Tandoori Kabab Indian Restaurant

So,reviews....anyone?

suzique suzique
Sep '13

Which one? Where? You're a bit vague...

Lori...since '73 Lori...since '73
Sep '13

Re: Tandoori Kabab Indian Restaurant

I believe she means the new one that opened on Friday. I asked on Thursday but the credit card machine wasn't in place and they had a couple of things yet to complete in the kitchen.

It's very open and well done inside, feels so large compared to previously.

I got take out of a bunch of items for take out, the first I already reviewed on the Main St business thread:

http://www.hackettstownlife.com/forum/515848#t551006

The kebabs are definitely the best. Really nicely flavored. This picture is the goat vindaloo. Their meats are all nicely cooked and very tender. The vindaloo wasn't as traditionally spicy hot as I would have expected, but still tasted good. Severed with lots of salad and the sauce made up for the heat level nicely. Be careful with that sauce - as a yoghurt base you might expect it to be cooling, but it's not! ;-)

I also had the chicken tikka masala with great pieces of chicken and a nice thick rich sauce, the best of the curries. Freshly cut cilantro on top, not just dried in the sauce. That's a good sign. I also had dal gosht which was OK.

I'm sure I'll be going again and eventually try some samosas, pakora, and biryani. On first try I lean towards their kebabs and roti's as just the best. The other items I had were good but not as good as the kebab roll.


Sorry Lori,yes the new one in Hackettstown. Thanks GC. Can't wait to try it!

suzique suzique
Sep '13

Where is this place, sounds good

Great in the meadows Great in the meadows
Sep '13

It's right on Main in the old Hackettstown Sandwich Shoppe location. I believe its #223. Their web site with menu is:

http://www.tandoorikababgrill.com/


Looks good!

Lori...since '73 Lori...since '73
Sep '13

Oh boy! Can't wait to try this out. Hope it does well and lasts!

englishe30 englishe30
Sep '13

We just had it for lunch. Take out. We really enjoyed it. Desirable "spiciness" is a personal preference so I guess the best way to review it is to say the flavors and
amount of spice definitely suited our tastes and the food was fresh. I wish them luck!

JessMphone JessMphone
Sep '13

Oh and GC... We WERE fooled by the Yogurt sauce, but it was still yummy even after we figured it out Hahahahaa

JessMphone JessMphone
Sep '13

I want to start of by saying i love indian food and have been eating it for 25 years all around nj and nyc.
I was a little sad when I picked up my first order.
Shrimp vindaloo and chicken tiki Marsala, naan, 2 orders of the rice came out to $33
Very typical Indian dishes that we get all the time. Next time I'll try the kabobs instead because these are by at the worse curries. The shrimp where frozen baby shrimp too few to even notice and the vindaloo is nothing special (tastes like the one I got from trader joes) non of th curries come with rice you have to purchase the rice separately for 4$. The chicken tiki was also plain. Over all for the first week being open they seem incredibly frugal with their indregients. (oh ya, it came with a tiny iceberg salad and slice of tomato, not even worth the container it came in) I think I have too probably is very selective on what I order from here. Maybe just stick with the kabob sandwiches...

Jisoul Jisoul
Sep '13

We are sad to find out that we did not meet your expectations.

We are no longer using small size shrimp in stock. Our vendor will deliver jumbo size shrimps. Curries don't come with rice as stated on the menu.

We want to provide best food to our customers. We will never know where we need to improve unless we get feedback from customers. Thank You for that.

Tandoori Kabab Grill Tandoori Kabab Grill
Sep '13

Tandoori Kabab Grill - I didn't specifically give feedback with my post, but I do understand you're looking for that.

The one suggestion I have right off the bat is what Jisoul points out. I did understand rice is not included with the curries, but many people expect that. I believe it would be OK not to include any of the salad, particularly with a takeout order. And it might not be as much rice as a full order. But when you compare a curry entree for $9-$11 with a $6 roll that has roti (naan/paratha/etc) included you expect a bit more with the curry.

