This place is near where my wife works and a group from her work has occasionally stopped here after work hours over the years. We noticed that it had a new name and was under new ownership, so stopped in to check it out for my websites.
If you ever stopped by the previous business, you were well aware of the relatively dark, dungeon-like interior with booths of what seemed like 1970s velour. Those old booths have been removed, replaced by a number of table and chair options and the interior just came across as lighter and more lively, with multiple TVs surrounding the dining area and above the bar.
The food was definitely above average for pub food and the value was great considering the $10 gyros special and the quantity of food provided. My wife ordered the lamb gyro with onion rings (see picture) and I opted for the chicken gyro with jalapeno cole slaw (see picture).
We always share tastes of our food and today was no different – with both of us liking each others gyro. What really stood out to me though were the sides. I really liked the Jalapeno Cole Slaw and the onion rings were well above average also. The waitress warned me when I ordered that the jalapeno cole slaw had some kick and she wasn’t kidding – there were so many slices of jalapeno that I believe I had at least 1 slice in every bite that I took! If you like a little spice in your life, you will definitely want to give them a try!
The food was great, the food special made it an excellent value and the service was good. We definitely thought it is a step up from the previous restaurant at this location.
Our friends took us here several years ago and we really enjoyed the experience…finally getting the chance to return and found it just as impressive.
We started with drinks, including a Bloody Mary with Mezcal (see picture) and an After Midnight – both quite tasty. We then ordered Collective Wings (see picture) as an appetizer and found them so delicious that we were tempted to order more of them for our meal.
For our dinner, my wife ordered the Cubano (see picture) and I opted for the Squash Risotto (see picture). As we always do, we shared tastes of each both of us thought that both meals were good enough to order again and recommend.
A great place to eat towards the north end of the Valley Junction ‘Strip’ with an amazing atmosphere, excellent presentations and fantastic service.
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We have had discounts from kid’s athletics fundraising cards to try this place for several years and finally got over to try it this summer. While the exterior on the East side didn’t look like much, the front (North) side looked much more inviting and lively – with tables and a modern look. Unfortunately, we arrived from the South and didn’t see the front side until leaving (see pictures of each side below). I did like the corrugated metal and rustic wood decor – giving it a bit of a old farm building feel inside.
We started with a Salty Chick and an Orilla Sunset (see picture) drink – and really enjoyed both of them. For our meal we ordered a Nashville Hot Dinner (see picture) and a Chicken Strip Meal (see picture). The chicken was good and we really liked the fries – hearty, crispy on the outside & soft and hot on the inside. Best of all was the Carolina Mustard and Bang Bang sauces on the side – we loved both of them!
While this is a bit out of the way for us since we live up in Urbandale and don’t get this far south very often, we did enjoy our stop for dinner and would recommend it if you are in the area.
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We liked our first stop so much that we came back to celebrate Mother’s Day early with our son and daughter-in-law. You won’t go wrong with a stop here – good selection of tap beers, build-your-own pizzas and burgers and located in the Jordan Creek Mall next to the movie theater.
This time, my wife ordered the Grilled Jumbo Shrimp Skewers (see picture), my son ordered the Grilled Gyro on Naan (see picture) and I opted for the Grilled Meatloaf (see picture). We shared tastes and all of them were delicious – would definitely recommend them.
My wife likes Bread Pudding (see picture), so we shared a piece for dessert – and boy was it ever tasty! The back of the picture shows a small container of caramel sauce (warmed) that you can pour over the bread pudding and ice cream after it arrives. This place is every bit as good as their location in Fargo, ND that we really enjoyed while living there.
04/12/2024
We loved The Tavern Grill (and joined their Tavern Club) when we lived in Fargo, ND – so were excited to see a new location open up here in West Des Moines, Iowa! I had forgotten about seeing it in the Jordan Creek Mall, but my wife remembered and chose it for our destination.
Our waitress was training in and she was quickly able to confirm our Tavern Club membership, so we immediately took advantage of it and order a couple of large mugs of beer. If you plan to stop back even a once or twice, you will definitely want to consider signing up for the Tavern Club as it offers cheaper beer and 20% off your food on all upcoming visits.
