Had a chance to get back here after a couple of years and again thoroughly enjoyed the food, atmosphere and service. They have a reasonable selection of beers on tap along with an extensive array of liquor (see pictures). Both my friend and I ordered the Pan Seared Salmon (see picture) along with a side of grits (see picture) and both of us would highly recommend it for your visit.
The best part by far though was what we shared after dinner – the Bourbon Bananas Foster (see picture). I shouldn’t have eaten nearly as much as I did, but the creamy, carmelized sauce over the perfectly prepared waffle and bananas just kept calling me back for “1 more bite”. Make sure you save room to enjoy this after your meal – you will truly thank me for the experience!
10/21/2021
We stopped here for dinner last night and thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience. May was our waiter and was very personable and helpful.
We started off with drinks…both from Matt’s suggestions and loved them both. I had the Leather and Tobacco while my wife had the Jalisco Tea (see pictures). Following that, we each enjoyed Matt’s to 2 recommendations from the menu: Chicken Fried Steak and Shrimp & Grits (see photos).
What a great combination of 5* service and atmosphere with a fantastic menu, while starting slightly under the typical 5* costs. You will definitely want to put this place on your ‘Want to go’ list…especially if you enjoy southern comfort foods.
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Value oriented quick service (order at the counter) format restaurant with tasty sandwiches and desserts tailored to college students and near the Drake campus.
I’m happy to report that the owner reached out to me after the earlier post and offered a replacement dessert on a future visit to show how good the desserts really are – and I can tell you that both the Suspiro A La Limena (see picture) and the Peruvian Chocolate Cake (see picture) were absolutely delicious! The best way I can describe the Suspiro A La Limena is a creamy, cinnamony, citrus pudding topped with whipped cream – thin enough that it was tough to heap on your spoon and get to your mouth, but oh, so tasty!
But I digress when thinking about great desserts. I also ordered a new sandwich while I was there – the Triple Clasico (see picture) and thought that it too was very good. Three layers of fresh, quality bread with layers of avocado and hard boiled egg slices along with diced tomatoes.
I’m satisfied that the faulty cooler compressor was the fault of the earlier dessert issue and it is now fixed. Given the quality and taste of all of the foods and the corrective actions taken by the owner, I’m happy to give Panka my recommendation for great sandwiches and desserts. If you are in the area, give it a try – and tell them The Food and Drink Guy sent you!
10/14/2023
I’ve traveled to Peru on a mission trip, enjoy their food and found the food very good at the ‘sister’ Panka restaurant on Ingersoll – so looked forward to giving this place a try. Last night was the opportunity, as it was my turn to choose a restaurant after Mass.
I admittedly thought twice about actually stopping after our initial drive-by and seeing that it was an order-at-the-counter format with no customers early on a Saturday evening. I was anxious to experience the food though, so we looped back and committed to giving it try.
The counter server was friendly and freely offered her suggestions on what to order. We each started with a Peruvian Pilsen beer (see picture), which we both enjoyed – and at $3.50, along with the sub-$10 sandwiches was the reason for the 5* Value rating.
For our meals, my wife ordered the Traditional Peruano sandwich (see picture) and I ordered the Chicken Croissant sandwich (see picture). We found both of them to be very good. The pork belly in the Peruano was very tender and flavorful and the toasting on the croissant was perfect, as it held together quite well and tasted good. The chicken salad itself was somewhat bland (not a lot of spice for someone who likes it), but it was a solid choice if you like chicken salad.
The fries were also tasty (though admittedly short if you like dipping) – a good crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. My wife asked for a dipping sauce and they provided a spicy dip cup for each that was very good – and had a nice kick to it. My favorite though was the Corn in a Cup – sweet corn with a creamy, zesty (lime flavor) sauce that we later learned was their homemade mayonnaise. It was delicious and I highly recommend it if you stop by for a meal.
Where things went downhill fast and caused the 2* Food rating came after the meal. If you follow my posts, you know that I love desserts – so I was looking forward to trying the Tres Leches when I saw it on the menu. Unfortunately, when I commented on it, the server told us that all of the dessert options were sold out except the Suspiro A La Limena (see picture). We each took a spoonful and while I was still processing the flavor, my wife immediately commented on it tasting bad. I tried another bite to concentrate more on the flavor and my initial thoughts were ‘diesel fuel’…but another smaller taste led me to adjust the description to an acetone-like smell / taste such as fingernail polish remover.
