Had the mini beer shot, just like the the ones in Cancun. Crab Rangoon with chicken is a great…read morepizza to try.

Went here on the recommendation of three locals after working a basketball game. I misheard them…read moreat first; I thought they said "Tempe" and we were looking for a Mexican restaurant. Anyhow, we arrived and elected to sit at the bar versus a booth. Took a couple minutes to get noticed and we were asked to sit at the other end of the bar due to some clutter... Prices are very reasonable at this establishment. A flight was $7.50...if you were in WDM or Waukee, you would probably be looking at double that. They also brew their own beer and cider here; I'm not sure why that's not advertised heavier. Its called the "Gamble Block Brewery". I had Fear the Beard, the Baja Lager, the Maple Pumpkin Ale, and a cinnamon apple cider. The Maple pumpkin ale was delicious--the maple definitely hit on the back end. I was not a fan of the cider--they used a rather tart apple. The Fear the Beard (comparable to Blue Moon) and the Baja lager were OK. For food, I had the chicken tender basket with a 1/2 order of Texas Fries. I actually thought the ranch seasoning detracted from this dish--the queso was quite good and the bacon was plentiful. The downside to getting "sampler" versions of items was none of the accompaniments were included. My friend who got a full order of the Texas Fries was given sour cream with his food--mine did not. Also, on the beer sampler fruit wedges are served with the full size versions but not on the flight. The chicken tenders were very good and had the right breading/chicken ratio. The buffalo sauce packed a punch but was not obnoxiously spicy. The ranch that came with it was very good and was clearly made in-house. More of a 3.5 star review.

My how I have missed my favorite restaurant in the Midwest! This was my first time at their new…read morelocation and it did not disappoint. Chef Lynn greeted me when I walked in and took time to chat with me. Everyone and everything here is fabulous and I will be back as often as possible. The food, service and ambiance are fabulous!

Train wreck-in every way. We flew into Des Moines from AZ and a friend suggested this restaurant…read more We arrived at 8pm for our 8:15pm reservation. There were two other tables in the whole restaurant so needless to say it was quiet. Our server was sweet but obviously not trained on efficient and fast service but was probably encouraged to run like a bunny when things go sideways. We ordered two glasses of wine and an old fashioned. Figured I just got off of a plane so why not get the evening going with some bourbon and have a Plan B with the glass of wine when I am ready. Two glasses of wine were delivered but no old fashioned. Who does this? Anyhow, old fashioned came out next. We ordered a cup of soup and a small salad to start with and then ordered a burger, medium, with fries and the pasta bolognese. The soup and salad came out but there was a long stretch of time before entrees came out. When they finally arrived the burger was very rare inside so my wife let the server know and she apologized and scurried off. I tried to wait but it was getting cold so I slowly nibbled. After 20 minutes, I flagged down our server and asked if the burger was coming out and she said "oh, do you want another one"? It was now 9pm and they were closing but we were not leaving until we enjoyed a medium burger. When the new burger came out, she said the "owner made it himself. We cut it in half to check the temperature it was still pink. How can an owner of a restaurant not know how to make a medium-medium well burger? And why didn't he walk out and deliver it himself and apologize? Not a word! My dish was finished and plate was gone while my wife finally had her burger. We had planned to eat together that was not going to happen tonite. She ate half and we took the rest of it to go. With wine, an old fashioned and the worst dinner experience, we spent $174 with tip. Huge mistake. Here is my tip: train your servers on how to take care of customers. To the cooks, invest in a thermometer if you can't tell when a burger is medium. To the owner, step out and make sure your customers are happy and enjoying your food.

I dropped in for dinner between 6 PM and 8 PM and honestly, I've found a new favorite. The vibe…read morehere is 10/10 candlelit, romantic, and perfectly quiet. Even though I was dining solo today, the staff treated me like a VIP. The waiter was incredibly warm and took the time to explain everything on the menu with real patience. The food? Absolutely crazy. I ordered the Pork Steamed Buns and they were on my table in under 10 minutes. The aroma alone was incredible, and the flavor was next level. Fresh greens, perfectly prepared pork it just works. If you want amazing service and food that actually lives up to the hype, this is the spot. I'm officially a fan

A must-visit Des Moines restaurant that pulls off a unique menu in a cozy interior with elite…read morecustomer service. Grace, our server, was amazing, adding so much to the entire visit. Thankful! They serve tapas style, and we grazed all night! We literally tried as much as we could, and loved the entire experience. Among my favorites were the Black Pepper Pork Noodles, Halibut Cheeks, Pea Pasta, and the Beef Fat Potstoes. But I also loved the Farm Carrots and HH Onigari. Seriously, amazing growth food, bolstered by an incredible level of customer service. Finished a great meal with terrific Dark Chocolate Gateau and Strawberry Shortcake. This is a superb place...GO!

Mullet's location in Norwalk near the ball fields and field house is a relatively new place. It's…read morevery clean with lots of sports stuff and signs on the wooden walls. It has some outdoor seating and a garage door that opens to the patio in warmer months. We went for lunch on a cold January day. We were seated quickly by a very polite server. She took our order and we had dinks on our table in just a couple minutes. I ordered the Rueben and my wife order the Catfish Po Boy. My sandwich was on toasted rye bread with big thick cuts of corned beef and was delicious. The Po Boy was huge! She took half of it home. Overall we both like the place and made plans to return for breakfast.

Fiancé and I were going to come for breakfast this morning, but the app lied and the place is…read morecompletely packed :(

Very cute place in valley junction. We went for lunch- excellent vibe, friendly service. I had the…read morelunch combo and did all the specials - a turkey roast beef sandwich, a cup of roasted red pepper soup, and the cordon bleu egg rolls. I also had the two idiots walk into a bar cocktail which was essentially a Paloma but light and fresh and delicious. I would definitely go back here again.

