If you're driving through West Des Moines, make a stop at Waterfront Seafood Market!…read moreWhat makes this place so unique is that it's both a seafood market and a restaurant, so you're getting some of the freshest seafood you'll find in the Midwest! We ordered sushi, clam chowder, boiled shrimp, and one of their daily specials. Everything tasted fresh, and there were so many options on the menu that we'd happily come back to try more! It's just outside of downtown Des Moines, making it a great stop on your way into or out of the city. If you're craving seafood while you're in Iowa, I'd definitely recommend adding this one to your list!

The food was outstanding. We had a little bit of everything. The one problem was not enough room…read moreto enjoy it all. Sadly, we will have to return again to try the things we didn't get to try? Staff did an excellent job. Danielle took care of our group of five. She was on top of our service needs. Great with sharing recommendations.

The food is absolutely amazing. You need to make a reservation! I always go there before the civic…read morecenter shows. Never have a problem with getting on. The atmosphere is very quiet and very lovely

We were a touch skeptical because the menu look tired and old. The starters of crab cakes and…read moreceviche were excellent and well executed making us hopeful for the mains. Hope ended with over cooked and dry halibut but the sides were delicious. The cioppino was more of the same. I had three mussels that were closed and the clams were clearly not washed, how this left the kitchen of a seafood restaurant is beyond belief and made us question our decisions. The seabass was small and tired just like the menu. Total disappointment and will probably not visit again. Advice, get the starters and a glass of wine, then walk away as fast as you can. The wait staff was efficient, accommodating and excellent and that helps a bit. I know it's a tough review but the tab was $270 so they earned it!

We have been to Irina's a few times and it has always been a delicious experience…read more Irina's has one of the best steak offerings in the metro. Their sides are always delicious as well. We tried the bang bang shrimp for the first time and is now an all time favorite. The service is always a bit slow but it's a restaurant that creates that kind of culture, so not a big deal. The ambiance is dark and moody, but the vibe is great. The servers are always kind and attentive. Definitely a must visit steakhouse.

Both kids had stuff going on and I had the chance to slide off to a last minute invite for dinner…read morewith a few friends on Friday evening. Although I really miss the old location off of Hickman I still get over to Irina's now and then... I was the first to arrive and soon after the hostess had seated me Dmitri came over to say hello. It's always great to see him. Irina was under the weather and wasn't on site. I've gotten to know both well over the years and I really enjoy catching up with them both. He knows how I felt about the old location and I'm in my 50s now and don't always deal with change well. The current location is beautiful, and I'll get used to it, but I still miss that old wooden horseshoe bar and the more intimate feel. This visit was to see a friend who has since moved out of state (Tena). Our reservation was for eight at 800 PM on Friday evening. We went over our planned eight and Dmitri quickly helped expand our table to meet our needs. The first time I met Tena was actually in Irina's (the Hickman location) back in early March of 2021. I was in Irina's trying the poutine that had been added to the menu not long before that and Tena was there planning a birthday party. I recognized her from Facebook...along with a very big pink unicorn pinata she had recently purchased, I introduced myself, and I've been friends with her and her husband since then. As everyone arrived over the first few minutes our server was quick to take drink orders and we moved on to food once everyone had arrived. I started with an espresso martini. I don't think there was an introvert at the table so conversations flowed like efficient drink refills and if service was slow I'm not sure I would have noticed it. We ordered quite a few appetizers that were shared around the table. Bang bang shrimp, tuna tartare, calamari, philly cheese steak eggroll, and stacks of onion rings. I can't honestly say I can remember what everyone ordered for entrees. I had the almost famous lobster macaroni with a side of grilled asparagus and I know Tena had the Iowa farm pork chop that came with a glaze, garlic whipped potatoes, and brussel sprouts. I will say that I was expecting the normal lobster mac n cheese with chunks of lobster meat and I was pleasantly surprised when my bed of macaroni came out with a very nicely sized lobster tail perched on top. The lobster was cooked perfectly. The meat had already been separated from the tail so it was no muss no fuss. Her pork chop was a HUGE chunk of meat balanced on an end making it a can't miss focal point. Presentation at Irina's has always been something that is going to be really hard to beat anywhere else... Say what you want but they put out some picture perfect plates. We wrapped up after a couple of hours and said our "see you laters..." Goodbyes don't really seem to happen with this group. More like... Until next time! I think we all enjoyed the food, I know I did mine, but sometimes dinner is really more about the company you keep at your table. In a lot of ways Irina's can be as divisive. Mannnn... I've heard good and bad. But I can only judge on my personal experience. Yes...I know Irina and Dmitri, however when I go in they are not always on site and their staff doesn't know me from Adam. Maybe Daniel would recognize me... I've been a customer for well over ten years, I don't consider myself a regular though, and I've never been treated rudely or had a bad meal. In fact it's a business I take visitors to from out of town and one I recommend. Are there going to be off days? I'm sure there are. Like any other business in 2024 they sometimes face both staffing and distribution chain issues. Have I experienced slower than normal service there every now and then? Sure have. And I've had that at many other places too that I continue to go back to also... I've always found that easy to forgive for good food. I've written a couple reviews over the years and I've tried highly recommended places and I've went to places intentionally that received pretty bad write ups. The one thing I would always stress with anywhere... Reviews are subjective. Even mine. Don't let a couple of bad reviews, or something you hear, dissuade you from trying someplace new. No one else is writing your book. If someone is going to be the one putting your pen to your paper to tell your story... Let it be you! If you've been putting off a visit to Irina's go ahead and give it a chance... You might just really like it... I know I do! https://www.irinassteakandseafood.com/

