HOW IS THIS PLACE STILL ONLY RATED 4 AND A HALF STARS!!! For everyone out there not giving this place the full credit they deserve needs to reach down their pants right now and check to see if their balls have dropped yet (yes, you too ladies). If those bad boys are still tucked up there like a baby in the womb then you should not be reviewing a place that is the definition of astounding customer service and titillating cuisine. You don't have to be a Buddhist to experience a state of nirvana. Just head over to Tandoor, order the chicken masala, and enjoy the ambience of a blissful environment. You'll ask yourself, "Am I on Ecstasy again?"... Nope, you're just dipping your naan in the cilantro-jalapeno chutney...but this time you won't wake up in a road-side ditch on I-90 with an empty wallet, pants-less, and big spooning road kill because you like the way it feels. When you leave the restaurant you will literally start screaming in the streets out of excitement. People will look, but they will know that you just left the best Indian restaurant this side of the Mississippi.
Usually I'm not a namer of names, but would like to point out two waiters that have contributed greatly to the overall dining experience...Ryan and Martin. If they end up being your server, trust their recommendations, laugh at their jokes , and tip big, since they'll treat you like royalty.
Go to this place, enjoy the experience, and walk with swagger after because you know you've just had the time of your life.
I wish I could give this place 6 stars. I've been here twice, and both times were absolutely fantastic experiences.
Where to start...the food is delicious. I love Indian food, and this is right up there with  the best I've had. I've gotten the chicken biriyani and the chana masala at Tandoor, but I've also heard great things about the tandoor chicken, tandoor shrimp and tandoor lamb. So delicious and huge portions. I also recommend the beef & veggie samosas and their assorted naan for appetizers. The second time I went with a group of 10, and they brought out a salad in between courses to cool our palates, which was a nice touch. It's also BYOB, which of course makes everything better. :)
The hands-down best part about Tandoor, however, is the service. Absolutely unmatched in the city. The second time I went, we had a group of 10. They accommodated us and never made us feel like a burden (even though we probably overstayed our welcome). The owners could not be nicer and more passionate about customer service, and the servers I've had have been incredibly genuine and friendly.
The atmosphere is nice as well. Plenty of seating while still feeling intimate.
Just go here. It's one of my favorite restaurants in the city, if not my absolute favorite. YAY TANDOOR CHAR HOUSE!
This is theeee best Indian/Pakistani food I have ever had. With each bite I took, I became a better man. I became stronger, smarter, and healthier.. I felt true freedom from the busy and stressful world around us. This feeling of self confidence and pure happiness was made stronger by the service. I felt like Alexander The Great in his early 30's, when he had one of the largest empires in the world, stretching from the Ionian Sea to the Himalayas. When I put that last piece of succulent Tikka Masala chicken in my  mouth a tear formed and ran down my cheek. I was in disbelief. The feeling brought back memories of one of the greatest times of my life, watching Rugrats while eating fruit loops before I left for school. Â
In all seriousness this place is amazing, and you need to try it! I'm going again tonight and maybe tomorrow night.
I REALLY liked Tandoor. First of all, our server Ryan was great. He said he'd been there about a month but was so knowledgeable you'd never know. We had a group of 3 people, but the third was 45 minutes late and we were taking up a 4 person table when they had a wait. Really appreciated how they didn't mind. Â Food was great- I had the shrimp tikka masala which was something I'd never had before (not a big Indian food eater) but really enjoyed, and we split some samosas which are a pretty safe choice. Bonus is that it's BYOB, and I love the variety of fennel seeds when you leave.
Review Source:I ordered takeout from Tandoor and it was delivered within 45 minutes - pretty good for a Saturday night. The delivery driver even found his way up 5 flights of stairs to deliver my food, even though I didn't buzz him into the building!
The Chicken Tikka Masala was average at best. The sauce is described as buttery, but truth be told it tasted like Tomato Soup. I opted for mild, which may have been my downfall, but it wasn't anywhere near mild. The chicken itself was quite tough, perhaps overcooked.
The Naan bread was delicious. Really glad I ordered that to go with some of the tomato soup.
