This experience is not only Amazing but it's was amusing. It's the fastest place to serve dosas in the world. Family dinner with the kids. Wanted the kids experience South Indian fare. So I asked the server, who owned the joint. None the owner n the chefs were Indian , Sri Lankan n Nepali owned n run this place. Quality is very good of the dosas n sambar - I would rate them as spot one. But the most amazing thing is the serve. It takes less then 30sec to get your dosa on the table. It's like the chef is reading your mind. I can't believe it, it's crazy McDonald has something to learn here. The restaurant had 25 guests n only one server who was the busses and the host That man was just amazing - running around like buzz bee n not one customer unhappy. Phenomenal efficiency So end of that this place has two things to offer great dosas n one speedy service. It's truly worth a visit, especially from those senior managers from McDonald's read more

We shared the thali, chef's choice sampler, and a masala dosa. I really enjoyed all the different curries/sauces in the sampler although I didn't know what was what really. We ran out of bread so we ordered a batura, huge puff pastry which we used to finish off the sampler's generous offerings. Honestly, I prefer the Masala Dosa at Vik's, since it's crispier and the potato filling has more spice. I also like Vik's coconut chutney better. Still, Udupi was a nice change of pace and the thali is an excellent option to share. Window seating is great if you can get it, it's nice to people watch in good ol Berkeley! Service was surprisingly great, the waiter checked on us almost too much, but we really appreciated it. He didn't try to oversell us either, mentioning that the thali already came with bread. Not bad for a relaxing slow paced lunch. read more

So coming to berkeley everyone says if you want indian food you either have to go to Udupi Palace or Vic's Chat Corner. They also say you can't really compare the two because they server different types of food, but I don't see it so I'm going to compare. I went to Vic's first and I thought it was good, but after coming to Udupi Palace I'm going to give it my seal of approval (If Michelin a company that sells tires can have a rating system I can too) On to the food, if you don't know what to get and want to try everything get the tali. It's a sampling of curries, fried goodness and you get dessert, a complete meal. I got one of the curries which was packed with flavor, don't get fooled by the description, THERE IS NO COTTAGE CHEESE IN THE CURRY, it's more like cheese squares that has the consistency and taste of firm tofu, just get one and trust me. read more

I'm a white girl from Texas and I don't know what most of the things on the menu are, but I love me some Indian food and we tore this place up! For $20 we got a delicious sampler, an uh-NORmous potato-filled dosa, masala tea, and lots of puffy bread....and took a meal's worth of leftovers home. Everything on the sampler was delicious, some of it spicy and some sweet. It was flavorful enough to where my boyfriend wasn't even complaining about the lack of meat. The atmosphere is cute, very Berkeley, and they do a lot with the small space. The service was extremely fast, and even though it was busy dinner time they always had a smile and our water was always full. read more

I have been searching for a Southern Indian restaurant in the East Bay ever since I came back from India and Udupi Palace is AMAZING! Super quick and friendly service and the most amazing Dosas. My favorite is the Paper Dosa and the Masala Dosa. Portions are huge and prices are reasonable. I will definitely be back! read more

Delicious, delicious, delicious. Went here for a friend's birthday and though they are small they quickly accommodated our 10 person group. I had the paneer makhani (which is pretty similar to the northern style paneer tikka masala). The food came quickly and it was amazing. Served with a side of rice, buttery puffed wheat bread (I forget the name), a kind of chip and 2 dipping sauces, I was full with leftovers to take home and the dish cost only about $7-$8. Their mango lassi is bomb (!) as well. read more

Pros: - The food was brought to our table pretty fast. Cons: - Waiter, most of the time he pretended like he didn't hear us or see us. And he were just not in the mood to take our orders. - Dosa was bland with whole chilis. - Water tasted weird. - Temperature, it was around 80 degrees outside and close to 100 degrees inside. We saw a fan on the back, empty table and asked the waiter if would set it closer to our table he said it was an employee's fan (they bring their own fans to work, is what the waiter told us). - They don't accept more than 2 credit cards to split an order. read more

You're not going for the atmosphere or the service. Both are non-existent. You're certainly not going for the bathroom -- remember to go at home. You're going for solid South Indian dishes, the quality of which I've rarely seen replicated. I had the Avial today, which according to the menu is fresh veggies in a mild coconut sauce. The masala tea was cheap and good at $1.25. The three of us got out of there for $35 including tip. I'll be back! read more

