Food is terrific. Probably not very convenient for most people but for where I was working.. it was perfect. Â Usually gets pretty crowded during lunch hour but otherwise it's really in and out. Â You can't get that sort of service at an Indian Restaurant anywhere. Â Chicken Makhani melts in your mouth. Â Naan is also very good. Â Outdoor patio is very relaxing in the summer time.... even it it's in front of a very stale and busy street, the tables are far away enough from the cars to not bother you when you're eating. Â I enjoy going here often, unfortunately, I do not work near there any longer. ;(
Review Source:Average is the best word to describe this place.
The food is average, the atmosphere is plain, the service is minimal and wasn't crazy fast. Definitely a lunch spot and nothing else.
The place is kind of a dive but at least it's clean. The food itself was decent, and the prices aren't terrible, but I was expecting a much spicier meal and the "side salad" was pretty lacking. The food took awhile to get out, thought I would have a 30 minute lunch and it took the full hour.
Again, just average.
Food: 6/10
Atmosphere: 4/10
Service: N/A
I had lunch here recently and found the food...uneventful. Â Indian food is mostly foreign to me, so I wanted to sample a few different items to get my culinary bearings. Â After waiting to place my order, then waiting longer to get my food, I was treated to bland offerings. Â There are enough lunch options in the area that you needn't subject yourself to such flavorless fare.
Review Source:Value for $.
Compared to its sister restaurant, Baba's Palace on Chicago Avenue, Baba's Village is refine when it comes to granite tables, dishes with shrimps, similarly priced but slightly less food portion.
Venue -- lots of seating on granite tables. Â Generally clean.
Service -- minimalistic but always pleasant. Â Quick turn around of take out food.
When you have gone to India, the standard for preparation of Indian food is pretty much ingrained. And when you hear people say that cab drivers frequent a certain Indian eatery, you think authenticity.
Hmm.
While the food has a spicy kick to it, the authenticity is a bit Americanized. That's okay, but the palate may not  be equally pleased with mere okay. I have had the chilli chicken that was spicy and tasteless: a bit of a conundrum considering you would think that two divergent tastes are impossible. The chana batura was a concoction of chickpeas in a hearty gravy, stew style, with batura that was done correctly.
Baba's Village may be for a quick pick-up or for the late night crowd that wants something to stop the belly from growling. I am more of a fan of the hole-in-the-wall concept that I am fine dining. I thought Baba's Village was going to be a pleasant surprise. An Americanized or a light palate will perhaps appreciate the food better.
Amazing food. I really think that I have found one of the best places for Indian/Pakistani food. My wife and I walked in for lunch one fine day and we ordered whatever looked good to us. She ordered a dish and I ordered a dish. The price was so reasonable that I was totally surprised. The amount of food that they give is quite good.
The next day we got take-out and the food was still great tasting. We tried different dishes and it tasted so home-made and good that I was left licking my fingers. The service is friendly and fast. They cook the food fresh so that's why it may take more than 5 minutes to come out, but at least you know it's fresh.
Chicken Makhani (Butter Chicken)
Frontier Chicken
Malai Kofta
Seekh Kabob (Chicken)
Keema Naan (Ground beef Nan)
Regular Naan
Beef and Chicken Samosas
All these dishes that we tried were delicious. Even the plain rice that come with the main dishes are cooked perfectly and are delicious basmati rice.
A DEFINITE MUST EAT!!
Food is good. Â I got the Chicken Biryani. Â However, they lost points because the cashier was extremely rude. Â She didn't make eye contact once, she was reading a text or email on her tablet the whole time while taking my order. Â Considering they aren't the least expensive option for lunch downtown, this is enough for me to not go back.
Review Source:Ordered from here off of GrubHub. Took over an hour and a half to get my food (live 2 miles away) and my food was room temp by the time I got it. I called after an hour to check after about 45mins to get an estimate on the time, I was told to expect 5-10mins. I called a half hour later and they simply stopped picking up the phone.
The food was not warm, very mediocre, and relatively overpriced. I can't say anything really good about my experience, except that it wasn't the worst tasting take-out I've ever had.
