Biryani Pot — Restaurant in Austin

Okay, this review may be a tad biased because I've been Indian-spice-deprived for a long while living in far west Texas but GOSH DARN that was a good meal and this is my second meal at this same restaurant in twenty-four hours. That, in itself, is a testimony of how tasty their menu is. Last night, I decided to go grab something pre-made from HEB and spied this little spot off to the side. Hmmmm? As soon as I walked in, I was greeted by kind people, a clean environment, soft and minimalist decor, and the wafts from the kitchen solidified my decision to try this rando Indian place. I ordered some tikka masala paneer (the dish, not the kabob, and not really traditional "Indian" so much as British but...) and it blew my socks off (had I been wearing any socks in this stupid Texas heat dome #2).

On the menu, I noticed they had a good platter sampler for lunch times so I informed the young woman working there I'd be back tomorrow. I skipped breakfast and waited until I was good and hungry before arriving. Upon arrival, I was shocked and appalled to see that the place was dead. :( How do people not know about this spot??? Is it new, maybe? I ordered the non-vegan lunch spread, defaulted to chicken, which was $15.99.

Oh. My. God.

The timeliness, the presentation, the variety, the textures, the attention to detail- five thumbs up! Never would I have thought that I was at a strip center off of a highway in Austin, Tx. This felt like fine dining or at least like average-high India. I ate to my heart's content, enjoying the ginger chicken the most, and still had enough food leftover to-go for a full and lovely dinner, too. I can't wait to be hungry again. I bet those sauces will have had plenty of time to soak by then.

The only negative aspect of both meals was that the naan could have been cooked a little more thoroughly. Not so much that it should lose a star, though. It was cooked, don't get me wrong, I just prefer mine with little near-burned spots here and there.

Anyway, a long story review all to say...

Go here. Try it! Tell your friends.

These kind of little food gems should be well known, bustling, and stay in business (so that if and when I return to Austin, I can come have some more ginger...

We loved this place. The food was of excellent quality and the service fair. We've been customers since it opened. But over the course of the last two years, we have been disappointed every time. The experience of our last order was quite appalling. My online takeout order said 35 minutes. I got there and it wasn't ready. I kept asking 3 different folks and they seemed to forget my name between the time they went to check on my order in the kitchen. They emerge from the kitchen and have no idea who I am. After a while, they eventually found my order. It took me 30 more minutes before I received the food. There were quite a few disgruntled folks waiting for their food. Oh well, I wouldn't be writing this if that was all. Got home and the Goat Dum Biryani was cold and it tasted like it was made and packed yesterday, zero freshness! The naan was dry and crackling. Like it would be if it was 2 days old. The chicken Mughlai was missing salt. I added salt and it tasted better. The saag paneer was the only one that was tasty. We also visited this place to dine in about a month ago and the servers seem clueless. They have no direction, they suddenly notice that there are no menus on our table after 20 mins and they sneakily slide in the menu on our table as if they placed a bribe and walk away without saying a word! They have huge party orders every time I go there and it seems like that is the main emphasis here. And maybe those orders are still good quality. Everything else is headed down. Management is nonexistent and the servers desperately need some basic training. Could say more about the atmosphere but I'll just add this - some customer waiting for their order was ambling down the aisles while talking aloud on his cell phone stopping at random tables along the way like it was his own backyard. No one said a word to him! It felt like a marketplace. My son who always chooses this place sighed and said let's not go to this...

One day while out on an evening walk, Biryani Pot was the only accessible restaurant open as late as my husband and I were out strolling (around 9:45pm). We decided, why not give it a try? It's the only place open right now, and we're hungry and right here.

Well, I am happy to report that I wish that this had happened sooner. I go to the big H-E-B right next door multiple times per week, yet I never bothered to take a look at this humble Indian restaurant.

The interior is humble. The restaurant does not try to win you over with a certain "mood" or "vibe." It is just very simplistic. Bright lighting; basic chairs, no music playing.

The thing is, Biryani Pot doesn't need to dazzle you with appearances. They get right what is most important: the food and the dedicated service.

Do yourself a favor and stop by with a friend or two and order a fair sampling of the menu. I'd recommend a samosa, a chicken tikka grill, a shrimp Biryani, and a naan.

I would go so far as to say, do yourself an even bigger favor and do one or more of the following: 1) bring several friends to try a large sampling of the menu, 2) plan to have leftovers for a week, or 3) just come with a massive appetite. Then, make sure you try the Egg Bonda (a chickpea fried egg appetizer), the hariyali chicken (an herbal spicy chicken grill), a daal, saag paneer, and the bread pudding and gulab jamun desserts.

Just writing this makes me hungry for the incredible aromas and flavors this restaurant offers in every dish. It will be a wonderful journey for your taste buds and soul! Give Biryani Pot a chance. If you are dissatisfied, the owner is usually around and is always looking for genuine feedback. You can tell they are committed to customer...