I was really excited to go to this restaurant after reading about it. The atmosphere was great, service was spectuclar and food was tasty, but very skimpy. We each ordered a pizza, no salads. We did see salads being served and they looked really good. If you are looking for a pizza with a bunch of ingredients on it, you might want to go somewhere else. Although, the taste was fine, there was very little on top of the crust. My spouse ordered ground beef and mushroom, I had a wild mushroom. He tasted both and said you couldn't tell the difference between the two. So little meat on it, he couldn't even taste it. Paying $9 for a single pizza, I expected more....

i had the lunch deal that comes with a half pizza and a salad. i ordered pepperoni pizza and a garden salad with ranch. the pizza was nothing special. i had to eat it with a fork and could not pick it up because the toppings slid right off the pizza when i picked it up. they are also very stingy with the ranch dressing. i ate what i could of the salad, which consisted of about 3 bites. the rest of the salad was dry (without dressing).

Sounds like that last guy has some anger issues. It sucks that they lost his order, but I have to wonder what his attitude was like when he realized there was a problem. As a former server and shift manager, I can tell you some customers deserve to be "fired".

Anyways, on to the review. Red Rossa is the most authentically Italian pizza I have found in Iowa. Centro rivals it ever so slightly in taste and atmosphere, but comes at a pretty penny. In Italy, where I lived for a year and worked in a restaurant with a wood fire pizza oven, owned by a family from Napoli (www.ciroandsons.com), pizza is affordable, and Red Rossa keeps that spirit alive.

Excellent pie and a great alternative to unhealthy or greasy lunch chains...headed there for lunch right now!

I wanted to like Red Rossa the moment I walked in. I have heard tremendous things about there pizza. My kids loved being able to watch them make the pizza. My wife and kids got their pizza and loved it. I on the other hand never received mine.

I talked to them, and somehow they managed to miss my order. I was a little frustrated because I had used an entertainment book coupon for a buy one get one free. And clearly placed my order. And in fact saw it get rang up, and then discounted (I guess now deleted).

Ok, this stuff happens. I can understand. However the response from the staff was ridiculous. I felt alienated and unimportant. I got steamed and grabbed my coat and was ready to leave. By this time I was to pissed about the service I was getting, my wife asked to speak to the manager (my wife has a customer service background). She wanted to clarify the situation and find out how the business "rights" a this type of situation.

The managers response was no apology for the mis-communication, she didn't want to train her employees how to correct a situation. Instead she acted short, gave us a free pizza coupon and felt "done". I on the other hand felt hungry, alienated, frustrated and simply unsatisfied.

What got under my skin was when my family was leaving (wife and I with two kids), all the employees were talking under their breath about us and then one had the audacity to throw out a very condescending "have a nice day". I about jumped over the counter.

This situation was a complete failure by the management of Red Rossa. High School part timers .... I expect the types of actions out of them I received because they obviously aren't properly trained and taught how to deal with these situations. If the manager had been apologetic, asked her employees to put together a pizza quickly so I wouldn't leave hungry, and gone out of her way to provide customer service, I would of left feeling the need to write a positive, encouraging post. AND her employees would be taught how to run a business that serves customer needs! Instead I never want to go back. Will never recommend. And feel a desire to discourage patrons.

Really too bad. The atmosphere of the place is great, my families pizza looked amazing. My kids loved it.

We've been to Red Rossa twice recently and experimented with different pizzas. We were pleased each time. If you like thin crust and fresh toppings, this is a good choice. This is now our favorite spot for pizza in Iowa.

Was there this past Saturday for the 1st time to have dinner with some friends. Service was good and the food was excellent. Loved the Sausage and Pepper pizza. The Italian was good too but preferred the S&P. Will definately be back to try some others

I tried this restaurant on the strength of the many good reviews here this past weekend.

I loved it, as did my partner. The place is no-nonsense and does what it does very well. There aren't many frills, but when good food and fast, friendly service are involved, there needn't be.

