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    Pizza Ranch

    2.3 (40 reviews)
    Closed 9:00 am - 10:00 pm

    Order Pizza Ranch Takeout or Delivery

    Pizza Ranch Photos

    PIZZA RANCH ATMOSPHERE

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

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    Salad from the salad bar
    Christina W.

    This Pizza Ranch was packed for Tuesday Kids eat free night! We got there at 5:00 pm before it was busy. **BONUS** They honored Military discount on top of kids eat free! Price for dinner was $10.99/adult. For a regular night, kids would have been $9.99/kid. We've been to this one 3 times. This location has higher reviews. Go figure. But i have observed the same of this Pizza Ranch from previous visits as my review follows: Front counter service was so-so. At this visit an employee was sweeping when we walked in and walked away from us without acknowledging us that there will be help shortly. Felt like she was purposely ignoring us but I brushed it off. A different employee rang us up but her countenance was the same. Food was hot and fresh. Very well stocked and clean. Pizza came out quickly to replenish empty trays. Ice cream machine worked. Desserts were hawked and seemed like they couldn't get those out fast enough. Keep in mind it was busy! Seating was good but floors were very dirty in our area. Our table could not be cleaned off any faster. It was possible they were low on staff, but I don't really know. But a night like Tuesday kid eat free night you would think service would be on their game. There were only two people clearing tables. Tuesday night kids eat free is the best deal for Pizza Ranch. Just expect it to be busy, a little crowded and your table to be slowly cleaned. But I'd rather do Tuesday Night Kids eat free somewhere else that isn't so packed.

    Pizza with all the toppings shoved on to two pieces.
    Rhiannon S.

    I ordered delivery and I got my pizza and all of the toppings literally are shoved to one corner because the person that brought it tossed it around too much and she was driving down here or something. I also put in a 20% tip online so I automatically added it to my bill but they then asked for a tip on the receipt when she got to my house and I put the tip down that I put on the website. They ended up charging me two times the amount that I originally put on there. So I got ripped off. I'm a teenager so an extra five dollars is a lot to me just because I don't have a normal paying job. This is definitely the last time I get pizza ranch.

    Jessica R.

    Pizza Ranch I am not a fan of buffets. I typically find the food to be mediocre at best, sometimes unsanitary and just overall not my favorite dining experience. However, as the mommy of a 5 1/2-year-old autistic boy, Pizza Ranch on University Avenue in Waukee ends up an option once in awhile. It's quick, close to home, clean and after my son's swim lessons when he is starving and can eat more than a college male athlete, this place makes it into our dinner rotation more than I would like to admit. What I like about this buffet is it's super small, it's not a spread of 50 items that are all pretty much the same with slight variations and named something different. This is a simple spread of pizzas, freshly fried chicken, a decent salad bar and plenty of sides. When we arrived it was only us and two other tables. By the time I grabbed my son's pizza, and then my dad went up for his turn, there was a line halfway out the door and my son's autism went bazerk. My dad wolfed down his dinner in a hurry and took him home so I could finish my salad, as I can't eat very quickly. My salad and toppings were fresh and delicious, my dad said the fried chicken and sides were amazing though I'm not 100% positive that he even chewed his food because he was in such a hurry to take my son out of there , and my son appeared to enjoy his one slice of pizza (before bolting)! Now I will say, he generally does that more when grandpa is around so that could have been adding fuel to the fire; he does play my dad like a fiddle, LOL. I battled between asking management if I could take a few slices home or just letting it go. But seeing as how much food was being wasted at other tables around me (am I the only one that gets enough food only for what can be eaten and not wasted?) I decided to give it a try. I would not have blamed the manager if he had told me that was against their policy; in fact, I was fully expecting that response and rightfully so. The manager was beyond gracious, as I very quietly whispered that I was sincerely sorry and could I grab two slices of pizza for my son because he only finished one slice before having to leave. I quickly explained to him that he doesn't do well in noisy environments where he's not overly familiar and around people he doesn't know. He was so kind about it, grabbed me a small box, told me to grab whatever I needed and did not make a big fuss about it. My son can eat an entire pizza from Pizza Ranch himself, but I was beyond grateful that he even let me take two slices! We will be back again and again, service like that is so important from a place that caters largely to families with small children. I can't even imagine the number of patrons that try to get away with taking food home or hoarding food in their purses (as someone who dines out a lot, and has been in the restaurant business her whole life, you would be shocked at some of the things people try to get away with in restaurants)!!! I've seen people bring their own Ziploc bags to bag extra food in, run Tupperware containers out to their cars to try and hide it, etc.! I've seen it all, and I couldn't even begin to imagine having to keep an eye out for that at an establishment like this. The only complaint about the little food I tasted would be that the chicken tortilla soup had excellent flavor with just a little bit of heat, but there was nothing to it. No corn, no beans, hardly any meat and really no substance at all. But the soup itself had great flavor. I'm excited to go back just to give them more business and I am beyond grateful for an understanding staff like that.

