I loved, loved, loved the Stuffed Olive. We were in Des Moines celebrating our wedding anniversary weekend. We decided to bar-hop and have appetizers at different places. The atmosphere was great and it was busy! We got the Bruschetta and Meatballs.i had two spicy martinis, and they were AMAZING! Just because a restaurant says it is a martini bar doesn't always mean they're gold martinis. We stayed for a few hours, sipping drinks, talking to the bartenders, and enjoying the atmosphere. I highly recommend this for a date night, small gathering, or the first stop in a Saturday night bar crawl. read more

The Stuffed Olive - Tapas Bars Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

I absolutely adore The Stuffed Olive. The staff are so nice, the cocktails and food are delicious, and the seating allows you to feel like you have space and privacy even in the large open room. There's a martini for everyone here and I can't say enough good things about their apps. Their daily specials are some of the best downtown, making it a great place to go before you head out for a night on Court Ave or if you just want to catch up with a friend for a few hours. Recommendations: Shared Plates - Mini Chimis, Risotto Croquettes, Spinach Artichoke Dip, Chicken Skewers Martinis - Cactus Juice, Daydreaming of Flora, Cosmopolitan read more

Fabulous food. Arrived early on a Friday with reservations 5:00p. Had 2 appetizers. 2 full meals and 4 drinks for 2 people. Rushed, rushed and wanted out in an hour. We were headed to Botanical Garden and had a few minutes to spare. Very disappointed. Went to Roca 2 doors down. Had wine, relaxed and will pick this restaurant from now on. read more

Mondays BOGOF Drinks were on point!! I had the dirty birdie...extra dirty. Then almond hot for dessert. So delish! read more

The Stuffed Olive - Almond Joy martini....won't disappoint!! - Tapas Bars Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

The service was great. The food was delicious. 100% recommend getting the grilled cheese, the tomato bisque was amazing!! The ambiance was low lighting. You could dress up or just casual. We went on a Friday evening! read more

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I have never seen so many different types of martinis. The liquor isn't all top shelf the the varieties are amazing. I had the Tiramisu Martini. It was like having a liquid dessert. Service was good the bartender was attentive. The only negative is that the bathroom was close to the bar and you could hear every time someone washed their hands because they only had the jet air dryers. Disturbing but true I Rarely heard the dryers go on from the Mens room. read more

The Stuffed Olive - Tiramisu martini - Tapas Bars Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

I had so much fun at The Stuffed Olive. The martinis were fantastic. I enjoyed it so much that I had 3. They were delicious and a nice liquid dessert after a great dinner. I am so excited that another location will be opening up in Omaha. read more

The Stuffed Olive - Tapas Bars Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

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The Stuffed Olive is known as a martini bar in downtown. It is a cute ambiance with a club above. Parking is available in the surrounding streets of ramp across the street. This is centrally located to walk to other bars and restaurants. Martinis are fairly priced, most around $11. They have over 125 options with seasonal features. The food was disappointing and underwhelming. If you are going, steer away from the food and go for the drinks. The service was great and our server was personable. If you are martini lover you may just want to stop. read more

The Stuffed Olive - Tapas Bars Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

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Blown away, and it's not because the last place we ate was in Nebraska. Lol jokes aside 1. Abbey our waitress was awesome. Her drink choices for us were on point. I loved my Cherry Kool Aid Martini. We also had the Peach Schnapps Martini 2. We got the Tapas Bourbon Meatballs, Chicken Skewers, and the balsamic Brussels Sprouts with bacon. We especially loved the Meatballs and Sprouts! 3. We shared the salmon tacos- great and awesome for letting us lactose intolerant people eat Great food, drinks, and nice people. Can't say we didn't have a better welcome to Des Moines for the first time! read more

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I couldn't run fast enough to leave a review for our wonderful server, Blake. She was so positive, soooo sweet, and very attentive. I will be back and back again to this establishment because of her. She made sure our drinks were always full, checked in at just the right moments, and provided great recommendations. The entire experience was smooth and enjoyable thanks to Blake's professionalism and warm personality. read more

