Former bakery converted to restaurant. Â The space is very small and you feel everybody is on top of you; if you are waiting for a table your usually standing in the line of traffic which makes it difficult to have a conversation since you looking over your shoulder most of the time. Â Food is average and the customer service is poor. Â In fact, the last time I dined there, I was asked by the manager (or host??) if we could move over to the bar (w/ no seating) so they could seat a table of 4. Â This probably wouldn't have been a big deal but the fact I just took my last bite and still had a 1/2 bottle of wine after 45 min... it was very lame to ask.
Review Source:I love this place!
I've been here about 10 times, probably  more, and I've pretty much gotten great service along with flavorful amazing food. I've had several items on the menu but do admit to sticking to what I like for the most part. I also like that this menu changes with the seasons, I think I have that right.  It doesn't change completely but they add and replace a few things.
Food: I've had the burger, of course, with the homemade ranch sauce and ruffle chips. Â It's a childhood fave of the owner. Â Last night I also tried the pastrami burger with sauted onions and swiss cheese. Amazing!! I know my pastrami and let me tell you that this was fantastic. I didn't even need the burger part, just a big hunk of pastrami mmmmm.
Porcetta (sp?): also amazing and decedent! sooo filling but rich and pork just pork everywhere! I think the owner/chef won an award for this one.
Tried my friends buffalo mac and cheese along with truffle mushroom shells sooooooooo good!
I typically order the pork ragu flatbread along with the wedge salad that I highly recommend! I sub the blue cheese for fontina and it's soo good.
Went for brunch the other week and ordered one of the eggs benedict, not the benedict but the other option with the thin ham. Â Amazing and rich. Like I said, literally everything this place serves just hits the spot and its all pretty reasonable.
several weeks ago I had a 12 person bday party there. Jordan took great care of us and we all had a great time, especially me! Their wine selection is very good although I just refer to my friend who knows wine so I have only had good experiences with the wine they serve. Â
I love that this place is up the street from me and that the owner lives in the neighborhood. It's just what this area needs. Â The owner/chef also comes by to check on us and is friendly. Â
Atmosphere: this place is always busy! make a reservation, seriously. Â The patio is our fave! They made a good decision moving the giant booth and replacing it with more high top tables. I think most of the place is now high top tables. Good call!
This is basically my go to place. It's the first place my friends and I think to go when we head out to eat. It's consistently awesome and always a great experience. I'll be back for sure. I'll probably be back in a couple of days : P
My first visit to Louie's. Â The other reviews helped me decide to go here. Went with my wife and had some good food. So overall the service was good, the food was good and its a pretty nice environment in there. My only complaint is that you are sitting right on top of one another at the tables, or at least where I was sitting. So maybe try and go with a group instead of just 2.
Review Source:I've been eagerly anticipating my first visit to Louie's Wine Dive since it opened earlier this year. The reviews on Yelp have been great. I love good wine! I love good food! Surely i would love Louie's Wine Dive, right?
Wrong. For starters, there's the restaurant itself. Previous reviewers are right; they repainted the walls, turned the old ordering counter into a bar, and shoved a bunch of booths and high-top tables into the room. We were seated at the high-tops, which are so close together you may as well think of them as long communal tables. I frequently found myself sharing personal space with another party's server as she stood to the left of my barstool and leaned on the table next to my plate in order to speak with the party next to us.
However, I can put up with just about anything in pursuit of a good meal. The ambiance wouldn't be a problem if the food was good. Sadly, it was anything but.
We started with a house wine, which was fine, and oohed and aahed over the promising-sounding menu. Everything looked so good! We decided to start with the queso fundido with Mexican cheese and chorizo. It was shockingly bland - like we'd been served a bowl of melted supermarket cheese dotted with a few small pieces of chorizo. There was no flavor whatsoever - no heat, no spice, no nothing. Just a plate of melted cheese served with thick bready pitas. The only good part was the chorizo, and there were just a few sparse pieces scattered across the cheese... very disappointing. However, we didn't want to rush to judgement; perhaps our main courses would be better! We pushed aside the cheese and waited.
