Famous Tandoori

I hate to admit, but I haven't eaten much Indian cuisine yet and boy do I regret it. Famous Tandoori gave me a fabulous reminder as to what flavors I have been missing.

It's located along Pacific Coast Highway and can be easily missed driving by. They have a parking lot behind if you are worried about parking.

You can tell it's family owned once you stepped inside with its homey vibe, and they even offer a free cup of chai with every visit. The servers are very nice and were able to offer some great recommendations.

Garlic Naan: Fresh, warm, and buttery. I could have ordered at least 5 of these and just ate this.

Chicken Tikka Masala: Great recommendation and entry to Indian food, you can ask to adjust the spice level. It was full of flavor and goes great with rice or Naan.

Lamb Biryani: Fragrant rice and lamb, I especially loved the huge chunks of meat and potatoes.

Parking here was very easy as they have a parking lot in the back or street parking if you prefer.

The service is good. It's friendly and it's fast

However, the very first thing that was off putting for me was the water. Their water taste like plastic, it was not good at all.

The food was a good portion, it was a lot but underwhelming in flavor. I had lamb and I definitely have had better lamb than that but it was their version of lamb so I have to remember that but still underwhelming in flavor for me.

This was my first time here and I don't think it will be my last. The food was delicious and the flavors were on point. Let's start with the "special chicken 65". Now when I have had chicken 65 in the past it's usually "dry" this came in a delicious and well spiced sauce and the chicken was super tender and juicy. Next up we had some of the chicken biryani and again, the flavor and spices were on point and the chicken was super tender and juicy. We also had some garlic naan and what I would say is the best tandoori chicken I have had. They prepare it over mesquite and the chicken had that rich wood cooked flavor that sets it apart.

The one thing we had that was new and I would definitely go back for was the Halwa Puri. Now I have never had this before but I have a friend who lives in India who said I needed to try it and this was super good. I would even go back just for this. They only serve it on Sunday, definitely check it out!

The staff were super friendly and the restaurant itself was nice in the inside with some tables to enjoy your meal.

We started off with beef samosas, and they were nice crunchy and filled with meat. We had the Chicken biryani is like an arroz con Pollo. Special chicken, 65 in a super tangy garlic sauce. We got the Garlic naan and Chicken tandoori that is cooked in a clay oven. Halwa puri only available on Sundays. This is a special traditional breakfast of garbanzo beans, potato curry, halwa , and two fried bread. Let me tell you it had me dancing! And service was quick and efficient and I love the decor of the restaurant. Super cute and clean.

Cool little family run restaurant in Lomita. Very extensive menu with vegan options. Some of the best Panak paneer I've ever had. Very good chicken Marsala. The outside area would be awesome in a little warmer weather. Servers were polite, but service was slow and inattentive. May have been because they were busy. Tried ordering additional items but items never placed.

Don't miss out on this hole in the wall tasty Pakistani and Indian Halal cuisine. Despite having three signs displayed in front of their building, it's really easy to miss because it's located on PCH, unless you happen to stop because of the nearby traffic lights. I'm always looking for mom and pop businesses to support and happened to be in the area and saw this spot. Prices are very fair and portions are generous. They even have lunch specials that are available from Tues-Thurs and other daily specials that you don't want to miss. They have plenty of indoor space and even have a gorgeous outdoor patio seating. Unfortunately, it was quite hot that day so I opted to sit indoors.

|| L O C A T I O N / P A R K I N G ||
-Closest cross streets are PCH and Appian Way
-Parking is available in the rear. You want to turn into the entrance as soon as you pass by the nail and hair salon. We passed by it thinking that we could just park in the next available entrance but that was not parking for that plaza.
-Came on a Friday at noon and the lot was probably 70% full.

|| F O O D / D R I N K S ||
Mango Lassi ($4.00) - So smooth and delicious. Not too sweet!

Potato Samosa ($4.00/4pcs) - So crispy and pairs super well with their green sauce! They also offer beef samosas but I wanted to try something without meat since my main dishes were heavy on meat.

Chicken Tikka Masala ($13.99) - A classic Indian dish that I always order. What I liked about theirs was that it was so creamy and flavorful. We opted for a mild spice level and it was perfect. If you want to go for a spicier kick, medium would be a spice option to go with. Like many Indian restaurants, it doesn't come with rice or naan and will have to be ordered separately.

Garlic Naan ($2.99) - Garlic Naan is always a must for me. Theirs was freshly made and the most fluffy naan that I've ever had. Do yourself a favor and make sure to order extra because one order is not going to be enough for two people. I made sure to order one naan for each person in my party.

Special Chicken 65 ($15.99) - Decided to try something new and saw that many fellow Yelpers posted about this. It's chicken mixed with tangy and garlic sauce. The tanginess isn't too strong which was perfect for me. It pairs extremely well with rice or naan. Definitely recommend it if you're looking to try something new.

Lamb Pulao (FRIDAY SPECIAL $14.99) - Our server recommended this daily special dish and since we were a fan of lamb, we decided to go for it. The portion is extremely generous. You can order one for yourself or share with at least one or two other people. Since it comes with a large portion of rice, I ended up saving some of that rice to go with my chicken tikka masala. Usually with lamb, there is a certain smell/odor that I don't like if it's not cooked properly but I was so pleasantly surprised that I could barely distinguish that odor. The meat was so tender that it came off the bone pretty easily.

This local spot is amazing! It's a little hard to locate, but there's a huge sign that points arrow to the parking lot. There's two entrance but the main entrance is probably from the parking lot. They have a little cute patio set up in the back. Inside is more like a hole in the whole kind of place. I came here on a Wednesday night 7:30 and it was super packed. It seems like this is a local favorite. They've been around about 10 years. It's definitely the food that people coming back. I got their chicken tikka masala, and it was one of the best I've had. Their dish has a little kick to it and the flavor is so delicious. Their garlic naan was also crispy hot when it comes out.I also tried the Mango Lassi and it is also super good. If you come here, I would recommend at least get those three. I also tried the chicken samosa and special chicken 65. The chicken samosa is good appetizer that's small bites. Their dipping sauce is good. The Special Chicken 65 is fried chicken mixed in savory sauce that isn't spicy and kind of remind me of orange chicken but in different sauce. The plate is huge. The price is very good for the meal. I'll be back to try out their biriyani dishes.

lunch special samosa delicious meal awesomeness pure awesomeness food is made fresh worth the wait call ahead.

Wholesome, family owned and operated Pakistani and Indian cuisine! I loved the chicken tandoori as well as the tikka masala! This was the first time I ever trying Gulab Jamun and it def won't be my last. Parking is free behind the building. Service is fast and the staff is friendly!

The food we tried tasted really authentic and was full of flavors. I love the combination of spices in each dish and their prices are also affordable. My personal fave is their Garlic Naan and Chicken Tikka Masala. The Chicken Tikka Masala wasn't too spicy which I liked but it was definitely packed with amazing flavors that goes so well with the Garlic Naan, it was one of the best that I've tried The mango lassi was such a nice treat after eating all the spicy dishes. I highly recommend this spot if you're around Southbay and looking for a great Indian-Pakistani food!