Tumea & Sons Restaurant — Restaurant in Des Moines

I've lived in Des Moines for 25 years and talked about wanting to eat here for years but just never got around to it. Tonight my husband and I finally tried it for the first time and we loved it. We can see why it's so popular and a Des Moines favorite. The parking lot was full so we were expecting a very long wait. However, when we got inside we discovered we'd only have to wait a couple minutes. That was a nice surprise.

I ordered the cavatelli with Graziano sausage and my husband got the Penne Salsiccia. I thought my cavatelli was excellent and very cheesy, but I have to say that it's not the best cavatelli I've ever had. I was kind of hoping it would be a little spicier but it was still very good. My husband liked his pasta a lot, too, and said it was spicy. I stole a bite and agreed that it was really good. We didn't have to wait very long for our food and it came out not too long after we finished our salads. The portions for both of our dishes were a pretty good size and we both took home leftovers. I really appreciated that they also gave us each two pieces of bread and a nice-sized salad with our entrees. Most newer restaurants don't include that with their dinners. And it wasn't just a cheap iceberg lettuce salad. There was a combination of iceberg lettuce, leaf lettuce and romaine. Their salad dressings were also awesome. I really loved the house dressing which was a creamy garlic parmesan and my husband liked his blue cheese dressing. They both tasted homemade.

The place isn't fancy and it's not the most romantic if you're taking a date there but it makes up for it with the great food and the awesome service. It looks a little bit dated but it feels homey with all the family photos on the wall. Our waitress Natalie was awesome and she was on the ball the whole time we were there. She refilled my water even before my water glass was completely empty. I usually have to track down someone when I need my water refilled. She also checked in on us a couple times to make sure everything was alright. Her friendliness and upbeat attitude were really refreshing. I wish more servers had the same attitude as her.

I really like the unpretentiousness of this place. It's a great neighborhood restaurant and you get great food at a reasonable price. I'm so happy to add this to our list of favorite restaurants. We'll be...

I had an important & personal dinner with family and close friends at Tumea and Sons tonight. I called about 2 weeks ago to make reservation for 20 people. Walked in tonight to a kind of separated room with tables completely set up, silverware, menus, and full glasses of iced water waiting. Bam, in came baskets of bread. Waitress came in asking for drink order and any appetizers. I inquired to a drink menu and she pointed out the beer & wine list, not my thing. I’m asking for any drink specials, any other options besides beer & wine. She was a little dry. We happen to catch a handsome man coming out of a door and ask if he’s the manager or if we could speak with him. He was personable, had a great keenness about him, sense of humor, good at what he does! I explained this was an important meal, and why we were all there, and that I had chosen this restaurant for a few specific reasons - the Steak De Burgo, it has a bar, and I have always wanted to try a cannoli. He asked what I liked, sweet, fruity, decided on a martini of some sort, walked away, and came back with some sort of a cherry flavored martini that was good and was going to do the trick! Also ordered a strawberry daiquiri. I had THE BEST dining experience of my life! Food was fast, fresh, delicious. First appetizers, then soup or salad that came with dinner, then dinner. It just rolled from one thing to next in perfect succession. I don’t remember waiting for anything. The food was 10/10, service was the best I’ve ever had, atmosphere was warm and enjoyable for my dinner, we wanted for nothing. The absolute cherry on top though… that gentleman worker brought me out a plate of cannolis with strawberries, whipped topping, and chocolate drizzle knowing I had said I always wanted to try one. What excellent customer service, but above that, thoughtfulness. I highly recommend Tumea and Sons. And thank you to all who helped make my night as...

Actually, this place is a 3.5⭐ type concept. It has been here for awhile. The staff is knowledgeable and service is excellent. Old but very clean and charming. There is a bar setting as you walk in and it stages you until you burst into a well lit old world type dining room. The salad I got wasn't bad. The breads and circuses were quite decent also. My friend ordered the special which was a stuffed pepper and I ordered spaghetti and a meatball. We were pleased with the ambience. My friend and his family are regulars of sorts here and I was pleased to be there. The entree' (house spaghetti) with salad and bread was sufficient to leave me just a little uncomfortably full which is what one would expect from a slightly pricey establishment. I was offered a piece of the pepper he ordered and realized I probably should have gotten that. The spaghetti was good but just a smidge overdone and there was too much water on the bottom. The sauce sat a little long on the steam table but was rich and flavorful enough to still shine. The meatball was stellar. All in all I would happily go back again as it was an enjoyable meal in a fine setting that elluded to a time fifty years prior with a wonderful server(s) however, Iwould for certain follow my instinct and go for the lasagna as I saw a piece go by to another table and wanted to join them long enough to talk them out of it and go back with it to my table the look and smell was divine in itself. You have to love Italian family places. The charm is as important (almost) as the food and a part of the experiance that makes an average place a wonderfully woven fabric of epicurean delight. Nice...