Urban Tapri — Restaurant in SeaTac

First Things First -- What's a Tapri? A tapri is a small, humble roadside tea stall -- the kind you'll find all over India. Think steaming chai, quick snacks, a bit of organized chaos, and casual conversations among locals, students, and workers. Nothing fancy, but full of soul.

Now About This Place... From the outside, it almost gives off a Mexican roadside café vibe. Step inside, and it's full-on tapri vibe -- cluttered, unpretentious and small. Half the space is under a sunroof, which I actually liked. The interior isn't upscale -- it gives off the vibe of a quick bite spot. Now for the quirky part: orders are taken via Zoom. Unique? Definitely. Smooth? Not quite. Overall a bit unassuming.

But let's move past the quirks and get to the good stuff.

The Chef The real highlight here is Chef Sujan, originally from Bengal, and previously a chef at the Taj 5-star hotel in India. He came out to talk -- friendly, humble, and clearly passionate about his craft.

What I Loved:

Dahi Sev Puri Lightly sweetened yogurt bursts in the mouth, puris filled with spicy mashed potatoes and topped with crispy sev -- this felt straight out of a Bengali-style street cart. And for the record, Bengal makes the best sev puris in India. I absolutely loved this one.

Jangli Chicken Kati Roll One of the better kati rolls I've had in Seattle. Since Kolkata is the birthplace of kati rolls, this one felt authentic. It even comes with a simple coleslaw on the side -- a nice touch.

Chicken Dum Biryani This might be a different kind of biryani than what you're used to -- because it has Kolkata-style touches! The aroma, boiled potato, bone-in chicken, and caramelized onions all point to that. It was fragrant, balanced, and delicious. My only note: the portion of meat could've been a bit more generous.

Butter Chicken with Jeera Rice I'm picky when it comes to butter chicken -- and this one passed with flying colors. Creamy, perfectly spiced, and paired well with cumin rice.

What could be better:

Chicken Masala Burger An Indian-style burger with chicken cubes. It was okay -- not bad, but not something I'd go back for. If you're short on appetite, you can safely skip this one.

Masko Bun An Indian tea-time classic. Here, it's served pressed like a panini, with a sweet, caramelized filling. Personally, I wasn't a fan. Traditional maska buns (like in Hyderabad) are soft, buttered, and unpressed -- I prefer that version.

Chai? decent -- but slightly pricey for what it was.

This is the closest Indian restaurant to SeaTac Airport, offering authentic Indian street food, with several items clearly reflecting a Bengali twist. Between the delicious flavors, the warm and talented chef, and the raw, tapri-style vibe, it's definitely worth checking out -- especially if you're craving no-frills Indian street food just minutes from the airport.

They use both zabiha halal and machine-halal chicken. So call ahead to ask what brand they...

Urban Tapri was an INCREDIBLE take on modern Indian food. It had a unique menu that is sure to please! Seriously, this place has LEGIT culture, quality ingredients and overall a really fun atmosphere!

I guarantee you will run into a dish from India you have NEVER seen. I was shocked! (Shocked enough to write a review)

When I arrived, the lead cook (named Biswas) greeted me and made a bunch of suggestions for what to order! The front desk also fun, as they have a massive screen 🤖 live-streaming with someone who is ACTUALLY in India 🇮🇳 (reminded me of Times Square in New York!)

First, I had the loaded Dahi Sev Puri (small fried ball) which was stuffed with meat and vegetables and covered in a cream bisque with a crunchy garnish. The bisque style filling inside was amazing!

(Side note, they have drinks and sodas ACTUALLY from India) I was so curious I had to try all of them lol 😂 thumbs up 👍

Next, the Nutella Maska Bun was a complete surprise. Biswas suggested the desert and WOW! they use a machine to make these “accordion” style hamburger shapes. The desert was stuffed inside of the bun 🥪 (I know it sounds weird) but it was REALLY GOOD, Nutella with a vanilla creame’ filling!!

Last, I had the vegetarian burger 🍔 called the “UFO aloo tikki ” which was made from potatoes and cheese.. I know vegetarian burger might not sound the best for or my non vegans but WOW.. I mean wow! (As a meat eater) I LOVED the aloo tikki burger like… honestly, I would not have been able to tell that the burger was vegetarian if you didn’t tell me. Usually texture, consistency and aftertaste is an issue for me when I have “impossible” style food, but not in this case. Also, the peri peri fries were NUTS.. they had a zesty and slightly spicy flavor. It was a unique blend of Indian American flavors. Never had Indian style french fries! 🇮🇳🔁🇺🇸

Overall, this place has authentic Indian food that is ACTUALLY cooked FRESH in the back. 👍 Flavor, ambiance, and experience overall was top notch. A must visit for those that want to have a little vacation to enjoy Indian street food without taking the long flight overseas!

Delicious ✅ Home made ✅ Dine in ✅ To go ✅ Vegetarian options ✅ High quality ✅ Authenticity...

As out-of-towners, we relied on Urban Tapri's seemingly glowing online reviews, and it was a decision we deeply regret. From the moment we stepped in until we thankfully left, our visit was a masterclass in how not to run a restaurant. This place is, quite frankly, appalling on every level, and we urge anyone visiting not to fall into the same trap we did.

First off, the atmosphere was incredibly disappointing. "Beat up" doesn't even begin to cover it. There was a distinct lack of cleanliness, and the entire space felt neglected and uninviting. It immediately made us question why we had chosen to eat there.

Then there was the service, or rather, the complete absence of it. It was so bad, we honestly felt we might have been better off dealing with automated serving robots – at least then our expectations for human interaction would have been appropriately low. Trying to communicate with the person taking orders behind the computer screen was a struggle, made worse by a poor connection.

But the most egregious issue, by far, was the food. It was bland, poorly prepared, and alarmingly, tasted stale. The dahi in our dahi puri chat, for example, was so rancid it nearly made us sick. We immediately brought this to the server's attention, but to our frustration, no action was taken. When we escalated the complaint to the person behind the screen, she consulted someone on the phone and then offered a complimentary chat. Not only was this a cheaper item than what we originally ordered, but it was also something we had explicitly told her we didn't like. This showed a complete disregard for our concerns and a baffling inability to properly address a serious food quality issue.

We are truly perplexed by Urban Tapri's high ratings. Our experience was a stark contrast to what those reviews suggested, with failures in service, ambiance, and most importantly, the quality of the food. Please, save yourselves the trouble and seek out a better dining...