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Flying Idlis

4.2 (256 reviews)
Closed • 7:00 am - 2:30 pm
Updated over 3 months ago

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FLYING IDLIS ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Casual
Good for kids
Outdoor seating

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Recommended Reviews - Flying Idlis

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Vada
Kiran A.

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.

Dhiren G.

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.

4 Piece Healthy Idli
Nikki V.

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.

4 Piece Fiery Idli
Sheela V.

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!

Rava Masala
Dev S.

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.

Magic Masala Dosa   4 Piece Yummy Idli
Robyne D.

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!

Dosa
Bijou N.

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!

Magic Masala Dosa
Sankit G.

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.

Healthy (Oats) Dosa 4 Piece Healthy Idli
Tabatha H.

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.

Blazing fiery idli
Neha G.

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.

4 Piece Yummy Idli, Yummy Onion Dosa, Fiery Dosa
Smriti R.

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.

4 Piece Fiery Idli
Kirsten D.

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.

Fried idli
LazyRaptor ..

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

One of the dosas

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8 years ago

The idlis are very tasty, so is the magic masala dosa. The filter coffee ties the whole meal together.

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7 years ago

Wake up early morning in Houston and crave for South Indian food , flying idlis is just the right place.

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8 years ago

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5 years ago

Authentic south Indian food. Variety of idlis with delicious chutneys. Very friendly customer service.

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8 years ago

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5 years ago

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8 years ago

It's best place for Idlis and dosa. Even Dips are perfect to Taste. I tied Masala chai as well it's beyond perfect!!!!

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9 years ago

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8 years ago

Best in town for having the varieties of idly's they offer. They also have specials on Dosa's.

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8 years ago

Highly overrated!! Heavily understaffed!! Slowest service.. parking is a mess. The place is dirty

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9 years ago

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9 years ago

Fresh food , always go with the owners suggestions who is very nice, friendly and honest .. will be my definite place for regular lunch

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Page 4 of 7

Ask the Community - Flying Idlis

Thank you for your response, Krish. Can the idilis and dosa be made without butter? (Vegan means no eggs or dairy products, including butter). Thank you.

Hello Valerie, this is a 100% Vegetarian (No meat or eggs) restaurant. And we stopped using butter unless specifically requested by a customer.

Hello, what are the vegan options?

Hello there, only healthy (oats) Idlis and Healthy (Oats) dosas are non Vegan. Everything else is made vegan.… 

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Dot Coffee Shop

Dot Coffee Shop

3.9(847 reviews)
14.3 mi•Pecan Park, Gulfgate/Pine Valley
•$$

4.5 stars if I could. Food…read moreFried mushrooms Super juicy and bouncy. They are delicious on their own without ranch in my opinion. 4/5 Hickory burger So meaty and beefy. Perfect if you are or not on your period. Fries were mediocre. 5/5 Veggie omelette Very filling with their hashbrown. Their hashbrown is fluffy and crispy from the brown edges. Extremely delicious with ketchup and pepper. 4/5 Chicken fajita omelette 4/5 (as told per friend) Didnt try but I guess I could trust my friend. It was hefty and had biscuit and hashbrowns! Key lime Pie 10/5 So good and light! The whipped cream was beyond fluffy and not stiff (didn't taste stabilizers) and the custard part was perfection and not too tart or too sweet! The graham cracker crust was sooo moist and I could eat the crust alone! Service 10/10 Lady was so kind and accommodating since we were playing card games. Did not feel rushed on but and took our order perfectly! Ambiance Chill and friendly. Perfect for late night with friends or family. Lotta yellow cozy light with the stained glass motifs-what a vibe!

Came on a Sunday at 2pm and it was packed !! Needed a table for 3 and that took maybe a 15 min…read morewait, but def noticed around 3-4 the crowd thinned out. Keep in mind that this restaurant is loud due to the amount of people. Def if you're going during high traffic it'll be hard to talk to each other. Our server Trey was really nice and felt like a super honest dude when he shared his favorite dishes. The chicken fried steak was delicious along with the waffles ? It's been a minute since I've been impressed with waffles. And the marinara sauce that comes with the cheese sticks oh my goodness. Probably the best marinara sauce I've had by far ! Would definitely come back to try more food. I will say I didn't care for the Mac and cheese. Mash potatoes were solid though

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Dot Coffee Shop
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Hot Biscuit - Country fried steak, mashed potatoes with corn

Hot Biscuit

3.4(233 reviews)
18.9 mi•IAH Airport Area
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I was staying at a hotel nearby for an early flight the next morning. On the way to the hotel I…read moresaw the sign "Hot Biscuit" and since biscuits are one of my favorite foods, I decided to walk over and have dinner there. I wanted to start with one biscuit, but the biscuits come in pairs. The waitress said I could order just one anyway, but the order ended up being two. I meant to save the second one for breakfast, but that was not to be. It did not survive long enough to make it out the door. My actual meal was a bacon swiss and mushroom burger, which was excellent. Between the biscuits and the burger, I am forced to acknowledge that it was entirely too much food. Sadly, that did not prevent me from eating all of it anyway. Delicious! The restaurant, which is a diner with very basic decor, is on an approach road to IAH, and is open 24/7. When I arrived in the evening, the place was empty. By the time I left, there were a whole bunch of customers. I noticed in other reviews that people were saying they did not receive checks for their meal and felt they were over-charged at the register. I did not receive a check either, but the amount I was charged at the register seemed accurate -- and I was paying attention because I had read the other reviews first.

