Pakeeza BBQ and Grill - Excellent IndoPak

Situated smack dab in the middle of what I call the Orleans Cabbie Joint Restaurant Row, Pakeeza puts out some of my favourite uncompromising northern Indian food in Chicago.

Between Chicago and Division on Orleans there are a handful of South Asian, Central Asian, Middle Eastern and East African joints. Pakeeza is popular with hard-working cabbies, curious locals, and folks like me who like to eat good food at good prices around the clock. Pakeeza filled the hole left in my heart when Baba's Palace, the former anchor of the Row at Orleans and Chicago closed. But whoo-boy, Pakeeza is operating on a whole 'nother level while maintaining and building on the charms of the dearly departed Baba.

In addition to a free pool table, a cheap and spacious parking lot, and a mosque in the basement for our observant brothers and sisters, Pakeeza puts out AMAZING Northern Indian cuisine.

The menu changes daily, and is dominated by classics such as paya (goat trotters), nihari (beef shank in gravy), biryani (biryani), frontier chicken, and chapli kebab. My favourite is the paya - goat feet cooked in a subtle, rich masala (gravy), inundated with rendered collagen and fat, enveloping tender, sticky goat skin and tiny morsels of meat. Paya should be eaten with a good naan or tandoori roti; both are excellent at Pakeeza.

A less challenging, but no less delicious offering, is the famous frontier chicken. I first had frontier chicken (a reference to Pakistan's Northwest Frontier Province on the border with Afghanistan - a land dominated by Pashto-speaking (Afghan) tribes that have never taken kindly foreign invaders, be they Europeans or Americans or neighbouring ethnic groups).

I first had frontier chicken at Shan, a grocery store/restaurant in Uptown/Edgewater. Their version has suffered in recent years so thank Allah for giving us a proper one at Pakeeza. Frontier chicken is basically chunks of boneless dark meat chicken cooked hot and fast in a dry masala with onions, jalapenos, angry red chili powder, with a dash of typical Northern Indian spices. The version here achieves the Platonic ideal of the dish: browned, caramelized chicken strewn with browned onions and chili peppers, angry with chili powder heat, and completely dry. A squeeze of lemon, a dash of fresh coriander, and fresh naan or tandoori roti round out a perfect meal. In my mind, frontier chicken in the distant cousin of the "chicken crack" that so many on this forum adore(d) from Lao Szechuan and other similar Szechuan restaurants.

If nihari is available, I almost always get it. The beef shank is meltingly tender, the gravy subtle at first but remarkably complex as it opens to your taste buds. Again, chopped chilis, fresh coriander, and ginger slivers are a must.

The biryani is excellent - impossibly long grains of Basmati rice cradling braised chicken or goat/lamb, mined with dense formations of caramelized onion and whole spices and herbs.

Finally, do try the chapli kebab if available. Patties of rich beef, with whole coriander seeds and other spices, charred on the outside and tender within.

All of this should be eaten with one of their excellent tandoori breads or chapati. If you are feeling particularly famished, order a griddled paratha to go with the food - flaky, tender, oily, heavenly, particularly when dipped in a masala or cooling raita (yogurt).

I eat at Pakeeza as often as I can. It has replaced nearly every other IndoPak place I have frequented in the last few years. There is something to be said for a place that is perpetually buzzing with activity and a cacophony of laughter and jokes being told in a half-dozen languages; South Asian, East African, Middle Eastern, American, Central Asian and so on and so forth. A gathering place and a brief respite for hard-working folks to take a break before getting back to the grind. Or in my case, someone who just loves really freakin' good food.

Oh, and if you are into that sort of thing, they have a "pan man" making fresh pan to order at the door. I like the stuff, others may not, but it all just adds to the greatness.

Pakeeza BBQ and Grill
1011 N Orleans St.
Chicago, IL 60610
(312) 266-7936

Open 24/7

Habibi wrote:Situated smack dab in the middle of what I call the Orleans Cabbie Joint Restaurant Row, Pakeeza puts out some of my favourite uncompromising northern Indian food in Chicago.

Had the good fortune to run into Habibi and a buddy of his at Nha Hang, a favorite of both of ours, we chatted for a solid hour and one of my main takeaways was try Pakeeza sooner rather than later.

Two of us ordered for four and, with input from the friendly counterman, enjoyed a memorable delicious lunch. While far from expert I'm no stranger to IndoPak and Pakeeza seems a cut above recent meals at Shan and Ghareeb Nawaz.

From the daily specials board we enjoyed fish biryani, haleem and goat stew and all, in particular haleem with rich layered flavor and grains nicely incorporated with beef topped with ginger and caramelized onion, were terrific. As an aside Pigmon's 2014 Haleem post should be required LTH reading along with Sazerac's Ghareeb Nawaz post, linked above.

