I was honestly so pleasantly surprised by this place. I've been trying to find an Indian restaurant that compares to the ones back home in Georgia, and Maharaj definitely came close. For lunch especially, the quality and portion sizes are amazing for the price. The service was extremely friendly and welcoming. It truly feels like a family-owned restaurant, and the staff consistently checked in on our table to make sure we were enjoying everything. We ordered a variety of dishes. My favorite by far was the chicken tikka masala - rich, flavorful, and very satisfying. The tandoori chicken, however, was just average to me; it was a bit overcooked and lacked flavor. I also really enjoyed the Josh Rogan and the mango lassi, both of which were great. The ambiance is nice and comfortable, but the wait can be quite long, so keep that in mind. Despite the wait, this has become my go-to spot when I'm craving Indian food. Great value, warm service, and mostly excellent food make it worth returning. read more

Food is below-average, service is good, and the ambience is bland and unappetizing. I am beyond surprised that this restaurant receives such great reviews when there is better Indian food in the city. To start with, my dining companion and I ordered the gobi manchurian, which was delicious. As a native Bangalorean, I take my gobi manchurian seriously, and was quite impressed with Maharaj's iteration (since then, I think they may have removed the Gobi Manchurian from the menu: it was great while it lasted!). My companion and I assumed that the stellar gobi would herald an even more incredible main course, but were quickly proven wrong. The malai kofta was insipid and texturally confusing. The gravy was tasteless and the kofta balls were simultaneously both chewy and crumbly. Listen: I love malai kofta, because as the name suggests, cream is the central ingredient. It is sometimes possible to paper over deficiencies in a malai kofta with extra cream, but alas, that was not the case here. It was close to inedible. The naan tasted like grocery store frozen naan: even Trader Joe's makes better naan. The bhindi masala was oily and not too flavourful. We did not dare order more at that point. On the plus side, our server, whose first day on the job it was, was super sweet. He made sure we were well-looked after, and gave us complimentary masala chai. The chai was lukewarm and overly milky, with little fresh masala. The decor consists of stereotypically Indian art of dubious quality. The seats were comfortable, and the restaurant was filled with South Asian people, which usually bodes well for an Indian restaurant. I continue to be baffled by that. It's entirely possible that it was just a bad day for the chef, but I don't think I want to risk another visit. Overall, as much as I want to support Indian restaurants in the city, I cannot in good faith recommend Maharaj. read more

Maharaj Indian Grill - Gobi Manchurian - Indian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We had a hair in our meal. The receptionist was nice enough to remove the meal off our bill but still... it was a long LONG hair all tangled with the meat. We were hoping for an apology from the manager or something but Nop. The waitresses seems badly treated and overworked so we felt bad for her but she did a good job saving the day. Shoutout to the waitresses there read more

I saw the reviews and found that this place is in the Depaul center on State. The interior was fairly vast, I asked them if the butter chicken can be mild and to my surprise that told me yes. I ordered a few items under their suggestion and I have to say, the butter chicken in a pint size container for $18 was actually good. The chicken was juicy and mild. I also order cumin white rice $5 and perfect match. Garlic naan $5 was great too. I highly recommend the butter chicken here. Apple pay is available read more

Maharaj Indian Grill - Bar area - Indian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

You MUST dine here! My friend and I felt like we were in the home of a family of amazing chefs from India. The experience, ambiance, food and drink were all top notch. read more

Maharaj Indian Grill - Relax, you're at home here - Indian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Fancy, fancy, just damn fancy and their lunch menu is fantastic! Maharaj is located across from Harold Washington library on Vanburen underneath the loop Elevated train the el.. So after a loop excursion if you want to impress your companions stop here. THEY HAVE THE CUISINE read more

My fave Indian spot in Chicago. Highlights include Gobi Manchurian, Methi Malai Mutter, and the Daal. Tomato soup is very yummy too - honestly never had anything bad but I can only speak to the vegetarian options! I'm loyal for both takeout and dine in - service is always good and the location is great for when you're downtown and don't want to go somewhere too fancy. I take out of towners here regularly while sightseeing :) read more

Delicious 10/10 The express lunch combos are such a good deal and I love the dal makhani read more