Hello This is kind…read moreof an old school dining experience. The patio is nice and the inside reminds me of an old Supper Club vibe. Service was just a little slow, but food was good. I will be back to try more. I have a feeling this is an original to the neighborhood!

I was excited to try this place as so many people recommended it. We went on a weekday in the mid…read moreafternoon and it seemed like only one person was taking care of everyone. We waited for quite a substantial amount of time for everything. When our food arrived, I thought the taste and proportion sizes in comparison to the price were not comparable at all. I ordered the soup & sandwich. While the French onion soup was nice, it wasn't anything that made me want to come back. The sandwich was very dry and didn't have much flavor. Our drinks were never refilled and it was hard to flag down the waitress to get the check to leave. Personally, I have no desire to return. I felt like I've received much better food and service at other establishments like The Urban Grill. I hope you're experience is better than mine!

Just as great as it was 35 years ago! Carter & his team are doing a great job. The filets were…read morecooked perfectly, the onion rings are delicious as is the au gratin potatoes.

2.9 I hate it but this is where we are. Decent service and…read morethe burger meat I had was top shelf but overall not much attention or pride was present. A late lunch was under par in every respect for us and I'm sure we 'll be back for another try sometime soon. Nostalgia is great, reality not so much.

My husband and I came into town to see our son at college and take him to dinner for his birthday…read more We made our reservation for 6:15 at about 4:30. The restaurant did not open until 5. We were pretty excited about it, because it was a birthday dinner, and our son had spent the last summer in Peru for an internship and was eager to try this out. We showed up at 6, and it was obvious we weren't going to be able to get in early, which was fine. My husband waited to check in, while my son and I waited in the car, since there is no waiting area and barely any room, especially since some other diners were waiting as well, presumably for their 6 pm reservation. It was clear it would be awhile, since the tables were all still full. Around 6:15, another group crammed their way into the small entryway. At 6:30, they had some empty tables, so they finally acknowledged everyone waiting. The 6:30 group asked for their table, and my husband interjected to say we had a 6:15 reservation. The host informed him that we were not on his list and did not have a reservation. My husband showed them our confirmation email and the OpenTable app we used. The host stated that he does not check for more reservations after 5 pm and we clearly had made the reservation too late. (Note: I said we did it at 4:30, so this was clearly not when he looked). The host informed my husband that there was no reservation, and we would not be seated, and he didn't care that we had a reservation since it clearly was made too late. My husband protested, and the host turned his back to him and walked off shaking his head. We were not seated, and he did not return. So we did not get dinner. My advice to you: Making a reservation here will not guarantee you will be seated or served. We had to find somewhere else to eat for my son's birthday, and all the other options we had turned down for this one were booked. Also, they are bad at estimating dining times. They will not acknowledge you until there are open tables, even to check you in, and you may wait for some time after your scheduled reservation.

