Sam & Gabe’s

We went for brunch and was highly dissapointed. Little food variety and what was there was not that good. I am not sure we will come back to this place.

Wow, what an experience. The restaurant is dimly lit and very cozy upon entering. A lot of elderly people seem to really enjoy the ambiance of this restaurant as well. When it comes to dining experiences, I find that you get the quality of food and service that you’re willing to pay for. This being said, Sam & Gabe’s is definitely upscale but is well worth it. We tried the Italian Sushi Roll and it was to die for. I also recommend ordering their catch of the day which is Asiago crusted and pan seared. It was hands down the best fish I had ever had. If I could afford it, I’d eat there every night!

service was attentive and extremely polite, but it took awhile to get our orders in. the apps came out fast enough but the entrees took awhile. maybe cause we had a large group, I don’t know.
the food was ok. the calamari tastes ok but was mostly breading, but at least there were legs of the squid (hate when I don’t get those at a restaurant). the marinara that came with the calamari was… like cold ketchup, pretty disappointing for an Italian restaurant. the free bread was delicious, but maybe because that’s all I got for the first 30 minutes at the restaurant and I was starving. the lobster cakes were all bread.
I got the ribeye, not very italiany, but I wanted steak! it was cooked to my specification and seasoned well. sides were veg and mashed potato, both cold, seemed they were sitting out awhile. tasted good, just a bit cold.

really 2.5. the bruscetta was hideous! the house cucumber dressing was lumpy and flavorless. the Italian sausage with peppers and onions was good. the penne with mushrooms and a lite cream sauce with chicken was a huge portion and just ok
the chicken was a bit over cooked.

We had a party of 6 at 8:30 PM. We waited for 45 minutes to be seated. Place was packed and had live band playing. Out of 6 people we had two kids who were 3. They do have a kids menu :) we were not in a rush to be seated since all of us have never tried the restaurant before and ate a late lunch. Bread and butter is served beforehand.
Side salad and bread took awhile to come out, but service was excellent esp since restaurant was packed. The two young boys were given ring pops before we left dinner.
What we ordered:
We ordered a pizza as an appetizer — decent size to share with 4 adults and two kids. The pizza has bacon, chicken, and cheese. Thin crust and crispy. We would order this again.
Scallops with bacon risotto — this came with 4 blackened scallops on top of spicy bacon risotto. It has a kick to it! Served with side of variety of veggies. For 31 kind of expensive, but everyone who tried it loved the dish.
Ribeye steak, garlic mashed and mixed veggies — you do get to choose your side dishes. Husband thoroughly enjoyed his cut of medium rare steak and sides.
Our other two guest ordered: salmon and Penne Alla Sophia.
Salmon was grilled perfectly and served with sauce on the side. It also came with two sides.
Penne alla sophia — I really enjoyed the sample my cousin gave me. Creamy sauce with garlic and sun-​dried tomatoes = yummy. It came with either soup or salad. Had a few bites of her salad and it was delicious esp the cucumber house dressing.
Kids ordered chicken tenders and fries — yes to shoe string fries!
Overall experience was good and food was awesome. We will def come again.

Had reservations for a large group for dinner as my family was celebrating a college graduation. Upon entering, it looked liked an intimate spot, nothing fancy. We were led to set-​up dining downstairs, which is the basement no matter how u fix it up; and it smelled like a basement… Damp. Old musty carpet on the stairway leading down.
My party experienced delay after delay from ordering appetizers to drinks to meals. There was only one waiter handling our party of 13 and there were two other tables under his charge with parties of 4 and 6! Way to many hungry customers for one waiter to keep happy! And happy we were not! I actually felt bad, our waiter seemed flustered, he was curt in his responses at times when asked a question or asked to bring items to the table. Finally, another server pitched in and got the evening semi-​organized & patrons of our party fed. The Penne Sophia, I ordered was only ok. It was lukewarm, my husband who never complains about food said his salmon was cold as his veggies as well. Others enjoyed their meal a bit more, some a bit less. I, personally have had better Italian at Olive Garden; that’s not a compliment. It was a saving grace that prior to delivering our $ 550 tab to the table, our waiter did apologize for his poor service. He admitted it was to much work for just one and if his service inconvenienced our meal, He was sorry about it. That was good enough for me, I don’t hold grudges and he was trying. Others in the party weren’t as forgiving, but we tipped him for his service anyway. Also personally tipping his helper.
Been there done that. I don’t have to visit again.

