Out of town this weekend for a culinary excursion to Houston and their blown-up food scene. It has been over 20 years since we have traveled to Houston. After eating our first day here, I can guarentee it won't be another 20 years till we return. Extensive website reviews, reading food blogs and surfing the internet has left me with to many great choices. I only have so many meals one can eat on this trip. I am up to the challenge and Pondicheri was our first stop. Pondicheri is a modern Indian restaurant with big, bold flavors and memorable taste profiles that will punch your taste buds. The young man taking orders was helpful explaining the menu and spice levels. He suggested the Madras chicken wings and cumin yogurt, great call. The wings were hot and coated in a moderately spicy sauce. The chicken was moist and had a great flavor along with a slow burn. They were a great start. The Pondi salad was next and killed it with a wide variety of raisins, pumpkin seeds, pickled carrots and a tasty lime dressing. It was a totally different taste but the difference was SPECTACULAR. We were blown away by the unique and delicious flavors. Don't pass up this salad as it is a great balance with the spicy Indian dishes. We split the lamb burger with pickled onions and desi fries. The burger was cooked to prefection and the pickled onions gave my taste buds a punch in the face. Again, a different and delicious, unusual combination that worked well. The burger and bun was lightly salted to enhanced the flavor. I have never had desi fries but I will continue to seek them out moving forward. The fries were done well but the seasoning dust was addictive. We finished our meal with a Sindhi Laddu for a small dessert. It was a dry and lightly salted cookie that hit the spot. The Laddu was not sweet but very flavorful. It was a perfect finish to a wonderful meal. We are hesitant to eat Indian food as it does not always agree with me. Obviously, I just need to eat quality Indian food like that at Pondicheri This establishment blew my mind and shocked my taste buds. Treat yourself to a memorable meal at Pondicheri, you won't be sorry. read more

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Good food Great location. I enjoyed the lamb although a bit too spicy for me. We. Really liked the cheese flatbread and the amazing drinks. read more

Love the food. Although it is Indian food, anyone can probably find something there to eat. Appetizers are fantastic and don't forget desert. Chai pie is a modify version of pumpkin pie - but lighter. All was good! read more

Pondicheri - Green Dosa! - Indian Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Food , desserts, drinks and Custmer services. Plus a very nice restaurant and location

To paraphrase a famous Shaq quote: I'm sorry Pondicherri, I wasn't familiar with your [vegetarian] game. At some point in the distant past, I wrote off this fusiony Houston favorite as original but ultimately bland and middling. I then more or less avoided it for several years. But I had occasion to try it again in an all-veg takeout form recently, and I will admit myself humbled. It was surprisingly delicious. The majority of items had two elements non-negotiable for me in Indian cuisine: complexity and depth of flavor, along with healthy use of bitter and spice. Our order came with five colossal slabs of naan. They weren't so much pillowy as chewy and dense, which I didn't mind since it held up well as a vehicle for the various curries. The lack of rice caught us off guard, but that was likely a quirk of ordering via third-party app. The Chickpea Tofu Curry was fantastic, featuring salty spongy dumplings drowning in a funky tomato-coconut gravy. The "tofu" had less structure than paneer, but I liked the soft mouthfeel. The Sindhi Pakoras were a hit in our group and highly shareable. These fritters were crisp with craggly edges and heroically staved off sogginess despite self-steaming in a container for close to an hour. The earthy and charred flavor of each bite was beautifully paired with a tangy, punchy tamarind chutney. The Delhi Chaat, a rendition of the beloved street snack, was also quite tasty. The cooling effect of the yogurt against the piquant and sour tamarind is magical. The sliced radish on top added some crunch and color, but some additional crunch (maybe a touch of ???) would be welcome. The only dish I took umbrage with was the Saag Paneer, which was not bad but just strange. The curd itself was salty and fine, topped with a mild mango relish. Sadly, the spinach was not cas reamy or rich as I'm accustomed to, but acidic and gloopy. It was a single misstep in an otherwise excellent meal. I perhaps need to give Pondicherri another chance, and I promise to do so with an open mind. A visit to its highly regarded second-floor bakeshop is also long overdue. read more

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1st time here... Excellent food and service. I really enjoyed the latte. We will back for dinner and happy hour. read more

