- 14 hours ago
We visited Aga’s Restaurant, one of the busiest in the country, to see how it serves 4,000 customers every day with a menu of more than 100 fresh dishes.
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00:02This is the busiest South Asian restaurant in America.
00:06This is like the biggest spot I've ever seen in my life.
00:09Serving more than 4,000 people every day.
00:16It takes a team of nine chefs and more than 200 employees
00:20to prep, cook and dish out the massive Pakistani and Indian menu
00:27here at Aga's in Houston.
00:30It's not a restaurant, it's a food factory.
00:33The amount of food we put out every day,
00:37it's absolutely mind-boggling.
00:42It also has the most Uber Eats delivery orders
00:45for a single-location restaurant in the entire world.
00:49More than 1,000 orders of lollipop.
00:52Single lollipop.
00:53But when Shakat Maridya's family bought Aga's in 2010,
00:57the restaurant was struggling and they had no idea how to turn it around.
01:03I told my brother one time that,
01:05hey, we need to get rid of this restaurant.
01:09It's not our cup of tea.
01:12But now they have long lines and food vloggers are all over this place.
01:19Aga's is a gas.
01:21Look at the thought of 9.4.
01:23One of the things that stand out for me is the consistency.
01:27You know, I feel like it's my first and hundredth time at the same time.
01:32As a Pakistani, I was curious about how America's busiest desi,
01:37or South Asian restaurant, ended up in a suburb in Texas.
01:42And how this one family turned a struggling spot into a national destination.
01:55The smell of spices hits you as soon as you walk into the kitchen at Aga's.
02:01Here, cooks are hard at work starting at 7 in the morning.
02:07We have four chefs from Pakistan, three from India, one from Bangladesh.
02:12Combined experience, probably over 200 years.
02:17First, the sauce for popular dishes like paneer handi, karahi chicken,
02:21and chicken tikka masala are cooked in big batches.
02:26This is a grinder.
02:28We grind the gravy to a fine pace.
02:33No matter what's cooking, each pot starts with the same two essentials
02:37found in nearly all South Asian cooking.
02:41Onions and tomatoes.
02:42Most of the gravies are based on onions and tomatoes.
02:48Purchasing alone is a massive challenge in a restaurant this big.
02:53We do 5,000 pounds of jalapenos per day.
02:577,000 gallon milk per month.
03:0030,000 pounds of butter a month.
03:0410,000 gallons of oil per month.
03:09Every few minutes, chefs stir and check the sauces.
03:13Like for this goat shinwari karahi.
03:16This is cooked for the whole day?
03:19It's cooked for the whole day.
03:20Now it's cooked for 4-5 hours.
03:24This is cooked for 4-5 hours.
03:25This is cooked for 2-3 hours.
03:26It depends on how we are busy.
03:29That's Rizwan, who's from Gujarat in India.
03:33He started as a line cook at Aga's before working his way up to kitchen manager.
03:41Aga's is my first job.
03:42When I came here in 2019, from the very second day I got an opportunity to join Aga's.
03:49And I just grabbed that opportunity.
03:52Once the curries reach the right consistency, they're left to cool down.
03:58When an order comes in, cooks scoop the sauce into these pans, add the meat, and prepare the rest of
04:04the dish.
04:05We used to cook it properly and then after, we pass it.
04:10So every dish is customized after and even these.
04:14There's nothing like this.
04:15They're ready to serve.
04:16Every order is made according to Parchi.
04:20The menu reflects a shared South Asian heritage.
04:24But some dishes lean more Indian.
04:27This is our palak paneer.
04:30While others are more popular in Pakistan.
04:34Chicken boti, malai boti, malai kebab.
04:37Pakistan, for breakfast, you've got to have meat.
04:40Lunch, you've got to have meat.
04:41Dinner, you've got to have meat.
04:43And when you wake up in the middle of the night, you've got to have meat.
04:47So at Aga's, meat is a serious business.
04:50This is our hottest and busiest station here in Aga's.
04:55Because this is the station where, you can say, a world famous shop is ready.
05:00And these are the people who make this.
05:04They're like, full of spices, tender.
05:08Just, you'll feel like heaven.
