This place was great! I loved the vibe this place gave and the service was perfect. It's a perfect place to take a date and the food was really good. read more

Excellent service and excellent food! Justin is fantastic and the chicken carbonara is to die for!

I went there a few days ago with a friend at 5pm. No wait. Very friendly staff. Waters immediately. Owner came to our table because waitress wasn't quite available. SUPER personable. We had butternut squash risotto and it was some of THEE best I have ever had! I want to go back today!! Large menu. Became very busy within 30 minutes. Nice atmosphere. Wine was excellent. It's my new favorite place! read more

I am not an Italian food fan. Everyone else seems to be. I try to avoid unhealthy carbs, huge Italian portions, and calorie dense and heavily sauced dishes. Yet my boss takes us here every time we are both in West Des Moines. So, I think I have made it clear I would never go here on my own. So why the five star rating? First of all, the older lady hostess has always seated me and the place just has a genuine Italian diner feel to it. I assumed she was the owner. It feels like one of the Italian restaurants in Boston's North End. Yeah, way out in little West Des Moines. The interior is quaint and cozy and just generally nice. Waiter was too attentive if anything. Should I complain about too much service? I think he was concerned we wanted more booze and did not know it was a business discussion. Otherwise awesome. Here I go on my Iowa beer and IPA tirade. Hello? I am not from Iowa, but I know two of the best microbreweries in the nation are in Des Moines and Iowa City. But they serve a bottle of Deschutes porter (and a long list of unmentionables). So what if it is Italian. The local IPAs are fabulous. Go local and get a keg. Try it out. We started off with warm bread and individual bowls of olive oil. Really good bread. We got two plates of the calamari. I like the deep fried thin pieces, but these are the healthier fat slabs and lightly battered. We wolfed them down. I'd get them again. I was not going to order a salad until my boss ordered a Caesar and the waiter asked if he wanted anchovies. Rewind. "Real anchovies?", I had to interrupt and ask. Completely changed my view of this place. It is extremely rare to find authentic Caesar salad with anchovies. This came with fat salty slabs right on top, not little bits mixed in. All those times I have been there before ... funny thing is, I had searched the menu for anchovy pizza and even took a picture of the menu to complain about it later (anchovy pizza is another indicator of authentic Italian, IMO). Well, they have them. And yeah, the salad was really good, one of the best I've had. Maybe THE best with the anchovies. 5 stars. For my actual meal, I got the Spicy Seafood Linguini. It was okay. I asked for crushed red pepper to give it a kick, but I am from Los Angeles and grew up eating very hot and spicy food. There were maybe three prawns, a few calamari and maybe one scallop, and a ton of sauce and noodles. I was expecting more seafood and less sauce and noodles. I'd give that three stars. Prices are reasonable. So, to recap, the only ding is for the lack of seafood and spice in the main dish, but maybe that is how it is supposed to be. Everything else, from service to ambience to the great salad, five stars. And get some tap Iowa beer! read more

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Love this place. Always. Great atmosphere and the food is always delicious. My wife's favorite "go-to"

One of the best Italian restaurants in town! I haven't had a dish here I haven't liked. I particular love the eggplant Parmesan and the chicken Marsala. Very tasty! Service is very good as well. read more

Always have had great food until this last visit. I decided to get the chicken picccata, I like to order it to compare different restaurants and the way I cook it. The chicken was so dry and the sauce had little to no flavor. It was so bad I started to gag​. They didn't charge and ask to bring me something else. I didn't want to eat after everyone else was done. They'll was still $100 and on top of that there was a Mgr comp fee of $6. I would give 5 stars to the server she was excellent and actually said the chicken piccata. read more

Service, atmosphere and food are outstanding! We love this place for a nice dinner or just grabbing a pizza. Always good to! Always friendly! read more

