Stanton City Bites- A Gem Near Downtown

Restaurant: Stanton City Bites
1420 Edwards Street, Houston, Texas 77007
A-la-carte or buffet? A-la-carte
Date of visit: 11/2/13

Photo Credit: (http://burgertyme.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/img_01402.jpg)

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UPDATE 8/10/15:

Have been a regular ever since the first visit and they have never failed to impress. Every trip was absolutely worth it. They also have halal chicken patties, hot dogs, chicken tenders, and chili! The restaurant was remodeled since the beginning of the year. Grading is the same. The pics below are from the various visits that I have made.

Basic Cheeseburger

Blue Moon Burger

Chicken tenders, fries, and BBQ sauce

Chili

Curly fries

Holy Cow with extra chicken patty

Chili Dogs with Cajun fries

Sliders and fries

Truck Stopper

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**ORIGINAL POST**

Background:

Salam/hey guys! Today brings the oldest established restaurant in this review so far: Stanton's City Bites. This restaurant has been in the exact same location since 1961, beating out Famous Hamburger by 9 years. It is actually well known to many Houstonians. Its founder, Art Fong, was an icon in the city. He was regarded by many to be the best burger chef that Houston ever had. His legacy continues even after his death in 2010. His restaurant has won awards from the Houston Press as being the best burgers in Houston.  It was even featured in many prominent national blogs and was shown on Travel Channel's Burger Land. That was all before I heard about this restaurant. Only this year did the management decided to make this place halal! The news spread like a firestorm! Soon, I would see people talking about this restaurant and how amazing it is! This motivated me to try it out and see whether it was true or not. So after my chem lab, I made the trip.

Let The Experience Begin!

Stanton's City Bites is located just a few blocks down the City of Houston Municipal Courts in the 6th Ward. The parking is a bit narrow, as you would have back out onto the streets. Inside, it was getting crowded. It was like your usual convenience store with tables and chairs. There are coolers that sell soda, water, and alcohol. There were memorabilia of classic Houston sports events, such as the 1989 Houston Oilers Schedule, an ad for the 2004 MLB All Star Game that was held in Houston, and Rockets schedules being available at the front. There was an awesome mural of the Simpsons police officers going after a juicy burger. This reminded me of being in a nice cozy restaurant somewhere between Houston and Dallas on Interstate 45, where there were murals of cattle traveling through the cattle trails and Texas landmarks like the Alamo and Big Bend National Park. The menu is directly on the billboard. After going through the billboard, I was ready to order.

Let's Eat!

I ordered the Monster Burger without Bacon, fries, and Mexican Pepsi (Pepsi with REAL sugar) The Monster Burger had two patties, 4 pieces of American Cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, onions and their special house sauce. I paid a total of $16.24 (tax included). The waiting time was great for a burger at 9 minutes and 1 second. While eating, I noticed that the people make the customers feel welcome at the restaurant. Some even had casual conversations with the customers. They would come around the tables and ask the people for their feedback. This is an excellent tool to measure how tasty the food was as they could improve their recipes if a customer wasn't satisfied. Some would talk about the Rockets upcoming season or the Texans game tomorrow against the Colts. Some would talk about how the restaurant is going after Art Fong's passing.

Menu: http://www.stantonscitybites.com/menu.html

Now everything is not halal. Everything is halal except the bacon. For any of the burgers, you can request them to not put bacon in it. The halal beef is cooked separately from the pork. The fries are also cooked in vegetable oil, not beer batter. The only haram burger is the Miss Piggy burger, as it has a mix of beef and bacon patty.

Halal sign displayed on door

Mexican Pepsi

Monster Burger, fries and Pepsi

The Verdict:

I have nothing but praise for this restaurant. The burger was just magnificent! It tasted like the burger from Famous Hamburger in Dearborn. The burger was one of the juiciest that I have ever eaten. I really loved the goo-like cheese that was in the burger. All the vegetables were fresh, including the pickles. The fries were perfectly cooked, and it tasted great with ketchup. The food was washed down with the bottle of Mexican Pepsi. Overall, two thumbs up. Now when the people came and asked me how it was, I said that it was amazing. One was even surprised that I had finished the monster burger quickly (yes I was extremely hungry xD). The other person even said that he eats one of these every day! I do not complain as it was very delicious!

