Christopher's

Came to celebrate my boyfriend’s birthday and it was the best experience. It was a good idea to reserve a spot before coming, great food, great service, couldn’t ask for a better dinner spot!

We visited on a very busy Friday night for my birthday about 2 weeks before Christmas. We decided to sit in the bar & order as the wait for a table was longer. Ordered prime rib & a steak. Food was cooked perfectly & delicious. Too much ice in small glass for soft drinks. I would definately go back, but might choose to make a reservation for easier seating in the dining room on busy nights. I was not aware they did reservations!

The service was amazing!! Jake was attentive and took great care of us. The food was not the best, but they did replace our first entree free of charge, and the table next to us sent back stuff bc it was to salty. Again the service was amazing but the food was not our favorite.

Although the restaurant is known for steak de Burgo, the rare availability of prime rib, made it selection, easy and rewarding

Although I’ve lived in the Metro for quite some time I only discovered Christopher’s three years ago. There’s a lot to talk about..the food…the old school lounge…the Cheers like atmosphere. But what’s most important is this. Their team, led by Eric, goes out of their way to make you feel welcome. That’s it, that’s all I’ve got.

A DSM institution! Old school steakhouse in the cute Beaverdale neighborhood. I highly recommend the house salad dressing (creamy Italian) - other food was also good. Many at my table had the Prime Rib and enjoyed it. Our server, Katie, was absolutely fantastic!

All around outstanding. Great food, great service and great atmosphere. My apologies for no pic of the Steak De Burgo, I ate it too quickly!

Let me just say, it is not what we were hoping for. We, like many others had heard the buzz around Christopher's for many years, so last night we finally decided to try it. Service was good, drinks were great, food was the real weak point. Nothing we had was amazing, it was all about average or below.

great place to eat if you can get someone to answer the phone or be at the host station. on hold for 15 minutes waiting for the host, TWICE. Fantastic place if the customer service was better. Like a lot.

Love this place! Feels like home! Very accommodating for banquets as well. Have had many birthdays, rehearsal dinners, and parties here!

Still really enjoy Christophers. We've been coming for years, although we're amateurs compared to many loyalists. At any rate, it's a bit out of our current neighborhood, but we get here every once in a while; this time with our niece and nephew for a delightful evening. We were quickly seated in a booth for our reservation, and our server checked in immediately and regularly. Once we all arrived, we got in our drink orders. We were there on a Thursday, which is one of the half-price wine nights. My wife and I shared a nice bottle at a steep discount from the regular price. We decided not to do any appetizers, knowing we'd be well sated by our entrees. I got the Fettucine Gorganzola - a decadent and gooey concoction, with a generous serving of beef tenderloin. My wife got the Chicken Veloute, which was a fantastic chicken and crab combo with delicious mashed potatoes and asparagus. The others in our party got pasta dishes, and everyone but me was able to finish their meals while we were there. I enjoyed my leftovers for lunch the next day! Service as nothing short of fantastic, and the meals, along with the salads and bread were all fantastic too. Anyway...even though we were well topped off, we decided to get dessert. The other couple got the Carrot Cake - a big delicious piece, and we got German Chocolate Cake (a special for the night). That's one of my favs, and I was not disappointed. Reasonable pricing, a Des Moines staple, and a cool vibe (sit at the bar for a while if you can).

Christopher's was a good impromptu visit with a group of friends. We called ahead for a table of 6 and were told we would be accommodated upon arrival. We were taken to our table immediately, and I was shocked at the amount of seating in the restaurant for a very u assuming exterior. Our table ordered the Boursin Bruschetta which was a great shareable for the table! I would get this again. The soup was fair, but we appreciated the unlimited bread service. My imported Peroni was served in a frosted glass which made it much more crisp and refreshing. The Chicken Parmigiana was rich in flavor, but I would recommend sticking with the red sauce rather than half and half like the waiter recommended. My friends and I were in no rush, but the table service was objectively slow. This is really the main opportunity of improvement for an otherwise great local establishment.

Friendly service. Both bar and restaurant areas have a lively energy. Tasty house bread.

The food was great and our waitress was super friendly! The restaurant had a great vibe overall.

