Tandoor India in Park Ridge

For the past couple of Fridays, we have gone to an Indian dinner buffet on Devon...Devon in Park Ridge, that is. Tandoor India is across from Morningfield's on Devon and has a dinner buffet on Friday and Saturday nights. (I believe it is $9.95 but I'm not 100% sure.) It has been mentioned at least once before along with MJ2 Bistro which is across the street.

The dinner buffet menu changes each night. Items they have had include Chana Masala, Daal Makhani, Jeera Aloo, and Vegetable Korma. Chicken Curry is the only meat dish I can remember since I stayed with the vegetarian options. There are a few choices for desserts as well. Tandoori Chicken is served with the buffet.

The buffet is mildly spiced so this would be a good choice for someone who is newer to Indian food. I thought the buffet was a good price, and a convenient option for a weekend night, and the food was quite good. It had a bit of a "homecooking" feel to it which I liked. The owner, Chris, was formerly in the Army, and is very much in evidence in the restaurant. I'm sure he would be happy to make items as spicy as you like if you order off the menu. There is a nice family feel to the restaurant, the booths are comfortable, and service is good.

They also have a buffet lunch everyday which I haven't tried. They serve beer but I'm not sure how much extensive their bar is. I believe their liquor license is fairly new.

We have parallel parked in the street when we've gone. I'm not sure about parking in the Morningfield's lot and walking over. If you have any special parking concerns (need handicapped parking, etc.) I'd call ahead.

Tandoor India
715 W. Devon Ave
Park Ridge
847-696-1678

My office is nearby, so we do Tandoor from time to time. I haven't eaten dinner there, but the lunch buffet runs $10 per and includes one or two meat dishes, usually a mutton curry and a chicken curry along with several vegetable options. Each diner also gets a quarter tandoor chicken which is really moist and has great flavor along with some pretty darn good naan.

The owner is very proud of his place and very customer oriented. I've never asked for a special order from the kitchen. But, I'm sure he'd happily provide anything that one asked for.

That said, I agree that the spicing of the food is somewhat mild, which suits my office mates just fine. Like MJ2 fka Sonny's, this is a good standard if you're ever in the neighborhood. But, not a destination.

Thanks for the post. I am moving to the area shortly, and am happy to hear that "Italian" and "Chinese" are not the only ethnic restaurants in town.

Any other Park Ridge reccomendations?

As MelT's wife, I'm also wondering about any PR recs others may have here. Especially ethnic, and in Park Ridge proper!

If you're moving to park ridge, there are some fairly good options within a short driving distance. Downtown Park Ridge has mostly chains.

If you proceed east on Devon to Edgebrook, you'll run into Elephant Thai which is one of the better suburban Thai places in town.

You're also near Paradise Pup in Des Plaines which has great burgers, Italian beef and Hot Dogs.

In the strip center that houses Morningfield's is MJ2 (MJ Squared) which offers a nice dinner selection of both Italian and eclectic fusion cooking. It makes for a nice neighborhood place.

I really love the burger at Bailey's at 10 Cumberland. It's one of the better burgers I have ever had...anywhere. Bailey's, however is a curious place, with a very much older crowd.

In nearby Edison Park, you'll find very good Mexican at Don Juan, decent Vietnamese, and a good solid Italian market in Tony's. There's also a solid pub and restaurant called Moretti's that has an awesome outdoor patio for warm weather.

If you like Polish, you're within a short driving distance of the excellent Smak Tak.

If it is finer dining that you prefer, Rosemont offers a number of options including Gibson's and Rosewood.

grits wrote:Tandoor India is across from Morningfield's on Devon and has a dinner buffet on Friday and Saturday nights.

Is it related to the restaurant of the same name that just opened in the Holiday Inn on Touhy in Skokie?

Thanks, Will.

