Bundoo Khan USA

Barbecue. With authentic Pakistani flavors and spices. At reasonable prices? There’s no way that concept can lose. So the moment we heard Bundoo Khan – a decades-old, Karachi-based Pakistani BBQ chain – had opened its first U.S. location in Fullerton, we rushed to check it out. And while the restaurant’s layout and infrastructure struck us as less than awesome, its food was consistently impressive.

Operating in an industrial space with a snaking line to the ordering counter and seat-yourself tables, Bundoo Khan has a very narrow menu: beef or chicken seekh kabobs, gola kabobs, chicken or bihari chicken tikka, chicken boti (marinated and spiced ground meat), grilled (swai) fish, and lamb chops. Order meats with or without paratha bread ‘rolls,’ add naan and/or rice, and possibly dessert. That’s it. Everything except the lamb is under $15, and many items are under $10.

At least in its earliest days – hopefully fixed since then – the only way to see the menu was to look away from the counter when ordering, a really weird choice unless you’d memorized all the options. Guests unfamiliar with the options may find it easier to pre-order using their preferred devices, scheduling a pick up rather than sitting at a table for 10-15 minutes awaiting their food.