Pho A&A: It's Pho Sure Good

Restaurant: Pho A&A
Address: 6700 Denton Highway, Watauga, Texas
Buffet or a-la-carte: a-la-carte
Date of visit: 10/2/19

Background:

Salam/hey guys! Today I will be writing about my first time trying a popular Vietnamese dish: Pho. Pho is basically Vietnamese beef noodle soup. It is really popular in Houston and, but there's no spot in Houston that has halal beef pho even though it's one thing that so many people want. In fact, there are only three Vietnamese spots in the entire country that have halal pho. One is Pho Ellie in Fullerton, California (Orange County), Simply Banh Mi in Washington DC, and the place I went and I am writing about now: Pho A&A in Watauga, which is about 11 miles northeast of Fort Worth. I first heard about it after one of my Instagram followers from the DFW area tried it and loved it. I immediately put it in my list of places to try. The only issue is that whenever I visit the DFW area, I usually go to the Dallas side since I have relatives in Allen (near Plano). Pho A&A is about an hour from there.

So how was I able to go and try it? Well, I went on a business trip to Fort Worth, and I happened to have time to try it. After checking in at the hotel, I went and tried it.



Let The Experience Begin!
Pho A&A is located at the intersection of Denton Highway (US 377) and Chapman Road. It was empty, so I helped myself to the table. After looking through the menu, I was ready to order.



Let's Eat!
I ordered a large pho bowl, which costed $11.99 + tax. Along with the bowl came bean sprouts, jalapenos, basil, and lime. The waiting time was 12 minutes and 21 seconds.



Menu: Menu (click to view)

It's amazing how much variety of pho they have, AND they're fully halal. They have a whomping 5 varieteies of halal pho to choose from. Along with the regular steak pho, they have one which has steak along with tendons and tenderloins, a chicken pho, a shrimp pho, and a vegetarian pho. Another menu item that looks really promising is the Korean Short Ribs, another thing not available in Houston. They also have a Thai menu to choose from.

Large Steak Pho

How it's presented. You Mix the bowl before eating

Bean Sprouts, Basil, Lime, and Jalapenos (aka the condiments of the Pho Bowl)

The Verdict:
For someone having it for the first time, it was legit! The way it works is that you add as much of the condiments as possible to give the bowl its flavor. The bowl was very flavorful, and it was also really big. Great value for how much it costs. The meat was nice and tender, and the noodles were cooked perfectly. They pho sure feel you well. No issues with the service.



Conclusion:
If you are in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, take the drive there. Halal pho is a rare thing in this country, and this is the only spot in all of Texas to have halal pho. The people are friendly, and they feed you well. I hope there will be one in Houston in the future.



Grading:
Food: 8/10
Service: 9/10
Total: 17/20 = 80% (B)
Pricing: $$ out of $$$$



Restaurant Information:
Pho A&A
6700 Denton Highway, Watauga, Texas
Phone: (817) 656-4878
Website: None
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/phoAandA
Timings: Tue - Thu & Sun: 11:30 AM - 9 PM; Fri - Sat: 11:30 AM - 10 PM
Caters: yes

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

Cheers!
Zain Mohammed

Moroccan Bites Tagine: Moroccan Food in the Alamo City

Restaurant: Moroccan Bites Tagine
Address: 5714 Evers Road, San Antonio, Texas
Buffet or a-la-carte: A-la-carte
Date of latest visit: 7/7/19


Background:
Salam/hey guys! Today, I will be writing about my first halal restaurant experience in San Antonio! It's in fact the first time in five tries that I finally got to check one place out. The reason for that is because of the fact that the halal restaurants in San Antonio are concentrated in the northwest part of town, particularly near UTSA (University of Texas San Antonio), and Six Flags Fiesta Texas. With the exception of dessert spots, there's literally nothing that is halal in the Riverwalk or Alamo area. But I did come close once, to the spot that I am writing about: Moroccan Bites Tagine. I came with my family back in 2014, and was planning on going there. Unfortunately, they were closed for the night, so we had to go somewhere else. So I had to go again. I was originally going to try Turquoise Grill, but they had closed down. After the drive from Houston, it was time to grub.



Let The Experience Begin!
Moroccan Bites Tagine is located in the strip mall at the intersection of Evers Rd and Wurzbach Road. I was one of the first customers for the day. The inside was very nice. I was handed the menu and browsed it before ordering.



Let's Eat!
Based on the suggestions from folks who've been there, I got the lamb shank with vegetables tagine. It comes with either Moroccan bread or rice (I chose bread). The price is $13.99 + tax. To wait, I browsed on the phone


Menu: https://moroccanbitestagine.com/our-menu/
The menu has many Moroccan staples such as pastilla, couscous (select days only), and merguez sausage. They also have lamb madghout, which is similar to lamb kabsa from Saudi. It was featured on Food Network's TV Show Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives with Guy Fieri. Along with the Moroccan staples, they have items such as chicken kabab and kefta kabab.

The Lamb Shank with Vegetables Tagine.

The Moroccan Bread

The Verdict:

The 5 year wait was well worth it. The tagine was amazing. The sauce in the tagine was bursting in flavor. The lamb was very succulent and fresh, and the vegetables were on point. The bread was great as well. The food was washed down with water. Overall, two thumbs up. No problems with the service.



