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Delhi Dhaba
Categories: Restaurants Indian Restaurants Pakistani Indian, Pakistani [Edit]
2424 Wilson BlvdArlington, VA 22201
(703) 524-0008
- Nearest Transit:
-
Courthouse Metro Station (Orange)
Clarendon Metrorail Station (Orange)
- Hours:
Mon-Thu, Sun 11 am - 10 pm
Fri-Sat 11 am - 11 pm
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
106 reviews for Delhi Dhaba
Review Highlights
"Butter chicken, naan and lamb currys are all very good."
(in 35 reviews)
"...good and I used to love Palak Paneer (Only on the weekends."
(in 10 reviews)
"It's situated behind Subway in an alley, of all places."
(in 6 reviews)
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106 reviews in English
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Review from Deirdre M.
Arlington, VA
3/3/2011
Delicious food and great customer service. We went in last night to get some takeout and they gave me a free cup of soup while I was waiting for my food.
Delicious! -
Review from Steve T.
Sterling, VA
12/29/2011
This place is a little expensive for a "hot-bar"-ish type of place. You go to the counter, you pick what you want from the window, and then they scoop it onto a plate for you. The pick-3 special was like $13 for 1 meat, 2 veggies and either your choice of naan or rice. I opted for both rice and naan so the side order of naan was huge. The size of a medium pizza, so definitely big enough to split in two.
The lamb vandaloo (sic) was pretty good, but not as spicy as I like it. The entrees come with salad and yogurt sauce as well but those were mediocre. The food was warm, but who knows how long they've been sitting in the window.
The place was really quiet, but plenty of Bollywood movies playing in the background. Good place to just chill with friends if you ever find parking.....
Overall, a little pricy but not bad. If you have nowhere else to go for Indian, you can give this a shot. You'll smell like Indian food the rest of the day too. -
Review from Rajit S.
Arlington, VA
1/27/2012 1 Check-in Here
Went for dinner - service was slow, despite the fact that the food was already prepared and laid out cafeteria-style. The goat curry I ordered was good, but both of my friends were disappointed by the vegetarian dishes. I've heard that this place is better for Sunday brunch, but in the future I will most likely stick to Kohinoor Dhaba.
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Review from Harsha G.
Arlington, VA
1/29/2012
The food here is generally fresh and authentic and not bad service either. I believe that it can be cheaper for being an average atmosphere, worth trying it out if you like indian food and are in that wonderful clarendon strip!
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Review from Jen S.
5/22/2011
The food is okay. My husband and I got the combo meal entitling you to 1 meat dish, 2 vegetarian sides, rice, and naan for $11.99. I got the butter chicken, palak paneer, alu gobi masala (cauliflower and potatoes cooked in spices). All the dishes tasted the same, no flavor, no kick.
You order downstairs and eat upstairs. Probably won't be returning. -
Review from Nicole G.
Arlington, VA
5/6/2011
The staff is quite friendly, but that does not make up for the food. I ordered delivery for two items last night:
Vegetable Korma -- Not bad, but not memorable. Also at $10, I only got about a pint of food (though, it does come with naan).
Vegetable Biryani -- Terrible! Vegetable biryani is my favorite Indian dish. This was not veg biryani. It had a strange overall tomato flavor to it, and the vegetables were clearly out of a frozen bag (you could tell because the carrots were those small cubes you got in your school lunch). It was also unbearably spicy and had corn in it -- something I've never seen in veg biryani and which does not match this type of food. Plus, my favorite ingredient in this dish, raisins, was also missing.
What annoyed me the most was that I kept biting into hard pieces of spices. Disgusting, not to mention painful.
Over-priced, borderline authentic, and made with cheap ingredients. Will never order from here again. -
Review from Henry S.
Alexandria, VA
4/20/2011
I would get an order of the Butter Chicken as a take out order on my walk home from work. It used to be real good in those days, but this is a restaurant that is managed to make money so quality and service are sacrificed for profit margin. This place has had its ups and downs. From real good to marginal to borderline sucks to good again. The prices have steadily gone up though. But that's true with any business that has survived.
