Splash Seafood Bar & Grill: User Reviews
Sorry this venue doesn't make a Splash for me. We had over done lobster and a unremarkable mixed grill. Food like this is typically at an 'All You Can Eat Buffet'. With Waterfront sitting the bar for seafood in the metro area, charging more for less is wrong. Nice aquariums though.
- Ambiance:
- Food:
- Service:
- Value:
I'm always a little frustrated when the Datebook Diner makes a big deal about ambiance and service when reviewing a restaurant, but they do matter. Bad service can ruin a good meal; a perfect example is Splash. After two poor experiences, we tried dinner again after a friend gave us some gift cards. Never again.
The food is good. Not outstanding, mind you. But what I ordered came to the table and it was done correctly. But the service was terrible. The bar was out of advertised liquor. The server was so busy with a 12-top that I had to ask for ice water after I was almost done with my cocktail. We then waited and waited to place our order. The server was overly casual in her approach (I'd call it more college cafe than downtown restaurant). My wife waited for coffee before our lukewarm dessert came out. I had to flag someone down to get the check. Splash has consistently failed to meet the minimum expectations for service in a high-end dining experience.
- Ambiance:
- Food:
- Service:
- Value:
you can tell the seafood is fresh, i had a half of a lobster, alaksan king crab, and some shrimp. i go about once a year, i would go more if i could afford it. the east coast oysters were good. my waitress was very knowledgable both times ive been. the decor needs to be updated. id call it, 90's cozy contemporary. i fell good after leaving, not like atred lobster where i feel butter coming out of my pores.
- Ambiance:
- Food:
- Service:
- Value:
Splash is a place to take someone who doesn't know good seafood and is impressed by a high tab. The food is average at best, and the extremely high prices are not justified by either the food or the dining experience. I've eaten there twice, and both times have left feeling like I've just been pickpocketed. If you're shallow and easily impressed, you'll be happy here. If you like good seafood, then the WDM Waterfront is the place to go. Don't waste your time on this one.
- Ambiance:
- Food:
- Service:
- Value:
My wife and I were making a night of it going to spash and then seeing the lion king. When we were seated it was so dark i had to use the candle on the table to read the menu. We started off with a martini and osters on the half shell to start, main dishes of scallops for my wife and I had steak and shrimp. The osters were just ok. Not much flavor. My wife liked her scallops, all five of them. My main dish was well just ok. In the middle of my plate was a scope of garlic mashed potatoes, Brocilli on the side cold and hard (they must have forgot to gently steam them as the menu stated) and the steak was medium when I asked for medium well. The three small shrimp was the best thing on my plate. I learned long ago not to take things back to the kitchen as you don't know what you will get back. After dessert and coffee, the key lime pie (tasty) our bill was $178.00. This is my second trip here. The place does not match up to the bill, the food does not match up to the bill, I will be going back to waterfront for all my seafood needs. Waterfront can you build a place by the civic center please.
- Ambiance:
- Food:
- Service:
- Value:
Splash is a classy joint-and loved by many seafood fans. Its fairly pricey, but worth it for an elegant dining experience with fresh, expertly prepared food. Its formal enough to celebrate an occasion, yet still casual enough to stop by for dinner on a whim. They have recently added a raw bar, that I look forward to trying. You can order shell fish, oyster and caviar. They offer steak and chicken selections for the non-seafood lover, that were highly reviewed by my fish hating boyfriend. I tried the Mahi Mahi and was delighted!
- Ambiance:
- Food:
- Service:
- Value:
My wife, a friend and I had dinner Friday night at Splash. Before selecting a resturant I read a fair number of reviews from the DM and elsewhere. Opinons vary widely but we all one one our best evenings in a long time.
Service - We were seated promptly. The wait staff was attentive without being obtrusive. Knowlegeable and helpful.
Food - Fresh, flavorful, interesting, and well portioned. Excellant!
Ambiance - Quiet & cosy. The lighting came from small table candles and fish tanks. That made it difficult to read the menu and even to could my cash when paying the bill. The only aspect that could be improved.
Value - Three martinis, a shared appatizer, three salads and three entries enjoyed over an hour and a half for $127 before tip. One of the very best values around.
- Ambiance:
- Food:
- Service:
- Value:
I believe Splash has been coasting on its name, and and on the lack of any seafood competition, for a very long time. The menu is very underwhelming, the food prep nothing special, and the decor feels like a tired supper club. Granted, I'm not sure where there's any competition in Des Moines, but that still doesn't make Splash a good value in my book.
- Ambiance:
- Food:
- Service:
- Value:
I lived in Des Moines for a long time before my first visit to Splash, mostly because I had always heard how expensive it was and I never had a lot of extra money to treat myself. Once I bit into my first bite of ahi tuni (seared and served on rice with nori and a wasabi sauce) I realized that the flavor was worth every penny.
The decor is right up my alley with subdued lighting that gives your table an intimate feel and scattered salt water aquariums with brightly colored fish. The service is fantastic and its obvious the staff really knows the menu and isn't afraid to make suggestions if you need help.
The menu has a concise selection with enough variety that everyone should find something they like (including non-seafood selections) but not so many selections that you'll be swimming through the menu for 20 minutes before you've read it all.
The appitizers are fantastic, I really enjoy the salmon carpaccio, and make sure you leave room for dessert, especially if you like homemade fruit ice cream.
If you're looking for somewhere to make an impression on someone or you just like great seafood, you need to check out Splash!
- Ambiance:
- Food:
- Service:
- Value:
Review Summary
The following scores represent the average rating submitted by 18 users:
- Overall user rating:
- Ambiance
- Food
- Service
- Value
