Stopped in for an 11:30 lunch date on Friday. There were four other tables, so lots of seating options & no waiting. Our server, Damian, was charming, tentative, knowledgeable, and helpful. I am impressed with the menu! I wasn't expecting such yummy vegan options. There's a lot I want to come back to try. I ordered the bbq jackfruit sandwich with sweet potatoes fries. Yeah, it was damn good. Messy but worth it. My friend ordered the grilled cheese and a side salad. That also looked pretty tasty. read more

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I'd read the reviews and seen all the photos and Nova and I were very excited to try Gastro out. We had looked at the menu on line prior to going and were quite excited about this place, more so than either of us had been about trying out a new place (new for us) in a long time. In fact I hadn't been this excited about a new place since I took a wrong turn in San Jose Costa Rica and ended up at Restaurante Ram Luna which if you ever get the chance to try is a bucket list restaurant in my opinion. Driving from the south side of Des Moines to Gastro took forever not because they are hard to locate, but because Nova decided to listen to the GPS on her phone which had obviously ingested some type of hallucigenic because the voice coming from her phone had no clue what she was talking about. "Babe, just hop on 80 to Hickman, turn left and we're there" Nope. And women say that men are stubborn. They were busy enough when we arrived to give us some confidence that this was a good choice. We were seated quickly at a table close to the kitchen which is open. We both love open kitchens so you can see the food being prepared which neither one of us did this time around as we were to engrossed in trying to figure out what we were going to try. We decided that we were not going to be able to make it past the appetizers so we'd just focus on those. Our waiter arrived to take our drink order. Hunter was his name and on the coolness scale he was near the top. Throughout our time there he was attentive but not overly so and he gave us the impression that were welcome there. Nova ordered a cab and Hunter suggested a Pineapple Ale which I thought was delicious. We ordered the Beet salad with avocado cream a, arugula, lemon vin, goat cheese and pistachio. We ordered the Deburgo pouting with steak, creamy Deburgo, fries, cheese curds and scallions. We ordered the fried Brussels sprouts with bacon vinaigrette, lardons & pecorino cheese and we also ordered the bone marrow with bacon jam. A note...we choose to order what we thought sounded the best and not what our waiter suggested we try which turned out to be a mistake on our part. The dishes were taking a while to arrive which did not bother either one of us. Good food, well prepared food, often takes time so we were in no hurry. We were given some crab cakes to try as the kitchen had accidentally made extra or a customer changed their mind but they offered them to us which we both felt was a nice gesture, although unnecessary. The crab cakes came with peppadew peppers which I now have 2-3 jars of in the refrigerator because Nova fell in love with them. The beet salad, Deburgo poutine and fried Brussels sprouts all arrived at the same time. Here is where it gets difficult. Nova is a beet whore. She loves them, she grows them she knows her beets inside out. I on the other hand know nothing about them except they stain. She said that the beets were canned beets and that the goat cheese tasted like billy goat fur and I agree with her about the cheese. Best part about the beet salad was the arugula which tasted garden fresh. The Deburgo poutine was more like fries with a teaspoon of sauce, a couple cheese curds and some cheap sirloin. The steak was cooked a nice medium rare as all steak should be but the entire dish just lacked any life to it at all. Outside of the name there was nothing exciting about it. The Brussels sprouts. Damn I had such high hopes as I love Brussels sprouts and have just recently convinced Nova to try them and thus far she had indulged me. They were burnt and the bacon vinaigrette was nothing more than bacon grease. If it was a bacon vinaigrette I think the recipe needs to be reworked. Very disappointing. Speaking of recipes, we asked our waiter about the status of the Bone marrow which had yet to make an appearance. We had sampled and passed on the other 3 already and when asked by Hunter if we wanted a box and our reply was no thank you he did look somewhat concerned. He told us as he was taking away the other 3 plates that our bone marrow was coming up and that the delay was that the kitchen had to make fresh bacon jam as they had ran out. Cool. Shit happens. The bone marrow was amazing. Rich, fatty and delicious. By far the best, hands down of the appetizers that we ordered. We both so wanted this place to prove itself memorable which it did but not in a good way. The atmosphere was great. The food presentation was world class but everything except the bone marrow and our drinks lacked flavor and was lifeless. At the end of the day it just doesn't matter how sexy the presentation is if the food is comatose. I've had Swanson TV dinners that I came away from more satisfied. Both our waiter Hunter and the Bone Marrow deserve far better and rating them separately they would both get 5 stars as both were superb. Overall 2 stars read more

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We left a new restaurant this evening that offered multiple items on their menu that they were out of. We came back to a rusty trusty. Awesome experience. We always have a great experience here read more

