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Al Markaz
Categories: Restaurants Indian Restaurants Pakistani Indian, Pakistani
1205 W Trinity Mills RdSte 112
Carrollton, TX 75006
Neighborhood: Carrollton
(972) 245-9525
- Hours:
Mon-Thu, Sun 11 am - 10:30 pm
Fri-Sat 11 am - 11:30 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
About This Business:
Delicious food is a small but powerful way of humans experiencing happiness. What started as a delicacy in the royal kitchens of the Nizam of Hyderabad… read more »
45 reviews for Al Markaz
Review Highlights
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"I miss their nihari, seekh kabob, and the meat pies." In 3 reviews -
"and chicken boti (always a good choice." In 3 reviews -
"...the best cooked meat dishes among the indo-pak restaurants." In 3 reviews
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45 reviews in English
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Review from Monica A.
5/21/2012
Chicken boti: 4 stars. Extremely flavorful.
Daal fry: 4 stars. But oh, so unhealthy!
Suji halwa: 4 stars. Soo tasty...but nothing as good as at the Golden Temple in Amritsar!
Tip: Don't come here if you are looking for a healthy meal. But come for good food and a full belly. -
Review from Ramandeep S.
Stillwater, OK
5/13/2012
May be I Was expecting a little more...the non veg was good but the good was severed slight warm... I liked the mutton but it could be better if it had more masalas...never order for veg food...they don't know how to cook...so i'm not happy with my experience...
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Review from K A.
Fort Worth, TX
4/29/2012 1 Check-in Here
I stumble upon this place, we went to eat at BBQ tonight but they were closed. Everything was fresh and tasty and my wife loved their Biryani. We are planning to go back pretty soon.
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Review from Deborah K.
Richardson, TX
11/8/2011 2 Check-ins Here
After reading reviews about this place, my expectations were very high. Being on an Indian craze, I decided to come here for lunch and unfortunately, I wasn't all that impressed. Don't get me wrong, the food was good but nothing that really gave me that 'wow' factor. I'm not an Indian food expert but I do have a lot of other restaurants to compare it to.
The lunch special, I thought, was a great idea. $6.95 for 3 items of your choice on the list along with onions, carrots, and their naan bread. This special is probably the best bang for your buck.
Being in an Indian grocery store, I figured it would be a pay first and then eat type place but they actually serve you before you pay. I got the chicken tikka masala, kabob, and chicken biryiani. Portions were pretty generous and everything looked great.
The kabob-3/5
A bit dry and bland but was a great addition to the little naan sandwich I made with the kabob and masala.
Chicken Masala-3.8/5
Flavor was good but not great. I feel it could have used a bit more OOMPH. I wanted a little bit more of that spiciness!
Biryiani-3/5
Different than any other biryani I've had- different in a bad way, unfortunately. It was a bit dry and temperature wise, it tasted as if it had been sitting out for a little while.
Overall my experience was satisfactory but being on this weird craze that I've been on for this specific cuisine, I can make a lot of comparisons and sadly this one isn't on the top of my list. (for now!) I'll be back to try the other items on the menu!
Kudos to you Al Markaz. -
Review from Samantha N.
Lewisville, TX
1/28/2012 1 Check-in Here
My second visit to Al Markaz was just as delicious as the first. Our group ordered 5 different dishes, and all were fantastic. We each started with a potato samosa. Yum! My favorites were the chicken biryani and kadhai chicken. Loved the hot fresh naan dipped in various sauces and daal. The chicken tikka was tender and seasoned just right. I like how they serve a veggie plate with your meal. Nothing like carrots, cucumber, lemons, and onions to take the heat down a notch. I wasn't crazy about the cold chica pea dish, it was on the sweet side, and reminded me too much of dessert. The steaming cup of chai was the perfect ending to a wonderful dinner. Don't forget to walk a few doors down and have dessert at the little cafe in the same shopping strip. I forgot the name of the place, but it was my first time having Indian dessert, and it was superb!
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Review from Navin A.
6/19/2011
My little brother took me here today and I have to say after trying all sorts of desi places here in the metroplex since 1993, this is hands down my favorite place to eat.
He ordered Daal Fry, Chicken Tikki, 2 extra naan and 2 veggie samosas. We shared and devoured our food as soon as it came out. Like most people mentioned there is a small layer of oil on top of the curries, but nothing that would hinder me from enjoying the food. I have had far more oil floating on pizzas.
