Idly Express

We have been customers of the Mylapore group before the Covid days, mostly ordering online, and we have nothing but wonderful things to say about them. This review, however, is specifically for Idly Express Mountain View. As a family, we have been coming here almost every Friday evening for the past year. Our daughter started coming here when she was just six months old. Her first solid food experiences outside home were Mini-Idlis from this place. For a while, Benne Masala Dosa was her absolute favorite, then it moved on to Pongal, Uttappam, and more. As a parent, trust matters, and this is one place where I feel completely comfortable bringing my child regularly. The food quality is consistently exceptional. Every visit, I am pleasantly surprised. One day it is the Thali that completely blows you away. Another day it is Parotta. Another time it is Kothu Parotta. There is a depth and honesty to the flavors that keeps us coming back week after week. The staff deserves special mention. They are always respectful, warm, and genuinely welcoming. A special mention to Prem and Saravanan. They consistently go above and beyond and have become familiar, friendly faces for our daughter. I am genuinely glad Idly Express/Mylapore is in the Bay Area. It raises the bar for South Indian food here and elevates the overall food quality and competition in the region. Highly recommended, not just as a restaurant, but as a place you naturally keep coming back to.

Very nice and cozy restaurant with great food. Service was good - they have an order first and sit policy, food comes really quick. The taste was authentic and fresh - Poori Kurma, Benne Dosa, Filter Coffee - all delicious

We had the best experience here with our toddler. The staff representative Saravanan went above and beyond to make sure not only were we comfortable with the food and service. He made sure to give our toddler a 5-star experience by serving him hot milk in a moment’s notice- made sure our kid’s food arrived to the table as quickly as possible. He truly embodied the mylapore/idly express ideology on how to treat their customers. We’ll definitely be back here at least for the sake of our toddler!

Come for the Coffee, Vadas and Bajji, stay for the incredible service! I had a tricky request regarding a lost receipt from a large group visit. The manager went above and beyond, personally calling me to help track it down through my Apple Wallet info. Amazing follow-up and genuine care for their patrons. Hats off to the Idly Express team!

This is one of the bigger idli express with a large amount of seating. They bring out food pretty fast. Sambar is piping hot and top quality. You can ask for additional chutney. The ambiance is more like a mylapore restaurant with carnatic music. It is not as crowded as other idli expresses - may be since it is new.

+6

Fresh tasting south india food that has less oil and doesn’t have the greasy after effect . The stretch has a high competition amongst South Indian restaurants. They standout on simple flavors and what feels like quality ingredients which is key especially when one doesn’t know what goes into the food you eat . Their service is friendly, attentive and professional . Special shout out to Mr . Prem who served us chakkarai (sweet) pongal to try that tastes just like home made ones - balanced quantity of jaggery and less ghee .

Idly express replaced the Veggie grill in Mountain View. While we miss Veggie grill, ldly express is a good fit for this place. The interiors and decor is the same as before, the music has changed to fit the Indian food theme. The place serves South Indian Vegetarian food. There is dine-in available. We have tried the thatte idli, onion chilli uttapam and really liked it. Also, the vegan filter coffee which was delicious.

First time here and pleasantly surprised. Well maintained and clean place, smooth ordering, the food came out pretty fast. Dose, idli, vada all tasted pretty good- the portion sizes are great. Only feedback is that they should use reusable plates and spoons (e.g steel plates and spoons). They use plastic spoons and compostable plates which are a one time use, I’d love to see them change this out.

Best Idli in Mountain View. It’s melt in the mouth. Even the medu vada was really very crispy and flavourful. Their portion size is pretty decent so value for money is also good!!

Every single item we ordered was delicious - we had the mini meals, parotta and poori masal. The ambience was wonderful we felt like we were transported back to our hometown in India! Keep it going!

