Don't come here for steak or pasta. Prime rib and crab legs are what brings us back time after time. The fried chicken has been pretty good as well. They also have one of the best little salad bars in town with a great selection of always fresh items. The little loaf of bread always seems warm and is a nice starter even if the butter is too cold to spread. Service has room for improvement but our drinks were always full. read more

My boyfriends steak was AWFULLLLLL. it was like biting into rubber. Service was good. Steak=awful.

Great salad bar but if you have been here you know that. The wait staff are all out of this world!!! The food has changed a little but still good and $$$. The prime rib has been getting Iowa size (I take a scale with me as Iowa people make smaller and smaller portions if they can get away with it.) but it is still very good for the area. read more

This place is spotless! The prime rib lunch special was perfect! Free salad bar with it was clean and fresh as can be. Price was 11.99. Service-excellent! The dining room was pristine and spotless. The alfredo with broccoli was amazing, rich, thick and cheese as can be. Great place for a lunch that's way above average, but not crazy on price. I won't be surprised to see this mom-and-pop shop in business for another 39 years. read more

Chicago Speakeasy - New American Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

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I was pleased with this place! We were there as a big group. Our waitress was friendly and efficient. The salad bar was pretty good! I would look forward to eating here again since the dishes were pretty good on top of the salad bar being diverse and unlimited! The couple of desert style things on there were icing on the cake. I felt like our food came out within reasonable time and most everyone's looked good. My Husband got a prime rub that was delicious. I ordered the Friday special and was disappointed in it. The meat was dry, hardish and flavorless. I didn't really care though since I was full from the salad bar. I wish the salad bar area was a little better lighted. The drink menu looked decent also. read more

We had a family dinner here last night. The server was very nice and we generally had no problems with the service. The salad bar and onion rings were good. However, the majority of us (5 out of 6) ordered prime rib which is what they are known for. Our reservation was for 6pm so theoretically should be plenty of prime rib left. When our meals arrived 3 of us received ribeyes instead of prime rib. Considering my wife and I prefer rare for prime rib we had to send them back because rare for a grilled ribeye steak is a bit under done for us. We received replacement prime rib steaks but they were not good. The steaks were luke warm and the texture wasn't right...it seemed like the prime rib had sat out awhile and the server mentioned it would be as close to rare as they could get. They were chewy, dry, and grainy...not tender and juicy like a prime rib should be...especially for the money. The creamy horse radish appeared to be store bought/pre-made instead of fresh. The garlic mashed potatoes were lumpy and generally bland. I have lived in Des Moines the majority of my life and have enjoyed eating here in the past, but this experience was sub par unfortunately. read more

Our food was so on the ball tonight! There were six of us and everyone loved their dishes. One of us ordered a medium rare ribeye; when she received it, it was rare. The server had no problem taking care of it! My fettuccine was so delicious and sinful. Maybe the best I've ever had. My husband had the filet and said it melted in his mouth. As always, delicious enormous salad bar & great service!! read more

Chicago Speakeasy - Fettuccine alfredo with chicken & garlic bread. Fantastic!! - New American Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

We go here about once a week for lunch with the work crowd. It's not far from the office, and it's quick - we can get there, eat, pay and get back within an hour easily. I usually order the salad bar - it's quite filling, and for such a small space, it really does have a lot of variety. It's nothing too exotic, but it's always clean, fresh and full. I've never found a wilted piece of lettuce or a limp vegetable (although I do avoid the grape/cherry tomatoes, they always lack flavor). Occasionally I'll go for a sandwich - the club is tasty, as is the grilled cheese. All sandwiches come with their fries, which I find overly greasy. And fuhgettabowdit if you want to sub a side (i.e. a baked potato or vegetable) - they upcharge for everything. I do NOT recommend the soups - I have never been happy. I took the server's suggestion last week and ordered the Wisconsin cheese soup, which turned out to be essentially Cheez Whiz in a bowl. The service is good enough most days - I've never had outstanding service, but I've never had terrible service. If you go for lunch, get there early or go late, because anytime between 11:30 - 1 you'll be battling the blue hairs for a spot around the salad bar. I once had an 85 year old woman elbow her way in front of us so she could get more pickled herring. Bottom line - good place for lunch, sandwiches and salad bar are good stuff. I can't imagine coming here for a steak dinner, which I usually associate with a nicer restaurant - not one whose "featured" wine is Relax and who serves everything with a side of fries "fa free". read more

