CLOSED: D'Marcos Pizzeria: A Taste of the Windy City in Space City

D'Marcos Pizzeria
Address: 11102 South Highway 6 Suite 106, Sugar Land, Texas 77498
Buffet or a-la-carte: a-la-carte
Date of visit: 12/23/15

Photo Credit: their website

UPDATE 8/21/17: Sadly this place has shut for good. I'll definitely miss this place. Now the wait for halal deep dish in Houston commences. 

Background:
Salam/hey guys, welcome to my final review for 2015! Today I will be reviewing a pizza place that has a favorite among many people: deep dish pizza. The place is called D'Marcos Pizzeria. It was actually started up by a person named Demarco who moved here from Chicago. An interesting fact is that the owner used to be an engineer with a Professional Engineering license who had a Master's degree in Infrastructure Engineering and Management. He was actually featured on the Houston Chronicle, Fox 26, and the Houston Press. He has even participated in pizza competitions, finishing in the top 10 in one commpetition, and the top 15 in the other. And guess what, they have halal options for their deep dish pizza! I remember eating deep dish pizza back  in Chicago in 2010, but it was all cheese. There is another place with halal deep dish pizza called Rosati Pizza located on Federal Rd. in the east side of town. They also have a location on Memorial Dr. Ever since I found out about this place, I have been waiting to go here for a really long time. I remember seeing a lot of my friends trying the place and actually liking it. The time came for me to try it on my birthday. I picked up my best friend and made the drive to Sugar Land.



Let The Experience Begin!
D'Marcos Pizzeria is located off a strip mall on Highway 6 just before the W Airport intersection. It is located next to A1 Bombay Grill. The inside was nice and casual. We went up to the counter and we were ready to order.



Let's Eat!
One thing my friend and I knew before going there was that we were going to eat deep dish pizza. When we got up there, we made sure that there were halal items. The friendly lady helped us out telling us what toppings were halal and what toppings were pork. She also told us that the deep dish was going to take 45 minutes to be served (mind you it is BIG). So we decided to get some appetizers. We ordered the lasagna dip with halal chicken sausage ($4.99 + tax), garlic bread ($2.99 + tax) and also a meatball sub for both of us to share ($5.99 + tax). We both had soda. They don't have Pepsi or Coke or Dr. Pepper. They actually have Maine Root Soda. We both had the Mexicane Cola flavor. For the deep dish, we had the Southside pizza, which contained halal chicken sausage (tell them you want the halal chicken sausage when you order), mushrooms, green peppers, and onions ($22 + tax). While waiting, we had the appetizers and we talked.



Menu: http://dmarcospizzeria.com/#menu
Not only do they have deep dish pizza, they also have regular pizza if you don't want to wait. They also have halal pastas, including chicken parmesan! All the chicken and beef at the Sugar Land location is halal (they advertise as "100% organic which is free of hormones and antibiotics"). However, at the Memorial location, only the meatballs are halal, and this was confirmed at the Sugar Land location. On the menu and the website, it's marked in green. It turns out that they serve halal meat because they know that Sugar Land has a lot of Muslims, and that it would be nice to accommodate them and also get them to try a taste of Chicago.

Lasagna Dip with Chicken Sausage

Halal Meatball Sub

South Side Deep Dish Pizza

Garlic Bread

The Verdict:
The drive from Cypress to Sugar Land was worth it. We thoroughly enjoyed the food. The deep dish was excellent! It was well worth waiting 5 years to try it again, and worth waiting 45 minutes to get it served to us. The Lasagna dip was marvelous. Just a heads up though, it is very hot when it is served. The meatball sub was also good. The garlic bread could have been a bit more crispy though. It definitely seems like the hype that the media made was true, and that the top finishes were actually justified. Overall, two thumbs up for the food.
Service was magnificent. They are very friendly and always have a smile on their face when they help you. They make sure that you feel welcome in the restaurant.



Conclusion:
D'Marcos Pizzeria is a place that I would definitely recommend you guys to check out if you want to eat halal deep dish. There is actually one place in Chicago (from what I know is well known) called Italian Express that has halal stuffed pizza, which is literally the same thing by appearance. I think both NY and Chicago style pizzas are great to be honest. Now I got a tip for you guys. If you don't want to go and wait for the deep dish to come, call them up (I put the number of the restaurant like I always do in every review) and let them know in advance that you want to order the deep dish. I would also advise you to save the menu or visit their menu on their website before ordering. If you still want regular pizza, you should give this place a try. I know I am coming back here in the future.



