I've been trying to figure out why people don't give Darul Kebab better ratings. Maybe it is because they are in an old fast-food restaurant, and it seems as if no one eats there. But you should give it a chance, as the food is delicious and affordable. The DK Naan, with sesame seeds and raisins, is downright comforting on a cold night. True, the food isn't that spicy, but if you compare individual dishes with what you can get at Annapurna, the dishes at Darul Kebab are better. (You can get alcohol at Annapurna, though, so if you want to drink with your meal, go there.) The wait staff has always been prompt and courteous. It might be because they aren't too busy, but we never had any problems with people serving us water or bringing rice or anything like that. And we certainly never had issues with takeout orders. The service is just as good, if not better, than what is provided at other restaurants in the area, no question. read more

Relative to its price, it's hard not to give Darul high marks, given that Darul is among the least expensive sit-down restaurants in Cambridge. If you have similar tastes to your dining companion, you can get a dinner for two, including nan, salad, and raita, for less than $20. Chicken comes to $16, lamb $20. A huge (and tasty) lunch wrap is $5-$6. The food is considerably better than the Pakistani options near the back of the Annapurna menu next door. There is no alcohol at Darul, so you won't feel obliged to order a beer (an obligation I often feel after finding out how many hoops Boston-area restaurants need to jump through to get their liquor license). No local resident can use the money excuse to order fast food again! Go with Darul instead. read more

Surprisingly good food, but I have to agree with Jason J. ( http://www.yelp.com/biz/darul-kabab-cambridge#hrid:ySnlHEyjzcPi54q0IoOK1w ) -- this place needs marketing help. Any place that advertises kebabs, pizza and burgers in the same sentence is asking for trouble and confusion. I'll also agree with other reviewers that the service could use some help. But overall, I'm impressed. The spicy been kebab I ordered was moist and delicious. The naan was tasty. I'll be back -- but probably not for pizza or burgers, even if it's a kebab pizza and halal burger... read more

Really like the food, and the prices are very reasonable. I went last night for a sit down dinner, and liked it enough to come back today for takeout lunch! However, the wait staff needs more experience. It's the little things like remembering to bring people menus and silverware when they first sit down. The owner was attentive to the diners, but the other servers, not so much. Also, the tables were crowded together, so it was awkward for servers and diners to get around. I got take out well after the lunch rush, so there weren't a lot of people. That said, I'd upgrade to 5 stars if they work those things out. Great for takeout, the portions are generous. Menu has a lot of options. read more

We have been trying Indian food all around and this place is really good for our taste. Also very conveniently located. Its strong enough to be authentic and mild enough to feed us Mediterranean people! read more

Five stars for the quality of food, four stars for service, three stars for strange feeling sitting in there. I am not quite sure whether this place is pursuing a new concept or just being in transition and hasn't figured out what to finalize on. The tables and seating area look like a fast food establishment. The food (as far as central and west Asian parts are concerned) is pretty good. I don't know why they serve burgers (and no beers! Burgers without beers!). Why not sushi, schwarma, falafel and burritos, then? I feel that some of the criticisms pointed out in the others' reviews from last weeks are already being fixed. Those banjos are still there, and the waitstaff are a bit strange, some parts of the menu lack clarity and the waitstaff couldn't explain fully. But I hope they're still new and hope they'll gradually get to these points... So for now, my biggest complaint is lack of lamb qorma in their menu. Why do they have chicken qorma, and lamb karahi but not lamb qorma? read more

It's hard to get every single item on a buffet right- but Darul Kabab does it! It's not a huge menu on buffet days but wow- everything is delicious and made to truly savor. I eat a lot of Indian food, and am typically disappointed by dry, stale, flavorless food (as an west coast transplant) but the meat here is tender, the sauces...I could eat them alone! The naan is fresh and sooo tasty. Service is kind, helpful and attentive. Finally, quality, very tasty Indian buffet! read more

Left work late on a Wednesday night and stopped here, since I'd been meaning to try it for a while. The place was largely empty with only a few tables occupied. I'm a little surprised at some of the reviews. I wonder if the service varies a lot depending on shift. In any case, the waiter was friendly and unrushed. I ordered a goat curry, some nan, and a chopati... it was all quite good: with strong distinctive flavors, which I like in South Asian food. The nan was fresh and of good quality. I enjoyed a good book and good food. Just the kind of place to unwind after work. read more

