Restaurant: Mezban
Address: 6655 Harwin Street, Houston, TX
Buffet or a-la-carte: A-la-carte
Date of visit: 11/15/18
Background:
Salam/hey guys! Today I will be talking about my recent experience at one of Houston's most well known Pakistani spots in town: Mezban. I wanted to look for a Pakistani buffet that is not in the suburbs that actually tasted good. Being a person who grew up eating Indian/Pakistani buffets that were excellent, I had high expectations for the buffets. So far, it has been disappointments with the buffets that were not in the suburbs. But there were only two I had (Shahnai and Haveli), and one that I refused to step into because they nearly gave me food poisoning (Lazeeza). I did have Mezban before, since they catered to some of the events that I would go to. And they were great. Sohail, the owner, and his team did a great job with the quality and taste of the food. But one thing I learned during my 5.5 years of blogging is that often the catering food is far different than the food that you'd get at the actual restaurant. There's only one spot so far that has been consistent in both, and that is Aga's. I did hear good things about the food that was at the actual restaurant. So one day, I headed there.
Let The Experience Begin!
Mezban is located in a strip mall on Harwin near the Hillcroft intersection. It's in the strip mall that has Parivar Groceries and Roop Sari Palace. There's a waiting area once you enter the restaurant, and then the main dining area comes.
Let's Eat!
Starting here at Mezban is simple. You get a table and then it's up to the buffet line. The line has a variety of things, from appetizers to desserts. The prices vary based on what time you go. For Mon-Fri lunch, it's $11.98 (tax included). With the buffet, you get free fresh naan.
Menu: https://www.mezban.biz/online-ordering
Though they have a buffet all day, they have a takeout menu. It's on the online ordering part of the website, but you can also order over the phone as well as at the counter. The price of the biryani ($4.99) is really good in my opinion, and what's greater is that it's the same price everyday!. Along with the regular dine in buffet, they have a to-go buffet, as well as a halwa puri (popular Pakistani breakfast dish) buffet that consists of popular Pakistani breakfast items. One thing that was interesting is that they offer a Philly cheesesteak Paratha roll.
The Verdict:
The last good Indian/Pakistani buffet I had was back in 2015 at Taz Indian Restaurant in College Station. That long wait is over. This place is actually good. Mind you, this is a Desi buffet that I am talking about. The food was actually fresh; it didn't taste like it was leftovers from their catering or it was reheated. The goat curry was fantastic (hence me getting it in both plates). The biryani was delicious, and the fact that it's $5 is a steal! The only thing I didn't like was the Mezban Chicken. I thought it could have some more flavor. But overall, a satisfactory meal. No complaints about the service; the people were nice.
Conclusion:
Mezban is for now the only good Pakistani buffet spot in town. It's refreshing to see that a Pakistani spot would make fresh and tasty buffet food, given how the majority of buffets at Pakistani places would get a bad rap for providing stale food or leftovers from banquets that they catered. If you guys want to have a fresh and tasty Pakistani buffet, then this is the place to be.
Grading:
Service: 8/10
Food: 8/10
Total: 16/20 = 80% (B)
Pricing: $$ out of $$$$
Restaurant Information:
Mezban
6655 Harwin Street, Houston, TX
Phone: (713) 952-0606
Website: https://www.mezban.biz/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mezbanhouston/
Instagram: @mezbanhouston
Timings: Mon-Sun: 11 AM - 10 PM
Caters: Yes
Feel free to comment below, send me a message on Facebook, or email me!
Cheers!
Zain Mohammed
Address: 6655 Harwin Street, Houston, TX
Buffet or a-la-carte: A-la-carte
Date of visit: 11/15/18
Background:
Salam/hey guys! Today I will be talking about my recent experience at one of Houston's most well known Pakistani spots in town: Mezban. I wanted to look for a Pakistani buffet that is not in the suburbs that actually tasted good. Being a person who grew up eating Indian/Pakistani buffets that were excellent, I had high expectations for the buffets. So far, it has been disappointments with the buffets that were not in the suburbs. But there were only two I had (Shahnai and Haveli), and one that I refused to step into because they nearly gave me food poisoning (Lazeeza). I did have Mezban before, since they catered to some of the events that I would go to. And they were great. Sohail, the owner, and his team did a great job with the quality and taste of the food. But one thing I learned during my 5.5 years of blogging is that often the catering food is far different than the food that you'd get at the actual restaurant. There's only one spot so far that has been consistent in both, and that is Aga's. I did hear good things about the food that was at the actual restaurant. So one day, I headed there.
Let The Experience Begin!
Mezban is located in a strip mall on Harwin near the Hillcroft intersection. It's in the strip mall that has Parivar Groceries and Roop Sari Palace. There's a waiting area once you enter the restaurant, and then the main dining area comes.
Let's Eat!
Starting here at Mezban is simple. You get a table and then it's up to the buffet line. The line has a variety of things, from appetizers to desserts. The prices vary based on what time you go. For Mon-Fri lunch, it's $11.98 (tax included). With the buffet, you get free fresh naan.
Menu: https://www.mezban.biz/online-ordering
Though they have a buffet all day, they have a takeout menu. It's on the online ordering part of the website, but you can also order over the phone as well as at the counter. The price of the biryani ($4.99) is really good in my opinion, and what's greater is that it's the same price everyday!. Along with the regular dine in buffet, they have a to-go buffet, as well as a halwa puri (popular Pakistani breakfast dish) buffet that consists of popular Pakistani breakfast items. One thing that was interesting is that they offer a Philly cheesesteak Paratha roll.
 |
| Plate One: Chicken Biryani, Chicken Karahi, Goat Curry, and Chicken Bihari |
 |
| Second Pic: Goat Curry, Mezban Chicken, Chicken Pasanda, and Tandoori Chicken |
The last good Indian/Pakistani buffet I had was back in 2015 at Taz Indian Restaurant in College Station. That long wait is over. This place is actually good. Mind you, this is a Desi buffet that I am talking about. The food was actually fresh; it didn't taste like it was leftovers from their catering or it was reheated. The goat curry was fantastic (hence me getting it in both plates). The biryani was delicious, and the fact that it's $5 is a steal! The only thing I didn't like was the Mezban Chicken. I thought it could have some more flavor. But overall, a satisfactory meal. No complaints about the service; the people were nice.
Conclusion:
Mezban is for now the only good Pakistani buffet spot in town. It's refreshing to see that a Pakistani spot would make fresh and tasty buffet food, given how the majority of buffets at Pakistani places would get a bad rap for providing stale food or leftovers from banquets that they catered. If you guys want to have a fresh and tasty Pakistani buffet, then this is the place to be.
Grading:
Service: 8/10
Food: 8/10
Total: 16/20 = 80% (B)
Pricing: $$ out of $$$$
Restaurant Information:
Mezban
6655 Harwin Street, Houston, TX
Phone: (713) 952-0606
Website: https://www.mezban.biz/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mezbanhouston/
Instagram: @mezbanhouston
Timings: Mon-Sun: 11 AM - 10 PM
Caters: Yes
Cheers!
Zain Mohammed
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