I went to an appreciation dinner with colleagues on Monday night. This was my first visit to District 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. [[HIGHLIGHT]]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[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]]. By the way this review was not written or touched by AI. read more

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The chicken deburgo is fantastic! [[HIGHLIGHT]]Great food, beautiful establishment![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Service is top notch!

Went here for a group event. [[HIGHLIGHT]]We had the private room which was nice.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Two waitresses and about 20 people. They did a great job with drink and food orders. We got the 2/$60 special which comes with a shared app, main meal, and a shared dessert. My friend tried to options for the meals of about 8 to try and they were out. Probably could have told us what theyDON'T HAVE when they give us the menu. My friend was set on the chicken and then she tried the salmon only to be told they had a busy weekend so were out. She ended up with the seafood linguini. She opted for no sauce but got oil and Parmesan. She said it was okay. I got the steak be burgo. I like that it comes with mushrooms. The sauce was great and tasty. I usually get filet but this was the only option. Cooked well and a lot of leftovers. I got the key like pie. It sadly dropped in the box when I was at my car, but still edible. However, so not good. It didn't look good, the graham cracker crust tasted stale and old. Bad key lime flavor. I had a couple of bites and threw it out. Might be the worst I've had. It took them a good while to get our bills after two hours. They had to come back in a make sure they had it all correct. Makes me wonder how they took the orders down and why it wasn't organized right then. Over 30 minutes to get the bill alone. As we got our bill, there was the usual credit card fee we see now. Ok. That's fine. A group gratuity which was expected. But can you tell me on top of those what a $4.90 admin fee is? Absolutely ridiculous. Just another reason not to return. read more

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We got two appetizers. The mozzarella sticks were so salty that we couldn't finish them. I mentioned it to the server but she seemed unfazed. I shared the French dip with my sister and neither of us could finish it -- the au jus was sooooo salty. Inedible. My other guest got the salmon sandwich and said it wasn't very good. Another one of my guests got the chicken Alfredo and said it was good. Probably will not be back. read more

4.75* (out of 5) Food: 5* Atmosphere: 5* Value: 4* Service: 5* 08/30/2023 We hadn't heard much about this place, but met some great new friends from Brazil here when they recommended it. The building was quite impressive as we walked up and the inside lived up to the promises on the building's exterior - this was truly a memorable dinner! We started with drinks and some wine - see the attached menu pictures and you'll understand how difficult of decision that in itself proved to be in the end! We then ordered appetizers to share - the Soppresatta Pizza (see picture) and Spinach & Artichoke Dip (see picture). The pizza was excellent and similar in taste to pepperoni and the spinach and artichoke dip was also very good. For our dinners, my wife ordered the Lemon Garlic Shrimp (see picture) and I ordered the Salmon BLT (see picture). Our friends ordered the Italian Stuffed Tenderloin (see picture) and the Frutti Di Mare (see picture). We shared tastes of the dishes and all of us really liked all of these dishes - I'd highly recommend them all. My wife also ordered the Seafood Bisque (see picture) as she had heard some great things about it from her coworkers - and it also lived up to the hype. This is a top-notch wine bar and restaurant in our area and although you might find it a bit pricey, our experience tells me that you will leave happy customers. If you go - say 'Hi' to Jacob S. from The Food and Drink Guy - he was a fantastic server, so consider yourself lucky if he is your server also! If you found this review helpful, please show your appreciation with a Like or a Follow. Photos copyright: happyhourdesmoines.com & thefoodanddrinkguy.com read more

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Sat at the bar for dinner after business meetings. Jacob's service was on point. Great food, drink, and dessert recommendations. Really like how there's medium and large pasta portion options. Lemon garlic shrimp pasta was awesome. Was on the lighter side but had plenty of body and flavor. Thinking about dessert? Candy bar pie or bust! read more

The food here is great and they help my son's wedding here and they did an incredible job! I would recommend for a party or fine dining!!

Have been here quite a bit over the years. Cajun pasta is the best imo. Apparently the ribeye was not bad either.

