Christophers

I made a reservation for 6 to eat dinner at Christopher’s Friday evening with my fiancé, in-​laws to be, and my mom and grandpa. I would recommend having a reservation during busy weekend nights — we got right to our table despite the line. The wait staff is very friendly and hospitable. All of our drinks came out fairly promptly for how busy it was. For appetizers we ordered the fried calamari — I wish there was slightly less breading, but they were still delicious and came with a wonderful pair of sauces. We also had the stuffed mushrooms which were cooked perfectly and really tasty. I believe everyone ordered something different and the portions were very large. Everyone was happy with their meals. I had the sophia pasta with added chicken and it was a really well done flavorful cream sauce — Unlike the thick pasty bland cream sauces you get elsewhere. Their chicken was great. Other things ordered included lasagna, chicken Parmesan (I had the leftovers of this one and it was also delicious even the next day), prime rib, and some sort of pasta Toscana that looked good. All of our sides were great too– a selection of homemade soups, salad with a tasty balsamic dressing, and good bread. I give it 4 stars only because at times the wait staff was slow and it seemed to take awhile for our food– so we were glad to have had appetizers. Also, the portions were so large, I wish they had been smaller so we didn’t need boxes– although I will eat leftovers I don’t always enjoy it. But it was a great place to go– highly recommend for a date/​anniversary/​birthday dinner.

It has been a long week… probably month, but let’s go with a week. My lovely wife asked if she could take me up on an offer to eat out. Christophers is so close and we had talked about eating there for a while. I remember my sister’s first boyfriend in high school used to take her there if he was trying to impress her. He ended up breaking her heart, so that is not a great recommendation.
That as it may be, I had the steak and the roasted pear salad. My bride had the chicken parmesan with both white and red sauce. The white was a little cheesy for both of us but she enjoyed the chicken and the marinara. We shared the crème‘ brulee‘ which was luscious.
My favorite was the roasted pear salad. I had to pay a $ 5 uptic to have this instead of the dinner salad and it was worth every penny. I would eat here again just for the salad.
And that isn’t even counting the service. We never went more than 15 minutes without someone check our drinks or our satisfaction. It wasn’t cloying or hovering, but very attentive.
You will pay a decent price for a nice meal, but you won’t regret the expense.

Good steaks but the environment is terrible… large barn-​like space, loud, crowded, ugly furnishings. Get your food to go!

went to Christopher’s tonight after the ncaa bb tournament. it was getting old dropping 50 bucks every trip to the concession stand at Wells Fargo for «food». first things first the place is a throw back supper club type joint. low ceilings and very low lighting. so if you’ve been catfishing some poor gal online with photos that may or may not look a whole lot like you this is a spot to take her. I had prime rib and was pretty good/​not great the salad was ok but if everything you serve is a diet buster why skimp on the dressing esp when the dressing is scrumptious. my favorite parts were the sweet booth in the bar with a tv to watch games on like a man should and the bread. all in all pretty good and I will prob hit this place At least twice a year until the sweet relief of death. ps the red sauce needs flavor. I wanted 3.95 stars but went with 4 cuz I really like this place.

Only went to the bar area for a Christmas exchange of gifts. Drinks were typical and decent prices. Dark and comfortable ambience. We would return.

I’ve only been here once, but it was a homerun. The food was top notch and affordable. I’m not sure if the lady that was the hostess is the owner, but she was totally nice. Our waitress was a 10 out of 10. Not too much more I can really say. I’ll definitely be back!

Our favorite place! We eat here weekly! We sit in the cozy bar area, but there is also dining room
seating. My favorites are lasagna, onion rings, salad with house dressing. The petite portion of spaghetti and meatballs is a prefect size. I suggest mixing the white sauce and red sauce together! My friends love the prime rib. Bartenders and Servers are alway friendly and attentive! Also, relaxing to sit at the bar and have a couple glasses of red wine. Love this place, my favorite!

One of Des Moines classic places… great for dining or has a really nice bar with really good food it’s not a hipster place its it’s made for people who are a little older who appreciate conversation and good Food and good drinks… they have a very nice wine list with some nice Australian reds as well as Italians… they have wonderful pizza you can share at a table they have incredible sandwiches with high quality meats they have a wonderful fried chicken skillet dish that they have been famous for again it’s about expectations it’s not a new wave place but in some ways it’s kind of a hidden gem… their dining area is also very classy and very nice classical Italian food. It’s the kind of place where the owners know the regulars and the waitresses are friendly and kind… it’s reminiscent of an old style dinner Club and you can probably hear Frank Sinatra in the bar they do have some TVs in the bar for some game viewing its a classy neighborhood bar

Food is 5 stars, by far. Service was okay, which is why the entire rating is not higher.
Food
Apps: We had the fired calamari and crab cakes. Some of the best I have ever had. They were flaky, flavorful, and fresh. The sauce that comes with them was excellent.
Entrees: My fiancé had the prime rib, lobster tail, and mashed potatoes. The prime rib was pretty good, the lobster was nice and thick, and the mashed potatoes had great texture, taste, and were HUGE. I had the New York strip, with onions and mushrooms, and asparagus. Easily the BEST steak I have ever had. It was cooked perfectly, had a great mixture of crispy and fatty pieces, and was also HUGE. The asparagus was also very, very good!
Dessert: We shared a chocolate falling cake. The outside had a bit of a crust to it (which was excellent) while the inside was super moist. The mixture of chocolate, raspberry, and vanilla ice cream was a great way to finish the meal.
Overall, the service was okay. It was a bit busy, so we weren’t too surprised that our food took so long to come out. However, even just getting our drinks took FOREVER. When someone came around to refill drinks, everyone’s were refilled (even those whose waters had barely been touched) except for my fiancé’s, whose glass was completely empty. Other than that, the service was respectable, just not amazing.
We will definitely be returning!

