This place is near where my wife works and a group from her work has occasionally stopped here after work hours over the years. We noticed that it had a new name and was under new ownership, so stopped in to check it out for my websites.
If you ever stopped by the previous business, you were well aware of the relatively dark, dungeon-like interior with booths of what seemed like 1970s velour. Those old booths have been removed, replaced by a number of table and chair options and the interior just came across as lighter and more lively, with multiple TVs surrounding the dining area and above the bar.
The food was definitely above average for pub food and the value was great considering the $10 gyros special and the quantity of food provided. My wife ordered the lamb gyro with onion rings (see picture) and I opted for the chicken gyro with jalapeno cole slaw (see picture).
We always share tastes of our food and today was no different – with both of us liking each others gyro. What really stood out to me though were the sides. I really liked the Jalapeno Cole Slaw and the onion rings were well above average also. The waitress warned me when I ordered that the jalapeno cole slaw had some kick and she wasn’t kidding – there were so many slices of jalapeno that I believe I had at least 1 slice in every bite that I took! If you like a little spice in your life, you will definitely want to give them a try!
The food was great, the food special made it an excellent value and the service was good. We definitely thought it is a step up from the previous restaurant at this location.
Yet another great stop at Gastro Grub & Pub. Tonight, we started with a Mrs. Claus’ Medicine (see picture) and Casamigos Mezcal Paloma (see picture), then opted for multiple appetizers for our meals with a couple of craft beers.
We started with Bacon Dates (see picture) and Brussels Sprouts (see picture), then topped it off with and order of Chicken Wings (Peanut Butter & Jelly of course – see picture). We have had them all before and really like them – and tonight was no different.
04/06/2024
This place is becoming a habit…and each time the food is just as good as the last time! Joslyn did a wonderful job serving us tonight and the owner (Sean) stopped by our table at the end of the meal. Gastro Grub & Pub is a class act and the only thing I could criticize (which I also shared with the owner) is that a couple of the windows above the front door were extremely dirty (see picture)…and unfortunately that was right in my line of sight during the meal. Apparently, that is the responsibility of the building owner, so he was going to bring it up with them.
Tonight, we started with a Picante Peach (see picture) and a Paloma (see picture) – both delicious and expertly prepared by Mary behind the bar – but be aware, the Picante Peach has a good jalapeno burn. We started our dinner with Brussels Sprouts (see picture), then ordered a Wagyu Burger (see picture) and Peanut Butter & Jelly Wings (see picture) – followed by a Small Cookie (see picture) for dessert.
07/14/2023
During our latest stop, my wife ordered the N’awlins Shrimp Po Boy (see picture) and I again ordered the Peanut Butter & Jelly Chicken Wings (see picture).
03/25/2023
This is my wife’s go-to restaurant in the area and I like it also. We have stopped here on multiple occasions and have always enjoyed our visit, given the fantastic food and atmosphere (love the smells and lively vibe). Be aware of the fact that they are not open on Monday or Tuesday and only serve dinner (after 4pm). We have wanted to go several times on a Monday or Tuesday before realizing that they weren’t open.
For our latest visit, we started with drinks – they have a good selection of unique and tasty tap beers and some unique cocktails. My wife ordered a Gezellig Dopptoberfest and I went with the special for dinner – the Mulberry Street Cocktail (see picture – a little sweet, but very tasty).
As an appetizer, we ordered the Brussels Sprouts (see picture) and thoroughly enjoyed them – what a great combination Bacon Vinaigrette, Bacon Lardons & Parmesan Cheese. We have ordered this before, absolutely love it and would highly recommend it (although their other choices are also delicious, so it is a hard choice…).
For dinner, I ordered the 5 Wings (see picture) with peanut butter & jelly coating (sounds weird, but you can’t believe how good they are – great combination of sweet and spicy). My wife ordered the Steak Pita with sweet potato fries (see picture) and while it was delicious, be aware that it is quite messy to eat as there are LOTS of juices.
