Love the Polk City pub! New manager has worked miracles with renovations from the Landmark. (Take…read morenotes Polk City government: this is the RIGHT way to do a renovation). A stage?!! Bands? Amazing! I never knew there was so much room in here! The food is great and comes out fast! This is a local small town bar, so leave your judgements back at home in Ankeny! This kind of bar and the Water's Edge are what makes Polk City what it is. If you don't like it maybe you shouldn't have moved here! Ha! KEEP POLK CITY WEIRD ~ SAY NO TO McMANSIONS ~

What a fun/family pub&bar. Had Pub Cheeseburger/Spinach Artichoke dip&Onion Ring appetizer. Food…read morewas very good and excellent atmosphere and served.

# Bouy's Waterfront Bar and Grill: A Floating Paradise…read more Nestled on a floating dock, Bouy's Waterfront Bar and Grill offers a unique dining and entertainment experience that's hard to beat. Since its recent renovation and rebranding, this waterfront gem has become a must-visit destination for locals and tourists alike. ## Atmosphere The highlight of Bouy's is undoubtedly its location. Perched on a floating dock, patrons are treated to stunning waterfront views that change with the tides. The gentle rocking of the dock adds to the nautical charm, creating an ambiance that's both relaxing and exciting. ## Entertainment Bouy's really shines when it comes to live music and dancing. The venue regularly hosts bands that keep the energy high and the dance floor packed. It's the perfect spot for those looking to let loose and enjoy a night out on the water. ## Drinks While we haven't had the chance to try the food yet, the bar at Bouy's doesn't disappoint. Their drink menu offers a variety of options to suit all tastes, making it an ideal spot for a casual evening out with friends. ## People-Watching One of the unexpected pleasures of Bouy's is the diverse crowd it attracts. From casual boaters pulling up to the dock to dressed-up diners, the mix of patrons adds to the lively atmosphere. Watching boats of all sizes come and go is an entertainment in itself. ## Food Although we haven't personally tried the food, the menu looks promising. Based on the dishes we've seen served to other patrons, the food appears appetizing and well-presented. It's definitely on our list to try on our next visit. ## Overall Impression Bouy's Waterfront Bar and Grill offers a perfect blend of waterfront views, live entertainment, and a vibrant atmosphere. While we can't yet vouch for the food, the drinks and ambiance alone make it worth a visit. It's an ideal spot for those looking to enjoy a unique night out, whether you're in the mood for dancing, relaxing with a drink, or simply soaking in the waterfront views. Tip: Given its popularity, especially on nights with live music, it might be wise to arrive early to secure a good spot. Final Verdict: A must-visit for its unique floating dock setting, lively atmosphere, and promising menu. We're eagerly looking forward to our next visit to finally sample the food offerings!

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: $32 03/28/2026 We saw that Arcadia was a Top 10 Finalist for Iowa Burger of the Year, so knew that we needed to give it a try - and last night was our opportunity. Arcadia is a short drive north of Grimes in a newly developed area of Polk City just after you cross over the long bridge over Saylorville Lake. We were impressed with the new building as we drove up (told that it opened about 1.5 years ago) along with the lively, open atmosphere & modern decor as we entered the building. We started our meal with a couple of local craft tap beers - a nice selection was available. Since we came for the Burger of the Year contender, the Smashburger was one of our orders (see picture) and we opted for the Fish Tacos as our second meal (see picture). Both were delicious and highly recommended. While I offer my Kudos for offering Marshmallow Creme for a dipping sauce with the sweet potato fries (we haven't found many places that do this...and we LOVE it), my only knock is that it was way too watered down and runny - with most of it running off the dipped fries rather than sticking to them. We finished with a Salted Carmel Old Fashion...and yes, it too was delicious and highly recommended! More information on the drinks and Happy Hour specials can be found at: HappyHourDesMoines . If you found this review helpful, please show your appreciation with a Like or a Follow. Photos copyright: happyhourdesmoines.com & thefoodanddrinkguy.com

Wonderful spot for lunch or dinner. Food is outstanding with a great idea variety menu…read more Service is spot on and staff very friendly and helpful. Open area for dining with patio dining available. Very clean with attention to detail.

