Chaat Corner — Restaurant in San Francisco

After mixed experiences in my 6 visits, I am still keeping my rating as 4 and not lowering it because they still make some great curries and appetizers, better than many other Indian restaurants in the US and SF.

Visit #1 Nice place, we had Rava Masala dosa, idli, and masala dosa, and gulab jamun and kesar pista kulfi. Sambhar could have been better, it was watery.

#2 takeout order ❤️ Bhindi sabji was very tasty although it was quite oily so if you don't mind the oil you will love it ❤️ Paneer bhurji was great 😐 Naan was okayish

Visit #3 🙂 Idli vada - I looooved the Idli and vada and the green chutney was probably the best I ever had in US but the sambhar was not great again so not a "❤️" for this dish 🙂 Paneer kabab plate - this was amazing, I never saw this concept in any other Indian place I went to in US so just variety wise, it was a great dish, the paneer and onions on the hot plate were love, the curry sauce and naan were great. It's just that the curry sauce was too little to have the rice and naan both, not sure if they would have given extra curry for the rice. Would have been superb if there was enough curry with this dish 🙂 Faluda kulfi was good but far from the best faltu kulfi you get in India but if you are really craving the faluda feels then definitely go for it

Visit #4 ❤️ Achari Paneer was really good, we got the combo so it came with a mix veg, naan, rice and dal and everything was good 🙂 Aloo paratha was okay, they added too much salt in the potato filling 😀 Kachori chat was good, it had 4 medium size kachoris which is a lot so be mindful of this fact when you order this and other things 😀 Palak pakoda Chaat was great ☕ My friend also tried their tea and it was okay good as per him, will try it myself next time and let you all know how it was

Visit #5 - [To be added]

Visit #6 (just adding review for new items I tried or if something is new about previously tried items) ☹️ Chole bhature were horrible, there was some bitter after taste in every bite, not sure if it was because the oil in which they fried bhature went bad or was it because of something wrong with the chole but every bite was ruined. I didn't complain because I could not figure out what's exactly wrong but in hindsight I think I should have just asked them to replace the whole dish. But even if we keep aside the bitterness, bhature were too thick and filled with oil. Chole were very bland and almost had no flavor. One good point - I asked if they will give extra chole if needed to finish the bhature and they said they can give a little bit extra. 😐 Idli vada - don't order if you like it mainly with sambhar. If you just like to eat with chutneys then you will be fine. ----- ☹️this time the sambhar was much worse than the last time and the last time wasn't good either. This time it just tasted like dal, it had not sambhar spices flavour. In my previous experience, the sambhar was too watery but at least had sambhar flavors ----- ❤️White chutney was very good, just amazing ----- 😊 the vada and idly were just how would expect so thank God they didn't screw that up 😐 Tea/chai - the thickness of their tea good if you like your tea thick like me but it wasn't strong, it almost tasted like tea flavored milk. They can make it much better if they just add more tea and boil it a little longer. They are almost there in being the first ever Indian restaurant in the US to have good Indian tea.

Visit #7 - takeout order 😐 Malai Kofta - I am not sure if I liked it or not because it was too spicy to be able to figure out the real taste and even though I asked them to make it mild spicy, I don't think they made it mild.

Looking forward to trying more dishes at this place.

The best part is that they open until after midnight...

Disappointed in the service. (Look at recent reviews - seem to have same experience). My fiancé and I drop in here frequently for take out (esp their samosas) as well as for groceries from time to time. Today was a day where we were craving the samosas so we stopped by to get some Togo. As usual they were good and we decided to go back and have dinner there shortly after. Upon entry the person at the front was very friendly, letting us know we could sit wherever. Our server however, was not so much. When ordering I asked for recommendations (top choice for a vegan dish in 2 different sections). The server didn’t go out of his way to be too friendly, just doing his job, little expression or desire to sound welcoming. I can brush that off, not a big deal, but worth mentioning since the service there on after kept declining. For context, my fiancé and I ordered and appetizer to share and 2 entrees. My fiancés entree and our appetizer arrived first. We assumed min would come out right after. We both had some of the appetizer while we waited, but several minutes went by and my entree still hadn’t arrived. My fiancé began to eat his, we’re still assuming it can’t be much longer. I know places tend to bring out food once it’s ready versus waiting for each course to be sent in order. 15 mins go by so I ask about my meal, the waiter guy tells me it’s coming in a brushed off tone. 5 mins after that I decide to go to the restroom, sure it’ll be out when I come back. Nope. We ask again if it’s coming. I notice our waiter is now sitting in the booth behind us eating with his friend lol 🤦🏼‍♀️. We ask again - someone else this time. They tell us it’s coming. 10 minutes later it finally arrives. My fiancé had already finished his entree and had a Togo box at this point to take his leftovers. It took my food 40 mins. When inquiring about its readiness we seemed to be brushed off and very little cared about. Additionally I asked for just a little extra of just one of the sauces. I was given a stern “no.” Their tone, demeanor, and service all were very unwelcoming and unprofessional. I do not recommend and would not recommend to a friend to sit down and eat here. Maybe take out because the food is good, but after experiencing that kind of service I’d rather find another place for authentic Indian food - which there are plenty of...

After three visits to Chaat Corner, I can confidently say that consistency — both in flavor and quality — is seriously lacking. While the restaurant offers a wide variety of Indian street food and classic dishes, the execution often falls flat, and at times, is outright disappointing.

1st Visit: • Dahi Batata Puri (7/10): Acceptable, but lacked the generous yogurt and punchy flavor I expect from this snack. • Chole Bhature (7/10): The bhature were fluffy and fresh, but the chole were bland, tasting like they missed every spice in the book. • Tandoori Chicken Wrap (5/10): An oily, over-spiced mess. We returned it, and while it was replaced, it still felt poorly thought out and unenjoyable.

2nd Visit: • Butter Chicken & Lamb Curry (7/10): Both were just okay — serviceable but nothing memorable. • Naan: Tasted like it came out of a freezer. A big letdown considering fresh naan is a staple of any decent Indian restaurant.

3rd Visit: • Mysore Masala Dosa (7/10): The dosa was passable, but watery sambar and bland chutneys dragged the experience down. • Chicken Chowmein (5/10): Thick, awkward noodles coated in what tasted like chicken tikka masala sauce. Even the chicken seemed like leftover tandoori bits. • Veg Biryani (6/10): No depth, no aroma — just rice, veggies, and garam masala. The “curry sauce” on the side improved it slightly, but it still lacked authenticity. • Chole Bhature (again): Same issue — great bhature, utterly dull chole.

Major Red Flag: The worst part of my experience came during my third visit. We ordered Thumbs Up, an Indian soda, and discovered it had expired in 2023. One can was already opened and being consumed when we noticed. I checked the fridge and found more expired cans — Thumbs Up and Limca, all past their expiry date. This is not just carelessness; it’s a serious health risk. I took photos and included them in my review to warn others.

Final Thoughts: Chaat Corner occasionally hits average, but more often misses the mark entirely. The food is inconsistent, sometimes oily or flavorless, and in one case, borderline unsafe. If you’re looking for authentic Indian food or even decent street food, there are far better options out there. Eat here only if you’re desperate — and definitely...