MADRAS CAFE

MADRAS CAFE is a 4.5-star room with an F-grade kitchen — the kind of gap a star rating will never warn you about, which is the whole reason this page exists.

That F comes from 3 high-priority, 2 intermediate, and 23 basic violations cited on May 26, 2026. It currently ranks near the bottom of Orange County on health score. And the direction isn't reassuring: its recent inspections have been sliding, not recovering. If you want the flavor with fewer question marks, the safer-options list below maps higher-graded kitchens within a short drive.

Loved (4.5★) but failing (F, 47/100) · bottom of Orange County

Get directions Call (407) 203-4191

Safer options nearby

Higher-graded restaurants close to MADRAS CAFE, by Florida DBPR grade:

Restaurant details

Health grade
F (47/100)
Violations
28 total — 3 high-priority, 2 intermediate, 23 basic
Address
7730 W SANDLAKE RD, Orlando, FL
Cuisine
Indian
Categories
Vegan restaurant, Caterer, Indian restaurant, South Indian restaurant, Vegetarian restaurant
Price
$$
Rating
4.5 stars (4105 reviews)
Seats
60
Phone
(407) 203-4191
Website
Official website
Photo of MADRAS CAFE
Photo: The Madras Cafe

Community Rating

Reviews via Google
4.5 Community-sourced rating 4,105 reviews
Read all reviews on Google →

What diners say — our read

People either love this place or they do not, and the ratings show it. Reviews mentioning how guests are treated average 3.7 stars, so it divides opinion rather than settling it. Speed of service follows at 24% of reviews, where ratings average 2.6.

5 stars is the modal score, given by 13 of the 21 reviewers who rated. Conspicuously absent: price, which no reviewer brings up. 13 of 21 rated reviews are four stars or higher; 6 are two or lower.

Set against that, the state's own inspection graded the kitchen an F (47/100), with 3 high-priority, 2 intermediate, and 23 basic violations recorded. Reviews describe the meal; the grade describes the conditions it was made in. That inspection was on May 26, 2026. Its inspection trajectory is downward over the records we hold. That puts it ahead of 1% of graded kitchens in Orange County. Among the items recorded were food from approved source.

Both halves of this page point the same unflattering way, which at least makes it simple. The individual reviews are below, newest first, if you want the raw material.

Our own analysis of 21 reviews for this restaurant, set against its Florida DBPR inspection record. How we calculate grades →

  • June 28, 2026

    Awesome Indian restaurant near World Disneyland Florida...awesomest south Indian food with authentic Chennai flavors...will visit again when in Orlando

  • June 28, 2026

    Extremely shitty experience. They didn’t think twice before humiliating my family. My kid had an accident and puked on the floor. While I took her to the restroom to get cleaned up, these guys handed my wife a towel to clean the floor. On finding this out and asking them if they do not have a cleaning staff, they bluntly said, “No”. So infuriating, we just paid and left.

  • June 25, 2026

    6/25/26 - Ronald gave us a splendid dining experience today. However, we do not like th beet curry in the thali. Please bring back Agnilu to this location. The place isnt the same without him. Please post daily the Thali items on social media. Thank you Ronald for the best treatment we've ever experienced at a restaurant thus far! 3/7/25 - Today, we were greeted at the door by Agnilu and received THE BEST service from Ronald. Kenny brought our food and he is always very kind and professional. Ronald always makes us feel at home when we are here. Honestly, we come to madras mainly because of Ronalds 5 star dining experience that he provides. We have never been to a restaurant before that has such great employees! We are blessed. Thank you for a great experience time and time again Ronald. 7/25/24 - Today we were greeted and seated by Ronald. Stephan greeted us as well and asked several times if we needed anything. Ronald made sure we had a pleasureable dine in experience once again. He went personally to the back kitchen three times to get us our meals. Kenny served us our thali with a smile on his face. The bathrooms are newly remodeled and clean. Ronald closed out our tab and wished us well. This was a 5 star dine in experience and we are grateful for Ronald as a waiter at this establishment! Thank you again! 6/6/24 - Agnilu greeted us with a pleasant mile when we walked in and took us to our table. Leo and Ronald asked us multiple times if we needed anything. Ronald once…

