Punjab Cafe
653 Southern Artery, Quincy, MA 02169
(617) 472-4860
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The city of Quincy has become one of the top restaurant destinations in the greater Boston area. A wide variety of dining spots can be found on or near Hancock Street in Quincy Center, as well as further up Hancock Street in the Wollaston and North Quincy neighborhoods (the latter of which has become a viable alternative to Boston's Chinatown). If you look outside of these three sections of Quincy, however, there are a number of hidden gems scattered throughout the city. One of these places is located in a nondescript part of Quincy on a busy road (Southern Artery) that can seem a bit hectic at times. But Punjab Cafe is certainly a spot worthy of mention, even with its lack of parking and an address that might not seem like a likely place for an excellent restaurant.
Punjab Cafe is a small place, with its single dining room containing a handful of tables. Decor is attractive in a subtle way, with mirrors along the walls, dark painted wood, and low lighting. The cuisine leans more toward Northern Indian, so don't expect to order a vada or a dosa here. But the menu is extensive, with such popular dishes as the chicken tikka masala (an excellent version, with a creamy tomato base and lots of chicken chunks), as well as the usual biryani, curry, and vindaloo dishes. The chicken saag is another plate worth considering, as the smooth mix of spinach, cream, and spices blends perfectly with pieces of white meat chicken. A few of the more exotic entrees at Punjab Cafe are the dal makhni (black lentils sauteed in butter and mixed with herbs and spices) and the rogan josh (lamb cooked in onion sauce with nuts, yogurt, spices, coriander, and cream).
Punjab Cafe also features some delicious appetizers such as the terrific garlic naan; if you can't decide which appetizer to get, you can opt for the Punjab Cafe Platter, which includes samosas (spicy potato turnovers), tikki (deep-fried potato patties), pakoras (deep-fried and oddly-shaped vegetable fritters), and papadum (spicy roasted crackers). Finally, if you like Chai tea, Punjab Cafe has has a good one; the mix of tea, milk, and cardamom will likely make your taste buds jump for joy.
Punjab Cafe is not a well-known restaurant at all. It seems that most people who know about the place live near it (or really know their restaurants, which is how we found it--thanks to the serious foodies who mentioned this place to us). As mentioned before, parking is not all that great and the Southern Artery isn't the most pleasant of roads to drive on, but if you like delicious Northern Indian cuisine at reasonable prices, it is worth the effort to check out this little dining spot a short distance east of Quincy Center.
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