Tiffin Hut — Restaurant in Herndon

Absolute kudos to the entire team of the Tiffin Hut! It's an absolute food paradise with a simple menu but huge bursts of fresh flavors to touch your soul! Coming from Dallas which is an Indian hub of restaurants, no desi restaurant has resonated the way Tiffin Hut has. I wish I had captured the pics but I literally tried everything on the menu and it was all flavorful.

The Zafrani Irani tea made with whole milk, condensed milk and few strands of saffron was phenomenal, not over poweringly sweet and a must-try!

Benne podhi dosa which is a beautiful golden brown crunchy from outside and soft from inside with a thin layer of flavorful podhi and potato masala inside was out of the world. It is served with a side of fresh coconut chutney with the perfect crunch of lentils and cumin seeds, my personal favorite. Peanut chutney was yummy as well but the coconut chutney had richer notes. Kannada style sambhar with a hint of sweetness and tanginess and blended with veggies and drumsticks adds a perfect combination to the Benne dosa. I feel though and its a personal choice for everyone, but the combination of Benne Dosa with the side of coconut chutney itself was pretty flavorful and good by itself.

The ghee soaked podhi thatte idli served with the side of sambhar, coconut chutney and peanut chutney was outstanding too. The idlis were pretty large and super soft, soaked in ghee and podhi. They could literally be eaten by itself and were extremely flavorful.

How can we come here and not try their malai sweet buns made with whole milk thickened with perfect amount of sugar (not overly sweet) and probably some milk powder and dried till it thickens with eggless warm sweet buttery buns soaking in the milk! It reminded me of bread and fresh malai (cream) served with sugar in India. It's a must try!

The location, well-lit and bright ambience with pastel color walls, clean see-through kitchen, helpful and prompt servers and the owners who come to you to check how everything tastes, reasonable priced food options for high quality items all adds to the personal touch and good experience to bring your family. In Dallas, it is hard to find restaurants which serve ghee or butter-made items with rich burst of flavors like this (only 1 comes to my mind which opened recently!).

Few suggestions for the team - It would be great if there was a choice of unsweetened zafrani tea for tea lovers who don't wish to add sugar and if it could be served in a cutting chai glass vs paper cup, it would add more appeal to it. Paper cups are a little difficult to hold for such a beautiful rich cup of tea!

Can't wait to see Filter coffee on your menu! Would be a huge plus as it would pair well with the dosa or idli.

Another suggestion would be to consider adding metallic cutlery vs plasticware as they are sturdier and will enhance the experience. Not sure if it would be feasible but serving on a banana leaf would enhance the taste of the dosa and idlis too.

Overall, great going and I would recommend this restaurant as a must-try during...

I visited this restaurant on a Saturday evening, and here’s my honest review based on the overall experience.

Let’s start with the positives — the food was genuinely excellent. Probably one of the best I’ve had in Virginia when it comes to authentic taste. Every dish we tried was flavorful and satisfying, and their recently added matka specials stood out the most. The flavors were rich, and the presentation added a traditional touch that elevated the dining experience. If you’re a foodie, this place has serious potential.

However, the service was disappointing — and honestly brought down the whole experience. Despite the crowd (which we completely understood), the staff didn’t handle the situation well. We specifically requested less butter dosas, but not only was our request ignored, we also noticed that people who ordered after us were served before us.

The lady server attending our table seemed visibly frustrated. We had to request chutneys multiple times (they were served in very small portions), and each time we asked, we felt like we were bothering her. It didn’t feel welcoming or respectful as a customer. There was minimal communication or attentiveness once the order was taken — like we were forgotten.

At the end, I casually asked whether the staff received tips. The server said they don’t, and honestly, that explained a lot about the lack of care in service. Still, this is something management needs to address, as poor service can turn away repeat customers — no matter how good the food is.

If you’re going for the food, you’ll likely enjoy it — but don’t expect great service. There’s a lot of potential here, and with better staff training and management attention, this place could easily become a local favorite. For now, it’s a solid spot for a food-only visit, not the...

Walking into Tiffin Hut in Northern Virginia feels like rediscovering a piece of my past. It fills a gap I didn’t know existed—a spot for simple, heartfelt South Indian breakfasts that set the tone for a great day. The no-fuss, minimalistic vibe of the place, with its warm and welcoming feel, instantly reminded me of the old Minerva Coffee Shop in Hyderabad, a haunt from my younger days.

The first bite of their thatte idli, paired with a perfectly creamy coconut chutney, took me straight back to the '90s. It was the heyday of Bangalore-inspired Darshinis popping up in Hyderabad, serving up fluffy, well-fermented idlis that were soft, airy, and just right. That familiar taste brought back mornings filled with chatter and the clink of steel tumblers. Then came the Masala Podi Benne Dosa, crispy on the outside, soft inside, with a masala filling that didn’t overpower but felt like the perfect partner to the dosa. It was like biting into a memory of those bustling Darshini counters. The sambar was a highlight, packed with flavors that hit all the right notes, though I’d love to see the vada and peanut chutney step up their game a bit. The filter coffee was really good with the right amount of coffee , milk and sugar.

We ended with Sitaphal and Rose-Pistachio Matka ice creams to-go, a sweet throwback to carefree dessert runs. They were the ideal finish to a brunch that felt like a warm hug from the past. If Tiffin Hut can keep this quality consistent, I’ll be back time and again, chasing those nostalgic flavors that feel like home.

Bonus - they are serving all this in clean compostable ware. They check all the right boxes for me.

PS - they serve 3 vadas per plate. Couldn't take the picture of Benne Dosa as we...