Punjabi Tandoor

I LOVE THIS PLACE, I cannot begin to count how many times I have eaten here. Not only is the food amazing but the staff is amazing, there is one particularly sweet lady that always remember my face and my dietary preference. For lunch, they have a great lunch deal, it’s very affordable and you get quite a large portion of food. It is so generous that I usually eat it for two to three meals. When you go in they have about 6-8 premade curries that you can choose from for the lunch deal and they usually have at least 3 vegetarian options. Every single curry I have tried from this place has been wonderful. Plus the naan that is freshly made to order, and they are scrumptious. And every lunch deal comes with a little rice pudding dessert, and it is the best rice pudding I have had. Lastly their samosa is perfectly flavored and has the right amount of spice and heat! Highly recommend this place! I have never had a bad experience or meal here.

Consistently excellent! I'm thrilled to report that the home-style food here is just as incredible as it was when I frequented this establishment in 2016 during my time in La Jolla. It's a testament to the family's unwavering commitment that everything, from the kitchen to the flavors, remains authentically delicious.

Average food. Self service but owner would kind of force you to pay good tip. They have very little courtesy for their customers.

Went there on a Sunday when there weren’t any customers. This place is typically extremely busy weekdays but not so on Sundays. I ordered the chicken masal combo, good sized serving and awesome in flavor and the right spice level. Owners are very friendly and customer oriented. The place itself, was spacious, clean and welcoming, including ample parking space (not sure how it is weekdays) and the the prices are very reasonable. Highly recommend this place.

Absolute excellent food!! I had the goat curry and butter chicken and both potentially the best I ever tasted and the naan was superb! I highly recommend it if you are into full authentic Indian flavors.

Very friendly owner! The food was great. Shown is combo#2 with lentils, rice and chicken Tikka masala as well as samosas and garlic naan. Very filling and delicious

Wanted a quick bite. Quick service and no wait. Large portion sizes and extremely flavorful food. Combos were amazing. 10/10 would recommend. Stop by if you’re in the area

This is a very dirty food. There is too much oil in the food. Are you thinking of killing a person? If you are mixing so much oil and taking less money then give the food properly.

The food here is ALWAYS good. I came today for their lunch deal that runs M-F til 4pm. I got the chef's choice w eggplant, Rogan Josh, with rice & garlic naan. My favorite entree was Rogan Josh, which is a lamb dish with garlic & spices. For entrees they had chicken, lamb, and vegetarian options. The portions here are super generous, & the food is always delicious. This place is family-owned & operated!!! Service here is amazing, today the owner gave us reccomendations & explained spice level of each dish. The way it works is that you order at the counter, and choose your own sitting. Sitting is very ample with indoor & outdoor availability. Wasn't terribly busy for a Friday at 1 pm. I saw a couple lunch goers come and go. DEFINITELY worth checking out, & a great way to support family businesses in our community.

I've been coming to Punjabi Tandoor--at Morehouse Drive, Activity Road and also the Carlsbad locations for decades. The Saini family running these restaurants truly believe in feeding people with kindness, joy and service. The Punjabi food combinations are extremely budget-friendly, with hefty portions and with choices of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes like saag, choley, baingan bharta or lamb curry (amazing sauce), chicken tikka masala or chicken curry. Their bhindi masala (okra curry) is out of this world--so get that whenever they offer it in their lunch combos or order a la carte. The Morehouse location is a large space, very clean, and the staff members are part of the Saini family, making this a welcome place. As a food writer, I've written about them in many magazines including San Diego Magazine (https://sandiegomagazine.com/food-drink/punjabi-tandoor-family-restaurant/) not only because of their excellent food and service, but the fact that this family has been a fixture in our immigrant world where a combination meal takes us back home and for other curious foodies who want to experience what comfort food for us Indians feels like. If you go to any of these locations, say hi to Jassi or Lucky or Mr. Saini and tell them I sent you!

