I went here for a late lunch on a Friday afternoon. My friend and I went in- he told me to order the chicken kabob, and I did. It came in two varieties, differently spiced, with a bowl of lentil soup, chickpeas, and several pieces of naan.
We ordered at about 1:15. We sat at a table for about five minutes, but were asked to move. The staff moved all the tables and chairs to one end of the dining room and began to clean the floor. My friend and I sat at the counter and watched as prayer mats were laid on the floor. At about 1:30, after our food arrived, we watched as several men entered, removed their shoes, and began to participate in a Muslim prayer. The guy next to me explained that it was the Islamic Sabbath. The restaurant had become a mosque, and by the time my friend and I finished our very good meal, about twenty men were praying towards Mecca. One man chanted some prayers, and incense was lit, the smoke wafting over our seats.
My friend and I didn't want to be disrespectful, but seeing that other people at the counter kept eating, we did as well. We continued our conversation quietly, but one guy had a reasonably loud conversation on his phone, food kept being cooked with a loud sizzle, and diners came and went as the prayer service continued.
I wish we had known that the Flaming Wok n' Grill became a mosque on Friday afternoons. It's an odd environment to eat lunch in, however good the food is. The incense wasn't ideal either, as it overpowered the scent and flavor of the food.
Ok folks here is the low down on this place.  It is a basic  cabstand restaurant. It is not fine dining.
That being said, the food is great!!! Â Real deal Punjabi cooking. Â Forget the menu, go there and ask them what is good today. They make different dishes every day. I have been there many times, and the food is fresh and taste like eating at great roadside dive in India or Pakistan.
Nearly everyday they have fresh made biryani, a rice dish that takes several hours to make. It is really good.
It is not fancy, its not table service, what it is though is good food made by people who know how to make these dishes. Â If you enjoy Indian food, go there. If you don't know much about Indian food go to a place with a buffet. Â This place is best for people who know good food. Its a dive, and one of my favorite dives.
I grew up around such places, and can say the owner is a really nice guy, and the food is fresh.
Go there if you have a sense of adventure and don't care it is a dive.
My wife and I stopped in and we didn't know what we'd be in for as the place is your classic dive, but the owner greeted us and made us the meal of the night and also made my wife a very tasty chicken dish (kinda Tandoori Chicken-like) so we were off menu. Â Food was really good and the cilantro sauce that we used with the Naan was really tasty, in fact other regulars were going up and spooning cupfuls of it for who know what.
Review Source:I am usually very patient, but I created a Yelp account today just to review this restaurant because I've never been so disappointed. Â
DO NOT ORDER ONLINE. Â I waited 2 hours, called the restaurant, and a non-English speaking person picked up "Hello?". Â "Hi, is this Flaming Wok n Grill?" and he responds with "no". Â At this point I think I've gone dilusional and checked the phone # 20 times to make sure I dialed correctly. Â I call back again and no answer. Â I wait another 20 minutes to call back and the same guy who doesn't speak English tries to talk to me which I then was begging to talk to someone who could actually understand me. Â The entire time, the restaurant took the order and no one delivered until I called. Â
I'm guessing they made the food and just left it there sitting for 2 hours because it was COLD when they finally delivered it. Â I had to microwave all the food and the naan was so stale, it was harder than chewing on beef jerky. Â
You would think that after not delivering after 2 hours, delivering stale, cold food they would have enough decent service to refund the delivery charge or do SOMETHING other than just take my money and run. Â
Worst experience I've ever had which caused me to create this Yelp account and review this place. Â Horrid.
I will take the can of coke please. After all it is marked on the website as a 'popular item'. Â
Where do I begin? They sing Happy Birthday well! The owner is very nice. Although a chatterbox. I am not sure where I will use the knowledge of the long stemmed white rice coming in a barrel for $25 is better than the asian $5 a barrel kind, but thanks for the info.
