Filet Steakhouse — Restaurant in Ankeny

TLDR; while the food is pretty good, it is definitely not worth the prices. We were dissapointed.

We were out for our anniversary, and wanted to try someplace we hadn't been before, so decided to give Filet a try. Unfortunately, not a place we'll be returning to.

We had no wait to be seated, despite not having any reservations. This is likely because we showed up about 10 minutes after their opening time, before any big rush, but it was still nice. The atmosphere is pretty good as well; not too bright or loud, with comfortable seating.

I ordered an 8 oz filet, with the De Burgo and mushrooms options, and for my sides I got the Boursin mashed potatoes and the Philly steak and cheese soup. My wife got the small ribeye with the marinated shrimp skewer, and for her sides she also had the Boursin mashed potatoes but with a side salad.

First, the good. The steak and cheese soup was quite hearty; though it definitely just tasted like the meat (there was almost no cheese flavor, which was unexpected) it was still good. My wife thoroughly enjoyed the salad as well, she actually said it was the best part of her meal.

My steak was cooked exactly as I asked on the inside, a solid medium rare. The mushrooms were also pretty good, with a flavorful sauce and a good cook to make them the right texture. My wife had asked for medium, and her steak was more on the rare side as well, but not so much she had an issue eating it.

Unfortunately, that's where the 'good' part of the food ends.

My steak had been a bit over-seared; the edges were burnt more than seared, which gave a flavor and texture that wasn't terribly what I'd hoped for, given the price. The de Burgo sauce was clearly an add-on; compared to one of my favorite restaurants, Chicago Speakeasy, where it is clear they cook the steak in the sauce, this seemed to have been simply poured onto the steak after it was done cooking.

My wife's steak wasn't marbled, so much as filled with fat. About 25% of the steak was a massive piece of fat that she simply had to cut around to avoid getting bites with no muscle at all. Additionally, when flipped over it was immediately apparent that it had been well seared on one side, but barely touched on the other, as the bottom had that sort of greyish color a steak gets when one side has only been on the heat a bit too short a time.

Her shrimp skewer was also okay, but she didn't think it was anything particularly special.

The Boursin potatoes were okay, but certainly nothing to write home about. I wasn't really able to detect the Boursin taste when eating them.

When it came to service, it was acceptable, but given other reviews we saw here, certainly not the level we'd expected. Our waiter took a long time between stopping by the table; while we never ran out of anything, between getting our drinks and ordering we had to wait nearly 10 minutes. This wouldn't have been an issue, but at one point I spotted him across the room jovially chatting with some people at another table who had their food already, like he knew them, while letting us sit.

At the end, the waiter did give us a free slice of cheesecake, as he said it was the restaurant's policy for occasions like an anniversary. We got it to go, and my wife ate it a couple days later, and said it was pretty good.

Overall, given the high cost of the place, we had definitely expected much better. I'm not associated with any local restaurants, but would recommend Chicago Speakeasy for steaks, or if you're looking to stay in Ankeny, check out The Other Place, Portofinos, or Hokkaido Ramen House for a good place to go on a date before here. The cost was simply far too high for...

We were invited to their soft opening and went to their grand opening. Absolutely delicious both times! Great service as well, didn’t feel rushed. The vibe is so relaxing. They’re a local family owned restaurant, which I love! We tried appetizers, steak, pasta, burger, dessert and of course their drinks and moved to their bar area to try more drinks. I’m so excited I don’t have to drive far for quality steak. Overall I’m one happy girl!

Edit: Filet has new items on their menu!

I had the Filet Trio absolutely delicious! I enjoyed it so much I forgot to help my little with his food lol, my husband tried Shrimp Tacos which he says were great; he wouldn’t give me a bite. For appetizers we tried the Sweet Thai Chili Shrimp and Jumbo Wings; kudos to the chef! For dessert we had Layered Chocolate Cake YUMM!! If you haven’t already head on over to Filet!

EDIT #2

What a fantastic dinner and service as always! We tried their new menu items and they did not disappoint.

For drinks I had the Jim’s Giant Peach which is my new favorite and my husband had their Forbidden Sour.

We started with their Shrimp Cocktail; great portion, freshness and the cocktail sauce was the right consistency. We also tried their Fried Pickle Chips; the breading had the perfect amount of crunch and those pickle chips were thick and oh so good!!

For my meal, I had the Blackened Filet and Shrimp with Cajun Cream sauce (melt in your mouth) and side of Scalloped Potatoes which my husband kept eating, they were so cheesy and I loved the sautéed onions! My husband had their 6oz Filet topped with deburgo sauce with a side of Parmesan Truffle Fries that he inhaled in 10 seconds, I was lucky to try one fry. We obviously had dessert and we don’t regret it because their Chocolate Mousse Cake was unforgettable 🤤

The table next to us was raving about their food as well “ mmm wow, this is fantastic “ is what caught my attention and notice they were also trying the new items and got us excited even more for our food😊

Edit #3

I can not believe I forgot to review their brunch!! So many wonderful options! Filet is literally giving me everything I love to eat! I’ve never seen my kids eat so much lol I kinda feel bad because I think my 10 year old ate almost all the food lol their prime rib breakfast potatoes and French Toast are my favorite!! They’re Bloody Mary is perfect! I didn’t get pictures of their other options at the buffet because I...

I had the ribeye with loaded mashed potatoes and Philly steak cheese soup and Steve had the filet, salad and steak fries. Without a doubt, the ribeye was the best I have ever eaten. Tender, juicy, tasty and perfectly cooked to medium rare. So good that I ate the entire steak and only half of the loaded mashed potatoes. I’m a potato gal so by me eating all of the steak and leaving the potatoes says a lot because the potatoes were phenomenal as well. Real mashed potatoes with real butter and real cheese and topped with perfectly cooked bacon, PHENOMENAL! Steve raved over the filet as it was seasoned perfectly as well as perfectly cooked and so tender he cut it with a fork. Let’s not forget about fresh warm bread they brought with the salad and soup. Yet another bit of heaven. Just when we didn’t think we couldn’t eat another bite, Steve ordered the crème brûlée flight. Four little cups, each different flavors that were indescribably delicious. Perfection once again! Meagan mentioned that the strawberry shortcake was her favorite so we ordered one to go. Needless to say, it didn’t make it out of the restaurant. The only regret is that we didn’t snap a picture of the that shortcake. I want to add that our waitress Katie and waitress Megan were among the best waitresses we have ever had, anywhere. I highly recommend visiting Filet Steakhouse in Ankeny. They will not disappoint! Kudos to the owner and...