Vegan-friendly
Lacto
Indian
Buffet
Delivery
Take-out
Vegetarian Indian restaurant specializing in South Indian food. Extensive menu. Also offers daily lunch buffet. Under current ownership since 2012. Open Mon-Sun 11:00am-3:00pm, Mon-Thu 5:00pm-9:00pm, Fri-Sat 5:00pm-10:00pm, Sun 5:00pm-9:00pm.
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Last update on 19 Mar 2024 by merismo
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26 Reviews
First Review by jkbartol
AndyDREW
Points +38
-= ) - Edit
awesome, i am now a raw vegan, but ewhhe this is a very nice indulgence to pass up.
Read morePros: large servings, fair price, amazing food
Cons: not much raw
Guest
meggold
Points +478
Great option for Indian food - Edit
The restaurant itself leaves quite a bit to be desired and the staff is a bit awkward and not incredibly friendly. But we had the dosas and they were delicious. Probably one of the best dosas I have had. The drink menu is lacking - we just wanted bubbly water (not available) or a hot tea but the Indian tea can’t be made without milk. They did let us bring in sparkling water from the convenience store.
Read morePros: Very vegan friendly , Lots of gluten free options , Priced well
Cons: Staff are awkward , Dish descriptions aren’t very good
Guest
NealDuncan
Points +505
Dosas were pretty good - Edit
It's been a while since I went here. I believe i got Dosa and samosas both were ok, nothing special but when you have a craving for Indian food this place will certainly do the trick and we like to support vegan friendly places right?
Read moreGuest
OliverWest
Points +350
Mixed Experience - Edit
This is a tough review for me. I like saying nice things, it feels good and that desire makes it hard for me to be honest when I've had a lackluster experience, but it would be unfair and inauthentic to you, the reader, to not report honestly on my exact experience, right? Here's what was good: The taste was nice, rice and soup were spicy and aromatic, Naan was moist, soft and dense (I like dense breads so that was a plus for me). Service was good, waitress gave me an unsolicited 10% discount that I did not ask for or complain about anything to prompt it (more on that next), but the waitress was very nice, polite and positive. Now the odd parts of the experience: This restaurant has a two hour window from 3 to 5 PM where it's not open, so plan ahead. I arrived at 4:30 to discover it closed after my tournament round, decided to wait the half hour in the parking lot because I had planned on dining here so I wanted to have the experience. It took them almost 10 minutes beyond stated hours to open, was close to 5:10pm before the doors opened. My initial order was for Vegetable noodles entree, Gobi Paratha bread, Rasam soup and Mango Lassie. A minute after taking my order the waitress returned to inform me that they were out of vegetable noodles so I had to take a minute to figure out what other entree to get and opted for the Vegetable Briyani. A few minutes later she returned again to inform me that they were out of Gobi Paratha and so I took a minute to decide to order the garlic paratha instead. After a few minutes of waiting, the soup came out first with the Mango Lassi shortly after a minute later. I sat for a few minutes with those two items waiting for the rest... when I order Indian food I like to dip my Naan (Garlic Paratha in this case) in whatever soup I order so I was waiting for the Garlic Paratha to come out, which, is conventionally brought out as an appetizer before the entree. After about 10 minutes of waiting the Vegetable Briyani rice came out and I kept waiting because I wanted to dip my Garlic Paratha in the soup before having the entree. After another 5 minutes of waiting and still no Garlic Paratha, starving hungry from a day full of tournament competition, I gave in and just starting having the entree. When I was about halfway done with the entree, the Garlic Paratha finally came out and my soup was cold by then.
Read moreI didn't ask for it, I wasn't impolite but the waitress gave me a discount, clearly knowing the situation was disappointing
Updated from previous review on 2023-01-23
Pros: good flavors, Courteous server
Cons: disorganized, disorderly
Guest
Essawaag
Points +418
Good food. - Edit
First time here and really enjoyed what I got. There were tons of fully vegan options.
Read moreThe mango juice was great as well.
Will definitely be back to try other items.
We got 2 entrees, an app, and a drink and the total price was not high at all.
