After eating here, I became seriously ill with what appears to be food poisoning. I was up throughout the night and had to make seven urgent trips to the bathroom, resulting in an entire night of lost sleep. It's extremely concerning to wonder whether proper food-storage temperatures are being maintained or whether basic food-handling and hand-washing practices are being followed. Whatever the cause, something clearly went wrong. I will never order from this establishment again. read more

Ghareeb Nawaz - One or all of these foods made me seriously ill after eating - Indian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

My love, my life. I miss living at LUC only because I was close to Ghareeb Nawaz. SUCH good prices per portion size. Everything is always delicious and makes amazing leftovers. Always quickly made! My personal favorites are the Palak Paneer and Chili Gobi. So delicious and great to combine! Add a naan and you are in heaven. read more

Ghareeb Nawaz - Chili Gobi, rice, and Palak Paneer - Indian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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You literally cannot beat the prices for the portion size. Everything had great flavor, and even me (who can't tolerate spice well) found myself going for more. I really enjoyed their roti. I didn't see it on the menu but they accommodated when I asked! read more

Ghareeb Nawaz - Chicken Biryani - Indian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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It is difficult to find the exact words to tell you how much I love Ghareeb Nawaz. We live in a world where a burger and fries at a fast food joint costs somewhere around $10. Some focus on Instagram-ability instead of quality, and others dump a man versus food size portion in front of you in an effort to show "Hey! Look! vAlUe!!" while the quality is AWOL. Ghareeb Nawaz delivers across the board. The portions are massive, enough for three-ish lunches, even if you're perpetually as voracious as I am. The quality is excellent - meats are consistently tender, rice is cooked perfectly, and the spices bloom into the nose, the palate, and the heart. As for value, the $13 realistically comes out to less than $5 per, $3.25 if you aren't as gluttonous as myself. Not only that, cans of soda are $1.50, and the bank machine is also $1.50 (something I haven't seen even 10 years ago). When it comes to the service, it is imperfect, but efficient. There are no unnecessary pleasantries; it is a "hello, what do you want" sort of deal. If you didn't realize it was cash only? The order is placed, here is the receipt, the cash machine is over there. The small change I would offer is to have order numbers (which, I appreciate might be challenging with a cash-only establishment). When items leave the kitchen, the runner yelling out the order can bring up the question 'is this me?' Order numbers would be better. Service like this has to be earned, and I assure you Ghareeb Nawaz has earned it. Final verdict: For an establishment to have a rough-around-the-edges, surly nature and be successful, it has to earn it. I can think of no example more perfect than Ghareeb Nawaz. The quality is top-notch, the value is unmatched, and the nonsense is chucked out the window. Order - pay - devour with glee. What are you doing still reading, set your GPS already! read more

The prices are great. $9 - $12 typically. CASH ONLY. Great deal. Lots of food for your money. No frills. The butter chicken was good. Huge picture menu. Huge place. Many patrons seem to be Indian and Pakistani and Middle Eastern customers it seemed so I assume the food tastes pretty good and decently authentic. There's a prayer room. Bathrooms could use better cleaning please. read more

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We did take out! The curries were so so delicious; the meats were tender and flavorful. The frontier Chicken was tasty tasty and juicy! Garlic naan was OK, a bit dry. I wish the curries came with rice and you didn't have to do it as an add on. Overall a delicious experience. read more

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Solid food and amazing portions and prices! Food was very fresh and had great flavor. Each dish can probably be shared between 2-3 people. Ordered the chili chicken and it had the perfect amount of spice. read more

Amazing food for truly unbeatable prices. Staff remembered my baby from when I came back at two months old! It's always busy, and for good reasons. Great potions, friendly (albeit busy) staff and prices you can't find these days anymore. CASH ONLY! But worth the ATM pull read more

Ghareeb Nawaz - BUTTER PANEER BOWL Naan - Indian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Teen me? Eh for Ghareeb Nawaz. Adult me? Big fan of Ghareeb Nawaz! Anything with a fresh paratha is a sure hit. The place has remodeled since the early 2000s and it's clean in the restaurant. However, the bathrooms still need work and I would make sure to go before I visit this place. It's still cash only and if you want a quick bite before hitting up the beach or before spending serious money on other things in Devon, I feel a little better eating at Ghareeb Nawaz! Food service is fast and you just order by the counter. Get some parathas to go too, they freeze well. read more

Ghareeb Nawaz - Biryani - Indian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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food is good, the lady was a bit impatient, but the people around there are chill. Overall cool vibes.

