Punjabi Dhaba — Restaurant in Indianapolis

My wife heard about this place by word of mouth from some Franklin Township friends. It is a small place with hand-written menus that seems to be mostly a takeout / delivery location, though there was some outdoor seating (picnic tables).

I was greeted by the owner - a very kind man who immediately offered chai tea after I ordered and gave me some samples of other food (lamb curry and saag) to try for next time. He explained that he and his wife started the restaurant with home recipes as they would eat regularly and they wanted to start the restaurant to work for themselves.

I ordered my usual chicken Tikka masala (simple, I know) that I usually order from Indian restaurants on first try. The chicken was fresh and spices were abundant and flavorful. Definitely tasted high quality and made to order. The garlic naan was visually different than most restaurants, but had a fluffy texture and lots of char. It went well with the curry. The vegetable samosa starter was spiced heavily and was accompanied by tamarind sauce and mint chutney.

We will definitely be back again.

My only suggestions for improvement are around the menu (explaining the dishes) and the seating, which I fully expect to improve with time and...

Pains me to give a 3 star but I want to be as honest as possible. I ordered a chai, chicken tikka masala, roti and palak paneer. The owner ended up giving me the chai for free because this restaurant does so for everyone waiting for their food. They were so pleasant and easy to order at.

The chai was authentic and delicious but the curries… I was so disappointed by how unreasonably salty the palak paneer was. The chicken tikka masala was still salty but not as bad. The roti was for the most part tough (hard). I was so impressed by the Google reviews and figured I’d have to try for myself.

The restaurant itself is a little messy? Wasn’t by any means spotless or tidy. The trash was filled to the brim right at the entrance (for example).

This restaurant is take out only.

Update: the owner just left a comment saying not leave a fake review. I’m very much a real person, with a receipt from this restaurant. I’m...

Wow, what a great place in the township. I have driven buy on many occasions and thought about stopping but did not. Now I am kicking myself for taking so long. The store front and decor are minimalist for sure. However, after entering and being greeted by the delicious smells and friendly gentleman working the counter I knew I was in for a treat. The menu was a series of handwritten black boards. They were short on explanations but the guy working was helpful and I had eaten enough Indian food to stumble through ordering. Prices were definitely reasonable and everything tasted amazing and fresh. I got several fried appetizers (samosa and aloo tikki) and paratha (a sorta flat bread). They cane with some sauces that also seemed fresh and added to them. I also got two 16oz meals and they each came with a serving of rice. Each was large enough that we ate them for lunch and dinner. I can not wait to...