Bawarchi Indian Grill & Bar - Des Moines — Restaurant in West Des Moines

I have a mixed feeling about this place, overall I like them, all people are genuinely nice, but I care too much about them not to write about this issue.

First I have to say I love Indian food, but only their lamb/goat and vegetable dishes to be exact (yes, I hate chicken) and I love it not too hot, but spicy, which means I also need generous amounts of the one and only fire extinguisher named Raita (or plain yogurt)  to handle the heat of Indian food.

And you can only find generous amounts of Raita in buffets, because sadly in any Indian restaurant if you order off menu, at best you get a spoonful of Raita for free and I don't hate money enough to pay like $5 or $10 on top of my entree cost just for some extra yogurt.

Now, when I first found this restaurant I liked four things about them:

1. that they had some interesting lamb items in their menus, specially their lamb chops which I tried twice and it was good!

2. they belong to the minority of Indian restaurants that put lamb or goat in their buffet, as I wouldn't even set foot on a buffet that has only chicken for the meat in the buffet.

3. Staff are very nice

4. Their water was very nice quality and filtered.

However soon I started to see the same movie that I had seen in many other similar places, and that movie is that you never ever see that a chicken dish even gets close to empty, whereas for the lamb/goat dish, you constantly have to ask them to pay attention to the fact that it is empty.

Even worse, while you never hear an excuse of "sorry, we ran out of chicken" the last time I was there on a Sunday, when I pointed to the fact that the goat biryani was empty, I was asked to wait, and after a long wait, they brought some subprime mashed goat curry (in my account way inferior to goat biryani), when I told them I only sat down because I saw you had goat biryani, they said "sorry, we ran out of goat"!

When I said I wouldn't be here if I didn't see you had my favorite dish on the buffet , they asked me to wait some more, then brought some scrap pieces of meat, almost entirely bone and skin with no meat, as you see in the picture and said that this is it and no more!

Unacceptable for a buffet, but again, if once in my life I had heard from an Indian buffet that "we ran out of chicken or naan or rice" I could be a little more understanding, but given that I have now seen this movie too many times here and elsewhere that it is always the more expensive meat , i.e. goat or lamb that they somehow manage to "run out", I decided to write this post.

I think a buffet has to make a critical choice of do I  want to be a mediocre place that only has chicken in 5 different colors or do I want to elevate to higher quality and then if you choose the latter, you should never resort to lame bait and switch tactics like "we just happen to run out of our quality item, but good news we still have plenty of chicken, white rice and naan"!

Overall I still consider this place an above average one, they are all nice people, and it is only because I care about them that I like to see them not play this "bait and switch" game like some below...

Bawarchi Indian Grill & Bar has become one of our favorite spots, and our recent Valentine's Day experience only solidified that sentiment. Despite not having reservations, the staff graciously made room for us, setting the tone for an exceptional evening.

The Chicken Pepper Fry appetizer kicked off the night with a bang. Imagine succulent pieces of chicken, cooked and fried in South Indian style masalas and peppercorns, delivering an intense aroma and sublime taste. It was the perfect spicy start to our meal.

Moving on to the entrees, the Bawarchi Chicken Curry lived up to its special designation. The tender chicken bathed in a spicy sauce with a hint of coconut milk was an explosion of flavors that left us craving more. Equally delightful was the Chicken Shahi Korma, a Mughlai masterpiece. The chicken, stir-fried until coated with masalas, then simmered in a rich and sumptuous curry of cashew, truly felt like a dish fit for special occasions.

We washed down the exquisite flavors with two Indian beers, the Flying Horse and Taj Mahal, which complemented the spices perfectly. The variety of naans – garlic, butter, and cheese – along with fragrant basmati rice, enhanced each bite, proving that the sides were just as noteworthy as the mains.

To cap off our unforgettable meal, the rice pudding dessert was a sweet symphony of textures and tastes. Creamy and comforting, it provided the perfect conclusion to a perfect evening.

What sets Bawarchi apart, in addition to its phenomenal dishes, is the consistently warm and pleasant staff. They always make us feel welcome, and their impeccable service adds to the overall charm of the restaurant. We appreciate that our orders are consistently accurate, and their thoughtful suggestions only enhance our dining experience.

In simple terms, Bawarchi Indian Grill & Bar is a gem. Whether it's a special occasion or just a casual night out, this restaurant delivers a delightful culinary journey that keeps us coming back for more. Highly recommended for those seeking authentic flavors and a...

On first arrival, you’re greeted to a minimalist but gorgeous Eastern decor. We appreciated how clean and well maintained the restaurant was ✅

Walking up to the buffet, they offer very unique plates that are sectioned off to allow you to try a little bit of everything (the plates were my wife’s favorite part but for me it brought back bad memories of dorm life 👨🏼‍🎓)

The food 🤤 has SO much variety and each dish is top notch quality!! Some of my favorites include: Goat 🐐 Haseena, chicken curry 🍛, and of course, the MVP, chicken Biryani 🥘 My wife and baby’s favorites were the shahi paneer 💣, karampedi chicken, and some rice dish that I didn’t get the name for but it had onions 🧅

I’m a meat lover person and as the great Ron Swanson 👨🏻 once said “Im not a rabbit” so I don’t usually care for vegetarian dishes, but Bawarchi has some great vegetarian options (that I actually enjoyed 🤭) for all you veggie 🥕 lovers out there

And make sure to try the mix grill! I, myself, cook great Indian food 🧑🏼‍🍳 with testimonies from those who grew up in India, so I know when grilled chicken is good 💯 and Bawarachi has some of the best grilled food I have ever tried. There was this green chicken 🍗 that I thought was broccoli 🥦 at first 🤦🏻‍♂️, and I just can’t get over how good it was.

I will definitely be back either for the buffet or for their...