Pakistani · Devon Avenue
By Monty Khas, Anonymous Critic. Pays every bill.
Devon Avenue is Chicago's South Asian main street, a long stretch of sari shops, sweet shops, grocery stores and restaurants on the city's far North Side. Plenty of them are worth a visit, but if you only have time for one Pakistani meal, make it Sabri Nihari.
The story
Sabri Nihari opened in 1996, and it's still family-owned, run with the kind of consistency that keeps the same families coming back for decades. It sits at the corner of Devon and Campbell avenues, and it's a gathering place for Chicago's Pakistani community, especially on weekends.
The vibe
Sabri is casual and comfortable. It's not fancy, and it doesn't need to be. The food is the draw.
What to eat
Start with the nihari, the dish the restaurant is named for. Beef is slow-cooked for hours in a deeply spiced gravy until it's meltingly tender, then finished with a slick of ghee. Top it with fresh ginger, green chilies and a squeeze of lime, and scoop it up with hot naan. It's rich, warming and the kind of dish that's best shared.
Frontier chicken is the other must-order, best with garlicky naan and a side of dal. Chicken boti, marinated and grilled, is smoky and juicy, and the karahi chicken brings plenty of heat. Seekh kebabs and biryani round out the menu, and crispy vegetable pakoras make a great start while you wait.
Before you go
Sabri Nihari is at 2502 West Devon Avenue and is open daily from noon until late. The restaurant is halal-certified, and street parking along Devon can be tricky, so give yourself a few extra minutes. Afterward, take a walk down Devon for sweets and chai.
Why it matters
Pakistani food often gets folded into Indian menus, but on Devon Avenue, it stands proudly on its own. Sabri Nihari has been a big part of that story for nearly three decades, and its nihari is still the best way to understand why.
The Quick Fix
What to order: Sabri nihari (beef); frontier chicken; chicken boti; karahi chicken; seekh kebab; vegetable pakora; biryani; fresh naan
Pricing: Budget. Big plates at neighborhood prices.
Best for: Families, nihari lovers, halal diners, big groups and anyone exploring Devon Avenue
How it compares: Chicago's nihari benchmark; more of a sit-down meal than Ghareeb Nawaz; more traditional than anything else on this list
See where Sabri Nihari ranks: The Best Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi Restaurants in Chicago: Our Top 10 for 2026
The food was always this good. We're just paying attention.