Baba's Village is next to Union Station and close to my work. So I was hoping it would be good. Â But alas it was not the case. Â
I went with two coworkers (one Indian and one Pakistani - so I have reliable witnesses of what I'm about to describe). Â We got three dishes: chicken makhani, frontier chicken, and kerahi goshat. Â Chicken makhani had the standard creamy taste - best of the three but nothing to write home about. Â The other two dishes were completely underwhelming. Â Both were quite watered-down, leading to a very bland and nondescript flavor-profile. Â When you use the word "bland" to describe Desi food, you know something is wrong. Â Nan was fine, but rice was not. Â Lamb was cooked right, but the chicken was overcooked. Â
Admittedly, the price point was quite low. Â And so the non-existent service and the hole-in-a-wall dining environment didn't bother me. Â But I couldn't get over the bad food. Â The food here was so watered-down it made Chutney Joe's seem authentic! Â
Perhaps we hit it on a bad day, or maybe other dishes on the menu were more flavorful. Â But based on this experience, it is doubtful that I will ever return to find out.
Freshly made, authentic Indian/Pakistani food.
This place is legit, and while the setup is quite casual (order at the counter, wait for your order, find a seat), the food is absolutely what you'd find cooking in traditional Indian kitchens.
There are so many things I want to try from this place, but so far I've had the Aloo Paratha (light lunch), which turns out to be a huge paratha stuffed with a spicy potato mixture. Served with two sauces (mint yogurt and spicy "salsa").
I also had a Mango Lassi, which was good. It wasn't as creamy as I like it, but it was properly made with yogurt. Very filling.
I will definitely go back!
Indian food is my favorite and this place does not cut it.
I ordered the saag paneer and it was extremely salty. I couldn't hardly eat my dinner because of the salt, which was the only flavor coming through. Indian food is amazing because of the great seasoning and spice, not salt!!!
My boyfriend ordered the chicken tikka masala, which is a pretty standard dish, but it was also bad. No spice or indian flavor - tasted just like chicken in tomato sauce.
It's cheap, but not edible! Really disappointing.
Baba's Village was a bit of a lucky find for me. Back in February, I was travelling via Megabus from Indianapolis to Des Moines, and ended up with a 6 hour 'layover' in Chicago. I tucked into Baba's Village for food and warmth, and was most pleasantly surprised. Since then, it has become a staple to every Megabus trip I take to/through Chicago.
The employees of Baba's are always friendly and welcoming, and quick to serve. The menu is reasonable priced. But really, the food takes the cake. I absolutely love the Chicken curry, and it is by far the most flavorful and interesting Indian food I've had in America. For being such a small stop-in place, they do an amazing job of having a wide variety of foods, flavors and options.
Previous reviews have complained about the naan, but I love it. Together with the saucey foods they serve, it is perfect. I would like more of it though, as one piece only usually lasts through about half the dish. I usually grab a dish take-away, and it all keeps well and flavorful through travel to where I'm headed.
I'd highly recommend Baba's, and will continue to eat there. It is my favorite Indian food, and I feel like all together, that's definitely worth the stars.
The first time I ate here, I returned the same week and ordered the same dish. Â I absolutely love the saag chicken! Â Most entrees come with white rice or plain naan for $7-8. Â The naan is a little different because it's fluffier with a crispy outer, but it does the job. Â I tried the garlic naan, onion naan, and the samosas too and enjoyed them all, although the plain naan seems to be more bread-y than the flavored naans, which are flat. Â Their vegetarian menu is as extensive as their non-vegetarian menu. Â Lots of options here, and I am looking forward to my next return to try something new, although I really love that saag chicken!
Arrive early for lunch (before 11:45 AM) because it will take nearly 10 minutes to get your food. Â I suggest eating on their large outdoor patio if you have to go back to work because the aroma of the restaurant will stick to your clothes.
We ate here by default.  We were in this part of town  GPS'd vegetarian.
f got the channa masala and a 2nd dish that was so bland and forgettable I don't remember what it was.
Sad to say the flood was pretty tasteless except for the onion naan which was fresh and flavorful. Â
We ordered at the counter struggling to read the menu on the wall. Â It wold have been helpful if the counter guy handed us one of the printed menus on the counter which we noticed midway through our meal
Although we were the only ones in the restaurant counter guy  just yelled at us it  across the room when our food was ready.  Would it have killed the guy to have brought it to our table?