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    9 months ago

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    1 year ago

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    8 years ago

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    6 years ago

    The pizza here tastes terrible and left all of us feeling sick. The cheese sticks are amazing but not worth it.

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    4 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    6 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    7 years ago

    Took over an hour to get delivered and the hot wings were horrible with no sauce. Won't order here again.

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    7 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    13 years ago

    Cardboard with low grade sauce and a few toppings. Faraway sells Tonys pizza for a lot less and better quality.

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    7 years ago

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    14 years ago

    We eat here 4 to 5 times a month, we enjoy the food but I think we enjoy the coke machine where we can "create" our own drinks.

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    10 years ago

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    Ask the Community - Pizza Ranch

    Review Highlights - Pizza Ranch

    We gave it a try on the kids eat free night.

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    Buffet City - Nice green veggies & imitation crab

    Buffet City

    2.9(77 reviews)
    6.5 mi
    $

    If you want a place that will get you in and out then this is the place that does have plenty of…read moreoptions. My number one complaint is the temp of the food-- it is my opinion- it does not meet my standard for state regulation temperatures some what-- lukewarm-- and with seafood you really have to be careful. The staff is pleasant, seating well spaced and the dessert bar is good. The offering of protein is served with some being over cooked or chewy -- but that is according to my taste -- which may be okay for others. A very pleasant staff that is environmentally friendly for all groups.

    I still consider Buffet City to be Hibachi Grill & Supreme Buffet's little brother...despite the…read morefact that Buffet City has been in business longer. They both offer similar litems. Standard Chinese food. Appetizers. Hibachi. Sushi. Salad and fruits. Desserts. And Western items for kids or the non adventurous adults.... The selection is not quite as extensive as HG&SB but it's big enough. One thing this place is probably better with, than their main competitor, is seafood... Crab legs, shrimp, scallops, crawfish, mussels, and octopus. Along with salmon and halibut... No matter what diet you are on you can accommodate it here. Staff greets you when you walk in and seats you and your party. Seating is a combination of booths and low top tables and chairs. Drink orders are taken at your table. Payment is done with your server when you finish your meal. Service has never been an issue for me here. Buffet City is open on most holidays like Hibachi Grill & Supreme Buffet when other businesses are closed and is usually less busy. This is actually one of the biggest appeals of Buffet City for me... Starting with the pandemic Buffet City starting offering take out across their standard menu and delivery through Doordash (and possibly through other services). I've seen a lot of comments in reviews about cold food here. I've never run into this... When I order off the menu at any restaurant I'm liable to go at off peak times to avoid a crowd, but... When I go to a buffet...ANY buffet...I ONLY go at PEAK times. Lol Most buffets have plenty of seating so going at peak times isn't an issue unless you insist on having rockstar parking. Going at a peak time normally ensures you hot and fresh food. If you hit a buffet at an off peak time you are really rolling the dice. You have no idea how long that food has been sitting on the warmer... This place has never knocked my socks off, but I've never walked away hungry or feeling like I didn't get my money's worth.

