Great fresh Mediterranean food, friendly service, and generous portions. The Green Olive is a Des Moines gem.

5-Star Plus Plus Review: Green Olive at 1960 Grand Ave, West Des Moines, IA 50265 Green Olive absolutely delivered a meal that felt like comfort food and a special treat at the same time. I ordered the combo meal, and it was the kind of plate that makes you slow down and enjoy every bite because there is so much flavor and variety. The chicken was tender and well-seasoned, with that perfect balance of warm spices that tastes rich without being too heavy. The beef had a deep, savory flavor and a satisfying bite, and the lamb was the real standout. It tasted clean, bold, and cooked just right, with that hearty, slightly smoky taste that makes lamb worth ordering. Every protein on the plate felt like it was prepared with care, not rushed. The rice was fresh and fluffy, and it did exactly what great rice should do. It held the meal together and soaked up the flavor from everything around it. Then came the best part, the variety of sauces. Each sauce brought something different. One added a creamy smooth finish, another gave a bright kick, and another brought that deeper, bold flavor that keeps you coming back for one more bite. I loved being able to mix and match because it made the meal feel like several meals in one. To finish, I had the cheesecake and coffee, and that was the perfect ending. The cheesecake was smooth, rich, and satisfying without being overly sweet. The coffee was warm, strong, and comforting, and it tied everything together like a great closing note. Bottom line: Green Olive gave me a full, flavorful, and well-balanced experience from the first bite to the last sip. If you want a meal that is filling, fresh, and packed with variety, the combo meal is the way to go. The staff were friendly and kind absolutely OUTSTANDING!!! read more

The Green Olive - Empty plate - Mediterranean Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

See all

Finally got to visit this place after hearing people talk and I'd say my first impression of it was really good! Service was friendly and welcoming. We came for dinner on a weekend night and there was plenty of seating. I think most people stop in for carry out or online pick up orders. We got the #5 gyro platter plate and #10 gyro mix plate. Heavy portions that are worth the price! I think the gyro platter was better but the chicken for our gyro mix plate was delicious! Green sauce was great and has a little kick to it. I'm definitely going to ask for an extra sauce of it next time. Plenty of parking out front, had no issues finding this place. If you're dining in they give you menus after seating. Great casual dining spot. read more

The Green Olive - ##5. Gyro Meat Plate - Mediterranean Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

See all

Honestly my new favorite go to spot. Prices were on point, service was excellent, food was phenomenal. This is a hole in the wall style restaurant - small, cozy, easy for take out or dining in. We grabbed cheesecake on a whim on our way out and it was the best cheesecake I've had in the metro area. Food cannot be raved about enough! Seasoned and cooked so well, I got the steak and chicken plate and portions were huge. the hummus/pita 10/10, meat 10/10, green sauce 10/10. Will definitely return. read more

The Green Olive - Chicken and Beef plate which includes rice, Green Salsa Cup and Pita Bread Hummus - Mediterranean Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

See all

I've now been here a handful of times and it's always been excellent! I've brought friends for an enjoyable dinner out and my husband and I have introduced our kids to it as well. Our kids love both the shrimp skewers and the gyro meat. While my husband enjoys all the food, he shockingly prefers the chicken over the beef kabobs. You can never go wrong with the gyro meat. Definitely always accept the green sauce! It's phenomenal (admittedly a bit "spicy" for our kids). We've only eaten in, so far. But based on the amount of takeout orders we see, the food must travel well home. I'm sure we'll do that soon. If you've been wanting to try this place, do it! You won't be disappointed. read more

See all

As always service, food, and ambiance were spot on. Cannot go wrong with The Green Olive. We decided we are needing to try breakfast sometime since their dinner is so good. read more

See all

Chicken shawarma was spot on. Tabouleh was perfect, and I loved the spicy potatoes. Everything was so good

Plate No. 7 is the best combination of chicken and lamb, delicious rice and side salad. I usually ask for a side of baba ganoush instead of the hummus just because I love it. Great service. Terrific menu. Love this place! read more

The Green Olive - Plate No. #7. Gyro Kebab Royale - Mediterranean Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

I wasn't really expecting much but got to say this place surprised me! The staff were friendly, the restaurant was clean and the food was very tasty! If I was staying in Iowa longer I could see myself coming here a whole lot more. Definitely recommend this place! read more

The Green Olive - #8. Mixed Grill Combo - Mediterranean Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

Strawberry crepes were picture perfect and delicious. I arrived at 10:40 and was offered both the breakfast and lunch menu

