The double bun kabob was hearty and nostalgic, very well seasoned. Flavor and richness was there…read more The anda paratha with achaar was straightforward and comforting. The paratha was cooked great, and the achaar added a nice punch that carried the dish, overall executed well. The paratha with chana was satisfying without being overwhelming, although may have benefited from more seasoning. The spicy cheese fries were indulgent, super enjoyable and perfect item to share.

I had a great experience at this restaurant a couple months ago. My mom and I went this week, and I…read morehad their famous Ten Chicken Sandwich. It was pretty huge as always. My mom and I splitted that and the bun kabob double Patties in half so we can try both. The 10 chicken sandwich was undercooked. It was raw. I immediately told the guy and he made me a brand new one and gave my mom and I a free mango lassi. The bun kabob was good, but not the best. After I brought the food home, the burger was cooked. But he gave me the thinnest chicken Patty compared to the ones they usually give (which is pretty big or atleast bigger than the chick fila chicken patty). So I'm a bit disappointed. One the positive side, my husband has never had Bismillah before, so he loved the sandwich and the 10 sauce they use. So we may or may both return. It's up for a debate.

Great service and helpful. Dinner buffet is delicious. My favorite is tikka chicken which is…read moreslightly spicy. And the bone soup is extremely good also. Keer dessert is so good and the cucumber lemonade that I want to work there part time just to learn it. Place is great for families and friends. Regardless if you choose lunch or dinner, thete is on only a small difference. Naan is very healthy.

There are Indo-Pak buffets all around town, but somehow Mezban has managed to stick out with its…read moreunique setup, interesting interior, and not so stellar food. Located in the heart of the the Little India section of Houston (#1), it is semi-hidden in a cluster of desi businesses, neighboring a grocery store and adjacent to a sari shop. Despite all the lackluster experiences, I somehow find myself here one way or another every few months. The dining room feels smaller than what the exterior of the building would have one believe. They do have a larger private room in the back for big groups. The eclectic decor and layout of the buffet is different in comparison to similar spots. It has a cafeteria like feel, but there is really no place that looks like Mezban. On the food front, there is much left to be desired. The salad bar is a little on the sad side but it's made slightly worse when I'm fanning away our winged friends. The samosa chaat looks impressive but it still falls flat a bit. On occasion there are many sandwiches and pani puri, but even those have been disappointing. There hasn't been much relief with the hot foods but there are some areas where they do stand out. They do have a pretty outstanding weekend selection of proteins, whether it's tandoori chicken or seekh kebab. There is fish curry, chole, and korma based curries usually in the mix. I'm not feeling the haleem, which is a popular Pakistani dish; it was just too oily and unappetizing. Almost always they serve kheer or halwa for dessert. It might not seem weird in a dive, but in a restaurant it does seem strange to only serve foam cups for water. This is by no means a deal-breaker but it would go a long way for folks to be able to have slightly larger cups. I think for the price it's a fine choice for a casual lunch or an easy meal. The service could kick it up a notch, but most of the time, the only staff I interact with is whenever I'm paying in the end. __________ (#1) Mahatma Ghandi District aka Hillcroft

Excellent food and service. My father had been telling me about this place for a while now (we…read moredon't live in Houston). Today was the day. I LOVE spicy food and where I live nothing is ever spicy enough. Here, I can legit say it kicked my butt in the very best way. You can order anything mild/medium/ or spicy. I said, "bring it on." They listened. The manchow soup was a wonderful and hearty way to start the meal. I would get it again. The green curry was so delicious. You can get it with chicken, good, or fish. It was so good. It was if Thai curry and traditional Indian curry had a baby. It was perfectly balanced and you could taste the cilantro and curry leaves. I would 200% get this again though next time I may get a little less spicy though I enjoyed it so much. The service was fast and friendly, and the place is spacious and clean. This is a hidden gem for sure if you're looking for delicious Indian and specifically Goan food.

Great food - ordered 9 different dishes for a group of 7. Good portions sizes. Great Service. And…read morevibes. Will be back! Please add Prosecco to your bar list.

Just feels Like Home and have the most dhaabaa style delicious food! Excellent service! Never…read moreforget people Serving there are humans too and they do hell of a job!! Remarkable

Unbelievable experience and hospitality, so we were visiting Houston, and after dinner decided to…read morehave some chai Shai, meetha sheeta, and gup shup masti wasti. We got there around 8:30 and saw dim lights, wondered if they were still open, and went to the counter. There were only two families, hardly 6 people, and the person behind the counter said, of course, no greeting sheeting . She said (loudly) We have only chai and I said I hope so because we came for chai. Since we have never been there, we have no clue what else they serve there. Since we had dinner, we came for only chai or dessert. We ordered 3 chai (different kinds) and started reading their menu after paying them, of course. We liked the menu and told each other we should return for food next time. During that time, one family gets up and leaves without having anything. We said oh well, let's wait for the chai and told our friend, who is Canadian, how our culture is kind of based on hospitality chai. We ask guests if they don't want to eat still you must have chai. Chai is our connection and to learn about each other. Almost 15 or 20 minutes later, chai came, and I asked her if sugar was available. She pointed towards the entrance. "Sugar is over there." So I got up to pick up Cheeni Sheeni, and as soon I returned, the same person said it was 9 0 o'clock and we were closing. I asked, Are you serious? We just got our order. I looked around. One family was still eating food, but she said I have to close the door. It's 9 PM, and we don't get paid for extra time. Oh, she wants us to leave with our chai. I said may I use your sugar? She said yes. Honestly, I have never seen this kind of attitude, and I understand, that it's the owner's fault who doesn't appreciate their workers, and they don't care if a customer left happy or not. We picked up our chai Shai cups and went outside. We decided to drink in the car, but unfortunately, the chai was horrible. So, two of us throw our cups in the trash. It was hot water without flavor. Meanwhile, we apologized to our friend that that's not how our culture or hospitality is, just bad management. We are in the retail business, and once a customer walks in 30 minutes before, we don't ask them to leave the store. I was totally in a fun vacation mood. All I wanted was a good karak chai, some meetha. So are we planning to go back? What do you think?

