Vegetables far outnumber fried foods at Henderson’s soon-to-expand Zikiz

A chicken bowl is served with tomatoes, lettuce, chickpeas, lettuce, feta cheese and chipotle sauce as toppings. BRIAN SANDFORD/VIEW

A chicken bowl is served with hummus as a base in lieu of brown rice, which was out of stock. Other ingredients are chickpeas, jalapenos, lettuce, feta cheese and chipotle sauce. BRIAN SANDFORD/VIEW

Homemade hummus is among the side dishes available as part of meal combos. Hummus can be added as a topping to wraps and bowls. BRIAN SANDFORD/VIEW

Zikiz is one of the Las Vegas Valley’s only non-pizza restaurants with two Zs in its name, but that’s not its most distinguishing feature.

That would be the 3-year-old Henderson eatery’s healthful food served in a fast-food setting, with French fries and sweet potato fries the only menu items one might find at a burger drive-thru.

Most meals at Zikiz are assembled in four steps, starting with a base of salad, a bowl or a flour tortilla, followed by the addition of vegetarian falafel, steak, salmon or chicken breast. Vegetable and cheese toppings include chickpeas, hummus, red onion, cucumber, jalapeno, tomato, feta and mozzarella. The final ingredient is sauce; those include chipotle, mango curry, Asian barbecue and hot sauce, none of which is particularly spicy.

Meals come together assembly-line style, similar to what one might find at a poke restaurant or Chipotle. The brightly lit dining area includes a television that’s almost always tuned to live sports or sports news. The non-bottled water — a hit-or-miss proposition in Nevada — comes from a soda fountain and is pleasant.

The staff’s jubilation level depends on the time of day or week. Come on a Sunday afternoon and you’re likely to be served by someone younger and effective, but not enthusiastic. Arrive midday on a Thursday and you’re likely to encounter the restaurant’s operators, who are more passionate and learn regulars’ names quickly. Judging by Zikiz’s recently unveiled plans for a location at at 8520 Blue Diamond Road, that passion is yielding positive results.

The current location is is tucked away in a busy shopping center on Green Valley Parkway just north of the 215 Beltway, and finding parking nearby on a weekday afternoon can prove a challenge. As long as you’re willing to walk more than, say, 100 feet, you’ll be fine. Judging by the number of drivers who circle the parking area closest to the restaurant during busy times, some people aren’t.

Zikiz’s non-wrap offerings mostly are safe for those who avoid gluten. A tip: the Zikiz rice contains wheat, while the brown rice doesn’t.