Most pathetic south indian food i ever had… Not properly cooked … i order medu vada .. and this what i got …. uncooked and exactly its not what i order.. i will not recommend them to anyone. American doesn’t know what is the exact flavor of indian food … they ruin the taste of indian cuisine.

Update: went to the restaurant again. Food was still ok but this time we ordered Ras Malai and owner served us Rasogulla. When we brought this to their attention they showed us the box saying that the box says it’s Ras Malai. It’s the responsibility of the manager/owner or server to check for the item if it’s right item or not. We showed them what Ras Malai actually is by showing the item on Google search and they just kept referring to the box. A bit disappointing. We didn’t care about paying for the desert but it’s bad to see that an Indian restaurant owner does not know the items listed on their own menu. 2. Update the menu card given to customers in the restaurant with the updated new prices. The menu which is being given has old low prices and when the bill comes you are surprised to see the items prices $1-$2 up for all individual items. Old: We went to the restaurant on Friday evening for dinner. Place was almost empty for a Friday night but May be it was because of the location. It’s almost hidden and definitely need some better visibility. This is the first time I went to this restaurant. Place recently got new ownership and we heard from the owner that things are getting on track. Whatever we order was available, food was delicious and value for price. Portion size was good and quality of the food was also good. Perfectly balanced spices in all the dishes. Order: We order Ghee Roast Dosa, Andrakara Masala Dosai, Chicken Kothu Parantha, and Chicken Curry with Garlic Naan. Dosas were good and chutneys were also balanced. Sambhar was a bit too oily for general dosa style but taste and consistency wise it was good. Kutthu parantha was sufficient for one person for dinner and it was tasty 😋. Chicken curry was good by portion for price and fresh with good quality all around. With all that good quality, I hope that the new owners Keep the quality to this level at-least and improve on services a bit. Some improvements on the service side is required to reduce the waiting time for the food especially try to get the order of one table first so that all members can start eating together rather then waiting for 20-30 minutes when other members have already had their food. Maybe extra capacity in kitchen and 1-2 extra servers.

Really well prepared midweek buffet. We were at different restaurant in N. Scottsdale, but the place was closed past 11AM opening time. I'd been to Chennai years ago, and it was on the way home. So, happy that my vegetarian friend and I didn't go to the first place. All of the dishes were perfectly crafted for s buffet style. I brought my Mother home a red cream sauced lamb item and she was delighted. Looking forward to talking her there for her upcoming B-Day!

First time customer to try the lunch buffet. The food was delicious and the staff was friendly and engaging. Great variety of vegetarian options. Excellent naan bread made fresh in their tandoori oven. Can’t wait to return for more delicious dishes.

A NEW WORLD HAS JUST OPENED TO MY PALATE This place is a true ambassador for indian food. Their buffer options are always amazing. EVERYTHING is amazing and in every corner of the buffet you'll find a flavour that you've never tasted before.

Outside, place is worn & in need of a face lift. Inside, decor is dated. Bathrooms were unclean, trash overflowing, dirty sinks, floors had dead bugs, & a bad sign of things to come. First impressions matter & gave us the impression this place was a mistake to try and were we right. I don’t know what other people see or are eating, maybe they do know what Indian food is supposed to taste like or quality. Poor representation of Tamil Nadu first off. Boyfriend was insulted that this place calls itself authentic, he is from Tamil Nadu and found the food disgusting. I’m American who knows authentic Indian food. This is not it! We ordered Medu Vada for an appetizer,didn’t get it until late in the meal & only after asking our waitress where it was. She said, it was being made fresh. Thus, giving us the impression our main course was not fresh. Service was horrible, the girl spent more time in the kitchen then taking care of the two tables in the dining area, and she couldn’t do it well either. She had no clue about the menu or food being served. She needs proper staff training. She was not attentive or knowledgeable. We ordered Saag(spinach) paneer and butter chicken masala, paratha bread and chapati bread. Our main course came first and with only one bread. We had to ask her where is the other bread and she was, “oh, I forgot to bring it.” She couldn’t deliver what we ordered and was absentminded. The Saag paneer was cooked properly but not served hot, the butter chicken had good flavor but the chicken was overcooked and tasted old so I pushed the chicken aside and ate only the masala. The basmati rice was okay. Both breads were not fresh, they tasted like frozen pre-made and probably were. When the appetizer finally arrived we were nearly done with our meal, it was bland and cake like. We asked for a take away box and it took her over 10 minutes to bring it, I could’ve got up and went to the servers station and got one myself faster. We could her here in the kitchen, again! The gentleman at the next table got up and went to the kitchen after 25 minutes of no server, to ask where his food was. He was so upset he left, then minutes later a staff member came out of the kitchen, we assume with the other customers food, sat down at a table and proceeded to eat the food. Shameless! Unprofessional! Even after we got up to leave, our waitress did not clean the other customers table, she went right back into the kitchen, horrible professionalism. I don’t know how this place stays open. Serious staff issues, horrible customer service, unclean dining area & bathrooms, and food that cannot be called authentic Indian anything. For $48.00 I expect better food, better serves, and a clean atmosphere than what we received. Overall, a disappointment! I cannot recommend this place nor will we be back! It is not authentic by any means and an insult to all Tamil.

