Chef India
Category: Indian/Pakistani [Edit]
5100 Hopyard Road(between Gibraltar Dr & Owens Dr)
Pleasanton, CA 94588 (925) 463-8773
- Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Private Lot
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Good for: Lunch
- Alcohol: Full Bar
112 reviews
Newark, CA
"I feel bad whenever I eat here for the following reasons: 1) I try to cram a little bit of everything onto my plate and everything gets all…" read more »
57 Reviews for Chef India
Tasty, but out of my way unless visiting friends out here. I've never waited that long, but since it's a lunch spot the best thing would be to have people pay first, then queue and eat.
Of all the Indian restaurants in Pleasanton, this ons is my favorite. Who cares about the long line ... the wide array of food choices make you forget that.
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Good Indian food, tasty and the service is good. I like watching Indian TV while eating buffet, some of the TV advertisements are actually very good. I like their mango ice-cream.
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Each time i eat out in the tri-valley area, it just makes me appreciate the east bay that much more. Although the food was good, and they did have a good variety of food to choose from for their buffets, $13.95 is a bit much. If you do decide to eat here though, I would recommend the buffet as the entrees cost just as much. There's cheaper Indian spots that taste a whole lot better in Berkeley or Oakland.
Here are just 2 examples:
Viks Chaat Corner (Berkeley):
http://www.yelp.com/us...
Khana Peena (Oakland):
http://www.yelp.com/us...
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I had lunch with some coworkers here today. What a gem! I love the butter chicken and a palak paneer. Don't forget to save room for dessert. Their mango frozen yogurt is really awesome.
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I absolutely love this place and I will never stop coming here. There's plenty of seating so you'll never have to worry about a wait. The staff is friendly, and began to recognize my family since we go there all the time.
As to whether it's truly authentic, I couldn't tell you. My Indian friend tells me it's not, but honestly, I think she was only saying that because I crushed her dreams when I convinced her that Panda Express isn't authentic Chinese food. Either way, Chef India = magically delicious.
Bleckhhhhhh.
I ordered the vegetable pakoras which were pretty basic and satisfactory. But the chicken tikka masala was just plain bland. It lacked that "something" that makes tikka masala taste like . . . . well, tikka masala. To add injury (literally) to insult, I ended up having gastrointestinal issues later that night after consuming my food. NOT good. I'm also a little puzzled by the name of the restaurant; it's like craving sushi and going to a restaurant named "Chef Japan." Hmm, interesting.
I'd recommend Haveli if you're in the mood for great Indian food without the adverse effects. Or if you're willing to make the drive, Favorite India in my old 'hood (Hayward).
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If you are looking for an impressive and tasty Indian meal, this is certainly not the place for dinner.
The decor is a la 1970s and hasnt been updated since then. The new owners added a flat screen TV to do what?? Im not sure. You would think they would play Bollywood Films or some cool Indian music videos, but no. They play soccer games, and other nonsense.
Atmosphere is a complete ZERO. And what a shame, they have a great space and can do SO much with it.
Now to the food. My friends and I have been there several times. We choose the buffet for the variety. Being a vegetarian I enjoy Indian food for the taste. Id give the buffet a 3! Most of the time the food is only semi warm. Obviously they havent figured a good way to continuously warm the food. So much for modern technology???
Now to the service. Id give service a 2. The waiters are generally cold and uncaring. Rarely will you get a smile in that restaurant.
Overall a 2! Go to the city or Berkeley for good Indian food ( Indian Oven on Filmore). Id only recommend Chef India if you are having cravings for Indian and dont want to make the drive!
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We came here for my department's holiday luncheon. Because my company is getting cheaper with budgeting for ourholiday lunches my boss and I had to plan something on the cheap. There isn't anything easier than a buffet to serve to a bunch of picky programmers and consultants.
My boss and I came earlier to set up and the staff had set aside a whole section just for us as well as a table to put our cake on. I tried to use the restroom before it got busy but for some strange reason somebody was locked in there for a good 15 minutes!
I have to say I was very impressed with their buffet and the butter chicken was very tasty. I wasn't impressed with their tandoori but I definately would have want to have had a second helping of the butter chicken had I not already been stuffed. Oh and their mango ice cream is hella good, I'd return just to have that again!
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I usually come here for the buffet right at 11:00 am when the food is fresh and piping hot. It's also not very crowded at this time of the day. They have a good variety of food ranging from your vegetarian dishes to tandoori chicken. The butter chicken and naan is my favorite and I like that the food is spicy. It's a reasonable price for a lunch buffet - $9.99 per person. They usually have mango ice cream and rice pudding which I added an extra star for and service ranges from ok to good. This isn't a bad place to go when you want your Indian quick fix.
