Enjoyed our latest visit to RoCA with friends after Mass Saturday evening. My wife started with a Smoked Margarita (see picture) and I opted for the El Chapo (see picture) – both were delicious.
The great thing about a small plates restaurant, especially with 4 people, is that you can try a bunch of different things…and that we did! We each chose one small plate and I’ll say up front that all of them were wonderful and I wouldn’t hesitate to order any of them again.
We started with a BBQ, Pork & Apple Flatbread (see picture), followed by the Deconstructed Ribeye Nachos (see picture), Fondue (see picture) and Graziano Sausage & Pepperoni Flatbread (see picture). Of all of these, our favorite was the Fondue and Deconstructed Ribeye Nachos…but both Flatbreads were also very good.
The only negatives to the atmosphere were having to go downstairs for the restroom and a bachelorette party next to us that got a little loud.
If you found this review helpful, please show your appreciation with a Like or a Follow.
This place was recommended by a co-worker who knew about my love for good food and my food review website, so we took the opportunity to go there with our neighbors. Admittedly, the front door looked a little rough on the outside (see pictures) – but once inside, the decor was beautiful and the service was better.
We started with drinks – which were unique and very tasty! My wife went with the El Chapo (see picture) – which had a nice bite of jalapeno. Our neighbor opted for the Smoking Gun (see the pouring video from the smoke-filled bottle below) and I chose the Smoked Margarita (see the “kit’ picture and pouring video below). I really enjoy smoked drinks and smoking my own at home and these were not only very good, but the presentation in a smoke-filled bottle was impressive to see!
For our dinner, each of us couples ordered 3 small plates and we shared them all. We went with the Grilled Broccolini, Grilled Ribeye Skewers, Chicken Pesto Flatbread, Seared Scallops, De Burgo Toast and Ribeye Nachos (see all pictures below). While there were varying opinions of the ‘Best’ rankings, the Grilled Ribeye Skewers, Seared Scallops and Ribeye Nachos were my personal favorites. With that said, I’d highly recommend all of them, as we found all of them to be very good!
I love the small plates concept to sample several dishes – and the food and service were fantastic! Say ‘Hi’ to Ricardo R. when you go – his service was great and we really appreciated his recommendations.
If you found this review helpful, please Share, Follow & Like.
My wife made the reservation so I agreed to go back, even though my last experience left we doubting I would return and I admittedly walked in with a bit of a chip on my shoulder. Overall, I’m glad we went back to give them a second chance as this experience was much better than the last. This is a very nice restaurant that is a part of over 55 in the growing chain that started in Overland Park, IL in 2005.
Our friends in Wisconsin recently mentioned Cooper’s Hawk and how good their Ahi tuna was – and given how much we enjoy Ahi tuna, that likely played a significant role in my wife’s decision to make a reservation. Beyond the wine flight that my wife ordered (see picture), we started with Asian Ahi Tuna Sashimi (see picture). As you might expect (sashimi), the portions were quite small…but it was quite delicious. Food and Drink Guy Tip: The soy dipping liquid was also great and the leftover mix was quite tasty on the pretzel bread loaf.
For our main courses, my wife ordered the Trio Medallions (see picture) and I opted for the Chicken Giardiniera (see picture). As we always do, we shared tastes of each other’s dishes and the Trio Medallions were fantastic – tender, juicy, flavorful and perfectly cooked (medium rare). While our waitress Jennifer (who was great by the way) described the Chicken Giardiniera as spicy – neither of us found it very spicy, but we both found it delicious – tasty breaded chicken breasts soaking in that wonderful giardiniera juice!
Food and Drink Guy Tip: Given my love of good bread soaked in tasty juices and sauces, I asked for another loaf of the pretzel bread and used it to soak up all that remaining delicious juice on my plate and sauce on my wife’s plate. I highly recommend this, as it was so good that I treated it as my dessert! The plates were so clean after this that a member of the wait staff commented that we mustn’t have liked our meal very well…
While this clearly isn’t the cheapest place in the area for dinner, they do serve high quality food in a clean, modern atmosphere with above average service, so deserves to be on your short list for your next special occasion.
