Stopped here on our way home from dinner for a drink as we had not yet been here since their opening. We seated ourselves at the bar and were impressed with the decor and Signature Drinks (see picture) – as well as the fact that they had a Happy Hour to add to HappyHourDesMoines.com.
I ordered the Smoked Maple Old Fashioned (see picture) and my wife ordered the Chile Lime Mango Margarita (see picture). Both drinks tasted very good and based on a quick look at their food menu on the way out, we will be stopping back to try their food at a later date.
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Chile Lime Mango MargaritaSmoked Maple Old Fashioned
We stopped back later in the week for the end of Happy Hour and dinner with our son and daughter-in-law. This was a whole different perspective! While the first stop on a Monday night was quiet, with only about 5 other patrons, Friday night was packed and quite loud. After not getting served for about 10 minutes, I went up to the bar and ordered our drinks as well as a Tito’s Flatbread.
The Drinks and Tito’s Flatbread were delivered in a timely manner and then the owner (who we spoke with at the bar earlier in the week) served us the rest of the night. The flatbread was very good (sorry, forgot to take a picture), but the crust was much thicker than a typical flatbread – closer to a pizza crust. The large group that was there for happy hour started to clear out, but the place was still fairly loud (just FYI – very modern decor, but also loud and hard to carry on a conversation).
For our dinner, I ordered Cevapi (see picture) on the owner’s recommendation when I asked for a Bosnian dish. My wife ordered the Beef Skewers (see picture), also on a recommendation. Both dishes tasted great – the steak and sausages were moist and flavorful, the pita bread was fresh and the served sauces paired well.
The Tiramisu we ordered for dessert (see picture) was the weakest of the food we had. It tasted good, it just wasn’t anything like any other Tiramisu that we’ve had – it was wrapped in a paper band and the base was more of a white angel food cake than the lady fingers we have come to know and love. All in all, a solid place for a meal, assuming you are ok with a loud environment…or choose a time that has fewer people.
01/02/2023
We stopped here after enjoying another stop we found on www.happyhourdesmoines.com and were quite impressed with what we saw. The owner served us and when asked, said that they had only recently opened. The decor was top notch and in line with what you would expect in downtown Des Moines and the service was good (the owner was the only server, but there weren’t many people there).
While we had already eaten at the previous stop, the Happy Hour specials looked quite attractive (see pictures) as did the Bosnian dinner plate options on the menu (see pictures) – so we will definitely be back to try the food!
The owner suggested the Ella Bosnian pear brandy (he described it as a cross between vodka and tequila, which seemed a good description – see picture) and the sample he provided was tasty enough that he talked me into the Balkanita (see picture). We also sampled the Mango Mule (see picture) and found both of them to be delicious.
Both my wife and I were quite impressed with the decor, menu options (we saw some of the food that was served), value and service. This seems to be a hidden gem that provides the ambiance of a downtown trip without the drive – we will definitely be back and highly recommend it.
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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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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.
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Have wanted to stop to eat here for some time and finally took the opportunity. I went with the server’s recommendation and ordered the Signature Steak Philly (see pictures) and oh, was it delicious! Although it is essentially a fast food setup…go through the line, order and wait for your food at a table – the food was delicious. If you like Philly sandwiches, you will definitely want to stop here.
The only thing I was a little disappointed with was the cleanliness of the floor in the dining area. The grease film on the floor near the beverage area left it feeling slippery and a cause for caution. I did ask a lady who appeared to be a shift leader about it and she said that they were busy and hadn’t had a chance to clean the floor yet.
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I had seen this place several times…always wondering what a paleta is and curious to give it a try. Given my taste for sweets and after seeing it show up in my searches for gelato several times, I decided I had to try it while in the area.
I had just eaten, so decided to keep it light and simple and went with the Greek Yogurt with Berries (see picture)…splurging a little to have it dipped in chocolate (see picture).
I’ve decided that paletas are definitely a delicious dessert and want to return to try some other flavors and add-ons. I recommend this place for any of you with a sweet tooth like my own.
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I asked Google for a breakfast recommendation this morning and this is where we ended up going, as it was #1 on the list that came up. We hadn’t had bagels for a while so thought it sounded good.
The building is a little hidden and isn’t directly accessible from University. From the outside it doesn’t look like anything special (see pictures) but once you get inside it is impressive.
I was looking for something with a little spice, so the last at the counter recommended the Bronx. It was delicious and a good balance of a little spice kick along with the bacon, lettuce and tomato…and a creamy spread.
