I can see how this place could get some stars here in Des Moines simply because it has no real competition. The fact is that this restaurant unfortunately is just average. The gyros is not even real, as they use pre-made formed meat that is placed on the spit. Real Greek places layer the meat. The pita bread is not homemade and I question if the tzatziki sauce is homemade as well. This is a fast food Greek restaurant dressed up like a family style restaurant. On a positive note, the servers were great and real nice.
(2)
Tony S.
My lady friend (88_88) and I shared the spanakopita appetizer, saganaki, and gyro platter. Did you catch that? SAGANAKI! The Greek flaming cheese! So few places have this, yet it is A++ delicious would eat again (and again and again). Spanakopita was also nom and had the optimal (according to my preferences) ratio of filling to phyllo. Good gyro and salad. There were fries but I'm not sure why they existed.
(4)
Kristen F.
Food was awesome - yay for a good gyro. We went for lunch and the service was incredibly slow, but if you're patient it's worth it.
(4)
Michael G.
Great Gyro. Me and coworkers order carryout on Friday's and love it. The Gyro is very good and the service is nice. Everytime we go it always seems to take a very long time. We will order food an hour ahead of time and still wait 20 minutes before it's done. While going to Miyabi 9 one day I noticed Olympic flame was almost completely empty on a Saturday night...that can't be good hope the slow service isn't to blame. I really wish they could be faster. I can't give any less stars because I love the gyro but this place needs to be better.
(3)
Chris B.
This is going to hurt to type. After being a little, local place that I enjoyed supporting, I now plan on avoiding it altogether. It started with my previous trip there (before today). I was there during a lunch break and they were not particularly busy. That was, however, a group of six people that garnered all of the attention. I was largely ignored every step of the way. At dinner tonight, nothing was done right. My friend and I had to wait for just under an hour before our food was ready (and we almost left). My buddy's water glass remained empty for north of twenty minutes before it was filled up (someone even walked passed with a pitcher, took a moment to stare at his glass, and then kept walking). Speaking of water, he had also asked if he could have both lemon and lime in his water and was told that would be "fine" but it came out with two lemon slices. He asked for grilled shrimp on the side and they gave him breaded shrimp after everything else had been served several minutes earlier. I kept things super simple - getting falafel with no tomatoes .... they kept then tomatoes on. When we went up to pay, we said that we could pay separately and told them what we had (we've done this there before as most restaurants in 2015 America are capable of doing this). They messed that up, had to redo it, and then kept it all as one bill. They were on the busy side but still had open tables. I can't make up an excuse for their inability to listen. Every single step was botched and there were no apologies or compensation of any kind to attempt to make up for the blunders. They are understaffed and their system is archaic. It makes sense that they will struggle from time-to-time. It also makes sense for me to discontinue giving them my money.
(1)
Jackie S.
3.5 stars for food 1.5 stars for service My family and I wandered in here after another restaurant down the street had a 45 minute wait. We were seated immediately, although, the waiter seemed to struggle putting together a table for 6 people. The restaurant wasn't crowded at all - which should have been a sign in and of itself as it was a Saturday night. While our waitress was friendly, the service was poor at best. Here's why: 1. We asked to put in an appetizer while we looked over the menu and were told that the chef didn't allow orders to go in separately and we would have to order our food at the same time. The waitress told us she would ask the chef if he would make an exception - he wouldn't. 2. We quickly ordered our meals (mostly gyro sandwiches) and put in our drink orders. My mom and brother ordered diet cokes (they never came) and my dad ordered wine (which he had to remind the waitress to bring). 3. The waitress suggested we should get a side of Greek fries to go with the gyro sandwiches and we agreed that it would be a good idea. She forgot to put them in so when we asked about them, she told us the chef hadn't seen them on our order and it would be a few minutes. The Greek fries were actually really good but we were basically done with our meal by the time they arrived. The gyro sandwiches were good but not good enough to outweigh the poor service. To be honest, I'm all for local mom & pop places and it really kills me to write a bad review so I'm hoping they were just having an off night. If not, I hope they do something to fix the service!
(2)
Lisa P.
This restaurant was closer to a 3.5 in my opinion, but because of the great service, I rounded up to a 4. Tip: Go to this restaurant hungry. If you get the dinner, you get soup, salad, bread, plus your meal with 4 sides. My group of 6 got right in on Friday night at 5:45pm before we went to the Iowa Wild game. The server was very friendly and helpful. The men in the group were excited to try the Greek beer they had (although they were sad to see there was only 1). I ordered a glass of one of the Greek white wines. The beer got good reviews (I think it was a lager?), I thought the wine was only okay (too buttery for my taste). We started with the saganaki (cheese that comes out flaming out to your table). It was sort of similar to a mozzarella stick, but the chef uses lemon to put out the flame, and my boyfriend didn't like the lemony taste of the cheese afterwards. I thought this was a really fun dish to experience, but wouldn't necessarily order it again because of all the other food that was still coming! Everyone got a cup of the lemon chicken soup with their meal. The soup was similar to a traditional chicken noodle soup, with a slight lemony taste. The whole group liked it and gobbled it up with the warm bread that came with it. Next came the traditional greek salad. My salad was slightly overdressed (next time I would ask for the dressing on the side), but otherwise all the veggies were fresh and the salad was light. For dinner I ordered the chicken gyro. I was already starting to get full when the meal came, but I enjoyed the gyro and ended up eating the chicken out of it because I was too full to eat the rest (but the chicken was delicious). The gyro came with a side of orzo, spanakopita, grape leaf, and something similar to spanokopita filled with cheese (I can't remember the name of it). Unfortunately, I didn't get to enjoy these as much as I would like because I was no longer hungry, and I didn't have a place to bring leftovers to like I normally would. Although I really enjoyed the meal, some of my fellow diners did not like their meals as much. My boyfriend got the lamb, and said he was disappointed that all 3 pieces were cooked differently (one well done, one medium, and one medium-rare). My mom also was not pleased with her meal, the combo plate, because she thought both casseroles (the moussaka and the pasticcio) were soggy. My brother ordered the traditional gyro, and said his was very good as well. The service was attentive and friendly, and I enjoyed my meal, so I would recommend going hungry, and ordering one of the gyros.
(4)
Patrick T.
Olympic Flame, is a wonderful experience for lunch or dinner! They have fantabulous falafal, hummus that make me happy, and Greek beer that make me bonkers! The staff is great and has been a presence in the east village long before the east village was a destination spot! They have awesome appetizers and wonderful staff who explains the food, and how it's prepared! I love the environment and it worth ordering something that the Saganiki Greek Cheese because the chief will come out and do something crazy that make that SPECIAL Olympic FLAME! I don't know what the Saganiki taste like but everyone (not vegan) seems too love it!
