Centro Restaurant & Bar Reviews

Wonderful food and atmosphere! A little pricey but worth it. Staff is friendly, and menu has solmethibg for everyone.

Good food, nice staff, awesome drink selection. On the pricey side, though.

Very pricey for what you get. The food is very consistent here, in fact I have never gotten anything bad, just good. This is not a place for shorts and a tee shirt. In my opinion this is not a restaurant for kids. The food and environment don't really support brining them.

Just got food from here. It was amazing. The truffle mac had been suggested by others. Boy were they right. Great food. Fairly priced. Perfectly done!

Very nice setting with patio seating enhances the dining experience. Hood food and great location in downtown Des Moines.

Thus restaurant is a must for me any time I'm in Des Moines for work.

Simply put, this restaurant has the best pizza in Des Moines. We nearly always sit bar side which has open seating and happy hour specials. The only down side to bar seating is that one has to ask for a bread basket. This is not something to be missed either as they serve warm South Union Bakery bread.

The staff is always friendly and if ordering pizza will serve up the first slice. Drinks are well proportioned and there is a variety of specials available during happy hour to suit nearly any palate. Finally desserts are tasty but if there is a weakness for this restaurant I would say this is it. The cheesecake we have ordered has been frequently undercooked, but is also fantastic when properly cooked.

The pizza is the star of the show though. We have ordered other dishes, and while some of the specials are not to be missed, we always remember and come back for the pizza. If you enjoy New York style pizza you would be remiss not to try Centro's pizza.

Impeccable service and food. A Des Moines favorite.

Not bad. I really don't know what all the fuss is about considering this is a Des Moines "place to go" it seems. The food was good, not excellent, and it's expensive for what you get. Wasn't a bad experience by any means, but also not somewhere that I would tell my friends/family that they HAVE to go.

Our food was fantastic and we had excellent service

One of my favorite restaurants when visiting Des Moines. My Filet was delicious, and the Salmon is quite tasty too. Good wine/drink selection to fit. Excellent professional service.

Eat here about once a week. Love it. Tonight's my birthday so that means a free desert and a great steak. The Centro New York Cut.

Good food and atmosphere. Excellent Bloody Mary bar.

It was ok but not great for the price and the tables are crowded way to close together.

Best Italian in town... Tried Garlic Pizza and it was a Killer. Kristi was super friendly and knowledgeable.

Love the food and service! And the ambiance is amazing. Also me and my friends would like to thank you the owner for the kind gesture he did.

Excellent meal, excellent service. Would highly recommend.

Centro is delicious. I went there for a work lunch. Food and service were great! The only downside is that it gets loud in there. So, if you're hard of hearing it's not the best place for a business lunch.

It's a very nice restaurant in downtown Des Moines and they serve authentic delicacies. Staff is very well behaved and friendly.

Get a reservation for sure. Such nice humble folks serving excellent dining experience. Seated and served with fresh bread, get there before 6 for a $5.00 martini. Then on to an incredible deep Italian wine by the glass list, served in proper wine glasses I might add. Scrumptious chicken gumbo for starters.

Always delicious food! Great staff as well. Soups, salads, and pizzas are amazing!

Really good food, at decent prices and great service. All in all a great way to spend a night out with friends

I took my daughter recently to Centro for a "date night" and was impressed by the entire experience. It's been a while sadly since I've had the chance to enjoy Centro. Once again, it was a wonderful time.

But what I really want to say was the service was exceptional last night! I sadly don't remember her name (we were sitting in a table for two in the middle. She had short, curly hair and glasses.) From the beginning to the end, she was honestly taking the time to make sure we enjoyed ourselves. I never got the feeling from her that she was "frazzled" having to handle any additional guests. She even paused as she served my steak to allow my to cut into it to make sure it was done to my liking. There are very places I know of that have servers that provide this attentiveness.

Overall the food was great, the atmosphere was fun but her service really made the night perfect. A big "Thanks" to your staff and we hope to be back soon.

Located at 10th and Locust streets downtown Des Moines. They offer indoor and outdoor dining. I sat in the bar with a view of 10th and Locust streets. I found the food and service excellent. I had crab cakes, cavatelli and cheesecake. I took half back home with me. A nice place, I recommend them.

I ate so much bread, I hardly had any room for the Centro Calzone, which was delicious as well.

Have eaten here several times over the past few yrs and have never had a bad meal. The food and s high quality and well prepared. The service is excellent. We travel a lot...Steven W. Was our waiter and I felt I was back in Europe...not hurried, but had had careful attention!!! Remarkable service!! The meat and cheese appetizer plate is huge with high quality meats, cheeses and olives. Good wine list to meet most budgets. We will always return.

The place offers an awesome variety of fresh food. I enjoy dining here. Employees are always very nice, pricing is reasonable and the place is always clean.

This is the 2nd time my wife and I have been to Centro. The first time we didn't have much time to eat because we were going to a show and couldn't take it to go. The waiter was so amazing that he offered to hold it at the restaurant for us until the show was over.

This time we went for my wife's birthday and the service was amazing again. Our food arrived fast and was perfect. The price is a tad expensive but it's worth it. We have found our new favorite restaurant.

