Lal Qila

Authentic North Indian-​Pakistani food in Saint Louis. Fluffy naans. Just the right amount of spice. The buffet is a steal and a great sampler!

I heard/​read a lot of good things about this place. Food was ok (not as good as the prior reviews). I was disappointed in the buffet, not too much selection for the price. The best thing in the buffet selection was the seekh kabobs (really good kabobs, One of the factors that I gave 2 stars)
I don’t think that I’ll go here again. There are a lot better indian restaurants in stl.

Have ordered from here multiple times lately. Goat palak, bhindi masala and aloo gobi are really good as are naan and vegetable samosas. Fast becoming our go to place for take-​out Indian.

Food was excellent in the buffet. There was a big selection, and the food was spicy and fresh. The mango lassi was delicious and the naans were fresh and tasty. We organized a party for 50 people and Ali (the manager) took very good care of us. If you are looking for authentic and great tasting Pakistani food in Saint Louis, this is the place to go.

First time I’ve eaten here and had Pakistani food. Two friends suggested I try the place and I’m extremely happy I did. I came with a group and the staff was very helpful with us. We ordered a great deal of food so we could all try the different flavors. My taste buds erupted with many flavors and my mouth felt new textures. I highly recommend this place and ask the staff anything. They were able to explain all the food and site examples.

I went to Lal Qila for the lunch buffet today. I will not be returning. The food was not good at all. I have tried upwards of 10 Indian/​Southeast Asian restaurants in the St. Louis area, and this one is definitely one of the bottom two. Many of the dishes on the buffet were cold. The kheer and halwa had a weird plastic-​y taste to them. The naan and poori were delicious; too bad they were the only things worth eating. There were two other tables there at 1pm on a Saturday. I don’t know how they stay in business. There are many many better options for Indian food. Don’t waste your time and money at this place.

Fantastic Indian Food! Great flavor and friendly staff! If you are in west county or maybe need a caterer try Lal Qila!

My mom offered to take me out for dinner to celebrate a new job. Being me, I wanted something different, and, not too expensive. I also wanted something close in West County, since I also wanted to stop by Chesterfield mall afterwards. To Unilocal I went.
Then I called and asked about the buffet. They had me at «goat». Amazing buffet! They had both vegetarian and meat options, and both were equally delicious. Our server was really helpful, especially since my mom didn’t know alot about international dishes. I left stuffed, and for $ 12/​person buffet, I’ll be back!

Lal Qila is a very welcome change of pace from the usual indian places in St. Louis where every dish tastes the same and is loaded with cream. Each dish here has a unique flavor profile due to a deft hand in the kitchen. The buffet, which I think is only served on the weekends, isn’t as vast as many places, but I find the experience far more satisfying because the flavors are so superior. The nan is without a doubt the best I’ve had in St. Louis.

I was here back in July 2010. Expensive, not tasty, and, unbelievably, not air conditioned! The buffet was $ 11.99 and very small! Only one dessert choice. The meat was mostly bones and barely any meat. The biryani was overspiced and so hot you couldnt taste the other flavors. As for décor, I feel they could at least paint the walls one color but instead they have multi-​colored Mexican-​style atmosphere, combined with fancy covered chairs in pink. We had to ask them to come refill our waters. Also, there was a group of Pakistani girls laughing for an hour straight, which was kind of annoying. It felt like a local hang-​out for a few Pakistanis who may know the family.

Terrible. Absolutely terrible in every conceivable way. Food was extremely greasy and not what we ordered. First of all, the reason we decided to try Lal Qila was because they advertised a dinner buffet and, having never eaten there before, we decided that would be the best way of sampling what the restaurant had to offer. When we walked in, not only was there no buffet set up, but there was not another living soul in the restaurant. So, we decided to give it a shot anyway and just order off of the regular menu. «Assorted pakoras» were nothing but a plate of clumsily-​made, overcooked, over-​salted onion bhajis. Normally, I love onion bhajis, but when you’re expecting an assortment of vegetables and all you get is a sloppy plate of burnt onions, it’s disappointing to say the least. When I asked the extremely disinterested waiter about it, his exact words were «Yeah, I don’t know why the menu says that, it’s just onions.» No offer to get us something else or anything. I could tell immediately that the chutney came out of a jar, was definitely not made fresh in-​house. We actually had to ask for chutney to go with our appetizer because no dipping sauce of any kind was offered when the food was brought. The service overall was just horrendous. We practically had to beg the waiter to pay attention to us, and we were the ONLY customers in the place at 7pm, what is normally the dinner rush in any successful restaurant. We asked repeatedly for ice in our waters because it was over 100 degrees outside and we never received anything but tepid water. The only reason I ordered water at all was because when I asked the waiter for a beer, he gave me one of the dirtiest looks I’ve ever received. He seemed absolutely affronted and disgusted that anyone would dare to order beer there. The waiter knew next to nothing about the actual menu items. We asked several questions which should have been easy to answer, such as whether or not the chicken was white meat and whether or not a particular dish included cream or dairy. I am lactose intolerant, so the latter question was particularly important for me to know. He had no idea which dishes contained cream and which didn’t. We also asked if the chicken was boneless or not, again he did not know and didn’t even offer to check with the cook. I decided to play it safe and order something I recognized, a chicken madras while my mom ordered her longtime favorite, chicken korma. Upon arrival, both dishes were swimming in at least a quarter inch of grease. Not only that, but the meat in each of our curries was definitely NOT chicken. This meat contained bones which did not belong to any form of poultry. My best guess is that it was goat. That was the point at which we decided to cut our losses and leave. I explained to our apathetic waiter exactly everything that was wrong with our meal and he just didn’t seem to care. I called him out on it by saying «Well, if you don’t care about our dining experience, then we don’t care to pay you» and we left. As someone who works in the restaurant industry, I should probably feel bad about walking out without paying. But you know what? It was such a devastatingly awful experience that, even as a server myself, I do not feel bad about it in the least. My mom and I hopped in the car, drove down the street to Saffron (at Barrett Station & Manchester Rd) and swore that we’d never set foot inside Lal Qila again. The only reason I gave it one star is because there was no option to give zero.