Feedback on the kabab roll - don't change a thing!! You nailed that one for sure. Very flavorful, great bread that it's wrapped in. Winner even if you charged a bit more.

Nothing wrong with being a kabab house - make those be the first on your menu, curries second.


I can't wait to try this new restaurant.....I love Indian food. Now that I think about it, I don't think there is a food I don't like. :)

positive positive
Sep '13

Re: Tandoori Kabab Indian Restaurant

We went there last Friday night and were relatively pleased with our meals. We were the only ones in the restaurant at the time but it was early (5pm). The service was very polite and speedy.

Regarding the curries and whether they come with rice or not, one has to take the price into account. We ordered the chicken tikka masala. It was only $8.99. Rice was an extra $3.99. Every other restaurant charges $13.95 or more so the cost here is very reasonable - in fact, places like Mendhi charge $15 or so for the chicken and rice is extra.

We ordered 3 items: garlic naan, vegetable samosas, chicken tikka masala, and the chicken kebab platter.

The chicken tikka masala had very good flavor. The sauce was a very rich, creamy, thick sauce - more akin to a chicken (butter) makhani at other places - fine by me since I prefer makhani. The chicken was very tender as well. My only critique would be that, while the portion of sauce was really large, there wasn't as much chicken in it - about 25% less than other places IMO.

We ordered plain basmati rice with it. The portion of rice was enough to feed three of us without asking for more (and I'm a big eater.) You can see the rice in the background of the picture.

emaxxman emaxxman
Sep '13

Re: Tandoori Kabab Indian Restaurant

Garlic naan - it was large, light, and flaky - just like I like it.

emaxxman emaxxman
Sep '13

Re: Tandoori Kabab Indian Restaurant

Vegetable samosas - this was a pleasant surprise. Many home cooks will make samosas with Chinese spring roll skins. That's what these were.

It was $1.99 for two pieces. Each order came with a side of chick peas (chana masala.) If you've never had the chick peas, go for it. They are amazing. I think (could be completely wrong) the creamier texture is a Pakistani influence. I've seen it prepared this way in Pakistani restaurants where Indian restaurants tend to have it "drier."

emaxxman emaxxman
Sep '13

Re: Tandoori Kabab Indian Restaurant

Lastly, the chicken kebab platter - Now this was a surprise as I was expecting only boneless chicken chunks. I actually thought they sent me the wrong dish. I liked it a lot. The boneless chunks were tender. The ground meat was actually chicken and probably my favorite on the plate - very moist and flavorful. The grilled leg and thigh were nicely, but not overly, spiced (good for those who want to try Indian food but are nervous). They could have been cooked a little less IMO but I tend to like things on the "undercooked" side of things. This dish came with rice.

Each table is also given a bottle of some sort of yogurt/mint/cilantro sauce. It had a real nice spice kick to it and was good as a dipping sauce for the kebabs.

Overall, we would not hesitate to go there again. It's a great addition to the town.

I also commend the owners for coming on here and accepting the feedback in such a gracious manner. It demonstrates that they truly want to put their customers first.

emaxxman emaxxman
Sep '13

Got take-out earlier this week. The chicken in the chicken tikka masala was unbelievably tender and juicy. Also got several other dishes we were pleased with. We will definitely be going back, probably once a week. Indian is my favorite type of food of any, and I'm so happy there is now a restaurant nearby where I can get it.

GC - I have to disagree with you when you say the inside is well done, though. I can't recommend eating there. There is no ambiance; the tablecloths were plastic. It reminded me of a school cafeteria. I imagine the decor is yet to come, which is **fine.** Decorate as the money comes in, instead of spending a fortune and going out on credit. In the meantime, I will be very happy to take my yummy dishes to go. :-)

Rebecka Rebecka
Sep '13

emaxx - Your pics made me very hungry. I'm hoping to try it soon.

Calico696 Calico696
Sep '13

emaxx-woman deserves the credit for the pics. My phone barely dials let alone takes pics.

emaxxman emaxxman
Sep '13

Haha I'm in the same boat as you phone wise. Even worse is that my husband's phone is just as bad.

