Kabob lounge - Sheesh, this place is good

Kabob Lounge

I'm not even sure how I ran into this place.  I think I was driving down Shiloh and caught a glimpse in the corner of a little place with a "Kabob Lounge" sign and looked it up on Google.  I was quite surprised to see another Indian food place turn up in Tyler.  They are new, as far as I know. The place is located off Shiloh just west of 110 (Troup highway) in the corner of a non-nondescript strip mall.  The interior is sparsely decorated with a small dining room.  They offer online ordering as well.

The spread:  The menu is interesting.  My impression was that the owner wanted the menu to reflect his nostalgia for barbeque back in Pakistan.  They focus on grilled items to include seekh kabobs (beef and chicken), various forms of grilled chicken (green chicken, maili boti), bihari kabob, as well as fried fish and falafel.  They also offer some of the grilled items in a sandwich/wrap form.  They also offer three forms of 'curries' in the chicken karahi, a couple of salads and naan of various kinds. 

The verdict: Wow, I was blown away with the skill in preparation and execution of their dishes.  The grilled items I have tried were deliciously spiced, expertly grilled and just plain good eatin.  The chicken karahi was also very good, well seasoned and balanced in heat.  The naan was also fresh and had that great balance of fluffy and crispy.  I also have to say that the prices are quite reasonable.  This isn't just a good Indian/Pakistani place for Tyler, this is a very good restaurant. 

Edible Tyler Roses: 5 out of 5, I highly recommend to give this place a try for some authentic and cheap Indian/Pakistani grub.

Taj Mahal - Finally Indian food is back in Tyler *UPDATED

Taj Mahal



Taj Mahal is a new northern Indian/Pakistani restaurant in Tyler.  They haven't been open more than a month as of this post.  They are in the old Quiznos location off of Broadway/I-69 just south of the Brookeshire's.  They haven't done a lot of work to the exterior, but there is a nice patio that should be pleasant in the evenings.

The spread:  On their menu, the offer samosas, lentil soup and dumplings as appetizers.  They offer a variety of vegetarian options to include saag paneer, chan masala, and vegetable curry.  The meat options include chicken kadahi, chicken curry, beef dishes, lamb dishes and goat curry.  They also have a tandoori oven and offer seekh kabobs, tandoori chicken as well as different styles of naan (plain, garlic, sesame).  They also offer sweet lassi and mango lassi (a yogurt drink).  The dessert menu has a few traditional Indian style desserts.

The verdict:  First, let's start with the food.  I have had their saag paneer, chicken curry, lamb curry, mango lassi, plain naan and garlic naan.  The saag paneer consists of a mash of spinach and spices with chunks of cheese and was delicately spiced and quite tasty.  The lamb curry was a tomato based curry and again had a great rich flavor profile with just the right amount of spice.  The mango lassi has been a great drink - it has a nice sweetness and great mango flavor - and the yogurt element takes some of the edge off of the spiciness of the food.  The chicken curry was a great curry, but the chicken was not well prepared and was quite tough.  The first time I had their naan - which is a fresh baked flat bread, it wasn't very good - very doughy and not crispy.  The second time, I had garlic naan and it was very good, crispy, fresh and tasty.  I have tried their food many times since the first visit and the dishes range from excellent to inedible.  Their grilled items range from bad to I couldn't eat more than one bite.  They consistently have problems with keeping menu items available.  And although their curries are good, they seem to be a little monotone.

Edible Tyler Roses: 3 out of 5, it is great to have a new Indian place in town, but the service is consistently bad, the dishes are hit and miss.  You can find some great dishes and some awful ones.  Because of the limited choices in Tyler, I would recommend giving it a try.

Wok Box - Wok this way?

Wok Box Fresh Asian Kitchen



Wok Box is a new place off of Broadway just north of the south loop.  It is in the Olde English Village strip mall area and isn't much to look at from the outside, although they have done a good job with a face lift of the strip mall area.

The spread:  I was very excited to give Wok Box a try.  They are small chain that has a lot of things going for it.  They have an expansive menu focusing on Asian and Indian cuisine.  Of note, they prominently display vegan and gluten free products.  They have a noodle box with noodles and various topping of meats and sauces (kung pao, spicy korean, etc), a rice box (Indian butter chicken, mongolian beef, etc), curry box (rice and curry of a couple different styles), Banh mi (vietnamese sandwich, although the Tyler location may not have these), Pho (vietnamese style noodle soup), and various appetizers (samosas, egg roll, spring roll, etc).  They also offer a nice selection of craft beers. 

