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Categories: Indian, Food Stands, Vegetarian, Pakistani [Edit]
Neighborhoods: Southwest Portland, Downtown
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So, there's 2 chaat houses (carts) right next to each other on 12th ave. One is the India Chaat House, the other is the Bombay Chaat House. Reading Yelp reviews I've pieced together that it used to be a one cart operation that had a falling out.
I must say, food cart warfare is AWESOME! There's been an amusing spirit of one-upsmanship beween the Chaats'. For example, India Chaat house has a $5.50 lunch special, Bombay has a $5.00 one. Also, after the Bombay Chaat House opened, India Chaat house put up a sign that said "The Original Chaat House."
Both places have a lot of similarities, including a virtually identical menu and free Chai while you wait for your food (even after I explained I didn't want any...at both places!).
Both also have a list of unique positives:
India Chaat House:
Better Seating area
Incense burning while you eat
Bike Parking
Bombay Chaat House:
More people consistently eat there... I guess that's a positive
Slightly cheaper
8 feet from India Chaat House's Bike Parking
Overall, I remain amused with the developing rivalry between these carts. Both carts are great food for really cheap. I have no real preference... so, if you're listening Chaat Houses, I can be bought. Whoever offers a breath mint, or a $4.75 lunch special, or some other brand of marketing genius will secure my loyalty.
One thing both Chaat houses can surely agree on, both offer way better food than the bastard Mexican cart around the corner.
I have one word. BLA. It was the worst Indian Food I have ever had. It was so nice of the guy next door to say oh try out the India Chaat House today. I said oh ok, so I took his word.
I don't want to really say it but will anyways. It was the worst food at India Chaat House. Not only was it bad, I ordered a few chaats. Oh no,
I visited India Chaat House after the change of ownership and I should say I was very disappointed. I have been this place when it was run by Dalgit Singh and his wife and loved their food.
I went yesterday and got the Chole Bhature, Bhale Puri and the Mango shake. I should say both had very little taste.
I happen the read the article about the new ownership and about the cart called Bombay Chaat House right next to this place. That cart is being run by Dalgit's wife and I am guessing has some of the authentic taste.
I have been there a few times. The chat is very good. I love the Chole Battura. They also have a… Read more »
Note: I would really give this place 2 stars, but since it's so close to my apartment it gets bumped a star.
I thought this place was pretty good. The portions were filling, the palak paneer was good, and the free tea is always cool. The naan was whatever. I ordered garlic naan and it tasted like regular naan with yellow spots on it. It was affordable as well. Lunch specials are rad. I will definitely go back and try vindaloo or something. Im not expecting some gourmet Indian food, I mean, it's a food cart.
I doubt if I ever give this place an update that the star rating will go up. Reason: NO MEAT.
Not good. My girlfriend and I both got food from one of the two Chaat houses and then switched dishes. One of the reasons we switched is because my girlfriend, partway through eating her meal, found a long hair in it. This is something that doesn't often bother me much. I just take it out and continue. It happens, I figure. I started to eat the leftovers from her food, and found it just as bland as my food from BCH. It was filling, but without much exciting flavor. In the end neither of us finished ours, finding the dishes to boring to continue.
Quick, cheap and tons of food. Sounds like a great start!
The special today was really good, in my opinion. I'm so terrible with the names of indian dishes, so I wont' bother: the mushroom in reddish-brown sauce and the green pepper and potato dish were great. Unfortunately, you're left to use some of the worst naan I've ever had to dish up your meal. Seriously, all rubbery and somewhat burned.
I thought it was sweet of them to offer me a small cup of Chai for free, but it was terrible.
This is one of the better Indian food carts out there, but has some glaring flaws. The main dishes themselves are delicious and even have a great kick to them, but the staples somehow falter.
Went to India Chaat House the other evening, had to wait a very very long time to get the food. When it came it was completely underwhelming, much smaller portion than I've seen pictured in in reviews. The guy was almost out of papadams so he gave me a plate with a few slivers of broken papadams on it.
He had run out of Naan and so I didn't get the Nan until after I was almost done eating my meal. The Nan wasn't worth waiting for.
Food was bland, overcooked and in very small portions. Next time I'll try Bombay Chaat house or one of the other Indian options in town. Can't see coming back to ICH.
There's nothing more romantic than sharing a box of Indian Lunch Special.
It's just the whole scene of forks fighting of who got the last piece of potato and the garbanzo beans was very sweet and loving. I surrendered the carrots because I hate them and to prove the act of kindness from my heart. I was losing in the munching department, but I was winning in the sipping complimentary Chai tea department.