The food was okay. It was our first time trying Indian. (We thought we were eating Asian Cuisine....that's what the awning outside the restaurant says). We couldn't understand anything the gentleman was saying when we walked in - I am sure we ate goat, alligator and chicken all in one slosh.
There was metal silverware in tubs along the counter, yet they made us eat with not 2, but 30 plastic spoons.
Thanks for the plate of carrot chips, onion chunks and jalepenos...what do you want me to do with these?
Remember, if you do go in there, the sink behind the counter is for employees ONLY.
Enjoy!
The owner is charming and so clearly deeply in love with his wife and her food. Â He boasts that she can make anything found in India, and make it her own, and do it very well. Â Some of the dishes will fall flat, and as they're both from Hyderabad it's no surprise that the massive trough of biryani is a real highlight.
I guess there's a menu, but it's not worth bothering with. Â Food's better in the evening when the turnover is high, and you should stick to the dishes of the day. Â Ask for a plate of everything, it's worth it. Â There are things that show up that I've never seen elsewhere, and the cab drivers who make it their hangout seem to know and love them by heart. Â I encourage you to keep an eye out for mirch pakora (that is, battered and fried green chilies) with a brown filling, rather than a potato one. Â The taste is incredible, and the filling is vegetarian, despite seeming otherwise.
Some of the cab drivers I spoke to said they thought the food sucks, but it sounded like that's mostly a regional thing. Â I feel some pity for the owner because it's a pain to get to the place with the bridge being closed and all the nearby construction. Â But once you're there, you won't have any trouble finding a cab to get you back wherever you're going next.
I was passing through Chicago from the west coast to the east by train and was taking a brief respite in the Near North. Â The place had the kind of comments on Foursquare that made it seem like it might be something special, so I swung by, and it was. Â Two weeks later, headed in the other direction, I went out of my way and rushed around frantically to find time to stop by. Â There's so many things I want to eat in Chicago, that I won't find easily elsewhere, but I can't really imagine not making time to stop in here. Â It's comfort food, it's well done, it's eclectic, and it's friendly. Â And the owner doesn't mind helping you figure out who's willing to take a quick fare to Union Station at the end of a mellow meal.
If you don't like the gritty cafeterias of poor neighborhoods in big cities with loads of cab drivers, I guess you should stay away, but none of those things will hurt you. Â If you order food you think of as Indian, the kind of stuff you'd find in any mediocre Punjabi restaurant, you might be disappointed. Â If you let the owner, the chef, or you eyes guide you, and order what people who know the cuisine would, and eat it with paratha or chapati rather than naan, you'll almost certainly leave happy.
Some things are a miss, and that's always going to be the case in a place so dynamic, catering to such a wide variety of palates, from such a broad set of regional cuisines. Â So get a little of everything and try not to mind too much if one thing among many sucks.
Love this place.
Haven't had a lot of time to sit down and do any Yelp reviews in a few months, but enjoyed my time here so much that I had to write something to try and up the stars.
The reviews that are super critical of Flaming Wok I think just don't get it. If hole-in-the wall type, genuine Indian-style service isn't what you're looking for, you really have a number of other typical Americanized Indian restaurants right down the street where you won't get whatever just ruffled your feathers here.
I also recommend coming here to take advantage of its 24 hour open doors. I went from around 3-4AM on a Sunday morning to see the place pleasantly packed.
Yes, there is no menu on display, but as my roommate and I looked lost, the owner beckoned us over to the counter. Yes he showed us the area where the food sat out, warming and did ask if we've had Indian food before (more polite than not, if you ask me - how's he to know?). He pointed out what was what, and suggested a few. We didn't know how much anything would cost, but I'm sure if you asked he wouldn't have lied. If you didn't care to ask, I don't see anyone getting indignant over $7-8 food that comes in heaping portions. The naan is indeed amazing, and whatever two things we pointed to were also delicious. At the end of our meal he asked if we wanted some salad, brought it over, and told us he'd be right back with something he thought we'd like. This was after he'd brought us our check. He returned with what the place calls "Frontier Chicken" that, despite our stuffed bellies, was really great. I told my friend that all the chicken in our dishes was probably the most tender and moist for its price that I had ever had. Really - everything has been cooking for so long it falls right off the bone.
