Ranallo's on 3rd

Had the salmon special. All of the food was tepid, not hot. Salmon was overcooked. Coating of cheese, spinach, and artichoke hearts on top was not appealing. Mashed potatoes were dry and didn't have any garlic flavor as described. Broccoli was good but not warm. Salmon and mashed potatoes at chain restaurant, Ruby Tuesday's, is much better.

"THE" best steak I have had in the Des Moines area in the 5 years that I have lived here!! It was that good!! The service was excellent! The food = AMAZING! I had the beef tenderloin with Deburgo. The steak melted in my mouth. I ordered it medium and it was cooked to perfection. I simply can not say enough about the food and service. My husband and I have decided to make this our date night spot once a month.

We arrived at the restaurant on Friday night around 9:30. It took what seemed forever to greet us. After being seated were greated by a server that appeared disappointed that we were there. They didn't have the appetizer that we wanted which was our first disappointment with regard to the food. The entries were sub par at best. Now comes the best part. As soon as we left the restaurant my wife became violently ill. This is a restaurant that I will only recommend that my friends and family not try. What a complete disappointment...

This is our third visit to Ranallo's on 3rd and w e loved it. The weather was iffy last Saturday when we decided at the last minute to drive from Des Moines up to Ankeny for dinner with two of our sons. We even called ahead and asked for a dark corner since we weren't really dressed for going out. We all had on sweatshirts and jeans more appropriate for Mac Donald's than a nicer bistro with white table cloths. The young woman who answered the phone assured us we would be fine and they would hold a table for us. The service was excellent and the recommendation of the of the grilled beef tenderloin with fresh scallops, garlic mashed potatoes and grilled vegetables was excellent. All was perfectly prepared (even mine at med rare was right on the money) they even accommodated one of my sons who is still discovering foods he likes when we go out with a old favorite of homemade chicken fingers. I am told the chocolate lava cake (triple chocolate) was very good and I can attest to the warn oatmeal pie with cinnamon ice cream was excellant. Pete Ranallo the owner and head chef stopped by the table to thank us for coming in and to make sure everything was prepared to our liking. I would highly recommend Ranallo's on Third. Food was excellent, service was attentive and pleasant without going over the top the prices were reasonable and the experience very pleasant. This is the kind locally owned "neighborhood" bistro we all talk about wanting in our neighborhood. Ankeny is lucky to have such a great place within minutes, for the rest of us the short drive by freeway is well worth the effort.

We have been to Ranallo's several times and we always feel like it just isn't quite there yet. The last time it seemed the new owners had made some interesting menu changes so we decided to give it another try. Unfortunately the night we were there, a large group celebrating a birthday took over the bar and due to minimal separation, the noise took over the dining room as well. Especially because we chose to go somewhere for a quiet quality meal, this totally ruined the atmosphere. There apeared to be noone in charge to deal with this loud group, so our entire meal in what should be a dining room with atmosphere was as if we were in the middle of a very loud bar scene.
That said, the server, who was the only one, did her best to keep up and the food was quite good. If only there was more of a barrier for noise from the bar or atleast a manager on duty dealing with this type of group that can make all the difference between a nice night out or a big disappointment!

I believe that restaurants in the Des Moines metro are relatively weak, and Ranallo's is about as good as you're going to get. I would put it on par with Sam & Gabes. The menu has a lot of good options, and the prices are not outrageous. A "beef" I had when we last visited was that there was only one cut of beef offered, and I believe it was a NY Strip or some other cut that really wasn't all that spectacular. That said, it was prepared very well. My only knock was on the service. I know it is a place to sit down and take your time, but man, it took FOREVER. All in all, I give it a hearty endorsement. Ankeny would be well served if it had more places of its ilk to provide some competition and flavor to its market.

Due to bad weather last night, my wife and I decided to find a new restaurant close to home, which led us to Ranallo's on Third.

There is virtually 0 information on the internet for Ranallo's, but we'd heard that it's "nice."

I'll start off by saying, I was pleasantly surprised. It was classy with dim lighting, white table cloths, and napkins. Ranallo's is bordering an American Contemporary Bistro style. It seemed to have a rotating menu, the food was presented well, and the lead chef was visiting with patrons.

Everything at Ranallo's was good. They had a full bar with a good selection, good wines, and great food. The only negative thing I have to say is that our waitress seemed to not be too excited about working. She answered any questions we had, kept our drinks full, and her service was good, but she wasn't quite as personal as others I've had. I'm willing to bet she was just having an off night.

After we finished eating, we stopped into the little bar area for an after dinner drink. The bartender was very personal and made a great Martini (which I'm excited about). I've finally found a place in Ankeny to sit down and have a good martini!

I'll definitely be back for a second try.