First time trying Cosi Cucina, and went all out. We got the Toasted Ravioli and Mozzarella sticks for our appetizer. Both were very good, but the Toasted Ravioli was in a class of its own and is a MUST TRY when you go. As far as the mozzarella sticks, they were good but not the star of the show. I do recommend getting the smaller portion of them rather than larger, because they are thick and filling. Next we both had a side Caesar salad, which was also good but it's something you could get anywhere. However, I will say the portion was once again great. It was fairly large for a side salad. For the entree I got the Ziti Cucina, to which I added the Meatballs and Diana Sauce to make it the 'Pasta Special. My wife got the Lobster Farfalle. The Pasta special was legitimately some of the best pasta I've ever had, the tomato cream sauce was rich and the Graziano Sausage complemented it perfectly. The red pepper flakes added a small zip to it as well. 10/10 would recommend the Pasta special. The Lobster Farfalle had a Creamy white sauce which was very delicious, and my wife added shrimp as well which made the dish even better. The sauce was thin which helped keep the meal a bit lighter, meanwhile the Pasta Special was very hearty and filling. All of our food came out quickly and at the perfect temperature. Lastly, we both got the Marble Brownie for dessert, and it was something I will get every time I go. It was a large circular brownie, with a scoop of coffee flavored ice cream on top. It also came with fresh strawberries and orange slices. The brownie was VERY moist and rich, and the coffee ice cream was the best accessory you get. The service was very good as well, our waitress Kaitltn was very timely and did a good job. The rest of the staff seemed on point as well, everyone had a hustle in they're step. The inside has a dim and calm feel, like an old school Italian restaurant. My total came out to 149.01, and was very worth it for the amount of food I got. All in all I would strongly recommend you add Cosi Cucina to your list of restaurants to try, it will now be in my regular rotation. read more

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I love this restaurant, but hadn't been in quite sometime! The food is always on point and delicious, so took some out of town co-workers tonight. The staff was very friendly and attentive and the food was again wonderful. However, when we ordered the waitress asked if we would like soup or salad with our entree presenting the question as if they came with the entree, so I was quite surprised when I got my bill and saw a $7.00 charge for a tiny cup of soup. :( Other than the miscommunication it was excellent yet again. read more

Amazing food! Get there early! It packs up quick! Recommend for date night or special occasion.

The food is delicious and the service is second to none. Quaint little restaurant. Worth the price.

We have been going to Cosi for years! Whenever a restaurant switches owners, you always hope and pray that they continue serving quality food with great service. Nick and his team never disappoint!!! There is always a small wait, but trust when we say it is well worth it.! Even with the crazy snow storms and delays in deliveries, his team was able to dish out top tier Italian cuisine! Ziti Cucina is always my go to and spot on. Stuff mushrooms were unbelievably delicious this time and you can NEVER go wrong with homemade pizza. Stop in today for some great services, unbelievably tasty food and a welcoming atmosphere. Just do yourself one favor, do not forget to add a cheesecake or two to go! read more

Cosi Cucina is a hidden gem. Fantastic service, great tasting and appropriately priced food with a nice ambiance. Be prepared to wait, the lines can be long. Get a drink from the bar and enjoy the evening. We enjoy a great meal that takes its time!! read more

This is a great place to eat the atmosphere is awesome from The host to the waitress great service! And the food was amazing including the desserts! If you're looking for a great Italian restaurant in Clive Des Moines I would pick this one you can't go wrong! read more

The meal I get, I always have to bring home cause there's no way I can eat it all, then it lasts for 2 more meals

The calamari was cut like french fries and while it wasn't awful, it would not fulfill your craving of calamari that you get at most Italian restaurants. I got the lasagna and it was ok, Christophers is much better. I know its a very popular restaurant, but I didn't get the hype. Prefer Christophers by far. read more