Nice little place with a ton of energy. They know their niche, and do what they do well. Their chicken sandwich and burgers are excellent

Gastro is one of my favorite places! Whether I stop in for a glass of wine or a full dinner, it never disappoints. They have unique servings that change periodically as well as delicious staples. The chicken pita is delicious as is the burger and poutine fries. Honestly I haven't had anything but good experiences with the food. read more

This has become our favorite bar/restaurant in WDM Very fun bar area, great happy hour & wait staff is always friendly & helpful We've had their grub burger, fries, brussel sprouts & chicken tortilla soup I'd recommend all of them! read more

Friendly owners. Delicious food. Always a plus to support local business! If you haven't been there, you're missing out!

Great food and service all around!! Ambiance is fun. Love the staff! This is a must for date nights too.

No photos because we only went for beers, not food. We were going to a movie across the street and decided to pop in afterwards. It has more of a restaurant feel than a bar, which was fine. I ordered a seasonal strawberry beer that was sweet, like a cider and I really enjoyed it. I didn't know if I would like it so I got a smaller size and I should have gotten the larger one. I didn't know they would give a sample for tasting before ordering and wish the server had told us that. My partner got a sour beer and he really enjoyed it. I guess they are experiencing understaffing like many other places because the server didn't come back to check if we wanted a second round and took a very long time to bring the check after we flagged her down. That was fine since we weren't in a hurry, but would suck if we had gone before the movie. Looked like some interesting menu options - standard 'upgraded' bar food that might be good to return if I'm in the area, but it wasn't such a spectacular offering that I would go out of my way to go to Waukee just for the food, service, or drink options. read more

Came here and got seated for 2 right away on a Saturday night...about 8 pm. Service was quick to start, we ordered the chicken pita with no feta & the buttermilk chicken sandwich. We both loved our dishes! Loved my pita and the chicken was nice with bacon and onions - although I would've liked it served warmer. The sweet potato fries were spot on though. My date devoured his chicken sandwich in less than 5 min . Portions were reasonable too for the price. Took while too get the bill, but really not a big deal as we weren't in a hurry. Would love to come back and try more off the great looking menu! Loved the atmosphere as well!! read more

Gastro Grub & Pub - Buttermilk chicken sandwich - Gastropubs Near Me - Waukee, Iowa

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Came to this place looking for the bacon jam burger featured in an article on The Des Moines Register and let me tell you, IT DID NOT DISAPPOINT! The meat was cooked perfectly and well seasoned, the bacon jam was excellent (and I've had my fair share of bacon jams) and the sweetness is well balanced with the arugula and cheese. My wife had the shrimp po' boy and she loved it as well. Our waiter, Lauren, was very attentive and sweet. I saw other items in the menu that I need to try. I'm definitely going to be a regular at this place. read more

Went there on opening night because the food they've made in their food truck was the best in DSM. This place didn't disappoint. It is amazing. First thing I have to say is the cocktail menu is absolutely on point. I had the old fashioned. In it they use home made brandied cherries. They are out of this world good. I think they made my year! My group ordered many things to share. The brisket poutine, pork belly and bacon fried brussel sprouts were ordered for as appetizers. Both plates lasted about five seconds after they got the table. A few were licking the plate. Then we had some old favs and some soon to be new favs. We ordered the fried chicken sandwich (crunchy juicy and way better than chick fil a), the bacon bourbon burger (DSM's best burger hands up, down, sideways and where ever else you can put them), the half chicken entree (drooling just thinking about it) and they gave us a pita to also try (wow that's all I can say they hit the spot). I haven't been this satisfied with a new restaurant in a long time. I'm also excited that this place is just down the street from me and a little worried about packing on 10 pounds because of it. But then again great food is always welcome for my taste buds. read more

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We recently went to the Gastro Grub & Pub during happy hour and had a great experience. The food was very good, the service attentive and the atmosphere was great with a nice crowd! It was a very good experience and we won't hesitate to go there again.... read more

Service was very attentive and good. We were offered samples of our wi e and beer choices. My husband is hard to please and really liked the grub burger. The butternut squash soup was also top notch.all of our food was really good. read more

One of our "Locals" we like to frequent. Such a unique menu and a vibrant atmosphere here at the pub. Everything on the menu is unique and very good. The poutine may be my favorite thing on the menu. It is excellent. A meal in and of itself. read more

Everything here is fantastic. Beet salad is wonderful, squash soup has cornbread croutons, which are unusual and brilliant! Salmon sandwich with the truffle fries is also a must! The coffee and donut dessert is the perfect finale! Blackberry cucumber cooler is a delicious drink, and there is a great selection of craft beers. read more