I am looking forward to trying the Veitnamese in Edison Pk. And I am surprised to hear about the good burger at Bailey's (I'll be living 2 blocks from there.) Looks like I will be checking them out and reporting back.

i do believe the vietnamese place in edison park (nam viet) is out of business. i always thought it was fairly mediocre anyway.

i second the recommendations for don juan's and moretti's, and we recently tried piano piano on busse hwy and LOVED it. very well-done classic italian-american food in a nice setting, friendly staff, and fairly affordable prices. i had an excellent grilled calamari app and one of the better veal parmesans i've ever had.

Too bad about Nam Viet. They had quit doing lunch couple of years ago which is the one meal that I eat regularly in Edison Park. I agree that it paled in comparison to some of the Argyle Places. But, it made for a nice change of pace.

I completely forgot to mention SuperDawg as an option.

I'll have to give Tandoor another try. I was there once for lunch a few months ago on the recommendation of a friend and I and a couple co-workers of mine were very unimpressed with the quality of the food on the buffet (service could not have been friendlier though). And since I love Himalayan Restaurant on Golf in Niles, and since that is not so far away from Tandoor, I did not plan on returning to Tandoor. But I'm getting the sense that my one friend is not the only one who really likes this place and that it deserves another shot.

We're actually huge fans of Superdawg, so that is already on the radar. Ditto with most of the places in Edison Park.

Does anyone know if there any other Chinese take out options in Park Ridge besides the Canton Tea Garden? And can anyone weigh in on that Thai Place on Higgins (I think it's called the Golden Elephant?) or any other Thai Restaurant in PR.

We will probably still be a single vehicle household for a while after the move to Park Ridge, thus the need to know about local places that may also deliver.

Thanks!

SMT wrote: And can anyone weigh in on that Thai Place on Higgins (I think it's called the Golden Elephant?)

I concur, and am amused by YourPalWill's report on Golden Elephant here.

A little further west on Higgins from Golden Elephant is an excellent coffee shop with good daily specials called Mac's.

-ramon

Uggh, I salute Ramon and YourPalWill for being willing to take one for the team. So it looks like the Golden Elephant is out for good Thai food. Has anyone tried Siam Thai on Euclid, and was it any good?

We have tried Maki Sushi on Northwest Highway a few times and really enjoyed it, the fish was very fresh and nicely prepared and even the sushi rice was really good. Fortunately for us it will be within walking distance.

Sorry to steer away from Tandoor a bit, but since I work in Rosemont I thought I'd throw in my two cents concerning area ethnic restaurants.

I'm not a big fan of Golden Elephant -- much prefer the Vietnamese spot that it took over -- but it's not that bad for Americanized-Thai food. The menu is pretty limited and service is constantly out-of-sync, but what they offer food-wise is not bad. Of course, it's not anything special either. But it's real close to my office so I occasionally visit. With respect to the food, my biggest complaint is that much of the food tends to be too salty.

Canton Tea Garden is decent enough for Americanized-Chinese food. Service is always quick and portions are pretty good sized. Despite a number of attempts to find better Chinese food in that immediate area, I have largely failed. However, at Oakton and Manheim is the Chang Jiang buffet which I consider to be one of the best Chinese food buffets that I have tried. Of course, you must first ignore the presence of pizza, french fries and garlic bread on the buffet station. But the food on the buffet is always hot and fresh and it might be the only Chinese buffet I have found where the vegetables on the buffet are still crisp.

And please don't ignore Himalayan Restaurant near Golf Mill whose Indian/Nepali food is very good. I often go there for the lunch buffet and I've never been disappointed.

Welcome to the neighborhood, SMT & MelT!

Park Ridge lacks some sparkle as a dining destination due in part to its' history of being liquor free until several years ago. Still, there's some reasonable dining to be had in the area, and more ourside of PR once you figure out which streets move quickly and how to get around. Even with one car.

Chinese in the area is not terribly good. Some members of my family like Venus on Northwest Hwy. in Downtown PR near the Pickwick. I find it to be adequate, but a little pricy. Probably best in the immediate area. You'll find threads here bemoaning the lack of good Chinese anywhere on the far NW side or near 'burbs. Several of them include my moaning.

