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    Secret Admirer

    4.7 (15 reviews)
    Closed Closed
    Updated 3 months ago

    Secret Admirer Photos

    SECRET ADMIRER ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Outdoor seating
    Happy hour specials

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    Lesley P.

    Cutest little building and great inside and darling outside! Drinks were awesome and service was great too. We had a blast!

    Patio area with Aperol Spritz
    Libby N.

    Secret admirer is one of the best kept secrets for happy hour in Des Moines. With their new Happy Hour menu this week, I will be coming back for the aperol spritz and house punch all spring long. The spritz was okay. Mine had a lot of ice in my glass but not mixed up when I was served. However, it was made with Topo Chico, so thumbs up from me. The house punch took me by surprise and was my favorite. This was not your typical college jungle juice punch. It was a refreshing cucumber drink that makes we want to go back for another tomorrow. The house punch is also ever change so each time you go it will be different. My favorite part of Secret Admirer is their patio in the back. The inside of the bar is adorable but small. We walked there on the first 70 degree day of the year and the patio was buzzing. It was nice to see people enjoying the sun and hang out with their coworkers for happy hour. They are still on winter hours but plan to return to normal hours as the weather heats up. Happy hour goes until 6. Highly recommended trying this out with your coworkers this spring and summer after work.

    Some Velvet Morning and Spiked Cocoa
    Natalie K.

    Loved the environment. We ordered off the winter menu. I got the spiked hot chocolate and Brandon goy Some Velvet Morning. Honestly preferred Brandon's drink because how pretty it was and I'm not used to tequila in my hot chocolate ‍ will definitely be back

    a cocktail in a coupe glass

    My husband and I are regulars at Secret Admirer every week and it has been the cutest place to be during the week and on the weekend. The bartenders are so friendly and accommodating. I would highly recommend stopping in! The view from the building is gorgeous, the dining area is clean and the drinks are amazing!! I would highly recommend anyone stop in when traveling through the metro. The only thing I wish they had were outdoor heaters so patrons could utilize the patio during the winter or colder evenings. Shout out to Geoff and Sean who are two of the best bartenders in town. They deserve a raise for sure!

    three glasses of lemonade and mint

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    Ask the Community - Secret Admirer

    Review Highlights - Secret Admirer

    Secret admirer is one of the best kept secrets for happy hour in Des Moines.

    Mentioned in 2 reviews

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    Revival House

    Revival House

    4.5(33 reviews)
    0.1 mi

    This tiny house is giving Des Monies the vibes it's missing…read more.. On a short layover in Iowa, I was looking for good drinks and food without a lot of waiting or being overcrowded. What I found was a little gem off of one of the main roads in downtown Des Monies. Even before you enter this self described "Tiki Bar" you see all the brick buildings, and then you see an actual grass covered roof...yep that's the place and a really nice touch. The interior is equally cool and spacious, you are greeted by the bar area immediately when you walk in. To your right are comfy couches and instagram friendly neon wall signs, with that signature tiki touch of floral patterns and great lighting. The location is connected to a Asian food restaurant, so they get their food from them as you drink some of the most well crafted adult drinks I've had in a while. I came for happy hour on a Saturday 4:00pm-6:30pm. The drinks were basically 2.00 off with discounted food, the menu is limited to mostly chicken wraps and crab rangoons etc. I will say the portions were filling and very delicious. The star of the show was my El Colmillo, a tequila based drink with lime, orange juice, lime. The bartender did say it's all pre mixed, and that day she subbed the tequila with Casamigos, because the house tequila was out. Customer service was great, until it wasn't. Our server was excellent, until a guy came in off break and they seemed to have some tension. She really didn't have that same positive energy as before, otherwise an overall excellent experience. Pro Tip: Take a walk over to "Hello, Marjorie", it's a completely different vibe but drinks there are just as good...if not better. Go see Travis, he is 10/10 at "Hello, Marjorie".

    Simone is the coolest bartender. She went way above and beyond with her service, up to pulling out…read morea light and taking pictures for me and my friend. They have such a lowkey cool vibe here. This is a great place to pull thru with a group of friends.

    Photos
    Revival House
    Revival House - Seating

    Seating

    Revival House - El Colmillo

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    El Colmillo

    Good News, Darling - "Menu, No Menu" Drinks at this classy speakeasy

    Good News, Darling

    4.7(19 reviews)
    0.4 mi

    This is my second time/ year back for the holiday pop up. Last year i got the grasshopper and…read moreenjoyed it. This year i got Tom & Jerry, and my friend got the Cider. We both really enjoyed our drinks. I wanted to get the chocolate later but it was sold out! A bartender let us try the menthol foam by itself and it was yummy. We had great service and the vibes was fun. All of their drinks are really delicious. Cant go wrong.

    There are not words strong enough to describe how incredible this experience was. Some of the best…read morecocktails of my life. Incredible flavors, theming - this is art and storytelling through cocktail. The ice cream on the cake was the sample ice cream flavors we got to sample. I'm not exaggerating to say this was also some of the best ice cream I've ever tasted. I'm legitimately and justifiably upset that I can't buy it anyway to have it again. The atmosphere is fun too, but the cocktails and the obvious time and passion that go into them are the draw. This is not a place where the theming outshines the drinks, I'd be blown away by these offerings even in a brightly-lit Chuck-e-Cheese. I will be back every single time I'm in Des Moines, and I hope it's packed with a waiting list because this kind of artistry deserves to be shared with everyone.