For our meals, my wife ordered the Baked Spaghetti (see picture) and I opted for the Tavern Ginger Tuna (see picture). As always, we sampled some of each of our dishes and would recommend both dishes. I especially enjoyed the Tavern Ginger Tuna, as it was seared to perfection, the ginger glaze was delicious and the veggies were so fresh and crispy! If you like seared tuna and ginger, you will definitely want to give this a try!
A solid stop for your next dinner out – conveniently located in the
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After really enjoying our first stop here over 2 years ago, we’ve been unsuccessful in getting in on several other occasions (didn’t have the forethought to make a reservation and they were full several times when we stopped in to check). Tonight we took the time to experience their Happy Hour while waiting to join our son and daughter-in-law at another restaurant for dinner.
This time we arrived early (around 5pm) and were able to find seats at the bar to enjoy a glass of wine and a beer. For an appetizer, we were intrigued by the Fried Zucchini (see picture) and it was recommended by the bartender. We were impressed when it arrived and found both the zucchini and dip to be delicious – tempting us to place a 2nd order when we knew we needed to save space for dinner.
A great stop in Valley Junction for lunch or dinner…just make sure that you make reservations, as you might not get in otherwise.
11/19/2021
We stopped here for dinner based on a recommendation that my wife read and really enjoyed the service and atmosphere.
I don’t usually order meatloaf, but asked about it here since it was marked as one of the spicier dishes. Our server highly recommended it – Cooper’s way (open-faced, topped with cole slaw), with the loaded baked potato salad side. Boy am I glad I followed his recommendation…they were all delicious and I would highly recommend them.
The meat loaf was very moist, tender and tasty, with just the right amount of peppery glaze to give it a kick. White cheddar and American cheese slices were melted over the top – all of which was topped with a very tasty cole slaw. And then there was that loaded baked potato salad that was unique, tasty and just the right portion size. Think of a loaded baked potato squished into a small bowl with some relatively raw onions mixed in for taste and crunch – loved it! My wife also liked it much better than her burger and helped me eat it. Her burger was average, cooked beyond the medium rare that was ordered and a little dry…I would take the meat loaf before it any day.
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This place has been on my Want to Go list since reading an article about its opening in the Des Moines Register. My wife and I both enjoy Banh Mi sandwiches and not only did this place do them extremely well, but they also performed highly in another area that I love – desserts! The only reason I didn’t give a full 5* is that you order at the counter, so I took a Star off of the Service and they add a credit card service fee on to the bill, so I took a Star off of the Value.
I was on my way to Sam’s Club for fuel, hadn’t eaten dinner yet and noticed that Paris Banh Mi was still open as I drove by … how could I resist? Not only was the exterior much more impressive than I expected, but I was totally blown away with the clean, modern, spacious and well-lit interior! An extended table full of take-home goodies (see picture) greets you just inside the door and the serving counter has a large built-in dessert cooler stocked with several of my favorites (see picture).
Dinesh at the counter was friendly and helpful, suggesting the B2. Grilled Pork Banh Mi Thit Nurong sandwich (see picture) as one of their menu favorites. I’ve been to Paris, France several times and really enjoy their baguettes (bread) – and this light, yet firm bread really did remind me of the great sandwiches I’ve enjoyed there. Along with the tasty bread, the ingredients were all so moist, crispy and fresh – with that distinct flavor of cilantro that I love!
As my comments might indicate, I wasn’t able to leave without at least sampling one of their desserts – the Tiramisu (see picture). Somehow I found the will power to get it home to share with my wife without eating any on the way – and the picture doesn’t do it justice. This was some really good Tiramisu – light, creamy and delicious and matching some of the best I’ve had in high end Italian restaurants!
While it’s hard to top the great bread and fresh sandwich ingredients, you won’t want to leave without trying at least one of their desserts!
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Saw a few articles about this place and added it to my Want to Go list, finally getting the opportunity to check it out when friends were in town visiting. We were looking for something to do and also hungry for something to eat. My biggest complaint about the place was finding the entrance…we literally walked all the way around the building before finding a door that would open! It is a long strip-mall conversion with a bunch of glass doors…most of which say No Access on them – but no signs to a door that opens.
