Al-Mashoor Haji Allah Rakha Tikka

Al-Mashoor Haji Allah Rakha Tikka is a charcoal grill on Grand Trunk Road in the Police Lines area of Gujranwala, in Pakistan's Punjab province. It belongs to the city's tikka tradition, the style of grilled chicken for which Gujranwala is best known across the province, and serves as a standard stop for visitors who want to try that style at an inexpensive, long-running type of establishment. The cuisine is Pakistani barbecue, and the menu is built around meat cooked over coals rather than around elaborate restaurant cooking.

The signature dishes are chicken tikka and mutton tikka, both marinated in spices and grilled until charred at the edges, alongside seekh kebab and freshly baked naan. Tikka is typically eaten with naan, raita and a sprinkle of salad onions rather than as a plated course, and portions are usually ordered by the piece or by the plate. The charcoal-grilled tikka is the specialty, and it is the dish most visitors and local families come for.

The dining room is casual and functional. Expect plain tables, quick service and a steady flow of families, traders and travellers on the main highway through the city, with noise levels that rise at peak lunch and dinner hours. Dress is everyday shalwar kameez or Western casual wear, and there is no formal dress code. No alcohol is served, as is standard in Punjab; drinks are limited to soft drinks, lassi, tea and water.

Prices sit at the budget end of the city's dining scene. A typical meal runs about PKR 700-1,400 per person, roughly US$2-$5, which makes the restaurant easy to fit into a day of sightseeing. The restaurant is typically open from around midday until late evening, although hours should be confirmed locally. Reservations are not normally needed; the venue operates as a walk-in place, and only large family groups need to arrange a table in advance. Arriving outside the peak lunch and dinner windows shortens waits for fresh tikka, which is cooked to order and can take 15 to 25 minutes at busy times.

The location on Grand Trunk Road near the old city makes it convenient to combine with a visit to Sheranwala Bagh and the surrounding bazaars. The same stretch of road holds several other restaurants, so visitors can compare grills in the same area.