Food in India is synonymous with the joy of the journey. It forms an integral part of every trip. The Dhabas are the natural energy boosters as you zip past miles of highways and look forward to a delicious stopover at a Highway Dhaba and rejuvenate your hungry souls with a delightful grab of food. Dhabas are earthy and nothing fancy. They offer down-to-earth, humble facilities and serve homemade food to highway travelers.
The Dhabas in Himachal Pradesh are extremely famous with road travelers who travel at their convenient times, any time of the day, and stopover at these roadside dhabas for meal breaks. These dhabas are almost always very pocket-friendly and offer a delightful range of authentic Indian dishes cooked fresh and using traditional recipes rich in Indian spices.
Giani Da Dhaba
Giani Da Dhaba is situated on NH 22 Dharampur, Kasauli, India. Gyani Da Dhaba, as is most dhabas, will not be offering the best of ambiance and luxuries, but you will definitely savor the fresh and aromatic flavors of yummy food. The dhaba serves good food that is extremely affordable and thus eating in this dhaba is easy on pockets and hence attracts all kinds of highways tourists and travelers.
Dishes that you should definitely try in this dhaba are Anda Bhurji or scrambled egg cooked in the Indian way, chicken dishes cooked in Indian spices the traditional way, paranthas with extra butter and the famous Indian dessert of ‘kulfi’. This dhaba dates back many years and since the last 50 years, this dhaba has been serving finger-licking good delicacies.
Karnal Haveli
Karnal Haveli, Murthal, NH 1 is less of a dhaba and more of the likes of a grand restaurant. Karnal Haveli is more than a dhaba. Karnal Haveli is another treasure of good food and good life in Murthal. The construction is stupefying and looks grand and impressive.
It is uniquely modeled after a ‘haveli’ or the palatial abodes of the Mughals or Indian royal families. Haveli serves authentic Punjabi cuisines and is a favorite food haunt of the locals too. There is an amusement park in the premises to keep the children engaged. Some special dishes of Karnal Haveli that you should not miss are Kadhi and Amritsari Chole. This dhaba can be accessed while on a Shimla Tour from Delhi.
Firangi Dhaba
Firangi Dhaba is located at NH 20 Pathankot-Dharamshala Highway and is an excellent choice for lunch and dinner on your way to the famous hill stations of Himachal Pradesh. This dhaba offers mouth-watering and many different varieties of Indian and international cuisines along with traditional Himachali delicacies. The dhaba also has soothing music at the background and an appropriate ambiance for a cool meal on your journey.
Even a simple dish of Dal Makhani, which is Lentils cooked in butter, attains a divine status in this dhaba and leaves guests thoroughly licking their fingers. The place has renovated itself with even more plush interiors and the quality of food has gone up a step higher leaving people, who stopover here, really happy and satisfied. There are diehard fans of this dhaba who keep on repeating their visits for authentic Indian, non-veg, or rather Punjabi, dishes such as Dhuni chicken and Khatta Murg.
Chachu Da Dhaba
Chachu Da Dhaba is located at Nh-22, Kumarhatti Barog Road, Barog, Solan. Even though the dhaba might not be boasting a world-class ambiance (which in any case Indians won’t be looking for when they stopover in a dhaba to grab a bite during their road trips), the dhaba offers very high-quality food.
The ambiance is average and having a tasty parantha at Chachu Da Dhaba is worth the stop. The paranthas are big, heavy, oily and delicious. This dhabas are extremely popular among the locals and tourists alike and the greatest demand is for tasty paranthas. The local name along with the local cuisines served here brands the dhaba as very Indian and very local.
Fun N Food Restaurant
Fun N Food Restaurant at Hamirpur Road, Una Ho, and is a cheerful place for hearty meals. The dhaba was established in the year 2015. The dhaba is an ideal place serving delicious food that can satiate various kinds of food choices and food cravings. The strategic location of the dhaba always keeps it busily active with quite a large number of Highway passengers or tourists dropping by all through the day right from 7 am in the morning to 23.30 in the night. Even the local food connoisseurs haunt this place frequently.
Pahalwan Dhaba Murthal
Pahalwan Dhaba Murthal is located at NH 1, en route to Chandigarh. The whole region of Murthal has an abundant number of spectacular Dhabas offering authentic and delicious Indian and continental food, exceptional beverages and a wide array of desserts to tired and famished tourists, travelers and local gentry.
Pahalwan Dhaba has been serving North Indian delights day in and day out to numerous travelers in India. Relish the desserts and the drinks too. Masala ‘chai’ or tea and ‘lassi’ along with the special parantha will definitely add zing to your travel and food excursion. Budget offerings with rich portions!
Aabshar, before Kandaghat, Kalka – Shimla highway
While traveling on the Shimla Highway you can reach Aabshar, just before Kandaghat, on the Kalka–Shimla Highway. Just after crossing Solan and before turning at Kandaghat on the Kalka–Shimla highway, there is an area having quite a few dhabas in a cluster. Amongst these dhabas, Aabshar is maybe the most popular and is highly recommended for its fresh and homely food, ‘chai’ and prompt service.
Most of the times, while traveling towards a destination, time is a crunch. Aabshar offers in-car service in which you can enjoy the food without even getting off from your car. This is a great ‘chai’ or tea stopover. The smoking hot, delicious fritters or Indian ‘Pakodas’ need to be included in your Shimla tour next time.