PLUSES
Free  validated parking during certain hours
Clean bathrooms
Reasonable prices
Maybe the other dishes are better but we've been to dozens of Indian restaurants and this one we rank near the bottom
Yes, this Indian/Pakistani restaurant has been here for 3 years but somehow I'd never discovered it tucked away in a shopping complex on Canal. My friend had just asked if there were any good Indian places in the area too so it was a sign that we had to check it out.
The prices were good; all entrees are under $9 and include naan or plain rice. There were even special platters that also include a salad. The woman at the checkout (not Indian) was not particularly helpful nor friendly and I definitely felt like I was keeping her away from doing something better with her time . The entrees looked like they'd be good (Mixed vegetables and chana masala) but gave me the "I've definitely tasted much better" feeling. Disappointing. My mango lassi though was decently good.
I probably won't come back but it was fun to "discover" an Indian restaurant in a neighborhood I didn't think had any.
baba's village is rad - you order at the counter and get your food on a tray and I've never seen anyone that looks indian or pakistani working there but the food is great so I assume there's someone behind the scenes making it awesome - be wary of some of the upgrades - naan is like 1 dollar or something, but if you get garlic naan is like 4 dollars - that's where they get you!
I believe this is more like north indian food (I'm not as much of an expert on the differences between north and south as I'd like to be) so it's usually rice with some sort of thick meat/vegetable gravy - think vindaloo, mutter paneer, etc. as opposed to thallies and dosai - each dish is more than enough food for 2 people and for 7-10 a plate, you can't go wrong
Baba's is a place for a variety of Indian and Pakistani cuisine.
Looking at the menu I would label the "variety" as limited.
However I go there often more because its a 5 minute walk from where I stay.
Chicken and lamb dishes are prepared mostly in thick gravy and these curries carry a strong sub-continental flavor.
I prefer the mixing my order with the roasted kebabs or tandoori chicken.
The best part about the food is the "bread". These folks serve the best of naans (breads), fluffy soft and large. Very Pakistani (different from what they have in India).
Long with the breads, its the chilly sauces (white and red) that they offer with the food. The white one's my favorite because it has a creamy touch to it along with it being spicy. Beware before touching any of these. If you cannot stand chillies at all then this might end up freezing your pallet.
My final verdict is that Baba's Village meets my expectation of a meal that I might want to have one in 2-3 months.
PROS:
- Halal, zabiha meat. Muslim friendly.
- Vegetarian friendly
- Vegan friendly
- fast, close to the loop
- clean
- free parking
- has outdoor seating when weather permits
CONS:
- Recent complaints of food poisoning (see review below, and also happened to a few co-workers)
- A little on the stingy side with the protein serving (for the price)
Note that Baba's Village is a fast food place, that serves primarily cabbies and people who work nearby and Union Station passerbys.
Not a destination spot, but if you work within a 5-10 min walk, I'd say go for it. Â And maybe check recent reviews to see if there are any more food poisoning cases.
I just went back there today for lunch. Still good!
Being of Indian descent and going to Indian restaurants is very tricky  because I tend to rate Indian restaurants harder than other restaurants. This is true because there is a particular taste I am looking for, and if I don't find it in a dish, I am sorely disappointed. That being said, I tried the butter chicken here, and I was surprised at how good it was. The naan was fresh and while the meal was by no means gourmet, it was definitely good, food on the go. The restaurant is actually a pretty nice place to eat too with a convenient location of being right by Union station, close to downtown.
If you're in the area, stop by and give it a try, it;s something new to try and I don't think you'll be disappointed.
P.s if you''re an uic student, theres a student discount which is always nice!
FOOD POISONING WARNING!
I experienced food poisoning after eating at this establishment on 1/8/2010. I blame the yogurt-based sauce that is not being kept refrigerated. I grabbed a bottle that was almost empty, so it might have been sitting out all day for all I know.
Up to that point the food and prices were excellent, but now it's not worth the risk of getting sick!
A little more attention on the part of the owners would have prevented my weekend from being ruined. Please be careful out there.
Baba's Village is one of only five or six Indian restaurants nation-wide to offer vegan mockmeats. Thanks to Mercy For Animals for making this restaurant so vegan-friendly and unusual.
