Aahaar25 Indian Vegetarian Restaurant — Restaurant in Charlotte

We recently visited Aahaar25 as a group of six, including two kids, and were genuinely looking forward to a nice South Indian meal. We ordered three thalis and four à la carte items like vada, idli, and dosa. While the food itself was flavorful and well-prepared, the overall dining experience fell short due to confusing policies and inconsistent service.

The restaurant advertises an “unlimited thali,” but we found that to be misleading. Once we finished our thali, we requested more puris — only to be told that they provide just four puris per person. When we asked for more halwa, we were told only one serving is allowed. These limitations weren’t mentioned upfront and don’t align with the “unlimited” label, leaving us feeling misled.

Even more disappointing was the fact that not all the items listed in the thali were actually served. For example, we were never given yogurt or rasam until we explicitly asked about them. My wife noticed the missing yogurt and asked the server, who then confirmed it was part of the thali and brought it over. Only when we inquired further did they mention rasam was also included — but again, it was not offered initially. It felt like if we hadn’t asked, we wouldn’t have received the full thali we paid for.

To add to the discomfort, when one family member tried to sample a sabzi from another’s thali, the server came over and told us sharing wasn’t allowed — and repeated the warning again later. We weren’t abusing the unlimited policy, just sharing a small taste among ourselves, and we had already ordered a significant amount of food. The strictness felt unnecessary and inhospitable.

On the positive side, the food itself — especially the items like vada, idli, and dosa — was genuinely delicious. But the experience could have been far better if the staff had been more transparent about what’s included, more proactive in serving the full thali, and more understanding about sharing within a family group.

In summary, Aahaar25 serves good food, but there is definite room for improvement in terms of service, transparency, and...

I walked out of this restaurant without eating anything, this was earlier this week —a first for me.

I’ve been a loyal customer since this place opened—visiting weekly because the food is truly exceptional. I’d rate it a solid 10/10 for flavor and quality.

But the service has consistently been a 1/10, and it’s frustrating that it hasn’t improved even after all this time.

Simple things are overlooked—like forgetting silverware, even after reminding the staff. Other restaurants manage this effortlessly by setting the table beforehand or carrying utensils in aprons.

Out-of-stock items are frequent, and with a QR-code-based menu, it’s frustrating to place an order only to be told multiple items aren’t available. Just earlier this week: • Thatte Idli? Not available. • Kathi Roll? Also out. • Orange chutney with the dosa? Out again.

Finally, I ordered an Onion Dosa. My partner had already finished eating by the time they brought me the wrong dish (Set Dosa). They said my actual order was coming in 2 minutes… then later admitted it was never placed, and the prepared dosa had gone to someone else.

Here is another previous example, the Thali I ordered once, I asked for Rasam only to be told that it’s served with rice and it will come when I am ready for rice; like seriously!!! No, I don want white rice, I want the Rasam in a bowl, too much to ask for???

And it wasn’t just us. A family at the next table was also visibly upset with slow, staggered service.

To be clear: the food is fantastic. But service is consistently poor, and this is a management issue, not something to blame on servers or kitchen staff. The “we’re new” excuse doesn’t hold anymore.

Unfortunately, this experience was the final...

Aahaar25, the recently opened vegetarian Indian restaurant in South Charlotte, was a great dining experience. The food lives up to the quirky name—with 25 signifying the number of franchisees they are aiming for.

We visited on a Friday evening for dinner. The inside of the restaurant is akin to a dining hall in India, with people chatting while gorging on the food. The banana leaf experience seemed popular as we saw many tables with the banana leaves.

For food/drinks, we got:

Pav Bhaji: Soft Pav served with spicy bhaji—this is as close to authentic Pav Bhaji as it gets. We loved it.

Set Dosa: A soft, thick and fluffy dosa with just the right amount of spongy a la true South Indian style—it was quite mouth watering too.

Samosa Chaat—Crushed Samosas in warm Chole(Garbanzo beans) with Sev sprinkled on top—it was a nice accompaniment to nibble on along with the other dishes.

Chole Puri—Their version of Chole Bhature—warm, soft, flaky Puris served with Chole made for a filling entree. The small serving of chopped onions and green chillies went along well with it.

Filter Coffee—It was a true South Indian styled filter coffee. We loved it.

The owner was kind enough to stop by and chat with us for a while. The staff was kind and polite, and despite the few glitches, seemed intent to comply with the customers’ requests.

The decor inside reminds you of a true desi restaurant with interesting desi artwork on the walls. There’s a small seating area in the back as well. Sufficient parking is available outside, and the restroom inside was clean.

We will be back here to try their...