Expensive but large portions for price. Smaller menu than most restaurants but service is excellent.

Always good food and great cocktails with excellent service.

Great food! Although I still feel like the name is missing an "h" somewhere...

I can't stop craving the marshmallow sundae. I want it all the time.

Ate at South Union. Kind of pricey but the sandwiches are great.

It was amazing! The service was great and drinks were great as well..

This place is my favorite. I can't say enough good about it, and I wish it wasn't two hours from me. My vodka martinis are always mixed perfectly, and the steak centro is always done to perfection. The service is superb, and the atmosphere is perfect. I can't wait until next time!

We were a group of about 12. The staff was very helpful and efficient. Several different menu items were ordered with all being excellent. I enjoyed the salmon. You won't be disappointed.

Always great food and service! Love the menu choices and great drinks too!! Definitely a great date night spot with your spouse or friends!!

Have been coming here since the early 2000s. Their excellent quality continues. We enjoyed another George's Favorite pizza tonight and basil soup. Great service. Efficient pick up. We highly recommend Centro.

I especially enjoy sitting at their bar in the late afternoon. Dependable service and quality offerings. Pizza is half-price on Monday nights.

We had a fried trio of calamari, Brussel sprouts and portobello fries for the table. The portobello fries were the standout. As a lover of calamari, I was disappointed. They lacked any flavor. Only when dipped in one of the sauces were they salvageable. Most folks at the table ordered the Chicken Saltimbocca. I had the salmon and broccolini dish. The portions were so great, I wasn't even close to being able to finish the meal.

Pasta special disappointed me. But our waitress was friendly and very capable.

I had the chicken and pancetta penne dish, saying that it was amazing is an understatement!!! I love this place so much, friendly and had nice outdoor seating. Will definitely be back many times in future. Everything came out at a quick pace and was perfect!

Went here last night and it was my first time, and I can honestly say, it s a delicious and an unexpected Italian restaurant in Des Moines! It is a great and perfect place for a date, the ambience is good. Their food is simply amazing! I love Italian food, so Centro is the one who can cure my delights to pastas. I highly recommend it, you will never regret it.

Delicious pizza and great service! Get the Margarita. You might want to make reservations here!

Great food and service with a neat atmosphere and you can watch them make pizza

Some of the best food I have ever had! Appetizers, pastas, pizzas. . . All top of the line!

Service was good. Food average. Not much atmosphere.

Excellent food. My establishment of choice when looking to really celebrate something special. Staff are professional. Definitely impressive and memorable.

Great place overall. Phenomenal bread to start with. Their tomato soup, salads, and sandwichs are excellent. However, their pizza is greatly overpriced for the quality. The atmosphere is nice with great smells but it can be quite loud if there is a full house. My wife also says its too cold on the inside. Service is usually good.

Always fantastic!! Great happy hour martinis and appetizers. Wait staff is awesome!

Food & service excellent. Portobello fries are wonderful!

It was fantastic my son works there th waiter was very good my son is Derek Lawson

Not sure it tastes like Italian food after spending a lot of time in Italy. However it is decent. Not too noisy although busy. A good wine list. Try the Sardinia wine! Pleasant atmosphere and staff.

Quality food in higher end atmosphere. Pleasant interior. Can be noisy when it gets busy which can be distracting during conversation. Service is great. Really enjoy lunch/specials. Food is consistent and good. Never had poor experience with food. A place I would recommend.

Excellent service, fun cocktails, delicious food. Negatives: very little gluten free to choose from and loud noise levels.

Good food, great service. Nice to go at non-busy times as otherwise can get loud. Definitely get the marshmallow sundae!

Fantastic veggie avocado burger. Pizza is always good

For the menu prices I'd be fine elsewhere, for an Italian Restaurant the pasta options are miniscule.

The truffle portabella fries are life changing! All the food was good!

The tomato-basil soup was the best, and their Centro salad is great as well.

Comments from the family:
"Flavorful. Every bite was filled with flavor."
"Presentation of the food and the atmosphere was amazing."
"We could see the kitchen. It was so cool getting to see them work."

We absolutely loved our brief visit to Centro and the staff was amazing! From the food to the building and our waitress, Allison. She was beyond fantastic, and even gave us some of the history of the building and its Masonic roots.
The hallway past the bathroom into the Temple Theater and beyond. Everything made for a great night out during our first trip to Des Moines.
Thank you so very much!

We just went here for dinner, and were really impressed with the pizza & the service! Nicholas was fantastic & made sure we had everything we needed. Highly recommend!

Not our first time here, but today we gathered a group of 25 for brunch, to celebrate my mother's birthday. First, the reservations were handled well, promptly and professionally, as was an adjustment to the headcount. Today I asked to have the table arrangement changes a bit and they accommodated pleasantly. Then I learned we would have 2 more arriving and the manager added a table for us, quickly and happily.

Food service for large groups is typically challenging. Not so at Centro. They assigned 3 staff to us. They were all excellent.

The kitchen was also spot on. All food was well prepared and flavorful. In my segment, staff nearly simultaneously served food for 10.

All-in-all, a great experience, one I would readily repeat.