Udipi Restaurant

Somehow my review of Udipi has disappeared. So I’ll start by saying CLOSED apparently and suddenly, and it seems like it is gong to be replaced by Aroma (another Indian restaurant) which appears non vegetarian.
I’ve been going to Udipi since it opened. It was reliable vegetarian food. Their buffet was excellent with some great desserts. I loved their korma and dosas. My favorite was the vegetarian thali because it had one of the appetizers, a few main entrees, a choice of flavored rice (I loved coconut), and an uttapam (open faced pancake like vegetable dish) as well as a dessert and raita (and probably more that I’m forgetting).
It’s really sad to see a restaurant close suddenly and without warning. Yes, it was very messy (disgusting actually, on some occaions but sadly par for the course for most Indian restaurants in the area). Yes, it seemed disorganized at times (sometimes you could wait forever, always you’d have to double check your bill, and did I saw it was messy)? However, having had food from there many, many times (no joke, 100 times wouldn’t be an exaggeration), I don’t remember getting sick (well, maybe once actually…) and the food tasted so good (each dish had its own distinct flavor) and lately service was good (very good actually). It was also pretty busy on most occasions recently.
So it is just sad to see another Indian vegetarian restaurant leave the scene. It’s also always weird when owners give no notice of the change. For example, if you mention that you are thinking of hosting an event there or getting catering for a party or something similar like buying a voucher for future use, it seems odd for management to continue that conversation and transaction if a sale is in the works. Regardless of that, it’s just strange to me — why not give your customers some notice even just as a sign of gratitude for their patronage? It saddens me that a place that has been around for so long doesn’t get to have or want to have a proper send off.
It is surprising too that the new owners are switching to a non vegetarian menu at this location The market seems extremely saturated for that. One larger Indian restaurant just did the same across the street and there are now 4 other non vegetarian Indian restaurants on basically the same block. Gutsy move by the owners, but I can’t see all 4 staying open. Hopefully the new owners read some of the negative reviews that are posted and see that they are going to be dealing with a demanding and particular group of diners in the area. On top of that, I can see them losing almost all of Udipi’s clientele with the non vegetarian options… and so they are not only basically starting over completely. but also possibly alienating an existing customer base in the area.

Please avoid if you wish to have good food or good hospitality. Terrible food unhygenic plates etc, very unfriendly staff. I tried it thrice thinking if we caught them on an off day– but waste of time and money and upset tummy!!!

I would have given udipi a star more or two if not for the exorbitant prices they charge for buffet. The lunch buffet is below average at best, but you come out paying around $ 15 bucks per head in spite of it being a purely vegetarian restaurant. They have flies all over the place and the glasses are dirtier than what you can find in a roadside dhaaba in India. I am never going back to this place.

I ordered mutter paneer (my favorite Indian dish) and it did not taste right. It was as if they reheated a dish, added additional cream and spices, then brought it out as my dish. There were hardly any peas or paneer, and the paneer wasn’t good. I ended up only eating the naan bread. Plus, the place was filthy! Disgusting! Dirt and food on the floor, tables and chairs. Tables were left with dirty dishes for a long time. The furniture is ripped and worn down.

Food was ok! Had high expectations! Tried idli… vada…dosa…rava dosa… all were ok!,
Vangi bath is good! Pongal wasnt good! Service wasnt that great too! And it’s a bit costlier too…

Love going to pure vegetarian restaurants. Glad I could find Udipi in Farmington Hills.
Don’t expect any classy ambiance.
Tried the lunch buffet. Good poriyal and dal. Excellent dosa and sambar.

The food was average, but the owner and servers were very friendly and accommodating as we came in late for the lunch buffet and stayed after hours finishing our meal. Thanks a bunch!

The food was terrible. It tasted as if a beginner chef was experimenting in the kitchen.

we ordered Udipi special thali. it was pretty bad. the vada and uthapam were not cooked properly , and rest of the thali was mediocre. It’s not worthy.

Very bad service. Eating here for the first time with family. They short staff the place and our waiter was completely useless. The place is not very well kept. We ordered tea and the cup came out with dry stains. No presentation skills. He was unorganized and dithered when serving us. They also tend to cram more customers into one side of the restaurant (not sure why).
We got some pakoras from the buffet and they were extremely salty.
Would not recommend this to anyone. Especially if you are engaging guests that you haven’t met in a long time.

Maybe it’s better when you can order. We went on a Sunday afternoon and the only option was the buffett. The food was bland and had clearly sat for a while, even the tap water had been sitting out and was room temperature.
Also this restaurant is just in a non-​descript little strip mall (nothing wrong with that) but that fact certainly makes you question where the $ 13 price tag for a lunch buffet with little variety is coming from.
One last kvetch, the men’s bathroom was disgusting.

Amazing paper masala dosa! Sambar a little thin and heavy on the green pepper, but good. Mango lassi great. Besebeli baath was also quite good. The payasam was yummy and warm.
Service was just OK, but restaurant was clean and food came out in a timely manner.

