Best Cheap Eats Indian Restaurants in Chicago
26 hand-picked restaurants, critic-reviewed and ranked
Last Updated: February 2026
Our Top Pick
Kababish - BBQ & Grill
Tiny grill shack turning out big-flavor Pakistani barbecue and kebabs.
Notable Picks
8.5
Kababish BBQ & Grill turns a small Old Town shack into a destination for Pakistani-style grilled meats, frontier beef, and chapli kebabs. Locals lean on it for takeout plates loaded with smoky kebabs, fresh naan, and cooling raita at prices that stay weeknight-friendly.
Must-Try Dishes:
Frontier Beef, Chapli Kabab, Fried Chicken with Raita
What Makes it Special: Tiny grill shack turning out big-flavor Pakistani barbecue and kebabs.
8.5
Vibes:
Quick Bites Champions
Cheap Eats Budget Brilliance
Hidden Gems Heaven
Family Friendly Favorites
Mazala Pizza by Moti operates as a fast-casual Indian street-food and fusion pizza spot at 70 W Huron, backed by 3000+ Uber Eats ratings and over 1,700 aggregated reviews at around 4.4/5. Guests come for masala pizzas, bowls, tacos, and momos that remix familiar takeout formats with assertive Indian seasoning, all at counter-service speed.
Must-Try Dishes:
Chicken Tikka Pizza, Vada Pav, Tikka Masala Momos
What Makes it Special: High-volume Indian-fusion pizza and street-food counter with serious delivery demand.
8.4
Biryani Ka Adda focuses squarely on Hyderabadi-style biryanis and a tight set of Indo-Chinese and curry staples, drawing a steady flow of delivery orders across the South Loop and Bronzeville. Generous portions, layered rice, and assertive spice make it a go-to when the craving is specifically for biryani rather than a broad curry lineup.
Must-Try Dishes:
Chicken Biryani, Gongura Chicken Biryani, Chili Gobi
What Makes it Special: A biryani-focused kitchen where most orders center on large-format Hyderabadi rice plates.
8.4
Bombay Eats is a fast-casual Indian spot where wraps, bowls, and rolls translate Mumbai street food into quick lunches and easy takeout in Streeterville. Opened in 2010 by husband-and-wife team Falguni and Ali Dewjee, it leans on streamlined ordering, vegetarian-friendly options, and consistent execution to keep office workers and locals coming back.
Must-Try Dishes:
Chicken Tikka Wrap, Cheese Paneer Wrap, Samosa Wrap
What Makes it Special: Fast-casual Indian wraps and bowls that stay remarkably consistent for quick downtown meals.
8.2
Vibes:
Cheap Eats Budget Brilliance
Quick Bites Champions
Business Lunch Power Players
Healthy Haven
Bombay Eats is a long-running fast-casual spot where wraps, sandwich rolls, and rice or salad bowls translate Mumbai street food into an office-lunch format. Downtown workers rely on it for quick, filling tikka and paneer wraps, samosas, and lassi that stay affordable by Loop standards while still feeling fresher than typical fast food.
Must-Try Dishes:
Chicken Tikka Wrap, Lamb Curry Roll, Chickpea Chana Rice Bowl
What Makes it Special: Chicago’s original fast-casual Indian wrap shop with a decade-plus of loyal Loop regulars.
8.1
Vibes:
Group Dining Gatherings
Comfort Food Classics
Cheap Eats Budget Brilliance
Hidden Gems Heaven
Rangoli Kabob’s Belmont location runs a broad North Indian menu with dosas, biryanis, and saucy curry standards, plus a kabob section that leans hearty. Portions are generous, the space is casual, and Lakeview regulars lean on it for butter chicken, naan, and weeknight takeout that still feels like a full meal.
Must-Try Dishes:
Butter Chicken, Chicken Tikka Masala, Masala Dosa
What Makes it Special: A Belmont strip spot mixing classic curries, dosas, and kabobs with big portions.
Bombay Eats’ Lakeview storefront turns chicken tikka, lamb curry, and paneer into wraps, bowls, and burrito-style “BombayRitos” built for fast meals and delivery. It’s the neighborhood move for quick, under-$15 Indian flavors with consistent execution and plenty of vegetarian options.
Must-Try Dishes:
Chicken Tikka + Roll, Cheese Paneer + Bowl, Messy Samosa Fries
What Makes it Special: Fast-casual wraps, bowls, and burrito-style Indian plates built for speed.
#8
Eggholic
8
Vibes:
Quick Bites Champions
Cheap Eats Budget Brilliance
Family Friendly Favorites
Trendy Table Hotspots
Fast-casual Indian street food that’s strongest in its sandwich-and-chaat lane, where spice, crunch, and tang balance without needing a full sit-down meal. The move is to order one hot handheld plus one cold/chaat item so everything stays punchy instead of heavy.
Must-Try Dishes:
Pav Bhaji, Paneer Masala Sandwich, Dahi Puri
What Makes it Special: Indian street-food classics with an egg-and-sandwich focus done fast.
