We tried the Thalis - Mysore Thali and Madras Thali- since they did contain pretty much everything. Both were pretty good, but being a native South Indian, I can get a bit picky, but I have to say it was definitely not the best. I have had better South Indian / Indian food in other parts of the country, not sure if this is the best New York can offer though. But hey, don’t get me wrong! Do give it a try!

Worst experience in New York. As a tourist from India, we were very happy to find an Indian restaurant Pongal, but was disappointed Firstly, the people working are rude and show their face of extreme disappointment on seeing you. I wanted to leave, but my daughter dint want to walk to another restaurant as she was tired, we decided to dine in. We ordered Gujrati thali. It was mentioned kadi is included. I asked if them to give pakodas in the kadi, they told only curry will be served and we have to pay extra for kadi pakodas separately, which was strange. So if we order malai kofta, they will serve only curry without kofta Strange! The fried rice was full of red chilli powder which was not mixed properly And they broke a small piece of papad, like one papad they broke into 4 pieces and served to 4 people. Heights of cost cutting (pictures attached). The cutlery also was not clean. I changed three spoons before using them. The food was not fresh. They compromise on quality as well as quantity. There were not many people in the restaurant so my daughter sat on the next table and was looking at the pictures on the other side and touched some spoons on the table and the manager came and rudely told her to get up form the table and go to her own table and sit, inspite of hardly few customers. The food was the worst I have ever tried during our stay. Restrooms were stinky too which is very close to the kitchen. The highlight of their misbehaviour was inspite of giving them tip, the manager asked if you want your change back or he can keep it. What a shame and greedy people. This restaurant has bad management, rude people, bad food taste, not kid friendly, zero cleanliness. 0/10

A longtime, reliable, beloved fixture in NYC’s South Indian vegetarian scene, I had not been here in a while. Loved the idly, sambar, chutney I had. Great to be back.

If I could give these guys 0 stars, I would give them. Ordered food and sat there for 30 min without getting any food. The waiter kept on saying 5-10 min before we even got any drink or food. They had 3 people serving and yet the service sucks. The dosa was charged 16$. That was so bad and quantity so little, I had to eat again in 2 hours. They had tomato ketchup inside the dosa!! Jeez. They charged 10$ for Aloo Chat and it had 6 small pieces. I can make better ones myself at home. The worst place in this street. Save yourselves a headache and eat somewhere else.

Pongal is truly a treasure. I've been here a dozen+ times, and each time I marvel at it. Like, how is it possible to get such amazing food for under $20. Their food is fantastic. I usually get one of the combination platters (Gujarati Thali Platter shown here) because they come with so many different things, but every single thing I've had here is superb. I literally daydream about their dosas. The staff is friendly and attentive. Due to narrow sidewalks and being near a bus stop they can't have outdoor seating, but I hope that won't stop anyone from eating here. They follow all the Covid-19 rules of course. Or there's take-out!

Went on a Tuesday at noon and it was full by the time we left. Ordered Mysore dosa which was ok but not crispy enough. The paneer ravi as well as chole poori and dahi vada were very good. Wait time for the food is long so you should factor that in.

The restaurant's food is overpriced and below average, and the portions are very small. I would not recommend dining there. Additionally, they engage in deceptive gratuity practices. They automatically add a 15% gratuity to the bill without informing the customer. Upon presenting the credit card slip, they then request an additional 18-20% gratuity, labeling it as a 'pre-tip amount.' This is an unfair and dishonest tactic to exploit customers

Went in there expecting a lot and turned out to be a disappointment… the medu vada was tooo oily.. idly and sambar had absolutely no salt.. and they automatically add tip if it’s a party of over 3?? I have never heard of that before.. anyways the bottom line is it you want South Indian food look elsewhere coz this restaurant is not worth the $$

Came in around 7:30 on a Monday night and it was pretty busy. Limited service staff, so I was asked to order everything I wanted at once rather than appetizer, then main. Felt rushed but it was fine. The samosas and the abu tikki were so so good!!! Exactly what I wanted. Flavor was there and perfect crisp and the outside. My daal was a little less exciting but still good. I think it was the rice making it a bit plain. Everyone seemed to be enjoying some variety of their crepe/pancake dishes so I think that’s recommended here. Overall I’d come back

We mainly went for the dosa which turned to be a bit disappointing. The Mysore Cheese Masala Dosa that we took was a bit overwhelmed with the cheese filling. The coconut chutney was not impressive as well. We also took Aloo Paratha, which was great. The dahi on the side complemented it well. The price didn't seem justified for the taste of the food and that's why we didn't want to order more. The ambience was excellent and the restroom was very well maintained. When I went to the counter to pay the bill, upon tapping my phone, the staff who served us, stopped me for signature and tips. Upon telling him that I won't tip, he asked "WHY", which was really embarrassing. I do believe that tipping is a good practice and I do that quite regularly, but interrogating after declining to tip is not something we should experience.

