Kabobish is a fast-casual Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, and Indian restaurant specializing in flame-grilled and tandoor oven-cooked meat kabobs. The restaurant is located in the same building as Jeju Sauna, not far from I-85 exit 104 (Pleasant Hill Rd) and Gwinnett Place Mall. I like this place because it's quick and casual and the meats, which are affordably priced, are quite delicious.
Kabobish opened on October 2, 2014. Even though I had this restaurant bookmarked for months, I never got around to trying this place until a Yelp OTP Elite Event on July 19, 2016 (https://www.yelp.com/biz/yelps-taste-of-international-kabobs-kabobish-duluth). At that event, we got to sample several of Kabobish's offerings including hummus, three kinds of rice, chicken tikka, beef koodibeh, spicy chicken koobideh, grilled shrimp, lamb chops, paneer tikka, and homemade milk cream and mango popsicles. Generally, I thought everything I tried was tasty and I've since returned to Kabobish as a regular paying customer.
The restaurant has what looks like a Chipotle-style ordering setup. However, you actually have to wait on your order since some meats are skewered and cooked fresh. The wait is worth it. What's neat about the interior is you can watch the chefs grill your meats. A spit, open flame grill, and two tandoor ovens are located behind big glass display windows for your viewing pleasure. Rice, vegetables, and other sides are located on and plated at the ordering line as well.
If dining in, orders are plated on disposable plates. If ordering takeout, orders are packaged in disposable boxes. Drinks, condiments/sauces, and disposable silverware are available self-serve at a station next to the register. For drinks, they have a mini Coke Freestyle machine and tea. Sauces include a green sauce (contains dairy), red hot sauce, balsamic vinaigrette dressing, and ranch dressing. The latter two are used for the salads which come with most plates.
The restaurant is clean and modern looking with simple design and decor. The interior dining room can seat about 50 and there's an outdoor patio as well which seats about 20. The patio is coverable on all sides which is nice during cold, windy, or inclement weather.
The menu features 20 items that include chicken, lamb, beef, gyro meat (lamb/beef combo), salmon, shrimp, and paneer cheese at about $7-14 per plate. The food is halal. Plates come with three choices of rice: dill and lima bean, vegetable pulao (pilaf), and white and saffron. The plates are pretty filling.
I recommend #18, the koobideh sampler. Koobideh is an Iranian-style meat kabob. The skewers look like small swords. The meat tastes terrific, particularly the beef variety. Both the beef and chicken have been finely minced and ground, creating a tender, soft, and appetizing texture. The meats have been cooked and seasoned with a variety of ingredients, making them extra flavorful and savory.
The cocktail chicken kabobs (#1) weren't bad, though I'm not sure I'd order them again. The koobideh is just that much tastier. The cocktail chicken kabobs are made with minced chicken mixed with herbs and spices. Our pieces fell apart easily.
I think all three rice options are good and don't really recommend one over another. Though Kabobish's rice varieties aren't among the tastiest I've had, they're still solid and can be addictive. Along with meat and rice, kabob plates come with a small side salad made of iceberg lettuce and chopped cucumber and tomato plus raw white onion and lime wedges. Kabobish also offers sides like hummus and bread (pita, paratha) for about $1 extra each.
A second Kabobish location opened in Johns Creek in June 2017. read more