I got the spinach masala dosa for $11.95. I asked what their most popular dish was and that was what the waitress recommended. The dosa was pretty good, but not something I would necessarily want to order again. The service was quite good, but it was a bit odd that the tables are not set with knives. Just spoons and forks. I did not like the coconut or tomato dipping sauces and the soup was ok. Biggest complaint is the plate, which is just a big metal tray. read more

Udupi Palace - Spinach Masala Dosa - Indian Near Me - Berkeley, California

Really good place for some (almost) authentic south Indian food. I'd day its a really good place for people to start out on South Indian food with, especially those who might still associate Indian food with the Tikka Masala family (you know who you are! ) Try the dosas, the coffee, the ghee idlis in sambar, and if you're really up for the task, the south indian thali! read more

I've loved Udupi Palace for so many years now. Easily my favorite south Indian place in all of the bay area. What can I say that already hasn't already been said? Personal favorite dosa: sada rava dosa. Get that and some idli, and you will be one happy person read more

A little on greasier side but solid on flavor without being overly salty and spicy to compensate for the unfresh ingredients like many other Indian food places. I ordered the Udupi combo that came with a dosa or choice and a medu vada and an idli. The option I chose was the spinach paneer and was super generous on the filling. The medu vada wasn't anything special and probably the worst part. It wasn't bad but wasn't spectacular. On the other hand, the idli was gigantic (never seen such a big one) but had an amazing texture. Apart from the average medu vada, solid flavors and might be better than the places in Sunnyvale. -1 star because of the greasiness and the lady taking forever to come to the front. read more

Udupi Palace is a south Indian place, which means it's veggie. And despite being a confirmed carnivore, Udupi is also my new favorite Berkeley restaurant, and certainly my favorite veggie restaurant. I went with a group of five. Three of us ordered the talhi, which is the chef's choice sampler, and the other two ordered a pea and paneer pancake and a curry. The pancake was a little disappointing -- mono-flavored -- but the curry was just outstanding. We wanted to lick the bowl. All the dishes in the talhi were also terrific, and at $8.95 it's a great way to get a lot of variety w/o much money. $8.95 is, by the way, the most expensive thing on the menu, so Udupi is pretty cheap, too. B read more

Great Vegetarian Indian Restaurant. Definitely a hole in the wall restaurant, not very fancy. Lots of options and large portions. The wait staff is nice. Dosa is great, chole batura is okay, puri is pretty good. Big issue is that they only accept cash or checks and are slow to bring you a to-go box/bag. read more

I love Udupi, possibly my favorite Indian restaurant in the near Berkeley area. Yes, dosas are amazing, but the "Udupi specials" should not go unnoticed. Portions are generous and flavors are powerful, as with all Indian food, but the service is whippy fast. The metal plates and trays make the experience all the more unique and fun, and all the little dipping sauces makes every bite unpredictable. Our waiter was so helpful in explaining most of the dishes to us. There aren't any English translations, so it may be helpful to study before you go! There's one dish with 2 curries and a flat bread that's like the Taiwanese pull-apart bread that I will now dream about for the next week. read more

My family (North/west Indian) grew up on Udupi Palace's delectable cuisine, especially after that disgusting joint Pasand went down the drain. I would defend its higher prices in saying -- you're getting South Indian cuisine. You're getting homestyle, non-altered favlor profiles that give you an authentic taste of real rasam, dosa, uttapam, etc. I've never had a bad experience here. This isn't a trendy, fancy date spot like Dosa in SF, but rather, a timeless gem that I hope stays around for decades more. Check out the one in Fremont -- that's my fave! read more

Every single thing we ate here was delicious. Upon first arrival, guests may be initially dismayed to see a lack of "standard" menu items. However, fear not, as this is a south Indian restaurant with their own arsenal of delicious and often comparable array of options. I had the paneer makhani and found it to be like a richer, more smoky "tikka masala" one might find elsewhere. Seriously delicious. The puri was phenomenal, and with its spiced crusty exterior it competes with any naan I've had. The service was present, but not overly so. I'm still full and I wanna come back already. read more

Authentic tasty South Indian food at a reasonable price !