05:11Aga's also goes through 30,000 pounds of chicken a month.
05:16You can see that there are four people who are in there,
05:19who have to do all the dishes.
05:21What is this work for a whole day?
05:23A whole day, yes.
05:26Most of the spices come straight from the motherland's.
05:29India and Pakistan.
05:31And the chefs are pretty secretive about the different blends,
05:34because it's what makes their recipes special.
05:37Do you eat the pasta?
05:39Yes, we eat the pasta.
05:39We eat the pasta.
05:41We eat the pasta and we eat the pasta.
05:44Wow, that's a lot of chili spice.
05:47That's amazing.
05:48One of their most used spices is chili powder.
05:50It comes from India.
05:52From India?
05:52Yeah.
05:53It comes from India.
05:53They go through more than 40 pounds a day.
05:56And one of their most expensive ones is saffron, also from India.
06:01Probably five ounces will cost you over 60, 70 dollars.
06:06Buy the best ingredients available in the market.
06:11Don't worry about what the cost is.
06:13It's important to our customers, important to my chefs.
06:19Back in the kitchen, the team is gearing up for the Friday lunch rush.
06:25They're about to turn out nearly 100 South Asian dishes.
06:29But there's a twist.
06:31Like with so many restaurant kitchens in America,
06:34a lot of the people cooking the food are Latino.
06:42I kind of love that this moment just happened.
06:45Basically, he just said,
06:46thank you, brother, in two different languages.
06:49In Spanish, gracias, bhai, in Urdu.
06:51And it kind of like captures the teamwork between the two cultures here.
06:56The Latino workers and the South Asian front of house as well.
07:03For Shawkat, owning a restaurant has come with a big learning curve that continues until today.
07:09At the time when we bought this restaurant,
07:12the only thing I knew how to make is maybe a cup of tea.
07:15Nobody knows anything in my family how to cook.
07:18Shawkat's family is from India and Pakistan.
07:21He moved to the U.S. when he was 20 years old and picked up work wherever he could.
07:26I had three or four jobs going from dry cleaners and working for auto dealership.
07:34Then in 2010, his family approached him with an idea to buy a struggling restaurant.
07:40One of my brothers, Kareem, and one of my cousins came to me and said,
07:45hey, this restaurant is for sale. Let's buy it.
07:50Very funny that the week before this conversation, I had a really bad experience here.
07:56I laughed at him. I said, are you guys crazy?
07:59They paid less for the whole restaurant than what it now makes in a single weekend.
08:05When we originally acquired, this was the space.
08:08This one all the way back was 6,000 square foot roughly.
08:13And then as we got busier, we needed more space.
08:18The first couple of years were not exactly a success.
08:22It was tough. It was stressful. Every month, we were losing money.
08:28For a good two years, everything was wrong.
08:30There was no system in place. There was no accountability.
08:35Somebody is saying hi to us.
08:37We can talk to these people.
08:37We'll go talk to them.
08:38Now, so many Desis come here, I actually ran into people I knew back in Pakistan.
08:44Which one?
08:45Oh, hi.
08:46Hi.
08:47Hi.
08:49Malisa Kuch.
08:50Malisa Kuch. I actually know them.
08:52Oh, we came to them.
08:53Hi. Good.
08:54Hi.
08:54I wondered when I would run into Parsi's room.
08:57How are you doing?
08:58When we were kids.
08:59I know, I remember.
09:00We used to go to school.
09:01School in the same van and all of that stuff.
09:04So that's really funny.
09:06So good to see you too, y'all.
09:09So what led to Aga's rise?
09:12When we bought it, it used to be Aga's Pakistani restaurant.
09:16We changed that to Indo Park restaurant.
09:18That was a big deal because now people recognize, okay, this is Indian and Pakistani restaurant.
09:24So we started getting a lot more customers.
09:28The owners focused on expanding the menu and improving the quality of the food.
09:33If one dish is off 5%, get rid of it.
09:37Make a new batch.
09:39Shaukat also went all in on the tech to provide customers with a smoother experience.
09:45I always compare Aga's to Apple, Microsoft, Google.
09:50What do they do that makes them successful is product, service, and process.
