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  • Early Bird Brunch (West Des Moines, IA) Review

    Early Bird Brunch (West Des Moines, IA) Review

    Rating: 5 out of 5.

    4.75* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 5*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 5*

    01/14/2024 Early Bird Brunch (515) 501-5188

    It had been a while since our last visit, but we got the chance when our son and daughter-in-law asked if we’d like to join them for Brunch Sunday morning. We ended up waiting about 30 minutes past our projected seating time, so beware if you have a tight time crunch. Once we were seated though, the experience was great and in line with our previous visits.

    We started today with an order of Cinny Bobs (see picture) to share and if you like cinnamon rolls…you will love these! They are served with both white icing (traditional cinnamon rolls) as well as caramel sauce (traditional caramel rolls) – so you can choose your favorite…or go with both if you can’t decide. I am a sucker for caramel and liked the caramel sauce so well that I enjoyed what was left over after the rolls as my dessert at the end of the meal!

    For our meals, my son ordered the Monkey Business (see picture) as he has the last few times he’s been here and once again, enjoyed both the sight of it as well as the taste. My wife ordered the Breakfast Nachos (see picture) and since she wasn’t able to finish it in the restaurant, was able to enjoy a 2nd meal of it for breakfast the next day. Lastly, I went with the Chicken & Waffle (see picture) and while it was more than I really wanted to eat, I cleaned off the plate and loved every bite!

    12/01/2022

    We have stopped at the Early Bird Brunch several times and always enjoy the experience – casual atmosphere, great food and unique alcoholic drinks combine to make a memorable experience.

    This stop found us at the front door at opening time on Sunday morning (6:30am) due to our son needing to catch a mid-morning flight at the airport. For future reference, this is a great time to go…as we had the place to ourselves initially and only a couple of other tables were occupied when we left. If you’ve tried to get a table mid to late morning on a weekend, you know how crowded it can be and how long the waits are…

    We started with an order of Hash Holes – always a favorite of ours and a strong recommendation to try. They are delicious potato croquettes with cheddar, smoked gouda & bacon (see picture). We ordered Huevos Ranchero, Pancakes & Eggs, Meat Head Benny and The Bird Cage for the main course (see pictures) and all were delicious – I would recommend them all.

    If you haven’t tried this place for brunch yet…you don’t have any idea what you are missing!

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    Photos copyright: happyhourdesmoines.com & thefoodanddrinkguy.com

    Cinny Bobs
    Chicken & Waffle
    Monkey Business
    Breakfast Nachos
    Huevos Ranchero
    Pancakes & Eggs
    Meat Head Benny
    The Bird Cage
    Hash Holes

    Photos copyright: happyhourdesmoines.com & thefoodanddrinkguy.com

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  • Gazali’s (Clive, IA) Review

    Gazali’s (Clive, IA) Review

    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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  • Abelardo’s Mexican Fresh (Missouri Valley, IA) Review

    Abelardo’s Mexican Fresh (Missouri Valley, IA) Review

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    4.25* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 4*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 4*

    12/30/2023 Abelardo’s Mexican Fresh (712) 642-9041

    We saw this place while stopping for gas at a nearby gas station and thought it looked good enough to give it a try. While it is an order-at-the-counter type of fast food place, the decor and atmosphere overall is quite lively and energetic. Once you get past the plastic plates and bowls, the food was very good.

    My wife ordered the Texas Rice Bowl (see picture) and found it delicious. I ordered the Carne Asada & Carnitas Tacos (see picture) and was impressed with the double corn tortilla delivery and generous portions fillings, including the guacamole.

    If you are ok with the fast food type of delivery and plastic bowls, plates and silverware, you will find the food to be very good! We will definitely stop again the next time we stop here for gas.

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    Photos copyright: happyhourdesmoines.com & thefoodanddrinkguy.com

    Carne Asada & Carnitas Tacos
    Texas Rice Bowl

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  • The Pelican Post Bar & Grille (West Des Moines, IA) Review

    The Pelican Post Bar & Grille (West Des Moines, IA) Review

    Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

    4.5* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 4*

    Atmosphere: 4*

    Value: 5*

    Service: 5*

    12/18/2023 The Pelican Post Bar & Grille (515) 214-1873

    I’ve been wanting to stop and try the food here after a visit for my other web site (HappyHourDesMoines.com) shortly after they opened. Tonight I met my wife here after an appointment and was pleasantly surprised to find that it was $12.99 Steak Night (Mondays starting at 6:00 until they are gone). This is a lively, fun place, with 80s / 90s music playing tonight and a good selection of tap and bottle beers (see pictures), including our current favorite – Barntown Brewing’s Peanut Butter and Jelly sour on tap.