Who said that $5.50 won't get you very far in relationship?
I hate to sound like a snob, but seriously Portland? I have some friends here who have burritos flown to them from San Diego and if this cart is supposed to be the best Indian food around, then I'm going to get someone in the Bay Area to mail me a biryani box.
One star for being super cheap, 1/2 star for catering to vegans, 1/2 star for the sympathy of being a cart.
The naan was rubbery and tasted off, the beans were dry, the curried dishes were hardly curried, and the chai was foul.
Even after all that, I would still consider going back and trying something other than their lunch special and premade naan - my hope is that if they had to make something to order, it could be good. And for that price, it'd be worth testing the waters again.
But seriously, Portland? Where's the good Indian food?
My favorite indian food in Portland. Hands down.
Awe snap, I think that this is the best indian food around here. This is my summer Indian spot due to the fact that eating at the cart sucks. With minimal trashy seating available, there are endless spots to eat outside downtown Portland, I choose to take my take-out out out out. Well when it is sunny. The 5$ lunch special can end up being a two meal lunch. It is big. I think this is a dope date spot. The date would go a little something like this:
1. Bikes
2. 40's
3. Girlfriend
4. Sunshine
5. Chaat House
6. Rootbeer float with two straws and a cherry
Word.
I went here today, excited because of the rave reviews on here.
And I feel bad saying anything negative because the guy behind the counter seemed really nice. And the value - $5.50 for a big plate of food - was pretty good.
But really? THIS is the best Indian food in all of Portland, people? If so, that's pretty disappointing. The plate I got was tasty - but very mild and not, well, delicious. The naan was chewier than I have experienced.
I would only go back to try other things. Maybe their other menu items are better. Maybe I'm spoiled from eating brain-meltingly delicious Indian food in NYC the past few years.
Sorry folks...(ducking)
I love meat. Meat meat meat, burgers, steaks, chicken fried steak, fried chicken...um, this place is vegetarian. And yet I gave it the Holy Grail of Five Stars. Get the picture? Yes, we see. (That was a Shangri-Las quote.)
SO. This place was A MAY ZING. I think I could eat the $5.50 5 course lunch special every day of my life and die happy. It was steaming hot, fresh, colorful, and smelled like crack cookies. There was hot buttery naan, rice, cauliflower, lentils, and garbanzo beans galore!
The paneer ($6) and samosas ($3) were also mouth-wateringly divine. Like my eyes watered with happiness when they arrived. And the portions are huge. HUGE. All of this was easily split between three people.
Cash only. Usually crowded. I had trouble walking afterwards. So I recommend sitting for awhile and casually sipping on a Mango Lassi. Or don't be a gluttonous swine like me and save some for later.
There's a reason this cart is all by itself and not peppered amongst the lunch carts of Downtown PDX--It's simply a cut above the rest. You simply would not expect the quality of indian food to come from such a humble little cart, but this is the real deal. The lunch special is the mega-bomb, and the naan is spectacular. To top things off, the prices are right.
So, grab your co-workers, a friend, your dog, or just yourself, and make the trip up the street. You will thank me.
Namaste
ALL VEGETARIAN! ALL THE TIME!
Went here with some coworkers for take-out last week. It was my first time but it had been recommended by a friend so I was excited to try it... My coworkers all opted for the lunch special (which they later raved about), I opted for my usual - palak paneer. It was $0.50 more than the lunch special. It didn't come with naan. The ratio of palak paneer to rice was about 1:2. And the rice was kinda mushy. The container leaked on the walk back to the office.
So why 4 stars? Because this was the best cheese I've ever had in this dish, hands down. Because when I asked for "medium" spice it was just that - perfectly mediumly spicy. Because being mostly vegetarian, I can order ANYTHING ON THE MENU. Because the couple behind the counter were very pleasant. Because my coworker gave me his naan and it was good stuff - stayed soft and fresh even after it got cold, whereas other naan in that situation tends to get tough and/or inedible.
And because it's a three day weekend and I'm feeling generous.
So there you have it. Check it out the next time you stop by the library during your lunch hour - it's just around the corner.
Note - cash only!
I had the lunch special, it was pretty good, the rice was undercooked and a bit crunchy so i am not giving it a five star for that. I want to try their regular entrees next time. The meal was good sized, but i almost finished it, I guess i am a pig.
Just because a place offers free chai does not make it good. The food was bland (brown mush), supposed to be potatoes and spinach. The cook kept sneezing inside the cart and it did not sound muffled. I agree with Lorelei about the Naan being rubbery.
