Tawa Tandoor

NEVER ORDER DELIVERY!!!
I am sure the food would be great if you go there but if you order be ready to eat over an hour after your order has been placed. They seem no to have enough delivery people.

Unlike some of the other reviews, I wasn’t crazy about the taste, but I will say everything I’ve had here is average to fairly good, and considering their immense variety, and the dearth of even average food in the Penn Station area, this is a HUGE accomplishment on their parts. Most small Indian places like this wouldn’t dream of trying to offer up foods from all regions of India as well as the kind of street fare (like kathi rolls) that they do, so I commend their ambition.
The first time I ordered here I had the Chicken Tikka Roll. It was alright. The second time I ordered from here, I had several vegetarian sabzis with a group of people. The aloo and other vegetable dishes were somewhat average, but the paneer dish was good! I’ve been back their since and I will again to explore their variety and find the dishes I think they do best.
Overall, I would definitely recommend at least giving this place a try. You have nothing to lose, as the prices are very affordable, the variety is great, and the staff is friendly. The chicken tikka masala was pretty tasty and I’d definitely recommend it. Happy eating!

I had come here right before departing for a bus at Penn Station area. I mean, you got to praise the lord for having SOME decent take out joints nearby (that’s not a nasty chain like Sbarro).
But all in all, the place is ok. The buffet type stuff you’d expect is there– tikka masala, saag, etc but it didn’t look fresh. I went with their dosa, which is an Indian crêpe. The dough is really delicate, thin, and a bit sour. It was fresh and spot on. But, where the dosa lacked was flavor in the filling. it was just spicy potato. And the potato on more carbs (the crêpe) was just extremely bland.
I did get a mango lassi which was really spot on. Thick, and sour, with mild sweet flavors of the mango. This I enjoyed a lot (but it’s pretty thick).
The dosa came with coconut chutney, which I thought was to be poured onto the dosa, but it was too thin and like a soup. There was not much coconut flavor– just lots of random Indian spices and it was a no go.
The people were super nice though– they let me eat before paying. They also let me boyfriend eat next to me on the high chair (no tables, it’s a tiny place– with somewhat nice décor but really I see no point because it’s take out/​dine quickly) while eating Subway.
My total meal was $ 10– came here around 6pm on a Friday.

The chicken tikka sauce would have been better suited for a bowl of pasta. I managed to eat the rice which was very very dry and the naan which was okay. The samosa filling was pretty terrible so I ate the outsides. Will not be ordering from here again.
My coworker ordered as well and had an equally disappointing experience.

This place was great! My boyfriend and I ordered combo #2, which included two dishes, basmati rice and naan bread. We chose the chicken masala and a paneer dish. It was deeeeelish! The dish to rice to naan bread ratio was just right and (surprisingly) it was able to fill up two people. There were so many other choices, but I didn’t have the stomache to try it all. The place is quite tiny (only 6 – 7 bar stools available along a wall) but it was spacious enough for us to sit comfortably with our luggage in tow. The people were friendly and the place was superbly clean! At $ 9 a meal, it’s definitely worth trying.

I thought this place was pretty decent. Great location (right across the street from B&H) and very friendly service. Best of all was the price… this place is dirt cheap, especially by NYC standards. Would give 3.5 stars if I could…
Would recommend.

I had the chicken tikka and found it to be deliciously semi sweet in a good way. I like the cleanliness and overall décor although I wish that the place was a bit bigger (felt kinda rushed due to lack of available space)
I need to come back again to get a better taste of this place… perhaps the samosas, mango lasso and other cuisine treats

I’ve only had one dish — so I can’t give it a full review. I should go back and try other things :)
They have a paneer tikka roll that is great food on the go. It was ready in 5 mins!

I grabbed a masala dosa for $ 5 during lunch– a great deal for fast Indian. The vegetarian platter looks like another good option.

Perfect place to go when I’m craving some delicious chicken tikka masala during lunch hour.
I like that I can get rice, two veggie sides, and a meat dish for less than $ 9. What I REALLY like is that you get a piece of naan included. I was impressed by its size and even a naan-​enthusiast like me can made that piece last at least half way through my mini-​Indian feast.
Their aloo saag was kinda dry today and sometimes I feel like they’re too heavy on the sauce (and light on the chicken) with the chicken tikka, but, hey, it’s around the corner from my job! Could do wayyy worse.

Larger and cheaper than Kati Roll on Macdougal, but not more flavorful at all. Perfectly fine for lunch though if you work around there.
It doesn’t have the same pull that makes me want to have a reason to be near MacDougal, just to have an excuse to pop-​in and have one of theirs.

It’s not Devi’s or Tamarind but you get way more bang for your buck here. As far as good/​safe Indian food goes, this it the best, most economical and fastest. And by the end of the meal you will feel happy you came here instead of one of those tasty but sketchy food carts where you just can’t help but wonder where the one employee goes to the bathroom. The crazy part is even though it actually is clean place with a full kitchen and bathroom its just as cheap as those shady indian food carts.
You will definitely get your moneys worth here and will not be disappointed.
PS those pictures posted don’t do it justice they will just throw you off

For a hole-​in-​the-​wall fast food alternative, Tawa is a great place to stop for a quick Tandoori-​roll or a fresh baked paratha (just $ 2.25).
Not too spicy and very tasty and fresh.
Seating is very limited. (A few bar stools at a counter.)
I’m a fan!