    Photos
    Good News, Darling - Bar scene

    Bar scene

    Good News, Darling - Thad the Jack and Norman which was made with Bourbon, Allspice Dram, black cherry, root beer reduction, vanilla bitters!

    Thad the Jack and Norman which was made with Bourbon, Allspice Dram, black cherry, root beer reduction, vanilla bitters!

    Good News, Darling - Something tart and fruity and another that was a white Russian type drink but had an extra flavor we couldn't pin point.

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    Something tart and fruity and another that was a white Russian type drink but had an extra flavor we couldn't pin point.

    In Confidence

    In Confidence

    3.6(16 reviews)
    0.4 mi

    New speakeasy below hotel fort Des Moines. Went here on a Friday night around 9pm. You are led…read moredownstairs where the bar is. The decor was super nice and certainly have a speakeasy vibe. Most of the seating here seemed to be targeted towards large groups so there wasn't a ton of option for a party of 2. We did not have a reservation so there was only 1 high top area that was honestly super uncomfortable. I would recommend making a reservation if you want a chance to sit at one of the lower chair areas. The biggest issue was the service. It took over 20 minutes for anyone to come over and take our drink order. This is a newer spot so I'm hopeful things can improve. It was super loud and not the most inviting space. Some of the seating was a bit awkward with spacing. The drinks were small but I would expect that for a higher end cocktail. For DSM, I did think some of the drinks seemed a bit expensive. The drinks were okay but seemed pretty weak where they were super juice heavy. Overall I would probably not come back unless I had friends who haven't been and wanted to try it. Super bummed as I do think there is potential here but need to work through some of these issues.

    This speakeasy bar is located inside the hotel fort in downtown Des Moines, Iowa. To get there,…read moreyou will enter the coffee bar, once you walk around the bar, you'll see a velvet rope. Somebody will ask you how many people in your party and then open the wall pantry. This will lead to the stair that goes downstairs to the basement. Bar lighting is dim, intimate feel. There's bar seating, high tops, tables that accommodate large parties and VIP room that has a curtain for privacy. We ordered cocktails that were unique crafted. Bathroom is available, hallway of pictures of people dressed in the 1920s all over the wall. We enjoyed this speakeasy bar and will definitely come back with more people.

    Photos
    In Confidence - The entryway

    The entryway

    In Confidence
    In Confidence

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    Table 128 - Lynn's burger-
pickled pear, brie, crispy onion, Dijon aioli, brioche bun, choice of side. Des Moines IA Lunch or Dinner

    Table 128

    4.3(292 reviews)
    0.3 mi
    $$

    My how I have missed my favorite restaurant in the Midwest! This was my first time at their new…read morelocation and it did not disappoint. Chef Lynn greeted me when I walked in and took time to chat with me. Everyone and everything here is fabulous and I will be back as often as possible. The food, service and ambiance are fabulous!

    Train wreck-in every way. We flew into Des Moines from AZ and a friend suggested this restaurant…read more We arrived at 8pm for our 8:15pm reservation. There were two other tables in the whole restaurant so needless to say it was quiet. Our server was sweet but obviously not trained on efficient and fast service but was probably encouraged to run like a bunny when things go sideways. We ordered two glasses of wine and an old fashioned. Figured I just got off of a plane so why not get the evening going with some bourbon and have a Plan B with the glass of wine when I am ready. Two glasses of wine were delivered but no old fashioned. Who does this? Anyhow, old fashioned came out next. We ordered a cup of soup and a small salad to start with and then ordered a burger, medium, with fries and the pasta bolognese. The soup and salad came out but there was a long stretch of time before entrees came out. When they finally arrived the burger was very rare inside so my wife let the server know and she apologized and scurried off. I tried to wait but it was getting cold so I slowly nibbled. After 20 minutes, I flagged down our server and asked if the burger was coming out and she said "oh, do you want another one"? It was now 9pm and they were closing but we were not leaving until we enjoyed a medium burger. When the new burger came out, she said the "owner made it himself. We cut it in half to check the temperature it was still pink. How can an owner of a restaurant not know how to make a medium-medium well burger? And why didn't he walk out and deliver it himself and apologize? Not a word! My dish was finished and plate was gone while my wife finally had her burger. We had planned to eat together that was not going to happen tonite. She ate half and we took the rest of it to go. With wine, an old fashioned and the worst dinner experience, we spent $174 with tip. Huge mistake. Here is my tip: train your servers on how to take care of customers. To the cooks, invest in a thermometer if you can't tell when a burger is medium. To the owner, step out and make sure your customers are happy and enjoying your food.

    Photos
    Table 128 - The dining room at Table 128, downtown Des Moines. Perfect for Business Lunches, Happy Hour, Date Nights, or Celebrations.

    The dining room at Table 128, downtown Des Moines. Perfect for Business Lunches, Happy Hour, Date Nights, or Celebrations.

    Table 128 - Bacon cheeseburger-
grilled beef, provolone, applewood-smoked bacon, chipotle aioli, brioche bun, choice of side

    Bacon cheeseburger- grilled beef, provolone, applewood-smoked bacon, chipotle aioli, brioche bun, choice of side

    Table 128 - Chicken salad tartine | 
yellow curry, roasted chicken, celery, cranberries, argula, marcona almonds, toasted focaccia, choice of side

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    Chicken salad tartine | yellow curry, roasted chicken, celery, cranberries, argula, marcona almonds, toasted focaccia, choice of side

    Secret Admirer - cocktailbars - Updated May 2026

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