Hot & Spicy Grill

I feel like there's potential here. My first couple visits were disappointing. They somehow managed to make a lousy mango lassi. And every kind of bread I've had here has been far too greasy. Yet recently I tried a couple of their chicken entrees, and found that they do the flavors really, really well. Perfectly cooked, and some of the tastiest chicken I've had in a long time. Yet the prices recently went up, and the portions are still very small. The chicken boti, for which I paid $10, was literally just a plate with about eight chunks of chicken on it. Not even any rice. It tasted great, but was somewhere between an appetizer and an entree. Also, among the staff, only the cook tends to show any particular warmth to customers. I know it's nice for any kind of culture to be available in small-town Iowa... but all in all, this place hovers between ""so-so"" and ""decent."" FYI, it's BYO alcohol. more

After eating at the Hot & Spicy Grill twice now, I have to say that I was more than impressed both times. Now, I must say that I am not a big fan of spicy food, however, their option to go mild, medium, spicy made my food perfect for my tastes! Both times dining there I had above average service. They were friendly, incredibly helpful, and attentive to the needs of the table. I understand it can be intimidating to look at a menu that has foreign names of dishes, but the descriptions and pictures help you understand what you are getting. Also, they are more than willing to make suggestions based on what you say you like! The prices are very reasonable, and as a college student that is a must! It is also in a great location. I took my friend here for her birthday lunch, normally we eat at school, and we made it back to class on time. She loved the surprise! I ate the (mild) Mutton Korma the second time (I can't remember the name of the first dish I ate), and I was very happy with my choice. I even had some leftovers to take home for another meal. The food hits taste buds I never knew I had! The spices and seasonings they use are quite unique for what Dubuque has to offer. I recommend trying this restaurant because it is fast becoming my favorite! Support Dubuque's Local Businesses! more

Really excellent food served with authentic Dubquue ambiance. That is... the ambiance is not why you want to go there. I understand that the, uh, interesting Egyptian pieces are no longer there, but the overall impression is : We'd rather concentrate on your palette than on the decor. The Mysore Masala Dosa is mind-blowing, as are just about any of the vegetable curries, with the Kadai Bhandi (Okra, onion, tomato and spices) a real eye-opener. Both Naan and chapati were excellent as well. Service is leisurely, to be sure, but then, you should make a point of spending at least a couple of hours to really enjoy the full richness of the meal. Bring your own beer/wine. I do hope that ""Disappointed"" (below) will come back and give the place another try. Obviously there were some issues to work out, but we've been really pleased every time, to the point of now have a standing bi-weekly dinner with friends! more

I haven't always been one for Indian food, but this is such a delightful and tasteful restaurant. \r They have an array of options on the menu--catering to everyone's needs. And they use Italian saffron--the best this world has to offer! (I suggest the Hyderabadi mutton biryani or the chicken boti)\r HOT AND SPICY can mean mild, medium, or spicy :) I had everything mild and I LOVED IT! \r \r I think a little culture is good for Dubuque! You MUST GO! more

Must try great food. Won't find anything better more

First let me say my husband is a Chef and we have both worked in the service industry for years. We understand the difficulties when opening a new place but what happened here was uncalled for. \r \r It first took about 10 minutes before anyone even offered us a seat. We could tell the server, who we later realized was also cooking, was overwhelmed and we didnt mind waiting within reason.\r \r The Awful\r \r We were sat a dirty table after waiting for ten minutes.\r Took 30 minutes before our order was taken, by friends of the owners who showed up after we did. \r We ordered. ten minutes later they came back and said they didnt have what we wanted. Ordered again. Ten minutes later were told THAT wasnt available. Finally found two dishes they did have.\r Cooks yelled at each other entire time. \r Friends of owners were not only seated at a clean table right away, were also served within minutes of arriving. Even after we had been waiting for any sort of food for over an hour. \r After two hours our food arrived, portions were TINY. I thought the cook had sent us a snack while we waited for our food. It wasnt until my husband explained it to me that I realized it WAS our food. I have was shocked. We ate in under 5 minutes. And they brought us the same dish (we ordered different dishes) and portions were different as well.\r \r The weird.\r \r Bizzare amotsphere\r Slowest busser in the history of bussers\r FOH guy had no clue how to work register or credit machine\r Cook was wearing sandals\r \r The good\r \r The Nan bread was DELICIOUS\r Staff seemed nice\r \r After all of this craziness I was still willing to give this place another chance untill the owner told me this was his second place. If he already opened a location he should know better than to open when you are understaffed, dont have most of the dishes on the menu available, staff is not trained, and DONT SERVE YOUR FRIENDS WHEN OTHER PEOPLE HAVE BEEN WAITING!\r \r I would like to go back but will have to hear some better reviews first. Pros: Great Nan Bread Cons: Everything else more

WE HAD VISITED IOWA RECENTLY AND I WAS IN SEARCH OF A INDIAN FOOD AND I FOUND HOT & SPICY.\r \r THER FOOD IS VERY TASTY. I FOUND HOT & SPICY ONE OF THE BEST THAT I HAD EVER COME ACROSS INDIAN RESTAURANTS ALL OVER UNITED STATES Pros: VERY TASTY FOOD more