Calico696 Calico696
Sep '13

I got take out the other day. Chicken and Fish Tikka Masala was spot on. Plain and garlic naan were both very good and I got an individual lamb kebob which was awesome. I will definitely be going back there. I hope this place lasts. I love Indian food so I am happy to have this addition to our town.

englishe30 englishe30
Sep '13

I had the veggie samosa's and the chick peas were wonderful. Whole wheat naan - And the spinach paneer thing (don't) remember the name --- for me way too much food for lunch, so I had it twice! Yummy! I will definitely go back and try something else!

trekster3 trekster3
Sep '13

Thank You GC. After getting feed back from customers, we are now providing complimentary rice with all curry dishes.

Tandoori Kabab Grill Tandoori Kabab Grill
Sep '13

I certainly appreciate that this restaurant is accepting of feedback. I too love Indian cuisine and have looked forward to this restaurant opening.

I ate there this past week. Over all I think that the flavors were fantastic and better than I have had at any other place since Cloves closed.

That being said, the portions were small. I would much rather pay more for more. I ordered a whole tandori chicken and there was only one leg... so either my chicken was missing a leg or I did not get my entire order. The Palak Gosht had great flavor but with only 4 little pieces of goat I was left wanting more.

My meat was overcooked. Of the 4 pieces of goat I could not chew the last piece. I get the sense and perhaps I am wrong, that food is being pre-cooked and reheated which is fine. However this is leading to over cooking of meats. If this is not the case I appologize but I am just trying to acertain why the meat was not just overcooked but a little dry.

In terms of customer service, the waiter was pleasant and attentive. I do not think he will be able to keep up if it gets really busy as he was having a hard time keeping up with 4 tables and part of my order was wrong and some never ordered. I assume you will be hiring additional staff when things pick up.

No dessert! Thats the best part and I look forward to that being added to the menu.

Atmosphere; this is where I was the most disappointed. There is no character, no pictures on the walls, no lighting, and nothing to tell me what kind of restauant I am in. I think that atmosphere is almost as critical as the food. I get the sense you are sticking to a budget as the chairs were used, plastic table cloths and my wine glasses had used stickers on the bottom. I am not saying much has to be spent here just something to tell me I am in an Indian restaurant that is unique unto itself.

I wish this restauant success and will happily try again real soon. Thank you for bringing this place to Hackettstown!

YumPretzels! YumPretzels!
Sep '13

We tried some entrees and some rolls, had to wait a bit, but well worth it. Very good and take-out was nicely packaged.

mistergoogle mistergoogle
Sep '13

After reading this post I decided to try new place and have a take-out on Friday evening. I called Tandoori restaurant 2 times and waited for someone to answer (around 7PM), nobody answered. I had to order and couldn't wait longer as I had an unexpected event. So I called Pandan Room, phone was answered immediately, placed order, came to pick it up in 25 minutes, restaurant was packed and there was a line waiting for tables. I drove by Tandoori and looked inside - many empty tables. Why no one answered the phone? We wanted to try something new and my daughter loves Indian cuisine. Sorry guys, you lost a customer.


We went to Tandoori Keabab on Friday around 7pm. Yes, there were only about 3 tables (including us) but they were swamped with takeout orders. It was a constant stream of takeout orders coming in and out.

The chicken tikka masala now comes with rice. $8.99 for chicken and rice is a bargain. They heard the feedback and are making changes so that is a good thing.

Regarding the missing chicken leg, you should raise that to them. As I was paying for my bill, there was a takeout order that was missing their 2 orders of tikka masala (it wasn't charged for either.) The manager got them the order and then comped the customer for the 2 orders - "his mistake so they shouldn't have to pay" was his comment.

Overall, you can definitely see that some kinks need to be worked out but the food is good. It's a new restaurant. I had a chaotic and less than satisfying experience with Pandan Room when they first opened. It's become my favorite restaurant in town now.

emaxxman emaxxman
Sep '13

I'm not an eloquent restaurant reviewer and my experience with Indian food has mostly been Indian Buffet's, but I went here today for the first time.

