The Food and Drink Guy

Category: Iowa_DSM N (Ankeny Grimes Johnston Polk City)

North side of Des Moines

  • Backpocket Pin & Pixel (Johnston, IA) Review

    Backpocket Pin & Pixel (Johnston, IA) Review

    Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

    4.67* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: n/a

    Atmosphere: 5*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 5*

    01/24/2023 Backpocket Pin & Pixel

    Stopped here to meet a friend after work this week and was impressed with the beers and the atmosphere. If that isn’t enough to capture your attention, they also have an attached arcade area with lots of fun entertainment.

    The beer selection is good, it is served cold – and if you like sampling different beers, their beer Flight is a pretty good value (5 samples for $9). This place is definitely worth a stop after work or for a casual stop out before or after dinner. The have a pretty good selection of ‘Bytes’…so will have to try the food during a future stop.

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  • Trailside Tap (Ankeny, IA) Review

    Trailside Tap (Ankeny, IA) Review

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    4.0* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 4*

    Atmosphere: 5*

    Value: 3*

    Service: 4*

    01/22/2023 Trailside Tap

    We stopped here for lunch while in the area as we had stopped before but hadn’t eaten – just had taps. An initial disappointment was learning that they no longer were a part of the Pub Pass in 2023 (as they were in 2022), so we wouldn’t be able to enjoy a complimentary tap.

    Even without the Pub Pass, we ordered a Bloody Mary (see picture) and Tip the Cow w/ Vanilla (see picture) as a starter…and enjoyed both of them a lot. For our meals, my wife ordered the Steak Sandwich (see picture) and I ordered the Cubano (see picture). My wife enjoyed the cheesy Steak Sandwich and having just returned from Tampa and some great Cuban sandwiches, this one here in Ankeny held its own – quite authentic with the pork, mustard and great bread. Maybe the best part though was the french fries – I really liked the thick, crunchy coating and they were fried to perfection (see picture).

    While I found it to be a bit on the pricey side with $16 sandwiches, the food taste and quality were good and worthy of a recommendation.

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  • Papa’s Pizzeria (Polk City) Review

    Papa’s Pizzeria (Polk City) Review

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    4.25* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 4*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 4*

    We stopped here with my parents and 2 of our sons as we enjoyed a previous visit and thought my parents would like the pizza (they did). The group also enjoyed the humorous / edgy decor and signage around the restaurant (pizza signage for the restrooms for example – see pictures).

    Since we were hungry when we arrived, we started with a couple of orders of Garlic Cheese Bread with marinara (see picture) and a beer. The cheese bread was good and just as we finished it up, the pizza arrived. We ordered a large Supper Pappa (thin – see picture) and a large Pepperoni (pan – see picture) and thought both of them were excellent.

    Lastly, I have a hard time leaving this place without having at least one of the Thelma’s ice cream / cookie sandwiches from the cooler. Everyone was already very full, so I talked the kitchen into cutting it into quarters for us so that we could each have a bite for dessert. They have a great selection of flavors, so make sure you try one before you leave.

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    Photos copyright: happyhourdesmoines.com & thefoodanddrinkguy.com

  • Hacienda Vieja (Grimes, IA) Review

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    4.0* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 3* (loud)

    Value: 4*

    Service: 4*

    We stopped here because my wife read that they had the best margaritas in the area…and I’d have to agree after having one.  The flavor was great…the sweetness was not overpowering and it didn’t leave that ‘fuzzy / SweetTart’ taste in your mouth.

    My wife ordered a Michelada and it was also very good – spicy yet ‘light’ (see picture).  The last strong point was the queso and salsa – both tasted great, although I prefer a less-watery mix of salsa.

    As to the food, I was less impressed.  The chips (although complimentary…) tasted powdery / floury to me (see picture).  Not sure if this had to do with being undercooked or something else.

    I ordered the ceviche appetizer with shrimp and fish.  Although the quality and quantity were good, I thought it tasted bland (I like a distinct taste of lime and cilantro, but struggled to taste anything for seasoning).  My wife ordered a taco with shredded beef (see picture) and while the flavor was ok, the beef was dry and tough…took a lot to chew it up.

    UPDATE:
    We have stopped here before after hearing they had the best margaritas in the area and have never been disappointed.  Last night was no different – we stopped after dinner to have 1 margarita (which turned into 2 and both were delicious).

    Ozzie was our bartender and was fantastic, first recommending the Shaker Margarita with salt rim, then making the Laurie Special (my wife’s favorite) – a Mango Margarita with Jalapenos and a salt rim.  You won’t find it on the menu (because my wife named it), but if you like a good spicy / sweet combination, you will love this!

