Choolaah — Restaurant in Pittsburgh

Please note that my meal, like those of other reviewers at pre-opening special events, was complimentary. My meal would have been $12.24.

This is an Indian fast casual restaurant, offering mostly bowls of rice, veggies, and proteins, along with other Indian-American staples like samosas. They are tech and feature-forward offering online ordering and pickup, Coca-Cola Freestyle machines, and even an automated hand washing unit for customers. The ambiance is clean, modern, and upscale for the market. Dishes are about $9-$13. You can BYOB into the restaurant and they are right next door to a wine store.

I ordered a Choolaah Meal, their basic rice bowl, selecting white rice over brown, and Paneer cheese as my protein with tikka masala as my sauce. It came with a piece of naan bread. For a drink I ordered a mango lemonade.

Everything was good. Rice was cooked to a perfect consistency and seasoned nicely with the right balance of salt and hint of butteryness. The organic Amish cheese had a nice satifying texture to cut and bite into and was firm without being rubbery. The cheese was just powerful enough to not be overwhelmed by the sauce, which was good but unremarkable.

The highlight for me was the naan bread, which was just perfection. Salted and seasoned just right, cooked perfectly. It tore beautifully and was just some of the best Indian bread I've ever had. Definitely not to be missed.

Speaking of sauces, a bar of pumps has several additional ones on offer. I tried the Tamarind apple sauce and the Choolaah Fire sauce. The apple sauce went quite well with the Paneer cheese, giving it a bit of sweetness. The Fire sauce is the lesser of the two hot sauces, and I don't think I'll be trying the Lava! Fire was more than hot enough for my tastes, a little bit goes a long way.

Service was outstanding and very fast, the kitchen was working like clockwork. Despite a huge line nearly out the door my wait to order was under 15 minutes and I had my tray of food less than 3 minutes after that. Even with the crowd, seating wasn't an issue for me dining alone.

The attached parking garage has 45 minutes of free parking, and despite the thick crowd and huge rush of people clamoring for free meals, I almost made it. I ended up paying $3 in parking, which of course was a fantastic value.

I intend to return to Choolaah as a paying customer, and I look forward to trying the local Bell & Evans humane farm chicken, their in-house ranch sauce, and one of the...

Visit to Choolaah Indian BBQ located at 6114 Centre Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15206, on Friday, August 9th, 2024:

Choolaah Indian BBQ is conveniently situated on Centre Avenue in Pittsburgh's East Liberty section, offering a modern and inviting atmosphere. The exterior is sleek and well-maintained, with clear signage that makes it easy to spot from the street. The restaurant has a contemporary design that blends well with its surroundings, and the large windows allow plenty of natural light to filter in, creating a bright and welcoming environment.

The meal started with a refreshing mango lemonade served in a fun, branded cup with the phrase "Drink me." The mango lemonade was vibrant in color, chilled, and tasted as good as it looked—a perfect balance of sweet and tangy flavors.

The Choolaah Salad with Chicken was the highlight of the meal. The salad was fresh, with a mix of greens, roasted vegetables, and tender chicken pieces. The portion size was generous, and the flavors were well-balanced, with the spices in the chicken complementing the freshness of the salad. The inclusion of naan chips was not to my liking, but it did not take away from the pleasant taste of the salad, and the wheat naan served on the side was soft, warm, and had a pleasant, slightly nutty flavor.

The Wheat Naan itself was noteworthy, with its golden-brown exterior and soft interior. It was served warm and had just the right amount of chewiness, making it an excellent accompaniment to the meal.

The service was remarkable from the cashier and server. We had to mention to the server that the Naan chip was missing from the order. They made the correction by simply handing us the chips with an apology. The overall presentation and the care taken in the preparation and packaging of the food suggest a high level of service quality.

Choolaah Indian BBQ on Centre Avenue offers an okay dining experience with fresh, flavorful food in a modern setting. The mango lemonade and the Choolaah salad with chicken, paired with their wheat naan, are particularly well, but I would not add the naan chip. Whether you're looking for a quick lunch or a casual dinner, Choolaah is a great option for those who enjoy Indian-inspired cuisine with a...

I've been to Choolaah twice now. I want to love this place because the format reminds me of my favorite Indian restaurant chain in Austin - Tarka. Unfortunately, I've been kind of disappointed in the food and dining experience. Both times I went, it was totally packed inside. Sure, it is new, and people are excited to try it. The space is vast - well, the vertical space is. Seating space, however, is pretty limited and cramped. Some parts are right up against the windows and line, and there's little room for patrons to move around, get toppings, and employees to bus the tables. It is also quite loud. They play music that sounds like you're shopping at an H&M.

As for food - it isn't bad. But also, it really lacks that punch of flavor that I've come to expect and appreciate from Indian food. It really tastes like they dialed back the spices and heat to appeal to the midwest palette, and I'm not very happy about that. They don't offer any spice level when you order - but do have some hot sauces in the condiments area. Unfortunately, those just aren't the right flavor profile - they taste more on the tabasco pepper side of the sauce spectrum, and less on the delicious hot curry spice side. It's just not the same.

Mango lassi is delicious. Samosa chaat is also quite good.

I wish they didn't use so many disposable plates, cups, plasticware. Another negative compared to Tarka.

All in all, I think this place is a fine quick alternative to, say, Chipotle, but if you really want quality and interesting flavors - look to one of the old-school restaurants like People's Indian, Tamarind, or All India. In reality, I can get in and out of People's Indian just as...