December 2022
We were excited to try out this place after watching it being built and reading the announcement in the newspaper.
Atmosphere: While the exterior looks and atmosphere inside the new building were impressive, there is room for improvement on the food and service, which to me means the value isn’t that great. The lighting was also a lesson in contrasts…while it was rather dark at our table to read the menu – there were also lights above some adjacent booths near the window that were very bright, to the point where it seemed that headlights from cars in the parking lot were shining in our eyes. You will see this in the posted pictures…rather dark for the photo, yet also harsh shadows from the adjacent booth lighting.
We started with a round of drinks. I had read about the 4 wine samples for $10 offer in the paper, so told the waiter I saw the 4 for $10 wine and wanted it. While I gave him an out in case it wasn’t available at the table, asking “unless it is only available in the front” – he quickly responded that they offer wine flights and they are available in the front or at the table. The flight seemed to be a great value, so my wife and one of our friends also ordered one. Buyer Beware: we were with another couple, so I didn’t review our receipt until returning home and was surprised to see that we were charged $20-$22 for each flight.
Food: For our main meal, I ordered the Gnocchi Bolo (see picture), my wife ordered the Surf & Turf with pork & shrimp (see picture) and our friends ordered the Trio Medallions (see picture) and Blackened Ahi Tuna (see picture). The manager later came by to apologize that the Gnocchi Bolo was only supposed to be a lunch menu item (we were there for dinner), but since the waiter didn’t tell me they were preparing it as ordered, but it was causing a delay for our order.
The Gnocchi Bolo tasted delicious and was probably the favorite of the dishes we enjoyed. The pork was a little dry / overcooked in the Surf & Turf. The asparagus was a little stalky at the ends and while the steaks were good with the Trio Medallions, they weren’t in the top category of steaks we’ve enjoyed.
Service: While our waiter was very friendly and seemed knowledgeable about the restaurant and menu, we were left disappointed. One of the wine flights for our table that was ordered at the same time as another was not delivered at the same time. After at least 10 minutes had passed, we finally asked about it and it still took another 10 minutes for delivery. Empty glasses and dirty plates were piling up on our table prior to the food delivery. After moving them to the front edge of the table for them to be taken away and that not working…I finally asked the waiter to take them away on a later stop. Lastly, one of our friends ordered soup and when it had still not been delivered after we were half done with our meal, we finally asked about it and it was then delivered.
Bottom Line:The food and service clearly did not meet my expectations nor reflect a good value for your money – possibly a result of it being their first week. I will have to see whether we return at a later date to see if things have improved. Given our experience with the wine flights described above, a follow up call to the manager on duty that night and receiving absolutely no offer to make things right (“sorry that you mis-understood that…”), I’m not sure that we will return.
If you found this review helpful, please Share, Follow & Like.
Quick update following another great stop for dinner with my wife, son and Grandson. This time, we took advantage of the Tendies & Pitchers Wednesdays – and what a great value!
My wife and I both ordered the Pound of Chicken Tenders & Chips, but with different dipping sauces (see picture). As we’ve come to expect at Barn Town, they were delicious – crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. Of the dipping sauces we tried, my favorite was the Hot Honey…but they were all pretty good.
If you found this review helpful, please show your appreciation with a Like or a Follow.
2/29/2024
Food: 4*
Atmosphere: 4*
Value: 4*
Service: 4*
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!
If you found this review helpful, please Share, Follow & Like.
Updated menu and Happy Hour pictures after stopping for cocktails and martinis last night following dinner. Sat on the patio and service was quite slow.
06/02/2023
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.
If you found this review helpful, please Share, Follow & Like.
We stopped here for drinks last weekend with our son who lives nearby, so when it was my turn to choose a place to eat after Mass tonight I thought we’d give it a try. We enjoyed the music from the 70s and 80s last time and in addition to that, they had a live band tonight and the place was pretty full, so we sat at the bar.
