Tumea & Sons Restaurant

I just went to Tumea&sons for my first time ever tonight and it was absolutely everything I expected it to be and more. I got the steak it was worth it and the Italian 76 drink was delicious and had me feeling great. My waitress was a sweetheart and you could see how attentive all the waiters and waitresses were to their tables. I was impressed and can’t wait to come back.

This is great family owned local spot. Food was amazing. Service was friendly and knowledgeable. Pace of the appetizers, entree, etc. was perfect. I got the Chicken Saltimbocca, my sister the Chicken Marsala. Portions were generous for the price. I will definitely take more friends and family here when they are in town.

It was a must to visit when we were back in town! Lunch special was phenomenal. Great staff, super friendly.

It was my husband and my first visit to this restaurant. The food was fantastic, the wait staff were wonderful, and our meal was not at all rushed. We ordered the toasted ravioli app, which was great. Our salad/soup was not served until we had finished our app, likewise, our main was not served until those had been finished. Service was attentive, no need was left unaddressed. We felt prices were very fair, wonderful experience. Highly recommend!

Worst experience as possible! To be excited to eat at a place you’ve called home for so many years! What a disappointment! The Mediterranean salad that could be shared with the table for 15.00 dollars was a joke! The house made dressing was spot on! My waitress was a walking dead zombie who had no people skills whatsoever so ever!!!! Horrible experience! No wonder everyone has told me the service here has become a joke!!!

Tumea's tastes just like home. Great food, great service, and a feeling like you're family.

We started with the combination breaded ravioli, so good! My husband said it’s the best steak (de burgo) he’s ever had. I had the chicken Marsala and it was delicious as well. Definitely recommend!

Amazing Cheese soup. The chicken saltimbocca might be the best chicken I've ever had. You definitely get plenty of food, and the price is pretty decent, 20-30 for most items.

Despite a full parking lot we were seated in great time. Our waitress was kind and attentive and the atmosphere was homely like a proper Italian eatery should be. It was very clean throughout, the noise of good food being eaten, and all kinds of pictures of family & Italy The blue cheese was nice and bitter as opposed to sour which I liked. My date enjoyed her French Dressing. We then both shared the Manicotti and the Fettuccine Alfredo which were divine. The ricotta was creamy and the tomato sauce was tangy, a perfect Manicotti. The Alfredo came with a thick fettuccine noodle and moist blackened chicken breast. Coupled with fresh baked bread loves this meal reminds me of my favorite restaurant from home. A delicious meal to be sure.

Stopped in before an Iowa Cubs game. I tried for reservations but it's for 6+. No problem getting in 4:50 pm on a Saturday! And such great service! Our drinks came quickly, as did our salads & food! Waitress was attentive! We had creamy parm for dressing, but it is more a creamy garlic. Salads were colorful & good! Rolls come out immediately. They were ok--perhaps day old. But the butter accompanying them was spreadable! Nice touch. Hubby's shrimp diablo was creamy & and a big portion! Friend's salmon & veggies was tasty, as was his wife's chicken d'burgo! She had penne pasta as a side & loved the red sauce. My pasta with sausage red sauce was spicy! And tasty!! I loved it & brought home 1/2!! The decor is like it was 20 years ago. Old time supper club! Good Italian food! We'll be back!

Tumea has been open a long time. The best option if you are interested in visiting is to get in a reservation. Since we did have a larger group going it did benefit us to put in a reservation about a week ahead. They were very accommodating as we learned of our group number changing. We arrived on time for our table and were sat right away. The restaurant was full. We had a great waitress who was kind and understanding as we waited for the rest of the party to show. We waited over 20 min before we found out that the last of our party was not coming. She was still very cool and started taking our orders as soon as we let he know. There was lots to choose from. Everyone around me got something different. I kept hearing great things about the chicken Marsella. I ordered the chicken Marsella and it came with a salad. The house salad dressing is a "creamy garlic." The waitress called is a creamy parmesan. I can say.... it was garlic more than parmesan. We all had a good chuckle how much we were tasting the garlic and could smell it on our breath. The rest of the meals came out with no problem. Fresh bread was pre meal and everyone had a good time. I didn't hear of anyone having any issues at our table of 12 people. I think I will choose a different meal next time. To me, the chicken seemed dryer than I would have liked, but when i stole some bites of my husbands meal, his was rather good. It has been many years since we had been there last. Mostly due to the location to where we live. I am sure we will get back there again in the future.

