The Food and Drink Guy

Tag: Lunch

  • Malo (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*

    Found out about their Taco Tuesday $2 street taco special on happyhourdesmoines.com, so had to go there last night to try it. What an awesome place!

    There were plenty of chips and salsa (see picture) served.  The salsa and cream sauce were top-notch, while the chips were average. I immediately ordered a Paloma (delicious) and one of each $2 street tacos (beef and chicken) on corn tortillas. Both tasted great, but the beef were especially great – tender and such fantastic seasoning!  The chopped onions and cilantro on the side was another tasty addition.

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    For the best Happy Hours and Food Specials in Des Moines, visit: happyhourdesmoines.com

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  • Jethro’s BBQ ‘n Bacon Bacon (West Des Moines, IA) Review

    Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

    3.5* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 3*

    Atmosphere: 4*

    Value: 3*

    Service: 4*

    Have been to multiple Jethro’s locations, but this was our first visit to this location. Although we like to explore and try new places, our son and daughter-in-law like Jethro’s, so we stopped here with a visiting family member.

    I ordered the single meat platter with brisket.  It was average – good flavor but a little dry to my taste, as I’ve become a bit of a ‘brisket snob’ after making sure a few myself and knowing what I like. The sweet potato fries were good.

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    For the best Happy Hours and Food Specials in Des Moines, visit: happyhourdesmoines.com

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  • 7 Stars Family Restaurant (Clear Lake, IA) Review

    Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

    3.5* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 3*

    Atmosphere: 3*

    Value: 5*

    Service: 3*

    Stopped here for lunch during our drive home. It is a good, clean and modern restaurant with a small town cafe feel. The food was good as well as the value.

    My wife ordered the Mushroom Burger while I had the Chicken Noodle Soup.  We thought that both tasted very good – the soup was not watered down and actually was fairly thick.

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    For the best Happy Hours and Food Specials in Des Moines, visit: happyhourdesmoines.com

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  • Milton’s (Crystal, MN) Review

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    4.25* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 4*

    Atmosphere: 4*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 5*

    Our son suggested that we stop here for dinner and we really enjoyed the stop.  We arrived just before closing time, so were warned that they would be starting to clean up but it wasn’t an issue at all.

    The decor was a little tongue in cheek and self-depricating – and the service was great.  We ordered the Jerk Mac & Cheese with chicken (see picture) and it was delicious.  A son ordered the Russian Rye and another ordered the cheese burger – both really like the sandwiches and the fries were tasty and crispy.

    And we ended up with a carrot cake to go for our Easter dinner – gluten free deliciousness!

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    For the best Happy Hours and Food Specials in Des Moines, visit: happyhourdesmoines.com

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  • Pub 42 (New Hope, MN) Review

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    4.25* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 4*

    Atmosphere: 4*

    Value: 5*

    Service: 4*

    Went here Easter weekend with our son and really enjoyed the stop. It was very busy, so we at first didn’t think we had time to stay – but they ended up finding us a table to eat at the bar.

    The tap beer, drink and food selections were good and the place was very lively – with some great country music playing in the background.

    We started with an order of popovers since we hadn’t had any for a while and absolutely loved the butter that came with them.  We ended up all ordering the Fish Special for Friday after hearing that it was walleye and all really liked the meal.

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    For the best Happy Hours and Food Specials in Des Moines, visit: happyhourdesmoines.com

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  • La Dona Cerveceria Brewery (Minneapolis, MN) Review

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    4.33* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

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    Food: n/a

    Atmosphere: 4*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 5*

    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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    For the best Happy Hours and Food Specials in Des Moines, visit: happyhourdesmoines.com

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  • Rookies Sports Bar & Grill (Clive) Review

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    4.0* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 4*

    Atmosphere: 4*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 4*

    I’ve driven by here many times and haven’t stopped because it didn’t look like much from the outside.  However, I walked here during an oil change and am glad I did.

    I wasn’t even sure that it was open, as the dark tint on the exterior windows blocked out any activity or even beer lights from inside.  However, upon entering I was pleasantly surprised by the decor, friendly service, tap beer selection and food (french fries is all I had, but they had a larger menu).

