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Udupi Palace
Categories: Restaurants Indian Restaurants Vegetarian Restaurants Vegan Indian, Vegetarian, Vegan [Edit]
1007 Valencia St(between 21st St & Hill St)
San Francisco, CA 94110
Neighborhood: Mission
(415) 970-8000
- Hours:
Mon-Thu, Sun 11:30 am - 10 pm
Fri-Sat 11:30 am - 10:30 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
620 reviews for Udupi Palace
Review Highlights
"highly recommend the uthampam(pancake) or dosa(crepe."
(in 326 reviews)
"Their mango lassi is fantastic by the way."
(in 32 reviews)
"The coconut chutney is fabulous paired with them."
(in 18 reviews)
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620 reviews in English
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Review from M K.
San Francisco, CA
2/1/2012
This place is GREAT. I love most of their dishes and the 2 foot crepe is a lot of fun to order for the table. The only con I can think of is that it's cash only. But, it's worth the ATM visit. All veggie too!
Go early because it gets really crowded after 6:30. -
Review from Shira H.
San Francisco, CA
Rock my socks and sock my rocks, this place is good. A vegetarian palace is what Udupi is I say I say now. It is inexpensive and entertaining all at the same time, entertaining due to the staff and close quarters of the tables.
But the star is the dosa nom nom nom. Def. a better bet than "Dosa" next door, when it comes to bang for your buck and casual yet awesome food.
Cash only, but don't fret my pet, there is a Chase a hop skip and a jump away on 21st and Mission!Listed in: La Mission
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Review from Rachel H.
Seattle, WA
1/29/2012
A great budget alternative to Dosa down the street, Udupi Palace has cheap, wonderful and flavorful dosas with all the condiments and sauces. While Dosa may have better ambiance, Udapi Palace has far better value.
Is there anything better than fried carbs, filled with seasoned flavorful carbs accompanied by lush and tasty fats to dip your carbs in? I think not! -
Review from Dipesh G.
San Francisco, CA
1/28/2012 1 Check-in Here
Situation
- Lunch on a Saturday
- Ordered a Dosa
The Good
- The dosa was really good and was just the right amount
- Price
The Bad
- Cash only
- The atmosphere/ambiance is not all that great
- The service can be a little slow
Overall
- The food I had was good and I wouldn't mind going there again to try some other items from the menu -
Review from Jasmine F.
Bayview/Hunters Point, San Francisco, CA
1/22/2012
So I read all the wonderful reviews of this place and I was super excited because it is cheaper and there is a different variety from Dosa, but I was really disappointed. I don't get to go out very often, and I was so excited to try the curry, which the server promised me was potato free, but when it came, it had tons of potatoes. Then, they said they would make it again without the potatoes and brought it back again with potatoes. The veggie uttapam was so full of onions I couldn't taste anything else and the tomato soup we had as an appetizer was very thin broth that was just way too spicy. None of the servers really spoke english so no one bothered to help us at all...
If I were you, I would spring for the extra few dollars it costs over at DOSA, right next door, where the food is amazing and the service is fantastic.
Udupi Palace, you really let me down. -
Review from Rahul P.
San Francisco, CA
I have been here a couple of times since they opened in the city. I must admit that so far I have been really impressed with the food.
The dosas and utthapams are one of the best in the bay area. We tried the spicy gobi chettinad masala dosa served with three different types of chutney and sambhar which was very yummy. We also tried the chole bathura which is a deep fried and puffy dough and that was good too. The portions are generous and reasonably priced.
The service is great and staff is friendly! Conveniently located in the mission district which makes me look forward to my next visit. -
Review from M K.
San Francisco, CA
1/25/2012
I don't get what the hype is all about and why everyone is raving about this? The food wasn't great, it was bland and not what you would expect out of Indian food. I am Indian so I should know. I got the Veg thali because I wanted to try out the variety but was disappointed. The food was mediocre to say the least. Also the quantities were so little that even I, a petite size girl, was left half full.
We didnt go back here and dont plan to either. -
Review from Jeana K.
San Francisco, CA
1/4/2012
This review is about four years overdue. How do you sum up a long-term relationship with a restaurant? I can't count how many times I've been over the years. I love lamb in my vindaloo and chicken in my tikka masala, but somehow at Udupi you don't miss the meat. On their best days, the saag is so fresh that it's a bright green. My favorite dishes include the paneer makhani, saag paneer, spicy vegetable curry, gobi (spicy cauliflower) uttapam, and spinach/potato dosa. The parathas are my comfort food and remind me of a Korean sweet rice pastry. The veggie samosas come with a variety of chutneys and will stave off any hunger pangs before your entrees come. Udupi is South Indian, so don't come expecting naan- instead, you'll get poori which is a light and fluffy fried dough.
