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    The Green Olive

    4.7 (33 reviews)
    Open 8:00 am - 9:00 pm

    Order The Green Olive Takeout or Delivery

    The Green Olive Photos

    Business Info

    THE GREEN OLIVE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Dogs allowed
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - The Green Olive

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    Cliff K.

    The Green Olive It's a cozy, hidden gem with personalized service. I have been wanting to go for some time. It's conveniently located inside a shopping Center. It's not always easy to see. it's near the Hy-vee right by the Planet Fitness in West Des Moines. It's also about expectations, everyone is under staffed, so I always appreciate the service staff who are working. The parking is easy and plentiful. The restaurant was clean. Everything was authentic, scratch-made dishes like kabobs, wraps, and hummus, they make their own Pita bread too! Its spacious, lots of tables and was very casual when I was there for lunch and I observed a very family-friendly atmosphere. The service was fast and efficient and they and they special packed it exactly how I wanted it. A Latina woman of a certain age was the server manager and she just went out of her way to make sure I got everything the way I wanted. She made great suggestions on packing because I told her I was probably gonna take some home so she separated things out for me like I wanted. I'd heard that the portions were huge and they certainly were. I got the #10 Gyros Mix which included a generous portion of gyros (Tender strips of lamb and ground steak gyro,) a skewer of U.S.D.A. Choice steak kabob, , a chicken Kabob, which i would call their version of Chicken Souvlaki (which means "little skewers" and refers to small, marinated, grilled pieces of chicken often served on skewers at traditional Greek restaurants) each platter also includes fresh made hummus with olive oil, *Mediterranean seasoned yellow rice, and a small salad topped with our house garlic lemon dressing, homemade pita bread and a green jalapeno sauce. Which was an interesting twist to Greek food. Usually its just Greek sauce is Tzatziki (pronounced "tsah-dzee-kee"), a cool, creamy dip or sauce made from strained yogurt, grated cucumber, garlic, olive oil, and herbs like dill or mint, I asked for it to be packed to go even though I was eating in too. and she did an outstanding job of separating the cold salad and hummus from the rice and hot entries. The food was good and solid hot and delicious and the portions were really generous. They also included the traditional sweet white onions with the gyros Its a hidden gem and a wonderful quality restaurant. I will be back. Its owned by Silvestre and Veronica Duran -- who moved to DSM from California about six years ago to be closer to family. They certainly imbued the restaurant with quality food , generous portions in great staff service and attention.

    Laura S.

    Awesome lunch, first time here. Family Run, get food, great service. My friend and I split the #7 and each tried their home made aguas fresca, she had pineapple and I had Cantaloupe. Refreshing!

    gyro sandwich with fries
    Corey H.

    This is homemade, delicious, incredible food served by friendly people. I only wish I lived nearby so I could go there often. The decor is basic stripmall. The menu has pictures so you can easily decide. The portions are large. My leftovers fed my 18 year-old son dinner!

    Christina W.

    THIS SECOND LOCATION IS FIRE !! Finally made a visit to their West Des Moines location and it satisfied every craving we had. Ever since having my food experience in Burbank, CA December 2023, I was on the hunt to find the best Mediterranean close enough to taste like the west coast. Found Green Olive right after my trip and have been eating here for a year now and I can't stop. Won't stop. THE GREEN OLIVE is theeeee place. The kofta and steak kabob are the best. Can't go wrong with the lamb or the salmon kabobs either. Total for two meals and a drink $40.xx before gratuity. Everything here is excellent and consistently hot and delicious. Favorite drink here is the mango aqua fresca. Meals are HUGE and can be shared for $2.99 plate split fee. Desserts and appetizers made in house. Water, pop, and iced tea are offered for drinks. I love this location and the layout of the restaurant. Very spacious and open. Large windows and very inviting. Service is always excellent and very welcoming. I appreciate their consistent kind service and willing to please their customers. I've never experienced an "off day" with their service or food. I've meet Veronica, the owner, and her daughter. Got their story on how they made it here to Des Moines and why they started the Green Olive. I absolutely LOVE their story and admire their love for food and people. Highly recommend and love supporting their food and family!!

    Not a menu item but they let you make your own plate! Substituted the salad and hummus for the amazing Greek spicy potatoes.
    Kimberly G.

    Lunch go to! The staff are attentive and food comes out fast and fresh every time. Both locations are great but the Grand Ave location has a much larger dining room.

    Appetizer Platter
    Twee W.