    Photos
    Buffet City - Dining Hall Well Spaced

    Dining Hall Well Spaced

    Buffet City - Egg Drop Soup, veggies and dessert

    Egg Drop Soup, veggies and dessert

    Buffet City - Marquee

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    Marquee

    Chowrastha - Wait

    Chowrastha

    4.2(43 reviews)
    4.1 mi

    Amazing Food Ordered…read moreChicken Tikka, hariyali chicken tikka, chicken dum Biryani, chole bhatura (Epic) Food - 10/10 Ambience - Friendly Parking - Dedicated parking lot Great food. Ordered Takeout on way from Omaha to Des Moines Recommend. Will surely try again

    Our 8 yr old son wanted momos and asked to try out a different Indian restaurant than our "usual."…read moreI searched the area, checked out menus, and reviews. Chowrastha looked like it would work. It was a Friday evening and when we entered, about half the tables were full. We were guided to a table and given menus and water (glasses and a pitcher) arrived shortly after. My son definitely wanted the chicken momos. We asked for them as mild as they could make them. My husband chose the chicken vindaloo (medium) and I asked for the Korma Masala with chicken. I asked for it mild, especially so our son would be able to have some of mine, but was told it could only come medium or spicy. So I chose medium. We also placed an order of butter naan. My husband and son ordered fountain drinks. The waiter pointed out the fountain machine and told them to help themselves to start and for refills. My son and husband's food came out along with the naan. There was no mention about mine. We started to wonder if mine had been forgotten but then it came. Our son dove into his momos and almost immediately said they were too spicy. The other Indian restaurants we've been to put the sauces on the side. These had the sauce on them. He powered through and ate four. We were proud of him for doing so. My husband and I ate the rest. I enjoyed the flavor but agreed it would be spicy for a kid. The dumpling wrap seemed to be dry in places. Otherwise, I liked them. My husband enjoyed his chicken vindaloo for the most part. He did mention he's had chicken vindaloo at other Indian restaurants and said he didn't recall it being so tangy. My Korma Masala was fine. It was definitely spicier than I'd desired and there was no way my 8 year old would have enjoyed trying it. My nose would not stop running from the spice level. The butter naan was tasty. Service was non-existent once our food arrived. While other tables did get filled and orders taken, we felt completely ignored. We didn't know if the check came to us or if we needed to pay at the counter. No idea where to get to-go containers. We saw people from a large party coming up and ordering at the counter. Since this was our first time here, we had no clue if this was due to being understaffed or just the norm. Definitely not a good service experience. Our son was disappointed and asked to return to our "usual" Indian restaurant in the metro. I can't disagree.

    Photos
    Chowrastha - Chicken Tikka Masala

    Chicken Tikka Masala

    Chowrastha - Malai Kofta and Paneer Butter Masala - same gravy, tastes identical! Boo!

    Malai Kofta and Paneer Butter Masala - same gravy, tastes identical! Boo!

    Chowrastha - Buffet

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    Buffet

    Iron Wok - a great fortune

    Iron Wok

    4.2(106 reviews)
    4.4 mi
    $$

    Excellent Chinese food for take out! There are dine in options available, but it strikes me as a…read moregreat go to take out place. The interior is fine, but I'm sure most people pick up their food. The crab Rangoon was so hot and fresh. Definitely recommend it! I enjoyed the chicken with mixed vegetables, too. We don't live in the area, but I'm certain if we did this place would become our Chinese food staple and quickly be incorporated into our dinner rotation.

    Always love our food from here! We order every month or so, and on this visit we had one of our…read moredaughters at the house, so we had a 3-entree order. For us, that means 6-7 meals in total as each item is good for at least 2 meals (for us). I always get the Mongolian Beef - it's generally pretty mild, but I ask them to spice it up a bit. The beef is tender, the veggies plentiful and tasty, and the suace is good. My wife got the Shrimp with vegetables, which was a good-sized mound of veggies and shrimp and also very good. Our daughter got the Chicken Pad Thai - a huge mound of the various ingredients ready to be stirred together and eaten. She was pretty sure she had 3 helpings. They get very busy, but we can usually pick up or order in 10-20 minutes. It is fun to watch them cook while you're waiting. We've always had good service - on the phone, picking up, or dining in. Plenty of options to satisfy everyone. Casual, cafe-style inside. It's our go-go, so highly recommended!

