Stopped in with friends while visiting the area and really enjoyed our stop. It is located in a very nice area and is very open, modern and clean.
The beer selection was great (see picture) and we each enjoyed a shared Flight (see picture) with our spouses. We also ordered a salted pretzel with mustard sauce (sorry, no picture) and all of us would recommend ordering one to enjoy with your beer – very tasty and a good, savory complement to your beer.
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Saw this place after dropping my wife off for shopping and given my voracious sweet tooth…I had to check it out! Since Bubble Tea was in the name I had to try it, going with a recommendation with half the sugar from my server. The bubble tea was very good and I’d recommend it – there are flavors and sweetness levels to suit any taste buds.
I especially enjoyed the sweet breads from the display case. I brought danish-type of bread with peach filling and another with coconut filling to a party and everyone who tasted it liked it and asked where I got it. In addition, I bought a loaf of the Coconut Sweet Bread and brought it home – it had great coconut flavoring with just the right level of sweetness, making great sandwiches for several days. While I didn’t try any on this trip since we had just eaten lunch, they also offered a number of single-serving savory offerings, which would be great for lunch.
Definitely a place that you’ll want to try if you like Bubble Tea or sweet breads!
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We were in the mood for Mexican while visiting our son so met him here based on a recommendation from one of his coworkers. While the communication with our server was a little challenging (I view that as a positive by the way…more authentic experience and potential indicator of more authentic food), the food, value and atmosphere were all above average.
We started with a couple of Large Margaritas (see picture) – which are highly recommended, as they tasted great and were well worth $10. We also ordered a small Guacamole Dip to complement the complimentary chips and salsa (see picture). The chips were light, tasty and crispy and the complimentary salsa was also very good, with a good taste of cilantro.
For our main course, my wife and I shared Street Tacos (see picture) – Asada, Carnitas, Grilled Chicken and Pasto. We love street tacos and really liked the taste of all of them, so would highly recommend them for your next visit. My son ordered the Large Chimichanga (see picture) – we all tasted it and enjoyed it, so would also recommend it.
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Large MargaritaChips & SalsaStreet TacosStreet TacoLarge ChimichangaTres Leches
Our son recommended this place for a Good Friday dinner of fish. He made reservations online for us, only to find out upon our arrival that they ignore the online reservations on the weekend. They were quite busy and we ended up waiting 20 minutes for a table. The good news is that they have a good selection of Irish / British tap beers, so sipping on them helped pass the time while we waited. The neighborhood was average – some boarded up businesses but generally clean and we felt safe during the dinner hour.
Once seated, we first ordered appetizers to share – a Basket of Crisps (see picture) and a Cauliflower Bites (see picture). The Basket of Crisps were tasty – light and quite crispy, with a delicious accompanying sauce. The Cauliflower Bites were also quite tasty – crispy outside and a little crunch left on the cauliflower inside, with just the right amount of buffalo sauce.
For our main courses, most of us ordered the British Fish & Chips (see picture), which had the fish pieces tossed in vinegar and wrapped in paper. I found the 2 piece to be more than enough to eat, especially after sharing a couple of appetizers – but also enjoyed the added cole slaw on the side. My wife stuck with the Yankee Fish & Chips (see picture), unwrapped, crispy and not tossed in vinegar. We thought that both versions of the fish tasted very good – so it depends on whether you like vinegar or not when you make your selection.
Service was average, as we found ourselves looking for our waitress a few times for water, silverware and condiments, but will admit that it was also packed for dinner – so she was quite busy.
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British Fish & Chips w/ Cole SlawYankee Fish & ChipsCauliflower BitesBasket of CrispsWater Pitcher
Several friends had great things to say about HomeGrown, so we took the opportunity to go there this weekend with our son and daughter-in-law. The decor is modern and yet country-like (see pictures) and the restaurant had great lighting with glass on 2 sides.
We started with drinks and an appetizer to share – I ordered the Vietnamese Coffee (see picture) and we shared 2 homemade Pop Tarts (see picture). I really liked the Vietnamese Coffee (how can you go wrong adding sweetened condensed milk to cold press coffee?) and the Pop Tarts were great also.
