Chat Patti

I was travelling down Briarcliff one day with my Desi buddy and told me to turn into a shopping center that looked as barren as the Sahara. I thought he was going to take me to a dumpster and end it right then and there, but he took us to Chat Patti instead (I was kind of nervous at first!).

He said it was his treat, and to just try what he was getting me.

After seeing all of the pictures on the wall and the food in front of us, I was wondering, "what in the hell could he possibly be getting?"

He got himself a Chai tea (which I wanted to try), and he gave a space age cone that looked like a painful butt plug. But it was the exact opposite- it was Malai Kulfi- a cardamom flavored ice cream stick, in a plastic shell- how cool!

The first bite took getting used to (as I didn't know what the hell they put into it, could have been strychnine for all I know), but then I fell in love! Why don't I see this more often at Indian restaurants? Then the thought came to me, "all the damn employees would probably eat them!"

They have a lot of food here, and it seems to be priced well. The place stays clean too. Looks like a solid option for some Desi food close(er) to the city.

If this is the only place I can find Malai Kufli, then it looks like I will be back!

Chat Patti specializes in Gujarati Indian food.

The papdi chaat was amazing (5 stars). It was simultaneously super spicy, refreshingly cool, very sweet, savoury, and crunchy. The combination of crispy wafers, yogurt, sweet tamarind chutney, coriander chutney, moong dal, and potatoes was extraordinary. I'm a huge fan! The portion was large, filling, and only $4.99 + tax.

On the other hand, the veg-thali (3 stars and $8.99 + tax) failed to impress; I found it mediocre. Its vegetables were too spicy for me, and I disliked the channa masala (chickpeas). Beware the innocent looking vada (doughnut) that comes with the veg-thali. The vada is the spiciest one of all, and drinking one whole bottle of water failed to extinguish the fire in my mouth. However I did enjoy the puri (puffy bread), and the rice was not bad.

Don't expect to find meat here. It's a vegetarian restaurant.

Bring cash unless if you plan to spend over $10. Chat Patti is in the same strip mall as Cafe Bombay.

I've been going to this place for like 10 years now with my family...

I've tried most of the menu, and I was around before they did the buffet. I haven't tried it but I'm sure it's great. I've never had a bad meal here, and it's all the stuff I used to eat on the streets in Bombay (chaat, pani puri) or the dishes my grandma cooked for me (dosas, puris!)

I leave long gaps between coming here for some reason, so whenever I go, I'm always craving my usual, the dahi sev puri...

It's divine.
It's little fried hollowed out puff balls, filled with potatoes, and then loaded on with chutneys of varying spices, topped with yogurt (I always ask for extra cuz it gets a little spicy) cilantro, and some crunchy stuff on top.
I always eat each puff ball and then scoop up all the yummy toppings that have fallen to the side at the end!

Their dosas are good (delicious chutney with it), as is their pav bhaji, puris, samosas, and veg thali. My mom's favorite is the papdi chaat, which is the same thing as mine, minus the yogurt (but why would you ever minus the yogurt?!)

This place is vegetarian, but it's so good you won't miss meat whatsoever (this coming from a girl who loves her beef).

They also have all the traditional Indian 'soft drinks', like Limca (think gingery Sprite) and Thumbs Up (a grossly carbonated version of Coke), and the mango Maaza is better than the lassi, in my opinion.

And now they've started offering the eggless cakes from Hot Breads, that are also delicious. My favorite is the chocolate!

This place is extremely reasonably priced. I love that they have kept the same prices even though their business has gotten so much better and they've made so many additions. The owners always remember us and what we want.

Everytime I come here, I wonder why I don't come more often. Need to go back and get my fill on dosas and puris... :)

Whenever we come to Atlanta, the bf and I like to always try a different restaurant. This time, we ended up at Chat Patti, my idea, specifically because they had kachori chaat.

The first thing we noticed was the main man of the restaurant. Think Bollywood circa 70s. The look, the hair, the eyebrows, possibly even the makeup, was just something to look at.

The food was just ok to us, though. I got the kachori solo instead of the chaat. Pissed me off. It was not a kachori. It was a puri. And instead of being stuffed with dal, it was just a coating of dal flavor. So if you're like me, and you love kachoris, then you will be highly disappointed.

We also got the chola bhatura, Mysore masala dosa, and the thali. The bhaturas were too greasy, but the chole was ok. The dosa was too soft. Dosas in India are nice and crunchy. The thali was typical Gujarati food. At least it was not too sweet. The best part of the meal was that the thali came with papdi chaat. Yuuuuummmmm.

All in all, it was ok. Nothing to get excited about for a next trip, though.