Great value Indian place in Sorrento Valley This Indian sit down chain location -- a sushi joint in its previous life, still maintaining the classy kitsch exterior -- is a fixture of the west end here in Sorrento Valley. Came here for lunch on a weekday, and got the lunch combo #7. Not too packed, lots of open space; and ordering was quick and super easy since they plate Panda Express style. Combo #7. Comes with 2 entrees, and I opted for the less spicy Chicken Tikka Masala and the Chicken Makhani (butter chicken). The makhani was definitely more orange than expected and wasn't as buttery as I would have liked, being more on the thin side. Tikka Masala was also thinner than I am used to. However, tons of good flavor -- just not super rich or the butteriness I prefer. Maybe more tomato comes out as a result. However, the naan came out hot and fresh, and it was a very decent size, being bigger than a plate it was on by a touch: nice and fluffy. Also comes with a nice small cold cup of cold kheer, a creamy rice pudding, which was not too sweet and texture nicely done with the soggy rice bits: great way to end the meal. Did I mention you also get a can of soda with the combo? For $15.07, you get a very decent meal! Pepsi only. But don't take my word for it, give to a try. Assuming you eat big like me, you will not go hungry here. Parking is tight though, but the value is there for a good lunch sesh.

Meh. Mango lassi was fine. Veg curries were nothing special (saag & malai kofta). Decent combos but I wouldn't order from here again. I've always thought it looks depressing inside but they must have some good dishes cuz other people come? I would give two stars but three including the lassi!

I came on a rainy day for lunch when the business was slow. I got a combo with chicken tikka masala and rogan josh, the curry was really good for both! The lamb meat was tender, though the chicken was a bit dry. The naan was warm and about what I would expect. The server was friendly and the interior was clean. For the price, I'd say this restaurant is a good choice if you're craving Indian food.

The lunch combos are such a great deal ranging from $10-15! I really liked combo 9 which comes with both lamb and chicken. There were 3 options for chicken and I chose the chicken tiki masala. Mine was great and we all agreed that the flavor was great, but the chicken was a bit tough. However I really loved the lamb. Probably one of my favorites so far! I also appreciated that the combo comes with rice pudding and naan!

This is the best Indian food around! Their lunch special is unrivaled. The portions are so generous, you really get the most bang for your buck. Their samosa is so flavorful and filling. The naan is made fresh as you start your order so it always comes out hot. And it smells so delicious and fresh. For the lunch special, all of the curries are pre made. They always have about 7 curries and usually 3-4 of them are vegetarian. I usually go with my coworkers about once a month and they all agree that the lamb is probably the best meat option, so keep an eye out for that one! The best vegetarian option in my opinion is a toss up between the mushroom cream and the vegetable masala. But I recommend trying all of the curries because they are all so good, I haven't had a bad curry from here. Plus some of the lunch combos come with a rice pudding type dessert and it is delicious. There is plenty of seating and it has a nice quiet atmosphere. The staff here is so friendly and welcoming, they even remembered me after my first visit. I highly recommend trying this place, you won't regret it!

This is a no frills spot to get your Indian fix. Service is quick and easy. The parking is ample. The food for my taste is top notch for being quick. I love the fresh naan. I always come here if I need a quick lunch or dinner.

Best garlic naan ever. I asked for spicy Tikka masala. Perfect. Large portions. Easily split for two people.

Updating my review with a pic. This place is excellent as always. Ambiance and staff are exceptional and the food tastes so amazing that it reminds you of home. I highly highly recommend Punjabi Tandoor for anyone craving Indian delicacies. All of my friends enjoy eating here. See for yourself in the attached pic how amazing the food is! Can't go wrong. It tastes heavenly and is extremely affordable.

Food taste - 5 Stars Hygiene and Quality of food - 5 Stars Very friendly staff and owners - 5 Stars Ambiance and location - 5 Stars One of the best Indian cuisine restaurants in town .

This was my first time here and the food and portions are amazing. Sings was very nice and attentive, he showed interest in letting us know what to get! I love this place, everything is fresh and hot. I'd definitely recommend this business and bonus they are family owned :)

ABSOLUTELY THE BEST INDIAN FOOD IN SAN DIEGO!!!! I found this hole in the wall 10 years ago and it's one of my favorites. I've been to their Sorrento Valley location and it's good too. This location is my go to. I've ordered everything and it's all so good. I recommend their mushroom dish with the tamarind and green spicy green sauce with the garlic nann. I love this place!!! A must try and you'll love it too

Food was sooo good, perfect spice level. 10/10. Great customer service, the owner was so nice! Definitely gonna be a go-to.

This food was sooo bomb! The service was amazing, I didn't know what to get the man in the front helped picked the perfect plate. ANDDD it was served with this little sweet creamy rice on the side it was the perfect sweet for after my meal. Amazing. The ambiance was great too, not loud and comfortable seats.

