We dropped in for dinner and loved it. We're both omnivores and as a few others mentioned, the meat actually wasn't missed at all. We started with an appetizer sampler that came out with chile and coconut chutney and two other sauces for the pakoras, samosas and vadas. Everything was fresh and piping hot. Great flavors. For our entrees we tried something a little different; a dosai. Like a lot of people, we're more familiar with northern Indian cuisine and some of the southern specialties are new. The Hyderabad Dosai arrived rolled up and hanging considerably off the plate on both sides looking like a crisp, toasted pillow. I had a few bites and my partner devoured the rest saying it hit the spot perfectly. Apparently, most of the other diners thought so, too, as I saw over a dozen served while we were there. I went with the more familiar Palak Paneer, an old stand by. Their version was amazing, creamy and perfect, I've never had better. This was pure comfort food with solidly packed paneer; great texture. On top of the great food, service was friendly and impeccable. Water refills came around constantly and the owner even dropped by some extra lemon rind pickles for me to take home with my leftovers! And with all of that we still spent under $30. Love it! read more

Udupi Cafe was such a pleasant surprise. Living in San Francisco, it's common for "Indian" restaurants to serve more Pakistani or Bangladeshi food. So, to find more traditional Indian preparation and spices here, after a week of eating burgers and bbq, made me quite happy. The palak paneer (spinach) and channa (chickpeas) curries were both excellent. In particular, I think the kitchen here has a great handle on breads. The bhatura had a great flavor, with minimal oil, and the best part is that it came out about the size of a watermelon, still inflated from the frying process. We got to watch it slowly collapse as it cooled, and then, of course, we ate it all! Also, try the paratha. It's like a flaky, buttery naan that goes well with all of the curries. I wish I had the opportunity to try the South Indian specialties, like dosa and utthapam. Hopefully I'll be back in the area at some point to give it another round. read more

I. Love. Udupi. I eat there as much as humanly possible and have been for years. I dont know why I never bothered to give them props by reviewing. I love to take people there who either have never had Indian food, claim not to like it, confuse yellow curry for Indian food, or dont think a meal can be fantastic without meat. It is a bit of a bizarro location to find. Right on Chatham at the edge of old downtown Cary in a brick strip-mall-esque building that is built perpendicular to the road. Look for the' brick pizza place- its at the end of that building. Yes, my final meal on earth would be Udupi (the weekend buffet!) if I was given the choice. And I eat out nearly every day- and my choice is still a no brainer! read more

Amazing South Indian food hidden in the back of a strip mall? Yes. And an entirely vegetarian menu complete with descriptions of each entree? Ohhhhh yes. Loses one star because every time I have been here there has been absolutely no music, which is a little off-putting. Despite the silence of the dining room, on my last visit, the server managed to totally forget I ordered Poori. Kind of a bummer, but so far as both cuisine and service go, everything else has always been stellar. read more

I am instantly skeptical of anything vegetarian. I like my meat and I like it in plentiful portions. Anything else is a side dish posing as a meal. Unless you go to Udupi. That's top-notch vegetarian eatin'. I chowed down on some Biryani and enjoyed the mess out of it, but can also now fully recommend the panak paneer. However, if you're into deliciousness and hilariously fun presentation, you have to check out the dosa. It's bigger than your head. It's probably bigger than you. Unless you happen to be an athlete in a sport that requires largeness. Then you might be bigger than your dinner. It's big. read more

Wherever you find yourself living, it's important to have a few of the basics covered. You need a good doctor, a reliable mechanic, and - most importantly - a quality Indian buffet. When I moved to Cary back in 2002 I ran through the buffet circuit on the regular. That is, until I found myself at Udupi. Let's just say this place put a ring on it because I don't find myself stepping out to other Indian buffets all that often. In fact, for the last 13 years I have made a concerted effort to eat the lunch buffet once a week (sometimes twice). If I go an extended period without enjoying Udupi, I'm a pain in the ass to be around. Even now that I live in Raleigh, I make the 20 minute drive most weeks and am rarely less than satisfied. So, in an area with a multitude of Indian establishments, what makes Udupi so special? For me, it comes down to a few details. First is the freshness. Sometimes I've had to examine my fork because I was certain there was a little curry chef sitting on the end making each tasty bite as the fork entered my mouth. Second is the quality. Ever notice how some buffets offer condiments like tamarind sauce and raita that are thin and watery? Not at Udupi. The stuff is thick and viscous and, if they're paying attention to these little details, you can be sure the rest of the food delivers. Third is because it's all vegetarian. While this might not be a selling point for a lot of people, it's huge for me because I know I can eat anything and everything. Plus, I've taken numerous meat eaters to Udupi and, to a person, they think it is hands down some of the best Indian food they've had. Also of note is the super-friendly staff, but, honestly, they could punch me in the nose every time I walk in the door and I'd still probably be coming back - I just might not tip as much. read more