Mouth-watering and absolutely delicious food. I have been a fan of this place from my first visit. I am a regular customer and have never been disappointed once. Owner is very polite and service is friendly. Highly recommended! read more

I'd had takeout from here before, and always enjoyed it, but last night was the first time I'd been in to sit down for dinner. I was looking for a place in the neighborhood where I could take my friend who uses a walker. (It's surprising how hard it is to find a place where you can pull in close to the door, and they don't have any stairs.) As it happens, my friend loves Indian food, and lamb is his favorite type of meat. He ordered the lamb kebab and thought it was great! I'm vegetarian, and I loved the Navratan Korma. We both had the plain naan and thought it was great. It is really worth mentioning how welcoming, friendly, and helpful the entire staff was to us. My friend is very concerned about putting anyone out to accommodate him with the walker, and everyone there was so lovely to us--they just made it a really delightful experience all around! We'll be back! read more

My go-to for delicious indian food near porter/davis square. I've eaten here via take-out multiple times and it's always on point. Name is a little confusing (Darul Kabab is definitely not just a kabab place!) but rather an excellent Indian restaurant from what I've experienced. Butter chicken and paneer curry are always just right. Lamb roganjosh and garlic naan are also amazing. Definitely worth checking out! read more

If you want to witness failure, visit this place. 4 of us went there at 8 p.m. after calling them. We sat at a table, and there were a few people in the line, so I took a spot. I started looking around to see what kind of food was being eaten and to my surprise, ALL people had NO food in front of them. 100% of the customers either came in and ordered at the same time, or there was something terribly wrong. it turned out to be the latter. I had never seen this before. I asked the man at the register, and he said kababs will take 45 minutes. Food at the buffet bar (biryani and a few vegan entries) did not look very pleasing to the eye. We decided to walk out the door and go to Annapurna restaurant next door. As we sat there, another big family followed us and they told us that they ordered almost an hour ago and were annoyed so simply walked out. The staff was clueless, mismanaged, and the 5 flat screens show off wasn't going to make the food ready for anyone there. read more

The one thing I really like about Cambridge is the different types of cuisine to be sampled. This place used to be a KFC - glad that it's gone and become a place of yummy Shrimp Biryani. Good service, decent prices and off street parking. read more

Got pickup here two times and really liked the food. Last night I got there at closing time and the owner was able to keep the kitchen working to get me an order of chicken masala and nan. The masala sauce has a very interesting bouquet of flavors at this place quite intoxicating ... in a good way! I would like to try the kabab next time. read more

I really didn't think this place would be good. But...like a lot of things in life...I was proven wrong. Inside is kind of random because it's like a KFC but with Indian food. I stopped by on a Sunday evening a few hours past dinner rush and the other customers were two Indian families with young kids going to town on curries and seeming to enjoy the food, so that was a good sign. Service was pleasant and quick. I ordered a tryout Indian meal of my favorites: chicken vindaloo (requested extra spicy), garlic naan, and chicken samosas. I enjoyed all three and would be willing to try their other curries and tandoori items. Vindaloo still wasn't that spicy, but they hook you up with the chicken. They also had tomato slices in the sauce, which was a nice touch. Samosas were also very good and just 1 will fill you up nicely. They also added a big tub of the raisin dipping sauce to go with it. Rice was fine, not watery and cooked perfectly. Dark horse of the meal was the garlic naan. They give you two big pieces per order and they were generous with the garlic. Not burnt or dry like some curry houses do it. Very fresh. Parking lot is handy, but just be careful rolling over the hidden speed bump that comes out of nowhere or you may be tasting your sun visor. Lastly, all the food above came to less than $20, which is very good for Indian. The portions are enough for 2-3 meals, so plan accordingly (as in, order a lot of food because leftover Indian is awesome!) read more

