We came to Splash for my husband's birthday dinner with his family, which despite growing up in Des Moines, this was my first time coming here and it was oddly empty and quiet for a Friday night. There were fish tanks all around which was a nice vibe. Our server took great care of us in navigating the menu, answering our questions and helping us. We got a good variety of food which was all delicious, but for the price point we were a bit underwhelmed. Definitely great to say we went but a bit pricey for what it is. read more

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As a seafood lover, I was so excited to try the Lobster Roll at Splash before they take it off the menu. However, it was disappointing! The Lobster Roll had very little lobster and minimal flavor. For $46, I expected the roll to be packed with lobster. The generous portion of fries made it seem like they were meant to fill me up instead. Although I've been to Splash many times before, the music seemed louder than normal. After this experience, I don't think I'll be back any time soon. read more

Splash Seafood Bar & Grill - Lobster roll & fries - Seafood Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

We ventured out on a cold night for a taste of the warm ocean waters. Splash is always a spot to grab the freshest and most fantastic seafood in town and this visit did not disappoint. As I start each trip here I went for the highest level of pussers painkiller. That is always a good start. No trip here is complete without a nice bottle of wine with the meal and the chard we have was a great pairing with the shellfish platter. Service is always on point here. This is a great spot for a casual dinner at the bar or a full formal celebration downstairs. Thanks as always Splash Team read more

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We were a touch skeptical because the menu look tired and old. The starters of crab cakes and ceviche 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! read more

Food was underwhelming and not "expertly prepared," especially at its price point ($500 for three people is a little high for any restaurant, but it better be exceptional quality if it costs that much). Half of my steak was prepared at an entirely different temperature than the rest, and the bernaise was mediocre. Even the premium sides seemed more reheated than fresh. The service is kind of snobby and the astmosphere is very dated (90s vibes). On the positive side, the cheesecake and cream corn were tasty, and the seating is incredibly comfortable. Overall, a dissapointing experience for Des Moines Restaurant Week. read more

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

Over rated and way over priced! We went to Splash on a whim as we were downtown for an event last night. BIG mistake. Our meal was $300.00 for 2 people. If the food had been good and the service more accommodating, that may have been ok. However neither was true. $22.00 for a bowl of lobster bisque that barely had any lobster in it. Should have been the first clue. My husband had the shrimp risotto with 3 scallops on top. He said it was ok. I had the sautéed shrimp on sweet potatoes with black bean salsa. 4 shrimp on a $3.00 pile of sweet potatoes that was cool at best. When I mentioned it was cold, the waitress took it back to rewarm. Came back still lukewarm at best. When I mentioned that, she proceeded to tell me she saw steam rising off the food when it was re plated. That may have been, but it was not steaming when it was placed back in front of me. The tips of the shrimp tails were cold. What happened to "the customer is always right?" I felt insulted by her lack of understanding and further offer to assist. It's not like most of my food was eaten. One shrimp and a couple bites of the potatoes. I do not like cold food or condescending wait staff. Because I didn't want to be rude, I didn't push the issue. However, I should have been comped my main dish and left it at that. In the past we have gone to Splash for birthdays and anniversaries. Needless to say, we will never return. I would encourage you to look elsewhere for a nice relaxing dinner. 801 Grand has great seafood also. read more

Granted, it was new years. And hubby made reservations online.and deleted the confirmation . We show up and obviously we aren't up to the hostesses standards. We are dressed nicely. He gives her our name, and the little hostesses, short skirt, long hair and obnoxious attitude tells us, you don't have a reservation. Stand aside, I'm going to help the doctor and his wife. We wait patiently, then her royal highness said, spell your name. And precedes to read EVERY RESERVATION THEY HAVE! ARE YOU SURE ITS NOT ONE OF THOSE!?!! I replied we know our name. Well,YOU DON'T HAVE RESERVATIONS! Nice and loud, make sure you try to embarrass us! The other hostess looked uncomfortable. While the Rude, short skirt, long haired , big mouth kept going. Other dinners looked uncomfortable. I said let's go. He really wanted the Sriracha scallops. So the twit marches us into the bar, throws menus on the Barton, and marched out. The two bartenders really went out of their way to make us feel welcome. We love Splash. In the military, we have what's called a come to Jesus meeting. And she needs one. Food excellent as always. Bartenders,excellent. Only reason Splash got 2 stars. Oh, and the gentleman who speaks 4 languages, dropping f bombs every other word. And needing a shower. Not nice. When we left, we ran into the Doctor and his wife, congratulations on their anniversary and Happy New Year. He said they hoped we got to dine and not let that experience ruin the night. Bruce, time for that meeting. And I did pull up the confirmation on my husband's phone. So Splash lost the reservations. Not us us read more