    By catching the end of Happy Hour and catching a couple of $3 Wells then following that up with a $12.99 Sirloin & baked potato dinner, this place deserves a 5* rating for Value. Meghan is a fantastic and attentive server, providing great insight on the menu items – also deserving of a 5* rating (be sure to tell her ‘Hi’ from The Food and Drink Guy when you stop in).

    The Food and Atmosphere ratings are where things get tougher for me as a reviewer. While the Sirloin steak (see picture) was very tender and flavorful (with my wife claiming it was possibly the best she’s ever had), as the pictures show, they are served on disposable plates. While I have no issues with this and actually enjoyed the homey / family feel of the whole experience – it is hard to give this the same rating as a high end steakhouse experience with linen napkins and high quality serving plates.

    With all of that said, I personally liked the build-your-own salad and foil-wrapped baked potatoes and agree that the Sirloin steak was one of the best I’ve eaten – even if it was all served on disposable plates and bowls. Therefore, I’m going with 4* ratings for Food and Atmosphere. Given the choice, I’m fine with a top-quality steak served on paper if it saves me a few dollars. And its hard to beat a hands-on owner that stopped by our table several times to assure that everything was ok with our experience.

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    Photos copyright: happyhourdesmoines.com & thefoodanddrinkguy.com

    Build-your-own Salad
    Build-your-own Baked Potato & Toppings
    6oz Sirloin

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  • Zombie Burger & Drink Lab (Des Moines, IA) Review

    Zombie Burger & Drink Lab (Des Moines, IA) Review

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    4.0* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 4*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 3*

    12/16/2023 Zombie Burger & Drink Lab

    My wife and I stopped here for a quick dinner before another event downtown last night and the food was again very good. This time, I ordered the Undead Elvis burger (see picture) and my wife ordered the Raygun burger (see picture), which we complemented with a side order of fries (see picture).

    The burgers were both great…greasy and messy, but oh, so delicious. The fries were also very crispy on the outside, yet tender on the inside…just the way I like them. I found the requested side of ranch for dipping to have an excessive amount of garlic…so beware if you aren’t a garlic fan. We sat at the bar this time and while the service was good after we were served, it took 5-10 minutes before someone showed up behind the bar to take our order.

    07/20/2023

    A group of business visitors were in town for the day and wanted to try Zombie Burger. Rather than have it delivered, we opted to delay our lunch until just before they left town so that we could enjoy a fresh, hot meal as well as the well-known ambiance of Zombie Burger in person.

    For starters, we ordered Fried Cheese Curds (see picture) and 3 Pigs Nachos (see picture) to share. The Fried Cheese Curds were above average and I found the 3 Pigs Nachos to be some of the best nachos I’ve had – fresh, crispy chips with excellent smoked pork, cheese and other toppings make this a solid appetizer.

    For my meal, I ordered a Poultrygeist with a side of Sweet Potatoe Fries (see picture). Yeah, I know, my wife made fun of me also for ordering a chicken sandwich in a place known for its burgers…but my strategy was to eat a little lighter so that I could sample one of their shakes. The Poultrygeist was delicious – crispy on the outside, very juicy on the inside and quite tasty! The same can also be said for the Sweet Potato Fries – they were cooked to perfection and quite tasty.

    The only disappointment was the service, as it was average at best. It seemed that we were waiting to order and looking to catch someone’s attention when we wanted something. Myself and a co-worker had empty water glasses for 5-10 minutes and finally had to catch a server walking by to ask for more water to finish our meals.

