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    Thelewala

    4.1 (579 reviews)
    InexpensiveIndian
    Open 11:00 am - 3:00 AM (Next day)
    Updated 3 months ago

    Order Thelewala Takeout or Delivery

    Thelewala Photos

    Business Info

    THELEWALA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - Thelewala

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    Menu and inside
    Dipali G.

    Cheap and good! But greasy Good: we got the gobi paneer roll and it was good but very greasy! I wish it had a bit more paneer and less onions! It is definitely spicy and it comes fresh, so be aware of how hot it is! For the price, I think it was really great Service: good and fast Ambience: it's a small shop with a few indoor seats and a table outside! It is definitely meant to be a takeout shop

    Jaal Muri
    Neil M.

    The spice level here is something to be wary of. If you can't handle spice, make sure you tell them that many times. I was sweating fire on my commute back (and loving it). The jaal muri was tangy and spicy and everything you want if you need your sinuses opened. I tried the okra roll and paneer roll and loved both of them.

    Okra roll
    Ashwini A.

    SERVICE - located near washington square park - small store with food packaged to go - open late night - good for a very casual meal MENU - Indian Kati roll wraps - vegetarian/vegan options available - well priced ($10 per wrap) FOOD - achaari aloo tikki (9/10): mashed potatoes spiced with chili and tangy pickle. This tastes like an aloo paratha but as a roll. The potato is soft and absorbs a lot of the masala flavor it is cooked with. The bread is chewy yet crisp making it the ideal vehicle for the potato filling. - aloo gobi (8/10): mixed potato and cauliflower. This one felt like a hybrid between the achaari aloo and the smoky gobi so if you want a taste of two by only ordering one get this. - smoky gobi (8/10): roasted cauliflower with spices. I was not expecting this one to be as flavorful as it was since cauliflower can sometimes feel bland. The smokiness really came through and went well with the slightly sweet wrap. - okra (9/10): crispy okra with spices. This one was definitely my favorite. The okra was perfectly cooked and had no sliminess. It had more texture than the potato and cauliflower ones and felt spicier. WOULD I GO BACK? Yes! It's a great spot for a quick late night bite. The only reason I did not give it five stars is because i wished it had a vegan option with more protein like a channa masala roll

    Thelewala Chicken Roll
    Cole D.

    I'd save your $11 and head to taco Mahal over this place. I think this is place is too simple to be a restaurant. In Waze, I feel like I could make this dish myself. I think that every dish needs cheese as well as some sauces. It's very dry. It's not a lot of food. I feel like this is more breakfast food, like an Indian breakfast burrito. I wasn't particularly wowed with this place.

    Chapli Roll and Achari Aloo Tikki Roll
    Will N.

    Fun late night snack--open late. Easy to take on the go. Made fresh to order. Kind workers as well. Seems like prices rose throughout the years though, but that's likely the case for every restaurant on this busy street.

    Sanjay G.

    West 8th Street and MacDougal Street- this street in Greenwich Village is full of eateries ranging from the luxurious Minetta Tavern (famous for its Black Label Burger) to the cheap Pommes Frites (a well-known French fry establishment). Thelewala- Hindi, it means roadside vendor. a compact joint tucked into MacDougal Street. They are well known for their fresh and spicy chaat, but most importantly their Nizami rolls--a grab-and-go restaurant serving Kolkata Nizami Rolls and other Indian street foods. We ordered its famous Thelewala Chicken roll and masala chai The roll was fresh, long pieces of marinated chicken, they cooked in front of us (which means it was not cooked earlier) and I could taste the freshness. something about their green mint chutney was different for me (it might be Amla /Indian gooseberry), but that tasted different. Masala chai was horrible though, not at all good. The shop is not spacious though, It's mostly grab-and-go, but there are a couple of stools seat to sit on. wall-size mirror makes it look bigger, decor is simple but beautiful. not sure why I had not heard before about it, but I got some options other than Kathi roll.

    Menu
    Gin Y.

    We were in the area on sixth avenue to get in our Joe's Pizza fix (so good!), but I did find through my research that, a block behind sixth avenue on MacDougal St, there were a bunch of eateries that we needed to try out. Since there's only so much real estate in our stomachs, we settled on trying this inexpensive hole-in-the-wall spot called Thelewala that served Indian wraps/rolls. I thought it was unique. Inside, it's very cramped and there's barely any room for seating. I would say this is more of a grab-and-go spot. The staff was friendly and steered us away from the chicken phall roll, which they stated would be too spicy for us. Instead, they recommended we try their chicken pata chicken roll with their habanero chutney sauce on the side to dip it in - just in case it would be too spicy for us. Well, the roll was pretty good. The habanero chutney was, in fact, quite spicy. But, we enjoyed it. It was also easy to eat and not too messy. Next time, I plan to try out their vegetarian rolls to see if their Indian spices stand out more. If you're in the area, come and check them out.