Maharaj Indian Grill - Kadhai Chicken Lunch Express (Combo) + Goat Curry - Indian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

A one word Tl;DR: Disgraceful! Leftover Indian food after a work meeting I wasn't a part off set off a massive craving. Maharaj seemed to check all the boxes: good menu, highly rated, not too out-of-the-way. After stopping in, I can tell you Maharaj checks none of the boxes. The only thing I enjoyed was the rice, and even that isn't meant to be eaten on its own. Though, I appreciate that it was cooked and salted perfectly. I'd ordered the Maharaj Dinner Special, which I thought was a steal at $27. When the food came out, I was wowed by the sheer quantity of food, especially for such a low price. Alas, just like the medium heat (as requested), the flavors were MIA. We start with the Papadum: I would have asked if this stuff was store-bought, but even store bought wouldn't be this depressing. Unlike Papadum with flavors from herbs and spices, the only flavors here were fennel seeds, and a heavy helping of salt. These even lacked that light Maillard-y flavor, seemingly being fried only enough to give the appearance, via bubbles, of being fried. These were served with a green sauce that, to its credit, was delectably earthy. On the flip side, it was also served with what I can only assume was a Mango chutney, one that resembles the syrup from jarred fruits more than anything worthy of being called a chutney. It had a few tiny pieces of mango skin floating in it, so yay for that! (/s) Then comes the naan - while warm and with a thin coating of oil, it lacked any herbs or spices beyond salt. Thus, I found myself preferring the stuff in the bread aisle at Aldi. If you just said "oof"... you're exactly right. I wish it got better from here, but it didn't. My feedback across the board for all the mains is similar enough, I don't think it makes sense to break it down, for it would be 90% copy and paste. Here we go: The flavors of everything were terrifically muted. There was a lack of spices and herbs, only salt and sometimes turmeric. The vibrant, bold flavors of Indian cuisine, much like even a whisper of [requested] heat were nowhere to be found. What was to be found was an oppressive amount of oil, especially on the plate with the kebabs, where items were swimming in a veritable kiddie-pool of fat. Why? Just, why?! There is a teeny bit of credit I can give the protein in that they weren't dry as flip-flops, but is that really saying anything? After trying everything, I asked for containers and started packing up. While it failed as dinner, it would work at an office lunch tomorrow, esp. since it was already bought and paid for. During my struggle to pack up, I was brought a container of Gulab Jamun (comes with meal). While I admit they may have separate batches in the fridge for to-go, and for dine-in, yet that fridge took away from the flavors and textures. After being heated in the microwave at work, this is perhaps the only redeeming food I had. Where it comes to their vibe, I am not 100% sure what they were going for. I distinctly remember a well-like thing by the kitchen entrance, but still in the dining area, that seemed to serve no purpose other than giving servers a place to sit. Finally, where it comes to the service, I do want to recognize that it was appropriately attentive, and that food came out fast, though it was not busy at the time. Final verdict: There are many reasons why I go out, but if i am faced with a situation where a trip to the grocer and a microwave gives three times better quality at a third of the cost, we have significant issues. read more

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This was a wonderful place to have dinner! The ambiance was fun for a night out with friends and the food was absolutely delicious! read more

Maharaj Indian Grill - Chicken Lollipops, Garlic Nan, Butter Chicken, Samosa - Indian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Maharaja Grill - Honest Review Not a fan of the decor--but the food more than makes up for it. Service was decent, nothing extraordinary but not bad either. Definitely not the spot for a birthday celebration or a fancy night out, but if you're simply craving delicious Indian food, this place absolutely delivers. Great flavors, satisfying portions--worth the visit for the food alone. read more

Maharaj Indian Grill - Indian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Stunning meal! My husband and I ate here for lunch after our long run. The servers were very kind. We loved the lunch deal, it was the perfect amount of spice and lovely flavor. Interesting decor read more

Maharaj Indian Grill - Indian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Nice restaurant. Yummy food and great service. But fyi they do charge extra for yogurt... three dollars for a small side of it. I was pretty annoyed that the server did not mention that fact after I requested some. If you look at the historical menus posted it's clear that the prices are creeping up so keep an eye on that for your visit. read more

