Pabla Indian Cuisine
Category: Indian/Pakistani [Edit]
Neighborhood: Downtown1516 2nd Ave
Ste 101
(between Pike St & Pine St)
Seattle, WA 98101 (206) 623-2868
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 11:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
Mon-Thu 5:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat 11:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat 5:00 p.m.-10:30 p.m.
Sun 12:30 p.m.-10:00 p.m. - Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Good for: Lunch
- Alcohol: Full Bar
31 Reviews for Pabla Indian Cuisine
This place was excellent. After a long hot day walking all over the city, I came here for a great meal and a relaxing atmosphere. They didn't care that my mother wasn't going to have anything, which was nice (some places require that everyone orders something). I had my usual - chicken tikka masala with garlic naan. It was delicious and came quickly.
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I'd say this place is a solid downtown-food option. My favorite thing about Pabla was the portion sizes -- I guess I can't say for sure but I feel like the portions -- including the amount of rice for two -- are a lot smaller here than other places. And while it looks really small when you get it, once you start eating you realize it's plenty -- maybe even the perfect amount. (I went for an evening meal so there was no buffet.)
So, overall I was entirely satisfied with the food. It was good! What disappointed me was the chai. Like many others, I've been completely spoiled by the Taste of India in the U. District, and even my eating companion was sad for me about the chai -- she didn't even have any but she could tell I was less than enthused. Alas.
Line out the door? People waiting in the street? That is the mark of a lunch buffet worth trying. Pabla has never failed to satisfy my hunger for Indian food. There are, of course, better Indian restaurants in Seattle (think: Taste of India), but for downtown? This place is tops.
Buffet selections have been different every time- there are about 6-8 different entrees to choose from, plus the naan, pakoras and samosas. Today featured four different vegetarian options, which was great for my dining companions. I, on the other hand, had the chicken masala and lamb-something or other, and both were great. I found the tandoori chicken to be flavorless- that is, until I bit into a lemon rind, which reminded me why I never ever order tandoori chicken- a mistake I keep on making!
There seemed to be staff on hand everywhere! My water got filled up every 5 minutes, which was wonderful because I'd grabbed the spiciest of sauces and was having a hard time playing it cool. There was one server dedicated to watching the buffet and bringing things out when the food got low. Payment has always been swift and total cost is always less than $10.00 (not including tip). Yay Pabla!
I went for the lunch buffet - one of the best Indian buffets I've ever had. The Samosas were excellent and fresh naan was brought out continually. Quick staff at the tables refilling water and grabbing plates.
Bottom line, right up here at the top: Great lunch buffet and you can fill a plate up to go for $10 when there are no seats left.
There are two kinds of Indian restaurants in my book, 4-star ones and 2-star ones. (Five Stars is reserved for Vij in Vancouver, BC).
The 4 star ones result in you having to wait for a table. You know you're at one of these because you're waiting for a table or observe people waiting for a table.
The 2 star ones are empty.
Pabla is 4 star, packed, small buffet which is great because everything stays fresh. My only recommendation to Pabla is that they should do European style seating. A table for 6 gets "occupied" by a party of 2. Come on, we're all friends here, right?
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Never been a fan of Indian food, and I always stick to the tandoori chicken and Naan if I'm forced to go. I discovered this place when looking for a vegetarian restaurant during Lent. This is definitely a great option if you work downtown and are sick of the same ol' food court mumbo jumbo. Didi loves the garlic naan, which seems a bit intense especially when you have to go back to work. Garlic or plain they're delicious and made fresh! Quite a variety of dishes for only 8.99 (err plus tax..but still!).
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Fantabulous lamb korma and saag paneer. This is a regular stop for us when we're in Seattle. Next time I won't get the garlic naan - it's bitter.
Average Indian cuisine in a very convenient downtown location.
For Indian food downtown I prefer Moghul Express in the Columbia Tower foodcourt.
Best samosas ever! I develop a slight twitch if I don't have Pabla's samosas at least once every three months.
