Madras Kafe — Restaurant in Vernon Hills

tldr; came for the curry, left with a life lesson

We were visiting from Virginia. My local friends had sang praises about this place, especially about the lady who runs it. Inspiring story of a (single) woman-run business that started as a tiffin service.

After lunch, the lady — whom we lovingly called auntie — came over to ask how everything was. We gave her positive feedback, asked how she, being a Tamilian, spoke such fluent Hindi. She told us about her background, school, etc. We asked about her children and grandchildren.

We felt quite happy with the food and the warmth. Charmed by her, really.

When I went to pay, auntie was at the counter. I told her again how awesome the food was. She rang me up and asked if I could pay cash. I didn’t have enough, so I said I’d pay by card. Before swiping, I asked if the tip was already included in the total — after all, we were a party of eight.

She shook her head and said: “Only service tax included.”

That clearly meant “no.”

I smiled inside — how nice, even naive, to not include a tip for a big group. “Okay, so let me add a tip,” I said, pressing 15%.

When I looked at the receipt, 18% tip was already included in the total! I had double-tipped! We, respectfully, pointed it out. She totally denied misleading me. But she had.

I paid over $50 in gratuity! She simply fooled me. My two boys (11 and 13) saw firsthand how a cunning business person can fool you if you’re not careful.

We lost our respect for her. “Okay, auntie,” I said calmly, and walked away with a bad taste in my mouth.

PS: “कोफ्ते हार्ड है (kofte hard hai)” is what I wanted to yell out as I walked out of the restaurant. (Oye Lucky! Lucky...

Healthy Ingredients, Home Style Cooking, great value for money.

I am a regular at this restaurant for last 2 years. It is 20 minutes drive from my home but I still make regular trips for following reasons:

Fresh food - Food is prepared almost always fresh. One downside is that sometimes I have to wait longer if there are orders ahead of me. I try to order at least 30-40 minutes before I arrive.

Healthy Ingredients - I have very sensitive stomach that can tell frozen and old food. E.g. when I eat dosa made from grocery store atta I can feel the bloating and gas. However the fresh dosa dough/atta made here does not affect my stomach.

Customization - In many cases I request custom order e.g. make egg white India Style Omelette with extra spices and if the kitchen is not too busy then my request is honored.

Authentic Chutneys - South Indian chutneys are the best I have seen in any Chicago land Indian restaurant.

Limitations - Some of my friends have provided me feedback that some north Indian dishes are not as tasty as in other Indian restaurants. I took one such sample to this restaurant owner and she pointed out the large amount of butter and coloring that contributed to the taste, she was reluctant to adopt the same ingredients.

I guess if you want healthy authentic south Indian style food and are ready to order ahead of time then it is...

Believe it or not, I live in Bridgeview, Illinois and I drive 48 miles one way, at least twice a month to Madras Cafe, Vernon Hills. The quality of food served at this restaurant is just amazing. Every item is served fresh and prepared with care. I can swear, the taste of dishes are highly authentic, whether it is Indian or Indo Chinese. The prices are extremely reasonable. The one most important aspect I have to mention here is the quality of service offered by the staff and management. They are so sweet and make sure every customer who dine there leave the restaurant with full satisfaction. I have to mention one thing for sure, the quality of their Sambar. It's fresh and I have not tasted such an amazing Sambar even in Chennai (India) restaurants. Kudos to all staff members and the lady who owns the restaurant, I need to mention that the are super sweet. I really feel jealous of people who live close to the restaurant as they have more opportunity to visit that terrific place and enjoy the delicacies. Don't miss their Veg Hakka Noodles, different kind of Dosas and Uthappam. It's truly an amazing place and trust me you will never be disappointed. Don't miss to request their Madras filter Coffee. Very impressed by the taste of the Coffee and the quantity. Just stop by on a week day and see the crowd inside. That will explain a lot about...