Just wanted to post an update to my review from 2014.... and I still love RoCA. I went last night for my birthday with a few friends, and left impressed. We had reservations and they had us seated right away- they didn't seem crazy busy, but not slow by any means either. My friends and I wanted to share a few things, and also wanted a few things for ourselves (like our drinks and that butternut squash crab bisque which is worth living for). Our server was fantastic- she didn't miss a beat and was totally cool with us wanting to split our food order equally but pay for our own soup and drinks... and then split two desserts between 2 of us. We didn't even have to send the check back for any corrections. Here's the highlights - the meat and cheese board, as always the root beer sliders, the butternut squash crab bisque, and the dark and stormy cocktail which is a Moscow mule. The RoCA tots aren't quite tots- really good- but not tots like you might expect. The person dining next to us almost caught their napkin on fire (must not have noticed the candle)- so that was pretty entertaining too! read more

RoCA - bottom left- butternut squash bisque, middle- meat and cheese board, and far end- root beer sliders - Bars Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

Seldom does one completely stumble upon a gem, truly worthy of the coveted 5-star Yelp rating. This is one of those tales. My group and I came upon RoCA on a business trip. We spent time at a conference reception full of generic drink choices and hors d oeuvres that leave your palate screaming, "meh." Hence our decision to find dinner on our own. We sit down at a table with dim - but not too dim - lighting, making it easy to converse privately with your party while still experiencing the totality of the place. Tracy took our order - much more to come on the drinks. Tracy is a big reason for the five stars, and - according to her - my new best friend. We order our shareable plates, consisting of the ribeye skewers, the Asian lettuce wraps and the smoked chicken Mac and cheese. The ribeye skewers were very nicely flavored, the lettuce wraps are fresh, light and delicious. But the Mac and cheese is the dish that can only be described with noises of bliss, as I witnessed from the other members of my party. So we're all enjoying this delicious meal when something truly extraordinary happens: Tracy brings our drinks. I ordered the Smoking Gun - a drink the menu lists as bourbon, maple syrup, applewood smoke and an orange peel. Sounds amazing right? I thought so too. What ensued was an experience I was not ready for. Tracy brings a glass with a large square ice cube and orange peel. She also brings a fifth of Bulleit filled 1/10 with bourbon. The remainder of the bottle is filled with smoke. The smoke, I learn, is the applewood smoke that is actively fusing with the bourbon and the syrup in the bottle. Pro (Tracy) tip: leave the bourbon in the bottle as long as you can stand; the longer, the smokier the drink is. I take my first sip and immediately my hair is flowing like I'm in an 80s rock video, I exude the scent of mahogany and leather-bound books, my shirt has loosened the top 3 buttons and George Clooney tips his glass at me from across the restaurant. So I ordered another. The Smoking Gun is more an experience than just a mortal drink. read more

I debated between 3 (A-OK) and 4 (I'm a fan) starts, but gave them the benefit of the doubt. I'd also suggest this is more a $$$ than a $$ experience. We met another couple for dinner before a civic center show. We got our drink order in after we sat down and after a few minutes got our drinks and then looked over the menu. There are lots of creative drink options, but we all opted for glasses of wine. The selection is good, and the prices are a bit on the high side, but only by a dollar or two. The food menu gives lots of options with shared small dishes or full entrees. There is a good variety on the menu so there should be something to please everyone. I opted for the grilled salmon and my wife had the stuffed chop. The salmon is pretty much just the grilled fish (as advertised) and the lemon buerre blanc was good, but a bit mild for me. It's topped with a cranberry relish, and served with carrots and on a bed of quinoa and kale. All the flavors were fresh. A pretty good healthy option. My wife's chop was pretty good - served with prosciutto wrapped brussel sprouts. The stuffing was perhaps a cheese blend? It's not described on the menu and she couldn't qutie make it out, but it was OK. We didn't try anything too adventurous on this visit, and were I to go again it would be interesting to try some of the small plates, flat breads, or sliders. Our bill for dinner and one glass of wine each was $76 before tip. Service was polite but a bit plodding. We did delay our ordering about 15 minutes after arriving, but spent over an hour and 15 minutes there. Food came out quickly but it took a while to get our order in and to get our bill. Likely because everyone arrived at the same time to get to the civic center, but make sure you tell your server if you're in a bit of a hurry read more

