Tag: American

  • Guesthouse Tavern & Oyster (West Des Moines, IA) Review

    Guesthouse Tavern & Oyster (West Des Moines, IA) Review

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    4.0* (out of 5)

    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 5*

    Value: 3*

    Service: 3*

    02/13/2024 Guesthouse (515) 994-8378

    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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  • Rusty Duck (Dexter, IA) Review

    Rusty Duck (Dexter, IA) Review

    Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

    4.5* (out of 5)

    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 3*

    Value: 5*

    Service: 5*

    02/03/2024 Rusty Duck (515) 789-4142

    Our neighbors surprised us with a trip to the Rusty Duck on our last trip out for dinner. It was admittedly a bit of a drive to get there, but all things considered, not much longer in the car than a trip downtown and there wasn’t much traffic!

    I can’t say enough about the quality of the food here – if I could give it more than 5* for the delicious steaks, I would. The service and value were also well above average, justifying the 5* ratings in each area. The only thing that was average was the atmosphere / venue, as the tables were somewhat packed into the room, not leaving much room to get around and making it a bit challenging to navigate your way through to the rest rooms or the bar. With that said, that is exactly where I want a restaurant to excel – food 1st, then service and value…with atmosphere last on my priority list.

    A couple sitting beside me at the bar ordered the Artichoke Dip with Toasted Bread (see picture) and it looked so good, I asked to take a picture – and they confirmed that it tasted as good as it looked! Our neighbors opted for the Blackened Top Sirloin (see pictures – one showing the beautiful medium rare cook) and Open Face Ribeye (see picture). As the pictures imply, both of them were delicious – and at 16oz & 12oz respectively, there was plenty to bring home for breakfast the next day.

    My wife ordered the Ribeye Steak Deburgo with cream sauce (see picture) and I went with the Blackened Blue Ribeye (see pictures). As with our neighbors cuts – both of them were delicious and grilled to perfection…and at 16oz each, we had plenty to bring home with us also. The creamy parmesan dip was recommended to us for dipping the fries and I concur – you definitely want to order it with the fries. We found both the Homie (large, wedge cut) and French Fries to be very good, so it depends on your preference.

    It’s hard to beat the quality and quantity of the steaks – at a reasonable price. You’ll find it worth your while to take the short drive West from Des Moines on I-80 and give this place a try. Make sure to call ahead for reservations though, especially on the weekends. They have an early and a late seating…and the place fills up for both!

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  • Pally’s Bar & Grille (Clive, IA) Review

    Pally’s Bar & Grille (Clive, IA) Review

    Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

    4.25* (out of 5)

    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 4*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 4*

    02/01/2024 Pally’s Bar & Grille (515) 252-9805

    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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  • Nick’s Bar & Grill (Clive, IA) Review

    Nick’s Bar & Grill (Clive, IA) Review

    Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

    4.25* (out of 5)

    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 4*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 4*

    01/26/2024 Nick’s Bar & Grill (515) 221-1338

    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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  • Ronneburg Restaurant (Amana, IA) Review

    Ronneburg Restaurant (Amana, IA) Review

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    4.25* (out of 5)

    Food: 4*

    Atmosphere: 3*

    Value: 5*

    Service: 5*

    01/21/2024 Ronneburg Restaurant (319) 622-3641

    My wife found this place online and wanted to stop for a meal, so we ate brunch here on the way out of town after our weekend stay in Amana. It is inside an older traditional brick building and has a lot of character, actually reminding me of walking into a centuries-old restaurant in Europe. The basic colonial decor fits the character of the 19th century Colonies theme with a penchant for the color burgundy throughout the restaurant. I gave the atmosphere an average rating – clean and historic, yet also a bit aged.

