Madras Pavilion

Yes, unfortunately the website may be wrong.\r \r But this food is g-o-o-d. Our South Indian co-worker introduced us to this place two years ago...and now eat here regularly. The manager (?) has changed a couple times...it went from a quiet, friendly guy to a more talkative, cheesy guy, back to a big, quiet fellow. \r \r Absolutely love the palak paneer, the ""chinese"" style cauliflower, the eggplant and pea curry... \r \r The restaurant and it's facility seem old and slightly run-down...but it's still a great authentic place to eat. And the Samosas...mmm... more

Will never go back! Was looking forward to a nice Southern Indian meal. Can't tell you about the quality of the food b/c even though their website and hours on the door state that they are open from 11:30AM to 10PM on Saturday and Sunday, they RUDELY told us they were closed from 4PM to 5:30PM. We got there at 3:55 and had driven 1/2 an hour to try this place. Their loss: 3 vegetarians, and we will make sure to tell every other veggie frind as well.\r more

This is the e-mail I sent to them. Another thing I left out was there was no soap in the restroom, that's just gross!\r \r ""I visited your Houston location on 8-9-09 and was not pleased with your service. I had to ask for my ice tea 4 times and wait about 15 minutes before it was served. The lady at the next table received her ice tea right away just because her husband was able to speak spanish. This is so unclassy of a restaurant to have to speak spanish to get proper service. It also took about 20 minutes to get my dosa. Also when we tried to pay the cashier tried to charge us $28 for a buffet for two. After he was questioned about the price, he then tried to cover it up by making an excuse that he was from the Sugar Land location and didn't know what he was doing so it ended up being $24. On a previous visit, there was another suspicious practice going on. As we attempted to pay with a credit card the cashier asked if we had cash. I have also noticed that you do not give itemized receipts. This sounds like a classic way of hiding income to avoid taxes. This issue will be reported and you will be investigated. To sum things up it took effort to get service and you tried to cheat us out of our money. I will not be coming back and will make sure to spread the word through word of mouth and the internet."" Pros: its vegetarian Cons: alot more

You know this is the real deal when you walk in. Lots of Indians eating there.\r I got the meal that comes with like nine courses. These little plates kept coming and coming. Creamed spinach, Curried potatos, Chick peas, lots of mystery stuff. I don't know what all of it was, but it was all really good. Just with they had some meat. I'll go back for shure. Pros: Great food Cons: Vegitarian more

I loved going to this restaurant several years ago. Back then, the owner was around, the food was excellent and authentic, the place was really clean including the restrooms. \r \r Everything has changed now. The rice was undercooked, the flour used to make some of the items like dosa and vada was spolit. You could say the cooking has become very americanized - when the real indian cooks get replaced. The place stinks and the waiters have an attitude. The rest room was not well maintained.\r \r It looks like winning awards several years back has gotten to thier heads. \r \r If this restaurant does not ""clean"" up its act, it will be shutting down in the near future.\r Cons: Bad cooking, dirty restrooms more

Ambiance: Bad. Nothing has changed over years\r Service: Disaster. Waiters stink. Arrogant. No clue about customer service\r Hygiene: Doubtful. Entire place smelt of restroom cleaning liquid\r Food: Not authentic, poor. Discovered stones, hair, etc. \r Food presentation: needs major overhaul\r Overall Verdict: 2 thumbs down. Never visit again. Better restaurants available in Houston. Cons: Madras Pavillion more

We went for the lunch buffet and we very happy. We are a gringo couple who has had the opportunity to visit India and eat South Indian in South India. This place was very good. I had read a couple other reviews and I expected a cafeteria atmosphere, but its not bad actually. Two buffets were under $20 and it was all vegetarian. Good stuff! Pros: all vegetarian, inexpensive Cons: most items on buffet were very good, but not all more

This place is usually pretty killer at lunch. Even if the buffet doesn't have any of my favorites, the dosas are always available and are delicious. And this is ALL vegetarian. Cows say, ""The competition should moooooove over."" Chickens say, ""Cluck all those other Indian joints."" I couldn't agree more. more

Went to this place three times, first with my friends and twice with my parents. Even they were pleased with the quality of the lunch buffet (us being south indian, we're really picky). The food isn't tempered at all and they use the right amount of spices. The sambhar and idli are great as are the vadas. Pros: Authentic south indian, great coffee Cons: long lines, average dosas more

I found this restaurant by chance since I was staying in a nearby hotel. The food here is pretty good. I went there for dinner and ordered North Indian food. And was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the parathas. The entrees too were very good though I did not like the rice dishes. It felt like they were using cheaper quality rice. The restaurant manager is a friendly guy and he goes around chats will everyone. I did not try any South Indian dishes - so cannot comment on that Pros: Good indian food at reasonable price Cons: Waiter took too long to get the bill more

As vegetarians, my wife and I especially like places where we don't have to worry about what was on the grill before our food. At Madras Pavilion, everything is vegetarian, so we enjoy it all. We've taken non-vegetarian guests and they enjoy it too. I've eaten there about 20 times over the years (always the lunch buffet), and it consistently pleases. The dosas brought to the table are always popular. My favorite, however, is the sambar with the idli (sp?--those white, sponge-like things) soaking in it. I could happily eat just that--bowl after bowl--but never do, of course, since the rest of the buffet is always tempting. The location is convenient. The restaurant itself is pretty basic, but I go for the food, not the ambiance. The ambiance I like is being surrounded by lots of happy Indian families, and that is usually the case here. I take that as an endorsement (I'm not Indian) of the quality and authenticity of the food at Madras. On busy weekend lunches there can be a line, but usually the wait is short. Pros: delicious South Indian vegetarian buffet, reasonable prices, great sambar Cons: plain tables and decor (but who cares when the food is so good?) more

