Udupi Palace

Excellent Southern Indian food. Soups, Dosas, traditional dishes are all great. Stay away from the fried appetizer platter. And, definitely try the carrot dessert. I was skeptical, but it is delicious. Also, their chai (tea) is great and they don't pre-sweeten it like most other Indian restaurants do.

Very inexpensive, friendly staff (the owner always waits on us), and great food.

CAUTION: bathrooms...when I used the ladies room (the walk there and the ladies room), it was like being back in India. Which, to Indian natives, may be a plus.

Seattle Magazine did a cheap eats special and Udupi was mentioned as a good spot. I came here for the lunch buffet which is $8.95. There are probably less expensive dishes on the menu, but I like variety. The buffet comes with chai and dessert dishes.

+
Everything was vegetarian, which is a plus for me since I don't eat meat and didn't have to pick and choose.
Unlike some of the other reviewers, I found the service friendly and prompt.
Most Indian buffets that I've been to just have a plate and you slop everything on it. I much preferred the many little stainless steel bowls setup (I think it's called Thali?). It's more aesthetically pleasing, plus I still have a childhood thing where I prefer for my food not to mingle unless I make it mingle.

?
Some of the dishes were spicy, but most weren't. I like really really spicy food so I would've liked more spice, but the mildness probably makes it easier for most people to eat.
They were out of chai. I did show up towards the end of the buffet but that was still sad.
Ambiance is eh. It's in a strip mall.
I don't know much about south Indian food, but I felt like most of the options here seemed healthier and lower calorie than the Indian dishes that I'm used to eating. Those dishes usually have heavy cream, butter, lots and lots of paneer, etc. I often feel guilty after a trip to get Indian food and I felt less guilty after eating this.

-
All the stuff online as well as the posted hours at the restaurant itself say that the buffet closes at 2:30. I arrived at 1:50, and they shut down the buffet at 2:10. I felt hurried to finish my meal and leave.

Overall, I thought some of the dishes were good, others meh. I don't think I'll be hurrying back 'cause it's a drive from where I work and uses up a fair amount of my lunch hour just getting there. If you're already in the neighborhood, it's worth a visit, but I can't agree with the ecstastic reviews that it's worth heading in from the city.

Yuck.

I rarely care about service but my experience here was so bad I felt the need to share. The server was extremely rude. When he brought out our orders he was holding a cell phone to his ear with one hand and our two plates with the other. Instead of setting our plates down he sort of waved them in my face expecting me to grab them. After I awkardly took them he walked away and we never saw him again.

The food was bland and had the texture and temperature of something that had been heated up in a cheap microwave. Parts were cold, others blazing hot. Nothing was particularly flavorful nor memorable.

I tend to judge an ethnic restaurant by the patronage. If there are people of whatever ethnic background the restaurant happens to represent present then the place tends to be a good representation of that region's cuisine. The clientele that night did appear to be from the Indian region. Perhaps they know what to order, and perhaps they had a better server, but my experience will forever prevent me from returning to this establishment. I'll gladly continue visiting the Indian restaurants in Redmond (Preet for example.)

If I could rate it less then 1* I'd have...

i past 3 yrs I have made several trips to this place and I can say its run by a bunch of idiots. The place is absolutely unhygienic. The silverware and classes could be unclean. Service sucks, and the food they serve is far from authentic and fresh.

Yogurt served to me was sour, the chutney with dosa was stinking. The funniest is their pav bhaji. me being a desi know the difference between the type of bread that is eaten with pav bhaji and they ironically serve it with sub style buns.

Their buffet is a joke... though a lot of options to eat but its full of grease as if cooked with least interest in bulk

Reviewing it as a south indian who was born and raised on this food:

Any self respecting South Indian restaurant should know how to make Idli, Sambhar and Chutney... the fail miserably in these staple items.

I ordered their Bonda to-go, and the coconut chutney that came with it was so bad, that i couldnt even eat the bonda - it was that bad. Their Idli's are so stale, and cannot believe they have the galls to serve it. Sambar is ok - but not flavorful.

Whenever they prepare food fresh - its good (Like Puri/masala). But I suspect they deep freeze many items and microwave it. There is absolutely no way their Oothapam is fresh.