Zia's Ristorante is my favorite for Italian in the Edison Park area. I'm not finding a good specific thread on it, but you can find various mentions of it on the board. Solid entrees, items above and beyond the usual red-table cloth Italian.

Also in the Edison Park restaurant knot:

Don Juan's and Patrick Concannon's specials have gotten a lot of attention here, and I'm a fan.

Elliot's has very reasonably priced steak specials on weekdays. A very solid steak/chop place. I keep meaning to try the hamburger....

mj2 in the Uptown area [Devon & Talcott & Cumberland] can be OK; I was part of a dinner there recently featuring such an uninteresting entree that I don't remember any more what it was. Pork chop, mebbe? It was competently cooked, whatever it was, but unexciting. The pizza there was surprisingly good, though. And they have certificates on Restaurant.com frequently.

If you head east on Devon Ave. you are in the Edgebrook area, with GNR Elephant Thai, Moher Irish pub [I'm less fond of the food there than when it first opened, but ymmv], and Al Primo Canto [recent thread here]. And heading further east on Devon will quickly get you to Lincoln Ave. and your nearest, best Vietnamese food at Hoahn Long. It's a quicker drive than it might look like at first.

So, those are some of my near-by favorites. I confess I don't know much about delivery; I suspect the better things you have to go get yourself.

And then there are the Polish offerings to be found all over the NW side... browse here to your heart's content to learn about those. Or delis like Andy's... there's a wealth of food close.

Giovanna

YourPalWill wrote:In the strip center that houses Morningfield's is MJ2 (MJ Squared) which offers a nice dinner selection of both Italian and eclectic fusion cooking. It makes for a nice neighborhood place.

MJ2 is closed for the holidays until Jan 7. We tried to go last night since I had a hankering for either their thin crust pizza or chili-rubbed chicken (was going to make up my mind once I got there).

They also have a casual menu of sandwiches (meatball, italian beef, etc.) for lunch so if anyone works in the area you might want to give it a try. These less expensive options are also available on the dinner menu. The restaurant has a more casual seating area for a quick lunch/dinner and a slightly more formal room for more relaxed meals.

The eclectic menu (old school Italian, South American...and wiener schnitzel?) reflects the owner, who is Japanese but was raised in Peru. The first night we went there he was out talking to people and insisted on giving us a free dessert since it was our first time there. (It was creme brulee...there went my diet but it was worth it.) The atmosphere is friendly and unpretentious, the food is good, and they are happy to make accomodations for different diets. For example, the last time I was there I wanted some vegetables to go with my beloved chili-rubbed chicken, and I asked for something low calorie, so they steamed me some brocolli as a side. I like places that don't feel like they have to load every item with butter before bringing it to the table. One time I was there I overheard a table spend a full five minutes discussing how good the soup they ordered was (I think the white minestrone), including bringing the owner over to talk about it. I haven't tried any of the soups yet but they do have good salads there as well.

This would be a good place to bring a mixed party of meat lovers/vegetarians, as they have options for both. If there are vegans in the party I would call ahead to discuss options.

MJ2 is one of my favorite places on the NW side.

MJ2 Bistro
800 W. Devon
Park Ridge
847.698.7022
http://www.mj2bistro.com/index.html

elakin wrote:i do believe the vietnamese place in edison park (nam viet) is out of business. i always thought it was fairly mediocre anyway.

Passed by Nam Viet this evening, shut down and dark at 8:30pm. Sign on the door says "closed for vacation"

I only ate at Nam Viet a few times and it never did much for me, in the area I like Don Juan, Tony's Italian deli/grocery and Zia's.

Enjoy,
Gary

Zia's 6699 N
Northwest Highway
Chicago, IL. 60631
773-775-0808

Don Juan's
6730 N Northwest Hwy.
Chicago, IL.
773-775-6437

Tony's Italian Deli
6708 N Northwest Hwy
Chicago, IL 60631
773-631-0055

grits wrote:For the past couple of Fridays, we have gone to an Indian dinner buffet on Devon...Devon in Park Ridge, that is. Tandoor India is across from Morningfield's on Devon and has a dinner buffet on Friday and Saturday nights. (I believe it is $9.95 but I'm not 100% sure.)

nsxtasy wrote:

grits wrote:Tandoor India is across from Morningfield's on Devon and has a dinner buffet on Friday and Saturday nights.