Conclusion:
Stanton City Bites has been added to my list of favorite restaurants in Houston (I have more than 1, but I will not reveal them all). Their great burger and service has turned me into a future loyal customer. No wonder it is a household name in Houston and that they have been awarded many times for their burgers. I will definitely start making more trips here now, considering that it is near UH. I wish the best for them and hope that they would succeed with their business while supplying halal beef. If you are on a business trip and staying at a hotel in downtown, or if you have to come to the courthouse to fight a ticket or serve jury duty, then take some time and stop at this place. You will come out a satisfied customer.

Grading:
Service: 10/10

Food: 10/10

Waiting Time: 10/10

Overall: 30/30 = 100% (A)

Pricing: $$ out of $$$$

Restaurant Information

Stanton City Bites

1420 Edwards Street, Houston, Texas 77007

Phone: (713) 227-4893

Website: http://www.stantonscitybites.com/

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/foodbystan

Instagram: follow them at stantonscitybites

Timings: Mon: closed; Tue-Thu: 11 AM - 8 PM; Fri-Sat: 11 AM - 9 PM; Sun: 11 AM - 4 PM

Caters: Yes

Feel free to comment below!

Cheers!

Zain Mohammed

A Major Announcement

In case you haven't noticed, World Halal Restaurants Reviews is now Zain's Halal Reviews! Also, this blog now is on Facebook and Intagram! Hopefully in the near future this will have a tumblr and twitter. Follow to see what the world has to offer on one of the fastest growing markets in the world today! Happy Eating!

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/thehalalreviewer?ref=hl
Instagram: @thehalalreviewer or click the camera on the sidebar!
Tumblr: Coming soon
Twitter: Coming soon

Masala Wok- The Wait Was Well Worth It

Restaurant- Masala Wok
10001 Westheimer road, Houston, Texas 77042
Buffet or a-la-carte? A-la-carte
Date of visit: 10/26/13

Photo Credit: (http://www.masalawok.com/images/menu_01.png)

UPDATE 6/1/15

Visited after finding out that Kublai Khan closed down. The food isn't as good as it use to be. I only recommend if you want some Indo-Chinese food in the Westchase Area. Food is now a 6/10

Background:

Salam/hello guys! Today I will be reviewing a very popular restaurant here in Houston: Masala Wok. Masala Wok is a restaurant that serves Indian, Chinese, and Thai cuisine. They have popular dishes like chicken tikka masala, stir fry chicken, noodles. and rice dishes. It is located in the Westchase district of town, and they have locations in Sugar Land (recently opened), Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, and the Virginia suburbs on Washington DC. This restaurant is frequented by many people who come for lunch break from their jobs. When I moved here, this was one of the restaurants that my family and I would often go to because it was very near to where we used to love (Sugar Land). Plus at that time, this was our favorite restaurant. We would always go here with other members of the family or for even special occasions. Since moving to Cypress, we had not gone here at all. This was all 5 years ago. Now today, it was time for me to come back here and try the very food that I used to enjoy back then. The time came after my chemistry lab at UH had finished. I came here hoping that at least the Chinese food would be better than Halal Wok (Review found here). After going through traffic, I arrived at the restaurant.

Let The Experience Begin!

Masala Wok is located a few blocks after the intersection of the Sam Houston Tollway and Westheimer Road going towards the Galleria. It shares the same strip mall with a Marble Slab and a Sushi bar. Inside was a very vibrant ambiance. The ambiance was dark to give the feeling of being at a casual restaurant. There was a TV that was showing the anticipated soccer (football) game between Real Madrid and Barcelona. It was so anticipated that the nearly every customer INCLUDING the employees were watching the game. I myself was watching the game while waiting in line to order. My turn finally came and I read the menu that was hanging on top.

Let's Eat!

Now when you are ordering, it is important that you tell what meat you want. Like if you want to order noodles or rice, you have to tell the whether you want chicken, lamb, beef, shrimp, vegetarian, or paneer. Same goes with any dish here at Masala Wok. I ordered Chicken Lollipops, which are 4 pieces of chicken wings shaped exactly like a lollipop. I also ordered mixed rice and noodles with steak. To drink, I chose mango juice. I paid a grand total of $16.47 (tax included). The waiting time was a wonderful 4 minutes and 35 seconds. I could see everyone cooking the food freshly on the stoves. To wait for the food, I watched the soccer game.