Things to Avoid:
Bonda
Idli
Appetizers
Sambhar

Things worth trying:
Chai-Tea (absolutely delicious)
Thali (good sampler plate)
Masala Dosa (avoid their sambhar/chutney, and eat with Masala)
Rava Dosa
Vada (hit and miss, if its fresh - its delicious)


Unfortunately, there are not many 100% vegetarian indian restaurants around. But try out Mayuri Restaurant, which is way better (but a bit pricier). A new one called Curry Leaf (near factoria) has some very good items (pricier as well).

I think its my Udupi blood that makes me more skeptical than eager of all the places that call themselves Udupi Palace. Was here on a Sunday afternoon for their buffet. The South Indian fare was decent. I can't remember any one particular dish being too bad or at the same time exceptional.

One major complaint. I would think that in a buffet, it is a norm for people to use new plates each time they go to help themselves. While they do that, it will be much appreciated if the servers come and clear the old plates off the table. This never happened with us. There were 4 of us eating at the table and we had a hard time trying to call someone to take away the dirty dishes. Finally, out of sheer desperation, we decided to use the adjacent table as a dumping ground!

Also, they kept running out of bowls for the sides and desserts and cups for coffee, no hang on, oddly enough, it was tea (no filter coffee!). We had to wait a bit to let them know that and then more wait ensued before it arrived.

You'll notice that a large number of those dining around you are, in fact Indian. You should see this is a very good start.

The first time I went to Udupi I didn't like it. At all. I don't know what I did wrong. I've been back three times since and I've loved it each and every time. It's a very refreshing change from the heavier north-Indian cuisine that most Indian restaurants serve up.

I do recommend that you stick to the dosa section of the menu. You can get curry if that's what your jonesing for, but the dosas are delicious and much more fun to eat.

The waiters are friendly and helpful and don't make you feel like a jerk just because you can't pronounce saag and bartha and paneer. The dining space isn't very snazzy but who cares when the food is so good? Service is pretty quick, even if you're in a largish group.

Extra love for being 100% vegetarian.

I only know about this place because an Indian co-worker took us here for lunch perhaps a year back. At the time, I found it pretty good. I also went a 2nd time and was satisfied.

But the latest time, this past Saturday afternoon, will be the last time. The waitstaff was short-handed, invisible and absolutely indifferent. Yes, you still do need a waitstaff in a buffet-style restaurant. And anyway, they were constantly running out of clean dishes and food.

Still, the tea (that comes creamed) was extra-delicious. I had several cups because it is so addicting. Pretty sure it has caffeine because I got a buzz from it.

One of the yogurt deserts was pleasing (but while I would have expected it to be served cold, it was served heated).

But for the rest of the food -- meh. Just about everything had cilantro in it - why oh why?

My partner used the restroom and reported back that it was filthy.

Good South Indian food... not North Indian... so if you are looking for curries and greasy, spicy food look elsewhere. South indian food mainly consists of lots of lentils, vegetables, vegetarian and healthy options. My husband (a South Indian) was extremely happy when I found this restaurant for him.

Try:
-Sava Dosa (made with cream of wheat... its like a pancake)
any regular dosa (made with white lentils.... thin fermented pancake)
-Idly Sambar - fluffy thick fermented pancake in a lentil soup
-Dahi Vada (like a lentil donut in yogurt sauce.... I have had much better...but it is ok)

If you are really adventurous ask for a Pan (it is not on the menu)... it is a spice concoction stuffed into a bettle leaf.

They also have a buffet... you have to ask them to make the dosa for you... you wont see it out.

Excellent South Indian cuisine - very modest settings but excellent food.

Most Indian restaurants in the US serve North Indian cuisine - your standard fare of naan, rice and chicken tikka masala. This is not one of those restaurants. South Indian food has tremendous variety and Udupi specializes in making dosas - very thin savoury crepes served with a spicy lentil soup "Sambhar" and a cold cocounut dipping sauce "Chutney". The cream of wheat appetizer (called "Upma") is also highly recommended.

This restaurant is also completely vegetarian and has excellent lunch buffets. A must-go eastside restaurant.