Kababeque Indian Grill

I followed my nose here, the restaurant smelled incredible. The staff person (a redhead) was very nice when I asked what they had just cooked because it smelled great. She said it was biryani, so I got paneer biryani (spicy) and veggie pakoras. The pakoras were hot and fresh, though a bit too greasy. The biryani however was really disappointing- I realized the amazing smell came from the fried onions sprinkled on top 😅 the biryani itself was flavorless and really not spicy by any measure. It was just lightly flavored rice. At least the paneer was properly fried and not too bland. Overall, my search for good Indian food in Tucson continues…

I’ve been here on and off over the years since my first year at uofa. They’ve been through a bit of a roller coaster in terms of quality, but recently they’ve been a pretty good contender with some of the other Indian cuisine I’ve had in the area, especially for their price point. They’ve heavily improved the dining area with a renovation overhaul. It’s actually quite comfortable to sit down and enjoy a meal compared to before. Sometimes in the past I would solely not choose to eat there because I wanted to do a sit down. Portion sizes seem slightly larger?

It’s my favorite place in Tucson! I love Haryali Roll and Chicken Biryani they cook. Chicken tikka is not cooked that well here, though, unfortunately.

Wish I would have read the reviews about cleanliness before my son and I ate here last night. About 15 minutes after we left my son clearly ended up with a case of food poisoning. Now reading these reviews about cockroaches and cleanliness I can see why. There was a lady in the back walking around eating a piece of Naan and someone was hacking really bad back there. Could not see if they were covering their mouth or not. Chose to give them a shot and I’m in serious regret right now for not going with my intuition. My son is still suffering today at 12:30 pm and we ate there around 8pm last night. I think a visit from a health inspector needs to happen. I am not one for leaving bad reviews unless necessary but people need to be warned and think twice about eating here.

Ordered through DoorDash Good portion. I had the chicken tikka masala with garlic naan. Best Indian I’ve had in Tucson. So happy I found this place. I ask for spicy it was a milder spicy I think but well balanced fresh food. Amazing 10/10

I ordered the Chicken Tikka Q Roll and wow! Great meal for a great price. Be careful with the spice level, if you’re sensitive but otherwise 10/10 would recommend. :) thank you Kababeque staff!

Pretty drab inside. That’s why I ordered for takeout. Mango lassi was great. Lamb vindaloo very good - I wish I had also ordered naan bread with it as it was way more sauce than could be eaten with the rice. I’d come again for authentic Indian flavor.

This was hands down one of the worst dining experiences I’ve had. I walked in with my clearly tagged service dog and was immediately met with judgmental, unfriendly stares. We knew what we wanted to order right away, but instead of that being appreciated, we were ignored. When we finished ordering, the woman behind the counter looked at us like we were stupid and made us repeat everything. No greeting, no thank you, no acknowledgment—just a rude, dismissive attitude. When the food was finally ready, no one said a word. She didn’t call out our order or let us know it was done—we had to ask another customer if the food sitting there was ours. The whole experience was uncomfortable. We were looked at like we didn’t belong, and the vibe was cold and unwelcoming. I had to step outside because it felt so hostile inside. And the food? Mediocre at best. It tasted like something you could throw together at home in 10 minutes. The curry had no depth, no richness—just bland, flat flavor. And they had the nerve to serve it with a store-bought tortilla. Nothing authentic, nothing handmade. To top it all off, I watched the woman in the kitchen handle the food without gloves. Absolutely disgusting. Save your time, your money, and your appetite. This place is not it.

Friendly and hardworking family served some delicious and affordable lunch- I would go again! The chicken tikka stuffed naan was unique and yummy and needed a bit more garlic but paired great with my saag paneer. I would have liked a bit more flavor in the rice and the saag more creamy, but over all, it satisfied my craving and I had leftover for dinner.

Gross! The delivered food was inauthentic "Indian" cuisine. The purported "saag chicken" contained chicken (perhaps pigeon meat) that tasted like a combination of sawdust and ground cock roaches.

The food was hot, delicious, and there was plenty of it. I asked for a medium, and it definitely had a kick. The people at the counter were nice and attentive. I highly recommend. The only downside they were in the middle of construction and renovation..