    Honestly I would come back here just for the spinach phyllo . The service was really nice, and each table had different local hot sauces. We enjoy the baba ganajou and the kofta. The rest was pretty subpar. Overall would try again

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    9 months ago

    Very good! Wouldn't say amazing but for Des Moines and fast there probably the best! Go with the sampler and you won't be disappointed

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    2 years ago

    Food is great and the service is also excellent. Visited this place 3 times and tried the combo selection. The food is authentic and tasty

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    1 year ago

    The food was absolutely delicious! Highly recommend checking them out! If you need good mediterranean, this is it.

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    1 year ago

    Great service. A++++ amazing breakfast burrito Sunday morning. More addicting than crack. Had withdrawal symptoms today

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    OPA! Italian & Greek - Side salad

    OPA! Italian & Greek

    4.2(177 reviews)
    2.0 mi
    $$

    The service was fine the server was attentive. At lunch, they have a buffet.\nThere was a lot of…read moredifferent choices.We'll say italian. The food itself was meh. Meat dish was overcooked. It reminded me of going to a buffet in the seventies. Having said that, I'll have to give it up another chance.Going at night , but I wouldn't go to the buffet again.

    Opa! Italian & Greek How I wanted you to be the best dinner night, but you came up short…read more We needed a place to grab dinner and they didn't have a wait on Saturday night. We were running a tight schedule which is our fault. I ordered the Creamy Steak de Burgo with Rosemary Potatoes. I ordered it medium and chose the beef tenderloin. Well it didn't come out medium or rare, but raw. I mean raw. The server agreed and took it back. It took a while to come back and by that time we needed to go to catch the show. We also barely made it to the show. I had to take it to go. The server didn't say anything to the manager or apologize or anything. Again I know I was in a tight schedule, but it is your responsibility to ensure the food is correct and cooked to order. I am not giving up on Opa! because the food is solid, The service could be better. The beef tenderloin was very good with the creamy garlic, wine, & basil sauce. Tossed and topped with mushrooms. The rosemary potatoes were fire, especially with the creamy sauce from the tenderloin. I would ask for more sauce next time. I did the upgrade and it's definitely worth it. They need to work on getting the rare, medium, medium well, and that's not good correct. What I got back was a very well done tenderloin. This is a solid meal and I will be back to give it a shot. We never said we were in a hurry or anything. Just want it cooked correctly. The salad and bread were good. I would get the salad dressing on the side. My gorgeous wife got the lasagna and I got a bite. It was amazing as well. She loved it and would get it again. We hadn't planned on going to Opa! but we did and I absolutely love the atmosphere and feel this is a solid place, just wasn't a great experience. I was so damned hungry through the entire show at the Civic Center and may have been hangry.

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    OPA! Italian & Greek - Mothers day buffet desserts

    Mothers day buffet desserts

    OPA! Italian & Greek - Creamy de Burgo with shrimp

    Creamy de Burgo with shrimp

    OPA! Italian & Greek - Happy hour specials

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    Fresh Mediterranean Express - falafel burger

    Fresh Mediterranean Express

    4.2(168 reviews)
    7.8 mi
    $

    What a charming spot!! Walking into this place feels like stepping right into the Mediterranean --…read morethe decor is absolutely on point. I ordered the rice platter with falafel, and wow, flavor explosion! The tzatziki tasted homemade (because it probably is) and was super creamy and delicious. Now, let's talk about the tiny plot twist -- they charge $0.75 each for olives and feta. Not a dealbreaker, but for that price I was hoping for more than five lonely olive slices and a baby spoonful of feta. Still, everything else totally made up for it -- the food came out fast, fresh, and full of flavor. I'll definitely be back!

    This was a great spot! The inside space had a great vibe and energy; on brand decor, bright…read morelighting, neon signs. The staff were young and friendly. The seating space indoors was small but there was substantial patio seating available if the day was sunnier! We ordered two ginger lemonade which were fresh and delicious. Started with an appetizer of pita and red pepper hummus which was average. For mains, we did a falafel burger and a moroccan chicken skewer which were AMAZING. I mean, like flavors that made me so happy. The chicken skewers had a strong seasoning and were accompanied by a sauce that created a dynamic flavor pairing. Finished with baklava that was average; had a good flavor but it was a bit dry. Will be back!

    Photos
    Fresh Mediterranean Express
    Fresh Mediterranean Express - Original Gyro (Combo)

    Original Gyro (Combo)

    Fresh Mediterranean Express - Ginger lemonade

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    The Green Olive - mediterranean - Updated September 2026

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