The man actually also served us himself, telling us to sit down when I got up to get some glasses of water.
What I really loved about the place: The fact that the sort of uncomfortable smell of spices and maybe even a little grime just hits you in the face as you walk in. The place was crowded with people you could tell visited the place often. Why? most of the patrons reached over the counter with their plates and served themselves. The table next to me was full of four men eating with their hands (how it's done in the motherland) - always amazes me how well they can clean up their plates! A man next to us told us he hadn't seen us around before, and then urged us to take a delivery menu home with us.
So, you may have to serve yourself with your own utensils, napkins, and water glasses (who hasn't done that before). You may find the smell a little funky, and the place not immaculate. You may not have a menu with prices, or 4 star table side service, and might now even know what you're eating. But the food is great, the owner eager to feed you, and the atmosphere probably the closest to India that I have felt in a long time.
The smells lured me in. I was working an event across the street and the good smells kept wafting over which led to tantalizing thoughts of indulging in flavorful, spicy curries and fresh baked naan.
The smells lie. This place is filthy. The food is so-so. At least the naan was fresh but I could still never recommend this place. There wasn't a menu to look at, you just kinda look at the trays and point to what you want. The chicken dish I got was fatty, greasy and had tons of tiny bones. Prices aren't clear. And no, those aren't fancy candied raisins displayed right above the cash register, it's a fly trap strip COVERED in dead flies...and my head almost touched it.
Health Department, can you hear me?
This has to be the worst experiences. Â I tried them 2 times. Â One in person, the other for delivery and both times are a great disappointment. Â Delivery took about an hour and a half (I live .3 mile from them). Â The deliver guy would not go up and parked 2 blocks away from the front door. Â I have to walk to his car and pay. Â The order was incomplete. Â Missing desert and other items. Â I didn't even bother to call and complaint. Â And as for the food itself? Â Nothing to be hype about. Â I've given up on this place. Â Order at your own risk.
Review Source:I have mixed feelings about this place. I just went here for the first time yesterday and there was no menu whatsoever. Some food was already sitting out. When we go to order, we're asked if we've ever eaten Indian food before (yes, of course we have) and if we like lamb or chicken and that's it. Then he tells us to sit down and he'll take care of it. What? What am I getting? How much did I just spend?
Regardless, we stay and wait. The food came out and the naan was really fresh, the chicken was really good and so was the lamb (lots of bones and fat though). We also got a small plate of fresh veggies and a sauce to cool everything down. The food was actually pretty good, but seeing where it's cooked just kind of grossed me out being that it didn't look too clean.
On top of that. We waited forever to pay. There was a whole group of people praying inside, which I thought was cool, but we couldn't interrupt their concentration because they would have to repeat their prayer  5 more times. We did talk to the owner for a bit (I think) who kept trying to explain everything to us, which was helpful. It was just more awkward than anything.
Overall, it could have been a very unique and cool experience, but it was in a pretty shabby, run down place and it just left me feeling annoyed and awkward. I think if I were to come back it would be on a strictly take, out basis.
Two stars on Yelp means "Meh. Â I've experienced better." Â My experience isn't quite so stellar, but anything less than two seems really harsh. Â I'd love for a late night authentic Indian delivery place to succeed, so I hope I can change this review one day to a higher rating.
I was craving some Indian food late one Saturday midnight after an ill timed nap, and Grubhub told me that Flaming Wok was the only place delivering. Â I'm still an Indian food newbie, so I don't know what to order, but I do know I like some butter chicken. Â The guy who answered told me they were out of butter chicken, so I told him to pick whatever he thought was good under the conditions that it isn't too spicy, and knowing I love me some butter chicken, and up to $20. Â He did exactly that, and threw in some extras too, which had me really excited as I waited for the delivery to show with my Indian food presents. Â All together with tax, delivery fee, and a good tip, I paid $30.
