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    The Ducktail Lounge

    4.0 (21 reviews)
    ModerateCocktail Bars
    Closed 3:00 pm - 2:00 am (Next day)
    Updated 1 month ago

    The Ducktail Lounge Photos

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    Recommended Reviews - The Ducktail Lounge

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    11 months ago

    Great place while I'm in town for work. Good people behind the bar and the prices are amazing.

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    10 years ago

    Helpful 3
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    7 years ago

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    16 years ago

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    17 years ago

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    9 years ago

    Helpful 2
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    6 years ago

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    10 years ago

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    12 years ago

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    10 years ago

    Great place for a date night or to meet up with friends. They also have fresh squeezed juices and great craft cocktails.

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    15 years ago

    Clean, well run and a nice, ableit, small selections of bottled wine by the glass.

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    10 years ago

    The drinks are priced right and the staff is friendly. The screened in, heated, patio is very nice in the summer or the winter.

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    10 years ago

    This bar has the freshest ingredients. Alway stocked with an amazing selection of vodka, whiskey, scotch and friendly faces.

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    11 years ago

    Awesome place, favorite bartender ever is Niles on Sunday nights! Relaxed chill place.

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    16 years ago

    It's clean, and a good place to go with a few friends to discuss politics.

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    10 years ago

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    Ask the Community - The Ducktail Lounge

    Review Highlights - The Ducktail Lounge

    I used to visit this place back in the mid-aughts when I would come into Des Moines on the minor league baseball trail.

    Mentioned in 2 reviews

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

    Good News, Darling

    4.7(19 reviews)
    5.8 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.

    Tito's Lounge - Wings

    Tito's Lounge

    4.7(95 reviews)
    1.9 mi
    $$

    4.8* (out of 5) Food: 5* Atmosphere: 5* Value: 4*…read more Service: 5* Would I go back / Recommend?: 5* (Definitely) Total check/person: $20 04/27/2026 Tonight's opportunity to enjoy another stop at Tito's came at the end of my journey updating several locations for happyhourdesmoiones.com. It was getting to be dinner time, so asked my wife to meet me here for my last stop. Every time we've stopped here, we have been impressed with the quality of the food and tonight was no different. I had already enjoyed some Happy Hour specials at another venue, but my wife hadn't yet eaten dinner. She ordered the Gyro & Fries (see picture) and as you might guess, I did try a couple of bites. We both thought it was a very good gyro and were delighted to see that it is the daily special each day from 11-2, so we will definitely be coming back for lunch some day. If you found this review helpful, please show your appreciation with a Like or a Follow.

    The wife and I tried this place for the first time. I've known about this lounge because of my son,…read morebut he and I never made it here. Don't tell him I went without him :) Anyway, I'm glad the wife and I gave it a try. We walked in at 5:30 on a Friday and it was busy. We didn't wait but for a few minutes and had a table. The greeter was very friendly and our server was super nice and pleasant to have as a waiter. His recommendations were spot on. The whole restaurant was hopping busy but operating very smoothly. Not a quiet place, a true sports bar ambiance. The wings were very very good. Maybe some of the better ones I've had here in town. The gyro was fantastic, and huge. Great value. The wife's flatbread was great too. Excellent food all the way around. Prices for very reasonable. Happy hour helps some of the prices for sure, but still a well priced establishment. We are fans of this place and will most certainly be back.

    Photos
    Tito's Lounge - Restroom Area

    Restroom Area

    Tito's Lounge
    Tito's Lounge

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    In Confidence

    In Confidence

    3.6(16 reviews)
    5.7 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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    Noce - The Des Moines Big Band with excellent solos

    Noce

    4.5(51 reviews)
    5.5 mi
    $$

    We try to catch at least one show a year at Noce (but it is always nice when we go more than…read moreonce!). We usually try to go as part of my birthday celebration and tonight we enjoyed the Des Moines Big Band playing "Sounds of the Season". Two hour show with about a 20-minute break and it was an excellent concert. My husband and I both enjoy jazz and Noce is an excellent venue. Small and intimate with a full bar and, if you are hungry, you can order a cheese plate or salty snacks. There was a biting wind when we went tonight so the hot toddy warmed us from the inside out. Our server replenished the hot water midway through, which was appreciated. Great night out, we really should do it more often!

    Max Wellman has created and fostered one of the warmest, most welcoming, creative and lovely rooms…read morein all of Central Iowa with Noce! It is among my favorite local gems to introduce locals and visitors alike to. The jazz music line-up is always evolving, and Max has such a gift for curating a calendar that elevates other artists (musicians, singers, dancers and more). I have so many fond memories made here over the past 9 years. It's a grown-up night out that's not stuffy or stale, and the service is always a beautiful ballet to watch, too! Highly recommend visiting early and often throughout the year, any time Max and/or Napoleon are singing or for all of the Voix de Ville and holiday shows you can snag tickets for. You won't be disappointed!

    Photos
    Noce - Dessert table, provided by Noce.

    Dessert table, provided by Noce.

    Noce - We both enjoyed our hot toddy?

    We both enjoyed our hot toddy?

    Noce - Buffet tables.

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    Buffet tables.

    The Ducktail Lounge - cocktailbars - Updated May 2026

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