For our meals, I ordered the Salsa Verde Pork & Eggs (see picture), my wife ordered the BLTA&E (see picture) and my son ordered the Biscuits & Gravy (see picture). We each tasted each others dishes and thoroughly enjoyed all of them. The pulled pork in the Salsa Verde Pork & Eggs was moist, the eggs were done perfectly as ordered (over-easy) and the potatoes were done just right with some great seasoning. The BLTA&E was tasty and we all commented that the Biscuits in the Biscuits & Gravy were very light and crumbly.
You won’t go wrong with a stop here for Breakfast or Lunch – but I would recommend that you make a reservation, as they are very busy.
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Homemade Pop TartsSalsa Verde Pork & EggsBLTA&EBiscuits & GravyVietnamese Coffee
Several friends recommended this place within a few days, so we took the opportunity to stop by with friends from Brazil who also enjoy sushi. We were advised to get reservations as they are very busy and even at noon on a Friday, the earliest we could get a table for 4 was 8:15 – so I highly recommend getting reservations.
We arrived a few minutes early and were immediately seated near the sushi counter (see pictures). A very modern and lively atmosphere along with friendly service. Our server was Deja L. and she was fantastic – excellent recommendations and a friendly demeanor…the kind of person you would want representing your business.
We started with drinks and a shared appetizer – I ordered the Cherry Vanilla Cola (see picture) and we shared the Combo Dynamite App (see picture). The drink was good as expected and the Combo Dynamite App was dyn-o-mite (as the name implies).
For our meals, I ordered the Volcano (see picture) and my wife ordered the Fire Cracker (see picture) – both Chef’s Special Maki and both on the recommendation of Deja. We really liked both of them and would definitely order them again as well as recommend them for you to try. Our friend ordered the Salmon Roll w/cucumber (see picture) and also really enjoyed it.
We were definitely tempted to order dessert, but ended up deciding to pass and stop for another cocktail on the way home instead. We can definitely understand the strong recommendations for this place as we offer the same – fantastic food and service…just make sure to make reservations!
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Cherry Vanilla ColaCombo Dynamite AppVolcanoFire CrackerSalmon Roll w/cucumber
Stopped by again last night with my wife to try out the Happy Hour again and had a good time. We shared orders of Mama’s Meatballs (see picture) and a Margherita Pizza (see picture). We really enjoyed the meatballs – good flavor, not too greasy and with just the right amount of sauce and cheese. The crust on the margherita pizza was very soft if you like that and the flavor was good…we just prefer having some protein so will probably stick with the Meatballs or Salmon Cakes. The Tommy’s Margarita (see picture) was not one of my favorites…coming across a bit tart and a bit of an artificially sweetened mouthfeel.
3/13/2023
Have seen it numerous times and finally took the time to stop in and check it out after an appointment at Vero Chiropractic nearby. Looking for content for HappyHourDesMoines.com, my first question was whether they had a Happy Hour – and BOY did they ever! Not only did they have a GREAT Happy Hour (see pictures), but they also had a Monday Dinner Special ($60 for a bottle of wine, 2 entrees and a dessert – see picture) that I will definitely be returning to try with my wife on a later date.
The place so impressed me, that I couldn’t leave without trying at least one drink from their Happy Hour menu. I had a seat at the bar and the bartender talked me into trying the Old Fashioned (see picture) – which was a great recommendation.
It was so good, I decided to also try one of the 1/2 off Starters and, again based on the recommendation from the bartender, went with the Salmon Cakes (see picture). They looked fantastic when served (see picture) and tasted every bit as good! Tasty, moist yet crumbly salmon inside a crunchy crust wrapped in an awesome cream cheese tube that complemented the salmon so well.
Not only was the food, atmosphere and service fantastic – given the Happy Hour pricing, they definitely earned a 5* rating on Value also! While chatting with a delightful lady sitting next to me (who let me try a piece of her Margherita Pizza – see picture, which was also delicious), I learned that this place has a common owner with the Urban Grill in Urbandale – another great stop. You definitely won’t be disappointed with a stop here…one of my few full 5* reviews!
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I’ve stopped here a few times for Happy Hour on the way home from work and finally took the time for pictures to document the trip tonight. My wife joined me and we each enjoyed a half priced tap while waiting for our food.