    The service, quality and value of the food though is what stood out to me from our visit. Max W. was our server and he was very attentive, full of suggestions and made the experience quite enjoyable. My wife ordered the Ronneburg Melt with Fried Potatoes and I ordered the Schnitzel Sandwich with Pickled Beets (see picture below). I don’t have pictures of the meals and while I can’t seem to get it posted on the website, here is the link for the Reel on Instagram, showing food and the interior of the restaurant: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C2X3ldoOvdA/ .

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  • The Indigo Room in the Hotel Millwright (Amana, IA) Review

    The Indigo Room in the Hotel Millwright (Amana, IA) Review

    Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

    4.25* (out of 5)

    Food: 4*

    Atmosphere: 5*

    Value: 5*

    Service: 3*

    01/20/2024 The Indigo Room (319) 838-5015

    We have been wanting to visit the Amana Colonies for some time and finally got the chance when Yelp hosted an event there. We paid our own way for the room and reviewed meal and really enjoyed our stay at the Hotel Millwright. The Indigo Room is just past the front desk in the hotel and offers a bar as well as an eating area.

    The decor was great – a modern look in a converted factory building. It is honestly a very slow time of the year in Amana, so there is a scaled service crew and we had to go to the front desk to ask for a server when we arrived for a late breakfast. I was a little disappointed with the service, as she did everything we asked but wasn’t able to provide much insight on the menu items nor seemed willing to take the effort to answer a question about one of the desserts.

    Beyond that, we loved our brunch! The food was delicious and we found the coffee to be well above average for a restaurant. Although the pricing was maybe adjusted for the slow season, the menu pricing was a good value (see picture). Rather than write a separate review for the Buffalo Wings (see picture) and Caesar Salad (see picture) we had in the bar area the night before after our arrival, I included them in this review also. They were both very good and towards the upper end of my expectations for bar food.

    For our brunch, my wife ordered the Farmer’s Bowl (see picture – was recommended by the bartender the night before) and I ordered the Garden Omelete (see picture). As we always do, we both shared samples of each other’s food and really enjoyed both plates. The potatoes in particular were very good – a great crispy and delicious crust on the outside while warm, soft and moist inside.

    For those of you who follow my posts, you are already aware of my voracious sweet tooth. I had eyed a Persian Love Cake slice in the display case the night before and was intrigued. Since our waitress didn’t know what it was and didn’t offer to check into it, I looked it up on Google and found that it was a rose cake with pistachios – so had to give it a try (see picture). While the pistachios weren’t super fresh (were a little soft from setting in the icing in the case), the cake was still very good. If you like the flavor of rose or want to give it a try, you will like this light dessert.

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  • The Pelican Post Bar & Grille (West Des Moines, IA) Review

    The Pelican Post Bar & Grille (West Des Moines, IA) Review

    Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

    4.5* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 4*

    Atmosphere: 4*

    Value: 5*

    Service: 5*

    12/18/2023 The Pelican Post Bar & Grille (515) 214-1873

    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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  • Zombie Burger & Drink Lab (Des Moines, IA) Review

    Zombie Burger & Drink Lab (Des Moines, IA) Review

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    4.0* (out of 5)

    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 4*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 3*

    12/16/2023 Zombie Burger & Drink Lab

    My wife and I stopped here for a quick dinner before another event downtown last night and the food was again very good. This time, I ordered the Undead Elvis burger (see picture) and my wife ordered the Raygun burger (see picture), which we complemented with a side order of fries (see picture).

    The burgers were both great…greasy and messy, but oh, so delicious. The fries were also very crispy on the outside, yet tender on the inside…just the way I like them. I found the requested side of ranch for dipping to have an excessive amount of garlic…so beware if you aren’t a garlic fan. We sat at the bar this time and while the service was good after we were served, it took 5-10 minutes before someone showed up behind the bar to take our order.

    07/20/2023

    A group of business visitors were in town for the day and wanted to try Zombie Burger. Rather than have it delivered, we opted to delay our lunch until just before they left town so that we could enjoy a fresh, hot meal as well as the well-known ambiance of Zombie Burger in person.

