The Food and Drink Guy

Tag: Brunch

  • The Tavern Grill (West Des Moines, IA) Review

    The Tavern Grill (West Des Moines, IA) Review

    Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

    4.6* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 5*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 4*

    Would I go back / Recommend?: 5* (Definitely)

    Total check/person: $40

    05/11/2024 The Tavern Grill (515) 444-3310

    We liked our first stop so much that we came back to celebrate Mother’s Day early with our son and daughter-in-law. You won’t go wrong with a stop here – good selection of tap beers, build-your-own pizzas and burgers and located in the Jordan Creek Mall next to the movie theater.

    This time, my wife ordered the Grilled Jumbo Shrimp Skewers (see picture), my son ordered the Grilled Gyro on Naan (see picture) and I opted for the Grilled Meatloaf (see picture). We shared tastes and all of them were delicious – would definitely recommend them.

    My wife likes Bread Pudding (see picture), so we shared a piece for dessert – and boy was it ever tasty! The back of the picture shows a small container of caramel sauce (warmed) that you can pour over the bread pudding and ice cream after it arrives. This place is every bit as good as their location in Fargo, ND that we really enjoyed while living there.

    04/12/2024

    We loved The Tavern Grill (and joined their Tavern Club) when we lived in Fargo, ND – so were excited to see a new location open up here in West Des Moines, Iowa! I had forgotten about seeing it in the Jordan Creek Mall, but my wife remembered and chose it for our destination.

    Our waitress was training in and she was quickly able to confirm our Tavern Club membership, so we immediately took advantage of it and order a couple of large mugs of beer. If you plan to stop back even a once or twice, you will definitely want to consider signing up for the Tavern Club as it offers cheaper beer and 20% off your food on all upcoming visits.

    For our meals, my wife ordered the Baked Spaghetti (see picture) and I opted for the Tavern Ginger Tuna (see picture). As always, we sampled some of each of our dishes and would recommend both dishes. I especially enjoyed the Tavern Ginger Tuna, as it was seared to perfection, the ginger glaze was delicious and the veggies were so fresh and crispy! If you like seared tuna and ginger, you will definitely want to give this a try!

    A solid stop for your next dinner out – conveniently located in the

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    Tavern Ginger Tuna
    Baked Spaghetti
    Grilled Meatloaf
    Grilled Gyro on Naan
    Grilled Jumbo Shrimp Skewers
    Bread Pudding

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  • Paris Banh Mi (Windsor Heights, IA) Review

    Paris Banh Mi (Windsor Heights, IA) Review

    Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

    4.5* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 5*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 4*

    03/21/2024 Paris Banh Mi (515) 277-8888

    This place has been on my Want to Go list since reading an article about its opening in the Des Moines Register. My wife and I both enjoy Banh Mi sandwiches and not only did this place do them extremely well, but they also performed highly in another area that I love – desserts! The only reason I didn’t give a full 5* is that you order at the counter, so I took a Star off of the Service and they add a credit card service fee on to the bill, so I took a Star off of the Value.

    I was on my way to Sam’s Club for fuel, hadn’t eaten dinner yet and noticed that Paris Banh Mi was still open as I drove by … how could I resist? Not only was the exterior much more impressive than I expected, but I was totally blown away with the clean, modern, spacious and well-lit interior! An extended table full of take-home goodies (see picture) greets you just inside the door and the serving counter has a large built-in dessert cooler stocked with several of my favorites (see picture).

    Dinesh at the counter was friendly and helpful, suggesting the B2. Grilled Pork Banh Mi Thit Nurong sandwich (see picture) as one of their menu favorites. I’ve been to Paris, France several times and really enjoy their baguettes (bread) – and this light, yet firm bread really did remind me of the great sandwiches I’ve enjoyed there. Along with the tasty bread, the ingredients were all so moist, crispy and fresh – with that distinct flavor of cilantro that I love!

    As my comments might indicate, I wasn’t able to leave without at least sampling one of their desserts – the Tiramisu (see picture). Somehow I found the will power to get it home to share with my wife without eating any on the way – and the picture doesn’t do it justice. This was some really good Tiramisu – light, creamy and delicious and matching some of the best I’ve had in high end Italian restaurants!

    While it’s hard to top the great bread and fresh sandwich ingredients, you won’t want to leave without trying at least one of their desserts!

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    B2. Grilled Pork Banh Mi Thit Nurong sandwich
    Tiramisu

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  • Ronneburg Restaurant (Amana, IA) Review

    Ronneburg Restaurant (Amana, IA) Review

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    4.25* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    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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  • Early Bird Brunch (West Des Moines, IA) Review

    Early Bird Brunch (West Des Moines, IA) Review

    Rating: 5 out of 5.

    4.75* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 5*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 5*

    01/14/2024 Early Bird Brunch (515) 501-5188

    It had been a while since our last visit, but we got the chance when our son and daughter-in-law asked if we’d like to join them for Brunch Sunday morning. We ended up waiting about 30 minutes past our projected seating time, so beware if you have a tight time crunch. Once we were seated though, the experience was great and in line with our previous visits.

    We started today with an order of Cinny Bobs (see picture) to share and if you like cinnamon rolls…you will love these! They are served with both white icing (traditional cinnamon rolls) as well as caramel sauce (traditional caramel rolls) – so you can choose your favorite…or go with both if you can’t decide. I am a sucker for caramel and liked the caramel sauce so well that I enjoyed what was left over after the rolls as my dessert at the end of the meal!