Just now visited the restaurant good taste worth the money

Absolutely delicious idli sambhar and vada. I tried this restaurant for the 1st time and was very impressed with all the employees, the cleanliness of the place, prompt service and good. Everyone from front desk to server were very humble and kind. The food is very adequately priced and service was quick. They will even provide free refills of sambhar and chutney. Loved there filter coffee too. I went back the second day just for their filter coffee. I will definitely go back whenever I am in the area

This Idly Express location is amazing and has a dine-in option unlike their other locations. The Mylapore Special Thali (available only for lunch until 3:00 PM) is fresh, well-balanced, and features a rotating menu. The ambience is nice, the restaurant is well-maintained, and the service is both friendly and quick.

This place is legit. Delicious, soft-but-crispy dosas slathered with butter, great idlis, sambar, chutneys. Good filter coffee. Cute decorations, clean facilities, fast and efficient service. Everything feels light on the body, which tells me of good ingredients and good preparation. Only thing I'd say is things are a bit on the bland side, but I totally understand the reasoning. Nicely done!

The food feels like home made food. We are here at least twice a week. The service is great, they are really nice. The food comes really fast. My kids love the sambar and chutney. The dollops of ghee in the Pongal gives an amazing flavor. Go here and order anything, you won’t be disappointed. Really glad to have this place in Mountain View. It’s our default go to place for awesome South Indian food.

This place consistently dishes out great food! We love their regular offerings and recently learned about the $5 specials after 3pm where they put out a new dish that is not on their standard menu. The servers are attentive and the place has a positive vibe. There is plenty of parking outside the restaurant and indoor seating.

We frequent Idly Express - Almost there every week! Comfort food with great flavor. Everything tastes great and we are big fans of the Badam Milk, Ratna Cafe Sambar Idly and the Samosa. The $5 specials are a great way to try out new dishes. The service is exceptional and they keep the place super neat!

Service with a smile. Amazing south Indian, vegetarian food, great atmosphere and service with a smile. Nice surprise of "courtesy sweet pongal" served by Prem at the end of our meal. Great going and keep it up, team Idly Express MV.

Loved the south Indian offerings at the Idly Express. I really liked their platter offering Idly, Pongal, Vada, Kesari Bath with Sambar and Chutney. The filter coffee was authentic too, the person serving up the coffee asked for sugar and how strong we wanted it. It tasted amazing and was the best part finishing off the great breakfast we had for dinner :). Place can be little too cosy and noisy; but serves the purpose well even if you are here to dine-in.

Simple vegetarian food. Authentic South Indian flavors. Not too spicy, loved their sambar & tomato chutney. Vada and Idly are their top items. Filter coffee is real deal!

Comfort food and ambience that takes me back to south India. Clean and comfortable dine in area with nice booths, pleasant indian classical music playing in the background and authentic food - the idli vadas, chutneys, sambar and benne dosa are all consistently good. They also have spice mixes, snacks and other mylapore express catered dishes available to go.

This is our go-to takeout spot, and we regularly pick up food from here. The service is great, with a friendly team at the front. The food quality is consistently excellent, and there’s a great variety of options to choose from. The coffee and breakfast dishes are among my favorites. The restaurant is always clean, and the seating is quite comfortable. Pro tip: Weekday/ weekend brunch is a must!

A nice place to get snacks or a meal. Bene dosa is good here as well as their strong coffee. We tried a couple different items, both tasty and nice textures. You place your order at cashier, they will give you a number and drop it off at your table. There is a counter to pick utensils and get water. Nice service, there is even a display of more snacks to take home.

Venky N

This place is legit. Delicious, soft-but-crispy dosas slathered with butter, great idlis, sambar, chutneys. Good filter coffee. Cute decorations, clean facilities, fast and efficient service. Everything feels light on the body, which tells me of good ingredients and good preparation. Only thing I'd say is things are a bit on the bland side, but I totally understand the reasoning. Nicely done!

Johnny Moira

This place consistently dishes out great food! We love their regular offerings and recently learned about the $5 specials after 3pm where they put out a new dish that is not on their standard menu. The servers are attentive and the place has a positive vibe. There is plenty of parking outside the restaurant and indoor seating.

