Hugo's Wood-Fired Kitchen — Restaurant in Des Moines

We went to Hugo's on a Tuesday late afternoon. It wasn't crowded, we were seated immediately. The service was very good. We ordered a Greek pizza and it was a good pizza though I wouldn't say it was exceptional.

I agree with other reviewers about the tepid glasses of water. I did ask my server for ice and she readily gave it to me in a separate class. They bring the water to the table and a fancy bottle that makes it looks like it's supposed to be something special, but it just tastes like warmish tap water. I would suggest if they wish to serve it this way, they keep bottles in a cooler so that at least the water will be chilled. It tastes much better cold.

We had a truffle for dessert and it was to die for. It was a wonderful dessert.

My overall impression of Hugo's is that they value ambience over the customers comfort. It was freezing cold in there, though they're outdoor patio was roomy and comfortable.

All items are a la carte, so you could really drop a bundle in there even though the prices on each individual item don't seem too out of line. The individual servings are moderate to small so the customer is encouraged to order multiple items.

The menu is short however, they have unusual, out of the ordinary options that I find enticing and drew me to the restaurant. Many of these are vegan or vegetarian.

Based on recommendations I've received from friends, I was a bit disappointed. The food is tasty but I feel the value for the dollar spent is not very good.

Also, if I had not been told it was in The Meals on Wheels building, I would have had trouble finding it. I agree that a sign on the interior door would be...

I was really wanting this place to be good, but for me it missed the mark. We came this weekend; the building was split with the back half being dedicated to meals on wheels, with an impressive view of the spotless kitchens. The waitstaff and hostesses were friendly and attentive, and the aura of the space was warm and comfortable. The main issue was the food. To start, we ordered the shishito peppers and the hummus which claimed to be seasonal but the pumpkin and pomegranate seeds made it feel more like a fall event than a spring dish. I also felt as if the soft texture of the accompanying pita did little to help the odd bites of crunchiness due to random pepitas. Shishito peppers were served with a very thin soy glaze that did not stick to them very well and I can’t say much for the choice of feta. My partner chose the Greek pizza as his entree and I had the pork/apple. The pork and apple was nice aside from the thickly sliced pickled red onions; I understand the choice to add something slightly acidic to cut into the sweetness of the dates and apple butter but would’ve preferred thinner slices and that the pickled red onions were added after the pizza had cooked. The happy hour deals were good though, and we may choose to try it again when different seasonal items are added, but overall not our favorite pizza...

Loved Hugo's the first time I went for lunch and thought endlessly about the perfect cauliflower steak and pizza. Took a date last night and the food was nasty - dry cauliflower with charred ends made in a very tall bowl that was a hassle to eat out of and get the sauce. I hope also, the oven will be cleaned more regularly because big black chunks were all over the bottom of the pizza. Also, maybe think about charging a little more for the baked feta if only one quartered pita is offered or write that in the menu cuz it's annoying. Will say, the service was excellent;, on the other hand, the food was, sadly, lacking. Also, it must have been quieter at lunch, because last night there was 80s rock blaring and it was hard to hold a conversation. The meal I had that was perfection was screwed up so badly on the second try. Bummer as this place does have good veggie options, honestly probably won't return and prices are too high for the risk of another disappointing meal like...