This restaurant was closer to a 3.5 in my opinion, but because of the great service, I rounded up to a 4. Tip: Go to this restaurant hungry. If you get the dinner, you get soup, salad, bread, plus your meal with 4 sides. My group of 6 got right in on Friday night at 5:45pm before we went to the Iowa Wild game. The server was very friendly and helpful. The men in the group were excited to try the Greek beer they had (although they were sad to see there was only 1). I ordered a glass of one of the Greek white wines. The beer got good reviews (I think it was a lager?), I thought the wine was only okay (too buttery for my taste). We started with the saganaki (cheese that comes out flaming out to your table). It was sort of similar to a mozzarella stick, but the chef uses lemon to put out the flame, and my boyfriend didn't like the lemony taste of the cheese afterwards. I thought this was a really fun dish to experience, but wouldn't necessarily order it again because of all the other food that was still coming! Everyone got a cup of the lemon chicken soup with their meal. The soup was similar to a traditional chicken noodle soup, with a slight lemony taste. The whole group liked it and gobbled it up with the warm bread that came with it. Next came the traditional greek salad. My salad was slightly overdressed (next time I would ask for the dressing on the side), but otherwise all the veggies were fresh and the salad was light. For dinner I ordered the chicken gyro. I was already starting to get full when the meal came, but I enjoyed the gyro and ended up eating the chicken out of it because I was too full to eat the rest (but the chicken was delicious). The gyro came with a side of orzo, spanakopita, grape leaf, and something similar to spanokopita filled with cheese (I can't remember the name of it). Unfortunately, I didn't get to enjoy these as much as I would like because I was no longer hungry, and I didn't have a place to bring leftovers to like I normally would. Although I really enjoyed the meal, some of my fellow diners did not like their meals as much. My boyfriend got the lamb, and said he was disappointed that all 3 pieces were cooked differently (one well done, one medium, and one medium-rare). My mom also was not pleased with her meal, the combo plate, because she thought both casseroles (the moussaka and the pasticcio) were soggy. My brother ordered the traditional gyro, and said his was very good as well. The service was attentive and friendly, and I enjoyed my meal, so I would recommend going hungry, and ordering one of the gyros. read more

Olympic Flame Restaurant - Chicken gyro meal - Mediterranean Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

Great gyros. Tzatziki is on point. Fried potatoes are amazing. Avgolemono soup is transcedant. Best Greek spot in Des Moines.

The food was delicious!! The Saganaki & Baklava were amazing! The service was impeccable. Angelo was so friendly and made us feel so welcomed & appreciated. Overall highly satisfied & would definitely recommend:)) read more

I was excited to try after hearing glowing reviews for years. I planned our first visit around my husband's birthday celebration. Sadly, we had a total lackluster experience. Ambience felt tired and awkward. The service was slow and...again...awkward as we had to initiate asking for refills and other items with only three other occupied tables in the restaurant. The flaming cheese was good, with the chef coming out, and almost forcibly saying a depressed "opa" as he lit the plate on fire and walked away. The entrees, including gyros and their trio plate with what is supposed to be highlights of the menu-fell incredibly short, I honestly had a better gyro in a food court the weekend prior and the trio tasted like I was at a church pot luck. The illegible bill arrived scribbled on a piece of paper, then was taken back to add another $20 to it. Who really knows if it was accurate. I know there are many people who love this restaurant--please, if it was as great as people say it was, get there to support them and breathe life back into it. read more

When you first see the blue lights and the white table cloths, you think it's a fancy place. Wrong! It's a family place. The best hummus, Greek salads, falafel , hospitality, the atmosphere....I could go on, or you could try it out yourself read more

We had a great experience with this resturant. We will be back when in the area again. Great food. Thanks for having us. read more

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Olympic Flame, is a wonderful experience for lunch or dinner! They have fantabulous falafal, hummus that make me happy, and Greek beer that make me bonkers! The staff is great and has been a presence in the east village long before the east village was a destination spot! They have awesome appetizers and wonderful staff who explains the food, and how it's prepared! I love the environment and it worth ordering something that the Saganiki Greek Cheese because the chief will come out and do something crazy that make that SPECIAL Olympic FLAME! I don't know what the Saganiki taste like but everyone (not vegan) seems too love it! read more

Olympic Flame Restaurant - Greek beer - Mediterranean Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

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The food is REALLY good, but it's expensive. We've ordered 2 appetizers and 3 meals and it was almost $90.

