Category: Iowa_DSM W (West Des Moines)

West side

  • Waterfront Seafood Market (West Des Moines, IA) Review

    Waterfront Seafood Market (West Des Moines, IA) Review

    Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

    4.5* (out of 5)

    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 4*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 5*

    09/13/2023 Waterfront Seafood Market (515) 223-5106

    We had friends visiting from France and when asked what type of food they wanted for dinner, they suggested seafood – so we thought a return trip to Waterfront would be just the ticket!

    For an appetizer, my wife ordered the Mini Chuck Roll and Mini Godzilla Roll (see picture) on the waiter’s recommendation – and really liked both of them. My wife ordered the Seafood Scallops (see picture) with New England Clam Chowder (see picture). I sampled both and we each thought they were both delicious. I ordered the Rock Shrimp Basket Dinner to save a few dollars for our friends who were paying and although it was a more typical mass market-type fried food dish, I found the rock shrimp to be quite tender and tasty and also thought the sweet potato fries were very good.

    Our friends ordered the Halibut Basket Dinner (see picture) and the Coconut Shrimp Dinner (see picture) – and they enjoyed both of them (although it was way more food quantity-wise than they are used to eating in France).

    If you are looking for a solid seafood restaurant with a lengthy ‘fresh-catch’ Market Entrees list in the Des Moines area, you will enjoy a stop at Waterfront Seafood Market.

    2/26/2022

    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 5*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 5*

    Our neighbors suggested this place and took us there last night…and oh what a treat it was!  If you enjoy good, fresh seafood – you’ll love this place, with your biggest challenge being figuring out which dish to order.  As a bonus, you can also buy fresh seafood to take home at the adjoining market – or watch your sushi being made in another area.

    Our dinner started with the complimentary sourdough bread and butter – served warm with whipped butter, smelled and tasted great.  Next, on the recommendation of our waiter, we shared an order of Bacon Wrapped Sea Scallops.  As you might expect with these two great food items combined – they were delicious and I highly recommend them.

    Next, my wife enjoyed the Creole Seafood Gumbo, while I opted for the New England Clam Chowder so that we could try both.  The menu says the Clam Chowder was voted the Best Soup in Des Moines and while I haven’t tried enough soup to confirm that – I can tell you that it was some of the best Clam Chowder that I’ve ever had.

    For the main course, my wife ordered the Shrimp and Scallops, while I opted for the cajun Halibut and Salmon.  We thoroughly enjoyed everything, with my lone exception to the 5* rating being the preparation of the salmon – as it was overcooked to my liking and was rather dry as opposed to soft and moist when it is cooked less.  It was definitely a great experience for my wife and I and I highly recommend it for the lively atmosphere, fresh seafood and great service.

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  • Sully’s Irish Pub (West Des Moines, IA) Review

    Sully’s Irish Pub (West Des Moines, IA) Review

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    4.0* (out of 5)

    Food: 4*

    Atmosphere: 4*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 4*

    08/21/2023 Sully’s Irish Pub

    I picked up my wife here after a post-work party and have since wanted to stop back to try some of their food. I got the chance while doing some ‘R&D’ for HappyHourDesMoines.com recently and found it to be a solid stop for Happy Hour.

    Since they advertised $3 Guinness pints and I enjoy Guinness, I started with a pint while perusing their food menu. Since it was Monday and their Daily Special was $12 Appetizers, I settled on an order of wings (see picture). I opted for half Jalapeno Honey Lime Sriracha and half Mango Habanero and would recommend both of them – moist, juicy wings with just the right amount of ‘kick’.

    While nothing stood out as outstanding enough to warrant a 5* rating in any of my categories, all aspects of my visit were well above average and deserving of 4*s across the board. As far as my experiences with Irish Pubs, this is in the upper tier and worthy of a stop when you are in the mood for a Pint and some solid bar food.

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  • Fleming’s at Jordan Creek (West Des Moines, IA) Review

    Fleming’s at Jordan Creek (West Des Moines, IA) Review

    Rating: 5 out of 5.

    4.75* (out of 5)

    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 5*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 5*

    07/18/2023 Fleming’s at Jordan Creek

    I’ve always known Fleming’s to be a top-notch restaurant, have visited at least one other location and justified the cost by celebrating our wedding anniversary. Thinking we could save some money while gathering information for HappyHourDesMoines.com, we decided to go early and take in their Social Hour.