    Vaibhav M.

    Oh Boy! This is a hole in the wal but the food is FIRE(literally). Inside there is only enough standig room for 3-4 people at a time and sitting space for another 2. So make sure you are okay to get your food to-go and eat somewhere else. We got the ragda patties and the chicken phal roll. The chicken phall roll is absolutely wild! It has the spiciest peoper (think ghost). The server did a good job by making sure we knew what we were ordering and how hot it was going to be. We wanted it so we got it. And boy was it HOT! It was loaded with the peppers and the sauce and we had smoke coming out of all our pores. The ragda patties were a lot more normal and it was authentic! You should definitely add this to your list if you like Indian street/comfort food

    Chicken Phall Roll
    Falguni T.

    FIRE!!!!! This place and its food is fire! It's a small shop that cannot accommodate more that 4-5 people at a time. But most people came for pickups, so it was great. We ordered ragara patties and a chicken Phalke role. The Ragara Patties tasted great. Just like in India. It had the right amount of spice and flavour. Thoroughly enjoyed it. But it was the roll that set this experience apart from any other. The guy behind the counter warned us that the Chicken Phalke role was going to be really spicy. Even the menu says "it's fire!! . But we wanted to try it anyways. I think we were a little too proud of our Indian spice tolerance, and also were excited to give this a try. The very first bite had us hiccuping and dying of the spice! Like right off the bat. The guy told us to take off the chillies if it got too unbearable, but we were liking the killing heat, but more than that the flavour of the roll, that we decided to continue eating it on the streets of the city (God knows we couldn't sit still after the first couple bites). By the end of the role, I was pretty delirious, and in need for something sweet. My mind kept going blank for a few seconds every now and then. And my lips were on fire for the rest of the day. But I would highly recommend this place to anyone looking to eat a nice Indian chaat. Even if you don't get the Phall role, they have other options that I'm pretty sure are going to be just as good. And anyone who loves spicy, give the roll a go.

    Chatpata Chicken Roll
    Samantha D.

    I was in the neighborhood studying. I wanted a quick bite before going home, so I ended up going to Thelewala. It is a fast-casual place that I could get something to eat by myself. You can tell they make it fresh and to order because it took them about 15 minutes to make after I ordered. The place is a bit cramped, and they only have a handful of seats, so most people order to go. It's not hard to eat and walk if you get a roll. Chat pata chicken roll was okay. Pretty spicy for me, and I didn't really taste much variety of spices. I do think the roll itself was mostly one note. However, it was filled with chicken and eggs. They didn't skimp on ingredients. It gets pretty messy if you eat it on the go because the roll is oily. There's a tiny discount if you pay with cash. The roll itself was cheap, less than $10 when I paid with cash. It's satisfying enough if you aren't a big eater.

    Lime Paneer Roll
    Pratima M.

    A hole-in-the-wall spot for affordable, yummy Indian eats -- they serve up kathi rolls and other chaat. They are super authentic and have lots of vegetarian options. I'd highly recommend grabbing a bite and walking over to a nearby park. I got the chili lime (with egg added) and it was delicious!

    Chicken Phall Roll

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    3 months ago

    Online menu has incorrect.prices! Found out after ordering. I will taste the food later

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    11 months ago

    I had paneer roll, aloo gobi roll and they were awesome!! Remember, spice level is what is stated.

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    7 months ago

    Been coming for years. The employees are always SO welcoming and kind. The customers are great too. Highly rec.

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    3 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    9 months ago

    They have amazing food that to ovals Kati. Very spacious eating area. I will be back there sometime soon!

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    1 year ago

    The food is great, always has been, but with the recent price increases it's cheaper to make it at home.

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    Page 1 of 15

    Thelewala Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Thelewala

    Is the meat halal?

    Yes

    Is the bread gluten free?

    Unfortunately no, only regular flour.

    Is the meat halal?

    Yes the chicken and lamb

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    Mughlai Grill

    Mughlai Grill

    4.6(657 reviews)
    1.0 miLower East Side
    $$
    Curbside pickup during COVID-19
    Mobile services during COVID-19

    Wow! I'm so happy to find such an amazing restaurant a block away from my building. The quality of…read morethe food is fantastic, fresh and prepared to perfection. I had some chicken curry, garlic nan, and a mango drink. All of it was amazing. My dinner date had tandoori salmon. I had a taste, and it was even better than my food which is hard to imagine. The service was wonderful, and the atmosphere was relaxing after a long work day. I can't wait to eat here again and try more delicious food from their vast menu.

