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  • Copper Kettle (Dubuque, IA) Review

    Copper Kettle (Dubuque, IA) Review

    Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

    4.5* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 5*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 4*

    06/26/2023 Copper Kettle

    Returned again on our next business trip to Dubuque and this time was able to enjoy a full meal and not just appetizers with a group from work.

    On our server’s recommendation, I ordered the Gyro (see picture) and others at the table ordered Fish Tacos (see picture) and the Black & Blue Burger (see picture). All of the meals were delicious and the portions were large, so you won’t go away hungry.

    Even with as full as I was…there is always room for at least a few tastes of dessert! Like the last visit, I suggested that we order cheesecake to share (Salted Caramel & Chocolate) – and again everyone at the table found them delicious. I even got one of the locals hooked enough to vow he would order it again every time that he came back! Like I said in the earlier review…do NOT go home without trying it!

    06/06/2023

    This place was highly recommended by a local (especially their White Truffle Parmesan Fries and Wisconsin Fried Cheese Curds), so our group stopped by to try them out before heading downtown. In addition to these, we also ordered the Steak Bites and unfortunately due to the group setting I wasn’t able to capture any photos of the food on this stop.

    As for my thoughts on the food, while the White Truffle Parmesan Fries and Wisconsin Fried Cheese Curds were both solid appetizers, I actually liked the Steak Bites best of all – and most of the group agreed.

    What really stole the show though was when I saw a sign for the fresh-made Salted Caramel Cheesecake (again, sorry – we dug into it so quickly that I don’t have a photo). We ordered a piece of it and a piece of the Chocolate Cheesecake (each delivered with a spray of whipped cream) so the group could sample some of each and compare. As good as the Chocolate Cheesecake was…it just couldn’t quite reach the exquisite taste and mouth-feel experience of the Salted Caramel. DO NOT leave without at least sharing a piece of the Salted Caramel Cheesecake – most at the table agreed that it was the best cheesecake they have ever had – so light and yet so good!!

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    Gyro
    Bacon Blue Cheese
    Fish Taco

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  • Smoking GOAT Pub (Des Moines, IA) Review

    Smoking GOAT Pub (Des Moines, IA) Review

    Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

    4.25* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 4*

    Atmosphere: 4*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 5*

    06/23/2023 Smoking GOAT Pub

    We stopped at the previous business (WISCO) and found that they were remodeling with new owners…so waited for the new restaurant to open and tried it out for Happy Hour (from HappyHourDesMoines.com). The bar area is beautifully lighted (see pictures) and there is a professional painting of numerous GOAT sports figures on one wall. It was just a few days after they officially opened and unfortunately, their tap beer wasn’t working that night – so we made due with mixed drinks instead.

    My wife started with a Margarita 1800 (see picture) on our server, Steph’s recommendation – and it was very good. I stuck with the well drinks to take advantage of the Happy Hour specials…and we soon found ourselves ordering food and making a night of it.

    We started with Cheese Curds (see picture) which were very good…and the dipping sauce was delicious! I then ordered chicken wings (see pictures) and my wife ordered Cod (see picture) – again on Steph’s suggestion. Both entree orders were delicious – crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside and oh, so tasty. I would definitely recommend all of the above items when you stop.

    This is definitely a great stop for a drink and/or food – and when you stop by, make sure to say ‘Hi’ to Steph – she is fantastic!

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    Margarita 1800
    Cheese Curds

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  • Black Cat Ice Cream (Des Moines, IA) Review

    Black Cat Ice Cream (Des Moines, IA) Review

    Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

    4.5* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 5*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 4*

    06/17/2023 Black Cat Ice Cream

    This place has been on my Want to Go list for a while and finally got to experience it on Father’s Day since we were in the area (and I LOVE ice cream). It is a bit of a surprise as you pull up, as it is in a very residential area – leading you to initially think the map is wrong. The exterior is clearly recognizable as a business though and everything about this place is quite unique if not a little eclectic – from the modern facia to the black cat painting on the sidewall…and then the black cat bike in the patio area.

