Our son and daughter-in-law invited us to eat with them after the days events at the John Deere Classic and we ended up picking the Tap 22 Grill & Bar. It doesn’t look like much from the outside (a refurbished industrial / farm building – see picture), but the inside is quite another story (see pictures).
They appeared to be short-staffed in the kitchen – possibly overwhelmed by the extra customers coming from the John Deere Classic. Tanya, did a great job keeping us informed on the order status and keeping our drinks full.
I ordered the Tin Can Nachos (see picture) for my meal and to share with the table and another guest at our table ordered the Arizona Chicken Sandwich (see picture). The sandwich and fries were very good and the Nachos were likely the most unique delivery that I’ve ever seen. As the name implies, they come with all the ingredients layered in a tin can and then the server lifts off the top at the table (see picture) to leave a delicious stack of chips and toppings!
I would definitely stop by on another trip when it isn’t so busy – and I highly recommend that you try the Tin Can Nachos when you go. Also, be sure to say ‘Hi’ to Tanya – she is a wonderful server!
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Returned again on our next business trip to Dubuque and this time was able to enjoy a full meal and not just appetizers with a group from work.
On our server’s recommendation, I ordered the Gyro (see picture) and others at the table ordered Fish Tacos (see picture) and the Black & Blue Burger (see picture). All of the meals were delicious and the portions were large, so you won’t go away hungry.
Even with as full as I was…there is always room for at least a few tastes of dessert! Like the last visit, I suggested that we order cheesecake to share (Salted Caramel & Chocolate) – and again everyone at the table found them delicious. I even got one of the locals hooked enough to vow he would order it again every time that he came back! Like I said in the earlier review…do NOT go home without trying it!
06/06/2023
This place was highly recommended by a local (especially their White Truffle Parmesan Fries and Wisconsin Fried Cheese Curds), so our group stopped by to try them out before heading downtown. In addition to these, we also ordered the Steak Bites and unfortunately due to the group setting I wasn’t able to capture any photos of the food on this stop.
As for my thoughts on the food, while the White Truffle Parmesan Fries and Wisconsin Fried Cheese Curds were both solid appetizers, I actually liked the Steak Bites best of all – and most of the group agreed.
What really stole the show though was when I saw a sign for the fresh-made Salted Caramel Cheesecake (again, sorry – we dug into it so quickly that I don’t have a photo). We ordered a piece of it and a piece of the Chocolate Cheesecake (each delivered with a spray of whipped cream) so the group could sample some of each and compare. As good as the Chocolate Cheesecake was…it just couldn’t quite reach the exquisite taste and mouth-feel experience of the Salted Caramel. DO NOT leave without at least sharing a piece of the Salted Caramel Cheesecake – most at the table agreed that it was the best cheesecake they have ever had – so light and yet so good!!
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We stopped at the previous business (WISCO) and found that they were remodeling with new owners…so waited for the new restaurant to open and tried it out for Happy Hour (from HappyHourDesMoines.com). The bar area is beautifully lighted (see pictures) and there is a professional painting of numerous GOAT sports figures on one wall. It was just a few days after they officially opened and unfortunately, their tap beer wasn’t working that night – so we made due with mixed drinks instead.
My wife started with a Margarita 1800 (see picture) on our server, Steph’s recommendation – and it was very good. I stuck with the well drinks to take advantage of the Happy Hour specials…and we soon found ourselves ordering food and making a night of it.
We started with Cheese Curds (see picture) which were very good…and the dipping sauce was delicious! I then ordered chicken wings (see pictures) and my wife ordered Cod (see picture) – again on Steph’s suggestion. Both entree orders were delicious – crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside and oh, so tasty. I would definitely recommend all of the above items when you stop.
This is definitely a great stop for a drink and/or food – and when you stop by, make sure to say ‘Hi’ to Steph – she is fantastic!
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Had coupons since hearing about someone going to a live band here and following on Facebook – and were in the area after Mass one evening, so gave it a try.
The first challenge was finding the place. While our phone map took us to the entrance…it isn’t super clear how to get to the restaurant and we had a couple of false starts. First at the marina office near the road and then we turned around on the winding path before getting to the restaurant thinking it was leading nowhere. Just keep driving – you will eventually get there…
Once we finally found the restaurant, the view was great and probably the largest draw – hard to top relaxing at a table with food and drink while watching the lake and boaters. The facilities are what you might expect for a seasonal dock business with public access…functional, simplistic and a little crude – not what you would find in even an average place on land.