I ordered the Pakora Chicken appetizer and the Chicken Tikka Masala entree. They asked me how spicy to make them and for both of them I asked it to be extra spicy because I love very hot and spicy food. I was very pleased with both dishes and thought they were delicious. The chicken was generous and perfectly cooked. It was very spicy-hot, which was exactly how I like it. It also came with a small salad and a side of rice. The only thing I regret is I forgot to order some Naan. Oh well, next time I'll remember.


We went for a late lunch yesterday and were extremely happy with the food and service. Finally, Indian food in Hackettstown! The portions were good and the prices reasonable. Best Palak Paneer that I have had in ages. We also had samosas, garlic naan, dal gosht (goat w/lentils), and aalu tikki (spice potato patties), all excellent.

I liked the minimalist décor, made the place look very clean. Maybe later more ethnic décor can be added, but for now the music is enough for me. Our server Gino mentioned that a coffee and tea station would be added soon and desserts (rice pudding).

I came into the restaurant with a headache and left without one. Indian food is very digestible and good for you!

Wendy Wendy
Sep '13

Had dinner there on Friday. Food was very good, though took a little longer than I would expect with only 2 other tables full. Will definitely go back, though may call ahead for takeout.

D-ManPV D-ManPV
Oct '13

Went again, it was great. Take out was on-time but missing salads. Still very tasty but I love their salads to, simple but fresh, so I missed them.

Gino is great, makes the spot real. Very attentive and hearing him pronounce the items brings a smile. I think we have the same accent :>)

mistergoogle mistergoogle
Oct '13

Good food. Do something about the boring interior.. Also no plastic on the tables. It's not a picnic, it's a restaurant


What happened to the tree out front. It looks like some one hacked it up did the Hackettstown BID do it.

Noticer Noticer
Oct '13

I have gone there on 4 separate occasions. Each time the food was impeccable and the service outstanding. The prices are very reasonable.

I hope local Indian food fans will continue to support this business! It's so convenient to not have to drive outside of Hackettstown to get good Indian food and such a decent value!

JD


I showed the menu to friends at work who are from India. They say the menu items are a good value and now want to know where Hackettstown is.

Wendy Wendy
Oct '13

I will definitely be trying this restaurant because I am very impressed that the owners are actually reading and responding. I'm not sure if I ever remember owners actually responding; what's more, they apparently actually implemented changes based upon what they read. That is rare to see!

BrianGehry BrianGehry
Oct '13

Responding didn't help the Mexican spot on Main. But I guess they just didn't get it and didn't respond in a way most Hackettstowners appreciated.

I think the Grill has gotten off to a great start, wish them the best of luck, real plus for Hackettstown.

mistergoogle mistergoogle
Oct '13

That Mexican joint had inattentive servers and watered-down salsa. Just those two facts alone guarantee failure.

Personally I could care less about plastic table covers in the beginning as long as they are clean and not sticky.

I'll get there within the next month or two to give a review.

iJay3 iJay3
Oct '13

I had a chicken platter for 12 bucks with a naan bread and salad. Enjoyed the bread and the orange color sauce. Very skimpy on the chicken chunks. Overpriced in my opinion.

jerseycash5
Oct '13

Mr G - What really didn't help was a landlord putting up a "For Sale" sign in front so everyone though it was closed even though they were open.


Really disappointed to have to say this. We loved our meals so much the first time
9/23 we went back 10/9 and the prices had already been raised, they forgot part of our order (which we did receive before leaving) and the chicken Vindaloo was completely different... More of a tikka Masala this time and the tikka Masala tasted like vodka sauce with the sparse pieces of chicken were inedibly dry. Both had gone from 8.99...the price on my menu at home to 10.99 in under a month and the appetizer I ordered was also 1.00 more than on my take out menu. We were shocked that this was the same place we had enjoyed so much just a few weeks ago. We will definitely try out their kabobs as they got rave reviews, and maybe that is where they really shine. We aren't giving up on this place yet.

