Al Kabob Grill & Cafe

If you live in Dallas proper around Harry Hines, and don’t have enough time to head out to Irving for proper Indian/​Pakistani food, Al Kabob Grill & Café will satiate your cravings temporarily. I had just gotten back from home and was missing home-​cooked desi food. This place had been on my list for a while so finally decided to check it out with a friend for dinner. The location is SORT of shady… on the ever so infamous Harry Hines, so I was wary to go by myself for the first time. It definitely qualifies as a hole-​in-​the wall eatery.
We tried the:
–Butter Chicken
–Nihari
–Spicy Gyro Wrap
–Naan was provided on the side with the curries
I was definitely expecting more food for the price of the individual dishes, especially as they were dinner portions. The meat to gravy ratio was quite low. Between two people we each had roughly 3 fairly small pieces of butter chicken and 1 medium sized piece of beef for the nihari. We filled up more with naan and gravy than anything else.
The spice combination for the butter chicken was well done, but the chicken itself was quite dry. It seemed the chicken hadn’t had time to absorb the flavors of the gravy. Butter chicken is a baseline dish for most Desi restaurants and I would say this wasn’t one of the best I’ve had, but it definitely wasn’t the worst. The cashier was also very persistent that we try the butter chicken and at first I assumed it was because it was one of their best dishes, but I think it more likely was them trying to finish it off before the end of the day. The Nihari was better than the butter chicken. The beef was very tender and not difficult to chew/​eat at all. Would get again. The meat for the gyro was a bit overcooked and quite dry. I really enjoyed the flavors though. I don’t think it would hurt to back down on some of the lettuce/​raw onions/​other veggies on the gyro. I had to double-​check to make sure there was actually meat on the pita bread. Would probably not get again. I would come back to try out some of their other dishes.
I am always a bit more critical when it comes to Desi foods as I tend to compare them with my mom’s and my own home-​cooking. All in all, I would come here again if I was having a craving for Desi food if I was short on time, but if time wasn’t a limiting factor I would likely drive to the heart of Desi dining: Irving.

Sooo… a friend told me about this place many times. I was driving on Royal, thinking I would go to a Korean restaurant for a Korean bibimbap. Then I saw a new Korean bbq place, turned around and the place just open at 3pm. Then turned around again and saw it! Al Kabob was right there in front of me! I just hope my friend don’t «follow» me here, don’t want to tell her I went there without her…
So, I didn’t remember what type of food she said it has… I thought Persian! No. It is Indian! I love kabobs so let’s try the Indian version! You know the Indians work their spices and heat, right? Exactly! Imagjne a kabob with all the heat of Indian food. There you go! It is excellent! As always, I was late and thought of something fast and easy. They have other dishes, of course, which I will try with my friend. I liked the seasoning, came with naan, very fresh and some raw onions and jalapeños, as if more heat was needed. Oh and some kind of sauce in top, very spicy too. But good! And they have a yogurt based dip that doesn’t do the trick. Very watery, like made of doogh, the Persian drink. Watery and not flavorful, so don’t bother to ask for. And I got samosas to go, one beef and other vegetarian. Both are excellent, despite the watery yogurt something that comes along. I heated in the oven at night and were delicious.
The restaurant is very small, it was packed (attention patrons: when you are in a tiny restaurant, just eat and go, for God sake! Socialize at the large ones, mmmmk??) So… some minutes waiting, after some Indian guys grabbed a table before me (they came in after me), another table became available just in time for my food. So, all well. But next time I will speak up. Anyway, good food, fast and unique in the middle of the Koreanland!

It’s too bad that the cashier was very condescending, and thought I was an idiot who never before had Indian food. Because the food actually looks good. But she kept trying to sell me the most expensive items on the menu by telling me that they were out of most of the other items on the menu. When I called her on her shit, she then had the nerve to suggest that I order a cheeseburger or a gyro. Yeah, I drove three miles out of my way to order a fuckin’ cheeseburger from a hole-​in-​the-​wall Indian food joint. Hadn’t been that insulted by a restaurant employee in a loooong time. So I turned around and walked out.

This place is a hole in the wall. It’ small and there isn’t much positive comments that can be made about the facilities. The food however is friggin delicious. If you are looking for Indian/​Pakistani snacks, lunch or put me in a food coma dinners this is it. The malai chicken boti (chicken wrap) is awesome. The biriyani (chicken and rice) is great and so is the tandoori chicken. Even their french fries are good. If you are unsure what to order ask the owner what you should have and she will ask you a couple of qualifying questions then visually size you up and tell you what to have. Again delicious food. If the locals or the size of the place bother you take the food to go and eat it at your own Taj Mahal.

Pretty good Pakistani food! Being Pakistani I’ve always been trying to find food that taste like moms cooking this was very close. Definitely spicy and a bit oily but very good. Will be coming here again
I recommend the chicken biryani, chicken korma and chicken Karahi (very authentic flavor)

Genuine Pakistani and food at its best — to my knowledge at least.
Very friendly service and the owner will even explain to you the flavors of each dish in case you have any questions. Order at the front and pay after you’re done eating.
The Samosa alloo and the masala alloo we’re so unbelievably tasty and generously filled with protein topped with a perfectly spiced sauce.
The chicken tender or a wrap was so incredibly flavorful and had the perfect amount of kick wrapped by home and handmade naan bread.
The Tuesday special chili chicken with fried rice was perfectly cooked in spicy sauce that didn’t drown it.
A perfect little hole in the wall that I can quickly come back to for lunch or dinner.

The owners are so welcoming, so kind. They treat us with respect every time.
Great service, amazing food. Must try. I’m addicted to the malai boti roll.

