This is an old school gem! Staff is personable and friendly. The food is always excellent. The fried chicken is some of the best! read more

I finally visited Noah's Ark - I feel like you can't be a local without visiting this place at least once! The interior and history is detailed and unique to Des Moines. I ordered the spaghetti with meat sauce and it was good, the serving size was huge! It came with salad, along with bread and butter. Next time I'm going to try the chicken Parmesan! Our server was very friendly and asked if we wanted dessert. Which I 100% recommended going for anytime you visit. Their red velvet cake is amazing! read more

Noah's Ark Ristorante - Spaghetti with meat sauce - Italian Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

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Food and service fantastic!!! The atmosphere is old Italian steakhouse, we brought family that had never been to Iowa and we had the best time with fantastic food and drinks!!! read more

I hadn't been to Noah's in decades since moving away from Iowa, but it was always a place I enjoyed visiting. After returning to Des Moines recently, I made a point to go back for dinner, and I'm glad I did. Everything was just as exceptional as I remembered. The food was outstanding, the atmosphere was spot on, and the service truly elevated the entire experience. If you're local or just visiting the area, Noah's is absolutely worth a dinner visit. read more

Noah's Ark Ristorante - Tiffany Special - Italian Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

A staple in the Des Moines Area for decades. Had lunch with friends and the food was delicious. I Chose the beef and noodles, while friends had sausage sandwich, cavatelli and salad. Waiter was super friendly and made us feel right at home. Decor is the 50's retro with tuck and roll seating. Ambiance takes you to a time when spending time with friends and family was routine. This is a bucket list spot to visit. You won't be disappointed. read more

I had heard great things about the food at Noah's Ark and decided to check it out for myself. I visited on a weekday evening, and there was plenty of seating available, including an upstairs area that's perfect for larger groups. There is also plenty of parking! The service was excellent--my server was attentive and friendly, which added a nice touch to the visit. For my meal, I ordered the Rigatoni pasta and a side salad. Unfortunately, neither impressed me. The salad was drenched in dressing, so I'd recommend asking for the dressing on the side if you prefer a lighter touch. I'm interested in trying other menu options next time to get a better sense of what they offer. read more

Noah's Ark Ristorante - Rigatoni - Italian Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

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The first time I came, I was with a big group, and I ordered a pizza with buffalo milk included that tasted off. I asked the waitress before ordering, and she said no one had ever mentioned not liking it. Okay, fine, I'm picky, I know. I decided to try it again because the ingredient seemed to be the only issue, so my partner and I came last Friday night. We ordered a build-your-own pizza this time. That night's mistake was the sausage. It was so spicy that the pizza was inedible. We overheard the table next to us also had the exact same issue with the sausage being too spicy, to the point where they couldn't eat it. Unfortunately, we were just told, "Yeah, it's spicy," AFTER we mentioned it. I would have loved a warning beforehand or an indication that I wouldn't be able to eat my dinner given the level of spice. Anyways, we left with over half of the pizza (partner forced himself to eat a couple pieces). I do feel like this was a lack of communication that has unfortunately led us to decide we will not be back. The cherry on top was the waitress bringing the other table ice cream to make up for the spicy food- yet we were not. No offer of any resolution or really any apology- just "yeah, it's spicy." Have heard good things, but if you're picky at all, I do not recommend. read more

This may have been the best pizza I've ever eaten. Flaky, buttery crust. Tomato's with flavor. Pictured is the Noah's Naples Margarita pizza. We also got the cheese sticks- not worth $12.95 but still fine. Salad was basics iceburg lettus, but the creamy Italian dressing was delicious. We will defiantly be back. read more

Noah's Ark Ristorante - Noah's Naples Margarita pizza 10" - Italian Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

This is a Time capsule experience. There are very few restaurants that offer this unique ambiance and quality food at fair prices. I recommend you go once a month. read more

First time here, delicious everything and superb service!! Pizza excellent, Lasagna calabresa yummy, Berry moscato Italian cream cake and potato skins Italian style with creamy parm dressing holy Toledo, I never knew I needed these. The bread.....warm cloverleaf rolls that were huge!!! And butter, the real stuff!!! We will be back! read more

