The hottest new fast casual concept in Pittsburgh and they’re just getting started. Big flavor, high quality ingredients and my god the naan. My new favorite spot for quick lunch and dinner! Great job to Tim B. and his amazing team!
Me and my friends used to drive 2hrs to Cleveland to have the food at Choolaah, and were thrilled when they announced its opening in Pittsburgh. Food is as authentic as you get, it is like the actual spicy food we eat at home and not the “add more chilles” to make it hot spicy. Have already been twice to this place!!! To add Mango Kulfi is to die for 😋
Delicious authentic tandoori taste with a fun vibe - go for a quick lunch or dress it up for dinner with wine/beer (byob). Highly recommended for all kinds of palates, taste the exotic without the heat (or add heat with the sauces if you are adventurous)!!
My kids go to college in Cleveland and have already eaten at this restaurant there and love it. I finally got to go yesterday. My brother and I ordered the “perfect balance” lamb with the black masala and chicken with the yellow masala. We really enjoyed the food and the atmosphere. I also ordered the Samosa which I would not order again. It tasted OK however the crust was more like a pastry and thicker then what I’m used to. For my liking the filling to crust ratio was too low.
I had the lamb meatballs with tikki masala and it was amazing! The sauce was very tasty and the portion size was generous. I also tried the ginger mint lemonade and it was very refreshing. Staff was very friendly and helped me navigate the menu as I am gluten free. Can't wait to go back and try more!
Loved my entire experience at Choolaah! I had a samosa, perfect balance bowl with chicken and tikki masala, ginger, mint lemonade, mango ice cream and more! The ingredients are fresh and delicious and you can add heat with sauces. The staff are very friendly and so helpful with selection from the menu. Can't wait to return to try more from the menu!
Definitely a go to place to get daily Indian food or for someone who is a first timer to those curries. My wife complained about the limited menu but hey who cares when you see authentic chicken dum biryani on the menu.
You can tell when a company cares, every aspect of the customer experience was thought of. Can’t recommend this place enough! And they are a Pittsburgh company!
The service was outstanding and helpful. There was 9 of us who had no clue what to order. The young lady got us samples and explained how it worked. Over the top customer service. Then the food was phenomenal. Out chicken tasted just like a summer bbq. It was all around a great dinning experience. We was visiting family and I need one of these in Columbus Ohio.
Tried an array of choices, chicken tiki masala bowl was outstanding, also had samosas and lamb meatball dish! Once I ordered, the food was ready quickly!
An amazing place, great food - love the Samosa Chat and Pav Bhaji. Waiting to get back and try more. The different dips that they served was amazing.. �
such a surprise. I loved it - fun crowd and fantastic food. what a treat.
Went there for the 1st time tonight to be able to give 30% to Repair The World charity. Wow!! This place is amazingly good. Loved it from the time we walked in. Very friendly customers and staff all ready to help out, make suggestions, etc. Definitely will return!!
Had a craving and wanted to try this place. Not bad. Decided on the family style meal instead of bowls and picked up chicken, rice, vegetables and naan. The Tikka sauce was good. Chicken was extremely tender with a great grill taste. Naan was good. Vegetables were a mix of sweet potatoes, zucchini and cauliflower.
Loved the decor and especially the hand wash station.
You place your order from kiosks. Staff members were all very helpful.
Street parking available only.
This is my new favorite go to in Pittsburgh #PGH. It feels a little like the Indian version of Cava or Sweetgreens. Healthy, fast and organically sourced ingredients.I usually get the Pro Bowl with roasted veggies, chicken half rice and half tikka masala(on the side). The great thing is they have many different proteins, sauces and ingredients to choose from I love their Naan- thinner than some but still tasty. Bonus points for the hand wash o matic, the friendly employees, and the cleanliness.
It is a very unique place, fast food Indian cuisine, some are authentic street food and some food seems fusion. The staff was friendly, quick service, bright place and i would come back again. It has an indoor swing (unfortunately fixed to the floor) - very nostalgic
I love this place. Best chicken I’ve ever had. The place and kitchen are so clean and employees are really nice. It’s a pleasure to eat there. And their mango lemonade is to die for. 11/10
Choolaah in East Liberty is my go to place for tasty, healthy, reasonably priced food and quick service. I've never been disappointed so I was surprised to find the nan bread I ordered recently wasn't packed with my delicious takeout salmon pro bowl when I arrived home. It wasn't a big deal, and it had never happened before but I decided to call to let them know. Michael, the manager, answered the phone, apologized immediately, said it was a big deal to him, and he wanted to do something either then or the next time I came in. I told him his customer first attitude was so genuine that it was compensation enough but he insisted on doing more and said there would be an envelope for me with comps inside. The envelope was there on my next visit, very generous, and I met Michael. He apologized again and thanked me for my understanding. I told him all food establishments will make mistakes, but both he and Choolaah turned a small negative into a positive.
I was in a coma for years. I viewed the pearly gates just inches from my face and then BAM! 👼I WOKE UP. Was it God? Was it an Angel? No... It was just my wife. Waving Choolah in front of my nose.
Despite 0% success rate on a medical scale, it worked and I was now awake 💤 I was initially pissed as I was about to enter heaven but it was good to be back and eat some Choolah. She knew just what I needed!
I love Choolah. Delicious food, delicious sauces, delicious drinks. It's the full package for me 😋 I like getting the perfect balance bowl with either chicken and paneer with the mint yogurt sauce on the side.