My husband & I received a gift card here as a Christmas gift. We ate at 6pm on a Saturday and were seated immediately although the restaurant was full and busy. Our server was very friendly and on it despite training someone at the same time. We started with the inside out crab Rangoon dip as an appetizer. I've had this before elsewhere and liked it, this one was good but a bit more cream cheesy than I've had before. Portion size was huge (cereal bowl size - a LOT for two people). I ordered the prime rib with a side of au gratin potatoes & side salad. My husband ordered the 12oz Ribeye with a baked potato & side salad. It doesn't say anywhere on the menu that they come with side salads but they do. The side salad was lettuce/greens, 2 slivers of onion, and 2 cherry tomatoes only, with dressing. Rather underwhelming. I typically order medium rare but ordered my prime rib medium as I didn't want it to be too bloody, that was my mistake. The prime rib was well done, not a HINT of blood/pink, and dried out before I took the 3rd bite. The au jus was incredibly salty & basically inedible. The au gratin potatoes were, well, not au gratin potatoes. The flavor was bad, the cheese was not melted, and they were "loaded" like a baked potato for some reason? My husbands ribeye was well cooked but had a LOT of fat. His baked potato was good. We ordered the key lime pie to go, which was good. While finishing our meal, we overheard the table behind us send something back to the kitchen saying it was "tasteless" & that they "wouldn't eat it". [[HIGHLIGHT]]Overall, our bill was over $100 (fortunately we had a gift card which took the brunt of that) and we were unimpressed (to say the least) and won't be back, which is a shame because the overall vibe and service were great.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The food was just... not. read more

This company is a fantastic supporter in the community. They provided a great meal for the team. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Our family loves this restaurant and the happy hour![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

Because why not?!? [[HIGHLIGHT]]Enjoyable atmosphere.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Great drink. Good snackables. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Super cute space.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Wine tasting is always a plus! Staff explained everything. And answered all questions. Had a few drinks and lots of laughs. read more

My first time at District 36. Wait time to get our order was like 25 to 30 minutes. Waitress was obviously somewhere else in her pretty head. After we ordered food showed up in like 15 minutes. I had prime rib which tasted like it had been frozen but it was cooked properly. Prime rib was very salty and had too much au jus over it. I also got the garlic mashed and they very bland. I also suspect the garlic mashed were a frozen prep reheated. I have eaten at many steak houses and this was way below average. read more

I think it was okay. I would give this place 3.5 stars. I won't lie, it was pretty busy when we came at 6:00pm, but we waited 1.5 hours for our food to come out. We were seated right away which is a plus and the waitress was super nice. We got the deviled egg appetizer which I was so sad about. As a deviled egg lover, the eggs just tasted like boiled eggs with no mustard to it. I will say the meat they make here is amazing. read more

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The menu and atmosphere were promising, but I was not impressed with the food. I had the clam chowder to start, and could immediately tell the level of the food was not what I expected. If the soup was not canned I know it was not made to order--could have been made days ahead as it was quite thickened and salty. The Frutti De Marre pasta was recommended by our server, but was not what I hoped. May have been better with the Alfredo sauce, but the marinara was lacking in flavor. Shrimp, crab and mussels were ok. I also tried the capers pizza which had too much cheese and too little flavor. Overall the food looks more impressive than it tastes. read more

District 36 Wine Bar and Grille - Frutti Di Mare - Wine Bars Near Me - Ankeny, Iowa

[[HIGHLIGHT]]Amazing food and great atmosphere.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Service is very good too. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Nice outside patio with a great view.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

I have had better burgers from b-bops on top of the fact that there is hardly any food options

We consistently enjoy this restaurant- it's one of the first we tried when moving to Ankeny and has been at the top of our list ever since! Each time we go we have great service! I have also attended two private events as well and they have all been outstanding! My husband and I really love their Monday date night special for $60 you get two entrees, bottle of wine and dessert! App I love; Buffalo chicken egg rolls & spinach artichoke dip Entrees I love; peppercorn steak deburgo, Buffalo chicken pizza (to share) Dessert to try; key lime pie, candy bar pie! This restaurant has great service and a great atmosphere- we love the quiet vibe here! read more

We were seated and told that half the food on the menu was not available. Either they were out certain things like steak or unable to cook due to the amount of smoke it would cause! Opted for the Cavatelli, I would compare it to spaghetti o's! It was absolutely horrendous! We left and our clothes were so infused with smoke it smelled like we were in a house fire! Be warned! This place is not fit to be open! read more

Decent food, but, WAY OVERPRICED. They calculated sales tax, AFTER they added in gratuity. Why am I paying sales tax on a tip ? You would think that a place that charges FOUR DOLLARS, for a regular cup of black coffee(no refills were offered), could afford to bolt down a toilet seat. That's right. The toilet seat, in the men's room, was not attached to the bowl, but, just resting on top of it. Just imagine trying to navigate THAT, from a wheelchair. You can get a much better "bang for your buck", somewhere else.I would not recommend. read more