One more thing. When you get your food, you have to get up from your table and get the cutlery and napkins. Surely they can get it for you when they give you the food right?

Menu: http://masalawok.com/images/pdf/HoustonMenu.pdf

Mango Juice

Chicken Lollipops and Mixed rice and noodles with fried egg and steak

The Verdict:

After taking the first bite, I immediately thought to myself "Why did I not come here in 5 years?" The food was fantastic. It was much better than Halal Wok. The only problem I had was that the sauce for the chicken lollipops was too spicy. It tasted like pickle paste but more spicy. Nevertheless, the chicken lollipops were very flavorful, the egg was very fresh, and the noodles and rice were tasty. The steak was perfectly marinated and it perfectly complimented the rice and noodles. All this was drained by a nice bottle of mango juice. Overall, two thumbs up.

Conclusion:

If they had a location on the Northwest side of Houston, then I would definitely be a regular there. I could even get food from here for my family whenever necessary. But until then, I will be making more visits to the current location from UH whenever I feel like having some good noodles. I will definitely try the Indian and Thai options and see how they compare to the Chinese options. If you are on Westheimer and want to eat some good halal Chinese food, then this place would be perfect for you.

Grading:

Service: 9/10

Food: 9/10

Waiting Time: 10/10

Overall: 28/30 = 93.3% (A)
Pricing: $ out of $$$$

Restaurant Information

Masala Wok

10001 Westheimer Road, Houston, Texas 77042

Phone: (713) 784-8811

Website: http://masalawok.com/

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

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

Caters: Yes

Feel free to comment below!

Cheers!

Zain Mohammed

Halal Wok- Not The Best Chinese Restaurant Out There

Restaurant: Halal Wok
5680 Hillcroft Street, Houston, Texas 77036
Buffet or a-la-carte? A-la-carte
Date of visit: 10/23/13

Photo Credit (http://places1.assets.gotime.com/5f3f538e338c7696e3708dd9cac0fa1c59e1a439_l.jpg)

Background:

Salam/hello guys! For the second consecutive day, I am reviewing a restaurant! While yesterday I reviewed Biryani Pot, today I am reviewing Halal Wok, a Chinese restaurant. Halal Wok is also another restaurant that has been around since I moved to Houston. For 7 years, I would always pass by this place and hardly go inside. Halal Wok is located in the same strip mall as Busy Boy. Today I got out at 11 AM from class! I had forgotten my lunch from home, so I was hungry. I was not in the mood of eating on campus because just yesterday at a club meeting I had delicious McAlister's vegetarian sandwich. M&M Grill is reserved for Saturday because I am taking a friend with me. With regards to money, I could not spend over $10. It has been a while since I actually ate real Chinese food. The last time I ate was at Inchin Bamboo Garden in Cleveland, Ohio, where the food tasted like vomit (Review found here). So I was hoping that this would be a vast improvement from that time. So after driving smoothly on the highway, I arrived.

Let The Experience Begin!
Halal Wok is located in the same strip mall at Busy Boy. You can park anywhere in the strip mall parking lot and eat at the restaurant. Inside, it was very simple. White walls with curtain, and a TV playing CNN. There was only one person working the counter today. Ironically for most of the time I was the only customer! Other people came in near the phase where I finish the last of my meal. There were things that were listed on the board. I read the board and decided to order.



Let's Eat!
I decided to take the lunch special. Basically, I get a meat/seafood dish with rice and an egg roll. The dish I got was beef pepper steak, which is stir fried beef with onions, soy sauce, and green bell peppers. I asked them to make it spicy. To drink, I got my usual can of Pepsi. Altogether, I paid $7.56 (tax included). The waiting time was around 4 minutes, and the food was actually freshly made! From the table, I could hear the cooking of the various dishes. Oh, and one more thing. When you order, you first order then pay. Then after you finish eating, you just get up and leave.



