Food: This is where I give Pavani its 4-star rating. The place gains some brownie points in that there are hardly any pure Indian vegetarian restaurants in San Antonio. My personal recommendation is to try one of their dosas (lentil/rice Indian pancake); I especially enjoyed their Mysore Masala dosa (with spicy powder and potatoes/peas filling). Their dosas are quite large and can suffice for up to two meals unless one is quite hungry. The lentil soup and chutneys (sauces - coconut, tomato, and peanut) that accompany the dosas are also quite good. They also have nice side items (really like their vegetable cutlet and onion pakodas - fried fritters) and several rice and Indo-chinese options too. A decent range of beverages too. Price: Very reasonable. Most items are within $10, and some are under $5. Service: yes, they cook the food for you. That being said, we have to pick it up from their counter once the food is ready (they won't bring it out to the table) but it helps me get off of my sedentary/lazy ways and go bring it back to the table. We also have to get our own water, serving utensils and napkins, so I guess its hard to rate them on service. The food does come out in a reasonable amount of time (within 15 min or less usually). The lady taking my order is a pleasant person - her main language is Spanish but she can communicate decently in English. Cleanliness: definitely needs improvement here, but not to the point of oh wow, I cannot imagine eating here. Tables, serving areas, and bathrooms are reasonably clean, though it does help to have an extra wipe down of the tables before/after eating just in case. Ambience: not the fanciest of places, definitely not a romantic type of setting. Its pretty much a hole-in-the-wall type of place, but I don't really care as long as the food is good and service isn't horrible. read more

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

Two words: Gobi Manchurian!!! Get this dish and you will thank me later! I am always hunting for good lunch eats that are close to work. After reading positive reviews on Yelp about this Indian vegetarian place and learning that it is close by, I was determined to try it out. Today, I stopped by Pavani for lunch with a foodie friend. Man, evers road does have some good restaurants. I frequent this area for Thai taste and pho hong phat but never knew Pavani was just right across the street. I read it was a hole in the wall place so I was afraid that it would be dirty and unpleasant. But the inside was actually much better than I thought. I guess a hole in the wall has different categories too. This wasn't in the scary ass category for sure. They don't have servers here so you order at the counter and go get your own food. That's OK with me but we didn't get water to drink which was a bit out of the norm to me. We ordered masala rava dosa and Gobi Manchurian to share. Our orders were ready within a few minutes. The only complaint I have is that they serve food on plastic plates. But I knew I was eating at a hole in the wall so i was fine with it. The dosa was huge! It is similar to a type of Chinese crepe. It came with three different dipping sauce and a tiny curry bowl as a side. The Gobi Manchurian came with white rice. I did some research on this dish before hand. It is a stir fried cauliflower in spicy sauce with chopped onions and cilantro. It is a Chinese influenced dish. I am not vegetarian but I am a big fan of vegetables including cauliflower. This dish was made to perfection, the cauliflower was not too hard or mushy. It was cooked just right with the right amount of spice! I had the same satisfaction just as eating meat, but much healthier for sure. Oh, sooo tasty!!! The dosa was good, not great. Guess I am not into the potato and peas fillings. Maybe I will try the vegetable spring dosa next time. Or I'll just skip the dosa and get the Gobi Manchurian only! Overall, I was quite happy with my new discovery. The price was reasonable too. Now the Pavani has been added to my lunch go-to places!!! read more

Pavani Express - Gobi Manchurian (stir fried cauliflower) is really really good! - Indian Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

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This place still has it! Stopped in for our favorite Gobi Manchuria with a side of white rice. We shared and it was plenty of food and we left satisfied. The food was fresh, hot, and so full of flavor. They haven't updated anything, but that's fine with me, because they have consistent produced some amazing food! I can't wait to go back and grab one of their dosa's. read more

Pavani Express - Masala rava dosa - Indian Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

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Excellent South Indian food served with a lot off warmth and love. I'd them for my daughter's engagement at my house in my backyard and they served live dosas and everyone who attended the event were so happy. read more

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. read more

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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. read more

Pavani Express - Paper dosa. - Indian Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

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. read more

Pavani Express - Gobi Manchurian - Indian Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

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. read more

Pavani Express - Masala Rava Dosa - Indian Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

Great food for great price. Love their sambhar, coconut chutney and their Madras coffee is equally good too! Its not a trendy place to sit and dine but if you only care about the food, I would say this is by far best south Indian place. Quick service and clean restrooms are a big plus. read more

