I really like the concept of Flix Brewhouse. The food is good and the portions are usually big. I'm a big fan of their spinach and artichoke dip. I love that I can get a pop delivered to me during the movie for basically the same price as any other theater. Really, it's even better than most theaters because you don't have to get up to get a refill. Their customer service is generally good. The only issue I ever had, which was resolved, was bringing someone under 21 to a 7 p.m. showing. The employees handled it fairly well, but we did have to wait a bit to talk with a manager. It wasn't a big deal and it wouldn't turn me off from going there again. Next time I go, I'm looking forward to trying their in-house brews. read more

I'm going to review and update my initial rating for Flix. I have been to Flix a few more times since my first review, and it seems my experiences get slightly better each time I go. It's nice to be able to eat, drink, and watch my movie all at the same time. I like this part a little more than I did initially. The screens are also HUGE, the picture is great, and the sound is great. The last couple of movies I saw here were Star Wars and The Revenant. The screens were so big I had to physically turn my head sometimes. Good movie experiences. That being said, the service is STILL sloppy. Everyone is super nice, and they're on top of it if you press your button. I appreciate that it's probably not an easy job to serve at a movie theater, and that there are a lot of moving parts, but every time I've gone to Flix (which now is probably about 5 times), they've messed up something with my order. Or given me someone else's order. Or I didn't get my order to me. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. They need to get their shit together. Should you go and check it out? Yes. Should you go and check it out if you're fairly high maintenance? Probably not. read more

Although Jordan Creek Mall is closer, I prefer this theatre because the Hawaiian Tuna Poke with pita chips and flourless chocolate cake is so yummy! Good food and service makes this place a 5 star in my book. read more

Our first visit to Flix Brewhouse. Myself, my husband, and our two young children. Despite the fact that they show children's films, the theater seats are anything but child friendly. They are very light and fold up far too easily. There is no way to lock the seat in place. Small children are easily swallowed whole. If you're feeling adventurous you can request a booster seat. Not a booster seat that is MADE for those particular theater seats, but one of those cheap hard plastic things you find at Perkins. These "help" by making the child's seat even MORE unstable, and notably more uncomfortable. My taller than average 3 year old spent nearly the entire movie in my lap. If you sit in the back row there is an overhang that makes it extremely dark. The lights along the front of the tables do nothing. Reading the menu is impossible. Reading the menu while shining your phone's harsh flashlight on it is awkward, and doesn't improve readability by much. I recommend avoiding the back row, or using the free Wi-Fi to look up the menu online. Our waitress was prompt, although a bit flustered because her tablet wasn't working. We ordered a soda, some milks for the kids, and water for all. All the drinks except the waters came out promptly. We had to ask for the waters THREE TIMES. Despite there being an army of runners on staff, ultimately our waitress had to go back and get the waters for us herself. The four of us shared a basket of cheese curds, which were delicious, however appetizer plates are not provided. I can understand forgoing plates if two people are sharing an app, but there were four of us. This creates a logistical issue. I suppose you can put the curds on your only napkin and pour your share of the ranch into a free hand (or directly into your mouth, I won't judge.) The main meals ranged from okay to less than okay. The kids burgers were okay, the fries were good. My husband said the chicken on his Caesar salad was "mushy" which is not a word you want associated with grilled chicken. The meat on my Cuban sandwich was SO DRY it was difficult to swallow. I guess it's best to stick with fried foods. They're harder to mess up. All in all the majority of our experience was frustrating and disappointing. It's too bad because it's really a cool concept. If I DID go again (which won't happen anytime soon) I'd leave the kids at home, sneak in my own water, and only order fried apps. read more

Comfortable, relaxing place for dinner or appetizers, drinks and a movie! Costs are in line with other theaters, with the added convenience of having more than popcorn, candy and pop. The service can be great but we have also had some not so stellar servers; this is very dependent on the person you get assigned to your seats (as in any food service location). The craft brews are very good. There are monthly specials on food items too which help with cost and offer some great items... Mac and cheese bites were a favorite one month! It's convenient getting tickets online so that is done before hand and you simply show your ticket (email) as you enter the theater... saves time! The bar area outside the theaters is a friendly and comfortable place to meet friends and have apps and drinks too. We enjoy taking family and friends here, whether seeing a movie or not. read more

Went for the first time yesterday and really enjoyed it! The blue bacon burger was suppper good! I also liked that it was relatively inexpensive. For a beer, a meal, and a ticket it cost about $20/person! read more

This place is one of the best places to catch a flick in Iowa. It is a tad pricey, but it has an excuse seeing as how there is no place like it in the rest of the state. Food was hot and fast. All the seats were well kept and not greasy from past movie goers. Surprisingly the staff bringing in food during the movie distracted me 0%. Great place overall, it is a must for a date night. read more

Good friendly service. Amazing movies. Great food. I can't go anywhere else for a movie.