I told the server at the counter and suggested they taste it as there seemed to be something wrong with it, but didn’t get much of a response. She did ultimately take another sample to the back and taste it though, as she later offered a refund after admitting that there was something wrong with it. Unfortunately, it turned out to be the gift that kept on giving, as both of us kept burping up that terrible taste the rest of the evening and worried about food poisoning. Fortunately, we both feel ok the next morning, but for something that bad I would have expected something more than a refund of the cost of the dessert. Maybe worst of all though was that when we left, there was still one of the desserts left in the display case…they weren’t cleaned out and disposed of immediately. Until I understand what went wrong and what precautions they are taking to not repeat that in the future, the food quality is a concern to me and I can’t recommend eating here. I’ve tried to speak with a manager, but the phone number shown on Google just rings and rings without an answer.
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Chicken CroissantTraditional PeruanoTriple ClasicoCorn in a CupSuspiro A La LimenaPeruvian Chocolate CakePeruvian Beer
Another great dinner at Fire Creek topped off with another great conversation with the owner, who was working the floor. Tonight, my wife started with a Grapefruit Paloma (see picture) and I opted for the Smoked Club (see picture). For dinner, my wife chose the Cajun Ribeye (see picture) and I went with the Shrimp Diablo with Scallops (see picture). As we’ve come to expect, both the food and the service were excellent – we were quite happy with our stop and the full experience.
05/01/2023
My wife and I have enjoyed dinner here several times and have really enjoyed it (see the previous reviews below). Tonight, I was on a quest to try out their Happy Hour as a part of research for HappyHourDesMoines.com – and the Happy Hour prices bring the Value rating to a 5*.
I ordered the Dirty Martini (see picture) and the Coconut Shrimp (see picture) and thoroughly enjoyed both of them. The Dirty Martini included 2 blue cheese-stuffed olives and both the drink and olives were delicious. The Coconut Shrimp was also top-notch, with a nice firm, crispy and stable coating surrounding firm yet juicy shrimp inside. The only thing that kept me from a 5* rating on the food was that the accompanying lettuce was a little wilted and past its prime.
Per the owner’s response to our earlier experience outlined in my 2022 review below, my wife and I really enjoy this place and will definitely be back for dinner again. I highly recommend this place for food and drinks – you are bound to enjoy a stop here!
02/2022
We stopped here with a group of 7 for dinner with some guests who were in town for the weekend. I started with a Guiness Nitro draft (very good) followed by a side salad with balsamic dressing (also good).
I decided to order the rotisserie chicken and that ended up being a mistake. Not only was the temperature cool when it was delivered, it also was not fully cooked. I debated whether to say anything but decided it probably wouldn’t hurt me if I ate it (it didn’t), so didn’t make a scene. I generally don’t ever send food back for fear of what might be done to it…and it usually doesn’t come out much better, and is delivered after everyone else has finished eating.
Everyone else’s food was good, so I will likely return as we loved sitting by the fireplace and the service was good. I just can’t recommend the rotisserie chicken.
Update: The owner reached out to us based on our review and after our return to the restaurant last night, I’m updating my rating to a well-deserved 5*. Bad things happen in life, so it isn’t the fact that something bad happens as much as it is about what those who are responsible do about it. After our return last night and a short discussion with Meg (after we had finished eating), we left thoroughly impressed. What a classy lady running this great restaurant!
Tonight we started with beers (my only imperfection for the whole night…each beer that we had was barely cool to my taste…I prefer them colder). We then ordered Seared Ahi as an appetizer and while the soy sauce was a little salty, both the Ahi and greens served with it were delicious.
Following our dinner salad, I had the seafood trio special Salmon, Shrimp and Scallops – and oh, were they each delicious! I especially enjoyed the cream sauce served on the scallops (so enjoyed the extra with the asparagus) and the melted butter in the cup, which I enjoyed on the shrimp as well as the salmon. My wife ordered the Chicken Picata and really enjoyed it also – both of us commented on the delicious lemon flavor!
Food: 5* Atmosphere: 5* Service: 4*
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Cajun RibeyeShrimp Diablo w/ ScallopsCoconut ShrimpSmoked ClubGrapefruit PalomaDirty Martini
Another stop for our Birthday dinners with our son and daughter-in-law and another great experience. This time we started with a Mango Margarita (see picture) and a Manhattan (see picture) – both delicious.
