Staff was accommodating to a change in our party number. Food was delicious. I had the SAUSAGE & SHRIMP FETTUCCINE but changed the white wine sauce to a spicy marinara which they were more than happy to do. Husband had the KILL-BILL PORK TENDERLOIN and said it was amazing and the best fries he's ever tasted. It seems like a lot on one sandwich but it really was great. (Spousal taste privileges.) Great dinner before a show at the Civic Center.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Janel Lageschulte
Good service, friendly and attentive.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Debra Doerr
UPDATED Review: Centro's management reached out to me after I posted my review and shared her apologies for our experience. She invited us back for another try and we accepted. We dined with three other people and had a great time. Even though the restaurant was busy, we had a very friendly and attentive server. She was knowledgeable about the menu and had nice suggestions. The courses arrived promptly and were very tasty. It was an overall wonderful experience!
We visited Centro on a Saturday night with out-of-town guests, expecting a lively and enjoyable evening based on the restaurant’s energetic atmosphere. Unfortunately, the experience fell short in several key areas.
After being seated, we waited an unusually long time before our server approached us. He didn’t ask if we wanted any beverages, so we had to proactively order a bottle of wine along with an appetizer. Oddly, the appetizer arrived before the wine. The mussels were unpleasantly fishy and overly briny—definitely not fresh.
Our entrées followed, but the server disappeared for the rest of the meal. We had to flag him down just to inquire about dessert options. Throughout the evening, we were constantly swatting away fruit flies that hovered around our table, which added to the discomfort and frustration.
The server never checked in to ask how the food was, and we had to request to-go boxes ourselves. While the portion sizes were generous, the food itself was just okay—nothing memorable. What was memorable, unfortunately, was the poor service and the fruit fly infestation.
I was embarrassed to have brought our guests here and genuinely puzzled by the restaurant’s popularity. Based on this experience, I won’t be returning.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Louie K’s Up
Centro had potential, but my experience just didn’t connect this time. The vibe was nice, but the execution felt a little off from the timing of the service to the overall balance of the meal. The atmosphere had energy, but the follow-through missed a few details that matter. I’m all for growth and consistency, so I’ll check back again later to see how they evolve. Louie K’s Up I don’t bash, I build. Honest feedback makes the culture stronger. 💯🔥
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 3
Elizabeth Marchant
We had a reservation before a concert. Served promptly. But I ordered sausage and shrimp fettuccine, it was very spicy when though the menu didn't say it would be. Also they charged a credit card surcharge without mentioning it beforehand.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Benjamin Feltes
The food was good. The atmosphere was great. The service was great. Not the best place for our toddlers but they did provide crayons and a kids menu.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
GregMic
We got a large half cheese, half peperonni pizza. They put extra sauce on the plain cheese but not on the Peperoni side. Crust was crispy and very fresh tasting. Great tasting cheese, though the after taste was garlicy, so definately a garclic flavor to it. Overall, I'd rate it a 7.1 out of 10.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 4
Tanner Lynch
This used to be on of my favorite restaurants in Des Moines. I would eat here 1-2 times a month. I have referred multiple businesses I work with there. BUT my last 2 experiences being there I won’t go back. I walked in with a party of 6 (no reservations which we have done multiple times) they told me it would be an hour wait. It was 7 o’clock. I said okay no big deal. The host then said ok do you want to make a reservation for an hour from now then? I looked confused and said I guess? So another gentleman comes up and she tells him to set a reservation for an hour. They get me in the computer. I asked are you going to text me if there is a table that comes open? He said “ we should or if you just want to come back at 8:30 that works too” I said 8:30? He then said yeah that’s when your reservation is….. the feeling I got that they did NOT want my business was overwhelming. Which is completely fine as I won’t be returning or recommending them to anyone from now on. Hope this helps anyone else that was planning on “walking in”
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 1
Steven Vaske
Service and food were great. Started off with the crab cakes which were perfect then moved on to a chicken saltimbocca dish which was delicious as well. My wife and I rounded the experience out with George's Sunday for the dessert which did not disappoint. Highly recommend.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
A Johnson
Great location and atmosphere. Service was excellent. Very generous portions that can easily be shared. The fresh pastas are delicious, we tried several with the vegan gnocchi a sleeper hit, and the cocktail I had (which I wish I could recall the name of) was perfect!
