Chennai Delicacy

What a coincidence . . . Myself, and two friends drove to Cleveland for the big motorcycle show at the I-X center. We are big fans, and owners of the Royal Enfield brand of motorcycle, which had a large display at the show, and was really the main reason why we drove to the show from Pittsburgh. After the show, we wanted to get something to eat, and I suggested Indian, so we did a Yelp search and the second listing to come up was called "Chennai Delicacy" . . . and believe it or not, the city of Chennai, in India, just so happens to be where the Royal Enfield motorcycles are produced, and where our bikes were made (Crazy coincidence huh?). So we felt like it was almost our destiny to eat here. I called them on the phone just to make sure they were open, and the owner told me, that they were not really a full-service restaurant, but they had some tables and we could eat there if we wanted. He also said . . . "We are not a fancy place, but the food is really good," and that is exactly what we found . . . a small take-out counter, that had food packaged to go, not very fancy, but the food was really good (it was heated up in plastic containers and served with plastic utensils and disposable plates). The owner was so nice when we arrived, he told us about how he makes everything homemade, and that everything is very healthy. He explained the dishes on the menu. My friends went with chicken dishes (Masala and Butter) and I wanted to try something a little bit different, so I asked about the "Moong Kootu," which happened to be a vegan dish, made from Lentils (Dal), and it was really good, a bit on the spicy side, but not super spicy. We also shared an order of bread (Methi flavored), and everyone liked their food. We talked to the owner, and he told us a little bit about his restaurant, how he does a lot of catering to hospitals and other businesses, and also where he was from in India, and I spoke a little bit to him in Hindi also (I am currently learning it). The food was delicious, I am giving four stars, because I am a big fan of the food, and I enjoyed talking to the owner. Cheers!

Small takeout spot with great Southern Indian food. Seriously, it's small in there, but there are a couple tables if you must eat in. Otherwise, they sell the food ready to go in to-go containers and it's pretty darn tasty. We grabbed orders of curry chicken, chettinad chicken, and chicken biryani after listening to the suggestions from the owner. He advised Chet Tina's for my buddy that loves spice and the curry for me, the spice wuss. We included the order of the biryani because the dishes do not have rice included. Honestly, I wanted the biryani anyways, cuz I LOVE the stuff. We tried to get some samosas, hoping to have an appetizer, but he said they sold them all for the day and recommended we come on a weekend for such items. The food was very good and he was right to give the chettinad to my buddy, since the curry was almost too hot for me. We're talkin right at my threshold of too hot. Whew... I know Indian food can be super hot, so I'm always careful with my order.

After driving past this place multiple times, I finally decided to stop in and I was really glad I did. It's a small location designed for takeout. Think: meal-prep type packaging.I got chicken chettinad: spicy but so flavorful! And chicken biryani: delicious and comforting. The two items together came to $19, BUT I have gotten 3 full meals out of it that I wished wouldn't have ended. I love that kind of value! I especially appreciated that the chicken was cut into good size pieces rather than small, crumbly sized pieces. (Maybe that's just me)The owner was a delight to speak with. He told me about his business and his food. He takes great pride in the service he provides for hospitals and the general public with his very authentic cuisine. I'm looking forward to stopping in again!

My brother told me about Chennai Delicacy a couple months ago while we were discussing his favorite vegan places. When he said it is also his favorite Indian place in the Cleveland area, I immediately bookmarked on Yelp. The owner is a cheerful and helpful guy. He worked as an engineer and his wife as a doctor prior to opening the place. I am glad that they followed their passion for food and now serve up fine South Indian cuisine. Their scientific and mathematical precision are evident in the dishes. Everything is made fresh and in house. Not every Indian restaurant in the area can boast this. They also cater to a few of the local hospitals including the Cleveland Clinic and Metro.Sometimes there are language and culture barriers for vegan customers at ethnic restaurants. This is not the case at Chennai Delicacy. I went to Chennai for lunch today with my friend and wife. The staff was very accommodating to Liz and her vegan dietary restrictions. All of the meat is halal for any of the carnivorous members of the Muslim faith. There is a small table to eat at in the store although the food is prepared in to-go containers. They will gladly heat up a meal if you wish to eat inside. There is a $15 credit cart minimum. The portions are generous and can be stretched out to multiple meals. My favorites thus far have been the chicken biryani and guntur chicken. The guntur chicken has an excellent dry spice rub. I plan on having a few beers out on the town tonight and coming back home to this as a nightcap.

I found myself in the neighborhood, and hungry, at 1pm on a Saturday, so decided to give Chennai Delicacy a try. I had long wondered what kind of restaurant could operate in such a small building.Mystery solved! They have several varieties of dishes prepackaged in takeout containers, and ready to go. The owner was very helpful in showing their wares. I ate a samosa ($1) while I was standing there, and it was delicious. The owner also gave me a sample of a dessert, I think halwa, that was pretty wonderful as well.I took away a container of Chicken Chettinad ($9), and it made for a very good lunch. The quantity of chicken was very generous, I would guess at least 10 ounces. The meat was tender and juicy and so loaded with spices that it resembled lamb in color. I thought the spice level was perfect, a nice warming that enhanced the flavors and got the endorphins flowing.The owner is very proud of food quality, and justifiably so. However, I'm with the chorus that feels that rice (either plain or a simple pilaf) and/or bread are needed for a complete meal, hence 4 stars. I think this would draw more customers, and provide more revenue a well.I hope the owners are keeping an eye on the food truck scene in Cleveland. They could kill with a truck.

I've been boycotting the cafeteria at work (because it's overpriced crap), but today I caved when a co-worker introduced me to Chennai Delicacy. Apparently every Thursday they come into my work with an entree that is freaking delicious! Forgive me for not knowing what I ate, but I will try my best to describe it to you. For $7 I got a huge portion of spicy yellow basmati rice with chicken and cauliflower in it, this thin broth like sauce with chunks of chicken in it, and some fresh diced cucumbers and tomatoes in a milky sauce. The latter was cool and refreshing which matched perfectly with the spiciness of the rice and chicken. Literally so much good food that I want to crawl under my desk and take a nice nap. The guy serving it was really nice too!I will definitely stop by again on a Thursday to see what they have to offer! If they could bring in some South-Indian flatbread with the entrees I'd give then 5 stars.

This places needs to have expiry date set on the stale food they serve customers. Although the food at times has been good, the last order was horrible. In lines with one of the reviews below, they hold on to stale food for long and don't even realize that it is bad. The owner (when he is present) is very interactive but the rest others who work in his absence are dud. Not going to repeat it in a long time.

Super friendly owner with authentic traditional food. Great for stocking up on weekly lunches or dinners, or for trying something new. Reasonably priced. Try the biryani. Everything homemade and you can tell it's homemade too. Not Americanized, just pure good food.

Food taste and quality is great ! Its only open on Fri and Sat but its worth the wait

I have been visiting this place regularly on Friday nights or get the food through my friends whoever visiting Cleveland from Chennai Delicacy. But this week when I got the Mutton Masala I found the food spreaded with fungus which is totally unacceptable. We had ordered food on every Friday and also for some food parties, Birthday functions and others but never failed to get good food . But this time we realised whether this food was prepared on the same day and served or not .Refer the pics which we got on October 4 2019 Friday night . Ordered carryout item Mutton masala.We will Never recommend this place hereafter to anyone .