The Stuffed Olive Des Moines — Restaurant in Des Moines

I normally love this place! I was looking forward to going to the new location for a month, and was so excited. Although they accommodated us by changing our reservation from couch and table to a normal table, it went downhill from there. The chairs are cute but not practical. I sat down and my knees were above my waist which was uncomfortable. Our server was not very friendly, she wasn't rude, just not friendly. We didn't see her very often. I ordered a 2nd martini, and when another staff came to check on us about 30-40 minutes layer, I told her I hadn't gotten it and her response was we're very busy. I told her to cancel it since other people in our party were almost done. When the server came with our bill, I asked her if that martini was taken off since I didn't get it, she responded yes. I gave my card, paid, then they give you the printed bill. She handed it to me and left at which time I noticed it was still on there. Since I couldn't find her to ask, I stopped at the hostess stand on the way out to get it corrected. They apologized and said she is new. They had to get her. So they got her and manager and another staff person. Basically questioning me and saying someone got it, like I'm lying about it. Manager asked how many did we have and I answered 9, 2 for other guests and I had the one. He answered there are 10 on your bill.... yes, I didn't get the 10th one. They finally took it off but what a fiasco. I have never left Stuffed Olive unhappy until last night. If the server is new on a busy night, then manager and other staffers need to try...

Overall, an average place to get a decent martini and some food.

The ambience/atmosphere was nice earlier in the evening. Once it got busy, the tables were too close together and it got loud with table talk coming from around us. There was a live entertainer @ 6 that was doing a nice job but hard to thoroughly enjoy due to background music from all the tables. The demographics of patrons was wide and full of variety.

Our server was very good. Attentive but not overbearing. Very helpful with our selections.

The Martini menu is HUGE! They had a lot of high end scotch/whisky for the non Martini drinker. Half price wine on Wednesday. I kept with my go to Martini and it was delightful.

We decided to order shared plates (2 of us). Stuffed Mushrooms were the best of the three we tried, which still was average, nothing like "OMG". Next up was Risotto Croquettes which was 3 different cheeses deep fried (rich but bland) and served with a nothing special marinara sauce. Our last shared plate was the Mini Chimis. Once again, good but nothing to write home about. Each shared plate was plenty for the two of us -- gave us each 2/3 to try. We finished with Creme Brule. It was good, again nothing special.

Common theme on the food -- okay to good but nothing that will get me to return any time soon. When there are so many restaurants to choose from in downtown Des Moines they really have to make an impression with me to return. The Stuffed Olive did not do...

We had an amazing experience at The Stuffed Olive, and our server, Jeffrey, made it truly exceptional. From the moment we sat down, he was attentive, friendly, and went above and beyond to ensure we had a fantastic night.

Jeffrey’s knowledge of the menu was impressive—he gave excellent recommendations on both cocktails and food, helping us pick the perfect drinks to complement our meal. The cocktails were top-notch, beautifully crafted, and full of flavor, exactly what we were hoping for. Jeffrey made sure our drinks were always refreshed and checked in regularly without being intrusive.

Beyond his service skills, Jeffrey brought such a positive and welcoming energy to our table. He made us feel like valued guests, not just customers, and truly enhanced our overall experience. It’s rare to find a server who balances efficiency with genuine hospitality so seamlessly, but Jeffrey did just that.

The atmosphere at The Stuffed Olive is always fantastic, but service like this makes it a place we’ll keep coming back to. If you’re dining here, I highly recommend asking for Jeffrey—you won’t be disappointed!

Huge thanks to him and the team for making our night so enjoyable. We’ll definitely...