Monks Round Rock — Restaurant in Round Rock

As a huge fan of indo-chinese food, I was very excited to hear about the opening of a new restaurant. Spice Garden is one of my all.time favorites and I was hoping to add this to the list. Imagine my disappointment when I got here.

TLDR - This is a restaurant from nightmares. Hair in food and extremely long service time. Caution is advised!

The restaurant looks great but has Pathetic service ( with a capital P). It took me reminding 3 different people that someone finally came in to take my order. It took a further 30 mins (and further constant reminders) for them to bring water to my table. This would have been expected if the restaurant was busy, but it's 75% at capacity and there still are a lot of tables that are still empty. This definitely started the experience on a bad note.

Coming to the main event, the food. I started with Drums of Heaven in chilli sauce (took 35 mins to arrive). The chilli sauce was perfectly done. The chicken, however, was not marinated properly and was overcooked and dry.

I ordered the Wok Tossed chicken fried rice and Chicken Manchurian for my main course. It had been well over an hour since I arrived and I still hadn't received my food. I requested the server to cancel my order and bring my check, which she denied. She said I "should have known the wait time for food is 40 min +". Really?

Anyway, the owner of the restaurant came next and asked me to wait for 5 mins. He seemed pleasant enough and was able to get my food on my table within 5 mins (makes you wonder why I had to wait so long if this is all it took). If you're thinking that I finally got my food, guess again.

The food had hair in it. Yes, hair. I made the payment and walked out. The owner did insist that I check the kitchen and see for myself that the chefs all wear caps. I declined. The proof is always in the pudding, and there definitely was hair in my food.

Safe to say, won't be visiting here again. You're better off with other options nearby.

PS - pretty sure all the 5-star reviews are paid or from...

We visited Monk’s Indian Fusion today with high expectations, but it turned out to be a very disappointing experience. Since this is a franchise and other Monk’s locations in different states taste much better, we expected the same quality here. Unfortunately, this Austin location did not live up to that.

We ordered Chicken Manchurian and Naan, both of which were good. However, the rest of the food was very underwhelming: • Chicken Fried Rice had only a handful of chicken pieces (around 6–7 small chunks in the entire serving). • Chicken Corn Soup was filled with vegetables and extremely sour. Although they replaced it when we complained, chicken corn soup is traditionally plain without vegetables. Later, when I mentioned this again, I was told it was “for kids”—which makes no sense when it’s listed on the main menu. • Chili Garlic Noodles not only lacked taste but also didn’t even look appetizing. They were pale, bland, and completely failed to live up to their name.

To make things worse, the staff made excuses, saying it’s only been 4 days since they opened and that they are “still working on finding good chefs.” Honestly, if the chefs aren’t ready or the food isn’t up to standard, why open the restaurant at all? Customers shouldn’t have to pay full price while a franchise “practices” on them.

And despite acknowledging the issues, there was no courtesy, no apology, and no gesture of goodwill like a discount.

The ambience and atmosphere were really good, but unfortunately the food quality and staff response were not at the same level.

We were very excited to try this location since it’s the second Indo Chinese restaurant in Austin, but based on today’s experience, we will not be returning. Very disappointing overall, and I would caution others to think twice before visiting...

The moment we stepped into Monk’s, we were truly impressed by the interiors – modern, catchy, and inviting. The ambiance gives off a warm, contemporary Indian fusion vibe. Seating was comfortable and the place looked neat and well-maintained. A good start to the dining experience!

Food & Drinks: • Veg Lemon Coriander Soup – ⭐ 5/5 Absolutely flavorful! The consistency, aroma, and portion size were perfect. Easily one of the best versions I’ve had so far in Austin. • Chicken Bandi Style Fried Rice The taste was really good, but the chicken pieces were slightly hard and chewy. When we shared the feedback, the server was very responsive.

On their suggestion, we tried the shrimp version and it was much better! They used medium-sized shrimp which made it convenient to eat, and the seasoning was excellent. Highly recommended.

We couldn’t try desserts this time as we were short on time, but we’re definitely planning to try them along with their biryanis on our next visit.

Service: The service was friendly and polite. However, the food took a little longer than expected to arrive. I assume, they are currently working with limited staff/shifts and some biryani options on the menu were temporarily unavailable.

Suggestions: Service time can be speed up slightly & Would be nice to have all menu items available, especially biryanis.

Final Verdict: Overall, It’s a great fusion spot with impressive interiors, delicious flavors, and welcoming service. Definitely worth a...