This could really have been a 3.5, if that were a thing. Stopped in on a Monday night with some girlfriends for a Christmas gift exchange. First up, cocktails. One of us ordered an Old Fashioned. It wasn't bad, but definitely sweeter than normal. We also ordered espresso martini's. Now, this is where I should preface by saying, the waitress did tell us they don't use actual espresso, but just a coffee liqueur, and that should have been enough for me to not order it, but I thought, "what the heck." Let's just say, lesson learned. Next, appetizers. We ordered the spinach & artichoke dip, which I am not normally a fan of, and the Boursin topped bruschetta. Both were fantastic and huge serving sizes. Finally, dinner. We ordered the prime rib for a 9/10, the manicotti Florentine which was a solid 7/10 (it just had a sweet flavor to it?), and the steak deburgo, which was SO tender and delicious, but sadly a little under cooked (ordered med-rare, was definitely rare). Overall, great atmosphere. Our server was fantastic. Food was above average. Just some minor improvements could really set this place apart!

Christopher's food is amazing. The service is top notch. The ambiance is cozy and warm. It's a hidden gem in the heart of Beaverdale.

Visiting relatives and wanted a little date night with my wife. First visit. We sat at the bar which was awesome. Perfect amount of darkness offset by sports on the TV. Fantastic bartenders; made great drinks and very entertaining; especially Ron. Can't explain enough how warm and inviting the bar was. Ordered our meal at the bar. Amazing salad with delicious house dressing. The meatza pizza was some of the best pizza we have ever eaten. Overall a fantastic experience; we will be back every time we come to Des Moines

I have been going there since i was 12. For almost 40 years. Every year for my birthday and now i don't live in DM i try to get there when i can. I ordered the chicken parm with side salad snd side if linguini. As good as i remember it to be The service is top notch and prople are engaging. If u have not tried it get there ASAP. Pasta is great but don't over look the beef!!!! Steaks are as good as it gets

Food was delicious and service friendly. We both had pasta dishes with enough left over to take home. Did I mention the key lime pie and falling down chocolate cake with ice cream?

Great atmosphere, fun place to watch a game at the bar as the TVs all operate in slightly different times.. fantastic prime rib and so nostalgic it makes me smile. Cool spot

Christopher's, yum, yum, yum!! Just ate there with my husband for the first time. Service, food, perfect! Spinach and artichoke- creamy and good! Bread warm, butter semi soft- totally dip worthy. Salads with house dressing, great! I got fettuccine Gorgonzola. It's hard for me to find and it's a favorite of mine. This was creamy and the steak was a perfect medium! Tasted amazing! My husband got the chicken Parmesan with both sauces. He loved it!! We will be going again and again!! I found my fav pasta dish! It's darker in there and I loved it but pictures were darker.

We were promptly seated. Our waitress was very attentive and made recommendations. We started with an order of bruschetta and she recommended boursin cheese which was unique and very good. I ordered the fettuccine gorgonzola and she made sure that I understood that it was going to have a blue cheese kind of taste to it. Our meals came with salad and a bread basket. The only flaw in the service was that young lady kept clearing the table a little too quick. She would grab the plates before we were finished and would take the silverwear with her. But overall 5 stars!

Have been back many times amazing place and food. We had the mushrooms to start were so amazing. My sister and I got spaghetti and we loved it. The bread and salad were great too. The service is always amazing the bussers really were so kind and made our days. Thank you so much!

