Chaat Shop

I won’t go in or try to vouch for the authenticity of the Indian food as many have attempted here, my 5 stars are purely based on the stellar taste of the food made with Indian spices. Top of my list is Green Chile Chicken Chickpea Stew, I have eaten it at least 3 times now. Chef & Owner Joshua has created a gem that I have not even tasted in India. Insider tip — Order it with a spoon of clarified butter, CS, maybe you should make it the default, lest someone has diary allergies.
The Vada Pav and Samosa chaat are both equally good. Vegetarian, yes, either one will fill you up very well. Be quick to eat the Vada Pav as the tamarind sauce will make the buns soggy. I have tried the beef puffs, but I would get any of the 3 above dishes over it, definitely worth trying though.
I’m sorry I cannot offer any insights to the classics — Bhel Puri, Pani Puri or Vada Pav. I go straight for the fore mentioned Chicken Stew.
Stop here, enjoy a cocktail from Wonderland while you get yourself a little taste of India!

Best Indian chaat, non oily, super tasty and just nom nom. A little pricey for chaat imo. Would definitely go back to Austin just for this. I’m very impressed that a non Indian is the man behind the scenes, aces in my book. I think it’s better than what Indians cook. Thank you for the good food man!

Okay finally found a chaat place. I’m surprised there are like only 2 in entire Austin area. Let me give credit to chef Joshua Thomas. The puri’s are excellent and well made unlike the ones you get at Indian stores which are made of a different flour.
Bhelpuri was a star attraction and I liked it as much as a bhelpuri I have had in India. Paanipuri even though well presented left me disappointed with the tasteless water (paani). Samosas are alright, there are better around Austin area. But I think I can go to this place only yo eat bhelpuri every time.

I get this stuff every time I go to Wonderland and am never disappointed. The staff is friendly and the food is unique and DELICIOUS. Try everything!

I’m upping this place from a 4 to a 5. Why? Because my taste buds are delirious with delight, screaming out to whoever might pass by that they need to eat at Chaat Shop, stat.
I decided to try chaat shop again today. Specifically pani puri. Why? Because pani puri has so many ways of being ruined. Unfresh puris, old oil, too much sweet sauce, too little spice –you name it. I wanted a good litmus test for this very aromatic food truck.
First happy point — My dish was handled to me disassembled. I read a review where the reviewer was unhappy about this, but let me say — pani puri should come disassembled. (Dahi puri shouldn’t — not that they serve it)
The puris were fresh and crispy. I was a little disappointed they robbed me of the joy of smashing my own puri, but hey, it was a little less work that way. I was going to count the number of puris to report to you Unilocalers, but damn — I lost count after two. I ate them all too fast and forgot to count (see above note about delirious taste buds).
The chickpeas were nicely cooked and topped with a smattering of fresh bhel. The «pani» was a little thicker than you would get at a street corner in India, and truly flavorful. Tangy, mildly sweet, and very fresh. I might have opted for a touch more heat, but it was delicious nevertheless.
As I gobbled my pani puris down one after the other, dutifully filling them with chickpeas, then the chutney, and shoving them whole in my mouth, I realized that they were landing not just on my taste buds, but deep in the recesses of my nostalgia. This may not be identical to a street corner in Delhi, but the taste was every bit as delicious.

The food Gods bestow their love abundantly sometimes: in the Indian food desert of East Austin, here lies an oasis serving Indian street food. It’s quasi secret locale behind the bar provides some joy of ‘discovery.’
The menu is short with few derigueur menu items. They do have samosas, though. Everything I’ve tried this delicious with lots of new flavors. Many items are great for snacking or taking to a potluck.

