The Kebab Factory

Great food. Have been here a couple of times now and atleast one of the dishes is a par superb. The butter chicken was soo good. And kebabs are great too. Their buffet was a multi cuisine bonanza with both North Indian and dosas. A definite must try…

After my brother and step father took my wife and I here for lunch one afternoon I fell in love with their food! I had absolutely no idea what my taste buds were in for but boy did they love every single minute and bite of experiencing the kebab factory! The people and culture are pouring out of the walls in this restaurant located in the Somerville/​Cambridge line. The employees are so friendly and warm which to me is a huge plus at any establishment. Anyway, my wife and I sat to eat and we were served the «house» bread (like sesame crackers) with 3 different sauces to use. The sauces were divine and had just the right amount of spice, nothing too ridiculous for the taste buds to handle! Then we were brought vegetable pankora complimentary which I’ve had elsewhere before and it was just as good as anywhere else I have been in my past, not quite as good as my grandmother’s cooking, but still pretty good! Crispy, soft on the inside with a bit of fresh bell pepper, onion, etc… So good and healthy for you aside from it being fried. We started to order our entrees and I was so pleased to see that their menu is gluten free and has several vegan entrees to choose from as well, I can see the logic here! I was even more so elated when I discovered they had Channa Masala which is a vegan dish similar to the chicken tikki masala they offer. They replace the chicken with chick peas which I love! My wife got adverturous, as I usually try the authentic stuff to which I am used to, and she ordered the lamb vindaloo extra spicy… I ordered mine with medium heat, as I had a software meeting to attend later that day and did not want to be that guy constantly drinking water after water after water during the meeting, Lol! We only waited about 10 minutes for our food and were so pleasntly surprised when we were brought our entrees. They serve your basmati rice in a seperate dish along with fresh veggies and fruit and a lentil soup… quite a heeping portion I might add! I served myself a little basmati rice, topped with lentil soup and my channa masala… what happened in my mouth next is to explicit to explain, Lol!
I’ll put it in lamens terms it was an explosion of wonderful flavors, textures, and nostalgic spices. I’ve never had a dish so rich in flavors since I was a child… and that is extremely impressive! My wife’s lamb was so tender and juicy and very spicy which she loved. We also ordered a side of spinach-​cheese naan which I highly recommend. All in all, we were extremely satisfied and fell in love with the place and the people as well. At the end of our dinner we were served complimentary chai tea and a desert called galub jamun… which was all delicious! I highly recommend this place to anyone that loves Indian cuisine or if you’ve never tried Indian cuisine check it out! Trust me, you will not be disappointed. The food, hospitality, décor and location is more than worth the trip! We will be going back again soon

Fake indian food. It’s for those who like to say they had indian food without moving too far from their comfort zone. Bland plain boring with not the slightest attempt at authenticity. Extremely disappointed especially since we were a large group that ordered at least seven things on the menu, ranging for Kababs to curries to biriyani to breads. So I can’t even give them the benefit of doubt and hope to be surprised next time.

Ok so I am from Pakistan and have tried many Indian buffets around Boston and the suburbs and by far this place is absolutely one of my favorites now!!! The food selections and their hospitality is to be respected we are definitely coming back! The chai reminded me of home! And the kheer (rice pudding dessert) was authentic and I had thirds !!! Their dosas were very good too! And the best part was that the naan came out so nice and hot ! Love this place and just have to say to them to keep up this great work !!!

Love it! Everything tastes delicious! It is very near my place and I also take-​home often.
I am sorry that they don’t have a wine licence anymore… what a drag.
They are very friendly. Décor could change:)
But the food is amazing. I love this restaurant!

Had buffet here, wouldn’t say it was bad but always the same thing.

Wanted to give a 0 but this is the minimum Unilocal needs. My enemy would have been a better host than these **** people. Had got guests thinking it was a good place, left embarrassed and angry. Never go to this place!!!

This place has been here for a long time and hasn’t changed in 10+ years.
Food: The food is decent if you ask for it spicy. The malai kofta and paneer tikka masala were both okay, but the garlic naan was fresh, puffy, and not that flat undercooked stuff you get elsewhere. Consider going to Bhukara in JP or Diva in Somerville. You’ll get better food.
Service: Worse than standard Indian restaurant service. The waiters are not attentive and generally interested in watching TV. They have two massive TVs that were blaring CNN when we arrived. I asked them to switch it to music, so they turned on a boxing match with loud commentary. Another customer with a small kid then asked them to turn it to music (instead of boxing) and they changed it to soccer. Maybe they’re a news/​sports restaurant and I was confused by the fact that it’s a sit down restaurant without a bar.
1 star overall, but 2 stars for the garlic naan.

This is a really small and comfy place with a small selection of good to very good Indian, buffet style food.
I’m just not sure whether the staff is super busy, doesn’t speak English well, simply unfriendly or a combination of that.
I came in alone and was treated almost like I was done a favor of getting a table. After I finished I was presented with the check almost immediately, with a «please leave» undertone.
Other than that, I’ll come back to find out if it was a bad day or whatever. The food is good, parking was easy and I liked the atmosphere.
Definitely recommend.