Conclusion:

It's definitely worth venturing out to Moroccan Bites from the Riverwalk if you're visiting from San Antonio. The food is great, and the inside is also really nice. I'd definitely come back and try their other tagines, as well as their merguez.

Grading:
Service: 8/10

Food: 9/10

Total: 17/20 = 85% (B)

Pricing: $$ out of $$$$

Restaurant Information:

Moroccan Bites Tagine
5714 Evers Road, San Antonio, Texas

Phone: (210) 706-9700

Website: https://moroccanbitestagine.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MoroccanBitesTajine/

Timings: Mon, Wed, and Thu: 11:30 AM to 9 PM; Fri and Sat: 11:30 AM to 11 PM; Sun: 12 PM to 9 PM; Tue Closed

Caters: Yes

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

Cheers!

Zain Mohammed

Raja's Curry Kitchen and Grill - Off to Louisiana We Geaux

Restaurant: Raja's Curry Kitchen and Grill
Address: 3821 Ryan Street, Lake Charles, Louisiana
Buffet or a-la-carte: Buffet
Date of latest visit: 2/19/19



Background:
Salam/hey guys! Today, it's time to mark a new state that would indicate where I've done a review from! It's the first one that is new since 2016, when Illinois and Georgia were added. While I am based in Houston, I still do review halal spots in other parts of the country (international soon to come). The state in question is none other than out neighbor to the East: Louisiana. And where in Louisiana? New Orleans? Too far (5.5 hours drive from Houston). Then? Lake Charles. A small city that is 25 miles from the border.
So how did I end up reviewing a place in Lake Charles? Well, I had to go to a site that is about an hour south of Lake Charles. So on the way there, I decided to stop for lunch. When I looked up where to eat, there were only two halal options: Raja's, and Royal Tandoor. I chose Raja's because they had a better rating on Google Reviews. After enduring the drive from Houston, I decided to stop before heading to the site.

Let The Experience Begin!
The restaurant is located about 5 minutes from McNeese State University. The inside was a bit dark, and they were playing the Willow Cricket channel as well as the local TV channels. Without hesitation, I went for the buffet.



Let's Eat!
Interestingly, all the meat items at the buffet were all chicken, and not a single goat dish. From the buffet, I got chicken biryani, green chicken (murgh hara masala), chicken korma, butter chicken, and tandoori chicken. They give you a free basket of naan to go with the buffet. To drink, I just got water. I paid a total of $13.57 (tax included). Is it me? Or is it that Indian/Pakistani buffets have become increasingly expensive?


Menu: https://www.facebook.com/pg/therajasgrill/menu/?ref=page_internal
This spot has the usual Indian affair such as curries, grilled meats, rice dishes, and vegetarian dishes. They also have some Mediterranean items such as hummus, tabbouli, and baba ghanoush, NY style platters, and fusion burgers. An interesting menu for an Indian place. The buffet is only for lunch every day it is open.

The meat items from the buffet

The Verdict:

While it wasn't the best buffet overall, it was a solid spot and it certainly beats out some of the buffets I've had in Houston. The main miss was the biryani. It was really mild for my liking. I couldn't taste the true flavor of it. I really liked the green chicken, tikka, naan (which I didn't picture) and korma. The butter chicken could use some improvement though.
The service was normal. No problems there.

Conclusion:

Raja's is a solid spot to check out some halal Indian food in town. If I come back to Lake Charles, I'll try the other place and them compare them. But for now, do check this place out if you're in Lake Charles. I hope that the biryani would improve and there would be more halal options in Lake Charles soon.

Grading:

Food: 7.5/10

Service: 8/10
Total: 15.5/20 = 77.5% (C)

Pricing: $$ out of $$$$



Restaurant Information:
Raja's Curry Kitchen and Grill
Address: 3821 Ryan Street, Lake Charles, Louisiana
Phone: (337) 476-2777
Website: none
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/therajasgrill/
Timings: Mon-Sat: 11 AM - 9 PM; Sun: 12 PM - 9 PM;
Caters: Yes

Delivery also available

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

Cheers!
Zain Mohammed

DaddyO's Pizza: When an Appetizer is Filling and Legit

Restaurant: DaddyO's Pizza
Address: 2645 N Gessner Road, Houston, TX
Buffet or a-la-carte: A-la-carte
Date of latest visit: 2/16/19



Background:
Salam/hey guys! Today I will be talking about a spot that has been around for nearly 25 years, and just started offering a halal option. The place in question is called DaddyO's Pizza. I actually heard about this place after seeing pictures on social media about the food they have. It looks appetizing, but as I have learned, it's best to see how the food is really presented, looks, and tastes. There have been some instances where the food comes in a reasonably sized bowl, but in reality it would come in something very small. One thing that caught my eye was the garlic cheese rolls that were shown. I wanted to try it, but I wasn't going to post about it initially since they didn't have halal options. But, I got a DM from them, and they said that they plan on offering a halal gyro topping for their pizzas, salad, wraps. Since I saw pictures of the rolls with pepperoni, I thought that it would be ok to have the gyro meat in them. I got to go while I was on a break from my PE (Principles of Engineering) exam prep class at their Spring Branch location (They also have a location on Dairy Ashford).

Let The Experience Begin!
The Spring Branch location of DaddyO's is located on N Gessner between Kempwood and Westray. The inside is small, similar to Crespo's. They also have seating outside.



