My mom is fond of dosas so we took her here while in Houston. Everything on the menu is vegetarian and they have a lengthy menu of dosas, their namesake idlis, and other carby, fried delights like samosas, uttapam, and vada doughnuts. My family is Burmese, and our cuisine shares a lot in common. Still, there were no descriptions on the menu so I needed help from the staff getting descriptions of each item. Fortunately we were the only customers there on the Thursday morning we visited the the staff was plenty helpful, patiently explaining each item to us. We got uttapam, idlis, vada doughnuts, and different kinds of dosa. Everything tasted fresh but exceedingly plain. I found a lot of items lacking depth of flavor and required a healthy dousing of the tamarind sauce some of the dishes came with. Everything started to taste the same and we would've left a lot of food untouched were it not for the fact that we hate to waste food. So we reluctantly ate it all. Reading the reviews now I see this is a commonly held opinion of the food here, which is unfortunate as it was the only dosa place I could find in Houston that was actually open for breakfast, which is when many people eat dosas. read more

See all

Solid South Indian restaurant in a strip mall - had breakfast here this morning with a colleague. We both ordered madras coffees and dosa's - masala for him and spicy paneer for me. My dosa was delicious and flaky and the coffee hit the spot, and he enjoyed his meal as well. Happy to return. read more

Flying Idlis - Spicy paneer dosa. - Indian Near Me - Houston, Texas

I've been here twice now, in rapid succession and we love it. For our first outing we were trying this place out and didn't know what to expect. Plenty of parking, it's located in a rather large strip mall. And it's got plenty of seating inside. A friend recommended the following: magic idli, Bullet Idli, kanchipuram Idli, and the masala Chai. But the thing is, if there are ghee idli's on the menu, I must try them. My husband loves Vada and they had them on special, so we ordered Bullet Idli, Masala Chai, Kanchipuram Idli, and of course the ghee karam Idli. My husband LOVEDDDD the chai, he said it reminded him of being back in India, the type of chai you'll find at train stations- which is supposed to be really good! The kanchipuram Idli were new to me, and I'm not sure how they're supposed to taste or what to compare them to. They were kind of dry, and we weren't fans. I loved the ghee karam idli's, they were so soft, and really well flavored. The sambar they were served with was cold, which was disappointing, but we asked for some extra hot sambar and explained we thought it was cold and they fixed that immediately. And the Vada was fried especially when my husband ordered it, so it was fresh and he said it was some of the best he had in Houston. My favorite was the bullet idli, the person behind the counter explained they don't steam them, these are fried on the stove in a special pan, so they come out quicker and have a more solid texture. Think pan fried dumplings vs steamed dumplings. We went back after that first successful outing and that's pretty much why I took a star off. My first outing was definitely five stars. But this second time we ordered the Vada again, and it was too salty. So salty we couldn't finish the plate. And this time the person working behind the counter was also taking a work call, something like technical support and screen sharing, but this call was being taken loudly, on speaker. Basically everyone's dining experience was exposed to this work conference call, which made it awkward for everyone there to have any conversations or chat. The person they were chatting with was quite upset too, so it wasn't a pleasant meeting we were all forced to overhear. A nice lunch outing was made really strange. I don't get why this person wouldn't just use headphones, it's cool they're trying to work two jobs but ruining everyone's lunch and dine in experience was not great. read more

See all

This was honestly one of the worst experiences I've ever had. The sambar was completely tasteless -- it literally looked and tasted like flavored water. The dosa was awful, with dark, mold-like spots on top that made it impossible to eat. Even the coffee was terrible, and I'm still not sure how someone can mess up something as simple as that. Please avoid this place at all costs. I wish I had. read more

Flying Idlis - Indian Near Me - Houston, Texas

I love IDLI! Anyone who knows me, who's even remotely close to me knows how much I love idli. When my friends anf family find out that I'm visiting them - they make sure atleast one of my meals is idli. So imagine my excitement to try this place out. I was severely disappointed. The idlis were not worth it. They tasted like these weren't properly fermented. - were a bit hard, the magic on top of idli had no magic at all! Least of all, they didn't honor the yelp code. That's fine - I wouldn't mind over paying if the idlis were good! This was just an epic waste of my time and money. If I could give half a star, I would have. read more

See all

They just had awesome services the manager was super kind. The food was great! The time over all was just amazing.

