Serves meat, vegan options available. Casual, Indian street food. Menu offers many lacto-vegetarian items, with vegan and gluten-free options marked. Counter service, comfy booths. Food is served as small tapas-style dishes. Another outlet in Decatur. Relocated from 22 Battery Park Ave. Open Mon-Sat 11:30am-3:30pm, Mon-Thu 5:00pm-9:00pm, Fri-Sat 5:30pm-10:30pm, Sun 12:30pm-3:30pm, 5:00pm-9:30pm.
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32 Banks Ave, Asheville, North Carolina, USA
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Last update on 10 Jun 2024 by DougK
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Added by navski on 06 Dec 2009
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22 Reviews
First Review by cringer
AmandaBrody
Points +126
Flavorful Food, Great Drinks, Cute Spot! - Edit
Lots of clearly labeled vegan food and the server told us most vegetarian dishes can be made vegan. We loved everything we had! A really cute date night spot.
Read moreGuest
MaryT
Points +444
Great flavors - Edit
There were not a lot of options so I had the Bhel Puri and loved it. It was strong on onions which I am okay with and had other delicious strong flavor. Other people in my group loved their (non-veg) lunches too. We were lucky with going at an off-time and we didn't have to wait in line to get in. btw this place was recommended to me by someone who frequents the Decatur location. Wish there had been more options.
Read moreGuest
sglcklch
Points +2969
Delicious but limited vegan options - Edit
We got takeout from here. Vegan options were pretty much limited to the snack items but what we did get was delicious. We loved the okra fries and the kale pakoras—they were so snackable! We also got the green mango chaat to lighten it up a little and the uttapam as a main dish of sorts. Prices were on the higher side but portions were generous. It's a popular spot so don't assume you'll get a table just because you arrive 30 minutes before they close (speaking from experience here 😅).
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2022-03-24
Pros: great food, hearty portions
Cons: could use more vegan options, pricey
Guest
Veganmouse
Points +904
Good food, lots of options - Edit
Separate menu with vegan options was appreciated. Service was great.
Read moreKale pakora - tasty, though do prefer a variety of veg
Vegetable uttapam - good but not great. Decent portion size
Cholle curry with daal - nice plate of options with this. Included rice and pappadums
Pappadums - these were good, and weren't the lentil ones
Naan - vegetarian not vegan. Also fairly average, didn't taste like it was made in a tandoori oven.
Paratha - very good
Guest
nickelvolp
Points +28
Delicious, could use more vegan options - Edit
This place was great. Wish they had vegan mains like they do with the butter chicken plate, but the stuff we had was really interesting and delightful. Tons of flavors and textures, our favorites were the bhel puri and okra fries.
Read morePros: Delicious, Good service, Nice ambiance
Cons: Expensive, Could do with more vegan options
Guest
ElissaBVegan
Points +2763
Beautiful and Delicious! - Edit
Dazzling food! Almost too beautiful to eat. Lots vegan options. We were lucky because our waitress was vegan and gave us fabulous suggestions and recommendations. Especially loved the Green Mango Chaat and Bhel Puri.
Read morePros: Absolutely delicious and gorgeous food, Lots of vegan options , Friendly service, cheerful atmosphere
Guest
Lauralei
Points +563
Limited vegan options - Edit
Very limited vegan options. What we had was good but not great, and expensive for the portion size. Maybe that was because we got take-out? Not sure.
Read morePros: Food was good
Cons: Long wait time, Few vegan options, better for vegetarians
Guest
kgrass
Points +16
Five stars - Edit
Forget Happy Cow and their forced four star rating. I don’t care if the restaurant has some meat on the menu. They deserve five stars.
Read moreThe vegan and vegetarian choices are amazing. Fantastic food, great service, as reasonable prices. Go there, you won’t be disappointed!
Pros: Variety, Fresh ingredients , The whole package
Cons: None
Guest
chelsea.elle13
Points +447
Great vegan options - Edit
Ask for the allergens menu to see the vegan and gluten-free options. Very pleased with the choices and great food and service.
Read moreI wish the Golden Milk was made without honey, but otherwise no complaints.
Pros: Vegan options , Gluten-free options
Guest
Lomky
Points +621
Tasty Fried Veggies! - Edit
Delicious uttapam and pakoras. They have explicit options marked out on the default menu, and a special diets menu that has customize options to make things vegan by swapping out sauces.
Read moreGuest
francofille
Points +94
Good for all types of eaters - Edit
Ask for the separate menu if you have food sensitivity etc. and be sure to tell the server you would like the modified dish. The smell alone in the restaurant is amazing and likewise flavors are great. Okra fries for sure!
Read moreGuest
ilovetoeatveggies
Points +225
The best Indian in the region - Edit
Crave worthy deliciousness that does not disappoint. My fav is to order the chick peas and veg stew with a side of rice. But I’ve had nearly every veggie option! Cocktails and beers are good too!
