New Johnson County restaurant promises authentic Pakistani cuisine
Since Tandoori Grill opened late last week, owner Siddiq Ashraf said he’s served more than 1,000 customers.
The line to his new Pakistani restaurant at 12247 W. 87th St. Parkway in Lenexa was consistently out the door last weekend. It seemed much of the neighborhood came out to taste his buffet-style, authentic cuisine.
At one point, Ashraf had to go outside and tell customers at the back of the line that he wouldn’t have enough food for them.
“We couldn’t keep up,” Ashraf said.
He feels more relaxed now, he said with a smile, sitting in his restaurant on a late Wednesday afternoon with just a couple tables full.
During the weekdays, he’ll offer made-to-order cuisine off the menu. The buffet is served from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.
Ashraf, who’s been in the KC metro for five years, said he’s always wanted to open an authentic Pakistani restaurant here. To find Pakistani food that closely resembles home, Ashraf said he’d have to travel out of state.
When Queen of the Mediterranean closed its spot next to Moon Wok Chinese in Lenexa, he took over.
“We wanted people to taste our flavors and see what they think about Pakistani food,” Ashraf said.
Some of those dishes include chicken or mutton biryani, chicken karahi (chicken cooked in a thick, tomato-based sauce), lahori fish (spicy fried fish) and mango lassi (a smoothie-like drink).
His dishes include hand-slaughtered, halal chicken from the brand Crescent, which Ashraf calls the best of the best.
The wraparound booth-style seating around the perimeter of the restaurant helps foster a communal feel.
“We want to create a family restaurant here,” he said. “On the first day, we had people join the tables. Arabic people, American people, everybody’s sitting together.”
Tandoori Grill is open from 2 to 9 p.m. Tuesdays; 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays; 5 to 9 p.m. Fridays; 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturdays; and 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 5 to 9 p.m. Sundays.
This story was originally published October 23, 2025 at 1:04 PM.