Hidden gem in this strip mall. Next to the $Tree is this small restaurant. 100% Go! Hubby picked the place by his hunger for a gyro. Someone said somewhere this was the best in DSM. Greeted with smiles when you walk in. Breakfast menu on the wall to your right and drinks circulating on the counter. The ladies kindly asked if we were carrying out or dining in. We were going to dine in. The menu is full of pictures and explanations. Only had a couple little questions for our great waiter who took our water. We were quickly talked into one of the fun drinks on the counter. The green one was her favorite. Spinach and pineapple. I would have never guessed there was spinach in it. Other than the color it was a burst of pineapple and very refreshing. We asked her opinion on the menu and soon decided. I got the "secret menu" Gyro fries. The waitress preferred that to the other fries. I was blown away by the portion of fries and meat that came out. Comes with the gyro meat, tzatziki sauce and house made green hot sauce. Perfect, perfect. The gyro meat was perfect and hit the spot with the fries, Remind myself and husband of pouteen style. Hubby had the Gyro Mix plate. You get a skewer of chicken and beef, lamb/gyro meat, rice, homemade hummus, salad, pita bread, and the green hot sauce and tzatziki. I got to try his chicken and steak and both were moist and flavorful On the tables are a small bottle of hot sauce. Brown Dogs Farm sits on the tables. It is a locally made product in a locally owned restaurant. Another shout out for the portion size. He dove in, but we already know leftovers where in our future. The entire experience was fantastic. While we sat enjoying our meal we were checked on regularly. I also witnessed person after person walking in to pick up orders to go. It was like a revolving door. There is much pride here. Another family came in as we were getting ready to leave but we were still treated with kindness and much attention. Our waitress hoped we would come back again, and we said absolutely. Totally worth the drive from Ankeny to enjoy this meal. Check out the back of the menu for the sweet story about the owner. I am ready to go again! read more

See all

The portions are significant. I had the gyro plate and there was plenty of meat, rice, hummus, and salad. My girlfriend had the beef kabob plate and she enjoyed that. We were greeted and seated immediately when we walk in the door. It's a smallish place, so a bit noisy, but more of a fun atmosphere. We enjoyed it. read more

The food was outstanding, and every dish we ordered was delicious. Be prepared for large portions. read more

The Green Olive - Mediterranean Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

Always outstanding food. Portion size is HUGE and the service is always with a smile. Get the chips!

Amazing food and large portions. Now that I have your attention this is a must try for anyone living or visiting this city. Inside you won't find anything fancy until your food comes out or you get one of them fancy drinks from the dispenser on the counter. We tried the green one that was pineapple and spinach, not to worry about the spinach flavor because all you taste is the pineapple. Then our food came and wow, I was so impressed about everything on my plate. The sauce that was delivered was also the best tasting. Even the hot sauce on the table was unlike any I've had. Super impressed and priced reasonable with leftovers to bring home was icing on the cake. read more

The Green Olive - Part of the menu I'm interested in - Mediterranean Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

See all

Greek salad was amazing and went well with my Gyro. The green sauce and tatziki were homeade and full of flavor. Highly recommend!

Came here from out-of-town for a tournament. The servers were friendly and helpful. The food was really good. We especially like the potatoes. The signature green sauce that's on the potatoes and available on the side as a dipping sauce reminded me of Peruvian green salsa--it pairs really well with the Greek food! Next year when we're back in Des Moines, will definitely be making a trip back here. read more

The food was so delicious, I will definitely be coming back here! The service was great! The ambiance was also good. read more

The Green Olive - #1. Beef Kabab Plate - Mediterranean Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

Wow, huge portion alert! This place is great! I'm happy I stopped by for a lunch while on the road. The menu is full of great Mediterranean options. I recommend checking them out and come hungry. read more

See all

I'm surprised this place wasn't more busy when we arrived. Such great service right away; my husband and I are both vegan and we wanted to make sure we had options when we ordered so we asked our server right away. I could hear her talking in the kitchen making sure she covered every ingredient that was safe for our diet. I thought that was very thoughtful. She proceeded to tell us what was safe for us to order: I ordered the vegetarian platter and it was perfectly balanced with flavor and so filling. My husband ordered the falafel wrap with spicy potatoes and his was also very delicious. The spicy potatoes weren't that spicy so they weren't overwhelming hot for the mouth. You can tell all of the ingredients were fresh. Probably the freshest I've had when it comes to eating out with Mediterranean cuisine. We both left that place stuffed thinking we'd have a small bite. The place was clean and was a good spot to just stop in and eat quick. I think it's worth checking out their story on the back of the menu too. People fusing cultures together, it's really nice that they got to take what they learned from their friend and make it their own It was perfect for a quick trip through town to pick someone up from the airport. read more