For our meal, my wife ordered the Prime Rib (see picture) and I opted for the Poke Bowl (see picture). As is our standard, we each shared bites and both enjoyed each others dishes. The prime rib was flavorful and prepared perfectly and the Poke Bowl was fresh and delicious.
02/13/2023
Yet another great stop at Destination Grille tonight, with a call out to our great server, Lauren! I have a meeting tomorrow for Valentine’s so my wife and I decided to go out tonight instead. Just before leaving the house at 7, we were able to call ahead for a 7:15 reservation and were seated immediately upon arrival.
My wife ordered a Cinn-Sation drink (see picture) and loved the cinnamon spiciness along with the other flavors. I ordered the Confluence Camp Fire Black Lager and also enjoyed its smokey flavor (as did my wife, who ordered one after her drink).
We started by sharing a Poke Bowl (sorry, no picture) and we both loved it – we highly recommend trying this fresh, delicious entree. Following that, my wife ordered the Mushroom Swiss Burger (see picture) and I ordered the Pastrami Rueben (see picture) with Brussel Sprouts as a side. As always, we shared our meals and would put them both on the ‘definitely order again’ list.
I’m bumping up my Value rating to a 4 this time given the pricing seems to be in line with other comparable restaurants, bringing the overall rating to a 4.5*. This is definitely one of our top choices in the area that we both highly recommend for dinner and / or drinks.
07/08/2022
My wife stopped here after golf one day and liked it enough that we went back for dinner. It is a very large, modern and open venue with numerous seating options inside and out.
The food and drinks seemed a little pricy, so we ordered the Prime Rib special (see picture) and Salmon BLT (see picture). Both were very good and I would recommend them both. The Prime Rib special was cooked as ordered, very juicy and flavorful – and the same can be said for the Salmon in the BLT (cooked perfectly and flavorful). Maybe best of all were the Brussel Sprouts on the side – make sure you try those!
Lastly, don’t leave without trying one of the dessert options – we ordered the Tres Leches (see pictures) to share and found it to be one of the best we’ve ever had.
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A great stop for a lively atmosphere, friendly small-town service, great food and a good tap beer selection just outside the Des Moines metro area. We got our chance for a return visit – and this time we did get to try one of their desserts! Our last visit was almost 2 years ago during the Bridge Festival and we enjoyed it enough to recommend it for dinner while in town with our neighbors. Lori took excellent care of us and had great recommendations – when you go, be sure to say ‘Hi’ to Lori from The Food and Drink Guy!
We started off with a flight of beers (see picture) and a Strawberry Basil Smash (see picture) – which were both very enjoyable. For our dinner, my wife ordered the Grown-Up Grilled Cheese (see picture) and I ordered the Reuben (see picture) based on Lori’s recommendation. Our neighbor ordered the Italian Sausage Flatbread (see picture). As is our regular custom, we shared tastes of each others orders so we could all experience multiple offerings. We found all of them to be very good and would highly recommend them.
If you follow my posts, you know I LOVE desserts, so possibly the highlight of the meal was the German Apple Cake (see picture) that we ordered to share. It was very good – you probably don’t want to leave without trying a piece yourself!
10/18/2021
Food: 4*
Atmosphere: 4*
Value: 4*
Service: 3*
Stopped for a beer during the Bridge Festival and then stopped for dinner before driving home. The beer selection was great and we really enjoyed the food at the end of the day. My wife ordered the Epic Nachos and I ordered the Reuben (see pictures of each) and both were very good.
The desserts also looked delicious but we were so full, we had to defer for a future visit…
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While looking for places to have dinner near our son’s house in Riverview, we came across this place that was a short drive away and had reasonable reviews. On the way to the restaurant, my wife was reading more about it and discovered that it had been on Bar Rescue in the Spring of 2022. This increased our interest in going even more, as we’ve seen a few episodes so thought it would be great to actually be in a bar after the Rescue. Driving there does get you wondering a bit whether you are on the right path though, as you drive through a very residential area to find the restaurant at the end of the street along the river.
We started with a round of local beers and Harbor Fog (see picture) drinks and found them each to be good. For our meals, my wife ordered the Dockside Cuban (see picture), my son ordered the Steakhouse Burger (see picture) and I ordered the Grouper Tacos (see picture) – the tacos on the recommendation of Shelby our server who was great! As we always do, we shared tastes of each others orders to see what we thought.