Although I typically don't write reviews, I felt compelled to share my recent experience due to some notable improvements. Having lived in the valley for a decade, I've visited this establishment numerous times for their lunch buffet, both with friends and family. I've noticed a significant enhancement in both the food quality and service compared to my previous visits. The new management has undoubtedly made a positive impact, as the food now tastes better and is consistently served at the right temperature. I must commend the front office staff for their responsiveness and kindness. They even graciously offered us complimentary drinks when we inquired about their special beverages. My overall experience was excellent, and I wholeheartedly give this place a 5-star rating. If you're looking for an opportunity to savor authentic Indian cuisine, I highly recommend giving it a try.

Pathetic version of Indian food. Went for the weekend buffet and half the items were either salty or did not have any salt. The rice pudding looked gross to the point that I didn’t try it. The non veg options were below average. This used to be a good place with good food. Super expensive now. Not going back anytime soon. Update- Super defensive owner. If you have the time to respond defensively in every comment, please make sure to have the food served as per quality. Good joke on the quality, I can see the same sentiment across many reviews posted in recent days about the trash food being served. Lol.

We celebrated our daughter’s first birthday in the hall at Chennai chettinadu and we enjoyed the party. The food was awesome and our guest enjoyed the food. It’s was a Sunday lunch buffet and it was filled with non veg and veg dishes and juice and veg and non veg side. I will recommend this to any body and the it feels good with Indian flavors. Much try restaurant and that to on Sunday it’s too good.

The worst biryani ever. This might be one of my quickest reviews. I had a pick up order for two chicken biryanis and when i opened it at home , it was one of the most disappointing scene ever. Both biryanis were burnt and no chicken in there in one of it. It looked like they scrapped the bottom of the pot. I did not have time to go back, if I could I would have showed it to them what they packed. We ended up trashing both the biryanis, it was not edible for us. It would have been sin and foul even to donate the food . What a waste of money, never going to that place again. And if you want a biryani, just don get fooled by the name “chettinad” .

A sign on the counter said “Give a 5 star review and get $X discount”. That explains all the 5 star reviews. Had I seen this first, would have skipped the place. Tried their lunch buffet last week. Most of the items were too spicy. Veg Chettinad and Tandoori had excess food coloring which struck to my fingers for hours after washing with soap. Lassi was watery, dhal payasam was solid like pongal, rice kheer had excess cinnamon, Fish fry had excess masala. Naan, panner tikka masala, Noodles, Goat curry, Veg Pakoda and Sweet aval tasted good. Everything else was average or below and not worth the price. Was charged 18% service charge for the buffet. Haven’t seen this practice in other Indian Buffet places. We won’t be dining here again anytime soon.

Excellent food. Best buffet in town. They have lot of varieties. On the top of that they serve lassi and tea as well

Delicious authentic Indian restaurant and variety of curry buffet style! So good! Amazing customer service and definitely let friends know! Thank you so much!

Been going to this restaurant since mid 2019. Food used to be excellent right up till the pandemic. After that, they seem to have changes owners and chefs multiple times and food quality suffered quite a bit. Food quality has gone up with the current management so thats a good thing. However, prices have gone up but quantities have gone down. Need to fix that, if you are going to charge people premium prices food quality AND quantity should justify those prices.

Food - 3/5 Customer service - 0/5 Manager/waiter hospitality & hygiene - 0/5 Walked in for a good and relaxing brunch experience, but turned out hopeless and disgusting. The person at the front disk/manager was rushing to take our order and brought our food dripping wet in sweat (looked like straight out of cardio workout). I totally understand that it can get pretty hot in AZ....but when you run a restaurant business HYGIENE is the most important. He also needs to buy to-go containers for curries and other gravy items. He created a scene when i asked for a container to carry the leftover butter chicken gravy which my kid hardly ate.

My wife has been searching for a great Indian restaurant in Phoenix for several years. This place was recommended to us by someone that knows Indian cuisine and while I have never been a fan of any Indian food I've tried at other places, I am a convert! My wife jokes that it's ME that suggests Chennai more than she does. Food is hot, fresh and flavors are amazing (make sure you let them know if you can't handle super spicy). My wife became vegetarian over a year ago and enjoys the large selection. Best of all, the service is wonderful. Tito and staff are interested, smiling and just all around nice folks. I am a retired executive Chef. Try it!

