A colorful painting inside Tandoori Grill that reads “Tandoori Grill Welcomes You.“ Courtesy of Syed Abbas | Restaurant Owner

Entering its 10th year of operation, local restaurant Tandoori Grill provides the Pakistani community in Columbus with a small taste of home.

In 2007, Syed Abbas abandoned his career in information technology and entered the restaurant industry with a clear goal in mind. Fourteen years later, Abbas has turned his dream of providing the people of Columbus with a taste of Pakistani culture and cuisine into a reality through his restaurant, Tandoori Grill.

“There was no Pakistani restaurants in Columbus at that time,” Abbas, an Ohio State alumnus with a degree in electrical and computer science engineering, said. 

Abbas, who immigrated to the United States in 1995 as a foreign exchange student from Karachi, Pakistan, said he broke into the food industry in 2009 after he opened Apna Bazaar, a Pakistani and Indian grocery store that sells halal meat — a type of meat that is slaughtered in adherence with specific religious rules.

After having marked success with Apna Bazaar, Abbas opened Tandoori Grill next to the store in 2011. Both are located on Bethel Road. In the restaurant, customers can choose from a variety of halal meat alongside popular Pakistani dishes, such as potato samosas and chicken tikka masala, according to the Tandoori Grill Facebook page. 

As Tandoori Grill enters its 10th year of operation, Abbas said it continues to see a steady flow of guests, especially on weekends. He said he has tried to bring his native culture and identity to life in other ways aside from food, showcasing multiple art designs that are unique to Pakistan. “Truck art,” which features elaborate and colorful floral designs, is a prominent style in the restaurant. 

“Our artwork in Pakistan, basically there is a lot of colors involved, so when we were designing this space I wanted to bring some colors from that part of the world,” Abbas said. “It gives me a little feeling of home away from home.” 

Abbas said incorporating these cultural elements attracts Pakistani immigrants to his restaurant because it provides them with a chance to reconnect with their culture and establish a Pakistani community in Columbus. 

Aftab Syed, a Columbus resident and close friend to Abbas, immigrated from Pakistan in 1985 and said eating at Tandoori Grill two to three times a week allows him to meet other Pakistani immigrants and develop lifelong friendships.

“A lot of people in the community like it, and sometimes we have gatherings here,” Syed said. “Once a month, we have a group of eight or 10 people and we eat here.”

Syed said his time spent at Tandoori Grill has provided him with an authentic taste of home that is otherwise difficult to find in Ohio.

“It tastes like back home, you can’t find any other restaurant like that,” Syed said. “It’s hard to find a similar taste anywhere else.”

Abbas’ commitment to showcasing his roots and culture within his restaurant also allows non-Pakistani customers to gain a better understanding of Pakistan’s identity and customs, he said. 

Wendy Lieser, a mother of two from Sugar Grove, Ohio, said she brings her 17-year-old son and 14-year-old daughter to Tandoori Grill for the food and to introduce them to elements of a different culture — something Lieser said can be hard to find in suburban Ohio.  

“I’m from a very small town where everyone looked like me, so it was really important that we show them that there is more,” Lieser said. “I think it’s important for kids to know there is more than what you see in the mirror.” 

Abbas said he has committed to using his restaurant to give back to people both inside and outside of the Pakistani community in Columbus. 

He said his restaurant sponsored the first female Pakistani cricket team in Columbus — the Apna Bazaar Strikers — and supports Project USA, a charitable organization located in Columbus that provides assistance to underprivileged Muslim immigrants. 

Abbas said he hopes to bridge divides between different groups in Columbus and create a culture within the city that prides itself on love, compassion and giving. 

“Every community in the world has the same types of issues, like you have the U.S., Pakistan, Somalia — human nature is the same wherever you are,” Abbas said. “If you want something in life, you have to give.”