We stopped today for lunch before the play at Centennial Hall. Our meals were delicious and would rate the quality and flavors as a 5 but the service was poor, thus the 3 rating. The person taking our order wouldn't offer any suggestions and was very short when we asked questions. I ordered the chicken kabob and my husband had the chicken with curry. Because of the service we will eat elsewhere next time we are on University Avenue.

Kababeque is one of the best places to eat on University. This locally owned spot has a wide range of menu items and freshly made food with meat and veggie options. If you've ever been to Saffron Indian Bistro, this location is also owned by the same folks. Their team is always really kind and the food is ready fast. There is plenty of seating inside and outside for the size of their location.

Yo. Yo. Yoooooo!!!! Y'all should be ashamed of y'all selves for how lit this food is. Being a vegetarian around here is difficult sometimes with needing a decent portion of food, flavor, AND an affordable price point. Y'all did that. The Paneer Roll spicy is such a stacked combination of what I've mentioned and then some. The richness of the spices, the freshness and firm texture of the paneer is crazy work. 10-10-10-10!

Very chill vibe the wait was short, great flavor flat garlic nan but still great I saved some for later

This grill is located near the University of AZ campus. We were not sure what we wanted. When we saw the Indian food sign, it piqued our interest. After reviewing the menu, we decided to try it. I ordered the Q chicken curry wrap and hubby got chana masala with rice. They do a big take out business. Our order probably took about 15-20 min. Everything is cooked fresh to order. They also ask about spicy levels; mild, medium or hot. The food was ample. They offered 4 types of different sauces; hot, yogurt, tamarind and spinach. We enjoyed both dishes. I chose the yogurt sauce and it was perfect. Street parking.

Ordered: Medium spice chicken tikka masala Garlic naan The food was absolutely amazing and I'd totally eat here again because of it. Pleasantly spicy chicken, and the naan was slightly charred but still soft. I wish the tikka masala had more chicken, but there was plenty of rice to soak up the extra sauce. The restaurant itself is small and feels dated...the booths are cracked and overall lack luster. Ambience is meh. Service is average - the woman working the counter was obviously stressed and didn't make conversation or put in effort. Overall, would definitely order to-go or delivery because the food was 5 stars.

Got chicken curry with garlic naan & it was amazing!!! Love this place. Good food and good service!

Their dishes are consistent and so easy to order dairy free or without butter. Great flavor and spices. The woman who takes orders is so well informed of ingredients and is always friendly and professional and knowledgeable. We love all the veggie dishes. Eggplant, Dahl, spinach dishes are my favorites. My only complaint is they only use disposable dishes that are made of black plastic or styrofoam. The temps are usually very hot so clearly these meals include toxic chemicals leaching from disposable to go containers. Bring your own glass for them to fill up.

So flavorful. Just spicy enough. I've never seen meat look this pink without it being raw. It kinda freaked me out honestly lol What I got Mango Lassi Garlic Naan Lamb Roll

This is the worst Indian I've ever had. It is real slop with no flavor and thrown on flimsy plastic plates. In top of it all, they gave us hardly any chicken with the tiki masala or the lamb korma. The nan bread was not even hot. Two pieces of Nan bread, 2 tiki masala's and 1 lamb korma almost $40. It's not even worth $20. Since this is owned by Saffron, they should institute new management otherwise they will ruin their reputation and people like me who love Saffron and eat there often will stop going.

Not only is the atmosphere fairly grim but the food is not good quality Indian fare. If you want something super basic and fast it's fine but keep your expectations low.

I got takeout and it was great. Tandoori chicken was excellent. I chose spicy with my tiki masala and it was great but the biryani was just ok; add the white sauce and it takes it up.

Really good. Garlic naan is great. Also love getting the chicken tikka masala and saag paneer.

The food was excellent and the service was on point. Everyone was so nice in there and the food was fantastic... fresh and delicious. I ordered the chicken curry with garlic naan and asked to have it medium high spice level and they got it perfect... thank you!