Noah's Ark Ristorante - Lasagna calabresa - Italian Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

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The best pizza in Des Moines and the atmosphere is unmatchable and old school. I want to try all kinds of stuff on the menu but the pizza is my go to. You cannot beat the house salad dressing or the rolls either‼ Oh and of course you have to try the onion rings‼ read more

Pasta, Pizza, Sandwiches Seafood and comfort food. This restaurant has it all. It's a very old staple in the community. Great food for many years. Lots of delicious desserts. Lunch specials around $15 with lots to take home. read more

A popular local favorite and surprisingly very busy for a Thursday evening. Can't go wrong with any menu item, but tried the walleye and sirloin tips. The walleye breading was light, crisp and complimented the flavor without overpowering it. The sirloin tips in homemade gravy over fresh noodles was beefy, creamy and filling. And recommend the onion/pepper rings! read more

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Made a reservation for 4 because never been here and glad I did! The parking lot probably needs to be expanded but good location. When first walking in there is a revolving door that you have to push hard. There is a bakery right as you walk in along with pasta machines and a display case of all the desserts. I love the fact that our chairs were roller chairs as it made it much easier to scoot in or out. The service was great, our waiter was an older gentleman and he gave great recommendations! The music was light but ole fashioned and the decor was old parts of boats, and beautiful paintings. The food was so delicious. My friend ordered the feasting bread and OMG it was so much bread but so light, and full of flavor! I was sad they didn't have ranch but the creamy Italian dressing they had was so delicious I could have brought a container home. I highly recommend the Noah's Chicken Parmigiana - it's phenomenal!! There is a small side of spaghetti that is served with it as well. My friend ordered the pork chops for two and she said she liked it. Bf and I decided to try dessert and I definitely was not disappointed. I love tiramisu but the waiter suggested the berry one, it was so flavorful of berries and cream! I wasn't sure I would like it as I'm not a huge fan of berries but it was by far the best dessert I've had in a long time. Bf tried the salted caramel crumb cake and he said it was good. Prices are about average for this type of dining as well. We will definitely be going back! read more

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Been going to Noah's since the 80's. Great place, always has been. Family owned since 1946, no place like it. Would recommend to anyone, great desserts too! read more

This is a landmark in Des Moines and has been reviewed several times so I'll cut to the chase. I had the ravioli and they were full of meat and the pasta was tender. The meat was a little on the dry side but the sauce was good and plentiful so it helped. I have a huge sweet tooth so the most exciting part about going to Noah's Ark is the dessert display case at the entrance. Unfortunately, I dug in and forgot to take a photo of the amazing lemon cake I got. It was nice and cold, with a cream cheesy frosting and vanilla ganache filling. I could eat that every day and not get tired of it. I was full by the time it came to the table but I was not missing out of all that deliciousness! read more

Noah's Ark Ristorante - Beef ravioli- look at all that meat and sauce! - Italian Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

The best Italian restaurant in Des Moines! Jimmy the owner really impressed me. He's more of a maître D, he walks around talking to every table, he is so friendly. Most unusual, he even buses the tables if necessary. The food is delicious, my husband has spaghetti and meat sauce with meatballs. The serving was so large that we took home enough for two more meals. My son-in-law and I had orange roughy, which was really tasty. The bread was fresh out of the oven and the smell was so aromatic, yummy! For dessert, we had tiramisu, my very favorite. If you haven't been to Noah's Ark, please go as I highly recommend it. read more

Great old school dinner club atmosphere! We got reservations for a Saturday night, showed up early & we're seated early. Our waitress was good, but too busy--it felt like she had too many tables. We started with draft beer in a small, cool glass & onion rings. The waitress said they were thin but they were actually medium. They were just ok. They weren't real hot by the time we got them. Salads were good with creamy Italian dressing. Mine wasn't included with my large calzone--$6 for a side salad was pricy. My calzone was ok. The accompanying red sauce was delicious! Two more minutes in the oven would have been good. Hubby's large order of ribs leftovers! His mashed & gravy were tasty. The rolls were terrific! We had a nice time. The parking attendant is great--don't forget to tip him! read more

