While certainly not our first visit here, it is the first time that I’m finally getting it documented. Tonight we stopped with friends who are neighbors with the owner after Mass.
We started off by sharing a Wisconsin “Charcuterie” appetizer (see picture) – which was great to share with 4 people. Each of the items served in the pretzel were great – and we really enjoyed each of the dipping sauces.
For our meals, my wife ordered the Chicago Beef (see picture) and I opted for the Mediterranean Bowl (see picture). As we always do, we shared our plates. While both were very good, I was especially impressed with the Mediterranean Bowl – it was so cool, light and tasty!
Merll’s is a relatively recent addition to the Waukee pub scene and worth a stop to sample some of their great food!
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Slept in after a late night so found ourselves going to a noon Mass downtown and looking for a brunch stop on the way home. We’ve driven by this place and talked about stopping for food before and my wife had been there with co-workers after work one day, but this was our first stop for food.
A clean, modern storefront greets you (see picture) and with plenty of televisions and a nice patio, it looks to be a hopping place once the temperatures warm up a little. While our server was a little hard to find at times, we both found our food to be quite good.
My wife ordered the Nacho Burrito Meal (see picture) and I opted for the Honey Citrus salad (see picture). As is our custom, we shared samples of each of our meals and both of us found both choices to be worthy of ordering again. I really liked the clean, crisp and fresh salad with a delicious tangy dressing and the Burrito was tasty inside and out (loved the creamy, cheesy sauce).
If you are looking for a great stop for Sunday morning brunch (possibly after some shopping at Sam’s Club just across the interstate to the North), you won’t go wrong here!
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Another great stop at Ninja Sushi Ramen…and again on our way home from Mass on Saturday night. This time we started with a Mango Margarita and Super Dirty Geisha – both highly recommended!
For our dinner, we started with a Beef Negimaki (see picture) appetizer and really enjoyed it! The sauce was so good that I found myself literally trying to spoon up all of the extra before they took the plate back!
For our dinner, my wife ordered the Cha Shu Ramen (see picture) and I ordered the Yellowtail Jalapeno Roll (see picture), as I wasn’t that hungry. As is our standard practice, we shared our orders and both enjoyed both of the selections – so would definitely recommend them for anyone visiting. Lastly, the Taro Milk Tea looked awfully good, so I tried it – and believe me, it tasted as good as it looks!
11/01/2023
Another great stop for dinner after Mass with friends. Stayed light tonight with the Spicy Tuna Roll, but splurged for a dessert and tried the Mango Japanese Mochi (see picture).
08/05/2023
Another great stop for dinner this evening – and this time we were fortunate enough to have the owner (Mandy) as our server. She was such a delightful person, a great server and full of great suggestions! With each delivery of food to a table, we marveled at the exquisite presentation of the food – a testament to Mandy’s experience in the industry.
This time we started with a Sapporo (see picture) and a Hana White Peach Sake (see picture). Mandy suggested the White Peach flavor and boy was it delicious…none of the harsh alcohol flavor that I’ve associated with sake and more of a semi-sweet fruit juice feel that was similar to a white wine.
For our dinner, my wife ordered the Chicken Katsu Cold Noodle (see picture) because she enjoys ramen and thought it looked interesting. At Mandy’s suggestion, I ordered the Spicy 2 in 1 Roll (see picture) and found it absolutely delicious. Even though it was shown as spicy and included jalapeno slices on each piece, I did not find it to be that spicy – but it was very flavorful!
We topped off the meal with a delicious dessert (again at Mandy’s suggestion) of fried bread with powdered sugar and a decadent condensed milk-like dipping sauce (see picture). If you like fried bread, you will love these!
12/11/2022
Based on a recommendation from a friend, we stopped here for dinner after church on Saturday night and enjoyed the experience. The building is a modern decor – albeit with a strip mall feel (see pictures), the presentation of the food is great (see pictures) and they have a friendly and helpful wait staff. In addition to an extensive menu, they had a decent selection of cocktails, wines and beers (see pictures).
We started with a glass of pinot grigio and a can of Sapporo. For an appetizer, we went with the Philadelphia Roll (smoked salmon, cream cheese & avocado – see picture) and thought it was very good. You can’t go wrong when it includes cream cheese!