    For our meals, my son ordered the Monkey Business (see picture) as he has the last few times he’s been here and once again, enjoyed both the sight of it as well as the taste. My wife ordered the Breakfast Nachos (see picture) and since she wasn’t able to finish it in the restaurant, was able to enjoy a 2nd meal of it for breakfast the next day. Lastly, I went with the Chicken & Waffle (see picture) and while it was more than I really wanted to eat, I cleaned off the plate and loved every bite!

    12/01/2022

    We have stopped at the Early Bird Brunch several times and always enjoy the experience – casual atmosphere, great food and unique alcoholic drinks combine to make a memorable experience.

    This stop found us at the front door at opening time on Sunday morning (6:30am) due to our son needing to catch a mid-morning flight at the airport. For future reference, this is a great time to go…as we had the place to ourselves initially and only a couple of other tables were occupied when we left. If you’ve tried to get a table mid to late morning on a weekend, you know how crowded it can be and how long the waits are…

    We started with an order of Hash Holes – always a favorite of ours and a strong recommendation to try. They are delicious potato croquettes with cheddar, smoked gouda & bacon (see picture). We ordered Huevos Ranchero, Pancakes & Eggs, Meat Head Benny and The Bird Cage for the main course (see pictures) and all were delicious – I would recommend them all.

    If you haven’t tried this place for brunch yet…you don’t have any idea what you are missing!

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    Cinny Bobs
    Chicken & Waffle
    Monkey Business
    Breakfast Nachos
    Huevos Ranchero
    Pancakes & Eggs
    Meat Head Benny
    The Bird Cage
    Hash Holes

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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)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    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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    Shrimp Po’ Boy
    Spicy Cauliflower Bites
    Tupelo Shrimp & Grits
    Biscuits for a Cause

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  • Tom’s Town Distilling Co. (Kansas City, MO) Review

    Tom’s Town Distilling Co. (Kansas City, MO) Review

    Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

    4.25* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 4*

    Atmosphere: 5*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 4*

    06/10/2023 Tom’s Town Distilling

    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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    Croque Monsieur
    Fritatta
    Bloody Maria
    Brunch Messenger

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  • HomeGrown (Des Moines, IA) Review

    HomeGrown (Des Moines, IA) Review

    Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

    4.5* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 5*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 4*

    04/01/2023 HomeGrown

    Several friends had great things to say about HomeGrown, so we took the opportunity to go there this weekend with our son and daughter-in-law. The decor is modern and yet country-like (see pictures) and the restaurant had great lighting with glass on 2 sides.

    We started with drinks and an appetizer to share – I ordered the Vietnamese Coffee (see picture) and we shared 2 homemade Pop Tarts (see picture). I really liked the Vietnamese Coffee (how can you go wrong adding sweetened condensed milk to cold press coffee?) and the Pop Tarts were great also.

    For our meals, I ordered the Salsa Verde Pork & Eggs (see picture), my wife ordered the BLTA&E (see picture) and my son ordered the Biscuits & Gravy (see picture). We each tasted each others dishes and thoroughly enjoyed all of them. The pulled pork in the Salsa Verde Pork & Eggs was moist, the eggs were done perfectly as ordered (over-easy) and the potatoes were done just right with some great seasoning. The BLTA&E was tasty and we all commented that the Biscuits in the Biscuits & Gravy were very light and crumbly.

    You won’t go wrong with a stop here for Breakfast or Lunch – but I would recommend that you make a reservation, as they are very busy.

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    Homemade Pop Tarts
    Salsa Verde Pork & Eggs
    BLTA&E
    Biscuits & Gravy
    Vietnamese Coffee

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

    The Breakfast Club (West Des Moines, IA) Review

    Rating: 5 out of 5.

    4.75* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 4*

    Value: 5*

    Service: 5*

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

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

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

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

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

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    Pad Thai Quinoa
    Basic B
    Farm Boy with over-easy eggs
    Deburgo Benny

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  • Copper Dog Cafe (Mandan, ND) Review

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    4.0* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 4*

    Atmosphere: 4*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 4*

    We stopped here for Sunday brunch while visiting my sister and brother-in-law and really enjoyed the stop.

    We started with coffees and found them every bit as good as the big names stores.  My wife ordered the Chicken and Waffles and it was delicious.  I ordered the Rookie and loved the infused ham, potatoes and cheese.

    It was getting busy by the time we left, so if you go…get there early or plan to wait.

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

    Eggs & Jam (West Des Moines, IA) Review

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    4.0* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 4*

    Value: 3*

    Service: 4*

    08/06/2022 Eggs & Jam

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

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

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

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    Sean Combs & Queso
    Fight! For Your Right to Pudding
    Mimosa Chicken & Waffles

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

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

    Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

    4.25* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 4*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 4*

    07/23/2022 Mahalo’s Coffee

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

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

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

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  • Mickies Dairy Bar (Madison, WI) Review

    Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

    4.5* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 4*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 5*

    11/23/2014

    To say the Scrambler is a lot of food is an understatement.  A plate stacked high with potatoes, eggs, cheese and your choice of meats and veggies.  My wife had the Reuben Omelet and a friend had pancakes (the size of the plate and an inch thick).  All were delicious.  The only thing that keeps me from giving it a 5 is the dive-like atmosphere, but that is part of its character on a college campus.

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