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    The Royal Mile

    4.2 (225 reviews)
    Closed • 11:00 am - 2:00 AM (Next day)
    Updated 3 months ago

    Order The Royal Mile Takeout or Delivery

    The Royal Mile Photos

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    THE ROYAL MILE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Outdoor seating
    Good for groups

    Recommended Reviews - The Royal Mile

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    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.

    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.

    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.

    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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    2 years ago

    Food is always great. Fish and chips is the best in town. Service is always good as well. Overall great place for a meal or drink.

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    Page 1 of 6

    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?

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

    El Bait Shop - el Bait Shop food items

    El Bait Shop

    4.3(596 reviews)
    0.3 mi
    •$$
    Locally owned & operated
    Free parking

    This review is for lunch at the bar for two on a Monday in early October while we were…read moreroad-tripping from Chicago to Kansas City. service: Bartender was super helpful and professional. Excellent recommendations on beer selections. Great customer service. bar: Yup, that's 250 beers on tap with an impressively helpful beer menu. I drank a Toppling Goliath Necataron DH Sue ($9 for 12 oz) and it was awesome. food: Seriously fun and creative throwback menu that revels in rarely seen delights such as Velveeta, Dorothy Lynch dressing, Tang, and Broasted Chicken. Spicy Diablo burger and crinkle fries ($14) was spectacular. Gringo Tacos and cup of chili was equally fantastic ($13). details: Booths along one side, tables down the middle, bar seating, and outdoor area. Small adjacent parking lot and some street parking. Excellent background music. High Life Lounge is sister restaurant next door and equally amazing. Note there is 2% surcharge for using a card, which is more than fair.

    The Ultimate Stop for Bikes, Beer & Bites…read more After a day of biking, we made it back to El Bait Shop with some friends. This place is a solid choice, whether you're in the mood for the world's biggest selection of tap beers or some fantastic gastropub and comfort food from the lounge next door. We love it here because we can park our bikes in the provided area off the patio and still keep an eye on them. The outdoor service area is semi-shaded and the service is just as good as you'd get inside. As a beer lover, I can tell you the selection is ridiculous and expansive. If you want it, they probably have it, and from four or five different breweries at that! The menu is also loaded, with choices from both El Bait Shop and the High Life Lounge. Today, our food order was as impressive as the beer list. While I can't recall all the beers we had, the food included a Prime Rib Sandwich with tots ($14.99), the Pizza Burger also with tots ($11.99), the Philly Style Pot Roast Sandwich with a side of potato salad, and a massive bowl of Macaroni and Cheese ($11.99). We were starving after our ride, but that didn't change the fact that the food was all delicious, well-prepared, and served by our very attentive waiter, Kyle???, May. No one had any complaints, and the beer was cold and on time! Overall, we love the eclectic vibe of this place. Its downtown location gives you some great views, and more importantly, you're within walking distance of almost everything downtown Des Moines has to offer. This is a go-to spot for me, and I love taking first-time visitors here because it's so unique and the quality of both the service and the food is always on point. Oh, and did I mention the beer selection is completely insane? If you haven't been here yet, you are missing out, and you don't even know it. PRO TIP: Come here, and before you leave, slip over to the High Life Lounge for a throwback moment. Next time, start there and slip over here for a beer!

    Photos
    El Bait Shop - Pot Roast Poutine

    Pot Roast Poutine

    El Bait Shop - Flight of beer at el Bait Shop

    Flight of beer at el Bait Shop

    El Bait Shop - Nachos

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    Nachos

    Lua Brewing - Frail ~ English mild

    Lua Brewing

    4.4(162 reviews)
    0.8 mi
    •$$

    Lua is a great spot for a group dinner, drinks with friends, or grabbing some food at the bar. They…read morealso have a nice patio and outdoor seating. The staff was super friendly and attentive. It does get busy, though, so it can take some time to be waited on. The vegan mushroom French dip was phenomenal! A friend and I shared the sandwich and fries, along with the vegan miso mac with tofu, and everything was SO good! The bread was soft, the sauce took me back, and the mushrooms were . The sandwich got the right kind of soggy, soaking up all that delicious sauce. And they have THE BEST fries, which are mostly soft shoestring fries. IYKYK. The miso mac is spicy, so you may want to request the chili sauce on the side or ask them not to stir it all in. So grateful they have a vegan menu (don't forget to ask for it ) and that they're continuing to expand their vegan options!

    Just left here. Had high hopes as I had been wanting to try Lua for a while, so I thought, while…read morein Des Moines... It was hot out so we sat inside at the bar. It was a touch past lunchtime but the bar area was still busy, yet had seats open. We sat at the end and after some time was given some a water carafe and 2 small glasses (with no ice). She (never gave us her name) then came back for our drink order. And immediately asked for food, which we were not ready for. We gave her our drink order, after that we never seen her again. Sat there awhile. For so long we started looking at other restaurants around to eat. Then we she finally looked our way my husband made a motion to pay so we could just leave. Name on the receipt said AM B. Needless to say, we won't be back. Nor will we ever recommend it.

    Photos
    Lua Brewing - Brussels

    Brussels

    Lua Brewing - Grilled zucchini

    Grilled zucchini

    Lua Brewing

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    Barn Town Brewing - Morning poutine

    Barn Town Brewing

    4.0(376 reviews)
    11.2 mi
    •$$

    4.2* (out of 5) Food: 3* Atmosphere: 4* Value: 5*…read more Service: 4* Would I go back / Recommend?: 5* (Definitely) Total check/person: $25 10/02/2026 Stopped last night for the sole purpose of checking out their newly announced Happy Hour, as the information on my sister site HappyHourDesMoines.com was getting a bit dated. Since it was Happy Hour pricing (app. 1/3 off the items we checked), the Value bumps to a 5* for this trip. All things considered, I like Barn Town Brewing and really like a few of their beers - not to mention, they are close to home. Because we were here for a Happy Hour review, we ordered only from their Happy Hour menu (all of which have pictures included below). My wife started with an amber Core beer, while I chose the Featured Flight - since it included several of their beers that I hadn't yet sampled. For our meal, we ordered the Bavarian Pretzels (see picture), Crab Rangoon Flatbread (see picture) and Wings, split between Buffalo & Honey Hot (see picture). The Pretzels are just what you would expect and the combination of mustard and cheese dipping sauces were a great complement. The wings were also tasty, although several admittedly appeared to come from a pretty deformed chicken. The flatbread would be the only thing I wouldn't order again. I expect very thin to cracker type crusts for flatbread and this was more of a thick / deep dish pizza type of crust (the picture shows it, about 1/2" thick). Further, the sauces / topping were a bit sparce - so it was quite bready and dry. If you found this review helpful, please show your appreciation with a Like or a Follow.

    Good service and creative beers, especially in the sour and sugary spectrum. The unfortunate part…read moreis that some of those beers are TOO sugary that it doesn't taste/feel like beer anymore. I had experienced Barn Town at a beer festival and researched them before visiting town, so I know the experimental candy-influenced collabs are kind of their thing. The PB and Grape Jelly sour was nice and the Watermelon Sour Batch Buddies was the best of the State Fair themed bunch. Everything else packed too much of a flavor punch for me... to the point of upsetting my stomach which NEVER happens when I drink beer. I would actually go back and try some of their flagship (normal) beer offerings and food specials to get a more well rounded opinion of the brewpub.

    Photos
    Barn Town Brewing - Bar

    Bar

    Barn Town Brewing - Hand cut fries

    Hand cut fries

    Barn Town Brewing - Brisket Bao Buns!

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    Brisket Bao Buns!

    The Royal Mile - pubs - Updated October 2026

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