I would probably give these guys another go but rather than order delivery I'd go in for a meal. Going spicy next time too because the sauces just don't carry themselves.
My quest for a good curry in this town continues...
I recently went on a first date at Tandoor, and the experience was truly phenomenal. The food was fantastic, as expected, but the waitstaff continually went above and beyond our expectations in providing an extremely comfortable, fun experience, ranging from one of the owners to our assigned waiter. The food came out quickly, the music was authentic and upbeat but subdued, and the staff seemed more than happy to accommodate us as long as we wanted. I would strongly recommend Tandoor to anyone who not only likes Indian and Indian-Fusion cuisine, but appreciates a generally wonderful atmosphere.
Review Source:I used to not like Indian food (after trying maybe 2 other places) but I agreed to go along with one of my girlfriends to Tandoor. Â She loves Indian food so I figured she could help me make better food choices. Â We ordered the Chicken tikka masala and the palak paneer along with veggie samoas and garlic naan. Â I now like Indian food (well, Tandoor's anyways). Â Their tikka masala sauce is very buttery which may be why i like it so much. Â The palak paneer was ok. Â We go back at least once a month - the staff is great and very attentive. Â We ordered the same thing now everytime we go after the first few trips where we experimented with some of the dishes. Chicken Tikka Masala, Paneer Tikka Masala, Veggie Samoas and Garlic Naan. Â Yum!
Oh, and try the mango cheesecake!
I'm new to Indian food, but can't imagine anything better than Tandoor. Went on a double date here and just had the server bring a bunch of the most popular dishes to share. It's family style which makes it easy to try a little bit of everything. The service was great and he didn't try to rush us out when we were done with dinner but still had a half a bottle of wine, but rather encouraged that we enjoy our wine and he'd bring the check when we were ready. We were completely stuffed and the whole bill was $65 for 4 people! We couldn't believe how great of a meal we had for that price. Meats were fresh and cooked perfectly. Will definitely be back again and again!
Review Source:I gave 4 stars but 3.5 is probably more acurate.
Probably the NICEST waitress and owner. Really make you want to support the business. Great atmostphere, small and cozy. BYOB. The waitress talked me out of going spicy and it was a great call on her part. The medium was still plenty spicy and thirst enducing.
We were on the lower level which was fine, there was 1 small table and 1 larger table. Most people probably wouldn't like the lower level though because you feel like you're in a weird back room and the only human contact other than the waitress is the constant flow of ppl to the bathroom which is nearby.
The food was good but not great. My boyfriend got the mixed grill and I got the lamb. Both were very overcooked and had a lot of charcoal taste. I also expected the meat to have more sauce on it to cover the rice with, overall it was pretty dry.
I would definitely be willing to go back though to support the owner and the employees who possibly may be the best I've ever encountered in the city so far.
My wife and I took some friends to dinner on Saturday night and, without opening the menu, asked Faraz (the owner) to make us dinner. Â His words were "as if you came to my house." Â
We brought our own wine and Sean (our server) served an incredible meal. Â Salad, samosas, chicken, lamb, spinach and cheese and fresh naan. Â We thought we we done, until Faraz recommended dessert. Â The Indian doughnuts and the delicious mango cheesecake. Â It is a MUST HAVE.
Our friends are now Tandoor Char House converts. Â I can't wait to go back and see how Faraz can top this meal.
From the moment I existed and entered my residence during my journey to Tandoor I was in lets say a "euphoric state of mind." I was overwhelmed by the hospitality of the staff---the waiter would even often apologize for not being at our table every five minutes. The host would also come down to us every once in a while and double check to make sure we were always satisfied.
The food was outstanding! We started off with the Chatt fries and they came with two different spices to dip the fries into. I never will a hash tag on Yelp again, but THIS place deserves a #WOAHHHHH! I also tried the Tanoori Chicken Tikkah Masala and that was quite incredible. It was very filling and had such great flavors. It went perfect with the rice and the chicken was cooked just to perfection.
