Palms DSM — Restaurant in Des Moines

I walked in with high expectations and a hungry stomach. My order? Jerk chicken, jollof rice, plantain, suya pepper shrimp, and oxtail with rice and beans. It's a solid lineup, but how did it stack up?

Jerk Chicken

The jerk chicken looked the part but didn’t quite deliver. It had decent spice, but it was too dry. It's not the driest I’ve ever had, but it definitely missed the juicy, smoky punch that makes jerk memorable. It was a decent try, but it didn’t hit like it should.

Jollof Rice

As a Nigerian, this one hurt. Jollof rice should be rich, layered, and aromatic. This version was flat. It lacked the depth and heat that made jollof more than just tomato rice. I finished it, but I didn’t enjoy it.

Plantain

Finally, something worth the hype. The plantain was fire. Perfectly caramelized, with a soft interior and crisp edges, it was sweet, savory, and satisfying. It was easily the best item on the plate. I’d give it an 8.5 out of 10, with the potential to go higher if they keep that consistency.

Suya Pepper Shrimp

This was a letdown in both name and flavor. If you say suya, I expect bold, nutty spice and grilled heat. Instead, I got a creamy coconut sauce with barely any suya flavor. The shrimp were fine, but the dish was misnamed and underseasoned. A 3.5 out of 10 feels generous.

Oxtail With Rice and Beans

The rice and beans were spot on, well-seasoned, and soaked in a flavorful sauce that carried the dish. But the oxtail? Tough. I had to go full African mode and use my hands. When I saw it, I thought it was a good oxtail, but this wasn’t it. It should fall off the bone, not fight me back.

The Palm DSM has vision. It brings much-needed Afro-Caribbean flavor to Des Moines, but it’s not delivering at the level it could. The plantain, rice, and beans show promise, but dry proteins and missing spices hold the experience back.

Final score: 4 out of 10. Would I come back? Maybe, but not for the suya shrimp or jollof. Would I recommend it? Not yet, but I’m hoping they find their groove.

Until then, I’ll be dreaming of that plantain and nursing my jaw from that...

Visited the newly opened PALMS DSM restaurant tonight. We were excited to try something new and experience flavors of the Caribbean and West Africa.

The space is welcoming and gives a sense of community, culture, and hospitality right away. It was vibrant with music and multiple servers buzzing around the busy tables. After being seated and promptly served our cocktails of choice (*these were really good, btw), we were checked on by multiple servers, including the owner himself. The menu isn't overly large, but offers an excellent selection of different appetizers, sides, and entrees. We decided to start with the smoked wings, which was an excellent choice. They were smoky, crispy, charred perfectly, and the accompanying sauce was delicious. Loved these! Next we tried the mac & cheese and the jollof rice. Mac & cheese wasn't anything special, tbh, but the rice was really, really good. The entrees we decided on were the jerk chicken Alfredo and the spicy shrimp & rice. The jerk chicken was the star of the pasta dish, crazy delicious. Both of us decided that we need to order the jerk chicken entree next time. The shrimp entree was flavorful and the seafood was cooked perfectly, we both really enjoyed this dish as well. We were too full for dessert, but went ahead and ordered the banana bread. It was, literally, just a good old fashioned piece of banana bread, moist, simple, clearly freshly baked, and a great ending to the meal.

Service was very good, even with the place hopping. Husband was excited to see Iowa State"s outstanding running back Abu Sama working the floor (he's the owner"s brother) and very much enjoyed his friendly chat with him: Go Cyclones!

As we left the restaurant, we noticed the smoker in the back parking lot. Jerk chicken being freshly coaled and smoked... We will definitely be back for some more of that...

I’ve had Caribbean food in places, even random hole-in-the-wall joints that had me sweating and smiling at the same time. This place? It felt like someone Googled “Caribbean seasoning” and then got distracted by a brown sugar recipe. The chicken looked promising but tasted like it had just lost a fight with a dessert topping. Where was the heat? Where was the flavor? Where was the jerk?

I asked the server if they had something more authentic, maybe a spicier sauce with some scotch bonnet kick, and he told me “that sauce isn’t hot enough.” I’m not sure what that meant because the sauce they did bring out tasted like it came straight from a cinnamon roll glaze. Sweet again!

The rice and plantains were okay, nothing memorable. Mac and cheese was… there. But overall, the food just didn’t hit that Caribbean soul the way it should.

I get that this place is getting good reviews, and hey – maybe it’s one of the few Caribbean-inspired options in the area. But for anyone who’s had the real deal, this won’t scratch that itch. Great presentation, nice people, but the flavor just missed the mark. Hard.

Hope they tweak the recipes and bring the spice next time – because I’d love to support a good Caribbean spot in...