If you live in the Waukee, Urbandale, Clive or West Des Moines areas, you don’t have to make the drive downtown to enjoy some fantastic food and drink close to home. You won’t go wrong with a stop here to eat or drink.
March 2022 Stopped here tonight when the Irish Pub we sought out on St. Patrick’s Day was closed. There was no wait to be seated and we really liked the smokey smell (were told it was from the woodfire grill). We started with Bacon Wrapped Dates which tasted great but we’re a little small compared to those I’ve eaten previously. The Beet Salad was delicious as was the OJ Gets Dreamy beer.
June 2021 Started with a Tropical Blender IPA milk stout beer followed by a Raspberry Milk stout with my meal. For dinner I went with the waitress’s recommendation and ordered the Original Bacon Jam Burger and would highly recommend all of them.
If you found this review helpful, please show your appreciation with a Like or a Follow.
Peanut Butter & Jelly Chicken WingsBacon Wrapped DatesBrussels SproutsWagyu BurgerPalomaPicante PeachSmall CookieDirty WindowsMulberry Street CocktailSteak PitaPeanut Butter & Jelly Chicken WingsN’awlins Shrimp Po Boy
Our friends took us here several years ago and we really enjoyed the experience…finally getting the chance to return and found it just as impressive.
We started with drinks, including a Bloody Mary with Mezcal (see picture) and an After Midnight – both quite tasty. We then ordered Collective Wings (see picture) as an appetizer and found them so delicious that we were tempted to order more of them for our meal.
For our dinner, my wife ordered the Cubano (see picture) and I opted for the Squash Risotto (see picture). As we always do, we shared tastes of each both of us thought that both meals were good enough to order again and recommend.
A great place to eat towards the north end of the Valley Junction ‘Strip’ with an amazing atmosphere, excellent presentations and fantastic service.
If you found this review helpful, please show your appreciation with a Like or a Follow.
It had been a few years since we have been at Eatery A, mostly due to being new in the area and exploring new venues rather than repeating at a known location. Once again, we were extremely pleased with this stop as in the end, I gave it one of the few full 5* ratings that I have ever given. This place truly has it all – unique and tasty food, a great atmosphere, friendly service and value that is above average for the downtown! If you have the treat of being served by Vee – tell her ‘Hi’ from The Food and Drink Guy, as she is a gem!
Tonight, we celebrated my wife’s Birthday – exploring the menu beyond the pizza’s we had on previous visits to the other Mediterranean delights as recommended by our server, Vee. Tonight we truly shared everything – starting with the Two for Delicacies: Bacon Wrapped Dates & Meatballs (see pictures). We followed that up with a Three for $35 Skewer: Swordfish, Chicken Shawarma & Sirloin Tip (see picture). All of them were delicious and highly recommended, but our favorite was the Bacon Wrapped Dates!
Lastly, if you follow my posts, you know how hard it is for me to leave a restaurant without having some type of sweets. Tonight was no different, although it was free for my wife’s Birthday. We opted for the Salted Caramel Budino (see picture) and while we have had it before – we truly relished every spoonful. It was sweet, rich and awesome – especially given the smaller portion size that didn’t leave us feeling too guilty!
You will love a stop here for your next meal out…and if you want to sample a few things at a bargain price, they have one of the best true 1/2 price Happy Hours in the area!
July 2021
We stopped here for dinner on our anniversary based on an online rating and really liked it. It is very clean, modern and ‘chic’.
I highly recommend stopping between 3 and 6 to take advantage of the Happy Hour (we did). We sampled several beers and a delicious wood fire pizza – all at 1/2 price!
On the waitress’ recommendation we ordered the #10 pizza (…meat & hot honey). As the name implied it was a perfect combination of pepperoni and spicy Italian sausage along with just a tinge of sweetness from the honey. It was just perfect for the 2 of us to share. On a subsequent visit with our son, we tried the Gyro (#5). Their beer tap wasn’t working on that trip, so we had to ‘settle’ for wine with our pizzas instead.
