We had a great experience here with family! My parents had dined here a few times and recommended…read moreit for a nice lunch before we left town. The space itself is stunning: live-edge wood tables, moody decor, and a clear attention to ambiance. The service is impeccable: our server was so kind, attentive, and welcoming. It really made an impact on our visit! My brother was obsessed with his pork belly quesadilla, and I loved my chicken picatta. Highly recommend!

We joined up with another couple to try out Aura as none of us had been there before. It's kind of…read morea long dining area with a bar on the left and booths on the right and tables down the middle. We opted for a booth and settled in and got in our drink orders. They have a nice wine list and plenty of other options for drinks. We decided on the Korean fried cauliflower as an appetizer and that was an excellent choice!. It had a great flavor and was nicely prepared and came out incredibly quick. I highly recommend it. For dinner, two in our group got the glazed salmon. They both said it was pretty good, but not a lot of heft in the flavor. Another in our party got the pesto pasta. He also said it was good and had a very strong pesto flavor. I got the red trout, which is blackened, but the blackening was on top of the skin, which is something I usually leave behind. I know many people love the skin on fish, but I prefer to not have that as part of my experience. The salsa it came with was good but the trout was very bland without the blackening. Our server was very good and the ambience is nice. It's reasonably quiet and on the night we went they were about 1/2 to 3/4 full Overall, it was OK. Prices are maybe on the slightly higher side of average, but were reasonable for what we got.

I absolutely love this place. I live in Chicago and my fiancé is in DSM so we split time between…read moreboth places until he moves. Being in a transitional phase his kitchen is useless so if we want to eat it's got to be in a restaurant. We've been everywhere so no clue how this gem snuck past us. I would put them next to any of the high end places downtown without a second thought. The ambiance is clean, casual and cozy - think Colorado log cabin. It's not a big place so I imagine you'll find long waits on weekends. If so, wait. Trust me. It wasn't crowded because we typically don't venture out until late but 3/4 of the tables were occupied and several people were at the bar. Even so, it was easy to carry on a conversation without needing to raise our voices. It's difficult to choose what to order because everything sounds great. We ordered chicken fried oyster mushrooms for an app and they set the tone for everything else. Perfectly breaded and seasoned with actual flavor being the stale oil taste of a lot of fried apps. I had the Lobster Mac and it was absolutely decadent. There was a generous amount of lobster and the pieces themselves were substantial. The blend of cheeses was perfect. For the side (which wasn't even necessary because the size of the Mac was more than big enough) I got the Boursin Mushroom Au Gratin. I can't think of a word that describes how delicious it was. Perfect creaminess, rich with a slight tang...it could have stood on its own. My fiancé ordered the Iowa Chop and we were both shocked at the size of it. Again (yawn) cooked just right, not even a hint of the dryness you see a lot with chops. The Creamed Brussels Sprouts were great but I had eaten myself sick at this point so I had to admit defeat. Portions were big enough that I had plenty in the take home container for a whole meal the next day. I wanted to try the amazing looking pie but needed to be able to fit through the door to go home. Next time for sure. Service was really good. The server was laid back and quick with recommendations that she could back up instead of the standard "I like it" you get. I was shocked at the reasonable prices. These days $20 for a mediocre burger is standard so I couldn't believe the quality of food for the price. Our running joke is that once a restaurant starts laminating their menus, the quality is about to tank so I'm keeping my fingers crossed theirs steer clear. It's independently owned by the same people that own Barntown Brewing a few doors down. We will definitely try that out based on our experience here. My only critique is that they serve Pepsi instead of Coke. Seems like DSM leans that way which breaks my heart. My southern roots and common sense keep me loyal to Coca Cola. Where I grew up when you order a Coke the server asks what kind of Coke because it's just what you call every soft drink. Go. Go tonight. You won't regret it.

4.6* (out of 5) Food: 5* Atmosphere: 5* Value: 4*…read more Service: 4* Would I go back / Recommend?: 5* (Definitely) Total check/person: $40 05/20/2026 The neighbors suggested the Guesthouse for our dinner tonight and given our experiences, we heartily agreed. We started our meals with a glass of beer, then ordered our dinners. Tonight, my wife opted for the Sweet Potato Gnocchi with grilled shrimp (see picture) - at our server Chelsea's suggestion (Chelsea was great). While I usually prefer trying different dishes vs. ordering what I've had before, it was Wednesday and I'm a sucker for specials...so again opted for Walleye Wednesday (see picture). While we both enjoyed both dishes after sharing tastes of each, the highlight of the meal was the Campfire Pie (that Chelsea recommended) along with a scoop of ice cream (at our neighbor's suggestion). Check it out in the picture and be sure to give it a try!