I've been coming to this spot for lunch pretty regularly for the past few years now. The food is good but what has really been nice is over the past couple of months they have really focused on their customer service. Keep up the good work

Excellent food. Also great for people with nut allergies, the entire restaurant is nut free.

My go to place for late night dinners. The Sardar and his wife go out of their way and treat me like a long lost son!! It's a bit out of the way but close to my hotel when I'm in town. I heard from my work colleagues that the lunch crowd is decent from the businesses around and most are repeat customers and best of all they're Indian Americans. That is a sign of good food.

This is a great location! The workers are super friendly and efficient. I love getting the lunch or dinner combos. They give so much chicken in the chicken makhani. I love the samosas as well, especially with the red sauce. The gulab jamun is amazing too! I always tend to come back here and I recommend you do the same.

Fantastic service, quick and easy. Ambiance is welcoming. The food! My meal was fantastic. Great balance of flavors with really nice portions. The staff are incredible. Family owned business with multiple locations!

The food's really good. But they need a visit from the health department. I went inside to get a box to take my leftovers home. There was a young child behind the counter just the right height to be below the sneeze hood. They were coughing like they had COVID or bronchitis while they walked right by all the food.

Seconds, please! Takeout order. The garlic naan was warm and chewy and great for dipping. The vegetable samosas were delicious. And the Malai Kofta vegetable meatballs and curry sauce the best-tasting surprise. Enough for two meals. But should have also ordered rice to soak up the extra curry sauce. It was all so good, I went back two days later for the same take-out to share with a friend. I added the Chicken Tikka Masala and Pilau Rice and both were also excellent. The service was quick and the servers kind and thoughtful. Highly recommend.

This place was very very good! Great customer service! I will be coming back! The lamb curry was very tasteful and cooked perfect. Rice pudding to complement the dinner with a sweet finish. Great place!

This is my first review ever. Was so disappointing experience that wanted others to let know. Atleast they can save themselves from a bad experience. After a long drive of 6 hours from North East bay area, we desired a decent indian food for dinner. We saw the reviews and throught of trying them out. We were so disappointed with the food they gave us. They served stale food. We took 2 veggie Biryani and 10 Nan bread. Biryani was stale and do not know when the Nan was rolled. They didn't even bake the Nan bread properly. Nan was half baked and we had to eat raw. Ambience is nice but what good is ambience with stale food. They just want your money. Highly suggest NOT TO GO to this place.

Flavorful is the one word I can describe food here, and it never lacked on any item in the menu. The menu serves both vegetarian and non-vegetarian folks. Quality of food always bring me back here. And the original recipes behind them is the secret of the cooks here. Catering is also available and they could accommodate the last minute catering orders. My all time favorites are makhni anything, saag, any lentils, vege anything, karahi items, kheer, raita, samosa and seekh kababs. I have got one stomach.

Quite literally the worst paneer tikka masala I've ever had. Extremely salty and really just tasted like blended up tomatoes. I want a refund. I ordered two of the same dish because I'm sick and I didn't wanna worry about having to make food. The onion kulcha was very spicy and tasted like it had tajin on it. Bluh. Don't order from here.

I always come here when I need a hearty quick Indian meal. The quality of the food has been consistent each time and the service is quick. The lady at the front is very nice and has good memory because she starts already grabbing the plate combo I usually get making me feel like a regular. The place itself has lots of seating and a high ceiling so it doesn't feel crowded. The veggie, chicken, rice combo with naan and kheer is my go to and hits the spot every time. The naan is a bit too hard for my taste and is inconsistent in texture depending on the timing but I appreciate it's delivered quickly!

The Indian food here is absolutely incredible in quality and value. For literally ten dollars, you can snag two curries with rice, naan, and kheer (a type of sweet, creamy pudding). Every single time I'm craving Indian, I always pull up to Punjabi Tandoor because I just have not been able to find a single other location that can deliver such amazing food, especially at such an unbeatable price. Plus, the service at a mom and pop shop is always super sweet! Chicken Tikka Masala (3.75/5): The chicken in this can sometimes be a bit overcooked to being a bit stringy, but the flavor is always spiced to perfection. Lamb Curry (4.25/5): I am always so incredibly impressed at how they manage to get rid of all the gamey flavor in lamb, which can make the protein a bit of a hit or miss for me. Plus, the lamb is always super tender and I've just loved it every time. Naan (4.25/5): Super flakey and massive. Honestly, all their portion sizes are always ridiculously huge, which is what pushes this to be a 5-star review for me!

