The Ultimate Stop for Bikes, Beer & Bites After a day of biking, we made it back to El Bait Shop with some friends. This place is a solid choice, whether you're in the mood for the world's biggest selection of tap beers or some fantastic gastropub and comfort food from the lounge next door. We love it here because we can park our bikes in the provided area off the patio and still keep an eye on them. The outdoor service area is semi-shaded and the service is just as good as you'd get inside. As a beer lover, I can tell you the selection is ridiculous and expansive. If you want it, they probably have it, and from four or five different breweries at that! The menu is also loaded, with choices from both El Bait Shop and the High Life Lounge. Today, our food order was as impressive as the beer list. While I can't recall all the beers we had, the food included a Prime Rib Sandwich with tots ($14.99), the Pizza Burger also with tots ($11.99), the Philly Style Pot Roast Sandwich with a side of potato salad, and a massive bowl of Macaroni and Cheese ($11.99). We were starving after our ride, but that didn't change the fact that the food was all delicious, well-prepared, and served by our very attentive waiter, Kyle???, May. No one had any complaints, and the beer was cold and on time! Overall, we love the eclectic vibe of this place. Its downtown location gives you some great views, and more importantly, you're within walking distance of almost everything downtown Des Moines has to offer. This is a go-to spot for me, and I love taking first-time visitors here because it's so unique and the quality of both the service and the food is always on point. Oh, and did I mention the beer selection is completely insane? If you haven't been here yet, you are missing out, and you don't even know it. PRO TIP: Come here, and before you leave, slip over to the High Life Lounge for a throwback moment. Next time, start there and slip over here for a beer! read more

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Wow this is not a dive bar, no matter who calls it that. We came in for a bite to eat and a beer while passing through Des Moines based on Yelp reviews. Had a sour with three fruit flavors that was lovely, and lunch of broasted chicken and beef stroganoff. The beef was surprisingly tender. Friendly service. Highly recommend this place! read more

El Bait Shop - 250 beers, so they say... - Bars Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

THE place for some good beer when you're in Des Moines, hands down. Their selection is unmatched. I was 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. read more

El Bait Shop - Bars Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

I was in the area for a conference and this place was suggested by one of the attendees that had been there several times. He did not steer us wrong. This place was fantastic. Our table split 3 orders of the bacon wrapped little smokies, 2 orders of fried cheese curds and 1 order of fried chicken gizzards. Their beer selection is huge and we all tried several. For dinner I had the High Life cheeseburger basket with fries and a side of ranch. It was delicious. The burger was crispy on the edges. The walls are covered with murals and memorabilia. The wrestling wall and Where The Wild Things Are wall were my favorite. read more

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Stopped here to eat before walking to the Iowa Cubs game. We sat outside on a beautiful Saturday night. You help yourself to water and menus. Two of the guys had chicken dinners, Friend had an Italian sausage sandwich, and I had a quesadilla. Everybody said their food was good. Our one friend who always rates coleslaw said on a scale of 10 their coleslaw was 9.5! Friends onion rings looked really tasty. And quesadilla was the right size. It's a good place to go, especially before the ball game. read more

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My first visit to El Bait Shop and it won't be my last. It took me forever to decide on what to order from their massive tap list with 251 beers on tap (yes, that's not a typo). And they rotate a good amount as a couple of beers I tried to order were already kicked! I had small pours of a few different beers that I thoroughly enjoyed. Fairy Nectar - Double Dry Hopped: A New England IPA double dry hopped with Citra and Mosaic from Kros Strain. Batch #242106: A Blend of Imperial Milk Stouts that were aged in a 33 Month Rye Whiskey Barrel and 33 Month Blackberry Brandy Barrel from Adventurous Brewing. Lua's Birthday Blend A Blend of Barleywine and Old Ale Threads aged in 18-35 Months in a variety of Spirit Barrels from Lua Brewing. _______ read more

El Bait Shop - Bars Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

Beer lovers dream of you are patient. Service is slow, even sitting at the rail. Nothing worse than having a bartender look right over the top of you, consistently and your glass is empty. Or asking what a specific beer tap is from a specific brewery- handing me a 6 column beer layout is not what I asked. There are a lot of places that pour a good craft beer and in walking distance too. Service matters. read more