    For Social Hour cocktails, we enjoyed the Olive A Martini (Dirty – see picture), Time is Honey (see picture) and Tequila me Softly (see picture). All of them were very good, but the Olive A Martini (Dirty) is what we went back to for our final selections. In addition to the cocktails, we also ordered the Tuna Wontons (see picture) and REALLY liked them – delicious light guacamole topped with some raw tuna!

    For our dinner, we took advantage of the Taste for Tuesday 3-Course Menu for Two special with the Tomahawk option. The flavored butters that come with the table bread (see picture) are very tasty. We went with the Lobster Bisque (see picture) and Wedge Salad (see picture) for our salads, shared them and found both to be excellent. For our sides, we went with the Sauteed Mushrooms (see picture) and Fleming’s Potatoes (see picture) and both were quite the treat.

    Lastly (and most importantly for my sweet tooth), my wife ordered the Chocolate Gooey Butter Cake (see picture) and I ordered the Olive Oil Cake (see picture). I don’t believe I’ve ever had an Olive Oil Cake before, but it was light, spongy and delicious. Of course we shared and it probably goes without saying given the name, but my wife really loved the Chocolate Gooey Butter Cake and I agreed.

    Given the cost of dining here, this place will remain on our Special Occasions-Only list, but if you are looking to make an impression with an important person or group…this is the place to go!

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  • Bar Louie (West Des Moines, IA) Review

    Bar Louie (West Des Moines, IA) Review

    Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

    4.25* (out of 5)

    Food: 4*

    Atmosphere: 5*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 4*

    06/02/2023 Bar Louie

    Update after stopping back for their Happy Hour when we found that it ran until 7pm on HappyHourDesMoines.com. We splurged on Signature drinks and made our meals from the appetizers just to try them. We enjoyed several Signature Martinis (see pictures), the OG Mule (see picture), the Havana Classic Mojito (see picture) along with chicken wings (see picture) and the Trio Dips & Chips (see picture). All of them were very good and highly recommended (especially at Happy Hour prices).

    03/17/2022

    We stopped here on St. Patrick’s Day after finding several Irish bars full with loud bands.  As it turned out, there was a live band here that was just as loud (hard to even order), but the food was very good.

    I ordered the Chipotle Chicken Street tacos (see picture) and absolutely loved them…moist and very flavorfull.  My wife ordered the Hot Honey Chicken Sandwich and we both really enjoyed it also.

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  • El Fogon (West Des Moines, IA) Review

    El Fogon (West Des Moines, IA) Review

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    4.0* (out of 5)

    Food: 4*

    Atmosphere: 4*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 4*

    05/19/2023 El Fogon

    This place has been on my Want to Go list for a while and had a great opportunity to go following an after-work party of my wife’s. Along with the free chips and salsa (see picture), we each ordered our favorite drink: a Mezcal Palomo (see picture) – both the chips and Palomas were very good.

    For our dinner, we ordered Ceviche Shrimp (see picture) to share, then ordered Texas Fajitas (see picture) to share for the main course. We both enjoyed both meals and would recommend them…as the 4* implies, we found them better than average, but not the absolute best we’ve ever had.

    Overall, we found this place to be a solid stop for Mexican food as well as the Paloma mixed drinks. In my opinion, it is in the upper third of Mexican restaurants in Des Moines and as such, would recommend it for both food and drink.

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  • Urban Cellar (West Des Moines, IA) Review

    Urban Cellar (West Des Moines, IA) Review

    Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

    4.5* (out of 5)

    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 5*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 4*

    03/28/2023 Urban Cellar

    Stopped by again last night with my wife to try out the Happy Hour again and had a good time. We shared orders of Mama’s Meatballs (see picture) and a Margherita Pizza (see picture). We really enjoyed the meatballs – good flavor, not too greasy and with just the right amount of sauce and cheese. The crust on the margherita pizza was very soft if you like that and the flavor was good…we just prefer having some protein so will probably stick with the Meatballs or Salmon Cakes. The Tommy’s Margarita (see picture) was not one of my favorites…coming across a bit tart and a bit of an artificially sweetened mouthfeel.

