Consistently ranked in the City Paper’s Best of Toledo Awards, Tandoor has been serving curries, biryani, naan breads and other classic northern Indian cuisine on Reynolds Road for more than 40 years.
Opened by the Mehta family in 1982, Tandoor changed hands in 1997 to owners Kamla Devi and Ram Nath. It remains a family operation and today, two generations can be found working in the kitchen and the front of the house.
Updates amid loved standbys
Like the Southwyck neighborhood in which it resides, the restaurant has undergone a gradual rejuvenation over the past several years. When Covid struck in 2020, the dining room closed and the owners adapted by adding a carryout window for takeout only.
“Before Covid, we never closed,” said Raj Kaur, one of the adult children who work in the business. She said the family decided to take advantage of that time by undergoing long needed renovations to the older building, including improvements to the kitchen and a major facelift to the exterior. After four years of carryout only, the dining room finally reopened for evening business this summer. Outdoor seating is in the works for a new patio out front.
Reservations are needed to dine in. My family was eager to visit the reopened dining room, but the first time we stopped in we were told that we needed to make a reservation 24 hours in advance due to short staffing. This policy came as a surprise but the host was able to accommodate our request for a reservation the following evening and we returned for an enjoyable dine-in experience. The small restaurant filled quickly after our arrival in the early evening, but it was clear from the frequent in-and-out traffic that carryout remains a mainstay of the business.
Tandoor specializes in the northern Indian cuisine of Punjab. Par Banga, a second-generation member of the family that owns Tandoor, said one of the main features of this cuisine is the naan, a flatbread cooked on the inner walls of the traditional Indian oven from which the restaurant takes its name. The menu includes a wide variety of curry dishes served with rice as well as marinated meats cooked in the clay oven, which reaches temperatures of 900 degrees and is fueled by gas and charcoal.
Family style dining
On this visit we enjoyed the regular fresh naan and the whole wheat (roti) naan with our dinner. Each order ($3) came with two large pieces of the light bread. Other flatbreads on the menu come stuffed with a variety of intriguing seasonings and vegetables as well as a sweeter Peshawari naan filled with coconut and raisins .
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Our server also brought us a basket of papadum — an Indian restaurant equivalent of a complimentary bread basket. Sometimes known as “crunchy bread” or “peppered chips,” the crisp lentil wafers are flavored with spices and served with tamarind and mint chutney.
While there is not a kids menu at Tandoor, Banga said the restaurant gets many younger guests. Some of their favorites are the bread, plain basmati rice and chicken pakora, which she describes as an “Indian-style chicken nugget.” The aloo tiki, which comes fried and stuffed with tender seasoned potatoes and spices, is another kid pleaser.
If you like to sample a few things it’s easy to enjoy the dishes at Tandoor “family style,” ordering a smorgasbord for the entire party to share. Guests are asked to specify their preferred spice level, and all the dishes we ordered were served at our requested ‘mild’ spice.
My two smoothie-loving kids enjoyed the mango lassi, a cold yogurt drink flavored with mango ($5). Everyone also liked the crispy vegetable samosa ($5 for 2), triangular pastries that are fried and filled with peas and tender seasoned potatoes. We were not quite prepared for the spice and seasoning of the Indian pickles ($2.50), which is very different from the American pickles we are accustomed to eating.
For our main entrees, we ordered several tandoori meat dishes: the seek kabob (ground lamb prepared with spices and herbs, $16.95), the reshmi kabob (chicken marinated in a mild sauce, $15.95) and the mixed grill (chicken, lamb and shrimp, $17.95). Our two adolescent boys raved about the seek kabob, finger rolls of ground lamb prepared with spices and herbs. All the other tandoori meats we sampled were tender and delicious. The tandoori entrees were accompanied by a light, fluffy basmati rice, as well as chickpeas in a seasoned sauce.
Another favorite at our table was the chicken biryani ($15.95). Biryani is basmati rice cooked with onions, tomatoes, green peppers, nuts and spices, and the dish included generous pieces of tender chicken sprinkled throughout.
Bottom line
There is a reason Tandoor has a reputation as a top Indian restaurant in Toledo. Banga said her family goes out of their way to offer top notch service and create relationships with their customers. If you dine in, you are sure to experience this welcoming atmosphere as we did, but be sure to make a reservation. You can also call or order online for a quick carryout meal on busier nights.
Tandoor. 2247 South Reynolds Rd., Toledo. 419-385-7467
Hours:
Tuesday-Thursday & Sunday: 11:30am-8pm (carryout)
Saturday & Sunday: 11:30am-9pm (carryout)
Dine in by reservation only: 5:30pm to close daily
The Short Course
Online ordering? Yes
Carryout? Yes
Delivery? Yes, through Doordash
Outdoor Dining? Coming soon
Kids Menu? No
Changing Table? No
Booster Seat/High Chair? Yes
Reviews:
4.0 of 5 on Yelp with 155 reviews
4.4 of 5 on Google with 1,023 reviews
4.0 of 5 on Yelp with 155 reviews