The service and the food are absolutely amazing. The Italian nachos are definitely worth ordering. It’s a big enough portion to share as a group.

First time here was for the Valentine’s Day brunch. I loved the atmosphere and the live jazz music made it so nice. The bartender even have my husband a complimentary Bloody Mary! The only reason I didn’t give 5 was because of the selection of food at the buffet. Something sweet like waffles or pancakes would have been nice, and perhaps some dessert. I’ll definitely go back for dinner sometime though.

We went last night for my birthday/​Valentine’s Day. Hands down the best steak in town! The staff is friendly and the food is amazing. It does tend to get a little loud especially on the weekends but you can always ask to sit downstairs. It’s much quieter down there. We will defiantly come back… Again… And again!

There were a lot of things wrong with our visit. We had a reservation but had to wait 30 minutes to be seated. Our waiter was the only staff member who was particularly friendly, the rest of the staff was fairly rude. However, our waiter would disappear for 10 – 15 minutes at a time, so he didn’t do much to improve the experience. The toasted ravioli we started with was extraordinarily bland. The sausage was completely flavorless. The salads, which were an extra $ 5 to add to certain entrées, were drenched in dressing and limp. The mains were fine but they took nearly 40 minutes to arrive. Overall it was an exceptionally disappointing experience. There are certainly much better Italian options in Des Moines.

This is my favorite restaurant in Des Moines. It’s consistently good– service and food both. I’ve been coming here for years and never had a bad meal– never an «off» night and if anything IS a little off its made right immediately. They changed owners recently and new owner Shawn has really made this place shine! A few improvements to an already fantastic menu so that now I have some new faves! You must try the Italian Nachos– nothing like them anywhere and always a treat. The Steak DeBurgo here is to Die for as is the Asiago encrusted fish special. House-​made salad dressings are SO good and the bar/​wine list are top notch. And save room for dessert– or do like I do and get it «to go»!!!

Looking at moving my referral group lunch here. Very accomidating. Great lunch options, beautiful space that is clean and has audio visual. Very happy with experience.

Went to check out Sam and Gabe’s last night and the first thing you notice as you walk in on a Thursday between 6−10pm is they have free live Jazz Music in the bar! It was great, they do it Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Last nights combo was ripping through classics from Louis Armstrong and Frank Sinatra! It was great, Now mind you, I never saw them, we got seated in the main area of the restaurant and they were in the bar but It was nice to listen from the other room!
This is kinda and upscale place though it looks more like a law firm or something from the out side! But inside it’s a pretty fancy. The menu is mostly Italian, think pasta’s, steaks, some sea food, salads! (not many vegan options)
I dug the warm bread they brought to the table and they had a good beer selection for me to choose from. Our waitress was nice and I asked if they could make any of the pasta’s vegan and she steered me to the only listed Veggie option on the menu which was an Eggplant, with marinara sauce, some cooked spinach, mushrooms, etc.
Now I have not ordered Eggplant meal for probably over 12 years, I think it’s a texture thing, I haven’t been in the mood for it for 12 years, but I thought I would give it a go last night!
All meals come with a hefty dinner salad that was actually my favorite part of the meal! It was great, and sizable!
Now my main course was good, I loved the flavor of the Spinach, and sauce, I just was not a huge fan of the eggplant strips. I take full responsibility for it, as I knew it wasn’t really my cup a tea but I tried it. The flavor was great, I just can’t get over the texture! It was really rough, and hard to cut, couldn’t do it with a butter knife! But it probably slowed me down, which in a fancy restaurant is not a bad thing.
No one would know I didn’t care for the eggplant to much, cause I cleaned my plate, even the marinara sauce was gone thanks to the extra warm bread that was brought to the table!
All in all the service was good, the extras were awesome, the price is a little pricey but then again, I got to hear a free Jazz show, and that’s worth my money for sure! I bet I will be back some day, but I will maybe just wrap my hunger around the dinner salad and that great bread!

