Deshi Street Bangladeshi Restaurant — Restaurant in Chamblee

I hate to say it, but I was disappointed in my visit here. I wanted so much to like it more.

My family agreed we’d try Deshi Street sometime during my recent visit to Atlanta. I was so exited to try a Bangladeshi restaurant, as I love Indian food so I figured I’d be bound to like this as well.

And I did like it- I enjoyed everything I tried. But it just wasn’t real memorable. First, all of the workers were super kind and did their best, but the service just really wasn’t great. They had some sort of event going on in the room next to the main, and it seemed like maybe they were struggling to balance that with serving regular visitors.

I tried the Shaak with chicken. That was probably one of the best meals out of our party of 5. Even my uncle who doesn’t like to try new foods liked it. We lovingly nicknamed it the “Bangladeshi collard greens”, as it literally looked like a funny version of them. But it was good.

The issue I think, was that none of the food really had that “oompf” factor. Most Indian food I’ve tried has strong spice factors, and can have a lot of heat so your taste buds are doing a dangerous yet attractive dance. But everything we had here was a bit more bland. I can’t imagine the spices are that different but it seemed to be the case. I really expected more from a flavor profile aspect.

I’d say the best thing we tried, though by far was the garlic naan. I do have to say that’s one of the best naans I’ve had in a while. I would’ve just sat and ate it by itself, which I don’t say often. We did enjoy the desserts of rice pudding and a soaked donut hole (i think?).

Overall, again I just wish I left wanting to come back to this place. But...

Excellent experience here on Wednesday night! First off, the place is extremely customer service-oriented, but with the right balance. No one is overbearing, but they're happy to check in on you and make recommendations.

Let's talk food. We started with the Chicken 65 (a favorite dish of mine). The chicken was excellent: not overcooked, but with a bit of a crisp on the outside. The flavor was savory and had a good amount of heat. I loved that they served it with pickled jalapeños, which cut through the richness nicely. We also got dal puri and aloo puri, both of which were tasty and had a great texture.

We then had lamb in the coconut curry and chana masala. The lamb in the coconut curry was surprisingly sweet and subtle, and was light on the palate. Not spicy at all, which was unexpected, but was still delicious. The chana masala had chickpeas that were slightly undercooked, but still very much edible. The sauce was tasty and tomato-forward. We also had garlic naan, which was delicious. It had the perfect amount of chewiness-to-crispiness ratio, and the garlic was not overwhelming. Their white rice was also slightly dry, but cardamom-scented and went well with the curries.

Overall, this was an excellent experience. I can't overstate how pleasant it was to dine here. Fancy, but still approachable decor makes it perfect for a weeknight dinner or a night out with friends. I feel like many of their dishes could accommodate someone who doesn't like spiciness. I also think children would enjoy eating here. I don't think you'd...

Bottom Line: I wouldn’t come back here again.

Atmosphere: Small, dark, SO HOT. The AC wasn’t working properly. It was 86 degrees(based on their thermostat). The tables are all set very fancy with uniquely folded dining napkins, but the glasses were dirty.

Food: The food was decent. Standard for Indian Food. For an appetizer we ordered the $3.99 Chicken Samosas(2pcs). Either the chicken was scarce or they gave us the vegetable samosa by mistake. Either way, very hot and fresh served with two sauces. One a bit sour which in enjoyed more and one green more bland one.

My brother got the $15.99 Mixed Tika Masala. It was good, but nothing special.

I would say the same about my $13.99 Lamb Coconut Curry.

Both were served with Basmati Rice which they brought on one plate for us to share. Not the best Basmati I’ve had before.

We each got a $3 side of Garlic Naan which was very fresh and flavorful.

They also served us each a small plate of complimentary rice pudding which was nice, cold, and sweet.

Service: I don’t like how they didn’t have tap water, only bottled water charged per bottle. The manager did put a small leaf blower-shaped fan on a chair by us which was considerate although it didn’t help much.

Overall: I wouldn’t come back. Although the food was decent, they can use a lot of work for the comfort of their employees. I think my review would be significantly better if the AC was working properly. I’m willing to revisit once that situation...