Saw reviews for this place and was in the neighborhood so we decided to try it.Wife ordered a Blueberry Lemon Drop and enjoyed it.For our meals, I ordered the Pollo alla Paragiano and my wife ordered the Lasagna Special. Meal comes with a salad or a cup of soup. The soup was Italian Wedding and was delicious, the salads are rather small.My meal was good, I was expecting spaghetti noodles but it came with Rotelli noodles which was very salty. My wife liked her meal, but not her favorite.She ordered the Peanut Butter Cookie after dinner drink and enjoyed that.I cannot say I would drive across town to return but if in the neighborhood I may return.
Stacia Tapken
Food was fantastic!! It was a slower night and I have a shellfish allergy but they let me sub chicken in place of shrimp on one of the specials!! I was very grateful. The "very spicy" sauce was amazing with great flavor!!
Renee Sexton
We enjoyed a wonderful dinner! I had the gnocchi ramagna and Italian wedding soup. It was delicious! My husband ordered the pasta Alfredo with sautéed chicken and mushrooms and a salad. It was great! We also ordered lemon cello cake and carrot cake…yum! The decor and music made a nice cozy atmosphere. We will be back!
Abhay Gobade
Tasty italian food with great service. Served with sour or salad. Soups were great. Had gnocchi and it was ok
Dan T.
A group of eight of us "foodies" stopped by Billy Vee's on a cold Wednesday evening. They are a little short staffed like everywhere else but they gladly took our reservation for 700 pm and invited us to stay as long as we'd like.This is the old Mazatlan location along Swanson in Clive. The front is very nondescript and doesn't have any obvious signage that makes it jump out at you from the road. It's been redone inside and there are still some similarities, but many changes also. If you've been to the previous locations some of the furniture may seem familiar to you... Seating is all tables and chairs right now except for a few stools at the bar. It has a really nice vibe!Together we ordered all across the menu. Personally I ordered the brie ai pistachio (shared with the table), scampi fra diavolo with a side salad with blue cheese, tiramisu, a cannoli (to go), a slice of the lemon blueberry cake (to go), and two glasses of Cavaliere D'Oro Chianti.Going as a group allowed us to share starters and bites of our multiple entrees.Our server was a young lady named Tiera. She did a fantastic job the entire night from start to finish.The brie ai pistachio was excellent. Not something I would normally order but it came highly recommended. A soft pistachio encrusted cheese enjoyed with the toasted baguettes. Almost melted in your mouth. Don't skip the melba sauce served as an accompaniment! The scampi fra diavolo reflects the heat that something named fra diavolo should. Too many times something that says it's supposed to be hot doesn't reflect it on the table. The scampi fra diavolo at Billy Vee's is hot but it's also flavorful. It's a slow burn and one that continues to amplify even after you've stopped eating. Your forehead may glisten and you might even shed a tear or two. The Chianti (very fruit forward) paired perfectly with the scampi fra diavolo!The tiramisu... One of the best I can remember having. Moist like a tres leche cake but with all the classic tiramisu flavors. It should have been savored, but it was so good I inhaled it.The cannoli and lemon blueberry cake were enjoyed later and sure didn't disappoint either. I want to work my way through the rest of the dessert menu!At the end of the evening Pamela (one of the owners) came over to our table to help clear dishes. She thanked all of us for coming in. I asked about the restaurant's name. So many times restaurants are named after wives, mothers, grandmothers... William (aka Billy) is Pamela's husband, he's the chef, and the name was her idea.As everyone else was leaving I had a chance to sit down and talk to Billy and his wife.He's a straight shooter and he believes in quality. You can tell in talking to him he probably doesn't put up with a lot of b******** or take any shortcuts, in his kitchen. That just doesn't seem to be his nature. If anything is subpar it won't make it to the table. I would say, imho, that quality is part of what he wants seen in his legacy as a chef and that has to shine through in the food.He's a first generation American. Raised in Chicago the son of Italian immigrants whose last name was changed like so many others who came to the States... Many of the items he serves were passed on, or inspired, by his family.His food reflects the pride he has in himself, in his family, and in his business.I'm glad they were both able to spend a few minutes visiting with me at the end of the night. I don't think they are too much older than I am, but... They remind me a lot of my own family...specifically the generation who preceded me. Good salt of the earth people.All eight of us enjoyed this meal from start to finish. If you're in a hurry this probably isn't the place for you. If you want a good Italian meal, you're enjoying the company of friends and family, and you don't mind waiting for the kitchen as they strive for perfection... Then you'll enjoy Billy Vee's.billyveesdsm.wixsite.com…
Kesto A.