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

Pavani Express - Indian Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

This place is located in a lets just say what appears to be not a very salubrious location...but if you get beyond the run down looking gas station, a gnarley parking lot and sometimes strange people hovering around the street corners..you will be rewarded with food like you would get in India. Freshly prepared and just fantastically tasty. Chaos reigns when you walk into the door at Pavani Express! There are varieties of tables spread in what seems like haphazardly across the small interior, crowds of people sitting around, eating or waiting or trying to corral kids and almost always a line at the counter to order food. But as you step in one things strikes you is how good the place smells. The smell and the sounds of the kitchen transports you easily to the small eateries near railway stations and such in India where you are assured of a good, quick, cheap and tasty meal. The way it works here is that you try to grab a one page laminated menu, figure out what you want (all vegetarian!...but so good that Anthony Bourdain would eat it without bitching) and order at the counter. The menu has a bunch of Indian standards like samosas, cutlets, bhel, a lot of dosas and other interesting stuff that you would not generally see in the standard Indian places that end with Palace in their names ..but trust me its all good. The last trip involved us getting a Sada dosa (Plain dosa), Masala dosa (plain dosa with a potato and peas mixture), Andhra masala (a plain dosa with a fire engine red chutney spread inside along with the potato and peas mixture), a Mysore Masala dosa (plain dosa with a different chutney which was not quite as killer as the Andhra chutney), medu vada (fritters made with white lentils, bits of ginger and coriander), Channa Bhatura (like a channa masala with the Bhatura which is a fried bread..almost like a sopapilla except thinner and lighter), Idli (almost like a steamed lentil and rice dumpling) sambhar, Daal fry and something else I am sure I forgot. The dosas were all outstandingly good with really good texture and the accompanying chutneys (coconut, tomato and peanut) were all fantastic...specially when you took a piece of the dosa, scooped up some of the potato mixture and dipped in the chutney to add that perfect crispy, soft, savory bite to your mouth. The Channa Bhatura was excellent. The channa tasted like it started off as dried chickpeas and were then cooked that day. The dish was very well cooked with nice tender chickpeas in a savory thick brown curry that tasted of sauteed onions, hints of tamarind, clove, fennel and star anise and was just the perfect mixture to put into bit sized pieces of the Bhatura (fried bread) to create a spice and fried bread carnival in your mouth. The daal fry was also very tasty and it takes skill to add enough spices to make things interesting, yet maintain the flavor of the yellow lentils. All this was also served with rice that was cooked with sauteed cumin seeds, cardamom and a hint of anise. On other occasions we have tried the Bhindi masala (okra), Navrattan korma and malai kofta. All were oustandingly good and really worth the wait. Run don't walk to experience Pavani Express. The wait and the strange maneuvers you go through to get in and out of this place are definitely worth it read more

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 read more

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This place getting bad as time goes. The quality and taste of food is going down. I've been here multiple times and not even a single time I was treated well. The customer service is worst here. The place needs to be more neat. I would expect little respect being a customer. Guys atleast consider us like a human. Again thanks to gal for making me write reviews and contribute my suggestions via yelp. read more

Based on all the reviews I've made 2 attempts to visit this restaurant. Both times walked away frustrated and without having tried the food. Customer Service and etiquette is 1 star at best. Times on the website and on the door are useless, because they actually only open when they feel like it. Stopped in for a snack most recently around 5pm on a weekend and one employee said they weren't open (yet door was open). Another comes by & says they are and leaves to make a catering delivery, we attempted to order again and the 2 employees left look at each other with confusion and poor communication skills and say Not Making Food yet. Sign says open, door is open as well...so when will you be serving? Response: in a couple hours. Ridiculous! Update your signs then. This is beyond horrible IST (Indian standard time). Not sure how they are managing to stay in business. Won't be back to even try the food. read more

Pavani Express - Absolute mess inside during Open hours. Not appetizing at all. - Indian Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

YES! This is the best indian hole in the wall in town. Try the dosa's, they're fantastic. The different curries and sauces to dip them in are awesome. If you order samosas, you will get corriander(cilantro) or tamarind chutneys to dip them in.... AMAZING. Downside: Their service SUCKS ... do NOT go there if you're in some sort of rush.... and don't be too particular or specific, because I suspect the Indian girl chasier taking orders speaks very limited English, or plays dumb... either way, she's not overly helpful. Also, eat the dosas there, DO NOT take them home, they will sog out. This is a FABULOUS option for anyone who's a vegetarian. Wish it were SLIGHTLY more affordable, but meh... it's good. read more

My first visit here was AMAZING. It was my first vegan experience and the samosas and Rava dosa were amazing! The green sauce is the stuff dreams are made of. Second visit....I was concerned about the bug problem one yelper stated but I didn't see any in my food. This time I bought curried lentils, veg biryani, samosas and rava dosa. Lentils and biryani were sooo good. The samosas were bland this time. The rava dosa was a little bland. This visit just seemed off. I will return but I won't drive out of my way again. I'll already have to be out and about. read more