Service was quick and friendly. The waiter also patiently answered all the questions I had regarding other menu items. Personally I didn't think the food was overpriced. All the curries come with a huge piece of naan bread and they start off at $7. Extra naan is $1.15 each and the veggie samosas are $.99 each. Rice is extra which we didn't order. You get a pitcher of water with styrofoam cups and you get plastic utensils to eat off the styrofoam plates.
There is no ambiance, but the great food easily makes up for it.
I'm definitely coming back even though this place is a little far away from me.
The only thing better then this place in my opinion, is my moms cooking! -
Review from Krishna S.
Dallas, TX
Hands down the BEST Chicken Biryani and Daal in town!!
No matter when I go (weekday or weekends), no matter what time (day or night) the food is always spot on. Eating here makes me feel I am eating back home in mum's kitchen. From the moment I walk in to the the time I leave, every thing is nostalgic for me. The food, the service, the atmosphere, the music, the paan at the counter near exit, everything gives me such immense gratification that I would die a happy man right after having a meal here.Listed in: Curry House (Sooo…
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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12/1/2010
FINGER LICKING DELICIOUS!!!
I have been visiting this place for over 10 years now and I am amazed at… Read more »
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Review from H T.
Carrollton, TX
7/6/2011 1 Check-in Here
The stereotypes of the hole-in-the-wall restaurants are good ethnic food without the fine-dining establishment. Well, this place is not as cheap as it's hyped up to be. We had a late lunch, around 2pm. We got there just right before the crowds started pouring in. Indians/Pakistanis do like to eat late. If you want to beat the crowds, try to get there before 2pm.
The Chicken Tikka was $7-8 while the chicken biryani was around $8-9. That's 1 small, little chicken breast for $7-8. However, the food was quite delicious and the mango lassi is a must try if you happen to love tropical fruit and/or mango!!! -
Review from Mast K.
Dallas, TX
4/3/2011
Taste-wise , I think they are one of the the best I have had in Dallas.
Biryani's are great , chicken dishes great .... they are definitely on the oily side ... Their naans are really good too ... very tasty...
I was hooked on to them for almost a month, going there every weekend since I live in Dallas... So why 1 star .. ?
I had couple bad experience and one SCARY experience.
1. I had heard the chicken tikka is good , but never tried it... so I ordered chicken tikka - leg... it was all burnt ... almost felt like it was lying around cooked and they just stuck it in the oven and packed it
2. Next time I ordered a chicken tikka breast, even though the taste was good, I could definitely tell it was stale
3. This was the SCARY EXPERIENCE which switched my opinion completely. I had ordered a whole bunch of things... dinner or a night and lunch for the next day . I had for third time in a row had a weird taste with the chicken tikka .... but had it anyway .... not sure if that was it .., but after dinner , I had the worst stomach cramps at night , and had to go to the bathroom like 10 times like 2am in the night... Somehow went to sleep... woke up the next morning ... stomach cramps continued .... DEFINITELY A BAD CASE EXTREME FOOD POISONING ..... I HAD TO GO THE EMERGENCY ROOM AND GET IV ....After this episode it took me almost a month to get my stomach back to normal with detox diet....
In conclusion, even though taste is great.... I wouldn't risk my stomach and life by going there ever again !! -
Review from Pat B.
Frisco, TX
3/8/2012
This is one of my favorite places to get food from. My coworker is from Pakistan, she introduced us to this place. We go in a group and get a bunch of different things and share it all. So good!
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Review from Dominic C.
Flower Mound, TX
3/10/2011 6 Check-ins Here
Surprisingly good Pakistani food. Everything here is well made, but their lassi is to die for. Best lassi I've had in a long time.
The biryani is always a safe bet. Did I mention the lassi is awesome? -
Review from Adi K.
Lewisville, TX
11/27/2011
Rich spicy food...if you can find a way to burn off the calories.. this place can be a regular. Awesome food, informal.
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Review from Humaira H.
Houston, TX
1/20/2011 1 Check-in Here
BEST Indian food in dallas!!! I wish they had more locations!!! you gotta try their chicken bryani & sheesh kabob. omg, it is delectable!
what I love about this place is their food is always the same, as far as taste goes - it's never off on spicyness, saltiness, and how well the meat/rice is cooked.
you will be crazy to not go here if you love indian food!!! :) -
Review from Policy K.
Keller, TX
10/5/2011
Loved it. The lunch combos were reasonably priced and they give you a lot of food. Bought some specialty items at the market. Definitely recommend people try this place out for different food, especially if you are tired of Taco Bueno and Chik Fil A
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Review from Christopher B.
