Had this for the first time recently and loved it! The old school diner vibe was so fun, the…read morewaitress was very friendly and the pancakes were bigger than the plate. We will be back!

Brought the family to eat here for breakfast after a local graduation. Three out of the four of us…read moreate breakfast. My husband had biscuits and gravy. My kids had a blt and fries, the other a chicken fried steak with very little gravy. The food was decent, not as good as it used to be. The waitress acted almost angry that we were there. The restaurant was a bit busy for a Sunday, but quiet enough to hold a conversation. Was shocked by the bill, was not expecting to drop $80 for 3 meals. We will probably not do breakfast again.

Had the pleasure of dining there when I was back home. What a wonderful experience! Definitely a…read moreDSM landmark. The food was delicious and our service was way above and beyond. If you haven't been to Christopher's you are missing out on a wonderful dining experience.

We went to celebrate our hubbies mutual birthdays. (Didn't tell waiter)…read more He was very attentive & very polite! He kept our drinks full & table clean. It was prom so we enjoyed watching the kids all dressed up as they came in to dine. We started with the Boursin bruschetta & it was great. Our salads came next & the house dressing was fresh & tasty! It's a creamy Italian. Ladies had chicken parm & it was fresh & flavorful. The smaller chicken sized portion was a bit dry. The regular portion was not. Hubby's Gorgonzola pasta with beef was very rich. The beef was overpowered by the cheese, but was tender. Friend's prime rib was a perfectly cooked medium piece. He had a side of asparagus. The restaurant is large & dimly lit. Parking was the hardest part--Saturday night & that's a good thing.

What a wonderful place to have lunch!! It is a place relax, enjoy food and friends. Had a wonderful…read morelunch of salmon sandwich (the best I've had w aioli) wow!!! Was sooooo good. Restaurant was clean& comfortable ... perfect place to meet with friends & gab. Staff wonderful.cost of meals was perfect! Would definately recommend and will go back. (No photos was to perfect for photos)

4.25* (out of 5) Food: 5* Atmosphere: 4* Value: 4*…read more Service: 4* 01/26/2024 Based on a recommendation from my wife's coworker, we decided to give Nick's Bar & Grill a try with our son and daughter-in-law. We weren't quite sure as we pulled up to what appeared to be a strip-mall, but the storefront for Nick's (see picture) was reassuring. We started with a round of drinks (see pictures) and while the Tequila Old Fashioned (see picture) was unique, I wouldn't order it again - struck me as a straight shot of inexpensive tequila. We both really enjoyed our main course meals. My wife started with the Shrimp Bisque soup (see picture) based on her coworker's recommendation followed by the Ribeye (see picture). I went with the Blackened Salmon (see picture) and really liked it - done just right with the perfect amount of 'kick' in the blackening seasoning. Last but certainly not least (for my sweet-tooth), we shared a piece of Key Lime Pie (see picture). While our waitress was apologizing for the appearance (falling apart) due to it being fresh out of the oven - we especially enjoyed it and the warm temperature only made it taste that much better. If you found this review helpful, please show your appreciation with a Like or a Follow. Photos copyright: happyhourdesmoines.com & thefoodanddrinkguy.com

Very good mixed drinks, food was tasty, staff attentive, nice ambience. The Coconut Shrimp…read moreappetizer was only 5 shrimp for $16 though! So, more than $3/shrimp (and they were on the smallish side and breading was without obvious coconut flakes.)

I made another visit to Fire Creek while in town. Had the Boursin chicken with asparagus and it was…read morejust as good as the first time. Came with a side salad which hit the spot. Dining room is a bit dark and traditional and Starting to show wear. Service was very good.

Our First time at the Latin King. It was wide open at 6:30pm. A bit of a head scratcher…read more Great waitress and prompt service. The food was a miss and a hit. The garlic olive chicken with steamed veggies was very good. Do not do get the Alfredo version. Our other entree was the Pasta Trio as we wanted to sample different things. I would say some BIG misses. I am not sure what their "lasagna" is but it isn't lasagna. It had no pasta and was FULL of a tomato sauce. There is NO tomato sauce in lasagna. Bolognese, 7-8 pasta sheets and béchamel. Simple The Alfredo was lacked flavor and salt. You need great parm to pull it off. The fried raviolis were not crisp and also flavorless . It's as if they got steamed sitting in a tray under a heat lamp. Overall a disappointment

We came for dinner while our in laws were visiting. The server was kind but we had poor service;…read moreforgotten items, long periods between check ins etc. We got the sampler but the toasted ravioli were disgusting they tasted like dog food. The red dipping sauce was great and we liked the cheese sticks and onion rings though, they were crispy and the batter was well seasoned and not over the top salty. I ordered a chicken piccata but they seem to have forgotten the sauce? The waitress took it back to the kitchen and had sauce added and it did taste good once it was. The chicken was kind of mooshy on the outside and tough on the inside ... wouldn't order again. My husband ordered lobster ravioli and he liked it! He had shrimp added but said he would pick salmon next time as the shrimp was a bit tough. The kids had chicken tenders and fries and a spaghetti meatball. Spaghetti was a hit. Chicken was fine but the fries were sort of stale tasting with a weird texture maybe freezer burned? Not sure. In laws had a special steak medallion dinner and liked it. They said their martinis were not made correctly. I tried a gin and limoncello drink I forget the name of but it was not very good and I didnt like my husbands either I think we just weren't fans of their limoncello. We finished by trying tiramisu and chocolate cake. The chocolate cake was fudgey and rich. Too much for me but a hit with the kids and my husband. I usually love tiramisu but this one was not for me unfortunately. It was super wet and had a strong alcohol and vanilla taste but not as much espresso taste. Very thick cream. Very rich. We do not plan to go again but if someone else asked to meet there we wouldnt make a fuss. The decorations inside were very cute. I think sitting out on their patio would be nice too.

