Banarsi Dhaba & Biryani House

If you know Patna, you know how crazy Dak Bunglow Road gets. We’re right in the middle of it all. Running a dhaba and biryani house here is pretty intense because there’s never a quiet moment. We’ve got these massive handis for the biryani that we start prepping early in the morning. The smell of the spices usually fills up the whole street by noon. It’s a lot of heavy lifting and stirring, and the steam from the rice makes the place feel like a sauna sometimes. We have a few guys who have been with us for years helping out. We don’t bother with fancy decorations because people just come here to eat and get back to their offices or catch a bus. The tables are basic and we use simple plates. We focus more on making sure the meat is tender and the rice isn’t mushy. Sometimes we have to shout over the noise of the traffic just to hear the orders. It’s a bit messy and loud, but that’s what a real dhaba feels like anyway. We get all sorts of people, from government workers to students. We’ve had to change our signs a few times because of the rain and sun, but the location stays the same. It’s a tough business and your feet hurt by the end of the day, but seeing the pots empty every night makes it worth the trouble.