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    W-Tao Sushi

    4.4 (439 reviews)
    Open 11:00 am - 2:30 pm, 4:00 PM - 9:30 PM

    Order W-Tao Sushi Takeout or Delivery

    W-Tao Sushi Photos

    Business Info

    W-TAO SUSHI ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Trendy
    Classy
    Moderate noise

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    Recommended Reviews - W-Tao Sushi

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    The out of control roll
    Kamron A.

    For the Midwest this is a great sushi place!! Service was excellent and prices are fair for sure! Nice atmosphere and the rolls are large and delicious! The spicy edamame was excellent and the crab Rangoon was a great appetizer! Definitely a must hit in downtown Des Moines.

    Tempura ice cream
    Grace F.

    Late Saturday lunch, only a couple of tables were occupied, so service was very fast. Tempura appetizer was good, shumai was room temperature, maybe it was already sitting out? The rolls were delicious, we liked the crazy roll better than the Italian stallion. Both rolls were larger in size than I'm used to.

    Shrimp Tempura Roll with Soy Wrapper

    Great drinks and outstanding service. They always treat us well here. Recommend sitting at the bar for a wonderful experience.

    Italian Stallion Roll and King Crab Crunch Roll
    Jekeia C.

    I was craving some sushi and wanted to try this place since I see it all of the time. I went in on a Thursday, early evening and no one else was there yet. The mood inside was nice, it was a little dark but since I sat by the window I was able to get additional light. The server was great, she was very attentive and ensured I always had water in my glass. The food was delivered to my table within 10 minutes. I tried a starter and two sushi rolls, all were delicious. They do have a happy hour special that includes sushi rolls! Definitely check them out if you're in the area. 5/5

    Jessica S.

    This was the solice and nourishment I needed while traveling solo for a conference. I was staying nearby at the Savery (highly recommend), and wandered into W-Tao after leaving a foodie hotspot nearby that was just way to loud for me that night. If plans don't work out, I feel like you can't really go wrong with fancy sushi. (Well, you can go wrong with sushi, but that's a review for another time). I could tell this was gonna be quality sushi, and W-Tao left me pleasantly pleased with the quality of food, the service, and the ambiance was busy but cheery, calm and inviting. The employees were extremely attentive. If it wasn't your server filling your glass, someone else was. The team worked together very well to keep service flowing. I noticed a lot of young diners. Possibly college-age, young professionals. I felt right at home and even had a little conversation with my neighbors about their awesome pickings. A check in on Yelp rewarded me with free edamame! I also ordered a couple of rolls. They were huge! Irish Temple Roll ($17) - tuna, salmon, white tuna, snow crab, asparagus & cilantro wrapped in soy nori w. avocado, jalapeño, tobiko, scallion, crunch & sweet spicy sauce. The Irish roll was literally amazing. I LOVE cilantro and to be able to enjoy white tuna, crab, avocado, cilantro, all these things all together. Yum. The avocado was so smooth, the jalapeno added a little heat. I took some off. Surf and Turf Roll ($17.60) - spicy tuna, salmon tempura, cream cheese, lettuce & asparagus wrapped in soy nori w. seared sichimi NY Strip, deep-fried potato , scallion, tobiko, unagi sauce & spicy miso sauce. This was a pretty good roll. I am typically not one to get two speciality rolls but the NY strip and potatoes were speaking to this Midwesterners heart. I'll admit, the chunky, rare, cold beef on top of the pieces was tough to chew through but it was delicious. I loved the fried potato. A very unique roll. After packing away my leftovers, I also ordered a small dish of green tea ice cream. This was something I enjoyed in Lincoln at a haunt that's long closed so I decided to treat myself. It's a wonderful as I remember. Highly recommend W-Tao!

    Green salad
    Dil S.