Waitress was pleasant and attentive. Place has a really fun beach theme going--even the handles to…read morethe bathroom look like they belong on a dock. We went there right as they opened during the week. Hubby had a beer that was a dollar off and we each ordered sandwiches that were the special. I had a Cuban, which was tasty and came with crinkle fries. I brought half home. Husband's meatball sub was good and came with fries as well. He enjoyed the sauce. Great lunch place. Sandwiches are $15+ with a side of fries.

This was a place that I really wanted to love. I love bar/restaurants that have a large outdoor…read moretiki bar type of atmosphere like this place does. Everything started good as we were in a large group and were seated promptly. Our waitress then took our drink and appetizer orders. I ordered the gallon of nachos to share with the table and a draft beer. Our table received waters and our initial drinks fairly quickly. That's where it ended. Our waitress was pretty much non existent after that. After about an hour waiting, I had to hunt the waitress down to get another beer and our gallon of nachos still had not arrived. Another member of our party had ordered a bucket of Yuenling Flight beers for a special they had an advertised sign right at the entrance for $17.76 as a celebration for the 250th of the US. The waitress was unaware of this special and had to get approval with her manager to get the special. About an hour and 30 minutes into our arrival, a server (not our waitress) began dripping off our food entree orders but no nachos yet. At this time, I cancelled the nachos with this server as it was intended to be an appetizer to snack on for the table as we waited on our food and had drinks. Our waitress finally appeared a short time later to explain that out nachos were almost ready when we cancelled them. It was too late though and my entree was delivered. This review would have been less than a 3 except the food saved it. I had the beef Philly with onions and cheese whiz sauce with fries and it was very good. Others at our table enjoyed their food as well. One thing I noticed was that our waitress was wearing a beverage around her neck that we later found out was a "painkiller" alcoholic drink. It was mostly empty when she first took our drink and appetizer order and refilled later. I suspect she was enjoying her drinks more than helping our table. She was friendly though. If this place works harder on their service, this would be a great place to visit.

4.4* (out of 5) Food: 4* Atmosphere: 4* Value: 5*…read more Service: 4* Would I go back / Recommend?: 5* (Definitely) Total check/person: $28 02/06/2026 We were running out of time for Happy Hour availability on Friday night, so picked something closer to home and decided to give The Club Car a try since we enjoyed previous visits. For drinks, we started with a Pineapple Jalapeno Mule and a Coconut Mule while waiting for our food. For our Happy Hour food options, we chose the Boursin Mushrooms (see picture), Nachos with Beef (see picture) and BBQ Shrimp Kabob (see picture). While the Mushrooms and BBQ Shrimp Kabob were worthy of 5* ratings (both were fantastic and highly recommended), the Nachos were average at best - as the chips tasted like a cheap no-label variety and the beef had little taste. We finished our meal with a couple of sweeter martinis (see picture) at the bar. We have been impressed with the drinks and bartenders during each of our visits and tonight was no different - both martinis were delicious!