I got yummy idli, yummy dosa and filter coffee Sambhar is andhra/telugu style so you will be disappointed if you are tamil/kannada Idli is soaked in sambhar and yet its hard to eat it yummy dosa was alright Don't go for their healthy dosa - its made with oats. Indians have been brainwashed to think oats is healthy - its peasant food read more

Ambiance : casual/quick. Was easy for us to find a spot to sit during peak lunch, but the place was pretty busy! Food: food was fresh/hot, but could have been more spicy. We even ordered some of the spiciest options! read more

Flying Idlis - 4 Piece Fiery Idli - Indian Near Me - Houston, Texas

See all

They have expanded since my last visit. Last time around I tried the masala dosa, The cheese uttapam and Vada. The dosa was the best of the lot, the Vada was a bit hard, but the sambhar covered up for it, the Uttapam was tasteless n tough. This time around I tried the Rava masala dosa, as the picture to pics it was soggy with minimum flavors, The saving grace was the the coconut chutney and the masala tea!! Along with the quality even the quantity I shrinked down, the sambhar was all but 5 spoons. I really want to come back and try the other South Indian dishes but there is no reason enough for me to drive all the way there. read more

Flying Idlis - Rava Masala - Indian Near Me - Houston, Texas

Thanks for being the only Indian breakfast place in all of Houston. The dosa was delicious and I devoured the Idli. Sambar was different than I'm used to, but tasted amazing. There's nothing like that spice first thing in the morning. Samosas, not pictured, we're a super bonus, flavors on point. Wish it had chutney with it though. This place is nestled in a shopping plaza on Richmond off Gessner and well worth the drive for me. I'll be coming back for the Lunch Thali. Ordered through Yelp via Grub Hub which made it hot, fresh and easy to pick up. Y'all keep making delicious foods and I'll spread the word! read more

Flying Idlis - Magic Masala Dosa 4 Piece Yummy Idli - Indian Near Me - Houston, Texas

See all

Great dosas and idlis! I tried the magic masala dosa which is stuffed with seasoned potatoes, as well as the healthy oats dosa and the Rava dosa. The dosas were generous in their portions, and came with 2 types of sambar. The idlis were also good--kind of like steamed rice cakes. I didn't think they were as good as the dosas, but I'm unsure of how they're supposed to taste. Would recommend coming back! read more

Flying Idlis - Dosa - Indian Near Me - Houston, Texas

See all

We ordered magic masala Dosa, healthy oats Dosa and Rava Dosa. All the dosas tasted amazing. Portions are huge but not for Sambar. Though you can ask for additional sambar. We also ordered 2 idlis since the place is named after idlis - we got one Kanchipuram idli and another one that had potato stuffing. I wasn't happy with the potato one but kanchipuram was nice. Though the place is named after idlis, the owner couldn't suggest a signature idli. The chutney was not what you'd expect a coconut chutney to taste like. Will surely recommend dosas and go back for Dosas. read more

See all

We were looking g for an authentic chai tea and found this restaurant. The customer service was great! Super friendly and quick. The vibe was so calm and peaceful. We loved the tea! We decided to try Indian food for the first time and loved it! We will be back to try different things next time. They accept card and cash. You order at the front and then pick a table to sit at. You also leave your plates on the table when leaving and they pick up. We weren't sure of that as we looked around for a trash can but saw everyone leave their plates on the table. read more

Flying Idlis - Healthy (Oats) Dosa 4 Piece Healthy Idli - Indian Near Me - Houston, Texas

See all

Definitely a must try for Idli lovers. I haven't seen so much for variety in Idli in states anywhere else. They have got all the best versions of Idli. Tried magic Idli, blazing fiery idli and healthy oats idli. read more

