Enable JavaScript to run this app.
Skip to main content
OpenTable logo
  1. Home
  2. United States
  3. Iowa
  4. Des Moines
  5. Des Moines
The Latin King, Des Moines, IA

The Latin King

4.7
4.7
218 Reviews
$30 and under
Italian

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 6 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.

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 218 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
  • 4.7Food
  • 4.9Service
  • 4.8Ambience
  • 4.6Value

NoiseModerate

Diners' Choice Awards

  • Iowa

    Best Service

  • Iowa

    Best Value

  • Iowa

    Neighbourhood gem

  • Des Moines

    Best Service

  • Des Moines

    Best Ambience

  • Des Moines

    Best Value

  • Des Moines

    Neighbourhood gem

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
The Latin King delivers a memorable dining experience with "fantastic service" and "great food." Known for its "consistent great food and staff for over 30 years," it's perfect for special occasions. Highlights include live music evenings, attentive staff like Molly, and delicious specialties like Chicken Spiedini and Tiramisu.

218 Reviews
  1. Chris

    Des Moines

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Amazing Food and great service. We will most definitely be back

    Is this helpful?

  2. Joni

    Des Moines

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 2 days ago

    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.

    Is this helpful?

  3. Janice

    Nashville

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 2 days ago

    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 !!

    Is this helpful?

  4. Katie

    Des Moines

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 5 days ago

    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

    Is this helpful?

  5. Tim

    Des Moines

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    We were regulars until it was sold and then we have not been there since. The Latin King has not changed, the food is as good as ever. Molly the waitress was on point and friendly. We will absolutely go back. The salad could be a bit bigger.

    Is this helpful?

  6. Chris

    VIP

    Des Moines

    34 reviews

    4.0

    34 reviews

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    New Year’s Eve dinner with my wife was excellent. The food did not disappoint, always good there. Recommend the mozzarella cheese sticks or onion rings as an appetizer-maybe both (be sure to order some extra zesty red sauce instead of ketchup for the rings)! Spaghetti with zesty red sauce was fantastic, the Chicken Spiedini Amogio was fantastic-if you go someone at the table has to order it. Service was not spot on but it was busy & we didn’t get one of our regular servers. Chalk it up to that-we will definitely go back. Great Italian Food!

    Is this helpful?

  7. William

    Des Moines

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 29 December 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The Latin King never disappoints. Excellent service, food and atmosphere.

    Is this helpful?

  8. Kurtis

    St. Louis

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on 27 December 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Another great experience and excellent food. The staff was very attentive. The large room is a little loud but not uncomfortable.

    Is this helpful?

  9. Rachel

    Indiana

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on 27 December 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Our server really made my daughters surprise birthday dinner perfect! Everything was perfect! I recommend this tried and true gem to anyone for any occasion.

    Is this helpful?

  10. Callen

    Palm Springs

    8 reviews

    5.0

    8 reviews

    Dined on 14 December 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Excellent food prepared perfectly. Professional servers. We were celebrating my son’s graduation from college and couldn’t have picked a better place. Highly recommend.
    The Latin KingResponded on 19 December 2024
    Thank you for the 5 stars! We are pleased to hear about your experience with us, and Molly will be delighted to hear your positive words. Hope to see you again soon.

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

The Latin King is rated 4.7 stars by 218 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 6 times today
Google Map for The Latin King

2200 Hubbell Ave, Des Moines, IA 50317-2522

Additional information

  • Area
    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
  • Privacy policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Impressum
  • Cookies and Interest-Based Ads
  • Cookie Preferences
Copyright © 2024 OpenTable International Ltd. Alphabeta Building, 14-18 Finsbury Square, London EC2A 1AH - All rights reserved.
OpenTable is part of Booking Holdings, the world leader in online travel and related services.
Booking Logo
Priceline Logo
KAYAK Logo
Agoda Logo
OpenTable Logo