09:58Everyone here wears a headset to allow communication between the servers, kitchen staff, and cleaning team.
10:08Many of them come to Aga's with no experience at all.
10:12Like Javed, who studied aviation in his hometown of Karachi, Pakistan.
10:17I used to work in airlines before.
10:19During the COVID, I lost my job.
10:20I was sitting at home for two years and nothing.
10:23So I decided to change my career.
10:25And here I am.
10:26One of the biggest expenses at Aga's is how we develop our staff.
10:32They go through thorough training to understand our culture, understand the process, understand the cuisine.
10:43Now, Javed is a floor manager.
10:45He's popular with customers, and his name is all over reviews.
10:50I never feel tired because I keep on engaged with the customers, my team members, my staff, my owner, my
10:57managers.
10:58It's like a family.
11:00But payroll is their biggest overhead cost.
11:04With so much competition out there, the restaurant has to offer its workers more than just a salary.
11:10We have performance bonus for our staff.
11:15Our staff is top notch.
11:17So they easily achieve that bonus.
11:21Despite all the upgrades and investments, not everything has changed.
11:26I'm a guilty part of not spending any money on decoration.
11:30We definitely need to improve, and thanks for reminding me.
11:37With lunch service in full swing, it was my turn to try the food.
11:42I sat down with Ibrahim Halawa, a local food blogger, to hear about how Aga's fits into the Houston dining
11:51scene.
11:52So Ibrahim, how many times have you been here?
11:55Well, in the last year, probably 20 plus times, at least.
11:59Why is that? Tell me.
12:01Hi. Thank you so much.
12:04Like this, this consistency, this service that we see, these are a very high standard to maintain.
12:10Especially at such a large scale.
12:13I am going to click on this menu and see what I want, but what are your favorites?
12:19You said you have some favorites here, right?
12:21The restaurant says most dishes are served within 15 minutes.
12:26So we put that to the test with a large order.
12:29As an appetizer, I would go for the chicken lollipops.
12:32I'm also seeing that they have one of my favorite breakfast items from Pakistan,
12:38which is halwa puri, which is only served on weekends back in the homeland.
12:43So let's do this. Let's order.
12:45What is your family's background?
12:47So my background is I am a Palestinian American.
12:50I was born and raised here.
12:53True to their word, the food came fast.
12:56Our chicken lollipops were on the table in under five minutes.
13:00These are phenomenal.
13:02Can't wait.
13:03Tell me about your food blog.
13:05Yeah, Halal Houston.
13:06So there's a huge halal scene here.
13:08And they're always opening up new places.
13:10Today we are at one of my favorite places in Houston.
13:14So we're always going around, checking out new places.
13:16This is all halal.
13:17So all the chicken's halal.
13:21Houston has one of the largest Muslim communities in the U.S.
13:26It also has a big immigrant population, especially South Asians.
13:31They make up one of the fastest growing demographics across the country with a lot of purchasing power.
13:38Their median household income was about $151,000 in 2023.
13:45That's changing the desi food scene.
13:49Fine dining spots like Sema in New York City are flourishing.
13:55The restaurant is one of four Indian spots in the U.S. with a Michelin star.
14:02Diners are also showing more interest in global flavors, and that includes Gen Z.
14:08But attracting that demographic is a constant challenge for restaurants like Aga's.
14:16Research shows Gen Zers don't eat out as much as previous generations.
14:20Wonderful!
14:21They like convenience.
14:23They like to pick up food.
14:25Yeah, so a lot more delivery.
14:27They like delivery as well.
14:28The things that really interest them, for them to come out, has to be really trendy.
14:32So there's rarely any taking chances then, right?
14:34Right.
14:35It needs to be on social media.
14:37Looks like food is here.
14:39Yes.
14:39This is the dish I was talking about.
14:41Great!
14:45Anything else?
14:46Anu, thank you so much.
14:48This looks amazing.
14:50This is the...
14:51Green Karai.
14:52We've got like a few different kinds of naans.
14:54We've got biryani, which is a classic, classic Pakistani Indian dish.
14:59Now, not eaten every day.
15:01It's almost reserved for special occasions, but I could eat it every day.