Just had dinner with a couple of friends last night on Friday night. Got there and it was a full house. But they don't pack you in too tight. I really like the salad bar. It is very fresh as it is always getting re-filled. I had a small rib eye steak. It was good but not great. It was cooked properly but the cut was a little off. IE one end of the steak was thin so it was more fully cooked and the other end was thicker and so a little rare. Had a really good server and she did a great job. Had a mixed drink called the God Father that was very good and plenty strong. I almost gave it a 5 but want them to hold their standards higher on the food quality. I come here every couple months. read more

Courtney is AWESOME. The bartender John is fabulous. Also another server Renee is the bomb.com. Family friendly, fun atmosphere. Overall, fantastic experience. 45/10 would recommend. read more

I thought it was a bit overrated. I did like the salad bar, since the good seemed fresh and there was a good variety. I especially liked the cottage cheese salad with the green onion. My chicken alfredo was pretty good, but for a few bucks more I can get alfredo that will knock my socks off here in Cleveland. Bf thought his fried chicken was just so-so, maybe a little overdone. Others had steaks that looked decent and the loaded baked potatoes were tempting. I don't much remember the service, since I was with family I hadn't seen in awhile, so it must have been good enough. It won't be on the short list of places to go next time I'm in town, but I wouldn't turn down an invite. read more

My family and I love this place. Our servers are always super nice and attentive. I like the salad bar a lot. They have a variety of fresh food and everything is very very clean! I usually order the ruben sandwich and my mother orders the patti melt and we share. I gave this place 4 stars because the patti melt was super hot and had crispy toasted bread but the ruben was less warm and soggy on the bottom like it had been under the warmer a while. Not usually the case though. Like the atmosphere, makes me think I'm in some cool secret Chicago eatery. read more

I love the salad bar, if you like salad bars this is the king. It's awesome, I never thought I could like a place for it's salad bar, but I do and it's name is Chicago speak easy. Prime rib is some of the best in town, if not the best. I recommend fried chicken night. They serve it every night, but Thursday it is on special, and it is awesome. The maffioso homages is borderline cartoonish, and they had a picture of the sopranos, which has nothing to do with Chicago. It all works in sort of kitchy sort of way. Service is good, sometimes along wait on the weekend. It's worth it. read more

Their menu lists seafood dishes, I chose the Seafood Lasagna, the menu states that the Seafood dishes include a (potato choice) or spaghetti. I asked for spaghetti as my choice and the Server SNAPPED back at me that my dish was a PASTA dish, so did not have a side choice. Her behavior was such that I did not press the issue. The menu described the dish as having Crab, Shrimp, and Scallops. I am a retired Fine Dining Chef-Owner, I can recognize the presence of ingredients in a dish. What I received was a lot of sauce, perhaps one small piece of pasta, a couple of spinach leaves, no crab, a few small shrimp, and a couple of small (one quarter the size of a pencil eraser) pieces of what might be something like scallop meat. The menu also states that the meal includes a loaf od bread, our table of five got one small loaf only, wow, one slice of bread each. They also brag about a famous salad bar. What they have is a small circle of stuff, nothing spectacular, very pedestrian, and difficult to access when the place is busy. Lots of hype, little substance, Prices ridiculous, mid twenty dollar price for the dish, which is significantly over priced for what you receive. Add in slow. surely/brash/in your face service that is front loaded only, i.e. if you are not ordering expensive drinks you will no see the Server again until bill delivery time. The area has a lot of good restaurants, this place preys on people who think that a "salad bar", no matter how paltry, equates to "Fine Dining". The food is pedestrian, the ambiance is depressing, lots of mirrors, low ceiling, dangerous steps to traverse in narrow walkways. If easily fooled, then go here, but if you really care about having a quality dining experience drive past, even Mickey Dee's is a huge step up in quality and quantity received for dollars paid. read more

