Star of India -- A 20-Year Love Affair…read more I've been eating at Star of India for over two decades, and it remains hands-down the best Indian restaurant in Arizona. I've had Indian food all over the world, and this place is in a class of its own. Yes, it's a hole-in-the-wall -- nothing fancy about the space -- but that's part of the charm. What matters is what comes out of the kitchen, and it's incredible. I'm a creature of habit there: the Paneer is always perfect, the Malai Kofta is creamy and delicious, and their Chicken Tikka Masala is exactly what it should be. The samosas are crispy and flavorful, and a cold Mango Lassi is the perfect way to finish a meal. But the real secret? Prete, the owner. He's not just nice -- she genuinely cares about every person who walks through that door. After 20+ years, I'm not just a customer; he treats me like family. That kind of hospitality is rare and it shows in everything she does. If you're looking for authentic Indian food with heart, don't let the humble exterior fool you. Star of India will not disappoint. It's become my standard for what great Indian food should be.

Masala Mastee in Davidson NC is my bench mark for comparison You can read the review on my page…read more Food. Chicken Vindaloo is my go to. The spices were very different from any k have had. It was ok. Sauce was in the runnier side. Chicken pieces were small cubes and not very tender. Rice was excellent. Puri bread ok Naan was good. Mango lassi was too sweet but has nice flavourful Service. The owner took our order was. Very pleasant. The wait staff , hmm. Was not on top of the game. No real interest in us. Ambiance was good , nothing fancy Pricey $74 plus tip. Two people. He has been in business over 30 years which In itself is a huge win. Congrats on that, sir. My hats off to you. You are doing something right. You were very hospitable. So would the question is would we come back ? No. There are others to go To and then my bench mark is Masala Mastee. Should you try it ? Hmmmm. Up to you.

Ordered the paper masala dosa for dinner. Dosa, aloo masala, sambar, and coconut chutney were all…read morephenomenal. Masala chai was ok... I didn't sense any spices at all. I think it was probably just a normal chai. Gulab jamun was nice! Overall the food was solid. The ambiance and service leave a lot to be desired. Owner and employees are a bit meh. Not actively rude or anything, but not warm / welcoming. Ambiance is a bit of a dud. All that said -- I would absolutely return for more dosas!

Bad quality food Most menu items were missing…read more Bissibelabath did not have a side of raita Chai was reheated - even when requested for fresh chai - tasted terrible Self service based - crappy utensils Sad to see a good brand name being trashed

This was my second visit to Chennai Cafe and this time I left feeling unwelcome and questioning…read morewhether I would return. When we arrived the employee told us it was a 15 minute wait and asked for our name and phone number. We looked forward to our meal and so after we gave our information and then left to walk around until we received the call. After about 15 minutes we got a call at 1:37pm that our table was ready. It took us about 3-4 minutes to walk back and we were promptly seated. I was happy to see that there were real plates unlike the paper plates we had to use the last time. I filled my plate and while it was just as good as the last time we were there I quickly remembered how spicy the food is. I sat with my plate of food as I made it through the spicy but otherwise tasty food. Not everything was hot. Some of the food even though presented on heated elements was actually slightly cold. When they cleared the table of our dirty plates I asked them to leave our water cups and the water pitcher which was still 1/3 filled as my mouth was still recovering from the heat/spiciness. Then to my surprise one of the employees approached our table and told us people were waiting and wanting us to leave. I have never felt so insulted by a merchant or dining establishment. We still hadnt drunk our water and I had paid the bill at 2:02pm so it hadnt even been 30 minutes since we were sat for our meal. If you don't mind being rushed during your meal then this is the place for you!

One of my favorite restaurants for AUTHENTIC Tamil food in the valley. There aren't too many Tamil…read morerestaurants in the Phx Metro area. This and Thirukuppusamy's in Chandler are the only two. If you are from North Phoenix or West Valley, this is the closet place to get a MEAN dosa. All of the South Indian food is great here. If you come here and expect a good Butter Chicken, lol. Order South Indian food and you won't be disappointed. The food at Chennai Cafe is salty, spicey, and tangy. It's got a good mix of all the flavors that remind me of home. I specifically get the Thali meals. These meals have a bit of every curry that is made that day. Usually split between 2 veg curries, 2 nonveg curries, rice, naan (roti), yogurt, and a dessert. All the curries were excellent. I couldn't eat the entire thali as the quantity of food will put you to sleep, so I ate all the meat stuff with the rice and bread and took all the vegetarian/dessert stuff home. Service is typical Indian restaurant, bunch of dudes standing around. You'll have to flag them down anytime you want something. Don't be shy to do so! That's how you do it at an Indian restaurant. Ambiance is typical no-frills Indian restaurant. Don't expect white glove treatment here. Small dining room area with chairs pretty close to each other. However, know what you are going to order and it'll come out fresh and spicy. Definitely an all time favorite for me in the Valley.