Irving, TX
7/7/2011 1 Check-in Here
I liked it! Made a special trip on the recommendation of the guy that does our dry cleaning. I had a simple seekh kebab, some naan and a glass of water. It was done competently and well. No complaints, nice spicing, clean. Friendly people. So a short review, but a good one too.
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Review from Kacie M.
I had a friend visiting who lived in Pakistan for two years, so I went looking through yelp to find a place that leaned towards indo-pak food rather than just Indian, had a buffet, and was generally approved of. Al Markaz fit the bill and is right across the street from Super H Mart, which I've also wanted to visit.
We completely enjoyed Al Markaz. I don't know why Kareem says it's a crappy seating area - it's actually quite large and rather nice! Much nicer than it appears from the outside and nicer than a hole-in-the-wall. The grocery store is a little dusty and less impressive, but we really enjoyed the restaurant. I was hoping to get in on the buffet but we came at the wrong time, so we ordered kebap (spicy and moist), daal (really good yellow lentil daal, yum), naan (wonderful fresh naan, I could eat them every day!), and chicken boti (always a good choice). The entrees came with naan and a little plate of fresh veges and sauce.
The service was great - perhaps they were so intrigued by my white friend who spoke Urdu to them!Listed in: Restaurants white people…
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Review from Kareem A.
1/5/2010 ROTD 10/6/2010
Background-
The first impression one gets from reading these reviews is your food will come soaked in oil. When you ask your friends about this place they'll tell you "Oh man it has so much oil it's so yummy!" Unlike almost every Desi I know, I'm not a fan of oil-soaked food so my hopes weren't too high for this place.
In general, Indian food has some major disadvantages in my book. You can be served a big plate of meat and rice, but you'll have to spend about 20 minutes picking out all the stones, twigs, bones and unknowns from your dish. After that you're only left with very little edible stuff and very messy hands. More often than not, the punishment far outweighs the reward.
Setting-
You walk into the old building sitting in the old plaza and to the right you have a grocery store, to the left a restaurant. It consists of a crappy seating area, a counter to place your order at and a little kitchen behind it. I had reservations about using the bathroom to wash my hands, but it had been recently remodeled and was fairly clean. That's good.
The man at the counter was happy, like most Desis, and seemed excited about the food he has to offer. We asked for recommendations and he didn't disappoint.
Food-
We ordered like seven different dishes. I can't tell you their names, but let me describe them for you. Everyone is right, they were all oily. Some were super oily, others were just oily. But all of them were oily. What you must do to prevent instant coronary artery damage is pick out the chunks of meat and leave behind all that liquid poison for the others (if they're brown, they'll eat it).
Use the naan (bread) to rip apart and savor the tasty meat you now have before you. Dip it in some of the runny green liquid they give you and you'll be as happy as the man behind the counter.
The food overall was very good. The chicken was whole white meat, the beef was tender and the sauces they come in were distinct and not overwhelming. Grab yourself a cup of chai on your way out as you walk to Agha Juice for their Falooda and you'll have a nice finish. Oh, and don't eat anything else for the rest of the day (or you'll regret it). -
Review from Navid K.
Fayetteville, GA
11/1/2011
Slow service. Reasonable prices.. Khadi gosht and chicken were excellent. Nihari was below avg. Grill dishes like chicken and kabobs were excellent. One of my friends had the kabob roll which was excellent. Compared to places in Atlanta (Mughals, Sabri, etc.) This is just okay. Not worth going out of your way for.
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Review from Azmina A.
San Francisco, CA
10/26/2008
We just moved to the Dallas area from the San Francisco Bay Area, so we've been looking to find our desi food fix... Our first stop on the Dallas desi food tour: Al Markaz
The hubster and I don't care much for ambiance when it comes to desi food, we just care about the food itself. When rating desi food, we use the following criteria:
- How it compares to Shalimar in Fremont, CA (our gold standard!)
- If I could make something that tastes as good at home
We ordered the Sunday Special (Aloo Cholay, Nihari, Halway, 2 puri, 1 naan), Chicken Mahkni, Chicken Boti, and 1 extra naan. The Chicken Mahkni was too sweet, the Chicken Boti wasn't any different than what I could make at home, the Aloo Cholay, Halwa, and Nihari were just average. There wasn't anything special about the meal; Shalimar definitely blows this place out of the water.
This place would suffice if we had out of town visitors who wanted Pakistani food (cause you know there's nothing you can do when parents visit but take em for desi food!), but for our sake, since we live here, we hope the Dallas area has something better to offer. -
Review from Jennifer D.
