Tandur, a fast casual Indian restaurant, is taking the space formerly occupied by TrySports near Yafo in SouthPark. It’s targeting a grand opening in the first week of April.
Yesterday, I went inside and ate everything. I love Indian. I love fast casual. I’m now a Tandur fanboy.
And it’s not just me. Charlotte will be Tandur’s second city. The first is Knoxville, where guests have given the concept ratings of 4.5/5 on Yelp, 4.8/5 on Facebook and 4.4/5 on Google.
My expectations for Tandur were high — and after my visit, they were exceeded.
Tandur Indian Kitchen will be open Sunday to Thursday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tandur’s elephant logo and signage in SouthPark.
Tandur is hiring, so if you’re interested in working there, reach out to them.
Tadur’s vibe is “fine casual.”
Upon entering, you’ll find a touchscreen to your right where you can view dishes and educate yourself on all things Indian food — including the benefits of certain spices.
The restaurant is fast casual, so you’ll order at the counter, grab a number for your table and the staff will bring out your meal to you, typically within a few minutes.
All dishes are plated and diners will be using real silverware, not plastic. In terms of design, Tandur is well ahead of its peers. I loved the giant, exposed ovens and open view into their spice rooms — where they keep over 30 spices.
Tandur’s exposed spice room
Tandur will be serving several bottled Indian beers and five local beers on tap. Non-alcoholic options include Sparkling Lemonades (flavored with their signature mint ginger or seasonal), Lassi (a traditional Indian yogurt-based drink) and Masala Ginger Chai (a hot beverage). They’ll also be doing wine.
Tandur’s menu includes “saucy” entrees, wraps, salads and kebabs along with a kid’s menu, starters and unique sides.
I tasted about a dozen dishes and can tell you that Tandur will be one popular restaurant for my family. I enjoy Copper and Maharani, but Tandur is delicious, fast and less expensive.
The saucy entrees and kebabs will be your favorite. These range from $9.50 to $11.95 and are served with a choice of Saffron basmati or brown rice and include fresh naan bread. You start by picking a sauce – Tikka Masala, Kerala Coconut Curry, Korma, Vindaloo, Kadai, or Saag. Then you pick a protein: chicken, shrimp, steak, lamb meatball, paneer, tofu or veggies.
As you’d expect, the most popular item is the Chicken Tikka Masala ($9.95) which comes with rice and naan. I ate it and it’s outstanding.
I also recommend their Lamb Seekh Kebabs ($11.95) served with rice and mango slaw.
And it sounds odd, but start with their Spiced Okra Fries ($5.50) and baked Tanduri Wings ($7.95). One starter that I didn’t try, but I’m excited about, is their Chicken Naanchos ($4.50).
Executive Chef Aakash B. Pandya. This will be Tandur’s second location; the original is in Knoxville. The concept is the brainchild of H.P. and J.T. Patel and this will be their 18th restaurant (they also own a bunch of Salsarita’s). The Patel brothers hired a famous chef, restaurateur and author named Hari Nayak to develop the menu.
Spiced okra fries ($5.50)
Tanduri wings (6 for $7.95 or 12 for $13.95)
The Carolina Wrap ($8.95) – Slow roasted Tandur pulled pork, tamarind BBQ, cabbage slaw
Tandur salmon salad ($10.50)
Given Tandur Indian Kitchen’s food, price point and vibe — I expect this will be a new hit fast-casual restaurant in our city. The restaurant will open the first week of April at which time my Chicken Tikka Masala addiction will begin.