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For this place being a buffet, it is really good. They have lots of items to choose from, and I always find things I like. I love dosas, and they have plain ones on the buffet, so I end up eating a lot of them with the main dishes. And then when done, I eat the dosas for dessert. I only go if coworkers want to go because I don't like buffet restaurants...not just because of the quality of food normally on buffets, but for fear that I will eat too much and be upset with myself afterwards. Even so, I am happy when one of my coworkers suggests this place.
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This is place is YUM for a buffet. I don't usually like Indian food either but we came here after an offsite at work. I forgot what I had but I tried a little of everything and was pleasantly surprised. The food here woke up tastebuds that have been bored with my usual choices of meals.
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The best Indian buffet place so far. I normally hate buffets, but one of my Indian friends recommended it to me so I trusted her judgement. Boy, was I glad she did. The butter chicken is delicious there. Always done perfectly. Also, the Palak Paneer is excellent there. Even their Chicken tikka is great. It is not too dry compared to even non-buffet Indian restaurants. The ice cream there is great! Overall, the food has always been done right everytime I go. I highly recommend this place.
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I was not impressed...the naan was good, but nothing stood out for me, and several dishes were just plane bad. The tandoori was simply not eatable...way, way to much spice and not enough real grill taste. I left hungry...and would not go back. I miss Sansar in P Town...now that was good!
Warning don't try to place a to-go order here after 2:30. They say the kitchen is closed, even though their website says you can place to-go orders until 3:00. All I wanted was samosas and naan oh well I'll go to our favorite place in Hayward, Favorite Indian Restaurant.
I LOVE THIS PLACE! My bf and I usually go here for the lunch buffet. They have a great selection of food and everything is so tasty, nothing bland or boring. We love spicy food, and I think the degree of spiciness is just right. It gives a kick which is when a nice mango lassie will cool you right down. They seat pretty quickly and always come around with more water to rinse off your spicy mouthes. I haven't tried it yet, but they apparently have free wi-fi!
We've also tried their weekend dinner buffet. I think it's the same food, with a few changes here and there, plus more dessert options. I love the little "donut balls" in sugar water.
My favorite dishes here are the spinach w/ cheese, and buttered chicken.
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We had the dinner buffet on a Friday night. We were very impressed with the quality and variety of food. The service was good.
Though there were a number of kids there, ours didn't do too well because almost all of the dishes were rather spicy. But they filled up on rice, naan and the desserts, and didn't mind too much.
We'll come back, perhaps without the kids. And I would like to try the butter chicken if it's not on the buffet, because of the great reviews from previous Yelpers. It was not on our buffet this time. Another place I would not have discovered without Yelp Mobile!
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I hate buffets, but I LOVE this lunch one. And I'm not a big fan of Indian cuisine, but I CRAVE Chef India's food. Such a wonderful variety to choose from and the food is out of this world!
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I heart this place. No, I take that back. I LOVE this place. The bestest Indian lunch buffet in the area hands down. It can get packed during the lunch hour, but there's plenty of food and ample seating.
What do I eat here? Um... EVERYTHING! But what keeps me coming back for more? Definitely gotta have the butter chicken (yum). The lamb curry is really tasty; the lamb is so tender you won't believe you're eating lamb (ha!). The curries, the naan, the rice, you can't go wrong with anything presented here. As far as drinks, the mango lassi is tasty. Not really heavy on the tummy, as some places make it. Very soothing to the palate for sure.
If you're craving for Indian food, this is the place to be. Always leave this place rubbing my tummy, saying "Oooh... SO full", and then slipping into a nice food coma. :)
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My dinner last night turned out to be one of the strangest dining experiences I've had. When I walked in around 7:30 the place was deserted, no customers, just one guy at the bar watching a college football game, a rerun from last season. My first thought was: THIS is an Indian restaurant? How about a little atmosphere? The place was deader than disco. The bartender finally acknowledged me with a wave, then gave me the typical look of disdain I often get when waiters realize I'm by myself. The look involves raising one finger and mouthing the word "One?" The finger they raise is usually not the middle one but probably should be. The bartender disappeared, replaced by another gentleman who escorted me to a table by the window. A few minutes later a third man appeared with a water glass. Shortly after this a FOURTH man arrived with a menu. And then a FIFTH man showed up to fill the water glass. I started looking for the hidden cameras, assuming this had to be one of those MTV shows. Finally a SIXTH man came to the table to take my order. I had saag paneer (spinach and cheese) and some spicy tomato soup that I really enjoyed. Good Indian food, nothing spectacular. If you go here for the buffet I imagine it's decent. But the experience of dining here alone, being served by a veritable army of middle-aged Indian males, will haunt my dreams for years to come. Three stars.