This place is also a BYOB so we brought in a six pack and just bantered during this entire adventure. This was a historically euphoric experience for myself. The music in the background during the meal was also great. This place would be PERFECT for a date. I won't forget my original experience here and I will definitely come back again!
Tandoor is more like 3.5 stars. Â I've eaten here a couple of times, and both times the food was pretty good, but not great. Â I'm still searching for great Indian food in Chicago.
We started by splitting the Chicken Pakora which just tasted like slightly-spiced Chicken McNuggets, though with high quality chicken. Â For entrees, we split the Beef Nahari and Lamb Karhai, two of Tandoor's house specialities. Â Beef is obviously not standard at most Indian restaurants, but this dish is unique and tasty. Â The beef is so tender. Â The Lamb Karhai, in my opinion, was just so-so.
Atmosphere is typical of an Indian restaurant - nothing to write home about. Â Service was very attentive despite the restaurant being fairly crowded on a Friday night.
I'm not sure how this place has so many good reviews?!? The channa masala was way underspiced, bland and sweet. The waiter recommended a beef dish that my dining companions couldn't eat. The paneer tandoori was adequate. The rice that was served had peas in it that we're actually cold. Hm. The breads were good and the okra masala was our favorite, a strong B+.
The wait staff were very attentive, perhaps too much so. We were asked maybe 10 times if we liked the food. I guess we should have been more honest, or maybe they could tell we weren't super-jazzed about it. But there's no need to ask so many times. Â
Maybe this just isn't traditional Indian food? They has steak on the menu, and curly fries. Â Maybe I was expecting something different.
Great Indian/Pakistani food! I have had nearly 10 different dishes off the menu and all have been entirely satisfying. They have even begun to introduce hybrid dishes to accommodate even the pickiest of eaters. The service is excellent, too. Very nice waiting staff and even nicer management. I strongly recommend Tandoor to anyone and everyone!
Review Source:Tandoor was so amazing! We went there on impulse because we love BYO places, and it is now our favorite Indian food in Chicago. As soon as we smelled the deliciousness inside and read the menu we already couldn't wait to come back because 1 meal wouldn't allow us to try everything we wanted. Â We ordered the Garlic Naan, Beef Nehari, and Tendoori Chicken Wrap. Beef Nehari was amazing! The Naan was so light and delicious and came with 2 sauces as well. It was the type of place that when you get full you wish you could keep eating because it tastes so great!
Additionally, the service was top notch. SO friendly, so nice, and a family restaurant. They clearly take pride in their restaurant and appreciate their customers to no end. Just an all around good experience and we can't wait to go back!
I had a marvelous experience with Tandoor. I will be honest up front by saying that I have never been to India, however I have eaten at many Indian restaurants around the states, as well as a few in Asia, and this is the best I've had.
I called on a Saturday evening to place an order for carryout. First, the gentleman that helped me was extremely friendly. I asked about using the Yelp coupon for free Chaat fries, however I did not realize the coupon was intended for in-house dining only. No worries, the man on the phone quickly assured me he would "take care of it" and include the fries for free, as they were simply "too good to miss." I agree. I arrived a little before they told me too (about 15 minutes after ordering) and the host offered me a seat away from the door (it was freezing outside!) and a glass of water, while sparking friendly conversation without being overbearing.
I wanted a variety of food so ordered plenty with goal of having leftovers. I ordered the Chaat fries, beef samosas and Tandoori Chicken Tikkah Masala. Everything was absolutely incredible. The chicken was cooked to perfection, the beef samosas were the best I've ever had, and the Chaat fries give a new meaning to "seasoned french fries". I was also very appreciative of the fact that I was unsure of which sauces I wanted and they were willing to give me multiple containers of their various sauces for me to test out.
Overall an extremely pleasant experience with a restaurant I will, without a doubt, be supporting in the future.
I should first note that this review is for a delivery experience, so perhaps if you go to the restaurant you will have a phenomenal time and the food will be amazing and life changing.
It probably won't though.
My friend and I ordered here after realizing that Standard Indian was closed. We waited about 10 minutes over the expected 1 hour estimation, which seems like a long time for a Monday, but who knows.