Flying Idlis - Blazing fiery idli - Indian Near Me - Houston, Texas

See all

If you're missing home cooked pure veg south indian food, this is the place. The service was amazing (even though we came close to closing). I will definitely come back here again. read more

Flying Idlis - 4 Piece Yummy Idli, Yummy Onion Dosa, Fiery Dosa - Indian Near Me - Houston, Texas

Very good authentic food Coffee was great If you like spicy they have those options as well read more

This is a decent idli and dosa place in Houston dot surprisingly they are open at 7 AM every day which helps you to get a quick breakfast in the morning. The Idlis are really good and have a lot of variety. Good to try out if you want to have a South Indian breakfast in Houston read more

Flying Idlis - Fried idli - Indian Near Me - Houston, Texas

See all

Please check this place out! I came here about 6 months ago and it's just as good now as then, if better. They changed the chutney but I like this version better and the Sambar! Holy crap! I am very picky with Sambar unfortunately but this place has the best of any place I've been. So... without further ado, the main review! Food: very good if not the best! Everything has flavor. The fiery Idlis are fiery but I can handle it and so much flavor in each bite. The magic Idlis are my favorite only because I love onions and these have plenty. The stuffed idli were on the more plain side but they are meant to be dipped in the chutney and the pairing is perfect. I really can't say anything bad about the food. I still have to try the dosa but I LOVE the Idlis. Service: top notch! Even though we're in the middle of the Covid-19 scare they were still super friendly, very accommodating, and just all around good people. (Forgot to mention that their Masala Chai is great!) I'll try to come back when I can. PS There are Idlis missing in my pics cause I already started eating before I remembered to take pics. Check them out and I know you won't be disappointed. They are great people and the food is wonderful. read more

See all

So just as a heads up - this is for the downtown location ONLY! We love idlis. We love dosas. Hillcroft is our jam. I'd heard good things about this place, the downtown location is closer to where we live, so when we were recently jonesing for some South Indian breakfast, we decided to give it a shot. AMBIANCE Located on the street level of a downtown Houston office building, parking can be a little tricky (nearby garage or street), and we were lucky enough to get street parking. The place itself is pretty barebones - looks like a small cafeteria seeting with a few seemingly random attempts at Instagramminess (a neon backdrop about idlis). I'd say it was clean, didn't seem immaculate. Went on a weekday morning and was empty. SERVICE Real downside here. There was one woman sitting behind the counter up front, wearing a shower cap and using some sharp object to clean her teeth when we came in, on her phone almost the whole time. Never a smile, minimal eye contact, minimal talking. Not necessarily rude, but definitely not pleasant. FOOD/DRINK I ordered the Magic Masala Dosa and my partner had the Onion Dosa .The best we could say about the food is that it was edible. Neither of us finished even a quarter of our dishes. The dosa flavor wasn't great, not crispy enough, the flavor of the potato masala was 'meh'. We both also asked for coffees and got what seemed to be some poor combination of coffee and masala chai? Didnt even bother finishing. Maybe just a bad day? Perhaps. Probably should have tried an idly at the flying idlis :) definitely willing to try the Richmond location (given it has better reviews overall anyway), but will not be returning. Houston has so many great idli/dosa spots, no reason to come back here read more

Since I've become a vegetarian (with the exception of 1 cheat meat day per month), I've been seeking out new places to experience. I was excited when this popped up on my Yelp search because it was super early and not many places were open. Upon entering, I thought this place was in the process of opening. Come to find out, it's been opened awhile. The front cashier area doesn't look complete or lacks cohesion with the entire restaurant. We sat ourselves and a female employee came out to give us menus and asked for our drinks. We ordered a Magic Idlis, Bullet Idlis, and a Dosa (crepe). My favorite was the Dosa. The Idlis were lacking in taste. Very bland. All 3 dishes came out with the same 2 types of sauces. A bland peanut sauce which I didn't care for it. The other was a curry/vegetable sauce? It was not out of this world, but it definitely carried more spices and flavors than the peanut sauce. We asked if there were other sauces available and she said there's a spicy sauce, but that's pretty much it. I was a little disappointed with the limited choices in sauces. A feedback I would share is to have pictures of the dishes on the actual menu. The website has a few pics similar to the ones on Yelp, but as a newbie, I'm not familiar with the cuisine. I just hate guessing or imagining without a visual. The server also didn't give recommendations or suggestions. read more