(5)
Jennifer W.
Nice lunch date at the Olympic Flame today :) We ordered the Saganaki, of course, two gyros platters, and a couple of Greek beers. We went around noon and we beat the rush that came in shortly after us. Overall, a fun and tasty experience like usual.
(5)
Celeste B.
I've been thinking a while about how I wanted to write this review because it's harder for me to write the ones for places I'm not as happy with. My boyfriend and I went here on a Saturday and were seated right away. We both figured out quickly what we wanted, and waited. Then we waited some more for our order to be taken. He ordered the gyro platter, I ordered the chicken gyro platter, and a couple of appetizers. His meal showed up first, before the apps, then the apps, and my food showed up. The sides on the plate were good, but the chicken in my gyro wasn't cooked all the way through. When I mentioned it to the server, she told someone about it, but nothing was done to remedy the situation. No amends were made to make the customer happy. The bill was not adjusted. There were only 2 servers working with a full restaurant, and when I asked why there wasn't more staff, they said that they didn't think it would be busy. It was the first gorgeous day of the spring and the east village was FULL of people. I left unimpressed and won't be returning.
(2)
Hannah H.
A longtime Des Moines restaurant that is definitely worth visiting. Olympic Flame is great! Since my husband and I live nearby, we're here frequently during the week, generally for an early dinner. It's hard to come here and not go for the saganaki and gyro dinner, but I've had the moussaka and calamari and really enjoyed both. You get a LOT of food with the dinner options--soup, great sides, salad, etc. Service and kitchen are often manned (well) by one or two people, often the owner. Service is always great since it's friendly, casual, and never overbearing.
(4)
Bill L.
Great Gyros here! It is hard to find places that serve gyros around town, this place serves it and makes it right. I have only eaten here once and it was a wonderful experience. We were one of two tables here at the time and had very personalized services from the staff member. We came late, not long before closing time which explains the limited customers. The location of this restaurant is great, surrounded by a couple great eateries. Their menu and food look authentic, but I have not sampled most of their products, nor am I well-versed in Greek cuisine. All I can say is their meats are delicious and you will have a difficult time finding another place like this around town.
(5)
Peter I.
Nice place. Nice older gentleman who served me and seemed to be the owner or similar. Had the greek salad for lunch and added on chicken. Tasted very well. They had Saganaki which is usually something that doesn't happen on a lot of greek restaurants outside of Greece. Unfortunately it was sold out but still a good sign. Will come back for dinner
(3)
Rocky R.
Outstanding Greek restaurant. We started with the Saganaki (Kaiser cheese dipped in egg batter and served flaming at the table) which was a lot of fun and tasted great too. We also got the Greek stuffed grape leaves which were served with a creamy lemon sauce. They were outstanding. My wife and I ordered gyros which were perfectly made. The kids got burgers which they devoured. Lastly we got baklava and kataifi, both were phenomenal. Our server was also our chef (which I assume is also the owner) who spent time to talk to us about several of the dishes. If I lived in this area I would be a regular customer.
(5)
Sarah A.
This place had the best Greek food that we've ever had. The moussaka was... indescribably good. Flavorful but also very light, whereas I'm used to it being a sort of heavy and greasy dish at other places. We also felt very well-fed--bread and soup and salad before the meal leaves you with plenty leftover from your main dish for later. The saganaki (flaming cheese) appetizer is also delicious as well as visually stunning. The entire dining room turned around to look whenever anyone ordered one. Our server was extremely courteous and extremely overworked. He managed to stop by the table quickly but kind of had to be tracked down when we wanted to pay our bill. Understandable given the number of tables he was cashing out while serving multiple courses and apparently helping occasionally in the kitchen. Let's also give him some slack given the permanent scars that lighting multiple saganaki every night must give him. He was a great guy and tirelessly cheerful.
(4)
Miki B.
Pretty bad Greek food. We moved to DSM from Chicago and have a point of reference on Greek restaurants ....this place has terrible gyro meat. We were really disappointed. Too bad the East Village doesn't have better option.
(2)
Cindy A.
I can only speak for the gyro, Greek salad, and vegetable Dolmathes. The gyro meat wasn't dry and was good, the vegetable Dolmathes were tasty. Nothing to complain on the service. I will definitely come back whenever I am in the mood for some Greek food.
(4)
Hugh D.
We were very pleased to find this restaurant; we stumbled upon it with our two hungry toddlers... and staggered out entirely satiated. The food was great and reasonably priced, the service was very friendly, and the recommendations were spot on. A great find.
(5)
Tiffany K.
Not a super diverse menu for entrees, but a lot of appetizer choices. Nice little restaurant with very nice staff. Was very pleased with all the food bought to the table. Loved the gyro!
(4)
West S.
The food is fine, if most certainly frozen, but this place is not prepared for customers. The walls are mostly stark white, giving it as much atmosphere as an operating theater. My party of 4 arrived before the dinner rush, and still had to wait 55 minutes after ordering for our entrees. I ordered the vegetarian gyro dinner and my first course was chicken soup. We were asked for clarification on our orders at regular intervals, and had to take these interludes as opportunities to request that our beverages be refilled because the empty glasses at our table were never noticed. When items were delivered, they were delivered sporadically. By the time we received our entrees, we had to ask for them to go because we had run out of time to eat, the staff made no attempt to compensate us for the experience we had. I have a hard time believing that any of the customers who arrived subsequent to us had a better experience as the atmosphere was frantic by the time we left. Not worth a second chance, at an rate.
(2)
Becky R.
Wonderful restaurant with great, authentic (as far as I know) food, with excellent service. It appears family owned and operated, with a cute atmosphere of painted columns and decorative Greek items. The gyro here is huge and always good, and I know I need to try the other menu items. We did order the saganaki, or "fire cheese" which is fun and delicious, and the baklava, which has a generous portion for the price. The only reason I rated less than 5 stars is due to the belly dancer that is there on Friday nights...the restaurant is so small that her shimmying around right by your table and constant eye contact is kind of uncomfortable while you are eating, and especially while you are on a date. I kind of wish they would discontinue the belly dancer because Friday night is my favorite to eat out, and we occasionally pass on Olympic Flame to avoid the show.
(4)
Kris B.
Went on a Friday and was disappointed by the terribly slow service. We received our soup before getting our waters, waiting at least 30 minutes for them. After receiving our waters they were never refilled. The food was okay but not worth the 2 hours we ended up spending there. Will not be returning.
(2)
Chandra P.
Great restaurant with great gyros!!! The owner and staff are so nice! I love spending my lunch hour here! After only a few visits the waitress knew my name and order. If you are looking for great Greek food with the home-town feel, this place is for you!
(5)
Michael S.