I've been to Cosi cucina several times and went last night with two other friends which was this Sunday night went about 6 ish and were seated and even though we had some trouble with the seating we are given new seats right away. They have a wine list and they actually have a small premium wine list which is worth looking at and I compliment the waitress because she admitted she wasn't sure about the wines, we told her the type of palette we had she went and checked which was great. And offered us a wine to taste which we didn't like and then went with another which was very good. For dinner went with the Ziti Cucina. It's a nice combination of pasta with Graziano sausage (a favorite of my dining companions!) and a zesty tomato cream sauce. It's rich, without being overpowering, and the serving size was more than ample. I got the option of adding their special sauce on top with the couple meatballs. I saved some to take home for lunch today. One of my dining companions also got the pasta sans the meatballs. my other companion got a steak which he really enjoyed and seemed to be a great choice it came with some garlic mashed potatoes and plenty of green beans. Service was great attentive and the prices were not out of line. If you've never gone I recommend going it's a nice little gym off of 86th Street in the suburbs. you can get reservations if you have a group of six or more otherwise there is no reservations. read more

Last time I went here with my sister. We both ordered lunches. I would rate it higher but they brought everything out at the same time which was annoying. We sat for a while with nothing, wondering why we didn't even get our drinks. However, when everything did come it was delicious. The pasta was wonderfully cooked. The bread was great. The people who waited on us inside were very nice. Just wish our drinks were first, then bread, then meal. As that makes sense. read more

Cosi Cucina Italian Grill - Ziti Cucina. Delicious. - Italian Near Me - Clive, Iowa

We returned to Cosi Cucina as part of the Yelp Elite event and boy am I glad we attended! I had heard the restaurant closed but did not know it had re-opened under the original owners. They have done a wonderful job revamping this place! I was happy to see the huge bushes out front removed, a new sign, and just overall better outside appearance. Of course you still park and enter through the back. Inside they also made some nice decor changes including stained glass, handmade mirrors, etc. Our experience was wonderful this night. To start, we had some bread. In the past, I did not care for the bread. Not sure what they did but I actually enjoyed it for the first time! Next we enjoyed many different appetizers ranging from seafood (calamari & mango shrimp) to pasta (toasted ravioli) to breads (roasted garlic, wood-fired pizzas, etc). All of them were delicious with the Roasted Garlic being one of my favorites! Next they presented an array of entrees for us to partake. I 100% admit that my favorites were not dishes I would have selected myself. My favorite dish was the 'Potato Ravioli.' The sauce was rice and creamy, the meat tender, the ravioli delicious...all of it was just wonderful! My second favorite was the Ostrich. It was my first time eating this bird and it was amazing! You can't go wrong with any of the other dishes we had that night (Ziti Cucina, Classic Italy, Pesto Pasta, Grilled Portabella, etc). To finish the meal, we had a couple of their yummy desserts. I love their cheesecake! It is soft yet firm and oh so creamy! For the chocolate lover in me, I was eager to try the Marble Chocolate Brownie. Delicious! You cannot go wrong with either of these! What a great night! Great service and wonderful food! read more

This is the only spot that passes the picky teenager test. ONLY Cosi Cucina can make Alfredo that pleases my daughter. She's tried it everywhere and thus is the ONLY place she requests to go eat at. Went to Miami and they couldn't live up to Cosi Cucina standards in any restaurant she tried. So it's 5 stars . I love it too :D read more

This cozy Italian restaurant has a nice relaxing vibe and solid food. Definitely not like nonnie used to make, but still delicious!

This last time I had the Supreme pizza minus the onions and peppers. EXCELLENT! I love his pizza because the thin crust is always crispy. Almost like a cracker on the outside half or three quarters. The side Caesar salad was cold and huge. Big enough for two. I think next time I may ask for half a salad, but I did take it home. My husband got the shrimp scampi and loved it as well. Peter told us about some pizzas he has been trying out so I suggest you ask about those. We also really like the Bruschetta, calamari and the roasted garlic. His pasta dishes are always good too. Lobster bisque (when they have it) is. To. Die. For. The staff is always pleasant, helpful, attentive and friendly. Sometimes, when they are busy, they are a little harried, but put yourself in their shoes trying to be everyone and everywhere at once. We have been in since the COViD thing and felt VERY COMFORTABLE and safe read more