Terrible. Was excited seeing the name with me from Chennai. Very widespread menu which was so tempting but whatever you ask it won’t be available. They just make one type of briyani but they will have 6-7 types in menu same goes with appetizers, curry and everything which narrows down to only 20% in availability list. We ordered fish fry, sambar rice, podi uthappam, gobi manchurian. Fish was good luckily. Sambar rice was so bad. It was just bland dal rice with no tempering or spices. Gobi manchurian tasted okay but the food color was soooo much that it did not leave my fingers until 2 days. Podi uthappam came with 2 chutneys and sambar. Podi uthappam was below average, sambar was terrible, coconut chutney was good but not fresh, other chutney was okay. They have very nice and big space but wasted. They have good bar but bartender was not there so they just had flying horse beer. More than all this the lady server over there should learn hospitality. Very bad service by her. Second good thing about restaurant after ambience is the gentleman who also served us. He did amazing service. I am not sure if management changed because I saw good review because of which I came here. People working also did not know any dish by name they wanted serial number. Disappointed. Not at all recommended.

We went as a group of 4 and Ordered the special coconut rava masala dosa, paneer dum biriyani, ghee Roast masala dosa & Gobi Manchurian for appetizer. The appetizer wasn’t great and was very spicy, I have had much better gobi Manchurian! The ghee roast masala dosa were good and the paneer biriyani was mild and was decent, the special coconut rava masala dosa was good but nothing special about it, tasted like any other rava masala dosa. The Sambar on the other hand was good! Overall a decent to place to have South Indian food!

We had a celebration party and it was a perfect place for us. We enjoyed the lunch buffet. It's undoubtedly the best indian buffet in Phoenix, specially the taste of food.

Nice place , good food, after pandemic as like other places prices increased and looks like items been reduced. But we enjoyed the taste n place.

Loved my chicken spicey with rice. It had a really nice kick to it. My wife order the fish one and it was also really good. I had a tea that was amazing. I have never had a tea like that before. Next time my in laws are in town I will take them there so they can try it also.

It's a decent spot for tasty Indian food. Lots of vegetarian and vegan options. Confirmed with host that the food is cooked in canola oil, not ghee. He took the time to go through my options, but didn't give me water until i was done with my meal, and he disappeared somewhere after I explained I was in a hurry.

The Haka Veg noodles were good. Honestly disappointed in the chicken to-bone-ratio in the Chettinaad Chicken dish. Let’s get some more meat in there. And some bones were 5cm small and needle-like. This is unfortunate because the spice was good.

Food is very good, a lot different than every other Indian restaurant I've been to. Service is extremely slow (I had to get my own refill of water from the pitcher by the server), beer selection is poor, but the server we had was nice and helped us pick food that represented the Chennai flavor profile. I know the end of that last sentence sounds pretentious but I couldn't think of how else to word it. The food is a lot different as it is mainly Southern India based cuisine.

Food took forever to come out and North Indian food is useless and has no taste. That is probably why the old OM owners sold it because they would never get North Indian food correct. If you order anything you may want to call earlier before arriving or it could take over 30 minutes for your order especially if you are on a lunch hour or time crunch.

Update: Ordered rava dosa again. To my suprise this time it was very good. Good portion and taste. 👍 The most digusting rava dosa i have ever seen in my life. It was soggy, bathed in oil and sticking to the paper. On top of that i didnt receive chutney and sambar. Pathetic. When you are charging 13$ for food i except atleast a decent one.

Very good experience overall.Good vegetarian choices plus lassi tea and other stuff as much as you want.Good spices balance

Well, I'm so glad the lunch buffet is back. However, a couple of things are just wrong. 1) the taste. The selection is good, but things were just a little more spicier and more flavorful prior to the pandemic. 2) the price was a shocking increase - now over $20 per person on a weekday. I get inflation, but really? You can do better... The service was pleasantly improved.

We're not big on reviews, but after the disappointment we experienced yesterday evening, we had to be sure we showed respect to Tamil Nadu because this place is NOT proper representation of "The Chettinad" name at all. The food had a taste of mirchi or some type of pepper that tasted like it was meant to cover quality instead of genuine blended spice. Anyone who knows Veg Kurma can see from the photos of the deviation from the standard - to put "Chettinad" on the name of the dish is pretty bold. No onions, lime or pickle offered with this dinner. We were looking forward to trying this place; maybe the dosas & idli for breakfast hours will be OK, but we doubt they will have filter coffee as it does not appear it is on the menu. Waitstaff had to be flagged down for each request - even had to get up from the table and go to the register to request the check in order to pay it. India Palace is across the street. We'll try that place next before we'll just swear off Indian food altogether until we get back to Chicago. Images attached including receipt.

Hands down.. best Indian food restaurant. Generous tasty portions unlike other Indian restaurants. Very warm welcome from owners. Could do with some extra help with servers. Need to enclose the party room from the rest of the restaurant for noise control. Also need to upgrade the booths and furniture. Bathrooms need to be updated and made more hygienic and cleaner. They are disgusting.