  • June 25, 2026

    Came here for Disney trip from Indiana , Anthony is a gem of person , food was delicious, service was exceptional

  • June 22, 2026

    First of all, the food is tasty and no complaints about that. We ordered regular thalis, dosa and pongal with vada. The service was good. But we were disappointed a bit for one reason. It was not remotely close to a Madras or Tamil cuisine. Pongal was more like kichdi with no sambar and chutney to go with. Thali items were tasting more like a North Indian cuisine with sambar and rasam tasting sweet. Dosa was the only savior. Overall, if you want to try some good Indian food you can definitely visit this place. But if you are looking for a proper South Indian or Madras food I don't recommend this place .

  • June 22, 2026

    Not a great experience with food..not even single item properly done. One south Indian thali, one onion pakoda and one veg pulav and one paneer makhani we ordered. For south Indians not a great place.

  • June 22, 2026

    Best paneer bhurji

  • June 21, 2026

    The food was good but their mild spice tasted like medium spice the dosas were alright but the spice of the curry wasn’t the best

  • June 21, 2026

    “If you are not Indian, be careful — the food here is premade and clearly made with different standards depending on who you are. Management was told about this and completely refused to listen. It’s not rocket science to treat all customers the same. This is a South Indian dosa place that seems focused on pleasing only certain customers while ignoring others. On top of that, the waiters simply don’t care. Very disappointing experience. Would not recommend.”

  • June 21, 2026

    The food seriously hit the spot — everything tasted insanely fresh and flavorful (the paneer rava dosa was crispy perfection and the pani puri + cutlet had me scraping the plate), but the real MVP was Anthony, our server, who made the whole meal 10x better with his funny recommendations and awesome energy. The vibe is super laid-back and welcoming 🔥Would definitely come back again

  • June 21, 2026

    I asked him if we could come a minute or 2 late and he said last order was sharp 10:00 and cut the call right after

  • June 14, 2026

    My husband and I decided to give this place a try and we're so glad we did. Every single thing we tried was amazing!!! We will definitely be back!

  • June 14, 2026

    We ordered food for carry out. Wonderful food!

  • June 9, 2026

    Thais was an exceptional restaurant experience because of our server Anthony ...who immediately made us feel at home and with a sense of humor to boot! Really great service food was good variety and the company was great !

  • May 28, 2026

    Extremely impolite staff. Bad crowd management. Waited for 40 minutes but still no table. When asked about how people were getting ahead of us, the guy was extremely impolite. Food was mediocre (Chana masala - it was curry style, n chole style). Dont recommend!

  • May 24, 2026

    I understand there was waiting. I was told wait time is 30 mins. I sat outside waiting patiently. After half an hour I checked back and I was just told that there is still waiting. I noticed there were 3 people - family who came may be 20 mins since we were waiting. After inquiring the provided justification was we let them sit on 2 people place and I cannot leave the seats empty. According to me it delays the service as well. The person was not polite. After 45 mins of wait I took my business next door.

  • May 18, 2026

    Food is really one of the best in all of the US! We loved this place (while visiting from Dallas) that we went back for two days.

  • May 11, 2026

    Had a great experience at Madras Cafe! The food was fresh, flavorful, and had an authentic South Indian touch. The service was quick, and the atmosphere felt warm and welcoming. One thing you absolutely shouldn’t miss is their freshly prepared lemon soda: super refreshing, perfectly balanced, and the best drink to pair with the spicy dishes. Highly recommend stopping by if you love good Indian food and refreshing drinks!

  • May 9, 2026

    I can’t say enough good things about this place! It’s a wonderful experience each time we visit. The food is consistently amazing, and they easily have the best variety of vegan options I've found in the area. The service is always wonderful—the staff is so attentive and makes every meal feel special. A must-visit!

  • April 27, 2026

    Thali is recommended

  • April 26, 2026

    my favourite meal from my holiday in orlando. lovely food, great vegan options, and big portions. service by anthony was great

Overall Score

40 / 100

  • Health inspection grade 0/40
    Grade F
  • Dietary transparency 20/20
    6 options listed
  • Community rating 18/20
    4.5★ average
  • Hidden-gem status 0/10
    Not flagged
  • Track record 2/10
    Declining, 0% clean

Composite score from health grade, dietary options, ratings, and inspection record — distinct from the state-derived health grade.