My friends and I call this place "U-poopy Palace"... Not that we got sick from it, but when I think about all the digesting power I wasted on this food, I sort of wish it would have just passed straight through my system. I ordered one of those assortment platters... you would think that at least one of the assortment dishes would have been good, but everything was equally bland and just bordering on edible. My friend's dosa was decent, so if I were ever forced to come back here, that's what I'd order. read more

I spent four months in India, I really like Indian food, and this is my favorite place to eat Indian in Berkeley (well, tied with Vik's). Number one, it's just hard to find excellent south Indian food anywhere. Some places will have a masala dosa on the menu (Vik's), but only at Udupi do you have a selection of a half a dozen dosas to choose from. But the real reason that I like coming here is that it is the one place in Berkeley that I'm aware of where one can get a proper thali in a stainless steel thali set. It is a good way to sample a variety of dishes, and they make really amazing curries and other dishes here -- I like the okra particularly -- and it really is a flashback like I'm in Tamil Nadu or Kerala; the spices are perfect. read more

Food Authenticity: 5/5. Great South Indian Food. Best dosas in Berkeley. Customer Service: 2/5- Close to nonexistent service. Also the restaurant is dingy. The bottom line: Come here if you're looking for the most authentic food in Berkeley, but stay away if you're going on a date/ nice dinner, etc. read more

I had the paneer makhni and it was amazing... when I walked in a lady had a dosa like 2x as big as her plate... so big she ended up giving me and my friend half of her dosa and it was really yummy. The puri was super fuffy and pefectly cooked, and the meal came out on nice metal plates. The service was fast and the place was nice and simple. Definitely the best indian food place I've been to in berekely, i've been to 3 total in berkeley so can't say I'm an expert, but the quality and taste, and authenticity was spot on. :) read more

YUMMY! This place serves both North and South Indian. I've only ever had their South Indian (specifically, their dosas) and they've never disappointed. Their food is delicious. If you're looking for good, affordable South Indian, come here. When you come, bring cash because it's cash only. read more

I have been to the SF location and today was my first time at the Berkeley location. Excellent food and amazing staff. I ordered my meal spicy and the waitress warned me that it was "Indian spicy"... but I told her that was fine. She wasn't kidding it was super spicy, lol. I was sweating. Next time I order mild. I love that this place is vegetarian and filling. This is currently my favorite Indian restaurant in the Bay Area. read more

Udupi Palace? OVERRATED. I've got a better name... Howabout... Poopy Palace. Dumpy Palace? Either or. The food here was barely adequate. It was purported to be cheap, but our tab for two of us came out to nearly $40 after a mango lassi and three dishes. Really the food was so uninspired and bland I can't imagine how the zagat folks found this to be worthy. Even more mystifying was the fact that the decor inside was minimalist, the chairs were hard, the service was...honestly, I've eaten better meals in school cafeterias. - 1 Star for nasty food that was over spiced. - 1 Star for Cash only. - 1 Star for really uninspired and uncomfortable atmosphere. Maybe vegetarians in Berkeley are really hard pressed to find good eats and so they settle for mediocrity like Udupi (I mean dumpy) Palace. There are far better Indian restaurants in Berkeley, and certainly you can get vegetarian food at these other places, too. read more

NOT A nice place pretty cheap to be called palace the food is not good at all since i went on Sunday u might say that is the busiest time the food wasnt good at all and to mention it wasn't even hot and the food portion which was served was small there wasnt any brushing flavors as I expected. The quality of the food was bad south indian dishes aren't supposed to be like that no way am i going back to that place again this place is just a disgrace to the brand UDUPI read more

Having had mediocre dosa at Dosa in the city, I was skeptical about the wonders of South Indian cuisine, but Udupi put out some perfectly delectable dishes for our party of 12. We strutted our eating prowess (and overwhelmed the kitchen), trying what felt like most of the menu--the highlights were the pleasantly potato-y/cumin-y dosa, pea and onion uppadam that are out of this world, and the infamous 3 foot long paper dosa, which was crisp and sweet, unlike the other more savory varietals at the table. The only weak point was the veggie curry--which was both bland and weird tasting at the same time. Not worth it. We had 10-12 dishes total, and our bill was just a tad over $100 and it's BYOB, so basically it's amazing. Completely worth a trip if you want a casual evening, though a word to the wise, if you hit the coconutty sauce that comes with the idly and uppadam in excess, your tum tum may or may not be 100% happy with you the next day. Oh, and the servers are possibly the nicest people in the world, so gentle, and quick on the water refills. What gentlemen. read more