Omg this place is a must when you visit houston. The pancakes are amazing, the biscuits are…read moredelicious ( not stale at all) & the service was excellent.

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Hot Biscuit - Why is he so special?  I met him.  He is a Vietnam Veteran.  So respect to him.

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3.8(199 reviews)
6.7 mi•Lazy Brook/Timbergrove
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My husband and I have been eating at Frank's for over 35 years in one location or another. And,…read morethat alone should serve as a testament to how much we love these diner style restaurants! The food is always good, plentiful and efficiently served. The hash-browns and grits are always fresh and cooked perfectly. The homemade rolls are fluffy and delicious and the pancakes are generously sized and thick. And, on the very rare occasion that there has been a mix up on an order, things were rectified quickly and with no hassles. So you should understand that we were devastated by the news that the Frank's location closest to our house was totally destroyed by fire recently. That would be the 1915 Mangum Rd. location. It is my understanding from employees at neighboring businesses that they plan to reopen, at least temporarily, in a vacant building on a lot that is adjacent to the burned building. I have not checked that for any factual accuracy, so take it with a grain of salt, as it were. Meanwhile, we will drive the extra miles to one of the other locations.

Options are limited for breakfast near my work, so I opted for Frank's…read more I have ordered from them in the past and it has been ok. I tried the fish this time and will say the coating was ok, however, it slipped off. I asked for fried hard. I felt the food today was bland and lacked any flavor. I ended up not finishing and just disposed of it. I ordered via door dash so I am unsure of the ambiance.

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Frank's Grill - Waiting for fresh breakfast!

Waiting for fresh breakfast!

Frank's Grill - Chicken and waffles, hash browns, pork chops, bacon, biscuits(homemade)

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District 7 Grill

District 7 Grill

3.9(728 reviews)
9.5 mi•Fourth Ward, Midtown, Downtown, Montrose
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i said it once, i'm going to say it again;…read more i love high quality simple food! district 7 grill is that! as a california native, diner culture is in my blood!! (and tacos, avocados, strawberries, and wine- lol) i never pass up an opportunity to visit a diner. district 7's inside is very "dreamy" and i can see a lot of editorial potential. (if you're into that) but very casual. the food was excellent!! crab cake benedict (8/10) american breakfast (8/10) strawberry milkshake (9/10) red sangria (9/10) great portions + great service = left happy district 7 grill has been added to my permanent brunch list! bonné appétit c.

ABSOLUTELY ATROCIOUS!! Let this place die like it's trying to. Unfortunately we were in a pinch…read moreand staying in a hotel nearby so we had limited options. 1) Nobody in the place at 7:00 on a Friday should have been a sign. 2) Waiter never took our drink order. He asked our food order first. We had to ask him if we could get drinks first. 3) When we did order we watched our drinks sit at the end of the bar for 10 min until I had to go retrieve them myself. 4) The food was INCREDIBLY mid for it being that expensive. Undercooked potatoes, overcooked chicken, not a single person at the table of 4 adults had a good thing to say about their meal 5) It took 2 FREAKING HOURS with no one there. When I say no one I mean completely empty 6) Trying to check out and leave. Our server who was looking for an upsell told us he saw a cookie in the back that was ready to go. Thanks for telling our 3 small children that at 9:30. Reluctantly after telling him no several times it was awkward enough to cave. Cookie took about 20 minutes to come out. We had been there for over 2 hours at that point and we had to just get up and leave. If you go to this restaurant after reading this, you deserve the horrible experience you will certainly have.

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District 7 Grill
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Clementine's Restaurant

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3.8(154 reviews)
17.0 mi
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Food: Burger and fries were delicious. 5 Stars…read more Service: I think the owner, himself, was my server. He was very customer-focused. He kind of reminds me of Dolph Lungren. At first, he came across a bit rough. But quickly I noticed that he really goes out of his way to serve his patrons well. 5 Stars Ambiance: Outside seems to be a bit unappealing. Inside is much better. 4 Stars Overall: 5 Stars

This place is in a somewhat empty shopping center, and I am saddened that more people weren't at…read morethis place on a Saturday night. They had live music on, and from the looks of it if you want to be a part of the show you can as they also have karaoke it looks like. The gentleman that greeted us was so nice and made us feel so welcomed! It wasn't one of those "oh I have to be nice to these guests because I'm getting paid" type people, you could really tell his niceness was genuine. I felt like I was at a fine dining restaurant. Our server was also very nice, and super helpful as I asked for a wine suggestion and she hit the nail with her suggestion. She brought a small sample for me to try before serving it. The food itself was delicious! We got the onion rings appetizer, and you could tell they were made to order. They were super fresh and also crispy. The chicken parmigiana was good, and they were not stingy with their portions at all. The picture I took doesn't do the dish justice. I will definitely go back to this place, as their food, service and overall experience is a great one when you dine in.

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Clementine's Restaurant - Crab cake Benedict.  It was perfectly cooked and delish!

Crab cake Benedict. It was perfectly cooked and delish!

Clementine's Restaurant - This is going to be good!!!

This is going to be good!!!

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Flying Idlis - indpak - Updated October 2026

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