Once we finally got inside, we were impressed with the clean, modern feel and buzz of activities – with multiple game choices including duckpin bowling and 2 different 9-hole mini-golf courses. Before playing mini-golf, we started with adult beverages (reasonable selection available), then ordered the Nachos Nirvana (see picture) to share. The nachos were very good, well above the average pub food and the price given the portion size seemed to be a reasonable value.
A solid stop to entertain children and adults, with good food and beverages for both to enjoy.
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Another great stop with our son and daughter-in-law to celebrate her Leap Year Birthday. We again started with an order of Dips & Chips – have always enjoyed the thick-cut homemade chips and the dipping sauces…tonight was no different.
For dinner, I ordered the Nashville Hot Ramen (at the server’s suggestion – see picture) and really liked it. I will warn you though – I like spicy food and typically order Thai above average on the spicy scale…and this was the upper edge of my preferred spiciness, causing my lips to burn and eyebrows / nose to water. My wife ordered the Brewer’s Burger (see picture) and really enjoyed (and of course I stole a couple of bites and will recommend it).
3/14/2023
Food: 4*
Atmosphere: 4*
Value: 4*
Service: 4*
Another great stop with my brother and sister-in-law while they were visiting. Used HappyHourDesMoines.com to find the happy hour timing, then stopped in to enjoy a couple of specials before our meals. We ordered the Fried Pickles (see picture) and Bavarian Pretzels from the happy hour menu based on our server’s suggestion and both were great.
For dinner, I ordered the Cajun Tuna Sando (again at the server’s suggestion – see picture) and found it to be one of the best tuna sandwiches I’ve ever had. My wife ordered the Buffalo Chicken (see picture) and really enjoyed it also. I recommend all of the food pictured in this review (and probably the others also…I just haven’t tried them yet). Definitely a great place to stop for food and beer.
2/23/2023
Food: 4*
Atmosphere: 4*
Value: 4*
Service: 4*
Have found this to be a solid stop on previous visits – enjoying the beer and food selections and the casual environment. This time was a first stop for our friend from Brazil who joined us along with our son and daughter-in-law and everyone enjoyed the evening.
For Happy Hour, our son got us started on the PB&J (yes, Peanut Butter & Jelly) Grape sour, so we enjoyed a glass of it. Ordinarily, we aren’t big sour fans, but this one was self-described by our server as more sweet than sour and that is a great description. You taste definite peanut butter and grape jelly flavors and it is fairly sweet.
For Happy Hour food, we ordered Dips & Chips (see picture) and Wisconsin Cheese Curds (see picture). The chips were nice and thick and crunchy (as expected) and both the cheese and sour cream dips tasted great. The Cheese Curds were also great – a light breading filled with nice soft cheese and the provided dip was also very tasty.
For our dinner, I ordered the Pollo Diabllo Wrap with sweet potato fries (see picture) and my wife ordered the Braised Brisket with Fries (see picture). Both were fantastic, with great flavor and fries cooked and seasoned perfectly – crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside and delicious!
May, 2022
Food: 4*
Atmosphere: 4*
Value: 4*
Service: 4*
This is a unique place with a lively and friendly atmosphere and good food.
We started with fried pickles and Wisconsin cheese curds based on the waitresses recommendation. Both were very good – the pickles were crispy slices with good flavor and the cheese curds were tasty. Both had minimal breading and neither seemed greasy.
I then enjoyed the Nashville Hot Chicken sandwich with Roasted Brussels Sprouts and my wife had the Brewer’s Burger – all were delicious!
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After reading an article in the Des Moines Register, I was looking forward to giving this place a try for dinner. My wife and I decided to do our night out for Valentine’s Day a day early to beat the crowds and decided on the Guesthouse.
You will be impressed as you walk up to the building and step inside – beautiful, well-lit brick storefront and an excellent modern rendition of a northern Minnesota hunting lodge on the inside (see pictures). The food was also top-end (more on that to come), so top marks in both of those areas.
We started with beer and an order of the Guesthouse Ceviche (see picture). Not quite my favorite in Des Moines, but very good – a little zing along with a few pieces of shrimp included. My wife went with the Guesthouse Steak (see picture) for her main course and really liked it. For myself, I went with the Beef Short Rib (see picture) and found it very flavorful, moist and tender. Pictures of each after they were cut into are included.
