Zaytun
2020 N Woodlawn St,Ste 300, Wichita, KS, 67208
Zaytun Menu
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Visit below restaurant in Wichita for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Wichita for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Wichita for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
2020 N Woodlawn St,Ste 300
Wichita, KS, 67208 - Phone (316) 613-2474
- Website https://www.myzaytun.com
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:00 am - 2:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : No
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : No
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : Free
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes
Categories
India is the birth place of Chicken Tikka Masala and Curries. Indian foods are prepared with a blend of finely mixed spices quite popular across the region. The spices develop the rich taste in Indian food enough to boggle your mind. The ever-increasing fan base of Indian food around the New York city is steadily increasing because of the large number of Indians who traveled to the land of dreams. The Indians also brought their very own vibrant, colorful, and aromatic authentic dishes for the people in the West. While most of the Indian population is Vegetarian, Indian food is great for people who are looking for vegan or vegetarian food option. If you are a Meat lover, don't get disappointed yet. Indian food also boasts of some popular non-vegetarian dishes too. Few examples are the famous Butter Chicken, Mutton Biryani and Tandoori Chicken are enough to satisfy your taste buds.
Indian food has gained reputation all over the world especially in the United States. You can find many places serving the appetizing Indian food across all major cities in the US. India is a diverse country with different food culture originated from different parts of the country. While the Northern region boasts tandoori dishes and korma offering royal taste, the Western Ghats offers sea foods that is made in naturally sweet tender coconut milk. The South Indian food servers a quality of different dishes made from rice accompanied with spicy chutneys, curries and famous sambhar. Also, the Indian sweets are a delight to relish. If you ever want to have a burst of sugar syrup in mouth, don't forget to try few Bengali Sweets. Be it spicy, tangy, or sweet flavor, you can find everything in the Indian cuisine. Be assured that the melody of spices will surely bring delight to you.
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Kristen S.
This remains, nearly 5 years after moving to Wichita and first discovering Zaytun, one of my favorite restaurants (See my original review for a full description of the restaurant). Their cuisine includes Indian, Pakistani, Persian, Turkish and Greek/Mediterranean - I don't know of any other restaurant in Kansas that has all these Middle Eastern offerings. They have added so many wonderful dishes to the menu. I still love the Chicken Makhni but my tolerance for spicy food has increased, so my new favorites are the Palak Chicken (spicy chicken with tomatoes and spinach) and the Chicken Karhai (chicken stew in tomato and green chili masala). I can't explain those dishes, they are just amazing. Make sure you get them with a side of the cilantro or mint? chutney and the raita. Also really good is the Chicken Biryani - still the best biryani I've had. The baklava is amazing - they use a saffron syrup and it's really flaky and warm - different from baklava at other places. The Middle Eastern Pizzas are all wonderful, especially the gyro pizza and the tandoori chicken pizza. Oh, I can't forget the Mediterranean Quesadilla as an appetizer. Just about anything on the menu is great (I've been probably 30 or 40 times to this restaurant), but these are my favorites. And last but not least, the Sunday brunch buffet - it is an Indian/Pakistani buffet (versus a Persian buffet during the week) and it is the best Indian buffet in town in my opinion. We are very lucky to have a restaurant like this in Wichita so I hope they stick around forever! Keep in mind while some have observed the service can be a little slow, they make everything fresh when you order it and they are family owned and operated (which is a tough business to be in in Wichita, especially for ethnic restaurants). That said, I think the service is really great overall and Syed the owner will remember you, even after your first or second visit. The experience will be different depending on if you go for lunch during the week, the dinner menu, or the Sunday brunch buffet, so try them out at different times to get a full perspective on the food!
(5)John C.
I would highly recommend Zaytun for dinner, but stay away from the lunch buffet. We've been a couple times for dinner and been pleased with choices such as the kebabs and chicken curry. We went for the first time today during the lunch buffet and I have to say I wasn't impressed. I'm admittedly not an authority on authentic Turkish cuisine, but for an American palate it was difficult to stomach. The most important point is that all of the meat options that you might want to put on a bed of rice were 75% bone. Very little meat to speak of, and that which was there was pretty bad.
(2)Sidney H.
Not all Middle Eastern restaurants are created equal. Especially to this place. Excellent food. The lamb kebabs are moist and meaty. Everything's seasoned perfectly. For you meat eaters, most of the dishes have some kind of meat in them. The buffet usually has at least five or six meat dishes. And not just your usual two or three. The naan was just okay. But that's only because I've been to restaurants where they make it in brick ovens right in front of you. So you get the naan fresh and piping hot. The dessert, polenta with saffron and pistachios, was delicious. Actually it was quite addictive...and made with real honey. I wish they had a few dishes on the spicier side. Yeah, I know it's a Middle Eastern restaurant instead of an Indian place. Otherwise I have no huge complaints. Check this place out.
(4)Harsh O.
I stopped by Zaytun this past Sunday for the Brunch Buffet 8/2/2015 around 1pm, I can't speak for the menu, but people this is the BEST Indian/Pakistani/Mediterranean Buffet you will find in Wichita. I've been to them all and I can tell you the price is fair(although a bit high) for the sheer amount of variety and quality of the food they serve. They have both North Indian and South Indian food. Although you have to wait a bit,they provided FRESH Naan and Puris to your table, there is a big difference between eating a hot and fresh naan and puri straight from the Tandoor and one that has been sitting on the buffet table. The fresh made one is light, fluffy and crispy , it reminds me of a wood fired Neapolitan style pizza crust. Naan that has been sitting out tends to get a bit soggy. Some of the winners of the buffet is the mutton(goat) curry, Chicken Biryani topped with saffron infused rice, a lot of the restaurants here cut corners and don't put saffron in the Biryani, Tandoori Chicken was hot and fresh, the south Indian Dosas and Vada's were crispy and delicious, they had several different chutneys to add to them. Chicken Tikka Masala was awesome,The food is made in small batches, the buffet is constantly being refreshed with fresh food. The desserts were an awesome finale to the meal, they had Mango Mousse topped with crushed pistachios and almonds, some type of bread pudding that was cut into triangles that reminded me of the Gulab Jamun my mother makes and another indian sweet called Halva that was really good, they also have a thermos filled with hot spiced Chai tea, not the premade concentrated garbage you get from Starbucks. Overall, I will definitely come back for the brunch/lunch buffet, I paid $16.95 for an adult buffet , its almost 6 bucks more then the other guys across the street, but that difference is clearly shown in the variety of dishes they offer. If you're new to Indian food, I highly recommend you check out their lunch buffet, that will give you the opportunity to try several dishes and see which ones you really enjoy.
(5)Geary J.
Stopped in on 05/25/2015 at 11:30. We love Indian food, and in our travels make a point to check Yelp and the phone book for Indian restaurants to visit. We've visited great places in Lawrence and Topeka that had fantastic Indian cuisine, so we expected the same here in Wichita. We were greeted at the door and promptly seated, and our drink order taken (we asked for water and Chai tea. The buffet looked promising and we loaded our plates with a taste of everything. As others have said the food was Meh at best. It looked fine, but everything had no seasoning or flavor. It was like everything was seasoned with "bland". The Chai arrived and was foul; it tasted bitter and had a faint rotted trace to it. 4 packets of sugar didn't even put a dent in the taste. The whole experience was hugely disappointing, and we left still hungry. My advice dear reader is to avoid this one and try one of the other Indian restaurants in the area, we will.
(2)Gabby A.