    Had few things, and reasons to find this place 3 stars instead of 5. The place is cold, they have space heaters but still had to keep coat on. Spicy edamame portion seemed small. Not a fan of the seaweed salad having lettuce underneath it. I liked them them having 3-4 vegan/vegetarian sushi options on the menu. I gave the restaurant 3 out of five, I'll go again if I'm nearby but not making a trip

    Adrienne N.

    One of the best sushi places I've tried downtown! Their specialty rolls are very filling (I felt pretty satisfied after a miso soup + the entire roll) and tastes pretty fresh. The service was very nice and speedy too. I definitely recommend it if you're in a sushi mood!

    Service was quick and attentive, vibe was great and fun. Food was outstanding as well. Although it's a little pricey, my girlfriend and I really enjoyed celebrating our anniversary here.

    Bonsai Tree
    Arnulfo H.

    Place is cozy. Parking was a lil bit of a problem. Service was great, crew were friendly and attentive. Food was amazing and good value for money. Bonsai tree is a must try.

    Miracle Roll
    Peter W.

    The rolls were amazing. I had the Snow White roll to start and a Miracle Roll for my main. Amazing flavors. It was hard to chose just a few. On business and so better would be with a group so you can try a bunch. A real find. Also had the spicy edamame and wish I could have had more of those - definitely get if you go.

    Shrimp and Veggie Tempura Sampler

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    3 months ago

    The salmon don was amazing, The service was amazing, and the decor was super cute. I can't wait to eat here again.

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    4 months ago

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    1 year ago

    Best sushi in Des Moines. So good and fresh. Always love eating here. The service is always great at as well. It is small, but very cozy.

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    5 years ago

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    1 year ago

    Got seated quick. Food was decent, service was quick and lunch prices and portions were good.

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    3 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Everything was good, service was great, food was great, prices were reasonable. Not sure what else to say.

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    3 years ago

    Just *chefs kiss* for an amazing price. Order the edememe (don't know how to spell it)

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    3 years ago

    Best happy hour in town. For a while they had $2 beers for happy hour. The sushi is good and fresh.

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    2 years ago

    What a great priced sushi/sashimi lunch special place. It was tasty, fresh and a large proportion for the price!

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    Page 1 of 11

    Ask the Community - W-Tao Sushi

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    Thai Flavors - Garlic & Pepper steak

    Thai Flavors

    4.1(205 reviews)
    1.6 mi
    $$

    Stopped in during their lunch service and it was a good time! Our server was super friendly and the…read morefood came out super fast. We came in around the end of their lunch special so it was a little busy. Goes to show they're pretty popular and get a lot of regulars! The ambiance is pretty open and had a lot more room than I expected! I ordered the pad Thai with beef, which is one of their lunch specials. I asked for level 2 spice but I didn't notice anything when I ate it. I did hear it kinda varies depending on the staff so maybe I need to order a higher level. Otherwise the food was pretty good and a great spot for lunch!

    Des Moines has just expanded it's offerings of food so much in the last 30 years…read more I think Liam Anivat is still the major owner of.this restaurant and I remember his food at Thai flavors on East 14th Street long ago... I used to go to that restaurant once a week. That restaurant is the mother ship.. I would rotate between Cafe Fusion and Thai Flavors. Liam has become quite a entrepreneur of Thai restaurants he is the major owner of Cool Basil Banana leaf, and Thai Flavors on Ingersoll. He is really worked hard to have very large restaurants that serve delicious Thai food. It's conveniently located along East 14th in a strip mall with limited parking It can be a busy place so depending on the time of day lunch or dinner you may have to walk a little from your parking spot to the restaurant. The restaurant is clean and.older but the food is still great It is similar menu items to his other restaurants. On this particular day I had red curry chicken, I.have had it at all his restaurants and it's consistently good. I always like to support a locally owned business. Liam has developed quite a system and serving large amount of people at all his restaurants although the East 14th restaurants still has that old mom and pop kind of feel. When he first opened this first restaurant there were not that many Thai restaurants around town. Now he's open many himself and there are other many quality Thai food restaurants around town I think all of his restaurants have some healthier menu including fresh vegetable dishes. I believe they all have vegan dishes as well. Of course the restaurant has pot stickers basil stir fry, pad thai, and other traditional Thai restaurant dishes. There is lots of variety in the menu. It's also about expectations, everyone is under staffed, so I always appreciate the service staff who are working. Having said that the service was fast and efficient . It's also about being realistic about the food. The food was served quick and hot. I would definitely check this place out. If you're in the area it's well worth a visit It was fun to visit an old neighborhood friend