Pros: Tons of options , Fair pricing
Guest
JeppeGlaser
Points +16
First time guess - will be back - Edit
Great discovery
Read morePros: Great flavors, First time and greatly surprised with quality and
Cons: No really anything bad to say.
Guest
Seatown_vegan
Points +7136
A spicy delight - Edit
I pulled up to Udupi Cafe for this famous buffet I’ve been hearing so much about. I got there and was greeted by a lovely young lady who told me to take a seat. I sat and then she asked me which breads I wanted and I had no idea. I asked her recommendation and she said she would bring both. After that I went to the buffet.
Read moreThe young lady was there and I asked her what’s vegan friendly. Initially, she said everything with an orange sign is vegan. I then proceed to only put food on my plate that has an orange sign, then she comes over and points out specifically what’s vegan, which included other colored signs. I’m happy that she cleared that up because this definitely opened me up for more options.
I have no idea what anything was called but most things were delicious. Some of the curries and other things had a bit of spice, so beware of that of spice isn’t your thing. But then again, my spicy tolerance is low. All in all, customer service was great and you can’t beat a buffet for $15.
Updated from previous review on 2022-05-06
Guest
AshaS
Points +72
Amazing variety of vegan and vegetarian items in buffet - Edit
The food here is exceptional and at moderate prices. Huge Sunday buffets with many, probably mostly, vegan options. Weekday buffets also have a lot of options. We've been coming here for the past 10 years, whenever we're in town and rarely disappointed. Everything tastes fresh and well spiced. In addition, servers bring potato stuffed dosas to the table. Restaurant focuses on standard South Indian foods, idli, dosa, sambar, pongal, but offers North Indian options also. Tea available from self serve canisters. If you live in town, you're so lucky!
Read morePros: Lots of vegan options , Consistently delicious!, Friendly, low key atmosphere
Cons: Not a fancy date restaurant , Standard menu, rarely varies
Guest
veganalways
Points +269
Buffet! - Edit
Buffet had plenty of vegan options. They were all delicious, they even offered a spicy dish, and some dishes were creative and new to me! (I have eaten at North and South Indian restaurants all over.) I was impressed that they offered a vegan bread and vegan dosa with the buffet. Staff was kind and attentive, however they were very casual about not being open on time. I also got some food to go, including an order of samosa chaat. So good. I will definitely go back.
Read moreGuest
MickeyMM
Points +131
Yummy Indian Food - Edit
Drove 30 minutes to try this place out and I was not disappointed. Very tasty veg options with almost everything vegan or can move made vegan. So much food to try I ordered way too much. Portions are large.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2021-08-22
Pros: Tasty vegan food, Affordable, Nice servers
Cons: No booze. , Bland atmosphere
Guest
TravelingThroughLife1
Points +3221
Wonderful food! - Edit
This restaurant has some of the best Indian food I’ve ever tasted! Everything tastes so fresh and homemade and I love that vegan items are clearly labeled. Great sized portions that make delicious leftovers that you look forward to! Would give 5 stars if they ditched the dairy and went completely vegan :)
Read morePros: Lots of vegan options , Reasonable prices , Great portions
Guest
Megsicle
Points +330
Buffet is the way to go - Edit
Lots of vegan options on the menu. We have noticed that Saturday buffet is the best. Make sure you get there early because we have gone in during the last hour of the buffet and they don’t replenish items. A little annoying since most of the time the vegan items run out. The vegan items are clearly marked. The masala dosa is the best!
Read moreGuest
RyanIrving
Points +15
Highly recommend - Edit
This is done of the best Indian food I have ever had. You won't be disappointed.
Read morePros: Authentic
Cons: None?
Guest
VegManda
Points +473
Amazing Buffet Options - Edit
Went here for the Saturday Buffet and it's so amazing. The Gobi Manchurian is delightful and their noodles are so good. I definitely recommend this place! Totally worth the price for all you can eat!
Read morePros: Lots of Vegan Options, Delicious
Guest
Tigra220
Points +10603
Pretty Good Indian Food - Edit
I called ahead to inquire about ordering from the menu during the lunch hour. The girl who answered said that if it's not busy they can accommodate this request, but when it's busy, they cannot. Luckily for me, it was a slow day and they were able to accommodate me.