Menu:

Menu Cover

Soups, Appetizers, Fried Rice, and Noodles

Diet Dishes, Vegetarian, Chicken

Beef, Shrimp, and Egg Foo Young (Chinese Omelette)

American Favorites and Chef's Specialties

Specials, Desserts,  and Drinks

Beef Pepper Steak, Fried Rice, Egg Roll, Pepsi

The Verdict:
The food mostly ranged from bad to mediocre. The only good part was the egg roll. It was very scrumptious and it had a lot of flavor. The fried rice could use some more soy sauce whenever it is cooked to improve from its mediocre taste. The bad part of the dish was the beef pepper steak. While the vegetables were fresh and had taste, the brown sauce was tasteless. There was definitely too much brown sauce in the dish. The beef was nothing to brag about either. Whenever I would mix the rice and the beef pepper steak, there would only be taste in the rice. The plate was drained by a refreshing cup of Pepsi. Overall, a thumb up for the egg roll and a thumb down for the beef pepper steak.



Conclusion:
Well, there are definitely better Chinese places in Houston. I will say, however, that this is much better than Inchin Bamboo Garden. It would have been better if the beef pepper steak had some taste in it. Overall, I would not recommend this place if you want to find a good Chinese restaurant and dine in. I know I will be waiting.



Grading:
Service: 8/10
Food: 5/10
Waiting Time: 10/10
Overall: 23/30 = 76.7% (C)
Pricing: $ out of $$$$



Restaurant Information:
Halal Wok
5680 Hillcroft Street, Houston, Texas 77036
Phone: (713) 954-9595
Website: None
Facebook: None
Timings: Sun-Thu: 11 AM - 10 PM; Fri-Sat: 11 AM - 11 PM
Caters: Yes

Feel Free to Comment Below!

Cheers!
Zain Mohammed

Biryani Pot- Finally, an improvement in Indian restaurants

Restaurant: Biryani Pot
6509 Westheimer Road, Houston, Texas 77057
Buffet or a-la-carte? A-la-carte
Date of visit: 10/22/13

Photo Credit (http://trademarks.justia.com/media/image.php?serial=85537507)

UPDATE 8/11/17: Came back a few times this year. First visit was for a friend's birthday. Ordered the lamb biryani and it was phenomenal. Second trip with my boss, where we both ordered the chicken biryani lunch special. They started using stainless steel for their thalis, which adds a nice home-like feelings. We both enjoyed the food, and the curries were much better than the last time I had them. It was incredibly filling as well, and it costed only $10! Finally, I came with a colleague. We ordered the chicken biryani family pack to go, but we decided to eat there at the last minute. And yet again the food was great. The portion of the biryani was much bigger than Bawarchi or Hyderabad House, which allowed us to enjoy the food even more. This time, they gave chicken manchurian, and that was honestly as big of a standout as the biryani. It's nice to see a good Indian/Pakistani place that is not too far from my work!

Chicken Biryani Family Pack

Chicken Lunch Special

Background:
Salam/hello guys! Today I will be reviewing another of the three Biryani restaurants here in Houston. The restaurant is called Biryani Pot. My work was let out at 12:30 pm and I had time to kill until 4:00 pm. I had no food with me and I had gotten hungry. For some reason, I was craving Indian food. Here is the thing about Indian food. Tandoori Nite was ruled out because it is not a good place. Then I heard about Biryani Pot. Being an avid fan of biryani since childhood, I wanted to try this place and compare it to Paradise Biryani Pointe (Review found here). I hoped that it would be better than Paradise, and that I would visit again whenever I feel like eating Indian food. Even though I am Indian, I rarely eat at Indian restaurants. Believe it or not, Indians actually prefer to eat at Indian restaurants than other cuisines. I really do not know why this is the common trend. Maybe because they only like spicy food (Indian food expert please help me out)? The reason I am different from other Indians is because I am proud to have a mother who cooks the most amazing Indian food at home. Whenever I actually eat Indian food, I usually get Biryani because it is my favorite Indian dish, and also it is a rare dish made in my house. I sometimes get Indian food that we rarely eat at home, like Tandoori chicken, or naan, or rogan josh (Kashmir mutton dish). So after the work was done, I made the trek to the restaurant.

Let The Experience begin!

Biryani Pot is located just after the CVS on Westheimer road. It is tricky to get in because it is very close to the intersection of Hillcroft avenue and Westheimer road. As I was coming in to park my car, there was a person sitting in front of the cars. I am assuming that he was there to be sure that the cars that park there were customers for the restaurant, and that the cars of non-customers would be towed. Inside the restaurant were the owner, his two helpers, and two waitresses. As I came in, I was greeted and I was asked to sit down. I was then handed the menu by a waitress.

Let's Eat!