Ate here for dinner on a Saturday evening. We were very excited to put ourselves in a middle eastern food coma. We came in and were immediately seated as the restaurant was a little less than half full. The waiter explained their specialty tea drinks and described a mango and chili lemonade. One of my friends ordered the mango lemonade and after I had a sip, I simply had to get one for myself. It was awesome and refreshing. Sweet, sour and a bit of spice that got you right at the back of the throat. Mmmm. After our drinks we waited...then waited....then waited some more. We flagged down our waitress and said we were ready. She promised to be right back, but....wasn't. After being at the restaurant for nearly 30 minutes, we finally were able to place our food order. We ordered hummus as an appetizer and it took quite a while to come out. By this time we were all starving and devoured the tasty goodness in no time. The hummus was perfect. Smooth, creamy, drizzled with herbs and olive oil and whole chickpeas. It came with yummy pita bread and AMAZING fried pita chips. Those pita chips were the best I've ever had. After we devoured the hummus, we did some more waiting for our entrees. They finally came out and we went to work. I ordered a coconut curry pasta dish. It was tasty, but not incredibly knock out. I had ordered it because it seemed like a fusion dish that I'd never heard of or had before. Something about it was lacking. It was good, but not what I'd had in mind. The sauce was a bit bland and thin. My boyfriend had a kabob pizza and it was awesome but VERY spicy. The bites I had from the rest of the table were wonderful. My friend had the chicken mediterranean that had a wonderful brown, buttery sauce and an excellent vegetable ragu on the side. My other friend had chicken makhni which was my favorite at the table. Creamy, tomato sauce with wonderful spices and flavors. After we finished, the chef came out to ask us how our food was. This was an awesome touch and much appreciated. After he retreated though, we waited again. For a very, very long time. No one came to take our plates or to offer us boxes for our food. No one came to see if we needed refills or desserts or were ready for the check. Finally we flagged someone down and they brought us boxes but no check. Then we asked for it again...then waited some more. Finally, we paid and were on our way. The food we had here was overall very good. The service was pretty bad. I don't know if it was an off night or if they were short staffed or what. Hopefully, the next time I'm in town I can come back and have a better experience.
(3)Jennifer C.
Love the Tomato Soup and Chicken Makhni! The owner visited my table and even made recommendations for the lunch buffet. I think this place has good flavor and is the answer to my indian craving. My friend who is from Pakistan also liked Zaytun for their offerings of halal food that is not always easy to find. My only complaint is that the service is extremely slow. Expect to be there for awhile.
(4)Karen E.
WOW!! Earlier this evening I had the best dinning experience I've EVER had! The owner Syed is the most generous host and one of the most sincerely kind people I have ever met. In the short time I was there I felt as though I'd already made a new friend. The interior is warm, cozy and inviting and Syed makes you feel as though you are a guest he is welcoming into his home. I have never seen someone as passionate about serving others as he is. I went to the restaurant with two friends who are vegan and I'm a vegetarian. The menu has a wide variety of options, including a vegetarian section, and items with meat can be adjusted to accommodate vegetarians and vegans (the vegan-friendly pizza is INCREDIBLE). For an appetizer we had the hummus, very tasty with soft pita and baked (not fried) pita. I had the Chicken Maknhi with paneer instead of chicken. YUM! Beautiful presentation and wonderful flavor. I can't remember the name of the dessert but it was Egyptian and the only vegan option for dessert, but it was also very delicious and had an orange blossom syrup. :) Syed informed us that everything is made from scratch right when you order it, nothing is pre-prepared. It may take a little while for your entree to be cooked but the end result is WELL worth the wait! The prices are reasonable considering how much food you get, not to mention the enjoyment of the entire experience. I can't say enough good things about this restaurant. You MUST give it a try and tell all your friends!! I received the best customer service here out of ANY establishment I have been inside, whether it be a restaurant, hotel, retail store, anywhere. I am simply amazed and can't wait to go back!
(5)Robert B.
Gabby's review confirms recent experiences at Zaytun... the food is still great but the service has become stunningly incompetent. They leave and don't come back, promise to bring something and don't, let you sit there forever without checking in, forget to bring parts of your order, etc. Almost has to be seen to believed--it's like they're all high or something, just off in la-la land. Hope they get it together soon; it's always going to be slow because they prepare things the long way, but the sloppiness is unnecessary.
(3)Mustafa Y.
Perfect place. Syed, manager, is very kind. Without any doubt, one of the best halal restaurant i've gone. He even played some turkish music when we were there. t really deserves 5 stars.
(5)serious f.
the weekend buffet is the best! good quality food, acceptable service. on Sundays they change up their buffet, I think once it was Indian food or something and they charged a little bit more but it was great food and very worth it. not many vegetarian options, also, dishes weren't too spicy :)
(5)Jennifer S.
So far everything we have ordered from here has been good. I especially like the Chicken Makhni. I would venture to say it would be a good starting point for anyone interested in trying indian food. I don't have very much experience with Naan, but I know it is a typical Indian food. This place's Naan is second to none (hehe), but seriously, it has a nice soft texture, quite good.
(5)William A.
I'll be honest; I am completely ignorant when it comes to this type of cuisine. However, I always like to try new things, so I dropped in on a Sunday during work. I had no expectation, because I had never had anything that was in the buffet. I didn't even know what most of it was. Again, I state my complete and udder ignorance. The food had great flavor and I tried not to turn my nose up on anything just because it didn't look very good. For the most part, everything tasted great, highlights being the desserts. The tables could have used a scrub down, but the staff seemed eager to please. The decor is nice, but the prices are slightly on the higher end. 12.95 for lunch buffet. It was a unique experience with new and interesting dishes (at least new to me). They need to work on busing the tables alittle faster, but the food (in my humble opinion) needs no work.
(3)Chris B.
The brunch on Saturday is good and Sunday is amazing! I highly recommend trying the Sunday brunch. I gotta get in and try dinner though! It's very good and a very cool place to try unique ethnic food.
(4)Les K.
Zaytun adds some uncommon options to the Wichita dining scene. They offer a diverse assortment of choices and flavors from the middle eastern and south Asian areas of Persia, Turkey, Lebanon, India, and Pakistan. While Wichita has three other Indian food options, including two within short walking distance, the middle eastern dishes definitely fills a big void. They have a small selection of appetizers such as hummus, egg plant dip, and Lebanese pizza called Manakish along with two Mediterranean salad options and one soup. We did not have big enough appetites to try any of these out. Seven of the twelve entrée choices were kebab style dishes, which is obviously their specialty and focus. We ended up ordering a combination chicken/beef kebab dish along with an Indian chicken makhni (tomato butter cream) dish. Both dishes came with rice and we ordered an additional naan bread. Overall the kebab was the winning dish by far. The presentation was nice and the flavors quite delicious. While the Indian food was not bad by any means, it was not exceptional compared to other nearby competition. I has asked for medium spicy on the makhni and it was not spicy at all and in general was pretty weak on flavor. The sauce was also thinner than I prefer. Maybe there was a language issue on spicy request as I was not 100% sure we were communicating. In addition, naan was too stiff and a bit flakey, almost like it was not fresh or maybe re-heated. I would say the Indian options are not their strength and maybe they cater too much to the spice adverse Wichita crowd. For dessert we had baklava, which was a quite wonderful way to end the meal. The owner was very friendly and even provided us a complementary Lebanese tea after our dinner, which was a nice treat. The rest of the service was quite attentive and friendly, but there seemed to be some kinks to be worked out over who does what between the dueling servers. They don't serve any alcoholic drinks.
(4)Eddie I.