    For starters, we ordered Fried Cheese Curds (see picture) and 3 Pigs Nachos (see picture) to share. The Fried Cheese Curds were above average and I found the 3 Pigs Nachos to be some of the best nachos I’ve had – fresh, crispy chips with excellent smoked pork, cheese and other toppings make this a solid appetizer.

    For my meal, I ordered a Poultrygeist with a side of Sweet Potatoe Fries (see picture). Yeah, I know, my wife made fun of me also for ordering a chicken sandwich in a place known for its burgers…but my strategy was to eat a little lighter so that I could sample one of their shakes. The Poultrygeist was delicious – crispy on the outside, very juicy on the inside and quite tasty! The same can also be said for the Sweet Potato Fries – they were cooked to perfection and quite tasty.

    The only disappointment was the service, as it was average at best. It seemed that we were waiting to order and looking to catch someone’s attention when we wanted something. Myself and a co-worker had empty water glasses for 5-10 minutes and finally had to catch a server walking by to ask for more water to finish our meals.

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  • Bevy’s Tavern (West Des Moines, IA) Review

    Bevy’s Tavern (West Des Moines, IA) Review

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    4.25* (out of 5)

    Food: 4*

    Atmosphere: 4*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 5*

    11/09/2023 Bevy’s Tavern (515) 223-1046

    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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  • Good Earth (Edina, MN) Review

    Good Earth (Edina, MN) Review

    Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

    3.75* (out of 5)

    Food: 4*

    Atmosphere: 5*

    Value: 3*

    Service: 3*

    10/29/2023 Good Earth (952) 925-1001

    My wife found this as an interesting place to try for brunch Sunday morning while visiting in Minneapolis. Overall impression: Beautiful atmosphere with unique menu items that are a bit above average quality-wise, but it is a bit pricey.

    We found that the atmosphere definitely fits the modern beauty of the Galleria area, as it is beautiful (see multiple pictures). The menu had some truly unique items and they pride themselves in their smoothies (we didn’t have one so can’t comment). The prices seemed high (likely due to the Galleria area and lease costs) and most dishes came with little to no protein, so you had to pay even more to add it.

    For our meals, I ordered the Breakfast Bowl (see picture) while my wife opted for the Shakshuka with added Turkey Sausage (see picture) along with a side of Buttermilk Cakes (see picture). The Breakfast Bowl was solid and we both enjoyed the Buttermilk Cakes. My wife wasn’t as impressed with the Shakshuka – her primary disappointment being that the poached eggs were over-cooked.

    We really enjoyed our dessert though. We ordered the Cheesecake (see picture) and Iced Ginger Cookie (see picture) to share at the table and all of us enjoyed both of them. The Cheesecake was gluten sensitive, so had minimal to no crust and wasn’t the baked variety, but the flavor was good.

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  • Wildfire (Eden Prairie, MN) Review

    Wildfire (Eden Prairie, MN) Review

    Rating: 5 out of 5.

    4.75* (out of 5)

    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 5*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 5*

    09/16/2023 Wildfire (952) 914-9100

    We were invited to join a group celebrating our son’s girlfriend’s swearing in after passing her Bar exam and boy were we impressed. All of the food that we ordered was fantastic, the service was top notch and the atmosphere was great. The only thing that I can give a small ding to is the Value…because of course I want this quality at McDonalds pricing 🙂 .

    I started with a Old Fashion (see picture) and it was very good. We had a large Chopped Salad (see picture) to share and it was one of the best salads I’ve eaten – fresh, crunchy and includes avocado and citrus lime vinaigrette dressing. I kind of wanted to make that my meal and eat the whole thing!

    Once the main course arrived though, I was even more impressed – as the steaks were out of this world! My wife and son ordered the Filet Medalion Trio (see pictures) and I ordered the Basil Hayden’s Bourbon Tenderloin Tips (see picture). We shared samples from each dish and they were some of the best steaks I’ve eaten – so tender and tasty! For dessert we shared a piece of cheesecake – also delicious!

