Hashtag India - Mckinney — Restaurant in McKinney

We have been to this restaurant on two different occasions so I'll rate everything on two fronts:

Planned Visit: (With my buddy and his family) As #HashTagIndia is the only good Indian restaurant option with good food & ample seating we and our friends chose this venue for our #NewParent dinner get away occasion. Food was served on time. Staff was super courteous from beginning till last. We ordered Bhuna Goat style dish (I forgot the name) and Chicken Lollipop appetizers which were superb. Although our third appetizer was a little tangy/sour for our taste it was Chicken 555. Now main course was Chicken biriyani and Kadai Paneer with Garlic Naan. No restaurant can beat the freshness and taste of the Garlic Restaurant in DFW region. This is coming from me who is a self proclaimed Naan bread enthusiast and have tried most venues which server Garlic Naan, and also I make my own Naan at home. Staff was super nice and even I'd say helpful as they handled our little monster aka my daughter while we relished on the food. Then they also offered custom made noodles for kids which kept the kids busy for some more time. Never seen such service in any other Indian restaurant. For us #NewParents with no help this was a heaven experience. I'd like to name a Staff - Ms Asha who is super nice and always brings food on time and is also very honest about special orders and it's freshness. Even my daughter recognizes her in our frequent visits. Over experience was 5 star.

Unplanned Visit: (A late evening Costco run with hangry people in car) This time it was just me and my wife and our kiddo who all were super tired and hangry already. Ms Asha took care of us and had us sit near our daughter favorite place and brought high chair without us even asking. Ms Asha is a superwoman, god bless her. We order Alloo Samosa, Bullet Chicken, Garlic Naan. That's it even with such little order #HashTagIndia's service is still the same which is one word SUPERB. Even the owner offered us 15 min free nanny service as she enduring our daughter's tantrum while we were gobbling food like hangry Satans. It's always good to visit this restaurant be it any situation. Next time I'd like to try a Giant Thaali which caught my attention.

Food: 8/10 (I'd rate 9 if the level of spice or tanginess can be controlled) Service: 11/10 Parking: 8/10 (Common is North McKinney guys, we still have space left) Average Cost: $40-50 for a single family 2...

Update: We got a call from the restaurant and were offered for our food to be remade the next day! I was a little hesitant but I agreed! They explained that the palak paneer was not a menu item anymore so we decided to get the goat korma & butter chicken, butter naan, and the lady at the front threw in some mango lassi bottles for us! They apologized and acknowledged our loyalty and the food tasted like how it is when we first tried them! So happy that it all worked out, it's rare that restaurants go the extra mile for their customers nowadays.

My family and I have been coming to this location since it opened! It was one of the best Indian restaurants that was close to us, and we recommended to all of our family in the Mckinney area. However, as of late the service and quality has declined and our take out meal yesterday was the worst we have had yet. We always order the butter chicken, palak paneer, butter naan, mango lassi, no/mild spice over the phone when taking out. Instead of palak we got saag and instead of butter naan we got garlic. Spicier than usual despite saying no spice which upset my family member's stomach and triggered their GERD, and the butter chicken tasted off, all spice and no flavor. Last visit, they messed our order up as well with the spice and butter chicken and I noted that each time the person taking the order would hang up quickly. I didn't think too much of it the first time, but now I feel as though they are not paying attention. The atmosphere despite us eating inside or taking out was always pleasant, but now when taking out we are not greeted as well. The restaurant had always seemed popular when we tried it out, so I don't think it is due to it being busy. We loved this restaurant but honestly wouldn't come back due to fear of being let down...

Extremely Disappointing Experience – Will Not Return

I recently visited this restaurant multiple times, and I’m truly disappointed by the overall experience. The quality of food, hygiene, and value for money were all far below expectations. Here’s a breakdown of my visits:

First Visit – Unlimited Non-Veg Thali ($22) The menu promised a wide variety of items, but in reality, only a few were served: pulihora, chicken curry, mutton, chicken fry, sambar, yogurt, and rice (either white rice and biryani rice). The food quality was subpar: Chicken Curry: Overly sweet, almost like it was cooked with sugar. Mutton: Chewy and undercooked. Chicken Fry: Not fried at all—just marinated and served as-is. Biryani Rice: Flavorless. The only redeeming item was the pulihora, which was decent. However, for $22, it was hardly worth it, especially considering the huge discrepancy between what was advertised and what was served.

Second Visit – Unlimited Breakfast I decided to give the breakfast option a try, but it was an even bigger letdown. The dosa/puri area was unhygienic—oil was dark and unappetizing, and the person making the food was handling everything with bare hands. The entire section looked like it hadn’t been cleaned properly in a long time, which was very off-putting.

Third Visit – Boneless Chicken Biryani I gave them one last shot by trying the boneless chicken biryani. The chicken was undercooked, tasting like it had just been marinated but not actually cooked. I couldn’t even finish the dish.

Conclusion This restaurant fails to meet even the most basic standards of hygiene, food quality, and value. With disappointing food and a poor dining experience each time, I highly doubt this place will survive in...