Desi Dhaaba — Restaurant in Gurnee

One-line Review: Flavorful Feast with a Cozy Vibe!

Taste: 4.5/5
Quantity: 4.5/5
Quality: 4.5/5
Value for Money: 4/5
Service: 3/5
Hygiene: 4.5/5
Environment: 4.5/5
Overall: 4/5

➡️ First Impression: I visited Desi Dhaaba at 3900 Washington St Ste J, Gurnee, IL 60031, eager for a hearty meal, and the place welcomed me with its warm, inviting atmosphere right away.

➡️ What I Ordered: I went for mutton haleem, mutton biryani, mutton curry, and 2 butter naans, which came to around $60. The portions were generous, leaving me with leftovers to take home.

➡️ Taste & Quality: The mutton haleem was a standout—rich, spicy, and incredibly tasty, making it the highlight of the meal. The mutton biryani followed closely, with well-cooked rice and tender meat that hit all the right notes. The mutton curry paired beautifully with the soft, buttery naans, creating a flavor combo I absolutely loved. The quality felt authentic and fresh, with every dish showcasing great care in preparation.

➡️ Portion vs Price: At $60, the portions were more than satisfying—I couldn’t finish it all and happily took the rest home. The price felt reasonable for the quality and quantity, offering a fulfilling experience.

➡️ Service & Environment: It’s self-service, so I had to pick up my order, which was fine, and I appreciated the sides like onions, lemon, raita, and kurma that came with it. The restroom was clean, and the restaurant itself was hygienic with a great ambience that made dining enjoyable, even with a moderate crowd.

➡️ Final Thoughts: Desi Dhaaba in Gurnee is a gem for lovers of Indian cuisine, with the mutton haleem, biryani, and curry stealing the show. The self-service setup worked well, and the clean, cozy environment added to the joy. I’ll definitely be back for more!

If you’re near 3900 Washington St, Gurnee, Desi Dhaaba is a must-try for a tasty,...

To me, two stars means that I'm not actively shouting for people to avoid a place, but that I will recommend against going there if asked.

Starting with presentation, they bring you your food in plastic or styrofoam to-go containers, even if you are dining in. The butter chicken, which should be finished with a ring of heavy cream, is just a hue of red on top.

As for flavor:

The mango lassi tastes like "Dannon Fruit on the Bottom" yogurt, put through a blender. It tastes first of sugar, with a backdrop of mango. A good lassi should taste first of the distinctive fruit, then of the tangy yogurt, and finally have a light sweetness.

The goat biryani tastes heavily of cloves, almost to the point of numbing your tongue (if you have ever bitten into a whole clove, you know what I mean).

The butter chicken sauce is sooooo salty. While the chicken is nicely charred, it is also overcooked and dry. Eating it with rice (instead of naan) does help cut some of the saltiness, but even then the flavor is unimpressive.

Having had a lot of very good Indian food, I was hoping to find Desi Dhaaba to be a little gem, but I was sorely disappointed. We are still on the lookout for a good Indian restaurant in the Lake...

The food was decent. I might give them another chance. Firstly the menu is ONLY for PEOPLE who KNOW the INDIAN LANGUAGE. Now I have been to about 10 different Indian restaurants in my 61 years. SOme a number of times. I have been to a couple of Indian restaurants that were PHENOMENAL. This wasn't one of them, or at least not on this day. The menu only had 3 words that a white boy from the south would understand ( or a white, black, or mexican, from ANYWHERE for that matter). They were CHICKEN,( well we ALL know that one), Goat ( yes that one too), and BUTTER. All these other words (though I do know what a TANDORI oven is, were only for someone who knows this OTHER, SECRET, language. Well when I go to a DAMN restaurant I want to have SOME idea of what is in the damn dish WITHOUT having to ask about every damn one. Unless you don't really CARE about MONEY then you would think they would have figured this out by now. HOWEVER, since I did order a bit extra to take some to work the next day it was better the next day as all the spices had muddled themselves into the chicken, rice, and other stuff. This could become a GEM someday, but it wasn't...