At my office, we order a big old batch of them for delivery anytime we have a celebration. You need to give the good folks at Pabla at least a half day's notice. It's so worth the advance planning though. I should note that I'm not sure if Pabla deilvers for just anyone - my office might have an inside connection that earns us special treatment.
It's been a long time since I've had anything but their samosas, so I can't recommend other dishes specifically. My Indian friends seem to go here often though and love it - always a good sign!
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The lunch buffet is worth waiting in line for. I love the spicy curry chicken and the samosa rocks.
I have not had a bad thing here.
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Solid quality punjabi place just down the street from home. I enjoy the Chicken Korma, Chicken Tikka Masala, and will sometimes splurge on a Thali dinner. The Paneer Kulcha (Cheese Naan) is good too. They also take the Microsoft Prime card for 2-for-1 dinners.
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This place is awesome! It is definitely a hole in the wall becasue I almost walked passed it when i was looking for it after reading reviews on here.
I am SO happy me and my friend got their at 1150, becasue by the time it hit 1210, the line for the buffet was out the door!
The bill was less than 20 bucks for both of us, and the food, AMAZING! Great Vegetarian options, too. The curries are great, the chutney, naan bread and garlic naan bread, all of it is pretty much amazing, and I was really impressed.
I have a new favorite lunch spot, for sure.
I have been a pretty regular customer at Pabla for about four years now. I've tried all kinds of Indian restaurants in Seattle, and while they all have their specialties, Pabla is my favorite. The food is always really good. If you ask for spicy food, they actually give it to you, even if you're white. My favorite dish there is Paneer Korma. Soooooo good.
They take prime cards and the deal is actually pretty good for dine-in and takeout. The owners are super nice and remember you after you come in a few times. My only problem with Pabla is the wait staff. Most of them are really nice, but there is one surly guy (who I haven't seen there in almost a year so he might not work there anymore) and one waitress who always looks unsure of what she is doing, so it's a surprise when you actually get the dish that you ordered if you pay attention to the look on her face while she's writing it down. This would normally bother me, but I almost find it endearing now. Service has gotten a lot better over the years and the food is worth a confused server or two.
Lunch buffet is good (with quite a few vegetarian options), but I prefer dinner there.
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Can you believe I've just had Indian food for the FIRST time since I got back to the U.S. in Sept/Oct? (Was there in the summer of '07)
I just couldn't bring myself to eat so-so, greasy Indian food, so I waited and waited and waited....until one of the (Indian) guys from work gave this restaurant the thumbs up.
SO, whenever you're in the Seattle area I know of a decent Indian place (and of course it serves Kingfisher)....I've had better but this place will do
I come from a REALLY small town. I mean, so small, that all of the restaurants serve ONLY buffets. So, you learn to avoid food slapped in steam buckets for hours. Unless, of course, it is foreign food... Maybe someone from India would look at an Indian buffet and think, "By the toes of Lakshmi, that is disgusting..." Maybe not.
Look, we all know Pabla is better than good. I, being a world-class buffet expert, am here to give you the tips on workin' it at Pabla:
1) FINISH YOUR PLATE. I know, this should come last, but I'm warning you to get to work early. The wait staff will come by and ask you 40 million questions about why you didn't finish your food if you don't.
2) DON'T TALK TO THE DUDE IN THE TURBAN. Just...don't. He's busy. Quit trying to touch.
3) GET THERE BY 11:30 to beat the rush - but don't steal my table.
4) DON'T STEAL MY TABLE. I just thought I would make that more clear. I like to sit on the right side by the wall.
5) THE CHUTNEY ON THE SALAD BAR IS DRESSING, NOT CHUTNEY. For future reference. It's also very cold and vinegar-y. That should tip you off.
6) FRESH PINEAPPLE ROCKS. My face off.
7) EAT PABLA FOR LIFE. (But don't show up with a group more than 6 for lunch or you will be killed without even a taste of their delicious buffet-style cuisine).
