CLOSED- BZ Grill - A Taste of New York Deep in the Heart of Texas

Restaurant- BZ Grill
2659 Gessner Rd. Houston, Texas 77043
Buffet or a-la-carte? A-la-carte
Date of visit: 6/20/13

(Copyright: zabihah.com)

UPDATE 8/14/13

According to a reader, this place has now closed down due to slow business. This place will be missed

Background:

Salam/Hello everyone. Today I will be reviewing BZ Grill, a New York style halal restaurant in Houston. So basically I wanted to try a place that was very cheap to enjoy a nice full meal. With a budget of only $7, it was very difficult to find a halal restaurant (I don't do that McDonalds or other processed fast food crap) that had cheap prices. Most of the restaurants I had been to and reviewed had costed over $10, tax included. Then a friend recommended me BZ Grill. When I read it was New York style, I immediately started for that restaurant. I was awed by the success of the halal food carts in Manhattan, and I hoped that it would have that same amazing taste as everyone says. Optimistic, I arrived at the restaurant.

Let The Experience Begin:

The restaurant is located near the Memorial City Mall on Gessner Road. It is in a small strip mall with a patio outside. Inside, there is a collection of pictures of all the menu options. Now these pictures were not photoshopped. They were actual pictures of the actual menu. There was also a TV where Divorce Court was airing on Channel 26 (KRIV). The ambiance was very nice. It was like a casual diner with happy customers eating their food. At the counter was a friendly gentleman who greeted me and then I proceeded to order.

Let's Eat:

Normally I would order chicken over rice, but I had a low budget so I couldn't. Sometimes, I wish restaurants would be like Saudi Arabia, where there was no tax on the food and drink. So I ended up ordering a chili cheese hot dog along with a Sprite. Now I normally don't drink Coke products, but this time, it was a necessity. While cans of soda were 80 cents, water was $1.50! What's the logic behind that? But the hot dog was a great value: $2.49! Very good price, and so far the cheapest thing I have eaten here in the US. Along with the chili cheese dog, I got a can of Sprite. I ended up paying $3.56 (tax included). Another good thing is that the majority of choice in the entire menu were under $10, just like the carts in Manhattan. Huge props to them for that. The wait time was 15 minutes, so no points deducted for waiting time


Menu: The menu can be found here --> http://bz-grill.com/menu.html

The chili cheese dog and Sprite

The Verdict:

The chili cheese dog maybe look tiny, but it was very filling! It was also delicious! The cheese was very flavorful along with the chili. The sausage was cooked perfectly. The bread had some black things on it, but it turned out to be something that was to the bread taste nicely. Everything was made fresh and not frozen. I must warn you, however, that when you eat the hot dog, some of the chili and cheese slips from the dish. So a fork is necessary to scoop up the dropped stuff (Don't think about eating the whole thing with a fork :P ). The chili cheese dog was washed down by a can of Sprite.

Conclusion:

If you want to eat a nice filling meal for a very cheap price, then this place would be better. Only a few items out of the whole menu was over $10. The New York feeling is definitely there, with the choices of replications of the famous dishes at the halal carts in Manhattan, and the options of other American favorites. The service is top-notch, and the food doesn't take forever to come. One thing I would suggest fixing is the price for drinks. I would suggest that water and soda be the same price: 80 cents. I had never expected a price difference that big. Nevertheless, I will definitely come back, and I will definitely have the chicken over rice. But for now, I hope that their business flourishes and become as popular as the carts in Manhattan.

Grading:

Service: 10/10 (Great and efficient)

Food: 9/10 (Apart from some things falling down, delicious)

Waiting Time: 10/10 

Overall: 29/30 = 96.7% (A)

Pricing: $ out of $$$$

Restaurant Information:
BZ Grill
2659 Gessner Rd. Houston, Texas 77043
Phone: (713) 462-2947
Website: http://bz-grill.com/
Facebook: BZ Grill Facebook Page
Timings --> Mon-Sun: 10:30 AM - 9 PM
Caters: No

Feel Free to Comment Below!

Cheers!
Zain Mohammed