This was my first trip here and I came with 5 other people with most who have never been to Django. I had made a reservation for 11 am on Sunday and we got seated as soon as we arrived. Our waitress Lou was very tentative and never had to wait for service. The food arrived and no one was disappointed! Sad I waited so long to get here to try it. read more

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Nice spot for dinner and I really like the french onion soup. Location is easy to get to but parking can sometimes be more difficult. They have a sandwich called the 3 little pigs and it is so over the top it is kind of fun. On Fridays they have $1 oysters for happy hour. read more

I have so many mixed feelings about Django 2.0. You need to understand, prior to them moving, this was my FAVORITE restaurant in Des Moines. Dinner AND (or rather, especially) brunch. We've had dinner a few times since their new opening and it's always very good, agreed that the new restaurant lacks some of the old location's charm. But we went for brunch this morning and I almost gave 3 stars because of it. We were SO disappointed that the new menu had cut some of our absolute favorite items. I would send out of towners to brunch to order the stuffed French toast with the berries and mascarpone. Today I came to brunch specifically for this entree and was disappointed to find it missing on the menu. I tried the other French toast and it was nowhere near as amazing. It was good, but I wouldn't go out of my way to recommend it to a friend. My husband loved their breakfast burger on the croissant which was also missing from the menu. They still have a burger but not the same one. And what kind of French restaurant cuts beignets off of the menu?! Long story short, we were very disappointed with the new menu this morning. The grilled cheese will bring me back for brunch, but when you take my favorite items off the menu, the cost (literally) starts to outweigh the benefits. We still like this restaurant, but no longer hail it as our hands down favorite with the menu changes. read more

Had not been there since they moved. Went for brunch. Got the curry tofu breakfast and it was a little over curried. The bread was great. Some of the other things at the table were really good. The a/c unit was blowing on us, we were cold so bring a sweater. Our waitress was a little spacey and too formal. But overall still a nice place with a nice presentation read more

I loved Django. They allow you to customize your steak frites. I had a hanger steak with au poivre sauce that reminded me of (and possibly exceeded) my favorite pepper steak at The Brazen Head in San Francisco. The frites were seasoned just like the amazing frites you'll find at bistros in Paris such as Le Relais de l'Entrecôte. The goat cheese croustades with ratatouille and pesto were reminiscent of a hearty bruschetta. Pretty good. Kudos for having a raw oyster bar. The oysters weren't great but they were decent. I had some bites of both of the scallop dishes; both were good. The Rossini burger and the poutine are next on my list. The sazerac is prepared with Iowa's own Templeton Rye and the newly legal absinthe. Very well done. A Christmas tree comprised of numerous wine bottles adorned the entrance. Nice touch. Django is a great addition to the burgeoning Des Moines dining scene. read more

1. The wine selection and Manhattan spot on. The Plantangenant white wine is superb. 2. Oyster Rockefeller and duck frites were quite nice. I will say the baked oysters were very good and would highly recommend them. 3. Seared scallops were absolutely amazing and cooked perfectly. The seafood stew was even more impressive with the mussels, shrimp, and scallops. 4. Ambience was quite nice. I will mention that the restaurant was quite hot everywhere.. Overall, an amazing restaurant to enjoy and I highly recommend trying out there food. One piece of advice would be to make sure to secure reservations. They do have walk-ins available, but not at the tables. You will usually be seated at the high cocktail tables. read more

Loved it so much I brought my family the very next evening and was not disappointed, nor was my family. This time I had the Maple Leaf Farms Duck Duo Pan-seared duck breast and leg confit served over truffled fingerling potatoes with grilled asparagus and demi-glace and about shed a tear it was so good. Food coma does not even come close to how I felt after this meal. And once again Django, thank you. My family now has a new favorite restaurant. read more