We had: (1) Order of cheese bread, (1) Chicken Pesto Pizza, (2) Ice cold Miller lites. :)

For beer and pizza, this may be one of the best and most affordable places in town. My partner didn't care for the soft, breadlike crust. They prefer a crispy, cracker-like crust which is no fault of the restaurant. It was just personal preference.

The cheese bread was tasty with what seemed to be good quality cheese on it. The pizza was very simple, light and full of flavor. All of the food came within 5-10 minutes and there were a good number of patrons.

Overall, a great experience. My partner felt as if it seemed very "chain" like, although I informed them that it was a small business. This may turn some people off, but don't let it. The food defies this. The only thing we would have liked to see was cold beer on tap. :)

A and D reviewed Red Rosa almost two years ago, and it was time for a second review: Still Superb.

If you appreciate locally-owned attention to basics and a great food product, Red Rosa is the place. The pizzas remain the stars, followed by unfailingly friendly service, absolute cleanliness and many appreciative, happy customers.

Red Rosa has been successful, and it is due to passion and disciplined attention to the basics of making customers happy.

Everything they serve here is high quality. The pizza is perfectly done and blistered just right in the wood-burning oven; the salads are fresh, cold, generous and well-made; the gelato is excellent. Red Rosa does a few things, but does them perfectly and consistently.

Over the two years, A and D have seen the numbers of customers in the restaurant increase steadily; Des Moines seems to appreciate what Red Rosa is doing. Nice to see.

Best pizza I have had in the states. It is as close to authentic pizza as you can find outside of Italy (and trust me I ate my share of pizza in Rome and Naples). Great service, especially if the owner is around. He is a stand-up guy! The rest of the staff is fairly curteous although I have run into a couple of the cashiers who weren't as welcoming. Once taste of the pizza made it all better. The crust is perfect, the ingredients fresh. Don't expect the greasy pizzas you're used to with so many toppings you feel bloated for weeks. The toppings are just right, and you can have half a pizza with half the calories of reuglar pizzas, so no guilt after the meal.
Overall, a great dining experience. I go at least once a week, although there are weeks I am there 3 times :)

Quick, relatively inexpensive, good tasting pizza packaged up nicely in a neighborhood restaurant feeling place. Salads are pretty good too. Nice choice of toppings (gorgonzola is great here) and entirely customizable. Second only to Centro pizza in my opinion for this style of pizza.

RedRossa is my favorite pizza in Des Moines. I love the wood fired pizzas, and they are so hard to find (Centro being the only other one I can think of, and that's not convenient to my home). RedRossa's pizzas are inventive and delicious, I like the Tuscany best, although I've never been disappointed. The staff is warm and friendly, and although you have to wait a few minutes for your pizza, it's made to order and comes out hot, fresh, and delicious. Give it a try!

Everybody has their preferences when it comes to pizza, but AandD think Red Rossa gets it right! Red Rossa is a thin crust Tuscan style pizza that boasts incredibly fresh ingredients from the crust to the fresh basil garnish. The restaurant is large and comfortable decorated with Tuscan gold and brown with splashes of bright red. Guests enter at the cashier station, order food and beverages and are given a number to place on their tables. Soft drinks, plates, silver and condiments are located at the soft drink station which eliminates congestion in the area where food is ordered. All pizza is made to order and cooked in a wood fired oven which results in a delightfully chewy, bubbly thin crust pie that is reminiscent of the finest we have ever eaten anywhere. Pizzas are all individual sized with the usual variety of toppings. Custom pies are available with inspired choices such as capers, arugula and roasted garlic. Pizza is available with or without your choice of cheese. Cheese is not applied in such a fashion that diners wind up with a hot slab hanging off their chin but sufficiet to provide the necessary texture for a top notch pie. In addition to pizza, the restaurant offers a nice variety of salads available in large or half portions. Beer and a very good selection of wines are available in addition to soft drinks. A lovely assortment of gelato tempts for an after lunch or dinner taste treat.