Al Badia Tandoori Review

Natalie Antin

Al Badia Tandoori is a fairly new Middle Eastern restaurant on the north side of the city. Owned by grandparents who combine Middle Eastern and Desi flavors, the restaurant feels homey, but sophisticated. As for the food itself, my group ordered what can only be considered an egregious amount of food for the seven of us. We enjoyed several starters and desserts that were comforting, flavorful, and well-executed. All in all, this spot is a must-try for meat and dips.

For our first three starters we shared hummus, garlic, and roasted eggplant dips with naan. All three dips were fantastic and my personal favorite was the garlic dip. This dip came with naan that was fresh and crispy but still had great chew. We also shared a massive fattoush salad and chicken toshka. The salad was fresh and the chicken was perfectly golden but still juicy, and both dishes were incredible.

As for the main dishes, we had the mixed shawarma, butter chicken, and lamb biryani. The mixed shawarma was great and if you had told me immediately after trying it that it would be my least favorite main dish of the night I would have said you were crazy. The chicken and lamb were well cooked and the rice was fantastic, but the butter chicken and lamb biryani absolutely blew me away.

The butter chicken sauce was creamy and well spiced without ever being overpowering, and the chicken itself was perfectly tender and flavorful. The portion was also absolutely massive, even after passing it around our table of seven we still had a lot leftover. I would go so far as to say that it was the best butter chicken I have ever had. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

If the butter chicken was the best butter chicken I have ever had, then I would venture to say that the lamb biryani was the best biryani I have ever had. Again the sauce was creamy and well flavored and the lamb was so tender that it fell apart after just being poked lightly with a fork. Additionally, the butter chicken and lamb biryani were both served with heaping bowls of fantastic, buttery rice.

Lastly, there is an extensive beverage menu with some incredible drinks. I had the piña colada, and others at the table ordered the mango lassi and mint lemonade. All of the drinks were refreshing and tasty without being overly sweet. I favored the piña colada but all of the drinks were lovely.

Overall, the experience at Al Badia Tandoori was fantastic. I am already planning to go back soon for more fantastic food and great ambiance. I’m still dreaming about the butter chicken!