We ordered the Boneless Chicken Wings in sweet chili sauce (see picture), Bone-In Wings in Buffalo sauce (see picture) and Cheese & Bacon Tots (see picture). While the chicken wings had a little more breading than I would prefer, I liked both the boneless and bone-in – with the flavor of both being great. As to the Cheese & Bacon Tots, while there weren’t that many of them – they tasted fantastic (creamy, cheesy and delicious) and were cooked perfectly.
This place is definitely worth a stop for good food and value pricing – especially during Happy Hour!
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Cheese & Bacon TotsBone-In Buffalo WingsBoneless Sweet Chili Wings
Yet another stop for a drink after dinner tonight. The new drink that we tried tonight was the Naked Numero Dos (see picture) and while it was very good, we both still preferred our standby Mezcal drink here – the Street Snack (see picture). Tonight we had the opportunity to try the Ceviche (see picture) and both of us thought it was very good – solid lime tang with shrimp and other spices. Unlike our last stop, the chips tasted much better tonight, so bumping the Food rating back up to a 5*.
03/17/2023
We stopped here for a drink on the way home from dinner last night and once again enjoyed our experience at one of our favorite Mexican restaurants. The selection of unique cocktails is extensive here and we really enjoy them. Last night we once again enjoyed the Street Snack (see picture) and Mezcal Paloma (see picture) along with Chips & Guacamole (see picture). We were a little disappointed in the taste of the chips (bitter) and texture of the guacamole (pasty) but continued to enjoy the atmosphere and service.
I highly recommend this place for their great service, food and drinks.
Food: 5*
Atmosphere: 5*
Value: 4*
Service: 5*
01/27/2023
We stopped here for a drink on the way home from dinner last night and once again enjoyed our experience at one of our favorite Mexican restaurants. The selection of unique cocktails is extensive here and we really enjoy them. Last night we once again enjoyed the Street Snack (see picture) and were happy to see that their Take Home Mixers (see picture) were once again available.
I highly recommend this place for their great service, food and drinks.
Previous Stop:
Stopped here last night after hearing they had the unthinkable – Happy Hour on the weekends…and boy was it good! We sampled several of the half price cocktails (Guapo’s House and Tamarind El Mulo, my favorite – see pictures) and really liked them…great value and great taste.
You can order individual tacos, which we did after the chips and guacamole. Definitely a great place to stop to enjoy some great food and drinks in a lively atmosphere!
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Tonight’s stop only included drinks on our way home from dinner. Given my love of smokey drinks, I went with the Smokey B (see picture of pouring) – I’ve had it before and really enjoy it. I don’t think you will find another drink with more smokiness imparted into it – a nose full of smoke with every lift of the glass for a sip. My wife ordered the Aperol Paloma (see picture) and while it was advertised as very spicy (Ghost Tequila), neither of us found it spicy to the taste – yet it had great flavor.
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04/09/2022
We stopped here for dinner a second time and really enjoyed the food again. The prices are high, but the food is great.
We ordered the Korean Fried Cauliflower and Honey Garlic Chicken Lavosh. Both dishes tasted great and I’d recommend both.
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This place has been on my Want to Go list since being listed in Cityview as a favorite. My wife and I took the chance to try it out for dinner last night and while nothing stood out that would make it ‘top of the list’ of Thai restaurants in Des Moines, it is clearly a solid option if you enjoy Thai food.
For our dinners, I ordered the Yellow Curry with chicken and brown rice at a 4 out of 6 pepper spice level (see picture) and my wife ordered the Panang Curry with beef at a 4 out of 6 pepper spice level (see picture). Our server shared that these were the #2 and #1 most popular dishes there, respectively and after tasting them we can understand why.
As we always do, we shared tastes of each others dishes and both of us enjoyed both dishes. The 4 pepper spice level seemed good for both of us also, as it was enough to make your nose run a little, but not so hot that it required lots of water while consuming it. I would recommend both of these dishes if you are stopping by to eat.
The atmosphere was modern and clean and the value seemed in line with other Thai options in Des Moines. The only slight hiccup during our visit was my Yellow Curry that I ordered with chicken. For some reason, our server mistakenly delivered calamari instead. It was still very good (didn’t want to waste it and send it back) and our server was kind enough to bring some steamed chicken on the side to add to the curry.
