Always loved going here--until last night. Our group of 16…read morewas told we had to pay $20 per person just to enter. I can understand a reasonable cover charge, but $20 each is excessive. To make it worse, people before us and after us walked right in without paying anything. It felt like we were singled out because we were the "older group," which was embarrassing and disappointing. I've never felt shamed like that before, especially at a place I've enjoyed in the past.

Went there (10/2/25 4PM) to have a drink with my boyfriend and was greeted with ABSOLUTELY NO…read moreservice. Sat outside and never saw anyone. We were the only ones there (I can tell why now). Finally someone emerged from the back and clearly saw us but still never said hello or asked what we wanted to drink. I decided to leave due to lack of no menu and very appalling staff service. As my boyfriend and I were walking out the woman staff member yelled back us to...and I very surprisingly quote...."grow up and that it will be alright." Mind you I was having a totally unrelated discussion with my boyfriend. Very sad to see that type of behavior from a grown woman. It was disgusting how she thought she could talk to me like that. I hope she finds help and has a blessed day.

always a fun local bar. I haven't been in a couple years but decided to try Monday steak night…read more They never seemed to fail. Steaks were awesome done order. Staff very friendly price is extremely reasonable. For a very, very casual Monday night dinner great place.

This is a nice place to see a band and visit with friends. There is two sides of this place, there…read moreis a bar in both sides but the band is in one side that is wide open and the other side is a bar and more seating for visiting. Drinks are reasonably priced and I believe there was free popcorn. There are a couple pool tables to use when the band is not playing and they are open for parties.

Bellhop is so fun!! Pretty expensive (what can you expect with the novelty of the drinks) and not a…read moreton of space to sit and chat if you've got a big group and aren't lucky enough to get the corner booth. Not an outside type of situation, but you'll get that at Ernie's right next door. Worth trying if you've only got a few days in town or have never been there. Bartenders are always super nice, and they serve regular drinks too if the fancy tiki cocktails aren't your thing.

Cute spot! LOVED the photobooth. Great service and fun drinks…read more Paloma - yum! Funky Flamingo - good but a little too funky for the large drink portion Banana daiquiri - holy moly delicious. Intense for a full drink.

Great little dive bar off the main drag. If you looking for a dark atmosphere in a basement look…read moreno further. My husband, son and I stopped in for a beer and the bartender was very nice and welcoming to out of towners!

I just got home from Shorty's. I've been there a few times and I can't wait to go back. Shorty's is…read morethe closest bar to where I live. A tavern in the tradition of a Prohibition-era speakeasy, it opened this year. When I first saw the old-time Shorty's signs hanging above the door in the alley across from my building, I knew for sure I was living in the right neighborhood for me. Shorty's is dark and cozy. It's a nice no-frills establishment with lots of character. There are five TV's on the exposed brick walls of Shorty's, but I wouldn't call it a sports bar. It's in the back of the basement of the classy Des Moines wine bar and wine shop, Sbrocco. But Shorty's serves no wine before it's time or anytime. It doesn't need to. One drinks beer or liquor at Shorty's. Shorty's offers mostly old-school beer and old-school food. The menu includes mini corndogs, sliders, hero sandwiches, cheese quesadillas, chicken sandwiches, roast beef po'boys, and Tombstone pizzas. Food prices range from $3.95 to $7.95. I haven't tried any of the food yet, but I bet it's good. It's made in Sbrocco's kitchen. The bartenders at Shorty's are cool. The bar is owned and operated by the Full Court Press gang. These guys know what they're doing. They have other enjoyably unique bars and restaurants in downtown Des Moines, including Sbrocco, High Life Lounge, el Bait Shop, Hessen Haus, Royal Mile, and Red Monk. Shorty's is open Mondays through Saturdays from 5PM to 2AM and Sundays from 11AM to closing time at the bartender's discretion. It's located at the SW corner of 2nd and Court. Say hey if you happen to see me drinking, eating, or sleeping there.

This bar is also in the basement, across from the black sheep. The lighting is better, pretty big…read morewith lots of seating options. They offer food however the kitchen was already closed. This is a whiskey bar, the only cognac they have was corvosier. I ordered a shot anyway.

Tried this place based on a Google search. As a bourbon fan, I was a bit disappointed in Ken's …read more The service was excellent, food good, but selection not quite what I expected. Prices are reasonable, but keep in mind that pours are about 1.25 oz. The atmosphere is as expected for a place advertising a speakeasy vib. For some reason, they are advertising tiki drinks. Not quite in keeping with the prohibition drink theme!