The hummus and pita bread were great; the hummus is flavorful and the bread is obviously fresh. I was disappointed by the lack of flavor in the falafel, but the dolma was well-seasoned and had more interesting flavor. I'm not a vegetarian, but I always hope to see veggies used not just as a garnish but as an important component of a dish. Olympic Flame gets part of the way there, but I do wish it was a bit more vegetable-forward (i.e., less brown). The service was friendly, and the food came out relatively quickly. read more

Been here many times, I work in the east village as well. But New Years really pushed this place over the top for me. I had an hour break between events and stopped in with a coworker. They were in the best mood. Welcomed us in and served us quickly and with flair. The wine pours were to-the-top every time and the staff seems really happy to be there and open. The food is always authentic and delicious. The best value in the area. Love. Love. Love. read more

I'll admit I'm not a gyro expert (I can't pronounce half the words on the menu here), but I ate the whole thing and have a new appreciation for gyros. The poster a few reviews before me talks about the food not being homemade, I couldn't tell; it wasn't the canned, boring, bland Sysco crap that seems to have infiltrated EVERYWHERE. It was tasty. I'll probably go back. Excellent service, too. Cute atmosphere, maybe more "lunch-like" than impress-your-date-with-dinner. Still, a fortuitous find in DSM. read more

Wow what a great place. Small place local and a classic. A dozen tables. The food is Greek. Awesome salads. Slapping soup. And the kabobs are fire. Cold drinks and a belly dancer. How the F can you go wrong. Nice price on the dinner. We had a window seat so we could people watch. One app gets set on fire. Oppa!! The only knock is they are under staffed. You have to try the Greek fries. read more

Olympic Flame Restaurant - Entertaining - Mediterranean Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

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Best falafel sandwich in my life, and that says a lot considering the competition of Oasis Falafel in Iowa City. Beautiful red tomatoes and crunchy romaine with the perfect amount of feta and tzatziki. And the falafels? I didn't forget: perfectly seasoned with just the right amount of texture. Coupled with the very personable staff, that made this restaurant the highlight of our weekend trip to Des Moines. read more

Olympic Flame Restaurant - Falafel sandwich - Mediterranean Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

We were in the neighborhood and everyone else had a wait so we thought we'd give this place a try. Hands down the best we have had in a really long time. Service was friendly... super clean and most importantly the food was delicious! read more

Came here for lunch with coworkers and ordered the gyro platter which came with fries and a salad. It was a good deal for under $9. They Gyro I ordered was very good. It was not the best I have had but very good. Then there were the sides. The salad had no seasoning other than olive oil and was not asked about a dressing choice. Which olive oil for dressing is fine, but then you need to pair it with salt and pepper which they did not. The fries were also on the weak side. They looked like something from McDonald's but not done as well. No salt, no crunch, and felt like they came directly from freezer. Server was nice, but our food took over 30 min when we were the first ones in and just ordered their basic gyro dishes. So gyro is good. Everything else was okay and service on slow side. read more

Olympic Flame Restaurant - Mediterranean Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

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This place is one of the best greek places i've been able to find here. coming from chicago it's hard to beat what i know but this place is very good read more

Food was amazing and authentic! Be careful if you have children though. It took 1 1/2 hours to receive food. Salads came out with dinner and wasn't asked about refilling beverages. But if you have the time, go. read more

Good menu full of Greek favorites! Most dinners come with soup and salad! Order the saganaki flaming cheese appetizer! Very entertaining! Don't expect fast service. We made a reservation and they looked surprised that we showed up. I guess just plan to have a very leisurely meal. Opa! read more