The Green Olive - #18. Falafel Wrap - Mediterranean Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

See all

Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Mostly Mediterranean and Middle East flavors. Nestled in a strip mall by a Dollar Tree. At the counter ordering. Eat in is no frills. Mostly tables and chairs. A while back my boss had brought some breakfast items into the office for me to try from The Green Olive, the food was great, but I thought reviewing that was kind of second hand... During the lull between our recent snow storms I stopped into The Green Olive and picked up a Gyro Mix plate. The plate includes chicken and beef skewers, lamb/gyro meat, rice, homemade hummus, salad, pita bread, and the house sauce and yogurt. I want to say the price was around $17, but talk about bang for your buck... I picked up the bag and was surprised by the weight. It had to be 2+ lbs! Everything on this plate was fantastic. All the meats tasted fresh, were tender, and not overcooked. The rice and hummus...so good. Of course I had to roll the lamb, veggies, and sauce up into a gyro! If you're in the area definitely don't sleep on their breakfast menu. The breakfast items are typical Western items and not Mediterranean. If you haven't been, and this seems like it might be up your alley... Check out their entire menu and give them a try! https://thegreenolivedsm.com/ read more

See all

Green Olive has good Mediterranean food (their original focus), but they also have interesting Mexican items, such as horchata and flan, and all of the staff are Mexican, not Greek or Middle Eastern. No one says a Mediterranean restaurant HAS to be owned and operated by people of that persuasion, but it was interesting to see the additional menu options, which I didn't really feel 'went well' with the main fare on the menu. On the day we visited, we were there for a quick bite on our way to the airport, and my friend and I each had a kind of combo plate - she had the falafel plate, and I had a plate with a skewer of grilled chicken and falafel. Both plates came with a generous portion of fresh green salad with a dressing on the side, hummus, plus yellow rice. Flavors were very good, falafel was tasty and not too dry; chicken was cooked well; and the presentation and portion size was great. There is a bit of a 'fast-food vibe' about the place: the menu is both available as a laminated sheet and on a digital board. You place your order at the counter and then get a number, take a seat somewhere in the restaurant and then your food is served when it's ready. But unlike a fast-food joint, someone from the kitchen checked in with us about half way through the meal to make sure everything was OK. Staff were friendly and efficient, and there was plenty of seating around lunch time mid week. This place also serves breakfast. I would stop in again and would recommend this place, especially if you are looking for some decent Mediterranean food or something good to take to the airport for your flight. read more

See all

The combo plate with beef, chicken and shrimp. The chicken and shrimp was over seasoned and the beef heavily seasoned as well. The other items were good. read more

The Green Olive - Combo plate #9. - Mediterranean Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

Delicious lunch at The Green Olive DSM on Fleur. I was there for breakfast Saturday and had their strawberry crepes, which were also delicious. This is the chicken shawarma plate with rice, salad, hummus and a green house sauce that's super garlicky and tasty. Front: beef kabka wrap in a delicately thin pita with tatziki sauce, lettuce and tomato, with a side of thinly sliced potatoes topped with the green house sauce and pickled beets. All very tasty with friendly and attentive service. I will definitely return for breakfast and other lunch/dinner items. Give em' some love as Fleur continues to be under neverending construction. read more

The Green Olive - Chicken shawarma plate and beef kadka wrap - Mediterranean Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

The house green salsa was fire. The meats were all either dry or hard (not tender) except for the chicken -- which was surprising since chicken is my least favorite meat but theirs was actually decent. I wish they would have told us there's an additional charge for credit card. That was surprising AFTER we already swiped the card. read more

The Green Olive - The works - Mediterranean Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

A nice Mediterranean style restaurant, tucked inside a strip shopping mall, adds a great culinary variety on Fleur Dr. As you can see from my inside pics, the ordering and interior are quite straight-forward. There are some inside tables. We arrived at the early dinner hour, and our food came out very promptly. We took our food to-go. What you see in my pic is their #14 Beef Kabob Wrap. What you can't see is how large this wrap was. They could have charged more if they had sold it by the pound. The shaved beef was spiced as I expected. For the most part, they beef was tender. However, I had several strands of gristle running through the beef. The tzatziki sauce while flavorful was on the mild side. The side salad was fresh and crisp and seemed to have the same tzatziki sauce as dressing. read more

