Udupi Palace

RIP, Udupi Palace. You’ve been razed down and replaced with a Walgreen’s. Not a fair exchange at all. Operations have moved to Tiffin, your worthy relation, but it’s just not the same.
I’m not a vegetarian, but the real cachet of dining in your restaurant was that you didn’t smell meat. The sheer variety of entrees at Udupi was unsurpassed. At Tiffin, what we get are the highlights, not the mushroom-​spinach dosai that was my. favorite, not the carrot halwa that was a delight to my lactose intolerant soul.
You are missed. This Friday night option is sorely missed.

UDUPI PALACE HAS BEEN DEMOLISHED! And with it goes most of my heart and soul! I can’t even begin to describe the disappointment and SORROW I felt when my boyfriend and I drove up to make our last visit before moving out of town. We had been going here regularly for 4 years. So regularly, that the staff always knew what we wanted. Oh Udupi, how you will be mourned: C
They were «merged» with Tiffin down the road, but it’s just a façade. The cook at Tiffin does northern Indian food, while Udupi was southen (and way better).

I came here with a friend when we were both vegan for lent.
I got a spinach and mushroom dosai and freakin. it was GIMUNGOUS! The dosai that my friend got was equally titanic.
It’s a good thing I’m part-​cow so I have multiple stomachs, but even with my genetic deformity I was hard pressed to finish the entire dosai! The chutney was freakin awesome too.
Definitely going again soon. This time I’ll be off my vegan-Daniel’s fast so I’ll be able to sample from the little bakery that they have at the entrance. Can’t wait!

My landlady who had spent a year in the peace corps in India, recommended that my classmate and I go to Udupi. Although I am pretty clueless when it comes to Indian food (even how to eat it), I thought I would give it a try.
I wasn’t too blown away by this restaurant. My classmate who knows her Indian food also agreed with me (we talked about giving this place ³⁄₅ stars. haha.) For an appetizer, we got the Idly. It was okay… not that I really knew (my landlady proceeded to mash hers all around, while my classmate and I took small bites), but it was okay. We then ordered the Onion & Hot chili Uthappam and the Channa Batura.
The Uthappam was actually pretty okay, and I liked how it was spicy. It reminded me of a Chinese green onion pancake. The Channa Batura was also okay. I’m not sure what it was missing. Some type of kick or wow factor? I did, however, like the masala tea.
This place is definitely hidden in the middle of a strip plaza. and would be an okay place to satisfy a craving. Maybe next time I’m in the area I’ll try something else…
Perhaps we ordered the wrong specialties. I had wanted to try the curry, but had no room for that. Udupi Palace also has a ton of rich desserts in a glass case… which my companions did not want to eat… so i did not try those as well.

This place is great! Tastes like the vegetarian food I got while in Tamil Nadu and Ahndra Pradesh last spring, although sadly is costs a little more than the 40 cents I paid for a meal in India… The biggest bang for your buck is the buffet! It is really fun to go with a big group of friends and chow down on the delicious cuisine. If you want to sample a variety of items at night, go for multi-​item thali. I particularly recommend the South Indian version they have! It is something like $ 18, but you get around 12 different items, roti, and rice. There were enough leftovers for lunch the next day.
Really great!

Excellent vegetarian Indian lunch buffet! Lots of options to choose from, like curry vegetable dishes, kidney bean dish, carrot and beet salad and several other choices with soup and salad. My only complaint would be no vegetable samosas or dessert :(but none the less everything else was excellent. I will have to come back to try the menu for dinner.

This restaurant has excellent vegetarian dishes. I’m a big meat eater and tend to have some sort of meat with most meals, but I was not disappointed after leaving Udupi. Each dish I’ve tried has been very flavorful (some can be spicy, so be careful if you’re not feeling the spicy). The staff are friendly and fairly attentive. You may struggle a bit when it comes to ordering. I’ve been here quite a few times and I tend to have to repeat my order to the waiter at least three times. This may be my fault, but patience is expected.
I’ve never had their buffet — only ordered from the menu. My favorite dish is paneer mahkni, and anything with eggplant or potatoes is delicious. The mango chutney is also very good. There’s also a dessert shop near the entrance of the store that has a wide selection of little treats to nibble on after lunch or dinner.