We used to go regularly on the weekends for the brunch buffet. The manager on the weekends used to give us a free Bhatura to go with our buffet. He was really cool. Bhatura is the bread that is deep fried. It's pretty good when it's freshly fried. It gets kinda greasy when it gets cold. We actually order and pay for it now on our infrequent visits. The comping stopped when the frowning moustached dude showed up. That's actually when we stopped being regular customers. No need to spend money with ANY establishment that cannot be nice and pleasant towards their customers, unless it is absolutely necessary.
This place exists to make money, not to serve good food to their customers. 3 stars. Check to see that the food looks good enough to eat before ordering. During certain periods it will be good, other times not so good.
On a positive note their health inspections have improved
http://www.healthspace... -
Review from Samantha E.
Alexandria, VA
9/7/2011 1 photo
Nothing too great. Lunch special is an ok deal but you can better Indian food in the area for a comparable price.
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Review from Kevin A.
Richmond, VA
1/11/2011
The people who work here are all really polite and friendly, we even got a free cup of soup when we walked in just because it was a freezing cold day. Unfortunately the food doesn't match the great service. Got the pick 3 combo with rice and chose Butter Chicken, Chicken Tikka, and Lamb Curry. In all three the flavors of the sauce themselves were good, although the Chicken Tikka was a bit heavy on the tomato. The problem was the meat, in all 3 dishes it was overcooked and dried out. This made the chicken bad and the lamb inedible. You could definitely tell that this stuff had been sitting warm for a while, and the food wasn't hot enough to where I would be comfortable with them holding it for very long.
Might want to be careful about taking kids or pregnant women here.
Also, the $2 up-charge for carryout makes no sense to me and I didn't see it advertised anywhere. Even if it was, what gives? I won't go back to this place. 2 stars only because the employees were so friendly. -
Review from Rahul J.
10/9/2010
I wouldn't wish this place on my craziest ex! It's genuinely terrible. All their curries were made sometime in the past, and are just constanly warmed, like festering wounds. Don't believe me, go there for lunch sometime. The naan is a cheap substitute for packaging cardboard, and the raita is toxic.
I got the butter chicken, not only did it as I explain above taste of stale oil, it was actually bad. So a proper food poisoning later, trust me on this one. Plenty other Indian places around. Again, this place isn't mediocre, it's awful. -
Review from Nick H.
12/21/2010
One of my favorite types of cuisines is Indian food. The problem with Indian food, especially in the DC Metropolitan area, is that there is a huge discrepancy in restaurants. Sometimes you enter a lavish banquet sized restaurant decorated in royal decor only to find the food is below average in quality. Other times, you go to a hole in the wall restaurant with little to no decoration whatsoever, and the food is among the tastiest you've ever had.
Delhi Dhaba is most definitely one of the latter. In fact, you couldn't find a more hole in the wall restaurant if you tried. The first time I went to the restaurant, I actually circled the block it was on about 3 times before I actually found it. It's literally a restaurant in an alley between streets with hardly any parking or advertisement.
However, once you go inside, you're treated to a large dining area (especially considering the modest outdoor appearance). A tv on the wall has Indian music videos playing non-stop. And the food is aromatic and inviting. Whether you choose to order popular entrees in whole, or order a combination of 2-3 items from the premade hotbar, you won't be disappointed. The restaurant has the best naan (bread) that I've ever had, and the modest prices are the icing on the cake.
I'm no connoisseur of Indian cuisine, but all the popular Indian favorites that I've tried here are delicious: butter chicken, chicken tikka, paneers, masalas...I could go over the entire menu pretty much.
Even if you don't find it the first time you try, keep going because Delhi Dhaba is not something you want to miss. -
Review from Hannah B.
11/26/2010 7 Check-ins Here
This is one of our favorite places for brunch. They do a buffet whichhas my favorite - butter chicken. They also do some good kid friendly chicken nuggets and french fries but with a slight Indian twist.
A great value if you are craving Indian! -
Review from Aja A.
Arlington, VA
10/9/2010
I've ordered take out from DD three times now, and it was fast. Everything is tasty, but I think that their butter chicken isn't as good as the chicken masala at Khanoor Dhaba in Crystal City. The samosa is better, and they reheat nicely in a toaster oven at work, causing the entire thrid floor to smell like Indian spices, which some people enjoy more than others.
It will definitely be my go to for satisfying the urge for garlic naan! -
Review from Michael M.