Have had almost every single item on the menu here... and they didn't miss on a single one. Life changing experience.
Nikki Snyder
The best Italian food in Des Moines by far. Had server Nevaeh and she killed it. I’m normally really picky and she was so sweet and hit every step. This was our first time there and we will definitely be back. Owner/manager checked on us twice and remembered it was my birthday which I really appreciated. Food was amazing and it was all really affordable. Can’t wait to go back!
Amanda Waltz
I love this place. I have been eating here since they were in their Panora location. I had to go to the Valley Junction location, and now to the Swanson location. Pam is so welcoming and kind. The good is amazing, and I've never eaten anything here that I didn't like. I strongly recommend the Parma Rosa Gnocchi!
Kimberly B.
This is some of the best Italian food I've had anywhere, including in Italy! Everything was extremely fresh, delicious and beautifully presented. The service was top notch and the atmosphere was charming. I highly recommend it.
LeAnn Johnson
Worst experience I have ever had at a restaurant. I'm still in shock by how we were treated at this establishment. When we walked in, the hostess was on the phone handling what appeared to be a customer complaint. That should have been our warning right there... I ordered the Blackened Chicken Alfredo, the menu description is quoted as "Creamy, cheesy goodness served with your choice of either blackened chicken or sautéed chicken with mushrooms." Both myself and my friend read the menu as it was written, meaning you get blackened chicken OR sautéed chicken with mushrooms. Much to my surprise, a plate with spiral noodles (not Alfredo noodles) and a plate FULL of mushrooms came out. When I asked if this was the blackened chicken Alfredo, the waitress said yes. I said, I did not order mushrooms. She said, it comes with. I said, that's not what the menu says. She, replied in the MOST snarky tone, "I can bring you the menu and show you..." I said that wouldn't be necessary and just scraped the mushrooms off onto my friend's plate, who graciously took them. It wouldn't have been that big of a deal had she handled the situation better, I couldn't believe how RUDE she was about it. If both chicken options come with mushrooms, the menu needs to be worded as such as it is very deceiving. I don't even think I was given the blackened chicken as it was very dry and flavorless. Not spicy at all. My friend said her dish was bland as well. At the end of our dinner, the waitress again in her snarky tone says "sorry you were so upset about the mushrooms, hope you come back..." not with that service, I'll never be back and make sure my friends and family avoid this rude establishment as well. The sad thing is, it was my birthday. I wanted to try something new and support local business. Extremely disappointed is an understatement.
OMG!!!!! The food is incredible and all homemade. We had the lasagna and Bucatini! The service was perfect and on top of their game. I called earlier in the day and spoke with the owner Billy- he was so accommodating with our reservation and personally held back a dish of bucatini for us. Not only did he come out from the kitchen to check on the satisfaction, his wife also checked on our experience. This is your true "locally owned" and Italian operated business- you get the amazing food, great service and the Italian ownership. Highly recommend. Did I mention the lemon berry cake- I'm dying!!
Misty T.
We came on a Friday night and waited at the bar until our table was ready. We decided on bruschetta for our appetizer and it was very good. It was served on a bed of mixed greens topped with marquoix, balsamic vinaigrette, and served with toasted crustini bread. The Pasta con Polpetti had 3 huge homemade meatballs and the lasagna came out piping hot, both delicious. Each entree was served with a choice of salad or soup of the day and a bread stick. This will be in our rotation of favorite restaurants to go to!
Jessica R.
