East Side Eddie's seems to have been here a bit. On a Thursday evening in early January the dark…read moreparking lot was a little off putting. A couple cars outside was deceiving. There was a big group already in there. A few tables pulled together and they must have been at the lull of the rush because every table had proof that someone had just eaten. The walls are scattered with regular bar decorations. Included decorations that seemed to possibly been Eddie's. Stepped up to the bar as the one worker was handeling everything Mindy was quick to welcome us and get us drinks and menus. Hubby asked her to surprise him with a drink and she played along. She let us know the specials and what was available for happy hour prices. She said fried pickle SPEARS and my mouth instantly started to water. I love spears. They came with house made buttermilk ranch. If you don't burn your mouth on the first bite of spears you're doing it wrong. We didn't have to wait long for our meals. I got the Eastsider burger. There was a lot going on with this burger. Bourbon glaze, fried onions and fried jalapeños. It was good. Hubby got the KC hoagie. He was going to get fries but Mindy shook her head at him and told him tots. She told us something wth their frier cos the tots perfect. Hubby did not argue. He does love tots. Both meals were good. We enjoyed sitting at the bar and chatting it up with Mindy. She told us about their new breakfast menu and now I want to go try that too. Glad we stopped. Don't let the parking lot fool ya. The chef is fantastic and worth the try.

Eastside eddies, where you can go to a racist atmosphere. Where the customers use the N-word freely…read moreas the staff laugh along and condone it! I will never ever order anything from there again or have a drink there. Now I know why I was so uncomfortable when I walk in and it would get so quiet. Proven fact that the customers drop the n-word frequently, which the staff laugh along with them joyfully and condone their comments attitude and atmosphere. How fitting for a Des Moines neighborhood bar.

In town for Junior Olympics and stopped in after I found this restaurant on yelp. Walking in it is…read morevery dim lighting. The waitress was very knowledgeable and helpful in making our choices. We ended up getting the turkey melt, the focaccia and a side of fries. Everything was very good. We tried the lemonade which was great. Our friends said what they got was good too. Definitely try this place if you're in town or even if you're local.

I ordered the New York steak and peppers sandwich with coleslaw. It had lots of peppers which was…read morenice. Had great service from the staff. The inside looked pretty classy for a bar and grill. Not super ideal for large group because seating is mostly high tops. They do have smaller booths so I feel like this is a good date night location.

It's definitely more a chill, relax bar vibe. Nice servers who are always hustling…read more They have a patio and when you walk in, beer coolers to purchase drinks to go. We have eaten in and gotten takeout. Food is delicious either way. Best Broasted Chicken and Crispy Breaded Chicken Wings. Kids love the Chicken BLT, fries, waffle fries, sweet potato fries and curds. Their honey mustard and bbq sauces to dip are delicious as well. Broasted Chicken - 5/5 Crispy Wings - 5/5 Chicken BLT - 5/5 Fries, Waffle Fries, Sweet Potato Fries - 5/5 Curds - 4/5 It's our must stop for any fried or Broasted chicken cravings.

Went to lunch with a friend on a Monday. not overly busy. we took our time deciding on menu…read moreoptions. I was torn betweenbthe salad and the wrap. I comprimised and got the wrap and got a salad for my side. the parm dressing is yummy, plain old iceberg lettuce just the way I like it. Marlys got the chef salad and it looked amazing. the wrap was very god. I had ranch in mine, but next time would go with the parm dressing. our server was great. bathrooms were clean. they have a food section you can buy goodies to take home.

This place feels like a hidden gem in downtown. A great location and I've always had friendly…read moreservice! Even when there's a lot of people, it's never as loud as other places which I appreciate! They have patio seating and is actually a great spot for dinner in the summer! I had the Tabasco turkey melt and it was a delicious hot sandwich! I got it with avocado which I personally think always elevates a turkey sandwich but you can also get bacon added if that's your preference.

Well, we did stop back to get some dinner. We went on a Tuesday night before a show at Noce (across…read morethe street) and they were very busy with groups at most tables. The bar had some space, so we bellied back up to that and were well taken care of by the bar staff. I got the Rider BBQ Burger - one of the best burgers I've had in a while, and a 1/3 pound which is the right size for me. I also got a mound of Parmesean Fries as my side. My wife got the Chicken Pita with Pasta Salad for her side. The pasta salad was very creamy - just how I like it, and the maximum level for the Mrs. The chicken pita was very good - fresh chicken and veggies. Drinks and service were very good. There is a credit card service fee of about 3.5% but prices are reasonable enough otherwise that it's not too big a deal. With a lot of groups it's an active vibe, but you can still carry on a conversation.

Drinks before and after the show at RŌCA…read more The drinks were all fantastic. The Pig & Fig Manhattan was fantastic with Bacon Fat Washed Bourbon, sweet vermouth, and house bitters. Excellent start. She got the smoked margarita which was really cool and smoky. Don Julio Blanco, lime, Cointreau, Agave, and Apple-Wood Smole. Very decadent. After the show we got: The Polar Express O with Diplomatico Rum, Sweetened Condensed Milk, coffee topped with cold foam, and grated chocolate. Very boozy and strong. Didn't look very good in the glass, but tasted ok. Very strong. She choose the Cold Brew Martini and it was excellent with Ketel One Vodka, Averna Amaro, Madagascar Vanilla Bean Simple Syrup, and House Cold Brew Coffee. The service was great. Will be back for more drinks.

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!

