Saffron Indian Cuisine (Johnston, IA) Review

4.6* (out of 5)

Yelp Review

Google Review

Food: 5*

Atmosphere: 4*

Value: 4*

Service: 5*

Would I go back / Recommend?: 5* (Definitely)

Total check/person: $44

04/24/2026 Saffron Indian Cuisine +1 (515) 897-0460

It was honestly a bit of an accident that we even found this place and boy are we glad that we did – it was quite the hidden gem! We were out stopping at local spots to update my HappyHourDesMoines.com website and decided it was time to have some dinner. My wife did a restaurant search on her car’s system, this place popped up and since we both enjoy Indian food…we decided to give it a try. We left very impressed – especially with the food and the very attentive and helpful service from Kavya, who was awesome!

We started by ordering a Mango Lassi (yogurt based ‘malt’) that was absolutely delicious – cool, creamy and full of mango flavor. We followed with Chicken Lollipops (see picture) as our appetizer and again, found them very good – especially with the side sauce.

For our dinners, my wife ordered Korma (see picture) and substituted the chicken with lamb while I ordered the Gongura Chicken (see picture) at Kavya’s suggestion. We also ordered Basil Naan (see picture) and found it to also be very good – thin, tasty and fresh…and the basil flavoring was something we hadn’t experienced with naan before.

They offer 3 spice levels and my wife ordered medium while I went with hot. We both like spicey food. Personally, I would have liked something in between the two on both dishes as my wife’s didn’t seem to have much spiciness and mine had a definite burn that overwhelmed some of the flavor. The good news is that we didn’t have to ask for extra rice to finish our meals as we do at most other Indian restaurants – both dishes were served with a generous portion.

My only disappointment was the men’s restroom, as both the cleanliness and maintenance could use some improvement. The aesthetics to get there were also a little awkward, with it located in a hallway next to the kitchen that also had some carts and dirty dishes.

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