The first time I tried eating here I came on a Saturday during lunchtime. I came in, waited around five minutes, then seated myself at a table only to be told to move to a different table so a bigger party could use it. I received a menu but I didn't get any service for fifteen minutes. I left in disgust. I'm pretty sure they were understaffed. Several weeks go by and I thought to give it a second try. Luckily service was pretty attentive for the fast paced floor they run. The menu is composed of about 7 different items that have a lot of different varieties of fillings and preparations. I don't think I've had Southern Indian food, rather mostly Northern. Much of the flavors sounded similar but the dishes are pretty alien to me. I ended up trying the medhu vada appetizer which are savory lentil donuts (2 per plate). They come out on a typical Indian metal plate with three different kinds of sauces. A coconut mild sauce, a reddish thick sauce that's slightly spicier, and a bowl of watery sauce that's the hottest. I found the paste-like sauces to be the most appetizing. The sauces are a little spicy but nothing flame inducing. Since the medhu vada is fried I expected it to have at least some kind of crunch, but it's just a soft clump of unflavored something-something. Yes there are sauces, but the donuts aren't something that I would want to dump into anything. These lentil donuts are super filling. How are these supposed to be appetizers? They're more like military grade food supplies. For my main I ordered a spinach potato dosa. I was shocked at how huge this thing is. It's good enough for two people! The form factor is somewhat odd as well because most of the "crepe" like wrap isn't filled? How am I supposed to eat this. Again this dish was served with the same three sauces. The dosa looks like an Indian crepe yet it's more like a burrito because of it's size and heft and grease. The flavors are good but I found the textures to be boring. I've never had a dosa but I feel like the crepe part is supposed to be light and crispy. It was more like a soft crepe. It felt like I was eating a big pile of spicy baby food. I would have loved some crunch somewhere in the dish. ___ For the amount of food you get it's worth it. But the one note texture dishes will not have me coming back. Hopefully I can come with a friend who knows what to order. For vegetarian food, why does this feel so unhealthy?? After eating here I don't want to even think about food. Why is this place always busy? read more

Would recommend! Everything is vegetarian and served on stainless steel plates with little cups of different sauces. Definitely NOT the traditional Indian place with 50 different types of curries; although they have a few curries, the main focus is on the dosas (crepes) and uttapam (pancakes). So far my favorite dishes have been the potato uttapam, vegetable curry, and the breads in general. Big parties should get the paper dosa just for the shock/fun value, although I found it a bit too salty to eat with any of the entrees. Service has always been great and fast. read more

So I'm having to come to terms with the fact that Udupi Palace in Berkeley has gone down hill. Before they opened their new location in Berkeley 4-5 years ago, I used to trek (from Oakland) all the way down to Newark just to get - what used to be - their distinctive, rich, southern Indian food. When they made their long overdue appearance in Berkeley I was ecstatic and ate there often. The combined scent of their coconut chutney, sanbar, and "Special Vegetable Curry" was permanently embedded under my finger nails. I got a little burned out on it after a while, and probably didn't go back for over a year. I've since gone back twice in the past few months, and both times I noticed a woeful down turn in the quality of their food. The Special Vegatable Curry seems a bit bland now, whereas it used to taste sublimely rich with a sophisticated blend of spices, especially when eaten with the slightly sweet and fluffy Malabar Paratha bread. And on my last few visits, the Malabar Paratha seemed like it had been sitting out for a while, whereas it always used to be fresh, soft, and piping hot. The Avial tastes comparatively bland and "churned out" too. The Dosai break up too easily so that they crumble when pulling them apart with your fingers (like you're supposed to), while the coconut chutney doesn't seem to have the same wonderfully sweet/savory punch that it used to. Their uppatham is okay, but their Thalis get mixed results. Everything just seems like it's just cranked out now. I was never too into Udupi's Thali, however, because it was easily surpassed by Athithi, a southern Indian restaurant that used to be located on Dwight near Telegraph. Athithi closed shop a few years ago due to lack of business. Athithi sold the best Thali you could find, and it was different each time and *always* fresh and lovingly prepared. That such a wonderful place could not be sustained in culturally "with it" Berkeley is just a heinous and unspeakable crime. I was really sad when Athithi closed. But I also remember thinking that at least we still had Udupi. But now that Udupi has firmly established itself in Berkeley, it seems they have let the quality of their food slide and it's no longer a place I can really recommend. And that is sad beacuse I love southern Indian food. But at least we still have Vik's, whose Masala Dosa easily trumps Udupi's, not to mention just about everything else they serve. So, if you want some of those southern Indian specialties without driving down to the south Bay, skip Udupi and head to Vik's. read more

Place has gone down hill. Not offense to the nice staff working there. But nice needs to be extended into the quality of the food and cleanliness/hygiene in the restaurant. It's filthy and questionably safe to eat the food with some of the food reheating that's already spoiled and rancid. IMO, this place needs to drop serious money to upgrade the restaurant or sadly drop out of business. Go somewhere else for Indian food. read more