Between us, we got the Palek Paneer, Chana Masala, Garlic Naan and two vegetarian samosas. Being vegan, I can only vouch for the Chana Masala, since it was the only vegan thing that we ordered, and honestly...it was kinda meh. When we opened it, there entire dish was coated in a red oil. The lid was coated, the food was coated, everything was coated. I didn't expect it to be particularly healthy, but there is definitely something off putting about eating that much oil. It also wasn't particularly flavorful, and didn't taste like it had much seasoning. It was just chickpeas in flavorless sauce with red oil.
My friend really enjoyed the samosas, but wasn't wowed by the cold naan or the paneer. She also remarked that it seemed like they had mixed tomato sauce in with the palak paneer.
Overall, we weren't thrilled with the price or the food. I think next time that Standard's closed, we'll just suffer through without any indian food.
We came here for a last minute dinner on New Year's eve. The staff was super friendly, the ambiance was nice, much nicer than I expected. The space was small and cozy, perfect for dates.
The food good, but not great. We ordered the sampler appetizer with samosas which were way too salty, the fries that were basically curly fries, and the fried paneer. We weren't expecting a dish full of fried foods but that's what we got. All of the main dishes come with a salad, and rice. The rice was good, but the salad was all watery. The main entrees were the redeeming quality of this place. The Paneer Tikka Masala was amazing, definitely one of the best I've ever had.
The food was delicious! Definitely the best Indian that I've had in awhile. However, what kept this place from getting 5 stars in my book was that the service was questionable. My party and I must have been there for 2 hours. There were 6 of us, but that still is a long time. The restaurant is also small and the atmosphere is okay, nothing special.
But the food is fantastic. Portions are a good size and everything came out hot and fresh. There are tons of different options that will surely please anyone who likes Indian food. Overall a good experience and if I was in the neighborhood I would definitely check it out.
Atmosphere: 7/10
Service: 7/10
Food: 8.5/10
After watching my beloved Chicago Bears not make the playoff, I decided to order some Indian food and with in a very brief time I enjoyed the BEST BEEF SAMOSA I have ever had. Â Being on GRUBHUB made this an easy choice and luv it. Â GREAT PRICE too. Â If you live near Lakeview you have got to check this place out!
Review Source:Just had a delivery from Tandoor and we are in love!!! The best Indian food in LP. Delivery was very fast. We placed an order around 3pm, and Grub Hub said it will be delivered around 4:20, but they delivered right before 4. I like that a lot.
What we had:
Chicken Tikka Masala - soooooooo good.
Palak Panner - Amazing!!
Both came with salads, and bunch of little sauces and sides, that I don't even know what to do with them. Also Grub Hub had a free coupon for Free Gaarlic Naan. The bread was fresh and soft, and full of flavor.
I love me some Indian food! Â Even though this place has been open just a short time, I think it's the best Indian that Lincoln Park has to offer. Â My close second, former first, Indian Grill is good. I think this place has it beat. Â The food is great! Â The service even better!
What we had:
App - beef samosa, sauce was great!
Entrees- Chicken tikka marsala
       Chicken tikka
Came with salad, served with rice, riata and a spicy side(big extra)
Added- Naan
We showed up for lunch with a promo for free Chaat Fries. My wife & me were a bit taken back by the prices being just a little higher than expected for lunch, they just had a dinner menu, but were really hungry, staff was friendly, and the atmosphere was clean with pleasant modern Indian music in the background.
Since we were getting free fries we also ordered the Garlic Naan, the Beef Nehari, and Chicken Boti. The Naan rocked with fresh garlic that was almost sweet vs. biting, the main dishes arrived and we realized we definitely over-ordered, then we found out the Spicy Nehari came with unlimited rice.... needless to say we took home complete meals for both of us.
It was definitely better than all the Indian-Pakistani places I've been in the city including Devon and the burbs.
We'll be back and order delivery.
Indian food isn't my most favorite, I probably eat Indian once every few months. However from my last visit I will make sure I eat here every time I eat Indian.
