Zaika Indian Express
| Address: | 575 Lincoln St b, Denver, CO 80203, USA |
| Phone: | +1 303-830-1000 |
| Site: | zaikaexpressdenver.com |
| Rating: | 4.9 |
| Working: | 11:30AM–8:30PM 11:30AM–8:30PM 11:30AM–8:30PM 11:30AM–8:30PM 11:30AM–9PM 12–9PM Closed |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 9
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Austin Bookheimer
Ive tried a bunch of the local Indian restaurants in the Denver area but at the time of this review (11/26/16) this one is hands down the best. TL;DRL: Fast, polite service and truly excellent food. Definitely going to be ordering from here again and again. So the atmosphere here is more fast casual than anything else, and the staff are all super helpful and responsive. You will get your food pretty quickly, it was at most a ten-minute wait for us. But the food is the real focus of this place, and its excellent. My table got the Kale Aur Baingan, Dal Tarka, the Paneer Saag and the Somosas. The eggplant in the Baingan was especially notable, it was roasted and cubed with peppers and herbs instead of pureed, which honestly won me over because Im not a huge fan of the weird food-processed-eggplant style. The whole dish was smokey, rich and delicious. The Dal Tarka was good, much brighter than Im used to in a Dal dish, probably on account of the focus on green onions and herbs. The Saag was rich and creamy, but not overwhelming or heavy, and basically was everything I could have wanted from Saag. Oh and we LOVED the Somosas, honestly I think theyre the best Ive ever had. I dont know how they got these to be so magical, but theyre crispy and fluffy and you should treat yourself. Ill end with a little observation about rice. Most people dont think too critically about foundational parts of meals like rice, which is usually considered dish infrastructure and therefore not worth mentioning. But when people get details like rice right you know youre in for a good meal, and even the rice here is prepared and spiced perfectly. Just another detail that contributes a lot to the overall quality of the food here. So if you like Indian, do yourself a favor and eat here as soon as you can.
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Alex Hoffmann
This place took over where Taja Indian (quick-ish fast casual indian food) used to be. My girlfriend and I went there expecting more or less something similar. Westword wrote an article about how Zaika Indian Express was going to be a "pared down version" of their other locations. That is not the case. It seems to be the exact same menu and the prices are identical which threw us off a bit. I had the lamb biryani (excellent, generous portion) and my girlfriend had chicken tikka masala. We were skeptical of the $13/14 dishes when were were used to Tajas $9ish dollar dishes, but the quality and portions more than made up for that. I had the rest of my biryani as leftovers the next day. They accidentally forgot her rice so we had to drive back. The manager was totally cool about it and even tossed in a free appetizer as retribution - seemed like a real professional manager. As this was only their fourth day in business, I expect they have some tweaks to make to adjust to this location and demographics of the area. The ambiance inside is a bit odd and suited to more of a fast casual environment so I cant imagine wanting to eat there. All in all, positive experience. Would definitely recommend.
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Devin McIlvain
While I have read restaurant reviews on Google since the dawn of its creation, I never submitted a write-up of my own. My most recent (2nd ever) experience at Zaika inspired me to break the seal and finally contribute to the crux of every restaurant decision I make. The food quality is on par if not superior to any Indian restaurant Ive visited in 38 states. With average dinner size entrees hovering between $10-13 and a left-over guaranteed lunch special costing $9 and some metal coins, I never feel the financial guilt that haunts me after visiting most dining establishments. When I asked the woman behind the counter about a dish not on the menu (Dal bhat), she kindly answered that while its not on the menu yet, I could still order the dish on my next visit. Tasty food. Reasonable price. Good people.
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Rob Fitzpatrick
Ive been coming here since before they were Zaika, but I wont be coming any more. They just stared at me and didnt even offer to take my order. I showed up clean and showered after a workout, and there were 2 cooks and a woman that looked like she was running front end. The only other people were two guys that appeared to have ordered and were waiting for their food. I stood at the counter and waited. The woman looked at me and continued taking care of the food without any acknowledgement that I was there. Then the phone started to ring, right in front of me. She walked towards me, but instead of saying anything at all to me she picked up the phone after the sixth ring, and then walked off with the phone with her back to me. Its a shame, because the food is tasty IF they let you order it.
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Parker Drake
At first I was taken back that it is a small express restaurant and not a sit down restaurant, but never judge a book by its cover. Having recently moved from out of state, and having my favorite Indian restaurant there I can say that this place is equal to, or slightly better than my former restaurant. The garlic naan was amazing! I ordered the seafood curry with medium spice and it was cooked to perfection! The scallops, salmon, and shrimp were cooked perfectly. The service was also great! The cooks brought the food to our table, even though they had a pick food up here area. The owner personally asked us about our experience. This place blew my expectations away. Will be returning again.
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jonsabhi
FINALLY, a good South Asian spot in Denver. The flavor of Nepali cuisine sensibility comes through and it is fantastic for Pakistani eaters, too. The food comes fast and is plenty. Everything is DELICIOUS and as if your mom cooked it! Everything comes in good to go containers. Not sure why the aluminum foil needs to be placed on a plate. Thats not needed. You guys ROCK! Denver style quick and casual South Asian dining experience was much needed in Denver. Keep it up. And oh, the lady and her smile as you enter are a delight!
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Livvy Anderson
I went here today because I was craving some Indian food. And boy was this the best decision I have ever made! I got the seafood curry at a 3 heat and it was so good I could have easily cried! ♥️ Im from the panhandle of Nebraska which has no Indian food whatsoever. And this was a dream come true. I will drive down here as much as I can for this food! The people working here were so nice and welcoming and so appreciative of the people there! I am obsessed with this place. Easily my new favorite restaurant!
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Ava Diamond
I am so glad we decided to try this place. We were coming to another restaurant in the same parking lot, and decided to try this instead. My chicken vindaloo was delicious--perfectly spiced, and made with chicken breast. One friend had lamb vindaloo which he really enjoyed, and another had chicken tiki masala which she loved. The people here are super nice, the atmosphere is casual, and the food is delicious. I cant wait to come back. I also highly recommend their yogurt/mango drink.
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Peter Maes
Truly authentic Indian food in the heart of Denver. You know it when you walk in and the scent of delicious food makes your belly grumble and the sight of Indian families eating tells you youre in the right place. The owners are super kind and friendly also, occasionally offering a free hot chai tea while you wait. Note that food takes a while after you order it here, but this is the sign of quality...be patient, that amazing first bite is worth it!
