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Jarvis (Red)
Howard (Purple, Red, Yellow, Evanston Express)
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We went to Luzzat for a birthday party last night. The food was amazing! I seriously haven't had food this good in ages. I rarely eat Indian food, so I don't know all of the technical names of the food...but the butter chicken, the spiced cauliflower and potato dish, the okra dish, and the samosas were to die for. I couldn't get enough. All of the sauces were great, too. The spicy mint sauce....OH my gosh, I think I ate a whole bowl all by myself. So good.
Luzzat is family run, and the warmth and friendliness the family puts forward makes you feel right at home. The owner cooks the food for you, as the rest of the family runs it out to you and makes sure you have everything you need.
There was not one negative thing about my experience. I will be taking friends here!
I love this place. It is quaint and adorable all at the same time.
The woman running the restaurant is so amazingly nice, that I have to touch on that aspect. She runs around and she cooks and she asks to make sure everything is ok. Unlike some of the Devon restaurants I have been to, she asked how spicey we wanted our food, and made sure to get a good gauge on it, and it was right on the money. The other woman serving is also very nice as well.
The food is delivious; very flavorful. We ordered the Butter Chicken, the Spinach and Cheese, and the Lamb and Potato. Rice came with our meal, and we had some paratha and a Samosa to try. It was all exceptionally good. I don't know if I would try the Lamb and Potato again because it didn't have the complexity in the gravy, but it was by no means bad. The Samosas were excellent, and the spinach and cheese (note; I am using the American ingredients so if anyone wants to go try, you can look for the ingredients instead of memorizing the names) was seasoned so well. In addition, the food was exceptionally affordable!
The place is not swank, but it is nicely appointed and very quaint. All in all I would wholeheartedly recommend Luzzat!
The Jarvis El area used to be so very funky/scary.
The times, they are a changin' and the neighborhood seems to be on an upswing.
Luzzat is swinging along with all the other small businesses on the street.
It's a small storefront restaurant with close seating for about 40 people. Cramped is a understatement. We arrived and the place smell wonderful and was almost to capacity.
I read the wait might be long -- so we were prepared. It wasn't too terrible actually. We received a pitcher of ice water and menus right away, and our order was taken within about 10 minutes.
It's true the woman (owner I think) taking orders is also the chef. She must have recently hired her 2nd pair of hands in the form of a friendly and funny woman who clears and brings the food.
We had both kinds of samosas, potato & meat, each were home made and delicious. The green sauce on the side was spicy and was heavy on the cilantro. The red/purple sauce was sweet. Not a plum -- I think it was a beet sauce. It was really very good.
Next we had the butter chicken (very spicy) and the lamb curry (medium spice). Both quite delicately flavored and tender. An earlier reviewer mentioned that the butter chicken tasted sour -- and I detected what I took to be a smidgen of yogurt in the sauce. Unusual and tasty. Could have been heavier on the spice in both dishes.
The kitchen area appears to be approximately the same size as the dining area. I had to go through the kitchen and down a crocked hall to get to the unisex bathroom. The bathroom was a bit stinky and could use a coat of primer and paint.
I am not sure why Luzzat does not hire additional staff. With all of the great reviews, I bet if the place got a bit more creative in the decor and added more seating, the people would flock there.
$25.00 for everything -- such the deal!
I'm going to let you in on a little secret. Do you want to know where the best and cheapest Indian/Pakistani food is in this city??? It's at Luzzat!!
This is no joke, Luzzat is shockingly the best I've ever eaten and I've eaten a lot. I say shockingly because looking at the place and the two only people who work there, you wouldn't give the place a second thought. It's true the place looks a little shady (along with the area) but I'm telling you the wine shop across the street is perfect to pick up a bottle for this BYOB place, plus there is a bar on the corner and then the Red line which is not even a block away. So there are no excuses not to try it out!
