I'm not sure what is going on here lately, but what used to bring me to Bawarchi Indian Grill and…read moreBar seems to be fading a little... We stopped in again last Tuesday for the lunch buffet at right about noon. We were greeted and told to take a seat as normal, but that's kind of where things ended. We sat in the booth for a few minutes. Normally a server checks in with you and takes a drink order at least and releases you to the buffet. No sign of anyone returning... We finally got up and headed to the buffet on our own. A lot of the warming trays on the buffet were already mostly empty and hadn't been refreshed. We did our best to fill a first plate (tandoori chicken, chicken biryani, goat curry, etc.) and went back to our booth. When we got back to our seat there was a carafe of water and a basket of naan on the table. That was a good thing. My co-worker was able to flag down the server to get him a Diet Coke. The food was good. What there was of it... After finishing the first plate we headed back up and it was kind of the same story. Quite a few empty warming trays... But at least a couple of the previously empty ones (aloo gobi and chicken 65) had been refilled so we got some variety. While we were up our first plates hadn't been cleared from the table... Maybe they were short staffed...? It only appeared to be the one gentleman working the front acting as host, server, and cashier. Given the lack of attention to guests and keeping the buffet replenished... I'm really hoping this extreme was a one-off, but things have been a little hot and cold the last couple of visits. It's a shame. We really enjoyed this buffet for a couple of years after our first visit. I've pretty much given them a pass until now hoping it would return to normal. Crossing my fingers things will get better again. With competition like Chowrastha not far away... They're too close by (Ashworth and 60th in West Des Moines) to be letting your game slip like this...

One of my favorite Indian restaurants…read more I like going in or ordering to pick up. Love trying different appetizers. The food is always hot & fresh & flavorful. The employees are always friendly & attentive. Definitely recommend the chicken tika masala (among everything else). Even their water is good.

4.6* (out of 5) Food: 5* Atmosphere: 4* Value: 4*…read more Service: 5* Would I go back / Recommend?: 5* (Definitely) Total check/person: $44 04/24/2026 It was honestly a bit of an accident that we even found this place and boy are we glad that we did - it was quite the hidden gem! We were out stopping at local spots to update my HappyHourDesMoines.com website and decided it was time to have some dinner. My wife did a restaurant search on her car's system, this place popped up and since we both enjoy Indian food...we decided to give it a try. We left very impressed - especially with the food and the very attentive and helpful service from Kavya, who was awesome! We started by ordering a Mango Lassi (yogurt based 'malt') that was absolutely delicious - cool, creamy and full of mango flavor. We followed with Chicken Lollipops (see picture) as our appetizer and again, found them very good - especially with the side sauce. For our dinners, my wife ordered Korma (see picture) and substituted the chicken with lamb while I ordered the Gongura Chicken (see picture) at Kavya's suggestion. We also ordered Basil Naan (see picture) and found it to also be very good - thin, tasty and fresh...and the basil flavoring was something we hadn't experienced with naan before. They offer 3 spice levels and my wife ordered medium while I went with hot. We both like spicey food. Personally, I would have liked something in between the two on both dishes as my wife's didn't seem to have much spiciness and mine had a definite burn that overwhelmed some of the flavor. The good news is that we didn't have to ask for extra rice to finish our meals as we do at most other Indian restaurants - both dishes were served with a generous portion. My only disappointment was the men's restroom, as both the cleanliness and maintenance could use some improvement. The aesthetics to get there were also a little awkward, with it located in a hallway next to the kitchen that also had some carts and dirty dishes. If you found this review helpful, please show your appreciation with a Like or a Follow. Photos copyright: happyhourdesmoines.com & thefoodanddrinkguy.com

We stopped in for the lunch buffet with a group of four and were pleasantly greeted when we…read morearrived. I really appreciated that all of the dishes on the buffet were clearly labeled--it made it easy to know what everything was. It would be even better if the spice level were noted as well, especially for those who may be sensitive to heat. The food was delicious, and the fresh naan brought to our table was definitely a highlight. Water was provided, but no other drink options were offered or asked about. Other than bringing us the fresh naan, there was very little interaction with the wait staff, and no one checked in to see if we needed anything else. Overall, we enjoyed the food, but spending around $100 for a lunch buffet for four felt somewhat overpriced given the limited table service and lack of drink options. With a little more attentiveness from the wait staff, the overall experience would have been much better.

The food was fresh and delicious. The cashier that took my order was very welcoming and…read moreinformative. Will definitely be back!

Overpriced food and not enough. I ordered chicken curry…read more And flat bread. You would think they would give more than 1 roti with all that curry I ordered but no. 15 dollars for curry, for 3 small pieces of chicken. And 3 dollars for 1 roti. These people are the most cheapest and greedy people I've ever met. You goto any restaurant and order curry, they at least give you some rice but not this place. On top of that, I placed rhe order at 9 and it arrived at 10:40pm. They charged 11 ducks for delivery services. On top of the taxes and food price. I won't be ordering from here again. There's better places

It was a bad weather day, but India Star was still open. We were seated immediately. We ordered…read morethe garlic naan bread. I liked it but my husband thought it was a little dry and not as fluffy. I didn't mind it. :) We split the spicy chicken curry. And it was spicy. Even my husband struggled with the spice. But here's the thing, even though it's spicy, it had flavor. It's my biggest complaint when he orders food spicy because to me, when it's too spicy, there's no flavor with what is left to eat. This is the opposite. We couldn't stop eating it because the flavor was so good. Now, with that said I probably won't get it as hot next time because it took a while to eat. My mouth was still on fire. But it was delicious and there's many things I want to try as well so I can't wait to go back. There's plenty of seating from sitting at the bar to booths and tables for the warm atmosphere. Give it a try.