We hadn't been over to this part of town, but were looking for Italian and this was one of the very few that was open on a Monday evening so gave it a try. Finding the front door was the first challenge from the large parking lot on the north side. There were several signs about surveillance cameras on the building, but nothing directing you to the front door - and a Pilates studio on the front of the building to further confuse you. Both outside and inside, there was nothing exceptional that really stood out about the building. If you've read my reviews though, that isn't my main concern...I'll take food quality and service over atmosphere any day. Craig was our waiter and did a good job of taking care of us. Once he mentioned Garlic Chicken Linguini as both recommended and spicy, I was sold and ordered it (see picture). It was indeed spicy and had a very unique flavor - maybe best described as olive oil with a pepper burn. My wife ordered the Pasta Prima Donna (see picture) and both of us really enjoyed it also. Lastly, we finished the meal with a shared piece of Tiramisu (see picture), as we find it hard to leave any Italian restaurant without trying a piece. It was very light relative to others we've had and tasted good, although it seemed to have come out of the fridge or freezer and still had several cold spots within it. Update: Stopped again for dinner last night and enjoyed everything except the non-cash fee to use a credit card (as you can tell, I'm not a fan of restaurants that do this). Started with the bread (see picture) and salad (see picture) and both were fresh and delicious. For my entree, I ordered Penne Diavolo (see picture) and my wife ordered Pasta Fresca with Shrimp (see picture). The Penne Diavolo was advertised as spicy and was just perfect to my taste (I highly recommend it - a nice 'kick' without too much burn). Compared to it, the Pasta Fresca was bland, but still very tasty. Unfortunately, they were out of Tiramisu...so no dessert for us... Food: 4 Atmosphere: 4 Value: 3 (charge fee to use credit card) Service: 4 If you found this review helpful, please click to show your support. For a list of great Happy Hour food and drink specials in the Des Moines area, visit: www.happyhourdesmoines.com

$60 for 2, no drinks. Chicken Parm, was soggy breading, sauce had no flavor. Lasanga, noodles over cooked and sauce no flavor. Chicken was not fully cooked, we did not eat or take leftovers home. Will not come again. Hope we don't get sick!!

A staple in DesMoines Beverdale area the service is 2nd to none family owned and the food is great , got to have the onion rings you won't regret it. It's a little pricey but worth every penny .My wife and I have dined here for years .

Favorite, friendly, family restaurant. Their prime rib is the best in town. Love this place and the folks who run it!

Not a bad place and they make you feel at home. The bartender was great and the atmosphere was pleasant. The food is good and the staff are friendly

Amazing drinks, food, and dessert. The French martini was of the best drinks I've had in a while. Also if you love prime rib, Monday nights are the best here. Great prime rib for $23 (salad and choice of potato included) Our server Jenny was awesome, extremely attentive and honestly couldn't imagine a better server! Only negative thing was the (3.99%) non cash adjustment charge, which just seems like an easy way for them to make more money. All in all great experience though!

Consistently good. Monday is prime rib special. You can get a nice slice very rare!

Very accommodating. We got into town 1 hr early, and they found us a table without issue. Delicious food, reasonable prices, and great service, thanks Jennifer.

This was my first time here and I was excited to come because I've heard such great things. We waited an hour for the food and our waitress didn't check on us. The manager or possibly the owner flew by asking if we were okay and needed anything but if we had said yes, not sure he would have heard us because he was moved on before we practically finished with our answer. It took almost an hour to get our food and my steak had been under the heat lamp too long, not juicy and over cooked. When our waitress came back and apologized for the miscommunication as she thought someone else was checking on us, I expressed my concern about the steak. She said she would give feedback to the chef but didn't offer anything off. I waited overnight to decided to write this to make sure I was really being fair and I felt the same and I do; only positive was ambiance and initially the waitress was really kind. I get that she was super busy, but come communicate and tell us. Also, someone flying by to "ask" us doesn't feel taken care of to me, perhaps stopping would be better.

Some of the best bartenders in the city! Great appetizers and I can't get over the Kim's chicken tenders made with crushed Honey Bunches of Oats- so original and so yum!

My daughter and I were driving by and decided to stop in. This was our first visit to the restaurant. The food was exceptional the past as were extremely well prepared and the meats and sauces were just packed with flavor. The house dressing is a sweet creamy Italian that is to die for. The tomato soup was more of a bisque and was worthy of a second bowl! Service was great. Thank you for a great evening.

Great French dip.. best I have had!! Great service!! We will return soon!! Nice atmosphere !!

This is a great example of an overpriced restaurant. The service is very good. The food is just good. You'll enjoy it if you don't mind paying a premium for service and ambiance.

We had our 50th wedding celebration at Christopher's 13 family members ,wonderful service great food all in all our favorite restaurant in the world

Best steak da burgo in Des Moines. This restaurant has been around for a very long time. The food quality and incredible service has been on point thru the years. The pizza is also incredible.