Praveen Krishnan

The food feels like home made food. We are here at least twice a week. The service is great, they are really nice. The food comes really fast. My kids love the sambar and chutney. The dollops of ghee in the Pongal gives an amazing flavor. Go here and order anything, you won’t be disappointed. Really glad to have this place in Mountain View. It’s our default go to place for awesome South Indian food.

Bhargava Varadharajan

We frequent Idly Express - Almost there every week! Comfort food with great flavor. Everything tastes great and we are big fans of the Badam Milk, Ratna Cafe Sambar Idly and the Samosa. The $5 specials are a great way to try out new dishes. The service is exceptional and they keep the place super neat!

Aditya Rao

Loved the south Indian offerings at the Idly Express. I really liked their platter offering Idly, Pongal, Vada, Kesari Bath with Sambar and Chutney. The filter coffee was authentic too, the person serving up the coffee asked for sugar and how strong we wanted it. It tasted amazing and was the best part finishing off the great breakfast we had for dinner :). Place can be little too cosy and noisy; but serves the purpose well even if you are here to dine-in.

Karthik Hariharan

Service with a smile. Amazing south Indian, vegetarian food, great atmosphere and service with a smile. Nice surprise of "courtesy sweet pongal" served by Prem at the end of our meal. Great going and keep it up, team Idly Express MV.

Shree S

This is our go-to takeout spot, and we regularly pick up food from here. The service is great, with a friendly team at the front. The food quality is consistently excellent, and there’s a great variety of options to choose from. The coffee and breakfast dishes are among my favorites. The restaurant is always clean, and the seating is quite comfortable. Pro tip: Weekday/ weekend brunch is a must!

Priya Khamar

The food was absolutely delicious—authentic flavors, fresh ingredients, and perfectly spiced. But it was Mr. Prem’s friendliness and professionalism that truly stood out. He treated us like family and created such a welcoming atmosphere. Highly recommend this place—not just for the food, but also for the outstanding service by Mr. Prem!

Piyush Tandon

Simple vegetarian food. Authentic South Indian flavors. Not too spicy, loved their sambar & tomato chutney. Vada and Idly are their top items. Filter coffee is real deal!

Friendly staff, good food, served with a smile, in a clean environment with calming music playing! What more can one ask for? I come mid-day once a week during the week, so it's pretty empty. But i am sure things pick up and it gets busy/crowded in the evenings. The vegan chai is awesome, give it a shot. Even if you're not vegan. The pakodi that comes with it is nice, but heavy/oily... but that's the way it's supposed to be. The filter coffee is what you would expect, hits the spot. Bit pricey for $4+ (I think), given its pre-made in bulk. Would be awesome if that and the tea were a bit more affordable, but I u/s its the Bay Area!

Personally, I enjoy the idly here - soft, spongy, and not too sour. The sambar has that authentic Tamil Nadu-style taste, The vada, though smaller than the idly, crispy without being oily. The benne dosa - crunchy with great ghee flavor, and the ghee idly podi was another highlight. I also tried the vegan chai, which was absolutely awesome worth giving try . The service was good, especially the gentleman who checked in to make sure we had enough chutney. Highly recommend trying these!

Meenakshi Toodi

We had breakfast two days in a row. Idly, Vada and dosa were tasting great. Pleasantly surprised with the taste of vegan masala chai. I enjoyed it the most and would say is a must try if they have it.

Sumit C

Friendly staff, good food, served with a smile, in a clean environment with calming music playing! What more can one ask for? I come mid-day once a week during the week, so it's pretty empty. But i am sure things pick up and it gets busy/crowded in the evenings. The vegan chai is awesome, give it a shot. Even if you're not vegan. The pakodi that comes with it is nice, but heavy/oily... but that's the way it's supposed to be. The filter coffee is what you would expect, hits the spot. Bit pricey for $4+ (I think), given its pre-made in bulk. Would be awesome if that and the tea were a bit more affordable, but I u/s its the Bay Area!