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After reading all the rave reviews on Yelp, I had to try it. So, I went for the lunch buffet and have to admit that I was underwhelmed. We walked in and waited for a place to sit. During our entire visit, we maybe received about two or three nods from the waitress, but other than that we were completely ignored. I would have liked some chai, but was never asked.
This place is just o.k. The location is definitely not the cleanest. And the service is lacking.
Pabla Indian Cuisine, Pabla Cuisine of India, depends what sign you read. Actually seemed a little closer to Pine than Pike. I almost thought it was gone or I had somehow gotten lost.
The place was pretty full around noon but started clearing out closer to one. The door was open a lot as people were waiting. Like others note, I'm not sure what the staff really was doing, as they seemed preoccupied and it wasn't with helping other people. Most the tables sit four, there were some tables for six and one table near the window that looked like it sat eight that they never put anyone at while I was there, despite there being someone waiting the whole time. I wouldn't try my luck with a group over four between 12 and 1, but otherwise I think it'd be a good shot.
I went alone and they asked if I'd be willing to sit with someone else who was eating alone. Sure, no problem. They sat me and my new friend who I didn't talk to left early enough that they sat someone else with me just before I was leaving.
After I was seated the waitress didn't come back, so I just helped myself to the buffet which was fabulous. All the vegetarian food was marked and there was a bunch of it, including veggie pakoras and samosas. Eventually I grabbed someone for a coke, although it looks like you can help yourself to the soda's as their right at the buffet table. I saw at least one person doing this.
A little bigger and a little better service and this would be a favorite. Close enough though.
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My companion mentioned to me that she wanted to try the indian place down the block from the hotel. It's our last night here, and she's passed out face down on the bed. I don't think we'll be going out.
But I'm hungry and she'll probably be hungry when she wakes up, so why not walk down there and get some take out? We will have indian yet.
It feels like just about every other indian resturant inside; Warm, thick carpet, orange-yellow lighting, indian vocal music playing softly. Lots of indians dining here tonight (This is how white people figure out if an ethnic restaurant is any good, BTW.)
I'm sticking with something basic, chicken tikka masala & sag paneer, with an order of Naan. About 20 minutes later I'm back in the hotel room, tearing into the naan and CTM.
I really liked the naan, but I honestly can't remember the last time I had naan that I didn't really like. My naan tastes are not terribly refined.
The chicken tikka masala had a subtlety that I haven't tasted in CTM any where else. After eating all the chicken (aside from the bit I saved for my unconscious companion), I scooped up as much of the sauce as I could with naan, and mixed the rest with rice. five stars for this alone.
I only tasted the saag paneer, as it was mainly for my companion, but it had kind of an oniony flavor too it. I still don't know if I liked it or not, but you could tell that Pabla puts some effort into this dish.
Pabla is on my list of places to visit when I get back up there.
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The food was 5 stars. I got the combination dinner which had like three kinds of chicken and a couple of side dishes on a tray. Sadly, the service wasn't as great as the food. Although it was a small place, the wait staff just kept us waiting. Waiting to order, waiting for refills, waiting for food, and waiting for the bill... The place is a lovely place to have dinner though if you're not in a rush.
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I hate to be the one reviewer that tips the rating scale, but I have to admit I am a bit bewildered at the raving reviews for Pabla. I was unimpressed by almost everything here:
the location - the kind that makes you want to clutch your purse a bit tighter and walk a bit faster to get in and out of there;
the service -the kind where you wait for most things: the menu, the order, the check and then have to ask for everything else - a glass of water, a clean plate,the basics;
the food - bland especially given the Punjabi bias;
the ambiance - none.
Call it being severe or discerning as you will - Pabla, I think was just too standard to merit mention.
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After my best friend's wedding on Saturday, I was pretty drunk. So drunk, in fact, that I woke up at 1 a.m. in the bathtub at my hotel, still wearing my bridesmaid dress and heels, makeup smeared from my forehead to my chin...