While unemployed (actually I was an 'independent contractor...') I would bike from my house in SE just to go eat here. Whenever I am downtown for lunch time in SW, I always make my way there. Pinched for money and wanting great food, back to the Chaat House. (another one of my must-eats)
The food here is absolutely spectacular. Mouthwatering, savory, awesomeness of flavor explosions... Or something like that...
In short - your taste buds will love you.
The best part, IT'S CHEAP. It is seriously some of the best Indian food I have had and the lunch special (which easily serves two) is always $5.50. My personal favorite however is the Chaana Samosas. That is two samosas covered in chick peas and a stewed in a tomato sauce. Also $5.50 I believe.
The line can get a little long during lunch time and sitting is limited, but there is no reason not to try this Indian roach coach.
Since it's vegetarian with a vegan option on most dishes, you get to tell yourself you're eating healthy!
hands-down, an great place to eat!
the guys out front are really friendly, and the food is just as great.
i love their vegetarian/vegan-only options. i'm not a vegan, but i love vegan food. their curries are wonderful, and their complimentary Chai tea is even better. I have to give it 4 stars, because the rice is too hard for my taste, other than that, it's one of the many great places to get quality indian food.
I tried the Chaat House today for the first time and I'm satisfied. It was not the best indian food I've ever had but given how much space that guy has to operate I'm impressed with what he turned out. The lunch special I had was plentiful and cheap. I will definitely go back for lunch.
Ok i agree with everyone else that has written a review but I do have a tip for you all: when you go to the cart bring your own LARGE Tupperware container, the kind that that stores cookies and such.... They will fill that puppy up instead of using their own plastics. This is also helpful to those of us that out of the pure goodness of the lunch special attempt to eat it in one sitting and then are in pain for the rest of the day....so yes go visit! They are nice, the food is great and you cannot beat the price!
I like to eat.
A lot.
No surprise to you though, I'm sure. I have no problem putting away the food. I don't know where it goes; I just know I've been doing it for a long, long time.
When I was younger, say 10-12 years old, my grandparents would take me to Old Country Buffet [barf!] with them. They said they liked the place, but as I've gotten older, I realize it was more that they could let me eat until I was absolutely stuffed for cheap. Seeing a kid go through four or more full plates of food plus dessert [or three] complete with chocolate milk had to be an atrocious sight.
The favorite gluttonous catastrophe was at a pizza party in fifth grade. I was so cool and gladly took on a 'who can eat more' challenge against one of the popular boys. Classy, right? Wrong.
Needless to say, 11 1/2 pieces later [of Dominos pizza, no less], I won [and no, not the hearts of boys everywhere].
Gross, right? Yeah, pretty much. I'm fairly certain I had no issue going out to recess after that. I was a sick, twisted kid. There is no doubt.
My stomach capacity has dwindled considerably since those days [maybe four or five slices of pizza on a good night]. However, I can't deny that I embrace the 'eat until you're way too ridiculously full' lifestyle. Only now, I care about the price/quantity/quality ratio. You won't see me stepping foot in a crappy buffet like the old days. It's just not worth it. I was also saddled with the 'you ordered it, you eat it' mantra. I have to leave a clean plate, regardless of how I feel at the end of it. Otherwise, I feel wasteful.
My lunch today at India Chaat fit every qualification I have for a perfect meal. It was cheap. Ridiculously cheap. $5.50 for the lunch special. It had massive quantities of food. There were five components to this magical special. It varies from day-to-day, too. Today happened to include the typical naan and basmati rice, and then three vegetarian entrees. It varied from lentils, sautéed veggies, and garbanzo beans. Each one simmered in its own sauce. It was beyond tasty. Quality was top-notch here too. It was just as good as any sit down Indian restaurant I've had [I'm looking at you Chutney's and East India]. Everything was hot, fresh, and bursting with flavor. Top it all with their homemade hot sauce, and your taste buds will thank you, or hate you depending on how you feel about spice. The owner/chef is super friendly, and the only complaint is that you sometimes have to wait in a line. It's hardly a deterrent.
However, I have to admit. India Chaat left me defeated. I could not overcome the vast quantities of food. I just couldn't. I'm sure it's a first. This special easily has enough food to fill up two people. I tried to tackle it myself. I gave 137% effort. For fear of hurting myself, and/or instilling a massive food coma this afternoon, I had to give it a rest and leave a majority of the rice even though it was magically delicious.
I felt bad. The guilt pangs I felt as I set the plastic container in the trash wracked my body. It was rough.
