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Shola, a new Indian smokehouse from chef Laila Bazahm, opens tonight, Friday, Nov. 13, at 105 Tillery St. in East Austin, Austin, Texas. Dinner starts at 5 p.m., according to the restaurant's release as reported by the Austin American-Statesman and MySA. Meats come off a post oak rotisserie smoker; kebabs and naan come out of a tandoor.
An AI-generated illustration of the kind of fire cooking Shola describes. It is not a photo of the restaurant.
When does Shola open, and what are the hours?
Opening night is dinner only. Per the release MySA reported on Nov. 9, the regular schedule runs Wednesday through Sunday:
| Meal | When | Days |
|---|---|---|
| Lunch | noon to 3 p.m. | Wed to Sun |
| Happy hour (bar bites) | 3 to 5 p.m. | Wed to Sun |
| Dinner | 5 to 9 p.m. | Wed, Thu, Sun |
| Dinner | 5 to 10 p.m. | Fri, Sat |
The restaurant's own website was not readable when we checked (sholaatx.com returned an empty directory listing), so these hours rest on the release as reported by MySA. If you are driving over for Saturday lunch, check the restaurant's Instagram, @sholaatx, first.
What is Shola, and who is behind it?
Bazahm opened El Raval, a Spanish tapas restaurant, in 2023 and Siti, a Southeast Asian restaurant in East Austin, last year. MySA calls Siti Michelin-recommended. Shola is her third Austin restaurant. The menu is being developed with chef Hari Nayak, who grew up in India and whose career, the Statesman reports, has included restaurants in New York, Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur.
The name means "living flame" in Urdu and Hindi. Bazahm told the Statesman the challenge was making Indian food feel like Austin, and that Texas barbecue was the answer. MySA calls it the first Indian barbecue restaurant in Central Texas. We have not verified that "first" independently, so treat it as MySA's claim.
The space is the former Grizzelda's, according to the Austin360 post on opening day. Interiors were designed by an India-based studio, Curry Fwd, with a big screen on the patio, per the release, mainly for watching cricket.
What is on the menu?
This is the planned menu from the release and press coverage. We have not eaten there and have not seen a posted menu with prices.
- Masala Queso. Smoked paneer melted with Oaxacan cheese, finished with green chili chutney. You can add a "chorizo verde" that is actually a seekh kebab.
- Shola Feast. Serves two: chicken tikka, lamb shoulder and brisket with biryani rice, gunpowder potatoes and smoked garlic raita.
- From the Oyler pit. Smoked butter chicken, brisket nihari (a slow-cooked stew), smoked lamb and chargrilled bone marrow. The smoker is a custom J&R Oyler rotisserie; meat cooks over post oak for eight to 12 hours.
- Vegetarian. Punjabi Chana Tostada with chickpeas and mint aioli; Roasted Beet Dahi Puri with labneh, tamarind and pomegranate. Bazahm also plans to smoke vegetables, lentils, sauces and ghee.
- Dessert. Smoked pineapple with coconut kheer, Saffron Mango Kulfi, Gulab Jamun with cardamom crème brûlée.
- Drinks. The Thecha Picante (tequila, cumin, raw mango thecha) and the Fruit Cart Paloma (pink peppercorn tequila, yuzu, guava).
AI-generated illustration of a shared feast platter, not Shola's plating.
Do you need a reservation?
Shola has an OpenTable listing. We could not confirm, from anything the restaurant has published, whether it holds tables for walk-ins on opening night, how long the wait is, or what parking looks like on Tillery Street. A new restaurant's first weekend is the busiest it will be. Expect a line if you show up at 7 on a Friday.
If you want the smoked meats and a table, aim for the lunch window on Saturday or Sunday (noon to 3 p.m., per the release) or a Wednesday or Thursday dinner, when the kitchen closes at 9 but the room should be calmer. That last part is our guess, not a fact.
Prices, parking and a walk-in policy were not published anywhere we could find as of Friday morning. Dietary notes (vegetarian dishes are listed; allergens are not) should be asked about at the door.
What could we not confirm?
- Menu prices.
- Whether lunch service starts this weekend as scheduled, since the only hours source is the release.
- Parking and walk-in policy.
- Anything about taste. We have not been.
Google Places data was not available for this edition, so no drive times are given. The address and opening date come from two separate outlets (the Statesman's Austin360 post and MySA) citing the restaurant's release.
Frequently asked questions
When does Shola open in Austin? Friday, Nov. 13, 2026, at 5 p.m. for dinner, per the restaurant's release as reported by MySA and Austin360.
Where is Shola? 105 Tillery St., Austin, TX 78702, in East Austin, the former Grizzelda's space.
What kind of food is it? Indian flavors and tandoor cooking combined with Texas post oak barbecue: smoked brisket nihari, lamb shoulder, kebabs, naan and smoked vegetables.
Who is the chef? Laila Bazahm, who also runs El Raval and Siti, with chef Hari Nayak developing the menu.
Is there parking? Not confirmed. Check the restaurant's Instagram before you go.
We publish twice a day on what is open, happening and worth the trip. For more East Austin openings, see our Coming Soon tracker of liquor-license filings, the restaurant inspections database and the best restaurants guide.
Sources: MySA (Nov. 9, 2026); Austin American-Statesman (Sept. 15, 2026); Austin360 on Instagram (Nov. 9, 2026); CultureMap Austin (Sept. 11, 2026); OpenTable listing.
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