This was unexpected. Being of Pakistani origins (in addition to a few others), I can safely say the Pakistani / Indian food in Wichita and most other places leaves much to be desired. A friend from Naked City recommended Zaytun to me on Friday. I was there for lunch buffet on Saturday (Persian) and found it really good. Evidently Sunday was the Pakistani/Indian buffet, so I returned, again it was really good. Now, due to its nature they cannot serve hot peppery food at a buffet, but other than that the flavors were near perfect (naturally only mom makes it perfect). Most Indian food restaurants make the mistake of over spicing and over cooking the food, but at Zaytun it was done just right. Furthermore, the décor is inviting, clean and comfortable. If you want to try Persian or Indian food, I recommend it over others around Wichita. Oh yes, the price for the buffet was very reasonable, like 10 bucks. Though, if you go, do ask them to get a beer license...
(4)Leslie R.
I was impressed by this place. The food was fresh, authentic, and tasted amazing. The server was personable and the owner made a point to greet every table. When the kitchen got a little behind filling the buffet, he brought those items we were waiting for to the table for us when they were finished. I will definitely be a returning customer.
(4)Terri C.
I am glad the word Meh is a choice.. because that is the word that i would use. I love food from India, Pakistan, and Turkey so this seemed like a no-brainer. First, this restaurant was hard to find .. it was in a parking lot near a popular bar and a grocery store (forget the GPS on this one). When we got there, the two young men working did not seem to know the menu well and we we asked questions they were like, its kinda like pizza etc.. For such a combined menu we hoped they would explain it more. We got a basket of onion fritters that were awesome but not what we expected when we asked about them. For the meal we had a paneer and pea dish and then a crepe that was filled with onions and potato called a Dosa. Neither of the meals had much flavor at all for this type of food, we were quite disappointed. The service was pretty poor. People had to wait a long time for their check. In fact, we paid cash so we would not have to wait for change. It was not a bad meal, but it was not a good meal either. I would not go through the effort finding it again.
(2)KO K.
Been here twice now for the Sunday brunch. Soooo good, and at $15, its reasonably priced for a brunch. Lots of vegetarian options and the Turkish coffee was fun to try. I will say you have to really love Indian food to appreciate this restaurant because all the dishes were really exotic and authentic.
(5)Renée R.
Went to the lunch buffet. It was really good. Super fast and yummy. I would go back for sure.
(5)sally s.
All previous comments were accurate. Excellent food, delightful waiter. Highly recommended. Chicken makhini and baklava and Turkish beef kabobs. And don't forget the spiced lemonade.
(5)B.W. R.
Updated review for the buffet: The food was still good, but we prefer the menu. You do have a chance to try more things of course, but I doubt we'll do the buffet again. Desserts were amazing- the rose pudding & bread pudding were both great!
(4)Roxan S.
Amazing food!! Great family owned restaurant they have an amazing indian pakistani selection on the menú including masala dosa and biryani.
(5)Pouya M.
This is a family owned restaurant owner takes pride and it's clean. Be patient the food is worth it. They do Indian, persian, & Pakistani food. Yes they actually nailed all the flavors and the food is authentic. Order the Dosa w/ curried potatoes. If ur in Wichita then stop searching just try it. Ohh and everything is Hallal loose translation "kosher". The meat is cleaner and healthier than other meat.
(4)Corey T.
The lunch buffet is a great value, and I always leave satisfied. Vegetarian options on the buffet are a bit scarce, but they're delicious. Dinner menu isn't as great of value as the lunch buffet, but still earns a 4 out of 5 star. The staff can be a bit slow to service, but they're always very friendly. I'll second that the owner is friendly and personable.
(4)Brandon S.
I'd heard about this place a few times from friends when I complained Wichita doesn't have any amazing Indian restaurants. We were in the area on Saturday and dropped by to finally try our luck. It was the Saturday buffet, and was not that great. The Naan was good and the sauces there were nice, but the food selection was quite limited and most of it looked gloopy and unappetizing. They also need to clean the place up. . . it had a layer of grime everywhere and the area around the pizza oven is pretty junked up and messy. The cough screen on the buffet bar should have been my warning---it's cloudy, scratched, and just looks a little hanky. We'll try it agin for dinner (never the buffet again for lunch) and will update the review then.
(2)Steven P.
Be ready to relax and enjoy your companions and truly lovely food. Sayed the host and owner will chat with you and explain with great pride and detail anything you would like to know about the menu. Highlights include the spicy lemonade and mutton. The quesadilla is a nice twist on simple tortilla and cheese. Fresh tabouli, rich saag, Shahi Tukra is a very simple bread pudding for dessert, wonderfully humble. Not over sweet. Don't forget your turkish coffee. An honest and authentic restaurant. Extra effort is made to ensure complete satisfaction. It's worth the wait.
(5)Emily S.
Everytime I'm in town I try to snag the lunch buffet at Zaytùn! Tons of vegetarian options, delicious Halva and desserts, attentive service, and the owner is so sweet and friendly!
(5)Amber P.
The service was outstanding. The owner came over and explained the menu. They only have a few things that are not gluten free so I had tons of choices. Highly recommend.
(5)Brad S.
I don't know enough to pinpoint what type of cuisine Zaytun is cooking, but it's pretty close to Indian, I'm sure. Had I known Zaytun had a lunch buffet, I would have tried that, but I came for dinner, and ended up getting the combination Koubidah and Joojeh Kebab. The former kebab, in keeping with the region, identifies the meat as "ground beef", but is really more of a freeformed sausage, and tastes a whole lot better. The joojeh chicken kebab was clearly cooked over the high heat of a tandor or the high heat of an industrial strength cooktop, but the yogurt in which the chicken kabobs were coated held moisture much better than the chicken itself, which was dry. There were some nice bright notes from a big hit of lemon, though, and along with the homemade chutney and tzatziki, I was eating good for the duration of the meal.
(4)Eric W.
I ate here quite a few times while I lived in the area, and I must say I do miss it. I usually came for the lunch buffet, but a couple of times I went during dinner hours. I was never once disappointed. The food during the lunch buffet hours always seemed very fresh. The options were rarely the same across my multiple visits, so I can't comment on any in particular. However, as with anything, there were some dishes that were more to my liking than others. They seemed consistently well prepared well presented. Highly recommended: the Spicy Lemonade.
(4)Howard C.
I had been here before for a regular dinner. The meal was nice, but nothing particularly memorable. The owner came to chat with us and recommended to us that we return here for their lunch Buffet. That thought lingered in our heads for the last year until finally emerging this past weekend becoming reality. The buffet starts at 11am. It has a combination of mediterranean, Indian, and Pakistani foods. There was basmati rice, biryani, several vegetarian curries, a couple of beef and chicken dishes, and a lamb dish. There was an Indian omelette, a desert bar, unlimited Kashmiri chai tea, and a bread basket containing mediocre naan and delicious puri. The service was excellent. Our waitress never let our glass empty. She cleared our table of dirty plates promptly, and brought us the check quickly. She was kind and courteous and very professional. The owner of the restaurant greeted our table and made sure everything was alright. The ambience is eclectic. Part mediterranean and part south Asian. The clientele was an interesting mix as well. there was an elderly Caucasian couple, a young Chinese speaking couple, a table of 4 Muslim women wearing hijabs, there was a young Caucasian couple and a table of 4 Asians speaking fluent English. Clearly, this restaurant appeals to the masses. I've been to my fair share of Indian buffets, and this one is top notch. You can tell that they don't compromise on quality. They have foods you can't find elsewhere in our quaint city of Wichita. And most importantly they have something for everyone. The cost of the lunch buffet is about $15 per person after tax. This is a bit steeper than most Indian buffets, but I feel it is worth it. After the delicious meal, I promptly fell into a Mediterranean indo-pak food coma. Everyone at my table enjoyed the food, and I will surely return in the near future.
