Stopped here while visiting a friend. Loved the bright and cheery atmosphere. Our waitress was…read moreextremely friendly and helpful when we asked her questions about the wine list and menu. We ordered the Smorgasbord and it was delicious. It came with an assortment of local meats and cheeses in a beautiful display. Each item was explained to us and where it came from when the board was delivered to our table. The board was more than enough food for the three of us to share. I can't wait to visit again and try more items on the menu!!!

The service was quick and extremely friendly…read more I went during lunch hour on a weekday and it was very busy, but totally worth it. The tomato soup was not too acidic with a hint of sweet, and the bleu grilled cheese paired with it perfectly. I was suggested their house salad, something lemon almond - I wasn't a huge fan just because everything seemed way too tart, and there wasn't a lot of balance. Because of the variety, and the quality of food, I'm still giving this place five solid stars and would definitely take someone else back here !

This was the most memorable meal of my life. Better than The French Laundry, The Restaurant at…read moreMeadowood, Auberge du Soleil in Napa, Daniel in NYC, Restaurant Le Taillevent or Alain Ducasse in Paris. Every bit of every dish was an explosion of flavor - making me wonder how could they come up with that combination. The Crispy Halibut was crunchy on the outside, moist in the center and accented with ramp gribiche and salmon roe. The chicken breast poached in stock with a morel, ramps sauce was rich with every bite inviting another. The Lamb Wellington made me feel like a king, only to be outdone by the A5 wagyu strip with a porcini mushroom bordelaise. Wine pairings were the best match of my culinary life - ranging from vintage champagne, white bordeaux, german riesling, rhone, red bordeaux and California cabernet. Every wine perfectly matched to the dish is ways beyond the imagination. As a foodie from Napa and Master of Wine student, I was blown away with the creativity and excellence. The service was attentive and engaging, proper without pretension, precise without being overly fussy. No attitude here, just wanting to share something extremely special with guests. Whether you are looking for the bucket list dining experience or wanting to create unforgettable memories with a loved one - look no further than Oak Park. The owner, Kathy Fehrman, is making a mark that shouldn't be ignored.

Was very impressed with the wait staff and the sommelier. Well trained, knowledgeable, personable…read moreand took pride in their work. Food was not as impressive. More interesting than flavorful. Appetizers bland, beef was fatty and tough.

This is my favorite restaurant by far. Atmosphere is bright, small and easy to talk, though it does…read moreget a little loud when busy. The food is always so good. This is a small thing but I love the eclectic dishes they use. Food is always fresh and delicious. I love the steak stroganoff but I tried the osso bucco this time and it was yummy.

One of my favorite meals I've had in Des Moines since moving here! For appetizers, we got the…read moretruffle fries, the deviled eggs, the brussels sprouts, and the biscuits. All were good, but the deviled eggs stood out as a favorite. For entrées, I had the gnocchi and was impressed. I also tried bites of the barramundi and the steak stroganoff, which were incredible as well. I hope to come back soon and try something new. Our waitress seemed to be the only one working that night so service was a bit slow but she was kind. Ambiance was fine! Some echo.

Definitely a slow, cold night downtown, but that meant a…read morenice night for us at The Continental. Bartender was attentive and fun. Our drinks were full of flavor and we shared the double smash burger. It was decent, had flavor, but the fries sealed the deal. They were crispy and had great flavor and I was always not a fry fan. On the weekend they have live jazz so we will probably be back for that.

The bartenders were super friendly and knowledgeable about the cocktails on the menu. It was a…read morequiet Thursday afternoon so we had a great opportunity to chat with the service staff and owner. The whiskey smash ($12) was a lot like a whiskey mojito and refreshing. The beer taps ($6) are limited but the few on tap are solid beers for the season. Oh the truffle mushrooms!! Yum. Pleasantly surprised with both the flavor and portion size! Flatbread is pretty standard, all ingredients were definitely fresh. I would have like the beer to be a little colder, especially for a standard lager. They don't offer a Happy Hour at this time so that was a negative for us being that we could get some great drink specials walking distance from here.

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!

The food was amazing! Loved the shepherds pie. It was delicious! The service was excellent! It was…read morejust like being in and England pub! It felt very British to me. Love the style of the restaurant. Ambiance, as I said, very British!

I stopped by here early on a Saturday afternoon for a late lunch/early dinner. There was a decent…read morecrowd, but plenty of seating. I found myself a spot across from a tv so that I could watch some Olympic hockey. Very attentive but not intrusive staff. When I finished one drink or my food, my glass/plate were swiftly whisked away. The tiny Guinness shot was adorable, and honestly worth the money for the selfie opportunity alone. I also had their lamb burger with fries, which was quite good as well. They had plenty of pub favorites on the menu, but if I stopped by again, I would probably still get the lamb. It's such an underrated option.

The food was great. And so were the drinks. Very reasonable prices. Very food and friendly staff…read more Recommend.

