We hadn't been here for a long time; and here's why we won't be back for a while. The small salads we started with - Caesar and one with the House creamy Italian - were very good. The lasagna was a huge disappointment to the other diner - he had a hard time finding any noodles in the bowl with an excessive amount of melted cheese and sauce. My entree of Fettucini Gorgonzola was huge and very filling, and tasted even better the next day. Unfortunately, we were charged a 3+% fee for using a credit card, which we didn't see any notification about and weren't told personally. read more

I recently moved to the Beaverdale area and have been to Christopher's a handful of times and have yet to have a less than excellent experience. Each time I go, it feels like home. You can tell that the place has mostly local and loyal clientele. The hostess alone deserves her own little shoutout because no matter who walks through that door, she will make you feel like family that she's known for years - she really makes you feel at home. The food is outstanding. I particularly love the crab cakes, and the Sophia pasta. But everything down to the house salad and the bread on the table is superb. I most recently tried the tiramisu for my birthday (which they topped with a candle) and it was as good, maybe even better, as any I've had in Italy! read more

Christophers - Italian Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

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My wife and I have been going to Christopher's off and on for 41 years. This is where I asked my lovely bride to marry me. Christophers has always had a special place in our heart because of that. About the food, In that 41 years we have never had a bad meal, The food has always been terrific no matter what we have ordered. We took another couple out for dinner last night and once again, the food was wonderful. My personal favorite is the baked lasagna. If you like fried chicken you have to try the pan fried chicken. It states right on the menu it takes 30 minuets to prepare but I will say it is worth the wait. For your salad, try the house dressing. read more

Really wish I was on here to write a good review because the first time I ate here in winter of 2021 really was an 11/10 experience...decided to come here tonight for a date night, ordered the same thing as last time (spaghetti with meatballs) and it was AWFUL...the plate was just completely doused in sauce...I could barely find the noodles/meatballs...it literally looked like a bowl of tomato soup. I didn't have the heart to tell the waitress because she was nice and looked busy, but it was terrible. Was planning on bringing my entire family here later this month, but will definitely not be doing that unless they were willing to make It right somehow...I would suggest Latin King or Centro if you want 10/10 food. Truly disappointed tho time... read more

This was my first time here with a girlfriend and it was surprisingly super delicious! I've always wanted to explore the Beaverdale area more and I'm so glad I discovered this place! We both got he pasta Fresca which is vegetarian and NOT lacking in flavor! Servings are classic Italian, aka huge. Rich in flavor and lots of veggies! Delicious! I can't wait to go back! The ambiance was also classic Italian, with the rich reds and greens, high booths and wood grain everything. All meals come with bread and butter to share. I guess this place has been around for a very long time and I can definitely see why! If you're in the area- STOP! You won't regret it. read more

My fiance and I decided to come here for our anniversary. We were not disappointed. The entire staff was very welcoming and sincere. We really love the beverdale area and cannot believe we passed over this place in all the years we've lived here. The menu items are on the pricey side but the portions are very good. I had a glass of wine with my pasta and I was very pleased the amount I had in my glass. The pasta dish itself was very filling but favorable and fresh. I was completely surprised when the waitress brought out a complimentary dessert for our anniversary ( which was very delicious by the way). Above all it was a nice experience and we would return here again on another special occasion. read more

Christophers - Hubby ordered the Beverdale Burger loaded with fries - Italian Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

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Went early on a Friday and it filled up quickly. They had a great drink and food selection- our table was able to order a little of everything. I ordered a chicken and pasta dish which was ok but rather salty and had a heavy, heavy garlic flavor. (I couldn't keep the leftovers in my fridge it was so strong.) My friends who got steaks were pleased. However, my friend who got fish/rice pilaf was underwhelmed. TL;DR- everything was ok, order steak dishes and you will be all set read more

The restaurant was dark but romantic the food was just OK for what it cost I expected a little bit more i hadhad a prime rib it was dry obviously it wasn't seasoned and then cooked. The restaurant was busy which is a good sign usually. I will try them again but order something other than the Prime rib. If I were to compare this to Texas Road House I'm sorry but their prime rib wins hands down and less expensive. read more

Amazing food, I love the stuffed mushrooms and the Beaverdale Burger. Great restaurant read more

Christophers - Italian Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

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If you want good Italian I would recommend giving this place a try! This is a family owned Italian restaurant on Hickman. I've been to Christopher's twice and had wonderful service each time! They try to make you feel at home each time you visit. The food was delicious as well. I had the chicken velouté and it was cooked perfectly. The mashed potatoes were so creamy and garlicy. I couldn't stop eating my dish! To end off tag night we had to try tiramisu. There was not enough alcohol for my taste but it was still very tasty! Again try this place!!! It is delicious! read more