Treated to lunch by my new manager, our trio was promptly seated and served. The luscious smells upon entering were so inviting, and I asked our server for his recommendation. After looking over a varied number of lunch options, I went with his recommendation of the tuna (grilled Ahi) sandwich, which I ordered medium. I ordered onion rings for my side. The Place: Amazing ambiance, excellent service! Such a comfortable place, old fashioned charm and warm wood. The Food: Oh. My. I'll be back tomorrow, it was THAT GOOD. The Price: I was treated, but the cost was well worth the experience! I will be back often. read more

Just a great place. Beautifully decorated restaurant with an ambience from older times. Although I am not from Des Moines, the prices seemed reasonable considering the portions. I ordered the 'Grilled Niman Ranch Porch Chops' and it could honestly serve 2 people. I powered through and ate both pork chops because that is what guys do...I was able to skip a few meals the next day. It is worth a trip and arrive early to try some of the drinks. read more

Finally, a French Bistro in Des Moines (again). I understand there were other attempts at bistros in the area before we moved here, but Django delivers traditional French bistro fare with midwestern (and even Canadian) touches thrown in for good measure. Their frites are the best in the state, and second only to in-and-out burger in California. The bar is well stocked and well tended. It's a great business lunch destination, or can double as a group or date-night dinner spot as well. Excellent food and selection. One additional note, I held a company event in their small adjacent conference area and the management and staff were great to work with and the prices were very reasonable for the value delivered. Highly recommend. read more

After a solid start with vibrant atmosphere and good opening service, quickly downhill after e server dug into my steak and and fries to pull a receipt soaked in the bordelaise from underneath my fries. Sick to my stomach now thinking about it. The steak was tasteless - unseasoned, tough and strangely cut. Could not be paid to go back. It's one of those restaurants where the few mistakes I noticed are undoubtedly a small scratch on the surface of a flawed service. Real horror dead ahead. read more

I've worked in fine dining for just over a decade now, in many cities in America. Whenever someone asks me where I want to eat when I'm in Iowa, the same answer is always Django. Hands down, no doubt. While it seems that the chef, George Formaro (he's not only the guy behind Django, but also Des Moines staple Centro, as well as Zombie Burger and Gateway Market), may be one of the better chefs in the state, Django will always be my standout favorite concept of his. While I can't say enough about the entrees, what brings me back time after time is the raw bar. Cheese, charcuterie and a good selection of oysters? Yep. I'm sold. Every time I visit I have to start at the bar with a little cured meat, cheese and plenty of oysters, all enjoyed with one of the best made sazerac cocktails that I've ever had. If you're visiting Des Moines, or live there and are looking for a fantastic dinner that would be way pricier in a bigger market. Give Django a try, and I'd be shocked if it didn't get its hooks in you, the same way that it has me. read more

I've eaten in restaurants all over the world and I daydream about returning to this one. The staff are happy. The wine is perfect and the food makes you put down your phone. that last comment is a little lame but I don't know what to say. I've tried all the major menu items and have not ever been disappointed. I mean never. I've eaten here at least a dozen times in the last five years and it just gets better. this is a rare find from the burnished mahogany bar to the charcuterie ancient french machine to the heaped ocean delights on shaved ice under glass. Young staff cares and the prices are Iowa nice read more

Django - Outside Django. I guess I'm all in for Des Moines. It is a cool town. - French Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

I was a long time customer at the old location. Not sure what happened, but the staff and food have declined terribly. I want to believe this is due to "growing pains" for the new location. Service was extremely slow. Food was cold (when it should have been hot) and bland (did you guys hire all new kitchen staff???). Hopefully I can edit and update this the next I come here, but I'm not even sure I will make the effort. It just doesn't have the same appeal, or taste, it used to have. read more

I can get behind "All French, No Attitude," even if I wouldn't necessarily claim that a California Club and a quattro fromage pizza would fall under the banner of French cuisine. There's still looks to be plenty of good options to try, though, and most of them do have pull towards the city of light. While I was mighty tempted to try the burger with foie gras and truffles, I try to eat lighter when I travel, so the heaping plate of greens in the roasted beet salad fit the bill. I indulged a bit and got a half order of mussels, too, and even if the large cast iron pot and pile of frites stretched my definition of a half order, the blue cheese sauce was subtly applied to the well-cooked mussels. In my several visits through downtown Des Moines, rarely has there been a restaurant stop that has not been a tremendous value for the price, skill, and portions you receive, and Django continues this appreciable trend. read more

