Flavory Bistro — Restaurant in Ankeny

Stopped into The Flavory Bistro for lunch with a friend who’s a huge fan—he insisted the Gyros were top-notch, so I took his advice. And honestly? The food delivered.

First impressions: It’s a small, attractive spot in The District at Prairie Trail in Ankeny. Clean, classy decor with adequate seating. It was only about half full while we were there, but we still had to stand and wait quite a while before being greeted and seated.

Our server wore a headset, which made the experience feel… odd. He was soft-spoken to the point of confusion, and it wasn’t always clear if he was talking to us or someone through his earpiece. Service was very slow and impersonal—we had long gaps between being seated, ordering, getting water, then drinks, and finally our food. No check-ins, no warmth, and the bill was silently dropped off like an afterthought. (We later wondered if he might be related to the owner.) He technically did the job, but without any sense of hospitality.

Thankfully, the food made up for it. The Gyro was outstanding—tender meat, fresh hummus, and vibrant tzatziki that hit just right. I asked for fresh jalapeños and they nailed that too. The fries were crisp and seasoned perfectly, and the garlic sauce was intense in the best way.

The space was mostly clean, with nice ambiance—though the bar/kitchen area looked chaotic and cluttered, clearly being used for extra storage, which took away from the polished feel.

Apologies—no food pics this time. Got lost in conversation and forgot. But trust me, the food was absolutely worth it.

Bottom line: I do recommend The Flavory Bistro for the food—it’s seriously good. I’ll probably return, but here’s hoping for a little more warmth and attentiveness in the service next...

This is one of my favorite restaurants in Ankeny so it bothers me to have to write this review. We normally eat here once a week but will no longer be ordering or supporting this business. I called in our order at 5:25pm. The guy said it would be 20 minutes. I know they normally underestimate the time so I left our house at the 20 minute mark. I arrived to pick up our order at 5:53, we live really close. The guy said they hadn’t started our order yet and it would be 20-25 minutes longer and to come back or have seat and wait. I decided to go home, they didn’t offer anything or even apologize. I came back at 6:30 to pick up our food and asked for a discount since I had to come back. The man was extremely rude and asked why, I said I had to come back to pick up the food after you had quoted me 20 minutes. He said we can’t control the flow of the kitchen. You are a restaurant - this should be your primary focus. I left upset and when I got home my order wasn’t correct. I had order an extra side of chicken which was an additional $5 and wasn’t on my salad and I order the extra dressing which I was charged for as well and didn’t receive it. This was a very disappointing experience from my favorite local restaurant. I understand businesses are going through a tough time but the gentleman at Flavory didn’t have to be rude to me when I asked for a discount after I had to come back after misquoting the time...

Flavory Bistro was the most pleasant dining experience I've had in Ankeny. My girlfriend and I were seated up front at the lunch counter. We were able to watch the crew, who seemed to be family or close friends, cook and prepare the plates. They were so warm and welcoming to us that it was like eating over at a friends place rather than an eating establishment. I had a Greek salad with smoked salmon and my girlfriend had a vegetable panini type plate. Both were very good. The ingredients we're fresh and properly prepared.

My salad had an egg on the side over a type of bread that really was fantastic. The ladies behind the counter even scooped more of a type of side slaw on to my girlfriend's plate when she told them she liked it. They had us try a bean concoction that was also very tasty, and gave us a cookie fresh from their oven for dessert, which they suggested we save a bit of to eat with morning coffee.

I can't stress enough how unique of an experience this restaraunt was. I suggest a seat at the lunch counter if your by yourself or with a friend. I believe I would have missed out on some of the restaurants charm by sitting at a table. The Mediterranean style quisine was fresh and delectable, and very fairly priced. I plan on...