Lastly don’t leave without trying one of the desserts. Again based on the waitress’ recommendation we went with the Salted Caramel Budino. It wasn’t quite what we expected but oh, it was so good! It was a delicious pudding/tapioca (chantilly cream) with some sprinkles of dark chocolate on the top and a dollop of salted caramel. Dessert Bliss!!
This is definitely a place you’ll want to try!
If you found this review helpful, please show your appreciation with a Like or a Follow.
If you found this review helpful, please show your appreciation with a Like or a Follow. To receive Tweets of the latest Reviews, follow on Twitter: @TheFaDGuy
Finally got the chance to return with my wife after our neighbors asked us to join them for dinner here. We both enjoyed the atmosphere, drinks and food during our visit. We started with a Mojito (see picture) and Old Fashioned (see picture) – both very good drinks.
For our dinner, my wife opted for the Asian Peanut Butter & Jelly Burger (see picture), our neighbor had the Boursin Burger (see picture) and I went with the AG Burger (see picture). All of them were delicious, as were the french fries and tater tots. This place is definitely worth a stop and next time we’ll try to go again on a Tuesday and remember their Burger & Pint special.
11/2022
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
4.25* (out of 5)
Food: 5*
Atmosphere: 5*
Value: 4*
Service: 4*
Stopped here to try it out when in the area for a meeting, as it shows 1st alphabetically at HappyHourDesDoines.com. I was a little leary about going in upon seeing the very small parking lot in a near-residential area, but was glad that I did.
Stewart was my waiter and he took great care of me – there at the right times without being overbearing. There was a decent selection of tap beers (see picture) and the special of the day was Lasagna (see picture), which was also his recommendation.
The dinner salad (see picture) was fresh and crisp…although the pieces of lettuce were quite large and needed to be cut before eating. The Lasagna was a pleasant surprise – good-sized portion, nice presentation (see picture) and very tasty.
Being the great waiter he was, Stewart offered dessert…and while it sounded delicious, I was feeling pretty full and decided against the additional calories and $10. I would definitely recommend this place and plan on stopping by again sometime with my wife.
If you found this review helpful, please show your appreciation with a Like or a Follow. To receive Tweets of the latest Reviews, follow on Twitter: @TheFaDGuy
If you found this review helpful, please show your appreciation with a Like or a Follow.
We have had discounts from kid’s athletics fundraising cards to try this place for several years and finally got over to try it this summer. While the exterior on the East side didn’t look like much, the front (North) side looked much more inviting and lively – with tables and a modern look. Unfortunately, we arrived from the South and didn’t see the front side until leaving (see pictures of each side below). I did like the corrugated metal and rustic wood decor – giving it a bit of a old farm building feel inside.
We started with a Salty Chick and an Orilla Sunset (see picture) drink – and really enjoyed both of them. For our meal we ordered a Nashville Hot Dinner (see picture) and a Chicken Strip Meal (see picture). The chicken was good and we really liked the fries – hearty, crispy on the outside & soft and hot on the inside. Best of all was the Carolina Mustard and Bang Bang sauces on the side – we loved both of them!
While this is a bit out of the way for us since we live up in Urbandale and don’t get this far south very often, we did enjoy our stop for dinner and would recommend it if you are in the area.
If you found this review helpful, please show your appreciation with a Like or a Follow.
We were drawn by the opportunity to pick our own strawberries, given how disappointing the flavor of most purchased in the store are – and not only did we love the strawberries, the meatballs and strawberry sundae were also delicious!
While we did have plans for dinner at another restaurant, we stopped in at the cider house to sample what they had and then also enjoyed an appetizer as well as topping it off with an early dessert! We started with a Cider Flight (see pictue) to sample several of their ciders and while neither my wife nor myself are big cider fans, we enjoyed several of them.
For an appetizer, we had the House Meatballs (see picture) and while they seemed a bit on the salty side, we LOVED them. Lastly, and even though we were stopping elsewhere for dinner next, I couldn’t resist the opportunity to sample a strawberry sundae (see picture). While our trunk was loaded with strawberries to last us for months and we ate our fair share while picking them…the combination with soft serve ice cream was still delicious!