This place is very nice, interior decor was cute and charming. Service was excellent. and best of all the food was just delicious!!
This is the best Indian delivery that I have found in Chicago.
My first experience was excellent. My second delivery had some issues, but the restaurant owner was incredibly apologetic and did everything possible to correct the situation. My third experience was on par with my first experience, and was redeeming.
The team at Tandoor Char House clearly cares about their customers. This and the quality of their food will make me a repeat customer.
I would recommend delivery to anyone, and I look forward to an eventual dine-in experience in the future.
I have had the Lamb Karhai, Chicken Tikka Masala, Veg Samosa, Garlic Naan and Gulab Jamun. I would reorder each of these dishes.
Disappointing.
That's the general result of my night, especially after reading all the positive reviews. Five stars, however, for the owner; he is a great guy. Fewer stars for everything else:
Service: My server got busy/forgot about me, so I had to flag down the owner ten+ minutes later. He did, however, comp my garlic naan for the wait (again, five stars for him). At one point I asked for more water, and a guy came by to fill my glass. Not a single drop more could have fit into the glass. If I had tried to lift it, it would have spilled. That was pretty ridiculous.
Food: I tried the garlic naan and the Daal dish. Either in the rush to get me my food because of the wait (which they really did not need to do), they must have forgotten to season the Daal, because it tasted like cardboard. The only thing I could taste was the cilantro garnishing the dish. Salt did not help, and I never put salt on my food.
Ambiance, etc.: Pretty good, actually. I liked the music, though it was a bit loud. The general atmosphere was very inviting (quite the opposite from India House, the only other Indian place I've tried in Chicago). Nor did I mind sitting in the small downstairs area. That is, until some guy decided to bomb out the bathroom. No, I do not blame the owner for this--that would be irrational. But it was a wretchedly demonstrative way to sum up my experience at Tandoor.
I really wanted to like this place, and I thought I would. The owner is great; hopefully other dishes are, too. With the name "Tandoor," perhaps I should have tried the tandoori dishes. But a weak vegetarian dish on a menu with few vegetarian options is not good. And come on, Daal is an Indian staple.
Still looking for an Indian place worth revisiting in this city.
I am always getting great Indian food from my moms so I don't eat Indian out much...but when i do, I am going to Tandoor.
The first time I went was when literally the day before my daughter was born and we plan to keep bringing her there as she grow up.
A lot of Indian restaurants do not pay attention to the decor so the modern/indian ambiance and fusion music is refreshing.
BYOB. Â
Most importantly, the food is great. Â They really pay attention to the details and it isn't the over-seasoned and oily Indian food you often find when you eat out. Â My fave is the Achar and the Paneer Tikka Masala with the Garlic Naan. Â You MUST finish off with the mango cheesecake. Â
Need I say more?
At one point in the meal the owner came by our table, throws on an Italian accent and loudly exclaims: "Hey youz two guyz, youz want any more a dis gaahrlic naan!?". We all broke out laughing (including the owner). Awesome service, hilarious owner.
The food at Tandoor is the best Indian I've had in Chicago, the owner told us that most of the dishes are handed-down family recipes, the others are experiments by the kitchen staff. Right on.
One bite of the flaky, perfectly cooked Samosa (a lot of places get this one wrong and either under-cook or fry the hell out of it) and you'll be sold on the place.
The spicy carrot achar will blow your mind. The owner told us it's an old family recipe and after we told him how much we liked it, he gave us some for free to take home. We had a beef dish and eggplant, both were "starred" on the menu, both were mindbogglingly good. Even the basmati rice that the owner kept bringing bowl after bowl because "hey guys, it's free" was notably awesome.
Also it's BYOB, though they have a beer list with some really good Indian beers. Easy 5 stars.
I found this place on Grubhub. I order takeout delivery from this place periodically. The food is extremely delicious. It is my go-to Indian place. My only criticism would be with their delivery. Every time I have ordered delivery from this place my food has been COLD or lukewarm.
I own a microwave so this isn't too much of a problem except for the cold fries which are sometimes soggy or rubbery. I'm not sure what the problem is. If the food is this good cold, I can only imagine what it is like hot.