Grading:
Service: 10/10
Food: 9/10
Total: 19/20 = 95% (A)
Pricing: $$ out of $$$$



Restaurant Information:
D'Marcos Pizzeria
11102 South Highway 6 Suite 106, Sugar Land, Texas 77498
Phone: (281) 575-6100 for Sugar Land location. (281) 589-8800 for Memorial location
Website: http://dmarcospizzeria.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dmarcospizzeria
Twitter: https://twitter.com/dmarcospizzeria
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dmarcospizzeria/
Timings:

Sugar Land location:
Monday: closed
Tuesday: 11 PM - 8 PM
Wednesday-Sunday: 11 PM - 9 PM

Memorial Dr. location:
Monday: closed
Tuesday & Sunday: 11 AM - 8PM
Wednesday-Saturday: 11 PM - 9 PM

Caters: Yes
Delivery: Yes
Online ordering available

Feel free to comment below, send me a message on Facebook, or send me an email!

Cheers and Happy New Year!
Zain Mohammed

Kabab Korner - 3 Cuisines in One Place

Restaurant: Kabab Korner
Address: 12039 Antoine Road, Houston, Texas 77066
Buffet or a-la-carte: a-la-carte
Date of visit: 11/30/15






Background:
Salam/hey guys, and happy holidays! Today I will be reviewing a place that is pretty popular in Houston and enjoyed by many. The place is called Kabab Korner. Many people I know have praised the place, saying that the food tastes good. I have heard countless times from people I know about how good that place is and how they offer a wide variety of food. Kabab Korner has two locations: the one I am reviewing today and one in Katy. I decided to give this place a try after going for a ride along in a Tesla Model S P90D (boy it was FUN) before heading for my 5 PM class at Prairie View A&M.



Let The Experience Begin!
Kabab Korner is located just before the intersection of Antoine and Veterans Memorial. The inside was nice and casual. You go up to the counter, order the food and then pay.



Let's Eat!
There were so many options that I had to literally think about what to try and get some recommendations from a good friend of mine that is a regular. I even asked the person at the counter what the popular items were. I ended up going for the non spicy mix shawarma combo (they asked whether I wanted spicy or non-spicy). It came with tahini sauce, hummus, and garlic sauce. I also got a side of Mediterranean rice. To drink, I got water. I paid $10.98 (tax included). The waiting time was good at 5 minutes and 32 seconds.



Menu: They have their menu on their website, but there are two major issues. Firstly, and most importantly, they don't show the prices. It's important to show the prices so that the person can get a good idea on how much he/she is expected to pay when visiting the restaurant. Anyways, the place has kababs from both the Middle East and the Subcontinent, and they have burgers, biryani, shawarma, and khatti daal. Pretty diverse place I must say.

Non Spicy Combo Shawarma Plate

The Verdict:
The shawarma meat was great, especially the chicken. The sauces were also great! The hummus was also pretty good, and this is coming from someone who isn't a fan of it. The rice could have some improvement though. The food was washed down with water.
The service was normal like any other restaurant. I had no complaints about it. I just ordered the food, paid, and headed out.



Conclusion:
Kabab Korner is a decent place to eat at. The food convinced me to go and give the place a second try. I will most likely visit the Katy location on my next trip, or wait until their food is catered for a specific occasion. I will update the next time I go.



Grading:
Service: 8/10
Food: 7.5/10
Total: 15.5/20 = 72.5% (C)
Pricing: $$ out of $$$$



Restaurant Information:
Kabab Korner
12039 Antoine Road, Houston, Texas 77066
Phone: (281) 880-0786
Website: http://kabobkorner.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Kabob-Korner-167004979997713/
Timings:

Monday-Thursday & Sunday: 11 AM - 10 PM
Friday & Saturday: 11 AM - 11 PM

Caters: Yes
Gift cards available for purchase

Feel free to comment below, send me a message on Facebook, or send me an email!

Cheers!
Zain Mohammed

Fogo de Chao- More like Fogo de Wow

Restaurant: Fogo de Chao
Address: 1900 Hughes Landing Boulevard, The Woodlands, Texas 77380
Buffet or a-la-carte: Buffet
Date of visit: 11/27/15

Photo Credit: http://www.hoursmom.com/themes/outlet/images/brandlogo/fogo-de-chao.jpg

Background:
Salam/hey guys! Welcome to my latest review! Today I will be reviewing what is possibly the fanciest and most expensive place on this blog. That place is Fogo de Chao. Well, why would I review a place like Fogo de Chao? Two reasons: one, halal lamb. And two, a FREE DINNER! Now before I continue reviewing, I would just like to make it clear that I am not being paid to do any reviews including this one. All my reviews are completely unbiased. If I notice some mistakes, I will write it. If I didn't like something, whether it's the food or the service, I will write it.
Believe it or not, the lamb at Fogo de Chao is actually halal! A page called Halal Food Nation had actually called up the corporate office of Fogo de Chao and even the lamb distributor and asked about the lamb being halal, and the answer was yes. I have attached below the confirmation from the group itself about the lamb being halal.

