My husband and I love coming here for a number of reasons. First and foremost the food is delicious. The pretzel bites are a staple. The staff is friendly and always welcoming. The place has a cool vibe about it. Our favorite comfort spot downtown. read more

Stopped in for lunch with my husband after hearing great things. And we confirmed -this place is so good. The pretzels with beer cheese are addictive....warm and soft and oh that sauce! They would be dangerous at happy hour. I had the mediterranean chicken pita and my husband had the west coast burger. Both were cooked really well and came out fresh and warm. We both liked that you can tell the ingredients are fresh and the food was cooked fresh. We also tried a bowl of the soup of the day - spicy garlic mushroom. Creamy and hot, but not kill you spicy. Almost had a southwestern flavor. Definitely worth a try if it's on special. read more

Stopped in for lunch today with my better half. I never post on Yelp, but I was impressed with my experience. The food was great, the service above par, at a reasonable price. If you are a burger guy, you will enjoy the menu, I personally had the mushroom Swiss burger, and it is the best burger I've had in awhile. Worth checking out, we will be back for sure, they had a chicken sandwich on the menu we both want to try. read more

Update the website and your door if you're going to close at 8:45 on a Thursday night before the Art Fest.

I really enjoy The Walnut. They have an innovative menu with delicious, main dishes and À la cart sides. Personally, I got the Mediterranean Chicken Pita and a side of their Mac and Cheese, because even at 23 I'm always a sucker for Mac and Cheese and both of them were awesome. The Chicken Pita was flavorful and packed to the brim. There was lots of protein, feta cheese, vegetables and a great sauce. I absolutely loved it and it had an amazing fresh flavor. The Mac and cheese was savory and extremely comforting. It made you just want to snuggle in. I've been there before and had the Kahlúa Pig sliders as well and they were fantastic. The restaurant itself was also very cool. It's a great place to grab a casual lunch or dinner with friends and has very nice, knowledgeable wait staff. read more

You have to have the pretzel bites! Served with a garlicky, American cheese sauce so good that you'll want to lick the bowl. I had the mushroom swiss burger and a side of macaroni and cheese. Burger was fresh tasting, juicy and delish. I added avocado to it. The Mac and cheese was kind of plain considering my burger - just noodles and cheese. I'd like it more if it had bread crumbs on it and broiled. Anyway I will be back! Cute place and friendly service. read more

Absolutely love this place! Whether I'm just popping in for lunch with a coworker or I'm looking for a casual place for dinner downtown this is my go-to. The food is always great, amazing service, and the prices are just right. This will always be one of my favorite places to come in Des Moines as well as one of my first recommendations for friends! read more

A great place for a quick bite and a tasty beer, the prices are moderate and the quality is excellent. I usually enjoy the west coast burger... tasty ! The staff is friendly and professional. Across the street from Noce, so a good place to catch a bite before the show. Tables spread out inside, and patio seating available for outside dining. read more

My coworkers and I decided to stop here for happy hour after a work event as we have never been. I must say it was a pleasant surprise! The environment was very nice and friendly, plenty of seating, and friendly servers and bartenders. I didn't get to try any of their food this time as we were literally only drinking but I will definitely come back to try their food. The menu had quite a variety to choose from! Soups, pretzel bites, and sandwiches! Our party was pretty big and the staff were completely accommodating by setting up tables and chairs fifty billion different ways for us! Even after one of our coworkers had a few too many and was cut off, everyone was still super professional and nice to our group! I even sat with two of the servers and chit chatted with them for awhile! They were so friendly and outgoing! If you are in the mood for happy hour drinks and food this place is a must try! read more

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Sitting here on June 6, 2020 and only a couple of people here! Patio is in the shade, tables inside are empty too. This place has some of the best burgers in town, their chicken and shrimp tacos are great, as well. It's a nice day outside so I can only guess people are enjoying the outdoors. Not a huge beer selection but the ingredients for all the food and soups are fresh and hand-picked. High quality stuff! read more

First time here and A-MAZING!!!! Pretzel bites and stuffed mushrooms...worth the drive from anywhere. Then the burgers best in town. My wife will never eat a mushroom and Swiss form anywhere else!! I had bacon, blue and BBQ burger. SO MUCH FLAVOR. Do yourself a favor and run down here(and make sure Grace is your server). read more