This place was delicious. Â We had the butter chicken and OMG so much food and so amazing. Â The naan is fluffy and yummy. Â The atmosphere is decent for a cheap Indian joint. Â And the service was beyond amazing, Sean was our server and I even tried to steal him away to work with me at my restaurant. Â Sean... call us maybe?
My boyfriend really enjoyed everything too, he is the ultimate test of an Indian place because he isn't a fan of the cuisine like I am. Â But he agreed with me on all points for Tandoor regarding food, atmosphere, and service. Â He had some Indian beer from the place next door (Tandoor is BYOB FYI) that is hard to find elsewhere and said it was one of the best beers he's ever had... coming from a beer snob too yall! Â Of course I myself cannot remember the name of it.
I order delivery from here too and that is never a disappointment. Â 5 stars easy for Tandoor.
This place is AWESOME. They give you more food than any human could ever eat, but that's OK, because leftovers are great. The prices are really reasonable for a non-Devon Indian restaurant, given the portion size and the fact that rice (and a nice, if unexciting, salad) are included. Service was super friendly and quick. It's comfortable and quiet inside.
Some people seem to dislike the palak paneer, but I will tell you right now that they are definitely wrong. It didn't necessarily taste like every other palak paneer I've ever had - I don't need it to - and the spinach was actually in spinach form rather than a puree, so it had a great texture. Seriously. It's really good. I don't know what those people are talking about.
For real, I never leave my neighborhood for dinner anymore because I am the laziest person, but Tandoor might actually motivate me to venture south of Montrose again. And that has to be a good thing, right?
Came here last night for dinner and was really impressed. There's a good amount of Indian restaurants in Lincoln Park, and I thought the quality, value, and portions at Tandoor is the best.
Here's what we had:
Chaat Fries: I checked-in on Yelp, so got a free order of these, which was a good deal for the amount of fries you get. Can't complain about a free huge basket of curly fries.
Vegetable Samosas: These were 2 of the largest samosas I've seen. They weren't overfried like some I've had in the past. The sauces that come with them are also good.
Garlic Naan: Some of the best naan I've had. Right amount of garlic and the bread was hot and soft.
Tandoori Chicken Tikka Masala: This is a staple dish for every Indian restaurant, but I thought Tandoor's really stood out. It wasn't too creamy and the spice was just right. The chunks of chicken were huge and it wasn't as filling as some I've had at other places. The portion was also huge.
Our total bill was around $25, so really cheap for the quality and amount of food we got. Did I mention it's BYO?
I'll definitely return.
Best dinner out in a while! It was fantastic.
I was super impressed by the food, service, prices, portions were a little small but still all in all, definitely worth the trip. The ambiance is lovely, they are so accomodating. We had a large party with people getting up and moving around and it felt completely comfortable. At one point the owner offered to have someone run and get us a few more bottles of wine. Never felt rushed, always felt warm and welcomed.
Did I mention it was BYOB, score!!!
Food was an interesting demonstration of the concept of mixing traditional with more current trends. The tandoori chicken tikka masala was a big hit with everyone. What a great idea of combining two of my favorites! Chaat fries were unique and delightful! The lamb dish and eggplant in some sort of yummy sauce that I got to sample were also right on!
The tandoori chicken pizza was intriguing, but I have to have something to look forward to next time.
Experience has made me very doubtful when it comes to Indian food in Chicago. I'm not really sure why, but it is almost always sub-par. Tandoor, however, takes what should be a fool-proof cuisine and takes it to new depths.
Case in point: I ordered Chana Masala (chickpeas and spinach) and when I got it home and removed the lid, the first scent I smelled was not the aroma of South Asian spices...it was the smell of canned chickpeas. That's right, the smell of canned beans was stronger than the smell of masala. I wouldn't have believed such a thing was possible.
The palak paneer was nearly as bad. :(
I'm not sure why so many people give this restaurant 4 and 5 stars. I urge those people to try some of the few, truly good South Asian restaurants in Chicago (Cumin comes to mind) and rethink their rating.
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