Opening hours

Monday
11:30 AM to 3 PM, 5 to 10:30 PM
Tuesday
11:30 AM to 3 PM, 5 to 10:30 PM
Wednesday
11:30 AM to 3 PM, 5 to 10:30 PM
Thursday
11:30 AM to 3 PM, 5 to 10:30 PM
Friday
11:30 AM to 3 PM, 5 to 10:30 PM
Saturday
11:30 AM to 3 PM, 5 to 10:30 PM
Sunday
11:30 AM to 3 PM, 5 to 10:30 PM

Inspection history

The following records are from Florida DBPR public inspection records, most recent first.

  1. May 26, 2026 · Routine - Food

    Inspection Completed - No Further Action

    3 high-priority · 2 intermediate · 23 basic

    • 01 — Food from approved source; safe, unadulterated, sound condition
    • 02 — Consumer advisory, date-marking & labeling of ready-to-eat foods
    • 03 — Temperature control of foods (cold/hot holding, cooking, cooling, reheating)
    • 08 — Cross-contamination: raw foods separated; food protected during prep/storage
    • 10 — In-use food dispensing utensils properly stored
    • 12 — Handwashing; employee eating/drinking/smoking practices
    • 13 — Clean clothes; hair restraints; jewelry; fingernails
    • 14 — Food-contact & nonfood-contact surfaces properly designed/maintained (×3)
    • 16 — Dishwashing facilities; sanitizer test kits; gauges (×2)
    • 21 — Wiping cloths; clean & soiled linens; laundry
    • 22 — Food-contact surfaces clean and sanitized
    • 23 — Nonfood-contact surfaces clean (×2)
    • 24 — Storage & handling of clean equipment and utensils; air drying
    • 29 — Plumbing installed & maintained; mop sink; backflow prevention
    • 31 — Handwash sinks accessible; handwashing supplies & sign provided
    • 33 — Garbage and refuse; premises maintained
    • 36 — Floors, walls, ceilings clean & maintained; proper ventilation (×6)
    • 40 — Employee personal belongings
    • 41 — Chemicals / toxic substances properly stored & used
  2. September 19, 2025 · Routine - Food

    Call Back - Complied

    1 high-priority · 1 intermediate · 10 basic

    • 02 — Consumer advisory, date-marking & labeling of ready-to-eat foods
    • 14 — Food-contact & nonfood-contact surfaces properly designed/maintained
    • 16 — Dishwashing facilities; sanitizer test kits; gauges
    • 22 — Food-contact surfaces clean and sanitized
    • 24 — Storage & handling of clean equipment and utensils; air drying
    • 29 — Plumbing installed & maintained; mop sink; backflow prevention (×2)
    • 35 — Insects/rodents/pests; outer openings protected against pests
    • 36 — Floors, walls, ceilings clean & maintained; proper ventilation (×4)
  3. September 18, 2025 · Routine - Food

    Administrative complaint recommended

    3 high-priority · 3 intermediate · 14 basic

    • 02 — Consumer advisory, date-marking & labeling of ready-to-eat foods
    • 10 — In-use food dispensing utensils properly stored
    • 14 — Food-contact & nonfood-contact surfaces properly designed/maintained (×2)
    • 16 — Dishwashing facilities; sanitizer test kits; gauges
    • 22 — Food-contact surfaces clean and sanitized
    • 24 — Storage & handling of clean equipment and utensils; air drying (×2)
    • 29 — Plumbing installed & maintained; mop sink; backflow prevention (×2)
    • 31 — Handwash sinks accessible; handwashing supplies & sign provided
    • 35 — Insects/rodents/pests; outer openings protected against pests (×3)
    • 36 — Floors, walls, ceilings clean & maintained; proper ventilation (×4)
    • 41 — Chemicals / toxic substances properly stored & used
    • 53 — Food manager certification; employee food-safety training

This grade is calculated by us from Florida DBPR public inspection records — Florida does not issue official grades. How we calculate it →

Data last updated: May 26, 2026