Great bar restaurant. I have been going there for forty five years and little has changed. Menu, wuality - only the prices.

As always another memorable dinner, filet of beef tenderloin with fried shrimp was cooked to perfection. The rib dinner juicy, tender, tasty and falling from the bones. It's such a small dining room, but service is very efficient and pleasant. Arrive before 6 PM on Saturday to avoid waiting. Been coming here for years, never disappointed. read more

Steak was so rare my bf, who loooooves steak could not finish it. He asked for medium rare but the thing was almost mooing at him. None of the fat melted so the ribeye was tough and a hacksaw should have been on the table to help him get through it. I am not a huge steak person so I tried the Friday special of walleye and a side. It was ok, not much flavor and I about choked on bones. Maybe I shouldn't get fish at a steakhouse, my bad. Pleasant atmosphere and friendly staff. Definitely feels like a neighborhood place. read more

Jesse's Embers - Nearly raw ribeye that should have been medium and flavorless fish with plain potatoes on the side. - Seafood Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

The food & service were outstanding and has consistency over the past 45 years that I've gone there. The ice specialty drinks were amazing.

The owner is very welcoming. Staff is wonderful. Bar is outstanding. Thank you for all you do. Always bring family, friends and business associates. read more

One of my favorite restaurants in Des Moines. This is old school and wonderful. Favorite croutons in the world! There are buttery, soft and crunchy all at the same time. I love the grilled tenderloin. My niece had the Caesar salad and it was great. Love their ranch dressing. I have add Theo steak Oscar and pasta dishes it I always go back to the tenderloin. read more

Best grill in town. I've been going there for so many years. London broil, filet, anything is great. Small, noisy and I love the Maynard Reese paintings. I hate to tell people as this place is a good secret. read more

Timeless Des Moines haunt. Fun staff and bartender. A good place to enjoy Des Moines

Great neighborhood restaurant ( we live in Beaverdale) As long as you go early I'd give this a 5 star! (It's very small and gets packed pretty early) This is a small, old-fashioned steakhouse- dark, a few booths. Service is spot-on. Food was excellent! I had the small filet and it was fork-tender. Great flavor. Hubby had the Emberburger and loved it. The Only thing negative I would say-and this is just personal preference- is that the house salad dressing- creamy garlic- is Way too sweet. Reminded me of coleslaw dressing. Otherwise this is a great little spot for a steak dinner. read more

Jesse's Embers - Small Filet mingnon - Seafood Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

I have been going there for years. If you want a great great steak this is a fantastic restaurant for it. The ambience is awesome and the owner Marty is always there to greet you. I highly recommend it even if you don't want steak anything you get will be outstanding read more

True perfection is what you will get when you order a steak here.... absolutely delicious! Cooked to a perfect medium rare for me, could cut it with my fork tender, and excellent flavor! My whole experience from the quaint interior, friendly owner/host, our wonderful waitress, and our delicious dinners was outstanding and we'll definitely be visiting again soon!! read more

Always amazing and fresh. Onion rings are always fresh and the best way to start your meal off. Don't even get me started on the house dressing.. always fantastic.. read more

I love this place! It's going to be one of my new favorites. My husband and I came here with another couple based on their recommendation. We're so glad we did. The place was cozy and charming in an old school way. It felt like we were going over to a family member's house for dinner instead of a restaurant. The seating is very tight and the muted lighting gives the place a more intimate atmosphere. I ordered the Emberburger which is a half pound sirloin beef patty served with a salad and fries. I substituted onion rings for the fries which were awesome! My hamburger was cooked to perfection. This usually isn't the case at most places when I order my burger well done. (I don't like any pink in the middle.) And that's how my burger was yet it was still juicy. My husband ordered the ribs which he loved. They were so tender that they fell off the bone when he barely touched it with a knife. Everything was so good. Next time I want to try their steak. Our waitress was quite a character. She looked like she had been working there forever. She was also friendly and efficient. The service was great. The owner of the restaurant even stopped by our table and asked us how everything was. He recognized the couple we were with because they had been in before. I really liked how friendly and easy-going everyone was here. The prices were very reasonable. My burger was $10.95 (it was $1 extra for the onion rings instead of the fries), but it came with a pretty decent-sized salad, too. Great food, great service and great location. What more can you ask for? They also have parking in the back. I can't wait until the next time. read more