I love coming here to see a movie. What makes it nice is they actually serve food. Pizza, burgers, breakfast, and desserts. They have a full bar and in house beer. They food pretty good and the prices and fair considering your eating at a movie theater. They also offer rewards for spending money. They add up quickly. Don't forget to tell them when your there you want to use the rewards to purchase a ticket or food. read more

My daughter and I love flix Brewhouse. Good is always great and checking out a movie is always a plus. Pizza is a failsafe. Enroll in their rewards if you plan to go back. We've gotten several free meals out of it. We live close and are blessed this is in our neighborhood! read more

Amazing food and service. The food is amazing, we have always gotten prompt and courteous service and it is by far the quietest theater we have ever been to. Same price as other theaters for tickets, the food just makes it seem like it's costing more. And the food is fairly priced for what you get. Amazing beer as well, which is expected from a brew house. read more

My wife and I went here to see the movie Overboard! It was a great experience! Good beer on tap made there. The seats and tables for the food were nice, and the food was really good. I got a meat lovers pizza, and it really tastes good! I'd highly recommend this place to anyone! It's a little pricey, but well worth it for a nice date! read more

A wonderful concept Flix Brewhouse is. Real food, not just popcorn and candy,but sandwiches, appetizers, salads,beer,and movies. The menu has a wide variety of things including 10" pizzas. Nice. The seating can be best described as auditorium style but press box type counters. The menus are already there and the tables pull out to you, akin to aircraft tables that you can adjust. There is a constant under counter light on the surprisingly does not detract from the movie, plus a call button for wait staff should you need it. Unfortunately one seat out of every 10 or so there is a break in the counter for access to the row, but for the person in that seat there is a little pop up table attached to the seat which is barely big enough to hold your beverage. Sharing a table is recommended. The food is quite good. I had their clubhouse sandwich and an appetizer of 8 honey barbecue wings. For their wings ask for extra napkins and ranch dressing. They are messy. The sandwich is big, lots of meat, tomato and avocado. Yummm!! And the fries are good and crispy. Not traditional fries but like a batter dipped fries. The downside, when the lights go out and the movie starts it becomes a bit difficult to eat. You begin to finger down your sandwich to find the bottom when you grab it, not being able to see how much you got left, etc.. The under counter lights provide little help. But all in all the food is excellent. The beer (or at least the one I had) is tasty. The are also their own micro brewery so most of the beer is their own. They have some of the more traditional fare (Budweiser, etc) but why go to a micro brew if you do not try their product? They have coke products and a soda is gallon size. (Not really but they are large). The wait staff you hardly notice. They come and go collecting your dishes, bringing your tabs, etc. The seats are up high enough that when they move down the rows they are not in your way. They are friendly and courteous and try to make the experience a good one. The thing you need to do is when you get your bill is to examine it carefully. We had to send ours back 4 times before they got it right. I do not think it is an ongoing issue but one to be aware of. Our experience there was a good one. I think it is a great place to go with friends or for that special date, or feeling like movie but not in the traditional sense. They are a bit pricey for what you get so there might be a bit of sticker shock. I just think for me, I am bit more of a traditionalist for movies. I am not bashing it, as I said in the beginning I love the concept but I think I will save this for a special night out with my wife. But if I am feeling like a movie a traditional theater is more for me. read more

Staff is very friendly, food is amazing, had blue bacon burger and fries.. absolutely wonderful.. Seats are very comfortable. Nice that you get to pick where your sitting if you go online you can see the seating. Great place to take your family.. read more

They've gone so far downhill... I went Sunday to see Star Trek. I ordered chicken and waffles; they left off the promised butter and syrup leaving me with the driest dish I've had in ages. I ordered pie; forty minutes went by and they tried giving me the check before finally delivering the dessert. I tried watching the credits; they interrupted me to shoo me out. I tried contacting them through their website; it "couldn't process" my complaint. I contacted them through facebook, and got the most patronizing replies... The previous visit, they gave me something completely different than what I ordered. The time before that, the bun was stale. I'm not giving them another chance to waste my time and money. read more