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Food is 5 stars, by far. Service was okay, which is why the entire rating is not higher. Food Apps: We had the fired calamari and crab cakes. Some of the best I have ever had. They were flaky, flavorful, and fresh. The sauce that comes with them was excellent. Entrees: My fiance had the prime rib, lobster tail, and mashed potatoes. The prime rib was pretty good, the lobster was nice and thick, and the mashed potatoes had great texture, taste, and were HUGE. I had the New York strip, with onions and mushrooms, and asparagus. Easily the BEST steak I have ever had. It was cooked perfectly, had a great mixture of crispy and fatty pieces, and was also HUGE. The asparagus was also very, very good! Dessert: We shared a chocolate falling cake. The outside had a bit of a crust to it (which was excellent) while the inside was super moist. The mixture of chocolate, raspberry, and vanilla ice cream was a great way to finish the meal. Overall, the service was okay. It was a bit busy, so we weren't too surprised that our food took so long to come out. However, even just getting our drinks took FOREVER. When someone came around to refill drinks, everyone's were refilled (even those whose waters had barely been touched) except for my fiance's, whose glass was completely empty. Other than that, the service was respectable, just not amazing. We will definitely be returning!! read more

The chicken parm was very good. Solid portion size. I ordered it for take out and it was ready. I picked it up. Took it home. Ate it. Would recommend. read more

OK, let me tell you a story. Once upon a time, all over Des Moines, there were family-owned, family-run Italian restaurants, where you were greeted and seated as family, where the meals tasted like Mama was in the kitchen, where the staff treated each other kindly ("Would you do me a favor?" "Could you please?"), where the drinks were perfect, the Chianti dry and mellow, and you looked forward to your next visit before you finished the current one. The end. No, not the end, because Christopher's DOES exist, and we ate there last night. There were families and couples, little girls in dresses, happy chatter from the bar, an incredible bowl of lasagna, because it took a bowl to hold the deliciousness. He also had escargot, which he does when he's enjoying himself, and it seemed to be a double serving, I had chicken in a wine sauce with olives. Service was impeccable. And oh, how we look forward to our next visit. read more

Lounge has a fun atmosphere and fantastic staff. Large menu selection and weekly features. We had a assortment of appetizers and wine. Large portions and fair price. Look forward to going back to enjoy more if the menu. read more

Christophers - YUMMY! Flavored Moscow Mules, we elected appetizers for dinner with Tiki Meatballs, half order of onion..bar staff FAB!! - Italian Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

My wife and I were here the other day, I ordered a pizza Pepperoni and Sausage, one of the worst pizza's I have ever eaten, no red sauce, only about 6 pieces of Sausage, there is no taste without red sauce, you have no spaghetti, no cavatelli and no ravioli, I love your homemade bread, but bread won't bring us back, and we have been coming here for a long time, and that was because the server would let us order pizza from the bar, and that pizza was better tasting, but she would not let us this time, You failed!! read more

This long time iconic Beaverdale restaurant is one of our favorites! We live to go and sit in the bar when we are looking for a drink and something light - and especially love the Boursin mushrooms! All the appetizers are delicious and alone can satisfy us some evenings! When we want a quieter more personal date night or experience, we eat in the dining room and servers are always helpful! There are specials and meals are always hot and cooked perfectly! The Italian pasta choices are delicious!!! My husband always gets the lasagna, but I prefer trying something different each visit and have never been disappointed! Portions are generous and prices are reasonable! read more

Went there for a birthday party awhile back. This is a great place to people watch because all the regulars know the staff and owners and the owner went from table to table greeting friends and customers. The waiter we had was superb, he was attentive and listened when you spoke. He was very helpful when the kitchen staff messed up my order and treated us right and took care of the situation in a very prompt, smart manner. Ordered a nice gin martini that was very, very tasty and I ordered a pasta dish that was already vegan on the menu. What a nice treat. This place is HUGE and full of life. You WILL spend a significant amount of time here and it is not a place to grab a quick bite. I'd say 2 hours probably. It's pretty great. read more