This Sunday morning took my son and I down the rabbit hole again. We landed down on Euclid at the…read morehighly recommended Bailey's Pub N Grub for breakfast. I've driven by Bailey's many times and haven't stopped in. Not sure why...just haven't. I had no idea there is a pretty large gravel parking lot that sits behind the building. Parking isn't an issue even on a Sunday morning when it's apparently REALLY popular. Lol We walked in at about 1000 AM or so. Subtly lit neighborhood bar and grill. It's seat yourself and they come to your table to take your order. My best guess is that when they aren't swamped your bill is presented to you at the table and the payment is done there (cash and cards). Today if was easier for me to walk up and take care of it at the bar. Not an issues for me. When you can only see one staff member taking orders and one other one clearing tables...you have to choose to be a little patient and flexible. Seating is mostly low top tables and chairs. The bar and bar stools. And one booth maybe...unless my eyes were playing tricks on me. We grabbed a low top table and were approached within a few minutes. There were only two open tables when we walked in. Our server was either a manager or maybe the owner...and the bartender. She welcomed us to "her organized chaos." She did a fantastic job considering the place was packed. How does that old saying go...? Busier than a one legged man at a butt kicking contest? After we got our drinks (fountain Pepsi products) she stopped back in a few minutes for our order. I ordered the everything omelet with white toast and a half order of biscuits and gravy. My son ordered two pancakes and two eggs sunny side up. $31 and change before tip. When my son ordered two pancakes she let us know they were as big as dinner plates...and if he finished both she just might put him up on her wall. He's 15 but not little. He's a starting DE for Valley's Sophomore football team. He'd actually considered ordering three and no eggs before she got to our table and had backed it down to two since he had practice later today. It was a short wait for our food. The cook must be back there hammering out orders like a mad man... It took a couple of trips for everything to hit the table but it was hot and fresh. The plate with the biscuits and gravy was super hot... My omelet and hashbrowns were great. I forgot to ask if I could get the hashbrowns extra crispy so they were a little bit less cooked than I normally like, but that's on me. Those biscuits and gravy... Wow! I'd compare them to the gravy I got at East Side Eddie's a couple of weeks ago... Same great caliber! Not the standard white country stuff Cracker Barrel or other vanilla places that get it from Sysco serve... One that is seasoned and where the sausage is cooked in...not just thrown in as an afterthought. Next time... Even though everything was good...I'd probably order a full order of the biscuits and gravy or the hashbrowns with gravy. And to be fully transparent... There was plenty of that magical goodness so I made my own with what I had. I scooped the gravy off that plate on to my hashbrowns. Thanks to my toast I didn't leave a bit of it on either dish. So good! My son pointed something out to me that made us both laugh... "Hey dad. I think they cooked my pancakes right after (or with) your hashbrowns." If you look close at the picture you can see a few potato shreds sticking out of the edge of his pancakes. It didn't slow him down. He finished both and his eggs. The first one was a normal pancake, but that second one was so thick... He compared it to the size of a regular sheet cake. It had a rise on one side that was probably two inches tall. He was glad he didn't go for three. Lol I have been continually impressed with the breakfasts you can find at our neighborhood bar and grills and Bailey's is no exception! Great food in a basic no frills atmosphere. The crowd was lively and fun...even on a Sunday morning. Definitely a lot of regulars, but we were treated with the same hospitality as everyone else. If you haven't stopped in before maybe think about popping in and showing Bailey's some love!

Aposto is literally the best meal I've had this year. I cannot express how f*cking delicious our…read moremeal was. The bone marrow starter was pretty good. But the PASTA I had... my GOODNESS there isn't anything else in Des Moines that even holds a candle to it. 147483919374/10 ambiance for this freakin good pasta. Also! My cocktail, the Pear Butter, was EXQUISITE. So unique and delicious :) Also our server was funny. Definitely would recommend him.

I didn't realize how long it had been since I'd reviewed Aposto, so I didn't snap any pics, but I…read morecan completely affirm my 5-star rating. We arrived a couple of hours before our event at Hoyt Sherman, which is right down the street, so that we could have a leisurely experience. We were seated at one of the tables by a front window, so we had a nice view of both the lovely inside and the front lawn. My wife avoids cow dairy, so the staff was great about making sure each dish she got was adjusted to her liking. She got the cardini salad for her starter, a wonderfully fresh assortment of veggies. She then opted for the cavatelli (sans cheese), and it was wonderful homemade pasta and a great blend of sausage and sauce. I got the gnocchi, which was just as delightful. Beautiful pillows of gnocchi with a tasty lightly spiced curry sauce. We topped off our meal by sharing the chocolate torte, and it was a wonderful finish to the meal. They have a pretty thorough wine list which is tilted toward Italian wines. Those aren't my fav, so I got a martini, which was fantastic! My wife got the prosecco, which was fairly dry, which was what she was aiming for. Service was attentive, friendly, and overall exceptional. This will not be your least expensive meal in the area, but I always feel like I get value out of my overall experience.