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The Royal Mile

4.2 (225 reviews)
Open • 11:00 am - 2:00 AM (Next day)

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The Royal Mile Photos

Business Info

THE ROYAL MILE ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Casual
Moderate noise
Outdoor seating
Dogs allowed

Recommended Reviews - The Royal Mile

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Reviews With Photos

Rarebit Burger

Good English pub food and vibe. There is an outdoor area with classic phone booth . We tried drinks , Shepard pie , banger bites, chicken tikka bites ( appeared very dark and fried but tasted good) , rarebit burger which was so flavorful. Only thing we didn't like was curry which was too bland

Patio part
Patrick H.

The wait staff are very professional & you don't have to wait to be seated.they serve breakfast Saturday and Sunday.

Menu
Stephen C.

We came here right after lunch so I cannot rate the food. But service was excellent at the bar and we each had a couple drinks. Royal Mile is unique and possibly the only British pub is Des Moines. Everything inside and out (except the bartenders) looked 100 years old. Very authentic and the bar dinks menus vouch for that. My black and tan was different from what I'm used to (Guinness and Fullers ESB vs Guinness and Harp) but I loved it all the same. The Sam Smith cider on tap was a treat as well. The draft list is heavy on English beer and ale but there are quite a few surprises too. And if you like scotch, this is your place.

I got the fish and chips with a side of the poutine gravy and OMG it was so delicious Thus the lack of food pictures. It was busy but the waitstaff was still attentive making sure we got refills and anything else we needed. They had a lot of televisions over the bar so it was easy to watch the soccer game.

Indian Chicken Spring Rolls

Stopped by after flying in! Was a 8 minute walk from downtown Marriott. Great service! Got the cheese curds, chicken spring rolls (great), and the chicken pot pie (THE BEST - definitely enough for two). Great place to watch a sports game! Relaxed crowd for a Thursday night!

Fish and Chips
Ronnie T.

Amazing place , our first visit . Fish and Chips and Steak and Guinness pie was very authentic . Server Natasha W was very knowledgeable and really attentive and friendly. Had a good chat about the British isles and food from that region

Chicken & Chips
Christine I.

I always get great service every time I stop by! I love when a setting always matches the vibe. I got the bangers and mash but I think I preferred the Shepards pie - clearly didn't get a pic of it because I was hungry but you'll have to check it out!

Rohan D.

Nice pseudo-English pub, food is okay but for the English breakfast which isn't quite authentic but close enough to be pretty special. Great service, but to be more English, the beer really shouldn't be ice cold on tap. There aren't really any better dining choices within walking distance of the downtown hotels, and there are quite a few worse. This is a good place to drink with some friends, it's comfortable and the fare is mostly okay.

Justina P.

We were in Des Monies for the Des Monies Con. We were going to go to the Hessen Haus but they were very busy. So we walked down to the Royal Mile. We had never been before and wanted to give it a try. It was a cute little place. The server was very nice and friendly. It was a little busy which we understood. My husband had got the scotch egg for an appetizer and I got the fried pickles. They were ok. I am not a sausage person but the mustard was good! I ordered the fish and chips which was really big but wasn't crunchy enough for it being fried. When we bit into it was soggy/wet and the chips/fries were cold. We also got the steak and Guinness pie. That wasn't too bad but was more veggies and not a lot of meat. From the time we sat down to the time we left was a little over 2 hours (not something we wanted for time wise, we still had to drive 2 hours home). Sadly for the price of dinner I wasn't too impressed and unfortunately we won't be going there again.

English Breakfast
Rosie N.

Great place for brunch! They even have a private covered patio section where dogs are allowed too. So we got the perfect brunch right after an event at Cowel Commons. I got the English breakfast which was a sausage, baked beans, bacon, eggs, toast, and sautéed mushrooms with tomato's. The baked beans are different from traditional southern beans it is more of a light tomato based and on the semi sweet side. It was a good pair with the sausage and bacon to give it a taste of sweet and salty. The only con is the tomato and mushroom, i think it's canned mushrooms sautéed with tomatoes. The mushrooms were a bit rubbery, which makes me think it was canned. Another con would be the OJ that was definitely premade like Tropicana, but also can be expected as it is a pub. So no worries. The eggs were made perfectly, and the toast as well. I would still get this breakfast, since it was still delicious. My husband got the Corned Beef Hash. The corned beef was perfectly pickled and cooked, tender and savory, the potatoes were crispy on the outside and tender soft on the inside. And again the eggs were perfect cooked too. Overall was a great place to dine and food and services was quick and nice. Would definitely come again.

