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    Fresh Mediterranean Express

    4.2 (168 reviews)
    Open 11:00 am - 8:00 pm

    Fresh Mediterranean Express Photos

    FRESH MEDITERRANEAN EXPRESS ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Good for kids
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Fresh Mediterranean Express

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    Original Gyro (Combo)

    Food was great, fast and friendly service , nice quiet place seating inside and outside. Lots of parking

    Order

    Was excited to try. I've had a lot of Greek food. This gyro missed the mark. Ordered no spice and got home for dinner. With the first bite my mouth lit up. No need for cayenne or other hot spice on a good gyro. I was given a gyro with a lot of heat that I specifically didn't want. Checked the bill to make sure I ordered correctly and I did. Not what I ordered and it's too much to drive back.

    Menu
    Janella L.

    I love this place whenever my husband and I come back to Des Moines. We actually had them do catering for our home wedding signing. Their platters are so colorful and it food is great as a healthier "fast" food option. Their custom teas are sooooo good. This will definitely be a staple now that we've moved to Des Moines

    Paige H.

    Customer service: 10/10!!! The person at the drive thru was so awesome. Food: 11/10!! I'm not gonna lie, most of the rating is going towards the fries. The seasoning was addicting, and I am going back for more. Best fries with seasoning I have ever had. More restaurants need to take notes on these fries. Big fan. I also loved the sauce that had a little bit of horseradish in it. I dipped my chicken in it, and it hit the spot! Pita and tzatziki was great as always. Honestly, I'm here visiting and just stopped here for a quick bite to eat, but I will be coming back before I leave to eat at least 2 large fries by myself. I absolutely love this place!

    Interior design
    Shopping M.

    Highly recommend for authentic Mediterranean. The spicy hummus doesn't disappoint if you like a kick! Darling little set up inside. We have a picky kiddo, so plenty of options for children too.

    Ginger Lemonade and Baklava

    Delicious!!! High quality, fresh, flavorful food. The staff is very friendly. I had a gyro pita, it was the best I've ever had, delicious tzatziki sauce too. My sister had a chicken kabob with spicy peanut sauce, very good! The baklava is outstanding! The ginger lemonade is refreshing. I look forward to coming back!

    Fresh platter with Moroccan chicken.
    Dee W.

    Very good! I needed quick and this delivered. Food came out quickly and not dry. I think everything tasted fresh. Portion was huge. I loved all the sauces and hummus. Chicken Moroccan was heavy on flavor. The salad was perfect with enough tomatoes, onions and cucumbers. I wish they would have served a whole pita so I could eat all the hummus.

    Fresh Platters
    Caroline B.

    My mom and I come here every time I am back in town. It is absolutely fabulous. I always get the chicken platter which comes with chicken, rice, veggies, a Greek salad, and hummus with pita

    Moroccan Chicken Platter with original hummus
    Leah A.

    Best salads on the west side! Fave Mediterranean place in all of Des Moines. The food is SO fresh, and great value. Always friendly staff and the interior is a cute place to catch a casual meal. Don't forget to try the complimentary cucumber water!

    Electronic receipt system.
    Dan T.

    I opted for someplace I've walked by numerous times, but had never stopped to try before. Fresh Mediterranean Express. I ordered the chicken kabob (with spicy peanut sauce) and an original gyro. I like gyros, but honestly they are more my gf's thing. First impressions. It was smaller inside than I thought it would be. It was staffed better than I thought it would be. It smelled incredible. A large chalkboard menu is staged front and center and seeing the available items (and their associated prices) was no problem at all. It's fairly obvious you order at the register as I really didn't see any other options. Standing and waiting for someone to greet you here would make no sense at all. I arrived at pretty much straight up noon so all the tables were taken so I opted to take it to-go. It was a little too brisk to sit outside... My to-go order was ready lightning fast! No wonder they can offer a drive through. I work in West Des Moines in the vicinity of 50th and University so it's a little bit of a drive. The food traveled well and it was almost unbearable to not eat while driving. I was hungry and it smelled that good. I have to admit I didn't pay as much attention to seating as I normally do. I want to say there were six low four person tables. I might be slightly off on that though... There was quite a bit of outdoor patio seating out front for when the weather is warmer. I started with the chicken and the blend of the spices and the obvious freshness of the meat was amazing. I started with a piece of the chicken and it was so good I thought there was no way the gyro could possibly be that good so I held a piece back so I could end my meal with a piece of it too. The gyro was pretty good. One thing the gf tends to mention to me when she eats gyros here in the metro is the lack of taste to the meat. How often the lack of taste is disguised by the tzatziki sauce... I didn't find that at all here. The freshness of the ingredients was obvious from the vegetables, the sauce, and including the meat. Easily one of the best gyros I've had in the metro. I liked the chicken better, but that's all in personal preference. Next time I might opt for one of the chicken wraps or something featuring a similar chicken prepared like the kabobs. It's obvious that "fresh" here is not just part of the name. It's a credo they seem to pride themselves on. As usual I spent a little more on this lunch than I typically do when I try someplace new to me, $15.61 before tip, but they have combos available too. There were no surprises...like I said above everything is laid out and priced plainly on the board. One small side-note. Bring cash for the tip jar (if you so choose). There was no available tip line on the receipt as far as I could tell.