I had a vegan chicken jalfrezi ($9.70 with tax). There were six other specifically vegan dishes in a separate section on the menu (Baba's also has a traditional Indian vegetarian section on the menu).
It was basically a standard North Indian curry with mixed vegetables. Baba's doesn't offer brown rice so I settled for white. The food tasted okay and was more than edible, but didn't really stand out. Also, I'm not sure what type of vegan chicken they're using, but it wasn't that great---it was weirdly fluffy and chewy. It definitely wasn't Gardein or Morningstar, which have great textures. I would have preferred fried tofu over this "chicken." Next time I'll try their vegan beef option to see if that's better.
The portion size of the food is really small considering the price. This meal won't be enough for left-overs and is only a single-serving.
This restaurant caters to office workers, so it's more of a take-out joint or a quick-service place. It's not exactly atmospheric and I wouldn't come here with a date.
At least the food is presented well, though. While they give you your order on a plastic cafeteria tray, the food is at least on proper ceramic plates, as opposed to styrofoam. This is a nice touch.
All in all, Baba's Village is an above-average vegan-friendly option for downtown Chicago. That said, I think there's better Indian food to be had elsewhere in Chicago (Hema's Kitchen comes to mind).
Well, let me first say I can't stand spice. Not like can't stand- ew- but like can't stand it because my tummy no likey. That said- my food was not mild, so my review-ability is limited for this reason alone.
But yes!
1. great hours for a loop spot! open till 9pm M-Th, and 10pm Friday!
2. FREE parking next door in the Union Station lot *up to an hour*
3. and a whole new VEGAN menu including vegan meat, bread, rice, and smoothies. The strawberry shake is my favorite.
TIP: If you find the salon at their address, it's okay, keep walking (away from Dunkin Donuts) and pass the parking garage, it's on the other side. Welcome.
Regular entrees are $6-7 each, vegan $8-9 each. smoothies $4.
I've consciously stayed away from Indian food for about 10 years now. My avoidance of Indian food is driven by my wifey and my one attempt ending in a very long day after the 'meal.'
So I dared myself to try it again. Baba's seemed like the perfect target to affirm my negative Indian food bias - situated in a parking garage, facing a busy street and concrete.
I had the Seekh Kabob about a week ago. On the spicy side, with decent veggies, but the Kabob was awesome! Loved it. Totally surprised.
Today I thought I'd try Baba's again - not sure if the Kabob was some kind of fluke. I tried the Keema Naan. Flat bread stuffed with spicy beef sounding functional. Just dusted it, and it was outstanding!
I don't have any knowledge about how Indian food 'should' taste, but if it's anything like the past two Baba visits, I likey.
Allergy season is back in Chicago and I'm sort of about natural remedies (though not to the point where I don't use drugs, kids). Â One of the best remedies I've found for clogged sinuses is Indian food (spinach mixed with spices is brilliant). Â If I worked near Devon, I think I'd be a picture of health. Â But, I don't. Â Thankfully someone had the brilliant idea of opening an Indian fast food place next to Union Station - Baba's Village. So sometimes I can actually feel sinus better.
Though less than I used to as they raised the prices. Â Sudafed is a cheaper remedy now.
The idea of being able to go from entrance to exit with Indian food in under 10 minutes (except when there's a line out the door as there is every day between about 11:30 and 1:30) used to actually be more appealing than it is now. Â The quality of the food here has definitely decreased since it opened a few years ago. Â My favorite saag paneer now feels like goop served in a high school lunch line and the naan is often burned and dry (instead of soft and buttery like it used to be).
Now I don't expect a fine dining experience (though as the prices are approaching double digits, it might be a little nicer), but somehow I feel like fast food Indian still shouldn't be in taste and texture something glopped out of giant vats either. Â The rice pudding they offer for desert is still heavenly though. Â
There are actually around a dozen vegetarian choices (though the meat dishes look a little better put together with some TLC) which is a plus. Â Though, just a tip, the service kind of sucks and will not remind you that you have to take your own plasticware from the table near the back of the restaurant if you choose to do carry out (or even if you eat in, that's where the silverware lives).