Raja K

This is my new go-to Indian place. I used to love Idly Express in Milpitas but they dont have much seating. This place offers a lot of seating like Mylapore, but also quick service like Express. The food has never gone wrong for me me. Love their sambar dipped vada and super-combo. If you are Vegan, remember to ask for dosa with oil, otherwise they use ghee. They exchanged it for free, when I said im lactose intolerant 👐

Karthick Ramachandran

We have been customers of the Mylapore group before the Covid days, mostly ordering online, and we have nothing but wonderful things to say about them. This review, however, is specifically for Idly Express Mountain View. As a family, we have been coming here almost every Friday evening for the past year. Our daughter started coming here when she was just six months old. Her first solid food experiences outside home were Mini-Idlis from this place. For a while, Benne Masala Dosa was her absolute favorite, then it moved on to Pongal, Uttappam, and more. As a parent, trust matters, and this is one place where I feel completely comfortable bringing my child regularly. The food quality is consistently exceptional. Every visit, I am pleasantly surprised. One day it is the Thali that completely blows you away. Another day it is Parotta. Another time it is Kothu Parotta. There is a depth and honesty to the flavors that keeps us coming back week after week. The staff deserves special mention. They are always respectful, warm, and genuinely welcoming. A special mention to Prem and Saravanan. They consistently go above and beyond and have become familiar, friendly faces for our daughter. I am genuinely glad Idly Express/Mylapore is in the Bay Area. It raises the bar for South Indian food here and elevates the overall food quality and competition in the region. Highly recommended, not just as a restaurant, but as a place you naturally keep coming back to.

Pragnaya Priyadarshini

Personally, I enjoy the idly here - soft, spongy, and not too sour. The sambar has that authentic Tamil Nadu-style taste, The vada, though smaller than the idly, crispy without being oily. The benne dosa - crunchy with great ghee flavor, and the ghee idly podi was another highlight. I also tried the vegan chai, which was absolutely awesome worth giving try . The service was good, especially the gentleman who checked in to make sure we had enough chutney. Highly recommend trying these!

Nice place to grab south indian food in the heart of south bay. It was recommended by a friend in Fremont, they have an outlet there as well . I tried benne dosa (which was the best), bisbele bhath, curd rice and utthapam. Want to try idlis here next time

I walked in right at 8 AM as they opened for the day, so I got to experience everything fresh. We ordered a mini tiffin and 14 mini idlis for my toddler. We thoroughly enjoyed every dish—the sambar was especially excellent and tasted truly authentic. The 4 stars are for the price point of all the dishes, which I found to be a bit on the higher range

Tried a new Indian place. Had Thatte Idli with sambar, chutney and Benne Dosa with sambar and chutney. It had good flavor. Also to wash down the food had masala chai and mango lassi with carrot halwa to-go. Try out if you are around the area. Would recommend at least once. Service was good. You have to pay before you eat.

+6

The new 'Idly Express' on the block! Mountain View is home to a diverse range of restaurants catering to several delicious cuisines, but one cuisine that's been missing all these years is good South Indian. Finally, we have Idly Express to fill that gap right here! I walked in expecting a similar, but overall good, experience to their sister location in Fremont,  but I was pleasantly surprised! The staff is friendly as ever, and the food is consistently delicious as always, but the biggest difference is the  interiors - it is well-appointed and looks and feels more warm and inviting compared to their other locations (including the recently opened Mylapore in San Jose). I got a VIP combo breakfast takeout - that's a crispy Vada, a fluffy Idly, and a serving of Pongal (hence VIP) with a portion of Sambar and two types of Chutneys - and a Filter Coffee to wrap up my meal. And every bite was delicious! Apart from a wide-ranging menu filled with a variety of Idlis, Dosas, and Utthapams, this restaurant also carries Idly and Dosa batters, along with various ready-to-eat fresh curries, pickles, snacks, and sweets.

