Lemon Grass
1221 8th St, West Des Moines, IA, 50265
Lemon Grass Menu
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Visit below restaurant in West Des Moines for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in West Des Moines for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in West Des Moines for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
1221 8th St
West Des Moines, IA, 50265 - Phone (515) 440-4709
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Tue
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : No
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Quiet
Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
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Maddie C.
Authentic and delicious! We had the su mai dumplings, angry fever, and the orh lahm. Level 2 is good for first timers and 3 is perfect amount of spicy. A great presentation of Laos and Thai cuisine.
(5)Bill L.
I made the mistake of waiting over 2 months to review this place after I came here...hopefully I won't leave out any information I wanted to say. First, they have their own standalone building and parking lot which I think is nice. We came here during lunch on a weekend when they just opened that day, at first we were the only ones, but other customers began to fill in at a steady pace. The main dining area was not very big, but spacious as the tables had a good amount of space between one another. The decor is very simple and Asian, a very easy going atmosphere. The employee working there was both the hostess and the waitress, she was very efficient and friendly. For starters we got the cucumber salad and shrimp in a blanket. The shrimp in a blanket does not have cheese in case you were wondering, it is just the shrimp, still good. The cucumber salad was refreshing, but I was slightly disappointed in the taste and quantity. For the main course I had the chicken pad Thai and my wife had the basil fried rice. Both the dishes were good, but to me the flavors did not give any excitement...what I mean is, the food was forgettable. Overall we had a good lunch experience and we were happy we finally tried it out after hearing so many good things about it!
(4)Sarah G.
I had the green curry, level three spicy. There was no eggplant in it and it was watered down green curry with red chili paste added for heat. Green curry should be made spicy with green chiles. That is why it is green! Too many places cater to the bland Iowa palette. When it comes to a dish that is spicy by nature such as green curry, catering to the Iowa palette destroys the integrity of the dish. Good restaurants have integrity. I judge brunch places by their breakfast burrito, Mexican places by their salsa verde (which by the way suffers loss of integrity in Iowa) and Thai places by their green curry. I will not be back.
(2)Miguel D.
Hands down my favorite place for pad thai and a recent favorite for pho. The service is top notch, extremely kind and very respectful. The food is excellent. I love it!
(5)Kailyn G.
This is one of my go-to places when working in Des Moines. They're great for lunch or for dinner. FOOD: BEST PAD THAI IN DES MOINES. I can't handle spiciness, so I get it as 2 stars. They also have great fresh spring rolls. ENVIRONMENT: Not a terribly large dining area but it never feels crowded. A handful of tables and a handful of booths. SERVICE: Always friendly. The two boys that work in the front are always really nice and easy to talk to.
(4)Megan B.
This place is absolutely delicious. I have never once had a bad meal out of eating here 20 or so times. As much as I want to keep it to myself, more people need to know about this place to keep it afloat in afraid. Pad Thai (chicken) spice level 3 and beef pho split between 2 people is a wonderful meal. They also have a small but nice patio. Enjoy!
(5)Bill H.
Excellent atmosphere, staff were superb, and the Lao and Thai food is well prepared and delicious.
(5)Vincent C.
Summer rolls were very good. Tom Ka soup was excellent. Panang curry was delicious. Everything was fresh and prepared very well. Restaurant was clean. I highly recommend.
(4)Sameer K.
This is an awesome place for Thai food. You can customize the spice level (on a scale of 5) of any dish that you order. I like spicy food so 3 usually works good for me. Enjoyed their basil fried rice and ginger ginger stir fried chicken. Its not usually a very busy place so no wait times and quicker take-outs. The prices are reasonable too. I live by the 11th street and didn't know this restaurant existed until very recently. You guys might want to put some thoughts towards the marketing :)
(4)He And She I.
Yes, indeed, a gem! He would drive across town for the cucumber sauce, and She left with a smile on her face after the pho.
(5)Gabrielle S.
