Simply South vs Bharat Bhavan: My Honest Take on North Dallas's Two Most Talked-About South Indian Restaurants
I spent a week eating my way through Simply South and Bharat Bhavan, two of North Dallas's most talked-about South Indian restaurants, comparing everything from ghee idli and chole bhature to masala tea, service, cleanliness, and price, to help you decide where to eat first.
If you live anywhere near Frisco, Plano, or Irving, you already know that North Texas has quietly become one of the biggest Indian food hubs in the country. I am not exaggerating when I say this. The Dallas-Fort Worth Indian American population has grown to somewhere between 220,000 and 235,000 people, and that number keeps climbing every year according to recent regional demographic reporting. Back in 2012, there were already 90 Indian restaurants within a 40-mile radius of Dallas, and that count has only grown since then as more families, students, and tech professionals have moved into Collin County.
So naturally, we see South Indian restaurants popping up everywhere in North Dallas. I kept hearing two names over and over from friends and coworkers: Simply South and Bharat Bhavan. Both restaurants are known for their South Indian menus, and both come with a lot of hype. I decided I would not just take everyone's word for it. My partner and I went to both places within the same week so we could compare them while the experience was still fresh in our minds. This is not a paid promotion. I am writing this because I wanted an honest comparison before I spent my money and time, and I could not find one, so I made it myself.
Why I Wanted to Try South Indian Food in the First Place
I will be upfront. This was our first time really sitting down for a proper South Indian meal. I had eaten naan and butter chicken plenty of times, which is more of a North Indian and Punjabi style of cooking, but South Indian food was new territory for us. Dishes like idli, dosa, and filter coffee come from an entirely different culinary tradition rooted in states like Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Kerala, and I wanted to understand what made it so different before I judged either restaurant.
One thing I learned while researching after our meals is that a lot of South Indian staples, like idli, are fermented, and that fermentation is not just about flavor. According to food science writers, fermentation increases the bioavailability of nutrients because the lactic acid produced during the process helps break down antinutrients that normally block the absorption of iron, zinc, and calcium. That was a small detail that made me appreciate the ghee idli we ordered even more. It is not just soft, pillowy rice cake. There is actual food science and centuries of tradition behind it.
Round One: Simply South
We went to Simply South on a Tuesday afternoon, and I am glad we did, because the manager told us straight up that we would not have found a seat if we had come on a weekend. He said weekends get packed to the point where people wait outside. I appreciated that he told us this without us even asking, because it showed he actually cared about setting expectations rather than letting us walk in blind another time.
Since it was our first time eating South Indian food, the staff took the time to explain a bit about the cuisine and pointed us toward a few dishes that are considered crowd favorites there. We ended up ordering ghee idli and chole bhature, and honestly, I think that was the right call for two beginners.
Ghee Idli The ghee idli came out soft, slightly glossy from the ghee, and paired with what I counted as six different types of sauce and chutney. Every single one tasted different from the last, and every bite genuinely felt different depending on which sauce I dipped into. I was not expecting that much variety from what looks like a simple steamed rice cake on the surface. Ghee itself, or clarified butter, has been a foundational ingredient in Indian cooking for generations, and I could tell the kitchen was not skimping on it.
Chole Bhature The chole bhature surprised me a little because I later found out this dish is technically not originally a South Indian dish at all. Chole bhature actually traces its roots to Punjab or eastern Uttar Pradesh and is closely associated with Punjabi cuisine, and food historians note that South India has joined the chole bhature trend too, with Udupi-style restaurants now serving their own version and building a loyal following among South Indian food lovers. So when I saw it on a South Indian menu, it made more sense once I understood how far this dish had traveled across India. At Simply South, the bhature was fluffy and fried perfectly, not greasy, and the chole had a nice tang to it without being overly spicy for someone new to the cuisine.
Masala Tea and Faluda We also tried the masala tea, which had a warm, well-balanced spice blend, and for dessert we ordered faluda. I did not even know faluda existed before this meal, and I was fascinated to learn later that this dessert has a genuinely wild backstory. Faluda actually originated in Persia, where it was originally known as Faloodeh, before it was introduced to the Indian subcontinent by the Mughals, who modified it by adding milk, basil seeds, and ice cream. Some food historians even trace the earliest version of this dessert back to around 400 BC in what is now Iran. Knowing that history made the dessert taste even better to me. It is essentially a drinkable dessert with vermicelli noodles, rose syrup, basil seeds, and ice cream, and the version we had was cold, refreshing, and not overly sweet.
