Pakistani dishes
Traditional Pakistani cooking is the main draw, with reviews praising balanced spices, generous portions and fresh naan.
Taj Al Madinah Restaurant - Qusais
Al Qusais
Taj Al Madinah Restaurant - Qusais is a small Pakistani restaurant in Al Qusais, serving traditional Pakistani food alongside fast-food favourites. Reviews especially point to beef nihari, butter chicken and shawarma, with budget-friendly meals and a monthly mess option also available.
Reputation Score
4.3
★★★★☆
127 ratings
Source: Google Maps
The Good Stuff
Beef nihari
Beef nihari is singled out as an especially strong choice, with one customer calling it the best they had tried.
Butter chicken
Butter chicken has a loyal following, including an office that regularly orders it and a customer who missed it while abroad.
Shawarma
Chicken shawarma is repeatedly praised, including by reviewers who called it amazing and the best they had eaten in the UAE.
Small setting
This is a compact, traditional hotel-style restaurant with around twenty seats rather than a large dining room.
Monthly mess
The monthly mess offers breakfast, lunch and dinner, and one customer reported paying AED 350 for a full month.
Home delivery
A review describes three daily mess meals delivered to the door without delivery charges.
What to Eat at Taj Al Madinah Restaurant - Qusais 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 Taj Al Madinah Restaurant - Qusais, 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 Taj Al Madinah Restaurant - Qusais got the most positive mentions in user reviews. Check them out!
Food 2
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Shawarma Net +3
“Very good and amazing food ! I tried shawarma and it was amazing”
Positive 3Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Very good and amazing food ! I tried shawarma and it was amazing”March 2024
“Wallah Best shawarma i had in all UAE! A hidden gem”February 2019
-
Butter chicken Net +2
“I like Your Butter Chicken Very Much, Very Good Taste. Our office management whenever need to order best Pakistani food they order from Ghafat. Now I am In Islamabad Pakistan but really miss your butter chicken.”
Positive 2Negative 0
Review excerpts
“I like Your Butter Chicken Very Much, Very Good Taste. Our office management whenever need to order best Pakistani food they order from Ghafat. Now I am In Islamabad Pakistan but really miss your butter chicken.”August 2024
“, With this they prepare wide range of dishes in that I tasted butter chicken that was good in taste.”December 2024
Honorable mentions (18)
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Beef nehari Net +1
“The best beef nehari that you will ever have must try..budget friendly less than AED 15”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The best beef nehari that you will ever have must try..budget friendly less than AED 15”January 2026
-
Biryani Net +1
“Wow, Very Delicious food, specially Green Chilli, Kabab Masala, Pulaaao, Mutton Karahi & Biryani.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Wow, Very Delicious food, specially Green Chilli, Kabab Masala, Pulaaao, Mutton Karahi & Biryani.”March 2024
-
Burger Net +1
“Sandwich is also good, then I tasted burger that was also nice, stuffing was good with satisfied amount of Currys.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Sandwich is also good, then I tasted burger that was also nice, stuffing was good with satisfied amount of Currys.”December 2024
-
Chicken biryani Net +1
“The food was full of authentic Pakistani flavors — especially the Chicken Biryani and Nihari, which were cooked to perfection.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The food was full of authentic Pakistani flavors — especially the Chicken Biryani and Nihari, which were cooked to perfection.”May 2025
-
Chicken chilli Net +1
“Chicken chilli was the best .”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Chicken chilli was the best .”April 2024
-
Chicken shawarma Net +1
“Very Tasty Chicken Shawarma 🥰”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Very Tasty Chicken Shawarma 🥰”March 2024
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Chicken twister Net +1
“Best chicken twister ever 😚😍😋”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Best chicken twister ever 😚😍😋”March 2018
-
Green chilli Net +1
“Wow, Very Delicious food, specially Green Chilli, Kabab Masala, Pulaaao, Mutton Karahi & Biryani.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Wow, Very Delicious food, specially Green Chilli, Kabab Masala, Pulaaao, Mutton Karahi & Biryani.”March 2024
-
Gulab jamun Net +1
“I also tried their Gulab Jamun, and it was the perfect sweet ending to the meal.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“I also tried their Gulab Jamun, and it was the perfect sweet ending to the meal.”May 2025
-
Kabab masala Net +1
“Wow, Very Delicious food, specially Green Chilli, Kabab Masala, Pulaaao, Mutton Karahi & Biryani.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Wow, Very Delicious food, specially Green Chilli, Kabab Masala, Pulaaao, Mutton Karahi & Biryani.”March 2024
-
Mutton kadai Net +1
“The mutton kadai is very tasty.You must taste it once.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The mutton kadai is very tasty.You must taste it once.”March 2024
-
Mutton karahi Net +1