Highly recommend! This restaurant does a great job of combining high end with sports bar vibes. Food was delicious and cooked perfectly. We ordered the chicken and cheeseburger sliders, stuffed mushrooms, and mini chimis. Service was great. The vibe was laid back and we were able to watch the football game. read more

Absolutely delicious tapas that pair great with their vast martini selection! We shared the risotto croquettes and chicken skewers, which were both so good. I was tempted to order more of them. Martini selection seems endless with many creative flavors. My personal favorite was the cucumber mint which was refreshing and light. I definitely think this is more of a fun social outing type of place. Not as much as getting a solid meal, but if you're out w friends or a date and wanted some nice atmosphere with drinks and sharing tapas, I recommend this place. Location is right across the street from the parking garages but is also just a couple blocks away from the bridge. Making a reservation might be wise depending if you're going here on a weekend. read more

This place was great. When I walked in I was amazed to see there was a Jazz band playing which was great. I had the Nashville Hot chicken sliders which were amazing. The bartender was attentive and he suggested I get these. read more

The Stuffed Olive - Nashville Hot Chicken Sliders - Tapas Bars Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

Everything we ate and drank was so good!! The music was the right volume and that made our experience much more enjoyable. The shared plates were a great size and we enjoyed every last bite! The risotto croquettes with the marinara melted perfectly. The elote to chip ratio was just right and the bruschetta tasted so fresh! We also had amazing waiter who was attentive and gave some great suggestions. read more

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The Bloody Mary martini with spicy pickle vodka was very good. The food was quite mediocre. The noise level in the West Dining Room was almost unbearable and we asked to have the music turned down so we could attempt to talk to each other. The tuna tartar appetizer was seared making it not tartar, but more like chopped ahi tuna. The bruschetta was very disappointing. The salmon tacos, seared ahi tuna, mini chimis, smoked elote, and Nashville sliders were fine. The crab rangoon was probably the best food item we had. Overall on the expensive side and disappointing. read more

Awesome ambiance, fantastic food, and great service. You will need a reservation! We got multiple martinis (selection is huge) and several tapas (hot chicken sliders, tuna tartar, or risotto croquettes were probably my favorite). read more

So where do we start? Near RT 80 which we needed since we are en route home to CO, looking to have a late dinner on a Tuesday night. My first thought...(based on former reviews) it was a Tapas bar but that they also served entrees and martinis of course. Well, it is under rated in my opinion. If you are driving by or live close by I HIGHLY recommend this resteraunt. Our server Grant was spot on with all his recommendations for Tapas, Dinner and martinis!! He even remind us of pay for 2 tapas and get 3rd free. His customer service all around was stellar! I rarely give ANY establishment a 5 but this was out of this world delicious! Definitely NOT expected and a pleasant surprise! Lets start with... Tapas: Brussel Sprouts per my husband 5 stars! Crispy not mushy and flavor was perfect. Crap Rangoon was a 4 and chicken skewers were a 4. Dinner: we both had to get the cajun salmon after Grant touted it was his favorite which would not disappoint. Again he was not mistaken!! The cajun was perfectly hot and the salmon was cooked just right, not dry, full of flavor and the sauce of top.... Have no idea what it was... but it was amazing!! The risotto had a garlic & cheese taste that blended in nicely. We have traveled from East coast to West 6xs over past couple of years and I have not had something so devine! No exaggeration what so ever on the cajun salmon. ‍ please pass compliments to the chef! read more

Had a great night! Came in with a group of 18 for a birthday and they were very accomodating for such a large group. Ashley is the best!

Ashley was a fantastic server for our large party! We had an excellent experience. Food and drinks were delicious.

Ashley slayed the house boots down!! Give her the trophy! The parm fries were delicious.