Ladies night out to dine and a friend picked this place. The drink was good, but the food was just ok. We ordered appetizers that came out pretty quick. The selections were great and the Brussels sprouts were my fav. We ended up ordering off the menu for dinner and I got the pasta dish. Totally forgot what it was called but it was a bit disappointing. I felt like I could have made it better in my own kitchen at home. Paid a good amount for pasta that wasn't fully cooked and thrilling. I packed it to go and ended up just tossing it tbh. The dessert-- my friend and I split the Oreo cheesecake for dessert and it wasn't the best tbh. It was basically a cheesecake with Oreo sprinkles and whip cream. Ummm again, I could do that at home too. The idea of going out to dine in is to get an experience of good meals that you probably can't master in your own kitchen as a basic cook. I was pretty disappointed that I paid $80 for my meal here lol. But the drink was great. read more

Our server was very helpful and made great recommendations. Food and cocktails were outstanding. Even on a busy night the atmosphere was relaxed enough to have a conversation. read more

Love this place. The food is always great. I have to recommend the Smoking Gun, it's hard to only have one!

Stopped in with my lovely wifey on a cold blustery night last week. I had made a reservation on opentable (and I am glad I did as it was pretty busy). We opted to sit at the bar as the tables are VERY close together. In summary its a nice bar with some gastro-pubby food and some very nice handcrafted unique cocktails. The price point and food quality ratio was just right for us. We will be back. Onto the detailed review...we ordered three dishes to share, their smothered tater tots, Ribeye skewers, and Rootbeer braised pork sliders. The smothered tater tots were great...they aren't traditional tater tots but small chunks of potatoes that are browned outside and crispy inside. They are covered with gravy and turkey. Best way I can describe is it takes like thanksgiving in a mouthful. Very yummy very rich, this was the first dish that was gone. The rootbeer braised pork sliders were good, the bread was not dry (seems to me that burger/slider buns are always dry...) and it had a sweet mayo on it. It was definitely a bit one note but VERY good. The ribeye skewers were our least favorite. I am not a big fan of food that i can easily make at home. These I could easily make at home and maybe make better BUT they were still tasty. Like the pork sliders though they were very one note. Tater Tots smothered in turkey heart gravy wins hands down. For dessert we had a bread pudding which was good not intensely amazing that would cause my wife and I to duel forks as we shared the dish but good nonetheless. Here is a tip. Sit at the bar, they will give you better service and you can hear their recommendations on the food (we ordered the tater tots because a server said that they have those for their staff lunch and they love it). We will be back to try some of their other menu items..or maybe just for those tater tots!!! read more

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It's 6pm on a Friday night in downtown DSM, I wanted to go get a drink before my wife and I went off with our respected boys night/girl's night dinners! We had not been to RoCA yet so we hit it up for a drink! Well it was packed we found 2 seats on the small bar type table above the stairs and scanned over the drink menu and food menu! Lots of Small plate stuff here, only bummer about the whole place is there is only 1 or 2 vegan options.. Oh well we were just here to get drinks anyway! The drinks are where it's at! Total Mixologist stuff going on here, My wife ordered a bourbon drink that was served in a bottle with SMOKE in it! Our waitress shook it up, clouding the bottle and then poring it over a hand cut ice cube, and a orange peel! Im not much of a bourbon guy, but I tried it and it was very smooth! I wouldn't make it in Kentucky! I'm a beer guy and they had a great selection of over 20 craft beers here! I chose the Stone To-Go IPA, which I had never had and it was fantastic! They also have a huge wine selection! 15 bucks was our tab for the fancy Bourbon and the great IPA.. Not to shabby! I really dig the design of the restaurant, long and narrow, with high top tables, and a great bar area! Wine bottle art, and cool paintings! It's pretty dim lighting would be perfect for a date, but It does get a bit loud in here! I do look forward to going back and trying 1 of those vegan options for food! read more