The pricing was at the high end of our experiences in the Des Moines area and that, combined with the very small portions caused my Value rating to drop to average. The presentation was great possibly even in line with expectations at a high-end restaurant downtown, but now what I’d expect in a ‘lodge’ environment.
The average Service rating was not a result of our server – Lluvia did a great job of taking care of us. Rather, I was disappointed to see a 3% “Service Charge” at the bottom of our bill with no explanation. When I asked about it I was told that it was thought to be a credit card service fee and if you paid in cash, it would be deducted. Not only is this the highest fee I’ve seen for that and well above any known fees from the credit card issuers, but it is also something that I despise as a customer. It’s not as if handling cash is free (handling, counting, securing, transporting, shrinkage, etc.). Ok…rant done.
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We missed our reservation at a nearby restaurant so decided to give Samurai a try for dinner. The restaurant was clean and seemed to have an energy about it when we entered. Overall a nice atmosphere and good value, while the service and food are average.
We have both enjoyed Poke bowls before, so my wife decided to try the Poke Bowl (see picture) while I opted for the Roll B combination of rolls (see picture). Neither my wife nor myself were fond of this type of Poke Bowl. There was a creamy sauce of which we didn’t like the flavor (we like the lighter, lime-like version), there was no rice included and the portion was quite small. Both of us enjoyed the Roll B options, although ideally we would have preferred a little more spiciness.
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It had been a while since our last visit, but we got the chance when our son and daughter-in-law asked if we’d like to join them for Brunch Sunday morning. We ended up waiting about 30 minutes past our projected seating time, so beware if you have a tight time crunch. Once we were seated though, the experience was great and in line with our previous visits.
We started today with an order of Cinny Bobs (see picture) to share and if you like cinnamon rolls…you will love these! They are served with both white icing (traditional cinnamon rolls) as well as caramel sauce (traditional caramel rolls) – so you can choose your favorite…or go with both if you can’t decide. I am a sucker for caramel and liked the caramel sauce so well that I enjoyed what was left over after the rolls as my dessert at the end of the meal!
For our meals, my son ordered the Monkey Business (see picture) as he has the last few times he’s been here and once again, enjoyed both the sight of it as well as the taste. My wife ordered the Breakfast Nachos (see picture) and since she wasn’t able to finish it in the restaurant, was able to enjoy a 2nd meal of it for breakfast the next day. Lastly, I went with the Chicken & Waffle (see picture) and while it was more than I really wanted to eat, I cleaned off the plate and loved every bite!
12/01/2022
We have stopped at the Early Bird Brunch several times and always enjoy the experience – casual atmosphere, great food and unique alcoholic drinks combine to make a memorable experience.
This stop found us at the front door at opening time on Sunday morning (6:30am) due to our son needing to catch a mid-morning flight at the airport. For future reference, this is a great time to go…as we had the place to ourselves initially and only a couple of other tables were occupied when we left. If you’ve tried to get a table mid to late morning on a weekend, you know how crowded it can be and how long the waits are…
We started with an order of Hash Holes – always a favorite of ours and a strong recommendation to try. They are delicious potato croquettes with cheddar, smoked gouda & bacon (see picture). We ordered Huevos Ranchero, Pancakes & Eggs, Meat Head Benny and The Bird Cage for the main course (see pictures) and all were delicious – I would recommend them all.
If you haven’t tried this place for brunch yet…you don’t have any idea what you are missing!
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I’ve been wanting to stop and try the food here after a visit for my other web site (HappyHourDesMoines.com) shortly after they opened. Tonight I met my wife here after an appointment and was pleasantly surprised to find that it was $12.99 Steak Night (Mondays starting at 6:00 until they are gone). This is a lively, fun place, with 80s / 90s music playing tonight and a good selection of tap and bottle beers (see pictures), including our current favorite – Barntown Brewing’s Peanut Butter and Jelly sour on tap.
By catching the end of Happy Hour and catching a couple of $3 Wells then following that up with a $12.99 Sirloin & baked potato dinner, this place deserves a 5* rating for Value. Meghan is a fantastic and attentive server, providing great insight on the menu items – also deserving of a 5* rating (be sure to tell her ‘Hi’ from The Food and Drink Guy when you stop in).
