Restaurant Review: Shivas Bar & Grill

“Would you prefer American hot or Indian hot?” asked our charming host, Ramesh Sundaram. His smile was trusting and our palates adventurous. Indian hot it was. One sweaty meal and several mango lassis later, we learned that Sundaram’s wife, Sumathi—also the restaurant’s chef—doesn’t kid around when it comes to heat. This new Lower Greenville restaurant is littered with Indian classics—curries, biryanis, and a host of vegetarian options—that taste like exotic comfort food. Samosas plump with coriander-scented ground lamb were crisp and satisfying, as was an order of vegetable pakora (chickpea-battered fritters). The curries come with your choice of meat, from the benign (chicken) to the unusual (alligator). My favorite dish was one that Ramesh recommended: chettinadu, with its savory blend of onion, fennel seed, cardamom, and darkly roasted peppers. Meaty prawns held up well to the pungent and pulpy sauce. You can tell Shivas is a new restaurant; some of the servers had unsteady hands. The Sundarams’ predictable Indian fare may have a hard time competing with trendier area restaurants. The cavernous, mustard-yellow dining room was almost empty on a Saturday night. But given time, East Dallas residents who love fiery, family-style Indian food should find their place at Shivas’ table.