I've always really liked the Olympic Flame - for its food, its atmosphere and its service. I've been there a number of times, but my wife and I stopped in last week on an impromptu date. What makes this a respected favorite in Des Moines? Simplicity. Fair prices. Good Greek food. Remember those things. We ordered the saganaki (flaming cheese) which is an absolute MUST if you've never had it - both for its taste and for the experience. It's a sharper cheese with a flavor similar to parmesan, but soft. And on fire! Great way to start the meal, too, because it goes well with the bread, which is soft inside, crusty outside. Our dinner salads were great, too; simple, satisfying, fresh ingredients (for real fresh, not "fresh from a bag"). My wife ordered the Gyro dinner, and I ordered the Mezethes. Her gyro was, as expected, fantastic, so there's not much to describe. My mezethes, which includes chicken, gyro meat and pork, was absolutely delectable - the meat was so juicy and flavorful...it's hard to describe without drooling. For dessert, we had baklava, which you must know, is something we're particular about. This time out, ours was flaky, light, not too sweet not too dry. I think Ted's Coney Island has really sweet baklava, and Olympic Flame has a more "adult" version when you don't want something super sweet. I think the only drawback for some people might be the belly dancer. Hey - we loved it. During those silent moments in our conversation, we enjoyed watching her dance, and we chatted with her a few times. But there are some folks who don't like that sort of thing; maybe they find it distracting or awkward. If a belly dancer isn't your thing, don't worry. She's not there all the time. Maybe try lunch, or later in the evening. Again, we enjoyed it so no points off there from us. If you like real Greek food done well, and you're in Des Moines, and maybe you want something a little more than Ted's, the Olympic Flame is for you. It's a great place, a lot of fun, and great food. read more

If you have been in business since 1988 you've got to be doing everything right and the Olympic Flame does. Venture off and experience something other than the gyro which is pretty good too. I ordered a plate that had a sampling of items and all were very good. Service was a little slow but acceptable. Most entrees come with soup and salad which helps close the gap between ordering and receiving the main entree. Note that meters are enforced until 9pm on the weekends. You can thank the city for that which is too bad read more

Service is God awful to non existent. Walked in at 4pm on a Saturday afternoon because we were wandering the east village and decided greek sounded good. Walked in and several tables were dirty, were half way greeted by a woman sitting at a table eating a bag of Tostitos and told to find a table and sit at it. So I looked for the cleanest one but there were still stains and crumbs all over the plastic table cloth. Waited another 10 minutes until the one waitress finished socializing with her friends and asked us what we wanted. I wanted the chicken skewers I saw all over Yelp but they were still doing the lunch menu which was pretty much all burgers and French fries. I got then to give me the skewers but only with a side salad. Waitress did not come check on us for the remainder of the visit was very aloof and not very warm. Did not feel welcome or wanted there. I wish I had spent my money literally anywhere else because I left still hungry and wasted time sitting in this dirty place when I could have gone to any other business in the vicinity that would have actually wanted my money. Saw 3 people come in, walk to the counter, and then turn around and walk out because no one came to the counter. I don't blame them, I should have done the same. Doubt this place will be in business long. read more

Olympic Flame Restaurant - Dirty plastic table cloth - Mediterranean Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

Over the years, my family has eaten in 5-star Greek restaurants in Chicago, Minneapolis and Kansas City. Different restaurants may have different selections, but dishes in common are always better at Olympic Flame. The dolmathes (stuffed grape leaves) are my personal favorite appetizer and certainly the best anywhere. We always order the saganaki (flaming cheese) and it also rarely disappoints. Gyros are top-notch. My favorite entree is the lamb chops, perfectly done and very reasonably priced. We have been eating here for about 25 years and hope to for years to come. read more