I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect from the food, as some of the reviews as well as the Bar Rescue excerpts we read spoke of a ‘friends and family’ staff – with the primary cook never having been a cook / chef in a restaurant before. I was pleasantly surprised with the quality each of the dishes though – finding their quality well above the average bar food. For some well above average bar food at a reasonable price, Jerry’s Dockside Bar & Grill is a great stop!
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This place was recommended by our son who lives in the area and has been here for lunch since it is near his latest worksite. This is a top-notch restaurant and was quite impressive – what I would have expected to find in downtown Tampa. Everything about the experience was excellent, with the only ding I can give it based on value – as it is a bit pricey.
This was a bit of a brunch stop for us, so we ate fairly lightly. My wife ordered the Arroz Chaufa Pollo Lunch (see picture) and 1961 Side Salad (see picture), my son ordered the Classic ’61 Tacos (see picture) and I ordered the Peruvian Ceviche (see picture). As is our custom, we all shared bites from each others orders and all really enjoyed all of these dishes, so would highly recommend them. The ceviche was creamy and tangy, the arroz chaufa pollo was moist and flavorful and the tacos were zesty, cheesy and delicious!
If you are looking for a great lunch or dinner stop in Lakeland, especially if it is a special occasion worthy of a bit of a splurge, Nineteen 61 will not disappoint you.
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Peruvian CevicheArroz Chaufa Pollo LunchClassic ’61 Tacos1961 Side Salad
We have been here a few times since our move to Iowa, most recently (prior to this visit) for a financial advisor event. Tonight we met friends here as this is one of their favorite restaurants in the area. The food has always been very good. I believe that the atmosphere is getting a bit dated, with the low lighting and shadows reminding me of a 1970’s-vintage supper club / steak house. The pricing is a bit higher than I believe is justified given the rest of the overall experience. Relative to the service, that was maybe a poor decision on our part, as when we made reservations, we accepted the recommendation of the hostess to be seated in the bar area. Unbeknownst to us, our meal was in the middle of an Iowa football game with a pretty full bar area – so the server was possibly a bit overwhelmed.
We started our meal with drinks, including a Caramel Espresso Martini (name? see pictures, one of the at-table pouring) and Autumn Spritzer (see picture) – I really enjoyed the martini and the spritzer was very light and refreshing. For our food starter, we ordered the Prime Rib Appetizer (see picture) and it was quite tasty – tender & juicy…but be forewarned, the horseradish sauce was quite strong.
For our meals, our friend ordered the Pan-seared Sea Scallops (see picture), my wife ordered the Ribeye Steak w/ Gunpowder Crust (see picture) and I ordered the Lamb Chops (see picture). As is always the case with my wife and myself, we shared tastes of our meals and both of us liked and would recommend both plates. Possibly the best part of the experience though was the Housemade Tiramisu (see picture) – so light, creamy and delicious!!
If you live on the north side of Des Moines and are looking for a quality steak or seafood meal, Trostel’s Greenbriar has yet to disappoint me on food quality.
11/5/2014
I thought this restaurant was great. We went with a business group and had read that the reviews on Yelp (though there weren’t that many) were less than flattering. With that said, I thought the Thai Beef Rolls and Mushroom appetizers were great and my Ribeye (medium rare) was fantastic! I would definitely go back to this place, with the only negative being that it was kind of pricey.
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Although a bit pricy, Firebirds is one of our favorite stops in Des Moines. If you want to try it out and save a few dollars – come for their great Happy Hour.
Well…we were back to one of our favorites again, this time for Happy Hour on my Birthday.
We defaulted to our old favorite, the Double Diamond Martini for the first round – they are just SO good and they aren’t down-sized for Happy Hour. For food we went with the Prime Rib Sliders (see picture) and our old standby, the Ahi Tuna Tacos (see picture). Once again, the food did not disappoint – with both of them being absolutely delicious and highly recommended.
04/28/2023
This place is getting to be a habit. This time, we were looking for a Happy Hour on HappyHourDesMoines.com that went past 5:30 since we were running late – and fell back to this excellent choice (Happy Hour until 6:30). The service was better on this stop, so raised it back to 4* and the overall to 4.5*.
