Easy online reservation system and parking. Pleasant hostess. Beautiful restaurant. We sat more than 5 minutes before we were greeted and when we finally were it was to be told the server would be right with us. Absolutely unacceptable in any restaurant, never mind at this price point. Obviously by then we were ready to order. No apologies about the wait, no welcome or offer to answer questions, make recommendations, so on like you'd expect from this caliber of restaurant. We had a calamari appetizer that was average at best. I ordered the chicken piccata and mashed potatoes. The chicken was average quality and in preparation, taste was not at all like your traditional or typical piccata that you would expect. No lemon, buttery or caper flavor. Instead a pile of onions on top which probably drown out any taste there might have been. The mashed potatoes were swimming in grease. My friend ordered a steak which she said was excellent and prepared perfectly at medium as requested. She opted for the baked potato which was definitely better than the mashed. Our meals came with salad and bread, both of which were very good. read more

Johnny's Italian Steakhouse - Their version of chicken piccata, greasy mashed potatoes - Italian Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

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Why not order the iconic Steak DeBurgo that's a regional favorite with a tale of two originators. Some say Compriano and others say Tallerico put their stamp on this classically grilled beef tenderloin with a rich creamy Italian sauce dripping with flavor. My wait staffer -- Latonya -- was very attentive and she made sure every course was exceptionally executed. The mixture of jazz to the Sinatra era made you think of where you heard the tune while you slowly savored every bite from the tender steak, focaccia bread to the sweet tooth favorite of Tiramisu that made the environment even more inviting. The decor, music and food provoked curiosity--- prompting you to google the trivia of why Steak DeBurgo was so alluring to the Des Moines area. read more

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The food was microwaved. The help was nonexistent. Nothing was volunteered. We were taking in some carbs after weigh in and we had to go to Applebees after eating at Johnny's. If you get a 64 year old tattooed grandma for your server. Don't bother ordering. Just go somewhere else. Our total cost was 150$ and none of us got a drink refilled. The experience was terrible. We were there at 5 and we were the only customers. There was no excuse for us not to get an extra glass of water. read more

Been here twice while on a layover and both times were wonderful. Hung out at the bar. Server was very personable and attentive. Good and drinks were good. read more

I'm old, tested, know what Johnny and Kay Campianio served. Great steaks. This is a disgrace. My steak $41, was beautifully served but you couldn't cut it. Tough as leather. Salad 7/10, Old Fashioned $11.50, worst ever. Told the waiter, new guy learning the trade, no response. I switched to beer, pint glass served 3/4 full. Bar tender doesn't have a clue. Traveling out of town trying to have a great meal after a long day. Didn't happen. Two stars is a gift . Beautiful setting, disappointing food. read more

Johnny's Italian Steakhouse - Beer - Italian Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

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Went there with a group of 4. I read other reviews of people complaining about the strip or sirloin, so we all got 6oz filet. Medium rare, but i ordered mine medium. They all came out great and were delicious, perfect dry aged steaks. They were understaffed and the place was busy on a Wednesday night. I guess it was good we weren't in a rush and wanted a slow meal. read more

My significant other and I went here for my birthday. Our waitress was nice enough. However she didn't refill our waters even once the entire time we were there. Also the grilled onions for my boyfriends steak were brought out after we had finished eating & we're ready to pack our food up. I was pleasantly surprised at how delicious the dirty martinis were. For an added bonus they had blue cheese stuffed olives (my favorite!). I will say that I could taste the difference between my first and second martini. The martini's contained Grey Goose & Bombay Sapphire. The first was very smooth & delicious, the second was heavy on the Bombay sapphire. Perhaps 2 different bartenders made them. We ordered the "sausage bread" for an appetizer. Delicious, reminded me of a Stromboli but it was calzone sized. I was thinking about how goofy the name of this was, surely they could have come up with a more clever name. My boyfriend had a bone-in ribeye with Parmesan topping & grilled onions. I tried a bite, thought it was overly salty but cooked well. The onions did not arrive until after we were finished eating. I ordered Johnny's Chanel No 5 pasta. Cheese ravioli with lobster, shrimp, artichokes, prosciutto, sun dried tomatoes. It was tasty. However given the description I'd have liked more than 0.2oz. Of lobster & to see a single piece of prosciutto in the dish. The shrimp was cooked perfectly. Crème brûlée was delicious. One of the staff members recommended the banana cheesecake. Next visit I intend to try it! Over all, I would visit again along with friends/family but try a different dish for the main entree. read more