Let's Eat!
I got the garlic cheese rolls with the gyro meat. For that, request the build your own and then add the gyro meat. The price is $11.90 (tax included). The wait time wasn't bad at approximately 8 minutes.


Menu: https://slicelife.com/restaurants/tx/houston/77080/daddyo-s-pizza/menu?clientId=272335213.1550966280&segment_id=ab402ce2-80ca-412e-ac5b-6140ad256aba
This spot has pizzas, calzones, pastas, and subs, which are typical for most pizza places in town. They also have baklava as a dessert option.

What the rolls look like

My attempt at a cheese pull

The Verdict:

My goodness. The rolls were PHENOMENAL. It was incredibly flavorful, and the gyro meat was cooked perfectly. I also liked the bread. Easily one of the best appetizers I've had at a restaurant. The portions are big, so I would recommend you getting this with someone (I didn't eat the whole thing myself). No complaints about the service. 

Conclusion:

DaddyO's is a place that's worth checking out. The garlic cheese rolls are something that is unique for a pizza place here in Houston. I will come back and try the pizzas, and I'd recommend you guys to check the place out if you're in the Energy Corridor or Spring Branch.

Grading:

Food: 9/10

Service: 8/10
Total: 17/20 = 85% (B)

Pricing: $$ out of $$$$



Restaurant Information:
DaddyO's Pizza
Address: 2645 N Gessner Road, Houston, TX
Phone: (713) 939-8000
Website: https://www.orderdaddyospizza.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/daddyospizzahouston/?ref=br_rs
Timings: Sun-Thu: 11 AM - 9 PM; Fri-Sat: 11 AM - 10 PM;
Caters: Yes

Delivery also available

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

Cheers!
Zain Mohammed

Poblano's Mexican Grill: Halal Mexican Food makes a return

Restaurant: Poblano's Mexican Grill
Address: 1250 Eldridge Parkway, Houston, TX
Buffet or a-la-carte: A-la-carte
Date of latest visit: 2/11/19



Background:
Salam/hey guys! Today I will be talking about a new halal restaurant that offers Mexican food. It has been a while since there was a full fledged halal Mexican spot that offered more than the basics (tacos, quesadillas, etc).For the most part, halal full fledged brick-and-mortar Mexican food hasn't fared well in Houston. The last one to have a large variety of halal Mexican options, El Beso Cantina, closed down in 2017 only a few months after being open. The same deal was with El Plato Caliente back in 2017, and AlCaliente back in 2016. Often, halal Mexican items such as tacos and quesadillas are either fused with other cuisines (examples include Twisted Turban, and Crispy or Grilled), or are served with other cuisines (examples include Family Kitchen in Sugar Land, Halal Taqueria near Bush airport, and The Chew Shack). So a place that could be the halal version of Pappasito's or Ninfa's was needed. A place that would be like Dona Mary in Dallas and offer a wide variety of halal Mexican food.

This started when I got a message from the owner that also owns Fogao (Brazilian Steakhouse that has halal options available). He told me about his Mexican place that he owns, and how he plans to add halal options to it. That place turned out to be Poblano's. I looked at the menu, and I saw that it was a full fledged one (menu described more in detail below)! Finally, a spot that has that potential of being like the popular Mexican places but with halal meat. He also told me about how he is planning on introducing halal tamales (the first halal Mexican spot in Texas to offer halal tamales) and to also have halal options at his location in downtown. So I made two trips there before writing this review, since the difference in time between the first and second visit would allow me to try out a variety of things before writing up. Also, the idea of halal tamales would excite many people who eat halal. I once posted on social media about someone having a catering business that has halal tamales as the main seller. And many people were interested in it. On both trips, I went after work.


Let The Experience Begin!
Poblano's is located just after the intersection of Eldridge and Memorial. It's located just south of where Sylvia's Enchilada Kitchen is. The inside was dark and cozy. I met Rafiq (who also owns Fogao) and his partner on the first trip, and just the partner for the second trip. Since I met with the owners, I will not grade service. We got a table, and then went over what was going to be eaten that night.



Let's Eat!
The halal options available are: chicken fajita style (aka sliced), shredded chicken, beef fajita style, and ground beef. On the first day, we got an assortment of tacos, chile relleno (poblano pepper stuffed with choice of meat, which was ground beef, spinach and mushroom enchilada with their poblano sauce, an assortment consisting of sope, gordita, and tostada, beef torta, carne guisada - a beef stew, caldo de res, which is beef soup with vegetables, and a basic serving of chips and salsa). On the second trip, I got tamales, and chicken and beef fajita platter with salad, guacamole, grilled veggies, and pico de gallo. While waiting for the food to come, the owner talked about how successful Fogao is in terms of the amount of customers requesting the halal meats, as well as hoping that the same would be repeated at Poblano's. On the second trip, the partner was talking about how it became popular as soon as news broke out about the place having halal meat, which is a good sign that this may be the one place that can deliver.