Here's what was going through my mind:
1. What am I doing in a bathtub?
2. Who's bathtub am I in?
3. Where am I and how did I arrive here?
4. I haven't eaten in two days and I am about to start in on my right arm if I don't get some food STAT.
I crawl-rolled out of the bathtub, wiped the smeared makeup off of my face, and gingerly ventured into our hotel room. Where my hero, anticipating my ravenous hunger, had glorious Indian food from Pabla awaiting me.
This is some damn good Indian food. Saag paneer was great as was a masala dish I had. I ate all of it in about ten minutes. Then I threw up. But that was no fault of Pabla's. That was my fault for getting drunk as a skunk BEFORE the wedding and continuing to drink my way to the bathtub at the end of the night. This place is totally a hit and they're open really late too!!! I can't wait to do Pabla again next time I'm in Seattle!
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AAAAhhh!!! I can't beleive people are rating this place so highly. I LOVE Indian food and this place is LAME!!! I work a block away and would rather walk 2 miles to a better place than eat at Pabla...
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I was visiting from Chicago with family and was looking for good Indian food - not sure how I found this place, but in one word - it's AWESOME!!!
I'm Punjabi and when they claim to be Punjabi cuisine - they're not kidding!!! My favorites here include paneer pakoda, daal, paratha, garlic naan and chana!!!
We even packed food from here for our holiday in Alaska and ate it the next day too!
Every coin has 2 sides - service is kind of slow here and it's somewhat expensive...and oh one warning - they're not all vegetarian anymore...
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I've just moved into the city, and I was on my first day at my new job, so I thought I'd treat myself to lunch.
Not knowing the area, I relied on Yelp to guide me, and I have a thing for indian food, and an indian lunch buffet seemed like a safe thing to cram into a one-hour lunch break for a working stiff like myself.
The buffet is quite decent, and you get a decent, but not overwhelming array of options, plenty of them are vegetarian friendly, and are indicated as being so on the placards at the buffet table.
Nothing jumped out as being fantastic, but all of the food is well prepared and tasty, and there's actual flavor variety. I've been to plenty of mediocre buffets where everything is edible, but it's all just kind of spicy and there's a texture difference between each dish, but scarcely anything else. Pabla's buffet actually has some distinctivity.
The naan was good, but not really fantastic. However, it's worth having.
But overall, the fact that I'm quite full and happy speaks well for Pabla.
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We had the appetizer sampler, Seekh Kebab (lamb) and Chicken Tikka Masala - all excellent. The place is nicer on the inside than the outside would suggest. Reasonable prices and Microsoft PRIME discount to boot! We'll be back.
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My only experience with this place is the lunch buffet. My friends and I have been frequenting this place since 1998 and it has been a steady performer. Can't say too much about the service since it's a buffet, but they are quick on refilling the water glass! I'm happy that they remodeled the place because the older place was a little worn, dingy and dark. It's so much brighter and cleaner now!
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UPDATE: As of August 2007, it's now $8.99 for the lunch buffet... but they still offer the punch cards if you ask (6 lunches = free lunch).
I often fall victim to the repeat craving. That is, having successfully fed a craving, I find myself fondly reminiscing about it and wanting to repeat the experience. So, having had Indian last weekend, it was only natural that I'd want it again in a day or two. And since my main complaint about the previous Indian place was the small portion size, obviously I was going to need a buffet, and show them what "all you can eat" truly means.
Luckily for me, there's an Indian restaurant near my work, Pabla, that serves a $7.99 lunchtime buffet. In preparation, I fasted all morning and did some special stomach-stretching exercises to achieve maximum food capacity.
I wasn't expecting much from the decor, but Pabla is surprisingly nice inside, with fancy matching wooden chairs that have classy elephant-embroidered upholstery, and framed fabric wall hangings everywhere. The place is small --- no more than fifteen tables --- and there's not a ton of room between tables, so it might be noisy when full, but at 1:00 pm the restaurant was mostly empty.