I'd ordered the shrimp and grits, and Charlie had ordered the pork gnocchi. Now, I love shrimp and grits. I've had excellent shrimp and grits in several restaurants across the country. So I feel pretty confident saying these were TERRIBLE shrimp and grits. My grits were the consistency of glue; my shrimp were chewy and overcooked. Again, everything was just so bland - like the chef was cooking without herbs, spices, or seasoning of any kind. Â It was as though the kitchen staff barely knew what they were doing. Charlie's pork gnocchi were similarly bland. What was going on here??? This place was supposed to be so good! The menu looked awesome!
We had high hopes for this place, but left extremely disappointed and unlikely to return. It's possible the vast, ambitious menu means the kitchen staff has to know so many dishes that the quality suffers. Or maybe this is the type of place where you just show up for the wine and some snacks. I can't explain it. I am truly mystified at all the positive comments after eating such bland food in a bland setting.
As I was writing this review, I learned that Louie's opened a second location in Kansas City this November. It seems very likely to me that their better staff and chefs may have focused their efforts on the KC location, neglecting Des Moines in the process. It's the only way I can reconcile all these five-star reviews with what was, generously speaking, a two-star experience for me.
I'm a big fan. Â The place is just right down the street from me, which is awesome. Â We've needed a new local in the Beav for awhile. Â It is usually really busy, so you definitely want to call ahead for a reservation or to put your name in. Â My husband and I usually just sit at the bar when it's packed. Â You have a fun, talkative, crowd but can get some privacy too.
The food has yet to disappoint. Â We've been for breakfast, lunch, appetizers and dinner. Â I haven't had anything I didn't like. Â Some of my favs have been: the flatbread, the lobster poutin, lobster mac and cheese (duh!), the cuban sandwich, and oddly the salmon caesar salad.
Also, the cocktails are pretty good- mostly classic cocktails which I appreciate, some with minor variations. Â Obviously they have a good wine list. Â Lastly, the service has been really awesome every time we've been. Â I haven't seen that kind of consistency in awhile.
Overall, I definitely recommend this place. Â It's casual, there is range of prices on food, the drinks are flowing and the food/service is great.
Wow! Â This place was AMAZING! It was packed - even on a Wednesday. Â A coworker and I stopped in for dinner. Â We were greeted warmly and shown to the bar. Â The bartender was so attentive and helpful (and very attractive!). Â We had the Lobster Frittes and the Mussel appetizers. A generous portion of mussels, well prepared, well seasoned and delicious. The lobster dish was gourmet comfort food, so Good. Â For the entrees, we had the Porchetta, a stuffed marinated pork loin so tender it fell apart with a fork, on a bed of roasted root veggies - cooked to perfection - not too hard, not too soft. Â We also had the Lobster and Gulf Shrimp Mac and Cheese. Â As great as that sounds, it tasted even better. Â For dessert, fresh, light pear pastry with fresh ice cream. Oh my goodness! If I lived in Des Moines, I'd eat there every other day!
Review Source:Don't be a tool. Â Make a reservation! Â They were packed on a recent Sat night before 6pm. Â I dined here super early style when my parents were in town and we had a good time.
I kinda wished we were seated in a better location. Â We were at a table in the corner near the restrooms and cases of extra wine stacked up behind us. Â Not super glam, but whatev.
Our server was okay. Â He suggested a wine and brought me a sample (super tasty!) however I chose a different vino in the end. Â We did a bottle of sparkling--Cristalino Rose Brut, which is something I've had before. It was $30-ish, so not too bad. Â Very crisp, dry and super bubbly. Â And pink--gotta love rose!
I went for a salad (shut up, it sounded good!) and flatbread. Â I did the apple, bacon, goat cheese, pecan salad--told you. Â And it was full of dark leafy greens, which was great. Â The bacon seemed a little bit overcooked, like super hard and crunchy. Â Hrrm.. but the flatbread was spot on. Â Portobello, balsamic caramelized onions, and Maytag Blue on a cracker-y thin bread.
My mom went with the ratatouille, which was a mix of tasty veg on top of quinoa. Â This actually inspired her to pick up some bulk quinoa at Whole Foods Market the next day ;) Â And I snagged several bites of my dad's roast jerked chicken, which was also served with quinoa. Â
We passed on dessert because I had a homemade banana cake waiting at my apt. Â Overall it was a tasty dinner, and liked seeing a fair amount of local additions to the menu, like the Maytag Blue cheese, La Quercia prosciutto, to name a few.