Great PIzzas and Pasta. The Joe is always a go to Pizza. One of the best in the city no doubt. Fettuccine Gorgonzola is another one!

Wife an I got there at 5:00pm with only a few in the bar. The hostess seated us in the back room at the smallest table in the place right by the kitchen. It was so dark there I had to use my phone flashlight to see the menu. We said something to no avail. When a party of four showed up they turned up the lights. The food was okay. First visit and probably the last

I went in to submit a rather large and detailed food order for a client last Saturday and even though they were extremely busy, they took great care to make sure the order was exactly as specified. Shout-out to the entire crew for not only accommodating the order, but also their fabulous customer service.

I've been going to Christopher's since I was 5 years old. It's located at the heart of Beaverdale and is next door neighbors with my elementary and middle school. It is, in a way, the central food of my lifetime. It's the best Italian-American food I've ever had, without any bias. If I develop a strong enough bond with someone, or even just meet their humble acquaintance, I will either invite them or encourage them to come here. My favorite dishes are their Chicken Parmesan (half-white and half-red sauce, of course), the Chicken Soto (extra provel cheese, which I can't find ANYWHERE), the Meat'za Pizza (ranch on the side), Kim's Chicken Tenders (extra honey mustard), the chocolate falling down cake with raspberry sauce and just about everything else. It's not just the best food in Des Moines, it's also home to the most welcoming and heartwarming atmosphere. I had my high school graduation party here, where they made Mac N Cheese that isn't on the menu, and Kim's Chicken Tenders. Every time I return home to stay with my mom or pops, Christopher's is my first stop. If you go, ask for Bridget as your server and tell her Ralph sent you. You can thank me later.

Currently the front runner for a date spot for me and my wife. I keep wanting to try new things on the menu but the steak de burgo is just too good! Highly recommend all the appetizers, we love the spinach artichoke dip. The portions are huge and is a good starter. They pour nice drinks and is all around a great atmosphere, definitely our vibe.

Our dinner was a special occasion and I hadn't been in a very long time so I did not know what to expect. I had one of their signature dishes Chicken Parmigiana with Alfredo sauce. Yes, it is ridiculously decadent! The portion size is made for a family, it was 4 full meals for me so the value is definitely there too. My partner got the sirloin steak and it was no less that 1.5-2 inches thick and it was super large - I would say it was at least a pound of meat that was so delicious and cooked perfectly to order. We also had the escargot and it was garlicky and yummy. The toast that accompanied the escargot was crazy good too. It is a "must have" appetizer. But that was not all they made two ice cream after dinner drinks for us upon request. They were not on the menu and again hit it out of the park... we had a banana banshee and a pink squirrel.

Very delicious fare. I'll be coming back for the Boursin Mushrooms and the crab cakes!

My wife and I just dined at Christophers earlier this week and enjoyed the benefit of their half-price wine night. If you are unaware, Wednesdays and Thursday nights are half-price for the bottle. Definitely helps on the bottom line. Our waitress was fine and we both placed our orders for Italian dishes. I enjoyed my salad with the house dressing. My wife thought the 'house' was sweeter than she remembered and was a little too sweet for her taste buds. Dinner arrived, chicken carcuro for her and chicken parmigiana for me. Her's was basically good, but seemed to lack in seasoning and flavor. Each to his or hers in this judgement. Mine; however, was lacking The chicken breast was as large as a steak. and just as thick. Instead of a crispy crust, it came as a very soft almost mushy portion. Mushy isn't the right term, but it was all I could think of. Just not what a veal or chicken parmigiana should be served like. A little more attention in the kitchen might go a long way since the dining area was very slow that evening. ***

This has always been a nice staple when we have to reserve tables for birthday events. Last stop was for chicken Soto which was fantastic. I'd do something different besides plain noodles with it next time. Onion rings are delicious and a large can easily feed 4-5 people.

Birthday dinner on a Saturday night. Shout out to Eric in the bar for preparing another amazing dirty martini! Our granddaughter loved her Shirley Temple garnished with two cherries and an umbrella! I had chicken parmigiana- the BEST I have ever had anywhere. My husband had scallops and said they were delicious. Pizza and spaghetti and meatballs along with our dinner salads were enjoyed by all. Our server, whose name escapes me BUT she also works at Americana was just great! Thank you Ron, Eric and Manuel. Beautiful restaurant to celebrate a 62nd birthday!

