Monday, February 20, 2017

Tayeb Mandi Mediterranean Grill: Decent Food, Terrible Service

Restaurant: Tayeb Mandi
Address: 8409 Almeda Road, Houston, Texas
Buffet or a-la-carte: neither
Date of visit: 2/3/17



Background:
Salam/hey guys! Today I will be talking about my trip to another Mediterranean (or rather Arab place). This place is called Tayeb Mandi. It was a place that I had wanted to try for a while. The main reason being that it had specialties from the countries that border the Persian Gulf such as Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, and Qatar. Most of the food from the Arabic speaking countries you see in Houston is from countries like Palestine and Lebanon. This is where we distinct between Mediterranean and Arab in this blog. I was going to go the previous week, but I went during the time of Friday Prayers and had to head to Kabab King. The best time for me to try came right before I went to downtown to attend the Super Bowl fan fest using Metro as well as going to the NFL Experience. After the Friday prayer ended, I headed to the restaurant.



Let The Experience Begin!
Tayeb Mandi is located at the intersection of Almeda and Holly Hall. It is in the same store as Al Ameer halal meat. On the left is the traditional sitting down area, where you sit on the ground next to cushions and eat the food. There are also normal tables and chairs. You had to go to the front and order the food.



Let's Eat!
I was going to go for the Mandi, but they didn't have any. What a bummer! So I ended up getting a chicken kabsa, which proved to be the difference maker in terms of my budget I had for the entire day of eating here and eating at the Super Bowl fan fest. It comes with muhammara (Arab hot sauce) and one sid edish (I got yogurt). I also got a bottle of Mexican Coke. The total price? $12.43 (tax included). This is no buffet or a-la-carte, it is cafeteria style. You tell them what you want and they'll give it to you. You pay at the end.



Menu:
A mix of both Arab and Mediterranean favorites. They even have biryani. From what I've heard, this place used to serve more items such as haneeth, and agada. Interesting how they don't have a mix grill option since they had shish tawouk and kafta kabab.

The Menu (click to view)

Chicken Kabsa

The Verdict:
The traditional way of eating is with the hand, but they give you a fork and spoon just in case you don't want to do that. The food was decent and filling. The chicken has flavor, and the red sauce gave a good kick.
The service was horrible however. The person behind the counter was rude from the start to the end of the trip. He was not polite and professional. This may not be a fancy place, but it's ok to be friendly and professional towards your customers right? He wouldn't even respond to me saying "Thank You" as I would head out.



Conclusion:
While this place had decent food, I don't see myself eating at the establishment again. I would rather just get it for takeout, and I would recommend you doing the same thing as well. I hope to try their lamb, which is their specialty, and see how that tastes.



Grading:
Service: 4/10
Food: 7/10
Total: 11/20 = 55% (F) (It's already February and an F has already been given)
Pricing: $$ out of $$$$



Restaurant Information:
Tayeb Mandi
8409 Almeda Road, Houston, Texas
Phone: (832) 649-4111
Website: none
Facebook: none
Timings: Mon-Sun: 9 AM - 9 PM
Caters: Yes

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

Cheers!
Zain Mohammed

Sunday, February 12, 2017

Kabab King Food Truck: Average Food, Less Impressive Service

Restaurant: Kabab King
Address: 6019 Almeda Road, Houston, Texas
Buffet or a-la-carte: neither
Date of visit: 1/27/17

UPDATE 4/4/17: The place changed its name to Shawarma Stop.

Background:
Salam/hey guys! Today I will be talking about another halal food truck. This is called Kabab King. Halal food trucks are growing in the Houston area, but barely are popular. The main reason is because of the lack of social media presence. It is literally because of social media that food trucks in the Houston area are a thing. The only halal ones that are really popular are Dasman Food Truck, Gyro King, and Abu Omar. All of that because of their wide presence in social media. I happened to stumble upon it after I saw it while driving to UH from my doctor's appointment. I was originally going to go to Tayeb Mandi to try mandi, but their doors were shut. I decided to grab a quick bute then head to UH for the Friday prayer and MSA meeting.



Let The Experience Begin!
The food truck is located at the Shell gas station at Almeda and North McGregor. Parking is limited, so it is likely that you would have to park at a pump and walk to the food truck. I was greeted by a grumpy man who was smoking next to his food truck and ignoring the fact that it is never ok to smoke next to a food truck. He got in and I was ready to order.



Let's Eat!
According to the owner, the most popular item is the chicken shawarma. Sadly it wasn't available. I don't really know why it wasn't ready even though it opens pretty early. So I ended up getting a lamb gyro shawarma. Price? $6.48 (tax included). Not bad for a simple shawarma. The wait time was 5 minutes and 12 seconds. While waiting, I surfed through the flyer and saw the term "Best Shawarma in Town". The big question now is: is it ACTUALLY the best shawarma in town?



Menu:

https://www.doordash.com/store/kabab-king-houston-70683/?utm_source=google&utm_campaign=gpa (Menu prices are accurate; scroll down slightly to see the full menu).
This place is basically like an Mediterranean place on wheels. You have all sorts of kabab options that go with rice, and sides. They even have their own version of the Chicken Shawarma Arabi, something that I had really enjoyed recently from Abu Omar.

Lamb Gyro Shawarma


The Verdict:
To answer the question that I posted, it is a no. The shawarma was average. There was not that much flavor in the shawarma.



Conclusion:
There are definitely better places for shawarma out there. I have eaten both chicken and beef shawarmas in my life and have written up about them. This falls in the middle. If you want the best shawarma in town, then I suggest you look somewhere else.



Grading:
Service: 6/10
Food: 6/10
Total: 12/20 = 60% (D)
Pricing: $$ out of $$$$



Restaurant Information:
Kabab King
6019 Almeda Road, Houston, Texas
Phone: (281) 740-3357
Website: none
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kababkinghouston/
Timings: Mon-Sat: 10 AM - 1 AM; Sun: 6 PM - 1 AM
Caters: yes
Feel free to comment below, send me a message on Facebook, or send me an email!

Cheers!
Zain Mohammed