We went to Lemon Grass on a Saturday night around 6:30 with another couple. The restaurant has a great ambiance to it and seemed very clean. We were seated right away and got our drink orders in right away. To start our meal, we got an order of crab rangoon and pot stickers. The crab rangoon was VERY good and the sweet and sour sauce was different than expected, but still good. It's not the classic bright red that you would expect, and is more acidic than usual, but was great! The pot stickers were okay, but were a bit soggy. For our actual meals, we ordered the Chicken Pad Thai, Honey Cashew Chicken, Chicken Fried Rice, and Orh Larm. You are able to choose spice levels, so it was nice to be able to change the spiciness level to suit your own tastes. Chicken Pad Thai: This was my dish. It came with peanuts and a slice of lime, and it was very good. It was just a bit too spicy (I got a spice level 2) for me to eat all of it at once, but I finished it later that night at home. I was very satisfied with it. Honey Cashew Chicken: Delicious! My fiance's go to meal is sesame chicken, so he figured this would be an acceptable substitute. It was! Very flavorful and a good mixture of sweet, savory, and spicy. Orh Larm: The spices were good, but we were also unsure of how we were supposed to eat the dish. It was great regardless! Chicken Fried Rice: I was told this was very good as well. It must have been because he wouldn't share it with any of us. :) We also go the fried banana, one with chocolate and one with vanilla. They were okay. Very small servings, and the chocolate ice cream was horribly freezer burned (it was crunchy). I would be giving this a 4 out of 5, but our service was a bit lacking. We had empty water glasses several times, and at one point had to wait 15 minutes with empty glasses to get refills. If the place had been busy, I would have understood, but there were only a few other tables at the time we were there. Overall, I would give this place a try if you haven't. We are planning on going back eventually to try more dishes.
(3)Devon S.
Ate here yesterday 9/17. I am from Portland, Or and we have Phò on just about every corner. The beef Phò is top 3 I have ever had. We also ordered the shumai app, the special sauce the come with it is top notch. I actually added some of the sauce to my Pho
(4)Tanya S.
Spring rolls were fresh. Tom Yum soup was so flavorful. Great lunch and great prices. Very quick service.
(4)Darrell S.
Ladnah was bland. Noodles were very thin.
(3)Chris B.
This is owned and operated by the same person who had Lemon Grass in Clive a couple years ago. The menu is largely the same. The food is amazing and the staff is VERY helpful. My favorites are the Pho, Larb, Pad Thai, Seafood curry....it's all good. Photos from this review: desmoinesregister.com/ar…
(5)Shawn B.
The atmosphere was small, quaint, and very intimate. The service was very good, although they did not box your food. This wouldn't have been a big deal but we were both eating pho which was hard to put into a container. There were a lot of workers there for what seemed to be hardly no business. The food was bland and required quite a bit of spices/sauces to give it any taste. Overall it is good but there are many places around that are better, especially for the price.
(3)Jennifer T.
I've been to Lemon grass twice. Each time the food was great. I ordered the Pad Thai both times. The food was very fresh and high quality. My dining companions really enjoyed their dishes too. The service was very attentive, and the restrooms clean. A great choice if you're craving Thai.
(5)Nancy I.
We had a really nice meal. The service was slow as they didn't expect many customers with the State Fair in town, and a new restaurant across the street. But they were full. Apparently the locals knew that this is the place to go! Very good food and pleasant waitstaff. We will return when we're in the area again.
(4)Kimberly C.
Maybe I've been spoiled.... This is no where near 5 star caliber. The curry is a bit bland. Fried catfish and drunken noodle sauces are a too sweet. I didn't dig the pot sticker either. Although, their fresh spring roll is quit good and no one can mess up a fried calamari. I think I'll just hold off on the Asian cuisine until we get back to California. Steak !? Anyone?
(2)Beth Y.
Lemongrass is truly a gem. Service is perfect, and really the food could not be better. I'm vegetarian, and they can make any dish with tofu. The flavors here are so incredible I have to stop myself from eating there three times a week! My favorite is jungle Buddha, which is a marvelous vegetable concoction with the best peanut sauce I've ever had. The pad thai is also very good. Try it.
(5)Patrick T.
SPICE SPICE BABY... Stop collaborate and listen Spice is back with the brand new decision.. Yo, How Hot should I go, I don't know, They turned up the spice now I know! Man I can usually do spicy pretty well, my go to at Thai places is usually Yellow Curry with Tofu. But I decided to try something new last night! I got Green Curry with Tofu and I did 4 out of 5 spice! OH MY.. It Kicked my butt! Literately! I was coughing, sneezing, nose was running and my eyes were watering! You might ask why I wouldn't stop eating the meal and I will tell you! It was way to good to stop! It was a good pain, and I loved it! My wife got Red Curry with 1 out of 5 spice and it tasted amazing! Loved how the curry is served in little crock pots, and they even brought my tearing eyes more rice (no charge). This place has lovely in and outdoor seating. Great service, and I will be back for sure, But next time I think I will only get 2 out of 5 Spice!