It's your typical store front, mom/pop, hole in the wall kind of restaurant. You walk in to find maybe 8 or 9 tables, a little window and a door that gives you full view of the messy kitchen. The owners... a woman who takes your order and serves, and an older man who cooks, that's it. The woman speaks enough English to take your order and the man I think at least understands it but I could be wrong. This is one of those, you have to be patient kind of places. What's nice is they let you pretty much do anything. I went with a loud/crazy group of six and they took care of us with no problems. Also just a tip, don't be afraid to use the washroom, you have to walk all the way through the kitchen and a long hallway to get to it.
The best part... freshly made, authentic, delicious food!! I can't even tell you everything we had, but every single dish I tried makes me drool when I think about it again. The rice, the chicken, samosas, lamb, and if you like fish you must try the green fish (I know sounds weird but trust me!!). It was unbelievable and I can't wait to go back for more!!
BYOB
Amazing Food
Carry Out
Cheap!!
Right off the Red Line
** Also Luzzat is 100% Zabiha Halal Food for my Muslim friends (you ask what does that mean, well it has to do with dietary laws that Muslim follow)
** I also suggest ordering the mild heat!!
Having lived in New Delhi for 3 months doesn't make me an expert on Indian food, but this place really brought back some great memories from my trip.
Actually, anyone that's never even tried Indian cuisine could tell you the food here is amazing.
Had palak paneer, butter chicken, 2 veggie samosas, and paratha - our bill was $22. SO savory, spicy, tender -- BEST food I've had in MONTHS.
P.S. You're allowed to park in the little lot down the street as well.
I was a bit worried after reading reviews that there would be a stark vegetarian menu. I decided to go ahead and try it. That was not a decision I will ever regret. The entree menu is close to half vegetarian. I couldn't even decide what I wanted. I went with the Dal Bengai and ended up eating the whole thing! The portions are big. The price is so low. I'll certainly return when I visit Chicago again.
After picking up my laptop at Quest, I trekked to Luzzat for my first experience of Chicago Indian food.
Ordered the Mango Lassi (A delicate refreshing blended drink of milk, sugar and rose water), Butter Chicken (marinated boneless chicken and creamy sauce), and Phulka (hand rolled home made bread w/o butter) which was supposed to be similar to naan.
I agree with other reviewers that the service was kinda slow...but the lady who took my order and the older gentleman who served me were really nice, so it didn't bother me.
My take on the food:
-Butter chicken was SOUR (which the owner later told me was due to the tomato sauce). I ordered it spicy (which it was), but I've never had sour Indian food before : /
-Rice was incl. with the entree (and they really hook it up)
-Phulka is NOTHING LIKE naan. It's more like the kinda bread Jesus broke with his disciples i.e. cracker bread
-Mango Lassi is pretty good. They serve it in a wine glass with a straw = fancy pureed mango drink
Not a fan. Sorry Luzzat :(
This place is in my 'hood so I thought I had to give it a try.
I got there right when a party of 6 walked in as well. They seemed to be regulars as they sat down and the nice woman came out to greet and get them settled.
I placed my order for the Butter Chicken and Poppadoms. I realized that the same woman who came out to greet the guests was the same woman that was cooking my meal. It felt like an aunt cooking a home cooked meal - nice!
I took my order home and was pleasantly surprised by the amount of food for the money. The portion of the dish was pretty generous as well as the rice that came with it. Poppadoms were big and crispy, dusted with dry, flavorful spices.
This is definitely not like the places that line Devon Avenue, but for being just outside of the Jarvis Red Line Stop, it's pretty dang good!
Newly added on my list of things I would bathe in: Palak Paneer from Luzzat. orgasmic. Popeye, I finally understand you.
After a cranky day and a terrible dye job, I was clearly in need of some Indian food. Yelp led me to Luzzat, and we were pleasantly surprised by their updated decor--there were no plastic table cloths (cloth! covered with glass!). It was decorated like a pretty standard Indian restaurant.
A woman and a man, friendly but spoke little English, served us rather slowly. I really don't care if they don't talk much or move a bit slow because the orgasm in my mouth was so groundbreaking it didn't matter.
I'm going to go eat some more of those leftovers.
I am lucky to live only a few blocks away from this place. Until I got on Yelp, I would occasionally walk by and wonder about it, but admittedly was nervous because it was never full of people, which made me wonder about the food.