    Update: My wife and I stopped here for lunch yesterday.  We ordered the blackened chicken quesadillas (see pictures) and really liked them.  They were fresh and tasty and the blackened chicken had just the right level of spiciness.

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  • Bierstube (Moline, IL) Review

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    3.75* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 4*

    Atmosphere: 4*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 3*

    Stopped here for dinner while staying in downtown Moline and enjoyed the German food.  I really like red cabbage and hot German potato salad is also very good.  The red cabbage was delicious – you definitely want to order it.

    I ordered the Leberkäse Dinner lightly beer battered per the waitress’ suggestion.  It was good and I would recommend it.

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    For the best Happy Hours and Food Specials in Des Moines, visit: happyhourdesmoines.com

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  • Pagalo’s Pizzeria & Gelato Cafe (Milan, IL) Review

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    4.0* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 4*

    Atmosphere: 4*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 4*

    Stopped here for lunch while in town based on a recommendation and really enjoyed the lunch.

    The restaurant was very clean and modern with nice decor, the workers were all very friendly and the place was quite lively.

    I ordered the grilled chicken pizza and really liked the seasoning, crust and overall flavor. Unfortunately, I didn’t save room for gelato after the pizza…so will save that for the next visit.

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    For the best Happy Hours and Food Specials in Des Moines, visit: happyhourdesmoines.com

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  • Jesse’s Embers (Des Moines, IA) Review

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    4.0* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 4*

    Atmosphere: 3*

    Value: 3*

    Service: 5*

    We stopped here for dinner when we were in the area based on a friend’s recommendation.  First impression from the outside and confirmed once inside was of a 70s-era steakhouse (dark, no windows & dark decor).  That is not a knock / negative comment, just an observation.

    Once inside, it was quite crowded but we were quickly welcomed by Joe the bartender who asked our names and then repeated them several times before we left.  I started off by ordering a Brandy Alexander ice cream drink and loved it.

    We enjoyed the table bread, which included plenty of available butter.  My wife overheard some other patrons talking about how good the onion rings were.  Since the large is only $1 more than the small we ordered a large and both thought they were good.  The best part of the meal was the salad with the house creamy garlic dressing – both the dressing and the croutons were delicious.

    For our main course we went with the London Broil – which unfortunately was the weakest part of the meal.  The slice laying on top was medium rare as ordered, but the other slices bordered on medium-well to well done.  As you might expect, those other pieces were dry, tough and lacking flavor.  When the owner stopped by our table (before we got our main course), he did mention that there was a substitute chef that night – so this dish might be better on another night.

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    For the best Happy Hours and Food Specials in Des Moines, visit: happyhourdesmoines.com

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  • Zora Bar & Rooftop (Des Moines, IA) Review

    Rating: 5 out of 5.

    5.0* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: n/a

    Atmosphere: 5*

    Value: 5*

    Service: 5*

    Wow…what a great place!  We had guests in town, so we were bouncing around downtown looking for some unique experiences for them and boy did this place hit the mark!

    They just opened in August of 2021 so the building is almost new and we got there for the first day that the rooftop was open this Spring.  The whole place was so open and modern…lots of open garage doors, plenty of black metal works for railings, etc. (see pictures) and a great sound system.  It was mid-afternoon on a weekday, so we had the VIP level all to ourselves.  We had to go down a level to refresh our drinks, but what a view from the top.

    The best part of all (and make sure you do this while you are there) was when Angie showed up with the ice shot glasses.  The shot glasses are literally made of ice filled with your favorite shot.  They are delivered to a platform by the stairs with black bells about 15′ away.  The object is to drink the shot (be careful, the ice shot glasses are very slippery in your warm hand ), then throw the empty shot glass at one of the bells, trying to ring them.  I have videos, but can’t post them to the review…believe me, it is fun!

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    For the best Happy Hours and Food Specials in Des Moines, visit: happyhourdesmoines.com

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  • Los Tres Amigos (Waukee, IA) Review

    Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

    3.25* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 3*

    Atmosphere: 3*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 3*

    Had planned to eat at Shanghai per a friend’s recommendation, but they were short staff and had a wait so we thought we would try Los Tres Amigos instead.

