Had dinner here over the weekend with some coworkers and was instantly blown away by the colorful and festive decor. The tiles, murals, and cute tea wares really set the mood well. I kind of wish the menu had descriptions for what everything is, but we had a Pakistani friend in the group who ordered for all of us so it worked out. We got a chicken karahi, chaat (not sure which one), chicken biryani, samosas, garlic naan, and some other small dishes. Everything was full of flavor and enjoyable but my favorite was the chaat. It was very refreshing and kind of reminded me of a ceviche except (I assume) vegetarian. We also had chai to finish our meal, which was served from little painted teapots. It didn't look like a ton of food for 4 people, but we walked away stuffed with leftovers. Service was fast and friendly. I would definitely come back when I'm in the area again. read more

Chai Chenak - Halal Near Me - New Brunswick, New Jersey

Came here for a friends birthday- we love the decor here, feels Feels like you're in a Pakistani dhaba and the chai comes to you in such cute tea kettles that you can pour out of yourself. Chai also comes with a complimentary biscuit. Chai is amazing. We tried masala, kashmiri and zafarani. All of which were delicious and had unique flavors. Garlic Mayo roll is great and so are mojitos. We got the chicken karhai which was delicious and spicy but loaaded with oil. My problem with it was that it was sooo hot there with no AC, it was cooler to be outside. Service was a little slow and it did get very busy. Also they only had water bottles available for sale - with which the heat and spicy food- you're going to need to bring water on your own or pay for bottles. read more

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The vision - from such large details like the multi chromatic decor to the small details like a little biscuit served on the side of the chai cup - will wow you and make you want to come back again and again. The Bollywood beats in the background will get your heart bouncing in rhythm and make you feel like you've stepped into the streets of Pakistan. The service is surprisingly subtle in comparison. Quiet and polite waiters will take your orders, swooping in and out while you enjoy the atmosphere. Sadly...the food does not always meet the expectations of the eyes. The Beef Behari Kabob Roll is a 5/5 for sure, get that if nothing else. It's soft, succulent, and spicy! The Paneer Tikka Roll on the other hand is somewhat dry. Laccha paratha is delicious, on the chewier side. It's perfect for dipping into any of the Karhai's! The "Charsi Karhai" is my favorite, very tangy and spicy. The "White Reshmi" one is pretty good too. Any of the naans will be good for sopping up the sauce, but the Sesame Naan was one I've never had before and very much enjoyed! Unfortunately, both times I dined in, the chicken in the karhai had an old smell. I hope next time they can get fresher chicken. The Daal Mash Fry is decent, a little too salty for me, and the Bun Kebab Daal is not a bad veggie appetizer option either. CHAI TIME!!! The best I can say about it is that the biscuit on the side is delicious and the amount of Chai for the price is great (3 cups worth!). Flavor wise, somewhat lacking. While it's style doesn't always match the substance, Chai Chenak gets my respect for having a vision for elevating desi cuisine here in Jersey. I'm sure with time it will get better and yes, I see myself coming back even though my experiences so far weren't perfect. read more

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Went here for sehri/suhoor during Ramadan this year. Service was quick and the food was great!

Found this cool place on instagram and wanted to try.Went there on a Sunday evening around6pm and the place was busy.We were seated upstairs and the decor was pretty cool.We ordered all the milk tea choices available and definitely zaffrani is our fav.Doodh patti comes a close second.We also ordered few snacks.The papdi chat was good.We also had the chicken chutni roll,fav amongst the food we tried.The dhal pav was our least fav. Overall the food was ok but the chai and ambiance were great. read more

The cafe aspect is great. Amazing customer service and a cozy spot. The barista Nicholas provided great customer service and a great Americano. Would definitely recommend stopping by and trying some of the pastries as well. read more