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RoCa is a cool place to go with a date or friends. It's a cozy, though loud atmosphere, so if you want to have a conversation with someone new maybe sit towards the back away from the bar area. There are a variety of drinks to get and if you're a whiskey fan you'll like their options. I usually get the Smoking Gun ($12), which is a smoke infused whiskey drink. They put the smoke in the bottle of Bulleit Whiskey and it's fantastic! The smoke enhances the already tasty whiskey, so I definitely recommend that drink. RoCa has a lot of shared plated dishes, sort of like tapas. The prices are on the higher end for the amount of food you get. We ordered the pork belly tacos and drunken mussels. The tacos were $12 and you get 3 little tacos. The drunken mussels were $10 for the half order and $16 for the full. They didn't have enough for the full order so they gave us like 3/4 of the half order and didn't charge us for it, so that was nice of our waiter. They also have large plated dishes, which are your typical entree dishes. They range in the mid $20's. There are also soups and salads and meat and cheese plates. Overall I enjoyed my experience at RoCa. The service was good, the environment was fun, though the prices were kinda high on the food. I'd go back and just order drinks next time. read more

RoCA - Pork Belly Tacos - Bars Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

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I have wanted to try this place for sometime as I continuously hear good things. I finally made it out and was not disappointed. My sister and I shared some small plates with a bottle of wine (happy hour special) and we both enjoyed our experience immensely. I am not a mixed drink person, but am told, those are outstanding as well. We went with middle ground selections and tried the hoisin ribeye skewers (delicious, should have gotten the full order), a flatbread and spinach artichoke dip. The dip was not the typical greasy gooey stuff you get at most places (albeit, still yummy), this was more creamy and had nice size chunks of artichoke hearts. There are definitely more items we would both like to try when we are with someone that would share our individual likes of seafood and pork. We topped our meal off with a puff pastry filled with Chocolatorie Stam's chocolate, the pastry was covered in cinnamon and sugar and served with vanilla ice cream. It reminded us both of fried ice cream, it was divine and we each got our own, this was not a dish to be shared - so be selfish with dessert! Looking forward to future visits/tastes at this establishment. read more

Interesting little spot for date night or a cocktail but the menu is limited so we decided to eat elsewhere.

Very hip and trendy, this place definitely has a big city feel and makes a good addition to downtown Da Moyne. I'm a sucker for exposed brick and dim lighting, both of which they have in (david) spades. Having moved here from Chicago, this place has a very Chicago-y vibe (with some Chicago prices to boot). On to the show. The drinks are the real star here. The complimentary whiskey punch they brought us out before our dinner was delicious and deserves it's own spot on the menu. My Old Fashioned was roof-raising good, containing just one giant ice cube. The drink definitely had some swagger. For food, we ordered a bunch of shared plates that we shared with another couple. They are listed as such: Mac and Cheese with mushrooms and chicken: Definitely the consensus favorite. I liked it better than the mac and cheese at the aptly named Cheese Shop, which was also quite good. Not too heavy, but delicious. Cheese and Meat board: hit or miss. Just depends on your tolerance for cheeses you don't know and fancy, uncooked meats. Roca smothered tots: I really enjoyed these, perhaps more than anyone at the table. The "tots" are more chunky potatoes though, not "tater tots" per se. The turkey on them was very good as well. A very rich dish, but worth it. Ribeye Skewers: Meh. They had an Asian flair to them, but were overcooked and everyone's least favorite dish. Spinach, artichoke, bacon and smoked chicken flatbread: Also very good. Solid B. All in all, a very good experience and great date spot. I'm interested in trying some of their large plates next time, and working my way down the cocktail list. (One caveat is that the beer list is pretty underwhelming - the chef's favorite beer is Stella, really? - but this is a place I suppose you come for the cocktails, not the beer) read more

