I dig shorty's for afternoon brews! They have a great happy hour and always serve Schlitz in fancy…read moregoblet type glasses that make you feel like the happy hour king! This is a basement bar with low ceilings under the fancy wine bar Sobracco. People consider Shorty's a dive bar but it's anything but.. It's actually quite clean and nice inside. Sometime the music is really loud on a Saturday night so it can not be the best place to socialize but if you go for an afternoon brew or meeting around 4pm, it's going to be a perfect spot to drain 3 beers for the price of 1! This is one of those places that if you can find it, you will go back multiple times!

Great little dive bar off the main drag. If you looking for a dark atmosphere in a basement look…read moreno further. My husband, son and I stopped in for a beer and the bartender was very nice and welcoming to out of towners!

While in Des Moines talking with the locals, they suggested Carl's Place. They explained that it…read morewas an absolute dive bar, but a great one to visit and one not to pass up while in Des Moines. So, naturally, my friend and I gravitated to Carl's. The outside of the bar isn't labeled, so if you didn't know where it was, you might miss it. We were there at the height of the early afternoon in July and the sun was out in full force. When you walk into the bar, you wouldn't know what time of day or night it is, there aren't any windows to really shine the light through. You definitely get the "dive bar" experience. The bar itself appears a little older, but the patrons and the bartenders were bar none! It was a great bunch of people just there to hang out and enjoy the day. The bar has a small stage that has live music during the weeks. None while we were there, but heard it's pretty good! They had darts and there three different "sections" within the bar. We only had a few drinks but it was well worth the stop! I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

Awesome dive bar. Cheap beer, great live band, sketchy bathrooms. What else can you ask for? We…read morealways have a great time here.

THE place for some good beer when you're in Des Moines, hands down. Their selection is unmatched. I…read morewas in mood for a sour, and was blown away how many they had, and loved how they let you sample whatever you want. Sit at the bar, enjoy the friendly service and have a pint. You definitely won't be disappointed.

Service was great but there was no current list of beers. The paper menus were out of date and a QR…read morecode was provided for Untappd, that also is out of date. This has been a fantastic beer bar historically but 60% of what we ordered tonight was unavailable. Not sure what happened but hope they figure it out.

Great atmosphere. Great selection of beverages. Great venues for my father's (babbo's) retirement…read moreparty and 2002 and my 60th birthday on March 21, 2026.

This hole-in-the-wall bar is a great spot for a few drinks with a date or small group. I've been…read morecoming here for Wednesday night martini specials for years. Martinis don't disappoint in my opinion. Not all are equal, but they do have some good tasting ones. I personally like the dirty and gimlet martinis the most. But their more fruity ones are good as well. Atmosphere is great. Walls are decked with local art, which I believe is also for sale. Good music plays throughout and not too loud where you can't have a conversation. Service is always friendly and helpful. Overall, it's one of my favorite spots downtown. Highly recommended.

Didn't have any food here but did have a few drinks. No complaints…read more We kind of accidentally went here on our way to Ceviche. I'll definitely be back. Really enjoyed the vibe.

Incredible little low-key spot. It's grungy, it's cool, you meet creative and interesting people…read morethere. Everyone is very friendly, and it's a great vibe. We just moved back here and my coworker recommended it. We've now been twice and loved it both times. There's absolutely nothing like in Des Moines-- It feels like New York underground, but Des Moines, down to earth, easy parking and SO welcoming. Also, bartenders are super nice. The girl bartender servicing us even said she would make us a custom cocktail, based on what we were in the mood for. My husband told her what he was craving and she made him exactly that. Might I add...with little information on his part. (He's not the biggest talker hehe!). He said it was his favorite drink he's ever had. Tonight was a little more chill, but the first time everyone was dancing and it was just as fun both times. This is our favorite new little spot and we will definitely be back!!

All televisions are in working order. There are like 30 of them so I might of missed one. There is…read morea a projector screen that looks to be 80+ inches. There is a video wall that can display different programmed or combine to make one MEGA screen. They have pop-a-shot, pool tables, skee ball, and shuffleboard (may be out of use currently, can't tell). Five stars!

Literally 30 minutes till close. All I wanted was my phone and ID (which was left with someone at…read morethe bar while I used the restroom). Wouldn't let me back in but let in 3 other people that walked up to the door. Rude as hell, sat and waited for 15 minutes for my friends to exit the bar with my items. Watch me never recommend this bar ever because of rude ass security. Totally get big city. But I waited 10+ minutes just to get my ID and purse..... like who tf my 130lb ass gonna steal from at 1:40am...

This place hasn't changed. Great "dive" bar. The drinks are reasonably priced. They beers were…read morecold. They have live music. The great part was we were here on a Friday and the music started at 5. The music wasn't too loud. We could still talk. They also had a TV with football on. We enjoyed a few hours here before our movie

The great atmosphere and top-notch bands make this a stellar dive bar! The very reasonable drink…read moreprices make up for the mostly surly bartenders. You just have to learn to ignore their attitudes and enjoy the music and the vibes! Ha ha!

Had a great time. Great food, great music!! Met a lot of new friends. Will definitely be back for…read moremore.

I love me a good dive bar! And this spot is legit! I came on a Tuesday night for a rock n roll…read moreshow! They had 2 for 1 domestics on Tuesday, so that makes for a cheap night out! The bar is divey, but not gross, the bar tender was very nice, and the bathrooms were darn clean for a dive bar! The room with the music is separated from the bar room so if you want to talk or play pool while the rock show is going you can just stay in that bar! The bar tender was playing good music when I got there, old Flaming Lips, and Velvet Underground stuff! All in all I can't believe it took me this long to find this quaint, dive bar dream!