Botiwalla Indian Street Food has opened at Upton Place in Tenleytown. The Washington outpost of Chai Pani Restaurant Group’s kabab-and-chai concept draws on India’s Irani cafe tradition and brings a charcoal-grill-focused menu to Wisconsin Avenue.
The opening was confirmed Thursday in a report from PoPville, which declared the Tenleytown restaurant now open after months of anticipation. Botiwalla sits at Upton Place, 4000 Wisconsin Avenue NW, according to What Now DC, which also noted the restaurant is a concept from the Chai Pani Restaurant Group. The DC location was one of four new tenants announced for Upton Place, per the Washington Business Journal.
How Botiwalla Fits Into Upton Place
Upton Place is a mixed-use development combining homes, retail and parking. According to developer Donohoe, it comprises 689 multifamily residences, approximately 105,000 square feet of retail space and a restored 825-space below-grade parking garage. For neighborhood context, Tenleytown Main Street’s FY23 annual report recorded six new businesses on the corridor. That figure is a historical snapshot, not evidence of a current trend.
A Personal Homage Behind the Menu
Botiwalla’s own account of its origins ties the concept to Chef Meherwan Irani’s childhood and the late-night Irani cafes he remembers. Irani, co-founder, chef and CEO of Chai Pani Restaurant Group, has said the restaurant draws on the street-food and charcoal-grill culture associated with those cafes.
The connection is also familial: Botiwalla’s history says Irani’s great-grandfather owned Sarosh Canteen, the only Irani cafe in his hometown of Ahmednagar, India. The restaurant traces the cafe tradition to 19th-century British India, where Zoroastrian immigrants from Iran, including Parsis, opened cafes. Initially catering to British colonial customers seeking tea and snacks, the cafes developed into dining institutions with a distinct local character.
What's on the Table in Tenleytown
The Tenleytown menu includes chicken tikka, lamb, masala fish and paneer kababs cooked over charcoal, according to an earlier PoPville preview. Diners can pair them with naan, salads or rice bowls.
The preview also listed lamb burgers, Vada Pav and Chai Pani favorites including Masala Smashed Potatoes and Okra Fries. The drinks menu includes chai, lassis, sodas and boozy slushies; the Botiwalla team says its chaat masala is made by Spicewalla. A high-tea option pairs chai with Parle-G cookies, breads, butter and jam.
Charcoal Sigris and Mid-Century Decor
The sigri, a traditional stove used especially in north India for cooking over charcoal, anchors both the kitchen and the concept's identity. These tea and kabab houses celebrate the late-night food scene of India with its glowing charcoal sigris and sizzling meats, the earlier PoPville sneak-peek report explained, and guests are meant to feel instantly transported to the Irani cafes of mid-century India through layers of lush colors, faded patinas, Victorian details and nostalgic memorabilia inside the space.
Botiwalla is part of Chai Pani Restaurant Group, whose flagship Chai Pani began as a small Asheville restaurant in 2009. Chai Pani was named the James Beard Foundation’s Outstanding Restaurant in 2022, according to the Washingtonian. Chai Pani’s site describes Botiwalla as a concept inspired by Irani’s interest in late-night kabab houses.
Reports have differed on Botiwalla’s location count before the D.C. opening. What Now DC reported five operating locations—four in North Carolina and one in Atlanta—while Botiwalla’s site and earlier Washingtonian coverage referenced Asheville, Charlotte, Raleigh and Atlanta. Botiwalla’s Tenleytown location is at 4000 Wisconsin Avenue NW.