I don't know if they normally do delivery, it didn't seem like it, and I think  it was the owner who did the delivery, so on one hand I appreciate them making the effort, but on the other hand, maybe they shouldn't do delivery until they are ready.  I had to find my shoes and put on a coat over my pajamas to go outside to the street, and get the delivery from his car.  I probably wouldn't have cared if the food was really good.
Unfortunately, the two main dishes were very cold. Â One was actually refrigerator cold, which makes me wonder if they literally grabbed some left overs from out of the fridge. Â I don't know how else it could have been that cold. Â I am down for some home cooking Indian food, but dang. Â I don't pay that much money for home cooking leftovers! Â I still wouldn't have cared too much because I do have a microwave, if the food was good.
Unfortunately, neither dish was anything like butter chicken, no trace of the delectable, savory curry that I LOVE. Â And the dishes were extremely spicy. Â So my guidelines of 1. I really love butter chicken, and want something similar, and 2. not too spicy, were not fulfilled. Â Plus the free extras were just two pita pieces of bread, an odd assortment of veggies as if for a sandwich, and a tiny container of green sauce. Â My boyfriend and I poked at the veggies for a few moments, in confusion, like "what the heck is this for?", it didn't stand alone, and it didn't seem to go with either the chicken in tomato or the chicken and rice dish.
I think the owner knew he didn't provide his best foods, which is what I was expecting when I let him pick for me, because when I told him I'd leave a Yelp review, he hollered out the car that next time it would be better or something like that.
I don't know if I am going to risk more money seeing if that is the case, though. Â I was pretty disappointed with my midnight Indian food fix. Â My boyfriend ate a little bit of the chicken and rice dish, but I could tell he was wondering what the heck I was thinking when I ordered from here. Â He absolutely refused to even try the chicken in tomato sauce dish that had come super cold. Â (When I say tomato sauce, I do NOT mean delectable creamy tomato curry sauce, just plain, jane tomato sauce. Â Or stew.) Â Maybe another late midnight evening I will give them another chance, but only if they have butter chicken on the menu.
Reading some of the other reviews on here, I don't know if they offer everything on their menu all of the time, so they might need to be more clear on that concept... which isn't a bad concept if it is understood correctly!
The absolute worst dining experience of my life. When authenticity means filth and bad food, I happily will accept a fraud.
I don't like to pay $8 for stale biryani with a few stray bits of dry meat. I don't like to pay $7 for curry chicken that is more fat than chicken and more grease than curry.
And the steamed rice was offensive to the eyes and taste buds. It was all mush and zero flavor. And my date found a hair in her lunch.
Flaming Wok now accepts credit cards, but the card machine shares a phone line with an actual phone, which never was put down by the woman who appeared to be in charge. If you're charging $7 for instant rice and fatty chicken, you can afford another phone line.
Avoid this restaurant at all costs.
I joined Yelp to write a review about this place. Â This place is as wonderfully close to the Subcontinental tradition of the "Dhaba" as I have ever seen--small roadside restaurants in farm country where the food is so fresh you can smell the earthiness.
Granted, in Chicago, you can't get it that fresh, except for the bread, that is FRESH. Â When you sit down to eat, they start making the dough to make the bread that they're about to serve you. Â The naans are extraordinary, people in India would be jealous. Â And when had with their chef's special frontier chicken, it is as if they simply took happiness and mixed it in with your food.
The rest of the food can be hit or miss.  But this place is CHEAP; if you don't like something, just get another dish.  Don't expect much service, lest you have any shame for having the owner's small sons set your table for you when they're helping out at the place.  Very likely, you'll be grabbing your own plates and utensils and  setting your own table.  But after paying some ridiculously small amount of money for feasting like royalty, you'll find a warm, fuzzy feeling also deposited in your stomach.
