We were visiting our son in Riverview and it was a Friday night during Lent…so seemed like the perfect place to eat dinner! The exterior definitely catches your eye as you drive up…even if it was just a bit over the top. The interior was a similar vibe – bit of a rough-sawn lumber, fresh off the wharf feel with license plates from many States as well as other countries all over the walls.
My wife started with a Yuengling, since for whatever reason, we can’t buy them in an Iowa liquor store. Followed by 6 raw Oysters on the Half Shell (see picture). For our dinner, we ordered the S2 Just a Pinch combination boil (see picture). While we enjoyed the combination, we struggled a bit with the crawfish, so would probably order our own combination without crawfish next time.
Overall, we enjoyed our dinner and the experience. Everything was solid and above average, yet nothing stood out in particular as being outstanding other than maybe the Value, thus justifying the 5* rating for it.
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Our friends took us here several years ago and we really enjoyed the experience…finally getting the chance to return and found it just as impressive.
We started with drinks, including a Bloody Mary with Mezcal (see picture) and an After Midnight – both quite tasty. We then ordered Collective Wings (see picture) as an appetizer and found them so delicious that we were tempted to order more of them for our meal.
For our dinner, my wife ordered the Cubano (see picture) and I opted for the Squash Risotto (see picture). As we always do, we shared tastes of each both of us thought that both meals were good enough to order again and recommend.
A great place to eat towards the north end of the Valley Junction ‘Strip’ with an amazing atmosphere, excellent presentations and fantastic service.
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We were drawn by the opportunity to pick our own strawberries, given how disappointing the flavor of most purchased in the store are – and not only did we love the strawberries, the meatballs and strawberry sundae were also delicious!
While we did have plans for dinner at another restaurant, we stopped in at the cider house to sample what they had and then also enjoyed an appetizer as well as topping it off with an early dessert! We started with a Cider Flight (see pictue) to sample several of their ciders and while neither my wife nor myself are big cider fans, we enjoyed several of them.
For an appetizer, we had the House Meatballs (see picture) and while they seemed a bit on the salty side, we LOVED them. Lastly, and even though we were stopping elsewhere for dinner next, I couldn’t resist the opportunity to sample a strawberry sundae (see picture). While our trunk was loaded with strawberries to last us for months and we ate our fair share while picking them…the combination with soft serve ice cream was still delicious!
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I stopped back with a friend to update my information on HappyHourDesMoines.com and in addition to the Happy Hour Drinks (see pictures), we also shared an order of Carnitas Nachos (see picture). The menu includes Tapas, Nachos and Tacos…which complement the drinks nicely.
The nachos were delicious – with quality, taste and presentation well above average bar nachos. While I loved the 1/2 priced Margaritas for Happy Hour, I strongly dislike restaurants adding a 3% Service Fee, so knocked the Value down to 4* as a result.
You’ll love the atmosphere, food and drinks – and the Margaritas are 1/2 price during Happy Hour!
03/15/2023
We stopped here on one previous occasion with a wedding celebration party and really enjoyed the lively atmosphere and food. Today we stopped as a result of finding their Happy Hour at happyhourdesmoines.com and wanting to give it a try while downtown.
We ordered a round of drinks from the happy hour menu, including beers and a Coa Margarita (see picture). The presentation of the margarita was excellent per the picture, but we found it a bit sweet to our taste and the quantity was a little light due to the glass being completely filled with ice.
The atmosphere and service are fantastic, making this a great stop while in the area – whether for a drink or some great Mexican food.
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We were in the Atlanta area to attend the Persian wedding of some very good friends who we’ve shared a lot of good food with and this was on the short list of their favorite restaurants in the area. That alone was reason enough that we just had to stop here for dinner before leaving…and that we did!
I can’t say enough about the quality and taste of all of the food and drinks that we had, all of it so fresh, moist and tasty – if I could give it more than 5*, I would! We started with drinks – my wife opting for the Spice Mist (see picture) and myself the Black Rose (see picture). Both of them were delicious! In addition to the provided Bread & Sabzi (see picture) we also ordered a Smoked Salmon Hummus appetizer (see picture). We were thoroughly impressed with the rich, smooth hummus and the tender, flavorful salmon.
For our main courses, my wife ordered the Rack of Lamb (see picture) and I opted for the Soltani Kabob (see picture) – both of which were recommendations from our friends and we really enjoyed both dishes. In addition, we ordered the Baghali (bean & dill rice), the Chili Chutney and the Mast Khiyar. If you haven’t caught on yet, we ordered WAY too much food (especially the rice).