I ordered the non-veg lunch special. Here is the thing about Indian restaurants. Many people from India are vegetarians. So you will always see a vegetarian and a non-vegetarian menu. With regards to non-veg, the meat you find are chicken, goat, and seafood. Some places have lamb, and some places are 100% vegetarian! The reason why there is no beef is because most Indians don't eat beef. Hinduism considers cows to be holy, thus eating beef is forbidden in their religion. According to the lunch special consisted of: Chicken Dum Biryani, salad, raita (yogurt and cucumber dish), chicken 65 (appetizer), daal (yellow lentil curry), salad, papad (crisp Indian appetizer), the house special chicken karahi, and naan. They even gave me a dessert called double ka mitha (bread pudding dessert). To drink, I had a can of Pepsi. Service was really fast. I got my food in only 1 minute and 3 seconds! Altogether, I paid $11.34 (tax included). A great price to be honest.

Menu: http://www.biryanipotusa.com/menu/index.html

Clockwise: Naan and papad, chicken karahi, daal, Pepsi, salad, chicken 65, double ka mitha and raita (not pictured), biryani

The Verdict:
When the food came out, I thought it was microwaved. However, I saw the chefs making the biryani and curries in the kitchen! After a very long time, I was having freshly made food! It felt good after so many trips with reheated food. It was piping hot when I took my first bite.Well, the biryani was approximately 100 times better than Paradise. No kidding, this was GOOD. It had a lot of flavor, and it really reminded me of the biryani made at Indian weddings. The daal was simply fantastic. It reminded me of the daal my uncle makes whenever we go over to his house. The raita was a good condiment to the biryani. The naan, which I used to eat the karahi and chicken 65 with, was very fresh. There were, however, some mishaps. The karahi was somewhat bland, as it had very little flavor. The chicken 65 was so-so. Not good, not bad, but average. The papad was not crispy enough to my liking also. I felt that it could have used a few extra minutes in the crisper. I did not eat the dessert as I am not a fan of Indian dessert (I am a HUGE chocoholic). All this food was washed down with a can of Pepsi.

Conclusion:
Biryani Pot is definitely better than Paradise. Their biryani definitely trumps the one served at Paradise. Now if they could fixed their chicken dishes, and the papad, the taste would be even better. I would recommend this restaurant mainly to eat biryani. If you are vegetarian, take the daal and naan. The lunch special is somewhat risky because the dishes except the biryani change. Overall, I would give it one thumb up.

Grading:
Service: 8/10

Food: 8/10

Waiting time: 10/10

Total: 26/30 = 86.6% (B)
Pricing: $ out of $$$$

Restaurant Information:
Biryani Pot

6509 Westheimer Road, Houston, Texas 77057

Phone: (713) 278-8085

Fax: (713) 278-8086

Website: http://www.biryanipotusa.com/home.html

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/biryanipot

Email: info@biryanipotusa.com

Timings: Mon: Closed; Lunch Tue-Fri: 11 AM - 2:30 PM and Sat-Sun: 11:30 AM - 3 PM; Dinner Tue-Thu and Sun: 5:30 PM - 10 PM and Fri-Sat: 5:30 PM - 10:30 PM

Caters: Yes

To confirm catering order, call (610) 714-2123

Feel free to comment below!

Cheers!

Zain Mohammed

CLOSED: Cafe Pita- It's fame lives up

Restaurant- Cafe Pita
5506 Richmond Avenue, Houston, Texas 77056
A-la-carte or buffet? A-la-carte
Date of visit: 10/19/13

Photo Credit: (http://s3-media2.ak.yelpcdn.com/bphoto/YuHMLDU6wHCZ6BphplaPgw/l.jpg)

UPDATE 11/26/2018: The place has been closed since 2016. 

Background:
Salam/hello guys! Today I will be reviewing one restaurant franchise that is very unique. Why is it so unique? Because it serves Bosnian food! The restaurant is called Cafe Pita, and they have locations on Westheimer Road and Richmond Avenue! What is also unique about this restaurant is that it was featured on national TV! This restaurant was featured on the show Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives on Food Network. The host of the show was famous Chef Guy Fieri. He showcased the restaurant for having a cuisine that was not the norm. He said he really liked the food! Judging on that, I decided to give this place a try. After confirming with the staff that the meat was halal, I set off from my Chemistry Lab and arrived at the restaurant.