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Just in for a quick beer today. Not enjoying the rain but I am enjoying the hazy IPAs! Just a great place here, always a stop when I'm in town. read more

El Bait Shop - Bars Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

I don't often get here but was happy to discover the hotel I was staying at tonight in Des Moines was only a block away from El Bait Shop! I remember I had always liked their chicken but tonight tried their Mom's Pot Roast. Definitely comfort food and especially good for a cold January night. So many beers on tap! I tend not to be too adventurous with beers but at the recommendation of the server tried a light beer, locally brewed that tasted great. I sat and ate at the bar since I was by myself, along with several others. Service was friendly, fast and food delicious. Just a comfortable local place with lots of personality. I will definitely come again when I can. Thank you. read more

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Place came highly recommended by a server at Iowa Taproom and this place did NOT disappoint! Loved the vibe here too and they put on my Purdue game and even watched it with me when they could! Servers were the best part here... Won't call out by name (but I should...). Great peeps who know their beers and one of them CLEARLY is the of the operation. I always seek out local places like this when I travel and this one was great. Dry-rub wings and fish tacos didn't get pics before they were outta sight A shout-out to the owner for what has been done here and the types of folks that keep it going... Hold onto them and pay them well as at least one of them (if not more...) are assets you simply CAN'T operate without You know who that is... Cheers! read more

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So I am the Duke Guess Iowa doesn't Yelp You can kiss the crown The advertising is the most taps on the West Side of the Mississippi (262 according to their Insta). Have to say it is true. Been to the Raleigh Beer Garden (which was the most at the time) and then the Charlotte Beer Garden (most taps in the country -300 plus). When you are above a hundred, though, who is counting? I'll take the Midwest over the State of Relocated Yankees. El Bait Ship and Iowa Taproom keep me heading back to Des Moines. Three and a half hours from Minneapolis through some boring ass landscape. I hate the drive to Des Moines, but I love Des Moines. Damn you pleasure-pain dichotomy! read more

El Bait Shop - Bars Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

Everything is scratch made and delicious. Beer selection is always changing bringing a tasting adventure. read more

First time in Des Moines and staying downtown. We highly recommend this unique local food and drink spot! Great food and service! Eric and Mika are awesome! read more

Established in 2006, this is considered one of the best beer bars in the United States, If not in the world! Very reminiscent of your college days dive bar, but nicer. 252 beers on tap, another 152 types of beer in cans or bottles, a seasonal group of beers rotated through here to what your pallet. Many craft beers of all styles for you to try. A really nice menu to complement everything that they serve from a liquid perspective. Our bartender was very attentive and knowledgeable of the product served at this establishment. There are a number of rooms with all types of seating configurations to make anyone comfortable. Outdoor seating is available during summer months. read more

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If you are looking for a wide selection of craft brews, and a comfortable atmosphere this is a must stop when you are in Des Moines. The food today however was very sub par. The pountine was not very flavorful, I was disappointed. The coleslaw was bland with very little flavor. A companion I was with could not even finish the mashed potatoes and gravy. The two bright sides was the broasted chicken and the bacon wrapped sausages were very good according to others I was with. I have eaten here before about a year ago and the food was good so maybe I was just unlucky on my choices this time. I am not rating on the slow service as many places now a days are claiming short staff and I am giving them the benefit of the doubt. This information is based on the el Bait Shop and not the accompanying high life bar attached. read more

El Bait Shop - Lots of taps - Bars Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

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The food, service and atmosphere all exceeded our expectations. They were busy but our waitress still took the time to explain things and even brought us a couple of different beers to try read more

My absolute favorite craft beer bar. The beer menu is huge. The broasted chicken is the best I've ever had. When I first walked thru the door I knew I'd love Des Moines read more

