (unless you ask, of course!). It's been a long time since I've eaten Indian food this satisfying in the area. Top 3 things I've had and recommend: chicken tikka masala (I can drink the sauce), veggie kofta, and roti. read more

Chennai Express - Cheese naan - Indian Near Me - Cranston, Rhode Island

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So my wife was really craving South Indian food - dosa specifically - and I needed a palate-cleanser from all the leftover Thanksgiving turkey and stuffing; Chennai Express really hit the mark for both of us. Okay, so be prepared, it's a tiny hole-in-the-wall place, nothing fancy, having only 4 tables for dine-in as its primary biz model is take-out, but the food ... my my, how good it was! That's what makes it 5-star! We started off with appetizers of their gobi manchuria (spicy deep-fried cauliflower) and chili paneer (deep-fried mild cheese with chilis); both were very good and generously proportioned (we set the remainder aside and took it home). My wife's masala dosa was thin and crispy, the sambar and chutneys (tamarind and coconut) were tasty, and she enjoyed every bit (in fact, once our hostess saw how much my wife liked it, she had the same for her lunch, lol!). Meanwhile, I ordered for myself the Chennai special goat curry (very tender goat chunks, delicious masala) and the Kerala fish curry (generous slabs of pomfrey in a terrific tomato and coconut sauce). Both were excellent and had that great Indian spice property wherein the heat slowly builds with each bite, until you must slake it with some mango lassi. Chennai Express also has a good selection of Indo-Chinese dishes - next time we go, that will be a focus area for my undivided taste-bud attention! Service was very pleasant and prompt. read more

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I order from Asian cuisine because it is inclusive to vegetarians. I expect vegetarian meals to be thoughtful with many healthy and yummy ingredients. I'm sad that they haven't given us veggie folks the attention that we deserve read more

I was dying for Indian food but was feeling SO lazy. I caved and paid the added expense for delivery! yay for self indulgence! I tend to be a creature of habit when ordering Indian, so why break tradition now?... my order was Palak Paneer, Chennai Special Goat Curry spicy, Lamb Vindaloo spicy, Garlic Naan, and Rasmalai. As for authenticity, I can't speak to that - I am a white person who only knows what the local Indian restaurants serve and I like what I like. So this is based purely on my own local experiences, not "worldly taste". Alrighty then, the portions are slightly larger than other local places, more sauce and a few more pieces of meat, which is great!! the prices are inline with what I expect to pay per dish and with the extra sauce etc, IMO it seems you get much more bang for your buck. And more sauce for your rice! woo hoo! The naan was fluffy inside with a slight crust on the outside, perfectly seasoned with fresh garlic and cilantro. yummy. I ordered the lamb and the goat "spicy", they did not disappoint. I'm thankful I didn't ask for extra spicy, because I usually do, and the heat point was spot on for me. The flavours of the vindaloo and curry were great, nice tomato, herbs and the balance of heat with tender stewed meats. Well done. The paneer is really my only "meh" it's hard to describe, it was the texture unlike I've ever had - I didn't order it spicy and I found it bland. The spinach sauce didn't seem like spinach it was luminescent green cream sauce. The cheese cubes were more firm than I've ever had, but they were tasty. I ended up taking some of the spicy sauce from the other dishes and mixing it in to give it some layers of flavour. I would like that cheese in a masala sauce! I will definitely try here again, and next time I'm going to try something different, I promise. Until then, cheers! read more

Great place for southern Indian food! It's somewhat small inside, so it's better to get take out. Got the chicken biryani, chili chicken, samosas and tawa fish. Biryani and chili chicken were amazing. Samosas were pretty good too. Felt the fish had too much masala and bit too spicy. Prices are all reasonable. Overall very good experience. read more

Food was amazing, such flavor. Service was great, highly recommend! We will be back soon. Hakka noodles a must!

Didn't even know this place existed until my cousin told me about it. Currently, you can only do takeout from this restaurant. The ordering was very easy and when I got there my order was waiting for me. We loved the Methi Chaman, Tawa Fish, and Chicken Peper Fry. Both were cooked to perfection and just the right amount of spices and flavor. There are many things on their menu that I have never heard of and have never tired. That will not stop me from trying their entire menu. The prices are very reasonable and the staff is very friendly. read more

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Had takeout today. Tadka Dal & Chicken Tikka with a plain Nann. The food was very flavorful and well Spiced. Good sized portions too!! But unfortunately it was very salty, and the Nann was a bit of a let down. :( read more

I am obsessed with Chennai Express. I can't believe I haven't written a review yet. I have tried Indian food across the entire world searching for the best Malai Kofta. London, Tokyo, Seoul, Tucson AZ, NYC etc ... nothing compares to the Malai at Chennai. I get it once a week. It's the best thing ever. I forced myself to try something else so I opted for the Methi Chaman and it did not disappoint. New obsession alert. I just love this place so much. Must try. read more

our dumbass grubhub driver lost our first order so twice i had to make an obnoxious request: turn down the spice JUST a tad on the chicken65. the flavor profile of this is mind-blowingly good, but its also just spicy enough that i struggle to eat as much of the chicken as i want. they nailed it. perfection. thank god you guys are open late too. thanks for the great meals! read more

Great food. On the expensive side. Great portions. I regularly order for pickup here and that is the recommended method imo. Friendly and polite people that work there. read more