If you found this review helpful, please show your appreciation with a Like or a Follow.
We had heard of Fiesta Jalapeno’s before, but actually ended up here a little by accident today, as we planned lunch at the Best Burger in Iowa restaurant next door, but it was inexplicably closed for the day. The weather was great and the patio looked inviting so we optioned for Mexican instead.
The menu options were good and our group ended up sampling quite a few of them as the pictures will show. You will see pictures for each of the following below: Carnitas Tacos, Lobster Relleno, Spicy Grilled Burrito, Burrito Bowl Grilled Chicken & Steak, Chimichangas Supremas, Lobster Chimichanga and Chips & Salsa.
We found all of the food to be solid and above average with the exception of the chips, which weren’t my favorite. While not having any alcoholic drinks contributed, the value is quite good…as we only spent $16 per person before the tip. I loved the lively, open atmosphere and would likely return if in the area again in the future.
If you found this review helpful, please show your appreciation with a Like or a Follow.
Saw this place in a search while visiting the Amana Colonies earlier this year and looked forward to an opportunity to stop and give it a try. Got the opportunity while traveling from the Moline area to Waterloo with a little time to spare, so took advantage of the opportunity.
The exterior was clean, modern and inviting – with a literal buzz of excitement, activity and energy surrounding the building. The interior was a little dated, but clean and inviting – drawing your attention to the product that we are all there to enjoy.
Best of all, and the reason for stopping in the first place, was the delicious ice cream. We shared the hand-dipped Black Raspberry Truffle (see picture), as we had already eaten a large dinner – and thoroughly enjoyed every bite! If you are in the area and love ice cream – you will definitely want to stop at Heyn’s!
If you found this review helpful, please show your appreciation with a Like or a Follow.
My Dad was up for pizza for dinner, so we looked around the Riverview area and chose Cappy’s Pizza. The exterior of the building was a clean, modern brick facade with decking on the upper levels giving it a bit of a European / New Orleans feel. The interior was full of classic agricultural and automotive signs from yesteryear and was well-lit.
To start our meal, we ordered a large Greek Salad (see picture) to share and we were not disappointed – it was delicious! We ordered 3 pizzas to share (see pictures) – 2 NY Customs and a NY Cappy. We enjoy thinner crusts and found all of these options to be very good – wood-fired edges with plenty of sauce and toppings.
A rock-solid pizza shop that I would recommend and look forward to a return.
If you found this review helpful, please show your appreciation with a Like or a Follow.
We stopped here for lunch with my son and parents after a tour of his current jobsite in Lakeland. The atmosphere was amazing – clean and modern, yet rustic and welcoming. It is located in an old bank building (see pictures) and thus the ‘Federal’ in the name, with some tongue-in-cheek advertising on the signs outside (see pictures).
We weren’t super hungry, so ordered a little on the light side and shared our dishes (as is our custom anyway). As an appetizer, we ordered the Onion Rings (see picture) and they were awesome – huge, crispy and bit off cleanly. For lunch we ordered (see pictures for each): Kansas City Burnt Ends, Three-Meat Combo, BBQ Reuben & Smoked Turkey Breast. All of the dishes were smokey, juicy and full of flavor – but that didn’t stop us from trying the various bbq sauces on the table (see picture).
The next time you find yourself in Lakeland and looking for some good BBQ, stop by Mojo Federal Swine & Spirits.
If you found this review helpful, please show your appreciation with a Like or a Follow.
Another visit to our son’s house (this time with my parents) and another awesome experience at Tiki Docks! This time we had 5 adults ordering so had the opportunity to try a few things…but still stuck with a couple of our favorites.
Our dinner consisted of (see pictures for each): Mahalo Pork Sandwich, Fish & Chips, Surfing Shrimp Tacos, Pipeline Shrimp Cheese Grits and Pipeline Scallop Cheese Grits. We all shared bites and I’m happy to report that everyone thought all of the dishes were delicious!