Let The Experience Begin!

Getting into Cafe Pita is like a maze. There is no entrance from Richmond Avenue into the parking lot. When I was driving, I thought there was one, but it turned out to be the entrance to a car mechanic store. To get in, you have to turn onto Barrington road, and then turn into the parking lot. The inside was dark. There were no lights on. Most of the light came from the sun's rays from outside. The local radio was playing in the restaurant, and there was a TV that was promoting tourism in Bosnia and Herzegovina. When I came in, there was no one. I first wondered whether I should sit down and wait for someone to help me. Then came the waiter. Ironically, he was the only person that was waiting tables. So I will cut him some slack. He then directed me to a window side table and then gave me the menu.

Let's Eat!

The menu came with items that were labeled "Guy's Favorite". It seems like the restaurant is very proud of the fact that a famous celebrity chef came to their restaurant and had their food. Nonetheless, it was a very interesting menu, and it gave a nice description of what the dish contained. To drink, I had Pepsi with free refills. To eat, I had Hadzijski Cevap, which is cevap (Bosnian sausage) and beef kabab sauteed in a tomato sauce. It came with lepinja bread (Serbian flatbread) and kajmak, which is a condiment that is a mixture of cream cheese, butter, sour cream, feta cheese, and milk. I paid a total of $12.97 (tax included). The waiting time was really fast at 4 minutes and 47 seconds. Regarding the soda, the price is $1.99, but the free refills mean that I would not mind paying that much for it. If it had been a can, then I would not be happy.



Menu:
The menu mainly has traditional Bosnian delicacies. Although it is not on the website. here is also a mixed grill available for $19.99. In that mixed grill are 10 cevaps, a pljeskavice (Bosnian patty), and kababs (beef and chicken).
Starters
Soup and Salads
Pizza
Sandwiches
Entrees
Desserts

Nice glass of Pepsi

Hadzijski Cevap

The Verdict:

Whatever Guy Fieri said about this restaurant was absolutely correct. It was delicious! The tomato sauce was perfect and was very flavorful. The cevap, regarded to be Bosnia's national dish, was tantalizing. The taste was very unique from other similar sausages that I have had. I now have had kababs from 5 other countries, and most use different techniques. In India and Pakistan, chili and seeds are used. In Iran, chopped parsley and onions are used. In Turkey, there are so many different types of kababs, where some use chili and some use herbs. Now in Bosnia, garlic and onion are used to give the cevap the taste. This one definitely hit the spot. The beef kabab was also very delicious, despite coming as a few chunks. The lepinja was very fluffy and fresh, and the kajmak was very tasty with the lepinja. All the food was washed down with a nice glass of Pepsi.

Conclusion:

Cafe Pita definitely lived up to its reputation of being a popular restaurant. I think Guy Fieri must have enjoyed the food. Because I definitely did. I will be definitely coming here often and trying out their other Bosnian dishes. I would recommend anyone who want to stay away from the usual Indian/Pakistani or Mediterranean food. Trust me, you will come out a fan of Bosnian food, like I did.

Grading:

Service: 9/10

Food: 10/10

Waiting Time: 10/10

Total: 29/30 = 96.6% (A)

Pricing: $$ out of $$$$

Restaurant Information:

Cafe Pita

5506 Richmond Avenue, Houston, Texas 77056

Phone: (832) 530-4935

Website: http://cafepita.weebly.com/index.html

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cafe-Pita-/105742456168892

Timings: Mon - Thu & Sun: 11 AM - 9 PM; Fri-Sat: 11 AM - 11 PM

Caters? Yes

Cafe Pita on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOUW0lnUrEs

Feel free to comment below!

Cheers!

Zain Mohammed

Fadi's Mediterranean Grill- Your school cafeteria outside your school

Restaurant- Fadi's Mediterranean Grill
8383 Westheimer Road suite 112, Houston, Texas 77063
Buffet or a-la-carte? A-la-carte
Date of visit: 10/18/13

Photo Credit: (http://www.fadiscuisine.com/images/fadi-logo.jpg)

Background:

Salam/hello guys! I hope your Eid went well! Today I am bringing to you a very well known restaurant in Houston: Fadi's Mediterranean Grill. Fadi's is well known here in Houston, with three locations in Houston, one location in Sugar Land, and two locations in Dallas. Normally, I would go out on Saturdays to try out a restaurant and review it, but today was a special occasion. I became part of a group called Muslim Youth of Bear Creek. The goal of this is to promote a feeling of community among the Muslims in the Bear Creek Area. They had a board meeting here, and I am a member of the board. We were going to discuss how to recruit people to join the group, how to raise funds for the group, and what events to plan for the community. The reason why the meeting was held here instead of a mosque was because they wanted a more social place. They wanted a place that was not quiet and could relax and not stress. As soon as our classes were finished, we went to the restaurant.

