The food was ok ,but if you advertise a dish as having crab and lobster in it that is what it should have . Not a cheap immitation. Other than that the service was just fair but not worth the added 15% on the bill.

Wonderful. The location stinks, but that's small potatoes. Definitely worth a try.

After months of friends begging me to go to their all time favorite restaurant, which is convieniently located right down the street from my house, I gave in. The front entrance is warm and inviting and offers a cozy bar. We, however, were placed in a long hallway of a room that barely offered enough room for the servers to get between the tables and I was almost hit with a tray one was carrying. It also offered a constant hum of noise foiling any attempt to talk to the person across the table from you, short of yelling. I can look beyond that in hopes that the food will be as great as I have heard. We typically order an appetizer and that night was no different. We ordered the spinach and artichoke dip and the small order of onion rings. The onion rings were typical slivers of deep fried onions and the dip was different then most. I've had spinach and artichoke dip at pretty much every establishment that offers it. Take Applebee's dip for example, it's like what I've typically had. A smooth, creamy blend of the cheeses and the spinach and artichokes, garlicy and parmeasan tastes. At Baratta's it's stiff and thicker with heartier chunks of the artichoke, etc. The main difference is that it had a hint of spiceyness that stayed in my mouth and blocked any other flavor out. The little buttered bread slices that came with it were nice but over toasted and caused me to scratch up the roof of my mouth. The dinner salad was a small unoriginal blend of a couple different lettuces, the Ranch dressing was room temp, but rich and creamy. Next was the main course, one of my favorite pasta dishes, Lasagna. I was let down by the generic flavor of the pasta sauce, the sad presentation of the meal (a glob of pasta and cheese swimming in the sauce) as I ate part of it, the taste reminded me hamburger helper, cheap, out of a box, not impressive. I think the price for my meal was around $20, which I felt was a little much for the "lasagna" that lacked everything I felt a neighborhood Italian restaurant would taste like. Baratta's is only hard to find once, but for me, once was enought...

Outstanding food. Unique and charming atmosphere.

Absolutely one of Des Moines Best restaurants!

Love the place!

Great food and the people are fun!

I went on a first date to Baratta's, and I found the staff to be very friendly and inviting. The Italian was authentic, and the prices were definitely fair considering how good the food was! I just moved here from Chicago about a month ago, and I think this is a great place for good Italian food, a romantic evening, or even a family night out! Molto buon! Very good!

I LOVE this place! When family comes to town, the first thing they ask is " When can we go to Baratta's?"
When I have a meeting downtown, I alway invite my co-worker's to join me for lunch. This is now their favorite place to eat Real Italian food! My mouth water's for the Chicken amaggio ITS MY # 1 to ENJOY and they have delivery too!

A great place for lunch. The place offers many reasonable dishes, and nobody I've been here with has had anything bad to say. I have only had their pasta offerings, but each time, they have been delicious. The chicken amaggio is a tasty breaded chicken dish served with pasta, peppers, mushrooms, and a nice sauce. It was a tad oily when I tried it, but it was hot, tasty, and quick, and I recommend it. The southwestern pasta was also very good. I was not entirely impressed with the pasta primavera, but it was not bad. Overall, a nice restaurant with a homey feel in a southside Des Moines residential neighboorhood.

Good food at a reasonable price in a southside neighborhood setting. I've been to Baratta's many times over the years and have never had a bad meal. The pasta and pizza are excellent, but don't forget the sandwiches -- I'd suggest the coppacola with hot and sweet peppers. As they've mentioned in advertisements, it's only a few minutes from downtown, and well worth the drive.

Best restaurant is Des Moines
Best food
Best ambience
Best service
Love the place!