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    Pavani Express

    3.5 (77 reviews)
    InexpensiveIndian
    Closed 11:00 am - 9:00 pm

    Order Pavani Express Takeout or Delivery

    Pavani Express Photos

    Business Info

    PAVANI EXPRESS ATMOSPHERE

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

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    Recommended Reviews - Pavani Express

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    Reviews With Photos

    Gobi ManchurianDry
    Fred R.

    I became vegan 15 months ago. Finding good vegan food in San Antonio is a little frustrating but the owner of Pavani (Reddy) has introduced me to a new world of flavors as he guides me through the extensive menu cooking only the ones that are vegan. They are all vegetarian . So far I've tried 3 different types of Dosas, Lemon Rice, and the Gobi Manchuroan Dry. They have all been excellent , the portions are huge. The soup served with many entrees is call Sambar, and it's made with crushed lentils, tomatoes, and potatoes. Don't be surprised if you find yourself licking every last drop from the styrofoam bowl that it's served in. My wife is a bona-fide meat eater, but loves the vegetarian dishes here. This place is a must try foor plamt based diet folks.

    Paper dosa.
    Jake W.

    People in my office raved about this place, and I went this afternoon, unexpectedly, with this same group of co-workers. Wow. The portions were huge, and the seasoning/spice levels were perfect. For example, in the samosas, which were traditional potato and pea, there was an extra punch -- which might have been due to caraway or mustard seed (or both). Also, the food was not oily or greasy. I ordered a dosa -- their specialty -- and the crust was light without being soggy with grease. A co-worker ordered the Gobi Manchurian which was one of the most surprising, outstanding dishes I've eaten ALL YEAR. That's right, all year. Perfectly-cooked cauliflower (not hard and sulfuric, not mushy), in a dark, tangy, sweet and spicy sauce (reminiscent of good General Tsao's Chicken), with green onions, regular onions, green peppers, and cilantro. It was unfortunate that I only had 2 bites, but I plan to return to Pavani and order this dish on my own. The only reason why I am not giving this restaurant 5 stars is because the menu does not have any descriptions next to the items -- how in the world are you supposed to know what to order? Luckily, I was with people who had been there before, who could guide me. I plan to return to Pavani to experience more delicious surprises.

    Gobi Manchurian
    Jeremy G.

    I only come here for the Gobi Manchurian because it's oh so good! I found this place via my non-vegetarian Indian friend. I gave him a funny look when he suggested getting vegetarian food because I'm a meat eater by default. But after one bite of the Gobi Manchurian, I was converted! Gobi Manchurian is an Indian Chinese dish of fried cauliflower (gobi=cauliflower) florets that are sauteed with onions. At Pavani, the cauliflower is cooked to perfection and has never been mushy. The dish has a nice level of heat that keeps you craving more. Oh and they are very generous with the rice! You will leave here full and happy! Expect to seat yourself, serve your own water, and clean up after yourself. Sometimes the food is slow to come out, but it's worth the wait. If you would rather skip all that, place an order for pickup! Sorry no delivery.

    Masala Rava Dosa
    Luis G.

    Don't let the small locale dictate your interests here. I definitely believe in the phrase, "Don't judge a book by its cover." Although it's fairly clean and there are enough chairs, I cannot imagine what this place would be like during a busy lunch rush. The employees were friendly, the service was just-in-time, and we had the dosas... yes, they are TO DIE FOR! I have fallen in love with dosas, and am anxious to try other items on the menu. My only wish is that they didn't use styrofoam dinnerware. The hot dosas left a heat imprint on the trays that I'm not too sure is good for you. Other than that, I plan to come here often.

    Danny C.

    Got some kind of 'Dosa' as a suggestion from the employee. It's great, and a large portion.

    Found Cockroach in my sambhar.. I was shocked!!!And the waiter did not accept his fault at all. Kept arguing that It's normal!!
    Supriya S.

    I had a horrible experience at this restaurant today. I ordered Uthapam and while I was eating, I found a cockroach in the sambhar!!! It was so shocking !! I decided to immediately report it to the waiter.. The waiter did not accept his mistake and said its pretty normal to find cockroach in food!!!Asked me to stop making a scene.. Hotel manager was not present at that time... Meanwhile I was asked not to come to the restaurant if I cannot tolerate cockroaches in food... It was unbelievable to hear this after someone has been served u food with cockroach .. I would not recommend anyone to go to Pavani express as it is one of the most unhygienic Indian restaurant.. Their kitchen is also dirty and staff is very rude... Swear never to go to this place again.. Very bad experience

    Absolute mess inside during Open hours. Not appetizing at all.

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    3 years ago

    After a while had good south Indian food buffet. This is the kind of food they were known for.

    Business owner information

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    John. W.