Kebab Factory is the best Indian restaurant in Boston. It’s not even a little close. To my fellow reviewers who may feel otherwise: no one cares that you went to India for a week. The cuisine here is authentic in that I can put it in my mouth and chew on it and it’s delicious. As far as actual flavor in the food, cleanliness, friendless of the staff, and judging the restaurant on the actual food it serves and not on Ernest Goes to Bangalore or whatever Food Network special you watched that makes you an authority on authentic Indian food… Kebab Factory is the best. THE. BEST. The mushroom soup alone is one of the most delicious things I’ve eaten in Boston and they give it to you for free. Stop being a snob and eat here.

Fantastic lunch buffet for only $ 11 per person. Great variety, fresh food, continually refreshed and tended to. They serve a freshly cooked plate of naan to your table and keep the ice water filled. The quality of the meats are not overwhelmed by too many spices that are common in other Indian restaurants. I will visit again and you should too.

Slow, poor service. Food below average. Ambience zero stars. There wasn’t a single thing that would bring me back here.

Ordered chicken tikka masala with rice and mango lassi with vegetable appetizer. Food is decent and quick service.

The masala chai is very good and the lamb saag is good – comes with lots of rice, which is appreciated. Service is attentive. I think Mela has a better lamb dish but the environment here is less frenetic. I would come back if I were in the Inman/​Harvard sq area. It was a-​ok.

Since it’s a very small restaurant, so don’t be impressed that if people are waiting outside and try to get in. I had their buffet for a couple times, it’s way too salty and I am not sure if they even put msg in their food, you just get so thirsty right after the meal. I really don’t think their food is that great, Not worth to go back.

Great food and awesome ambience. This was my first time at kabab factory and definitely going to come again.

It’s been an hour and twenty minutes. No delivery. No bueno.

The food was decent. We got to the buffet at 2pm and it’s supposed to last until 3pm however, most of the food was cold. And the service was horrible. We were served 3 cups of warm water and asked for ice water. The waiter just came back with a jug of ice and threw the ice in our cups while splashing water all over our food and us. Oh, and all the plates we used during our buffet meals stayed at the table. They didn’t take any away the entire hour we sat there, leaving our table extremely clutter and watery.

Best lunch buffet I have had in Boston so far

The $ 15 weekend lunch buffet is decent if you love the goat curry like I do. Been there twice, the courses might be slightly different, overall most of the stuff there tastes good. The reason I am only giving 4 stars is the sitting is comparatively small and tight, can be somewhat crowded. If that doesn’t bother you, give it a try, you won’t be disappointed with the food.

Do your self a favour and dont eat here. I went for a weekend buffet, the food smelled stale. Also, the waiter got the bill before we even finished the desert. We asked the server for a hot crispy naan and he refused saying they cant make it that way. Pathetic service with below average food.

We came here after looking at great reviews. However, throughly disappointed. The food was cold, samosa was undercooked with inside dough totally raw. We requested forba crip naan which they said is not possible. Common for $ 15 per plate buffet they cant even give crip naan.

My relationship with Kebab Factory has been up and down. I initially fell in love with their lunch buffet, which far exceeded others in the area. But I think something has changed in the past few months. The depth of flavors, variety, and quality all feel a little watered down. Still delicious, but given its slightly higher cost in comparison to other Indian lunch buffets, maybe not worth it anymore.
HOWEVER. My boyfriend and I had dinner here for the first time a couple weeks ago, and boy did that reignite the Kebab Factory flame. The mushroom soup opener blew us away. Then the veggie korma and chicken tikka masala really reminded us why we used to love this place so much. They were full of the complex flavors that the lunch buffets had lost. The ambiance was also much nicer at night, and the service was friendly as always.
From now on, we will likely forego the lunches and stick to ordering dinners.

Exceptionally awful.
I eat Indian cuisine fairly often, and this was by far the worst experience. I went for the lunch buffet. The food was warm at best and not spicy whatsoever. The lack of spice prompted me to ask for a hot sauce or ground chilies to mix in with the curry. It got weird-​fast. The waiter pointed me towards the pickled «hot sauce», which had such a potent taste, that it would easily overpower the stunningly bland food. I couldn’t believe he would suggest that, and found it even harder to believe that there were no chilies in the kitchen. It appeared as if the servers had no experience waiting on customers, and were difficult to flag down in a relatively small restaurant.
As Ahmend A. stated, if you want good, tasty, authentic Indian food, DON’T EAT HERE! His review is completely accurate, I don’t understand how this place got ANY good reviews.

Went for the first time, and the $ 14.95 buffet on Sunday is the best value you will get in this area. I came here with my friend who doesn’t even like Indian food and she was thoroughly converted.
The tikka masala with rice, any of the chicken dishes really, the sweet yogurt sauce, the black tea with milk, the lentil (?) curry, all of it is really really good.
It’s a small restaurant but never overcrowded, and the service is very friendly. I would definitely recommend this place — go here if you want to experience quality indian food and want something different from your go-​to place (unless The Kabab Factory already is your go-​to).

