Three stars due to a great server. We liked the pretzel bites. My husband and I had the Truffle…read moreSteak Melt. This had no flavor. There was a tiny smearing of truffle cheese spread, the meat had no flavor, my sandwich maybe had two small sliced mushrooms and the onion jam had nothing to it. With drinks our bill was over $100 and that was a hard pill to swallow. We don't mind spending money dining out but we want to leave with a good taste in our mouth.

Stayed overnight in Ankeny for ISU commencement. Found this restaurant online and family agreed to…read moretry it. We were impressed by the architecture of the building inside and outside! We were immediately impressed with the menu. Maybe the best tomato basil soup I've ever tasted, daughters agreed. Pulled pork tacos were delicious and fresh. The double smash burger and sweet potato fries were delicious! Cannot say enough positive comments about our experience and the menu choices and the five menu selections we made. I only wish this establishment was in our TC nhood!!

Sabina was my sever, she did an amazing job! The beer was really good as well. I'll definitely be…read moreback

Big Grove Brewery was one of our favorite places to grab a bite and unwind while exploring Des…read moreMoines! The atmosphere is upbeat and welcoming, making it a great place to meet up with friends, enjoy a date night, or simply take a break after a day of exploring. We tried the mac & cheese stacked with BBQ and a couple of their fresh brews....everything hit the spot! (PS - Kansas City now also has a Big Grove Brewery!) If you're looking for a local brewery to add to your Des Moines itinerary, this one is definitely worth checking out!

Best BBQ I've had in Iowa, it was busy in a Monday night but we got a table of 4 no reservation in…read more30 mins max. Service was great and the vibe of the place is awesome. Really nice and welcoming place. I got the Briskey Dip with the fries and aioli dip, so good.

Just some suggestions for future guests. Please ask first if guests want to be seated on patio. We…read morewere taken outside on patio, granted the plastic sheets were down, but it was a cool, rainy day. We were told the heaters would be turned on. They weren't. We asked to be moved inside and a they moved us to the loudest part, next to bathrooms and opening to patio, so still cool. Waitress had no time for us, maybe because we were asked to be moved. Idk. Food was good. If the name of your restaurant is "cornbred" you would think your meat dish would come with a piece of cornbread. Instead you have to order it as an appetizer which are muffins. How about one little muffin person placed on the table. I would also maybe include a side with your meal (maybe less meat) to accommodate for the side. Just suggestions. It is a cute place though.

Food and drinks were absolutely on point! Fantastic service and a very clean establishment. Great…read moreplace to have drinks and to socialize. We were not hurried or rushed off-it was overall a great experience!

The atmosphere is amazing!! But now let's go to the service…read more.. Our server doesn't know how to present nor open a bottle of wine correctly. Also when my partner and I got our food delivered to our table, the server couldn't even explain what food was what. Now let's describe the food here. If you want to eat food that looks like slush or slob this is the place for you. Very disgusting and dissatisfied with the food/service. And not even taking a few bites of the food says a lot. The server should've asked us how the food was and didn't.

The classic hotel rooftop bar. Their menu is small, but the views and vibe are great. I've had…read morealmost everything on the menu and never had a bad meal. Republic is great for meeting friends, having an appetizer or eating a dinner when staying at the hotel. It's a fun place and would be good for a date as well. They have a full bar, TVs and a variety of seating options. Flatbread pizza and the Gnocchi are my favorites. The waitstaff is always friendly, but there is usually only the bartender and one other person. If you are in a hurry sit at the bar.

We went here for their Rudolph on the Rooftop holiday pop up. We loved the Christmas deco, and the…read morevibe was merry. The food was good. I really enjoyed the pesto and tuna and charcuterie board. Our waitress checked in on us often. We would come back here.

4.2* (out of 5) Food: 3* Atmosphere: 4* Value: 5*…read more Service: 4* Would I go back / Recommend?: 5* (Definitely) Total check/person: $25 10/02/2026 Stopped last night for the sole purpose of checking out their newly announced Happy Hour, as the information on my sister site HappyHourDesMoines.com was getting a bit dated. Since it was Happy Hour pricing (app. 1/3 off the items we checked), the Value bumps to a 5* for this trip. All things considered, I like Barn Town Brewing and really like a few of their beers - not to mention, they are close to home. Because we were here for a Happy Hour review, we ordered only from their Happy Hour menu (all of which have pictures included below). My wife started with an amber Core beer, while I chose the Featured Flight - since it included several of their beers that I hadn't yet sampled. For our meal, we ordered the Bavarian Pretzels (see picture), Crab Rangoon Flatbread (see picture) and Wings, split between Buffalo & Honey Hot (see picture). The Pretzels are just what you would expect and the combination of mustard and cheese dipping sauces were a great complement. The wings were also tasty, although several admittedly appeared to come from a pretty deformed chicken. The flatbread would be the only thing I wouldn't order again. I expect very thin to cracker type crusts for flatbread and this was more of a thick / deep dish pizza type of crust (the picture shows it, about 1/2" thick). Further, the sauces / topping were a bit sparce - so it was quite bready and dry. If you found this review helpful, please show your appreciation with a Like or a Follow.

