Coal-Fired Restaurant in T. Nagar, Chennai

Coal-fired grilling, tandoor and kababs

Charcoal is the centre of the kitchen. The grill section runs through service so kababs, tikkas and barbecue plates come off the coal to order rather than sitting under heat. That live fire is what gives the food its smoke, its colour and the slightly charred edges you can taste.

The tandoor handles the kabab range — chicken and mutton kababs, tikkas, grilled paneer and vegetable skewers — along with the bread section: naan, kulcha, roti and stuffed breads baked to order. Because everything is cooked on demand, we recommend calling ahead on busy weekend evenings if you are ordering a large tandoor spread for takeaway.

BBQ specials and the wider menu

Our barbecue specials — including al faham style barbecue chicken — are the dishes most guests come back for, and they are prepared over the same coal. Around them sits a broader menu: soups, veg and non-veg starters, fried rice, noodles, Indian main course gravies, burritos, quesadillas, sandwiches, combo meals and desserts. Not everything is grilled, and we do not pretend otherwise; the grill is the signature, the rest of the kitchen covers Indian, Asian and fusion favourites.

Combos are worth a look at lunch — they pair a grill or main course with rice or bread and are the quickest option if you are eating between errands in Pondy Bazaar. Full prices for every dish are listed on our menu page, and the same prices apply to dine-in and takeaway.

Vegetarian options

Vegetarian guests are not limited to a side dish here. The menu carries veg soups and starters, paneer and vegetable tandoor items, veg fried rice and noodles, veg main course gravies, breads, veg burritos and quesadillas, veg combos and desserts. If you are ordering for a mixed group, a veg tandoor platter with breads and a rice dish usually covers the table comfortably.

Lunch, dinner, family and group dining

We are open every day from 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM for lunch and from 6:00 PM to 11:00 PM for dinner. Lunch is the calmer service and suits quick meals and office groups; dinner is when the grill is busiest and the room fills with families.

The dining room is laid out for family meals and group tables, and we can put tables together for larger parties. For a group of more than about a dozen guests, book ahead by phone so we can plan the seating and pace the kitchen. Bulk orders and party platters are prepared to order — call a day in advance and we will confirm what the kitchen can send out and when.

Takeaway is available throughout opening hours and is packed to hold its heat, which matters for grilled food. If you are collecting on the way home, calling the order through first will save you the wait.

How to reach us in T. Nagar

Hibachi Coal House is on Sivagnanam Street in Pondy Bazaar, T. Nagar, Chennai 600017. From Panagal Park it is a short walk along the pedestrian plaza; from Mambalam Railway Station it is a few minutes by auto. Buses along Usman Road and the wider Pondy Bazaar stretch put you within walking distance, and paid parking is available around the plaza — on weekend evenings, arriving a little earlier makes parking much easier.

If you are driving or using a cab, use the Get directions button on this page to open the exact destination in Google Maps. For anything else — availability, a large order, or directions from where you are — call or message us on WhatsApp and we will help.