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    Undead Elvis burger
    Side of Fries
    Raygun burger
    3 Pig Nachos
    Poultrygeis w/ Sweet Potato Fries
    Fried Cheese Curds

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  • G. Migs 5th Street Pub (West Des Moines, IA) Review

    G. Migs 5th Street Pub (West Des Moines, IA) Review

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    4.25* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 3*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 5*

    12/15/2023 G. Migs 5th Street Pub

    Stopped again after attempting Happy Hour at a nearby restaurant that was already full. This place always seems to be packed and tonight was no different – around 5:30 on a Friday. We were able to get a table right away, but there were a number of people standing and waiting when we left. I always enjoy places with free popcorn and G. Migs had that – although it so salty, we couldn’t each much.

    Once again, our meals were fantastic – each of us ordering one of the specials for the night as they were both highly recommended. My wife ordered the Shrimp Risotto (see picture & video) and I ordered the Prime Rib (see picture & video). The shrimp, prime rib and shrimp were all cooked to perfection, as was the asparagus. The dishes are a little pricey and you’ll likely find yourself bumping elbows with the other patrons and staff, but the food is very good.

    02/03/2023

    This was on my ‘Want to Go’ list and we had the opportunity last night when we joined our son and daughter-in-law and they suggested it based on a friend’s recommendation. Although it is a bit of a ‘dive’ (that isn’t a negative for me) and was quite packed when we walked in around 6:30pm on a Friday night, we were quickly seated and our server (Carolyn C.) was very helpful and attentive.

    We started with a round of drinks…they had a reasonable selection of various tap beers to satisfy most with a thirst for taps – all reasonably priced. For our dinner, I ordered The Pride of Iowa Wrap (see picture) with the pasta salad and my wife ordered the nightly special – Prime Rib (see picture) with asparagus and mashed potatoes.

    I enjoyed both the pasta salad as well as the wrap (2016 State Fair Award Winning). The pasta was a nice balance of sweetness, pasta & veggie crunch – and the wrap had a great tasting filling along with a unique wrap shell that was thin, soft, crunchy and tasty all at the same time.

    My wife’s Roasted Prime Rib was also delicious – from its preparation (did a good job delivering it as ordered – medium rare) to the sides. Although out of season, the asparagus was cooked to perfection – retaining a little crunch along with a soft interior. The mashed potatoes were also great (although a little strong on the garlic…if you don’t like that) – as they retained some of the peelings and had a few lumpy bits.

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    Shrimp Risotto
    Prime Rib

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  • The Stuffed Olive (Des Moines, IA) Review

    The Stuffed Olive (Des Moines, IA) Review

    Rating: 5 out of 5.

    4.75* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 5*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 5*

    11/17/2023 The Stuffed Olive (515) 243-4456

    We have been wanting to get here to try their martinis for quite some time and although we missed Happy Hour to do it, we found out that their food is quite good also! We stopped here for dinner last night and while the portions were a little on the small side for some of the dishes (see pictures), the quality of both the food and martinis were excellent (see pictures). Turns out, not only do they make great martinis, the food is definitely worth a try also!

    We started with a Funky Martini (see picture) and Redwave Martini (see picture). While my wife really enjoyed the Funky Martini, I will probably not order the Redwave Martini again. While it was quite spicy (which I like), the unique combination of spices used for the rim was not one of my favorites.

    We followed the drinks up with a Zucchini Fritters appetizer (see picture) and both of us really enjoyed it – the fritters tasted great and the sauce that came with them was a great complement. For our dinners, I ordered the Seared Ahi Tuna – Kamikaze / blackened style (see picture) and my wife ordered the Chicken and Spinach Risotto (see picture).

    While my wife was a bit disappointed with the portion size on hers, we both really enjoyed the Ahi Tuna – the blackened pepper crust was very good and the Brussels Sprouts and other vegetables were flavorful and cooked to perfection. The white horseradish-tasting dipping sauce was also very good on the tuna…even though the flavor of the tuna was so good that it really didn’t need anything else.

    We topped off the meal with what else but a couple of sweeter martinis – I opted for the Espresso Martini (see picture) while my wife went with the Dirty Banana Martini (see picture). Both were excellent in their own categories, with the espresso being a strong coffee liqueur flavor and the Dirty Banana full of sweet chocolate and banana deliciousness.