    Sticking with my nature of wanting to try something new, my wife and I ordered the Ice Cream Nuggets (see picture) split between 3 Classic & 3 Killer Bees – and really enjoyed them. As the name implies, they looked like chicken nuggets…but were filled with ice cream and had a corn flake crust. If you’ve ever had fried ice cream at a Mexican restaurant – think of it as that but on a smaller scale with bite-sized finger-food portions. They were very good – and the Fudge dipping sauce was an excellent complement!

    If you like ice cream as much as I do, you will definitely want to stop and sample some made from scratch daily unique deliciousness!

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  • Puerto Rico Restaurant (Des Moines, IA) Review

    Puerto Rico Restaurant (Des Moines, IA) Review

    Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

    4.25* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 4*

    Atmosphere: 4*

    Value: 5*

    Service: 4*

    06/17/2023 Puerto Rico Restaurant

    It was Father’s Day…so I got to pick where we went for lunch. If you follow my posts, you know I prefer experiencing new foods and places and this place looked interesting. The outside is nothing special…just a storefront in a strip mall along University – but it is what’s inside that matters.

    We started with a round of drinks (see picture) while we reviewed the menus. On our server’s suggestion, I ordered the Pernil Plate (see picture), my wife ordered the Carne Frita (see picture), and our sons ordered the Cubano (see picture) and the Camarones (see picture). All of the food was delivered promptly and I sampled some from each of the plates – finding each of them to be worthy of a recommendation. My only concern was that I found the pork on the Pernil Plate to be a little dry to my liking.

    For dessert, I ordered a Pastelillo for us to try and share. Similar to my pork comment above, I found this to be a little dry. While that is possibly the way it is supposed to be made and served, I like a little more moistness in my desserts – so wouldn’t order it again.

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    Pastelillo
    Carne Frita
    Camarones
    Cubano
    Pernil Plate

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  • Charlotte’s Kitchen (Johnston, IA) Review

    Charlotte’s Kitchen (Johnston, IA) Review

    Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

    4.5* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 5*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 4*

    06/15/2023 Charlotte’s Kitchen

    This place has been on my Want to Go list for a while and then a local highly recommended it, so met visitors from out of town here for lunch. This is a fast food restaurant where you order at the counter, find a table with your order number flag and then they deliver your order to your table. With that said, I found Charlotte’s to be at the high-end of fast food restaurants and based on the comments from others in line is clearly a local favorite.

    The menu only includes chicken sandwiches, wraps and salads (see video board pictures), which keeps things easier and lets them focus on doing chicken well. I went with the Chicken Tenders Combo (see picture) and one of my guests ordered the Original Sandwich Combo (see picture). The chicken was crispy, juicy and delicious and the fries were also very good – crispy on the outside and warm and soft on the inside. I also ordered Char’s Sauce & Sweet Thai Chili sauce – which were great on the chicken as well as dipping the fries.

    I definitely see why this place generates so much local chatter and look forward to bringing my wife back to try some additional menu items such as the Brussels Sprouts & Crab Rangoon. If you are in the area and looking for a solid chicken meal in a clean, modern restaurant – you will definitely want to give this place a try.

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    Original Sandwich combo
    Chicken Tenders combo

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  • Fleetwood at Saylorville (Polk City, IA) Review

    Fleetwood at Saylorville (Polk City, IA) Review

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    4.0* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 4*

    Atmosphere: 4*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 4*

    06/11/2023 Fleetwood at Saylorville

    Had coupons since hearing about someone going to a live band here and following on Facebook – and were in the area after Mass one evening, so gave it a try.

    The first challenge was finding the place. While our phone map took us to the entrance…it isn’t super clear how to get to the restaurant and we had a couple of false starts. First at the marina office near the road and then we turned around on the winding path before getting to the restaurant thinking it was leading nowhere. Just keep driving – you will eventually get there…

    Once we finally found the restaurant, the view was great and probably the largest draw – hard to top relaxing at a table with food and drink while watching the lake and boaters. The facilities are what you might expect for a seasonal dock business with public access…functional, simplistic and a little crude – not what you would find in even an average place on land.

    With that said, we found the drink selection and the food to be above average. We each ordered burgers (see pictures) to use our coupon. We both shared samples with each other and found them both to be solid – soft, moist buns, fresh toppings, crispy fries and good flavor.