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This may be my new favorite restaurant in Houston! I am gluten free and I am also a vegetarian. Pondicheri knocks it lot of the park when it comes to options to accommodate my dietary needs! The egg dosa, vishnu thali, and earth thali were phenomenal! The earth thali comes with naan but the waiter happily accommodated a gluten free option for me! That's amazing service and it shows that the waiter 100% took my dietary needs seriously! Our waiter was very knowledgeable about all the questions I had. The restaurant is small but the ambience is top notch. I cannot wait to go back. This will be a regular dining place for me! read more

To start - the food was great. The bhori fish was cooked well and its gravy was delicious, the nehari was rich and tender, and the naan were terrific. But the service was terrible, and it seems like it is baked into the culture of this place. We had also ordered two cocktails. But because we had arrived when most of the staff were locked into a meeting a couple tables over (a meeting that was obviously viewed as much more important than servicing customers currently seated in the dining area), they weren't made in a timely manner. They quite literally arrived at the table as we were taking our final bites of our entrees. I'm not sure if the woman delivering them to our table was responsible for making them, but when we explained that we didn't want them since we were done with our meals, she didn't know how to respond. She went off to speak with another woman, then came back and said that that person would remove them from our receipt. That person glanced over at us, then sat down at a table with a large group that just walked in and started planning an event with them. Her back was to us, and she would never acknowledge us for the remainder of our visit, even while looking at the area were we were seated and describing how they could reconfigure the area for this group's upcoming party. Every person on staff at this restaurant, from the hostess to the servers to the bussers, actively avoided any sort of eye contact as they started setting up for dinner service. To the point of setting up the tables next to us, and not looking our direction, or asking us about our meals. Not a single person, not a single time. After 20+ minutes for waiting for the woman with the large group and actively being ignored by everyone, I tried flagging down the hostess and several of the waitstaff. After multiple attempts, one of them finally made the critical error of acknowledging us, and we were finally able to pull them to our table to explain that we had been waiting quite some time to speak with the manager. Within a few minutes, Madison came over and introduced herself - this was not the person we were expecting, who was still seated with that other group, but someone we had seen walking around the restaurant that had done everything she could to avoid contact with the customer, just like the rest of the staff. We explained the issues with the extremely delayed arrival of the drinks, noted that the food was good, but the service was non-existent. She comped the drinks, discounted the entrees, and provided me with the new receipt. I have no idea how the cocktails taste, because everything would have been bitter by that point anyway. It doesn't seem like anyone is happy to work here, the staff's attitude shows it, and what should have been a simple customer service issue and resolution turned into completely dissatisfied customers because it was mishandled instead of properly escalated, and no one else working there cared enough to stop by the table to ask how we were doing. Not my top, not my job, it seems. Great food, but we'll simply never eat here again unless we hear there are serious changes. read more

*FYI: They have counter service until 5pm and waiter service thereafter. I had really high hopes for Pondicheri but found the experience relatively lackluster (maybe I'm spoiled by all the amazing food in Houston). MENU: My favorite part was the menu -- they offer a lot of different dishes, at various price points. Lots of sides and snacks to try. FOOD: Everything was good, just not particularly memorable or praiseworthy. I tried the Vishnu Thali, a Pumpkin and Hazelnut Samosa, the Pomegranate Pani Poori, the Garlic Naan, and a Chai Pie. The samosa and the chai pie were probably the best choices but nothing really stood out as anything I'd want to order again. The naan was actually a little soggy, unfortunately (and naan rarely disappoints). PRICE: Pretty expensive, particularly the entrees. AMBIANCE: Crammed and hectic. We came during counter service and picked a table toward the back. It was a bit stressful trying to navigate the narrow spaces between tables while holding a hot tea. For some reason, there were also employees doing some sort of prep work directly behind us (outside of the kitchen). Not ideal. SERVICE: Counter service was friendly. I wasn't a fan of the tipping nudge on the iPad. If you want to tip zero, you have to select "custom tip" so it's an extra a step. I'm glad I didn't pre-tip because nobody really bused our plates, we had to place the empty ones on an adjacent table to get anyone to grab them. Not much attention paid to water refills either. PARKING: Easy and free in the adjacent garage. read more

I came here at the recommendation from a friend who is a prolific Yelp reviewer. I needed a casual place to have a casual business lunch. I was kind of nervous, as my boss is Indian and has been in the US for 25 years. To say that she was impressed would be an understatement! I will definitely be back here. read more

This is the first time I've ever tried an Indian dish and it's beyond my expectations! So good. The butter chicken and naan compliments each-other so much. The filling of samosas is so good. It's honestly the perfect amount of spice and flavor! The customer service was helpful and quick. The location is aesthetically appealing inside. It's very warm and welcoming inside! The parking is in a parking garage. Easy access to parking and many good locations near by. read more