For our main meal, my wife ordered the Chicken Ramen (see picture) and I wasn’t very hungry, so ordered the Spicy Yellowtail Roll (see picture). We both tried both dishes and liked them very much – would definitely recommend both of them. The only negative to our visit was that our table was near the front door and we got a nasty cold breeze every time the door was opened. I’d suggest asking for a table away from the front door.
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Cha Shu RamenYellowtail Jalapeno RollBeef NegimakiSpicy 2 in 1 RollChicken Katsu Cold NoodleEdamameFried Bread (Thai Donuts?)Chicken Katsu Cold NoodleMango Japanese MochiSapporoHana White Peach Sake
We were running out of time for Happy Hour availability on Friday night, so picked something closer to home and decided to give The Club Car a try since we enjoyed previous visits.
For drinks, we started with a Pineapple Jalapeno Mule and a Coconut Mule while waiting for our food. For our Happy Hour food options, we chose the Boursin Mushrooms (see picture), Nachos with Beef (see picture) and BBQ Shrimp Kabob (see picture). While the Mushrooms and BBQ Shrimp Kabob were worthy of 5* ratings (both were fantastic and highly recommended), the Nachos were average at best – as the chips tasted like a cheap no-label variety and the beef had little taste.
We finished our meal with a couple of sweeter martinis (see picture) at the bar. We have been impressed with the drinks and bartenders during each of our visits and tonight was no different – both martinis were delicious!
Back again just a few months later and again enjoyed great food…with the service off just a bit – as we had to ask for a couple of things but then had a prompt response. This time my son ordered the Southwest Chicken Club (see picture), my wife ordered the Cajun Seafood (see picture) and I opted for the Salmon Sandwich (see picture). All of them were very good and I would highly recommend them – and this time we had the pleasure of topping it off with a piece of Lemon Leches Cake (see picture). Wow, was that cake delicious – rich, moist and light at the same time!
1/5/2024
We hadn’t been to The Club Car in almost 3 years, so decided to give it a try again last night. My wife and I both remembered it as a bit of a dark, ’70s style supper club – but either our memories are failing us or they have made some big improvements over the last few years (or both…). We found the place to be busy, well-lit, lively and welcoming – with great food and service.
We had to wait a few minutes for a table, so started out at the bar, with my wife enjoying a Pineapple Jalapeno Mule and myself a Raspberry Jalapeno Margaria (see picture). Both of them were delicious, each with a nice burn from the included freshly-sliced jalapeno.
Before we finished out drinks, our table was available in the bar area and we were blessed to be served by Melissa. She was a fantastic server – with recommendations in each area of the menu (two of which we chose and were delighted with) and a friendly, outgoing personality. Say ‘Hi’ to Melissa from The Food and Drink Guy if you are lucky enough to have her as your server when you go!
For our dinner, my wife ordered the Ribeye (see picture) and I ordered the Georgia Pork Sandwich (see picture). Melissa recommended both of them and we loved them. The Ribeye was grilled to perfection, with what some might consider an excess of blackening…but was just the way my wife loves it! I would have probably not ordered the Pork Sandwich, but did so based on Melissa’s recommendation and was very glad that I did. For some reason, I expected pulled-pork, but it turned out to be a moist breaded piece of pork with some delicious mustard sauce and cole slaw. We highly recommend both dishes.
Finally, for those who follow my posts, you know I struggle to leave a restaurant without trying their desserts. We were struggling to make a decision on which to order, so again asked Melissa for some insight, saying that we wanted something that wasn’t too heavy. Melissa recommended the Salted Caramel Martini (see picture) and while it wasn’t technically on the dessert menu it was perfect…sweet, salty and so delicious!
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While quality food might not be the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of a Diner, I found The Wooden Spoon to be a solid stop for brunch. We were looking for a reasonable yet good place for a hearty brunch between Mass and the Lightning Stadium Series game – and that is this place fit the bill perfectly!
The three of us ordered the Triple Decker Reuben (see picture), Two Eggs Your Way (see picture) and Buffalo Chicken Wrap (see picture). As we usually do in the family, we shared tastes of each of our dishes and found each of them to be very good – definitely above average. I especially liked the sweet potato fries and the sauce that was served with the Reuben.