After eating at Tawa Tandoor, I was going to give them 3.5 stars for decently good-​tasting chicken until I woke up ingloriously the next morning at 5am with the feeling of my stomach being pulled towards the earth at twice the force as the rest of my body, and spent the next hours chewing little white pills in the detox chamber.
And I’m the kind of guy who eats roadside cuisine for fun.
Needless to say, I am not going there again.

My cravings for Indian food started to overwhelm me so off I was on the hunt for Indian cuisine. I had my eye on Tawa Tandoor for about a week and wondered if Tawa Tandoor would satisfy my cravings? I checked their website and found a 10% off online coupon code, #TT500, which sold me on checking this place out. I ordered through the website for pickup, Combo #2 (usually $ 7.99 + tax, but $ 7.19 + tax with the 10% off), with choice of one vegetable and one meat along with basmati rice and naan. I went with the Palak Paneer (fresh spinach with homemade cottage cheese cooked with onion ginger garlic, herbs & dry spices) and Lamb Vindaloo (Goan style lamb cooked in hot spicy sauce with a touch of wine vinegar). I promptly received my email and went down to the storefront. When I had given my name for pickup, I had realized they didn’t prep my meal yet, but the chef quickly scurried to the kitchen to freshly prepare my Lamb Vindaloo (since it wasn’t available at the steam counter). In the meanwhile I took some photos of the steam table and establishment, and in 2 – 3 minutes, the chef returned and proceeded to serve the Palak Paneer and basmati rice in a large 10″ 3-​section container. Portions were larger than I had expected, almost overflowing from the container. My entrée was bagged along with my naan wrapped in aluminum foil and I was on my way. No signature, no ID, in and out in less than 5 minutes.
The lamb vindaloo contained about 8 – 9 tender pieces of lamb in a not too tart sauce. The lamb actually absorbed in the spices, giving it some potent heat, though most casual spice eaters looking for some heat won’t find themselves grasping for a drink. The palak paneer was of the creamy spinach variation with a generous serving of firm cubes of cottage cheese. The coolness of the cottage spinach helped to curb some of the heat down from the vindaloo. The basmati rice, moderately buttered, was abundant enough to pour most of the vindaloo on top, without completely dousing all of the rice. Add that to the steaming hot and fresh naan that begged to be dipped in the vindaloo and palak paneer. You’ll have yourself one complete meal hitting every food group except for fruits. Yum!
To sum it all up, quick and satisfying Indian food at affordable prices. And let’s not forget their sizable portions, resulting in most people finding themselves full or with leftovers. I’ll probably find myself visiting Tawa Tandoor again soon.

OK, this isn’t the BEST Indian food I’ve ever tasted, mainly because it wasn’t spicy enough for me, but the food is solid, the portions are large, and the price is right.
We ordered in, so I have no idea what the restaurant is like, I’m trusting Unilocalers who say it’s clean.
We will definitely order from them again when we get a hankering for Indian.

Chicken Malai Kebab too salty. Perhaps the wrong choice on my part.
Very clean place. The staff was a little lost, but it was very busy in this tiny shop at lunchtime.

Live 3 blocks away and this place has become my 3/​week go-​to for perfect food!
I generally order from the menu — including chicken kathi role, chicken pakora and others. So good.
And the owner is super nice.

Reluctant and skeptical. That’s how I felt about ethnic food in midtown. How could a commerce district teeming with slacks, suits and ties, blouses, and work-​appropriate skirts know how to appreciate authentic Indian food? Perhaps it was I who was too narrow-​minded.
Tawa Tandoor gets a good deal of business during its lunch rush — as a result, you can bet that your food will be hot and fresh if you pick up. There really aren’t many places to sit — just a small bar against the right wall with four stools — so just take your food to go.
Best deal would be the combo platters — #1 for herbivores, #2 for omnivores, #3 for carnivores. A dollar separates each combo plate with #1 starting at $ 6.99.
I went for #2 but the chickpeas were merely standard. The lamb dish that they serve as part of the combo dishes was spectacular. You can taste the tomato base and spices the second they hit your tongue — it was the right amount of tang and kick. And the meat itself was so succulent!
You best believe I’ll be back again because I now believe in Tawa Tandoor. My next conquest will be the biryani… and I’m eyeing them samosas too.

Yay! Indian food near my office. I went inside to check out the place and the line was so long so I went to Chipolte to pick up some food for my friend and then went back to Tawa Tandoor. The line wasn’t as long and I could see all the options that were available. I ordered chicken biryanai $ 6.99, a lamb kathi roll $ 4.50 and vegetable samosas (2 pieces) $ 2.99. The lamb roll was delicious and big enough for one meal. The biryani was really good and flavorful. The samosas were huge and came with a yogurt cilantro dipping sauce. Please note I am no expert in Indian food so I’m not sure how authentic it is.
Their menu is pretty extensive so I’m not sure if they always have everything as advertised. I originally ordered chicken samosas but they ran out. They have a neat display of foods in the front in case you need to see what a pakora, chaat, puri looks like.
Limited seating and the space is really small. It really should be take out only.
They also have dosas! Can’t wait to come back!