Menu: https://poblanosmexicangrill.net/menu
Once you click on the link, you have to click on the options on the page. Then, it will drop down and you can see scanned pictures of the menu items.
The menu reminds me a lot of El Beso. It has a huge variety of Mexican options. They have a large selection of enchilada options, a whole lot more of the popular Mexican options including gorditas and sopes, and tamales. They are even open for breakfast, and the breakfast items are served all day. They have breakfast tacos and breakfast burritos as well!
While this place has pork items and items such as barbacoa that are not halal (for now), they are cooked separately from the halal meats. All the tortillas and beans are vegetarian as well. There are two other things to avoid. One is their queso flameado. It's melted cheese and ground beef that is flambeed (alcohol is added to the dish and then lit up with a match. The other is the enchilada sauce that has white wine. I am assuming that you can get the shrimp one with a different sauce.

Chips and Salsa

Assortment of tacos with their habanero salsa ($1 extra)

Carne Guisada

Vegetarian Enchilada

Assortment of gordita, tostada, and sope

Beef torta

Caldo de Res

Chile Relleno

Tamales

Chicken and Beef Fajita with grilled vegetables, guacamole, salad, and pico de gallo

The Verdict:
The place was awesome. My favorite items from the first trip were the soup, the chile relleno, and the enchilada. The food from the second day (tamales and the fajita platter), was great as well. I, however, will ask them to make the beef fajita medium rare. The chicken one was excellent though. Two thumbs up.

Conclusion:

I have high hopes that Poblano's would become Houston's most successful halal Mexican restaurant, and the first to successfully survive for over a year. The food is something that I believe should be tried if you are in the Energy Corridor. On the 19th, they will start having halal options (tamales there aren't halal) in their downtown location. I can't wait to go back on my next trip

Grading:

Food: 8/10

Total: 8/10 = 80% (B)

Pricing: $$ out of $$$$



Restaurant Information:
Poblano's Mexican Grill
Address: 1250 Eldridge Parkway, Houston, TX
Phone: (281) 531-6637
Website: https://poblanosmexicangrill.net/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PoblanosMexGrill/
Timings: Mon-Thu: 7 AM - 10 PM; Fri-Sat: 7 AM - 12 AM; Sun: 7 AM - 9 PM
Caters: Yes

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

Cheers!
Zain Mohammed

CLOSED: Kababjees - Hello 2019

Restaurant: Kababjees
Address: 5600 Hillcroft Avenue, Houston, TX
Buffet or a-la-carte: A-la-carte
Date of visit: 1/2/19

UPDATE 7/16/19: Place closed down after Ramadan.

Background:
Salam/hey guys! Today I will be doing the first review for 2019 at a spot called Kababjees. I first saw a sign about them opening up during last summer, so I was curious what they were going to offer. I then saw a message from the owner's wife asking me what the procedure was about inviting me to review their place (which had just opened up at the time). Odd. I then say I get to know the name, then bookmark it for a later date. What took another odd turn was the lady asking if I would come unknowingly. To hide my actual identity (i.e. face), I asked if I could do a blogger event there, since I would do usually once in a month. I told her what a blogging event was since she was new, but I had to disclose what I do in the most polite way possible without letting her know that I felt really uncomfortable with disclosing what I do when I blog. This review would not have had service taken into consideration if I had shown my face or told her that I am a food blogger. I want to keep my reviews as legitimate as possible, meaning that I want the food served like they would to a regular customer, and see how the service is without them knowing that I am a food blogger as well as how they treat others. There have been some cases where the folks at some restaurants treated bloggers as well as media outlets like kings and queens, but regular folks like trash.

Moving on, she then said that she needed to know so that she would tell the owner. I then said that I would do a blogger event. She then said to do the event, so that the grand opening would occur. Fair point. Unfortunately, I wasn't successful in getting other bloggers to come, since I had to prepare for my GRE. I then saw their mix platter, then I thought that it is the one thing I need to try there. It is basically a BBQ meat sampler. I also saw their giant perch fish (I'm picky with fish). I tried to go with my friends, but no one was free. Fast forward to the holiday season, where I did my annual "You Decide Where I go for the First Review of The Year" Poll. And Kababjees won over Halal5 and Biryani N More. One of my followers wanted to meet up with me. So we set up and met.


Let The Experience Begin!
Kababjees is where Afghan Express used to be. The inside was nice though. The owner, who had a resting angry face the entire time, gave us menus.



Let's Eat!
We both agreed on the BBQ Platter ($19.99 + tax), and two plain naans ($1.25 + tax each). To wait, the both of us just talked about food and life.


Menu: Page 1,Page 2
Both links are for the Yelp pictures of the menu. The reason is because their website doesn't have the complete menu! You can't mislead people like this.

The menu is like Bundu Khan, but with more side options. It focuses more on BBQ items, but has rice, a fish option, more naan options, and until recently, nihari (all of which Bundu Khan doesn't have). The only thing Bundu Khan has and Kababjees doesn't have is quail. They also have halwa puri available on the weekends.

Mix BBQ Platter. (Left to right) Boneless Chicken Boti, Bihari Kabab, Seekh Kababs, and Mutton Chop

Naan

The Verdict:
Honestly, after all the insisting of me coming and trying their food, it was mediocre as a whole. The only good things were the bihari kabab and the naan. Both the seekh kababs and the boti, which was slightly overcooked, could have had more flavor. The one thing I didn't like at all was the mutton chop. It was too gamey in my opinion.




Conclusion:
While it aimed to be Hillcroft's version of Bundu Khan, Kababjees falls short in the taste. 1 out of 5 items on a mix grill being good is not a good thing. If you want to see how it is after someone else recommends it, then I'd suggest that you just go for the bihari kabab and naan. But, if you want to find the best kababs in town, then I suggest you look somewhere else.