I came here with friends for the buffet. We were not disappointed. We had plenty of food, and there was something for everyone. When an entire restaurant is vegetarian, I don’t have to worry about which dishes I can eat – the answer is simply everything. I must have had at least a few scoops of everything on the buffet.
The service is what you’d expect for a buffet, somewhere between lax and negligent, and they have put correspondingly little effort into decorating, but this place is clearly just focusing on the food, which I’m happy to report was delicious.
I don’t know when I’ll be back – this part of Takoma Park isn’t exactly near the metro, nor is it a place I frequent – but should I find myself in the area again and hungry, I’ll definitely swing by.

The parking is from hell. Be very careful when driving here because the strip it is on has the highest rate of pedestrian deaths in the entire region due to the custom of the local immigrant community of walking into traffic. It is very easy to drive by and not see it because the storefront is small and tucked away in a non-​descript strip mall surrounded by the types of businesses that make white people nervous.
All vegetarian, with a sweet shop in front. Udupi is authentic, which means it can be difficult to communicate with the staff. When they say something is not too hot, you cannot trust them. The menu is extensive, but many of the dishes sound identical.
I have been here many times, and have had mixed results. My fav is the cheese dosai. Watch out for anything with Indian pickles — super hot! I actually prefer the nearby Woodlawn vegetarian restaurant, but stopped going there because people were attacked with machetes in the parking lot. I am not making this up.
Mango lassi is good. Pass on the ice creams. Chai is just okay.
I always see other customers in saris here, which is a good sign. This is a fun place to come with a group because you can try lots of stuff, and they are happy to put tables together for you.

If I could marry a restaurant, Udupi Palace would be front-​runner for my groom. I love this place. It’s South Indian cuisine, which means the food is vegetarian. The menu is extensive and I haven’t been disappointed with anything I’ve ever ordered.
The appetizers are all pretty standard fare — like pakora (breaded veggies), patties of chickpeas and lentils, and delicious little vada (savory donuts). Everything comes with chutneys, my favorite is the coconut-​based one. Mmm. They have a few major types of entrees. The dosai are like giant crispy crepes stuffed with fillings like potatoes, onion, peas, and/​or cheese. They have a variety of uthappam, which are like savory pancakes studded with veggies. And they have the usual assortment of curries. Their paneer (cheese) dishes are some of my favorites. And everything comes with yet more chutney, as well as raita (a yogurt-​based condiment) and spicy pickled lemons. They offer a few different thali, which are multi-​course meals with options. These are a LOT of food, but a great way to try various dishes. They also offer a variety of delicious breads to accompany your meal.
They have a lunch buffet every day with a rotating assortment of dishes. The weekend buffet is more extensive but a few dollars more expensive. We alternate between the buffet and ordering from the dinner menu — each has its strengths. Sometimes I’d like a lot of variety, other times I just want to order my favorites.
The atmosphere is casual, and they recently changed their walls to a cheery yellow from their old Pepto-​pink color. The waiters are friendly and efficient, and they leave a big carafe of ice water on every table. I wish more restaurants would do this! If you save some room, the front of the restaurant is a sweets shop featuring a variety of classic Indian sweets that are sold by the pound. We sometimes pick up a few items for take-​out.
I love Udupi Palace. It’s my favorite vegetarian Indian restaurant. Now I want some paneer… and it’s almost midnight. Damn.