We went as a party of 7 on a Tuesday night. Our party had the lamb chops and nightly special, which was a dish featuring cod. We also tried the fried squid as an appetizer. My 3 favorite things about our trip there were: taste, service and price. All dishes were excellent and fresh. Portion sizes were very appropriate; just the right amount. We also tried the Saganaki(?), which was a flaming cheese appetizer---well worth the show Although there was only one server for the entire dining area, she was very friendly and helpful. The price was phenomenal--most places in town would set you back $200+ for a party of this size. We all got ample amounts of food and I left with a bill of $135. Bottom line: excellent restaurant which we will return to and I would highly recommend to anyone.
(4)
Mary P.
We are from Minneapolis and were looking for something tasty for dinner while in town. The wait for zombie burgers was too long so we ended up here. Boy were we happy. This is some of the best Greek food I've ever had (and we have Greek neighbors and good options in Minneapolis). The dinner platters are an amazing assortment of Greek treats like spanikopita and dhalmades. It was well worth the price and we left satisfied with full stomachs. I'm glad we stumbled across this place.
(4)
C M.
the food was above average. No ambiance to speak of. The busts over the mantle were redacted from Michelagelo's David (Italian art from a biblical tradition; nothing Greek about it). weird... If this restaurant were in a real metropolis (which Des Moines IS NOT) it wouldn't have a chance in hell of getting 4 stars. But as the choices were meager, this one stood out for me. The waiter that day was very good. I would go there again.
(4)
Bob S.
We stopped by here for the first time and found the homemade lemon chicken soup to be very tasty. The Greek salad dressing was desirable. My wife had the gyro and loved it, I had the pork kabob's and thought the Greek herbs and spices were just right. The staff was pleasant. We were there on a Friday night and they had a belly dancer that performed and the kids at the next table sat quietly watching the belly dancer.
(4)
Meghan S.
Not a ton of selection but what they make they make well. This place has been around since before the East Village got it's facelift and it has retained it's sort of Greek-diner charm through the neighborhood changes. I met my dad for lunch on a weekday and had no problems with slow service that other reviewers mention, just classic Greek food for a reasonable price under sun-bleached, framed posters of the Motherland and blue painted pillars.
(4)
Jeff Y.
This is by far the best gyro i have had in town, much better than Ted's cony island or any place in the skywalk. The owner is extremely friendly and service is always quick. My main reason for the three stars is that I wish the lunch menu was a little bit more substantial as it only has a few greek items and then some pretty stereotypical american diner type fare.
(3)
Ann L.
I was in Des Moines for business; it'd been a long week and a colleague pulled up a few restaurants on her phone for lunch on our last day in town. We all love Greek food so we jumped at the chance to go to the Olympic Flame Restaurant in the East Village. We were all delighted! The staff were very friendly, and since it was peak lunch-hour, the place was pretty busy. The gentleman was apologetic when he realized he hadn't yet brought us our drinks, but none of us complained, not a word was said about it at the table - my point is that we didn't mind. The food was delicious! The menu offered traditional Greek lunch options, and I chose the large Greek salad with chicken. My colleague chose the same and another ordered the gyro sandwich. I thought the dressing was perfectly flavored, and they served it with heaps of feta cheese (a delight!); the chicken was wonderfully seasoned. Delicious warm pita bread was served and was devoured in minutes. My colleagues went home that night and I stayed; I loved the restaurant so much, and when I saw some of the dinner options online, I decided to go back. The staff were very friendly and spoke enthusiastically when I asked about some of the things that came with my dinner. I ordered the Lamb Chops which was served with dolmatha, spanikopita, and tiropita ( new to me!). I loved all of it, and went home with a piece of baklava - it didn't last too long before I tasted it, and also loved it. I highly recommend the Olympic Flame Restaurant if you ever find yourself in Des Moines - the staff are wonderful people and the food is really delicious. Also, the prices are so reasonable! The restaurant is very family-friendly, and yet intimate at the same time. I cannot say enough good things about this restaurant.
(5)
William S.
The food is very tasty but the service is extremely slow. On a Friday, at 8pm, there was ONE server for the entire restaurant. Based on the other reviews, apparently this is Olympic Flame's M.O. While I enjoyed the food, I don't believe the food is good enough to make up for the extremely slow service.
(3)
lttlod i.
First of all, I really like the fact that there are only two people ever running this place. The dad who's in the back cooking his a** off and his son who looks like he's a teenager working the front. Both doing a good job service-wise and cooking, for the most part. I've been here twice with friends over the span of about 8 months. The first time I went I ordered the sampler that included some little sausage wrapped in grape leaves, musakah and a couple of other very forgettable tastes. My friend ordered the same thing and didn't like it either. We both figured it was just the nature of the dishes/spices and if I went back I'd order something else. Another friend's fish he ordered was seriously burnt on the bottom so they should watch that better. A bunch of us went to see the belly dancer, which was kinda cool but akward at times to be honest. She was taking dollar bills in her waistband like it was a freakin strip club. I thought it was a tad inappropriate, there were children there lol. So, this weekend I went with a friend and really enjoyed what I ordered. We chose the flaming cheese, which I highly recommend! It comes to you on a plate and the waiter lights it on fire in the air before he serves it. Really fun! I then ordered the chicken gyro, since I don't really like lamb, and it was delicious. Another appetizer we ordered was the pita and hummus. Very very good. Authentic. I should know I spent a fair amount of time in the Middle East. We ordered the baklavah at the end. I've had better. The piece was small and spiced differently than what I'm used to. My friend loved it though. I'll be back for sure!
(4)
Sarah W.
Stopped by for an early dinner. All the food was delicious, and the saganaki we ordered had some especially nice flames. We found the service to be prompt and quite friendly.
(4)
Laura M.
Checked this place out for the first time on Saturday - I have lived in Des Moines for the past 23 years, and didn't even know the place was here. It was pretty quiet for lunch, but the place was clean. I was impressed with how reasonably priced the food was. I ordered the chicken gyro and my husband had the falafel. Both arrived promptly, and warm. Service was friendly and accommodating. We also ordered the baklava for $1.49 - first time trying this and I would definitely have it again. Nice quaint place I would definitely stop back at for a quick bite.
(4)
Jonathan D.
The service can be slow. We waited over half an hour for our orders to be taken then the waiter promised our appetizers within three minutes but it took him over ten minutes to even come back with the drinks. The Greek fries are excellent as is the hummus and pita. Don't order the salad. It is drenched in vinegar and nearly made me choke. (I love vinegar on a salad but this was simply far too much.) The fried squid, the gyro dinners and the dolmathes are good as are the sides. The tiropita was especially noteworthy. For desert they have baklava and kadaife, both excellent, particularly the kadaife. The atmosphere is generally convivial, however there is a belly dancer on Friday nights. I did not find this to be awkward, however it seemed to make several of the other guests uncomfortable. Generally this is a good Greek restaurant. I was going to give three stars for service but bumped it up one for the quality of the food.