The service was se one to none. The food was delivered hot and delicious. The portion size was reasonable and the price was so reasonable. We both had the chicken deburgo. I had the salad with the house dressing and my mother had the cheese soup. I had the rice pilaf and she had the cottage fries. All of it was great! The atmosphere was what you would expect from an old style Italian joint would been... family pictures adorn the walls and vinyl table cloths are on the table. There was so much nostalgia in this place and the food was outstanding too... If you want an authentic experience I would suggest a trip here...

Fabulous service, food and atmosphere. I can't believe it took me this long to discover this gem. It was a busy night so we sat at the bar which was fine. Time was limited for us so we skipped apps and ordered right away. I had the pasta Diablo with added chicken & veggies. My daughter had the chicken Alfredo. Both to die for, came salad and bread. So flavorful & huge portions. We will return for apps & dessert soon. All food coming out looked & smelled great.

A true family restaurant atmosphere. Staff made you feel at home waitress was quick and made sure that we were taken care of. Had veal Parmesan and veal saltimbocca. Both were excellent. Red sauce has great taste and is not sweet (personal pet peeve). Was able to thank the owner for our experience. This would be a weekly stop of if I lived in Des Moines

It was our first time here. This place came highly recommended. I was seeking to eat Chicken Parmesan for the first time and was assured this place would not let me down. Unfortunately I did not find the Chicken Parmesam to be very good. The chicken was tough. My daughter ordered the meatball sandwich and loved the bread but thought the meatball (loose meat) lacked flavor. We had to wait about 30 minutes for a table but they were slammed and we hadn't made a reservation, so understandable. The staff was working hard to turn tables. I loved the family pictures and wall space dedicated to the kids. I probably won't be back because I think I'll be able to get better food elsewhere.

Not only is this our absolute favorite Italian restaurant but it is our favorite restaurant to patronize. Those nights when the "what do you want, idk"start we go here because we can always find something. Always a clean establishment, staff is extremely friendly, and great food. Need I say more?

Tumea And Sons arruved about 15min before anyone in my party, and it took about that long for someone to come and get my drink order (albeit the rest of my party wasn't there). Nobody died, I survived the thirst, and got a drink order in as the rest of my party was arriving. Calamari - was good, nothing to write home about but it was good. IMO would've been better with marinara over honey mustard. House salad w/ Italian dressing was good. Chicken Saltimbocca - great flavor and lots of sauce. Different than others I've had, not in a bad way. Cavatelli w/ sausage - was good. Flavor was on point, and pasta was al dente. Hefty cheese baked on top to keep this dish nice and piping hot. Penne Salsiccia - a pound of pasta, tasty and al dente, very good. Shrimp Diablo - not spicy at all, shrimp was slightly undercooked. Not the best Shrimp Diablo around but it was good. Located just south of downtown. Everything was good, no complaints.

I had never heard about Tumea and Sons. It is apparently a local legend. While the place is a little dated, it works. You feel like you have walked into a family spot that has served the famous. There are lots of old photographs on the wall. The servings are big enough to serve two or take home leftovers. I had the lasagna. Next time I will try something different, but it was tasty. My friend had an amazing spicy shrimp pasta dish and was really impressed with his selection. The service was great! Go check out this little hideaway.

Very friendly staff and food came quick on a busy Friday Food was very good 10/10 would dine again

Traditional Italian restaurant. Friendly staff, seating is tight quarters so prepare to bump elbows with your seating party. Today's special dessert was German chocolate cheesecake. WOW! So delicious.

Oh my gosh- I've lived in this city all my life and Just discovered Tumea and Sons! What a 6-plus star restaurant experience. Family owned, house-made food,excellent service- what's not to love! Their steak de burgo is the best I've ever had. The steak was fork-tender and the sauce was perfect. Spicy sausage sauced pasta was a Huge portion- I made 3 more meals with the leftovers! The rolls were delicious as were the onion rings. If you haven't been there-Get there!

Always a must do whenever I am in Des Moines. The food is always amazing. The atmosphere is as it was when they first opened. It is inviting and friendly.

Times and Sons never changes. And that's a good thing. Met friends for an early dinner. Never disappointed here. I had the Diablo Pasta with beef tips. Delicious. Creamy rich sauce and tender beef. One of the ladies had lasagna. It was fire. Just right amount of spice. Yum. Service was great. Friendly and fast.

A Des Moines institution. Was able to secure a table for 7 for a birthday dinner via reservations on a Saturday night. Upon arrival greeted and seated immediately. Fabulous service and great food. Table started with onion rings followed by salads and dinner entrees. All the entrees were large and very extremely tasty. Highlights include veal parm and Brashioli. Do yourself a favor and stop down for dinner.

