Have been back a couple of times for Happy Hour, but finally getting it posted after our latest trip. This is a great stop for Happy Hours, especially if you like Flatbread Pizzas.
We started our Happy Hour experience with drinks – with both of us ordering Lemon Basil Martinis (see picture) and we both really enjoyed them. Next, my wife opted for the Raspberry Limoncello (see picture) and I ordered the Raspberry Royal (see picture).
For our flatbreads, we started with the Sausage & Mushroom (see picture) then followed that up with a Cheeseburger (see picture). Both of them were very good and we would highly recommend them…especially for the Happy Hour pricing!
01/02/2023
We stopped here after searching for a Monday Happy Hour on HappyHourDesMoines.com and although we have been here before, were impressed with our experience. It is hard to beat $5 Martinis (even if they were a little small) and $6 Flat Breads – all of which were delicious in a great atmosphere with fantastic service from Cassidy P. (she is fantastic)!
I started with the Screwball Espresso Martini (see picture) and my wife had the Tirimisu Martini (see picture) – both were delicious and would have been even better as dessert after our appetizer / meal. We then ordered the Happy Hour flatbread specials – BBQ Chicken (see picture) and Sausage & Mushroom (see picture). They were Cassidy’s top recommendations and were both delicious!
Along with our meal, I ordered the house pinot noir and my wife ordered a Lemon Basil Martini (see picture). The Martini was excellent and the pinot noir was also good.
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While we admittedly aren’t Chicago Bears fans (yes, we cheer for the Super Bowl winless Vikings…), we have taken a bit of a liking to this place and have stopped several times since they opened. Tonight we stopped to see the NDSU / SDSU football game on one of their many TVs over the bar. While it took them a bit to find the game, we enjoyed most of the game
I started this visit with a Windy City Caramel (see picture) and my wife opted for the Spicy Pineapple Margarita (see picture). As we always do, we shared tastes of each drinks and would highly recommend both of them. We followed those up with Cadillac Margaritas (see picture) and again, would recommend them as a good balance between tart and sweet.
For our meals, my wife ordered the Italian Beef with extra Au Jus on the side (see picture). Ordering the Au Jus on the side seemed like a good idea, as you had plenty to soak your sandwich in as you ate it – but it wasn’t soaked and falling apart as you tried to eat it. I went with the Buffalo Chicken Wrap (see picture) and we both enjoyed our meals.
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We stopped here just after moving to Urbandale over 4 years ago with our son and daughter in law along with our parish Priest (who is an Indian native) and just took the opportunity to return. We enjoyed it during both stops and would definitely go back.
Tonight my wife opted for the Chili Garlic Chicken (see picture) and I chose the Chicken Lababdar (see picture) along with an order of Garlic Naan. As usual, we shared tastes of each dish and while both were very good, the Chili Garlic Chicken definitely had a more flavor and a bit of a spicy ‘kick’.
This is a solid Indian restaurant near old town Waukee with very friendly service.
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While we’ve stopped here a few times since living here, I hadn’t yet taken the time to post a review to my website, so fixing that now. This most recent stop was to meet a friend from Church after work and it turned out to be a great meeting spot.
I started with the Hot Skinny B*/ch (see picture) and as the name implies, the jalapeno tequila and additional sliced jalapenos gave it a good spicy kick! I loved it…but if you aren’t into the stronger jalapeno burn, you might not enjoy it as much as I did.
For our dinner, we started with an order of Southwest Egg Rolls (see picture) and then each of us ordered some Wings (see picture). While ideally I would have preferred that both orders not be fried as much as they were, both were still quite tasty and above average pub food.
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My wife made the reservation so I agreed to go back, even though my last experience left we doubting I would return and I admittedly walked in with a bit of a chip on my shoulder. Overall, I’m glad we went back to give them a second chance as this experience was much better than the last. This is a very nice restaurant that is a part of over 55 in the growing chain that started in Overland Park, IL in 2005.
Our friends in Wisconsin recently mentioned Cooper’s Hawk and how good their Ahi tuna was – and given how much we enjoy Ahi tuna, that likely played a significant role in my wife’s decision to make a reservation. Beyond the wine flight that my wife ordered (see picture), we started with Asian Ahi Tuna Sashimi (see picture). As you might expect (sashimi), the portions were quite small…but it was quite delicious. Food and Drink Guy Tip: The soy dipping liquid was also great and the leftover mix was quite tasty on the pretzel bread loaf.