They try hard to say they aren’t a sports bar (on the back of the shirts on all the wait staff), so I asked a bartender what they were then if they weren’t a sports bar. After discussing the 70s / 80s theme, we ended up getting a history lesson. We were told that Shirley was the original name of the town of Waukee, but it was changed after lobbying from the Milwaukee Railroad that came through town to name it after them. The Waukee website gives a slightly different take…saying Gen. Reid of the Des Moines Valley Railroad stated that the ‘powers that be’ in the railroad office in Keokuk insisted that it should have an Indian appellation, and hence Waukee it had to be.
For dinner, my wife ordered the French Dip with tots (see picture) and I opted for The Rachel with cottage cheese (see picture). While I really enjoyed the Rachel – great taste with the smoked turkey and nicely toasted bread, my wife and I agreed that the French Dip and tots were average bar food at best. I didn’t like the bread, the size of the tots were smaller than average…leaving mostly breading and she asked for Ranch to dip them in and instead received some type of sweet homemade sauce.
Overall, I liked this place – especially the drinks, service and 70s/80s music and theme.
If you found this review helpful, please Share, Follow & Like.
Several of my wife’s co-workers have recommended this place for a while and we got the chance to try it out tonight with our neighbors. We loved the look and feel as we walked up to the building and felt that the overall experience was well above average.
Our only ‘beef’ was that most of the unique beers listed on their table menus were not available – tap options were limited to a few domestic beers, which was disappointing for restaurant with “Tap” in its name. The perfect evening on the patio and quality of the food offset this disappointment though.
For our dinners, I ordered the Smachos (see picture) and asked to have them delivered as an appetizer – as I wasn’t that hungry. My wife and one of our neighbors each ordered Tenderloins (see pictures). All of the food was delicious and highly recommended. We especially enjoyed the Smachos, which had pieces of their smash burger included in the toppings and were fantastic for sharing.
While it is a bit off the beaten path for those of you living in Des Moines, it is only about 10 minutes to the West on a divided highway. We found the peaceful charm of the shaded patio next to the brick street out front contributed to a nice dinner with our friends and enjoyed the stop.
If you found this review helpful, please Share, Follow & Like.
We used to live in Fargo and this place was one of our favorite burger joints while we were there due to their unique burgers, fresh cut potato chips or fries with dipping sauces and selection of tap beers. When we got back to town, we had to stop for dinner.
Along with the pre-requisite cold tap beers, tonight my wife ordered the Wham Bam Bacon Jam burger (see picture) and I opted for the Classic Chicken (see picture). As per what we’ve become accustomed to expecting at JL Beers, both of them were delicious. Those fresh cut potato chips and delicious dipping sauces just can’t be beat.
After eating tonight, our friends shared with us that they had gotten there early, so had their favorite appetizer – a large pretzel with homemade peanut butter. They had a little of the peanut butter left, so we tried it – and were hooked! We asked and found out that all they used for ingredients were honey roasted peanuts – so you know they were on our doorstop in Des Moines shortly after we returned home – and were ground into peanut butter that night! You definitely want to give it a try!
If you found this review helpful, please Share, Follow & Like.
My wife and I decided to give Pally’s another try, as we have been there before and enjoyed their food and live music on the weekends. This place has solid food, good service and friendly owners who interact with the patrons. Tonight my wife ordered the Cheeseburger (see picture) and I went with the Kickin chicken Sandwich (see picture). We each tried each others meals and liked both options, so would recommend them along with the delicious extra Dirty Martinis!
02/01/2024
I stopped in here doing some research for my Happy Hour site (www.happyhourdesmoines.com) several months ago and have been wanting to get back to try their food ever since. The opportunity presented itself when a friend and I met after work – deciding to give Pally’s a try.
We started with a round of drinks while deciding on food – ordering the daily special Margarita (see picture) and White Russian (see picture). Both were very tasty and a great value given their size and price (albeit the daily specials).
For our meals, my friend ordered the Frisco Burger (see picture) and I opted for the Torpedo Burger (see picture), given a strong positive recommendation from our server (who was also great – excellent service and covering the whole, packed bar by herself). We both really liked our burgers! The pictures don’t do them enough justice – they were both prepared perfectly, as per our requested level and both very flavorful. Definitely a place I’ll want to bring my wife and neighbors back to sometime in the future.
