Urban Punjab
In Garden Grove, this Pakistani-Indian restaurant has a unique style (and a little Afghan food, too)
Garden Grove’s American European Center is a fascinating plaza – and before it became home to Jerusalem Roastery (2024), Krua Siam (2025), and Jerusalem Coffee (2025), there was Urban Punjab, an Indian/Pakistani restaurant that opened in 2022. Paying homage to the province of Punjab, which was split into Indian and Pakistani sides after the division of India, this restaurant looks different from all its surroundings, occupying a corner space in the plaza with ultra-modern signage outside and a motorcycle parked inside. A large, plushly appointed dining room uses leather chairs, wooden tables, metal cups, and wooden serving plates to set itself apart from most other area Pakistani or Indian restaurants; the closest Orange County approximations are Fullerton’s Khan Saab and Laguna Hills’ Mint Desi Kitchen, both local standouts.
Rather than separating Indian and Pakistani dishes in any formal way, the multi-page menu instead divides into five main categories: vegetarian ($8-18) and non-vegetarian ($16-35) appetizers, followed by vegetarian ($16-18) and non-vegetarian ($18-$24) entrees, then desserts ($6-12) and basic drinks ($4-6). Look carefully in the appetizers and you’ll spot an Afghan item, Chicken Malai Tikka Afghani Style – also available in a three-Tikka sampler entree – but the vast majority of Urban Punjab’s items will be familiar to Indian/Pakistani fans – spicy Karahi and Masala sauces, milder Makhani (butter tomato), Saag (spinach), and Paneer (milky cheese) across mostly chicken-, lamb-, and vegetable-centered plates.
A separate card includes a handful of cocktails that can be made without alcohol for $9 or with it for $12, and the restaurant will – without advising or asking you beforehand – place a one-liter Fiji water bottle on the table rather than tap, and charge you $5 for it. The water didn’t taste great in Urban Punjab’s metal cups, and the two Mango Lassis we ordered ($6 each) were more sour than sweet, certainly the weakest elements of an otherwise very good meal.
Virtually everything else we ordered was a hit, starting with the Chinese-influenced Chili Chicken ($18) – powerfully flavored with a sweet-tangy-spicy sauce and sesame seeds – and continuing with an outstanding Lamb Seekh Kabab ($22): six pieces of heartily seasoned ground lamb plus lemons, spicy herbal chutney, and a bottle of tamarind dressing. Like Khan Saab and Mint, the plating here was consistently either “wow”-inducing or close, and the flavors never fell short of the presentation.
We also loved Urban Punjab’s Shrimp Curry ($24), six colossal shrimp in a thick, complex green and brown curry that went perfectly with herbal Jeera Rice ($6), chili garlic naan ($5), and butter naan ($4) – each merely fine on its own, but wonderful with sauce. Surprisingly, the aforementioned Afghan appetizer was perhaps the most neutral of our proteins: lightly creamy and entirely tender, only light grill marks indicated that the chicken had touched fire, and even then had benefitted from a protective marinade.
Apart from the water service hiccup, which regrettably was revealed both at the very end of our meal as a request to re-charge our card for a “forgotten” item after the bill and tip had already been paid, service was very good, and the atmosphere quite nice. While our experience at Urban Punjab wasn’t perfect, we’d certainly consider returning again to sample more of the menu, though we’d likely order different items (including desserts) to see what else this kitchen is capable of.
Stats
Price: $$-$$$
Service: Table
Open Since: 2022
Addresses
12549 Harbor Blvd.
Garden Grove, CA 92840
657.233.5140
Instagram: @urban_punjab1