Peshawri Kebabs Waltham

Peshawri Kebabs in Waltham opened at the beginning of the year and joins a sister restaurant in Worcester. Both restaurant's menu is inspired by cuisine from northwest Pakistan near the city of Peshawar (thus the name), but the menu also features other South Asian specialties.

There is free on-street parking around the corner and also a pay lot across from the free parking.

As you get closer to the register where you order, you can see the gigantic Naans. You order and pay, and then the food is brought out to your table. Lots of serving dishes can be seen on the wall. The takeout menu is excellent, with pictures of all the dishes. Anything tikka is in chunks, and kofta is ground meat cooked on spits. Chapli is flattened meats.

The inside is nicely decorated. This used to be a bar, and I don't think the inside has changed much. The place was impeccably clean.

This is #6 Beef Kofta Kebab ($12.95). "2 skewers kofta kebab with rice and salad". Two choices of rice, Biryani spice rice or Pulao white rice. Biryani, of course!

The food was served in a takeout container, and all the utensils were plastic. Napkins are the minuscule pullout ones. The kebabs were a generous size, and they were seasoned nicely. They were cooked on a very thick spit and were hollow on the inside. The kebabs had a nice char and were still tender. The rice was excellent, moist, and well seasoned. I wouldn't call the rice spicy, but it had a nice hint of heat. Much to my surprise, the kebabs were also spicy. The salad (cucumber, lettuce, and sliced carrots) looked better on their website, and the dressing was forgettable. The salad was fresh. Overall this was a pleasant dish, and I was happy with my lunch.

For $2.50 more, you can upgrade to a #18 that lets you add another skewer. There is a notable absence of lamb on the menu. The only available dish is the #9 Lamb Tikka Kebab, and one reviewer complained about very chewy lamb. Actually, they have a lamb chops (3) plate for $16.95.

Address: 603 Main St, Waltham, MA 02452 Phone: (781) 209-2600

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