New Indian Restaurants in Chicago (August 2026)

TL;DR

• 🍛 Devon Avenue remains Chicago's undisputed hub for Indian dining, with a dense strip of South Asian restaurants
• 🫓 From Ghareeb Nawaz's legendary budget plates to Cafe Kolkata by Chef Urmi's Bengali home cooking, the range is extraordinary
• 🌶️ South Indian specialists like Udupi Palace and Kritunga Indian Restaurant serve dosas and meals that rival anything back home
• 🍜 Himalayan Restaurant, Cumin, and Nepal House bring the best of Nepalese cuisine into the mix
• 📍 This August 2026, Chicago's Desi food scene is as vibrant as ever — here is where to start

Devon Avenue: Chicago's Indian Dining Corridor

If you asked a longtime Chicagoan where to find the most concentrated strip of Indian restaurants in the Midwest, the answer would come without hesitation: Devon Avenue. Known locally as the "International Mile," Devon Avenue between Western and California Avenues is home to restaurants, grocery stores, sweet shops, and sari boutiques that have served the South Asian community for decades.

Mehrab Restaurant at 2437 W Devon Ave draws crowds from across the city for its Indian and Pakistani cooking, open daily from 8am to 11pm — one of the most accessible options for families with unpredictable schedules. A few doors down, Udupi Palace at 2543 W Devon Ave has been a consistent favorite for South Indian vegetarian fare, serving its famous dosas, uttapam, and thali combinations Sunday through Friday from 11am to 9pm and on Saturdays until 9:30pm. Arya Bhavan at 2508 W Devon Ave rounds out the vegetarian-friendly options on the strip, while Hyderabad House at 2225 W Devon Ave is the address for biryani lovers who want the full Hyderabadi experience — the dum biryani here is a point of local pride.

Neighborhood Picks Beyond Devon

Devon Avenue gets most of the attention, but Chicago's Indian restaurant scene has spread across the city's neighborhoods in ways that reward exploration.

Ghareeb Nawaz operates multiple locations that have become synonymous with deeply flavorful, affordable Indian food. The Roosevelt Road outpost at 807 W Roosevelt Rd and the Lincoln Avenue location at 2364 N Lincoln Ave (773-360-8496) both serve the kind of daal, nihari, and curry dishes that keep regulars coming back weekly. For travelers heading through O'Hare, Ghareeb Nawaz O'Hare at 2685 Mannheim Rd (312-433-0123) means you can squeeze in a proper meal before a flight.

Thattu at 2601 W Fletcher St (773-754-0199) takes a different approach — this is modern Kerala cooking with careful sourcing and a menu that reflects the actual breadth of South Indian culinary tradition rather than a greatest-hits compilation. The puttu, pollichathu preparations, and payasam have earned Thattu a dedicated following among food-conscious Desis and curious non-South-Asian diners alike.

Marigold Maison Indian Cuisine at 900 N Milwaukee Ave brings refined Indian cooking to the Wicker Park corridor. The restaurant's contemporary approach suits the neighborhood's dining culture while keeping the flavors anchored in the subcontinent. It is a reliable choice for a dinner with colleagues unfamiliar with Indian food or a special occasion meal.

Cafe Kolkata by Chef Urmi is one of the city's most distinctive recent additions. Bengali cuisine remains underrepresented in most American cities, and Cafe Kolkata by Chef Urmi fills that gap with dishes like shorshe ilish (hilsa in mustard sauce), kosha mangsho, and mishti doi. Open Monday through Friday from 11am to 9pm and on weekends from 10am to 10pm, it is the right spot for anyone who grew up eating Bengali food and misses the specific flavors of a Kolkata household kitchen.

South Indian, Himalayan, and Everything In Between

Kritunga Indian Restaurant at 2300 W Higgins Rd focuses on South Indian cooking with Tuesday through Friday lunch service running from 11:30am to 3pm. Its Andhra-style preparations — spicy, tamarind-forward, generous with chilies — are a counterpoint to the milder butter-chicken default that dominates many Indian menus.