Chaat Shop is another good bar+trailer combination in East Austin. Parking is not difficult to find — $ 1 on Sat night. It is behind Wonderland pub.
Small menu — they have now gotten rid of the the lentil rice cakes (several pics in the reviews) — I opted for Pav Bhaji and Vada Pav.
Firstly, the dishes looked nothing like original — however, I was pleasantly suprised by the taste and spice level.
The Pav bhaji was made with Hawaiian buns (closed to Indian Paav — unless you are in Houston, where they make something similar) and had bhaji between the buns. If you really go down to the streets of Mumbai (where Pav bhaji originated), this is more how the dish «Masala Pav» is served. Nevertheless, it was quite tasty and spicy. I would not put cucumbers and mint on Pav Bhaji, but hey — every chef is allowed to put their twist on things.
The Vada Pav is really a batterred deep fried spicy potato ball inside a bun with chutneys (sweet or spicy) inside it. Here, it was more of a mild version of their Pav bhaji. Also tried their bhel puri — which was pretty close to authentic.
Liked the vibe, lighting, ambiance and service. I am cutting one star due to price, small portions for $ 8.5 is a little steep, especially if you’re not cooking with organic or gluten free ingredients. After all, you are eating in disposables on picnic tables. Enjoy

This little gem was a real surprise. I’m not sure if his vegetable ingredients are local but they are truly fresh and taste organic. I’ve had a lot of Indian food in my day, and this is the best restaurant style Indian good I’ve had, ever. It’s not comparable to homemade, but still amazing. Most dishes can be made vegan or gluten free. I had the samosa chaat and it was worth every penny. The flavor was rewarding and rich. The serving size was average. Dessert options minimal, complete with mango lassi.

Some of the best Indian food I have ever had. Incredibly tasty, good prices, and the best staff. We went at sort of an off time so there was no crowd and the woman working was awesome at explaining the dishes and helping us find things we would like.
Needless to say everything was awesome and we will be going back… Often!

I was really impressed with Chaat Shop. The flavors are bright and fresh, and incredibly flavorful. This is definitely not your typical Indian food, more like street food you would find in Mumbai. The skirt steak rice bowl was rich, spicy and bold. I will be back soon.

I felt silly ordering a chicken taco at an Indian food stand but after the first bite I was in heaven! It was tandoori chicken of course! And essentially wrapped in a thin naan-​like tortilla. I would have kept eating if I wasn’t so full after eating one of those, one samosa (giant and delicious and $ 6), and some bites of the Idly Fry ($ 6). If I lived in Austin I would be here ALL THE TIME.

This is some of the best Indian food, nay, some of the best FOOD you will ever taste! Rich with flavor and spiced just right, it seems hard to go wrong with anything on the menu… For my first visit I tried to create a well-​rounded experience, sharing a number of dishes with friends. Included were the samosa chaat (fantastic), the spicy beef puffs (a light flaky perfect medium between southern-​style biscuits and filo-​dough filled with the perfect flavored curry gravy), the vada pav (toasted to crisp hawaiian rolls and a loaded potato patty), and the idly fry (crispy rice sticks reminiscent of carnival corn dogs meets indian french fries). Get wild with the sauces and chutneys, dipping whatever you can get your hands on into whichever one! In just one trip my life has changed, and numerous Austin Indian food restaurants have been pushed aside. A reason to go to Wonderland!

Only in Austin for a few days but my stop at chaatshop was highlight of trip. Top notch bhel puri, mango lassis, and incredible spicy beef puffs.

YES CHAAT.
Had it not given me food coma, I’d return every week for this.
Garlic chicken, also a winner.
Then the unfortunate loser, Mango Lassi. Tastes like low fat/​skim milk. I wish when I asked the cashier, he would have told me up front to stick to the food because the drink is just mediocre. Would have saved $ 4 I could put to try another food. Sad because I love washing down my spicy food worth a good lassi. Hoping this is something they can improve on, otherwise I’m not touching the drink menu here.

AMAZINGGGG FOOD!
Being Indian, its always hard to find the most authentic indian chaat food in Austin. That being said, Chaat Shop is the closest it gets to the real deal!
4 of us went over to the Wonderland on a Sunday evening and ordered most of the menu including the fried idly, bhel puri, samosa chaat & the vada pav. My absolute fav for the evening was the bhel puri — so light and refreshing and cool in your mouth on a nice summer evening out! Amazing! The Sambhar that accompanies the frid idly is so good, I asked for extras and drank every last drop of it! Must try if you are out and about on the East Side!
I am def going back like IMMEDIATELY! It helps that the staff is so friendly and smiley and welcoming. Joshua the chef is awesome!