For our main courses, my wife ordered the Trio Medallions (see picture) and I opted for the Chicken Giardiniera (see picture). As we always do, we shared tastes of each other’s dishes and the Trio Medallions were fantastic – tender, juicy, flavorful and perfectly cooked (medium rare). While our waitress Jennifer (who was great by the way) described the Chicken Giardiniera as spicy – neither of us found it very spicy, but we both found it delicious – tasty breaded chicken breasts soaking in that wonderful giardiniera juice!
Food and Drink Guy Tip: Given my love of good bread soaked in tasty juices and sauces, I asked for another loaf of the pretzel bread and used it to soak up all that remaining delicious juice on my plate and sauce on my wife’s plate. I highly recommend this, as it was so good that I treated it as my dessert! The plates were so clean after this that a member of the wait staff commented that we mustn’t have liked our meal very well…
While this clearly isn’t the cheapest place in the area for dinner, they do serve high quality food in a clean, modern atmosphere with above average service, so deserves to be on your short list for your next special occasion.
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December 2022
We were excited to try out this place after watching it being built and reading the announcement in the newspaper.
Atmosphere: While the exterior looks and atmosphere inside the new building were impressive, there is room for improvement on the food and service, which to me means the value isn’t that great. The lighting was also a lesson in contrasts…while it was rather dark at our table to read the menu – there were also lights above some adjacent booths near the window that were very bright, to the point where it seemed that headlights from cars in the parking lot were shining in our eyes. You will see this in the posted pictures…rather dark for the photo, yet also harsh shadows from the adjacent booth lighting.
We started with a round of drinks. I had read about the 4 wine samples for $10 offer in the paper, so told the waiter I saw the 4 for $10 wine and wanted it. While I gave him an out in case it wasn’t available at the table, asking “unless it is only available in the front” – he quickly responded that they offer wine flights and they are available in the front or at the table. The flight seemed to be a great value, so my wife and one of our friends also ordered one. Buyer Beware: we were with another couple, so I didn’t review our receipt until returning home and was surprised to see that we were charged $20-$22 for each flight.
Food: For our main meal, I ordered the Gnocchi Bolo (see picture), my wife ordered the Surf & Turf with pork & shrimp (see picture) and our friends ordered the Trio Medallions (see picture) and Blackened Ahi Tuna (see picture). The manager later came by to apologize that the Gnocchi Bolo was only supposed to be a lunch menu item (we were there for dinner), but since the waiter didn’t tell me they were preparing it as ordered, but it was causing a delay for our order.
The Gnocchi Bolo tasted delicious and was probably the favorite of the dishes we enjoyed. The pork was a little dry / overcooked in the Surf & Turf. The asparagus was a little stalky at the ends and while the steaks were good with the Trio Medallions, they weren’t in the top category of steaks we’ve enjoyed.
Service: While our waiter was very friendly and seemed knowledgeable about the restaurant and menu, we were left disappointed. One of the wine flights for our table that was ordered at the same time as another was not delivered at the same time. After at least 10 minutes had passed, we finally asked about it and it still took another 10 minutes for delivery. Empty glasses and dirty plates were piling up on our table prior to the food delivery. After moving them to the front edge of the table for them to be taken away and that not working…I finally asked the waiter to take them away on a later stop. Lastly, one of our friends ordered soup and when it had still not been delivered after we were half done with our meal, we finally asked about it and it was then delivered.
Bottom Line:The food and service clearly did not meet my expectations nor reflect a good value for your money – possibly a result of it being their first week. I will have to see whether we return at a later date to see if things have improved. Given our experience with the wine flights described above, a follow up call to the manager on duty that night and receiving absolutely no offer to make things right (“sorry that you mis-understood that…”), I’m not sure that we will return.
My wife and I decided to give Pally’s another try, as we have been there before and enjoyed their food and live music on the weekends. This place has solid food, good service and friendly owners who interact with the patrons. Tonight my wife ordered the Cheeseburger (see picture) and I went with the Kickin chicken Sandwich (see picture). We each tried each others meals and liked both options, so would recommend them along with the delicious extra Dirty Martinis!
02/01/2024
I stopped in here doing some research for my Happy Hour site (www.happyhourdesmoines.com) several months ago and have been wanting to get back to try their food ever since. The opportunity presented itself when a friend and I met after work – deciding to give Pally’s a try.