Made reservations online for 6 people. We didn't have to wait, and we're seated at a very nice round table. Our server was great, if spread a little thin. Everyone enjoyed their food. I got the short ribs and was surprised at the size - 2 ribs! Though fattier than I've previously had, they were good. Our server took a while to deliver our checks, and as a result, we were able to witness a proposal with the large party in our room! It was a beautiful experience, but I'm not sure that the group wouldn't have been happier if we'd left 10 mins earlier and not been in the background of their videos! read more

Just a little speechless. I really thought this would be amazing because of the prices. Everything was prepared well except the chicken Parmesan. I found everything to have an odd overbearing flavor. Clam chowder had way too much thyme and 2 of us had it, agreed and didn't finish it. Fire cracker shrimp was good but the sauce was slightly overbearing. Not sure why. The chicken Parmesan had no good flavor and seemed like it was just warmed up. The chicken in my salad was very sweet. Mussels were fine but once again was not amazing. I still want to try something else because I have heard there lunch is way better. read more

District 36 Wine Bar and Grille - Clam chowder - Wine Bars Near Me - Ankeny, Iowa

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Had creole pasta. Overcooked and oily. Bread that came with were really hard. I think the meal was microwaved...hence the overcooked pasta and hard bread. Waitress showed up twice after meal served. $25+ wasted. Will not go back. read more

[[HIGHLIGHT]]A very nice date night spot.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Always love the Chicken Parm, would definitely recommend!

Great restaurant! Our waitress was incredible and handled a group of 20 very well. Given the large size of the group I was expecting long delays but there wasn't. Apps: kung pao calamari and spinach dip. Both good and had a little kick! Dinner: I got the grilled pollo farfalle and my starter was the clam chowder. Both were delicious, one of the best clam chowders I've ever had. The rest of the options below, I tried bits of. Thought all were great and everyone loved their meal. read more

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Absolutely love this place. I highly recommend you stop it for a brunch and try their bottomless mimosas - an entire bottle to yourself and SUCH fast service. I have been there many times with my husband. They make incredible dishes, everything's made in house, and the service is amazing. We've had Sara & Alexis and couldn't rave more. The girls had us laughing, they were amazing at communicating any sort of hold ups (if any) and again, the food presentation and taste was amazing. I always end up taking photos because LOOK AT THIS. The salmon BLT with the aioli is a personal favorite and I have never been a salad eater until I tried the Cobb. The portions are INCREDIBLE. I highly recommend. read more

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Ordered the appetizer portion of Pecan Crusted Chicken and added a side of garlic mashed potatoes. Amazing! I order the same thing every time. (March 2021) read more

District 36 Wine Bar and Grille - Pecan Crusted Chicken and a side of Garlic Mashed Potatoes - Wine Bars Near Me - Ankeny, Iowa

Food was okay, nothing to write home about. It wasn't gross just okay. The service was not great. We were seated right away and ordered right away, but after we got our food that was the last we saw of our waitress until it was time for the check. Didn't come back to refill or offer another drink, or check on the meal. We are in town for the night traveling through and we're hoping for a better experience. There are lots of other restaurants in the area, you might want to check them out before going here. read more

District 36 is one of our favorites. The food is always good and the staff is always friendly. We love that we can pop in for a late lunch /early dinner at 4:00 and they will be open. We love sitting in the bar, very relaxing. read more

Girlfriend and I decided to treat ourselves to a nice dinner. The fried Calamari appetizer was the only tasty dish. Ordered the fire shrimp pasta which was a greasy and smelly mess for $19, the mahi mahi was over cooked as the fried crust slid right off the fish which was burnt and the chicken on the Caesar salad entree was beyond dry and over cooked. For a $90 bill this was a huge disappointment, as the atmosphere and the waiter was excellent. Places like this remind my girlfriend and I why we always choose to cook dinner over spending so much money on extremely underwhelming food. read more

District 36 Wine Bar and Grille - $27 for this poor Mahi Mahi who was slaughtered only to be cooked so poorly. - Wine Bars Near Me - Ankeny, Iowa

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HOLY BUCKETS!! I loved my dish when I went to District 36! I ordered a blackened salmon with asparagus and everything tasted amazing!! The waitress did a wonderful job, and the ambiance of the place is very relaxing. I would highly recommend read more

District 36 Wine Bar and Grille - Blackened Salmon With Asparagus - Wine Bars Near Me - Ankeny, Iowa

We had a large party booked in advance. The restaurant required a large advance guarantee. Due to some cancellations we were short of the guarantee. We were forced to buy wine to cover the guarantee. The performance of the waitress and manager were horrible. It took almost an hour to settle the check. Their bill payment system failed, the management was both confused and unhelpful. Despite our party spending a very large sum of money at the restaurant, we were totally embarrassed that we had brought a large number of friends and relatives there. We are still unsure if the check was done properly. It is our intention to never return to this restaurant again. read more