The 2 stars are for ambience and food in that order We made a reservation for celebrating my friends bday. We were impressed upon arriving by the decor. We ordered a bunch of appetizers and chai. This is where it started going downhill. The waiter was rude and was not at all interested in explaining what any menu item meant. We overlooked this and ordered The food arrived but was just ok. Nothing great to remember. But the crowning moment was right after this another rude waiter showed up at our table totally unprovoked and yelled at us to order our food else kitchen will be closed and we can't complain! We were speechless for a moment since we didn't even call him. We didn't complain about food. And definitely the kitchen was not closing! It was 1.30 PM! After that it was just followed by more rudeness from the other waiter and we were thoroughly put off by their whole attitude. I don't recommend this place to any of my friends. read more

The ambiance will make you feel like you're at home in Pakistan! Pictured are the gol guppy shots, the chicken cheese naan, chicken paratha roll, and charsi Karahi! Flavors will bring you back to traditional roots. The charsi karahi was pretty tasty and definitely worth a try with their butter naan. I'd personally skip the paratha rolls. The aloo bun kabob was also great! read more

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Been here more times than I can count. Hands down, one of my favorite places ever! Service is amazing and food is delicious! Chai Chenak is a Pakistani restaurant, but with a twist! It is a truck and folk art themed restaurant visibly seen in its amazing vibrant decor and set up. They have all the names of Pakistani cities on one wall and paintings of famous Pakistani famous artists like Amjad Sabri & Noor Jehan on the other wall. There are table seating arrangements on the first floor and lounge floor-seating arrangement on the second floor Ambiance is 10/10, perfect as it depicts the true rich culture of Pakistan. A big plus is that they are always playing amazing Pakistani music from Coke Studio Price is 8/10. Some items are pricier than others but nothing too extreme Menu is 9/10, amazing reminding you of some of the street-style food you would get from Food Street in Lahore. Aloo papri chaat, various mojito flavors, samosa chaat, chicken rolls, fries, karahi chicken, Kashmiri chai, Doodh pati chai, etc. read more

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Food: The pepper shrimp in that sauce!! Truly magic! Order the garlic naan to dip it in the sauce!! Drinks mango Mojitos a must. Briyani rice with it or white rice. Finish with pink tea. It's heavenly!! Service: During the week it's easy to get served. Weekend you need a reservation. Staff friendly & eager to help you. Atmosphere: Majestic like in a Alladin play! Only draw back is like everything in New Brunswick downtown area you pay top price for George Street. One day I'm gonna find this George & have a talk with him! read more

Beautiful ambience and setup Very authentic feel of a local place Small hidden Pakistani place in New Brunswick Good food Good teas n snacks n chat Lunch n dinner also available read more

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One of my favorite go to places. Karhaee (all types) are the best you can find in North America. Very cool vibe also.

Amazing! Highly recommend! Awesome food! Dessert was to good! Must try the Nihari as well as the Haleem :-)

The food was ok - but the young writer's behavior was very rude throughout. He didn't come by once to ask if we needed anything. After we paid the check he asked us to clear the table ASAP because customers were waiting. We told him we were only waiting for the check - and had he stopped by once, we would have asked for the check sooner. He said yes but the check is already paid now. All this literally 5 seconds after we paid it and we're literally preparing to leave. Very poor service. read more