(4)
C. V.
Amazing service - amazing food - amazing entertainment! The Olympic Flame helped me entertain a group of fourteen teens and parents from a local high school organization, Friday night. The hostess and staff were overwhelmingly polite to our students, and of course, vice versa - great behavior from our students! We were there on a very busy night; service to all in the restaurant was great. Don't be in a hurry. They take pride in the preparation of their food, and it is a night of entertainment. The belly dancer was great! She welcomed a student to dance, provided a scarf and taught a few dance moves! The whole restaurant enjoyed their performance. We tried everything on the menu, I believe, and all left stuffed and content. Many ordered and enjoyed the gyros; however, I highly recommend the Greek sampler, soup, and certainly the flaming cheese and baklava desert! I loved taking the students there; several plan to go back and take others for Senior Prom, coming up! That's what it's all about...good food and making good memories with family and friends!
(5)
Jeremiah E.
good cheap greek food. not the cleanliest place, but whatever, get over it.
(4)
Jeremy F.
This is one of Des Moines hidden treasures, it has in the east village for 26 years. The staff is always amazing, I love when staff at restaurants recognize you and like to catch up. The Olympic Flame is owned by Angelo a Greek immigrant. I find a dinner at the Olympic Flame to be one of the best valued meals in the metro. For about $16, before tip, you get your entree, orzo, some finger appetizers (dolma and two filo dough pastries), salad, soup, and bread. Of course they have amazing gyros, but my other favorite is the combination plate, I usually alternate between the two. The combination plate consists of pasticcio which is like a Greek lasagna with elbow pasta, and moussaka which is like an eggplant and ground beef lasagna. On Friday nights they have live entertainment in the form of a belly dancer. If you want a quiet dinner avoid Friday. They do have different lunch and dinner menus here. If you are here for the first time you must try the saganaki, a Greek cheese stick, when they bring it to your table they light it on fire, great for the kids or if the restaurant is a bit cold. Other menu highlights, lamb chops, calamari, beef liver, a great selection of steaks, and don't forget the baklava for dessert! The Olympic Flame has something for everyone and is a great local establishment, I would recommend it to everyone to enjoy Opa!
(5)
J C.
Finally got to come here for lunch on the weekend. It is smaller, but cozy and clean. The owner lady was friendly and the place filled up quickly! My husband and I ordered a regular and chicken gyro, and both were delicious! We also got the flaming cheese, which was quite delightful and delicious. I also couldn't leave without trying the baklava....which was well worth it! The only thing I might suggest is some sort of greek drink? All of the food was tasty, and prepared very quickly and accurately! The options were pretty healthy (as Mediterranean food usually is). I was unable to find any gyro option that was gluten-free, which would have been helpful, but definitely not a deal-breaker!
(4)
Alice Y.
Stumbled upon while walking around. As a West Coaster in the area, this was very pleasing. Had the gyro platter. The salad was great, the fries...well...not so much, but it was the gyro I was after and it was fabulous! I also splurged and had the baklava. Yum
(5)
Stephanie M.
Visited for the first time a few weeks ago and had an awful experience. Was not greeted when walking in they seemed very understaffed and had trouble getting service. Took over 2 hours to get our meals and the high chair was very dirty not cleaned. Forgot our salads and the appetizer came two hours later with our meals. The young server did not seem knowledgable about the menu or the food and did not even ask how I wanted the steak cooked or what dressing I wanted on the salad I never got. Will not be going ever again! This was around 5 pm on a Saturday. Not worth it to go out of your way to eat here, was a walk to find parking and not worth the long wait.
(1)
Michael M.
Reasonably priced Greek food. The service was prompt and courteous, and the food was good. I would easily recommend this restaurant.
(4)
Eileen M.
My cousin and I stopped here and had pretty good lunch. I had the chicken gyro which had a lot of flavor but was a little hard to eat. The fries were pretty good and my cousins lemon chicken soup was tasty. The service can be slow so make sure to have enough time. Overall this place is a nice spot for lunch.
(4)
Emilie B.
The good: -cute environment, you can tell it's family owned and feels "authentic" -large portion sizes! -everything is very fresh, the ingredients seem to be really good quality The not-so-good: -the avgolemono soup is just so-so. -they dont have tabbouleh. I LOVE tabbouleh, so this was quite a disappointment.
(3)
Betty J.
Visited here for lunch. Best gyros I have ever had- pita was clearly homemade, soft and perfect temperature. Meat was melt in you mouth good. Will definitely be returning for more!
(5)
Mary H.
I'll admit I'm not a gyro expert (I can't pronounce half the words on the menu here), but I ate the whole thing and have a new appreciation for gyros. The poster a few reviews before me talks about the food not being homemade, I couldn't tell; it wasn't the canned, boring, bland Sysco crap that seems to have infiltrated EVERYWHERE. It was tasty. I'll probably go back. Excellent service, too. Cute atmosphere, maybe more "lunch-like" than impress-your-date-with-dinner. Still, a fortuitous find in DSM.
(4)
Melissa P.
Great food, and lots of it for a good price. The meals are giant! They come with soup, salad, and three other appetizers as sides along with the main course. The pirate is excellent. Staff was friendly and did a great job. We will definitely be back and will be recommending this place to friends.
(4)
Scott C.
Terrific lil joint downtown with delicious food, great service and generous portions. I love Dolma and todays ranked up there with the best. Wonerful gyro and falafel sandwiches.
(4)
K M.
Couldn't have asked for a more perfect dinner! The service was great, the food was amazing and reasonably priced! Delightful. The staff was very helpful and our food was out quickly!
(5)
Jeff B.
The Gyro platter is highly recommended...great flavor! I was very pleasantly surprised at the great tasting food. The focus is on the food, not the simple style of the dining area. I'll be back to this great place to eat. Recommended!!!
(4)
Anah C.
Came here for the first time and I was astonished by the quick service, friendly waitress, and FABULOUS food! All of our food was cooked perfectly and I had absolutely no complains. Will be coming back again for sure!
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch Parking : Street Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Greek food is a fine melody of the finest pressed olive oil, fresh fermented bread, colorful vegetables, juicy meat, sea food all cooked in spices and fresh rosemary. The people from Greek were great scholars who aimed to excel in everything they do. The results are quite visible in their food as they are the inventors of olive oil which is beneficial to health. Greeks also made different type of wines from the best quality of grapes fermented in controlled environment.