Yet, somehow, so totally worth it. My inner 12-year-old would be proud.
Thank you, Portland Yelpers, for helping two visitors to your fine city track down some awesome eats. I am pretty picky when it comes to Indian food, but this place delivered on the hype. I was glad to see that the $5.50 lunch special was indeed huge enough for two people to share. Everything tasted amazingly homemade and to top it all off, the proprietor was super friendly and kind.
I'll keep it short. I love Indian Food. I'm not vegetarian, but somehow this food cart changed it for me. Vegetarian could be good, actually delectable. Also, you can't eat the Lunch Special in one sitting... I tried because it was just tasty but yeah I couldn't. Which is good, so you have something to eat for dinner. Comfort food I wouldn't get tired of, definitely!
For Bibliophiles: This place is halfway between the PDX Central Library, and Powell's, but on 12th. I ordered the 5.50 BIG lunch special. It took him 1 minute to hand it to me and I'm still eating it three days later. Order extra naan, or buy your own at tj's.
I drive 600 miles to make it to PDX, so sometimes I'm too tired to drive to my fave sit-down place out in Beaverton (Abhiruchi), and other times, I just can't get my friends to wanna join me for a ride out to the SW burbs. And still other times, I know that I will explode if I gorge myself at a buffet, or I do not have all day to come outta the ghee coma, so I must have a finite portion of Indian food. It's times like these that I go to this little foodcart for lunch. It's still a lotta food, but it more than hits the spot quantity-wise, and it REALLY excels in the quality of freshness and flavor.
And you should know that I adore meat. The texture of the sinewy strands, the fine flavor of bold seasoning...I love meat! But y'know...I sorta don't even care that this place is all vegetarian.
If you are shy of trying food in carts, trailers, and trucks, please trust a fellow who thinks of this place even from 600 miles away. It's certainly a 99th percentile cheap-eats experience.
Something has gone terribly wrong at the Chaat House. This was one of my very favorite places in Portland for years. The last two times I visited I found the food very different and not for the better. Overcooked, bland, out of Nan both times. I feel like a traitor, but the Bombay House next door is now the superior choice. Very sad as this was once a solid 5 star place.
Utterly delicious, generous portions and a friendly staff. On a cold afternoon, I was greeted with a complimentary cup of chai tea. The food was prepared rapidly with the largest piece of garlic naan I've ever seen and a portion of malai kofta to feed a lumber jack. While it's a van with a picnic table, it more than holds its own with great sit-down Indian restaurants. Worth a special trip if you're in town and visiting!
Better than I expected.
The one (of two total) tables that was open was pretty filthy. So the nice Pujabi lady in the truck gave me some 409 and some paper towels to clean the table myself. The best part... she then gave me a squeeze of some Purel hand sanitizer to clean my hands.
The food tasted fine. Cheap eats. Will not make you nauseous from having too much grease or fat. Pretty tasty. Like I said, better than I expected.
Lots of Indians eat there too, including females... who are more picky than young bachelors... Good sign.
This is the best Indian food in the city, bar-none.
Why?
Because you AREN'T there!
Excellent veggie massala, and the naan seems fresh. Their lunch specials are cheap and big, but beware the spice level you choose, they don't screw around. If you work downtown and are looking for something that is somewhat healthy (or if a vegetarian) this is definitely the place for you.
Food cart serves up best Indian food
This is by far the best food cart in town and likely the best Indian food too. Better than even those two things is that it's super cheap. You can order their lunch special for $5, which gets your five predetermined items. Name a better deal than that? Their naans and chapathis are indeed awesome but then again, what isn't as this place? My only complaint about this treasure and it's more toward Mother Nature, is that I don't like to eat here during the winter. Because it is a food cart you have to order to go and sometimes it can get a bit cold standing there. But in the summer it's fantastic because you can find a spot to sit in the park blocks, making it truly a lunch break.
Tip: Order extra sauce with the naan. It's divine!
india chaat house is a king among food carts. the daily special for 5 bucks includes enough food for even the hungriest types (ie, me) but will easily serve 2 if you have smaller tummies in the equation (ie, every girl i've ever dated. imagining any 2 of them out with me at the same time and being asked to share a 5 dollar meal makes me giggle, though.)
this place is all-veg, all the time, and that is totally not a loss here--while makhani chicken is probably forever my favorite menu item at any indian place that serves it (and i don't even like chicken that much), this place has good food in enough quantity that i'll skip my buffet-hopping for it every once in awhile,. although there are like 4 closer buffets to the work-hole, none are up to the level of this place in quality and frankly, i spend $10 at the buffet anyway--which would buy me more food here than i know what to do with.
oh, and don't forget, this place actually has covered seating. miniscule but more than none also propels it ahead of 95% of the competition right off the bat.