Great for eating a meal while watching a movie but sucks horribly if you want just a meal. Was just there to get dinner, sat down at a booth with the family and sat there for 15+ minutes with multiple servers walking by and not asking us anything. Finally got up and left. Last time we were there we had a sever show right away and was very nice and gave some good choices for beer. But once we got our food he disappeared and started working behind the bar, when someone was already working there, and they weren't even busy at the bar. He never came back to ask if we wanted refills, which we did. Finally 20 minutes after we were done eating he finally comes to give us the check. It's as if the place doesn't want any business unless you're there to see a movie. So I ask, why the F$!# do they have a dining area?! read more

Ordered tickets for a 5:30 show and after purchasing realized I should have purchased them for the 6:30 show. Searched the Flix site on what to do about this and this is in the FAQ section: WHAT HAPPENS IF I BUY TICKETS BUT MY PLANS CHANGE? If you are unable to make the original show time, we are able to swap the tickets for a different showtime, or provide a refund for the ticket purchase provided that the swap or refund occurs in our lobby BEFORE the start of the original movie show time. So I went ahead and purchased tickets for the 6:30 show and went to the theater to get a refund for the 5:30 tickets. When the refund was issued it was for less than the original charge and I was informed that they do not refund booking fees. I was told I could've prevented the additional booking fees if I had come in and swapped the tickets rather than repurchasing. Obviously this is not the instruction given on the Flix website. Needless to say my plans of feeding 3 people during the show have changed as I'll not be giving any more of my money to Flix after this. Since I followed the guidance of the website this strikes me as a deceptive business practice. There are plenty of other really nice theaters in the Des Moines area as well. read more

Good beer, delicious food and fantastic service! I won't see a movie anywhere else now. The movies cost the same as any other theater, plus the beer and food cost the same as any other similar restaurant. It's a no brainier for dinner and a movie. The best is that the staff know just how to provide great service without interrupting your movie experience. read more

I don't understand the hype for this place. It's over priced and the food was okay. The staff was kind of rude. Some people I was with ordered a beer and I tasted it and the waitress was breathing down my back the whole time as if I was trying to be an underage drinker. The price is the same as if you go to a regular movie but I'd much rather go to dinner somewhere that has good food then to just settle and eat flavorless food. The chairs are different, more like office chairs. I more than likely won't be back. I'll stick to my regular theater where the staff doesn't seem like they are above it all. read more

Love this theater! Hubby and I went on our date night. Very comfortable seating and the food was impressive! Highly recommend! We will be returning! read more

Beers are good, service is questionable at best. Had to flag down our server for a water twice. Watched two guys try to flag down a bartender for nearly 3 mins at the bar. Come for the beers, tolerate the service as best you can. read more

While seating is very comfortable and a huge selection of beers is great, I would recommend not oredering the food. We went to a 7:30 movie and thought we would eat there versus eating at another restaurant. I wish we would have chosen another restaurant. The food was cold, Not warm, not hint of warmth. It took a very long time to get our meal in the first place but I could understand since the theater was packed but for it to come out cold I thought was unacceptable. If I go again, Beer and popcorn is all I am getting. read more

Flix is a fun change of pace to any other movie theater. Dinner and a movie: one and done. Here are my takeaways: -The movie tickets themselves are a little pricey. But Jordan Creek is too. -Order your tickets ahead of time online to reserve your seats! You choose exactly where you'll sit during this process. -The food is pretty good (it's not 5 star, but that shouldn't be expected). -The servers do a great job of "stealthing" around the theater. With that said, I wouldn't see a serious movie here. IMO, it's great for a comedy, kids movie, or something light...you will be distracted by the servers, eating, and other guests (everyone knows that food fuels conversation...and there will be conversations happening around you during the movie). -Food and beverage prices are average. -Arrive early to grab a drink at the bar and take into the theater. And get seated in the theater early to order your food, otherwise you'll get your food at the end of the movie (at least in my experience...that may not happen all the time). Check it out! read more

The atmosphere was anything but what I've come to generalize as Merle Hay Mall. It's a great draw to the area and people will justifiably travel great distances to experience Flix. The IPA was fantastic, and I had the bar set high knowing that Mike was going from El Bait to Flix as the brewmaster. We didn't order food, but I heard great things about it from others. We'll be back soon, I'm sure! read more

