Ecerytime I come to school from my classes I get off around 12 and I come straight here and…read moreeverytime its so good, when I finish my bachelor's degree ill be very sad because I won't be able to eat here anymore because the prices are so good and they fill you up with good food.

Although the food was good? The restaurant was not clean to my liking. The falafel was great and…read morethe tzatziki was a nice added touch.

Had takeout for large group. Beef, Chicken and Filafel Schwarmas. Super fresh, very tasty. Best…read moreever for us!! Highly recommend!!

The Moroccan fries were fantastic I immediately forced their existence into the conversations I had…read moreafter 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.

What a charming spot!! Walking into this place feels like stepping right into the Mediterranean --…read morethe 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!

Tasty food, wish the portions were bit more but all in all I was full, fortunately I ordered a side…read morepiece of pita bread which helped with fullness

I can't understand how there are so many good reviews for this place. The food is terrible! I have…read moreto say it's probably the worst tasting food I've ever eaten. There were no Mediterranean spices on the meat and it was so bland and tasteless. I wish I could give this zero stars. My husband and I had a graduation to go to at the Knapp Center so we wanted to grab a quick bite somewhere close beforehand. We both got the beef and lamb gyros. The meat wasn't cut fresh off of a big hunk of meat like it is at most gyro places. It was pre-sliced and kept in a bin at the counter along with the other cold ingredients. The man making the gyros did put a lot of meat and vegetables on the pita but it was all flavorless. I have made much tastier Mediterranean food than this. We both couldn't believe how awful the gyros were. The meat was so dry and unseasoned. I have never missed Gazali's food more. Their gyros always had such great spices and flavor and that's what I was expecting of this place. I don't know how this place can call themselves a Mediterranean grill. Their food is just unseasoned meat and vegetables on a pita. There's nothing Mediterranean about it.

So freaking good!!! I don't regularly eat Mediterranean to know how accurate it is to the style,…read morebut it was a delicious balance of spices and flavor. The staff was very nice, food came quickly and prices reasonable. The only negative was that the space is small and noisy so not good for a conversation.

I love this restaurant! great food, great service, great sunny atmosphere! I will definitely be…read moregoing back! very friendly server too!

I popped into Teds on a whim while waiting for the wifey to get her hair done and I was not…read moredisappointed. This place was packed on a Saturday for a reason. The walkup and order counter is a busy but well orchestrated place. Burgers, Dogs, Tenderloins and Gyros are the main items on the menu. They offer some beers and fountain drinks. They also had a kids menu! The staff was fast, friendly and very attentive. I ordered myself a Gyro and a side of Cheese sticks for my better half! Now I want to go back and try some hot dogs! Take cash and save yourself some money since there is a surcharge for using plastic.

Came in. I was the only one here at 11:40am on a Saturday. Ordered a chicken gyro and cheese…read moresticks Got the cheese sticks and they were not hot to the touch. But into one and the middle was frozen. Took them to the counter and asked to have the redone. They microwaved them. I know this because then they handed them back to me the cheese melted out of all of them and I specifically asked "were they microwaved???" And they said yes. So I said I don't want them. The lady at the counter said they could remake them I think they just remade the one I had taken a bite of l. Couldn't pick them up. They were too soft and falling apart, and they were stuck to the bottom of the paper boat by all the cheese that had melted out Pretty sure it was still the microwaved ones. If it were busy I would be more understanding of the lazy shortcut. But I was the only person here! The cooks are that lazy? Zero care for quality? You literally need a fork to eat these cheese blobs that can't be picked up and the breading just falls off. The kitchen staff is incredibly disappointing and it's sad that this type of quality is allowed.

4.8* (out of 5) Food: 5* Atmosphere: 5* Value: 4*…read more Service: 5* Would I go back / Recommend?: 5* (Definitely) Total check/person: $50 05/15/2026 My wife is fond of her Lebanese heritage, so when we saw Open Sesame on the Des Moines Register's Must Go List in East Village last month, we knew we needed to check it out. Last night was our opportunity and boy was it ever a memorable experience! Their website speaks of it being a colorful decor - and that is true both inside and out (see pictures)! We were warmly greeted and promptly seated - and asked if he could take our picture under the billowing, colorful ceiling (see picture). We started with a a round of drinks - my wife ordered the Ishtar's Revenge (see picture) and I went with the Yazmina (see picture). All of the cocktails are quite unique and we enjoyed both of these. As we started talking with our server, MJ - he looked familiar and his story sounded familiar. We asked and he confirmed that he used to own Gazali's in Clive, IA - a restaurant closer to our home that we enjoyed several times. MJ recommended the the Vegetarian Sampler Plate (see picture) for an appetizer and we loved it - offering the opportunity to sample several different Lebanese menu items on one plate. For our main courses, my wife ordered the Shawarma Chicken Pita Wrap (see picture) and I opted for the Combo Rice Plate (see picture), done spicy per MJ's suggestion. As we always do, we shared tastes of each of our dishes and loved them both! Lastly, the Jalab (rose and date infused water - see picture) caught my eye - so I ordered one of those to enjoy with my meal. Again, it is highly recommended! What visit to a Lebanese restaurant would be complete without Baklava (see picture), which MJ recommended that we enjoy with Turkish Coffees (see picture and video of pouring). We even got an education on how best to each the Baklava - pick it up with your fingers, take a bite, then keep that bite in your mouth while you take a sip of the Turkish Coffee - then enjoy! While it is hard not to enjoy Bakalava, it was even better when paired with the Turkish Coffee. If you found this review helpful, please Share, Follow & Like.