Best of all, this time we had enough help so decided to share a Banana Bread Ice Cream Sandwich for dessert (see picture). I was heavenly – all of us like banana bread, but grilled and paired with ice cream puts it over the top! Make sure that you give this a try on your next visit.
For a combination of unique and tasty food in a great location on the river with top-end service and a reasonable value, you will love Tiki Docks! If you go, please say ‘Hi’ to Rachael from The Food & Drink Guy – she is a fantastic server.
While I give very few full 5* reviews (usually the really nice places are also very expensive for example), I found this place to be quite unique and deserving of the recognition. We were visiting our son in the area and he suggested stopping here – and it was clearly our favorite place during our stay in Riverview. We’ve done the downtown Tampa and Ybor areas and found them both to be very nice – yet this place seems to have a great balance, hitting the top of the scales in all the areas that I rate (Food, Atmosphere, Value & Service).
We started with a round of drinks, including a Mango Margarita (see picture) and a half dozen Oysters (see picture). My wife and I both love Taijin, so were thrilled to find it on the rim of the margarita – which was very good. We were surprised to hear that our son had never tried oysters before, so that was a primary driver to ordering them so he could try them. My wife and I enjoyed them, but our son is now knows that he is not an oysters fan…which meant one more for my wife to enjoy…
For our main courses, my wife ordered the Pipeline Shrimp Cheese Grits (see picture), my son ordered the Tiki Wings (see picture) and I went with the Seared Ahi Saku (see picture). As we always to, we all shared sample bites from each others plates to enjoy multiple dishes and tastes. I found each of them to be near the top of similar dishes I’ve had elsewhere. The Seared Ahi Saku was prepared perfectly, was served on some great tasting fresh salsa and included a wonderful dipping sauce. There were two different flavors of wings and both were very good – juicy, tasty and delightful. Lastly, while the Pipeline Shrimp Cheesy Grits pushed the envelope on value coming in at $24 – it was sooo creamy, cheesy and delicious (I stole multiple bites of the cheesy grits).
Lastly, and while we were already quite full, no meal is complete for me without at least a few bites of dessert. When in Floriday, it is quite hard to pass up Key Lime Pie (see picture), so we shared a piece of it. Again, it was VERY good – I would definitely recommend a piece before you leave!
If you found this review helpful, please show your appreciation with a Like or a Follow.
We just finished up a 6 hour pontoon ride on the river and intercoastal waterway and the owner of the pontoon recommended this place for a bite to eat. It was a very open and lively place with a nice view of the river next to I75. As you might expect with many river stops – it is set up with an island-like theme to have a good time at the bar…but there isn’t much budget allocated to the bathrooms. The food and service were solid though, so I’d be up for stopping again on another day – especially after a long day on the water.
We had already eaten lunches and snacks on the pontoon so weren’t that hungry, but did enjoy a tap beer and a Shrimp Basket (see picture). While the cole slaw quantity was minimal, the shrimp were crispy and tasty – and I really liked the dipping sauce.
If you found this review helpful, please show your appreciation with a Like or a Follow.
We were already full from a great stop for dinner…but then we saw a new ice cream shop that we hadn’t yet visited. There is always room in your stomach for ice cream – right?
Since we had just eaten dinner, we decided to share a Sundae (see picture)…and since the large was only $1 more…why not splurge? While it was very tasty, we did have to eat quite quickly to keep the spill-over-melt situation to a minimum. It was worth every spoonful – if you are in the area, you definitely want to stop and try one of your favorite desserts!
If you found this review helpful, please show your appreciation with a Like or a Follow.
Yet another solid experience at the Uptown Bar & Grill – nothing stands out for atmosphere, but the Value & Service are above average and the Food is great! I couldn’t pass up the $2 beer special and today we went with the Breakfast Burger (see picture), Tater Tots (see picture) and Frisco Burger (see picture). We ordered the burgers medium rare and unlike other restaurants who deliver them well done anyway – they were actually served medium rare and were delicious!!
04/30/2023
We have been back a time or 2 since my first post in 2021, but didn’t eat a meal again until today. My wife was hungry for a hamburger and thought they looked good the last time that we were there with our neighbors, so that was our dinner destination. During our meal, we also got to participate in song BINGO, which was an enjoyable sidelight to our meal.