JessMphone JessMphone
Oct '13

The Tikka Masala left a lot to be desired, however the Palak Paneer was fantastic! The samosa's were not good - they didn't blend the potatoes and peas well, and the wrapping, though crisp, was terribly greasy.

Naan was okay, and rice was great - but there should have been more of both.

The Mango Lassi tasted exactly like Chobani's Mango yogurt blended with milk. Not really what I was hoping for.

10yrtownie 10yrtownie
Oct '13

I give them credit though on the wait time. Too many places if you call and order, they tell you 15 mins when they know they can't make that. When I've ordered on a busy Friday, they tell me 45 mins flat out and don't lie. As long as I'm OK with the pick up time, they've always been ready. I far prefer them being up front.


Just ordered tandoori chicken and kabobs... can't wait to pick it up and try.

Rebecka Rebecka
Oct '13

I started this thread. Finally ate there. Excellent! Can not wait to go back!

suzique suzique
Oct '13

Three plates I highly recommend: Chicken Tikka Boti, Paneer Makhani, Garlic Naan. These are my faves from this restaurant. Very, very yummy!

Rebecka Rebecka
Oct '13

Rebecka - Put the Chicken Tikka and the Garlic Naan together and you get the Chicken Tikka roll. At only 6.99 that makes for one great tasty lunch special.


Just got take out from here.. IT WAS DELICIOUS! We shared the Palak Paneer, Paneer Mahkani, and the Lentil with a side of rice and the whole wheat naan. The portions were large and we're excited to have leftovers!! I am a vegetarian and my co worker is gluten free and we were happy to see that there was awesome food for both of us!

The only thing to be wary of.. we were looking at the online menu while ordering and they asked us for the numbers rather than the dishes. The online menu has DIFFERENT numbers than the physical take-out menu. So just make sure you clarify the dish while ordering!


Other than that, everything was absolutely great and I can't wait to go back again!

paneerprincess paneerprincess
Oct '13

Samosas were good, very flavorful without being too crisp on the outside but moist enough inside. The Aloo Tikki is just spiced out of this world. That's similar to the sheesh, totally full of flavor. Both appetizers had a touch of chana masala on the side to go with it. BreM is right, that's good. Last time I remember a really good one was Cloves.

I managed to try some chicken biryani too, very nice, really large pieces of meat, good consistency with the rice. Might have liked a little subtle type gravy on the side for that. It's not the absolute best I ever had which is at Mirchi, but it was good.

Some really good items there.


Had lunch here over the weekend. It was very good! I'll definitely be going back and wish them well (though I do agree with the comments about the decor).


Have had take out orders on 2 occasions and everything was great. Never had Indian food before and was worried about the hotter spices, but was informed that I could choose the level of 'heat' I wanted. For my pallet, I took the very mild, and it was wonderfully warm! The chicken tiki marsala over rice was wonderful.

USAfirst USAfirst
Oct '13

Hi All,
FYI. We have decided to close business every Monday. Starting Nov 2013, We will be open 6 days Tue-Sun

Tandoori Kabab Grill Tandoori Kabab Grill
Nov '13

I have now dined there twice and both times the food has been great! Decor is so-so but who cares? Service was attentive and very pleasant. My biggest surprise was just how delicious the sauces were. Creamy, rich, and tasty. Give them a try! My wife and I will definitely be going back!


Decor is so-so but who cares?
If you are only ordering take-out - it doesn't matter. Actually, you will get cheaper prices for take-out if owners don't spend on decor, kinda promoting take-outs. But sometimes people want to go to lovely place to gather with friends and family and decor will be definitely considered. That's why other places "with great view" are packed. The only sad example is a Cassia grill - but its location was really bad.