This is great seafood! I had the sriracha scallops and can't stop thinking about them. There were 5 of us and everyone loved their food! read more

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Sat at the bar and glad I didn't go further. 2 stars is because the staff was so nice. Have not been here for a few years. Thought this was a local Jem but has really gone down hill. Nasty stains on the walls and even on ceiling. I made a comment to my friends that my napkin was piled then they showed me theirs. Multiple hairs on clean napkins. Staff was quick to change. Oysters were seriously the smallest I have ever been served in my life. Made the cocktail fork look like a spatula. Seriously hardly a taste. They were fresh, ish to ok. Crab cakes were small and had a burnt oil flavor. Hard to eat. Staff was accommodating but overwhelmed for the setting. If you are in Iowa looking for a night out, skip Splash and go for the beef, pork, Italian, chicken wings....anything, and skip Splash. Dis -a-point-ing. Fix it up or just stop embarrassing us. read more

Ambiance was good. Service and food were fantastic. Highly recommended!! Will be back.

We love Splash but a few too many "goofs" tonight. They were very busy so our waitress wasn't available when we needed her (not her fault.) They forgot to bring our appetizer (oysters Rockefeller,) forgot to dress my salad, forgot my husband's broccoli with his tuna (which they finally brought at the end of the meal, so it was like "broccoli for dessert,") and our drink glasses were empty the entire meal. We love seafood but for nearly $200 for the two of us, this was a lot of errors. read more

My birthday lobster was over cooked. I am not even going to post a picture of it. Very disappointed and we have had lots of lobster here

I hate that I am not able to give this place 5 stars but I have to be real. My husband and I made a reservation on New Years Eve 2025, we got seated rather quickly and our server greeted us very soon after we sat we were seated in the basement. The music was very loud and I went to use the restroom and it felt like I had walked into Death Valley, that's how high they had the heat turned up in there. I ordered a martini and my husband ordered an old-fashioned. Both were delicious. We also ordered the clam chowder which in my opinion was lacking flavor and if you have to pay $12 for a cup of soup, it should have at least salt in it which it didn't, then my husband got the risotto and I got the 2 1/2 pound lobster grilled. The lobster was delicious, but the mashed potatoes were lumpy and dry also they are not very generous with the vegetable part of the entrée. I got a total of three asparagus on my plate that cost me $120.00. I just think if you're gonna go and pay that high of a price, everything you put in your mouth should blow your mind. The only thing I enjoyed was my lobster it was sweet, tender and magnificent. The food took about an hour to arrive to our table which I understand it takes time, especially when you're dining on a holiday. It can get very busy but when it came out, you can tell that the mashed potatoes and vegetable had been sitting under the heat lamp for probably 20 minutes which dried out both items,and our server was so busy in the weeds that she was not able to be very attentive when we needed refills or had any request. I could've gone to red lobster paid half the price and got the same quality food that they us. So for that sorry Splash but for 300 dollars I was expecting a lot more pizzazz! read more

Food was delicious and Danny made sure our night was memorable. Very cozy in the bar area. His recommendations were on point and both my wife left very fat and happy. He couldn't put a foot wrong. Come for the food and stay for danny. read more

Splash is excellent! Really good food and service, Emily was awesome! Decor is really cool too.