Turkey Club

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Cool joint and great drinks, ambiance, and damn good fish and chips. Go check it out!!

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2 months ago

Cool spot. Nice atmosphere. Employees were great. And I was impressed with the fair prices and amount of food my meal came with.

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1 year ago

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1 year ago

Food was awesome. Service was excellent. Ample seating. The Guinness stew was very good.

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1 year ago

We love the Royal Mile! Whenever we are in Des Moines we make plans to stop here. The beer selection is great.

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1 year ago

We had really good drinks, service was ok, and the food is nothing I would order again. Not bad but definitely not good.

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Ask the Community - The Royal Mile

Are kids allowed?

Yes - kids are allowed until 9 pm! We are a restaurant with a full food menu so kids are allowed in our establishment. Thanks for asking!

Do they have a Happy Hour? What are the details if so?

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Kathy's Irish Pub

Kathy's Irish Pub

4.3(6 reviews)
4.8 mi
•$$

We have been visiting our daughter in Des Moines for several years while she attends college there…read more We drive past here several times each trip and have always wanted to stop. Our last trip we had time so we stopped in. I love the decor and the vibe inside. However, I don't know if our bartender was on a bender or what but we struggled to get service. People who came in after us struggled to get service. The customers at the bar or more attentive than the bartender was. With that being said we give this place another chance and plan to come back on our next visit. I must note that we were just there for drinks. I don't know about the food situation.

I think I found me pot o gold! Yes my name is Patrick so if…read moreyou couldn't tell by the name my Irish roots go all the way back to the Island. I wouldn't call me St. Patrick by any means because as legend says he feared nothing not even death! .. I will say I won't be scared to come back to Kathy's. The bartender was super welcoming, and chatty, He even shook my hand at the end of my visit. He was very attentive to all 10 of us in the bar, all from different walks of life! I was super excited that a guy brought in and set up his daughters girl scout cookies to sell to patrons and yes next thing you know everyone in the bar is sharing a variety of Girl Scout Cookies! Law and Order SVU was on the Tv, William Shatner's Christmas album was on the touch tunes and I enjoyed a lazy Sunday afternoon with a cool crew of folks. The place is cool and has framed photos of famous people with Irish roots.. We ain't just talking Conan, Bono, and Van Morrison we are talking Hitchcock and Detective Benson from Law and Order SVU's mom Jayne Mansfield.. Who I happened to just look up on Wiki to make sure on the spelling of her name and I discovered that Jimi Hendrix played on her music she put out in the 60's... WOW all I can say.. I feel pretty LUCKY to know that and pretty LUCKY to have gone to Kathy's.

Photos
Kathy's Irish Pub
Kathy's Irish Pub
Kathy's Irish Pub

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The Dam Pub - Paloma with ANEJO tequila. Love that they have so many good tequila options now!

The Dam Pub

4.1(73 reviews)
3.5 mi
•$$

I love the Dam Pub. This is an 80's themed restaurant/pub that has amazing food. They have some…read morevery unique dishes here that are a must try. I ordered the Monte Cristo which is a deep fried ham and Swiss sandwich that comes with a spicy strawberry jam. Omg, this was amazing and was like eating a fresh fried donut sandwich! Be cautioned though, the strawberry jam is no joke. It was very spicy but good. My wife ordered the grilled chicken with a honey and goat cheese topping that she thought was incredible as well. Her side was a spicy cream corn that is much like a Mexican street corn and was excellent. I had the Italian pasta salad and it was just as good. Other members of our party tried the French dip and an asiago cheese chicken sandwich. They raved about their sandwiches as well. Lastly, our server was a young blonde girl that kept the drinks flowing and provided amazing service. We were here on a Thursday for dinner and they had $2 cans of beer of some of the 80's greats like Hamms, Little Kings and even Montucky. If you are ever in the Des Moines Iowa area, definitely stop here to eat!

