Italian Express

Yay! I’m a fan.
My expectations dipped pretty low when we walked into Italian Express. Oh no, what was my colleague doing? Could I trust his judgement in food? I eyed him as I was thinking this, which got me a chuckle and a re-​assuring statement.
I did a test-​drive plate then piled into a small booth to get friendly with my coworkers.
I can’t remember which pasta it was, but I became emotionally attached to a pasta… and vodka sauce. I went with a bowl for round two. Pasta, pasta, sauce, sauce, bread. Everything was dipped in sauce.
After eating, everybody realized that we didn’t know how much it cost, so we placed bets… Does it include a drink? We didn’t have a waiter, hmmm… We went up to the front and it was 8 – 9 $/​person. Our winner was not very gracious and jokingly claimed to know the price of everything for the next few days.
Don’t judge a book by its cover. This is a nice little spot to grab an inexpensive lunch in downtown.

I’ve worked downtown for about a year and a half, but hadn’t checked out this place for some reason, despite my love for Italian food (especially pasta). When I heard there was an Italian buffet closeby, I had to try it out!
The buffet has a great variety. When I was there, they had spaghetti and penne noodles and choice of Alfredo sauce, marinara, meatballs, chicken and sausage, as well as some sort of ravioli that was delicious. They also had three kinds of pizza and a great selection for salad toppings. All of it was really good! The Alfredo sauce didn’t look like much but it was SO good, rich and flavorful. I’ll definitely be back!

Solid downtown Italian buffet lunch spot. It can get crowded around lunch time, but what downtown joint isn’t?
When you walk in, if there’s a table open, the owner or another employee will guide you to the table and ask what drink you want. If there isn’t a table open, you won’t wait long. When you return to your table from getting your plate at the buffet, your drink and silverware will be waiting. Service at this place is fantastic, plates are cleaned quickly, drinks refilled often, and everyone (especially the owner) is extremely friendly.
The buffet includes a salad, pizza, pasta, and bread sticks. The salad section is nothing to write home about. The typical dressing choices along with the usual toppings. The pizza section typically has 3 – 4 types. Usually there is a pepperoni, supreme, and supreme veggie at the very least. Other pies vary, but these seem to be the regulars. The pizza is good, not great. The slices are in between thin and thick crust, but the crust on the edge gets a decent crust to it. The slices aren’t huge, which is good, so you can get more variety on the plate.
The pasta section has lasagna, a couple of types of noodles, alfredo sauce, red sauce, grilled chicken, meatballs, and sausage. All are about average, I like the sausage the best.
Overall, this place won’t blow you away with the food. It’s nothing you haven’t had before. But, it’s a lot for a good value, it’s served in a clean and comfortable spot, and it has excellent service. Worth checking out for lunch downtown.

Literally one of the best restaurant experiences I’ve had. The owner/​cashier/​bus boy/​everything is extreme nice and values all his customers. In town for a conference, mentioned it to him while entering, he followed up 15 minutes later by coming to our table to ask more about who we were, where we were from, etc. an extremely welcoming feeling in this place.
And the food… whew! The pasta bar has enough for several different dishes. The Alfredo sauce is pretty special. The pizza bar is very good, although your options are limited. Absolutely great place to visit.

Really and truly some AMAZING italian food for lunch, in the FASTEST way possible…
While I was there last, Hassan (owner) shared with me the reason that his food is so good is the fact that they have no microwaves in this place, thus showing you they are cooking all of this food FRESH…
Lots of option, great food, and a good salad bar to boot!

Great place for lunch! Really good quality & freshness for a buffet.
The salad is always nice a fresh. I also love the fact that there is some juicy grilled chicken.
Lots of options for picky eaters, those who want to indulge, and those that want to stay healthy.
Always nice & friendly service.

Great lunch spot — always delicious & cheap!
I’ve been to Italian Express well over a dozen times, and they recently opened a new location downtown that is a significant improvement over their previous one. Gotta say I’m a fan of the place — it’s not upscale or gourmet, but it’s by far the best quick bite that you can grab downtown!
Likes: Great food. I love the breadsticks, the pizza, and the raviolis. The salad bar is always nice too, and it always features ultra fresh items. The garlic sauce that the grilled chicken sits in is to die for — just scoop some onto your pasta and add some alfredo! I also can’t go without stating that the price is great as well, like $ 6 for the buffet. This place is often very crowded during lunch hours, and for good reason. It’s kinda like if CiCi’s ran their restaurants well and had WAY better food!
Dislikes: The bar isn’t always well-​attended, and they often run out of their best items, especially the pastas. I also would like to see a dessert item on the buffet — the only thing I believe they carry is some like chocolate cake that they sell separately. FYI, they’re not open during dinner hours.
Overall, just great, quick Italian buffet — perfect for a lunchtime pig out!