Randy T.
Yelp
Persian restaurant that excels both in its namesake kabobs and also its vegetarian dishes. Taaj Kabob and Grill is a combination of a restaurant and a small market. The kitchen is open in the back of the building, while the dining room is spacious with tables that can accommodate both small and large groups. If you're looking for spices, olive oil, and Persian desserts, I'd definitely advise you to check out the market either before or after your meal. The menu includes kabobs of beef, chicken and lamb variety. Beef and chicken kabobs can be ordered a la carte, while plates include 2 kabobs, rice, and grilled tomato. Vegetarians can indulge in falafel, dips (hummus, baba ghanoush, and several eggplant or yogurt-based dips), or salads. Dips are served with flatbread.
Location/Parking: Taaj Kabob and Grill is located at the corner of Holcomb Bridge and Spalding. It's on the same corner as the Chevron gas station. There is ample parking both in front and on the side of the restaurant/market.
Food:
Mirza Ghasemi ($5.99) - This is a smoked eggplant, tomato, and garlic dip. I was pleasantly surprised that this dip was not salty. The dip has a good consistency and goes well with the flatbread served with it. I liked how the eggplant's smoky flavor was prominent. I would recommend that you order this as an appetizer.
Fatoosh ($4.99) - The fatoosh is a great salad to accompany a kabob. It's not large enough to be a meal alone, but the portion size isn't stingy either. The salad is lightly dressed and comes with plenty of onions, cucumber, and tomatoes. I enjoyed the toasted flatbread that was mixed into the salad.
Chicken Koobideh Kabob ($4.25) - I ordered the individual kabob because I had planned to exercise afterwards. From observation of other tables, the plates with 2 kabobs are huge. If you are hungry, definitely order a plate so you will get 2 kabobs, rice, and vegetables on the side. I was very impressed with the kabobs. They were one of the juiciest kabobs that I've eaten at a restaurant, without being undercooked. The outside of the kabobs has a nice sear. I recommend you add some of the mixed seasoning on the table to further enhance the flavor, but they're also good without the seasoning.
Service: The service is a little slower paced than at other restaurants, but the servers get the job done. The staff is friendly and very patient too.
Verdict: The kabobs here are top notch. I would make the drive again to eat here again. The dips are also very tasty and the salads are respectable as well. Service was a little slower than average, but the high quality of the food and the pleasant demeanor of the staff definitely more than makes up for it.