Grading:
Service: 7/10
Food: 6/10
Total: 13/20 = 65% (D)
Pricing: $$ out of $$$$

Restaurant Information:
Kababjees
5600 Hillcroft Avenue, Houston, TX
Phone: (346) 701-7801
Website: https://kababjees-restaurant.business.site/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kababjeeshouston/
Timings: Sun-Thu: 11 AM - 10 PM; Fri-Sat: 12 PM - 1 PM
Caters: Unknown

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

Cheers!
Zain Mohammed

Giordano's: Finally, Halal Deep Dish in The City Where It Originated

Restaurant: Giordano's

Address: 1510 Market Street, Des Plaines, Illinois
Buffet or a-la-carte: A-la-carte
Date of visit: 11/23/18



Background:
Salam/hey guys! Today I will be talking about probably one of my most anticipated visits of all time. Why was it anticipated? Well, it's because of the fact that a location of a popular chain is getting reviewed! The chain? None other than the classic Chicago institution: Giordano's. And what is the popular Chicago food item? Deep dish pizza. Well, we had a spot in Houston for a while (D'Marcos, which closed down) and Fuzzy's (ask for options, but less stellar than D'Marcos). Then, when I was deciding where to go during the trip, I got a picture saying that one of the Giordano's had halal options and that it was prepared separately. I was amazed. I finally got to try the place that so many would always rave about when it came to deep dish. It's the Giordano's that is located in Des Plaines, which is located near O'Hare and a long drive from Burr Ridge. I headed there after spending the day in downtown Chicago which ended with an amazing sunset at 360 Chicago (John Hancock Building). I was going to meet a group of Muslim food bloggers that are based in Chicago (IG: adventuresofshakandb). The original plan was to take the rail by myself from downtown to there, since the location was 5 minutes from the station. But, I got picked up and then we headed there. Surprisingly, I-90 was not packed as I thought it would be. That meant a little wait. My dad was worried about me being alone, so I went inside and said that I would be back since they were on their way. I sat in the Panera Bread next door (didn't walk since it was cold outside). As soon as they were 5 minutes away, I went inside the restaurant.


Let The Experience Begin!
For a popular pizza chain, the location was SMALL. Only one row of tables and then there were some bar stools. And it was packed. A large party consisting of 14 people came in. There was even a line for takeout where the waiting time was nearing two hours. The wonderful thing? All but one group were brown folks like myself. And they were getting the halal toppings. The bloggers arrived, and we helped ourselves to the barstools and drinks (I got a Pepsi). Then, we ordered.



Let's Eat!
For appetizers, we ordered the fried calamari (squid). And before reading the next sentence, I would like to say that no fiqh discussions will be allowed. Different schools have different opinions about which seafood items are permissible to eat. The fried calamari came with artichoke fritters, lemon rings, banana peppers,  and fennel with their marinara sauce. For the main, we ordered a meat and more with the halal meat. The meat was halal beef pepperoni, halal beef salami, halal beef bacon, and halal beef sausage. You must request the halal toppings when ordering. They are available when dining in and taking out. For delivery, you have to call them in order to get the halal toppings. The large one, which we got, was $37.25 + tax. The appetizer was $10.95+ tax. One important thing to mention is that the cooking process for deep dish is long. So it's recommended that you order appetizers.

Menu: https://giordanos.com/content/uploads/menus/carryout/dt_co.pdf?_ga=2.73238743.532490501.1544395751-16509638.1544395751
The menu is like any pizza spot. You have apps, pizzas, and some plates and sandwiches. I also like that there is an individual deep dish option here. I'm assuming that the halal meats can be put in some of the other dishes, so just check if they can do that. As of now, this is the only location of Giordano's in the COUNTRY to have halal options available.

Fried Calamari

The Deep Dish

Our attempt at a cheese pull

Side shot of a slice

The Verdict:
The pizza was incredible. Incredibly cheesey and meaty. All of us loved the pizza. I can safely say that Giordano's was well worth the hype. This was definitely the greatest deep dish I've ever had. The calamari was great as well, even though there were some accidental bites into the lemon. Overall, two thumbs up.
One thing that made this place stand out was the service. The person working with all this rush was amazing. She was able to make everything calm despite the long waits, and she was incredibly friendly. The owners are also friendly. We had a small chat before leaving about how they were able to convince corporate to serve halal meat at the location, and thanked them for serving halal.

Conclusion:
Giordano's cheese may be great based on how it tasted along with the meat, but for a true deep dish experience with halal meat, head over to this location! It being packed is a testament to the fact that the halal options at Giordano's is a hit! Hopefully a Lou Malnati's location and/or either the Morton Grove or a new location of Pequod's would follow suit in the future, since it''ll be nice to have more than one option for halal deep dish in the city where it originated from. I'll definitely be back to try it again, no matter where I would be in Chicago.


Grading:
Service: 10/10
Food: 10/10
Total: 20/20 = 100% (A)
Pricing: $$ out of $$$$

Restaurant Information:

Giordano's

Address: 1510 Market Street, Des Plaines, Illinois
Phone: (847) 635-8550
Website: https://giordanos.com/locations/des-plaines
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GiordanosDesPlaines/
Timings: Sun-Thu: 10:30 AM - 10 PM; Fri-Sat: 10:30 AM - 11 PM
Caters: Yes

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

Cheers!
Zain Mohammed

Mezban - A Desi Buffet Spot That is Actually Good

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.