We had take-​out last night and the food was awesome. This was our first time there and they were extremely helpful with recommendations. We will definitely be visiting again.

Lal Qila is yet another suburban Indian restaurant located in a strip mall in Ballwin, but well worth a visit. I went on a Saturday for the buffet with my sidekick chowing partner who happens to be a Master Indian Food Guru. Thankfully, he shares his wisdom with me and enlightens me with his knowledge so that I can pass it on to Unilocal!
I should point out that this place is actually an Indian/​Pakistani restaurant. That really shouldn’t make a difference for most of us. Indian & Pakistani foods are very similar and if your not from Southern Asia then you probably won’t know the difference. Pakistani food tends to be more similar to North Indian food and meat is more common in the dishes. It all gets confusing… Pakistani food, Indian food, Hindu’s don’t eat beef, Muslims don’t eat pork, the south is spicier, the north less spicy, there’s Punjabi cuisine, Hyderabadi cuisine, Bengali cuisine, Kashmiri cuisine… and on and on. I really don’t care, I’ll just continue to eat it all!
If you come for the buffet, don’t expect it to be one of those mega-​buffets like Mayuri. The buffet at Lal Qila has a much smaller offering, but of good quality. On my visit, I counted about 7 or 8 main dishes, 4 chutneys and 2 desserts. The thing that makes this buffet stand out is that the waiter will also bring fresh made breads (naan & poori) and chicken biryani (rice dish). The naan was cooked perfectly and came out warm and slightly crispy. The poori was even better, so be sure to try it if you never have; It’s the bread that looks like a balloon filled with air.
The fresh plate of chicken biryani came out warm and full of flavor. I found the chicken and rice to be a bit on the dry side, but Master Guru corrected me and explained that this is how it should be as he picked out a chunk of rice that you could tell had slightly burnt on the bottom of the pan (I love those tasty little chunks).
For me, the most interesting dish on the buffet was the goat paya which is basically goat legs/​feet slow cooked in seasonings into a stew like dish. Don’t expect to find much meat on these chunks of bone and cartilage, but be sure to suck the bone marrow out to get the full flavor.
Another intriguing item on the buffet was the chicken haleem. This slow cooked dish contained chicken, lentils, wheat and spices. On the slightly spicy side, it’s perfect for scooping up with the naan. Other items on the buffet included egg curry, chana masala, aloo mutter, khadi, chicken tikka tandoori and fried fish. Overall, I enjoyed everything that I tried. There really wasn’t a bad dish!
I’m going with 4 stars for this place. While the buffet selection was small, you could tell that a lot of time and effort went in to the preparation of each dish. The fresh breads and biryani that come with it makes this $ 12 buffet well worth it. My only negative would be that the place looks a bit run down and a tad bit dirty, but I still look forward to visiting again.

Went there again and seems like they read their reviews as this time music was playing. Me and buddy could actually talk and not whisper. Also they have a dinner buffet which is great. Their naan is amazing

I originally was familiar with this place through a friend getting takeout from their Al-​Riaz catering service (strikingly good at the time), and since then, they’ve opened this full restaurant with the same food. The entrees are very flavorful (I enjoyed the chicken achar, seekh kebab, and aloo matter), the buffet is open for dinner, too, and of all things, the naan struck me as some of the best I’ve ever had, at once fluffy around the edges and crispy in the center, and just a little bit sweet. It’s the little things, you know?
This place hasn’t been getting a whole lot of local press outside of the few reviews here and on
, but in my experience, I think this might be one of the best South Asian restaurants in town, and if you’re specifically looking for Pakistani cuisine, this is definitely the best local Pakistani restaurant that I’ve tried in town so far.

