Saravanaa Bhavan — Restaurant in Mississauga

When it comes to South Indian cuisine, there are plenty of places that come to mind, but the first name that popped into my head was Saravana Bhavan. Known for its legacy and traditional flavors, I thought, “Let’s go there and enjoy some comforting South Indian food.”

South Indian food has always been my go-to for something light, tasty, and easy on the stomach. Upon arriving at the Mississauga location, I immediately noticed how busy it was. The waiting time was around 40 minutes, which was understandable for a popular spot. What I appreciated was their efficient waiting system—they take your number and text you when the table is ready. This allowed us to wait comfortably outside without constantly checking in.

Once we entered, my first impression was quite positive. The place looked completely renovated and beautifully done up with clean lines, bright lighting, and a welcoming vibe.

After being seated, a staff member came to take our order, but surprisingly, she didn’t use a notepad, pen, or even a tablet—everything was taken down verbally. I had a feeling this might lead to mistakes, and unfortunately, I was right.

I ordered a Rava Dosa without Sambhar, specifically requesting only coconut chutney instead. I also placed an order for one plate of Idli and Medu Wada (two Wadas) and a glass of buttermilk. About 10 minutes later, a different lady returned to confirm the order, asking if I had ordered Sambhar. I explained again that I had only asked for coconut chutney. She also seemed unsure whether I had asked for one or two Wadas. This second round of reconfirmation felt unnecessary and a little annoying—why not just note it down in the first place if remembering everything is difficult?

The food arrived after some time. The Rava Dosa was decent and soft, just as I had requested, though not particularly memorable. The Idli and Wada were quite good—soft, warm, and fresh. I enjoyed them, although I wouldn’t say they were the best I’ve ever had.

The buttermilk, however, was disappointing. It lacked the freshness I expected and had an odd aftertaste, almost as if the curd used wasn’t fresh or had been sitting for too long. It definitely wasn’t the refreshing finish I was hoping for.

Later, I decided to order a plain dosa with the same instruction: no Sambhar, coconut chutney only. This took about 15 minutes to arrive. The dosa itself wasn’t crispy, even though I had asked for it that way. When we pointed this out and asked again about the chutney, the staff casually mentioned, “You can keep the Sambhar, we’ll discard it anyway, and get you the extra chutney.” That response missed the whole point—I didn’t want the Sambhar in the first place to avoid wastage. Their tone was polite, but it felt a bit careless.

By then, we decided not to order anything more. The place was clearly overwhelmed with the crowd, and though the ambience was lovely and the decor modern and inviting, the customer service and overall experience didn’t quite meet expectations.

Overall, Saravana Bhavan in Mississauga delivered an okay experience. The food was decent, the ambience was beautiful, but the service and order accuracy could use improvement. I might return one more time on a quieter day, but for now, I’m ready to explore other South Indian restaurants to see what else...

When you decide to go for nice dinner on a weekend, you notice many things that makes your day. For me and my friends; the basic expectation was not met by Mississauga location of Sarvana Bhavan.

First, social distancing was not an important factor here while waiting to be seated. I understand sometimes guests are inconsiderate, but as a service facility, management or staff were also ignorant.

Second, The lady who took our order was friendly and informative, but once the order was taken there started all the issues where whosoever served us were very insensitive, non-concerned and ignorant.

Third, as we placed the order, food arrived. 14 coin idlis and Mehdu vada. For both, the “sambhar” was refrigerator cold. Upon informing the staff, they agreed to replace it with hot sambhar. Which took 25 minutes and our friends who got their dishes, finished half their meal.

Fourth, Sambhar was tasteless. Being a franchise, Sambhar and food quality all together not even close to their Scarborough branch. I would never refer this branch to anyone in my circle.

Fifth, the ambiance was ok. We were not served water until we asked for when we finished our meals. On top of that, when we asked for water, the lady who took the order did not even care to provide glasses. Upon asking for glasses, we were given 2 glasses between 4 people. Not that the lady who gave us glasses, did not realize that she gave 2 glasses only, but she choose to not give 2 more.

Sixth, we ordered mango lassi, upon asking for 3 times we were given our mango lassi that too the sever was not happy serving it. Not sure why, when we will be paying for it, duh…

Seventh, when the idli and Sambhar was served hot on asked for, there was another green chutney ( pic 2) which was not served originally (pic 1) so I am not sure what is their standard of serving a dish that once can expect.

Eighth, there were review slips in the restaurant, but no staff was concerned about their service or the food.

As an update from my last review: management did respond to contact them, but they never responded. Disappointing.

I highly recommend to visit Scarborough branch. It was my third visit there and always...

I recently visited this restaurant, and unfortunately, the experience left much to be desired. The manager's performance was severely lacking, and it definitely reflected on the overall quality of service and food.

Firstly, the manager seemed completely disinterested in providing a warm and welcoming atmosphere. It was evident from the moment I walked in that they were not focused on ensuring that the customers felt valued and appreciated. Their lack of engagement with both staff and customers was palpable, and it set the tone for the entire dining experience.

The service was disorganized and slow, which is ultimately the responsibility of the manager to oversee and improve. It was evident that the staff was not properly trained or managed, as they seemed overwhelmed and disoriented. There was a lack of attention to detail and a noticeable lack of urgency in addressing customer needs. It was frustrating to see the staff struggling to keep up with the demands of a relatively empty restaurant.

The quality of the food was also subpar, and I believe the manager plays a significant role in maintaining standards in the kitchen. The dishes were bland, poorly presented, and lacked any creativity or finesse. It was clear that there was a lack of oversight from the management in the kitchen, leading to a disappointing culinary experience.

Furthermore, the manager's demeanor when dealing with customer complaints was disgraceful. Instead of taking responsibility and addressing the issues, they were dismissive and unapologetic. This lack of accountability and professionalism only added to the overall sense of dissatisfaction.

Overall, the poor management of this restaurant resulted in an unpleasant dining experience. The lack of attentiveness, disorganization, and low food quality can be attributed to the manager's negligence. I left feeling incredibly disappointed and will not be returning. It is evident that significant improvements in management are desperately needed for this establishment to be considered a viable...