Pretty good spot for some affordable Indian food! I got the combo for two and I thought it was plenty of food, which was even a bigger bang for your buck. I really appreciated the portions that they have. I ended up getting the chicken tikka masala and the mushroom masala for my choice of two curries. They were both good but not what I normally expected for flavor strength. They were both quite tamed in the spices, which could be a good or bad thing depending on your palette. I thought the tandoori chicken had a nice smokey flavor and I loved the grilled onions that it came with. The vegetable samosas were also pretty good! Nice crunch on the dough part.

Hoping it was an off day and they either ran out of ingredients or got a new cook. Really disappointed with their Chicken Tikka Masala this time. I'm a big fan of this place, especially the Anaheim location. I came to the Sorrento Valley location once a few years ago when I was in town for a conference and remembered it was pretty good. Fast forward a few years, I ended up moving to SD for work and have not been able to find a good Indian restaurant near my house. Today, we were at the mall and decided to pick up from Punjabi Tandoor on the way home. We ordered the chicken tikka masala, chicken makhani, and baingan bharta. The baingan bharta was flavorful, slight difference from the Anaheim location, and the chicken makhani was good but a little bland. The chicken tikka masala tasted like chicken soup and was very watery. It was not the same creamy tikka masala I remember from this place. Again, hope it was just an off day for them otherwise this location puts the Punjabi Tandoor name to shame. Tried to upload a video to show the texture but forgot Yelp doesn't allow videos. One other thing. I didn't consider this in my rating but thought it's important for the owners to know. The older gentleman who was working was on his phone, ignored me when I walked up to the counter and didn't look up until I said hello to him. I'm not expecting 5 star hotel customer service but show some effort. The place was empty when I walked in so it's not like it was loud.

Perfect chicken tikka masala. But not-so-perfect that an originally $12 meal (I thought) ended up being $20 because it doesn't come with rice OR naan.. just chicken. And they are served to-go in big cups, so I was eating in my car over the little piece of foil that held the small piece of naan bread (I thought I paid for extra?) Damn, it was good though. Definitely ruined my shirt and face mask (spills) but if I ate this on a proper plate that would be avoided. (Stopped for quick lunch break while working Uber in the area). So, 3 stars for good food but presentation and misleading menu was alittle annoying. But I would recommend coming to eat-in, for sure. Yum! Chicken Tikka Masala 16 Oz. Basmati Rice Naan

This place fulfills that Indian food craving so well! Delicious food and wide varieties of curry. They have different combos so you can get naan, rice, and 1-2 different curries (meat or veggie) for a really good price. You can ask for less spicy if you need to, and they don't have peanuts in any of their dishes, so pretty inclusive menu. Highly recommend!

Can't beat the price and taste of Punjabi Tandoor! Their combo plates are a win every time, and upgrade to garlic naan for an even better experience! I loved their butter chicken (murgh makhani), but their tikka masala is also really good. Their combo also comes with some lentils/side and a small dessert. This place is a must every time I'm in SD! Highly recommend this family-owned restaurant!

Great food. Good taste. got paneer tikka masala and saag paneer combo. Just perfect. friendly service. lots of sitting and great atmosphere.

It really depends on the exceptions to review this restaurant. If you don't care about the quality of food, just need a quiet place for a business lunch. Then, Punjabi Tandoor is one of the choices in this area. Unfortunately, my visit was for nice food, so I have to say I was disappointed.

Got the lunch special with Rogan Josh and chicken tikka masala. I went here thinking it was the same quality as the location in Miramar. It is not :( Meat for both is dry and curry is lacking in flavor.

Punjabi Tandoor miiight be my favorite quick and affordable Indian food spot in SD. They're open pretty late, so I've probably done takeout here far more times than I'd like to admit. Their quality is consistently good, and they have a lot of options. I used to love their chicken tikka masala prior to going pescatarian; then I fell in love with their shrimp masala! Their spice is always on point, and the sauce isn't too salty or anything. The proteins are also well cooked, too. The serving sizes are fair and it's quite filling! I just wish their garlic naan was more garlicky. Overall recommend getting takeout here for your Indian food cravings; cannot comment on dine-in, though.