Cool decor. They had outdoor seating which was covered and warm. It said reservations were needed, which I did not have, and they were able to accommodate anyway. I wish I can rate this place higher but unfortunately it missed the spot. I am Pakistani and am always looking for good Pakistani restaurants and this hit the spot with decor and presentation but lacked tremendously in service and in partly in food. The good : The till nan was on point. The daal street food sandwich was good for what it was. It had a great kick to it and the green chutney added a great flavor profile to it. Kashmiri Chai and the zafarani Chai were both good. The kashmiri Chai was lukewarm, wished it was hotter, but still good. The zafarani chai was hot and asted yummy. The daal handi was decent. It wasn't bad it wasn't great. Decently spiced and not to oily. It was okay. The bad: The Keema paratha was not great. Didn't have much flavor and was dried up and oily. Don't order. The Aloo paratha was slightly better, but also very Oily. I don't mind oily if it adds value. This was no reason. The Aloo inside were good. The texture of the oil messed it up. The murgh makani we ordered extra spicy. And confirmed it to be extra spicy, but it was super bland! Like zero slices at all. I understand murhg makani (butter chicken) is not a typical Pakistani dish. But I believe if is on the menu, make it with the correct spices. I would give this place another try and maybe get the karahi. Will probably just get Chai, the nan and a karahi (very Pakistani dish). Hoping that would be better. Want to help my people lol but they have to meet me half way. The worst thing about this experience was the service, or lack there of. Like come on people. Whoever the ourside waiter person was (not Abdul), sucked! I believe he is the outside waiter manager, not sure. This guy needs to focus and give priority to customers. The entire time he was speaking to the wait staff and not helping at all. Noone came to take an order even after I got his attention. Not sure where his head was. The only thing he came multiple times was for the check at the end. He made the entire experience bad. If the owners are reading this, have a talk with that guy and/or utilize him differently. He seemed very distracted and horrible at what he was there do. I know I said I'll give this place another shot, but if I see that guy there, I'll probably leave lol. read more

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Great authentic Indian street food. The inside decoration is very nice. Great service from the staff. read more

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Sunday dinner Went here without reservation at 7:30 pm. There was a waiting list and I had to wait for 20 mins, and was seated outside. If you want to sit inside , reservation required on weekends. Ordered chicken karahi- 24.99$ - nice presentation, portion size adequate for two people. Dhaka chicken -5.99$ decent, not too good, more like KFC tenders Also ordered chicken maska karachi bun -5.99$ nice and filling. Sesame naan n garlic naan are good as well Ordered doodh patti special - 2.99$ in the end . Decent, could be better Service could have been much better but it was very busy tonight. read more

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One of the hottest places in New Brunswick where you'll always see a crowd, get some of the most flavorful food around, and meet just the nicest team members! Where to begin?! Right off the bat, the place pops with vibrant colors and artwork both inside & out. From the tables to the walls, the decor is second to none and you'll see that people travel far to visit because the vibes and ambiance are so entertaining and relaxing. The outdoor dining set up they've had has kept up with the decor as well and I very much look forward to seeing them incorporate it into future outdoor activities and events. The food, oh how succulent the food is! Chai Chenak takes from various regions, adding so many different elements with legacy recipes and mouthwatering characteristics, plus a variety of naan options, including a dessert Nutella Naan that is a must-have if you've never tried it! It's the perfect spot for lunch, dinner, and dessert. read more

Chai Chenak - Takeout - Halal Near Me - New Brunswick, New Jersey

+5/5. The best karhai I've had in the U.S. perfectly spiced. We tried nearly every variation of naan, roti and paratha which were all perfect and unique, they were all perfect. The prices weren't too high for what is on offer. Great place, will insist on coming here whenever I'm closeby read more

Place is decked up very nice with Pakistani cultural decorations Presentable but food was bland, regular below average taste and servers were also not attentive and not interested in providing any service at all. We're their Asif forced to be there just to make a living l. No smiles, no attention to order, had to ask several times the same questions; didn't care to answer. Overall I would spend my money at a place that's less decked but have good food if not great food. Ambience alone doesn't sell to me !! read more

This little piece of Karachi in the middle of New Brunswick has got to be my most prized discovery this year! Their specialty appears to be the various styles of karahi. My personal favorite is the reshmi chicken karahi, which pairs splendidly with the sesame naan. The sindhi biryani is excellent too, but a little bit on the spicy side. The Kashmiri chai, saffron chai, and masala chai are all fantastic, and are all served with a delightfully buttery cookie, perfect for dunking in the chai. Service is very gracious, and management's thoughtfulness and solicitude for their customers' wellbeing are apparent from the fact that they place little bottles of hand sanitizer on each table. Street parking can be a challenge to find, but there is a parking garage just round the corner. read more