(4)Lan N.
I returned here today for the Sunday lunch buffet. My father in law had talked about his interest in Lebanese food, and I wanted something that would impress him, and this sure did. We arrived shortly after opening, and the waitress was initially frazzled since the kitchen was a bit behind. Things soon fell into place though, and we were served a bread basket which consisted of naan and puri. The puri was greasier than I'm used to, but it was definitely tastier than the naan. My family enjoyed it. The buffet food was very nice and varied. Things weren't all labelled, but that just added to the fun for me. The highlights were the palak paneer, a beef meatball dish I can't remember the name of, tandoori chicken (I've never had it so flavorful and NOT dry!), a yam(?) dish...haha, I'm going to give up at this point; you just have to try each dish for yourself. Granted most of the dishes are a bit greasy...and I wouldn't describe it as healthy as one reviewer did. But though there were hits and misses, I'd say overall, this experience was a success. My in laws said that this was better than the comparable buffets they had in the MD/DC area. $15/per initially seems much for a buffet, but given the quality of the food and the service, I'd say it's reasonable.
(4)Gabby A.
Ate here for dinner on a Saturday evening. We were very excited to put ourselves in a middle eastern food coma. We came in and were immediately seated as the restaurant was a little less than half full. The waiter explained their specialty tea drinks and described a mango and chili lemonade. One of my friends ordered the mango lemonade and after I had a sip, I simply had to get one for myself. It was awesome and refreshing. Sweet, sour and a bit of spice that got you right at the back of the throat. Mmmm. After our drinks we waited...then waited....then waited some more. We flagged down our waitress and said we were ready. She promised to be right back, but....wasn't. After being at the restaurant for nearly 30 minutes, we finally were able to place our food order. We ordered hummus as an appetizer and it took quite a while to come out. By this time we were all starving and devoured the tasty goodness in no time. The hummus was perfect. Smooth, creamy, drizzled with herbs and olive oil and whole chickpeas. It came with yummy pita bread and AMAZING fried pita chips. Those pita chips were the best I've ever had. After we devoured the hummus, we did some more waiting for our entrees. They finally came out and we went to work. I ordered a coconut curry pasta dish. It was tasty, but not incredibly knock out. I had ordered it because it seemed like a fusion dish that I'd never heard of or had before. Something about it was lacking. It was good, but not what I'd had in mind. The sauce was a bit bland and thin. My boyfriend had a kabob pizza and it was awesome but VERY spicy. The bites I had from the rest of the table were wonderful. My friend had the chicken mediterranean that had a wonderful brown, buttery sauce and an excellent vegetable ragu on the side. My other friend had chicken makhni which was my favorite at the table. Creamy, tomato sauce with wonderful spices and flavors. After we finished, the chef came out to ask us how our food was. This was an awesome touch and much appreciated. After he retreated though, we waited again. For a very, very long time. No one came to take our plates or to offer us boxes for our food. No one came to see if we needed refills or desserts or were ready for the check. Finally we flagged someone down and they brought us boxes but no check. Then we asked for it again...then waited some more. Finally, we paid and were on our way. The food we had here was overall very good. The service was pretty bad. I don't know if it was an off night or if they were short staffed or what. Hopefully, the next time I'm in town I can come back and have a better experience.
(3)Jennifer C.
Love the Tomato Soup and Chicken Makhni! The owner visited my table and even made recommendations for the lunch buffet. I think this place has good flavor and is the answer to my indian craving. My friend who is from Pakistan also liked Zaytun for their offerings of halal food that is not always easy to find. My only complaint is that the service is extremely slow. Expect to be there for awhile.
(4)Karen E.
WOW!! Earlier this evening I had the best dinning experience I've EVER had! The owner Syed is the most generous host and one of the most sincerely kind people I have ever met. In the short time I was there I felt as though I'd already made a new friend. The interior is warm, cozy and inviting and Syed makes you feel as though you are a guest he is welcoming into his home. I have never seen someone as passionate about serving others as he is. I went to the restaurant with two friends who are vegan and I'm a vegetarian. The menu has a wide variety of options, including a vegetarian section, and items with meat can be adjusted to accommodate vegetarians and vegans (the vegan-friendly pizza is INCREDIBLE). For an appetizer we had the hummus, very tasty with soft pita and baked (not fried) pita. I had the Chicken Maknhi with paneer instead of chicken. YUM! Beautiful presentation and wonderful flavor. I can't remember the name of the dessert but it was Egyptian and the only vegan option for dessert, but it was also very delicious and had an orange blossom syrup. :) Syed informed us that everything is made from scratch right when you order it, nothing is pre-prepared. It may take a little while for your entree to be cooked but the end result is WELL worth the wait! The prices are reasonable considering how much food you get, not to mention the enjoyment of the entire experience. I can't say enough good things about this restaurant. You MUST give it a try and tell all your friends!! I received the best customer service here out of ANY establishment I have been inside, whether it be a restaurant, hotel, retail store, anywhere. I am simply amazed and can't wait to go back!
(5)Robert B.
Gabby's review confirms recent experiences at Zaytun... the food is still great but the service has become stunningly incompetent. They leave and don't come back, promise to bring something and don't, let you sit there forever without checking in, forget to bring parts of your order, etc. Almost has to be seen to believed--it's like they're all high or something, just off in la-la land. Hope they get it together soon; it's always going to be slow because they prepare things the long way, but the sloppiness is unnecessary.
(3)Mustafa Y.
Perfect place. Syed, manager, is very kind. Without any doubt, one of the best halal restaurant i've gone. He even played some turkish music when we were there. t really deserves 5 stars.
(5)serious f.
the weekend buffet is the best! good quality food, acceptable service. on Sundays they change up their buffet, I think once it was Indian food or something and they charged a little bit more but it was great food and very worth it. not many vegetarian options, also, dishes weren't too spicy :)
(5)Jennifer S.
So far everything we have ordered from here has been good. I especially like the Chicken Makhni. I would venture to say it would be a good starting point for anyone interested in trying indian food. I don't have very much experience with Naan, but I know it is a typical Indian food. This place's Naan is second to none (hehe), but seriously, it has a nice soft texture, quite good.
(5)Jason C.
Well, I wish this could be better, but it simply wasn't. I've ate here several times, and this time something was very very different. One of the most simple things there is to make was messed up. Naan. It's just (almost)flat bread. Almost because it is leavened bread. But this time, I sure hope it was a fluke, but this time it's like my cat was back there cooking. I mean really, how hard is it to make naan? I'm not sure where you came up with the idea of making a 16" round naan like a pizza, never seen that before. Every time before naan is pretty much the size of two hands, oblong lumpy and unique. That's it. I ordered a Gyro pizza. The 6 chunks of gyro meat on the pizza was delicious, 6 chunks of anything on 8 slices of pizza though is a problem. The next problem was that it appears that the same dough they used for the naan was the same dough they used for the pizza. Yes, wheat, yeast, and water is all it takes, but come on really, naan does not make good pizza dough. Next problem, pizza is a simple item to cook. You stick it in an oven, and then you take it out. What's so magical about that? Well apparently they like only stick half the pizza in the oven here. I don't know, and I doubt that's what they did, but that's what the pizza looked like, half browned and half not browned, what else am I supposed to think?!!? And finally the last straw to just say f-it, it look like poo, so what, I can't load toppings or cook it right, so I won't even bother to cut it right. What is the deal with pizza cutters in Kansas, are they all dull? How hard is it to push the freaking cutter all the way through the 1/2" thick naan/dough and cut the freaking pizza! Their buffet is mediocre at best, only get food right after it is put out. If it's been there a while, it's no where near as good. Why their buffet is no good, I don't know, everywhere else in town doesn't go old 16 seconds after putting it out. I'm just saying that their food on the buffet is not good, probably not at the right temperature or just stale. He doesn't really do anything great, probably because Indian food really is nothing at all like Persian food, which is nothing at all like Mediterranean food. Anytime you try to imitate some other kind of food and do it half heartily, all it does is just show how much better the real stuff is. There are other places in town that focus more on their particular region and it makes a huge difference.