Absolutely, hands-down my favorite Indian food in the Triangle. South Indian all-vegetarian menu, Hyderabadi style with a healthy offering of typical North Indian curries. Friendly service, prompt preparation. Appetizers run about $4-5, entrees $7-9, desserts $4-5. Most menu items have quite generous portions. I'm not much of a buffet person, but they do have plenty of diverse options, and they bring around the cutest mini masala dosai to your table as a supplement. I think the buffet was $12 or 13, served for lunch on weekends. Right, menu items: For the best typical dishes, I like their Dhahi Vada and Idly appetizers, Mysore Masala Dosa, Jaipur Paneer Dosa, Special Rava Masala Dosa (can you tell I like spicy?), and rasmalai for dessert. Their uthappam is good, but it always makes me wish I were just eating a dosa. Their Special Upma is sublime, but a smaller portion than the dosai are. For North Indian curries, I love Baingan Bharta, Malai Kofta, and their creamy Palak Paneer. Their samosas are excellent and flaky, and the paratha of any kind are tasty. My friends love the batura, which is like a giant puffy poori that tastes like it's made of donut. Be forewarned, if you've never been before, it's easy to miss. You can't see it clearly from the road, so you'll need to know it's in the small green-and-brick shopping center that's nearly across the street from Circus. read more

I'm not a vegetarian, but I tend to like a lot of vegetarian food, so headed to Cary to try Udupi (the word "Shree" causes people to not know what I'm talking about when I refer to it though, for some reason). I forget the name of the dish I had, but it was an eggplant curry. I don't usually love spicy food, but this was definitely very spicy and I was still on board. I would go back. But I'd probably go back at a busier time. It was weird to be one of 3 people in the whole place and to have the staff looking over at me to see if I needed anything constantly, filling up my water when it was 1/3 empty. Not that they were off-putting, I just prefer to have a bit more time to chew my find between feeling obligated to head nod and "thank you." read more

I found Udupi via Yelp while driving around in Cary, and wasn't aware that it was a) all vegetarian or b) Southern Indian. I am a vegetarian, but my date had his heart set on Rogan Josh (a lamb dish on most Northern Indian menus) so he was initially disappointed. Oops, sorry hon. But both of us were completely satisfied with our meals. I was honestly not aware there was a difference in Northern and Southern. I was familiar with many of the terms, (dal, paneer, etc) and the dishes were well enough explained. Good time to be adventurous. Our appetizer, Dal Papri, was incredible. I wanted to lick the plate. Savory, sweet, and a little tart, all at once. We thought our main dishes (Uthappam and Dosai, pancakes and crepes bigger than our heads) looked impressive, until the tables around us started receiving their food. Seriously, plates could not contain them. Both of our meals were delicious and deceptively filling--they were light and crispy, but we both left feeling full and happy. Next time, I'll get a to-go box for the second half of my entree and get dessert. Price was surprising, too. I usually think of Indian places as being for special-occasion nights, but we spend about $30 on a meal for two, including tip. Can't wait to go back, especially for the lunch buffet. read more

Tucked back off East Chatham St, in a red brick strip mall, lies Shree Udupi. It's a quaint little establishment that seems family-run. And when I've been it's been chock full of families hungrily chowing down on various savory, spicy and soothing culinary delights. Before Shree Udupi, I'd never really had this particular style of indian food. It's all vegetarian and bursting with flavor! Order the assorted appetizer platter (if you're in a group) right when you're sat to get the food-party started - otherwise they might not get back to you in time, especially if they're busy...From there, the Masala Dosai is fantastic, satisfying and of a size that ensures leftovers. Grab a Mango Lassi too, if you're sensitive to spice. This yogurt drink is refreshing, cooling and very very good for you! I've always had a good meal at Shree Udupi (even though I have yet to try their buffet!). If you have vegetarian / vegan friends, are one yourself, or have never even tried vegetarian food - it doesn't matter - GO TREAT YOSELF at Shree Udupi. read more