I was looking for somewhere new on Unilocal and this caught my eye. I have known of its reputation for years, so pulled the trigger.
I had not made a reservation, and it was 6:30 on a Saturday night. The main dining room was full and we were offered seats in the bar. Great choice. Tony Valdez had a duo playing great lounge Jazz in the background.
I ordered an antipasto– Spectacular.
My girlfriend ordered the grilled salmon which was prepared exactly as ordered. I ordered the special that evening which was a pork porterhouse chop with grilled apples and cheesy potatoes to die for. She had the salad with the house garlic dressing and I had the soup of the day, a beefy, thick vegetable like Mama made.
Whoever runs the grill here knows what they are doing. Both the fish and the pork had an amazing crispy, caramelized crust with no char, while the interior was tender and moist.
The ambiance was lovely, the wait staff top notch, the food exquisite. It is fine dining at its best, but comfortable and informal at the same time. One visit put it in my top 3 in Des Moines.
We did not have drinks, and with a well deserved and generous tip the bill was about $ 75. Not cheap, but definitely not expensive considering the quality of the food, the service, and you got to hear Tony Valdez.

Sam & Gabe’s is my favorite Italian restaurant in Des Moines. The food is delicious, the wine list is extensive, and the service is excellent. When I want fine dining quality Italian, this is where I go.
The prime rib is phenomenal. It is one of my favorite things on the menu. The Bruschetta and Calamari are my favorite appetizers, although the Toasted Ravioli is delicious as well. The Beef Tenderloin DeBurgo is fantastic. It is probably my favorite steak dish to order anywhere, so that’s no small compliment. My fiancé loves the Fresh Salmon as well if you’re looking for something a little lighter. It is also excellent. For me it is all about the beef, however.
If you order a bottle of cold wine, it is served in a large chilled marble/​stone bottle holder that keeps the bottle icy cold. This is a nice touch that is always appreciated, especially if you are drinking your wine slowly.
Reservations are recommended for weekends but not required. It’s a great place to take a date or for an anniversary. If you love Italian food and you haven’t eaten at Sam & Gabe’s, do yourself a favor and go. You won’t regret it.

Amazing!!! The Italian nachos are a must have, followed by a salad with the house made creamy Parm dressing then the filet De Bergo which was one of the best I ever had. Finish it all of with the Tiramisu and a glass of wine and you will have had the best meal of your life. The ambiance and service was just as memorable. Sam and gab’s is a must go to restaurant in Des Moines.

Yes please.
So we just finished up at Sam and Gabe’ s. Great service and great food. I’ve heard alot about this place and been wanting to go.
Service was excellent our waiter was very polite and always asked before he reached over the table. Ambience was classy and tasteful albeit a tad dim in the lighting.
I started with a ceaser salad which was decent and appetizing. My entrée of cheese manicotti was great. The cheese was very fresh and the sauce bold and tasty. My wife ordered the famous prime rib and found it good but needing more seasoning.
All around good food but a bit pricy. The quality and service is there and I like that.
I would recommend Sam and Gabe ’ s for good Italian.

This has been on my short list for a while and we have never made it there. My company recently held a dinner in their private room. It had a separate entrance and was completely closed off from the main restaurant. It was my first time there and I was very impressed by the food. Their hors d’oeuvres were excellent.
My steak deburgo was full of flavor, cooked to perfection and very delicious. The bread pudding I had for dessert was very good. My wife ordered the jumbo shrimp and really enjoyed her food as well.
The servers took great care of our group with prompt and friendly serving of drinks and food. Obviously, with a corporate dinner, the servers are likely to take extra care to impress our entire group of guests. My wife and I look forward to going back in the near future.

Wonderful food, including the pork ribs. Service is hit and miss. Groupons are plentiful so check before you go. Reservations accepted. Homemade salad dressings.

One of our favorite restaurants in town for a celebratory dinner — birthdays, anniversaries, etc. I can honestly say we’ve never had a bad meal there. Service is excellent. My husband usually gets the prime rib special and he says it’s so good they’ve practically ruined prime rib for him at every other restaurant. I usually order chicken asiago or one of their seafood specials. They take reservations and I’d suggest making one if you want to go on a Friday or Saturday night.
My only complaint is minor — their bread is subpar. It’s not usually warm and the butter is also cold. I guess the good thing about that is that I don’t fill up on bread before the entrees come out!