At Green Olive, the star of the menu is the homemade green sauce — a creamy, zesty blend that surprises many customers with its ingredients. The Mediterranean restaurant with locations in Des Moines and West Des Moines calls the green sauce addictive, with customers ordering extra just to take home.
“It’s made of jalapenos, cilantro, and lemon juice. A lot of people think it’s sour cream in there, but there’s none. There’s no dairy. They think it has avocado, but it’s creamy because of the garlic and the lemon juice,” said Veronica Duran, who co-owns the restaurant with her husband, Silvestre.
The sauce is tossed with their signature spicy potatoes and is so addictive that customers often ask for extra to take home. “We use a lot of garlic, but it’s a type of garlic that you’re not going to go out of here smelling like garlic. It’s just for the taste, and it’s really good,” Duran said from her West Des Moines location on Grand Avenue.
The sauce is just one reason Green Olive has made such an impact on the Des Moines restaurant scene since opening in 2023.
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From Long Beach to Iowa: a family’s restaurant journey
Duran and her husband spent more than 30 years in the restaurant industry in Long Beach, California, working in various food and fast-food establishments. Duran ran the front of the house, and her husband headed up the kitchen. After her husband faced health issues, they decided to leave the high-stress kitchen life behind.
But the restaurant world called them back when her husband began working with Emad Waba, the founder of the original Green Olive in California.
“They started the concept of the Green Olive 22 years ago in California. This is a mix of flavors. It’s not a specific Greek, it’s not Lebanese, it’s a mix,” Duran said.
The couple decided that California life wasn’t right for them, and Duran convinced Silvestre to move to Des Moines, where she has family, for a slower pace and a better quality of life.
“We just packed everything in our truck and a little trailer on the back… and on the trailer in the back, it was all restaurant equipment,” Duran said.
Opening Green Olive in Des Moines
After arriving in Iowa in 2022, Duran and her husband initially resisted opening another restaurant. But the idea persisted, and after searching for the right location, they took over a spot previously occupied by La Cocina Cali Max on Fleur Drive. “We wanted to do Mexican food, but there’s a Mexican restaurant on every corner. So we decided to do something different — Mediterranean,” said Duran, who immigrated from Mexico to California in the early ’90s.
The restaurant on Fleur Drive opened in April 2023, followed by the West Des Moines location in late 2024.
Green Olive quickly became a hit.
“We do most of the stuff from scratch, like our hummus, our baba ghanoush, our falafels… It was hard at the beginning, but Green Olive South Side became big really quick,” she said.
What to order at Green Olive
Duran is passionate about the menu and has clear favorites.
No. 10 platter, $18.99: “Personally, one of my favorite plates is the No. 10. That’s what I always recommend to people because it has chicken, beef, and gyro. I’m a meat eater, so that’s my No. 1.” Chicken, thinly sliced gyro (rotisserie-cooked beef and lamb), and beef come with homemade hummus, Mediterranean rice, a house salad, pita, and green sauce.
No. 19 platter, $20.99: For those wanting to try a bit of everything, she suggests the No. 19, which includes chicken, beef, and kafta, a seasoned ground meat, plus falafel patties.
Spicy potatoes, $5.99: These thinly sliced potatoes are fried and then dolloped with green sauce.
Lamb kebab plate, $16.99: These come with homemade hummus, Mediterranean rice, a house salad, pita, and green sauce.
Grilled veggie salad, $8.99: This surprisingly simple dish has become a favorite of customers.
Chicken shawarma plate, 15.99: “Our shawarma is very different — most places do it very spicy, but ours is very flavorful with a hint of cinnamon,” she noted.
For dessert, don’t miss the baklava or the house-made flan, which is less sweet and extra creamy. Both go for $3.99 each.
What to order for breakfast at Green Olive
While Mediterranean fare is the main draw, Green Olive also serves breakfast. “When we first opened on the South Side, I was so afraid we were not going to get busy enough to survive. So I told my husband, ‘Why don’t we do a little breakfast?’” Duran said.
The breakfast menu features omelets (Denver, ham and cheese, veggie, meat lover), pancakes, French toast, crepes, and their unique home potatoes — boiled, then grilled with onions and bell peppers. “They’re very different than most places… very home potatoes. That’s why we call them home potatoes,” Duran said.
While breakfast is a quieter time, she believes it’s a great option for those looking for something different in the morning.
Did you know?
All of the meat at The Green Olive is halal, and the couple drives to Omaha weekly to pick up fresh halal meat.
The restaurant also carries vegan and vegetarian dishes.
The couple uses Jerusalem Bakery for pita bread and desserts.
Duran also carries agua fresca.
Where to find The Green Olive
Locations: 4221 Fleur Drive, Des Moines, 515-285-9179
1960 Grand Ave., West Des Moines, 515-223-7392
Website: thegreenoliveiowa.com
Hours: Open daily from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
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Susan Stapleton is the entertainment editor and dining reporter at The Des Moines Register. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, or drop her a line at sstapleton@gannett.com.
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