This place serves the best prime rib my husband and I have ever eaten and between the 2 of us, we have over 100 years of foodie experience! The staff and service is top notch as well. Highly recommended! read more

Chicago Speakeasy - Amazing! - New American Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

One of our favorite in Des Moines. Best salad bar around. Service is very good. An old style local neighborhood place. We always take friends who have never been here before and will return. read more

Great experience last night. Had a great server who Made us laugh (Donovan I think was his name)and the food was AMAZING. Definitely try the Ribeye it was perfectly cooked. read more

Came here on last Monday night while in Des Moines for training. Several people who had been here before recommended the Prime Rib Special. You get a 8oz prime rib with au jus, choice of potato and their "famous" salad bar for $18. I wasn't overly impressed with the salad bar, but I'm not a huge salad guy so we shouldn't hold it against them. I would have liked it more if they had just plain lettuce, parm cheese, and that they label what everything was. Most importantly, I wish they had labeled the dressings. Anyway, I came for prime rib, not salad. I ordered my prime rib medium rare and I asked for mushrooms and onions on the side. While everything tasted delicious, my dinner was not hot. It wasn't outright cold, but it wasn't served hot. If I had my time back, I would have sent it back. To cap off the meal we headed back to the salad bar for dessert. Several who had been here before recommended the Oreo cookie and cream dessert. If it hadn't of been praised so much, I probably would have liked it more, but I think it was over - hyped. I was hoping for more from a mid - west steakhouse. While the dinner tasted delicious, I don't think there was much value for the price. I'd try and find a better establishment if you have choices. read more

We went here yesterday for dinner and I had high expectations due to the fact that they had really good reviews. We got sat down and then our waiter came back and took our drinks and he also took our appetizers at that time. Our appetizers came very quickly. We ordered our food at that time too. There was a salad bar there but I'm not a fan of salad bars and neither is my brother or my mom so we knew that we weren't going to get it. But later are waiter came back with refills for our pops and he realize that we weren't getting anything from the salad bar and he's like "oh you're not gonna get anything from the salad bar?, I guess I'll just put your order in instead". That's one thing I didn't like about the restaurant was that they don't put your order in right away. Most places that have salad bars put your order in right when They get it and you could finish your salad and then eat your entrée. After we got our appetizers took away the waiter was very slow and it took him a while to get our stuff when we asked for it. When we got our entrées I asked for a ranch and he didn't bring it and then the next time he came back and he asked if we needed refills and I'm like yes but I also still need my ranch. The food was amazing though. The appetizers were great and so was my entrée and I like the way that they put things on your plate. One thing that I realized when I was there was that a lot of old people go there but that's fine. read more

Excellent steak and shrimp. With unlimited salad bar which was delicious! Their Loaf of bread with butter is amazing! Prices are reasonable and definitely worth it for the amount of food you receive. Staff is friendly and accommodating. read more

Chicago Speakeasy - Top Sirloin and Shrimp $25.00 - New American Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

Chicago Speakeasy is one of my favorite restaurants in Des Moines. It has a unique atmosphere, good service, and delicious food. My husband and I go here frequently and have yet to be disappointed. Their prime rib is the best in the area and I enjoy their complimentary salad bar which has a large selection. This is one of our go to restaurants when we have guests in town and everyone we've taken have spoken highly of their experience. I would highly recommend this restaurant. read more

This was the worst steak de Burgo I've ever had. The service was sub par. Way over priced.