It was our five year wedding anniversary and I wanted a good steak. So I searched Yelp for a great steak place that also wouldn't totally break the bank. I was intrigued by the reviews that Jesse's Embers had. I decided we would venture there for our anniversary. I've passed the location many times before and always thought it looked a bit "scary" from the outside facing Ingersoll Ave. Red, black, and white with a red sign and just not very inviting. The parking lot is behind the building and I felt like we pulled into a parking lot for luxury vehicles. We entered through the back door and past a couple of kitchen areas. Luckily, I had read reviews so I expected this. I wasn't sure what to do once we came through the door. I saw a dimly lit area with paneling, tables to my left (16 to be exact), a grill to my right, and a bar further to my right. Where is the host/hostess station? Oh, yay, a man is motioning us to him. He took down our name and said the wait shouldn't be too long. The place was packed! We were by far the youngest customers there. We went to the bar area to await our table. There were two seats open at the bar but I decided to stand as I figured more people would be coming and since I felt so young, I wanted to leave them open. We waited around 15 mins and were seated. Once seated, we were quickly approached by the waitress who told us the specials and took our drink orders (a Malbec and Stuffed Russian). After we got our generous drinks for the price, I noticed just how well this place runs. It was buzzing with their employees, cleaning tables, seating people, getting drinks, delivering food, etc. I actually felt a bit rushed watching it all play out. I'm sure that isn't their intention though. I was impressed with it all night. Plus, there was only one cook at the grill and he ran it well! So impressive to watch. We selected our appetizer and dinners. We started with a small order of Onion Rings and I had the Filet Mignon & Broiled Shrimp with broccoli while my husband ordered the Ember's Special with a baked potato. Dinners come with a salad and bread too. I had the house creamy garlic dressing on my salad. I enjoyed the sweet side of the dressing as it seemed like a lighter dressing that way. I should have asked for it on the side as there was a bit more than I desired on the salad. The bread was bread, nothing special really. The Onion Rings were great! Hot, crisp, and tasty. I thoroughly enjoyed my filet mignon. Mmm, it was so good! Done just as I ordered it, great texture, and flavor. My shrimp were bland and not impressive. Admittedly, I didn't use the cocktail sauce or lemons as those aren't my "thing" so maybe that would have helped. The broccoli was done perfectly. My husband's steak was a bit over the medium rare he ordered but not so much that it was medium either. He said it had good flavor and his baked potato was perfect. I was full but wanted dessert. I asked our waitress if they had any and she explained they have alcoholic ice cream drinks. I sadly didn't want that so she suggested Creme Cupcake down the road. I appreciated that she offered another option. Our waitress did a great job checking in on us just enough during our meal. As we were getting up, the owner thanked us for coming. I mentioned it was our first time there and he jokingly asked if they had messed anything up. I told him no. Then he asked (jokingly again), if they spilled anything on us. I again told him, "no, and neither did we." I enjoyed the witty exchange and it left us with an even better feeling. Great food, welcoming environment, and good service will certainly keep this place in our minds for the future. read more

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A true place to feel part of the family. A local restaurant that has its regulars but is very welcoming to new customers as well. A wonderful experience read more

Let's do the time warp again! Ever want to step back into the past for a night! Jesse's Embers helps you do that! A small steak house, with a feel of diving into the 70's or 80's! The staff seems like lifers, the food is great, and the bar is packed with regulars on a Saturday night! Not many tables here, and when I went on a Saturday to pick up food every single one of them was full! The bar was full too! It made for a really fun environment, even though I was just picking up an order to go! Our waitress brought us our food at the bar! The bar tenders looked to be having a blast and seemed to know everyone in the bar, and were happy to greet my father and I as well! We walked in the north entrance, (parking lot entrance) and you almost walk though the kitchen to get inside! It was cool, and very unique first impression! There is also an un assuming south entrance that brings you right into the bar! The dim lighting makes the place feel like a good spot a date or night out with friends, but if you are going on a Saturday you better make a reservation, cause like I said, this place is not huge! Now to the food! My group ordered, Embers Burgers (which come with good portioned dinner salads, and fries) Everyone really dug the burgers! I got onion rings, which was probably a bad idea to order a meal of onion rings! They are good, but I ate to many! There is a reason people say, "You are what you eat." My group also had a Greek salad that was really good sized and she ate it down quick! Portions were great! And for pick up delivery we had our 6 meals in 25 minutes! I look forward to going back an actually eating in the restaraunt or just going to have a drink at the packed bar! The food was great, the service was grand, and the envirement is fun! read more