I keep seeing Chaat shop in pictures of various food truck festivals and events, so I am going to assume this means they are experience the success they deserve for being an awesome Indian food truck.
Indian street food is somewhat new to me and the first time I tried it, I definitely had that «where have you been all my life?» moment. I mean, most of it is carby and fried, and how can you not love that?
If you already enjoy Indian, you’ll find this place to be solid and authentic. The menu isn’t huge, but it has enough variety and minimizes the struggle of the indecisive. The chaat boxes are great and offer A LOT of food, so if you’re not starving, expect to have leftovers, so far, out of the maybe… 12 or so different kinds of samosas I’ve tried, these ones rank maybe 3^rd, after Ken’s and Hot Breads.
The Bhel Puri is awesome, particularly if you want the lighter side of carby and fried. It’s a mixture of fried things (rice and other grains or legumes), topped with a bit of sweet sauce and cilantro. It’s actually refreshing and not too heavy, and you can get a snack portion or the box with a huge pile of it.
The first time we ate here, a few of us got different dishes and sampled — everything I tried was really fresh and tasty. I would highly recommended tracking this truck down and trying it next time you’re craving Indian.

This was my first visit to wonderland austin. i just loved the ambience here! .its nice and relaxed .
I was pretty impressed with the chaat shop .was intially skeptical about trying chaat stuff. but to my surprise it was really good n fresh. loved the bhel puri. samosa chaat was good too .but was a little too tangy for me. the owner was really nice n welcomed my suggestions. And the best part of this place is the open air seating. n bar next to the chaat shop! Draft beer was great… overall a perfect place to be .if you love so try some indian snacks along with some booze. you gotta try it to believe man!

I was really excited about eating here. I regularly eat chaat, once a week +. I had a friend and fellow Unilocaler come with me, Thao E.
You get a disassembled chaat, which I don’t like. I get it is a food truck and possibly worried about things getting soggy, but… we ate them right there and maybe my expectations killed the experience for me. I ordered the pani puri. Normally this is a chaat with little hollowed wheat shells, each one filled with veggies & herbs and then topped with chutneys. Instead, we got a box with the empty shells in it and the sauces on the side. So we had to fill them ourselves and then top them. This is like ordering a frito pie at a restaurant and then being handed a bag of fritos, an empty plate and, some cheese and chili — assembly required.
They forgot to include the beef puffs we ordered, we didn’t get to try them and they had just ended service when we noticed.
The mango lassi was good.
For me, this place missed the mark a bit.
On a good note, i like that they keep up with their twitter feed and let their customers know their weekly schedule. The customer service was good. The truck itself looks cool.
UPDATE 8÷3÷14 — The owner Joshua, reached out to me with an incredibly nice message about my review. I think that owner response is worth A LOT and have rarely gotten any reaction from owners to my reviews, good or bad. He confirmed the shell sogginess is why they leave the chaat unfilled and I get it, even if I don’t love it. Josh went above and beyond in his message to offer me both a refund and another shot at a pani puri. You got a deal, brother! I will definitely be back to give it another go and wish the Chaat Shop well!

I have been meaning to try this place out for sometime now.
We ordered the following from the menu (there for lunch):
1. pani puri
2. samosa chaat
3. bhel-​puri
4. idly fry
The pani puri had *no* pani (flavored spicy water)-overall really bland and not the explosion of flavors it is supposed to be. I don’t think they should call it pani puri anyone who has had pain puri will say the same.
The samosa had been re-​fried before being served to us.
I want to be kind and say the bhelpuri was pretty decent –but it was really bland and tasted like everything on the menu.
The idly fry was not to my taste.
The Chutney-​flavorful with grated coconut!
I had the chicken rice-​it was good!
I understand that it might take time to get it all right.

Great new addition to the Barton Springs Food Court! Different from other Indian cuisine around town because they focus on Indian snack food. Make sure you order the Idly Fry.