Fantastic visit this time around! Great service by a server who was very educated on the menu and was more than willing to accommodate diet restrictions. I felt very accommodated to with the many questions I had. We ordered the sea bass - it was different than the regular menu sea bass, Lobster Mac n cheese, an order of calamari, and two glasses of wine. Mine was called Conundrum. Mr W had an oaky wine, forgot the name. Total came to 130.XX with gratuity. During COVID all the employees were masked. Tables were spaced out well. Lots of room to distance from other tables. They limit their capacity. The restaurant has three levels to dine in. The ambiance is really cool and unique. Fish tanks, low lighting, mirrors, and the three level dining locations make it so esthetically entertaining. It was a very nice evening. We were able to get a table right away and spend our diner in quiet talk. I highly recommend Splash and we have visited a handful of times now with consistent fantastic food and service! read more

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Beautiful, unique ambiance! The service was wonderful, both at the bar, and in the dining room. The food was excellent! Special, but not hoity toity. Excellent flavor and nice sized portions. We felt special and comfortable. Splash is perfect for a date night. We would definitely recommend Splash! read more

Excellent evening out! The shrimp was delicious in the butter sauce, the technical word I don't remember but it started with a M. The asparagus was perfectly grilled. Ended a great meal with the pineapple upside down cake, which was delicious! read more

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Tried lobster bisque, lobster Mac n cheese, swordfish and none of them were up to par. Everything was over cooked and lacked good flavor. Go up the street and get some other options. Super weird atmosphere too. Bartender was nice. read more

On a visit to Des Moines, my old college roommate suggested we go to Splash Seafood for dinner and I'm SOOOO glad she did! The service at Splash is consistently excellent, and the seafood is both wonderful and very creative.  The prices are a touch on the high side, but the overall quality of this place makes it worth every penny. We enjoyed our catch-up dinner visit here so much that a couple of days later I went back to have lunch :-) read more

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The restaurant is a delightful place with multiple levels and fish tanks aplenty. The drinks and food are delicious and service friendly. Just don't order the pineapple upside down cake: tasteless and bland, a small pineapple plus no pecans which should be standard. read more

delicious food. Fun dinner for restaurant week. They were able to accommodate my request for a special drink. We

Lovely meal...GREAT service...won't be back. They are now adding on a BS "market surcharge" fee you only find out about when the bill comes. Not disclosed or mentioned anywhere. Always loved Splash on show nights but won't be going back because of this. So disappointed. read more

The server Amber was friendly, attentive, knowledgeable about the menu. The food is outstanding and worth the price. The ambiance is beautiful and relaxing to celebrate our anniversary. Thank you again for an outstanding experience! read more

Splash is located in downtown Des Moines across from a parking filled with life, including a "Squonck" orchestra on a Saturday night. This is a great spot for a special occasion. We were just celebrating a quick trip away, but purposed to this place based on a friend's recommendation of scallops. They were tasty, we had both pan seared and Cajun. The real star was the filet, cooked to medium expertly. The "Royal" dish we tried fed us both, we were full, though we could have eaten more of the well seasoned broccolini. 4/5 stars only because it would t be a regular "must visit", but certainly worth checking out. Parking is also a bit of a walk, with meters. Yet, still one great date night dinner. read more

Splash Seafood Bar & Grill - Seafood Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

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Great spot for dinner when going to the civic center across the street. The atmosphere is dark and romantic. Currently they are decorated for the holidays and it's beautiful. The food is amazing. I had the scallops with risotto and they were perfect. The charcuterie board had iowa cheeses and meats. We shared the beet salad and it was delicious, wish it had a little more salad. Overall everything we had was excellent, I wish we had left room for dessert! read more

The food and service was terrific - that is what really matters most to me when dining out. We had a dozen PEI oysters on the half shell for the appetizer. The oysters were VERY small. Also, I like to eat my oyster on a cracker and we were not given any. I asked the server for "some crackers to eat with my oysters" and she came back with a small amount of oyster crackers. Uhh.... I explained that saltines would be great and she came back with some. We each had the 2.5 lb live Maine lobster with sweet potato side for dinner. YUM! It was cooked perfectly and very delicious. For dessert, we shared a bowl of sorbet. A great night! read more

Loved this place! We live on a small rural area where fine dining is non existent.. so we were so excited to find a restaurant with top notch service and food to match . Cannot say enough about Moscow oyster.. could have eaten 10-20 easily.the halibut was delicious plus we ordered our fav grasshopper for desert. Yes it is a little pricey but so worth the experience. Thank you Jena you were amazing! read more