I should review Club Car every time I eat here...though not much would ever change from update to…read moreupdate. Lol Love the railroad themed ambience... Retro railroad memorabilia, original framed posters, model train cars, and signs, all in a casual atmosphere... You'll be at home here in a three piece suit or jeans and a t shirt. Always great food and friendly staff...! Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner... This is one of my favorite places to take people when they are in for work from out of town... Or to recommend to them to check out if the are staying in the general area... Our most recent lunch visit was a party to six. Three of us were local and the others were from our St Louis and Atlanta offices. Not long ago I recommended Club Car to some visitors we had in from Virginia. Not only did they love their first dinner experience there... They went back for dinner there every night they were in town . I'd given them an extensive list of local places to try. Broken down by location, cuisine type, price, etc... They didn't see a reason to check any of the other places out. It was cenvenient and easy to get to from their hotel. They loved the environment and the service they got... They were content to keep going back and explore their entire menu while they were here in the metro. Irina's recently took their boursin mushrooms off their menu. I love this dish and have been wanting to try them a Club Car. I had my chance on this latest trip. My manager and I split and order. They didn't disappoint. Very good! On this recent stop I had the Cajun Seafood Pasta. My manager had the Beef Stroganoff. Others at the table had the Pastrami Reuben the Rarebit Burger, a Patty Melt, and one of the flatbreads. Everyone enjoyed their meals! Our server on this visit was fantastic from start to finish! They always are though... A taller bald gentleman with a gray goatee. Isiah maybe? Took care of us well from start to finish. None of our glasses ever hit empty. He was attentive without hovering. I'm not sure Club Car has been around long enough to exactly call it a classic (opened in 1996), but it's certainly a staple, and one of my go tos, on the West side of town!

We have been to Irina's a few times and it has always been a delicious experience…read more Irina's has one of the best steak offerings in the metro. Their sides are always delicious as well. We tried the bang bang shrimp for the first time and is now an all time favorite. The service is always a bit slow but it's a restaurant that creates that kind of culture, so not a big deal. The ambiance is dark and moody, but the vibe is great. The servers are always kind and attentive. Definitely a must visit steakhouse.

Both kids had stuff going on and I had the chance to slide off to a last minute invite for dinner…read morewith a few friends on Friday evening. Although I really miss the old location off of Hickman I still get over to Irina's now and then... I was the first to arrive and soon after the hostess had seated me Dmitri came over to say hello. It's always great to see him. Irina was under the weather and wasn't on site. I've gotten to know both well over the years and I really enjoy catching up with them both. He knows how I felt about the old location and I'm in my 50s now and don't always deal with change well. The current location is beautiful, and I'll get used to it, but I still miss that old wooden horseshoe bar and the more intimate feel. This visit was to see a friend who has since moved out of state (Tena). Our reservation was for eight at 800 PM on Friday evening. We went over our planned eight and Dmitri quickly helped expand our table to meet our needs. The first time I met Tena was actually in Irina's (the Hickman location) back in early March of 2021. I was in Irina's trying the poutine that had been added to the menu not long before that and Tena was there planning a birthday party. I recognized her from Facebook...along with a very big pink unicorn pinata she had recently purchased, I introduced myself, and I've been friends with her and her husband since then. As everyone arrived over the first few minutes our server was quick to take drink orders and we moved on to food once everyone had arrived. I started with an espresso martini. I don't think there was an introvert at the table so conversations flowed like efficient drink refills and if service was slow I'm not sure I would have noticed it. We ordered quite a few appetizers that were shared around the table. Bang bang shrimp, tuna tartare, calamari, philly cheese steak eggroll, and stacks of onion rings. I can't honestly say I can remember what everyone ordered for entrees. I had the almost famous lobster macaroni with a side of grilled asparagus and I know Tena had the Iowa farm pork chop that came with a glaze, garlic whipped potatoes, and brussel sprouts. I will say that I was expecting the normal lobster mac n cheese with chunks of lobster meat and I was pleasantly surprised when my bed of macaroni came out with a very nicely sized lobster tail perched on top. The lobster was cooked perfectly. The meat had already been separated from the tail so it was no muss no fuss. Her pork chop was a HUGE chunk of meat balanced on an end making it a can't miss focal point. Presentation at Irina's has always been something that is going to be really hard to beat anywhere else... Say what you want but they put out some picture perfect plates. We wrapped up after a couple of hours and said our "see you laters..." Goodbyes don't really seem to happen with this group. More like... Until next time! I think we all enjoyed the food, I know I did mine, but sometimes dinner is really more about the company you keep at your table. In a lot of ways Irina's can be as divisive. Mannnn... I've heard good and bad. But I can only judge on my personal experience. Yes...I know Irina and Dmitri, however when I go in they are not always on site and their staff doesn't know me from Adam. Maybe Daniel would recognize me... I've been a customer for well over ten years, I don't consider myself a regular though, and I've never been treated rudely or had a bad meal. In fact it's a business I take visitors to from out of town and one I recommend. Are there going to be off days? I'm sure there are. Like any other business in 2024 they sometimes face both staffing and distribution chain issues. Have I experienced slower than normal service there every now and then? Sure have. And I've had that at many other places too that I continue to go back to also... I've always found that easy to forgive for good food. I've written a couple reviews over the years and I've tried highly recommended places and I've went to places intentionally that received pretty bad write ups. The one thing I would always stress with anywhere... Reviews are subjective. Even mine. Don't let a couple of bad reviews, or something you hear, dissuade you from trying someplace new. No one else is writing your book. If someone is going to be the one putting your pen to your paper to tell your story... Let it be you! If you've been putting off a visit to Irina's go ahead and give it a chance... You might just really like it... I know I do! https://www.irinassteakandseafood.com/