Ghareeb has been close to my heart for many, many years. A late night spot serving delicious food at still-affordable prices? After their renovation a few years back gave their dining area a face lift, what is there to complain about? The workers have always been friendly and personable and the food fresh and hot. HEADS UP: Ghareeb is a cash-only establishment. There is an ATM inside but you're better off having cash ready beforehand. read more

Ghareeb Nawaz - Boneless chicken biryani - Indian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The price has definitely gone up since the last time I came here but worth it! Portion size is great. I love getting the chili chicken biryani and their butter chicken. They also have paratha specials for breakfast/early lunch for only $2 and they are filling! Can't beat the price on that one. Street parking only. Service was good. Food comes out fairly quick. Cash only!!! read more

Ghareeb Nawaz - Indian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Have I had a better Indian/Pakistani food? Yes, but this place is dirt cheap. We had the chicken biryani for eight dollars. It was enough to feed both of us. You can't beat these prices! read more

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This place gave me food poisoning. Portions were huge and food was cheap, but since I got sick after eating here, instant 1 star.

Ghareeb Nawaz is a great place to go to if you want some really good Indian food that's very reasonably priced for what you get. This location is cash only and they do have an ATM on site however to avoid ATM fees just make sure you bring cash. When we went the ATM wasn't working, so just wanted to give you a heads up . The service is definitely no-frills , and the cashier was definitely about the business. She was moving people along very efficiently and we probably waited for our food for 10 minutes or so. But it was definitely hot and fresh just how we wanted it so it was definitely worth the wait. We both ordered a butter chicken bowl to go and it came with some saucy butter chicken over rice. The butter chicken sauce was so delicious it was just what we needed. We aren't in Little India very often however because this place is so delicious and also because I wanna check out other places too we definitely will be back very soon. read more

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You can't go wrong with this place. Huge selection, good prices, very tasty. Just keep in mind that it is cash only. read more

Ghareeb Nawaz - The menu board. Lots of nice choices. - Indian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This is a really really must go Indian/Pakistani restaurant spot in Chicago. Everything is just $13.75 (plus a soda too). If you order sth like this in NYC which is where I'm from, you will have to pay 2-3 times the price for this amount of food. read more

Ghareeb Nawaz - Indian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This place was always very mid but very cheap. The founder's motto was "nobody goes hungry" and the prices were insanely affordable. Ever since his son took over during/after the pandemic, it has stayed very mid but it's now just as expensive as any other takeout place. Which means you can get much better food elsewhere without spending much more. It's not really worth giving this place business anymore. read more

Don't believe the negative reviews - this place is awesome! All the pics are from 1am. If it's this packed at 1am you know it's good Service (A) It's super fast considering the rush of orders. Basically you walk in and be ready to order. Know what you want and then step up to the register. After you have ordered they will either call out your order when it is ready or your number. If you don't pick it up in a few seconds they will announce over loud speaker. when done someone will bus your table.The staff is all cross trained so that individuals who are runners can also quickly take your orders. Value (A++) You get a ton of free excellent food for a great value. I think I paid $10 for butter chicken and $2 for naan. At some pretentious Indian place trying to cater to mainstream audiences it would be have been double for 1/2 the quality. They only take cash and all the pricing looks weird so that with tax it rounds to whole amount and they don't have to worry about making "coin" change. This speeds up transaction times dramatically. Absolute Genius. It also probably helps to keep prices down Quality (A+) This place has awesome food. Do not believe the negative reviews. With the amount of volume they do at all hours of the day you can't have bad food. It is as authentic as you're going to find in the USA. I got the butter chicken which was amazing! My wife got some kabobs and excellent also. The food tastes between a cross of Dhaba and home made. All the pictures and prices are on the wall so you know what you are going to get. Overall (A+) I would go there a few times a week if I didn't live so far away. (1 hour drive). They have done everything to maximize operational excellent from a quick and simple ordering process to large excellent portion sizes to great low prices. Don't believe the negative reviews as you will also have some dummies who complain about something. I bet that all those posting negative reviews actually came back to dine there. Editorial1 I love this place because it is not an Americanized place that attempts to rip you off with small portion sizes, expensive pricing and numerous add ons. How about follow this model or what they do at Lems and provide a ton of great food. The volume will take care of everything and you don't have to screw over the customer. I am tired of places that take $5 worth of food cost and then I end up paying $40 for it since the owners want high markups and try to pass along there employee costs to the customer. read more