(2)Blake C.
Went back for the Mutton Biryani and it was excellent. Thought it was definitely worth an extra star. Spiced incredibly well, Zaytun is a great place to try Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine. PS: Try the Hummus with gyro meat. You're welcome.
(4)Reed N.
I've had the buffet twice for lunch. The first time I loved the selections. The second time they were okay, but disappointing as compared to the first go. Next time I'll do a walk through before I commit. Another thing they desperately need to do is label the items... name and basic contents. Items are not hot enough when they first open at 11am either. Service is generally pretty solid.
(3)Michael R.
Lunch buffet was diverse as well as delicious. Hummus was a little too salty and some dishes were overkill with the vinegar. Overall a great experience...
(4)Ashley O.
This wasn't our favorite but maybe we ordered the wrong things. We're very big Indian food fans and got the chicken makhani and matar paneer makhani after reading some good reviews about their makhani recipe and seeing that the menu touted it as their signature dish. It was just too bland for us - all I could taste was tomato paste and heavy cream. We also thought the price (just over $30 for the two dishes) was a little high. The service was good and the restaurant itself was nice. It would probably be a fine place to go if you really don't care for spicy food but want to try something a little different.
(2)Attack S.
Hands-down BEST place in town for South Asian/Mediterranean/Middle-eastern cuisine. It's clean, pleasant ambience, and great food. I'm a fan of ordering from the menu, but the buffet is also good whenever I'm there for a quick lunch. The owner is personable and very focused on providing stellar customer service.
(5)Isabella H.
To be fair, this is not a pure Indian place, and I should have done my research. I went for buffet, and was surprised at the offering, only half like what you would expect to see from a normal Indian one. The food was okay, rich and really dense flavor. But the nahn was disappointing. Flavorless, thick and puffy, not the regular crispy garlic ones with brown edges. They do have some crispy ones in another basket, but they looked like fried tortilla chips.
(3)Michael M.
Good lunch buffet. Everything is really fresh. It's a Middle Eastern buffet except for Sunday when it's an Indian/Pakastan Buffet. The owner is very friendly and comes by to check in on you. They have vegetarian dishes as part of the buffet as well as beef and chicken dishes.
(4)Elisabeth O.
Just had an amazing dinner here for the first time. All of our friends enjoyed their food and we all had an exceptional time!
(5)Moneesh M.
I am an Indian and I must admit that I don't like buffets in the Indian restaurants, the reason being the lack of hygiene, lack of service, poorly cooked and bad tasting food and not to mention the next day burning diarrhea. My wife over the last weekend asked me to goto an Indian restaurant for a lunch buffet....and as usual I was not very excited. But again as always I agreed to go. She sensed my apprehensions and told me that we are going to a new Indian restaurant and she has heard good reviews about this place. I was a bit excited by a new Indian restaurant in Wichita but as I have been burned many times, I went with a lot of apprehensions. But to my surprise I found the place very decent. The things which I really liked about this place: 1. Good service: very unusual for an Indian restaurant in US. 2. Hygiene: again unusual for an Indian restaurant in US. I must admit I did not use the restroom....(that will be the final test!!) 3. Food: I really liked the food, especially the "Achar Chicken", "Tandoori Chicken", "Malai Kofta" and there was a dish made out of bread, sugar and saffron. The bread dessert was AWESOME!!! 4. Amiable Owner: again very unusual for an Indian restaurant in US. The things they can improve on besides giving out food for free....lol!! 1. Change the table covers. The plastic covers are not only unhygienic but also looks ghastly. I would prefer linen. 2. Better labeling of the items in the buffet. Final thoughts: Now we have a decent restaurant with Indian food and I will no longer be embarrassed to invite few of my American friends for Indian restaurant at Zaytun. I look forward to try other cuisines served by Zaytun like Persian, Mediterranean etc.
(4)Cindy S.
Without a doubt, the BEST restaurant in Wichita! The food was superb. My husband said, on his last bite of food, "I don't want this to be over yet." We both started with the Greek Salad that was dressed in tasty vinegrette. The house specialty, Chicken Mahki, was fantastic - flavorful and so aromatic. The Tandoori Chicken sat in a marvelous curry, saffron, cream sauce. Be sure to order the hot Persian Tea. You can smell them brewing it, and the taste is so warming and comforting. The owner, Sayyed, sat at our table and visited with us for a bit before our dessert arrived. I had never had such a wonderfully sweet dessert. I can't remember what it was called, but it was shredded filo dough and a cheese that was served warm and covered in saffron syrup. We cannot wait to go again. I think we'll try the Sunday buffet (11:00 - 3:00) so that we can sample everything on the menu.
(5)Philip K.
Went to dinner on Saturday night with the wife. Although, I'm no Persian or Indian, I do enjoy the cuisine. We were seated promptly and efficiently and served our salads and drinks. There were only 3 other groups besides ourselves present. However, it literally took 20 minutes (far too long) from the time we finished out salads until our entree's were served. Unfortunately, my wife who had ordered her salmon cooked medium-rare, had to return her salmon and requested it be replaced which they did. The owner is quite gracious and greeted every guest personally. I enjoyed the food very much but the service from the kitchen left much to be desired.
(2)William A.
I'll be honest; I am completely ignorant when it comes to this type of cuisine. However, I always like to try new things, so I dropped in on a Sunday during work. I had no expectation, because I had never had anything that was in the buffet. I didn't even know what most of it was. Again, I state my complete and udder ignorance. The food had great flavor and I tried not to turn my nose up on anything just because it didn't look very good. For the most part, everything tasted great, highlights being the desserts. The tables could have used a scrub down, but the staff seemed eager to please. The decor is nice, but the prices are slightly on the higher end. 12.95 for lunch buffet. It was a unique experience with new and interesting dishes (at least new to me). They need to work on busing the tables alittle faster, but the food (in my humble opinion) needs no work.
(3)Chris B.
The brunch on Saturday is good and Sunday is amazing! I highly recommend trying the Sunday brunch. I gotta get in and try dinner though! It's very good and a very cool place to try unique ethnic food.
(4)Les K.