A friend told me this place was good so I gave it a try. Got meat balls and they we're good flavor just a little overcooked. I got a creamy pesto pasta and it ended up being very bland so I ended up getting something else. I got the Ziti Cucina one of there dishes they are known for and it was good, I just wish it had more Italian sausage. Lobster bisque was delicious! I tried my husbands lobster farfelle and it was really good with big chunks of lobster in it. The service was great! They have great drinks and friendly staff. read more

Kion did a very great job taking care of a large group with some food allergies and kids! Pasta was amazing as always. And included a free dessert for my graduation. Very accommodating! read more

We are in the 5 week of not being able to go to Cosi, so since I can't take my wife to Cosi, I brought Cosi to her. A big THANK YOU to Peter and his staff for an amazing evening. Date night at home. My wife knew about the date as I asked her to dress up, but Cosi was a surprise and she loved it!! I order the smoked chicken pasta, pine nut salad, and there famous and amazing cheesecake!! Plus drinks (mule and Cosi old fashion). To top it off, the staff gave me a few dog bones for our dog Champ. We've had so many amazing dinners at Cosi and cannot wait to join them in person, but until then date night at home has been just as special. Thank you Peter and staff!!! Amazing night!!! read more

Cosi Cucina Italian Grill - Italian Near Me - Clive, Iowa

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The food here is divine. Today I had the signature ziti dish -- delicious with a bit of heat.

Me and my friends been to here Saturday noon. The restaurant was definitely empty besides us :) The food arrived real quick. We had the grilled portobello, mushroom lasagna and potatoes ravioli. The food is good, bit oily, nice service. Still looking for the best Italian restaurant in Iowa read more

Cosi Cucina Italian Grill - Mushrooms lasagna - Italian Near Me - Clive, Iowa

Family birthday dinner for step-grandson Scott Fied at Cosi Cucina. Server Sara was the best dealing with our group of 8. Appetizers included Roasted Garlic and Fried Calami, which were shared by the table. Dinners were various pasta dishes and lasagne plus two ordered huge dinner salads. Everything was served hot and in well timed fashion with just the right amount of attention and follow up by Sara. Mary and I shared Fettecini Alfredo with shrimp dinner which was served us already split without asking and no plate charge - a very nice touch. Birthday boy Scott was served a small cheesecake with a candle and we all were gifted a shot of pineapple liquor. What can I say? Only the best tonight at Cosi Cucina! The Bartels and their crew are getting it on. Go there! read more

An Italian go to. Building is a bit run down looking on the outside but once you get inside the staff, food and vibe doesn't disappoint.

I love cosi cucina. I moved out of town for 5 years and just remembered my old favorite cosi. Its really nice that not a thing has changed about them except some fashionable updated decor. The food is exactly as good as I remember. My favorites are the smoked chicken penne and the fusilli alfredo with meatballs. A bit pricey for pasta, but its an indulgence that I never regret. Excellent food and service and they do curbside pickup as well. read more

My husband and I stopped in for dinner in to celebrate our anniversary. We almost forgot about this place with so many choices in town. It's a great little restaurant that serves awesome food. We really liked the big, fluffy pieces of bread they gave us served with olive oil. I could tell it was good quality olive oil, too. My only complaint was that I wish the bread had been warmed up. They weren't stingy with the bread, though. When our waiter saw we had finished our bread, he gave us more. That's what I like to see. I ordered the mushroom lasagna and my husband got the ziti cucina. I liked my lasagna but wished I could taste more of the chardonnay cream sauce. There wasn't much sauce to be seen. But I did have a ton of mushrooms in my lasagna. Both of us absolutely loved the ziti. The zesty tomato cream sauce is the bomb! I was stealing bites off my husband's plate because it was so good. I would definitely get that the next time I come back. Both of our noodles were cooked perfectly and the portions were a good size. There were some other pasta dishes and entrees that sounded yummy, as well as their calzones and pizzas made in their wood-fired oven that I might have to try on future visits. They also have a big wine list. I'm not a wine drinker, but I was still impressed. The place is cozy and a great place for couples. I'm definitely a fan. read more