The food is not bad (not great, but not bad) but the service is truly appalling. They have weekday specials listed outside - things normally on the menu with a special weekday price of 14$. I walked in and ordered one of the specials. I finished eating and got a bill more than twice that. When I asked, the server mentioned “we don’t have that promotion at the moment, for a few days”. So I asked “you still have it displayed outside, why don’t you remove that or at least mention it’s not available” when I ordered that? He sends his manager who grudgingly changes the bill but responds to my question with “it’s our wish what we display outside” He’s right, it’s their restaurant and their wish but I ain’t coming back to this place again.

I love this place! The poori and raga dosa are super crispy and delicious by itself! I love the curry and chutney too <3 the lunch special is super filling!

Most authentic South Indian food in the city. The food was fresh and delicious. Service is good and quick.

If you are craving for pure vegetarian South Indian food then, this can be your go to place!! It’s in a walkable distance from the Empire State Building. If you want to taste good masala dosa then definitely you are in the right place! Vegetable biryani was out of the world but if you are not used spicy food then I would not recommend this! They do have all types of chaats, sweets, Monday to Friday vegetarian thaali. If I come to New York again, I will definitely visit again!

Bajji Platter - Not good. Onion Masal Dosa- So good. Spinach Dosa - Good Chutney and sambar - can be less watery Chai - So good. The place was smelly once you enter. It’s very congested. Every time you get in and get out your place, you hit the next table. Don’t forget to tip even you like the food , the service or not. Else you will end up confronted by the owner lady in front of everyone for not tipping.

We ordered Gujrati thali and dosa, both the dishes were amazing. Tasted like home. One of the best restaurants in Manhattan. We were served by Rahul and he was really polite & kind.

Had Madras thali. It was very flavorful. The coffee was classic. However, I expected the Madras thali to have a little more South Indian in taste, and that was missing. Especially in a restaurant named Pongal. The food was great, but it lacked that tinge of authenticity. I expected an appalam, not a pappad. The cabbage curry was superb but did not have the Madras taste.

Good taste. Interesting menu like Gujrati thali and rahi dosa. Bit on expensive side.

Authentic & Yummy Tamil/South-Indian food in NYC!

Ordered Avial. Checked with the server whether it is Kerala style and he said yes. What I got was a vegetable stew simmered in Coconut milk and poppy seeds paste. It tasted like vegetable kurma.

Its pure vegetarian restaurant in newyork walking distance from many attractions like empire state building has offers south indian north indian gujarati punjabi dishes expensive has good staff food is fresh and hot and delicious has washrooms car oarking issue in this area bus stand outside restaurant they offer vegan also and has good signages handicap access available must visit place if in newyork downtown chat was very hard to chew else other food excellent ambience good could see many non indians here try it

-Review by an Indian here- Had dinner - group of 4 (went early - around 7pm) Had to choose between Adyar Ananda Bhavan and Pongal. Chose the latter after taking in feedback from folks. Dishes ordered: Idli sambar, Rasam Wada, Moong Daal Dosa, Mysore Thali, Madras Thali, Filter Coffee Overall: Great food, tasted truly South Indian (authentic), good prompt service, clean bathrooms. Highlight: Their rasam had a great spicy kick to it which a lot of places in India cant manage. Not for those who have poor tolerance to spice. Will go again!

(Saturday, May 6th 2023) - We went here for a late afternoon lunch. A proper South Indian Vegetarian restaurant in the Indian restaurant cluster at Lexington Ave, and from my single visit I feel is arguably better than Saravana Bhavan. The interiors are nice, it has stone benches and statues of Indian deities adorn the hall. We had the following. 1. Mysore Masal dosa -- The 'mysore masal' wasn't the reddish paste I am used to in India, however the dosa was good. The masal, sambar, and coconunt chutney, and tomato-garlic chutney were all good. 2. Dahi vada (thayir vadai) -- I think I was eating this after several months (if not years), the American curd felt so rich, and there was a chaat-ish finish with tamarind chutney and mint chutney strewn on top.. 3. Coffee -- Decent South Indian filter-decoction coffee. The price is reasonable/acceptable for a Manhattan restaurant.

This place is a scam. Don’t order if you actually want to eat a normal sized meal. I literally got a main dish in a pickle sized quantity for all of $15 and when we called them up they said "Don't order next time". So very poor customer service experience as well.

I’ve lived in New York my entire life, and can say with absolute confidence Pongals is my all time favorite place to eat in the city. The ambience is really fantastic. The service is phenomenal, welcoming and truly heartfelt. If you’re not very familiar with South Indian cuisine, or have dietary restrictions, the staff are always super happy to advise - especially Tipu. I often eat here multiple times a week - the menu has so many options I’m always discovering new things. The Dosai are fantastic, but I’m also particularly partial to the Channa Masala.

Yummy! My Indian friend who grew up with this cuisine was impressed too, the portions were nice sized. Wish the waiter had been a little friendlier- but the food came hot and was freshly made for us. Will return and do Recommend

Great and attentive service, delicious food, best Indian in the city! My friend requested vegan fare and our server was so kind and told us what had dairy and made adjustments to our order so she’d be comfortable. Can’t recommend this place enough. Fair prices and cool, casual ambiance.

