Chennai Tiffins

We ordered chilli idli, Mysore masala dosa, ghee roast dosa and podi dosa all of the items were delicious. Everyone loved the sambar and coconut chutney.

Food: 5/5 Service and Setting: 3/5 Value: 3/5 Seeing many of the negative reviews especially from those I assume to be Indian, I was sort of afraid to try Chennai Tiffins as food is becoming more and more expensive. I want to be the first to say that the viral 3.5 rating phenomenon for Chinese food does seem to apply for Indian food as well. Chennai Tiffins is in a plaza with easy parking surrounded by other delicious South Asian eateries. One strange moment I had was as I took a picture of the entrance, the hostess aggressively asked/accused me of taking a picture of her. Strange, but I guess be careful taking photos and try to not capture the staff. After clearing up the ordeal, she was very kind and even shared with me that they have an all you can eat buffet on Saturday and Sunday mornings. The overall dining area was clean and the food is bomb! Lunch Thali: 5/5 What I love about Indian food is how vast their cuisine is. I have tried Southern Indian food before, but not like this. The curries are all very rich and flavorful without being overindulgent. Coconut and peanuts take the place of dairy in the more typical types of Indian fare offered around here. The Dosa and the Vada were deliciously crispy. My favorite dish in the Thali was the Chana Masala. Chana Masala is normally in a rich tomato gravy, but here, it is deeply savory with boiled peanuts, a true treat. I am not sure how to explain the food as I am not familiar with it all, but the flavor profile is a bit more nutty and a different vibe than others, especially Northern Indian foods. The yogurt rice, this sort of sour soup, and sambar were all incredibly delicious. I am a huge fan of Indian buffets as I get to try a bit of everything, but this Thali has changed my mind and this will be one of my go to places. I am a big eater and I was stuffed after this meal! Highly recommend and please come help out a small business that has been serving the community for a while! Sweet Lassi: 4/5 Thick and sweet, I prefer my Lassi to be a little more tart, but this is a great way to end your meal. Nothing special, but nothing bad! Buffet: 5/5 I have returned to eat the weekend brunch buffet and it was honestly very good. All you can eat idli, vada, puri, dosa, pongal, sambar, halwa, dal, and chutneys. The food is good, but the vada and idli do taste not as good as their freshly made versions. The buffet itself was clean and there is this charming grandpa who comes around every few minutes with fresh poori and/or dosa asking, “would you like Dosa roll?” I honestly like the thali better for the freshness and variety, but I will definitely come back if I have a huge South Indian craving! Falooda: 4.5/5 A very interesting drink/dessert, the falooda was filled with I think chia seeds, noodles, and delicious rose flavored milk. The ice cream on top felt a bit much and made many of the toppings freeze, but it something you should try at least once!

So first of all, we saw the reviews of this place on Google and were like "its rated 3.8, i don't know if its worth it to go and spend money". We took the "risk" and went for breakfast buffet and were amazed by how good the food was. The older gentleman was doing his rounds serving poori and dosa and asking everyone in a nice tone if they wanted more. Also, the filter coffee was one of the best coffee i have had. When we come back to SD, we will definitely go there and give our business again.

Must-try restaurant in San Diego! Delicious South Indian food, neat & clean place, and unlimited sambhar with three types of chutneys. Highly recommend idli with sambhar!

Best idli rasam I ever had in my life ❤️❤️ Must visit!!