We had a hard time deciding what to order b/c honestly, a lot of the dishes sounded similar to each other. The pictures of the food were displayed on the wall and frankly, they looked similar to each other too. Thankfully we had the reviews to help narrow down the choices. The two ladies behind the counter were not very friendly - normally I'd assume maybe it's just a bad day but based on the reviews, it looks like these ladies are just not nice people all the time :(

According to the website, their food is North Indian, South Indian, & Gujarati style. This place is also all-vegetarian. The food was actually pretty good. We were careful not to order anything that was too spicy esp. after reading Michael L's comment about the food being "ridiculously spicy." We shared 3 dishes for 2 people, which was plenty of food - and b/c the food is inexpensive too, this place is great for sharing and trying different dishes.

DAHI SEV PURI - $5.49
This dish is served cold, and had several cup-shaped fried flour crisps filled w/ fried flour noodles, potatoes, onions, split beans, and covered w/ spicy sauce and yogurt. The flavor was very good, and a combination of sweet & spicy.

SAMOSA CHAAT - $5.49
Probably my favorite among the three. Samosas topped w/ spiced chickpeas, and covered w/ spicy sauce and yogurt. Also good flavors.

MASALA DOSA - $6.49
Asked for the mildest version, and the lady recommended Masala Dosa which is a rice and lentil crepe filled w/ spiced potatoes and onions. Very good. It also came w/ a small cup of vegetable-like soup and a mint chutney dipping sauce - they were just ok.

Overall the food is pretty good and I'd probably come again, despite the unfriendly service. I'd like to try the Papdi Chaat and Vegi Thali. I remember coming here several years ago and thinking the food was "interesting". By the way, zero ambiance. And pay for your food after you're done eating. Based on the other reviews, you'll need to spend $10 minimum if you want to use a credit card.

FYI - they're in the same strip mall as Cafe Bombay and Queen of Sheba.

Chat Patti doesn't have curb appeal.

In fact, you probably would have assumed that the shopping complex were abandoned if it weren't for the cluster of cars parked around Chat Patti's store front.

What does Chat Patti have? Incredible vegetarian South Indian food, served fast.

For $9.99, vegetable thali is a must. You'll get a wide array of Indian delights from curried chickpeas to yummy dal soup!

If the thali isn't enough for you, have no fear of ordering from the "snacks" section of the menu, everything is vegetarian!

My only taste complaint is that on my last visit, the samosa chat was a bit soggy (samosa chat=indian nachos=awesomeness).

In terms of sustainability, Chat Patti unfortunately uses disposable plastic flatware and water cups -- that, coupled with Styrofoam to-go containers, gives Chat Patti 1 star for sustainability. I get that it's a super casual fast food environment, but it's 2012 people -- compostable flatware, dishes, and to-go containers are readily available!

All in all, I highly recommend Chat Patti! Next time you're there though, remind them how easy it is to switch to sustainable flatware/dishes =)

This is my father-in-law's favorite restaurant in Atlanta, so we always go there when he is in town. This is a 100% vegetarian Indian restaurant that serves food from various Indian regions. It is a cheap place where you order at the counter and sit at one of the cramped tables. The decor is actually pretty decent after they did a renovation last year.

The menu is huge but it has descriptions of each item, in case you don't know what anything is. There are also pictures of the items on the wall. My father-in-law raves about the dosa, but I usually get samosa and some chaat dish. The food is pretty spicy, but you can ask them to tone it down if necessary.

Possibly the best spot for Indian vegetarian food that I know of. I was a little intimidated walking in, not knowing what to expect since I was new to the culture. Thank goodness I have a constant appetite for new cuisine, or else I would have never thought about it. After trying a few of their dishes, I'm now so happy that my random visit was one of the greatest things I've done that week.

This little spot sits in an oddly placed plaza, tucked away between the other strip malls and big franchise stores. Though it doesn't look like a great sit down and eat type restaurant, it more than makes up for it with the flavors and spices in the dishes. The unique ethic offerings are apparently street food, and I do have a thing for street food! And everything just seemed to blend together so well with the sauces and yeast. There wasn't much more I could ask for.

The people are also very friendly and helpful in guiding my order, thus making my visit that much more welcomed. I shall be returning very soon, Chat Patti. Thanks again for introducing me to a whole new world of food!

Had the bhel puri and veg samosa...both very good. Bhel puri had just the right amount of heat (spice).
I would go back.

Every time I've tried to hit this spot it's been closed, but I finally made it in the door with Zack and Rachel E. and I will be back.

Why?

The food is delicious and the price is right. I had the masala dosa (longer than my arm) and two veggie samosas, and I ended up taking one home because I was stuffed. That came to ten bucks and some change.

They are super aware of what vegans can't eat and made sure to point out things that contained no-no's and made me a dairy free version of a yummy Indian nacho plate Zack and Rachel ate.

The people who work there are awesome! They love the company I was with and treated us like family, making us all sorts of little things to try. I quickly fell in love with them.

I am definitely going to go back soon, I think veggie thali is in my future.