Nice late night spot for tapas and drinks! We got lucky and decided to drop in when it was happy hour for appetizers. Buy 2, get 1 free! We ordered steak bruschetta, crab rangoon, and hot Nashville hot chicken sliders. The chicken sliders were by far the best out of the 3. I'm usually not a fan of sweet pickles but mixed with the spicy sauce and chicken was delicious! The bruschetta had the perfect amount of horseradish. Another great dish! We weren't too crazy about the crab rangoon. Not a good balance of tastes and the dipping sauce was mediocre. The seasonal coconut creme brûlée was excellent! We will be back for more sliders and to try the poutine. Also will be trying one of their many martinis that look amazing! read more

The Stuffed Olive - Steak Bruschetta* - Tapas Bars Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

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When we arrived the host was very nice as we weren't able to make reservations for the time we were wanting. He told us it may be a little bit for a seat at the bar if we were okay with that which we were. We've never been & canceled our other reservation elsewhere because the hype for their martinis was something we were looking forward too. We sat at the bar& the bartender gave us recommendations on martinis to try as the martini menu is huge & so many things to choose from. We seen all staff helping one another, it was nice to see a full restaurant & plenty of staff to take care of things. I will recommend this place to others yes for their martinis and food but also for the atmosphere & feeling so welcome! read more

The Stuffed Olive - French kiss martini. (Drank out of before picture was taken) - Tapas Bars Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

Philip the bartender was amazing! He was attentive even in a busy bar. Definitely recommend.

The new Stuffed Olive has immaculate vibes and a great atmosphere. The food and drinks are so yummy...the deals are even better! Totally recommend going on a Friday night - the patio is stunning & the BOGO deal is top tier. They have lots of servers, so you shouldn't have to wait too long to be serviced. read more

Fun martini/ cocktail bar in downtown DSM! The vibe is cozy with a hint of elegance. The service was very timely for a busy Saturday night. We were with a wedding party and they served all 20+ of us fairly quickly! read more

Very wide variety of martinis! My favorite is the chocolate covered cherry. Also the BEST spinach and artichoke dip I have ever had is at Stuffed Olive. Great atmosphere and service! read more

New location is so pretty and food was delicious! Loved all the fun drinks and shared plate options. Cajun salmon was fabulous.

Wouldn't go anywhere else for a martini. By far the biggest selection but that doesn't mean the quality suffers. Every drink is top notch. Servers are all wonderful. It's nice they're finally in a larger location. read more

When in downtown Des Moines this place is where the locals dine. You should too. Great service, great beverages and the food does not disappoint. read more

Went here for my birthday a week ago and sat at a table of six in the bar and had horrible service. Was overcharged for our buy one get one wine, even though I had specifically asked. The manager tried to blame it on the kitchen. I previously tried to post my comments and they apparently are not letting it go through. We previously were regulars on Monday nights at the bar and it was always excellent. read more

This was our first visit to The Stuffed Olive and we most definitely will be back. We were seated on the couches which we like even more than the tables that were completely booked. Within minutes, our servers - Bailey and Ashley (in training), were at our table ready to take our drink orders. We ordered our usual naked Beefeater Martinis, but added 2 different stuffed olives; they were icy cool deelish. Bailey took our food orders quickly as we were on our way to see Funny Girl at the Civic Center. (The lead in the show is one stellar singer btw.) We ordered the Cajun salmon and the beef brisket which had our neighboring table drooling and my husband and I gastronomically delighted. The portions were spot on. The entire experience was stellar and sweet Bailey was the star of the show. read more

The Stuffed Olive - Naked Beefeater Martinis with stuffed olives. - Tapas Bars Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

The food here is actually very good. The service is usually great as well . I love the sliders and risotto and they always give me extra toast to finish. Have tried most the menu items without pork and everything is great. read more

Since coming to Des Moines I've been here a couple of times. I've always been impressed with how friendly and professional the staff is; they're quick to greet you and they make a point of bringing your food and drinks promptly. Tapas has always been one of my favorite cuisines, and the tapas menu here is exceptional! Not only are all the dishes I've tried off-the-hook good, but they have a "buy two and get one free" deal as well; I'm not sure if that deal works all the time, but it seems to have been in effect whenever I'm on the premises :-) Man does not live by Tapas alone! In addition to some killer eats they have a list of martinis that's veritably endless! The asortment of flavors is really impressive; if you're a dessert person then they have a cocktail here with your name on it... Tip: On Mondays, cocktails are buy one and get one free! It's difficult to find a cocktail here that isn't outstanding, but some really killer ones I've tried include the "almost better than sex", the "pink squirrel" and the "honey badger" read more