I actually came across this place when I got lost in the area and was hungry deciding to just rest a bit from being a little frazzled I went inside and I was greeted. I sat down and they gave me different little dishes of peppers from mild to really really spicy from hot oil to paste. A good amount of their menu is made for vegetarians. I got some vegetable samosas, mango juice, Special rava Masala Dosai and finished all of that off with Badam halwa. Tip: when something is too spicy eat bread. it works b/​c some of those last dishes of peppers were burn your tongue hot and I can usually handle the hottest but, this place had me beat!
I plan to go back soon, this time without the whole getting lost part.

On Feb. 25, I gave up meat for Lent. I became a raging ball of irritation and insatiation. No food was tasty enough or filling enough and everybody was getting on my nerves. It was like PMS with roid rage.
Thankfully, places like Udupi exist where dishes are vegetarian AND actually have punchy flavor AND can make you full without feeling bean-​bloated.
For many years, my family has come here every once in a while. sometimes on our own, sometimes as guests of a huge celebration, sometimes for the buffet… Last week, we went for dinner, so no buffet. We got a bunch of dishes though so I will run through them…
1. Masala Dosai — This is my parents’ usual go-​to order because it’s tasty, not too exotic for shy tastebuds, and cool looking. It’s a huge crêpe-​style pancake that’s crispy and has a yellowy potato/​onion type filling.
2. Vegetable Utthapam — This is described as a «pancake» with tomato, peas, carrot & onion. It’s kind of like a Korean been-​deh-​dduk. If you’re not Korean, that might not help. But if you are, this will make tons of sense. Comes with a spicy coconut chutney and sambar. Sambar is described as a lentil soup but I found it to be more like a teeny bowl of sauce.
3. Paneer Tikka Masala — I was so excited when I saw this on the menu because I freaking miss chicken tikka masala. Paneer is described as a «homemade cheese» but it doesn’t really taste cheesy at all. This dish was ok… definitely not as good as getting chicken tikka masala somewhere else though.
4. Channa Batura — Indian fry bread with a curried chickpea mush. Deep fried flat bread the size of a serving platter that becomes bubbly and crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside. Gawd I love deep fried food. The chickpeas tasted great too.
Service was attentive and friendly. The dishes all came out at different times, a minor complaint… The décor is not fancy, and not exactly McDonald’s… I’d say it’s comparable to putting chandeliers in a pink Pizza Hut. My biggest beef was with the bathrooms, where someone managed to completely miss the toilet and piss all over the floor. The pink tiles made it hard for me to see that until I stepped into it. Not cool.

This is my favorite restaurant. Period. Hands down. I no longer live in the area but I make a point to come eat here every time I’m in town.
All the dishes are vegetarian, which makes me happy, since I don’t eat meat, but my friends and family all enjoy the place as well. They have a juice bar where you can order fresh juices (I like pineapple-​orange, personally; they’re not cold though so be ready for that).
The menu is large and varied, specializing in South Indian food, which is different from the more typical North Indian stuff you might expect from an Indian restaurant. The dosai (big crêpe type things filled with potatoes) are very tasty and fun to eat. My favorite thing is the uttapam, big pancakes dotted with vegetables. Their curry dishes are excellent too.
Especially awesome is the lunch buffet — all you can eat of a huge variety of dishes, and they even come around and bring little mini dosai to your table!
The walls are bright and the atmosphere is jolly, though not fancy. I’ve never been here when it was crowded, and I’ve been here a lot, though I imagine it must happen sometimes. Come try it, you won’t regret it!

If I had to recommend an Indian place in the DC area, this would be it. Ignore the complete sketch of the neighborhood, the horrible traffic and the lack of parking. The food is completely worth all that. The best deal really is the lunch buffet. For $ 10 a person, I can fill up on deliciously spiced food and not be hungry the rest of the day. There is always plenty of naan (unfortunately, not fresh, but still good) and rice to complement the many entrée dishes available.
I’ve tried numerous items on their (very extensive) menu during dinner hours and have never been disappointed. I have taken meat-​eating friends here and they have never complained about the lack of meat in the dishes after their first bite. The wait staff are always attentive and friendly, and are more than willing to recommend dishes to someone unfamiliar with the menu.
And if you can manage it after stuffing yourself silly, try something from the dessert counter. Mmm.