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  • Tom’s Town Distilling Co. (Kansas City, MO) Review

    Tom’s Town Distilling Co. (Kansas City, MO) Review

    Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

    4.25* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 4*

    Atmosphere: 5*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 4*

    06/10/2023 Tom’s Town Distilling

    We stopped here because it was on our walk to dinner from our hotel…and a friend that joined us for the weekend was named Tom. We ended up liking the place enough that we stopped back for brunch the following morning before heading out to the concert.

    For our brunch, I started with a Brunch Messenger (see picture) and my wife went with the Bloody Maria (see picture). We shared tastes with each other and really liked both drinks – and while the pricing seemed reasonable ($10/$12), the drinks were quite small.

    For our brunch meal, I ordered the Frittata (see picture) and my wife ordered the Croque Monsieur (see picture). Again, we shared tastes of each other’s plates and both of us enjoyed and would recommend both. The hash browns were cooked well, tasted great and weren’t too greasy – and the same could be said for the Croque Monsieur, which we were able to eat without dripping grease all over.

    The drinks during evening hours were unique and tasty…but again on the small side and quite pricey (what you might expect in the downtown area). The brunch was reasonably priced though and tasted quite good, so I’d highly recommend this place as a brunch stop during a downtown weekend visit.

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    Croque Monsieur
    Fritatta
    Bloody Maria
    Brunch Messenger

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  • Jack Stack Barbecue – Freight House (Kansas City, MO) Review

    Jack Stack Barbecue – Freight House (Kansas City, MO) Review

    Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

    4.5* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 5*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 4*

    06/09/2023 Jack Stack Barbecue – Freight House

    We have eaten at several Jack Stack Barbecue venues in Kansas City and have really enjoyed them, so when this place was within walking distance on a recent stay, it rose to the top of our list for dinner. We had another couple that met us for the weekend and while the husband had been here once before for a work event, this was the wife’s first visit (and boy did she leave satisfied!).

    We had a group of 4 and wanted to try a little of everything, so went with The Pitmaster (see picture) for our entree. It was so hard to pick from the side offerings (see pictures), as all of them sounded so good. As we have become accustomed to, the barbecue was absolutely fantastic! All of the meats were SO tender and full of flavor – easy to cut with a fork and they just melt in your mouth!

    If you haven’t experienced barbecue at a Jack Stack – you don’t know what you are missing. You will absolutely fall in love with the great food and atmosphere, so I highly recommend this place for lunch or dinner during your next trip to downtown Kansas City!

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    Broccoli with Roasted Garlic Butter
    Hickory Pit Beans & Cheesy Corn
    The Pitmaster
    Potato Salad
    Creamy Coleslaw
    Corn Bread

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  • Maid-Rite (Lamoni, IA) Review

    Maid-Rite (Lamoni, IA) Review

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    4.25* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 4*

    Atmosphere: 4*

    Value: 5*

    Service: 4*

    06/09/2023 Maid-Rite (Lamoni, IA)

    Believe it or not, we’ve lived in Iowa for a year and a half now and this was our first stop at a Maid-Rite! We were traveling with friends to the Luke Combs concert in Kansas City and looking for a place to stop along the interstate. They recommended it based on their experiences with one in Illinois many years ago and we are so glad that we stopped.

    Although it is a technically a fast food restaurant where you order at the counter and they deliver your food to the table, the food was very good and the service was above average.

    Our group ordered a Tenderloin sandwich (see picture), several MEGA sandwiches (see picture), Sweet Potato Fries (see picture) and Fried Okra (see picture). Of course you have to have a MEGA when you stop, as it is what built the restaurant, but the Tenderloin and sweet potato fries as well as the okra were all very good. If you follow my posts, my sweet tooth is well documented…so I couldn’t leave this place without sampling a caramel shake – it was delicious and I highly recommend you finish your meal with one on your way out to the car.

    Yes, it is fast food, but this place is quite unique, is an Iowa institution and has a very nice attached Amish country store. Definitely worth a stop for lunch, dinner or one of their multiple sweets options!