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Absolutely wonderful! Good drinks and good food. It's a little pricey but the quality of the items on their menu make it worth it. My favorite is the smoking gun. Also the mushroom and goat cheese flatbread is super delicious. This is a must try for small bites and drinks! read more

RoCA - Bars Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

We LOVED our time at ROCA. We had a group of 9 and made a reservation for 5:30 pm on a Saturday evening. This place is beautiful in an understated way. Attractive yet approachable. Our waitress was fantastic, with a good attitude and knowledge of the food and drink menu. Her drink recommendation of the Spontaneously Horny was spot on for my tastes. We all ordered different dishes and passed them around the table, so prepare for a hefty breakdown of lots of food and drink! Spontaneously Horny cocktail: My favorite drink. It's a luscious purple, and is sweet and smooth. It was a people pleaser by far, and yet was pretty strong! Smoking Gun: Who knew a beverage like that could be so smooth? We all remarked that the drink reminded us all of summer nights and camping. They somehow kept all the flavor, but got rid of the burn that comes with hard liquor. Bravo! Spinach Artichoke Dip: My #1 choice for the night in terms of food. The pita chips served with the dip were crisp without being overly hard, and the dip was creamy and savory. The flavor and texture were exactly what all spinach artichoke dips aspire to. I didn't care for the crostini that came with though that may have been because the pita was so great. Chicken and Waffles: My 2nd favorite! The chicken was crispy and had a great meat-to-breading ratio. The waffle was golden brown and crispy, and to top it all off, some lightly sweet whip dabbed on top. It was so good, one of our group even ordered another plate of it for themselves! Shrimp and Jalapeño flatbread: Another winner! The jalapeño and red pepper added a nice spiciness, and the pineapple's sweetness was a great counterbalance. The flatbread itself was nice and crispy. My only critique is that there wasn't very much shrimp on the dish. I think using smaller chunks of shrimp would be better than using whole peices. Seared Scallops: Buttery, well cooked, and flavorful. I actually enjoyed the beets on this plate more than the scallops. Well done! Drunken Mussels: Great! The sauce was delicious and the mussels were well cooked. This dish was ordered a second time as well! Ribye Skewers: Pretty good! There are a decent amount of skewers that come with a full order. The slaw on top adds a nice bite of acid to the skewer. Crab Croquettes: These are like little crab cake balls. Crispy outside, creamy inside, and a yummy sauce. Smoked Chicken Mac and Cheese: A pretty solid mac and cheese. I didn't really taste the smoked chicken in this dish though. It's also a pretty small serving for the price. But still a good showing. This location was perfect for our group outing, and the variety of shared plates made for a great exchange-and-eat experience. My husband and I plan on returning soon! read more

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Wow, wow, wow!!! One of the best meals I've ever had the apps, drinks, main course, and dessert were all perfectly executed. I'll definitely be back on my next trip to Iowa!! read more

RoCA - Bars Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

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We got very very sick after eating here. Vomiting and nausea and etc. for 2 days ! It was the only meal we both shared in the prior 5 days, and no one else in the home got sick. Came here for date night. Food was just mediocre. Won't be back. read more

Went there for a date night with my wife and some very dear friends this past Saturday. It was the first time for my wife and I. Very enjoyable. Great shared plates (charcuterie board), yummy BBQ chicken flatbread, creative drinks, nice atmosphere. Definitely will be back. read more

Roka has a fantastic wine selection, I really enjoyed the Prisoner company wines. The salmon dish was off the charts but you may get some funny stares that could only translate to "you're not ordering beef while you're in Iowa?" Push through the resistance and join me on the other side which is pure elation! read more