Great little place to have some amazing beer. The rotating taps keep it fresh. Beer tender was…read morehelpful and knowledgeable about what's on tap.

Great staff, very pleasant and friendly, right next door to papa's pizza. Beer selection was…read moredecent. 1/2 price flights on Tuesday. Only a 4 as IPA's not well represented

Located approximately one block off the high trestle bridge bike trail, the public house is open…read moredaily (primarily morning hours, however, currently offering several days a week later afternoon check web for updates). A wonderfully preserved older building that offers indoor and outdoor seating, coffee bar, meeting areas, and a little stage area for musical events. Great pastries available too! Clearly a staple in the downtown Slater Township, this cute little shop has great service and excellent coffee!

GET YOUR AMAZING COFFEE IN THE COOLEST SPOT - I am obsessed with this location. The coffee is so…read moredelicious & the interior is genuinely amazing. They have a pool table & large area that would be perfect for a team meeting. Their coffee is delicious & the staffing is super helpful & quick to answer my questions. I even ended up spending more money on some homemade waxes they make & they are decadent & I get compliments on them so much.

Another fantastic visit to Nite Hawk Bar & Grill! We pedaled up the High Trestle Trail and were…read morerewarded with delicious, reasonably priced cocktails on their inviting patio. Our server Sarah was attentive and friendly, making sure our drinks stayed cold and even refilling our bike water bottles before we headed back out. Even on a Tuesday afternoon, this place has great energy and makes for the perfect turnaround spot during our 32-mile ride. If you're cycling the trail or just looking for a welcoming spot with good drinks and service, Nite Hawk is definitely worth the stop!

Very fun place! A must-stop!…read more Cons: Soda is expensive. To the chef: On patty melts, the onions need to be plentiful and grilled, not raw and sparse. For $14.00 (no side,) it could use improvement. Overall a great place!

Bartenders are some of the best in town. The food is awesome, vibes are immaculate. Have been here…read moremultiple times and it keeps me coming back!

I think the owners forgot that they are advertising this as an upscale location. Saturday night and…read moreinstead of the "comforting blue glow" and "top notch cocktail bar" prominently mentioned throughout the website, it was just another sports bar. A cage fight on one of the tv's was on full volume pumping through the bars sound system, the sophisticated cocktail menu was just some soggy paper menus. Bartender seemed annoyed we even showed up which was interesting given the nearly empty place. Ankeny desperately needs a cocktail lounge but this isn't it.

Quintessential small town dive bar with welcoming staff, strong drinks and a chill atmosphere. They…read moreserve food, have pool tables and indoor and outdoor seating. Come for the vibes, people watching, nostalgia and a true townie experience. Grab a cheeseburger if you're hungry - they are big and filling. Lots of great food specials throughout the week. Pop a squat at the bar and enjoy a slice of Americana!

I wanted to order Casey's pizza with their BOGO special. Last time I ordered from them they made it…read morewrong, so I was told to call for a discount our next visit. I waited on hold for over 20 minutes. finally called Buds, they answered right away. I had pizza in hand 20 minutes later. nice staff and pizza is delicious, just skip Casey's, unfortunately they don't seem to care.

4.0* (out of 5) Food: 4* Atmosphere: 4* Value: 4*…read more Service: 4* 06/11/2023 Had coupons since hearing about someone going to a live band here and following on Facebook - and were in the area after Mass one evening, so gave it a try. The first challenge was finding the place. While our phone map took us to the entrance...it isn't super clear how to get to the restaurant and we had a couple of false starts. First at the marina office near the road and then we turned around on the winding path before getting to the restaurant thinking it was leading nowhere. Just keep driving - you will eventually get there... Once we finally found the restaurant, the view was great and probably the largest draw - hard to top relaxing at a table with food and drink while watching the lake and boaters. The facilities are what you might expect for a seasonal dock business with public access...functional, simplistic and a little crude - not what you would find in even an average place on land. With that said, we found the drink selection and the food to be above average. We each ordered burgers (see pictures) to use our coupon. We both shared samples with each other and found them both to be solid - soft, moist buns, fresh toppings, crispy fries and good flavor. If you found this review helpful, please show your appreciation with a Like or a Follow. Photos copyright: happyhourdesmoines.com & thefoodanddrinkguy.com

