The Ultimate Stop for Bikes, Beer & Bites…read more 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!

Wow this is not a dive bar, no matter who calls it that…read more 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!

My second favorite bar in Des Moines! You can't go wrong with a 90's themed bar. The fried pickles…read moreare delicious, and the Moscow mules go down too easily. The staff is very friendly and the atmosphere is upbeat and fun! Perfect place to throw a surprise birthday party with mullet wigs!!!

Fun vibe! Stopped in on a Saturday evening & found seats right away. There were people on the…read morerooftop but not outside. We started with tasty fried mushrooms with parm dipping sauce, which I saved for my tater tots. The portion is small. Beers were cold & reasonably priced. I had a Cuban with my tots. It was good--heavy on the ham. I took 1/2 home. Hubby had the hot honey chicken sandwich. He liked it. His mashed potatoes were dry so he didn't eat them. Friend thought the hot honey chicken was too spicy--hotter than the description. She said she would not order it again. She thought the pasta salad was homemade and it was fine. Her hubby had the French dip sandwich and said it was delicious! It ranks right up there as other French dip sandwiches he has loved. The waiter checked in on us several times. It's a fun place with a good vibe. Pay attention to the specials each day of the week and stop in if you're in the neighborhood.

We came here on Wednesday and shown a table right away…read more Since I like to try local beers when traveling, I ordered a Pseudo Sue Pale Ale. Pale ales are usually not my choice but it was worth a try. I ended up ordering 3 before we left. For food each ordered 2 tacos each a la carte. I ordered one grilled shrimp taco and one blackened chicken taco. My friend ordered one fish taco and shrimp taco. We ordered 1/2 order of the jumbo pretzel appetizer which came with one jumbo pretzel, queso, and nacho chips. The queso had a good amount of heat. The pretzel was soft and not too much salt. Our server was professional and friendly

Breakfast at the Beaver Tap…read more Walked in for a late breakfast on Sunday. Met a girlfriend to enjoy some breakfast. Tables were almost full. Bar was busy too. We snagged a spot near the back. The waiter was quick to take our drink requests. He came back soon and I asked his recommendations. He sold me on a omelet and my girlfriend got french toast My girlfriend sold me on the Taps potatoes. I haven't had potatoes like that. Almost cut like potatoes chip but then fluffy and fried. Not over crunchy and not to heavy. The make to order omelet was good to. For some reason they left the bacon out but I just tossed it on top with the avacado I was craving. The TVs were on but not to loud yet. There was some football playing later in the afternoon but it wasn't game time yet Music played as we sat and chatted. The food was good. My friend really liked her French toast and black tea. I'm glad I made it out for breakfast. The staff was friendly the whole time. Completely affordable breakfast for us two ladies. I think I want to come back and do this again.

I stopped in on a Friday night with a small group of friends and we were seated right away. It took…read morea little bit for our sever to come to us, but we didn't mind. We ordered drinks and food. Both came out without having to wait too long. Everyone enjoyed their meal here. I wouldn't say there's anything super special we couldn't wait to eat again, but good food and reasonable prices is a win for me. Our favorite part about this place is how many beers on tap they have. It's so fun to get a flight and try lots of local craft drinks. Definitely the place to be for a few drinks and good vibes with friends.

The service is really good! The hostess was friendly, and the waitress was attentive…read more The food is not good. I've been a handful of times, and everything is always overcooked and dry. I finally have decided I'm not going back after a few failed tries; the spinach and artichoke dip literally gave my friend and I food poisoning (we hadn't seen each other in over a week and this is the only thing we shared, and our symptoms started at the exact same time). I do love that they have the gluten conscious menu. But the chicken ranch meal is so dry it's not worth the money. The Cole slaw has the least flavor I've ever experienced (and I love Cole slaw). The burgers come out overcooked. I haven't strayed away from sandwiches or salads, maybe the pasta is good? I won't be going back, though.

We often find ourselves at the Triangle Tap while out with biking friends. It is just off the bike…read moretrail and they are a very bike and biker friendly place. Whether you ride a motorcycle or a bicycle it's a go to spot. They have great indoor and outdoor options and the drinks are fast and cheap! The staff are always friendly and the locals don't seem to care if you are wearing spandex and smell like sweat from a hard ride! Check out the Triangle tap for a cold drink and easy conversations!