    Maybe most important is the service that you receive while dining. My wife and I were both very impressed with our server, Alexis! Not only was she friendly and personable, she gave us space (time) when we needed it and had excellent opinions to offer when asked. It was clear that she knew the menu items (food and drink) quite well, was willing to share her knowledge and really enjoyed her work. When you go, please be sure to say ‘Hi’ to Alexis from The Food and Drink Guy. We will definitely be back…

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    Zucchini Fritters
    Seared Ahi Tuna (Kamikaze)
    Chicken & Spinach Risotto
    Funky Martini
    Redwave Martini
    Espresso Martini
    Dirty Banana Martini

    Photos copyright: happyhourdesmoines.com & thefoodanddrinkguy.com

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  • Mission BBQ (Davenport, IA) Review

    Mission BBQ (Davenport, IA) Review

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    4.5* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 4*

    Atmosphere: 5*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 5*

    11/16/2023 Mission BBQ (563) 217-6822

    This place was recommended by a work colleague for my visit in Davenport. This place has hospitality down right. Employees were constantly greeting me, making me feel quite welcome and showing true appreciation that I was there to try some of their BBQ.

    For my meal, I ate quite light – opting for only the 8oz of Smoked Turkey with a side of cornbread (see picture). While the turkey was a little on the dry side, it was late in the evening, still tasted great and gave me the opportunity to try all of the hot sauces at the table (see pictures).

    Definitely a solid BBQ stop in Davenport…and I loved the support and appreciation that was shown to our military throughout the restaurant!

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  • DZÔ Korean BBQ (Des Moines, IA) Review

    DZÔ Korean BBQ (Des Moines, IA) Review

    Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

    4.5* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 4*

    Atmosphere: 5*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 5*

    11/10/2023 DZÔ Korean BBQ (515) 216-1472

    Stopped back again when our son and his girlfriend were visiting and had another great experience. The main additions from this visit were the Boom Boom Bao appetizer (see picture) and the Kimchi Fried Rice (see picture). The Boom Boom Bao was SO good – I just loved the soft, warm bread-like bao with the juicy and flavorful inserts. It is a little pricey, but the food is quite good.

    09/09/2023

    We have been to Korean BBQs before and have enjoyed them – and our son and daughter-in-law recommended this place. We finally got a chance to try it ourselves last night and enjoyed our experience.

    We arrived a little early for our reservation, so joined Katie at the bar for a drink. She is a fantastic bartender with excellent recommendations – so when you go, say ‘Hi’ to her from The Food and Drink Guy. She recommended the Grapefruit Soju Margarita (see picture) for my wife and it was delicious (she gave me a taste).

    When I saw the Shanky’s Whip on the shelf I asked her what she could make with it, since I just had it the night before and liked how smooth, sweet and creamy it was. She recommended a Shanky’s Whip Old Fashioned (see picture) and she nailed it with the recommendation – it was so good that even my wife (who isnt a big whiskey fan) found it to be quite tasty!

    For our dinner, my wife ordered the Beef Bulgogi (far side in picture) and I ordered the Picanha Cut (near side in picture). While both were very good, the Beef Bulgogi was definitely more tender and more flavorful – so it would get my stronger recommendation. The Kim Chi Fried Rice was a good complement to the rest of the provided sides. My wife and I both like our food on the spicier side and it was recommended that we ask for extra spice, but unfortunately we forgot to do so and did find the food overall to be a bit bland to our liking.

    If you enjoy the grill-it-yourself Korean BBQ experience, you will enjoy a stop at DZÔ Korean BBQ – and if you’d rather not grill it, they will grill it for you.

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    Beef Bulgogi, Picanha Cut & Kimchi Fried Rice
    Kimchi Fried Rice
    Boom Boom Bao

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  • Ocha Bubble Tea (Windsor Heights, IA) Review

    Ocha Bubble Tea (Windsor Heights, IA) Review

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    4.25* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 3*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 5*

    11/12/2023 Ocha Bubble Tea (515) 255-3979

    This place was brought to my attention as a result of a Yelp event and I enjoyed my stop. Full disclosure…I did receive a complimentary dessert and drink as a part of the event.

    I am a dessert and sweets lover, so looked forward to trying a Thai Dessert and flavored tea at a new restaurant. The atmosphere is quite basic, in a strip mall in front of Sam’s Club, with concrete floors and minimal tables, chairs and wall decor (see pictures). However, a great new stop for a variety of teas and Thai desserts – if you like lighter versions of desserts, you owe it to yourself to give this place a try.