If you are looking for a hearty meal and a good value, you won’t go wrong at The Wooden Spoon in Riverview.
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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
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We returned to one of our favorite places downtown due to receiving a special offer through email. We started with a delicious Tupelo Margarita and a dark lager beer, from their good selection of tap beers.
For our dinner, my wife ordered the Tupelo Shrimp & Grits (see picture) and I opted for the Smothered Chicken with cream corn and green beans (see picture) for sides. As we’ve come to expect from our visits to Tupelo Honey, both main dishes as well as the sides were delicious – chicken was crispy and juicy and both the Shrimp & Grits and cream corn were buttery and creamy. When they say Southern Comfort Food…they mean it!
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09/15/2023
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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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.
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#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.
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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.
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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.
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Another enjoyable stop with my parents, son and his girlfriend during a stay at the lake. I always find it hard to avoid popcorn if I see it in a restaurant, so we started with several servings of popcorn from the machine. While it admittedly tasted like it was left over from the previous night…it was ok to go along with our pre-dinner beverages.
For our meal, we ordered a Brisket Smack pizza (see picture) to share – and once again, it was delicious! If the brisket isn’t enough to catch your attention, there was also macaroni and cheese as well as a smokey-sweet bbq sauce. You can’t go wrong with this!
Turns out that it was also Wing Wednesday, with bone-in wings for $0.90 each, so we ordered a variety of wings (see pictures) with Bourbon Honey Mustard (my favorite), Mango Habanero (next favorite…not very spicy), Garlic Parmesan & Buffalo sauces. We found the wings to be larger than typical and moist almost to a fault (the skin was also soft, while we prefer a crispy crust). We enjoyed them all though…and you can’t go wrong with the value at $0.90/each.
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08/10/2023 The Black Pelican
We have stopped here a few times during visits to the family lake cabin on Lake Elsie near Hankinson, ND. Each time we have thoroughly enjoyed our stop, with great food, reasonable prices and good service. They seem to continue to grow year after year, as each time we visit it seems the place is more busy – even on weeknights.
For this visit, we started with beers (there is a good selection of tap beers – both craft and standard domestics). For our meal my wife and I ordered the Peanut Buddy (Peanut Butter Zing, Pepperoni, Bacon, Jalapenos – topped with Peanut Butter Zing – see picture). While it might sound odd, we absolutely loved the flavor – a great combination of spicy (but not much) tempered by the sweetness of the Peanut Butter Zing.
Our friends (she is gluten sensitive) ordered the Chicken Bacon Ranch with a gluten-free crust (see picture). My wife and I each tried a piece to see what the gluten-free crust tasted like and while we don’t prefer it as much as their regular crust, we really appreciated that they offered this option so our friends could enjoy some great pizza also.
This is an exceptional place for a small town in North Dakota – with food quality and selection rivaling options in much bigger cities. Great food, good value and friendly service come together at this increasingly popular local favorite.
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My wife made the reservation so I agreed to go back, even though my last experience left we doubting I would return and I admittedly walked in with a bit of a chip on my shoulder. Overall, I’m glad we went back to give them a second chance as this experience was much better than the last. This is a very nice restaurant that is a part of over 55 in the growing chain that started in Overland Park, IL in 2005.
Our friends in Wisconsin recently mentioned Cooper’s Hawk and how good their Ahi tuna was – and given how much we enjoy Ahi tuna, that likely played a significant role in my wife’s decision to make a reservation. Beyond the wine flight that my wife ordered (see picture), we started with Asian Ahi Tuna Sashimi (see picture). As you might expect (sashimi), the portions were quite small…but it was quite delicious. Food and Drink Guy Tip: The soy dipping liquid was also great and the leftover mix was quite tasty on the pretzel bread loaf.
For our main courses, my wife ordered the Trio Medallions (see picture) and I opted for the Chicken Giardiniera (see picture). As we always do, we shared tastes of each other’s dishes and the Trio Medallions were fantastic – tender, juicy, flavorful and perfectly cooked (medium rare). While our waitress Jennifer (who was great by the way) described the Chicken Giardiniera as spicy – neither of us found it very spicy, but we both found it delicious – tasty breaded chicken breasts soaking in that wonderful giardiniera juice!