Admittedly, I haven't been here before (neither here nor former location). And now I'm sad...it was so delicious! Mussels: lots of capers and tomatoes, brothy and different than other places. The sauce is very light but in a good way. They were gone within 5 min. Get a plate of mussels around me and it's par for the course. I didn't bother with any bread (tho I hear they were good) and used a shell to scoop. Sausage and peppers: very tasty. I'm used to more "saucy" sausage and peppers but, again...this was surprisingly delicious for being different than what I'm used to. Will definitely get again. Greek Salad: this was positively the best Greek salad either one of us have had. Ever. Anywhere. Everrrr. Everything about it was perfect; kalamata olives, artichoke hearts, feta, cucumbers, tomatoes, Greek vinaigrette...I would go back just for this salad alone. Shrimp fra Diavolo: when ordering, we were told it is 20/10 spicy. Ummmmmm...Sold! Ohhhhhh myyyyyy lanta she wasn't joking !! It was so good, we took another order to go! It now ranks in my top 5 shrimp pastas, so delicious!! Fettuccine, shrimp, brothy red sauce, delish. House salad that came with was nothing to write home about (but compared to the Greek salad why would it?)! Tiramisu is homemade and worth every bite. NV Quilt Cabernet was wonderful (yes, I drink red wine over ice in a rocks glass...leave me alone)! Definitely we've been missing out on dining here and WILL be in our restaurant rotations going forward!! Service was fabulous. -- at Billy Vee's.
Roxy Klien
I NEVER leave reviews unless it was outstanding or awful, and this was AWFUL! My co worker and I are not picky people. We are in the Des Moines area for training and have been to several restaurants we don’t have in our area. We first noticed how expenses their pasta is. But ok. No big deal. The pasta comes with a salad. That was the most pathetic salad I have ever seen. Like someone took a handful out of a bag salad mix and then put a cup of hidden valley next to it. The sauce of the pasta was so runny it was like tomato soup on top and tasted about the same. I’d be shocked if someone told The meatballs and bread sticks aren’t from frozen. When an Italian place makes Olive Garden look like a 5 star, you know it just isn’t good. The only thing that left a worst taste in my mouth than the food was how much we had to pay for it. Staff was nice but not really attentive.
Jacqueline Weise
We went to Billy Vee's as a backup, the restaurant we wanted to eat at had a long wait. At Billy Vee's we were able to get right in. The food was fabulous and the service was top notch! From now on Billy Vee's will be our first choice!
Saw reviews for this place and was in the neighborhood so we decided to try it.Wife ordered a Blueberry Lemon Drop and enjoyed it.For our meals, I ordered the Pollo alla Paragiano and my wife ordered the Lasagna Special. Meal comes with a salad or a cup of soup. The soup was Italian Wedding and was delicious, the salads are rather small.My meal was good, I was expecting spaghetti noodles but it came with Rotelli noodles which was very salty. My wife liked her meal, but not her favorite.She ordered the Peanut Butter Cookie after dinner drink and enjoyed that.I cannot say I would drive across town to return but if in the neighborhood I may return.
Food was fantastic!! It was a slower night and I have a shellfish allergy but they let me sub chicken in place of shrimp on one of the specials!! I was very grateful. The "very spicy" sauce was amazing with great flavor!!
We enjoyed a wonderful dinner! I had the gnocchi ramagna and Italian wedding soup. It was delicious! My husband ordered the pasta Alfredo with sautéed chicken and mushrooms and a salad. It was great! We also ordered lemon cello cake and carrot cake…yum! The decor and music made a nice cozy atmosphere. We will be back!