The Service and the Price The staff at Simply South were kind, patient, and genuinely enthusiastic about sharing their food culture with us. That mattered a lot, especially since we were complete beginners. My only complaint, and it is a small one, is that a tiny can of Sprite was priced at six dollars. We did not even order it in the end because it felt steep for what it was. Outside of that one drink, I found the rest of the menu to be fairly priced for the portion sizes and quality we received.
Overall, our experience at Simply South was smooth, warm, and satisfying from start to finish.
Round Two: Bharat Bhavan
Bharat Bhavan is where things took a turn for us. Knowing how busy South Indian restaurants can get on weekends in this area, we made a reservation ahead of time specifically so we would not have to wait. I thought that was a smart move on our part. It was not.
Even with a confirmed reservation, the host told us we would need to wait another 20 to 30 minutes before we could be seated. I genuinely could not understand the point of reserving a table if we were still going to be treated like walk-ins. That set a disappointing tone before we had even sat down.
Once our table was finally ready, we sat down and then waited another five minutes before anyone acknowledged us. We just sat there, watching servers move around, wondering if anyone would notice we were even there. When a server finally came over, there was no smile, no greeting, nothing. She handed us an iPad and looked at us, waiting for our order. I understand restaurants get slammed and staff get tired, especially on a busy weekend. But it felt like every single staff member we encountered was running on fumes, and it showed in the complete lack of warmth toward customers.
Executive Thali and Chole Bhature We ordered the executive thali along with chole bhature again, since we wanted to compare the same dish across both restaurants. This was probably the most disappointing part of the entire meal for me. The portions on the executive thali were noticeably small compared to what we paid for it. I expected a thali, especially one labeled "executive," to feel like a generous, well-rounded spread. Instead, it felt like we were paying a premium price for a fairly modest amount of food. The food itself was okay, not bad, but nothing that justified either the hype or the price tag. What genuinely bothered me on top of that was the state of the dishes we were served on. They looked like they had not been washed properly in a while. There was a sticky residue on them that made me hesitant to enjoy the meal as much as I wanted to.
Masala Tea The masala tea was where I was most let down. I am not Indian, and I do not claim to be an expert on authentic chai preparation, but I have made better masala tea at home, and I have had better versions of it at other restaurants entirely unrelated to this cuisine. For a restaurant with this much buzz around it, I expected the tea alone to be a signature moment. It was not.
Overall Experience We skipped dessert entirely. At that point, we were ready to leave. The prices were not cheap either, and combined with the wait, the underwhelming service, and the questionable dishware, it left a sour taste that had nothing to do with the actual spices in the food.
Simply South vs Bharat Bhavan: The Side-by-Side Breakdown
When I sat down to think about both experiences honestly, a few clear differences stood out to me.
Wait Times Simply South was upfront and transparent about their busy hours, and we experienced zero wait since we went on a slower weekday. Bharat Bhavan made us wait 20 to 30 minutes despite having an actual reservation, which defeats the entire purpose of reserving a table in the first place.
Staff Attitude The team at Simply South took time to educate us about the cuisine and made us feel welcomed as first-timers. The staff at Bharat Bhavan felt exhausted and disengaged, and we never once got a smile or a proper greeting.
Food Quality Both restaurants served food that tasted fine on the surface, but Simply South's ghee idli, chutneys, and faluda left a stronger impression on us. The chole bhature at Simply South also edged out Bharat Bhavan's version in flavor and freshness.
Cleanliness This is where the gap felt widest. The dishware at Bharat Bhavan looked and felt like it had not been cleaned properly, which is a serious concern for any restaurant, let alone one with this much of a reputation behind it.
Value for Money Simply South had one oddly overpriced item, that six dollar can of Sprite, but everything else felt reasonably priced for the portions we received. Bharat Bhavan was not cheap, and the executive thali in particular felt like small portions for a high price. Combined with the service and cleanliness issues, we did not feel like we got our money's worth there.
My Final Thoughts
I went into this expecting Bharat Bhavan to blow us away, mostly because of how often I had heard its name mentioned by people around North Dallas. Instead, it was Simply South that left the better impression on us in nearly every category that matters to me: warmth, cleanliness, food quality, and overall value.
If you are looking to try South Indian food for the first time, or if you are already a fan of the cuisine and want a reliable spot in North Dallas, I would point you toward Simply South. I genuinely enjoyed learning about the culture behind the food while we ate, and I left feeling like I understood a little more about where dishes like ghee idli, chole bhature, and faluda actually come from and why they mean so much to the people who grew up eating them.
This was not a paid promotion, and I have no financial relationship with either restaurant. This is simply my honest experience as someone who walked in curious and walked out with a clear favorite.