We were looking for someplace close to the Studebaker Theater to eat and found this. We started with the samosas which, I think are usually ok. These were amazing only lightly fried (maybe even baked) and moist and flavorful inside! Delicious . I could have made a meal out of them, they were that good. Next i ordered a cauliflower dish with garlic naan, and my friend had a lamb entree with rice. Jut cauliflower may sound boring or bland, but it was neither. I really liked the fact that everything we ordered could be made mild, medium or spicy. Even better it assured us that it was all being made fresh. I wouldn't seek this place out for ambiance, as it is within the DePaul University building, but it was fine. We really enjoyed the fresh flavorful food and it was modestly priced. Those are both reasons to seek this plac read more

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This was our first visit to Chicago and after a long day traveling, we walked around the area near our hotel. Wanting to start our trip with a nice dinner, we came across Maharaj. We love Indian food, so gave it a try. Other reviewers raved about the Chicken Vindaloo, so we ordered that. We like lamb, so we also ordered Lamb Pasanda. Some Garlic Naan and steamed rice finished off our order. Oh. My. Word. Occasionally we will have a meal somewhere that we talk about and keep saying for hours after "that was SO good" and Maharaj was one of those meals. Our server was attentive, but didn't hover. Welcomed us to Chicago and was very pleasant and friendly. We are here for a week and may just go back again before we head home! ------- So we went back. And are we ever glad we did! This time we tried the Chicken Tikka Masala and the Lamb Dahiwala. Just duplicate everything we said above. Amazing food, great service, so glad we "bookended" our trip with this being our first dinner and our last dinner in Chicago. read more

Maharaj Indian Grill - Chicken Vindaloo (top), Lamb Pasanda (bottom), garlic naan and steamed rice - Indian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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We tried this place for dinner on a Saturday night. Place was packed and they didn't take reservations. Had to wait 30 mins to get in. Despite being crowded it was actually peaceful. We tried their fried fish and mixed platter for appetizers. Portion size was very good. Two adults can easily share one entree. We tried their goat biriyani, vegetable biriyani, yellow fish curry and paneer tikka. Everything was cooked well. Overall a very nice positive experience. read more

All I can say is Delicious!!!!! We have only been in Chicago once or twice now and we stumbled upon this treasure! The food was to die for. Everything had amazing flavor. So many flavors in one sitting!! I can barely walk now! The staff was amazing. The owner was on the floor helping everything move along. The restaurant is small but has a big feel to it on how busy and popping it is. 10/10 recommend. read more

Maharaj Indian Grill - Indian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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This place was fabulous. Ordered the Lunch special which included the butter chicken. I love the statues. They have all over the place.

Best Indian food we've ever had. For the Mixed Grill for 2 (there was 2 of us) and it easily could have fed 4. Amazing food across the board!!!! read more

Back in Chicago so you know I had to go back to Maharaj. Once again they fully delivered! Outstanding dinner. The lamb Vindaloo extra spicy with fresh hot chilies chopped and thrown in was PERFECT!!! So delicious! The keema samosas are full of flavor and tasty! The masala papadums are a must too. Ask for some spicy pickle as well. Look forward to next time. read more

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Chef's special was absolutely superb! Service was excellent! Every time I travel to Chicago and stay in downtown area, I try to visit them! read more

We ordered: yellow daal (vegan, hot), eggplant (vegan, extra hot), butter chicken (hot), chicken vindaloo (extra hot) with 2 sides of roti and 3 sides of rice. We finished with an order of gulab jamun. Loved everything. The daal wasn't our favorite but it was only one available as vegan. It was still delicious, but not as flavorful as the other daal. Everyone loved their dishes and the gulab jamun was a must! Our waitress was super attentive and very kind checking in on us regularly. Highly recommend this spot!! read more

Maharaj Indian Grill - Gulab Jamun (Two) - Indian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I came in for lunch and got the lunch special. It was worth the price and a lot of food. It came with rice too. Service was pretty quick and attentive. I would say that I wished there was a little more flavor. This is a good place for a lunch spot and I would recommend it! read more

