A few weeks ago I heard about a really inexpensive Indian lunch spot in the Gaviidae Common Food Court in downtown Minneapolis and decided that I had to see if it were as good as everyone online had been claiming it was. I rounded up a good friend of mine and we headed over there after 11:30 to avoid what some say is one of the busier times of the day (I was told not to go right at 11:30 or 12:00 but instead try for 11:45 or 12:15 instead).
We arrived at about 11:40 and found about 10 people in line with 6 to 7 guys working behind the counter. Stuffed in a large food court several floors above skyway level, you really need to work to find this place. There are numerous other options available in the court but most of them are chains (Steak Company and McDonald’s to name two). They have a few signs which provide contradicting information about the price of what I liked to call the “one-trip buffet”. At the end of the day we paid $7 for a huge tray of food, a drink, and tax.
The food is good, not great, but good and the cafeteria line offers up what they claim is 30 different options. Based on what we saw yesterday I’d put that number at about 20 items which are obvious, 5 or 6 which are not included in the price of the lunch deal, and another 4 to 5 which must have been missing from view that day. The naan was soft and warm but nothing special, the meat stews were bony but meaty as well (be careful, you may chomp down on a significant portion of bone if you’re not careful), and the vegetables were overcooked but still quite flavorful.
While not as good as some of the places around town charging 2x as much for all you can eat, you are definitely not going to walk away from Kabobs looking for more. Everyone who left that line was carrying a heavy tray piled with food. People were just pointing and they were scooping. We never saw the line have less than 10 to 15 people, even as they approached and crested the noon hour, but it never got too terribly busy either. Overall I will be back and I plan to have the Budget Nazi add in $7/month for me to go there more regularly.
Have you ever been to Kabobs Indian Grill in the Gaviidae Commons Food Court? If so what did you think? Have you been to their other locations around town? How does the Kabobs in Gaviidae compare to those? Do you have any other cheap food recommendations downtown and/or in the skyways for lunch? Can it beat $7? Whatever you have to say about Kabobs in Minneapolis go ahead and comment on as I’d love to hear what you have to say!
Address:
Kabobs Indian Grill
555 Nicolett Mall FC#8
Minneapolis, MN 55402
Phone:
612-636-7786
See all the pictures from Kabobs Indian Grill in the Gaviidae Commons in Minneapolis on Flickr here.
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April 16th, 2010 at 1:26 pm
I used to take a couple of courses while I was at UST at their downtown campus. I’d make my way over to the Gaviidae Common food court after perusing Saks Off 5th. Never eaten at Kabobs, but I have eaten a couple of times at the Korean/Southern joint on the far end of the place. That place was okay, I probably wouldn’t recommend it.
April 16th, 2010 at 3:26 pm
I ate at Kabobs once, a month and a half ago or so. I haven’t eaten at the other Indian places in downtown, but I thought it was decent for the money. I’d probably go there more often if it was closer (I generally only take a half-hour lunch, so as a result I stay in my building or very close by).
April 18th, 2010 at 8:54 am
This is on my list of things to do. Does anybody know of this is owned by the same folks who run Kabobs in Bloomington? Couple of things in this post (cheap price, cut up bones in the stew) suggest that it very well might be.
April 18th, 2010 at 8:56 am
Sundar,
From the limited research I did prior to the post I believe that it is owned by the same people.
April 19th, 2010 at 9:17 am
The place rocks for what it is, cheap eats. Foods decent enough. If you want fantastic Indian downtown you have to go to Dancing Genesh, which is over near St. Thomas’s law school. But for cheap decent food.. this is the one.
April 20th, 2010 at 9:03 am
i have eaten two times at the original strip mall spot in Bloomington. Nice people, serving some types of South Asian foods not always seen in other Indian restaurants. I did take out… the food was good and cheap. I wasnt ecstatic over it. I have not been to the downtown spot as i seldom get there since i work from home office SOTR.
October 7th, 2010 at 7:18 pm
Tried Kabobs today for the first time and my God, my meal was enough to feed a family of four. I paid $5.54 and even got dessert too. It is decent food, nothing special, but it’s unique to most things downtown and the portions are absolutely humongous.
Give me a warning next time Bill, I had 15 minutes to eat a meal that could’ve easily fed 2-3 people.
October 7th, 2010 at 7:21 pm
What more did you want me to say? :)