I'm Asian, but not Indian kind of Asian. I don't know the difference between Northern and Southern Indian food. I only have been to 1 other Indian restaurant, that was probably Northern since the food was so different from my visit at Udupi; they were both good for the mood at the time! This place is no fancy schmancy, but it was liberating. Jeans & hoodie, bedhead & glasses, roll up your sleeves and dig in (literally with hands). I fit perfectly into the ambiance for their down to earth style food! We had Spinach Masala dosa, their dips were so flavorful with their spices but not too overpowering, the sauces were just right in their creaminess but not too rich. Everything else, the different kinds of bread, the yogurty dip, the rice, the sauces... forgive me for not knowing their names, they were just, amazing. The staff there are super nice & their service was great! Oh just something for those who want to pay attention, this is a cash-only place. This is also a vegetarian cuisine. I'm a meat eater but meat is just an accent in my diet anyway so it doesn't really make much difference for me! Loved the food here! read more

A place to go to for delicious South Indian vegetarian food in Berkeley. Excellent Dosa. Ambience is reasonable. Service is decent.

The best south indian food that I have tasted in the US that resembles so closely to the south indian food served in Mumbai. I had the thali... and it was perfect. 7 to 8 Tapas sized bowls of delicious lentils, vegetables yogurt and carbs. The meal perfectly balanced proteins , vegetables and carbs. This is a no nonsense place with amazing flavors of South India. Do not expect waiters coming by and asking you how your day was. They will however work on coming to you quickly and getting you your food quickly. read more

Very oily greasy dishes And during the rain there are many leaks in the ceiling during rainy nights read more

The first time I went here with my parents .... after such a long time found a place where every thing is amazing ... every thing .... Had rasam, mendu wada and dosa .... their combo is good as well ... If you're vegetarian ... you'll love this place .... total vegetarian food .... and yes its tasty :) read more

Get the plain dosa and ask for lots of coconut chutney. The dosa has the perfect consistency and coconut chutney is always yummmmm. The masala dosa isn't consistently good. The last time I ordered from here, the sambar needed more masala. Luckily, I was at home and just did my mistress of spices thing. read more

I use to be a regular here back in my undergrad days. I absolutely love the food, low key decor, simple efficient service and reasonable prices. It's definitely a nice change in indian food from people who are use to plates from naan-n-curry/house of curries because it's not the same kind of cuisine. The place is very simple in its presentation. They don't have a lot of ethnic type of art or stuff floating around and seem to let your opinions of the place be based on their food instead. Even the the presentation of the food is very simple - it comes in metal tins. I always order the pallak paneer (spinach with cottage cheese and spices) and Thali here. The paneer is very tasty and will be great for people who love ordering lamb spinach curry from house of curries/naan-n-curry. It's mildly spicy with bold spinach and cheese flavors that pop out of the dish and punch you in the face. I always recommend first timers try out the Thali dish because it's a sample platter where you can try many of their different goods. The prices here are also very affordable. You're looking at 8-10 dollars per entree that's good enough for two meals. I mean seriously, if you try to eat the entire pallek paneer all at once you're crazy because it's pretty high up there in tasty fats! Expect massive food comas after eating here. So give this place a try, especially if you're a student. read more

Good lord, the portions are huge here! Make sure you come hungry because dosas just aren't as good if you try to microwave them later! I came in for lunch today with a group of 5. We were quickly seated and promptly serviced. Not too much to say about the decor other than brown walls, but I came here for food, not art. I ordered the Mysore Masala Dosa. The spicy chutney lining the inside wasn't spicy at all, just tasty! The sambar on the other hand was very spicy. You will definitely need a lassi to go along with it, or your mouth will be on fire. However, I hear it depends on the day, some days it is spicy, some days it is not. It was a great addition to the coconut chutney, which I thoroughly enjoyed dipping my dosa in. Tip: Order the filling on the side and your dosa will remain crunchy throughout the meal! read more

Some items I liked, others I didn't care for. There's some kind of fried spiced potato ball that looks like a hushpuppy, and it was so good that, had we not ordered two variety plates, I would have ordered more. So far the first and only time I've eaten dosas, which I thought would be crispier. They were tasty anyhow, but the one that wasn't spinach (don't ask me what it was, I can't remember) was quite greasy. We probably tried over 7 other dishes, and I can say I liked the one with chickpeas and another with peas (and I hate peas), but the coconut milk-based items were blegh. We also has soup samplers, and the savory strong one was delicious. I didn't like the lentil breads, but now I know. I recommend trying their variety plates if, like me, you don't order a lot of vegetarian Indian food. read more