#19! I crave it oh so much!
This cart is hands down the best Indian food in Portland. The homemade cheese is delicious, and the sauce is plentiful. I crave Chaat House at all hours. On cold days it's no fun to stay there because it's just an open space with a roof, so on those days get it to go. On warm days it's nice to sit at the outdoor tables, but even better is to grab it to go and sit in the park blocks.
A tip, which always confuses first timers, you order first and then pay when your food is ready. Also, get the naan, you'll want it to soak up every last drop of the plentiful sauce.
Update: I just have to say it again: Chaat House RULES! If the world were ending, and I had to pick a couple of restaurants to come with me into a cave in Forest Park (hey, I should make a list about that!), this would without question be one of them. I went there with my bf just the other day and we got one of the lunch specials for $5 (available until 3, I believe) and it stuffed us both. I feel like a cheerleader for them, but it's true, I'm in love! C-H-A-A-T goooooooooo Chaat House!
And one last Pro Tip: They're CASH ONLY. Don't forget and dissapoint yourself, I've done this wayyy too many times and left pouting in search of an ATM.
Maybe, just maybe, my favorite place to eat in Portland. One time when it burned to the ground my best friend felt compelled to deliver a message to me at my work to inform me of the disaster at hand. Fortunately, the next day a new cart was wheeled in and all was well in the universe again.
The lunch special comes with 3 or 4 different things, rice and naan, food enough to feed two people on $5.00. There is a super awesome mango drink there that I get sometimes that I recommend as well.
Absolutely the best Indian Food I have had in the PDX so far. Why do the restaurants not match up? We had the Big Big Big Lunch Special and shared one order between two people and still had leftovers. Not bad for $5.50.
Okay, maybe I'm hard to please. Everyone else seems to rave about this stand. For a stand, it is certainly good. I've been there, I go there, and I will go back.
But if I were served this food in a sit down restaurant, I'd probably give it two stars. You should know I'm also biased because my girl is Indian, so I've had quite a bit of home cooked food out of her family's house...
The man working there is really cool, the value/prices are GREAT, the portions are massive, and it is solidly decent Indian food. That said, it's worth a visit if you are hungry and in the area.
The only problem I have is that I feel like they skimp on spice & freshness, choosing instead to emphasize speed and sheer volume of food. Also, it looks pretty dirty in there and the sitting area is always kinda dirty (I realize it's a cart and it's not s'posed to be pristine, but still)
Picture homer simpson drooling over a donut and making that weird "aaagggghhhh" sound he makes as his eyes roll back in his head. That is me when thinking about Chaat house. I've never ordered anything except the 5-course lunch special because it's so good, so cheap, and always vegan. Amazing. I did get the garlic naan instead of regular once, and it was really good. My friend once got the vegan mango shake- also good. Anyway this is cheap (i think she just raised her prices to $5.50 for the lunch special), and it's always 2-3 meals for me- so much food! Can't beat it.
I hate it when I write a long ass review and then accidently refresh the page, and now I've lost the review. SUCKS~! Anyways, here's my short short quick review. Vegans, you are in luck! India Chaat House is not only vegetarian and vegan ONLY, it is also very cheap and good. It is rated one of the top cheap eatery in the Willamette Weekly 2007. Recently they raised the price a bit. (raised gas price means raised food price) The lunch special now is $5.50. You get two curry (lentil, and chickpea), balsamti rice, and a side of two Naan. The Naan is a bit hard so you might want to dip it in your curry. I'm also a big fan of their vegan mango lassi. That's a gem! Their hot sweet chai is good too, for the raining weather. I love their pakora, which is a fried batter of sweet yam flour covered onion, potato, and spices. A great appetizer to share! I haven't try the other dishes yet but I hear they are awesome. So, don't be shy you meat lovers. Everyone loves this place for a good reason.
PS: BRING YOUR CASH!
awesome. try the lunch special. if you like indian food you'll love it here.
I wish I could join in on the enthusiasm parade, but...meh. It's a LOT of food, for a very small amount of money. And some of it's pretty tasty. Best indian in pdx, it is not. Damn good cart food, certainly. Their korma is tasty, and well spiced. Malai Kofta is superb. The lunch special is always so chana intensive, I get bored. But I still order it. Because it's close, convenient, and open in all but the most inclimate weather.
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