    The food and service were outstanding. I needed some help in understanding the options and completing my order, but the kind lady at the register was very helpful in stepping me through the process. The Mango flavored Jasmine Green Tea (see picture) was delivered almost immediately and tasted great – definite mango flavor and sweet, but not overly sugary.

    While the Pang Ping (see picture) took a little longer than I would have expected to prepare, it was delivered to my table while it was warm and delicious. Think of it as a thick piece of Thai sweet bread that is lightly toasted, with your chosen flavors on the outside. I found it to be quite light, yet with just the right amount of sweetness to qualify as a great dessert.

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    Mango flavored Jasmine Green Tea
    Pang Ping (Thai Toast)

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  • Bevy’s Tavern (West Des Moines, IA) Review

    Bevy’s Tavern (West Des Moines, IA) Review

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    4.25* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 4*

    Atmosphere: 4*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 5*

    11/09/2023 Bevy’s Tavern (515) 223-1046

    Wanted to give this place a try after seeing an ad following their opening in the old Grumpy Goat location. We had our opportunity when we invited our son and daughter-in-law to join us for dinner – and enjoyed our experience. An above average pub experience with reasonable value and great service.

    A special call-out to our server Kathryn (Katie), who was fantastic! She had opinions on everything we asked about the menu, with solid details to share about each of them. One of her best suggestions was to upgrade to the Parmesan Fries – you will see them in each of the pictures and while they were a significant additional cost, they were delicious! If you are lucky enough to get her on your visit – be sure to say Hi to her from The Food and Drink Guy!

    For our meals, I ordered the Fish & Chips (see picture), my wife ordered the Classic Cheeseburger (see picture) and my son ordered the French Dip (see picture). We found all of them to be very good – definitely above average for pub food…topped by the Parmesan Fries!

    Possibly my favorite part of the stop though came after our meal and was a bit unexpected. If you follow my posts, you know how much I love good desserts. Tonight, I chose to take my dessert in liquid form and ordered a Chocolate Martini (see picture). Not only was it one of the better martinis I’ve consumed, the pricing put it in the upper echelon of value for martinis in the area. You will definitely want to give one of the martinis a try when you stop for a visit.

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    Classic Cheeseburger
    Fish & Chips
    French Dip
    Chocolate Martini

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  • Ninja Sushi Ramen (Waukee, IA) Review

    Ninja Sushi Ramen (Waukee, IA) Review

    Rating: 5 out of 5.

    4.75* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 5*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 5*

    11/01/2023 Ninja Sushi Ramen

    Another great stop for dinner after Mass with friends. Stayed light tonight with the Spicy Tuna Roll, but splurged for a dessert and tried the Mango Japanese Mochi (see picture).

    08/05/2023

    Another great stop for dinner this evening – and this time we were fortunate enough to have the owner (Mandy) as our server. She was such a delightful person, a great server and full of great suggestions! With each delivery of food to a table, we marveled at the exquisite presentation of the food – a testament to Mandy’s experience in the industry.

    This time we started with a Sapporo (see picture) and a Hana White Peach Sake (see picture). Mandy suggested the White Peach flavor and boy was it delicious…none of the harsh alcohol flavor that I’ve associated with sake and more of a semi-sweet fruit juice feel that was similar to a white wine.

    For our dinner, my wife ordered the Chicken Katsu Cold Noodle (see picture) because she enjoys ramen and thought it looked interesting. At Mandy’s suggestion, I ordered the Spicy 2 in 1 Roll (see picture) and found it absolutely delicious. Even though it was shown as spicy and included jalapeno slices on each piece, I did not find it to be that spicy – but it was very flavorful!

    We topped off the meal with a delicious dessert (again at Mandy’s suggestion) of fried bread with powdered sugar and a decadent condensed milk-like dipping sauce (see picture). If you like fried bread, you will love these!

    12/11/2022

    Based on a recommendation from a friend, we stopped here for dinner after church on Saturday night and enjoyed the experience. The building is a modern decor – albeit with a strip mall feel (see pictures), the presentation of the food is great (see pictures) and they have a friendly and helpful wait staff. In addition to an extensive menu, they had a decent selection of cocktails, wines and beers (see pictures).