Best Indian vegetarian restaurant in the area. I actually visit the Raleigh area from Florida and eat lunch at Udupi each time I am in town, it became a sort of ritual. They offer a dosa included with the buffet. The weekend buffet, and especially on Saturdays, is probably more interesting than during the week. Of course, there are many other similar restaurants in the triangle area, so while it seems to be the best, it is rewarding to experiment and do your own research around. read more

A true taste of homemade food and a breath of fresh air after 3 days of eating out. I like that they offer a good selection of homestyle and restaurant style--you can get a simple bowl of rasam or even a sizzling plate of manchurian!! I knocked off a star because the food is really spicy, and the manchurian wasn't crispy. The service is slightly pushy, but also extremely friendly. The lunch buffet is really great in terms of variety and flavors. Their daal papdi and chaat spread is really good. They also offer a variety of homestyle subjis (such as cabbage!), the fun stuff like paneer, and also the comfort foods like idli and uthapam. And each lunch buffet purchase comes with a free masala dosa! The place is clean--there is even a faucet (that is not attached to the bathroom) which shows how authenticly Indian this place is! Overall, I was happy with the food, and definitely can't wait to come back when I miss good old home cooked Indian food. read more

I love coming to Udupi for their lunch buffet. The great part about this restaurant is the fact that it is vegetarian. Although this may scare many, the fact that they have so many great flavorful dishes and options really show how unique it is. I often come to this restaurant with a close Indian friend of mine and we both enjoy the delicious and filling buffet. Who thought you could get so full off of a bunch of vegetables? Some of my favorite buffet items: idli dipped in rasam, the lentils, and the eggplant dish they always have. The buffet items are always different but be sure to try a little bit of everything! I've experienced that 95% of the time, it turns out to be good. I strongly suggest coming to Udupi for a great cultural experience as well as a delicious, authentic, and affordable (and healthy!) meal. read more

We came late on a Saturday night and were happy to see the place was still bustling. Multigenerational Indian families, many with wailing babies, crowded in the well-designed space - definitely a good sign. Seating was discombobulated. Servers at the table also seemed overwhelmed. We ordered the mixed appetizer plate, onion masala dosa, gobi manchurian and a side special order of channa. The dosa was perfect - this is clearly the dish that cannot be missed. The Chinese Indian gobi is a hard to find novelty that is definitely worth a try here. The mixed appetizers were, well, mixed. The sambar was exactly as it should be but the platter was sort of monotonously brown. Udupi is the best Indian food we have had in the Triangle so far and we are excited to go back for the dosas, the value, and the warm family atmosphere. read more

This is one of my favorite restaurant in this area. A full fledged south indian vegetarian restaurant for vegetarian lovers. Nice ambience and friendly staff. I wan't quite sure if i like this restaurant when i want to try vegetarian so i kept my expectations low but surprisingly i was overwhelmed by the taste of the food. Surely it will meet your expectations. Food is very fresh and delicious. I liked pretty much every item on the buffet menu. Typical lunch buffet menu that you see in most indian restaurants. i like spinach pakoda,wada,spinach rice,daal makkani,panjabi alu curry etc. After long time i've tasted delicious south indian food. read more

Went here for lunch. I was worried because being the hungry a-hole I am, my pops and I arrived about 20 minutes before they closed up shop to prep for the dinner hours. They have a buffet during lunch (normally not a fan of a buffet, hence the 4 stars instead of 5)--both salad and hot grub--and the flavors of each dish was enticing, as one would hope of Southern Indian cuisine. Vegetarians will happily swoon over every option (there's no meat here). I loved the chana masala and generous use of chickpeas, cauliflower, potatoes, rice varieties and soup! Vegans, you'll find plenty here. However, beware of the yogurt used in certain recipes. Just ask someone who works there (coconut milk is great, isn't it?). Walking in so close to closing, I didn't expect friendly service. Quite the contrary; our waiter begged us to have dessert before they closed the buffet and brought me a mango lassi even though we graciously declined the offer. Interior is dark in an appealing way. Ethnic feel. Outdoor seating, yes, but not much. Cheers! read more

YUM. I finally came here for lunch, after living almost 3 years right down the street. I always thought that I'd miss the butter chicken at a vegetarian buffet but I almost forgot that butter chicken existed during my lunch! Everything I had there was great, and the sauces were delicious. I really don't remember everything they had but I had no complaints. The quality is also great - everything tasted very fresh and well cooked. The service was also pleasant. read more