Udupi is not fancy. Sometimes, we've come right after a long outdoor run (aka sweaty and in workout clothes). For fancy, expensive, Californified Indian food, go to Dosa next door. For real, good Indian food, Udupi is straight up authentic (my Indian friends will vouch for it), and you can eat to the beat of Bollywood playing on flatscreens above you. If you're eating light, you can leave the restaurant without spending more than $10. Dinners with friends and casual dates are good here, and yes, I've watched Along Came Polly- you'll be fine!
The veteran staff is awesome and attentive, and by now, they probably know my personal life very well because they've met almost everyone and definitely the most important people in my life. Thanks Udupi friends for all the attention and delicious food over the years, and sorry it's taken me so long to post a review! My choice in SF is always Udupi. -
Review from Ryan R.
San Francisco, CA
1/27/2012
Uncommon in every way, this Vegetarian Indian Restaurant has been quite the blessing for me. Everything is served on these great big platters with may chutneys, all in their own little spot on the tray. The breads here are off the charts. Also, if you're vegan, this place can accomodate. A new SF favourite for those days where only veggies will do. Extremely busy during lunch, so expect to wait unless you go off-peak.
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Review from Darcy V.
San Francisco, CA
1/20/2012
South Indian food isn't for everyone, but I do love it when I'm in the mood for something spicy and vegan. Udupi Palace isn't exactly a palace (especially not compared to Dosa) but it's definitely a step up from a cafeteria-style South Indian place (like the ones you find in the South Bay). Ambiance, I guess 2.5 stars.
Service. Well, the service is very sincere and welcoming, but some of the waitstaff have a hard time communicating in English, so I had a really hard time figuring out if the dishes we ordered had cashews in them (super allergic). I ended up having to ask 3 people in order to get answers on that. It was a near miss too, as one of the chutneys had cashew paste in it. They also didn't bring each person's food near the same time, so some of us were left sitting with no food while others had almost finished their meals. One item never came, and we were charged for it, so had to send the bill back. They don't accept credit cards, which is fine, but it does bring the whole service experience down as well. 2.5 stars. I've been to other locations in other cities and the service was more on-the-ball. I'm sure it's tough dealing with high-maintenance SF folks what with all our allergies and gluten free this and that.
Foodage. It's pretty ok. The ingredients are not as local and fresh as other restaurants in the Mission. For me, really great ingredients are part of what makes a meal exciting. The paper dosas are nice and impressively large. The rasam (kinda of a staple in S. Indian cooking) is ok. It's not great, but it's good enough, though a little salty. The vada dumplings are pretty good, not tough, and they are nicely flavored. The chutneys are not up to snuff, in my opinion. They all seem kind of watered down, and not as fresh and flavorful as they could be. Mango lassi is good, but it's kind of hard to screw that up. What makes this place appealing is the calorie to dollar ratio. You can get a lot of healthy-ish vegetarian food for a semi- reasonable price.
Would I recommend it? Well, yeah. You should go and give it a try and see if you like it. It's a good alternative to expensive cocktails at Dosa, and it's all traditional, so S. Indian purists don't have to freak out over a cheese dosa. That being said, I see more Indians eating at Dosa, and more dreadlocks at Udupi. Go figure. -
Review from Maitai N.
San Francisco, CA
1/6/2012 1 Check-in Here
Favorite South Indian restaurant for me and my hubby:)
Dosa is must try and Bhindi Curry (Okra) is also tasty! -
Review from Gabrielle P.
1/18/2012
Udupi Palace is a just-fine South Indian joint in the Mission. The dosa isn't always as paper-thin or melt-in-your-mouth as it can be, but you probably won't be disappointed if dosa is what you are craving. The uttapam is generally my favourite option, and the quality of the rasam varies wildly, but the service is always great and the coconut chutney is fab. If you like spicy, you sort of have to beg for it.
Wine is cheap, and I've never even bothered with the curries because the uttapam is so great (and I worry they wouldn't be sufficiently spicy for my tastes). Udupi Palace is a great place for warming and affordable veg food on a rainy day! -
Review from Dale M.