Lewisville, TX
5/10/2009
First let me note that this food is oily. No doubt about that. If you are looking for something light and healthy turn around and eat elsewhere because you will not be happy. With that being said:
My co-workers and I eat here almost every Friday. We've most recently gone three weeks in a row and more than a few of us said we need to slow down on Al Markaz because it's so heavy.
We mostly choose the lunch special. For less than $8 you can eat a delicious and very filling meal. You have your choice of a Grilled Item (kabob, boti, tikka), Curry (beef, mutton, chicken) and then a rice or dhal selection with a naan.
I've been lucky with the staff there and find them friendly and the added bonus - when you're done you can pick up a few groceries before you leave. -
Review from K D D.
Carrollton, TX
2/1/2011
Most awesome !!!
Had the chicken tikka marsala, naan & side of raita. -
Review from Joseph B.
Updated - 8/27/2008 1 photo
I basically had a little bit of everything I had last time I was here like the Chicken Tikka, Beef Kabobs, Nihari, Chicken Masala and I had a couple of veggie Samosas. They were all great!
I came here tonight with a pretty large group and they were really patient with our ordering and splitting the check at the end. There was a nice lady who brought out the food and kept checking on us if everything was cool and surely enough it was.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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9/12/2007
Well one of my Paki friends always likes to go to Korean restaurants with me so now I wanted to try… Read more »
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Review from Patrick O.
Pulaski, AR
Updated - 6/22/2010
went back for lunch with the same colleague yesterday.
This time I had the Seekh Kabob, dal, and Beef Nihari.
The seekh kabob, was extremely tender, and nicely spiced, one of the best I've had.
The dal was exactly as I remembered it from the last time.
The beef nihari, was actually fairly hot, and nicely spiced.
This was an excellent follow-up experience to my initial visit. I'll definitely be going back regularly when I'm in the area.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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6/3/2010
I went here for lunch yesterday with a colleague based on Yelp! recommendations.
The facility was… Read more »
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Review from Sarah B.
Irving, TX
5/3/2008 8 Check-ins Here
Highly craveable! Al Markaz is definitely a contender for some of the best non-veg desi food in the Metroplex.
As others have said, it's not particularly ambient. But that's not the point -- it's the delicious food that you go for.
So far we've tried and liked Frontier Chicken, the boti kebab, seekh kebab, achari chicken, butter chicken, and even daal chaval -- an unlikely pick among so much good non-veg food, but just as delicious. Everything is served with a little dhaba-style plate of onion, cucumber, lemon, etc.
One word of warning -- the secret ingredient in everything is oil/ghee, and lots of it!
Edited to add - if you love spicy, slap-you-in-the-face flavor (I do!), ask for the chicken kat-a-khat. It's genuinely one of the most delicious things I've ever eaten. -
Review from Shashi N.
12/17/2009
Good greasy Pakistani food.
The lunch buffet is a really good deal. You get to choose 3 entrees for under $8.
Probably the best cooked meat dishes among the indo-pak restaurants. Not too many veggie options for vegetarians though.
The Haleem is excellent, so is the chicken boti. The chicken karahi is also good though extremely oily.
Its combined with a supermarket so dont expect any ambiance. -
Review from Altaf R.
Dallas, TX
3/2/2010
It was too spicy for me. I went there twice but I could not get over the spice. So I gave up. it looks popular among the sub-continental peoples around. Pricier than other usual indian/pakistani restaurants.
The cashier and the waiters tend to speak in Urdu/Hindi even after they get the idea that u don't want to do the same. They just assume a sub-continental faced person would know those languages for sure. But, I am Bangladeshi - I know only Bangla, get that ! -
Review from robert s.
Los Angeles, CA
5/30/2010 3 photos
I learned about this place from a Pakistani friend of mine and I am a total fan. I had the chicken kharifa (spicy oil chicken) and dal paleek (lentils and spinach). My friends had some chicken tikka and naan.
Let me just this place rocked my world because they made the food the level of spiciness I expect of "real" Indian/Pakistani food. I find that Pakistani really poor on the oil and I had to skim a lot of it out but the flavors were spot on and I asked my Pakistani friend if she considered the food good or adequate for a true Pakistani taste and she said spot on.
We went on a Saturday lunch was pretty much empty but if you come at around 2 pm the place is packed. It seems Pakistanis, like Indians, eat late.
If you are looking for more authenticity of food and environment, this is the place. There is even a pan place next door I would recommend you all try. It is some kind of chew thing that is like a snack food for them except for people with braces, I would recommend an experiment. -
Review from Noor B.
