Once Upon A Dosa

The place wasn't super busy but that could be since I saw a lot of people take their food to go. I loved the seating, I sat facing the alley which was peaceful for me. Service was so quick, loved that I could see all the cooks in action. My food was served within two minutes of ordering. It's self serve with iPads to order and then the folks behind the counter call your name. The food was delicious. I came for the dosa and got paneer dosa and was very happy with what I got. Will definitely have to bring my friends here once!

Fast casual joint serving South Indian delights. You order by kiosk, but there is only one kiosk, so can be a backlog with a lot of people in front of you. Someone really should manually work the cash register during busy periods. At least the foods comes out quick after you order.Samosas: Pretty standard; the familiarity is comforting. Nice crisp dough, not too thick. Dry potato and pea filling. All complemented with nice tamarind and mint chutneys.Medhu Vada: Savory donuts fried fresh to order so they're nice and crispy. Good bits of whole spices for a nice kick. It's a bit dry by itself, but dipping in the sambar with some chutneys is perfect.Podi Idly Fries: Never had these before, so a pleasant first experience. They were very crispy all around with chewy interior. Really a great texture contrast. Paired so nice with the thicker chutneys.Masala Dosa: Pretty decent quality for fast casual. The dosa is thin and the top layer is crispy. Since it's folded a few times though, the other sections get soft quickly. The potato mix was nicely flavored, though it felt a little skimpy. I'd say I had about 1/3 of a dosa left by the time I finished the potatoes. All the dips were nice and plenitful.Mutton Tikka Doffle: Dosa Waffle Pizza, there's a lot to unpack here. It was definitely a first experience for me. The waffle felt denser than regular waffles, probably due to the fermented lentils batter. Then there was a bunch of ground lamb and bunch of cheese on top. While it was interesting, I think I prefer regular dosas.Ghee Podi Idly: Spongy and does a good job absorbing the sambar. In addition to having absorbing some rich ghee and spices. Not as filling as the dosa though.Blue Pea Lemonade: Had some weird grainy bits in. Maybe masala powder? So had a strange savory flavor that messed with the sweetness. Not a fan.Mango Lassi: Liked that there was a strong amount of mango juice and that it wasn't too think. Quite refreshing paired with the spicy kick of the main dishes.Ginger Mint Lemonade: Didn't taste the ginger as much as the lemonade. Also had some masala spices in the mix.

Although the ambience and service is pretty much non existent, I can't judge this place based on that. It's a small shop/restaurant - few sitting spots but you get very good south indian food. I tried simple idly, some of their drinks such as Chai and Almond Rose Chia drink - all of them were good. Idlys were really great. Disappointed with Sambhar. I realised over time that it's really difficult to find good tasty sambhar. The chutney is relatively decent.

True to its name, this is a good dosa place. The chutneys were quite good too. The sambar did not taste like sambar (more like dal) but it was a good side dish. The ghee podi idlis were nice but could have been more flavorful. Staff and service were good and the place is well-maintained. No restrooms. Parking at union square is tricky, unsurprisingly.

Stumbled open Once Upon a Dosa while I was out shopping! I needed a little afternoon pick me up and this did the trick! Food:I've never had Ghee Podi Idly and gave it a try here. It was PACKED with flavor. I will try this place again when I'm in Union Square. $10 for my lunch -- not bad! Ambiance:You order from a screen and the nicest staff will call you when your food is ready. Overall:Thank you for bringing some tasty food to the area

This is my second time here. Let's get to the details -The good: The dosas and sambar are good. As someone born and raised in South India, it is fairly authentic.What they need to improve on:1. Chutney: The first time I came here, the coconut chutney started to go bad. The second time I'm here the tomato chutney is too raw, the tomatoes should have been sautéed more. It tasted like tomato puree.2. Chai was really bad, it tasted very bitter even after adding sugar and had little to no flavor.3. Idly fries are too oily. And not sure they used fresh oil, I can taste the stale / pre used oil in the idly fries. Maybe use an air fryer to make them. I could literally squeeze the oil from them. We ended up throwing the entire thing.Overall it's a good addition to San Francisco, due its lack of decent South Indian food. I would recommend them correcting these issues.

Not only are their dosas amazing but their adorable packaging makes the experience even more delightful!

Authentic, nice presentation, technology savvy, courteous staff, near to city center,

Finger licking fresh food with amazing service and hospitality. Definitely going to have my weekend lunch here. I ordered dosa and rice bowl. Must have !!!

We went here, with a baby and a big kid on Christmas Day. The sitting is limited but they are very popular for takeout. Fortunately as we entered, a family was leaving. We ordered dosas and idlis. Even though one of our dosas didn't have aloo mix included in it, they gave it complimentary when we asked. The food was excellent, our kids loved the ghee idlis. The dosas were also good with not too much spice in the sambhar and chutneys.The owner was very nice, polite and courteous. Would highly recommend if you are in the union square area.