RELOCATED- Bawarchi Biryani Point- A step up from its competitors

Bawarchi Biryani Point
6439 Westheimer Road, Houston, Texas 77057
Buffet or A-la-carte: A-la-Carte
Date of visit: 11/9/13

Photo Credit (http://s3-media1.ak.yelpcdn.com/bphoto/xq2RJMq6EwNwj_PB5OfY5Q/l.jpg)

UPDATE 11/3/14: The new address is 2922 Hillcroft Avenue, Houston, Texas 77057

UPDATE 4/4/14: This restaurant is relocating to a new location in Houston. It has been replaced with another restaurant.

Background:
Salam/hello guys! Today I will be reviewing the last of the three Biryani restaurants in Houston: Bawarchi Biryani Point/ Bawarchi opened its doors July 25th, joining Biryani Pot and Paradise Biryani pointe as the Biryani restaurants in Houston. It has other branches in the Carrollton, Denton, Irving, Plano, and Frisco in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, and San Antonio. It plans on opening up branches in Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Washington state. Texas locations to open soon include Arlington, Flower Mound, Murphy, and South Lake in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, and Woodlands, Katy and Sugar Land in the Houston Area. It seems like they are taking on Paradise Biryani Pointe for supremacy in a growing industry. Biryani is gaining popularity across the US, and these chain restaurants are coming up to help these people satisfy their cravings for this majestic dish. Like every Saturday, I came after my chemistry lab finished.

Let The Experience Begin!

Bawarchi Biryani Point is located at the same strip mall as House of Kabob. Thankfully, parking wasn't as bad as it was when I tried out House of Kabob. Inside was bustling. There were people, both families and college students, chatting and eating. There was a TV that was playing a program showing popular Indian songs. There was the cashier counter with available sodas and bottled water available. There was also a display of Indian snacks next to the counter. When I got my phone out and tried to take the picture of the menu that was on the wall, the cashier noticed it. This is normally not a good thing. However, this time he helped me out by telling me that there was also a paper menu available. Kudos to him for helping! There have been many times in which food photographers or bloggers taking pictures of the food for their respective blog had been asked to leave the restaurant because of the unwritten policy of no pictures. Heck, some restaurants ban taking pictures. I don't get the point of banning photography in restaurants. There are people out there like me who enjoy eating out and would like to take pictures of what they eat and write about it. Chefs often complain about it because flash photography "disturbs other diners" (Source: http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/restaurants-placing-informal-ban-food-flash-photography/story?id=18302662). Here is the thing, photos can be taken WITHOUT FLASH! Instead of banning photography outright, can you just say "No flash photography"? We love our food. Anyways after taking the picture, I was asked to sit down at a table and decide what to order.

Let's Eat!

I ordered their Chicken Dum Biryani. To drink, I had a can of Thums Up (Indian Coke). Like most Indian restaurants, it doesn't come in an individual plate. You get a whole dish of it. The biryani comes with mirchi ka salan (curried chili peppers) and raita (cucumber and yogurt curry), just like most Indian restaurants. It also came with a few pieces of chicken 65. A nice touch there. I paid a grand total of $12.20 (tax included). The waiting time was 10 miuntes and 7 seconds, which was not bad. 

Menu:

Well, the menu is nearly the same as Paradise and Biryani Pot. both places, Bawarchi has a lunch special EXACTLY like it with the exact prices (Paradise recently introduced it). There are many curry options as well if you decide to not eat biryani. One curry that is not available here at Bawarchi is Vindaloo, which is a Goan dish with potatoes and very spicy. One thing that Bawarchi stands out for is that the curries actually come with either rice or naan, while the others do not. The prices are also very similar to each other. This is like the competition the German cars have. For example, Audi's version of the BMW 5 series is the A6 and Mercedes's version is the E class. They have the same engines available (V6, V8), the same top speeds (250 km/h or 155 mph), and the same luxury seats (leather). The only difference between them is the gadgets. Audi has the MMI, while the BMW has the iDrive, and the Mercedes has the Command APS. They all have different functions. Likewise in here, all three places have the biryani at very similar prices. They have nearly the same curries available, and their biryanis look identical. The only difference between them is the composition of the biryani. Paradise Biryani has half a boiled egg, Biryani Pot is like every other Biryani, and Bawarchi has pieces of Chicken 65. The competition seems to be fierce between these three establishments.

Now if you go to any Indian restaurant, their menus will say "Veg" or "Non-veg". This is because many people from India are vegetarian. So if you know any vegetarians out there, take them to these places!

Outside

Menu Cover

Bawarchi Express, Kids Menu, Soups, and South Indian Specialties

Dosas

Uthappams (Lentil Pizza), North Indian Specialties, and Appetizers (Veg and Non Veg)

Non Vegetarian Entrees

Indian Wok Specialties and Lunch Combo

Biryanis, Weekend Specialties, Breads, Beverages, and Desserts

Thums Up

The Spread

Biryani in the plate

The Verdict:

To be very honest, I think this is the clear victor among the three Biryani restaurants. Unlike Biryani Pot, the chicken 65 was very scrumptious and flavorful. Unlike Paradise, the biryani was tasty! It was a close call between the biryani from here and the biryani from biryani pot. I remember saying that the Biryani pot version was close to an Indian wedding, but this one was closer because there was more flavor. The raita was the perfect condiment to the biryani. My only complaint was that the mirchi ka salan was not spicy at all. The food was accompanied by a nice can of Thumbs up.

Conclusion:

So there you have it. After visiting all three biryani restaurants, here are my rankings.

1) Bawarchi - great food and quality. Also, good service

2) Biryani Pot- Some hits and misses

3) Paradise Biryani Pointe- Very mediocre

One thing in common: avoid the mirchi ka salan, and if you are by yourself, get the lunch combos (weekdays only)

One thing all can do: Provide lunch combos for weekends also

Paradise review: http://zainshalalreviews.blogspot.com/2013/10/paradise-biryani-pointe-mediocrity-at.html

Biryani Pot review: http://zainshalalreviews.blogspot.com/2013/10/biryani-pot-finally-improvement-in.html

Grading:

Service: 9/10

Food: 9/10

Waiting Time: 10/10

Total: 28/30 = 93.3% (A) (First A for an Indian restaurant)

Pricing: $$ out of $$$$

Restaurant Information:

Bawarchi Biryani Pot

6439 Westheimer road, Houston, Texas 77057

Phone: (713) 714-8197

Website: http://www.bawarchibiryanipoint.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bawarchi-Biryani-Point-Houston/465472450156077

Timings: Mon-Thu: 11 AM - 10 PM; Fri: 11 AM - 10:30 PM; Sat: 9:30 AM - 10:30 PM; Sun: 9:30 AM - 10 PM

Caters: Yes

Feel free to comment below!

Cheers!

Zain Mohammed