Lzaza Indo-Pak Cuisine — Restaurant in Des Moines

We stopped here for the lunch buffet based on its rating and reviews. We were glad we did. We so throughly enjoyed the food at the beginning of our cross-country road trip that we timed our return trip through Des Moines to coincide with the lunch buffet again. It is now in our top 5 Indian restaurants (we travel far and wide and have tried numerous Indian buffets).

The service was excellent: all staff were friendly, frequently asking if we required more fresh naan, filling our water glasses, removing plates, asking if everything was to our liking.

The food quality of the main dishes was also excellent. All dishes were piping hot (temperature), which is, unfortunately, not the case with many buffets. Some dishes also had a pleasantly hot spice level, which is difficult to find in ethnic restaurants in the Midwest. The buffet variety is moderate but definitely adequate with 8 main dishes—3 chicken, 1 goat, 4 vegetarian—3 types of rice, 2 fried appetizers (didn’t try), some condiments, salad (iceberg lettuce as I recall), 2 desserts (didn’t try), and chai tea.

I agree with one reviewer’s comment that they do something to the chai to keep you coming back; it’s a tad too sweet, but it’s still delicious, and I wished I could fill my travel mug for the six-hour drive home.

The restaurant itself is a simple, no-frills venue, and when busy, it can get very loud, but they have some nice touches with cloth napkins, glass (not plastic) water glasses, and ceramic plates and tea cups.

We were surprised to discover the restaurant is less than 6 months old. We wish the owners luck and hope they will be there for months and years to come. If we pass through Des Moines again, we will...

Lzaza is my new favorite Des Moines Indian restaurant. I used to frequent a restaurant that starts with an "N" but no longer. Lzaza is my go to spot. Today was my first visit for the lunch buffet and it was delicious. There was a good selection of veg and non veg items. All were spiced (flavored, not hot) well, perhaps not authentic but also not Midwestern bland. Hot foods were piping, cold foods were chilly, as they should be on the buffet table. Quite frequently the chefs would come out to ensure foods were replenished and presented well. Service was friendly and attentive. My water glass was never empty and my used plates were quickly removed. They bring hot man to your table. I can't tell you how nice a touch this is. Often nan on a buffet steam table is either dried out or empty. Not at Lzaza, they keep bringing hot nan out until you say stop. You have to try the free chai. It is tasty. The bathrooms are clean. You may think this an odd thing to point out. I am a true believer that a clean restroom is indicative of the hygiene conditions of the kitchen. Enough said on that point. I will be back for dinner to sample the real skills from the kitchen and will definately return for many more lunch buffets. I hope I catch a paneer...

We were passing by Des Moines and decided to try this place. The food is okay but I am giving it one star because of the horrible customer experience. We went for the lunch buffet and asked beforehand if Naans were available. I was told they continually wait all tables and bring Naans often. Trusting that, we take 3-4 curries and one Naan came for two people. We finished, waited for someone and then eventually called the waiter ourselves and asked for a few extra naans, to which the waiter bluntly told they bring it one by one. We then asked for one, and got deserted for the next 20 mins. No eye contact, no one came to check (the place wasn't busy as half the tables were empty). So, being busy is not an excuse. At last someone came to fill water and we complained about the naan. Unapologetically, he went to the kitchen and after 5 min got the naan. We didn't ask more as our hunger was suppressed.

Overall, I feel they can do better with the way they run the lunch buffet. We had a bad experience from one waiter (the one wearing glasses), so other waiters could be good. MOST IMPORTANTLY, I feel the management should take criticism positively. I just went through past bad reviews and the reply from management seemed...