Stumbled across this place this unassuming looking but clean little place weekend. Pleasantly surprised at everything from the attentive wait service, reasonable prices and well prepared Indian food. Wait constantly made sure my water glass was full. I had the Chicken Kabob platter, with Naan and a Sweet Lassi. The chicken was sweet, mildly spicy and melt away tender. The Naan was fresh and tender lightly buttered. Generous portions, with plenty to bring home. The flat screen televisions playing Bollywood action films are a kick too. The only improvement would be the side salad. The salad is pretty much a condiment mix of onions and peppers. Although, honestly I've never been to an Indian restaurant that was authentic and heavy on the veggies, so I may be making an impossible request. Would definitely return when in the area. read more

The sweer lassi is watered down and not sweet enough. Just buy kefir for $3 at shaws and add some sugar. Same thing. The masala tea was okay. Like a cross between dark tea and coffee, add some sugar and it is like a milder chai. The veggie samosas are delicious and the mint sauce was a bit spicy. Very yummy. Boyfriend got the lamb kabob and he thought the lamb was very salty but delicious. I got the chicken wrap and it was very good. I felt like there was a lot of greens in the wrap but for around $8 it was a great deal! I was so full after my wrap - which by the way is naan bread. SO GOOD read more

I'm surprised that there are so many positive comments on the service here. When we went in, the restaurant was by no means packed, but it still took almost 10 minutes for anyone to come up to us. The two waitresses that went back and forth between helping us seemed kind enough, but they also seemed quite confused about everything we asked, even when it was as simple as "Can I have a glass of water?" But, I'm not completely turned off by Darul Kabab because their Chicken Tikka Masala was actually really good. The Naan was so-so (I've definitely had better). I'll definitely have to try their Kababs at some point, but I'll probably call ahead and pick it up. My housemate seemed to agree that the service was always that slow and inefficient, and she prefers take-out. I'm taking her advice next time. read more

This place was a good surprise. I don't understand why they promote themselves with 'hamburguers' and similar, it does not make sense. This is a place for good Indian/Pakistani food. We order some chicken curry for 2 and ordered it 'spicy'; it was really tasty and actually (not like most restaurants) spicy, I needed a lot of water, but I loved it! The naan on the other hand was just OK, I have had much better in some other places. The service was good, and the overall ambiance was nice; I am not a fan of the TV screens with the Bollywood movies, but it is OK. read more

The worst restaurant experience in my whole life. Here is the things that pissed me off yesterday: - it took 15 mins to get the appetizer - The waiters are careless. You have to call them more than once to come to you - There were some nylon pieces in my Mango Lassie - They got my order wrong (Chicken instead of Lamp) They didn't apologize or make it up. Instead, they put it on the bill. I left the place because otherwise I was going to hurt someone because of anger. VERY BAD IN EVERY WAY! read more

The food here is good. Definitely better than Divas in Davis. The service is absolutely terrible, but if you can tolerate it, this has one of the most complete lunch buffets that I've been to. The samosas are good and the saag generally delivers. It's worth the trip. read more

The Samosas, Naan bread, as well as the Chicken Seekh Kebab Wraps are absolutely incredible here. If you are ordering the Chicken Seekh Kebab Wrap however, do not forget to specify that you would like the WRAP or you will end up with a much different meal!!! I accidentally did this once and they were unwilling to replace it with what I had wanted, and I found the meal I received instead to be incredibly subpar. Granted, it was definitely 100% my fault for not saying the full name of the item I'd hoped for. But since the wrap does have almost the same name and is located under a different section of the menu, he really should have confirmed the specific item over the phone to ensure the order was correct; they can't expect everyone to be completely familiar with the entire menu. I would definitely recommend checking this place out though. read more

Boring. Boring. Boring. The best part of lunching at Darul Kabab was watching one of the six (!!!) flat screens. Foreign language soap opera with subtitles, anyone? Overall, the food was super bland. Maybe it's cause I was dining with my mega white husband - but the curry and kebab dishes were tasteless. No spice. Under seasoned. And kinda a bummer. The service was alright considering we were the only people dining there. The server was polite and congenial, but decent service doesn't make up for the food. The veggie samosas were OK - but I've definitely had better. Don't think I'll be hitting it up any time soon. read more

We ordered a "Vegetable Korma" and a "Mixed Vegetable curry. Both had exactly the same vegetables in them cooked in the exact same way and tasted exactly the same. The only difference was the food colouring both were slathered in - one was bright red, the other was bright yellow. We spent a whopping $18 per person on this. Not worth it at all. I am shocked, Boston. read more