Today, you can find hundreds of restaurants offering authentic Greek food or popularly termed as Mediterranean cuisine in New York city alone. People wait in line to taste the exotic Greek dishes like saganaki, taramasalata, souvlaki, loukoumades, spanakopita, moussaka, and many more. One thing which most people like about these authentic Greek dishes is abundant use of lemon juice, olive oil, fresh rosemary and sea salt. A smart mix of few ingredients can virtually take you on the pebble streets of beautiful city of Greece.
For those who don't have time to enjoy fine dining should try tasting the famous souvlaki with pita which is type of meat dish, also a trademark Greek fast food. For those who are vegetarian, or vegan can try different versions of Greek Salad. So, if you wish to enjoy a hearty yet healthy meal that tastes divine then try dining at the best Greek restaurant in your city. Greek cuisine not only tastes good but also help maintain your body in a natural way through healthy diet.
Justin B.
I can see how this place could get some stars here in Des Moines simply because it has no real competition. The fact is that this restaurant unfortunately is just average. The gyros is not even real, as they use pre-made formed meat that is placed on the spit. Real Greek places layer the meat. The pita bread is not homemade and I question if the tzatziki sauce is homemade as well. This is a fast food Greek restaurant dressed up like a family style restaurant. On a positive note, the servers were great and real nice.
(2)Tony S.
My lady friend (88_88) and I shared the spanakopita appetizer, saganaki, and gyro platter. Did you catch that? SAGANAKI! The Greek flaming cheese! So few places have this, yet it is A++ delicious would eat again (and again and again). Spanakopita was also nom and had the optimal (according to my preferences) ratio of filling to phyllo. Good gyro and salad. There were fries but I'm not sure why they existed.
(4)Kristen F.
Food was awesome - yay for a good gyro. We went for lunch and the service was incredibly slow, but if you're patient it's worth it.
(4)Michael G.
Great Gyro. Me and coworkers order carryout on Friday's and love it. The Gyro is very good and the service is nice. Everytime we go it always seems to take a very long time. We will order food an hour ahead of time and still wait 20 minutes before it's done. While going to Miyabi 9 one day I noticed Olympic flame was almost completely empty on a Saturday night...that can't be good hope the slow service isn't to blame. I really wish they could be faster. I can't give any less stars because I love the gyro but this place needs to be better.
(3)Chris B.
This is going to hurt to type. After being a little, local place that I enjoyed supporting, I now plan on avoiding it altogether. It started with my previous trip there (before today). I was there during a lunch break and they were not particularly busy. That was, however, a group of six people that garnered all of the attention. I was largely ignored every step of the way. At dinner tonight, nothing was done right. My friend and I had to wait for just under an hour before our food was ready (and we almost left). My buddy's water glass remained empty for north of twenty minutes before it was filled up (someone even walked passed with a pitcher, took a moment to stare at his glass, and then kept walking). Speaking of water, he had also asked if he could have both lemon and lime in his water and was told that would be "fine" but it came out with two lemon slices. He asked for grilled shrimp on the side and they gave him breaded shrimp after everything else had been served several minutes earlier. I kept things super simple - getting falafel with no tomatoes .... they kept then tomatoes on. When we went up to pay, we said that we could pay separately and told them what we had (we've done this there before as most restaurants in 2015 America are capable of doing this). They messed that up, had to redo it, and then kept it all as one bill. They were on the busy side but still had open tables. I can't make up an excuse for their inability to listen. Every single step was botched and there were no apologies or compensation of any kind to attempt to make up for the blunders. They are understaffed and their system is archaic. It makes sense that they will struggle from time-to-time. It also makes sense for me to discontinue giving them my money.
(1)Jackie S.
3.5 stars for food 1.5 stars for service My family and I wandered in here after another restaurant down the street had a 45 minute wait. We were seated immediately, although, the waiter seemed to struggle putting together a table for 6 people. The restaurant wasn't crowded at all - which should have been a sign in and of itself as it was a Saturday night. While our waitress was friendly, the service was poor at best. Here's why: 1. We asked to put in an appetizer while we looked over the menu and were told that the chef didn't allow orders to go in separately and we would have to order our food at the same time. The waitress told us she would ask the chef if he would make an exception - he wouldn't. 2. We quickly ordered our meals (mostly gyro sandwiches) and put in our drink orders. My mom and brother ordered diet cokes (they never came) and my dad ordered wine (which he had to remind the waitress to bring). 3. The waitress suggested we should get a side of Greek fries to go with the gyro sandwiches and we agreed that it would be a good idea. She forgot to put them in so when we asked about them, she told us the chef hadn't seen them on our order and it would be a few minutes. The Greek fries were actually really good but we were basically done with our meal by the time they arrived. The gyro sandwiches were good but not good enough to outweigh the poor service. To be honest, I'm all for local mom & pop places and it really kills me to write a bad review so I'm hoping they were just having an off night. If not, I hope they do something to fix the service!
(2)Lisa P.
This restaurant was closer to a 3.5 in my opinion, but because of the great service, I rounded up to a 4. Tip: Go to this restaurant hungry. If you get the dinner, you get soup, salad, bread, plus your meal with 4 sides. My group of 6 got right in on Friday night at 5:45pm before we went to the Iowa Wild game. The server was very friendly and helpful. The men in the group were excited to try the Greek beer they had (although they were sad to see there was only 1). I ordered a glass of one of the Greek white wines. The beer got good reviews (I think it was a lager?), I thought the wine was only okay (too buttery for my taste). We started with the saganaki (cheese that comes out flaming out to your table). It was sort of similar to a mozzarella stick, but the chef uses lemon to put out the flame, and my boyfriend didn't like the lemony taste of the cheese afterwards. I thought this was a really fun dish to experience, but wouldn't necessarily order it again because of all the other food that was still coming! Everyone got a cup of the lemon chicken soup with their meal. The soup was similar to a traditional chicken noodle soup, with a slight lemony taste. The whole group liked it and gobbled it up with the warm bread that came with it. Next came the traditional greek salad. My salad was slightly overdressed (next time I would ask for the dressing on the side), but otherwise all the veggies were fresh and the salad was light. For dinner I ordered the chicken gyro. I was already starting to get full when the meal came, but I enjoyed the gyro and ended up eating the chicken out of it because I was too full to eat the rest (but the chicken was delicious). The gyro came with a side of orzo, spanakopita, grape leaf, and something similar to spanokopita filled with cheese (I can't remember the name of it). Unfortunately, I didn't get to enjoy these as much as I would like because I was no longer hungry, and I didn't have a place to bring leftovers to like I normally would. Although I really enjoyed the meal, some of my fellow diners did not like their meals as much. My boyfriend got the lamb, and said he was disappointed that all 3 pieces were cooked differently (one well done, one medium, and one medium-rare). My mom also was not pleased with her meal, the combo plate, because she thought both casseroles (the moussaka and the pasticcio) were soggy. My brother ordered the traditional gyro, and said his was very good as well. The service was attentive and friendly, and I enjoyed my meal, so I would recommend going hungry, and ordering one of the gyros.