Pondicheri - Indian Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Fantastic Indian meal we got the momos, fried cauliflower, butter chicken, and the snapper. Everything had great flavor and spice to it. We finished off with a bite of the chai pie which was the perfect little bite for one person. Waiter was very attentive and knew everything about the dishes when I was interested. Also they filled our water glasses up like 5 times! read more

While the inside of Pondicheri gives very cute brunch vibes, the food was extremely subpar for me and my friends. The drinks however, were quite decent! The restaurant is counter service, which runs you through the line quite quickly. There is a bar in the back, should you choose to only drink. I came for brunch and opted for the golden milk with oat milk which was quite good. Wish it has more punch from the turmeric, and a bit of ginger. The Mango Lush was quite good, and strong. However it loses out a good amount of the mango taste within it. For my meal, I ate a Chikfu (chickpea tofu) Frankie with desi fries. The chikfu was an interesting texture but good substitute to tofu. However, the overall Frankie was lacking in flavor. I received a chutney on the side which I blasted all over to give something to taste. The desi fries were good! Wish they were a bit crispier though. My friends got the French toast which tasted like standard French toast but didn't have the Cardamom flavor it promised. The omelette was quite standard. However, the saag paneer was sad. It looked and tasted like frozen spinach was lightly sautéed and cooked without enough cream. We were a bit disappointed as it seemed the food either lacked a bit in flavor, or was missing the fusion piece. Little pricy for that conclusion as well. I personally for those reasons would not go back to eat, but would come back for a coffee or drink! read more

Pondicheri - Mango Lush - Indian Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Not sure why anyone would say that this place is anything but good. Been multiple times and it's never not delivered. Knowing this is not traditional Indian but Indian fusion, it's creative and flavourful. Service has always been friendly with order counter team knowing the menu well and offering recommendations when asked. It's got a cute colourful interior with a nice patio.. go try it, ignore the reviews that have low stars because their expectations were not met, this eatery is not pretending to be anything other then what it is. Adventurous!! read more

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This place is a fast casual concept. You walk in grab a menu and order at the front. You're given a number, you pick a seat and wait for your delicious food to arrive. They have stations inside with water, cutlery, plates and napkins. We went for breakfast since oven never had Indian breakfast before. Started with the carrot muffin and shortbread cookies. The yellow (I'm assuming turmeric) was so interesting and spicy! Gotta try it. Then we got the vegetarian omelet, morning thali and dosa. The omelet was really nice 4/5, the dosa was ok (a little soggy in the center) but the pickled eggplant was really delicious so 4/5, and the morning thali was a hit 5/5. Flavors were very fun. It's not your typical brunch place but the flavors really come through so I'd definitely recommend it. Plenty of parking in the garage. It's just a nice place to sit outside, people watch and eat. The staff is very nice. I'd recommend trying it. read more

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I've been here once before about 10 years ago and this was my first time back since. It's not in my area and I live closer to Hillcroft where the traditional Indian spots are. I came here for Galentines and it was so good. Got my usual butter chicken and I was a few minutes late for happy hour (ends at 7) but our waiter let us get one round with HH price (what a bro). The butter chicken is creamy, chunky, and so good. I was not a fan of the veggies it came with and couldn't even tell you what they were. I got a side of naan and it was perfect to dip in the curry. For HH I got the ruby sour (pomegranate, lemon, whisky) and it was citrusy and bright. The prices here are high but normal for the River Oaks zip code. read more

The food was phenomenal. Everything is so fresh and full of flavor! The service from Jacob was wonderful! He was so full of joy and continued to elevate the mood throughout our dining experience. He provided great recommendations and kept us laughing through our meal. Initially the restaurant was a bit louder but the lighting and environment consistently provides good vibes. read more

Not sure what happened today. I felt I was left like there were no services. My plate was never picked, and I did not offer water or anything else I wanted. The place is not disability friendly. The food was ok. But I am very disappointed with the service. Good luck next time. read more