Good service and creative beers, especially in the sour and sugary spectrum. The unfortunate part…read moreis that some of those beers are TOO sugary that it doesn't taste/feel like beer anymore. I had experienced Barn Town at a beer festival and researched them before visiting town, so I know the experimental candy-influenced collabs are kind of their thing. The PB and Grape Jelly sour was nice and the Watermelon Sour Batch Buddies was the best of the State Fair themed bunch. Everything else packed too much of a flavor punch for me... to the point of upsetting my stomach which NEVER happens when I drink beer. I would actually go back and try some of their flagship (normal) beer offerings and food specials to get a more well rounded opinion of the brewpub.

The Firetrucker was created and raised on the shoulders of a great man, and the legend continues…read more This has become a local standout as far as breweries go! They have embraced the locals as well as the biking crowd. Being right off the high trestle trail they are perfectly located to serve the 2-wheel crowds! With occasional live music and always having a food truck roll in it is a great place to drink fantastic beers and handmade cocktails while enjoying a snack or meal from the revolving food offerings. The staff are always friendly and quick to fill your drink orders. In addition to that they have a massive selection of board and card games to help pass the time with your friends and family! Go check it out!

Great place for live music! Smaller patio but still good size. Picnic tables. Looks like you could…read moremaybe bring your own chairs. A few snacks sold inside. Huge beer menu. We had Jell-O shots on the 4th! Very friendly staff! Would definitely go back & recommend . Check it out!

Very cute pub. I had the Shepards pie and the Brussel sprouts for my side. It was absolutely…read morefantastic. I have never had Brussel sprouts made that were perfection as they were here! The Irish soda bread was a definite must try also. We also had the crab cakes that came with enough greens that basically made it a salad. The crabs cakes were also very good. They had a huge selection of tap beers that would satisfy just about any palate. We were very satisfied with our experience. If we lived in the area this restaurant would be on my rotation of favorite regular places to go.

We stopped in for dinner before an event at Stevens auditorium. We were seated right away and got…read moreour orders in. It's a very relaxing Irish pub vibe with a variety of seating options and lots of TVs. Our drinks came out quickly and the food followed shortly thereafter. I got a martini and it was very well prepared. My wife got a glass of wine from their decent wine list. For dinner, I had the lamb burger, which was quite tasty. It was a good combination of flavors and the fries were hot and crisp. My wife got a naked burger with a side salad. The creamy Parmesan was very tasty and it was a nice bed of greens. A table next to us had some sort of a problem with one of the dinners and the server tried many many times to get the customer to order a replacement, but he said he was OK with what he got. When she brought the check to them she made sure to take that off since he did not eat it and would not accept a replacement. They seem shocked at this, but I wondered why they just didn't get a replacement! Great service by that server. She was also our server and did a fantastic job with us. We had very tasty food and great drinks , so I would definitely recommend it and would go back if I was in the area.

What a great cozy place. Great menu. Drink menu is fun as well. Great options on appetizers. Had…read moresome ham/brie eggrolls!

It's been 3 years since I last reviewed here, but it's still one of our regular stops and doesn't…read moredissapoint! Intimate, dark atmosphere inside, and brighter (and often warmer!) out back on the patio. Meatloaf and Salmon entrees are regulars for us, but we've tried almost every sandwich and many of the other entrees, and they are always full of flavor and delicious. Salads are fresh and have very good quality lettuce and veggies. Dressings are good as well. Small bar with drop in seating, but it pays to get a reservation. They currently use Toast to take reservations and you'll get a reminder the day prior to your visit. Walk in's often find it challenging to squeeze in here! Service is always good and the bartenders make a good drink.

Back in Des Moines after over two years (and in warmer weather!) so it was time to find some grub…read more RoCA was a gamble and I decided to chance it. When I walked in I loved how quiet and cozy the spot was so that set the dining expectation. I was attended to by Travis who is awesome and embodies hospitality and service (thank you Travis!) and decided to dive in for the Cajun Alfredo entree. I have been to New Orleans so many times and tried different variants of Cajun Alfredo pasta and I will say that this is one of the BEST I have had outside New Orleans. The pasta was perfectly cooked, flavored and balanced plus the portion was great. Travis was also very kind to knock out the sausage as I don't eat pork and substituted it with some chicken. I look forward to returning now that I have a spot to come back to!

I love this place! The portion sizes are huge, the taste is amazing, and the service is so…read morefriendly. I love a good reason to go downtown and visit RoCA!