15:05Halwa Puri, which is your brunch meal.
15:08These are the goat chops.
15:10Ready for the reveal?
15:11Yes, sir.
15:12So you're going to have a nice plume of smoke come out.
15:15You could smell it.
15:17There we go.
15:18Wow.
15:18Whoa!
15:19You see the juices are still there.
15:20Yeah, it retains the juices.
15:23Do you have to pay a premium for a halal meat?
15:26Is it more expensive?
15:28It is a little more expensive, yes.
15:30Generally speaking, yes.
15:32But it's worth it.
15:34Even what we've seen in Houston is a lot of non-Muslim, non-halal restaurants become halal because of the
15:43demand.
15:46I'm facing myself.
15:47I can't.
15:49Because there's always dessert.
15:54So at the end of a meal, it's customary to have something called Paan.
15:58It's almost like a palate cleanser.
16:00So the store is right outside the restaurant.
16:04So here we go.
16:05Thank you so much.
16:07I will say Paan is a super acquired taste.
16:10And I have not acquired it, but we'll try it anyway.
16:17It's a leaf.
16:18It's actually called a beetle leaf and it's stuffed with certain spices.
16:23You're supposed to put it all in your mouth in one go.
16:26I can't do that.
16:31Some people swallow it and other people just spit it out after getting the taste in your mouth.
16:41There's one for you too, cameraman.
16:46By the time dinner rolls around, the takeout counter is buzzing.
16:52The team is separate.
16:54It's handled separately.
16:56It's very systematic back there.
16:58Our team knows exactly which order is for Uber Eats, DoorDash, our delivery orders, our customer pickup.
17:05It's nicely organized.
17:11How many to-go orders do you think you get in a day?
17:15Okay, so abhi baje hai like teen baje, right?
17:19So it's gonna reach like around 2,500.
17:22So it starts with number one?
17:24One. And it reached to 2,500.
17:27Oh my goodness.
17:27Especially on weekends, yes.
17:29Okay.
17:32They're sent off on an overhead track to the front of the house,
17:35where staff check the packages one more time before handing them over.
17:43Outside, delivery drivers wait around in the parking lot knowing they will get called up for agas.
17:49Some deliver as many as 15 to 20 orders from here every shift.
17:54All my delivery come from here, all my delivery.
17:58I pick it up here, drop it, so different places.
18:01How far do some order?
18:02I don't know.
18:03Depends on time, 15 miles, 20 miles, 25 miles.
18:08Chaukat told us agas has the highest volume of Uber Eats orders for a single location restaurant in the entire
18:16world.
18:18Just a few weeks after we visited, they even opened a new location that handles takeout and deliveries only.
18:25And it's already getting up to 1,000 orders a day.
18:30Meanwhile, catering events such as weddings make up about 15% of the business.
18:36We don't take risk with any events.
18:39Wedding happens once a lifetime.
18:41That's not the time you take the risk of anything.
18:44By 9pm, the time that most Desis grab dinner, all three rooms are packed.
18:51The busiest day is Saturday.
18:53In the dinner time, 750 people sitting at one time.
18:56And we have probably 500, 600 people in the queue to dine in.
19:05Aga says about 80% of diners are returning customers.
19:09Garlic naan was really good.
19:10The mint lemonade.
19:12The mint lemonade.
19:14So I came yesterday, and I really loved it.
19:18So I asked all my...
19:19So you came again today?
19:21I love it.
19:22Amazing.
19:24Shakat has big plans for the future.
19:26Some of which are already in the works.
19:28It's a great work.
19:29Thank you, guys.
19:31Where are you from?
19:31India.
19:33Very nice.
19:34Our goal is to have at least five takeout locations in Houston.
19:39And then we're going to duplicate this into Dallas Market, Austin Market, Chicago, Atlanta.
19:45And then my ultimate goal is being in New York City.
19:49Go.
19:49Go.
19:49Go.
19:49Go.
19:50Go.
19:51Go.
19:51Go.
19:52Go.
19:52Go.
19:53Go.
19:54Go.
19:55Go.
19:55Go.
19:55Go.
19:57Go.
19:58Go.
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