(4)Karen A.
Great food. Was glad I found it. I had the pho and my husband had curry. Both were very tasteful. Service was good.
(5)Sami V.
I told myself I wouldn't review a place after just going there once but this place is too amazing to not have formed a solid opinion on after one visit. I found it on YELP yesterday and we decided to go there for lunch and wow. WOW. It's a mixture of Thai and Lao food and it's amazing. I had the Vegetable Delight with tofu and we ordered a few pots of hot tea. The spice levels are accurate. 3+ gets pretty crazy it seems like. The veggie delight had a nice array of vegetables in it that I wasn't necessarily expecting (zucchini!?) and the thai curry had broccoli in all the types also, which sounds amazing. The parking lot is fairly large so that helps and they have tables set up already for larger groups. The staff is quick to refill drinks and bring out to-go containers. Also they were quick to wipe down tables and we were there almost til their 2:30 closing time on Saturday and they didn't rush us to leave at all. I am excited to go back.
(5)Tony G.
Diverse menu of Thai and Vietnamese dishes. Decently priced appetizers and entrees. The presentation of the food is fantastic - very colorful and garnished well. They have a 1 to 5 spicy rating system and I got a 2 on my Larb dish and it was plenty spicy. Hot jasmine tea is a nice addition on a cold day. Atmosphere is inviting with a wood burning fireplace.
(5)Abby Z.
If you love to eat hair in your food this is the place for you. I understand things like that happen, but our server came back and told us "it's not our hair". Really?! The hair was embedded in my sister in laws drunken noodles. They gave us $5 off which was nice I guess, but to not even apologize and say it's not their hair is ridiculous.
(1)Gerald Z.
Went here on a Sunday night. You should know that even though google says that Lemon grass is open till 10 on Sundays its only open till 8. I was worried that it wouldn't be that good but when we got there at 715 it was packed. Which was a very good sign. My family and I had the following: Siu mai. Beef pho, fried rice, phad thai, and drunken noodles. First let me review the pho, it was VERY good. It was on par with cafe fuzion's it had a very strong anise aroma and I was worried that it would taste like medicine. It didn't it was tremendous, fresh, the noodles had the right amount of bite the broth was so flavorful. It was sooooo good! The siu mai was a standard pork siu mai dumpling, it had a great sweet soy dipping sauce that came with it. Very good. Phad Thai was authentic and full of flavor. The drunken noodles were more like a thai pad see yew which is great. They had the right amount of flavor and all of the noodles had the yummy glaze on them. To recap, two beef pho, one phad thai, one fried rice, one drunken noodle, and one pork siu mai. total bill 53 before tax and tip. Definitely worth the money and a very good value. We will be back!!!
(4)Izabella P.
Highly recommend Lemon Grass if you love thai/Viatnamese food :) they have excellent service, the place itself is very cozy and inviting, and there food is amazing :)
(5)Seth L.
Huge Fan of Lemongrass. It is my favorite Thai restaurant. We have been many times. We love the papaya salad. Very good and spicy. The Rad na is probably the best we have ever had. I love the red curry and the volcano noodle as well. We eat there often and we have never had a bad experience. I tell all my friends to give it a try. Well worth the visit.
(5)caroline b.
I have finally found my Des Moines Thai place! I have been in search of great Thai in this town and have been generally disappointed. But I tried Lemongrass the other night and couldn't be more excited about it. My husband got the Pad Thai and I got a curry - so we were definitely playing it safe. I ordered 3/5 spice level and it was perfect, but I generally like spicier (but not spiciest) food. My husband got 2/5 and does like some amount of spice, but not a ton, and he was also happy with his. We will definitely be back. Oh, and sit by the fireplace :)
(5)MarÃa Jimena G.
My husband and I had a delightful experience at lemon grass. The service was great and the food was very tasty.
(5)Thomas J.
My "adventurous" beef pad Thai was excellent, just the right amount of spice. My wife enjoyed her beef noodle Pho. We would definitely go back if we're ever in West Des Moines again.
(5)Jeremiah B.
I love Lemon Grass! Nobody beats their Pad Thai! Great staff and very accommodating.