Lastly, a couple of words of advice / caution for your future visit. While the quantity of food served was quite high and we made it worse by ordering even more food, the main courses and drinks are on the expensive side, so I gave 4* for Value. Lastly, while the building and the interior were beautiful, I gave 4* on Atmosphere due to the parking situation.
There was a line of cars trying to get in, so they waved us through the Valet area. We then got to the back of the full lot and didn’t know what to do. Ultimately, several other cars that were also waved through turned around and left the lot, so assuming it was full I did the same. After driving around in all 4 directions looking for parking and almost parking in the back of the IHOP lot (good thing I didn’t – see picture), I ultimately gave up and found Public Parking in Google Maps – about a 4 block walk away against a cold wind.
Come prepared to deal with the parking and the somewhat pricey menu and leave totally satisfied from the wonderful food experience!
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When we got out of Saturday evening Mass, my wife found this gem while searching restaurants near our hotel. Downtown Chandler comes alive in the evenings and this place was right in the middle of the activity – open, modern and full of energy.
We started with a Kentucky Maid (see picture – great bourbon drink) and a Gates of Oblivion (see picture – we love smokey mezcal with some spice and this one delivers both) drink. Both of them were delicious…just a bit on the small side. Maybe intentionally so, to be consistent with the smaller Tapas plates served for dinner.
For our main course, I went with the Coconut Shrimp (see picture) and my wife ordered the Pork Fried Rice (see picture). Both of them were amazingly delicious and due to the smaller Tapas plate sizes, we opted to order the Pork Tacos (see picture) to share. They were some of the best street tacos that we’ve had – warm, fresh, moist and seasoned to perfection!
You will definitely enjoy a stop here for dinner – while the plates and drinks are a little on the small side (Tapas), the lower prices serve as an offset…and you will be less likely to feel stuffed when you leave!
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Wanted to give this place a try after seeing an ad following their opening in the old Grumpy Goat location. We had our opportunity when we invited our son and daughter-in-law to join us for dinner – and enjoyed our experience. An above average pub experience with reasonable value and great service.
A special call-out to our server Kathryn (Katie), who was fantastic! She had opinions on everything we asked about the menu, with solid details to share about each of them. One of her best suggestions was to upgrade to the Parmesan Fries – you will see them in each of the pictures and while they were a significant additional cost, they were delicious! If you are lucky enough to get her on your visit – be sure to say Hi to her from The Food and Drink Guy!
For our meals, I ordered the Fish & Chips (see picture), my wife ordered the Classic Cheeseburger (see picture) and my son ordered the French Dip (see picture). We found all of them to be very good – definitely above average for pub food…topped by the Parmesan Fries!
Possibly my favorite part of the stop though came after our meal and was a bit unexpected. If you follow my posts, you know how much I love good desserts. Tonight, I chose to take my dessert in liquid form and ordered a Chocolate Martini (see picture). Not only was it one of the better martinis I’ve consumed, the pricing put it in the upper echelon of value for martinis in the area. You will definitely want to give one of the martinis a try when you stop for a visit.
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Classic CheeseburgerFish & ChipsFrench DipChocolate Martini
Although a bit pricy, Firebirds is one of our favorite stops in Des Moines. If you want to try it out and save a few dollars – come for their great Happy Hour.
Well…we were back to one of our favorites again, this time for Happy Hour on my Birthday.
We defaulted to our old favorite, the Double Diamond Martini for the first round – they are just SO good and they aren’t down-sized for Happy Hour. For food we went with the Prime Rib Sliders (see picture) and our old standby, the Ahi Tuna Tacos (see picture). Once again, the food did not disappoint – with both of them being absolutely delicious and highly recommended.
04/28/2023
This place is getting to be a habit. This time, we were looking for a Happy Hour on HappyHourDesMoines.com that went past 5:30 since we were running late – and fell back to this excellent choice (Happy Hour until 6:30). The service was better on this stop, so raised it back to 4* and the overall to 4.5*.
We defaulted to our old favorite, the Double Diamond Martini for the first round, then I returned to the Dirty Bird for the second round. For food we went with the Lobster Queso (see picture – not part of the Happy Hour specials, but still delicious) and Ahi Tuna Tacos (see picture). As per our expectations here, the food did not disappoint – with both of them being absolutely delicious and highly recommended.