Let me start by saying I hope that this restaurant does well we need it in town. It would be nice not to have to drive all the way to parsippany to get good Indian/pakistani food.Having said that I stopped in for lunch. I had the chopped beef (patty) kabob bought 2 orders and some bread. Bread was awesome kabob average not very well spiced. Portion was small and thought that for a lunch special walking out with a nearly 30.00 dollar bill not a very good value. In fairness to tandori kabob I was told there would be a menu change coming to include lunch specials.I hope that this is true. Their competition Pandan room and zaytun all have fantastic food and lunch specials. Good luck to Tandori kabab

Steve P
Nov '13

Food was extremly high quality & the meat enticingly succulent. Hands down the BEST Indian food! Delicious chicken Tikka Masala, Try dipping the Nann bread into the Masala Sauce = creamy goodness! I like the Balsamic rice better than other rices, Balsamic rice adsorbs the flavor of the food, where other rices do not. Friendly & polite staff, very clean restruant. I will definitly go back for more. Delious!!! Yum!

Joyce
Nov '13

went there for lunch ate gout curry, mid spice. with a naan, verry good. got 30% of the diner price. the food is awesome.

mike shere mike shere
Dec '13

ordered lunch today. They deliverered! Abdul brought our food with a smile and brought free dessert ,jaleebi- delish! we had chicken kababs, alo gobhi, ckn jalfarize salad, rice and naan came with it . this place gets thumbs up! very good.

stressed out stressed out
Jan '14

Mike - I assume you meant to say "30% dinner price". If yes, how did you get that? Coupon?

emaxxman emaxxman
Jan '14

I did takeout on Saturday and food was great as usual.

I hope the place is doing OK - it was empty around 6:30 when I went to pick up my order.

(And my guess about the comment from Mike is that lunch portions are cheaper than the dinner ones).

D-ManPV D-ManPV
Jan '14

Does anyone else find their food very, VERY spicy? I know I'm a wimp, but when I ask for "very mild" and can barely finish the meal, whoa! I've been eating Indian food for several years - I love Clay Oven in Ledgewood and Cinnamon in Morris Plains - so I'm familiar with Indian spice levels - I usually just ask for it "mild." We've been here three times and we both love the food (and the very fair prices) but I actually was a little embarrassed last time when I couldn't finish my meal.

Jen R. Jen R.
Jan '14

they asked if we wanted mild, hot or spicy when we placed the order. We eat indian food a lot. I do not like it really spicy. I had a little bit of everything and found it fine- not too spicy, and we did have left overs! I think we only paid 37.00 for everything- a good price I felt. I will definitely be ordering lunches again from there.

stressed out stressed out
Jan '14

Jen R - we thought it was just us! We ate there once and we ordered both our meals "very mild" and we were sweating and crying from the heat!! Locally, we have always enjoyed our meals at Taste of India in Flanders.

MO Htown MO Htown
Jan '14

There are two things with the spice level. One is the yoghurt mixture on the side which appears to be something to cool it down, but actually is a fairly spicy hot sauce. If you used that, it would definitely raise the heat level.

The second is some of their items are just spicy to begin with. If you really want to stay away from the hot ones, something like the vindaloo just is going to be toasty no matter what they do.

Now that said, I will say that they are a place that can turn up the heat if you ask for it. They serve the real thing, so you do positively have to mention not wanting that. And yes, I think they also start the heat level more than other places do. Even something like "mild" with one of the curries has some heat in it. If it's not what you want, I would even use the phrase "*no* heat" for something less then their mild. The kebabs are generally not so spicy. The vegetarian items still without a lot of heat. Most of the curries are at least a little hot to begin with, some even more than that. They can seriously turn up the volume on those, so be darn careful. ;-)


Yo Max you can ask the staff they told me that they are working on. A lunch menu. Meanwhile. You can get 30% of regular menu diners and they serve a lunch portion

mike shere mike shere
Feb '14

Maybe they thought you said "wild", not "mild". :o). I for one like it as hot as they can make it.


Tandoori Kabab now has a Facebook page and is introducing a new menu soon!

Here's the most recent post:

A new lunch menu is coming! We are excited to soon be offering fresh Indian Salads, Curry Rice Bowls, Kababs and an assortment of Roti & Naan sandwich rolls with fresh vegetables, delicately spiced chicken, lamb and more!

https://www.facebook.com/tandoorikakabgrill

Wendy @ Hkt BID Wendy @ Hkt BID
May '14

Where the heck is the place? I have been up and down Mains St 50 times and I don't see it!

emily1 emily1
May '14

I think it is approximately across from Hackettstown Hardware? Can someone else confirm?