Arlington, VA
7/11/2010
I love this place. I live in the neighborhood and probably walk to Delhi Dhaba to get takeout at least 80% of the Friday nights I spend at home. Every time I contemplate leaving Arlington, I grow concerned that I would miss Delhi Dhaba too much to be happy anywhere else. That said, I should mention that I view this solely as a takeout place: if you are looking for a sit-down meal, you are probably better off walking up to Delhi Club in Clarendon.
Basically, you have a buffet of Indian food with a decent selection of dishes; my order of choice is the "mix and match" platter, which is a selection of three items (one large portion and two smaller ones). I usually get one of the chicken dishes (butter, tikka masala, or one of the specials), chole, and palak paneer, and then drift home where I eat it in front of the TV with a couple of beers. I've branched out into the other selections as well, and have enjoyed most of them. There is a choice of naan or rice: get the naan, it is large, fluffy, and delicious. They have a decent selection of beers, and keep the Bollywood movies running throughout the evening.
The staff is very friendly, and gives out free samples without being asked (nothing better than getting a Dixie cup of soup after walking in out of the cold in winter).
So, yea, I recommend it. I frankly have no idea if the food is authentic or not - I have never been to India - but it is delicious, comforting, and satisfying, which is good enough for me. -
Review from faylinda k.
Arlington, VA
1/19/2011
This is my go-to take out choice in Arlington. The food is steaming hot, flavorful and very inexpensive served up cafeteria style. When our kiddos were young it was the best place to take the family. Lots of freshly made bread to please the little one, the terrific biriyanis, and the highly distracting Bollywood videos that usually involve water and dancing and clinging clothing.
I love the tandoori chicken, my husband loves the butter chicken. The breads are wonderful without that gratuitous painting of melted butter on the top. They have a great drink selection - beers and soft drinks. The staff is friendly and we've been going there so long that its like visiting home. -
Review from Jade T.
3/12/2008
So disappointing...
I chose Delhi Dhaba to have dinner with a friend of mine. I have visited their website, read their menu, read their reviews. It seemed like it would satisfy my never-ending craving for Indian food. If can recall, my dining experiences at Indian restaurants have been somewhat positive. (I don't know what happened to my long-term memory at the time, because hours later I realized that I have been to below par Indian restaurants.) Delhi Dhaba was a let-down.
Delhi Dhaba was four blocks away from the Court House metro station, but it would be difficult to find by car. It's situated behind Subway in an alley, of all places. Parking on the street is recommended, since there were less than five spots in that alley. That is, if you want to come out your way to eat here.
When I walked in, I was surprised to see a buffet counter up front. Was it buffet only? If so, I would not have eaten there. Other people love buffets, but I don't. (It's a personal preference, but I just prefer my food to come straight out of the kitchen, instead of sitting in the servers.) I grabbed a menu just to make sure that I could order a la carte. I was simply confused by the set-up (the dining room is in the back - I didn't know that). I ordered Kadhai Paneer with an order of naan. It took about ten minutes to arrive, which was adequate.
So I sit down with my friend and was about to eat before I noticed that the paneer looked a lot like chicken. I investigated further, and it was chicken! I went back to the front counter and informed them of their mistake. Apparently one of the employees didn't hear me correctly (I don't think the word paneer sounds like the word chicken). I had to wait again for my order, but it took a few minutes longer than the first time. I felt really sorry for my friend, having to sit at the table all by himself for so long.
Eventually I got my order, but it didn't meet my expectations. The only plus was that the naan was humongous! It was the biggest piece of naan I've ever seen and eaten. It was at least 12 inches in diameter. The Kadhi Paneer was below average. There were about four pieces of paneer, and the rest was just sauce. The sauce wasn't even that great, but I managed to consume most of it with the naan. My meal came with salad and yogurt, but I didn't find them one bit appetizing. Gah, I basically fasted all day to gorge and savor the food there. Not worth it.
I didn't like Delhi Dhaba. The prices were moderate, but the food was just so below average! Not only did my dish had much more sauce than paneer, the portion was meager. Sure $9.95 is reasonable for Indian food in the area, but I expected a bit more "substance". The order mix-up was a little troublesome, but at least they replaced it with no hesitation. If you are insanely crazy about Indian food like I am, or if you want to impress a date or a South Asian friend, don't come here. You're in for a big disappointment if you expect more than Indian food "fast food" style.
I would not be returning, but you already knew that. -
Review from Jennifer S.