See all

Probably the best idlis and dosas I have had in Houston. The restaurant is in a rundown strip mall and the clientele are assholes, but I'd come here again for breakfast if I wake up early enough on the weekends. The masala dosa is lighter in colour than any other place I've seen making me think that there was a mixture of semolina in the batter. It is heavy on the ghee and a fine smattering of sauteed onions that line dosa is like nothing I've had before. The healthy idlis which feature oats were heavy and delicious. Too bad the sambhar that pairs with it and the dosa is mediocre. High on the chili powder low on the coconut gives it and unbalanced flavour. Oh as for the asshole clienteles. Apparently their customers like to come into a restaurant 5 minutes before closing. One couple even came in 5 minutes after closing and loudly complained that the hours are stupid when the nice host went to the kitchen to check if they could cook another batch. The staff still agreed to serve them. If it were me, I would have kicked their asses out and ban them permanently. read more

Flying Idlis - Healthy idlis - Indian Near Me - Houston, Texas

See all

A good homely breakfast/snack place to indulge in South-Indian specialities with a Spicy twist!! '++'s: The food: Everything we tried i.e., the Fiery Idlis/ Fiery Masala Dosa/ Upma Pesarattu were delicious, at a good price point ($6 approx) and won't disappoint! '=='s: The filter coffee was alright, not great, not bad '--'s: The exterior/interior decor isn't appealing if you are looking for cue's to judge a book by its cover. The vinyl signage looks shabby and the interior decor needs a remodel. But as they often say, the hidden gems are not in the most attractive locations, this can surely be one of them! read more

Flying Idlis - Blazing Fiery Dosa, Upma Pesarattu - Indian Near Me - Houston, Texas

This place is unassuming from the outside but serves DELICIOUS and super affordable dosas! We ordered at the front & were served quickly. I had a magic masala dosa, which was incredibly hot, fresh, and crispy. The sambar went super well with it. I wish there were additional curries/sauces/chutneys to eat with it. I didn't find the dosa too spicy, which was a relief for me! My friend had the onion dosa. Again, the dosa was crispy, thin, and tasty. Overall, I'd definitely go back to Flying Idlis. read more

It is an economical yet tasty food joint to have rice cake (a.k.a. Idli in India), and Lentil Crepe (a.k.a. Dosa). They also offer Rice appe (Bullet Idli named in their menu), which is difficult to make perfectly at home. Bullet Idli's are $4+tax, I am pretty sure no one would be able to offer at this price. Truly, the simplicity, price and taste of this restaurant is phenomenal. read more

See all

We went back there after 2 1/2 years - pandemic and our own health issues. The place has changed - not for better. They have expanded but it is neither clean or inviting. The food that used to be good and tasty is now terrible. There is no thali anymore. We will not be back here anytime soon. read more

I was so tempted to give them a 5 star, but the dosas were a tad disappointing. But as for the idlis, these are easily the best in Houston. Among the lot, the magic idlis and the kanchipuram were my favorite. I like their concept of variety dosas, but as you can see in the pictures, they were soggy, none of them were crispy or evenly fried. I loved their coffee as well. Another important point to note, unlike most Indian restaurants they open very early and close by 2pm. So if you are looking for an early morning breakfast, this is the place to go. read more

See all

Fantastic good , awesome twist to the south Indian food Idlis and Dosa was great and tasty read more

My husband and I were feeling a bit adventurous today, hence we wanted to try something new. We found this place on yelp and we went there. We came by and ordered Magic Masala Dosa, Fiery Idlis, Magic Idlis. They were not disappointing, since they were nicely presented and full of flavor!! We will definitely come back. Ps: their chai tea and coffee are tasty too! read more