While Pakeeza's exterior is unprepossessing the food is delicious, interior utilitarian but comfortable and everyone we encountered seemed to go out of their way to be friendly. For example when I gave the counterman my name he told me he had a friend named Gary and used my name when bringing our food, takeaway containers and round of complimentary tea as we finished lunch.







Wonderful recommendation Habibi , thank you!

Pakeeza Count me a Fan!!

On my short list!
Thanks for the Review!-Richard

Thanks for the review. I need to go back and give it another try looking at this. My go-to in that area for the past few years has been Tabaq. Everything is not perfect there but the biryani is one the best I've had in chicago. Any comparisons?

I enjoyed the chappli kabab and the freshly-baked naan we had the other day at lunch but several other items were flat and lifeless. Rice was really mushy. Bhindi was also mushy, and bland. Daal was congealed to a homogeneous mass. Beef Nihari was fine but nothing special. Gosht was fairly one-dimensional. When I'm in the area again, I'll probably give it another shot -- and service was remarkably friendly -- but if I were coming from the north, it'd be pretty hard for me to drive past Khan to eat here.

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:Rice was really mushy.

I wonder if its a function of the 24-hour cycle. I was there with one of the guys I work with and we both commented the rice was well managed and tasty. We were there around 1:30pm on a Thursday. Based on my single visit I dig Pakeeza, as is apparent from my post.

I plan on going back this week and will weigh in on that meal.

G Wiv wrote:

ronnie_suburban wrote:Rice was really mushy.

I wonder if its a function of the 24-hour cycle. I was there with one of the guys I work with and we both commented the rice was well managed and tasty. We were there around 1:30pm on a Thursday. Based on my single visit I dig Pakeeza, as is apparent from my post.

I plan on going back this week and will weigh in on that meal.

Fwiw, we were there on Saturday at about 11:45 a.m.

=R=

I too miss "Baba Palace," and I concur that there is good cooking going on at Pakeeza right now, an uptick from previous visits. The naan might have been the best I've had in Chicago and the two pieces served with an entree could cover a window.



Frontier Beef was prepared just as described; this is an intentionally dry pot-roasty dish, comparable to Devon renditions but elevated slightly here by the batons of fresh ginger and the totally caramelized onions and hot peppers (under the additional raw slivers). The dal was bland but wholesome, the raita above-average with toasted cumin.

I go more frequently to Tabaq and to Ghareeb (both locations); the highs are lower than this visit but the cost is less (this plate and a sweet lassi came to $14 at Pakeeza, more akin to Khan, with a similar nice sense they're cooking just for you, though). I was pleased to see on Yelp that sisters do come here because I have never seen one on multiple stops across years (admittedly I eat late).

Tuesday 11:30am lunch with Jazzfood hit the ball out of the IndoPak park! Frontier Chicken a grand slam with crispy caramelized bits of onion jalapeno and ginger, moist spicy bird and highlights of random crispy goodness.


Bhindi tender yet intact with jalapeno, onions and a sprinkle of fresh coriander, daal flavorful laced with ghee that screamed for mopping up with naan.


Rice....I'll let a picture speak 1000-words


All in all a terrific lunch, I have no doubt Ronnie's lunch was exactly as described it seems he was the recipient of a 24-hour cycle misfire.





Second verse same as the first!
Pakeeza, Count me a Fan!!

This dish is still on my mind nearly a wk later

looks great, need to get down here sooner than later

Maybe a little obsessed with Pakeeza, third time in a few weeks. Frontier Chicken good though not quite up to the level of last visit. Bhindi Gosht off the charts, solid A+.

Frontier fish, a delicious first for me, and exceptional naan. Part of a multi-course meal at Pakeeza where 5-people ate for 8.




Pakeeza, Count me a Fan!!

part of lunch for 8 for 5

On a whim, I drove to Pakeeza last night shortly after midnight for a snack, partly just because I could.

Enjoyed a plate of thick goat masala and watched a group of guys shoot games of eight ball (who definitely could have kicked Laikom's and my butt in pool) while kibbutzing each other in a language only sparsely sprinkled with English words.

Meanwhile, my to-go order of frontier chicken, beef haleem, and chicken boti was being prepared (plus paratha, dal, raita and lime/jalapeno/onion accompaniments).

Sorry, no pix, but I assure you the 20-minute wait was worth it, if only just for the chicken boti. Unlike Khan's--my gold standard for chix-boti--this rendition came in larger chunks without Khan's spicy green paste encrustation. Pakeeza's was reddened like their frontier chicken, in a boneless, charred presentation...maybe not as distinctively outstanding as Khan's, but still they were delicious red & black things of beauty. And that's not to slight the frontier chicken and beef haleem, which were two additional servings of hearty comfort food. Plus a fresh paan from the Paan Man on the way out (what the heck, why not?)

