Sam & Gabe's Italian Bistro
| Address » | 8631 Hickman Rd, Urbandale IA (Map) |
| Phone » | (515) 271-9200 |
| Website » | http://www.samandgabes.com/ |
| Downtown » | No |
| Type » | Restaurant |
| Tags » | Italian |
| Avg User Rating » |
  (based on 12 reviews) |
| User Reviews | |
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User Reviews (12 reviews)
Apr 22, 2008 hojo
Great atmosphere. Great steak. Amazing Italian Nachos. Love when they have live jazz. This is my favorite spot to take a date or sit in the bar before a night out.
Jan 07, 2008 
Sedition
Sam and Gabes is a restaurant that truly understands Des Moines. They have rich food, hearty portions, and traditional Italian cuisine, but with a noveau-American twist. When business partners are in from out of town, this is where we head to show them that Des Moines dining is not just sandwiches and beer.
First off, they have a fantastic wine list, comparable but smaller than the Greenbriar. The menu is reserved, covering a lot of traditional Americanized takes on northern Italian cooking, and with a focus on Italian steakhouse selections. This is a nice change from the tomato and over-cooked semolina noodles dishes of Des Moines traditional south-side community. The appetizers are fantastic, and the “Italian Nachos” are a kitschy name, but a must-have.
There are downsides. Des Moines is famous for great Italian restaurants in offbeat locations, just look at perennial favorite Baratta’s. But I’ve never enjoyed the strip-mall atmosphere and a struggle to find “the front door” like at Sam and Gabes. Also the restaurant it too dark. I know it’s “that way” when you go for the upscale crowd, but the real Mediterranean is very, very bright. I like to see my darling when we are talking. Also the deserts are just a little bit boring. They taste great – but Des Moines has a surprising number of innovative desert chef’s, and Sam and Gabes offerings are what I can get anywhere else.
If you live in Des Moines, and haven’t tried Sam and Gabes yet – you need to.
Jul 07, 2007 quietriot
My favourite restaurant in the Des Moines area. Perfect for a night on the town or a date with significant other. One time I ordered a pecan-crusted whitefish that was out of this world. All the food is wonderful.
Feb 25, 2007 IrishWalsh
The food at Sam and Gabe's has always been quite consistent in it's presentation and flavor which each of our visits. The menu is packed with good quality items to choose from. The three things that keep this from becoming a regular dining spot for us however are:
1. The salt content in the food. Wow, insane. Really needs toned down.
2. The prices. Much of their food is way over priced.
3. LOUD! Live music in the bar often and the dining room sounds WAY more crowded than it actually is.
Give it a whirl though.
Feb 02, 2007 Dre
Previously I've considered this one of our favorite places to go. But tonight, I've just come home with a different view. If you go, and they try to seat you in the basement, refuse. It is worth the wait to sit upstairs. The basement is freezing, the service SLOW, and the atmosphere as special as McDonalds. Unless you are getting with a large party (then the basement would be most comfortable), you will leave pissed off, as we did tonight. We will probably go back to S&G, but we will make it a point to make reservations or wait for the booth we want.
Oct 19, 2006 jopaul
I hate putting in a negative review for Sam & Gabe's because I LOVE their food and the service is wonderful. So you ask why I only rated them a 2.5 stars. I had to take a star away for everytime they raised thier prices. Another thing I found out last night was they don't offer the side pasta anymore which is very disappointing - that is now a la carte!!!!! The higher priced eaters are a la carte which we are not big fans. BUMMER!!!!! No one in the office will eat there again :(
Oct 10, 2006 Ginny
Fairly average food and atmosphere.
Feb 16, 2006 Tony
This is a top notch restraunt. Great service and classy setting. The food was excellent. I got the duck, and it was as good as any I've had. Prices are higher but justified. Great place for a special occasion. Also has a nice bar to wait at.
Oct 05, 2005 Paul Gates
I visit Sam and Gabes on a regular basis now. The only gripe I found before their move to Urbandale was the small dinning space which would descourage me from frequenting the restaurant. Now with the new space in Urbandale that is no longer a problem. The food wine selection and service is top rate and though the price might seems slightly high you will know why once you eat your main course. The food rivals any restaurant in any larger city. Believe me I know.
Aug 03, 2005 KMG
I went there a few weeks ago with some friends for the first time. The live jazz near the bar was fabulous, adds to the overall ambiance, of course. The food was really good, however, a tad bit over priced, and the way the dishes were presented to us was a little deceiving. The waitress gave us our options, but failed to tell us that certain side choices were extra and we all had little surprises when the bill arrived. Other than this, it was a pretty good experience, but nothing extraordinary.
Jun 14, 2005 kari
I had heard so many good thing about Sam & Gabe's.. and I can't say that I was really that impressed. Don't get me wrong, the food was pretty good and the service was decent.. but I just can't say that there was anything that really struck me -either way, good or bad- about this restaurant. Would I go there again? Possibly, but only if it is because someone else is set on visiting.
Apr 22, 2005 NicoleK
This Friday was my first time at Sam and Gabe’s. It came highly recommended and I was told to have the Chicken Aisago. The place is large, classy and very clean. The menu was impressive, offered a lot of interesting dishes. I ended up with the Chicken Asiago, salad with homemade Italian vinaigrette and a side of pasta with white and red sauce. And the verdict:
The salad was good boarding on great.
The Chicken was slightly overrated, but still good
The pasta with white and red sauce was absolutely wonderful
And I had dessert:
White Chocolate Bread Pudding that was complete heaven in my mouth.
Our water glasses were never empty, which I really like. The wait staff was slightly flaky, but not too bad. All in all it was pretty good, I would like to try it again and get something else. I also heard Sophia’s Café, (which is Sam and Gabe’s name at lunch), is really good.