The Food and Drink Guy

Tag: Lebanese

  • Open Sesame (Des Moines, IA) Review

    Open Sesame (Des Moines, IA) Review

    4.8* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 5*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 5*

    Would I go back / Recommend?: 5* (Definitely)

    Total check/person: $50

    05/15/2026 Open Sesame +1 (515) 288-3151

    My wife is fond of her Lebanese heritage, so when we saw Open Sesame on the Des Moines Register’s Must Go List in East Village last month, we knew we needed to check it out. Last night was our opportunity and boy was it ever a memorable experience! Their website speaks of it being a colorful decor – and that is true both inside and out (see pictures)! We were warmly greeted and promptly seated – and asked if he could take our picture under the billowing, colorful ceiling (see picture).

    We started with a a round of drinks – my wife ordered the Ishtar’s Revenge (see picture) and I went with the Yazmina (see picture). All of the cocktails are quite unique and we enjoyed both of these. As we started talking with our server, MJ – he looked familiar and his story sounded familiar. We asked and he confirmed that he used to own Gazali’s in Clive, IA – a restaurant closer to our home that we enjoyed several times.

    MJ recommended the the Vegetarian Sampler Plate (see picture) for an appetizer and we loved it – offering the opportunity to sample several different Lebanese menu items on one plate. For our main courses, my wife ordered the Shawarma Chicken Pita Wrap (see picture) and I opted for the Combo Rice Plate (see picture), done spicy per MJ’s suggestion. As we always do, we shared tastes of each of our dishes and loved them both! Lastly, the Jalab (rose and date infused water – see picture) caught my eye – so I ordered one of those to enjoy with my meal. Again, it is highly recommended!

    What visit to a Lebanese restaurant would be complete without Baklava (see picture), which MJ recommended that we enjoy with Turkish Coffees (see picture and video of pouring). We even got an education on how best to each the Baklava – pick it up with your fingers, take a bite, then keep that bite in your mouth while you take a sip of the Turkish Coffee – then enjoy! While it is hard not to enjoy Bakalava, it was even better when paired with the Turkish Coffee.

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    Photos copyright: happyhourdesmoines.com & thefoodanddrinkguy.com

    Vegetarian Sampler Plate
    Combo Rice Plate
    Shawarma Chicken Pita Wrap
    Baklava & Turkish Coffee
    Yazmina
    Ishtar’s Revenge
    MJ at the Bar
    Beautiful Decor

    Photos copyright: happyhourdesmoines.com & thefoodanddrinkguy.com

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  • Gazali’s (Clive, IA) Review – Permanently CLOSED

    Gazali’s (Clive, IA) Review – Permanently CLOSED

    Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

    4.5* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 4*

    Value: 5*

    Service: 4*

    01/06/2024 Gazali’s (515) 309-9167

    We returned for dinner after Mass tonight and had a good experience. While it was a bit chilly in the restaurant and you shouldn’t expect a wait staff hovering over your table, the food is quite good, the service is friendly and the value is great. The menu (see picture) is very basic and reflects a value approach. You’ll need to ask about details to determine what is included in many of the dishes, but the servers are more than happy to answer any questions that you might have.

    For drinks, I ordered a tall Jim Beam Fire and Diet Coke (see picture) while my wife opted for a Modelo (see picture). We started our meal with Papa’s Fries (see picture) – fried sliced potatoes served ‘wet’, with olive oil and some great seasoning, along with a side dipper of Tzatziki – which we both really enjoyed.

    For our main course, my wife ordered the Gyro Wrap (see picture) and I opted for the Vegan Mediterranean Mix (see picture). The Vegan Mediterranean Mix included: Pita, Baba Ghanoush (eggplant, with a nice smoky flavor), Hummus (owner’s recipe with turmeric…quite tasty), Falafel (breaded and fried chickpea mix) and Dolma (rice stuffed grape leaves). We liked both dishes and would recommend them – and I especially liked the Mix, which allowed me to try several things on the menu.

    As per my typical protocol…I couldn’t leave without trying some dessert. We opted for the Baklava (see picture), which we both found to be quite tasty – fresh, moist, crunchy and flaky all in one. We enjoyed the good food and solid value and will likely be back for more at some point in the future.

    06/27/2022

    I’ll preface this review by saying that we were hesitant to go in after receiving a negative review from friends who had been there for a special event that was very pricey and the food wasn’t that good.  We were greeted and seated promptly, but then became impatient after the underage waitress was unable to serve alcohol and no one else came over to take our order.

    After a predetermined time limit without drinks service we decided to leave the restaurant.  As we were walking across the parking lot to our car the owner came out and asked if everything was okay.  We said we just decided we didn’t want to wait any longer and he begged us to come in and give them another try, explaining that he was short on help.

    We decided to go back in and ended up very happy that we did.  We started with a couple of unique local beers suggested by the owner, then moved on to Falafel and Dolma (see picture) – all of which were delicious.

    For dinner, I ordered the Jalapeno Artichoke Chicken Swarma Wrap and my wife ordered the Gyro Rice.  As always, we shared our dishes and both of us really enjoyed both dishes.

    Lastly, if you follow my posts you know that I have a real sweet tooth.  Therefore we ordered the Baklava and Turkish coffee for dessert.  The Baklava was fantastic – chewy in the middle with a light, flaky and crispy top crust.  Make sure you order this to finish off your meal!

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    Photos copyright: happyhourdesmoines.com & thefoodanddrinkguy.com

    Papa’s Fries
    Jim Beam & Diet Coke
    Modelo
    Vegan Mediterranean Mix
    Pita
    Gyro Wrap
    Gyro Wrap (as served)
    Baklava

    Photos copyright: happyhourdesmoines.com & thefoodanddrinkguy.com

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