You know, I’ve never had bad food here. Everything is fresh and delicious. Unless the went up very recently, I always felt like the prices were pretty decent; I’ve paid double for food that was only half as good. There is a nice variety, and if you are able to make it to the lunch buffet, you can be adventurous and try an array of new plates. Again, I’ve never had bad food here. Bonus that the wine is crazy inexpensive and the service is friendly.

The lamb biryani was delicious with sparse but well spiced lamb, the yogurt on the thinner side and a bit sweet, and the rice was warm (more of a delivery issue). The veggie pakora was very good, if not a bit dark.
The meal was a bit overpriced and delivery took a while (I called to get an ETA but was told 5 minutes generically) but the food was good and open past 10, so 4 stars..

The place is small restaurant on the corner and is overpriced for its food. We ordered ‘kali mirch ke tikkey’ which was not worth of its price. Chicken was not thoroughly cooked and it was more bland than any other regular kebab. Daal makhni which came with kebabs was good. Murg Aftabi and Malabar parantha were ok but again over priced for their taste and quality. Curry was on sweeter side. No wonder so many Non– Indian/​pakistani giving good reviews about the place.
Ambience and presentation was really good.

very good local neighborhood restaurant. I enjoyed the vegetable samosas, naan, and amazing chapli kebab with sides of tikka masala and bean curries. portions are generous and the service was very good. would recommend if you are in the area. You will leave full and happy.

If you want good, tasty, authentic Indian food, DON’T EAT HERE!
I grew up on Indian/​Pakistani food and this place is so bland and tasteless you won’t have a good experience. The service was disappointing too.
Here’s how it went down…
Firstly, we saw on Unilocal that the mushroom soup was recommended. We eagerly asked for it, not realizing it comes complimentary with each entrée. Since we asked for it, not knowing any better, the waiter charged us and told us later it’s usually complimentary. I don’t know why the waiter didn’t tell us from the beginning that it’s complimentary? I guess he was trying to push up the bill and his tip. From the begging of the meal we felt like suckers… it was down hill from there…
The waiter brought out papadum. It was stale. Our expectations were getting lower.
We ordered 4 entrees:
1. The Kali Mirch ke tikkey Chicken grill dish. It was undercooked and pink inside. It almost looked raw… SALMONELLA ALERT! He took it back and the kitchen cooked it longer. When we finally ate it it was bland and still tasted undercooked. Think twice before you order it.
2. Bindhi (okra). It was oily and bland. Avoid it.
3. The saag paneer. It tasted exactly like the bindhi and equally bland.
4. The lamb korma. It was better than the other three dishes but not by much. The meat was tough and tasted old.
There are other Indian Pakistani places with much better food and much better service. (Punjabi Grill in Davis Square, for example) that Indians and Pakistanis go to and enjoy.
I’m not sure why the reviews are so high here, but trust me, you’ll live a much happier life if you never eat here.

The Kebab Factory is my favorite Indian restaurant I’ve been to so far in Cambridge/​Somerville. The prices are a little high for Indian, but I think the quality of the dishes more than makes up for this. Bonus points: it’s easy to find metered parking nearby.
Their lunch buffet has a wide variety of dishes — both those that you expect (what is a buffet without samosas and chicken tikka masala?) and those that were slightly less common. In particular, I enjoyed the range of veggie curries they offered during the buffet and the fresh naan they brought to our table whenever we ran out.
For dinner, I have really enjoyed their kebabs. They helped us pick a couple of the most popular ones — we went for a Lamb Seekh kebab and a Chili Chicken Malai kebab — both were delicious and very filling. Also, they are dishes that I wouldn’t order elsewhere, which is an additional draw to this place (I love curry and naan too much to fill up on any other dishes at most Indian restaurants!).

Great food. They now deliver as well. Also a really good lunch buffet for only $ 8. Lots of variety, including many veg and non-​veg dishes, so something for everyone. Also lots of fresh naan and chapati, including some papadum and roti as well.

Having had a good experience with samples from The Kebab Factory at an event, my DC and I wanted to check out their lunchtime buffet for $ 10.95 on weekdays.
Parking was convenient as they share a small lot with the other businesses in their building. Alternatively, be sure to read the signs for street parking.
As I made my way towards their front door, I could not help but notice that their buffet is set up right up to their entrance. Yes, space is rather limited.
Buffet offerings were well labeled. I made three trips — the third being for a dessert of rice pudding and melon chunks — and accepted a couple of triangles of warm bread served from a basket when they were offered, and was utterly stuffed. My favorite was the tender chunks of unsauced chicken which nested among onions and peppers and was lit up by a heat lamp. Followed by the sag paneer with its rather large blocks of cheese.
My DC was recognized by the staffer who had manned the event and we were gifted with a pleasantly garnished glass of mango lassi. It was just as delicious as the first time we had it. Yum!
Their weekday buffet is definitely no secret as evidenced by the stream of diners who passed by with The Kebab Factory as their destination as I waited outside for my DC.
3.5 stars.