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Not sure how I've missed reviewing Roca since i've dined here half a dozen times. But here it goes.... If you are looking for nice dinner downtown without dropping serious cash, this is your place! It has a hip ambiance, perfect for nights out with the girls, bringing your parents, or even a hot date. The plates are perfect for sharing and there is definitely something for everyone. My personal favorite are the beef skewers, mostly because I wasn't expecting much, but they were so flavorful and an overall hit! Cocktails are swanky! They also offer local beers. Wines are nice too. Really, you can't go wrong here. Two adults sharing a few plates and each having one cocktail = $70 before tip. Also note: they take reservations on Opentable so pop on there quick and secure your table ahead of time. read more

Don't go here hungry! I went here with my friends and we all were disappointed and went home and ate another meal. The portion sizes for the prices is not worth it. The food was good, not great, but good. I got the yellowfin tuna wonton small plate and it had a total of 5 wonton chips and maybe 6 small slices of tuna on it for 17$ dollars. I needed like 3 more of those plates to fill me up. Another meal was the quinoa salad and again very small, but she liked it. Chicken Parmesan sliders were bland tasting and the order of half mac n cheese was decent. Brussels sprouts were hard, but she was starving so she ate them all. Again, food was decent but would not recommend if you were hungry. read more

RoCA is my new fave after-theatre stop. Great selection of small plates, wine, drinks and brews. We walked in about 4:30-ish after seeing 'Kinky Boots' this past saturday and scored the last 2 seats at the bar. This place is the go to for the after dinner crowd it seems while the wait staff was saying it was slow...wow! We tried a few cocktails and small plates. Absolutely loved the drunken mussels. We had so much fun we made a reservation for after we see 'Pippin' at the end of February. It was that good. Love the decor and openness of this restaurant. Tip the only restrooms are downstairs. read more

Can't say enough GREAT things about the level of service Tracy provided for our table of six. The brussles, the fondue, the shrimp...I could go on and on and on. Thank you SO much! read more

This place was awesome!!! Everything is scratch made and so tasty! We started with the walleye fish tacos and cheese board. The tacos were so-so not my personal favorite. The cheese board was AMAZING! A lot of the extras were made with ingredients from the chefs garden! We got the salmon and BBQ chicken & jalapeño flatbread for dinner. The salmon was delicious as was the flatbread. Two thumbs way up! read more

No Joke, this place is SUPER delish!!! I'm out of town, LA area., and I'm here for business. Saw Roca in Yelp and decided to come.., believe me, you'll not regret it. Come by. read more

I went to Roca with two other people on a Tuesday night. We were seated in the "lounge" area since we didnt want to sit at the high top tables in the normal dinning area. The atmosphere was nice, but because we were behind a "wall" of sorts we were forgotten a lot of the time, and had to go up to the bar more then once to get service, salt, our check, etc. The server was friendly, just perhaps not as interested in our table, since we werent drinking. The food was hit and miss. I got the Seared Scallop Risotto, which once the waiter realized what I was ordering (he came back because he didnt think it was on the menu), it was pretty good. The scallops were cooked perfectly, the risotto was cooked well, though it could have used a bit more seasoning. One of my table mate had the Portable Mushroom Sliders, which were presented very beautifully and they were very happy with them. My mother was less then pleased with her meal. From the taste I had the chicken saltenbacco was dry, which I think was her issue. There wasnt much sauce and the pasta was a bit overcooked. I wouldnt say it was terrible in my opinion, though I wouldnt order it again or recommend it. read more

First impressions are everything. My partner was excited to take me to Roca, it being my first time. Friday night atmosphere was near perfect, bustling, fun and light. We were sat by the host, brought waters, but after 15 minutes of no table service we left. read more

Happy.to see this place JAM PACKED on Saturday night. Two people were easy to get at the bar tho! Highly recommend the Brussels Sprouts and salmon! Enjoy the food and atmosphere! read more

The reason to go here is drinks, not food. The mixology was on point. The small plates were over priced for what they were. The deconstructed nachos in particular sounded fun, but when presented betrayed that it was a ridiculous idea. Make the food good, not novel IMO. read more

Good food and drinks. Casual ambience. Flatbread was good. Friendly waiter. cant think of anything extra ordinary, don't mind going back. read more

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My be favorite downtown location.... Nachos are fabulous and could be a meal. The bartender makes the best drinks and is super friendly.