I went to an appreciation dinner with colleagues on Monday night. This was my first visit to…read moreDistrict 36. We were hosted in the private room on the west side. There were about 30 people in our group . They had already ordered the table appetizers before I arrived consisting of The Deviled Eggs with bacon, Artichoke Spinach dip and Crab Rangoon dip. All were delicious even though a bit cold from sitting for a while before they got passed around. We had 2 servers that I didn't get names but both were very attentive and managed the group very well . Everyone's orders were taken efficiently, I got the Frutti Di Mare in a white sauce with the seafood bisque soup. The entire dish was delicious with the exception of the bread, it was rock hard, but I didn't need it anyway . The bisque soup came out too cool for my liking but the waitress had a new bowl served at the right temp and it was perfect. I would eat a whole vat of that. The meal was great, shrimp perfectly prepared and fresh and snappy, plenty of mussels and a large portion providing a take home amount that served as dinner the next night too. I also indulged in a key lime pie because if rave reviews. I was not disappointed. Overall the place is elegant and classy enough for a suit and tie but still casual enough for shorts and flip flops. It will make for a nice date spot for an anniversary dinner. By the way this review was not written or touched by AI.

The chicken deburgo is fantastic! Great food, beautiful establishment! Service is top notch!read more

Hello This is kind…read moreof an old school dining experience. The patio is nice and the inside reminds me of an old Supper Club vibe. Service was just a little slow, but food was good. I will be back to try more. I have a feeling this is an original to the neighborhood!

I was excited to try this place as so many people recommended it. We went on a weekday in the mid…read moreafternoon and it seemed like only one person was taking care of everyone. We waited for quite a substantial amount of time for everything. When our food arrived, I thought the taste and proportion sizes in comparison to the price were not comparable at all. I ordered the soup & sandwich. While the French onion soup was nice, it wasn't anything that made me want to come back. The sandwich was very dry and didn't have much flavor. Our drinks were never refilled and it was hard to flag down the waitress to get the check to leave. Personally, I have no desire to return. I felt like I've received much better food and service at other establishments like The Urban Grill. I hope you're experience is better than mine!

Drinks before and after the show at RŌCA…read more The drinks were all fantastic. The Pig & Fig Manhattan was fantastic with Bacon Fat Washed Bourbon, sweet vermouth, and house bitters. Excellent start. She got the smoked margarita which was really cool and smoky. Don Julio Blanco, lime, Cointreau, Agave, and Apple-Wood Smole. Very decadent. After the show we got: The Polar Express O with Diplomatico Rum, Sweetened Condensed Milk, coffee topped with cold foam, and grated chocolate. Very boozy and strong. Didn't look very good in the glass, but tasted ok. Very strong. She choose the Cold Brew Martini and it was excellent with Ketel One Vodka, Averna Amaro, Madagascar Vanilla Bean Simple Syrup, and House Cold Brew Coffee. The service was great. Will be back for more drinks.

Back in Des Moines after over two years (and in warmer weather!) so it was time to find some grub…read more RoCA was a gamble and I decided to chance it. When I walked in I loved how quiet and cozy the spot was so that set the dining expectation. I was attended to by Travis who is awesome and embodies hospitality and service (thank you Travis!) and decided to dive in for the Cajun Alfredo entree. I have been to New Orleans so many times and tried different variants of Cajun Alfredo pasta and I will say that this is one of the BEST I have had outside New Orleans. The pasta was perfectly cooked, flavored and balanced plus the portion was great. Travis was also very kind to knock out the sausage as I don't eat pork and substituted it with some chicken. I look forward to returning now that I have a spot to come back to!