This is the best place to eat in downtown Des Moines! The food is amazing and the drinks are incredible. I suggest ordering a "lavender love potion #9." It's the priciest drink on the menu but well worth it. The shared plates are great and my favorite is the hummus trio. The bartenders are friendly and the place has a wonderful atmospheric. I can't say enough good things about it! read more

RoCA is such a nice addition to the Court Avenue area. It's dark,cozy,trendy/cool, "hip"(I hate that word) and the drinks and food are unique and Really good! I put this review off for too long so I can't go into detail about what we all ate(5 of us) but we all tried something different and had bites of each other's choices - and Everything was unique and outstandingly tasty!! We're going back next week to try more cocktails and food. Try RoCA- you'll love it! read more

RoCA - Pasta of the day linguini with shrimp and basil cream sauce- delicious! - Bars Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

Tracy was amazing. Food was great... we had the mushroom flatbread and the portobello sliders... both delicious... finished with fondue for desert which rocked our world. She's a keeper! Took great care of us. read more

This place was so cool! We've been trying to get out more since moving to Des Moines and I'm really glad we stopped at RoCA. The service was awesome. We were seated right away and our server was super friendly and knowledgeable. I had a blueberry tyme drink and the Kale and Farroh salad with chicken. Holy crap it was SOOOO good. I would legit eat that salad with the maple bacon dressing everyday. I'm getting a craving for it just writing this. Our group really loved their food and the boys had a super interesting drink called the smoking gun that was served in a smoked whiskey bottle. Really cool! The restaurant itself has a really cute atmosphere too so we will definitely be back! read more

Roca was very accommodating. Had great food and especially great drinks! Will be returning next time I am in town! read more

Perfect date spot. Very upscale but you generally don't need a reservation. Have only tried the food here once but thought it was very good. We got the lettuce wraps; small plates are what they're most known for. The main thing you come to the restaurant for is ambiance. Very tasteful and elegant décor. Staff is VERY professional. The drinks are expertly made...I had the Irish Cosmonaut which was a great dessert-type drink without being too sweet. You don't have to come to this place dressed to the nines but you may feel out of place if you dress too casual. While it's great for a special event it's not a place that you have to have an occasion to go to. read more

Amazing service. Was seated immediately and our water didn't reach half full all night. I had the root beer infused sliders with the bib wedge salad. Throughout the night I sipped on the cocktail titled "spontaneously horny" that was suggested by our fabulous waitress, Melinda. The music playing all night was also fantastic!! Great place to be in Des Moines!! read more

RoCA - The very delicious "Horseshoes and Hand-Grenades" so yummy!! - Bars Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

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By far my go to place. Love this place, great food amazing cocktails and mostly amazing service and servers. Such a nice atmosphere and that little outdoor place hits the spot during good weather. The menu is not big or confusing, most certainly the place to go if you wish to share plates. You will not be disappointed read more

Great atmosphere! Very cool drink menu and very friendly service. Spin dip was good and gave extra dipping chips when asked. My wife had a flat bread, friend had the mac and cheese. I had the fish tacos. Do not recommend them. They were like fish sticks in a taco. Flatbread and mac and cheese were good. We will be back. read more

After this last visit, we are never going back. Food was average, but the waitress was rude and VERY presumptuous. We paid with gift cards, to which our waitress replied, "Oh you're paying with gift cards. These are good ones, where did you get them? Costco?" So we went to tip with cash. We only had a hundred dollar bill. Our bill was 148.00. We handed her the hundred and asked for change. She never returned with change. Finally we saw her, and told her we wanted change in order to tip her. She replied, " Oh, that's the kind of tip we normally get around here." We still had our appetizer plates and old drinks all over the table. In fact, our menu was still on the table. So long RoCa. We won't be back. read more

I absolutely love RoCA! This is my go-to spot before or after any event in the downtown. I love coming here with a group of friends, out of town family or even on my own. My mouth is watering just thinking about the amazing food and awesome cocktails. The bartenders are adventurous and will make cocktails off the menu but let's be honest, the cocktails they have on the menu will knock your socks off. read more