Ghareeb Nawaz is an institution in Chicago. This is the restaurant that signals you're about to enter the fabulous Little India stretch of Devon (from the east), and what a happy sight this is. The portions are amazing for the price, and it's so fun and easy to pick out a few different things to try and have some amazing leftovers. This is a cash only spot, which is always a struggle for me. My pro-tip is get it delivered on your favorite app to get around the cash-only payments. You miss out on the friendly service and seeing all the photos of the menu food, but you don't have to run to the ATM...or anywhere for that matter. Is Ghareeb Nawaz the finest Indian cuisine Chicago has to offer? Maybe not, but it's darn tasty and plentiful. I've never seen a naan that big before--don't believe me? Order one for yourself! You can't go wrong with any biryani, a butter chicken, or whatever else tickles your fancy. read more

Cheap and tasty South Asian food, served quickly, in a quiet and spacious restaurant. Huge menu and portions. Staff had helpful info about the dishes. They don't seem to have typical systems like order numbers, yet the food came out quickly and everyone seems to find their order. Many people eating solo at lunchtime on weekday; also some groups. Muslim-friendly space. read more

Ghareeb Nawaz - Vegetarian thali. Rice, paratha, yogurt, onions, and four vegetarian curries. All for $10. And served in about five minutes. - Indian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Ghareeb Nawaz is an extremely affordable Indian/Pakistani restaurant and the flavor is great. The founder started the restaurant with the motto "nobody goes hungry" which I fully support. I haven't dined in, but picking it up the inside looks fine. The staff working the cashier was nice as well. However they have ran into issues around food safety/quality. I've eaten here a few times and haven't had any issues but seeing other reviews does have me second guessing. read more

Thank you for the best food ever, I love you all. Thank you So delicious and soulful. read more

I'm writing this review literally just for the best samosa you'll ever have. This place is nostalgic- cultural ties and family memories. I mean, Devon St itself is a world of its own and a vibrant thrill of colors, businesses, and busy-ness. Ghareeb Nawaz is an underrated corner stop that is a hub for Indians plates of affordable meals and snacks. This 5/5 is a spotlight review for the BEST samosa had; the exact ones that you'll spot as soon as you walk in and spot behind the glass counter. They usually have two selections, the veggie filled (cilantro, onion, peas, and some other greens) and the potato one (the $0.75 one). The deep-fried pastry is the perfectly timed-fried thing, nothing burnt or undercooked about it. More so, that, the seasoned mashed potatoes inside are also well-cooked and not overly spiced. The balance between the starchy potatoes and the chili powder, turmeric powder, with sprinkles of mustard and cumin seeds is simply effortless. read more

Ghareeb Nawaz - aloo samosa - Indian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Can't beat Ghareeb Nawaz when it comes to price, portions & consistency. Food is tasty, Service is quick & friendly, ambience is laid back. They are a true Northside staple. read more

FANTASTIC DEAL, FANTASTIC FOOD. Couldn't say 5 stars all around more than this place. Cash only, very efficient line management, friendly staff. Plenty of seating and the everything is clean! One order of biryani comfortably fed our party or 4 but we got two orders so we had plenty of leftovers. The butter chicken is a standout and was just *chef's kiss* with everything. Run, don't walk! read more

Ghareeb Nawaz - Chicken biryani - Indian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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My bud and I ate lunch at Ghareeb Nawaz on Devon today. This is a no-frills establishment with an extensive menu posted on the wall, so it just may take a minute or two to identify what you'd like to order. The sign touted their "winter special" - chicken biryani for $5.99. Of course, I could not pass up such an eye-popping deal. The photos of the dishes just do not depict how sizeable the portions are in reality. I thought my platter of biryani was the bargain of the century (at least by 2023 standards) as the basmati rice was literally overflowing from the plate and there were three substantial chicken pieces embedded in the dish. Even as I added two samosas (the potato was better than the beef samosa), I spent less than nine dollars and had enough rice for another meal. My bud ordered an enormous amount of food, including chicken korma with a somewhat spicy curry sauce and a pile of rice, and a frisbee-sized disk of naan. His he-man appetite meant that he somehow wound up with no leftovers. We were both satisfied with the flavors and the value of our food. I ate my meal with a plastic spoon - I did not see any forks or knives anywhere. Remember - no-frills! read more

Classic! First went to Ghareeb Nawaz around 2018 on a road trip and have loved it ever since, although I must say it's been a couple years since we went there. It was the cheap place to go, that's why I love it so much. Quick and easy. read more

