Oceanside Grill — Restaurant in Ankeny

My husband and I wanted to try some place new. He had the Filet and Lobster, with clam chowder, crab mac and cheese and an Old Fashioned. He felt like the quality of the filet was subpar for the price, and it wasn’t seasoned except for the butter that had dripped down from the shrimp that was on top of it. The clam chowder didn’t taste like clam chowder as it was overpowered by the bacon/ham and it didn’t look creamy. The crab mac and cheese was overcooked. His Old Fashioned tasted like whiskey and bitters, and at the bottom of the glass was what looked like a puddle of sugar mixed with something red (maybe a cherry). I had the Faroe Island Salmon, the garlic whipped potatoes, asparagus and a lemon drop martini. The salmon was decently cooked, but not seasoned and somewhat bland, the shrimp on top were quite good though. The garlic whipped potatoes might have had a piece of garlic waved over top of it, and weren’t very creamy for being whipped. The asparagus was a huge disappointment. It was yellowed and mushy at the bottom, with the exception of the one piece that was grey. I tried a piece and it also had no flavor and no seasoning. I was unable to eat anymore than that. It also came in a weird ramiken like you would expect crème brûlée to come in, so it was hard to cut. The lemon drop martini was decent, and I have no complaints. We were given some bread and pesto while we waited for our food, and the pesto was probably the highlight of the meal as it was rather good. We were in the room with the bar, and the acoustics were terrible and that wasn’t helped by the very loud table behind us. Made it almost impossible for us to have a conversation. Our waitress was nice, checked in on us regularly, and seemed knowledgeable. Overall it wasn’t the experience we were hoping for and we have no plans...

I’m usually hesitant to leave a review after just one visit, but after dining at Oceanside Grill multiple times—and being a long-time fan of Filet—I can confidently say this place is the real deal! While I’ve only tried one main course and one appetizer so far, the Chilean Seabass and Calamari, both were absolutely phenomenal. The seabass? A solid 10/10—perfectly cooked and bursting with flavor. The calamari? Another flawless 10/10.

The service was equally outstanding, matching the exceptional service you’d expect from Filet. Having lived in Ankeny for 26 years, I can honestly say this is like “having my cake and eating it too.” Whether I’m craving steak or seafood, both options are right here, and they’re both AMAZING! ... Experience a "foodgasm" every time!

To the owners and staff of Oceanside and Filet: THANK YOU! Being able to enjoy such high-quality/amazing meals just two minutes from home is truly priceless. Keep up the...

First time here, it’s a beautiful restaurant inside. I had the red snapper this evening, it was absolutely fantastic. It was baked to perfection, so moist and tender, not dry at all. Tasted delicious, this is good for someone that doesn’t want too much fishy flavor. Next time I will definitely try the salmon or mahi mahi, as I prefer more fishy flavor.

Very excited to come back next time. I have 3 google accounts, so I will leave another review for each visit. I heard that the restaurant is chef owned, and apparently he does the cooking as well. Very impressed and exceeded my expectations.

It has surpassed waterfront as my new favorite restaurant. Best fish in town. I spent a good amount on just myself, but they also have plenty of more affordable dishes as well. I just wanted to try the...