In October, we brought you the news that Shah Jee’s, the popular Pakistani restaurant located in the garden-level food court at 770 N. Jefferson St., would be expanding with two additional locations.
We’ve since learned there is also a third new location in the works.
According to owner Azhar Shah, who runs the business with his son Khizar, a new Shah Jee’s will be opening in the former Dog Haus at 3116 N. Downer Ave., near the UW-Milwaukee campus. The restaurant, which will serve both lunch and dinner, is expected to open later this spring.
"We’ve been looking for additional locations for a while," Shah says. "There is demand from so many of our customers, and I really appreciate them. They have supported me and pushed me to expand. So we want to be able to give them what they want."
A second Downtown location is also anticipated at 228 W. Wells St. in the storefront that formerly housed a Subway. Shah says that restaurant will keep the same weekday lunch hours (11 a.m. to 2 p.m.) as the Jefferson Street location, as well as the menu, which will include dishes like daal masoor (spiced red lentils), chana masala (garbonzos cooked with tomato and onions), aalu palak (spinach and potatoes), saag paneer and chicken masala.
Although the location was expected to open in late 2017, Shah says the road closure and construction in the building has caused delays. He says the interior of the restaurant is complete, and he hopes to be open before the end of May.
The third location, which takes the place of Ling’s Chinese at 3933 S. 76th St., will also offer dinner service, thanks to a relatively large dining room. Shah says he expects the South Side location to be open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and will also feature a slightly expanded menu. This location, too, is expected to open in late spring or early summer.
Shah Jee’s on Jefferson Street will remain open.
Lori is an avid cook whose accrual of condiments and spices is rivaled only by her cookbook collection. Her passion for the culinary industry was birthed while balancing A&W root beer mugs as a teenage carhop, fed by insatiable curiosity and fueled by the people whose stories entwine with each and every dish. She’s had the privilege of chronicling these tales via numerous media, including OnMilwaukee and in her book “Milwaukee Food.” Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club.
When she’s not eating, photographing food, writing or recording the FoodCrush podcast, you’ll find Lori seeking out adventures with her husband Paul, traveling, cooking, reading, learning, snuggling with her cats and looking for ways to make a difference.