This place used to be so delicious... management changed, food changed, and that picture you see with a roach in the food? Thats completely real; the same happened to us. Unbelievable. read more

So this place doesn't look like much from the outside. But if you can get past that, get yourself inside! The food is pretty darn good. I had the saag paneer and it was very tasty. Served with the nostril pleasing basmasti rice, this dish did not disappoint. The only thing that kept this place from getting 5 stars for the first visit was that they don't have naan. Their version is a fried bread that while very tasty is well, fried. I don't typically eat fried foods so this was definitely the downside of an otherwise very good meal. I will be going back and trying other things on the menu. Oh, and this is advertised as a vegetarian restaurant. read more

Pavani is in a bit of a strange location, wedged between a gas station and an Indian grocery. It is also no frills, just walk up and order then wait for your food. However, that is the concept behind Pavani: convenient, fast, fresh Indian dishes and then be on your way. Most dishes are cooked to order, so if you are in a real hurry it's better to call in ahead of time. The samosas are fairly large and filled with curried potato mix, and the cauliflower manchurian is spicy goodness. I really do wish the menu gave more explanation. I do know a lot of the dishes, but many I am curious about but the girl working the orders seems pretty busy to have to sit there and explain each item. It would be nice if they had an "amateur" menu with descriptions. read more

The food was good. I had paneer tikka masala. It wasn't the best I've ever had, but it was good. I cannot overlook the cleanliness of the place. I have worked in restaurants before (for years in college) and the place just smelled unclean. It smelled like old dirty grease and old dirty mop water. The smell was w the worst while we were at the register, so it was coming from the kitchen. After watching several episodes of Restaurant Impossible, I think this might be one of those dirtier kitchens. My fiance was a restaurant manager for years and he was unsettled. The staff took off their aprons before using the restroom, which was great to see. We haven't actually seen the kitchen up close, but the smell was quite off putting. It could just be in the nooks and crannies. We haven't gotten sick or anything, but ALL restaurants need a thorough cleaning DAILY! My fiance ' restaurants he managed were impeccably clean and never smelled. I wish I could rate this higher because the food was good, but I was grossed out by the dirty kitchen smells. read more

ABOUT: This isn't the fanciest joint in the city. But I'll choose Pavani Express for lunch over any of the Indian buffet lunches in the city. Why? The buffets serve a lot of foods, and all of the foods are OK. Just OK. You can't do excellent food at that price and quantity. But a place like Pavani Express can do just a few foods, and do them very well. And they do. PROS: They served me the best malai kofta I've ever had. Rich, buttery, savory, absolutely delicious. A very hefty serving for the price, too. And the rice is fluffy and plentiful. I also had the vegetable cutlets, which were delicious. The mint and tamarind sauces were also delicious. And fresh. They hadn't spent a day in a serving trough at a buffet. Oh, and guess what? The Indian tea was also delicious. They made it fresh, on the spot. I am not a vegetarian, but my vegetarian friends love this place. I certainly did feel like I was missing anything. It's a win-win. CONS: The tables are all too small, and they wobble. read more

Yes, the place is not fancy. Yes, you're served your meal in plastic utensils. But if you are in San Antonio and are getting nostalgic about Mom's cooking, then Pavani is a great choice. I enjoyed the vangi bhaat. You also get raita as an accompaniment. One thing to note is that the portions are HUGE - both the vangi bhat and the spring dosa I ordered can be shared among two or more hungry people. The only reason for not giving Pavani 5/5 is the spring dosa. It didn't taste bad, but it just seemed to be a masala dosa with purple cabbage strips thrown in for good measure. The chutneys served with this were pretty good, though. read more

If I had to rate this place just for the taste or the value for money, I would be so tempted to give it a 4 or even 5! But right now they are just too shoddy in terms of cleanliness, and I really hope they take it seriously and improve upon it! I don't expect them to improve the ambience, but the least they could do is promptly clean up the tables and the thrash regularly! read more

Delicious Indian street food. Without question the greatest gobi manchurian I've ever tasted. Intensely spicy and wonderfully breaded. The dosas are a treat and the chana masala is very tasty. The customer service leads a bit to be desired, often times bordering on abrasive, but the food makes up for it. It's not a white tablecloth type of restaurant and it's not trying to be. It does street food well - and if that's the cuisine you're looking for, then Pavani is a good place to start. Also - hours? I really never know when this place is open. I always just kind of luck out I guess. read more

We order Mysoor Masala Dosa and Andhra spicy Dosa and Pori with Vegetable Korma. - My Mysoor Dosa it was so spicy - I can only imagine what my husbands tasted like. My mouth was on fire. I can normally handle spicy food. If we lived closer we would come back. The food was delicious.. My son really like it too. read more