Been there three times for dinner. This was my first lunch. The shrimp penne Diablo was outstanding. Always delicious. Great staff. I highly recommend this place

Good place for Italian cuisine. Have eaten here three times and never been disappointed. Tonight's choice was lasagna with tiramisu for dessert. Started with the toasted ravioli. All of it was incredibly delicious. Have also had the Chicken Saltimbocca and Pasta Diablo in the past, and every dish is on point with quality and flavor. The house dressing had a nice kick for the salad, and the chefs always create interesting specials. Good atmosphere and great Italian food make for a wonderful evening of dining.

I went in for a meatball sandwich. It was OK. The bread was not homemade, the meatballs were more like sloppy Joe meat, not formed into balls. It has the requisite cheese and sauce but I was not blown away. Bartender didn't know how to make a Negroni. How is that possible?

Use your imagination to be transported to a place in time --Italy! The mere smell of the fresh bread, roasted chicken and homemade pasta will make you turn imaginary flips of joy. I order a pasta dish that I have never had to compare with the three others as I venture out for more family style restaurants. I will judge each on their greeting, service and food quality. Here's to you Italy-- the food was out of bounds.

The Food is Amazing and The Service is always personal and kind. Love the decor and the ambiance

We had no problem with seating or getting drinks like others have mentioned. The issue that I have is that all of the dishes were dirty to include the glasses. I had lipstick on my water glass, and the plates were dirty. Dirty enough that the waitress noticed, put her finger on the blackened crumb to lift it off, and played it off (but there was still more lighter colored, less visible debris left on the plate). I got the Diablo Chicken pasta which was fine, but I wouldn't tell my mom about it. The bread was good, which seems like a small detail but in reality it's a huge part of the Italian dining experience. The interior of this place looks exhausted, which I expected upon coming in. It looks a bit more like an American Legion than a restaurant IMO. Overall it wasn't bad, but I wouldn't go out of my way to come here again. I mean, the dirty dishes.

We ordered food while on the road to pick up and enjoy at our bnb. Great service, awesome guy behind the bar and the food definitely did not disappoint!!!

My first time trying was for a friend's birthday lunch! I really enjoyed the atmosphere as this is a Des Moines institution. Our server was fantastic. She was friendly, knowledgeable and provided great recommendations. I was torn between 2 dishes so I told her which and asked her to choose her favorite to surprise me. I ended up with cavatelli and it was perfect! The noodle to sauce and cheese ratio was perfect! The servings are big and priced fairly. I think absolutely everyone loved their dishes and the service we received. I definitely want to return!

My brothers Girlfriend is Italian and this is the only spot in town she will go for Italian. We went last night and we're lucky there was no wait. All the sauces are homemade and each one was better than the last one I tried. My favorite was the chicken Diablo I couldn't get enough of it!!! Some of the best Italian I've ever had. If your hankering for some authentic cuisine this is the spot!

This restaurant never disappoints. From the staff, to the cook, to the food, to the atmosphere, everything is fantastic!!! Thank you!!

Great food great service lots of choices. Get the fried ravioli or onion rings so good. Definitely found a new favorite will be back many times.

4.5/5 Such a delicious family Italian restaurant just south of downtown! I visited here the first week I moved to DSM in august 2020 and wow, the flavors, the sizing, and the added soup/salad plus rolls are hard to not crave. When with my family during my first visit, we had no complaints! Phenomenal service, great presentation, and a fun relaxing environment. Server was very attentive and gave us great recommendations! My second visit, just me. But still just as wonderful even though I just sat at the bar. This is not a fine dining italian restaurant where you pay for butler dressed servers and a fancy atmosphere and get mediocre food...this is the real deal of good italian food! Although, im sure they wouldnt judge if you wanted to dress up haha such a fun place!

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 back for sure.

We were here with a large group of family. Since we had made a reservation, they had our table set up and waiting for us. The waitress was very busy with our large group in addition to the other tables around us but still managed to be very attentive. Our food was delivered quickly and was delicious. You can tell that it is all made in house. The owner came around and talked to all of us to make sure we were happy with the service and the food. We could see why it is such a popular restaurant.

I always like to try new Italian places and I was definitely glad I tried this place. If I had to say one negative thing that is the very small parking lot. That though is very minimal compared to the excellent food, variety on their menu, and service. I will definitely be going back to try more.

Absolutely love their Asiago Chicken! This place is an established family Italian restaurant with awesome food.

I love the atmosphere there, but I think the food wasn't that great. In my opinion I've had better Italian food elsewhere.

This popular Italian restaurant is maybe the best steakhouse in Des Moines. My wife and I always have fun when we come here. The casual atmosphere is charming; filled with families, date nights of all ages and romantic Italian music. Come hungry because the portions are big. On a nice day, enjoy bocce ball on the back patio. We didn't know how to play and the bartender taught us.