We started with a round of drinks while deciding on food – ordering the daily special Margarita (see picture) and White Russian (see picture). Both were very tasty and a great value given their size and price (albeit the daily specials).
For our meals, my friend ordered the Frisco Burger (see picture) and I opted for the Torpedo Burger (see picture), given a strong positive recommendation from our server (who was also great – excellent service and covering the whole, packed bar by herself). We both really liked our burgers! The pictures don’t do them enough justice – they were both prepared perfectly, as per our requested level and both very flavorful. Definitely a place I’ll want to bring my wife and neighbors back to sometime in the future.
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Decided late in the afternoon to go out for Mexican on Cinco de Mayo, so chose the place closest to our home as we have enjoyed previous visits. They were absolutely slammed with business…several delivery drivers waiting at the door said they had been waiting for well over an hour. Once we got past the delivery drivers, we were seated relatively quickly but the service was slow due to how busy they were.
The Jalapeno Cucumber and Mango margaritas (see pictures) were served in plastic glasses – again, likely due to how busy they were. While they tasted great, the presentation wasn’t quite as nice as the heavy glass goblets they usually serve. We always enjoy the chips and salsa (see picture) here – the chips are fresh and the salsa is thick and hearty.
Lastly, for our meals tonight we again ordered the Ceviche Mixto (see picture) that we enjoyed previously and while it again tasted great, it wasn’t served with any crackers (we used our table chips) and the price seemed a bit high at $24. Both my wife and I agreed that the highlight of the meal though was the Orden Shrimp Tacos (see picture) – with both of us commenting that they just might have been the best shrimp tacos we have ever eaten!
02/17/2023
This is fairly close to our home, so we stopped here last night on the way home from checking out a Happy Hour for HappyHourDesMoines.com. It was a Friday night around 6:30 and the place was packed. They took our name and we went to the bar to wait for our table (which took about 15-20 minutes). The servers were hustling around the restaurant the entire time – so it wasn’t for a lack of effort, but we did have to make an effort to catch someone when we needed something.
We started with a Mango Jalapeno Margarita (see picture) which was delicious – just be forewarned that it does have a fairly strong bite of jalapeno pepper if you don’t like if being spicy. It was a large serving and had plenty of additional Tajin seasoning (which we love).
For our dinner, we ordered the Ceviche Mixto (see picture) which is not on the menu, but we’ve had it before and enjoyed it. At our server’s urging, we added the octopus to it and not sure if that was the reason…but we were charged $25.99 for the plate, so be aware if you want to try it. Like other times, it tasted great – I just probably wouldn’t order the octopus again (pretty firm and not much taste).
The other item we ordered for dinner was the Orden Tacos De Charolita (see picture), again on our server’s recommendation. Be aware of 2 things with this dish: 1.) it is very greasy / messy (you will need a few napkins) and 2.) it was extremely salty – to the point that it seemed that all you could taste was salt.
While we have always enjoyed our drinks here as well as the ceviche, we were disappointed with how salty the taco plate was. I would definitely recommend a stop to try their drinks!
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Orden Shrimp TacosCeviche MixtoJalapeno Cucumber MargaritaMango Jalapeno MargaritaChips & SalsaBarMango Jalapeno MargaritaChips & SalsaCevicheOrden Tacos De Charolita
We have stopped here a few times since the last review, including a Trivia Night with a great taco value (unfortunately, we ate before the last minute invite to join a team there) – but hadn’t taken the time to update my review.
We stopped for their Tuesday night Burger Special…which left me wondering why we weren’t going there every Tuesday night for burgers! I ordered a Burger (of course – see picture) and was thoroughly impressed with it! Usually when you ask for a medium rare burger, it is brought out medium well to well done. Not only was the burger excellent (a little beyond medium rare, but at least some heavy pink in the middle), but the bun and the lattice fry sides were all delicious!
Unfortunately, I gave up alcohol for Lent…so didn’t have a beer with the burger – but you can bet that I’ll be back for both after Easter!
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Finally got the chance to stop by again after some new friends suggested it as the place to meet after Mass last night. They suggested that we go outside and the patio experience was fantastic – perfect weather for the evening and a little quieter than inside, so a great place to enjoy some conversation.
We started with a couple of beers…because why else would you go to an Irish Pub, right? The banter started with our server, Erika – which added to the great experience. If you follow my reviews, you know that I appreciate servers with menu opinions that they aren’t afraid to share…and just a little bit of a sassy attitude (and she had just the right amount of both).