Kirksville, MO
6/14/2011
My family and I have been going to Al Markaz since we moved to Texas in 1994, and we're still loyal patrons. Most menu items are very good and authentic. It's a little greasy, but delicious. My favorites are the daal fried, kadhai chicken, haleem, and any of the rice dishes. The Sunday brunch is also very good.
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Review from Aly K.
Carrollton, TX
1/13/2011
I have been going to almarkaz for as long as I get remember. Their food is usually very consistent. Their catering is amazing (we have used them for many weddings)
Also people complaining about the price, the average entree is about 9 dollars or so... so if people feel that is too high then they should look somewhere else.
Yes sometimes the food isnt perfect, but they dont have a formula they cook off, this is true dinning, and you have to appreciate the variances.
Catering Service is AWESOME, we have never had bad food when you get catering
Dine In: Cafeteria Style Eating, but it works for the price and the food is usually very good.
Rating:
Simple breakdown
Catering: 6 stars (yes it is better than "Woohoo! As good as it gets!")
Dine In: 4 stars
Average 5 stars... still the only place for good Pakistani Food, hopefully more selection will come up... -
Review from Gopi V.
Fremont, CA
1/11/2011 3 Check-ins Here
When it comes to Biryani in the US, this is as good as it gets. Amazing flavors. In the many outings to the place, one thing I have noticed is the standard goes down around non-holiday days and weekdays. For the best taste, hit the joint around holidays and weekends. They tend to keep up the bar high around that time.
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Review from Deepti R.
Dallas, TX
8/25/2010
Do you miss hyderabadi biryani? I am from hyd and I do so badly. Luckily I live in Dallas. This is the closest I could get to hyd biryani (paradise in Dallas does a pretty good job too and so do some places in Artesia in California) in the US till now. Besides they have other delicacies like bheja fry, dal maas etc etc.. A must go if you love indian/pakistani food to a point you can take any amount of oil with it!
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Review from Farhan S.
Coppell, TX
11/11/2010 1 Check-in Here
Best sorurce of Indian/Pakistani food in town. PERIOD. I have been eating here for ten years. Consistently good quality. Every thing is good here.
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Review from Charles M.
Fort Worth, TX
3/9/2010
I have lost track of how many times I've eaten at Al Markaz. The food is wonderful and I've tried almost every combination on the lunch combo menu with no bad choices. I love how spicy the food is (if you don't like spicy, then you may as well skip this place, but that's your loss).
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Review from chenna v.
Cambridge, MA
12/28/2010
Good food. Haleem's really good. Dal fry's really good, it tasted like a real dhaba dish. Mutton Biryani is OK not the best. Karahi Chicken's okay.
If I go again I'd go for haleem, thats the best thing at this place. -
Review from Abhi G.
Irving, TX
10/27/2010 1 Check-in Here
Food is ok, not the great. The chicken had to much of tomato sauce in it and the dal fry was also ok. Won't recomend.
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Review from A B.
Taylor, TX
3/7/2009
This review pertains to the grocery store. I don't know whether they were having an off day but I have never had such surly service from the counter person and the rest of the personnel. I don't intend to return.
PS: The cafe people were actually quite nice when I bought something - I would probably try the cafe again someday. -
Review from Benjina D.
Lake Mary, FL
12/17/2009
This place is a good as it gets! I love Al Markaz, and I make sure to stop by a few times while I'm in Dallas. They have some of the freshest food, perfectly spiced, and yummy! My parents often get their catering for large parties done through them. From the hors d'oeuvres, to the main entrees, and even dessert, Al Markaz has never disappointed. I miss their nihari, seekh kabob, and the meat pies...sniff!
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Review from Bill K.
Euless, TX
10/20/2007
Al Markaz is nestled in an Indo/Pak style grocery. I went last week on Eid, the day afer the Ramadan period was over, so it was pretty busy in there.
The presentation is cafeteria style. The menu on the wall has a lot of Indian standbuys such as the tika masala, goat curries, chicken karahi, etc. But the Pakistani choices are great too. I usually get the Nihari or the Haleem, dishes that are seemingly made for the naan they serve with it.
On that particular day, they had a special I opted for. It was a plate with a serving of Nihari, some chole masala ( chickpea curry), and some halwa dessert, which was like a spoonful of thick grits) served with Poori bread, which I learned is the traditional bread served with Chole.
Except for when they bring the food, you get all your condiments and utensils, and water from a stand near the line. -
Review from Rock S.
Plano, TX
10/2/2010 1 Check-in Here
Food is good.. But a bit oily! The naan is really good though!
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Review from Karl N.
Carrollton, TX
7/8/2010
Love their spicy chicken curry, goat biriani, and beef boti, all for around $8.