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Azhar server is amazing!!! Kizar wish you all the success. Great food ... must tryDoodh Patti Special read more

Chai Chenak - Halal Near Me - New Brunswick, New Jersey

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We had a wonderful experience for our first time! Very welcoming and kind staff and the food was amazing. Definitely will come back again for the chai and garlic naan and butter chicken read more

Chai Chenak - Chai - Halal Near Me - New Brunswick, New Jersey

Yummy food. Quick service. Best spot for authentic food. Would recommend anytime for some yummy spicy food. Ambiance was perfect read more

OMG yummylicious... highly recommend this place...amazing authentic flavored food, good service and ambience

I stopped by here on my way to NewYork. The ambiance is great. You see all this typical Pakistani truck art all over the place. It gives a feeling of being in a traditional Pakistani restaurant. The service is really fast. The menu offers all typical dishes from different regions in Pakistan. I tried the Shinwari Chicken Karahi. I asked to make it more spicy. The presentation was great. The taste is not more than a regular curry. Felt like a boiled chicken soaked in a sauce. No sign of whole tomatoes or green chillies, literally just sauce and boiled chicken. I've tried the real Karahi and this one is not even close to it. I understand you can't get the exact same taste but atleast there should be some resemblance. If you're looking for an ambiance, this is the place. If you're a karahi fan , stay away. read more

Chai Chenak - Shinwari Chicken Karahi - Halal Near Me - New Brunswick, New Jersey

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To be honest I don't remember the name of the dishes :( they were very flavorful. The portions are big enough for two people. garlic naan was good but next time I will order regular naan to not overpower the flavor of the dish. You must leave room for tea! delicious! We had masala tea and I'm craving for it already :D Staff could be a little more helpful with the menu when guiding amateur diners like me :) read more

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The food was delicious. We ordered two different curries which were very tasty. They served us in the actual kadhai in which they cooked it. The look, the smell, the taste was so authentic. We also got 4 different kinds of bread which were amazing. However, they did drop the ball on biryani. All I could taste was a lot of salt, black pepper and star anise. I was really looking forward to biryani but kind of sad. The set up was very colorful. It had its own vibe which we liked it. I am giving them 4 stars just because of biryani. read more

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Awesome kadai chicken and haleem. The lachcha parathas are worth raving about. Always crowded.

Good food and excellent customer service. For starters, their pani puri is very tasty. Tried the Sindhi biryani too, the biryani was okay, not that flavourful, and a bit dry. Service was excellent, and the food was a bit overpriced. Overall food is good, and I would highly recommend this place if you love Pakistani food. read more

Mixed thoughts on today's lunch! I will start with the positives - Great service. Excellent Bihari rolls. We used to enjoy their chicken karhai before but today it was far from what we used to get 3-4 months back! The karhai served today had either cream or yogurt in it which made it really heavy and altered the taste completely. Karhai should be light, slightly spicy and the meat should have flavor because of the oil, green chilies, ginger and spices - there was a distinct smell in the chicken today so please wash the meat thoroughly before cooking or request your vendor to send you clean meat. Seekh kababs were a bit too dry. The reason why I'm giving a solid 4/5 is because of our amazing past experiences with the service + food. We have been to Chai Chenak multiple times but today there was a lot missing and the karhai fell short. Also cross ventilation is necessary because as soon as we walked in it smelled a bit funky and I'm not talking about the food. The parathas are excellent so is their chicken biryani & faluda. We drove a really long way for their beef Nihari which was the highlight of our trip prior to today and nihari was not on the menu today. So if there is a specific item you're going for I suggest you call and ask before making the trip as their menu is subject to change being in the experimental stage that they still are. The staff there is friendly, kind, patient and courteous. The owner is also very thorough. Please bring back the old flavor of chicken karhai that we thoroughly enjoyed when we first came (a heavy base of cream or yogurt is not needed). Thank you!! read more