Read morePros: So darn good
Cons: Can be very busy and you have to wait 😫
Guest
13RUN5
Points +238
Excellent vegan options. - Edit
Excellent vegan option. The veggie uttapam & okra fries are incredible. Sorry I couldn’t make it 5 stars. Plus offers Shiva IPA. 👍
Read moreCons: L
Guest
hellojessiejo
Points +123
Yum! - Edit
I'm from Atlanta and love eating at Chai Pani in Decatur! This location was just as delicious as the Decatur location. I loved the vegan special of the day and my wife was able to get the meat she was craving. I love the family style plates and the creative drinks. There are plenty of vegan AND vegetarian options!
Read moreGuest
lmop
Points +134
Pretty good food, pretty small portions - Edit
My girlfriend and I ate here for dinner while on vacation in Asheville. If you ask, they'll give you a "special diets" menu, which lists everything they offer that's automatically vegan as well as dishes that can be made vegan with a few substitutions, and that's nice. Their food is pretty good, although not super spicy (good for me, probably not good for actual Indian people who like their spice). Portions were pretty small for the price. Gf and I split the mixed veggie uttapam and the samosa chaat. Neither one was really big enough for a full meal despite both being about $10, and afterwards I had to eat a granola bar to really feel full. Still, I liked the food, and I definitely would go again if I knew I'd be getting bigger portions of it.
Read morePros: Friendly/knowledgeable staff, Tasty food
Cons: Small portions , Bit pricy
Guest
Rgarb003
Points +88
Delicious! - Edit
The food here is amazing! The menu is clearly marked for vegan and vegetarian and they are willing to modify things that aren't regularly vegan so that they are. Atmosphere is nice and the staff are friendly. They are even environmentally friendly, charging a small fee for take away in order to be able to use environmentally friendly containers. My boyfriend said that this was the best Indian food that he has had in America. Would give it five stars if I could!
Read moreGuest
PixieMel
Points +740
A delight for your taste buds! - Edit
Their food is so delicious. There was an explosion of flavor in my mouth. My mom and I ordered quite a bit so we could try an array of their vegan offerings. We enjoyed everything we got. In the future, I probably wouldn't order a samosa due to it being a bit spendy for only 1. However, the other vegan apps would make for a great meal due to their size. They also offer free refills for tea. Some places don't, so I was happy to see that they do here.
Read morePros: Plenty of vegan options, Organic black tea , Great service
Cons: Parking
Guest
rickyboy
Points +35
great indian! - Edit
enjoyed their cooking a handful of times and have been thoroughly satisfied each and every time.
Read moreGuest
WNCVeggie
Points +531
Good Restaurant but Not Great for Vegans - Edit
This restaurant has good food and some yummy cocktails at a decent price for the most part. Options for vegans are very limited. Decent amount of options for vegetarians.
Read morePros: Location, Good Value
Cons: Parking Not Easy , Limited Vegan Options
Guest
tgif66
Points +43
I likey - Edit
I've been to Chai Pani a few times now. The food is usually pretty good. I bought the Veg Thali my first time there... tasty but I wouldn't call it cheap at $11. Last time I got the Dal and Rice and it was quite bland and unfilling. In India you would get a ton of food for $5 but here it's just a little scoop lol. The Bel Puri was really good. In all it's worth a stop and great vegan choices.
Read morePros: Vegan Friendly
Cons: Portions are small
Guest
navski
Points +122
good, cheap, tasty, different - Edit
Very inexpensive, tasty Southern Indian and various Indian snack foods. Contrary to what the reviewer below says, this place is actually owned by an Indian (and his non-Indian wife), but it's different from the other Indian restaurants in town, which serve exclusively Northern Indian cuisine. This food isn't the more familiar stews and curries, but there's a simple, nice thali plate (typical South Indian dish), which you can't find anywhere else in town and various other authentic Indian treats and some hybrids like the fries with Indian spices. What's great is that so much of the menu is vegetarian and a lot is vegan. Although it might be an unfamiliar style of Indian food, I find this fresher and tastier than the other options around here.
Read morePros: interesting veg options, cheap, tasty
Guest
cringer
Points +96
Mediocre Indian Food - Edit
This place is VERY cute and the staff is friendly but the food was very bland. There are items marked vegan on the menu which is cool.
Read moreYou can tell an Indian family does not own this restaurant because it does NOT taste authentic at all. They have these fries that were pretty good though. But, this place is very, very cheap. It is almost too good to be true! It's worth going to, but if you want kick *ss Indian food, go to India Garden or Mele. This is more of a place to go because you don't want to go to Taco Bell. Don't bring family or out-of-towners here.
Pros: CHEAP, cute atmosphere, friendly staff
Cons: bland food
Guest
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