It is with great pain I update this review in 2019 to a just above average 3, from a previous 5. The new space isn't the only reason it has slipped but is a big part of it. The bar is just too small and the layout just seems dysfunctional. The product is still great and the great staff is mostly still present but it's just not the well oiled machine it was before. Strange how much difference a building makes. We'll check it out again soon. read more

I save five-star reviews for only the best of the best, but Django came close. I have been here on multiple occasions including lunch, happy hour, business dinners and friendly dinners. The service is always top notch and the menu is solid! I highly recommend the scallops, duck frites, and the Tuesday "All-Night Happy Hour". Happy Hour consists of $1 oysters and a variety of $5 drinks. I come frequently for the oysters because hardly anyone else carries them and they have been good but not great (I am probably spoiled from living close to the coasts and bayous). I can't wait to try their Sunday brunch. read more

Solid french food - had the steak with foie gras - cooked to a perfect medium. Portions are generous. Service is friendly and even on a busy night pretty on top of it. The wine list is extensive - they give you an ipad for it! Recommend but make a reservation! read more

Django is one of my favorite places for a girls night out dinner. You can bring your own wine and they don't charge a cork fee. Their wine selection is also good. Food is always solid and wait staff is helpful and attentive. I have one friend who likes to ask a lot of questions about the menus at restaurants and get recommendations from the servers. Django does not disappoint her in this regard. Make a reservation if you're going Thurs-Sat. read more

So great, as always. My favorite restaurant in DM. They snuck us in without a reservation on Valentine's Day and took amazing care of us! The poutine, croque madame, and duck frites were all outrageous. The best food, drinks, and service in DM. They even commented on my Instagram post, thanking us for coming. Nice touch. I can't wait to eat the other half of the croque madame for breakfast tomorrow! read more

Django - Poutine! - French Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

The food at Django from first glance looked quite special. The menu is laced with dishes that sound phenomenal and mouth-watering. The problem that lies is within the actual food. From the lunch menu, we tried the Rossini burger, Beef Tip Knocchi, and the Blackened Ahi Sandwich. Environment was upper-class/posh giving it an expensive restaurant feel. The presentation of each dish was lovely. However, the taste and ingredients of the entrees was too bold, each flavor popping out too much over the others. We also tried the Chocolate Pot and Creme Brûlée for desert. Both were mediocre at best. If you're looking a genuinely great tasting French restaurant that emulates and articulates French food I wouldn't recommend. Given the price, non of the dishes were worth it. Too add to insult the service was very slow. read more

Pork chop with duck frites. Delicious cheese plate for dinner. Waiter was friendly but a bit slow. read more

This is one of my favorite dinner spots! Everything from the appetizers to the main dish. The oysters were delicious! I usually am not an oyster person but these oysters made me want to go back for more! The service went above and beyond expected. The champagne flight complemented the cheese and meat board perfectly! I highly recommend this for a special date night or for anything really. Love it! read more

Definitely French with attitude. Super costly restaurant. I liked the ambience and all .. the food is delicious too. The waitress sounded sarcastic but she looks good :P. I had Mac and cheese with chicken. I tried so hard to find chicken pieces in it though. Duck oil fried fries are delicious .. that should be on list item. read more

Django - Chicken Bacon Macaroni Gratin - French Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

I will start out saying that I was a regular at Django before it moved. The service was still great, seated quickly, drinks were good. The food, ambiance, and feel are all gone. The new location completely lacks the same character and charm of the original location. I was also disappointed with the quality of the food. This was the first time I had a meal I didn't care for and I wasn't the only person in my group that felt this way. I really hope Django can get things back in order. read more