We defaulted to our old favorite, the Double Diamond Martini for the first round, then I returned to the Dirty Bird for the second round. For food we went with the Lobster Queso (see picture – not part of the Happy Hour specials, but still delicious) and Ahi Tuna Tacos (see picture). As per our expectations here, the food did not disappoint – with both of them being absolutely delicious and highly recommended.
You won’t be disappointed in a stop at Firebirds – check out their Happy Hour to get started and stay for dinner if you are hungry enough.
04/05/2023
Returned again – this time to use a $10 coupon from registering with their email club that was expiring. The food and atmosphere were great again…but was a little disappointed with the service at this visit, so dropped that rating. Our server was slow in getting to take our order and promised bread and butter…that didn’t come until after our entree was delivered and I had made a trip up to ask about it.
Their bread is great (see picture), with panko-like crumbs on the top and butter on the side. I was not that hungry and trying to watch my calories (thanks by the way for the calorie listings of each dish on the menu), so went with the Strawberry Shrimp Salad (see picture) – and absolutely loved it! My wife ordered the Durango Burger (see picture) on the server’s recommendation and also enjoyed it, along with the tater tots.
03/17/2023
While admittedly a bit on the pricey side, this is one of our go-to places in Des Moines as we have never been disappointed in the food or drinks during any of our stops. Most recently, we stopped by last night and since there was an hour wait to get a table, we settled in at the bar and enjoyed several items from their Happy Hour menu (see pictures).
For starters, we each ordered a Double Diamond Martini (see picture) and really enjoyed the tropical flavors. I also ordered a Sam Adams Cold Snap (see picture) and enjoyed it also along with the great atmosphere.
The best part of all (beyond the Happy Hour prices) was the food! We started with the Ahi Tuna Tacos (see picture) and found them to be so delicious (yes, a little messy too…) that we made the decision to order more and make them our dinner. In addition, we tried an order of Fire Up Shrimp (see picture). While they were also good, I expected a bit of spicy kick from them that wasn’t there, so found them fairly bland – although there were quite a few shrimp included on the plate.
While dinners are fantastic at Firebirds, if arrive before 6:30 on a weeknight and there are seats available at the bar – you won’t be disappointed with the food and drink offerings available there during their Happy Hour!
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On a recommendation of a friend who recently moved here from Mexico as the most authentic Mexican food in town, this has become our new favorite!
We have been wanting to try Fiesta since a friend we met at a pool party who recently moved to Iowa from Mexico suggested it as the most authentic Mexican food in the Des Moines area. We decide to go there last night after Mass and this place is legit…very good food and atmosphere drives it to our new favorite Mexican restaurant in the area.
We started with a Classic Margarita (see picture) and Mezcal Paloma (see picture) with the delicious Chips & Salsa (see picture). The chips and salsa were very good, with the salsa being of the ‘blended’ variety with small pieces and not runny – and just a hint of sweetness to go with the spice. The margarita was also good – a little on the sweet side, but a generous pour, with several refills from the decanter. The Mezcal Paloma wasn’t my favorite, but I’m a bit of a snob in this area – preferring certain Mezcals and having a personal favorite Mezcal Paloma Recipe.
The food was definitely the highlight of our stop though – in every way living up to the recommendation of our new friend. We ordered a Burrito Bowl (see picture) and a new dish called the Birria Quesatacos (see picture). Both of them were absolutely delicious – fresh, great flavor and wonderful presentation! The Quesatacos were very unique, with the queso (cheese) fried onto the inside of the tortillas and great topping sauces. In addition, we really enjoyed the consome (chicken soup) broth – it was very tasty and reminded us a bit of the secret sauce in Skyline Chile.
If you enjoy Mexican food, you owe it to yourself to stop at Fiesta Mexican Restaurant – you won’t be sorry when you do!
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We had friends visiting from France who were headed to New Orleans for their next stop, were looking for a brunch stop downtown and had a Birthday discount from Tupelo Honey, so decided that this was our destination. Once again, we enjoyed delicious food – opting to share the Shrimp Po’ Boy (see picture). We have not had a bad meal here yet.
If you are looking for some great southern dishes with good service in a very modern atmosphere, you will enjoy a stop at Tupelo Honey!
12/4/2022
Food: 5*
Atmosphere: 5*
Value: 4*
Service: 5*
We stopped here with my parents and 2 of our sons as we enjoyed a previous visit and thought we had a coupon (turns out the coupon was only good for take out…so we did that also!). All 3 generations enjoyed the great food and atmosphere.