For our meals, my wife ordered the Southwest Salad (see picture) per Erika’s suggestion and I ordered the Naked Chicken Wings (see picture) with Mango Habanero sauce. As is our norm, we shared samples of each other’s order and we found both of them to be very good – so would recommend them.
If you are looking for a fun Irish Pub experience, you will enjoy a stop at Mickey’s. If you stop and are up for a little friendly banter, ask for Erika and be sure to tell her ‘Hi’ from The Food and Drink Guy!
06/05/2021 update:
Stopped for a free pour of beer from a coupon in the mail and enjoyed a pint of Guinness (see picture) followed by an order of portabella mushroom fries (see picture) per the server’s recommendation. The mushroom fries along with the Ranch and special horseradish sauce that was served with them were delicious and I would highly recommend them – light, crisp breading and a tasty mushroom inside.
02/2021
Stopped for brunch and ordered from their breakfast menu. The food and drinks were all good, but my favorite was the Top of the Morning Irish Coffee (see picture) – I definitely recommend it.
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Yet another great stop at Gastro Grub & Pub. Tonight, we started with a Mrs. Claus’ Medicine (see picture) and Casamigos Mezcal Paloma (see picture), then opted for multiple appetizers for our meals with a couple of craft beers.
We started with Bacon Dates (see picture) and Brussels Sprouts (see picture), then topped it off with and order of Chicken Wings (Peanut Butter & Jelly of course – see picture). We have had them all before and really like them – and tonight was no different.
04/06/2024
This place is becoming a habit…and each time the food is just as good as the last time! Joslyn did a wonderful job serving us tonight and the owner (Sean) stopped by our table at the end of the meal. Gastro Grub & Pub is a class act and the only thing I could criticize (which I also shared with the owner) is that a couple of the windows above the front door were extremely dirty (see picture)…and unfortunately that was right in my line of sight during the meal. Apparently, that is the responsibility of the building owner, so he was going to bring it up with them.
Tonight, we started with a Picante Peach (see picture) and a Paloma (see picture) – both delicious and expertly prepared by Mary behind the bar – but be aware, the Picante Peach has a good jalapeno burn. We started our dinner with Brussels Sprouts (see picture), then ordered a Wagyu Burger (see picture) and Peanut Butter & Jelly Wings (see picture) – followed by a Small Cookie (see picture) for dessert.
07/14/2023
During our latest stop, my wife ordered the N’awlins Shrimp Po Boy (see picture) and I again ordered the Peanut Butter & Jelly Chicken Wings (see picture).
03/25/2023
This is my wife’s go-to restaurant in the area and I like it also. We have stopped here on multiple occasions and have always enjoyed our visit, given the fantastic food and atmosphere (love the smells and lively vibe). Be aware of the fact that they are not open on Monday or Tuesday and only serve dinner (after 4pm). We have wanted to go several times on a Monday or Tuesday before realizing that they weren’t open.
For our latest visit, we started with drinks – they have a good selection of unique and tasty tap beers and some unique cocktails. My wife ordered a Gezellig Dopptoberfest and I went with the special for dinner – the Mulberry Street Cocktail (see picture – a little sweet, but very tasty).
As an appetizer, we ordered the Brussels Sprouts (see picture) and thoroughly enjoyed them – what a great combination Bacon Vinaigrette, Bacon Lardons & Parmesan Cheese. We have ordered this before, absolutely love it and would highly recommend it (although their other choices are also delicious, so it is a hard choice…).
For dinner, I ordered the 5 Wings (see picture) with peanut butter & jelly coating (sounds weird, but you can’t believe how good they are – great combination of sweet and spicy). My wife ordered the Steak Pita with sweet potato fries (see picture) and while it was delicious, be aware that it is quite messy to eat as there are LOTS of juices.
If you live in the Waukee, Urbandale, Clive or West Des Moines areas, you don’t have to make the drive downtown to enjoy some fantastic food and drink close to home. You won’t go wrong with a stop here to eat or drink.
March 2022 Stopped here tonight when the Irish Pub we sought out on St. Patrick’s Day was closed. There was no wait to be seated and we really liked the smokey smell (were told it was from the woodfire grill). We started with Bacon Wrapped Dates which tasted great but we’re a little small compared to those I’ve eaten previously. The Beet Salad was delicious as was the OJ Gets Dreamy beer.