With that said, we found the drink selection and the food to be above average. We each ordered burgers (see pictures) to use our coupon. We both shared samples with each other and found them both to be solid – soft, moist buns, fresh toppings, crispy fries and good flavor.
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We stopped here because it was on our walk to dinner from our hotel…and a friend that joined us for the weekend was named Tom. We ended up liking the place enough that we stopped back for brunch the following morning before heading out to the concert.
For our brunch, I started with a Brunch Messenger (see picture) and my wife went with the Bloody Maria (see picture). We shared tastes with each other and really liked both drinks – and while the pricing seemed reasonable ($10/$12), the drinks were quite small.
For our brunch meal, I ordered the Frittata (see picture) and my wife ordered the Croque Monsieur (see picture). Again, we shared tastes of each other’s plates and both of us enjoyed and would recommend both. The hash browns were cooked well, tasted great and weren’t too greasy – and the same could be said for the Croque Monsieur, which we were able to eat without dripping grease all over.
The drinks during evening hours were unique and tasty…but again on the small side and quite pricey (what you might expect in the downtown area). The brunch was reasonably priced though and tasted quite good, so I’d highly recommend this place as a brunch stop during a downtown weekend visit.
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Believe it or not, we’ve lived in Iowa for a year and a half now and this was our first stop at a Maid-Rite! We were traveling with friends to the Luke Combs concert in Kansas City and looking for a place to stop along the interstate. They recommended it based on their experiences with one in Illinois many years ago and we are so glad that we stopped.
Although it is a technically a fast food restaurant where you order at the counter and they deliver your food to the table, the food was very good and the service was above average.
Our group ordered a Tenderloin sandwich (see picture), several MEGA sandwiches (see picture), Sweet Potato Fries (see picture) and Fried Okra (see picture). Of course you have to have a MEGA when you stop, as it is what built the restaurant, but the Tenderloin and sweet potato fries as well as the okra were all very good. If you follow my posts, my sweet tooth is well documented…so I couldn’t leave this place without sampling a caramel shake – it was delicious and I highly recommend you finish your meal with one on your way out to the car.
Yes, it is fast food, but this place is quite unique, is an Iowa institution and has a very nice attached Amish country store. Definitely worth a stop for lunch, dinner or one of their multiple sweets options!
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We were determined to have a steak tonight while in town on business travel and several other places that we checked weren’t open on a Tuesday night. This place is quite an impressive venue – wide open atmosphere that highlights the chefs in the kitchen and their work. The only thing holding this place back from a full 5* in my book is the value…as the pricing was quite high – but when you come here, it is probably for a special occasion!
Due to the fact that we had already stopped at another venue for appetizers, I ended up going light and splitting the Ribeye (see picture) with a fellow employee. As you might expect in a restaurant of this quality, it was fantastic and one of the better ribeyes that I’ve had.
As long as you come prepared for your meal being quite expensive, you definitely will be happy with the food, atmosphere and service. I would highly recommend a stop here for your next special occasion – just don’t forget to make reservations, as they are VERY busy.
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I’ve been here a few times on business trips but just finally posting some pictures along with my review. I’ve enjoyed sampling different beers on each visit and have also had food on at least one other occasion.
Our table started with Hangry Sprouts, Curb Your Enthusiasm cheese curds and Zeit Bites (pretzel bread bites) – all of which were above average bar food (sorry, no pictures of them). For my meal, I ordered the Carolina Burger (see picture) with Sweet Potato Fries. While it was above average overall (especially the fries), I found the pulled pork on the burger to be quite dry. Another person at the table ordered the Lobster Mac & Cheese (see picture) and thought it tasted good – had just hoped there would be more lobster in it.
If you are stopping by to try their beers, this is definitely a great stop and if you decide to add food to your stop, you can expect better than average appetizers and entrees.
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Carolina Burger w/ Sweet Potato FriesLobster Mac & Cheese
Have had on my Want to Go list since Cityview listed it for best local bar food in 2022 and finally had the opportunity after the Craft Beer Festival. While we were a little leery of what it might be like near the airport, we were pleasantly surprised by the exterior (see pictures) as we pulled up…and remained positively impressed with the interior decor (see pictures).
