Raavi

tldr: the most worth it Indian food around the city!My partner and I were wandering around FiDi when we saw this North Indian place and decided to check out the menu. To our disbelief, almost all the menu items were under $15 including our favorites lamb saag and lamb korma that were just $11 each! We had to try it. Walking in, we realized that everything was self service and to pay/order up front (although they still bring you your food and clean up for you). There is a self service station with water, utensils, and chai (!). The food got to us pretty quickly and sizzling hot (literally since the kebabs were on a steaming cast iron). The naan was fresh and fluffy, the saag was rich in flavor, the mango lassi as so deliciously sweet and creamy, and the lamb biryani was fragrant and massive in portion. This place is no frills yet clean and cheap yet super tasty. We spent $51 and had enough leftover for another meal for the two of us!

Great place for indian food thats close to office around Embarcadero.Tikka masala - 3.8/5, basic but delicious. I think there was a fried cheese or something in one of the containers though, which was weird. It didn't seem like there was any other meat or protein either.. I didn't open the other tikka masala containers but I hope they weren't like this one.Butter chicken - 4/5, great flavor with lots of little bits of tender chicken.Baingan bhartha - alright, I personally don't prefer eggplant this way but others liked it! Flavor was decent.Chana masala - garbanzo beans with spices. If you like beans, this seemed pretty good. Lots of people liked it. Palak paneer - paneer with spinach curry. It was good at first bite, but for some reason it was too salty after eating everything else.Samosas - people seemed to like this too!

If you, like me, lament current restaurant prices but also don't wish to sacrifice great taste as the trade-off I'd like to introduce you to Raavi. Numerous placards inside the sparsely furnished interior attest to the fact that "people love us on yelp" and now I can get in that line.With a location that straddles North Beach, Jackson Square, and Chinatown, Inidan fare might not be what you thought you sought and peering inside might confirm that. Step up to the register, order, and pay. Food will be brought to your table but not before you help yourself to utensils, a plate, napkins, and a self-serve, free, unsweetened chai. The place lacks charm or, really a cohesive decor, but the food and prices make up for that. The prices here are so reasonable that I was downright joyful to see the portion sizes. Both Basmati Rice ($3) and Baingan Bharta ($9; an eggplant dish) were ample enough in size to fully satisfy me and the remainders proved good for a whole second meal at home. None of this meal - which ran a total of $13 - would matter if the food weren't good but it is actually so good, so delicious, that I am already planning a return visit. The menu is large and even dishes containing seafood seem to top out at around $12. Thank you, Raavi, for helping me again find the joy in dining out.

I ordered on seamless because they have great deals. Delicious food! The driver was a little late but he apologized and was super nice. The food was still nice and warm. I got the aloo gobhi and the palak paneer. Heavenly for a vegetarian. Looking forward to trying more dishes!

This is my go to spot for lunch! Their lunch thali includes 1-2 daal or one shaak, rice, naan, salad, and either the veggie or chicken entree. Bonus for having free chai!! Sometimes I order the chicken tikka masala or butter chicken to go because it's one of my favorite foods. It's a hole in the wall, but it's packed every weekday for its home-cooked food!

I've had take out from here twice now, and both times were a great experience. The most recent time I ordered through Uber Eats to my hotel and the food was delivered 5 min before the estimated arrival. The entrees are huge and could probably even feed 2 people. I ordered the Chicken Tikka Masala and it arrived steaming hot in a large container. It came with a large side of basmati rice, as well as a large side of garlic naan. I also ordered the samosas which came with two large samosas and two dipping sauces. Overall the food itself is so flavorful and tasty. It's good quality and it travels well for takeout. I'll definitely keep ordering from here when I'm in town!

okay loved this place! got take out from here and ordered a bunch of food -- garlic naan/ aloo stuffed paratha/daal and samosas! everything was so good and comforting! i'll definitely be ordering from here again! also portion sized are good

I've never dined in here but I always get Uber eats from Thai place. The food is fantastic, the service is great, food is packed well and always steaming hot when it arrives. We are always happy and full. We love Indian food and this is definitely our to go place in sf. Highly recommend!

This review is for two more recent visits to Raavi. On one of the occasions I didn't take photos, but got palak paneer, which was a lot saltier than I expected.The second time, I got paneer korma, plain naan, and rose lassi, and also some of the free chai they provide. (You can add sugar to it; mine was not sweet at all since I didn't add sugar)The paneer korma was a lot spicier than I remembered it being the last time I had it. It was good, I just wish there were fewer chilies since I can't handle a high level of spice and this interfered with me being able to enjoy it as much. The naan was pretty good, it's more on the light side. The rose lassi was also nice, but if anything I wish the rose flavor was even stronger.Overall, food was good, and pretty much unbeatable prices since a lot of their entrees are still $10. The food came out really fast as well, probably not more than 5 minutes or so even though we ordered when we got there and it was around 12pm on a Saturday.They have bathrooms but it's tucked away in a basement down a flight of stairs, you can ask the staff for the door code.

The second and last time I am getting my food at Raavi. The last quality is descending. For example, paneers and daals are becoming so liquid, that you can hardly find cheese there. The same relates to Chicken Tikka Masala, almost no chicken, only sauce. Samosas are still edible. Also, aftertaste feeling is very heavy and not pleasant.I heard that this place used to be very good, niche and popular among fellow Indian food lovers. But now I would not recommend it.