You won’t be disappointed in a stop at Firebirds – check out their Happy Hour to get started and stay for dinner if you are hungry enough.
04/05/2023
Returned again – this time to use a $10 coupon from registering with their email club that was expiring. The food and atmosphere were great again…but was a little disappointed with the service at this visit, so dropped that rating. Our server was slow in getting to take our order and promised bread and butter…that didn’t come until after our entree was delivered and I had made a trip up to ask about it.
Their bread is great (see picture), with panko-like crumbs on the top and butter on the side. I was not that hungry and trying to watch my calories (thanks by the way for the calorie listings of each dish on the menu), so went with the Strawberry Shrimp Salad (see picture) – and absolutely loved it! My wife ordered the Durango Burger (see picture) on the server’s recommendation and also enjoyed it, along with the tater tots.
03/17/2023
While admittedly a bit on the pricey side, this is one of our go-to places in Des Moines as we have never been disappointed in the food or drinks during any of our stops. Most recently, we stopped by last night and since there was an hour wait to get a table, we settled in at the bar and enjoyed several items from their Happy Hour menu (see pictures).
For starters, we each ordered a Double Diamond Martini (see picture) and really enjoyed the tropical flavors. I also ordered a Sam Adams Cold Snap (see picture) and enjoyed it also along with the great atmosphere.
The best part of all (beyond the Happy Hour prices) was the food! We started with the Ahi Tuna Tacos (see picture) and found them to be so delicious (yes, a little messy too…) that we made the decision to order more and make them our dinner. In addition, we tried an order of Fire Up Shrimp (see picture). While they were also good, I expected a bit of spicy kick from them that wasn’t there, so found them fairly bland – although there were quite a few shrimp included on the plate.
While dinners are fantastic at Firebirds, if arrive before 6:30 on a weeknight and there are seats available at the bar – you won’t be disappointed with the food and drink offerings available there during their Happy Hour!
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Have been wanting to try this place for some time, but wasn’t sure what to expect and whether it was worth a drive just to visit. We had the opportunity while returning home from a Winterset trip to enabled our friends visiting from France to see some covered bridges and the John Wayne Museum.
We each tried a Wine Flight (see picture) and also enjoyed a flight of different chocolate medallions from Chocolaterie Stam (see picture). The quality of the wines came as a bit of a surprise to me, as I wasn’t expecting a lot from a smaller community in the middle of Iowa.
If you enjoy relaxing at a table with a great glass of wine, you will enjoy a stop at the Covered Bridges Winery in Winterset, Iowa.
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We were killing time walking down Ingersoll and waiting for our dinner reservation when I saw a sign for Crème. If you follow my posts, you know that I have a strong sweet tooth – so had to stop and check the place out…even though I wasn’t supposed to eat dessert before dinner.
What could possibly be wrong with a stop at a shop advertising both delicious desserts / snacks as well as cocktails! I couldn’t resist eating one of them immediately (even before dinner…), so opted for the Hot Chocolate (spicy) cupcake (see picture). Unfortunately, I was so eager to taste it that it was already unwrapped before I remembered to take a picture. My wife was a little more sensible…opting for the Salted Peanut Butter Honey Chocolate Torte to go. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a picture of it.
We both sampled some of each others and found them both to be delicious. The cupcake had just the right amount of spicy kick to go along with the sweet chocolate and frosting – and the torte was every bit as good as you can imagine.
If you are in the area and looking for a great sweet treat, snack or cocktail (even late in the evening), you will definitely want to give this place a try.
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We hadn’t heard much about this place, but met some great new friends from Brazil here when they recommended it. The building was quite impressive as we walked up and the inside lived up to the promises on the building’s exterior – this was truly a memorable dinner!
We started with drinks and some wine – see the attached menu pictures and you’ll understand how difficult of decision that in itself proved to be in the end! We then ordered appetizers to share – the Soppresatta Pizza (see picture) and Spinach & Artichoke Dip (see picture). The pizza was excellent and similar in taste to pepperoni and the spinach and artichoke dip was also very good.
For our dinners, my wife ordered the Lemon Garlic Shrimp (see picture) and I ordered the Salmon BLT (see picture). Our friends ordered the Italian Stuffed Tenderloin (see picture) and the Frutti Di Mare (see picture). We shared tastes of the dishes and all of us really liked all of these dishes – I’d highly recommend them all. My wife also ordered the Seafood Bisque (see picture) as she had heard some great things about it from her coworkers – and it also lived up to the hype.