Well, after checking Yelp, I felt reassured and have been here a couple of times now, usually on Sundays after my church job. Oh, the smells that greet you when you open the door -- the spices and warmth that good Indian food offers. mmmmmm . . .
If you're looking for a waiter, I'm afraid you won't find one here -- there is a single woman working the counter, taking your money, and getting you your food. She may even be the one making it too -- every time I've been there I only see her. This may explain why I never would see a lot of people sitting down in here -- although it has nice, clean tables and an OK decor in Rogers Park, it's more of a takeout place for the local folk here. Nice touch -- a small sink with soap in the eating area for traditional-style eaters of Indian food (with your hands), or what the heck, to wash your hands before you sit down to eat . . . !
And guess what folks -- it's not a fast food joint. You're going to wait a few minutes for your food while it's being prepared. This is not Panda Express or something.
Totally worth the wait though -- my lamb curry that I had today for a late lunch was fan-tas-tic!!! I inhaled it, I loved it so much. I asked for medium spicy, and it was plenty spicy for me . . . if you can't handle spicy, definitely ask for mild. The basmati rice was a little dry, but that's how it's usually made in Indian and Middle Eastern places so fine with me. The hummus is homemade (you can usually tell if it's homemade or not by the consistency -- homemade, more traditional stuff tends to be thinner than the kind you buy at grocery stores) and delicious, but could be criticized for being a wee heavy on the olive oil. For $3.99 you get enough hummus for 2-3 people, or make it a meal as a singleton. I do wish they had given me more bread, however (naan bread rather than pita). Note that the hummus is served with slices of pepper (I believe it's de-seeded jalapeno, but admit I don't know my peppers) and olives in it, so again, if you're not into spicy, watch out for the pepper. Me, I love both.
Prices are reasonable for the amount of food you get. I didn't finish my hummus (save for later!), and overstuffed myself on the lamb curry because it was sooo good, but the reality is, I could have easily split my food between myself and one other and it would have been a good meal for $15/16 for two, incuding tax.
I'm also a big fan of Marsala tea with milk, so I always get that when I come here. Nothing particularly spectacular about the tea, but it just adds to the whole experience for me.
Definitely am in love with this place -- without a car, it's a bit of a pain for me to train/bus it to LIttle India on Devon Ave for Indian food, so this is a GREAT closer alternative.
This place has its flaws, but it's a great asset to the neighborhood.
Luzzat exemplifies "hole in the wall," and as far as I can tell, there's just one proprietrix who does everything. Thus, the service can be a little slow. It's kind of frustrating when you call for a takeout order and get a quote of 15 minutes, only to end up waiting 35 minutes when you are trying to dash out and back during a rain delay in the Wimbledon final.
The food is hit or miss, but nothing is worse than mediocre and some of it is downright phenomenal. I love their dal dakhni; it has a great buttery, roasted flavor. I don't care so much for the samosas, which tend to be a bit heavy-crusted as if they were fried twice (hmm). Sometimes the dishes have a small pool of oil on the top when you get them home.
However, most of it is pretty good, and the portions are great, so for the cost of a couple of entrees ($7 or $8 each) you can eat a filling meal and have two lunches left over.
I love Luzzat/Lazzat! My friend and I have been going there frequently... almost biweekly for over a year now. But i just moved away from Rogers Park so I'm depressed I won't be visiting as often!
The food is delicious... the mixed vegetable curry (mild, which is to me medium spicy) is fantastic, and the Aloo Gobhi is great as well, I've also enjoyed the Aloo Baigan. Lazzat's vegetable samosas are generally the best I've had in Chicago. I used to go to Devon for Indian food but I've only been over that way a couple times in the last year.
Don't expect a fancy dining experience. The woman who cooks is usually very friendly, but she does like to talk on the phone a lot. And the music tends to play in a loop, often just one song over and over. It's funny, though, and I don't mind that too much. The place is clean, and the food is delicious and inexpensive. Do allow enough time though because the food is cooked to order and if you're carrying out don't believe her when she says it will take 15 minutes! More like 25.
