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The Latin King, Des Moines, IA

The Latin King

4.7
4.7
224 Reviews
$30 and under
Italian

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 p.m.
Booked 3 times today
  • Good for special occasions
  • Neighbourhood gem
  • Charming
The Latin King restaurant was founded in 1947 by Rose and Jim Pigneri, who immigrated from Terravecchia, Italy to Des Moines. Rose and Jim wanted to bring authentic Italian fare to Des Moines and began this undertaking in earnest upon selling their home to finance the Latin King restaurant lease, which had previously operated as the Cinderella Sandwich Shop (circa 1930) and the Chanticleer Restaurant (circa 1937). Pigneri named the Latin King after New York City’s Latin Quarter and operated the Latin King for 35 years, notably taking only 10 days of vacation time during his tenure. Pigneri sold the Latin King to his third cousin Bob Tursi in 1983.

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Italian
  • Hours of Operation
    Fri, Sat 4:00 pm–10:00 pm Lunch Tue–Fri 11:00 am–2:00 pm Dinner Tue–Thu 4:00 pm–9:00 pm
  • Phone number
    (515) 266-4466
  • Dress code
    Business Casual

What 224 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.7
4.7 based on recent ratings
  • 4.6Food
  • 4.8Service
  • 4.6Ambience
  • 4.6Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • Iowa

    Best Service

  • Iowa

    Best Value

  • Iowa

    Neighbourhood gem

  • Iowa

    Most Booked

  • Des Moines

    Best Service

  • Des Moines

    Best Value

  • Des Moines

    Neighbourhood gem

  • Des Moines

    Good for special occasions

  • Des Moines

    Most Booked

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
The Latin King offers "delicious" Italian cuisine with a longstanding reputation for "great service" and "excellent food." Diners praise the "fantastic" servers, like Mollie and Abby, for their attentiveness. While some note occasional inconsistencies, the restaurant remains a "tried and true gem" with a vibrant atmosphere and live music.

224 Reviews
  1. Chelsey

    Des Moines

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great food, great service. We had reservations and it was very quick.

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  2. Barb

    Des Moines

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on February 1, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We signed up online for a reservation but were able to arrive earlier and were able to get seats earlier. Very pleasant man at the register helped us. The waitresses were very helpful and fun. Food was delivered in a short time and was delicious. Waitress was attentive to our needs. Great experience!
    The Latin KingResponded on February 3, 2025
    Thank you for the great review! We're so glad you had a wonderful experience, from the early seating to the delicious food and attentive service. We hope to welcome you back again soon!

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  3. Greg

    San Diego

    3 reviews

    1.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on February 1, 2025

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 3
    The meal was horrible and we are never going back
    The Latin KingResponded on February 3, 2025
    We're really sorry to hear about your experience and appreciate your feedback. We hope that you will give us another try!

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  4. James

    VIP

    San Diego

    48 reviews

    5.0

    48 reviews

    Dined on January 24, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    The food was excellent. Mollie our server was fantastic. Another great Latin King meal.
    The Latin KingResponded on January 27, 2025
    Thank you for the great review! We're so happy to hear you enjoyed your meal and Mollie’s service. We look forward to having you back for another fantastic experience!

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  5. Anne

    Des Moines

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on January 19, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The food and service was very good. However I asked for a kale salad from the menu and was told they were out of kale. That seemed kind of lame considering we had 7pm reservations on a Saturday. I mean just go buy some right. Also fish had quite a few bones which is off putting. Pricing on the menu appears to be ala cart but it wasn’t presented that way table side. That said, I would highly recommend overall.
    The Latin KingResponded on January 27, 2025
    Thank you for your feedback! We apologize for the kale shortage and the issues with the fish bones, and we appreciate you bringing it to our attention. We're glad you enjoyed the food and service overall, and we’ll work on improving these details for a better experience next time!

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  6. Mark

    Des Moines

    5 reviews

    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on January 18, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Always a great experience when we dine here! The staff and the food are always above and beyond. Thank you
    The Latin KingResponded on January 27, 2025
    Thank you for your kind words! We’re so happy to hear you consistently have a great experience with us. We look forward to welcoming you back soon!

    Is this helpful?

  7. Chris

    Des Moines

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on January 5, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Amazing Food and great service. We will most definitely be back
    The Latin KingResponded on January 8, 2025
    Thank you for the 5-star review, and we can't wait to see you again!

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  8. Joni

    Des Moines

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on January 4, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Always great service and amazing food! Doesn’t get any better than The Latin King.
    The Latin KingResponded on January 8, 2025
    We are thrilled to hear that the food and service here at The Latin King is always excellent, and we can't wait to serve you again.

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  9. Janice

    Nashville

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on January 4, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We had a great waitress and the people that you see up front remember you. Everyone is very nice. We will always be back. We’ve been going for years !!
    The Latin KingResponded on January 8, 2025
    Thank you for your continued support! We're so glad to hear you enjoyed the service and feel welcomed by our team. We look forward to serving you for many more years!

    Is this helpful?

  10. Katie

    Des Moines

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on January 1, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Latin King never fails to deliver on good food, great service and an overall nice dining experience. It’s a longtime favorite for those reasons. Plus, they have a nice selection of Italian wines including Montepulciano
    The Latin KingResponded on January 8, 2025
    Thank you for the kind words! We're thrilled to be a longtime favorite and glad you enjoy our food, service, and wine selection. We look forward to your next visit!

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

The Latin King is rated 4.7 stars by 224 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 p.m.
Booked 3 times today
Google Map for The Latin King

2200 Hubbell Ave, Des Moines, IA 50317-2522

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Neighbourhood
    Des Moines
  • Hours of Operation
    Fri, Sat 4:00 pm–10:00 pm Lunch Tue–Fri 11:00 am–2:00 pm Dinner Tue–Thu 4:00 pm–9:00 pm
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Italian
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Parking details
    None
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