...A pleasant midnight jaunt for me, for a tasty little slice of late-night Chicago life. I'll be back!

--Matt

mhl wrote:Enjoyed a plate of thick goat masala and watched a group of guys shoot games of eight ball (who definitely could have kicked Laikom's and my butt in pool)

.

I can kick your and Laikom’s butt at pool (and have).

Jeez Louise, Jenn, I just checked my butt in the mirror, and I really don't see any bruises matching a Boudreaulicious-sized foot.

You maybe should consider dialling-back a bit on those between-meal testosterone snacks. (-;

mhl wrote:Jeez Louise, Jenn, I just checked my butt in the mirror, and I really don't see any bruises matching a Boudreaulicious-sized foot.

You maybe should consider dialling-back a bit on those between-meal testosterone snacks. (-;

Hmmm...ok

I couldn't wait to check this place out (much more convenient for me than a schlep up to Devon). I just couldn't seem to get a plan going with anybody else to join me, so knowing fully well that I might gut bomb myself (without ordering power), I sucked it up and dove in on a solo mission.

It turns out that its very easy to order for one– a half order of frontier chicken with a small side of bhindi with a whole naan and accoutrements set me back nine bones and was a perfectly reasonable portion– I cleared everything off my tray except 1/3 of the naan and was comfortably full.

But I was hoping for leftovers! So I ordered a palak gosht to go for the next day.

My thoughts on the food:
Naan– terrific. Not blistery charred, but toasty. Like a great pizza crust, just great bread.
Bhindi– also very good. Unlike Khan's simple tomato/onion/ghee gravy this had layered, complex spicing, cinnamon-forward. Thinking back, its kind of odd that this dish was so much more complex than any of the other dishes.
Frontier chicken– very enjoyable. I'd wager to say this wasn't prepared fresh for me, not quite juicy or sizzling. Spicing was somewhat muted, though not lacking. The caramelized onion & jalapeño bits made for the best bites.
Dal– greasy and pretty good. Cooked down chana I believe.
Palak gosht– disappointingly flat. Nice big hunks of bone in meat were tender and enjoyable. The gravy was very ghee-heavy, muted in the masala dept., and oddly just a shade sweet.

I do wonder if I did not enjoy my to go order quite as much eaten out of context. Food aside, my lunch at Pakeeza was one of the most enriching cultural experiences I've had in awhile, faith-in-humanity-renewing even. Everyone, staff and customers included were very warm and about as diverse (-ly Muslim) as the city gets. No women though. A mixed-gender group of my friends went the next day and the women concurred about the warm hospitality though. This place feels as much like a community center as an eatery. A real gem. Thanks, Habibi!

Jefe wrote:Frontier chicken– very enjoyable. I'd wager to say this wasn't prepared fresh for me, not quite juicy or sizzling. Spicing was somewhat muted, though not lacking. The caramelized onion & jalapeño bits made for the best bites.

Regarding the frontier chix, while it's good, upon repeated visits its never matched the 1st time we had it (pictured above) because of what you describe.

After reading this thread, I went today for lunch. My impressions are fully in line with Ronnie Suburban.

The naan was outstanding; best thing about the meal.

The Frontier Chicken was "dull and lifeless" to borrow a phrase from Ronnie but it captures it. Nothing special. The biryani was ok, somewhat inoffensive, with the best that Uncle Ben's has to offer.

IMHO Khan's BBQ on Devon is far better.

Also, the place seemed fairly unkempt at best and dirty at worst. If the public areas strike me as dirty, imagine what the kitchen must look like.

And with great respect to Islam, and the practice of Wudu, it's not particularly appetizing to watch a man wash his feet in a waist high public sink in the public dining area next to the bathroom door. I admire his devotion; I'm just saying its not, for me, an appetizing sight to watch as I eat in the dining area.

Khan's is far better IMHO.

DutchMuse wrote:And with great respect to Islam, and the practice of Wudu, it's not particularly appetizing to watch a man wash his feet in a waist high public sink in the public dining area next to the bathroom door. I admire his devotion; I'm just saying its not, for me, an appetizing sight to watch as I eat in the dining area.

There is a sign next to that exterior sink (it's been there a long time) specifically stating the sink is not for wudu, so there is some posted intent for the dining room activities to be set apart from the musalla (anyone up for some billiards?). I once saw someone shave - with a mug, straight razor, and bristle brush - in the Jimmy's Woodlawn Tap bar mirror. In my experience the cooking merits the visit, though Ghareeb and Tabaq are a bit better designed for a casual public meal.