Tonight I ordered the Hot Sausage (see picture) per our waitress’ recommendation and my wife ordered the Jalapeno Blue Burger (see picture). As per our typical, we each shared our meals and both of us really enjoyed both sandwiches. Both had a bit of a nice spicy bite to them and both of them were a bit messy.
The Hot Sausage in particular was a 2 napkin meal at a minimum…very greasy and juicy from the sausage, melted cheese and marinara sauce – and OH so delicious! I thought the Hot Sausage tasted a bit like a grownup version of the pizza burgers I used to enjoy in small town diners as a teenager. The meat quality is much better though and the ciabatta bun is delicious. Keep in mind that neither come with a side, so the side salad shown with the Jalapeno Blue Burger was extra. I didn’t order a side and didn’t need it, as the Hot Sausage was more than enough to eat.
The food is above average for bar food and the service is quite good, so if you’re in the area I recommend that you stop in for a drink and some food.
09/2021
We stopped here after a search for a restaurant on our way home from golfing. We weren’t sure what to expect given that it was a smaller town bar, but left impressed and would definitely go back.
They had a better than average tap and canned beer selection and we caught the end of Sunday song BINGO – an interesting spin on an old classic game.
The food and service turned out to be the best parts though. Yes, it was bar food, but on the higher end of the scale – very fresh, tasty and prepared well. The waiter recommended a brand new special (Boursin Pesto Burger with a side – see picture), so I tried it. It was a 1/2 pound patty on a fresh light bun…and just might have been the best cheeseburger I’ve ever had! Messy, yes, but oh so delicious!
Also on the waiter’s recommendation, my wife ordered the Reuben (see picture) and she really enjoyed it (so did I…). For a smaller town Iowa bar, these folks take great care of you and the food is great!
If you found this review helpful, please show your appreciation with a Like or a Follow.
Breakfast Burger & TotsFrisco BurgerFrisco Burger internalsJalapeno Blue BurgerHot Sausage
I stopped back with a friend to update my information on HappyHourDesMoines.com and in addition to the Happy Hour Drinks (see pictures), we also shared an order of Carnitas Nachos (see picture). The menu includes Tapas, Nachos and Tacos…which complement the drinks nicely.
The nachos were delicious – with quality, taste and presentation well above average bar nachos. While I loved the 1/2 priced Margaritas for Happy Hour, I strongly dislike restaurants adding a 3% Service Fee, so knocked the Value down to 4* as a result.
You’ll love the atmosphere, food and drinks – and the Margaritas are 1/2 price during Happy Hour!
03/15/2023
We stopped here on one previous occasion with a wedding celebration party and really enjoyed the lively atmosphere and food. Today we stopped as a result of finding their Happy Hour at happyhourdesmoines.com and wanting to give it a try while downtown.
We ordered a round of drinks from the happy hour menu, including beers and a Coa Margarita (see picture). The presentation of the margarita was excellent per the picture, but we found it a bit sweet to our taste and the quantity was a little light due to the glass being completely filled with ice.
The atmosphere and service are fantastic, making this a great stop while in the area – whether for a drink or some great Mexican food.
If you found this review helpful, please show your appreciation with a Like or a Follow.
Decided late in the afternoon to go out for Mexican on Cinco de Mayo, so chose the place closest to our home as we have enjoyed previous visits. They were absolutely slammed with business…several delivery drivers waiting at the door said they had been waiting for well over an hour. Once we got past the delivery drivers, we were seated relatively quickly but the service was slow due to how busy they were.
The Jalapeno Cucumber and Mango margaritas (see pictures) were served in plastic glasses – again, likely due to how busy they were. While they tasted great, the presentation wasn’t quite as nice as the heavy glass goblets they usually serve. We always enjoy the chips and salsa (see picture) here – the chips are fresh and the salsa is thick and hearty.