Plate One: Chicken Biryani, Chicken Karahi, Goat Curry, and Chicken Bihari

Second Pic: Goat Curry, Mezban Chicken, Chicken Pasanda, and Tandoori Chicken

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

CLOSED: Rhotey Rotisserie: Gourmet Sandwiches in Westchase

Restaurant: Rhotey Rotiseerie
Address: 9296 Westheimer, Houston, TX
Buffet or a-la-carte: a-la-carte
Date of visit: 11/1/2018

UPDATE 2/23/19: Sadly this place closed down. It will be really missed :(

Background:
Salam/hey guys! Today I will be writing about my two experiences at a small shop called Rhotey Rotisserie. Rhotey Rotisserie is a sandwich shop that offers various sandwiches with different rotisserie meats. I found out about this spot after seeing that this place uses Creekstone Farms beef for their beef sandwiches. After confirming that they use it and cross contamination is not there (more description below), I went there for lunch one day. Then, I got a message from the owner saying that they would start using halal chicken. So I went again and had it.



Let' The Experience Begin!
They are located just after the intersection of Gessner on Westheimer Road. It's a small shop. You could see the folks making the sandwich in front of you.

Let's Eat!
On the first trip, I got their rotisserie beef sandwich. I got their rotisserrie chicken. The rotisserie beef sandwich is $10, and the rotisserie chicken sandwich is $9. The waiting time wasn't bad at all


Menu:
https://www.rhotey.com/menu/
The menu is very simple. There are two sandwiches available for each type of meat. You can even turn the sandwiches into a salad. While they do have pork, they cook and cut it separately from the other meats.

Rotisserie Chicken Sandwich

Rotisserie Beef Sandwich

The Verdict:
The sandwiches were really tasty. They both had a lot of flavor and were filling as well. Thumbs up for the food. The service was great as well!

Conclusion:
If you want to go to a sandwich spot that serves halal meat, then Rhotey is the place to be! I'll definitely be back on more occasions!


Grading:
Service: 9/10
Food: 9/10
Total: 18/20 = 90% (A)
Pricing: $$ out of $$$$


Restaurant Information
Rhotey Rotisserie
9296 Westheimer, Houston, TX
Phone: (713) 643-4474
Website: https://www.rhotey.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rhotey/
Timings: Mon-Sat: 11 AM - 9 PM; Sun: closed
Caters: Yes
Online ordering available via Doordash and Ubereats

Feel free to comment below, send me a Facebook Message, or email me!

Cheers!
Zain Mohammed

The Chew Shack: A Delicious Halal Turkish Food Truck

Food Truck: The Chew Shack
Address: 5741 Westheimer, Houston, TX
Date of visit: 10/19/18



Background:
Salam/hey guys! Today I will be writing about my experience at a food truck called the Chew Shack. This company actually has three trucks. One is Turkish, one is American (Burgers, fries, etc.), and one is Mexican. This review is for the Turkish one. I got a message from them saying that they are at a new set location, so I decided to give them a try. After work, I met up with another blogger.



Let's Eat!
They are located next to the James Coney Island on Westheimer and Bering. We got three platters: a combination of chicken and lamb Adana Kebap, a combination of filet mignon kebap and lamb Adana kebap, and a chicken kebap. All the platters come with rice, vegetables, pita, and red cabbage. We also got a chicken doner, which comes with fries, and the onion rings. While waiting, we talked to the cashier as well as catching up on life.


Menu: The Turkish truck isn't deep like the brick and mortar spots. It has different types of kebaps, including the traditional Adana and doner. The biggest plus though is that it's not pricey (Turkish spots are some of the most expensive halal spots in town).

Le Menu

Chicken and Adana Kebap platter

Chicken Kebap Platter

Filet Mignon Kebap Platter

Chicken Doner (normally comes in one piece, but they cut into pieces because it's so huge)

The Inside of the Shawarma

The Verdict:
Absolutely delicious! There was so much flavor in everything that we got. My top ones were the Adana kebaps and the filet mignon. The food gets two thumbs up.
The people working there were really nice (I was observing them as other customers had come to order food).

Conclusion:
If you want some Turkish food without having to spend a lot of money, then the Chew Shack is a great spot to go to. I won't mind going there again soon. During the day, they are usually at office buildings. At night, they are at the address (5741 Westheimer). Afiyet Olsun!



Grading:
Food: 9/10
No service grade since this was a blogger event.
Pricing: $$ out of $$$$



Restaurant Information
The Chew Shack
5741 Westheimer, Houston, TX
Phone: (713) 643-4474
Website: https://www.thechewshack.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thechewshack/
Timings: Wed-Thu: 7 PM - Midnight; Fri-Sat: 7 PM - 2 AM
Caters: Yes
Online ordering available

Feel free to comment below, send me a Facebook Message, or email me!