I had been wanted to try Flaming Wok for awhile now, but an bad experience at Baba's Palace was somewhat traumatizing (check out my review) that I have been a bit cautious about attempting anything unknown when it comes to Indian & Pakistani food (and I'm Indian & Pakistani, so I know how it goes down....). Â
That being said, I came a few weeks back with I had late night craving biryani and my mom was nowhere to be found. Â Very good biryani and the chicken tikka (with the bright red seasoning prepared on the grill) was delicious. Â It tasted just like my mom's when she marinates the chicken really well and throws it on the grill. Â I didn't try any of the other dishes, but I'll come back and update my review.
The food took awhile for carry out, but I can tell they take pride in preparing their food for their customers. Â Just sit back and watch some PakTV while you wait :-)
This is actually Pakistani-Indian food (I thought it was going to be Chinese or something).
I stopped here on my way home from Weed Street; it is phenomenal late-night eating, as attested by the seven or eight cabs parked in front of it.
My girlfriend and I had the "frontier chicken," which was fresh and delicious, with a very satisfying burn. Throw in some lamb rice and a spinach/potato curry, and a medium-sized meal for two people was only $10 (we bartered down from $12).
Service was fast and courteous, and the place was very clean. They're not trying to create much of an ambiance, but it has a very authentic exotic feel to it. Everyone was super friendly, even if they didn't speak English very well. Definitely one of my new favorite places to eat late at night.
I just hit yelp to find this place overall is ranked 4 stars. Â I am shocked. Â I've passed this place a bunch of times and always wanted to give it a shot and tonight was the night. Â
Let me preface this with the fact that I LOVE Baba Palace. Â I'm not a picky eater, and I have no problem with food of all varieties. Â This food however, was not good. Â The guy who I assume to be the owner, microwaved everything we got INCLUDING THE RICE which tasted closer to minute rice than fresh. Â The only thing that wasn't nuked was a couple naan we got which actually were pretty good. Â We were summoned to pick up the food plate by plate as it was pulled from the microwave. Â
Also, the portions were small, and the meat (both mutton and chicken) was 80% bone. I eat Indian and Pakistani food regularly, and I have no issues with bones. Â But this was mostly bone.
The owner seemed nice enough, and I hate to blast a place that so many people obviously have liked. Â I just cannot fathom why. Â I actually had to verify the picture matched the place I had just eaten at.
I say if you want some cheap Indian/Pakistani fare head a little further down chicago and eat at Baba Palace. Â It never fails to please, and it's a bit cheaper.
This restaurant is about as quintessentially Indian as I've ever seen in the states. If you are looking for quite possibly the closest experience you can have in Chicago of getting cheap, delicious grub from a food stall in India, this is your place.
That being said this definitely isn't for everyone.
Flaming Wok 'n Grill is a no-frills joint. Don't expect to be getting your Chicken Tikka Masala in a nice tray with your naan and table cloths. You can get that on Devon Ave. This is a incense-burning, immigrant-patroned, dimly-lit, heart-warming and soul-satisfying experience.
I went with a friend and we were the only white dudes there. Halfway into our meal, the other patrons of the restaurant began their call to prayer. Awesome Indian music was playing. This is the closest I've felt to being back in India.
If your concept of Indian flat bread is naan, you might be in for a surprise. For one, naan is not the most commonly consumed flatbread in India and this is not the kind of fancy restaurant where you'd find it. They have chapati and paranthas which are freshly made and amazing. The food sits in metal trays buffet-style and when you order it, they bring it to you. The owner was extremely nice.
I can't wait until the next time I come here.
Perfect place for a late night burst...Awesome food...Love the biryani...and the hand made roti - chapathis..mmmmmmmmmmmm..awesome..
So, here's some tips for debutants --
1) If you are packing up food from here, chances are that the food would be directly put in the container without heating it for you. So, first thing you have to do once you reach home is to heat the food in a microwave, which is what they do at the restaurant when you order to eat.