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Great Martinis , And really good tapas!! We both wanted some good appetizer/tapas rather than a meal and saw this place on yelp with good recommendations... so glad we drove to eat here! Came In on a BOGO Martini night Score!!! Really good martini options and why not at a "By One Get One price"! Delicious! Also the appetizers were "Buy Two Get One"! Double score!! What a great place!! For our dinner we had the "steak Bruchetta", "Crab Rangoons" (Actual crab meat! ) and "Mini Chimis" yummmm to all three! We also ordered a second round of apps. "Crab Artichoke dip", "Risotto Croquettes", and "seared Tuna Tartar"... The risotto croquettes were just okay, but the tuna tar tar, and the steak Bruchetta were by far my favorite!!!!! Yummm! I bet their dinner entres are just as good, I'll have to come back! . read more

The Stuffed Olive - Tapas Bars Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

Martinis? Yes please! Here's the deal - the stuffed olive is where you must go for martinis. They have an alphabetized list of fun flavored martinis anything from a fruity martinis to chocolate inspired martinis. My favorites include the chocolate bliss, salted caramel, and birthday cake martinis. Great happy hour and daily specials too! read more

The Stuffed Olive - Salted Caramel, Caramel Apple, Cactus Juice - Tapas Bars Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

Haven't had a chance to write about much lately because I've been busy with the people who pay me and I really haven't eaten anyplace worth mentioning. Returning home to Des Moines from Rockford, Ill, home to porn actress Ginger Lynn, music icons Cheap Trick and the most budget friendly hookers per square mile in all of Illinois...so I've been told, I mentioned to Nova that I'd like to go eat at someplace that we've never been to before. She suggested the Stuffed Olive which I had looked at many times through yelp but kept forgetting about. Thinking it was a great idea we headed out. Bonus, live music, specifically Kracklin was playing. This acoustic duo is the tits. If you can't enjoy yourself when they are playing then there is something terribly wrong with your life. We got our choice of seats. Kinda funky actually. Super low table. I would have been more comfortable sitting on the floor but whatever. It's all about the food right. Well unfortunately, in this case it's not. Jen aka Nova ordered the chimi's and the crab dip. I ordered the salmon tacos and calamari. I don't mind waiting for good food. Patience on the part of the customer is welcomed and patience on the part of the kitchen staff should result in attention to detail and a quality product. We received neither. The calamari was over cooked. This is a sin of biblical proportions in the seafood world. It had as much flavor as those wax lips we used to get as kid's had. The best thing about the crab dip was the bread. At least you could taste what seemed to be real butter on it. The mini chimi's are supposed to be filled with grilled but were egg roll wrapped filled with something along the lines of Underwoods Chicken Spread in consistency. In fairness however to Underwood, these chimi's would have tasted better if in fact they were filled with chicken spread. Lastly the salmon tacos. Come on man. Overcome salmon on a lifeless packaged tortilla. Even Taco Bell steams their tortillas before serving them. I haven't been this disappointed since Tina Castle put me in the "friend zone" back in the 8th grade after I got "to handsy" while dancing with her to Johnny Rivers Slow Dancin. She broke my heart, just like the Olive. The Olive very well may be Stuffed but it's not with good food yet this place has a 4 1/2 star rating on Yelp. GTFO. I'd rather be tortured with rusty spiked nipple clamps then eat here again. It's like they're not even trying read more

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The food was really good and so were the drinks and they were exceptionally priced for a downtown trendy bar. read more

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Service was fantastic and food was amazing! Great location to sit and enjoy and glass of wine and relax

Excellent food Excellent drinks Crispy Cauliflower & Romanesco Excellent service & employees read more

Food and staff are always excellent! Fun place to unwind after work with daily specials.