Looks like they just moved into the old KFC location which I am pretty sure is cursed. If I remember right this is the 3rd new place try to take over this location since the shooting 5 or 6 years ago when it was a KFC. That being said they are really good. I mean THEY ARE REALLY GOOD! It's a mix of Bangledeshi, Inidan & Pakistani. So far I've had the Chicken Sag and Biryani. The chicken sag was on the creamier side and very nicely spiced with a whole stick of cinnamon mixed in with mine. The biryani is really the real deal. From what I can tell it's Hyderabadi style and some of the best I've had. I have yet to try any of the kabab's yet but am looking forward to it. So far a solid place with Great prices that I hope sticks around. read more

We ate here on a weeknight and they were surprisingly pretty busy. We waited by the door for awhile before anyone helped us and the service was slow but very friendly. I tried the tandoori fish which was seasoned perfectly (I asked for extra spicy but they only made it mild which was disappointing, but probably for the best considering it was salmon). I was worried it would end up being too dry but it actually turned out very moist. Overall friendly staff, flavorful food, and a parking lot in the back make this a place I'd like to go to again - but only if I have time to stay there for at least an hour and a half or if I order ahead for take-out. read more

This review is only for the lunch buffet - bottom line is this place is alright but I don't think I would come back. There are so many other options in the area (Indian and non-Indian). $12.99 is a pretty good deal for a buffet, but I think most Indian places offer similar pricing for their lunch buffets. The staff was attentive and I had an overall pleasant experience but their food was really just...meh. Most of the meat was overcooked, except the Chicken Tikki Masala. The dishes were mostly on the sweeter side and were extremely mild (in terms of spiciness). read more

The food here is very tasty, and the blend of spices are on point. However I do feel that this place slips up from time to time. Was in a few days ago and the mango lassi was off. read more

Darul Kabab - Indian Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

I liked their food! My favorites were the chicken sheekh kabab and navratan korma. Their lamb was a little dry though. Their biriyani was also good but I just have had much better ones... But, I will agree with the other reviewers. Their dishes, glasses and silverware looked stained. They were clean, but really old. Service was not bad and the environment (three tvs buzzing three languages) reminded me of hotels back in Bangladesh. I would definitely go back for the food; everything else I couldn't care less about ;) read more

Updating my review from 2011 I went back in 2015 recently to see if they've changed under the new ownership. The food has certainly improved, but the service does not exist. If you have no idea what Indo-Pak food should taste like, you'll like this place! Still, it's a good experience, you should give them a try. read more

The only problems I have with this place are that it's expensive, and the atmosphere doesn't lend itself to a comfortable eating experience. I'm not too happy with the white walls, it just looks too sterile for me to get excited about eating here. This place used to be a KFC, and it took a lot of renovating to get it to look like a real restaurant (as you can imagine). Love the rice pudding at this place, and the chicken tandoori is juicy and very flavorful. The samosas are also nice and crispy, and the lentils are cooked just right. They need to put labels down on some of the trays though, especially since not many people are unfamiliar with Indian cuisine. It saves people from constantly asking the waiters, which im sure they would appreciate as well. read more

Downgrading to 3 stars until they work out the kinks (slow service, slightly confusing experience). I went a second time. The Chicken Vindaloo was quite good and spicy. One suggestion would be to have a clear process for how to deal with customers. It seems that there is confusion from the staff, the minute anyone walks in the door. Additionally, I think that the owners should also decide whether they want this place to be a sit down restaurant or a 'fast-food' style kabab/ethnic eatery. I'd prefer the latter. Also, if you want to do well, I would suggest staying open late. I'm sure more than one patron of Spirit bar would crave a kabab or curry at 1230am. You could probably ditch the breakfast menu (and open later) and transition to a late night menu at 10pm. Just a few thoughts. I live on the street, so I am optimistic about this place. I hope that in a couple of months they will have everything worked out. If not, unfortunately, I could see this place going the way of Banjo's... read more