The verdict:  I was very excited to try this place out, particularly because Tyler doesn't have an Indian restaurant anymore, and I was pumped to get some good Indian food.  The place seemed hip, with a well staffed kitchen and the food came out fast.  I got some samosas, Indian butter chicken and spicy Thai chicken curry (and a craft beer).  Well, the first thing I was disappointed with was the portion size for the price.  The chicken was bland and unseasoned.  They apparently use the same chicken for all the chicken dishes, so it was a little monotonous. The indian sauce was scanty and not authentic (although it was "Indian" style, the flavor profile was a bit bland and single note), the curry had very little heat and again didn't taste authentic (watered down for the masses).  The samosas were fairly good, but again the spices were a little bland.  Overall, I was disappointed with the lack of aggressive seasoning/spices that I am accustomed to in authentic Indian/Thai cuisine.  I think they have a lot of things going for them, but it just didn't scratch that Indian food itch.

Edible Tyler Roses:  2.5 out of 5, middle of the road, non-authentic Indian/Asian food.

Veranda Indian Cuisine - last bastion of Tyler Indian food

*EDIT*  Veranda has closed it's doors for 'remodeling' for several months now.  I was told on the phone that they would reopen in May, but sadly no new of it coming back.  I have a feeling that we'll never taste Veranda Indian Cuisine again. If anyone know different, please let me know.

Veranda Indian Cuisine
3310 Troup Highway
Tyler, TX 75701



Veranda is located inside the Ramada, just north of the loop off of Troup Highway. They offer a lunch buffet and I am assuming a dinner service (I have yet to dine here during the evening). The only other Indian restaurant in town was Namaste Bombay Brassiere which has since closed its doors. The restaurant isn't very visually stunning to be nice. There is a hotel bar with 10 tables or so with a buffet line set up. The view is the hotel pool. I think the lunch buffet was around 8-9 bucks (no drink included).

The spread: For lunch they had a decent sized buffet. There are some dessert type items to include a couple of types of pudding and fruit. The entrees available consisted of a spicy cabbage salad, basmati rice, chicken birayni (chicken and rice with spices), butter chicken (chicken with spicy cream sauce), goat curry, tandoori chicken, a lentil preperation and a vegetarian dish that I think was palak paneer (cottage cheese cubes in spinach sauce). They also had a warm sweet carrot dish for dessert (gajar halwa?). They also served hot naan to your table. I didn't see a menu, but I know they also do a mango lassi (mango yogurt drink).

The verdict: Well, I have to say that I didn't have high hopes when I walked in. It was close to peak lunch hours and there was a family of 6-8, and two other couples in the restaurant, usually a bad sign. The food was sensational. Everything I tasted was perfectly cooked and spiced. I think they 'dumbed' down the heat level a little bit in the meat dishes, but the dishes had a strong heat level without being overbearing. The naan was hot, crispy and chewy - perfect for sopping up any leftover curry/sauce. My favorite was the goat curry, bones and all - it just hit the spot for me as I love it when a cheap, tough cut of meat gets turned into savory melt in your mouth goodness. The tandoori chicken was also a pleasant surprise as I usually find it bland, but they cooked it perfectly with the right amount of spices and smoke. I was once again blown away by the quality of indian food, right here in Tyler. An additional surprise was the sweet carrot dish, it reminded me of sweet potatoes served dessert style at Thanksgiving.

Edible Tyler Roses: 5 out of 5, rare gem of great food and reasonable prices. I will have to go back during an evening dining service.

Namaste Bombay

UPDATE: Namaste Bombay has unfortunately closed its doors. It will be missed. There is apparently a new Indian food place that has opened in town that I will be sure to try.

Namaste Bombay
713 W. SW Loop 323 Ste. F
Tyler, TX 75703

This is a Indian food restaurant just west of Broadway/69 on the loop. I was a little worried about the place as I rolled in for the lunch buffet. The outside isn't much to look at. Walking inside, the place had nice decor and warmth. There were 4 other customers in the restaurant, barely enough for me to not walk right out. Never eat at a restaurant when you are the only customer during lunch or dinner. I was greeted by the owner (I think) who was very pleasant and directed me to the buffet.

The spread: Two different kinds of rice, one with herbs/spices, one plain (basmati I presume), two 'soupy' curries, spiced potatoes, peas and green beans, a spicy egg curry, a goat dish with a spicy sauce, and warm Naan.

The verdict: WOW, I was blown away with the aggressive spicing by the chef. This is not watered down Indian food! Every dish had a unique flavor profile and was really well done. These people care about their food! The naan was delicious. This was my first time to try an egg curry (hard boiled eggs, halved then cooked with a spicy brown sauce). The goat dish was the star of the show, meaty, delicious, just enough spice. Overall, there is a chef back there in the kitchen who cares about his craft. All for less than ten bucks. The value is going to be tough to beat. The service was also very nice, the owner was quite friendly. Overall, this is the best meal for the value I have eaten in Tyler.

Edible Tyler Roses: 4 out of 5, absolutely best value for the food in Tyler.