We stopped in here for a quick drink at the bar with friends while waiting for our table at Columbia on a previous trip and immediately wanted to come back to try it for dinner. We were able to do it tonight and share the experience with our son who lives in the area. Wow – this definitely rises to the top tier of restaurants in the area that we would love to go back to on a future trip!
Absolutely everything that we ordered was top-notch quality and delicious! We started by sharing the Arancini al Burro (see picture) along with the Toasted Gnocchi (see picture). Both looked great on the plate and were even better once dipped heavily in the sauce and tasted!
For our main courses, my wife ordered the Casarecce “Rinaldi” (see picture) and my son and I shared the Veal Scaloppine Milanesa (see picture) with 3 added Large Meatballs (see picture). Richard, our server, recommended the additional meatballs and it was a great call. As we always do, we shared tastes of all of the dishes and all of us raved about all of them
If you found this review helpful, please Share, Follow & Like.
While this place has an admittedly non-descript brick exterior and clean but average interior, I appreciated it most for what it was: solid Vietnamese food at a great value, served with a family-owned feel. Biggest disappointment was that while alcohol options showed on the menu, they were unable to serve any alcohol – claiming that their liquor license had not yet been renewed.
I was craving a spring roll with peanut sauce, so to start things off, we ordered #90 Bo Bia steamed spring rolls with shredded shrimp, carrots and sausage served with plum sauce (see picture). While the wrap was thicker than the ‘paper’ wraps that I’m used to, they were very good – and I really liked the plum sauce.
My wife was undecided and our very helpful waiter Archie, suggested #69 Com Ga Chien Xa Ot (chicken breast fried with spicy lemon grass – see picture). It was good, but both of us would have preferred a bit more spice, as we ended up adding Siracha at the table.
I was considering #99 Banh Xeo Vietnamese style crispy pancake stuffed with shrimp, pork & veggies based on the menu picture, but Archie talked me into #97 Banh Tam Bi Xiu Mai udon noodles with shredded pork, steamed pork meatballs and veggies instead (see picture). I was impressed with the coconut milk and lemon sauce that he poured over it when served with the instructions to stir it all together – very tasty combination of savory, sweet and tart, with a very slight spiciness.
If you found this review helpful, please Share, Follow & Like.
#90 Bo Bia steamed spring rolls#69 Com Ga Chien Xa Ot chicken breast w/ spicy lemon grass#97 Banh Tam Bi Xiu Mai udon noodles with shredded pork, steamed meatballs & veggies
We have stopped here at least one other time but for some reason, I don’t have a review documented…so getting it done this time. While a bit of a hidden gem off of 86th Street, the building is modern, chic and inviting – with a large covered patio area connected to the north side of the building. The one negative is that the temperature is kept very cold inside, so consider bringing a sweater or light jacket to stay comfortable. Unfortunately, tonight was a bit cold outside, so it was a coinflip on which was better – we opted for the patio seating and the wind settled down during our visit to get quite comfortable.
We started with a Cuban Martini and Sojito (see picture) along with an order of Bang Bang Shrimp (see picture) for an appetizer. We enjoyed the drinks and the Bang Bang Shrimp with the drizzled Yum Yum-type sauce was delicious!
For our main courses, my wife ordered the Thai Pasta (see picture) and I opted for the Fig, Avocado and Goat Cheese Salad (see picture). As is our custom, we both shared bites from each of our plates and liked both of them very much – although the Thai Pasta definitely had a bit more ‘kick’.
We ordered the Tres Leches for dessert (remembering it from our last visit), but unfortunately found that they were sold out, so had to leave without dessert. If you are looking for a modern, unique, Asian fusion type restaurant in the Johnston area, Roots 95 won’t disappoint.
If you found this review helpful, please Share, Follow & Like.
We stopped here just after moving to Urbandale over 4 years ago with our son and daughter in law along with our parish Priest (who is an Indian native) and just took the opportunity to return. We enjoyed it during both stops and would definitely go back.
Tonight my wife opted for the Chili Garlic Chicken (see picture) and I chose the Chicken Lababdar (see picture) along with an order of Garlic Naan. As usual, we shared tastes of each dish and while both were very good, the Chili Garlic Chicken definitely had a more flavor and a bit of a spicy ‘kick’.
This is a solid Indian restaurant near old town Waukee with very friendly service.
If you found this review helpful, please Share, Follow & Like.
I’ve heard great things about this place and always wanted to give it a try…but knew enough about them to realize it would take a very special occasion to justify a dinner here with my budget. That special occasion presented itself this week with our 38th Wedding Anniversary – so I made the decision to splurge for the night!
While the rumors I had heard led me to believe that the restaurant was on the top floor of the building, it didn’t take long to find the elevator access blocked. We then followed the signs to the location on the 2nd floor at the top of the stairs and on the East side. While the entrance from the building was a bit hidden (see pictures), once we stepped inside we immediately transitioned into a what would be expected of a high-end restaurant (see pictures).
