Ashburn Biryani Grill — Restaurant in Ashburn

I recently dined at the new Biryani Grill in Ashburn, VA — located at the former site of Red Robin, where I once enjoyed some of the juiciest burgers. Fittingly, Biryani Grill carries on the tradition of mouth-watering food, but with an Indian twist that truly impressed me.

As someone who typically avoids Indian restaurants due to their overuse of heavy creams and excessive spices masked as “masala,” I was pleasantly surprised. We ordered the Chicken Biryani, Malabar Shrimp, and Mixed Tandoori Sizzlers. Every dish was perfectly cooked, thoughtfully seasoned, and served sizzling hot. The biryani, in particular, stood out — aromatic, balanced, and flavorful without being overpowering.

Service was equally commendable: attentive, courteous, and prompt.

For me, the true test of an Indian restaurant is the biryani — and Biryani Grill absolutely lives up to its name. It brought back a wave of nostalgia, reminding me of family meals at iconic biryani spots in Bombay decades ago. A hidden gem worth discovering and revisiting.

Update from June 15th, 2025: Returned to Biryani Grill for my third visit on Father's Day, 2025, and I'm happy to report the food quality remains consistently excellent. The Ginger Shrimp and Chettinad Chicken curry were both standouts — perfectly spiced at the medium level I requested, with complex flavors that didn't rely on heavy creams or overwhelming heat. The kitchen clearly knows what they're doing.

However, I noticed a decline in service coordination since my previous visits. While the individual servers remained pleasant and friendly, there were clear gaps in communication and timing. I ordered a drink immediately upon being seated along with our appetizers, but the appetizers arrived and were getting cold while I was still waiting for my drinkl. After flagging down the manager, the drink finally arrived after a long wait— but this kind of sequencing issue shouldn't happen. The service team needs better coordination and handoff management to ensure orders are properly sequenced. It's not about the staff's attitude (they were lovely), but rather about operational efficiency and attention to detail.

Despite the service hiccup, the exceptional food quality saved the day, and I still had a wonderful Father's Day dinner. Who knew Basil Hayden pairs so well with Chettinad Chicken and Ginger Shrimp!

Biryani Grill continues to live up to its name with outstanding biryani and curries with authentic flavors that transport me back to those memorable meals in Bombay.

Bottom line: Come for the consistently excellent food, but hopefully management will tighten up the service coordination. Still worth the visit, especially for anyone seeking authentic, well-balanced Indian cuisine without the typical...

Ashburn Biryani Grill provided me with an exceptional dining experience that I won’t soon forget. On a recent visit, I was drawn in by the inviting atmosphere and eager to explore their diverse menu. The food was outstanding, with reasonable pricing and impressively quick service that kept the meal flowing smoothly. Payments were a breeze thanks to their efficient Square processing system, adding a modern convenience to the evening.

I dove into a wide array of dishes, starting with the succulent chicken lollipops, which were perfectly spiced and served with a refreshing green mint chutney in a black plastic cup. The butter chicken was creamy and rich, paired beautifully with the flavorful egg fried rice I ordered. I also tried the spicy Karam poddi chicken, which brought a bold kick to the table, and the aromatic chicken biryani, cooked with such care that each bite was a delight. The highlight was the paneer tandoori, which arrived sizzling on a cast iron skillet lined with aluminum foil, creating a dramatic fajita-like presentation that turned heads. The curries came with rice, making each dish a satisfying portion, and the overall presentation was top-notch.

The dining experience was enhanced by thoughtful details. Complimentary water was served in glass bottles without tops, which I poured into glass cups for myself and my companions—a practical and appreciated touch, as seen in the photos I took. The table was set with white paper napkins, melamine plates, a spoon, and a fork, ensuring everything I needed was at hand. I captured pictures of all the dishes I enjoyed—chicken lollipops, butter chicken, egg fried rice, Karam poddi chicken, chicken biryani, and paneer tandoori—along with the menu, to share the visual feast with others.

The service was attentive, though the dishes arrived in pieces rather than all at once, which added a slight delay but didn’t detract from the enjoyment, and some (like I) may even prefer the items to come out as they are made, rather than all at once. The cozy yet upscale interior made it a comfortable spot to linger, and the overall experience left me impressed. I highly recommend Ashburn Biryani Grill to anyone looking for a delicious and memorable meal, and I’ll definitely be returning to explore more of...

We visited this newly opened branch of Biryani Grill to celebrate a birthday and were extremely disappointed by the shocking lack of hygiene and poor customer service.

Right after we were seated, we found a live red ladybug sitting on one of the spoons placed on our table. When we informed a server, she apologized and casually tossed the insect into a trash bin that was kept right next to the area where clean cutlery was stored — a careless move that could easily have led to more contamination. When we politely suggested that she discard it somewhere else, her response was a rude “What do you want me to do, kill it?”

We decided to overlook it, but then things got worse. With our appetizer, we requested some onions on the side. The same server brought a plate which had a strand of hair tangled in the onions. Again, she brushed it off with a quick apology and returned with what appeared to be the same plate with just the top layer of onions removed.

The final straw was when we cut the birthday cake — topped with ice cream — only to find another long hair embedded inside. We immediately brought this to the attention of the manager who apologized, but by then the whole experience had been completely ruined.

Throughout our visit we observed highly unhygienic practices: • Servers performing all tasks (cleaning tables, serving dishes, handling trash, etc.) without gloves or hair nets. • Kitchen staff cooking without hair nets. • One server was seen picking his nose, wiping something from the floor with a tissue, and then immediately handling food plates to serve customers without washing his hands.

The ambience may be nice and the original branch may have a good reputation, but this location clearly does not uphold the same hygiene and service standards. Being a fine dining restaurant does not mean just having fancy decor — cleanliness, food safety, and respectful customer service are far more important. Unfortunately, we left feeling disgusted and uncomfortable, and will certainly not...