Chai Pani
indian
Chai Pani
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Welcome to Chai Pani
James Beard Award-Winning Indian Street Food from Chef Meherwan Irani
ASHEVILLE, NC
32 Banks Ave.
Asheville, NC 28801
Sunday - Thursday
11:00 am - 3:00 pm
5:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Friday & Saturday
11:00 am - 3:00 pm
5:00 pm - 9:30 pm
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DECATUR, GA
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406 W Ponce de Leon Ave
Decatur, GA 30030
Sunday - Thursday
11:30 am - 2:30 pm
5:00 pm - 9:30 pm
Friday & Saturday
11:30 am - 2:30 pm
5:00 pm - 10:00 pm
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Lunch Buffet
Monday - Friday
11:30 am - 2:30 pm
DC, UNION MARKET
1325 5th St NE Ste A
Washington DC 20002
Sunday - Thursday
11:00 am - 2:30 pm
5:30 pm - 9:00 pm
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Friday - Saturday
11:00 am - 2:30 pm
5:30 pm - 10:00 pm
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Reservations encouraged, walk-ins limited!
Chai Pani is coming to Washington DC with Chef Vishwesh Bhatt at the helm
Chai Pani Decatur:
MICHELIN Recommended 2023-2024
Chai Pani Decatur:
25 Best Restaurants in Atlanta 2024
Chai Pani Asheville:
Outstanding Restaurant 2022
Chai Pani Asheville:
The 50 Best Restaurants 2021
Sahar Siddiqi:
Best Chef Southeast 2023
Meherwan Irani:
Best Chef Southeast 2020
Meherwan Irani:
Best Chef Southeast 2019
Meherwan Irani:
Best Chef Southeast 2018
Meherwan Irani:
Best Chef Southeast 2015
Meherwan Irani:
Best Chef Southeast 2014
ABOUT CHAI PANI
Chai Pani is Indian slang for grabbing a tasty little bite.
Literally, it means “tea and water."
Chef Meherwan and Molly Irani created Chai Pani to bring something America had never tasted; real, bold, Indian street food. And in doing so, creating a national obsession!
"With a few steps through the double doors of Chai Pani’s new location at 32 Banks Avenue, you’ll find yourself transported into what can only be described as an Indian wonderland."
"For chef Meherwan Irani, winning a James Beard Award is a crucial step towards putting authentic Indian food on the global map."
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"Meherwan Irani’s lighthearted homage to Indian street food has long been beloved by locals, but it also draws steady crowds of tourists with its vivid flavors."
"Chai Pani is dripping in orange marigolds and is inspired by the chaat shops that make up a typical Indian street food scene. The kitchen excels at weaving together texture and spice."
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"Chai Pani is a festive place, where strings of lights and colorful artwork keep things high spirited, and the kitchen looks to locally sourced ingredients."
"Meherwan Irani has played a pivotal role in reshaping how America sees, eats, and thinks about Indian cuisine."
Meherwan & Molly Irani
MEHERWAN IRANI
James Beard award-winning Chef, restaurateur, spice master, and now author of The No. 1 Best Indian Cookbook in the World is on a mission to change the way America experiences Indian food. As the Co-Founder and CEO of Chai Pani Restaurant Group, he’s built a nationally celebrated restaurant and spice empire rooted in bold flavors and unapologetically authentic Indian street food.
MOLLY IRANI
Co-Founder and Chief Culture Officer of Chai Pani Restaurant Group, Molly is the force behind the company’s people-first culture and groundbreaking approach to leadership. In her book, Service Ready, Molly shares hard-earned lessons, core values, and real-world strategies that built one of the most admired hospitality cultures in the industry.
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Chai Pani News
Be the first to know what's new at Chai Pani. We only send newsletters you'll actually want to read.
Botiwalla by Chai Pani
Meet our sister restaurant, Botiwalla by Chai Pani, Meherwan Irani's love letter to Irani Cafés and India's late night grills.
Work With Us
We don't see ourselves as a food company serving people, but as a people company serving food.
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Chai Pani Locations and Hours
Chai Pani Asheville
Chai Pani DC
Chai Pani Decatur
Menu as captured Aug 29, 2026 · source ↗
We hold 10 venues in Decatur, GA and could score 2 of them. This one is not among them, so it has no position — not a low one.
There is no score breakdown to show: we haven’t been able to look at this venue’s sourcing yet, so there is nothing to break down. A row of zeroes here would say we checked and found nothing, and we have not checked.
v1.7.4 0.0/100 — NOT YET ANALYZED. We have not been able to look: no findable site or menu, or the site blocks crawlers. This is the absence of a measurement, NOT a finding of 'no sourcing', and must never be presented as one. Score is a floor and carries no information about this venue's quality.
Not yet analyzed. We haven't been able to look — no findable site or menu, or the site blocks crawlers. This is the absence of a measurement, not a finding of "no sourcing". Check back soon.
Authority & awards
- MICHELIN Guide 2026: Selected ↗
MICHELIN Guide
Award