I really wanted to visit as I had heard positive things from friends so we ventured to Beaverdale for my birthday this weekend with friends. Some of our party got here early to get a table. It wasn't necessary as the place was pretty empty for 5:30/6 on a Saturday night. That didn't stop them from seating us by the waitress station anyway so we could enjoy the sound of cleared dishes crashing every so often. Did I mention they crammed 5 of us around a small round table? We started with the stuffed mushrooms. They were not bad, but we didn't finish them. Some of the food ordered in our group was the recommended chicken Parmesan and prime rib. Portions were large. TMI-the chicken parm goes right thru you. Haven't brought ourselves to reheat the leftovers we brought home yet. Our waitress was great-super friendly, refilled drinks, and checked on us occasionally.

Love this place! Food is delicious and the place has a fancy feel but still kid friendly! Great Italian classic spot for Des Moines!

My friend & I were looking for a place to eat dinner & we decided on Christopher's. We arrived around 9pm & was seated immediately. We ordered onion rings for our appetizer. I ordered a cheese pizza for my main course & my friend ordered the Bistecca sandwich. Our appetizer arrived quickly & we dug in. It was pretty good, though a slight rant that there was a big Chuck of rings that were stuck together. We had saw that they serve free bread with the meal, but so far had yet to see any. As we were about to say something the waitress brought it out, which I guess is a thing to bring out before the entree. My friends sandwich arrived before my pizza did, but it wasn't too far behind. The sandwich was huge & looked good. My pizza definitely looked made to order, which was excellent. My friend really enjoyed his sandwich as well. We ordered dessert to finish off. I ordered the key lime pie & he ordered cheesecake. My friend said his was just okay. I enjoyed the key lime pie. Overall I enjoyed the experience & the waitress was attentive & nice.

Was just in there this evening. Food was great, but I'd like to leave a review on our server. I think her name was Katie. She was the BEST server I have had in a long time. I will be back to try more of the menu, but I will DEFINITELY be back just so she can be my server again :)

A family owned 2nd generation restaurant in beaver dale. Great service with a neighborhood feel. Easy to have s greAt dinner in the bar or the restaurant. I ordered the walleye but steaks and pasta are highly recommended. The deburgo is fabulous.

Haven't been here for years because I wasn't in love with it when I lived close. This is still just ok to me. Clam chowder had clams and was a great consistency and had ok flavor. I had the Marsala and I do not like red peppers so that could be eliminated from the dish. I like the creamy Marsala but it didn't have an amazing rich deep taste. Husband had chicken Parmesan with Alfredo and red sauce and loved it.

I love a classic Italian restaurant and Christopher's is a classic. I started with the Malbec, which is a little spicy, but an excellent wine. The salad with the house dressing was a strike out for me. Iceberg lettuce, croutons that could break your teeth, and way too much dressing. The dressing was good, but the salad should be romaine. I will get the dressing on the side next time. The crab cake appetitizer was a good starter. The crab was very mild. The salmon was excellent. I decided to go with Linguine with Red Sauce instead of the rice. It was definitely an excellent choice. The bread was pretty good also. This place has solid average Italian food and great service. I am definitely going to be back to try some more food.

I think Christopher's gets away with a lot because they have a lot of regulars. We hadn't been there for awhile, and I was disappointed. Service was slow. Our server forgot to bring us our salads. When our main course was served, we asked about the salads. Instead of offering to bring them, she boxed them for carry-out. The prime rib was delicious, but the lasagna was overcooked. The bread was undercooked. And, our bills included a 3.99% charge for using credit cards. If they want to offer an incentive for paying with cash, they should give a cash discount instead of charging more for using credit cards. I won't be returning.

Just went there for a company dinner (first time there for all of us). We had the best waitress, Katie, who not only served us, but made us feel like special guests. The bread (yum!) was delicious and the prime rib was perfect. We can't believe that we have lived in this area for 20 years and had never been there! We will be back.