We have a Vegetarian Aunt visiting us this weekend, and we found this place online and it definitely lived up to expectations. Very busy, we went on a Saturday night. Wait staff was very friendly, and available. We chose from the Curries Menu, and all of our dishes were good, but literally EVERYONE around us had the pancake/crepe type entrees, and we realized we must have missed out on the specialty! The lasi was nice and sweet, and helped to ease any spiciness of the meal. Looking forward to going back and getting the crepes! read more

Authentic south indian food. Great for vegetarians. Its a pure veg restaurant (not very common in US) with lots of variety. Unfortunately, I did not have a good experience regarding service and cleanliness standards. Dosa came almost after finishing my lunch and it was not even hot. Empty food pots that took a very long time to replace. Sambhar and chutney spilled over the counter that no body seemed to care about. It was not even very crowded that day. I would understand if it is one bad day. But it wasnt. I have been here a couple of times now (2013-2014) and its the same story every time. I hope they improve upon it because they do have tasty food. read more

Stepped into Udipi after a while - the food was awesome! I had started to think that Tower was it for south indian food - but I may have to reconsider. We had sambar vada, special rava dosa and butter dosa. All three were made very well. The potato filling was all goodness, and the sambar/chutney accompaniments were tasty. From past visits I also liked their Channa Batura. read more

While the food is good, the set of selections to choose from is small. I've relocated from California where I enjoyed many, many excellent Indian restaurants. This one loses points with the cramped buffet area, the small selection, less-than-average sanitation, just-adequate seating, and just-average service. Perhaps ordering off the menu would be better... the buffet has no where near the number of items I see on the online menu. But, as I frequent this restaurant during my lunch hour, the buffet is the only practical choice. In in several times I've come here for lunch, the staff has brought our table a free treat. The very-tight space would make wheelchair use difficult. read more

Delicious South Indian food. I've had South Indian food in India and I have to say this ranks right up there. Personally I think it's better to go during dinner so you can get the freshest dosa they have instead of the ones made during the buffet. The staff and manager come around personally giving suggestions and quick service. Overall I had a great experience and I will definitely be going back! read more

-too sad, my third visit and I was disappointed with the whole experience -vegetarian Dosa entrees around the table had a weird "ghee" smell and tasted bad -the veggie manchurian/fried rice was terrible -too $$$ for the substandard quality. I've been here twice before and was happy with the food, but this ruined it for me totally -music too loud and annoying -please change the stereotypical "service" at an indian restaurant read more

Went to Udupi for dinner. It's a little hard to find as there's no sign from the street and it's tucked at the end of a mini-business park area. Trust your GPS to get you there. We were the only non-Indian people there. Good sign. Layout of the restaurant is very open--you walk into the dining room directly through the front door without a greater area. Ambiance and decor pretty much have no positive and negative impact on the dining experience. Service was okay. There can be a little bit of language barrier with the staff, but it's no big deal. The dosas are huge and the fillings are tasty. I think it's to make up for the fact that it's hard to feel full eating this type of food. You'll want to finish your food their because it's not nearly as good as a left-over meal. Menu item prices seem about $1-2 too high for all-vegetarian. It was nice to try, but I probably won't go back again. 3.5 stars would be more accurate, but I'll round up because it's not the restaurant's fault that I like having a nicely cooked piece of meat on my plate. read more

Well, What a pleasant surprise to find Udupi Cafe here. I am from the same state Udupi is located, and grew up and continue to be a Foodie and Udupi definitely lives up to it's name. Authentic, delicious buffet or ale-carte from the menu. read more

Amazing place for an authentic south Indian food. Their "Sagu" was great! I can't really pick my favorite as I opted for a lunch buffet. I totally loved every morsel. The coffee is authentic filter coffee. I'm definitely going to visit this place again. read more

I love this place! I am not a vegetarian, but the dishes were extremely tasty! All the different spices in the entrees made me forget that they were meatless. Portions are perfectly sized, and the service was good. They also have a lunch buffet, but that wasn't as good as the entrees. read more

Pure vegetarian restaurant with variety number of dishes on sat buffet. We would prefer to visit this place every time we go to cary. Little expensive but it is ruled out with the hospitality and tasty food read more

Important: This is a 100% Vegetarian Restaurant. Pros: 1) Quiet hidden gem. Upon entering, we feel culturally transported (in a nice way). 2) Outstanding freshly made breads! 3) Fantastic Dosa! 4) Great variety of vegetarian dishes. 5) Wonderful Chutneys and sauces! 6) White table cloth service which won't break the bank. 7) Economical. 8) Clean Restrooms 9) Friendly Service. Cons: 1) If you're a meat eater, you will need to be creative. read more

