Ghareeb Nawaz Restaurant

“We’ve been coming to this location since the 90s.”

We’ve been coming to this location since the 90s. Ghareeb Nawaz is the cheapest, biggest portion size and tastiest Desi food you can get in the Chicago area. I would highly recommend the Butter Chicken w/ Naan and the Chilli Chicken Biriyani. Since the 90s I’ve only seen this place expand but never sacrifice on the quality of the food. It tastes the same as it did 25 years ago.

Imraan

Aug 2025

“I’ve been coming here for 5 years for fast Indian food.”

I’ve been coming here for 5 years for fast Indian food. The food prices are a great value which makes up for occasional inconsistency. Biryani options are all good as are the standard palak and daal. Breads are always fresh. I only get the chapati. Not a fan of their butter chicken. Last but not least the only lady that works there really seem to hate here job. She gives me anxiety and would love to come when she’s not working as I’m fully convinced her energy negatively affects the food quality and experience- her staff possibly as well. To be fair, I would be happy to pay for her permanent vacation with the money I save just coming here over the years.

Richmond Catalan

Jul 2025

“Their food was really so good ❤️ Specially the lamb biryani and Chicken Kosha ❤️🇺🇸.”

A. M. Zayed Abdullah

Jul 2025

“This is the best meal after a long day.”

This is the best meal after a long day. For around $10 you can get the meat thali, very delicious and filling especially for the price. Definitely one of my favorite restaurants for sure.

Andrew Hesik

Jun 2025

“Solid spot for late-night eats or a cheap but ridiculously filling lunch.”

Solid spot for late-night eats or a cheap but ridiculously filling lunch. I grabbed the chicken biryani and a butter chicken with naan—both slapped hard and ran me maybe $13 total. Huge portions, like take-some-home level. No frills vibe but the food's what matters. Been coming here for years and it never misses. If you know, you know.

Delilah Robinson

May 2025

“Ghareeb Nawaz is a great place to go to if you want some really good Indian food that's very...”

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.

Yosef Montgomery

Feb 2025

“Everything is delicious, very big portions.”

Everything is delicious, very big portions. Water, food, napkins, silverware are all self serve. We spent about $31 for all this food and 2 mango lassi

Bella Bacalla

Jan 2025

“Came for my birthday (I wanted Indian food) and so Ghareeb Nawaz was highly recommended by friends and family.”

Came for my birthday (I wanted Indian food) and so Ghareeb Nawaz was highly recommended by friends and family. And it delivered: loads of Indian food for a feast that easily fed 8 people for dinner without making a large dent in the wallet. Ate voraciously and still had to take home food. Service was quick, food came faster, and we started eating only after sitting down for no longer than 10 minutes. The food will not WOW you but it tastes good and fills up the tummy! The experience was a blur but the cauliflower (orange dish) was the best, alongside the garlic naan. IMO, try whatever you’d like and come back. Each dish is no more than 10$ and the portions and options allow for frequent visits. The environment is fine, it is very fast-food adjacent and may even be dirty at times due to the lack of self-cleaning even though it is self-service.

Andy Le

Nov 2024

“Ghareeb Nawaz never disappoints.”

Ghareeb Nawaz never disappoints. Incredible food for REAL AFFORDABLE price. My mouth started watering really bad even before the food came out. The taste was heavenly. (Chicken Boti Paratha) Mango lassi was like an oasis for this hot weather and chai was meh i guess it was just not for my East Asian taste. The restaurant is very crowded with kids and parents, but also friendly for people who eat alone like me. I truly enjoyed my time and the food here, I definitely would love to visit again. Please keep this business going! 🙏

Minseo Kim

Sep 2024

“Ghareeb Nawaz: The dirt cheap pricing restaurant which is reasonably good.”

Ghareeb Nawaz: The dirt cheap pricing restaurant which is reasonably good. They only take cash, however there is nothing this cheap in terms of pricing and the value for money is crazy good. Food is good, however the cuts of meat in biryani and curries are small to keep the pricing low. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this place for anyone looking for cheap eats.

Rocky Khan

Nov 2022

“This place is amazing.”

This place is amazing. 💯 Very clean first of all, halal if you are looking for halal and the food is so good just like and probably better than a reputable Indian restaurant. the rice was not the best i tried but the butter chicken is amazing, the prices are crazy cheap, and portions are so big that one portion might be good for 3-4 people. I really respect these kinds of restaurants that know how to keep their customers coming again instead of ripping them off. Will come back for sure and highly recommended indian food.

Hadeel Alzawa

Feb 2022

“The prices are great.”

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.

karina k

Feb 2026