+1

This is one of the well-known local Tamilian chains in the Bay Area, and I stopped by this location to pick up brunch. I had placed my order through Uber Eats and didn’t have time to sit and eat, so I opted for takeout. That said, the space itself looked sleek and modern while still maintaining a traditional touch. They were playing classic Tamil ragas, which created a lovely, authentic vibe and honestly made me wish I had more time to sit and enjoy the meal there. I ordered a couple of strong filter coffees with regular milk. They were frothy, rich, and comforting—very authentic Tamil-style coffee. You can customize it with sugar, no sugar, or even jaggery, which is a nice touch. Along with the coffee, I ordered the masala benne dosa. Unlike the large, paper-thin dosas you often see, this one was smaller and thicker, cooked generously with butter or ghee, making it very comforting. The potato masala filling was quite mild and not spicy at all. The accompaniments—sambar and chutneys—were authentic and well made, though overall the flavors leaned toward the milder side. I especially loved the white chutney, which is something I often miss at Indian restaurants in the U.S. Overall, this place serves very authentic, traditional Tamilian vegetarian food. If you’re craving comforting South Indian flavors done the classic way, this is definitely worth a visit.

Elaborate and tasty lunch thali. The sambar, rasam and kuttu were perfectly executed. Thair sadam and pickle was so good we went for repeat The only thing lacking was service - had to wait for a long time for someone to come to our table for seconds. The restaurant was not full but the service was still lacking. Overall go for the food for sure

Food is really nice but some items are too oily. Service is good and atmosphere is good. But wait times are sometimes annoying. Especially during Saturday and Sunday morning for breakfast and lunch.

Debisree Ray

This is one of the well-known local Tamilian chains in the Bay Area, and I stopped by this location to pick up brunch. I had placed my order through Uber Eats and didn’t have time to sit and eat, so I opted for takeout. That said, the space itself looked sleek and modern while still maintaining a traditional touch. They were playing classic Tamil ragas, which created a lovely, authentic vibe and honestly made me wish I had more time to sit and enjoy the meal there. I ordered a couple of strong filter coffees with regular milk. They were frothy, rich, and comforting—very authentic Tamil-style coffee. You can customize it with sugar, no sugar, or even jaggery, which is a nice touch. Along with the coffee, I ordered the masala benne dosa. Unlike the large, paper-thin dosas you often see, this one was smaller and thicker, cooked generously with butter or ghee, making it very comforting. The potato masala filling was quite mild and not spicy at all. The accompaniments—sambar and chutneys—were authentic and well made, though overall the flavors leaned toward the milder side. I especially loved the white chutney, which is something I often miss at Indian restaurants in the U.S. Overall, this place serves very authentic, traditional Tamilian vegetarian food. If you’re craving comforting South Indian flavors done the classic way, this is definitely worth a visit.

Anirudh Sudarshan

Elaborate and tasty lunch thali. The sambar, rasam and kuttu were perfectly executed. Thair sadam and pickle was so good we went for repeat The only thing lacking was service - had to wait for a long time for someone to come to our table for seconds. The restaurant was not full but the service was still lacking. Overall go for the food for sure

Prasanthi B

Food is really nice but some items are too oily. Service is good and atmosphere is good. But wait times are sometimes annoying. Especially during Saturday and Sunday morning for breakfast and lunch.

Vijay Shankar Balaji

I walked in right at 8 AM as they opened for the day, so I got to experience everything fresh. We ordered a mini tiffin and 14 mini idlis for my toddler. We thoroughly enjoyed every dish—the sambar was especially excellent and tasted truly authentic. The 4 stars are for the price point of all the dishes, which I found to be a bit on the higher range