Prior to my recent visit to Ghareeb Nawaz, I had been here a couple of times before but that was more than 10 years ago. Since then, the restaurant has gotten a face-lift and an upgrade. Ghareeb Nawaz is known for their homey, late night (at least in the past when I went) eats at very inexpensive prices. I was on my way back from downtown and decided to pick up dinner from here for the following night. I placed my order over the phone and was informed that it would be ready in 20 minutes and should be paid as cash only. I ordered: - Butter Chicken (med spicy) - Lamb Nihari (spicy) - Beef Bihari Kebab (extra spicy) - 2 tandoori chapati - 2 paratha I got there in 20 minutes and the food was ready. We were surprised that these items were already prepared to go in the alloted time given especially how busy they were when I got there around 10 pm. I paid cash and picked up my order. One of the attendants repeated my order by looking in my carry-out to confirm what I had gotten. I did not open the bag to see if everything was okay or not. Fast forward the following night at home for dinner when we sat down to eat this meal. The Butter Chicken smelled off as if it had been spoiled and was mild. The Lamb Nihari was not spicy but had decent flavor. I had to add Indian extra hot chili powder to make it spicy. The Beef Bihari Kebab was not a kebab dish but a shredded beef curry type dish and was not spicy either forget extra spicy. The only real tasty things were the parathas and tandoori chapati. This was a huge letdown for us especially given how reputed G N is and its popularity. I did not call the restaurant to complain about this as this was roughly 24 hrs later and I had not check my bag's contents at pick up. However, one thing did solidify for me that in my experience from all the visits to G N, I do not agree with any of the good or better reviews of the food from this place. The food has always been mediocre in taste. I guess that part has not changed for me in going here even after 10+ years. Sorry but I can't rate this place high on their food quality. G N is good for great prices on their extensive menu options and late night hours. It's a popular local establishment that makes the list of cheap eats on Devon Ave. and in Chicago, overall. But for me it doesn't work in terms of quality and taste of food. read more

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A true neighborhood classic that has been around since I've been a kid. Location is cash only and I'm assuming it always will be. Although the prices have steadily increased through the years (a chili chicken biriyani used to be $5!), its still been serving pretty cheap food compared to everyone else in the neighborhood. Great for takeout or casual lunch/dinner. Service might be a bit lacking, might want to check your order before heading out, but what do you expect? As long as the food hits the spot, you'll receive no complaints from me. My go to is always the chili chicken biryani, but will occasionally get the butter chicken if I'm feeling indulgent. The samosas are also pretty decent. Although the "level of complexity" and flavors of the dish might be better at other places (i.e. Uru Swati, Nepal House both right down the street on Devon), paying $13+ for a biryani when you can pay $6-7 for basically the same quantity and a little less quality is good enough for me especially during these times of rough inflation. Definitely a spot worth checking out if you live in the neighborhood. Probably won't be winning any Michelin or Zagat awards, but they're not trying to do that. They're just trying to serve the actual people who've been living there the past 30 years. read more

Ghareeb Nawaz - Butter chicken, chili chicken biriyani -- name a better duo. - Indian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Now certainly not every dish on the menu is a five star dish- but some of them are so delicious, and the prices are the best part. This was a go-to spot for me and my broke friends in high school, and a go-to spot for me and my broke friends in college (well, slightly less broke but still on a budget yk). And since the recent renovations, the interior is very comfy too. My personal favorite has to be the lamb biryani. Like the other biryanis, it's enough to feed you and at least another friend, however it is much more tasty than the rest. Definitely worth the extra couple dollars. I also like the frontier chicken, the dal, or the butter chicken if I'm in the mood. Of course I would recommend visiting as many places as you can on devon, but ghareeb nawaz is definitely worth a stop. read more

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My favorite Indian spot in Chicago! Very affordable and they have a vast menu, just make sure to bring cash because it's cash only! They have an ATM in the restaurant but obviously for a charge read more