Good idea- mediocre execution. First of all, we sat in row"b" which is way too close to the screen. My neck still hurts and I nearly went into an seizure at the flashing action in a too close seat. They seat in waves, from the back to the front so we were seated late and ordered on a bit of a rush. They delivered us someone else's chicken fingers and ran out of Mac n cheese. They finally dropped off the food with about 15 minutes left in the film. The popcorn was really oily and just came in one jumbo size bag. They should have more servers and kitchen staff IMHO. The house beers were just ok The management is aware of the service gaps and is working hard to fix them. Hopefully this concept will take off in Des Moines after they work out the kinks. read more

My quick review of Flix Brewhouse Des Moines: Bought our tickets last week online. Tried to swipe our card at the kiosk when we showed up but it wouldn't print (no big deal since we expected a hiccup somewhere); we had our email confirmation so we were fine. Bar/lobby area was nice, but not quite enough tables (to be expected due to being opening night) but not crowded by any means. Showed the confirmation email to the ticket taker then were taken right to our reserved seats. The seats were like REALLY comfortable office chairs (rolled, reclined, everything). We were greeted right away and everything was explained well and our drink orders were taken right away. Beer (brew their own plus tons of local and national beers), wine, and hard liquor; they only have one house-brewed beer on tap currently (witbier not terribly unlike a Blue Moon was pretty decent). We ordered hummus with pita and veggies for an appetizer and were stunned at just how good the hummus and pita were! AND it came fast! Also before the movie at our seats I ordered an Ahi tuna salad that was great -- the tuna was cooked nice and rare as it should be! It was dressed perfectly. Tamara ordered a chicken sandwich and fries that were both really good (seasoned fries, not your ordinary fries). Ordering during the movie was mostly easy though it's hard to read the menu with black pages in the dark (the green lowlight in front of you isn't quite enough): write down what you want and push the elevator-looking-button and someone is there right away! At no point did we ever wait more than 5 minutes for our drinks to arrive! Super-friendly, efficient staff! Now, not including tickets (3D cost $25 for 2 tix), along with tip, 2 entrees, one appetizer, and 5 beers we spent $66. Not cheap, but if you consider we got a lot of food and drinks, I felt it was reasonable. read more

The theater seating and overall first impression was all positive. The seating is comfortable with plenty of leg room and elevated enough to give a clear unobstructed view of the screen. The ordering system is easy to understand and the server was very helpful in explaining how it worked. We all chuckled a bit when she bent over to wear we had placed our notepad, retrieved the notepad and then gave us a thumbs up. In fact it made the experience even more entertaining. Something that doesn't seem to be covered on the website or anywhere else is the location inside of the mall. For those that have been around Des Moines for years will remember the strange statue of the Angel on the tricycle. It is located on the upper leave and just above where that statue once was. If you walk in the main entrance it is straight a head. If you want to park close, park in the lot west of Target and go through the mall entrance on the Southside of the mall. Then up a flight of stairs and you are right there. The only real issue I had was with the food that I ordered. It's kind of a standard that I will get when trying a new place. Mac and Cheese. Though a simple comfort food dish, it is extremely easy to not execute correctly. In part because most people consider it kids food and figure that will be all that will be ordering it. So, often it is the weak link in the menu but when done right can be a real joy to have. First off the portion was not in line with the $9,95 price tag. Served in a dish that is about 5 inches wide, 6 inches long and about an inch deep, I can't help but feel that i was taken advantage of. Now, this would have been forgiven if the dish had any flavor beyond the Parmesan crumble. I couldn't tell if there was no sauce added at all, In fact that pasta was dry and tasteless. It seemed that they had put pasta in a dish then sprinkled on some shredded cheese, topped with the crumble and baked in the pizza oven. When you consider the food cost vs the price, it's hard to justify. Especially if there isn't any flavor. I only sampled one beer and that was the Saison de Walt. It was passable and maybe I'm just a little to set in what I expect from a Saison. The beer seemed watered down and bland with a sour finish. Missing was the spiciness that I usually go to this style of beer for. I don't know if it is extract, if there wasn't enough aging or it was the yeast but just wan't special. Meaning not bad but not moorish to say the least. The only issue was that anyone had in my party was that it is hard to eat in the dark. For that reason I would suggest picking something that it will not be an issue. Otherwise a great experience and one I plan on experience again. read more