Oh my goodness delicious!! It is fantastic to be able to enjoy an array of flavors and textures and know majority of food is gluten free. Freedom to truly enjoy and not be bored. We came here for brunch and the gentleman at the register (Santos) helped me select. He knew the menu and was able to guide this newbie to pick the perfect collection for our brunch. Morning Thali with lamb was delicious. Plenty of food for my husband and each bite has flavor and a mild amount of heat. Just perfect. I enjoyed the green dosa. Think of it as an Indian avocado toast but elevated. For the gluten free people you can rejoice in the coconut pancakes. Light fluffy and the magical jaggery carmel sauce makes you want more. Yum! The mango and rose lassi's were perfect with our brunch. Flavorful and not sickly sweet. The hot chai is not sweetened and has a punch of spice. Just fantastic! We will be back to sample more food. The ambiance is modern with metal chairs and wooden tables. They played Parisian music. read more

Pondicheri - Green dosa, morning thali, French toast coconut pancakes, mango and rose lassi, chai - Indian Near Me - Houston, Texas

Excellent service, excellent location, excellent flavor, excellent ambiance. One of our favorite date night spots! Food is consistently full of flavor, clean, fresh and delicious! I can eat here everyday! 10 out of 10! read more

Pondicheri - Thali-Vishnu - Indian Near Me - Houston, Texas

I've been wanting to try this place out for a while and finally did......... I was sadly very disappointed. The food is more Indian fusion than actual Indian food. I ordered the Texas Thali and the wagyu nihari was bitter,sai bahji was too oily, the garlic naan had too many extra spices that were unnecessary and was a very small portion and finally there was no rice for the thali which I found strange. I was glad I did not order a dosa item because it's definitely not one. It's more uttupham than dosa from what I saw. Everything was over priced for their portion sizes but I suppose you have to pay for the location. So if you're looking for authentic Indian food(especially South Indian) I wouldn't suggest this place. read more

I walk in and already love the scents! My daughter and I enjoyed the butter chicken! My sangria was refreshing. The Naan perfect. read more

Good ambiance in the main dining area. The bar to the side can be a bit cold during winter. Food was great and I loved my mocktail. read more

Pondicheri - Butter Chicken - Regular Butter Chicken - Regular - Indian Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Very solid Indian restaurant a nice man variety of the options. Food was definitely above average. (B).

If you have not tried Pondicheri yet, get in the car and go now! They have amazing, flavorful food that is always a major hit! I also go for the thalis so I can have as many bites of goodness as I can! And make sure to sip some chai! Upstairs they have a bake lab for pastries/sweets and you can but spices and sauces to be your own inspired chef! read more

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Pretty good, could be 5 stars if they can get back to how things used to be. Not sure what changed, but the food has become oilier and spicier in the last several months, plus a few items seem to have been modified for the worse, unnecessarily: - Beet soup no longer has a delicious kofta in it - Egg dosa with spinach, tomato sauce, and sesame crust was perfection (toppings have been changed now) - Daal is a completely different recipe than a couple years ago, and does not taste good anymore - Kichadi and the portabella dish were removed from the menu - Naan is now a different shape and thicker, does not taste the same - Seemed that more vegetarian curries were available Overall, great selection of dishes for a variety of diets, fresh and seasonal ingredients, knowledgable servers, but not as good as it was just a couple years back. read more

The portions here are HUGE. The appetizers alone (the momos and the mushroom salad with a piece of naan added on) were enough to fill 3 of us up. Would also highly recommend the oxtail dish! If you would prefer a sampler of a lot of different dishes, the oxtail comes included with the Texan thali. read more

Pondicheri - Mushroom salad and momos - Indian Near Me - Houston, Texas

Indian food is not my go to, I'm a wuss when it comes to spice and it just has never appealed to me. Nonetheless Pondicheri has an outdoor patio and that's a necessity these days so off we went. The meal started with some unique cocktails, an old fashioned with a twist and my Golden Mule which featured turmeric. Interesting taste combinations but a little over the top with the copious amount on the rim and settled like silt at the bottom of the glass. Our meals fared better and featured some less startling combinations. Their version of wings while blister the mouth of those who can't handle spice but were quickly devoured by those who have a higher heat tolerance. I had the pickle pizza which featured pickled egg plant combined with red onion and minced lamb. It was excellent. Desserts were standouts. You must have their pie. It's unlike anything I've had but was outstanding! read more

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delicious butter chicken and garlic bread. very flavorful. Very nice and helpful staff. Beautiful interior and ambiance. read more

Pondicheri - Butter Chicken - Regular Garlic Herb Naan - - Indian Near Me - Houston, Texas

3 star for taste. 5 star for ambience and service. We have been here for brunch , it is definitely not a typical desi taste. read more

