Hadramout restaurant — Restaurant in Plano

𝙎𝙪𝙢𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙮: This is based on my 1st visit. Food was awesome. Plan to go back very soon.

This is a Yemani restaurant. I would not label it as Mediterranean. It is Middle Eastern food. I would classify Yemani food closer to Persian Gulf food than Mediterranean.

𝗟𝗼𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 I don't know if they have multiple locations; however, this location in Plano was unassuming. It's in a shopping center that's relatively dark (needs better lighting). That whole corner had a lot of activity when we went (Saturday evening). That to say, the parking lot was near full; which's unusual for a dark & unassuming shopping center. I parked far away to avoid door dings, and by the time we left, there were cars circling and waiting for any spot to become available.

𝙉𝙊𝙏𝙀: At the time of this writing, the sign for the restaurant was not yet updated. You just had to know it was there.

𝗦𝗲𝘁𝘂𝗽 & 𝗔𝘁𝗺𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 We tried to call ahead and they don't take reservations. However, as soon as you walk in, it's a small hallway with tables in the middle and booths lining the perimeter. To the left were sectioned off areas for what I assumed are large parties. Glancing there every now & then, I believe I saw the setup to be traditional Arabic seating (on the floor).

Back to the tables & booths ... They all had plastic on top, which I initially found odd ... until the food came out. We'll get to that in a minute.

Because of how the place is set up, it can get loud there. I think the walls need art, decor, etc. to help dampen the noise. But that's a minor preference on my part. I didn't mind the family style presence of it all.

𝗙𝗼𝗼𝗱 & 𝗗𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗸𝘀 The menu is not big. The short number of dishes listed, frankly, was refreshing. Despite the plastic on the tables, you are served on actual plates with actual silverware. It is not unusual to see people eating their rice dishes in the traditional manner: with their hands. It was great.

Drinks are cans of soda or bottled water. What they have is a mystery as it is not on the menu. I was pleasantly surprised to see they had Coke Zero.

OK. Let's talk about the actual food. I can only speak to the Lamb Hanith. For non-Arabs, the lamb is not ... well ... lamby. It does not have that lamb flavor that many fear. The rice is a flavored rice with saffron, sauteed onions, and is simply amazing on its own. As a sauce guy, I had to ask what they might have for me to add to my rice, and learned quickly (also not on the menu) they have a "sauce." It's in the small plates in my picture. It went very well with the rice. For Arabs, the meat is mansaf-sized, and the sauce was similar to daqqoos.

The quantity was honestly generous. I was a bit apprehensive that my dish, alone, was $21.99. However, the portions exceeded my expectations for that price. It's well worth it. The value to price ratio, combined with the amazing taste, made this an instant hit. In the back of my head, I was already going through who I must bring & try this, including my own mother (and that's saying something).

This is not a typical restaurant. This is closer to what family meals might be. The patrons/guests reflect that.

𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 In one word, I would say the service was meh! Look, I know it's loud, but our waiter couldn't figure out 3 drinks: 2 regular cokes and one coke zero. I can only assume his dyslexia was strong because when he repeated it, it was anything but that combination. And he repeated it 3 or 4 times!! He would pass by a few times without those 3 cans. I felt like I had to stay on top of him; especially since our food came out and the drinks have not.

Once the food arrived, the service didn't matter. You were scarfing down and one needs very little during that ;)

Since the drinks weren't on the menu, I asked if they had chai (hot black tea) to have after a rice dish. He said yes and suggested to bring it after the meal. That never happened. Instead, he brought us the check before we asked. As if that wasn't enough, he over charged us....

The grilled pompano looked very appealing and the taste was wonderful even though the hint of saffron was undetectable. Sadly the distinction in preparing the butterflied fish was more reminiscent of a beach casual exercise. A restaurant should have a higher culinary standard in preparing fish even if the bones and fins are peripheral.

The Hanith chicken was very tender and baked to expectations.

Important Update: Revisited the joint after ~18 months on a quiet Sunday afternoon. The service was atrocious but the "joint" added the advertised 18% service as an extra insult. Almost $9 for some lettuce and a few spoons of hummus with lavash. The supposedly grilled fish (we were patiently agreeable to the stated wait time) was undercooked and layered with thick tomato sauce before plating. I'll spare you the rest of the issues. The captive audience could care less and lack of patronage from discerning users is unlikely to sway management.

The Zurbian chicken appeared to be yet another international variation of South Asian biryani without the customary assortment of moderate level of spices spices that was also dampened by the presence of raisins. One could be forgiven for thinking about pulao.

The Grilled Chicken was not rushed under the grill.

The Ogda chicken was a unique experience except that the color of the bell peppers had faded.

The Handi lamb was a different experience from the traditional Pilow (e.g. Kabuki or Uzbek) apart from the absence of carrots and currants - the shank had been cut up.

The Mugalgal was in the style of moist shawarma pieces but again the saffron flavor did not infuse the nostrils.

Fully packed during weekend evenings. Service at the tables keeps pace but unfortunately the chef(s) get overwhelmed leading to blackened...

Update on my previous review: We decided to give this place another try, and I’m so glad we did! This time, everything was much cleaner, and it’s clear they’ve been working hard on improving customer satisfaction. The service was noticeably better, and the overall experience was much more enjoyable. I appreciate the effort they’ve put in, and they’ve definitely earned a 5-star rating from me! Looking forward to coming back again.

My previous review: When we first walked into Hadramout Restaurant, the place was filled with smoke from the grill, which was overwhelming. We also noticed a lot of flies around, which was concerning. The waiter, however, was friendly and took the time to explain the menu to us, recommending a few dishes.

We decided to try the Mandi lamb, Kabsa lamb, and Hanith lamb. When the food arrived, we were impressed with both the taste and the portion sizes—everything was delicious, but the portions were so large that none of us could finish our meals.

However, I was disappointed by the cleanliness of the restaurant. For a party of six, they automatically added an 18% service charge, which is fair, but I hope they use that to improve the overall hygiene of the place. The cleanliness definitely needs more attention. If I crave this type of food again, I’ll probably order it to-go instead...