Fresh cooking
Reviewers describe the food as freshly made, including meals prepared to individual preferences.
Desi Lunch Box
Al Garhoud
Desi Lunch Box is an Indian restaurant in Al Garhoud that reviewers use for a quick, reasonably priced meal around Dubai International Airport’s Terminal 3. The menu stretches beyond Indian staples: customers mention freshly made food, chicken peri peri with fries and hot, refreshing karak tea.
Reputation Score
4.5
★★★★★
175 ratings
Source: Google Maps
The Good Stuff
Quick service
Fast preparation and friendly service make it practical when you have limited time before a flight.
Menu variety
The menu includes Indian, Filipino, Chinese, grilled and vegetarian choices rather than a narrow Indian selection.
Spice flexibility
Staff tried to reduce the heat of a food combo when asked, which is useful if you prefer milder food.
Karak tea
Karak tea is a recurring favourite, described by one customer as hot and refreshing.
Fair pricing
Several airport diners consider the pricing reasonable, especially for a quick meal.
Vegetarian options
Breakfast and vegetarian dishes receive specific praise, alongside Punjabi food at lunch.
Welcoming staff
Multiple reviews describe the staff as friendly, polite and helpful when explaining the menu.
What to Eat at Desi Lunch Box How we choose these items We use AI to find praise and criticism of specific foods and drinks in a selection of Google reviews. For Desi Lunch Box, this list is based on 50 reviews, not every review of the restaurant. The score is positive reviews minus negative reviews. For example, two positive reviews and one negative review give +1. Each review counts once per item; neutral comments do not change the score. A zero score is not a positive recommendation. “Only neutral feedback” means there are no positive or negative votes. “Mixed feedback” means equal numbers of positive and negative votes. The quotes are examples of what people said, not every comment we counted. We use different reviews where we can. We normally show up to 10 foods and 5 drinks with non-negative scores. Items with the same score stay together. If a tied group would go past the limit, that group and the lower non-negative scores go into Honorable mentions. If an overflowing positive top tie would leave the list empty, we show up to 10 items from that tie and keep the rest in Honorable mentions. Foods and drinks with a negative score are under What to Avoid. Use this as a guide to what reviewers liked, not a guarantee that you will like it too.
These items at Desi Lunch Box got the most positive mentions in user reviews. Check them out!
Food 7
-
Chicken 65 meal Net +1
“Chicken 65 Meal is for 30AED, quantity was quite sufficient for one person. This meal was a good choice for me as I was looking for a simple and tasty food. Desi Lunch Box really made my lunch better😜, Must try!”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Chicken 65 Meal is for 30AED, quantity was quite sufficient for one person. This meal was a good choice for me as I was looking for a simple and tasty food. Desi Lunch Box really made my lunch better😜, Must try!”January 2022
-
Chicken tikka masala Net +1
“Thank you Mohamed Amjad for your hospitality, taking your time to explain what’s in the menu and recommending your signature chicken tikka masala dish, it was super delicious, we need to see more of Desi Lunchbox in other locations, well done.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Thank you Mohamed Amjad for your hospitality, taking your time to explain what’s in the menu and recommending your signature chicken tikka masala dish, it was super delicious, we need to see more of Desi Lunchbox in other locations, well done.”October 2025
-
Corn soup Net +1
“Ordered the prawn noodles and corn soup. Both turned out very good and fresh! The staff are friendly too. Highly recommend.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Ordered the prawn noodles and corn soup. Both turned out very good and fresh! The staff are friendly too. Highly recommend.”September 2024
-
Pasta penne tomato Net +1
“The service, cleanliness and food was absolutely fantastic,serving freshly cook straight from there kitchen is so awesome and tasty the Pasta Penne Tomato 🤩 specially mention to their staff WARIS 😎 wohoo!!”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The service, cleanliness and food was absolutely fantastic,serving freshly cook straight from there kitchen is so awesome and tasty the Pasta Penne Tomato 🤩 specially mention to their staff WARIS 😎 wohoo!!”January 2025
-
Potato with paratha Net +1
“today i had has potato with paratha after eat food i miss family thank you desi lunch bux”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“today i had has potato with paratha after eat food i miss family thank you desi lunch bux”January 2025
-
Prawn noodles Net +1
“Ordered the prawn noodles and corn soup. Both turned out very good and fresh! The staff are friendly too. Highly recommend.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Ordered the prawn noodles and corn soup. Both turned out very good and fresh! The staff are friendly too. Highly recommend.”September 2024
-
Tapsilog Net +1
“Tapsilog is my favourite in the menu-The beef is so tender ,the egg is not so well done-super love it & because rice is life😊.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Tapsilog is my favourite in the menu-The beef is so tender ,the egg is not so well done-super love it & because rice is life😊.”February 2025
Drinks 1
-
Karak tea Net +3
“Waris is very friendly .. the restaurant has more varieties of foods…love Karak tea here!”
