What a charming spot!! Walking into this place feels like stepping right into the Mediterranean -- the decor is absolutely on point. I ordered the rice platter with falafel, and wow, flavor explosion! The tzatziki tasted homemade (because it probably is) and was super creamy and delicious. Now, let's talk about the tiny plot twist -- they charge $0.75 each for olives and feta. Not a dealbreaker, but for that price I was hoping for more than five lonely olive slices and a baby spoonful of feta. Still, everything else totally made up for it -- the food came out fast, fresh, and full of flavor. I'll definitely be back! read more

Fresh Mediterranean Express - How cute is the little plant wall?! - Mediterranean Near Me - Waukee, Iowa

This was a great spot! The inside space had a great vibe and energy; on brand decor, bright lighting, neon signs. The staff were young and friendly. The seating space indoors was small but there was substantial patio seating available if the day was sunnier! We ordered two ginger lemonade which were fresh and delicious. Started with an appetizer of pita and red pepper hummus which was average. For mains, we did a falafel burger and a moroccan chicken skewer which were AMAZING. I mean, like flavors that made me so happy. The chicken skewers had a strong seasoning and were accompanied by a sauce that created a dynamic flavor pairing. Finished with baklava that was average; had a good flavor but it was a bit dry. Will be back! read more

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The Moroccan fries were fantastic I immediately forced their existence into the conversations I had after trying them. Addicting Moroccan seasoning atop a good crispy fry. The Fresh Platter with gyro, falafel, and red hummus was tasty and plentiful. With a good amount of seasoning and fresh ingredients. I look forward to coming back here. read more

Fresh Mediterranean Express - Moroccan fries - Mediterranean Near Me - Waukee, Iowa

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Food was great, fast and friendly service , nice quiet place seating inside and outside. Lots of parking read more

Fresh Mediterranean Express - Original Gyro (Combo) - Mediterranean Near Me - Waukee, Iowa

Delicious gyros!! 10/10 recommend. As far as the guy running the drive-thru, not pleasant. Could use a little personality and kindness. read more

Was excited to try. I've had a lot of Greek food. This gyro missed the mark. Ordered no spice and got home for dinner. With the first bite my mouth lit up. No need for cayenne or other hot spice on a good gyro. I was given a gyro with a lot of heat that I specifically didn't want. Checked the bill to make sure I ordered correctly and I did. Not what I ordered and it's too much to drive back. read more

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I love this place whenever my husband and I come back to Des Moines. We actually had them do catering for our home wedding signing. Their platters are so colorful and it food is great as a healthier "fast" food option. Their custom teas are sooooo good. This will definitely be a staple now that we've moved to Des Moines read more

Fresh Mediterranean Express - Menu - Mediterranean Near Me - Waukee, Iowa

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You simply can't go wrong with Fresh Mediterranean Express! This place has earned Cityview's "Best Mediterranean Restaurant" in the Des Moines Metro for an incredible eleven years in a row, and it's easy to see why. Every item, from their flavorful pita wraps to their vibrant salads and satisfying rice bowls, is consistently precise and perfect. They clearly prioritize fresh ingredients, which shines through in every bite. And with its sweet, quaint location, it offers a lovely atmosphere to enjoy your meal. Beyond the delicious food, Fresh Mediterranean Express truly excels in customer service. You'll feel genuinely valued from the moment you walk in. If you're looking for an outstanding Mediterranean dining experience in the Des Moines area, this is undoubtedly one of the best, if not the best, options available. read more

Customer service: 10/10!!! The person at the drive thru was so awesome. Food: 11/10!! I'm not gonna lie, most of the rating is going towards the fries. The seasoning was addicting, and I am going back for more. Best fries with seasoning I have ever had. More restaurants need to take notes on these fries. Big fan. I also loved the sauce that had a little bit of horseradish in it. I dipped my chicken in it, and it hit the spot! Pita and tzatziki was great as always. Honestly, I'm here visiting and just stopped here for a quick bite to eat, but I will be coming back before I leave to eat at least 2 large fries by myself. I absolutely love this place! read more

Fresh Mediterranean Express - Mediterranean Near Me - Waukee, Iowa

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Highly recommend for authentic Mediterranean. The spicy hummus doesn't disappoint if you like a kick! Darling little set up inside. We have a picky kiddo, so plenty of options for children too. read more

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Delicious!!! High quality, fresh, flavorful food. The staff is very friendly. I had a gyro pita, it was the best I've ever had, delicious tzatziki sauce too. My sister had a chicken kabob with spicy peanut sauce, very good! The baklava is outstanding! The ginger lemonade is refreshing. I look forward to coming back! read more