Visited again last night. Always a treat! Bartender was friendly, and it was a great end to our…read morehopping. Thanks!

This place is starting to become one of the places we pop in to when we are downtown. Atmosphere is…read morefun with an obvious nod to the Chicago Bears but still feels like an old, big city bar rather than a new sports bar you'd see in the suburbs. Their special drink seems to be a "mini beer" which is a shot that looks like a beer. Personally, I am not a fan of the scented candles, but they moved it for me when I politely asked when there wasn't another place I could move to. Definitely a place to check out when you are in the East Village, and a must if you are a Bears fan.

A great location and space for all Bear's fans. And even if you are not a Bear's fan, you will…read moreenjoy hanging out in this cozy sliver of Chicago here in Des Moines. I have never had a bad time in my visits and you can get all the classic Chicago beers and drinks you can think of!

Thao and Kara welcomed us to our first visit to the Smoking Goat Pub like we were family. We…read morestumbled upon this place through a different channel, and decided to give it a try. We are so glad we did. The atmosphere is a dicey but very clean and the vibe looks like a great time. It was a quiet afternoon but the ladies went out of their way to make us feel like we belonged. This visit was only for a couple of cocktails but we saw some food come from the kitchen and it looked on point! Kara made a tasty treat and shared it with some of at the bar and that sealed the deal! We will be back in to give it a shot. I will update my review on the food after that! See you soon!

Stopped in for lunch, had the (really good) house specialty burger. The service was excellent and…read morethe staff was friendly. Didn't get to sample any of their beers but the selection was definitely appealing.

Chose Lua Brewing for Dinner because it was close to Hoyt…read more We had a little bit of a wait. I started with a Climbing Kites Mixed Berry which tasted fine. The Smush Burger with American Cheese, fried onions, pickles, and Lua Sauce. I wasn't expecting it to be so incredibly delicious. I got the Lua Sauce on the side because I wanted to taste just the burger. This has to be one of the best burgers. How does this place not get recognized or have I just been sleeping because the burger is phenomenal. Juicy, great flavor, and the Lua Sauce is excellent as well. The fires were very good too. The Service was good. A minor annoyance is the 3% fee for CC. Paid cash and still got the 3% fee. Just figure it into the price of business if you're going to get charged for it either way. Just an annoyance. Will definitely return for the burger. Sorry haters I felt it was better than Lachelle's, better flavor. Just my opinion.

Given all the local and national press/awards, I expected a lot. Service was fine but the dining…read moreroom was almost too loud to have a conversation. The burger was tasty but nothing special. Fries were mostly salt. The buffalo cauliflower was the only standout. Probably won't return.

I was here for a work group dinner and we had the upstairs area to ourselves. Great service and…read morevery cute atmosphere. Our buffet was good, although not GF or Vegetarian-friendly. This could very well be our organizer's fault, not theirs. Wonderful salad, though. They had the chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, etc. dished separately. The drinks were great. We loved the Vodka Sodas - with chosen flavors, such as blueberry, Strawberry Basil, Raspberry Hibiscus, etc. There are restrooms upstairs as well.

Stopped while out riding bikes at the nearby park. It was lunch on a Friday. The service was great…read more The waitress was very friendly and helpful. Friend's chicken salad had kind of an odd texture because it appeared to be finely ground rather than shredded. It said it was basil chicken salad, but the basil was only there as a little hint. The bread was tasty as was the side salad with fresh ranch dressing. I had the lunch special - - two items for $12 or three items for $15. I had their tasty fries with a half turkey and Swiss. The turkey was meh. Kind of like reheated. I had requested a different bread than offered, and the waitress was unable to put it in the iPad. However, she did remember and it came out with my preferred bread choice. That's great service! We sat outside & it was a great day! We'll be back with our hubbies!

When we want to gave pizza, we always think of Michael's Pizza. Its always piping hot, just out of…read morethe oven. Not only is their pizza delicious, but do us the onion rings. The rings are cut thin & are very crispy. You can eat in or take out. There's also a bonus to take out orders. Michael's gives the driver a free slice of the day.

We ordered a take out pizza from Michael's recently. We used to order from them regularly when they…read morewere in their old location. This was only the second time from their current location. It saddens me to say that I won't be back. The crust was super thin with little substance, yet not crispy - more "floppy." The toppings were minimal and just seemed to slide off the crust. Overall, there just wasn't much substance to it. It is nothing like I remember it.