Tasty italian food with great service. Served with sour or salad. Soups were great. Had gnocchi and it was ok
A group of eight of us "foodies" stopped by Billy Vee's on a cold Wednesday evening. They are a little short staffed like everywhere else but they gladly took our reservation for 700 pm and invited us to stay as long as we'd like.This is the old Mazatlan location along Swanson in Clive. The front is very nondescript and doesn't have any obvious signage that makes it jump out at you from the road. It's been redone inside and there are still some similarities, but many changes also. If you've been to the previous locations some of the furniture may seem familiar to you... Seating is all tables and chairs right now except for a few stools at the bar. It has a really nice vibe!Together we ordered all across the menu. Personally I ordered the brie ai pistachio (shared with the table), scampi fra diavolo with a side salad with blue cheese, tiramisu, a cannoli (to go), a slice of the lemon blueberry cake (to go), and two glasses of Cavaliere D'Oro Chianti.Going as a group allowed us to share starters and bites of our multiple entrees.Our server was a young lady named Tiera. She did a fantastic job the entire night from start to finish.The brie ai pistachio was excellent. Not something I would normally order but it came highly recommended. A soft pistachio encrusted cheese enjoyed with the toasted baguettes. Almost melted in your mouth. Don't skip the melba sauce served as an accompaniment! The scampi fra diavolo reflects the heat that something named fra diavolo should. Too many times something that says it's supposed to be hot doesn't reflect it on the table. The scampi fra diavolo at Billy Vee's is hot but it's also flavorful. It's a slow burn and one that continues to amplify even after you've stopped eating. Your forehead may glisten and you might even shed a tear or two. The Chianti (very fruit forward) paired perfectly with the scampi fra diavolo!The tiramisu... One of the best I can remember having. Moist like a tres leche cake but with all the classic tiramisu flavors. It should have been savored, but it was so good I inhaled it.The cannoli and lemon blueberry cake were enjoyed later and sure didn't disappoint either. I want to work my way through the rest of the dessert menu!At the end of the evening Pamela (one of the owners) came over to our table to help clear dishes. She thanked all of us for coming in. I asked about the restaurant's name. So many times restaurants are named after wives, mothers, grandmothers... William (aka Billy) is Pamela's husband, he's the chef, and the name was her idea.As everyone else was leaving I had a chance to sit down and talk to Billy and his wife.He's a straight shooter and he believes in quality. You can tell in talking to him he probably doesn't put up with a lot of b******** or take any shortcuts, in his kitchen. That just doesn't seem to be his nature. If anything is subpar it won't make it to the table. I would say, imho, that quality is part of what he wants seen in his legacy as a chef and that has to shine through in the food.He's a first generation American. Raised in Chicago the son of Italian immigrants whose last name was changed like so many others who came to the States... Many of the items he serves were passed on, or inspired, by his family.His food reflects the pride he has in himself, in his family, and in his business.I'm glad they were both able to spend a few minutes visiting with me at the end of the night. I don't think they are too much older than I am, but... They remind me a lot of my own family...specifically the generation who preceded me. Good salt of the earth people.All eight of us enjoyed this meal from start to finish. If you're in a hurry this probably isn't the place for you. If you want a good Italian meal, you're enjoying the company of friends and family, and you don't mind waiting for the kitchen as they strive for perfection... Then you'll enjoy Billy Vee's.billyveesdsm.wixsite.com…
Have had almost every single item on the menu here... and they didn't miss on a single one. Life changing experience.
The best Italian food in Des Moines by far. Had server Nevaeh and she killed it. I’m normally really picky and she was so sweet and hit every step. This was our first time there and we will definitely be back. Owner/manager checked on us twice and remembered it was my birthday which I really appreciated. Food was amazing and it was all really affordable. Can’t wait to go back!
I love this place. I have been eating here since they were in their Panora location. I had to go to the Valley Junction location, and now to the Swanson location. Pam is so welcoming and kind. The good is amazing, and I've never eaten anything here that I didn't like. I strongly recommend the Parma Rosa Gnocchi!
This is some of the best Italian food I've had anywhere, including in Italy! Everything was extremely fresh, delicious and beautifully presented. The service was top notch and the atmosphere was charming. I highly recommend it.