Rebecka Rebecka
May '14

It's in the former Hackettstown Sandwich Shop location across from the hardware store.

Calico696 Calico696
May '14

Calico Yes, that's the place! And they are working on getting new signs too!

223 Main St.
Hackettstown, NJ 07840
Phone: (908) 852-7900

Wendy @ Hkt BID Wendy @ Hkt BID
May '14

We have been eating there once a week since they opened and have been happy with every meal. I never had kebab sandwiches before and really enjoy them. My favorites are still the Ginger Chicken and Shrimp Biryani.
Some people may remember the location if you mention it is where the Community Market used to be.

Wendy Wendy
May '14

Yay! Finally found it! Thanks.

emily1 emily1
May '14

good food!!!

sunny sunny
May '14

Can you eat there or is it take out only?

hf4567 hf4567
May '14

It's dine in, they have a good number of tables there.


Tandoori Kabab Grill's New Menu! Hot off the presses.
http://www.hackettstownbid.com/docs/tandoori-kabab.pdf

Wendy @ Hkt BID Wendy @ Hkt BID
May '14

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Lunch specials.


Thanks for posting Wendy.

Calico696 Calico696
May '14

Is it my imagination or did some of the prices go up? $13.99 for chicken tikka masala. I remember it being $8.99 at first and then $10.99. $13.99 still isn't bad as it's about the average price (and their rendition of it is one of the better ones in the area.) Just weird that prices have change so quickly in less than a year's time.

emaxxman emaxxman
May '14

I heard that they are closing. Is this true or is it a rumor ?

Mariann Mariann
Jul '14

emaxxman - The menu changed since the beginning and they started giving out rice free and a few other changes about what's included. You're right about at least one change, I'm not sure about two though.

Mariann - As of 4 days ago, no, heard nothing. I'm there quite often and most likely would have said something. But you never know, it can happen quickly. I will find out for sure.


My family had take out during father's day. My daughter was really surprised how little rice we got with order of 3 dinner entries. She said in NYC we would get at least twice more rice and we would get much more food for what we paid. And that Trader Joe's frozen chicken tikka masala is better than the one we had (before ordering she suggested this entry because it's a classic Indian dish and "it's hard not to make it right"). I should admit that we all liked jalfarazi and garlic naan was freshly made. Next time we will visit her in NYC she will take us to her favorite Indian place. But it looks like most local "non-traditional-American cuisine" restaurants have higher prices here than in NYC.


We rarely go to NY so we can't make a comparison to a NY Indian Restaurant since we have not been to one in the City. But, we really enjoy Tandori and hope their closing is just a rumor.

Mrs. Pipes Mrs. Pipes
Jul '14

I hope they are not closing. We think the food is great.

Calico696 Calico696
Jul '14

Business Closed
It is with great sadness that we announce the closing of Tandoori Kabab Grill. Business has been taking loss from last several months. After exhausting all avenues, we regretfully have no option but to close the doors. We thank all our customers who gave us opportunity to serve during last year.

Tandoori Kabab Grill.

Tandoori Kabab Grill Tandoori Kabab Grill
Aug '14

That's a real shame. It seemed that people liked the place.

emaxxman emaxxman
Aug '14

I'm so sorry to hear this. We really enjoyed the food there. :-(

Calico696 Calico696
Aug '14

WOW! really sorry to hear. Seems that location cannot hold a restaurant. I thought the food was good.

Christine Christine
Aug '14

what a surprise...everyplace around here closes


We stopped by on Saturday and saw that Tandoori Kabab was gone. We will miss you Tandoori Kabab! The food was excellent and I am now starting to feel like people in Hackettstown don't like any of the food I like. We are going off to Morris County to dine from now on, except for Leo's which is still great with the new people running it. Since Indian is my favorite eat-out cuisine, I really don't have any options in Warren County.