2) Be sure you try the roti or chapathi. Can you believe that they are hand-made after you order. Something to die for.
3) Do not miss their frontier chicken. They have their own unique taste to it.
4) *** Tip *** Have a glance at the food available and go for the ones that are still available. I mean., dont opt for an item that would be served to you literally scraping through the vessel. If the container is full, chances are it is just made and chances are it will taste fabulous.
So short of driving all the way to Devon since we live in the loop, the husband and I just came back from a last-minute trip to Flaming Wok 'n Grill. Â Had I not read reviews on yelp I would never have known that this place was a Pakistani/Indian restaurant. Â You need to change your name!!
That said, I went with certain expectations.  I expected the decor to be not so great, I expected the service to be so-so but I did expect the food to be good - and the restaurant lived up to its expectations.  I was the only female in there  at 8pm and if you're uncomfortable with that, I suggest ordering to go.  With Sony TV on in the background and a host of taxi-drivers hanging out, you have to know its good.
We ordered Frontier Chicken (my husband overate, he's decided he loves it) and Chicken Biryani. Â They have a menu with daily specials and I originally wanted Chili Chicken (which was listed for Tuesday) but the owner looked at me really confused when I asked for it so decided that Biryani would be fine. Â That's the reason for -1 stars. Â If you're not going to have a menu, then don't bother printing one but if you do print one, at least stick to it. Â We also ordered naan and paratha on the side. Â Both were made fresh and delicious. Â The food came with Daal, papar and a small salad.
Pleasantly happy having a decent desi place to go to so much closer than Devon. The owner went out of his way to talk to us and asked us to spread the word and so here I am, spreading the word.
there was no naan
he would make no naan
i ordered the cauliflower entree. he packed it up for me. i got it home. it was cold. not chilly but straight from the fridge cold. i have no problem with the microwave warm-up people mentioned below. i do have a problem with ice cold. especially since i do not own a microwave and if i wanted to bust out pots and pans i would have cooked my own cauiflower.
Nothing less than 5 stars if I can get food this good at 4 am in the morning!!
(not as good as Naan & Curry in SF but it was very good!)
Don't care for decor when I'm starving and drunk!... & look at the choices they have at that hour...
Kadahi chicken (spicy, oily, awesome)
Cilantro chicken (not that spicy...very very good)
Frontier chicken (boneless dry tikka style chicken...quite popular here)
Mix Veg
Chili pakora
Samosa
& the best part....awesome tava parathas. (they have chapati and naan too)
+++++ HOT CHAI!!
Offered us free fruit (watermelon)....& sweet paan!! & the friendly guy behind the counter has so much patience that late in night!! Forget decor...service is better than any fake/fancy expensive restaurant.
Prices? who cares!! Crowd was a mix of cabbies & clubbies (i don't care if that's not a word)...that's good coz you can easily get a cab anytime from there.
(cabbie told me they didn't change the name to save the hassle of formal paperwork with city or something.)
I have no idea what I ate, and I have no idea how much it actually cost. There is no menu! What I do know about this place:
-It has AWESOME, AUTHENTIC and CHEAP Indian food! We had two dishes we pointed at after sampling...something with chicken(?) and chickpeas curry, and something else with umm...corn(?) and lamb(?)...I think. I have no idea. Both were delicious and spicy. The 2 dishes plus 2 huge pieces of naan, sauces, a salad( that was randomly brought to us) and 2 Cokes all for $20!
-This place *seems* kind of shady....no frills, do-it-yourself clean up, all cabbies, but don't let it intimidate you. They were all really friendly. Btw, I was the ONLY woman in the joint.
- The owner(?) treated us SO well. He wanted to know our names, let us sample a taste of each dish, and cooked up fresh naan for us.
-Did I mention how much I love Indian food?
-Neat, Bollywood music videos playing on a tv
Will definitely be back. They're open 24 hours and DO take credit cards! Plus, plenty of free street parking after 9pm. Only complaint...it was so hot in there! Eating spicy Indian food and sitting in there felt like we were actually in Delhi!