    We started with a glass of pinot grigio and a can of Sapporo. For an appetizer, we went with the Philadelphia Roll (smoked salmon, cream cheese & avocado – see picture) and thought it was very good. You can’t go wrong when it includes cream cheese!

    For our main meal, my wife ordered the Chicken Ramen (see picture) and I wasn’t very hungry, so ordered the Spicy Yellowtail Roll (see picture). We both tried both dishes and liked them very much – would definitely recommend both of them. The only negative to our visit was that our table was near the front door and we got a nasty cold breeze every time the door was opened. I’d suggest asking for a table away from the front door.

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    Spicy 2 in 1 Roll
    Chicken Katsu Cold Noodle
    Edamame
    Fried Bread (Thai Donuts?)
    Chicken Katsu Cold Noodle
    Mango Japanese Mochi
    Sapporo
    Hana White Peach Sake

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  • Blue Agave Street Tacos & Margaritas (West Des Moines, IA) Review

    Blue Agave Street Tacos & Margaritas (West Des Moines, IA) Review

    Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

    3.5* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 2*

    Value: 3*

    Service: 4*

    3/10/2023 Blue Agave Street Tacos & Margaritas

    Stopped here again with our son and daughter-in-law and this time sat on the West side of the restaurant near the garage doors that open to the outside when it is warm. The food was once again very good, but the music was WAY too loud – we felt like we were shouting just to try and converse at the table, so I dropped the Atmosphere rating to a 2*. Also, due primarily to how busy they were, the service wasn’t nearly as good / prompt as in previous visits, so dropped to a 4*.

    For dinner, I ordered the Spicy Tortilla Soup (see picture) and thought it tasted very good, with a nice kick. My wife ordered the Fajitas Shrimp (see picture) and also liked it a lot – be aware that it is a very large portion, with almost enough food for 2 people on this plate. While the food was still very good, I hesitate to return given the uncomfortable volume of the music in the dining area.

    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 5*

    Value: 3*

    Service: 5*

    1/07/2023

    My wife and I stopped here for dinner last night after I enjoyed a Mezcal Paloma with a friend during an earlier visit. As was my experience during the earlier stop, everything about this place is great and it now is a contender for our favorite Mexican restaurant in the area. My only concern is the value, as they carry downtown pricing, especially on the drinks (my Mezcal Paloma was $15).

    Drinks: I ordered a Mezcal Paloma (see picture) and my wife ordered a Pineapple Habanero Margarita (see picture). Both of them were absolutely delicious and were large enough that we each only needed 1.

    Food: The chips and salsa (see picture) were also delicious (we always overeat on chips and this was definitely no exception…). She asked if I would like Guacamole (see picture), so I ordered and it was great…but was charged $6, so be forewarned that it isn’t complementary. I ordered the Tinga Tacos (street tacos – see picture) and my wife ordered a Chicken Bowl (see picture). Both of them were delicious and I would recommend both – the shredded chicken in the Tinga Tacos was a little dry / tough, but I almost expect that with shredded chicken.

    Overall, this place has possibly the best Atmosphere of any Mexican Restaurant in the Des Moines area and the food is very good, so I don’t hesitate to recommend it for anyone to try. My only concern as I mentioned earlier is that the pricing is a little steep, especially on their cocktails. If you are ok with high priced cocktails or are coming only for the food…this is a 5* in my opinion.

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    Grilled Chicken Bowl
    Tinga Tacos
    Pineapple Habanero Margarita
    Mezcal Palomo
    Chips, Salsa & Guacamole (extra $)
    Spicy Tortilla Soup
    Fajitas Shrimp
    Chips & Salsa

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  • Good Earth (Edina, MN) Review

    Good Earth (Edina, MN) Review

    Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

    3.75* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 4*

    Atmosphere: 5*

    Value: 3*

    Service: 3*

    10/29/2023 Good Earth (952) 925-1001

    My wife found this as an interesting place to try for brunch Sunday morning while visiting in Minneapolis. Overall impression: Beautiful atmosphere with unique menu items that are a bit above average quality-wise, but it is a bit pricey.