(4)Patrick T.
Olympic Flame, is a wonderful experience for lunch or dinner! They have fantabulous falafal, hummus that make me happy, and Greek beer that make me bonkers! The staff is great and has been a presence in the east village long before the east village was a destination spot! They have awesome appetizers and wonderful staff who explains the food, and how it's prepared! I love the environment and it worth ordering something that the Saganiki Greek Cheese because the chief will come out and do something crazy that make that SPECIAL Olympic FLAME! I don't know what the Saganiki taste like but everyone (not vegan) seems too love it!
(5)Jennifer W.
Nice lunch date at the Olympic Flame today :) We ordered the Saganaki, of course, two gyros platters, and a couple of Greek beers. We went around noon and we beat the rush that came in shortly after us. Overall, a fun and tasty experience like usual.
(5)Celeste B.
I've been thinking a while about how I wanted to write this review because it's harder for me to write the ones for places I'm not as happy with. My boyfriend and I went here on a Saturday and were seated right away. We both figured out quickly what we wanted, and waited. Then we waited some more for our order to be taken. He ordered the gyro platter, I ordered the chicken gyro platter, and a couple of appetizers. His meal showed up first, before the apps, then the apps, and my food showed up. The sides on the plate were good, but the chicken in my gyro wasn't cooked all the way through. When I mentioned it to the server, she told someone about it, but nothing was done to remedy the situation. No amends were made to make the customer happy. The bill was not adjusted. There were only 2 servers working with a full restaurant, and when I asked why there wasn't more staff, they said that they didn't think it would be busy. It was the first gorgeous day of the spring and the east village was FULL of people. I left unimpressed and won't be returning.
(2)Hannah H.
A longtime Des Moines restaurant that is definitely worth visiting. Olympic Flame is great! Since my husband and I live nearby, we're here frequently during the week, generally for an early dinner. It's hard to come here and not go for the saganaki and gyro dinner, but I've had the moussaka and calamari and really enjoyed both. You get a LOT of food with the dinner options--soup, great sides, salad, etc. Service and kitchen are often manned (well) by one or two people, often the owner. Service is always great since it's friendly, casual, and never overbearing.
(4)Bill L.
Great Gyros here! It is hard to find places that serve gyros around town, this place serves it and makes it right. I have only eaten here once and it was a wonderful experience. We were one of two tables here at the time and had very personalized services from the staff member. We came late, not long before closing time which explains the limited customers. The location of this restaurant is great, surrounded by a couple great eateries. Their menu and food look authentic, but I have not sampled most of their products, nor am I well-versed in Greek cuisine. All I can say is their meats are delicious and you will have a difficult time finding another place like this around town.
(5)Peter I.
Nice place. Nice older gentleman who served me and seemed to be the owner or similar. Had the greek salad for lunch and added on chicken. Tasted very well. They had Saganaki which is usually something that doesn't happen on a lot of greek restaurants outside of Greece. Unfortunately it was sold out but still a good sign. Will come back for dinner
(3)Rocky R.
Outstanding Greek restaurant. We started with the Saganaki (Kaiser cheese dipped in egg batter and served flaming at the table) which was a lot of fun and tasted great too. We also got the Greek stuffed grape leaves which were served with a creamy lemon sauce. They were outstanding. My wife and I ordered gyros which were perfectly made. The kids got burgers which they devoured. Lastly we got baklava and kataifi, both were phenomenal. Our server was also our chef (which I assume is also the owner) who spent time to talk to us about several of the dishes. If I lived in this area I would be a regular customer.
(5)Sarah A.
This place had the best Greek food that we've ever had. The moussaka was... indescribably good. Flavorful but also very light, whereas I'm used to it being a sort of heavy and greasy dish at other places. We also felt very well-fed--bread and soup and salad before the meal leaves you with plenty leftover from your main dish for later. The saganaki (flaming cheese) appetizer is also delicious as well as visually stunning. The entire dining room turned around to look whenever anyone ordered one. Our server was extremely courteous and extremely overworked. He managed to stop by the table quickly but kind of had to be tracked down when we wanted to pay our bill. Understandable given the number of tables he was cashing out while serving multiple courses and apparently helping occasionally in the kitchen. Let's also give him some slack given the permanent scars that lighting multiple saganaki every night must give him. He was a great guy and tirelessly cheerful.
(4)Miki B.
Pretty bad Greek food. We moved to DSM from Chicago and have a point of reference on Greek restaurants ....this place has terrible gyro meat. We were really disappointed. Too bad the East Village doesn't have better option.
(2)Cindy A.
I can only speak for the gyro, Greek salad, and vegetable Dolmathes. The gyro meat wasn't dry and was good, the vegetable Dolmathes were tasty. Nothing to complain on the service. I will definitely come back whenever I am in the mood for some Greek food.
(4)Hugh D.
We were very pleased to find this restaurant; we stumbled upon it with our two hungry toddlers... and staggered out entirely satiated. The food was great and reasonably priced, the service was very friendly, and the recommendations were spot on. A great find.
(5)Tiffany K.
Not a super diverse menu for entrees, but a lot of appetizer choices. Nice little restaurant with very nice staff. Was very pleased with all the food bought to the table. Loved the gyro!
(4)West S.
The food is fine, if most certainly frozen, but this place is not prepared for customers. The walls are mostly stark white, giving it as much atmosphere as an operating theater. My party of 4 arrived before the dinner rush, and still had to wait 55 minutes after ordering for our entrees. I ordered the vegetarian gyro dinner and my first course was chicken soup. We were asked for clarification on our orders at regular intervals, and had to take these interludes as opportunities to request that our beverages be refilled because the empty glasses at our table were never noticed. When items were delivered, they were delivered sporadically. By the time we received our entrees, we had to ask for them to go because we had run out of time to eat, the staff made no attempt to compensate us for the experience we had. I have a hard time believing that any of the customers who arrived subsequent to us had a better experience as the atmosphere was frantic by the time we left. Not worth a second chance, at an rate.
(2)Becky R.
Wonderful restaurant with great, authentic (as far as I know) food, with excellent service. It appears family owned and operated, with a cute atmosphere of painted columns and decorative Greek items. The gyro here is huge and always good, and I know I need to try the other menu items. We did order the saganaki, or "fire cheese" which is fun and delicious, and the baklava, which has a generous portion for the price. The only reason I rated less than 5 stars is due to the belly dancer that is there on Friday nights...the restaurant is so small that her shimmying around right by your table and constant eye contact is kind of uncomfortable while you are eating, and especially while you are on a date. I kind of wish they would discontinue the belly dancer because Friday night is my favorite to eat out, and we occasionally pass on Olympic Flame to avoid the show.