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    MEGA
    Tenderloin
    Sweet Potato Fries
    Fried Okra

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  • Brazen Open Kitchen Bar (Dubuque, IA) Review

    Brazen Open Kitchen Bar (Dubuque, IA) Review

    Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

    4.75* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 5*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 5*

    06/06/2023 Brazen Open Kitchen Bar

    We were determined to have a steak tonight while in town on business travel and several other places that we checked weren’t open on a Tuesday night. This place is quite an impressive venue – wide open atmosphere that highlights the chefs in the kitchen and their work. The only thing holding this place back from a full 5* in my book is the value…as the pricing was quite high – but when you come here, it is probably for a special occasion!

    Due to the fact that we had already stopped at another venue for appetizers, I ended up going light and splitting the Ribeye (see picture) with a fellow employee. As you might expect in a restaurant of this quality, it was fantastic and one of the better ribeyes that I’ve had.

    As long as you come prepared for your meal being quite expensive, you definitely will be happy with the food, atmosphere and service. I would highly recommend a stop here for your next special occasion – just don’t forget to make reservations, as they are VERY busy.

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  • 7 Hills Brewing Company Review (Dubuque, IA)

    7 Hills Brewing Company Review (Dubuque, IA)

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    3.75* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 4*

    Atmosphere: 4*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 3*

    06/05/2023 7 Hills Brewing Company

    I’ve been here a few times on business trips but just finally posting some pictures along with my review. I’ve enjoyed sampling different beers on each visit and have also had food on at least one other occasion.

    Our table started with Hangry Sprouts, Curb Your Enthusiasm cheese curds and Zeit Bites (pretzel bread bites) – all of which were above average bar food (sorry, no pictures of them). For my meal, I ordered the Carolina Burger (see picture) with Sweet Potato Fries. While it was above average overall (especially the fries), I found the pulled pork on the burger to be quite dry. Another person at the table ordered the Lobster Mac & Cheese (see picture) and thought it tasted good – had just hoped there would be more lobster in it.

    If you are stopping by to try their beers, this is definitely a great stop and if you decide to add food to your stop, you can expect better than average appetizers and entrees.

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    Carolina Burger w/ Sweet Potato Fries
    Lobster Mac & Cheese

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  • Francies (Des Moines, IA) Review

    Francies (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*

    06/03/2023 Francies

    Have had on my Want to Go list since Cityview listed it for best local bar food in 2022 and finally had the opportunity after the Craft Beer Festival. While we were a little leery of what it might be like near the airport, we were pleasantly surprised by the exterior (see pictures) as we pulled up…and remained positively impressed with the interior decor (see pictures).

    Cityview called out their New York Steak & Peppers sandwich (see picture) and it looked great, so my wife went with that for her choice. For our second entree, I went with the Philly Chicken with Fries (see picture). As we always do, we shared tastes of each of our meals and both of us enjoyed both offerings – finding the food quality definitely worthy of the title of Best Bar Food.

    If you are in the area or have a little time waiting on a flight, you won’t be disappointed with a stop at Francies.

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  • Bar Louie (West Des Moines, IA) Review

    Bar Louie (West Des Moines, IA) Review

    Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

    4.25* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 4*

    Atmosphere: 5*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 4*

    06/02/2023 Bar Louie

    Update after stopping back for their Happy Hour when we found that it ran until 7pm on HappyHourDesMoines.com. We splurged on Signature drinks and made our meals from the appetizers just to try them. We enjoyed several Signature Martinis (see pictures), the OG Mule (see picture), the Havana Classic Mojito (see picture) along with chicken wings (see picture) and the Trio Dips & Chips (see picture). All of them were very good and highly recommended (especially at Happy Hour prices).

    03/17/2022

    We stopped here on St. Patrick’s Day after finding several Irish bars full with loud bands.  As it turned out, there was a live band here that was just as loud (hard to even order), but the food was very good.

    I ordered the Chipotle Chicken Street tacos (see picture) and absolutely loved them…moist and very flavorfull.  My wife ordered the Hot Honey Chicken Sandwich and we both really enjoyed it also.

