Category: Iowa_DSM N (Ankeny Grimes Johnston Polk City)

05/12/2024 Uptown Bar & Grill

Yet another solid experience at the Uptown Bar & Grill – nothing stands out for atmosphere, but the Value & Service are above average and the Food is great! I couldn’t pass up the $2 beer special and today we went with the Breakfast Burger (see picture), Tater Tots (see picture) and Frisco Burger (see picture). We ordered the burgers medium rare and unlike other restaurants who deliver them well done anyway – they were actually served medium rare and were delicious!!

04/30/2023

We have been back a time or 2 since my first post in 2021, but didn’t eat a meal again until today. My wife was hungry for a hamburger and thought they looked good the last time that we were there with our neighbors, so that was our dinner destination. During our meal, we also got to participate in song BINGO, which was an enjoyable sidelight to our meal.

Tonight I ordered the Hot Sausage (see picture) per our waitress’ recommendation and my wife ordered the Jalapeno Blue Burger (see picture). As per our typical, we each shared our meals and both of us really enjoyed both sandwiches. Both had a bit of a nice spicy bite to them and both of them were a bit messy.

The Hot Sausage in particular was a 2 napkin meal at a minimum…very greasy and juicy from the sausage, melted cheese and marinara sauce – and OH so delicious! I thought the Hot Sausage tasted a bit like a grownup version of the pizza burgers I used to enjoy in small town diners as a teenager. The meat quality is much better though and the ciabatta bun is delicious. Keep in mind that neither come with a side, so the side salad shown with the Jalapeno Blue Burger was extra. I didn’t order a side and didn’t need it, as the Hot Sausage was more than enough to eat.

The food is above average for bar food and the service is quite good, so if you’re in the area I recommend that you stop in for a drink and some food.

09/2021

We stopped here after a search for a restaurant on our way home from golfing.  We weren’t sure what to expect given that it was a smaller town bar, but left impressed and would definitely go back.

They had a better than average tap and canned beer selection and we caught the end of Sunday song BINGO – an interesting spin on an old classic game.

The food and service turned out to be the best parts though.  Yes, it was bar food, but on the higher end of the scale – very fresh, tasty and prepared well.  The waiter recommended a brand new special (Boursin Pesto Burger with a side – see picture), so I tried it.  It was a 1/2 pound patty on a fresh light bun…and just might have been the best cheeseburger I’ve ever had!  Messy, yes, but oh so delicious!

Also on the waiter’s recommendation, my wife ordered the Reuben (see picture) and she really enjoyed it (so did I…).  For a smaller town Iowa bar, these folks take great care of you and the food is great!

If you found this review helpful, please show your appreciation with a Like or a Follow.

Photos copyright: happyhourdesmoines.com & thefoodanddrinkguy.com

For the best Happy Hour and Food Specials in Des Moines, visit: happyhourdesmoines.com

Great Food & Drink Reviews by the Food and Drink Guy, visit: thefoodanddrinkguy.com

04/20/2023 Flight Bar and Grille

We got on the road to Huxley again, this time to share the experience with our neighbors. The food was equally impressive and this time our service from Anna was outstanding! She was so friendly and full of food suggestions and great stories – just what I love in a server! It was too cold for the patio to be open tonight and we had to wait about 20 minutes for a table…but it was oh so worth it!

This time, my wife and our neighbor Joy ordered the Crispy Chicken Bacon Ranch Sandwich (see picture), John went for the Foundation (2023 Iowa Best Burger – see picture) and I went for the Fiesta Chicken Wrap (see picture). We really enjoyed all of the meals, including both the regular and sweet potato fries. My only complaint was the Ranch dressing my wife and I ordered for our fries – it was thinned way too much and was a near water consistency, so wouldn’t stay on the fries very well.

If you’re looking for a great burger – this place won’t disappoint and is only a short drive north of Des Moines – with an awesome atmosphere and great service!

08/08/2023

In May 2023, the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association and Iowa Beef Industry Council named the Foundation burger at Flight Bar and Grill the Best Burger in Iowa. Being a big fan of great burgers, ever since I have been wanting to make the drive up to Huxley to see if their burgers were worth the award and the drive. Spoiler Alert – it is definitely worth a drive from the Des Moines area to experience these burgers!

We met friends here for dinner on a weeknight (partially because we heard how packed they have been on the weekends since winning the Best Burger award). They had an order of Fried Brussels Sprouts at the table when we arrived, which were quite crispy and light – with a delicious balsamic reduction drizzle.

For our main course, my wife ordered the award-winning Foundation burger with sweet potato fries (see picture) and I opted for The Firecracker with sweet potato fries (see picture). We always order different dishes and share samples when we go out and tonight was no different.

While The Foundation was delicious and worthy of an award, both of us actually preferred The Firecracker. While it looks like a lot of jalapenos on The Firecracker, they weren’t overwhelming – providing just the right amount of ‘kick’ when combined with the pepper jack cheese and the delicious house-made chipotle aioli. To our delight, the Sweet Potato Fries turned out to be a great complement to the burgers – as we both commented how great they tasted and how well they were done.

This place definitely earns the Best Burger in Iowa award and is worthy of a drive to Huxley for the experience…and don’t forget the sweet potato fries for a double treat! Lastly, if you follow my posts you know how much I love ice cream and this was the triple bonus feature. On the other end of the building is a great ice cream stop (my next review…).

If you found this review helpful, please show your appreciation with a Like or a Follow.

Photos copyright: happyhourdesmoines.com & thefoodanddrinkguy.com

For the best Happy Hour and Food Specials in Des Moines, visit: happyhourdesmoines.com

Great Food & Drink Reviews by the Food and Drink Guy, visit: thefoodanddrinkguy.com

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.

If you found this review helpful, please show your appreciation with a Like or a Follow.

Photos copyright: happyhourdesmoines.com & thefoodanddrinkguy.com

For the best Happy Hour and Food Specials in Des Moines, visit: happyhourdesmoines.com

Great Food & Drink Reviews by the Food and Drink Guy, visit: thefoodanddrinkguy.com