(5)Chao Z.
We ordered a soup, one beef noodle bowl and a dish. All of them are well cooked and delicious. Be careful for the spicy level, try one star lower than you ask.
(4)Deren S.
I came here with my brother for the quest to find the best radnah or (ladnah) in Des Moines. This ladnah was a little disappointing in that quest but it didn't leave me with that bad of an experience overall. The place was smaller then it looked on the outside. We went there on a Friday so it was pretty busy and almost out of seats. I'm not sure if they had more in the back but it was pretty small. Crispy noodles (mee krop) radnah is good actually one of the best I've had. I prefer the small thin crispy noodles, which this place had, over the thicker ones. The sauce was great I asked for the mild sauce. The beef was very good quality and didn't have any bad chewy pieces. The portions were good and had a good meat to veggies ratio. The soft noodles or normal ladnah on the other hand was pretty bad. They used a different kind of noodle for the ladnah not the big thick noodles you usually see but a thinner version which you see in the pad thai. Usually the noodles are pan fried to give a little crispness to it but these were tasted like they were just boiled. My brother asked for no spicy for his sauce and it came out very bland. Another thing that was weird that these weren't on the lunch menu and we had to ask them about it. Its the first place I found that didn't have these signature Thai dishes in the normal lunch menu. I never had any other dishes so I don't have any opinion on them but if your going here for the ladnah (softnoodles) I would choose other places.
(3)Janet H.
I ordered the Larb. It is one of their specialties. A crumbled chicken dish with cilantro and bamboo shoots. It was tasty and if you like cilantro, like I do, you should order!
(4)Jesse M.
Wow. Lemon Grass is back in form and amazingly good. Seriously. There is NO BETTER garlic chicken than here. Now, I know, that sounds pedestrian (HAH), garlic chicken - please, but no...it's ridiculous. Best garlic sauce EVAHZ. Beef salad, you say? UHMAZING. Go here NOW.
(5)Paul S.
Excellent meal and service. Helpful answering questions and ordered lots to take home...Spice rating was on scale of 1-5 and I got 3 ....so it was spicy...may get 2 next time..lol...Pho was wonderful..spring rolls and egg roll excellent...
(5)Ashley B.
Loved the spring rolls and loved the volcano rolls. Best Thai tea I've had too.
(4)Kevin T.
This place was fantastic! Great service and the food was very favorful and just the right amount of heat (you get to choose your level of heat on any dish) We will be back again and again.
(5)Rachel L.
I visited Lemon Grass as part of a birthday celebration over lunch. They were very accommodating to our group and set up a large table ahead of time. From the lunch menu, it appears like a pretty typical Thai place with a few random favorites from other cuisines (fried crab rangoon!). I had drunken noodles and they were delicious. It was a bit saucier than I would like it, but just for drunken for the noodles I suppose. I also had the Thai Iced Tea and was delighted by it. I attempt to visit restaurants multiple times, so I hope to be back soon to try something else.
(4)Robert H.
Food was pretty good, but nothing to write home about. We had the red curry and some spicy noodles with spring rolls for an app. Service was good and beer prices were fair.
(3)Christine T.
My husband and I were there tonight and were very happy with our experience. For a Wednesday night it was pleasantly busy but the waitstaff was inviting and efficient. Our drinks were served quickly and the wine and beer list was generous and affordable. Our appetizer, a pork/mushroom steamed dumpling was worthy of a San Francisco Dim sum restaurant! I had a shrimp Pad Thai and hubby had Penang curry. both were flavorful and beautifully executed. A quick, delicious meal, we will be back, again and again! Thank you Lemon Grass, also for moving closer to Des Moines' center, rather than farther out!!!!!!!!
(5)Daniel T.
I travel to Des Moines several times a quarter. Since I was stuck out in West Des Moines due to a hotel jam downtown, I decided to eat in WDM. I went on Yelp, found good reviews for Lemon Grass. I love Thai. The decor is spendid, open and average noise level. They have beer and wine. I opted for Thai Ice tea. If you haven't had it you gotta try one. The decorations are exquisite yet low key! I had read lukewarm reviews on their Pad Thai so I opted for one of my favs, green curry. Be careful here, they have level 1 through 5. I like my spicy, but the waitress, a cute young Vietnamese woman, warned me they use fresh peppers that are hot hot!! She said she could not eat 3. So I opted for 1. Boy am I glad I did cause the 1 was plenty spicy, but very enjoyable. You get your choice of meat - I picked chicken. It comes in a earthen pot, with veges, brocolli, green beans and bamboo shoots and of course your rice. The veges were cooked perfectly and the chicken - oh the chicken - very, very good. The green curry sauce was magnificent!! I gotta go back there. But don't forget, about the spicy. You want to taste your food cause it is so, so good!!! Oh, prices - curry 11.95 and I couldn't finish it all and Thai Ice Tea 2.50. With tax 15.32. That for a really good meal!!