So we saw that Dave Portnoy had posted a review of CentroDSM. Couldn’t believe we had not tried it yet as we are always looking for good pizza and we only live 5 minutes away. Well we ordered online and it said it would be ready at 8pm tonight. I got there at 8pm. Got home and I could already tell on the car ride home the pizza was cold. Now the flavor was all the way there. But the pizza was cold and chewy. This is disappointing as I’m sure if it was hot it would not be so chewy. They need to give accurate times so the pizza is still hot. I have also messaged them with no response.
Cody Eberlein
Great food, great service. It was a delicious high quality dining experience. Large portions, and the impressive staff was even able to make an Italian soda for me! A definite stop when you're traveling through Des Moine.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ice Sigma
I visited this restaurant after seeing it recommended in a food review, but unfortunately, my experience did not go as I had hoped. When I arrived, the restaurant was empty, and since I had a broken foot, I was hoping to sit at a booth or a regular table. However, I was only offered a seat at the bar, with the option of waiting 20 minutes to sit outside on the patio.
I ordered a pizza, which is priced at a premium compared to other places in the area. After placing my order at the bar, I was left unattended for about 35 minutes until another staff member delivered my food. During this time, I did notice another server beginning her shift, setting up her station with care and using gloves, which I appreciated.
When I was ready to leave, I asked for a box. My five remaining slices were placed in a styrofoam container stacked directly on top of each other, which made them stick together. I asked if they could be placed in a regular pizza box instead, but the slices were transferred by hand without gloves, which raised some concerns for me. When I asked about this, I was told he dose not ware gloves for boxing pizza and was directed to speak with a manager. After waiting for about 10 minutes without any response from management, I decided to leave.
I truly wanted to enjoy my visit here, but unfortunately, the service left me feeling unwelcome. I hope this feedback helps the restaurant improve, as I believe the potential for a much better experience is there.
Staff was accommodating to a change in our party number. Food was delicious. I had the SAUSAGE & SHRIMP FETTUCCINE but changed the white wine sauce to a spicy marinara which they were more than happy to do. Husband had the KILL-BILL PORK TENDERLOIN and said it was amazing and the best fries he's ever tasted. It seems like a lot on one sandwich but it really was great. (Spousal taste privileges.) Great dinner before a show at the Civic Center.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Good service, friendly and attentive.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
UPDATED Review: Centro's management reached out to me after I posted my review and shared her apologies for our experience. She invited us back for another try and we accepted. We dined with three other people and had a great time. Even though the restaurant was busy, we had a very friendly and attentive server. She was knowledgeable about the menu and had nice suggestions. The courses arrived promptly and were very tasty. It was an overall wonderful experience!
We visited Centro on a Saturday night with out-of-town guests, expecting a lively and enjoyable evening based on the restaurant’s energetic atmosphere. Unfortunately, the experience fell short in several key areas.
After being seated, we waited an unusually long time before our server approached us. He didn’t ask if we wanted any beverages, so we had to proactively order a bottle of wine along with an appetizer. Oddly, the appetizer arrived before the wine. The mussels were unpleasantly fishy and overly briny—definitely not fresh.
Our entrées followed, but the server disappeared for the rest of the meal. We had to flag him down just to inquire about dessert options. Throughout the evening, we were constantly swatting away fruit flies that hovered around our table, which added to the discomfort and frustration.
The server never checked in to ask how the food was, and we had to request to-go boxes ourselves. While the portion sizes were generous, the food itself was just okay—nothing memorable. What was memorable, unfortunately, was the poor service and the fruit fly infestation.
I was embarrassed to have brought our guests here and genuinely puzzled by the restaurant’s popularity. Based on this experience, I won’t be returning.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Centro had potential, but my experience just didn’t connect this time. The vibe was nice, but the execution felt a little off from the timing of the service to the overall balance of the meal. The atmosphere had energy, but the follow-through missed a few details that matter.
