Saravanaa Bhavan — Restaurant in Houston

A Disheartening Decline at Saravanaa Bhavan: A Cautionary Tale for Loyal Patrons

As someone who has frequented Saravanaa Bhavan for nearly two years, it pains me to write this review. My wife and I have long considered this restaurant a go-to for its globally recognized vegetarian cuisine, but our recent visit has left us profoundly disappointed.

In the spirit of the world’s top food critics—those who blend sharp observation with a sense of culinary justice—let me lay out what transpired. This wasn’t merely a bad night; it was a sequence of mishaps that signal a deeper decline in both service and standards.

First, the basic expectation of dining together was upended. My wife received her meal and finished it long before mine ever arrived. This wasn’t a matter of a slight delay; it was a fundamental breakdown in timing. A well-run kitchen knows that even if one dish takes longer, you pace the meals so that a couple can dine in sync. Instead, I was left waiting until after she’d eaten, and the staff seemed indifferent to that shared experience.

When we raised this issue, the response was a mix of excuses and a refusal to offer a refund. Even as they scrambled to hastily prepare my meal after the fact, the damage was done. They offered it as a to-go option, which missed the point entirely: we came to eat together, not to carry out a rushed apology in a box.

To make matters worse, we witnessed a pattern of disorganization. We saw other tables have issues, yet they were resolved more gracefully. There was even a moment where the kitchen staff seemed to gather in some kind of odd confusion, leaving diners waiting while they figured things out. The manager, who should have recognized us as regular patrons, chose instead to let a $12 meal cost them our loyalty—and likely the loyalty of anyone who reads this review.

Ultimately, what was once a beacon of quality has clearly lost its way, at least at this location. The inconsistency in the food—our Gobi Manchurian, once a delightful staple, was soggy and poorly prepared—and the chaotic service make it impossible for us to recommend this restaurant any longer. For a place that once stood for impeccable vegetarian dining, this is a serious fall from grace.

In summary, Saravanaa Bhavan’s management at this branch should reflect on how they’ve let service and quality slide to this extent. We hope they find their way back, but until then, we’ll be...

Me and wife travelled from Louisiana to eat at Saravanaa and from the moment we entered we were greeted by Mr. Arif to a table for two that was tucked in between the staff counter and other table. The chair from our table wouldn’t pull out completely and was uncomfortable sitting there with staff constantly working behind our table. We requested for another table. It was not a big deal but Mr. Arif made it clear we’d have to wait until something opened up. Clearly there was an entire section of tables that were open but for some reason they did not entertain guests there.

After getting us another better table and ordering us Mysore Masala Dosa, we received a dosa that was soft as roti and not hot! We bought it to the attention to our server and explained the dosa needs to be re-done as we did not expect it to be so soft and on the cold side. (see image in attached). Our server looked surprised on our concern and gave us explanations about how dosa is cooked fresh and bought to table. I understand this and it is not the first time we’ve eaten dosa. Our server said he can get us another Mysore dosa.

A few minutes later he informed us it would take some time for the new Mysore dosa. We said ok.

After some more time our server informed us that the Mysore Masala dosa cannot be made crispy and suggested we get plain dosa to make crispy. We informed him we’ve traveled all the way to eat Mysore Masala dosa, so the least they can ensure that dosa and sambhar is served hot.

A little while later, Mr. Arif comes to our table and informs us that the paste for Mysore Masala dosa is finished and they cannot make anymore.

That was a huge disappointment that they kept us under the impression for a while that they can replace our Mysore dosa in some time but all that while they had no intention of doing so.

Mr. Arif could have told us before hand if the paste was finished and not made us wait for that period.

It almost felt like TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT kind of service offered at lunch.

A very poor attitude and service by Mr. Arif and his server.

I was trying to explain our concern to him and in return he asked us to write in feedback book at the counter. He did not want to hear us.

The entire experience left a sour taste for me and wife. We left our lunch halfway at Saravanaa...

I had come here with a friend who was craving South Indian food like I was. Okay, I've got to give it to them for their sambar. Saravanaa Bhavan restaurants serve one of the best sambar around. The rest of my experience here was poor.

I ordered 1 Combo 4 (2 Idlis and 1 Vada), 1 Mysore Masala Dosa, 1 Madras Coffee.

We weren't served respectfully. When requested service, even though there weren't many customers, we weren't served on time. Plus, our table was full and had to be cleared. The person who served us our dosas told us that he wouldn't clear the cluttered table and told us to move it to the opposite side of the table on our own. He said there was a person who cleans, but didn't gesture her to clear our table.

Next, there was another waiter whom we requested some service from, and he just pointed to the front desk and told us to place an order there. That was incredibly strange, as we were served at the table just a short while ago.

Coming to the rest of the food:

1. The Combo 4 (2 idlis and 1 vada)- The Idlis were not fresh, the vada was not crunchy on the outside and hence definitely not fresh/ cooked properly. The coconut, cilantro and tomato chutneys were okay, nothing special there. DEFINITELY not worth the price!!
2. Mysore Masala Dosa - It was not crispy, it was limp. The "masaal" (that's what we Tamilians call the potato masala stuffed inside the dosa) lacked salt and any taste.
3. Madras Coffee (also known as "kaapi" by Tamilians) - It was too strong and and bitter. I've definitely had better Kaapis.

Besides the sambar, this was a just an abhorrent experience. There are much better South Indian restaurants out here in the Houston area. I really hope that this was a one-time poor experience during this pandemic, because globally, Saravanaa Bhavan is known for its exceptional South Indian food.

To the management, all the best, as you need to...