June 2021 Started with a Tropical Blender IPA milk stout beer followed by a Raspberry Milk stout with my meal. For dinner I went with the waitress’s recommendation and ordered the Original Bacon Jam Burger and would highly recommend all of them.
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Peanut Butter & Jelly Chicken WingsBacon Wrapped DatesBrussels SproutsWagyu BurgerPalomaPicante PeachSmall CookieDirty WindowsMulberry Street CocktailSteak PitaPeanut Butter & Jelly Chicken WingsN’awlins Shrimp Po Boy
Stopped back with a friend for a drink and dinner – and enjoyed another great experience! It honestly doesn’t look like much from the street (see picture with sign), but once you get around the back of the building to the entrance door (see picture) – it starts to feel more modern and inviting.
We started with an Italian Margarita (see picture) and a Diana’s Martini (see picture) that we enjoyed with the complimentary Table Bread & Oil (see picture). All of them were very good and although I knew I shouldn’t…I couldn’t resist ordering an extra portion of Table Bread – it was so warm, moist and delicious!
My friend ordered the Lasagna (see picture) and while I was tempted with the Butternut Squash Risotto, I ended up once again going for the Ziti Cucina with 2 meatballs – the “Pasta Special” (see picture). Luckily my friend, like my wife, likes to share tastes of our food – so we both sampled each other’s and would highly recommend both dishes. While $29 is definitely at the high end of what I prefer to spend for pasta – the taste of the Ziti Cucina was definitely as good as the presentation, and there was plenty to take home for another meal later.
04/27/2022
Stopped here based on a strong recommendation from a friend and it lived up to the recommendation in all ways! We had to wait a while for a table, so grabbed a seat at the bar and enjoyed a lemon drop martini and a white wine.
Our dining table was available within the time promised and we were immediately treated with dinner rolls and olive oil. My wife started with a side salad (see picture) and we both really enjoyed it…large, light and fresh.
For dinner, I ordered the Ziti Cocina and my wife ordered the Chicken Picatta. We shared both orders and both of us really liked both of them – excellent flavors to match the beautiful presentation. The Picatta sauce was plenty salty, but the green beans were fantastic!
We will definitely be back again and would highly recommend it for a great meal!
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Back again just a few months later and again enjoyed great food…with the service off just a bit – as we had to ask for a couple of things but then had a prompt response. This time my son ordered the Southwest Chicken Club (see picture), my wife ordered the Cajun Seafood (see picture) and I opted for the Salmon Sandwich (see picture). All of them were very good and I would highly recommend them – and this time we had the pleasure of topping it off with a piece of Lemon Leches Cake (see picture). Wow, was that cake delicious – rich, moist and light at the same time!
1/5/2024
We hadn’t been to The Club Car in almost 3 years, so decided to give it a try again last night. My wife and I both remembered it as a bit of a dark, ’70s style supper club – but either our memories are failing us or they have made some big improvements over the last few years (or both…). We found the place to be busy, well-lit, lively and welcoming – with great food and service.
We had to wait a few minutes for a table, so started out at the bar, with my wife enjoying a Pineapple Jalapeno Mule and myself a Raspberry Jalapeno Margaria (see picture). Both of them were delicious, each with a nice burn from the included freshly-sliced jalapeno.
Before we finished out drinks, our table was available in the bar area and we were blessed to be served by Melissa. She was a fantastic server – with recommendations in each area of the menu (two of which we chose and were delighted with) and a friendly, outgoing personality. Say ‘Hi’ to Melissa from The Food and Drink Guy if you are lucky enough to have her as your server when you go!
For our dinner, my wife ordered the Ribeye (see picture) and I ordered the Georgia Pork Sandwich (see picture). Melissa recommended both of them and we loved them. The Ribeye was grilled to perfection, with what some might consider an excess of blackening…but was just the way my wife loves it! I would have probably not ordered the Pork Sandwich, but did so based on Melissa’s recommendation and was very glad that I did. For some reason, I expected pulled-pork, but it turned out to be a moist breaded piece of pork with some delicious mustard sauce and cole slaw. We highly recommend both dishes.
Finally, for those who follow my posts, you know I struggle to leave a restaurant without trying their desserts. We were struggling to make a decision on which to order, so again asked Melissa for some insight, saying that we wanted something that wasn’t too heavy. Melissa recommended the Salted Caramel Martini (see picture) and while it wasn’t technically on the dessert menu it was perfect…sweet, salty and so delicious!