Fresh Mediterranean Express - Ginger Lemonade and Baklava - Mediterranean Near Me - Waukee, Iowa

An absolute MUST try for anyone looking for fresh food, healthy ingredients, and lots of flavor!!! The drive through makes it incredibly convenient to not have to get out of the car. I did not order ahead of time, so they did have me pull up for a couple minutes until my food was ready, an easy experience as they were all so kind. It was hard only deciding on one thing to choose, but rest assured anything you try will be delicious. I HIGHLY recommend the seasoned fries, cooked to perfection crispness and with the perfect amount of spices. Definitely check Fresh Mediterranean Express out! read more

Wow, wow, wow, I'm so happy to have found this place today. I LOVE Mediterranean food, and am pretty picky. Everything about this place was fantastic. The service, the food, the ambience all of it fantastic. The hummus, tzatziki, and Greek salad dressing were perfect. I ordered the "fresh platter" with gyro meat. I would normally never order this as I always stick to Greek salads with Gyro meat or chicken Shawarma. It was phenomenal. At least 25 people came in during my 30 minutes there. read more

Their steak kabob is to die for and I love their sweet potato fries too. My husband enjoyed the ginger lemonade. It's hard to find restaurants with quality, healthy food like this one. read more

I've only had takeout from here and it always consistently good. Always order the gyro sandwich and everything has been great. Knocked off a star because the one annoying thing is that the sweet potato fries are always inconsistent. Sometimes it feels like they refry old cooked ones, but they become overdone and gross. read more

Fresh and Fast!! Came here for a quick date night bite to eat. Liked how cute the restaurant is. Located in a busy strip. We ordered the gyro wrap and falafel pita with a side of pita bread and hummus. Canned and pre packed drinks are found in a cooler upon entering. We paid 22.xx for our order. Very cute ambiance when you first come in. Chalkboard menu and a far wall with very eye catching colors and items on shelves Was not very busy when we visited on a Tuesday night for dinner. During order we must have had a new trained cashier. But we received help from Shayna. She was incredibly helpful with the menu and trying to get answers on what's in their food. Found that their pita bread has cow milk in it. So for vegan/plant eaters you wouldn't want to order that. Falafels were good. The gyro meat was good I felt my wrap had too much hummus. It tasted good but I had to take some of it out. For dairy free/vegan I would stick with falafal wraps, rice bowl, a fresh platter, or a salad and don't put any animal protein, tzatziki sauce, or feta cheese. No Baklava for me :( it has butter in it.... I was incredibly sad after asking. Make sure you express any allergies or intolerances. They accommodated well- and I'm thankful! Shayna was very kind in highlighting a take home menu to show what had dairy or was not vegan. That was very unexpected so I really appreciated she took the time to do that for me for future visits. Would try again! read more

The food is always wonderful here, and they use the right amount of seasoning. It's a healthy alternative to many fast food places.

Their food was excellent! Their service was also great! The website could be a little clearer.

Very good! I needed quick and this delivered. Food came out quickly and not dry. I think everything tasted fresh. Portion was huge. I loved all the sauces and hummus. Chicken Moroccan was heavy on flavor. The salad was perfect with enough tomatoes, onions and cucumbers. I wish they would have served a whole pita so I could eat all the hummus. read more

Fresh Mediterranean Express - Fresh platter with Moroccan chicken. - Mediterranean Near Me - Waukee, Iowa

My mom and I come here every time I am back in town. It is absolutely fabulous. I always get the chicken platter which comes with chicken, rice, veggies, a Greek salad, and hummus with pita read more

Fresh Mediterranean Express - Fresh Platters - Mediterranean Near Me - Waukee, Iowa

Best salads on the west side! Fave Mediterranean place in all of Des Moines. The food is SO fresh, and great value. Always friendly staff and the interior is a cute place to catch a casual meal. Don't forget to try the complimentary cucumber water! read more

Fresh Mediterranean Express - Moroccan Chicken Platter with original hummus - Mediterranean Near Me - Waukee, Iowa