Lunch buffet is varied and different than most. A little limited with selection, but all the dishes delivered without resorting to fatty, creamy sauces so common to Indian buffets. The spiced potato-stuffed rice crepe (Dhosa) served to each table instead of naan really upped the ante. I particularly enjoyed the eggplant and the mixed (root) vegetable curries, and the hot (!) and sour soup woke up my tastebuds with a vengeance. The place seems clean, full of native indians, with visible, attentive staff. Eat up! UPDATE 10/9/08 What happened? The place was empty, and the 'manager' wouldn't even pick up a pitcher to refill my tea on the third time of asking. He was content to have the poor busboy/greeter/dhosa-maker run around for him while he waved his arms trying to look busy, sometimes on the phone with his back to the dining room. (He ignored me when I entered, not a good sign) The food was awesome, but the bill wasn't. $24 for two vegetarian buffets and un-refilled iced teas. No wonder it's empty! Pros: Inexpensive, quality food Cons: Selection on buffet, what happened to the service? more

Even though they only serve vegetarian dishes, Madras Pavillion has the best Indian lunch buffet I've had in Houston, by far! The food is delicious and there are many diverse selections to choose from. The price is reasonable... (I would say the others in Houston in overpriced) and includes a dosa (crepe with lentil filling) prepared freshly for you (no naan, though). I think that having many good curries and dishes to choose from is much better than having meat but only seeing the ""basics"" you get over and over again... especially because I'd argue that the vegetable curries are more enjoyable. If I'm ever starving and want to treat my belly, I'll go here. Pros: Great food Cons: Cafeteria atmosphere more

I am not Indian, so I cannot vouch for the authenticity of Madras Pavillion. What I *have* noticed; however, is how many Indian people are eating there every time I go. As my parents used to say- if you're looking for the good Chinese restaurant, watch where all the Chinese restuarant owners go to eat after they've closed up shop. \r Madras is delicious, the portions are huge, and the prices are very reasonable. The food they serve is very different from other Indian restaurants in town- especially the huge, beautiful Dosai. I highly recommend the puffy bread instead of the usual Naan. It is unique and the texture and flavor are wonderful. \r I am not a vegetarian, but I go to Madras more than any other Indian restaurant simply because the food is good. more

I am Indian, but I eat meat. Madras Pavilion is a restaurant which I would frequent only if I were a vegetarian. The food is sub-par, and the staff is stand-offish. Some picks on the menu are decent, but you can find the same if not better elsewhere for a lower price. Madras Pavilion is overrated as a good Indian restaurant, the food on the buffet is a sad excuse for Indian cuisine. I recommend Indian restaurants in the Hillcroft area over this. Pros: Vegetarian Cons: Quality of Food, Staff, Atmosphere more

Oh, I'm still so full from eating the most delicious new food I've tried. Generous portions, super cheap. An excellent full menu with Indian Pizzas (fantastic!), Breads, Curries, and several other South Indian delicacies I haven't seen at other Indian Places. They have 3 locations in Houston, the one in Sugarland has meat dishes. The staff was super-friendly, the owner even came to our table to chat with us. Pros: Delicious Sauces, Nothing over $12, Amazing Breads Cons: Vegetarian, (I'm a carnivore) more

There was a time when Madras Pavillion used to be worth dropping in for a great vegetarian meal. It was pretty obvious to see the quality of food going from back to worse over the past three years. Time and again, we've been served cold food, in which you can distinctly make out which ingredients specifically have started to age. Being a South Indian I can certainly say that what Madras Pavillian passes out as 'South Indian' food, is sadly very far from the real thing and equally far from being any good. If you are willing to spend the same amount of money, I can think of atleast three other Indian cuisine restaurants in the neighborhood. Seeing all the positive reviews I've read I'm a little puzzled... Pros: Prices Cons: Food more

The Sunday brunch is pretty good. Their rasam is excellent and so are there medu wadas. Idlis and dosas are alright--perhaps because we ordered them thru' the buffet. I've heard the Udupi in Sugarland is even better. Pros: Yummy rasam, reasonable prices Cons: Ok idlis and dosas more

I have been eating at this vegetarian restaurant since it opened. I congratulate them on their expansion to Austin and Dallas (and now, evidently, Sugarland). I love the Dosai and the samosas. Recently, I have been spending more time at Udupi Cafe, but I had a fantastic meal last night. This is very high-quality food. Pros: Delicious, Good lunch buffet Cons: No meat more

Hadn't had indian food in a while and missed mom's cooking so my indian buddy and i went to madras. being vegetarian, the food is filling and worth the money. i suggest sticking with the south indian dosa's for lunch or the lunch buffett they have, especially if you are new to indian cuisine. it allows you to try everything and pick your personal favorites. i always enjoy going there and when my parents come into town, they want to go there. its also cleaner than most indian restaurants because its all vegetarian. Pros: food, selection, price Cons: no dinner buffett more