Deccan Spice, a fast-dining Indian restaurant, was created because of executive chef and founder Sai Sheguri’s passion for cooking and desire to bring the food culture of India to Texas.

“I feel like food is an emotion that will bond different cultures together,” Sheguri said. “ I want to also introduce my culture to different world cultures.”

Sheguri brings his own sauces and recipes to customers in Roanoke with support from his wife, Deepthi Mandava, who uses her data science skills to analyze customer trends and decide which recipes customers are enjoying.

What’s on the menu?

The restaurant serves items like karampodi chicken, a deep-fried chicken sautéed with south Indian spices, and chicken wings dipped in sauces made in house with spices from India. Dishes also include noodles and fried rice.


“It's like proper Indian street style,” Sheguri said. “Back home, in India, people sell their food from the cart on the roadside. So, we introduced those kinds of flavors.”

The dishes do not include food coloring or monosodium glutamates, which can cause an upset stomach, Sheguri said.

The restaurant also prepares vegetarian and meat options with different utensils and cooking wear to prevent cross contamination, he added.

In addition to the Indian-style food, Deccan Spice also has a Mango Lassi smoothie, a recipe created by Mandava, which includes mango, yogurt and milk.


The history

Sheguri grew up in the city of Hyderabad, located in the Deccan Plateau region of India, which inspired the name of his restaurant and the food he prepares.

He lived in Ireland for three years and travelled around Europe learning about various foods before moving to the United States in 2009. He then visited all 50 states in the U.S. to continue learning about the various cuisines and cultures before settling in Texas in 2015.

"This extensive travel has given me a deeper understanding of diverse cultures, enabling me to create dishes that appeal to various cultural backgrounds while still retaining traditional Indian flavors," Sheguri said.


Though Sheguri grew up cooking, he did not know how to cook in a large-scale restaurant atmosphere, so he travelled back to Ireland where his friend owned a restaurant for extra instruction.

“ I trained there two months to learn how actual sauces are made and everything,” he said. “Once I learned that, I saw different kinds of journals [and] videos and took [inspiration] from so many things. I took small ideas from different sources and I made my own style.”

Once he realized his dream, it took five years for it to become a reality. Deccan Spice opened Feb. 23, 2024.

Looking ahead


Currently, Sheguri works as a solutions architect at a software company alongside running his restaurant, but his hope is to eventually work at his restaurant full time.

Sheguri plans to operate multiple locations around Dallas with a goal of opening his second location by the end of next year, he said.

He also wants to create fusion dining, blending Indian food with Mediterranean or Chinese food to create new dishes with his sauces.

“ I want to do a partnering or collaboration with the same people who [have] the same passion and enthusiasm [as] me,” Sheguri said. “That way we can get nice food to the table.”