Since we were hungry when we arrived, we started with a couple of appetizers, including Crispy Fried Brussels (see picture), Spicy Cauliflower Bites (see picture) and Biscuits for a Cause (see picture). We’ve had each of these before and just love them every time we order them – you would be happy with each and every one of them.
For our main meal, my wife ordered Tupelo Shrimp and Grits (see picture; we’ve had them before) and they tasted great! As has been our previous experiences at Tupelo Honey, all of the dishes were delicious and I would highly recommend all of them.
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Shrimp Po’ BoySpicy Cauliflower BitesTupelo Shrimp & GritsBiscuits for a Cause
We had just finished a trip to Winterset to see a covered bridge and the John Wayne Museum with friends from France and were looking for a place to stop for a drink. The Drift wasn’t quite open (it was 10 minutes before 3:00), so we took a walk to kill some time – and then found this quaint little coffee and dessert shop.
While the lady who greeted us was admittedly loud and borderline obnoxious, she was quite friendly and encouraged us to stay even though it was just a few minutes before closing time. We decided to have coffees here rather than alcoholic beverages at the Drift…and were quite pleased with the coffees that they served.
My wife ordered the Cafe Au Lait (Milk Coffee – see picture) and I went with the Caramel Macchiato (see picture). My wife and I are admittedly a bit on the ‘coffee snob’ side, with an expensive fully automated espresso machine at home – and we both found these coffees to be very good. A solid, quality cup of coffee with great flavor and nice creme on the top – and at a reasonable price. I look forward to having something to eat here during a future visit to Winterset!
For a quality ‘big city’ cup of coffee at small-town Iowa pricing, you’ll love a stop at Anything Sweet & More Cafe in Winterset!
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We had friends visiting from France and when asked what type of food they wanted for dinner, they suggested seafood – so we thought a return trip to Waterfront would be just the ticket!
For an appetizer, my wife ordered the Mini Chuck Roll and Mini Godzilla Roll (see picture) on the waiter’s recommendation – and really liked both of them. My wife ordered the Seafood Scallops (see picture) with New England Clam Chowder (see picture). I sampled both and we each thought they were both delicious. I ordered the Rock Shrimp Basket Dinner to save a few dollars for our friends who were paying and although it was a more typical mass market-type fried food dish, I found the rock shrimp to be quite tender and tasty and also thought the sweet potato fries were very good.
Our friends ordered the Halibut Basket Dinner (see picture) and the Coconut Shrimp Dinner (see picture) – and they enjoyed both of them (although it was way more food quantity-wise than they are used to eating in France).
If you are looking for a solid seafood restaurant with a lengthy ‘fresh-catch’ Market Entrees list in the Des Moines area, you will enjoy a stop at Waterfront Seafood Market.
2/26/2022
Food: 5*
Atmosphere: 5*
Value: 4*
Service: 5*
Our neighbors suggested this place and took us there last night…and oh what a treat it was! If you enjoy good, fresh seafood – you’ll love this place, with your biggest challenge being figuring out which dish to order. As a bonus, you can also buy fresh seafood to take home at the adjoining market – or watch your sushi being made in another area.
Our dinner started with the complimentary sourdough bread and butter – served warm with whipped butter, smelled and tasted great. Next, on the recommendation of our waiter, we shared an order of Bacon Wrapped Sea Scallops. As you might expect with these two great food items combined – they were delicious and I highly recommend them.
Next, my wife enjoyed the Creole Seafood Gumbo, while I opted for the New England Clam Chowder so that we could try both. The menu says the Clam Chowder was voted the Best Soup in Des Moines and while I haven’t tried enough soup to confirm that – I can tell you that it was some of the best Clam Chowder that I’ve ever had.
For the main course, my wife ordered the Shrimp and Scallops, while I opted for the cajun Halibut and Salmon. We thoroughly enjoyed everything, with my lone exception to the 5* rating being the preparation of the salmon – as it was overcooked to my liking and was rather dry as opposed to soft and moist when it is cooked less. It was definitely a great experience for my wife and I and I highly recommend it for the lively atmosphere, fresh seafood and great service.
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My wife and I had stopped here several years ago after moving to the area given its history as the original king tenderloin. This time I had just picked up friends from France at the airport, they were hungry and they wanted to eat something unique to Iowa.
