A spicy night: New Charlotte-area market has date-worthy dinners under $40 for 2

Aisle browsing and eating go hand-in-hand, and there’s a new Charlotte-area market where you can do just that: Triveni Supermarket in Tega Cay.

Budget-conscious buddies, this one’s for you. There’s a location in Pineville, but the newly opened spot is a short drive from South Charlotte’s Steele Creek area, and you can even pick up a few grocery staples while you’re there.

The restaurant attached to Triveni Supermarket is not fancy — the dishes come to your table in paper plates and bowls on plastic trays. But there’s plenty of flavor and adventurous dishes to try that may be a little out of your regular routine, including vegetarian options, and that makes it a spot worth checking out.

What we ate at Triveni

For me and my husband, Chris, the food is where all the date night fun comes in. We’re fairly easygoing and after more than 20 years together, it’s second nature to share whatever we’re eating. Narrowing down our choices to not go overboard is often the biggest hurdle.

For counter-style service, there’s an impressive number of options on Triveni’s menu. Breakfast is available, alongside curries, dosa, biryanis, chaat and a selection of Indo-Chinese dishes.

Korma, biryani or palak paneer, I eat it all. But I’m a fiend for a good, creamy butter chicken. That’s the first thing I order to get a baseline comparison at any Indian restaurant before venturing out into other dishes. So, of course, that was a must-eat at Triveni, which gives you 16 ounces with rice for $12.99.

My husband was in a go-with-the flow mood, so I picked out an onion masala dosa to pair with it for $9.99. The intimidatingly large dosa, filled with tiny bits of chopped red onion and golden potatoes, came with three sauces: a zesty dark green chutney, a spicy broth and a creamy one reminiscent of cumin-heavy hummus.

That would have been plenty for both of us, and many people would have stopped right there. But it’s my mantra to order samosas at every Indian restaurant, as well. Triveni gives you three sizeable samosas with an order, along with a flavorful light green chutney for $4.99.

Without noticing the station offering free cups of water, we also ordered a bottled water (99 cents) and a hot, creamy masala tea ($1.99), bringing our total to $33.74 with tax. (There was no option to add on a tip — perhaps a kink that will be worked out in the weeks to come.)

While Chris and I were eating, a few dozen people trickled in. Families, date night duos and the like. Among them were my friend Julia and her husband, who showed up to grab takeout and ordered the pani puri chaat, which is apparently un-takeoutable. Instead, the staff called them to the end of the counter to consume the crispy-fried balls filled with flavored liquid inside right there, on the spot. Oh, how I wish I’d have gotten a picture of this! (But I was busy stuffing my mouth at the time.)

Dessert options at Triveni

In no way did we need to stuff down anything else after that heavy meal filled with flavor. Most normal, rational people would have stopped there. But for the sake of sharing all the details, I pressed on.

Chris headed back up to the counter and picked out a piece of pistachio cake from the many options, which included Oreo, red velvet, mango and Irish coffee. It was a little like a tres leches cake in texture and flavor — and a light, shareable bite to finish off the meal.

The delicate, moist cake was $4.89 after tax, bringing our meal’s total to $38.63 — not bad at all for those of us on a budget who want to get out and experience something new. And when we were finished, I browsed the market to pick up few things to make at home, too.

Triveni Supermarket

Location: 1160 Stonecrest Blvd, Tega Cay, SC 29708

Menu

Cuisine: Indian, Indo-Chinese

Instagram: @trivenisupermarket

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This story was originally published July 22, 2025 at 5:00 AM.

Heidi Finley

The Charlotte Observer

Heidi Finley is a writer and editor for CharlotteFive and the Charlotte Observer. Outside of work, you will most likely find her in the suburbs driving kids around, volunteering and indulging in foodie pursuits. Support my work with a digital subscription