Zaytun adds some uncommon options to the Wichita dining scene. They offer a diverse assortment of choices and flavors from the middle eastern and south Asian areas of Persia, Turkey, Lebanon, India, and Pakistan. While Wichita has three other Indian food options, including two within short walking distance, the middle eastern dishes definitely fills a big void. They have a small selection of appetizers such as hummus, egg plant dip, and Lebanese pizza called Manakish along with two Mediterranean salad options and one soup. We did not have big enough appetites to try any of these out. Seven of the twelve entrée choices were kebab style dishes, which is obviously their specialty and focus. We ended up ordering a combination chicken/beef kebab dish along with an Indian chicken makhni (tomato butter cream) dish. Both dishes came with rice and we ordered an additional naan bread. Overall the kebab was the winning dish by far. The presentation was nice and the flavors quite delicious. While the Indian food was not bad by any means, it was not exceptional compared to other nearby competition. I has asked for medium spicy on the makhni and it was not spicy at all and in general was pretty weak on flavor. The sauce was also thinner than I prefer. Maybe there was a language issue on spicy request as I was not 100% sure we were communicating. In addition, naan was too stiff and a bit flakey, almost like it was not fresh or maybe re-heated. I would say the Indian options are not their strength and maybe they cater too much to the spice adverse Wichita crowd. For dessert we had baklava, which was a quite wonderful way to end the meal. The owner was very friendly and even provided us a complementary Lebanese tea after our dinner, which was a nice treat. The rest of the service was quite attentive and friendly, but there seemed to be some kinks to be worked out over who does what between the dueling servers. They don't serve any alcoholic drinks.
(4)Eddie I.
This was unexpected. Being of Pakistani origins (in addition to a few others), I can safely say the Pakistani / Indian food in Wichita and most other places leaves much to be desired. A friend from Naked City recommended Zaytun to me on Friday. I was there for lunch buffet on Saturday (Persian) and found it really good. Evidently Sunday was the Pakistani/Indian buffet, so I returned, again it was really good. Now, due to its nature they cannot serve hot peppery food at a buffet, but other than that the flavors were near perfect (naturally only mom makes it perfect). Most Indian food restaurants make the mistake of over spicing and over cooking the food, but at Zaytun it was done just right. Furthermore, the décor is inviting, clean and comfortable. If you want to try Persian or Indian food, I recommend it over others around Wichita. Oh yes, the price for the buffet was very reasonable, like 10 bucks. Though, if you go, do ask them to get a beer license...
(4)Leslie R.
I was impressed by this place. The food was fresh, authentic, and tasted amazing. The server was personable and the owner made a point to greet every table. When the kitchen got a little behind filling the buffet, he brought those items we were waiting for to the table for us when they were finished. I will definitely be a returning customer.
(4)Cindy S.
Without a doubt, the BEST restaurant in Wichita! The food was superb. My husband said, on his last bite of food, "I don't want this to be over yet." We both started with the Greek Salad that was dressed in tasty vinegrette. The house specialty, Chicken Mahki, was fantastic - flavorful and so aromatic. The Tandoori Chicken sat in a marvelous curry, saffron, cream sauce. Be sure to order the hot Persian Tea. You can smell them brewing it, and the taste is so warming and comforting. The owner, Sayyed, sat at our table and visited with us for a bit before our dessert arrived. I had never had such a wonderfully sweet dessert. I can't remember what it was called, but it was shredded filo dough and a cheese that was served warm and covered in saffron syrup. We cannot wait to go again. I think we'll try the Sunday buffet (11:00 - 3:00) so that we can sample everything on the menu.
(5)Moneesh M.
I am an Indian and I must admit that I don't like buffets in the Indian restaurants, the reason being the lack of hygiene, lack of service, poorly cooked and bad tasting food and not to mention the next day burning diarrhea. My wife over the last weekend asked me to goto an Indian restaurant for a lunch buffet....and as usual I was not very excited. But again as always I agreed to go. She sensed my apprehensions and told me that we are going to a new Indian restaurant and she has heard good reviews about this place. I was a bit excited by a new Indian restaurant in Wichita but as I have been burned many times, I went with a lot of apprehensions. But to my surprise I found the place very decent. The things which I really liked about this place: 1. Good service: very unusual for an Indian restaurant in US. 2. Hygiene: again unusual for an Indian restaurant in US. I must admit I did not use the restroom....(that will be the final test!!) 3. Food: I really liked the food, especially the "Achar Chicken", "Tandoori Chicken", "Malai Kofta" and there was a dish made out of bread, sugar and saffron. The bread dessert was AWESOME!!! 4. Amiable Owner: again very unusual for an Indian restaurant in US. The things they can improve on besides giving out food for free....lol!! 1. Change the table covers. The plastic covers are not only unhygienic but also looks ghastly. I would prefer linen. 2. Better labeling of the items in the buffet. Final thoughts: Now we have a decent restaurant with Indian food and I will no longer be embarrassed to invite few of my American friends for Indian restaurant at Zaytun. I look forward to try other cuisines served by Zaytun like Persian, Mediterranean etc.
(4)Michael M.
Good lunch buffet. Everything is really fresh. It's a Middle Eastern buffet except for Sunday when it's an Indian/Pakastan Buffet. The owner is very friendly and comes by to check in on you. They have vegetarian dishes as part of the buffet as well as beef and chicken dishes.
(4)Elisabeth O.
Just had an amazing dinner here for the first time. All of our friends enjoyed their food and we all had an exceptional time!
(5)Philip K.
Went to dinner on Saturday night with the wife. Although, I'm no Persian or Indian, I do enjoy the cuisine. We were seated promptly and efficiently and served our salads and drinks. There were only 3 other groups besides ourselves present. However, it literally took 20 minutes (far too long) from the time we finished out salads until our entree's were served. Unfortunately, my wife who had ordered her salmon cooked medium-rare, had to return her salmon and requested it be replaced which they did. The owner is quite gracious and greeted every guest personally. I enjoyed the food very much but the service from the kitchen left much to be desired.
(2)Harsh O.
I stopped by Zaytun this past Sunday for the Brunch Buffet 8/2/2015 around 1pm, I can't speak for the menu, but people this is the BEST Indian/Pakistani/Mediterranean Buffet you will find in Wichita. I've been to them all and I can tell you the price is fair(although a bit high) for the sheer amount of variety and quality of the food they serve. They have both North Indian and South Indian food. Although you have to wait a bit,they provided FRESH Naan and Puris to your table, there is a big difference between eating a hot and fresh naan and puri straight from the Tandoor and one that has been sitting on the buffet table. The fresh made one is light, fluffy and crispy , it reminds me of a wood fired Neapolitan style pizza crust. Naan that has been sitting out tends to get a bit soggy. Some of the winners of the buffet is the mutton(goat) curry, Chicken Biryani topped with saffron infused rice, a lot of the restaurants here cut corners and don't put saffron in the Biryani, Tandoori Chicken was hot and fresh, the south Indian Dosas and Vada's were crispy and delicious, they had several different chutneys to add to them. Chicken Tikka Masala was awesome,The food is made in small batches, the buffet is constantly being refreshed with fresh food. The desserts were an awesome finale to the meal, they had Mango Mousse topped with crushed pistachios and almonds, some type of bread pudding that was cut into triangles that reminded me of the Gulab Jamun my mother makes and another indian sweet called Halva that was really good, they also have a thermos filled with hot spiced Chai tea, not the premade concentrated garbage you get from Starbucks. Overall, I will definitely come back for the brunch/lunch buffet, I paid $16.95 for an adult buffet , its almost 6 bucks more then the other guys across the street, but that difference is clearly shown in the variety of dishes they offer. If you're new to Indian food, I highly recommend you check out their lunch buffet, that will give you the opportunity to try several dishes and see which ones you really enjoy.
(5)Geary J.