Food and Drink Guy Tip: Given my love of good bread soaked in tasty juices and sauces, I asked for another loaf of the pretzel bread and used it to soak up all that remaining delicious juice on my plate and sauce on my wife’s plate. I highly recommend this, as it was so good that I treated it as my dessert! The plates were so clean after this that a member of the wait staff commented that we mustn’t have liked our meal very well…
While this clearly isn’t the cheapest place in the area for dinner, they do serve high quality food in a clean, modern atmosphere with above average service, so deserves to be on your short list for your next special occasion.
December 2022
We were excited to try out this place after watching it being built and reading the announcement in the newspaper.
Atmosphere: While the exterior looks and atmosphere inside the new building were impressive, there is room for improvement on the food and service, which to me means the value isn’t that great. The lighting was also a lesson in contrasts…while it was rather dark at our table to read the menu – there were also lights above some adjacent booths near the window that were very bright, to the point where it seemed that headlights from cars in the parking lot were shining in our eyes. You will see this in the posted pictures…rather dark for the photo, yet also harsh shadows from the adjacent booth lighting.
We started with a round of drinks. I had read about the 4 wine samples for $10 offer in the paper, so told the waiter I saw the 4 for $10 wine and wanted it. While I gave him an out in case it wasn’t available at the table, asking “unless it is only available in the front” – he quickly responded that they offer wine flights and they are available in the front or at the table. The flight seemed to be a great value, so my wife and one of our friends also ordered one. Buyer Beware: we were with another couple, so I didn’t review our receipt until returning home and was surprised to see that we were charged $20-$22 for each flight.
Food: For our main meal, I ordered the Gnocchi Bolo (see picture), my wife ordered the Surf & Turf with pork & shrimp (see picture) and our friends ordered the Trio Medallions (see picture) and Blackened Ahi Tuna (see picture). The manager later came by to apologize that the Gnocchi Bolo was only supposed to be a lunch menu item (we were there for dinner), but since the waiter didn’t tell me they were preparing it as ordered, but it was causing a delay for our order.
The Gnocchi Bolo tasted delicious and was probably the favorite of the dishes we enjoyed. The pork was a little dry / overcooked in the Surf & Turf. The asparagus was a little stalky at the ends and while the steaks were good with the Trio Medallions, they weren’t in the top category of steaks we’ve enjoyed.
Service: While our waiter was very friendly and seemed knowledgeable about the restaurant and menu, we were left disappointed. One of the wine flights for our table that was ordered at the same time as another was not delivered at the same time. After at least 10 minutes had passed, we finally asked about it and it still took another 10 minutes for delivery. Empty glasses and dirty plates were piling up on our table prior to the food delivery. After moving them to the front edge of the table for them to be taken away and that not working…I finally asked the waiter to take them away on a later stop. Lastly, one of our friends ordered soup and when it had still not been delivered after we were half done with our meal, we finally asked about it and it was then delivered.
Bottom Line:The food and service clearly did not meet my expectations nor reflect a good value for your money – possibly a result of it being their first week. I will have to see whether we return at a later date to see if things have improved. Given our experience with the wine flights described above, a follow up call to the manager on duty that night and receiving absolutely no offer to make things right (“sorry that you mis-understood that…”), I’m not sure that we will return.
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Quick update following another great stop for dinner with my wife, son and Grandson. This time, we took advantage of the Tendies & Pitchers Wednesdays – and what a great value!
My wife and I both ordered the Pound of Chicken Tenders & Chips, but with different dipping sauces (see picture). As we’ve come to expect at Barn Town, they were delicious – crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. Of the dipping sauces we tried, my favorite was the Hot Honey…but they were all pretty good.
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2/29/2024
Food: 4*
Atmosphere: 4*
Value: 4*
Service: 4*
Another great stop with our son and daughter-in-law to celebrate her Leap Year Birthday. We again started with an order of Dips & Chips – have always enjoyed the thick-cut homemade chips and the dipping sauces…tonight was no different.