I am from Omaha and met a person here from Cedar Rapids on a suggestion from a friend. Â I can tell you one thing, this place would be worth the drive back to Des Moines just to eat here.
I put in a reservation on the suggestion of a friend for a Wednesday night meetup. Â The reservation was a good idea, because this place was packed at 7:15. Â I saw a few people complained about the decorations, but I thought they were completely fine and fit what the establishment is drying to be. Â
Onto the food, what we all care about the most. Â My partner for the night and I had the bruschetta sampler platter. Â This was an amazing dish. Â It comes with 4 types of bruschetta: steak and blue cheese, tomato basil, mushroom and sweet peper, and some kind of oriental chicken. Â All four were great, but the standout was the steak and blue cheese. Â I could have ate a plate of these as my meal for the night. Â The tomato basil was a very very close second. Â Â
As for dinner, I had the Lobster and Shrimp Macaroni and Cheese. Â This dish should have been called "Wonders on my Tongue," because that is simply what it was. Â Imagine buttery, cheesey, lobster, shrimp goodness and multiply that flavor by 100. Â Only then can you begin to understand how good this dish was. Â Simply put, it is worth the drive and every penny of the $18 that was spent on this dish. Â The dish was so good, it overshadowed my partner for the nights dish of shrimp and grits. Â The shrimp and grits were well cooked and flavorful. Â There was a strong presence of bacon in the dish that brought it up another level. Â This was a great dish in its own-right, but just tough to give it props when it is next to something as wonderful as the lobster and shrimp Mac.
Everything I imagined. Â It'll make me sound like a total wine-o, but I have been jonesing to go to this place since before I moved to Des Moines. Â It did not disappoint. Â A girlfriend and I waltzed in an hour before close and were greeted so kindly. Â They put up with us until we toodled out well after posted closing time. Â Not only did they put up with us, they conversed with us, suggested wines, and generally were totally welcoming. Â So impressed. Â Can't wait to give more of the wine list and the menu a try. Â
Go! Â But not when I'm there. Â Don't want a crowd all the time now. Â Let's space this out a bit, people.
We went into this dinner very skeptical, I mean come on, the name is very random and strange. Â But man o man was it great.
Reservations on a Friday night were a MUST!
The Wine Club is a great idea, wish more places would do clubs like that
The fact the place is built on a wine premise meant no screaming kids, I LOVE THAT!!
The tables are very close together which is great because it gives the place a real European feel.
The flat bread was fantastic!! Â
No place is 100% perfect, the desert menu is a bit skimpy with small portions, and the side area with the couch for just wine drinking is strange and doesn't fit the main dining area feel
My husband and I had our first visit to Louie's this week, and it won't be our last.  We stopped in for a late breakfast on a Saturday and found friendly, efficient wait staff and a great menu.  Both of us ordered off the breakfast menu (it was 10 am)  and our dishes were inventive and delicious.  My husband asked to look at the dinner menu for fun and when he found an appetizer that sounded good (red pepper humus)  he was able to order it as well!  The menu is eclectic, American food with a nod to NOLA - oysters, shrimp and grits and croque madame.  And where else in Des Moines can you get Lobster poutine?  I can't wait to try it. It is a rare occurrence when I find a menu and  I want to try almost everything on it, but I am going to try.
I have read comments about the decor. Â Frankly, I don't get it. Â The seating is comfortable and the wall color warmed the room. Â It is certainly preferable to the modern concrete floor, metal table, operating room ambiance some of the newer restaurants. Â
Try Louie's, we want to keep a quality restaurant here in our neighborhood, Â just don't tell all your friends, Â I want to be able to get a table too.
Went to Louie's last night for some drinks and had an ok time. Â I will venture back to try the food but might wait a few weeks until they work out some of the kinks. Â
I felt they were pretty proud of some of their wine prices. Â I also ordered a Louie Douie Martini and it was pretty lack luster. Â Very tasteless and mostly a bitter taste. Â
The ambiance was a little lack luster. Â I know it had dive in the name but the green and mauve reminded me of the 80's. Â We were seated close to the restroom and all I could smell was bathroom cleaner. Â Which I'm thankful for a clean bathroom, but was a bit over powering.
