Bing bing wrap, lucky fish curry and Chinese sausage fried rice were all delicious. Atmosphere was like being at a street market. It was great that our waiter Zach stopped by and talked to us about the business and the family. My wife and I were fans of Cafe Fuzion and are now big fans of this place. read more

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Good Southeast Asian food (and anything spicy, of any genre) is hard to come by in Central Iowa. If you know what you're ordering, this place doesn't disappoint. The papaya salad is perfection and the spice level is exactly what you ask for. The scallion pancake was different is texture from what I've eaten elsewhere - not quite as delicate and flaky, but still tasty. Soups are well seasoned and hearty. If you're not sure what to order, the staff is very helpful. Will be back again and love the aesthetic of the place! read more

Lucky Lotus - Thai Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

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Middle of the road pho. Crab Rangoons were good but pho was just okay. The price was a little high for what you get but I'm sure that has something to do with their Ingersoll location. Wasn't bad, but isn't worth going to again. read more

What is happening here?? Been loyal customer for years. They just started adding an up charge for carry out?? But why? Asked them and response was because they are trying to be environmentally friendly. So look in the bag. Same stuff as always. Lots of big plastic containers. So ask what changed? This is all plastic. Then he stumbled over his words and back pedaled. I suggested people might be ok to pay more if you actually were using environmentally responsible package to which he said...that would cost more. WTH. Small business. You got to survive. I get it. Your prices are high for good quality. But be upfront about it. And call out the up charge on your website too. The only one who is going to get screwed is your staff when no one tips them now because they think the up charge goes to them. Your food rocks! Your client respect, horrible. And at some point your pricing becomes too high for the regulars to come back frequently. And then the best part...they forgot part of the order- AGAIN!!! Missing items. This happens way too often. Maybe they could charge an up carry out fee...if they would promise to give you the correct order!!! Bummer this has started happening. read more

Review update. I had previously bashed this establishment with a less than flattering review. While I still stand by my disappointment with our previous experience, I must concede that they have much much improved. We were urged by a couple of friends to give it another shot. Our second experience was a complete reversal from our first. Their online ordering interface is great and the retrieval of the food during Covid times was simply the best. They put our food in a bag with our name on it on a table at the entrance of the restaurant. I never saw or spoke to anyone. Just picked up my food and left. Totally safe. This time around the food was not only delicious, but also abundant. They feature a little more interesting take on traditional Thai food. For example: I had a curry with seasonal veggies including squash, kale and leeks. Very good and different. My wife and I will now recommend that you give this place a try. We only hope the can stay consistent. read more

Great atmosphere, loved the warm lighting and the casual seating. Order at the window and go pick your seat. Great spot for meeting a few friends while walking in the ingersoll area. Happy hour and lunar new year specials were a great surprise!! Food: We each got an order oF pad Thai. Star spicy was A little off as my fiancé and I both said star level III and his was much more spicier than mine. We also ordered a few appetizers to start with our friends, we got the crab Rangoons, crispy rice wraps and the fried tofu. The crab Rangoon's and the crispy rice wraps were delicious, the sauces especially had a ton of flavor! I loved how the crab Rangoon's were really creamy and you could really taste the crab. The fried tofu wasA bit on the large side so it was a little hard to eat but the citrus vinaigrette dipping sauce was amazing. All in all for the area it is great food, and a great atmosphere, with walk ability to all that the neighborhood has to offer. read more

Excellent Thai food, a happy surprise in Des Moines. Casual atmosphere and friendly service. Would recommend.

Lucky lotus is exactly what Des Moines needed! You walk in, order at the window and they give you a number to put on your table, then they bring the food & drink out to you. It's a "serve yourself" kind of place. Sodas, napkins, silverware & to go boxes. The ambiance is very urban & hipster if you would. When you're inside you get the feel as if you're in another city which is exactly what locals including myself, love! Service was average but very fast paced. I'd recommend to any out of town visitors & locals! read more

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A family favorite spot... great food & service! We've been customers for many years and when friends and family come to town this place has been on the top of the list!!! Hungry today for some of my favorite items, was sad to see they are slowly dropping off the menu!! Papaya salad, drunken noodle and now my daughters' favorite pho... lunch elsewhere today... Bring 'em back guys!! 3 stars for now :( read more

I had the vegan drunken noodles and summer rolls. It was fine, I ate it all but it didn't blow me away. Not a ton of spicy goodness I'm accustomed to in Thai food. I would not order the summer rolls again. read more

The BEST place in all of Des Moines for Thai food. Everything on the menu is delicious.