I have, literally NEVER written a review for anything before but I had such a great time today sharing lunch and movie with my 5th grader that I vowed I would pass it on! Fair to say, I am not hard to please with 25 years of customer service experience under my belt. I am willing to give the benefit of the doubt and I don't expect perfection. However...there was literally nothing I did not LOVE about our visit today. We were seated and waited on very quickly. Our food was out before the movie even started despite a sold out show. We would have been fine and totally expected to have to wait. The meat lovers pizza was delicious and my house beer, (Luna-something), hit the spot! The servers were efficient and discreet. I was not sure how I would feel about all the(expected) commotion around us but I barely noticed the extra activity in the room. The seats were very comfortable. The theater was clean and spacious. It just worked!!! Most importantly, my son thought it was so much fun! We will be back often. :) The only "note to self" for next time is to have my payment ready for the waiter. He warned that he would bring it in the last 30 minutes so I was expecting it but forgot to have my card ready. It was hard to find in the dark and I missed a few minutes of the movie. Next time I will have it in my pocket beforehand. I will be an expert next time.;) read more

Beer selection is awesome and food is good too. Love the cranberry apple salad! Fries are so good for some reason! Service is hit or miss. Sometimes they're great, other times they can be slow or misunderstand your order. Love how they reply old movies. I also like how you can pick and choose your seats online when you order your tickets in advance. read more

My wife and daughters Went there today had a great time. Theater was very nice and steak quesadilla was great. Lots of beer choices. We now have a new favorite theater. read more

THIS PLACE IS AWESOME! Great food and great service. The pulled pork sandwich is really really good as well as anything on the dessert menu! It's also a brewery so any of the beers available are delicious. read more

I have to change my review for flix due to our experience on Sunday. We just stopped in to get our stamp for the Iowa Brewers gild. We sat at the bar so long with no wait staff in sight we could of gone behind the bar and served ourselves. When someone did show up it was not much better. We ended up walking out. read more

Comfy seats. The tables are a little cumbersome after being there for two hours. The food is GOOD. And it comes out quickly. The staff are good about getting as much of the auditorium fully served before the film starts rolling, and they have fun with their job! but if you do get food or drink during the movie, they are quiet, unobtrusive, and efficient. A very pleasant way to see a film. read more

Saw the movie "American Sniper" here. Great handcrafted beers with a nice wide selection to chose from. We did not order a meal here, but just had beer and an appetizer. The meals looked delicious from what I could see on other people's tables. This is really a pretty slick - run operation. Will definitely go again. The reason I didn't give it 5 stars was because the food was a little on the pricey side, but wouldn't necessarily keep me from going. read more

Excellent to be able to be waited on during a movie with beers and food! Love it! Half price apps on tues.

Awesome place to see movie. I used to go to the billy joes picture show and was disappointed when it closed but now I have flix foods pretty good and it's a comfortable place to see a movie and the staff are really nice and helpful I'll definitely be back I just became a regular here for movie night and any night of the week. read more

What a great place! Beer is great, and they have several other craft beers on tap. We had the loaded baked potato popcorn...with bacon! Service was wonderful. The bartender recommended purchasing tickets ahead of time, and you can them up to a week in advance. There is assigned seating. You also want to get there at least 30 minutes prior to the movie starting. This might be our go to movie theater in Des Moines from now on! read more

I don't understand where the positive reviews are coming from. I wish I had a better experience. I've been to Flix 3 times now and I will never go back. The first time I just ordered popcorn and it was cold. The second time are food took awhile, and was ok, but extremely overpriced. The third time must have been the charm, because not only was the waitress rude, she forgot our refills for over half the movie, and our food didn't come out until half way through. My street tacos were disgusting. There were 3 couples total in the entire theater. I would hate to see how bad it gets when it's busy. This place is completely overrated and overpriced. At least the chairs were comfortable. read more

My wife and I took my parents here when they came to visit. It was our first time and one of the first few days they were open. We had an awesome time and because of a technological error in their system, all of our food and drinks were complimentary! They handled it with class and I'm sure they lost quite a bit of money. We received our order about 3 times, so we ended up giving our server a nice tip. Great service and fun times! We'll be back for more! read more

What a nice surprise! Good food and beer, had the Bacon Blueburger and Fish Burrito! Friendly and responsive service, comfortable seats, nice new combo of food and flick! Really enjoyed ourselves! read more