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  • The District Tap (Indianapolis, IN) Review

    The District Tap (Indianapolis, IN) Review

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    4.0* (out of 5)

    Food: n/a

    Atmosphere: 4*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 4*

    10/21/2023 The District Tap (317) 632-0202

    We were downtown the night before a Colts game and this place was recommended by our server at a nearby restaurant as a place to stop for a beer before taking the bus back home. The place was packed and full of energy, as you might expect on a Saturday night – and I was impressed with their selection of beers (see pictures).

    Since we had just eaten dinner, we weren’t able to try any of their food – so will have to do that on a future trip. Overall, a solid stop with a good variety of tap beers to enjoy while downtown.

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  • Yard House (Indianapolis, IN) Review

    Yard House (Indianapolis, IN) Review

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    4.25* (out of 5)

    Food: 4*

    Atmosphere: 5*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 4*

    10/21/2023 Yard House (317) 917-4408

    My son and I were in town for a Colts football game and thought this place looked interesting while walking around downtown looking for a place to eat. It was very busy, so we put our name on the list, went to have a beer at a nearby brewery (Goodwood Indy – see previous post) and were texted that our table was ready about an hour later.

    We each ordered a flight (see pictures) to get started and I was honestly a little underwhelmed with the House Six Pack (inhouse options). For my palate, the beers were all too light and bland – coming across as watery, with little body or character. They were actually my least favorite of a number of new beers that we sampled downtown that evening (didn’t have to drive, so enjoyed a few beers). I wish I had ordered my own and would have chosen some of the heavier / more unique beers, as I assume this flight was set up for more of a mass market preference.

    For our meals, my son ordered the 3 Taco Combo (see picture) and I ordered the Sesame Crusted Ahi (see picture). We shared bites with each other and both of us thought both plates were delicious – we would highly recommend both! The salmon was prepared well and the crusted sesame coat was a nice complement to the soft inner flesh. The tacos were seasoned well, moist and tasty! As the pictures show, the portions weren’t that large, but that was exactly the right size for me.

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  • Fire Creek (West Des Moines, IA) Review

    Fire Creek (West Des Moines, IA) Review

    Rating: 5 out of 5.

    4.75* (out of 5)

    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 5*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 5*

    For great food and service rivaling the ‘big name’ restaurants in the area, you won’t be disappointed with a stop at Fire Creek.

    10/13/2023 Fire Creek

    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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  • Destination Grille (Grimes, IA) Review

    Destination Grille (Grimes, IA) Review

    Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

    4.5* (out of 5)

    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 5*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 4*

    10/07/2023 Destination Grille

    Another stop for our Birthday dinners with our son and daughter-in-law and another great experience. This time we started with a Mango Margarita (see picture) and a Manhattan (see picture) – both delicious.

    For our meal, my wife ordered the Prime Rib (see picture) and I opted for the Poke Bowl (see picture). As is our standard, we each shared bites and both enjoyed each others dishes. The prime rib was flavorful and prepared perfectly and the Poke Bowl was fresh and delicious.

    02/13/2023

    Yet another great stop at Destination Grille tonight, with a call out to our great server, Lauren! I have a meeting tomorrow for Valentine’s so my wife and I decided to go out tonight instead. Just before leaving the house at 7, we were able to call ahead for a 7:15 reservation and were seated immediately upon arrival.

    My wife ordered a Cinn-Sation drink (see picture) and loved the cinnamon spiciness along with the other flavors. I ordered the Confluence Camp Fire Black Lager and also enjoyed its smokey flavor (as did my wife, who ordered one after her drink).

    We started by sharing a Poke Bowl (sorry, no picture) and we both loved it – we highly recommend trying this fresh, delicious entree. Following that, my wife ordered the Mushroom Swiss Burger (see picture) and I ordered the Pastrami Rueben (see picture) with Brussel Sprouts as a side. As always, we shared our meals and would put them both on the ‘definitely order again’ list.