The Himalayan dining tradition is well represented in Chicago. Himalayan Restaurant at 8265 W Golf Rd serves a combined Indian and Nepalese menu on Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 3pm, making it a practical weekend lunch destination for families who want momos alongside their dal makhani. Cumin at 1414 N Milwaukee Ave (773-342-1414) pairs Nepalese and Indian cooking in a warm neighborhood-restaurant atmosphere. And Nepal House, with locations at both 1301 S Michigan Ave (312-922-0601) and 158 W Division St, brings the clean, warming flavors of Nepalese dal-bhat to two very different Chicago neighborhoods.

For biryani specifically, Bawarchi Biryanis at 4250 Fox Valley Center has built a following around its layered, aromatic preparations — a worthwhile detour for those outside the city center.

Indian Dhaba at 2325 W Taylor St (331-316-2484) serves North Indian and Punjabi cooking Tuesday through Sunday from 10am to 9pm. The dhaba format — informal, generous, focused on the essentials — translates well to Chicago's working-lunch crowd. Delhi Darbar Kabab House leans into North Indian and Pakistani grill traditions, keeping unusually late hours: Tuesday through Friday from 4pm to 2am and on weekends until 3am, making it the natural choice for a late-night seekh kebab or nihari after an evening out.

Rounding out the map: Chiya Chai at 79 E Madison St combines Indian tea culture with light bites, open Mondays from 11am to 9pm. And Sankalp (sankalpusa.com) at 28331 Dodge Drive is a branch of the well-known vegetarian Indian chain, with a menu built around South Indian snacks and chaats.

Insider Tip

If you are new to Devon Avenue, park once and walk the full stretch rather than driving between restaurants. Several of the best spots have limited or metered parking, and the walk itself is part of the experience — sweet shops, grocery stores stocking fresh curry leaves and raw mangoes, and the general energy of a commercial strip that has been serving the South Asian community for generations. Go hungry enough to stop for chaat at one spot and a full meal at another.

FAQ

What is the best area for Indian food in Chicago? Devon Avenue on the North Side is the most concentrated stretch, with Mehrab Restaurant, Udupi Palace, Arya Bhavan, Hyderabad House, and Ghareeb Nawaz all within walking distance of each other. Excellent Indian restaurants are also found in Wicker Park, the Near South Side, and the northwest suburbs.

Is there good South Indian vegetarian food in Chicago? Yes. Udupi Palace on Devon Avenue and Kritunga Indian Restaurant on Higgins Road both specialize in South Indian vegetarian cooking. Sankalp also serves an extensive South Indian vegetarian menu.

Are there late-night Indian restaurants in Chicago? Delhi Darbar Kabab House stays open until 2am on weekdays and 3am on weekends. Mehrab Restaurant on Devon Avenue is open daily until 11pm.

Does Chicago have Bengali restaurants? Cafe Kolkata by Chef Urmi is currently the most prominent Bengali restaurant in Chicago, serving a menu of classic Bengali dishes seven days a week.

Where can I find Hyderabadi biryani in Chicago? Hyderabad House at 2225 W Devon Ave is the go-to for Hyderabadi-style dum biryani. Bawarchi Biryanis at Fox Valley Center is another strong option.

Bottom Line

Chicago's Indian restaurant landscape in August 2026 is genuinely expansive — from the all-day accessibility of Ghareeb Nawaz and Mehrab Restaurant to the precise regional cooking at Cafe Kolkata by Chef Urmi and Thattu, from the Himalayan warmth of Nepal House and Cumin to the South Indian precision of Udupi Palace. Devon Avenue anchors the scene, but the full map rewards curiosity. Pick a neighborhood, pick a cuisine style, and let Chicago's Desi restaurant community handle the rest.