(5)Matt F.
Had lunch at their (new?) location on 8th street. Server was friendly and we got our food reasonably quickly. Had great potstickers and excellent pad thai. Will definitely be returning.
(4)Louise C.
Food and service were top notch. Spring Rolls, Chicken Satay(amazing sauce) were appetizer highlights. We enjoyed Seafood Pho, Larb, and Jungle Budha for our entrees. Excellent beer selection. They happily split our check(7 women) and boxed up leftovers, we will be back!
(4)Cari N.
The food, atmosphere and service is great. I found this restaurant on Yelp and have been back four times since. The panang curry, pad thai, spring rolls, Tom Ka, thai iced tea -- its all amazing. Every dish you can get with meat, seafood, tofu or veggies. I am a fan of spicy food and their medium is pretty spicy. The only con I can give is a friend I took didn't like their Pho. I am not sure if it was the Pho specifically or if their Thai is better than their Vietnamese. Either way I would recommend this place to anyone.
(5)Tyler R.
We had an absolutely wonderful meal here last night, especially considering the price. Started off with the dumplings, which were cooked well. They really did not have that explosive flavor we were both expecting, however. Both entrees were absolutely incredible, though. I had the seafood combination Jungle Buddha. If you are a fan of peanut sauce, do not miss this dish. I would probably get the chicken or beef next time, just because i am overly picky about seafood. The shrimp could have been slightly less cooked and the crab is imitation. My date had an amazing garlic chicken noodle dish I do not recall the name of. I was sceptical when i saw it in a broth, instead of a thicker sauce. The first bite removed all doubt. Unbelievable flavor. We both ordered medium spicy. I love quite spicy food and this was perfect for me. It was a little much for my date, who would go down a level next time, so use caution. I have no idea how there is not a line outside this tiny restaurant at all times and we will definitely be returning. I almost forgot to mention our wonderful waitress. Attentive, helpful, and truly nice. All it takes to make us happy
(4)nick h.
The food and mood where equally matched. A warm cozy fireplace was light with very simple but sharp decor. The heat level of the food is accurate when you order, if you don't like spicy then order below two drops heat level; the scale is in drops, 5 being the highest. Started off with the normal veggie egg roll and it was totally unexpected, I have never tasted such a finely flavored egg roll. You may be asking how a egg roll could taste so good? Well try these, they're only 4$ for 3rolls. I ordered the ginger ginger with tofu and it was delightful. each flavor was present and there was no syrup slop taste like other typical stir fry foods. Honey cashew was also equally as good additionally "jungle buddha". This restaurant really has the class of a downtown restaurant but with lower prices and better service, The water glass never got below half full. An appetizer and two entries cost 27$ so it is a great deal, considering that the quality of the place is so nice. Simply put you need to try this place, it is a gem.
(5)Jake W.
After deciding to try this place with a couple friends on a random Friday night, I must say that this may be one of the best restaurants in Des Moines! we went at 7pm and it was very busy... The ambiance is small and cozy, with only about 25 tables in the entire place and a nice fireplace at the end of the dining room. All the tables were taken up and we had to wait, but no more than 10 minutes to get seated. The wait staff is very very friendly and helpful, and the menu is nice and clear, with drops for heat level... We started with the dumplings and spring rolls and the couple we were with had the eggrolls and crab rangoons.. These were delicious and you could make a meal out of just them! I had the Pho Larb and my wife had Silver noodle dish that's name is escaping me now, and I must say they were both DELICIOUS! The portion sizes were large, with just enough to not be overstuffed but nice and full, and the heat at 2 drops was perfect to warm you up but not be overpowering. The flavors were great and even though it was busy we were not rushed and got great service! Bottom line, I would totally recommend this place again to anybody looking to try something fresh in Des Moines and I will be definitely be going back!
(5)