Tandoori Grill Xpress pop-up

Ok, so it's a little weird to get lunch from chafing dishes set up in the middle of a convenience store. But, I'm not one to complain when the food is as good as this. The main Tandoori Grill location is up on Bethel Rd. This Pakistani restaurant is one of my favorites in town. So I was excited to hear that they were opening a pop-up location downtown on Capitol Square. And more than a little confused. Their announcement made it sound like they were opening in a convenice store. That couldn't be right. Could it? Yep. It is. When you walk in, they have a couple of chafing trays set up with the day's offerings. According to the friendly folks working at the store, some of the menu will vary from day to day while other dishes will be offered regularly. When I was there they had chicken tikka masala, chickpeas, grilled chicken, and ground chicken that was formed into long patties and then grilled. They're served with/over rice. Also on the menu were chicken samosa and salad. The chicken tikka masala and samosas were both delicious. I didn't give the final fifth star however because they weren't as good as when you get them from the full restaurant on Bethel. Which makes sense in light of the fact that they were cooked earlier in the day and being kept warm. So in summary, a great downtown lunch time addition. And if you do like it, visit the full service location. It's even better.

I was so excited to read this CU article about delicious Pakistani food being available at a convenience store near me (columbusunderground.com/...). I went as soon as I could, and honestly, so should you! If you love Tandoori Grill on Bethel or haven't been there because it's too far away, this is the perfect opportunity to try its food during the lunch hour. Ideally, this would be a 3.5 star review, but I'm rounding it up because of the convenience factor. During my visit, I tried the samosa, chickpea curry, rice, and chicken seekh kebab. The seekh kebab was the star; perfectly spiced and amazingly tender. I've had so many disappointingly dry seekh kebabs, but this was was pure perfection. Next time, I'm just getting this with rice. The chickpeas and rice were good too. Loved the samosa, though it could be a tad less oily. But, heck, I chose to have fried food. My meal also came with a side salad with an Italian vinaigrette (odd choice). The salad is typically also served in the brick and mortar location and serves as a nice palate cleanser there. But since the operation in the convenience store is takeout only, getting a dressed salad, which is limp by the time I eat it, doesn't quite make sense to me. My meal cost $12, and I would've gladly paid a little less to forego the salad. Overall, a nice addition to the downtown lunch scene, which sadly lacks good Indian food. (Don't get me started on Indian Oven. Just no.)DISCLAIMER: copied over from my initial review for G&Z stores; this business was not yet added.