This tiny house is giving Des Monies the vibes it's missing…read more.. On a short layover in Iowa, I was looking for good drinks and food without a lot of waiting or being overcrowded. What I found was a little gem off of one of the main roads in downtown Des Monies. Even before you enter this self described "Tiki Bar" you see all the brick buildings, and then you see an actual grass covered roof...yep that's the place and a really nice touch. The interior is equally cool and spacious, you are greeted by the bar area immediately when you walk in. To your right are comfy couches and instagram friendly neon wall signs, with that signature tiki touch of floral patterns and great lighting. The location is connected to a Asian food restaurant, so they get their food from them as you drink some of the most well crafted adult drinks I've had in a while. I came for happy hour on a Saturday 4:00pm-6:30pm. The drinks were basically 2.00 off with discounted food, the menu is limited to mostly chicken wraps and crab rangoons etc. I will say the portions were filling and very delicious. The star of the show was my El Colmillo, a tequila based drink with lime, orange juice, lime. The bartender did say it's all pre mixed, and that day she subbed the tequila with Casamigos, because the house tequila was out. Customer service was great, until it wasn't. Our server was excellent, until a guy came in off break and they seemed to have some tension. She really didn't have that same positive energy as before, otherwise an overall excellent experience. Pro Tip: Take a walk over to "Hello, Marjorie", it's a completely different vibe but drinks there are just as good...if not better. Go see Travis, he is 10/10 at "Hello, Marjorie".

Simone is the coolest bartender. She went way above and beyond with her service, up to pulling out…read morea light and taking pictures for me and my friend. They have such a lowkey cool vibe here. This is a great place to pull thru with a group of friends.

This place is starting to become one of the places we pop in to when we are downtown. Atmosphere is…read morefun with an obvious nod to the Chicago Bears but still feels like an old, big city bar rather than a new sports bar you'd see in the suburbs. Their special drink seems to be a "mini beer" which is a shot that looks like a beer. Personally, I am not a fan of the scented candles, but they moved it for me when I politely asked when there wasn't another place I could move to. Definitely a place to check out when you are in the East Village, and a must if you are a Bears fan.

A great location and space for all Bear's fans. And even if you are not a Bear's fan, you will…read moreenjoy hanging out in this cozy sliver of Chicago here in Des Moines. I have never had a bad time in my visits and you can get all the classic Chicago beers and drinks you can think of!

As someone who has stopped eating meat recently, I have been struggling to find something to eat at…read moretap houses or bars. I was pleasantly surprised that the black bean burger was on the menu and it was GOOD! It wasn't too dry and it had good flavor! The sweet potato fries were crispy and went well with the sandwich. Our server was nice, she was quick to get our orders taken and send us on our way to the show we were going to! It's a laid back taproom with a HUGE bar in the middle, if you like beer this is the place to stop by when you're in town!

I was in town visiting and Iowa Taproom was my first stop for dinner on recommendation from a…read morecoworker. My friends and I thoroughly enjoyed our experience at Iowa taproom, the beer is great and they have a very wide selection of options as well as sours too. The tenderloin was perfectly fried and crispy along with the fries. The cheese curds were very perfectly crispy and cheesy too. And we loved the Philly cheesesteak eggrolls. If you like Philly cheesesteak get these. Overall had a great experience at Iowa taproom and the service was great

We wandered in on a week night and had so much fun! I imagine given the gorgeous space, incredible…read moredrinks, attentive serve, and delicious bites, this place is packed on the weekends. Oh and BTW... The Contrary in Des Moines has also been recognized as a national semifinalist for Best New Bar ( 2026 ). The Food is elevated Bar Bites The Drinks are contemporary craft ( both cocktails and mocktails ) and the Vibe is New York Chic with Iowa Elbow Room.

The Contrary is one of those places that just gets it right…read more The atmosphere is intimate and stylish without feeling try-hard, and the menu is creative in a way that actually works. Every dish we tried was thoughtful, well-balanced, and full of flavor--you can tell there's real intention behind the food, not just trends for the sake of trends. Service was friendly, knowledgeable, and timed perfectly. We never felt rushed, but everything flowed smoothly. It's a great spot for a date night or a low-key celebration where you want good conversation and even better food. If you're looking for something a little different but still comforting and elevated, The Contrary is absolutely worth the visit.

I really don't want to review this place because, if people realize how cool it is, it will be…read moreimpossible to get a table. Awesome, small speakeasy with a macabre vibe. This is where Edgar Allen Poe would hung out. If you're a cocktail enthusiast, they have some great options and offer an authentic absinthe fountain. If you're a mocktail drinker, they have a variety of NA options to make drinks with that aren't just overly sweet, fruity drinks. Old horror movies on the projector with popcorn adds to the vibe, if you're looking for something off the beaten path. Great addition to the DSM speakeasy scene!

From the owner: Amidst the strains of haunting melodies and the whisper of hidden corridors, The Haunt offers a…read morerefined sanctuary for those who seek to commune with the enigmatic, where every sip is an invocation of the sublime and the supernatural.

I loved the Sandy's Recipe with NUTELLA COCONUT, a very rich and sweet drink doesn't taste the…read morealcohol. My friends had the cookie shot glass (you can eat it) and Serenity Now and they enjoyed theirs.

Went to the Christmas pop up for Secret Admirer and was super impressed. Drinks tasted delicious…read moreand cookies were absolutely perfect. The service was quick despite being packed full on a Friday night. The whole ambiance was perfect and brought amazing Christmas nostalgic feelings. Aesthetic 10/10. Such a vibe - go!!!

We went here for their Rudolph on the Rooftop holiday pop up. We loved the Christmas deco, and the…read morevibe was merry. The food was good. I really enjoyed the pesto and tuna and charcuterie board. Our waitress checked in on us often. We would come back here.

Chill sunny vibe. Attentive service and fabulous appetizers. We loved the wings along with the…read moreflatbread. But by far the best was the Traveler cocktail.

Our first experience here was 2 years ago during the St. Pattys day crawl - we had the best…read moreespresso martinis we've ever had in our entire lives. This year, there was about 18 of us bar crawling and when we arrived we were told there were no espresso martinis. We then watched them restock and prep for more espresso martinis - we were not among the lucky few to receive them and it didn't matter how long we waited in line. It was truly frustrating and we would've waited a long period to receive those drinks. The entire purpose of our visit and the highlight of our evening would've been ending the night with espresso martinis. Unfortunately, this was not the case.

Daylen was a joy. someone you want to walk in and have greet you. Smile, humor, and total…read morefriendliness amazing. I will definitely go back.