This was our first time visiting Splash but won't be our last. The interior is intriguing, the service is stellar and the food was incredible. We started out oysters on the half-shell as my daughter has been craving them since a recent trip to Seattle-they hit the spot. We then moved on to the Oysters Rockafeller-very good. They had a fig starter that we tried and it was AMAZING. So good! We also had the lobster bisque and the lobster wontons. We thought everything was so very tasty. Love this place. It may ne our new favorite!! read more

Myself and a coworker dined for dinner. I had oysters in a half shell that were amazing. My entrée was the pan seared scallops with brussels sprouts and garlic, mashed potatoes. Everything was cooked to perfection and delicious. My coworker had the Seabass Ciappino. She said it was amazing. Our service was fast and friendly and the restaurant is a very old and eclectic building. I definitely recommend checking this place out. read more

The server kept leaving, barely checked on us. The food my Mom ordered on Mother's Day, I was treating her to dinner and she absolutely loves seafood, an entire Lobster for over $90 was a dull, muted red color it was terrible. Supposed to be bright red, barely any meat, Stringy in parts, rubbery meat in parts. I had some of her food. She asked me to write this review because she doesn't use the internet nor tech savvy. Then when we told the server we were unhappy, still willing to pay asked for a free dessert (Bill was $172 in tough economic times I work hard for my money that is a LOT) that I had saved up. My mom was rebuffed. On Mother's Day. Seriously? A stinky piece of Key Lime Pie and you couldn't accommodate. That's BAD. I'm telling everyone I know never to eat here. The server telling us the seafood comes from Hawaii, Florida other parts of the U.S. sooooo we're paying your Import fees and the food is substandard. I've had amazing Lobster worth every penny of about $75 to $100 and this was GARBAGE. I couldn't believe how we were treated. Unacceptable. I'm an Air Force veteran, my Mom is new 6 months just moved here she's 75 years old they were so dismissive. We were so polite not a voice raised. They need to get it together or shut down permanently. Better restaurants have sadly been shuttered. I do not mind paying high prices but for GOOD food and not for cheap small portions. Everywhere I've lived, NY, California (Sacramento), Virginia Beach, Fayetteville, North Carolina, Layton, Utah, Tacoma WA, Phoenix AZ, Cedar Rapids, IA ALL had better seafood. The male server telling us this isnt a seaside town so it's going to be different and not what we're used to, is a terrible thing to say to us. Splash owner, you should be ashamed of yourself. My poor Mom was so upset and still hungry when she left. I felt horrendous. I hope you will reach out to us. This was really a harsh experience. By the way, I had Lobster Mac side dish, and 1 piece of Lobster, 4 pieces of Asparagus with the order of the Gulf Shrimp. (5) Shrimp. They replaced my Mac N Cheese and had more Lobster pieces in it. But that shouldn't have happened either. That I had to ask for another. I guess they just didn't care about our table that night at all. It almost felt intentional. I'm sorry to write this scathing review, but Me, Mom and Dad were all pretty upset over how Mom felt. Applebee's and Olive Garden have better food and better customer service, kid you not. Brava Cucina! Is amazing. Also, Thai Flavors on Ingersoll has exceptional seafood in their dishes. My heart and palette are irretrievably broken by this experience. read more

Had never been here, but always wanted to. We went for Valentine's Day. First, I want to say, the server was great. She was very friendly and yet professional and just did a great job. Ten stars for our server. We were sat in the basement. I think if I went again, I'd rather be upstairs but the atmosphere was still romantic. The food: I had escargot and the sea bass cioppino. We also got lobster to share. That said, for the price-- and I know it's fresh seafood-- it just didn't wow like you'd want it to. It was enjoyable but I eat a lot of seafood and it just didn't have that wow factor. The bread that came with the cioppino was too hard and it was going for a charred taste I think but just tasted like a gas stove, like if you literally cooked bread on your gas stove. If it were not so expensive, I wouldn't be too troubled but we're talking some decent change here for taste quality that you can get at a much lower price. It's one of the more expensive spots in Des Moines. The parts that really drop a star for me though are... The bathroom was not dirty but also wasn't pristine and it didn't match up with a fine restaurant, if that makes sense. Under the table cloths, the table we were sat at was covered in some sort of padding and tape, which I imagine is not very sanitary. Spills go through cloth, and how do you clean that? You can't sanitize those tables. And, there were big water spots on the ceiling tiles just above us. These things aren't the end of the world and the fish tanks and other elements were nice and different, but when you spend fairly big it's off-putting to have elements that make it feel like you are not getting the fine dining experience. So, I would give four stars at least because overall it actually was a good experience, but the cost vs the experience just did not live up to expectations. I really wanted to love this place and I had heard good things, but I'm sorry... for that kind of money with the food quality and the conditions, I've got to say-- and my partner and I agreed-- we probably won't go again for a good while. Sorry to the Splash fans! read more