Cityview called out their New York Steak & Peppers sandwich (see picture) and it looked great, so my wife went with that for her choice. For our second entree, I went with the Philly Chicken with Fries (see picture). As we always do, we shared tastes of each of our meals and both of us enjoyed both offerings – finding the food quality definitely worthy of the title of Best Bar Food.
If you are in the area or have a little time waiting on a flight, you won’t be disappointed with a stop at Francies.
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This is my wife’s favorite brewery in town and we’ve been here a number of times, but finally getting around to writing a review. On this trip, it was a stop at the end of the Lemon Trail Ride, as the cold, wind and rain caused us to cut the ride a little short.
We started with an order of Exile Fries (see picture) as we have always enjoyed them on previous visits – and today was no exception, crispy and so flavorful! We also shared a Spinach & Artichoke Dip (see picture) and it to, was delicious and highly recommended!
For our meals, we ordered the Exile Burger w/ Truffle Fries (see picture) and Sweet Chili Shrimp Tacos w/Brussels Sprouts (see picture). As we always do, we shared tastes of each dish and both thought that everything was delicious. They have very good Brussels Sprouts here that we often order as an appetizer, but given the other appetizers today, we enjoyed them as a side instead – definitely try these if you haven’t already.
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We were looking for a place to stop for lunch before leaving the area and found this place. This appears to be a relatively new restaurant and I really liked the atmosphere inside and out (modern, clean and open) – and the food quality was excellent!
For my main course, I ordered the Power Bowl with Grilled Chicken (see picture) and my wife ordered the Beef & Broccoli (see picture). As we always do, we shared tastes of each others dishes and found both of them to be quite delicious – so I’d highly recommend either if you are visiting. The quinoa was so tasty and the grilled chicken was done well – with a good amount of moisture intact. The Beef & Broccoli was a bit salty to our tastes (probably from the soy sauce), but still very tasty.
I would highly recommend this place – while the value is a bit on the pricey side, if you can get past that – you will thoroughly enjoy a stop here.
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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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I’ve stopped here a few times for Happy Hour on the way home from work and finally took the time for pictures to document the trip tonight. My wife joined me and we each enjoyed a half priced tap while waiting for our food.
We ordered the Boneless Chicken Wings in sweet chili sauce (see picture), Bone-In Wings in Buffalo sauce (see picture) and Cheese & Bacon Tots (see picture). While the chicken wings had a little more breading than I would prefer, I liked both the boneless and bone-in – with the flavor of both being great. As to the Cheese & Bacon Tots, while there weren’t that many of them – they tasted fantastic (creamy, cheesy and delicious) and were cooked perfectly.
This place is definitely worth a stop for good food and value pricing – especially during Happy Hour!
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Cheese & Bacon TotsBone-In Buffalo WingsBoneless Sweet Chili Wings
Tonight’s stop only included drinks on our way home from dinner. Given my love of smokey drinks, I went with the Smokey B (see picture of pouring) – I’ve had it before and really enjoy it. I don’t think you will find another drink with more smokiness imparted into it – a nose full of smoke with every lift of the glass for a sip. My wife ordered the Aperol Paloma (see picture) and while it was advertised as very spicy (Ghost Tequila), neither of us found it spicy to the taste – yet it had great flavor.
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04/09/2022
We stopped here for dinner a second time and really enjoyed the food again. The prices are high, but the food is great.
We ordered the Korean Fried Cauliflower and Honey Garlic Chicken Lavosh. Both dishes tasted great and I’d recommend both.
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Since finding this place in the Pub Pass last year and hearing a good recommendation on their burgers from our neighbor, I’ve been anxious to give it a try. We had the chance this week while my brother and sister-in-law were visiting, so stopped by to try out their Happy Hour.
While admittedly it doesn’t look like much from the exterior (see pictures), the decor of the interior was unique (see pictures). They have a very good selection of tap beers (see picture) and their most unique drink was their Old Fashioned Slushy (see picture), which I ordered at the suggestion of our server and thoroughly enjoyed.
We already had plans to eat dinner elsewhere, so we just ordered Buffalo Cauliflower (see picture). The initial smell made us think that it was going to be extremely spicy but after tasting it, we found it to be a good balance and quite tasty. I look forward to the opportunity to stop by another time for a burger.
