James Beard winner from Asheville will open a new restaurant in Raleigh
A James Beard winner from Asheville is finally bringing a restaurant to Raleigh.
The wildly popular Chai Pani group will open Botiwalla by Chai Pani next year in Raleigh Iron Works. Botiwalla is a lunch and dinner ode to late night Indian street food, with grilled kababs cooked over coals and wrapped in naan.
Owned by Asheville restaurateurs and married couple Meherwan and Molly Irani, this is the fifth Botiwalla from the group, following locations in Asheville, Atlanta and Charlotte.
The new Botiwalla is expected to open in spring 2026.
James Beard restaurants in NC
In 2022, Irani’s flagship restaurant Chai Pani won the James Beard award for Outstanding Restaurant, a national award.
“The Triangle area has long been at the top of our list of cities to open in,” chef and owner Meherwan Irani said in a release. “It has a special connection with Asheville as well as a passionate and diverse culinary scene, food-obsessed locals, and a vibrant Desi community. We’ve watched the Iron Works development since it opened and are impressed with its steady growth and quality of tenants, and we trust the Jamestown team — longtime partners of ours — wholeheartedly.”
Raleigh Iron Works is owned by Grubb Ventures and Jamestown Development, the owner of Charlotte’s Optimist Hall, where Botiwalla first opened in 2020.
Botiwalla menu
Botiwalla is the more casual, counter service spin-off of Chai Pani and joins an impressive roster of restaurants at Raleigh Iron Works, including Scott Crawford’s Brodeto, Little Rey, Ponysaurus, Eastcut Sandwich Bar, Jaguar Bolera and soon, the relocated Raleigh favorite Mami Nora’s.
The menu starts with Chaat, or snacks, like the classic medly Bhel Puri, masala smashed potatoes and matchstick okra fries. The kababs include chicken tikka, fragrant malai chicken, lamb and paneer, each wrapped up in naan. There is also the Botiwalla lamb burger, the Desi salad and a rice bowl.
Drinks include sodas, boozy slushies, lassis and hot chai.
This story was originally published July 29, 2025 at 9:55 AM.