San Francisco, CA
1/11/2012
I am vegan and love South Indian food, so deep down I wanted to like Udupi Palace, but I was pretty underwhelmed. A meal here is definitely cheaper than at Dosa up the street, but I thought this difference in price was very clearly reflected in the quality of ingredients. Several of the chutneys tasted like they were from powdered mixes rather than fresh ingredients.
I'll probably end up going back here at some point, but only if the line at Dosa were simply too long. -
Review from Angella S.
San Francisco, CA
11/16/2011
Dosa, move ova!
As my girl Jessica T. would say: Udupi is what's up!!
I can't believe that I've passed by this spot so many times and never dropped in!! Well, dropping in may prove to be somewhat difficult because the joint is packed. And for good reason...
I think of Udupi as a smaller, moderately-priced, low-key version of Dosa. No bar in the house, but who needs one when the food is this good?! Udupi's menu is a funtastic culinary escapade with just as many choices as their nearby neighbor. You wouldn't believe how reasonable prices are. We ordered one dosa and one uttapam, which came up to $17 and change!! Can you believe it! Portions are very generous so two dishes will easily satisfy two peeps.
Vegetarian options galore. Vegan options are also on the menu.
Now I know what's up when I need my South Indian fix. Thanks JT!!!! -
Review from Jeff M.
San Francisco, CA
11/25/2011
Solid authentic Indian food.
Usually pretty busy, so prep to wait.
Oh! and cash only! -
Review from Praveen K.
San Ramon, CA
11/24/2011
Not as fancy as Dosa (next door), but the food is awesome. Except for Thali , I have tried most of the food. Not a big fan of Idly, but rest of the stuff was very good.
Love the spicy buttermilk !! -
Review from Mayra L.
San Francisco, CA
11/7/2011 1 Check-in Here
I was spoiled here!
I always thought I loved Indian food because of chicken tikka masala and naan, but this place completely changed my mind.
I had no idea what to expect and kind of let me friends take the lead on what to order. We ended up sharing a masala dosa, deluxe vegetable curry and buryami rice dishes.
It was like nothing i'd ever tasted. The food was all vegetable based and it was seasonsed with different spices, curries and chutneys. It was amazing!!
Once I started I couldn't stop eating. The dosa was like a crepe burrito with potatoes and spices and was delicious. The vegeteable curry was my favorite, mized with some rice and the rice buryami, it was exactly what I needed after a walk out in the rain.
The portiions were perfect. We didn't leave there feeling stuffed and sick but rather perfectly full and warmed and ready to brave the wind outside. -
Review from Laura P.
San Francisco, CA
11/15/2011 1 Check-in Here
Hello delicious! Scouring the mission for something delicous, we ended up at Udupi Palace. What a yummy dinner!! There is almost nothing I like more than a whole bunch of different dipping sauces to choose from and mix together.
The serving sizes were huge, the food was tasty and the prices were very reasonable.
Vegan heaven! -
Review from ElleDee R.
Bay Area, CA
1/5/2012 1 Check-in Here
Really good food. Cash only. Be prepared to be full.
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Review from Scott B.
San Francisco, CA
12/24/2011
Udupi Palace is wonderful. Great food, friendly service, modestly priced. We've been a couple of times now and had several types of Dosa. Excellent every time. The place is strictly vegetarian, so don't come expecting to find chicken or lamb. Portions are generous and very filling, though. As a happy carnivore myself, I was not disappointed.
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Review from V. P.
San Francisco, CA
11/14/2011
This place was amazing! The service was great and those dosa's when they come out are humungous! The portions for this restaurant was quite big. Went with my my boo and a friend and I definitely would come back here. I always order chicken tikka masala and now I have been exposed to other food!
I had the potatoe and spinach and I forget a few more other combo and it was yummy! There was a tomatoe based soup we got as an appetizer and it was aboulutely amazing! It was so flavorful and wasn't spicy. The only down fall is my boo had the vegetable dish and not spicy and it was spicy! Yikes! We had to trade for a non-spicy dish.
Gotta have cash as they don't take anything else. It got a four star and not a five star due to the vegetable dish which stated not spicy. :-( -
Review from Prague G.
San Francisco, CA
12/12/2011
Inexpensive and tasty. What more could you ask for?
I'd recommend the saag paneer and paneer makhani -
Review from Gretchen B.
San Francisco, CA
10/11/2011
I totally agree with others that Udupi Palace picks up where Dosa falls short. The food here is amazing and the service can hardly be matched. I have honestly never had my water glass filled so frequently.
