I drove down University on the way to my hotel and seeing an Ethiopian restaurant surprised me. A…read moreday or two later I was scanning yelp looking for a place for dinner and it came up. I have been spoiled having Ethiopian friends cook and share. But I decided to give it a go and I am glad I did! I chose 2 meats combo. The ziggini beef was slow cooked and amazingly tender. It had a fantastic profile and was a bit hotter than the chicken tibs. It was awesome. The chicken tibs were also fantastic and I could see myself ordering that as a stand alone easily. It paired well with the ziggini as it was not as spicy hot, but had great flavor. I ordered them with half rice half injera. The rice was totally as expected, I always crave it. The injera was thicker than I am accustomed to, I prefer thinner but it was fine. Really like I could get both in the order. I ordered through the Yelp app and service was fairly quick.

Always delicious!! We have eaten here many times and the variety is terrific! Plenty of vegetarian…read moreoptions.

I'm from Zimbabwe so when looking for a place to eat this restaurant popped up. Reviews looked good…read moreso we stopped in. They had 4 dishes which the waiter verbally told us about, no menus. The restaurant serves Ethiopian food. It's kind of in a not so good area. My friend and I ordered the goat dish with rice and salad. The food came out pretty quickly and we hot it with a fork and spoon. I asked for a knife, I heard the waiter washing one and handing it to me still dripping wet. The food was good, but ambiance can be better. The waited said they were remodel so I will give them the benefit of the doubt. I believe there are many Ethiopian truck drivers in the area and this is their go to place. When we walked in the group of Ethiopians sitting down(all guys) just stared at us, it was kind of unwelcoming Besides the food being flavourful and not bad, the place could use a little more organisation and professionalism.

Small, quiet restaurant. We ordered a platter with goat, beef and chicken over seasoned rice. It…read morewas delicious. Our server was a nice young man who took the time to explain their menu, he checked in on us as we ate and, and was up front about prices, the spiciness of the sauces, etc. It was a very good experience and our first time eating Somali food.

First off, hats off to the chef! The food is amazing! It's spiced, cooked well, all the meat is…read moretender and soft, cooked perfectly! Each dish was great! The fufu is soft, perfectly sticky, and smooth. The palm butter soup, savory, rich, spiced, and the chicken with it is tender soft and falls off the bone! The fried fish! Crispy outside and tender flaky meat! It was perfection. Not spicy and not too salty! The brown rice was amazing too! Soft fluffy grains of rice that is blackened seasoned! Will definitely come again!

I ordered takeout so I cannot comment too much on service. But, the limited interaction I had was…read morevery friendly. A gentleman asked what I ordered, checked with the kitchen and notified me of their progress. Location was cute inside -- parking can be found in the back. I ordered the attieke platter and palava sauce with fufu. I loved the sauce they gave with the platters (it's like a savory spicy sauce, not very spicy though). The attieke platter came with WAY too much attiéké, needs more of the other items to help balance it out (attieke was similar to couscous). The palace sauce dish was flavorful and tasty. Looking forward to trying their other dishes.

4.8* (out of 5) Food: 5* Atmosphere: 5* Value: 4*…read more Service: 5* Would I go back / Recommend?: 5* (Definitely) Total check/person: $50 05/15/2026 My wife is fond of her Lebanese heritage, so when we saw Open Sesame on the Des Moines Register's Must Go List in East Village last month, we knew we needed to check it out. Last night was our opportunity and boy was it ever a memorable experience! Their website speaks of it being a colorful decor - and that is true both inside and out (see pictures)! We were warmly greeted and promptly seated - and asked if he could take our picture under the billowing, colorful ceiling (see picture). We started with a a round of drinks - my wife ordered the Ishtar's Revenge (see picture) and I went with the Yazmina (see picture). All of the cocktails are quite unique and we enjoyed both of these. As we started talking with our server, MJ - he looked familiar and his story sounded familiar. We asked and he confirmed that he used to own Gazali's in Clive, IA - a restaurant closer to our home that we enjoyed several times. MJ recommended the the Vegetarian Sampler Plate (see picture) for an appetizer and we loved it - offering the opportunity to sample several different Lebanese menu items on one plate. For our main courses, my wife ordered the Shawarma Chicken Pita Wrap (see picture) and I opted for the Combo Rice Plate (see picture), done spicy per MJ's suggestion. As we always do, we shared tastes of each of our dishes and loved them both! Lastly, the Jalab (rose and date infused water - see picture) caught my eye - so I ordered one of those to enjoy with my meal. Again, it is highly recommended! What visit to a Lebanese restaurant would be complete without Baklava (see picture), which MJ recommended that we enjoy with Turkish Coffees (see picture and video of pouring). We even got an education on how best to each the Baklava - pick it up with your fingers, take a bite, then keep that bite in your mouth while you take a sip of the Turkish Coffee - then enjoy! While it is hard not to enjoy Bakalava, it was even better when paired with the Turkish Coffee. If you found this review helpful, please Share, Follow & Like.