    Mughlai Grill is my favorite Indian restaurant in the city, but haven't been to Mughlai in two…read moreyears, so I was curious if anything changed. We were walk-ins and although there were quite a few parties in the restaurant, we were able to be seated immediately. The staff were nice and attentive and gave us pretty good recommendations! To start we shared the Vegetable Pakora and oh my gosh it was so crispy and seasoned perfectly! That got us so excited for the rest of the food. For our entrees we ended up on Lamb, and the staff recommended the Achar Gosht and the Kadai Gosht. Both were so good! Lamb was tender, it was overall super filling and paired well with the aloo paratha! I can't wait to eat my leftovers! Mughlai Grill is even better than I remember and I can't wait to come back! I will be recommending it to everyone!

    Photos
    Mughlai Grill
    Mughlai Grill
    Mughlai Grill

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    Dhamaka - Paneer Methi

    Dhamaka

    4.1(837 reviews)
    1.0 miLower East Side
    $$$

    In short, amazing…read more Service was great, friendly, and very cognizant of allergies. - Ghee Whiz - smoked cocktail, really good, flavorful, smooth, unique - Paneer - on the one hand, $20+ for two pieces of paneer seems crazy but on the other hand that paneer was so melt-in-your-mouth texture maybe it's worth getting again, but probably not - Beef pepper fry - amazing, my favorite dish we got. Definitely a bit on the spicier side but incredible flavor, beef all cooked well, great presentation on the skillet, so worth it. - Makai Lamb - the lamb itself was incredible; imagine a giant lamb bone with meat falling off into a thin soup-like sauce. The sauce was delicate in flavor, allowing the lamb to really shine and it was delicious. So filling too, a ton of food. Only weird thing, the two chunks of corn cobs felt out of place. Will definitely return, delicious and best done with more people to try more dishes.

    Food was excellent! Just like my trip to India. They have the right food in the menus and all the…read morethings we ordered had a little taste of slickness in it. Service was very good as well. And the ambiance is at the corner area of Essex Street Market tucked away with its own convenient toilet. The crab with garlic was served with Indian rice. The Tika was perfectly done and their Indian bread which very thin went with it and the eggplant dishes that they cooked Jndian style - must also order. We had the goat dish which was also delicious. They gave us green chutney and fresh sliced red onion as well So overall it was a positive experience.

    Photos
    Dhamaka - Interior

    Interior

    Dhamaka - Paneer Methi

    Paneer Methi

    Dhamaka - Nalli Biryani

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    Nalli Biryani

    Red Onion - Stir fry cauliflower peas, turmeric, Indian spices.

    Red Onion

    4.6(172 reviews)
    0.9 miEast Village, Alphabet City
    $$

    Red Onion is hands down my favorite Indian restaurant in NYC. Everything we tried was very, very…read moregood--but the butter chicken completely stole the show. Truly AMAZING. Rich, creamy, perfectly balanced, and easily the best dish of the night. We also tried the chicken vindaloo, which was delicious but definitely really spicy--great if you love heat. The chicken xacuti was also excellent, full of flavor and depth. The bread and rice deserve their own shoutout: fresh, comforting, and the perfect match for every dish. On top of the food, the service was outstanding. Anthony took incredible care of us--super attentive, friendly, and knowledgeable. He helped us choose the dishes, guided us through the menu, checked in to make sure we were enjoying everything, and genuinely made the experience better. Amazing food, amazing service, and a warm, welcoming vibe. If you're looking for top-tier Indian food in NYC, Red Onion is it.

    Most abysmal service I have experienced in NYC. There's long waits, wrong dishes, or slow service,…read moreand then there's the racist owner who straight up lies to you. After an hour of waiting for our food, the three tables around us who arrived after us already got their food and were nearly done with their meal. We ask about this twice, and each time the owner says all three tables "pre-ordered" their food. I was confused and asked every table if this was true and obviously it was not. Before leaving, we confront the owner about the inconsistencies in his story, but he just double downs on his lie, alleging that we don't understand how a restaurant is run. For some reason, he even started to yell at the busgirl who was trying to get him to apologize? In addition to holding us hostage for an hour and continued lying, he tries to make the racist point that Indian food is more sophisticated and takes longer to prepare than other types of Asian food. I feel there are certain standards in the NYC service industry given the competition, and this was a confusing and unacceptable experience. The food was admittedly good, but not good enough for them to have the attitude they had.

    Photos
    Red Onion
    Red Onion - Fresh garlic topped naan.

    Fresh garlic topped naan.

    Red Onion - Fresh spinach and spices ground and cooked with cubed homemade cheese

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    Fresh spinach and spices ground and cooked with cubed homemade cheese

    Thelewala - indpak - Updated May 2026

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