Fun vibe! Stopped in on a Saturday evening & found seats right away. There were people on the…read morerooftop but not outside. We started with tasty fried mushrooms with parm dipping sauce, which I saved for my tater tots. The portion is small. Beers were cold & reasonably priced. I had a Cuban with my tots. It was good--heavy on the ham. I took 1/2 home. Hubby had the hot honey chicken sandwich. He liked it. His mashed potatoes were dry so he didn't eat them. Friend thought the hot honey chicken was too spicy--hotter than the description. She said she would not order it again. She thought the pasta salad was homemade and it was fine. Her hubby had the French dip sandwich and said it was delicious! It ranks right up there as other French dip sandwiches he has loved. The waiter checked in on us several times. It's a fun place with a good vibe. Pay attention to the specials each day of the week and stop in if you're in the neighborhood.

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The Dam Pub
The Dam Pub - French Dip

French Dip

The Dam Pub - Half pepperoni half hot sausage pizza

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Half pepperoni half hot sausage pizza

Grumpy Goat Tavern - Facing north at 13th and Walnut.

Grumpy Goat Tavern

2.0(66 reviews)
0.6 mi

Visited Grumpy Goat Tavern this week after a state basketball game. While it is on the other side…read moreof downtown from the arena, it was remarkably not busy. We came in with a group of seven at dinnertime and were the only party in the restaurant. There was also only one gal working the tables and behind the bar, thank goodness they didn't get busy! We were the only table she had to attend to but I want to note that she was attentive and still did a great job. We ordered apps and a few others at the table ordered burgers. The burgers were huge and loaded with toppings, but I can't speak to the taste. For apps, we got the fried mozzarella, almond crusted chicken tenders, and nachos. The fried mozzarella came in ball form - not really sure what (maybe the type of mozz cheese?) but they were exceptionally good! The almond crusted chicken tenders were also delicious! I recommend dipping in the honey mustard that comes with, even though honey must isn't usually my go-to. For the nachos, you have the option of chicken, sausage, or both - we did both. They also come with jalapeños which gives them a bite, I'd recommend holding the jalaps if that is not your jam. Parking for this location of Grumpy Goat is meter parking so bring your coins or card, these meters take credit/debit cards (handy!).

Very overpriced . I got the waffle fries chicken nachos (which is an appetizer) and it was was like…read moretwo pounds of fries and no chicken at all . My boyfriend did get the grumpy goat popper bugger , he really liked it . I tasted it and it was really good . They gave lots of fries , will never have to worry about the skimping you on that for sure . Over all just okay .

Photos
Grumpy Goat Tavern - So that you will know that you're at the right place...

So that you will know that you're at the right place...

Grumpy Goat Tavern
Grumpy Goat Tavern

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E 25th Pub & Grub - Chili Dog

E 25th Pub & Grub

4.8(4 reviews)
2.8 mi

Stopped in here on a whim one late afternoon. We weren't sure what to expect given the outward…read moreappearance but we were surprisingly welcomed. The staff informed us that they wouldn't be cooking until later but the owner must've overheard and saw that we weren't from here and told them to cook us whatever we wanted. It was perfect, Chicago dogs and some cold soda, quick and super cost effective! Would go out of our way to go back! Wish they had IPAs though ;-)

4.0* (out of 5) Food: 4* Atmosphere: 3* Value: 5*…read more Service: 4* 08/06/2023 This place's Italian Beef was highly recommended by a reviewer on another site and finally got the chance to try it today. This is definitely a neighborhood bar - as several other patrons / regulars asked us how we liked our drinks and dinners. Granted, the area looks a little on the rough side as you pull up but the service and food were both great - all handled by one lady behind the bar. On the recommendation of another patron, we started out with Bloody Marys with pickle vodka and I highly recommend them - not too salty or thick. For our meals, my wife ordered the Italian Beef (see picture) and I went with the Chicago Dog (see picture). As always, we each shared tastes and found both dishes to be very good. Our neighbors ordered the Italian Beef with Cheese (see picture) and Chili Dog (see picture) - and both of them thought they tasted great, commenting especially about how good the chili was. If you found this review helpful, please show your appreciation with a Like or a Follow. Photos copyright: happyhourdesmoines.com & thefoodanddrinkguy.com

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E 25th Pub & Grub
E 25th Pub & Grub - Grinder omelette

Grinder omelette

E 25th Pub & Grub

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The Royal Mile - pubs - Updated October 2026

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