Arlington, VA
8/7/2006 2 photos
I adore Indian food and have made several attempts at learning how to cook it myself, but with lots of spices that I still have left to purchase (asafoetida powder anyone?) it's cheaper and (key word) easier to run up the street and grab some from this no-frills restaurant.
Two wishes (and I hope you are listening DD) - first wish: please add more white meat chicken dishes to the menu - second wish: consider making the vegetarian selections into half portions also so you can order some "sides" with your entree or many "sides" as your entree.
Otherwise, I am a fan of the Veggie Pakora's, Chaat-Papri and Samosa with Channa. Entree favorites include: Chicken Tikka Masala, Daal Makhani, Palak Paneer and Alu Gobhi Masala. If this all sounds like Greek to you - just go - ask for recommendations - and try it. Even if you hate it (which you won't) you can still afford to walk up the street and eat somewhere else.Listed in: My 'Hood (Courthouse), cheap EATS!
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Review from Vishal S.
9/13/2008
Totally avoidable :(
Another Indian restaurant that I do not frequent (being Indian). Bad service, food is hit or miss - mostly miss for me.
Go to East West Grill 2 block away - much better! -
Review from Ryan S.
Arlington, VA
6/24/2008
It is what it is, which is nearly fast food Indian. If you want better quality, go to Delhi Club or Tandoori Nights in Clarendon. But if you are wearing shorts and a t-shirt, want to grab a quick bite, or want take-out, then this is the Indian joint for you.
For about $10 you can get a combo meal (drink NOT included), which will fill you up, and taste ok. I find that they skimp a little on meat (but you'll get a ton of sauce), but it doesn't bother me much since I sop it all up with the giant piece of naan.
The dining area typically has some Bollywood playing, which I'm typically kind of annoyed with just about the time I'm ready to leave anyway.
All in all, while nothing spectacular, I come back again and again when I don't want the fuss of "going out", not in the mood to cook for myself, and want some Indian food.Listed in: Indian/Pakistani/Afghani in…
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Review from liverpool z.
Arlington, VA
4/17/2011
How on earth does this place have a 4-star rating on yelp is beyond me.Needless to say, most of the folks who have given this place a huge thumbs down have Indian names, and that is apt considering how bad the food and service is!
1) Ambiance : Its a hole in the wall with a few flat screens beaming bollywood songs non-stop. There's absolutely nothing remotely fancy about this place that serves food on Styrofoam trays and cups.
2) Service : When the guy behind the counter greets you with a frowned face and "What do you want??", you know its not going to be a pleasant experience! The older gent who manages the place is ill-tempered and ill suited to be in hospitality business. The rest of the helpers are no better.
3) Food : I wouldn't care about ambiance,styrofoam and grumpy service if the food was half decent. When someone makes curries worse than 'East West Grill' up the street, you know they have set the benchmark pretty low and somehow managed to drop it a notch further down! The test for any Indian restaurant is their chick peas 'channa masala' - chick peas in a spicy tomato based sauce. When you screw up something as simple as that, you know everything else would be much worse and it was. Palak Paneer was undercooked and watery, kadi pakoda ( fried dumplings in yogurt sauce) was absolutely unedibly sour!
To make matters worse, it baffles me why would anybody pay 13$ for a bread and 3 super-tiny portions of limited vegetables served on a small styrofoam tray ? I can order something out of menu with a bread and healthy portion of rice from fancy upmarket decored 'Tandoori Nights' for the same price!
If eating substandard curries and a bread is really what i'm looking for, then i'd rather save some bucks by paying 7$ for similar food at East-West grill. -
Review from Rachel C.
Bristow, VA
4/23/2008
This place is great for quick delivery or take-out. You can see most of the prepared food through the sneeze guard when you order, so it only takes them a couple minutes to prepare the order. There appears to be a small dining area, but I didn't check it out.
Since I wasn't exactly sure what to order, I went with the combo special for $11. That came with 3 dishes (chicken, lamb or vegetarian). I had 2 types of the chicken (one was butter chicken), and potatoes. You can only choose rice or naan. So, I paid extra to have both. My total came to $15. Personally, a bit pricy for just myself, but I found the portions to be reasonable, and everything was tasty!