Worst experience I have ever had at a restaurant. I'm still in shock by how we were treated at this establishment. When we walked in, the hostess was on the phone handling what appeared to be a customer complaint. That should have been our warning right there... I ordered the Blackened Chicken Alfredo, the menu description is quoted as "Creamy, cheesy goodness served with your choice of either blackened chicken or sautéed chicken with mushrooms." Both myself and my friend read the menu as it was written, meaning you get blackened chicken OR sautéed chicken with mushrooms. Much to my surprise, a plate with spiral noodles (not Alfredo noodles) and a plate FULL of mushrooms came out. When I asked if this was the blackened chicken Alfredo, the waitress said yes. I said, I did not order mushrooms. She said, it comes with. I said, that's not what the menu says. She, replied in the MOST snarky tone, "I can bring you the menu and show you..." I said that wouldn't be necessary and just scraped the mushrooms off onto my friend's plate, who graciously took them. It wouldn't have been that big of a deal had she handled the situation better, I couldn't believe how RUDE she was about it. If both chicken options come with mushrooms, the menu needs to be worded as such as it is very deceiving. I don't even think I was given the blackened chicken as it was very dry and flavorless. Not spicy at all. My friend said her dish was bland as well. At the end of our dinner, the waitress again in her snarky tone says "sorry you were so upset about the mushrooms, hope you come back..." not with that service, I'll never be back and make sure my friends and family avoid this rude establishment as well. The sad thing is, it was my birthday. I wanted to try something new and support local business. Extremely disappointed is an understatement.
Restaurantji Recommends
OMG!!!!! The food is incredible and all homemade. We had the lasagna and Bucatini! The service was perfect and on top of their game. I called earlier in the day and spoke with the owner Billy- he was so accommodating with our reservation and personally held back a dish of bucatini for us. Not only did he come out from the kitchen to check on the satisfaction, his wife also checked on our experience. This is your true "locally owned" and Italian operated business- you get the amazing food, great service and the Italian ownership. Highly recommend. Did I mention the lemon berry cake- I'm dying!!
We came on a Friday night and waited at the bar until our table was ready. We decided on bruschetta for our appetizer and it was very good. It was served on a bed of mixed greens topped with marquoix, balsamic vinaigrette, and served with toasted crustini bread. The Pasta con Polpetti had 3 huge homemade meatballs and the lasagna came out piping hot, both delicious. Each entree was served with a choice of salad or soup of the day and a bread stick. This will be in our rotation of favorite restaurants to go to!
Admittedly, I haven't been here before (neither here nor former location). And now I'm sad...it was so delicious! Mussels: lots of capers and tomatoes, brothy and different than other places. The sauce is very light but in a good way. They were gone within 5 min. Get a plate of mussels around me and it's par for the course. I didn't bother with any bread (tho I hear they were good) and used a shell to scoop. Sausage and peppers: very tasty. I'm used to more "saucy" sausage and peppers but, again...this was surprisingly delicious for being different than what I'm used to. Will definitely get again. Greek Salad: this was positively the best Greek salad either one of us have had. Ever. Anywhere. Everrrr. Everything about it was perfect; kalamata olives, artichoke hearts, feta, cucumbers, tomatoes, Greek vinaigrette...I would go back just for this salad alone. Shrimp fra Diavolo: when ordering, we were told it is 20/10 spicy. Ummmmmm...Sold! Ohhhhhh myyyyyy lanta she wasn't joking !! It was so good, we took another order to go! It now ranks in my top 5 shrimp pastas, so delicious!! Fettuccine, shrimp, brothy red sauce, delish. House salad that came with was nothing to write home about (but compared to the Greek salad why would it?)! Tiramisu is homemade and worth every bite. NV Quilt Cabernet was wonderful (yes, I drink red wine over ice in a rocks glass...leave me alone)! Definitely we've been missing out on dining here and WILL be in our restaurant rotations going forward!! Service was fabulous. -- at Billy Vee's.
I NEVER leave reviews unless it was outstanding or awful, and this was AWFUL! My co worker and I are not picky people. We are in the Des Moines area for training and have been to several restaurants we don’t have in our area. We first noticed how expenses their pasta is. But ok. No big deal. The pasta comes with a salad. That was the most pathetic salad I have ever seen. Like someone took a handful out of a bag salad mix and then put a cup of hidden valley next to it. The sauce of the pasta was so runny it was like tomato soup on top and tasted about the same. I’d be shocked if someone told The meatballs and bread sticks aren’t from frozen. When an Italian place makes Olive Garden look like a 5 star, you know it just isn’t good. The only thing that left a worst taste in my mouth than the food was how much we had to pay for it. Staff was nice but not really attentive.
We went to Billy Vee's as a backup, the restaurant we wanted to eat at had a long wait. At Billy Vee's we were able to get right in. The food was fabulous and the service was top notch! From now on Billy Vee's will be our first choice!