Cairo Hookah Lounge — Restaurant in Richardson

In town for business and decided to relax here after a long day of work. The inside is nicely decorated and comfortable seating. The gentleman seating us was polite and welcoming. The server was also very smiley and attentive. However, she didn’t know much about the menu. I think she was new and wasn’t trained properly. My partners order was wrong, he asked for a plate but received a sandwich instead. The hookah and food was decent. We asked for a pot of tea 3 times until it came out, later it was found out to be because the server forgot to put the order in. We got the tea towards the end of our night which wasn’t enjoyable since we like to drink tea with our hookah after a meal. The NBA playoffs were on but for some reason all 20 tvs in the building were playing the same Spanish music video which was pretty annoying. The worst part is the pricing. Usually I order at these places without looking at the prices because typically they’re the same price range everything. This place charged by far the most $ I’ve ever seen anywhere in the United States. I’m from Chicago and travel to LA, Houston, Vegas, Atlanta, and Miami regularly and this places prices were probably double what I’m used to. They charged extra for the hoses which I found insane. The hookah was $35 which is unheard of. I definitely wasn’t expecting to pay $150 for 2 people at a mediocre hookah lounge with Spanish music video playing the entire time. Unfortunately I can’t recommend a better place to go since I’m not from Dallas but I’d advise anyone to perhaps go...

Came here on a Saturday night and the experience was disappointing from the start. We were greeted (if you can call it that) by the lady collecting the $10+tax per person cover charge. She looked completely unwelcoming—no smile, no hello, just a sad face and a screen asking for a tip on the cover. For what exactly? Standing there and collecting money?

We went in anyway. The vibe was decent. Ordered a hookah and a chicken entrée. Hookah was good, food portion was fair. Our server was the only bright spot—attentive, friendly, and checked in on us regularly.

But then the bill came. And that’s when things got ridiculous:

18% automatic gratuity was added—for just two people. No heads-up, no mention in the menu, nothing from the server. Still asked for an additional tip on top of that. Then we spotted a hidden charge for a Disposable Hose with the hookah. Again—zero communication, no menu listing, just slipped into the bill. Who charges extra for a basic accessory that’s always included? All in, we ended up paying close to $100 for a hookah and one dish—in a university neighborhood near UT Dallas. That pricing is absurd for what this place offers.

If you're cool with surprise charges, being asked to tip five different ways, and vague communication, maybe this is your place. But for us, it was a one-and-done. There are better spots in town that respect your time, money, and...

Visiting from out of town, I decided to check out this place based on its positive online reviews. I had been here a few years ago and remembered it fondly, so my expectations were shaped by those memories and the promising reviews.

On a Saturday, I arrived with a group of four people, and to our surprise, we were charged a cover fee of $10 per person, which seemed unjustified since there were no special performances or events taking place. This initial disappointment set the tone for our experience.

The service was another letdown, as we had to wait nearly 30 minutes just to place our orders. While I empathize with the employees who were doing their best with just two staff members on hand, a 30-minute wait to even start our evening was less than ideal.

However, once we finally received our hookahs, things improved. The ambiance was quite pleasant, and we enjoyed that aspect of our visit.

My recommendation to the business would be to focus on improving their service efficiency, especially during peak times. While the employees were friendly and competent, the lengthy wait time at the beginning of our visit was a...