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!

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.

If you love seafood then go to the Waterfront off University in WDM for a delicious walleye or…read morefried oyster poboy New Orlean style. The seasoning on the seafood gumbo will perk you up. The fried oysters are rich, crispy and deliciously good with a few fine bones that bypassed the skillful hand of the sous chef. Nathan -- the wait staffer -- was very attentive and alert to my table which made the meal more enjoyable. The pleasant atmosphere was suitable for all types of gatherings whether solo, business, groups or casual diners who just wanted to relax at the booth or bar to just "chill" in a friendly crowd pleasing atmosphere.

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.

3.5 We had a reservation for a larger party and were…read morequickly seated and got drinks. They have a huge menu that includes all types of seafood. We had several appetizers at our table: shrimp, calamari, and garlic bread. I ordered the California rolls and the Hawaiian rolls. Overall, the food was good, but nothing too special. The restaurant was quiet enough to hear everyone and coastal decor.

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.

We tried Laughing Crab during our trip and loved the experience. There's plenty of seating, a big…read moremenu, and reasonably priced drinks. Two of us went for the crab boil, and my husband ordered the crab and lobster. Everything was delicious and not over cooked. We also had fried shrimp with hush puppies; the shrimp was great, though the hush puppies were a little doughy. Our server, Kassi, was AMAZING! Highly recommend Laughing Crab if you're craving seafood.

Looking for a healthy dish that will stimulate your taste buds -- then Combination Pho is that…read moresuper flavorful dish -- at Pho Viet on EP True in WDM. The service is stupendous because of the attentiveness to your every need. The atmosphere is relaxing that exudes a peaceful space full of exhilarating aroma.

My cousin and I was in the mood for soup and recommended this restaurant nearby. I checked out the…read moremenu and noticed they have the hot stone bowl. Restaurant is located in a strip mall, there's a ton of free parking to choose. Restaurant is good size and clean. The server greeted us when we entered and told us to sit anywhere. They had a lunch rush but we didn't mind. My pho came out piping hot and the meats on the side. Surprised there's an egg, I don't add eggs to my pho. Broth was delicious, we enjoyed our meal.

I've been curious about this place for a long time so I finally tried it for dinner tonight with my…read morehusband. Like probably most Americans, I haven't tried a lot of South American cuisine so I didn't know what to expect. I guess I was expecting something like Mexican food. Well, it's definitely a lot different than Mexican food. Peruvian food isn't very spicy and the seasonings are different, yet still tasty. There a big Chinese influence on Peruvian food, too. I got the Lomo Saltado, a popular Peruvian dish with stir-fried beef, onions and tomatoes served with rice and French fries. My husband got the Chaufa al Wok, an oriental Peruvian fried rice with chicken. The fries kind of threw me at first. I wasn't expecting that. The dish was very good and had a nice flavor. My husband loved his dish and thought it was delicious. With both of our dishes it was interesting to see how much of a Chinese influence there is. What my husband absolutely loved the most is their homemade horchata. It tasted different than Mexican horchata so he asked what was in it. Our server said it was made was cacao beans instead of just rice and cinnamon. It had a pale brown color to it, too. I also liked the seasoned corn nuts that came with two different sauces--a sweet one and savory one. We both thought the prices were a little high but not so much that we wouldn't come back. The service was very good. Our server was friendly and helped us decide what to order. She was very knowledgeable about the menu items. At the end of our meal both she and the owner (I think) asked us how we liked everything and if there was anything they could have done to make things more enjoyable. I mentioned that my food came out much earlier than my husband's so I was almost done by the time his came out. The owner apologized for the wait and we really appreciated that. They also serve empanadas, pupusas and tamales. We're going to try these the next time we come back. Someone at the table next to us ordered the pupusas and they looked yummy. We were pleasantly pleased with how tasty the food was despite being a lot different than what we were expecting.

Every time we pass through Des Moines we have to stop here…read more A small family run restaurant that is excellent. Great food and great service. Don't miss it! The Arroz Con Mariscos is excellent and has a lot of seafood in it. Awesome flavor. My husband loves the Chaufa Al Wok too. The Strawberry pop is a don't miss.

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!

went for oystas during happy hr but they 86'd them. boo. but got the spin artichoke dip, crispy…read morerice with tuna, & deviled eggs. soooo good!!! old fashions, espresso martini, & a beer called liquid hugs. it was still a great experience, as always..and our waitress was amazing!!

We were in Ankeny this past weekend celebrating my daughter's graduation from Iowa State and…read moredecided to try Tribute Eatery & Bar and I'm so glad we did! Our group ordered a mix of pasta dishes and steak frites, and everything was excellent. The steak was cooked perfectly, the pasta was fresh and flavorful, and the prickly pear spicy margarita was absolutely fantastic. The atmosphere is really cool too, stylish without feeling overdone, and the location is great. We also had wonderful service, especially considering we came in around 8 PM on a Sunday evening with a group. Definitely recommend if you're in the Ankeny area. We'd absolutely come back!