Jesse's Embers - Bar - Seafood Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

Great food, quite, soft lighting. Good date night spot. Excellent steak and very nice martinis

Wow, talk about being treated as if you were family. This restaurant made the whole dining experience here from start to finish so welcoming that we didn't even mind that we had to wait and the dining room is a bit more "quaint" than other places. From the minute we walked in and were waiting for our table til the time we left, we received nothing but exemplary service. We got to meet the owner and his brother who was helping out at the bar, and our waitress was great. Food review? Everything was excellent. The Food: Cajun Shrimp appetizer (5/5) Ember's special steak (4/5) Ribeye (5/5) The Cajun Shrimp appetizer was shrimp with butter and seasonings and bread on the side to eat/dip with it. So simple but done so right. The steaks were great and cooked perfectly to desired temperatures. The salads that came with it were simple but good. I would recommend their house dressing. Yummy! We really are thinking of making this or go-to spot for special occasions. Only downside is that I have a huge family and we sadly wouldn't be able to fit us all there. But we could bring a few of them at a time every other week haha read more

If your looking for a place to eat that isnt a chain, this is the place to go. I was promptly greeted upon entering by a smiling face and seated within a minute. My waitress, DeeDee, was great with suggestions and service, I could not have been more please. Cajun Shrimp is a must if you like spicy items, bread was fresh and soft, and my steak was cooked to order. If you are looking for a spot to slow down from the world and enjoy a great meal, Jessies' Embers is the place to go. read more

Cramped but fantastic food! The service was wonderful from start to finish. A definite Wisconsin Supper Club feel.

I wish I could give it a half, because it would be a solid 3 1/2. Good steaks, but not mind blowing (we make as good at home), but it makes up for it in atmosphere and service. Had the filet and the wife had the sirloin. I would actually say that the sirloin was better. Just a better flavor and bite. Onion rings were very good. I had the normal dinner salad with the raspberry vinaigrette, which was the most non-vinegar vinaigrette that I have ever had. However, my wife's garlic dressing was very good. Again, amazing service and atmosphere. I would come back just for that. read more

Great place for lunch. ..a Des Moines tradition. Monday's home made Hot Roast beef - great . French dip one of the best. Plain old hamburger is wonderful. Check it out! Dinners are equally as good! read more

Great cooks here, Al and Ed are simply the best!!! Great place anytime of the day!! This is a hidden gem in the Des Moines area, can't go wrong here. Is a small place but filled with character and people who love what they do. Ed has been cooking here since he was 18 and Al has been there for 12 years! Great place! read more

Jesse's Embers - Lunch date with my mother - Seafood Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

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This place looks like it has been here since horses provided transportation. Raw brick, oak wall covering and a dining area the size of some living rooms but don't let the appearance betray you. This place knows how to do it right. My companion and I both had steaks. Both were perfectly cooked and tender. My fried shrimp were excellent. Service was top notch and efficient. Is it noisy? You bet. Does it smell a little bit like a grill,oh yeah as the grill is right there in the open. But it oozes authenticity. Ignore the decor and enjoy the menu. read more

There are many local favorites in Des Moines and I'm glad I finally made it over to Jesse's Embers. The staff is really great and I loved the atmosphere. Lucky enough to meet the current owner and had a great evening. Great people. Filet mignon was delicious. This might sound strange but the homemade house salad dressing was really damn good. Not too sweet not too tangy, just right. They sell it by the bottle. You definitely need to pick some up and if you're looking for a cozy packed house on a Monday night. Add it too your list! read more