See all

These people seem to know their stuff! Hole-in-a-wall place offering limited selection of South Indian breakfast. I tried their magic Idlis and rava onion dosa, both very tasty. I liked the texture of the Idlis - soft and fluffy. The coffee was also flavorful. The only drawback was that the sambhar was lacking in taste. 5 stars for service and the pricing. read more

Total hole-in-the-wall serving yummy food at great prices. We each ordered a dosa and shared idlis, samosas and upma (which I forgot to take a picture of). We were so full that we had to take leftovers home. read more

See all

Idlis and dosas are spiced so well. No extra salt or additives either, could just tell everything was cooked with simple ingredients as promised by the young owner of the place - it is indeed tasty and vegetarian! Family especially liked the Magic Dosa and samosas. Pickup for take out through Yelp/Grubhub was quick and easy. read more

See all

Great little spot with simple delicious food! Everything we ordered was flavorful and fresh! You can't beat these prices and quality. I'd wish they had a wash basin separate from the restroom because I didn't get to wash my hands as someone occupied the restroom forever! read more

See all

A must visit if you love South Indian food or are keen on trying south Indian food. The off menu items like upma and poori reminds me more of the taste of home something I would any day recommend for people to try. My favorite though is the Magic Masala Dosa. The people there are very friendly and always there to answer any questions that you may have. So if you are in town or live here in Houston, I would request you to visit the place as I am sure that you will love it. read more

Place isn't so fancy but nice and simple for dine in We went for breakfast Their menu is short and simple helps to decide quickly The day was Monday so it wasn't that busy There was only one lady serving, taking orders and also taking care of check out counter Food was tasty and prices were reasonable We ordered magic masala dosa and idlis dipped in Sambar both came with three types of sauces Idli's quantity was more than we expect (which is makes me happy ) Must try filter coffee read more

Disappointing at best. Food was ok not much flavor Dosas were literally hard in 10 seconds after coming to the table not soft or Krispy

We had a disastrous experience with our order. It is usually difficult to mess with dosas and idlis. The pictures posted on yelp were eye catching and decieving. We ordered bullet idli, fried idli, and onion dosa. The onion dosa was uncooked literally white to appearance on both sides and bullet idli was very sour. The fried idlis were average. Above all, inorder to lift the taste of idlis or dosas you need to have an excellent condiment. The sambar was very ordinary and chutney was primarily made of desicated coconut looks like. It had a coconut oil after taste. I wanted to taste their vadas but unfortunately they didn't have it on their menu. Iam not sure if we will come back to it. Idlis and dosas are staple and meant to be eaten casually and not with anxiety. Good luck read more

Exceptional food , really good variety of idlis from GF, Healthy options , spicy and classic . It's a small , simple dine in place with option to take out also . Food comes based on whatever cook is cooking first . Stuffed idlis could take upto 15 min . Be mindful that Saturday's are quite busy for them so don't expect a five star service . Two girls were out serving, taking orders and getting things out from the kitchen , so be nice to them :) I'd definitely come here again if I'm in Houston . read more

Flying Idlis - Indian Near Me - Houston, Texas

See all

This was a really good place and a go to for me before the pandemic. Unfortunately they have degraded to a point where I may not visit them again. The food doesn't taste good anymore. They use pre-used deep frying oil for other foods that leaves an after taste and mostly making it really unhealthy. Hope they realize that they need to get back to their old standards soon. read more

We happen to go to the downtown location for lunch here. The food is fantastic as always. The Idlis are perfectly spongy and taste great. Some innovative items such as oat dosa are a joy to eat. If you like spicy food you would enjoy this immersion here. I typically do not write reviews but I think people should know about this place. read more

First time having idlis and omg they were so good! Felt so comforting to eat on a cold day like today! read more

Flying Idlis - Magic Masala Dosa, cheese dosa, samosas, & Blazing Fiery Dosa... everything was so good! - Indian Near Me - Houston, Texas