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I opted for someplace I've walked by numerous times, but had never stopped to try before. Fresh Mediterranean Express. I ordered the chicken kabob (with spicy peanut sauce) and an original gyro. I like gyros, but honestly they are more my gf's thing. First impressions. It was smaller inside than I thought it would be. It was staffed better than I thought it would be. It smelled incredible. A large chalkboard menu is staged front and center and seeing the available items (and their associated prices) was no problem at all. It's fairly obvious you order at the register as I really didn't see any other options. Standing and waiting for someone to greet you here would make no sense at all. I arrived at pretty much straight up noon so all the tables were taken so I opted to take it to-go. It was a little too brisk to sit outside... My to-go order was ready lightning fast! No wonder they can offer a drive through. I work in West Des Moines in the vicinity of 50th and University so it's a little bit of a drive. The food traveled well and it was almost unbearable to not eat while driving. I was hungry and it smelled that good. I have to admit I didn't pay as much attention to seating as I normally do. I want to say there were six low four person tables. I might be slightly off on that though... There was quite a bit of outdoor patio seating out front for when the weather is warmer. I started with the chicken and the blend of the spices and the obvious freshness of the meat was amazing. I started with a piece of the chicken and it was so good I thought there was no way the gyro could possibly be that good so I held a piece back so I could end my meal with a piece of it too. The gyro was pretty good. One thing the gf tends to mention to me when she eats gyros here in the metro is the lack of taste to the meat. How often the lack of taste is disguised by the tzatziki sauce... I didn't find that at all here. The freshness of the ingredients was obvious from the vegetables, the sauce, and including the meat. Easily one of the best gyros I've had in the metro. I liked the chicken better, but that's all in personal preference. Next time I might opt for one of the chicken wraps or something featuring a similar chicken prepared like the kabobs. It's obvious that "fresh" here is not just part of the name. It's a credo they seem to pride themselves on. As usual I spent a little more on this lunch than I typically do when I try someplace new to me, $15.61 before tip, but they have combos available too. There were no surprises...like I said above everything is laid out and priced plainly on the board. One small side-note. Bring cash for the tip jar (if you so choose). There was no available tip line on the receipt as far as I could tell. read more

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It's pretty rare that I give a restaurant less than five stars when the food is fantastic. The food here was fantastic, I had a gryo sandwich with a side of the spicy jalapeño hummus. Very fresh, delicious, high-quality ingredients. Here's the downside and likely why I won't come back. I came at 3 o'clock in the afternoon and the full sun was beating through the front door and windows, there was one table in the corner that was occupied that was out of the direct sunlight. It's 30° outside so I have a sweater on and I'm just baking in the sun right now. The other problem, which to me is an even bigger problem for the acoustics. The interior is nothing but hard surfaces, the walls, the floor and the ceiling. Every tiny sound is amplified and bounces around, people talking, the horrible music blasting and all the noise out of the kitchen, absolutely an auditory overload, I ate my sandwich and hummus as fast as I could and had to leave because the noise was driving me crazy. A simple drop ceiling would completely solve that problem. Overall the food was very good, but likely I won't, between being paid to a temperature of medium rare and my ears bleeding, thanks but no thanks. What a shame, almost have a spot on. read more

Fresh Mediterranean Express - Mediterranean Near Me - Waukee, Iowa

This is the freshest best food you can spend money on eating out. We are making this place our weekly regular for lunch on Saturdays. The quality is always top notch. Everything on the menu is good. read more

Fresh Mediterranean Express - Fresh Falafel Platter partially eaten. Best food around - Mediterranean Near Me - Waukee, Iowa

Had the falafel pita for lunch with a side of pita and hummus. I adore this hummus - I've been searching for someone locally that has some that isn't watery. The falafel is lovely and was filling without making me feel sluggish. I did not eat inside so I can't speak to that, but the drive thru menu is hard to read since it is on the window decal. Service was fast and friendly. read more

This is delicious. Quick and friendly. Very nice location and I love the vibe. Good prices! Cannot recommend enough.

It was awful, gyro was awful, would not ever go there again. We went to lunch on Friday. It was packed with no seating and was hot in there to boot, felt sorry for employees. read more

Food is great. We have this catered into the office and it's always a hit. Going into the store over lunch you'll likely get greeted by the owner and other staff who are awesome. My only complaint is I didn't find this place sooner. One of my favorites in town. read more

So I've recently had stomach surgery and I follow a flexible kept diet. It's extremely hard for me to find restaurants that offer meals that don't incorporate a ton of bread, potatoes, pasta or rice into the meals and are healthy. This restaurant popped up on my yelp and I tell you what! It is soooo worth the drive to Waukee!! I ordered the chicken and steak Kebobs. They are amazing! The meat is tender and juicy for both. They are full of flavors but not overwhelming. The white sauce is a mild horseradish type sauce that goes with the steak and the orange sauce is a spiced sauce that has a mild peanut flavor. I'm not sure exactly what they are but they are to die for! I am definitely returning soon and will be recommending this place to everyone I know! read more

Fresh Mediterranean Express - Mediterranean Near Me - Waukee, Iowa

I got the falafel pita and the appetizer of red pepper hummus with pita. It was very good. I love falafel and wasn't expecting it to be near as good as it was for getting it at a drive thru. I will definitely come back if I'm ever in that area of town again. read more

