The Food and Drink Guy

Tag: Sports Bar

  • Westown Tap (West Des Moines, IA) Review

    Westown Tap (West Des Moines, IA) Review

    4.4* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 3*

    Value: 5*

    Service: 4*

    Would I go back / Recommend?: 5* (Definitely)

    Total check/person: $16

    01/01/2025 Westown Tap (515) 732-1470

    This place is near where my wife works and a group from her work has occasionally stopped here after work hours over the years. We noticed that it had a new name and was under new ownership, so stopped in to check it out for my websites.

    If you ever stopped by the previous business, you were well aware of the relatively dark, dungeon-like interior with booths of what seemed like 1970s velour. Those old booths have been removed, replaced by a number of table and chair options and the interior just came across as lighter and more lively, with multiple TVs surrounding the dining area and above the bar.

    The food was definitely above average for pub food and the value was great considering the $10 gyros special and the quantity of food provided. My wife ordered the lamb gyro with onion rings (see picture) and I opted for the chicken gyro with jalapeno cole slaw (see picture).

    We always share tastes of our food and today was no different – with both of us liking each others gyro. What really stood out to me though were the sides. I really liked the Jalapeno Cole Slaw and the onion rings were well above average also. The waitress warned me when I ordered that the jalapeno cole slaw had some kick and she wasn’t kidding – there were so many slices of jalapeno that I believe I had at least 1 slice in every bite that I took! If you like a little spice in your life, you will definitely want to give them a try!

    The food was great, the food special made it an excellent value and the service was good. We definitely thought it is a step up from the previous restaurant at this location.

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    Chicken Gyro w/ Jalapeno Cole Slaw
    Lamb Gyro w/ Onion Rings

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  • The Beerhouse (Urbandale, IA) Review

    The Beerhouse (Urbandale, IA) Review

    Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

    4.25* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 4*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 4*

    04/04/2024 The Beerhouse (515) 278-1821

    Had the opportunity for a return trip after work with a friend since this place is close to my office and the food didn’t disappoint. Our server suggested the Patty Melt (see picture), so I went with that and we ordered Truffle Fries (see picture) to share. I was impressed with both items and would rate them well above average pub food.

    A solid, modern bar with above average pub food and a good selection of tap beers.

    03/2022
    We stopped for dinner after seeing that they finally had reopened after a major remodel.  Unbeknownst to us, it was their Grand Opening celebration a few hours earlier and it was still a little busy.

    We chose to sit at the bar.  I ordered the lamb gyro (see picture) and my wife ordered the Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich with tater tots (see picture).  I really liked the lamb gyro and while we both really like hot foods and generally order food at the hotter side of the range when offered, the Nashville Chicken sandwich was way too hot.  My wife couldn’t eat it (pepper burn with not much flavor), so we opened it up to see the seasoning thickly pasted on the chicken.  Once we scraped off as much of the pepper seasoning, the flavor was good, we liked the bun and the tater tots were also tasty and cooked well.

    Unfortunately, we weren’t asked how the food was due to how busy it was, so we weren’t able to let them know before leaving.

    January 2021
    Stopped on our way home from dinner last night too have a beer.  If you are still concerned about masks and close quarters, this might not be the place for you as most of the wait staff and customers did not wear them and the place was pretty full.

    We enjoyed our stop though and the service was great.  If you like darker beers and coffee…here is one for you to try that we created last night.  I found the Boulevard Steep Drop coffee stout too bland, while the Left Hand Peanut Butter Milk Stout was too sweet, with a strong peanut butter flavor.  My wife suggested mixing the 2 together, so I ordered a pint of the 2 mixed and found it delicious!  If you like peanut butter and coffee, you will want to give this a try!

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    Patty Melt
    Truffle Fries

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  • Pally’s Bar & Grille (Clive, IA) Review

    Pally’s Bar & Grille (Clive, IA) Review

    Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

    4.25* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 4*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 4*

    02/01/2024 Pally’s Bar & Grille (515) 252-9805

    I stopped in here doing some research for my Happy Hour site (www.happyhourdesmoines.com) several months ago and have been wanting to get back to try their food ever since. The opportunity presented itself when a friend and I met after work – deciding to give Pally’s a try.

    We started with a round of drinks while deciding on food – ordering the daily special Margarita (see picture) and White Russian (see picture). Both were very tasty and a great value given their size and price (albeit the daily specials).

    For our meals, my friend ordered the Frisco Burger (see picture) and I opted for the Torpedo Burger (see picture), given a strong positive recommendation from our server (who was also great – excellent service and covering the whole, packed bar by herself). We both really liked our burgers! The pictures don’t do them enough justice – they were both prepared perfectly, as per our requested level and both very flavorful. Definitely a place I’ll want to bring my wife and neighbors back to sometime in the future.

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    Torpedo Burger
    Frisco Burger
    White Russian
    Margarita

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  • The District Tap (Indianapolis, IN) Review

    The District Tap (Indianapolis, IN) Review

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    4.0* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: n/a

    Atmosphere: 4*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 4*

    10/21/2023 The District Tap (317) 632-0202

    We were downtown the night before a Colts game and this place was recommended by our server at a nearby restaurant as a place to stop for a beer before taking the bus back home. The place was packed and full of energy, as you might expect on a Saturday night – and I was impressed with their selection of beers (see pictures).

    Since we had just eaten dinner, we weren’t able to try any of their food – so will have to do that on a future trip. Overall, a solid stop with a good variety of tap beers to enjoy while downtown.