Positive 3Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Waris is very friendly .. the restaurant has more varieties of foods…love Karak tea here!”January 2025
“When i came here i feel like as home .i have fabulous relationships with karak tea and staf so friendly. 😋😋”February 2025
What to Avoid (3)
Food 3
-
Grilled chicken Net −1
“The portion was very small — just a few dry pieces of grilled chicken and a few slices of cucumber and carrot. Definitely not worth the money.”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“The portion was very small — just a few dry pieces of grilled chicken and a few slices of cucumber and carrot. Definitely not worth the money.”October 2025
-
Veg biryani Net −1
“Veg Biryani and Veg hakka Noodles did not have any salt in it.”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“Veg Biryani and Veg hakka Noodles did not have any salt in it.”April 2024
-
Veg hakka noodles Net −1
“Veg Biryani and Veg hakka Noodles did not have any salt in it.”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“Veg Biryani and Veg hakka Noodles did not have any salt in it.”April 2024
Tips for a Better Visit
Check availability. Before ordering a Bombay Toastie, ask whether green chutney and beetroot are available so omissions are clear upfront.
Request mild. If you prefer less spice, say so when ordering; one customer asked for a milder combo and staff tried to adjust it.
Allow time. Avoid arriving at the last minute during busy or disrupted periods; one airport visit involved a queue and a further 30–45 minute wait.
Check takeaway. If taking food away, check the bag before leaving: a reviewer had to return after an item was left on the counter.
Try karak. Karak tea is a straightforward add-on if you want a hot drink with your meal; one review calls it hot and refreshing.
Find the counter. The restaurant is in the Terminal 3 food court near departure entrance 4, inside the airport before check-in.
Plan the visit
Practical details
Terminal 3 Departure ركن المطاعم
Dubai Int'l Airport, Dubai
| Mon | 12:00 AM – 12:00 PM |
| Tue | 12:00 AM – 12:00 PM |
| Wed | 12:00 AM – 12:00 PM |
| Thu | 12:00 AM – 12:00 PM |
| Fri | 12:00 AM – 12:00 PM |
| Sat | 12:00 AM – 12:00 PM |
| Sun | 12:00 AM – 12:00 PM |
Common Concerns
Missing ingredients
A Bombay Toastie arrived without green chutney or beetroot, and the customer was only told chutney was unavailable afterward.
Small portion
One customer paid 25 AED for a small serving of dry grilled chicken with a few vegetable slices.
Inconsistent service
Reviews include complaints about an incomplete takeaway bag and a counter worker who did not apologise.
Long waits
During heavy rain, one customer reported waiting 30 minutes in line plus another 30 to 45 minutes for the food.
Order dispute
One review alleges an item was added to the bill despite a verbal confirmation that it had not been ordered.
Customer-reported prices
These are customer-reported mentions, not a current price list. Prices may have changed.
30AED
Chicken 65 Meal
“Chicken 65 Meal is for 30AED, quantity was quite sufficient for one person”Google review · January 2022
DXB
LOCAL
LOCAL
The Bottom Line
Desi Lunch Box is an Indian restaurant in Al Garhoud with a useful airport location in Dubai International Airport’s Terminal 3. It suits travellers and airport workers looking for a quick meal, with reviewers mentioning freshly cooked food, reasonable pricing and service that is often fast even when the area is busy. There is more than one lane of food here.
Customers order Indian favourites such as chicken tikka masala, vegetarian and Punjabi dishes, alongside chicken peri peri with fries. Filipino food, Chinese noodles and grilled options widen the choice, while karak tea is a popular lighter stop. Tapsilog and Pasta Penne Tomato also receive individual mentions.
The main caution is consistency. A Bombay Toastie arrived without its green chutney and beetroot, one reviewer found a 25 AED grilled-chicken portion too small, and another had to return for missing takeaway food. A separate complaint described bland, unsalted vegetarian dishes after a very long wait during heavy rain.
Check ingredients and takeaway bags before leaving, and allow extra time during busy periods. If you like milder food, ask for less heat when ordering; staff have tried to accommodate that request.