    Photos
    Iron Wok - Marquee!

    Marquee!

    Iron Wok
    Iron Wok - Egg Rolls & Egg Drop Soup with Thai Canned Tea!

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    Egg Rolls & Egg Drop Soup with Thai Canned Tea!

    Bawarchi Indian Grill and Bar

    Bawarchi Indian Grill and Bar

    4.3(80 reviews)
    4.4 mi

    Fantastic food and service! The chicken is very well marinated and soft. The naan is also very…read moretasty and the service is very kind. Quiet ambiance with some music. Can have a good conversation there.

    I'm not sure what is going on here lately, but what used to bring me to Bawarchi Indian Grill and…read moreBar seems to be fading a little... We stopped in again last Tuesday for the lunch buffet at right about noon. We were greeted and told to take a seat as normal, but that's kind of where things ended. We sat in the booth for a few minutes. Normally a server checks in with you and takes a drink order at least and releases you to the buffet. No sign of anyone returning... We finally got up and headed to the buffet on our own. A lot of the warming trays on the buffet were already mostly empty and hadn't been refreshed. We did our best to fill a first plate (tandoori chicken, chicken biryani, goat curry, etc.) and went back to our booth. When we got back to our seat there was a carafe of water and a basket of naan on the table. That was a good thing. My co-worker was able to flag down the server to get him a Diet Coke. The food was good. What there was of it... After finishing the first plate we headed back up and it was kind of the same story. Quite a few empty warming trays... But at least a couple of the previously empty ones (aloo gobi and chicken 65) had been refilled so we got some variety. While we were up our first plates hadn't been cleared from the table... Maybe they were short staffed...? It only appeared to be the one gentleman working the front acting as host, server, and cashier. Given the lack of attention to guests and keeping the buffet replenished... I'm really hoping this extreme was a one-off, but things have been a little hot and cold the last couple of visits. It's a shame. We really enjoyed this buffet for a couple of years after our first visit. I've pretty much given them a pass until now hoping it would return to normal. Crossing my fingers things will get better again. With competition like Chowrastha not far away... They're too close by (Ashworth and 60th in West Des Moines) to be letting your game slip like this...

    Photos
    Bawarchi Indian Grill and Bar - The sauce table.

    The sauce table.

    Bawarchi Indian Grill and Bar - Tandoori chicken and butter chicken

    Tandoori chicken and butter chicken

    Bawarchi Indian Grill and Bar

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    ShortE's BBQ - ShortE's BBQ Facebook post

    ShortE's BBQ

    4.4(72 reviews)
    7.7 mi
    $$

    ShortE's BBQ was a really pleasant surprise. I had the ribs and smoked wings, and both were…read moreexcellent. The ribs were cooked perfectly -- tender, flavorful, and honestly didn't even need BBQ sauce because the seasoning and smoke flavor were that good. The smoked wings were also spot on with great flavor. The mac and cheese was pretty good, and the seasoned fries were solid as well, but the real star of the show was definitely the meat. I'm pretty picky when it comes to BBQ and often leave disappointed at most places, but ShortE's absolutely delivered. I'll definitely be back.

    There are a few BBQ options in the area, but this one is one of the better ones. Nice atmosphere,…read morefeels like a traditional hole in the wall BBQ joint. At one point you ordered at the counter, but recent visits have had table service. My go to order is the Texas Mike sandwich. This masterpiece has thick sliced brisket and chopped brisket along with cheesy corn and bbq beans on 2 slices of Texas toast. I like to remove the top slice and eat it like an open faced sandwich. The brisket is super tender and the beans and corn add a nice amount of flavor and texture. I add their sweet sauce, but the spicy is good too. It comes with an additional side, so add the seasoned fries. They are crispy with a nice seasoning. And again, pair with the sweet sauce. Give them a try.

    Photos
    ShortE's BBQ
    ShortE's BBQ - Burnt ends entree served with Texas toast.

    Burnt ends entree served with Texas toast.

    ShortE's BBQ - Loaded potatoes and mac n cheese.

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    Loaded potatoes and mac n cheese.

    Pizza Ranch - pizza - Updated June 2026

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