    3/13/2023

    Have seen it numerous times and finally took the time to stop in and check it out after an appointment at Vero Chiropractic nearby. Looking for content for HappyHourDesMoines.com, my first question was whether they had a Happy Hour – and BOY did they ever! Not only did they have a GREAT Happy Hour (see pictures), but they also had a Monday Dinner Special ($60 for a bottle of wine, 2 entrees and a dessert – see picture) that I will definitely be returning to try with my wife on a later date.

    The place so impressed me, that I couldn’t leave without trying at least one drink from their Happy Hour menu. I had a seat at the bar and the bartender talked me into trying the Old Fashioned (see picture) – which was a great recommendation.

    It was so good, I decided to also try one of the 1/2 off Starters and, again based on the recommendation from the bartender, went with the Salmon Cakes (see picture). They looked fantastic when served (see picture) and tasted every bit as good! Tasty, moist yet crumbly salmon inside a crunchy crust wrapped in an awesome cream cheese tube that complemented the salmon so well.

    Not only was the food, atmosphere and service fantastic – given the Happy Hour pricing, they definitely earned a 5* rating on Value also! While chatting with a delightful lady sitting next to me (who let me try a piece of her Margherita Pizza – see picture, which was also delicious), I learned that this place has a common owner with the Urban Grill in Urbandale – another great stop. You definitely won’t be disappointed with a stop here…one of my few full 5* reviews!

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  • El Guapo’s Tequila & Tacos (West Des Moines, IA) Review

    El Guapo’s Tequila & Tacos (West Des Moines, IA) Review

    Rating: 5 out of 5.

    4.75* (out of 5)

    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 5*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 5*

    03/25/2023

    Yet another stop for a drink after dinner tonight. The new drink that we tried tonight was the Naked Numero Dos (see picture) and while it was very good, we both still preferred our standby Mezcal drink here – the Street Snack (see picture). Tonight we had the opportunity to try the Ceviche (see picture) and both of us thought it was very good – solid lime tang with shrimp and other spices. Unlike our last stop, the chips tasted much better tonight, so bumping the Food rating back up to a 5*.

    03/17/2023

    We stopped here for a drink on the way home from dinner last night and once again enjoyed our experience at one of our favorite Mexican restaurants. The selection of unique cocktails is extensive here and we really enjoy them. Last night we once again enjoyed the Street Snack (see picture) and Mezcal Paloma (see picture) along with Chips & Guacamole (see picture). We were a little disappointed in the taste of the chips (bitter) and texture of the guacamole (pasty) but continued to enjoy the atmosphere and service.

    I highly recommend this place for their great service, food and drinks.

    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 5*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 5*

    01/27/2023

    We stopped here for a drink on the way home from dinner last night and once again enjoyed our experience at one of our favorite Mexican restaurants. The selection of unique cocktails is extensive here and we really enjoy them. Last night we once again enjoyed the Street Snack (see picture) and were happy to see that their Take Home Mixers (see picture) were once again available.

    I highly recommend this place for their great service, food and drinks.

    Previous Stop:

    Stopped here last night after hearing they had the unthinkable – Happy Hour on the weekends…and boy was it good!  We sampled several of the half price cocktails (Guapo’s House and Tamarind El Mulo, my favorite – see pictures) and really liked them…great value and great taste.

    You can order individual tacos, which we did after the chips and guacamole.  Definitely a great place to stop to enjoy some great food and drinks in a lively atmosphere!

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  • Nan’s Nummies (West Des Moines, IA) Review

    Nan’s Nummies (West Des Moines, IA) Review

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    4.0* (out of 5)

    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 3*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 4*

    03/15/2023 Nan’s Nummies

    Since my brother and Sister-in-law who were visiting hadn’t yet tried a Dutch Letter, we had yet another chance to visit Nan’s while driving through the Valley Junction area during their visit.

    In addition to the Dutch Letter (which we’ve always found to be delicious), we also ordered their specialty – the Almond Creme cookies for each of us to try. They are so light, crumbly and delicious – don’t leave without sampling at least one! Lastly, my brother ordered some Peanut Butter Crispy treats and as you might expect – we all found them to be delicious also.

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  • Chocolate Storybook (West Des Moines, IA) Review

    Chocolate Storybook (West Des Moines, IA) Review

    Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

    4.5* (out of 5)

    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 5*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 4*

    03/15/2023 Chocolate Storybook

    If you follow my posts, you know that I’m a sucker for sweets – so it was hard not to like this place. We were in the area and heard about it from friends, so stopped in while my brother and Sister-in-law were visiting. As you might expect in a place like this, there was a great selection of chocolates and pretty much all things sweet. While the prices were a little on the high end, they weren’t out of line with other similar places in higher traffic / rent areas.