Interior is nicer than Woodlands’ (which is catty corner) but the food isn’t as good. My dosa was soggy and not hot. The selection of condiments wasn’t as good either — no pickle? no tamarind? and the riata was pretty flavorless. Also, mind you, it’s a vegetarian buffet for $ 9 and you have to drive there.
I didn’t try any desserts from the counter, but they looked tasty.

I’m one of those folks who truly appreciates good «ethnic foods». (Really what does that mean?) Anywho, I was introduced to the fabulousness that is Udupi Palace about a year ago by a good friend. I was looking for some good vegetarian foods to enjoy. No I’m not a full vegetarian (I do eat fish & dairy) but sometimes I get tired of the salads, etc. Eating sides at every function gets old after a while. Can someone hand me an entrée please?
So yeah, international foods have always been my favorites. I can appreciate cultures that can infuse good seasonings on some veggies that make my mouth water. And UP does just that. I mean it is DELICIOUS! I’ve tried quite a few things off the menu, and everything, and I do mean everything, is to die for! And I do have to give a shoutout on that Naan… drooling on my keyboard now.
I’ve never had an opportunity to dine in, I’ve always ordered to go. Rest assured dine in options are just as good, the place is always packed. And one of my markers for truly authentic good food is whether folks of the same culture frequent the restaurant. And they do, it seems to be a family affair in the seating area.
So enough of my rambling, get yourself to this place quick, the next time you have a hankering for some mouth watering delicious Indian food. Trust me, you won’t miss the meat!

I’m not too fond of vegetarian cuisine — shocking, I know. So when I say I left Udupi Palace satisfied and give it 4 stars, you can bet you’re in for some good Indian cuisine. I can’t possibly give this place 5 stars b/​c, well, they don’t have meat and that would break the Carnie Code of Conduct and violate the Carnivore Crew’s Terms of Service.
Food — My wife and I came here b/​c we called Tiffin and they didn’t have chicken tikka masala on the buffet, which is a no-​no in our book. The lunch buffet is $ 8.95 ($ 1 cheaper than Tiffin) and runs from 11:30am to 3pm. The flavors were exciting and surprisingly, I didn’t miss the meat too much. The buffet layout makes sense as you start off w/​all the carbs (basmati rice, naan, 2 other bun-​like items) and move on to the rest, which you just pour on top of the carbs. The following dishes were available:
Yellow Dal — I’m not a big fan of Dal, but it was good
Spinach Mushroom Curry — excellent w/​plenty of kick
Cabbage Poriyal — mostly for texture
Squash & Black Eye Peas — Hey mama! This the beats that make you groove.
Kadai Tofu — tasty! Had chunks of green peppers
Chana Masala — good flavor, but I’m, not a big fan of chick peas
Mutter Paneer — Best dish on the buffet! Peas + cheese in a delectable sauce that had just the right amount of kick. The consistency of the sauce was a bit odd, however.
For dessert, they had Carrot Halwa, which was very good. There’s also a mild and a spicy soup available, though I wasn’t too fond of either of them. They have an excellent tamarind chutney that goes well with all the dishes, but you have to request it. They also provide two thingamabobs at your table — I have no idea what they are called, but they look like giant flautas and taste like samosas (
).
Note: There’s also a lunch buffet on Sat/​Sun for $ 10.95.
Service — Ok, the pitcher of water on your table is convenient, so if you’re thirsty, you have no one to blame but your lazy self, but there’s something lacking when you never make eye contact with your server since they come remove your plates while you go back up for another plate.
Location — Yes, the parking sucks and this part of Takoma Park has jayrunners (as opposed to jaywalkers). The interior is massive and they have two setups for a group of 20, so definitely great for groups. Heck, bring your whole office in here and go to war on your office sewage system.
There’s also a bakery when you enter the restaurant (
).We’ve never had burfee before, so the guy gave us some samples. It tastes like frosting. Btw, if you don’t know what the desserts are, don’t expect any help from the sales guy.
Me: So what’s burfee?
Über Helpful Guy: Oh, we have mango burfee, and chocolate, and almond burfee…*proceeds to name all the different burfee flavors but neglects to tell me what it is*
Me: Ummmm… ok…so, what’s this kanlakan thing?
UGH: Oh… this one… is different dessert, sir. Is very good. Very different…
Me: Uhhhh… ok…how about baklava? What’s that?
UHG: Well, sir. this one very different from burfee, sir. Is very good, and different from kanlakan…
Me: …
We got one of the kanlakan (I’m probably not spelling that right) which was greasy as anything and a baklava ($ 075), neither of which was very good. The desserts are $ 7/​lb, cashews $ 9/​lb, and hot mix, which I’m sure if different and very food, is $ 7.50/lb.
Note: Udupi owns Tiffin. No, not pwns, but they own them. If they could combine Tiffin’s meats with Udupi’s veggies, it would be my favorite Indian buffet.