Wendy Wendy
Aug '14

Tandoori was too formal. TOPO/Pandan Room and Mezza House have proven that ethnic cuisines have a place in Hackettstown so long as their served in a comfortable and inviting atmospheres.

Fuji
Aug '14

jack - not true Sub Shack and Mama's over 40 years for both and still going strong.
Pandan is at least 7 years, Stella's 6?, Marley's? The businesses that close are the one's that don't do any outreach. There are so many cheap, easy, proven marketing methods that they choose not to do.

Fuji - absolutely correct, it seems like the very nice casual dining is the most successful - no pretense.

Wendy - oh yes we like good food. but they need more than the populace of HKTWN to support their business, if they don't promote, advertise or do outreach no one will know who they are.

trekster3- trekster3-
Aug '14

Tandoori was too formal? I guess it was if giant dining hall tables with plastic tablecloths is your definition of high society dining.

If anything, I think the lack of sophistication, ambiance, and changing menus was what did them in. It was clear that they were good cooks with a lack of experience in running a restaurant. Too bad because like others, we liked the food.

emaxxman emaxxman
Aug '14

The place was all white: table cloths, plates, walls (if I remember correctly). It was too formal. I never said it was high society, it just wasn't comfortable. It reminded me of a catering hall. I'd never want to go in there for dinner because I'd be waiting for the Electric Slide to start the entire time.

Fuji
Aug '14

It wasn't always perfect, but they had some dynamite food. Definitely sorry to see them go. I think the biggest issue with the menu was trying to do too much all at once. They should have gone with a small menu of the popular items. Changing that certainly didn't help.

Knowing the owners, I don't think it's so much lack of experience. But getting the right manager must have been next to impossible. With the size of it and the amount of business starting up, I don't see it being profitable with a full staff of 4-5 people. You really needed someone who could cook, wait tables, and manage. They had a great cook, they had decent waiters and waitresses. But the owners couldn't be there all the time with all the other stores and restaurants to run. So you either have to have too many people and not be profitable, or you don't have enough and can't really run it.


Food was inconsistent and prices were a bit high for low quality ingredients and small portions. I found the indian food to be quite different from the other indian restaurants I have been to. Also, I never dined in because the place reeked of cigarettes everytime I would pick- up. However, still sorry to hear the place is closing as I enjoy ethnic restaruants. At least we still have Mezza House.

Tragno
Aug '14

We heard they were closing and felt sad. We ate there several times and enjoyed the food we chose very much. Tandori was (in our opinion) a comfortable non-formal atmosphere in which to eat good food with an attentive staff capable of answering our questions regarding different items on the menu. They could have done a bit more advertising in Hackettstown and the surrounding area. GC, in your above post you said, " But the owners couldn't be there all the time with all the other stores and restaurants to run." Do they have one or more other restaurants, and where are they as we would be interested in going to another of their restaurants. We are non smokers, never indulged, and didn't smell the smoke.

Mrs. Pipes Mrs. Pipes
Aug '14

Tandoori - your food was delicious, but your sizes were inconsistent. I didn't think the prices were bad. I think the menu was too big, it didn't describe things very well. But other than that -- you had some absolutely amazing food and customer service. I hope to see you eventually open up another restaurant to try again... Or bring your food to another restaurant, because the food and service itself was so amazing.

AnthonyB AnthonyB
Aug '14

How do you say "kick the dog when it's down" in Indian?

mistergoogle mistergoogle
Aug '14

trekster; you wrote: "There are so many cheap, easy, proven marketing methods"

what do you mean? please take a few moments and help me out? what are they? serious inquiry. i'm not a marketer, i know lots of stuff, but need coaching in this area

sorry to see any new business close, it's not easy in this down economy, people don;t have as much money for discretionary spending as they used to; it's tough out there i can assure you of that.

good luck to the good people that set up and ran that restaurant. i wish them well

BrotherDog BrotherDog
Aug '14

MG - It's probably similar to "rub some salt into the wound."

emaxxman emaxxman
Aug '14

Jaba isake nice eka kutte ko lata...

positive positive
Aug '14

Such a shame, will miss having them here...It was a nice change of pace as far as food choices go


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