Good dosas, and good service, but I have to admit, I prefer Saravannas nearby.

South Indian food is decent, can be a bit better. Plating, presentation and garnishing can be improved a lot. Chaat wasn't upto the mark- Dahi aloo puri had an oily taste and seemed haphazardly put together. I suggest that better utensils can be used. If steel utensils and plates are used for some specific reason, they can be more presentable, without scratches and cleaner. I guess they're struggling due to covid, but Pongal has the potential to be better.

This is my go to place for great South Indian cuisine. The sambhar and the variety of dosais are just impeccable. Have tried pondicherry, rava, rava paneer, raagi, plain, spinach and lentils and loved the platter every single time. I highly recommend this place! Please download your NY passport which stores your ID and Covid Vaccine proof card. And the owner woman is the cutest.

After a few months hiatus, we returned to Pongal, our all time favorite Indian restaurant. This time we were a group of 7, including kids and teenagers. Everyone enjoyed themselves! As always, delicious and fresh food with excellent service - strongly recommend! Their Thali platters (#93, 94, 95 on the menu) are the best!

Best kosher vegetarian Indian restaurant! Had thr Royal Tahli and it brought back memories from my trip to India from many years ago. Waiters are very patient and kind, nice ambiance, great food. If you live Indian food & keep kosher- this is the place for you.

The food and service were authentic, convivial, and fantastic. Although some people have trouble reading menus and seeing in clear print that there would be a tip automatically added to the bill, that was not a problem. We are a large group and ordered a lot of food, and everything came out evenly spaced. It was amazingly delicious. The only caveat is that they are not as child friendly foods as we had hoped. There are a few items marked child friendly, and though they were tasty, they were a bit spicier than our children cared for. That said, the food was delicious, the staff was congenial and friendly, and I would gladly come back!

Really good food & good service!! Authentic Indian cuisine.

Very tasty, authentic (I don't know but my wife is Desi and she knows) food with a very nice staff to serve it. The only critique I have is the bathrooms - they need a lot of work (broken tiles, the sink looks like its coming off of the wall, the toilet is busted, the light is dim, the ventilation is poor, etc).

The best Indian food I have ever had! And the vibe is much nicer than most Indian restaurants. The coffee is insanely good (they import it from India.) The palak paneer is out of this world- the owner explained that because they are Southern influenced that it is lighter than others. I highly recommend the samosas also. And the chappati was fantastic. Highly recommend! I will definitely be back. (And amazing that it’s kosher! Thank you.)

Good South Indian food, not ultra vegan friendly place though The menu said most items can be made vegan and overall the restaurant had good reviews, so we were super excited. When we actually tried to order, the service staff seemed very dismissive about vegan options and they seemed a bit unfriendly even. Since we were South Indians we patiently dealt with the situation and were able to get good options after some persistent discussion. We got Mysore Thali with regular sambar replaced with Jain sambar, which is apparently vegan too. We had to let the dessert go in the Thali. Then we ordered a Aloo Gobhi with phulka. Finally when the food arrived, we found the taste of the South Indian items in the Thali to be fantastic. Aloo Gobhi was average. I guess the chef is actually a good South Indian person and we should’ve stuck to their specialty. Overall the food was less oily and felt very nice. The chutney, sambar everything was fresh and very tasty. Towards the end the service folks treated us nicely. I guess they were just very defensive about facing vegan customers initially and later warmed up when we said the food was nice. Anyway, I just wish they were nicer from the very beginning, but we enjoyed the food.

AMAZING FOOD-DISAPPOINTING SERVICE I’ve been eating here for years- they have amazing food, but last time I visited, unfortunately, service was rude. Too bad since it’s a really good restaurant. In addition they charged me a $2.00 packing fee without telling me in advance!

Amazing thaalis. Authentic South Indian food.

February 2023 5* Visited the place with colleagues for dinner. This place is located on Curry Hill and there are many restaurants nearby. You don’t need reservations in advance but place is quite busy. The ambience is nice but not lavish. The restaurant focuses more on functional part so they don’t use expensive cutlery and keep it basic. Here is my food list: - Dahi Chat ***** - Samosa chat ***** - Tadka Dal ***** - Baigan Bartha ***** - Aalo Prantha ***** - Prantha ***** Restroom is small so may need upgrades. The place is not wheel chair friendly as the seats are tight and washroom is very small.

The food here is absolutely amazing and very nostalgic to how you will get food in India. I am totally coming back again. The service, Bollywood songs and the everything about this place is fantastic. I got Ragi dosa which I love and don't find in many places was outstanding, idli was so soft and fluffy and the medu vada was so crisp!!!! 100% recommended

all type of food South Indian, north and Gujaratin all are goodfood also. as i am Gujarati, i really very satisfied with Gujarati thali and other dishes. service, cleanness, decoration, dinning arrangement are also good.