My first time here and I must lead off by saying I am a complete novice when it comes to Indian…read morecuisine. So, take everything I say here with that in mind. I don't know if this was prepared traditional or if it has been Americanized for our consumption. I ordered Bengali style Chicken Bunha. I will say I was pleasantly surprised with the flavor and heat in this dish. For the final $16.16 with tax price, it was a bit anemic in the meat column. Quantity was the right amount for a single lunch, but with all the restaurants around the competition is putting more in the plate for the money. I was the only person in the shop, my food was made fresh, although I'm certain the chicken was precooked and then reheated upon order. Nothing wrong there, just a notation. The young man behind the counter was very nice and he was also the cook. He deserves kudos for both his roles.

No stars, waited for 45 min for soup and 4 samosas. Samosas come with no chutney and way too small…read morefor what they charge. Please hire more staff in the kitchen and clean up the place.

excellent veg Indian food. The Pani Puri appetiser was…read moresuperb - crisp puris n excellent "pani" to dip into. The chaana batura is the best i hv had in Arizona - two huge fluffy baturas , good channa mix n to die for home made pickle. The gujerati dhall is super good . The food here is prepared fresh n made after ur order is taken - place is very clean n owner Manav is very helpful n friendly. Great place to visit if ur into Indian veg food - better than most I've been to.

I ate here with my wife recently. The atmosphere was very vibrant with colorfully decorated tables…read more The owner was very friendly and helped us order our food because we were not familiar with most of the menu options. My wife ordered the vegetable samosas which she loved. I had the Paneer Masala which was flavorful and practically melted in my mouth. We would definitely return here the next time we're in Chandler.

I was craving Indian curry and decided to drive to Bombay House in Tempe, but I arrived at 2:25…read morep.m. and found out the restaurant closes at 2:30 p.m., so I was too late. After doing a search online, I discovered an Indian grocery store with a restaurant inside, which turned out to be a vegetarian place. Maybe it was meant to be, since I'm trying to eat more healthfully because of my type 2 diabetes and kidney issues. I tried the samosa and curry, and both were very good. The servers were also very kind and welcoming. The only part I didn't like was being asked to pay the tip before eating. I left 10%. Even though I wasn't familiar with exactly what I ordered, I enjoyed everything I tried. I'll definitely go back again. Chats / Appetizer : Aloo Tikki Chaat Bhel-Puri Dabeli (Burger) Vada Paav (Burger) Samosa Paav Dahi Vada Ragda Bhel Khasta Kachori Chaat Paav-Bhaji (order extra paav from sides section) Pani-Puri Papri Chaat Khaman Dhokla Chaat Pochka (Dahi Puri) Samosa - 2pc Khaman Dhokla - 3pc Samosa Chaat Kachori - 2pc Thali: Chole & Bhatura 2pc 4 Puri & Aloo Sabji with Jeera Rice & Dal Matar Paneer & Naan (2pc) & Jeera Rice & Gulab Jamun 3 Chapati & Yogurt & Pickle Rajma & Chawal (COMING SOON) Shahi Paneer & 2pc naan & Jeera rice & Yogurt Shrikhand & Puri 4pc Curries: Aloo Sabji Chole Dal Matar Paneer Shahi Paneer Rajma (COMING SOON) Kadhi Pakoda (COMING SOON) Sides: Jeera Rice Extra Pav (for pav-bhaji) Pickle On Side Tamerind Chutney (sweet) Green Chutney (spicy) Onions On Side Freshly Made Desserts: Boondi Ladoo - 5pc Gulab Jamun - 5pc Jalebi - 1/2 LB Jaggery Jalebi - 1/2 LB Kaju Katli - 6pc Mootichur Ladoo - 4pc Besan Laddoo - 6pc Rasmalai - 4pc Drinks/Beverages: Mango Lassi - Freshly Made In-house Sweet Lassi - Freshly Made In House Salted Lassi - Freshly Made In House Spiced Chai Tea - Freshly Made In House Limca Thums Up Frooti Maaza