MJ and his family are so awesome and kind! I stopped in to try a refreshing drink on my walk in my…read morefirst time ever in Iowa on my walk to the beautiful golden capital and what a warm welcome it was. I met his whole family and he introduced me to all the customers. It was so fun and familial and inviting. Not to mention the decor inside is gorgeous! I love supporting local and trying new things. Definitely give this place a visit if you want good vibes, good energy, and delicious food made with love for real.

Yum!! Food was fresh and absolutely loved that their falafel was gluten free! Portions were the…read moreright size, enjoyed the atmosphere! Music playing wasn't over powering and it was neat to be able to watch the chefs prepare the food. Highly recommend!

The food outshined the service!…read more Ambiance: 4 stars Food: 5 stars Service: 2 stars Well, I came here with a friend for lunch. He loves the place and said the Gyros are fantastic. So I went with his recommendation. First impressions: The place is small and nicely located in the District at Prairie Trail in Ankeny. They have adequate seating and were only slightly busy when we arrived (I would say it was at half capacity the entire time we were there) We stood at the reception location for a while before we were 'greeted' and finally seated. We sat for quite a while before the guy with the headset to came back to take our orders. This was the weird part - he was fine, but he spoke so quietly we were not sure he was addressing us or talking to someone in his headset. Eventually we got our orders in, and we again waited. Some time later the water showed up, then after another pause the drinks we ordered were delivered, and sometime later the food showed up. He even remembered the dipping sauce which I thought I was going to have to ask for. We ate our entire meals without once being asked how things were, and eventually after the food was all gone, he came back to unceremoniously plop the bill on the table, and after another extended period he came back to process the payment. All-in-all the interaction with this guy was 'just weird'. (It was suggested that he might be the son of the owner...) He was doing his job but there was absolutely not any extra effort put in to make us feel welcome, and the total lack any real interaction was off-putting. The overall appearance of the place was nice and appeared clean, the decor was fresh and classy. However the bar area around the kitchen was very cluttered and looked like it was being used for overflow storage and it was a bit chaotic and had lots of clutter. Please forgive the fact that I forgot to take pictures of the delicious food. I got into conversation with my friend and just forgot! It was a very well made traditional Gyro with generous portions of meat, fresh hummus and a perfect portion of super fresh tzatziki sauce. I ordered fresh jalapeños and they got that right too! The side of fries were delicious as well, seasoned perfectly, crispy and fresh, and the garlic sauce...well did not lack for garlic! Wowza!! Overall I do recommend this place for the food! I will most likely return and I hope that the service will be a little better next time around.

Despite being one of the few halal restaurants in the area, we won't be returning. We'd honestly…read morerather settle for a vegetarian meal elsewhere. The hummus was grainy and overly sour--I've had better from the grocery store. The kebabs were extremely dry, lacked flavor, and were only edible after drowning them in sauce. The side salad was soggy, and even the olives tasted like the inexpensive canned variety. Overall, the meal was disappointing, especially considering how hard it is to find good halal options nearby.

"Do I order here or sit down..." roughly what I asked as well as the next guy who came in while we…read morewere eating. Whoever is at the front desk should proactively greet each person and ask "dining in or to go?" Instead the lady waited for me and the next person to takk with her first. Then she asked if we knew what we wanted. If they fix this, your answer should be "to go". While the ambiance is lovely, the fact they make you buy bottles of drinks instead of having cups of water or other drinks available really decreases the value of sitting in and cheapens the experience. The restaurant ambiance is also marred by all the items for sale like a local market. Perhaps it makes it feel more genuine, but definitely makes it feel less fine dining. That and the music gets interrupted by what is likely alarms or timers on the phone playing music. Perhaps it shouldn't be thought of as fine dining, and more of a foreign family diner. The service was nearly non-existent. As mentioned before you had to proactively ask how things worked, there were no refills as it's just bottles ... and the bottles just sit in a fridge. Outside of that she sat at the front desk on her phone, though she did ask how everything was... once... after we got it. She also thanked us for coming when we left. It took about 10 minutes to get food... not bad since the food seemed fresh. That said the food was good enough. I've had better chicken shawarmas, but nothing tasted bad. It's slightly above average experience hence the rating. I wouldn't go so far as to say you must try this place, but I wouldn't say don't come here either. I hope they improve the experience over time. This review is meant as constructive criticism.

It was a BLAST going inside asking questions, looking at items (food/books/jewish items,) and…read moreeating DELICIOUS sandwiches. The corn beef on challah is a keeper with pickles and we shall be back to eat and shop again. Hoping to try the matzah ball soup which looked super good but it was too hot outside to order. All three people helping were wonderful to us...see you again soon.

So thrilled to enjoy a Kosher deli in Des Moines! The owner was welcoming, helpful when asked for…read morerecommendations, and prepared a delicious lunch platter!!!