    Update 2 (new location):
    This is one of our favorites for Jalapeno Margaritas and Mezcal Palomas (ask Jorge at the bar, it isn’t on the menu)…which we had again on this visit.  This time we had dinner – the chips tasted better and I would recommend the Enchiladas Bander.  The only negative…the boxy industrial atmosphere made it very loud inside and hard to carry on a conversation with someone beside you.

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

  • El Huapango Mexican Restaurant (Grimes, IA) Review

    El Huapango Mexican Restaurant (Grimes, IA) Review

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    3.75* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 4*

    Atmosphere: 4*

    Value: 3*

    Service: 4*

    08/20/2022 El Huapango Mexican Restaurant

    Although it wasn’t high on my wife’s list based on the exterior appearance, I talked her into trying it since it was relatively close to where we live. We started with a 28oz Margarita and Paloma. Although they didn’t have Mezcal for the Paloma – both drinks were still very good, but a bit on the pricy side.

    For our meal, I ordered the Ceviche Shrimp (see picture) and my wife ordered the Carnitas (see picture). Both were very good and we would order either again. Although it seemed a bit on the pricey side for the area, we wouldn’t hesitate to return and would recommend that you give it a try.

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    Ceviche Shrimp
    Carnitas

    Photos copyright: happyhourdesmoines.com & thefoodanddrinkguy.com

    For the best Happy Hour and Food Specials in Des Moines, visit: happyhourdesmoines.com
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  • Magee’s Irish Pub & Eatery (Ankeny, IA) Review

    Magee’s Irish Pub & Eatery (Ankeny, IA) Review

    Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

    4.33* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: n/a

    Atmosphere: 5*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 4*

    06/25/2022 Magee’s Irish Pub & Eatery

    Had some time while in the area and this place looked interesting, so my wife and I stopped by to have a Harp and a Guiness. We sat at a table outside to enjoy the summer warmth. We had just eaten, so will have to stop by for a meal on another day.

    The exterior was very inviting (see pictures), the beer selection was good and the bar looked great (see picture). I recommend a stop to whet your whistle…and the food looks great also!

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    For the best Happy Hour and Food Specials in Des Moines, visit: happyhourdesmoines.com
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  • The Operating Room (Ankeny, IA) Review

    Rating: 3 out of 5.

    3.0* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: n/a

    Atmosphere: 3*

    Value: 3*

    Service: 3*

    We stopped here with my sister-in-law, hey boyfriend and get daughters before they left town and enjoyed the stop.  

    Not being a huge arcade fan myself, the highlight of the stop for me was the Peanut Butter Cup Slushie.  It was delicious and I highly recommended it.  They also had a reasonable selection of tap beers, of which we sampled several.

    If you are into arcade games or want to entertain some teenagers for a few hours, this is a good stop.  There were a few 20-something couples there, but other than the alcohol, it seemed tailored to the teenagers and younger.  It would likely be a different atmosphere later in the day when only 21 and over are allowed.

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

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  • Flavory Bistro (Ankeny, IA) Review

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    4.5* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 4*

    Atmosphere: 5*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 5*

    We stopped here for dinner last night and while it was on the pricy side, the quality of the experience was top notch.  Our waiter Matthew was fantastic, with multiple stories to share about the food, the owner and himself.  While we didn’t get to meet Lisa the owner, the story we heard of her Mom traveling the world with her and pushing her to identify what was in the global foods based on taste was fantastic!

    As to the food and drinks, we’ll start with the Fresh Margarita.  While pricy @$12 and small, it was one of the best margaritas we’ve had.  I ordered a Beef Gyro (which had lamb mixed in with the beef).  Both the Gyro and the tzatziki sauce were delicious.

    My wife ordered the Seafood Paella and we both really enjoyed it.  My wife makes our favorite Paella, so we both have become critical of most restaurant Paella.  While we are used to lemon in the recipe, Lisa’s alternate use of lime and green olives were unique and added to the character of the dish.

    The only thing holding me back from a 5 on the Food rating was the Baklava (see picture).  Again, my wife had made some really good Baklava and we have enjoyed it on numerous occasions at restaurants and food festivals.  As the picture demonstrates, this serving was average at best…thin, square, dry and relatively bland in taste.  A disappointing end to the meal given how fantastic the main courses were.

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

    Photos copyright: happyhourdesmoines.com & thefoodanddrinkguy.com