Eclectic, fusion and great service!
manager was very rude place close at 9.00 manager still didn't take us in when it was only 8.05, we still order take out they said they will text us once our order ready they didn't even bother when i went in to ask when our order will be ready it was just sitting on the side for a while so we found this place very rude plus they charge us 7.50 for pickup service charge that i have never heard before.
unprofessional and mighty rude usherer.. have never heard of additional ten dollars takeout charge!!! ridiculous...stop taking orders and dine in at 8pm though they close at 9pm.
After being named the best restaurant in the USA by James Beard, I couldn't wait to try it. I ordered the butter chicken, and was asked if I wanted Naan with my lunch. The waitress did not tell me there was a $2.99 charge for the bread on top of my $17.00 entree. I love Indian food, but my dish was just OK. Not much chicken in the sauce, the soup was not tasty, and it was served on a silver platter. I have to say I was disappointed with the food. This is definitely not even the best place in Asheville, let alone the entire USA. I don't get it, but James Beard no longer means great food to me.
This Indian fare has long been a favorite. Plenty of outdoor seating. Varied menu that the servers are happy to help you with. Reasonably priced and very good. A good choice.
I do not have enough words for how incredibly over the top delicious this place was!! We went on a whim for our first time and everything was outstanding. I’ve tried several things, there’s no way you can go wrong. Portions were also great. We had enough to split for the next day and both times we were stuffed! We can’t wait to go back. We live over an hour away but that won’t be stopping us. May have been one of the best meals I’ve ever had. Just go!!!
First off, Chai Pani has a great atmosphere. It’s Indian owned and the interior design feels authentic. This place specializes in chaat and street food. We had the matchstick okra fries, which make great appetizers. I had the Sloppy Jai, a clever and tasty Indian take on Sloppy Joe’s, and my wife had the Paneer Tikka Roll. We shared a Desi side salad. All of the food was fresh, unique and delicious, and the staff was very friendly. I would eat here again for lunch if visiting Asheville in the future.
Believe the glowing reviews - Chai Pani is worth waiting in line for over an hour! You will be happy you did and not mind the wait. We had Green Mango Chat, Corn Bhel, Kale Pakoras, Butter Chicken & Vada Pav. Least favorite was the Pav. Our fault for not asking questions or reading the very descriptive menu carefully, but it was still delicious! Looking forward to my next visit. Surprisingly affordable including drinks. Our group of four was not the first in line arriving just after 5pm (opening at 5:30), and were able to sit at 6 pm. Our food came out orderly and fast. This restaurant delivers on quality food and impeccable service! Wonderful to see many families enjoying shared plates.
We read several raving reviews, watched travel vlog recommends and saw mention of prestigious accolades so were surprised that our experience wasn’t jaw-dropping. The food is definitely good and absolutely worth a visit. We just can’t say it’s worth a long-line-wait. Had we waited in line, we would have definitely been disappointed.
i have absolutely nothing bad to say Chai Pani! I would eat here everyday if i lived in area. We were lucky and didn't have to wait to eat however, the food did take extraordinarily long to arrive but luckily it was worth the wait! It definitely lived up to all the hype from many blogs.The Bhel Puri was possibly my favorite item ordered and those crunchy chickpea noodles sprinkled on top OMG are so perfect! - i even bought some from restaurant to take home.The Saag Paneer (spinach and cheese cubes) was also fantastic - everything the dish came with was delicious and big enough to share.My least favorite item i ordered was the mango lassi - it was extremely thick, mostly yogurt flavored and missing something - maybe cardamon.Give Chai Pani a try!