Food was excellent as well as the service. We had a person in our group that has a food allergy to…read morefish. Fryer was fresh and had no fish cooked in it. Was able to get fries. All food was very hot and fresh. Bathroom was clean and had nice extra touches in the ladies room. Jukebox was nice

I badly wanted this review to be higher. The bartender greeted me within 10 seconds of walking in…read moreand I had a beer within two minutes. As I was one of the first people in the restaurant at noon, he offered to put on whatever game I wanted. The cook also came out and made conversation with the clientele. The food was generally good and service was on the spot. On the downside--this place advertises having the Sunday ticket--but only has three TVs that can support it. The other TVs were on whatever other sporting events were on ESPN, FS1, etc. Additionally, they had a Yelp check-in offer that was not honored due to them no longer having the product.

I liked Black Sheep from the second I stepped through the doorway. Down the stairs toward the red…read moreglow of what Ralphie might have also called "electric sex," whoever it is that makes up the "we" in "we are your shepherds" must have forgotten that black sheep resist being in the herd. Maybe that's the point though, in what feels like a much, much less scary walk down into hell (not a regular hell but a cool hell, right Regina?) put extra emphasis on any word in the sign and you're still left with a mischievous message. The average person will not come to this bar, and that's a good thing. The "bar scene" in general is mostly gross and average and can have the bulk of the flock, and flock right off with it. Black Sheep seems to attract a whole lot of "other," and I really dig that. On top of being a really great concept, the execution thereof is impeccable. It makes its point without coming across as inauthentic, contrived or gimmicky. Hard to do when your schtick is so niche and obvious. Applause. Bartenders were very nice. Crowd of people were very nice. I like being able to dance next to people without dancing with them. I did this here and it worked out well. Just some pleasant eye contact, "hey, you're having fun too, we're twins!" nods, brief mimicry of one another's moves, and that's it. That's exactly how it should be sometimes. Music was mostly okay. There were moments where it was sublime, moments where it was just fun to dance to, moments where I zoned out, and moments where I went "What in the actual hell is this guy on and why am I being audibly assaulted with such nonsense?" I kinda like that though. Just because it's not my jam doesn't mean it's not someone else's. There's a sign above the tables that reads "No Requests" which is awesome. Whomever is spinning gets to do their thing and everyone just needs to handle it. Yes. Yes. Yes. I'll be black for sure. I mean back. Back to the black. Back to Black Sheep. Baa. Did she just....? Yeah. Yeah I did. I Haikcoup de grâce'd the fkcu out of that review.

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.

Allows any and all food to be brought in... sea food boil bring it in, sauerkraut and cabbage is…read morewelcome! Drinks and cheap and cold. Local favorite watering hole.

The owner was rude and said to my husband, I've told you three times however he has a hearing aid…read morewhich was rude of him and I made a comment about. Maybe he's not very social and he snapped at me and said I'm very social completely turned off our bill and walked out with wondering and I will never go back

Everyone needs a bar within walking distance of their home to finish off the night and just let…read moreloose -- this is that bar. Beer is cold and cheap - just the way I like it!! Great pool players here who are very serious about the game if that's your thing, also they have a collection of board games for some Sunday Funday shenanigans. Also free popcorn, as any good dive bar should offer!

A nice sized bar with great parking. Friendly bartenders & patrons. Great prices as well & speedy…read moreservice. Bathroom was clean. Pool table decent. Music select great, a bit loud but not more so than any other bar. Not too dark that you can't see what you're drinking. And not too loud that you can't have a conversation :) Second time here & I'll be back again!

I went in one time and the bartender remembered my name. Kevin's always quick to greet you with a…read moresmile. The female bartender who comes in after him (don't remember her name, unfortunately) is also great and makes sure you're taken care of. The place looks like it would only have Budweiser and Busch Light on tap, but they have all kinds of craft options for very reasonable prices. This month, they have a very tasty beer from Boulevard called Easy Orange for only $4/pint. You're probably looking at $2-$3 more/pint at other places around Ankeny. I'd get there by 4PM, otherwise, you're going to be sitting at a table, not the bartop.