Stopped in on 05/25/2015 at 11:30. We love Indian food, and in our travels make a point to check Yelp and the phone book for Indian restaurants to visit. We've visited great places in Lawrence and Topeka that had fantastic Indian cuisine, so we expected the same here in Wichita. We were greeted at the door and promptly seated, and our drink order taken (we asked for water and Chai tea. The buffet looked promising and we loaded our plates with a taste of everything. As others have said the food was Meh at best. It looked fine, but everything had no seasoning or flavor. It was like everything was seasoned with "bland". The Chai arrived and was foul; it tasted bitter and had a faint rotted trace to it. 4 packets of sugar didn't even put a dent in the taste. The whole experience was hugely disappointing, and we left still hungry. My advice dear reader is to avoid this one and try one of the other Indian restaurants in the area, we will.
(2)Attack S.
Hands-down BEST place in town for South Asian/Mediterranean/Middle-eastern cuisine. It's clean, pleasant ambience, and great food. I'm a fan of ordering from the menu, but the buffet is also good whenever I'm there for a quick lunch. The owner is personable and very focused on providing stellar customer service.
(5)Ashley O.
This wasn't our favorite but maybe we ordered the wrong things. We're very big Indian food fans and got the chicken makhani and matar paneer makhani after reading some good reviews about their makhani recipe and seeing that the menu touted it as their signature dish. It was just too bland for us - all I could taste was tomato paste and heavy cream. We also thought the price (just over $30 for the two dishes) was a little high. The service was good and the restaurant itself was nice. It would probably be a fine place to go if you really don't care for spicy food but want to try something a little different.
(2)Terri C.
I am glad the word Meh is a choice.. because that is the word that i would use. I love food from India, Pakistan, and Turkey so this seemed like a no-brainer. First, this restaurant was hard to find .. it was in a parking lot near a popular bar and a grocery store (forget the GPS on this one). When we got there, the two young men working did not seem to know the menu well and we we asked questions they were like, its kinda like pizza etc.. For such a combined menu we hoped they would explain it more. We got a basket of onion fritters that were awesome but not what we expected when we asked about them. For the meal we had a paneer and pea dish and then a crepe that was filled with onions and potato called a Dosa. Neither of the meals had much flavor at all for this type of food, we were quite disappointed. The service was pretty poor. People had to wait a long time for their check. In fact, we paid cash so we would not have to wait for change. It was not a bad meal, but it was not a good meal either. I would not go through the effort finding it again.
(2)KO K.
Been here twice now for the Sunday brunch. Soooo good, and at $15, its reasonably priced for a brunch. Lots of vegetarian options and the Turkish coffee was fun to try. I will say you have to really love Indian food to appreciate this restaurant because all the dishes were really exotic and authentic.
(5)Renée R.
Went to the lunch buffet. It was really good. Super fast and yummy. I would go back for sure.
(5)sally s.
All previous comments were accurate. Excellent food, delightful waiter. Highly recommended. Chicken makhini and baklava and Turkish beef kabobs. And don't forget the spiced lemonade.
(5)B.W. R.
Updated review for the buffet: The food was still good, but we prefer the menu. You do have a chance to try more things of course, but I doubt we'll do the buffet again. Desserts were amazing- the rose pudding & bread pudding were both great!
(4)Roxan S.
Amazing food!! Great family owned restaurant they have an amazing indian pakistani selection on the menú including masala dosa and biryani.
(5)Pouya M.
This is a family owned restaurant owner takes pride and it's clean. Be patient the food is worth it. They do Indian, persian, & Pakistani food. Yes they actually nailed all the flavors and the food is authentic. Order the Dosa w/ curried potatoes. If ur in Wichita then stop searching just try it. Ohh and everything is Hallal loose translation "kosher". The meat is cleaner and healthier than other meat.
(4)Corey T.
The lunch buffet is a great value, and I always leave satisfied. Vegetarian options on the buffet are a bit scarce, but they're delicious. Dinner menu isn't as great of value as the lunch buffet, but still earns a 4 out of 5 star. The staff can be a bit slow to service, but they're always very friendly. I'll second that the owner is friendly and personable.
(4)Kristen S.
This remains, nearly 5 years after moving to Wichita and first discovering Zaytun, one of my favorite restaurants (See my original review for a full description of the restaurant). Their cuisine includes Indian, Pakistani, Persian, Turkish and Greek/Mediterranean - I don't know of any other restaurant in Kansas that has all these Middle Eastern offerings. They have added so many wonderful dishes to the menu. I still love the Chicken Makhni but my tolerance for spicy food has increased, so my new favorites are the Palak Chicken (spicy chicken with tomatoes and spinach) and the Chicken Karhai (chicken stew in tomato and green chili masala). I can't explain those dishes, they are just amazing. Make sure you get them with a side of the cilantro or mint? chutney and the raita. Also really good is the Chicken Biryani - still the best biryani I've had. The baklava is amazing - they use a saffron syrup and it's really flaky and warm - different from baklava at other places. The Middle Eastern Pizzas are all wonderful, especially the gyro pizza and the tandoori chicken pizza. Oh, I can't forget the Mediterranean Quesadilla as an appetizer. Just about anything on the menu is great (I've been probably 30 or 40 times to this restaurant), but these are my favorites. And last but not least, the Sunday brunch buffet - it is an Indian/Pakistani buffet (versus a Persian buffet during the week) and it is the best Indian buffet in town in my opinion. We are very lucky to have a restaurant like this in Wichita so I hope they stick around forever! Keep in mind while some have observed the service can be a little slow, they make everything fresh when you order it and they are family owned and operated (which is a tough business to be in in Wichita, especially for ethnic restaurants). That said, I think the service is really great overall and Syed the owner will remember you, even after your first or second visit. The experience will be different depending on if you go for lunch during the week, the dinner menu, or the Sunday brunch buffet, so try them out at different times to get a full perspective on the food!
(5)John C.
I would highly recommend Zaytun for dinner, but stay away from the lunch buffet. We've been a couple times for dinner and been pleased with choices such as the kebabs and chicken curry. We went for the first time today during the lunch buffet and I have to say I wasn't impressed. I'm admittedly not an authority on authentic Turkish cuisine, but for an American palate it was difficult to stomach. The most important point is that all of the meat options that you might want to put on a bed of rice were 75% bone. Very little meat to speak of, and that which was there was pretty bad.
(2)Sidney H.
Not all Middle Eastern restaurants are created equal. Especially to this place. Excellent food. The lamb kebabs are moist and meaty. Everything's seasoned perfectly. For you meat eaters, most of the dishes have some kind of meat in them. The buffet usually has at least five or six meat dishes. And not just your usual two or three. The naan was just okay. But that's only because I've been to restaurants where they make it in brick ovens right in front of you. So you get the naan fresh and piping hot. The dessert, polenta with saffron and pistachios, was delicious. Actually it was quite addictive...and made with real honey. I wish they had a few dishes on the spicier side. Yeah, I know it's a Middle Eastern restaurant instead of an Indian place. Otherwise I have no huge complaints. Check this place out.
(4)Jason C.