    We were seated quickly even though the restaurant was pretty full and thought their chips and salsa were good (see picture).  I was not impressed with their Paloma.  It was served in a tap beer glass, didn’t have Tajìn on the rim (only very light salt) and didn’t taste that good.  We later asked how it was made and apparently they use lime juice and Squirt…my preference includes grapefruit juice and soda water or Fresca.

    My wife enjoyed her Carnitas Dinner (see picture) and the flavor was good in my Los Tres Amigos (see picture), but I was disappointed with how thin and tough the steak and chicken were.

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    For the best Happy Hours and Food Specials in Des Moines, visit: happyhourdesmoines.com

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  • 701 Eateries (Fargo, ND) Review

    Rating: 5 out of 5.

    4.0* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

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    Food: 4*

    Atmosphere: 5*

    Value: 3*

    Service: 4*

    We made reservations and met friends here while visiting in Fargo.  Reservations are right as it is a busy place and parking can bea but if a challenge (we had to park 3 blocks away).

    The decor is modern and chic and the servers were friendly.  My wife started with a Lingonberry Sour (see picture) and really liked it – tart and tasty.

    We started our meal with the Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Dates – delicious and highly recommended!  For our meals, my son ordered the Butcher Block Burger (see picture), my wife ordered the Prime Rib Sandwich (see picture) and I had the Nordic Salmon with Dill Sauce (see picture).  All tasted very good, but delivery took a long time and they were all barely warm when delivered.  I’m not sure if they were left on the counter accidentally or if they intentionally waited for something that took longer to prepare.

    Overall, the atmosphere was great, but the prices were a little high and the food and service were only a little above average.

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    For the best Happy Hours and Food Specials in Des Moines, visit: happyhourdesmoines.com

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  • Say Cheese Mac & Melt (West Fargo, ND) Review

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    4.25* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 5*

    Value: 3*

    Service: 4*

    After seeing a Facebook post of a morning TV live cooking event from my 1st cousin which featured her son cooking for the hosts, I had to try this place.  Anything that combines bbq meat and cheese has got to be good…

    The building and atmosphere were great…modern, clean, vibrant – with a little country music playing in the background.  You order at the counter, then take a number and they deliver it to your table.  I loved the presentation – a heavy cast iron skillet preloaded with a real metal fork…ready to be enjoyed.

    Per Parker’s recommendation, I ordered the BBQ Pulled Pork Mac & Cheese with Carolina Reaper cheese added – the ‘Parker Special’.  Boy was it delicious – moist, flavorful pulled pork, tangy bbq sauce, creamy cheese…and a little bite from the Carolina Reaper cheese!  I highly recommend this restaurant and this dish and can’t wait to return to try some other options.

    If you found this review helpful, please show your appreciation with a Like or a Follow. To receive Tweets of the latest Reviews, follow on Twitter: @TheFaDGuy

    For the best Happy Hours and Food Specials in Des Moines, visit: happyhourdesmoines.com

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  • Biaggi’s Ristorante Italiano (Maple Grove, MN) Review

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    4.25* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 4*

    Atmosphere: 5*

    Value: 3*

    Service: 5*

    We met our son here for his Birthday dinner (his venue choice) and like every visit at several different Biaggi’s…we really enjoyed our stop.  The service is always excellent and the cloth napkins are appreciated.

    Being a Friday during Lent, I ordered the Dijon Salmon (see picture) and my wife ordered the Seared Scallop Risotto.  The salmon was a little overcooked, as it was not very juicy but the scallops and risotto were fantastic – they are highly recommended.

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    For the best Happy Hours and Food Specials in Des Moines, visit: happyhourdesmoines.com

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  • Porter Creek Hardwood Grill (Fargo, ND) Review

    Rating: 5 out of 5.

    4.75* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 5*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 5*

    One of the best restaurants in Fargo.  This place is top-notch, with great food, service, place settings and cloth napkins.  Tonight I enjoyed Salmon along with Cream Caramel Cheesecake.

    Update following another visit…still great food and service.  There was a mixup on assigning a waitress to our table, initially causing a delay.  However, after they discovered the system error, they apologized and comped our appetizer.  I ordered the chicken and brie sandwich and my wife ordered the hanger steak.  I thought the chicken sandwich was very good…but the hanger steak was fantastic – extremely tender and full of flavor, as were the potatoes with horseradish sauce.  I highly recommend both meals.