If you found this review helpful, please Share, Follow & Like.
Imagine my delight when my wife chose Whatcha Smokin as her venue of choice on Mother’s Day! While smoked meat is not a cheap meal, Whatcha Smokin is one of my favorites – so I couldn’t wait to get in the car. While you leave with your wallet a little lighter, it is hard to beat their quality smoked meat.
We started off our meal with an Iowa Twinkie (see picture) and boy is that ever something that you HAVE to try! They aren’t always on the menu, so get one when you can. How can you go wrong with bacon, jalapeno, pulled pork, cream cheese & ranch…and then smoked on top of that?
For our meal, we decided to go with a Family Platter with both fatty & lean brisket (see picture), but wanted some extra meat to bring home so we added a 1/4 rack of Baby Back Ribs. For our sides we went with Jalapeno Cream Corn and Cheesy Potatoes (see picture) – and believe me, they were delicious.
Even though we were full and had some meat to bring home, we couldn’t pass up the Nutter Butter Nanna Puddin (see picture) and Coconut Cream Pie (see picture). We said we were going to bring them home for later…but couldn’t leave without trying a few bites of each. As stated in my original review…you will definitely want to take your dessert of choice at the table or bring it home – they are SO good!
I’ve been waiting quite a while to try this place as I had heard and read multiple stories about how good their smoked meats are – and finally got the opportunity to go with some co-workers tonight. Boy what a treat it was, with the BBQ meat being some of the best I’ve had and the service from Abby nothing short of exceptional – friendly, energetic, knowledgeable & not afraid to share her opinions! While I couldn’t go 5* across the board given the plastic eating utensils, Styrofoam containers for sides and $8+ tap beers, this is truly a gem with some great character just a short drive north of Des Moines that is also set up very well for take-out.
We started with a round of drinks – the tap selection was more than expected for a smaller community outside of the Des Moines metro (see pictures). For dinner, Abby was kind enough to recommend the Brisket (fatty) and Ribs (see picture) paired with Jalapeno Cream Corn (see picture) and Potato Salad (see picture). The fun little ‘treat’ at the bottom of the Jalapeno Cream Corn container was a few Fritos corn chips – which made a nice crunchy complement to the corn. My co-workers ordered Brisket (lean – see picture) and Brisket (lean) with Pulled Pork (see picture). Even though the meat didn’t need any sauce, I enjoyed the Wildfire BBQ Sauce to not only add it to my meat and cornbread, but also bought a bottle to bring home (see picture).
All of the smoked meat was delicious, with the fatty Brisket being extremely moist and flavorful (as might be expected from its name). I sampled some of the Fries and also thought they were very good – excellent flavor without the extremely high saltiness. I really enjoyed the roadhouse feel and decor throughout the building (see pictures) along with the pin board showing where their customers lived (see picture).
Lastly, don’t leave without sampling at least one of their Sweet Treats. Abby recommended the Oatmeal Cream Pie (see picture) as one of their originals and favorites as well as the Nutter Butter Nanna Puddin (see picture). While both are pre-packaged as per the pictures, both of them tasted fantastic and I highly recommend them both.
If you found this review helpful, please Share, Follow & Like.
We have stopped here a few times since the last review, including a Trivia Night with a great taco value (unfortunately, we ate before the last minute invite to join a team there) – but hadn’t taken the time to update my review.
We stopped for their Tuesday night Burger Special…which left me wondering why we weren’t going there every Tuesday night for burgers! I ordered a Burger (of course – see picture) and was thoroughly impressed with it! Usually when you ask for a medium rare burger, it is brought out medium well to well done. Not only was the burger excellent (a little beyond medium rare, but at least some heavy pink in the middle), but the bun and the lattice fry sides were all delicious!
Unfortunately, I gave up alcohol for Lent…so didn’t have a beer with the burger – but you can bet that I’ll be back for both after Easter!
If you found this review helpful, please show your appreciation with a Like or a Follow.
Finally got the chance to stop by again after some new friends suggested it as the place to meet after Mass last night. They suggested that we go outside and the patio experience was fantastic – perfect weather for the evening and a little quieter than inside, so a great place to enjoy some conversation.