Well, I wish this could be better, but it simply wasn't. I've ate here several times, and this time something was very very different. One of the most simple things there is to make was messed up. Naan. It's just (almost)flat bread. Almost because it is leavened bread. But this time, I sure hope it was a fluke, but this time it's like my cat was back there cooking. I mean really, how hard is it to make naan? I'm not sure where you came up with the idea of making a 16" round naan like a pizza, never seen that before. Every time before naan is pretty much the size of two hands, oblong lumpy and unique. That's it. I ordered a Gyro pizza. The 6 chunks of gyro meat on the pizza was delicious, 6 chunks of anything on 8 slices of pizza though is a problem. The next problem was that it appears that the same dough they used for the naan was the same dough they used for the pizza. Yes, wheat, yeast, and water is all it takes, but come on really, naan does not make good pizza dough. Next problem, pizza is a simple item to cook. You stick it in an oven, and then you take it out. What's so magical about that? Well apparently they like only stick half the pizza in the oven here. I don't know, and I doubt that's what they did, but that's what the pizza looked like, half browned and half not browned, what else am I supposed to think?!!? And finally the last straw to just say f-it, it look like poo, so what, I can't load toppings or cook it right, so I won't even bother to cut it right. What is the deal with pizza cutters in Kansas, are they all dull? How hard is it to push the freaking cutter all the way through the 1/2" thick naan/dough and cut the freaking pizza! Their buffet is mediocre at best, only get food right after it is put out. If it's been there a while, it's no where near as good. Why their buffet is no good, I don't know, everywhere else in town doesn't go old 16 seconds after putting it out. I'm just saying that their food on the buffet is not good, probably not at the right temperature or just stale. He doesn't really do anything great, probably because Indian food really is nothing at all like Persian food, which is nothing at all like Mediterranean food. Anytime you try to imitate some other kind of food and do it half heartily, all it does is just show how much better the real stuff is. There are other places in town that focus more on their particular region and it makes a huge difference.
(2)Blake C.
Went back for the Mutton Biryani and it was excellent. Thought it was definitely worth an extra star. Spiced incredibly well, Zaytun is a great place to try Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine. PS: Try the Hummus with gyro meat. You're welcome.
(4)Reed N.
I've had the buffet twice for lunch. The first time I loved the selections. The second time they were okay, but disappointing as compared to the first go. Next time I'll do a walk through before I commit. Another thing they desperately need to do is label the items... name and basic contents. Items are not hot enough when they first open at 11am either. Service is generally pretty solid.
(3)Michael R.
Lunch buffet was diverse as well as delicious. Hummus was a little too salty and some dishes were overkill with the vinegar. Overall a great experience...
(4)Brandon S.
I'd heard about this place a few times from friends when I complained Wichita doesn't have any amazing Indian restaurants. We were in the area on Saturday and dropped by to finally try our luck. It was the Saturday buffet, and was not that great. The Naan was good and the sauces there were nice, but the food selection was quite limited and most of it looked gloopy and unappetizing. They also need to clean the place up. . . it had a layer of grime everywhere and the area around the pizza oven is pretty junked up and messy. The cough screen on the buffet bar should have been my warning---it's cloudy, scratched, and just looks a little hanky. We'll try it agin for dinner (never the buffet again for lunch) and will update the review then.
(2)Steven P.
Be ready to relax and enjoy your companions and truly lovely food. Sayed the host and owner will chat with you and explain with great pride and detail anything you would like to know about the menu. Highlights include the spicy lemonade and mutton. The quesadilla is a nice twist on simple tortilla and cheese. Fresh tabouli, rich saag, Shahi Tukra is a very simple bread pudding for dessert, wonderfully humble. Not over sweet. Don't forget your turkish coffee. An honest and authentic restaurant. Extra effort is made to ensure complete satisfaction. It's worth the wait.
(5)Emily S.
Everytime I'm in town I try to snag the lunch buffet at Zaytùn! Tons of vegetarian options, delicious Halva and desserts, attentive service, and the owner is so sweet and friendly!
(5)Amber P.
The service was outstanding. The owner came over and explained the menu. They only have a few things that are not gluten free so I had tons of choices. Highly recommend.
(5)Brad S.
I don't know enough to pinpoint what type of cuisine Zaytun is cooking, but it's pretty close to Indian, I'm sure. Had I known Zaytun had a lunch buffet, I would have tried that, but I came for dinner, and ended up getting the combination Koubidah and Joojeh Kebab. The former kebab, in keeping with the region, identifies the meat as "ground beef", but is really more of a freeformed sausage, and tastes a whole lot better. The joojeh chicken kebab was clearly cooked over the high heat of a tandor or the high heat of an industrial strength cooktop, but the yogurt in which the chicken kabobs were coated held moisture much better than the chicken itself, which was dry. There were some nice bright notes from a big hit of lemon, though, and along with the homemade chutney and tzatziki, I was eating good for the duration of the meal.
(4)Eric W.
I ate here quite a few times while I lived in the area, and I must say I do miss it. I usually came for the lunch buffet, but a couple of times I went during dinner hours. I was never once disappointed. The food during the lunch buffet hours always seemed very fresh. The options were rarely the same across my multiple visits, so I can't comment on any in particular. However, as with anything, there were some dishes that were more to my liking than others. They seemed consistently well prepared well presented. Highly recommended: the Spicy Lemonade.
(4)Howard C.
I had been here before for a regular dinner. The meal was nice, but nothing particularly memorable. The owner came to chat with us and recommended to us that we return here for their lunch Buffet. That thought lingered in our heads for the last year until finally emerging this past weekend becoming reality. The buffet starts at 11am. It has a combination of mediterranean, Indian, and Pakistani foods. There was basmati rice, biryani, several vegetarian curries, a couple of beef and chicken dishes, and a lamb dish. There was an Indian omelette, a desert bar, unlimited Kashmiri chai tea, and a bread basket containing mediocre naan and delicious puri. The service was excellent. Our waitress never let our glass empty. She cleared our table of dirty plates promptly, and brought us the check quickly. She was kind and courteous and very professional. The owner of the restaurant greeted our table and made sure everything was alright. The ambience is eclectic. Part mediterranean and part south Asian. The clientele was an interesting mix as well. there was an elderly Caucasian couple, a young Chinese speaking couple, a table of 4 Muslim women wearing hijabs, there was a young Caucasian couple and a table of 4 Asians speaking fluent English. Clearly, this restaurant appeals to the masses. I've been to my fair share of Indian buffets, and this one is top notch. You can tell that they don't compromise on quality. They have foods you can't find elsewhere in our quaint city of Wichita. And most importantly they have something for everyone. The cost of the lunch buffet is about $15 per person after tax. This is a bit steeper than most Indian buffets, but I feel it is worth it. After the delicious meal, I promptly fell into a Mediterranean indo-pak food coma. Everyone at my table enjoyed the food, and I will surely return in the near future.
(4)Lan N.
I returned here today for the Sunday lunch buffet. My father in law had talked about his interest in Lebanese food, and I wanted something that would impress him, and this sure did. We arrived shortly after opening, and the waitress was initially frazzled since the kitchen was a bit behind. Things soon fell into place though, and we were served a bread basket which consisted of naan and puri. The puri was greasier than I'm used to, but it was definitely tastier than the naan. My family enjoyed it. The buffet food was very nice and varied. Things weren't all labelled, but that just added to the fun for me. The highlights were the palak paneer, a beef meatball dish I can't remember the name of, tandoori chicken (I've never had it so flavorful and NOT dry!), a yam(?) dish...haha, I'm going to give up at this point; you just have to try each dish for yourself. Granted most of the dishes are a bit greasy...and I wouldn't describe it as healthy as one reviewer did. But though there were hits and misses, I'd say overall, this experience was a success. My in laws said that this was better than the comparable buffets they had in the MD/DC area. $15/per initially seems much for a buffet, but given the quality of the food and the service, I'd say it's reasonable.
(4)Isabella H.
To be fair, this is not a pure Indian place, and I should have done my research. I went for buffet, and was surprised at the offering, only half like what you would expect to see from a normal Indian one. The food was okay, rich and really dense flavor. But the nahn was disappointing. Flavorless, thick and puffy, not the regular crispy garlic ones with brown edges. They do have some crispy ones in another basket, but they looked like fried tortilla chips.
(3)