I am pleased that this bar is here. It is a local stop and…read moreeveryone who goes here loves it. I am not a regular but we were stopping in to try something different. Small parking lot around what appears to be a house, but it's so much more. It's a dive bar. Multiple TVs had a golf tournament on but that didn't keep the conversations from being lively. Even we were greeted with smiles from the bartender. We bellied right up and made friends. She was so fun to talk to even while being worked hard with the busy crowd. We did discover that the name was changed to Careny Tap about 5 years ago, but there are still hits of the old name, and Google also had an old name on the map. We started a tab and they took a card or cash. We had a couple drinks and I loved watching the bartender work. My husband was very pleased with the beer options available. They had some beers that not a lot of places carry and I think he was so excited to find some unique ones she had to offer. We did not eat anything, but really like this place and its been here forever. I recommend.

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!

We traveled to town for a concert and stumbled across this bar. This is a perfect "dive bar". The…read morestaff were extremely friendly. They let me leave my car while I ubered to a concert, recommended restaurants in the area, and went out of their way to make sure we were comfortable. Drinks were more than reasonable and strong. Garret was so friendly, I hope we cross paths again . They have dart boards which is my favorite. Great time.

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.

Hidden Gem, shhhhhh…read more Was on social media and someone sent out a link of locations of good tenderloins around. It so happened it was on the direct route for us on the way home that evening. We parked, got out and exchanged that "look" when your not sure about the outside of a place. However, don't judge this book by the cover, or the name for that matter. There was some seating outside, but we walked in, did a quick scan of the room and bellied up to the bar. It was a week day evening and it was not too busy. Newer waitress being trained behind the bar, but no worries we all gotta learn sometime. The place is a bar with all the normal "bar" things. Pool table, TVs, music, etc. Dimly lit, smell of fried food and beer. Seat yourself and vocal friendly staff. From the seats we snagged you could see the grill in the kitchen. The cook was working up a storm. I knew I was there for the tenderloin. I did a quick yelp search and found some great reviews on the Hot Sausage Sandwich after watching the cook work on 2 of them on the grill as we sat there. They were Giant! Convinced hubby he should try and just from the SIZE that I could see from my seat. We didn't get any sides just the two sandwiches. The orders were spot on. My breaded tenderloin was good! It was pounded flat, and they happily brought me extra pickles. The Hot Sausage Sandwich was a hit! Hubby was really impressed. He rates the Sandwich alone as 4 out 5 stars! it was a lot of food just the sandwich alone and he said he would happily come back. While we sat there enjoying our meals we watched pick up order after pick up order getting started and called in. That says a lot. We absolutely loved this hole in the wall. We loved the atmosphere and the vibe from the regulars as they sat an enjoyed their drinks. Hubby also mentioned how he got small town vibes from here and keeps talking it up even a week later. I know well be back. -quick PS I am trying to get the Sausage Sandwich pics to post and well post separately.

Man do I feel like my hometown bar when I stepped in here. Signage on the front door was missing…read morejust the way I like it. There was room at the bar for us to sit and get a nice cold draw from the tap. I noticed by reading other reviews that the tenderloin and sausage sandwiches were top favorites here. Once I had a couple of drinks and heard/ seen about 15 tenderloins and sausage sandwiches be ordered and served I knew what I wanted. It didn't disappoint as I split my meal with my guest. Everything that I want and nothing I didn't need is here. I am excited as I found my new regular stop that makes me feel like the small town I'm from.

The changes to the menu are not an improvement. The 5 fried pickle spears have been replaced with a…read moreclump of dill pickle chips all fried together and quite disappointing. The taco salad that was the standard by which we rated others has been removed from the menu. We might try it one more tim.

It is one of those Des Moines staples, and i am so glad that we did it, because it is a damn good…read morevisit. Street parking, busy indoor environment, casual attire. A fun stop, full of energy and good food. Our server, Michelle, was outstanding, mixinga fun personality with a terrific energy and awareness. Loved my High Life Burger basket, and our Chicken Pot Pie was incredible. Coke products.

me and the wife were staying at the Econo Lodge this evening and walked over and ordered a…read morepretzel. Oh my God was that thing huge and delicious. Also, the bartender behind the counter was very friendly and very helpful with getting our order to go even gave us the pretzel in a pizza box with napkins and some paper and a fork to cut size of a pizza and is awesome. Highly recommend stopping in it. Thanks for the great experience.

If you like having a beer while at the fair but hate paying fair prices, this dive bar is located…read moreacross the street from the main entrance on grand. They have lots of cold beer and full bar. Pool table is also available. Whenever we have been there its not been busy but parking is at a minimum.