36 Chattees (Secunderabad)

It's not strange to see a restaurant empty on a weeknight, especially if its neighbour is Paradise. But it's strange when the said restaurant is empty despite having a drinks (we're talking about mana Hyderabad here) menu. Then again, It's not strange when you discover the price of the buffet here - Rs. 475 (plus monster taxes of over 14.5%) - and you realize at the end of your meal that it's hardly worth it.

36 Bar-B-Q, originally from the 36 Chhattees we all know, could have been that much-needed alternative to 100 Degree, Utsav and Paradise Persis that Secunderabadis (high time someone made that word up) need. But this Barbeque Nation ripoff doesn't seem to have enough going for it.

Maybe the change in management has something to do with it. The décor is okay, but the sofas seem old and in need of a shampoo. The grill on your table, and the cutlery seems in need of a polish. The waiters seem in need of some glucose; and an English-speaking course, given the kind of clientele this restaurant wants to attract.

The food rituals go like this. They first set up a metal grill with on your table, with coals. You're served all the grills and kebabs of the day, which are skewered over the slow smoking heat. The main course is a buffet.

The place aims to be a Barbeque Nation, but loses the battle in the presentation of its food. Also, what's odd is that they don't bother giving you a menu of anything except the drinks. So what if it's not a la carte – it doesn't hurt to put a card on the table, listing the kebabs of the day/week/whatever.

But the kebabs were about all right. Vegetarians have paneer, mushroom, seekh kababs and a couple of other varieties to hog on. Meat-eaters get to choose from mutton, fish, prawns, chicken and more. They give you a few sauces to coat your Barbeque with. The buffet has Chinese, Continental and Indian food – pretty much the standard formula.

Not a memorable place to be in in this part of town. If 36 Bar-B-Q wants to pick up business, we'd suggest that they first slash the prices drastically, and then spruce up the place and its people drastically.