I feel bad not liking this place. In theory it should be great. The space is great with lots of…read morehightop tables, U-shaped bar and not one but two pool tables. Plus they have a ton of TVs so you can see the game from any seat. It's close to where I live so we checked it out again despite some subpar experiences. So for those reasons I will give it 4 stars. However, I always seem to leave irritated and wishing we hadn't stopped by. The bartenders get the job done but just the basics of getting what you want but not necessarily checking in. There were what I am assuming to be a handful of regulars, so that must suit them fine. Beer was cold to that was good but more than we are used to spending. We got the pretzel bites which came out cold with cheese in its original single serve plastic packaging. Which is fine, we ate it. We just thought it would be served warm. And since the bartender kind of disappeared we couldn't ask for it to be heated up.

Went here after arriving from out of town. After standing at the door for several minute, without…read moreany instructions we sat ourselves. The menu was about a fourth of what the website showed. Then, nob can to take our order. At the 10 minute mar, my husband went up to the bar where the bartender was continually vaping behind the bar. She then told us we had to order at the bar. Did not know that. Then, her friend came in with a dog that sat on the bar next to many people's drinks. Gross! Terrible experience. luckily the food was ok.

6/13/26 11:00 p.m…read more What a fun concept!!! I love all of the retro games! There are a ton to choose from, but only one pool table. The games are separate from the bar and karaoke area, which is nice when you're there for the games lol. Overall, it was clean inside and outside, and even the bathrooms were really well maintained. They provide a quarter machine in the game area for convenience. We didn't try the food, but it smelled good and came out for others pretty quickly. Drink prices aren't too high either. Only one of three bartenders paid is any kind though, even when the other two weren't with other people. The one bartender that did help us was pleasant and had a smile every time. One of the other bartenders looked like he didn't want to be there, and the third never even looked up at us. Outback, they have a smoking area, and it was a decent size. Unfortunately, it has no cover, so when it rains, all of the chairs get wet, so you can't sit down. All in all, this is a fun place with plenty of room to bring friends and have a good time.

Had an absolute blast over the holidays doing karaoke here with friends. We didn't have any food…read morebut the drinks we had were good. It wasn't super busy but we had a good time

I was finally able to visit University tap with Sherryoke afyer a long time of hearing good things…read more However, the bartender Misha was iincredibly unkind and rude when i unfortunately gor sick ad i was sitting at the bar and instead ot wishing her concern whether I was on or not, she prompted to yell at me and tell.me to leave immediately. I understand the frustration and co cern that takes place when such a rhing happens, but common humac decency should prevail o er freaking out at a new customer . I will n9t return if she is the bartender.

Pizza was burnt, taste terrible, could not eat more than 1 piece, became sick later. Took 90 mins…read moreto get after the order. Would not recommend to anyone.

This is one of our favorite restaurants to visit, the service is always excellent and we've never…read morehad a bad meal here. It's one of the few restaurants where I actually have a hard time choosing what to order because everything is good. The salads (especially the dressings, which are made in house) are fantastic, I love the grilled chicken sandwiches and my bf is a big fan of their burgers and tenderloin. We also really enjoy their pizzas. The staff, food, and atmosphere are all excellent.