I wanted to try a new spot and we were happily pleased with Chennai Express! The chili garlic naan was a standout (even had a "hot bag" to keep it warm). I was a big palak paneer fan in general and i really like the firmness of the cheese and the spices. It was different than other places I've had and I liked that (the green puree was super smooth)! We also have the Chicken Tikka Masala and it was a nice dish. Portions are two meals which is great for lunch today. Recommend! read more

I'm sad that I have to give a 3 star rating, because I had high hopes! Unfortunately, what we ordered wasn't great and my order was wrong, which can happen, I get it. The woman that took my order over the phone was very sweet, but It was so loud in the background that she could barely hear me. I can only assume this is why my order was wrong. My boyfriend went to pick up the food and had to wait ten minutes extra. Once again, I get it, things run behind. However, he did say that the restaurant was really cute and the staff was nice and apologetic. My boyfriend got the Chicken Hakka Noodles. He's not big on Indian food, so he tried the Indo Chinese. Unfortunately, it was so spicy that he could barely eat 5 bites. He also got spring rolls. They were okay. I ordered the Palak Paneer. Sadly, it was pretty bland, and the paneer was really firm, almost dry. It was "meh". I also ordered the Masala Dosa. I did get dosa, just no potato filling. I was so disappointed, because I was so excited for it! I called the restaurant, and to be fair to them, they did say that they'd make one right away for me to pick up. That was nice of them, but I'm not going back out to get food that they forgot while my other food gets cold. I asked them to deliver it, since they have delivery, but they didn't have a delivery person. They offered to give it to me free next time, but honestly, I wasn't sure that I'd wanna try the place again. Okay, ugh, so I just asked for a refund. After a little bit of back and forth (not being able to refund my credit card, someone mistakenly hanging up the phone on me), the nice very apologetic gentleman offered to drop off cash to me the next day for my refund. That was pretty above and beyond if you ask me, especially since I was getting frustrated with the situation. The prices were consistent with other Indian restaurants, but the portions were huge! Because of their customer service and reviews here, I'm happy to give them another shot. Maybe I'll get to try the Masala Dosa after all! I'll definitely be trying the biryani. Unfortunately, the bf with have to fend for himself that night! read more

First it was spicy Second it was FLAVORFUL Third it was delicious I ordered the Chicken Manchuria Gravy, it was awesome, my wife ordered the chicken tikka masala and it was amazing way better than other places we have tried in RI. The garlic naan bread was also excellent (a little soggy but it was take out so I blame the ride home for it) and the flavor was perfect. We are definitely going back and trying something different. read more

Chennai Express is extremely consistent & outstanding service! So many great dishes, hard to choose each time. Cut mirchi, chili gobi, vegetable biryani, onion pakoda among my recent favorites but could eat here for weeks without getting bored! The mango & rose lassi are a nice treat also. read more

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Oh my goodness I am so happy. I have been craving egg chettinad so badly and it's a hard dish to find, but Chennai express did not disappoint. The flavor is wonderful! I got the chicken chettinad as well, and it's also really tasty, but it's dark meat. I know some people prefer dark meat, so then I highly recommend this for those of you. I personally prefer white meat so I'll stick to the egg, but this is really good as well, no doubt. The chili paneer is also delicious, and it's also another really hard dish to find. Chennai express is just making my day. The podi dosa is also great. Thin, crispy, and tasty - true South Indian style. I prefer the chettinad podi at Jaya's but this is a close second. I do, however, prefer the coconut chutney here. It was a great combo. There was another spicy chutney that came with it which was also very good. Garlic naan, samosas, tamarind chutney also great. They also gave me a gulab jaman with my order which was super nice. It's the only pic I ended up taking because I didn't know what it was at the time and wanted to identify it later. I have never seen square gulab jamans before. I loved it! Normally I don't like gulab jaman but their recipe is different. It reminded me of a bread pudding in a way. I usually find gulab jaman to be too sweet, and while this was still sweet, I don't think it was too rich. The sauce was also kinda yellow and reminded me of a firni or rasmali. There were two square pieces of some doughy thing that was soaked in the yellow sauce. It was sooooo good. I typically am not a fan of Indian sweets, with the exception of kheer and mango lassi every now and again, but I will def order this next time. There's not a single thing I got that I didn't like. True five stars. I know for a fact that I will be ordered the egg chettinad and chili paneer very frequently - so please don't change the recipe! And there were a lot of other things on the menu I wanted to try, so I'll report back once I get those. read more

Chennai Express - Gulab Jamun. Sorry for the bad and messy takeout photo. It was delicious!! - Indian Near Me - Cranston, Rhode Island

The place is pretty good! My boyfriend and so have been a couple times. Food is DELICIOUS! But...it's pricey. I kinda wished they'd play music to make it more authentic. We went one time and the guy turned some on for us. Maybe it's mostly a take out place...but the menu prices didn't match what was on the receipt. So that was kinda disappointing. But overall the food is great!! read more

My new favorite place. Everything there is tasty and the service is friendly and professional. Make a trip and takeout some of the best Indian food in the state read more

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Soooooooo good!!!!! My husband and I took a shot in dark and did not regret it!! The flavors were so diverse and rich - by far the best Indian food I've ever had. 10/10 read more

Late in getting the order ready. Chicken Lollipop - was very good Tawa fish fry - not bad Chicken fried rice- okay Mango Lassi - not good Not a bad one but not as per the price. It's expensive read more

Large menu and many options you don't find at most Indian restaurants. Large portions and good prices. The food isn't really ready when they say it will be for pick up so be prepared to wait a bit. Still excellent and worth the wait! read more