We were looking forward to this bc of the reviews but slightly disappointed with our experience. I would not recommend the chicken Makhani at all and the mango lassi tasted a bit old. However the lamb Kadhai was delicious. It is family owned and we ate inside with really friendly service. But unfortunately seems like the good reviews are all from non Desis and therefore caters to their taste more.

I've been going to Punjabi Tandoor for ten years, and it's been consistently great. It was the first place I ever tried Indian food and nothing, in any city I've lived in, has beat it since. The owners and staff are so friendly! Always greeted with a smile. There isn't a dish I've tried I haven't loved, but my favorites are the saag, tikka masala, and the mahkni. Their veggie samosas are delicious and perfectly fried. I've found a lot of places have very greasy samosas but these are perfectly crisp. The combos are a generous amount of food for the price. Parking is easy and on site, and there's plenty of indoor and patio seating. LOVE THIS PLACE!

Great Indian food at an affordable price point with excellent service from the staff straight off of the 805. This is one of my go to places for a quick bite of Indian cuisine. My favorite orders are the Chicken Tikka Masala, Saag Paneer (Spinach Curry with Cheese) and the Garlic Naan (just yum! Who can say no to a good garlicy, buttery carb?) I got to-go today and happy to say that the staff were quick, friendly, and efficient with the order. I'd definitely recommend stopping by here for any of your Indian food cravings anytime!

This has been our go-to Indian spot these few months. We love either doing their combinations or ordering a la carte. They have a nice patio outside and a few parking spots out front. Our favorite curries are their Chicken Tikka Masala and Butter Chicken. They give pretty generous portions of chicken. We always order sides of their garlic naan when taking it to go or, when dining in, we love getting their bhatura which is great fresh!

Absolutely wonderful Indian cuisine! Great service and a lovely ambiance. The owner has a number of herbs growing on the patio which adds something special. The butter chicken and the pakora are delicious, only made better by finishing it all off with a mango lassi. Highly recommend!

In town on business travel and this place is in walking distance from my hotel. I've been here before back in 2019 and I remember it was good. I'm not an authority on Tandoori food but I expected it to be spicy. I ordered the chicken biryani and chicken vindaloo. Not very spicy at all but. Still portion size is good, not skimpy on the meat, and service was fast. Not what I expected but not too disappointed. Would I return? Yes, now that I know what to expect. Maybe I could ask for some hot sauce next time.

We ordered tandoori mix, chicken pakora, paneer mattar and chicken kadai. The total came up to $52. It's so not worth it! My main dishes came without rice and in a very small amount for the price. Tandoori mix, the most expensive dish we ordered is so not worth it.(see pic) we also mention on the spice level but it wasn't bothered at all. I would never recommend this place at all. Very disappointing.

Great food fast in this place, and for a wonderful price. There isn't much that separates the original location on Mira Mesa, which for some reason I can't understand gets a better rating. That spot has no decor where this one is nice if odd given history as a Japanese restaurant. But not much else to ding this place on.

I've been here a few times now & have never truly enjoyed the food. The location is so convenient which made me excited before trying it. Id get a few different items each time I'd go and the one thing I did really enjoy was the sag paneer. Nothing else really did anything for me. I do think they have potential to be an amazing spot. I'll go again in a few months and see

Mushroom vegetable masala was delicious along with the Chana samosa perfect combination. The basmati rice is huge portion for the price! Definitely best random dinner stop I have ever done. Definitely will make an effort to stop by in this area again to eat! 100% recommend. The staff is patient and respectful and caring for their customers! The whole restaurant looks clean as well!

Probably the region's only Indian restaurant inside a pagoda-style building (perhaps the location used to house a Japanese restaurant)...Punjabi Tandoor is a good place for a quick, casual lunch. Punjabi Tandoor's combo with chicken tikka masala, spinach curry, and naan bread was fine, but lacked the pungent flavors and spiciness of those items at eateries that custom prepare each diner's order.

Top notch Indian at fantastic value, what's not to like? I can't recommend high enough the combo plates, doesn't matter if its for one or for two, you'll get a great deal and great food. Highlights for me are the tandori chicken, the sag paneer and the chicken makrahni, but I've never had a bad meal there. The naan (especially garlic) is fresh, the rice perfectly cooked and their kheer afterwards is balanced and tasty - not too cloyingly sweet. The Miramar/Black Mountain area is full of indian restaurants but this is a nice gem with great prices and great food. As I said, what's not to like?