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Since finding this place in the Pub Pass last year and hearing a good recommendation on their burgers from our neighbor, I’ve been anxious to give it a try. We had the chance this week while my brother and sister-in-law were visiting, so stopped by to try out their Happy Hour.
While admittedly it doesn’t look like much from the exterior (see pictures), the decor of the interior was unique (see pictures). They have a very good selection of tap beers (see picture) and their most unique drink was their Old Fashioned Slushy (see picture), which I ordered at the suggestion of our server and thoroughly enjoyed.
We already had plans to eat dinner elsewhere, so we just ordered Buffalo Cauliflower (see picture). The initial smell made us think that it was going to be extremely spicy but after tasting it, we found it to be a good balance and quite tasty. I look forward to the opportunity to stop by another time for a burger.
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We have stopped here for food on a couple of occasions and have found it to be an above average pub food location with an interesting historical atmosphere. Today, we stopped by to try out their Happy Hour that we found on www.happyhourdesmoines.com and enjoyed our stop as well as the service and interactions with our server, Brent – who was fantastic! Brent went out of his way to give us great service, including bringing sample tastes of their local brews without even being asked – to encourage them over the Busch Lights that our guests ordered.
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Since my brother and Sister-in-law who were visiting hadn’t yet tried a Dutch Letter, we had yet another chance to visit Nan’s while driving through the Valley Junction area during their visit.
In addition to the Dutch Letter (which we’ve always found to be delicious), we also ordered their specialty – the Almond Creme cookies for each of us to try. They are so light, crumbly and delicious – don’t leave without sampling at least one! Lastly, my brother ordered some Peanut Butter Crispy treats and as you might expect – we all found them to be delicious also.
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If you follow my posts, you know that I’m a sucker for sweets – so it was hard not to like this place. We were in the area and heard about it from friends, so stopped in while my brother and Sister-in-law were visiting. As you might expect in a place like this, there was a great selection of chocolates and pretty much all things sweet. While the prices were a little on the high end, they weren’t out of line with other similar places in higher traffic / rent areas.
They are known in some reviews for their chocolate covered bacon (what can’t be good if it includes bacon and chocolate, right?). While I found the bacon / salt with the chocolate to be a good combination, my wife and I both commented that it would have been even better if the bacon inside was more crispy. I love dark chocolate and sea salt caramel though – and their Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Caramels were absolutely delicious!
Assuming you like sweets since you read this far into the review, you will definitely enjoy a stop here to pick up some local, great tasting and unique sweets!
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This place has been on my Want to Go list for a while and got the chance this week while my brother and sister-in-law were visiting. While it was admittedly a little difficult to find buried in the middle of a strip mall – overall, it is a solid stop with a good selection of what you’d expect to find in a bakery (see pictures). We entered through the back and while the large deck was empty in March, the posted summer pictures look like it would be a great place to have breakfast and a coffee.
For my meal, I ordered the Southwest Omelet (see picture) and my wife ordered the Sausage & Mushroom Omelet (see picture). My Sister-in-law ordered the Quinoa Black Bean Salad (see picture) and my brother ordered the Ham and Swiss Sandwich (see picture). We all enjoyed our orders, with the only negative being that the toast included with the omelets was toasted too long and ended up very hard. The bread itself was good though, as my brother commented that he really liked the bread on his Ham and Swiss Sandwich.
The interior atmosphere was clean and modern and the presentation of the prepared foods was great. The things that held me back on a 5* were the strip mall exterior, plastic eating utensils and the venting / duct work on the ceiling above the kitchen area. From our table in the dining area, the kitchen ceiling showed an accumulation you might expect in a kitchen area that would look much better with a good cleaning.
Lastly on the service, I marked it down a bit due to the time it took for someone to help us at the front counter (several workers there, but seemed pre-occupied with other tasks and didn’t initially even acknowledge we were there or ask if we would like help). Similarly, after our order at the counter, the food was dropped off at our table with very little interaction of any kind and no follow up during or after our meal.
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We stopped here shortly after moving into the area 2 years ago and had the opportunity to go back tonight while celebrating Birthdays of our son and daughter-in-law. I enjoyed the atmosphere and the smell when you walk in and thought the food was above average, the value and service only rate average to me.