My friend and I have had the pleasure of grabbing dinner at The Walnut several times now and we have been so impressed. The chef / waiter is so nice and friendly. The atmosphere is unique and desirable. The food is amazing! We highly recommend the fish tacos (only available on Thursday nights). If you get a chance, stop by and try it for yourself! A great hidden gem in downtown Des Moines. read more

The Walnut is listed as a "Sports Bar" on yelp, but I definitely would not list it as that. We went to watch a KU basketball game there and they did have the game on, but no sound and were playing some sort of elevator music. There was a very rowdy group in there that looked like they had been there all morning so they were a bit obnoxious. Some people in my group ordered Moscow mules, but they were unable to serve them in copper cups due to the big group having them all. Since we were already there to check it out and ordered drinks we decided we would stay for the first half of the game (we had asked if they could put the sound on, but they said no which we figured would be the answer). We ordered two orders of the mushrooms and two orders of the pretzels. The cheese dip with the pretzels was delicious and had a lot of flavor. Unfortunately, they don't give very many pieces of pretzels with the order so we had a lot of dip leftover. The mushrooms were very good too and had a great kick to them. Warning if you do not like spicy food I would not recommend the mushrooms. Another friend ordered the Mediterranean chicken pita and I had a bite and thought it was good. It is a little odd how they serve all the food in baskets and give you little paper tray sharing plates and plastic silverware. I know they used to be a food truck but now since they are a restaurant I think they should try to step it up a bit. Beer selection was decent. Service was not good. It took us forever to get someone to come over and take our orders and then getting the check was another nightmare to get our server to come over. We left at halftime to head to another bar. Not sure if I'll be back. read more

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Came here for happy hour. Without that large of a group and already at 4pm the place was unbearably loud.

The Walnut is our new favorite spot in Des Moines. We live in Iowa City, but whenever we're in town, we have to make a stop at The Walnut. We love the atmosphere, the staff, the beer variety, and especially the food. The chicken philly, blue cheese burger and the Mac and cheese are our absolute faves. We feel right at home at this place and highly recommend it for dinner or even just apps and drinks. Great place. read more

Music tonight at the Walnut was FANTASTIC! Good job Walnut! Happy 1st year anniversary. Good job choosing Spencer Brown to play. What incredible talent by him as well as all of you. Great food!! read more

Wow. Had a late lunch there today for the first time. Pretzel bites app with garlic cheese sauce...yum. Pretzels were hot, soft and not too chewy. Sauce was delicious. My portobello, pesto and Swiss on a grilled bun may just be my new fave sandwich. The homemade pesto was terrific. Hubby had the royal bird, a chicken sandwich with prosciutto. He really enjoyed it and said it was very flavorful. Great, attentive service without being intrusive. Very friendly server. Then, as if things couldn't get better, I couldn't refuse a complimentary pineapple/coconut bar. Similar to a lemon bar but even better! Waitress said they are adding a patio soon to their already spacious digs. She also mentioned Wednesday night dancing....swing maybe. All in all: creative menu, mostly sandwiches. Large bar with lots of options. Very nicely renovated space. Clearly proud of what they put out and try hard. We really appreciate that. If you haven't been, I highly recommend. We will definitely be back! read more

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We came here in June so I'm sorry I didn't get to this review until now but overall, we had a great visit & we'll be back. Drinks, food & staff were great! I like the fact DSM is reviving old buildings for new businesses as The Walnut used to be a tire store in the 1920s. So we tried it because I'm a bit nostalgic. It wasn't warm the day we went there or we would have sat outside but we will do that on the next warm day we go there. This place is clean & roomy & you felt like it was 1930 all over again. Great for drinks after work, close to everything. We love the Walnut! read more

After waiting for 10 minutes at another restaurant without being served (initials GGT on 13th and Walnut), I decided to drive down the street and arrived at The Walnut. This was my first visit and in a word, WOW! I was greeted immediately, the food came promptly, and my Bacon, Blue BBQ burger was absolutely DELICIOUS! I will be back for sure! read more

Sandwiches are great, the prices are awesome, and the service is terrific. If you want food truck type food, but don't want it to be so greasy, this is your spot. The Tabasco chicken sandwich is so good, you'll order a second. read more

Hazowwwww. I don't get why this place isn't jam packed??? It was so good. All of it was so fresh. Everyone in my party loved their food. My only complaint about the stuffed mushrooms is that there should be more of them! They're delicious and so are the pretzel bites. The Mac and cheese is to die for. Will definitely be returning. Peace out bitches read more

Delicious!!! Happy hours and exceptional value for drinks. Great atmosphere. Great wait staff.

