Chennai Express Restaurant — Restaurant in Chantilly

I visited Chennai Express recently with a few expectations, especially because South Indian food has a lot of potential when done right. Unfortunately, the experience left me a bit disappointed across several fronts.

Let’s start with the food — which was a bit of a mixed bag. Some dishes showed real promise. The dosas were crisp, and the sambar had decent flavor, though it wasn’t particularly memorable. The chutneys were okay but lacked that fresh punch you’d expect. The biryani was flavorful, but a bit on the greasy side. Overall, the food wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t consistently good either — very hit or miss, depending on what you order.

Where things really started to fall apart was the dining experience itself. The service was lackluster. Staff seemed indifferent and uninterested — we weren’t greeted with much warmth, and getting someone’s attention for basic things like water or an extra plate felt like a chore.

The ambiance didn’t help either. The interior is dull and uninspired — the space feels neglected and doesn’t invite you to sit and enjoy your meal. It felt more like a cafeteria than a restaurant. There’s very little attention to décor, lighting, or even basic cleanliness around the dining area.

Service has improved a lot and staff is very attentive and professional.

But the biggest red flag was the restroom situation. The bathrooms were a complete mess — poorly maintained, dirty floors, and lacking basic hygiene. It’s honestly the kind of thing that makes you question how the kitchen is being managed behind the scenes. For any restaurant, especially one serving a lot of families and kids, restroom cleanliness is non-negotiable — and Chennai Express failed badly here.

In summary, while the food at Chennai Express has potential, it’s hard to enjoy it when the service is indifferent, the atmosphere is uninviting, and the restrooms are downright unsanitary. If the management focused a little more on basic hospitality and hygiene, this place could turn around. Until then, I’d say it’s not a place I’d recommend or return to...

We came here after 2 separate groups of friends recommended it, saying it was so delicious and very spicy.

This restaurant is located in an industrial type area, between other businesses. Unless one knows the restuarant is here, it would be easy to miss. I know I have passed it many times driving on Lee Road and never knew of it's existence. Zero ambiance, random decoration, very high ceilings. The place doesn't look very well organized. Sweets on the counters, an unopened pack of water bottles on the counter, some decoration, etc.

There was one employee at the counter, who handed me a menu. We must have come during non-busy hours, which was fine. If we came during "peak" hours, we probably would have dealt with a long line and crowding at the table. Another employee was just sitting behind the counter, watching something on his phone. Customer service isn't the best, but if something is needed, they will assist/provide.

We seated ourselves, but I ordered at the counter, then they brought the food to us. I wasn't really sure what I "should" have ordered that was considered delicious and spicy, so stuck with our usual orders of chicken biryani and masala dosa. The presentation was nice, but the the biryani was plated on a disposable paper plate, while the masala dosa was on a steel tray with sections for the sambar and chutneys. The masala dosa was okay nothing to really brag about. The chicken biryani was a little bland with 2 chicken legs under the rice.

Would I return? Not really sure, maybe if I'm on this road and am extremely hungry. There are so many other better options in the surrounding area for South...

My parents were in town visiting and they prefer to eat at South Indian restaurants. My dad especially loves to eat out Indian only. So I was in the hunt for a new place to take him. A friend of mine recommended this restaurant. When we entered I was a little disappointed with the decor as it is more of a takeoutplace instead of a sit down establishment. Nevertheless we were eager to try out their food. We started off with medhu vadas, banana fritters, and chicken 65. They were all excellent. The only thing was the chicken 65 came out very quick, as in 2 mins after we ordered it, so that bothered me a bit. It tasted good though and was warm but not super hot. For our lunch we ordered the paper dosa, butter masala dosa, set dosa, and fish curry. They were all excellent. The set dosa with the vada curry was the standout. Never had anything like it and it was extremely flavorful. The only downside was it was quite oily. Overall we loved the place and will definitely be back. I recommend if you want to eat in on a weekend then come when they open or as close to as noon as possible. The place is very small and there is hardly anywhere to sit. Either that or order takeout. Also, be prepared to wait for your main entree. We arrived very early, even then we waited quite a long time for our food considering there's hardly anyone in the restaurant. I suspect it's because they get a lot of...