We were in town for my husband's 40th and he wanted to visit El Bait Shop. Wow, wow, wow! The ambiance and service were memorable. So many beers to choose from it was a bit overwhelming. Enter our server, Brandon, who offered up some suggestions. In addition to our drinks we also tried the cheese curds, fish tacos and steak quesadilla. The kind of food you want to load up on for when you're day drinking. Food was tasty, but I don't think you really patronize EBS exclusively for the food. We arrived late in the afternoon on a Friday, before the Iowa Cubs crowd started piling in. By the time we left there were families, grandparents, friends, and a table full of tween girls. I appreciated the inclusivity of the place. As seen on the Travel Channel (didn't know this pre-visit) and recommended by local DSM folks. Not sure you'll see as many beers on tap this side of the Mississippi River anywhere else. Recommend. read more

We came here because the google maps review said "BEST BAR EVER." Honestly we almost didn't go in because it was a little divey and we'd been sitting in the car for a while. I needed to remember that deep down I am a dive bar girl. El Bait Shop was so fun and inviting. Every person we encountered behind the bar was a delight and it felt like they felt like they could be their authentic selves. Literally we are already talking about driving back down from Minnesota just to come back. We scanned the QR codes for beer on our way to a wedding and loved that the beer is separated by flavor profile. I am a sour fruity kinda person and my husband loves IPAs and hazy IPAs. With hundreds of taps, this place has something for everybody. We loved it so much that we came back after the wedding on the way back home to get some food. We got nachos and wings. The nachos were a half order and still way too much food!! The nachos were 10.99$ and the wings were about $13. The hot Buffalo wings were delicious and "fat" -- the sauce maybe had cinnamon in it? YUM. The steak nachos with everything were delicious and I literally ate all of it (if I had pants with a zipper I'd unzip rn, it was such a big portion). Parking was easy as heck and there were tons of spots. Lots of seating inside and out and everywhere you look inside was something new. We absolutely loved it. read more

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Des Moines Icon. Nothing extraordinary but it is all well done and a very comfortable atmosphere.

One of if not the best tap house / brewery I've been too. Absurdly wide selection. We were in town for the weekend and stopped by late on our first night, shortly before closing. We ended up making a visit every night for the rest of our stay. We tried about 20 beers in total through their well priced flights because each pick was so good that we couldn't get enough. Pretty sure that El Bait converted my girlfriend into a beer tasting fan. Never did I think I could have 10 sours in a row and not get tired of it read more

Friendly service, good food and amazing selection of beers/drinks on tap. The decor was interesting and fun. Definitely a cool place to just hangout and try different local brews. read more

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Amazing selection of beers on draft. Cool vibes both inside and outside. We sat at the bar and gawked at the number of beers on draft. Despite the overkill on the dry rub of the Jamaica jerk dry rub wings, I'd highly recommend checking this spot out. The crinkle cut french fries were a good bar snack. read more

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The pot roast sandwich was excellent but the side of green beans came out of a can. U can tell by the color & no seasoning. I would go back, just don't get that side. read more

2024 visit. Great liver n onions once again. Jump in the car and get here. Lots of sporting events on TVs. My server suggested a new to me wheat beer and it is tasty. My husband has ordered dessert next. This place is active and fun! DSM is the perfect stop between home and fishing the Boundary Waters. read more

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Good food and amazing beer selection! Also at a reasonable price. Shu out server was very attentive as well.

So this place is a dive like no other. It's dirty, messy, and as bad as they come. However, they appear to have every beer under the sink on tap, amazing wings and some how the unattractive staff is top notch This is a crazy place when busy so get your rest before you cone! Can't wait to cone back here for superbowl Will be intense! read more

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Fish Tacos soft shell cilantro lettuce dressing. Went well with the Des Moines Pilsner. Wait staff wasn't interested in my experience. Asked for napkins I'm still waiting. Families packed and friendly. Coleslaw was a defining and distinctive. Had a tangy end. Time for another Pilsner. Eclectic wall coverings depicting all of the breweries locations. read more

El Bait Shop - Fish tacos and coleslaw - Bars Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