Idly Express in Mountain View turned out to be an absolute delight—one of those rare spots where every single dish feels thoughtfully prepared and bursting with authentic South Indian comfort. I ordered the Sambar‑dipped Idly, Sambar‑dipped Vada, Ghee Podi Thatte Idly, and the Onion–Tomato–Chili Uttapam, and each item was genuinely outstanding. The Sambar‑dipped Idly was soft, fluffy, and soaked beautifully in their aromatic sambar, making every bite warm, hearty, and deeply satisfying. The Sambar Vada was equally impressive—crispy edges softened just enough by the sambar, creating that perfect contrast of texture and flavor that’s hard to get right. The Ghee Podi Thatte Idly was a showstopper. The generous drizzle of ghee, combined with the bold, fragrant podi, made it rich, comforting, and absolutely addictive. It’s the kind of dish you keep thinking about long after the meal is over. The Onion Tomato Chili Uttapam was fresh, vibrant, and perfectly balanced—crispy on the outside, soft inside, and topped with just the right mix of tangy tomatoes, sweet onions, and a gentle chili kick. It tied the whole meal together beautifully. Overall, the food was super tasty, fabulously flavorful, and truly “to die for.” Every dish showcased authentic taste, great consistency, and a level of care that makes Idly Express stand out among South Indian eateries in the Bay Area. A fantastic spot for anyone craving soulful, delicious South Indian comfort food.

Place is well done and clean. Service is fantastic. But there are barely an items on the menu. Idlis are big an fat ( you can call them thatte idli, but as a south indian restaurant, you should have regular idlis - this should be 101 for any south indian place). Poori felt like too much maida and not 100% whole wheat flour. The medhu vadai is great!! Sambar and chutneys are good as well.

Loved the idli and masala dosa when this idli express chain opened. The filter coffee amazing!! Compared to other idly express, this place has a nice seating area! But this week and the week before that, the benne masala dosa felt like fried oil was used to make it. Not sure what is happening….

Let me start by saying that I love Mylapore and Idli Express and love their Masala Dosa and Mysore Pak. This one experience left me a little disappointed. The product had passed its best by date but was still on the counter, but more importantly, we were told that the onus is on us to check if a product has passed its date and then buy it. In the past, I would just buy without worrying to see the dates and had high regard for quality, but now I have to carefully check a product in Mylapore. 2 reasons for this review - 1 for people to be aware and verify before buying and 2 for management to be aware as I know the bar for quality in Mylapore is very high.

Ranjan Das

Let me start by saying that I love Mylapore and Idli Express and love their Masala Dosa and Mysore Pak. This one experience left me a little disappointed. The product had passed its best by date but was still on the counter, but more importantly, we were told that the onus is on us to check if a product has passed its date and then buy it. In the past, I would just buy without worrying to see the dates and had high regard for quality, but now I have to carefully check a product in Mylapore. 2 reasons for this review - 1 for people to be aware and verify before buying and 2 for management to be aware as I know the bar for quality in Mylapore is very high.

Food used to be great. Recently I had two bad experiences. 1) the coffee was lukewarm 2) Methu Vada was extremely oily, dripping with oil. Both the timed I had reported to the manager but I hope they will do better.

The food is so bland. The sambhar is more like Dahl. I couldn't see any veggies nor taste any sambhar masala. The filter coffee is good but expensive. The thatte idli comes with podi which has no taste and feels like sand. We ordered thatte idli for kids. And uttapam and wada for adults. Uttapam had very less salt and turned blaned too. If you are looking for authentic flavours, this is not the place. Wada dipped in Sambhar was not eatable and I felt with disappointment.

I always have been a fan of Mylapore and Jay. I was thoroughly disappointed this time in MV Idly express branch. I took my parents to have Kothu Parotta. It was a very weird experience as the parotta has salna in it and was not properly chopped. This ruined the overall taste of the dish and didn’t feel like actual dish that I used to have in other Mylapore branches. All the size of veggies in salna were present as is and didn’t taste good.It affected all of our digestion very badly.

I’m a regular customer to Idly express Milpitas. They have really good food. But here Dosa is not at all fully cooked, felt like eating batter.

Punya Kadekoppa

I’m a regular customer to Idly express Milpitas. They have really good food. But here Dosa is not at all fully cooked, felt like eating batter.