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    3 years ago

    The food is always wonderful here, and they use the right amount of seasoning. It's a healthy alternative to many fast food places.

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    2 years ago

    Their food was excellent! Their service was also great! The website could be a little clearer.

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    2 years ago

    This is delicious. Quick and friendly. Very nice location and I love the vibe. Good prices! Cannot recommend enough.

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    3 years ago

    Excellent food. The family meals are a great deal for healthy quick weeknight dinners. Can't beat the gyros.

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    9 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Owner is incredibly nice and service was fast and friendly. Food is delicious!! Immediate knew I'd be back.

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    4 years ago

    Love the rice bowls! So full of flavor and their hummus is amazing ! All good is amazing!

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    Ask the Community - Fresh Mediterranean Express

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    MJ's Hollywood - Hummus

    MJ's Hollywood

    4.8(4 reviews)
    7.8 mi

    Let's talk about a hole in the wall dive bar! Great food first off. Super authentic and spiced to…read moreperfection. Used to be Gazali's in Clive, so the food was fantastic! The hummus is spiced with a good garlicky and turmeric taste. It's smooth and light. The baba ghanoush is also silky smooth, savory, and light garlic taste. The tzatziki was creamy, thick, herbal, and tangy. The pita! Fluffy, soft, toasted just right with a smoky taste! If you've never dolmas, but love southern bitter greens then this is perfect for you. These dolmas are rice and chicken stuffed grape leaves. It's savory, slightly bitter, and tangy. Over all food was great! Let's talk about the atmosphere. You go through the front door, down a green carpeted hallway and in the right, a wooden door like any other door. Open and go through, you've found the bar! Greeted with a large mural behind the bar of the Hollywood sign, small chandeliers and a pool table. It's a mix of old Hollywood meets disco club. Eclectic I would say. Is it a first date place? No, but it's a small foodie and bar that's great for hanging out outs! And MJ the owner is fantastic. Great host and says they will be doing Saturday theme days too! So be on the look out! Overall great food and divey place to hang out. Will come again.

    Welcomed and greeted upon arrival by MJ himself! He let us know what the food dishes were and we…read moresat at the bar. Bartender was friendly and made great mules! Lots of activities at this bar: pool table, video games, back patio with tv, etc. the gyros were delicious as was the pita chips with tzatziki sauce.

    Photos
    MJ's Hollywood - Front door

    Front door

    MJ's Hollywood - Baba Ghanoush

    Baba Ghanoush

    MJ's Hollywood - Shirley temple

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    Shirley temple

    The Green Olive - Steak kabob with kofta kebab. Homemade hummus, rice, house dressing salad. Comes with hot pita bread too!

    The Green Olive

    4.7(31 reviews)
    7.8 mi
    $$

    I've been meaning to try this place ever since I learned there was a WDM location. Located in a…read morestrip mall at the corner of Grand and EP True (by the HyVee), the decor is nothing special but it was light and bright inside. We were greeted and asked if we were dining in (it appears they do a brisk takeout business) and were told to sit where we wanted. It was surprisingly crowded for a Sunday afternoon at 4 pm. The menu is extensive and hubby and I both like Mediterranean food. I chose the Falafel plate, served with five falafel balls, hummus, a pita, and Greek salad. The portion was generous (ended up taking two falafel home). Served with tahini and their house green sauce (olive oil, cilantro, and jalapeño) It wasn't spicy but it was so delicious - I could get addicted to this thinking of all the other ways so could enjoy it!! The Greek salad was served with house dressing - garlic and yogurt, also very good. The falafel was crispy on the outside and moist on the inside, and flavorful. The hummus was not at all grainy - smooth but just a tad bland. Hubby had the lamb skewers and liked them very much. Served with rice, salad, and hummus. He also took one of the skewers home. We both had the mango Fresca juice. A bit too sweet for me but I generally drink unsweetened beverages. Hubby liked it a lot. Service was friendly and we were checked on twice to ask how we liked our food. Generous portions, friendly service, good food, but not inexpensive (with tip, $55 for two) but what is inexpensive these days?? We enjoyed reading the story of the couple who started this restaurant, and I'm glad we finally had a chance to try it?

    Food is absolutely amazing so fresh so tender. No matter what you pick on the menu it will be…read moredelicious service was amazing as well. You get a ton of food

    Photos
    The Green Olive - Inside

    Inside

    The Green Olive - Lamb skewers

    Lamb skewers

    The Green Olive

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    Fresh Mediterranean Express - mediterranean - Updated August 2026

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