Every dosa on the menu is amazing and I really love the yogurt dipping sauces. You should also know that you will spend 1/2 as much as you would at Dosa and leave just as satisfied. (Maybe that's a side effect of the Bollywood movies screening in the background.)
The only problem? People are starting to catch on. I've had to wait in line more often here than I care to at 9pm.Listed in: Great veggie food
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Review from Tansy S.
San Francisco, CA
10/25/2011
Meh.
The flavors just weren't there for me.
I *love* Indian food! In fact, without a doubt it is my favorite. Why? Because I love bursting, punch you in yo mouth flavors!
We tried the Spinach Dosa, a few curries, and the Samosa. All failed in my opinion. At no point did my mouth experience the usual 'I have died and gone to curry heaven' feeling.
Sorry. :( -
Review from Jack S.
Palo Alto, CA
1/8/2012
Udupi started off as the alternate for when neighboring Dosa was too booked up. But it has emerged as a destination in its own right.
The Vada, Utthapam, and Dosas are all great, and so is the Sambar. And if you are in the mood for a less filling option, try the Special Vegetable Curry - it has amazing complex flavors. -
Review from henry w.
12/20/2011
As authentic a paneer makhani I've ever had and served in metal bowls just like the places in India - I wish this place wasn't so popular because its such a small place! Be prepared to wait a bit if you come at rush hour, but the wait will be all but forgotten once you dip some of the fluffy hot poori bread into your makhani.. mm.. that sounded a bit dirty huh?
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Review from Paul G.
Palo Alto, CA
10/22/2011
WARNING: CASH ONLY. Possibly the only sit-down restaurant I've been to for at least a decade with that moronic policy. The food is great, and the prices are good, so this would be a five-star review but for the fact that they sucker you in with the unannounced cash only thing (doubtless the only way they stay in business). Maybe they get a kickback from the owners of the ATM next door?
The food is really good though. Albeit vegetarian. Extremely Indian Indian food, as opposed to American-style Indian food. So you should go here, but only if your tricks/marks/gamblers/addicts/other illegal business customers (because really, who else uses cash?) paid you with a wad recently. And go quick, before the IRS catches on and looks at their books (my other hypothesis for the cash only thing).
(edit: turns out there is a sign, barely visible unless you're looking for it, behind the door.) -
Review from Allie H.
San Francisco, CA
12/26/2011
I love dosas, and I also love Dosa, but Udupi was long on my list as I'd heard the basics were superior.
The judgment: service was awesome -- really nice and attentive. Yet, neither the dosa nor uttapam lived up to my hopes, and of the three dipping sauces, I only loved one (the red chutney). The flavors were fine, but the food was just too oily and heavy for me to want to eat it often. I'd go back, but wouldn't run back (especially because I never have cash). -
Review from Mai R.
San Francisco, CA
10/24/2011
Every one seems to be raving about this place, but in my opinion it's just alright.
The food was okay. The dipping sauces were good. They had plenty of dosas to choose from. The service was also pretty good. However, nothing particularly screamed amazing. This place clearly just isn't my cup of tea. Sorry, but all that damn potato left me wanting some meat! -
Review from Bry B.
San Francisco, CA
11/9/2011
PROS
Great service
Perfectly spiced food, with a large menu selection
Clean establishment
CONS
Cash only + ATM next store that charges $2.50 -
Review from Anthony Y.
San Francisco, CA
10/18/2011
We ordered delivery from Udupi 4 days ago and I was impressed. The food was fresh the poori was delicious and the grand total was 22 bucks without tip.
I had the saag paneer, definitely recommended. I'm not exactly sure what the wife had because I couldn't really understand the guy that took our order. We originally wanted the South Indian Thali however he said that he couldn't deliver it or they were out or something. So he recommended something else to me and I said sure, but I have no idea what it was.
That being said I still think it is a much better delivery option than Mehfil, because in my humble opinion the food is better and much less expensive. Also minimum for delivery was $15 I think, maybe $20, but less of a minimum than Mehfil. Recommended; and now my go to Indian delivery spot. -
Review from Yoh S.
San Francisco, CA
1/14/2012
I called to order for deliver. They told me it would be a 1.5 hour wait because they are busy. I said that was ok. When I gave them my address, they said they could not deliver because I lived 1.6 miles away (by 10th and Howard), and they only delivery to 1.5 miles.
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Review from Lisa Q.
9/3/2011 5 Check-ins Here
"Excuse me sir, there's some debris floating in my water," I said.
"Oh, that's lemon," he replied quickly, he must get that comment all the time.