We ordered a cheese plate to share and when our server brought it out he had no idea what cheese was what and had to call someone over. Â Don't you think you might have asked the kitchen before you brought it out? Â
I think it'll be an ok place but their staff needs a bit more education (at least the waiter we had), and if I'm going to go spend 50-100 bucks on after drinks alone (for 4 people we had two drinks each), I was expecting a bit more polished experience.
So glad to have Louie's Wine Dive! Â It is great to have the "quick" lunch board from which to order as I am often on a time crunch. Â We were also there for dinner and that was FUN. Â Love the outside patio and the friendly, casual atmosphere. Â Our dinner was served by knowledgeable and friendly servers who offered great selections and our dinner was delicious. Â The wine list is awesome as is the carafe of house wine for those warm summer evenings. Â All in all, we very much enjoyed our dinner and service and look forward to going again with our friends.
Review Source:Just had my first experience at Louie's for lunch. It was very good overall, with excellent service and wonderful food. I had a grilled cheese and my dining partner had the pulled pork ruben. My sandwich was very good, but next time I will ask for tomatoes to be added. That's just my preference. The fries, I must say, were sublime. Light, crispy, and perfectly cooked. My friend loved his sandwich. The wait person was very helpful and attentive, and turned off the fan which was making us a bit chilly. I am looking forward to returning, especially when the patio opens next week.
p.s. someone marked this place as "dressy," which doesn't really seem fitting. I think the atmosphere is more casual than dressy, but perhaps in the evening it is fancier. Try it! It's great to have a restaurant like this in the neighborhood.
Was dissappointed when I saw the bakery was gone that used to be in this location but love wine so out of curiosity I wandered in. I was simply going to look at the menu since I was wearing jean shorts and a tank top and the place looked nice with cherry wood tables and chairs with bottles of wine on the back wall next to the kitchen although the patio didn't look open yet. The wall in the back could use some color or more design but I liked the place overall.  As soon as I walked in and asked for a menu I felt welcomed by the employees ease and smile and so I looked around and most people there seemed to be wearing casual clothes.  I was kind of hungry so I sat down at the bar and noticed on the menu a cobb salad. I love cobb salad so thought it wouldn't hurt to go ahead and try it  but I am kind of picky as I love the service and cobb salad at Flemings. John the guy behind the bar introduced himself and handed me a wine menu so I thought what the heck I'll go ahead and get a glass. Had a great glass of Pinot Noir he let me sample first .The salad came out it was really good, I prefer more blue cheese but I was still impressed, the green goddess dressing was yummy and the salad was cold and crisp and on such a hot day it was perfect. A lady walked in doing the same thing just looking in curiously and John welcomed her with the same kind smile so she asked for a menu just to look at and as I was sitting at the bar next to where she stood she asked me if the salad was good. I told her it was so she sat a few seats down an ordered the salmon salad. Her and I ended up chatting it up while she was waiting for her salad. The owner Jason came over and checked to see how we were doing and talked with us for a bit. I asked Jason about the patio and he said they were going to have it open soon they had just had some paperwork they had to get done first.  I watched him go back  in the kitchen and work on food preparation with his staff. It was nice to be able to see my food being made, you can see the cooks from the room which really put my mind at ease. I have gone several times as it is nearby all my errands and have loved the food. The second time I came Jason recalled me right away with a smile chatted for a bit even though I could tell he was busy and invited me to come back again. The staff all at one point checked on me at the bar each time I go. I feel so at home every time I come, it has quickly become my new  favorite place to eat. I brought my teenager in to try the food the last night and she had the salmon salad since I told her the lady I sat next to had loved hers and for dessert my daughter had the graham cracker smores which has a small fire in a metal holder to roast the marshmallows she thought it was awesome.  I had the flat iron steak it was so good  and they let me switch out the fries for the quinoa as I am a bit of a health nut. Nick and John are so much fun behind the bar and it was packed for a tuesday night. Every employee I have met there has been helpful and so nice. I have been a part of many a soft opening as I moved around and waitressed for 15 years and the employees and owners seem to get along no different than any other soft opening. If anything they seem to be happy and joking when things die down and serious and down to business when work needs to get done to make sure the customers come first. My daughter asked if we could go eat there again this weekend already. Yeah we'll be back.