    Update from March 2022:
    Once again, we left impressed after another great visit.  This time we enjoyed the great value of the late night 1/2 price drinks and apps Happy Hour.  We ordered Walleye Fingers and Seared Ahi and both were absolutely delicious and highly recommended.

    If you found this review helpful, please show your appreciation with a Like or a Follow. To receive Tweets of the latest Reviews, follow on Twitter: @TheFaDGuy

    For the best Happy Hours and Food Specials in Des Moines, visit: happyhourdesmoines.com

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  • Clear Sky on Cleveland (Clearwater, FL) Review

    Rating: 5 out of 5.

    4.75* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 5*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 5*

    Our son picked this place for a late lunch on the way to the aquarium and boy, did we enjoy our meal!

    The exterior was beautiful (see front and back entrance pictures) and the Corazón Buffalo Trace Barrel Aged Reposado tequila drinks sign immediately captured my attention.  The bar was will stocked, the atmosphere was festive and the decor was modern and well lit.

    We first shared Pork Dumplings, then my wife ordered the Fort Harrison Steak and I opted for the Half Buffalo Chicken Salad.  All of the food was every bit as good as it looks in the pictures and then some…I highly recommend all of them.

    If you found this review helpful, please show your appreciation with a Like or a Follow. To receive Tweets of the latest Reviews, follow on Twitter: @TheFaDGuy

    For the best Happy Hours and Food Specials in Des Moines, visit: happyhourdesmoines.com

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  • Yeoman’s Cask & Lion (Tampa, FL) Review

    Rating: 5 out of 5.

    5.0* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 5*

    Value: 5*

    Service: 5*

    Our son picked this place to meet for dinner when we were visiting and boy was ita great choice!  It was very lively, modern, open and chic as we walked up (see pictures) and it only got better from there.

    We initially ordered the Scotch Eggs and all thought they were great.  We had a hard time deciding on the main course (so many great looking dishes to choose from), but I eventually settled on the UK Meatloaf.  I’m not a huge meatloaf fan, but this was fabulous – so light, crumbly and delicious that I was sad when it was gone.

    If you do only one thing while here, do NOT leave without having The Yeoman Dessert.  That sticky toffee pudding just might be the best dessert I’ve had ever and the rest were also delicious.

    If you found this review helpful, please show your appreciation with a Like or a Follow. To receive Tweets of the latest Reviews, follow on Twitter: @TheFaDGuy

    For the best Happy Hours and Food Specials in Des Moines, visit: happyhourdesmoines.com

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  • Bahama Breeze (Lutz, FL) Review

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    4.25* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 4*

    Atmosphere: 5*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 4*

    Stopped here on the way to visit friends and enjoyed the casual and open atmosphere as well as the Ultimate Margarita and food.  I ordered the 1/2 Jerk Chicken Sandwich and my wife ordered the Blackened Fish Tacos with Seafood Chowder.

    I enjoyed the Jerk sandwich, but found it a little dry – as it apparently used a dry rub for seasoning and I expected the more traditional red sauce.  My wife’s Ultimate Margarita was fantastic (I tried a few sips), as were the Blackened Fish Tacos and Seafood Chowder.  The chowder was light and flavorful without coming across as salty.  The waiter recommended both (for good reason) and so would I.

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    For the best Happy Hours and Food Specials in Des Moines, visit: happyhourdesmoines.com

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  • Yucatan Beach Stand Bar (Fort Myers Beach, FL) Review

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    4.25* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 4*

    Atmosphere: 5*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 4*

    Stopped here for brunch before the beach and loved the atmosphere and food.  On the way in, we saw a friendly artist touching up the store sign (see picture) – who was more than happy to be a part of my review.

    We started with drinks and chips, guacamole and salsa (see picture).  The guacamole was great, but the chips seemed a little over cooked.  For lunch, I had the Shrimp Ceviche and my wife had the Blackened Shrimp Quesadillas (see pictures).  We really enjoyed both dishes – the ceviche was served with what seemed like a balsamic vinaigrette that tasted great as an add on, even though I hadn’t ever had it before.

    With the good selection of tap beers, tasty food and reasonable prices, I recommend it for a stop to eat.

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    For the best Happy Hours and Food Specials in Des Moines, visit: happyhourdesmoines.com

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