I'm kicking myself for not coming here sooner- it's amazing. My breakfast including the Frankie wrap and Pondi latte was so tasty and satisfying that I'm now planning to return for dinner with my husband. The wrap was flavorful, healthy, and heart-warming, the way good food should be. I loved the wrap- the carrot roti was uniquely delicious- I'm craving more. Then my Pondi latte is everything I love- a spiced, warm latte, not too sweet, but oh so lovely. Like a hug. The service was quite excellent- smiles from everyone and helpful all around. It's a good vibe with good people. And the interior is beautiful- warm colors, the air fragranced with spices, ample seating for a Saturday morning. I am delighted with the whole experience. And I'll definitely be back soon. Dear reader, I hope you enjoy it too!! read more

Place is busy!!!! Very as the tic, the food was flavor-FULL! Order your food as you enter, take a number and seat yourself is different but it works. Menu has specials everyday of the week and it was a big portion. We ordered the Friday special "meat lovers" and the butter chicken. THE STAFF IS AMAZING AND FRIENDLY, AI highly recommend both. Will be visiting back soon. read more

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This is my go-to Indian spot, as the food is great and it can be a casual or nicer date spot. They do meatless Mondays with a full vegetarian/vegan menu, which is always a great time. They always have tons of vegan options. My absolute favorite is their "chickfu" curry - tofu made from chickpeas. It's absolutely delicious. Their coffees and cocktails are incredible as well. I only took off a star because their only vegan samosa option right now is pumpkin. I usually am a pumpkin girly; however, the samosa was inedible. It was bitter and strange. Their usual potato and vegetable samosa is so much better. read more

Pondicheri - Chickpea tofu curry & pumpkin samosa - Indian Near Me - Houston, Texas

Simply amazing plant-based selections! Truly enjoyed the stuffed paratha, chickfu Frankie, and breakfast dosa. The night before we came here as well and enjoyed the empire curry with tofu. Their food has always been great but I was worried I might not be able to enjoy much there after turning vegan, but they've updated their menu and have a good selection of plant-based items. Can't wait to come back! read more

Pondicheri - Empire masala Chickpea Tofu Curry Monday - Regular - Indian Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Unsatisfied customer! Appetizers were good. Then... we waited 30 min for our main course only to be told that our food was accidentally given to another table. They offered us a complimentary pani puri, which we didn't want or ask for! When you spend over 300 dollars (minus gratituity) you expect better. read more

We started with the pakora and the tofu lettuce wraps. The wraps were a bit spicy! The ac wasn't working so they had fans. The masala chai is amazing only available on weekends. The bake lab has so many sweets! I loved the grilled cheese and carrot soup. Beet soup is my favorite. I can't wait to come back! read more

Pondicheri - Bonvita ice cream - Indian Near Me - Houston, Texas

Cute cafe, but food was subpar and overpriced. Had heard the chai was good, so was excited to try it. We got the chai cheesecake as well. The chai was a bit watered down and lacked complexity in flavor. The taste of the chai cheesecake was off putting, could taste a lot of cardamom. Loved the ambience, but would not come back for the food. read more

Absolutely delicious! I had the butter chicken and the samosas. They are amazing. I definitely enjoyed the chickpea samosa. The sweet potato samosas was good, but the chickpea was my fave. The butter chicken was so creamy and tender. This was some very good Indian food, and I'll be coming back very soon for more. The inside is so cute and quaint. It looks like they keep the place clean. They have sanitizers at a few places. For parking, I just parked in the garage right next to it. It was free. read more

Pondicheri - Butter chicken and samosas - Indian Near Me - Houston, Texas

I absolutely love the atmosphere! I don't understand why the Yelp rating for this place is so mediocre aside from its expensive pricing. I have little experience with Indian food, but my friend's dad is from this region, and we both think that the food is 10/10. I highly recommend the lassi! It's pricey with one cup that size for around $4, but it's not the typical kind you can make at home. They add cardamom. My dish was Lamb Keema. I love lamb, onion, and naan, and so I completely devoured it. read more

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Nice looking place. Food sucked. Tasted like when I tried to make Indian food and I didn't really allow the spices to bloom or whatever. I don't know how to describe it just like uncooked raw spices. I'm honestly shocked at how bad the saag and paneer was I feel like a major component was missing and it was a one off mistake. There's no way that's what that was supposed to taste like. I would eat the butter chicken again if someone gave it to me for free. Best I could say. I was really looking forward to putting this place into my rotation that's how certain I was this place was going to be really good. read more