    We found that the atmosphere definitely fits the modern beauty of the Galleria area, as it is beautiful (see multiple pictures). The menu had some truly unique items and they pride themselves in their smoothies (we didn’t have one so can’t comment). The prices seemed high (likely due to the Galleria area and lease costs) and most dishes came with little to no protein, so you had to pay even more to add it.

    For our meals, I ordered the Breakfast Bowl (see picture) while my wife opted for the Shakshuka with added Turkey Sausage (see picture) along with a side of Buttermilk Cakes (see picture). The Breakfast Bowl was solid and we both enjoyed the Buttermilk Cakes. My wife wasn’t as impressed with the Shakshuka – her primary disappointment being that the poached eggs were over-cooked.

    We really enjoyed our dessert though. We ordered the Cheesecake (see picture) and Iced Ginger Cookie (see picture) to share at the table and all of us enjoyed both of them. The Cheesecake was gluten sensitive, so had minimal to no crust and wasn’t the baked variety, but the flavor was good.

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    Shakshuka (added Turkey Sausage)
    Breakfast Bowl
    Buttermilk Cakes
    Cheesecake
    Iced Ginger Cookie

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  • Red Rabbit (Minneapolis, MN) Review

    Red Rabbit (Minneapolis, MN) Review

    Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

    4.5* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 4*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 5*

    10/28/2023 Red Rabbit Minneapolis (612) 767-8855

    We were in town to visit our son and celebrate his girlfriend passing her bar exam and looking for a place to eat when my wife suggested this place. Unfortunately, they didn’t take reservations, so we drove down and got our place on the seating list. They were quite busy as it was a Saturday night. We were told that it would be almost an hour and we wouldn’t all be able to sit together (there were 7 in our party). However, we ended up getting to sit a little earlier than promised and were all seated at the same table.

    We spent the time waiting for our table at the beautiful bar (see picture). Once we were seated, the Roasted Carrots (see picture) were highly recommended by friends, so we tried them and were not disappointed.

    For our meals, we ordered a number of different options and shared tastes of each other’s dishes so we all got to sample a variety of menu items. There are pictures for each of these mentioned dishes below and believe me, each and every one of them was delicious. The dishes we ordered were: Shrimp Garganelli, Mostacciolli, Lasagna, Chicken Parmesan and Butternut Squash Ravioli. Believe me, you won’t go wrong with any of these dishes.

    If you follow my posts, you know that the favorite part of my dining experience is the desserts. I don’t like a lot, but love at least a few bites to top off a meal. With so many people at our table, it was a great opportunity to order several desserts to share…and that is exactly what we did. We ordered the Beignets (see picture) which were delicious on their own, but even better with the raspberry dipping sauce. The highlight though was the Sticky Toffee Cake (see picture). It was recommended to our son’s girlfriend by another patron who was also waiting to be seated…and it was absolutely fantastic! We ordered it with truffel salt per her recommendation and the salted caramel and candied orange zest was a great complement.

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    Roasted Carrots
    Shrimp Garganelli
    Mostaccioli
    Lasagna
    Chicken Parmesan
    Butternut Squash Ravioli
    Sticky Toffee Cake
    Beignets

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  • Wildfire (Eden Prairie, MN) Review

    Wildfire (Eden Prairie, MN) Review

    Rating: 5 out of 5.

    4.75* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 5*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 5*

    09/16/2023 Wildfire (952) 914-9100

    We were invited to join a group celebrating our son’s girlfriend’s swearing in after passing her Bar exam and boy were we impressed. All of the food that we ordered was fantastic, the service was top notch and the atmosphere was great. The only thing that I can give a small ding to is the Value…because of course I want this quality at McDonalds pricing 🙂 .

    I started with a Old Fashion (see picture) and it was very good. We had a large Chopped Salad (see picture) to share and it was one of the best salads I’ve eaten – fresh, crunchy and includes avocado and citrus lime vinaigrette dressing. I kind of wanted to make that my meal and eat the whole thing!

    Once the main course arrived though, I was even more impressed – as the steaks were out of this world! My wife and son ordered the Filet Medalion Trio (see pictures) and I ordered the Basil Hayden’s Bourbon Tenderloin Tips (see picture). We shared samples from each dish and they were some of the best steaks I’ve eaten – so tender and tasty! For dessert we shared a piece of cheesecake – also delicious!