Is it related to the restaurant of the same name that just opened in the Holiday Inn on Touhy in Skokie?

Jay K wrote:By the way...

Walked up to the menu of Tandoor (open at the Holiday Inn on Tuohy in Niles) which is not a buffet, limited selection and seems highly overpriced.

However, Google found me another Tandoor just west on Devon and NW Highway - looks like it's got a $10.99 lunch buffet M-F and $12.99 dinner buffet on Fri & Sat nights. A closer option than Himalayan on my Super H-Mart, Niles Costco, Niles Jewel, Petersen/Cicero Whole Foods run, although we always find ourselves back at Himalayan.

http://www.lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.ph ... 5&start=30
http://tandoor-restaurant.us/

nsxtasy wrote:

grits wrote:Tandoor India is across from Morningfield's on Devon and has a dinner buffet on Friday and Saturday nights.

Is it related to the restaurant of the same name that just opened in the Holiday Inn on Touhy in Skokie?

Jay K wrote:By the way...

Walked up to the menu of Tandoor (open at the Holiday Inn on Tuohy in Niles) which is not a buffet, limited selection and seems highly overpriced.

However, Google found me another Tandoor just west on Devon and NW Highway - looks like it's got a $10.99 lunch buffet M-F and $12.99 dinner buffet on Fri & Sat nights.

From the web site you provided and from going there it does not look like the two Tandoor India restaurants are related.

BTW, MJ2 is now closed until January 21.

I had the lunch buffet at Tandoor India the other day. I am a bit of an Indian food novice, but a have had it a few times, and I enjoyed it at Tandoor quite a bit.

At 11:30 service was just picking up, and the place was about half full, most tables with at least one Indian person in attendance, which I always see as a good sign.

The buffet - placed along one wall directly under a flat screen with a Bollywood movie adding atmosphere - started with a condiment station featuring four sauces (a green herbal one, a red, sweet and almost-spicey one, a red buttery one with bits in it, and a yogurt sauce) and various fresh fixings (sliced jalepeno, cucumber, pineapple, and melon).

The first chafing dish had various fried thingies - Samosas (filled with a complexly spiced, smooth potato and pea mixture), and Chickpea fritters with flavorings including onion and spinach. The spinach ones, with their irregular shapes and vegetal flavor, were the best. All were crispy, which is nearly impossible in a chafing dish, but the turnover was quick.

Next were vegetable selections, a braised spinach dish which tasted like good garlic creamed spinach with a spicy kick. I skipped the eggplant and the chickpeas on the line, mostly because I am meat-centric. So I layed a base of fluffy yellow rice specked with peas and green beans, and ladled a scoop of Chicken Makhani - tender chicken strips in a well balanced tomato sauce - and Goat Curry in a tasty brown sauce, but which was mostly bones.

The highlight of the meal was the Tandoori Chicken and Naan. The Naan was hot, crispy, chewy and buttery and perfectly mottled brown. About halfway through my meal, unordered, came a sizzling plate carrying a chicken leg with about half the thigh attached. I assume this is de rigeur, as I received the same treatment at my last Indian buffet as well. The skin was bright red and pulled back a bit from the bone at the ankle. I squeezed the acompaning lemon wedge over the chicken and dug in. The meat was cooked perfectly, not dry at all. There was a touch of heat and an exotic complex seasoning blend with an ingredient list that I can't even begin to guess at. Most surprising and appaeling was the hint of smoke, making this taste like barbeque from another world.

On the way out I talked with the owner, Chris, who couldn't help but brag on his real, clay, coal-fired Tandoor, which he mentioned was unusual in the Chicago area. He also mentioned that the buffet changes every day.

