Saravanaa Bhavan — Restaurant in New York

Food was good (hence any stars at all). However, staff and service was horribel. Took ages to take our order after seating us. Had to flag down someone twice. Even in that the manager mentioned one of the dosa will take longer, we didn't mind that one. However he didn't get any of the 3 dosas for another 45 mins. After we flagged him down again twice, he initially ignored and then just said in passing ''I'll get all together thats why." Food was all good, wont complain. While we asked for the check, they forgot one to-go dish we had ordered. The server (male, wearing complete black) who came with the check also wasn't the one who served us AT ALL. But he was literally sticking to our table and breathing down our necks while we paying with our card and harassing us for tips. Later he took the machine and also complained saying 'why are you giving this, dont give only instead'. I mistakenly put one zero less and instead of asking politely he was aggressive. I even offered to change it he basically almost yelled 'its already done'. I offered to pay in cash, he scoffed. Extremely, extremely rude!!! Firstly, nobody should be obligated to pay tips especially when the service was so bad and you weren't even serving our table!! Needless to say, after that i purposely took away the $10 bill i was leaving at the table and did not leave a tip.

Did not expect this at saravanaa bhavan! This location is to be avoided at ALL costs.

I dont even want to comment on the upkeep and hygiene of the place. Lets just say if you are an Indian you'll be embarrassed by the way they are running this location. I really hope the change the staff here and also add more people- they are understaffed with...

I’ve taken a few people here and will keep coming back for more!

FOOD -Paper masala dosa (pictured below) has been my go-to. The bread is deliciously chewy towards the center with a nice crunch towards the edges. The dips keep the flavors interesting and have a mild spice here and there Garlic naan comes in 4 pieces and is deliciously garlicky and fresh. The bread was straight out of the oven and into the basket. Would recommend this staple if you’re craving and if you will have enough space for the dosa! Coffee is creamy and delightful! It really hit the spot at the end of the meal. It’s quite strong, so I wouldn’t advise if it’s late in the day and you are sensitive to caffeine

AMBIANCE Decent dining area that’s very clean! The staff wipes down the tables and chairs after every group It can get a bit crowded, but it is a popular space after all! Only downside is there is no AC. There are a few large fans, but if you aren’t one of the tables that are downwind, then you are out of luck!

SERVICE The servers are very friendly, but unfortunately very very busy (and possibly understaffed)! It generally takes time to get seated as they wipe everything down and get set up. You need to be comfortable flagging down waiters for the menu and for water (and clarifying if everyone at the table wants water as well) The food takes a bit of time, but it’s reasonable considering how the dosas are fresh! Just be prepared for a nice chat with...

Such a disappointment over the years, the quality and service have both gone down the drain. Came here to eat, sat outside, went to wash my hand and when I got back, there were no chairs to my table! The staff guy, who refused to tell me his name, I had to take a picture, kept coming and standing over me and yelling they had to accommodate a table of ten and took my chairs away, so I have to eat standing??? He was super rude, speaking about me in front of the other waitress staff and guests, like they’re doing me a favor by serving me. I asked to speak with the owner multiple times, but they refused saying the owner is not around. If you are only interested in large parties to make money, just don’t have others sit at your restaurant! There were other parties of two waiting, and the staff did not care about them either, making them wait and being super rude with them One poor couple was waiting for their to go order, and got only half of it, with this rude guy ignoring them completely Last time I come to this place, and I will submit an complaint with the BBB as well As soon as I wrote this review, the guy came back with a big smile on his face and said he didn’t mean anything and if I could please take the review down right away. It’s such an insincere thing and it was so evident that they only care about not having bad reviews on their site but not actually about providing good service. Wouldn’t be surprised if most of the good reviews are...