8
Vibes:
Cheap Eats Budget Brilliance
Quick Bites Champions
Hidden Gems Heaven
Family Friendly Favorites
A no-frills Uptown Indian/Pakistani staple with an attached grocery feel, built for reliable, filling comfort orders rather than a polished night out. The best move is to lean into the breakfast-and-curry lane—hearty breads, rich gravies, and rice plates that land big on value. Atmosphere is functional, but the food hits when you order the classics.
Must-Try Dishes:
Halwa puri breakfast, Chicken biryani, Nihari
What Makes it Special: Indian/Pakistani comfort cooking with breakfast classics and big-value portions.
Worthy Picks
#10
Eggholic Chicago
7.9
Vibes:
Quick Bites Champions
Cheap Eats Budget Brilliance
Hidden Gems Heaven
Family Friendly Favorites
Indian street-food built around egg-forward “holic” specials—think masala half-fry, bhurji, and spicy wraps that hit fast and hot. Best results come from ordering one signature egg plate plus one chaat-style starter, because spice levels can swing and the menu is large for a quick-service format.
Must-Try Dishes:
Masala Half Fry (Holic Special), Egg Bhurji, Surti Gotalo
What Makes it Special: Egg-driven Indian street-food plates you rarely see outside South Asia.
#11
Gorkha Kitchen
7.9
Vibes:
Comfort Food Classics
Cheap Eats Budget Brilliance
Quick Bites Champions
Solo Dining Sanctuaries
Gorkha Kitchen is a compact Indian and Nepalese restaurant on Diversey where curries, momos, and stir-fried noodles share space with familiar North Indian dishes. It operates more like a neighborhood utility player than a destination, but steady praise calls out warmly spiced sauces, generous portions, and friendly service at fair prices.
Must-Try Dishes:
Chicken Momo Dumplings, Chicken Tikka Masala, Garlic Naan
What Makes it Special: A small Indo-Nepalese spot where momos and curries offer reliable weeknight comfort.
7.9
Masala Magic is a halal spot focused on Bangladeshi, Indian, and Pakistani comfort dishes, from goat biryani to rich curries. It’s especially useful for takeout and catering when you want big trays of South Asian food without downtown pricing.
Must-Try Dishes:
Goat Biryani, Fish Kebab, Gulab Jamun
What Makes it Special: Late-hours halal kitchen serving Bangladeshi-focused biryani and curries with Indian standards.
#13
The Momo World
7.9
Vibes:
Cheap Eats Budget Brilliance
Quick Bites Champions
Hidden Gems Heaven
Solo Dining Sanctuaries
The Momo World brings Himalayan street food to Maxwell Street with a tight menu of momos, biryani, and noodle dishes that overlap Indian and Nepali flavors. Students and nearby workers stop in for quick dumpling plates, saucy C-momos, and casual counter-service meals.
Must-Try Dishes:
Chicken C-Momo, Butter Masala Momo, Kukhura Biryani
What Makes it Special: Casual Himalayan spot where momos, biryani, and Indo-Himalayan street dishes anchor the menu.
#14
Flavors of India
7.8
Vibes:
Hidden Gems Heaven
Quick Bites Champions
Cheap Eats Budget Brilliance
Solo Dining Sanctuaries
Flavors of India runs a broad, value-leaning menu from the same Wabash hub, highlighting chicken curry, egg roast, and tandoori shrimp alongside dosas, uthappam, and biryanis. It’s best treated as an everyday option for straightforward North–South crossover dishes when you want something filling but inexpensive.
Must-Try Dishes:
Chicken Curry, Egg Roast, Tandoori Shrimp
What Makes it Special: A broad, crossover menu where curry standards, egg dishes, and tandoori plates are priced for regular rotation.
7.8
Vibes:
Cheap Eats Budget Brilliance
Quick Bites Champions
Comfort Food Classics
Group Dining Gatherings
A no-frills Indo-Pak counter built for huge portions, fast pickup, and low-stakes repeatability—especially for UIC-area regulars. It’s at its best when you order one rice anchor and one paratha wrap, leaning into bold, saucy comfort over polished dining-room finesse.
Must-Try Dishes:
Butter chicken paratha, Chicken biryani (with bone), Boneless chili chicken rice
What Makes it Special: Big-portion Indo-Pak comfort food at unusually low prices, fast.
7.8
Moti- Lincoln Park is a fast-casual spot where Indian flavors show up on pizzas, bowls, tacos, and street snacks in a bright, modern space. Diners call it out for playful takes like chicken tikka pizza, vada pav, and momos that still deliver recognizable spice profiles while staying easy to share.
Must-Try Dishes:
Personal Chicken Tikka Pizza, Butter Masala Bowl, Vada Pav
What Makes it Special: An Indian fusion counter where masala pizzas, bowls, and tacos remix familiar flavors for casual hangs.
#17
Mr Tandoor
7.8
Vibes:
Quick Bites Champions
Cheap Eats Budget Brilliance
Solo Dining Sanctuaries
Hidden Gems Heaven
A Jarvis Square-adjacent Indian counter built for quick, filling staples—biryani, naan, and sauce-forward curries that travel well. Best used as a reliable neighborhood pickup near the Red Line rather than a destination dining room.
