Madras Café — Restaurant in Sunnyvale

Update: Highly recommend on rainy days, and weekday lunch time. Less people, no wait, and food comes out perfect. Dosas long and crispy, not floppy and folded, deep fried items were fried well, not greasy, even masala tea actually came out before we were done eating, not half an hour after!

Original: Our favorite local watering hole for comfort food that has withstood the test of time. It is a vegetarian place but as meat eaters, we don't miss it when we come here. As with anywhere, consistency can be an issue but overall, they get it right. Some days dosas can be a bit thick or soggy, or a tad burnt and bitter, but they are better than other dosas that we have tried up and down the Peninsula. No food has a buttery ghee odor or taste which is great for us. The green and orange sides that come with dosas are not overwhelmingly coconuty like they can be at other dosa places (except of course, for the pale green coconut chutney). For those who dislike coconut, the green one is the least coconuty but it depends on the day. The spicy Kara dosas are our favorite, as are the channa bhaturas. They can be a bit oily and thick at times, but the chole masala that comes with is always delicious and the right consistency. The idlis and uthapam are also solid. Recommend dine-in over to-go for dosas in particular. Dosas lose their crisp edges, and sometimes you get someone else's order so do check before leaving. Good to know before you go:. Dont go too hungry as you will have to wait (this is why we don't have more pics, we generally are so starved by the time we get our food that we just tear in) The procedure is you go inside, place your order and pay, then wait for them to seat you. The food sometimes arrives right away, but sometimes one dish arrives, and the next arrives after you are done with the first. Sometimes they forget, so you might have to remind one of the staff. Particularly the chai has a tendency to be forgotten, where we sit with empty plates for another 20 min or so, after inquiring about...

We have been coming here for many years given the choices of South Indian restaurants in the Bay Area it's been awhile since we last visited so thought of checking it out....

They have ample seating space inside & outdoor. Only thing is don't come here expecting it to be a quite restaurant it's extremely noisy ( inside) especially during weekends morning after 10 am having said that we were there by 8.30 am & saw the crowd started coming in few minutes later family as well as bachelors .... It's a very popular place.

This time we tried -

Medhu Vada Sambhar - the vadas were soft & nicely soaked in sambhar which was pipping hot. My husband enjoyed it very much.

Mini Idli plate - mini Idli's were soft & I could taste little ghee on it again it went very well with the pipping hot sambhar & all the 3 chutneys. We shared the dish happily.

Paper Masala Dosa - we ordered it crispy so it was not at all greasy while having it. Only thing is we got little disappointed seeing the potato masala which was very less but still we loved it.

Idli plate- I was craving for more Idli's ... I love soft & pipping hot Idli's very much .... here the texture is little hard but still it was ok .

Onion Rava Dosa - it's been years since I last had it ... it was good but I would have preferred it to be more brown.

Veg Biryani (from weekend menu section) Togo to have latter ... which was nice .

And lastly 1 filter coffee without which any South Indian breakfast is incomplete.... It was nice & strong.

Here the service is excellent, they are very attentive the moment they see any empty dishes they will come & pick it up which is nice .... more space to have especially if it's a small table.

Will come back again soon!!! Everything came piping hot so enjoyed having our breakfast... I would...

Dear Mr Ram, I am your customer, and your number one fan. I lost your cell phone number. so I cannot talk to you anymore.. This is my second complaint to you. This is my written complaint against your employee SUMEET.

I took three technology degrees so I could come to California, America, which is a paradise. But SUMEET takes my pleasure aay of enjoying this paradise called America.

I have been coming for twenty years since I moved to California for my High Tech job. And never stopped coming to you as I bought and sold different houses. But unless you can remove SUMEET, I will stop making my daily one hours to and fro on El Camino to get your food.

But SUMEET has made my life miserable. So I stopped coming to you. He sabotages every order of mine, in every order of mne. Does the exact opposite of what I say. Orders me about as if I am his employee.

Every single time he gives me food that falls apart in my car. And I end up cleaning counters, ruining my golden LEXUS. If I order North Indian thali. He gives me South Indian Thali. And I throw away half of south indian things. that I do not like. He orders me to come after 3 PM when TAML is there. Since he does not want to give me food. He orders me to use yot wooden spring loaded things that keep hitting me back with trash. And I have to shower every day. He knows that I start coughing on stress. THerefore he causes me more stress by sabotaging every visit of mine.

The list is endless. I will not be coming there again. UNtil you move SUMEET away from...