We started with a couple of beers…because why else would you go to an Irish Pub, right? The banter started with our server, Erika – which added to the great experience. If you follow my reviews, you know that I appreciate servers with menu opinions that they aren’t afraid to share…and just a little bit of a sassy attitude (and she had just the right amount of both).
For our meals, my wife ordered the Southwest Salad (see picture) per Erika’s suggestion and I ordered the Naked Chicken Wings (see picture) with Mango Habanero sauce. As is our norm, we shared samples of each other’s order and we found both of them to be very good – so would recommend them.
If you are looking for a fun Irish Pub experience, you will enjoy a stop at Mickey’s. If you stop and are up for a little friendly banter, ask for Erika and be sure to tell her ‘Hi’ from The Food and Drink Guy!
06/05/2021 update:
Stopped for a free pour of beer from a coupon in the mail and enjoyed a pint of Guinness (see picture) followed by an order of portabella mushroom fries (see picture) per the server’s recommendation. The mushroom fries along with the Ranch and special horseradish sauce that was served with them were delicious and I would highly recommend them – light, crisp breading and a tasty mushroom inside.
02/2021
Stopped for brunch and ordered from their breakfast menu. The food and drinks were all good, but my favorite was the Top of the Morning Irish Coffee (see picture) – I definitely recommend it.
If you found this review helpful, please Share, Follow & Like.
While still one of our favorite places to go when we visit our son in Tampa, we honestly thought that the quality of the food has slipped a little since our last few visits. Several in our party of 5 commented about the temperature of their food being a little on the cool side.
Our table ordered a variety of dishes (all pictures below): Water Works Meatloaf, SEafood Risotto, Aji Amarillo Ceviche, Barbacoa Shrimp, Water Works Wedge and Fire Roasted Chicken. With the exception of the Ceviche, all of the plates were really liked by each with the caveat as mentioned above (several were barely warm).
I’ll just say beware of the Ceviche, as it is not your typical ceviche – I’ve eaten a lot of ceviche and everything about this is different (texture, flavor, sauce vs. juice, etc.). It likely is a different style that I’m just not familiar with, but make sure you know what you are getting before you order it, as it was something that I will definitely never order again.
If you found this review helpful, please show your appreciation with a Like or a Follow.
1/12/2023
Our son lives in Tampa and recommended this place for dinner during our visit – and boy is it ever a gem! It is situated almost right next to the Armature Works on the river in North Tampa and is such a beautiful area to see before you even go inside. Once seated, Shelby our server introduced herself and she was awesome – great recommendations and information on all of our questions.
I started with a Honeymoon Strawberry Heffe (see picture) and it was great. For an appetizer, we ordered the Gator Tail (see picture) and while we enjoyed trying gator, we found it a bit tough to our liking.
For our main course, we ordered Water Works Meatloaf (see picture), 8oz Flank Steak (see picture) and Seafood Risotto (see picture). We found all of them very good – with the Seafood Risotto being the favorite and the green beans being very good as a side. Most importantly was our dessert…if you go you HAVE to finish with a bowl of Espresso Chocolate Swirl ice cream (see picture). It is SO good – everyone at the table loved it!
If you found this review helpful, please Share, Follow & Like.
Finally got the chance to return with my wife after our neighbors asked us to join them for dinner here. We both enjoyed the atmosphere, drinks and food during our visit. We started with a Mojito (see picture) and Old Fashioned (see picture) – both very good drinks.
For our dinner, my wife opted for the Asian Peanut Butter & Jelly Burger (see picture), our neighbor had the Boursin Burger (see picture) and I went with the AG Burger (see picture). All of them were delicious, as were the french fries and tater tots. This place is definitely worth a stop and next time we’ll try to go again on a Tuesday and remember their Burger & Pint special.
11/2022
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
4.25* (out of 5)
Food: 5*
Atmosphere: 5*
Value: 4*
Service: 4*
Stopped here to try it out when in the area for a meeting, as it shows 1st alphabetically at HappyHourDesDoines.com. I was a little leary about going in upon seeing the very small parking lot in a near-residential area, but was glad that I did.
