As far as food cities are concerned, Cincinnati is quickly making a name for itself with interesting and diverse ideas, from fine dining to casual and everything in between. One of the most tantalizing new arrivals is Hurry Curry, a fast-casual fusion pop-up in Madisonville that serves curry flavors inspired by Asia and the Middle East in forms such as customizable burritos and bowls. I pitched it to friends and family as “Chipotle, but with Indian food,” but that description may be too simplistic.
When I say Hurry Curry is a hidden gem, I am, in part, referring to location. I wasn’t familiar with Madisonville, and I got a bit turned around looking for the unassuming pop-up, which is located at 6756 Bramble Ave. next to a residential area and across the street from a UDF store. Two doors down is Bramble Bubbly, a bubble tea shop. The area is developing, and the building itself is tiny, with a to-go window and no indoor seating. Customers who wish to “dine in” can sit at a few small tables next to the street. Thankfully, I went on a pleasantly warm October day, perfect for sitting outside. It would be easy to write Hurry Curry off or to miss it entirely, but that would be a mistake.
The setup may be humble, but the offerings are anything but. The menu is small, allowing the restaurant to focus on doing a few things exceptionally well. Customers pick their style (burrito, bowl, naan pizza or a rotating special, with a bento box option coming soon); their base (red curry, yellow curry, spicy green curry and rotating specials such as sweet and spicy chili and sweet potato-based white curry); their toppings (crispy fried onions, sliced jalapenos, a special spice blend, black seed, crushed red pepper and cayenne); and extras such as a grilled naan, rice or a naan grilled cheese. Most of the options are vegetarian or vegan, making the restaurant accessible to a variety of diets, but the robust flavors could win over even the most hardcore meat fan. (If you just can’t go without meat, some of the rotating specials, like the ground beef-based sweet and spicy chili and the self-explanatory beans and sausage, do include it.) The curry flavors evoke faraway places in South Asia and the Middle East — flavors that may not be familiar to every Cincinnatian, but with sides that are comforting and familiar, making Hurry Curry the perfect restaurant for both the most adventurous eater and someone taking baby steps out of their comfort zone.
The naan grilled cheese ($6) was a no-brainer. I love naan. I love grilled cheese. Of course, I wanted to try the two put together. When I first went, however, my main dish was a more difficult decision. Owner, chef and server Ryan Saadawi kindly offered me samples of the bases: The red, yellow and green curries, as well as that week’s special, the Middle Eastern chickpea stew. The race was close, but I ultimately went with a spicy green curry burrito ($10).
The naan grilled cheese was everything you want in a grilled cheese: Delicious, oozy and very hot. (Be careful taking the first bite. Let it cool down for a few seconds before jumping right in). It’s the ultimate comfort food, but with a unique twist. I’m a bit of a snob about grilled cheese, but I was impressed both by the taste and the unique twist on a classic. The standout of this meal, however, was the spicy green curry burrito. As I took my first bite of the burrito, I immediately thought, “This was a genius idea.” The ingredients are a perfectly-grilled tortilla, rice and a colorful curry that includes Chinese eggplant, carrot, onion, zucchini, snap pea and butternut squash. It is spicy but not overwhelmingly so, and the flavors reminded me of a Thai curry.
On my second visit, I loaded up, getting options both to eat there and to take to go. For lunch, I had a naan pizza with yellow curry and crushed red pepper ($11). The curry was mild, with only a hint of spice, making it a perfect choice for someone with a lower spice tolerance. It was comprised of lentil, butternut squash, carrot, onion and cauliflower. I don’t even like cauliflower all that much, but I enjoyed this. The provolone, mozzarella and white cheddar topping was perfectly gooey, with a mile-long cheese pull that I underestimated. If you get a naan pizza, get a fork and lots of napkins.
For my to-go order, I got another naan pizza ($11), this one with my beloved green curry, and a bowl with half red curry and half Middle Eastern chickpea curry ($13). At Hurry Curry, you can mix and match two curry bases over rice if you want to get experimental or you just can’t choose. The red curry included potato, sweet potato, butternut squash, carrot and onion; it was delicious, reminiscent of Thai flavors, and the spiciest of all the curries. The potato chunks were tender. The Middle Eastern chickpea curry, on the other hand, was also spicy but with a delicate quality and featured flavorful, sweet tomatoes, garlic and shredded carrots along with the chickpeas. The mix-and-matched bowl was a sweet, spicy, savory and soft sensory delight.
Saadawi opened Hurry Curry because he “missed good, flavorful food,” and the path leading up to that venture is an interesting one. Hailing from Saudi Arabia, he used to be the general manager at the Cheesecakery (owned by his partner Liz Field, who also owns Bramble Bubbly), and he also holds a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Cincinnati. To him, cooking is much like chemistry. It involves combining ingredients under specific conditions and attempting to reproduce certain results. A friend of his had a food truck to spare, so Saadawi asked if he could borrow it. One thing led to another, and Saadawi decided he wanted to create a food concept of his own for under $500. Hurry Curry started as a food truck in early 2020, but when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Saadawi had to recalibrate, though he didn’t forget about the idea entirely (and neither did the food truck’s most devoted fans, who would continuously ask Saadawi if he had plans to bring Hurry Curry back). He spent his newfound free time working with Field at the Cheesecakery and testing recipes for Hurry Curry. In the summer of 2024, he opened the pop-up and brought Hurry Curry back and better than ever.
Hurry Curry has something for everyone. Whether you want a sit-down lunch with friends or need something to take with you and eat on the go, whether you’re an adventurous eater or curious but cautious, Hurry Curry has something for you.
Hurry Curry is currently open from 5-10 p.m. on Thursdays and Sundays and noon-10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
Hurry Curry, 6756 Bramble Ave, Madisonville. More info: hurrycurrycincinnati.square.site.
This story is featured in CityBeat’s Nov. 27 print edition.
This article appears in Nov 27 – Dec 10, 2024.