I’m all for growth and consistency, so I’ll check back again later to see how they evolve.
Louie K’s Up I don’t bash, I build. Honest feedback makes the culture stronger. 💯🔥
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 3
We had a reservation before a concert. Served promptly. But I ordered sausage and shrimp fettuccine, it was very spicy when though the menu didn't say it would be. Also they charged a credit card surcharge without mentioning it beforehand.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
The food was good. The atmosphere was great. The service was great. Not the best place for our toddlers but they did provide crayons and a kids menu.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
We got a large half cheese, half peperonni pizza. They put extra sauce on the plain cheese but not on the Peperoni side. Crust was crispy and very fresh tasting. Great tasting cheese, though the after taste was garlicy, so definately a garclic flavor to it. Overall, I'd rate it a 7.1 out of 10.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 4
This used to be on of my favorite restaurants in Des Moines. I would eat here 1-2 times a month. I have referred multiple businesses I work with there. BUT my last 2 experiences being there I won’t go back. I walked in with a party of 6 (no reservations which we have done multiple times) they told me it would be an hour wait. It was 7 o’clock. I said okay no big deal. The host then said ok do you want to make a reservation for an hour from now then? I looked confused and said I guess? So another gentleman comes up and she tells him to set a reservation for an hour. They get me in the computer. I asked are you going to text me if there is a table that comes open? He said “ we should or if you just want to come back at 8:30 that works too” I said 8:30? He then said yeah that’s when your reservation is….. the feeling I got that they did NOT want my business was overwhelming. Which is completely fine as I won’t be returning or recommending them to anyone from now on. Hope this helps anyone else that was planning on “walking in”
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 1
Service and food were great. Started off with the crab cakes which were perfect then moved on to a chicken saltimbocca dish which was delicious as well. My wife and I rounded the experience out with George's Sunday for the dessert which did not disappoint. Highly recommend.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great location and atmosphere. Service was excellent. Very generous portions that can easily be shared. The fresh pastas are delicious, we tried several with the vegan gnocchi a sleeper hit, and the cocktail I had (which I wish I could recall the name of) was perfect!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
So we saw that Dave Portnoy had posted a review of CentroDSM. Couldn’t believe we had not tried it yet as we are always looking for good pizza and we only live 5 minutes away. Well we ordered online and it said it would be ready at 8pm tonight. I got there at 8pm. Got home and I could already tell on the car ride home the pizza was cold. Now the flavor was all the way there. But the pizza was cold and chewy. This is disappointing as I’m sure if it was hot it would not be so chewy. They need to give accurate times so the pizza is still hot. I have also messaged them with no response.
Great food, great service. It was a delicious high quality dining experience. Large portions, and the impressive staff was even able to make an Italian soda for me! A definite stop when you're traveling through Des Moine.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I visited this restaurant after seeing it recommended in a food review, but unfortunately, my experience did not go as I had hoped. When I arrived, the restaurant was empty, and since I had a broken foot, I was hoping to sit at a booth or a regular table. However, I was only offered a seat at the bar, with the option of waiting 20 minutes to sit outside on the patio.
I ordered a pizza, which is priced at a premium compared to other places in the area. After placing my order at the bar, I was left unattended for about 35 minutes until another staff member delivered my food. During this time, I did notice another server beginning her shift, setting up her station with care and using gloves, which I appreciated.
When I was ready to leave, I asked for a box. My five remaining slices were placed in a styrofoam container stacked directly on top of each other, which made them stick together. I asked if they could be placed in a regular pizza box instead, but the slices were transferred by hand without gloves, which raised some concerns for me. When I asked about this, I was told he dose not ware gloves for boxing pizza and was directed to speak with a manager. After waiting for about 10 minutes without any response from management, I decided to leave.
I truly wanted to enjoy my visit here, but unfortunately, the service left me feeling unwelcome. I hope this feedback helps the restaurant improve, as I believe the potential for a much better experience is there.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 1
Never disappoints. The food is always top notch.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Really big portion sizes
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 4
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