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Indian burritos and curry-in-a-hurry: Kabab-e-que Indian Grill
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Kababeque's fanciful sign.
Back in New Orleans, just across Claiborne Avenue from the Tulane campus, a now-closed "cult favorite" restaurant called Kokopelli's used to serve a "tandoori burrito", along with Thai curry burritos, Cajun shrimp and crawfish burritos, and numerous other oddball burritos. Unlike Kokopelli's, Kabab-e-que Indian Grill, at 845 E University, shies away from the "'b'-word", but its main offerings will be very familiar to Tucsonans: roasted meats or cheese, vegetables, and a bit of sauce wrapped up in a thin wheat-flour flatbread.
This wheat flour flatbread, called a "roti", is of North Indian provenance, and is slightly chewier than a Sonoran flour tortilla. Otherwise there's no faulting anyone who'd call Kabab-e-que's signature dish, which they call the "Q Roll" a "Indian Burrito"; the size, shape, and concept are the same as found at Nico's or Los Betos. The filing is, however, a bit different: lettuce, a yogurt-and-herb sauce, and either lightly marinated, tandoor-roasted meat (lamb or two chicken recipes), similarly prepared mixed vegetables, sautéed paneer cheese and roasted onion, or spicy mashed potatoes. Sizes are the "double", which is roughly the same as a Nico's burrito, and the "single", equally long but half the volume. The "double" is enough for two meals, and for University of Arizona students, it comes with a free drink. Prices are $3.50 for a single roll, $5.99 for a double, with the lamb being 25-cents exta.
Kabab-e-que also offers the tandoori meats and vegetables on their own, as "kababs" (without the stick) with lettuce and rice. More recently, curries have been added to the menu. Chicken, lamb, shrimp, paneer, or vegetables can be had in saag (pureed spinach), tikka masala, korma, and a few other styles. all with basmati rice. Additionally, a few "Chef's specialties" such as aloo matar (potatoes and peas), kofta (usully meatballs, but in this case vegetable rolls), and chana masala (spicy chickpeas) are available.
To drink, India Oven offers Pepsi brand fountain drinks, a small selection of beer, and a few popular vodkas and tequilas. The house specialty beverage is lassi, a yogurt smoothie, which can be had salty or sweet, and plain or with mangoes or strawberries. Lassi has a cooling effect when eating hot spicy dishes--and everything on the menu can be ordered extra spicy--but is almost a meal in itself. Mango lassi and a side order of samosas could be lunch.
Following the success of Kaebab-e-que, the Sareen family opened Oro Valley's upscale Saffron Indian Bistro. Curries were added to the Kabab-e-que menu at about the same time, however, they're inexpensive and modest--homestyle, really--and very good for something served in a styrofoam clamshell container. The real draw are the innovative sandwiches, wraps, or whatever you want to call them--and I want to call them burritos--which are at least as tasty as anything to be had on University, and if one counts a double roll as two meals, a bargain at $3/meal.
Kabab-e-que's food is fast and cheap, but the restaurant is a pleasant place to sit and eat. Three tables for four are along the western end of the restaurant, and a larger, raised table for twelve, usually accomodating several parties at once, is at the center. The use of a flowing curve motif--evocative of Indian architecture--and dark reds and purples is remarkably odd when first seen but its effect is rather calming. Although busy during the lunch hour, Kabab-e-que never gets too loud for conversations, including three or four at that communal table. Contemporary Indian music of one sort or another--rather complementary to the almost-exotic design motif--usually plays in the background, and is rarely obtrusive. If it gets to be too loud, the ever-polite staff will turn it down on request.
With the addition of The Fat Greek, Saigon Pho, Vila Thai, Which Which, and Sultan Palace, among others, the University Boulevard area in recent years has seen a great deal of competition to provide healthy, fast, high-quality food at a low price. For lunch, Kabab-e-que is as good a choice as these, and its Indian flavors are a welcome change of pace.
Kabab-e-que Indian Grill is located at 845 E. University, a few storefronts east of the intersection with Euclid.
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