Stewart was my waiter and he took great care of me – there at the right times without being overbearing. There was a decent selection of tap beers (see picture) and the special of the day was Lasagna (see picture), which was also his recommendation.
The dinner salad (see picture) was fresh and crisp…although the pieces of lettuce were quite large and needed to be cut before eating. The Lasagna was a pleasant surprise – good-sized portion, nice presentation (see picture) and very tasty.
Being the great waiter he was, Stewart offered dessert…and while it sounded delicious, I was feeling pretty full and decided against the additional calories and $10. I would definitely recommend this place and plan on stopping by again sometime with my wife.
If you found this review helpful, please Share, Follow & Like.
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.
If you found this review helpful, please Share, Follow & Like.
We just finished up a 6 hour pontoon ride on the river and intercoastal waterway and the owner of the pontoon recommended this place for a bite to eat. It was a very open and lively place with a nice view of the river next to I75. As you might expect with many river stops – it is set up with an island-like theme to have a good time at the bar…but there isn’t much budget allocated to the bathrooms. The food and service were solid though, so I’d be up for stopping again on another day – especially after a long day on the water.
We had already eaten lunches and snacks on the pontoon so weren’t that hungry, but did enjoy a tap beer and a Shrimp Basket (see picture). While the cole slaw quantity was minimal, the shrimp were crispy and tasty – and I really liked the dipping sauce.
If you found this review helpful, please Share, Follow & Like.
Yet another solid experience at the Uptown Bar & Grill – nothing stands out for atmosphere, but the Value & Service are above average and the Food is great! I couldn’t pass up the $2 beer special and today we went with the Breakfast Burger (see picture), Tater Tots (see picture) and Frisco Burger (see picture). We ordered the burgers medium rare and unlike other restaurants who deliver them well done anyway – they were actually served medium rare and were delicious!!
04/30/2023
We have been back a time or 2 since my first post in 2021, but didn’t eat a meal again until today. My wife was hungry for a hamburger and thought they looked good the last time that we were there with our neighbors, so that was our dinner destination. During our meal, we also got to participate in song BINGO, which was an enjoyable sidelight to our meal.
Tonight I ordered the Hot Sausage (see picture) per our waitress’ recommendation and my wife ordered the Jalapeno Blue Burger (see picture). As per our typical, we each shared our meals and both of us really enjoyed both sandwiches. Both had a bit of a nice spicy bite to them and both of them were a bit messy.
The Hot Sausage in particular was a 2 napkin meal at a minimum…very greasy and juicy from the sausage, melted cheese and marinara sauce – and OH so delicious! I thought the Hot Sausage tasted a bit like a grownup version of the pizza burgers I used to enjoy in small town diners as a teenager. The meat quality is much better though and the ciabatta bun is delicious. Keep in mind that neither come with a side, so the side salad shown with the Jalapeno Blue Burger was extra. I didn’t order a side and didn’t need it, as the Hot Sausage was more than enough to eat.
The food is above average for bar food and the service is quite good, so if you’re in the area I recommend that you stop in for a drink and some food.
09/2021
We stopped here after a search for a restaurant on our way home from golfing. We weren’t sure what to expect given that it was a smaller town bar, but left impressed and would definitely go back.
They had a better than average tap and canned beer selection and we caught the end of Sunday song BINGO – an interesting spin on an old classic game.
The food and service turned out to be the best parts though. Yes, it was bar food, but on the higher end of the scale – very fresh, tasty and prepared well. The waiter recommended a brand new special (Boursin Pesto Burger with a side – see picture), so I tried it. It was a 1/2 pound patty on a fresh light bun…and just might have been the best cheeseburger I’ve ever had! Messy, yes, but oh so delicious!
Also on the waiter’s recommendation, my wife ordered the Reuben (see picture) and she really enjoyed it (so did I…). For a smaller town Iowa bar, these folks take great care of you and the food is great!
If you found this review helpful, please Share, Follow & Like.
