Punjab Kabab and Sweets — Restaurant in Arbutus

In Maryland, it's a challenge to find a Pakistani owned, Pakistani restaurant serving Pakistani food such as kababs, roti, sweets, etc.  Don't get me wrong, if you're looking for dessi (sub-continent) food in general, Maryland has a vast selection of Indian restaurants available, with the standard fare of chicken tikka masala, lamb kadahi, daal and whatnot, but if you're craving for that Pakistani style  seekh kabab, tandoori roti or karahi, there aren't many places to go.  With that in mind, on to the review!

Punjab Kabab & Sweets is a Pakistani restaurant located in small shop on East Drive serving several types of dishes from Pakistan.  The dishes are made to order, and depending on your heat tolerance can be a bit on the spicy side.  The dishes are served with a small amount of salad, a side of some sort (I had the chickpeas, or chole), a generous portion of rice and a roti (Pakistani flat bread).  The roti was freshly made prior to our food coming out.  I had the seekh kabab which wasquite delicious, well seasoned and hot (both temperature and spicy!).

If time during your lunch break is at a premium, like many Pakistani kabab places I've been to, they're more than happy to take your order over the phone for pickup or to dine in.  I was reminded of this fact, when we told the owner we'd actually need our food wrapped to go because we had run out of time when it was finished cooking.  He was nice enough to tell us that we can call in our order next time so  we can eat there. :D

The facility leaves a little to be desired (but if you're there for the food, who cares what it looks like right?! haha).  The seating is typical of the smaller mom&pop style restaurants which have tables, chairs but nothing fancy.  It reminds me of the Ravi Kabob in Arlington, VA.  People go there for the food.  Parking is at a premium as this area of Arbutus/Halethorpe is street side parking only from what I can tell.

Overall, I give Punjab Kabab & Sweets 4 stars.  That's my personal opinion but yeah, if you like Pakistani food and are cravin' for the kabab check this place out, they have a good selection of different kababs you can try, a couple of other Pakistani dishes, such as okra and what not and they even advertised lassi, but didn't have time...

I was driving back from Baltimore to the Fredericksburg, VA area on a weekday and was really interested in enjoying some Pakistani food (not Indian, nor Persian, and definitely not Afghan) – I searched and saw there were lots of reviews (hundreds) on social media for this place, so I stopped in. It’s not too far off the highway, so it was easy to get to.

The inside was really dingey and rundown (but don’t let this bother you, you’re there for the food!) and there was a laminated menu on the counter to look at… The couple that runs it was there and the guy was friendly and helpful. I was in the mood for karahi, but I was by myself and typically restaurants make this for two people, so he suggested I get chicken curry.

It took about 10 mins to make. First thing I did was taste the broth (the curry sauce) and it was spot on – AMAZING!!! Then I ripped into the naan and took to ripping chicken of the bone and enjoying… I scarfed that dish down in no time, and there was quite a bit there! The basmati that came with it was very tasty! And he brought me a ramakin of yogurt chutney (this is how chutney is supposed to be!) – it was fresh and soothed the spice of the dish. Regarding the spice level, he asked how I wanted it and I told him I was Pakistani to make it for me the same way he’d eat it and they got is right!

Naan was excellent! Perfectly cooked, but the dough was great! Nice texture and flavor to it!

Overall – I enjoyed my lunch and would come back! Definitely a place that sells all the typical kabobs, but don’t sleep on...

You know how some of the better Chinese places are holes-in-the-wall, tucked away, and look like nothing special? This place is pretty much that for Pakistani and Indian food; great with a few caveats.

Jumping right into it: The entire outfit is run by one guy. He does a pretty good job! The service isn't blazing fast, and sometimes he'll run out of a certain item and not be able to serve one of the normal menu items. Do make sure you slow down to communicate with him and check your order. Other things that might throw you off: Curries do not come with rice (so be sure to order some). In its place, often a single plain naan is included. The Qorma (Korma) is tasty; It's not the creamy Korma you might be expecting but rather an alternate popular darker curry. And if you order Chicken Qorma, this recipe is bone-IN. Also, in my opinion the Butter Chicken resembles Chicken Tikka Masala and vice versa. Both are similar in flavor and delicious. You will not get asked about spice levels, but you can specify. I would rate the default as very slightly above medium.

I listed off most of these things not as warnings or complaints, but because if you know what to expect going in, you'll probably enjoy it. This isn't my absolute favorite place, and I feel like the prices should be a little bit lower because of one thing or another, but I think you should give it a try and recommend it if you're looking for...