Maharaj Indian Grill - Chef Special - Indian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The food was good; the dal makhani was creamy, the naans were soft and warm, and the chicken tikka was rich. Negatives - the malai kofta was not nutty, and the balls mainly seemed cheese. The bhelpuri is less wet than tradition. I would recommend this for a larger crowd so you can share many plates and try the variety on the menu. Remember to order rice and naan separately. The service is very polite and quick. The restaurant has no bathroom, so you have to take a key and go into the building to use the restroom. The ambiance was busy and beautifully decorated. read more

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This place has some of the best Indian food in Chicago. I have eaten here a few times now and they have been wonderful each and every time. They are always packed as a business, but wait times are never really long at all. Traditional Indian statues and furniture vibrantly display their culture as large screen tvs playing cricket and music videos lull in the background. I usually order their Paalak Paneer. I love it. Other items like Baigan Bartha, Bhindi Masala and samosas in particular were also very good. I love that there is so much to choose from with their wide selection of vegetarian dishes and sides. All have been great. When they aren't slammed, the waitstaff are very friendly and will make small talk before they are off to another customer. Management stays busy. read more

We walked in on Friday without having a reservation. We waited about 10 minutes before being seated. The place was a little loud with a nice crowd size. You can truly see the culture imprinted inside even down to the seating. Our waitress wasn't very attentive, and we had to keep trying to wave her down. It was a little difficult at times to understand her, but she always remained pleasant and smiled whenever we asked for clarity. Let me just say this is my 1st time having authentic Indian food, and I didn't know what anything on the menu was. I started with the Mango Lassi.... yummy. I decided not to drink it with my meal because I didn't want the flavors to clash in my mouth. I prefer smooth drinks extremely cold, and it was a little on the room temperature side. I took it home and had it for bf the next day. #Slapped I ordered the Kadhai chicken and a side of white rice. I'm still confused why it didn't come with rice... That should be automatic unless I want to substitute it for Naan. Anyways, the dish was a good selection. Fresh bold flavors and a good portion size. I had to take half home because I was full. Listen to me when I say this.... it was so much better the next day! The flavors of the spices really settled into the sauce, and it was a home run. Try it out if you're in the area. *side bar, My friend ordered the butter chicken and they were sooo cheap with the chicken. She counted about 6 pieces in that big ass bowl of sauce on the right of the rice. Also they forgot her rice. This is the reason for my 3 stars. read more

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Called in a to-go order and I needed one of the dishes to be altered - I ended up ordering some vegetarian, mixed grill and some sauce based including Nan and Samosa's. the food was incredibly good. the entire family loved it, the spice level was exactly as ordered - really nice experience from call - to pick up - to devouring the delicious food read more

When I arrived at Maharaj Indian Grill, there were no tables available due to the Friday evening rush. Despite the crowd, the waiter Angelo kindly took the initiative to find me a seat inside the restaurant. I mentioned that my phone was about to die and asked if I could charge it. He immediately helped me with that and handed me a menu so I could begin looking over my options while waiting. During my wait, the waitress Yvonne clarified that the "V" symbol on the menu stands for vegan, which was helpful. She also assisted me with placing my order. I ordered two dishes: Dal Makhani and Gobi Matter, both with custom requests--no spice, less salt, and less oil. I also ordered two servings of steamed rice. I had several dietary preferences, and Yvonne made sure every detail was accommodated without hesitation. Her attention to detail and patience were greatly appreciated. Overall, I had a very good experience. The staff were friendly, proactive, and eager to make customers feel comfortable. I'd definitely recommend Maharaj Indian Grill, especially if you have specific dietary needs. read more

Maharaj Indian Grill - Indian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Super satisfying! The quality of an Indian restaurant is so dependent on its naan. The naan here is fluffy and buttery, exactly the way you would want it. We got the butter chicken and the bhindi. While butter chicken was good, the standout here was the bhindi. There's a tendency to overcook the okra, but here's it's perfectly done. I would go back to try some of their other dishes. Also the restaurant itself is cute with traditional Indian seating mixed with a more modern decor. read more

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Food was the star of the show. Very fresh and full of flavor. I was happily surprised with the spice level and quality of the okra in the bhindi masala. Service was wonderful, very kind and attentive servers. They somehow convinced us to get 2 separate orders of naan which is not a terrible thing! The restaurant was extremely cute and clean. It was a little off putting that the servers just stand there and kind of stare in the direction of all the patrons but I understand that's how they have such amazing service. Can't wait to come back and try this again! read more