The people have also verified with the supplier that the lamb is halal. They often update, so they are a reliable source. Fogo de Chao has restaurants in nearly every major city in America, in Puerto Rico, and in Brazil. This one is on the location in the Woodlands. They have another location on Westheimer next to Saravanaa Bhavan. Anyways, I saw on the Houston Food Bloggers Collective Facebook Group that Fogo de Chao is having a special where members would eat for free there. I decided to take that opportunity and go there on Black Friday. I first asked my parents, but then they told me to take friends. So I told my friends about it. waited until the day came, and then went to the restaurant.

Let The Experience Begin!

It was a really long drive from Cypress to the restaurant. It's located on Hughes Landing, next to other higher end restaurants. We qualified for free valet parking (yay!) and went in the restaurant. I confirmed the reservation with the person in the front and we were taken to the table. After being asked what to drink, we were ready to eat.

Let's Eat!

The way it works here is that a server introduces himself/herself and then explains how the churrasacaria works. Basically, you have a card where one side says "Sim por favor" ("Yes please" in Portuguese) and the other side says "Nao Obrigado" ("No thank you" in Portuguese). And, you can eat as much meat as you desire, and they would come to the table and actually carve out the meat and give it to you. We told them that we would like lamb only and that we don't eat pork (It's important you say that as South America is a popular place for pork). The server did help us out saying that the specific items had pork in it. A dilemma came as the server wasn't too sure about how to make the lamb since the marinade usually contains white wine  The server then said that it could be prepared with just lemon pepper. Disaster averted! So after the requests were taken, we were off to the appetizer area. The appetizer area was so big that it could be a legitimate meal. There were so many options to choose from, including vegetarian and seafood items. Along with the lamb chops and the leg of lamb, I got the following for appetizers: regular salad, potato salad, sun-dried tomatoes, roasted peppers, bread, imported cheeses, mozzarella cheese, smoked salmon, fresh tomato, and ranch. There is also an unlimited supply of Brazilian cheese bals (pao de queijo), polenta, and fried bananas. All of this food for free! Now if you want to eat here on another day, expect to pay at least $30 for lunch and $50 for dinner.

Menu: http://www.fogodechao.com/menu

Nothing else in the menu is halal. They do have seafood, but it's not part of the churrascaria experience. Again, you can literally eat as many appetizers are you want, as it is very extensive. An interesting fact is that all the servers cook the food by themselves and then they serve it to you.

Regular salad, potato salad, roasted peppers, bread, imported cheeses, mozzarella cheese, and smoked salmon

Fried Banana

Pao de Queijo (Cheese bread balls)

Lamb chop (no white wine in any meat), imported cheeses, salad with ranch, and sun-dried tomatoes

Polenta

 

Lamb chop, imported cheeses, salad with ranch, fresh tomato, and some potato salad

Leg of Lamb

How they serve the meat at Fogo de Chao

The Verdict:

Despite the high prices on a regular day, I will tell you that each and every penny spent towards eating here is absolutely worth it. Both lamb dishes were excellent and had a lot of flavor. We were literally addicted to the pao de queijo. I lost count of how many I had after about 10. I also loved the polenta and the mashed potatoes. All the appetizers were of high quality and was very fresh. Two thumbs up for the food.

Overall, the service was great! The people were friendly and they literally didn't mind four college students literally eating their butts off, that too with one of my friends in t-shirt and jeans (It's recommended you go in business casual). The person in the front was very nice as well.

Conclusion:

I would recommend Fogo de Chao if you're going for a business lunch/dinner or if it's a special occasion. For the person dining in and wanting to eat halal, I have a tip for you: make a reservation. When making the reservation, ask them to not put any white wine in the lamb dishes, and ask them to just use the lemon pepper that we asked for. Also, tell them that you just want lamb and no other meat. Eat all the appetizers you want.

Now for Fogo de Chao, I have two tips for you. Firstly, you should consider exporting halal meat directly from Brazil. Brazil is actually one of the largest exporters of halal meat in the world. Nearly half of the meat that is exported from Brazil is halal-certified. You can find all the cuts that you guys use in your restaurants but with halal meat, as the halal meat market is constantly growing in demands and is being enjoyed by many all over the world. The second tip I have is that you could have some seafood items (salmon, shrimp, scallops with no bacon, sea bass, etc.) on your churrascaria menu. There are other Brazilian steakhouses that do have that and they are enjoyed by many. I believe that it would be successful alongside the sea bass you sell at Bar Fogo. 

Grading:

Service: 9/10

Food: 9/10

Total: 18/20 = 90% (A)

Pricing: $$$$ out of $$$$

Restaurant: 

Fogo de Chao

1900 Hughes Landing Boulevard, The Woodlands, Texas 77380

Phone: (281) 298-4200

Website: http://www.fogodechao.com/

Timings: 

Monday - Thursday: 11 AM - 2 PM for lunch and 5 PM - 10 PM for dinner

Friday: 11 AM - 2 PM for lunch and 5 PM - 10:30 PM for dinner

Saturday: 4:00 PM - 10:30 PM

Sunday: 11 AM - 2 PM for lunch and 3 PM - 9 PM for dinner

Caters: No

Private dining for special events and groups available

Reservation allowed

Feel free to comment below, send me an email, or message me on Facebook

Cheers!