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    Old Fashion
    Chopped Salad
    Filet Medalion Trio
    Filet Medalion Trio
    Basil Hayden’s Bourbon Tenderloin Tips
    Cheesecake

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  • Fat Pants Brewing (Eden Prairie, MN) Review

    Fat Pants Brewing (Eden Prairie, MN) Review

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    4.0* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

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    Food: n/a

    Atmosphere: 5*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 3*

    10/27/2023 Fat Pants Brewing (952) 658-6987

    Stopped here for some local craft beer while waiting for our dinner reservations at the nearby Wildfire restaurant…see my next review. It was a Friday night and the place was packed with a lively crowd, as you might expect. One of the items that was unique was the in-house food truck (see picture) – food is ordered and served from what looks like a food truck inside the restaurant.

    There was a reasonable selection of in-house craft tap beers, so I opted for a flight (see picture) so that I could taste several. The area at the bar where you order and pick up your beer was a bit crowded and in a dead-end hallway, so you have to fight the crowd to get back out.

    A solid brew pub with a good selection of in-house beers on tap and a lively atmosphere.

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  • Brew Link Brewpub (Indianapolis, IN) Review

    Brew Link Brewpub (Indianapolis, IN) Review

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    3.67* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

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    Food: n/a

    Atmosphere: 3*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 4*

    10/21/2023 Brew Link Brewing (317) 653-1884

    We were staying downtown along the canal and this place was near the bus stop where we got off to walk to the place we were staying…so of course we had to stop for a flight to sample their beers.

    It was right at closing time, but the owner and server were gracious enough to pour us a flight (see picture of mine). I found each of the beers in the flight to be above average to my tasting, so will definitely return to try some more on a future trip. They also offered a Sunday morning brunch which sounded very interesting, but we decided to get to the Colts game early, so didn’t have a chance to try it on this trip.

    While the tap list is relatively short (see picture), each of the beers they offer are unique – full of character and great flavor.

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  • The District Tap (Indianapolis, IN) Review

    The District Tap (Indianapolis, IN) Review

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    4.0* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

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    Food: n/a

    Atmosphere: 4*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 4*

    10/21/2023 The District Tap (317) 632-0202

    We were downtown the night before a Colts game and this place was recommended by our server at a nearby restaurant as a place to stop for a beer before taking the bus back home. The place was packed and full of energy, as you might expect on a Saturday night – and I was impressed with their selection of beers (see pictures).

    Since we had just eaten dinner, we weren’t able to try any of their food – so will have to do that on a future trip. Overall, a solid stop with a good variety of tap beers to enjoy while downtown.

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  • Yard House (Indianapolis, IN) Review

    Yard House (Indianapolis, IN) Review

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    4.25* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

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    Food: 4*

    Atmosphere: 5*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 4*

    10/21/2023 Yard House (317) 917-4408

    My son and I were in town for a Colts football game and thought this place looked interesting while walking around downtown looking for a place to eat. It was very busy, so we put our name on the list, went to have a beer at a nearby brewery (Goodwood Indy – see previous post) and were texted that our table was ready about an hour later.

    We each ordered a flight (see pictures) to get started and I was honestly a little underwhelmed with the House Six Pack (inhouse options). For my palate, the beers were all too light and bland – coming across as watery, with little body or character. They were actually my least favorite of a number of new beers that we sampled downtown that evening (didn’t have to drive, so enjoyed a few beers). I wish I had ordered my own and would have chosen some of the heavier / more unique beers, as I assume this flight was set up for more of a mass market preference.

    For our meals, my son ordered the 3 Taco Combo (see picture) and I ordered the Sesame Crusted Ahi (see picture). We shared bites with each other and both of us thought both plates were delicious – we would highly recommend both! The salmon was prepared well and the crusted sesame coat was a nice complement to the soft inner flesh. The tacos were seasoned well, moist and tasty! As the pictures show, the portions weren’t that large, but that was exactly the right size for me.

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    House Six Pack
    House Six Pack
    Sesame Crusted Ahi
    3 Taco Combo

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