Most amazing spices and food, not to mention the Family owned Business is so friendly, clean and a…read moremust to try. Harsh & Ashley are my fav's!!!! I love this food and can't wait to go again, I had to share!!!! Thank you for your hospitality!!!!! Jill E

Came here for the first time with my boyfriend on a Sunday afternoon around 3pm. We specifically…read morecame for the Thali which to our surprise is what they only serve on the weekends 11:30am - 4:00pm and it's AYCE!!! We both ordered the Devarayas Grand Thali Special which came with all the protein options (Shrimp, Fish, Chicken, Mutton/Lamb Curries, and Fried Chicken). I really love trying a little of everything so the Thali was the way to go! It's served with white rice, your choice of Chapati (tortilla consistency carb) or Poori (fluffy fried carb), Raitha (sour yogurt), what seemed to be potato salad (which I think was Kuruma Curry), Bagara rice (which was a little sweet to me), and a cinnamon-y dessert. I also got the Mango Lassi (mango yogurt drink) which came in clutch because the Chicken Curry was actually pretty spicy, it definitely helped neutralize the heat. I was so happy to be able to try a lot of the curries available, my favorites were the Shrimp and the Fish. I never had Kuruma Curry before (the potato one) but I actually really enjoyed that one too. My boyfriend's favorite was the Chicken Curry because it was authentically spicy which was reminiscent of his South Indian coworker's cooking. The service here is on point, I want to say 6 or 7 different workers came by to ask if we wanted refills on any of the curries, to offer us more food (we also got a donut-like carb), or to make sure we were good. This was a really fun experience, I'd definitely recommend trying it!

Bummer to lower my rating from 5 stars since I loved my first visit here so much. I am also quite…read morepicky and careful with giving 5 stars ratings typically and was truly excited about this place after my first visit. However, when we came back so excited for more it was a weird experience here. We came at 5pm especially to try the banana Bajji listed as an option between 5pm-7pm only to be told it's not available. Then tried to order the Kara Kuzhambu with the lentil dumplings and told lentil dumplings not available anymore only okra/ eggplant option for this. The restaurant vibe felt really odd in general. We kind of felt like they weren't sure if they wanted to be open right now or something. The tables were not clean from lunch and they didn't get back to us when we asked questions. We decided to leave and come back another time given the great first experience. The next day, we decided to try again at lunch when the restaurant seems to do most of the business and I called to double check they have the Kara Kuzhambu with eggplant/ okra options just in case and two people seemed to have no idea what I am talking about. I spelled it, explained it's on the menu and it's a tamarind based curry- nothing. The dish I tried here before was very good and I really appreciate that their menu is marked for allergies and different diets. It seems to be very popular among Indian people and a fun cultural experience at weekend brunch/ lunch. However, the service felt really weird and unwelcoming this time and with the dishes listed on the menu but not being available it was a let down. The waiter told us the banana bajji and the lentil dumplings were discontinued completely so it was a bummer they are still listed on the menu. This confusing and unwelcoming exprience led to a big rating difference from me even though I really liked the food I tried in my first visit as well as the atmosphere. Still happy for that super fun first memory here though! My general rating system: 1 star: I would stay away 2 stars: Has some good things about it but I generally don't recommend. 3 stars: Pretty good. I wouldn't go out of my way to go back but a decent place 4 stars: Great place. I would go back. 5 stars: I highly recommend stopping whatever you are doing and making plans to try it out! An Evie favorite!

The wife and I accidentally found this place, which is located in the Baiz market. The market is a…read moremix of a multicultural market featuring Afghan, Arab, Turkish, Persian, and other regional cultures. I love the market by the way. So many awesome things to look at and we bought some Turkish coffee and the pot to make it in. Yummy. The wife got the chicken shawarma. She said a little bland and a little on the dry side but otherwise it was good. I got the Iraqi kebab. The meat was seasoned well. The rice was a little dry. The humus tasted really good and also got the Baba Ganoush which is smokey and very flavorful. I can't wait to go back and try some of the other meals!

Delicious and authentic. I try to go here whenever im in the area. The chicken shawarma and various…read morepies are delicious!