Great steak! I had the 16 oz Ribeye and it was great! I compare steak to growing up on the farm and it was fresh. The service was excellent. Don't judge this restaurant by its exterior. It is worth a stop and was filled with locals. read more

We ordered a bacon wrapped filet mignon and grilled pork chop. The steak tasted good. I ordered it medium rare; however, other than the center it was cooked medium. The pork chop was okay. Good service and friendly place. Okay food. read more

A blast from my past childhood past that I've been trying to go to when visiting for some time. A quaint little brick building on Ingersoll Ave in Des Moines with EXCELLENT onion rings, steaks and burgers. You know it's the right place to be in town when the owner of Adventure Land eats there too. Service was a bit, not to form, to my standards but I could see it as normal at this eclectic well established Des Moines institution. I recommend it! read more

Great steaks, awesome house salad dressing, cold beer. What else could you ask for?

Great dinner best steak anf bottle of wine in a long time. Perfect service and great company. Highly recomend!

Meat was exceptional. Bread was dry. They seated 3 other parties of same and similar size in front us. Then lied about it. We will not be back. read more

This place was amazing. From the outside doesn't look like it. Had to wait 15 min for a table because there is a n exhibition in town but a whiskey helped out. The rib eye was better than in most of two to three times the price. The service was also very good read more

Great service! Friendly owner & bartender! Great tuna steak & fried lobster-yum!!! Nice relaxing atmosphere. Good start to a work trip in Iowa! read more

Place is a throw back to old Des Moines. Food was ok and priced very high. Husband had a new york strip it was over cooked. I had the pasta special shrimp scampi. Needed salt. There was more shrimp then was pasta. Which I'm sure that's how we should eat. House dressing was overly sweet. Server was friendly and she kept an eye on us without being intrusive. We would try it again sometime but not in a hurry to go back right away. read more

Full on a Wednesday night. Ice cold salad plate. Steak was prepared exactly as ordered charred on the outside and medium on the inside. It was aged and flavorful. No fat all steak so slightly on the tough side. Asparagus was tender not stringy and out of season. I dont drimk wine but most tables had wine on them. A little on the pricy side but good for a business dinner or a special occasion. I would go back, $35 for steak, an upchage for the asparagus and two beers. Service was friendly, the owner shook my hand on the way out and thanjked me for coming, read more

We have visited Jesse's Embers many times. We visit again and again because even if we have to wait for a seat we always get great food at a fair price and kind helpful service. My favorite visit was a few months ago with 4 exchange students, three from Taiwan and one from China. Our party was large and noisy (8 people) and the staff at Jesse's treated us just fabulously. And the kids all loved it. It can get tight in the restaurant. But it is just a down home good vibe. They make it work. read more

While in town visiting my parents, I wanted to take them somewhere special for dinner. They like steak and the reviews were good, so I took them to Jessie's Embers. They enjoyed it, but I was disappointed. The service was great-warm, friendly, and attentive. But the salad was plain iceberg lettuce, carrots, and croutons. Although the bread and had probably been baked fresh, it was starting to get a bit stale. And my $30 fillet mignon, while cooked medium rare as ordered, was amazingly tough. Overall the food quality was comparable to a chain steakhouse. Bottom line: I will not return. read more

I have only dined here once so far. I loved it. The meat is AMAZING. Perfectly rare. The potato was delicious and the salad was incredible, especially the dressing. Every person I interacted with from the manager to a dishwasher was so friendly and helpful and I could tell they had a passion for service. This place is perfect. read more

Outstanding service and food. Marty the owner is there every night except Tuesday. The London broil is outstanding. One of my favorite places. read more

Friendly service, wonderful basic food and great drinks...an authentic home-grown DM landmark that withstands the tests of time and trends... It's Jesse's Embers. This restaurant has faithfully served meat of exceptional quality--beautifully cooked--for decades.. I just had a basic grilled chicken sandwich and it was hot, juicy, flavorful and tender, just wonderful. Bun was grilled\toasted too. I've had juicy, marvelous steaks and pork as well. This may not be the place for a strict vegan, though there are several salad choices and veggie sides. Call ahead or get there just before a typical meal rush; this is a small place and waiting/smelling the grill is maddening. There's a full bar and servers are very friendly--and will lob back if you toss a casual zinger their way. This is the kind of good that people don't want to spoil with crowds and drunkenness. Jesse's Embers is a DM jewel that must be kept hidden from cretins. Go, relax and enjoy!! read more

This is a great find if you want a hole in the wall steak place that serves great food. Was in town in business And did not want to eat at a chain. Service was fast , food was good , prices were reasonable. 26.00 for a 12 oz steak with side and salad included. Would come here again. read more

Went here with a small group so we had a good time because of each other's company. This place is very dated, not always a bad thing but be aware. The staff has been working here forever lol, our server did a outstanding job and that's the best thing I can say about the visit. The steaks simply weren't seasoned well and no one got there steak cooked even remotely close to how they ordered it. read more