Great service, diverse atmosphere, and drinks that are not poured short. Diverse mix of…read moremusic/bands, always a good time. They do not serve food, but big tomato pizza is next door and well as many restaurants within a block stroll.

My great uncle, a musician, had been telling me that if I wanted to go to a "real musician's bar"…read more(whatever that means), that the Yacht Club should be on my list. It wasn't until a friend suggested it, on account of the fact that a former roommate was going to be playing that night, that I got the opportunity to go. Sounded like a decent adventure... We got there and the first thing I noticed was how LIVELY everyone was. A lot of dive bars have a tendency to let themselves become droopy, borderline pathetic places - but this isn't one of them! Everyone was smiling, laughing, dancing and having a great time. The second thing I noticed was how drunk everyone was. I don't think a single person in there could've passed for sober. Kind of an odd thing to walk into if you are sober like I was. There's a vibe and you ain't in it! Third thing is that this place does not appear to have a target demographic or a decided crowd. I saw people who looked to be at the springy end of early twenties, all the way up to the geriatric crowd. Further, a whole wide range of races and aesthetics, which made it even cooler to watch how much everyone was vibing together. There were a few times where the entire place smelled like an ever-revolving mix of weed, cigarettes, alcohol, cheap perfume, expensive perfume, body odor, food...it was a heady hodge-podge of life stank, which is exactly what a place like this should smell like. The live music was awesome - my friend said that the roomate's dad was also playing in the band that night, and as I watched how lovingly that dad looked at his son as he played, I made a comment about it to my friend. It was then that my friend gave me one of those really cool "ow my heart" looks and said, "his dad is actually blind." Pow, right in the soul, right?! Come here on a night there's live music - zero regrets, 10/10 would do again.

I attended a Yelp Elite event here late afternoon/early evening yesterday. The space is quaint and…read morenestled in a historic hotel. Admittedly it's not exactly my scene. I'm not really an upscale guy when it comes to my typical stomping grounds. More often I stay more West and don't frequent downtown without a specific purpose. There's a lot of great businesses downtown. I'm just a small town guy and I sometimes feel a little out of place in the heart of the metro. And anyone else hate that back-in parking found in the E Village? Lol That being said... The bar has a nice vibe, quiet and dimly lit (at least at the time of day we were there), and with large windows with a view of both E Walnut and E 4th St. Parking options mainly consist of metered parking on the adjacent streets. The food menu includes mostly finger foods. Flatbreads, bruschetta, and charcuterie. The flatbreads served were pretty good. I really liked the honey garlic alfredo flatbread ($12 on the menu)! The gentleman manning the bar was doing a fantastic job especially considering our event started at 530pm and he was pretty much hit with a rush of all of us attending. The old fashioned I ordered was done well and I enjoyed it (Bulleit bourbon and $10 on the menu). A lot of their signature cocktails are named keeping with a railroad motif. Happy Hour is 300pm - 600pm and a reverse Happy Hour from 800pm - 1000pm most days. Half price select cocktails and wine. Check out the Specials section of their site. Link is below. The bar is adjacent to the lobby area which was setup with a few high tops, tables and chairs, and couches for us to relax on. I'm not sure if this is standard or was specific to our event. All in all I enjoyed my time at The New Northwestern and would definitely go back if invited or I found myself in the E Village with time to make a quick stop in. A big thank you to the owners and staff of The New Northwestern for hosting us! https://thenewnorthwestern.com/

Ugh this place is so cute and chill, great place to go if your wanting great drinks and conversion…read more First drink of the night was the bras rail, its got a smokey smell on top but its sweet and light, second drink was a loco mojito so fleshing very coconuty which is not my jam but still very tasty

Amazing service and darts. Super sick atmosphere would come back here 10/10. From Arkansas, would…read morerecommend.

I won't lie, the floor is sticky everywhere and it's definitely hole in the wall vibes. But I am a…read moreproud lover of a Moscow mule and you won't find another place in DSM that has this many flavor options. I've been here when it's packed with hardly no place to stand and never had a problem, and I've also been there when we basically had the place to ourselves. The bartenders can be hit or miss, we've had really nice ones and others that seem to hate their lives. Wish they had more dart boards, but with the small space it's not feasible. The front claw machine area near the bathroom never gets used so wondering if they could expand?? Nevertheless, fun place and worth checking out if you're doing a bar crawl downtown.