I'm very sad to say that this place has gone down hill both in service and food quality. We waited well over an hour before our soups were delivered, an extra half hour before salad was served, and a total of two hours before the main course came to the table. The food resembled overcooked leftovers. The noodles were mushy, the lamb was tough, there was a long black hair in one of our dishes, and overall everything on the plate was bland. A middle aged woman with black hair that I can only assume was the manager seemed to figure out that we were being neglected throughout the night and came to our table at the end of the evening, not to apologize or extend any form of kindness, but to lecture us on how we should have ordered sandwiches if we didn't want to wait two hours for our food. She actually tried gaslighting us into believing that that was a normal thing to expect across Des Moines as though we had just moved here. I could understand if it were a cultural thing within This restaurant to put a focus on visiting time, but even if that were the case the waiter should open with that rather than repeatedly promising us food in a few minutes which actually translates to half an hour. Communication is definitely not a strong suit in this restaurant and it's not due to any language barrier, it's a social barrier. It's managers like this that create horrible Karen customers for establishments that actually recognize when a mistake is made. Civil conversation will get you nowhere with these people unfortunately. read more

My daughters took me to this restaurant for my 50th birthday because I had told them a long time ago I went there and it was a fun experience. It has gone seriously downhill. We got there 7 minutes late for our 6:30 reservation. It took a very long time to order a drink. They didn't come to our table at all for the first 25 minutes. It took another 30 minutes to get our cup of soup and then another 30 minutes to get our small salad. We were never asked again if we wanted drinks in the entire two hours we were there. They finally brought our meal at 8:20- 10 minutes before they close. Our lamb chops were hard as a rock and the food tasted and looked like it was leftovers that had been reheated in a skillet. My daughter had a hair in her food. Unfortunately, my daughter was frustrated and picked up the hair and showed us and threw it on the floor, so they didn't believe us. When we went to check out and leave, the woman asked us how was everything, I told her it was disappointing and the reasons why. She yelled at us and said that there is a two hour wait anywhere you go in Des Moines. Very unprofessional. We will never go back there. If you are up for a two hour wait, no drinks or service and a bad taste in your mouth-and told as the customer it is your fault- this is your place. read more

Get Me to the Greek....Food Authenticity. We crave it in the people we admire. The music we listen to. The filter we use on Instagram. On this day I craved it in my food. I saw Olympic Flame on the list and I knew this place was going to be as authentic as they come. There was a guy setting plates on fire and fake grapes hanging from the rafters. This was it. This was the real we all search for. I walked in with my friend Andrew and I immediately notice in the middle of the room a Greek family having a feast at the largest table in the restaurant. You could tell they had been there for hours enjoying each other....and the food. We sat there for a while and waited on someone to come take our order. I'm sure some would be put off by the slower pace of this place, but all it tells me is that they have a grip on life. Who needs to live life in a hurry? Either that or they completely forgot about us. An older man came to the table. I had recognized him. Where had I seen him before? Had I been to Greece? No. Did I meet him in another life? Oh!! It was the photos. This was the man with the flames! He was the reason I was here. I asked him for a complicated order. I wanted the eggplant pita sandwich but I wanted to add falafel. He didn't even look at me. He kind of smirked and shook his head. Not saying much but his demeanor was of a man that knew what he was doing. No one can throw him off his game. He brought the sandwich out quickly after I ordered. It was full of eggplant and falafel like a trash bag in the fall full of the red and orange leaves that have fallen from the oak tree in the front yard. It was exactly what I wanted. It was authentic. It was delicious. The falafel was the best I had had. There was nothing fancy about it. No bows on this present of a sandwich. Just good ol Grecian perfectness. And a good amount of tzatziki sauce. read more

Tasty Greek food !!! Mimi is awesome and explained the menu super well. They offer Aris, a beer imported from Greece which tastes great. I had the gyro dinner which is a LOT of food for the price. Check it out ! read more

Their food is great! As close to authentic Greek as I have had in Iowa. The staff is very friendly and helpful if you are new to Greek food. Currently they offer carry out as well as dine in. The dolmathes are my favorite dinner meal. The gyros are great for lunch. Dinner is served slowly with soup and salad and lots of time to enjoy conversation with your dinner companions. read more