MJ and his family are so awesome and kind! I stopped in to try a refreshing drink on my walk in my…read morefirst time ever in Iowa on my walk to the beautiful golden capital and what a warm welcome it was. I met his whole family and he introduced me to all the customers. It was so fun and familial and inviting. Not to mention the decor inside is gorgeous! I love supporting local and trying new things. Definitely give this place a visit if you want good vibes, good energy, and delicious food made with love for real.

Excellent customer service!! Tea and Pakora were great too…read more It was fresh with perfect spices.

Only been here once, but the food was just okay overall. The samosa was flavorful and pretty good,…read morethough it didn't taste the freshest. The chicken biryani was the biggest disappointment--the spices tasted a bit muddled, and the chicken was dry. The palak gosht actually had nice flavor, but the lamb was quite chewy. I've had much better Pakistani food in other states, and honestly I can make better desi food at home. That said, I'm giving this place a slightly higher rating than I otherwise would because it's one of the only Pakistani restaurants in the state, and I appreciate having the option.

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

Ate at this restaurant tonight and it was fabulous. Service was attentive and professional, food…read morewas delicious and the atmosphere of the restaurant was very pleasant. We will definitely be back again to try more of the extensive menu. The lamb thalis was a great introduction to a variety of unfamiliar dishes. Be careful on the level of spice you request, mild was very hot for me and I am used to some heat. Please add this place to your must try list you will not regret it.

Service was amazing, service was really nice, food was great and well seasoned, overall vibe greatread more

Whew! A delightful hidden gem in Des Moines. There are many hidden gems, but not many Honduran…read morerestaurants - especially in Iowa. You definitely walk into another country when you enter here. I think that's why so many of us foodies eat internationally. It's cheaper than a plane ticket! Prices are fair for the glorious food you get - and portions are big! You won't walk away hungry. Mouth watering authentic Honduran dishes and fresh drinks! Don't stick to same ole Mexican. Try other Latin American flavors! Why not take a trip to Honduras at El Pollo Catracho?

3.8* (out of 5) Food: 4* Atmosphere: 3* Value: 5*…read more Service: 3* Would I go back / Recommend?: 4* (Probably) Total check/person: $22 08/02/2025 While this place has an admittedly non-descript brick exterior and clean but average interior, I appreciated it most for what it was: solid Vietnamese food at a great value, served with a family-owned feel. Biggest disappointment was that while alcohol options showed on the menu, they were unable to serve any alcohol - claiming that their liquor license had not yet been renewed. I was craving a spring roll with peanut sauce, so to start things off, we ordered #90 Bo Bia steamed spring rolls with shredded shrimp, carrots and sausage served with plum sauce (see picture). While the wrap was thicker than the 'paper' wraps that I'm used to, they were very good - and I really liked the plum sauce. My wife was undecided and our very helpful waiter Archie, suggested #69 Com Ga Chien Xa Ot (chicken breast fried with spicy lemon grass - see picture). It was good, but both of us would have preferred a bit more spice, as we ended up adding Siracha at the table. I was considering #99 Banh Xeo Vietnamese style crispy pancake stuffed with shrimp, pork & veggies based on the menu picture, but Archie talked me into #97 Banh Tam Bi Xiu Mai udon noodles with shredded pork, steamed pork meatballs and veggies instead (see picture). I was impressed with the coconut milk and lemon sauce that he poured over it when served with the instructions to stir it all together - very tasty combination of savory, sweet and tart, with a very slight spiciness. If you found this review helpful, please show your appreciation with a Like or a Follow.

Pho is an individual taste that checks all your palate boxes of freshness, well seasoned broth, a…read morevariety of herbs and veggies that sends the dish into obit. My chicken pho was good with the knowledgeable wait staff knowing which number would meet my needs. The calmness of the environment allowed me to enjoy all the enticing ingredients to the max.