4.0* (out of 5) Food: 4* Atmosphere: 4* Value: 4*…read more Service: 4* 03/25/2024 After vowing to never return to this restaurant following a terrible experience in early 2021 during COVID (see original review below), we decided to give it another try and sample their Monday Burgers & Brews special. They also had a Happy Hour from 3-6 that I found on HappyHourDesMoines.com, so thought this would be a great Monday stop for dinner with family visiting from out of town. Clearly, this visit was MUCH better than the last one and I found it to be an overall solid pub experience. Nothing stood out as extremely good (other than possibly the onion rings), but everything was well above-average. My wife ordered the Kansas Rancher burger with Onion Rings (see picture), my Dad ordered the House Special pizza (see picture) and I ordered the South Philly burger (see picture). As mentioned earlier, we all agreed that the Onion Rings were the highlight of our meals - crispy and full of flavor. The pizza was also very good and while the toasted brioche bun and toppings were great on the South Philly, I was disappointed with the hamburger patty. The appearance was poor (looked like it was literally cut off the end of a hamburger tube and thrown on the grill), there was little flavor and it was over-cooked (our server asked how I wanted it prepared and I ordered medium-rare, but it came medium to medium-well). A solid local pub with above average food and service. 01/2021 Believe this is the first 2* rating that I've given and unfortunately the lady serving at the bar deserved it. Stopped here for dinner with my wife and adult son tonight. We were told that the wait would be about 20 minutes, so I asked if I could buy a beer at the bar and drink it by the door while waiting - to which she said yes. We walked to the other side of the bar area and found a small table without a COVID / social distancing sign, so thought we would just stand there and drink. The male bartender immediately stopped to tell us that there were only 2 stools, so he couldn't server us as a group of 3. Therefore I told my wife and son to sit there and I would go back to the front door area and drink a beer there while waiting. I walked around to the front door side of the bar again to order my beer...but not before the male bartender 'tattled' to the female that she shouldn't serve me because we were a group of 3. I explained that I was going to drink my beer on my own, so she served me. Then, my wife and son were told that they couldn't sit at that small bar table after all, as they wanted to seat restaurant patrons there - so they came over to join me by the front door. When my wife went up to order the same beer I was drinking, the female bartender was very rude, wouldn't serve her and said I wasn't allowed to drink by the front door. I have no idea what the actual rule was, after being told two different things...but after the way she treated my wife, we removed our names from the waiting list and immediately left the restaurant. The waiting list at Jethro's up the street was similar, we were able to have a beer in peace while waiting and the food was great. I was looking forward to trying their food, but unfortunately after this experience we probably won't return and wouldn't recommend this restaurant until they figure out what their COVID rules are and begin to treat their customers with respect. If you found this review helpful, please show your appreciation with a Like or a Follow. Photos copyright: happyhourdesmoines.com & thefoodanddrinkguy.com

Some friends and I went to a bar in an Iowa community to do some karaoke thinking it would be…read moresomething fun and different. We get there, ask to look over a book and immediately the owner of knightlife was rude, treating me like I was stupid for not knowing where the book was or how his process worked. We signed up for a song and when it was our turn, we went for the mic and we're met by more rudeness. The guy got mad and snapped at us telling us we had to wait. Once we got up to sing the lyrics didn't match the song/tempo. He turned the mic way down so no one could be heard. I had to laugh when he took a turn to toot his own horn and sing a song of his own. He grabbed a mic stand, turned the mic up way loud for all to hear, and let it rip. We tried leaving a review on his FB page, but he deleted it probably because he didn't like it. Very unprofessional and rude customer service. If I were the bar hiring this guy I wouldn't be satisfied at all. There are many other DJs or karaoke services to choose from that won't be rude and condescending, plus have quality equipment.

From the owner: Ready to DJ/MC your Special Event with the latest music AND karaoke, contact us anytime for rates.read more

Decent bar. Nothing fancy for the physical environment. Bartender was cool and friendly. It's a…read moregood place to grab a beer after work.

From the owner: Bar, Lounge, Karaokeread more

Favorite bar downtown, unequivocally the best karaoke in greater Des Moines- and it's not close…read more Not at all unusual to encounter professional singers in their off hours, or vocal performance majors from Drake- this place is a magnet for the talented. Definitely not a requirement, as terrible singing is also present for an authentic karaoke experience! Would recommend to anyone, the owners and the staff are top notch and always make sure it's a good time. Has been a favorite spot for years, and will continue to be! Convenient to downtown and East Villiage, a great stop for business travelers too. Check it out!

Oh AJ, Thanks for having those wireless mic's that make me…read morefeel like Axl Rose even if I'm not the one singing November Rain.. Thanks for having bartenders that let you run around the place as you sing Bruce Springsteen songs. Thanks for having rad DJ Karaoke host, who are not showboating and singing every other song.. Thanks for having such cheap drinks. Thanks for having a small patio if you need a breath of fresh air.. Thanks for having a pool table so that guy who hates Karaoke, can continue to play while I run around and sing Bruce Springsteen songs.. Everybody wins.. no no I should sing Everybody Hurts

Piece of shit hole in the wall bartenders with zero manners! Zero customers and crappy food!read more

I've been to most of the karaoke bars in town and this is one of the worst. The staff and clientele…read moreare cliquey and unwelcoming toward new folks. People don't pay attention to the people singing unless they're a "regular" and then even barely. There are a lot of better places to sing at in town.