They do not season their meat!!!! Not even with salt and pepper!! They say they can't because of people blood pressure... and their reasoning is because they have done it this way since 1963! steak is $32 and there is no flavor at all. waitress was nice and understanding why the owner was a piece.. when we left the hostess made harsh remarks and was very unprofessional. Highly do not recommend going to this dumpster. If you do do not order anything with meat. read more

My wife and I dined here last night (Saturday) we arrived shortly after 6:00pm and the place was busy. We parked in the back parking lot and walked in. We were greeted right away by a lady that told us we're to go out our name in. We had a little bit of a wait so we headed to the bar area for a few drinks. My wife had a few glasses of wine and I had some beers. The bartenders were very friendly and it didn't take long to get drinks even though they were very busy. We waited about 30 minutes at the bar before we were seated. Not too bad at all for a Saturday night in Des Moines. Once seated the service was great. The waitress was fast and helpful. The food was excellent. I had the filet and my wife had a sirloin. The broiled shrimp that came with the filet was excellent as well. Both the bread and salad that come with the meals were very good. The creamy garlic dressing was very good as well. At the end of our meal the owner came to the table to ask us how everything was and thank us for coming in. He shook both my hand and my wife's and thanked us for coming in. He came back as we were walking out to thank us again for coming in. This was our first time in and won't be the last. We both really enjoyed the food, atmosphere and friendly service. read more

Just a fantastic place. Like an old school Wisconsin supper club. Great service, awesome drinks and fantastic steaks. My new favorite Des Moines dinner joint. read more

Food was amazing and service was amazing. Really my only complaint was that when we went in, I was super confused about where to go, whether or not we should seat ourselves, and if not who should we tell. From there the experience got much better. When we asked a server what we should do, she kindly helped and we were seated immediately(it was early). From there everything was fantastic! It reminded me of a small town supper club from the 70/80's, which was quaint and nostalgic. read more

Filet was seared perfectly on the outside and cooked perfectly inside. The salad was a major disappointment, Brown wilted lettuce that should have never been plated. For a side my broccoli was just that steamed without any seasoning. If the salad & broccoli was presented better I would have given this a 4Stars rating. read more

Jesse's Embers is the real deal. My dad owned a supper club for 30 years (back when they were called 'supper clubs'). Not uber fancy but that's fine. The hospitality was top notch. When the owner (Marty) greets you at the door instead of an overwhelmed 19 year old hostess, you know it's going to be a good experience. Our server had 12 years of experience and did a great job. Bread was crusty on the edges and soft in the middle. Salads were crisp and fresh (ask for dressing on the side - they got a bit ambitious with the French). The three of us had the small filet, ribs and the NY Strip. All were deliciously grilled on the gas grill on the edge of the dining room. I'd give them 5 stars but my medium-requested steak was between medium well and well. Could have complained but it was a good enough steak even overly done. I'll be back next time we pass through Des Moines. read more

I don't really have a review of the food, because when I called beforehand to speak with a chef about accommodating food allergies, I was chuckled at and told they don't have any gluten-free items in-house. I'm not sure what they do to their meat in order to prepare or their lettuce, or other naturally GF food items... but if you have food allergies they don't want your business and it's safer that way. read more

Stopped by here the other night after a few beers up at the marina. The place was packed, and it was standing room only. To my surprise I was seated before I finished my first beer. I ordered the 16oz ribeye, and it came out a perfect medium rare. The flavor was perfect. It came with a salad, potato, and bread which were all served perfectly!!! The owner stopped by and spoke to me a couple times. Very friendly!!! I like these kinds of place where if you become a regular, they know your name. read more

My mom is s regular customer here. I placed an order for takeout for my her birthday, which she spent in the hospital. Called in the order 45 minutes before desired pick up at 6. No problem said Sandy, see you then. We showed up a few minutes before 6. Got an understandable "it's not quite ready" response. A few minutes stretched to 25, cutting into our limited visiting time at the hospital. Even better, they were only able to complete half her order. The guy on the floor did comp her meal, but how do you not have adequate stock to complete fill an order on a Friday night??? The icing on the cake: our salads, including my entree salad, were literally brown and slimy and they forgot a side baked potato. And this is supposedly one of DSM's better restaurants? Skip the wait and spend your $ elsewhere. read more