Today was my first visit at this place and they had a huge buffet with many dishes to choose from. I drove in from Stockton to meet friends who were driving in from the East Bay. It's very conveniently located off of I-580 on Hopyard. When I used to work in Pleasanton it used to be an Italian(?) restaurant that my co-workers used to frequent. I would have never thought that it would be turned into an Indian restaurant.
The selection had all the basic stews, naan that was constantly being replenished therefore very fresh, and a nice simple salad bar. It definitely hit the spot.
I drive by this restaurant often and I'm always wondering, "who are those people who dine there and at such a late hour?" (for the 'burbs, that's anytime after 8PM)... Well, last night we became one of those people...
Tired of the usual suspects, I suggested Chef India for last night's last-minute dinner outing. In addition to the buffet, they offer free WiFi, full bar and wide-screen TV (which was set to CNN). I guess it could be like being at home... but at a restaurant... And they close at 10 PM, which can be considered late.
We ordered the tandoori mixed grill (which included a lamb(?) meatball thingie, chicken, lamb, shrimp and fish), chicken makhani (aka butter chicken), lamb karahi and aloo gobi. Dishes come with either rice or plain naan; we got 2 rices and 2 naans. We ordered everything 'medium' spicy and it was perfect. Everything was delicious.
I got a "nice call" for choosing this place. Yay me! Yay Chef India!
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Just went there for their special Mother's Day brunch and I have to say that it was better than our previous two times visiting.
Of major note are:
- their palak paneer (which sub'd paneer for tofu)
- the tandoori chicken (separated into drumsitcks / breasts)
- the beer selection
- the TV (not playing Indian music videos) ... this is good and bad
They can now join Sugandh and Gold India as viable Indian choices in P-Town.
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This was an exceptionally good lunch buffet and well worth the price. Mango soft-serve is a nice finishing touch, as is the free wifi. I'm stuffed but i will be back!
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This restaurant has the most extensive buffet dinner (not every night) that I have ever experienced in any Indian restaurant. On top of that, the food was DELICIOUS!!!
While the atmosphere feels like it used to be a Denny's or a generic hotel restaurant, the service is adequate and the food is good. They have a solid chicken tikka masala and their garlic naan is no joke -it's GARLIC-y (yum).
If you're new to Indian cuisine, I highly recommend trying this place for their buffet to give you a chance to taste a little bit of almost everything.
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Very good lunch buffet. The food here beats just about any indian food I've ordered from a menu in and around Boston.
I'd suggest the lamb, it was my favorite, although the chicken is very tender, it will slide off the bone with ease.
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This place is GREAT.
Granted I'm not Indian so I my opinion is just my opinion. However, this place is at least half-packed with Indian people so that means the "locals" enjoy this place just like I do.
They have 4 choices of chicken(tandori, curry, buttery and indian spiced). There were 3 different choices for rice, all of which were good. Veggies came in all different forms. The dessert bar had great choices and there was soft-serve mango ice cream. $9.95 for the buffet lunch. Drinks are separate $1.95 for sodas.
Madras in San Ramon closed and Chutney's in San Ramon just wasn't for my taste. Found my new favorite place in the Tri Valley.
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There is more than Chili's and the Cheesecake Factory when it comes to dining options in Pleasanton. Hallelujah! Thank you, Yelpers, I'll be back at Chef India at least once a month. My water glass will be full. My stomach will be full, but not acting up. Sure, $9.95 aint cheap, but the quality makes up for it.
This buffet had the widest variety I've seen, and the staff was prompt in replacing pans as they started to get low (which was frequent) The naan needed some work, but everything else that I tried-and I fit as much as I could on the plate-was nothing short of stellar. The location is bright and airy, with ample parking (you can tell we're not in the city any more, Toto)
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I used to like coming here, they have a good selection of dishes on the buffet, and while the degree of spicyness overall is just beyond what I prefer, I'd always enjoyed the food, and left stuffed. The last time I went though, a few weeks ago, both my boyfriend's and my stomachs were really upset immediately after eating (and he loves spicy food), which we'd never encountered there, or any any other Indian restaraunts in the area before. It made me disappointed.
Good Indian food. Great lunch buffet. Lots of options for a vegetarian, you won't feel left out. I'd recommend one thing in particular, but that would be everything. Just try it all. It's a buffet, after all, so you can go back for seconds! Price isn't bad at $9.95, but I think $8.95 would be better. But the quality and taste are good, so I'll stop complaining. Gets crowded with business folks on weekdays, so try to go after 1 p.m. if you don't want to hit a line at the buffet.
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Wow, this place is great!