The guy who took my order was friendly. He gave me a sample of his spicy soup. I had just gotten back from running, so he must have thought I looked cold in my shorts.Listed in: If the kitchen's hot, go…, Chowing down in or around…
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Review from Monty C.
Arlington, VA
5/14/2007
I eat at Delhi Dhaba at least once a week. The food is great, the staff is friendly, (they always honk and wave when I see them delivering food in that big red Crown Vic) and the Bollywood musical numbers they play continuously on the TV monitors are mesmerizing.
The dishes can be a little inconsistent at times. One week the Vandalu will be spot-on, the next week it will make me sweat through my shirt. It's all tasty though. Chicken Tikka Masala is my favorite. They also have a decent assortment of bottled beers for a small place.
I suggest visiting the Sunday afternoon buffet, that way you can try a little bit of everything.
The decor is minimal (shabby actually) highlighted by the Bollywood videos. I usually grab the daily special and go home to eat while I watch the Simpsons anyway. I just pray they never get muscled out of business by yet another Arlington condo building. -
Review from emmy f.
Washington, DC
8/18/2008
I hate to give them 3 stars because they were so very friendly, but the food wasn't that good and so I can't help it. I got the Pick 3 option as well. Perhaps the way the food is laid out makes it not look as appetizing and setting me up for a less than scrumptiously perceived meal. The selection of beers was pretty good, and even though it was only 12:30, me and my bartending school buddy indulged in some obscure microbrews. The Palak Paneer was delicious, but not as good as the one from Nawab in Williamsburg. And I had the other two vegetarian dishes, which were pretty decent, but again, nothing to make me close my eyes and moan about. Their naan was very good, but without something yummy to dip it in, all of us at the table failed to finish it.
However, the environment was clean, there was outdoor seating (without shade) and the service was super friendly, even giving us complimentary mini-bowls of Mango Lassi. The Lassi was less creamy than usual and I didn't even finish it because of its wateryness. Also, it probably doesn't go well with beer.
All in all, it's good fast food indian, but it's not good indian food. It was definitely a good alternative to the subway next door, though! But with Mr. Hibachi and Earl's sandwich place next door, I don't think i'll be going again. -
Review from Brandon S.
Alexandria, VA
3/9/2009
Sunday from until 3:30 is a buffet thats reasonably priced. Though if you don't feel like that, you can still order from a menu thats displayed on the wall. Its pretty straightforward. The parking is very limited, its positioned behind a Subway off Wilson Blvd.
I loaded my plate up with butter chicken, chicken curry, chana masala (chick peas with a tomato, garlic, curry sauce, almost stew like), saag paneer (a creamy spinach dish) and tasty naan to sop everything up with. Theres a dining room in the back, decently sized.
The food was good, plentiful, and theres also a very large selection of drinks. There is a wide selection of juices, sodas, and beers. Quite large for the size of this small establishment. Overall a good experience, I haven't had an Indian place knock my socks off yet, though I do love Indian food, but its a good choice if you're in the area. -
Review from Edie H.
San Francisco, CA
4/24/2007
Where I first had Indian food, and had my first date with a boyfriend. (these 2 were simultaneous). Boyfriend is 10 years in the past, but I still love Delhi.
It's solid comfort food--the $6.95 pick 3 with rice and a fountain drink for lunch is a deal, and never fails to satisfy.
If I came here with fresh eyes & tastes I might not love it so much, but as is, I plan my Arlington trips to get at least one Delhi visit in.
The current decor is actually a major upgrade from when it was REALLY a hole in the wall back in the 90s. The staff is very friendly, at times I convince myself they remember me.
The owner made enough money to buy a huge McMansion on Pershing Drive on a double lot. -
Review from Adrian M.
Washington, DC
8/6/2007
DINNER REVIEW
it is what it is. Thanks goodness Marissa O. stepped up with the truth. I don't understand anyone giving this 5 stars, there's nothing that outstanding, not even the 6.95 lunch buffet unless you are making comparisons solely on cost per calorie, then it might be the best value in Arlington. (But then you also are wasting your time on Yelp and should probably spend some time on http://valuemeal.com where you can get the inside scoop on the Catholic Relief Services deluxe buffet. But I digress...) The one pleasant surprise is that if you're not food focused, the decor is actually pretty decent for a casual date with the girlfriend who has made it past the three month mark. It's quiet and the Bollywood background combined with the dark lighting borders on the romantic.
