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Chai Pani

22 Battery Park Ave., Asheville, NC 28801-2715 (Downtown Asheville)
826 254 4003
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Ranked #11 of 402 restaurants in Asheville
Price range: $5 - $15
Cuisines: Indian
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Restaurant details
Good for: Families with children, Local cuisine, Dining on a budget
Dining options: Breakfast/Brunch, Lunch, Dinner, Reservations, Takeout, Late Night
Neighborhood: Downtown Asheville
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229 reviews from our community

92% Recommend
    153
    59
    13
    3
    1
Rating summary
    Food
    Service
    Value
    Atmosphere
Date Rating
Newnan, Georgia
Reviewer
4 reviews 4 reviews
4 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 20, 2013 NEW

We went in as a party of 6 and at first had to squeeze into a booth. As soon as a large table opened up, the staff was very friendly and helped us move. Really good food! Not so sure about the "counter service" during lunch, but it added an interesting detail to this place. I will go back for... More

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Warrenton, Virginia
Senior Reviewer
9 reviews 9 reviews
4 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 4 cities Reviews in 4 cities
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 20, 2013 NEW

For those who may not know, Chai Pani is an Indian restaurant that prepares their food with fresh local offerings. The wait staff was extremely helpful in explaining the evenings offerings. And the servings were exquisite.

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See 3 more reviews by DavidD00 for Asheville
Kansas City, Missouri
Reviewer
4 reviews 4 reviews
3 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 17, 2013 NEW

Tasty and unusual and great value. If you are like us and need a little "fix" of Indian food now and then, this place should fit the bill.

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See 2 more reviews by EAK_12 for Asheville
Aiken, South Carolina
Senior Reviewer
7 reviews 7 reviews
4 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 3 cities Reviews in 3 cities
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 17, 2013 NEW

i love going to a restaurant with a concise, focussed menu. chai pani has that - you don't have to wade through 75 choices. they have already winnowed down the best of the best. service was a little slow, but i was meeting and visiting with a friend over dinner, so this time, slow service (and by this, i mean... More

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Hartford, Connecticut
Top Contributor
63 reviews 63 reviews
25 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 36 cities Reviews in 36 cities
30 helpful votes 30 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 13, 2013

Most of the Indian restaurants we go to in the Northeast are carbon copies of each other - same dishes, same presentations, only the quality of the meats really varies from one to the next - but this restaurant has some thing I don't normally see - fried okra, wraps, corn behl, varying desserts. Plan to go back at least... More

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See 9 more reviews by Brusheep for Asheville
Senior Reviewer
8 reviews 8 reviews
8 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 4 cities Reviews in 4 cities
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
3 of 5 stars Reviewed May 12, 2013 via mobile

If you are an Indian and are habitual of tasty Indian dishes, then probably this place is not for you. Their naan and roti tasted like one from frozen packet and grilled over. Paneer-saag was not so well mixed together. Cheese Uthhappam had vegetables shredded on the top, not mixed and grilled with batter. only good thing was bhel-puri.

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See 4 more reviews by Sumeetjain for Asheville
Asheville, North Carolina
Reviewer
3 reviews 3 reviews
3 restaurant reviews
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 11, 2013

I've been in asheville for four days now and this is the best dinner I've had bar none. Great specials, good value and opinionated service. I won't even try to butcher the names of the food we had...just ask the server to take care of you and you'll be delighted. Promise.

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See 2 more reviews by Leonatti for Asheville
Charlotte NC
Senior Contributor
36 reviews 36 reviews
21 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 13 cities Reviews in 13 cities
24 helpful votes 24 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 10, 2013

Sometimes there is a great divide between great reviews and reality. That is not the case with Chai Pani. We had lunch outside on a gorgeous spring day in Asheville. There were so many tempting things on the menu, I changed the order several times. Gotta love the patient guy behind the counter. Yes, you order and pay at the... More

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See 4 more reviews by JourneysByJill for Asheville
Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States
Reviewer
4 reviews 4 reviews
Reviews in 3 cities Reviews in 3 cities
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 7, 2013

My daughter has been wanting to go to Chai Pani ever since she heard about it. Very inviting atmosphere, cozy setting, great food even though I'm not a big Indian food fan. Service was fast and we didn't have to wait although we did go early (a little after 6) on a Saturday night. Would definitely go back.

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Asheville, NC
Senior Contributor
36 reviews 36 reviews
30 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 10 cities Reviews in 10 cities
9 helpful votes 9 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 7, 2013

We eat here almost weekly. Having both visited India we love the authenticity of the food. They always get it right and it is one of our favorite spots in Asheville. Love it!

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See 20 more reviews by Shannon L for Asheville

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