Shaahi Biryani — Restaurant in Plano

After seeing one of my friends post a story on Instagram saying “Hands down best authentic Hyderabadi biriyani” from a newly opened place called Shaahi Biriyani, I got super excited to try it out. The picture looked amazing—juicy biriyani filled with masala, colorful with a few pieces of chicken 65 on top—it was honestly mouthwatering. Me and a friend decided to check it out the very next day, on April 7, 2025, just a day after seeing the post. We reached around 12:30 in the afternoon and got a table right away, no wait time, which was nice, though the place was still decently packed with corporate crowd having team lunches. It took them around 10 minutes to get us the menu and take our order, which felt a bit slow, probably because the waiters were running around handling a lot of tables. We ordered an Apollo Fish and a Goat Dum Biriyani Family Pack. The food came pretty quick, in about 10 minutes or so. Tried to order a ThumsUp, they didn’t have it, asked for Diet Coke and Sprite Zero, they didn’t have Diet Coke either, so I just settled for a regular Coke. Wanted to end the meal with some Double Ka Meetha but they only had Gulab Jamun, so we skipped dessert. We started with the Apollo Fish and that was absolutely fantastic—the fish was incredibly soft, flavors were perfectly balanced, we enjoyed it thoroughly. Then we moved on to the biriyani, and the moment I took the first bite, the aroma itself felt like heaven on a plate, rice texture was on point—fluffy and well-cooked—and the mutton looked super fresh, reddish in color and extremely tender. The only thing I didn’t enjoy was the skin or maybe mutton fat on some of the pieces, which I personally don’t like, although I know some folks are okay with it. I removed the skin and had a proper bite with rice and mutton, the whole spices and flavor layering were there, but it tasted quite bland to me, lacking both salt and spice. I even thought it might be because the Apollo Fish was a little salty and might’ve affected my palate, so I reset it with some Coke and tried again—but still found it bland. We had also specifically asked for extra masala when placing the order, but didn’t really see any signs of that in the biriyani. We asked for some salt later, but adding raw salt didn’t really help because it doesn’t mix well with cooked rice. The raita and salna that came along were good though. One good thing was that the biriyani came with chicken 65 pieces and a boiled egg, and that chicken 65 was quite good too, though again, felt a bit low on salt. Maybe it was just me or maybe it’s one of those inconsistency issues that new restaurants face during their initial days. As for the ambience, the place is well-lit with natural light, thanks to tinted windows, and the layout is quite spacious—not one of those jam-packed setups. The tables and chairs were comfortable, and the staff who cleaned the place were very quick—when we left our table to wash our hands, by the time we came back to pay the bill, the table was already cleaned and set again. The total bill came to around $75 for one goat family pack biriyani and one Apollo Fish, and two drinks which felt slightly overpriced especially when compared to portion sizes at places like Deccan Grill in Irving. But one thing that stood out was a guy—probably the manager—who walked over during our meal and asked us how everything was, if we liked the food and if we had any feedback. That small gesture made a good impression on me. Overall, I feel like the place has potential, the food presentation and quality of meat were great, but the flavors need a little tuning, especially in terms of salt and spice. I’d love to come back in a few weeks once they’ve had time to settle into a rhythm and fix the...

Shaahi Biryani - Glamour Outside, Mixed Flavors Inside

Ambiance: 5/5 Service: 4/5 Taste: 3/5 Price: 3/5 Default Service Charge Transparency: 0/5

We recently checked out Shaahi Biryani, a brand-new addition to the city's food scene -- and the first thing you'll notice is that this place looks amazing. Sparkling clean, modern, and beautifully designed, the interior alone makes you feel like you're in for a five-star dining experience. And while some aspects lived up to the glam, others left us with a bit of aftertaste.

We were a party of four including a kid and ordered the Mix Platter, Daal Fry, and a Regular Biryani. Mix Platter (3/5): Generously portioned and had a nice variety, making it ideal for sharing. Unfortunately, the meats were way too salty and tasted more boiled than grilled or spiced. Lacked depth and felt over-seasoned. Daal Fry (4/5): Now this was interesting -- very Hyderabadi in style, complete with mustard seeds popping through every bite. If you're a fan of traditional Hyderabadi daal, you'll love it. If not, you might find it overwhelming. Regular Biryani (2/5): A letdown. The biryani leaned heavily toward dum-style, but it missed the mark on flavor. The rice was mildly spiced, and overall, it lacked the richness and aroma that you expect from a place literally named after biryani.

But here's the real kicker -- a surprise 15% service charge was automatically added to our bill. No notice on the menu. No sign at the counter. And yet, after that hidden fee, the system still prompted us to tip more. That left a sour note at the end of our meal. Tipping and service charges should always be transparent and optional, especially when menu prices are already on the higher side.

Final Thoughts: Shaahi Biryani wins full marks for its stunning ambiance and cleanliness. If you're going for the vibes, it's a great spot. But when it comes to flavor and pricing transparency, there's room for improvement. The food needs a flavor boost, and the billing process definitely needs more honesty. Until then, dine in for the experience -- but read the...

I heard about Shahi Biryani from a good friend who is a professor at Southern Methodist University a few days back. I decided right there that I will pay a visit for Lunch during the weekend. I arrived at the Shahi Biryani restaurant at around 1:30 PM. I must say that the restaurant was spick and span when it comes to dining environment. The seating arrangement is excellent offering maximum privacy.

We ordered Beef Seekh Kababs, Chana Masala, Frontier Chicken, and Shahi Chicken Biryani with butter naans. I was pleasantly surprised when i tasted the food. Everything was cooked to perfection; kababs added hints of tangy spices with a delicate balance of herbs. We thoroughly enjoyed them with a combo of perfectly simmered chana masala scooped in bites of butter naans. Chicken frontier took our experience to the next level where it offered flavors of cilantro, herbs, chilli flaked and sweetness of half glazed onions in every naan bite.

I must mention the Biryani that added balanced hints of saffron, perfectly tender and juicy bone in-chicken pieces, with perfectly cooked flavorful Himalayan basmati rice.

In the end, I had an honor to meet with Mr Ibrahim who mentioned that they are a family run business and take the quality of every single item on the menu seriously.

Guys i know as patrons, we have many options to go to when it comes to DFW region; i suggest if you are in a mood for good indian and pakistani food, with top quality cooking, and top notch service - look no further - your first stop should be Shahi Biryani in Plano, Texas. I strongly recommend this place for family...