Well, I got food poisoning from RoCA and still gave them 4 stars, so if that's not saying something I'm not sure what is! The food here was DELICIOUS, their tapa sizes were generous and perfect for sharing. I especially liked the Walleye tacos and the queso fondue. The wine and cocktail selection was also on point. I loved the atmosphere of RoCA as well, from the exposed brick, to the different types of seating, calming ambiance, and cool downstairs area. Our service was beyond exceptional and the only reason I gave them 4 stars rather than 5 was because of the stomach mishap I had afterwards! read more

It is a very interesting place. I am vegan now a days. So they made me a vegan risotto. See pics. Also I ordered El Chapo and it was deliciously picante. I end up the night with a Pinto Noir. Service was on point. Like the layback ambience. Will come back again when in town read more

RoCA - Vegan Risotto - Bars Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

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Nice place in Des Moines to grab a drink and a couple of small plates with friends. Classy vibe and good service. They made a good Manhatten which is important. The food I will say is good, but I was not blown away. The best thing we got was the fried green beans. I was not a fan of the crab cakes, but my friend enjoyed her beef carpaccio, I think it was. Spinach dip was pretty good as well. read more

Stopped in last night. Sat at the bar. Great time as always Drinks -Smoking Gun, a signature drink that is a fun novelty but also tasty. One is enough for me and then I switch to my standard vodka martini, good size poor and they actually have blue cheese olives on hand unlike most restaurants. Apps/small plates/salad -shrimp skewer, good size, not too spicy and served with a nice cream sauce. -friend avocado lobster salad, not sure what to expect when I ordered but it was a nice size and very tasty. Leafy greens with a vinegarette and the avocado lobster wasn't overpowering. Would order again! Dinner -beef tenderloin pasta in a cream sauce,liked it but think it would be better with bow tie pasta instead of thin noodles. -juicy sliders, excellent, juicy burgers with a touch of cucumber for texture, soft bun, really liked these. -beef tenderloin with mashed potatoes and asparagus, super tender, 6 ounces. read more

Restaurant is in an old building that has been nicely redone and decorated. The place was really busy for a Wednesday night but the staff was still very attentive. We each a cocktail that was quite enjoyable and first shared the charred salad which the kitchen split us. Then we had the pork medallions and the shrimp and polenta. Unfortunately the corn with the pork was outstanding but the pork medallions were very over cooked and dry. The shrimp polenta was very good but feel that the dish would be better with just grilled shrimp - the blackening is too much. Interesting enough the waiter never asked how our meal was. read more

Very good food, but not a lot for what you pay. We ended up getting a pasta, three tacos, and two scallops. Adding in two alcoholic dink's the bill was 70$. Little over priced for me. I left still hungry. read more

We went here on a Saturday night and the ambience was perfect. It's laid back with a fun crowd and our hostess, Kim, just made the experience amazing! She was super attentive and had the best suggestions for items on the menu. I told her what I liked and her choices were spot on! They also have a decent amount of vegetarian options which I was very pleased with. I wish I was in Iowa more often- RoCa would be the place to be! read more

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I moved to DM 5 years ago from FL, I am a foodie and always out on bars and restaurants. I Went to Django for dinner tonight and me and my boyfriend decided to go to Rocca for a drink after, we had 2 drinks and he had to leave to watch the kids. I stayed and was so disappointed , Jeremiah I love your brother, but the new staff was not good! The place is packed and the bartender would not serve me a last drink! He said he was done at 9:15 exactly, and right after I heard him mixing a drink to serve someone else! They served all tables and the bar until 10:15pm. This place used to be good! I guess they just don't care about the regulars anymore!!!! read more

I am not even from Des Moines and I have had the great same waitress every-time I come here. We always get the best food, service, and drinks and I just want to shout out out to her and say that I will always remember my dinner Des Moines experience with her being involved. I hope she knows who I am when I say we were the girls from San Francisco and Michigan and that the deconstructed tacos are so delish. Thank you for the good times you brought my friend and I when we catch up and thank you for always checking our ID's! read more

Excellent service. Smoking gun bourbon drink really cool. We had artichoke dip, lettuce wraps, cheese and meat board - all superb.