    Photos
    Thai Flavors
    Thai Flavors - 4 of the 6 wings.

    4 of the 6 wings.

    Thai Flavors - 1/2 of the spring rolls

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    1/2 of the spring rolls

    Haiku

    Haiku

    3.9(108 reviews)
    2.2 mi
    $$

    Since this place changed management in 2024 and revamped its menu and prices, the food is…read moreincredible. Takeout is slow but the food is very fresh and flavorful. The old clubby atmosphere remains, but there are generally more customers so it doesn't feel empty anymore. I recommend their sushi and curries.

    This place is still a little secret hideaway, although it's been around since 2011. It's busy, but…read morejust slow enough to not have to always wait. The neon blue decor and black inside is such a fun ambiance to eat in. We sat in a booth and ordered some crab Rangoon and hot and sour soup. Although the broth was delicious, I'd only give it a 3/5 as it's loaded up with SO MUCH STUFF that there's hardly any broth which is what I wanted in the first place. But the flavor is still really good. The crab Rangoon was 5/5. Always delicious and piping hot and full of flavor. I got the mango lovers sushi roll and let the server pick it out of two options which is good because I was leaning towards that one. It was very refreshing and so much flavor. 4/5. Hubs had the chicken red curry level 4. He toned the spice down for me so I could have some. It still had a good kick to it spice-wise. Chicken was tender and the red curry was delicious!! 5/5. Haiku is always a fun place to go to. It's a place we fell upon years ago. I like that it's still around and never too busy, but never empty either. Give it a try!

    Photos
    Haiku - Party Platter

    Party Platter

    Haiku
    Haiku - The crab rangoons are excellent!

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    The crab rangoons are excellent!

    Lucca

    Lucca

    4.3(157 reviews)
    0.6 mi
    $$

    Lucca is one of THE best dining experiences in Des Moines. The menu design is a four course meal…read morewhere you can choose your own adventure each visit. The meal begins with a salad course followed by a pasta course. The cod cake salad was incredibly delicious! Both the gnocchi and the amatriciana were standout pastas. I had the pork ribeye which was succulent and cooked to perfection and served with a tomatillo sauce that was so tasty! Dessert is family style with an assortment of desserts for the table including a lemon cake and a tres leches cake. The service was great from start to finish including making the reservation (which I highly recommend). We were greeted the moment we walked through the door and quickly shown to our table. Since we were dining early, the venue was quiet for the first half hour or so, but diners kept coming in and by the time we left the place was hopping. It is very cozy and intimate but not so much so that you feel like other diners are on top of you or that you are listening in on their conversations. We brought our own wine, but there is a vast assortment of wines available. We enjoyed Lucca so much that we have made two future reservations already and are very much looking forward to dining with the wonderful crew there soon!

    I love this place…read more Not only is the food excellent, the team that works here makes the experience great too. I come here for lunch regularly because the menu is fairly priced & the food is quality. I typically order the cajun tuna sandwich because i don't order tuna regularly so it is a real treat. As a side, soup on cold days or the lucca salad on warm days You really can't go wrong with a majority of the menu as everything is good. Side note, it comes very quickly after you order (another plus). I've only had dinner here a few times. The menu is prix fixe with 4 courses (if i remember correctly). All of them delicious. Well worth it. Bonus -- drinks are made strong.

    Photos
    Lucca
    Lucca
    Lucca

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    W-Tao Sushi - japanese - Updated May 2026

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