We started with a round of drinks – and since the Tequila Sunrise (see picture) was the special for the night, we each ordered one. We decided to order Crab Rangoon (see picture) as an appetizer and thought they tasted quite good. For our main meal, we ordered the Family Platter (see picture) and added 1/2 pound of sausage. While the butter and seasoning flavors were great, I felt that the seafood and sweetcorn were over-cooked and a little tough / rubbery as a result.
While it can be tough to rate the quality of the food for a place like this, I landed on a 4 based on the taste being good but the cooking time being a bit too long. Given how messy it is to eat, this likely isn’t a place where you take a first date nor wear your Sunday best clothes. Relative to this type of food, this is a reasonable place to enjoy some good Cajun seafood and seasoning.
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Family Platter w/ 1/2 lb SausageCrab RangoonTequila SunriseBirthday Shot
We stopped here for dinner this weekend while staying at a house on Gull Lake and enjoyed our stop. From the outside, it had a large log-cabin type of appearance – but the strongest feature here was the atmosphere and the beautiful lighting and stone work that awaits you when you walk through the front door. It was truly an amazing visual experience to see!
We started with a round of drinks. I had the Old Fashioned (see picture) and was honestly quite disappointed with it as it seemed to be nothing but straight bourbon and possibly a slight dash of bitters. My wife ordered a Margarita and both of us thought it tasted quite good.
For dinner, my wife and I decided to split the 16 oz Ribeye (see picture) while she added the salad (see picture) and we shared the Popovers (see picture). I really liked the Popovers and the flavored butter that came with them. My wife enjoyed the flavor of the salad, but didn’t like that it had to be cut at the table to eat it. The Ribeye was above average in flavor and was prepared as ordered – and the Cheesy Potatoes (see picture) were fantastic, so rich, creamy and delicious.
Last but not least, we ordered a piece of Turtle Cheesecake (see picture) and that quite frankly was likely the highlight of my meal – I thought it was wonderful and would highly recommend that you end your meal with a piece of it yourself!
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Turtle Cheesecake16 oz RibeyeCheesy PotatoesPopoversOld Fashioned
I always try to stop at a brewery in a city we are visiting so couldn’t pass up the opportunity to check out the Roundhouse and was glad that we stopped. We were surprised at how many cars were in the parking lot and were impressed with the additional activities (such as axe throwing) that they advertised.
The building and interior were modern and clean and the service was friendly and quick. The beer selection was good (around 20 on tap) and my wife and I shared a 6 sample beer Flight. We found most of the beers to be well above average and rated them all in Untappd.
Definitely worth a stop if you are in the Nisswa / Gull Lake area.
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It was a Friday during Lent so we were looking for seafood takeout options to take to our son’s place for a late lunch. This place was right along the way, so we ordered ahead to pick it up on the way by. While I love trying new places and like to support small businesses, I feel that this place is going to need some management assistance to stay alive. For starters, my wife wasn’t able to order online through their website and was tricked into signing up with a contract with another company when she thought she was placing her order for the food. Therefore, she gave up and called in instead…and while taking our order, the order-taker suddenly stopped taking our order and proceeded to yell at one of the other employees.
Since we ordered ahead over the phone, I dropped my wife off at the door and waited outside with the vehicle running as I thought it would be a quick stop to pick up our food. After 15 minutes of waiting, I parked the vehicle and went inside to see what was going on with our order. My wife then informed me that the menu in the store was different than what she ordered based on what showed online. Beware that the in-store menu does not include beverages as is shown in their online menu and the prices are higher.
Once the food was finally finished and we got it to our son’s house, we found the food to be relatively good. The best part in my opinion was the Hush Puppies (see picture) with the Shrimp & Fries basket (see picture) also being tasty. We weren’t as impressed with the Fish & Fries basket (see picture), as the breading was very dry and cornmeal like, with little to no flavor or seasoning.
Bottom line is that the food was reasonable for a fast food restaurant, but the service is definitely not fast. Don’t expect that they will be organized enough to have your food ready if you call ahead – I’d order at the restaurant and make sure you have about 15 minutes available to wait for the food.
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