THE BREAKDOWN
Standard buffet style food. Heavy on the north Indian favorites tikka masala, butter chicken, chana masala, naan, etc., etc., etc. Prices are reasonable across the board and so is the service. Unfortunately, the food lacks the flavor that represents higher quality Indian food. But that higher quality also has a higher price.
Despite claims of hole in the wall, I actually find the back dining room to be above average and would happily eat in at this establishment. Parking is a bit tricky, but since many who will consider it will be walking it probably isn't real issue. -
Review from Mimi C.
3/25/2010
We got the pick 3 (butter chicken, lamb vindaloo, and chole). The portions looked small on the styrofoam tray, but it was enough for two. The butter chicken was too sweet, and the other two weren't flavorful.
The ordering and payment process was also confusing. Perhaps because they have to go in the back for rice and naan they had us wait on the upper level after they served our food in trays, and let it sit on the counter. Seemed like it'd just make sense to give us our food and have us pay in one go. -
Review from Jake W.
San Francisco, CA
5/24/2011 1 Check-in Here
Meh. The food wasn't BAD, but it wasn't good and the prices were a bit high for what you got.
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Review from Ben X.
Arlington, VA
12/1/2008
A decent place if you're in a hurry. I think the best part of this restaurant is the ginormous piece of Naan you get with your order. A close second is the Bollywood that they have looping on their TV's.
The restaurant is counter service, which confused me a bit at first since we accidentally walked into the side door of the dining room. Once we got that straightened out, ordering was easy enough (and fast!). The "salad" you get is laughable, but the rest of the food is pretty tasty.
It was a bit pricey at $10 (plus a drink if you are so inclined), but I'm not sure what the going rate for Indian fast food is these days. Overall, I'd go again if asked, but I wouldn't put it on my "go-to" list of restaurants. -
Review from Karman L.
Boston, MA
6/4/2007
Great find! Thanks Yelpers!!! It's really hole in the wall place (right behind the Subway restaurant).
But the Chicken Tikka Masala and Shrimp Biryani were very good. Portion was good (dinner for two enough to also served as lunch for next day!)
http://www.delhidhaba.com/ (they have 3 locations: Arlington, DC, and Bethesda!) -
Review from Mar O.
Arlington, VA
2/12/2007
Cheap Indian food; while it's not awful, it's not great either. That doesn't mean you shouldn't come here, it just means don't expect too much. The price is very pocket friendly, but I didn't find the food terribly flavorful, tasted toned down to me. It also lacked spice. Maybe I like spice more than the average person, but the food here is pretty mild.
Decor's pretty boring, it's a self-serve place, so has kind of a cafeteria feel. I'd come here again for cheap indian, and because it's close, but I was otherwise unimpressed. I'd pay a little more for something with more flavor and more punch. -
Review from Sierra D.
Arlington, VA
7/20/2007
So delish.....
I ordered take out and got the sampler platter which includes 3 dishes, salad, rice and naan. I would highly recommend the Chicken tikka marsala, the butter chicken was sweeter then I'm used to, but still delish.
The restaurant does appear to be food court style, but the people working there are highly knowledgable about the cuisine and offered tastes if you were unfamiliar with a dish. The food that is sitting in the chafers is also very fresh because they seem to hace a steady flow of customers and the food is turned over quickly and replenished. -
Review from Jess R.
Fairfax, VA
10/14/2007
4 and 1/2 stars. I'm only taking off half of a star because I expected a TON of butter chicken with my order, (BTW - IT WAS AWESOME!!!!) since it cost about $11.95 on Dr. Delivery, but instead I only got a 1/2 pint. HOWEVER, the very next day I ordered 2 servings of the butter chicken again (IT WAS STILL AWESOME!!!!) I would recommend this place to anyone who likes Indian food, but also to someone who doesn't judge a restaurant by the exterior. I definitely want to eat inside and try the lunch specials now! (I love yelp!) The yogurt dip and mint chutney are so tasty - the best with the warm soft naan bread. I would trust any of the house specialties on the menu, (and for a little TMI - this Indian place didn't give me the runs or make me smell gross - there I said it!!!)
Seriously though, the butter chicken.Listed in: the Usual Suspects
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Review from Melody C.
