Tarka Indian Kitchen recently started construction on its third Houston restaurant with plans to officially open in mid-January.
Located at 3701 S. Shepherd Drive, Ste. A, in Upper Kirby, Tarka plans on hiring up to 35 new team members in the weeks ahead. The Upper Kirby restaurant is the ninth Tarka to open system-wide, with other locations in Austin, Round Rock, Cedar Park and San Antonio.
“We couldn’t be more excited to expand in Houston and there’s no better place to do it than in the thriving Upper Kirby neighborhood,” says Tarka CEO and co-founder Tinku Saini. “At Tarka, our primary mission is to serve healthy, affordable, customizable Indian food in a welcoming environment where people love to gather, all while running an operation that is environmentally conscious. This is exactly what guests at our Upper Kirby restaurant can expect to experience when we open in January. It’s also important for us to be involved in the neighborhoods we serve, so we can’t wait to become an integral part of this community.”
The new restaurant will serve Indian classics like curries, kabobs, biryanis and freshly baked flatbreads, along with signature creations like Masala Fries. To complement the authentic, high-quality cuisine, guests can enjoy delicious drinks like mango lemonade, fresh fruit lassis, and select wine and beer.
Recently recognized as one of the “Most Exciting Austin Fast Casuals” by QSR, Tarka has a singular focus on the quality and freshness of its ingredients, so everything is made fresh to order. The chicken is fresh, all-natural and hormone-free, and the lamb is fresh, pasture-raised, grass-fed and Halal. The menu also has an extensive variety of vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options.
When the new 3,000-square-foot restaurant opens, guests will be able to see their meal being cooked fresh-to-order from Tarka’s open kitchen. The restaurant will have a patio and a large-scale “Mandala Mural” in its modern dining room, which is unique to the location and hand painted by a local Houston artist. Tarka Upper Kirby will also be the brand’s first location to feature express pick-up shelves in addition to its user-friendly online ordering system.