We started with a Troon (grapefruit vodka & grapefruit juice – see picture) and an 801 Special Martini (vodka, gin & blue cheese olives – see picture). The Troon was especially tasty and the martini was a bit strong for me, so I asked for some brine to ‘dirty it up a bit’ – which I liked.
Following the delicious Table Bread (see picture), we ordered the Prime Beef Carpaccio (see picture) and Wedge Salad (see picture) – shared them both and would highly recommend both of them. While I kind of wanted to try all of the seafood on the menu, since this was a reknowned steakhouse, we decided to share the 30oz Porterhouse (see picture). While we ordinarily order medium rare, our server (Laura) advised us that their medium rare is cool in the middle, so we adjusted to medium along with the suggestion to precut it and were extremely pleased with the results (see plated picture). It was cooked to perfection, with the butter and mushrooms only enhancing each bite!
Of course we couldn’t leave without the capstone of the meal and neither of us had ever had a souffle, so we went with the Chocolate Souffle (see picture) – and OH, was it delicious!! As if it wasn’t good enough by itself, it was also served with 3 different sauces to add (Chocolate, Vanilla & Berry Compote) – you will want to try it!
Our experience was a great as it gets, with various staff members wishing us “Happy Anniversary” throughout the evening, a personalized Happy Anniversary menu and a complimentary dessert. The only thing I struggled with on a review like this is how to rate “Value” when the cost is more than double the high side of what we usually spend when we go out for dinner. For us and our budget…we just have to reserve our return trip for another very special occasion!
If you found this review helpful, please Share, Follow & Like.
While we’ve stopped here a few times since living here, I hadn’t yet taken the time to post a review to my website, so fixing that now. This most recent stop was to meet a friend from Church after work and it turned out to be a great meeting spot.
I started with the Hot Skinny B*/ch (see picture) and as the name implies, the jalapeno tequila and additional sliced jalapenos gave it a good spicy kick! I loved it…but if you aren’t into the stronger jalapeno burn, you might not enjoy it as much as I did.
For our dinner, we started with an order of Southwest Egg Rolls (see picture) and then each of us ordered some Wings (see picture). While ideally I would have preferred that both orders not be fried as much as they were, both were still quite tasty and above average pub food.
If you found this review helpful, please Share, Follow & Like.
We were looking for a place to stop for brunch after Mass in Webster on our way back home to Des Moines and my in-laws suggested Bitter Lake Lodge’s buffet. The building has a modern steel exterior and a modern hunting cabin like interior with a concrete floor (see pictures).
Service was prompt and there was a reasonable selection on the buffet line (scrambled eggs, scrambled eggs with veggies and cheese, bacon, sausages, potatoes, biscuits & gravy, pancakes and french toast sticks). The scrambled eggs were very good and the potatoes were good, but they were out after we went through and were not replenished. The sausages were plentiful and the bacon was thick, hearty and smokey.
Overall, this was a solid, above average buffet with good service at a good value ($12.99 + coffee / beverage). Other than a desire that they be a bit more attentive to the quantity of food in the pans and replenishing as required, my main disappointment was that black plastic forks were the only eating utensils available. Given the available foods, metal knives wouldn’t be necessary – but having metal forks would be appreciated.
If you found this review helpful, please Share, Follow & Like.
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.
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.
Planned to stop at the Handle Bar on the way home, but they were already closed at 8:30 on a Thursday, so we went downtown…and then we were distracted by ice cream!
I love the unique triangular-shaped corner the business is situated on, the wide selection of ice cream treats – and the reasonable prices!
My wife and I ended up sharing an Extreme Reese’s Sundae (see picture) and our neighbors went with the Peanut Parfait. Both of them were delicious, just the right size and only $5 each. If you find yourself northwest of the Des Moines metro or biking through Dallas Center on the bike path (right next to the building), you will definitely want to stop for a treat!
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.
Stopped back with friends to have Armadillo Eggs (see picture) and Pretzel Crusted Sauerkraut Balls (see picture) and while they were still good, both were over-cooked and fried to a crispy dark brown color. As such, I reduced the food rating to 4*. This time we also enjoyed the Rouladen Rolls (see picture) and found them to also be very good. A solid stop for appetizers and a great selection of German beers.
06/16/2023
We have stopped here for biers and appetizers several times while downtown and this most recent stop added another item to the ‘must try’ appetizer list. They have an extensive tap and bottled bier selection – many of which are from Germany, so are pretty unique for the area.
We have had the Armadillo Eggs (see picture) appetizer several times and have really enjoyed it every time. How can you go wrong with jalapeno poppers inside a chicken breast – and wrapped in bacon! On this visit, we also tried the Pretzel Crusted Sauerkraut Balls (see picture) and also found them to be excellent – and the dipping sauce is a great complement.
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.
When we are staying in Hankinson during the summer months, we are always on the lookout for great restaurants to try in the area. We had heard about a Mexican restaurant that recently opened and my parents suggested we give it a try so we joined them – and boy, is it ever a small town gem!