(4)Kris B.
Went on a Friday and was disappointed by the terribly slow service. We received our soup before getting our waters, waiting at least 30 minutes for them. After receiving our waters they were never refilled. The food was okay but not worth the 2 hours we ended up spending there. Will not be returning.
(2)Chandra P.
Great restaurant with great gyros!!! The owner and staff are so nice! I love spending my lunch hour here! After only a few visits the waitress knew my name and order. If you are looking for great Greek food with the home-town feel, this place is for you!
(5)Michael S.
We went as a party of 7 on a Tuesday night. Our party had the lamb chops and nightly special, which was a dish featuring cod. We also tried the fried squid as an appetizer. My 3 favorite things about our trip there were: taste, service and price. All dishes were excellent and fresh. Portion sizes were very appropriate; just the right amount. We also tried the Saganaki(?), which was a flaming cheese appetizer---well worth the show Although there was only one server for the entire dining area, she was very friendly and helpful. The price was phenomenal--most places in town would set you back $200+ for a party of this size. We all got ample amounts of food and I left with a bill of $135. Bottom line: excellent restaurant which we will return to and I would highly recommend to anyone.
(4)Mary P.
We are from Minneapolis and were looking for something tasty for dinner while in town. The wait for zombie burgers was too long so we ended up here. Boy were we happy. This is some of the best Greek food I've ever had (and we have Greek neighbors and good options in Minneapolis). The dinner platters are an amazing assortment of Greek treats like spanikopita and dhalmades. It was well worth the price and we left satisfied with full stomachs. I'm glad we stumbled across this place.
(4)C M.
the food was above average. No ambiance to speak of. The busts over the mantle were redacted from Michelagelo's David (Italian art from a biblical tradition; nothing Greek about it). weird... If this restaurant were in a real metropolis (which Des Moines IS NOT) it wouldn't have a chance in hell of getting 4 stars. But as the choices were meager, this one stood out for me. The waiter that day was very good. I would go there again.
(4)Bob S.
We stopped by here for the first time and found the homemade lemon chicken soup to be very tasty. The Greek salad dressing was desirable. My wife had the gyro and loved it, I had the pork kabob's and thought the Greek herbs and spices were just right. The staff was pleasant. We were there on a Friday night and they had a belly dancer that performed and the kids at the next table sat quietly watching the belly dancer.
(4)Meghan S.
Not a ton of selection but what they make they make well. This place has been around since before the East Village got it's facelift and it has retained it's sort of Greek-diner charm through the neighborhood changes. I met my dad for lunch on a weekday and had no problems with slow service that other reviewers mention, just classic Greek food for a reasonable price under sun-bleached, framed posters of the Motherland and blue painted pillars.
(4)Jeff Y.
This is by far the best gyro i have had in town, much better than Ted's cony island or any place in the skywalk. The owner is extremely friendly and service is always quick. My main reason for the three stars is that I wish the lunch menu was a little bit more substantial as it only has a few greek items and then some pretty stereotypical american diner type fare.
(3)Ann L.
I was in Des Moines for business; it'd been a long week and a colleague pulled up a few restaurants on her phone for lunch on our last day in town. We all love Greek food so we jumped at the chance to go to the Olympic Flame Restaurant in the East Village. We were all delighted! The staff were very friendly, and since it was peak lunch-hour, the place was pretty busy. The gentleman was apologetic when he realized he hadn't yet brought us our drinks, but none of us complained, not a word was said about it at the table - my point is that we didn't mind. The food was delicious! The menu offered traditional Greek lunch options, and I chose the large Greek salad with chicken. My colleague chose the same and another ordered the gyro sandwich. I thought the dressing was perfectly flavored, and they served it with heaps of feta cheese (a delight!); the chicken was wonderfully seasoned. Delicious warm pita bread was served and was devoured in minutes. My colleagues went home that night and I stayed; I loved the restaurant so much, and when I saw some of the dinner options online, I decided to go back. The staff were very friendly and spoke enthusiastically when I asked about some of the things that came with my dinner. I ordered the Lamb Chops which was served with dolmatha, spanikopita, and tiropita ( new to me!). I loved all of it, and went home with a piece of baklava - it didn't last too long before I tasted it, and also loved it. I highly recommend the Olympic Flame Restaurant if you ever find yourself in Des Moines - the staff are wonderful people and the food is really delicious. Also, the prices are so reasonable! The restaurant is very family-friendly, and yet intimate at the same time. I cannot say enough good things about this restaurant.
(5)William S.
The food is very tasty but the service is extremely slow. On a Friday, at 8pm, there was ONE server for the entire restaurant. Based on the other reviews, apparently this is Olympic Flame's M.O. While I enjoyed the food, I don't believe the food is good enough to make up for the extremely slow service.
(3)lttlod i.
First of all, I really like the fact that there are only two people ever running this place. The dad who's in the back cooking his a** off and his son who looks like he's a teenager working the front. Both doing a good job service-wise and cooking, for the most part. I've been here twice with friends over the span of about 8 months. The first time I went I ordered the sampler that included some little sausage wrapped in grape leaves, musakah and a couple of other very forgettable tastes. My friend ordered the same thing and didn't like it either. We both figured it was just the nature of the dishes/spices and if I went back I'd order something else. Another friend's fish he ordered was seriously burnt on the bottom so they should watch that better. A bunch of us went to see the belly dancer, which was kinda cool but akward at times to be honest. She was taking dollar bills in her waistband like it was a freakin strip club. I thought it was a tad inappropriate, there were children there lol. So, this weekend I went with a friend and really enjoyed what I ordered. We chose the flaming cheese, which I highly recommend! It comes to you on a plate and the waiter lights it on fire in the air before he serves it. Really fun! I then ordered the chicken gyro, since I don't really like lamb, and it was delicious. Another appetizer we ordered was the pita and hummus. Very very good. Authentic. I should know I spent a fair amount of time in the Middle East. We ordered the baklavah at the end. I've had better. The piece was small and spiced differently than what I'm used to. My friend loved it though. I'll be back for sure!
(4)Sarah W.
Stopped by for an early dinner. All the food was delicious, and the saganaki we ordered had some especially nice flames. We found the service to be prompt and quite friendly.
(4)Laura M.
Checked this place out for the first time on Saturday - I have lived in Des Moines for the past 23 years, and didn't even know the place was here. It was pretty quiet for lunch, but the place was clean. I was impressed with how reasonably priced the food was. I ordered the chicken gyro and my husband had the falafel. Both arrived promptly, and warm. Service was friendly and accommodating. We also ordered the baklava for $1.49 - first time trying this and I would definitely have it again. Nice quaint place I would definitely stop back at for a quick bite.