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I suggested Central Standard as a meeting place with a friend to update my post on HappyHourDesMoines.com and wondered after the visit why it had been over a year since my last visit. The Happy Hour specials are some of the best I’ve seen in the city (half off all bar drinks) and the food for dinner was fantastic!
After a Flight of beers (see picture) from their extensive list and Sparkling Paloma (see picture), we were ready to order our dinner. My friend opted for the Brisket Sammy (see picture), so I went with the Fire Burger (see picture – love the added Jalapeno Popper). Both of us ordered sweet potato fries and both commented that they were some of the best sweet potato fries that we’ve ever had! The sea salt sprinkled on the crispy golden brown outside, yet so soft and flavorful on the inside. While I would definitely recommend both sandwiches – you won’t be disappointed with these sweet potato fries!
Possibly the BEST Happy Hour in the area and a great meal afterwards – definitely order the sweet potato fries!
01/27/2023
We have always enjoyed our stops at Central Standard and last night was no exception. While the wait for a table was rather lengthy (near an hour), we took the opportunity to enjoy a couple of great tap beers from their extensive selection to help pass the time.
For our dinner, my wife ordered the Guacamole Burger with sweet potato fries (see picture) and I ordered the Chicken Tacos (see picture) at the suggestion of our great server Kiersten. My wife enjoyed the burger and both of us agreed that the best part was those delicious sweet potato fries – tasty and crispy on the outside, yet soft on the inside. The Chicken Tacos were also very good as well as the chips and salsa on the side – although the presentation missed it a bit with the ‘fast food take out’ plastic container for the salsa (see picture).
As per the standard (no pun intended), we once again enjoyed our stop at Central Standard for a beer and dinner. It is a solid choice that I would recommend for lunch or dinner.
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Had the opportunity for a return trip after work with a friend since this place is close to my office and the food didn’t disappoint. Our server suggested the Patty Melt (see picture), so I went with that and we ordered Truffle Fries (see picture) to share. I was impressed with both items and would rate them well above average pub food.
A solid, modern bar with above average pub food and a good selection of tap beers.
03/2022 We stopped for dinner after seeing that they finally had reopened after a major remodel. Unbeknownst to us, it was their Grand Opening celebration a few hours earlier and it was still a little busy.
We chose to sit at the bar. I ordered the lamb gyro (see picture) and my wife ordered the Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich with tater tots (see picture). I really liked the lamb gyro and while we both really like hot foods and generally order food at the hotter side of the range when offered, the Nashville Chicken sandwich was way too hot. My wife couldn’t eat it (pepper burn with not much flavor), so we opened it up to see the seasoning thickly pasted on the chicken. Once we scraped off as much of the pepper seasoning, the flavor was good, we liked the bun and the tater tots were also tasty and cooked well.
Unfortunately, we weren’t asked how the food was due to how busy it was, so we weren’t able to let them know before leaving.
January 2021 Stopped on our way home from dinner last night too have a beer. If you are still concerned about masks and close quarters, this might not be the place for you as most of the wait staff and customers did not wear them and the place was pretty full.
We enjoyed our stop though and the service was great. If you like darker beers and coffee…here is one for you to try that we created last night. I found the Boulevard Steep Drop coffee stout too bland, while the Left Hand Peanut Butter Milk Stout was too sweet, with a strong peanut butter flavor. My wife suggested mixing the 2 together, so I ordered a pint of the 2 mixed and found it delicious! If you like peanut butter and coffee, you will want to give this a try!
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After vowing to never return to this restaurant following a terrible experience in early 2021 during COVID (see original review below), we decided to give it another try and sample their Monday Burgers & Brews special. They also had a Happy Hour from 3-6 that I found on HappyHourDesMoines.com, so thought this would be a great Monday stop for dinner with family visiting from out of town.
Clearly, this visit was MUCH better than the last one and I found it to be an overall solid pub experience. Nothing stood out as extremely good (other than possibly the onion rings), but everything was well above-average.
My wife ordered the Kansas Rancher burger with Onion Rings (see picture), my Dad ordered the House Special pizza (see picture) and I ordered the South Philly burger (see picture). As mentioned earlier, we all agreed that the Onion Rings were the highlight of our meals – crispy and full of flavor. The pizza was also very good and while the toasted brioche bun and toppings were great on the South Philly, I was disappointed with the hamburger patty. The appearance was poor (looked like it was literally cut off the end of a hamburger tube and thrown on the grill), there was little flavor and it was over-cooked (our server asked how I wanted it prepared and I ordered medium-rare, but it came medium to medium-well).
