great service and food! Be prepared for a long wait though. We especially loved the potato puffs with chutney.

What a great find. If we lived in the area they would have our names on a table we would be here so often. We love Indian food but have never been to a place like this. Just good street food that melts in your...mouthMore

We have eaten here multiple times and made the trip down from Louisville for my girlfriend's birthday. The food is always on point. The place is always busy, bustling with activity. It has a special vibe. If you want quiet this isn't it on a...busy night. The staff are helpful with tips and special suggestions.More

Chai Pani was recommended to us and they did not disappoint. We had some dietary restrictions and our waitress handled them well. I am Gluten Free and my husband has to be garlic free. I had the Butter Chicken that came with rice, lentil soup...and roasted gram masala. My husband had Tomato & Cheese Uttapam. Everything was delicious! We will be back.More

Was lucky enough to get in quick for a lunch before closing and the place was excellent. I was hoping to come back for dinner but the line forms early and seems to last a while. The dahi puri is one of best dishes I’ve...ever had.More

Chai Pani sounded intriguing and we were in the vicinity, so we decided to check it out. We aren't fans of waiting for a table, but we gave them our names, walked down to a pub, and by the time we finished our drafts, our...table was ready. The interior is a bit chaotic and noisy with a lot of energy. Our waitress was quite charming and enthusiastic. My husband has very few food aversions, but one is to okra. We ordered the fried okra anyway, and he LOVED it! It's shatteringly crisp and addictive and I'll leave it at that. We also ordered the chicken pakoras and aloo tiki chaat (potato fritters on top of a garbanzo stew). Everything was delicious and seasoned beautifully. We just drank water, since we'd already had a beer aperitif down the street, and the check for three shared dishes was quite reasonable.More

Wow! This was my introduction to Indian Street food and it was fabulous. The Sev Potato Dahi Puri blew my taste buds away with a wonderful melange of flavors cooled by the yogurt. We also enjoyed the Crispy Masala Fish Roll and the Mixed Vegetable...Uttapam. There was always a line in the evenings, but we went for a late lunch on a Thursday and did not have to wait. Our eyes were bigger than our stomachs so the Uttapam went home with us for dinner.More

It hurts my heart that I have to go to Asheville to have this genius meal. This is my second trip to Chai Pani. My partner got the paneer sandwich and wolfed it down. I got the sloppy jai, I dream about these. My favorite...thing was the okra fries. I like okra but didn’t know what to expect. 3 different waiters told us that we had to squeeze the lime on it and it was delicious. I would buy these by the bag if I could. I even bought the seasoning they sell at the spicewallaha storefront in downtown Asheville!More

To be honest my sister is the one who loves Indian food. I have always been on the fence about it, however, this was a good experience. To begin with we got there a half hour before the end of lunch after riding the trolley....When we got there there was a sign that said that they were no longer taking names to add onto the wait list. My sister undeterred went inside and spoke to the hostess who was gracious enough to seat us at a table. Sure, it was crowded and noisy but the service was very good and very helpful. We all decided to order an okra appetizer suggested by our trolley driver which proved to be an excellent choice. We then ordered 3 separate entrees so we could share. Other than the lentils that we were not fans of the main dishes were quite good. Oh, we were told by our trolley driver that Chai Pani had recently won another James Beard Award. This was probably our best dining experience in Asheville.More

we had 3 smaller plates which was plenty for the 2 of us... bhel puri (lotsa crunch!), green mango chaat (they're happy to make without peanuts), and aloo tiki chaat (our fav)! as for drinks we had pineapple tumeric soda w bourbon and southern peach...treaty- both tasty. we got there at 5pm and waited in the rain til they opened at 5:30p but when we finished around 6:45p there was no wait! delish! we sat at the bar and the service was great.More

Excellent flavors! Butter chicken was outstanding, naan was the best I’ve ever had. My husband wiped all of our plates squeaky clean with the naan bread. Waitress said we might see his picture on the wall next time we come, she has never seen a...plate that clean in all the time she’s worked there :) Only in town for a couple days but tempted to go back to keep trying other items on the menuMore

I am spoiled. After Shaminana in Benin, Africa, nothing compares. The food is okay at Chai Paini, but the noise factor is terrible. They need to place rugs on their walls and felt on their chairs as the servers screech along as they move tables...and chairs for different accommodations. I was not impressed at all with the food and feel like I make much better Indian entrees. I would only go back if a friend insisted on eating there. I had to wait a half an hour just to get to place my name down on the waiting list, and then another forty minutes to be served. And for what? The sauces were about a c+. I want an A+. If you ever get to Benin.... You Have to try Shaminana to see the difference!More