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    S’Mores Martini
    The Dirty Martini
    Effen Good Martini
    Wings
    Trio Dips & Chips
    The OG Mule
    Havana Classic Mojito

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  • Chevys Fresh Mex (Sioux Falls, SD) Review

    Chevys Fresh Mex (Sioux Falls, SD) Review

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    4.0* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 4*

    Atmosphere: 5*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 3*

    05/26/2023 Chevys Fresh Mex

    Stopped here while driving through Sioux Falls at dinner time and boy did it turn out to be a great stop. New, lively, open and fun atmosphere with reasonable prices and good food. We were a little disappointed with the service, but we were in a bit of a rush to get back on the road and they were busy – so we probably should have stayed at the bar and ordered there rather than being seated.

    We started by ordering a Cucumber Jalapeno Grand Margarita (see picture) to go along with the free chips & salsa (see picture) – which tasted great. My wife ordered the Flauta (see picture) and I ordered a soft taco (see picture). As per our usual, we shared both dishes and both of us really enjoyed both of them.

    Based on our stop, I would highly recommend this place for both food and drinks – close to the interstate, reasonably priced and an open, fun atmosphere.

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    Flauta
    Soft Taco
    Cucumber Jalapeno Grand Margarita
    Chips & Salsa

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  • De Rice (Johnston, IA) Review

    De Rice (Johnston, 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*

    I had no idea this place had opened so close to our home.  Went with a group from work today and loved it.  The free soup and fried appetizer was very good, the service was friendly, the food was delivered very quickly and the entree tasted great.

    For my lunch break, I ordered the Crispy Honey Chicken as Very Hot.  I thought the spice level was just right (just at the point of making my nose run) and the flavor was great.  I will definitely be back with my wife for dinner some evening.

    Dinner update 1 week later:  Was so good, I stopped back with my wife for dinner.  We had a coconut mango mojito, the Surf & Turf Roll special, Panang Curry, Tom Kha Kai Soup and Mango Salad.  All were very good, but I really liked the Mango Salad best of all – mango, onion and cilantro with the spicy lime dressing and fish sauce were a wonderful combination!

    Update 2: Dinner last night was delicious as usual.  I started with an Irish Mule and then had the Sushi Set.  I really enjoyed the nigiri, which I had not eaten before.  Per my request, the chef even came out to tell me what each of the pieces were.  There wasn’t a lot of flavor difference between any of them, with the main difference being texture.  My wife had the Crispy Shrimp Cashew Nut (see picture) and it was also delicious.

    01/20/2023 Update

    Yet another stop at one of our favorites last night and once again, we thoroughly enjoyed it…and left very full and satisfied! On this trip, we started with an order of Crab Rangoon, which was delicious – especially when dipped in the honey. I ordered Healthy Fried Rice (see picture) with a heat level of 4 (out of 6) and while I found it delicious, I didn’t feel it had much spice, so added more at the table. My wife ordered the Homestyle Chicken (see picture) with a heat level of 3 (out of 6) and really liked it.

    5/25/2023 Update

    Yet another great stop – this time we enjoyed a Pama Mama Mule (see picture), Heavenly Beef with Sticky Rice (see picture), Crispy Chicken on Ginger Rice (see picture) and a Larb Salad (see picture). As always, all of the dishes were shared by both of us, were delicious and I’d highly recommend all of them.

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    Homestyle Chicken
    Healthy Fried Rice
    Larb Salad
    Crispy Chicken on Ginger Rice
    Heavenly Beef with Sticky Rice
    Pama Mama Mule

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  • Cafe Beaudelaire (Ames, IA) Review

    Cafe Beaudelaire (Ames, 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*

    05/25/2023 Cafe Beaudelaire

    This place was recommended by some locals while we were working at the Special Olympics in Ames, so stopped by to check it out at the end of the day before heading home. It is a very unique Brazilian-themed restaurant just across the street from the Iowa State campus with a good selection of beers and Brazilian-themed foods and mixed drinks.

    We started with drinks – a Pisco Sour and a Caipirinha (see picture). The locals highly recommended the Beaudelaire Bauru sandwich and while it looked delicious, we had already made plans with our wives after returning home, so weren’t able to sample it. The other item that was recommended though was the Brazilian Fries w/ mayo (see picture) and we were able to sample them. They were very good – crispy on the outside and warm and soft inside – with the mayo making a great dip pair.