A great spot for lunch or dinner! This place is delicious. A small space that seats about 30 people. The atmosphere is bright and traditional Greek. A small staff does not disappoint - the servers hustle and are extremely friendly. Their entrees are huge but not extremely pricey. You get the bang for your buck here. And the food is authentic and tasty. I always go for the spanikopita! On Friday nights they have belly dancing for entertainment. read more

Delicious! My fiancé and I got takeout the other evening. We both got gyros which were good. I do wish they had come with extra sauce. Also would recommend asking them to be wrapped in aluminum foil for takeout. I do not recommend the fries but my fiancé got the gyro dinner which has potatoes, and he enjoyed them. Otherwise, the hummus was good as an appetizer. Definitely worth supporting a small, local business! read more

This place had the best Greek food that we've ever had. The moussaka was... indescribably good. Flavorful but also very light, whereas I'm used to it being a sort of heavy and greasy dish at other places. We also felt very well-fed--bread and soup and salad before the meal leaves you with plenty leftover from your main dish for later. The saganaki (flaming cheese) appetizer is also delicious as well as visually stunning. The entire dining room turned around to look whenever anyone ordered one. Our server was extremely courteous and extremely overworked. He managed to stop by the table quickly but kind of had to be tracked down when we wanted to pay our bill. Understandable given the number of tables he was cashing out while serving multiple courses and apparently helping occasionally in the kitchen. Let's also give him some slack given the permanent scars that lighting multiple saganaki every night must give him. He was a great guy and tirelessly cheerful. read more

We went as a party of 7 on a Tuesday night. Our party had the lamb chops and nightly special, which was a dish featuring cod. We also tried the fried squid as an appetizer. My 3 favorite things about our trip there were: taste, service and price. All dishes were excellent and fresh. Portion sizes were very appropriate; just the right amount. We also tried the Saganaki(?), which was a flaming cheese appetizer---well worth the show Although there was only one server for the entire dining area, she was very friendly and helpful. The price was phenomenal--most places in town would set you back $200+ for a party of this size. We all got ample amounts of food and I left with a bill of $135. Bottom line: excellent restaurant which we will return to and I would highly recommend to anyone. read more

Great Gyros here! It is hard to find places that serve gyros around town, this place serves it and makes it right. I have only eaten here once and it was a wonderful experience. We were one of two tables here at the time and had very personalized services from the staff member. We came late, not long before closing time which explains the limited customers. The location of this restaurant is great, surrounded by a couple great eateries. Their menu and food look authentic, but I have not sampled most of their products, nor am I well-versed in Greek cuisine. All I can say is their meats are delicious and you will have a difficult time finding another place like this around town. read more

Outstanding Greek restaurant. We started with the Saganaki (Kaiser cheese dipped in egg batter and served flaming at the table) which was a lot of fun and tasted great too. We also got the Greek stuffed grape leaves which were served with a creamy lemon sauce. They were outstanding. My wife and I ordered gyros which were perfectly made. The kids got burgers which they devoured. Lastly we got baklava and kataifi, both were phenomenal. Our server was also our chef (which I assume is also the owner) who spent time to talk to us about several of the dishes. If I lived in this area I would be a regular customer. read more

Fantastic food! My wife and I were doing some "urban spelunking" on a hot day in Des Moines when we stopped in for some lunch - soloist glad we passed on the 30 minute wait at the local burger joint! We ordered the Souvlaki dinner and dolmathos. The dinner came with traditional Greek chicken soup with orzo - delicious! And a mini Greek Salad with crisp cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, kalamata olives, fresh feta and" Grandma's homemade Greek dressing - great! The Souvlaki was tender and well marinated served with orzo and mini spanikopita. Dolmathos we're fresh, tasty, and filling with a nice lemony sauce. The side of homemade tzaziki was over-the-top awesome; a perfect lunch! read more

Nice lunch date at the Olympic Flame today :) We ordered the Saganaki, of course, two gyros platters, and a couple of Greek beers. We went around noon and we beat the rush that came in shortly after us. Overall, a fun and tasty experience like usual. read more

Olympic Flame Restaurant - Trying some Greek beer - Mediterranean Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