4.8* (out of 5) Food: 5* Atmosphere: 5* Value: 4*…read more Service: 5* Would I go back / Recommend?: 5* (Definitely) Total check/person: $32 03/28/2026 We saw that Arcadia was a Top 10 Finalist for Iowa Burger of the Year, so knew that we needed to give it a try - and last night was our opportunity. Arcadia is a short drive north of Grimes in a newly developed area of Polk City just after you cross over the long bridge over Saylorville Lake. We were impressed with the new building as we drove up (told that it opened about 1.5 years ago) along with the lively, open atmosphere & modern decor as we entered the building. We started our meal with a couple of local craft tap beers - a nice selection was available. Since we came for the Burger of the Year contender, the Smashburger was one of our orders (see picture) and we opted for the Fish Tacos as our second meal (see picture). Both were delicious and highly recommended. While I offer my Kudos for offering Marshmallow Creme for a dipping sauce with the sweet potato fries (we haven't found many places that do this...and we LOVE it), my only knock is that it was way too watered down and runny - with most of it running off the dipped fries rather than sticking to them. We finished with a Salted Carmel Old Fashion...and yes, it too was delicious and highly recommended! More information on the drinks and Happy Hour specials can be found at: HappyHourDesMoines . If you found this review helpful, please show your appreciation with a Like or a Follow. Photos copyright: happyhourdesmoines.com & thefoodanddrinkguy.com

Food was amazing. Nick & Carter at bar were fantastic & made delicious drinks. Had smash burger &…read moregyro & both were fresh & tasty. Place was extremely clean with great vibe. Highly recommended.

Good Chicago-Themes food and drink. Met a friend for dinner and enjoyed a couple of drinks and some…read morefood She got the Monday Night special-burger and fries l, and I got the Chicago Italian Beef with onion rings. Interestingly, our server didn't ask for us to pick sides, but I got onion rings (very good), and my friend got fries (also, very good). The Italian Beef was very good, with hot Giardiniera that was great and tender meat. There are indoor tables and a bar and outdoor seating as well. Our server was excellent too.

4.4* (out of 5) Food: 4* Atmosphere: 5* Value: 4*…read more Service: 4* Would I go back / Recommend?: 5* (Definitely) Total check/person: $40 04/25/2026 We were looking for a sports bar to watch the Minnesota Wild playoff game, so thought we would try 85 Bar West...even though they were a Chicago-focused venue. Fortunately, they came through and put the game on several screens for us to watch during our visit. We started with an order of Onion Rings (see picture) - and they were the best onion rings I've had in many years. They were uniformly battered, uniformly fried to nice, crispy light brown color, and most importantly - a slightly crunchy onion inside that bit off cleanly so that you could dip it again! The picture itself does pretty good justice on their quality - and the dipping sauce was quite tasty also! For dinner, my wife ordered the Low Carb Beef Bowl w/ Pepperjack cheese & Rice (see picture) and I went with the Classic Wings split between Lemon Pepper Dry Rub and Mango Habanero sauce (see picture). We both really enjoyed the Low Carb Beef Bowl, finding it just as tasty as the name implies (all of the peppery zing of an Italian Beef with a melted cheese top - with rice replacing the bun). I was admittedly a bit disappointed with the wings, especially given the award-winning claims in the menu. My first impression and comment to my wife was that they were quite small in size. Secondly, while they tasted reasonably moist and tender, as the picture shows - they appeared to be dried out / overcooked...with meat pulling away from the bone. The Mango Habanero wings had very little spice given their name and very little sauce, with some barely wet and essentially none in the serving tray to use to add. While the wings would give me pause before ordering again, we REALLY liked the onion rings and everything else that we've ordered has been above average. The other thing I enjoy is their reasonable selection of craft beers (really liked the Chicago local Cold Time) as well as the unique cocktails. This is a solid stop.

Waitress was pleasant and attentive. Place has a really fun beach theme going--even the handles to…read morethe bathroom look like they belong on a dock. We went there right as they opened during the week. Hubby had a beer that was a dollar off and we each ordered sandwiches that were the special. I had a Cuban, which was tasty and came with crinkle fries. I brought half home. Husband's meatball sub was good and came with fries as well. He enjoyed the sauce. Great lunch place. Sandwiches are $15+ with a side of fries.

This was a place that I really wanted to love. I love bar/restaurants that have a large outdoor…read moretiki bar type of atmosphere like this place does. Everything started good as we were in a large group and were seated promptly. Our waitress then took our drink and appetizer orders. I ordered the gallon of nachos to share with the table and a draft beer. Our table received waters and our initial drinks fairly quickly. That's where it ended. Our waitress was pretty much non existent after that. After about an hour waiting, I had to hunt the waitress down to get another beer and our gallon of nachos still had not arrived. Another member of our party had ordered a bucket of Yuenling Flight beers for a special they had an advertised sign right at the entrance for $17.76 as a celebration for the 250th of the US. The waitress was unaware of this special and had to get approval with her manager to get the special. About an hour and 30 minutes into our arrival, a server (not our waitress) began dripping off our food entree orders but no nachos yet. At this time, I cancelled the nachos with this server as it was intended to be an appetizer to snack on for the table as we waited on our food and had drinks. Our waitress finally appeared a short time later to explain that out nachos were almost ready when we cancelled them. It was too late though and my entree was delivered. This review would have been less than a 3 except the food saved it. I had the beef Philly with onions and cheese whiz sauce with fries and it was very good. Others at our table enjoyed their food as well. One thing I noticed was that our waitress was wearing a beverage around her neck that we later found out was a "painkiller" alcoholic drink. It was mostly empty when she first took our drink and appetizer order and refilled later. I suspect she was enjoying her drinks more than helping our table. She was friendly though. If this place works harder on their service, this would be a great place to visit.