This unexpected gem is a seriously underrated steal for visitors and downtown office folks seeking a quick, casual, and reasonably healthy meal at fantastic value. There are no price points listed anywhere, but the lunch buffet is all-you-can-eat for just $14 flat after all taxes and fees (as of April 2026). The restaurant has been here for 22 years and the owner personally greets guests, buses tables, fills and refills drinks, and sets your table. Super nice. There's a full salad bar, pasta bar, and pizza bar that's constantly refilled during lunch hours. The salad toppings were fresh and premium for the price point: Salad mix, chopped hard-boiled eggs, black olives, red onions, pepperoncinis, cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, croutons, and half a dozen different dressings. The pasta bar had several different types of noodles and sauces. The protein choices were meatballs in red sauce (super delicious), Italian sausage, and chicken (a little dry). The marinara sauce in particular was super flavorful; I'm used to paying more for less quality and quantity. Finally, the pizza bar had at least four different pie varieties. I believe unlimited fountain drinks are also included in the price, but I stuck with water anyway. All told, this must be one of the best deals in town - made me feel like I was back in the 2000s with this price point! The cash register is old-school enough that I didn't end up being asked to pay a tip like all the new systems do, so I brought $6 in cash over later on to make up for it. If you're staying at the Sheraton for work or fun, come here for lunch - it's a way better deal than the hotel restaurants. read more

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Y'all! This spot rules. $14 for a loaded buffet that includes a drink. The owner hosts the room like a champ serving drinks and conversation. I enjoyed a little bit of everything. Being under $20 for some solid Italian food downtown is a true win for the working class! Lots of space with table tops and booths wrapping around the serving spread. Nice big glass windows keeping everything bright and cheery. Come grab a slice or 10! read more

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This is a fantastic place to grab lunch. Great food, great service and the owner is the sweetest person ever! He never forgets a face and always has a smile on his! Go, relax and enjoy! read more

Finally made it over to Italian express!!! I absolutely love the service and all this selections of Italian food. I enjoyed the salad bar, the pizza, the lasagna, the breadsticks!!! you can't go wrong when you're personalizing your own plate of food!!!! The service was amazing too as soon as your drinks go down he's bringing another one out!!!! The vibe in there was really good as well. But let's talk about the price!!! it was basically $14 per person, and that includes a drink!!!! So happy I found this place ! read more

Italian Express - Buffet - Italian Near Me - Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Super friendly and quick service and the buffet was quick and perfect for lunch. Didn't get a chance try the spaghetti so hope I will next time. read more

Italian Express - Italian Near Me - Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

I've never had pasta or pizza from a buffet that was this good. The owner was extremely welcoming and made sure I always had a refill despite being so busy. A really cool and lively lunch spot, I'll definitely come again. read more

Italian Express has an excellent lunch buffet at a bargain price with a wide selection of Italian cuisine like spaghetti/pasta, meatballs, salads and vegetables. Great service and relatively spacious interior atmosphere. Recommended! read more

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Awesome place for lunch in downtown OKC. Great choices of pasta, sauces, lasagna, pizza, and others on the buffet bar. The quality and taste is excellent. The owner is always around that greet you at the door when you walk in. It is only $14 out the door for buffet and drink. One of my favorite places to eat when I am in town. read more

I enjoy this eatery. The food is always delicious, and the service is friendly. The vibe is positive and I consider this place sentimental. read more

Buffet with drink is 14 dollars for everything. Absolutely great customer service and the buffet food options was top tier and out of this world amazing lasagna. Strongly recommend everyone to check it out and you most definitely will not be disappointed. read more

Love this place so much. Pizza, pasta and salad are all good to great. Service is wonderful too and you sure can't beat the price. Really a gem in downtown. read more

The food is delicious and plentiful. It's hot and appetizing. They have a salad bar as well. There is a gentleman, I believe he is the owner , who greets everyone who enters. It a quaint place and I will be back. read more

Food made Fresh daily. Pleasantly surprised with the flavors and quality. Homemade Minestrone soup hits the spot for the cold days and pairs well with the fresh salad bar. Definitely will return read more

I was in town for work and found this hidden gem. The food was good--salad, pizza, pasta choices--and refilled often to stay fresh. The owner (I think) greeted me kindly as I entered and was very busy clearing tables as people left while refilling drinks and removing dirty plates. The price was super-reasonable. My only issue was that I didn't find it until the day before I left! It was obvious he had many repeat customers and I can see why. I would come here often if I lived in OKC. Thanks for the great food and experience! read more