The atmosphere is nice... but that's about it. Service was really, really slow. I'm not one to write bad reviews, and usually make excuses for when I'm disappointed by something, but this was just plain weird. The food was utterly tasteless and tasted like it had been microwaved. Tried to order 2 different bottles of wine and they were out of both. Waitress didn't help recommend anything either, just kept leaving and asking the bartender. I wouldn't have even care if she had made shit up, I just wanted a damn bottle or red wine! So we switched to cocktails and they were equally as tasteless as the food. I'm sorry, but it's true :( read more

Was surprised to find a nice place like this as we were walking through downtown on a Sunday afternoon. Nothing seemed to be open! But the wine selection was good, the rosé was perfect and dry. Happy hour pricing was great, got the 4 cheese, tomato and pesto flatbread, and it was great! All of the staff was very friendly. Was pleased to see a caipirinha on the drink menu! read more

RoCA - Bars Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

Went there for Valentine's Day and setup a Reservation through OpenTable about a month in advance. Hostess called me to confirm reservation on Thursday before. Yet when we showed up for out reservation there was no record of it. Hostess apolgized and explanied they were having trouble with OpenTable and also confirmed that she fact did call me. Thankfuly she had a table for us, and her making that happen was much appreciated, sorry i can't remember her name. Loved the ambience of the place, very warm and welcoming, The exposed brick is a nice touch. Easy to see why this is becoming a hot spot in Downtown. Our Waitress was fantastic and very helpful, can't remember her name as well. I ordered an old-fashioned which was perfect. Girlfriend asked for a wine suggestion, and our waitress gave her some reccomendations and she loved her choice. We arent't really used to the shared plate concept, but we really enjoyed it. We ordered the Root Beer Braised Pork Sliders, which i could not get enough of, they were like candy, so decadent. Also ordered the Spinich & Artichoke Flatbread, which was just as good. Looking through the menu and i spotted several things i wish i could try. Next time we are through Des Moines again we will defintely stop by. read more

I invited a friend from out of town to join me for a girls day lunch at RoCA. What an amazing experience! I had the root beer pork sliders and coleslaw and I cannot even come up with enough good words to describe this plate, I will just saw best ever!!! I had to try the smoking bourbon and although I have never had bourbon it was full of unique flavor. I will be returning again and again!!! read more

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This place used to be a lot better, they reduced quality and quantity of food recently and it really shows. I doubt I will be going back after my last experience. $17 ahi nacho appetizer had almost nothing on the plate, and it didn't even taste that good, not good enough to warrant a $17 price tag. read more

Connor Hayes was the best bartender I've had in awhile! So attentive, and covid safe. They were out of blue cheese olives (blue cheese olive martinis are my favorite) and he personally prepared them for my drink! He was always wearing a mask and so friendly. Will definitely return. read more

If you want delicious farm to table cuisine in a beautiful setting with outstanding service, this is the place for you. Congrats Chef Aaron Holt for winning Iowa Chef of the Year. read more

I wish I could give six stars. My wife and I went downtown to eat, and originally had a different restaurant in mind, but RoCA caught our attention and we thought we'd give it a try instead. We were beyond impressed. From the beautiful interior to the incredible waiter, our first impression was optimistic. When we were served, our waiter was incredibly knowledgable, offered suggestions, and very helpful and patient. When our food came, they won us over. We ordered deconstructed nachos and the chicken Mac and cheese. Best food I've ever had in a restaurant. Coming in, we had an impossible time finding parking downtown and traffic was horrible. I walked away completely forgetting that experience. So great. Seriously can't recommend high enough. read more

Ordered avocado/salmon toast among other things: had to carve out the rotten parts of the avocados. If a restaurant can't manage avocados, they shouldn't be on the menu. We let server know; the rot was obvious on the plate... bill was not adjusted. Not going back anytime soon. read more

Had the hoisin skewers...great Rocafeller oysters......just ok Root beer slider ........BEST flavor!!!! Cocktails blew my mind Great atmosphere great staff go there tonight read more

First time here.. arrived at 930p placed order and drinks and our waiter did not place our food . Now the kitchen is closed .. NOT ImPRESSED

Experience was fair. Food was okay. Went the small plates route. Love that it's an option. Walleye tacos were good. Pork slider was very dry. Scallops were good but the accompanying cream corn dish needed seasoning as there wasn't enough bacon to give it any needed salt. Cheap wine featured at high prices. However, had the Prisoner wine at $20/glass and that was good. Specialty cocktails were good and priced as expected. Didn't receive any service for a while. We were seated right next to a very large and loud table in a nearly empty restaurant so we apparently blended in. As stated, everything was fine but not planning the next visit just yet. read more