SAHUARITA, AZ Location!! Currently, the Sahuarita location isn't aligned to Yelp per address as of 27 Mar, so this review applies to THIS location and not the Tucson or Oro Valley locations. - Finally opened; walked in and could clearly see that the building was immensely refurbished, updated, painted and outfitted to a modern fitting. The restaurant's colors are appealing, calm and yet simple. The smell of Inidian cuisine is a refreshing addition to Sahuarita where mexican and pizza joints have all but flooded the area in the same. I met with the manager who explained his past and why they came to Sahuarita. Their intent is to additionally open two more restaurants (purportedly) In Green valley and over in Vail. Again, nice to see an expansion of food style. Ordered three meals off of an overly simplistic dual-half page menu with garlic naan. $65.00... Yikes. for three meals that consisted of rice, 8 pieces of chicken and bread, this is seriously expensive. My wife noted, we're likely not going to be ordering much here for these prices and I couldn't agree more. The prices are extreme for this area - for this style. The meal itself was very delicious and fulfilling. The $65.00 price tag stuck in my mind the whole time I'm chomping though... 'Is this worth this??' From my 22 y/o and wife's POV, the meals were mutually delish. They handed the meals over BTW in a nice clean, green to go shopping fabric bag that can be reused - love those! Aside from the pricing, the meal took nearly 20 minutes to receive; though, IMO being brand new, this is almost to be expected and I'm okay with that. As long as this is corrected over the next week or so. The manager stated the goal for food-to-customer timeline 'should' be between 8-11 minutes and knows they need to work out some kinks. I certainly believe with the fanfare, they're going to work on this. They really want this restaurant to survive where again, the dynamics here are A) very few sit down restaurants and B) primarily Mexican and pizza based. Come check this place out, enjoy some well cooked, delicious meals. We thoroughly enjoyed the meals but still concerned at the pricing. You decide after a run through...

I've loved this restaurant for years. I ate here again this past week and they've removed the high tables and replaced them with low tables. They are all separated and I felt comfortable eating in (corona). There were no other customers eating inside at the time, but a few people picked up to go orders and wore masks. I always get the single chicken tikka Q-roll and a side of rice. I get the double roll if I want leftovers. I love the white and green sauces to add to the roll. My mom got the chicken tikka masala and loved it. It was too tomato-y for me but I don't normally order this dish out anyway.

Delish! I had the Chicken Tikka Masala. Clean and neat as a pin! Nice and pleasant counter person!

This place was great! I got chicken vindaloo, garlic naan, and strawberry lassi all for $20. The portions were very good! And it was true Indian food. The service was quick and easy.

Started going in college, now it's the first spot I hit when I visit. Pretty sure I dream about their pasanda with embarrassing frequency. Also has the Indian friend stamp of approval (top three he's been to in the US).

Good Indian take away. Got it on Election night, perfect meal for watching the results! The chicken tikka kabobs were excellent, and the raita was very good too. For college town Indian good prices, quick service.

Ordered take out from here last night and ordered Lamb Saag and Cheese Naan. I love Indian food so I was excited eat here. I was very disappointed. The Saag didn't taste fresh, lacked any kind of spice (heat) and the naan was weird and tasted the same. Would not eat here again.

I like the food (not love but like). I thought I would go here seeing I work around here this will be super convenient if I just order a big order for family that's in town on my way home. The order was called in around 2 for a pickup at 4:30.......Oh it's 4:53 and I'm still here waiting for my $&@$ food. They didn't prepare anything and complaining will do no good seeing they don't really care about your feelings (I've always seen and known it). I paid $176 for a super late meal!!!!! I'm done with this place and will never come here again even if it's convenient (because it's not!). Oh it's 4:57....no food yet. Can I get a discount or a free smoothie?! What eves! I'm done and you should avoid this place. Go to other Indian food places then here or the better U of A area places to eat. It's not even busy too!!

My go to place for spicy Indian food. The dishes are made fresh. But it's just a fast food place for a quick meal. Try the chicken or mutton style dishes. The place is clean and comfortable in a cool environment. Price is affordable. Recommended place to try Indian cuisine.

This beyond terrible symbol was located in the front doors of this establishment last night 11/12 while my spouse was picking up a delivery. The employees inside, when questioned, said it was a celebration symbol. 0 stars I removed the offensive symbol photo. The DoorDash driver who took the photos and delivery is Jewish, so I'm sure you can imagine which symbol is painted in the door. Employees and patrons in the establishment did nothing but defend said symbol.,

I got the lamb with rice and it was good. The tables are flimsy and definitely wasn't a super good working environment.