Delicious & healthy! Drive-through makes it quick and convenient. The falafel is a must try. All ingredients are freshly chopped to make a delicious meal read more

Possibly the best falafels and falafel sandwiches in the Des Moines area. The service is usually good. The place is pretty small, so plan on doing take-out during busy hours. They also have a drive-thru, which is convenient. My only criticism is that the pricing is a bit steep for the portion sizes, and veggie add-ons are expensive, however removals don't reduce the price. We've had instances where the falafel sandwich hardly had falafels or add-ons and we are left hungry because the portion is on the smaller side to begin with. The baklavas have also gotten smaller than before. Overall, quality food and generally fast service! read more

Can't stop singing the praises of FreshMed. My mom and I started going here as soon as we heard about it and it's easily become our favorite restaurant on the west side of town (or maybe just favorite period...). The owner/manager always greets you with a smile and the food is so consistent. I recommend the salads, pita sandwich, or the Mediterranean tapas for anyone. read more

I like it. It is fresh, you can taste it. It is made just for you, you can tell, yet it comes fairly quick. They do this magic with a small menu comprised of a handful of main ingredients prepared in several different ways. And all the ways I tried it were very good. Except the gyro on pita. Mine was great, the meat was tender and flavorful, the veggies were crisp and/or tasty,the tzatziki sauce was a perfect zesty creamy and the pita seemed baked on site. But my dining partner had a different experience. While the pita and fixings were top notch their meat, the main ingredient was poor; overcooked, too crispy and tough to chew. It seems if you get the first gyro after a slow period the roaster leaves a "case" of well done meat on the outside of the beef/lamb cone and the gyro pita is filled with this dried out over cooked, tough meat. My advice, don't get the first gyro of the roaster, get the second or third. Then you'll be good. read more

Delightful place with a drive through... now a favorite place of mine. I ordered a chicken platter and was pleasantly impressed. Cant wait to try other options. read more

I dont make it out to this side of town. Since I knew that i was headed over this way i checked yelp and so glad i did. This Express sounded quick and yummy. I walked in to the small deli sized shop on a chilly November afternoon. I was greeted with multiple smiles coming from behind the counter. The gentleman who stood behind the register asked me what I wanted. I let him know i was here for the first time and he was excited to tell me what people really enjoyed here. The menu was up on the wall with lots of choices but he had me at gyro. I could see the fresh ingredients right behind the counter so i felt like i was in good hands with the creation of my quick lunch. The inside was small, only about 5 tables and a few counter places to sit. The menu is a chalkboard but its clean and easy to read. There is complementary water. They were working on my order and taking phone orders at the same time. I was having a later lunch about 1 so there was a place for me to sit. I barley got seated and my food was on my table. I had the gyro. It was flavorful meat and fresh vegetables, sauce and bread. I was happily impressed and easily filled up by the size of the portion that was stuffed in there. The staff was attentive and checked up on me to make sure I was enjoying the meal. I let them know it was really good. Luckily sitting there allowed me time to look around the interior of the place. I could see the quick grab options on the other side of the entrance. You could grab drinks or fresh hummus or other goodies. I decided to get the hummus and they let me know what they make it in house. I thought the entire stop was worth it. The experience and attitude of everyone was positive and the food was good., I would go back in a heartbeat if someone asked me bout it. Wish there was one close to my side of town. read more

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Excellent food. The family meals are a great deal for healthy quick weeknight dinners. Can't beat the gyros.

My boyfriend and I just ate here for the first time and it was delicious!! I ordered a gyro meal (combo) which came with a side of pita & red pepper hummus and rose lemonade to drink! My boyfriend ordered the chicken pita wrap with a side of French fries! We ordered our food and it was delivered to our table in under five minutes, which was great since we were hungry! The menu is a perfect size, the restaurant is adorable with all the plants, staff was friendly and the water infused with cucumber was a refreshing touch! We will definitely be back! read more

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It's kind of funny that this is probably my favorite Mediterranean food in the Des Moines area, despite the fact that it's basically a Mediterranean Chipotle in a depressing suburban strip mall; the opposite of the cozy, rustic Greek and Lebanese places you'll find closer to downtown. But they really do prioritize freshness, and that makes their food worth the price. There are always lots of veggies, the dressings are light and flavorful, and the meats are fresh and well-seasoned, as well as the falafel. Unless it's a nice day and you can eat outside on the patio, it's not a very comfortable dine-in experience (as other reviewers have noted). But it's hard for me to fault them for that; it does have *express* in the name, after all -- and a drive through that is always busy. Of all the takeout options I have in the area, this is probably the freshest and most satisfying. read more

Owner is incredibly nice and service was fast and friendly. Food is delicious!! Immediate knew I'd be back.