Do the words "Italian" and "express" belong together? You're probably saying no to yourself right now, but nonetheless we dared to find out by dining at this inconspicuous eatery downtown. We found this place on Yelp and were excited to try it out. Unfortunately, that's where our excitement ended. The food wasn't bad at all. But it wasn't anything special either. Based on the high praised Yelp reviews, we were expecting more. The selection of food was moderate and I would say that the stars of the show are the salad bar and pasta bar. The pizza served was a little bland and struggled to compete with good frozen pizzas from the grocery store. The price was a little high for what you get. Other buffets in the metro area offer more options and better quality food if you don't mind driving a bit. Is it worth making a trip out of your way to check this place out? I'd say no. But if you work downtown and need someplace quick and close for lunch or just find yourself in the area, it will do in a pinch. The "express" part of their name holds true - good service and quick food. "Italian".... well that's debatable. read more

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For a small, Italian buffet in downtown - this can't be beat! The owner is always super friendly and the food is always fresh and tastes great! Make this a stop for lunch! read more

Best Cheese Pizza and buffet in OKC. Salad with meatballs and sausage then a slice of cheese pizza!

Who doesn't love a pasta bar? This was a place I wanted to check out since I began working downtown as it's one I've seen for years when driving by. The buffet includes salad, multiple noodle and sauce choices, as well as pizza and breadsticks. Was it out of this world? No, but I enjoyed it all and you will definitely get full. I appreciated seeing the kitchen constantly cooking and refilling the buffet. You could tell it was all freshly made which makes a huge difference. I tried a little bit of everything and while I may not make it back before my office moves away from downtown, it's a nice option for a quick Italian (American) style meal! read more

Wow. I stumbled by this place. Sauce as good as my Sicilian Grammas. Childhood memories rushing back. This food is top notch Italian. Had three plates. Time for a nap. read more

A lovely quiet building with a warm welcoming from the owner himself is what I was greeted with when entering the Italian express. Immediate seating and dining to some delicious popular American Italian food. Loved amazing great. read more

I've worked downtown for about a year and a half, but hadn't checked out this place for some reason, despite my love for Italian food (especially pasta). When I heard there was an Italian buffet closeby, I had to try it out! The buffet has a great variety. When I was there, they had spaghetti and penne noodles and choice of Alfredo sauce, marinara, meatballs, chicken and sausage, as well as some sort of ravioli that was delicious. They also had three kinds of pizza and a great selection for salad toppings. All of it was really good! The Alfredo sauce didn't look like much but it was SO good, rich and flavorful. I'll definitely be back! read more

Italian Express - The best kind of buffet - Italian Near Me - Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Been going here for years! This place nothing but wonderful, from the always friendly greeting from the owner and staff, fresh salad bar, hot and tasty selections to the impeccably clean dining area. Please, see for yourself and go and post your experience on Yelp! You'll be glad you did and it will validate our feelings too! read more

Really and truly some AMAZING italian food for lunch, in the FASTEST way possible... While I was there last, Hassan (owner) shared with me the reason that his food is so good is the fact that they have no microwaves in this place, thus showing you they are cooking all of this food FRESH... Lots of option, great food, and a good salad bar to boot! read more

Literally one of the best restaurant experiences I've had. The owner/cashier/bus boy/everything is extreme nice and values all his customers. In town for a conference, mentioned it to him while entering, he followed up 15 minutes later by coming to our table to ask more about who we were, where we were from, etc. an extremely welcoming feeling in this place. And the food....whew! The pasta bar has enough for several different dishes. The Alfredo sauce is pretty special. The pizza bar is very good, although your options are limited. Absolutely great place to visit. read more

Great lunch spot - always delicious & cheap! I've been to Italian Express well over a dozen times, and they recently opened a new location downtown that is a significant improvement over their previous one. Gotta say I'm a fan of the place - it's not upscale or gourmet, but it's by far the best quick bite that you can grab downtown! Likes: Great food. I love the breadsticks, the pizza, and the raviolis. The salad bar is always nice too, and it always features ultra fresh items. The garlic sauce that the grilled chicken sits in is to die for - just scoop some onto your pasta and add some alfredo! I also can't go without stating that the price is great as well, like $6 for the buffet. This place is often very crowded during lunch hours, and for good reason. It's kinda like if CiCi's ran their restaurants well and had WAY better food! Dislikes: The bar isn't always well-attended, and they often run out of their best items, especially the pastas. I also would like to see a dessert item on the buffet - the only thing I believe they carry is some like chocolate cake that they sell separately. FYI, they're not open during dinner hours. Overall, just great, quick Italian buffet - perfect for a lunchtime pig out! read more