Read moreI wanted to try their Gobi Manchurian and I also inquired if they could make an Aloo Saag (spinach and potatoes) vegan, which is not on the menu. They agreed to make this dish for me as well. So far, so good with the accommodation factor. I also added an order of poori (it’s a puffy bread).
GOBI MANCHURIAN:
Battered and deep fried cauliflower doused in a sweet and spicy chili sauce. I requested this dish extra spicy. It was very yummy. I wasn’t as crispy as I’d hoped, but this could have been due to the fact that it was a carry-out order and it may have gotten soggy from the condensation after being enclosed. Either way, crisp or limp, it was still a very tasty dish.
ALOO SAAG:
I requested it vegan and extra spicy. It was not extra spicy and I questioned if it was very because it had a creamy look to it. I did a taste-test. I didn’t taste or smell weird (non-vegan-y). This dish was just ok. It lacked the sabor with which Aloo Saag is traditionally made, and it was not at all spicy. It wasn’t bland, but it was certainly lacking. Being that this item it not on their menu and they were doing me a favor by making it, I will not hold this against them. I will just stick to their menu items on any future visits.
POORI:
The bread was very fresh and well-prepared.
The portions were large. Prices were reasonable.
They have no vegan desserts, but you can find some 2 blocks north at Green.
They lost points due to:
1 - the waitress/ cashier’s bad attitude (When I inquired if the entrees came with basmati rice she snapped back at me that she'd never heard of this; they only sell plain white rice or biryani rice. The menu clearly calls it basmati rice.)
2 - Cleanliness issue. Another worker was sweeping the floor for like 10 minutes and went directly from cleaning dirt to preparing a plate at the buffet. Unacceptable!
Also, they gave me a strange milky looking liquid with my to go order. I do not know what this is and I have strong doubts about its veganess. I'll be throwing it away.
Pros: excellent Gobi Manchurian , large portions, reasonably priced
Cons: staff attitude and sanitation issues, no vegan desserts
Guest
steveveg
Points +2187
Good veggie dining - Edit
I had dinner at Udupi Cafe. It had pretty standard Indian fare of several regions - including dosais, uthappams, as well as curries. The meal was fine, the service friendly.
Read moreGuest
thelittlemeremaid
Points +32
Really good! - Edit
I've been here with my family a few times now, and every time, we've all loved it! The service is nice, but the food is really good. We haven't tried the buffet yet, but we tried a cauliflower dish. I forget what is was called, but it was basically fried cauliflower in a spicy red sauce! Even my veggie-hating sister loved it!
Read moreGuest
Smooches4Pooches
Points +26
The food is OK but the Health Dept gave bad review - Edit
I've eaten dinner here several times with other vegetarian friends. We all thought the food was good but not the best Indian food we've ever had. The menu is quite extensive, all vegetarian. Servers could 'somewhat' explain dishes that we didn't know about. Most of the dishes we tried were fresh and flavorful but my friends commented that the dosa was mediocre. (We tried several)
Read moreI was quite concerned when local news said that the Health Department gave it very bad marks with many major violations. I have not been back since. (About 6 months ago.) Has anyone been there recently? I'd like to know how Udupi is doing and if they''ve literally cleaned up their act before I make the long drive.
Pros: All vegetarian, Large portion size, Better than average Indian food
Cons: Major violations cited by Health Dept.
Guest
klingsor
Points +75
Nice family owned restaurant, lots of yummy option - Edit
I had a day in Phoenix on a recent business trip. Looked on Happy Cow and found this place. Great lunch buffet with lots of options, and a handful of unusual items on the menu. I would definitely come here again.
Read morePros: Lots of buffet variety , Super friendly staff, Interesting menu
Guest
stxbill
Points +36
Food Greaat - Staff Rude - Edit
We have gone at least a dozen times, but the staff there has always been quite rude. Other than them treating us rather indifferently each time we go, we went in one time pretty close to closing time and to be polite (well, that and not feeling uncomfortable with them all standing there staring at us with their arms crossed) we offered to simply take the small amount of food left on our plates to go. They absolutely in no uncertain terms refused to allow us to take even a grain of rice out of the place. We of course finished because we NEVER waste food, and left. We prefer the Cafe Krishna by far and away, even though it is a 10 or 12 mile farther drive for us. To be fair, the food at Udupi is really, really good, but we just don't get a great feeling from the staff like we do at Krishna.