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If you want a great historical spot to eat a mean New York Style meatball hero it's Noah's. Best in town. I am from NYC and they've got it down. I had a side salad thinking I would take half of the hero home that did not happen. "Hero" equals East Coast. Great food and great waitress. She had a wonderful Brooklyn style when she spoke to us made me feel like I was back home. Will definitely be going back. JG read more

One star because the server was sweet. My parents have been eating here for 50 years, often as their anniversary spot, or special occasion spot. We haven't been for quite awhile and were flabbergasted by the prices. I thought the food was terrible but didn't say anything since I know how much my parents love this place. Later that night my dad asked me what I thought and then told me it was the worst restaurant food he's ever had, and will never go back, which is very sad. Not sure what happened, but very disappointing. read more

In town again, Noah's AGAIN, ALWAYS delicious, now a MUST when we are in town...Old School good, Family owned for years! This time, easy take out, still amazing... read more

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Get the fried chicken. Get the spaghetti. Get the pizza. They're made with love. Absolute gem. read more

Great food and wonderful service! It was a step back in time to visit this restaurant where my brothers and neighborhood boys got their first jobs 50plus years ago. Happy that it is still owned and managed by Noah's family. Great vintage supper club atmosphere and the service is friendly and efficient. The coconut cake is a must to try! read more

Noah's Ark Ristorante - tables and chairs in a restaurant - Italian Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

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Here is the short synopsis of my review: 1) the food was amazing, and this is the most important point. It's the kind of place you want to make sure you have several hours to enjoy (unless you get carry out). The ONLY thing giving us pause to return soon was the amount of time we sat there with nothing. Service was very kind and informative, but very very very slow. 2) do NOT go if you are in any kind of hurry whatsoever (i.e. if you have concert or movie tickets, this is not the place you want to go and be on time). *************************************** THE LOOOOOOOONG AND DETAILED REVIEW: and no, I'm not someone that has 10 great meals, then one bad and goes blasting the business. Food was super amazing, just a slow experience overall. Arrived at 6:30pm on the dot for a dinner with friends. At 6:35(ish) our server passed by and said "be back in a minute". At 6:45pm(ish), we ordered a round of drinks and some apps. At 7:00pm, we all got a round of waters and downed them IMMEDIATELY, as it was rather hot inside. At 7:20ish, we were all a little irritated but reeeeally trying to keep it together as she came around with our first round. So 50 minutes into the experience and we haven't even put in our dinner orders yet, just our appetizers which we also haven't seen yet. So drinks are down at 7:20 PM and we ordered another round QUICKLY (if it's going to take another 45min was our thought process!), and then sat for close to 7:30pm when our appetizers came out. It was clear they sat in the window for a while, but they were all still delicious. fried: these have been recommended by several and they were awesome! (couldn't find a clam emoji) strips: super tasty. Not a huge cocktail sauce fan, those that are said their cocktail sauce was very good. I just tried it plain and it was great. calamari strips were SO GOOD: not overly-cooked and not chewy, these were lightly battered and so tender; a table favorite. Again served with a side of marinara, these we would definitely reorder. : 1 diner ordered clam chowder, which I tried and would easily say that's one of the better ones I've tasted around. I have to bring my grandma back here to have their clam chowder (and table rolls), she would love that. He finished his chowder and there we sat with no waters, empty drinks and no dinner salads...for a while. Woof...but ok, not the end of the world; nobody died, so we patiently waited. house salads came at exactly 8pm: DAMN am I glad these were worth the wait. Hands down thee best creamy Italian dressing I've had. Yes, I promptly ordered a quart to go and yes...I intend to eat it ALL! In fact, it was so good that those who didn't get the creamy Italian were tasting it, and regretting their salad dressing choices. We all agreed; better than Orlando's, better than any place we've all tried. I would go back just for a house salad and that glass of wine brought back from Italy 12oz ribeye: very tender, I only had one bite but it was delicious. Made for great leftovers, cooked perfectly medium rare, and their Colbert sauce that comes over all steaks (similar to an au jus) was great. broiled gulf prawns: large, plump, juicy, light seasoning on them with clarified butter. Yummmmm. Yes, I ordered 2 dinners because I couldn't decide. Their menu is HUGE! 9oz filet: my friend says hers was super tender. walleye special: a SOLID piece of walleye, super tender, encrusted with seasoning that didn't take over the walleye taste. combo Italian dinner: a tasting of several things: 1 Italian sausage, 1 meatball, 1 stuffed green pepper, all over spaghetti and topped with marinara, then served with a side of spaghetti ‍ Parm: was SUPERB. 1/2 alfredo, 1/2 marinara, plenty to share and PLENTY for amazing leftovers! : one fail here. Frozen vegetables on the side of such an amazing steak? None of us ate one bite of the frozen, cafeteria vegetables. : given the time of evening, at this point, we all got our desserts to go. Pictured (and labeled) is the array of different desserts, and they were all very tasty. I will say that the food was completely worth it, and we do plan to go back, BUT...I would only go back if I knew I had ample time to spend and didn't have anywhere pressing to go afterwards. read more