The Food and Atmosphere ratings are where things get tougher for me as a reviewer. While the Sirloin steak (see picture) was very tender and flavorful (with my wife claiming it was possibly the best she’s ever had), as the pictures show, they are served on disposable plates. While I have no issues with this and actually enjoyed the homey / family feel of the whole experience – it is hard to give this the same rating as a high end steakhouse experience with linen napkins and high quality serving plates.
With all of that said, I personally liked the build-your-own salad and foil-wrapped baked potatoes and agree that the Sirloin steak was one of the best I’ve eaten – even if it was all served on disposable plates and bowls. Therefore, I’m going with 4* ratings for Food and Atmosphere. Given the choice, I’m fine with a top-quality steak served on paper if it saves me a few dollars. And its hard to beat a hands-on owner that stopped by our table several times to assure that everything was ok with our experience.
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Stopped again after attempting Happy Hour at a nearby restaurant that was already full. This place always seems to be packed and tonight was no different – around 5:30 on a Friday. We were able to get a table right away, but there were a number of people standing and waiting when we left. I always enjoy places with free popcorn and G. Migs had that – although it so salty, we couldn’t each much.
Once again, our meals were fantastic – each of us ordering one of the specials for the night as they were both highly recommended. My wife ordered the Shrimp Risotto (see picture & video) and I ordered the Prime Rib (see picture & video). The shrimp, prime rib and shrimp were all cooked to perfection, as was the asparagus. The dishes are a little pricey and you’ll likely find yourself bumping elbows with the other patrons and staff, but the food is very good.
02/03/2023
This was on my ‘Want to Go’ list and we had the opportunity last night when we joined our son and daughter-in-law and they suggested it based on a friend’s recommendation. Although it is a bit of a ‘dive’ (that isn’t a negative for me) and was quite packed when we walked in around 6:30pm on a Friday night, we were quickly seated and our server (Carolyn C.) was very helpful and attentive.
We started with a round of drinks…they had a reasonable selection of various tap beers to satisfy most with a thirst for taps – all reasonably priced. For our dinner, I ordered The Pride of Iowa Wrap (see picture) with the pasta salad and my wife ordered the nightly special – Prime Rib (see picture) with asparagus and mashed potatoes.
I enjoyed both the pasta salad as well as the wrap (2016 State Fair Award Winning). The pasta was a nice balance of sweetness, pasta & veggie crunch – and the wrap had a great tasting filling along with a unique wrap shell that was thin, soft, crunchy and tasty all at the same time.
My wife’s Roasted Prime Rib was also delicious – from its preparation (did a good job delivering it as ordered – medium rare) to the sides. Although out of season, the asparagus was cooked to perfection – retaining a little crunch along with a soft interior. The mashed potatoes were also great (although a little strong on the garlic…if you don’t like that) – as they retained some of the peelings and had a few lumpy bits.
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Wanted to give this place a try after seeing an ad following their opening in the old Grumpy Goat location. We had our opportunity when we invited our son and daughter-in-law to join us for dinner – and enjoyed our experience. An above average pub experience with reasonable value and great service.
A special call-out to our server Kathryn (Katie), who was fantastic! She had opinions on everything we asked about the menu, with solid details to share about each of them. One of her best suggestions was to upgrade to the Parmesan Fries – you will see them in each of the pictures and while they were a significant additional cost, they were delicious! If you are lucky enough to get her on your visit – be sure to say Hi to her from The Food and Drink Guy!
For our meals, I ordered the Fish & Chips (see picture), my wife ordered the Classic Cheeseburger (see picture) and my son ordered the French Dip (see picture). We found all of them to be very good – definitely above average for pub food…topped by the Parmesan Fries!
Possibly my favorite part of the stop though came after our meal and was a bit unexpected. If you follow my posts, you know how much I love good desserts. Tonight, I chose to take my dessert in liquid form and ordered a Chocolate Martini (see picture). Not only was it one of the better martinis I’ve consumed, the pricing put it in the upper echelon of value for martinis in the area. You will definitely want to give one of the martinis a try when you stop for a visit.