This is the best place in Des Moines to get great service, friendly atmosphere, they have great drinks, coffee, the best Italian Food I have ever ate. Their steaks and chicken are cooked to perfection... I recommend this restaurant to everyone I know. !!!

My husband would give this a five for their cavatelli and Diablo chicken. I would give it a 4 because I am not in love with their red sauce. It has too much green pepper in it for me. Quality food.

Great Italian food in Des Moines!!! They serve good size portions not the little portions you normally get in the area and the food is good! Not fancy but they are consistent and the food is the same every time.

Had a company event at Tumea and Sons. The food was outstanding. The service was 5 Star quality. We had 18 people from all over the country and they were all impressed!

This is the worst "Italian" food in Des Moines. If you don't believe me, go there and eat their food for yourself. Service is alright but all the food is extremely low grade, basic slop. No genuine flavors come through.

Restaurant has been around for so long, I grew up in this neighborhood and remember when this area was more "Little Italy" I think the only thing that makes it seem Italian still is the Graziano store, St Anthony's, and the mural on Indianola Rd. Regardless, I do like that this place is still around and holding onto the what the neighborhood was. The place is tiny and dated but if nothing is wrong why fix it right? I think they rely mostly on regulars here but I do pass by this place with a full parking lot. The day I went here, it was pretty slow but that just makes our food come out sooner so I'm okay with that. I had the Chicken Asiago and it was pretty good. I'm a salty person so the olives with the sauce was just perfect for my taste palette.

If you want real Italian food then I highly recommend Tumeas! You won't regret it. The service is always great and the portions are incredible.

Walking into Tumea & Sons is a blast from the past, but in the best way! I think the atmosphere really makes the experience. It's a very homey-feeling family restaurant. The staff are very friendly and you're bound to run into one of the owners each time you visit. Everything I've tried here has been good, but my favorite is easily the fried ravioli. I love that you can choose from cheese, meat, or combo for your ravioli filling. I get meat to keep it dairy-free. Yum!

It is always great food and service here. Great environment. If you are looking for authentic Italian food, then this is the spot.

I was in town for business and looked for a highly rated restaurant on my way - I found Tumea. I nearly changed my mind when I couldn't find a parking spot, but I pressed on because I was curious why this place was slammed on a Tuesday night. I made my way in to find a very fast-moving line of people waiting less than 10 minutes. The bartender was hustling, taking care of a bar full of patrons and manning the take-out side bar. People waiting on tables ordered a beverage and hardly sat down at a high top table before the table was ready. The restaurant is a busy, family joint - a little high energy, but that's Italian, right?? I looked over the menu and decided to put in an order to-go because I didn't want to take up a table as a single. The menu was expansive with all the favorites I typically see in South Philadelphia or Little Italy in NYC. I ordered the Pasta Salsiccia. It was just the right amount of heat. The ground sausage and cheese were in perfect harmony! It was served with bread for the extra sauce they dished up! Eat in or take out - this place does not disappoint. I see why they have a crowd on any given week night!

We went early on a Saturday evening the wait wasn't too long.... Had a drink at the bar and chatted with the friendly bartender. Very good and reasonably priced! Everything was authentic and the soup was delicious! My only regret is I was too full to try dessert!

Tumea and Sons is a great authentic south side Italian restaurant. The decor is very family oriented with family photos and newspaper clippings scattered about the walls. The food here is delicious and anything you try will make you come back for more. Bread is served with most every meal as is a side salad. Absolutely get the house dressing -- it's one of the best garlic parmesan dressings in the Des Moines area. All entries I've tried have been amazing, but the parmesan chicken and Alfredo chicken are my go to meals. Whatever you do, save room for the best chocolate cake you've ever had! It's very rich so plan to share it with a friend or two, but you won't be disappointed!

Tumea & Sons is my FAVORITE restaurant in the entire world. I cannot say enough good things about them; truly the best authentic Italian food around. The staff is always extremely friendly and Marissa is the best server ever!

Salad with house dressing - creamy parm and fresh romaine lettuce, shredded mozzarella cheese, served with sliced tomato and cucumber. Creamy parm was very good. Chicken diablo with penne - spicy and flavorful. Chicken is seasoned and would order again. Bread rolls come with meal and butter -- some were soft and some were harder than others. Local restaurant with quick and fast service.

One day I will learn to make lasagna, but until then I will enjoy what Tumea & Sons has to offer. Every time I get it, I can't finish it in one sitting and the butter is melted- that is how hot you get it to-go. I can only imagine dining-in. Do not change a thing. You are my lasagna spot while I am too lazy to learn to do it on my own.