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This is going to hurt to type. After being a little, local place that I enjoyed supporting, I now plan on avoiding it altogether. It started with my previous trip there (before today). I was there during a lunch break and they were not particularly busy. That was, however, a group of six people that garnered all of the attention. I was largely ignored every step of the way. At dinner tonight, nothing was done right. My friend and I had to wait for just under an hour before our food was ready (and we almost left). My buddy's water glass remained empty for north of twenty minutes before it was filled up (someone even walked passed with a pitcher, took a moment to stare at his glass, and then kept walking). Speaking of water, he had also asked if he could have both lemon and lime in his water and was told that would be "fine" but it came out with two lemon slices. He asked for grilled shrimp on the side and they gave him breaded shrimp after everything else had been served several minutes earlier. I kept things super simple - getting falafel with no tomatoes .... they kept then tomatoes on. When we went up to pay, we said that we could pay separately and told them what we had (we've done this there before as most restaurants in 2015 America are capable of doing this). They messed that up, had to redo it, and then kept it all as one bill. They were on the busy side but still had open tables. I can't make up an excuse for their inability to listen. Every single step was botched and there were no apologies or compensation of any kind to attempt to make up for the blunders. They are understaffed and their system is archaic. It makes sense that they will struggle from time-to-time. It also makes sense for me to discontinue giving them my money. read more

My boyfriend and I decided to try this place last weekend. Being a Greek from New York, I had high hopes but wasn't sure what quality Greek food I could find in the Midwest. I was happily surprised by the amazing quality and taste of the food. It reminded me of my family's cooking. We enjoyed everything, down to the atmosphere and service. The owner and his wife were lovely and attentive. We will definitely return. read more

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I've never been to Olympic Flame, despite working next door for ages so I figured I was long overdue to try them. My experience was a resounding "meh". Before I continue with what I didn't like, let me start with what I DID like. The service was phenomenal. Our server was working the floor by herself, which was comprised of 8-10 four tops flanking the sides of the dining room and a row of 3-4 two tops down the middle. On a completely unrelated side note, I just discovered that if I press and hold a number in the numerical section of my text lexicon, it turns it into an exponent so that's nifty. I digress. This lady was SLAYING it. She was this adorable, bright, bubbly pixie creature with bright red lipstick and her cheerful enthusiasm was infectious. I defy you to be in a bad mood around this woman, as I'm pretty sure it's impossible. She was prompt, knowledgeable and overall delightful. When she got busy, kitchen staff was out right away to support her and was also charming and attentive. Now, to what I was less than thrilled with. Everything was SUPER oily. Yes, olive oil is a staple of Mediterranean cooking. I know that. This was excessive. Ticket times were long for the dishes served, and the plating and presentation were sloppy and bland. The calamari (listed as fried baby squid) was tender and the accompanying clarified lemon butter and herb sauce was tasty, but the breading was dense and gluey and did not adhere well to the meat. The moussaka was excessively sweet and again, drenched in oil. Napkins and water seemed a rare commodity. Also, the belly dancing during dinner service was authentic, but felt awkward and invasive. Trying to hold dinner conversation over loud music while someone danced around the room with a tip base on her head felt forced and uncomfortable. Everyone was very nice and the flow of customers remained consistent, so perhaps there's something I'm missing. All being said, I probably won't be back. read more

Great Gyro. Me and coworkers order carryout on Friday's and love it. The Gyro is very good and the service is nice. Everytime we go it always seems to take a very long time. We will order food an hour ahead of time and still wait 20 minutes before it's done. While going to Miyabi 9 one day I noticed Olympic flame was almost completely empty on a Saturday night...that can't be good hope the slow service isn't to blame. I really wish they could be faster. I can't give any less stars because I love the gyro but this place needs to be better. read more

AMAZING!! Traditional Greek food! Parents took me here for a celebratory dinner and we got a full 3 course meal. I don't remember the names of all of the things we had but the gyro was fantastic. The waitress was on top of it and everyone working was friendly and kind. 10/10 recommend going to this place. Try something new and get out of your comfort zone! Everything is great. read more

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