Shri Balaji Bhavan — Restaurant in Houston

My first time trying Indian vegetarian food and it was better than I expected! Located in a small plaza but parking was manageable. You order first at the register and they will give you a number card to take to your table. The lady offered us a picture menu instead. That was a relieve because we had no idea what any of the food was like since there was no descriptions on the menu.

When we went back to the register to order, the lady suggested a few alternatives she thought we might like for our first time here. This is a self-served place. There's silverwares, plates, and water jugs at the front for you to take. They will call out your number and you can go to the counter to pick it up the food.

Masala dosa: A giant crepe-like with bits of potatoes inside the middle. Comes with two sauces and the masala was not sweet but more savory. Goes great if you wrap some of the potatoes inside. Not too crunchy but not too soft. Something I never had before.

Dhai Puri: Comes with 6 puri. There's a sort of yogurt inside and the taste is amazing. When you bite into it, you get all kinds of flavor from spice to sour in one.

Spicy Corn Bhel: Super spicy! You have to watch out for this one. It seems to be some sort of corn flakes but the spice is on the flakes. The cilantro, tomatoes, onions add a small balance but the spice will still linger in your mouth.

Mango Lassi: A typical mango smoothie-like. Comes in a plastic cup. Small portion but expected since it was relatively cheap.

Badam Milk: This is an almond milk but with some almond flakes inside. There is also a ginger taste and some spice to it. Also very interesting and delicious.

Overall, very authentic Indian food and nice ambience. The lady at the register checked in on us and even offered us a sample of a green juice. One great thing about this place is how cheap the prices are! All the food we ordered was $24 in total. You will find that all the items on the menu are less than $10 with most being less than $5. The food came out pretty fast even though the place was busy...

I have the somewhat cursed existence of being both Tamil and also allergic to quite a few signficant spices and ingredients common to Tamil cuisine (ex: cardamom, cashews, saffron). So when my wife and I were looking for caterers for our Sangeet we were both quite anxious about whether it would be possible to have someome deliver on food that our guests would love while also accommodating such an honestly difficult food allergy.

Shri Balaji Bhavan exceeded every reasonable expectation. Every part of the experience from the tasting, meeting the owners, to the final products for the Sangeet was such a warm, pleasant experience filled with some of the best Indian food I've ever had. The catering at the event turned out amazing and it was such an amazing experience for me being able to have a plate full of such delicious food and not have to be anxious about whether I could eat any of it. I cannot recommend them enough for catering and just food overall - easily some of the best Indian food to exist. Cannot thank them, or recommend them, enough for making such a pivotal moment in my life that much more memorable and successful.

P.S. - they were able to do an unlimited pani puri station and mango lassi at our event as well and that, in addition to every single food item, was an ABSOLUTE hit. My wedding was over a week ago, I'm still getting messages from our guests asking about the catering and raving...

The review is based on my two visits to this place.

We tired multippe dishes and one of them was Tamarind rice. It was bursting with tangy and spicy flavors. Cooked with tamarind juice, mustard seeds, curry leaves, and a variety of aromatic spices, the dish was a distinct sour and slightly sweet flavor that was unique and unforgettable. The rice was cooked to perfection, each grain perfectly separated and infused with the flavors of the spices.

Kachori was crispy fried pastry filled with spiced lentils and potatoes. The outer layer was crispy and flaky, and the filling was well spiced and flavorful. The kachori was served hot and fresh, and the flavors of the filling melded together perfectly. It was accompanied by a tangy and spicy tamarind chutney that balanced the flavors of the kachori perfectly.

Mango ras puri was delightful experience to eat. The crispy puris (fried bread) soaked in a sweet and tangy mango sauce was a bring-back moment of memory for me. . The puris were perfectly fried, and the mango juice was sweet and tangy. The sabji is not that flavourful and it has nothing to do with the taste of it. Because I have a habit of eating little spicy sabji, and that was not. So...