El Bait Shop is co-owned (I think) and directly adjacent (inside and outside) to the High Life Lounge, and share a common kitchen. I came here last Sunday with various family members (My Dad, Brother, plus Sister, her Hubby, 3 Sons, and a girlfriend). We easily scored an oddly shaped high table that fit all of us, and before you could say "The Champaign of Bottled Beers", we were off. I've been itching to come here from the time I saw an El Bait Shop ad that promoted their yellow beer night ($1 cans for classics like Schlitz, Miller, etc.). One joke about that: What does American beer (non craft) and a couple making love in a canoe have in common? Both are f**king near water! Not to worry here, the craft beer selection is indeed impressive! Other thoughts: - Cool vibe inside and out, although on this cold evening, no one was outside. - New development surrounds this place, which makes you wonder about who has offered El Bait Shop a ton of cash to move somewhere else. - I enjoyed the menu, especially the bacon wrapped tater tots. Sandwiches and Burger selections are plentiful, plus there's a number of tempting main course selections. Everyone in our party enjoyed their selections, although my 94 year-old Dad thought that his cheeseburger was only "OK". - Service was good and timely, although I thought our wait person was a little short at times. My Sister lives in West Des Moines, and the best she could come up with for the family getting together for Dinner was Olive Garden! So I take full responsibility for wanting to go to a unique locale and having a more interesting and tasty night out. El Bait Shop checked all the boxes for me, only leaving a cocktail with Gayle at the High Life Lounge to add to our next visit. read more

The open-air, patio-style bar made by locals, for locals. Music and beer tastes for those with the most violent cases of ADD. Bar food with a personality. A really cool place situated near the banks of Racoon River, just like a bait shop should be. read more

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This place disappoints me. Ugly posters and a terrible environment and smell when I walk in the building. That I order a high life burger, thinking maybe their food will make up for the weird and humid environment. I receive my food and what come out is a Disgusting and moldy burger. Not returning I hate it. Do not come here!!!! read more

El Bait Shop - Mold on my high life burger - Bars Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

What a find! Edgy and authentic , El bait shop delivers great food and awesome beers. The staff is so knowledgeable and willing to help you navigate the HUGE beer list! The fish tacos are to die for. The atmosphere is a little divvy, a lot of chill and oh so fun. If you can't find a beer you love, well, you don't love beer! read more

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Great food service and world class craft beer draft selection. Would highly recommend both sides of this classic place!!! read more

El Bait Shop - Ioa. Great tap craft selection - Bars Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

We stopped into el bait shop on a weekend trip to Des Monies and I was very pleasantly surprised to say the least. It may look like a small bar with not a lot to offer but in this case, it's the exact opposite. El bait show has tons of beers on tap and very informed bartenders to help make you find the perfect beer. I love magic cloud by dimensional and was sad when I found out that they ran out. Josh and Micheal did everything they could to help me find a replacement. Giving me tons of samples and helping me find exactly what I was looking for! If you are looking for a quant bar to have a few drinks at, look no further! read more

Best lunch time spot in DSM for us one hour lunchers. Great speedy service to get you back to the office just in time. Love the chicken read more

Mikah was amazing. Great service, great drinks and great atmosphere. Highly recommend if your in the Des Moines area

We really enjoyed our dinner at El Bait Shop. Classic bar food, but they put their own spin on it. The bacon wrapped tator tots are a must try! Wings were ok, but kinda sad we didn't try the fried chicken. Will definitely be back! Fun hang out spot and really great service. Plus every craft beer you could think of! read more

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Definitely a spot for beer, the food was okay. The brisket poutine was just okay. Came out warm, and I wished the fries were hot. The more I ate it, the saltier it got. My co worker got the market street tacos, and those were pretty small in size. If you're indecisive about a beer selection, ask for a sample! That was nice of them. I ended up with a fruity beer called the Peaches and Cream Ale. Had a light taste with an aromatic peach smell. Servers are nice and come around to check in on you multiple times. They all wore masks. It wasn't a busy day, so social distancing was easy. read more

El Bait Shop - Brisket poutine.. half tator tots and half fries - Bars Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

Holy tappers! Incredible amount of beers on tap. Wish I had more time to ride the rail and try more! Server was great and didn't disappoint when recommending specific beers. Such a cool spot and would definitely take people back here. An absolute Des Moines iconic spot! read more

El Bait Shop - Bars Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

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Really loved this place. Amazing beer selection, great staff, super friendly patrons. Food was perfect. I may have to come back again tomorrow. read more

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