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We stopped here for dinner this weekend while staying at a house on Gull Lake and enjoyed our stop. From the outside, it had a large log-cabin type of appearance – but the strongest feature here was the atmosphere and the beautiful lighting and stone work that awaits you when you walk through the front door. It was truly an amazing visual experience to see!
We started with a round of drinks. I had the Old Fashioned (see picture) and was honestly quite disappointed with it as it seemed to be nothing but straight bourbon and possibly a slight dash of bitters. My wife ordered a Margarita and both of us thought it tasted quite good.
For dinner, my wife and I decided to split the 16 oz Ribeye (see picture) while she added the salad (see picture) and we shared the Popovers (see picture). I really liked the Popovers and the flavored butter that came with them. My wife enjoyed the flavor of the salad, but didn’t like that it had to be cut at the table to eat it. The Ribeye was above average in flavor and was prepared as ordered – and the Cheesy Potatoes (see picture) were fantastic, so rich, creamy and delicious.
Last but not least, we ordered a piece of Turtle Cheesecake (see picture) and that quite frankly was likely the highlight of my meal – I thought it was wonderful and would highly recommend that you end your meal with a piece of it yourself!
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Turtle Cheesecake16 oz RibeyeCheesy PotatoesPopoversOld Fashioned
It was a Friday during Lent so we were looking for seafood takeout options to take to our son’s place for a late lunch. This place was right along the way, so we ordered ahead to pick it up on the way by. While I love trying new places and like to support small businesses, I feel that this place is going to need some management assistance to stay alive. For starters, my wife wasn’t able to order online through their website and was tricked into signing up with a contract with another company when she thought she was placing her order for the food. Therefore, she gave up and called in instead…and while taking our order, the order-taker suddenly stopped taking our order and proceeded to yell at one of the other employees.
Since we ordered ahead over the phone, I dropped my wife off at the door and waited outside with the vehicle running as I thought it would be a quick stop to pick up our food. After 15 minutes of waiting, I parked the vehicle and went inside to see what was going on with our order. My wife then informed me that the menu in the store was different than what she ordered based on what showed online. Beware that the in-store menu does not include beverages as is shown in their online menu and the prices are higher.
Once the food was finally finished and we got it to our son’s house, we found the food to be relatively good. The best part in my opinion was the Hush Puppies (see picture) with the Shrimp & Fries basket (see picture) also being tasty. We weren’t as impressed with the Fish & Fries basket (see picture), as the breading was very dry and cornmeal like, with little to no flavor or seasoning.
Bottom line is that the food was reasonable for a fast food restaurant, but the service is definitely not fast. Don’t expect that they will be organized enough to have your food ready if you call ahead – I’d order at the restaurant and make sure you have about 15 minutes available to wait for the food.
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We came across this place somewhat by accident while staying at the Hilton Garden Inn a block up the street. The Thai Pop across the street from the hotel caught my eye, but my wife was interested in American food for the evening so I did a quick search and talked her into the Blue Duck Kitchen based on their reviews and menu items.
We were impressed from the moment we walked into the place – unique, modern, clean, friendly and welcoming – with the owner floating around and making sure things were just right throughout the evening. Since we were there before official dinner hours and the dining room was still closed, we took a seat in the bar and decided to enjoy a few Happy Hour items from the sign (see picture). That brings me to the first call-out for great service – Leo was a fantastic bartender, was knowledgeable about the various drink selections and made wonderful Happy Hour food suggestions.
I started with an Old Fashioned (Happy Hour special – see picture) and wanted some food since we hadn’t eaten lunch, so Leo suggested the Kimchi Dog (see picture) – talking about how great it was. We were a little unsure about ordering a hot dog in a nicer restaurant, but went with his suggestion – and boy were we happy that we did. The hot dog was split in half the long way, had a nice ‘snap’ skin and was made with high quality meat. That, combined with the quality bread used for the bun and the great seasonings made it a dish that both my wife and I loved so much that we ordered another – the Chili Dog (see picture), which was also delicious!