The buffet line serves cold salads, dipping sauces, and desserts on one side, and hot dishes on the other. The green salad --- shredded lettuce with cucumbers, onions, and tomatoes --- is tasty with their raita, and another salad of cucumbers, peppers, and onions marinated in oil and spices was also very good. There are a couple of chutneys, kheer rice pudding, gulab jamun, and a variation on Waldorf salad, plus a plate of mysterious yellow squares and some sort of sweet carrot puree.
I was pleased to see that trays of (plain) naan came out regularly, every five or ten minutes, and were completely replaced, so you'd always get fresh, warm naan. The chicken tandoori was tender and flavorful, and the saag channa (I think that's what it was called --- spinach and garbanzo beans, anyway) was mild and creamy. The chicken curry was kind of bland and unremarkable, but the ground lamb with peas made up for it, and the little veggie pakoras, though cold, were good.
There's not much service at a buffet, but our waitress checked on us regularly and kept the water glasses filled, though she didn't ask if we wanted drinks --- I guess she's used to the cheapskate lunch crowd. And I was focused on cramming food into my gullet anyway. Three plates later, I was completely full and deeply satisfied with Pabla's buffet. According to the website, their "excellent choice of exciting and ravishing dishes" changes daily, so while you may not have the exact same things I did, it's sure to be delicious and reasonably priced --- and fast. I just hope I don't start craving it every day.
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Pabla has reasonablly good Indian food, and the price is definitely right.
I'm almost tempted to give this place 5 stars, but I'm not sure exactly what's holding me back. This is an easy 4, however.
I've only come here for the lunch buffet, and the food is always great. MUCH better than that Indian buffet in Pioneer Square. I particularly like their samosas, which are flavorful but not too herb-laden or greasy. They really are delightful.
The main hot entrees are very well-executed, and despite the large crowd during lunch, there is always MORE than enough of everything. I've never had to wait for a restock on the tandoori chicken or any other hot dish.
One thing that really catches my eye here is the dessert selection. Not only can you get rice pudding, but there's a simple but excellent fruit salad (with sweetened whipped cream), and a variety of other desserts which I cannot identify. I think the last time I went there were at least 5 different desserts. I like that they don't treat dessert as an obligation, but as part of the meal. Good for them!
The price is reasonable at $7.99, but I'm never sure what to tip at buffets. I tend to go 10-15%, since I'm doing all the work anyway. That means that after tax and tip (15%), you're out the door for $10 even. I want to call this slightly above-average in overall price, probably just because it breaks the double-digit price barrier. It is still a pretty good deal, all things considered.
The service is a little hurried and neutral in friendliness, but what do you seriously expect from a buffet. This might also contribute to my 4- instead of 5-star rating.
Definitely stop by and check this place out if you're in the area. You can't be disappointed.
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The lovely things about Labor Day: you don't have to labor and there's plenty of parking downtown because everyone is at Bumbershoot. Not so lovely is that Caffe Senso Unico is closed and you and Mike have been planning to meet there for a year. Then FareStart is closed. Strike two and you're really hungry. Pabla to the rescue! Actually, we were hoping for the lunch buffet, but you guessed it, not on a holiday. The Chicken Thali was a good substitute, however, with that big metal tray loaded with chicken curry, tandoori chicken, daal, rice, raita, salad, rice pudding dessert and lots of naan. It was good, solid food and there was so much I couldn't finish. The chicken curry was especially good, the naan was perfect, and the raita stands out. Next time I'll go spicier than mild, but it was hot outside. Yes, I know, it wasn't really hot, but I'm a native and it was above 70 degrees. This food would border on perfect with a little kick. Service was fine, as in, water is kept filled and no one is either particularly friendly or mean. Forgettable. The food will bring me back.
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Decent Indian food, nice atmosphere and great location. On 2nd Ave. is this wonderful little place that serves a fantastic dinner. I usually prefer to cook my own Indian food, but when I don't have the time this is where I go.
They serve an good tandoori chicken, korma and masala. Very nice recipes and can flavor anything to your spiciness. The atmosphere is great for in-dining too with wonderful Indian tapestries and music.
I have yet to try their buffet but it does include their tandoori which I highly recommend. The lunch goes for $7.99.
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