Cheers!
Zain Mohammed

Fanoosh Biryani and Burgers: Where East Meets West

Restaurant: Fanoosh Biryani and Burgers
Address: 1226 Museum Square Drive, Sugar Land, Texas
Buffet or a-la-carte: a-la-carte
Date of visit: 3/12/18



Background:
Salam/hey guys! I will be writing about my experience at the recently opened Fanoosh Biryani and Burgers restaurant. So how did I arrive at coming to a place that serves both biryani and burgers? I saw the owner on Facebook posting about the restaurant opening up in a few months. Next thing you know, he invites the public to give the place a sneak peak. I went for it, and the biryani was absolutely spot on. I decided to come again, this time with two friends. It was a challenge, because I had invited some friends and bloggers to try the food here since the biryani was that good. Unfortunately, many canceled at the last minute despite several answers of "Yes". Another challenge was the time. The place closes at 8 on Mondays, which honestly is early. I got off work late on that day, so getting there was a real challenge with the traffic Houston is known for. Thankfully, the traffic was actually not bad since it was Spring Break, so I made it with some time to spare.




Let's The Experience Begin!
Fanoosh is located exactly where UB's used to be (same strip mall as Bahama Bucks and the Sugar Land location of Stacked Ice Cream). The layout and outside patio are still there. The place was bustling when we went inside. After browsing through the menu and meeting the owner, we were ready to order.




Let's Eat!
We ordered three things: chicken biryani, house fries (fries with burger meat, cheddar jack cheese, onion, cilantro, and Fanoosh sauce), and the angus burgers (angus patties with gouda, Fanoosh sauce, lettuce, and tomatoes). We split and paid about $14 (tax included). The waiting time wasn't bad at 14 minutes and 23 seconds. They give you a pager, and when it buzzes, it means that the order is ready. We sat on the patio and talked until the pager sounded.




Menu: https://fanooshbnb.com/
If you want to see the menu, you just have to click "menu" and it will take you there. The menu is limited, and for a good reason. The owner wants to make sure that all the food is fresh. They have various types of biryanis and burgers that are available to order, even though some of the biryanis are only available on the weekends. The prices are honestly not bad, and all the meat is halal.

The Chicken Biryani

House Fries

Angus Burger

The Verdict:
When we got the burgers, there was something that caught my eye. All the vegetables, and the sauce were on the side instead of on the burger. It's most likely like that for picky eaters to choose what goes on the burger and what is left out. You add the vegetables and the sauce, and you get what you see in the above pic.
Tastewise, the biryani proved to be the clear winner yet again. The taste was simply marvelous. Perfectly spiced biryani with a lot of flavor, just the way I like it. Second place was the house fries by a close margin. The Fanoosh sauce had the perfect spice kick: not too mild yet not too hot. When they say that their food is fresh, they really mean it. Last place was the burger, which was just ok. The patty wasn't up to my taste tbh. Nevertheless, a good experience overall.
The service was good too. The owner is a really nice guy.




Conclusion:
While the burger was just ok, the biryani was superb. Fanoosh is a great place to have some delicious biryani without having to drive far if you live in Sugar Land. It's also a great place to have biryani if you do not want to wait in the line at Aga's (in the past few trips, the line was up to the door!). I hope to come visit this place again when I am in Sugar Land.



Grading:
Food: 23/30 (9/10 for biryani, 8/10 for fries, 6/10 for burger)
Service: 9/10
Total: 32/40 = 80% (B)
Pricing: $$ out of $$$$



Restaurant Information:
Fanoosh Biryani and Burgers
1226 Museum Square Drive, Sugar Land, Texas
Phone: (281) 201-2067
Website: https://fanooshbnb.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tasteofgreek/
Timings: Mon, Tue & Thu: 12 PM - 8 PM; Fri-Sat: 12 PM - 9 PM; Sun: 4 PM - 9 PM; Wed: Closed
Caters: N/A

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

Fuzzy's: Halal Deep Dish Returns to Houston

Restaurant: Fuzzy's Pizza
Address: 8914 Westheimer Road, Houston, TX
Buffet or a-la-carte: a-la-carte
Date of visit: 2/19/18



Background:
Salam/hey guys! Today I will be writing about a spot that has been around for a while: Fuzzy's Pizza. I am going to keep this one short, since it was a spontaneous trip planned by me and my friend. I found out about this place using halal on Facebook. I messaged them, as well as called them, and they said yes to having halal toppings. I decided to go there after finishing my work at Prairie View.


Let's The Experience Begin!
Fuzzy's is located on Westheimer just before Fondren. There were tables, as well as pictures of the owner with many famous customers. For the most part, we were the only customers.

Let's Eat!
We ordered the deep dish pizza with beef pepperoni. We split the check

Menu: https://www.myfuzzyspizza.com/
The halal items that are available in this restaurant are the beef pepperoni, and chicken wings. They have regular, Chicago style, gluten free style, and Italian style (similar to Neapolitan pizza). They also serve pizza by the slice

The Deep Dish Pizza

The Verdict:
The food was pretty good. The only issue really was that the pepperoni was too thin. Nvertheless, halal deep dish is back.


Conclusion:
The absence of halal deep dish in the Houston area was a short one. Fuzzy's is not bad of a place to try. What you should do though is call ahead in advance, because deep dish takes around 40-50 minutes to cook!



