Lucca - Des Moines

What a delightful restaurant! The menu had an impressive selection, featuring plenty of pasta and other Italian-inspired dishes. I opted for a salad, and I was pleasantly surprised by its quality—truly excellent. During our meal, I noticed that at least four or five customers came in to pick up takeout orders, which clearly indicates that this spot is a popular lunch destination for locals!

We each chose different entrees, including seafood, steak, and chicken parmesan. What makes this restaurant exceptional is the team approach: all servers collaborate to manage the flow of food orders, regardless of who is your main server. There was no rush, yet each course was served promptly. All our entrees arrived at the table mere moments after being prepared, and each dish was cooked to perfection. The owner, Steve, even took the time to chat with us at our table. It was clear that he takes great pride in every meal served and enjoys engaging with his customers. We will definitely be returning!

We concluded our special anniversary getaway weekend with a wonderful meal at Lucca. The prix fixe menu was excellent, offering a variety of delicious options for each course. The prices for the wine by the bottle were very reasonable, and the staff was extremely attentive. We will definitely return.

Lucca (Thu, 03/24) The Dinner Club is working our way through our looooong list of places we want to attend.  And, most all of us were first timers on Thursday night.  Steve, the owner, assured our experience was incredible.  A personal introduction,wine recommendations, and a complementary cabernet for our club to (thoroughly) enjoy! You choose from their selection, yourfirst three courses (salad, pasta, protein) then enjoy a dessert plate with portions of each selection.  Robert, our server,was patient with our quickly sidetracked group.  He was prompt, patient, and quick to refill our bread! Let 's dig into thefood!  No complaints with our first course as the various salads were dressed proportionately and delicious.  The secondcourse?  This is where we may have been a little loud as we exclaimed our excitement with our personal selection.  And, wepassed our dishes around for everyone to try.  Gnocchi, rigatoni, etc.:  perfectly prepared, cheesy, well seasoned...I couldgo on and on! I believe we covered every option in the fourth course, and in the words of Janice from Friends:  Oh.  My. God!   I can personally attest to the ribeye, scallops, chicken parmesan, and salmon.  I 'm hesitant with scallops as I findthem cooked poorly and/or tasting far too 'fishy '.  You won 't find me saying any of that because they were incredible. Theportions are perfect.   We only had one club member ask for a box and we are all still judging her for not cleaning her platelike we all did with each course. The only constructive feedback is the final course:  dolci.  We had a cookie, gelatin,flour less brownie, and palette cleanser.  The cookie was across the board approved, but after that the reviews were mixed andwe traded like we had pogs in junior high.  I believe there is an opportunity to elevate the dessert selection to meet thelevel of the rest of the course and, perhaps showcase local dessert businesses with their amazing selections.  The palettecleanser

We had an excellent four-course festival menu, and everything we ordered was fantastic. What really set the experience apart was the impeccable service. The ambience is minimalist and modern, creating a lovely environment. The pasta dishes were the highlight of our meal, and we appreciated that the portion sizes were just right—not oversized—allowing us to savor each dish without feeling overwhelmed. Overall, it was a delightful dining experience!