Must-Try Dishes:
Chicken Biryani, Kofta Masala, Samosa
What Makes it Special: A Red Line-friendly Indian stop for biryani-and-naan nights on autopilot.
#18
Rickshaw
7.8
Vibes:
Quick Bites Champions
Cheap Eats Budget Brilliance
Hidden Gems Heaven
Solo Dining Sanctuaries
A casual street-eats counter built around bold, saucy comfort and poultry-forward specialties, with biryani and chaat rounding out the core. Order for contrast—one fried or rotisserie chicken plate plus a rice dish—so spice, crunch, and aromatics stay distinct instead of blending into one note.
Must-Try Dishes:
Chicken charga, Lamb biryani, Samosa chaat
What Makes it Special: Pakistani-leaning street food with biryani and chicken plates.
7.8
Tuk Tuk Indian Street Food channels Indian roadside snacks into bowls, rolls, and chaat at student-friendly prices. UIC regulars stop in for dahi puri, stuffed parathas, and chai late into the night when they want something lighter and more snackable than a full curry spread.
Must-Try Dishes:
Dahi Puri, Chicken Tikka Roll, Aloo Paneer Paratha
What Makes it Special: Street food–style chaat, rolls, and parathas served late at student-friendly prices.
7.7
Vibes:
Cheap Eats Budget Brilliance
Quick Bites Champions
Group Dining Gatherings
Hidden Gems Heaven
New Zaika Restaurant focuses on Pakistani grill plates and curries, with a menu built around kebabs, tikka, and tandoor-friendly meats. It’s a practical option near Clybourn for filling mixed platters or shareable grilled orders.
Must-Try Dishes:
Chicken Tikka, Chicken Boti, Beef Seekh Kabab
What Makes it Special: Neighborhood Pakistani grill with a tight lineup of kebabs, tikka, and curries.
7.6
Al Halal Zaiqa runs long hours near the North Avenue corridor with a menu of Pakistani and Indian staples built for takeout and delivery. Regulars come for biryanis, naans, and saucy curries that land in the comfort zone more than the fine-dining lane.
Must-Try Dishes:
Chicken Biryani, Nihari, Palak Paneer
What Makes it Special: Halal counter-service spot known for hearty biryanis and long late-night hours.
#22
Ghareeb Nawaz
7.6
Vibes:
Cheap Eats Budget Brilliance
Group Dining Gatherings
Late Night Legends
Quick Bites Champions
The Lincoln Park location of Ghareeb Nawaz brings the Indo-Pak mini chain s huge menu and famously low prices to a student-heavy stretch of Lincoln Avenue. The room is basic and service is counter-style, but for biryani, curries, and combos under typical sit-down prices, it is one of the strongest pure value plays for Indian and Pakistani food in 60614.
Must-Try Dishes:
Butter Chicken Combo, Chicken Biryani, Chana Chicken Combo
What Makes it Special: A bare-bones Indo-Pak counter where huge portions and ultra-low prices dominate the experience.
#23
Maharaja Foods
7.6
Vibes:
Quick Bites Champions
Cheap Eats Budget Brilliance
Hidden Gems Heaven
Solo Dining Sanctuaries
An Indian grocery with a ready-to-eat carryout lane that’s best treated as a practical “grab dinner while you shop” stop. The strongest play is to keep it simple—one rice dish plus one protein—so you get the best value and the cleanest execution.
Must-Try Dishes:
Chicken Biryani, Butter Chicken, Fish
What Makes it Special: Grocery-plus-carryout for fast Indian comfort on the way home.
7.6
A newer late-night halal South Asian kitchen built around biryani, haleem, and fried-spiced chicken plates. It’s best treated as a value-forward takeout and after-hours comfort stop—big flavors, simple room, and a menu that rewards ordering the core rice-and-curry specialties.
Must-Try Dishes:
Mutton biryani, Chicken 65, Mutton haleem
What Makes it Special: Late-night biryani-and-haleem comfort plates with strong value.
7.5
Vibes:
Cheap Eats Budget Brilliance
Comfort Food Classics
Quick Bites Champions
Group Dining Gatherings
Curry On Fire is a casual Taylor Street counter that leans into delivery-friendly curries, biryani, and Indo-Chinese dishes. Portions run generous and spice levels are adjustable, making it a practical choice when you want straightforward, filling Indian food at home or in a dorm.
Must-Try Dishes:
Chicken 65, Chicken Tikka Masala, Butter Paneer Masala
What Makes it Special: Delivery-focused Indian spot with a wide curry list and dialed-in spice options.
7.5
A Chicago French Market counter built for fast, functional Indian bowls and wraps when you need lunch that moves. The best results come from sticking to one curry lane (vindaloo or tikka) with naan and skipping extra add-ons that dilute the flavors and slow the line.
Must-Try Dishes:
Chicken Tikka Masala, Pork Vindaloo, Saag Paneer
What Makes it Special: A food-hall Indian counter that wins on speed and convenience.