In the shopping center with our favorite Indo-Pak restaurant, Himalaya, and the sporty good time of London Sizzler, Shiv Sagar presents a worthy stop for cheap and easy chaat lunches; most specifically, wonderful dosai and dahi puri. On Hindu-holy Tuesdays, many other Indian restaurants are closed, but this one’s open, and often crowded. Take someone who can scope out a table while you stand in line to order (and tell your cashier which table number you’re at—be prepared or you’ll annoy them and everyone in line behind you).
The crowd’s here for daily changing thali, filling platters of various bites that ring in around $8 with tax. Or order à la carte and focus your digestion. While we prefer the fried, savory-donut vada and idli steamed lentil cakes at Krishna Chaat House, the dosai here are, again, sublime—crispy, crêpey, and tender-bellied. Samosas are also very strong, but better are dahi puri, flaky little shells filled with chickpeas, potatoes, zingy sweet onions, and spices. They’re too light on yogurt, but otherwise terrific. Chutneys aren’t as world-rockingly vibrant as elsewhere, and raita’s properly cooling, but not particularly strong in cilantro, mint, and/or cucumber. Still, you can’t beat this place for made-to-order, cheap, delicious lunches and a TV screen filled with mood-inducing Bollywood films.
Top Indian in Houston
9.2 Himalaya9.1 Udipi Café
9.0 Indika
8.9 The Queen Vic Pub
8.9 Shiv Sagar
8.8 Great W’kana Café
8.5 Bombay Sweets
8.4 Sweet n Namkin/Salaam
8.4 Tandoori Nite
8.2 Pondicheri Café
Newest Houston reviews
- Hugo’s
- El Real
- Anvil
- Feast
- Kata Robata
- Da Marco
- Chez Roux
- The Queen Vic Pub
- Crawfish and Noodles
- Jonathan’s the Rub
Most delicious in Houston
9.6 Chez Roux9.6 Da Marco
9.5 Kata Robata
9.4 Crawfish and Noodles
9.3 Hugo’s
9.3 Pho Binh
9.2 Dolce Vita
9.2 Feast
9.2 Himalaya
9.2 Shanghai Restaurant