This is a top-notch wine bar and restaurant in our area and although you might find it a bit pricey, our experience tells me that you will leave happy customers. If you go – say ‘Hi’ to Jacob S. from The Food and Drink Guy – he was a fantastic server, so consider yourself lucky if he is your server also!
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Our friends picked this place during our visit to enjoy on a sunny afternoon in California and we all really enjoyed the experience. As a matter of fact, our friends liked it so much that they ended up signing up for the Wine Club – so they will get to enjoy the place during new releases throughout the year.
For starters, we shared the Baked Bourbon Brie Cheese and all of us found it delicious – the bourbon and brown sugar sauce drizzled over the top was so tasty!
For our ‘main course’ we each enjoyed a Wine Tasting (see picture) – samples of 5 different wines, served in a metal ‘tower’. The presentation was unique and each of the wines tasted great. We enjoyed the 2021 Estate Rose best of the whites and the 2020 Estate Merlot best among the reds.
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This place was directly across the street from the Hilton Garden Inn where we were staying and since we didn’t stop here for dinner, we stopped here for an after-dinner cocktail on the way back to our room.
Given our penchant for unique cocktails and my love of spicy and smokey drinks, we really enjoyed our stop (see cocktail pictures below). Our server was very friendly and helpful relative to helping us find a great cocktail for our tastes and in addition to enjoying the drinks, we had great conversation with a couple of people at the bar.
The food that was being served while we were there looked and smelled delicious, so we look forward to stopping back here for dinner sometime on another visit.
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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 QuinoaBasic BFarm Boy with over-easy eggsDeburgo Benny
We have recommended this place and brought other couples for their first experience here on numerous occasions (several of whom brought other friends later after enjoying the stop). We had always enjoyed the unique cocktails and atmosphere – and even though they were pricey, justified it since we only were having one.
Last night started the same, in that we were heading home from my wife’s work holiday party (appetizers and 2 drink tickets), so suggested to 2 other ladies to join us at Pots and Shots. My wife was disappointed with the new drink menu – as she had a favorite that contained cilantro from our earlier visits that was no longer available, so she ordered something else. I was driving, so ordered one tap beer and passed on a refill.
That is when things got weird. Another lady at our table was at the bar and was told that they would not serve her any more alcohol. That is their choice and responsibility as a business serving alcohol, so I understand. However, what happened next was what was the most confusing.
Another lady at our table ordered a glass of wine and when my wife was going to order another drink, we were told that no one at the table would be served any more alcohol. This other lady went to talk with the manager one-on-one to explain that I was driving and understand why others at the table couldn’t have any more drinks. She never really received a clear answer beyond fear that someone might trip and fall on the way out of the business, even if I was driving.
Clearly a disappointing close to our evening and unfortunate first visit for our new friend from downtown (who didn’t even want to finish her wine). I still left a 15% tip, as it wasn’t the server’s fault – but clearly left disappointed after this most recent visit.
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We stopped here during our visit based on our neighbor’s recommendation and really enjoyed the stop. The drinks were the best we had during our stay (see pictures) – I had the Salted Caramel Martini and my wife had the Bloody Mary.
The drinks, presentation and delivery were all top notch. The atmosphere was also great, but was a bit cluttered, with boxes of wine and other items littering the floor. The prices were some of the highest that we experienced during our stay…but again the quality and taste was great! You won’t regret stopping here for a wine or cocktail.
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Loved this stop while visiting the Lake Geneva area this weekend. We like to sample new beers and track them on Untappd, so stopped to try it out.
The buildings are very modern and clean, the prices are acceptable and the service is great. Oh yeah, did I say that the beer selection is good…and the beer tastes great!
The Gift Shop is built into a grain bin and looks great! Definitely worth a stop of you are in the area.
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Stopped here for lunch on our way out of town following a business trip visit and enjoyed the experience. The atmosphere in a remodeled Church is definitely unique.
I ordered the Walleye Dinner special (see picture) and thought it was delicious – a lot of food and all of it was high quality.
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Neat, modern, industrial atmosphere with lots of space. Friendly service, lots of space and games to play (Cornhole, badminton, ping pong, darts, etc). Drinks are a little pricey ($10-$12, but very small).
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Modern, clean venue that has been open for about 4 years and has a reasonable choice of beers (16). It was a beehive of activity on a Saturday afternoon with several kids birthday parties, some basketball fans and others enjoying the beer (even some outside when it was only 50 degrees). Also, the food looks great, but we had just eaten before going there.
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