Chennai Dosa Express

Chennai Dosa Express is located on JFK Boulevard in Jersey city very close to Journal Square. Excellent café with very friendly and courteous staff. They serve food of the type called tiffin in South India. This place is what they call a ‘canteen’ in India. If you are looking for a posh or fancy place with great ambience, then this is not the place for you. But if you are looking for authentic and fresh tiffin, this is the place to go.
1. They have the best vadais I have tasted in my 30+ years in the U.S.
2. They have recently started serving potato bondas. Most Indian restaurants in the U.S. don’t serve bondas, and when they do, they are simply not authentic or tasty. Chennai Dosa Express’ bondas are the best I have tasted in any restaurant in the U.S.
3. Finally, they serve authentic Madras filter coffee, again a rarity in the U.S.
Overall, an excellent little tiffin restaurant. I would highly recommend it.

This is a pretty decent place for affordable price. Pros: good portions, 3 kinds of cutneys, unlimited sambar, affordable pricing and masala tea. Cons: ambience and service. There was this one lady who was taking the orders and also serving the food. Hence, when there were many guests, the service got really slow. The place is quiet small and is poor in ambience, but it makes up in the quantity and quality of food. I had ordered 1 plate idli (= 3 idlis), 1 onion rava dosa and 1 plain dosa along with 2 Masala teas. I can say all the three items were quiet filling and the plain dosa was quiet crisp. I felt my rava dosa was kinda burnt. However, it did not change the taste of it. So, I am okay with that. Overall, good experience.

This is no south indian restuarant except the name, sambhar/​dosa are not made in south indian style and the food is not that tasty.

The dosa’s are tasty and I really liked the sambar.
I did feel like the prices did not reflect the interior as the place really needs a renovation. $ 8 for a dosa with potato is a little overpriced especially when you have competition all along Newark Ave.
I also had to ask for my coffee twice before they remembered to make it.

this place is amazing. it’s truly the best for just a fraction of the price. south indian cuisine galore served by the most caring folks around this neck of the woods.

The best and cheapest in town!!!
Amazing dosas n chutneys, must drink mango lasssi out of the world.
Sambhar is free n unlimited but too spicy to finish!!!
Wanna come again and again, and yes ambience could be much better.

Good, not bad but not good. Ordered a paneer dosa but came with American cheese inside instead. That’s not authentic or South Indian by any measure.
Cleanliness of this place is poor, needs to pay more attention to food safety.
In short, it’s a decent take out place, fair prices, decent customer service, and a no-​frills place.

We have dosa a number of times here. Has been always good and their prices are very low. I wish they improve the ambience. Definitely would recommend and go again.

Good place for Indian breakfast, tastes good and was made fresh, people might not like the ambience, to be fair there wasn’t any but it kinda reminded the mess’s back in south India so was not really a issue, definitely would suggest it if you are looking for food South Indian breakfast.

Ordered food on seamless
Food came on time and was delivered at door unlike most other places where they generally ask to collect downstairs.
But the quality of food is so poor
Kesari was too sweet (Probly it’s just me)
Upma is plain boiled rava with salt with a slight trace of green — overall it’s pathetic.
Pongal — i got confused what is that they delivered. It tasted like watery curd-​rice !! Was not able to eat beyond a bite
Dosa, chutney and idly were decent enough.

Hole-​in-​the-​wall Dosa spot near Journal Square. Amaazing value– huge portions of delicious Indian food — we ordered a Paneer Dosa and Thali for the two of us and honestly just the dosa would have been enough! Which is amazing for 2 people to be able to eat out for $ 9.00. We would definitely come back for a great value vegetarian Indian meal.

I ordered delivery, took an hour not bad food was hot. Dosa was delicious, large serving. For the price great South Indian vegetarian take out!

Sambar is perfectly made. Utthapams are freshly crafted. This place is a treasure hidden in a hole in the wall.

Simple place, unpretentious tasty food. I’m taking one star off for cleanliness of the place, which was only so-​so. I’ve eaten that three times now, and each time was satisfying. Probably the least expensive South Indian restaurant in little India. I’m not sure where one would park, as I took the path train there.
The young girl taking the food orders was very pleasant, and actually reminded me of my little sister. Your mileage may vary. it could well be a family run place, if you are into that sort of thing.

I have eaten here twice now, once with a friend and once alone. It is definitely an unpretentious café, but serves THE BEST South Indian food I have had ANYWHERE, to present.
On my first visit, I shared a $ 9 thali with a friend. I have a big appetite but it was really enough for both of us. Moreover, this food was spicy to the Nth power! I was in heaven, particularly with the baigan and rasam. Like at Dosa House, there is a self-​serve sambar kettle here. But here, no one tried to limit me!
Note that the chapathis and rice here were also perfectly cooked. I’m not a rice lover at all but I scarfed up the plain basmati like never before
Though difficult to believe, my second visit was even better. I ordered the $ 5.50 mysore masala dosa… and about 5 minutes later, began swooning after the first bite. This behemoth of a dosa tasted 110% fresh from it’s outermost tips to the innermost mouthful of potato filling. Unparalleled in flavor, it did not disappoint in terms of crispiness, either.
Not surprisingly, they didn’t skimp on the spicy chutney inside and the sambar on the second visit was supremely spicy. As for the chutneys, the tomato one was solid, but the coconut: ethereal.
Service here is fast and the folks behind the counter are sweet and helpful. Dosa Express just became my newest habit!

Yeah it’s kind of a seedy hole in the wall, open kitchen with pretty clean tables, and the atmosphere is not what you come here for, but, their dosas are unbelievable! So cheap and Huge portions! I can name a number of towns all over the state that would kill to have a delicious vegan veggie friendly authentic spicy Dosa heaven like this. The location is not as sketchy as you would think, seriously, get over your selves people, the food here is Absolutley SCRUMPTIOUS!!! Yummy yum yum !!!

Chennai Dosa express is arguably my best experience of South Indian food in Journal Square. Hailing from the South Indian city of Chennai, Idili/​Dosa/​Vada/​Sambar/​Chutney is an integral part of our breakfast !! Eating the dishes that tastes exactly as in Chennai is a welcome surprise. Price wise the restaurant is very affordable, a $ 7 combo includes a plate of Idili/​Masala Dosa/​Vada/​!! The service is amazing and served hot right into your table. I have visited the place a couple of times to try out different dishes on the Menu, I would highly recommend this place to anyone looking for South Indian food !!

No hygiene in their kitchen, their kitchen is looks like trash can, this is my first time and also last time ,
Their chef never use gloves, he’s dipping his hand in all the sauces and chutneys and checking seasoning, oh my god, after looking his hand, I just paid money and without having food came back, pls never go to this place,

Ordered Dosa, Idli and Kathi Roll — Kathi Roll was pathetic and tasted primarily like bread and ketchup. Dosa was ok and Sambhar was below expectations. Not recommended!

Worst food ever !!
Even I cook better than them …
Rice was not even properly cooked, tasteless stuffs. Will never recommend to anyone — and I already dumped their menu: P