Grading:
Food: 7/10
Total: 7/10 = 70% (C)
Pricing: $$ out of $$$$



Restaurant Information:
Fuzzy's Pizza8914 Westheimer Road, Houston, TX
Phone: (713) 787-5200
Website: https://www.myfuzzyspizza.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fuzzyspizza/
Timings: Sun - Thu: 11 AM - 9:30 PM; Fri - Sat: 11 AM - 10:30 PM
Caters: Yes

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

Winbern Mess Hall: Two Food Trucks in One Building

Restaurant: Winbern Mess Hall
Address: 3701 Travis Street, Houston, Texas
Buffet or a-la-carte: a-la-carte
Date of visit: 2/14/18



Background:
Salam/hey guys! Today I will be writing about my experience at a place in the heart of Midtown: Winbern Mess Cafe. This place is basically the brick-and-mortar restaurant for two of Houston's many food trucks: Oh My Gogi (Korean) and Happy Endings. I was on Yelp looking up options for halal food. Then I saw them offer a halal chicken adobo dish. When I first saw pics of it, I thought that it was just a way to say that it's literally their version of the chicken over rice from the Halal Guys. I was wrong! It was legit chicken adobo, which is Filipino, with halal meat! I decided to give them a try after getting off work.



Let The Experience Begin!
The place is located on Travis and Winbern. A downside is that parking is very tight. I ended up paying for parking to eat in here (I paid $3). I was also the first customer of the day. The place seems to be very popular at night. They have both indoor and outdoor seating. The friendly guy was ready to take my order.



Let's Eat!
The halal chicken adobo was $8.65 (tax included). It's chicken adobo with spicy mayo and regular mayo, gochujang (spicy Korean red chili paste), garlic fried rice, and kimchi. I sat outside as it was pleasant and patiently waited for the food.



Menu: https://www.winbern.com/
Good news. You can use the halal chicken on any of the other chicken dishes! The food is a fusion of various Asian foods.

The Bowl. Small for $8.65 tbh

The Verdict:
Despite the small portion, the food was pretty decent. Service was great. The guy serving me was really nice! Food was washed down with water as well as a craft cola!



Conclusion:
Winbern Mess Hall is a good place to try food late night! It's a place that I wouldn't recommend for families due to the atmosphere, but it would be good to take friends!



Grading:
Service: 9/10
Food: 7.5/10
Total: 16.5/20 = 82.5%
Pricing: $$ out of $$$$



Restaurant Information:
Winbern Mess Hall
3701 Travis Street, Houston, Texas
Phone: (281) 974-2952
Website: https://www.winbern.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WINBERNMESSHALL/
Timings: Tue-Sat: 12 PM - 2 AM; Sun-Mon: closed
Caters: Yes

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

Cheers!
Zain Mohammed

Zayed's Mediterranean Grill: Long Kababs, and Great Food

Restaurant: Zayed's Mediterranean Grill
Address: 797 Sorella Court (CityCentre), Houston, TX
Buffet or a-la-carte: a-la-carte
Date of visit: 1/14/18

UPDATE 1/2/19: This place has closed down

Background:
Salam/hey guys! Today I will be writing about my experience at the first halal spot in the popular CityCentre shopping area: Zayed's Mediterranean Grill. Honestly, it was about time a halal spot pops up in that area. I got invited to a food blogger event by the restaurant (and no I did not get paid), where they would be bringing out food to try. Let's just say that I am thankful that the restaurant invited me. After bidding adieu to my family, I set off for the restaurant.



Let The Experience Begin!
The restaurant is located in the heart of CityCentre. I was directed to a room, where I met a few foodies, and the pictures commenced! I then took a little tour of the kitchen. The most significant things I saw were an automatic shawarma meat cutter, which may be the future of shawarma serving. But the main highlight of the tour was the long skewers of shish kabob that were on the grill. It was without a doubt the longest skewer of kabab I've ever seen. EVER. After the tour, it was ready to eat.



Let's Eat!
So the meats we had were: kafta, chicken kafta, shish tawook, and beef tenderloin. There was also  spicy hummus, baba ghanoush, tabuli, different salads, and cheesebread. I got them to do a special request for me, which was to fold it.



Menu: http://zayedsgrill.com/menu/
Zayed's runs a lot like Fadi's and Aladdin: a variety of meats with options of adding sides and dips. The prices were ok.

Regular hummus, salad, and baba ghanoush

Two salads, tabuli, and the spicy hummus

The long skewers on the grill

A perspective of the setup. All the side dishes are at the bottom

A shot of the actual kababs

Another perspective. Please disregard the man giving me the finger in the pic. Stay classy thatboyasad

Folded cheese bread

The Verdict:

Food was fantastic. Everyone enjoyed every kabab that was offered. They also give bread, which was baked fresh. Bread went very well with the kababs. The cheesebread was fantastic as well. So cheesy. Food was washed down with a craft cola drink (forgot the name, but it was good; I'm kinda a cola connoisseur tbh).

Conclusion:

It's nice to see a place pop up in a popular area of town that is both halal and really tasty. I'll definitely be back for more visits.

Grading:

Food: 9/10 (no service due to the fact that this was an event hosted by the restaurant)

Total: 9/10 = 90% (A)

Pricing: $$ out of $$$$

Restaurant Information:

Zayed's Mediterranean Grill

Address: 797 Sorella Court (CityCentre), Houston, TX

Phone: (713) 984-8383

Website: http://zayedsgrill.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zayedsmediterraneangrill

Instagram: zayedsgrill

Timings: Sun-Fri: 11 AM - 10 PM; Sat: 11 AM - 11 PM

Caters: yes

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

Cheers!

Zain Mohammed