This place is a good authentic Indian place. I go there time to time just for the lamb curry and garlic naan. Food tastes good. Today I accidentally ordered medium spicy lamb curry which I typically order mild. It was very hot. I am not hot spice tolerant person. I could not even finish the dish. I cannot even imagine about full spicy one. If you are not good at eating hot spicy food, you should definitely choose mild choices. This place is not fine dining or family gathering type of place. If you are looking for authentic Indian food, it is a good choice. There is almost no service for the customers. The place is a self-serving type of place. I wonder why the cashiers expect tip from the customers. I would give them 3.5 stars for overall. Their food deserves 4.5 stars

Ordered last night bc I was craving Indian food. I ordered online bc I had two small grumpy children with me and was hoping to just park and run in and grab the food to bring home. When I got there I had to wait in a long line only to find out that the order was "lost" (yet credit card was charged). The guy at the register was very nice but kept taking phone calls which further delayed the line. I showed him the paid order on my phone and the woman in the kitchen said she could make it up quickly. Ordered at 6pm for pickup at 6:15. Didn't get food until almost 7pm sadly. The samosa was very good but the Malai Kofta tasted like dumplings with acidic tomato sauce dumped on top. Definitely will not return.

Great place and food is authentic and delicious! The service was exceptional and super friendly.

A solid choice for Indian food. I ordered the mild lamb korma, which was excellent. We did delivery, and they seem to have mislabeled a few of the dishes, so some people ended up getting medium spice when they wanted mild. Other than that, the food was very solid. Definitely a place I wouldn't mind going to again. I personally did not get the garlic naan, but was told it was also delicious.

Chicken tikka masala tasted like tomato soup. I asked for it spicy as well. Pretty disappointed. Rice was okay, I got a large bite of some aromatic seasoning chunk and tasted like perfume. garlic naan was decent as well.

When I was a college student, I frequented Kababeque. All the vegetarian dishes I had were pretty good; they're not my first choice for Indian food, but certainly one of the better options along University Ave. However, the one thing that brings me back here whenever I visit from out-of-state is the samosas. I have never found samosas that are seasoned the same way as these! The potato filling is not sweet, and the spices that stand out are fennel, ajwain, mint, and turmeric. They are sooo delicious!

Best tikka misala ever! Nhaan serving are huge. Workers are nice too. Always a must when I visit Tucson!

Pleasantly surprised but this delicious place! We ran out of time to go to a nice sit down before the Broadway show we were going to so ended up going here on a whim and we really enjoyed the food we got! I had the curry and garlic naan and my daughter got a chicken dish, sorry I can't remember the specific names, but the point is everything was really good!

Kababeque is my guilty pleasure! I absolutely love this place and I have brought my family and friends here to eat with me. I always get the spicy chicken pasanda with plain naan. I also eat it with the yogurt sauce that they leave out. It is on the pricer side, lunch costs me about $13.

I ordered the chicken tikka roll, large size. The chicken was very very tender and had a good tandoori flavor, however the mild sauce added detracted from the overall meal, giving it more of a Bolognese type tomato flavor. Shame, the next time I'll be back I'll just order the chicken tikka kebab

The portions are large. Went for dinner and the two of us picked two dishes, each came with rice. They give you a lot of 1 thing. In Indian cooking there would normally be at least two different tastes to go with the rice. We split, so it was OK, but otherwise it is going to get boring. Portions were large and price was reasonable. If they offered combos, they would get 4 stars.

Sauces are good I got the sampler kabob. Wasn't a fan of the lamb but the chicken tikka was cooked well.

I love the Saag paneer medium spicy. So delicious. Probably one of the best places to get Indian food in Tucson.

Unsure why this place shows up as "halal" on Google when I search "halal food near me". While the girl at the counter assured me it's halal meat, there is no certificate or halal sign or any other indication it's a Muslim establishment. The place is cute with their Hindu idols and Indian decor, but I doubt the source of the "halal" meat. I'm sorry if I am mistaken but every place (like Dave's hot chicken) will display their certificate of halal meat near the counter or visible to the public. Otherwise it is misleading and deceiving if that isn't correct. Otherwise,this place is conveniently located! The Bollywood music is vibe. The place does have a strong smell of Indian food (as expected) so if you eat inside, your clothes will smell like it after you leave. Learned that the hard way.... In short: If you are a Muslim who eats halal only PLEASE reconsider or choose their vegetarian option if you're craving Indian food. (Did not try the vegetarian dishes so can't speak on the quality of this). Otherwise not bad. Girl at counter was kind and answered any questions as best as she could.