They also have a great choice selection with a lot of flavored syrups to choose from. This is a great stop for a morning sandwich.
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I’ve driven by here many times and haven’t stopped because it didn’t look like much from the outside. However, I walked here during an oil change and am glad I did.
I wasn’t even sure that it was open, as the dark tint on the exterior windows blocked out any activity or even beer lights from inside. However, upon entering I was pleasantly surprised by the decor, friendly service, tap beer selection and food (french fries is all I had, but they had a larger menu).
Update: My wife and I stopped here for lunch yesterday. We ordered the blackened chicken quesadillas (see pictures) and really liked them. They were fresh and tasty and the blackened chicken had just the right level of spiciness.
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Had planned to eat at Shanghai per a friend’s recommendation, but they were short staff and had a wait so we thought we would try Los Tres Amigos instead.
We were seated quickly even though the restaurant was pretty full and thought their chips and salsa were good (see picture). I was not impressed with their Paloma. It was served in a tap beer glass, didn’t have Tajìn on the rim (only very light salt) and didn’t taste that good. We later asked how it was made and apparently they use lime juice and Squirt…my preference includes grapefruit juice and soda water or Fresca.
My wife enjoyed her Carnitas Dinner (see picture) and the flavor was good in my Los Tres Amigos (see picture), but I was disappointed with how thin and tough the steak and chicken were.
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We stopped here based on the recommendation of a friend and while the food was very good, I really like a tequila drink with my meal and this place doesn’t serve any alcohol.
Secondly, this will sound odd, but both my wife and I agreed that it was probably the most uncomfortable table that we’ve ever sat at in a restaurant. The bench seats were way too wide and there was barely any room between the table and the bench or between the two benches – our feet were constantly on top of each other’s. We both commented about how much our butts hurt from sitting there, although it didn’t help that we waited over 30 minutes for our food.
We started with the complimentary chips and salsa (see picture) – the salsa was average and the chips were below average…powdery-looking and lacking flavor. I had individual Mexican style tacos that reminded me of Street tacos…small, moist and delicious corn tortillas that were the highlight of my visit. My wife had the Shrimp Quesadillas and they were also very tasty.
My bottom line…the cooked food was good, so if you plan to take it home and make your own paloma / margarita, you will enjoy – I just can’t recommend it for dining in given the items cited above.
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Stopped for a beer before picking up my groceries. Service was good and the beer was delicious.
Update: Stopped for Happy Hour beer and appetizers tonight and were impressed with the quality of the food and the value.
We ordered traditional Buffalo Wings and Our Burger Nachos and thought they were both very good. The chips were thin and light with just enough toppings and the wings were meaty, moist and delicious. Given the half price values it is definitely worth a stop during Happy Hour!
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We stopped here for an early dinner after golfing and both enjoyed our meals (see pictures). The Saturday college football games were on the multiple TVs and we enjoyed sitting at an outside table.
I ordered the Blackened Salmon and my wife ordered the Shrimp Tacos – the salmon was moist and tasty and the shrimp tacos were spicy and delicious. Although the salmon was cooked to near perfection, I especially enjoyed the rice…not sure if it was a special variety or just cooked to the shorter end of the range, but it was plump and also firm.
This place is definitely worth a stop to give it a try.
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We stopped here after Mass on Sunday expecting to sit down for a relaxing coffee and a couple of kolaches. It was immediately obvious that I should have done some more research, as the place is great for take out but simple and uncomfortable for sitting and trying to dine-in.
There are only a few high stools and a couple of short bar-height counters along the wall (not comfortable for my wife in her dress). We ordered coffee, but it was cold and all that they have is powder creamer. After asking, found out that the warmer switch on the coffee machine was turned off. The lady at the counter put it in the microwave for us, but it just wasn’t that good of coffee.
I ordered the jalapeno cheese sausage kolache and really liked it, but unless you want to stand by a high counter to eat and drink canned soda / pop, it just isn’t that comfortable to dine-in here.
Long story short, if you like kolaches and want to pick some up to bring home and eat, this would be a good place. I would not recommend this place for dining-in though.
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Can’t think of anything that could have been better with this dinner! It was Sushi Happy Hour when I arrived (Monday and Tuesday evening), so I started with the Spicy Tuna and Spicy Salmon. The coconut soup was highly recommended by the hotel hostess, so ordered that very hot with chicken. It was so cranky and delicious – I highly recommend it.
Lastly, my waiter recommended Coconut Milk Custard for dessert and it was also delicious! This is a great restaurant with a fantastic, lively and modern atmosphere that I highly recommend!
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