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  • Bix & Co. (West Des Moines, IA) Review

    Bix & Co. (West Des Moines, IA) Review

    Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

    4.25* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 4*

    Atmosphere: 4*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 5*

    09/14/2023 Bix & Co. (515) 606-1115

    Another stop with friends from France and another good experience. On this visit, I ordered chicken wings (see picture) and my wife ordered the Pork Tenderloin (see picture). Both were very good and we would highly recommend them both for your next visit.

    The only negative was the extremely loud music playing inside in the restaurant area…our waitress offered to ask it to be turned down before we asked, then we asked again later – but couldn’t detect that it was actually turned down. Once the Thursday Night Football game started, the audio level was more tolerable. Therefore, I will drop the atmosphere rating to a 4* this time.

    05/12/2023

    Food: 4*

    Atmosphere: 5*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 5*

    Read about this place opening in the Des Moines paper and got the opportunity to join our neighbors and try it out recently. It is a very lively atmosphere in a completely remodeled building, so the atmosphere was great. They have a decent beer selection (see picture). A special call-out to Lexii, who did a great job serving our table (and recognized us from a previous interaction at another restaurant). We chose a perfect evening to go and enjoy the outdoor seating, as the weather was perfect.

    My wife ordered Meggy’s Spicy Rita – it was delicious and highly recommended! For our meals, my wife ordered the Italian Beef (see picture) and I ordered the Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich (see picture). As per our usual, we shared samples of each others meals and thought both were very good. Our only concern with either was that the Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich was very salty…as the saltiness seemed to almost overwhelm even the spicy oil sauce.

    We have really enjoyed our trips to the Valley Junction area and this new addition just adds to our enjoyment. You will enjoy a stop for food and/or drinks.

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    Chicken Wings
    Pork Tenderloin
    Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich
    Italian Beef

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  • Francies (Des Moines, IA) Review

    Francies (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*

    06/03/2023 Francies

    Have had on my Want to Go list since Cityview listed it for best local bar food in 2022 and finally had the opportunity after the Craft Beer Festival. While we were a little leery of what it might be like near the airport, we were pleasantly surprised by the exterior (see pictures) as we pulled up…and remained positively impressed with the interior decor (see pictures).

    Cityview called out their New York Steak & Peppers sandwich (see picture) and it looked great, so my wife went with that for her choice. For our second entree, I went with the Philly Chicken with Fries (see picture). As we always do, we shared tastes of each of our meals and both of us enjoyed both offerings – finding the food quality definitely worthy of the title of Best Bar Food.

    If you are in the area or have a little time waiting on a flight, you won’t be disappointed with a stop at Francies.

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  • Star Bar (Des Moines, IA) Review

    Star Bar (Des Moines, IA) Review

    Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

    3.67* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: n/a

    Atmosphere: 4*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 3*

    02/10/2023 Star Bar

    My wife’s co-worker recommended this place, so we stopped for a quick drink after our dinner on the way out of the area to check it out and gather information for happyhourdesmoines.com.

    We liked the atmosphere and the value for the drinks seemed in line with other similar locations. The service at the bar was average but the Salty Pretzel (see picture) was good, although a bit salty. We will have to stop back to try the food sometime.

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  • Wellman’s Pub & Rooftop (West Des Moines, IA) Review

    Wellman’s Pub & Rooftop (West Des Moines, IA) Review

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    4.0* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 4*

    Atmosphere: 4*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 4*

    02/02/2023 Wellman’s Pub & Rooftop

    We stopped here as a compromise central location to meet our son and his wife – and really enjoyed our stop.

    I ordered the Cajun Tuna and really liked it – seared perfectly and the Cajun flavoring was delicious.  My wife ordered the Firehouse Philly and thought it was average…but both after eating in the restaurant and some leftovers at home thought she got a stomach ache, so threw the rest away.

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  • The Walnut (Des Moines, IA) Review

    The Walnut (Des Moines, IA) Review

    Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

    4.25* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 5*

    Atmosphere: 5*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 3*

    07/15/2022 The Walnut

    Had read about this place and drove by it several times before getting the opportunity to eat there this past Summer.

    My wife and I decided to order several appetizers so that we could experience more on the menu. We ordered the Loco Moco (see picture) on the waiter’s recommendation and really enjoyed it! The hamburger, gravy and egg combination were great together. We also ordered the Chipotle Chicken Tacos (see picture) – which we thoroughly enjoyed and would also recommend.

    If you are in the area, I highly recommend this place for their unique menu items. You won’t regret stopping by to give it a try.

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    Loco Moco
    Chipotle Chicken Tacos

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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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  • Saints Pub & Patio (Waukee, IA) Review

    Saints Pub & Patio (Waukee, IA) Review

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    4.0* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 4*

    Atmosphere: 4*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 4*

    09/04/2021

    We stopped here for an early dinner after golfing and both enjoyed our meals (see pictures).  The Saturday college football games were on the multiple TVs and we enjoyed sitting at an outside table.

    I ordered the Blackened Salmon and my wife ordered the Shrimp Tacos – the salmon was moist and tasty and the shrimp tacos were spicy and delicious.  Although the salmon was cooked to near perfection, I especially enjoyed the rice…not sure if it was a special variety or just cooked to the shorter end of the range, but it was plump and also firm.

    This place is definitely worth a stop to give it a try.

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  • The Keg Stand (West Des Moines, IA) Review

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    3.75* (out of 5)

    Yelp Review

    Google Review

    Food: 4*

    Atmosphere: 3*

    Value: 4*

    Service: 4*

    7/25/2021

    We stopped here to try some new beers last night and enjoyed the selection to choose from (78 beers on tap…see picture).  The beers were fresh, good and cold and the chicken wings tasted great (see pictures).

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