Sam & Gabe's Italian Bistro: User Reviews

Ouch. I hate to slam a place like this but really there's not much more than I could do.

I bought a Groupon several weeks ago and remembered the last time how quickly they had been sold out. So obviously my expectations were somewhat high, plus the general location and look of the place lent me to expect good things.

Wrong.

$90.62 with tip for not much! My chicken pasta dish was disappointing & didn't have the flavor I've enjoyed from other places like Macaroni Grill. The salad was good but they added a $2 surcharge to my dish for the Gorgonzola dressing, which was not mentioned during the ordering process. My wife's scallops set us back by $29.95! While they were acceptable, they CERTAINLY did not justify that price, in comparison to Ohana's for instance.

My Chardonnay was boring & basically no better than two buck chuck yet again I paid $7 for one glass.

Meanness is not my usual approach but really, you need to stay away from this place! FAR TOO expensive and not worth it all. Much better places are J Benjamin's (Simon's) or even Macaroni Grill. I'm quite bitter about the amount of money I spent tonight for NOTHING special.

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I hate to be a food snob, but after my dinner on Saturday evening, I've reserved the right. My husband decided to try Sam and Gabes after purchasing the Groupon several weeks ago. We had never dined there before and always enjoy trying Italian food even though my husband is an Italian from New York City. We started with the antipasto platter which was nothing more than canned artichokes and beans with some pre-sliced meat. The fresh mozzarella was replaced with fake brick white cheese (not sure what kind) and there wasn't a slice of prosciutto to be found. To top it all off, it was garnished with dried herbs rather than a drizzle of olive oil and some fresh basil.
For dinner, my husband ordered the chicken asiago and for $22, he expected it to be served with pasta. It wasn't! His meal was nothing more than two chicken cutlets, breaded and smothered with asiago cheese and topped with what they call 'red' sauce. It's a good thing they don't call it marinara, because it was anything but. For an additional two dollars, he got a small side of penne with the same 'red' sauce, which tasted strangely similar to Ragu. I ordered the special which was a pepper crusted duck served with an herb risotto. The server did not ask me how I wanted my duck prepared and it was served medium (slightly over for my liking). The risotto, however, was the big disappointment. Not creamy and decadent, but rather an overcooked pilaf like dish with more dried herbs. The only good think about our meal was that I used my Groupon, so our $75.00 bill turned into only $25. Sam and Gabes is something, but it is definitely not an Italian Bistro.

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VERY disappointing visit to Sam and Gabe's tonight. We got there at 5:30 and the pretentious man guarding the entry pointed to the half-empty dining room and told us it would be a three hour wait. Really?? We were offered a cocktail table in the bar. We sat down, but decided that it would not work for a meal, so we left. The rude man told us that next time we should call ahead. We took our money elsewhere and will be in no hurry to return.

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I lived in Chicago, worked in Chicago, and I have dined in Chicago thousands of times; from hole-in-the-wall places to Morton's Steakhouse, Italian food from mom-'n-pop shops to Rosebuds, to Maggiano's and not once have I been as disappointed as I was this time at Sam & Gabes. I ordered a $26.00 over-priced Prime Rib that came with nothing; not even a baked potato (it's the Midwest...come on people!). The bread was white Wonder bread in a basket, my salad had brown Romaine lettuce, and don't even get me started on the portion size of my husband's meal, which was served on an appetizer plate. Never, ever again will this place get our business and we are a family that likes to dine out, and dine out well. I don't mind paying for quality but this is so far past quality, I couldn't give it any fewer stars. In fact, the only decent portion of our meal was the server who knew very well how ridiculous the portion size of my husband's veal was and looked embarrassed to work there.

RIDICULOUS. Save your money for a night out in Chicago at a 5* restaurant + 3 night hotel stay; it'll still be cheaper than a dinner at Sam & Gabes and taste 100% better!

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2 of us went to Sam & Gabes this weekend and similar to the last few reviews, I would have to agree, not worth the prices here. We both paid $20 for a pasta dish, that had ZERO flavor. He an italian sausage dish, and mine chicken. My pasta was overcooked to the point it was mush, didn't have to even think about chewing it. Both of our pastas had absolutely no flavor. Very bland, not much put into it. It tasted better today when we warmed it back at up at home and added more seasoning and sauces. Food should not taste better when warmed up at home in a microwave, nor should you have to add your own spices and sauces to give it flavor. The best part of our meal was the Italian Nachos, although for $10, the portion seemed small. Our service sucked, seemed overworked and we had to wait for everything, sat with empty drink glasses, we saw our salads sit out for over 5 minutes before she got to them and served them to us. Won't be going back there next time we are wanting a nice meal and night out.

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I originally tried Sam and Gabe's probably 7 or 8 years ago after they moved to their current location. I remember thinking then that it was vastly overrated. Went again last night because my wife wanted to give them a try. NEVER AGAIN.

$22 for Veal Saltimbocca with only a small garden salad. It was the smallest portion I had ever seen. The veal obviously had freezer burn. It was tough and had no flavor. $17 for a shrimp appetizer and $18 - $20 for simple pasta dishes. This is not New York City or Chicago, people, it's Des Moines. I have absolutely no problem paying for a quality meal. However, this was anything but.

For the positive, our server was excellent and the location is beautiful. It's too bad this restaurant is getting by on name recognition alone. Should have stuck with my first instinct, which was to get up and leave when I looked at the prices on the menu. Seriously, what are these people thinking?

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Had heard mixed reviews on Sam & Gabes and decided to try for our selves. For me a dry five cheese chicken breast and a salad $20...my dinner companion wanted to try the thin crust pizza she had read about....but alas she would have to sit in the bar by her self, as no pizza available 25' to the north. Sorry no return engagement for this couple, Tumea & Sons does Italian better.

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Last week my wife and I had dinner at Sam & Gabe's. I had the LINGUINI AND ITALIAN SAUSAGE with both sauces, It was great. Both sauces were the best I have ever had
in the Des Moines area. Our male waiter was excellent. They are apparently trying
to get rich quick since the prices were high.

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My food was very good and our server was very nice. We had a group of six people and when the ticket came I was actually horrified that management had already added gratuity to the ticket. That is typical for parties of 8 or more, but this was a first for me to see it when there were only 6 of us. To make matters worse, they didn't add the typical 15% or 18% gratuity, but 20%. Management needs to learn that tips are intended to be given based on performance of the server......I would likely have given her 20% anyway but I'm disgusted that I didn't have that choice. Had our server been poor, I would have been in the manager's face before I ever left.

The other thing I didn't like......I had a steak and it was an excellent cut of meat, but it was $29 and the only other thing I got was a house salad. For that price I would expect that at least a few beans or carrots would have been on the side. Sam and Gabes has good food, but so do a LOT of other restaurants in Des Moines. I won't go back.

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One of the best all around restaurants in town! When they have it as a special, try the Asiago Halibut. The 5 cheese stuffed chicken is also fantastic. Make sure to try the soup. I haven't had a soup that I haven't really loved. The service has always been fantastic from the minute you walk in the door until the minute you leave. The treat you like part of the family.

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