Arlington, VA
7/2/2010
FINALLY! After trying out kabob house and east west grill (both either too expensive or total fails for food quality) and walking away dissappointed, I've found my go-to place for curry and rice. Granted - kabob house is pretty good and it's not indian so i shouldn't even be comparing - it's too expensive.
anywho. delhi dhaba - i didn't know what to make of this place since it shared a sign with subway - i thought maybe they're connected somehow in an odd way. and their "coupons" in the clipper magazine dind't really encourage me since it looked expensive. so i just kept glossing over it - but i finally went in for a try and boy was i surprised.
$5.99 for 2 scoops of whatever and rice.
$7-8 for 3 scoops of whatever and rice and naan.
Whoah!
And they dont price the meat curries/stews more than they do the lentil/vege stews.
decent options for vegetarians.
chicken vandalu/vindaloo however you like to spell it - tender moist, not dry at all. love it like that. you can have it as spicy or as mild as you like it (it comes mild then you can add spicy sauce to make it spicier)
palak paneer (spinach with cheese cubes) - loved it b/c it wasn't all creamy and salty - it was soft but not heavy.
good meal for $5.99!
definitely coming back whenever i have those indian food cravings! -
Review from Vishal I.
Arlington, VA
11/2/2007
Delhi Dhaba is regular my hole in the wall- walk across the street Indian (North) food fix. Take out or dine in if you love Indian songs blasting on the television sets.
The food itself is above average. For an authentic experience get the mix n match platter (doesn't matter what you get) with hot from the oven roti or naan (please don't get rice, that's not how its eaten!). Skip the appetizers, most of them are bad. They have a surprisingly decent selection of drinks too. Get Kingfisher (an Indian beer) to complete your reasonably authentic Indian experience. -
Review from Jacqueline P.
Silver Spring, MD
10/21/2008
I'm not Indian, but you'll notice that none of the clients at Delhi Dhaba are Indian either. What does that say about the food? That it probably isn't very good Indian food.
The veggies taste like they came out of a can. Try Udupi Palace, Woodlands, or Tiffin in Langley Park, MD. All three give Delhi Dhaba a run for it's money. -
Review from Miranda B.
Arlington, VA
7/15/2010
I have ordered take out from Delhi Dhaba twice and it has been delicious.
I ordered the curry chicken and have been very pleased. Some of the better Indian food I have had, and I guess I'm impressed because I don't expect much from delivery.
Delivery hours are great and it was fast and efficient. -
Review from Jen K.
Arlington, VA
6/8/2008
I always end up spending too much money here- I can't just get an entree, and adding in the naan and their (admittedly fantastic) samosas is what jacks the price up. But I do love the food! I am not super impressed with their veggie options, though the dal is better than the chole. But if you can eat meat, their chicken tikka masala is SO GOOD. It got the boyfriend seal of approval, too.
The place doesn't really have ambiance, but they're nice and quick and right on my way home from the metro. Convenience is the mother of adoration, in this case. -
Review from Angela M.
Arlington, VA
6/29/2010
Thumbs down.
I think the food quality is low. It seems like it has been sitting out for hours, the flavors are not as rich as I usually expect from Indian cuisine, it is usually luke warm, and it's not even as cheap as you would expect for a place of this nature.
Also, parking is usually ridiculous.
I'd rather pay a few more bucks and get real Indian food that tastes good. -
Review from Jed W.
7/21/2009
Wow, talk about a pleasant surprise. We came here after getting an ad in the mail, which is never a good sign. One of my friends is a huge Indian food buff, and since I had rejected his Indian food requests many many times, we decided to try this place out. This was a Sunday morning, when they have their buffet. And, I'm not really sure what happens a few hours into the buffet, but we were one of the first customers there and everything was hot and fresh. My God, that naan is really good.
There's stuff there for every palette, but some highlights for me were the butter chicken, spinach dish, these small potato cakes, the several different kinds of curry, and to top it off, they had actual cherries in the buffet. I'd like to consider myself a buffet connoisseur, as I've hit up some of the biggest and best buffets in the world, but I honestly can't recall seeing cherries in a buffet. Economically, it's just stupid. Cherries are ridiculously expensive, and you can probably blame me if you never see it in their $12.95 buffet ever again, since I may have eaten roughly 50 cherries.
But, there's plenty of seating, it's kind of a hole in the wall in the Courthouse area which I like, and the food is good. I'll be back.