My wife and I started off with a Mango Jalapeno Margarita (see picture) and Lime Margarita (see picture). They didn’t have the Mango Jalapeno Margarita on the menu but my wife likes them so asked if they could make one and they agreed. He asked her how spicy she wanted it and while she answered ‘fairly’, he must have assumed that she was a mild American…as she ended up muddling some of the jalapeno pepper delivered on the rim of the glass into the drink to spice it up a bit more! Both drinks were delicious though – and served nice, large, heavy margarita glasses.
We started eating with some chips and salsa (see picture), which was quite good – fresh and tasty. For our meals, my wife chose the Steak California Burrito (see picture) and I went with the Mahi Mahi Fish Tacos (see picture). We really enjoyed both meals (as we always sample each others order) and would highly recommend both of them. The Mahi Mahi Fish Tacos were the special for the night and while I’m biased – I highly recommend getting them with corn tortillas.
As we started eating, the husband of the owner stopped by our table to ask about where we were visiting from and asked if we had tried their macaroni and cheese dishes. We hadn’t, so he offered to bring us a sample (see picture) and after tasting it, we realized why he was so proud of it. My Dad said that is going to be his go-to dish on his next visit.
This place is a real gem in small town Lidgerwood, ND and well worth a drive to give it a try. It is well lit and quite roomy inside, with decor, food quality and margarita selection that would make you think you were in a much larger city. The prices are a little higher than you might expect in a small town, but the quality is quite good.
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.
Decided late in the afternoon to go out for Mexican on Cinco de Mayo, so chose the place closest to our home as we have enjoyed previous visits. They were absolutely slammed with business…several delivery drivers waiting at the door said they had been waiting for well over an hour. Once we got past the delivery drivers, we were seated relatively quickly but the service was slow due to how busy they were.
The Jalapeno Cucumber and Mango margaritas (see pictures) were served in plastic glasses – again, likely due to how busy they were. While they tasted great, the presentation wasn’t quite as nice as the heavy glass goblets they usually serve. We always enjoy the chips and salsa (see picture) here – the chips are fresh and the salsa is thick and hearty.
Lastly, for our meals tonight we again ordered the Ceviche Mixto (see picture) that we enjoyed previously and while it again tasted great, it wasn’t served with any crackers (we used our table chips) and the price seemed a bit high at $24. Both my wife and I agreed that the highlight of the meal though was the Orden Shrimp Tacos (see picture) – with both of us commenting that they just might have been the best shrimp tacos we have ever eaten!
02/17/2023
This is fairly close to our home, so we stopped here last night on the way home from checking out a Happy Hour for HappyHourDesMoines.com. It was a Friday night around 6:30 and the place was packed. They took our name and we went to the bar to wait for our table (which took about 15-20 minutes). The servers were hustling around the restaurant the entire time – so it wasn’t for a lack of effort, but we did have to make an effort to catch someone when we needed something.
We started with a Mango Jalapeno Margarita (see picture) which was delicious – just be forewarned that it does have a fairly strong bite of jalapeno pepper if you don’t like if being spicy. It was a large serving and had plenty of additional Tajin seasoning (which we love).
For our dinner, we ordered the Ceviche Mixto (see picture) which is not on the menu, but we’ve had it before and enjoyed it. At our server’s urging, we added the octopus to it and not sure if that was the reason…but we were charged $25.99 for the plate, so be aware if you want to try it. Like other times, it tasted great – I just probably wouldn’t order the octopus again (pretty firm and not much taste).
The other item we ordered for dinner was the Orden Tacos De Charolita (see picture), again on our server’s recommendation. Be aware of 2 things with this dish: 1.) it is very greasy / messy (you will need a few napkins) and 2.) it was extremely salty – to the point that it seemed that all you could taste was salt.
While we have always enjoyed our drinks here as well as the ceviche, we were disappointed with how salty the taco plate was. I would definitely recommend a stop to try their drinks!
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 were in the area for a cousin’s wedding and her Aunt set up a group lunch at this place for interested family members. It was a favorite place of my late and Great Uncle Tom’s, so was a fitting place for the family to get together before his Granddaughter’s wedding.
Both the restaurant and the wine cellar have maintained an old European type of feel. This was obvious from when you first drive up – seeing the red brick patio in front of the stone wall facade, swiss chalet-like roofline and heavy wooden antique door and hinges. The feeling of stepping back in time continued as you stepped through the front door, with heavy timber structure visible throughout and tables of similar aged heavy wood.
The theme continued with the menu. Being next door to a wine cellar, we started with a round of wine – enjoying the BTL Sangria to keep it light for the afternoon.
For our meal, my wife ordered the Beef Stroganoff (see picture) and I opted for the Swiss Sausage Platter with Bratwurst & Smoked Sausage (see picture). As we always do, we shared tastes of each other’s order and really enjoyed both plates. A meal just isn’t complete though without dessert, so we ordered Chocolate Ganache (see picture) along with a Swiss Apple Dumpling with ice cream (see picture). Boy, were they both ever delicious…don’t leave without trying one or both!
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.