Gastro Grub & Pub - Salmon sandwich, beet salad and blackberry cucumber cooler - Gastropubs Near Me - Waukee, Iowa

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We CANNOT GET ENOUGH OF THIS PLACE! Some of the best Brussels sprouts everrrr; balsamic glaze, bacon, cheese Sweet potato fries with a side of garlic aioli Their grub burger is so gooooood (extra side of spicy slaw!)! The buttermilk chicken sammich with extra spicy slaw is just Poutine fries are delish but pretty generic otherwise and the service is always stellar. Cannot find a single complaint! Love Love Love! read more

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Holy guacamole! This place is freakin baller. I love a place that gets veganism and makes food for vegans that anyone can enjoy. It was clean, staff was so great and it was lovely spending one of the last great nights out on the patio. We ordered a Manhattan and it was the best. Real vanilla bean, mashed cherries and oranges to boot. I highly recommend this place and it is so worth the drive to Waukee. read more

Gastro Grub & Pub - Gastropubs Near Me - Waukee, Iowa

Don't waste your time, or money. I was told tonight that I had reached my limit and asked if I need an Uber. Are you my mother? No. Was I being out of line? No. Writing this review less than 30 min after getting home, on my own accord. Never in my life have I been told someone is done serving me and asked how I was getting home. I could understand if a customer was being drunk and belligerent, but I definitely was not. I will not be back, nor would I recommend my friends do so either. read more

I love Gastro. It's a little pricey but always worth it. I get the fried chicken sandwich with truffle fries and aioli. Also, in my opinion, gastro also has the best to-go food. It travels well and always tastes delicious. Definitely recommend! read more

Gastro Grub & Pub - Buttermilk Fried Chicken Sandwich with truffle fries - Gastropubs Near Me - Waukee, Iowa

Nice selection of craft beers. Excellent food and a wonderful menu. Service was just right. The bacon-wrapped dates for an appetizer were good. I had the chicken pita and truffle fries, which I'd happily get again. My lovely wife had the buttermilk breaded chicken sandwich with exquisite sweet potato fries. She loved her meal. Good food, great service, easy atmosphere. Check it out. read more

Such a cute restaurant and the food was AMAZING! Madison was our server and although she was very busy, she was so sweet and made sure to check on us multiple times throughout the evening. The Brussels sprouts and truffle fries were some of the best I've ever had. Definitely a great option for casual dining!! read more

Super awesome! Fries were really good and everything was reasonably priced. The Brussels sprouts were to die for

Five people 5 entrees 2 desserts 1 waiter. Everything was superb!! First time here will definitely be back.

Delish! Danny gave great service and knew the answers to my ingredient questions. I'm not super price conscious but I did think they were on the high side, especially for a lunch menu. (But the Yelp check-in offer helped!) The vegan, g-free fries are stuff of dreams so I'll likely be back for those and patio drinks this summer read more

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We cant say enough amazing things about the food and the staff! It has been our weekly date night spot forever! If you go in, you must ask for Chris or Mary. Chris is always so fun and outgoing and Mary makes the best Martini's ever! read more

Excellent menu and fantastic food! Got great seats on the patio. The bartender started out as our server, then he got pretty busy at the bar and we were largely of ignored. Another server ended up refillimy our drinks. Overall, easily a better dining experience than most places of similar fare. We'll be back! Updated 8/4/19-Just got the beer battered Cod Sandwich. Omg! It was amazing! read more

Gastro G&P is a real success story. Wildly popular food truck moves into a brick and mortar building in a great location. Guaranteed to serve the same great stuff they had on the truck, plus more, including a variety of new dishes and craft beer! Menu is varied with some items you can't find elsewhere, in a nice room with a kind of hipster edge. Service can be inconsistent at times, but generally ok. A conservative dinner for two with a drinks runs about $60. No bargain but about that you'd pay everywhere. I like going here as it close to our place and the food is good. But they apparently smoke their own...something. My wife does not like going in the winter because of the smell of smoke that permeates the place. Her clothes smell like smoke after, and she's not particularly sensitive to that kind of thing. So don't wear clothes that need dry cleaning if you go, or wait and go in the summer and sit on the patio! So pushing 5-stars on the food and drink, but lose a couple on the smoke and varied service. Worth a try if you're out that way! read more

Food was good but a little over priced. Also the service was not attentive, I watched 4 employees stand around while one other worked. This place won't last with service like we had. read more

