Chow Now: Kabobeesh

Kabobs? Pieces of meat speared on a stick? That thing cavemen ate? It can’t be that good—can it?

Well, think again, because I’m not ashamed to say that Kabobeesh is one of my favorite restaurants in University City.

IMG_3202

It’s become something like a routine for me, walking into the trailer-like kabob house on 42nd and Chestnut and peering through the glass display case to choose my skewer. The air is full of words from different languages shouted jovially from table to table and the mouthwatering aroma of meat browning over an open flame. The choices can be overwhelming—I’ve spent far too much time holding up the line weighing the pros and cons between my two personal favorites, the marinated chicken and chopped lamb. But in the end it really doesn’t matter, because after they’ve been taken off the grill, they’re all delicious.

IMG_3203

The lamb is succulent and juicy, but it still has a nice amount of chew to it—it’s even better with a generous drizzle of their bright mint-yogurt sauce.

photo 4

The boneless chicken kabob’s flavor is just as bright as its crazy red hue. It’s incredibly moist and has a hint of cardamom flavor somewhere that sticks its head up from deep down in the flavorful marinade.

IMG_3195

Each kabob comes with two vegetable sides and a generously sized piece of freshly baked naan. The sides seem to change from day to day, but whether it’s a creamy scoop of lentils or a pile of curried potatoes they’re all consistently flavorful.

And the naan…. Oh the naan.

IMG_3193

The owner showed me how they make the dough in house and bake it in a tandoori oven. The result is a delightfully soft flatbread with an exterior that has a perfect crunch. Toss a bit of rice on there and a piece or two of juicy meat from your kabob and you’re in business.

So embrace the simple side of life and chow now on a succulent skewer of meat at Kabobeesh!

-Chase Matecun

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.