For dinner, I ordered the Nashville Hot Ramen (at the server’s suggestion – see picture) and really liked it. I will warn you though – I like spicy food and typically order Thai above average on the spicy scale…and this was the upper edge of my preferred spiciness, causing my lips to burn and eyebrows / nose to water. My wife ordered the Brewer’s Burger (see picture) and really enjoyed (and of course I stole a couple of bites and will recommend it).
3/14/2023
Food: 4*
Atmosphere: 4*
Value: 4*
Service: 4*
Another great stop with my brother and sister-in-law while they were visiting. Used HappyHourDesMoines.com to find the happy hour timing, then stopped in to enjoy a couple of specials before our meals. We ordered the Fried Pickles (see picture) and Bavarian Pretzels from the happy hour menu based on our server’s suggestion and both were great.
For dinner, I ordered the Cajun Tuna Sando (again at the server’s suggestion – see picture) and found it to be one of the best tuna sandwiches I’ve ever had. My wife ordered the Buffalo Chicken (see picture) and really enjoyed it also. I recommend all of the food pictured in this review (and probably the others also…I just haven’t tried them yet). Definitely a great place to stop for food and beer.
2/23/2023
Food: 4*
Atmosphere: 4*
Value: 4*
Service: 4*
Have found this to be a solid stop on previous visits – enjoying the beer and food selections and the casual environment. This time was a first stop for our friend from Brazil who joined us along with our son and daughter-in-law and everyone enjoyed the evening.
For Happy Hour, our son got us started on the PB&J (yes, Peanut Butter & Jelly) Grape sour, so we enjoyed a glass of it. Ordinarily, we aren’t big sour fans, but this one was self-described by our server as more sweet than sour and that is a great description. You taste definite peanut butter and grape jelly flavors and it is fairly sweet.
For Happy Hour food, we ordered Dips & Chips (see picture) and Wisconsin Cheese Curds (see picture). The chips were nice and thick and crunchy (as expected) and both the cheese and sour cream dips tasted great. The Cheese Curds were also great – a light breading filled with nice soft cheese and the provided dip was also very tasty.
For our dinner, I ordered the Pollo Diabllo Wrap with sweet potato fries (see picture) and my wife ordered the Braised Brisket with Fries (see picture). Both were fantastic, with great flavor and fries cooked and seasoned perfectly – crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside and delicious!
May, 2022
Food: 4*
Atmosphere: 4*
Value: 4*
Service: 4*
This is a unique place with a lively and friendly atmosphere and good food.
We started with fried pickles and Wisconsin cheese curds based on the waitresses recommendation. Both were very good – the pickles were crispy slices with good flavor and the cheese curds were tasty. Both had minimal breading and neither seemed greasy.
I then enjoyed the Nashville Hot Chicken sandwich with Roasted Brussels Sprouts and my wife had the Brewer’s Burger – all were delicious!
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Following our annual trek to Lake Geneva to stay with friends for the weekend, this was our stop for brunch on the way out of town. It was impressive as we walked up from the outside and the interior was equally modern, well-lit and inviting – with plenty of brick and stained woodwork (see pictures).
Per the sign on the wall, this is one of two locations – the other being in Flagstaff, AZ. A menu note said that it changes frequently, so I didn’t include pictures (reference through the web site link below for the latest) – but there was an impressive variety of unique and intriguing plates!
My wife started with an unsweetened Matcha Latte (see picture) and all 4 of us sampled different dishes. Our friends ordered the Madrez Chorizo Gorditas (see picture) and Birria Tacos. My wife loves chorizo, so opted for the Chorizo Chilaquiles (see picture) and I was equally intrigued by the chilaquiles (corn chips), so went with the Brisket Chilaquiles (see picture).
As we always do, we shared tastes of each of our dishes and really enjoyed them all – so would highly recommend each of them. Both of the chilaquiles dishes were listed as spicy and they were each just the right level of ‘bite’ to make them delicious. The corn chips appeared freshly made and were soaking in the juices and crema – coming across as very similar to birria dishes we’ve had elsewhere.
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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.
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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.
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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!
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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.
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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.
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