The Kati Roll Company Brings Indian Street Food to Downtown Dallas

The Kati Roll Company, a popular New York restaurant, has landed in Downtown Dallas across the street from the Thompson Hotel. Starting out in New York's Greenwich Village, it has now grown to four locations in Manhattan, one in London and a sixth location that just opened here in Big D.

Given the attention the restaurant drew during our recent visit, it's no surprise that there are plans for another location in Plano to open this summer at 5588 State Highway 121, so suburban folks stay tuned for that (or anyone who doesn't want to deal with downtown antics).

Kati rolls are a street food found all over Kolkata, India, one of the country's easternmost cities. They're made by rolling skewer-grilled ingredients into buttery paratha flatbread, then topping it with chutney and spices.
Inside, the restaurant follows an Indian/urban theme with brick walls and vintage Indian film posters. The service is quick, so there's plenty of seating at any given time, or you can get the authentic experience by taking it to-go.

The menu offers halal meats, antibiotic and hormone-free chicken, hand-ground spices and fresh produce. All of the ingredients are marinated daily and even the lassis are house-made with organic yogurt. Rolls, momos (Indian-Tibetan dumplings), sides, lassis, desserts and other drinks make up the diverse menu.

Although downtown Dallas is not synonymous with being budget-friendly, everything on the menu at Kati Roll Co. is under $10. It brings more balance to Elm Street considering that Catbird, Monarch and Kessaku are right across the street.

We dabbled in a little bit of everything when we stopped in, trying the achari paneer roll, steak tikka roll, alfonso mango lassi and spicy potato chips. We topped everything off with the raita (mint and yogurt) sauce and green chutney.

The rolls, which range from $4.50 to $8.50, are generously sized. Grab two or three with the fixin's and this makes for a great lunch spot if you happen to be downtown.

Chips, sauces and any of Kati Roll's drinks are mandatory with any order. Our favorite part of the meal was the chips, which are fried and seasoned in-house. The mango lassi is chilled and slightly sweet, bringing a bit of a refreshing element to the savory and salty bites along with the sauces.

The steak tikka roll has tender cubed beef that's marinated in yogurt and spices, then grilled, and the achari paneer takes Indian farmer's cheese that's marinated in spicy pickle and also grilled before being rolled into buttery paratha.

The tikka roll was our favorite because it had more complex flavors, but we will come back to try the shami kabab roll and the unda steak roll. The chips and lassi will also be repeat offenders in our budgets.

Whether you're new to the spices or nostalgic for the flavors, kati rolls are a fun addition to the eclectic food scene of downtown Dallas.

The Kati Roll Company, 1322 Elm St. Sunday – Thursday, 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.; Friday – Saturday, 11 a.m. – midnight.