Awesome atmosphere! I felt like I was in Pakistan. To keep it short, I've been here twice. I highly recommend their chaat. Whether it be plain old papri chaat, or samosa chaat.. it is out of this world. To be honest, I think I'll just be ordering the samosa chaat for my dinner next time. read more

Caution! the restaurant servers have little knowledge on sensitivity related to allergy. We specifically asked if the dishes we selected has peanut and sesame seed and the response was No. When the food arrived it had sesame seed therefore if the management is reading this review should train the servers i.e be knowledgeable about the food they serve. Food 5* - If you like Indian food then you will love this food. As you may know cuisines from Pakistan has lot of similarities & overlap with Indian food but of-course with regional variations and then there are some delicacies that are unique to Pakistani food such as Haleem, Sajji ..... We tried : Street food - Papri chat, Dhaka chicken, Karachi bun kabab and they were all delicious. Must try out their Teas Main dishes: Charsi Karhai , Balochi tikka karhai all delicious. And paneer roll and aloo paratha which was delicious as well. Dessert - Kulfi ice cream Service 4* - service was prompt and good. I am taking out one star due to lack of awareness/ training related to allergy. Place 5* - Vibrant place Price - just right Overall we are coming back! P.S. - Street parking is always an issue in this area but there is a parking lot in next block. read more

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One of the hottest places in New Brunswick where you'll always see a crowd, get some of the most flavorful food around, and meet just the nicest team members! Where to begin?! Right off the bat, the place pops with vibrant colors and artwork both inside & out. From the tables to the walls, the decor is second to none and you'll see that people travel far to visit because the vibes and ambiance are so entertaining and relaxing. The outdoor dining set up they've had has kept up with the decor as well and I very much look forward to seeing them incorporate it into future outdoor activities and events. The food, oh how succulent the food is! Chai Chenak takes from various regions, adding so many different elements with legacy recipes and mouthwatering characteristics, plus a variety of naan options, including a dessert Nutella Naan that is a must-have if you've never tried it! It's the perfect spot for lunch, dinner, and dessert. read more

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This place is what inspired me to create my "Central NJ Gems" Yelp collection. Its that special. Parking is typical of New Brunswick (ugh) but as soon as you walk in, you're transported into a completely different world. Gorgeous splashes of color on the walls, chairs, dishes & tea kettles. Unfortunately didn't get a chance to see the upstairs but pictures look divine. They have very different lunch & dinner time options, but give you the menu for both (so you can see what you're missing). Lunchtime is for paratha (like fried crepe) chicken tikka wraps, samosa appetizers, and a selection from 4 types of chai or good ol' mango lassi (smoothie). All for about $15/pp! Food was nicely fried, flavorful and comes with green dipping sauce. Both teas were very distinctive, but smooth with a rich creamy texture... a spicy bubbleless boba. Service was slowish and you might need to ask a few times for things, but they were helpful with questions & recommendations... so I'll consider it a plus one for authenticity (typical of asian establishments ha!). read more

Chai Chenak - Color here color there color everywhere! - Halal Near Me - New Brunswick, New Jersey

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This is a cute spot! However, if you aren't a fan of STREET FOOD then I would recommend looking elsewhere. I like the food here and think it tastes good, but it's not traditional Paki food that you'd get at most of the other Paki restaurants in the area (like Biryani or chicken makhani). Because of it being street food and easier to make, you get your food pretty fast. The staff said the food was halal -- but, neither the menus nor any signage indicated that. You kinda have to trust them on it. I got the Karachi daal bun. It's spicy, and that's coming from someone who's Paki lol the portions are large so I had leftovers -- they reheate well! The food is a low price, but the drinks start at around $3 for a small can (Maybe ~6 oz?)which was a bit pricy. read more