(4)Jonathan D.
The service can be slow. We waited over half an hour for our orders to be taken then the waiter promised our appetizers within three minutes but it took him over ten minutes to even come back with the drinks. The Greek fries are excellent as is the hummus and pita. Don't order the salad. It is drenched in vinegar and nearly made me choke. (I love vinegar on a salad but this was simply far too much.) The fried squid, the gyro dinners and the dolmathes are good as are the sides. The tiropita was especially noteworthy. For desert they have baklava and kadaife, both excellent, particularly the kadaife. The atmosphere is generally convivial, however there is a belly dancer on Friday nights. I did not find this to be awkward, however it seemed to make several of the other guests uncomfortable. Generally this is a good Greek restaurant. I was going to give three stars for service but bumped it up one for the quality of the food.
(4)C. V.
Amazing service - amazing food - amazing entertainment! The Olympic Flame helped me entertain a group of fourteen teens and parents from a local high school organization, Friday night. The hostess and staff were overwhelmingly polite to our students, and of course, vice versa - great behavior from our students! We were there on a very busy night; service to all in the restaurant was great. Don't be in a hurry. They take pride in the preparation of their food, and it is a night of entertainment. The belly dancer was great! She welcomed a student to dance, provided a scarf and taught a few dance moves! The whole restaurant enjoyed their performance. We tried everything on the menu, I believe, and all left stuffed and content. Many ordered and enjoyed the gyros; however, I highly recommend the Greek sampler, soup, and certainly the flaming cheese and baklava desert! I loved taking the students there; several plan to go back and take others for Senior Prom, coming up! That's what it's all about...good food and making good memories with family and friends!
(5)Jeremiah E.
good cheap greek food. not the cleanliest place, but whatever, get over it.
(4)Jeremy F.
This is one of Des Moines hidden treasures, it has in the east village for 26 years. The staff is always amazing, I love when staff at restaurants recognize you and like to catch up. The Olympic Flame is owned by Angelo a Greek immigrant. I find a dinner at the Olympic Flame to be one of the best valued meals in the metro. For about $16, before tip, you get your entree, orzo, some finger appetizers (dolma and two filo dough pastries), salad, soup, and bread. Of course they have amazing gyros, but my other favorite is the combination plate, I usually alternate between the two. The combination plate consists of pasticcio which is like a Greek lasagna with elbow pasta, and moussaka which is like an eggplant and ground beef lasagna. On Friday nights they have live entertainment in the form of a belly dancer. If you want a quiet dinner avoid Friday. They do have different lunch and dinner menus here. If you are here for the first time you must try the saganaki, a Greek cheese stick, when they bring it to your table they light it on fire, great for the kids or if the restaurant is a bit cold. Other menu highlights, lamb chops, calamari, beef liver, a great selection of steaks, and don't forget the baklava for dessert! The Olympic Flame has something for everyone and is a great local establishment, I would recommend it to everyone to enjoy Opa!
(5)J C.
Finally got to come here for lunch on the weekend. It is smaller, but cozy and clean. The owner lady was friendly and the place filled up quickly! My husband and I ordered a regular and chicken gyro, and both were delicious! We also got the flaming cheese, which was quite delightful and delicious. I also couldn't leave without trying the baklava....which was well worth it! The only thing I might suggest is some sort of greek drink? All of the food was tasty, and prepared very quickly and accurately! The options were pretty healthy (as Mediterranean food usually is). I was unable to find any gyro option that was gluten-free, which would have been helpful, but definitely not a deal-breaker!
(4)Alice Y.
Stumbled upon while walking around. As a West Coaster in the area, this was very pleasing. Had the gyro platter. The salad was great, the fries...well...not so much, but it was the gyro I was after and it was fabulous! I also splurged and had the baklava. Yum
(5)Stephanie M.
Visited for the first time a few weeks ago and had an awful experience. Was not greeted when walking in they seemed very understaffed and had trouble getting service. Took over 2 hours to get our meals and the high chair was very dirty not cleaned. Forgot our salads and the appetizer came two hours later with our meals. The young server did not seem knowledgable about the menu or the food and did not even ask how I wanted the steak cooked or what dressing I wanted on the salad I never got. Will not be going ever again! This was around 5 pm on a Saturday. Not worth it to go out of your way to eat here, was a walk to find parking and not worth the long wait.
(1)Michael M.
Reasonably priced Greek food. The service was prompt and courteous, and the food was good. I would easily recommend this restaurant.
(4)Eileen M.
My cousin and I stopped here and had pretty good lunch. I had the chicken gyro which had a lot of flavor but was a little hard to eat. The fries were pretty good and my cousins lemon chicken soup was tasty. The service can be slow so make sure to have enough time. Overall this place is a nice spot for lunch.
(4)Emilie B.
The good: -cute environment, you can tell it's family owned and feels "authentic" -large portion sizes! -everything is very fresh, the ingredients seem to be really good quality The not-so-good: -the avgolemono soup is just so-so. -they dont have tabbouleh. I LOVE tabbouleh, so this was quite a disappointment.
(3)Betty J.
Visited here for lunch. Best gyros I have ever had- pita was clearly homemade, soft and perfect temperature. Meat was melt in you mouth good. Will definitely be returning for more!
(5)Mary H.
I'll admit I'm not a gyro expert (I can't pronounce half the words on the menu here), but I ate the whole thing and have a new appreciation for gyros. The poster a few reviews before me talks about the food not being homemade, I couldn't tell; it wasn't the canned, boring, bland Sysco crap that seems to have infiltrated EVERYWHERE. It was tasty. I'll probably go back. Excellent service, too. Cute atmosphere, maybe more "lunch-like" than impress-your-date-with-dinner. Still, a fortuitous find in DSM.
(4)Melissa P.
Great food, and lots of it for a good price. The meals are giant! They come with soup, salad, and three other appetizers as sides along with the main course. The pirate is excellent. Staff was friendly and did a great job. We will definitely be back and will be recommending this place to friends.
(4)Scott C.
Terrific lil joint downtown with delicious food, great service and generous portions. I love Dolma and todays ranked up there with the best. Wonerful gyro and falafel sandwiches.
(4)K M.
Couldn't have asked for a more perfect dinner! The service was great, the food was amazing and reasonably priced! Delightful. The staff was very helpful and our food was out quickly!
(5)Jeff B.
The Gyro platter is highly recommended...great flavor! I was very pleasantly surprised at the great tasting food. The focus is on the food, not the simple style of the dining area. I'll be back to this great place to eat. Recommended!!!
(4)Anah C.
Came here for the first time and I was astonished by the quick service, friendly waitress, and FABULOUS food! All of our food was cooked perfectly and I had absolutely no complains. Will be coming back again for sure!
(5)