Let The Experience Begin!

Fadi's is located just before the intersection of Westheimer and Hillcroft Avenue. It is located at a normal strip mall. Inside the restaurant was very lively. The busboys were bustling around the restaurant, cleaning the mess that the customers left behind. There was a baker making fresh bread. And there were people behind the food counter waiting to serve people. The cashiers were busy helping the customers out with how much they had to pay. My friend and I were the first of our group to arrive. 15 minutes later, everyone else arrived. After everyone else arrived, we decided to start eating.

Let's Eat!

Now things are different here at Fadi's than at other restaurants. At Fadi's, it's more like a school cafeteria. The options are presented right in front of you. First you got the bread, then the vegetables, then the meat, then the desserts, and then the drinks. The people actually ask what you want and they serve it to you. It reminds me of my dark days of middle school, where all processed crap was being served by the cafeteria ladies everyday during lunch. There, the pizza was like half cooked tomato lasagna, and the fried were literally cardboard. You also have an option of ordering dishes that are not displayed. The way you pay for your food is also different. It basically a fair game. You see what you like, and you get it. However, you are at a risk of paying too much for it at the end. It's not that you just pay after you eat. You pay, eat, and if you want to take seconds, pay again! Just like the cafeterias in schools. For budget reasons, the other guys ordered shawarmas sandwiches and plates with juices and soda. Each paid around $10 each. I, on the other hand, had plenty to spend. I heard from other people that the cafeteria style food is worth eating. I ordered a Greek salad, bread, beef pide (Turkish pizza), potatoes, rice, lamb shank, and chicken. For this, I paid a ridiculous $22.50! Two vegetarian and two meat dishes with rice for that price is WAY too much. I could go to another restaurant and get a mixed grill AND a vegetarian dish AND an appetizer for LESS the price. Another annoying thing I saw was that juice was $4! Why so expensive? On the second helping, I got filet mignon kabab for $5.94! Now that's a wonderful deal! I wish they could charge that less for the cafeteria style food. The waiting time for the kabab was a modest 9 minutes and 16 seconds. To drink, I got Perrier sparkling water.

Menu: Regarding the cafeteria style dining, the menu changes and varies per restaurant. There is however a to-go menu:

Fadi's to go menu

First dish (counterclockwise: Lamb shank, rice, Greek salad, potatoes, sparkling water, pide, chicken, bread)

Filet Mignon Kabab with vegetables and tahini sauce

The Verdict:

The food had its ups and downs. The rice was delicious, and so were the potatoes, the chicken, bread, pide, and the salad. The lamb shank was very dry and had no flavor. The filet mignon kabab was also delicious. The tahini sauce was a perfect condiment to the kabab. There was also mixed reactions from the other guys. Some liked it, some didn't. All the food that I ordered were washed down by a bottle of Perrier sparkling water.

Conclusion:
Well if you want to come in here, come here for special occasions. Why? Because it is so darn expensive. Why is it so expensive? $4 for juice, and the risk of paying too much because the food that you see is so interesting that you want to try them all. Also, I would recommend that you order directly instead of going cafeteria style because there is a bigger chance that the food will taste better. And more importantly, you will save money.

Grading:
Service: 7.5/10

Food: 8/10

Waiting Time: 10/10

Total: 25.5/30 = 85% (B)

Pricing: $$$ out of $$$$

Restaurant information:

Fadi's Mediterranean Grill

8383 Westheimer Road Suite 112, Houston, Texas 77063

Phone: (713) 532-0666

Fax: (713) 532-0677

Website: http://www.fadiscuisine.com/index.htm

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fadis-Mediterranean-Grill/176297506688

Timings: Mon-Sat: 11 AM - 10 PM; Sun: 11 AM - 8 PM

Caters? Yes

Feel free to comment below!

Cheers!

Zain Mohammed