Ellie's Desi Kitchen — Restaurant in Cooper City

The restaurant has been bought out by Rayis who previously owned Shahi. I spoke with the owner who said that he has taken over the business and it's now called Shahi Ellie's. However, the name outside of the restaurant still says Ellie's Desi Kitchen. Please note the review pertains to the open buffet part of the restaurant.

I had made reservation for a party of 40 for a 7pm Sunday evening dinner buffet 4 days prior to showing up. I also called on the same day hours before our expected arrival (7pm) to confirm my reservation and the lady I got on the phone said that she'll notify the people in the kitchen so they would be aware and prepared accordingly. There were other patrons in the restaurant who made the buffet line prior to my guests' arrival. I would estimate that our party used up about 45%-50% of the restaurant. By the time my guests made the line, some food serving trays were already empty (i.e. chicken tikkah and chicken biryani) and had to settle for either going back and waiting for the food (which took as long as 10 mins) or getting some naan, Haleem, or Okra, which were abundantly available.

If they say that buffet starts at 7pm then I expect all their food items to be ready to be served by 7pm and not 7:15 or 7:30. Why weren't they efficiently and adequately prepared for the influx of guests that were there? There was no designated waitress to service my guests whom I would go directly to and inform her that there was no food in the trays, so I had to speak with 3 different waitresses about the same issue and I got the same response which was there is food but it's gonna take time to heat it up and bring it out. Those waitresses would then go and attend to other patrons that were in the restaurant. Nobody came by to check on my guests and ask if everything was alright or whether we needed something. I had to get up and ask for large refill water bottles and I ended up going around and serving water to my guests. Allow me to reiterate, NOBODY came to check if we needed anything.

At the end, I wanted to discuss the quality of service that I had received (or lack thereof) that evening with the owner, but he was nowehere to be found. One of the waitresses said one of her colleagues called in sick so they were short-staffed, which I find inexcusable because the level of incompetence displayed would not have been covered even if they were fully staffed.

The quality of food was acceptable. However, the bottom line is that they are grossly understaffed, overwhelmed, and are unable to handle and cope a big party/group without sacrificing service, despite being aware and notified well ahead of time. Unfortunately, the level of service I received was unacceptable and flat-out embarrassing as a host treating his guests. I hope ownership takes note about what needs improvement. I will return to this restaurant for the Spicy Chicken Sandwich sub, but definitely not for the buffet.

The following is the menu and my rating next to the food item: Appetizers: Chicken Corn Soup 4/5 Hot & Sour Soup 4/5 Gol Gapeh 5/5

Buffet items: Chicken Tikka 3.5/5 Chicken Biryani 3/5 Butter Chicken 5/5 Haleem 5/5 Fried fish 4/5 Okra 5/5 Plain white rice 5/5 Chanai with aloo 4/5 Naan 4/5

Dessert: Gulab Jaman 5/5

This is the criteria I'm using for the rating: Ambiance/atmosphere: 4/5 Cleanliness: 4/5 Service:...

Food 5/5: Since the first time I tried their food about 6 years ago their chicken biryani has always been and continues to be fantastic. The portion size for the biryani is very generous. It can easily feed 2 hungry people. The blend of flavors and seasoning they put in it make this my absolute favorite biryani I’ve ever tried anywhere. Ellie’s is the only place I’m happy driving 30+ minutes just to order chicken biryani and golab jamun. Service 2/5: The service is unfortunately the most lacking area of dining at Ellie’s. I went during a pretty busy evening where at least 4 tables all had families dining in. It takes a while from the time you order until you get your food (around 40 minutes). The waitress was unable to check in on me to see if I needed some more water or extra chutney sauce due to the restaurant being severely understaffed. During that busy day there was only 1 waitress who had to take orders, take phone orders, clean tables, serve, bring the food out from the back, and one cook I believe. You can’t physically manage a full restaurant with only two employees. The poor waitress and chef can only do so much to attend to everyone and all responsibilities. The waitress works very hard going back and forth, but she definitely needs some assistance. If the manager simply hired one other waiter/waitress it would make a tremendous difference. It takes a long time after being seated to get your order taken. I don’t blame the staff for this issue, its very clearly a management issue. By not hiring the staff they need, they think they are saving money - but the service is driving customers away. Its honestly a miracle that the chef is able to pump out such delicious food despite the managerial limitations. Atmosphere 5/5: The restaurant itself is very clean and has a pleasant interior design.

Overall: This is a great restaurant with fantastic food. I 100% recommend you order their chicken biryani. Just understand that if there are alot of customers, then expect to wait some time for the order to arrive. If they can solve their short-staff issue they would be phenomenal. Whoever manages the restaurant needs to find a way to have at least 2 waiters / floor staff to tend to all the different tasks. There’s only so much 1 waiter/waitress can do in an almost...

A few days ago, I ordered chicken biryani for pickup along with a few other items. The woman on the phone told me it would be ready in 20 minutes, so I arrived right on time. I had driven 10 miles, only to be handed stale, days-old biryani that smelled spoiled, as if it had been sitting out for days and then reheated in a microwave. I asked the woman directly, “Is the biryani supposed to smell like this? It smells off.” She insisted, “Yes, our kitchen just made it fresh.” I trusted her and brought it home. That same night, after eating a small serving, my father got sick. Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time, it’s happened twice before with different dishes.

I’ve been coming to Ellie’s Desi Kitchen for years, ever since they first opened. Their prices used to be reasonable, and their food used to be fresh and delicious. Dine-in meals are still okay, but when it comes to pickup or online orders, the quality has gone downhill. It feels like they’re cutting corners and handing out leftovers instead of preparing fresh food.

The restaurant also seems severely understaffed. One waitress is often left to handle a packed dining room on her own. And the cleanliness leaves a lot to be desired. Beyond the occasional mop of the floor, the place doesn’t look like it gets much attention. Cobwebs hang from the ceiling, dust collects in corners, and the overall presentation feels old and neglected. The atmosphere is dull and outdated.

I’m writing this review because I’m genuinely disappointed. The food, presentation, and service no longer reflect the standards they once had. As someone who values Indian and Pakistani cuisine, I feel ashamed at the poor representation here. I have invited many guests from out-of-state and out-of-country to dine with me, and they would agree that Ellie's is not deserving of the praise and hype so many give it. If Ellie’s wants to keep its loyal customers, they need to stop serving stale food, clean up the restaurant, and bring back the quality that made them worth visiting in the...