Zain Mohammed

TEMP CLOSED: Afghan Cuisine: Great Afghan food

Restaurant: Afghan Cuisine
Address: 11920 South Highway 6, Sugar Land, TX 77498
Buffet or a-la-carte: a-la-carte
Date of visit: 11/21/15

UPDATE 1/17/17: This place has been temporarily closed for the reconstruction of their kitchen.

Background:
Salam/hey guys! Today I will be reviewing another Afghan restaurant here in Houston: Afghan Cuisine. So my parents decided that we would go out for dinner after shopping at the Houston Premium Outlets instead of waiting for my mom to cook dinner. I was kinda against the idea, since it would usually mean a trip to either Khan BBQ or Saravanaa Bhavan. To my pleasant surprise, they actually decided to go here since they heard a lot of good things about the place. This is literally the first time since August that the entire family would be eating somewhere other than the two places I mentioned above. For once, I was actually happy about going to a restaurant with my family. Most of the places that I have been to and written up about in this blog have been either by myself or with friends. This is mainly due to the fact that my family is picky about their food. I tried countless times trying to convince them to go together to Stanton's for lunch whenever my dad is off from work, but he always says no saying that he doesn't like eating that sort of food. Before I started my blog, I tried convincing them to try other Indian/Pakistani places out wherever we were. But they would end up getting Khan BBQ. No matter where they were in town, they would always make a phone call and either order the chicken karahi, chicken biryani, chappli kabab (which is the only good thing to eat there) and their naan. The last three outings we had as a family were to Saravanaa Bhavan, where the other three family members ordered THE EXACT SAME THING EVERY SINGLE VISIT. I still remember that on the 2nd consecutive visit (1st was for aunt from Kansas who is literally obsessed with that place, 3rd for sister's birthday), my mom and sister chose to go there instead of grabbing some chocolate and pastries from La Madeleine. It really made me upset because I love their chocolate croissant, regular croissant, and their Sacher Torte Parfait. I had been looking forward to that the whole day. Anyways, we went shopping at the Premium Outlets and then headed to the restaurant.



Let The Experience Begin!
Afghan Cuisine is located at the intersection of Highway 6 and Voss Rd. in Sugar Land. It's in the same strip mall as Cafe Yasmeen and Agha Juice. The inside was packed, mainly because there was a party going on. We still had to wait for a table to be free when we got in. My dad made sure that the table was immaculate. We then went to the table, got the menus, and were ready to order.



Let's Eat!
We ordered a variety of Afghan food for dinner. We ordered Bolani (flatbread appetizer with potatoes and onions), borani badenjan (an eggplant appetizer), Kabuli Pulao (because you can't go to an Afghan place and not try Afghanistan's famous dish), chicken kabab, bread, and chopan kabab (lamb chops). We got our food in just under 19 minutes. Way to be efficient!



Menu: The menu is like other Afghan places in town. You have a wide variety of kababs, Kabuli Pulao, and curries. Compared to Afghan Village and Afghan Dastarkhwan, Afghan Cuisine has very similar prices with differences being around just $1.

Appetizers, Soup & Salad, and Vegetarian Dishes

Entrees

Kababs, Desserts, and Beverages

Menu Cover

The Verdict:

All four of us enjoyed the food! I really liked the Kabuli Pulao. I thought it was better than Afghan Dastarkhwan and it is as good as the one from Afghan Village. The kababs were also really tasty and flavorful. They were also as good as Afghan Village. The decision to go somewhere other than Khan BBQ or Saravanaa Bhavan definitely paid off! We all had water to go with the food. Two thumbs up for the food.

The service was nothing to write about. It was normal, like what you would expect.

Conclusion:

Afghan Cuisine is just as good as Afghan Village to be very honest. It's also really filling. We just had enough so that I could have ice cream from Agha's next door and my mom could have a falooda. I would definitely recommend this place for those looking for a good halal Afghan place in Sugar Land.

Grading: 

Food: 9/10

Service: 7/10

Total: 16/20 = 80% (B)

Pricing: $$ out of $$$$

Restaurant Information: 

Afghan Cuisine

11920 South Highway 6, Sugar Land, TX 77498

Phone: (281) 879-0945

Website: none

Timings: Sun-Thu: 11:30 AM - 10 PM; Fri & Sat: 12 PM - 11 PM

Caters: Yes

Feel free to comment below, send me a message on Facebook, or send me an email!

Cheers!

Zain Mohammed