Ever been to a Mom and Pop place? The looks are not that great, but the food has lots of love and ecclective aroma of spices.
NOTE: Tea in any INDIAN language is Tea with Milk. If you want regular American Tea, ask for BLACK TEA(Which is hot water with tea bag or tea leaves). On that note let me write, it was a memorable experience.
Personally one of my favorite places to be, you can see what they are cooking. Went there with few of my friends and I felt very much ta home. The Chana Masala(Chick pea, potatoes and gravy) and Lamb Curry was amazing.
The Kheema appetizer was tasty, but it is a little oily(So carb watcher and health freaks be careful). But I enjoyed every morsel of the meal. The Masala Tea was delicious. The Chappathi is a staple for me and my existence in this world. If I was left alone with the Chappathi made from them(Apart from my mother's Chappathi) I will survive the rest of my life. In other words, very thin, uniformly rolled. If you are still wondering what I am talking about, ever had an Indian Wheat Tortilla(That is not its true name, Beware!!!), that is Chappathi.
Anywho, this is for one of my friend who mispronounces chappathi. (Spelt: chuh'-pAAh'-thee) and also mis interprets Paratha, Bhatura, and Chappathi. Food is awesome from owners/chef of Andhra Pradhesh(Southern States of India).
Henry David Thoreau wrote in Walden, "If we are really dying, let us hear the rattle in our throats and feel cold in the extremities; if we are alive, let us go about our business."
Luzzat is not going about their business. Luzzat is rattling. Luzzat is dying. The entire vibe about the restaurant is off and I suspect they're financially struggling. The look of despair on the proprietors face,coupled with no customers and undersized entree portions, along with just giving up on the finer details of service and food preparation are the unmistakable traits of the food biz "death rattle".
Luzzat is operated by a man and woman. The restaurant seats about 40 or so people. It's BYOB. The dining room and kitchen are extremely clean, unfortunately, I've just told you their best traits.
For being the only customers, the first 30 minutes, service was extremely slow. Service was not existent during our entire time there. We had vegetable and meat samosas, fried fish, chicken vindaloo, and lamb biryani. They charge for naan like bread so I ordered that too, however, they never brought it.
The best thing was the fish, six little pieces. The chicken and lamb were overcooked and thus made dry. There was hardly any meat in the biryani, basically it was just a big plate of rice. The lamb biryani also did not have the correct flavor profile. My dining philosophy is that I work hard for my money so give me what I paid for. If a restaurant wants to give small portions, then charge accordingly.
Service was terrible. I ate the fish with a spoon. They were too busy in the kitchen so I couldn't ask for a knife. We had two razor thin napkins for the entire meal. Our entrees didn't even have the proper serving utensils. No one ever came to check on our table.
I would hate to see this place when they were slammed. I suggest not going here to dine, let them have their last gasps so they can be put out of their misery.
Strip mall Indian joint with really good food.
The lady that runs it does everything... she's very nice.
I had the butter chicken. It was great. I didn't know what to expect.... Butter chicken might imply something buttery and not spicey, though it's actually pretty spicey and a mix of butter/curry and other stuff in the broth. VERRRRY tasty. I wonder if it would be just as tasty with other meats in the same broth, I imagine there's something similar on the menu with other meats. I've been dipping my leftover bread in the sauce throughout the day it's so good. Is that gross? :O
My entree was $6.99, most were around that. (update: prices have gone up $1 or 2 since initial review)
Our English friend (whose husband reviewed below) says it's the best curry she's had in the states, and I imagine she's try a lot here.
BYOB. There's a great wine store right across the street (Taste) that is friendly with Luzzat too, so go there and pick up a bottle or two (there are a number of great inexpensive wines here, and specialty beer).
Right next to the red line (Jarvis), so as far as that goes it's one of the more convenient Indian food places I can think of if you're taking the el anyway.
Desperate to seek refuge from the heat, I duck inside this place, that i luckily learned from this site, and it was a godsend!
Should have ordered something more daring, but settled on the lamb biryani, it was good, and was served with yogurt, never did that before, but was good, washed down with a mango lassi that was very thick. The service took a while but didn't really mind, b/c was seeking shelter from the sweltering heat.
