Cosi Cucina was recommended by a guest at the hotel I was staying at when I asked for a good dinner…read morespot. It turned out to be an excellent suggestion. The atmosphere was warm and welcoming, the service was attentive, and the food exceeded our expectations. When we mentioned to our waiter that it was our first visit, he surprised us with a complimentary butternut squash dish--a thoughtful touch that set the tone for the evening. My friend and I both ordered the mushroom lasagna, which was every bit as rich and flavorful as we hoped. We also enjoyed a caprese salad and a couple of drinks, all of which rounded out the meal perfectly. By the end of the night, we found ourselves wishing we had more time in Des Moines so we could return and try the pizza selections. Cosi Cucina was a highlight of the trip. We both thought it was one of the best Italian restaurants we have ever dined at.

This is one of our favorite restaurants, hands down. You can tell they take great pride in…read moreeverything they do--it really shows in every detail. We've tried most of the menu, and everything has been consistently delicious, with generous portions every time. One of the things I love most is that the family is there working. It speaks to the level of care and standard they hold for their guests' experience. It just feels genuine, and that makes it even more special.

Amazing pizza, pasta, and garlic knots. Employees are extremely nice and take great care of the…read morecustomer. Would order again 100%.

It wasn't good and it wasn't bad. Just Meh! The pizza was flavorless. I tried the pepperoni and…read moreNonna's Specialty pizza slices. Nothing remarkable The menu is big. Probably too big to do anything well. Service is was below par. I walked in said hi. This is my first time. What do you recommend. He just pointed at the pre-made pies. I made my selections paid and sat down. They brought over my slices after reheating them in the oven on too small paper plates. No follow-up. Only 1 other table with customers.

Great food options, excellent service. Meals were delicious and dessert was great. Our server…read moreFabian was awesome.

Came out to the West Des Moines location on University for dinner and was glad we made reservations…read moreahead of time, as the front lobby gets packed quickly. To kick things off, they brought out the complimentary bread basket and signature dipping oil. The oil blend is always a great start to the meal and ours was freshly stocked. For an appetizer, we tried the Calamari Fritti. The presentation was beautiful--lightly golden and piled nicely--definitely a strong start visually and texture-wise. For the main event, I ordered the Fettuccini with Lobster. The execution on the kitchen's part was a bit of a mixed bag. On one hand, the pasta itself was cooked perfectly al dente, holding its structure exactly how you want a thick noodle to. On the other hand, the sauce fell a bit flat for me--it just felt a little mid-tier and lacked that rich, memorable flavor pop you look for in a luxury pasta dish. The atmosphere walks a nice line between a casual weeknight spot and a slightly more upscale evening out. It's got a warm, energetic vibe that works well for a date night or a family get-together without feeling overly stuffy or pretentious. I would go 4 1/2 star if I could but it leans more towards 5.

Good Italian food for a decent price. They also had very good service. We have been here 3 times…read more Hope to go again soon.

The restaurant is lovely and the service was spot on. The food is delicious and plentiful. The…read moreprice and quantity for lunch was outstanding. I had the pasta sampler, and my two lunch mates we're equally happy with their choices. I highly recommend.

Great Bang Bang Shrimp! Margaritas were good. I got the 42 ounce. Came in a cool giant margarita…read moreglass!

First time here, outdoor setting was very nice! Great place to sit outside and get a margarita. I…read moregot the mole enchilada and it was very good! Only negative I had was service was a bit slow. We had people get seated 20 min after us also get their ticket and leave before us while we sat and waited for someone to come close us out. Otherwise a great experience and servers were very nice.

4.8* (out of 5) Food: 5* Atmosphere: 5* Value: 5*…read more Service: 4* Would I go back / Recommend?: 5* (Definitely) Total check/person: $16 06/21/2026 Quick stop tonight to check out their latest Happy Hour for HappyHourDesMoines.com - since they offer an all-day Sunday Happy Hour. I was the most impressed with both the quantity and quality of the House-Made Chips (see picture)...and while the Chicken Strips have shrunk to 2 from 3 due to shrinkflation, I loved the crunchy coating and they were very juicy (see picture). Both were a great value at $5/each.

Excellent wait staff!…read more Brussel sprouts had a delicious soy glaze. The burger special on Tuesdays will be hard to beat in terms of value. It was a solid burger, fries, and a draft beer all for $15

Hands down one of the BEST sandwiches I've ever had! I've had the pleasure of eating at A Taste of…read moreItaly three times now, and they've been packed every single time, which tells you something! The Gandolfini is one of my favorites. The bread is incredibly fresh, the meats and cheese are delicious, and they definitely don't skimp. Everything just tastes fresh and made with care. And don't skip the pasta salad...it's delicious too! Beyond the food, I love the genuine Italian hospitality. You feel welcomed when you walk in, and that kind of experience does not go unnoticed. A Taste of Italy is one of those places I look forward to every time I'm back in Iowa. If you haven't been, GO. You won't be disappointed!

Love it! Lemoncello cake is amazing!! Prompt, friendly!…read moreHow much more will you read?

