Punjabi Dhaba — Restaurant in Carteret

Punjabi Dhaba is Good” — a simple sentence, yet packed with emotion, nostalgia, and delicious memories. Across the dusty highways of North India, a brightly painted shack often draws travelers in with the irresistible aroma of spices, the comforting clatter of tandoori roti on a steel plate, and the hearty laughter of people breaking bread together. This is a Punjabi Dhaba — not just a roadside restaurant, but a living symbol of hospitality, culinary brilliance, and cultural richness.

A Punjabi Dhaba is more than just a place to eat; it’s an experience that feeds both body and soul. Whether you’re a truck driver stopping for a midnight meal or a tourist looking for “real Indian food,” the Punjabi Dhaba welcomes everyone with the same generous heart. The food is freshly made, served hot, and often cooked with techniques passed down for generations. The taste is bold, the portions generous, and the prices surprisingly humble.

In an age of fast food and fine dining, the dhaba remains a proud torchbearer of tradition. Its significance lies not only in the food it serves but in the stories it tells — of Punjab’s fertile fields, of roadside friendships, of life’s simple joys shared over a hot bowl of dal makhani and a glass of...

Chanced upon this Vegetarian Punjabi Dhaba while searching for home food on long travel back to NJ. We ordered Chole Bhature, Amritsari Kulcha, Saag with Makke di Roti. They all had original Desi taste and we were more than happy in savoring the food which was prepared with lots of heart. We’ll be frequenting this place which is a rare find in the rush of other restaurants in the region which have lost the Desi touch.

You won’t find the typical ambience and service that we’ve all come to expect, honestly I think that is more show and less substance. You will get pure quality Desi dhabawala khana and no bakwas! Quantity and price is unmatchable!

And, surprisingly Paaji has sweets also which are amazing! The Imerti had texture and umaminess which we only found one other time in India. Khoya Bharfi had richness of taste as well. Highly...

I called and asked for "one order of samosa." "One order of samosa." Yeah, Samosa- one order." "Samosa, yes." *note to self: if you have to repeat yourself more than 4 times, just hang up. It'll ever work how you want it. I went and picked up my samosa. A single, solitary individual samosa- not the 2 that make up AN "ORDER" as listed on the menu. I assume if I said 2 samosa, I would have gotten 2 orders=4. Gripes and vetching aside, it was a good, basic samosa with moderate spice heat. (I wondered how the cashier knew my order. I realized my dirty work shirt and attire made me look like the "the type of person who orders One Single Samosa." Think, Chris Rock ordering...