Classic dinner club. Dark, relaxed bar. White tableclothes and a warm dining area. We had the bruschetta for an app. 6 pieces for $6.5, not bad at all, plus they were very good. Salad's came next, they were fresh and crisp. My wife had the scallops for about $20, and I had the linguini for $13. Both were excellent! The scallops had a wonderful sauce to them and the linguini was pretty spicy, exactly what I was expecting. They only get 4 stars because after dinner we had to wait about 10 minutes before the waiter paid us attention. Also, he didn't box the mashed potatoes with the scallops which were part of the meal. Why wouldn't you box the potatoes!?! Check for coupons at restaurant.com, otherwise expect to pay about $80 for 2 people if you get drinks at the bar beforehand as well as with your meal. read more

Kathleen Many, many thanks to Ron and his entire staff at Christopher's for helping us plan and host an AMAZING 95th Birthday Party for our mother. The evening was perfect - from our delightful wait staff , a beautiful room set up and, of course, the great food. Ron is the ultimate professional in planning and hosting events with great ease, walking us through all our needs and making our wishes come true for evening truly wonderful for my mother and all our guests. A night we will all remember as special and spectular read more

This place is bigger than it looks. We had a large party and they were very good about accommodating our high maintenance group. We were there for a family birthday and to our surprise they brought us out two of their HUGE appetizer sampler platters as a gift...definitely a bonus!! The portions were MASSIVE so make sure you go hungry. If/when I make it back here I will split so I don't walk out with a tummy too full plus a to-go box will another meal worth of food. But overall everyone seemed to really enjoy the entree they got. They have a large variety of choices to satisfy everyone. I had the salmon with was great but the pasta and pizza looked good as well. read more

This has always been a fantastic place to enjoy special events here. We had another family birthday event here. Our server was awesome and he had great help keeping all of our waters filled while it was so warm outside we were thirsty. I had the Chicken soto that came out with this awesome tasting chicken breast. I had it with noodles. The noodles were just that I didnt notice any extra sauce or anything on them so I personally wasnt feeling plain noodles and I left them on the plate. read more

I've only been here once, but it was a homerun. The food was top notch and affordable. I'm not sure if the lady that was the hostess is the owner, but she was totally nice. Our waitress was a 10 out of 10. Not too much more I can really say. I'll definitely be back! read more

Our last dinner at Christopher's was not up to the level we expected. Granted, it was packed on a Saturday night, but that's SOP for the restaurant. Our waitress was friendly and attentive, but things went wrong. I don't know where the miscommunication occurred, but the martini that was supposed to be on the rocks was rockless, and the steak that was supposed to be medium rare was in danger of mooing. However, the calamari and Boursin mushrooms were excellent, and the Lemon Chicken got good marks. And a friend was glad to get a small order of baby back ribs. More about that steak: I've been sampling Steak de Burgo at every restaurant that features it. The sauce varies from chef to chef, but it's basically butter, wine and garlic with herbs and spices that each chef prefers. In addition, some add cream, some make it thick, some thin. But the essential flavor is butter and garlic. Not so that night. Butter and cream dominated, not much else. So far, my votes for de Burgo go to The Latin King and Johnny's Italian Steakhouse. (For more info on Steak de Burgo, check Wikipedia. It has a pretty good entry on the entree.) (sorry, I couldn't resist that) read more

Waited 20 minutes to even get a drink and then left. Too bad because I always liked this place before. Would give zero stars if I could

Love love this place. We usually sit at the bar and order because the service seems quicker. Prime rib is amazing also the chicken veloute is one of a kind. They have some amazing pizzas and the spaghetti with meatballs Comes with delicious hand rolled meatballs. I love the fact they have a petite menu so if you're not starving or have decided to get an appetizer you don't leave there feeling like you overate. Also as an added bonus the drinks are always well poured. read more

Christophers - Spaghetti & meatballs - Italian Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

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This place is AWESOME! AMAZING pizza and onion rings for one thing, but their whole menu and GREAT! Italian/American foods that are always good, fresh and hot. The bar has a great atmosphere and you can order off the menu in there if you'd prefer. Great for dining alone at the bar and enjoying great company of the bartenders and patrons. Desserts are awesome, too! Sunday Brunch is GREAT too and the first Sunday of each month they include prime rib! GREAT value at an upscale FAMILY owned restaurant. Can't say enough good things about this place - try it and you'll quickly become a regular. read more

Awesome thin crust pizza - 5 stars. The drink specials are great, and the bar tender was fantastic and professional. All around great service, wonderful atmosphere, and an awesome meal. The bathroom is shared with another business, and it was out of order. There was another unisex bathroom in the back of the restaurant, and there was a line for it. If the other bathroom is in service next time (and clean), this place gets a 5-star for sure. read more