Review Source:I made my first trip to Louie's Wine Dive last night and I can't say that I am eagerly planning my next one. The ambiance is fine although it is a bit tacky to see the cooler/freezer door as you are sitting at the bar or relaxing in the pseudo-lounge area. Most of the staff was friendly - Tony at the door was welcoming and our bartender, Nick, was fantastic. The owner/chef, Jason, introduced himself which is a touch I appreciate. If only he was that nice to his staff... the set-up of the Wine Dive is such that bar patrons and many people in the dining area are able to see some and hear all of what is going on in the kitchen. Last night, that meant that we were subjected to hearing the owner continuously reprimand his cooks as if he is Beaverdale's answer to Gordon Ramsay. It was really a sad situation because not only did his staff have to be treated in this way, it was done in public so we had to watch them try to stay calm and on task. I am sure some people were probably nervous as to how their food was being prepared in such a hostile environment. The menu is fairly ambitious and for the restaurant's second week of being opened, I think everyone expects a reasonable amount of time to pass to allow for proper food preparation. Â It seemed that the owner was being unreasonably mean to his kitchen staff and we didn't hear of any errors except that he felt they were taking too long. If the wait time is too long then perhaps they need to do more things ahead of time, have more cooking space or even jumping in and helping and leading by example. I spoke with some of the diners and they each said they enjoyed the food and they didn't wait any longer than they expected. This guy needs to realize that he isn't running a burger joint - it appears that even though the word "dive" is in the title, he is trying to establish this venue as a fairly classy restaurant. And this means he needs to put his temper in check and learn how to properly coach and motivate his employees or quickly find a manager to do it for him. Two of the guys sitting at the bar next to us made a similar comment to one of the servers. His response was that the owner has to yell at them like that so they learn and he bets that the next time, they won't work the same way as they did tonight. My reply to that is the owner will be lucky if the staff even returns to work. There is no justification for that behavior and it is unfortunate that a server would reply that way to a customer's comment. The Wine Dive is young but if it wants to become a cornerstone of my Beaverdale community, this is the one thing that will prevent it from doing so. As a customer, I have a very hard time convincing myself to return and spend my money to support tyrants regardless the high quality product and customer service.
Review Source:Ok I will just rip it off like a band-aid...I will get the worst of it over quickly.
I think the decor is bad. It's not terrible, but could use a professional touch. If it has had a professional touch they defiantly are not king Midas, so they don't need to worry about turning their loved ones into gold.
What this place is doing right is fantastic food served up with a reasonable price, and deserts that make you hear angels sing. Let's be honest here, that is why you go somewhere not the look, but the food.
I went there for dinner one night, and had friendly well informed service. A few kinks in the knowledge of the wines but it takes a while to train a staff on wine knowledge. I had a flat iron stake and it melted in my mouth, served with a delicious gravy and tasty fries. The next morning I returned for brunch and had the best Corn Pork Hash i have ever had in Des Moines. (Please not the corn Pork is done so in house). No I did not screw that up I said PORK! The two poached eggs when broke open covered the hash, and gave it that perfect velvet texture. The carrots cooked into the has added just a hint of sweetness to the dish. BEST HASH IN DES MOINES!!! Stop reading go.....go now.........eat the delicious hash.
This is the first time in years that I did not need to use the salt and pepper on my table. The food was perfectly seasoned for my liking. I will say that I could see some people (who are not use to their food having flavor) would think it is a tad on the salty side.
I really believe that this friendly corporate chef, turned restaurant owner, has struck gold in a golden neighborhood. I do mean friendly, and if you dine here you will most likely be greeted by the chef at some point in the evening. You can tell he has a love for food, and wants to make sure his customers are enjoying his passion.
I miss the old IBC that use to be housed here, but they could not have opened a better replacement. It is so great to see another really solid restaurant open in the area.
This would be a great place for a first date to having a nice dinner with friends and family. They are working on getting the patio running, because of a snag they ran into with the city. Yes you heard me correctly another fantastic patio in Des Moines. I for one can not wait to enjoy sunday brunch out there.
p.s. they do have a kids menu.
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