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Ok rating because the food I had was very good. Didn't want a big meal so ordered appetizers: Italians meatballs and stuffed mushrooms. Both were very good and tasty. But...seems like this is a restaurant that wants to be "high class" but doesn't quite get there. Wines were average, pedestrian choices - a glass of a red was $16.00, which I could have bought the bottle at Costco or Hy-Vee for $20-$25. Booth top we were seated still had crumbs and wasn't well cleaned. Server was OK. It was obviously a slow night - we were seated in one main area, by a large tabled group. Meh. We went there because it was the only restaurant within walking distance from our hotel. read more

Super disappointing meal. Service was terrible. First. They never cleared plates. Apps bought out. Then the Salads but they didn't clear the dirty app plates. Then the entrees and still didn't clear the salad or app plates. Chicken tenders for kids. They were was rubbery, I could hardly cut , kids would not eat. Ribeye steak. The meat quality was actually very good so I gave 2 stars instead of one. I ordered medium but it was brought rare. They also brought the wrong side - I suspect they grabbed the wrong plate? Either way. I did eat 3 small bites , and realized it was rare. I let the staff know. To my astonishment, they put the meat that I had eaten from back on the grill, cooked it longer , then served it back! Ir the meat was not replaced with a new fresh properly cooked steak. And What they did bring back was over cooked. The tenderloin steak was also very nice quality , but it was also ordered medium but it was undercooked, rare. He just ate it rare. Then the desert, but they still hadn't cleared any plates. I asked please can you removed some of these. For the price of this place. I would expect a lot better service. I won't go back or recommend. Very disappointing. I'll stick with Flemings or 801. read more

I was staying at the hotel it's attached to and was too tired to go out. Went down at 8:00 and sat at the bar. Bartenders were personable. Eating keto so I had the stuffed mushrooms (stuffed with sausage) and the grilled chicken salad. All very good. read more

This is only my experience with takeout, so I can't speak to the dine-in part of the restaurant. The food was okay. I got the scallops and risotto, and a bruschetta. The scallops were on the spongy side, and the risotto had so much sauce that it was really more of a soup. The bruschetta was good, and the bread was good, I had hoped that they would toast it rather than just soft white bread, but I didn't think to ask for them to toast it ahead of time. The staff member taking my order seemed to be new, but she was polite and helpful. I didn't have to wait too long for the food, but it was later in the evening. Overall, the food is pretty standard hotel restaurant food, and they are one of the few places close to the airport that's open late so if you're in late and don't want fast food, this is a fine option. read more

The steaks were absolutely delicious and mouth watering. Loved the garlic mashed potatoes also and the mixed veggies were tasty as well. Service was exceptional and the ambiance was perfect! So classy and elegant. Highly recommend checking it out! read more

My tour of the Midwest came to Des Monies and I'm always looking for the local food or spot to hit. Johnny's Italian Steakhouse is a staple primary for the Steak de Burgo, so had to try it out. Started with an Old Fashion, and that missed the mark. You can usually tell it will not be good when they don't have the single ice cube...and it wasn't good. I ordered the Toasted Ravioli light portion for the app, and it was really good. Warm and crunchy on the outside, good cheese on the inside, and sauce was tasty. I ordered the Steak de Burgo which comes with salad and bread. Caesar salad was good, bread was warm and soft, ask for butter if it doesn't come with it, it makes a huge difference, nice and sweet with the butter. Now for the main course, Steak de Burgo....OMG! Never even heard of it, I googled Iowa's food and it came up and sounded delicious! "Our signature steak - beef tenderloin medallions, roasted garlic, basil and oregano served in a cream sauce" and for the garlic mash for the side. The mash potatoes were really creamy, soft, and hardy, really good. But the Steak and the cream sauce was a 10! Steak was cooked perfect, soft, tender, sauce was very flavorful and I was smothering each piece into the sauce...this should be on more menu's US wide! read more