My wife and I dined here tonight for the first time for a special occasion dinner. I had the NY strip and my wife had the tenderloin filets. Both steaks were very tender and cooked as ordered. The salad bar has a nice array of items and everything was fresh despite us arriving after 8PM. The service was attentive and quick. Chicago Speakeasy is a great spot for a nice dinner or even special occasion. We will definitely return. The only reason I gave 4 stars is the steak could be seasoned a little better, but it was nothing a little salt and A1 couldn't fix. Not a deal breaker at all. read more

We came to Chicago Speakeasy after my Grandfather's funeral. This was his favorite restaurant in Des Moines. Our group was big and the staff was all ready for us with two huge tables set up for us in a quiet section of the restaurant. I felt a bit sorry for our waitress, because she seemed to be the only waitress on duty that day and we were about 25 people. The drink orders took a long time, but I won't fault her for that. But I was super impressed when the food came out. No one had to wait an eternity for their food while other people were digging in while the food was still hot. No one complained their food went cold. The salad bar was very good. Fresh with a lot of variety, and I was thrilled to see some pickled herring available. Nice Iowa touch. It was set up kind of weird. Shouldn't the dressing be placed after the lettuce and veggies? Just saying. But for some reason it felt strange to have to make the entire circle and come back in the end to put the dressing on my salad. I ordered the Iowa Pork Chop and it was delicious. And my steamed veggies were still hot when I was served my meal. When was the last time that actually happened? read more

The gf and I both had part of today off and did some shopping this morning. Lunch rolled around and I decided to take her to Chicago Speakeasy down on Euclid in Des Moines. The food was good despite a couple issues. A large party had arrived before us and the kitchen was running behind. Our waiter told us that right up front which was appreciated. Fortunately most entrees come with the salad bar so even if you are starving you can take the edge off before your entree arrives. Their salad bar rocks. Great variety of standard salad fixings and many side salad options including pickled herring. The issues. I ordered a half lb burger with seasoned fries. The gf ordered the standard 1/3 lb bacon cheeseburger. The waiter wrote down half lb, but it was put into the kitchen as a 1/3 lb burger and that was what was delivered to the table for me. I noticed the size problem, my burger patty was no larger than the gf's, and brought it to his attention. He apologized and asked if I'd like the burger remade. I declined as our meals had arrived together. He said he'd adjust the bill. I was okay with that. About a minute later my gf leans over and whispers... "My bun is moldy." I asked her to show me... Sure enough there were a couple small spots that had started to mold. Let me be clear... They were VERY small spots. It happens now and then in a warm kitchen environment. I flagged our waiter back down and showed him. He apologized, scooped it up, and took it to the kitchen. The burger was delivered a few minutes later on a fresh bun with complimentary fries on her order too. He apologized over and over. I was really feeling bad for the guy, but he handled everything like a champ. At the end of our meal the bill we were given was for $14.27 before tip. They had comp'd her whole meal without me saying anything. They'd done their best to fix the issues and honestly I didn't expect any more than that. We weren't stressed and we had the time to wait. The food was good despite the bumps. The service was excellent, our waiter was attentive, and quick to respond to the issues we had. Ideally it would have been great to have a problem free lunch, but the way they responded maintained the integrity of the meal. I'd have no problems going there again or recommending them to someone else. Everyone has an off day now and then, but how both sides respond when something falls short can really make or break the experience as a whole. I'd intended to take pictures...but with dealing with everything and some side conversations the pictures were forgotten. Date of service: 12/02/2016 read more

This place has a really nice feel to it. Very relaxing atmosphere. The salad bar is nice and the food is great. Personally recommend trying the Speakeasy. Service was top notch and food came fairly quickly. I came here for lunch and it was great but it feels like a great place to have a nice dinner. Overall my experience there was pleasant. read more

We went to this place because I searched Yelp for "salad bar". I am a sucker for great salad bars (not many around any more). I totally enjoyed this place. We waited a while but there is only one reason people wait...it's a great place! Salad bar is outstanding with all the favorites. Steaks are great and prepared to perfection. My son did not want steak and reluctantly ordered the meat balls. He devoured them in about 5 minutes. We optioned for this place over the Iowa Beef Steak House simply because of slightly better Yelp ratings. Both establishment are awesome. For steak and salad bar, this IS the place. read more