We were then called to our table in the dining room…bringing about the 2nd call-out for great service – Alisha was quite the treat as our server. She was knowledgeable and friendly – and had great information about the menu items as well as some great recommendations! I usually don’t mention that I do reviews until after the meal is complete, but decided to flip the script tonight as there were so many things that looked great on the menu, so wanted Alisha to pick for me.
For our dinner, my wife ordered the Chef’s Catch (see picture) and I Alisha surprised me with the Nashville Hot Frog Legs (see picture). Both of us loved our meals and as I told Alisha – while I never would have ordered the Frog Legs, I thought they were delicious. The Nashville Hot sauce was great (loved the burn) and the macaroni and cheese that they were served on was rich, creamy and tasty. I highly recommend both dishes.
As good as everything was, we just had to try some dessert. While Alisha suggested the Strawberry Crepe Cake (as did others we met later in the evening), we were afraid that would be too much – so went with the Chocolate Chip Cookies with sea salt (see picture) and coffee. They were bite-sized, warm (fresh out of the oven) – firm on the outside and yet so soft and wonderful on the inside. The next time we come back, we will have to try the Strawberry Crepe Cake – but that doesn’t take anything away from these cookies, as they were delicious!
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Nashville Hot Frog LegsChef’s CatchKimchi DogChili DogOld Fashioned (sweet)Mezcal PalomaChocolate Chip Cookies & CoffeeHappy Hour
We have stopped here several times before…especially during Lent for their Friday night fish fries. Since it was Ash Wednesday and we were in the area for Mass…it seemed like a good idea to stop here to have some seafood on the way home. Suffice it to say that we were a little disappointed in their seafood options given the restaurant name – fewer than a handful and to substitute shrimp for chicken in a salad was an additional $5. Based on their current menu, it seems that Blue Chicken might be a more fitting name for the restaurant. But I digress…
The food presentation was great and the flavor was average – but the service was definitely above average, as Courtney took good care of us. Following a Jalapeno Margarita (we enjoyed it, just be forewarned that it does have a pretty good spicy bite to it), we ordered our meals.
I ordered the Grilled Salmon (see picture) and my wife ordered the Blue Shark Chopped Salad (see picture). I thought the brocolli was cooked well – I like a little crunchiness left in my veggies and that is what was delivered. The salmon was slightly overcooked, but not to the point that it was overly dry and the mashed potatoes seemed a little bland (didn’t taste much butter or seasoning). The blue cheese on the chopped salad was delicious as was the shrimp (other than having to pay $5 more for the shrimp vs. chicken and only having 8 on the salad).
Lastly, I knocked the Value down to below average not only due to the shrimp add-on mentioned above, but also because we found a 3% CSC (assume customer service charge as a result of using a credit card). I almost never carry cash anymore – doing everything with credit and am disappointed with any restaurant that charges extra for the use of a credit card. That is a business decision on their part, but they need to keep in mind that rather than get cash to go back next time, I likely will select another place instead…so I’m not sure they come out ahead in the end.
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Saw that this place won best Burger in town (specifically recommending the Smashburger) in Cityview, so asked our neighbors to join us and ventured downtown for dinner after the big snowstorm. Given the name, I was expecting a fairly high-end and expensive place – so was a little surprised when we walked in to see a colorful retro-diner decor.
While one of the servers shared that a previous reviewer had made disparaging remarks about the workers appearance, I’ve shared in my online profiles that I enjoy servers with some character, opinions on the food and a story to tell. I found the atmosphere to be quite inviting with friendly and professional workers looking for ways to be of service to their customers.
Given the award and recommendation for smashburgers, I ordered the Uncle Denny (see picture). I loved the soft, moist bun and found the Duke’s mayo & pepper jelly to be the perfect level of spice to complement the smashburger and bun. The included fries were also very good – great combination of crispiness on the outside, yet soft inside.
My wife ordered The Big Gym with Tots (see picture) and also enjoyed it – commenting especially on how good the tots were. She liked the fact that the tots were nice and crispy on the outside and not soft / soggy. Our neighbor ordered the The Chili Charles (see picture) open-faced chili burger on Texas Toast and also enjoyed it. Admittedly, it looked so good that I think that is what I will try on our next visit.
The pricing, including $5 tap beers, seemed reasonable and the burgers were top-notch. A great retro-diner experience that you will want to try!
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The Uncle Denny SmashburgerThe Big Gym SmashburgerThe Chili Charles