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We went here for a birthday. We had reservations. We ordered the lasagna and the tour of Italy. The waiter asked if he wanted to upgrade his top sirloin to a filet. (Thought that a top Italian Steakhouse would have a decent Top Sirloin). The dinner salads were good. The bread was warm and delicious. The lasagna was luke warm. The tour of Italy chicken parmesan and noodles were good (and hot). The top sirloin was like shoe leather. Using the knife they provided, was even difficult to cut it. We are from WI and working here for a couple days, we thought we would try this. Big mistake. Save your money. read more

If you are looking for a quick cheap bite to eat then drive past Johnny's Italian steakhouse. If you are looking for a gorgeous dining room and food that is fresh well seasoned and presented beautifully coupled with service that is attentive but not stiffulling then Johnny's Italian steakhouse is what you are looking for. The appetizer of sausage stuffed mushrooms smothered with melted cheese, were hot and delicious. The salad fresh and crisp and the house Italian balsamic dressing was great. The entree of the home style cavatapi with sausage in a spicy creamy tomato sauce was tremendous. Would I order it again? Not yet there are a number of other things I want to try. read more

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Lobster, shrimp and cheese ravioli, with artichokes, sun dried tomato's in a creamy garlic sauce is my favorite! My husband loves his meat.... Mind out of the gutter... lol.... The wedge salad is so tasty with the blue cheese dressing, a drizzle of balsamic and bacon crumbles all on a wedge of the forgotten Iceberg lettuce. The bar is completely re-done and honestly, I'm happy to eat right at the bar starting with an ice cold martini and ending with a chocolate martini... between being stuffed and the two martinis I go straight to bed! I only get outta bed to eat my leftovers the next morning! read more

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I came to Johnny's while I was in Des Moines for a wedding. I had some family that lived nearby, so we met in the middle for dinner. They picked Johnny's Italian Steakhouse. Not a restaurant that was on my radar, but I'm always to give anywhere a try. The interior was very warm and inviting and seemed vaguely like a place that the Mob would hangout in the 70's. So, cozy. Service was very nice and friendly and was quick to make recommendations. We got our soft, crusty bread, dipped it in the lovely olive oil, and started browsing the menu. Now I'm gonna be real with you. I don't remember exactly what all was on the table. It was a while ago, and I chose not to take pictures in front of grandparents. But I do remember that the entrée I chose for myself was the Heart of Italy Combination (Portion of the chicken parmigiano, fettuccine minelli and the parmesan crusted top sirloin). This was a fine dish. The chicken parm was definitely an upgraded version of what you usually get the the OG. The fettuccine was nice and cheesy and the perfect accompaniment for that aforementioned crusty bread. The sirloin is where they lost me, though. The medallion was just so small that it didn't stand a chance; overcooked. Tough, chewy. Overall, places like this are a little dated, but a mighty fine place to bring the grandparents. Thanks for the meal, Johnny! read more

Ambience is decent but it's basically just a hotel restaurant. Server was totally burnt out and inattentive. Didn't even bring the refills or other items he said he would. Food was medicore - certainly nothing worth the price point. Overall trash experience. read more

2 stars for that warm steakhouse ambiance with big, soft booths to tuck into. The focaccia is divine. But one does not come to a steakhouse for bread. My experience was disappointing: barely cooked vegetables - twice. If a steakhouse can't get their side dishes right, well, it's unlikely they'll get more complex dishes, like steaks and seafood correct. My lunch portion of wild salmon was swimming in teriyaki sauce (but at least I could eat it), the 3/4 plate of broccolini was inedible - I couldn't cut it with my steak knife and the brussels brought out in exchange were also barely cooked, tough and bitter. The manager wasn't very concerned. To her credit, the server was but there's not a lot she can do to fix an apathetic kitchen. For the prices here I'd expect more. read more

This place came recommended but I did not have a good experience. I ordered a ribeye and the first bite tasted like propane so bad a co worker took a bite and spit it out. They made another and brought it out and it was worse. My boss took a bite this time and almost immediately told them to take it back. We believe something was wrong with their grill. We're guessing not all the burners had fired and the gas was blazing. Everyone's steaks were blue center undercooked not sure why on mine tasted like gas. read more

The food was decent. But our waitress was awesome. Drinks from the bar were a little slow but it was during a busy time on the weekend. Will visit again! read more

I don't know where to start. I guess I've should have known when I had to call 3 times in a row just to get someone to answer the phone to see if I needed reservations that this was not a good place to go. We entered at 8 PM. There were 2 people at the bar and 2 other tables seated that I could see.There were some families leaving the restaurant and I do want to mention that for a fine dining restaurant (with a very good alcoholic drink selection) there were WAY more kids than I would have ever expected to see. We were seated without a drink menu, which I had to get-up-and-go ask for. When we did order drinks, one came right away, but then others of us who ordered drinks waited about 30 minutes for our drinks, which came with our salads. Everyone's food was served about an hour and a 1/2 after we were seated and those of us who ordered steaks needed to send our food back immediately because the steaks were completely well done almost to the point of not being edible. (Absolutely unheard of for a steakhouse serving $40+ filets and ribeyes.) Typically a server would follow up and ask if steaks were cooked properly (especially at a fine dining steakhouse) and this was not done. Instead, another family entered with small children and the server took a full order (and not just drink order) from the table which went on for approximately 10 minutes with several questions and answers about the menu. During this time period I decided to go the front and ask a staff member if someone could please re cook our steaks. At 9:50 our steaks were brought in to go bags and the steaks were taken off our checks be management. We were 5 friends from 5 states who met up for a meal tonight. So to say it went poorly is a gross understatement and ruined our time together. I also want to say that I would have liked to had at least a second drink as well as dessert. In fact the entire table probably would have had another drink and dessert if given any opportunity. The fact that we were there two hours and only got that far was just completely shocking to me. Fine dining should not be fast, but it also should not be like this, at all. read more

Bf and I thought we would go here again since we had such great experience first time. Quiet, light music and low lighting was the setting which is perfect for a night out for 2. Unfortunately they missed the mark! We had to wait about 10 min for drink refills and I ended up receiving a very rare steak that I ordered medium. I purposely placed my plate at the very end of the table to show dissatisfaction with the meal that was served. Unfortunately it took about 10-15 minutes before the waitress realized. Once the waitress discovered I was unhappy with my meal and how it was undercooked she switched out another entree for me. I was really looking forward to a nice crispy Cesar salad as well, but instead received Cesar salad drenched leaves! The one thing I can usually count on is the spinach artichoke dip, which was still very good. Also keep in mind the Shitakke Steak Diane has a very strong mustard base sauce, not good mix in my opinion with steak. read more

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Going downhill fast. Maybe you'll enjoy it if you like raw bacon on your spinach salad. Or you can get overcooked pasta drowning in watered down sauce. It's even better when the staff disagrees when you complain. They also do this thing where they ignore you when you complain. They just walk away like you didn't say anything. No "sorry", or "I'll talk to the cook". They just walk away like you don't mean squat. So go here if you like to over pay for Olive Garden quality food at next level prices. read more

Johnny's Italian Steakhouse - Out of goat cheese salad so I got raw bacon spinach salad. - Italian Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

I went hoping to get some good Italian food. Menu said it was homemade "Barilla" pasta. Last I heard you could buy Barilla at the grocery store. Caesar salad was okay but the dressing was way too tangy for my taste. The restaurant was recommended by my hotel but I wasn't impressed and won't go back. read more

Great restaurant great food a little pricey especially for the portion size but flavor is out of this world.

Amazing food. Service was also excellent and very clean place to eat at. Staff was very friendly

If I'm getting steak, I'm getting a filet. If I'm getting a filet, I'm getting the crusted medallions at Johnny's. On the other hand, if I don't know what I want, I'm still going to Johnny's. Bartender Steve always helps me find what I'm in the mood for, both to eat and a drink to match the meal. Last time the Chanel 5 hit the spot, and I can't remember the local brew he recommended but it was a perfect pair. Good food, great service. Thanks all. read more

Went to this restaurant last night Saturday and was very pleased it was my first time there. Arrived a little after 5pm and was seated immediately I ordered a Long Island Iced Tea and was served fresh bread while I waited for my order. Server was Ana very friendly, courteous and very knowledgeable. The Long Island Iced Tea was not good, looked like a glass of lemonade which is not typical. The bread with the oil used for dipping was very good which had a container of Parmesan cheese to use with the bread. I ordered the 14 oz Prime Rib with a house salad and garlic mashed potatoes. The salad was very good with blue cheese dressing, prime rib and potatoes were served very quickly before I had finished my salad. Prime Rib was cooked to perfection and was very tasty with seasonings very good. Garlic mashed potatoes were very good just enough garlic. Manager Tyler stopped by and was very friendly and courteous I had planned to eat elsewhere but they were closed so this was my second choice. Very pleased and I will return read more

Came for a coworker's retirement luncheon. I ordered the Parmesan Crusted New York Strip. They cook it perfect every time. (June 2021) read more

Johnny's Italian Steakhouse - Parmesan Crusted New York Strip and Broccolini - Italian Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

Ate here twice in a week. Good martini, average chic parm, good veal parm. Extremely loud room with big groups from the hotel dinning here. Getting a booth helped significantly. read more

Johnny's Italian Steakhouse - Veal Parmigiana, Martini with blue cheese stuffed olives. - Italian Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

Had the bruschetta 4 pieces and they were large. Worth the money and very good. Worth going with full order for a few more dollars. Amaretto Alexander martini was magnificent. Our waitress (Danielle) was wonderful and service was amazing. Ambiance great music not so loud you couldn't talk. Prices were a little high but it is a fine dining experience. I had the Parmesan crusted new you strip with garlic mashed potatoes and the servings were large and cooked to perfection. My husband had char broiled ribeye with baked potato he said it was really good. With the appetizer we were only able to eat about 1/4-1/2 of entree! Which was awesome because I love left overs. read more

Great night out with my husband! We did not have to wait long. The staff were very patient and the waitress was outstanding . Our steaks were cooked perfectly. The atmosphere was perfect for a real date feeling. Thank you. read more

Found Johnny's to be below average in all aspects. Uninspired food arrived luke warm. Very disappointed. read more

Jesus, not another one... yet another so called " Des Moines staple" that can't get its act together. I showed up around three in the afternoon for an early dinner (or perhaps late lunch). There were about three tables sat, two with children in the party. The entire time I was there, I think one table had a request (their check), otherwise, it seemed like a low impact afternoon. I ordered something very basic and my server tried to talk me into upgrades, which I reluctantly accepted. I did specify I was really, really thirsty and asked for a pitcher of water; im a real wise guy, I know. But when the server brought me two glasses of water, mostly ice and I drank one of them in front of the server, you know... I would have thought it was clear that when I said "thirsty" and "bring me a pitcher of water" the guy would have understood. Long story short, my food came out after 30 minutes, it was cold, and it didn't have any of the "upgrades" that bozo suggested. It was as plain as wallpaper. Fine. I ate it, it wasn't terrible. I can live with that, you know? The salad never showed up so I flagged down someone else's server and he was able to get me a water refill AND my salad. Great guy! Another 20 minutes passed and my original server meandered back, cashed some people out and casually asked how I was doing. I explained the problem, he apologized, and said he would be back with my check. Thirty more minutes rolled by, I slapped some cash on the table and left. Never saw the guy again. You want my opinion? If I wanted to throw away $30 in a Covid-19 year like this - where other way more deserving restaurants need my business - I'll go ANYWHERE but Johnny's. Texas Roadhouse has people who smile, they get your order right, they thank you on the way out AND their food is hot. Might be a chain, might just be "ok", but I don't feel like an idiot for going there like I did going to Johnny's. I'll take a hard pass when my boss suggests this place, and I'll let people know why. read more

Table service and atmosphere is great but the food is uninspiring, bland American food... not my favorite at all. I don't go here voluntarily. read more

We had a wedding rehearsal dinner here. We were in one of the event rooms. We enjoyed the service, food and drink. We had family style bread and salad and 4 entree choices. We'd be happy to go back! read more

A nice evening out. The wait staff and bartender were all very attentive. We barely mentioned it was my girlfriends birthday in passing conversation and our waitress remembered and sent her home with a complimentary dessert. read more

The steak was horrible! A work colleague recommended this place since it was on the way from the airport to Pella. The service at the bar was ok, the lady was nice. She didn't ask how the food was once it was served, I think the restaurant probably didn't want the poor girl asking because if she did, they would have to deal with a once-passing through customer. I left it after taking three bites. I ordered the rib eye, medium. It was hard, overcooked and absolutely substandard. Please do yourself a favor and avoid this place. Very disappointed. Good luck! read more

Ambiance , service and food is great. Martini sampler is nice steaks and sides are yummy