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I have eaten here twice over the last month and I am happy to report that I enjoyed it very much. It appears that gone are the days of taking shortcuts on their recipes and disappointing service. I have had exactly 1 bad customer service issue in recent memory and I'm not sure if that person still works there. It reminded me of the Noah's Ark from when I was a child, when Noah himself would go from table to table and greet his customers. When I dinned I stuck to my old habits and got the Lasagna, which was made perfectly. There was enough sauce and cheese, and not so much egg that the whole dish tasted of it. My dining partner had their Chicken parmesan, which was very good, moist and flavorful. The last time they actually got the eggplant parmesan, which is their special for September. At $10 it is a steal and if you like eggplant, I think you will enjoy theirs. I hope they make it a normal menu item! The dining situation is the same, expect some of their larger dining tables have been marked off for distancing, which I liked. It hasn't changed in the 35 years I've been alive except for the change in the mural, which isnt to my taste but alas you can't please everyone. Don't come here expecting fine dining but comfort food in familiar surroundings. I hope that the management keeps up the good meals so I can come much more often! read more

Noah's Ark Ristorante - The new mural - Italian Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

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I haven't eaten inside for years! Even with fires and a pandemic the place still looks the same... A time warp! The food is consistent and always good. The house creamy Italian dressing is always a must and the calzone. I haven't ever had a calzone that comes close to the ones at Noah's. So delicious! It was a very enjoyable evening so glad we decided to dine in... read more

Great food on the Ingersoll crawl. Pizza is off the charts. Lot's of great memories there!

I've been coming here for years. The food is always amazing and no one is ever disappointed. Ordered the spaghetti and meatballs- takes me back to my childhood! (January 2021) read more

Noah's Ark Ristorante - Spaghettini with Two Meatballs - Italian Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

They take reservations but do not honor them. We had tickets to a show and made reservations beforehand at Noah's It was to celebrate my husband's birthday. After waiting 15 minutes past our reservation time I asked how mush longer and was told ten minutes. At that point we had to leave so we wouldn't miss our show. it really ruined our evening!!! read more

I came here for the first time tonight. Have always heard great things so I was excited to try it but was very underwhelmed. The service was extremely slow. Atmosphere felt really crowded. I had salmon and it was so so. Whipped potatoes were terrible. Pizza was so so so -rather greasy. I don't know why people like it so much here. read more

Once again another 5 star experience. This is our "special occasion" spot. Denny the server was EXCELLENT, and the food was absolutely fantastic. Best pizza around. Steak was perfect. Veal was mouth watering. Cant beat Noah's. Always a great vibe and great service. Thanks guys for a really nice night and wonderful food. read more

Noah's Ark Ristorante - Best pizza in Des Moines - Italian Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

