Karachi Kabab in Chicago — Seekh, Chapli & Reshmi
Ask for "a kabab" in Karachi and the first question back is: which one? Seekh, chapli, reshmi, bihari, shami — a whole family of flame-grilled and pan-fried minced-meat dishes, each with its own texture and temperament. Here is how to tell them apart, and where to eat them on Devon Avenue until 2 AM.
What Is Karachi Kabab?
"Kabab" in Karachi does not mean one thing. It is a whole family of grilled and fried minced-meat dishes, each with its own texture, spice profile and way of being eaten — and the differences between them are the kind of thing people argue about happily for an hour.
What ties them together is the mince. A Karachi kabab is built from meat that has been ground and worked with spice until it holds together on its own, without heavy filler. Some are shaped onto skewers and grilled. Some are pressed flat and fried. Some are pounded so fine they turn silky. The seasoning leans warm and aromatic rather than punishing — cumin, coriander, green chili, ginger, garlic, fresh herbs — because the point is to taste the meat, not to survive it.
At Karachi Chaat House we cook ours over a flame grill on Devon Avenue, and everything is 100% Zabiha Halal.
The Kababs Worth Knowing
Seekh kabab is the one most people picture: spiced mince pressed along a skewer and grilled until the outside takes colour and the inside stays juicy. Ours is beef, and it is the benchmark — if a kitchen gets seekh right, it usually gets the rest right.
Chapli kabab comes from the Peshawar side and is completely different in character. It is flat, wide, and studded with tomato, onion, coriander seed and green chili, then shallow-fried so the edges go crisp and lacy. It is the most texturally interesting kabab on the menu and the one first-timers tend to be surprised by.
Reshmi kabab takes its name from silk. The chicken mince is worked with cream and mild spice until it is genuinely soft, then grilled gently. It is the kabab to order for someone who does not want heat, and the one children reliably eat.
Bihari kabab is marinated differently — thin, papaya-tenderised, deeply spiced — and we serve it rolled in paratha, which is how Karachi eats it on the street.
Shami kabab is the home-kitchen classic: mince cooked down with chana dal, ground to a paste, bound with egg and pan-fried into a soft patty. Ours also comes as a roll.
How Karachi Eats Them
Kababs in Karachi are rarely a formal sit-down affair. They are eaten standing up, late, wrapped in paratha with chutney running out of one end, or brought to the table on a platter with naan and raita and taken apart by hand.
The accompaniments matter as much as the meat. Mint chutney cuts the fat. Raw onion and lemon reset your palate between bites. Naan is the utensil. And if you are ordering for a group, the correct move is to get more than one kind and let everyone compare — which is exactly why kababs are the backbone of our catering trays.
Grilled or Rolled?
Two ways to order, and they suit different moods.
On a platter — the kabab arrives as the centre of the plate with naan and sides. This is the version to sit down with, and the version worth ordering if you want to actually taste the difference between a seekh and a chapli.
In a roll — the kabab is wrapped in paratha with chutney and onion and handed to you. This is street food in the literal sense: one hand, no cutlery, walking. Our Bihari and Shami rolls are built for this, and so is the Seekh Fry roll.
Neither is more authentic than the other. Karachi does both, constantly.
Where to Get Karachi Kabab in Chicago
We are at 2301 W Devon Avenue, in the middle of the Devon corridor, and we are open every day from noon until 2 AM.
Devon is the place to eat this food in Chicago — it has been the Pakistani and Indian heart of the North Side for decades — and kababs are one of the things it does best. If you are coming from Rogers Park, West Ridge, Skokie or Evanston, we are a short drive, and the 155 Devon bus runs the length of the street.
Order at the counter, order ahead for pickup, or have it delivered — delivery runs through Uber, and whether we reach your address, plus the fee and the timing, is calculated when you enter it at checkout. Kababs travel better than almost anything else we cook, which is why they are our most-ordered late-night item.
For catering and large trays, call us at (773) 856-3600.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Karachi kabab?
Karachi kabab is a family of spiced minced-meat dishes — seekh, chapli, reshmi, bihari and shami — that are grilled or fried and usually eaten with naan or rolled in paratha with chutney. They are a cornerstone of Karachi street food.
What is the difference between seekh kabab and chapli kabab?
Seekh kabab is mince pressed onto a skewer and grilled, so it is cylindrical and juicy. Chapli kabab is pressed flat and shallow-fried with tomato, onion and coriander seed, so it is crisp-edged and much more textured. Seekh is the smoother of the two; chapli is the more rustic.
Are your kababs halal?
Yes. Everything we serve is 100% Zabiha Halal.
Which Karachi kabab is the least spicy?
Reshmi kabab. It is chicken mince worked with cream and mild spice, grilled soft, and it is the mildest kabab we make — the usual recommendation for anyone avoiding heat, including kids.
Where can I get kabab near me late at night in Chicago?
We serve kababs until 2 AM every day at 2301 W Devon Avenue, for dine-in, pickup or Uber delivery. Late-night kabab rolls are one of the most common orders we take after midnight.