Django is a lovely, cozy retreat from the cold, and a breath of fresh air in downtown Des Moines. (Downtowner tip - you can get there through the skywalk! Just follow the signs to the Renaissance Savery Hotel and enter through the lobby door). From gourmet pizza to classic french dishes to burgers and seafood platters, Django has something to offer everyone without sacrificing quality. Where they really, really shine, however is in their richer French/French-Canadian dishes - the Duck Frites, roasted bone marrow, and poutine are amazing. Unfortunately the servers here always seem a bit awkward and untrained. But for that there is an easy solution - sit at the bar! The bartenders are excellent, and will bring you anything on the menu at a bar seat. The cocktail and liquor selection is excellent - the wine list is not quite as good, in my opinion, but it's still more than adequate for this part of the country. read more

One of the best, and yet the more pricier restaurants, in Des Moines. I split the appetizer of a roasted beet salad with goat cheese, in place of feta cheese. I tried a taste of several different dishes but nothing beats... Beef Bourguignon! Yes, this is the recipe that Julia Child was raving about in her cookbook of French cuisine recipes. The sauce is absolutely delicious and pasta really creamy. The Bleu Cheese Medallions were also decent but nothing like the former. For dessert, try the Crème Brûlée. I love the fact that this restaurant is BYOB. Service is fantastic! This place really makes for a good time...some of my friends just come here for fine wine and cheese platter with prosciutto. read more

The bruschetta and bouillabaisse were both to die for. We were seated at our reservation time in the small room to the front south corner. Our server was a little newer and a little less adept at her processes, but she was earnest and did her best to accommodate our requests and questions. Only atmosphere complaint, it would have been nice to see outside, but it was getting darker as we sat. Solid experience and can't wait to go back and experience more! read more

We have been coming to Django for a couple years now. While we do miss the old location and the ambiance that brought, it is still one of our go to spots when we are in Des Moines! There is no corking fee so it is a great spot to go when you are celebrating something special. The servers are great and very attentive. Django has many seafood options which is nice because you don't always see that often in Iowa. My favorite meal at Django is the seared sea scallops, if you are a fan of scallops, don't miss out on this dish! It's one of the best meals I've had! The dessert menu could have a couple more options, but there are so many appetizer and entree options to choose from, you may not even need dessert! It's a great restaurant for celebrating and will always be one of our favorites! read more

The service was really great. I was very pleased with the drinks and food. The pork and seafood was the jam! I definitely recommend this place!!! read more

Tough decision for me. This should be a 3.5 rating. I was able to be seated nearly immediately which was nice. I was aching for a cocktail Sunday, so Django's was a rare open restaurant downtown with a decent cocktail menu (my opinion). The bartender was willing to tweak the Parisian Sidecar into a Corpse Reviver 2. It was a neat substitute so I appreciated their flexibility. The croque madame was too fatty for me. There was a lot of cheese on top and in the middle for me to enjoy it sufficiently. I think I've outgrown my past tendency of enjoying leftovers. To the young woman amongst the 4 person group enthusiastically discussing Des Moines restaurants (Baru 66, for example), you will enjoy Denver's food scene so much once you complete your move there. read more

I was extremely impressed with Django when I went here on Friday during lunch. This was my first time in the place even though I have worked a block away from it for years. It does lean more to the fancy side with the architecture and the ambiance. Most places these days will have a TV in the bar, you won't find that here. This place is for food and conversing with those that are with you. I ordered the Beef Tips au Poivre which consists of beef tenderloin tips in a peppercorn sauce with mushrooms, Gorgonzola cheese and home made noodles. It was unbelievably good! The biggest disappointment was that it did not come with any bread to scrape up the remaining sauce. I was skeptical at first on how well I would like French food but this sold me. For lunch it was kind of pricey at $13.99 but it was a big portion so I can look past that. I would say the only real complaint about this place is that there is absolutely no cell service in here and they do not offer wifi, which depending on your stance on using phones at the dinner table could be a blessing or a curse. read more