It's by no means unsatisfying (once the south Asians stop coming here, then there's a reason to worry), just not the go-to destination it used to be. Â And it will do the trick of clearing the sinuses every time!
I thought my friend was joking when she said we were going to eat at a fast-food Indian/Pakistani restaurant for dinner, but nope, Village Restaurant is indeed such a restaurant. And it's good! I stuffed myself silly eating at this place.
All of the entrees are about $7, not including naan which is about $2-$3. I like how they serve specialty naan such as garlic naan, onion, rogni (olive oil and sesame seed), etc.
For my entree, I ate the saag paneer (spinach with chunks of home made cheese & spices), which was by far, the spiciest saag paneer I've ever had! It was so...loaded...with flavor, and I had to wash it down with a mango lassi, two orders of naan, and a shardai. I wasn't kidding when I said I gorged on the food here, because I needed the naan and drinks to save me from crying! Granted, I'm a bit weak when it comes to spicy food.
Either way...it all "hurt so good"! Now I have high expectations for Indian restaurants to serve me spicy saag paneer.
I was also pleased that the mango lassi and shardai came in much bigger glasses than I am used to at other Indian restaurants. I LOVE mango lassi!
I would like to come back here if only it weren't so far from a (safe) El stop. Otherwise, this place is accessible my Metra (Union Station), CTA bus, or the El Blue Line (Canal St. stop). I'll have to try coming here by car with hopes of getting parking validation.
It's all about minced meat kebab style baby. Â You're gambling with chicken and beef at these sorts of joints because they're sitting in a warmer after already being conservatively cooked well done and unless they're marinating in a slow cooker it will be too tough. Â Thus, try a Chicken Seekh Kebab #2 or a the beef variety and delight will flush across your tongue.
The Seekh was fantastic; it was a whole lot spicier than I expected to my delight with a good red color and tiny carrots, onions and other vegetables throughout its juicy whole with red spice tinged and freshly grilled exterior.
This place had me leery because of the terrible experience we had at Baba's Kitchen up north, thankfully I don't believe they are related. Â If they are, then up north can learn a thing or two from this turn and burn Asian luncheonette in the Loop. Â
Used to ride by in the morning on my bike and this placed sparked my interest as I could smell the curry even at 8 am, stopped back in one day around lunch time and the place was jammin'. Â Don't let the crowd scare you away, they run an efficient operation and your order comes out quick. Â Everything I have had there was fresh and had excellent flavor. Â Each special comes with rice or nan. Â I believe the specials are all under $10 which is a great deal for tasty fresh Indo/Pakistani grub in the loop. Â Their Malahi Kafta is some of the best I have had in the city. Â Their dishes are all nicely spiced even without asking for them to make it spicy. Â
If you are in the West Loop area, enjoy a good curry and haven't check out Baba you are missing out. Â They even validate parking in the garage they are attached to. Â Although they mostly cater to the lunch crowd they are also open till 10 pm.
It Takes A Village
RrL
Do Pakis cook with MSG?
I got the worst damn headache after I ate here. I felt just like I have sometimes after eating shitty Chinese food - the deadMSGgiveaway: pulsing temples.
My lamb/chickpea/rice thing didn't taste like shitty Chinese food, but I felt like shit soon after.
Oh, and if the menu hadn't said it was lamb, I couldn't have idenitified what I was eating to save my life. It could have been chuncks of any red meat under the sun. There was no way in hell to tell. It looked and tasted like generic beef, with spices and was stringy like I don't know what.
Blech.
Ever walk by a McDonald's and go "why can't other foods be fast?"
They can. Â It's here. Â
This place is perfect to swing into and out of within your slotted lunch time, while actually being able to have a seat, use real silverware, and eat off a real plate. Â
My meal was indeed fast, but it could have been hotter temperature-wise as opposed to luke-warmish as it was. Â The naan is terrific though!
I like things spicy and HOT, oh yes SO HOT you sniffle and have to wipe your brow, so next time I'm going to ask for the "spicy" version and see if that will make me see through time. Â
Tip - go early or go late. Â Skip the lunch mob rule.
Great little early lunch spot (or dinner, for that matter). Â Don't be put off by the fact that this place is housed in a parking garage, it's spotlessly clean, and the food is delicious. Â In addition to good eats, the different drinks that they have to offer are even more yummy. Â Everyone knows about the mango lassie, but there are also other tasty options - one in particular that has almonds, fennel and some other goodness that I can't remember the name of.