I had lunch here today and really enjoyed it. I ordered the veggie kabab, which came with a salad and an enormous amount of hot naan. The veggies (cauliflower, carrot, onion, green pepper, potato and a large cube of paneer) was wonderfully marinated in yogurt and seasoned with garlic, ginger and just the right amount of heat. The salad was all right--a little uninspired, but the salad wasn't the main attraction of the dish as far as I'm concerned. My bill, including tip (I just had water), was $9. Really, you can't beat that. My one suggestion that I might make would be that they give you four enormous wedges of naan, and I might have preferred to have perhaps two pieces of naan and a little bit of rice. However, that's just a personal preference and a minor quibble. In general, I see frequent return trips here in my future. read more

I ordered takeout from here a few weeks ago. When I arrived, there was nobody up front at all, for a good few minutes. I actually started walking around and looking for *anyone* working there after I sat down for a few minutes. They weren't particularly busy, either. Once I finally flagged someone down, it took another few minutes to bring my food all out to me; the person I had flagged down waited awhile to go back to the kitchen to check. So, not exactly in love with the service here. As far as the food, everything I had was just, well, bland. No heat, no real spice. I would not order from here again. read more

Firstly, I'd like to say that I'm comparing this place to most other Indian restaurants in the Cambridge area. I frequent the ones in Central Sq at least twice monthly if not more for their lunch buffets. I went to this place for the buffet and I was just not that impressed. 1) They had none of the traditional sauces that they always offer at other Indian places (the chutney, the mint one, etc). Maybe I had to ask but it was strange that they weren't out and available, especially for a buffet. 2) Most of the dishes were oily or overly runny. Most of it was sauce and not much food. 3) The salad was pretty much slim pickings and there was no dressing out. 4) The rice was bland and dry. 5) Compared to the other Indian buffets I've been to in Cambridge, this was ~$2 more per person. Though the waiter was friendly and I did enjoy their mango lassi, it probably wasn't enough to warrant a second visit. Maybe their dinners are better. read more

Never again... The Good: They have a location that used to be a fast food joint, so they have some parking in a lot, which is rare for Mass Ave. Yay free parking! The Bad: I should have known when it was dead on a Saturday afternoon. The waiters were watching us like hawks..I don't know if they thought we were going to make off with their silverware, but we got an unnerving sense of being watched and not in a "hey can I get you something" kind of way. The Ugly: The North India/Bangladeshi buffet was left out for hours unchanged. We sat for nearly two hours and never saw any of the food refreshed. The waiters would stir it on occasion, but that food was old and sitting. I ordered a chicken seekh kabab off the menu as a "weekend special" but it was gross. The menu lists tomato, lettuce, onions and cucumber as accompaniments but nope, just soggy lettuce with a weird sauce that is not mentioned on the menu. The wrap for the kabob was stale and even the chicken kabob itself was very average. Conclusion: Not worth it even a little. I spent my meal looking out the window at the Nepali restaurant next door, and wishing we tried that one. read more

We ordered goat rezala, instead of rezala they sent goat curry. Whenever we call back they said it's rezala. Lame

I was really excited about this place before I went in, and maybe the sit-down service is better. I ordered a fish burger at around $5 for take-out. Fifteen to twenty minutes later, I was presented with two tiny and gluey fish patties with some paltry lettuce and tomato slices on a white bun. It looked smashed. Next time I want to get food and leave, I'll head further into Porter Square. read more

I visited this place for the first time. I knew exactly what i wanted. I ordered the Haleem and Chotpoti as the Appetizer. The Chotpoti was an absolute disaster. The Lamb Meat in the Haleem was very chewy and would take a couple of hundred years to get over each morsel. Finally, i went ahead and ordered Chicken Tikka Masaala, Dal Makhani and Chicken Curry with Garlic Naan. The Chicken Curry was cooked well and had all the spices right ! The Chicken Tikka did not turn me on ! The food overall was dripping with oodles of oil. So if you fancy good oily Bangladeshi food minus the ambiance ( which apparently did not exist !!!) then try this place. Nothing too great but it is well worth a second try ! Vic read more

They have deteriorated immensely !!! they don't pay attention to orders. gives different items in place of what you ordered and then you have to call and convince them to adjust the prices. then on top of that got severely sick with stomach upset after having the mutton kadhai.. it was disaster. cannot believe I fell sick of the food I paid for !! avoid this place read more