Pavani Express - Mysoor Masala Dosa - Indian Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

This place has decent food but the setting and environment is so not great. They have the Madras coffee without sugar (you've to add it and somehow make it worse). The utensils are all plastic which I personally do not like unless it's like a gas station offering free food. Great place for take outs though! read more

Not the same Pavani it used to be few years ago! We went for lunch and most of the items were bland with a lot of artificial colors and no flavor. Idli and Dosa were the saving grace. For a hole in a wall place, the prices are on par with a nice restaurant and the ingredients are absolutely not of good quality. I was shocked by the amount of Cajun sauce on my Gobi Manchurian which was deep fried and tossed with a sauce with crimson red color. I'm never going back to this place ever!! read more

Ultra dirty place. Reminded me of irani galli cafe in hyd. Lo mein for hot and spicy noodles. Gobi manchuria was over filled with onion garnishing. And the chunks were too big. Finally the vada. Was ok. Taste of all the above was ok. I would have given 3 starts if the place was a bit tidy. read more

Firstly I need to disclaim about the ambience and the place it is located. Very dingy and not welcoming. I was afraid to get in but I didn't have a choice because was very hungry. I was the only customer. We ordered the masala Dosa. It was the best Dosa I ate after a long time. The chutneys and Sambar was very tasty. Chapati was okay but the kurma was very good. Lot of food for the price we paid. Urad vada was too good and idly was okay too. This place has lot of potential but the ambience is a big letdown. Please fix it and you will be able to make it a big success. read more

Nice food, if they keep up the location better it would get 5 stars. Dosa is awesome but don't forget to tell if you want less oil and crispy. read more

This place is like none other. It's a great little cafe, whether you're just looking to grab a snack with a few friends or a quick dinner with your significant other. The food is just phenomenal. One of my favorite Indian food is Dosas and this place has definitely learned to master the art of making a Dosa (Not too crispy, lots of filling, and a nice spicy kick to it!!). Excellent food, Great prices, and Superb service! This place has it ALL!!!! Pavani Express, you have gained a very loyal patron =) read more

AUTHENTIC There is only one rule when it comes to choosing Indian restaurants. Just see whether Indians go there often; I was on business to San Antonio. This is one of the best south Indian joints in Texas! It kind of reminded me of the Dosa I used to get back in south India! It's not a restaurant, but a fast food joint....go there for food and you will like it!! 5 stars. read more

I was a bite hesitant when I walked in because the place looks pretty grungy. But there aren't that many veg restaurants in this town so I try not to be too picky. They are vegan friendly as well. But the food was amazing! So great spice wise and extremely affordable! The plates were huge so come with a monstrous appetite! The menu is big but non descriptive so you had better know your Indian food going in. read more

I really wanted to dislike this place. Upon entry, I took abrupt note of the lack of greeting we received. This tiny restaurant wasn't exactly dirty, but I wouldn't call it clean. Their tap water is room temperature and dispensed out of a nozzled cooler. And the service we received while ordering was completely unfriendly. I was ready to destroy this place on Yelp. And then I tried the food. The paneer tikka masala was gold on a plate, and the Gobi Manchurian made me cry sweet tears of bliss. This was some AMAZING food. I decided henceforth that I will be coming here, not to make friends, but to devour delicious food. That is all. read more

So delicious! My husband and I shared the Butter Paneer Masala and the Tikka Paneer Masala and it's probably the best version of both that we've ever had. read more

This place is infested with roaches! As I was placing the order, I saw couple of roaches behind the counter!! I pointed it out to the cashier (hispanic lady), she goes, Oh! Then says something to another person in the back in Spanish. DO NOT EAT HERE! Its filthy and nasty!! read more

Very disappointing decor! But who cares! Well we do but it's okay for the $ we pay. My hit was MLA pesaratu....frikn amazing!!!!typical South Indian authentic . Gobi Manchuri could be more spicy but the cauliflowers were well done and perfectly toasted/fried . Medu vada was good too . Come on with the quality of food provided at least they can improve the restroom . read more

If you care about appearances don't come here. This is a little hole in the wall that probably scares people off the moment they walk in the door. The food is served on styrofoam plates with plastic utensils, but if you can get over all that, the food is amazing. I usually get the Saag Paneer while my husband gets the Chana Masala. We love this place. It's hard to get good vegetarian food here in San Antonio. read more

We went here today based on all the great reviews, I have to say I was disappointed! We ordered the paneer tika masala which only had 6 pieces of paneer in the whole order. We also got the malai kofta, again only 3 pieces to an order; we got a huge container of rice which was bland and mushy. As an appetizer we got the spinach pakoras which was just fried spinach and nothing like the fritters we've had at other places. The food was spicy but not really flavorful. Very disappointing experience, probably won't be back. read more