It did seem like the spice heat was dialed down for the neighborhood. That said, I would recommend Tandoor India for a quick well prepared lunch. After we move into the area, I can't wait to make this a regular family spot, and perhaps order off of the menu, ramping up the heat a bit.

Tandoor India Friday and Saturday night Dinner Buffet is a must go. Go at 5PM when everything is fresh and ready to go. The tandoori chicken they brought to the table was huge. Huge! I've never eaten such large and moist pieces of tandoori chicken, either a la carte or at a buffet. Baskets of naan were plentiful. Salad was fresh, entrees were fresh. The goat could have been more tender but still flavorful. For the price of $11.99 its a bargain for that sizzling chicken alone.

grits wrote:BTW, MJ2 is now closed until January 21.

Looks like MJ2 is closed for good.

grits wrote:

grits wrote:BTW, MJ2 is now closed until January 21.

Looks like MJ2 is closed for good.

Too bad. It was a really good reliable lunch option.

The restaurant sounds well worth trying but this

On the way out I talked with the owner, Chris, who couldn't help but brag on his real, clay, coal-fired Tandoor, which he mentioned was unusual in the Chicago area.

is sort of laughable given the number of Indian restaurants in Chicago serving tandoor, and they all have proper tandoor ovens (India House on Grand even has a glass window so you can watch the chefs cooking in them, as did the old Bukhara)

First of all, My couple of friends just walked by without reservation and evenif they had many empty tables, they rejected to take us in for dinner. Can you believe this?First of all, My couple of friends just walked by without reservation and evenif they had many empty tables, they rejected to take us in for dinner. Can you believe this? Second, we were only two and we get there 10 minutes before opening at 4:50, they let us freeze in 10F chicago snowy weather evenif owner was there and he said, they can not let us in because city code. I do not care evenif they make best food in world, I will not go there again in my life, if they don't treat customer well manner. After this review, Many will go and many don't. But they are raaccist, I think with their own color. It might be one bad experience will not affect their business but in long run, Customer experince is all matters. Second, we were only two and we get there 10 minutes before opening at 4:50, they let us freeze in 10F chicago snowy weather evenif owner was there and he said, they can not let us in because city code. I do not care evenif they make best food in world, I will not go there again in my life, if they don't treat customer well manner. After this review, Many will go and many don't. But they are raaccist, I think with their own color. It might be one bad experience will not affect their business but in long run, Customer experince is all matters.

I can only speak to my own experiences there. I have dined there with coworkers of varying ethnicities (Indian, Pakastani, East Asian, African American and WASP to name a few). I've never experienced anything like you described. If anything, the owner has always been welcoming and eager to share his cuisine and restaurant with us.

Personally, if a restaurant owner made me wait in 10 degree weather to enter his restaurant, I would have just gone somewhere else.

YourPalWill wrote:I can only speak to my own experiences there. I have dined there with coworkers of varying ethnicities (Indian, Pakastani, East Asian, African American and WASP to name a few). I've never experienced anything like you described. If anything, the owner has always been welcoming and eager to share his cuisine and restaurant with us.

Personally, if a restaurant owner made me wait in 10 degree weather to enter his restaurant, I would have just gone somewhere else.

That's what I did. I did go to Hema's Kitchen on devon next to gandhi's appliences.

we were there maybe right at 5 and were seated promptly. the lids to the food were not open when we went up to eat; chris had to open them... the food was excellent. i'm sorry an experience like you described kept you from trying it!

MBK wrote:we were there maybe right at 5 and were seated promptly. the lids to the food were not open when we went up to eat; chris had to open them... the food was excellent. i'm sorry an experience like you described kept you from trying it!

I know and It was my birthday treat from my friend. What a Bad experience on Birthday.

grits wrote:

grits wrote:BTW, MJ2 is now closed until January 21.

Looks like MJ2 is closed for good.

Source? I know it doesn't typically stand for much, but their site is still up, and they were pretty good about updating it with weekly menus/specials while they were open.