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Classic CheeseburgerFish & ChipsFrench DipChocolate Martini
Stopped here again with our son and daughter-in-law and this time sat on the West side of the restaurant near the garage doors that open to the outside when it is warm. The food was once again very good, but the music was WAY too loud – we felt like we were shouting just to try and converse at the table, so I dropped the Atmosphere rating to a 2*. Also, due primarily to how busy they were, the service wasn’t nearly as good / prompt as in previous visits, so dropped to a 4*.
For dinner, I ordered the Spicy Tortilla Soup (see picture) and thought it tasted very good, with a nice kick. My wife ordered the Fajitas Shrimp (see picture) and also liked it a lot – be aware that it is a very large portion, with almost enough food for 2 people on this plate. While the food was still very good, I hesitate to return given the uncomfortable volume of the music in the dining area.
Food: 5*
Atmosphere: 5*
Value: 3*
Service: 5*
1/07/2023
My wife and I stopped here for dinner last night after I enjoyed a Mezcal Paloma with a friend during an earlier visit. As was my experience during the earlier stop, everything about this place is great and it now is a contender for our favorite Mexican restaurant in the area. My only concern is the value, as they carry downtown pricing, especially on the drinks (my Mezcal Paloma was $15).
Drinks: I ordered a Mezcal Paloma (see picture) and my wife ordered a Pineapple Habanero Margarita (see picture). Both of them were absolutely delicious and were large enough that we each only needed 1.
Food: The chips and salsa (see picture) were also delicious (we always overeat on chips and this was definitely no exception…). She asked if I would like Guacamole (see picture), so I ordered and it was great…but was charged $6, so be forewarned that it isn’t complementary. I ordered the Tinga Tacos (street tacos – see picture) and my wife ordered a Chicken Bowl (see picture). Both of them were delicious and I would recommend both – the shredded chicken in the Tinga Tacos was a little dry / tough, but I almost expect that with shredded chicken.
Overall, this place has possibly the best Atmosphere of any Mexican Restaurant in the Des Moines area and the food is very good, so I don’t hesitate to recommend it for anyone to try. My only concern as I mentioned earlier is that the pricing is a little steep, especially on their cocktails. If you are ok with high priced cocktails or are coming only for the food…this is a 5* in my opinion.
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Another great dinner at Fire Creek topped off with another great conversation with the owner, who was working the floor. Tonight, my wife started with a Grapefruit Paloma (see picture) and I opted for the Smoked Club (see picture). For dinner, my wife chose the Cajun Ribeye (see picture) and I went with the Shrimp Diablo with Scallops (see picture). As we’ve come to expect, both the food and the service were excellent – we were quite happy with our stop and the full experience.
05/01/2023
My wife and I have enjoyed dinner here several times and have really enjoyed it (see the previous reviews below). Tonight, I was on a quest to try out their Happy Hour as a part of research for HappyHourDesMoines.com – and the Happy Hour prices bring the Value rating to a 5*.
I ordered the Dirty Martini (see picture) and the Coconut Shrimp (see picture) and thoroughly enjoyed both of them. The Dirty Martini included 2 blue cheese-stuffed olives and both the drink and olives were delicious. The Coconut Shrimp was also top-notch, with a nice firm, crispy and stable coating surrounding firm yet juicy shrimp inside. The only thing that kept me from a 5* rating on the food was that the accompanying lettuce was a little wilted and past its prime.
Per the owner’s response to our earlier experience outlined in my 2022 review below, my wife and I really enjoy this place and will definitely be back for dinner again. I highly recommend this place for food and drinks – you are bound to enjoy a stop here!
02/2022
We stopped here with a group of 7 for dinner with some guests who were in town for the weekend. I started with a Guiness Nitro draft (very good) followed by a side salad with balsamic dressing (also good).
I decided to order the rotisserie chicken and that ended up being a mistake. Not only was the temperature cool when it was delivered, it also was not fully cooked. I debated whether to say anything but decided it probably wouldn’t hurt me if I ate it (it didn’t), so didn’t make a scene. I generally don’t ever send food back for fear of what might be done to it…and it usually doesn’t come out much better, and is delivered after everyone else has finished eating.
Everyone else’s food was good, so I will likely return as we loved sitting by the fireplace and the service was good. I just can’t recommend the rotisserie chicken.