I sure smell like curry! But that's the joy of eating the delicious food at Luzzat... the experience stays with you for a while. Every time I get another whiff my mouth starts watering. It's happening right now.
From the outside, it's a bit shady looking. Sure, you might get interrupted by one of the neighborhood's homeless asking for a dollar while you're enjoying your lamb curry and vegetable samosa. But it just adds to the charm and the fact that you're getting a top-notch meal at a great BYOB joint on the CHEAP. The proprietor is always sweet and seems to do all the order taking, cooking, cleaning and serving.
If you like spicy, you're in the right place. If not, use caution, even with the "mild". Just make it clear how spicy you want it and that's what you want. I do think there is a bit of a cultural issue going on where women get their food less spicy unless you're very clear that you want it HOT. I can't guarantee this but some friends and I went once and felt this was definitely the case. The Aloo Goshat is very good, but I recommend it very spicy. My absolute favorite is the butter chicken, try it out. I could drink the sauce like coffee. If this seems a bit extreme for you, at least make sure to get some paratha to soak up the sauce.
Before you head in, walk across the street to Taste and grab a bottle of wine or beer (chilled available). You can check out my review on Taste at http://www.yelp.com/bi...
My doctor would be upset with me if she knew that I had dinner from Luzzat tonight, and I requested that they make it SPICY. Hopefully I won't be regretting that decision later, but I can tell you that I certainly didn't regret while I was eating it.
We placed our order for carry out, then went across the street to the free wine tasting at Taste Food and Wine. After tasting several wines, buying two bottles, and chatting it up with the owners, we went back to pick up our food. We took it home, rather than eating in and taking advantage of the BYOB because, let's be real, the lack of atmosphere is really uncomfortable.
I had the butter chicken, spicy, and it was pretty good. The sauce was a little runnier than I am used to, but the tasted was still fine. Oh, but we started the vegetable samosas and they were amazing! I could have just eaten those and been perfectly satisfied with life! My husband had the lamb vindaloo and the woman warned him that it was really spicy. He said that's okay, bring it on. I think he regretted that comment later, as he was sweating from the level of spice. But, he enjoyed it nonetheless.
Minus one star for the long wait to place our order and the lack of ambience in the store. But, everything else was great and we'll definitely be getting carry out from here again in the future.
Edited on 3/27/08: This has become one of our favorite (and weekly) places for dinner! The Palak Paneer is amazing, and every chicken dish we've tried has also been great. I've added a star for the consistent yumminess that is Luzzat!
Very exciting to find this place! A very clean hole in the wall type place, that serves an excellent curry and nan. The lack of ambiance is more than compensated for by the excellent food. Best of all, the owner/chef is very friendly and informed us that Luzzat is BYOB!
I'm looking forward to more trips there for an inexpensive curry and a beer.
Luzzat makes amazing food! They have extensive vegetarian options and the owner and his wife are always very nice. I have only done takeout here (the ambiance isn't the best, so I wouldn't recommend it for a date or anything), but it is always delicious. The Saag Chana and the Aloo Baigan are 2 of my favorites. Be careful with the spice though... I love spice and I have to order most of the dishes mild because they set my mouth on fire.
I have eaten on Devon (Udupi Palace most recently) and it does not compare to Luzzat. The food here is much more flavorful, not to mention you get larger portions for less money!
Love this place. The woman who cooks all the food is super nice. And never rushes around the kitchen, it's kind of funny, no matter how busy she is, she slowly takes her time. Probably why the food is so good. I love the Lamb Curry and Palak Paneer. The samosas are good, but average. I have had the chicken curry, while it is still so good, the lamb is much better, but then that has to do with preferring lamb over chicken. While I come here a lot I wish I tried more things on their menu, but the lamb curry keeps calling me.
This place is like the equivalent of an Indian food greasy-spoon.
The little storefront is charming, and so is the woman in the head-covering who takes your order and then cooks it all for you.
