Big Burritos & Big Dreams As Curry Up Now Arrives In Elk Grove

Curry Up Now, Elk Grove’s newest restaurant located in The Ridge shopping plaza, got off to a great start at its Jan 25 grand opening ceremony.

They promise to shake up how you look at Indian cuisine so get ready for dishes with a dash of attitude, fun and the right amount of naughty.

“We’re about doing things a little bit differently. But we take our food very seriously,” says Curry Up Now Chief Executive Officer, Akash Kapoor. He believes people will love what the franchise has in store for Elk Grove.

Forget the usual ribbon cutting. Franchise owners David and Heather Leuterio opted for a 7-foot-long burrito cutting instead. That’s right – A burrito.

Curry Up Now rolled out a giant chicken tikka masala to celebrate its opening. It’s the restaurant’s best selling dish. And trust us, the one off the menu is still huge.

“This is a first,” said Elk Grove Mayor Bobbie Singh Allen who praised the restaurant’s investment in Elk Grove’s community.

“Small businesses are the backbone of our city. I will be coming here often because I am a proud Indian American who moved to this country when I was four years old. To have wonderful street food right here in our city is very exciting.”
Elk Grove Mayor Bobbie Singh Allen

A New Dining Experience

Kapoor and his wife, Rana, founded Curry Up Now in 2009 with one food truck and a fast casual concept. This approach focuses on fresh, high-quality food minus the full table service. To that end, it is executed in an informal setting offering counter service in an effort to keep things speedy. The restaurant has 13 locations across the country, including one in mid town Sacramento.

Their menu is a fun twist on Indian street food inspired by their food truck roots. As a grand opening promotion, they gave away 1,000 burritos and burrito bowls. But there’s a whole lot more on the list worth checking out.

“We may be brick and mortar now, but we still have that kind of fun, food truck flair twist on traditional Indian food. We don’t want people to think that we’re not traditional Indian. We are. But we just like to play around with it a little bit.”
-Heather Leuterio, Elk Grove franchise owner

The Ridge keeps on growing

Curry Up Now is located in The Ridge shopping center and the city’s fastest up-and-coming retail shopping center with 90 percent of the buildings leased. Costco anchors the 382,00 square-foot site, which includes: Olive Garden, West Coast Sourdough, Crumbl Cookies and Buffalo Wild Wings. Also coming to the The Ridge are: LA Fitness, Chipotle, In-N-Out and Amazon Fresh. The center is proof of the city’s growing economy.

“Brands like these are key to increasing our retail footprint. That’s good for the city’s bottom line,” said Elk Grove’s Economic Development Director, Darrell Doan.

Let’s talk about that food!

Sampling the food took place a few days before the celebration. Meat lovers, vegetarians, vegans and those on gluten-free and halal diets will go nuts over the extensive menu. Don’t expect food truck prices, but considering the amount of food, it’s a pretty good deal.

First thing, the samosas. These small bites taste so good because of the combination of the crispy exterior and the amazing fillings offered.

This samosa order tasted like a perfect flaky empenada-like pastry. Filling for the day included curried potatoes and chutneys, but ground lamb keena is also available.

A prime example of Curry Up Now’s unique take on traditional favorites is indicative in their twist on a, “Chicken 65.” Well, the “Punjabi Chicken 69” is the naughty take on the South Indian appetizer of deep friend marinated chicken.

Something this good can’t be that naughty, right?

There’s plenty of larger platters to choose from as well. For example, the “Death by Tikka Masala, which offers a hefty serving of chicken tikka masala, and paneer tikka masala. Additionally, when opting for the combo version then it’s a choice of either daal lentils or chana. There’s also turmeric rice, fryums and kulcha naan.

If ordering the platter, prepare to go home nice and full.

Speaking of masala, be sure to not pass on the hands-down best selling item on the menu – the chicken tikka masala burrito. You’ll need both hands to properly eat it because it is huge. It’s no wonder the owners picked it as the center of the grand opening celebration.

After eating so much, it’s time to wash things down. Go for one or more jars of mango lassi. It’s a cool and refreshing creamy mix of mango, yogurt, a tad of sugar and a sprinkle of cardamom.

A nice place to dine

The food is the star of the show, but it helps that the restaurant itself has a welcoming environment. There’s an immediate upbeat vibe upon entering. The background music on this particular day jumps from Indian hip-hop to Lionel Ritchie’s “Dancing on the Ceiling.” The staff, which numbers about 20 thus far, is young, friendly and know their stuff. Don’t forget to tip them because they certainly work pretty hard!

It’s a hard working crew at Curry Up Now. This staffer busily handed out samples for the people lined up around the building during the Jan. 25 grand opening celebration.

There’s room for 30 hungry mouths inside the place and up to 40 people can hang out on the patio. That’s a good thing. The number of patrons has grown since November’s soft opening.

David Leuterio said he is looking forward to being a part of the Elk Grove community for a long time.

“It’s exciting. It’s fun to open a new store,” said the Sacramento region native who grew up in the Pocket neighborhood. “We would always come to Elk Grove. It’s an area I’ve wanted to have a store in. I think it’s important to have a diverse offering here. For the community, it gives them more options.”

A food truck in a restaurant. What a great idea.

Curry Up Now

7470 Elk Grove Blvd #120, Elk Grove, CA 95757
11 a.m. – 9 p.m., Monday through Sunday
Order pick-up or delivery directly!
(279)-333-7406
http://www.curryupnow.com/