Trostel's Greenbriar (Johnston, IA) Review

4.0* (out of 5)

Food: 5*

Atmosphere: 4*

Value: 4*

Service: 3*

09/23/2023 Trostel’s Greenbriar (515) 253-0124

We have been here a few times since our move to Iowa, most recently (prior to this visit) for a financial advisor event. Tonight we met friends here as this is one of their favorite restaurants in the area. The food has always been very good. I believe that the atmosphere is getting a bit dated, with the low lighting and shadows reminding me of a 1970’s-vintage supper club / steak house. The pricing is a bit higher than I believe is justified given the rest of the overall experience. Relative to the service, that was maybe a poor decision on our part, as when we made reservations, we accepted the recommendation of the hostess to be seated in the bar area. Unbeknownst to us, our meal was in the middle of an Iowa football game with a pretty full bar area – so the server was possibly a bit overwhelmed.

We started our meal with drinks, including a Caramel Espresso Martini (name? see pictures, one of the at-table pouring) and Autumn Spritzer (see picture) – I really enjoyed the martini and the spritzer was very light and refreshing. For our food starter, we ordered the Prime Rib Appetizer (see picture) and it was quite tasty – tender & juicy…but be forewarned, the horseradish sauce was quite strong.

For our meals, our friend ordered the Pan-seared Sea Scallops (see picture), my wife ordered the Ribeye Steak w/ Gunpowder Crust (see picture) and I ordered the Lamb Chops (see picture). As is always the case with my wife and myself, we shared tastes of our meals and both of us liked and would recommend both plates. Possibly the best part of the experience though was the Housemade Tiramisu (see picture) – so light, creamy and delicious!!

If you live on the north side of Des Moines and are looking for a quality steak or seafood meal, Trostel’s Greenbriar has yet to disappoint me on food quality.

11/5/2014

I thought this restaurant was great. We went with a business group and had read that the reviews on Yelp (though there weren’t that many) were less than flattering. With that said, I thought the Thai Beef Rolls and Mushroom appetizers were great and my Ribeye (medium rare) was fantastic! I would definitely go back to this place, with the only negative being that it was kind of pricey.

If you found this review helpful, please show your appreciation with a Like or a Follow.