No, it's not a Chinese joint. Â It's pretty good Indian food and the taxi hangout in the area. Â I've been here twice, once with a group of around 12 people and another time with just me and my girl. Â With the group, they pretty much treated us like royalty. Â They made us a bunch of fresh dishes and brought it out to us. Â We ate like kings. Â Haha. Â They eventually also let us just grab whatever we wanted from their fridge, probably cause we gave them a generous but well deserved tip.
When I came with the lady, it was a little more mellow, but the food was still pretty good. Â We were on our own, but fortunately I have a pretty good idea of what kind of food I like. Â Their somosas are pretty good and their sauces are a good addition to their dishes. Â And their naan is fresh and tasty.
Don't forget to try some chai.
So I have a fascination with "dirty food" as my like-minded friends and I call it. Â I am no dainty eater who seeks crisp white table cloths and crystal flatware, and I certainly do not rank my favorites based on how long the wait is for a spot at the bar or which Chi-lebrity is a frequent guest. Â Oh no. Â My only criteria are tastiness, value, and great service, i.e. pricey places are worth the dough only if the food knocks both shoes and socks off (figuratively, not literally. Â Gross.) and if the service is kind and friendly. Â My beloved "dirty food" is held to the same standard. Â Enter Flaming Wok 'n Grill. Â I've have lunched here 3 times. Â First time, the owner sensed I was a FWnG virgin and proceeded to create a sample platter to assist my selection, taking time to explain each one. Â Reluctantly I chose, although I really wanted another sample platter. Â
Yes, they heat up your food in the microwave. Â Big deal, you do that at home too. Â Yes, there are cabs lined up outside, and do you know why? Â Because they need a break from carting our whiny butts all over town and they need guaranteed good food fast. Â Yes, the naan is made to order and out of this world. Â
It's 24 hour too. Â Rad.
If you're venturing into Flaming Wok 'n Grill, you know what you're about to get into. A sea of cabbies will part for you as you make your way up the stairs into this hole in the wall.
Some people love the dingy 'authentic' atmosphere of wood paneled walls and dusty knick-nacks, but it just wasn't the kind of place that I felt welcome. The staff could have been friendlier, and you'll also get a few snickers if you are non-Indian as you try to figure out what food is available that night. There were no menus, just a couple vats of delicious looking meat and sauce.
We avoided the goat, and instead had some chicken biryani and butter chicken I think, with lots of rice and naan. There are large portions, and it's a no nonsense place. I would recommend maybe take out from here, because the place itself isn't warm and fuzzy and you have to clean up after yourself anyway. Might as well take it home!
One note - BRING CASH. They did not accept cards when we went.
One would think that this is an eastern Asian eatery by the name. I walked in knowing it was Indian/Pakistani but still was confused. No wok and the grill was not in use. Oh right, it's 3am.
I've been here a few times and no doubt the spicy and tangy grub hits the spot in the wee hours. But here are my gripes:
1) The food is heated in the microwave oven.
2) Sometimes the food is not heated on the inside - I hate biting into a cold spot in the lamb or chicken.
3) It's actually pricey for a cafeteria (last time it was $15 a pop); we must have been charged the late-night rate.
Popped in for a quick lunch with my son, he goes to school around the corner at Chicago Academy for the Arts. He had Okra, I had Chicken. It was fairly tasty and the spice blends were pretty good. The basmati was good but they nuked our plate of rice before serving it... I like the funkiness of it and the fact that it is a a cabbie haunt, but make no mistake, this is not great Indian food. It is "home cooked "indian/palestinian cuisine. Keep this in mind, not all home cooks are great cooks. There are plenty of bad restaurants in India and Palestine that employ mediocre cooks, don't think that it is different here. One plus however..The naan was fresh and made to order in a tandoori oven that sits on the cooking line.
I may go back, I may not. Truthfully there is nothing there to draw me that is irresistible.