Decent food. The portion size and prices are fair as well.
My recommendations are the gyro plate and the chicken boti roll.
I’ve had better samosas and spring rolls. They are too oily for my taste and have a strange after taste one too many times for me.
What upsets me is their limitation on condiments and napkins. It’s a frustrating trend with indian/​Pakistani restaurants.
Getting an evil stare for asking for more napkins or Styrofoam cups for water kills my appetite a little. Don’t lose customers over petty things!

Working out of this area temporarily and looked on Unilocal for restaurant recommendations. I thought this place looked good enough to try although a bit limited in its reviews. I am so glad I gave it a try. It was delicious– everything I ate was flavorful and not expensive. I had the combo platter with chicken masala and a beef samosa. I will definitely be back and probably sooner than later. Highly recommend this place for a lunch of co-​workers who love Indian and Pakistan foods.

Hole in the wall with some of the best Indian food I’ve ever had! Definitely have the best lamb gyro here. We’ll be back for sure! :)

Food was unexpectedly awesome!!! Authentic Halal meat. Ordered goat biryani and tandoori chicken. Perfect amount of spice! Atmosphere reminded me of a school cafeteria. Will definitely come back for more.

Amazingly good. Little hole in the wall place. Not the speediest service, but damn well worth the wait. Chani sauce is GREAT!

Food is always great! I’m giving it 4 stars b/​c the consistency of the meals could use some help and the service can be better. Other than that this place has that great traditional taste you are looking for!

Oh! My! God!
This is a hidden jewel. All you foodies craving authentic Pakistani food, run and grab whatever you want. Everything tastes so good, can’t stop eating.

At first glance the phrase «looks can be deceptive» sits perfectly with this place. But it applies only to the look of the place. When you take a bite of that hot spicy chicken boti though, I bet you will forget everything else. Food is simply that delicious. In both quality and quantity, this place wins all stars besides your heart. Service is excellent and welcoming. It is the exact spice level of a south asian cuisine. Not one grill item disappointed me. However, chicken manchuria fried rice which is their Thursday special was not all chicken; there were bits and pieces of meal maker aka soya. If a high class ambience is your style then order food to go but if you are a food connoisseur use disposable cutlery and enjoy that spicy-​off the grill-​mouth watering-​hot-​juicy-​tender meat. Merci!

From the outside this place looks yuck. The neighborhood around it is kinda shady (Harry Hines Blvd). Fact is it seems as though it’s a family operation and the lunch we had here was really, really good. The owner told us, when we place our order, that if we didn’t like the food, it was free! Needless to say we ended up paying. This place will definitely end up on our lunch rotation.

Being a good cook and experimenting chef i love to eat out to try new places. For last 3 months in Dallas i have been to majority of indian and pakistani restaurants. And finally i realized that every week i usually go to one place if i have to eat quality food. And not only food the way the host treat makes you feel special like you are visiting your friend’s place. Alkabab is the best finest food place. Dont go for the look, once food enters your mouth you will forget everything. If you want to taste pakistani food just give it a try.

This place has some fantastic dishes. One of my complaints is the poor ventilation from the kitchen. It can get a little smoky, but, that won’t keep me away. This dive is small and it gets crowded quick. Every dish that comes out of the kitchen looks delicious. And the ones I’ve had so far are fantastic. The food here is legit, which gets them four stars instead of three.
The Biryani and Daal Fry seem to be popular with the regulars. A lot of Pakistani and Indian people eat here, so that tells me this is the real deal. Everything is cooked to order, so plan on staying a while. It’s well worth the wait. Service can be awkward. They really need to focus on a smooth system. Normally, there’s one lady running the register taking the orders and cashing people out. She also has to deliver the dishes to the tables. Too much for one person. She’s really nice and I hate seeing her get slammed like that.
The food I’ve had has been delicious. I have only one complaint with the food. They serve up a huge naan. When it comes to the wraps they need to proportion the filling out better. I found myself tearing some of the wrap away as it was a bit too much. Of the dishes I had, I really favored the lamb kabab plate and the chicken tandoori tikka. This is one of those places that I will forever beat myself up for not having eaten there more often. There was so much more on the menu to try. :(But, when I’m back in the area, I’ll be there!

Man this place is legit, food and people. Been going here at least once a week to try everything. So far it’s all good, gonna try the chicken spaghetti next lol.
Get some!

Al Kabob serves authentic Indian/​Pakistani food in a very nondescript part of Dallas, the 35E-​Royal Ln, and Harry Hines corridor. You need to order at the counter and the lady is helpful enough if you need help on some of the esoteric items on the menu, specially if you are not from South Asia.
The Machi bhat (Fish Pilau, should really be Fish Rice) — it was basically a whole fillet tilapia served on top of the rice-​they call it Pilau but not quite an authentic Pulau; nonetheless very flavorful especially with the help of the gravy it comes with. It also came with a salad which was all onion and a slice of tomato/​cucumber and little fresh lettuce.
Most of the food items are less than 9 bucks and there are varieties of specialty items that are kept as specials of the day and made fresh.
I feel this place is worth for items like Chana (chick peas) Halwa-​Puri breakfast, Chicken chapli kabab, Bihari chicken, lamb gyros, nihari and haleem. If you are adventurous enough, you can try their goat paya (feet) and kat-​a-​kat (a hodgepodge of liver, heart and other organs).
If you live or work in the Las Colinas area, don’t let the location or inside setting of the restaurant which is basically few tables crammed in small area hold you off– it is worth the visit; if not for the dine-​in, the take-​out will do the trick to drag you back to try for more.