I really enjoyed Christophers. At first, I was worried because the restaurant looks commercial, but it is really amazing food… just like the mom and pop shops I am used to attending. The restaurant is large and has a lot of seating. The service is wonderful with very kind waiters and waitresses. My sister ordered an amazing chicken caesar salad. I ordered Petite Olive Chicken without the olives. The waitress said the olives add flavor, but I loved the dish without them! My family finished with the Chocolate Falling Down Cake… ohhhh my. It was heavenly! The warm cake was enhanced by the lovely raspberry sauce and ice cream. I would definitely come back here.

Okay, I may be a little to partial to write a review for my second kitchen and for sure favorite restaurant. Christopher’s has never disappointed with their delicious food and family feel staff.

OK, let me tell you a story. Once upon a time, all over Des Moines, there were family-​owned, family-​run Italian restaurants, where you were greeted and seated as family, where the meals tasted like Mama was in the kitchen, where the staff treated each other kindly («Would you do me a favor?» «Could you please?»), where the drinks were perfect, the Chianti dry and mellow, and you looked forward to your next visit before you finished the current one. The end.
No, not the end, because Christopher’s DOES exist, and we ate there last night. There were families and couples, little girls in dresses, happy chatter from the bar, an incredible bowl of lasagna, because it took a bowl to hold the deliciousness. He also had escargot, which he does when he’s enjoying himself, and it seemed to be a double serving, I had chicken in a wine sauce with olives. Service was impeccable.
And oh, how we look forward to our next visit.

Absolutely delicious meal, and outstanding service. Worth every penny. They take reservations, which is really convenient, since we took our two young kids with us for our anniversary dinner. The menu is large, and has something for every one. I had the Olive Chicken, and it was cooked to perfection. The hubby had an expertly cooked steak de burgo. We topped off dinner with dessert… i must say, they serve the perfect portion after a big meal. Even the coffee was delicious. We will certainly be back more often. It had been several years since we’d been in, and we were happy to see that it’s still as great as ever.

A Beaverdale institution. I have always had great food here. Love the Easter and Mother’s Day brunch buffet. Great classic Italian food.

Tonight I ordered one of the signature dishes, the chicken parm, and it did not disappoint. The waitress recommended half red, half white sauce, which was an excellent touch. I also had the chocolate cake with ice cream and raspberry sauce, which was a little slice of heaven. My date had the Gorgonzola alfredo with beef – also a tasty choice. Overall, excellent service and cuisine. Can’t wait to go back for more.

We love Christophers. Not only because it’s in our Beaverdale neighborhood but because the food is consistently good. It’s reminiscent of the old dinner clubs of the 60’s and I’ve been a patron since about that time! Steaks and pasta are good, great sandwiches and rings if you want something lighter and the pizza is our Favorite in town!
We always ask for our favorite waiter Gary too– he’s the best in town too!

Went there for a birthday party awhile back.
This is a great place to people watch because all the regulars know the staff and owners and the owner went from table to table greeting friends and customers.
The waiter we had was superb, he was attentive and listened when you spoke. He was very helpful when the kitchen staff messed up my order and treated us right and took care of the situation in a very prompt, smart manner.
Ordered a nice gin martini that was very, very tasty and I ordered a pasta dish that was already vegan on the menu. What a nice treat.
This place is HUGE and full of life. You WILL spend a significant amount of time here and it is not a place to grab a quick bite. I’d say 2 hours probably. It’s pretty great.

FAMILY!
This place is all about family. This restaurant has been in this neighborhood for some time. You can tell when people come in and give hugs to the waitstaff. They care about the guest and the guest care about the staff.
I don’t think they have update anything since married with children was prime time. That doesn’t mean it not good food. If it’s not broke don’t fix it. This place is not broke and is actually fantastic. If you want a delicious prime rib this is a good joint for it. Their menu says it could be sold out by 6 which is true. The meatballs in the vodka sauce are really good. Their manicotti is one of my favs in town.
I can’t tell you about the salad, because I don’t bother with them in a restaurant. Especially at dinner time.
I really love their burger and its in my top 5 in Des Moines. If you want it fresh and perfect order it at night. If you want to save a few bucks go in on Saturday lunch $ 6 gets you a burger and fry basket. Sure you can go order off the $ 1 menu for a better deal somewhere else, but Christopher’s still uses real beef.

If you want good Italian I would recommend giving this place a try! This is a family owned Italian restaurant on Hickman. I’ve been to Christopher’s twice and had wonderful service each time! They try to make you feel at home each time you visit. The food was delicious as well. I had the chicken velouté and it was cooked perfectly. The mashed potatoes were so creamy and garlicy. I couldn’t stop eating my dish! To end off tag night we had to try tiramisu. There was not enough alcohol for my taste but it was still very tasty! Again try this place!!! It is delicious!

Lounge has a fun atmosphere and fantastic staff. Large menu selection and weekly features. We had a assortment of appetizers and wine. Large portions and fair price. Look forward to going back to enjoy more if the menu.