Family Indian vegetarian restaurant. Had the masala dosa - huge, crispy, and delicious. Other dishes were fantastic also. Service is typical - don't expect five star dining if you come here. Instead, come for the authentic smells and flavors. We will be back. read more

I went there at 5pm so there was no buffet. I ordered the Thali for $18. The food was really spicy. The staff is not very well trained in how to serve or present food. The Thali has 8 different curries. They are all hot ! They don't give you Roti refills ! This is really bad. After I ate some of the appetizers, it was so carb heavy, I practically went into a coma. It put me right to sleep. I could not eat anymore. They don't serve Raita ! They just give you plain yogurt which is a huge rip off. Please improve your food or you guys will quickly go down hill. read more

This is not just the best South Indian food available in the triangle, this may be the best restaurant ... Period

This place has huge dosai!!! Definitely traditional South Indian food. We ordered an appetizer platter to share, and I got a dosai. It was a huge amount of food--the outer lining of the dosai was perfectly crisp. However, I felt that the fillings were only in the center--definitely didn't "fill" the interior of the surface area--maybe about 1/3 of the dosai "shell" didn't have any filling in it whatsoever (I don't know if this is normal, as I've never been to South India, but I feel that the portions were larger at other Triangle South Indian restaurants). Everything was good--especially the sauces, which were all outstanding. We came on a Thursday night and there was only one other table full in the restaurant. However, the service was awful--it was slow and there seemed to be communication problems with some of the staff members, which was a big surprise (and has never happened to be at other Triangle Indian restaurants). (They also do not serve alcohol--at all, FYI). Dinner definitely took almost 2 hours in a pretty empty restaurant. read more

I can not say enough good things about the food but not so much the service. The last time I ate at Udupi we got our appetizer and after 30 minutes maybe an hour we finally decided to leave. We explained that we wanted to pay for what we had eaten and leave. It took a good bit of discussion with our waiter(the owner) to explain we were leaving. By the time we finally got him to agree to let us leave we had become the center of attention of the entire restaurant. I was more than a little disappointed that he insisted on making such a scene. Based on what other people who have eaten there have told me getting your food at dinner can be a challenge. Atmosphere 3 - It is nice enough nothing that memorable either way. Service 1 - Service can be exceptionally slow. I have only been for dinner but it may be better when they are running the buffet. In general I have been consistently underwhelmed by the service. Cost 3 - The prices are okay. I did not feel it was a bad value but it was definitely not a good value to me. Food 4 - I was pleased with the quality of the food. There food is some of the best South Indian food in Wake county. read more

Excellent buffet. Not a huge fan of their a la carte menu as I'm not proficient at knowing what the items are and so it's better for me to hunt and peck at the buffet. Their weekend buffets, it obviously goes without saying at this point, are awesome. Sometimes they have a holiday buffet at night. Slightly creepy owner, but the waitstaff is awesome and very helpful. read more

Best Indian food in the Triangle, bar none. Dosas were impeccable, uttapam was tasty, and the idli were fluffy and scrumptuous. The rest of the food was excellent as well; flavorful without being salty or oily (heavy). Well done, sirs. read more

I have reviewed this place earlier and really admired the service, food quality and taste. Unfortunately, this place has not been able to live up to the growing competition around the area. This place used to be one of the best goto South Indian restaurant when we had limited options but now there is nothing special that makes this place worth the long drive for a dosa. read more

I love the coffee from Udupi cafe. Keeps me reminding the coffee from Udupi cafe in Bangalore, India. The one place where vegetarians will love to go. Its a pretty neat and well maintained place. It just feels a little cramped if you have a lot of people in the restaurant. The service is average and nothing special to mention. I am not a great fan of the buffet from the restaurant. However for those who would love to taste different varieties of vegetarian dishes, it is a right fit. read more

We have only always tried Buffet and its a hit with me and my husband always. Perfect South Indian Flavors and price is decent for a good layout of food they have in buffet. The only disappointment is the place is not as clean as a restaurant should be. The decor or ambience dark, old and battered. Makes the place looks sad. The service is good and the staff and owner/manager come around and ask everyone on the food and to take further orders. read more

I visited yesterday for lunch...Not a great place. I wouldn't recommend. Also very expensive... thali is $20