Located on Ingersoll, Lucky Lotus needs to step up their game. Order at the register and tip then and wait at your table for the food to show up. Our entrees came out first and before outlet appetizers. One demerit. My curry was as bland as you can get and still call it curry. My companions Pad Thai was "uninspiring". Table wasn't overly clean either. With all the Thai restaurants in town and I have been to most of them, this is at the bottom of the list. Most are decent to good, and unfortunately this one is on its own. Pretty disappointing. If you are looking for great Thai, try Eat Thai or Zuzap read more

A great roadtrip find, just off I-235. Very well-prepared, tasty food. So much better than a fast-food chain! Tried the rice wraps, pad thai (really yummy--not cloyingly sweet as is often the case elsewhere), and a wrap full of great flavor. Plenty of GF and vegetarian options. Would stop again; glad to have found this spot and this neighborhood. read more

We tried out Lucky Lotus last weekend and it was a neat little place. We didn't expect that we had to order at the counter so we didn't have very much time to look over the menu since there was a line behind us. We got the pho and the non instant noodles and spring rolls as our appetizer. I tipped accordingly but didn't expect that I had to get all the items for our table. I think went up like 4-5 times. Got the silverware but forgot the sauce since I thought they would be at the table. Then got more napkins cause our toddler is a messy eater. Then got refills on our water and then got our own to go box. The pho was bland though it smelled very good so we were excited at first. It also wasn't very big compared to other places that have less expensive pho. The non instant noodles were ok. I should not have gotten it spicy (level 3) since it was a bit too much. Oh and I only found 1 piece of chicken in it so I wasn't sure if it comes with protein or it just snuck in there. Spring rolls were average. They had way to much lettuce in it and it wasn't as shredded so it made it feel like a lot. Overall it was a cool place to eat at. Next time if we come we'll be more prepared and maybe try other dishes out. read more

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Got to check this place out last week after hearing positive things about it! The decorations and neon lights are very pretty. We arrived around 6pm and there weren't many people, but it filled up FAST. We got our food very quickly- I ordered the Massaman yellow curry with tofu. It comes with a side of Jasmine rice. The curry had a slight sweetness to it and I really liked the complex flavor it had. The tofu was some of the best I've had- it had a texture more similar to chicken than I expected (rest assured, fellow vegans, 'twas not chicken). However some of the vegetables were a bit undercooked for my liking. Even one of the chunks of potato wasn't completely cooked, and the green beans were crunchy. I still ate it up though. I would definitely come back to try more dishes- there's tons of vegan and vegetarian options clearly marked on the menu. Lucky Lotus has a unique system where you order your food and pay at a counter like a cafe and then it's self-serve for drinks and silverware instead of more standard table service at other restaurants. I didn't really care for the lack of service, but didn't really mind either. Around 6:30 it got pretty busy, but it was still a fun vibe. read more

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Been here twice now, have no complaints. Great atmosphere, great service and amazing food. 1st visit was Pad Thai 2nd visit Tom Khem both were amazing! This is not an americanized rendition of classics, just plain and simple cultural comfort food. Highly recommend this place read more

Thought this spot would be good. It's not. Actually this is the worst Thai experience. Minimal options, food poor, service... there's no service. Don't pay here. Go to Pho 515. This place is irrationally poor read more

I've lived 8 years in Asia (Japan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore) and this is the only place in Des Moines that offers authentic Southeast Asian flavors. Finally a place where the taste of kaffir lime leaves, ground dried rice (in the laap), and other southeast ingredients can be enjoyed, where the food isn't crazy sweet, and where the flavors are pungent enough you don't have to pour a cup of fish sauce to give it flavor. Keep it up guys, don't change anything, there needs to be more places like yours in this area! read more

Horrible service, practically lied to our faces about the wait for a table. Food was cold when it came out. Waste of a 25% tip on an $80+ order. 1/10 never coming back read more

We ordered Dragon Breath, per their recommendation, I noticed it did not have a price on the menu. I asked if it had meat and it did not so I asked them to add beef and shrimp to it. I also ordered crab rangoon. My bill was $24 and change. I ordered to go and when I got home there were two containers, both small, both not filled up all the way. The container with the white rice had one small spoonful of white rice, it was a joke. The Dragon Breath was very small as well. I was shocked. I called the restaurant but apparently they don't answer their phone. I could have gotten a better $24 dollar meal at All Pho You or ArroyDee. This place is a rip off and terrible customer service, they asked me if i wanted utensils on my way out the door? There is a review on here that states they are charging extra for takeout, I didn't get my receipt. The food was not as good as Panda Express, if that tells you anything . Now I know never to eat at a place that doesn't answer the phone and be sure to look at the food before you walk out the door, small portions, expensive, food was ok. The wait was more than 30 minutes after ordering. Only go here if you want to get ripped off. The old Krunkwich place used to be in this building, was hoping for quality food like that place had. Go across the street to La Chelles, they are way better. It would be worth paying $24 if the food was quality and fair proportions, but it isn't. If only they would have answered their phone, I would have been able to bring all this to their attention. read more

You won't be disappointed by anything on the menu! This is a regular spot for us, the eggs rolls are my favorite starter, but they are all delicious. The panang is my go-to, but I'd recommend any of the Raman and noodles as well. Always get the sesame balls, they are so good! read more

Wow!! Great food and it was nice to be able to take out during the "Virus". On Ingersoll and 28th ish.