“Wow, Very Delicious food, specially Green Chilli, Kabab Masala, Pulaaao, Mutton Karahi & Biryani.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Wow, Very Delicious food, specially Green Chilli, Kabab Masala, Pulaaao, Mutton Karahi & Biryani.”March 2024
-
Naan Net +1
“The spices were balanced, the portions were generous, and the naan was fresh and fluffy.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The spices were balanced, the portions were generous, and the naan was fresh and fluffy.”May 2025
-
Nihari Net +1
“The food was full of authentic Pakistani flavors — especially the Chicken Biryani and Nihari, which were cooked to perfection.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The food was full of authentic Pakistani flavors — especially the Chicken Biryani and Nihari, which were cooked to perfection.”May 2025
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Parrota sandwich Net +1
“I really love the shawarma and parrota sandwich... It's new shop we tried a once really awesome.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“I really love the shawarma and parrota sandwich... It's new shop we tried a once really awesome.”July 2020
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Prawns twister Net +1
“The Prawns Twister is to die for. The best seafood wrap I ever had.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The Prawns Twister is to die for. The best seafood wrap I ever had.”March 2018
-
Pulaaao Net +1
“Wow, Very Delicious food, specially Green Chilli, Kabab Masala, Pulaaao, Mutton Karahi & Biryani.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Wow, Very Delicious food, specially Green Chilli, Kabab Masala, Pulaaao, Mutton Karahi & Biryani.”March 2024
-
Sandwich Net +1
“Sandwich is also good, then I tasted burger that was also nice, stuffing was good with satisfied amount of Currys.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Sandwich is also good, then I tasted burger that was also nice, stuffing was good with satisfied amount of Currys.”December 2024
Drinks 2
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Coffee Net +1
“Coffee and Tea is good.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Coffee and Tea is good.”December 2024
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Tea Net +1
“Coffee and Tea is good.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Coffee and Tea is good.”December 2024
What to Avoid (1)
Food 1
-
Family meal Net −1
“We order for family a family meal called and asked as well "will it b enough for 4 people" they were like it will enough for 5 people as well.”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“We order for family a family meal called and asked as well "will it b enough for 4 people" they were like it will enough for 5 people as well.”April 2022
Tips for a Better Visit
Try nihari. Start with the beef nihari if you want the most specifically praised dish; one review also places it below AED 15.
Check portions. Before ordering a family meal, confirm the serving size and every included item, especially drinks.
Consider delivery. If seating is limited, ask about home delivery; a review says the three-meal mess was delivered without a delivery charge.
Expect intimacy. Plan for a compact dining room with roughly twenty seats, rather than a spacious restaurant setting.
Plan the visit
Practical details
PTC Building Qusais - Shop No.5 Damascus Street - near daily restaurant
Al Qusais Ind. First, Dubai
| Mon | 5:00 AM – 12:30 AM |
| Tue | 5:00 AM – 12:30 AM |
| Wed | 5:00 AM – 12:30 AM |
| Thu | 5:00 AM – 12:30 AM |
| Fri | 5:00 AM – 12:30 AM |
| Sat | 5:00 AM – 12:30 AM |
| Sun | 5:00 AM – 12:30 AM |
Common Concerns
Service concerns
Several reviews report poor or ill-mannered service, so the front-of-house experience appears less consistent than the food.
Furniture
One customer reported broken furniture alongside service and taste problems.
Portion mismatch
A family meal described as enough for five was reported to be insufficient for two, and the promised cold drink was missing.
Mixed quality
While many reviews praise the food, others describe it as average, below average or simply not good.
DXB
LOCAL
LOCAL
The Bottom Line
Taj Al Madinah Restaurant - Qusais is a small Pakistani restaurant in Al Qusais where the clearest reason to visit is straightforward, low-cost comfort food. You can order traditional dishes such as beef nihari, butter chicken, chicken biryani and mutton kadai, or choose faster options such as chicken shawarma. Reviews also mention Indian-style dishes, sandwiches and burgers.
The strongest dish-specific feedback centres on beef nihari and butter chicken. One reviewer called the nihari the best they had ever had and put it below AED 15, while another said an office regularly orders the butter chicken and still missed it from Islamabad. Shawarma also gets repeated praise.
The restaurant is compact, with around twenty seats, so it suits a quick meal or takeaway more than a spacious dine-in occasion. Budget-conscious diners have another option: a monthly mess covering breakfast, lunch and dinner, with one customer reporting AED 350 for the full month. A review also describes door delivery without delivery charges.
Service, however, is uneven. Some customers describe friendly, quick treatment and improvement after new management, while others report poor service, broken furniture and a family meal whose portions and included drink did not match expectations. Confirm order details before relying on a deal.