Madras Cafe | Our Story

A Piece of Home in Appleton

Priya Sivakumar grew up in Tamil Nadu and brought its flavors — dosa, idli, sambar, and all — to the heart of Wisconsin. Madras Cafe is the restaurant she built around a simple belief: that great food and genuine hospitality belong together.

The name behind the cafe

Priya named the restaurant after Madras — the name Chennai carried until 1996, and the name that still means home to many Tamil people. Opening Madras Cafe in Appleton was her way of taking a piece of that home with her to the Midwest.

Food rooted in Tamil Nadu

Golden dosas, soft idli, crispy medhu vada, warming sambar — all made from scratch. A different tradition from the paneer-and-naan fare most Midwesterners know, and that difference is the whole point.

The spirit behind the kitchen

The family runs Madras Cafe by the Sanskrit principle Atithi Devo Bhava — "the guest is God" — and they mean it literally. Their aim isn't simply to fill seats; it's to make a place in people's hearts.

Finding a home in Appleton

Word spread the way it does when food is genuinely good — guest by guest — until Madras Cafe became a destination on West Wisconsin Avenue. Regulars and first-timers alike call it the most distinct, carefully prepared food in the state.

An open invitation

Whether you grew up eating dosa for breakfast or you've never tasted South Indian food in your life, there's a seat here for you. Come as you are — and stay for the filter coffee.