Very busy Friday, nice place to go and not worry about being too noisy. Friendly atmosphere, lots of young families, music and conversations at every table. The food was delicious, I had the Curry fish at a level 2 (1-5 score) for spice/heat. It was an awesome choice, we also shared Drunken noodles, cabbage rice wraps and the mango rice for desert. I will definitely be back. read more

I got drunken noodles (with tofu and added cilantro) and vegan egg rolls- they were both impressively good! I appreciate the vegan options, and even though I didn't go 100% vegan this time, it would be very easy to do so here. Also, the online ordering and pickup process was really easy and efficient. Only thing is while I saw that the drunken noodles uses a sweet chili sauce, I was not expecting THAT level of spiciness. I ordered them at a level 0 so I was just expecting a mild spice, keep this in mind if you're not a spicy fan. (I am a fan of spicy food- but even so I would not order it with extra spice) read more

Good food, plenty of vegan options, and an adorable atmosphere. Seating is a bit tight, but it's such a nice, clean space. Fast and kind service also. I usually get the drunken noodles made vegan with tofu, and it is always phenomenal. read more

This place has become a regular spot for me (maybe a little TOO regular ) The food always comes quick and is consistently delicious. The fried rice is a hefty meal, even for a vegetarian. They can make basically everything vegetarian or vegan which I love. The staff is always super nice and the environment is soooo cute. The prices are higher for the area but I feel fine paying a couple bucks more, knowing that the employees are getting paid fairly, because they deserve it, and it's locally owned. Always happy to see Des Moines getting more and more quality restaurants! read more

I was going to say I wanna is the time of time I was I was just wondering if I could come and pick up my car was a time for the time I get going and I get the car I was a little late I was on my time and I wanna is the way to go and I did was a one read more

So happy we found the restaurant. The food was great. Fast service. The atmosphere is bright and beautiful. This is Thai food at its best

Absolutely LOVE Lucky Lotus. The food is always good and I love that the menu changes seasonally. We get takeout from here almost once a week because we love it so much! Definitely worth a try. The bing bing wrap is my favorite thing on the menu, but I've never had anything I didn't also love. read more

We were on a road trip and stopped in DSM for the night, found Lucky Lotus near our Airbnb and were so happy we did! The Pad Thai was perfection, and the stir fry had super fresh delicious veggies. You can tell they choose quality over quantity with their menu. We loved it so much we ate there again on our way back! Wish we lived nearby so we can eat here weekly! read more

If I could I would give this place even more stars. Every time my wife and I go to this establishment I always try something different and have yet to be disappointed. From Laap to the Pad Thai, you can't really go wrong on their menu. Being vegan definitely makes eating out a little more interesting, but they have plenty of options for everyone. Can't wait to go back and give the Papaya salad a try! read more

The décor was so cute. I didn't realize it was like an order first and then seat yourself type of place. Apps ordered: spring rolls, heavenly beef and Lao links. My daughter had the heavenly beef and Lao links with sticky rice as a main dish. Spring rolls were a bit plan even with the sauce. Other apps were really good. Main dish ordered: The Lotus Special, which is vermicelli noodles, veggie eggrolls, Nam khao, cucumber, bean sprouts, carrot, tomato, lettuce. Served with citrus peanut vinaigrette. I'm always nervous ordering this as most restaurant's vinaigrette for this dish is usually super sweet, but theirs was perfect. The Nam khao was so good. My other daughter had the beef pho, broth was flavorful. Ordered sesame balls for desert, which were ok. All in all the food was good. I would go back and try other dishes. Con: prices are a little high for the portions served as far as the main dishes goes. read more

Really great food! The lotus cookie is amazing! I also had the after school fried rice, egg rolls, and enter the dragon. All spice level 10. Freaking amazing!! Definitely will come back again read more

I crave their coconut rolls and mango sticky rice. And their space is so beautifully designed. Fun place for lunch with friends.

We had the shrimp Pad Thai and Drunken Noodles with beef. Both were excellent and done when we arrived for takeout. Efficient and helpful service. We will be back. read more

Been in here a couple times and each had been great! I've had the pad Thai, drunken noodles, and pad se ew all with tofu. The pad thai was tangy and the tofu held the tamarind sauce well. The drunken noodles were spicy and the noodles were simply delicious. I think the pad se ew's sweetness was nice but not too overdone. Others I've eaten with can recommend their beef and pork as well. The interior of the restaurant is gorgeous and well decorated. I'd go back as much as my wallet can afford. Overall a good choice for southeast asian food that's well priced and delicious. read more

I've been looking for a new Asian fusion place, and this restaurant is right down the street from where I live. I saw the reviews so I thought I would give it a try. Everything that I had was super yummy and delicious. I tried the coconut spring wraps, Which were crunchy and sweet and full of flavor, and also the bing bing wraps with plum sauce. Delicious. The owner came out to see how everything was, he was super friendly. My friend had the drunken noodles, and she said they were delicious as well. I'll definitely be heading back here. read more