One of the best experiences I have had in a long time. My wife had the Penne with meatballs, (unbelievable) and I had the filet with a scampi sauce, (also unbelievable). Keone, (I know I'm spelling that wrong) took care of us and was awesome. I really cannot recommend this place high enough. I travel the country from LA to NY, and this is one of the best places I have tried in a long time. A true jewell that I did not expect. The staff is genuinely great, the kitchen kicks a$$ and our entire night was made by the friendliest staff I've had in years. Try it! You will not be disappointed! read more

In response to the owner's response of my review: I will say that I know the history of Cosi Cucina, and he is correct the original owners did get their business back, (multiple times) due to poor business. As I said in my review, I have been eating there my whole life, including through the various owners the business has had. As far as the large menu goes, it's overwhelming and that is the issue with it. The cheesecake is very good and the original owners recipe. This isn't something he should take credit for, beyond him choosing to continue it. As far as the accusation of taking things out on the waiter goes, the tip was warranted. He was very raw around the edges and we had just found out my Uncle had been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. We were not very chipper and wanted to relax. We had questions and he was unable to answer them we had to ask him to find out. He interrupted us while we were in the middle of conversations. He forgot the wine I believe, which I think was what caused my mother's main displeasure. My mother apparently wrote the mentioned note. I was not aware of it, and did not mention the service because I did not think it was an issue. I am not the one who paid the check. The owner would have known this by looking at the name on the credit card receipt. The owner is understandably defensive of his business. I do believe in differences of opinions and what people think is good. However the need to mention the spelling is extremely unprofessional, as well as his attitude when I tried to call today to discuss it with him "I do not believe I was unprofessional" and "I do not have time to talk to you about this, we are in the middle of our dinner rush." all in a tone that he did not care what I had to say or my feelings about it. When I called I will admit I was shaken and upset, because we were just thinking about visiting his restaurant today. I am glad I was not sitting in his establishment when I saw this notification, as I was in tears. Upon reading his responses to other people who have left unhappy reviews this doesn't surprise me. ------ I've been eating at Cosi Cucina since I've been a child. I've seen many an owner come and go and I have to say the most current ones have done a bit of a disservice to the restaurant. I'm not saying its terrible, and if you are a new person to Cosi you'd probably like it. However, if someone is looking for classic Cosi, under the original owners you'll probably be disappointed. First thing is, the menu is huge. It seems like when they redid the menu they wanted to add their own things, without removing anything on the old menu. Therefore its hard to navigate and it seems like the cooks don't specialize in anything anymore. They also added what I would call little 'warnings' to their menu items. It makes me wonder if they have had a lot of complaints about those items. I suppose all of that would be ok, as everything generally taste good, if they hadn't raised the prices 2 or 3 dollars across the board. (At least from what I observed.) I'm also not a fan of the changes they have made as far as decor. Cosi has always been a really upscale and intimate place. They added a VERY large tv and fake fireplace in the corner, which in my opinion, cheapens everything. It makes it feel like you are in a sports bar but paying $50+ a person for a meal. Food wise, their salads are average. Their more expensive salads are no longer worth the price, and if you get anything I'd just get the "house salad." I still very much enjoy the Lobster Bisque Soup though. For entree's I would recommend going with their pasta's. My favorite is the Lobster Farfelle. Its a fairly solid pasta that has not really changed over time. Is it the most amazing pasta ever? No. However there is good solid flavor, decent amounts of lobster and the pasta is cooked well. Their special "Diana sauce", while much hyped I would say is very much your average Italian tomato sauce. If you've grown up eating Prego straight from a can you'll find it amazing, if you've grown up cooking or eating out at good restaurants, its about the same as any other homemade sauce or "gravy". The ribeye, which used to be my favorite item on the menu, is now not something I'd order again. It's not terrible, its an average piece of steak, and I think many people would like it. However, comparing it to its former glory, its lacking both the quality and the technique of its predecessor. The previous cut was cut much better, making the overall temp of the steak more consistent (I order my beef medium rare). Also it used to be aged, and I'd say the one I received on my last visit was not, or at least not to the degree where it made a difference. The steak was also missing the nice sear that I have become accustomed to previously. I would not say this restaurant is bad, nor that I would never visit it again, however when I'm looking for a spectacular meal, I will no longer be visiting Cosi. read more