    I can’t wait to return with my wife sometime and give the Beaudelaire Bauru a try. You definitely won’t regret stopping here for a bite to eat or a drink – good food, value, selection and service.

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    Brazilian Fries w/ Mayo
    Caipirinha
    Caipirinha

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  • El Fogon (West Des Moines, IA) Review

    El Fogon (West Des Moines, IA) Review

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    4.0* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

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    Food: 4*

    Atmosphere: 4*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 4*

    05/19/2023 El Fogon

    This place has been on my Want to Go list for a while and had a great opportunity to go following an after-work party of my wife’s. Along with the free chips and salsa (see picture), we each ordered our favorite drink: a Mezcal Palomo (see picture) – both the chips and Palomas were very good.

    For our dinner, we ordered Ceviche Shrimp (see picture) to share, then ordered Texas Fajitas (see picture) to share for the main course. We both enjoyed both meals and would recommend them…as the 4* implies, we found them better than average, but not the absolute best we’ve ever had.

    Overall, we found this place to be a solid stop for Mexican food as well as the Paloma mixed drinks. In my opinion, it is in the upper third of Mexican restaurants in Des Moines and as such, would recommend it for both food and drink.

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  • Home Sweet Cone (Waukee, IA) Review

    Home Sweet Cone (Waukee, IA) Review

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    4.5* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

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    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 5*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 4*

    05/06/2023 Home Sweet Cone Ice Cream

    If you follow my posts you know that I have a real sweet tooth and I eat ice cream almost every night before bed.  Therefore I had been waiting to try this place for quite some time and finally got a chance on Father’s Day.

    It was surprisingly busy when we got inside but we were served quickly.  The selection was good and the ice cream was oh so delicious!  I will definitely be back here and recommend that you give the place a try!

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  • Viva Mexican Restaurant (Urbandale, IA) Review

    Viva Mexican Restaurant (Urbandale, IA) Review

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    3.75* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 4*

    Atmosphere: 4*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 3*

    05/05/2023 Viva Mexican Restaurant

    Didn’t even know this was a restaurant until a co-worker scheduled a going away party here that happened to fall on Cinco de Mayo. Seeing it from the North side, it struck me as more of an industrial building or health store than a restaurant. As the attached pictures show though, it is indeed a Mexican restaurant – and I found the experience to be worth the stop.

    Because it was Cinco de Mayo, the place was packed and we had a tough time getting a couple of tables for the group to sit together. Ultimately we were able to get most of the party (other than some late arrivals) seated together at a couple of tables that they pulled together for us.

    Service was average at best…again likely due to the packed restaurant with multiple parties waiting at the front door to be seated. The 16oz Lime Margarita that was the special for the day was quite tasty once it was delivered and came with a pitcher to refill it a couple of times. For our meal, we ordered the Fajitas Viva La Bamba (see pictures) – which tasted great and proved to be plenty of food for my wife and I to share (especially after eating plenty of chips and salsa).

    I look forward to stopping back some time when they aren’t so packed and rushed, but regardless found even this stop to be worthwhile – so would recommend stopping, especially if you see one of the daily drink specials that are of interest (see pictures).

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    Fajitas Viva La Bamba
    Fajitas Viva La Bamba

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  • Exile Brewing Company Review (Des Moines, IA)

    Exile Brewing Company Review (Des Moines, IA)

    Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

    4.5* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 5*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 4*

    04/29/2023 Exile Brewing Company

    This is my wife’s favorite brewery in town and we’ve been here a number of times, but finally getting around to writing a review. On this trip, it was a stop at the end of the Lemon Trail Ride, as the cold, wind and rain caused us to cut the ride a little short.

    We started with an order of Exile Fries (see picture) as we have always enjoyed them on previous visits – and today was no exception, crispy and so flavorful! We also shared a Spinach & Artichoke Dip (see picture) and it to, was delicious and highly recommended!

    For our meals, we ordered the Exile Burger w/ Truffle Fries (see picture) and Sweet Chili Shrimp Tacos w/Brussels Sprouts (see picture). As we always do, we shared tastes of each dish and both thought that everything was delicious. They have very good Brussels Sprouts here that we often order as an appetizer, but given the other appetizers today, we enjoyed them as a side instead – definitely try these if you haven’t already.

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