Absolutely 5 stars for food, service and the desserts… don’t miss the desserts before you leave – take home a box for your friends!
I hate the location, but everything else about Udupi Palace is fantastic. I haven’t been there in some time and was just reminded (by a review here on Unilocal) that I need to find a reason to drive in that direction once in a while.
It’s the best Indian food I have had outside of 6^th St. in NYC.

I always wondered what I could possibly eat if I ever decided to go vegetarian. «How many ways can you prepare tofu?» I asked. I always thought that, without meat, a meal is really boring… But thanks to Udupi Palace, I realize that there is a world of variety!
Today was a rare day when I got a pretty sizeable lunch break, so my coworker and I decided that this would be the day to visit Udupi. I was attracted by the $ 10 buffet, and by the fact that I’d have a new place to Unilocal about :) We were the first ones there at 11:30, but there was a steady stream of people, and the restaurant was half-​full by the time we left at 12:15.
I knew I’d never be able to remember the names of the dishes that made up this pretty sizeable buffet. I’ll just say that I had things that I’d never had before (I know I’m totally risking losing «useful» points here!) and it was truly delicious, even for a person without a very developed Indian palate.
I also appreciated the JUG of water that they left at our table, and promptly replaced with another full jug once they saw that the first one was down to about ¾ empty (¼ full?).
If you ever find yourself on New Hampshire inside the Beltway looking for a cheap ethnic dining experience, I highly recommend coming to Udupi!

We wrapped up our tour of Indian markets with a «snack» at Udupi Palace. I think my husband was sold mostly by the offering of a vegetarian Mulligatawny soup. So, in we went.
It was barely 4 pm, and we had all the makings in the car for a fabulous chicken curry dinner, so we decided to just get a few items. We got the appetizer assortment, some alu paratha, and the soup. I ended up being pretty stuffed!
The appetizer assortment was a variety of fried things, served with several dipping sauces, including a tamarind sauce, a mint-​cilantro sauce, a lentil sauce, and a coconut sauce. All of the sauces were delicious, and a great excuse to keep eating fried things. There were two different kinds of lentil donuts, an onion pakora, a vegetable samosa, and something with red lentils. I tried it all, and it was all good. The alu paratha was stuffed with peas, carrots and potatoes, and I could easily see that being a poor student’s perfect meal.
The Mulligatawny soup was very light — the broth was a very nice vegetable broth, and it was light in color, presumably because of the lack of beef. I liked it a lot.
In the end, our «snack» was very filling. The waiter was nonplussed that we didn’t want a curry to go with our appetizers, and no doubt we would have been wise to have tasted at least one of their curry dishes, but it just wasn’t the right day for it. We’ll come back on our next round of Indian market tours, and either try the curries here, or go down the street a hundred feet and try Tiffin, their non-​vegetarian restaurant sister.