Lastly, for our meals tonight we again ordered the Ceviche Mixto (see picture) that we enjoyed previously and while it again tasted great, it wasn’t served with any crackers (we used our table chips) and the price seemed a bit high at $24. Both my wife and I agreed that the highlight of the meal though was the Orden Shrimp Tacos (see picture) – with both of us commenting that they just might have been the best shrimp tacos we have ever eaten!
02/17/2023
This is fairly close to our home, so we stopped here last night on the way home from checking out a Happy Hour for HappyHourDesMoines.com. It was a Friday night around 6:30 and the place was packed. They took our name and we went to the bar to wait for our table (which took about 15-20 minutes). The servers were hustling around the restaurant the entire time – so it wasn’t for a lack of effort, but we did have to make an effort to catch someone when we needed something.
We started with a Mango Jalapeno Margarita (see picture) which was delicious – just be forewarned that it does have a fairly strong bite of jalapeno pepper if you don’t like if being spicy. It was a large serving and had plenty of additional Tajin seasoning (which we love).
For our dinner, we ordered the Ceviche Mixto (see picture) which is not on the menu, but we’ve had it before and enjoyed it. At our server’s urging, we added the octopus to it and not sure if that was the reason…but we were charged $25.99 for the plate, so be aware if you want to try it. Like other times, it tasted great – I just probably wouldn’t order the octopus again (pretty firm and not much taste).
The other item we ordered for dinner was the Orden Tacos De Charolita (see picture), again on our server’s recommendation. Be aware of 2 things with this dish: 1.) it is very greasy / messy (you will need a few napkins) and 2.) it was extremely salty – to the point that it seemed that all you could taste was salt.
While we have always enjoyed our drinks here as well as the ceviche, we were disappointed with how salty the taco plate was. I would definitely recommend a stop to try their drinks!
If you found this review helpful, please show your appreciation with a Like or a Follow.
Orden Shrimp TacosCeviche MixtoJalapeno Cucumber MargaritaMango Jalapeno MargaritaChips & SalsaBarMango Jalapeno MargaritaChips & SalsaCevicheOrden Tacos De Charolita
This place has been intriguing for a while now and we finally had the chance to give it a try last weekend. The exterior is a basic black and white building (see pictures) – in character with their tie and hat sign. The interior, while a little dark (some might say ‘romantic’), did a good job of keeping with the speakeasy theme. There are multiple pictures, figures and etched glass of famous Chicago-area gangsters (see pictures). A call out to our server, Trudy – who took good care of us and was patient as I took pictures of the menu before deciding what I wanted to eat or drink.
We started with drinks (see pictures) – my wife had a Lemon Drop Martini and I opted for a Godfather, as I like amaretto and bourbon. This was the first time I’d had amaretto and bourbon and while the quality was good, I wasn’t excited about the flavor and probably wouldn’t order it again. My wife makes her own (and I dare say excellent) Lemon Drop Martinis, so has high expectations when she orders one. She was not impressed with it, so I sampled it and would share the opinion that it was the weakest Lemon Drop Martini I’ve ever tasted. It tasted like it had been thinned about 50% with water (you can almost see through it in the picture). She assumed it was maybe a fluke, so tried a Tito’s and pineapple juice next…unfortunately with the same results. While the rest of the food (see next paragraph) was excellent and would have warranted 5* for the Food rating, I just couldn’t go above 4* given how poor the cocktails were.
On to the food – the highlight of the visit! Some of the reviews mentioned that this was one of the best salad bars in the area and I have to agree. The salad bar was flat out amazing (see picture) – laid out nicely, well lit, a good selection and maintained to retain cleanliness and freshness. If you like salad bars, this place is worth a visit just for the salad bar. The table bread that came with the meal (see picture) was average – the full loaf and cutting board presentation were great, but we prefer a heavier, higher quality bread – and this was very light and very white.
For our main courses, my wife ordered the Prime Rib with Scallops (see picture) and I went for the Seafood Lasagna (see picture). While the scallops were not what my wife expected (breaded and came across a little bit like fast food), they did taste good and she was quite happy with the prime rib. I REALLY liked the Seafood Lasagna as well as the crispy, breaded garlic bread – both of which were highly regarded in other reviews that we read. After indulging in a generous serving from the salad bar, we could only finish about half of our meals, which meant we had the pleasure of enjoying the leftovers at home!