So I went out to West County to visit a friend who recently had a baby. A few friends came along to visit, and I wondered where we could go for dinner that would be interesting and offer a wide variety for everyone in our party.
I had read about Lal Qila on Unilocal and thought it would be a great place to try. And it was! Definitely an interesting gem tucked away in an old strip mall on Manchester. It is indeed an old Chihuahua’s TexMex restaurant and not much has been done to update the décor. That’s OK, since I find re-​purposed buildings like this to be charming. Although I don’t think they need to update the décor, the place is feeling a little worn and tired. We sat down at one table and our server directed us to another, since the table wobbled fiercely. And he was right, it did. So we moved to another table.
Anyway, we ordered the dinner buffet (offered on weekends) and our server immediately brought us a big basket of hot naan and a platter of lamb biryani for the table. The naan was fluffy and doughy and fantastic. Perhaps the best naan I’ve had in St Louis. The lamb biryani was also great. The lamb in particular was quite tasty, and was tender without being overly gamey.
The buffet itself is kind of limited compared to other local buffets but offers both «Indian buffet» classics and some other dishes not normally seen around here. It could very well be because this is technically a Pakistani restaurant, and not an Indian one. But the variety was interesting and I was pleased to try new things. Various goat dishes populated the buffet, as well as more recognizable dishes like chicken tikka masala and daal. There were also quite a few meatless options, enough that my vegetarian dining companion was pleased with her meal. The food was a bit oily, though. A lot of pans in the buffet had pools of oil floating on top, which was a bit of a turn off. Also, I didn’t notice that there was green salad and various chutneys offered, because they were adjacent to the main buffet in an unlighted area. Be aware, too, that this food is spicy! I like spicy food so I was cool with it, but if you have a delicate palette it might be too hot for you.
Something else to consider is that this is a very family friendly place. When we arrived with our friend’s three month old baby in tow, the restaurant was almost empty. While we were eating, Lal Qila filled up with about four large parties, all filled with a A LOT of small children. So be advised: if you do not like having lots of small children acting like small children while you dine, this might not be the place for you (at least at the weekend dinner buffet). HOWEVER! If you do you have small children, and are looking for a place to go out with your kids, enjoy a tasty meal with lots of variety and not have to worry about the noise level or offending other diners, this place would be perfect for you. My friend’s baby started to cry at the end of dinner, and it was not a big deal because there were other loud kids there, too. This may sound unappealing to some, but it was a huge relief for my friend, knowing that she could go out and enjoy a meal and not have to worry about her baby bothering other people.
All in all, this unassuming little restaurant with a local following has a lot of potential. I think if they were to spruce up the restaurant just a little and maybe refine the food a bit this could be really great.

I noticed this place one day when filling the car with gas across the street. Ms. T and I stopped in one Friday evening and enjoyed the buffet. This is a fairly simple Indian buffet, not large, but plenty of food. (more than any of us really need to be honest). Often in the Midwest, the chile heat is toned down for American tastes. This dishes here are not incendiary, but are nicely hot, which I liked. At the time of our visit, Lal Quila had only been in business for about six months according to the owner who came to each table to see how we liked the food. The service was very good and the staff was friendly.
We had dal makhani, curried goat, paneer korma, vegetable curry, fried fish, kabobs and kofta. All were acceptably good. They had a couple of kinds of chicken tikka. The tandoori chicken was very nicely seasoned and was not the fake red color that you normally see. They also brought us a large basket of naan as part of the buffet. We enjoyed it even if it is not extremely remarkable to make it stand out from other places. The dishes were generally familiar, but each seemed to have their own character versus other cookie cutter Indian. The buffet offerings may change from night to night. For locals, this is certainly an OK place to get a quick Indian fix.

A great new Indian/​Pakistani restaurant in the area in the remains of the pathetic «Mexican» restaurant that was Chihuahua’s.
Lal Qila (Urdu for «Red Castle») is an off-​shoot of Al Riaz Catering, and I’d presume that their catering gig keeps this place afloat. It’s always almost completely empty, though that must be due to a lack of marketing because it in no way reflects the quality of the food.
They have a buffet even for dinner, which is somewhat unusual for Indian restaurants where a lunch buffet/​dinner menu is the norm. The selection isn’t as huge as some places, limited to around 10 or 12 items maybe, but it is all really flavorful and varied. The last couple times I was there they didn’t feature a lot of vegetarian dishes. They have some of the best naan I’ve had in the area.
The atmosphere is nothing to rave about, as the interior is basically untouched from the Chihuahua days.
The guys that work there are exceedingly accommodating, polite and friendly. The buffet format makes it a great option if you’re pressed for time. On my last visit, my guest and I were in and out within 25 minutes.
This is a great addition to West County’s growing number of Indian food options, and I encourage you to try it!