India Star has the best Indian food in Des Moines, and they have for years. They are friendly,…read morekind, and very pleasant to talk with. Sometimes it takes awhile for the food to arrive, but it takes time to make anything as delicious as this! Love them.

4.2* (out of 5) Food: 4* Atmosphere: 3* Value: 5*…read more Service: 4* Would I go back / Recommend?: 5* (Definitely) Total check/person: $24 07/20/2025 We stopped here just after moving to Urbandale over 4 years ago with our son and daughter in law along with our parish Priest (who is an Indian native) and just took the opportunity to return. We enjoyed it during both stops and would definitely go back. Tonight my wife opted for the Chili Garlic Chicken (see picture) and I chose the Chicken Lababdar (see picture) along with an order of Garlic Naan. As usual, we shared tastes of each dish and while both were very good, the Chili Garlic Chicken definitely had a more flavor and a bit of a spicy 'kick'. This is a solid Indian restaurant near old town Waukee with very friendly service. If you found this review helpful, please show your appreciation with a Like or a Follow. Photos copyright: happyhourdesmoines.com & thefoodanddrinkguy.com

First off, it's a family restaurant, and I'm pretty sure the daughter is the one serving the food…read more She's sweet, and pleasant, and asks you follow up questions if you need anything. So that's a positive for sure. As for the food, I got the cholle saag and it was quite good. It could've had more garbanzo beans, but I'm not gonna quibble. They do serve alcohol, which is a huge plus nowadays with so many Indian food restaurants not serving it. I got a bottle of Flying Horse and it was wonderfully cold. I did not have any of the other food so I can't say what it tasted like, but I would imagine it's fairly good. Sadly, like most Indian restaurants these days, the naan was almost certainly packaged and warmed up in a microwave. Not even close to authentic naan. The daughter claimed it was made in house, but I don't think so. All in all, it's a nice restaurant with nice tables and warm atmosphere to have an Indian meal. Worth coming to.

Excellent dishes always!…read more Favorites are mango lassie, Gobi Manchurian, Chicken Makhani along with garlic naan

There is supposed to be a buffet (on their website and menu it says from 11-2 on weekends) but…read morethere wasn't one. Oh well, ordered the biryani instead. Asked them to make it hot. They brought me biryani. It was hot. Then they checked on me later. 10/10

The goat curry tastes good. Service is fast. Atmosphere is nice. Restroom is clean. I have a good…read moreexperience and it is right behind Blue zoo.

Came here only once, so this is based on a single experience. The samosa was pretty average -- it…read moredidn't seem freshly fried, although the flavor itself wasn't bad. I believe we also ordered the butter chicken and kadai paneer. Both dishes were much more watery than they should have been. The butter chicken was a bit unusual in color (more yellow than the traditional orange) and lacked the rich, creamy texture I was expecting. The kadai paneer wasn't bad in terms of flavor, but it also had too much liquid and didn't have the consistency I prefer. The portions are definitely generous, though, so you do get a good amount of food for what you order.

We stopped by Desi Bites late in the evening around 8pm on a Friday night and surprisingly the…read moreplace was busy. The restaurant is located inside a grocery store and set up as a take out counter where you place your order and pay first, then wait for your name to be called to pick up the food. They have a cashier to take the orders and also a kiosk (where I was directed to place my order). There is a designated seating area to eat the food. I would say there was about 8 tables and it looked bright and clean. There were families there with little kids dining in during my visit. I placed my order on the kiosk and stood aside nearby waiting for my name to be called. The cashier was nice and mentioned that it would be a while before my name would be called so I should have a seat. Instead I decided to walk around the grocery store which I enjoyed. I should have looked at the ticket that the kiosk printed because it said my order would be ready in 50 minutes. It did take 50 minutes because there were so many people whose order was ahead of mine. This place is popular! I ordered the butter chicken and the 65 chicken. The butter chicken was delicious. It came with a side of white rice and was nice and sweet and creamy. I was able to order the dish in mild spicy level which I appreciated. They use cashew paste in the dish so if you have a nut allergy, then this dish is not for you. It came in a sealed yellow container that I thought was spill proof. Unfortunately the oil from the dish leaked out onto the bag and onto my jacket. This is something to consider if I decide to pick up my order again or have it delivered. The 65 chicken was good too but the kiosk would not allow me to order it mild so I was forced to order it at a medium spice level. It was too spicy for me. The chicken was at the bottom of the take out container and covered with fried rice. It seemed like a lot of rice and not enough chicken. The rice was very good. It was mixed with cashew nuts so if you have a nut allergy, this dish is not for you. I had never had 65 chicken but knew it was a popular dish. I am not sure I will order this next time despite the large portion it came in. Overall this is a great alternative to other Indian restaurants in the area. It is competitive because some items are cheaper than what you would find in a restaurant (i.e. an order of naan here is $2.50).

Food was delicious. Located inside grocery store, so not a good atmosphere for dining in, but fir…read morefast food or carry out its very good!