I ordered the Breaded Tenderloin (see picture) and we shared some Onion Rings (see picture). The food and atmosphere were each average with the tenderloin served on a common high volume commercial bakery bun and the building showing its age. The flavor of the tenderloins was good and I liked that it was not greasy. The breading seemed quite dry, almost as if it wasn’t even fried at all…or was re-breaded after frying. There wasn’t much substance to the onion rings as is shown in the picture – they were very thin and had minimal breading.
The food and ambiance reminded me of many of the small town ice cream shops I frequented as a teenager. If you are looking for value and a small-town diner experience, you will enjoy a stop at Smitty’s.
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We hadn’t heard much about this place, but met some great new friends from Brazil here when they recommended it. The building was quite impressive as we walked up and the inside lived up to the promises on the building’s exterior – this was truly a memorable dinner!
We started with drinks and some wine – see the attached menu pictures and you’ll understand how difficult of decision that in itself proved to be in the end! We then ordered appetizers to share – the Soppresatta Pizza (see picture) and Spinach & Artichoke Dip (see picture). The pizza was excellent and similar in taste to pepperoni and the spinach and artichoke dip was also very good.
For our dinners, my wife ordered the Lemon Garlic Shrimp (see picture) and I ordered the Salmon BLT (see picture). Our friends ordered the Italian Stuffed Tenderloin (see picture) and the Frutti Di Mare (see picture). We shared tastes of the dishes and all of us really liked all of these dishes – I’d highly recommend them all. My wife also ordered the Seafood Bisque (see picture) as she had heard some great things about it from her coworkers – and it also lived up to the hype.
This is a top-notch wine bar and restaurant in our area and although you might find it a bit pricey, our experience tells me that you will leave happy customers. If you go – say ‘Hi’ to Jacob S. from The Food and Drink Guy – he was a fantastic server, so consider yourself lucky if he is your server also!
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This place has been on my Want to Go since sampling their catering in a factory near their north Des Moines location. The BBQ is top-notch and in my opinion in the top tier in the Des Moines area. The atmosphere, value and service are all above average and worthy of a stop to try for yourself.
We had a beer at the bar before dinner and ended up staying there to eat our dinner. I really like their snowy/ice rail to set your tap beer on – as it does do a great job of helping to keep your beer colder! A friend and myself shared the BBQ Sampler Platter (see picture) with brisket, burnt ends and chicken – and really enjoyed all 3 of them along with the ribs.
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We stopped here for dinner after reading positive reviews and enjoyed our meal. The chips and salsa were good and plentiful (an expectation at Mexican restaurants) and the Margarita was very good.
I ordered the white fish Ceviche and found it to be some of my favorite in the area. I really like a strong lime flavor and this definitely had that. The white fish was firm and tasted great.
The only negative was the service. We wanted to order a 2nd margarita, but couldn’t get the waiter’s attention – and an attempt to ask another server to have him stop by was also unsuccessful.
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I picked up my wife here after a post-work party and have since wanted to stop back to try some of their food. I got the chance while doing some ‘R&D’ for HappyHourDesMoines.com recently and found it to be a solid stop for Happy Hour.
Since they advertised $3 Guinness pints and I enjoy Guinness, I started with a pint while perusing their food menu. Since it was Monday and their Daily Special was $12 Appetizers, I settled on an order of wings (see picture). I opted for half Jalapeno Honey Lime Sriracha and half Mango Habanero and would recommend both of them – moist, juicy wings with just the right amount of ‘kick’.
While nothing stood out as outstanding enough to warrant a 5* rating in any of my categories, all aspects of my visit were well above average and deserving of 4*s across the board. As far as my experiences with Irish Pubs, this is in the upper tier and worthy of a stop when you are in the mood for a Pint and some solid bar food.
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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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Admittedly, we were in town to try the Flight Bar and Grille’s award-winning burgers…but I couldn’t help but notice this beautiful ice cream shoppe on the other end of the building – and I DO like ice cream! This was such a cool place – I just loved the decor (see pictures) and really wish I lived closer to stop back some morning for coffee!
My wife and I split a scoop of Ripe Raspberry Chocolate Chunk and Pirate’s Treasure (see picture) – both were delicious, but I really liked the Ripe Raspberry! If you like ice cream, you won’t go wrong with a stop here. The hand-dipped ice cream is delicious and the store is just beautiful!
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