See all

I have been wanting to try the Green Olive for a long time. Finely tried it. I was greeted right away at the counter. I planned to do a carryout order. As I was trying to read the menu over my head, the gentleman behind the counter offered me a handheld menu. I placed my order and sat on the bench. A couple came in and were told to pick a table. They had a dog with them. The dog was not wearing a service vest, just on a regular leash. I'm not sure if it was a service animal. No one said anything to them. Maybe they are regulars and they know them? I'm not sure. I prdered the gyro platter. The Styrofoam container was stuff with food. There was a large portion of gyro meat that sat on top of the rice. Two larger falafel disks. I love a good falafel. Unfortunately, I was not impressed. They were on the dry side. I have had better frozen ones. I was disappointed. The gyro meat was cut very thick, not much flavor. The pita was hard around the edges. The best thing was the hummus, and it still wasn't amazing. Staff was friendly. Unfortunately, the food was not my favorite. read more

See all

Ordered carryout from flier location. All 4 meals were great and we have leftovers for lunch.

My crepes were exceptionally sweet and tasty. I took half home for my lunch. Can't wait to go back for Mediterranean lunch

The people working were so nice and the food was good too. Came out pretty fast and the entire restaurant was nice and clean. :) read more

The Green Olive - Chicken Shawarma Wrap - Mediterranean Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

See all

Excellent food and service. I got the chicken shawarma platter with hummus and rice. I also love falafel so I got one piece to try. The shawarma was some of the best I've had. I love the crunchy bits. The hummus and pita were nice too. My only complaint was the falafel was flat and greasy. I also got the watermelon aqua Fresca and it was top notch. I will definitely be back next time I'm in Des Moines. read more

Came here 2 times First time we tried the lamb kebab and the works. The lamb kebab was dry and tough but tasted really good. The works was good. Grape leaves Second time, I got the beef kebab and it was also very overcooked and dry. Place seems to be inconsistent with taste read more

The Green Olive - #19. the Works Lamb Kebab - Mediterranean Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

This place is amazing!! The food is fantastic! I got the combination plate (#10) and my son got the gyro fries. The meat is tender, great flavor, cooked perfect and fresh. The rice is great, the side salad is even good. (Tomatoes, cucumber and a yummy dressing) There is so many things on the menu so we will definitely be back to try more things. The restaurant is very clean, smells good and the people working are very friendly!! read more

The Green Olive - Mediterranean Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

We went again. Anyone who has read my reviews for awhile knows of my deep abiding love for a certain Chicago area restaurant that serves similar food. This place is nearly as good. I had the Kafta Kabob plate, my wife had the Lamb Kabob plate. They come with this green sauce that is amazing. Just a bit of heat to it. Turns out that it has cilantro in it, and usually I hate cilantro in anything. The kafta was amazing, the hummus as wonderful as last time, and the rice is a religious experience. The lamb was equally good. I wish I could up this to six stars. This has become my favorite place in Des Moines. read more

I don't know which I love more, the food or the owner. He's like your own Personal zirba, he's a charming funny little old man and he's wonderful. He's like your favorite Greek uncle. But the food! Stunning. Had the beef kebab late, ad it was fantastic. Perfectly seemed beef, good portion size (read that as take half home for lunch tomorrow), the rice is pillows and perfectly spiced. But the green sauce. It's like avocado and sunshine. Absolutely magical. The pita is made in house, the hummus is smooth and creamy, not too thick. My husband had the gyros and Absolutely raves about it. read more

So delicious and reasonably priced! Got the works and shared it with my wife. So bomb

Delicious and full of flavor! My personal favorite is the chicken kebab plate and the feta fries. But everything I've ever had is fantastic.

Great place!!!! Breakfast was outstanding. I'll be back for sure. Very good service, great food. Very highly recommended

Cute spot that had constant traffic. Lots of dine-in customer and lots of order to-go customers. Service was pretty quick and the food was delicious. The Gyro meet had great flavour and the chicken kabob was very tender. I'm a big pita fan so I had to get 2 of those. The best surprise of the meal was the green salsa that came with it- delicious. Some of the best baklava I've had as well. Nice and flaky but not too sweet! If you are in the mood for Mediterranean, I highly recommend. Oh, and the portions sizes are HUGE. Great amount of food for the price. read more

The Green Olive - Baklava - Mediterranean Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

See all

EXCELLENT! The food is amazing, huge portion sizes and wonderful staff. Our table shared the falafel appetizer ( with green sauce) and then we had a plattee with gyro, chicken and beef and a chicken shawarma. The meats were cooked to perfection and flavorful, salad was fresh and hummus and pita were great. We will definitely be stopping again next time we drive through Des Moines. read more