The food here is excellent no matter what you order. I did stay away for a while since we had such a bad waitress once, but after a few years we went back and were happy with their service. I took my sister and brother-in-law here that visited from Texas and they were very impressed. read more

Took 10 min after being seated before waitress came by for drink order, we asked for kids menu, 10 min later get that and our drinks, 10 mins later she comes to take order &tells us the kids menu is for kids 10 & under, mind you we've eaten here numerous times & never had an issue. Also, why bring a kids menu to us if you already knew we couldn't order from it. So another 10 min she comes back, my sister ordered her steak & then asked if she could just order a chicken breast as an add on because that's all her child wanted. Waitress says she had to go see if that was possible & would brb. Moments later, she returns with the mgr, 1st thing she says is she'd like to know who let us order off the kids menu before because she needs to fire them & that if we were at Perkins it would be fine to order from the kids menu because they have profit built into that but to let my niece do so w/salad bar was not profitable, so we told her all she wanted was a chicken breast, no salad bar, so she's going on & on about profit, niece starts shutting down cuz it's taking so long & the lady's trying to get her to talk, so after another 10 min she said ok I'll let you have a chicken breast but I'm adding $2 for her to go to the salad bar, we're like fine whatever. Our food comes, cut a small piece of my filet and it's bleeding, so wait for the waitress to come around & tell her, she takes it back, 10 min or so later brings out the same steak and potato, so cut it up & it's still way too pink.At this point, I was beyond annoyed & over it, so ate my potato. The waitress comes back around & we ask for the check & point out my steak, she said she'd take it to the mgr since it was wrong again. Mgr comes & tells me because I cut it up in pieces they can't fix that steak, the only option was for them to cook a new one. So I'm like you really want me to wait again for another steak after you couldn't get mine right twice, mind you everyone at this table has eaten, had dessert and is ready to go so then I have to make them all wait. Told her I'm really just over it at this point and want my bill so I can leave. She's like ok, I'll have them box up your steak then. I said oh perfect, I can then cook it right at home I guess. So when my bill comes, I was honestly surprised to not see any sort of adjustment being that my food was not prepared as ordered. Worst customer service we've ever had there and we've gone here since we were kids. The salad bar and potato I was able to eat was def not worth $33. Going to have to find some place else to get a good steak. read more

Chicago Speakeasy - Steak when it was brought back after they attempted to make it medium well. - New American Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

This is a reasonably priced, general restaurant. The thing that sets it apart, in my opinion, is the salad bar. At first glace, you might be tempted to think that is isn't too special because it takes up a small number of square feet. Then you realize that is because of how it is organized. There a lot packed into that small space. Besides, it really is the quality of the items that I like, not just the quantity. Everything seems to be in good condition as opposed to some places where things look like they have been sitting for hours under a heat lamp. The reason for this is the attitude of the management. They make sure there is one or more staff that is constantly keeping things right. That attention to details shows. Not to take anything away from the food either. It is good quality and quantity for the price. The salad bar is just so above average that it detracts from the other good things about this place. The daily special is usually a good bet. It is the same thing each week for that particular day of the week. Regulars can then plain their visits far in advance :-) Usually very good service. Decent atmosphere too, especially after a somewhat recent remodel. read more

Unfortunately it gets worse every time I visit. People say the salad bar rocks which it does not. It is round and people don't know how to follow directions... such as move right... they reach over you and under you and cut you off and it is just a train wreck. Loads of seniors frequent this place (good for them) but they get pretty mad when you show them the arrow, as in move right.... Apparently they get to do whatever they choose since they have their senior cards. Annoying and super annoying. As to the food - fresh lettuce. A few salad dressings to choose from. The fixings are ok but nothing to get too excited about. Plus, $10 for the salad bar? Seriously... it is lettuce and a ton of junk people are breathing all over and dripping other ingredients in to. I would rather go to Palmers and will do so from now on. I did not get a roll with my salad bar the last time I visited which I am not sure if they removed it as an option or our wait staff forgot. Ugh, not a great experience this time. Won't return. read more