A solid local pub with above average food and service.
01/2021
Believe this is the first 2* rating that I’ve given and unfortunately the lady serving at the bar deserved it. Stopped here for dinner with my wife and adult son tonight.
We were told that the wait would be about 20 minutes, so I asked if I could buy a beer at the bar and drink it by the door while waiting – to which she said yes. We walked to the other side of the bar area and found a small table without a COVID / social distancing sign, so thought we would just stand there and drink.
The male bartender immediately stopped to tell us that there were only 2 stools, so he couldn’t server us as a group of 3. Therefore I told my wife and son to sit there and I would go back to the front door area and drink a beer there while waiting. I walked around to the front door side of the bar again to order my beer…but not before the male bartender ‘tattled’ to the female that she shouldn’t serve me because we were a group of 3. I explained that I was going to drink my beer on my own, so she served me.
Then, my wife and son were told that they couldn’t sit at that small bar table after all, as they wanted to seat restaurant patrons there – so they came over to join me by the front door. When my wife went up to order the same beer I was drinking, the female bartender was very rude, wouldn’t serve her and said I wasn’t allowed to drink by the front door.
I have no idea what the actual rule was, after being told two different things…but after the way she treated my wife, we removed our names from the waiting list and immediately left the restaurant. The waiting list at Jethro’s up the street was similar, we were able to have a beer in peace while waiting and the food was great.
I was looking forward to trying their food, but unfortunately after this experience we probably won’t return and wouldn’t recommend this restaurant until they figure out what their COVID rules are and begin to treat their customers with respect.
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Based on a recommendation from my wife’s coworker, we decided to give Nick’s Bar & Grill a try with our son and daughter-in-law. We weren’t quite sure as we pulled up to what appeared to be a strip-mall, but the storefront for Nick’s (see picture) was reassuring.
We started with a round of drinks (see pictures) and while the Tequila Old Fashioned (see picture) was unique, I wouldn’t order it again – struck me as a straight shot of inexpensive tequila.
We both really enjoyed our main course meals. My wife started with the Shrimp Bisque soup (see picture) based on her coworker’s recommendation followed by the Ribeye (see picture). I went with the Blackened Salmon (see picture) and really liked it – done just right with the perfect amount of ‘kick’ in the blackening seasoning.
Last but certainly not least (for my sweet-tooth), we shared a piece of Key Lime Pie (see picture). While our waitress was apologizing for the appearance (falling apart) due to it being fresh out of the oven – we especially enjoyed it and the warm temperature only made it taste that much better.
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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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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 RollChicken Katsu Cold NoodleEdamameFried Bread (Thai Donuts?)Chicken Katsu Cold NoodleMango Japanese MochiSapporoHana White Peach Sake
We stopped here for dinner after reading positive reviews and enjoyed our meal. The chips and salsa were good and plentiful (an expectation at Mexican restaurants) and the Margarita was very good.
I ordered the white fish Ceviche and found it to be some of my favorite in the area. I really like a strong lime flavor and this definitely had that. The white fish was firm and tasted great.
The only negative was the service. We wanted to order a 2nd margarita, but couldn’t get the waiter’s attention – and an attempt to ask another server to have him stop by was also unsuccessful.
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A co-worker visiting Des Moines was hungry for a salad bar and asked about Ruby Tuesday. He got me thinking about the salad bar, so I enjoyed that (way too much actually…left stuffed) along with a $3 Margarita (see picture). I absolutely love the dark bread buttery toasted croutons – especially when they have just been brought out and are warm! There aren’t as many salad bars around anymore, but this place has one of the best.
My friend had the Jalapeno Bacon Queso Burger (see picture) along with the salad bar. He loved the salad bar, but preferred his bacon more crispy and found the bun to be a little on the soggy side (possibly due to the queso).
It is tough to beat this place for value and it has a decent selection at the salad bar – all of which I found to be fresh. This is a solid stop for your budget, especially if you go with the Daily Specials.
12/2021
Met a friend for lunch just as they opened for the day and ordered the grilled chicken sandwich with grilled zucchini. The food was fresh, hot and tasted great, but was a little disappointed in how long it took to get it for after we ordered (about 15 minutes).
Overall, is very convenient to my work location and I will likely return – so don’t hesitate to recommend it.
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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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