Update: The owner reached out to us based on our review and after our return to the restaurant last night, I’m updating my rating to a well-deserved 5*. Bad things happen in life, so it isn’t the fact that something bad happens as much as it is about what those who are responsible do about it. After our return last night and a short discussion with Meg (after we had finished eating), we left thoroughly impressed. What a classy lady running this great restaurant!
Tonight we started with beers (my only imperfection for the whole night…each beer that we had was barely cool to my taste…I prefer them colder). We then ordered Seared Ahi as an appetizer and while the soy sauce was a little salty, both the Ahi and greens served with it were delicious.
Following our dinner salad, I had the seafood trio special Salmon, Shrimp and Scallops – and oh, were they each delicious! I especially enjoyed the cream sauce served on the scallops (so enjoyed the extra with the asparagus) and the melted butter in the cup, which I enjoyed on the shrimp as well as the salmon. My wife ordered the Chicken Picata and really enjoyed it also – both of us commented on the delicious lemon flavor!
Food: 5* Atmosphere: 5* Service: 4*
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Cajun RibeyeShrimp Diablo w/ ScallopsCoconut ShrimpSmoked ClubGrapefruit PalomaDirty Martini
We’ve lived in town several years now and have enjoyed Red Robins in the past, but with so many non-chain places to explore in the area I finally took the time to stop when offered with a free Birthday Burger.
I’m not a fan of carry-out / take-home food due to the quality degradation during the trip and tonight was no different. The food was probably a 5* if eaten in the restaurant when fresh, but I can only gauge based on what it was when I got home. The burger was still very good but the fries were soggy and limp, so we put them in the air fryer for a few minutes before eating.
For my Birthday Burger, I ordered the Cheesy Bacon Fondue Burger & Fries (see picture) and since I had to spend at least $5 for the free burger, I accompanied it with the Mountain High Mudd Pie (see picture). The burger and mudd pie were both delicioius…and would have been so much better in the restaurant. Take my advice and when you go…stay there and eat it fresh.
If you are looking for a gourmet hamburger on the upper end of chain restaurant quality, you will enjoy a stop at Red Robin Gourmet Burgers & Brews.
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Although a bit pricy, Firebirds is one of our favorite stops in Des Moines. If you want to try it out and save a few dollars – come for their great Happy Hour.
Well…we were back to one of our favorites again, this time for Happy Hour on my Birthday.
We defaulted to our old favorite, the Double Diamond Martini for the first round – they are just SO good and they aren’t down-sized for Happy Hour. For food we went with the Prime Rib Sliders (see picture) and our old standby, the Ahi Tuna Tacos (see picture). Once again, the food did not disappoint – with both of them being absolutely delicious and highly recommended.
04/28/2023
This place is getting to be a habit. This time, we were looking for a Happy Hour on HappyHourDesMoines.com that went past 5:30 since we were running late – and fell back to this excellent choice (Happy Hour until 6:30). The service was better on this stop, so raised it back to 4* and the overall to 4.5*.
We defaulted to our old favorite, the Double Diamond Martini for the first round, then I returned to the Dirty Bird for the second round. For food we went with the Lobster Queso (see picture – not part of the Happy Hour specials, but still delicious) and Ahi Tuna Tacos (see picture). As per our expectations here, the food did not disappoint – with both of them being absolutely delicious and highly recommended.
You won’t be disappointed in a stop at Firebirds – check out their Happy Hour to get started and stay for dinner if you are hungry enough.
04/05/2023
Returned again – this time to use a $10 coupon from registering with their email club that was expiring. The food and atmosphere were great again…but was a little disappointed with the service at this visit, so dropped that rating. Our server was slow in getting to take our order and promised bread and butter…that didn’t come until after our entree was delivered and I had made a trip up to ask about it.
Their bread is great (see picture), with panko-like crumbs on the top and butter on the side. I was not that hungry and trying to watch my calories (thanks by the way for the calorie listings of each dish on the menu), so went with the Strawberry Shrimp Salad (see picture) – and absolutely loved it! My wife ordered the Durango Burger (see picture) on the server’s recommendation and also enjoyed it, along with the tater tots.