Thankful for this dining experience, as it combined great food, a unique menu, and excellent…read morecustomer service. I suggest getting reservations, but we were able to get a table for four walking in early on a Saturday. Never felt rushed throughout. Unbelievably good Lomo Saltado, and sampled each of my family's dishes. Our server, Felipe, was outstanding, and we also appreciated the table visit from Mariella, the manager, who explained some of our dinner items. One of the better restaurants in the Metro!

Have visited AJ's many time and it appears their standards are falling. Service is very good and…read morethe attention to customer is superior. However, the food has shown a decline in the last several visits. I ordered a ribeye steak with baked potato and salad. Salad was fine and quite good. The steak was ordered medium and was well done. It resembled more of round steak rather than a ribeye. The baked potato was warm at best. This is more than a "One Off." for the prices that are being charged in today's market, you'd expect much better. The ambiance was below average. They placed us at a table in the bar area which doesn't encourage any privacy. I truly hope AJ's steps up their game. I want them to succeed and this most recent visit was in the wrong direction.

3.5* (out of 5) Food: 3* Atmosphere: 4* Value: 4*…read more Service: 3* 03/09/2024 My wife and I had both heard good things about this place, so had been wanting to give it a try and check out the Casino. We had the opportunity when friends were in town and an 80's group was playing in the Casino, so we decided to start the evening with dinner at AJ's Steakhouse then attend the concert. While we had to walk around an escalator that was out of service, the entrance area of AJ's and the initial impression was quite positive (see pictures). The place was clean, modern and lively - giving off a classy aura. Once we were seated at our table, we were a little disappointed with the wobbly table and the delay in receiving our drinks - but the drinks were solid. My wife had the Grande Margarita (see picture) and I went with the Smoked Old Fashion (see picture) - both of which were very good and the prices were reasonable. The food and service though is where AJ's fell well short of my expectations for a place like this with so much promise. After waiting some time for our meals, our server stopped out to tell us that our meals would be delayed due to a large group ahead of us. This seemed a bit surprising, as we didn't see any large groups in the restaurant, but what could we do? At one point after waiting over 30 minutes, I suggested to our server that "the manager will probably comp us a drink or dessert given the wait"...which received nothing more than a dismissive "maybe" and didn't seem to be taken seriously. Once our food was finally delivered, we were again left disappointed. My wife ordered the Top Sirloin (see picture) and I ordered the Salmon (see picture). While she ordered medium rare, the initial cut into the Top Sirloin was medium well and dry. A manager did come around to ask how things were, so we were open about it being overdone (other cuts later were closer to rare, so it was very inconsistent relative to other steaks at other steakhouses). She offered to exchange it, but given how long we had waited for our meal and the concert starting soon, we declined the offer. Again, given this situation and the fact that it was shared with the manager, we assumed a minimum of a complimentary dessert or a coupon to return another day...but received nothing. As for the Salmon (see picture) it was cooked well - very soft and juicy...but almost zero flavor. A convenient stop at the casino with a classy first impression, but the food and service leave me unable to recommend AJ's Steakhouse. If you found this review helpful, please show your appreciation with a Like or a Follow. Photos copyright: happyhourdesmoines.com & thefoodanddrinkguy.com

This is absolutely the best chinese food place I have eaten at. I moved here from N J, which has…read morethe best Chinese food places out there in my opinion. New China is just like that! When you order for takeout, they pack your food so heavy, you are definitely getting your money's worth! Absolutely fantastic tasting dishes, so far everything we've ordered was so tasty! LOVE THIS PLACE!

It costs about $20/person for the dinner buffet but it has a lot of options and during dinner rush…read morethe food is always fresh, Im obsessed with the crab rangoons. The inside is also very neat and clean and the staff is friendly.