Shahrzad Mediterranean Market & Grill — Restaurant in Richardson

To all patrons, Persian and non-Persian customers, please be aware that this restaurant includes a mandatory tip as part of the bill, which is not optional. This is a buffet-style, self-service restaurant, so it’s unclear why we are required to pay a tip for minimal service, such as a waiter coming to the table once. The quality of the food is very low, undercooked, and lacks seasoning or flavor. Additionally, the staff, including the waiters, are not friendly, and the overall service is poor. I would not recommend this place due to the subpar food and service.

Because Users cannot reply to the owner's response, I wrote it here for future customer concern:

To the Owner:

Out of respect, I showed my receipt to the waiter and politely asked if the tip could be made optional. She firmly said, "No, you have to talk to the owner." I responded that, as a customer, it shouldn’t be my responsibility to track down the owner; this should be handled by the staff. She refused to assist further.

You’ve mentioned that your waitstaff attentively serve guests by taking drink orders, delivering menu items, clearing tables, and closing checks. However, in our experience, none of these services were provided. The only thing brought to our table was water—once. We had to stack our plates ourselves to create space on the table. The waiter only visited our table once during the entire visit. Why should I be required to tip for service that barely meets the minimum standard?

You also stated that some restaurants implement similar tipping policies. However, do those restaurants offer the same level of poor service? Do they expect customers to seek out the owner just to address concerns? It’s frustrating to see a mandatory 17.01% service charge applied regardless of the number of guests when the service is subpar, and the food quality is low. On top of that, customers often have to wait for the buffet to be restocked or stand in line for food.

I came to your restaurant because my friend was visiting Dallas and specifically wanted to try a Persian buffet. However, every time I’ve brought someone here, I’ve found myself apologizing for the poor service and food quality. To improve, I strongly recommend hiring a non-Persian manager with experience and proper training in restaurant management. This would allow the owner to focus on higher-level operations rather than acting as the manager themselves.

This review isn’t about the tip money—it’s about how customers should be treated. It’s unacceptable to provide low-quality service and food while expecting...

We went here for lunch 2 months ago. The comments and rating of 3 stars or lower appear accurate. Some wait staff didn't fulfill their roles as hosts, which is crucial for growth of a restaurant. It looked they would rather be anywhere else than at the restaurant. This behavior may stem from 2 possible reasons: either management is unfair and unprofessional, or the staff has received no training. Customers essentially fund the salaries of the staff, not the restaurant itself. If customers don't visit, neither the restaurant staff nor the owner will benefit. The reason for my review, two months later is we are planning to return to their grocery store and considering bringing friends along to dine at the restaurant. Recent reviews, has a 3.9 rating out of 5, which suggests a below-average experience. If management doesn't address this, it raises concerns about their priorities. A rating of 4 or higher typically indicates that management values customer feedback and strives to improve based on it. Unfortunately, business owners who are reluctant to accept feedback or dismissive of customer comments may not recognize the importance of ratings or fail to identify their areas for improvement and gradually fall off the favor and eventually close the business. If they cannot do anything about the taste, they can overwrite that with excellent and friendly customer care. This is the absolute truth that great restaurants benefit more from excellent service than excellent food. Customer service is what makes you different from your competitors and gives you an edge over them in term of the business, especially if you want to stay in business for long period. Finally, tip is the value of the wait person's service. If the server gets paid regardless of his or her service, what is the motivation to put more effort on one's behavior or even giving the service. Understandings this requires intelligence of the business. That is why we have MICHELIN stars to award intelligent restaurants (owners) and not to their chefs. I really doubt this review would be taken as a friendly advice. from the responses to the comments, it shows the responder is just brushing the comment off as the propaganda for the restaurant and fault of the reviewer. We will see soon when we visit this place for the...

I love the Market; they have THE best butcher and Halal meat in DFW - it's always fresh, clean, and free of too much fat. Along with a great Halal meat market, Shahrzad offers an award winning bakery with fresh breads and Afghan style long naans. The deserts are great, although the baklava I bought was old and you could tell it had been in the case too long. The dried fruits and nuts section is everything fun. They offer a balanced variety in this area. The grocery section will be delightful to your taste buds as it is everything you want in the best brands you prefer. They also have a kitchen pots/pans/utensils section which offers a high selection of tea cups and pots. It's a great place to buy your Persian friends or any race gifts rich with style and gold embroidery. My favorite section which I have been holding secret from you is the fresh produce market. What an exotic array of fresh fruits and vegetables. Fresh pistachios, exotic pomograntes, blood oranges, tangerines picked by hand with the stems and leafs in tact as proof, fine Iranian pears, and apples worth eating everyday. The produce department will not only, fulfill your daily dietary needs, but it will also more than satisfy your desire to taste a little bit of Iran with your taste buds. Shahrzad Market will make you feel like you've traveled on a journey to the Persian world of exotic and royally rich foods. Your kitchen will thank you, and your family will not want to eat out again. Shahrzad Market has THE friendliest staff, and no one walks by you without saying Salam. This Far North Dallas Persian Market plus Grill is a welcome addition to what's already becoming the best place to live in the DFW metro area. Eat your hearts away, the 'Shahrzad', oh I mean...