    They are known in some reviews for their chocolate covered bacon (what can’t be good if it includes bacon and chocolate, right?). While I found the bacon / salt with the chocolate to be a good combination, my wife and I both commented that it would have been even better if the bacon inside was more crispy. I love dark chocolate and sea salt caramel though – and their Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Caramels were absolutely delicious!

    Assuming you like sweets since you read this far into the review, you will definitely enjoy a stop here to pick up some local, great tasting and unique sweets!

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  • Laughing Crab (West Des Moines, IA) Review

    Laughing Crab (West Des Moines, IA) Review

    Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

    3.5* (out of 5)

    Food: 4*

    Atmosphere: 4*

    Value: 3*

    Service: 3*

    03/06/2023 Laughing Crab

    We stopped here shortly after moving into the area 2 years ago and had the opportunity to go back tonight while celebrating Birthdays of our son and daughter-in-law. I enjoyed the atmosphere and the smell when you walk in and thought the food was above average, the value and service only rate average to me.

    We started with a round of drinks – and since the Tequila Sunrise (see picture) was the special for the night, we each ordered one. We decided to order Crab Rangoon (see picture) as an appetizer and thought they tasted quite good. For our main meal, we ordered the Family Platter (see picture) and added 1/2 pound of sausage. While the butter and seasoning flavors were great, I felt that the seafood and sweetcorn were over-cooked and a little tough / rubbery as a result.

    While it can be tough to rate the quality of the food for a place like this, I landed on a 4 based on the taste being good but the cooking time being a bit too long. Given how messy it is to eat, this likely isn’t a place where you take a first date nor wear your Sunday best clothes. Relative to this type of food, this is a reasonable place to enjoy some good Cajun seafood and seasoning.

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  • Funny Bone Comedy Club (West Des Moines, IA) Review

    Funny Bone Comedy Club (West Des Moines, IA) Review

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    4.0* (out of 5)

    Food: 4*

    Atmosphere: 4*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 4*

    02/25/2023 Funny Bone Comedy Club

    I’ve heard about this place and driven by it multiple times thinking that we needed to go sometime and last night finally presented its opportunity. Friends were in town and we were enjoying some Happy Hour specials from happyhourdesmoines.com at a nearby pub when the owner asked if we were going to the comedy club.

    We decided to give it a try ordering tickets on our phones while at another nearby restaurant. Tickets weren’t too bad ($17/person) but there was a 2 item per person minimum order, so I was bracing for some really expensive food and/or food.

    While finalizing our evening plans, we checked out the menu and were pleasantly surprised by both the food selection as well as the pricing. After reviewing the menu, we decided that we would plan to eat at the Funny Bone before the show, so we arrived a little early, ordered drinks (see Lemon Drop Martini picture) and then ordered our meals.

    I went with a basket of sweet potato fries while my wife ordered the Buffalo Chicken Sandwich (see picture) and our friend ordered the Chicken Strips (see picture). The sweet potato fry basked arrived early, so we all enjoyed them with the sauce that was provided. I shared the Buffalo Chicken Sandwich with my wife and was pleasantly surprised with how good it was.

    I found both the sweet potato fries as well as the Buffalo Chicken Sandwich to be at least in line with other nearby pubs and restaurants. The fries were flavorful, crispy on the outside and soft and warm on the inside. The Buffalo Chicken Sandwich was loaded with hot sauce (very juicy) and the bun tasted great. Our friend also thought that the Chicken Strips and fries were very good – so we would recommend both of them.

    I was a little hesitant and not sure what to expect here, but found the atmosphere (it was packed for the early show on Saturday night), food, comedy and value to all be good enough that I look forward to a return trip in the near future.

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  • Hurts Donut Company (West Des Moines, IA) Review

    Hurts Donut Company (West Des Moines, IA) Review

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    4.0* (out of 5)

    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 4*

    Value: 3*

    Service: 4*

    02/25/2023 Hurts Donut Company

    This is a donut lovers paradise without a doubt – with almost any size, shape and flavor of donut that you can imaging…and a catchy business name to top it off. I have stopped here on several occasions and enjoyed a variety of different donuts, so am convinced that it would be very hard for anyone to not thoroughly enjoy a visit.