This place has been intriguing for a while now and we finally had the chance to give it a try last weekend. The exterior is a basic black and white building (see pictures) – in character with their tie and hat sign. The interior, while a little dark (some might say ‘romantic’), did a good job of keeping with the speakeasy theme. There are multiple pictures, figures and etched glass of famous Chicago-area gangsters (see pictures). A call out to our server, Trudy – who took good care of us and was patient as I took pictures of the menu before deciding what I wanted to eat or drink.
We started with drinks (see pictures) – my wife had a Lemon Drop Martini and I opted for a Godfather, as I like amaretto and bourbon. This was the first time I’d had amaretto and bourbon and while the quality was good, I wasn’t excited about the flavor and probably wouldn’t order it again. My wife makes her own (and I dare say excellent) Lemon Drop Martinis, so has high expectations when she orders one. She was not impressed with it, so I sampled it and would share the opinion that it was the weakest Lemon Drop Martini I’ve ever tasted. It tasted like it had been thinned about 50% with water (you can almost see through it in the picture). She assumed it was maybe a fluke, so tried a Tito’s and pineapple juice next…unfortunately with the same results. While the rest of the food (see next paragraph) was excellent and would have warranted 5* for the Food rating, I just couldn’t go above 4* given how poor the cocktails were.
On to the food – the highlight of the visit! Some of the reviews mentioned that this was one of the best salad bars in the area and I have to agree. The salad bar was flat out amazing (see picture) – laid out nicely, well lit, a good selection and maintained to retain cleanliness and freshness. If you like salad bars, this place is worth a visit just for the salad bar. The table bread that came with the meal (see picture) was average – the full loaf and cutting board presentation were great, but we prefer a heavier, higher quality bread – and this was very light and very white.
For our main courses, my wife ordered the Prime Rib with Scallops (see picture) and I went for the Seafood Lasagna (see picture). While the scallops were not what my wife expected (breaded and came across a little bit like fast food), they did taste good and she was quite happy with the prime rib. I REALLY liked the Seafood Lasagna as well as the crispy, breaded garlic bread – both of which were highly regarded in other reviews that we read. After indulging in a generous serving from the salad bar, we could only finish about half of our meals, which meant we had the pleasure of enjoying the leftovers at home!
Chicago gangster-themed restaurant with one of the best salad bars in the area and an amazing Seafood Lasagna dish that you have to try!
If you found this review helpful, please Share, Follow & Like.
My wife found this place while searching for places where “Guy had been” to meet her sister’s family – and boy was it ever a gem! We had 10 in our group, so it was very difficult for them to arrange tables to accept our group inside – so we agreed to sit outside on the picnic tables. It was a bit chilly, but we made due given the circumstances.
Beyond the historic brick building and great smokey smell as you walk up, their in-house craft beer and mocktail lists were impressive. We started with a round of their craft beers and since I always like to try multiple different beers, I went with a Flight (see picture). I was impressed with their craft beers as usually there are multiple that you wouldn’t order again – but I found all except 1 to rate on the high end of my Untappd rating scale.
My only disappointment was that the picnic table tops were extremely uneven – which caused all of the beers in the flight to tip over onto my son when I slid them across the table in their rack. A server came out to clean up and said that he usually warns people about that when they order…but no offer of even a discount on the refills.
On to the best part of our visit – the food! We started with Smoked Wings (see picture) and were delighted with the flavor, tenderness and moistness of the chicken. For our main courses, we ordered the Reuben, 18 Hour Porketta and Smokestack sandwich – all with a side of fries (see pictures of each). My wife and I shared the Smokestack and as the cut-away picture shows, it is one large stack of different delicious smoked meats!
As we usually do, we all shared samples from each dish and all of us really enjoyed all of them. Beyond the obvious and delicious smoked meats, I really enjoyed the home cut fries. As the pictures show, they had a good brown color on the outside, the seasoning was perfect and the ranch sauce was a great consistency for dipping!
Exceptional smoked meats, scrumptious fries, and an extensive variety of quality in-house brewed beers make this a must-visit destination.
If you found this review helpful, please Share, Follow & Like.
We got on the road to Huxley again, this time to share the experience with our neighbors. The food was equally impressive and this time our service from Anna was outstanding! She was so friendly and full of food suggestions and great stories – just what I love in a server! It was too cold for the patio to be open tonight and we had to wait about 20 minutes for a table…but it was oh so worth it!