A cool place to grab a drink but not the food …read more Extremely overpriced for what you get and the quality is weak at best. Stopped by last Saturday with friends and we ordered a chicken wrap, burger, chicken nachos, two iced teas and a water, plus a tip was over $60!! Insane. My chicken nachos were probably the worst nachos I've ever had. It tasted like cold, canned chicken, not even seasoned, and the cheese was a cold, thick-consistency of Cheese Wiz; I left most of it on the plate. Super disappointing.

My wife and I stopped for dinner on a Tuesday night. We got right in and got in our drink orders…read more Full bar, with good selections. The food menu has sandwiches, Flatbreads, salads, appetizers, and entrees. I had trouble pinning down a selection, as a lot of things looked good. All food and drink is VERY reasonably priced. I got a Philly Cheesesteak and my wife got the Buffalo Burger. Both were fabulous! Fresh tasting, nicely cooked, and flavorful. The Sweet Potato fries were piping hot and delicious, and the shoestring fries were hot, fresh, and wonderful as well. There are about a dozen bar seats, outdoor patio tables, indoor booths and tables. There are 6 TVs that have a variety of shows on as well. Wish this was closer to our place, but if you're anywhere close, swing by and give it a try!

Anchors Away is in the old Wheelhouse Pizza space in Ankeny at the corner of SW State Street and W…read more1st Street alongside Ambrosia Donuts. Being a Navy veteran the branding caught my attention when I heard about Anchors Away when it first opened back in April. We were greeted right away when we walked in and told to take a seat anywhere. We had a party of four. Two of our party had been here before and could probably be considered regulars. Not much has changed as far as the physical layout from when it was Wheelhouse. I think a wall or two had been painted, new exterior signage, and some nautical decor items have been added. Same L shaped bar and bar stools. Low top tables and chairs and a couple booths are available for indoor seating. Lot of TVs if you want to sit back and catch a game. There is a nice little patio along the East side of the building and they have a large adjacent parking lot. Caitlyn (might be misspelled) was our server. She came over and introduced herself right away. Took our drink orders and presented us with our menus. Standard table service. Now the menu... That has completely changed! A large selection of appetizers (including fried chicken gizzards), burger and sandwich baskets, and other entrees including pasta, steak, pork chops, salmon, and shrimp. They also offer salads, flatbreads, chili and other soups, and a kids menu. Everything was reasonably priced. We ordered the following: 1x First catch fried shrimp with a side salad with ranch 1x Maritime mushroom and Swiss burger and a side salad with blue cheese 1x 1st mates choice flatbread. Added onions and peppers. 1x An order of tater tots 1x tall white Russian 1x tall cranberry and vodka on the rocks 4x Green tea shots 2x fountain drinks (Pepsi products) The drinks were all good. The food I had was on point too. I normally lean to a medium burger..., but I understand there are health code limitations and most of the time a burger out is served done. I really enjoyed my salad alongside the burger! Their side salads are definitely elevated over what you get at other places with an order. I'd probably explore some of the other different menu items next time... I wish I'd grabbed a a piece of the flatbread... Lol It looked really good! I heard really good things about their wings, the breaded tenderloin, and Philly too. Caitlyn did an amazing job! A couple of the other staff members came over to check on us during our meal, introduced themselve, and visited for a bit. Everyone was very friendly and personable! Overall... An enjoyable first vist to Anchors Away! I'd definitely return for the drinks and the service alone! https://anchorsenterprise3.com/