    I can say with confidence that if you like donuts, you will definitely find it worth your while to stop and sample a few (or a dozen…).

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  • The Breakfast Club (West Des Moines, IA) Review

    The Breakfast Club (West Des Moines, IA) Review

    Rating: 5 out of 5.

    4.75* (out of 5)

    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 4*

    Value: 5*

    Service: 5*

    02/25/2023 The Breakfast Club (West Des Moines, IA)

    We enjoyed an earlier stop at The Breakfast Club in downtown Des Moines, so looked forward to the opportunity to try out this new location closer to our home. We got the chance this weekend when friends were in town visiting and all of us were very glad that we stopped here.

    We started the meal with a round of Bloody Mary’s – all of us agreed that they tasted great, were not overly salty and were ‘light’ in that they weren’t thick and pulpy. I pulled the atmosphere down a little due to the music being too loud for our tastes, making it more difficult to visit at the table.

    For our meals, I ordered the Farm Boy with over easy eggs (see picture), my wife ordered the Deburgo Benny (see picture) and our guests ordered the Pad Thai Quinoa (see picture) and Basic B (see picture). We all exchanged tastes of each dish and everyone was very happy with their dish. I would highly recommend all of them with my only slight negative being that the Deburgo Benny gravy seemed a little salty.

    The Breakfast Club finds a good balance between keeping portion sizes reasonable – leading to prices that are a competitive value. This value does not come at the expense of food quality or flavor either – as the dishes were all very tasty and presented very well, as the pictures show. This is a great stop for breakfast / brunch / lunch without the need to travel downtown for those of us who live on the northwest side of Des Moines.

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  • Anna Dolce Ristorante (West Des Moines, IA) Review

    Anna Dolce Ristorante (West Des Moines, IA) Review

    Rating: 5 out of 5.

    4.75* (out of 5)

    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 5*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 5*

    I stopped by before an appointment to check out the menu and prices and decided a return trip was definitely warranted.  I ended up meeting my wife here for Happy Hour food and drinks just a week later and we both really enjoyed the visit.

    We started with the Cosa Nostra wood-fired pizza and Bitter Melon Mojito shared drink – both recommendations from our waitress and both delicious.  I wasn’t familiar with the shared drink concept before this, but think of it like getting a pitcher of the drink along with glasses to share.

    Next, we were still a little hungry so went for the Stuffed Mushrooms (again at our waitress’ suggestion) – and found them to be cheese-covered deliciousness!

    Lastly, and might I say best of all given my sweet tooth, we ordered a piece of Tiramisu to share.  Do NOT leave without trying a piece – smooth, fresh, delicious, light and possibly the best I’ve ever had!

    You won’t go wrong stopping here for a meal…especially if you take advantage of the Happy Hour!

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  • Pots and Shots (West Des Moines, IA) Review

    Pots and Shots (West Des Moines, IA) Review

    Rating: 2.5 out of 5.

    2.33* (out of 5)

    Food: n/a

    Atmosphere: 4*

    Value: 2*

    Service: 1*

    02/04/2023 Pots and Shots

    We have recommended this place and brought other couples for their first experience here on numerous occasions (several of whom brought other friends later after enjoying the stop). We had always enjoyed the unique cocktails and atmosphere – and even though they were pricey, justified it since we only were having one.

    Last night started the same, in that we were heading home from my wife’s work holiday party (appetizers and 2 drink tickets), so suggested to 2 other ladies to join us at Pots and Shots. My wife was disappointed with the new drink menu – as she had a favorite that contained cilantro from our earlier visits that was no longer available, so she ordered something else. I was driving, so ordered one tap beer and passed on a refill.

    That is when things got weird. Another lady at our table was at the bar and was told that they would not serve her any more alcohol. That is their choice and responsibility as a business serving alcohol, so I understand. However, what happened next was what was the most confusing.

    Another lady at our table ordered a glass of wine and when my wife was going to order another drink, we were told that no one at the table would be served any more alcohol. This other lady went to talk with the manager one-on-one to explain that I was driving and understand why others at the table couldn’t have any more drinks. She never really received a clear answer beyond fear that someone might trip and fall on the way out of the business, even if I was driving.