Prices are really reasonable, and the portions are ample. Â Some days the line for this spot can be out the door, so make sure you go either before or after the peak of lunch traffic.
Baba's Village may be the best spot for lunch in the Loop area. As mentioned by another review, the saag paneer is outstanding; the oddly named frontier chicken is also very good. I would recommend going with the naan instead of the rice. The food is very well spiced but not spicy and is perfectly balanced. There is also a good selection of vegetarian items.
Though it can get crowded around noon, I don't think I waited more than five minutes and we found a table right away. Â The portions are generous and you should expect to pay around $8. The interior is nothing fancy but when the food is this good, that can easily be overlooked.
I would have given it two stars, but because it is the only Indian option in this part of the Loop, I'll give it an extra star by default. And considering that Indian food is generally a little more expensive, the meal was reasonably priced.
I had the chicken makhani with rice and a side of naan--the same thing I order nearly every time I eat Indian food (which is pretty much weekly). I could have gone without peas in the rice, but no big deal. The chicken was decent, but the sauce was really runny and greasy. Though I must say, the excess grease was a great cure for my Friday morning hangover.
The naan was definitely not handmade, and had pretty much the taste, shape and consistency of a cleverly disguised flour tortilla.
The restaurant is very clean though, unlike its disgusting cousin Baba Palace, which might as well be called Homeless Palace.
Will I go back? Nope--next time I'll just wait until dinner and order from Indian Garden on Ontario.
Too expensive for nothing special and AWFUL chai.
I should have walked out after that first sip of chai. When I go to an Indian or Pakistani restaurant I at least expect somewhat flavorful, if not shockingly sweet, chai. It doesn't have to be on par with the native stuff, but it does have to be recognizably different from regular English Breakfast. This wasn't even recognizably tea. It was bitter and I could only choke it down after adding a large amount of sugar. I don't even like sugary tea but adding half the sugar canister was the only way I could get my money's worth.
Did I say I should have left after the chai? Perhaps I should have left after my total came to 9 dollars. For a plate of dahl, a paratha and a small chai. Waay too expensive. And the man at the counter wouldn't let me just pay the 1 dollar difference between the included naan and the paratha I wanted. I could have taken his characteristic stubbornness if the meal had been worth it. But it wasn't.
It wasn't bad it just wasn't fabulous and it certainly wasn't worth 9 dollars. I make better dahl and mine costs 2.49 a BAG. Plus the paratha was thick. Not a good sign. I'd been envisioning a big steaming bowl of dahl and a nice thin, slightly crispy paratha. Instead I got a plate of so-so, badly seasoned dahl and thick, doughy, heavy paratha.
I was sooo excited when I found out about this place because I live too far away from Devon to make frequent enough trips. The prospect of a place not only in the Loop but a block and a half away had me squirming inappropriately in my seat. But I was dissappointed. Completely. Not going back unless its to get a quick lunchtime samosa or two, about the only thing on the menu I can't imagine they can screw up.
If you have money to burn then go ahead, but if you want the good stuff, suck it up like me and head up North to where its at.
Indian in the Loop! Â Hooray!
Don't let the first-floor-of-a-parking-garage location turn you off- this granite-tabled take out and cafe really is good. Village has been open since mid-summer, and I've visited weekly and had great food.
After about a month of struggling, they finally got the service down. Â You order, then pick up when your number's called. Â It usually takes about 5min. Â The naan is baked to order, so if you're in a hurry, order rice instead. Â
The menu is both veg and non-veg, with one beef dish available (hence the "and Pakistani.")  The  chana masala is spiced a little different than I'm used to, but it's still wonderful, and the chick peas are soft and tasty.  The saag paneer was a little bland for my taste, so order spicy if you want it. The lassi "shakes" aren't really any good- I'd recommend against them here.  The samosas are veg, very complex flavored and tasty, and just $.85.  Only the "special" plates come with veggies or anything on the side- the normal entrees come just entree and rice or naan.
Call ahead for take out. Â Free refills on sodas. Â They don't sell alcohol but had no problem with it when we brought our own.