Modern decorations and appealing setting.
Food is decent and service is fast.
Will be back and look forward to more restaurants like this opening in Pittsburgh.
This place has a great atmosphere and is located at nice downtown area.
Food options were plenty and lots of healthy options to choose from. All meat and veggie options have great flavors and this is the closest an Indian cuisine can become Americanized without losing taste.
The only reason I'm not giving five star is that the kids rice and chicken was very spicy my little one couldn't eat it
We tried two of the Choolah bowls and both were delicious. Portion is large and generous
We also tried the samosas and they were good
The place is clean and the staff is very nice
They make there naan bread there in front of you
Great vibe with very hip seating. Fantastic vegan options. The pav bhaji was delicious. The pav could have been done better, needs to be left on the grill for longer, instead of simply serving it as buttered bread. Very friendly staff!
One of the best Indian restaurants I've been too and I loved the taste. Service was friendly and the tandoori flavors were delicious. Definitely recommend the bowl with paneer and chickpeas along with naan and tamarind sauce. Would eat again and highly recommend to all!
Went here on the whim of my brother and was very impressed! I like the fast causal style for Indian food. There is a decent number of options and it comes out pretty fast. The feel of the place is very polished. I got the choolah bowl with chicken. Honestly, the chicken was quite delicious, just wish there was more!
Beautifully designed space with floor to ceiling windows. The ordering process is seamless since you do self checkout. In a few minutes your order is ready and and you can start eating! We got the perfect balance paneer bowl with masala sauce, samosas and the chicken wrap. I really enjoyed the chicken wrap, it was juicy and a good portion size. The paneer in the bowl was dry and the samosas I got were all potato with no peas which was disappointing
Wow! 😲 Just visiting Pittsburgh. Upon hearing about Choolaah, changed plans for a business dinner to try out Indian BBQ! What a pleasure, the ambience, cuisine, service, and the menu. Served fast, tastes authentic. We ordered one tofu vegan Perfect Balance Bowl with yellow dal, with two whole wheat nan breads and side salad with mint yogurt sauce. And that was enough for two and we ate “quietly” since the food was yummy and the nan bread out-of-this world!
There is so much cooked warm fragrant food around and the sit-down table and eating areas’ hygiene could be improved. Some tables are wobbly.
Go Choolaah. Come to my town, please!
Amazing taste !!!
Tasted their food item at Carnegie museum!!! Can’t wait for opening .
Also tasted their VIP event !!
One thing only - there is nothing which can disappoint you.
This is coming from hard core Indian foodie - the place has best taste in INDIAN BBQ .
Those who don’t know the difference between spicy and flavorful-should try CHOOLAAH.
It’s not spicy - it’s full of flavor.
Which it should be . Most of the Indian restaurants made unnecessary spicy.
We tried Lamb and chicken roll - Spot taste . Delicious.
Biryani - full of flavor and the best aroma . The pots are sealed by Dough to lock the aroma .
Lemonade- it made me nostalgic. The way we get in India . Special recommendation- ginger lemonade.
Lassi - was only item I felt was okay okay .
Interior well done . Though more seating needed .
Parking - street parking .
Staff - polite and friendly. Owner super friendly . One extra star for owner .
Cost effective.
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Please note that my meal, like those of other reviewers at pre-opening special events, was complimentary. My meal would have been $12.24.
This is an Indian fast casual restaurant, offering mostly bowls of rice, veggies, and proteins, along with other Indian-American staples like samosas. They are tech and feature-forward offering online ordering and pickup, Coca-Cola Freestyle machines, and even an automated hand washing unit for customers. The ambiance is clean, modern, and upscale for the market. Dishes are about $9-$13. You can BYOB into the restaurant and they are right next door to a wine store.
I ordered a Choolaah Meal, their basic rice bowl, selecting white rice over brown, and Paneer cheese as my protein with tikka masala as my sauce. It came with a piece of naan bread. For a drink I ordered a mango lemonade.
Everything was good. Rice was cooked to a perfect consistency and seasoned nicely with the right balance of salt and hint of butteryness. The organic Amish cheese had a nice satifying texture to cut and bite into and was firm without being rubbery. The cheese was just powerful enough to not be overwhelmed by the sauce, which was good but unremarkable.
The highlight for me was the naan bread, which was just perfection. Salted and seasoned just right, cooked perfectly. It tore beautifully and was just some of the best Indian bread I've ever had. Definitely not to be missed.
Speaking of sauces, a bar of pumps has several additional ones on offer. I tried the Tamarind apple sauce and the Choolaah Fire sauce. The apple sauce went quite well with the Paneer cheese, giving it a bit of sweetness. The Fire sauce is the lesser of the two hot sauces, and I don't think I'll be trying the Lava! Fire was more than hot enough for my tastes, a little bit goes a long way.
Service was outstanding and very fast, the kitchen was working like clockwork. Despite a huge line nearly out the door my wait to order was under 15 minutes and I had my tray of food less than 3 minutes after that. Even with the crowd, seating wasn't an issue for me dining alone.
The attached parking garage has 45 minutes of free parking, and despite the thick crowd and huge rush of people clamoring for free meals, I almost made it. I ended up paying $3 in parking, which of course was a fantastic value.
I intend to return to Choolaah as a paying customer, and I look forward to trying the local Bell & Evans humane farm chicken, their in-house ranch sauce, and one of the Tandoori wraps.
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