But gee, the food itself is really greasy and oily, and not in a good way. It feels heavy, the way food cooked in cheap cooking oil does. (Most Indian restaurants in America use either clarified butter, cream, or olive oil. I don't know what they use here, but I didn't feel like it was one of the above.)
I only give this place two stars because the food was too heavy and oily in a bad way.
Oh my... this place blew me away! I suggested three good friends meet here for dinner a couple Friday nights ago after reading the reviews on Yelp. It was wonderful!
We first went across the street to the wine shop Taste to take part in the free tasting and buy a couple of bottles to take with us to Lazzat.
I ordered the Panak Chicken, Erin ordered the Panak Paneer, Joe ordered the Chicken Marsala and a Samosa and Millar ordered the Butter Chicken. Everything was good- that yumminess you can feel in your toes. The Samosa was delicious, but even better than the Samosa itself was the dipping sauce that accompanied it- outrageous (totally took my finger to the tiny container to enjoy ever last morsel). We were worried about making the play we were heading to see on time, and let the woman taking our order know that we were in a bit of a hurry. Although she did not rush the preparation of the food - she did get it to us with plenty of time to spare.
I'll be going back again tonight to take a different friend. It's that good- and here's to a day of blissful thoughts of the toe-curling tastiness I'll be experiencing this evening!
I love Luzzat! Sure, the "mild" dish is Indian mild, which still sets the mouth afire, if briefly, and sure, the wait time can be irregular, but this has to do with the lady-of-all-trades behind the counter who cooks, serves, works the register, and does whatever else needs doing behind the counter. She is kind, smiles a lot, and makes the best raita ever! And my fiance and I love her saag dishes--with paneer or lamb, and the mango lassi. The prices are good, the quality is high, and whenever we dine in or do carryout with friends or visiting family, the food is always excellent, and they compliment *me* for choosing Luzzat, even those with no spice/heat tolerance. I get to feel very savvy, which is a bonus.
My husband and I stopped by here over the weekend. We arrived in the early part of the afternoon. When we went in the place was empty. No one to greet us, no one at the tables. We noticed there were menus at the counter so we thought we'd look them over and then decided to y'know sit down. We looked over the menus, everything sounded good. My husband had the view of the counter, someone he said eventually showed up there and gave him a funny look. After awhile a friendly woman came out dropped off a pitcher of water and took our order. It took a while but one appetizer came by and then another. A handful of people did come in later as well. I felt the appetizers were both quite yummy. Our coffee then arrived and it was good too. When a server dropped off our main course he placed it all in front of my husband. Excuse me, but a couple of those plates are supposed to be for me. What gives? I picked mine out. I ordered chicken masala. It was mediocre. I personally loved the chicken masala at Hema's Kitchen near the zoo, so I was a bit bummed. During this whole time, they had the same song playing over and over again throughout the restaurant. Wow, I thought I was going to go mad, at one point it stopped. We were relieved, finally, but then the same song began again. Other people sitting there were noticing this too, of course. Not going back.
Luzzat is a small, plastic tablecloth, brightly lit kind of place down the street from my house. I don't eat there often, but when I do I thoroughly enjoy it. I am able to get some yummy vegetarian curry and my carnivore husband has been happy with the chicken dishes he has gotten. The woman who does the cookingalways greets us with a warm genuine smile and then proceeds to make everything from scratch and to order, you can watch her cooking from the counter and the kitchen is immaculate.
The food tends to be a little oilier than I like, perhaps that is why it is delicious though. The menu is a mix of Indian, Pakistani and Middle Eastern food. I think they even have a taco and burrito on the menu. In summer they have ice cream as well. Covering all the bases apparently. I definately recommend this place, it is always nice when a liitle neighborhood place turns out to be as good as you want it to be.
My husband and I went inside and ordered some food to go, and the woman who was behind the counter told us to come back in 15 minute. This was perfect, as it gave us time to wander across the street to Taste (another review on that wonderful hidden gem in a minute). When we came back with our paired wine, we took our takeout home and OH my . GOD. We asked for spicy and we got it! Also, everything was fresh and delicious. Do yourself and favor and get the special of the day -- whatever it is, it will be great.
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Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL
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