Let's talk about a hole in the wall dive bar! Great food first off. Super authentic and spiced to…read moreperfection. Used to be Gazali's in Clive, so the food was fantastic! The hummus is spiced with a good garlicky and turmeric taste. It's smooth and light. The baba ghanoush is also silky smooth, savory, and light garlic taste. The tzatziki was creamy, thick, herbal, and tangy. The pita! Fluffy, soft, toasted just right with a smoky taste! If you've never dolmas, but love southern bitter greens then this is perfect for you. These dolmas are rice and chicken stuffed grape leaves. It's savory, slightly bitter, and tangy. Over all food was great! Let's talk about the atmosphere. You go through the front door, down a green carpeted hallway and in the right, a wooden door like any other door. Open and go through, you've found the bar! Greeted with a large mural behind the bar of the Hollywood sign, small chandeliers and a pool table. It's a mix of old Hollywood meets disco club. Eclectic I would say. Is it a first date place? No, but it's a small foodie and bar that's great for hanging out outs! And MJ the owner is fantastic. Great host and says they will be doing Saturday theme days too! So be on the look out! Overall great food and divey place to hang out. Will come again.

Welcomed and greeted upon arrival by MJ himself! He let us know what the food dishes were and we…read moresat at the bar. Bartender was friendly and made great mules! Lots of activities at this bar: pool table, video games, back patio with tv, etc. the gyros were delicious as was the pita chips with tzatziki sauce.

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.

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.

This is hands down one of the best mediterranean /middle eastern meals in iowa. I ordered the steak…read moreshawarma, baba ganoush and baklava. The steak was marinated and you didn't even need the tzaziki. You could taste the spices in the steak, it was amazing. The baba ganoush was smooth and creamy and their fried pita chips were crisp and perfectly fried. Kind of like the small crispy fries at the bottom of the bag. The baklava was the best I've had, it was pistachio and drizzled in sweet honey water. Crispy yet sweet and nutty. I wish they were open for dinner. I beg you to support this place, not just because it's a local business but also because the food is amazing. Trust me.

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!

Rivalta is the ex-Capocaccia and ex-noir located on the river near Ponte Santa Trinite, and has…read morerecently opened this summer. Modern and slightly art-deco this is a fancier aperitivo spot that fits in well with its swanky location. The outdoor seating area is almost always full so if you want to grab a spot, come early. Otherwise we were able to find a table inside after 8:30pm without any problems. Being that they have recently opened they have informed me that they do not have their menu's printed yet (we are in Italy!) so to give you an idea of the prices. Beer & wine are 6 euros, long drinks are 8 euros and cocktails such as mojito, caprioska alla fragola, caipirigna,cubano,moskomiuller and Long Island Iced Tea cost 9 euros. This is of course with your aperitivo buffet which I found to be really good! Lot's of creamier salads, fresh cut veggies, and farro when we went last night. All in all I think it has taken over this historic location quite well and I would certainly go back again, I was devastated when Noir closed because they had a truly spectacular aperitivo. Lets hope Rivalta can continue the tradition!

I was in search of a place to grab dinner on my way to the airport and after a quick Yelp search, I…read morelanded on Tito's Lounge. This spot is located in a small strip mall and offers both patio and indoor seating. It was a chilly day, so the inside was pretty busy. This place is also family friendly. I was greeted upon arrival and advised I could sit anywhere. I opted for a table along the back wall, which offered a view of the TV's with NFL games on. Additionally, they were hosting music bingo, which was a fun surprise! While I didn't win, it was fun to play along, especially being a solo diner. My server was very friendly and kept checking on me often during my time here. I started with a raspberry mule while I pondered their expansive menu. The mule was refreshing, but I didn't really taste the raspberry. I was debating between the chicken skewers and chicken sandwich. Ultimately I landed on the chicken skewers as I wasn't super hungry and figured it would be a lighter meal. My food was up in a reasonable time and I was surprised at how big the portion was. The chicken had a nice char, but I personally felt there was too much teriyaki sauce. I almost asked to have it removed when ordering, but since it said lightly sauced I thought it would be fine. This entrée came with tzatziki and ajvar, which helped to cut through some of the richness of the teriyaki sauce. Although the tzatziki was pretty mild- I like a really garlicky, dill-forward sauce. The fries were crispy and plentiful. The star of the dish for me was the pita, it was so good! This is definitely a great neighborhood spot to catch a game and grab some food!

We ended up here after a trip to Homemakers and it didn't disappoint! The vibe is sports bar with a…read moreglobal/Baltic feel. We had wings and the margarita flatbread. The wings were standard and good. The margarita flatbread was better than expected! I'd definitely go back when in the area. As far as service, they had the appropriate amount of servers, we and everyone who walked in afterwards was seated right away. It wasn't super baby friendly (lots of high tops and tight booths, but we made it work.

This Mediterranean spot is always on point! Whenever we're in the mood for something different,…read morethis is one of our go-to places. The portions are very generous, especially when it comes to the meat, and no matter what you order, you can pretty much count on having leftovers. I personally love the chicken shawarma wrap or bowl, and the spicy potatoes are my go-to side. The gyro is also really good! Tonight, we tried their newer location for the first time since we usually visit the Fleur location, and everything was just as good as always. We also ordered a few extra side sauces, and they gave us plenty of extras. Great food, generous portions, and consistent quality no matter which location you visit. Definitely a spot we'll keep coming back to!

Finally got to visit this place after hearing people talk and I'd say my first impression of it was…read morereally good! Service was friendly and welcoming. We came for dinner on a weekend night and there was plenty of seating. I think most people stop in for carry out or online pick up orders. We got the #5 gyro platter plate and #10 gyro mix plate. Heavy portions that are worth the price! I think the gyro platter was better but the chicken for our gyro mix plate was delicious! Green sauce was great and has a little kick to it. I'm definitely going to ask for an extra sauce of it next time. Plenty of parking out front, had no issues finding this place. If you're dining in they give you menus after seating. Great casual dining spot.

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.

absolutely delicious italian style…read more yummy octopus great lamb gyro you should eat here because its amazing i sometimes have it once a week

I've been twice now, and I haven't been impressed either time. The ambience and service is great,…read morethe prices are good. I just don't think the food quality is very good. Flavors are lackluster and there is no creativity in the menu. Pros: Service, ambiance, parking, fast, prices Cons: Food quality, menu originality

Had lunch here yesterday for a rare chance to meet my wife between the work day. It. was…read more DELICIOUS! Also, the staff was very friendly and fast. Will definitely come again! We just got a gyro and chicken gyro. The fries were perfect and the Tzatziki sauce was amazing. Someday I'll order something else, but I've been unable to order anything other than the gyro in three visits.

We love their gyro's!! The French fries are also very good! They are both just consistently very…read moregood. We usually come in over the lunch hour. They receive a lot of traffic from Emerson. But we've always received excellent service! They have beautiful photos of Greece. The blue and white pictures you expect to see. Not our first time in or our last!