Sep 11, 2026 | 9:32 am
Chef Laila Bazahm is firing up an Indian smokehouse for her third Austin restaurant in four years, following Spanish restaurant El Raval in 2023 and Southeast Asian restaurant Siti in 2025. Shola is expected to open in November at 105 Tillery St.
Shola, whose name means “living flame” in Urdu and Hindi, is the latest project from Guerilla Dining Concepts, Bazahm’s restaurant group. The restaurant will blend the live-fire cooking associated with dhabas, India’s rustic roadside restaurants, with Central Texas barbecue. Dhaba-style food is typically hearty and boldly spiced, with dishes cooked fresh over open flames or in clay tandoor ovens.
Dishes such as masala queso with smoked paneer, oak-smoked brisket nihari, tamarind pork ribs, and biryani with smoked brisket, goat, chicken, or jackfruit will bring the two traditions together…