I have been going there since it was open. I would say back in the late 40's or early 50's. I don't remember the year as I was fairly young. And I am 82 years old now. The food was a lot better than. read more

We went with friends for coffee and dessert after a movie. Both the husband and I ended up ordering the Whiteout Cake, and we're both extremely glad we did. (Coconut lovers will go crazy for this cake -- the perfect fluffy and light -- yet oddly dense -- coconut confection.) read more

Most certainly still the best pizza in Iowa. This is our favorite place to dine with a comfortable setting and a staff that works hard to make your dining experience enjoyable. The menu is superb and oh by the way try the cheesecake! read more

Very over rated. I was extremely disappointed coming here and first impressions were far from great. I'll start with our server who spent the whole time talking to her friend instead of serving us and continued a snotty attitude with us throughout the evening. We didn't see her for so long that we had to go get someone to get our bill, there were no apologies. On to the food... I've had a lot of calamari in my life and this has got to be the worst. Not only did it not taste good at all but it didn't even fill up half the plate. They used 3 fried onions to cover the other side and don't worry they tasted awful too! We then had a large pizza that we didn't even want to take home after this experience was over. If you want bad service and bad food then this is the place for you. read more

Noah's Ark Ristorante - Italian Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

Just a joy to go and eat at this establishment. Used to go with my Grandparents way back in the day. Still brings joy to eat delicious food. read more

A group of us came to Noah's for nostalgia. We grew up with a lot of love for this restaurant. They had been closed for a while. We were excited to visit when it reopened. The food was not at all what I remember. The pasta was bland. The salad was drenched in dressing. The people that ordered steak did not receive the meat at the temperature desired. A filet was ordered and the person got a pork chop. The restaurant looked exactly as I remember. The fried clams and onion rings did not disappoint. I will probably give it another shot. It was extremely busy that night. read more

Wonderful old establishment in Des Moines. Food is consistently good. Ambiance is comfortable and 'old school' .... Service was good.

Had carry out for a holiday party last night and this food was tasty! The Alfredo was so so good. Plenty of food that stayed hot and fresh. Also ordered the lasagna and chicken parm. It came with salad and rolls, but the Alfredo was the star! Will be back in restaurant soon to have some more! read more

I'll give it a 2 for the old school ambiance, but this restaurant is in need of an update...and I'm not talking about the decor, I personally find the old school supper club feel charming. I'm talking the food. We ordered the Garlic Foccacia (Feasting Bread) and it's literally a tin of rolls with garlic added on top and then an added side of marinara, which doesn't really make sense with actual foccacia. In no way does this resemble actual foccacia, which hey, you want to sell just a pack of rolls, that's fine with me, but don't call it foccacia and sell it for more. Both of our meals were pretty mediocre despite being 20+. I don't mind paying 20+ when a pasta dish is good (which keep in mind pasta is incredibly cheap) but honestly Fazolis is better. I ordered the chicken parm, what I got was not a traditional chicken parm. The chicken and pasta came in separate dishes which was odd, the chicken was overcooked and not thinly pounded or baked in breadcrumbs as is typical...instead it was overcooked and smothered in onions and peppers, which is not terrible...but it's not chicken parm. My date ordered a special that was supposed to be steak in butter noodles. Instead it looked (and tasted) like days old leftover pot roast in noodles and gravy. Certainly not egregious, but not what was advertised. Additionally, both of us did not get portions of our meal. Neither got the rolls (which was not a huge deal as we had the 'foccacia' but that is part of the price), I did not receive my salad, and he did not get his vegetable. I wouldn't have minded any of this if the meals about been more in the 10-12 dollar range but when you're charging over 20 for a pasta dish, it should be better. Overall, it seems like this restaurant is relying on their history, When we went in much of the clientele was clearly over 60+ and had been dining there for years, and there is nothing wrong with that! However, if this restaurant wants to survive and I do want it to as it's a unique place with a history, it's going to have to do better with the food. People shouldn't leave wishing they just got Fazolis for a third of the price, which was how I felt. read more