    I’m bumping up my Value rating to a 4 this time given the pricing seems to be in line with other comparable restaurants, bringing the overall rating to a 4.5*. This is definitely one of our top choices in the area that we both highly recommend for dinner and / or drinks.

    07/08/2022

    My wife stopped here after golf one day and liked it enough that we went back for dinner.  It is a very large, modern and open venue with numerous seating options inside and out.

    The food and drinks seemed a little pricy, so we ordered the Prime Rib special (see picture) and Salmon BLT (see picture).  Both were very good and I would recommend them both. The Prime Rib special was cooked as ordered, very juicy and flavorful – and the same can be said for the Salmon in the BLT (cooked perfectly and flavorful). Maybe best of all were the Brussel Sprouts on the side – make sure you try those!

    Lastly, don’t leave without trying one of the dessert options – we ordered the Tres Leches (see pictures) to share and found it to be one of the best we’ve ever had.

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  • The Drift (Winterset, IA) Review

    The Drift (Winterset, IA) Review

    Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

    4.5* (out of 5)

    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 4*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 5*

    10/05/2023 The Drift (515) 462-1178

    A great stop for a lively atmosphere, friendly small-town service, great food and a good tap beer selection just outside the Des Moines metro area. We got our chance for a return visit – and this time we did get to try one of their desserts! Our last visit was almost 2 years ago during the Bridge Festival and we enjoyed it enough to recommend it for dinner while in town with our neighbors. Lori took excellent care of us and had great recommendations – when you go, be sure to say ‘Hi’ to Lori from The Food and Drink Guy!

    We started off with a flight of beers (see picture) and a Strawberry Basil Smash (see picture) – which were both very enjoyable. For our dinner, my wife ordered the Grown-Up Grilled Cheese (see picture) and I ordered the Reuben (see picture) based on Lori’s recommendation. Our neighbor ordered the Italian Sausage Flatbread (see picture). As is our regular custom, we shared tastes of each others orders so we could all experience multiple offerings. We found all of them to be very good and would highly recommend them.

    If you follow my posts, you know I LOVE desserts, so possibly the highlight of the meal was the German Apple Cake (see picture) that we ordered to share. It was very good – you probably don’t want to leave without trying a piece yourself!

    10/18/2021

    Food: 4*

    Atmosphere: 4*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 3*

    Stopped for a beer during the Bridge Festival and then stopped for dinner before driving home.  The beer selection was great and we really enjoyed the food at the end of the day.  My wife ordered the Epic Nachos and I ordered the Reuben (see pictures of each) and both were very good.

    The desserts also looked delicious but we were so full, we had to defer for a future visit…

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  • The River’s Edge Bar & Grill (Gibsonton, FL) Review

    The River’s Edge Bar & Grill (Gibsonton, FL) Review

    Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

    3.3* (out of 5)

    Food: n/a

    Atmosphere: 3*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 3*

    09/30/2023 The River’s Edge Bar & Grill (813) 671-9196

    This was the closest place to our son’s home and was along the drive home from dinner, so thought we would stop and check it out and have 1 drink. It was admittedly a letdown stopping here relative to several other places in the area, although it was later at night and we didn’t order food. While it looks like a fun place with a great view during the day, our stop for a nightcap was disappointing. The mixed drinks weren’t very good and I’m big on local tap beers – but there aren’t any tap beers here.

    There was plenty of space to move around and a number of outdoor games set up that would be fun during a warm afternoon – but on this evening just after a rain shower had passed through and the grill was about to shut down, it was a disappointment.

    We waited several minutes for someone to serve us at a table adjacent to the outside bar, then I walked up to the bar to see what beers they had on tap. To my surprise, I learned that they didn’t have any beers on tap! In addition, I was told that she couldn’t serve me…that someone was on the way out to our table. It took more than a couple of minutes for a server to get to our table – possibly because they assumed we were going to order food, so had someone from inside bring out food menus and apologize for the fact that the grill was shutting down in a few minutes.

