Lahore Deli
“Verdict – If in SoHo, B'Way/Houston and in mood for quick and cheap desi food or samosa with chai, hit this place”
“It's right next to the Housing Works Bookstore.”
“Better than competing underground sketchy microwave Indian cabbie delis.”
Lahore Deli
Take-out: Yes
Price range.
$ Price range Under $10
8 reviews
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This review is so far over due. It's close to my office and cheap (which is hard to find in SoHo) so I'm here a lot.
What is "a lot" you ask?
My name at Lahore is Keema Bhindi Gobi because that's what I order 1-5 times a week. The only deviation being samosa or no samosa (but really, get the samosa and ask for sweet sauce to dip).
I've seen some of the reviews commenting on the lack of ambiance, but that's not what you're here for. You're here because you want super cheap and super fast. This isn't a sit down, cloth napkin place. This is the kind of place with a literal tub of biriyani.
Also — stop complaining about the microwaves. Your own mother uses one and you still love her.
4* for the samosa – it is spicy and flavorful
3* for lamb curry and rice. Don't get the chicken kabeb burger – patty made from ground meat so texture is not great.
Well the search is over. This place serves up some seriously delicious Pakistani/Indian food at incredibly cheap prices. I don't think it would be possible to have a smaller restaurant but they have managed to squeeze it in.
The portions are huge, the food is spicy, and the people who work there are incredibly friendly. Highly recommend the samosa with chickpeas, yogurt sauce and sweet sauce it is absolutely delicious, 3 dollars, and super filling. Highly recommended
The food is exceptional and authentic and very inexpensive. I recommend the 2 vegetable samosas with lentil chutney. Ask for the sweet sauce and yogurt. They make the chutney even more amazing! Also order the sweet tea. Its chai in its heavenly form!
The space is very small with only 3 chairs. Dont let that stop you! If there are seats available, great! If not, grab some delicious Pakistani food and cop a squat at a nearby park.
In NYC for the weekend and generally hungry all the time, I decided to pop into Lahore Deli and grab a samosa or two. Lahore deli is the absolute definition of a hole in the wall, its nothing more than a tiny little room with one guy behind the counter and a dilapidated display case with food in it. I was in in love the minute I walked in. The Urdu was going strong and taxi drivers were going in and out of the shop. I thought I had stumbled upon a real gem. I was sorely mistaken. The samosas were kind of sad looking sitting at the bottom of the display and looked like they had been there for a day or two. I asked the guy behind counter and he confirmed that they were made the day before. I ordered one just for the hell of it and was appalled when he put it in a plastic bag and popped it in the microwave. 20 seconds and 1 dollar later, I had a soggy stale tasting samosa all to myself. The seasoning was marvelous and I know for a fact had he not microwaved the damn thing and just toasted it it could have been an entirely new experience. Unfortunately I could taste its age, and the old oil mixed in with spice was borderline horrifying. The samosa was only a dollar so maybe if you go to Lahore Deli at the right time and get a fresh samosa it might be worth your time. I was sorry I stopped here and spoiled my appetite in the greatest city in the world surrounded by the best food you could ask for. 2 stars because I saw potential.
They're out of half the menu most of the time but just look in the hot case and point. I tried the lamb curry over rice last time. Keep in mind that most of the meat dishes are bone in, which I like but can bother people who aren't used to it. Also try the samosa with sauce and chickpeas, that is the most filling meal you can get in the whole city for like $3.50. 5 stars on value alone.
For those who are apprehensive about the quality of the food, imagine this: Taxi drivers buy from here, and then go back and sit in their taxi and drive for 6+ more hours. If it screwed with them, they wouldn't be able to keep coming back here!
BRUUUUUUAH!
So I was craving some good home-cooked Indian food (reminiscing about my mother's food) and, after some searching on Yelp, decided to stop by Lahore Deli with a friend. Now this is a super small, completely frill-free place that reminded me of the small stores in India — I knew this was going to be a good place (also I found it by following the mouth watering smell). So as you walk in you are met by a wall of biscuits/rusk/snacks to have with your chai — how lovely! But it gets even better when you check out the men. Not only is there a bunch of dishes to choose from (snakcs, main dishes, desserts, beverages) but they are all less than $10…UNHEARD OF!
Now my friend and I ordered the samosas with channa (chickpeas) sweet sauce and dahi (indian yogurt), as well as the "two hand made bread with chicken" which was two huge chapatis (flat, tortilla-ish bread, not naan) and masala chicken. For dessert we got two gulab jamuns and small chai sweetened with 1.5 spoons of sugar. The total was $17.50 (credit card minimum of $20) for all of that food ; that is less than $9 a person! We then ventured outside and found a place to sit around the area.
The samosa and channa were so so so soooo good! Two samosas covered with channa (which were on the sweeter side). The taste was super authentic and the spice was real — just the perfect amount to give you a little bite!
The chapati/chicken was delicious as well. Soft, large chapatis and a spicy chicken, there are bones in the dish just as an fyi. I preferred the chickpea/samosa over this dish but it was still delicious.
The gulab jamuns were a little dense but were delicious and had a floral undertone. They were also perfectly sweet –and not too heavy at all.
Lastly, the chai was magnificent! It tasted just like the one you get from street vendors in India.
All in all, this was an amazing spot and a total gem. No nonsense and great, authentic food with great portions — there is love and passion in this food. Will MOST DEFINITELY be coming back for my next Indian food craving.
Oh man. What a find! It's definitely a tucked-away-in-the-corner gem of deliciousness…and one worth looking for.
The biriyani was sold out by the time I stopped by on a Friday evening, so I opted for the chicken over rice and a samosa. Just $7 for a spectacular and filling dinner. If I was in the area more often, I'd make this a regular pit stop. It's that good.
Someone after me ordered a chai and it smelled divine. Next time I'm getting here earlier and most certainly ordering a chai to-go.