The lunch buffet is a treat. The buffet itself is probably 25 feet long. The food is excellent, and the variety is quite impressive.
The restaurant itself is nice, maybe even a bit upscale for a buffet. The price for lunch is something like $12, and it is worth every penny. Chicken Tikka Masala, Chicken Makenwalla, Gobi, you name it, they have it and it's good. There is a full bar, but I can't say I've ever had anything to drink here as I usually go during lunchtime at work.
My advice is to get there before noon for the lunch buffet, as sometimes there is a line. The secret has been out for a while.
I can't believe that I haven't already reviewed this place. It is excellent.
It's just off the Hopyard Exit on 580.
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This is a 5 star Indian Buffet place that has an extremely large selection of vegetarian an non-vegetarian dishes. You won't be disappointed. Nuff said.
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Love it. Been there with friends. Been there with a date (Indian woman) and all have raved. Food is fresh, properly prepared
and seasoned and HOT - temp - I've seen a trend in rest.'s
that put the food on freezing cold plates that suck the heat out
by the time it gets to you - what is up with that?! The buffet has
a wide regional variety of Indian foodstuffs as does the menu.
I've yet to see it NOT packed and usually with a predominance
of Indian's - always a good sign. Go. You won't be disappointed
and if you are, as always, I'll pay for your meal! ;)
P.S. Twice I've seen large groups of Sikhs there - party groups -
to me this sez a lot about the food quality and overall enjoyableness of the place. Bhangra in the background never sucks! :-)
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Update - 16-May-2008
Was there a while back with some friends and
was a little disappointed - maybe a bad day but
the food, while good, was "off": not as well flavoured
and delicious. The service was off too - had to
work hard to get some basic red chilli powder
from the kitchen to spice things up - you'd have
thought I was asking for spun gold! Yikes!
Taking two stars away: (was 5) 1 for food taste
and one for service quality
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I must quote an old acquaintance while winning at Tekken, "GET SOME!"
In fact, I'm about to follow my own advice. I've a hankering for Mango Lassi and Lamb Biryani.
I'm looking forward their tasty food and great service.
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One of the best Indian restaurants around. Was surprised at the service and the place. Didnt know Indian restaurants actually had wide screen tv which they played and also a full size bar. Nice service too. Love the lunch buffets.
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So it was a great memorial weekend. Here I am writing my first review on yelp. I finally got sucked in to writing my own reviews of the places that I've been to. Which explains the amount of reviews that I will be giving within the next few days. Anyhow, my bf and I tried Chef India over the weekend thanks to Yelp. Dinner buffet selections were extensive. PROS: Great butter chicken, chicken biryani, yummy naan and mango soft serve. Service was also good CONS: The tandoori chicken was a bit on the dry side and there was a lipstick mark on my glass. Gross, but they were very apologetic.
Had the lunch buffet. OK selection, Naan wasn't as fresh as I would have liked, but other dishes were decent. I didn't see any Mango ice-cream (that others referred to) and was disappointed because I love Mango anything. However, they did have a fruit custard which was somewhat mango-y so that cool. Yes, $10.82 before tip is a little much for an Indian buffet.
Pretty good Buffet for $10 at lunch. I guess I would give it probably 4.5 stars because its more expensive than most other Indian buffets but it is probably one of the better ones. Lots of vegetarian and meat dishes. Everything is pretty fresh probably due to the high turnover (it gets pretty crowded at lunch and closes mid-day probably to get ready for dinner). The fruit and desert section did not seem as bountiful as the rest but its still worth the trip.
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We love Chef India!
The weekend buffet is always a welcome weekend treat when we can manage to make it here. We've had their dinners too. The breads are tasty and freshly made. The meats are tender and flavorful. The veggie dishes are oh so tasty too. The buffet offers a fine selection of Indian yum-yums and the dessert selection is great too. I hate cold gulab jamun and this place serves it deliciously warm! :) Oh, and I think the delicious mango soft serve ice cream is made in house. Oh my gosh, I'm salivating just thinking about this place!
The staff is kind, courteous, and helpful. The setting is comfortable and they can accommodate larger parties as well. Who could ask for anything more???
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The best Indian restaurant I've been to. I haven't tried the buffet* yet, but the dinner is fab! The butter chicken is melt-in-your-mouth delicious.
The atmosphere is very relaxed and the service is great. They also have a full bar and wine list if you are into a lil' alcohol with your curry.
The menu is extensive and descriptive, a plus if this will be your first time ordering Indian food and you have no idea what you want. You definitely won't go away hungry; each dish easily serves 2 people.
*Edit - Just tried the buffet, it is FAB! Tons of variety and every dish I sampled was yummy.
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