I had fettuccine Alfredo with chicken on New Year's Eve. It was pretty bad, probably the worst I've had in Des Moines. Thick layer of cheese on top which made the pasta stick together. I could've lifted the entire dish with one scoop of my fork. Gross! This is a pretty simple dish to make so I was very surprised with what they served. I haven't been to Christopher's in several years, but certainly not how I remember it. I used to always get the pan fried chicken, but $24 seemed excessive for fried chicken. But I guess it was my mistake for trying something else. I would've rather overpaid for the chicken. I won't be back. read more

First off the host deserves 10 stars, she is the best host I've ever seen anywhere, she will make you feel right at home! This place has a great wine and beer selection plus the food is awesome! The only complaint is the bruchetta..tasted more like pizza bread then bruchetta..who melts cheese on their bruchetta?? Still recommend though read more

Very Dissappointed tonight in our service. Sat in back room and John was our waiter. Took me and my wife 1-1/2 hours to get and eat our meals. Had to ask for take home box and bill. Waiter not very friendly and did not even thank us for eating there. Will be a long time before we return. read more

Chicken Parma was good, and the calamari was just ok. If you are practicing safety with the virus this place probably isn't for you. I got take out, and the bar was packed, and the bartender gave me a dirty pen floating around on the bar. Nobody was social distancing, and not all staff had masks on. I expected more for their prices and being a higher end restaurant. read more

This has been a family favorite for years... there are two distinct environments at Christopher's; you have the back dining room which has darker lighting and is quieter, and then the front with the bar and TVs. The food is pretty standard but has never disappointed... what is rather noteworthy is that the portions are HUGE, especially the pasta dishes, and some chicken plates. I would say there is easily enough for 3 meals. There are some advantages to this if you are willing to split, but otherwise, plan accordingly. Unanimously, the food is quite good no matter what you choose (pasta, chicken, fish, pizza, or sandwiches), and I especially love their mashed potatoes which are served with several of the chicken entrees. And the warm bread served before meals is tasty. House salads are mostly iceberg lettuce which isn't my favorite, nor is the fact that to-go boxes are all styrofoam. It's a nice family restaurant with entrees ranging from $13-20, and 4 "petite" portions: $10-13. Christopher's is a classic. read more

Christophers - Chicken corcuzo - Italian Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

Good service, but the chicken marsala left a lot to be desired. Was told that it came with mashed potatoes, but came with fettuccini pasta. High end cost and they charge tax on top of gratuities. read more

Sat down at the bar, Glenlevit on the rocks within the first min. Prime Rib follows in about 5 min. Nice!

It has been a long week...probably month, but let's go with a week. My lovely wife asked if she could take me up on an offer to eat out. Christophers is so close and we had talked about eating there for a while. I remember my sister's first boyfriend in high school used to take her there if he was trying to impress her. He ended up breaking her heart, so that is not a great recommendation. That as it may be, I had the steak and the roasted pear salad. My bride had the chicken parmesan with both white and red sauce. The white was a little cheesy for both of us but she enjoyed the chicken and the marinara. We shared the creme` brulee` which was luscious. My favorite was the roasted pear salad. I had to pay a $5 uptic to have this instead of the dinner salad and it was worth every penny. I would eat here again just for the salad. And that isn't even counting the service. We never went more than 15 minutes without someone check our drinks or our satisfaction. It wasn't cloying or hovering, but very attentive. You will pay a decent price for a nice meal, but you won't regret the expense. read more

The lasagna was amazing and the prime rib hit the spot. Our server was equally amazing and friendly. The atmosphere was intimate.

Only went to the bar area for a Christmas exchange of gifts. Drinks were typical and decent prices. Dark and comfortable ambience. We would return. read more

A first class restaurant in Des Moines the last 50 years. Ron and Renee will greet you with great service and great food. I've been going there since they opened. read more

First visit to Christophers last night & loved it! Started with the spinach artichoke appetizer which was the best I've ever had! The dip had great flavor and came with a side of warm pita bread, delicious! Entree came with soup or salad, and my cheesy potato soup was tasty as well. Bread service was delivered before our entrees arrived. I got the Sophia and added shrimp, delicious penne with a tasty cream sauce! Significant other got lasagna which was great. Menu is large & diverse, service was great! Can't wait to go back! read more

We had a great NYE dinner here . They have a regular clientele that packs the place. Our waitress had worked here 35 years and was great. Everything is well prepared and the service is great. The restaurant itself could use an update, but don't let that stop you. We will be back for sure. read more