So amazing, server was awesome, we were a big group and we were handled so well and the food and drinks are so good. We did our food more like a tapas type restaurant and everything was so good, recommend for anyone!!! read more

Absolutely one of our favorite Des Moines restaurants. Unfortunately we had an unpleasant experience tonight. At 6:30, a large table of people were incredibly obnoxious. Speaking really loud (almost yelling) with no regard to others. Even sitting 2 tables away, we could not hear each other talking. Multiple tables asked the server to interject but were told, sorry nothing we can do. Really? How about "any chance you can keep volume down"? In fact, many couples left early. Also, all TV's were playing 1930's Charlie Chaplin. I get trying to create a vibe but it was just annoying. Hate to say but this might be my last trip to RoCa. Super sad! read more

RoCA is one of, if not my favorite restaurant in DSM. Cool atmosphere, great drinks and delicious food. I highly recommend the pork shank and the beef tenderloin. We have never left here disappointed! read more

I've been to RoCA twice now and I can say, I am a fan. Went there once with my wife and once with a friend and had a GREAT time on both occasions. Let me start by saying the service is outstanding. Everyone was friendly and helpful. Our waitperson hit that sweet spot between neglect and annoying. I'll be the first to admit that this is a narrow window for me. The drinks are exceptional and the bartenders are on the ball. I highly recommend the cahprinias...very nice! If you give them an idea of what you like, they are knowledgeable and can recommend something new to try. The food is almost all tapas, but there is a wide variety. I've had several and they've all been great. I guess one drawback is portion size. While not meager, I would expect 2 or 3 to fill 2 adults, and it just comes up a little short. If you just want a little snack, it's perfect. If you want a meal, order several... The outdoor seating is a nice touch, especially when the weather allows. It's towards the end of the busy part of Court Ave, so you feel "in the mix" without feeling crowded or being noisy. It's a great spot to talk, so it's great for dates or friends that just want to catch up. read more

Ok, initial impression walking I here was that I made the right choice on my first trip to Des Moines. I wouldn't say I was wrong, but something is off about this place. It's like someone once went into a cool bar/restaurant and tried to emulate that same atmosphere and only got half way there. Service is mediocre. Food is almost there. It's like the pretty girl you match with on Tinder only to find out on your first date that she's missing a thumb. Beer list is solid though. read more

Roca is a great spot to nimble on apps and sip on cocktails with friends after work. Majority of the food and drinks I've tried have been pretty good. The service has been consistency good waiting on small to larger groups. The deconstructed nachos and cheese plate are great options for a meal or when you're with a crowd. read more

Amazing place. My wife and I stop in frequently before going to shows at the Civic Center. Their drink menu is great (dark and stormy is a fantastic drink), their appetizers and cheese plates are always fun, and they have a very nice dinner menu as well. read more

Food is great, but the service is slow. The servers were busy but were taking shots at the bar and then telling their tables about it ‍

This is one of my favorite restaurants in Des Moines, we ordered meat and cheese platter , root beer pork belly sliders , spin dip and 4 meat flatbread. I enjoyed how flavorful everything was , the environment is pleasant and service was excellent. I also had their Sangria wine and it was smooth and delicious. Overall it was a great experience! read more

RoCA - Bars Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

This place has some amazing unique cocktails, and the tenderloin is the best! Awesome food and awesome service!