Chicago gangster-themed restaurant with one of the best salad bars in the area and an amazing Seafood Lasagna dish that you have to try!
If you found this review helpful, please show your appreciation with a Like or a Follow.
My wife found this place while searching for places where “Guy had been” to meet her sister’s family – and boy was it ever a gem! We had 10 in our group, so it was very difficult for them to arrange tables to accept our group inside – so we agreed to sit outside on the picnic tables. It was a bit chilly, but we made due given the circumstances.
Beyond the historic brick building and great smokey smell as you walk up, their in-house craft beer and mocktail lists were impressive. We started with a round of their craft beers and since I always like to try multiple different beers, I went with a Flight (see picture). I was impressed with their craft beers as usually there are multiple that you wouldn’t order again – but I found all except 1 to rate on the high end of my Untappd rating scale.
My only disappointment was that the picnic table tops were extremely uneven – which caused all of the beers in the flight to tip over onto my son when I slid them across the table in their rack. A server came out to clean up and said that he usually warns people about that when they order…but no offer of even a discount on the refills.
On to the best part of our visit – the food! We started with Smoked Wings (see picture) and were delighted with the flavor, tenderness and moistness of the chicken. For our main courses, we ordered the Reuben, 18 Hour Porketta and Smokestack sandwich – all with a side of fries (see pictures of each). My wife and I shared the Smokestack and as the cut-away picture shows, it is one large stack of different delicious smoked meats!
As we usually do, we all shared samples from each dish and all of us really enjoyed all of them. Beyond the obvious and delicious smoked meats, I really enjoyed the home cut fries. As the pictures show, they had a good brown color on the outside, the seasoning was perfect and the ranch sauce was a great consistency for dipping!
Exceptional smoked meats, scrumptious fries, and an extensive variety of quality in-house brewed beers make this a must-visit destination.
If you found this review helpful, please show your appreciation with a Like or a Follow.
We were visiting our son and his fiancé in Minneapolis and knowing that we like Thai food, he recommended this for all of us for dinner – as one of his favorite Thai restaurants. The restaurant is beautiful brick on the outside (see pictures) and has a very modern interior decor (see pictures). While the Value is above average, it is a bit pricey – as curry and soup dishes are around $18 with an added protein.
The four of us started with beers and a Thai Iced Tea along with appetizer orders of Gyoza pan-fried pork dumplings (see picture) and Fresh Thai Spring Rolls (see picture). We all enjoyed both – as they tasted just as good as they look in the pictures. For our main courses, the others ordered Tom Yum Soup (see picture), Squash Curry Chicken (see picture) and Green Curry Beef (see picture). As I wasn’t particularly hungry and always like to order Papaya Salad if its on the menu, I went with that (see picture). We all shared tastes of each others dishes and found all of them to be delicious!
If you follow my posts, you know how hard it is for me to leave a restaurant without sampling their desserts and tonight was no different. Since we were all pretty full already, we decided to order the Cheesecake Roll (see picture) and a scoop of Grean Tea Ice Cream (see picture) and share both of them. Again, both of them were at least as good as they look in the pictures and I would recommend them both.
Lastly, I ended up giving Service a 3* rating – not because it was bad, but because it was just that – average. We didn’t have a consistent person waiting on us, the communication was a little challenging and there was a wait for drink refills. Worse yet (and given the previous paragraph), I had a bit of a panic attack when we had to flag someone other than our server down to order dessert, then wait well beyond the check arriving for the dessert to be delivered. I was getting concerned that they forgot the most important part of the meal… 🙂 In the end, it was delivered though and tasted so good that it was worth the wait!
A modern and attractive atmosphere with great Thai food in Edina makes the Coconut Thai a restaurant that you’ll want to experience in person.
If you found this review helpful, please show your appreciation with a Like or a Follow.
