Ghareeb Nawaz

Devon Avenue in West Rogers Park is one of the great South Asian food corridors in the United States, and Ghareeb Nawaz — at 2032 W Devon Ave, open from 8 AM to 2 AM — is its hardest-working kitchen. This is a no-frills, no-nonsense, halal Indo-Pak restaurant that has been feeding Chicago's Pakistani, Indian, and broader Muslim community for so long that it shows up in people's stories about the first time they ate biryani, the late-night run after a long shift, the post-taraweeh dinner with family.

Let's talk about the vibe first. Ghareeb Nawaz is not a date-night restaurant. It's fluorescent-lit, cafeteria-style, cash-friendly, menu-on-the-wall, and the guys behind the counter work fast. That is exactly the charm. In a city where every other Indo-Pak spot is trying to pivot to "modern Indian" with $24 butter chicken and a cocktail menu, Ghareeb Nawaz has held its lane, its prices, and its community. That consistency is rare.

The menu runs deep into the Pakistani and Indian Muslim repertoire. Chicken biryani — the Karachi-style variety, rice layered with marinated chicken, fragrant with whole spices — is the workhorse order. Beef biryani is the alternate. Nihari (slow-cooked spiced beef or lamb stew) is a must-try if you've never had it, best on a weekend morning with naan and a little ginger and lime on the side. Haleem (a slow-cooked lentil-wheat-meat porridge) shows up during Ramadan and a few other times, and it is the real thing.

Karahi — the cast-iron-pan-cooked curries — are available in chicken and lamb, tomato-forward, garlic-heavy, finished with green chili and ginger matchsticks. Order with naan, eat with your hands, don't make plans for the rest of the afternoon. Paya (trotter curry) for the adventurous, aloo keema for a weeknight, and daal for the vegetarians all hold their spots on the menu.

The prices are the other quiet miracle. A chicken biryani plate will feed you well for under $10. Two people can eat generously for under $25. In 2026 Chicago, that's almost unheard of outside of campus food courts, and it matters for a community where restaurant dining is often a family-of-six activity.

Why Ghareeb Nawaz is TEL canon: it is a Muslim-owned, halal-certified, immigrant-built Indo-Pak restaurant that has survived and thrived by feeding its community honestly. It represents everything we're here to celebrate — family ownership, regional food, fair pricing, and real Muslim presence in a major American city. Devon Avenue without Ghareeb Nawaz is unthinkable.

A few practical notes. There is a second Lincoln Park location at 2364 N Lincoln Ave, which serves the North Side crowd and the DePaul student community. Cash was historically preferred; cards work now but bring cash as backup. Seating is basic — tables, chairs, no nonsense. Takeout is fast and the containers travel well.

Amara's move: Nihari with naan and a side of ginger-lime. Add a small chicken biryani to share. Black tea, sweet, to close.