    This place has some good reviews for their food, is set up for outdoor activities and the view looks great during the day. We had already eaten and there wasn’t much liveliness left when we arrived around 8:45 on a Saturday night, so I can only speak to our experience. Honestly, my biggest letdown was that the there was no beer on tap…I really like trying different local beers on tap wherever I go and that isn’t possible here. Maybe we’ll stop by during the day for lunch on our next trip to sample the food and experience a different aspect.

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  • Jerry’s Dockside Bar & Grill (Gibsonton, FL) Review

    Jerry’s Dockside Bar & Grill (Gibsonton, FL) Review

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    4.0* (out of 5)

    Food: 4*

    Atmosphere: 3*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 5*

    09/30/2023 Jerry’s Dockside Bar & Grill (813) 605-4621

    While looking for places to have dinner near our son’s house in Riverview, we came across this place that was a short drive away and had reasonable reviews. On the way to the restaurant, my wife was reading more about it and discovered that it had been on Bar Rescue in the Spring of 2022. This increased our interest in going even more, as we’ve seen a few episodes so thought it would be great to actually be in a bar after the Rescue. Driving there does get you wondering a bit whether you are on the right path though, as you drive through a very residential area to find the restaurant at the end of the street along the river.

    We started with a round of local beers and Harbor Fog (see picture) drinks and found them each to be good. For our meals, my wife ordered the Dockside Cuban (see picture), my son ordered the Steakhouse Burger (see picture) and I ordered the Grouper Tacos (see picture) – the tacos on the recommendation of Shelby our server who was great! As we always do, we shared tastes of each others orders to see what we thought.

    I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect from the food, as some of the reviews as well as the Bar Rescue excerpts we read spoke of a ‘friends and family’ staff – with the primary cook never having been a cook / chef in a restaurant before. I was pleasantly surprised with the quality each of the dishes though – finding their quality well above the average bar food. For some well above average bar food at a reasonable price, Jerry’s Dockside Bar & Grill is a great stop!

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  • Red Robin Gourmet Burgers & Brews (West Des Moines, IA) Review

    Red Robin Gourmet Burgers & Brews (West Des Moines, IA) Review

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    3.75* (out of 5)

    Food: 4*

    Atmosphere: 4*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 3*

    09/25/2023 Red Robin Gourmet Burgers & Brews (515) 223-0859

    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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  • Tupelo Honey (Des Moines, IA) Review

    Tupelo Honey (Des Moines, IA) Review

    Rating: 5 out of 5.

    4.75* (out of 5)

    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 5*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 5*

    09/15/2023 Tupelo Honey (515) 513-5922

    We had friends visiting from France who were headed to New Orleans for their next stop, were looking for a brunch stop downtown and had a Birthday discount from Tupelo Honey, so decided that this was our destination. Once again, we enjoyed delicious food – opting to share the Shrimp Po’ Boy (see picture). We have not had a bad meal here yet.

    If you are looking for some great southern dishes with good service in a very modern atmosphere, you will enjoy a stop at Tupelo Honey!

    12/4/2022

    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 5*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 5*

    We stopped here with my parents and 2 of our sons as we enjoyed a previous visit and thought we had a coupon (turns out the coupon was only good for take out…so we did that also!). All 3 generations enjoyed the great food and atmosphere.

    Since we were hungry when we arrived, we started with a couple of appetizers, including Crispy Fried Brussels (see picture), Spicy Cauliflower Bites (see picture) and Biscuits for a Cause (see picture). We’ve had each of these before and just love them every time we order them – you would be happy with each and every one of them.

    For our main meal, my wife ordered Tupelo Shrimp and Grits (see picture; we’ve had them before) and they tasted great! As has been our previous experiences at Tupelo Honey, all of the dishes were delicious and I would highly recommend all of them.

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