We were in there with a group last night and had the private room reserved which required a minimum spend of 1500. We did not meet that and to meet it we bought bottles of wine people took home. Good to that point. However the waitress could not get the checks straight. It took her over 30 minutes to get the checks straight. While I dont live there family members do. None of us will be returning to the lack of organization on their part. For that amount two servers should have been assigned as gratuity was included. read more

If you have a gluten allergy - Be advised that a section of the menu is a mirage. All "gluten free modified" pasta on the menu is cooked in the same pot of boiling water that all other noodles containing wheat are also cooked in. Major cross contamination. Commercial kitchens that cook a lot of noodles normally keep a pot boiling all day for noodle dishes. I requested a fresh pot with the necessary couple inches of boiling water for my single serving of noodles. The staff were not willing to accommodate the simple request. In my opinion this was not an unreasonable request. Therefor this restaurant is not only uneducated about food allergen cross contamination but they are also very unaccommodating to guest needs. read more

Our server was great. The food not so much. There were two house salads served at our table...neither one was even 1/2 eaten...definitely not fresh. The worst was the gluten free modified Rarebit sandwich which was served as a meat patty swimming in a kind of queso cheese sauce. It was described as an open-faced sandwich in the menu. After receiving the dish, I checked with the server, as those of us at the table were quite surprised by, what I had received...she said they didn't have gluten free buns or bread...This restaurant was chosen with the gluten free restriction in mind based on the menu. Buyer beware. read more

Went to district 36 for lunch - got our normal Shrimp Nachoes which is so dependable and so amazing. More toppings than chips, and there are a lot of chips - that thing is loaded! But a new item on the menu - Fire Oven Grilled Caprese Pizza This thing was AMAZING. Flavor & Texture were amazing - it took everything in me to not finish the whole thing in that sitting. (The nachos helped a little with that). But the pizza was as good, (some pizza or leftover buffs might even say better) when it was reheated the next day! Highly recommend- Will be back! And will likely order the exact same combo - unless another pizza calls our name. We also ordered the kitchen a round of beers which is a "thank the kitchen" item on the menu for $10 - which was kind of a cool concept. They earned it that day!! read more

District 36 is popular, and well, it's good! They have a nice patio. Their Monday-Thursday happy hour is amazing. I kicked myself for last Friday for forgetting it's not on Fridays! I have had their brunch with bottomless mimosas, had carry out date nights in during the worst parts of the pandemic, and now I'm all in on their social hour/happy hour. So far during my last two trips, I've had nachos (amaaaazing (sorry no photo)), spinach dip, inside out crab rangoon dip, and buffalo chicken egg rolls. I loved them all! Seriously! The signature cocktails aren't very boozy. They are light and refreshed and at $5 during social hour, they're worth it! read more

District 36 Wine Bar and Grille - Inside Out Crab Rangoon Dip - Wine Bars Near Me - Ankeny, Iowa

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First time there. Drove from Norwalk for a family celebration and it was worth the drive. I had the District 36 salmon, which was unique. Excellent flavor, not overcooked & can't wait to go back. My wife had the chicken parm and was also pleased. Others in the party were very pleased with their selections. I opted for the seafood bisque which also excellent, even though I wished the bowl was bigger. The service was excellent & plentiful. One main waitress had several helpers to bring the food to the table which was well timed. The room was spacious and tables were spaced apart which was appreciated as there was birthday party with kids nearby. They were enjoying each other a lot. We will be going back again. read more

Upscale ambiance, along with food, beer wine selections. Unfortunately, the devil is in the details and in our case (two visits), the service was so-so, the food was somewhere between so-so and disappointing and had it not been for the fact that we were dining on gift certificates, I'd say the overall value was sub-par. Always seems to be busy, so I guess the booming Ankeny economy does indeed float all boats. read more

disappointed. Had high expectations with reviews, but found drinks mediocre, and salad very basic (mixed greens with 2 tomatoes and 2 cucumber slices.) Entree was a hour later, waitress very apologetic. Had over seasoned cod florentine over room temperature rice and mushrooms. Took most of it to go but will end up tossing it. Husbands salmon was good but dry, and atleast was hot. Won't be returning. read more

One of the more upscale selections in Prairie Trail is also one of the longest residents. They offer steakhouse fare for the most part and do the best with their pasta dishes. I have held two events here with very large groups that required the separate room. Both went off without a hitch. Very easy place to host. read more