14248 Manchester Rd (Suite H), Manchester
636-527-5900
Pizza, Burgers, Biryani, and Kabobs
The sign outside of Café Lazeez reads, "Pizza, Burgers, Biryani, and Kabobs." This sounded like a place that would please everyone in our large group. My only hesitation in bringing the gang? Menus spanning multiple cuisines are typically a recipe for mediocre food -- witness mega-buffets.
Café Lazeez, however, scored big on everything! Our group ordered all of the items on the sign except the burgers and the consensus was, "Damn good!"
Like Fast Food, Only Better
According to its Web site, Café Lazeez considers itself a Pakistani and American fast-food café. Like a typical fast-food establishment, meals are ordered at the counter and sodas are self-serve. But unlike most fast-food places I've visited, we were able to make a reservation, our food was brought to the table when it was ready, the owner came and checked on us several times during our meal to make sure that we were happy, and we were given some extra naan on the house.
We truly felt that our business was appreciated and that care was put into all of the food that was served to us.
Was It Really Fast?
One obvious feature of fast-food places is that they are fast. Café Lazeez was not fast. However, considering our group size (twelve), they weren't too slow, either. They brought out food chronologically, and most people got their dishes within fifteen minutes of ordering.
When I called to make the reservation, I was told that many people place their orders on the phone to speed up service. If you're really concerned about time, you might try that. They have a full menu online.
A Few Ordering Tips
Here a just a few things that our group learned that might be helpful to you when ordering at Café Lazeez:
- The biryani is spicier than at most Indian places around town. Also, it doesn't come with raita, the yogurt sauce that typically accompanies it. Raita can and should be ordered separately; you'll want it to cut the heat of the dish. The only downside is that a small serving of raita costs $1.99.I would highly recommend Café Lazeez for your group. It has something good for picky eaters, foodies, and everyone inbetween.
- Don't steer clear of the American food. The cheese sticks were a huge hit with our group, as were the french fries.
- Don't skip dessert. We all fell in love with the bread pudding. It was served warm with caramel sauce and a scoop of ice cream.
- Don't wait until 9:30 p.m. to visit. The sign on the door said that Café Lazeez was open until 9:30. Our group left at 9:00, though, and they closed the restaurant right after we walked out the door.
Stefani Pollack is the author of the food blogs Cupcake Project and Food Interviews. She is also a member of the St. Louis Dinner Club. She blogs about her large-group dining experiences twice a month for Gut Check.