Came in at 5:30 and being the only ones there we thought we would get fast service but we sat there for twenty mins making eye contact with the employees and no one came over to even give us menus so we left and went down the street to nahari café a minute down the road and the service was great and the owner was very polite and had way nicer décor then udipis the food was fantastic I say take the thirty seconds and go down the road.

My friend and I had serious Pongal cravings on Pongal day and decided to go to Udipi.
Getting to the main stuff — the food ! We ordered only the Pongal and the Palak Paneer and both were delicious. Palak Paneer was awesome and Pongal and accompanying chutney’s were very tasty ! Everything else on the menu looked delicious and I would love to try the rest. The portions were very good and I had extras to take for lunch the next day.
I agree with all the Unilocaler’s about the décor and the service (there is room for improvement) but the food is definitely good. Try it.

Udipi, is like a walk back to India: where you have the hullabaloo from traffic, honking of truck drivers and just by the roadside your pulled into a vortex of delightful smells from a local «Udupi Dhaba». The waiters are still in training mode so do not back up when you see them on their way to acquaint you towards your «seat.» Some of the waiters look confused, their waiting for a command from Papaji [the owner].
In addition to the randomness and awkward waiter moments: you still feel at home, the food is just welcoming. Its an explosion of south flavors. I am so glad i found this vegetarian hub, because the owner will do his best to make you happy. His like a «Papaji,» from an old Bollywood flick, but the only difference is your in South India.
I’d say ask for good quality and you”ll get it. They have a daily budget of really good specialty dishes, go for the typical south dishes like Sambar, idli, wada, rasam, payasam and Dosa.
Some dishes they might surprise you with is Chana masala and palak paneer. They’re good! And so is there green coconut sauce! You have to try that!
If they change their interiors and freshen the place up for a 21^st century look, I think they could beat all the other Indian restaurants around. In fact they could blow them out of competition. But for their trailing performance I would give them a 7.5.

I ate here with a friend for lunch once and I don’t think I’m ever going back. They have a lunch buffet for a reasonable price, but you can get a much better buffet for pretty much the same price at other restaurants. The vegetable dishes were swimming in oil, and the dal was thin and adulterated in taste. There is better Indian food on Orchard Lake Road.

When I think of an Indian restaurant that serves a lunch buffet, a lot of bad images come to mind. I think of an overdone dish, with the seasoning stripped out of it, put it out to pasture in a steam tray. As a vegetarian, I think of even worse things — I’ll usually get only one or two dishes that I can eat, and normally skip the buffet and order from the menu.
Udipi vegetarian is not your typical Indian Buffet. In fact, it’s not your typical Indian restaurant. The dishes are true Southern Indian in style, and even on the buffet, are spiced traditionally (several people in our party remarked how spicy things were, and one person couldn’t eat it.) You’ll also find no meat on the buffet here — even non-​vegetarians, though, will be pleasantly stuffed by the wide variety of dishes on the buffet.
The buffet also came with a dosa, served piping hot from the kitchen. The dosa was a touch greasier than I like, but the flavors were good.
Some folks have commented on the décor — This restaurant isn’t much to look at. In fact, I’ve been dragged into coneys with better style. That’s ok, though… I’m not there to look at the walls or the color of the booths. The place was cram packed with Indian people. We were the only caucasian folks in the place — I knew that we had found something special.
If you like Indian food — truly like dishes other than Chicken Masala and Lamb Vindaloo — this restaurant is worth checking out.

I have to say, my parents and their friends are lovers of this place. I went with my parents today for a buffet lunch and was disgusted. From the minute I walked in I decided I wouldn’t eat there. Everything from the water glasses to the buffet itself were dirty. The floor was covered in someone elses food — they weren’t busy so I don’t know why nothing was clean. Service was inattentive — staff were too busy laughing and joking to wipe down tables or check on diners. My parents ate there to be polite but hardly touched their food as they were disgusted by everything, too. Years ago, it was in much better shape. What a disappointment. It was very unhygienic, dirty, and uncomfortable just to sit there. We couldn’t leave fast enough!!!
One more thing: I forgot that when we sat down, I saw hair on the floors and near the buffet. BEWARE with this once-​favorite restaurant!

I don’t have very high expectations for a lunch time buffet at Indian restaurants & when we limped in at almost 2pm on Fridays my hopes were at a low point but low & behold a pleasant surprise awaited us. With fresh paper thin Dhosa we enjoyed mushroom & pea curry & misc lentil, spinach dishes together with a biryinya infused with eggplant all for $ 8 per person
Way better than McDonald’s!!!
I didn’t like the fact that buffet items are not identified, general Décor is getting old.
Saturdays are dhosa special day & well worth a special visit.

5 star dosas. Best rava dosa I’ve had in the Detroit metro area.
All the dosas are unique. Paper dosa also a favorite.
Service /​atmosphere and non-​dosa dishes are 3 to 4, IMHO.