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    Ask the Community - Pavani Express

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    The Lion Indian Cuisine

    The Lion Indian Cuisine

    4.5
    (152 reviews)
    2.3 mi
    $$

    Let me begin by saying that I am not somebody who usually orders food to be delivered. But, today I…read morefound myself home alone, hungry for Indian food, and feeling way too wiped out from a rough day to head out and get something. I decided to use DoorDash. The wait for the delivery was only about an hour. That was fine with me, as I had plenty of things I needed to get done before I sat down to dine. When I lifted the bundle that was left at my door, I was shocked by the weight! I don't feel like I ordered all that much, but they sure sent a lot of food. I ordered lamb vindaloo, garlic, naan, rice, and samosas. All of it was truly delicious. The large pieces of lamb meat in the vindaloo were tender and soaked with the delicious flavor of the spicy sauce. There were not as many potato chunks as meat chunks, which I consider a good thing in vindaloo. The garlic naan was some of the best I have ever had. I ordered two of them, but really didn't need the second one. They were huge. By themselves, they tasted delicious, but when you dipped it into the vindaloo sauce, it was absolutely amazing. The very first Indian food I ever had was at a dinner party in 1973 when my family was living in Taiwan. The most memorable item for me was the samosas. The ones from this restaurant we're almost exactly like I remembered. I have to also comment on how well everything was packaged. All of the containers were shrink wrapped for extra precaution. I don't think anything could've leaked even if the driver put it upside down. I am anxious to go and try eating at the actual restaurant. Somehow it was off my radar. Supposedly, it's only 4.5 miles from my home who knew?

    Had a Saturday night craving for Indian cuisine and Lion Indian was our choice. It has been a few…read moreyears back when we visited India, but the food is usually not a distant memory. The dinner options were either a buffet, or order straight from the menu. Since the buffet was only $15 per person and included some items we wanted to have anyways, we chose the buffet. The choices were limited in number, but enough for us. Buffet included some traditional entrees like Tandoori Chicken, Chicken Masala and several different kinds of Curry dishes. The rice and nan complimented the dish. Wifey enjoyed her meal and felt like the spice level was good enough, but I wanted something a bit more spicy. If my taste buds don't burn a little, then I feel like it is too Americanized. I understand that a buffet is prepared for the average person, but since San Antonio is already known for spicy foods, then a dish or two of a higher heat level would suffice for me. The restaurant is tucked away in a shopping center and it not real visible from the street so luckily Yelp got us here. It is however, close to Loop 1604, so it is an easy drive after exiting. Waitstaff is friendly and on point so it made the small, but comfortable indoor dining a pleasant experience. We will most likely return and fill our craving here and don't forget to have the Mango Lassi, as it was a nice way of finishing your dinner.

    Photos
    Dining area
    Dining area
    White rice, Karahi chicken, saag paneer, goat curry
    White rice, Karahi chicken, saag paneer, goat curry
    The full bar is impressive.

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    The full bar is impressive.
    Biryani Pot

    Biryani Pot

    4.1
    (427 reviews)
    2.1 mi
    $$

    Biryani Pot remains the undisputed champ of our weekly rotation. The Vijaywada Chicken Biryani is…read moreelite--the spice profile is complex and the chicken is always tender. We always opt for the Family Pack because the portion size is unbeatable for the price. We pair it with the Chicken 65, which is crispy, spicy, and addictive. If you haven't tried their Vijaywada style yet, you're missing out on some of the best heat in the city.

    I really like Biryani Pot. I always get an authentic experience. I went on Friday with my Indian…read morefriend and this time around she approved that everything served is up to standard comparing it to authentic Indian cooking. However the service was ok simply because I had to ask the server to clean the booth it had water and drinks spilled all over it. He cleaned my side and didn't clean the other side. Until my friend came and got gum stuck to her pants. I get it this is unusual and very disrespectful from the previous diners but still I think it is the waiter responsibility to clean the table and booth after each customer. They were very apologetic and honestly didn't know how to make up for it It is always a fun experience going to this restaurant. Specially they have the cane sugar juicing machine. We ordered it and half of the restaurant was standing there watching them make it Also I tried a new style of biryani Gongura biryani it was delicious. Overall this restaurant is still getting my five stars except of this incident which I

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    Happy Valentine's Day Biryani Pot - San Antonio
    Happy Valentine's Day Biryani Pot - San Antonio
    Guacamole Indian style
    Guacamole Indian style
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    Biryani Express Indian Cuisine

    Biryani Express Indian Cuisine

    4.4
    (76 reviews)
    2.1 mi

    Highest quality Indian restaurant I've eaten at in all my time eating at Indian restaurants across…read morethe country. Dosa 10/10 tangy, thin and crisp Mango lassi 10/10 Palak paneer 10/10 Lamb tikka masala 10/10 Chutneys are all 10/10 Punjabi samosa 10/10 Chicken 65 10/10 Garlic naan 10/10 flaky and packed with flavor, superb texture - I don't love when naan is too thick and slick with oil so this was excellent Everything hit, no misses. If they had aloo chana chaat with yogurt this would be the only Indian restaurant I go to locally. We were originally going to go to Mare e Monte but the line was too long and we all were simultaneously craving Indian cuisine. This happened to be right next door. Ambiance is more like a family restaurant so definitely expect kids and multiple family affairs but the noise levels didn't take us away from how excellent the food was !! If it matters to you they do serve water with water bottles. I personally love a nice iced cup of water esp to help refresh my mouth from the spices. that would be my only ding and that's nitpicking. Service was very good to us!

    I ca came here with a friend and we dined inside. There is not much to say about the interior, it…read moreseemed to still be in the process of being set up. The service was nice, they were pretty attentive and kind. I only ordered the Lamb Biryani, and it was delicious! It comes with two sauces, one is like a creamy yogurt and the other is very flavorful and spicy. The lamb and rice were seasoned well and cooked to perfection. Additionally, the meal was big enough to take home. Overall, I liked this place and I'm interested in trying more of the menu.

    Photos
    Biryani Express Indian Cuisine
    Hyderabadi chicken dum biryani
    Hyderabadi chicken dum biryani
    Goat Curry and Appetizers

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    Goat Curry and Appetizers

    Pavani Express - indpak - Updated July 2026

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