I'm really late to the Indian food scene and I can't really explain why. I live close to Devon and I'm seemingly around a multitude of Indian establishments and people. I had Indian food in Fort Worth, TX and I would say yearsssss passed before I ordered take out from Ghareeb Nawaz (which means Big hearted btw) during COVID. The take out meal was palak paneer - which is spinach with cheese cubes. So weird looking but so so good. Weird like Filipino Laing (taro leaves or spinach cooked in coconut milk), but really good with Naan (flat bread). The butter chicken was excellent. I've recently had butter chicken but it was at an Irish restaurant in Toronto, and this was 10 times better. This second time around, we ordered beef samosas (they're evidently not vegetarian) which reminded me of ninja throwing stars. Just the right size and crunchy with plenty of ground beef. The butter chicken was excellent once more and the tandoori chicken tikka was falling off the bone. I'm mean free falling, it was really that tender. I really enjoyed dipping that into the yogurt sauce (to cool things off) and having that with the naan bread. We also ordered the 99 cent breakfast because it was such a good deal (scrambled eggs). That beats out IKEA's breakfast deal. Finally the chicken rolls scalded my tongue, I should have slowed down, it was a little spicy. There's really no excuse to not return soon and I hope to expand my taste palate further by trying their other dishes which are easily identifiable due to their numerous wall pics. read more

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I came here with too high of expectations. I was searching for mind blowing Indian food. The food here is flavorful and good, just not mind blowing. It's much nicer inside than it appears on the outside. The options of the different foods you can order could get overwhelming, so appreciated the lady working giving us recommendations. The naan here is at least twice as big as regular naan. We made the mistake of ordering 3 pieces for 3 people and it was an insane amount! We also ordered a piece of chapati and it was delicious! After reading reviews and asking for suggestions we decided on the chili chicken biryani and a butter chicken bowl. Everything was tasty and a great price for how much food you get! read more

Ghareeb Nawaz - Naan, Chappati, BUTTER CHICKEN BOWL, Chili Chicken Rice - Indian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

For some people, the problem with Indian food is that it takes longer to make, so it means waiting longer to eat. Ghareeb Nawaz eliminates this problem, without sacrificing too much in authentic flavor. It doesn't have a huge selection, but there's still plenty enough in my opinion. Another problem people may have with this cuisine is that it usually costs too much. This is yet another problem this establishment has solved. A lot of Indian restaurants around here are fancy. If you're expecting anything like that, fix those expectations because this place isn't it. This is a pretty nondescript cafe, with a few tables. It actually has a couple locations. This one is located on Devon Avenue in West Rogers Park. Good choice for anyone looking for something cheap. There's another location near UIC, but this one has a bigger menu. I've been to these locations a few times and have tried most of the vegetarian items. Last time I had Mixed Vegetables. It's about $7 for an entree. These typically come with a protein and rice. Best prices for Indian food. It's also pretty authentic so it's not sacrificing flavor and spice. There's plenty of choices for vegetarians. read more

Ghareeb Nawaz - Mixed Vegetables - Indian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I heard so many good things about this place, so I had somewhat high expectations of the taste, amount, and price of food. Unfortunately, I was disappointed and am not sure I'd come back. I ordered the boneless chicken biryani, my friend ordered the chicken biryani, and another friend ordered the boneless beef biryani. For $10 each plate, I think we each got less than 10 pieces of meat and 3 meals worth of rice. All our dishes were pretty dry too. I don't have Indian and Pakistani food often, so I don't know much about it, but aren't the chicken biryani and boneless chicken biryani supposed to be the same? Is the only difference supposed to be that the boneless chicken biryani not have bones? Both dishes came out looking completely different. Neither were spicy, they were just different. I would definitely get Indian and Pakistani food again, but I don't think I'd make the trip here for these dishes, even though they're some of the more popular ones. read more

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Place has gotten so much more expensive over the years this meal cost me 15 dollars! It was pretty big proportions though so I ended up packing home the rest and ate the left overs for work. Their butter chicken is pretty popular so I got some with a side of garlic naan (I didn't expect the naan bread to be so big!) it was delicious. I can't wait to try the other dishes on the menu. read more

Ghareeb Nawaz - Butter Chicken Boneless Garlic Naan - Indian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Really great food and nice prices. Super fresh and comfortable place You should try it read more

Absolutely wonderful service great food and such great prices try the butter chicken!

I have been coming here since 2018 or 2017. I don't know if anyone knows this yet but this is the best, tastiest and cheapest place to get food in Chicago. In the WHOLE of Chicago. Service is fast, depending on the demand. It is cash only so bring your cash or stand to risk it at their ATM machine. I love the simple look, it's very down to earth and family oriented. This place is not fancy at all and why should it be? We are coming to eat, so long as the food area is clean and the bathroom that's what we need. Simplicity is the highest sophistication. So if you are a local or a tourist, try this place out you will not regret it. read more

Ghareeb Nawaz - Menu - Indian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois