First and foremost the food is excellent! There is plenty of food you will not leave hungry! We had…read morethe crab pots you got 3 huge, meaty, juicy and delicious claws, with potato, corn and sausage. The garlic butter was so good to dip everything in & if you like spicy like a few with us they said it was so flavorful. The service was outstanding and the owners were so nice! You definitely need to check this place out, even if a little out of your way. We live in Illinois and will be returning!

We enjoyed our first meal at Shakin' Shellfish, a new restaurant in Ottumwa tonight. We had to try…read morethe shrimp boil, crawfish boil and crab boil. My favorite was the crab boil with Epic Eateries Garlic Butter seasoning. We had the shrimp and crawfish flavored in the Kickin' Cajun Garlic Butter. We will definitely be back! The owner even gave us a sample of the Spicy Ranch Hard Pretzels and the Hotter Than Hellfire Pretzels. We had to get a bag to take home! Be sure and make plans to try their Friday night special. It changes monthly. June is 2x shrimp tacos with pico de gallo and a side of pineapple for $10! I can't wait to try them!

A truly good seafood dining experience in a casual environment that encourages coziness and…read moreconversation. Plenty of parking, a unique three-option dining option from different menus. Liked our server, Gio, who knew his craft. Enjoyed my Faroe Island Salmon with mashed potatoes and a Caesar Salad. Liked that Gio listened well and got my order right! I also enjoyed my partner's Canadian Pike Walleye and her asparagus side! Little pricier than anticipated, which was my only reason for assigning four stars instead of five.

Food and service both good. A bit pricey though. A very good selection of seafood items…read more Presentation was very good also.

Parrillada de Mariscos #2 was amazing! Shared it with a friend and there was food leftover. The…read moresauces and salsa were all fantastic. Service was great.

We were seated right away in a booth. Our waitress was very nice. She brought out chips and 2 kinds…read moreof salsa. They were both delicious! We both had just ice water, we will try the bloody Mary's next time. We ordered the fajitas et 7 mares to share and one extra tortilla. I have to tell you all of the seafood was amazing and we had plenty to share. They had some nice music playing in the background, but not too loud to not carry a conversation. My husband was telling me what he wanted to try on a future visit!

If you're driving through West Des Moines, make a stop at Waterfront Seafood Market!…read moreWhat makes this place so unique is that it's both a seafood market and a restaurant, so you're getting some of the freshest seafood you'll find in the Midwest! We ordered sushi, clam chowder, boiled shrimp, and one of their daily specials. Everything tasted fresh, and there were so many options on the menu that we'd happily come back to try more! It's just outside of downtown Des Moines, making it a great stop on your way into or out of the city. If you're craving seafood while you're in Iowa, I'd definitely recommend adding this one to your list!

The food was outstanding. We had a little bit of everything. The one problem was not enough room…read moreto enjoy it all. Sadly, we will have to return again to try the things we didn't get to try? Staff did an excellent job. Danielle took care of our group of five. She was on top of our service needs. Great with sharing recommendations.

I absolutely love this place. I live in Chicago and my fiancé is in DSM so we split time between…read moreboth places until he moves. Being in a transitional phase his kitchen is useless so if we want to eat it's got to be in a restaurant. We've been everywhere so no clue how this gem snuck past us. I would put them next to any of the high end places downtown without a second thought. The ambiance is clean, casual and cozy - think Colorado log cabin. It's not a big place so I imagine you'll find long waits on weekends. If so, wait. Trust me. It wasn't crowded because we typically don't venture out until late but 3/4 of the tables were occupied and several people were at the bar. Even so, it was easy to carry on a conversation without needing to raise our voices. It's difficult to choose what to order because everything sounds great. We ordered chicken fried oyster mushrooms for an app and they set the tone for everything else. Perfectly breaded and seasoned with actual flavor being the stale oil taste of a lot of fried apps. I had the Lobster Mac and it was absolutely decadent. There was a generous amount of lobster and the pieces themselves were substantial. The blend of cheeses was perfect. For the side (which wasn't even necessary because the size of the Mac was more than big enough) I got the Boursin Mushroom Au Gratin. I can't think of a word that describes how delicious it was. Perfect creaminess, rich with a slight tang...it could have stood on its own. My fiancé ordered the Iowa Chop and we were both shocked at the size of it. Again (yawn) cooked just right, not even a hint of the dryness you see a lot with chops. The Creamed Brussels Sprouts were great but I had eaten myself sick at this point so I had to admit defeat. Portions were big enough that I had plenty in the take home container for a whole meal the next day. I wanted to try the amazing looking pie but needed to be able to fit through the door to go home. Next time for sure. Service was really good. The server was laid back and quick with recommendations that she could back up instead of the standard "I like it" you get. I was shocked at the reasonable prices. These days $20 for a mediocre burger is standard so I couldn't believe the quality of food for the price. Our running joke is that once a restaurant starts laminating their menus, the quality is about to tank so I'm keeping my fingers crossed theirs steer clear. It's independently owned by the same people that own Barntown Brewing a few doors down. We will definitely try that out based on our experience here. My only critique is that they serve Pepsi instead of Coke. Seems like DSM leans that way which breaks my heart. My southern roots and common sense keep me loyal to Coca Cola. Where I grew up when you order a Coke the server asks what kind of Coke because it's just what you call every soft drink. Go. Go tonight. You won't regret it.

4.6* (out of 5) Food: 5* Atmosphere: 5* Value: 4*…read more Service: 4* Would I go back / Recommend?: 5* (Definitely) Total check/person: $40 05/20/2026 The neighbors suggested the Guesthouse for our dinner tonight and given our experiences, we heartily agreed. We started our meals with a glass of beer, then ordered our dinners. Tonight, my wife opted for the Sweet Potato Gnocchi with grilled shrimp (see picture) - at our server Chelsea's suggestion (Chelsea was great). While I usually prefer trying different dishes vs. ordering what I've had before, it was Wednesday and I'm a sucker for specials...so again opted for Walleye Wednesday (see picture). While we both enjoyed both dishes after sharing tastes of each, the highlight of the meal was the Campfire Pie (that Chelsea recommended) along with a scoop of ice cream (at our neighbor's suggestion). Check it out in the picture and be sure to give it a try!

Mimi was fantastic and very attentive , keep up the good work…read more Orders were timely and communications was spot on- good was delicious

Laughing Crab of WDM has a lively fun crew of young wait staffers ready to take your tasty seafood…read moreorder. The large dining area is very good for any social gathering. I ordered the fried shrimp and fried oysters which were mildly seasoned. Chin-- My Energetic and New to the process -- Wait Staffer -- eagerly took my order. He actually knew the menu and recommended the Fried Oyster and Fried Shrimp Platter which was served within a reasonable time. The floors, tables, paper coverings for each table were clean. All the wait staffers were scampering around getting ready for the evening crowd. The Pop and R & B music that was softly playing in the background was full of melody that made you want to slow your eating, relax and reflect on your delicious dish.

Thankful for a friend's recommendation, as a recent lunch visit was solid good…read more Plenty of parking, spacious interior, and good customer service. Loved my Jerk Tilapia and veggies. Delicious meal, well priced. They have daily specials also. I'll be back.

I'm so glad Waterfront is here. The food is always good, the staff is attentive without being…read moreintrusive and the prices are fair for seafood in the Midwest.

My how I have missed my favorite restaurant in the Midwest! This was my first time at their new…read morelocation and it did not disappoint. Chef Lynn greeted me when I walked in and took time to chat with me. Everyone and everything here is fabulous and I will be back as often as possible. The food, service and ambiance are fabulous!

We had a good experience! The restaurant was busy when we visited, but the staff handled everything…read morewith a positive attitude. Even with a full dining room, everyone was friendly and worked hard to make sure we were taken care of. However, we spent more time there than we originally planned waiting. The food was good. You could tell the kitchen and staff were doing their best to keep up with the crowd without sacrificing quality.

The food is absolutely amazing. You need to make a reservation! I always go there before the civic…read morecenter shows. Never have a problem with getting on. The atmosphere is very quiet and very lovely

We were a touch skeptical because the menu look tired and old. The starters of crab cakes and…read moreceviche were excellent and well executed making us hopeful for the mains. Hope ended with over cooked and dry halibut but the sides were delicious. The cioppino was more of the same. I had three mussels that were closed and the clams were clearly not washed, how this left the kitchen of a seafood restaurant is beyond belief and made us question our decisions. The seabass was small and tired just like the menu. Total disappointment and will probably not visit again. Advice, get the starters and a glass of wine, then walk away as fast as you can. The wait staff was efficient, accommodating and excellent and that helps a bit. I know it's a tough review but the tab was $270 so they earned it!

Had dinner here on a Tuesday evening while in town for a conference. I partnered up with another…read moreconference attendee and we came here for dinner. The menu had a diversity of options with both bistro and full size options. We both settled on the Main St. chicken dish on recommendation from the waitress along with swapping the rice for mashed potatoes. Great suggestion. My conference mate asked to have her mushrooms removed and I asked to have the tomatoes removed. Although we both ordered the same meal, the presentation looked different for each of us and hit the spot for our tastebuds. Mine seemed more like a chicken marsala while hers was a tomato sauce. Either way we both enjoyed our meals. We both also had dessert - I had the delicious chocolate cake with raspberry sauce. Honestly there was too much sauce but the cake was still delicious! My conference mate had the peanut pie and it was divine - imagine a Reese cup with an Oreo crust. If I'm ever back in Ames this will definitely be on my return list!!

Came here on company dinner and we had a great time. Food was decent and I enjoyed my carbonara,…read morehuge portion. The French onion soup was just ok but everyone enjoyed the peanut butter pie. Very good ambiance for group dining and the service was great.