Read morePros: Convenient location, Great Food and selection, 100% vegetarian
Cons: Rude staff, A bit Pricey, One dosai per person limit
Guest
macrocpa
Points +69
Great buffet - Edit
This is a favorite of ours in Tempe. Can't go wrong w/all the vegan options at the buffet. Great way to experience all the food and then they make masala dosa just for you
Read morePros: Good value, friendly staff, Good food
Guest
jlo5616
Points +226
Disappointing - Edit
I had heard a lot of hype about how good Udupi is. I LOVE Indian food so I had high hopes. I went during the typical lunch hour buffet and was rather disappointed. The buffet was the smallest Indian buffet I had ever been to; there were 2 entrees, 2 breads and 2 rices (white or saffron). The entrees were LOADED with cilantro... I am not a huge cilantro fan, I can handle the average amount in most Indian food, but this was so ridiculously overloaded with cilantro I decided to walk out! I was really disappointed, perhaps having been spoiled by my hometown Indian buffet (Tandoor in Rochester, NY) that had at least 5 entrees and then lots of little appetizers, rices, soups, fresh fruit, salad, and breads. I went to Green Restaurant just up the street and had the BEST samosa I have ever had instead. I will say Udupi is EXCELLENT in their labeling on the buffet though - every item was labeled whether or not it was vegan - and they brought out fresh food when when trays were emptied.
Read morePros: Labels vegan food, Fresh food
Cons: Small selection, Overly spiced
Guest
vegan4theloveofitall
Points +47
Wonderful Array of Vegan Choices! - Edit
Ate at the Sunday buffet. We were very impressed! What a joy to find a buffet that was about 90% vegan. Everything was delicious -- and there was a wide range of dishes. Service was very friendly and efficient.
Read morePros: large number of vegan options, tasty dishes
Guest
Rox
Points +40
Eat like a Cow... - Edit
I love this place for Indian food. Honestly I don't know what I've ordered here by it's "official name" maybe "thali" but I tell the server I'm vegan and would like the veg combo plate.... and so far it has been fabulous each time. Sooo many little dishes that are all vegan AND tasty. I feel like a cow, so much to taste, so much I want to eat! The service is friendly and prompt. I live about 30 minutes away but the commute is worth it...everytime.
Read moreI must do the lunch buffet someday : )
Pros: Food Taste/ Texture/ Quantity, Food Variety/ Selection, Great Service
Cons: Only One Location
Guest
Roethke
Points +60
Best Indian Food In AZ - Edit
Hands down, best Indian I've ever had, and most of the menu is vegan. The spare decor is totally made up for by the sumptuous meals, great service, and accomodation kitchen.
Read morePros: friendly staff, great hours, amazing food
Guest
jkbartol
Points +32
Awesome! - Edit
I am shocked no one has reviewed this place yet. It seems like this place has die-hard fans and frequent return customers. Their daily all you can eat vegetarian buffets are phenomenal and their special weekend buffets and holiday buffets are even better. 100% vegetarian and the majority of their menu is vegan. Their menu is huge the service is awesome the people are great. AUTHENTIC INDIAN Some of the best food I have ever had. I eat their weekly I love it so much. I have brought my picky family and friends who are either non vegetarian or non-vegan and they loved it too. I have brought friends from vegetarian utopias such as SanFrancisco or New York and they think it's a real gem. I have yet to encounter an option on the menu that either I or a fellow patron doesn't like. I have eaten at many vegetarian restaurants in many different states and countries and Udupi makes me feel proud of where we live and restores confidence that we can compete with some of the more culturally affluent and intellectually progressive places of this world. I still can't believe I am the first to write a review . . . try the gobi manchurian, chilly gobi, or veggie biriyani!
Read morePros: Diverse menu, Large portions
Cons: Menu can be intimidating 4 first timers
Guest
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