Solid downtown Italian buffet lunch spot. It can get crowded around lunch time, but what downtown joint isn't? When you walk in, if there's a table open, the owner or another employee will guide you to the table and ask what drink you want. If there isn't a table open, you won't wait long. When you return to your table from getting your plate at the buffet, your drink and silverware will be waiting. Service at this place is fantastic, plates are cleaned quickly, drinks refilled often, and everyone (especially the owner) is extremely friendly. The buffet includes a salad, pizza, pasta, and bread sticks. The salad section is nothing to write home about. The typical dressing choices along with the usual toppings. The pizza section typically has 3-4 types. Usually there is a pepperoni, supreme, and supreme veggie at the very least. Other pies vary, but these seem to be the regulars. The pizza is good, not great. The slices are in between thin and thick crust, but the crust on the edge gets a decent crust to it. The slices aren't huge, which is good, so you can get more variety on the plate. The pasta section has lasagna, a couple of types of noodles, alfredo sauce, red sauce, grilled chicken, meatballs, and sausage. All are about average, I like the sausage the best. Overall, this place won't blow you away with the food. It's nothing you haven't had before. But, it's a lot for a good value, it's served in a clean and comfortable spot, and it has excellent service. Worth checking out for lunch downtown. read more

Yay! I'm a fan. My expectations dipped pretty low when we walked into Italian Express. Oh no, what was my colleague doing? Could I trust his judgement in food? I eyed him as I was thinking this, which got me a chuckle and a re-assuring statement. I did a test-drive plate then piled into a small booth to get friendly with my coworkers. I can't remember which pasta it was, but I became emotionally attached to a pasta.... and vodka sauce. I went with a bowl for round two. Pasta, pasta, sauce, sauce, bread. Everything was dipped in sauce. After eating, everybody realized that we didn't know how much it cost, so we placed bets... Does it include a drink? We didn't have a waiter, hmmm... We went up to the front and it was 8-9$/person. Our winner was not very gracious and jokingly claimed to know the price of everything for the next few days. Don't judge a book by its cover. This is a nice little spot to grab an inexpensive lunch in downtown. read more

Great place for lunch!! Really good quality & freshness for a buffet. The salad is always nice a fresh. I also love the fact that there is some juicy grilled chicken. Lots of options for picky eaters, those who want to indulge, and those that want to stay healthy. Always nice & friendly service. read more

Hassan, the owner, is like a real life Disney character. Every time I've been here, he is always working hard at the front counter, running around making sure everyone is taken care of, is always happy, always remembers you and has something nice to say, remembers what you like to drink and has it ready for you before you even get to your table. Plus, you get a cheap satisfying meal perfect for a quick work lunch. read more

Here from out of state for a conference at the Cox Convention center. What a pleasant surprise. Quick, great service, and the food is very fresh and good. Salad bar was fresh and replenished when I went back. Had spaghetti and meatballs. It was great. Overheard someone talk about the lasagna and how great it was. If this place was in my hometown, it would be a mainstay for me. read more

Italian lunch buffet. Need i say more. Price was affordable. Plenty of choices. This turns into a busy place right around noon. Nothing out of this world good, but serviceable. I would eat there again. read more

The food is always very very good. Various pastas with white and red sauce. Meatballs, chicken and sausage for meats. Pizza is pepperoni, cheese and supreme. Salad bar with all the usual suspects. Service is fantastic. Owner is friendly and just provides overall great service. Very reasonably priced. My favorite downtown lunch spot. read more

The lab guys and I go to this establishment minimum once a month! Always great food, BUT (big but) it's the service that keeps me coming back time and time again. The owner greets us at the door and remembers our drinks from the previous times. Shows us a seat and we have drinks by the time we get to the table. To be honest it's like walking into your favorite uncle's house and being completely catered to! When you need a quick and easy Italian fix, this is the place to go! read more

Great food. Great service. The owner was very personable and seated us immediately. The lasagna was by far the best I have ever had. They also had three pizzas to choose from and a salad bar. Definitely gonna eat here again. read more

Out of Towner here, but I come to OKC several times a year. I just discovered this little gem, and plan to come back often. Extremely friendly people, and a great little setting. And the food is exactly what I'm looking for! Excellent marinara, great little salad bar, and even the pizza is great. I wish I had something like this in downtown Portland!! read more

Nice little lunch joint in downtown. Loved the simplicity and flat price which is reasonable. The owner is always there and very helpful. Great pasta and pizza. Will sure be back read more

We came here for a soccer tournament this weekend and the owner graciously opened for us. Food was great.

Absolutely wonderful Italian food. Quick buffet style service. Great salad bar. Always packed so you know it's good! The owner/manager is a delightful and wonderful man, that always has a smile for his customers. Truly a wonderful eating experience everytime! read more

Great price and great environment. The owner is always very nice and enjoyable to deal with. The food is very good, especially for the price and buffet style. One of my favorite places to grab lunch in downtown okc. read more

The food is excellent, and the salad bar is always very fresh. Even beyond the food, the owner is super friendly and helpful. He's very interested in making sure that his guests have a good experience. The cheese pizza is one of my favorites, and the ravioli in vodka sauce is very good as well. read more