Tikka Drive: Arizona's First Indian Drive-Thru Opens in Chandler

Chandler has made a little Arizona food history. Tikka Drive — the state's first-ever drive-thru Indian restaurant — is open at 80 W Warner Road, on the northwest corner of Arizona Avenue and Warner Road, and it puts a full North Indian kitchen behind a fast-food window. [1]

A First for Arizona

Founder Rahul Sahota brings years of culinary experience from running Namaste Indian Restaurant in Scottsdale, and has built Tikka Drive around the Punjab-rooted family recipes that underpinned his first establishment. The concept is simple and, until now, unheard of in Arizona: order butter chicken the way you'd order a burger, without leaving your car. [1]

Five Tandoors at the Window

The restaurant features five authentic clay tandoor ovens imported directly from India — visible to customers at the drive-thru window, where naan is hand-crafted in the traditional manner. All cooking is done in pure ghee, making Tikka Drive Arizona's first seed-oil-free Indian restaurant, and the kitchen operates without freezers or microwaves. [1]

The Menu

The menu centers on classic North Indian dishes — butter chicken, chicken tikka masala, paneer tikka masala, and chicken korma — each customizable to a spice level from one (mild) to five (authentic hot). The restaurant is open daily from 10:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. [1]

Why Chandler

Chandler is home to one of the Phoenix metro's largest Indian American communities, which makes it a natural launchpad: familiar food for the East Valley's established South Asian customer base, and an easy first taste of Indian cuisine for everyone else in the drive-thru lane. If the format works here, it could serve as a template for fast-casual Indian concepts across Arizona and beyond. [1]

For hours, menu and location, visit tikkadrive.com. [2]

Sources: [1] AZ Family · [2] Tikka Drive