We went here to celebrate our anniversary, the environment is nice a bit on the dark side you can barely see the menu, but it was kinda romantic. The food was good love the their marinara sauce, we also ordered wine which was good, but price was $30. The waiter gave a complimentary desert to take which was really good. The reasons I gave it 3 is the prices are bit high,right before we left we started smelling mold coming from the vent, we brought to the staffs attention and they said it was because it's raining..not sure if I believe it. Also after we left we found the exact same wine at Sams Cub for 12 dollars. read more

We went to Cosi Cucina last night. And our food was delicious. The entire group liked their food. One of my friends got the Chicken Parmigiana and he gobbled up the entire dish. The rest of us had at least one more meal we took home as the portions were enormous. I had the special which was a spiral spaghetti noodle Alfredo with meatballs. They also have yummy homemade rolls that come to the table warm with individual olive oil dipping ramekins. As a person who is a self proclaimed germ-a-phob I truly appreciated this. The server was very attentive and we were fortunate enough to be seated next to the fireplace. The parking is great and they also have call ahead seating available. The restaurant experience was pleasant and I will be back. read more

So disappointed. I had been looking forward to getting a specific salad TO GO from Cosi tonight. When I called I was told that "to go ordering has been turned off" for the evening due to volume. I asked if that included for simply a small side size salad to go (candied almond) and was told YEP! Sorry not sorry, but this seemed a bit outlandish. I didn't want order $100...I wanted...a small salad. Too bad read more

We were passing through and wanted something more substantial than many other options around the Sheraton West Des Moines. A restaurant that was unpretentious, but offered quality product at an every day price. I researched Yelp and found helpful reviews (always!) that suggested this was our place. IT WAS! Attentive but non-intrusive service, in a unpretentious restaurant. We found the selections offered to be thoughtful and well priced. We were coming off of a wedding-weekend, on our way home, and wanted entrees that were not heavy or overly done. This proved to be our place!!! All the pasta is made on-premises and is FRESH! Wine selection is ample without being pretentious and over-priced. My wife ordered simply: Linguine (house made) with a light Alfredo sauce. I had their linguine dish that featured a red sauce with locally made Italian sausage. Both were exceptional and very well priced. Wine was equally well priced and added to the pleasurable experience. This is now a regular on our Des Moines circuit. And I recommend it highly if you aren't into pretentious, 'high-roller' scenes. read more

Came here for restaurant week with friends and left impressed. I gave a list of places to my friends for restaurant week and they choose this place because meal came with wine, nice touch Cosi. Our waitress was polite and attentive. I started with soup, minestrone and it was creamy snd delicious. My entree was the Grilled Portobello with spinach, peppers and asparagus with balsamic glaze. It was well prepared and delicious. The dessert was the winner, warm chewy brownie and coffee ice cream!! I would recommend this place to friends and family, I had a wonderful experience here! read more

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My first experience at a true Italian restaurant wasn't a disappointment. Our server was kind and well informed on the menu. I ordered pasta while my husband ordered a pizza. The wait was appropriate and the food was amazing. We quite enjoyed the atmosphere as well as the smell of fresh pizza being cooked to order. We will be returning in the future. read more

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