Raja Sweets is one of those Houston institutions that feels both legendary and deeply local. Tucked…read moreinto Hillcroft's Mahatma Gandhi District, it's been around since the mid-1980s and has built a reputation for fresh sweets, savory snacks, and fast, efficient service for good reason. They just celebrated their 40th anniversary which I had the honor of attending! What I love about Raja is that it doesn't feel overly curated or trendy--it feels real. The kind of place people actually return to again and again because the food delivers. Their sweets are what put them on the map, but the savory side deserves love too. If you know, you know. The whole experience feels like a little slice of Houston history with serious community roots. Whether you're stopping in for mithai, chai, samosas, or a full meal, Raja Sweets has that rare combination of longevity, consistency, and cultural significance that makes a place memorable. There's a reason it's been featured by outlets like the New York Times, Eater, and the Travel Channel.

Raja is one of those places that has spot in Houston history. I've heard about it for years and was…read moreexcited to finally get a chance to try some sweets. I got 4 different sweets and they were all so sweet that they were virtually inedible. The milk cake was crumbly and grainy. I guess I thought it would be more soft and moist but it completely fell apart when I cut into it. I got a mango ball and a carrot cake square and both were dry and so sweet that it any other flavor became quite mute. You kinda got the hint of flavor in each but it was very slight. There was a moist coconut ball that was on the brink of good but once again, was overpowered by this blast of sugar in your mouth. It was creamy and bouncy but alas went unfinished. I am giving a 3 because to be fair, nothing was inherently wrong. I just could not enjoy the desserts at all.

I've tried several items here, including the Aloo Tikki plate, Aloo Amritsari Kulcha, and Pani…read morePuri, and these have quickly become my go-to favorites. The flavors are delicious, the portions are satisfying, and every dish feels thoughtfully prepared. The Pani Puri is definitely a must-try -- the perfect balance of flavors, freshness, and tanginess makes it stand out and keeps me coming back for more. The Aloo Tikki is comforting and flavorful, while the Amritsari Kulcha is packed with taste and has that satisfying North Indian touch. As a vegetarian, I truly appreciate having a place where I can explore so many flavorful options. The consistency in taste and quality is what keeps me returning. Highly recommend trying these dishes if you're looking for a delicious and authentic Indian street-food experience!

Bombay sweets. Still solid, after all these years. Latest trip include a Bhel puri, Papri chaat…read moreand dahi puri. Service is counter top. You find an open table and wait for your order to be called out. The chaats were pretty good. Nice hefty portion and vibrant. Ended with a cup of tea which was the icing on the cake. There is a gassy selection of mithai also available for purchase and other Indian snacks I don't know what happened to the 2 ladies that were always at the front counter? Did Bombay sweet have a management change?

Omg the vegetarian samosas were delicious! It's a hole in…read morethe wall .. a few tables so you can dine in if you want. No table service ... order at the counter

Visited Houston from Dallas and was lucky to have found this spot! Tried the muglao porota, beef…read morehaleem, daal puri and cha. Everything tasted amazing!! Brought back sweets for friends home, and they loved them! * They have limited sweets so make sure to go in the morning or place an order ahead of time. The staff is super sweet! The small restaurant is very clean. They also have a small grocery section where you will find all your basic Bengali needs. Will definitely visit again on my next trip!

Chowpatty is an Indian Chaat chat and Dosa restaurant at Hillcroft. When we visited Saturday…read moreevening, the place was already crowded with limited seating available. It was bit of a chaos, seemed like they were severely understaffed. But soon an employee started rearranging tables and chairs to make more seating available and a staff cleaned a table so that we could sit. You have to order and pay at the counter and the staff brings you the food. There is no number or buzzer but the lady at counter made sure all our dishes arrived, not just for us but all the tables around. How she managed it all was beyond me. The food itself was pretty good. Got multiple dishes but pani puri and dahi puri were my favorites. Inspite of the initial chaos and lines to order, it was still a pleasant food experience.

We stopped in around 3pm on a Thursday and found that they were out of most items, and the girl at…read morethe counter wasn't exactly sure what they had and what they didn't have. After going back and forth, we ended up with the pav bhaji ($13.99) and the samosa chaat. Both were tasty, but they charge $3 if you ask for extra bread (which is needed) for the pav bhaji. It's good food, and it's a clean place. But I wouldn't go out of my way for it.