CultureMap Houston first reported the restaurant had quietly closed on Aug. 13, noting its online ordering and phone number had disconnected. On Friday, the restaurant officially announced it had permanently shuttered.
“Thank you for your support, your patronage, and the many wonderful memories we’ve shared,” Shiva’s post read. “It has been an honor to serve this community for 35 years, and we are incredibly grateful to everyone who has been a part of our journey.”
Shiva first opened at 2514 Times Blvd. in Rice Village in 1990. According to the University of Houston, the Oberoi family may have been the original owners. Ricki Oberoi, who now operates more than 50 Wendy’s and a dozen Layne’s Chicken Finger franchises, said he once worked at the restaurant. According to a review in the Savory Traveler, one of the managers purchased the restaurant in 1995.
I hadn’t been to Shiva, but my wife had some 12 years ago. The restaurant built a steady following for its affordable North Indian menu and buffet; the Chronicle recently featured it in its ongoing Dining on a Budget video series. Oberoi told UH that the restaurant even attracted a few celebrities back in the day, including former U.S. President George H. W. Bush and the rock band Aerosmith.
Sometime in late 2021-early 2022, the restaurant moved to 5220 Buffalo Speedway (the former home of a Smashburger I used to frequent when I worked at a nearby television station). The restaurant’s exit from Rice Village coincided with the ongoing exodus of longtime establishments in the area, including the Gingerman, Prego, Thai Village and now Istanbul Grill.
Today, Shiva’s former home is now a Kasra Persian Grill. Plenty of decades-old Indian restaurants remain nearby in the Greenway/Upper Kirby area. I swear you can smell Kiran’s if you park in the garage nearby. And Khyber is still going strong off Richmond and Kirby since it opened in 1994.