It's lunch and now you find yourself driving toward that icon spot of Cooper's on 5th in Valley…read moreJunction to savor that delicious Cajun Meatloaf Meltdown Sandwich- Simply Delicious. My only issue is food temperature---while served eye appealing it was just warm -- work on food temperature control -- the sweet potato fries were awesome and the egg rolls with barbecue sauce and sausage were solid. Jeffrey -- my wait staffer-- bar mixologist-- made me a Lavender Lemonade Mocktail and it was every bit as good as a "Mr Pibbs." The soft music cascading in the background provided the serene feeling to allow me to play message catch up by iPhone and a tab, or utilize the quiet spot to socialize with great company. This space gives you a choice for fun socialization.

If you are looking for a good and tasty smash burger drive over to Lachele's on Ingersoll in DSM…read more The chef team serves up hot, fresh, well seasoned made to order burgers that check all the boxes for a meaty smash burger in an atmosphere that is neighborhood friendly with a very casual vibe, limited street and back parking, small dine in area at a very reasonable burger rate for the area.

Lachele's is a classic DSM spot you have you to try. Atmosphere is a small diner, burgers are…read moregreat. I went vegan 2 years ago and haven't eaten there since then, until I found out they had a vegan burger. Normally would give a 5 star for their menu, but had to notch it down a bit for the vegan burger. When I go to a burger place I want the full greasy experience. They have a vegetable forward burger that just doesn't mimic the real experience. So while I appreciated it, and it was solid and left me wanting more. Truly I just wanted a smash impossible burger with their seasoning. They also serve it on Texas toast, which I wish they'd have an actual bun too. Tots are vegan naturally, and they make great tots. Overall I love Lachele's, but with a few tweaks they could really nail it.

We have eaten here many times, always very good with friendly service. Great Steaks, and awsome…read moresalmon.

About an hour and a half drive but well worth the trip!…read moreSaturday early afternoon and it was packed...about a half hour wait for seating was the only downside. Service was outstanding and the staff seemed to be handling multiple aspects of the jobs and helping each other out...no one just did one thing and I think that really sped up the service. Katie was our primary server and was outstanding! We ordered up a two and a three meat deal and had Campground Beans, Creamy Coleslaw, Cheesy Potatoes,, and Mac & Cheese as sides as well as a slice of Texas Toast and Cornbread as sides....oh, and Golden Corn Nuggets as an appetizer. The Corn Nuggets were good and sweet and served up with honey and a ranch sauce for dipping. The meat choices were 3) Ribs, Pork Loin, and Turkey Breast....and 2) Pork Loin and Turkey Breast. The smoke on everything was amazing and just the right amount for excellent flavors..the ribs were very meaty. Some places ribs leave you wanting but not at Watcha Smoking! The Pork Loin and the Turkey Breast were both very good as well...still tender and not dried out. I liked the Neck of the Woods sauce the best (mild tomato based) as well as the Carolina Gold sauce...it had nice kick to it. The sides were all good but the only issue was the Cheesy Potatoes were a bit dry.....I'm thinking that it must've been towards the end of the batch and had been sitting around for a bit. Cornbread was excellent, Texas Toast tops, Coleslaw was a good shredded, wet slaw, the Mac and Cheese very good, and the Campground Beans were the preferred side as they had some good chunks of smoked meats mixed in. Fantastic place, great for small groups and large groups as well...great food and great service...Definitely worth the trip!

Really enjoyed the premier BBQ joint in the greater Des Moines area in my visit to Whatcha Smokin'…read morein the midst of a rural backdrop, this place was definitely worth the 45 minute trek from the state capital for delicious brisket, corn, slaw and sweet tea at a very affordable price. I appreciated the dual restaurant ambiance for a service side with waiters or a order at the register style. All BBQ restaurants have one or the other but not both. The meet was tender and juicy and as their name would suggest - smoked to perfection. I don't know if I'll find myself in Iowa ever again but if I do I will definitely make another pilgrimage to Whatcha smokin for the states best BBQ

Had dinner here on a Tuesday evening while in town for a conference. I partnered up with another…read moreconference attendee and we came here for dinner. The menu had a diversity of options with both bistro and full size options. We both settled on the Main St. chicken dish on recommendation from the waitress along with swapping the rice for mashed potatoes. Great suggestion. My conference mate asked to have her mushrooms removed and I asked to have the tomatoes removed. Although we both ordered the same meal, the presentation looked different for each of us and hit the spot for our tastebuds. Mine seemed more like a chicken marsala while hers was a tomato sauce. Either way we both enjoyed our meals. We both also had dessert - I had the delicious chocolate cake with raspberry sauce. Honestly there was too much sauce but the cake was still delicious! My conference mate had the peanut pie and it was divine - imagine a Reese cup with an Oreo crust. If I'm ever back in Ames this will definitely be on my return list!!

Came here on company dinner and we had a great time. Food was decent and I enjoyed my carbonara,…read morehuge portion. The French onion soup was just ok but everyone enjoyed the peanut butter pie. Very good ambiance for group dining and the service was great.

Nice stop on bike trail! Good music and food! Fish sandwich was very good! Glad I didn't follow…read morenegative reviews!

Went here a few times and every time has been awesome, the people are friendly and the food is…read moreamazing. Usually I don't think of getting bar food, but they have jalapeño poppers here and I can find those no where else, plus the added menu selections makes this place fantastic. Also they got the slot machines, I don't use em but hey