Indian food is just not my cup of tea for the most part. However, we were at an event at the Tucson Hop Shop and since this food truck was there and we were hungry I had to get something. I tried the chicken tacos and while I wasn't a big fan of the sauce I was impressed by the chunks of the chicken and the way it was cooked very well, still leaving it juicy. The tortillas were also not good, the rubbery not homemade style. The sauce actually just needed a little salt and just a little more flavor but I liked that while coated the chicken wasn't drowning in it. As for the service it seemed to be the husband running the show and the wife and kids were around too. He was very friendly towards us and the children were cute trying to entertain themselves. I hadn't seen the reviews of an owner screaming at the staff yet and I really hope this wasn't the same person.

I have been eating here for years upon years. When I cannot get off campus to Shere-E-Punjab, this is my go-to spot. And since the renovation of last year or so, the space and -- somehow -- the service have improved substantially. My favorite about the new space: gorgeous windows that let in natural, bright light, and I've developed quite the affinity for the bright green chairs there. What to know? This is a small, super casual and speedy restaurant. And, after placing your order, you can be sure that your food will be prepped and ready to go within 10 minutes or so. My favorite is the saag. Doesn't matter if you have it with chicken, paneer or whatever else, the dish always carries a lovely flavor, with a hint of mustard seed. Nice. But where are the issues? The place can get crammed very quickly during the lunch rush. That makes for too many awkward situations. Also, the veggie samosas and the tikka masala are strangely flat on the flavor. Just...not interesting at all. I hear the tikka masala is the most popular dish. How?! There is SO MUCH MORE going on with the menu offerings, I cannot believe the tikka is the go-to item here. The tomato sauce flavor is strong with this one. The bonuses? I've had great luck with the curry and korma. The aloo matar and the biryani are also quite nice. And the Q-roll -- brilliant addition! It's yummy, spice-enduced flavor wrapped in a thin bread-like tortilla with crisp lettuce and this glorious sauce. Seriously?! Perfect for lunch. Try the lamb and haryali rolls. Yum-yum. Also important to note: You have the option of mild, medium or spicy. I tend to go with medium, but find that I often wish I had gone a bit more spicy than that. I was raised in Los Angeles. Tobasco sauce is a fun flavor additive. Dave's Insanity offers just an enjoyable rise. ("Give me the habanero, I say, or give me death!") So, for me, the spice often runs mild and dry at Kababeque. What else is important to mention? The favorite and enjoyable naan! You have the option of plain naan, or a whole selection of flavorings, like cheese, japapeno, lamb, aloo and other naans. Seems the garlic naan is pretty popular here. I have not tried anything other than the plain naan. It's pretty amazing. The size of two adult faces for a little more than $2. Nice pricing there. So, yes, highly recommended, especially if you are on campus or visiting campus.

Food was not authentic Indian. Goat tikki masala was a tomato sauce with little flavor. The lamb korma tasted like a brown gravy instead of a rich cashew yogurt sauce. Bengain bharta also only tasted like brown sauce with a small portion. The meat portion sizes were adequate and tender. The flavoring was bland. The small space was noisy. The counter service was pleasant. Very disappointing.

So...every single thing about this place is amazing. The food is literally like crack. I cannot get enough.

I used to eat here maybe once a week, but now I try to avoid eating here. My friend received a meal here with a cockroach in it. He even has a picture of it. So ever since I saw that picture, I have been avoiding this place, which is sad because I used to love eating here. My friend used to eat here frequently as well, but he no longer eats here. I suggest Saffron instead, it's a nicer restaurant, plus I think they're owned by the same person I'm not sure. If you do decide to go here even with my warning, I suggest the Chicken Pasanda Spicy with some plain naan.

Love this place! Aloo Roll and chicken tikka roll are our go to's. Drive far and wide to come back

Love eating here! The food is always amazing and high quality. Service is always friendly and very fast. Definitely the best spot at University Blvd!