Second time here. Food was just as good the second time. Great seafood of course but I couldn't pass up the Waygu Sirloin. It was fantastic. Great service and bartenders too. A great downtown Des Moines place, multiple levels in a historic building. Go! read more

Splash Seafood Bar & Grill - Grilled Scallop with Lemon a butter sauce. - Seafood Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

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We were seated in the oyster bar for an office event. Our drink orders were taken right away and the bartender was fabulous throughout the evening, refilling drinks and offering suggestions. We started off with some shrimp cocktail and lobster Rangoon. They were tasty and fresh. The wine pairings that were recommended were also excellent. I had the December special of Berkshire osso bucco and it was amazing. Tender and fall off the bone with flavorful crispy potatoes. There was a dish of lobster Mac being passed around which I took some bites of and it was so good! The staff was friendly and we finished with after dinner drinks that smelled a little like graham crackers and some key lime cheesecake, crème brûlée and chocolate cake. So many amazing flavors, so many good things on the menu! Plenty of parking downtown and excellent location. Can't wait to go back! read more

Splash Seafood Bar & Grill - Berkshire Osso Bucco - Seafood Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

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It has been over 12 years since the last time I visited this establishment. The time has not served them well. I forgot how it looks straight out of the 80's. The interior was hot and our table was wobbly. The drinks were weak and tasted watered down. My wife's mule tasted only of ginger beer. The service was excellent, our waitress was engaging, funny, attentive. We tipped her very well. For starters: The fresh selection of oysters was, as always, astounding. The lobster wontons were lovely, but we wish 6 came out not 5. The lobster mac & cheese was delicious. For entrees: The Delmonico came out close to well done and not the medium we ordered. The fettuccine was overcooked and flavorless. Inedible. We shared our dishes and ate almost none of it. Chilean sea bass was cooked perfectly but the brussels sprouts were unseasoned and close to raw. The risotto disappeared quickly. The seafood platter provides a nice mix, but it also exposed how somethings just aren't executed as they could be. Dessert: Chocolate cake - very rich and plenty for 3 Carrot cake - Didn't try it. read more

By far the best food I've had in a while when it comes to seafood. It took me back to California, eating seafood off the coast. Such a great place to be. I ordered the surf and turf and calamari and shrimp. Cooked so perfectly just as I assumed it would be. Went for my birthday and would recommend this place to anyone. Great experience can't wait to come back read more

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My wife and I dined at Splash last evening. While we had a pleasant dinner, with excellent service, the quality of the food was disappointing. Starter: Carpaccio-thinly sliced beef served with crostini. Unfortunately, the carpaccio was allowed to get warm. We had to "scrape" it from the plate. While the taste was good, we'd have preferred to have it served in a way that resembled good quality carpaccio. Sriracha Scallps: They were done nicely. Sweet and firm. The sauce was excellent. Sea Bass Cioppino: Disappointed with this dish. The Shrimp and the Sea Bass were over cooked. The single Scallop was perfect. the mussels were "OK". The highlight (unfortunately) of the plate was the grilled bread. All in all, I might go back. Next time if the food quality is similar this favorite of ours over the years will likely be crossed off our list. read more

Splash is one of my favorite places in Des Moines. I love their no cork fee when you bring your own wine bottle. The restaurant is quite pricey but have great seasonal deals to make it affordable. The price is definitely worth the taste. The place has fresh fish flown in everyday! I hope to try almost everything on the menu. read more

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We love this place! The Chilean sea bass is one of the most delicious things I have ever eaten. Have always had great service there as well.