Showed up late on a Friday night and after a couple of jokes about how many were in our party for the night two of us were seated. Our server was very attentive to our questions. We both ordered the whiskey special for the evening, which tasted amazing. We decide on a bone marrow appetizer at one of my friends suggestion. Which came 1 minute before our dinner came. Two bones showed up, one had some marrow in it, the other had none, and both had too much bacon jam on them. Flavor was there after I scrapped off half the bacon jam on the only bone that had marrow in it. The crostini was so good I kept the two uneaten pieces for my meal and thought about asking for more. As I said our dinner order came just a minute after our appetizer and our table for two was way over crowded. Hard to find a place for dirty dished and drinks as we tried to finish quickly while our dinner cooled. I ordered the Ponzu Glazed Salmon and my companion ordered the buffalo mac and cheese. The salmon was cooked perfectly, I wished it came with a pilaf, risotto, or other rice dish instead of the garlic mashed potatoes, they seemed a heavy combo with fish. Especially with the Asian flavor of Ponzu. All of our food was absolutely delicious and earned them a return visit. The seasonal whisky drink was worth a bar drinking visit on it's own. Kudos to the misologist! Knowing what I know now I will be in control of ordering next time. Possibly the kitchen was ratchet on our visit, but I doubt it they seemed a well oiled machine, from the host to the kitchen and our server was spot on! read more

Gastro Grub & Pub - Gastropubs Near Me - Waukee, Iowa

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Always have have experienced great service and wonderful food! We enjoy going there on an occasional date night, and their patio is a great spot to hang out in the warm weather. read more

Had a great time here for date night. The service was friendly and quick. Food was tasty, and we'll be back again for sure.

This place used to be great but has gone severely downhill. Our favorite dishes have declined in quality with less care in preparation as well as switching to cheaper ingredients. Time to find a new go-to read more

Amazing food and service. Everything I have had is delicious - especially the chicken sandwich. Worth the trip!

Guys... I'm obsessed. The Buttermilk Fried Chicken sandwich was to die for. The spicy coleslaw and pickles really made it but the seasoning on the chicken was good and breaded to perfection. I chose fries as my side and sriracha aioli to dip them in and ...holy aioli.... my life is forever changed. I need to dip everything in sriracha aioli now. We went for lunch on a Saturday and there were probably 4 tables occupied so it was kind of quiet in there, which I didn't mind, but my dad thought it was too quiet. Our server was so nice and attentive. I'll definitely be back for more! read more

Amazing. Incredible. Delicious. This is the right place for a vegan. Ok, I'm an accidental vegan, and I'm just getting used to finding vegan food. Boom. This is the right place. I ordered the Vegan Jackfruit BBQ Sandwich. I'd never had jackfruit and was very skeptical. The server said that people said that it tasted like pork. It didn't taste like pork to me, and the first bite was almost the last. I kept going and it turned out to be really amazing: it was a little sweet, and tangy. The apple cole slaw, and dill pickles are amazing on top and the vegan bun was crisp and tasty. The vegan fries with the vegan garlic aioli were perfect. We had excellent and attentive service. It's a nice space and not too loud. I really enjoyed this and look forward to trying the other vegan options. read more

So in this difficult time there food quality has gotten worse and the portions have gotten even smaller!!! Their hours have gotten shorter even for Iowa (I take it no one is open past 8pm because of the Jeepers Creepers guy). This place wont make it if they don't stop being LAZY!!! read more

A vegan can starve at many restaurants or settle for pasta with red sauce. Gastro grub was exceptional in offering three solid vegan entrees besides the appetizers. We started with the vegan brussels sprouts. Then my wife had the vegan tacos and I had the vegan burger with fries. Everything was tasty, especially with my Bell's Amber Ale. I look forward to trying the jackfruit sandwich at my next visit. The menu also included meat options. My brother, the sinner, had the chicken and said it was excellent. Service was just right, friendly and attentive, never intrusive. The ambience was clean and modern with lots of glass. Gastro Grub donates some of its profits to charity. Who does that? It makes having an appetizer or dessert almost a civic duty. Judging from the crowd on a Thursday night, Gastro Grub has already become very popular. For good reason. I recommend it for herbivores and omnivores alike. read more

Love this place! Hands down the best Brussel sprouts I have ever had. We ordered the vegan ones and they were better than $$$$ restaurants I have eaten at in LA and Chicago. I was also extremely impressed with the children's menu. The food was gourmet but at a very reasonable price. I will be going back soon!! read more

We love going to the pub! Very good selection of bourbon and the bartenders actually know what they are talking about. Always fun atmosphere. Good service, interesting menu. Good local beers. The Buffalo chicken wontons are one of the best appetizers ever! That and their sweet potato fries are standouts for sure. read more