03/17/2023
While admittedly a bit on the pricey side, this is one of our go-to places in Des Moines as we have never been disappointed in the food or drinks during any of our stops. Most recently, we stopped by last night and since there was an hour wait to get a table, we settled in at the bar and enjoyed several items from their Happy Hour menu (see pictures).
For starters, we each ordered a Double Diamond Martini (see picture) and really enjoyed the tropical flavors. I also ordered a Sam Adams Cold Snap (see picture) and enjoyed it also along with the great atmosphere.
The best part of all (beyond the Happy Hour prices) was the food! We started with the Ahi Tuna Tacos (see picture) and found them to be so delicious (yes, a little messy too…) that we made the decision to order more and make them our dinner. In addition, we tried an order of Fire Up Shrimp (see picture). While they were also good, I expected a bit of spicy kick from them that wasn’t there, so found them fairly bland – although there were quite a few shrimp included on the plate.
While dinners are fantastic at Firebirds, if arrive before 6:30 on a weeknight and there are seats available at the bar – you won’t be disappointed with the food and drink offerings available there during their Happy Hour!
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On a recommendation of a friend who recently moved here from Mexico as the most authentic Mexican food in town, this has become our new favorite!
We have been wanting to try Fiesta since a friend we met at a pool party who recently moved to Iowa from Mexico suggested it as the most authentic Mexican food in the Des Moines area. We decide to go there last night after Mass and this place is legit…very good food and atmosphere drives it to our new favorite Mexican restaurant in the area.
We started with a Classic Margarita (see picture) and Mezcal Paloma (see picture) with the delicious Chips & Salsa (see picture). The chips and salsa were very good, with the salsa being of the ‘blended’ variety with small pieces and not runny – and just a hint of sweetness to go with the spice. The margarita was also good – a little on the sweet side, but a generous pour, with several refills from the decanter. The Mezcal Paloma wasn’t my favorite, but I’m a bit of a snob in this area – preferring certain Mezcals and having a personal favorite Mezcal Paloma Recipe.
The food was definitely the highlight of our stop though – in every way living up to the recommendation of our new friend. We ordered a Burrito Bowl (see picture) and a new dish called the Birria Quesatacos (see picture). Both of them were absolutely delicious – fresh, great flavor and wonderful presentation! The Quesatacos were very unique, with the queso (cheese) fried onto the inside of the tortillas and great topping sauces. In addition, we really enjoyed the consome (chicken soup) broth – it was very tasty and reminded us a bit of the secret sauce in Skyline Chile.
If you enjoy Mexican food, you owe it to yourself to stop at Fiesta Mexican Restaurant – you won’t be sorry when you do!
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Another stop with friends from France and another good experience. On this visit, I ordered chicken wings (see picture) and my wife ordered the Pork Tenderloin (see picture). Both were very good and we would highly recommend them both for your next visit.
The only negative was the extremely loud music playing inside in the restaurant area…our waitress offered to ask it to be turned down before we asked, then we asked again later – but couldn’t detect that it was actually turned down. Once the Thursday Night Football game started, the audio level was more tolerable. Therefore, I will drop the atmosphere rating to a 4* this time.
05/12/2023
Food: 4*
Atmosphere: 5*
Value: 4*
Service: 5*
Read about this place opening in the Des Moines paper and got the opportunity to join our neighbors and try it out recently. It is a very lively atmosphere in a completely remodeled building, so the atmosphere was great. They have a decent beer selection (see picture). A special call-out to Lexii, who did a great job serving our table (and recognized us from a previous interaction at another restaurant). We chose a perfect evening to go and enjoy the outdoor seating, as the weather was perfect.
My wife ordered Meggy’s Spicy Rita – it was delicious and highly recommended! For our meals, my wife ordered the Italian Beef (see picture) and I ordered the Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich (see picture). As per our usual, we shared samples of each others meals and thought both were very good. Our only concern with either was that the Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich was very salty…as the saltiness seemed to almost overwhelm even the spicy oil sauce.
We have really enjoyed our trips to the Valley Junction area and this new addition just adds to our enjoyment. You will enjoy a stop for food and/or drinks.
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Chicken WingsPork TenderloinNashville Hot Chicken SandwichItalian Beef