My husband and I are Des Moines natives. With all the dining options in Des Moines, Jesse's Embers is our go-to place. Their owners and staff are friendly and professional. The bar staff handles the overflow of customers waiting for tables with ease. And the food...well it's the best in town! We even take our kids with us and have always found it to be family friendly. You can always find something great to eat and see a familiar face at Jesse's Embers! read more

One of the best dining experiences I've had! Carol was a fantastic waitress. The Cajun shrimp appetizer was worth every penny. Amazing atmosphere and very cozy. Thank you for making my girlfriends birthday dinner a wonderful experience!!!!! read more

Jesse's Embers has a well established feel. You can tell they've been in business a long time and have been successful. We waited by the bar, standing (it was packed, and on a Monday night nonetheless), right behind the cook and it was neat to see him cooking away in his element and domain. They have a nice wine list but what really caught my eye as far as drinks was the dirty martini with blue cheese stuffed olives. My FAVORITE! The manager overheard me raving about them and brought me a sword w/ a couple more just to snack on. :) The creamy garlic house dressing was a little on the sweeter side almost like a poppy seed base. I didn't taste much garlic but it was still good. My beau had the blue cheese dressing on their salad and I didn't feel like the blue cheese was as pungent as it should have been. The Cajun Shrimp appetizer was great! It's very similar to Shrimp Gabrielle at Buzzard Billy's. The staff was super attentive and very nice. People from all walks of life were seated amongst us and I liked the "come as you are from near or far" welcoming feeling. It was very enjoyable time with great food. Money well spent. GO! read more

Went a couple months ago and have started to recover from the shock of this has-been relic. Unless you like darkness, old cruddy tables and chairs, claustrophobic seating and want to travel back in time to about 1965, stay away. These embers have long ago turned to ash. read more

From out of town and this was one of the best Ribeye steaks I've had in a long time. Cooked perfectly to medium rare. Nothing fancy about the sides but did the job. read more

Wonderful. Nice old school Des Moines. As good as 801 at half the price.

We've been here 2 times now, and can't wait to make it many more. Delicious food and a fun atmosphere. Great service.

This way my first experience enjoying this restaurant ... I've worked in many and found not just the food top notch but service was perfect. My friend pointed out the inside might be dated but who cares! It only led to its charm! My small sirlon was ordered medium rare and cooked to perfection . The fresh bread was just as advertised and fresh and delicious . The manager stopped by out table to thank us for coming and asked how everything was. He didn't over stay his welcome with unwanted chit chat. Our server was friendly and efficient . If I could give it more stars I would! I've lived in dsm my whole life and shame on me for not patronizing this restaurant sooner! Loved it!! read more

One of my hometown faves. It's a standard for a family celebration. You can't beat their steaks, seafood, burgers and sandwiches. Make sure you order a salad with house dressing. I'm never sure which is better - dressing or croutons. Always a toss-up. A friend never leaves without both in to-go tubs to share with her family. Make sure to order the rings! Skinny and crispy. The Emberburger with cheese sauce is unforgettable. I normally despise cheese sauce but not this one. It's real cheese! Enjoy! read more

I have truly never had, such " melt in your mouth steaks"! Friends I've gone with, loved their pasta dishes, too!! Nice size portions and I usually need a "doggy bag" for My lunch, the next day! Saving room for dessert is a must! A fine wine selection and superb cocktails. Fabulous and friendly service. Various types of entertainment nearby if you're making it, a night out! read more

Went for a Valentine's day dinner with my girlfriend (because I wasn't on the ball with a reservation and they were the only restaurant in des moines that was first come, first serve). First impression was very small and cozy atmosphere. You can sit or stand anywhere in the restaurant and see the whole entire place. It seemed like an older crowd, 40's and older. Also seemed like everyone was a frequent visitor there, everyone knew everyone kind of place. The chef, yes 1 - cooks on an open grill for everyone to see. They started us out with onion rings - they were alright. No special taste to them. Then was served a house salad, very plain and the house garlic dressing was ok. They served us a basket of white bread and butter. Also very plain. Our server, Rene, was average. I sat with an empty glass of wine and water for over 5 minutes. It seemed she was taking better care of her regulars. For a main course I got a filet mignon with baked potato. The filet was cooked perfect! The bacon on the outside was just right as well. The baked potato was very plain. Butter and sour cream on the side. The main reason I gave this place 3 stars was because of the owners. They were very hands on, sitting people, bussing tables and etc... They checked on us twice throughout the meal to make sure everything was going well. One asked our plans after our meal and we said movie, as we walked out the door the other one said enjoy your movie so they obviously are trying hard and I like that. Average to good experience overall! I will return just not on a busy night to see if things would be different. read more