One of North Carolina’s most acclaimed chefs just landed in Raleigh, and the line out the door is evidence of just how excited locals are.

Botiwalla, an Indian street food restaurant from Asheville-based chef Meherwan Irani, recently opened in the trending Raleigh Iron Works development, bringing bright colors, punchy flavors and bouncy energy to the city’s midtown area.

Irani is one of the most celebrated chefs in the country—let alone North Carolina. This year, he and his wife Molly were finalists for the James Beard Foundation’s esteemed Outstanding Restaurateur award, and a few years ago their flagship Chani Pani restaurant won the foundation’s Outstanding Restaurant honor, cementing what North Carolinians have long known—it’s one of America's best restaurants.

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The Iranis quit their day jobs and opened their first restaurant, Chai Pani, in 2009. The industry is always somewhat precarious, and a betting man might not have believed Meherwan—a former jewelry importer, car salesman and real estate agent who immigrated to the U.S. from Maharashtra, India at age 20—could make it in a business known for tight margins and high turnover. But more than 15 years later, he’s been lauded by just about every publication, including Southern Living’s “Southerner of the Year,” hosting Bon Appetit’s “Street Eats” video series, Time Magazine’s “People Changing the South" and serving as a guest judge on “Top Chef.”

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Plus, he and Molly are both releasing books this year—his No. 1 Best Indian Cookbook in the World and her Service Ready: A Story of Love, Restaurants, and the Power of Hospitality, which includes 10 principles of hospitality leadership. Not to mention women-focused food magazine Cherry Bombe just named Molly to its acclaimed “Power List” of most innovative women in the industry.

Two more businesses have blossomed out of Chai Pani. First, Spicewalla is a spice brand that’s been an Oprah pick and has collaborated with people ranging from artist T-Pain for his wing spices and star Raleigh chef Cheetie Kumar for a Rose Harissa blend. Second, Botiwalla.

At Botiwalla, Irani expands on Chai Pani’s Indian street food prowess and taps into his family history running an Iranian café in India, merging the cultural phenomenon with popular late-night bites. The Raleigh location is the restaurant’s fifth—with other outposts in Asheville, Charlotte and Atlanta, plus Washington, D.C. soon to follow—and largest footprint. But the expansion doesn’t feel like a big bet, because locals have clamored for something like this since Chai Pani’s start.

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"We've always wanted to bring Botiwalla to the Triangle, and we've had our eye on the growth and excitement happening at Raleigh Iron Works since it began,” Meherwan said. “Once our friends Nick and Rochelle at Ponysaurus [Brewing] landed here, we knew we were in, and we've been absolutely mindblasted by the community love and enthusiasm. We're also really happy to finally be connected to the Desi community here that has been supporting us—and petitioning us!—since the early days of Chai Pani.”

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Inside the 4,000-square-foot space, you’ll find high ceilings, a convenient to-go pickup counter, vibrant merch and bright touches throughout including Bollywood themes, red tables and hand-painted signs. Large windows let in ample natural light and overlook a large, covered patio that adds to the casual and approachable feel.

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Anyone who’s visited Botiwalla’s other locations will find plenty of menu overlap here, with beloved staples like the chicken tikka roll, spicy potato dumpling vada pav and bhel puri anchoring the street food options. But the team also dreamed up several Raleigh-specific dishes, including the aloo tiki chaat and KFC sandwich. If you’ve never been, Meherwan hopes you’ll try the lamb burgers and celebrated okra fries—"they're the perfect mash-up of Indian flavors and technique with Southern familiarity,” he said.

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The Maharaja Lamb Burger comes with two sliders packed with seasonings like cumin, ginger, mint and chilies, topped with a green chutney and served on a ghee-brushed toasted bun. Walk through the dining area and you’ll notice almost every table has an order—or two—of the matchstick okra fries, which are julienned and tossed with a lime and chaat masala. It’s vegan, and it’s Botiwalla’s signature dish for a reason.

The counter service restaurant is ideal for a fast family dinner—or bring a few friends and grab some of the boozy slushies while you’re there. As Botiwalla’s team settles into their new Raleigh digs, they’ll add lunch service too, making it a perfect option for a speedy and memorable business meal.

Botiwalla is located at 2221 Iron Works Dr., Ste. 120, Raleigh 27604. The restaurant is open Tues.-Sat., 11am-9pm.