On the final night of our six-week road trip, before heading home to Chicago, we stayed at the…read moreDrury Inn in Iowa. Although the hotel offers an evening meal, we decided we wanted something different and ordered takeout from Dolce, conveniently located right across the parking lot. The location could not have been easier. After thousands of miles on the road, the ability to walk across the lot and pick up dinner was definitely appreciated. The restaurant itself looked very inviting. From what I could see while picking up the order, the décor was modern, comfortable, and pleasant. It seemed like a nice place to sit down and enjoy a meal. The bartender who helped me with the pickup was also exceptionally friendly and welcoming, which made a very positive first impression. As for the food, it was unfortunately a bit underwhelming. We ordered polenta with meatballs and a salad. The polenta was okay, and the meatballs were a good size, but overall the dish felt somewhat bland and lacking flavor. Nothing was bad, but nothing really stood out either. The portions were also surprisingly small. The takeout containers were only partially filled, making the meal feel a little light for the price. The salad was probably the biggest disappointment. It felt like very little attention had gone into it: mostly greens with a few toppings and some mozzarella. It wasn't terrible, just uninspired and forgettable. One detail that may seem minor but was actually appreciated was the quality of the takeout packaging and utensils. Everything was packed neatly, and the utensils were sturdy and well chosen, which made eating back at the hotel easier. Overall, Dolce left us with mixed feelings. The people were kind, the location was incredibly convenient, and the restaurant itself appeared attractive and comfortable. Unfortunately, the food simply did not live up to the same standard. It served its purpose on the last night of a long road trip, but it was not a meal we are likely to remember long after the journey itself. Oh, I ended grabbing a bite at the hotel, I was still hungry

4.2* (out of 5) Food: 4* Atmosphere: 4* Value: 4*…read more Service: 4* Would I go back / Recommend?: 5* (Definitely) 05/08/2026 Honestly stopped here while updating Happy Hour information in the area for happyhourdesmoines.com. We enjoyed the food and the atmosphere on previous stops and did again tonight. We had already eaten at another Happy Hour and it was too late now for Happy Hour anyway, so we opted for 'dessert' options. My wife ordered the Espresso Martini (see picture) and I went for the Tiramisu (see picture). The Espresso was very good and while the Tiramisu tasted very good, the presentation wasn't nearly as good as last time (think you'll see what I mean in the picture). We do like this place though and look forward to another stop for dinner some evening. If you found this review helpful, please show your appreciation with a Like or a Follow.

A staple in the east side of DSM, this is the place to stop. Always busy, but never a long wait…read more Many regulars for authentic flavor. I'm not a huge pasta person, so usually get the salmon. Never been disappointed. Cooked crispy with deburgo sauce and wild rice. Always leftovers too. Service is always checking on you, even when it's busy. Many times you can sit at the bar too and eat. It's a great location of people and food and dining experience The ambiance is very inviting and friendly. I'm there minimum once a month. Can't wait to go back.

Comfort food at its best. Fried chicken a d a baked potato before my birthday. Service is good and…read moreefficient. The customer base screams older crowd, but I assure you the menu has something for everyone. Feels sorta like your great aunt's house with your grandma cooking!

Where to start? Pepperoni pizza with light sauce for my wife. Onion rings for everyone. Just walk…read morein and get them to go and they will drop them into the fryer fresh. Sausage (patty) sandwich stellar

THE MEATBALL REVIEW…read more I went there on a recent Friday at 5:30 pm. I ordered the baked cavatelli and asked if I could add some meatballs. The waitress said that she would have to ask because they were running low on them. Huh?? It's the start of your weekend at 5:30 in the afternoon and you're already running low on meatballs?? She came back to the table and told me that she could not give me any meatballs because they had to save them in case there were other orders. What?! I looked around for a hidden camera to see if I was being punked. Nope, no camera. This was real life. I mean, I didn't ask for free meatballs, just meatballs. A dinner salad and garlic bread are included when you order cavatelli. The salad comes with red onion, pepperoncini, and croutons. I don't really like red onions or pepperoncini so I asked to have them left off. She shows up with the garlic bread and the salad and tells me, "we're out of croutons". Seriously?!?! The only thing that makes a sad, dinner salad worth eating is the croutons, am I right?! TWO, shattering disappointments all within 10 minutes. My frown kept getting lower and lower. The garlic bread was pretty decent, though. Not decent enough to make up for the lack of meatballs and croutons, but I digress. My three dining companions ordered pizzas and they were all pretty happy. I took a few bites and it wasn't too bad, pretty solid, actually. The end of the story is that the cavatelli was very salty and was nothing special. The non-existent meatballs, I ASSUME, would've helped. By the way, you can order two meatballs " ala carte" (I saw it on the menu later). I wonder if I'd just ordered them "ala carte", would they have been on my plate. I guess we'll never know because you only get one chance to make a first impression and I won't be going back. My suggestion to this business is to make sure you're well-stocked up on meatballs and croutons before you let the meatball/crouton guy have the weekend off. Oh, one more thing. They have cheesecake on the menu. You can order it with caramel, cherries, Oreos or strawberries, except you can't. They're out of strawberries. Ridiculous.