First apologies because I am not the best carnivore. I am sure the steaks are great but I do not want one. The atmosphere...really, no windows? COME ON....... a dark, paneled cave I felt I was in. Seafood is mostly fried, my shrimp skewered was tough. My salad was okay, but the house garlic dressing tasted like sweet bottled coleslaw Kraft dressing with some garlic powder. IF, you are a middle aged, well healed politico looking for his first coronary......go ahead and eat here. Otherwise......there are a lot of other options. read more

Always great food and service. I love the Reuben sandwich. And they have great steaks for dinner. Nice place for a romantic dinner. read more

Jesse's Embers - Here's the Reuben sandwich - Seafood Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

What a great steak place! Had about a half hour wait and it was busy. They always checked on us while waiting and made sure we were comfortable while waiting. The place has a nice old steakhouse vibe with paneled walls and a dark luxury feel. Service was excellent. The steak, wow, so good. Ordered a filet which I like cooked medium and sometimes places have a hard time cooking. It was cooked to perfection without being burnt on the outside, pink on the inside and incredibly tender! Large baked potato soft on the inside. The bread is really fresh and the wine choices are really nice. Excellent meal and ambience! Would love to come back again! Thanks for a great evening! read more

Someone wrote in a previous review that Jesse Embers was like a 60's mafia style steakhouse. Seriously, you park in the back, enter through the kitchen, and get a table in wood panel dining room. You'll feel like you're in Goodfellas here. Kinda fun. We had dinner there on a Friday night. The place is small and cozy. About 15 tables/booths in a space that should probably fit a dozen, plus eight or so seats at the bar, all occupied by regulars having dinner there. "Experienced" servers, a great place to have an Iowa steak or pork chop. We had a some onion rings (1/2 order - good!), a small filet, a fabulous prime rib sandwich, salads (drowning in dressing), sides plus a drink for about 50 bucks. Pretty good for a steakhouse. If you're looking for a great steak in DM and a fun experience go here, at least once. It's on Ingersoll (a cool part of town) and has been there for more than 50 years which makes it even more appealing. It beats the hell out of a new trendy place or Outback. You'll have a great story to tell about it to boot. read more

I don't often splurge on steak. It's so pricey to eat out and it's one thing I find can often be done as well at home on the grill for a fraction of the price. So believe me when I say the food here is worth your time and money. I went to Embers on a Saturday night and I can say unequivocally that the food is very good and fairly priced. My filet was cooked medium as I requested and the meat was very fresh and high quality. Garnishments were all good and fresh as well. Another standout was the service. Our waitress was a true professional and had clearly been in the business for a long time. Also, the managers, of which there were several (possibly owners?) were very friendly throughout the evening during our wait. In fact, when I was waiting outside the single-unit men's restroom, the manager told me I could use the lady's room as it was unoccupied - some might find this off-putting but this is exactly the kind of laid back and friendly atmosphere I covet at a restaurant. So why only 3 stars? As I mentioned, I came in on a Saturday night and faced a 30-45 minute wait, which I expected would be the case. No problem with that - a wait usually means someone thinks the food is worth something. So what was my real issue? The space. The restaurant was so cramped that our wait felt twice as long as it should have. There's simply no place to go. I was probably forced to move a half dozen times before I was seated. No matter where you stand you're in someone's way. I had a beer at the bar to pass the time, but carrying it around actually became more of a chore as there was no place to put it and constant fear that you'll be bumped into and have it spilled. Once seated, the dining area is also very very tight on space. I may be making a mountain out of a molehill here, but the cramped space has genuinely kept me from going back. It holds me back from making what could be semi-regular visits to Jesse's Embers. If you don't mind tight quarters and a wait, I would still recommend this place to you. Maybe I'll make a return visit on a weeknight. read more

After reading the good reviews on Yelp, I decided to try Jesse's when a business colleague was in town. I highly recommend the Cajun shrimp for an appetizer. We both got steaks, fillet and the NY streak. Both were cooked proper to order and were seasoned tasty. Cocktails were made to perfection. This is a small nightclub style steakhouse. They do not take reservations, but if I was coming with a party of 6+ I'd call ahead anyway and let them know to expect a bigger group. Nothing too fancy here, just a local steakhouse where the owner will always come by your table to check on you. read more