This time, my wife and our neighbor Joy ordered the Crispy Chicken Bacon Ranch Sandwich (see picture), John went for the Foundation (2023 Iowa Best Burger – see picture) and I went for the Fiesta Chicken Wrap (see picture). We really enjoyed all of the meals, including both the regular and sweet potato fries. My only complaint was the Ranch dressing my wife and I ordered for our fries – it was thinned way too much and was a near water consistency, so wouldn’t stay on the fries very well.
If you’re looking for a great burger – this place won’t disappoint and is only a short drive north of Des Moines – with an awesome atmosphere and great service!
08/08/2023
In May 2023, the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association and Iowa Beef Industry Council named the Foundation burger at Flight Bar and Grill the Best Burger in Iowa. Being a big fan of great burgers, ever since I have been wanting to make the drive up to Huxley to see if their burgers were worth the award and the drive. Spoiler Alert – it is definitely worth a drive from the Des Moines area to experience these burgers!
We met friends here for dinner on a weeknight (partially because we heard how packed they have been on the weekends since winning the Best Burger award). They had an order of Fried Brussels Sprouts at the table when we arrived, which were quite crispy and light – with a delicious balsamic reduction drizzle.
For our main course, my wife ordered the award-winning Foundation burger with sweet potato fries (see picture) and I opted for The Firecracker with sweet potato fries (see picture). We always order different dishes and share samples when we go out and tonight was no different.
While The Foundation was delicious and worthy of an award, both of us actually preferred The Firecracker. While it looks like a lot of jalapenos on The Firecracker, they weren’t overwhelming – providing just the right amount of ‘kick’ when combined with the pepper jack cheese and the delicious house-made chipotle aioli. To our delight, the Sweet Potato Fries turned out to be a great complement to the burgers – as we both commented how great they tasted and how well they were done.
This place definitely earns the Best Burger in Iowa award and is worthy of a drive to Huxley for the experience…and don’t forget the sweet potato fries for a double treat! Lastly, if you follow my posts you know how much I love ice cream and this was the triple bonus feature. On the other end of the building is a great ice cream stop (my next review…).
If you found this review helpful, please Share, Follow & Like.
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
If you found this review helpful, please Share, Follow & Like.
Had the opportunity for a return trip after work with a friend since this place is close to my office and the food didn’t disappoint. Our server suggested the Patty Melt (see picture), so I went with that and we ordered Truffle Fries (see picture) to share. I was impressed with both items and would rate them well above average pub food.
A solid, modern bar with above average pub food and a good selection of tap beers.
03/2022 We stopped for dinner after seeing that they finally had reopened after a major remodel. Unbeknownst to us, it was their Grand Opening celebration a few hours earlier and it was still a little busy.
We chose to sit at the bar. I ordered the lamb gyro (see picture) and my wife ordered the Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich with tater tots (see picture). I really liked the lamb gyro and while we both really like hot foods and generally order food at the hotter side of the range when offered, the Nashville Chicken sandwich was way too hot. My wife couldn’t eat it (pepper burn with not much flavor), so we opened it up to see the seasoning thickly pasted on the chicken. Once we scraped off as much of the pepper seasoning, the flavor was good, we liked the bun and the tater tots were also tasty and cooked well.
Unfortunately, we weren’t asked how the food was due to how busy it was, so we weren’t able to let them know before leaving.
January 2021 Stopped on our way home from dinner last night too have a beer. If you are still concerned about masks and close quarters, this might not be the place for you as most of the wait staff and customers did not wear them and the place was pretty full.
We enjoyed our stop though and the service was great. If you like darker beers and coffee…here is one for you to try that we created last night. I found the Boulevard Steep Drop coffee stout too bland, while the Left Hand Peanut Butter Milk Stout was too sweet, with a strong peanut butter flavor. My wife suggested mixing the 2 together, so I ordered a pint of the 2 mixed and found it delicious! If you like peanut butter and coffee, you will want to give this a try!
If you found this review helpful, please Share, Follow & Like.
