Lahore Restaurants: Arizona Grill

I first heard about Arizona Grill when I asked my 8th grade students to write restaurant reviews. The reviews for this place sounded great, so my husband and I headed to Gulberg to check it out.

Arizona Grill is located in the Xinhua Mall, which also includes Nike, The Body Shop, Wilson's, NEXT, and an Italian shoe store. This is prime real estate for expensive tastes, but with mains between 235 and 495 rupees, the menu at Arizona Grill is an affordable option for most upper middle class and upper class families in Lahore.

The décor is classy with a use of dark woods, olive green, tan and cream. A flame motif serves a border and simple framed pictures of musical instruments line the wall. Low track lighting and hanging orange lights over the tables exude a relaxed ambiance. The music, which alternates between 1980s Madonna to early '90s club remixes, just doesn't seem to go with the nice décor.

My husband and I both had trouble choosing an entrée from the extensive menu. For starters, there are several appetizing options including the Supreme Nachos, Fried Calamari, Stuffed Mushrooms, Roasted Quesadilla, and Buffalo Wings. Most appetizers can serve two and cost about 175 rupees ($2.20). We ordered the Chicken Crunch, breaded chicken fingers, to get started because we couldn't decide on our entrees.

The menu offers soups, salads, burgers, steaks, chicken dishes, fish and shrimp, Italian fare, and several Mexican options such as Fajitas and Chimichangas. I finally decided to get the Italian steak (405 rupees/$5.10) and my husband got the Mushroom Steak (410 rupees/$5.17) medium rare.

We were served garlic bread to munch on and our appetizer came within minutes. The breaded chicken fingers were piping hot and came with two tasty sauces. One was honey-mustard, and one tasted like an onion cream sauce. There were eight small chicken fingers, so this appetizer would be an ideal meal item for a child or a light snack.

Our steaks came home from the kitchen within ten minutes. We didn't wait long at all. We both had a side of mixed vegetables, which was carrots and potatoes. I had the French fries on the side and he had a baked potato. Unfortunately, when my husband cut into his steak, it was still rare. Although he has never done this before, he actually sent his meal back to the kitchen to be cooked longer. When it back a few minutes later, his whole plate had been redone with fresh vegetables and the steak was cooked medium rare as he had ordered it. His steak and potatoes were smothered in mushroom cream sauce, and he thoroughly enjoyed the meal.

My Italian steak was an interesting concoction. It was a well-done beef steak with a layer of salami, breaded and fried in a crispy batter. It then had a pile of mushrooms, olives, and tangy marinara sauce on top, further topped with melted mozerella cheese. It was quite tasty and had an Italian flavor to it, but it was just a bit too busy for me. I probably should have chosen a steak that was simpler, such as the American Steak or the French Onion Steak, but I had wanted to go with something different. I enjoyed the meal, but I wouldn't order the Italian Steak again. The fries were thin and disappointing, and when I saw how much my husband enjoyed his baked potato I wished I had ordered that instead. The vegetables were unexciting and were cold by the time I got to them, so I didn't finish them.

We were too full for dessert, so we asked for the bill. Tax and a 10% tip included it came to 1400 rupees, or 700 rupees/person. You can certainly eat here for less if you go for a burger or less expensive entrée and skip the appetizers. You can also eat here for more if you order fancy mocktails and desserts on top of your meal.

With friendly service, a nice ambiance and a varied menu, we will certainly be going back to Arizona Grill. A better soundtrack, something that fits the ambiance, would be a plus, but hey we'll take what we can get here in Lahore! The steaks were delicious and the kitchen obliged to re-cook my husband's steak when it was undercooked. For Lahore, I'd give it an 8 out 10 if 10 is the highest. Be sure to check out Arizona Grill if you happen to be in town.