Meet Jay Patel | Chef & Owner – Dhaba BBQ
We had the good fortune of connecting with Jay Patel and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Jay, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Honestly, Dhaba BBQ came together on a whim. Whenever we hung-out with friends I was the default grill guy and wings were always a popular request. One friend suggested I start a pop-up and I figured why not?! It was that night the idea, name and concept of Dhaba BBQ was created. I wanted to be able to share the flavors of Indian food with all kinds of people, and change the stereotypical perception of Indian food. I am turning classic Indian dishes into handheld delectables. I think some people find Indian food intimidating particularly if they have never had it or are spicy food averse, but I’m looking to make it approachable to everyone.
When my wife and I moved here just over 3 years ago and we loved exploring the local brewery and food pop-up scene. When we were hanging out at one of our favorite breweries (Roundtrip Brewing) we mentioned the idea of our pop-up to the staff and to our surprise they loved the indian fusion BBQ concept and invited to host our very first pop-up in December 2023! Some of the creations that we since come up with include the Tandoori Chicken Sandos, an Indian Cheesesteak, Pulled Butter Chicken Sandos, Nihari Beef Burgers, Tikka Lamb Chops, Chicken 65 Wings, Tamarind Buffalo Wings, Impossible Chaat Masala Sammies and of course the fan favorite Lemon Pepper Masala Wings!
We are both very grateful for the tremendous growth we have had in last 10 months and how many people have shown us support! Dhaba BBQ is a passion project of mine, and with a full time job and adding the newest addition to our family coming in March 2025, we look forward to continuing to navigate building our business and brand.
What should our readers know about your business?
There are so many Indian restaurants in the metro ATL and surrounding area but not a lot, if any that are have a BBQ flair. We wanted to use the same flavors profiles used in common vegetarian and Indian chicken dishes and use them on lamb, beef and handheld dishes. This past month we did a collaboration project with Howard Hsu and Anita Hsu at Sweet Auburn BBQ where we finally got to release our Pulled Butter Chicken Sandos and Tikka Lamb Chops!
The idea of a Indian fusion bbq initially was a hard concept to convey as a pop-up particularly at breweries where space is limited and the idea of Indian fusion BBQ isn’t really well known. It was is definitely hard in the beginning to market our brand when our platform was still being built. With time, good food and repeat customers (some social media too!) the word has spread and we have really created a footprint in the pop-up scene. It is humbling when we are repeatedly asked where our brick an mortar is or when do we plan on opening a restaurant. Who knows, maybe one day Dhaba BBQ will grew bigger but in the meantime we have more delicious creations to think of!
Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Having just moved here from Chicago 3 years ago, I’m blessed that my best friend Krsna visits us regularly! Shout out to him also because he flew down just to present for our very first pop-up. Unfortunately we haven’t had any luck in convincing him to move down here…yet.
We are both gym bros so that’s usually where we go first thing in the morning or hiking along the Chattahoochee River. After that is definitely a local coffee shop including some of favorites near our house including Rev Coffee, Marietta Coffee Company, or Cafe Comma. Frazie’s Meat & Market is our go to sammy spot for lunch or a banh mi from Lee’s Bakery. Antico’s Pizza is also a frequent favorite when he’s in town but BBQ is a MUST when he visits and without a doubt Heirloom BBQ makes the lists!
We are both beer fanatics and always hit up Monday night brewing, roundtrip brewing, and little cottage brewing!
Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
First and foremost, I need to start out with Mrs. Dhaba, AKA my wife, Niki! She has shown me nothing but love and support on this journey. She always dedicates her weekends to help with our pop-ups in addition to her full time job. As she likes to tell customers, “it’s a labor a love.” Fun fact — she actually is responsible for coining the name Dhaba BBQ!
The first brewery to graciously host us for our first pop-up cannot go unmentioned — Roundtrip Brewing Company! The staff at Roundtrip are generous, friendly and accommodating. We continue to pop-up at Roundtrip and their support motivates us to keep going!
Two individuals that really launched Dhaba BBQ to the next level are Sam Flemming and Sydney Sevdalis. They have both given us so much support and many resources to make Dhaba BBQ what it is today. Sam, the creator of Punk Foodie, an Atlanta pop-up restaurant curator and storytelling platform invited us to host multiple pop-ups at their Ponce City Market stall. Our experience with Punk Foodie really expanded our reach and grew our audience. Sydney also started a supper club at her neighborhood coffee shop, Greenbeans ATL! We had the privilege to pop-up there, and got featured by Henna Bakshi of Eater Atlanta for “some of the best food I ate this month!” We continue to work with both Sam and Sydney as they are wonderful individuals that support great causes including FlavorForward, an organization that helps give food to those in need and address food insecurity.
Every venue that has allowed up to pop-up deserves a huge shoutout: Stoutbrothers Smyrna, Little Cottage Brewing, Sweet Auburn BBQ, Contrast Artisan Ales, Independent Distilling, The Chai Box, Properhop Taphouse, and Little Cottage Brewing.
Last but not least: the amazing individuals we have met during our pop-ups. We have made so many friends and connections during our pop-ups and it is always humbling to see a repeat customer that brings a friend (or 2) the next time they visit us.
Instagram: thedhababbq
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