Boom. I'm a sucker for any place that puts citrus in the water (it just shows they care). My heart is especially softened because at first I mentally accused them of being dirty.
My experiences at Udupi have always been heavenly. The first dosa I ever ate here was the creamy/firm paneer duji dosa and I was hynotized by the mild and wild flavor. My favorite chutney with it is the coconutty one. The dosas and uthappams come with three chutneys and a piping hot lentil soup (the dream team). Abe, my huz-to-be, likes to dip his dosa or uthappam directly in the spicy lentil soup until it's lusciously drippy and heavy (such a pro).
I don't remember having south Indian food this good ever-- not even from the Dosa Man on Washington Square Park. I used to wait forty-five minutes in the sneakily cold New York City autumn across the street from Kimmel to get a taste of that spicy eternal summer. My meals from that styrofoam container always tasted just a little bit dirty (which was super charming to my 18-22 year-old self).
But udupi palace is clean, fresh, and ill. I mean they're clean in all the ways to be clean that I could admire. They're vegetarian, their flavors are crisp, and they even enhance their drinking water! Oh, and their lassies are fantastic, great yogurt flavor and they give you a generous serving!
One time I got a dosa with masala and the filling was cold, but I didn't even care, it was so delicious I just ate it all up right there and I usually can't finish a whole dosa. My huzbe always cleans his plate-- we see ourselves visiting this joint again (and again) in the near future. -
Review from Sasha K.
San Francisco, CA
11/3/2011
3.5 stars. Good South Indian food for SF standards. Not the best ever, but pretty tasty with good, friendly service.
I got a combo for a dosa, vada and idli. Got the masala dosa and it's pretty good. I'd go back and order that again. The dipping sauces fall short. Had better chutneys elsewhere. The idli and vada are average. They need to be fluffy and less dense.
If you just want dosas and don't want to drive out of the city, this is a good place for that. Try to get there before 6 and bring cash. It gets packed for dinner. I'd go back again. -
Review from Teresa C.
San Francisco, CA
12/21/2011
Got my first taste of dosa & uthappam here and I'm a fan. So different from the mainstream Northern Indian fare that you encounter here in the Bay Area. Vegetarian friendly, huge menu, fast service, and to plainly put it - tasty & homey Indian food. Bring cash and make reservations!
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Review from Meghan P.
8/21/2011 ROTD 12/21/2011
After a fun afternoon in Delores Park, friends who'd tried Udupi Palace picked this spot for dinner. I was SO impressed!
The food was amazing. We ordered tons of dishes to share. We particularly loved the spicy samosa and the dipping sauces that came with every dish. Also, the large paper dosa was over 3 feet long and yummy! Only one of the six at our table said he missed meat at this vegetarian-only restaurant.
The service was simple and friendly, the price was right (very inexpensive!) and the restaurant (and bathroom) were clean. My only complaint is that I was uncomfortably full after stuffing myself at this meal!! -
Review from Josh R.
San Francisco, CA
11/29/2011
Great south Indian food! The paper masala dosa was a standout dish - tasty and massive. The bhindi (okra) curry was quite good too, very "fresh" and flavorful, not muddy like a north Indian version would be. The idly appetizer was pretty good as well though I don't know if I'd order it again. Chutneys and sambal were all tasty. The three dishes were too much for two very hungry diners, though the bottle of dry rose might have helped fill us up some :)
All in all, a great experience. Reasonably priced, good friendly service, yummy veggie food. I will definitely be back! -
Review from Laura f.
11/13/2011 1 Check-in Here
20' wait on a Saturday night not too bad. Crowded tables, packed, noise level tolerable, food is very flavorful yet slightly blander side but very good, and easy on the wallet. South Indian food is great for vegetarians and vegans!
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Review from Rowie R.
San Francisco, CA
11/26/2011
If your looking for a hearty meal with no meat, this is the place to go. The restaurant does not attract the pretentious crowd and the prices are quite reasonable. It is a feel-good restaurant. The food is flavorful and bountiful. It is a busy restaurant that attracts folks because of the delicious food.
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Review from Rayan A.
San Francisco, CA
11/19/2011
Pathetic place!
I went there after reading reviews on yelp. The quick test for an authentic south indian restaurant is the simple preparation of idly. You CAN NOT go wrong with it. But idly was plain ok. Sambar and other chutneys were bad. The main course (not sure why we even went ahead and ordered it after the idly) was the worst part. The uthappam was half cooked and bisi-bele bath (rice) was horrible. We I will never go there.... EVER.