Ordered the beef skewers , pork medallions, and shrimp. We loved everything . My favorite was actually the creamed corn with poblano peppers that came with the pork. If you're wanting something tasty and willing to spend money then I do recommend going here. read more

To sum up Roca in one sentence: It is one of a handful of area restaurants that make Des Moines a legitimate food destination. You are going to spend a little more to eat and drink here but the pricing is not crazy and the food is real good. If you are a beer and wine person prices are not bad and specialty drinks fall in line (lots of these). Something I found cool was a choice in portion size. They were small plates but you could chose how small. Nothing was super small. I chose half size of olives (my better half is an olive person) and I could not get over how large the portion. Olives were really good and I am not an olive person. All the food was good and it was very hard to chose a favorite but the root beer glazed pork slider was the most memorable for its uniqueness. I will definitely be back for the food and atmosphere. I am not a huge fan of the high tables and super closeness to my neighbor's table but can see how it adds to Roca's coziness. read more

Love you, Tracy. You were everything and more. The Brussels sprouts were a dream. *chefs kiss*

There are a lot of excellent bartenders in this town, and I count some of them among my very closest friends. But only a few times in my drinking career (yes, I'm calling it that) have I been served by a mixologist with such obsessive attention to detail, and all in the middle of the dinner rush. Over the course of our evening, our bartender (who's name I will omit out of courtesy) engaged us in a wealth of friendly conversation. He was also kind enough to use my date and I as guinea pigs to "dial in" RoCa's cocktail menu, so we got to sample the full list. RoCa is getting a little press lately about their hand-cut ice cubes but, while these were indeed excellent, they are just the tip of the high-end cocktail iceberg. (Is that a pun? I don't know--we'll just call it wordplay.) This bar employs many tricks of the trade that I've never seen in DSM before. I was very impressed, both with the creativity and taste of all the drinks served. As for the food, it was also very good. It definitely took a back-burner to the great drinks in my opinion, but excellent fare nonetheless. The menu features primarily shared-plate items of the haute cuisine variety. The wait staff was fantastic, and the executive chef stopped over to ask how our night was going. One of the cheeses on our plate was rolled in nuts, and my gf is mildly allergic. When I asked the chef if he could possibly prepare a version without them, he nodded and vanished, only to reappear smiling two minutes later with a full serving sans nuts. RoCa has a lot of competition on Court Avenue, but if they maintain this level of precision, class and service beyond their honeymoon period, it will quickly become one of my favorite venues in Des Moines. read more

Smoking gun was deliciously smooth. Great presentation. Small plates were meat and cheese board, flat breads and artichoke dip. Memorable experience. Definitely recommend. read more

Went to Roca with my boyfriend on March 13th and had a delicious meal. We had the Root Beer Pulled Pork Sliders that all of my friends raved about. They didn't disappoint. We also ordered to Roasted Chicken Mac and Cheese. It was amazing too. The cheese was delicious. I had a Sutliff Cider and my boyfriend has the Pinot. Both very tasty. Hoping to try one of the craft cocktails next time we go back. We did love it so much that we ordered the same thing the next day while drinking at Shorty's. We also added the Spinach and Artichoke dip which I thought was really tasty. Overall great experience and neat ambiance in the restaurant. read more

Amazing meal from start to finish, great food, perfect service. Started with the Smoking Gun, and while pricy was the most interesting drink I've had in a while. Mellow, with a definite smoky flavor. Glad I tried it. We shared small plates, and each one was delicious. Started with the butternut squash and crab bisque which was rich and flavorful. Next came the spinach & artichoke flatbread, which had a kind of smoked chicken on top, very good. Had a half order of crab croquettes which really exceeded expectations. Thought they'd be more solid and dry but they were soft and delicious with a light crispy outside. Lastly had the walleye fish tacos (3), which were light and had a good pineapple salsa and aioli with it. I would recommend all of these. We shared an espresso creme brûlée for dessert -- we really enjoyed the espresso flavor, and it was a nice end to the meal. Can't wait to come back! read more