Everything from the beautiful and artistic decor to the incredible food, to the last sip of the Falooda dessert was incredible. The food was mesmerizing with levels of flavor. I was a bit overwhelmed I will admit because the menu is so large, and I had a hard time pronouncing the names but the staff was incredibly nice and helpful. They offered recommendations when requested and were extremely attentive. I've been twice and look forward to going again. read more

Special thanks goes to Chai Chenak Restaurant for not only their amazing chai, but for their amazing service and goodwill! We went with a group of volunteers to thank them for their service and they definitely felt appreciated by us bringing them here. First off, the pratha chicken rolls were very tasty as well as the the club sandwich. It has the right amount of cheese and mayonnaise. The green rains dipping sauces were really good and not too spicy. I finished all of mine! The prathas were fresh. Our favorite part was the dood pati chai which was excellent. In fact I almost change my home party to here since I know the ambiance would've been appreciated. I would definitely come back here again. Service was fine as well. read more

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This is arguably the current best spot for Pakistani food in the tristate area. The food is made fresh and the quality lasts if you take it home. They call themselves street food focused but it's more than that. Besides the kabab rolls there are plenty of curries. One thing that makes Chai Chenak stand out is it's flavors, which will remind you of food from Karachi as opposed to most Pakistani spots which has more Punjabi flavors. Kabab rolls are a Karachi specialty and the Meats (chicken or beef) have a tender creamy texture with strong spice levels and smoky taste as they are cooked on open charcoal flame. Chai Chenak's rolls are as close to the authentic taste as it gets from Karachi. I tried the Bihari roll, chicken roll, qeema paratha and kali mirch karahi. All outstanding with very distinctive flavors. The restaurant is well lit with plenty of space and has a lively vibe. It's decorated quite nicely and feels very clean compared to other Pakistani restaurants. I hope they maintain their good quality and flavors. read more

Chai Chenak - Halal Near Me - New Brunswick, New Jersey

HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE AT THIS ESTABLISHMENT YESTERDAY! Prior to arriving for iftar/dinner, my husband made a reservation a few days prior. As he made the reservation, he informed the person (now we know it's the unprofessional manager) on the phone that we preferred to sit inside. The person responded that it won't be guaranteed HOWEVER if you come early enough it can be a possibility. Early yesterday morning, maybe almost noon time, we received a phone call from the restaurant. It was the manager again, he asked if we were still going to make it and that if we were to be 15 minutes or later after reservation time (which is 7:30pm) the table will be revoked. We agreed to everything and told him we were still coming. Again, we asked about seating inside and was given the same answer, that perhaps it can happen IF we arrived prior to 7:15pm. My family and I live in Morris county, NJ, which made the drive almost an hour long. Upon arrival to the restaurant, we were the first family to arrive at about 7:08pm. The restaurant was completely empty with no one but workers inside. I went up to the front door to check in by myself WITHOUT my husband as he was looking for parking. A man approached me, (come to find out it's the manager my husband has been speaking to the past two occurrences) at the door and asked if I had a reservation. I proceeded to answer yes and gave him the name for my party. He informed me that we will be sitting outside. I told him, no that we wanted to sit inside and how we were told that if we got to the restaurant early enough we would have an opportunity to do so. He LIED and told me that he never said that even though I heard him TWICE, the first time when placing the initial reservation the second time when he called to confirm. He pointed to his stupid list that showed that my reservation was ASSIGNED TO TABLE 19 just because. (Which btw is the 2nd to last table to be given. Tables are numbered 1-20.) (Which because it's only buffet you get your food by being called up by your TABLE NUMBER!) So again, even though we were the first to arrive we would have been the 2nd to last table to get called up! ) I told him, sir there's no one inside the restaurant we're the first family to have arrived, why can't we sit inside?!? He just kept saying that my reservation was placed by him to be seated at table 19. read more

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