Chicago Speakeasy - New American Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

I don't mess around with this place I get the biggest cut of prime rib on the menu. Only $23 dollars! It is about a 3 to 3 1/2 inch thick cut of beef served with bread all you can eat salad bar and baked potato. Good service too! read more

Chicago Speakeasy is a Des Moines classic - definitely a must if you are looking for a good steakhouse. Their steaks are really flavorful and cooked perfectly. Their salad bar makes every other salad bar look pitiful in comparison. They have tons of sides like coleslaw, potato salad, pasta salad, oreo cream dessert, apple salad, etc. And because I love me a good dessert option, I have to mention that there are so many dessert-type salads on the salad bar that you can go back again after your meal and get dessert. read more

My honey and I decided to drive across Douglas to Chicago Speakeasy when we saw the line at John & Nick's. I hadn't been here for years, so I was surprised that the different raised levels were now separated (you cannot see across the entire restaurant anymore). I liked that it seemed more intimate now and I think nice for a date night. Dress was casual and the service was great. The salad bar had a nice variety and was well kept up. I thought the bread brought to the table was tasteless, but my prime rib was just as expected. My honey got the ribs and we had a lot to take home. The recommended garlic mash was a disapointment. Tasted like some undercooked taters with no garlic to us. Might stop in for the salad bar again, or to try out the bar area which looked nice at the entry. We will let you know how it goes. read more

Old school steakhouse feel. Great steak. Salmon was mediocre. Reasonably priced food and drinks. Set up for the salad bar line had us waiting in line right next to tables where people where eating (that was a bit awkward). read more

This restaurant has been a family favorite for years. The salad bar is outstanding - so many choices that it is hard to decide! Everything you could imagine and then some. For main courses, my favorites are their Prime Rib, which melts in your mouth, and also their Fried Chicken, which is some of the best I have ever had. For an appetizer, the onion rings are fantastic -- I'm a big fan of skinny onion rings and love theirs. You also get loaves of warm bread to go with your meal -- a real treat! When my daughter was a little girl and we would ask where she wanted to go for her birthday dinner, this was one of her favorite choices. (Not a typical choice for a 6 or 7-year-old, but she loves it there!) They would always make her feel special and would bring her Shirley Temples with extra cherries, so I would say the restaurant is very kid-friendly and that the service is excellent. The only downside is that the prices have gone up considerably over the past few years, but the food is so good that I consider it well worth the price. read more

Not a salad bar person I really appreciate the cleanliness of it and the freshness of the product offered. This may not compare to a "Fogo de chai" salad bar the prefix is not set at 65.00 either. My service was top notch. My steak-ribeye- was tender and cooked to perfection. Wonderful date atmosphere-quiet- and for 2 people and that much food underpriced read more

The salad bar was great.... only because that's rare to come by anymore. I ordered the prime rib since that is what I heard they were known for. So disappointed! No seasoning, tough, and tasted like it had been frozen. I wouldn't bother going back with so many better options in the Des Moines area. read more

Would've been over hour and wait, when we left. Felt disrespected despite calling way ahead, and having the group next to us that called only thirty minutes ago (we asked) get seated before us. We love this place so it was an easy choice for a special night in Des Moines. Overwhelmingly disappointed. While our table was allegedly being setup - we opted for live music and Chucks up the street. They have never let us down. read more

Prime Rib is is smoked prime rib and has a strong smoked flavor. Salad bar is great if you like the 1982 style salad bar: macaroni salad with lots of mayonnaise, cottage cheese, pickled beets and iceberg lettuce dumped in a bowl. Oh and forgot the 3 bean salad. Nothing interesting. Blah. read more