DutchMuse wrote:After reading this thread, I went today for lunch. My impressions are fully in line with Ronnie Suburban.

The naan was outstanding; best thing about the meal.

The Frontier Chicken was "dull and lifeless" to borrow a phrase from Ronnie but it captures it. Nothing special. The biryani was ok, somewhat inoffensive, with the best that Uncle Ben's has to offer.

IMHO Khan's BBQ on Devon is far better.

Also, the place seemed fairly unkempt at best and dirty at worst. If the public areas strike me as dirty, imagine what the kitchen must look like.

And with great respect to Islam, and the practice of Wudu, it's not particularly appetizing to watch a man wash his feet in a waist high public sink in the public dining area next to the bathroom door. I admire his devotion; I'm just saying its not, for me, an appetizing sight to watch as I eat in the dining area.

Khan's is far better IMHO.

Pakeeza is one of the best working kitchens in Chicago right now, Muslim feet be damned. (I've done worse in sinks around the city).

mhl wrote:Unlike Khan's--my gold standard for chix-boti--this rendition came in larger chunks without Khan's spicy green paste encrustation. Pakeeza's was reddened like their frontier chicken, in a boneless, charred presentation...maybe not as distinctively outstanding as Khan's, but still they were delicious red & black things of beauty.

Interesting, because an order of Malai Chicken from the specials board Thursday turned up chicken with said "spicy green paste encrustation"--a boti in all but name. Also not as distinctively outstanding as Khan's, but quite good.

Previously unmentioned but worth love: the goat stew.

Second verse... better than the first!

Frontier chicken fired fresh this time, succulent and liberally laced with caramelized onion and chilies. I went all Tyrone Biggums on that shiz.

Haleem– one of the more viscous renditions I've had around town. Protein thoroughly incorporated (beef but you could hardly tell). I still have yet to meet a haleem I don't like, but this one clocks in just short of Ghareeb's & Khan's with a more demure spicing and less considerate garnishing.

Chappli kabab was a bit under seasoned to my liking, though with occasional pops of coriander and perhaps nigella seeds. Deesher pointed out that sandwiched in toasty naan with a few slivers of onion, this makes for one fine burger. And the texture really was reminiscent of a griddled patty.

Bhindi was also under-spiced on this trip, a 180 from last time. A dal of black lentils made up for it though with a aromatic sour note likely some preserved lime action.

And of course an embarrassing stack of one of the finest naans in town. I realized that its crackly toasted character reminds me of the excellent Yemeni flat bread I ate at Brooklyn's Yemen Café.

One question– what's up with watery, hardly seasoned raita? Other diners were eating it with a spoon, like a soup. When I follow a recipe at home, I usually turn out a thick, garlicky, tzatziki-like concoction.

Overall, eminently scarfable! Still love the vibe, foot washing be damned (I've heard evidence of LTHers dining barefoot in public, fwiw.) Pakeeza, CmaF!

Jefe wrote:One question– what's up with watery, hardly seasoned raita? Other diners were eating it with a spoon, like a soup. When I follow a recipe at home, I usually turn out a thick, garlicky, tzatziki-like concoction.

In my experience raita is usually pretty watery more like a soup than a dip. This is also the more typical presentation of cacik in Turkey or tarator in the Balkans.

Jefe wrote:Second verse... better than the first!


Chappli kabab was a bit under seasoned to my liking, though with occasional pops of coriander and perhaps nigella seeds. Deesher pointed out that sandwiched in toasty naan with a few slivers of onion, this makes for one fine burger. And the texture really was reminiscent of a griddled patty.

My go to at lunch was a "sandwich" of Frontier Chicken, Chappli Kabab, raw onion and peppers, with a quick trip through the haleem. As Erik M. once said, "I think it's exciting when the foods touch". Can't wait to get back for more of the same (or at least similar).

Pakeeza, CmaF too!

Balty gosht, chicken cholay Crushing hard on Pakeeza!



Pakeeza, Count me a Fan!!

Some marrow in a bone in the goat balti rendered up one of the best bites in recent memory. A goat money shot of sorts.

It got quiet on this thread (but maybe because we're all busy chewing through that naan), but I'm happy to report this place is still firing on all cylinders. Really think goat is what they do best here: it's currently in a stew like dish and their biryani, which is really excellent. Also had the Beef Nihari (Friday special), which has big pot roast-style chunks of beef and a gravy with clear cinnamon notes--great for mopping up with bread. Am I the only one who thinks the distance between Chicago Italian Beef and Pakistani Nihari is not all that significant? Cultural exchange potential here, folks.