CLOSED: Udupi Cafe

This used to be a favorite place for me and my hubby. Sadly, when new ownership took over, the quality went drastically downhill. The food, which used to be wonderfully spiced with complex layers of flavor, has gotten downright bland. (Hard to believe it's even possible -- bland Indian food.)

After a truly disappointing meal there, we talked with the new owner about the lack of flavor and spice, and he said "it's what people asked for." I'm not sure which people this would be -- but here's a thought: if you don't like Indian spices, don't eat at an Indian restaurant.

We were also extremely disappointed to see the addition of meat on the menu.

We used to eat at Udupi regularly, but after two very dissapointing and bland meals in a row, we won't be going back. What a shame. (We still visit Udupi Palace in Berkeley though -- still 100% vegetarian, still delicious.)

Sorry to tell you, ownership changed and they are no longer all vegetarian. As of January, they now serve chicken.

Updated from previous review on Wednesday September 05, 2007

Since our first visit, we have begun to frequent this place at least every other week. The food is always fabulous and inexpensive. The vegan dishes are very clearly marked, and they have a huge variety of dishes, so there is always something new to try
Updated from previous review on Tuesday January 25, 2011
Udupi began serving chicken (and I believe fish) recently. The reason they give is that they weren't making enough money compared to their competitors who served meat menus. They have assured me that they are very careful about meat coming into contact with vegetarian dishes, and so far the quality of the vegetarian dishes hasn't gone down.

Had a discount coupon and was on vacation at Lake Folsom so I tried Udupi on my day off from wakeboarding lessons. Very good and interesting selections.
Friendly service. May be hard to find. Coming up Sunrise Blvd, turn left into the first shopping center past the Coloma(24 Hour Fitness) stoplight. It's across the parking lot from Baskin Robbins.

A piece of good luck for vegan visitors to Rancho Cordova. I've eaten there twice on this business trip. The service was the best I've ever seen- fast, friendly, attentive and unobtrusive. The food was light and pleasantly filling at the same time. The menu is full of dishes I'd never seen before, and I eat at a lot of Indian restaurants. The decor seems like it's climbing up from a takeout place, and hasn't quite reached a sitdown restaurant. It was brightly lit, with plastic glasses, paper napkins, bare tabletops, and no knives. I wouldn't go there for a date, or a business dinner, but it was fine for eating alone.
A final piece of advice: Check the website for directions, use GPS or something. The sign is dark blue, and was flickering the last time I was there. The restaurant is in a strip mall, on a street full of strip malls, downhill from street level, behind a Baskin Robbins. And of course, nobody displays street numbers.

I haven't been to an Indian restaurant in years due to my desire to eat vegan, healthy food. Usually Indian food has a lot of dairy or at the least is very oily. I was thoroughly impressed with Udupi Cafe and would definitely recommend it. Here's why:

1. The food itself was outstanding. Super yummy and satisfying, and not overly oily (we didn't order fried dishes).

2. Each vegan item on the menu is marked with an asterisk so they are easy to choose. It seemed like over half the menu was vegan!

3. The staff was very sweet and friendly, giving a nice feel to the experience.

4. The atmosphere was perfect. Brightly painted walls with pictures of Hindu dieties, reminded me of places in India. The simple decor made it feel authentic. They also placed very enjoyable Indian/dance fusion music.

5. Most of the customers filling the place were Indian. We were one of only two non-Indian tables in the place. This to me is a great sign. For example when I travel I like to go to places the locals are frequenting!

6. The price was very reasonable. After our huge meal, we were surprised to see the bill! For four of us, we each ordered a main dish, and then we got a few orders of flat bread, some dahl, seasoned rice, and the plain rice which came with the meal. It all came to around $65!

Overall it was an excellent experience. I highly recommend it for vegan Indian cuisine dining and can't wait till I pass through the Sacramento area so I can go there again!

We have been to Udupi Cafe for dinner four times now, and so far it's the best Indian food we've had in the Davis or Sacramento area. All the flavors are very authentic, and remind me of my time in India more than any other place I've been to. The Vegetable Vindaloo is excellent if you like spicy foods, the Aloo Gobi is great, and those two dishes along with some Paratha or Chapathy are what we usually get. The Coimbatore Dosai was great, the Samosa's were good. The only thing we've ordered that wasn't great was the veggie pakora, it was mostly breading, and not much veggie.

Ambiance is nothing special, it's minimally decorated, a little too well lit, but if you are looking for great food, at great prices you won't be dissapointed here.

Oh and I should add, the prices on the menu seem about average but the value isn't apparent until you get your dishes and see that the portions are huge. We always take home more than we get served at other places.

I have eaten there twice. Both times, I was disappointed. Once time the chettinad dosa was so spicy, I couldn't finish it..(I am indian and I can eat spice), the other time, the vada was hard and so oily. The sambar was bland. The chutney was boring. Perhaps I was expecting too much, too excited about a new place or too hopeful. It is also too expensive. If I pay that much, I would like atleast something pleasant to look at rather than plain yellow walls.

Everything is vegetarian here, but I was worried that there would be ghee in everything. Not so! There are more vegan options on the menu than non-vegan options, and they are all labeled with a star. I think yogurt is the only thing that makes some things not vegan. The food was delicious, they have a wide selection, good prices, and a friendly staff. It's very casual (but I like that!) I will be coming here often.

I had the buffet lunch thrice. The food was authentic, not oily and had great variety. I overate all three times. The buffet includes a full sized masala dosa which is brought to your table. The mint chutney and rasam were heavenly. On weekends, they have three dessert choices in the buffet and my kids loved that. As a south Indian and also a reasonably good cook, finding this restaurant was very helpful since I do love days off and don't have to drive to Berkeley. The Desi Bazaar is close by (approx 10 minutes), so I can combine dining here with grocery shopping if necessary. This is not a place for formal or business meetings, but one to experience really good vegetarian and primarily south Indian style food. They had Carnatic music playing in the background which adds to the general Udipi-ish ambiance.