Classy little sports bar on Walnut very close to Exile brewery. Great place to catch a weeknight playoff game as there is always a couple spots at the bar. Pro-tip craft draft beers are $2.50 on Tuesday. read more

Very underwhelming. Sandwiches do not come with sides, but there are a few al a cart options for $5. I ordered the Kalua Pig & a side of mac & cheese. The sandwich consists of pulled pork, cabbage and plum sauce. It comes out in a plastic boat lined with parchment paper. The sandwich was on 3 small Hawaiian King rolls. The flavor was just alright and it was not filling. The side of Mac and cheese came in a small ramekin. The amount was not at all worth $5. The noodles were mushy and the sauce wasn't really cheesy. We were there around noon and it wasn't very busy. The servers stood along a wall and looked out at the dinning room as we ate...it made for an uncomfortable environment. All in all, there's nothing special about this place and it's not worth the price. There are so many great restaurant options in Des Moines and this one just does not make the cut. read more

Really awesome service and food was AMAZING! Super unique and worth the stop! Lots of options for drinks, beer, etc. perfect for all meals!

I love the veggie tacos and all the soups I've had have been great as well. Service is great too!

Definitely wouldn't choose this place based solely on the food. When you have such a small menu and burgers are a main item...how is it that they don't know how to cook them other than well done! Not impressed! The Mac and cheese was good but pretty over priced for the quality of food. Luckily they had a few beers I liked so I would come back for drinks anytime because I love the atmosphere! Bottom line...come to drink and enjoy your friends but skip the food! read more

I had no clue this place existed until we were invited to a birthday party here. It was a Saturday night and parking was tough but no big deal. The atmosphere is great and has an industrial feel to it. It was packed and if you are looking for a romantic dinner it is going to be way too loud. But if you are looking to be with a group of friends, it's the place to be. Several TVs were on with sports across the bar. For food as a group we tried every starter. Stuffed Mushrooms are amazing with a jalapeño cream cheese, pretzel bites have a nice garlic cheesy taste, buffalo chicken dip disappeared in minutes, and the pork sliders were perfect with the cabbage and plum sauce on sweet bread. The Rueben and the Mushroom Swiss Burger also were a hit amongst many. Bartenders were friendly although it seemed like they underestimated the crowd and could have used another person or two. Vodka Tonics were good as well! A very enjoyable experience and decent prices. This will be a place we will come back to! read more

Love this place. Delicious food at a reasonable price with a full bar. Great location with a little patio and attentive service!

Food is good. Nice bar and beer selection - but this is one of the slowest places to get food. 40 minutes for a chicken sandwich!! Crazy. It's a huge place with a tiny kitchen. Tried again today - place was empty, 30 minutes for tacos. Sad becaise I like the place. read more

Great space. Good value. I went for lunch with a friend and we really enjoyed our lunch and the service.

Happy hour everyday!! Only ate pretzel bites, which came with a cheese sauce that I literally would have eaten like soup if I had a spoon!! So good. read more

Very underwhelming. Considering the area you're better off going elsewhere. Most sandwiches are around $7-8 dollars without a side. You can go anywhere in the area spend $10-12 dollars for the same thing that has the side included in that price. They only have 5 tap handles which was also surprising. I tried the classic burger, which would've been good. It was drenched in so much mayo and mustard it was literally dripping. They also didn't serve food on plates, instead baskets. If your sandwich is dripping everywhere it's not quite ideal. For a person using silverware it's also a little difficult as they're too heavy and fall out of the basket. Food was very quick. Bar service awkward. read more

Really good sandwiches. It gets a bit expensive for what you get as the sides are ala cart and the food came out in paper "boats".

Had an amazing late meal with my family. I LOVED the service. There wasn't a ton to chose from, but what was there was original and yummy! :) Even though the menus a little small I was able to find plenty of vegetarian options. I recommend the Mac and cheese! read more

It was a rough summer without The Spot food truck serving up the best sandwiches in Des Moines. Thankfully, The Spot has morphed into an actual restaurant with an expanded menu and a full bar. They even have indoor seating and the kind of staff that makes you feel like you are being welcomed into the family. The food. The food. The food. Just enough secret ingredients to make each sandwich or side unique - but not pretentious. Comfort sandwiches. I could list each one and rave about it. You simply can't go wrong with any item on the menu. Great place to order to-go on your way home after work if you don't have time to dine in. I might have to move into the new apartments that are going up across the street. read more