Maharaj Indian Grill - Bhindi Masala - Indian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Fast service, cool ambiance with unique seating options. Food was incredible!!! Matar paneer and gulab were the highlights! read more

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One of the best Indian restaurants in the loop. Had Chiken 65, Apollo fish, Chicken Biryani and Gulab jamun. Everything is delicious. Waiters are very friendly, kept checking in to see if everything is goodThe atmosphere and music makes you feel like you are in India. The tableau of cultural display is truly amazing. read more

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I recently visited Maharaja Indian Grill to catch up with some out-of-town friends. We ordered dal makhani, papdi chaat, various breads, mango shake, mutton, and chicken curry. The service was very good. The staff kept checking in to see if we needed anything, and they made sure my friend's kid was comfortable. My friends liked the food, and I personally enjoyed the dal makhani. I was expecting a bit more from the chaat, though. The interiors are decent with a cultural touch. read more

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I went here with my husband and father in law. 3 of us love indian food and spicy food. Spice level extra hot was definitely extra hot, but does not take away from tasting the food. To begin with the ambiance was great for a gathering, and drinks were well made. Cauliflower 65 was excellent, very close to authentic flavor and not the typical sweet stuff that some restaurants make. When it comes to entrees, we ordered lamb chops, baingan bartha, veg biryani & punjabi kadhi. I would skip punjabi kadhi. It was extremely tangy with no flavor and with 2 oily bhajis.. rest everything was very tasty read more

I literally order their chefs special lunch for work and for the price you get a ton of food and it's sooooo good my coworkers loved it too

One of the best Indian food experiences I've had in a very long time. I visited with some colleagues during a conference, and the wait was minimal (way shorter than they had estimated). Service was great -- everyone was super attentive and extremely kind -- and the vibe was relaxed, yet upscale. The food was especially excellent. We ordered an appetizer sampler and big basket of bread, both of which were delicious, and I ordered chicken tikka masala for myself. Everything was perfectly spiced, came out quickly, and was served in plentiful quantities. We had tons of leftovers to take back to the hotel! Overall, a great experience. read more

You know it's going to be good when it's an Indian restaurant and all the customers and staff are Indian!! We came here on July 4 without a resy but only waited about 20 minutes. You need to come and get their dinner combo for one. For $25 you can get two full size (and delicious) spicy meat and daal curry, a sizzling plate of grilled meats, rice, and naan! We also got the biryani. We didn't know how big the portions would be, but the waitress was so sweet that she told us we'd be ordering too much. She kept checking up on us and asking if the food was enough, and we felt so big backed for even have considering ordering more before the food came. All of the food was amazing and well spiced. Standouts were the spicy meat curry and the lamb kebab in the grilled plate. Definitely add Maharaj to your Chicago itinerary! read more

Maharaj Indian Grill - Indian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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As soon as we stepped inside, place was popping with a diverse crowd. Place had good energy and lively music! Food was delicious & packed with flavor. Starting with the samosas - they were bigger than I imagined and were filled with a generous amount of yummy meat within a crispy outer layer. Moving onto the goat curry and lamb chops - our waiter told us how the goat curry was one of his faves when he brought out the dish and it was VERY clear why! The goat was so tender and cooked to perfection. The lamb chops were a close 2nd to the goat curry but was a standout dish in its own right! We also tried out a few of their alcoholic drinks, which were kinda disappointing so would just avoid those. Otherwise, an affordable place with great eats and vibrant energy! read more

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food: great, wish it was more spicy but only got medium spice level to be safe (was 0 spice), portions are good, got the mix to split between 2 people & had leftovers service: it was fine, accommodated a large birthday dinner which is nice ambiance: wasn't too focused on atmosphere, gets loud & there are seat near the door where cold air will blow in read more

Maharaj Indian Grill - Maharaj Mix Grill for 2 - Indian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Takeout delivery order! Good portion size with a good amount of meat. Got two orders of naan and one would've been plenty! Great price overall for with a solid amount of food. The medium spicy was not spicy at all, next time may try the hottest level. read more

Maharaj Indian Grill - Butter chicken - Indian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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