A small but very tasty Italian restaurant! We had to wait a few minutes for a booth--there are…read moreonly 10 of them! We started with mozzarella sticks and the best tasting red sauce! Our salads came shortly and they are simple iceberg ones with a couple of cucumbers and a cherry tomato. The house Italian dressing is excellent! A warm basket of breadsticks accompanied our pasta. The guys had spaghetti and meatballs, Friend had lasagna, and I had baked cavatelli. Friend and I took some of ours home because the serving was so large! We all loved the red sauce & our dishes. It appears there are only two workers there. The waitress is also in charge of the front desk and there was just one Cook in the kitchen. She was very pleasant and very entertaining! We'll be back because we want to sample more things! The pizza sounds delicious ! You go for the great food - - it's just a pretty simple interior.

I've driven by here on a near-daily basis on my commute. I've been to the taqueria next door…read moreseveral times--thought I would finally give Marino's a try. The lady who answered the phone was very polite. She quoted me a time of 30-35 minutes for the food. I thought that was quite awhile, but decided to proceed with the order anyhow. When I walked in, the restaurant was nearly empty. One room off to the side was dark; it looks like this was a party room in a former life. I saw a solo diner in the main dining room. It was eerily quiet in there. An older lady (whom I believe also answered the phone) was very polite and seemed like she appreciated the business. I wish I could speak more highly of the food. The portions were all very generous, but most all seemed to be lacking in flavor. The breadsticks appear to have been brushed on top with some kind of butter, but no garlic flavor was present and the bottoms had gone untouched. Just bland. The salads I saw online appeared to have had croutons on them but mine did not. The dressing itself had good flavor--likely homemade. The salad was a basic side salad otherwise. The cavatelli was off in several different ways. The pasta appeared to be actual cavatelli, but lacked the firmness I'm used to. The sauce all seemed to have been on one side of the dish. The sausage was Italian sausage. Will probably try again at some point--other reviews seem to indicate better experiences.

Italian in the midwest for me is usually incredibly underwhelming. But this place is an outlier…read more Tumea & Sons aren't afraid of seasoning or garlic, the food was portioned for normal sized humans and tasted amazing. Usually I don't see Italian places offer angel hair so was happy they offered that for some of their dishes. Desserts they offered a variety of nice options such as tiramisu, lemon cake, peach dessert and more. Nice mom and pop restaurant. Speedy service too.

In town for the Junior Olympics and needed to carbo load. The place was packed on a Wednesday at 6…read morePM, but the service was still fast and friendly. The meatballs were easily some of the best I've ever had. The wedding meatball soup also hit the spot, and the Diablo pasta with shrimp and steak was delicious with a big kick of spice. I'm talking clear your sinuses SPICY. The manicotti and the bread were just okay. And the chicken tenders weirdly looked like calamari lol. The tap water had a really strange taste to it. Overall though, good portions and reasonably priced. Get the meatballs!

On the final night of our six-week road trip, before heading home to Chicago, we stayed at the…read moreDrury Inn in Iowa. Although the hotel offers an evening meal, we decided we wanted something different and ordered takeout from Dolce, conveniently located right across the parking lot. The location could not have been easier. After thousands of miles on the road, the ability to walk across the lot and pick up dinner was definitely appreciated. The restaurant itself looked very inviting. From what I could see while picking up the order, the décor was modern, comfortable, and pleasant. It seemed like a nice place to sit down and enjoy a meal. The bartender who helped me with the pickup was also exceptionally friendly and welcoming, which made a very positive first impression. As for the food, it was unfortunately a bit underwhelming. We ordered polenta with meatballs and a salad. The polenta was okay, and the meatballs were a good size, but overall the dish felt somewhat bland and lacking flavor. Nothing was bad, but nothing really stood out either. The portions were also surprisingly small. The takeout containers were only partially filled, making the meal feel a little light for the price. The salad was probably the biggest disappointment. It felt like very little attention had gone into it: mostly greens with a few toppings and some mozzarella. It wasn't terrible, just uninspired and forgettable. One detail that may seem minor but was actually appreciated was the quality of the takeout packaging and utensils. Everything was packed neatly, and the utensils were sturdy and well chosen, which made eating back at the hotel easier. Overall, Dolce left us with mixed feelings. The people were kind, the location was incredibly convenient, and the restaurant itself appeared attractive and comfortable. Unfortunately, the food simply did not live up to the same standard. It served its purpose on the last night of a long road trip, but it was not a meal we are likely to remember long after the journey itself. Oh, I ended grabbing a bite at the hotel, I was still hungry

4.2* (out of 5) Food: 4* Atmosphere: 4* Value: 4*…read more Service: 4* Would I go back / Recommend?: 5* (Definitely) 05/08/2026 Honestly stopped here while updating Happy Hour information in the area for happyhourdesmoines.com. We enjoyed the food and the atmosphere on previous stops and did again tonight. We had already eaten at another Happy Hour and it was too late now for Happy Hour anyway, so we opted for 'dessert' options. My wife ordered the Espresso Martini (see picture) and I went for the Tiramisu (see picture). The Espresso was very good and while the Tiramisu tasted very good, the presentation wasn't nearly as good as last time (think you'll see what I mean in the picture). We do like this place though and look forward to another stop for dinner some evening. If you found this review helpful, please show your appreciation with a Like or a Follow.