What do you do when you're leaving the bar and you're with 10 people who don't drink (and you aren't hammered), and your options are Soundbar, Hangge Uppes and food? You pick food.
This is a cabbie joint, no decor, but amazingly friendly service. We took over this small spot as the servers basically ordered our food for us. At the end of the night, they all gave us free reign of the fridge for the road.
Oh, and the food was one of the top 5 Indian restaurants I've ever eaten.
Awesome experience at 4am.
This is about as close to authentic as you can get. For those accustomed to American eateries, you may feel uncomfortable. It's a typical "cabbie joint", with old Bollywood films on the tv in the corner and cabs parked in the front. The decor leaves something to be desired, but again, it's secondary to the tasty food. There is no menu; offerings (and prices) vary from day to day.
For vegetarians/vegans, the dal is a staple. Last time I also had okra and bitter gourd dishes. Always delicious. As others mentioned, they do make the naan fresh for you. I've eaten both in the restaurant and had it to go.
As a caveat, a year or a two ago my friend and I both felt ill after eating there (separately) on the same day. The food isn't kept hot, so it's quite possible it's not always safe. But I haven't had any issues besides that one time.
Ugh, food overload, this place is the shit. Ask for something hot, they don't mess around.. two bites in and I wedge half the naan in my mouth followed by a fire extinguisher. I had the dal, okra, basmati and naan.
The naan was pressed, rolled and cooked to order in front of me in a real legit naan oven. I was a little shocked because who the hell does that? My new favorite restaurant, that's who.
Little disappointed the food isn't kept hot and that its nuked to order, but a lot of my favorite indian/pakistani joints do this so its not like its a terrible thing. Might mess with the meat dishes but as a veg eater it doesn't really bother me too much.
The proprietor gave me a bunch of free samples to go.. fantastic. Nice diner stools too, next time I'll eat in.
When you see a joint with a lot of cabs parked out front you can totally be sure that the food will be good.
I was participating in a scavenger hunt on foot with a friend one evening and we stumbled upon such an ironic set of signs, "Flaming Wok 'n Grill," "Indian & Pakistani Food," "24 Hours," that we swore we would return. A couple of days later we were getting wined (an expression) and dined by the fellow behind the counter. Such a friendly man.
"Taste a bit of this, and this. Oh? You like that?" he kept saying. So we ordered one of everything and sat ourselves down and watched some great mid '70's Bollywood whilst stuffing our faces with some pretty darned good sub-continent fare. The amount of Samosas that one of the employees was making and the few people who came through to pick up food told us that the place has a pretty good amount of traffic even though there was only one other table with some very weary cab drivers as patrons.
I am excited to return!
Place was horrible. My colleague from U.K was horrified by the service and quality of food. Bloody bastards! Compared to Indian food in the UK, this place was a bag of shite.
My shish kebab was charred crisp like a piece of coal. The vegetable concoction tasted liked horse ass. Place had a dirty feeling-communal glasses and no speaka englishh staff.
Love, love, love this place! Â Not just for the late night drunken meals. Â My hubby and I go there often for takeouts. Â The owner is super friendly. Â Many times he let us try out different dishes before ordering. Â Another time he made sure we knew that the lamb biriani was from the day before. Â The nan bread is made right in front of you, doesn't get any fresher.
Another added bonus for us is that we get miles from using our AA credit card. Â We had to watch our girly figures is the only reason we don't get dinner there more often.
I love this place. Â I found it after a friend and I picked up some film gear from Fletcher. Â IT is most certainly a place for cabbies, but we had a great time. Â They play the most interesting thing on TV. Â It is a channel or show that is News/Talk show/Music Videos.
As for the food, everything is very cheap for the amount that you get. Â I have never been impressed with any of the lamb dishes, but the chicken boti might be the most succulent chicken I have ever had. Â Oh, and everything is incredibly spicy. Â But, if you cannot handle hot, ask for extra cucumber sauce; it is like a fire extinguisher for your tongue.
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