    Clearly a disappointing close to our evening and unfortunate first visit for our new friend from downtown (who didn’t even want to finish her wine). I still left a 15% tip, as it wasn’t the server’s fault – but clearly left disappointed after this most recent visit.

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  • Wellman’s Pub & Rooftop (West Des Moines, IA) Review

    Wellman’s Pub & Rooftop (West Des Moines, IA) Review

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    4.0* (out of 5)

    Food: 4*

    Atmosphere: 4*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 4*

    02/02/2023 Wellman’s Pub & Rooftop

    We stopped here as a compromise central location to meet our son and his wife – and really enjoyed our stop.

    I ordered the Cajun Tuna and really liked it – seared perfectly and the Cajun flavoring was delicious.  My wife ordered the Firehouse Philly and thought it was average…but both after eating in the restaurant and some leftovers at home thought she got a stomach ache, so threw the rest away.

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  • Dino’s Bar & Grill (West Des Moines, IA) Review

    Dino’s Bar & Grill (West Des Moines, IA) Review

    Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

    3.66* (out of 5)

    Food: n/a

    Atmosphere: 4*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 3*

    We stopped here to try out their Happy Hour and left wanting to come back for a meal. While it had a bit of the ‘strip mall’ feel on the outside (see picture), the inside was very modern and had the feel of a higher-end restaurant.

    Was slightly disappointed by the greeting – partially a result of Reserved placards at all but one table that forced us to sit right next to (and very close to) a couple of loud and talkative ladies…making it difficult to have a conversation ourselves. On the positive side though, that indicates the food is good enough that people are making reservations at a rate almost equal to capacity.

    I ordered the Gin-Berry Mule (see picture) and my wife ordered a Vodka Martini. Both were very good and well worth the $5 Happy Hour price. Definitely worth a try for Happy Hour…and we plan to stop for a meal another time.

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  • Eggs & Jam (West Des Moines, IA) Review

    Eggs & Jam (West Des Moines, IA) Review

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    4.0* (out of 5)

    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 4*

    Value: 3*

    Service: 4*

    08/06/2022 Eggs & Jam

    This place has been on my Want to Go list for a while and got the chance to go after kayaking nearby with our son and daughter-in-law. There was nothing fancy about the exterior (see picture), but once we stepped inside (see picture) I was impressed with the modern, clean and ‘edgy’ atmosphere.

    We started with drinks (Supa Dupa Fly, Car on Cruise & Natural Aphrodisiac) – and they were all fantastic! They come up with some interesting names for their drinks and they all seem to be great combinations – hats off to the cocktail mixologist!

    For our meal, I ordered the Fight! For your Right to Pudding (see picture), my wife ordered the Sean Combs (see picture) and my son ordered the Mimosa Chicken and Waffles (see picture). We enjoyed all of them and I especially enjoyed the Fight! For your Right to Pudding (just be prepared though…it is a LOT of heavy food, so you will likely be taking some home with you).

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  • Mahalo’s Coffee (West Des Moines, IA) Review

    Mahalo’s Coffee (West Des Moines, IA) Review

    Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

    4.25* (out of 5)

    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 4*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 4*

    07/23/2022 Mahalo’s Coffee

    Finally had the opportunity to stop here while in the area for another appointment. Even though it was getting late in the morning, the place was still busy and the smells were fantastic!

    The good news is that your donuts are made to order and very fresh (or you can get some that were previously made), the bad news is that you need to wait about 20 minutes to get your freshly-made order.

    Very unique donuts with a wide variety of toppings to satisfy almost any taste buds. This place will definitely put a smile on your face when these tasty bite-sized donuts are combined with a delicious cup of coffee. You can’t go wrong with a stop here.

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  • Giordano’s (West Des Moines, IA) Review

    Giordano’s (West Des Moines, IA) Review

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    3.75* (out of 5)

    Food: 4*

    Atmosphere: 4*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 3*

    06/26/2022 Giordano’s

    We drove by this place numerous times and always wanted to stop, finally getting our chance one evening when we were hungry for pizza. There were several different beers on tap at a separate bar area and ours were served cold.

    For our meal, we ordered The Special as a thin crust (see picture). The toppings seemed fresh, veggies had a little crunch left to them and the crust was very good.

    This was one of the better pizzas we’ve had in the area, so would recommend a stop to try it out for yourself. On our next trip, we will likely try some of the other Italian dishes – which looked very good.

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