We met some friends here for brunch a couple weeks ago. I used to live in Des Moines and I really like the location. I was pretty focused on visiting with my friends so I didn't explore the place a whole lot. The floor plan is open and I liked the trendy style and atmosphere here. The staff was friendly and I thought the food came out quickly. My friend ordered a Bloody Mary that made us all jealous! Not only was it tasty but it came with a meal on a stick! The garnish included shrimp, olives, and celery, and an oyster. Yum! Most of us ordered from the breakfast menu and enjoyed our food. Small portion size and high prices, but that was sort of what I expected when we walked in. I got the Fromage a Tois Omlet filled with different cheeses (gorgonzola!) and spinach. It was delicious but I wanted more. The breakfast potatoes that came with it were pretty bland. Overall I liked this place. I can see it being great for a date night or girls night out. For breakfast joints I prefer the heaping plates at smaller prices, but Django certainly offers more of a variety than a diner. read more

Not very busy and got seated right away. No one ever came over fill our glasses with water. No one ever came over to take our order. No one ever came. After waiting 15 plus minutes we walked out. I advised the hostess as we were leaving she lost two customers; she didn't even try to rectify the issue and let us leave. Poor customer service. read more

Me and my wife went here for valentines day, the food was amazing and our waitress was very good. However when we got there they seated us into a packed dining area where the tables were so close together you could hear the conversations going on next to you without even trying, it was very uncomfortable. The waitress was literally touching our table if she was filling the peoples next to us water. I'm not sure if they just did this for valentines day or if they always have their seating this close but because of the situation and feeling uncomfortable I will not be returning. The only reason i gave 3 stars is because like I said about, the food was very good and our waitress was good. read more

Great staff great food. Always enjoy Django. The new space is really nice and the menu has great selections for all. Did have an 'off' experience one time and the management handled the situation quickly, professionally, and with a smile. Highly recommend read more

This is a big step up from the previous restaurant in this space (Django is inside the Hotel Fort Des Moines). It's always a surprise to see oysters in the midwest; and even though they weren't as fresh as we get on the west coast, they were still very good. The chef clearly knows a lot about French cooking, but the preponderance of sauces and cheese on the menu makes me think something got sacrificed to make the menu appealing to the "typical" midwestern palette. The warmly-lit, bright room is nice - many touches to preserve the historic building. It's a bit noisy when it's busy (lots of hard surfaces for that sound to bounce around), but that's about my only complaint. The warm-toned wood bar is a centerpiece, and I can easily see myself sitting there through several rounds. read more

It was at this restaurant I discovered my love of beets! We were there for a program kick off with colleagues and clients, so we had a small private room where we could see the happenings in the restaurant. Service was outstanding and the wine was yummy. They had a three course special that incorporated beets into every entree. I never liked beets, but the entrees sounded good minus the beets. Well once I had beets couldn't correctly I'm now addicted to them! The beet risotto was a big hit at the table so we ordered a side for everyone. Everyone else seemed to have great meals and I highly recommend this place. read more

Went for Sunday brunch. Had Croque Madames. It was good. Too large and too strong. Too much volume and sauce/cheese for me. The portion was very very big and I couldn't even eat half of it. But I can see how many people love it. It tasted great. The server was very nice too. read more

Django - Croque Madames - French Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

Django was very good. I like the atmosphere and the set-up of the restaurant. It's beautiful! We had a large group, yet the service was impeccable: attentive and very accomodating. I started with Fried Brussels Sprouts with parmesan cheese, white truffle oil and harissa aioli. The brussels were crisp but not hard or burned and the oil, aioli, and cheese were added sparingly but brought out the flavor of the sprouts. I ordered the Spinach & Goat Cheese Macaroni Gratin: which was goat cheese, parmesan cheese, spinach, tomatoes, fresh thyme and toasted bread crumbs. When the dish arrived I was disappointed. There wasn't much flavor and the sauce was runny. I was hoping that it would be thicker. I added salt and pepper to try to boost the flavor but it remained underwhelming. I loved the restaurant for the fun vibe and for the starter. Maybe I made the wrong choice for the entree, so I'll definitely go back for another round and read more