Bravo! Italian Kitchen — Restaurant in West Des Moines

Visited for the first time tonight. My family (myself, husband, and two young daughters) was greeted like we were the most welcome guests ever with such kindness and excitement. Once we were sat, it didn’t take long to figure out this is a family run establishment. There were so many tables of guests and some at the bar as well. I noticed that there was very minimal staff on the floor (I have also been a server and/or bartender). It didn’t bother me, but made me concerned for the beautiful young woman who waited on us. No need for concern at all because she was handling everything perfectly. I was honestly surprised and didn’t know how she did it all! We got our drinks, appetizers, and food all in a timely manner that anyone would expect. But it gets even better…… You would expect longer wait times or hiccups even with this magical staff. All of a sudden we heard a commotion at the bar. A woman was speaking very loudly and at first we thought it was just somebody having a good time. But it got louder and clearer, with swear words thrown all about. A woman was upset with a minor mistake made on her bill. I can knowingly say it was minor because she got so loud, screaming her face off at the bartender, we got to hear exactly why she was upset and her excuse for feeling so. This went on for over five minutes, she screamed things I wouldn’t even think of saying in anger. Whom I assumed to be an owner relieved the bartender and did her best to calm the woman down asking her to leave (or at least go outside). The woman refused. It trickled down from there to the point where our waitress had to get involved, stepping off the floor to call the police. This young lady was already busy af, handling things like a boss, and had to take the time to deal with something that would set her way behind. Needless to say, she didn’t skip a beat. But it gets even better believe it or not!!…. As the woman finally exited, myself and the rest of the guests applauded her on her way out. BUT, the bartender, who she had screamed horrible things at for minutes, stood up for her by announcing that she had just lost her ex husband. I’m assuming it came up in conversation while he served her before she lost her mind. What a good man to endure what he did, and still find it in his heart to announce that. Long story short, just kidding, it was a very long story: 🤩The staff is amazing no matter what situation they encounter. 🤩The food was fantastic. 🤩The entire restaurant of guests were apologized to by the owner and offered a free dessert. 🤩Everyone was understanding and nobody took advantage of the free dessert. 😜I understand, without even knowing the rude woman, why her husband was her “ex” husband. Most people are going through something. But it’s never an excuse to treat others the way we encountered this customer treating the staff tonight. I cannot even begin to express how well it was handled by the...

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 A Five-Star Experience — With Acknowledgment of the Deeper History That Shapes Dining in America

Dining at Bravo! Italian Kitchen is, on the surface, a comforting and enjoyable experience. The food — from the creamy spinach artichoke dip to the perfectly prepared shrimp scampi — is thoughtfully crafted and served in an atmosphere designed for ease and warmth. The service is professional and attentive, and the setting feels inclusive and accessible.

But to view any modern American restaurant purely in terms of food and ambiance is to miss the deeper story. Behind every plate is a system that reflects the history of labor, race, and inequality in the United States. Much of the food service industry, including establishments like this one, is built on the undervalued labor of workers — many of whom are immigrants and people of color. This echoes a much older American legacy: the foundational economic structures of slavery, where Black bodies were exploited for profit, and the post-slavery systems that continued to marginalize non-white workers through segregation, exclusion, and wage suppression.

Today’s restaurant workers may no longer be enslaved, but many still face modern forms of exploitation: low wages, lack of benefits, and limited protections. A five-star experience for one group of people often comes at the cost of another group’s labor being undervalued or invisible.

So yes — Bravo! Italian Kitchen offers excellent food and a great night out. But let us not separate pleasure from perspective. The ability to enjoy a $25 entrée in a calm, curated environment is a privilege rooted in layers of economic and racial history that deserve our recognition.

True appreciation means seeing the...

We've eaten here a number of times. Last night, unfortunately it was not such a pleasant visit.

First, I drink water. I don't order pop or tea. When you order water, ask for a pitcher as you may never get another refill.

We sat outside. Ordered chicken parmesan - to share. I asked when I ordered that we receive additional sauce. We always do because they will only give you a tablespoon of the stuff on the dish. Not sure why, maybe it's a high fashion thing.

The food was delivered absent the sauce by someone other than our waiter. We had a difficult time explaining to him that we had ordered extra sauce. Not surprisingly, he spoke Spanish. And, not surprisingly, our food had very, very little sauce on it.

We started eating. The guy finally brought the sauce - a small cup with maybe two tablespoons of sauce in it. We used it and waited for our waiter. I drank my water and we sat and sat and sat. When he finally showed up, he asked if I wanted him to sack up what I hadn't eaten, which was 80% of my plate. I said no, I ran out of water long ago and am unable to eat without water.

My date gave up on eating her meal as well as it was cold and no sauce was delivered.

The manager came to the table and said that we would not have to pay but could he give us a gift certificate. My date said that would be nice as she enjoyed the cheesecake. He left never to return so we got up and left.

Hard to believe service could be so bad. I think we'll stick to Biaggi's.

By the way, the Bocci ball thing they have going on... I saw some kid, maybe 8 or 9 bounce one of those balls off some lady's leg who was sitting by the game area. Not a good idea to allow kids in there throwing those things. His dad ended up...